CSI Chat

Our next guest on CSI Chat is Chris Ashford.  Chris is UK military veteran turned personal trainer.  Chris has spent nearly his entire professional life focused on personal wellness and namely the three core pillars being sleep, diet and exercise.  He is “Head Coach” at “Ashford Fitness Consultancy” which helps both individuals and corporations maximize personal wellness. During our conversation on CSI Chat, we talk to Chris about: * We start our conversation with Chris talking about the “elephant in the room” and the impact of alcohol on the human body.  * Chris and I taped this interview on November 1, 2024 (which is the day after Halloween!)  Chris will provide some perspectives on what a healthy amount of candy consumption would be (thankfully for me, it is not zero!) * Chris talks about the transition to “working from home” and how he is helping clients build a plan which strikes the proper balance between working from home and the office.

Walt Pavlo was a senior finance executive overseeing a $2 billion operation at MCI Communications during a high growth period in the telecommunications industry before he was caught in a scheme to embezzle $6 million.  Walt was eventually caught, spent some time in prison, and now speaks globally on the importance of ethics and corporate culture.  Walt is the co-author of the terrific book "Stolen without a Gun - Confessions from insider history's biggest accounting fraud - the collapse of MIC WorldCom" as well as an active contributor on Forbes writing about the state of prisons in the United States.   We talk to Walt about a wide range of topics, including the details of the embezzlement, the risk of bus rides in prison, best practices in corporate culture and advice to white collar criminals.  Needless to say, a very fun "Chat"!

Patricia spent her childhood growing up in a cult with very strict rules surrounding interactions with her family and the outside world.  She was then kicked out of the cult at a very young age and left with nothing.  She started at the bottom rung of the ladder and eventually rose to the highest levels within Wall Street.  Her story is documented through her two fantastic books, "Little Sister" and "Breaking Glass:  Tales from the Witch of Wall Street". Patricia's story is absolutely incredible!  We talk to her life about growing up in the cult and her rise up the corporate ladder within Wall Street.

We sit down with Superhero Jay Dobyns (who ironically is also married to a Superhero!).  Jay went deep undercover as a US Federal Agent with the Hells Angels and went on to become one of the most successful undercover agents in US law enforcement history.  He is the author of two outstanding best-selling books, "No Angel:  My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels" and "Catching Hell:  A True Story of Abandonment and Betrayal". We talk to Jay about his career as a Federal Agent which included: * Starting work on a Monday and getting shot and nearly killed on a Thursday. * Life as an undercover agent and the toll it took on his mental well being and his family.   * Going into a Hells Angels clubhouse while wearing a wire (including asking Jay, "What would happen if you were caught?")  * Jay's exit from the undercover world and eventually from the US government.  Sadly, it was not a fairy tale ending.   A "Superhero" is defined as a person who typically possesses superpowers or abilities beyond those of ordinary people and uses those powers to make the world a better place.  After listening to this interview, I think there is no doubt that Jay Dobyns is a Superhero.

Why is the Netherlands consistently ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world?  Have the Dutch solved the secret to happiness and what can the rest of the world learn from them?  Olga Mecking attempts to unlock this mystery in her terrific book, "Niksen:  Embracing The Dutch Art of Doing Nothing".     Olga has spent a significant amount of time living and raising her family in the Netherlands and has seen the benefits of Niksen.  We talk to Olga about the health benefits of Niksen and why it makes sense to slow things down and enjoy the finer things in life in a very fast paced world.