3/26/18 on "Get the Funk Out!" - Brian H. Peterson, and his new book, "I Give My Eyes." Critically acclaimed author, curator, and visual artist reflects on life’s terror and beauty, finding hope amidst the harsh realities of chronic illness

LISTEN to today's conversation with Brian H. Peterson!


ABOUT THE BOOK

​“I Give My Eyes...” is both spiritual autobiography and a story of healing and salvation. Author, artist, and museum curator Brian H. Peterson looks back on a creative life and reflects on his own search for the deeper layers, the “substrata.”

In luminous, poetic prose, he ties together private and public, inward and outward journeys, struggling with the realities of advancing Parkinson’s disease while discovering an affirmation of belief that embraces suffering and doubt. “Somewhere there, in the middle, in the air between us, a door opens and a breath, a zephyr of love flows through. Invisible, fleeting, but is there anything more real? Anything more, somehow, permanent?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian H. Peterson has more than forty years’ experience as a curator, critic, visual artist, musician, and arts administrator. His photographs are in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Amon Carter Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Denver Art Museum, among others. As the Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest Chief Curator at the Michener Art Museum (1990–2013), he managed the exhibition program, curated historic and contemporary exhibitions, and was the editor and principal author of the landmark publication Pennsylvania Impressionism (2002).

The author of two prior collections of essays—The Smile at the Heart of Things (2009) and The Blossoming of the World (2011)—Peterson has contributed critical writing to the Los
Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, American Arts Quarterly, and the Photo Review. In retirement he has taken up videography while continuing his work as a writer and photographer. His 1981 song cycle “Moon Songs,” based on the poetry of E. E. Cummings, was featured on the CD Modern American Art Song (2015) with mezzo-soprano Sharon Mabry.

The book is part art book—filled with Brian's gorgeous photographs—and part the meditative reflection of a lifetime author and photographer trying to come to terms with his Parkinson's disease diagnosis, making it a perfect fit for Parkinson's Awareness Month in April.

In an interview, Brian will speak about:

• Processing a life-altering diagnosis such as Parkinson's disease for Parkinson's Awareness Month
• How your life changes after a Parkinson's diagnosis and finding a way to continue living to the fullest
• Writing to share the experience of Parkinson's disease as a form of self-reflection
• How photography enhances the meditative pieces in
  "I Give My Eyes..."
• Museum curation and the creative side of planning museum exhibits
• Art and creativity as a lifestyle choice
  
  
  Brian has more than forty years’ experience as a curator, critic, visual artist, musician, and arts administrator. His photographs are in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Amon Carter Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Denver Art Museum, among others. The author of two prior collections of essays—The Smile at the Heart of Things (2009) and The Blossoming of the World (2011)—Brian has contributed critical writing to the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, American Arts Quarterly, and the Photo Review
  
  
  
  Praise for Brian's Previous Titles:
  
  
  “Peterson reflects on art and artists, on creativity and where it comes from, and along the way he bares his soul.” —Craig Wilson, USA Today

“His wise and wonderful expressions of sharp creative intellect make a reader appreciate the necessity, even the urgency, of the artist’s labor.” —Edward J. Sozanski, The Philadelphia Inquirer

He's BACK! 3/26/18 at 9:00am pst - Bryan E. Robinson, Ph.D., author of Daily Writing Resilience, joined Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm!

DAILY​ ​WRITING​ ​RESILIENCE​ ​CURES​ ​WRITER'S​ ​BLOCK

Bryan E. Robinson, Ph.D. Applies Decades of Psychotherapy Experience to Helping Writers

LISTEN to today's conversation with Bryan E. Robinson, Ph.D.

Overcome Setbacks and Stay Positive and Productive

ASHEVILLE,​ ​NC​ — Chances are, whether you're a seasoned author or an aspiring scribe, you've grappled with your share of rejection, setbacks, and heartbreak. However, literary agents say the number one key to writing success is perseverance in the face of disappointment.

Daily Writing Resilience provides advice, inspiration, and techniques to help you turn roadblocks into stepping stones. You'll find tips and support through exercises such as meditation, breath work, yoga, stress management, gratitude, de-cluttering, sleep, exercise, mindful eating, and more. These 365 meditations will help you navigate the ups-and-downs of your writing practice, creating positive habits that will guide you toward the success and
fulfillment that you've been seeking.

"Every person with that little voice in their head―the one that tells them to write everyday―must own this book. Every page is full of hope and reality, just what we all need to keep us going."―Steve Berry, New York Times and # 1 Internationally bestselling author of The Patriot Threat

Bryan​ ​E.​ ​Robinson​ is the author of 35 nonfiction books and two novels. His books have been translated into thirteen languages, and
he's been featured on 20/20, Good Morning America, ABC's World
News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, NBC Universal, The CBS Early Show, CNBC's The Big Idea.


Robinson maintains a private psychotherapy practice and lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his spouse and four dogs.

Visit him online at

www.bryanrobinsonbooks.com.


Bryan will talk about:

● The importance of writing resiliency

● What scientists call “the resilient zone”

● 5 tips for staying resilient

● What it means to have a growth mindset

● Personal struggles with the writing and publishing process

● His background as a therapist and how that helped inform his writing of this book

3/19/18 - 9:45am PST - Maxwell Jacobs joins Janeane to talk about his new thriller, "In Another Country, and Besides."

