A joyful rebellion is all about taking accountability for the decisions we make in our lives and doing the things necessary to live the life we want, not just the one we currently have.

We make so many choices over our lifetime, and some we see as major, like careers and relationships, while there are others we fool ourselves into believing are less significant. There’s no shortage of those, but today, we’re talking about the food we choose to eat.

My guest today is Coach Becker, a fat loss coach and creator of the Keto Code program. I first met Becker back in the early 2000s at a photo conference in Las Vegas. Since that time, I’ve watched him go through his own joyful rebellion by losing 100 pounds and creating a completely new life for himself, and if you listen to the full episode, I think you’ll agree that is no exaggeration.

I knew this would be an interview that could help those who might listen to it. What I didn’t realize is how much the conversation helped improve my own mindset around food and health in general.

Oh, and if you’re about to switch over to your favorite true crime podcast because you’re tired of hearing about the keto diet, you’re in luck. While it is mentioned a few times, it’s not the core message here.

This episode has been a long time coming, so let’s jump right in!

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Connect:

https://www.thebecker.com

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• Taking accountability for our decisions is crucial in creating the life we want.
• The food choices we make have a significant impact on our health and well-being.
• Avoiding added sugar, refined grains, and seed oils can lead to improved health and weight loss.
• Eating real, unprocessed food and customizing dietary approaches based on individual preferences and goals is key.
• Intermittent fasting can be beneficial for health and weight management. Eating real food, getting enough sleep, and staying active are the pillars of good health.
• Unlearning the misinformation about nutrition is crucial for making sustainable and healthy choices.
• The keto industry often promotes processed and unhealthy products labeled as 'keto.' It's important to focus on whole, unprocessed foods.
• Developing healthy habits and a positive mindset is key to long-term success in weight loss and overall wellness.

I love a good story. Sometimes that means reading about other people’s stories in books or creating stories of my own, out in the real world. For today’s episode, I traveled south and met up with ghostwriter Maggie Mills in a most unexpected location.

Maggie is the most famous author you’ve never heard of and we discuss writing, the best way to write your own story, and how she helps her clients get their stories out into the world through publishing books.

Before we begin, though, I’d like to thank the author, John Berendt, for the story he published thirty years ago that caused this whole thing to come together the way it did.

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Connect with Maggie:

Website

https://maggiemills.com/

Website #2

https://takemaggieswordforit.com/

LinkedIn URL

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiemillswriter

YouTube URL

https://www.youtube.com/@take-maggies-word-for-it

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Summary

In this conversation, host James Walters interviews ghostwriter Maggie Mills about the power of storytelling and the role of a ghostwriter. They discuss how everyone has a unique story to tell and how different voices can resonate with different audiences. They also explore the importance of bringing emotion and sensory details into storytelling to engage readers. The conversation takes place in a cemetery, adding a unique and atmospheric backdrop to their discussion. In this conversation, the host and guest discuss the process of ghostwriting and the challenges and joys that come with it. They explore the importance of capturing the author's voice and maintaining authenticity in the writing. The guest shares insights into how she keeps up the momentum and stamina required for ghostwriting, emphasizing her love for what she does and her belief in her authors. They also touch on the value of storytelling, the role of tone and voice in writing, and the importance of preserving personal stories as a legacy.

Keywords

storytelling, ghostwriting, unique perspective, emotion, sensory details, cemetery, ghostwriting, author's voice, authenticity, momentum, stamina, storytelling, tone, voice, legacy

Takeaways

• Everyone has a unique story to tell, and different voices can resonate with different audiences.

• Bringing emotion and sensory details into storytelling can make the story more engaging and relatable.

• Cemeteries can be beautiful and peaceful places that inspire reflection and storytelling.

• Ghostwriters play a crucial role in helping people share their stories and experiences.

• Stories have the power to inspire, educate, and connect people. Ghostwriting involves capturing the author's voice and maintaining authenticity in the writing.

• The love for what you do and belief in your authors can help maintain momentum and stamina in ghostwriting.

• Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to convey different perspectives and insights.

• Tone and voice play a crucial role in writing, and it's important to preserve the author's unique style and regional flavor.

• Keeping notes and preserving personal stories can serve as a valuable legacy, even if they are never published.

