Loretta Veney: Finding Her Words Again: A Story of Dementia, Legos, and Love

Loretta Veney: Finding Her Words Again: A Story of Dementia, Legos, and Love

Loretta Veney has a story that holds heartbreak and humor in the same hand. In this episode, Loretta walks through a thirteen-year medical journey that started with a doctor telling her to get over it and eventually led to a diagnosis that nearly cost her life. Sheshares what it meant to build a marriage with her husband Tim around hospital rooms and Dairy Queen runs, and how that same resilience carried her through sixteen years of caring for her mother through dementia. She also traces how Legos found their way into her life. Her mother gave her a box of them as a child, something to build with during hard days at school. Decades later, when hermother's memory began to fade, those same bricks became the thing that helped her find her words again. Loretta shares how that discovery grew into Lego Serious Play sessions with families and care communities around the world, andhow a six-year-old boy who saw her on the news went home and taught his own grandmother to build. This conversation moves through grief, forgiveness, and joy, and shows what it looks like to keep choosing all three, even on the hardest days Chapters 00:00 Welcome and a lifelong friendship 01:56 "A walking miracle": introducing Loretta's story 04:49 The medical journey begins 07:06 A doctor dismisses her pain 10:03 A new doctor explains endometriosis 12:30 Thirteen years, and a warning that saved her life 15:21 Choosing joy in the hospital 16:26 A new chapter: her mother's dementia diagnosis 22:07 What ice cream taught her about care 25:01 "Understood the assignment": remembering joy 26:23 Becoming "very nice person" 34:27 Losing Tim 38:05 The village that stepped up 40:20 Writing the book, with her mother's blessing 43:31 A family secret, and choosing forgiveness 52:08 Turning caregiving into research on resilience 53:29 How the Legos really began 58:05 Discovering Lego Serious Play 59:57 Becoming the Lego Lady, globally 1:05:13 Building across generations 1:15:13 The small, everyday ways she chooses joy 1:22:06 Where to find Loretta, and closing thoughts More About Loretta Loretta Veney is known around the world as the Lego Lady, and for good reason. What began as a way to help her mother navigate dementia became a life's work: using LegoÒ Serious Play to help people with memory loss find their words,their calm, and their joy. Loretta cared for her mother for sixteen years, through a journey that also included the sudden loss of her husband Tim and a thirteen-year medical odyssey of her own.  She's spoken across the globe, featured in Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The NY Times, Good Morning America and a PBS Special. Loretta was chosen as one of Robin Roberts Thriver Thursday recipients, honored with Maude Award for her work in dementia care and named 2019 John Hopkins Medicine’s Trailblazer of the Year. Her mother's own words became Loretta's guiding compass: when you find something that works, you share it. Loretta lives that legacy every day, one Lego brick at a time. Connect with Loretta [https://lorettaveney.com/] Loretta on Good Morning America [https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=187237276914977] PBS: Alzheimers and Caregivers [https://www.pbs.org/video/alzheimers-the-caregivers-perspective-yvoide/] Connect with Melanie  [https://calendly.com/melaniefootedavis ] Download How to Consciously Create a Life of Joy Here [https://app.flodesk.com/form/69017c372ab2607b9066bc9d ] Radical Love Book [https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Love-Your-Freedom-Bliss-ebook/dp/B01BZXH5S0?ref_=ast_author_mpb]