Maxwell has traveled extensively across Europe and tied many things he learned in his journeys into his new book, In Another Country, and Besides.

Maxwell will discuss many fascinating topics -- among them:

• Writing from the point of view of an unreliable narrator
• How traveling influences his writing
• Separating fact from fiction while writing a book that’s partially based on real-life experiences
• “In Another Country, and Besides,” comes out next February, and is a suspenseful ride through post-war Europe with troubled writer Harry Hoffman. He meets the intriguing Cleo as he’s struggling to leave his past behind him, but his intense fixation on her may lead to his undoing.
• In Another Country, and Besides, tells the confessional story of Harry Hoffman, an expatriate living in post-war continental Europe.

During a time of moral bankruptcy, dissolution, and unrealized love, Harry is a lost soul with a sinister past.

Our story begins in Venice, where our protagonist meets Cleo, who offers him an unexpected love affair and a chance to start over. But when this newfound happiness is threatened and their affair is strained by new passions, jealousies and other men, Harry slips back to his old ways and plots his revenge. This takes him on a great variety of adventures and experiences -from Zurich, and the Swiss Alps, to the Cote d’Azur and finally to Paris, irresistibly drawn back to the great, sprawling city he had once fled in bitterness and disgust.

From its violence, ignorance and cruelty, to its joy and mystery, In Another Country, and Besides is told in a language of great simplicity and power of loyalty and courage, love and defeat and the tragic death of an ideal that shows vividly Jacobs own expatriate experiences and by doing so, has created a story with the mass and movement of an epic novel.

3/19/18 - 9:30am PST, author John Nuckel, joinedJaneane to talk about his new book, Drive - a cross between a thriller, historical fiction, and white collar crime.

LISTEN to today's featured guest, John Nuckel!

John will talk about his days in Wall Street (he always says he heard enough stories there to fill dozens of books), or his experience working his way up from welfare, or the research he did for Drive (it was a lot!). Plus he used to host his own radio program, so he’s a natural on air.

In this crime thriller, history and current events unite through a New York secret society, established in the late 1800s by the country’s elite. The purpose of The Volunteers is to intercede when typical rules of justice cannot. NYPD officer Annie Falcone becomes the latest key component in the ongoing work of The Volunteers.

Et Omnia Recta—to make things right.

In the late 1800s, a secret society is formed by a captain from Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders with the support of the nation’s leading industrialists and bankers. Over a century later, the tradition continues, in the same saloons and boardrooms of New York City, where it all began.

In this crime thriller, where history and current events unite, Woodbury Kane, Jacob Riis, and Roosevelt himself fight the tyranny of Tammany Hall in the first mission of the Volunteers during the turn of the last century.

In today’s New York, the descendants of the Volunteers recruit Annie Falcone, a New York police officer, who takes the oath: Et Omnia Recta. She is to provide protection to one man, America’s top technological mind, from his longtime adversary, Sheng, China’s most brutal hacker.

Annie is unaware that she’s merely a decoy to draw Sheng out for the hit squad that was sent ahead of her. Her instincts alone will be the force behind the success or failure of the mission.

Like so many other Volunteers before her, Annie’s survival depends upon her courage, her skill, and her DRIVE.
Tags: computer hackers, crime thriller, hi-tech, historical thriller, justice, Martha's Vineyard, New York City, secret society, white collar crime

3/19/18 @ 9:00am PST, Veera Hiranandani joined Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm to talk about her deeply personal and emotionally resonant new novel, THE NIGHT DIARY.

LISTEN to today's inspiring conversation with author Veera Hiranandani!

Inspired by Hiranandani’s own father and his family’s journey, THE NIGHT DIARY tells the story of India’s partition, a division that spawned vicious xenophobia and caused the upheaval of more than 14 million lives overnight in what is known to be the single largest human migration in history. 

THE NIGHT DIARY is told through letters written by 12-year-old Nisha, half-Muslim, half-Hindu. It's 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders. Nisha doesn't know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it's too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and by train and by foot to reach their new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can't imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together.

This all-too-recent history is more important than ever as the daily news headlines are filled with heart-wrenching stories of the refugee crisis, devastating reports of acts of xenophobia, and a lack of empathy towards fellow humans. With THE NIGHT DIARY, Hiranandani has created a stunning new classic for middle grade readers and a reminder that hope will always lie in the struggle for unity, even in the darkest of hours.

Veera Hiranandani earned her MFA in creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the author of The Whole Story of Half a Girl, which was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and a South Asian Book Award Finalist. A former book editor, she now teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College's Writing Institute and Writopia Lab.

@VeeraHira ‏

Author and writing teacher. THE NIGHT DIARY (Dial, 2018) THE WHOLE STORY OF HALF A GIRL (Delacorte) and PHOEBE G. GREEN (Grosset & Dunlap). Rep'd by @saraagent.

New York • veerahiranandani.com

Amberly Crouse-Knox, Senior Director Creative & Marketing BMG Production Music Department, joined Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm!

LISTEN to today's conversation with

Amberly Crouse-Knox of BMG Music!

www.bmgproductionmusic.com | Facebook | Instagram

Amberly Crouse-Knox and Janeane talked about:

• How she made her way to BMG music
• What she does at BMG
• Is this something she always wanted to do?
• What it was like being honored at the She Rocks Awards, produced by the Women's International Music Network (WIMN)
• The speech she gave at the recent She Rocks Awards January 2018 - House of Blues, and how she mentioned her Mom. Why that evening was such an important moment for Amberly.
• What advice she would give singers/songwriters who are trying to make it in this biz because it is filled with FUNKS/ups and downs and uncertainty.

