Ignite Your Heart and Soul with Sara Troy and her guest Gene-O and Shawna on air from?January 23rd
This couple listened to the universe and sold everything to follow a path on change making. With Geno’s voice singing for change and Shawna’s intuitive gift for healing?those soul y igniting them to a higher plane of wisdom. They are both allowing the universe to guide them on this mission of divine love.
Shawna says that life is full of Magic. For years, in the corporate world, my teams would hear me repeat my mantra, “I have a magic wand and I know how to use it.” That was my truth, though at a level I didn’t even yet realize, until a life-altering encounter with COVID-19 changed my trajectory and had me doubting everything I thought I knew. I found myself compelled to embrace stillness on my healing journey, discovering that true healing resonates on the level of frequency.
Geno was compelled to write a song that would ignite the world in to change. Written by Gene-O and produced by Flournoy, “Time for Change” is an emphatic call to action that pointedly reflects on everything we need to do to come together and achieve a better world. Over a unique musical vibe that, true to the fusion-driven spirit of Classic Twist, incorporates elements of pop, R&B, country and rock, Gene-O passionately sings, “It’s time we leave our comfort zone/It’s time for you and I to rearrange things/Cause everybody knows it’s time for changes/It’s time we see the light/It’s time to do what’s right. . .So much love/That’s what we all should be thinking of…”
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book into production.
“for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guest Kevin Flournoy, on air from January 9th.
An unstoppable behind the scenes force of musical nature since his 1994 breakthrough as a producer with “Sweet Sensual Love,” Big Mountain’s follow-up to their smash “Baby I Love Your Way,” and keyboardist on their Reggae Sunsplash tour, Kevin Flournoy has amassed a dizzyingly prolific all-star resume in the jazz, pop and R&B realms over the past three decades.
Driven by an expansive, panoramic perspective on music, and starting with his subsequent 90s work with The Emotions, Teena Marie and Ronnie Laws (helming the saxophonist’s Blue Note tribute album Harvest for the World – Portrait of the Isley Brothers), Kevin has written, performed or recorded with Chaka Khan, Babyface, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osborne, The Pointer Sisters, Jennifer Hudson, Howard Hewitt, Jamie Foxx, The Jazz Crusaders and contemporary jazz greats Boney James, Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum and Harvey Mason. In the 2000s, Flournoy toured with Donny Osmond for six years.
Now, marking an extraordinary 30 years as the music industry’s premiere “go-to” guy in a multitude of arenas, Kevin is finally emerging as a recording artist in his own right, writing, recording and producing his independent debut album Vers•a•tility. Much like Quincy Jones did in the 80s and 90s with his epic eclectic albums The Dude, Back on the Block, Q’s Jook Joint and From Q, With Love, the keyboardist/producer features a dynamic array of guest artists, complementing legends he has worked with throughout his career with hand-selected young and vibrant artists on the rise. The collection features eight vocal tracks and four instrumentals spotlighting Kevin’s brilliance as a keyboardist and composer.
“This project is a culmination of everything I know, each style I’ve played, and all I have done and want to do in music,” he says. “It’s special because it reveals all aspects of my artistry and lays a proper foundation for what I intend to write and produce moving forward. I’ve been dreaming about creating this album for many years and I’m delighted that it’s finally come to fruition. I’ve finally been able to emote through my art in such a way that is bringing joy to many people who are hearing my music for the first time.”
“What I like most about these sessions,” Kevin adds, “is that they’ve allowed me to work with some of the most sought-after studio musicians and celebrity vocalists in the industry. The album has always allowed me to develop relationships with some of the top recording studios (Capital, Westlake, East West, Sunset Sound) and studio engineers in the world, including late great 20-time Grammy winner Al Schmitt.”
