Involved in fire and EMS for over 45 years, Deputy Chief Bernie Meehan Jr., whose comfort zone is chaos, has participated in over 400 critical incident debriefings. He was one of the paramedics responding to the Sandy Hook shooting. A true icon of emergency services in Connecticut, Chief Meehan is an expert in Peer Support and Finding an Appropriate Clinician in the “New” Emergency Services.

A Career firefighter for 35 years, and an active Paramedic for past 38 years, Bernie has been involved in both career and volunteer fields. He is a founding member of Connecticut CISD Team in 1988 and is a Peer Helper trained in both fire and law enforcement disciplines.

CASSANDRA MARY BAUER

Cassandra Mary Bauer is a NDE survivor, Spiritual Thought Leader, Author, Personal Evolution Mentor, Radical Re-programmer, Ascension Coach and Founder of NOWLEVELUP. 

As a survivor of deep child trauma and abuse, Cassandra grew up with a low sense of self-worth, self-esteem, and self-confidence. She struggled in the early part of her life with feeling alone, invalidated, disconnected, and lost. 

After her profound awakening in 2013 and finding her way back to herself and creating the magical life that she had once dreamed of, led her to wanting to help others do the same.  

Cassandra has worked with thousands of souls all over the world sift through their programming to discover the superhero that lives underneath all the conditioning, beliefs, thoughts, and fears. 

Cassandra focuses on empowering adults and children to expand their awareness, master their emotions, balance their energies, and break free from their pain by feeling it, alchemizing it, and transcending it so they can step into their divine purpose, now. 

“I believe we came here to be the heroes of our own stories and to do that we must be willing to feel the entirety of our story.”

Cassandra isn’t your typical coach. She is an Ascension Coach – living proof that by embodying your deepest desires and being in alignment with your intuition, you can achieve far greater heights of success, happiness, and abundance – and that the journey doesn’t have to be hard. It gets to be fun and playful. 

Those who work with Cass experience massive shifts in mental health, self-expression, financial wealth — and everything in between. 

Cass believes that when you awaken in one area, you awaken in all areas — and this is the pathway to a life of emotional liberation, self-transformation, and inner peace.

Cassandra teaches The NOWLEVELUP Method through workshops, classes, events, and coaches’ personal clients internationally. 

Cassandra has been told by thousands of people that she is the ‘Perfect Mirror,’ Why? 

Because she understands the depth of feeling unseen, unheard, unacknowledged and invalidated for the magic that lives within. 

And, she also knows the power, strength and courage it takes to walk the path of reconnecting back to one’s individual magic and understanding that the only one that can validate that magic is oneself.

THERE ARE ONLY TWO WAYS OF SPREADING THE LIGHT : TO BE THE CANDLE OR THE MIRROR THAT REFLECTS IT

Edith Wharton

STEFF REED

Steff Reed is a Musician, Educator, and Activist. By sharing his story, Reed shows others that they are not alone. He is a Black Man that loves and gives greatly, modeling that emotional sensitivity and compassion can make us stronger as a community.

As a singer, songwriter, producer and multi instrumentalist, Steff Reed is known to affect audiences with his spiritual, uplifting energy and song. He is unafraid to be vulnerable and open in his own story, sharing lessons of resilience, healing, self-betterment. Reed blends genres of folk rock, alternative rock, pop rock to culminate in inspirational, humanitarian messages.

Over the years, Reed has gained national acclaim as a producer and song-writer having worked with the likes of Trey Songz, Jhene Aiko, Eric Roberson, Swizz Beatz, Kenny Lattimore and Gordon Chambers on songs that made it to the Billboard Charts.

As an Educator, Reed has taught thousands of youth between the ages 4-24 over the last 15 years. In 2013, he was nominated for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award and taught a “Power of Love” workshop at NYU/Ed Sullivan Fellows.

Reed is currently building a Brooklyn-based non-profit, Power of Love, in partnership with Judson Memorial Church. His latest music project is of the same name. By using his social capital and influence, Reed is scaling his impact to empower wider audiences and impact real political change.