Tami Chapek: How Authenticity Unlocks Your Greatest Impact

What does it really mean to lead… not by mimicking the person above you, but from the fullness of who you actually are? In this conversation, Melanie sits down with leadership coach and author Tami Chapek for a rich, honest exploration of whatit looks like to stop forcing alignment and start living from it. Tami shares the burnout, the misalignment, the "big down" that eventually cracked something open in her and the path that led her to redefine not just her career, but her entire understanding of what leadership is meant to be. Together, they talk about the difference between good leadership and great leadership, why organizations that develop people outperform organizations that only develop products, and what happens when you stop should-ing yourself and start honoring the strengths that are genuinely yours. This conversation is warm, grounded, and full of wisdom for anyone navigating their own crossroads in work, in leadership, or in life. Chapters  00:00 Welcome Back: Catching Up with Tami 01:34 Leadership Redefined: What Defying the Ordinary Really Means 03:31 From Marketing to Coaching: The Journey to WeInspireWe 05:50 The Midlife Crisis That Changed Everything 07:37 Set Up to Fail: When Assumptions Replace Support 10:54 Psychological Safety and the Cost of Silence 12:22 Pain as a Signal, Not a Sentence 15:32 Life Gets Easier When You're in Alignment 17:22 Going Against the Grain vs. Riding the Wave 17:58 The Mixed Bag of Starting Over 20:26 When Coaching Took Over Her Soul 21:44 Leading People First, Watching the Business Grow 23:46 The Bad Boss Epidemic and Breaking the Cycle of Mimicry 32:36 The Three Principles: Effective, Influential, Inspiring 34:54 Your Special Sauce: What Moves You from Good to Great 31:16 Goals Are a Direction, Not a Destination 37:33 The Ripple Effect of One Empowered Person 39:09 Gratitude for the Journey and the People Who Helped Write the Book 40:02 How to Choose Joy Every Day 41:12 Connect with Tami + Closing More about Tami Chapek Tami Chapek is the Founder and Head Coach of WeInspireWe, an award-winning, woman-owned leadership development firm committed to reDEFYning what leadership looks and feels like. A certified coach through the ICF and iPEC with nearly 25 years of corporate and coaching experience, Tami began her career in marketing and advertising before a pivotal season of burnout and misalignment led her to completely reimagine her path. That journey is now the heart of her work. Through her proprietary Leadership reDEFYned framework, she guides individuals and teams to step into their strengths, shatter limiting beliefs, and lead with the kind of authenticity that actually creates change. She has worked with leaders at organizations including Google, Delta, Novartis, and Uber, and her insights have been featured in Forbes and Thrive Global. She is also the author of her debut book, Leadership reDEFYned: DEFY the Ordinary to Unleash Your Potential Connect with Tami:  Website:  [https://www.weinspirewe.com/] Book:  [https://www.tamichapek.com/leadership-redefyned⁠] Book Tami for Speaking [www.tamichapek.com⁠] Connect with Melanie:  Work with Melanie:  [https://calendly.com/melaniefootedavis⁠] Download How to Consciously Create a Life of Joy [https://app.flodesk.com/form/69017c372ab2607b9066bc9d⁠] Radical Love Book [https://a.co/d/0747yuwZ⁠]

