The On Purpose Podcast

Living on Purpose Panel on Book Promotion

Just under two hours about Book Promotion packed to the brim and overflowing with inquiring minds, abundant sharing, wise words, and practical insights woven throughout.
Thank you to everyone who attended. Here's an overview of voices featured and ears listening during the recording with host Lynn Thompson on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.
David Hancock, CEO and founder of Morgan James Publishing with appreciation for his e-book download gift, the insider free link that he shared with us on the call: Guerilla Marketing for Writers, 100 No-Cost, Low-Cost Weapons for Selling Your Work
Cathy Fyock, The Business Book Strategist, The Speaker Author: Sell More Books and Book More Speeches
Joshua and Adam from the podcast Notes On Your Notes swung by to talk about how to approach getting your work out in the world with authenticity and creativity.
Panel of authors, published, soon-to-be-published, and projects in progress.
Spotlight Publishing House (Becky Norwood was unable to attend our panel)
Elizabeth Brown, Toxic!: The Big Bad Wolf is Not a Fairy Tale!
Sandy Evenson, The Woo Woo Way
Sandy Levey-Lunden, I Just Want Peace
Tonya Pomerantz Sex, Self-Esteem & Sheer Stupidity: Surviving Your 20s and Beyond
Toni Gitles 21 Mistakes that Caregivers Make and How to Avoid Them
Bobbie Casalino-Lewis: The Expression ExpertSo That's What 70 Looks Like! The Essence of Aging Gracefully
Nancy Marshall Second Edition: A Dry Hate
​Nugget Press
Nancy Marshall
award-winning:​A Rattler’s Tale: When Wild Animals Encounter Humans
Shanti Arts Publishing ​
​Anne Ierardi, Award Winning Memoir Coming Alive ​
FriesenPress
feather aka denise bertrand, Once Upon A Solar Time
Page Publishing
Neil Rogers Bar Tips: Everything I Needed To Know In Sales I Learned Behind the BarNightwood Editions
Andrew BinksStrip 
The Summer Between
Self-published
Joanne Savoie-Malone, Power You Ahead to Your Job Search: 13 steps from your resume to your first 90 days
V R Brooks ChatGPT as a Guide For Weight Loss: How to prompt CHATGPT to get more hits and fewer misses for reliable weight loss advice
Yet to be chosen publisher
Dr. Linda Foster and Kim Locke, in editing processShattering the Trauma Trance: An Exploration of the Foster Care System in British Columbia
Plus a special shout out to Everett O'Keefe of Ignite Press who was my guest on the podcast in March 2022 with guests and an abundance of info for authors!
 

Notes On Your Notes glimpse

This 12-minute glimpse is an appetizer for the hour-plus version of Living on Purpose host Lynn Thompson speaking with Joshua & Adam, the hosts of Notes On Your Notes, a podcast about the creative process and storytelling.  Joshua has been involved in the theater, film, and entertainment industry for almost three decades. His Nature Based Approach to the Creative Process has been transformative for him as a writer, actor, director, and story coach, allowing him to support any creative as he guides them through writing and performing their story in a variety of different mediums. His belief that "process brings results" has been the foundation of his unique approach to the creative arts.  Adam is a writer whose career began in journalism at NBC News. After journalism, he moved on to focus on his creative work, which included TV pilots, fiction, and on-stage personal storytelling. He is the author of The Creative Workbook, a process-based approach to setting and achieving bold creative goals. 
You can check out the upcoming Notes On Your Notes spring story salon on Sunday, March 26th at 5 pm PT. It will feature a fast moving evening of story amid a supportive and warm writing community. You can join with this Zoom link! And several times a year, they bring that special community into an intimate Thursday evening class which focuses on story development and writing. Email notesonyournotes@gmail.com for details.
 
Lynn met Joshua and Adam through Ann Randolph and her online writing series, Your Story Matters, Unmute Yourself.

Joshua and Adam with Notes On Your Notes

Living on Purpose host Lynn Thompson welcomes this hour-plus tour of pondering with Joshua & Adam, the hosts of Notes On Your Notes, a podcast about the creative process and storytelling. Check out the appetizer version at 12 minutes in length. Joshua has been involved in the theater, film, and entertainment industry for almost three decades. His Nature Based Approach to the Creative Process has been transformative for him as a writer, actor, director, and story coach, allowing him to support any creative as he guides them through writing and performing their story in a variety of different mediums. His belief that "process brings results" has been the foundation of his unique approach to the creative arts.   Adam is a writer whose career began in journalism at NBC News. After journalism, he moved on to focus on his creative work, which included TV pilots, fiction, and on-stage personal storytelling. He is the author of The Creative Workbook, a process-based approach to setting and achieving bold creative goals. 
You can check out the upcoming Notes on Your Notes spring story salon on Sunday, March 26th at 5 pm PT. It will feature a fast moving evening of story amid a supportive and warm writing community. You can join with this Zoom link! And several times a year, they bring that special community into an intimate Thursday evening class which focuses on story development and writing. Email notesonyournotes@gmail.com for details.
 
