Discover More

49. 2020 in Review: A Collective Reflection

2020. What an unforgettable year it has been.To wrap up this wild year, we’ve decided to share a never-done-before episode - a collection of personal reflections.12 of our Discover More guests come together with co-hosts Aidan and Benoit, to share their biggest lessons learned from the year of COVID-19 and quarantine 2020.Throughout the year, we have realized that the pain reveals purpose, so we believe that there are powerful lessons buried in the collective struggle of 2020.We’re so excited to share these reflections with you and hope that you find clarity and value in these ideas.We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps the podcast grow.Thank you for listening, learning, and continuing to Discover More.Happy New year.Please check out the featured guests on Instagram:-Anna Robinson (@annarobic_fitness)-Allison Hare, M.D. (@allisonjhare)-Andre Llewellyn, MSW (@andrellewellyn)-Jorge Requena (Linkedln)-Kitty Knorr (@kittyknorr)-Monica Anderson (@m.anderson212)-Matthias Wuest (@mattsantos95)-Meleki Wamalume (@iammeleki)-Natalie Brown (@natbrown12)-Rob Carney (@wholehealthconnections)-Tu Pham (@tupham918)-Paris Gramann (@parisgramann)     

48. Embracing Intuition and Accepting Synchronicity as Student of Spirituality — Natalie Brown

"If anyone is questioning how do I find my intuition? One way is to just look at the way you respond to things. Pay attention to the way your energy and mood shifts based on what is happening around you." - Natalie BrownNatalie Brown (@natbrown12) is a student of spirituality, a passionate minimalist, and an aspiring YouTuber.For the past few years, she has lived in Senegal and Laos, while working a wide array of unique and interesting jobs.In this week’s episode, she shares a few powerful stories around these experiences, including, shaving her head in the name of feminine empowerment and manifesting a jaguar citing during a safari.We also discuss the power of intuition, the beauties of minimalism, the importance of detachment, and the necessity of valuing different perspectives.We hope you listen, enjoy, and Discover more, with us and Natalie Brown.

47. Radical Acceptance, Army Deployment, and Suicide Prevention — SFC Monica Anderson

"You need to learn your identity. Really look in and find out if that’s an identity that you like. Even if you don’t like it, you have to accept it to start. And you have to learn your values. You do not realize those things until they’re tested. So it really is a lot of trial and error. It took me up until this point to be comfortable in my own skin, to understand the things that matter, the things that are worth fighting for.” - Monica AndersonOur guest this week, Monica Anderson, is a Commanding Sergeant First Class in the US Army, who comes with a wealth of experiential knowledge and wisdom.She courageously shares the story that placed her in the army - a family disownment due to her sexual identity - as well as her experiences deployed in Iraq.Mental health is a huge theme of this episode, and she reveals how she navigated the challenges of deployment and supported her struggling friends & battle buddies.We also dive into her experience as an athletic trainer, and how that has complimented her life as a mother and a commanding officer.If you or someone you know has been struggling with mental health recently, give this one a listen and share it with a friend.We get vulnerable and go deep in conversations with SFC Anderson.We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps the podcast grow.We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us, and SFC Monica Anderson. Resources:National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255 https://www.bridgestorecovery.com/blog/5-warning-signs-of-suicidal-behavior-that-are-easy-to-miss/ https://afsp.org/risk-factors-and-warning-signs 

46. Holistic Living through Food Sustainability and the Hidden Truth behind Organic Foods with Culinary Scientists — Sheetal Bahirat & Zuri Masud

“What we want to do is to create a space where both of us can grow into the people that we want to be. And, everyone else that we get onto the team, for that human to be treated like a person, to be respected as a person, and to see what are their dreams by collaborating with them to layer genius on top of genius to create something so astonishingly beautiful. I’m excited to build a company that allows everyone to collaborate. That’s the dream.” - Sheetal Bahirat This week, we continue our conversation with Sheetal Bahirat (@sheetal_bahirat) and Zuri Masud (@zuri_masud), the co-founders of the Hidden Gems Beverage company.Their first drink, Reveal, is a delicious and antioxidant-rich health drink, made from cycled avocado seeds @drinkreveal.🥑In this week’s episode, Sheetal and Zuri share about the challenges of entrepreneurship, as well as their perspectives around food and healthy living.We also discuss the mindsets we’ve collectively used to navigate entrepreneurial struggles, and the importance of asking genuine questions and always remaining open.For the fellow health fans and/or entrepreneurs out there, this one’s for you.We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us, and Sheetal & Zuri. Resources discussed in the episode:-The website: http://drinkreveal.com⁃http://NRDC.org (National Resource Defense Council)⁃Sophia Roe (@sophia_roe vegan chef, food advocate)⁃The products available in Philadelphia via goPuff, Riverwards Produce Market, and Simply Good Jars

45. Reveal Avocado Seed Brew, Starting with Why, and Leaning into Feminine Entrepreneurship — Sheetal Bahirat & Zuri Masud

“And it was like this whole universe that was just hidden from me. Because I had never thought to explore it. And I think that idea haunts me all the time because I haven’t stopped, for a moment, from making the decisions or the assumptions that I’ve lived my life with. And if I challenge my own assumptions it can change everything. And it excites me. I love to go through my day thinking, 'Oh I wonder what I can find today.'” - Sheetal Bahirat
How to Create a Health Drink from Recycled Avocado Seeds?
Sheetal Bahirat @sheeta_bahirat) and Zuri Masud (@zuri_masud) are culinary scientists and the founders of the Hidden Gems Beverage company (@drinkreveal). Their first drink, Reveal, is one of the most innovative products we’ve ever heard of.
Reveal is made from uncycled avocado seeds— yes, the ones that are typically thrown away— to create an antioxidant-rich health drink, available in three delicious flavors.
In this week’s episode, we sit down with Sheetal and Zuri to hear the story and mission of Reveal and Hidden Gems Beverage Company. They passionately share the overall purpose of the company— reducing food waste and creating sustainable, circular, businesses. They also share their personal journeys in education and entrepreneurship, as well as the profound impact that food has had on their respective lives.
This is one of our favorite conversations to date, and we highly recommend checking out the episode. Especially for those avocado lovers out there.
We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps the podcast grow.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us, Sheetal Bahirat and Zuri Masud.
Please check out Drink Reveal's website: drinkreveal.com

