Alaska Tracy Podcast

The Holidays can be oh so very stressful for many of us! Stress can keep us stuck, depressed, feeling hopeless and out of control.  It is an icky place to be, take it from me! I wanted to share with you how I walked through FEAR of the recent Earthquake in Alaska.  Mother Nature is beyond our control as well as many of life's uncertainties. We can control how we react to situations and life's obstacles. We can control what we are focusing on. Life will happen and we get to choose how we will react and how we will treat others. One of the tools I use is meditation.  Meditation is a way of creating a 'pause' in all my reactions. New or unclear how to start a meditation practice? Check out Episode #21 Vision Reboot where I guide you through a short meditation.  I also have practiced guided meditation with Tara Brach for years. She has helped me when flying and hitting turbulence in the air and on the ground! She offers a Facebook Live Guided meditation weekly too.   Remember to subscribe to catch the latest A

Welcome to this week’s episode of The Alaska Tracy’s Podcast. I am honored that you are listening! Please subscribe for more goodness and feel free to share and or comment. What an honor to connect and get to know the amazing Karlene Cameron.  Karlene and I connected on Twitter (again great way to build your business and life).  She is an author, Business Owner, Marketing Professional, Professor, Mom, and Wife. Her story is a story of perseverance, belief, and determination to become a published author of 5 books. For years she worked in the corporate world and still does as a marketing professional.  She also taught as a University professor. 13 years ago she found herself going through the motions of a horribly boring daily routine craving something more.  She was feeling unfulfilled, trudging through each day and at the time a single mom raising 3 young children. She was working on her MBA in the evening and struggling to make ends meet.  Focused on being a good parent and trying to find a little slice

“Take actions to move through the fog and rejoice in the clarity that unfolds.” ~ Tracy Roesch Williams   Last night I arrived back to reality after 6 weeks of retreat planning and doing, family visiting, and walking through fear.  Again because of my Vision Map, I landed on the other side of growth.  On my Vision Map, last summer was the Vision to create and implement a Women's Vision Mapping / Meditation Retreat in a remote location in Alaska. That Vision came to fruition in June.  The retreat was filled with magical, growth moments as each of the women completed their Vision Maps. We took time out for a four-hour kayak adventure, ate amazing food, and shared intimate stories that moved me to my core.  I came home and my brother, his wife, and our niece and nephew visited our Alaska Adventure Home. I have lived here 21 plus years and this was their first visit. We had planned 8 days of adventure and enjoyed each and every moment together. I took a full 8 days off from the business to be fully present. T

Lindsay Nielsen - Constellation Shopping Services Thank you for listening to this week’s episode of The Alaska Tracy’s Podcast. What an honor to speak with Lindsay about her creation of Constellation Shopping.  Lindsay took the pain point and words often heard by those of us living in Alaska, “sorry we don’t ship to Alaska” and created a successful business. If you live in Alaska, you know how it is. You hop on a furniture site, fall in love with a piece, and get all the way to the ordering part, and you see that they do not ship to Alaska.  Oh, the frustration!!! But, wait! Constellation Shopping Services will connect the dots! Take a look on their site https://www.constellationshopping.com to see some of the brands that they have shipped for our customers.  Lindsay says we are not a shipping company, we are a shopping service.  Lindsay says, “we can ship from any store that takes orders online or by phone!” Her own experience begin as a child growing up in Alaska and experiencing different stores in t

Thank you for listening to this week’s episode of The Alaska Tracy’s Podcast. This week’s featured interview is with Liz Eldridge owner of The Spice and Tea Exchange in Anchorage, AK. Liz shares the story of how her franchise business, The Spice and Tea Exchange came to be in 2015.  When asked about her Vision as a business owner, she said she had never dreamed of becoming a business owner until she had a turning point in her life as an accountant. Since early childhood, she’d had a strong passion for cooking.  She went on to share the excitement of creating a business plan, followed by the wonderful unfolding of The Spice and Tea Exchange and its beautiful location in Anchorage, Alaska. As the Alaska Small Business Development Center says, “Featuring a wide-range of high-quality spices, teas, sugars, and salts, the Exchange is home to a number of hard to find and unique seasonings, blends and teas....Entering the shop is like immersing yourself into an old-world marketplace where the sights and smells will

What an honor to interview Christine, The Business MD. I have known her for years and yet this interview solidified that she is the “real deal.”  I learned much from our conversation about her experiences that is valuable for me and the clients I work with. Christine’s expertise is her special recipe featuring her passion for helping people, businesses, and organizations dive deep within to create authentic change in business and in life. Her skills and strategies put people in the emotional driver’s seat, helping them to navigate through lifelong challenges and allowing alterations inside. This is the beginning of an opening for change, growth, and new opportunities to blossom individually and within the organization. Christine shares her story from Chicago to Alaska and WOW, what a LEAP of Faith story she has! I got teary eyed several times.  Her career in Sales Engineering led her on an Alaskan adventure in 2001. She signed up and headed to Alaska on a mountaineering course (btw, she had never hiked mou

