DARIUS ROSS – THE ROLL UP KINGPIN SHARES EXIT STRATEGIES FOR SMALL COMPANIES

 

In a world where adversity can either break or build, Darius Ross stands as a beacon of hope and resilience. Known as "The Roll Up Kingpin" for his expertise in smaller acquisitions, Darius Ross is a renowned motivational speaker, author, and life coach. He motivates business professionals, investors, young men, divorcees and many readers to overcome obstacles and create lasting financial legacies.

Darius Ross’s journey began amid hardship in Auburn Park, Chicago. Following a devastating fire that left him unhoused, as well as the loss of countless friends due to rampant gang violence, Darius refused to surrender to adversity. Instead, he channeled his struggles into motivation, relentlessly pursuing education and personal growth. His unyielding tenacity led him to achieving entrepreneurial success and inspiring others with his books and motivational speeches. His resilience transformed his life and established a foundation for national impact, proving that anyone can rise above their circumstances.

Drawing from his extensive experience in business acquisitions and entrepreneurship, Darius Ross offers the following five key suggestions for small companies looking to develop a successful exit strategy:

·      Start Planning Early - Develop your exit plan well in advance. Early preparation allows you to maximize company value, address potential pitfalls, and position your business for a smooth transition.

·      Understand Your Value -Conduct a realistic assessment of your company’s strengths, market position, and unique assets. Knowing your true value helps you negotiate effectively and attract the right buyers.

·      Build a Strong Team -Ensure your company operates efficiently without you at the helm. A strong management team adds value and reassures buyers that the business will thrive post-acquisition.

·      Maintain Clean Financials: Keep accurate and transparent financial records. Buyers are attracted to companies with clear, well-documented financial histories, which facilitate easier due diligence and valuation. Avoid aggressive tax avoidance or overly creative tax strategies, as these can deter buyers and complicate the sales process.

·      Creative Financing Options and Strategies: Explore innovative financing structures that benefit both you and the buyer, ensuring a smooth exit with maximum profit and future potential. Consider options such as seller financing, earn-outs, deferred payments, or equity rollovers to make the deal more attractive and flexible for all parties involved.

·      Seek Professional Guidance - Engage with advisors experienced in mergers and acquisitions. Legal, financial, and business experts can help you navigate the complexities of exiting, ensuring you secure the best possible outcome

Darius Ross’s legacy is built on his dedication to helping others create lasting financial legacies. His suggestions reflect a deep understanding of both the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners. By following these strategies, entrepreneurs can position themselves for successful exits, unlocking new possibilities for growth and prosperity.

Today, Darius, who resides in New York City and Maine, is celebrated for his unwavering commitment to empowering others and his tireless focus on creating financial legacies for regular folks that will transform their lives. Ross has authored six books, including Mastering The TPS BluePrint: Transforming Trauma into Triumph and Leadership DNA: Building a Thriving Business Culture. His latest venture, Dating at 50, which chronicles his experiences with love and romance as an older man, is expected to be released soon. He has successfully launched ventures across various industries and advises high-net-worth clients, specializing in finding opportunities in challenges. Through coaching, mentoring, and his writing—including his Forbes blog and podcasts—Ross shares insights on transformation, wealth creation, and resilience. He focuses on multifamily real estate, supports innovative startups as an angel investor, and inspires audiences worldwide to confront challenges and strive for greatness.

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Learn more about Darius Ross in his interview here or look for all his books on Amazon.

Guest Post - My Confidence Walked Out the Back Door JJ DiGeronimo

One Spring Saturday morning, I was invited to speak at a women’s event on the East Coast. I was up early reviewing my slides and timing my delivery. I felt nervous, as I do with all my events. Little did I know, I was about to learn a memorable and important lesson on how my ego can sideline my confidence in minutes.

As the women arrived on that brisk morning wearing colored scarfs and light jackets, I felt confident with the content I planned to share. 

Instructed by the sounds of bells, we all moved back to our areas and took our seats. The host kicked off the event, which was followed by a wonderful opening speaker who moved all of us during her time on stage. She shared stories of her childhood and the emotional hurdles of the passing of her mother. With few dry eyes in the room, I could feel a wave of emotion take over my thoughts. Within minutes, I found myself questioning both my presentation and my speaking abilities. How can I follow that? What can I say now that has any importance? 