Lynn met Joshua and Adam through Ann Randolph and her online writing series, Your Story Matters, Unmute Yourself.
Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through this episode of Living on Purpose (the original of The On Purpose Podcast).

Ann Randolph with Your Story Matters Unmute Yourself

In this forty-four minute conversation, learn about a creative, supportive community where voices are encouraged, held, and celebrated in this online writing workshop with award-winning writer and performer Ann Randolph who teaches and mentors in Your Story Matters – Unmute Yourself. Learn how Ann keeps challenging herself to grow and show up with solo shows and international in-person workshops. Ann loves community, creates community, and appreciates the assistance with Unmute from Jona, Rachel, Susan, and Lynn.
Lynn Thompson met Ann in Kauai just before New Year's Eve 2017 and began attending Unmute in February 2021. "Like the rudder in my sailboat, Unmute holds me steady and helped me find my voice to write myself through many adventures in the last two years."
Ann mentions Zander, "The Fool of Play," who she met at Lynn's Living on Purpose Playgram event on Kauai in mid-January 2018 just after the false missile alert.
Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through this episode of Living on Purpose (the original of The On Purpose Podcast).

The Funeral Whisperer

In 2018, host Lynn Thompson heard about Valerie Bourdain in Expert Speaker by Majeed Mogharreban while transcribing the book from his webinar. Following some to and fro emails over these years, Lynn and Val finally spoke and you get to hear 24 minutes of that conversation now.  The Funeral Whisperer provides thoughtful and practical resources for preparing yourself and your loved ones for departing this life.
Val joined us for the Living on Purpose Panel on the Art of Departure on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
Thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz for the music weaving through this podcast.

New Author feather aka Denise Bertrand

Once Upon A Solar Time is published after evolving for 46 years growing with the author's creative imagination. Author and editor met in 1978, and had no idea their destiny would deliver them to collaborate on that epic novel so many years later.
Hear all about it in this forty-eight minute conversation with podcast host and editor Lynn Thompson speaking with feather aka Denise Bertrand mostly on a bench on a walking and bike path in the sunshine, February 12, 2023. A couple of excerpts were recorded later that same day and also a phone call on speaker near the end with feather's longtime friend Elaine with feedback on reading Once Upon A Solar Time.
With thanks to Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz weaving through the words. Enjoy.

Spotlight Publishing House CEO

All right! Becky Norwood and Lynn Thompson finally aligned their schedules mid-December 2022 to have a chat about Becky's publishing expertise in supporting and creating #1 bestselling authors with her company, Spotlight Publishing House based in Goodyear, Arizona. In thirty-five minutes they cover numerous topics. Enjoy!
Becky Norwood, #1 International Bestselling author, speaker, & book publishing expert, is CEO of Spotlight Publishing House™. Becky is widely recognized for the empowering and intuitive way she guides authors to weave storytelling into their books and marketing. Becky believes that a well-told story is a gateway for growth, sharing, and a way to unite humanity.
Becky and her team have brought over 350 authors to #1 bestseller status. With an extensive catalog of services supporting emerging and established authors, Becky creates the pathway for business expansion and audience growth. During her interviews with guests in her live-streaming and podcast events, listeners hear sage advice from authors and experts. An advocate for the increased vibration that comes from sharing our creative genius and impacting our world in positive ways, Becky's focus in creative publishing work centers on the LIGHT of Spotlight:
Loving Influencers Growing Heartfelt Transformations

