Leading Conversations

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Kute Blackson, inspirer, best-selling author, transformational teacher, & wisdom leader to a new generation of spiritual seekers. Kute’s mission is simple: To awaken and inspire people across the planet to access inner freedom, live authentically and fulfill their true life’s purpose. His recent book, The Magic of Surrender I Finding the Courage to Let Go challenges us to take a new look at surrender. “Surrender isn’t giving up. It’s not about breaking you down; it’s about breaking you open – breaking your heart open to all that is possible for you. It’s tapping into a source that is bigger than your own personal power.” Kute Blackson was born in Ghana, the child of a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian father and has lived his life on four continents. Kute’s gift of oration was cultivated at an early age as he watched his minister father teach and inspire congregations throughout Africa and London. It was expected that Kute would continue his father’s legacy – except Kute wanted something more in his life. He knew that what everyone wanted for him was not what his heart wanted for him. This was one of Kute’s first (of many) opportunities to surrender to his truth. When he spoke his truth, he empowered himself to take a step forward into the unknown of potential. He had to let go. It was Kute’s mother who quietly practiced surrender as a life principle – everything is as it should be; every moment is a learning, and an opportunity to live one’s truth. Kute lives this everyday. Are you ready...to surrender to what life wants for you? Join Cheryl Esposito & Kute Blackson to explore the Magic of Surrender!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Kimi Werner, filmmaker & blue planet advocate. She is a National Spearfishing Champion, freediver, chef, artist & entrepreneur. Imagine falling in love with the ocean. Feeling safe & free & nurtured by something so vast, yet, so intimate. At 5 years old Kimi Werner knew ocean as home. It shaped her spirit for living & reverence for all life. On the island of Maui, Kimi spent days with family, gathering food from ocean & land, having a magical childhood. Love of ocean & freediving became a path to success, & later a learning - success doesn’t always equal happiness. “The woman who rode the back of a great white shark” (yes, she did!), mastered something else, too: the power of hearing her own voice. What is the thread in your life that has stayed central to all you have become? …that litmus test for your true self? It has stories to tell you, in your own voice. Join Cheryl Esposito & Kimi Werner on a dive into Voices from the Deep in Oceans of Love.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Peter Block award winning author, thought leader, and consultant to corporate, government, and community organizations in the realm of empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, & the reconciliation of community. Peter’s many books include The Answer to How Is Yes: Acting on What Matters, an Independent Book Publisher Business Breakthrough Book of the Year; and, Community: The Structure of Belonging. Peter suggests that our major challenge in moving toward a relevant future is to focus on what we can create, rather than what problems we can solve. Instead, he observes, Nothing new gets created by better problem solving or by focusing on low-hanging fruit. No matter how sophisticated we are as a learning organization, if our conversations are limited to measurable outcomes, we are simply getting better at a system, not creating a new future.” Want to know how to do this? Just say yes and join Cheryl & Peter in the conversation!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Nicolas Ortner, New York Times bestselling author of The Tapping Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living. Nick’s work explores EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) aka “tapping,” a healing modality that combines ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. EFT suggests we can tap into our body’s brilliance for healing. When Nick learned about EFT Tapping, he was startled by the results. He wanted to test it. His breakthrough documentary film, The Tapping Solution, follows ten people who use tapping to overcome significant challenges including chronic back pain, insomnia and more. The documented results are impressive. Nick has supported charities devoted to healing trauma such as ProjectLight: Rwanda, which aids genocide victims; The Veterans Stress Project, for veterans with PTSD; and You Can Thrive! for women with cancer; and countless individuals around the world. One of his opportunities to help, hit very close to home. Nick lives in Newtown, CT, the home of Sandy Hook Elementary School, where a shooting tragedy occurred December 14, 2012. 26 people – 20 of them children – were killed that day. The community continues to work through their shock and grief. Nick will share a story of EFT/tapping providing help to some community members in the aftermath, in support of their healing toward thriving once again. Join Cheryl Esposito and Nick Ortner to explore a powerful way to heal your emotional self.