Janeane had a chance to chat with Amberly at the recent

2018 She Rocks Awards where Amberly was one of the honorees! The sixth annual She Rocks Awards took place at the NAMM Show at the the House of Blues Anaheim, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2018

The 2018 She Rocks Awards recipients included:

Lisa Loeb, Platinum-selling singer-songwriter, touring artist, author, and philanthropist

Karla Redding-Andrews, Executive Director for The Otis Redding Foundation

Exene Cervenka, vocalist for the iconic punk band, X

Amberly Crouse-Knox, Senior Director of Creative and Business Development, BMG Music Production

Jean Millington Adamian, June Millington and Brie Darling, of the pioneering all-female American rock band, Fanny

Candace Stewart, Studio Manager, EastWest Studios in Hollywood

Dawn Birr, Channel Manager for the Americas, Sennheiser Business Solutions

Fabi Reyna, Founder and Editor of She Shreds Media

Vanessa Mering, Marketing Manager, HARMAN Professional

Kristy Porter, Guitar Center's Director of Merchandising, General Accessories & Media

Sir Ken Robinson New York Times bestselling author of The Element and Creative Schools shares an essential book for parents to help their children get the education they need to live fulfilling, productive lives

LISTEN to today's featured guest, Sir Ken Robinson!

 

Parents everywhere are deeply concerned about the education of their children, especially now, when education has become a minefield of politics and opposing views. Ken Robinson, one of the world's most influential educators whose TED Talk How Schools Kill Creativity has had over 47 million views and remains the most viewed TED talk of all time, has had countless conversations with parents about the dilemmas they face with regard to finding the best school, teacher and curriculum for their child. Now he shares his new book, YOU, YOUR CHILD, AND SCHOOL: Navigating Your Way to the Best Education, co-authored with Lou Aronica, which guides parents with prescriptive and sometimes controversial advice on how to help their children get the education they need and deserve.

 

  

Ken Robinson offers clear principles and practical advice on how to support your child through the K-12 education system, or outside of it if you choose to homeschool or un-school, including:

 

•  What parents should look for in their child’s education
•  How to tell if their school is right for them and what to
   do if it isn’t
• How to tell if their child is stressed out and what can be done to alleviate their stress
• The value of play
• The role of sleep and how much kids should be
  getting each night
• How much homework is too much, and what can be done to reduce it
• How dance is as important as mathematics
• What to do about bullying in school
• How social media affects children’s relationships at school, and how to limit a child’s screen time.

Ken Robinson shares what the future of education of America looks like, and what needs to change on a policy level to get us on the right track. Dispelling many myths and tackling critical schooling options and controversies, he inspires teachers, parents, and policy makers alike to rethink the real nature and purpose of schools and education.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation, and human potential. For twelve years, he was professor of education at the University of Warwick in the UK and is now professor emeritus. He advises governments, corporations, education systems, and some of the world's leading cultural organizations. He is also the author of The Element (which has been translated into twenty-three languages), Finding Your Element, and Creative Schools. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.

 

Melissa Reiner, one of the top behavioral and Autism consultants in California, joined Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm!

LISTEN to today's featured guest, Melissa Reiner!

Melissa Reiner is considered by leading Pediatric Neurologists and Developmental Pediatricians as one of the top behavioral and Autism consultants in California where she is the proud mother of three young boys. With her certification as a Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®) Consultant and her Master’s Degree in Special Education, Melissa is an expert at helping clients improve relationships by “Shifting Communication Style.” In 2004, Melissa founded Bridging Pathways Autism and Behavioral Consulting; a practice to bring effective communication techniques to individuals, families and organizations looking for more successful relationship and communication solutions.

With expertise in working with those diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum, Melissa is often retained as Hollywood’s Autism Expert and credited as the Autism Consultant for the television show, “The Good Doctor,” airing on ABC. She is the author of several books and a frequent speaker on expert panels, at corporate events, seminars, and academic institutions. To see Melissa's other books, resources and contact information please visit www.AskMelissaNow.com


Melissa Reiner M.Ed.
Certified RDI Consultant


melissa@AskMelissaNow.com


www.AskMelissaNow.com
www.BridgingPathways.com

Los Angeles Times reporter Amy Kaufman, who recently made headlines for breaking the sexual assault allegations against James Franco, Brett Ratner, and Russell Simmons, provides the first definitive, unauthorized, behind-the-scenes look at ABC’s The Bachelor and its spin-offs in BACHELOR NATION: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure

LISTEN to today's conversation with Amy Kaufman!

For sixteen years and thirty-five seasons, The Bachelor and its spinoffs (The Bachelorette, the late Bachelor Pad, Bachelor in Paradise, and now, Bachelor Winter Games) have been mainstays in American TV viewers’ lives. Since it premiered in 2002, the show's popularity and relevance has only grown with more than eight million viewers tuning in to see the conclusion of last season’s The Bachelor.

For BACHELOR NATION, Kaufman interviewed dozens of former cast members and producers, relationship experts and sociologists, and celebrity fans including vocal feminists Amy Schumer, Diablo Cody, and Allison Williams, to give readers never-before-told details of the show's inner workings. Kaufman gets to the bottom of how the show is made and why, despite the lack of successful relationships, and the negative reinforcement of gender roles, women and men alike can’t stop watching.