BTS and Beyond

On Christmas Day, 2022, when I was in the city with some family of the elder of my two brothers, he kept shaking his head, saying, “I am surprised that you are so into BTS” and I’m not sure why. I mean, why he wonders and also, why I am. And I AM, in a big way. It was a slow-mo connect, because at first, I didn’t tune in closely when I saw the seven young South Korean guys neatly seated in two rows on a couple of late-night talk shows, introducing themselves in clipped English. I didn’t get who they were or what the big deal was about them.
Then I saw their live performance of their hit song “Butter,” on one of those shows and seeing them dance, I went ohhh, wow. Their choreography impressed me, their timing, teamwork, skill, ease, and I got it. Then I saw the Butter dance practice. And I kept finding more music videos and became familiar with the reference of “K-pop” and their main hits. I learned their names and nicknames, RM (the leader), Jin (the eldest), Jungkook (the youngest), J-Hope, V, Jimin, and Suga. Some of them are rappers, some knew each other at school. V starred in a Korean drama. I started watching live performances and award shows. Then I found dance practice videos, sometimes with back up dancers, fun covers, and lyric videos that light up the photo of who’s singing to recognize their voices and read the lyrics in English and Korean. I also found video reviews about their history as a group and how they individually landed at BigHit Music (Music and Artist for Healing, established in 2005) the company that launched them as BTS in 2013. In March 2021, the company rebranded as Hybe Corporation.
 
Finally, after watching them dance for a while video by video, including theatrical “Black Swan” and “Permission to Dance” on location at the United Nations General Assembly after they spoke there, I’ve collected some of their CDs to easily dance along in my gorgeous apartment, while cooking, cleaning up, or in my car while I'm driving, crank the tunes, celebrating my energy and positivity alongside their expression, enamored by the group’s strength, focus, determination, dedication, the way they make complex choreography look easy and fun, their uplifting, heart-touching and spirit sparking lyrical messages engaging themselves in and with each other while infusing love and hope in and through me and millions of fans worldwide growing in number and enthusiasm for nine years since their debut in early days of humble hardworking beginnings, with that appreciation of their roots still permeating their team spirit with gratitude. They have their own reaction videos! Some of them do “live” broadcasts together or solo speaking to their fans, and have interviews, appearances on other shows, and their own series of activities as a group. Through these epic moments, the special seven, their voices, tenderness, ferocity, “fighting” (which means staying strong and continuing on!), candor, humor, and immense presence, underscore my days and awareness. 
I keep adding to a list of my fave links to return to and watch again, live talks with some and all of them, compilations, and behind the scenes. There are many reaction channels reviewing new releases for the first time, for example, when the four main vocalists of BTS recently collaborated with two other musicians in Bad Decisions.
 
While I’ve been gradually following BTS and learning more about them since May 2021, one thing I kept wondering was what it’s like for them, being so much on camera, and working so hard rehearsing, performing, perfecting their music, singing, and learning choreography, plus all the hair and makeup sessions pre-performance, and clothing choices for everything. What kind of a life is that for them? It made me more aware of being witnessed all the time, imagining what that would be like. I reflected on how we ARE witnessed all the time by spirit, apart from cameras physically recording us, them more intensely. And I wondered what else they would want to be doing. Their individual roots were woven together into this BTS tree, a dancing machine, and while recognizing the power in that team, I was musing on how they would like to have the time, space, and energy to grow individually.
So I was not surprised in June 2022 while watching their annual BTS Festa celebration, for their 9th year since their debut, that with varying emotion they announced they would be making some changes and taking a break from being a group to explore solo projects and other collaborations. (The Festa video is long, so starting at 21:00 for ten minutes gives some info, and you can set up English subtitles. I also love listening to them speaking in Korean without English subtitles.) They had just released PROOF, a compilation of their highlights from the nine years, including the new track, Run BTS followed by performance and practice videos. 
Over the years as the BTS members navigated setbacks and push-backs, they continued to grow and collaborate with solo and group artists, striving for strong expression and performance, individually and as a group. Following their announcement to make a change, they reassured ARMY that “The Best is Yet to Come” and they were ready to free up their creativity in solo projects and other collaborations. That made sense to me, and I felt relieved for them. I believe they were living in the same big house for years and had recently begun to set up separate residences and learning more about their individual styles and preferences. When they started, some of them were still in their teens growing together into their twenties. Now as they grow individually, they continue to support one another and cheer each other on.
J-Hope was the first solo Korean act to be booked at a US show, Lollapalooza, where he coordinated with another group of dancers and commanded an outstanding show in the summer of 2022. He also released his first solo CD, Jack in the Box. And he collaborated with rapper Crush for a music video, “Rush Hour.”
 
Jungkook collaborated with Charlie Puth in “Left and Right” after their live performance collaboration a few years earlier with “We Don’t Talk Anymore.”
Suga is a talented musician and producer and with “That That" collaborated with PSY.
 
Jimin, V, Jin, and Jungkook collaborated with Benny Blanco and Snoop Dogg in “Bad Decisions.”
 