Chef Elizbeth Falkner: The Art of Food: Creativity, Diversity, and Resilience

Chef Elizabeth Falkner has spent her career treating food as something far more than sustenance. It is art. It is theater. It is a living expression of culture, memory, and the human desire to connect. In this conversation, Elizabeth and I explore what it means to create with intention, why diversity in ingredients isa reflection of the world we want to build, and how the culinary community found ways to care for one another when the pandemic threatened to unravel everything they had built. Elizabeth shares the story behind T'Maro, a date-based spirit born from creativity and collaboration, her work in food rescue and waste reduction, and the simple, grounding joys that anchor her even in the most demanding seasons of life. This is a conversation about resilience, beauty, and what food can teach us about showing up fully... for our communities and for ourselves.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:26 Discovering a passion for culinary arts 07:32 Food as theater and art form 09:02 The physicality and teamwork in the culinary world 12:11 The evolution of California cuisine and women chefs 17:08 Inspiration from art, travel, and culture in cooking 20:24 The creative process in pastry and savory dishes 22:31 Documenting the pandemic's impact on chefs 28:21 Concerns for mental health and community support 30:40 The story of the date spirit and innovation in spirits 37:22 Using spirits in cocktails and mindful drinking 39:11 Food rescue and reducing waste 45:21 The diversity of food and the importance of variety 48:18 Simple joys and gratitude in everyday life 51:05 Family, community, and appreciating the moment 53:48 Connecting with the audience and closing remarks   More about Elizabeth Falkner Elizabeth Falkner is an award winning chef who worked her way up in fine dining and then owned restaurants in San Francisco and then moved to open others in New York. She continues to cook at Food & Wine Festivals, fundraisers, and other events and has cooked for countless celebrities and personalities across multiple platforms.   Elizabeth works also as a recipe/formula developer/consultant on projects and brands such as Molino Bianco/Barilla, Starbucks, Hershey, Pepsi, Compass Group, Nestle, Cliff Bar, Mondalez, Wrigley’s, Quaker, General Mills, Emmi Cheeses fromSwitzerland, M&M/Mars, Behave Candy, and more.   She has appeared on television on multiple networks and all of the cooking competition reality series for the last twenty years and is a world recognized pioneer and leader in culinary. Chef Falkner is a fitness advocate and loves playing sports and staying “Fit to Cook” and continually speaks to working on life balance in the industry.   She’s an author of three cookbooks, she cooks, speaks and teaches all over the world. She currently serves on the board of trustees of the James Beard Foundation and serves as the chair of the JBF awards committee. She’s on the culinary councilof City Harvest, NYC and Forever Oceans.   In 2020 she re-located to Los Angeles and produced and hosts a documentary called, “Sorry We’re Closed”, which made festival circuits and won Best Documentary Feature at Pasadena Film Festival 2023, streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. Elizabeth and her partner, Heather Freyer founded T’MARO Brands Inc. and launched three innovative alcohol beverage products in 2024. T’MARO Amaro, T’MARO Eau de Vie and T’MARO Cacao Nib. All made with organic California dates. Connect with Elizabeth: Instagram: @cheffalkner [https://www.instagram.com/cheffalkner?igsh=MWx1eTJyOHIzd3V2dQ==] @drinktmaro [https://www.instagram.com/drinktmaro?igsh=MXdudGQ4eDJ0c3drdQ==] Countdown Boxing Club LA with Ariel [https://www.countdownboxingla.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio] Connect with Melanie ⁠⁠Work with Melanie [https://calendly.com/melaniefootedavis] Download How toConsciously Create a Life of Joy Here [https://app.flodesk.com/form/69017c372ab2607b9066bc9d]

Whitney Dawn Pyles: Connection and Joyful Sobriety

In this conversation, Whitney Dawn Pyles shares her journey of sobriety and how it has led her to a deeper understanding of authenticity, joy, and connection. She discusses thecomplexities of joy and grief, life’s transitions, the societal normssurrounding alcohol, and the importance of creating spaces for genuine connection. Whitney emphasizes the significance of micro-practices in accessing joy and the role of dance and movement in self-expression. This is an invitation for listeners to explore their own relationships with joy, sobriety, and connection, encouraging a journey of self-discovery and authenticity.   Chapters 00:00 Trailer 02:14 Transitions and Cultivating Community 04:33 Well Blended Professional and Personal Lives 06:41 Complexities of Joy 11:31 The Return The Release The Renewal 16:05 Adventurous Spirit: Living Out of a Van 18:30 Existing Where We Are 22:28 Exploring Sobriety and Quality of Life 26:02 Sobriety As a Somatic Experience 33:01 Does Alcohol Have a Premium on Joy and Play 35:10 Impact of Imagery 37:32 Redefining Celebration and Play Beyond Alcohol 40:59 Reclaiming Authentic Connection and Vulnerability 44:29 Respect Choice. No Explanation Needed 48:14 The Role of Vulnerability in Authentic Sharing 51:43 Accessing Joy and Celebrating Life 57:31 The Power of Freeform Dance and Movement 01:02:00 Micro Practices for Cultivating Joy 01:05:29 Gratitude and the Importance of Connection   More about Whitney Dawn Pyles Whitney Dawn Pyles is a Somatic Coach, facilitator, and creator of UNSTUCK, a self-paced series of body-based practices designed to help people move through emotionaland energetic stagnancy. After years of numbing and disconnecting from herself, her sobriety journey sparked a deep devotion to authenticity, nervous system literacy, and joy as a radical choice. Through movement, 1:1 and groupcoaching, and curated community spaces, Whitney supports people in reconnecting with one another, their bodies, and what truly moves them. She believes dance is our birthright, play is medicine, and that every moment offers an opportunity to return to ourselves with more compassion, clarity, and courage.   Connect with Whitney Instagram @whitneydawnpyles [https://www.instagram.com/whitneydawnpyles?igsh=cHpzcmUyOHEwcWs4] SomaticSobriety [https://www.whitneydawn.com/dryjanuary] UNSTUCK– A Space to Break Patterns and Build Momentum Together [https://www.whitneydawn.com/unstuck] Connect with Melanie ⁠⁠Work with Melanie⁠⁠ [https://calendly.com/melaniefootedavis] Download How to Consciously Create a Life of Joy Here [https://app.flodesk.com/form/69017c372ab2607b9066bc9d]