Our dear John Renesch, a renowned futurist and visionary, passed away September 22, 2022. For several decades John shared his perspectives about a brilliant future of the world. He also saw the trajectory as tenuous - but not hopeless. He saw the slippery slope that the U.S. and the world were traveling toward complete disruption, long before most did. He noted that this was easily apparent in the behavior of individuals in a society, which then created norms of that society. The breakdown though began long before the behavior showed itself. John was a proponent of taking responsibility - for self, for the well-being of community, for one’s part in the shaping of culture and society and the political landscape. Twenty years ago he said it was time for our culture to grow up, out of what he characterized as a rebellious teenage stage. It was past time to stand up and take responsibility for contributing to the whole. (Seems like we are regressing…) For John, it was “humanity first.” He said there must be love and compassion and caring for the individual and the whole of humanity for the system to shift trajectory. So, maybe if we start there. Humanity first. If I see everything through humanity first, how does that change my thoughts, actions, and behaviors? It’s worth a try. Rest peacefully John. Cheryl Esposito welcomes John Renesch, global futurist, humanitarian, & author, passionate about business, human consciousness & possible scenarios for our future. His latest book The Great Growing Up: Being Responsible for Humanity’s Future is Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2013 Grand Prize winner. A businessperson & CEO who started, ran, & sold enterprises, John says commerce is key in shifting human consciousness to create a future of possibility that will allow humanity to transcend the inevitable future being projected from current trends. We are future shapers. We play a role in how the world will be tomorrow, next year & coming generations. John’s challenge: give conscious thought to what we want, rather than passively sitting around while a random or even “accidental future” reveals itself. And, while we’re at it, stop pretending that what we are doing has no impact on the future. (Note to self: no excuses!) Join Cheryl Esposito & John Renesch to explore Future Shaping!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Melanie DewBerry, author of The Power of Naming: A Journey to Find Your Soul’s Identity. Known as the Soul Coach, she is an educator in the power of language to shape our sense of self. Wisdom is the language of the soul, says Melanie Dewberry. It speaks to us. Why do we ignore it? Often data and intellect can take precedence over wisdom. Intellect without wisdom, lacks guidance. Melanie knows what it’s like to be steeped in data and intellect. She has a master's degree in Asian Economic Development & Political Risk. She lived and worked in China teaching grad students How to Do Business in Latin America, and worked with the Chinese government on the pricing of goods in the Latin America markets. She studied multiple languages, living and working in each of those countries. Join Cheryl Esposito and Melanie DewBerry to explore the wisdom that is the language of our soul!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Rajni Bakshi an economic journalist & author of Bazaars, Conversations & Freedom: for a market culture beyond greed & fear. Rajni is the founder and curator of Ahimsa Conversations, an online platform for exploring the possibilities of nonviolence. Since 1985 Rajni has made a home in the fertile ground between journalism and activism - chronicling struggles for more humane and ecologically sound ways of life. Since 2000 she has listened to a wide range of innovators, in the realm of business, politics and philosophy - who are exploring ways to re-configure how ‘the market’ works. When asked about the gloom and doom of the financial markets and global economics, Rajni says, “Pessimism is for better times…we do not have the luxury to be pessimistic. Things are too grim.” She challenges us to relentlessly focus on “looking for possibility in unlikely places.” To wake up and see what is not yet seen. Rajni tells us we are in a “post-autistic economic time.” We have been shaken awake, now will we seize the moment? Join Cheryl & Rajni looking for possibility in unlikely places!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Gail Larsen, author of Transformational Speaking: If You Want to Change the World, Tell A Better Story. Gail is founder of Real Speaking, designed to support people in shaping the story of their life experience and self-expression to become powerful platform speakers. We all have a story. How we tell it matters. Gail says: “I have learned there is no art in speaking without heart, and heart is present only in what is real. It is the gift of authenticity - yours and mine - that affirms my trust in life's journey and our collective capacity to create the world to which we want to belong.” Is it time for your voice to be heard? Join the conversation to learn how to bring heart and meaning to your story!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Lisa Kalmin, transformational leader and trainer, and author of The Problem with the Problem is the Way You See The Problem. Lisa Kalmin is focused…on a world transformed, on a humanity that can make that happen. As a transformational trainer, she has helped thousands of people to redefine what is possible for them. She didn’t always do this work. Lisa was an Investment Manager for a financial firm when she decided there was more for her to do in the world. She was drawn to transformational work. She chose to be a “Yes” to that path before she knew how it would materialize. Fast-forward twenty years, Lisa is transforming the lives of individuals, working with people all over the world; Lisa and her business partner created the BadAss Women’s Leadership Summit to give women the opportunity to explore “their possible” - and she fits all of that into her life as the mother of two teenagers. Life is full. What are you intuiting about yourself that you could be a “yes” to? Join Cheryl Esposito & Lisa Kalmin to explore!