Released this past year, Vers•a•tility’s first lead single “Tell Me If You Still Care” featuring vocals by Phil Perry and Shannon Pearson, is a lush, sensual re-imagining of the mid-80s Top 5 R&B hit by The S.O.S Band, composed by Jimmy Jam and /Terry Lewis. The YouTube video of a live presentation of the song has 2.5M+ views on YouTube and earned Song of the Year honors from the Orlando Urban Film Festival. The track marks a special reunion between Flournoy and Perry, whom the keyboardist played for years ago at Kimball’s East in Oakland.
The second lead single was the original Kevin-penned R&B/pop vocal track “You’re All I Need” featuring Filipino singer Orion Song, winner of The Voice Australia Anja Nissen and Christine Noel, well known for her tours as a backup singer for Miley Cyrus. The upcoming third single “Smooth It Over” is a special reunion with Ronnie Laws featuring Kevin on piano, while Kevin’s original urban jazz instrumental “Put It There” will be the fourth.
Other tracks include “Caribbean Blue,” which reunites Kevin with Quino, lead singer of Big Mountain; a twist on Al Green’s “Still in Love With You,” featuring Cerissa McQueen; a duet of the Barbra Streisand classic “Evergreen” by guest artists Cerissa McQueen and Adam Aejaye Jackson; an emotional version of Etta James’ iconic “At Last” with vocals by Shannon Pearson; and “A Parting Glance” featuring Native Vibe. In addition to “Put It There” and “Smooth It Over,” Kevin is the composer and main performer on the instrumentals “Secrets,” “Tears Are Gone” and “Move It Over,” which features San Diego guitar great Patrick Yandall and bassist Melvin Lee Davis, who is Chaka Khan’s musical director.
Kevin in part credits his father, a marine who played trombone, for cultivating his love for music early on by taking him and his siblings to a local music store in Barstow, CA to pick out an instrument to play. Kevin played guitar for several years before gravitating to his sister’s original instrument, the organ and ultimately piano. A professor at Kevin’s future alma mater University of California San Diego, Jimmy Cheatham, introduced him to the music of Count Basie when he was 15 and Kevin played in a big band for five years. Kevin earned a B.A. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Music Science and Technology. Another major influence on Kevin as he made his way in the music industry was Marvin Gaye’s onetime musical director Nolan Shaheed.
In addition to his work with countless artists and working on numerous TV projects including American Idol, Kevin is the creator of an original video music-talk program called The K-Flow Show, a fresh take on the traditional music/talk show featuring organic live performances by celebrity and independent pop artists. Conceived as something of a mix between Hugh Hefner’s classic TV show Playboy After Dark, MTV Unplugged and Daryl Hall’s Live from Daryl’s House, The K Flow Show – which takes place in an intimate, living room type setting – will also spotlight instrumental performers and TV and film actors. Kevin has brought a live version of The K Flow Show to the Miracle Theatre in Inglewood, CA and in January 2024 will bring the special presentation to the Blues and Jazz Festival in Ghana, Africa.
Kevin is also deeply involved in a philanthropic effort as producer of a celebrity recording compilation On a Very Special Note, which will benefit The Art of the Olympians and the World Harmony Run/Peace Run – a project that will ultimately benefit people all over the globe. The original songs for the project have been composed by Kevin for each celebrity participant. A very important strategic promotional alliance with the Peace Run organization was forged when Kevin was honored with the Sri Chinmoy-Torch-Bearer Award, given to individuals who support and contribute to making the world a better place. Previous recipients include Archbishop Kevin Tutu, Russell Simmons, Carl Lewis and Billie Jean King.
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book into production.
Sara’s View Of Life with Sara Troy, on air from January 23rd
I did it, the Our Forgotten Childrens book is now with the publisher ready for launching on February 20th. It is exciting, but also still so much work to do in preparation for the launch. Keep February 20th open and join us on our Face Book Group intermittently live throughout the day.
This book has 15 authors in it, including me, all contributing their wisdom around our family and children’s needs, and what changes are so need now to help our children grow up well in mind body heart and soul, and to be confident, supported wise adults.
With 9 shows this week 4, from incredible people who share their passion, conviction, wisdom and love, it truly has been a busy and illuminating week. Enjoy.
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book into production.
Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest Italia Tornabene, on air from January 23 rd
Perhaps the thriving, wildly productive, inspirational life Italia Tornabene now leads after years of setbacks, struggles, and disillusionment was foretold by her prophetic Italian surname, which translates to “good outcome” or “to return well.” Yet the incredible, seriously surreal journey from increasing despair to powerful breakthroughs and enduring hope she chronicles in her cleverly titled autobiography Suits to Stilettos has a trajectory like no other.
Typical single moms sacrificing to build a stable family life for their child might turn first to sex work to survive, then educate themselves, leave that lifestyle, and make a so-called respectable career on the straight and narrow. While working full time, Italia committed years of her life to getting the education part down, ultimately earning three degrees – including an Associate’s in Business Administration Management, a Bachelor’s in Legal Studies and a Master’s in Criminal Justice. Yet with the longtime government employee ultimately finding her personal redemption as an exotic dancer, porn star, and high-level escort – in addition to her ongoing success as a serial entrepreneur – Italia’s story is the life-affirming opposite of how these female overcomer and empowerment narratives usually go.
To share a life story truthfully and make a profound impact on readers, nothing is more important than an author’s freedom to be raw and vulnerable and hold nothing back. Italia’s no-holds-barred approach includes harrowing descriptions of many harsh and challenging eras and milestones in her life. To name but a few: growing up in a financially strapped household, with her parents arguing all the time and her father (whom she otherwise loved) physically unleashing his fury on her mom and several times on her; being raped by a co-worker at the car dealership she worked at and the traumatic physical and emotional aftermath; giving birth to her son Dominic at 17 and soon being abandoned by his dad, who later made her life a living hell during years of custody battles; and dealing with horrifying corruption and institutional toxicity while working as a high-level analyst for a prison in the California Department of Corrections.
Yet at every turn, driven by her love for Dominic and her desire to give her son the best life possible, Italia somehow emerges from the muck, offering what she calls a “front row seat to witness the undeniable strength of the human spirit.” The title of Chapter Three in Suits to Stilettos says it all: “Beyond Boundaries: A Journey of Education, Sacrifice and Resilience.” One of the main threads in both her personal and professional life working for the government (including a lengthy stint as a Disability Insurance Program Representative for the State of California) is a foreboding sense of injustice pervasive in a system that is supposed to provide Americans with liberty and justice for all.
Italia’s passion for educating herself on legal issues – which ultimately led her to pursue her degrees – was sparked in part by learning, in the wake of her rape, that there was an impossible backlog of rape kits at Kaiser – which was one of the factors that allowed the perpetrator, who she mistakenly referred to as a onetime “friend,” to go free. The next indignity Italia suffered was the ridiculously drawn-out custody battle she had with Marco, her vindictive former husband and father of Dominic. At every turn, for reasons she delves into in the book, the system always seemed stacked to favor him – and they believed his lies about her being a bad, abusive mother. During her many years working for the government, her attempts at whistleblowing and making the right ethical choices were stymied and often led to harsh confrontations with and rebukes by her superiors.
While Italia turned to exotic dancing – first in San Diego and then in Las Vegas – to make great money to pay her bills and give Dominic stability, it quickly became her soul’s liberation, offering a lifeline of hope amidst despair. “In a world where stress and hardships threatened to suffocate me,” she writes, “the lights and music of the stage provided a respite. . . Within the embrace of those beats, I found solace and renewed purpose.” She danced for a total of 14 years while primarily working relatively low-paying government jobs. During this time, she exercised her ample entrepreneurial skills, launching and running a successful paralegal business for several years.
By the time the pandemic hit in 2020, Italia had happily worked full-time as a dancer for several years. In a time when many of her colleagues were panicking because the clubs had closed down, she turned fear into a portal of opportunity, launching a private housecleaning and grout cleaning business (Magic Maids) that grew into a large operation of 65 employees, ultimately scoring lucrative hotel accounts. After she resumed dancing, a life-threatening illness followed by a major injury suffered at the gym led her to explore and begin attracting clientele on multiple porn sites, which snowballed into a several-year career as a porn actress.