Jin wanted to create a meaningful love song (the official BigHit music video for “Astronaut”) to ARMY fans before going into mandatory Korean military service and he collaborated on “Astronaut” with Coldplay for a live performance in Brazil.
And RM, who was feeling the pressure of being the leader for interviews and speaking (and often writing lyrics) for the group, has recently released his first solo CD, Indigo, based on about four years of writing in and about his twenties, releasing it in the final year of that decade, with collaborations on almost all of the ten tracks, in numerous musical styles, with lyrics like pages of his diary. After BTS was packing larger and larger crowds in American, Asian, and Korean venues, RM chose to perform the new CD in a small club with 200 ARMY, featuring some of the collaborators from the tracks. Incredible. For one of the tracks, the movie video for "Still Life" has awesome visuals, vocal collaboration with Anderson .Paak, and an intriguing backstory (starting at 13:13) about the title.
Jimin, an exceptional dancer, has a solo project, FACE, that has come into view in 2023, including "Set Me Free Pt. 2" (dance practice video link) and the bonus track at 6:13 of the final one "The Letter." In 2019, Jimin wrote a song to motivate himself and inspire all: “Promise.” In mid-January 2023, Jimin and Taeyang released their collaboration with "Vibe" and on January 19 they shared a studio version featuring the musicians.
 
I’m sure more is in the works. Well, yes, in July 2023, Jungkook teamed up with four dancers for BBC The One Show with an outdoor performance of "Seven." Also got together with the musicians for the BBC 1 Live Lounge version.
 
I also love the background (or loud!) piano-artistry rendering their abundance of music.
 
Big Hit (Hybe) continues to support and produce their individual work. The entire team’s dedication to high quality, integrity, meaningful expression in everything they share, including the seven’s honesty about their challenges while demonstrating willingness to explore their talents, inspires me to keep aiming high while stewarding my life and activities. I am so grateful to be aware of them. And because they are beyond my reach of correspondence, many people in my life benefit from my increased exuberant outreach, like the construction crew who work on the building where I live and others I meet on the path, celebrating each one beyond the roles we are in, creating personalized photocards (since the 1990s) and sharing The Heart Cards (since 2000).  
For reference, I do have appreciation for a wide range of music, joyously attending innumerable dances in country community halls and festivals on my way west and landing in British Columbia in the late 1970s, living and grooving through into 2004 when I began Living on Purpose as a “live” radio talk show on CHLY, featuring a plethora of musicians and recording conversation with many at music festivals behind the scenes.
This Holy Days season while gathered with my brother and some of his family, their playlist of ambient music (some with singers) was in the background. While I was hearing and enjoying all of it for the first time, they were more familiar with it. Occasionally I would drop BTS into the conversation for fun to prompt another incredulous response from my brother. Before I drove into the city that day, I had already started this review tracing my love for BTS, and I woke up the next morning with more ideas of how to keep filling it in. So here we are. Thank you for listening.
Hey, V, thanks for sharing your intoxicating voice with seasonal tidings. And for hot-of-the-press releases in August 2023, with "Rainy Days" and "Love Me Again."This detailed account reads like an epic annual Christmas letter. Dear you ...

Shelagh Rogers in 2007

Serendipity in December 2022 delivered podcast host Lynn Thompson to her 1972 journal, which, as you will hear, inspired her to revisit her phone conversation in 2007 with CBC radio host Shelagh Rogers, thanks to Andrew Binks, writer, editor, and published author, who was on the same swim team as Lynn 50 years ago.
Okay, what??
In 2007, Shelagh was the host of Sounds Like Canada on CBC and later, for 15 years, she hosted The Next Chapter. The connection is that she wrote a glowing review for one of Andrew's books.
(A P.S. to posting this conversation: Shelagh's final broadcast of hosting that show was on June 24, 2023 after a "thrilling" 43-year broadcast career.)
Lynn's phone call with Shelagh on the "live" Living on Purpose broadcast on CHLY almost didn't happen, as you will hear. Thankfully it did happen, as you will also hear! A few minutes of a frame around their 13-minute conversation.
Thanks for listening to The On Purpose Podcast (twin of Living on Purpose). Appreciation for Black Fedora with Sneaky Jazz and Carol Welsman with a glimpse of "New Day" from her album Inclined.
  

Sex, Self-Esteem & Sheer Stupidity

Tonya Pomerantz is a middle-aged, menopausal woman helping women all of ages find their voice. She is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, loves animals (especially dogs), ice cream and lives in a state of perpetual gratitude. Since she discovered her passion for career development, Tonya has worked in the employment world, supporting people as their figure out how to listen to their journey and use their skills to add value to the world.
Thirty years later, Tonya talks with her editor Lynn Thompson about the journey with book in hand, Sex, Self-Esteem & Sheer Stupidity - Surviving your 20s and Beyond, published by Spotlight Publishing House!