On the fly, I started reworking my presentation without having any theme or plan. As the audience’s applause faded, the MC started to introduce me. I could feel my nerves and sense my self-doubt grow by each passing second. I was already sweating, and my internal voices were loud and unsupportive. My ego stood front and center, leading me with fear and uncertainty. 

As I stood up to take the stage, I could feel my confidence walk out the back door. As I spoke, I noticed some odd responses from the audience and definite gaps in my thoughts and delivery. I am being very kind to myself when I say, “My presentation was a flop.” I wanted nothing more than to evaporate from that room. 

To this day, I still remember how quickly I sidestepped myself, believing I had nothing worthy of sharing at that moment. I had allowed myself to move off my inner compass as I tried, on the fly, to imitate someone else. The embarrassment was real, and I can still remember how it felt as I approached the stage.

 Key Finding #57 Trusting your gifts in times of doubt takes courage.

Can you think of a time when you gave away your value or did not trust your gifts? What was the event or situation that made you question yourself or your offering? What would you tell yourself now about that situation?

On that brisk Saturday morning, I learned a lesson that I revisit often: No matter how good the speaker, message, or admiration of the audience, I can choose to step into what God or the Universe has given me to be or to do, or I can step away from it within that moment.

 Trying to show up like the speaker before me or acting like an author I admire might be kind or flattering, but it is not authentic. Putting others on a pedestal is a form of admiration, but it is not healthy for your Soul. We are all here with different gifts, knowings, and insights. If you want to make your mark on this world, you must work to show up and share your authentic offerings as God or the Universe has intended. 

I had liked the speaker before me so much that I thought I should deliver my presentation the same way. Well, I tried to be like her, and surprise, I failed. Had I been more aware of these desires and thoughts as I approached that stage, I would have been able to revert my focus and energy toward delivering from my heart and my gifts. 

Instead, I had allowed my mind to take over, and then my ego got the best of me. My ego pushed me into thinking that the only way I would do a good job in that moment was to resemble the awesome speaker ahead of me. This outward focus misled me, and I went down the path of chasing, copying, and imitating. 

So, let me save you the embarrassment of mirroring my experience. In fact, I encourage you to lean away from creating the same type of offering, reaction, or response as another person altogether. 

These are the words I now use to reassure myself:

 I give myself permission to be me. 

What I have to share is unique.

I was hand-selected to harness the gifts granted to me. 

I am honored to share my gifts with the world.

Key Finding #58 The world needs exactly what you came to share.

 JJ is a three-time author with her new book Seeking: 74 Key Findings to Raise Your Energy, Sidestep Your Self-Doubts, and Align with Your Life's Work

About the Author

A woman in tech turned award-winning author shares energy practices and empowering career strategies for women to make their desired impact!

JJ DiGeronimo is an award-winning author of two books that share strategies to advance professional women. She is also the creator of the global group Tech Savvy Women & Together We Seek. With new levels of awareness, JJ shares a more spiritual side of her life that undeniably strengthens her mission to empower women at work and in life.

From Crying Zones to Cuddle Groups

From Crying Zones to Cuddle Groups:

The Latest Rage in Countering ‘Toxic Masculinity’

Guest: Stefan Aarnio, author of “Hard Times Create Strong Men”

Ah, college campuses, ever on the cutting-edge of culture, currently are showcasing their latest ‘cure’ for ‘Toxic Masculinity’: Cuddle Groups.

But wait, you may ask, “I was still waiting for my turn in the ‘Crying Zone’ on my campus; now I have to be wait-listed to join a Cuddle Group?

While this may sound amusing, these cowardly retreat zones away from reality represent a toxic trend diametrically opposing natural manhood. Put bluntly, universities should return to traditional time-tested curricula and shun the latest fads in pampering co-eds. Instead of retreating into college sensitivity zones, men in colleges today need to heed some traditional street-smart advice: “Man up.”

Interview with Stefan Aarnio: 

Question: What do you think of cuddle groups as a Toxic Masculinity antidote?