Steff is inspired by socially-conscious artists like John Lennon, Prince, Tracy Chapman, U2, Jean Michel Basquiat, and Jimi Hendrix.

RUTH BROYDE SHARONE

Honored internationally for her interfaith activism and leadership, filmmaker/journalist Ruth Broyde Sharone is the creator of INTERFAITH: The Musical which has ignited the enthusiasm of people around the world eager to see their religious and cultural diversity reflected in mainstream theatres. Both lyricist and composer, she released her first album for the musical in 2015 and the second one in December 2021.

Eight songs were performed publicly to a full house at the Pico Union Project in LA in 2019.  She is currently completing the libretto.

A passionate interfaith activist for more than 30 years, Ruth pioneered ground-breaking interfaith pilgrimages to the Middle East in the 90s, was a co-founder and then served for 10 years as Co-Chair of the Southern California Parliament of the World’s Religions, and worked on the staff of the Global Parliament as well. She created a popular interfaith program on college campuses with her prize-winning film, God and Allah Need to Talk.   

Her riveting interfaith memoir, MINEFIELDS & MIRACLES, considered a “primer” on interfaith engagement, has received multiple literary awards and endorsements from 30 religious leaders including H.H. the Dalai Lama. Ruth also penned more than 60 articles for The Interfaith Observer, and co-authored the 2018 best-selling Amazon book, 21ST CENTURY VOICES: Women Who Influence, Inspire, and Make A Difference.

Among her many awards for inspirational interfaith leadership, in 2013 she was inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Board at Morehouse College and recognized as an outstanding interfaith leader by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2015.  She resides in Los Angeles.

EVA PERLMAN

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein

Eva was born in Berlin, Germany in 1932.

Her family survived WWII by hiding in the mountains of southern France.

Following her childhood in Germany and France, she has lived in Israel, Switzerland, England, Uganda, Canada, and now the U.S.

She has had several careers in many fields including healthcare, and her goal is to help people maintain and improve their health.

She was married for 32 years, has three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

She has always been a wonderful storyteller, and now published her autobiography: “Eva’s Uncommon Life

Guided by Miracles.”

Eva’s Uncommon Life – Guided by Miracles is an extraordinary life story that begins in hiding in the south of France during World War II, narrowly escaping capture by the Nazis. Eva Perlman’s autobiography details the first of many miracles that kept her family alive and permeated her long and rich life. After adventures, travel and hardships she ultimately found her purpose as a Holocaust survivor educating Jewish teens on the annual March of the Living. Perlman brings pearls of wisdom, humor and joie de vivre to her tale of love, loss and choosing happiness.

Eva, not only is your story so inspiring, but your genuine love of life is amazing.

Your jokes kept me laughing when I needed to feel good. Your conversation kept

me listening when I needed to be inspired, and your story kept me learning when

I needed to gain perspective.

-Bryan G., Student, BIE March of the Living, 2012

Eva’s positive outlook, ability to overcome hardship, and the ways in which she

has used her experiences to teach others about tolerance and respect are models

we should all strive to emulate in our own lives. This memoir is a beautiful and

honest reflection on a life well-lived

Maya Aharon, Director, Teen Experiential Education Programs, Builders of Jewish Education, Los Angeles

Jennifer Kelly is a nine-time foster mom and mother of four boys. Jennifer left a 16 year career in film and TV to become a postpartum doula, Kundalini yoga teacher with emphasis on PTSD and addiction, Reiki master, sound healer, Reiki Master, functional nutritional wellness specialist, certified hypnotherapist, wellness life coach and is CARE certified in Raindrop and Vitaflex techniques.

She owns and operates INlighten Community in Toluca Lake, CA. Jennifer started a Non Profit called For Land and People to bring comprehensive and alternative therapy programs, regenerative farming, housing and safe community to people around Los Angeles in need, with a focus on at-risk and foster youth.

