Peace Love and Bring a Bat

REGINA HUBER: LEAD WITH HEART, ENERGY, AND YOUR UNIQUE BRILLIANCE

What can dancing teach us about trust, communication, leadership, and empowering ourselves?

In this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Regina Huber, leadership coach, speaker, trainer, author, and founder of Transform Your Performance. Regina shares how her international business experience, passion for dance, and heart-centered approach help leaders build trust, recognize talent, and create thriving teams.

Regina grew up in a tiny Bavarian village of approximately ten houses before moving to Munich, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, New York City, and Florida. She spent 16 years with Boston Consulting Group, helped open offices in Portugal and Brazil, built brick-and-mortar businesses, and eventually launched her own coaching, speaking, and training company.

Although Regina did not grow up dancing, it became one of her greatest teachers. Partner dancing requires a leader and follower to communicate without words. If the leader cannot clearly express an intention through movement, energy, and body language, the follower will not feel safe or know where to go.

The same principle applies in business. Leadership is not merely about words, titles, clothing, or carefully prepared presentations. People quickly sense whether someone is confident, authentic, and trustworthy. Regina explains that energy often communicates faster—and louder—than words.

Dance also teaches awareness of space, cooperation, and trust. Whether moving through a crowded floor or being lifted into the air, every dancer must understand their role while remaining aware of the people around them. Teams operate the same way: individuals need clarity, communication, responsibility, and confidence that others will support them.

Regina defines heart-centered leadership as putting people at the center of an organization. When business results decline, leaders often focus first on numbers. However, the people create those results. By investing in employees, listening to them, and understanding their strengths, leaders create the conditions for performance to improve.

Her New Paradigm Leadership framework contains four elements: heart, mind, message, and trust. Heart represents compassion, courage, intuition, and accumulated wisdom. Mind represents mindset. Message covers communication, while trust is the glue that allows teams, creativity, and innovation to flourish.

True leadership begins with self-leadership. A thriving leader is more likely to create a thriving team. Leaders must develop self-awareness, care for their well-being, communicate the larger vision, and include others in decisions when appropriate. Delegation becomes more effective when people feel challenged, valued, and connected to a meaningful purpose.

Regina also encourages leaders to become genuinely curious about their team members. Someone may possess hidden abilities that never appear in a formal job description. By asking deeper questions, leaders may discover that employees can contribute more effectively—and feel more fulfilled—in different roles.

Everyone possesses what Regina calls “unique brilliance.” When leaders understand their own brilliance, they become less threatened by the talents of others. Leadership stops being a competition and becomes an opportunity to combine complementary strengths.

In this episode, you will discover:

• What partner dancing teaches about leadership and trust
• Why energy and body language speak louder than words
• How heart-centered leaders improve business performance
• Regina’s four-part New Paradigm Leadership framework
• Why courage and curiosity are essential leadership qualities
• How leaders can uncover hidden talent within their teams
• Why authentic leadership begins with self-awareness
• How to identify and value your unique brilliance
• Why business owners can become trapped by the success they created
• What it truly means to empower yourself

Regina recommends listing your talents, skills, positive qualities, and accomplishments. Ask trusted people what they value in you and where you can grow. This practice can strengthen confidence while revealing possibilities you may have overlooked.

Her final message is direct: Nobody else can empower you. Leaders, coaches, and communities can offer guidance, but empowerment remains an individual decision. Do not wait for someone else to grant permission to become who you are capable of being.

Connect with Regina:

Website: https://transformyourperformance.com
Invisible Success Trap Audit: https://reginahuber.com/audit

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, bring awesome thoughts, lead with heart, and be authentic.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #ReginaHuber #TransformYourPerformance #Leadership #HeartCenteredLeadership #ExecutivePresence #SelfLeadership #Authenticity #UniqueBrilliance

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ANNIE EMPRIMA: WHEN TRAUMA RIPPLES, HEALING CAN RIPPLE TOO

What if healing required more than addressing the mind and body? What if the soul, nervous system, memories, and earlier versions of ourselves also carried wisdom we needed to hear?

In this deeply personal episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Annie Emprima, a veteran and metaphysical trauma researcher who explores healing through a mind-body-soul perspective. Rather than conducting a traditional interview, Uncle Dave hands Annie the reins and participates in a guided healing session.

