Express Yourself!

“We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” Immanual Kant Everyone needs to find a safe place and in today’s episode host Katie Choo interviews Marlene Richter, Executive Director of Noah’s Animal House, the first animal sanctuary to be built onsite with a domestic violence shelter in the United States located in Nevada. Noah’s Animal House allows victims of abuse to find shelter and protection while bringing their beloved pets with them. Noah’s Animal House is a model for what the world needs now…humans and their animal families sheltering together. Katie reads the chapter, The Gift of Animals by Heather Brittany from the forthcoming book, Be the Star You Are! for Millennials and also offers intriguing careers for those interested in becoming a social worker or animal welfare coordinator. Noah’s Animal House shows us how unconditional love creates healing in the most broken situations. We all need to be protected.

“Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.” ― Markus Zusak, I Am the Messenger Hosts Brigitte Jia and Zahra Hasanian interview You Tube sensation, Chelsea Crocket who has written a book,Your Own Beautiful. In a culture where media is constantly telling young women they have to look a certain way to be beautiful, there is a lot of pressure to conform to the world’s skewed definition of beauty. Chelsea is one of the biggest names in social media today with more than 1.5 million subscribers on her popular YouTube channel, BeautyliciousInsider, which she started when she was only thirteen years old. In Your Own Beautiful Chelsea expands on the beauty tips and advice featured on her YouTube channel while tackling tough questions. Zahra Hasanian discusses the connection between hope and beauty, both elusive qualities yet attainable. Brigitte talks about make-up artists and make-up to express yourself as a way to be beautiful.

“Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity.” —Hippocrates If you could heal yourself from all ailments, would you? Host Brigitte Jia interviews healing medium, Anysia Marcell Kiel, author of Discovering the Healer Within: Use Chakras and Intuition to Clear Negativity & Release Pain. In the interview we discover ways to balance our physical health with our psyche health for a life of well being and centeredness. The healing method developed by Anysia at Soul-Centered Healing, LLC, identifies and clears the root causes and energetic imprints of illnesses, disease, trauma, and repetitive life patterns. Brigitte talks about medicinal innovations including the possibility of curing all cancers by 2050; rainforest plants, the antibiotics crisis, new strains of bacterial infections and viruses, plus the placebo effect! Chelsea Pelchat gives a medical historical perspective from the Middle Ages to the bacterial revolution that saved millions of lives.

Certified Relationship Coach & Award-Winning Diversity Advocate Chris Armstrong joins Brigitte Jia for a lively conversation on the meaning of communication and relationships. He speaks about the correlations between relationships and self-worth/self-esteem and the importance of teaching others about how you wish to be treated. Brigitte talks about the role of self-confidence and individuality in maintaining a good relationship, how to establish boundaries and consent. Zahra Hasanian shares excellent examples of stellar relationships throughout history including those of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers as well as Catullus and Lesbia. When you want a positive, life affirming relationship, discover one in yourself first.

It’s hard to believe the Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio has been broadcasting every Tuesday at NOON PT on the Voice America Kids Network since its debut on November 21, 2011. Created by veteran radio host and producer, Cynthia Brian, the program began with two teen hosts and five teen reporters, all volunteers with Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 literacy and positive media message charity, who had zero on-air experience but a deep desire to get their thoughts and viewpoints across to the world. Since that time more than 38 teens have had the opportunity be reporters and many have moved into hosting positions with the privilege to interview authors, celebrities, Olympians, and experts in many fields from around the world. Today several of our hosts and former hosts share their experiences as radio personalities including Youngjoo Ahn, Henna Hundal, Brigitte Jia, Joven Hundal, and Zahra Hasanian. Also, what’s on the table for Thanksgiving? Gratitude! Thanks for 6 years of listens!

Did you love coloring as a kid? Well why limit your artistic talents to childhood? Hosts Katie Choo and Brigitte Jia interview author of Color and Conjure and Magical Destinations of the Northeast . The book is about manifesting your desires with magic and creativity. Combining simple spells with enchanting symbolic imagery, this innovative book provides 50 spells with colorable images for love, money, protection, health, and much more. Our BTSYA resident artists, Brigitte brings another exciting segment of “Art Attack” and in her segment “Aim to Shoot,” Katie provides insight into the key steps and strategies for manifesting one’s dream career. Manifest your destiny and start coloring!

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke Discover the latest, greatest, and craziest advancements in technology with our Express Yourself! team of Brigitte, Joven, Jack, Chelsea, and Katie. Will cryptocurrency replace our current monetary system? Will self-driving cars be accident proof or prone? What are the newest and most lucrative careers in the fields of technology and digital? Want to know the history of the iphone? What is net neutrality and why do you need to care about it? The world of technology will have already changed by the time you listen! Tune in for the information that will benefit you today and tomorrow.

