CHOOSE POSITIVE LIVING SARA TROY

C25-20. Travel is in Zach Smith’s DNA.

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest Zachary Bonaventure Smith. On air from May 20th

My “why” comes from nearly 20 years of deep learning, personal growth, and navigating the highs and lows of both life and business. I now feel ready—and called—to share parts of my story. What I offer is my awareness, my inner compass guiding me to the next best choice, and the wisdom that comes only through lived experience. I believe in the power of sharing, not as answers, but as reminders—that in our own lives, the journey never really ends. The hardships, the detours, the moments that shake us—they’re not obstacles to avoid, but experiences to be lived through and learned from.

Trusting yourself is the path to personal growth and authentically expressing your unique gifts. If you have a point of view, you owe it to yourself to follow through and live in congruence. Narratives are constantly swirling around, and it’s a test to avoid wasting your time and energy following them. We all have an internal compass that, if ignored, choice after choice, year after year, eventually this world will start to feel and ultimately become overwhelming. I have learned how to navigate by making lots of mistakes but also by testing how important trusting our own light is, even in the face of one of the most challenging and complicated industries aligned and steady actions, step by step can lead you up the mountain…where you realize there is yet another mountain and another mountain. Understanding where you find yourself in the process and ultimately having a LOT of patience is a critical and timeless skill to fall back on.

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When I’m not thinking about making travel easier and more transformative for everyone, I’m usually wrangling my two little kids to finish their food, pick up their messes, and to spend more time coloring! My wife and I love being parents and the challenges of keeping our kids IRL as much as possible. Travel is in the DNA of our relationship, as we met on a JetBlue flight from Seattle to New York. As we like to say, it’s been one really long date ever since! 

Born in Eugene, Oregon, I was raised by idealist parents who, after growing up in Chicago, embraced the back-to-the-land movement of the ’70s. My parents are still together, and I have two younger brothers.

After graduating from college, I embarked on a one-way journey to Oaxaca, Mexico, which sparked a transformative adventure through Central America. Along the way, a series of serendipitous encounters drew me into the world of tourism, and, remarkably, I ended up launching a business with the very first person I shared my vision with.

Adult life: Lived in  Costa Rica (4+ yrs), Seattle (9+ yrs), Los Angeles (6+ yrs)

My Free Giveaway: $100 Travel Credit. Referral Link

https://www.anywhere.com/selfdiscoverywisdom

https://www.anywhere.com

  b@anywhere.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anywhereincceo

https://instagram.com/anywhere

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C25-19. Brenda Coffee, Maya Blue…

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest Brenda Coffee, on air from May 13th

It was a fairy tale until it wasn’t…

For a long time, that’s what successful businesswoman Brenda Coffee told herself whenever she dared to look back on her twenties and thirties. In Maya Blue: A Memoir of Survival, She  Brenda opens up about the life she once lived—and all the secrecy, madness, trauma, abuse, and danger that came with it. 

Brenda details her years married to Philip Ray, the genius who conceived and developed the first desktop computer terminal, followed by the microprocessor and the first personal computer. Their infamous and isolated home in San Antonio, Texas was known as the “Spy House on the Hill” for its scandalous history of harboring Nazis spies. It was in the basement of their historic home where Philip began spending every waking moment working on his self-destructive “project,” making cocaine from scratch — becoming addicted to it in the process. 

Motivated by the rush and the rewards, Philip lived large and he took bold risks, and Brenda was on board with almost anything he wanted, whether it was adventurous, dangerous, sexual, or illegal. 

After ten years of thrills and close calls, she began to question her blind loyalty when her husband seized on the idea of making real cocaine from scratch, and before long, their lives took a terrifying turn. 

Philip Ray also created the first smokeless cigarette — Philip and Brenda were watched and threatened by the Big Six tobacco companies and/or the federal government for endangering their major revenue source. It was Brenda who coined the terms vape and vaping. 

The sobering reality — after losing his battle with lung cancer, Philip left her with mountains of debt and a daunting fight to preserve the groundbreaking public company she helped him start. 