Annie’s journey began during a military deployment in 2016, when she says her intuitive senses suddenly intensified. Over the following decade, she studied trauma beyond conventional medical and mental-health frameworks. She developed modalities intended to help people reconnect with parts of themselves that no longer feel authentic or aligned with their path.

Annie guides Uncle Dave into a symbolic “black room,” where emotionally significant memories appear as murals. Together, they enter those scenes as observers and connect with earlier versions of Dave who were carrying grief, guilt, loneliness, fear, and unanswered questions.

The first memory brings Dave to the funeral of a girlfriend whose death left him overwhelmed by sadness and survivor guilt. Through breathwork and visualization, Annie helps him offer his younger self the compassion and support he did not receive at the time. He reminds that version of himself that he is loved, supported, and capable of eventually finding joy beyond the pain.

The second scene involves eight-year-old Dave crying at his grandmother’s home because he wanted to be with his friends. What initially appears to be a childhood disappointment reveals a deeper pattern of feeling excluded, unheard, and unable to see the larger picture. Looking back, Dave recognizes that he missed an opportunity to appreciate time with his grandmother—but also understands that a child cannot possess the perspective of an adult.

That eight-year-old version of Dave then accompanies them into one of his darkest adult experiences: a period of suicidal ideation. Together with Annie and symbolic ancestral support, the different versions of Dave surround the man who could not see beyond his pain. They remind him that he is not alone, his future contains experiences he cannot yet imagine, and his story will eventually help others heal.

The session reveals an unexpected connection between Dave’s childhood love of baseball, his need for community, and the mission behind Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat. What appeared to be a simple childhood passion was already pointing him toward connection, storytelling, teamwork, and service.

Annie explains that healing does not require revisiting every painful memory. The focus should be on wounds that continue interfering with the present. Even joyful or seemingly unimportant memories may contain valuable wisdom because the soul does not measure significance in the same way as the conscious mind.

In this episode, you will discover:

• Why Annie views trauma as a 360-degree mind-body-soul experience
• How guided visualization can uncover patterns within memories
• Why survivor guilt may remain hidden for years
• What Uncle Dave learned from his eight-year-old self
• How childhood exclusion can influence adult experiences
• Why support and communication matter during emotional crises
• How storytelling can transform pain into connection
• Why healing one person can affect families and communities
• What it means to move from awareness to alignment and alchemy

Annie leaves listeners with an important message: Trauma ripples. Unhealed wounds can affect spouses, children, friends, pets, workplaces, classrooms, and communities. However, healing ripples too. We cannot heal another person or override their free will, but we can take responsibility for ourselves, change what we carry forward, and positively influence those around us.

Connect with Annie:

Website: annieemprima.com
Book: Trauma Whispers Before It Roars

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, tell your story, support your community, and hit your sweet spot.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #AnnieEmprima #TraumaHealing #InnerChildHealing #MindBodySoul #HealingJourney #SelfAwareness #Community #Authenticity

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THOMAS “TJ” BAIRD: HOW TELLING YOUR STORY CAN SAVE A LIFE

What happens when a battle-tested leader discovers that the most courageous thing he can do is reveal the struggles behind the uniform?

In this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Thomas “TJ” Baird, retired Army Command Sergeant Major, bestselling author, speaker, husband, and girl dad. After 32 years of service, more than 20 worldwide deployments, and nine combat deployments, TJ shares how poetry, fatherhood, friendship, and storytelling helped save his life.

TJ’s book, Warrior Dad, began with poems and haikus written for his daughter during his final deployment to Afghanistan. She had given him a stuffed animal named Cool Bear, who traveled with TJ and even flew aboard an F-16. The poems helped them remain connected and assured his daughter that she was never forgotten.

The story carries a deeper purpose. When his daughter was six, she told TJ that he had become too frightening and wanted to return to her mother. Her honesty brought him to his knees. TJ knew he needed to change, but healing was not immediate. He struggled through dark periods, suicidal thoughts, traumatic brain injury, and years of difficult personal work.

A trusted friend quietly removed a loaded pistol from TJ’s home after recognizing the danger. Later, treatment at a polytrauma center, creative therapies, writing, family support, and self-examination helped TJ begin what he calls his Reforged journey.

Writing allowed him to confront buried experiences and transform pain into connection. TJ explains that sharing a story lightens the burden because another person may recognize that they are not alone. It also reminds the storyteller to keep walking the path of recovery.