Hosts Brigitte Jia and Joven Hundal start off the show with Trends without Ends reporter Jack Pawlakos shares tricks, treats, and tips for a great Halloween. This year around 179 million Americans plan to dress up and celebrate Halloween,. spending will tally more than $9.1 billion! Chelsea Pelchat, reporter for Past Present, takes us on an historical tour of the origins of Halloween. The Celtic festival of Samhain, another word for summer’s end, meant people would light bonfires and wear costumes to scare off ghosts. This was the day which Irish farmers believed that the dead could rise up from underground and walk amongst the living. Glamorous witch, Deborah Castellano encourages listeners to be crafty, cunning, and unafraid to want something fiercely through her book Glamour Magic: The Witchcraft Revolution for Getting What You Want , Glamour is your secret weapon—your guide to finding what you want and getting it, whether it is Halloween or just an ordinary day. Happy Halloween!

“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” ― J.K. Rowling What is it like to live in a haunted house? What if that house was actually a medieval prison that housed witches? Richard Estep and Vanessa Mitchell talk about their book, Spirits of the Cage with hosts Brigitte Jia and Katie Choo covering the haunting of one of England’s oldest prisons for witches where Vanessa lived for three years until she couldn’t take it any longer and Richard’s subsequent investigation into the paranormal activities. Trends without ends reporter, Jack Pawlakos looks into the adventures of ghosting, ghost ships, and the tracking via smarkphones and apps of the paranormal. Brigitte wraps the hour with an Art Attack focusing on ghosts and spirits in art.

What does it mean to be connected? In today’s highly contentious and divided political climate, there’s an urgent need for people of all faiths and cultures to clarify, communicate, connect, and live our values into action. Hosts Zahra Hasanian and Brigitte Jia interview author of the new book, The Forever Letter, Rabbi Elana Zaiman who works to bridge and heal the values divide by helping people of all faiths and cultures to acknowledge, celebrate, and communicate their values, wisdom and love in powerful and lasting ways with the people who matter to them most. Zahra offers insights on how hope and connecting are healing partners and Brigitte takes music to a new level to connect the world. Be the Star You Are!® is collecting donations to help with Operation Hurricane and Fire Disaster Relief. http://www.bethestaryouare.org/copy-of-operation-hurricane-disaste

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”— Milton Berle A very special program with the debut novel, Swearing Off Stars from Danielle Wong who was a valued volunteer with Be the Star You Are!® charity as a teenager. This show focuses on career building and we honor Danielle for building her career to live her dreams of becoming a published author. Danielle shares her journey¬¬–¬¬the obstacles, and inspirations. Spread across time and place, the story of love found and lost is one of desire, adventure, and ultimately, devotion. Jack Pawlakos researched and divulged trends in careers, especially the innovations in technology than have enabled people to experience working for themselves. In the final segment, hosts Brigitte Jia and Katie Choo read Danielle Wong’s chapter, The Gift of Faith, from Be the Star You Are!® for Teens and talk about the trajectory from dreaming as a youth to doing as an adult. A very exciting and inspiration broadcast that you won’t want to miss.

“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you're not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald • Literature is the mapping of our souls. It offers hope. Reporter Chelsea Pelchat starts off the show with a historical look at literature and its ramifications through the ages. Hosts Brigitte Jia and Zahra Hasanian discuss a warmhearted comedy of errors set in the world’s harshest place with author Ashley Shelby's South Pole Station, a wry and witty debut novel about the courage it takes to band together when everything around you falls apart. Our hosts later talk about the impact of literature in a personal introspective. What is function of literature in your life? Is it a tool for communication, source of entertainment, way to express oneself, method of creating art, or a way to gain knowledge? Think about it, then pick up a great book and dive in! Reading is power.

What is sexuality? Most people will assume we are talking about engaging in a sexual act, however, sexuality is not just about sex. From birth until death, every person is a sexual being. Sexuality defines our gender and can be a complex aspect of our personality. It is how we feel about ourselves, what you do, but who you are. Hosts Brigitte Jia and Katie Choo interview Dr. Karen Rayne about her book, GIRL: Love, Sex, Romance, and Being You , a growing-up guide for the 21st century by Karen Rayne, PhD—a nationally recognized educator, trainer, author, and expert in sexuality education. Inclusive of all self-identified girls, GIRL is uncensored, unbiased, and jam-packed with what today’s teenage girls want and need to know about healthy sexuality, loving relationships, and gender fluidity. The hosts also read The Gift of Sexuality by Cynthia Brian and Heather Brittany from the book Be the Star You Arefor Teens and Katie gives insights about careers involving the study of sexuality.

