Motivational Mondays: Conversations with Leaders

Kyleigh Leddy is a Boston College graduate with her master’s in social work from Columbia University. In 2019, she took a writing class for enjoyment while studying clinical psychology and won The New York Times Modern Love College Essay Contest after writing about grieving her sister.Her essay caught the eye of multiple publishers who took an interest in her story. After signing a book deal, she was initially concerned about her family situation becoming public, but she knew that her sister’s story needed to be told. Her book is entitled, “The Perfect Other: A Memoir of My Sister.” (https://amzn.to/3FUR0XI)In this episode you’ll learn why Kyleigh wrote her book, how it helped her family heal, and about her sister’s personality.LEARN MORE:>> Visit Kyleigh’s website (http://www.kyleighleddy.com)>> Follow her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kyleighleddy)>> Read her book, “The Perfect Other: A Memoir of My Sister” (https://amzn.to/3FUR0XI)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the member-only bonus episode to learn why it’s important to reject stigmas associated with mental health and how Kyleigh approaches her advocacy work from a place of love. (https://thens.ls/3Hp2lzU)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Yuval David is a celebrated actor, host, filmmaker, and advocate. He's known for his major TV Network roles in “Madame Secretary,” “The Michael J. Fox show,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “What Would You Do.” He’s also the mastermind behind the Emmy Award-winning “One Actor Short,”aimed at uniting the world in a time of divisiveness. Social justice and civil rights are something that everyone must pursue, from David’s perspective, and it's also a part of his Jewish identity. There's an element of activism within Judaism, thought, and philosophy; a focus on repairing the world, soul, and body. In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Yuval shares how we can all stand united to fight against Jewish hatred.This week, you’ll learn how being openly gay and Jewish shapes David’s advocacy, about the rise of hate crimes against the Jewish people, and why marginalized groups must stand united. LEARN MORE:>> Visit Yuval David’s website (https://yuvaldavid.com)>> Connect on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (https://www.youtube.com/user/YuvalDavidActor), (https://www.instagram.com/Yuval_David_), (https://www.facebook.com/YuvalDavid), (https://twitter.com/YuvalDavid)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY >>>> Listen to the bonus episode to learn about the progress made when people come together and the importance of instilling hope in those who don’t feel appreciated. (https://thens.ls/41uxr1g)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Darleen “Coach Dar” Santore is a licensed and board-certified occupational therapist. She’s also the former Phoenix Suns mental-skills coach, and a leadership and mental-edge coach to athletes and business leaders worldwide.Her highly-anticipated book, The Art of Bouncing Back: Find Your Flow to Thrive at Work and in Life - Anytime You’re off your Game was recently released. In the book, she shares her techniques with the world. (https://www.coachdar.com/bouncing-back-book)In the past, Coach Dar was asked to elaborate on how she helps others. After saying it was her natural gift and receiving some pushback, she sat down and wrote the actual strategy she uses to help people bounce back.LEARN MORE:>> Visit Coach Dar’s website (https://www.coachdar.com)>> Connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (https://www.linkedin.com/in/darleensantore), (https://www.facebook.com/DarleenSantore), (https://twitter.com/thecoachdar), (https://www.instagram.com/thecoachdar)>> Read her book, The Art of Bouncing Back (https://www.coachdar.com/bouncing-back-bookhttps://www.coachdar.com/bouncing-back-book)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the bonus episode to learn what it means to listen if you really want to level up and why some people just want to be heard. (https://thens.ls/41bpVrL)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Tom D’Eri is the co-founder and COO of Rising Tide Car Wash, an organization that employs over 90 individuals with autism in a successful business. He’s also the author of The Power of Potential. (https://amzn.to/3kLM40c)Tom’s brother has autism so his family wanted to find a way to help him live a capable life of independence. They started Rising Tide Car Wash specifically to employ people with autism and it’s been operating for a decade. In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Tom shares how his business can be a model for other companies to employ people on the autism spectrum.You’ll learn the mission of Tom’s new book, how he’s encouraging other businesses