Uncle Dave and TJ discuss why nobody else can own your story. Two people—even identical twins—can experience the same event and carry away different truths. Honest stories reveal failures and victories, close the distance between leaders and those they serve, and create lessons capable of changing lives.

Retirement brought another challenge: separating identity from rank. TJ is no longer Command Sergeant Major Baird; he is TJ Baird. Titles and outside recognition are not self-worth. He encourages people facing transition to create a five-year roadmap and build their next chapter around values, passion, and purpose.

TJ’s guiding principles include smiling, remaining disciplined in thought, word, and deed, making the team better tomorrow, staying fit in mind, body, and spirit, and living life fully.

The conversation also honors the unseen people behind every successful mission. The final one percent cannot happen without the 99 percent handling preparation, logistics, security, communication, and support. Strong leaders ensure everyone understands that their contribution matters.

In this episode, you will discover:

• How Warrior Dad became a love letter to TJ’s daughter
• Why writing became part of his healing
• How one friend helped save his life
• Why sharing difficult stories reduces isolation
• How to rebuild identity after leaving a major career
• Why personal values matter more than titles
• How leaders recognize people working behind the scenes
• Why failure can become a lesson that strengthens others

TJ leaves listeners with one clear challenge: Tell your story. Share the mistakes, support, lessons, and moments that helped you rise. As his wife’s tattoo says, “Fall seven, rise eight.” Your experience may be what someone else needs to begin again.

Connect with TJ:

Website: warriordadstories.com
Book: Warrior Dad
Companion Guide and Creative Forge: Available through his website

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, bring awesome thoughts, tell your story, and rise again.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #TJBaird #WarriorDad #VeteranStories #MentalHealth #WritingToHeal #Leadership #Fatherhood #Resilience #Reforged

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ROY CASTLEMAN: BUILD A BUSINESS WITHOUT BUILDING YOURSELF A PRISON

What if entrepreneurship became the very thing trapping you—and what would it take to reclaim your time, health, and purpose?

In this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Roy Castleman, entrepreneur, business coach, AI strategist, Wim Hof instructor, and founder of All The Power. Roy shares lessons from building 15 companies, losing millions, surviving a mental-health crisis, and creating businesses that thrive without consuming their owners.

Roy arrived in the United Kingdom from South Africa in 1996 knowing almost nothing about computers. After landing an IT job, he secretly called his brother from client restrooms whenever he needed help. Years later, Roy bought the company that first hired him.

Since 2002, Roy has launched 15 companies. Some failed; four reached seven figures. His warning to entrepreneurs is blunt: avoid shiny objects. Ideas are plentiful, but success requires choosing a meaningful vision and staying focused.

In 2017, Roy was running two IT companies while working 14 hours a day, seven days a week. By implementing repeatable systems and empowering his team, he reduced his involvement to roughly five hours per week. He then acquired another company and prepared the group to operate independently.

Roy explains that a business needs its own identity, culture, systems, and vision. Founders become bottlenecks when they make every decision or expect employees to work exactly as they would. Strong leaders accept 80 percent, then give people room to grow and surpass them.

The conversation turns deeply personal as Roy describes losing millions after COVID-19 devastated his indoor adventure center. During an extremely dark moment, he stood atop a 130-foot tower intending to end his life. Three rounds of Wim Hof breathing gave him enough space to pause, climb down, and take the next step.

That experience reshaped Roy’s coaching. Business owners cannot separate growth from physical and mental health. Breathwork, cold exposure, relationships, and resilience help leaders make decisions from facts instead of fear.

Roy recommends using AI as a 60-percent tool—not a replacement for judgment, creativity, or authenticity. It can organize knowledge, document systems, repurpose stories, and complete weeks of work in hours. But it needs the owner’s experiences, brand, voice, audience, and processes. Otherwise, it produces generic “AI slop.”

Roy authored Thinking Outside Your Brain with AI in nine days. AI helped interview him, organize approximately 150 stories, and structure the manuscript, but the experiences, lessons, emotions, and voice remained his.

In this episode, you will discover:

• Why focus matters more than having endless ideas
• How systems can return time and freedom to business owners
• Why founders must stop becoming their company’s bottleneck
• How breathwork helped Roy survive his darkest moment
• Why health and resilience belong in every growth strategy
• How to use AI without losing your authentic voice
• Why businesses should operate without the founder
• How failure can become the beginning of something new

Roy’s final lesson is simple: Never undervalue what you have. Your experience, mistakes, resilience, and shortcuts can save someone else enormous time and pain. Measure the value of the problem you solve—not the limited value you place on yourself.