““True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” How do you stay humble when you are great? Hosts Brigitte Jia and Joven Hundal tackle the virtue of humility by offering examples from their own lives as well as discussing famous people and how they are humble or boastful. When you allow the facts of a situation or experience do the talking, you don’t need to purposely be a show off to stand out. Employ trickle down humility. Find out what billionaires like Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, or Mark Zuckerberg do to stay humble while giving back to society. Katie Choo talks about how to be a humble leader. A few tips: a. Be Open to opinions b. Be considerate c. Admit mistakes d. Accept ambiguity e. Self-Reflect f.. Let others do their jobs g. Share the credit Be humble and you can be proud! More information about BTSYA Operation Disaster Relief Program is found here: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/copy-of-operation-hurricane-disaste

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ---Leonardo Da Vinci With so much “fake news” and social media posts, sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s really happening in the world. In this episode focusing on simplicity and journalism, hosts Joven Hundal and Brigitte Jia dissect journalism while focusing on the simple things. Brigitte brings another fascinating Art Attack segment discussing art, artists, and their simplicity. Gust author of Right Where You Left me, Calla Devlin, adds homage to the brave journalists who seek to report the truth, a mother and daughter struggle to build a connection in the wake of a father’s overseas kidnapping. Jack Pawlakos talks trends in digital journalism which is updated constantly. providing the latest information that influences decisions. Sophistication and simplicity are friends and real journalists are heroes.

Labor Day will have come and gone when you listen to our broadcast, but we feel that we all labor every day. Hosts Brigitte Jia and Joven Hundal with reporter Jack Pawlakos talk about the origins of a Labor Day holiday, what the trends are for celebrating, and what are the top destinations for this three day holiday. Donations are requested for the BTSYA Operation Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief. Visit www.BetheStarYouAre.org The conversation gets serious as our hosts discuss the history of workers in the United States and abroad, the terrible working conditions, the low pay, the brutality, and the plight of laborers worldwide. Be grateful that Americans have laws regulating how workers can be treated. What will Be the Star You Are!® teens being doing on Labor Day? Take a break from laboring and tune in.

If health is wealth, why aren’t we taking care of ourselves? Hosts Brigitte Jia and Joven Hundal spend an hour discussing the elements of wellness, not only for our bodies, but for our minds, self-esteem, and spirits. Millennials have been given trophies and awards for participating in everything. Joven questions the benefits of such a practice as it does not encourage intrinsic motivation. Brigitte tackles defining physical and mental health. How do we maintain an active lifestyle, stay fit, get enough sleep, do homework, have a social life, and eat properly while managing stress, disappointments, anxiety, frustration, and exhaustion? They read and discuss the chapter, The Gift of Health, from Cynthia Brian’s award winning book, Be the Star You Are! 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference. The take away is that we have one life to live, in one body. Health is a life-long commitment. Being healthy has a profound effect on your happiness and quality of life.

Welcome to back to school! Can you believe summer is over? Are you ready for a new school year? Hosts Brigitte Jia and Joven Hundal spend an hour with enlightening information to get you ready for this educational season. Sports reporter Katie Lyons asks a pertinent question: “What things am I going to do differently this year? Fortunately she also offers numerous suggestions to make the following year a great one. First time author, Fayth Thomas shares real life lessons on positive living including how to provide healthy back to school lunches and snacks with her book, Being the Best You! The book explores diabetes in a way for children to understand and inspires children to strive for career paths that make a difference. Brigitte gives a list of ways to be artistic with pencil cases, binders, collages, and more in Art Attack.

“Freedom lies in being bold.” ― Robert Frost Are you brave? Are you bold? Hosts Zahra Hasanian and Brigitte Jia introduce medical practitioner turned retail entrepreneur, Lacy Blanc De Quattro who together with her sister took the bold leap to launch the unique mobile clothing store, Cowboy Nonie’s Boutique in honor of their mother. The store offers trendy, Wild West-inspired clothing for women and kids, sporting cute, high-quality jeans and shirts with cowboy slogans for every occasion produced in the USA. Our hosts also chat with reporter Caitlin Sim about the boldness portrayed in the books Odyssey, The Vindication of the Rights of Women, 1984, Brave New World, Animal Farm, Fahrenehit 451, Harry Potter, and other great reads. Brigitte brings another of her informative Art Attack segments discussing the braveness and boldness that artists must possess to exhibit their work. Life is short and we have the power to live our dreams as long as we are bold!

Hosts Brigitte Jia and Zahra Hasanian join with reporters Jack Pawlakos, Chelsea Pelchat, and newcomer Jelina Liu to celebrate and honor the importance of family. Jack offers stats on how technology has affected family time negatively.Studies indicate that over 75% of families agree they would rather spend time watching television and 80% would rather play with electronics than engage in a real family activity such as a board game. Chelsea takes us on a history lesson to the 16th century to enlighten about the precarious family ties of the Tudors. Brigitte appreciates the opportunities that her parents presented to her since immigrating to America at a young age. Thanks to her parents’ efforts and sacrifices she’s developed an interest in the humanities as well as a strong mathematics background, New Helping Hands reporter, Jelina Liu reviews the book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, by Anne Fadiman,the story an ethnic minority Hmong family fleeing Laos. Family Matters.