Happy & Free Podcast

It was mostly a perfect life. Her husband had a big job with plenty of tag-along international travel. Her kids were growing up well and entering wonderful careers. And a brand-new house had just been furnished. That’s when the other shoe dropped. Jackie unexpectedly turned around as she was walking out of her husband’s office and what she saw shattered her wonderful suburban life forever. On this week’s podcast, we confront the pain of deception and learn about the power of recovery in our interview with a woman who is now helping others deal with the nightmare of a cheating spouse. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

I hope we don’t date ourselves by humming that classic R.E.M. song, “Losing My Religion.” It was a major hit by the alternative rock band in the early ’90s that was less about faith and more about romance. But what happens when the title of that song becomes literal in your own family? On this week’s podcast, we share a deeply personal real-time experience and the search for answers. This is a podcast you don’t want to miss. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

This Hank Williams may not be a singer-songwriter, but he has a platform, a microphone, and a star-studded lineup that’s helping to put underrepresented innovators in the spotlight. On this week’s podcast is our interview with Hank Williams, the Founder and CEO of Platform, a nonprofit organization that’s like TED Talks with a focus on African Americans, Latinos, and women. (For more on Platform, visit their website at www.platform.org. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

“I just hate my job.” “Why do they always serve the same food?” “This weather is just awful!”  That’s just a sample of what we’ve heard recently from people who make it a habit of complaining. It doesn’t matter how great things are, they seem to find a way to work in a complaint. Complainers don’t see the glass as half full, they are fixated with the glass as half empty. In this week’s podcast, we’ll attempt to help you focus on the bright side of life. Listen and hear why one of us slipped up even before we got started. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

What is mindfulness and why should you care? What if we told you that most of us spend 50% of our waking hours either worrying about what might happen in the future or about something that happened in the past? That’s the reality. But what gets left out in this equation is the present. Spending more time focused on the now could help to move your life in a better direction. On this week’s podcast, we’ll help you refocus with the art of mindfulness.   Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

Commercials and billboards will often make you think that you need a flashy new car or an expensive gadget to make your day. But, if you take the time to look around, you might be surprised to find little moments that add great value to your life and leave lasting memories. On this week’s podcast, we’ll attempt to put a smile on your face with tales of rainbows and emails from old friends. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

There’s no easy formula for getting ahead in your career. It can be a function of your experience, where you went to school, or your personality. But there’s evidence that shows moms, mentors, and learning to negotiate can be big differences when it comes to women advancing in the workplace and in life. Negotiating at work can sometimes be intimidating. You don't want to ask for too much or not enough. But learning some important skills could help you advance and get a bigger paycheck. What if you took the same approach in your life? Good negotiating skills could help you handle some thorny issues in your family. On this week’s podcast, we wrap up our series with Harvard Business School professor Kathleen McGinn. Her insights could be useful as you assemble your negotiation toolkit. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

There’s no easy formula for getting ahead in your career. It can be a function of your experience, where you went to school, or your personality. But there’s evidence that shows moms, mentors, and learning to negotiate can be the big difference when it comes to women advancing in the workplace and in life.  Not all role models are created equal. Some may be sensitive to your background or wowed by your skills, but there's good evidence that shows a role model who looks like you could be the perfect mentorship to help you advance in your career. On this week's podcast, we continue our series with Harvard Business School professor Kathleen McGinn. Her tips may help you navigate through a competitive workplace environment. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

There's no easy formula for getting ahead in your career. It can be a function of your experience, where you went to school, or your personality. But there's evidence that shows moms, mentors, and learning to negotiate can be the big difference when it comes to women advancing in the workplace and in life. On this week's podcast, we begin a three-part series with Harvard Business School professor Kathleen McGinn. She walks us through revealing research that we hope will benefit women working outside the home and trying to climb the corporate ladder. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

How much time do you spend worrying? If you took a few moments to do the math you might be shocked at what you learn. We worry about relationships, jobs, money—the list goes on and on. You don’t need a medical expert to tell you that too much worrying could be bad for your health. On this week’s podcast, we’ll give you some simple tips to help kick worry out of your mind. Find out why spending some dedicated time alone worrying can be a good prescription. We know that advice sounds contrary to everything we just told you, but listen to our podcast to get the complete story. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump continues to step on his tongue even as his supporters applaud every word. Our recent posting on how Trump can repair his bad reputation drew some strong criticism on our Facebook page. "Get a grip on reality, you bunch of boneheads," read one comment. Don't worry—we can take the heat. In this week’s podcast we try to make sense of what supporters love about Donald Trump. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