  

In an interview, Kaufman will discuss:

· The history of reality dating shows, from The Dating Game to Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire, and how Mike Fleiss changed the game forever when he created The Bachelor;

· The rigorous casting and auditioning process, which includes an invasive questionnaire, a medical examination, a psychological evaluation, and isolation, culminating in a contract you’ll have to read about to believe;

· The Tuscan estate in Malibu that serves as the infamous bachelor mansion, and life inside “the bubble” where contestants have no cell phones and are completely isolated from the outside world;

· The brutal world of producer manipulation, including defining roles (villain, virgin, party girl) before the show even begins taping, the one-on-one ITM (In the Moment) interviews, and even the tracking of female contestants’ menstrual cycles;

· The editing technique dubbed “Frankenbiting”—re-cutting a soundbite so that it has a different meaning and plays into the show’s desired narrative;

· How the extravagant dates, from helicopter rides to beach-side resorts, are planned and paid for, and the science behind the high-adrenaline nature of the rendezvous;

· Just what goes down (or doesn’t) in the fantasy suites;

· Life after The Bachelor: from spin-off shows to hosting podcasts to becoming Insta-famous, and why it rarely involves the Happily Ever After the show sets up.

· How her reporting for the LA Times has often coincided with her enjoyment of The Bachelor, particularly as she reported on the sexual assault accusations against Bachelor in Paradise last summer.



About the Author

Amy Kaufman is a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, where she has covered film, celebrity, and pop culture since 2009. On the beat, she reports from industry events like the Academy Awards, the Sundance Film Festival and the Grammys. In addition to profiling hundreds of stars—Lady Gaga, Julia Roberts, Stevie Nicks, Jane Goodall—she has broken major investigative stories on sexual harassment in Hollywood. Amy currently lives in Los Angeles with her Australian Shepherd, Riggins, and dreams of living in a Laurel Canyon tree house.



Follow Amy on Twitter @AmyKinLA

Author Claire Evans, Technology Reporter and Author of BROAD BAND: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet, called in to KUCI 88.9fm to chat with Janeane about her latest book

LISTEN to today's inspiring conversation with Author/Musician/Technology Reporter Claire Evans!

If you loved Hidden Figures or Rise of the Rocket Girls, you'll love Claire Evans' breakthrough book on the women who brought you the internet--written out of history, until now.

The history of technology you probably know is one of men and machines, garages and riches, alpha nerds and “brogrammers.” But female visionaries have always been at the vanguard of technology and innovation—they’ve just been erased from the story. Until now.

In fact, women turn up at the very beginning of every important wave in technology. They may have been hidden in plain sight, their inventions and contributions touching our lives in ways we don't even realize, but they have always been part of the story. VICE reporter and YACHT lead singer Claire L. Evans finally gives these unsung female heroes their due with her insightful social history of the “Broad Band”, the women who made the internet what it is today.

In BROAD BAND, you’ll meet:
• Ada Lovelace, the tortured, imaginative daughter of Lord Byron, who wove numbers into the first program for a mechanical computer in 1842.
• Grace Hopper, the tenacious mathematician who democratized computing by leading the charge for machine-independent programming languages after World War II.
• Elizabeth “Jake” Feinler, the librarian from West Virginia who became the earliest internet’s administrator, a one-woman Google who kept the network online.
• Stacy Horn, who ran one of the first-ever social networks on a shoestring out her New York City apartment in the 1980s.
• Jaime Levy, the self-proclaimed “biggest b*tch in Silicon Alley”, creator of the popular electronic magazines Cyber Rag and Electronic Hollywood, loaded on floppy disks.

BROAD BAND shines a light on the bright minds history forgot, and shows us how they will continue to shape our world in ways we can no longer ignore.

www.clairelevans.com
Twitter: @TheUniverse

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Claire Evans is a writer and musician. She is the singer and coauthor of the pop group YACHT, and the founding editor of Terraform, VICE's science-fiction vertical. She is the former futures editor of Motherboard, and a contributor to VICE, theGuardian, WIRED, and Aeon; previously, she was a contributor to Grantland and wrote National Geographic's popular culture and science blog, Universe. She is an advisor to design students at Art Center College of Design and a member of the cyberfeminist collective Deep Lab. She lives in Los Angeles.

3/12/18 - John Allcock, author of FORTY THINGS I WISH I’D TOLD MY KIDS: Mindful Messages About Success, Happiness, Leather, Pickles, and the Use and Misuse of Imagination joined Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm!

John Allcock, author of FORTY THINGS I WISH I’D TOLD MY KIDS: Mindful Messages About Success, Happiness, Leather, Pickles, and the Use and Misuse of Imagination (a Morgan James paperback, on sale March 2018).

LISTEN to today's conversation with John Allcock!
Allcock has seen first-hand how mindfulness can transform our lives. As the co-founder of Sea Change Preparatory - a school that incorporates mindfulness into it’s curriculum - he has witnessed how this essential practice has helped students achieve the unthinkable. Continuing to break records in swimming, students at Sea Change Prep have learned to use mindfulness to overcome fear, dismiss limiting beliefs about their abilities, and achieve the goals that they set for themselves.