MARY JACOBSON

Mary Jacobson is For Land & People’s Acting COO and Content Creator. She has been teaching yoga and meditation in Los Angeles since 2008, with a focus on seniors with dementia and other severe impairments. Before taking up a yoga practice, Mary was a professional print and online journalist.

She has a BA in Humanities from the University of Louisville and an MS and journalism from Columbia University as well as kundalini Level 1 & 2 certifications, 200-hour RYT certification, and Accessible Yoga training. She is now devoting her skills and energy to For Land & People by helping to create the necessary content, operations, and structure to establish and support this inspirational endeavor.

OSHRI HAKAK

Oshri has been playing woodwind instruments for 25 years. He has had the opportunity to study oboe with Paul Sherman in Los Angeles and Joseph Robinson at Duke University, where he also studied psychology and management, as well as performed research in time perception. He has furthered his musical studies in his work with Guru Singh, practicing and offering meditative and yogic music for several years.

His main instruments are oboe and English horn, but in the past years have expanded to performing the duduk, penny whistle, Native American flute, and vocals. He is also an author and illustrator of several children’s books, and has a small food business that makes delicious carob bars. In this way he loves to nourish beings through sound, imagery, and food.

NICK YOUNG

Nick Young has been exploring consciousness and spirituality through music on the sitar for over three decades. When Nick was 16 years old he was given his beloved instrument as a gift. It has been a conduit for his creative energy, a companion on his journey into inner realms and a vessel to contain his thoughts, feelings and emotions. Nick fuses eastern traditional music with contemporary sensibilities to create a unique blend of music that is beautiful, mysterious, transporting and enchanting.

Nick has a meditation music podcast called: Sitar Meditation Music.

Austin Keith Christian Hein

Former Communications Director for CO House GOP Caucus

Austin serves as the Director of Political Operations with the National Association for Gun Rights. In this role, he manages and directs the political team to influence and shape national gun policy. He works to oppose gun grabs from federal politicians and agencies.

Previously, Austin worked as the Communications Director for Colorado House Republican Leader Patrick Neville. He also spent time working in Washington, D.C. for Congressman Thomas Massie (KY-4) as his Legislative Correspondent and Office Manager.

Austin is a native of Northern Colorado and lives there today. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Colorado State University in 2015. He first became an activist for gun rights in 2013, when the Colorado Legislature threatened to ban concealed carry permits on college campuses. Austin worked alongside gun rights groups such as Rocky Mountain Gun Owners and student groups like Young Americans for Liberty to oppose gun control efforts in Colorado.

https://www.facebook.com/HeinForTheHouse/

https://nationalgunrights.org/about-us/staff/austin-hein/

https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=545797

Scott S. Powell, has been an entrepreneur for 30+ years, founding two companies. He has been a fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution and is currently senior fellow at Discovery Institute. Having been a frequent guest on national radio and TV, he has also published 250 articles in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, Barron’s Financial, New York Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Times, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle, San Diego Union, Florida Sun Sentinel, USA Today and some two dozen other newspapers and journals in the U.S., Japan and Europe. He has been called on twice to provide expert witness testimony for the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

His background has been shaped by the school of hard knocks. After working and saving, Scott took a leave of absence from undergraduate studies, back-packing around the world for several years to some 48 countries—chronicling poverty, oppression and dysfunction. After returning, he graduated from the University of Chicago (B.A. and M.A.) and received his Ph.D. from Boston University. This is his third book.

After performing his first magic trick at the ripe-old age of two years old, Jake Schwartz was instantly hooked on magic. He never grew out of the magic within the tricks, and Jake is now one of the fastest-rising young stars of magic in the country.



Jake is an international award-winning magician who has performed all over the world, including fortune-500 companies like CBRE Real Estate, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Philadelphia Union, the world famous Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City, and he was the youngest headliner to ever sell out the esteemed Smoke and Mirrors Magic Theater in Philadelphia.



