Memorial Day
Remembering all those who serve, those that have served, and their families this Memorial Day.
Posted in Blog and tagged Memorial Day
Book Review: Searching for the White Magician: Spiritual Psychology and the Manifesting of Destiny by Stefania Magidson
Searching for the White Magician: Spiritual Psychology and the Manifesting of Destiny by Stefania Magidson, in dialogue with Carmen Firan brings an insightful and thoughtful approach to many of the questions we ask ourselves today. Set in the format of a dialogue between Stefania & Carmen, the discussion answers such questions as; how can we bring more love and consciousness into our lives, can our dreams guide us in everyday challenges and is it possible to have a healthy relationship with money.
Stefania knowledge, experience and education in Spiritual Psychology, brings forth questions that will cause the reader to deepen their own practice and search for greater meaning in life.
The proceed of the book benefit the Blue Heron Foundation, founded by Stefania in 2002. Today the Blue Heron Foundation is one of the largest non-profit organizations in the Romanian diaspora. To date, the organization has raised more than $2,000,000, has awarded 300+ college scholarships and has touched the lives of at least 2,900 children.
Posted in Blog, Inspiration, Spiritual and tagged Blue Heron Foundation, book club, book review, college, non-profit, Spiritual Psychology, Stefania Magidson
Namkung’s These Violent Delights Depicts True to Life Ends
By Victoria Davis, staff writer & journalist
Just in the last couple months, the world of sports, Hollywood and popular news networks have exploded with sexual assault and harassment accusations. 83 women, according to USA Today, have come forward claiming sexual harassment from producer Harvey Weinstein. CBS fired veteran journalist Charlie Rose due to allegations of sexual misconduct and Olympic Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar has been sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison after 156 female athletes spoke out about decades of enduring the doctor’s sexual abuse.
Some might say that the world has changed, that sexual predators are lurking on our doorsteps more than ever before. Victoria Namkung, author of These Violent Delights, believes the world has not become more dangerous, but that people are just more aware.
“Because of social media and all these new websites that weren’t around when I was growing up in the 80s, we have access to see more than we used to,” said Namkung. “We can see what children are missing, where sex offenders live in our area. If someone makes an accusation, it’s put on the internet almost right away.”
This newfound awareness, knowing that they are not alone, has helped to support women, and men, coming forward and sharing their stories. This, in turn, has given journalists and authors like Namkung the opportunity to share those stories with the world.
These Violent Delights was just published at the start of this month and has already received raving reviews on Goodreads, with over 60% being four or five stars. The book tells the story of three women who, while attending an all-girls private high school in Los Angeles, experience sexual advances from their married English teacher, Dr. Gregory Copeland. Caryn, Eva and Sasha are all from different graduating classes at Windemere and all had different encounters with Dr. Copeland. But when Caryn publishes an essay titled, “My Tenth-Grade Teacher Claims He Fell In Love With Me,” during her college internship at the Los Angeles Daily, the three women realize they have more in common than they thought. Caryn’s essay kick-starts an investigation and, with the help of esteemed reporter Jane March, the women begin the process of healing, finding justice and making peace with their everyday lives.
Namkung takes an interesting approach to this story, with each chapter narrating the first-person perspective of one of the four women. The first few chapters alternate between narrations from Caryn and Jane, but as Eva and Sasha enter the picture, the chapters become more diverse. This was an extraordinary choice of storytelling because it brings the reader into the heart and soul of each women. They are not just mothers, writers or victims. They are people with deeps hurts and pains. The varying first-person perspectives also helped distinguish what make each woman different and how each of their experiences with Copeland impacted them individually.
Having used her journalism skills to interview real victims and private school students and teachers for her book, Namkung creates an emotional journey that is real and raw. The accounts of Sasha and Eva specifically are very detailed, recalling instances of groping, intercourse and emotional abuse post-relationship from Copeland. However, this makes up only a portion of the story. These Violent Delights also covers Caryn’s feelings of estrangement from her family, Sasha’s Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jane’s compensation for past mistakes and corruption within private schools and their board members.
Perhaps one of the most overpowering topics addressed in this book is the effects of severe mental disorders. The sociopathic and pedophilia state of mind is expressed, not through a man in a black hoodie hiding in the bushes and waiting to attack, but in a seemingly typical family man and beloved teacher.