Stefan Aarnio: What a disaster. There is no such thing as toxic masculinity, just masculinity. It is the absence of men that is toxic; that’s why homes without fathers don’t do as well as homes with fathers. In education it used to be the 3 R’s. Today on college campuses it’s the 3 C’s: Cuddling, Crying and Capitulation to radical liberal ideology aimed at transforming men into mice—and gender-fluid mice at that! 

Question: For those show still shun traditional masculinity, where might they find a cuddle group on a college campus today?

Stefan Aarnio: Look no further than Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where men can cuddle until their heart’s content—as long as they have sufficient time on their hands and don’t have to work their way through school.

Question: In your book, “Hard Times Create Strong Men,” you describe what being a strong man looks like. Is it all muscle and machismo or is there more to it?

Stefan Aarnio: There’s far more to being a truly strong man than meets the eye. For starters a strong man is a moral man. To be strong, when you make a promise you need to keep it, and that especially goes for marriage vows—including avoiding porn. Throughout history, Masculinity has always been about power, while femininity has been about morality. When power and morality come together, that is the whole package. A man in his base state is primal like a wild beast, but when you add morality you get a really well-rounded man, something more than a wild beast.

Question: In your coaching sessions you teach the significance of the pleasure vs. virtue principle. Elaborate:

Stefan Aarnio: A classic example is the case of Jeff Bezos, who had a choice, to either seek virtue or vice. He chose pleasure and chose to forget his marriage vows. Notice how I said he ‘chose.’ Clearly it was a choice. No one had a gun to his head forcing him to have an affair. The rest is history. Instead of being a strong man embracing the high road of virtue, he chose the lower, baser path. 

Question: You like to quote Will Durant as saying: “A nation is born a stoic and dies an epicurean.  How might this apply to Jeff Bezos?

Stefan Aarnio: Clearly, Jeff was a stoic in trailblazing online retailing to the point of reinventing shopping but over time got sloppy and lazy. While it may appear to the world that the richest man in the world is on top of his game, I can assure you that with both men and nations there are cycles and his is a downward one. Such is so often the fate of man. The same principle applies to great countries that were born out of war and hard times. Those hard times gave way to stoic values like deferring pleasure and reason over emotions. But we now live in a time where pleasure and happiness are the highest virtues but epicurean values make men weak which leads from democracy to tyranny and later to a monarchy, as we have learned from history. Look at the fall of Rome.

Question: And where can a person go to learn more about what it takes to be a strong man, contributing positively to society, family, and culture?

Stefan Aarnio: They may visit StefanAarnio.com or   HardTimesStrongMen.com

Question: Where may a person get a copy of your book, “Hard Times Creates Strong Men”? 

Stefan Aarnio: They may visit StefanAarnio.com

Question: Stefan, can you give one final nugget of parting wisdom?

Stefan Aarnio: Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.

ABOUT STEFAN AARNIO:

Stefan Aarnio is an award-winning real estate investor, award-winning serial entrepreneur, motivational coach, educator and author of multiple books including his latest, “Hard Times Create Strong Men.”

Having built his fortune through purchasing real estate at 40-60 cents on the dollar, Stefan became an avid student of negotiation at a young age testing and learning the principles in this book first-hand in the real world. On a day-to-day basis, Stefan is the CEO of two multi-million-dollar companies and travels the world educating business people and entrepreneurs to bring forward the next generation of success.

Currently, Stefan is on Talk Show encouraging men to be men and debunking so-called ‘toxic masculinity.’ His clarion call is for men to make a mass exodus from the crying zones on college campuses into inject themselves into the real world to showcase and celebrate their masculinity.

How NBA Players Are Modern-Day Gladiators By Stefan Aarnio

               

 The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors are currently competing to be the best basketball team in the world. Each team is filled with men who can be seen as modern-day gladiators according to Stefan Aarnio. These gladiators fight on the court instead of a field, and use a ball instead of weapons, but the parallels can still be seen.