Connect with Roy:

Website: allthepower.co.uk
LinkedIn: Roy Castleman
Book: Thinking Outside Your Brain with AI

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, bring awesome thoughts, and be authentic today.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #RoyCastleman #AllThePower #Entrepreneurship #BusinessSystems #AI #Leadership #Resilience #WimHof #Authenticity

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MICHAEL BUGARI: HOW LOSING BASEBALL, ADDICTION, AND CANCER SAVED HIS LIFE

What happens when the dream that defines your identity suddenly disappears—and everything you use to escape the pain begins destroying you?

In this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Michael Bugari, a former professional baseball player, author, speaker, brain cancer survivor, and recovering addict. Michael shares his journey from the Boston Red Sox organization to addiction, cancer, faith, five years of sobriety, and a life committed to helping others.

Baseball became Michael’s identity at an early age. He earned a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley, and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox during his junior year. However, an arm injury during his second professional season—and an unsuccessful surgery—ended his career.

Without baseball, Michael lost the source of attention, validation, and purpose that had guided his life. He turned to painkillers and opioids to numb his physical and emotional pain. His addiction eventually progressed to heroin.

Michael later received another devastating diagnosis: a medulloblastoma brain tumor slightly smaller than a tennis ball. He endured multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and severe side effects. Yet even cancer did not immediately change him. His recovery began when he stopped blaming God, baseball, and the world and became honest about his choices.

Michael realized that baseball had been his first addiction. The better he performed, the more approval he received—but that approval never lasted. When he could no longer find validation on the field, he sought it through partying, relationships, substances, and other distractions.

His transformation required personal responsibility without endless self-condemnation. He could not change what happened, but he could decide what happened next. Exercise, meditation, visualization, reading, journaling, gratitude lists, and waking at 5:00 a.m. helped him create small daily victories. Those victories slowly rebuilt his self-worth from within.

Writing became especially powerful. What began as a daily practice eventually became his book, The Disease of Me: How Losing My Professional Baseball Career, Drug Addiction, and Brain Cancer Saved My Life.

Michael also discusses the importance of recognizing relapse before taking a drink or drug. For him, relapse begins in his behavior—seeking outside approval, becoming angry when life does not go his way, and refusing to accept life on life’s terms. Honesty, pattern recognition, discipline, faith, and a dependable support network help protect the life he has rebuilt.

Authenticity is now one of Michael’s highest values. He knows the desire to escape has not magically disappeared, but he no longer has to act on it. When temptation appears, he remembers the consequences, the people he hurt, and the painful cycle that always became worse.

A therapy dog also entered Michael’s life when he struggled to love himself. The dog offered companionship without judgment and became part of his healing. Michael now hopes to transform his family’s Ohio property into a retreat, dog sanctuary, or healing space where nature and animals can help others.

In this episode, you will discover:

• How a career-ending injury led Michael toward opioid addiction
• Why baseball became his first source of outside validation
• How honesty and personal responsibility changed his recovery
• Why small daily disciplines rebuild self-worth
• How to recognize relapse patterns before substances are involved
• Why failure can become one of life’s greatest teachers
• How faith, community, nature, and animals support healing
• Why giving your time to others can help free you from your own pain

Michael leaves listeners with a powerful lesson: When you feel trapped inside your own mind, help someone else. Giving your time reminds you that you are not alone, that others understand pain, and that we share far more than we realize. Service helps the person receiving it—but it can transform the giver as well.

Connect with Michael:

Website: michaelbugari.com
Book: The Disease of Me
Instagram: @mbugari
TikTok: @michael.bugari
Facebook and LinkedIn: Michael Bugari

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, bring awesome thoughts, be authentic today, and hit your sweet spot.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #MichaelBugari #TheDiseaseOfMe #AddictionRecovery #BrainCancerSurvivor #Baseball #Sobriety #Faith #Authenticity #PersonalGrowth

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BRET RIDGWAY: BUILDING A LEGACY THROUGH LAUGHTER, LEARNING, AND BOOKS

What happens when one playful phrase, a love for grandchildren, and a willingness to try something new become the beginning of an entire children’s book brand?

In this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Bret Ridgway, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Speaker Fulfillment Services. Bret shares how he pivoted from writing business books to creating imaginative children’s stories designed to encourage reading, learning, and family connection.