Now, these mindfulness concepts are outlined in FORTY THINGS I WISH I’D TOLD MY KIDS to help adults and children alike achieve peace, self-acceptance, and self-realization. Practical, universally-applicable lessons cover:

• How to let go of the “I’ll be happy when…” fallacy

• How to identify the false narratives that prevent us from achieving our goals

• How to drop the mental habits that do not lead to genuine happiness

• How to change our thoughts, not control them

• How to separate our intrinsic value from our achievements

• How to become a student of pain, not a victim of it


About the Author:

John Allcock has dedicated over 15 years to the practice and instruction of mindfulness. He is the Co-Founder and Director of Mindfulness at Sea Change Preparatory, a trailblazing academy that regularly implements the practice of mindfulness in it’s curriculum. The school’s emphasis on mindfulness set the foundation for the success of it’s students, including world-record-breaking swimmers, which were featured on NBC Nightly News. John is also a Harvard-educated trial lawyer and has been the Global Co-Chair of DLA Piper’s Intellectual Property Group. He lives in Del Mar, California with his wife and co-founder Cheryl. Together they have four children.

fortythingsiwishidtoldmykids.com



In Conversation with John Allcock

Author of FORTY THINGS I WISH I’D TOLD MY KIDS

1. What inspired you to write 40 Things That I Wish I'd Told My Kids?

I was going through a challenging time in my life (a divorce and associated difficulties) and I was introduced to mindfulness. I read widely, went to retreats, and listened to literally hundreds of talks by some of the leaders in the field—Jack Kornfield, Gil Fronsdal, Joseph Goldstein, Thich Nhat Hanh and others. I wanted to pass what I was learning onto my kids, but could not find a single book that I thought explained the concepts and practices in an easy-to-understand manner for a Western audience. Thus, I wrote emails to my kids over the course of a few years, which ended up being forwarded to many people who had a favorable reaction. So, I wrote a book that I think accomplishes the objective I first had in writing to my kids.

2. Why do you think that so many of us aren't exposed to these concepts until later in life (if at all)?

Those of us who grew up in the United States (or the West in general) have been taught for generations that you need to change the externals of the world in order to achieve happiness and success. So, we are very focused on “doing” and “getting”—in other words making things happen in our external world to achieve success and happiness. Other cultures focus on how we are, and how we react to the externals, rather than trying to change those externals to meet our desires. It was not until relatively recently that these concepts of mindfulness been introduced to Western culture, so many of us have not had the opportunity to be exposed to them.

3. What changes have you seen in children who have been able to internalize some of the lessons that you've outlined in your book?

We see an increased ability to pay attention and to focus on a task or an intention, and not get distracted by unhelpful mental habits. In addition, we see an increased self- awareness of how our actions impact others, and more attention on self-care as well as care and concern for others.

4. The students at the Sea Change school that you co-founded have achieved multiple athletic firsts—like swimming a 42 mile open ocean relay. How did their training in mindfulness help them achieve these records?

Mindfulness allows students to recognize those internal thoughts and beliefs that get in the way of such achievements, investigate whether they are actually true, and then release those that are false and impede their ability to achieve their goal. For example, with proper training, a student can swim one hour in the open ocean. It is only fear of the unknown, or doubt in their abilities, which would prevent them from achieving this very significant accomplishment. Mindfulness allows the student to recognize that fear and doubt are not real - only figments of their imagination – and to free themselves from them. We find that this concrete use of mindfulness teaches our students that mindful practices can be very useful in overcoming similar obstacles standing in their way of achieving many other goals in life—like doing well in academics or going to college.

5. You encourage readers to change, not control their thoughts. Does this mean that you advocate for positive thinking?

Yes, but I would think of it as balanced or realistic thinking. Much of our thinking (and core beliefs) have a bit of a negative bias. Our minds have the same basic characteristics and make-up as they did when we were cave people—and in that circumstance, being fearful of your environment made good sense. In other words, erring on the side of being fearful or negative about the external environment helped to avoid tigers or warring tribes and to propagate the species. But we don’t need this negative bias in the modern world. Mindfulness allows us to recognize those thoughts (or core beliefs) which are unrealistically negative, investigate them to discern their accuracy, and then replace them with more accurate (or positive) beliefs and intentions, which allow us to live a happier, fuller, and more meaningful (and productive) life.

6. Are there ways to recognize false narratives that prevent us from reaching our potential?

Yes. The most basic way is to learn to do nothing. In other words, to learn that we need not be captured by any narrative that comes into our head, and recognize that much of our thinking is a self-created narrative or story that is not necessarily true. Basic mindful meditation—doing nothing when we are confronted with such internal stories—teaches us that we do not have to actively buy into the story. Rather, we can simply recognize it for what it is, investigate it, not buy into it, evaluate it, and ultimately choose a different, more realistic and more positive narrative to guide our lives.

7. How can we teach our children - and ourselves! - that our intrinsic value has nothing to do with our achievements?

This is a tricky one. There is an ancient saying that goes something like: “We are perfect just as we are but there is always room for improvement.” So, the idea to convey is that all people are born with a unique set of capabilities and characteristics. Not being “perfect” according to some external standard does not mean you are deficient—it means you are human. But, that does not mean that we should not try to drop those unskillful or unhelpful behaviors that we have adopted—like we can dispose of that dirty old sweat shirt that we are holding onto long past its usefulness. But realizing that it’s a behavior we have adopted, rather than a core aspect of who we are, actually makes it easy to dispose of it.