44. Examining the Social Media Dilemma and the Impact of Technology — Jorge Requena

"Social Media has made us less sociable when we are with physical people. I have friends with an apple watch, whenever it rings, and we would be in mid-conversation and they would stop and check their phones, or check their messages because they got a buzz. You're interrupting a physical encounter to attend to that message." - Jorge Requena
This week, we continue our conversation with Jorge Requena.
Jorge is a Bolivian tech consultant who has a wide perspective about the world we live in.
In this episode, Jorge explains his decision to be “social media dark” despite the social pressures to take part, and we collectively share social media’s impact on our lives, as well as our strategies for a healthy relationship with it.
We believe that every decision has both intended and unintended consequences, whether that be the technology we use or the food we eat or, and we explore this idea throughout the episode.
Jorge also shares his passion for mechanical watches, which leads to a conversation about art, design, and aesthetics.
We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps the podcast grow.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us, and Jorge Requena.

43. The Empty Canvas Mentality and the Realities of Tech Consulting with Jorge Requena

"It's about really understanding what the issue is, and then from there figuring out the best way to try to attack that. I am somewhat successful at my job because I have this black piece of paper mentality. It's about finding a prescription that's not anywhere, but to talk to people and to dig deep to figure out what's happening. - Jorge Requena
Jorge Requena is a Bolivian tech consultant who has a wide perspective about the world we live in.
In this episode, Jorge shares about his upbringing and education in the Dominican Republic and Bolivia. His international experiences lead to a conversation around the importance of travel and exposure, as well as the education systems in America and abroad.
We also discuss the realities of his tech consulting career, and how consulting has taught him to think about the world. We collectively speculate on the COVID-19 situation, and what future implications it may have.
We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps the podcast grow.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us, and Jorge Requena

42. Balancing Cynicism and Mental Health, and Seeking Understanding through Shared Humanity with Jon Shahar

"Taking a rest day, because you need to for your mental health. Also, understanding that your experiences are your own, and it's real and legitimate, but there are also 350 million people in this country, and 7 plus billion people in this world. Each of them has experiences and stories as fully encompassing as your own, and as valid as your own. And, also kind of similar to your own. It makes the fire and the conflict a little bit more manageable." - Jon Shahar
Jon Shahar (@jonshahar2040) is a third-year law student at Temple University and a passionate political activist.
This week, we continue our conversation around today’s political climate and what we can do to navigate the polarity of it all.
To use Jon’s words, 2020 has been a “monstrosity of mental heath stress,” so we discuss strategies for managing mental health and the importance of therapy in today’s world.
Jon also provides valuable approaches to resolving conflict, such as empathizing with the other side and seeking to understand their points of view.
Further, Jon shares about his gap year experience teaching English to students in Israel and how that fundamentally shifted his belief system, as well as his time as the president of a Penn State fraternity, and what it taught him about effective leadership.
This episode is wide-ranging and packed with insight and entertainment.
We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps the podcast grow.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us and Jon Shahar.

41. Navigating Today’s Political Climate and Reflecting on the Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Jon Shahar

“We live in a different time. Today vs. Yesterday. Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is probably the number one lesson I learned in law school and probably the number one piece of advice I can give to anybody who’s trying to delve into this nuance and who’s trying to learn more things and to really push the bounds of your own belief systems, and probably, what’s going to make this country and the world a little bit better.” - Jon Shahar
Jon Shahar (@jonshahar2040) is a third-year law student at Temple University and a passionate political activist.
As our country enters one of the most polarized political seasons of our lifetimes, we wanted to bring someone with a deep understanding of politics and discuss the importance of this election. (Please VOTE!)
In this week’s episode, Jon shares his journey into politics and law, as well as the strategies that allow him to navigate the complexities of today’s political system.
The interview took place just 12 hours after the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, so Jon courageously reflects on her legacy and speculates around the future implications of her passing.
He also explains many powerful and potentially transformational ideas, such as the empathetic use of knowledge, the interconnectedness of political issues, and most importantly, the necessity for nuance and admitting when you’re wrong.
This episode is packed with insight and entertainment for anyone looking to learn about politics and to have a good laugh.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us and Jon Shahar.

40. Connection through Self-Acceptance, Authenticity, and Vulnerability with Meleki Wamalume

"Just be your authentic self. That’s the biggest advice I would give. At the end of the day, if you can accept yourself and know who you are, that’s going to take you further than trying to fit in." - Meleki Wamalume
Meleki Wamalume (@iammeleki) is a wellness coordinator at Drexel University and fitness coach at F-45 Northern Liberties.
Meleki was born and raised in Zambia, and was forced to grow up quickly because of the challenges he faced.
However, through and from those challenges, he evolved into one of the most self-reliant and (authentic/self-aware) people we know.
In this week’s episode, he shares the story of his American immigration process, his struggles accepting an African identity, as well as the powerful idea of curing loneliness through deep self-exploration and self-acceptance.
We also discuss a wide range of topics including, the unifying role of sports, the subjective nature of trauma, the transformational power of vulnerability, and much more.
We’d really appreciate it if you could leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps the podcast grow.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Discover More, with us and Meleki Wamalume. Thank you.