The idea began after Bret became a grandfather. Wanting to create a lasting legacy for his grandchildren, he kept thinking about the phrase “crickets playing croquet.” That whimsical image led him to experiment with AI illustration and eventually develop Games Animals Play When We’re Not Looking.

Created for children ages two to five, the colorful A-to-Z book uses alliteration to imagine animals enjoying human activities: alligators arm wrestling, chickens playing checkers, squirrels playing with silly string, and many more. It also introduces children to unfamiliar animals and includes a QR code connecting families with educational facts and activities.

The book became the foundation of Laugh and Learn Library, which combines entertainment with early education. Its website features animal facts, coloring pages, and word searches. Bret has also written future titles including What Animals Dream, What Animals Drive, and Animals at Halloween.

Bret’s mission extends beyond publishing. He plans to give away 1,000 books this year and has already distributed hundreds through schools, food pantries, community programs, and families he meets while driving for Uber. His reward is seeing children become excited about reading.

Uncle Dave and Bret discuss how serving others can lift us during difficult seasons. Helping someone or giving without expecting anything in return can restore purpose and perspective.

Bret explains how AI made the project financially possible. Google Gemini helped him develop the artwork, but AI still requires creative direction, strong prompts, revisions, and quality control. Sometimes it even produces a five-legged zebra—and that one does not make the final cut.

The conversation also explores Bret’s career pivot after leaving the company he helped establish. He tried speaking and coaching but recognized that children’s publishing brought greater joy. His lesson: follow the work that gives you energy instead of chasing shiny objects.

In this episode, you will discover:

• How becoming a grandfather inspired Bret’s children’s books
• Why alliteration makes learning memorable and fun
• How AI helped turn an idea into a finished book
• Why Bret plans to give 1,000 books to children
• How service can restore purpose and lift your spirit
• Why authors should build their own reader community
• How websites and email lists create long-term relationships
• Why a career pivot can lead to unexpected fulfillment

Bret offers authors a crucial marketing lesson: do not send every reader only to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Guide readers to your website, offer useful resources, and build an email list so you can stay connected when future books arrive.

Connect with Bret:

Website: laughandlearnlibrary.com
Email: info@laughandlearnlibrary.com
YouTube: Laugh and Learn Library
Facebook: Laugh and Learn Library

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, bring awesome thoughts, follow your passion, and hit your sweet spot.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #BretRidgway #LaughAndLearnLibrary #ChildrensBooks #EarlyLearning #Literacy #GivingBack #AuthorMarketing #CreativeLegacy

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RYAN MATTHEWS: FROM MILITARY WORKING DOGS TO PURPOSE AND IMPACT

What can animals teach us about trust, leadership, healing, and living without regret?

In this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Ryan Matthews, an Army veteran, former military police officer, working-dog handler, entrepreneur, and dog-training expert. Ryan shares how service changed him, how animals shaped his purpose, and why veterans need stronger support when returning to civilian life.

Military members are trained to operate under pressure, remain hypervigilant, and complete dangerous missions. Yet when their service ends, they are often expected to resume ordinary life without enough preparation. Along with structure and camaraderie, many veterans lose their identity and purpose.

Ryan believes purpose can be critical to healing. He encourages veterans to explore nonprofits, service-dog organizations, equine therapy, retreats, and communities created to help them reconnect. Support exists, but veterans must be willing to reach for it.

Ryan’s first working dog was Rex, a massive German Shepherd who initially intimidated him. He later deployed to Mosul, Iraq, with another dog, Zito. Those experiences taught him courage, responsibility, and the extraordinary bond between a handler and a working dog. He also reveals that handlers and dogs do not always remain together when assignments or military careers end.

Unlike human veterans, retired working dogs do not receive continuing government medical care. Ryan highlights Project K-9 Hero, founded by veteran and former K-9 handler Jason Johnson, which supports retired military and law-enforcement dogs.

Ryan’s path began after a troubled youth and a desire to change. The Army gave him structure, while a battalion commander became a father figure and encouraged him to pursue K-9 work. Later, Ryan survived stage-three colon cancer and a widowmaker heart attack. Those encounters with death strengthened his warrior spirit and commitment to bring his best self forward.

After working with approximately 6,000 dogs, Ryan sees training as more than teaching commands. Animals reveal lessons about energy, boundaries, confidence, communication, and leadership. Trust cannot be forced. When meeting a dog, Ryan recommends standing calmly and allowing it to approach and sniff first. If it backs away, respect its decision.

