C25-19. Brenda Coffee, Maya Blue…

May 12, 2025May 11, 2025Self 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.

AMAZON

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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LM25-18. ELLIS HALL is “The Ambassador of Soul,”

May 5, 2025May 4, 2025Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

“for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guest Ellis Hall, on air from May 6th

ELLIS HALL: A LIFE IN FULL COLOUR, SOUND, AND SOUL

When word got out that a blind kid could play anything, doors opened wide. At 17, Milt Jackson of the Modern Jazz Quartet invited me to tour—Mama said no, but let me sit in when he played Boston. So I went to school by day, played clubs by night, jammed for 5,000 at Franklin Park, and soon formed The Ellis Hall Group. No label, just soul. We packed venues with “Ellisized” covers, caught J. Geils’ attention, and opened for legends like The Cars, Earth, Wind & Fire, Taj Mahal, The Temptations, and The Spinners—who once had me sub on bass mid-show.

In 1976, opening for Tower of Power changed my life. Seven shows later, Emilio Castillo asked me to join. While still in Boston, I scored film soundtracks—including a sex ed film shown in schools—and played with fellow blind musicians in Project Insight, collaborating with Tom Scott, Rob Mounsey, and The Brecker Brothers.

In ’84, I moved to L.A. to break into commercials, and just as I was boasting about the sunshine, TOP called. Two weeks later, I was onstage freezing in Minnesota. I did 300 shows a year with them, sang, played keys and guitar on the Power album (1987), and earned a Grammy nomination for “Some Days Were Meant for Rain,” which I later revived with George Whitty for our new WHAT!!!! project.

That run led to Kenny G’s Duotones—I was brought in to sing “What Does It Take” in Jr. Walker’s key. The album went 5x platinum and helped launch smooth jazz. Other milestones followed: working with the Muppets, scoring Chicken Run, writing a Michelob jingle sung by pre-fame Luther Vandross, and even performing at a Clinton inaugural ball.

Then came a moment I’ll never forget—Christmas 2001. After performing at Stevie Wonder’s benefit, Ray Charles saw me play and offered to sign me to his Crossover label. “Where the F have you been?” he said. We recorded 15 tracks together before he passed. They’ve never been released, but the experience was priceless.

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Covers have always spoken to me. George Whitty and I close our new album with “I Thank You,” honoring my roots. Even David Bowie heard my version of “Let’s Dance” and loved it.

Since then, I’ve written over 4,000 soul, gospel, blues, and pop songs. I’ve worked with Patti LaBelle, James Taylor, Toby Keith, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Maurice White, George Duke, John Klemmer—you name it. I’ve sung on dozens of film soundtracks, including The Lion King 2, Shrek 2, Invincible, Bruce Almighty, and even sang Louis Armstrong’s voice in Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can.

I also created and toured two symphony shows: Ellis Hall Presents Ray, Motown and Beyond and Ellis Hall Soul Unlimited. George Whitty, a longtime fan, finally connected with me through my project manager Alec Berfeld. George sent me a tribute song for Ukraine called “Hug Me,” and I immediately heard the potential to lift it into something epic. That was the birth of WHAT!!!!.

But beyond all the gigs and glory, what fills me most is watching my four children grow and thrive, inspired by my journey. I am a vessel for the music, a soul ambassador, and after all this time, I’m still just getting started.

FIND THE LAST SHOW ELLIS DID WITH SARA HERE

www.ellishall.com

www.whittyHall.com

https://www.instagram.com/whittyhallartistteam

https://www.facebook.com/WHAT!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeWhittyMusic

@whittyhallartistteam

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C25.18. Michaela Gaffen Stone. Your Human Design

May 5, 2025May 4, 2025Self 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.

AMAZON

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

www.gaffenstone.com

https://linktr.ee/michaelags
*mikki@gaffenstone.com

facebook.com/michaela.stone.

linkedin.com/in/mikki-gaffen-stone

inspiredchoicesnetwork.com/podcast

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IG25-18. Michael Karassowitsch’s Architecture & Spirituality

May 5, 2025May 4, 2025Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Ignite Your Heart and Soul with Sara Troy and her guest Michael Karassowitsch, on air from May 6th

(The Architect is) At Two Vast Realms
The architect in practice as a being of the world and spirituality.

I am sharing an approach to making environments, built, planned and intentional, that support human aspiration and springs from the essence of that aspiration to fulfil human life for the individual and as each of our components of the role of being human fills here on earth. There is no separation between the integration of human intelligence, nature’s intelligence, and the intertwined life of anyone, humanity, the planet and beyond. The riches that we might find in that are greater than any that can be deposited in a bank. Finding that and making ourselves able to value that and whole in light of that has two sides: our inner work, which is currently called spirituality, and our outer space, which is called architecture. These are the two original siblings that derive from human consciousness.

I am sharing this because architecture is in the public sphere. On the one hand, to practice it is all about other people, so it must be communicated. On the other, I have driven forward long and hard to develop to the point where I can function at a level that is true according to what I (always already) knew intuitively, and in a way that can serve.

Taking this on in one’s life has started with small steps as we are all already on the path. How do we make it real? I would like people to better utilize their potential in making their life space more supportive of their health and aspirations in light of this. I cannot do it alone.