8. Why is it more important to have goals than to achieve them?

The short answer is that goals are very important because they give us direction and meaning to our lives—so it is very important to have them. But we can look at them as climbing a mountain: once we get to the top, there will be another one. Or even if we don’t get to the top, we made a lot of progress in climbing as far as we did, and as long as it was a worthy mountain to climb we have done something meaningful with our lives. But more important than reaching our goals, is approaching the task of achieving them with wise, daily intentions—like being kind, generous, and grateful—so that we maintain our moment to moment happiness as we trek up the steep path, regardless of how far we get.

9. What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

I hope readers will be inspired to learn more about - and adopt - practices of mindfulness in their own lives; and for parents to share these notions and practices to their children. I really believe that the practice of mindfulness—learning to pay attention in a non-judgmental way to our internal and external experience without being captured by that experience—is transformative, and can lead to a more successful life filled with genuine happiness. My book is intended to promote that kind of transformation—and then it is up to the readers.

Bella Tumini, Brand Manager of Suja Juice, joined Janeane to talk about current trends in the industry and the origins of this highly successful cold-pressed beverage company

LISTEN to today's conversation
with Bella Tumini! 

Suja, meaning long, beautiful life, embodies the promise that flows from the cold-pressed beverages it delivers in each and every bottle. Suja was founded by four diverse San Diegans from different walks of life that came together in the most unexpected of circumstances to form what is now the fastest growing organic, cold-pressed and Non-GMO beverage company in the U.S. Suja’s story all began from a shared dream to help people everywhere transform their lives through conscious nutrition.

Co-Founder Annie Lawless had been juicing her entire life and from a young age had been aware that what you put in your body affects how you look and more importantly, how you feel. Her friend Eric Ethans had a background as a raw food chef and spent his entire life researching and pairing ingredients to create healthy, delicious meals. The two met in San Diego and bonded over their mutual love of delivering convenient nutrition through foods and beverages that also tasted good. They were frustrated by the lack of pure, organic products on grocery store shelves and decided to create their own juices at home.

Meanwhile, James Brennan, a leading hospitality visionary, award-winning restaurateur and one of San Diego’s most successful entrepreneurs, met Eric and was instantly hooked on his homemade juice. Enter Jeff Church, a Harvard MBA and successful social entrepreneur, known for his role as founder and CEO of Nika Water, a social enterprise that donates 100 percent of its profits to clean water projects and poverty alleviation around the world.

The rest is history: Co-founders Annie, Eric, James and Jeff came together to form Suja Juice as we know it today, with a mission to get the best quality organic and Non-GMO juice into as many hands as possible. Through the large-scale use of organic, Non-GMO fruits and vegetables, and implementation of a breakthrough displacement technology called High Pressure Processing (HPP), Suja Juice has become the nation’s leading organic and cold-pressed juice brand.



Suja named #2 in Forbes Most Promising Companies in 2015.Click here to read more.

Dr. Lisa Mosconi, PhD, INHC is the Associate Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC)/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. She joins Janeane to talk about her latest book, BRAIN FOOD: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power

LISTEN to today's conversation with Dr. Lisa Mosconi!

Many scientists do not see the connection between our food choices and cognitive function, but renowned neuroscientist and nutritionist, Dr. Lisa Mosconi, does. In BRAIN FOOD, Dr. Mosconi provides a neurological framework and a diet regimen to enhance brain power. By drawing on more than fifteen years of scientific research and experience, she provides expert advice to prevent mental decline and sharpen memory.


DR. LISA MOSCONI

Renowned Neuroscientist and Nutritionist

BRAIN FOOD:

The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power


Adapting a brain healthy diet helps you maintain peak cognitive performance well into old age, and therefore delaying—and perhaps even preventing—the appearance of debilitating diseases like Alzheimer’s. At the same time, eating well and leading a wholesome lifestyle reduce the risk and severity of other medical illness that also affect the brain, such as heart disease, diabetes, and various metabolic disorders. Busting through others’ advice rooted in pseudoscience, Dr. Mosconi uses medically sound recommendations for a complete food plan, while calling out noteworthy surprises.

She addresses controversial and novel subjects such as:
The gluten controversy. There is no strong evidence that gluten hurts the brain but plenty of proof that eating a low-fiber diet can wreak havoc on it. Avoiding gluten often leads to eating less fiber.
Your DNA is not your destiny. The genetic lottery might determine the cards in your deck, but the way you are living your life deals you the hand you are actually playing.
Revising your perception of a nutritious diet. Dr. Mosconi provides the evidence showing exactly why we need to drink more water, go back to eating egg yolks, revise your paleo diet to emphasize fish, and make sure you get plenty of the right kind of sugar.
Using brain scans to show the impact of a poor diet on the brain. Dr. Mosconi reveals the alarming difference between the brain on her diet and the brain on the Standard American Diet (SAD). The SAD brain is full of holes.
It’s Not Too Late! Even if you eat poorly, this plan can help reverse the damage you have done.


BRAIN FOOD Conversation Starters:
The top 5 foods necessary to maintain brain health
How to maximize cognitive fitness over a lifetime, through your diet
Why there is so much confusion about nutrition and the brain
How your gut health affects your brain
What you can do to prevent Alzheimer’s disease
How brain imaging allows you to see cognitive decline
How a gluten-free diet impacts the brain
How drinking enough water improves functionality of the brain
How to start your baby on a path to optimal cognitive power


BRAIN FOOD includes thorough lists of what to eat and avoid, a detailed quiz that will tell you where you are on the brain-health spectrum, and delicious brain-boosting recipes grown out of Dr. Mosconi’s own childhood in Italy. Packed with science, but devoid of academic jargon, she supplies the ultimate plan to augment cognitive power.