Giving a treat out of guilt before leaving is not the same as building a relationship. Hand-feeding a new dog, brushing it, and walking side by side can create genuine connection. Effective training is not simply about rewards; it is about shaping mindset and developing calm behavior.

In this episode, you will discover:

• Why veterans can struggle after leaving military service
• How purpose supports healing and resilience
• What working dogs experience during and after service
• Why retired K-9 heroes need continued care
• How Ryan survived cancer and a widowmaker heart attack
• What animals teach us about trust and leadership
• Simple ways to strengthen the bond with your dog
• Why mindset matters more than treats

Ryan closes with his “rocking chair test.” One day, we will look back and consider what we did—and what fear kept us from doing. His advice is simple: live authentically, pursue what matters, stop making excuses, and act while you still can. Keep improving so others experience the best version of who you are.

Connect with Ryan:

Instagram: @worldofdogtraining
Company: Instinct to Impact

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, bring awesome thoughts, be authentic today, and hit your sweet spot.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #RyanMatthews #WorldOfDogTraining #MilitaryVeteran #WorkingDogs #VeteranSupport #DogTraining #Purpose

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DANIELLE MARIE VANDEHEI: SAILING TOWARD A MORE INTENTIONAL LIFE

What if a vacation could do more than help you escape? What if it helped you reconnect with yourself, strengthen your family, and return home with a new perspective?

In this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Danielle Marie Vandehei, a nomadic, world-schooling mother who lives aboard a sailboat with her husband and young son. Danielle shares how her family left conventional life behind and discovered a new understanding of home, education, freedom, and purpose.

Their journey began during the COVID era. Danielle was working long hours at a job she disliked while missing valuable time with her son. Her husband was also frequently away for work, and they realized their routine was keeping them from the life they wanted.

Instead of accepting it, they sold nearly everything, purchased a 27-foot sailboat, and learned how to sail. After practicing in Florida’s Port Charlotte Harbor and traveling to Key West and the Dry Tortugas, they moved onto a larger liveaboard boat. Their adventures have since taken them through Honduras, Belize, Bocas del Toro, and the San Blas Islands of Panama.

Danielle explains how world schooling transforms travel into education. Her son learns through cultural immersion, nature, practical experience, and his interests. He has developed skills in fishing, preparing food, building fires, recognizing marine life, and entrepreneurship. Traditional subjects remain part of his education, but curiosity and real-world participation guide the process.

That philosophy inspired Water World Micro Expeditions. Danielle’s family welcomes one small family at a time aboard their sailboat for an experience that goes beyond an ordinary tropical vacation. Guests explore the San Blas Islands while learning about sailing, marine life, ocean conservation, sustainability, and intentional living.

There is no rigid itinerary. Families may snorkel, fish, explore an island, study the wind, learn to handle ropes, practice breathwork, journal, or rest beneath the sun. If someone needs another quiet day instead of another sail, the plans change. Mother Nature runs the clock—and she does not accept meeting invitations.

Danielle also discusses living together in close quarters. Every family member needs personal space. That might mean swimming, paddling, journaling, practicing Kundalini, working on the boat, fishing, or visiting other boating families. The lifestyle requires communication, patience, flexibility, and healthy boundaries.

Some of their greatest experiences could never have been scheduled: watching eagle rays beneath the boat, swimming near sea turtles, encountering a seven- or eight-foot nurse shark, and seeing hundreds of newly hatched baby turtles surround their vessel. These moments strengthened Danielle’s gratitude and revealed the extraordinary world beneath the ocean’s surface.

Sailing has taught the family to cooperate with nature instead of trying to control it. Weather windows change, destinations must wait, and everyone must adapt. Four-day ocean passages demand endurance, discipline, and trust. For Danielle, being far from land also creates the stillness needed to look inward and ask deeper questions about purpose.

Danielle hopes to expand Water World Micro Expeditions, move to a larger boat, keep an expedition operating in San Blas, and eventually circumnavigate the globe. Her son dreams of visiting the Great Barrier Reef, while Danielle hopes to sail to French Polynesia.

