On this episode, Laura continues her interview with stylist and co-founder of the non-profit Fostering Connections, Fritz Clay. Fritz is a world-renowned stylist, owner of Hair Play Salon, and creator of the hair care product, “SET.” He grew up in foster care in the SF Bay Area, which he attributes to giving him a profound experience of love and family and he created Fostering Connections to give back to the foster care community. On the last episode, Fritz described how he was abandoned as a newborn outside of a hospital. In this conversation Fritz tells his remarkable story of finding his birth parents and the twists and turns that have come with that. His is an inspiring story of love, loss, abandonment, and belonging. It is a poignant and deeply healing tale that he shares to help others as they embark on their own journey to know themselves. You can learn more about Fritz and Fostering Connections at hairplay.com.

On this episode, Laura is joined by the co-founder of the non-profit Fostering Connections, Fritz Clay. Fritz is a world-renowned stylist, owner of Hair Play Salon, and creator of the hair care product, “SET.” Growing up as a foster child inspired Fritz to create Fostering Connections to support the foster care community with hair-care education and workshops. Recognizing that hair is an important part of a person’s identity, he hopes to help bridge the often overlooked gap of understanding about hair care that can exist between foster parents and kids from different ethnic backgrounds. Fritz has contributed to the fashion and entertainment industries for over thirty years and in 2023, the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce awarded him for his accomplishment in business. In this episode, Laura and Fritz talk about Fritz’s multi-cultural approach to hair, the connection between loving our hair and self-esteem, and his remarkable journey in the foster care system and eventual discovery of his birth parents. You can learn more about Fritz and Fostering Connections at hairplay.com.

On this episode of the podcast, Laura Chandler sits down with Executive Leadership Coach, Depth Hypnosis Practitioner, and the founder of Hot Studio, Maria Giudice. Maria is the co-author of Changemakers: How Leaders Can Design Change in an Insanely Complex World and Rise of the DEO: Leadership by Design. Maria talks with Laura about Maria’s rise from budding art student to running one of the most successful design firms of its time. She shares her vision of future leaders and the necessary qualities they must possess to succeed in the ever-changing business environment. They talk about the necessary qualities of leaders that include, among other things, creative thinking, risk-taking, self-care, and optimism. They even venture into a discussion about the intersection of creativity, spirituality, and leadership.

Maria coaches and leads workshops to train executives and their teams in business and design leadership. Maria is the founder and former CEO of the experience design firm Hot Studio, which was acquired by Facebook in 2013. At Facebook and later at Autodesk, she led global design teams that created human-centered experiences for millions of people around the world. Today she is helping shape future leaders to manage the complexities of ever-changing business and social environments with skill and compassion. Learn more about Maria, her workshops and coaching at hotstudio.com.

On this episode, Laura talks with Joanna Adler, Psy.D and Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. Joanna is a Depth Hypnosis Practitioner and licensed Clinical Psychologist. Isa is the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, creator of the groundbreaking therapeutic model Depth Hypnosis, and author of several books, including Coming to Peace: Resolving Conflict within Ourselves and Others. This book reached number one in religion and spirituality on Amazon.

Coming to Peace is a highly effective integrative conflict resolution method developed by Isa to help people navigate and resolve conflict. It draws from indigenous practices of conflict resolution like Ubuntu and Ho’oponopono and also incorporates aspects of Buddhist philosophy and Depth Hypnosis. Joanna and Isa discuss how Coming to Peace works and what makes it so effective.

They also offer their perspectives on working with groups from corporate and academic settings to couples counseling and how they use Coming to Peace processes to create a safe space where people are able to bridge gaps in understanding and bring resolution to even the most difficult conflicts.

To learn more about Joanna and Isa, visit their websites: joannaadler.net and isagucciardi.org. Learn more about Coming to Peace at sacredstream.org.

