Beyond the Portrait

Holiday Special 2024

Welcome to BEYOND THE PORTRAIT’S Holiday Special! Think of sitcom flashbacks episodes of days of yore…  As we wrap up 2024, in this week’s episode, we are joined by our past guests, a pearl of wisdom to take with you into the new year.  Brittany has selected a personal favorite clip from each of our interviews, since BEYOND THE PORTRAITS launch in August of this year. What a magical ride it has been. In order of appearance: Jeremiah Brent, Noz Nozawa, The AstroTwins: Ophira and Tali Edut, Irene Salter, Nara Lee, Michelle Brock, Brittany’s friends aka Book Club: April and Laura, William Li, Michelle K. Gagnon, Kathe Crawford, Asha Frost, Kiara Brown-Clark, and Yolanda Chitohwa. Our gratitude to our guests, and to our listeners, for spending this time with us. Happy Holidays from all of us at BEYOND THE PORTRAIT! See you in the New Year! Episode Resources:  * "Wintering: The Power of Rest in Difficult Times" by Katherine May * Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Wintering-Power-Retreat-Difficult-Times/dp/0593189485/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IGXOXVWZAT62&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.labXlaXBhPfRzPhW3I5FbhtowO7EdwMLZyFEi44K6wzO2Miw3j-9BBSAhZuq2nRqlM28aG-y2T3PKmVFXpUdXmoRF-xJIfXMV-VuBgpCJd8UltAber436VZCiO9zngH6w0Sk2ymMHkcY1_DV3unFQT6z57jeKtTkW1tVTVGTXtcDtIX9t1wMSb8KRMmvpXQcPmzjPOXPgYCF9KZY2JKT0nhgCSaHWrKkhepQ45TxyY4.tvuynBR38CP-ILKmxWeaqNSy0ToNuQco-S_WeGhVk3Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=wintering+katherine+may&qid=1734484882&sprefix=wintering%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-1] * Bookshop [https://bookshop.org/p/books/wintering-the-power-of-rest-and-retreat-in-difficult-times-katherine-may/16519711?ean=9780593189481] Credits: * Brittany's website [https://www.brittanyambridge.com/] * Stefanie Brueckler - Graphic Design [https://www.stefaniebrueckler.com/] * Juan Paolini Díaz - Video Production [https://www.powerfulpromocreator.com/]

The Courageous Art of Advocation with Yolanda Chitohwa

We are joined by Yolanda Chitohwa, a Public Defender in New York who practices Criminal and Family Defense. This conversation has it all. Laughs, tears, and insightful life lessons to ponder. And Matlock, Legally Blonde, and George Michael’s hit song Careless Whisper get a mention! In this episode, Yolanda shares about her early years in Zimbabwe, how the impact of a civil war and the remnant of colonialism affects the country today, and her family’s move to Canada. Yolanda speaks on what inspired her to become a human rights lawyer and her realized dream of becoming an attorney in New York. Yolanda muses on the criminal justice system, how compassion and empathy are values the world needs more of, and the balance that is needed to protect her emotional state when fighting for those that are in need.  We also discuss why living the best life you can is a way to honor those that cannot. How being open to the spontaneous is a worthwhile pursuit and Yolanda’s personal philosophy (and her nickname!) of YOLO.  Yolanda has found a way to hold the heavy things in this world and still find its beauty. That…is art. Episode Resources:  * Yolanda's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/yolandachitohwa/?hl=en] * Careless Whisper by George Michael [https://youtu.be/izGwDsrQ1eQ?si=QDOEE7eTOMI5z-2E] Credits: * Brittany's website [https://www.brittanyambridge.com/] * Stefanie Brueckler - Graphic Design [https://www.stefaniebrueckler.com/] * Juan Paolini Díaz - Video Production [https://www.powerfulpromocreator.com/]

Life as Theater with Kiara Brown-Clark

If anyone could embody a real-life Disney Princess, it’s Kiara Brown-Clark. She brings charm, wit, and glamour everywhere she goes. Which as it happens, Kiara does, in fact, work for Disney Theatrical Group and is a Tony Award nominated Broadway Producer for Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. In this episode, Kiara shares about growing up in New York.  (Yes, she’s a bona fide Native New Yorker!) We hear about Kiara’s start in dance,  the pivot that led her to musical theater, her first role in Broadway’s Dreamgirls, and how Mary Poppins changed her life. We discuss the importance of inclusion and equity, and the advocacy work that Kiara is able to do through various groups, including through Disney Theatrical Group, and how her degree in Political Science assists in her work and in bars when hanging out with Brittany. Kiara shares her thoughts on the power of the arts and its impact in the world, the importance of community and  finding support through your chosen family, and creating a welcoming sense of home, whether you’re in an audience at a theater, one of Kiara’s restaurants, or a brief interaction. Kiara lives life to the fullest, with her signature Disney Polish, and she is sure to charm you. Episode Resources:  * Kiara's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kikilove12/] * Disney on Broadway [https://disneyonbroadway.com/] * Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club [https://kitkat.club/cabaret-broadway/] * Kiara's Restaurants * Hold Fast [https://holdfastnyc.com/] * The Reading Room  [https://readingroomnyc.com/] * Into the Woods song: Last Midnight [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N87Mk5GUmtg] Credits: * Brittany's website [https://www.brittanyambridge.com/] * Stefanie Brueckler - Graphic Design [https://www.stefaniebrueckler.com/] * Juan Paolini Díaz - Video Production [https://www.powerfulpromocreator.com/]