Twitter: @dr_mosconi


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Lisa Mosconi, PhD, INHC is the Associate Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC)/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where she was recruited as an Associate Professor of Neuroscience in Neurology. She also is an adjunct faculty member at the Department of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine, at the Department of Nutrition at NYU Steinhardt School of Nutrition and Public Health, and at the Departments of Neurology and Nuclear Medicine at the University of Florence (Italy). Formerly, Dr. Mosconi founded and was the director of the Nutrition & Brain Fitness Lab at New York University School of Medicine (NYU), and an Assistant Professor of the NYU Department of Psychiatry, where she served as the director of the Family History of Alzheimer’s disease research program.


Dr. Mosconi holds a PhD degree in Neuroscience & Nuclear Medicine, and is a certified Integrative Nutritionist and holistic healthcare practitioner. She is well known for her research on the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease in at-risk individuals using brain imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). She is passionately interested in how risk of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease can be mitigated, if not prevented through the combination of appropriate medical care and lifestyle modifications involving diet, nutrition, physical and intellectual fitness.

3/5/18 Dawn H. Kelley, co-owner of Barney Butter, joins Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to today's conversation with Dawn H. Kelley!

About Dawn H. Kelley

Dawn Kelley, Barney Butter’s President and CEO, comes from a background of executive leadership in the technology and e-commerce industry, previously holding executive positions at United Tote, Orbitz.com, and Careerbuiler.com. Passionate about the symbiotic relationship between health and food, in 2010 Dawn set out to grow Barney Butter, a tiny California Almond Butter company, into the best-in-breed brand – both domestically and internationally.

Dawn leads Barney Butter’s day-to-day business; including sales, marketing, operations, and product development.  By adopting a three-bottom-line approach of People, Profit, and Purpose, Dawn crafts harmonious short and long-term strategies for the business. Through Dawn’s direction, Barney Butter has evolved as a consistent category leader, growing to the number three brand in the category, all the while, focusing on maintaining the most conscientious, quality-focused product on the market.

 
Dawn Kelley embodies a balanced lifestyle rich with yoga, meditation, peloton, clean foods and coffee! She is a respected member on the board of advisors for Purity Organic Coffee, a member of the Young Presidents Organization, and breathes through the mantra “Make Something.”

Dawn was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky and graduated from The University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. She currently resides in Maine with her husband (and business partner), three children, and two dogs. Dawn logs a lot of miles commuting to the Barney Fresno plant and visiting retailers across the country!



Beliefs

We believe in leaving things better than we found them. That means the earth, the people whose lives we touch, and yes – even your sandwich.

We believe in the Honeybees and support the bio-diversity of our almond suppliers as well as the Xerces Society.

We believe in supporting local farmers. We buy 100% of our almonds from local growers, also reducing the carbon waste produced from shipping the millions of pounds of almonds we process annually.

We believe in using recyclable packaging when possible. Our jars are made of 100% post consumer recycled #1 PET plastic, which is BPA Free.

We believe variety is the spice of life, so you’ll never get bored with the almond and almond butter options here.

We believe in the almighty almond and think they are the perfect food. We will continue to bring them to you in as many ways as possible.

We believe that genetically modified foods should be labeled as such, and we support the Non GMO Project with all of our heart (and wallet).

We believe in using organic and fair trade ingredients when possible.

We believe quality food should be affordable and accessible, not just for those who can pay a high price tag. While almond prices fluctuate, we always try to offset rising prices with coupons and promotions.

https://barneybutter.com/

Ari Raz, co-founder of Once Upon a Farm with Jennifer Garner, John Foraker, Cassandra Curtis, called in to our KUCI studios to talk about the incredible beginnings of Once Upon a Farm and how they became a leading organic family food company!

LISTEN to today's conversation with Ari Raz!

co-founders Jennifer Garner, John Foraker, Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz

Once Upon a Farm was founded with the dream of providing yummy and nutritious “farm-to-family” foods to kids of all ages. This was the goal from the very start in 2015, as we began making cold-pressed, organic baby food and applesauces that parents would prefer over the highly-processed, shelf-stable alternatives.

Our mission is to be a leading organic family food company that will fight for and support efforts to drive positive social change and food justice for the benefit of parents, kids and families. It’s with this mission that we strive to nurture our children, each other, and the earth to pass along a healthier and happier world to the next generation.

Jennifer Garner
Co-Founder
Chief Brand Officer

As a mom of three and social advocate for children, Jennifer guides the company’s overall vision with a focus on brand voice, design, and activation.

John Foraker
Co-Founder
CEO

John, father of four and longtime organic industry pioneer, is responsible for leading our overall growth and champions our mission and values.

Cassandra Curtis
Co-Founder
Chief Innovation Officer

As our leader of product innovation and mother of three, Cassandra is responsible for developing all of our delicious and safe products using only the best organic ingredients.

Ari Raz
Co-Founder
President

Ari guides all aspects of our business operations and helps make sure you can find your favorite products in store

Anna Lappé, a national bestselling author, internationally recognized expert on food systems, and director of Real Food Media joined Janeane 3/5/18 on KUCI 88.9fm!