Brenda embarked on a solo trip to Belize to reclaim the pieces of herself she’d surrendered to Philip, followed by a visit to the ruins of the ancient Maya city of Tikal—only to be forced into the jungle at gunpoint by the ruthless Guatemalan military. The United Nations estimates that between 1960 and 1996. 200,000 people were murdered, and 45,000 Los Desaparecido,s “the disappeared,” were killed by the Guatemalan military and the group that took her. 

Her marriage to James Coffee, the man who made her feel safe, and his untimely death — he died unexpectedly on Christmas 2010 of cardiac arrest while out for a walk. She talks about grief and how his loss was the most difficult thing she’s experienced. 

 Brenda Coffee is also a breast cancer survivor, enduring 10 breast cancer surgeries and 8 rounds of chemotherapy. 

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Brenda Coffee is a published writer, photographer, and filmmaker with a BA in journalism and film. An avid adventurer, dynamic speaker, and successful businesswoman, she was a managing consultant and former board member of a public company she sold to Big Pharma. Coffee is also a breast cancer survivor, having endured 10 surgeries and 8 rounds of chemotherapy. 

She is the creator of two Top 10 websites, including 1010ParkPlace.com, home to her popular BRENDA’S BLOG, delivering straight-talk about finances, fashion, life, and relationships to the best-educated, wealthiest, most powerful demographic in history: women over 50. She resides in Texas.

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Writes Press/ Distribution by Simon & Schuster; May 20, 2025),

 https://www.brenda-coffee.com.

https://www.facebook.com/brenda.r.coffee

https://www.instagram.com/1010parkplace/#

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-coffee

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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. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.

C25-19. Barbara Anne. The Power of Being Seen

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest Barbara Anee, on air from May 13th

The Power of Being Seen — Portraits as a Path to Self-Worth and Legacy

For years, I watched people, especially women, who shrank from the camera, saying they weren’t photogenic, not ready, or not enough. But behind those words were deeper stories of self-doubt, invisibility, and lost identity. My journey as a portrait artist became one of personal discovery as well: I realized that through intentional portrait experiences, I could help people see themselves in a new light, worthy, powerful, and beautifully human. I need to share this topic because being seen is not about vanity; it’s about visibility, healing, and legacy. This message is for anyone who has ever felt unseen in their personal or professional life and is ready to step into their own story with confidence and purpose.

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Barbara Anne is a portrait artist and entrepreneur whose journey began far from the camera lens. With a background in entrepreneurship, business coaching and community leadership, she spent years helping others grow their brands and voices—while quietly hiding from the spotlight herself. After a period of deep personal reflection and a growing frustration with how women, especially in business, undervalue their self-image, Barbara transformed her photography hobby into a powerful tool to change lives and never looked back. What had begun as a creative outlet quickly became a calling: to help people reclaim their sense of worth, one portrait at a time. Today, she runs Barbara Anne Photography, where she creates empowering portrait experiences that turn self-doubt into confidence and photographs into legacy artwork.

BarbaraAnne.ca

info@barbaraanne.ca

www.facebook.com/BarbaraAnnePhotography

www.instagram.com/barbaraannephotography

www.linkedin.com/company/barbaraannephotography

https://ca.pinterest.com/barbaraannephotography

https://www.tiktok.com/@Barbaradobbyn

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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. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.

C25.18. Michaela Gaffen Stone. Your Human Design

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Choose Positive Living with Sara Troy and her guest Michaela Gaffin Stone, on air from May 6th

Discover the freedom of living as your truest self—aligned, empowered, and unapologetically you.

Aligned & Unapologetic: The Human Design Guidebook is your clear, compassionate, and transformative introduction to the Human Design system. Whether you’re brand new to this powerful modality or seeking a deeper understanding of your Bodygraph, this guidebook will walk you through the core principles with heart, clarity, and purpose.

Blending ancient wisdom with modern science, Human Design reveals how your energy is uniquely wired to navigate life, relationships, and decision-making. This guide breaks it all down—energy types, strategies, authority, profiles, and more—so you can begin living your design instead of chasing someone else’s.