Our friend Neal Rogin passed away last year. Neal's mastery at combining wordplay with insight made him a bit of a “coyote shaman”. Neal’s brilliant wit, compassionate heart, and gift for bringing wisdom in the form of humor, made him a one-of-a-kind human…and one of the kindest humans to walk the earth. Cheryl Esposito welcomes Neal Rogin, a multi-award winning writer & filmmaker. Neal's compassion for life & human connection led him to bold projects, such as LIVE AID Concert for African Famine Relief; The Pachamama Alliance; Spaceship Earth; and his film, The Awakening Universe. Neal says we are experiencing an extraordinary shift in consciousness of what it means to be a person. We are on the edge of a breakthrough as a species, from arrogance to humility, understanding that we are all one. He sees compassion as the great connector that will move us from competition to cooperation. Neal's film, The Awakening Universe, is based upon the book The Universe Story by Brian Swimme & Thomas Berry, & The Cosmic Narrative by Drew Dellinger. It explores how the New Cosmology is changing the very definition of what it means to be a human being. Join Cheryl Esposito and Neal Rogin to explore life...it's awe. Inspired.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Dr. Lyly Rojas, a university professor, international humanitarian, and co-founder of the European Institute of Collaborative Law. She specializes in the teaching the culture of Peace (inner and outer) and Corporate Social Responsibility, and Multicultural Intelligence. Lyly was born in Nicaragua, a country of conflict with a long history of turmoil, and ultimately her family had to flee because of their political beliefs. She has worked with and consulted to the United Nations; as an advisor to the Vatican in the trafficking of human beings; in war zones training diplomats, human rights workers, the military, and tortured women & children. The unifying theme for her work: compassion and dignity for self and others. Lyly says that we cannot begin to help others heal if we cannot heal ourselves. “How can you teach peace if you are not peaceful within yourself?”

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Sonia Choquette, spiritual teacher, six-sensory consultant, transformational guide, & author of 19 best sellers on intuitive awakening & transformational capabilities. Our sixth sense, intuition, is our “first sense.” It is the conscious intelligence of our heart…many of us ignore its wisdom. We disregard our knowing in favor of the facts. Urgency addicted, we miss opportunities to create connections. In our busy-ness, is loneliness; a longing to live a meaningful purpose. We learn by doing, then by our un-doing. Sonia reached her un-doing: her brother died; 6 weeks later her father died; her marriage ended, her business unraveled. To regain spiritual footing she chose a pilgrimage, walking Camino de Santiago, 800km/500 miles over Pyrenees & across northern Spain. Walking Home: A Pilgrimage from Humbled to Healed is Sonia’s 35-day transformational journey into her heart’s knowing. Join Cheryl Esposito&Sonia Choquette to learn the way…into your own heart.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes GP Walsh, author of The Tao of Allowing: Surfing on the Law of Attraction. A master meditation teacher and often called the Irreverent Sage, he asks: “Have you ever wondered: Why does self-help promise so much and deliver so little? Why is spiritual practice so damn hard? Why is the world messed up? Why do I keep working on myself and never get fixed?” Uh-huh. We thought so. GP Walsh wants to be sure we understand the sacred...the sacred is our true nature. He says we are born into “original innocence” –where all is possible, and we haven’t yet forgotten who we are. In that state, there’s no need for self-help. When people are looking outside of themselves for deep answers, he says “look closer” because the answers reside within. He recommends that we “begin the practice of allowing; surrender to the wisdom of what is.” So, how do you actually “do” that? Join Cheryl Esposito & GP Walsh to master the Tao of Allowing!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Shelly Lefkoe, co-founder of The Lefkoe Institute, and co-author of Hitting the Wall, Eliminate the Beliefs That Sabotage Your Business and Your Life. Behavior changes don’t always stick. Ever wonder why? Our lives are driven by beliefs – many that go unexamined, and shape behaviors. Beliefs can manifest as phobias, relationships that never worked, violence, procrastination, unwilling to confront people, and more. Shelly has helped thousands of people, using The Lefkoe Method, to eliminate beliefs that were keeping them from happiness, achieving their dreams, experiencing the life they were meant to live. Want to change a behavior? Change your belief that underlies that behavior. Sound too easy? Join Cheryl Esposito with Shelly Lefkoe to learn the secret to keep you from Hitting the Wall … again and again!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Deirdre Hade, a spiritual teacher and visionary leader in the ancient arts of the wisdom traditions. She is founder of the Foundation for Radiance, a non-profit center dedicated to healing those who have suffered from trauma, pain, and loss. It is time to bring to life the wisdom traditions and ancient truths of sages and prophets, and make them new again. We have much to learn, and Deirdre wants us to begin with our self. A teacher of peace, Deirdre believes that to end all war, we have to end the war within; make peace with our self; understand that we are connected to all beings, to the earth, to the stars; to shift our view of blame, to one of compassion. It is from here that leaders can truly see possibility, shape the future, make a true difference in the world. Is it time for you to step into your own leadership of possibility? Join Cheryl Esposito and Deirdre Hade to begin the journey!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Jerilyn Brusseau, a cook, baker, restaurateur, businesswoman, humanitarian and cultural diplomat. She is founder of PeaceTable and co-founder of PeaceTrees Vietnam. Her story begins in her grandmother’s kitchen and takes her globetrotting in the spirit of peace and diplomacy. Jerilyn passionately advocates warm-hearted, soul-connected food as the most common language spoken around the world. She founded PeaceTable to create shared culinary experiences between people of the United States and the former Soviet Republics as a tool for building cultural understanding. Her citizen diplomacy did not stop there. In 1995, she co-founded PeaceTrees Vietnam, a humanitarian organization that sponsors the removal of land mines and sends volunteers to plant trees and build homes in their place. To date, there have been 13,000 bombs removed and 32,000 trees planted. Jerilyn can imagine…all the people…living life in peace… Join us for a beautiful conversation!

