Meet Mike Diamond, a former reality TV star, motivational speaker, author, director, life coach, interventionist and philanthropist. Mike has appeared on several Inked TV series, such as NY inked, Miami Inked and Bondi Inked.  During the interview, Mike will share what life was like growing up in Perth, Australia, where he was physically abused as a child, thrown out of school, hung out with the wrong crowd and became a drug addict.  Mike’s life began to change when he met a woman who gave him a lottery ticket, which was used as a green card and that green card was his “ticket’ to the United States.  Mike will also share what it was like after being told by doctors just two years ago, that he had to have his colon removed or he would likely develop colon cancer and never walk again (if he even survived).  Mike refused to accept his doctor’s prognosis and decided to take his health into his own hands by changing his diet, juicing regularly, mindful meditation, weight training and running.  Mike recently broke a Guinness World Record by running 30 half marathons. (approximately 13 miles) in 30 days, in support of an LA-based, six-year old girl named Layla Rae, who is suffering from a very rare autoimmune disease.  In 2020 Mike is planning on breaking another Guinness World Record by running the most ultra-marathons (30 miles +) in a month. 

Mike believes that we create our own reality by changing the way we think.  In his latest book “7 Steps to an Unbreakable Mindset”, Mike shares the stories of several well-known people, whose success was dependent on willpower rather than talent, and gives you the secret on how to replicate their success in your own life.  This was an amazing and inspiring interview of one truly awesome human being, who is using his platform to give back to those less fortunate with his work as an interventionist, speaker, philanthropist and his upcoming “Impact Youth” program in May of 2020.

Meet Josef Gotsch, a World Champion handball player, born and raised in Bayside, Queens in New York City.  Josef started his athletic career at the early age of 4 years old.  During the interview, Josef will describe what it was like growing up in a loving, yet highly competitive and athletic family, where his father was a professional skier and rugby player from Austria, and his maternal grandfather was a professional bowler.  Josef will also share why he chose to pursue a professional career playing handball instead of the other traditional sports such as soccer, baseball, swimming, skiing, bowling, tennis, and basketball.  Josef is a firm believer in the importance of practice which he does almost every day (weather permitting).  He also believes in not only being in excellent physical shape in order to compete but mentally strong as well.  Also during the interview, Josef will share his exercise philosophy, which involves stretching, good nutrition and various other techniques.

Josef has become an Ambassador for the sport of handball and strongly believes that handball will soon become an Olympic sport and after this interviewing this young man and feeling his passion for the sport of handball, I believe it too.

Meet Reggie Nance, Associate State Director for Multicultural Engagement for AARP New York, overseeing outreach to African-Americans, and Caribbean-Americans across the state.  I recently had a chance to interview Reggie on my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, where he discussed the many benefits AARP offers its members, which is 38 million strong in the United States and 2.6 million strong in New York State.  Did you know that AARP provides free financial advice for its members along with free movie tickets and discounted tickets to Broadway shows, or that people 50 years of age or older are one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial groups in the country?  These facts and much more are shared in this very impactful interview with Reggie Nance.

Reggie believes that age is just a number and that is why on December 14th, AARP will host a panel discussion called “Disrupt Aging in Sports” at the Clyde Frazier restaurant in New York City, from 12 to 2 p.m.  This event will bring out former professional athletes from major league baseball, football, and basketball, to discuss the importance of staying healthy and active while playing sports professionally and after retirement. 

Reggie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and American Literature from Brown University and credits his upbringing in a small town called Cordele, Georgia as the impetus for his love of community and why he is such a believer in giving back to the community.

Meet Giovonni Thompson, a young, ambitious, entrepreneur, who happens to be the CEO of the Camden Monarchs, the new professional American Basketball Association (ABA) expansion team.  Not only is Giovonni the CEO of the Camden Monarchs, she is also the owner of GioGlobal Management and GioGlobal Sports Agency, which specializes in sports marketing, public relations, merchandising, and event production.  I had the pleasure of interviewing Giovonni on my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast. 

During the interview, Giovonni shared how the opportunity to own the Camden Monarchs came about.  She also laid out her vision for the Camden Monarchs as well as her plans to use her platform to inspire and propel young girls to fearlessly go after their dreams, whether it be in entertainment and music (where Giovonni got her start) or in the sports marketing and management field. 

Giovonni was born in France where her father played in the European basketball league.  Giovonni credits her parents for being a major inspiration in her life.  Her father is an owner of a Perdue Chicken farm on the east coast and her mother is a designer, so basketball and entrepreneurship are in her blood, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Constance Jones, a San Diego native, philanthropist, author, and wife.  During her prime fertility years, Constance experienced not one, not two but 5 miscarriages.  During the interview, Constance will take us on a journey detailing her childhood growing up in San Diego as one of 9 children battling the three demons in her household: alcohol, abuse and absenteeism.  She survives the heartbreak of miscarriages, depression and bad relationships to become an influential philanthropist, advocate and loving wife.  As an author, she is releasing her inspirational book titled “Emerging Butterfly: a memoir by Constance Jones” in January, 2020 (www.theemergingbutterfly.com).

This is an inspiring interview about an exceptional woman, who took the lemons she was dealt and turned them into lemonade and with the help of her husband, Claude co-founded Elevate Foundation.  The purpose of Elevate Foundation is to help rebuild communities, uplift individuals, and inspire others to do the same. 