Chapters

00:00Introduction: The Joyful Rebellion

01:14Meeting Maggie Mills: The Most Famous Author You've Never Heard Of

03:25Unconventional Setting: The Cemetery as a Backdrop

04:22The Inspiration Behind the Podcast Episode

08:07The Power of Stories: Learning and Growing

09:29Everyone Has a Story: The Importance of Perspective

11:16The Confidentiality of Ghostwriting

13:06Discovering Hidden Stories: Helping Others Recognize Their Experiences

15:23The Value of Unique Perspectives: Why Your Story Matters

19:11The Beauty of Cemeteries: Inspiring Reflection and Storytelling

20:36The Impact of Stories: Inspiring, Educating, and Connecting

20:59The Art of Ghostwriting

24:15Maintaining Momentum and Stamina

26:12The Power of Storytelling

27:32Preserving Authenticity: Tone and Voice

34:29Leaving a Legacy: Personal Stories

I say it a lot, but we ALL have stuff. And I’m talking about emotional baggage, trauma, whatever you choose to call it, we all have at least a little. But what do you do when all of that emotional baggage starts to get in the way of the person you want to become?

Benjy Sherer is an emotional wellness coach and author of 'Feelings First Shadow Work' and '10 Mind Hacks for Quicker Emotional Healing'. He teaches his clients how to master their emotions as quickly, easily, and painlessly as possible.

His unique methods help people bypass their logical brains and connect directly to their emotions to release past trauma, limiting beliefs, and self-harming patterns without needing to focus on all of the past traumas that caused these issues in the first place.

He’s helped client after client overcome stress, anxiety, fear, guilt, shame, PTSD, and depression, and find the real and lasting self-love and joy they've struggled so many years to attain.

Today I talk with Benjy about his framework of emotional fitness and how he equips his clients with the tools to move beyond their current limitations.

Everyone you know is going through or has gone through a period of their life so challenging or negative, that it makes them question their faith or their purpose in this world. My guest today knows that feeling all too well and has earned what I think of as multiple PhDs from the school of hard knocks, and he’s come through those experiences with a stronger understanding of his faith and a commitment to use his familiarity with trauma to help others find hope for themselves.

Ricky Sluder is a survivor of childhood trauma and has battled Complex PTSD himself, which helped him develop a faith-based alternative to the traditional mental health counseling model. His approach is to coach people who feel sidelined by life in a way that uses their past difficulties as fuel to get them back into the game.

In 2022, Ricky Sluder published his book, Accepting Truth, Finding Hpe! We’re going to dive super deep into his story, so buckle up extra securely for this one. It might just be the most real interview I’ve done so far.

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I love a good story where the hero overcomes some sort of adversity. A story without at least a little adversity isn’t much of a story at all, because we love to conquer the external forces holding us back from our dreams.

I’ve noticed recently though, that outside of dramatic weight loss stories, I don’t see many people shouting about how they overcame their complacency in different areas of their lives. I can tell you from experience, that complacency kills as many, if not more dreams than adversity ever did.

My guest today is Terry Sidford, a popular TEDx speaker, certified life coach, and author of her new book, Truth. Courage. Love., Terry helps people reach their greatest potential, so they can achieve their goals and have a bigger impact on the ones they care about.

Today we talk about the courage it takes to face your truth and live up to your fullest potential, and the top five lies we tell ourselves that are holding us back.

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Connect with Terry:

Our relationships are a huge part of living our best life. So much so, that the very first episode of A Joyful Rebellion featured a guest who helps people find their forever person.

Today’s guest builds on that theme and this episode is for all of you married folks. Theresa DeWit is a relationship coach at joyfullymarried.com and author of the book Less Conflict, More Joy, and, side note- if you’re not looking for more joy in your life please, message me directly, so I can flood your inbox with videos of baby chipmunks. That works for me anyway, your mileage may vary.

Theresa and I discuss her practical tips for making a great relationship even better, turning conflict into connection and we also talk about how to recover if you realize your relationship has hit a plateau or even a slump.

This episode is packed with info you can take action on today to see big changes in your love life with your significant other, so let’s jump right in…

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Connect with Theresa:

My guest today is Hilda Fainsod, who has spent the past two decades as a Top Executive Coach. She has nine international coaching certifications, and thousands of hours working with senior leaders from different industries.

She’s written a new book called Power UP: The Executive Roadmap to Transforming Life and Business.

We talk about self-sabotage, and balancing work with the rest of our life. Toward the end, we identify the one thing that can allow us to create the best possible life for ourselves and those we care about, so get yourself a fresh cup of coffee as I jump into this conversation with both feet.