to support workers with autism, and why DEI training must include people with disabilities.LEARN MORE:>> Read Tom’s book, The Power of Potential (https://amzn.to/3kLM40c)>> Connect with Tom on his website and LinkedIn (http://risingtideu.com), (https://www.linkedin.com/in/derithom)>> Check out Rising Tide Car Wash (https://www.risingtidecarwash.com)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the bonus episode to learn the power of making a difference in other’s lives and why people with autism are resilient employees. (https://thens.ls/415vZlC)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Philip (Phil) Wilkerson is an Employer Engagement Consultant at GMU Career Services. He serves as a liaison between employers and the GMU community to help the school match students with well-aligned internships and job opportunities.Phil grew up in Northern Virginia and graduated from James Madison University. Some educators went above and beyond to support him with career preparation (like crafting resumes, cover letters, and landing internships). When Phil started working at George Mason University (GMU), supporting Black students happened organically. In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Phil shares why landing impactful internships is integral to your career trajectory. You’ll learn the purpose of Phil’s podcast, Positive Philter, how Phil supports marginalized groups, and how landing impactful internships influences career development.LEARN MORE:>> Visit Phil's website (https://positivephilter.com)>> Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (https://www.facebook.com/PositivePhilter), (https://www.instagram.com/positivephilter), (https://twitter.com/positivephilter) >> Listen to Positive Philter on iTunes & Stitcher (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/positive-philter-podcast/id1223813013?mt=2), (http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/philip-wilkerson/positive-philter)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the bonus episode to learn about Phil’s interest in Afro-futurism and hear more about his podcast. (https://thens.ls/3JUqteo)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Pashtana Durrani is an Afghan human rights activist and community development expert focusing on female education. She's the founder of LEARN Afghan, a grassroots organization established to safely and securely educate girls through a distributed network of tablets using an offline platform. One of the reasons Pashtana's platform is designed to work offline is that Afghanistan has a limited amount of electricity. Offline learning is essential if you're in a mountainous region and lack consistent electricity and internet access. Through Pashtana's program, a student can download and access the content at any time, anywhere. In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Pashtana shares the origin of her passion for educating Afghan women.You’ll also find out more about the LEARN Afghan program, how she began teaching English, and Afghani cultural expectations.LEARN MORE:>> Connect with Pashtana on Twitter and Instagram (https://twitter.com/barakpashtana), (https://www.instagram.com/afghania_barakzai)>> Read Pashtana’s book, Last to Eat, Last to LEARN (https://amzn.to/3Yi89kv)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the bonus episode to hear Pashtana recall the importance of her father’s school and her pride in her efforts to educate Afghani girls. (https://thens.ls/3K6ZxJx)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Chef Guy Vaknin is a world-renowned chef, celebrated for his distinctive plant-based creations. He and his wife developed a signature vegan brand, Beyond Sushi. Since then, they’ve opened multiple restaurants and launched a successful catering company. Guy believes you can start from nothing and achieve your dreams because he’s done it and learned by trial and error. He put in the work and learned as he went, aiming for attainable goals and steadily leveling up. It takes time and patience to build a business but as long as you keep trying, failing, and NOT quitting, you’ll make it.In this week’s episode, you’ll learn how being raised in a Kibbutz shaped Guy’s worldview, the impact the military had on him as an entrepreneur, and what he learned from starting a business from scratch.LEARN MORE:>> Follow Guy on Instagram and Facebook (https://www.instagram.com/chefguyvaknin), (https://www.facebook.com/chefguyvaknin)>> Learn about his catering business and restaurants (http://www.cityrootsnyc.com)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the bonus episode to learn why we love food based on memories and why Guy offers refunds to dissatisfied customers. (https://thens.ls/3ZNRIhr)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Ryan Leak inspires over 50,000 people monthly. He’s the author of the USA Today