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I was born and raised in the Greater Vancouver area, studied at BCIT, the University of Oregon, Columbia’s GSAPP, and earned my doctorate at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. I’m licensed to practice architecture in New York State and India.

Shaped by my parents’ WWII experiences and my family’s life under Russian occupation, I spent my teens between Vancouver and Austria, drawn equally to the arts and the sea — even co-founding the Jericho Sailing Centre Association (JSCA). For 30 years, I’ve practiced rajayoga through Heartfulness, weaving spirituality into my life’s movements across North America, Europe, and India.

Early work in Vancouver led me to studies in Oregon and Columbia, and from there to Vienna, working with icons like Hans Hollein and Coop Himmelblau. My spiritual journey began alongside my architectural one. Returning to New York, I joined Ralph Appelbaum Associates, designing museums, then moved through Venice, Hamburg, Nelson, and frequent travels to India.

Twice I tried to settle; twice the call for deeper alignment pulled me onward. An invitation to the Heartfulness Research Institute in Bengaluru became my second life — a conscious choice to merge spiritual practice with architectural purpose. This work evolved into doctoral research under Dr. Elisabeth von Samsonow.

After six years teaching architecture in India, I have returned to Vancouver Island, with a mission: to evolve architecture that lives in harmony with nature, rooted in spiritual practice, biosphere stewardship, and integrated knowledge systems like yoga and v?stu.

Today, through my business ENVHA (Environments for Health and Advancement) and my Substack platform Office for Presencing Architecture (OPA), I offer low-threshold planning services and reflections on architecture’s unfolding future. Re-entering project work feels like living two lives at once — but both now guided by a unified vision.

A free two hour consultation that derives from this podcast. The client may go to my website and use a keyword that is presented at the end of the podcast to get the freebee.

www.karassowitsch.ca

michael@envha.ca

www.linkedin.com/in/karassowitsch

https://www.opa.earth

https://vit.academia.edu/MichaelKarassowitsch

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25-18. Take the Wheel

May 5, 2025May 4, 2025Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

Sara’s View of Life with Sara Troy, on air from May 6th

Today, I want to talk about self-leadership. What does that really mean? We often look for a leader in life—someone to guide us along the path of self-discovery or help us uncover our abilities—because we feel we can’t lead ourselves. But ultimately, no matter who’s guiding you—whether at work, in relationships, or anywhere else—you are the leader of your own life. Self-leadership means stepping into your own empowerment. It’s about knowing what you need, recognizing the path you must take, being aware, and caring deeply about yourself, the environment you’re in, what you’re giving out, and what you’re receiving. Your life, your arena—it all begins with you.

Awareness and Choice

Is your environment bringing out something in you that feels uncomfortable? Are you surrounded by people who claim to be leaders but are leading you astray? Are you in the company of negativity—those who are angry, bitter, vengeful, jealous, or retaliatory? Because those kinds of environments won’t serve you. So, how do you step into your own leadership? It starts with a choice. I will choose the path I take. I will choose the people I allow around me. I will choose how I interact, how I receive, and how I perceive the world. That kind of leadership begins with awareness—awareness of your surroundings and of what life is making you feel. We’re living in a time of heightened emotion: global unrest, political upheaval, wars, famine, division—it’s overwhelming. And in all that noise, it’s easy to feel powerless. It’s easy to feel like our voice no longer matters in shaping our own life.

Yet leadership doesn’t mean having all the answers. It means taking ownership of how we show up. Are we reacting from past wounds? Are we stuck in patterns that aren’t even ours? Generational trauma, societal programming, inherited fear—it’s all there. But we can pause and ask: “Is this mine? Is this helping me? What can I shift?” And from that question, the journey begins.

Empowerment, Exploration, and Leading by Example

Self-leadership doesn’t mean going it alone—it means tuning in. You may be using tools, programs, or practices passed down from others. They might have sparked something in you, or maybe you’ve created your own. Either way, it’s still your leadership. You’re in charge of your actions, your voice, and your direction. While the universe might hold the map, you’re holding the wheel.

Sara shares how her own path to podcasting began at age 57. She didn’t know what a podcast was, but said yes to the invitation. Now, more than 13 years and thousands of shows later, she reflects on how every step before led to this one. Her story reminds us that it’s never too late to begin steering your own journey.

She paints a powerful metaphor—life is a vehicle, and we must learn how to drive it. Know your gears: first, second, third, fourth, and when it’s time for fifth. Your trauma and fears might still ride with you, but they belong in the trunk or backseat, not behind the wheel. Learn from them, but don’t let them drive.

True self-leadership isn’t loud. It’s a calm confidence. It’s feeling your way forward even when the road isn’t clear. It’s choosing what resonates in your gut, heart, and soul. It’s quiet courage and soulful conviction. And when we embrace it, we inspire others to do the same.

We’re not meant to walk alone—we’re meant to harmonize. As we step into our own leadership, we become strong instruments in life’s orchestra, playing with clarity, confidence, and care. Together, we create symphonies that awaken and uplift the world.

So, take the wheel. Tune into your truth. Choose your direction, one breath, one step, one gear at a time. Because the greatest adventure you’ll ever take is the discovery of your Self.

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AMAZON

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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.