KPHRED Work - Life Balance Radio

Valorie Smith, Dr. Mosongo Moukwa, Dr. Elizabeth Ros - The Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast:

What happens when you stop living by someone else’s expectations and start leading with love?

In this episode of the Distinguished Entrepreneur Podcast, hosts Dr. Mosongo Moukwa and Valorie Smith welcome Dr. Elizabeth Rosner, known as Dr. Roz, for a conversation about entrepreneurship, purpose, and personal freedom.

Dr. Roz shares her journey from 35 years as an employee to becoming an entrepreneur and building Love Revolution around an ambitious mission: “8 billion people loving 8 billion people.” She explores how shifting from an employee mindset to an entrepreneur and CEO mindset helped her let go of limiting beliefs and embrace her own path.

We also explore the connection between self-love and education choices. Having earned three degrees, including a PhD, with only $1,000 in student loans, Dr. Roz shares why she encourages students and families to prioritize a dream life—not just a dream school.

In this conversation:

- Moving from employee to entrepreneur to CEO
- Releasing expectations that no longer serve you
- Leading with unconditional love and respect for human dignity
- How Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of nonviolence shaped her mission
- Rethinking student loans and the cost of a college education
- Building meaningful connections across backgrounds and job titles

Connect with Dr. Roz and explore her work:
https://drroz.love/

Learn about Love Revolution, Leading with L.O.V.E., and DebtFreeDegree through her website.

What if the most painful experiences of your life could become the very foundation of your greatest gifts? In this powerful international episode of Out On the Skinny Branches, host Jim Pehkonen welcomes world-class Finnish artist VESA for an inspiring conversation about transforming childhood wounds into creativity, purpose, and personal freedom. Although their paths appear remarkably different, Jim through transformational healing and VESA through extraordinary artistic expression, they discover a profound connection in their journeys. Together, they explore how the experiences that once disconnected us from ourselves can ultimately become the catalysts for rediscovering who we truly are. VESA shares his evolution from an aspiring filmmaker into an innovative artist who uses body painting, photography, and storytelling to explore the depths of the human experience.

The conversation becomes deeply personal as Jim opens up about his own healing journey, revealing how confronting painful childhood experiences allowed him to break lifelong patterns and discover a greater purpose. VESA introduces a compelling perspective on the relationship between disconnection, healing, and living a meaningful life, demonstrating how creativity can give expression to what words cannot always reach. What if your wounds aren't the end of your story, but the beginning of something extraordinary? This episode invites you to look beyond what happened to you and explore what is possible when you reconnect with yourself. Join Jim and VESA for the beginning of a remarkable conversation about courage, transformation, and the incredible potential waiting within each of us. And this is only Part One!

You can contact Vesa at V@Vesa.one

See his work: www.vesa.one/senses

Jim Pehkonen, Mary Reiss Farias- Out On the Skinny Branches
What if everything you've worked so hard to build has quietly become the very thing holding you back? In this energizing second conversation on Out On the Skinny Branches, host Jim Pehkonen welcomes back entrepreneur, author, and publisher Mary Reiss Farias to challenge the way we think about success, freedom, and creating a meaningful life. After spending 37 years immersed in gymnastics as an athlete, coach, and business owner, Mary discovered a powerful truth: building a successful business doesn't necessarily mean building a successful life. Through her Economy Creators philosophy, Mary introduces the exciting possibility of creating a "YOU-shaped economy," where your talents, passions, experiences, and personal priorities become the foundation of your professional success. Together, Jim and Mary explore how entrepreneurs can reclaim their time, establish healthier boundaries, and create businesses that support their lives rather than consume them.

But the conversation doesn't stop with entrepreneurship! Mary shares her passion for helping people discover their voices through publishing, storytelling, and bringing meaningful messages into the world. From empowering aspiring authors to helping established writers finally get their books noticed, she believes everyone has a story worth sharing. Jim adds his own experiences of personal transformation, the influence of our past, and the importance of intentionally designing the next chapter of life. What would change if you stopped allowing your work, your past, or other people's expectations to define your future? This episode is an invitation to rethink success, rediscover what truly matters, and recognize that you have far more freedom to create your future than you may realize. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a dreamer, an aspiring author, or someone ready for a new chapter, this conversation may inspire you to stop simply making a living and start creating a life you genuinely love!

Fred McMurray, Norma Dunn - KPHRED California Pulse

When Norma Dunn needed help starting a business, she drove from Bakersfield to Santa Barbara every week for 12 weeks to find the support she wanted. Years later, she helped launch the Kern Women’s Business Center, creating the kind of welcoming, practical resource she wished had been available closer to home.

In this episode of KPHRED’s The California Pulse, Norma joins Fred McMurray to discuss her work helping entrepreneurs start businesses, access funding, build confidence, and find new opportunities. A recipient of the Association of Women’s Business Centers’ 2026 Marsha Bailey Leadership Award, Norma shares the personal connection that makes this recognition especially meaningful.

Their conversation explores:
• The Rural Small Business Resources and Access to Capital Tour, bringing partners and bilingual resources directly to communities across Kern County.
• How the Women’s Business Center helps displaced workers explore business ownership.
• Connections to funding, business training, and government contracting resources.
• Her vision for supporting child care businesses as an essential part of regional job growth.
• Why helping entrepreneurs overcome fear matters just as much as helping them navigate permits and business plans.

It’s a conversation about leadership, local relationships, and making sure more entrepreneurs have someone to turn to.

Connect with the Kern Women’s Business Center:
Website: https://mcscorp.org/kern
Phone: 661-567-0410
Email: KWBCinfo@mcscorp.org

Out on the Skinny Branches with Jim Pehkonen and Thomas Long | Part One

What happens when a man trained to survive anything reaches a point where he no longer wants to survive? For many veterans, the toughest battles don't happen on foreign soil. They begin when the uniform comes off, the structure disappears, and they're left alone with the invisible wounds of military service. In this raw and deeply emotional episode of Out on the Skinny Branches, Jim Pehkonen welcomes Thomas Long, a disabled veteran, three-time suicide survivor, and recovering alcoholic whose life nearly ended beneath the crushing weight of PTSD, chronic pain, and hopelessness. After spending seven and a half years bedridden, taking dozens of medications, and facing a devastating medical prognosis, Thomas reached a crossroads that would change everything. What does it take to find a reason to live when you've nearly given up on life itself? Thomas shares the painful reality of his darkest moments, the love that helped bring him back, and the determination that allowed him to reclaim his health, his family, and his future.

But this conversation isn't just for veterans. It's for every man who was taught to be tough, bury his emotions, push through the pain, and never ask for help. Jim and Thomas challenge the dangerous belief that strength means handling everything alone, exploring why the transition from military to civilian life can leave veterans struggling with isolation, emotional trauma, and a loss of identity. Thomas reveals how faith, family, sobriety, and finally accepting support helped him move from merely surviving to living with renewed purpose. If you've ever felt trapped by your past, struggled silently, or wondered whether life could ever get better, you need to hear this conversation. And if you love a veteran, this episode may open your eyes to battles you've never seen. Listen to Part One of this powerful two-part conversation and discover why sometimes the strongest words a person can ever speak are "I need help."