“Most of these predators are found to be people that look normal,” said Namkung. “We see them everyday and they can even be people we’ve known for a long time and trust.”
As the women in the book sort through their experiences one step at a time, the reader will go through the same process. Things that didn’t raise red-flags in the earlier chapters will set off alarms toward the book’s conclusion. One of these examples being when Caryn says in the book, “I remember he [Copeland] told me his students were his friends during the interview I did with him so many years ago. At the time, I didn’t realize how sad and strange that sounded.”
Despite the heartbreaking stories and emotional toll this story takes on one’s soul, Namkung leaves readers with hope rather than hopelessness, that a happy life after trauma is possible and that when one of us speaks out, the rest will raise their voices. Justice is not perfect, and the world is filled with uncertainty. While we don’t always get the answers we ask for, These Violent Delights speaks truth that when someone takes a chance and reaches out their hand, someone will be there to help pull them up.
“I want women and men to feel empowered to speak out against the things that are wrong in this world,” said Namkung. “They are not alone, all it takes is one person.”
You can visit Victoria Namkung’s website at http://victorianamkung.com
Dreaming Beyond What’s Possible
Can you feel the expansion of abundance that’s on the verge of becoming all that you dreamed of and more? Often, when we are on the cusp of profound transformation, knowing what the next step is can feel a little ambiguous.
When we look to grow beyond the plateau of where we currently stand, this often requires we step into the unknown, discarding the things that have kept us feeling comfortable and safe in the past. It’s in the willingness to let go of what has been, that are we able to create the magic of what can be.
For me, letting go and dreaming is all about allowing this very magic to flow into my life. Dreaming of what’s possible can be playful, adventurous and limitless. Letting go can feel exciting, exhilarating and like a breath of fresh air. Yet, I often ask myself, “Am I dreaming big enough?” Have you ever asked yourself the same question? What if we imagined beyond our daily needs and desires?
Join me this month in allowing our minds to reach beyond what’s possible, and dare to dream higher than you’ve ever allowed yourself before.
Make Every Moment Count!
Posted in Blog, Inspiration, Spiritual and tagged blog, dream, dreaming, inspiration, Marianne Pestana, miracles, Moments with Marianne, positive thinking
New Season Starts Tomorrow!
Delighted to announce the new season of the Moments with Marianne radio show starts tomorrow! Stay tuned!
Posted in Blog
Friday, June 1st at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Dr. Jacob Israel Liberman is a pioneer in the fields of light, vision and consciousness, and the author of numerous books, including Luminous Life: How the Science of Light Unlocks the Art of Living, Originally trained as an optometrist and vision scientist, his life changed in 1976 after the miraculous healing of his eyesight, leading him to a deeper understanding of light and the science of life. www.JacobLiberman.org
Thursday, May 31st at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Michelle S. Fondin, author of Chakra Healing for Vibrant Energy and The Wheel of Healing with Ayurveda is owner of the Ayurvedic Path Yoga and Wellness Studio, where she is an Ayurvedic lifestyle counselor and a yoga and meditation teacher. She holds a Vedic Master certificate from the Chopra Center and has worked with Dr. Deepak Chopra teaching yoga and meditation. Find out more about her work at www.michellefondinauthor.com
Monday, May 28th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Christina was raised in Salinas, California, and developed a love of storytelling at an early age. While she’s been dreaming up stories her whole life, she only recently started to transfer all the worlds she’s created to the page. Christina currently lives in Visalia, California, where she also loves spending time with her husband and pets. https://christinaenquist.com/
Sunday, May 27th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Roger Housden is the author of the new book Ten Poems for Difficult Times, the most recent addition to his best-selling Ten Poems series, which began in 2001 with Ten Poems to Change Your Life. He offers writing workshops, both live and online, with an emphasis on self-discovery and exploration. Visit him online at www.RogerHousden.com
Friday, May 25th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Satori is the creator of the Satori School of Enlightenment and a personal life coach. She is a Muse and gifted light worker, skilled in Quantum Shamanic healing arts. She is a humanitarian born in Namibia, South West Africa and the root of her spiritual understanding evolved from studying Hebrew and Kabbalah in Israel. Satori trained with a Cherokee Native American Shaman in Sedona AZ, this enhances her power to hold space for multi dimensional frequencies. http://www.satorijourney.com
Thursday, May 24th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Maureen has over 25 years of experience in the area of mystical and sacred traditions. Known as the Practical Mystic, Maureen is a prolific teacher and facilitator of spiritual knowledge for contemporary life. As a clear channel from Source, she is continuously researching, developing and introducing new methods that will help you connect with your own wisdom channel, and inspire your spiritual awakening. https://maureenstgermain.com