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Actor, Producer Jasper Cole (famously known as Hollywood’s Bad Guy).  Jasper is no stranger to my podcast, having been a guest back in 2014.  Since that time, Jasper has been extremely busy.  He was awarded “Best Screen Villain” by the International Nollywood Film Festival in 2019. He is a veteran character actor who now has over 112 TV and film credits under his belt, some of which include: The Purge: Anarchy; Training Day; ABC-TV series The Rookie; Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Friday the 13th Part VIII and that blockbuster film from back in the day, MacGruber.  Jasper is also the host of the nationally syndicated Radio/TV show....One On One With Jasper.

During the interview, Jasper will provide us with an update on his latest TV and Film projects.  He will also discuss his healthy lifestyle and how he has been able to maintain his very lean, muscular physique through the years as a very successful actor in Hollywood.

Jasper will also provide some keen insights into the acting world and how it has changed through the years.  Although Jasper is a strong believer in taking care of his physical health, he is also an advocate for the importance of taking care of your mental health as well, especially if you are thinking about getting into the acting field, where you have to get use to rejection. 

In addition to acting, producing and writing, Jasper is also the owner of  Newman-Thomas Management, a management and public relations company.  This interview is filled with wisdom and advice for anyone looking to succeed in the world of acting or in the game of life and it all starts with your health. 

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by DominiQue Williams (famously known as G.I. Jane).  DominiQue is an army veteran, courageous cancer survivor and business woman. DominiQue is forging a major imprint in the industry of entertainment.

In 2018, DominiQue was discovered by the legendary movie producer Will Packer, which led to her starring in the 2019 summer hit film "Shaft”, opposite Samuel L. Jackson.

During the interview Dominique will take us on a journey from her home town of Cincinnati, Ohio to Atlanta, Georgia, where she got her big break in the film industry while working as a bartender.  When the opportunity came to audition for the role in Shaft, DominiQue came down with pneumonia and was told to stay in bed for another two weeks.  Instead of heeding her doctor’s advice, DominiQue took the leap of faith, got out of bed and created an audition tape, and got the part.

 DominiQue will also share how being diagnosed with cancer at such an early age impacted her life and set her on the path towards helping others.  DominiQue believes if she can beat cancer, there is nothing she can’t do or accomplish in life.  This experience has increased her faith and God and given her even more determination to live life to the fullest.  She exercises regularly, drinks plenty of water and watches what she eats. This was another very inspirational interview.

In this episode of my six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by mompreneur  Loena B. Rodgers, creator and owner of the Egg-cellent Breakfast company.  Loena combined her culinary and marketing expertise with a deep commitment to making meals more meaningful for children everywhere.  No stranger to the kitchen, Loena learned cooking at an early age from her great-aunt, and grew her passion for preparing quality and nutritious foods through hands-on, professional kitchen experiences with Tender Greens, Chipotle, and the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel.  Today she balances business duties with her responsibilities as a mom to two boys who both attend private schools.  Loena knows all too well the great difficulty parents face in getting delicious and healthy breakfast meals to their kids.  She has a heart for helping people learn about food and be mindful about what we put in our bodies and our children’s bodies.  This dedication led her to help moms create breakfast meals that keep their kids focused and energized at school. Loena also has a 30 Day Breakfast calendar that you can download for free on her website at https://eggcellentcompany.com/

In this very inspiring episode of our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Racquel Bailey, a wife, mother of two and an actress. Since she was a little girl, Racquel knew her calling was to be on the big screen. Having a love for the arts, her mother quickly put her in dance and acting classes so that she could hone in the talents that God had given her.

In 2019, Racquel took the leap of faith with the urgings from her husband and purchased two billboards near Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, with the hopes that the award-winning director would cast her in one of his upcoming TV series…which he DID! 

The New Jersey-based actress was inspired by a scene in the 1999 Halle Berry film, “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.” In the movie, a casting director said Dandridge was irrelevant if he didn’t walk outside and see billboards of the actress around town. Later in the movie, he walked outside to see billboards of Dandridge plastered near his home.

This is the second time Racquel purchased billboards to grab Perry’s attention and during the interview, Racquel will share this career altering experience.  Racquel will also discuss the importance of family and how their belief and support helped her to take the leap of faith and “bet on herself” to land a role in Tyler Perry’s upcoming TV series, “Sistas”.  Racquel is quick to share that although the billboards may have gotten Tyler Perry’s attention, she still had to do the work and audition a few times prior to landing that role.  Racquel believes that you should “believe in yourself and in your ability and not second guess it, and whatever wakes you up in the morning, whatever that dream is, you should go for it.”

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Dr. Candice Jones, a board-certified physician practicing as a general pediatrician in the Pine Hills Community of Orlando, FL. She earned her Medical Doctorate at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. She is also a Spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of its’ Council on Communications and Media.  During the interview, Dr. Candice will discuss the various causes of the childhood obesity epidemic plaguing our youth and the steps that parents can take to address this growing problem.  Dr. Candice is committed to the health and well-being of underserved children and adolescents in areas that are affected the greatest by health inequalities.

If you are interested in raising healthy kids, and I believe you are, even with a limited budget, Dr. Candice has the answer.  This is one of the most informative interviews I’ve had to date on childhood obesity.  If you have an overweight child and don’t know what to do to get your child away from the video games, off the couch and into a healthy lifestyle, just tune into this very informative episode and you will be sure to come away with a plan of action.

You can find out more about Dr. Candice by visiting her website at www.drcandicemd.com and listening to her podcast called “KIDing Around with Dr. Candice.”