Outside of being a world-class magician, Jake is a huge Philadelphia Flyers and Penn State football fan, and an avid musician.



You can experience Jake's incredibly fun style of magic by clicking the button below, and by connecting with him on LinkedIn, or following him on Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok @TheMagicOfJakeSchwartz to be kept up to date with future shows/appearances!

Jan Edwards who is the Founder of Paving the Way Foundation. Jan is committed to empowering communities to be a fierce disruption in the cycle of child trafficking and online exploitation through highly engaging and empowering educational programs. Starting with its Award-Winning Film, Trapped in the Trade, the organization takes the audience through one girl’s journey of being targeted, groomed, recruited and trapped into child trafficking. This film does not have a happy ending, leaving the audience a little raw with hearts and eyes wide open to what they can do to prevent exploitation.  Join me tomorrow at 2:00pm PS-Time as I have this deep heart warming conversation with Ms. Jan Edwards who is also the writer and producer of the film Trapped In The Trade

Ray Connors served in a 34 Year Career with the CT Dept of Agriculture, State Animal Control Unit and was Chief from 2010 to 2018. He’s the Former President of the New England Federation of Humane Societies and Former President of CT Municipal Animal Control Association.

Ray served on the Governor’s Homeland Security &Emergency Management Advisory Committee and was a recipient of the Governor’s Service Award.

Ray’s a Former Board Member of National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs. Ray was a Certified Instructor with the Connecticut Police Academy 1988-2018.

Ray is also Co-founder and Instructor of the Connecticut Animal Control Officers Academy,

and a Former Member of Connecticut Hoarding Response Working Group.

Recent movies like “Alt Right- Age of Rage” and the Academy Award-nominated short film “Skin” have shown some of the work done by our founder Daryle Lamont Jenkins. Born in Newark, New Jersey and raised in nearby Somerset, New Jersey, graduating from Franklin High School.

Daryle became influenced by the civil rights movement as a young man. Reading about “enemies” of the civil rights movement made him wonder what happened to the KKK members. Where are they now? Are the leading normal lives and no one knows?

At 19, while serving in the military, Daryle saw an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show on Skinheads. That grew into a lifelong passion for documenting hate politics on the right.

Upon returning from the service, he became a part of the punk rock scene. He produced two public access programs about the music he was promoting, and political activism. His work cased conflict with his position as a reporter and an editor for local newspapers.

One People’s Project

With the founding of One People’s Project, his passion found a home. More importantly, One People’s Project played an instrumental role in causing the collapse of hate groups throughout the country. Daryle’s efforts have exposed those involved in hate politics nationwide. People trying to escape white power circles find support here as well. Bryon Widner is featured in the documentary “Erasing Hate” after working with Daryle to get out of the skinhead movement. “Erasing Hate” has now been turned into a feature-length motion picture! “Skin” starring Jamie Bell, Danielle Macdonald, Vera Farmiga and Mike Colter playing Daryle.

Idavox , the media outlet of One People’s Project, keeps us up to date with the latest reports from around the country on hate groups. One People’s Project aims to form a larger community of activists dedicated to antifascist work. The conditions in this country that can lead to racism must be fought at all levels of society.

Daryle was a co-producer of the Academy Award-nominated short film “Skin”, appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show, The Montel Williams Show, 20/20, and AM Joy.

My guest is William Henry who is an investigative mythologist, art historian and expert guide to ancient sites. He is the co-star and consulting producer of Ancient Aliens on the History Channel and hosts two series on Gaia TV. William brings to life ancient wisdom stories through art and historic texts, while he teaches the secrets of the soul from the ancient cultures, and through time and space. He leads Sacred Adventure Travels to Ancient sites in Egypt and other countries. 