The Healing Bridge of Unity with Asha Frost

We are joined by Asha Frost, an Indigenous Medicine Woman, best-selling author, and speaker. Asha is a member of the Anishinaabe, Ojibwe people and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. Asha has worked as a homeopath and healer for over twenty years. Asha shares her wisdom on how to create more connectedness and unity, when the world is becoming increasingly more divisive. We talk about how she was able to reclaim pieces of her Indigenous identity, the medicine of finding nuance, and what we can learn from animals and the natural world. Asha describes how she was able to harness her unique and powerful voice that has touched the lives and hearts of many by activism in her own way, by holding true to boundaries, while keeping an open heart. Her letting go of the habits of people-pleasing and perfectionism, to the practice of self-compassion for the growth process. We discuss the difficulties of living your purpose when you have a chronic illness, various ways everyone can benefit from the medicine of her ancestral lineage with reverence, and the role each of our voices play, to bring together a kinder, more compassionate world. Just as the ecosystem works in harmony, as human beings, we can learn to work together. Episode Resources:  * Asha's Website [https://ashafrost.com/] * Asha's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/asha.frost/] * Asha's TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@ashafrost] * "You Are the Medicine" by Asha Frost [https://youarethemedicinebook.com/] * The Sacred Medicine Oracle Deck [https://ashafrost.com/the-sacred-medicine-oracle/#ordernow] * Pre-Order The Animal Elders Oracle Deck on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Elders-Oracle-Guidebook-Indigenous/dp/1401978185/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15FX12U3GB6CC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XEVDnV6Ty66_B1A-CvqY0zJIFC8TWHLqnu6Zg_b5ABGSRhCoChTjkGEIsgiCqecIC1btkj_cmVWdj_bCiFaZ7JdKZzHrux7ngFjVcLZ0FXxbblK4ZQm6DoR-UFX2vSR98yAF5ujM-NTvJexFsFt1IO5-RVfUUbxZRD3wsRAkFtABlQZjRzh-Bfj4BmYjLB7y_2jpKNINgr3wUTsF_sWPeQ.MgrY-P2ffcYTAIL5-nof98RUFFjZAi739CCkwDDvu-0&dib_tag=se&keywords=asha+frost&qid=1729707683&sprefix=asha+frost%2Caps%2C392&sr=8-1] * NPR article: "Trees Talk to Each Other. 'Mother Tree" Ecologist Hears Lessons For People, Too" [https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/04/993430007/trees-talk-to-each-other-mother-tree-ecologist-hears-lessons-for-people-too] * National Geographic article: Plants Can Talk. Yes, really. Here's How [https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plants-can-talk-yes-really-heres-how] * National Forest Foundation article: Underground Networking: The Connections Beneath Your Feet [https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/underground-mycorrhizal-network] Credits: * Brittany's website [https://www.brittanyambridge.com/] * Stefanie Brueckler - Graphic Design [https://www.stefaniebrueckler.com/] * Juan Paolini Díaz - Video Production [https://www.powerfulpromocreator.com/]

Cures, Diamonds, and Speaking your Truth with Kathe Crawford

If you have ever uttered the words “Why me?” “Why did this happen?” this conversation is profoundly moving. This is a story about secrets and diamonds. In a literal sense and symbolically. Kathe Crawford sold millions of dollars in diamonds for brands like Cartier and Chanel and on the outside, everything looked like it was perfect. A skill she had learned from childhood. However, Kathe kept a secret for more than two decades about her late husband. A personal tragedy as well as the role she decided to play that was a key to what later became the treatment for AIDS. In this episode, we talk about why we keep secrets for the people we love, the choice for vulnerability and the connection that follows, and the resilience that develops when life gives you a curve ball. We discuss how we are not the circumstances we find ourselves in, the fear of being your true self, and how to open your heart to live a beautiful life. Kathe Crawford is an author, speaker, and a life coach. Her wisdom, from the fourth quarter of life as she likes to call it, will inspire you to speak your truth and embrace all the facets of your story. Episode Resources:  * Kathe's website [https://www.kathecrawford.com] * Kathe's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kathe.crawford/] * "Unlocking Secrets: My Journey to an Open Heart" on Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Secrets-Journey-Open-Heart-ebook/dp/B07BFLFDV6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VLVXM9XSM034&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.pRLXaTxcjI6mEvP1dBgvX1W680m5-FImOSzP-X8jvP5KmkXz1p7zoWHR1eqV3tUo.oTZ7gr7VO-w2Ecnu5yF9AAdy4VlDSWjPTsAkadYUEOc&dib_tag=se&keywords=kathe+crawford&qid=1729049199&sprefix=kate+crawford%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1] Credits: * Brittany's website [https://www.brittanyambridge.com/] * Stefanie Brueckler - Graphic Design [https://www.stefaniebrueckler.com/] * Juan Paolini Díaz - Video Production [https://www.powerfulpromocreator.com/]