Monday, May 21st at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Jalaja Bonheim, Ph.D., is an internationally acclaimed speaker, an award-winning author, and one of the world’s foremost experts in the use of circle gatherings as a tool for healing and empowering women. She is founder of the Institute for Circlework and has trained hundreds of Circlework leaders from around the world, including the Middle East, where her circles unite Jewish and Palestinian women. http://jalajabonheim.com
Sunday, May 20th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Arielle Ford recently discovered a secret unpublished work by her beloved sister, spiritual teacher and #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Ford, in which she reflects on the astonishing holiness that resides in each of us. www.DebbieFord.com
Friday, May 18th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Susan Meissner is a former managing editor of a weekly newspaper and an award-winning columnist. She is the award-winning author of Secrets of a Charmed Life, A Fall of Marigolds, A Bridge Across the Ocean, and Stars Over Sunset Boulevard among other novels. Visit her online at SusanLMeissner.com
Thursday, May 17th at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT
Author and speaker Anne Grady, a communication and leadership consultant to top companies, has overcome trouble, trauma and adversity beyond what many of us will ever face. In her new book, “Strong Enough: Choosing Courage, Resilience and Triumph,” Anne shares the winning formula that can help anyone transcend any challenge, personally and professionally: Courage + Resilience = Triumph. www.annegradygroup.com
Thursday, May 17th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Deborah Santana is an author, business manager, and activist for peace and social justice. Her non-profit, Do A Little, serves women and girls in the areas of health, education, and happiness. With a passion to provide educational opportunities for girls and women, Ms. Santana collaborates with organizations that work to prevent and heal relationship and sexual violence, improve the lives of America’s abused and neglected children, and a worldwide community of artists and allies who work for empowerment, opportunity, and visibility for women artists. https://www.deborahsantana.com
Monday, May 14th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Florence Ann Romano, The Windy City Nanny™, is a dedicated philanthropist and former nanny who has always had a special place in her heart for children. Romano worked for over 15 years as a nanny, beginning as a ‘Mommy’s helper’ at the age of 11. She shares her experiences in Nanny and Me (Mascot Books, May 2015), her beautifully illustrated debut book for children making the transition from being cared for solely by their parents to having a nanny in their home. www.WindyCityNanny.com
Sunday, May 13th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, is a University Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Psychiatry and Radiology. She received a National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award for her groundbreaking research on emotion in the brain, and is an elected member of the Royal Society of Canada. www.lisafeldmanbarrett.com
Friday, May 11th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Amy Newmark is the bestselling author, editor-in-chief, and publisher of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Since 2008, she has published 133 new books, most of them national bestsellers in the U.S. and Canada, more than doubling the number of Chicken Soup for the Soul titles in print today. She is also the author of Simply Happy, a crash course in Chicken Soup for the Soul advice and wisdom that is filled with easy-to-implement, practical tips for having a better life. http://www.chickensoup.com
Thursday, May 10th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Stefania Magidson was born in Romania and in 1983 immigrated with her family to the United States. She received a BS in Health Education and a Master’s in Applied Spiritual Psychology. In 2002, she founded Blue Heron Foundation, one of the largest non-profit organizations in the Romanian diaspora. To date, the organization has raised more than $2,000,000, has awarded 300+ college scholarships and has touched the lives of at least 2,900 children. https://blueheronfoundation.org
Monday, May 7th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle, The Book of Fate, and nine other bestselling thrillers including The Tenth Justice, The First Counsel, The Millionaires, and The President’s Shadow. http://bradmeltzer.com
Monday, May 7th at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT
Mary Pilon is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Monopolists, the acclaimed history of the board game Monopoly. A regular contributor to The New Yorker, Esquire, Fast Company, MSNBC, Vice, and Politico, Pilon has also worked as a staff reporter at the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and was a producer for NBC Sports at the 2016 Olympics. www.marypilon.com