Michelle Huser - MBSR Teacher:

Michelle's life over 8 years ago after surviving a frightening car accident that left her to battle a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) for the next year while also caring for her Autistic son. Being in a serious car accident brought everything into sharp focus for Michelle as she realized that her life was in shambles as she tried to care for her autistic son and advocate for him within a system that knows very little about this condition, and how to treat it with care and dignity. Finding herself with a TBI in addition to years of struggling to find caregivers who wanted to heal her son rather than just medicate his symptoms away, or ignore his humanity, left her feeling alone but determined to find a path back to health for both her - and her young son.

Broken, desperate and afraid Michelle tuned into her "inner sense of knowing" which guided her to the practice of meditation and mindfulness when she found Sam Harris's work. Desperation, fear, and rage were replaced with understanding and acceptance as time on the mat helped to heal not only her TBI but also her mind, body, and emotions.

Mindfulness also allowed Michelle to tap into her innate sources of strength giving her the courage to take "the path less traveled" and pursue a new but relatively unknown treatment path for her son, that transformed ALL their lives bringing them out of the darkness and into a life where joy, balance and peace were possible.

As a passionate advocate for autism, wife, and Mother Michelle's goal as a qualified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Teacher (MBSR) is to help people create balance, resiliency, and emotional well-being by helping them to build better minds, and tapping into their innate sources of strength.



Michelle can be reached at:

https://meditative-solutions.com/

https://twitter.com/MeditativeSol



For this interview, Michelle is joined by Dr. Ghazala Radwi.

Dr. Ghazala Radwi is a physician based in Edmonton, Alberta, working in the field of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine. She is also a mindfulness practitioner, with a deep interest in the connection between mind and body in achieving a wholesome state of health.

Several years ago, personal stressors and healthcare issues sparked an interest in mindfulness. Mindfulness helped her find increasing clarity, direction and joy in life. Inspired to help fellow humans reconnect with their inner resources, she pursued formal training in various mindfulness programs including MBSR through Brown University and Mindful Practice through the University of Rochester. She is also trained in trauma-informed psychotherapy approaches, including Dr. Gabor Mate's Compassionate Inquiry model, and the Polyvagal Theory which is the science of safety and connection. 

Dr. Radwi offers group mindfulness courses including MBSR as well as individual sessions. Within the healthcare field, she is a strong proponent of creating safe and inclusive spaces to empower trainees and colleagues with skills that lead to compassionate patient care, engaged teams, and a fulfilling personal life. Ghazala brings a fiercely compassionate, heartfelt, open presence to her teaching spaces.



Connect here with Dr. Radwi

https://twitter.com/ghazala_radwi

A Passion for Writing & Inspirational Content Creation

Maryann writes themes of ALOHA …penning award-winning novels and writing and producing critically-acclaimed projects for film & television. She also works as a print and television food & lifestyle journalist, recipe developer/chef, and PR and Marketing Specialist.  As president of Ridini Entertainment Corporation, an award-winning Public Relations, Marketing, and Multimedia Content Creation Production Company, she is committed to creating, writing, producing, and promoting content that entertains, inspires, educates, and uplifts.

Maryann started working as an actress and apprentice in such Equity and Non-Equity Summer Theatres as Hampton Playhouse and New London Barn Players on the East Coast at the tender age of fourteen. Later, studying film and television in college, she landed a job as a casting director and assistant producer at a top NY ad agency before heading West scoring a gig as a writer/producer for Cable News Network. During this time, she also began a lifelong career as a newspaper/magazine writer. She was offered a job as a studio executive working for Paramount and then as a SVP at Stephen J. Cannell Productions before founding her own company, Ridini Entertainment Corporation, a TV/Film and PR/Marketing company handling such clients as NBC/Universal, the United States Olympic Committee (athletes & the GAMES), and producing and writing projects for network television as well as the foreign theatrical market. She is also an award-winning novelist.