LISTEN to today's featured guest, Anna Lappé!

Anna Lappé is the director of Real Food Media and the author/co-author of three books, including Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It (Bloomsbury USA, 2010) and a contributing author to eleven more.

She also serves as a consultant to foundations and philanthropists funding food system change and is the advisor to The Panta Rhea Foundation Food Program. With her mother Frances Moore Lappé, she also founded the Small Planet Institute and Fund, which has raised and given away more than $1 million to grassroots organizations worldwide since its founding in 2002, two of which have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. She regularly speaks to audiences around the country, from university lectures to community-based events. 

Anna founded Real Food Media in 2012, a collaborative initiative working with partners around the country to spark conversation about our food system, catalyze creative storytelling and connect communities for action. The Project produces the Food MythBusters video series, runs an international films competition and leads special partnerships such as the “Voices of the Food Chain” with Food Chain Workers Alliance and StoryCorps. Anna is an active board member of the Rainforest Action Network and Mesa Refuge, a writer’s retreat in the San Francisco Bay Area.


Anna received a master’s in Economic and Political Development from Columbia University and graduated with honors from Brown University. Her research on food and farming systems has taken her to more than 20 countries and 100 U.S. cities. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.



Read our New York Times oped How to Win Against Big Soda
Chicago joins the movement for Good Food Cities!
Tune into our monthly podcast #RealFoodReads

ANNA LAPPÉ
Founder, Real Food Media
Co-founder, Small Planet Fund and Institute
Author, Diet for a Hot Planet
@annalappe
TEDxBerkeley: The Empathy of Food
TEDxManhattan: The Dangers of Dora & Marketing Junk Food to Kids

Lizzi Ackerman, Co-Founder of Birch Benders, called in to our KUCI studios to talk about how this incredible company was founded, the meaning behind the name, how they stay on top of industry trends and more!

Lizzi Ackerman

Co-Founder & CMO of Birch Benders

LISTEN to today's conversation with Lizzi Ackerman!

Here's their feature in the NY Times!

https://birchbenders.com/

Bella Tumini, Brand Manager of Suja Juice, joined Janeane to talk about current trends in the industry and the origins of this highly successful cold-pressed beverage company

LISTEN to today's conversation
with Bella Tumini! 

Suja, meaning long, beautiful life, embodies the promise that flows from the cold-pressed beverages it delivers in each and every bottle. Suja was founded by four diverse San Diegans from different walks of life that came together in the most unexpected of circumstances to form what is now the fastest growing organic, cold-pressed and Non-GMO beverage company in the U.S. Suja’s story all began from a shared dream to help people everywhere transform their lives through conscious nutrition.

Co-Founder Annie Lawless had been juicing her entire life and from a young age had been aware that what you put in your body affects how you look and more importantly, how you feel. Her friend Eric Ethans had a background as a raw food chef and spent his entire life researching and pairing ingredients to create healthy, delicious meals. The two met in San Diego and bonded over their mutual love of delivering convenient nutrition through foods and beverages that also tasted good. They were frustrated by the lack of pure, organic products on grocery store shelves and decided to create their own juices at home.

Meanwhile, James Brennan, a leading hospitality visionary, award-winning restaurateur and one of San Diego’s most successful entrepreneurs, met Eric and was instantly hooked on his homemade juice. Enter Jeff Church, a Harvard MBA and successful social entrepreneur, known for his role as founder and CEO of Nika Water, a social enterprise that donates 100 percent of its profits to clean water projects and poverty alleviation around the world.

The rest is history: Co-founders Annie, Eric, James and Jeff came together to form Suja Juice as we know it today, with a mission to get the best quality organic and Non-GMO juice into as many hands as possible. Through the large-scale use of organic, Non-GMO fruits and vegetables, and implementation of a breakthrough displacement technology called High Pressure Processing (HPP), Suja Juice has become the nation’s leading organic and cold-pressed juice brand.



Suja named #2 in Forbes Most Promising Companies in 2015.Click here to read more.

Natalie Morse, Marketing Director of Chosen Foods, joined Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm to talk about the importance of a plant-based diet, the origins of Chosen Foods, and how the company makes it their mission to help nourish and support health and wellness!

LISTEN to today's conversation with Natalie Morse!

Plants = The Secret to Longevity. In Research on Blue Zones (communities where people live the longest in world) studies show that plant-based options are the primary protein source. You would think this news is reason enough to eat less meat, but only one in ten Americans are eating enough vegetables! Chosen Foods is on a mission to amp up your plant intake!

ABOUT
Chosen Foods was founded by a well traveled Naturopathic Doctor who discovered the powerful effect traditional foods were having in their native cultures. He was inspired to share these ancient superfoods with the rest of the world - and so our journey began.

His vision centered around the idea that food should nourish and sustain our bodies, our lives and our communities. Learn more about our founding leadership team here.

A few years, some big changes and several products later, our integrity and core values remain the same. The mission of Chosen Foods is to support true nourishment through the rediscovery and accessibility of real food.

At a time when food is often fast and convenient, we encourage people to slow down. We want to inspire folks to get in the kitchen and put real food back on the table. We believe the act of cooking and the time spent around the dinner table should be savored.

Food should nourish and sustain our bodies, our lives and our communities.

https://chosenfoods.com