Inside, you’ll find:

  • Clear explanations of the 5 energy types and how they’re meant to operate
  • An introduction to the Bodygraph: centers, gates, channels, and profiles
  • Practical tools for using your strategy and inner authority
  • Gentle reminders that you were never meant to fit someone else’s mold
  • Encouragement to trust yourself, your rhythm, and your natural gifts

Whether you’re a Generator, Manifestor, Projector, Manifesting Generator, or Reflector, this book gives you permission—and the tools—to live boldly in alignment with your authentic self.

You are not broken. You are designed.
And it’s time to come home to who you were always meant to be.

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Born in England, I am a lifelong learner and nomad. Having lived in eight countries to date, I consider myself to be a Global citizen – where I come from is a story, not a place. Home is wherever I am, right now.
I took my expertise in tropical diseases nursing from London, UK, to Bangladesh to volunteer in an orphanage, later single-handedly running a High Commission’s medical clinic and caring for upwards of 300 people.
I became a Montessori assistant teacher in Belgium so I could work in the same system my kids were in.
I studied Buddhism and mindfulness with monks in Singapore. My quest for more took me from Bhutan, India, Ladakh, and Sikkim, to Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
I took my love for learning to college in the USA, becoming a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. The science of behavior change ignited in me a deeper understanding of human potential. Diving into Doctoral studies fueled my desire to share my extensive knowledge of human behavior with people open to receiving all that I have to offer.
Throughout my travels, raising my two sons to be responsible global citizens was a priority and sharing what I learn though experience and study is what I am here for.

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MIKKI ALSO CO-AUTHORED OUR BOOK. “OUR FORGOTTEN CHILDREN”, YOU CAN FIND MORE SHOWS WITH MIKKI AND HER BOOKS SEEN HERE.

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inspiredchoicesnetwork.com/podcast

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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. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.

TSM25-17. Chiara Barbera, Assaggio Traditions

Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Chaiara Barbera, on air from April 29th

The importance of maintaining traditions and celebrating the people who continue them, through recopies from the past.

Chiara Barbera is on a mission to continue Italian traditions. Assaggio is her heartfelt project dedicated to preserving Italian traditions by bringing the warmth, wisdom, and traditions of Italian grandparents (Nonni) to life through engaging online experiences. Born in Brisbane to four Italian grandparents, Chiara was raised on stories and the deep values that define Italian culture. Her grandparents’ courage to leave Italy for a better life laid the foundation for her own path—one that now brings her back to their homeland with a mission to give something meaningful in return. More recently, her work has extended to the motherland with Vera Italia, a platform that offers travellers the chance to engage with Italy’s living heritage through in-person encounters with artisans, farmers, and families. Together, these projects form a love letter to her roots—a calling she believes was guided by faith, and a legacy that she is determined to honour, preserve, and pass on.

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Chiara Barbera is the founder of Vera Italia, a mission-driven platform connecting travelers with the true spirit of Italy through cultural and culinary experiences. Born in Brisbane to four Italian grandparents, Chiara grew up surrounded by stories, recipes, and values deeply rooted in her heritage. Her grandparents’ courage to leave Italy in search of a better life laid the foundation for her own journey—a return to the homeland they once left, with the hope of giving something back.

Now dividing her time between Italy and Australia, Chiara begins this journey in Calabria, Italy’s hidden gem, to connect with the Culture Creators—artisans, farmers, cooks, and families—who keep the spirit of Italy alive. Through Vera Italia, she helps others discover the beauty of these traditions, not only to experience them but to ensure they continue for generations to come.

Her work is a love letter to her roots, a calling she believes was guided by faith, and a legacy that she is determined to honour, preserve, and pass on.

FIND CHIARA’S LAST SHOW ON THE ITALIAN EXPERIENCE HERE

https://experience-assaggio.com

 www.veraitalia.it 

benvenuto@veraitalia.it 

www.facebook.com/VeraItaliaExperience

https://instagram.com/veraitalia

FIND MORE SHOWS OF ILLUMINATION HERE

Discover the sites we share on linktr.ee/saratroy

BE OUR GUEST AND SHARE THE WISDOM

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. Please support Our Forgotten Seniors anthology and help to bring this book to awareness.