The Legacy of Zena Flair Thank you for listening to this very special episode! Six-year-old Zena Flair left this earth on Monday.  She fought the good fight against Osteosarcoma, bone cancer, for 11 months.  She was a force in my life and countless others lives, so I thought I would share the top seven legacies that she left me with. May they help you in business and in life. Love - No matter what - love others. When you are unhappy, sad with others, in pain, or whatever life throws at you: love. No whining or complaining...unless others can be helped or motivated.  Helping others to move forward in life is a good thing.  Sometimes whining helps to encourage this. Daily movement - Move your body somehow, some way each and every day. Movement helps our minds, bodies,and souls.  Movement is key to longevity in life. Carry yourself with grace - Even when you feel defeated, afraid, sick, or frustrated. If you focus on your feeling or illness, it will intensify.  What we focus on expands. So by carrying ourse

Thank you for listening to this episode!  It was an honor to interview Bill Benoist, Professional Certified Leadership and Career Coach. There seems to be a theme when interviewing people and asking questions about their journey to success. Six years ago I met Bill on a Tweet Chat with several other leaders. I have interviewed Terri Glass, Chris Edmonds, and Zachary Jeans. I talk about how Twitter and Tweet Chats can grow your business and your life in Episode 5. These four individuals have helped my business and life grow.   There is also a common theme among everyone I have had the opportunity to interview. The theme of their success includes key ingredients: having a Vision, listening to their heart, creating and taking steps to achieve their desired results, having supportive partners and a network of people to bounce ideas off of, letting GO and trusting the process, and above all else, giving to others. In all my interviews, success is defined when hearing from a client or someone they helped and lea

Thank you for listening to this episode!  I hope this finds you productively into the new year. I wanted to share with you what the heck a Vision Board Guide (my business title) really is. My primary purpose in life is to serve others. One of the ways I get to do this is by guiding people, businesses, and organizations to achieve greatness via Vision Boards. ***No scissors or glue sticks involved. The goal; to create a compass for one's visions. The process is done by writing goals, action, and implementation steps necessary to actually reach the desired outcome. I facilitate the connection of one's heart to their head. So when s#!t hits the fan, how can your Vision Board be your compass to achieving your visions? It is a pathway outlined in detail -- no photos glued on boards. Instead, I use a writing technique to go deep into exploring one’s purpose and the steps needed to achieve the desired goal and accountability. No extra fluff stuff; just a real working PLAN to get you from point A to point B. I alw

 Inspiration from Speaker & Author Chris Edmonds  Thank you for listening in to Episode 26.  May you be enlightened and inspired by this podcast. Five years ago, Chris and I met through a Tweetchat “Lead From Within”, that we participated in along with Zachary Jeans (from Episode 5) and Terri Klass (from Episode 25). This Tweetchat run by Lolly Daskal became instrumental in my life and in the growth of my business due to the information it contained and these leaders that it brought into my life. You, too, can use Twitter to grow your business and life. To find clarity and guidance in how to do so, listen in to episode 5: “The Power of Tweetchats.” In today’s episode, Chris shares his Vision throughout the years, including his career with Ken Blanchard, writing “The Culture Engine” as well as six other books. It was when he hired Brand Strategist Mark Levy that he became very clear about his Vision: Make values as important as results. When he reached this epiphany, his business began to explode.   Ch

Thank you for listening in to Episode 25.  May you be enlightened and inspired by this podcast. I met Terri Klass 5 years ago on a Tweetchat called Lead From Within by Lolly Daskal.  If you are confused and/or intrigued on how to grow your business and life using Twitter, listen in to Episode 5 with Zachary Jeans about the Power of  Tweetchats. Terri Klass is a Leadership Training Consultant, coach, and speaker who partners with organizations to create cultures of empowerment and develop future leaders.  She believes that, regardless of your position or title, everyone can be a leader.  She delivers highly-successful leadership workshops and is a speaker and author of articles on leadership and working with different generations in the workplace.  Terri has a weekly blog on leadership where she shares challenges that leaders face daily.  I encourage you to read a few of her blog posts -- her writing style is captivating!  I learn so much about business, leadership and writing each time I read one of her po

Thank you for listening to Episode 24.  May you be enlightened by this podcast. As an entrepreneur, you may feel isolated, which breeds many negatives for business growth and creativity. Asking for help is a crucial step for growth and success.    Having a business coach, consultant, mentor, or group that you can bring thoughts and ideas to is essential in avoiding and walking through challenges.  Think of your business as a garden.  Your plants look like they are dying, and you have no idea why.  If you are like me, you have taken great pride in all your efforts thus far, and you want to figure out what is wrong and how to help them.  So you contact a master gardener, a gardening group, or a garden guru to help you.  It is often a simple fix (like too much water for your tomatoes)!  The same is true with your business.  Tweaking things as you go along is as important.  Someone on the outside that has no vested interest in your business can help you do this. I met Jenna Gessay 5 years ago when Alaska Tracy