Italia writes: “As time went on, I realized the immense power that lay within me. I was no longer the victim; I was the master of my own destiny. Every interaction, every performance, became an act of defiance against the pain that had held me captive for so long.” As for our society’s often derogatory view of those who work in the porn industry and the stigma associated with it, she says, “I wish sex wasn’t so taboo in this country. People often think it’s easy work, but actually, it’s mentally exhausting and physically draining, which is why some performers turn to drugs. I don’t know why our government is so ass backwards with laws regarding it. When I talk to girlfriends in Amsterdam and Germany, they treat it like a regular career. It’s sex between consenting adults. I wish our society would catch on.”
Though Italia maintains an active presence on and generates income from dozens of sites, she has since transitioned from the porn industry to the more lucrative and higher-class world of private escorting. Over the past year, she has also added new endeavors to her ever-fascinating resume, becoming a high-performance life coach, a personal trainer (soon to launch a virtual platform), and a nutritionist. A successful investor for 20 years, she also recently published a book titled Easy Investing: A Beginner’s Guide to Financial Growth. In addition to Suits to Stilettos, Italia will soon be emerging as a fiction writer with Femme Fatale: Shades of Retribution, a harrowing story about the tragic drug-related downward spiral of a sex performer based on a dear friend she knew during her dancing days. “With Suits to Stilettos, I definitely have an important story to tell that I hope can inspire people, especially women who want to succeed against difficult odds,” says Italia. “There were times in my life where I felt like my life was over, and I hit that rock bottom many times. But as you’ll read, I believe when there’s a will, there’s a way, and thanks to my wonderful son Dominic, who is now 19 and doing well in his life, I was always motivated to succeed. Everyone has a purpose on this earth, and we all have to evolve and keep growing. I have learned that what brings me the greatest joy isn’t making money or having material things – it’s doing anything I can to put a smile on people’s faces and make them happy.”
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book into production.
Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Patricia Baronowski-Schneider, on air from January 23rd
My story is one of resilience and a stark warning about the hidden dangers lurking beyond our borders. I share my harrowing journey not to dwell on the past, but to illuminate the present and shape a safer future for others. After a near-fatal accident and a battle with brain injury, my life took an unexpected turn when I was ensnared in an international scam that led to wrongful imprisonment abroad. The experience, though harrowing, has imparted crucial lessons about the vulnerability of even the most astute among us to sophisticated deceptions and the shocking realities of our justice system’s limitations overseas. My tale is one of survival, a testament to the human spirit’s indomitability, and a call to action for greater awareness and support for those wrongfully accused. This narrative is more than a cautionary tale; it’s a lifeline to those navigating similar ordeals and an eye-opener for the uninformed, ensuring that no one else has to endure such an ordeal alone or uninformed.
My professional arc spans over three decades, beginning in the dynamic world of Investor Relations, Public Relations, and Marketing where I built a formidable career shaping narratives for businesses across the spectrum. A near-fatal skydiving accident in 2015 marked a personal and professional turning point, leading to a traumatic brain injury that fundamentally altered my life’s trajectory. In the challenging years that followed, my resilience was tested by a sequence of manipulative scams that preyed on my compromised state, culminating in a wrongful arrest abroad and a four-year fight for justice in a foreign land.
This crucible of adversity did not define me but rather refined my purpose. Today, as an author and speaker, I’m driven to share my story — a vivid testament to survival, the importance of awareness against international scams, and the need for systemic change. My mission now extends beyond business success to advocating for the unseen victims of injustice and guiding others through the labyrinth of recovery and self-rediscovery.
I could give a free copy of my book – I don’t have a link for a free copy – but they can email me for a free copy and I will send it. pbaronowski@pristineadvisers.com
All of our shows/interviews are done by donation, if you enjoyed this show please support us here with either a one-time donation or subscribe and support, thank you. and please support Our Forgotten Children’s anthology and help to bring this book into production.
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