In this episode, you will discover:

• Why Danielle’s family sold everything and learned to sail
• How world schooling turns everyday experiences into education
• What children gain from travel, nature, and practical learning
• How families maintain boundaries aboard a sailboat
• Why slowing down can support healing and self-discovery
• What guests experience on a Water World Micro Expedition
• How sailing builds patience, adaptability, and gratitude
• Why meaningful travel should create connection, not escape

Danielle leaves listeners with a powerful reminder: You can accomplish what you want when you open yourself to possibility, find the right support, and pursue your life with intention.

Connect with Danielle:

Instagram: @legacy_throughmotherhood
Facebook: Danielle Marie VandeHey
Website: waterworldmicroexpeditions.com

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, hit your sweet spot, bring awesome thoughts, and live your best life.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #DanielleMarieVandehei #WaterWorldMicroExpeditions #WorldSchooling #SailingLife #IntentionalLiving #FamilyTravel #OceanConservation #MindfulTravel

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CJ MONEYWAY: KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND BUILD BRICK BY BRICK

What are you paying attention to—and what truths have you chosen not to see?

In this episode of Peace, Love, and Bring a Bat, Uncle Dave welcomes Corwin “CJ Moneyway” Johnson, host of The CJ Moneyway Show, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and faith-driven storyteller. CJ shares how fatherhood, adversity, discipline, and faith transformed his life.

CJ grew up in Gary, Indiana, with parents who provided love, faith, structure, and discipline. He did not always appreciate those lessons, but they created a foundation he would need during one of his most challenging seasons.

In the late 1990s, CJ faced the consequences of his choices while preparing to become a father to multiple children. Overwhelmed and uncertain, he searched for answers. One day, his father found him reading the Bible and knew something was wrong. CJ now sees that moment as God calling him back to solid ground. In 2000, he began reading Scripture for himself and viewing his purpose through different eyes.

CJ explains the meaning behind Both Eyes Open, Both Eyes Shut. Many people keep their eyes open to society’s glitz, money, popularity, and attention while closing them to faith, character, and purpose. He compares his earlier decisions to building a house on sand: whenever pressure arrived, everything collapsed. Today, he is building his life on rock.

Uncle Dave and CJ discuss why Being Authentic Today requires honesty about mistakes, weaknesses, ego, and unfinished work. Growth does not come from pretending to have all the answers. It happens brick by brick through consistency, accountability, feedback, and the willingness to continue after disappointment.

That approach helped CJ build The CJ Moneyway Show into a podcast ranked among the top two percent globally. Still, rankings are not his reason for doing the work. Impact matters more than applause. Victory happens when listeners recognize their own story and return because the message helped them.

CJ also reveals the hidden work behind success. Audiences see the finished podcast, book, interview, or post, but rarely see the preparation, editing, thumbnails, setbacks, and long hours. Lasting success means showing up when no one is watching or encouraging you.

Faith guides The CJ Moneyway Show, Both Eyes Open, Both Eyes Shut, Faith Through Trial, and his book, Planting Seeds with CJ. He believes meaningful conversations happen when people remove their masks and speak honestly.

The conversation also explores choosing the right voices during difficult seasons. Not everyone has the wisdom or empathy to guide you. Some respond by projecting their own experiences onto you. Genuine support requires listening, compassion, honesty, and a foundation stronger than personal opinion.

In this episode, you will discover:

• Why discipline builds lasting legacies
• How fatherhood became a turning point in CJ’s life
• What Both Eyes Open, Both Eyes Shut truly means
• Why consistency matters more than immediate recognition
• How faith provides stability during adversity
• Why authentic storytelling creates connection and healing
• Why meaningful success must be built brick by brick

CJ closes with a reminder from Psalm 23: We are meant to walk through the valley—not build a house there. Difficult seasons are real, but they are not permanent addresses. Tear down the house you built in the valley, keep walking, and rebuild on stronger ground.

Connect with CJ:

Social Media: @CJMoneyway
Podcast: The CJ Moneyway Show
Platform: CJ Moneyway Media

Bring peace and love into your life. When necessary, bring a bat, stand for what matters, bring your awesome thoughts, and hit your sweet spot.

#PeaceLoveAndBringABat #UncleDave #CJMoneyway #Faith #Discipline #Purpose #AuthenticLiving #BrickByBrick

To support us:

https://davidchametzky.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@davidchametzkyNOW

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-love-and-bring-a-bat/id1552738547

Five Minutes Back to Yourself: Alecia Iwanchuk on Yoga, Breathwork, Trauma Healing, and Listening to the Body

Uncle Dave welcomes Alecia Iwanchuk, founder of Intentions Yoga, somatic yoga coach, Kundalini yoga teacher, and wellness guide based in Saskatoon, Canada, for a thoughtful conversation about yoga, breathwork, self-love, nervous-system regulation, trauma healing, and learning how to reconnect with the wisdom of the body.

