Life Is A Sacred Journey

In this episode, our host, Micheal Pope, will be joined by Wanda Wallis, who is an excellent realtor with over 25 years of outside and inside sales experience, including employment with several Fortune 500 companies. A deep concern for the welfare of seniors led her to become one of the few licensed realtors to earn the designation of Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) from the National Association of Realtors. Her understanding of the mature market enables her to educate and advise seniors on a wide range of housing options, and to aid them in making choices that will enhance their quality of life. Remax Accord has honored Wanda as one of their top producers for 2008, -2019. She is a member of the National Association of Realtors, Contra Costa Association of Realtors, and the Bay East Association of Realtors. She provides outstanding real estate and related services in Contra Costa, Alameda, and Solano Counties.Wanda holds a BA in Communications and Business from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, Califor

In this episode, our host, Micheal Pope, will be joined by the wonderful Carolyn A. Brent, an award-winning bestselling author and eldercare legislation advocate. She is also known as a bodybuilder and health and wellness guru, as well as the founder of Deep Beauty Health and Wellness University.™Carolyn's life’s mission is to help individuals and caregivers discover their sense of personal strength in preparing for the future. Her research and an extensive collection of published works have made her a notable figure in her field. Carolyn’s most impressive accomplishment is her vast body of work. The award-winning and best-selling The Caregiver’s Companion: Caring for Your Loved One Medically, Financially and Emotionally While Caring for Yourself 1st and Second Editions are in the Library of Congress, the university libraries at Harvard, Stanford, and Johns Hopkins, and at numerous other medical centers and universities. Designated as an Editor’s Choice, Carolyn’s book received a review of “excellent” by the 

In this episode, our host, Micheal Pope, will engage in a lively conversation with Brando Menjivar, the founder of People of Enough.People of Enough, are growth-minded individuals who’ve shifted from constantly striving in life to thriving. They know that it is possible to be more, and do more without losing themselves in the process. They understand that being enough isn’t a place to get to, but rather a place to create from. Brando is a speaker and Certified Life and Leadership Coach based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is known for inspiring, motivating, and coaching people from all walks of life to unlock their full potential so they can experience living fully alive and aligned. His work focuses on partnering with parents and students to co-create better relationships, developing healthy leaders, and coaching people one on one to achieve personal goals. Brando’s background is eclectic with experience in corporate marketing, youth pastoring, co-founding two non-profit start-ups, and leadership developm

Join us tomorrow for the first #LifeisaSacredJourney episode of 2021. Our host, Micheal Pope, will explore the topic of Compassion and Emotional Fatigue.GIVEAWAY: To get a FREE full-year Vaultt subscription for you and your family members, send us an email: lifeisasacredjourney@gmail.com.SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube ChannelL!KE us on Facebook.FOLLOW us on Instagramwww.michealpopeproductions.com

In this episode, Host, Micheal Pope will be joined by Audrey Bond, Founder, and CEO of Vaultt. Audrey Bond has been an entrepreneur for over 25 years. As a single mother and the daughter of disabled aging parents, she was stressed, disorganized, and overburdened with information and schedules.She wanted a secure location to communicate and an easy way to store and share valuable information. Her mission is to help families and caregivers stay organized and connected, alleviate stress, and give people back control of their data by building an end-to-end encrypted organizational & communication platform – Vaultt. Better support for caregivers can improve the well-being of those giving and receiving care. Vaultt exists precisely for that reason – to provide the support that, in turn, empowers caregivers to regain control and increase peace of mind. 

In this Christmas Special with Micheal Pope, we invite you to take time and contemplate on the life-changing year we all had and identify some of the most valuable takeaways. 2020 has been one of the most challenging and unpredictable years of our lives. It opened our eyes and raised awareness vis-à-vis the hardships of the first responders, healthcare workers, and caregivers, who are truly taking care of our health and doing justice to their profession. THANK YOU for your dedication and commitment. You are the real heroes in COVID-19 times.