Television and Movie Screenwriter & Producer

A member of the Writers Guild West and Producers Guild of America, Maryann is celebrated for co-producing/writing the award-winning movie, “The Lost Valentine,” starring Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt.  The film, a critically-acclaimed, ratings hit from Hallmark Hall of Fame (in Association with Ridini Entertainment Corporation and based on the novel of the same name by James Michael Pratt), premiered Sunday, January 30, 2011, on CBS-TV (9:00 pm ET/PT) to over 15 million viewers.  It held its position for five years as being CBS-TV’s highest-rated movie, and at the time of its premiere, it was Hallmark’s highest-rated movie in four years. It has since become one of Hallmark’s most beloved films and is now a part of their Gold Crown Collector’s Edition. The movie also airs regularly on The Hallmark Channel. Read more about “The Lost Valentine.”

Maryann’s has written and produced television and film projects for Cable News Network (“People Now,” “The Mike Douglas Show”), USA Networks (“Alive & Well”), SyFy Channel (MOWs), Showtime Networks (“Roger Corman Presents” movie series), Hallmark, CBS, PBS, and The Movie Channel (MOWs).

Find out more about Maryann’s TV & Film Projects

Novelist

Maryann’s first novel, “Lady in the Window,” (SelectBooks, 2017, Santa Rosa Press, 2019), WINNER of the 2018 American Fiction Award (Visionary Category) and the 2017 Best Book Award (Fiction: Romance Category), is available in hardcover, paperback or eBook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other outlets.  Her sequel novel, “The Paradise Table,” became an Amazon Best Seller (December 2019).

TV Host, Cookbook Author, Food & Lifestyle Journalist with a Sustainable Mind-Set

Growing up on the East Coast in a large, close-knit Italian-Irish family, Maryann developed a love for cooking and entertaining at an early age. This passion for preparing healthy dishes and memorable dining experiences for family and friends led her to start developing recipes, and eventually, to write and produce TV cooking segments for entertainment and lifestyle series on Cable News Network and USA Network and work as a print food and lifestyle writer.

In 2010, Maryann created the concept for a show she also produces and hosts, “Simply Delicious Living with Maryann®.” The award-winning healthy living cooking series (and cookbook) is seen on PBS Television (KVCR-TV in Southern California, DirectTV, Dish Network, and YouTube). From 2010-2018, a print and video column also ran in the online edition of the Ventura County Star (part of the Gannett /USA Today Network, Search: Simply Delicious or Maryann Ridini Spencer at VCStar.com).

Maryann also created, produced, wrote, and reported the award-winning environmental news program “Sustainable Ventura News” (broadcast 2011-2018 on local television in Ventura and Online on the news and lifestyle pages at Ventura County Star). Maryann currently reports, writes, produces for the global environmental news series, and print column “Sustainability Now News.”

Marisa Vallbona, APR, Fellow PRSA, knew she was made for PR when she was 12 and fried an egg on the sidewalk with her sister on a super hot Texas day. The perfect weather story, it made the TV news and that’s all it took for her to get hooked and her career was born. Since then, she’s gotten local, regional and national media exposure for just about everything. If it’s newsworthy, she can get it in the news.



A seasoned business strategist, Marisa has worked with top businesses and entrepreneurs on business strategy, crisis communications, reputation management, publicity, public speaker training, strategic communications, community relations, new product launches, and special events.



She has won four Silver Anvil awards (the Oscars of the PR industry) from the Public Relations Society of America and a Silver Anvil Best of Show. She was recently awarded a Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for Exemplary Leadership, San Diego Business Journal named her “Women Who Mean Business” in PR and she’s won countless other awards. Her work is showcased in PR textbooks and she’s been featured in business books and has been quoted in the media.



She is the co-founder of PRConsultants Group, a national network of PR firms with offices in every major U.S. market and Puerto Rico. Marisa also has been inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows (a prestigious distinction awarded to a very small percentage of PR practitioners).



She served on the national board of directors of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) five years, including as national secretary, and she served as chair of the Universal Accreditation Board, which accredits public relations professionals. She also served on the board of directors of SDX (formerly the San Diego Ad Club). She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Houston.



Marisa is fluent in Spanish and holds citizenships in the U.S., Costa Rica and Spain.