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Sandra Joseph, a history-making Broadway star turned author and speaker. For nearly a decade, she played one of the best-known roles in Broadway history: Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera. Her new book is Unmasking What Matters: 10 Life Lessons from 10 Years on Broadway. Sandra’s extraordinary journey includes transforming her own life from being too afraid to sing in public (yes, really!) to becoming the longest-running leading lady in Broadway’s longest-running show. When asked, ‘How did you overcome the fear?’ she says, “…I really never did. I learned how to work with it. …I had to master walking into fear. Making friends with that feeling is my path to awakening.” Are you ready to know who you are beyond the roles you play, to choose love over fear, to live an unmasked life that is fueled by meaning, joy, and purpose? Join Cheryl Esposito & Sandra Joseph to see what life can be like when you choose to live beyond the fear.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Dr. Anita Sanchez, Aztec and Mexican-American thought leader, global business consultant, and author of The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times. Wisdom is speaking...can you hear it? Have you allowed yourself the quiet to listen for wisdom in you, wisdom of lineage, wisdom of humanity? Never in human history have we had access to so much information, and so little of the wisdom we crave. Data has its place, and, it has made us lazy. We have moved so far away from our human nature that we have forgotten that we are all connected as people. We have forgotten our inner voice, our wisdom connection. Dr. Anita Sanchez is calling on all of humanity to pause, take a breath & remember our unbreakable human bond. Earth’s Elders offer the four sacred gifts, to help us embrace the lives we have been given, and remember we are one race – the human race. Join Cheryl Esposito & Dr. Anita Sanchez to hear the wisdom of the Four Gifts…it’s speaking to you.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Meg Wheatley, author, teacher, advisor, & thought leader on our global culture and the choices we have to make as leaders today. Her book, Who Do We Choose To Be? Facing Reality I Claiming Leadership I Restoring Sanity is a call for sane leadership on behalf of the human spirit. Courageous & noble leaders showing high moral principles and ideals, can create islands of sanity as the way forward. We have a choice: be passive and withdraw from the tumult, or choose to take our turn to show up as noble leaders. Meg says, “…if the world is going to hell, only do good; focus on the present; only do what you know will bring people to their own humanity, with the reward of being in the present moment relationship of human helping human.” What is your answer to the question: Who do I choose to be in the midst of increasing fear and turmoil? Are you ready? Join Cheryl Esposito & Meg Wheatley to consider choices we have to make for these times.

Cheryl Esposito welcomes Greg Delson, vocal artist songwriter, & Founder of the LANDLIGHTS Center for Voice in Los Angeles, CA. When he’s not touring or performing with his band – Father Tiger – or with collectives and music projects, Greg is teaching. Greg Delson knows the power of voice. Singing lets people tap into their own power. GRAMMY award winners & beginners come to him to work his magic, producing stellar results. He says, “It’s not magic, it’s science!” He would know. As a singer, he had his own voice problems. He couldn’t hit certain keys, bouts of laryngitis – he was distraught & researched answers. A discovery of the Complete Vocal Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark, saved his voice, led to a 3-year Singing Teacher’s Diploma & continued his singing career. Greg often says: Singing is not a talent, it's a skill. He’s proving it at LANDLIGHTS Center for Voice. He created the Community Choir. Each season, random groups of people come together (no matter the experience & skill level, and no auditioning!) for sessions instructed by Greg, culminating in a concert performance with a live band. It is life changing! For Greg, he is happy to extend his passion beyond himself, proving to people they can sing & feel the deep joy it brings. Greg’s work reminds us of our humanity. Magic, indeed. Join Cheryl Esposito & Greg Delson to learn the secrets of the voice - magic that’s not magic!