Michelle Herndon: Send Love Into Your Day

This dialogue highlights the significance of creating meaningful connections and the joy that comes from building impactful connections and fostering a culture of inclusion within personal and professional relationships. They discuss the power of rituals and micro habits to guide you through each day and the beautiful connection between your physical environmentand your energy. Chapters 00:00 Welcome 01:27 A Word From Our Sponsor 02:27 Soulful and Corny Connections 03:24 Space to Feel 06:36 Set the Tone for Your Day 11:25 Send Loving Energy Into Your Day 15:13 Rituals to Guide Your Day 21:18 My Soul Nest is my Sanctuary  26:07 Beauty Through the Pain 31:17 Follow Your Energy to Find Your Moments 36:29 Natural Authentic Connection 44:41 When Things No Longer Fit 50:23 Still Relevant After 50 53:15 Appreciating Relief 55:29 Simple Pleasures in Choosing Yourself 59:43 What Wants to be Awakened Within You   More about Michelle Herndon Michelle Herndon is a prominent leader in her industry. She is best known for her meaningful insights, mentorship andleadership.  Michelle began her career in hospitality at the famed Patina restaurant in Los Angeles.  A very special time in the culinary world which has had great impact on her personal and professional life.  Before joining BOKA Restaurant Group, Michelle had an illustrious career including time spent in HR staffing, Diversity & Inclusion training for Limited Brands. Over the last decade Michelle has enjoyed a successful relationship with BOKA Restaurant Group as Director of PrivateEvents. Michelle has collaborated and created revenue generating private events programs for six restaurant openings for BOKA in the Chicago area. She is currently the Director of Culture + Community for BOKA Group, where she is furthering diversity programs and services within the company-including creating and leading mentorship program for People of Color and within the LGBTQ+ community. She is known for her ability to bridge differences and create impactful connections within her company. She leads the recruiting department for the entire group, where identifying diverse talent while ensuring equity is her company’s mission.   Michelle graduated from the University of Illinois/University of Barcelona and received a Bachelor of Arts, Spanish. She hasalso earned her Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University. She additionally spends time professional lifestyle coaching for her currently growing project SoulNest.   Connect with Michelle Instagram @TheMichelleHerndon [https://www.instagram.com/themichelleherndon?igsh=MTFraGR3cmQyajBqYw==]   A Moment of Gratitude for our sponsor.⁠ Michele Aikens [https://www.itspossible.today/] Connect with Melanie ⁠⁠Work with Melanie [https://calendly.com/melaniefootedavis]Download How to Consciously Create a Life of Joy Here [https://app.flodesk.com/form/69017c372ab2607b9066bc9d] ⁠⁠Radical Love Book [https://bit.ly/rlbook1%20https:/melaniefootedavis.respond.ontraport.net/rlbook%20RadicalLoveBook.com]