                Stefan Aarnio, author of the book Hard Times Create Strong Men, says, “The leaders of men have always been Strong men and the greatest athletes.” On Sunday Night Stephan Curry and the warriors proved this claim. Despite fighting an illness, Curry played 41 minutes and scored 23 points. He showcased leadership skills that seem to be directly from a gladiator fighting for his tribe. The entire Warriors team showed a desire to win despite multiple injuries to star players. Another player who showed great determination was Demarcus Cousins. In just his second game back from a quadriceps injury he played a pivotal roll in the Warriors win.

                On Wednesday the series will move to Golden State where the Raptors will look to get back on track.  The Raptors have made it to the finals for the first time in their teams’ history and are seen as an underdog to the mighty Warriors.  Leading the Raptors in battle is Kawhi Leonard, who has emerged as one if the NBA’s best players this year. Stefan Aarnio says, “Men want to follow and be led by men they want to be like.” Leonard is a perfect example of this as his humble attitude and great on the court leadership have led to him being one of the most liked players around the league.

The Warriors have become the dominant team in the NBA and are like the Roman Empire. Much like the Roman Empire, the Warriors may soon fall apart. Many sources say that back to back finals MVP Kevin Durant will most likely leave the Warriors after this season. Klay Thompson, another key player also can move on from the Warriors this season if he chooses. This makes it even more important the Warriors find a way to win this year despite key injuries. Just like gladiators the Warriors will not use these injuries as any kind of excuse and will continue to fight.

The Finals have taken all of America’s attention once again this year. Stefan Aarnio has a theory to why we value sports so much in today’s society. Aarnio says “it’s a carry-over from thousands of years of history where men protected their tribes, women and homes.” In his book Aarnio describes what it means to be a strong man in both the age of gladiators and modern time. In a recent interview Aarnio was asked what being a strong man looks like. He said, “There’s far more to be a truly strong man than meets the eye. For starters a strong man is a moral man. To be strong, when you make a promise you need to keep it, and that especially goes for marriage vows. Throughout history, Masculinity has always been about power, while femininity has been about morality. When power and morality come together, that is the whole package. A man in his base state is primal like a wild beast, but when you add morality you get a really well-rounded man, something more than a wild beast.”

Stefan Aarnio has written multiple books and has produced hundreds of podcasts and videos.

The Pandemic of Fatherless Sons By Stefan Aarnio

The Pandemic of Fatherless Sons

                                                              By Stefan Aarnio           

                As Father’s Day approaches, many households will not be celebrating as a family. Divorce rates hover around 50% for modern marriages, extracting fathers from half of families, leaving boys without a strong male influence. This mass exodus of fathers is leading to a masculinity crisis worldwide. A man these days is no longer a man. He is confused, raised by women, and explicitly not raised by other men. Mom usually gets the kids and Dad gets removed, but he gets to pay the child support.

The father role has been marginalized mostly by the ‘empowerment’ of women by leaders of the feminist movement by 1) women taking on the masculine role of work; 2) the welfare state; 3) divorce laws, family laws, child laws, and sex laws that favor women and give men almost no rights; 4) TV sitcoms where the dads are bumbling idiots. All these things combined make the role of the father mean less than ever before.

Millennials are on track to have worse lives than their parents, with lower wages, lower home ownership, lower marriage rates, and lower birth rates. The American dream that Boomers enjoyed will not look anything like the scraps left for the Millennial generation. This is not progress. It is a move backward. Make no mistake about it: We are going backward right now. Learning “how to be a man” is an endeavor that is no longer taught anywhere. In fact, this important skill is swept under the rug in the schools of today. So how can this be fixed?  

In order to fix the problems we face today, we must look at what worked before, back to  ancient family roles where the father provided for his family. Patriarchy has been the structure where men have ruled the family and ruled society throughout history because men were the leaders and protectors of their tribes against danger and were in charge of the survival of the group against 1) the elements; 2) starvation and death by lack of food; 3) violence or attacks by other tribes; 4) violence or attacks within the tribe; 5) protection from predatory animals, lions, tigers, bears, et al; (6) they were the best hunters and later farmers and later workers in the industrial age who made all the money and the women did all the house work; (7) they were decisive and aggressive in making choices about what to do next in the tribe; and (8) they did not have to leave their leadership posts for child-rearing or family responsibilities as women had to today, torn in the binary choice of family versus career.