In this episode, our host, Micheal Pope, will engage in a lively conversation with Bret Alexander Sweet, East Bay Program Director at Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center. Bret is a passionate community change-maker, author, inventor, orator, urbanist, and an outspoken advocate for Alzheimer's caregivers. Born in San Francisco, California, he is the son of prominent Bay Area civil rights attorney and social entrepreneur Clifford Charles Sweet.With over 20 years of experience as a social entrepreneur, Bret has started digital media companies, social enterprises, and education companies. He created the first online music distribution system in 1996, which led to his passion for building systems and companies that change how people interact. In March 2016, Bret entered and won the Chevron eQuip Project Pitch, securing three million dollars to build a business incubator/co-working space in downtown Richmond known as CoBiz Richmond, open for business in August of 2019.Bret combined his passion for music and entrepr

In this episode, our host, Micheal Pope, will interact with Aaron Blight, Ed.D., who is an international speaker and consultant on caregiving, aging, and healthcare. He is the Founder of Caregiving Kinetics and has been recognized as a "Top 100 Healthcare Leader" by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare.Aaron's passion for supporting caregivers is rooted in his personal experience as a family caregiver; his professional work as the owner of a large home care company and as a leader at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and his study of caregiving as a phenomenon of social science. He holds a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University, a master's degree from the University of Baltimore, and a doctorate from George Washington University.Dr. Blight speaks with groups all over the world about caregiving. He invites participants to think deeply about their individual caregiving experiences' meaning and significance in workshops and conference talks. He attends caregiver support gr

In this first episode of Season 10, Micheal Pope will be joined by Lynn Casteel Harper, who is a writer, minister, and chaplain. Lynn is the author of On Vanishing (Published by Catapult, April 2020), a nonfiction book that explores the dimensions of spirituality, social justice, and dementia. Lynn received a Barbara Deming Fund grant for women writers for the project. Get your copy today!Her work has appeared in Kenyon Review Online, Catapult, The Huffington Post, North American Review, CALYX, the Journal of Religion and Abuse, and elsewhere. She received the New Delta Review Nonfiction Prize in 2013 and the Orison Anthology’s 2017 Nonfiction Award. She was named runner up for the Torch Prize in 2016.An ordained Baptist minister, Lynn completed her Master of Divinity at Wake Forest University and her chaplaincy residency at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Lynn served as the nursing home chaplain at a continuing care retirement community on the New Jersey shore for seven years. She is currently the M

Another season of #LifeisaSacredJourney has come to an end. Thanks to our fine guests who honored us with their presence and shared their broad expertise and experience: Maureen Dixon, Stuart Furman, Chris Bravo, Sandy Gibson, Dawn Renee, Stephanie Erickson, Rosalind Jones, Jason Matthews, Ken Stern, Nicole Kearney, Brando Menjivar. We are looking forward to having you again on the show soon.Special thanks to YOU for your listenership! You are what keeps us creating content and share it with the world.Season 10 starts next week. Stay tuned!If you'd like to be a guest on the show or know someone who has something to share with our community, please send us an email at lifeisasacredjourney@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! 

In this episode, Host, Micheal Pope, will contemplate the importance of gratitude during the coronavirus pandemic. The health benefits of practicing gratitude are wide-ranging:The practice of gratitude can enhance immune function, according to the American Heart Association. This is especially important during the COVID-19 crisis since people with compromised immune systems face a high risk of becoming severely ill from coronavirus.Studies have shown that people who practiced gratitude showed a significantly lower risk for major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and substance dependence and abuse, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. According to the National Institutes of Health, focusing on positive emotions can help improve your ability to cope with stress.Read More

November is Alzheimer's Awareness Month. On November 21st at 2 PM PST, join us on the first-ever virtual wine tasting to benefit Alzheimer's Services of the East Bay. Get your ticket today! In this special episode, Micheal Pope will be joined by some of our event partners who made this event possible. Nicole Kearney, Founder of Sip & Share Wines, as our Celebrity Winemaker! Nicole is a writer with an MFA in Dramatic Writing turned vegan winemaker for Sip & Share Wines, a boutique winery producing a diversity of handcrafted vegan wines, an Indiana Pacers 2020 Small Business of the year. They have also been named by Forbes magazine for being one of the Top 10 Black wineries. Nicole is among the .001% of Black wineries and Black women Vintners in the US. Brando Menjivar, Marketing Director at Oakmont of Mariner Point will donate the goodies delivered to each ticket holder with their tasting bottles of wine. A big shout out to Jason Matthews, our Board President, for it was his idea to celebrate the lives