Sunday, May 6th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Yvonne Tally is the author of Breaking Up with Busy and has been a healthy lifestyle coach for nearly twenty years. She is a cofounder of Poised Inc., which, among many other things, offers Pilates training to cancer survivors through the Stanford University Cancer Center, and the founder of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarves, a charity that provides headscarves to cancer patients. The Meditation and De-Stressing Specialist for the city of Palo Alto. http://wwww.YvonneTally.com
Friday, May 4th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
VANISHING BONE takes readers on a detective adventure in contemporary medical science. Diseases are rarely observed, revealed and eliminated in one lifetime; this book tells the captivating and engaging story of a young doctor that achieved this rare feat. William H. Harris, MD, DSc is the Alan Gerry Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emeritus at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. The Harris Orthopaedic Laboratory at Massachusetts General was founded in 1969 and directed by Dr. Harris until 2004. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/vanishing-bone-9780190687762?cc=us&lang=en&
Friday, May 4th at 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT
Michael P. Daley is the author of Bobby BlueJacket: The Tribe, The Joint, The Tulsa Underworld which illuminates a neglected history of American crime, identity, and politics in the 20th century. This is the extraordinary true story of a man who went from career thief to prison journalist to Eastern Shawnee activist. Based on over five years of research, the book draws from BlueJacket’s own memories, long-buried law enforcement and trial records, prison archives, news accounts and interviews. www.bobbybluejacket.com
Fly Girls: The Daring American Women Pilots Who Helped Win WWII by P. O’Connell Pearson
In the tradition of Hidden Figures, debut author Patricia O’Connell Pearson offers a beautifully written account of the remarkable but often forgotten group of female fighter pilots who answered their country’s call in its time of need during World War II in Fly Girls.
Patricia is a former history teacher with a master’s degree in education from George Mason University. She has contributed to and edited history textbooks and published articles in magazines and newspapers including The Washington Post. Always enthusiastic about sharing the stories of history, she earned her MFA in writing for young people from Lesley University and now writes both historical fiction and nonfiction. When she is not writing about history, she can often be found talking about history as a volunteer with the National Park Service in Washington, DC.
Thursday, May 3rd at 8pm ET/5pm PT
P. O’Connell Pearson is a former history teacher with a master’s degree in education from George Mason University. She has contributed to and edited history textbooks and published articles in magazines and newspapers including The Washington Post. Always enthusiastic about sharing the stories of history, she earned her MFA in writing for young people from Lesley University and now writes both historical fiction and nonfiction.
10 Experts Share The #1 Most Common Employer Branding Mistake They See Companies Make
For those who are familiar with the general concept of company branding, employer branding sounds pretty straightforward. All you have to do is show that you’re a good employer by creating well-written job descriptions, having a thoughtfully designed career page, and demonstrating a positive company image to the world in as many ways as possible. Sounds simple enough, right? Well yes, but there’s more to it than that.
For starters, it’s crucial today more than ever to have authentic employee-centered content out there on social media.
Having no set rules or code of conduct when it comes to your employer brand
“While there are many things to be conscious of when discussing employer branding, the biggest oversight I tend to encounter is that there are no set rules or codes of conduct outlined when it comes to managing a company’s online employer brand. Leaving this level of expectation open to interpretation can be a major cause of gross misrepresentation of the brand and can lead to clientele loss, not to mention negative feedback from the media. Establishing a clear understanding on what is expected of all individuals who maintain the online presence gives employees and consultants a road map to successfully supporting a company’s mission and values.” – Marianne Pestana, Radio Show Host, Leadership Coach and CEO
See what other leaders have to say on the topic by reading the full post on the Kununu website by clicking here!
Posted in Blog, Business and tagged branding, company brand, corporate branding, corporate culture, culture, non-profit branding, social media, women in business, women in tech, womenintech
Friday, March 30th at 8pm ET/5pm PT
Replay by popular demand! An expert on human perception, Brian Boxer Wachler, MD, has pioneered treatments in vision correction and Keratoconus, has published 84 medical articles, and has delivered 276 scientific presentations. He is the medical director of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute in Beverly Hills and a staff physician at Los Angeles’s famed Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He has been featured on all major news stations including CNN as well as on NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, Today Show, and is a regular on Dr. Phil’s The Doctors daytime TV show. www.boxerwachler.com
Protogenesis with Alysia Helming & Kostas Martakis
Posted in Radio Show Guest and tagged book, bookclub, Fiction, Kostas Martakis, Moments with Marianne, YA, YA Fiction