We are living in a time where these ancient, sacred ideals of familial roles that sprung from various religions that worked historically, have now been cannibalized by feminism and ‘equality’ over the last seventy years—as if an average woman could fare well in the NBA against men a foot taller than they. The idea that men and women are equal is preposterous, and the fallacy of equality clearly does not bring value or intellectual honesty to the Western world. In fact, Instead, it’s largely responsible for the decline of families, which make up the basic social fabric of a society.

Sadly, there are few ‘real’ men left. What we have is a generation of weak men, raised by women, with no fathers. Missing today are the good fathers who once presided over stable families. Fathers are important for raising good girls into good women and good boys into strong men. The absence of these good fathers is leading to weak men who are the beard-wearing, toque-wearing, scarf-sporting Starbucks barista men who cannot find more meaningful masculine work.

The lack of fathers in many households can lead to some alarming issues. According to the National Principals Association Report, 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes—a whopping 9 times the national average. Along with that, the US Department of Health reports that 63% of children who commit suicide are from fatherless homes which is 5 times the national average. These statistics prove that the lack of a father can lead to serious issues for children.

                Boys learn most of what is important in to living a life as a man from their fathers. They learn how to behave, how to treat women, most importantly they learn how to be a strong man. Without a father in their life, many boys fail to learn these things. The absence of fathers isn’t the cause of all the problems we face today, but it’s a good place to start looking.

                So, the next time you see a father, wish him a happy Father’s Day and thank him for his lifelong commitment to being a father, the fabric of future generations of moral men.

About the Author: Stefan Aarnio is the author of the book “Hard Times Create Strong Men” and is a mentor of men.

Joyful Transformation: 22 Keys to Reclaiming Your Authenticity

About the Book

Emptiness. Guilt. Shame. Disillusionment. These painful feelings have become all too common in our world--familiar companions--suffered by millions as they unwittingly accept the silent obligation to lead an unfulfilling life. Speaking about them has somehow become taboo, and changing them even more so. 

Transformation has been relegated to the realm of religious fanaticism and new age fluff. So much so that the ordinary physical, mental and emotional transformations we all experience have somehow been separated from "greater than me" events and reduced in importance to the point that they become lost in the flurry of everyday living before we ever get the chance to incorporate them into our lives permanently.

This highly practical guide offers readers a candid examination of all aspects of transformation -- mundane and spiritual. In it, the authors offer a straightforward workbook for all forms of change -- conscious, measurable, lasting change that improves various aspects of life, reduces the burdens we carry (willingly or otherwise), and frees us to live the best life we can -- a life worth living.
The book is structured to focus on one transformation at a time. Each chapter limits itself in this way, allowing you to learn, practice and master key techniques to focus your thoughts and shift your actions toward a new design for living; drawing reality into alignment with your deepest desires and expanding your horizons in a limitless way.


Guest Post by Author Debra Meehl


Many of us spend our entire lives running from feeling, believing that we cannot bear the pain or shame or suffering we encounter. But the immortal diamond at your core is only refined through the heat and pressure of both pain and pleasure. Joyful Transformation is about practical skills (like distress tolerance and emotion regulation) you can use in everyday life to help you move through the pain; fully experience the pleasure; connect and unite with, heal and embrace your true self; and thereby create a life that is truly worth living.

There is always a way to step into divine flow based upon the emotion you are feeling at any given moment. But you must be able to tolerate and modulate that emotional response in order to fully stabilize your divine connection. This is where distress tolerance becomes invaluably essential.

Harmonizing your spiritual essence with your human being-ness is the truest form of authenticity, and is key to living in consistent alignment with your divinely inspired purpose. Once we raise our threshold to tolerate distress and learn the skills to quiet our minds, then we can truly connect to all that is and live – each and every moment – within the divine flow of life.

You will learn all of this and more in Joyful Transformation, as Debra Meehl guides through practical and easy-to-master skills that help you:
• Tolerate your humanness and that of others
• Contend with all of your very human emotions, attachments, desires, and imperfections
• Make the shift toward a lifestyle of divine joy, even in the midst of human suffering
• Fully embrace your divine purpose and honor your spiritual origins
Pick up a copy today on amazon or visit www.meehlfoundation.org for more information.