Our first Sacred Stream Radio Podcast episode of the year is a look back at some of the highlights from interviews over the past year. Laura talks with guests about a range of topics that include sexism and homophobia, body image and spiritual practice, making our schools and communities safer, the climate crisis, and a Vedic view of the future of the United States. Today’s episode features Grammy nominee and author of Saved by a Song, Mary Gauthier; author of From Bonham to Buddha and Back, Clementine Moss; musician and co-founder of Sandy Hook Promise, Mark Barden; author of A Future We Can Love, Susan Bauer-Wu; and Vedic Astrologer, Hogarth Brown. Thanks for listening, liking, commenting, and subscribing!

For more information about these guests, you can visit their websites:
marygauthier.com
clemthegreat.com
sandyhookpromise.org
mindandlife.org
hogarthglobalastrology.com

On this episode, Laura is joined by Mary Gauthier, award-winning singer-songwriter and author of the book, Saved by a Song: The Art and Healing Power of Songwriting. Described as a “must read book” by Rolling Stone, fellow songwriter Brandi Carlisle says, “Mary’s songwriting speaks to the tender aspects of our humanness. We need her voice in times like these more than we ever have.”

Mary has won numerous awards and her songs have been recorded by dozens of artists, including Jimmy Buffett, Dolly Parton, Boy George, Kathy Mattea, and Tim McGraw to name a few. She has released eleven albums, including her latest masterful work, Dark Enough to See the Stars and the Grammy-nominated Rifles and Rosary Beads, a collection of songs Mary co-wrote with soldiers healing from their experience of war. This poignant collaboration echoes a theme in her book – that songwriting is a healing tool. Filled with wisdom, Mary shines as a storyteller in the book, sharing the stories of her own healing journey and call to music as she reflects on aspects of her life including her adoption, addiction and recovery, and her experience of being a gay woman in the music industry.

In this conversation, Mary and Laura explore this theme of healing through song and discuss the role of the songwriter, the strength found in vulnerability, and the importance of being willing to dig deeply into our human experience. Mary’s intelligence, sensitivity, and humor shine throughout the book and this interview.

For more information about Mary, her records, and Saved by a Song, visit marygauthier.com.

On this episode, Julie Lewis returns to talk with Laura more about her book, Still Positive: A Memoir, and her experience as a 39-yr HIV survivor. Julie is a mom, advocate, and co-founder of the 30/30 project, which she created with the encouragement of her son, multi-grammy winner Ryan Lewis, of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. Julie was infected with HIV in 1984 but not diagnosed until the early 1990s when she was given three to five years to live. After years of silence about her disease, she found an unlikely community of friends to fight alongside and began using her story to make a difference. Her experiences as a woman living with AIDS offers insights about grief and loss, caregiving, spirituality, and the importance of community in the midst of tragedy. On today’s episode, we dive deeply into the work she did with the HIV Speakers Bureau and the community that she helped create to support her and the many people and their friends and families struggling with the effects of HIV and Aids.

You can learn more about Julie, her book, and her non-profit at stillpositive.com and 3030project.org.

On this episode, Laura talks with Julie Lewis, author of the new book, Still Positive: A Memoir. Julie is a 30-year HIV survivor, and the book tells her fascinating and inspiring story. She is also the mother of multi-grammy winner, Ryan Lewis, of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and with his encouragement, she founded the 30/30 Project, a non-profit whose mission is to bring access to quality, affordable healthcare to those who need it most.

Laura and Julie talk about her diagnosis of HIV early in the AIDS epidemic, which she received from a blood transfusion. The impact of it on her and her family’s lives, her concerns as a mother raising three young children, and the prejudice she faced early on because of the lack of understanding and fear surrounding the disease. Julie became an early advocate and educator about AIDS, bringing awareness to communities and helping many people. We also talk about her impressive accomplishment with the 30/30 Project, which she founded to celebrate having survived HIV for 30 years. The goal of building 30 medical facilities in areas throughout the world where the need was greatest was impressively accomplished in just five years with the help of many organizations including Construction for Change. Julie’s remarkable story is at its heart a mom’s story of love, hope, courage, and defying the odds, and I’m very happy to share it with you here.

You can learn more about Julie, her book, and her non-profit at stillpositive.com and 3030project.org.