best-selling book, Chasing Failure: How Falling Short Sets You Up for Success. His most recent book, Leveling Up: 12 Questions to Elevate Your Personal And Professional Development, is a Wall Street Journal bestseller. (https://amzn.to/3yu081m), (https://amzn.to/420nYzt)Regarding your future success, Ryan believes you owe it to yourself to take things to the next level. He noticed that some people thrive when others survive, and those who succeed have a different mindset. They didn’t wait for someone else to save them. His newest book contains questions he designed in his executive coaching practice to help people reach the next level. Ryan isn’t about telling people what to do. He provides tools to help you go in the right direction.In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Ryan shares the inspiration behind Chasing Failure, how failure is the best preparation for success, common traits of successful people, and the importance of leveling up.LEARN MORE:>> Ryan’s first book: Chasing Failure: How Falling Short Sets You Up for Success (https://amzn.to/3yu081m)>> His second book: Leveling Up: 12 Questions to Elevate Your Personal And Professional Development (https://amzn.to/420nYzt)>> Connect with him on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn (https://www.instagram.com/ryanleak), (https://www.facebook.com/ryanleak), (https://twitter.com/ryanleak), (https://www.youtube.com/@RyanLeak) (https://www.tiktok.com/@ryanleak), (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleak)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the bonus episode to learn the importance of self-care and why self-care is vital for taking care of others. (https://thens.ls/3ZDQa9M)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Jenn Lim is a speaker, executive coach, and author of Beyond Happiness: How Authentic Leaders Prioritize Purpose and People for Growth and Impact. She started writing her book during the Covid pandemic. At the end of 2020, the co-founder of her associated business unexpectedly passed away. (https://amzn.to/41Is7I6)This prompted her to shift gears and focus on a project that encapsulates what it means to embrace the highs and lows of life. She realized that moments are fulfilling and meaningful when you're living according to your purpose and values.Using her stories and anecdotes, Jenn inspires corporations and individuals to seek a more contented existence. In this episode of Motivational Mondays, she shares why happiness comes from living your values and purpose.This week you'll learn the inspiration behind Jenn's new book, how to embrace the highs and lows in life, and how to discover the silver lining of self-awareness.LEARN MORE:>> Visit Jenn Lim's website (https://jennlim.com)>> Read her book, Beyond Happiness (https://amzn.to/41Is7I6)>> Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn (https://www.facebook.com/byJennLim), (https://www.instagram.com/byjennlim), (https://twitter.com/byjennlim), (https://www.linkedin.com/in/byjennlim)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the bonus episode to learn about the disconnect from things that could make us happier and why society can’t continue addressing things the way it did in the past. (https://thens.ls/41PmXdA)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop

Elissa Bassist is the editor of the "Funny Women" column on The Rumpus and the author of Hysterical. She teaches humor writing at The New School, Catapult, 92NY, and the Lighthouse Writers Workshop. She has an uncanny ability to find the funny in the most challenging situations. (https://amzn.to/3jYPCeQ)Elissa admits it took her 11 years to write and publish her first book. She prides herself on being an author who tells the truth, but she felt that women's literary voices are only sometimes heard and systemically silenced.So she spent many years figuring out how to make people care about what she had to say. Elissa wrote about topics she knew well, including representation in the media, the problems of sexism and misogyny, the patriarchy in America, and the forces conspiring against women.In this episode of Motivational Mondays, Elissa explains her writing, the inspiration behind her first book, and men's unsurprising reactions to her work.LEARN MORE:>> Visit Elissa’s website (https://www.elissabassist.com)>> Read her book, Hysterical (https://amzn.to/3jYPCeQ)>> Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (https://www.instagram.com/elissabassist), (https://www.facebook.com/elissa.bassist), (https://twitter.com/ElissaBassist)NSLS MEMBERS ONLY:>> Listen to the bonus episode to learn about Elissa’s discussion on sexism with actor Bill Murray and why men must be included in efforts to stop sexism. (https://thens.ls/3kwOM9D)Mentioned in this episode:Get 20% Off at the NSLS ShopUse code MONDAYS for 20% your entire purchase at shop.nsls.orgNSLS Shop