About the Author

Debra is a nationally recognized educator and author with a truly unique combination of credentials and life experiences that made her uniquely qualified to establish/manage the Meehl Foundation. Among other things, Debra has become a widely recognized interdenominational pastoral counselor and holds a Doctorate of Divinity, is an intensively trained DBT skills trainer, an Amen-certified brain health coach, and a board certified hypnotist. As the president and founder of the Meehl Foundation, Debra has worked extensively with clients from around the world; helping them surmount dogma, ego, expectation, irrational belief, and cyclic suffering in order to create a life worth living. Her uncommonly inclusive approach to counseling embraces personal belief and blends this with evidence-based methods to create a customized course of action that is exclusive to the individual. For over 10 years Debra has dedicated herself to helping countless men and women heal the negative patterns and trauma of their lives and in so doing step into a life of authenticity and purpose. Debra is often described by others as being the ‘wise advisor’ or the ‘voice of reason.’ She possesses the keen ability to see all sides of a situation while simultaneously maintaining the clarity of distance. A rare capacity for unconditional love plays into her every endeavor, as she seeks to understand and help others grasp the source of their existence. By spreading the knowledge gained through years of thirstful seeking, she helps promote a more open and inclusive culturescape for all involved. By opening her home to clients, she provides a truly warm, caring, and inviting environment wherein people can heal and discover themselves—sometimes for the very first time. When she is not preoccupied with clients, Debra can most often be found searching for a lost cup of coffee, reading even more books on holistic wellness and spirituality, researching the newest tips, tricks, techniques, and recipes for wellness, outside by the fire, coaxing the nearest person into a deep and meaningful conersation about the nature of the divine, or playing with her grandchildren. 

SLEEP SMARTER: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success

Sleep is often the first thing we sacrifice in order to do everything from work harder to binge-watch our favorite shows. 

Unfortunately, this also means sacrificing our mental, emotional and physical performance, as sleep deprivation can lead to immune system failure, diabetes, obesity, depression, memory loss or worse.

We need a wake-up call when it comes to recognizing the importance of sleep in lives, and SLEEP SMARTER: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to a Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success (Rodale; March 15, 2016) by Shawn Stevenson, BS, FDN (as seen on TedX, ESPN, ENTREPRENEUR, ESPN and more), host of the wildly popular podcast “Model Health Show” and Founder of the Advanced Integrative Health Alliance, delivers just that.

Through years of research and consulting the leading health experts, Stevenson discovered that the missing piece in many people’s quest to optimize their hormone function, balance blood sugar levels, get the numbers on the scale to move or simply not feel like they’ve been hit by a truck is sleep.

In SLEEP SMARTER, Stevenson reveals the simple, surprising and highly effective strategies readers can start employing right away, including:

YOUR BRAIN NEEDS A DETOX EVERY NIGHT Scientists have found that our brains actually have their own unique waste disposal system, similar to that of the lymphatic system; it’s called the GLYMPHATIC system. All of the dynamic functions the human brain does result in a lot of waste products, all of which need to be removed. This waste removal literally makes room for new growth and development. Removing and recyling dead cells, tossing out toxins and shutting out waste is critical to brain function. If the waste removal system in your home backs up, then things get nasty. The same holds true if you’re not sleeping well and your glymphatic system can’t do its job – this is believed to be one of the foundational causes of Alzheimer’s Disease.

IT’S NOT ABOUT GETTING YOUR 8 HOURS, IT’s ABOUT GETTING TO BED AT THE RIGHT TIME It’s been shown that human beings get the most beneficial hormonal secretions and recovery by sleeping during the hours of 10pm and 2am—you get the most rejuvenating effects during this period, and any sleep that you get in addition is a nice bonus. Some people get eight or more hours of sleep but still don’t feel rested when they wake up; this is because their bodies are being deprived of the regenerative sleep they need between 10pm and 2am.