October is my month! Always the month of exciting changes. I sort of thrive on the changes.  I was in fear the other day and sharing my feelings of fear with a friend.  She said to me, I thought you recreated yourself many times over the last 19 years? I also thought you thrived on change.  I was caught! I thanked her for the reminder. I have learned feelings are not FACTS.   I consider myself a creative, a soul seeker. Always looking to push me into the unknown waters.  To go beyond the voices in my head that are often loudly telling me lies.  They try to encourage my soul to follow and keep me stuck and stagnant. They tell me that I am not good enough, smart enough, capable enough and all sorts of other lies.  My soul loves to rise above these voices and prove them wrong!    In this episode, I share my real live journey. The raw stuff.  My struggles.  My 19 year journey into the solution.  The solution which has allowed me to follow my Visions and teach others how to follow theirs.   p.s.  You are invited

Thank you for listening to today’s episode of the Alaska Tracy Podcast! It is a MESSY week. Being creative is messy. Ideas float through my head all the time. Every 5 years, I change things up in my business and my life. The truth is, I thrive on change. The reality is we all do. Imagine a world of stagnation? How dull and boring it would be. So, how do we deal with the change in everyday life? How do we deal with the fast-paced world of Social Media where information is literally thrown our way all day, every day? How does one deal with creating a new career, business, family, or life? First, it is going to get MESSY. That is the reality. How we deal with the mess is another story. When messes set in, I want to crawl under the covers, eat sugar, and avoid all contact with human beings. I bet you can relate to this; and the best part of this episode is that I’m revealing it all to you. Listen in as I share my stories of messes made, the reactions that come with them, and the set of tools I turn to in ord

Welcome to Episode 21 -- thanks for listening in! Has your spirit seemed restless over the last few weeks? Odds are against us with the hurricanes, earthquakes, full moon and change of seasons; but whatever the reason may be, there seems to be a bit of craziness in the air.   This week, I wanted to offer the opportunity to reboot your soul and spirit.   I create show notes for those who would rather read rather than listen; however, this week’s podcast is a guided meditation. I am going to invite you to listen in from a comfy position (preferably away from behind the wheel of your car), and I will guide you through this gentle, loving meditation for your busy, restless mind. Dial in, enjoy, and grab ahold of the experience that can delight your soul! Click Subscribe for more goodness!

  Welcome to Episode 20!! Thank you for being on the journey with me. When I started the Biz Vizion podcast, the goal was to record for three months and then launch my social media business course after that. Instead, I’ve had another shift in business and in life. As an entrepreneur for almost 15 years, one would think I would be used to these shifts. I still fall into “fear mode” when these shifts start, which is quickly followed by sleepless nights of excitement and visions of what’s to come next. My feet hit the floor and out comes the Vision Board, and the action steps begin for the next chapter!  Years ago, I asked the universe to guide me to a business that was forever stimulating, intriguing, helping others and pushing my brain skills. Be careful what you pray for — This business has forever changed me and my life for the better! Confession: when I started podcasting, I had no plan! Can you believe it? From me: the Vision Board Guide. Podcasting was not even on my January Vision Board. Anyone that

Thank you for listening to this week’s Biz Vizion with Alaska Tracy.  This week, Zoi Maroudas-Tziolas shares some heartfelt testimonies about how and why she started Bambinos Baby Food.  Zoi says, "We are not just a baby food company; we are an extension of your love and commitment to your family." Bambino's celebrates their Grand Opening on September 1st by opening their new manufacturing location and retail store front at 2819 Spenard in Anchorage, Alaska.   Bambinos Baby Food is a national natural, organic baby food company that ships 24 meals directly to parents’ doorsteps.  So yes, you can order if you live outside of Alaska!  The flavors are delicious.  I tried the salmon - it was like a creamy bisque, and I loved it. I loved it so much that I fed it to my husband for dinner! Guess what? He liked it too! The baby food is nutritionally focused to address allergies and lay the foundation for healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime. Meals are packaged in fun star shapes to be enjoyed frozen lik

Thank you for listening to this week’s Biz Vizion with Alaska Tracy, Episode 18. This week’s episode is created via Alaska Tracy’s Facebook Live. I have run into a few people in the community and also some of my newsletter subscribers who have told me they were confused with everything I have going on. So, a quick recap. Once a week on Alaska Tracy's Facebook Business Page, I share a business, social media, or inspirational tip and tool. I am LIVE it is either on a Tuesday or Thursday morning and is promoted ahead of time.  So, you can join in LIVE and comment, share your thoughts, bring your questions and connect with others, or you can watch it later, as it is recorded. I then take the recording and put it on my The Alaska Tracy Tube Channel, and I promote it on my newsletter.  This is called ‘repurposing’ your content.  If you are a business owner looking to grow, repurposing your social media content is a great tool to reach more people and increase your following. Sometimes on my weekly Facebook LIVE, I