In this episode, Host, Micheal Pope, will be joined by the one and only Ken Stern, the Chair of the Longevity Project. Launched in 2019 in collaboration with the Stanford Center on Longevity, the Longevity Project fosters research and public conversation on the impact of greater longevity on civil society. Stern is also the CEO of Palisades Media Ventures and Chair of ASCEND. Previously, he was the CEO of National Public Radio and held senior positions in Democratic politics and American international broadcasting. Stern is the best-selling author of With Charity For All and Republican Like Me and is a regular contributor to Vanity Fair on politics and media. A graduate of Haverford College and Yale Law School, Stern lives in Washington DC with his wife Beth and son Nate.In early October, the Stanford Center on Longevity (SCL) launched its first-ever podcast, “When I’m 64,” to explore the growing world of caregiving; 'When I’m 64’ aims to shed light on the challenges facing caregivers by bringing together rea

In this episode, Host, Micheal Pope, will explore the pandemic recession's effects with Jason Matthews, MDRT, the President and CEO of Matthews Financial & Insurance Solutions. Covid-19 is having a massive impact on the US Economy.Jason is a native Californian based in Oakland and began his career in the insurance & financial services industry in 2004 with New York Life Insurance Company. During the midst of the great recession in 2009, He started Matthews Financial &Insurance Solutions. Matthews Financial & Insurance Solutions is a California firm operating nationally. Matthews Financial & Insurance Solutions specializes in facilitating world-class planning, action, and results for people who receive financial windfalls from an inheritance, real estate sales, business ownership gains, and other economic events.Jason serves as a Western Regional Vice President and National Board Member with the Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC). In this role, he operates as a leader for UFSC chapte

In this episode, Host, Micheal Pope, will explore the pandemic recession's effects on the caregivers' community. Covid-19 is having a massive impact on the US Economy. Unfortunately, caregivers have been undersupported and undervalued for a long time now. Since the pandemic began, their responsibilities have increased—additionally, the number of caregivers in financial distress.

In this episode, we invite you to interact with our podcast host, Micheal Pope, for a retrospective and a glimpse into what the future holds.Depression and anxiety are prevalent during COVID-19, but how can we find wisdom in times of uncertainty?Considering the ongoing crisis, 2020 is turning into the most traumatic year of modern US history.How do we move forward? What can we expect for 2021?

In this episode, Host, Micheal Pope, will engage in a lively conversation with Rosalind Jones. Rosalind is a virtual caregiver coach dedicated to taking a proactive approach to work with caregivers and their loved ones, positively impacting their quality of life. She also serves as an advocate, crisis counselor, and healthcare intervention. But she didn’t start on this path.Rosalind was working in the corporate world doing very well but then was asked to favor a church member. She accompanied her to the hospital for what was supposed to be a quick two-day visit that turned into a two-week stay. Here is where her caregiving journey began. From this point on, Rosalind was determined to make a difference in the healthcare world.She opened Jacksonville’s Best Caregivers in 2009 to provide families a place to turn to when their loved ones need long-term health care. In addition to running Jacksonville’s Best Caregivers, Rosalind uses her experience and education to provide training to new caregivers and their fami

In this episode, our host, Micheal Pope, will be joined by Stephanie Erickson, a Family Caregiving Expert who provides media commentary throughout the U.S. and Canada discussing caregiving and health and well-being issues.BIO: Stephanie Erickson, a California native, has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and is licensed in Quebec and California. She founded Erickson Resource Group, a clinical practice focusing on seniors and their families and decision-making capacity assessments for legal proceedings. Stephanie is the Health & Wellness Expert on Breakfast Television Montreal.Naturally, Stephanie worked with foster parents caring for victims of abuse and neglect. She later entered the school system working as a therapist for kids and adolescents and evaluated children with mental health diagnoses to ensure they obtained appropriate school support services. Following this, Stephanie worked in a domestic violence shelter and homeless shelter counseling woman and their children. Also, Stephanie worked in hosp

Meet Dawn Renee, the Founder of Traveling Caregivers - a grassroots hope-faith based organization bridges the gap between self-care while navigating many Caregiving concerns with holistic lifestyle advocacy.  Dawn is a pioneer of holistic Caregiving complemented by integrated practices utilizing herbal medicine, Ayurveda, energy work with emotional guidance. Over the past decade, she has been instrumental in helping countless individuals and dogs reclaim their health and lives on their own terms, in their way. As a live-in holistic caregiver and health coach for almost 15 years, Dawn has devoted the last five years caring for a friend with stage 4 ALS is now a Quadrapalegic, on a Ventilator, Feeding Tube, Catheter requiring 24/7 care and support. Realizing Caregiving for others can easily take you away from yourself, it ignited a new passion and desire to help other caregivers with their journey. Dawn has appeared on multiple stages in venues across the country as a talented songstress, actor, solo performer,