LEAVE THE OFFICE ON TIME “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is a common refrain in our culture. Everyone is trying to work harder, burning the candle at both ends and forgoing sleep. But it’s actually making us less efficient: our quality of work suffers when we don’t sleep. Research shows that just 24 hours of sleep deprivation leads to an overall reduction of six percent in glucose reaching the brain. Simple translation: you get dumber.  Instead, work smarter and schedule sleep. If you know you’ve got a big task, project or event coming up, plan ahead and set it up so that you get an optimal amount of sleep and can do your best work.

DON’T ORDER YOUR LUNCH IN, TAKE A WALK AND GET SOME SUN It may sound counterintuitive that getting more sunlight during the day can help you sleep better at night, but science has proven that to be the case. Light exposure (specifically sunlight) triggers your body to produce optimal levels of daytime hormones and neurotransmitters regulate your biological clock; too little light exposure during the day and too much artificial exposure in the evening negatively affect your ability to sleep well at night. In fact, a recent study focused on the sleep quality of day shift workers revealed some shocking results. When compared to office workers who have direct access to windows at work, the office workers who didn’t have access to windows got 173% less exposure to natural light and as a result slept an average of 46 fewer minutes each night. Sleep deficits resulted in more reported physical ailments and lower vitality.

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT The food you eat can dramatically impact your quality of sleep. Scientists have uncovered that the human gut is a mass of neural tissue, filled with 30 neurotransmitters (like the brain). Additionally, the gut has 400 times more melatonin than the pineal gland in your brain.  It has been found that your gut bacteria also have a circadian timing system and there’s a virtual “changing of the guard” that happens every night to help keep the good guys in control. If you don’t sleep, or don’t sleep well, then it gives the opportunistic bacteria a chance to take over your gut and brain.

SLEEP SMARTER lays out the effects of screentime before bed, when you should have your last cup of coffee, why good sex can result in good sleep, what to wear (or not wear) to bed, how to create a sleep sanctuary, the best time to exercise, the good-sleep nutrients and minerals your body needs, your best sleep positions and much more - including a 14-day plan to make over your sleep.

Throughout the book, Stevenson also weaves in his own inspiring personal journey to better health. As a teenager, he was diagnosed with a degenerative bone disease that crushed his dreams of becoming a professional athlete. After a period of depression, Shawn took matters into his own hands. Unwilling to accept the “un-curable” diagnosis his doctors gave him, Shawn took a functional medicine approach to his health, including upgrading his sleep, and completely reversed the degeneration. He graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a background in biology and kinesiology and went on to found the Advance Integrative Health Alliance, which provides wellness services for individuals and organizations worldwide. Shawn has dedicated his life to showing people that they have the power to become their strongest and healthiest selves and that it all starts with a strong foundation: sleep.

My Thoughts

I have always resented sleep. Those are eight perfectly good hours that I could be doing important things. Unfortunately, sleep isn't optional, but at least now I can get the most out of it, thanks to Sleep Smarter. This book gives you tips and suggestions to help you get a better night's sleep, and use the time you're resting to improve your mind, body, and soul.

This book is a quick read and is packed with lots of information. It gives you a whole outline of things to do during the day that will help you get a better night's sleep. These are little things that aren't earth-shattering changes, like eating certain foods or getting the right amount of sunlight. You get tips on how to still your mind, the right positions to sleep in,and supplements that may help you get a better night's sleep naturally. At the end of the book there is a 14 day planner to help you track your success. This is a wonderful guide to a great night's sleep that will help you sleep better and awake more productive.

A Year of Living Mindfully Book Review

From recipes to rituals to the rhythm of the seasons, A YEAR OF LIVING MINDFULLY: Seasonal Practices to Nourish Body, Mind, and Spirit is the last book on wellness you’ll ever need. Achieving optimum well-being can be as easy as attuning ourselves to the cycles of the year, according to the author, holistic well-being expert and entrepreneur Randi Ragan. Her guidebook for busy people aligns the mind, body and spirit to achieve an attainable plan for optimum health and self-care in every season.

In A YEAR OF LIVING MINDFULLY, Ragan presents practical solutions for lasting wellness, including stress relief and avoiding illness, as she explains how engaging with the seasons can enhance our overall well-being. She details seasonal themes and provides corresponding recipes, teas, tonics, exercises and daily practices.