When was the last time you said thank you? We don’t mean when someone held the door open or when your waiter did a great job, although both of those examples are good. We’re talking about a meaningful action of appreciation. It’s only two short words, but the impact can be long-lasting and could give you the edge after a job interview, for instance. On our podcast this week, we’ll show you how to say thank you. So, grab a pen and a piece of paper and get ready to write. Say “thank you” to someone and tell us about it via Twitter @heartbeings using the hashtag #Gotthanku? Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

At some point in life most of us will have to stand up in front of a group and speak. It might start early in school, church or later as part of a job presentation. Some people can launch into a flawless performance that leaves the audience hanging on every word. Others barely survive with a knot in their throats and beads of sweat running down their forehead. Where do you fit in? This week Val Mosley and Dan Lothian offer some simple tips that could help ease the anxiety and "Fear of Public Speaking."  It's nothing to be ashamed of, some big Hollywood stars and well known public figures feel your pain.  Listen to our podcast and share your  own tips for conquering your fears. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

The other day around the dinner table my father-in-law brought up a new reality that he described with a chuckle. “I feel like I’m the kid and you’re the adult,” he said as we talked about his need for a better diet. You’re either in this group or one day you will be. Aging parents face new challenges and big decisions and must often rely on their children to make sense of it all. This week in our podcast, “Parenting Your Parents,” we confront some of the challenges families face and discuss ways to help make the journey a little easier.  Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.  

What does it take to create happiness? It isn't about possessions or money. In fact, some of the happiest people around the world don't have big bank accounts.  With so many pressures in life—in the workplace or while caring for your children in the home—we wanted to spend a little time smiling, singing, and sharing what we've learned about creating happiness. Why is this important? Because happiness is contagious, and it could make you healthier. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.  

It’s that time of year when fathers end up in the spotlight. They might get breakfast in bed, another colorful tie, or phone calls reminding them how special they are. Fathers are supposed to play an important role in shaping the lives of their children, but sometimes their fast-paced life or other pressures get in the way of doing what’s expected. What makes a good father? Val Mosley and Dan Lothian offer tips that get men thinking about one of the most important jobs they’ll ever have. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

We are all trying to get into “swimsuit shape” so that we can go to the beach or pool with confidence this summer. That’s easier said than done, especially if you skipped a few days or a few weeks of your workout routines. What if you could take a much simpler, less daunting approach that doesn’t require regular visits to the gym? They aren’t exercise gurus, but in this week’s podcast, Val Mosley and Dan Lothian give you tips on how to stay in shape whether you’re at work, in the car, or in bed. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.   

How many of you are still hanging on to an old grudge or a slight by a former friend? We see those raised hands. It could have started out as something small but with time it grew into a mountain. It’s so difficult to let go, to forgive and forget. That is the focus of our podcast this week. We’ve struggled with some of those issues so this discussion is helpful for us, and we hope it will challenge you as well. It all begins with getting rid of pride and resentment. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

War is never pretty, and sometimes those who are deployed never return home alive. The pain of such loss is great, but the sacrifice for freedom is what we honor. It’s not just the service member who is impacted. His or her family bears a huge burden, often separated for long periods of time only to get that heart-wrenching knock on the door. Some return home alive but are never the same again. Is there a cause that you would die for? What is your tolerance for sacrifice? In this week’s podcast, Val and Dan celebrate those who have given it all on the front lines and encourage us to find more ways to support those on the home front. Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.

It goes without saying that a full moon on a clear night is bound to get a lot of oohs and ahhs. It’s beautiful, bright, and majestic. In offbeat corners of the world or on a country road without street lights, the moon can also be your guide. That’s the inspiration for this week’s podcast as Val and Dan encourage us all to be a little like the full moon and endeavor to shine our light, inspire others, and practice what we preach. If none of that gets your attention, then how about our hosts singing a duet? You don’t want to miss this podcast! Happy & Free with Val and Dan is a weekly podcast that helps listeners tackle some of life’s challenges and aims to inspire with interesting personal stories.