Alecia shares how her journey began with a gradual spiritual awakening around 2012. She started questioning the stories and systems around her, but eventually realized that focusing only on what was happening outside of her did not provide the healing or direction she needed. Her deeper transformation began when she turned inward.

Yoga first entered her life through a gym class in 2015. She did not begin with a spiritual goal. She simply wanted to exercise. Over time, however, the practice changed the way she responded to stress, conflict, and emotional intensity.

Alecia recalls a defining moment during an argument with her former husband. Instead of becoming completely lost inside the conflict, she suddenly recognized where her energy ended and his began. She could observe what was happening without becoming fully entangled in it. That moment showed her that yoga was doing much more than increasing flexibility—it was creating clarity, awareness, and emotional space.

Following her divorce and the disruption of the pandemic, Alecia committed more deeply to her own healing. She completed yoga teacher training, launched Intentions Yoga, and eventually left a 17-year corporate career to build a soul-led business centered on helping others develop a healthier relationship with themselves.

Alecia explains that “holding space” means creating an environment where people feel safe enough to explore what is happening within them. They are allowed to cry, slow down, feel, question, and go deeper without pressure or judgment. The coach or teacher does not force healing. They create the conditions in which healing can become possible.

A major theme of the episode is the nervous system. When someone has unresolved pain inside, that pain often searches for a way to express itself through relationships, reactions, tension, or emotional triggers. As the nervous system becomes calmer, people gain the ability to witness what is happening instead of automatically reacting.

Alecia describes how she now notices difficult information moving through her body without the same clenching or panic she once experienced. This did not happen through one dramatic breakthrough. It came through disciplined practice, including meditation, yoga, breathwork, mantras, mudras, and intentional 40-day commitments.

The conversation also explores self-love. David shares how being asked whether he loved himself felt like hearing a question in another language. He had lived more than 50 years without recognizing self-love as something he was allowed to practice.

Alecia explains that self-love can be approached through the body and energy system. In her work, she may use heart-centered movement, intentional postures, breath, chanting, and focused awareness to help people connect with feelings they cannot always reach through thought alone.

Healing may not arrive during the session itself. Sometimes a person practices consistently and then, on an ordinary Tuesday, realizes that something inside has shifted.

Alecia also introduces the idea of somatic breathing. “Somatic” simply means body-based. The breath is unique because it happens automatically, but we can also consciously guide it. By slowing down and following the breath into the body, a person can return to the present moment.

She discusses Breath of Fire, a powerful Kundalini breathing practice used to awaken energy, move stagnation, and create a sense of renewal. Alecia compares it to a forest fire clearing away old growth so that something new can emerge.

For beginners, her advice is simple:

Start with five intentional minutes every day.

Those five minutes might include gentle movement, breathing, journaling, meditation, or simply turning attention away from the outside world and back toward yourself. One long class each week can be valuable, but five consistent minutes every day may create a deeper shift.

The practice does not require perfection. When the mind wanders, return to the breath. When the body becomes tired, recommit. When a posture does not feel right, listen to the body rather than forcing it.

Alecia also discusses her somatic yoga coaching for people living with trauma. Trauma may remain in the nervous system even after someone has told the story many times. Some people disconnect from their bodies as a way of surviving. Somatic work helps them slowly rebuild safety, awareness, and capacity so they can release some of the emotional charge without becoming overwhelmed.

Her Magic Garden seed is a vision for a world that values human wellness as much as productivity and economic output. Rather than measuring success only through money or growth, she hopes humanity begins asking whether people feel safe, healthy, peaceful, connected, and genuinely alive.

Alecia’s message is a reminder that yoga is not simply sitting on a mat or achieving the perfect pose. It is the practice of returning to yourself, listening to your body, calming your nervous system, and creating enough space for truth and healing to emerge.

To connect with Alecia Iwanchuk:

https://www.intentions-yoga.ca/

Search Intentions Yoga with Alecia on Instagram.

Search Intentions Yoga on YouTube.

To support us:

https://davidchametzky.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@davidchametzkyNOW

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-love-and-bring-a-bat/id1552738547