Our Thoughts

I have said it before, but I am someone who is drawn to things that are visually appealing and laid out in an easy to understand manner. I love charts and I love correspondences. A Year of Living Mindfully has all of that combined with the holistic point of view of how to change your life. Perfect. This book talks about and recommends all of the things that I strive for in my personal life.

One of the cycles of life that I adhere to is that spring is for new beginnings, summer is for acting on your plans to make those new beginnings flourish, fall is for reaping the benefits of your hard work and winter is a time of reflection within and rest from the hard work you have done. A Year of Living Mindfully is very cohesive to my personal thought process on how this cycle works and additional correspondences are given in each section, from what spiritual element the season is connected to, to the time of day and to what animals are representative too (and many more!).

A Year of Living Mindfully is filled with personal experiences from the author, natural remedies, food recipes and so much more. It's laid out in such an easy manner to read and flip through to find the information you're looking for again. This is a book to keep on hand and constantly reference too as it definitely nourishes the soul and body.

Buy yours on Amazon and don't forget to check it out on Facebook and her blog!

Reviewed by Jackie

Book Spotlight - Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling

Have you heard about Why Not Me? It’s a brand new collection of essays, from Mindy Kaling, that are as hilarious and insightful as they are deeply personal. There is a nice the book on the Barnes &Noble website:

 You can click the image above to read the excerpt or click here to check it out. Happy reading!

From Stressed to Centered - A Practical Guide to a Healthier and Happier You

From Stressed to Centered is a one of a kind book because of its comprehensive approach, thoughtfully crafted structure, and practical methods that yield long-term results. From Stressed to Centered is a top to bottom offering that includes innovative Stress Management and Self-Care assessments which are powerful evaluative tools culled from Drs. Gionta and Guerra's years as behavior change experts within both clinical and organizational environments. From there, the book offers easy-to-integrate life-changing strategies to release yourself from stress and find a centered core from where you can be your most present and do your best work.From Stressed to Centered teaches you how to manage your stress through simple, actionable, portable techniques in only a few moments - anywhere, any time. The book also provides you with proven strategies to help you create your own powerful self-care toolkit to recognize and avoid burnout and stay on a low-stress path. 

From Stressed to Centered - A Practical Guide to a Healthier and Happier You authors Dana Gionta, Ph.D., and Dan Guerra, Psy.D. are both clinical psychologists and executive coaches in the New York City metro and Tri-state area. With a combined 30+ years of behavior change expertise, they have joined forces to write this powerful guide to help you shift your own behavior so you can be in better control of your own life.  

About The Authors:

Dr. Dana Gionta is a clinical psychologist, executive coach and organizational consultant with expertise in self-care, stress management and organizational health. Dr. Gionta works with high potential managers, senior executives and teams in small to larger Fortune 500 and nonprofit organizations in various industries, including health, law and hospitality. In her life coaching and psychology practice, she helps individuals make courageous changes in their personal and professional lives. Dr. Gionta is also an author, national speaker and trainer on topics related to stress management, self-care, boundaries and emotional health. 

Dr. Dan Guerra is a licensed clinical psychologist and an executive coach with expertise in stress management and behavioral change.  His innovative treatments help people emerge better versions of themselves, so they're more fulfilled in their personal relationships, successful in their careers and enjoy overall improvement in the quality of their lives. His tireless pursuit of healing and freeing people from negative behavioral patterns has led him down many different avenues. Dr. Guerra is a psychologist, psychotherapist, mindfulness meditation teacher, educator, executive coach, Playback Theatre actor, author, and international public speaker. 

My Thoughts

The author really asks you to dig deep in this book! Stress comes from a lot of different things. In order to understand it you have to work on yourself and know your limits, and how to deal with it appropriately. This book is rather interactive as the author asks you questions to help further your self-care. 

Being able to apply what you're reading to your every day life is vital, and a lot of books are just a read through, this book is different. The authors really want you to know how to apply what you're learning in your day to day routines. Having a plan in place to know how to control your stressors instead of them controlling you is my favorite aspect of this book.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who lives a fast paced and stress filled life. Not only that but for those who just are living with stress and not understanding how to control it, this book is perfect! Compact, concise, and filled with every day words, you really "get" what it is they're teaching you!