In this episode I speak with Laura Abrignani who is a nurse practitioner and owner of Coastal Well Woman. Laura is a menopause expert who is passionate about supporting women through what can be a very challenging time in life.

Laura knows that the physical symptoms of menopause is just one aspect of this transitional phase in life. Listen to this episode and get inspired to approach menopause holistically and with leadership energy that can create opportunities for personal transformations that will improve your quality of life and your relationships.

http://www.coastalwellwoman.com/

Laura wanted to share some resources with you too!
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/menopause

http://menopause.org/

https://www.amazon.com/New-Menopause-Navigating-Through-Hormonal/dp/059379625X

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One of my favorite sayings I like to use around menopause management is how you live, is how you menopause, is how you die.

If you approach menopause proactively and with leadership energy you will not only improve your own life, it will have a beautiful ripple effect on the people around you...

that includes loved ones and your entire community. Take time to listen to this one!

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In this episode I share that I am at a crossroads in my life when it comes to my podcast and what I want to do moving forward. I explain what is going on and why I can't commit to when you will hear from me next on the podcast. I also share why I am so grateful for my loyal listeners and how much I appreciate you guys.

This week on The Power of Community & Collaboration Podcast I speak with Kristina McKean about The Elephant Project in Thailand. We discuss her love for animals and how it inspired her to start this amazing project that has saved thousands of elephants and now cats and dogs as well.

This is a thought provoking conversation that will hopefully deter you from riding elephants when you learn about what those poor animals have to endure at the hands of humans who want to break their spirit. I also suspect that listening to Kristina, who is a great role model for how powerful one person can be, will inspire you to tap into your own leadership energy so that you can find your own way to make a difference and contribute to community.

I am sharing the link to The Elephant Project and Kristina's TED Talk that illuminates the power of one!

https://www.theelephantproject.com/?

gad_source=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJXmFxJ6LPQClick on the platform of your choice to listen to the latest podcast episode, follow the podcast, and write a review so we can spread the news and reach more people!

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In this episode I am speaking about contempt. I am sure you see evidence of it like I do when you look around the world and the way we are all interacting with one another in 2025.

What you might not be aware of is that the way we treat one another stems from our subconscious programming and that we can actually change that if we are inspired.

I share with you what I have learned about contempt in intimate relationships from author and therapist Terrence Real who wrote the book US. I also share with you what I have learned from Tim Shriver who founded an organization called UNITE that created the Dignity Index, which measures how we treat one another with contempt when we disagree.

At the end of the day, our relationships and how we show up to everybody in the world means everything. I hope you take time to listen to this episode because the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.

Here is the link to Terrence Real's book
US: Getting Past You & Me to Build a More Loving Relationship

https://www.amazon.com/Us-Getting-Build-Loving-Relationship/dp/0593233670

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In this episode I am speaking with Martha Varela who is the Executive Director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). Martha has been on the podcast in the past to talk about the Better With Horses Program that she participated in at the Horse Project with other paralyzed women veterans in the spring.

Well the second round took place a couple weeks ago and Martha and I were teamed up to work with one another over several days. In this episode, we talk about how great the program is and how much they loved it. But we also talk about how important it is to get educated regarding the needs of the disabled to ensure ease, joy and a safe environment.

Listen to our conversation and become educated on how challenging it is to be disabled and in a wheelchair, so we can all become advocates for our paralyzed veterans who sacrificed so much for us.

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https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-brain-bs-podcast-learning-to-live-consciously/PC:60845

We owe it to our paralyzed women veterans to get educated about their needs and how we can help them.

You can check out the PVA and the Horse Project to find out how you can sponsor veterans for the next round, make donations, or volunteer your time.

https://pvacc.org/

https://www.thehorseprojectsantabarbara.com/

If you want to get in touch with me about this topic or to collaborate about something that impacts our community, you can find me here.
https://www.thebrainbs.com/
https://www.facebook.com/maureen.kafkis.52

In this episode I am enlisting my podcast audience to help me win the lottery for a chance to go see Paul McCartney at the Santa Barbara Bowl next weekend! Which is why I am publishing it a day early:)

Next week I will be back with an interview with Martha Varela. We will discuss the challenges she and her fellow disabled veterans faced traveling here for the Better With Horses program this past weekend.

Until then...fingers crossed that I manifest the tickets for the concert!

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If you want to get in touch with me or connect to get creative about a collaboration, click on the link below.

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In this episode I speak with psychic, astrologer, and death mid-wife Beth Mc Donald about a subject that none of us are going to be able to avoid in this lifetime and that is dying. Often we think that is something to address at the end of our lives when we have become ill or had a tragic accident, but the truth is we should be preparing for death our entire lives.

Listen to this episode and get inspired to work on your relationships and reprogram your subconscious programming, so you are set up for success when it's time to exit this realm and move on. You get to choose whether or not you want to deal with your emotional and mental health issues while you can, but if you don't you could end up leaving your loved ones bitter an angry. Why do that when there are other options?

Doing this work will not only improve your death experience, it will exponentially improve the experience for everybody around you. If that's not incentive enough, it will also improve the quality of the rest of your life and your relationships in amazing ways.

I am sharing links here for how you can work with Beth and/or learn more about her and her upcoming event here in Santa Barbara.

https://santabarbaraca.com/businesses/beth-mcdonald-consulting/

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You may have hear the saying that how you live is how you die. I don't know about you, but I wholeheartedly believe that.

I have seen people leave this world in a horrible emotional state with fear and resistance, and I have witnessed beautiful and peaceful transitions full of beauty and love.

What do you want for you and your loved ones?

If you want to get in touch with me or connect to get creative about a collaboration, click on the link below.

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This week on The Power of Community & Collaboration Podcast I planned to do an episode called Going All-In. But it turns out I didn't have what it takes to make it happen. Listen to this brief episode to learn why and how it's okay sometimes to not be able to go all-in.

Click on the platform of your choice to listen to the latest podcast episode, follow the podcast, and write a review so we can spread the news and reach more people!

Apple Podcasts
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https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-brain-bs-podcast-learn-76710324/

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https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-brain-bs-podcast-learning-to-live-consciously/PC:60845

If you want to get in touch with me or connect to get creative about a collaboration, click on the link below.

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