My guest on Episode 17 of Annie Talks is Dawn Martin, Zumba instructor who was originally from New York and now resides in Connecticut. Dawn and I became Facebook friends over the past few years through mutual friends. We've kept in touch through social media and I began to see many of Dawn's posts revolving around fitness. She's not only a Zumba instructor, but she's also an avid runner. Two things that are near and dear to my heart -- Zumba and running.

Dawn told me that she "loves the energy & enthusiasm that Zumba brings because everyone can do it, no matter what their fitness level." One thing she hopes as an instructor, is that "every one of her class participants to have had SO much fun working out that they'll say 'Gee, class is over already?' "

Dawn also says, "The more that come spread the Zumba love, the merrier!"

I think there's so much that we all can learn from Dawn, not just about fitness, health or wellness, but how to be more confident, and find ways to boost our own self-esteem. You'll see that she is not only one that exudes confidence, but also one who empowers each one of us to dig deeper within ourselves to be the best YOU, the best PERSON we all can be!

To find a Zumba class in your area, or to find Dawn's Zumba class, visit www.Zumba.com.

So, without further adieu, here now is my conversation with Dawn Martin.

MORE ON ANNIE TALKS:
If you enjoyed this podcast, be sure to leave a COMMENT and RATE this episode!

Be sure to also check out my YouTube channel where you'll find videos on fitness, product reviews, my Celebration Awareness series and more Annie Talks. Visit www.YouTube.com/c/AnnieRivera or visit my website at www.AnnieTalks.com/p/Podcast.html

Follow me on social media:
Facebook.com/AnnieTalks
Instagram - @Annie_Talks
Twitter - @Annie_Talks

And if you haven't already done so, be sure to subscribe to Annie Talks podcast and be notified every time we upload an episode.

Annie Talks theme song by Music by Keahi http://www.keahimusic.com/

Thank you all so much for tuning in -- and KEEP LISTENING TO ANNIE TALKS!

#ZumbaFitness #ZumbaInstructor #Zumba #DawnMartin  #Runner #Runners #runnersworld  #RunForLife #Run4Life #Running #RunningWorld #RunningMarathon #RunningMarathons #5k #8k #halfmarathontraining  #HalfMarathon #Marathon #marathontraining #AnnieTalks

Annie Talks with Zumba instructor Dawn Martin - Episode 17 (made with Spreaker)

In Episode 16, Annie Talks with TV/talk show host, actress and YouTube star Melody Trice of The Melody Trice Show.

Melody, originally from the small town Century in Florida, moved to California after years as a beautician in Alabama. 

Her mantra, “Living Life Unlimited” was a heaven-sent motto by which she lives by every day. Melody stares challenges head on and conquers them one day at a time, making the best of each moment, and living her life as she intends, all while pursuing her lifelong goal of creating and establishing her own TV network. 

I think we can all garner our own lifelong lessons from her examples to live life to the fullest, staying focused, and pursuing your dream! I love her energy, enthusiasm, and ambition! 

Follow Melody Trice on Social Media:

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1dsJzxaEtsYjS50nlk6hkA
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/tricemelody/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/melodytrice
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/themelodytriceshow/
Tumblr - https://www.tumblr.com/search/melody+trice
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/melodytrice/the-melody-trice-show/
IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6831590/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
Melody Trice website: https://www.melodytrice.com/

***********

MUSIC:

Annie Talks theme song - Music by Keahi http://keahimusic.com/

All music used in this video provided by - courtesy of YouTube Audio Library

Down The Way by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Hope Against Hope by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

***********

Follow Annie Talks on Social Media:

Facebook - www.facebook.com/AnnieTalks/
Twitter - @Annie_Talks
Instagram - @Annie_Talks
Website - www.AnnieTalks.com 
YouTube channel - www.YouTube.com/c/AnnieRivera

Thank you and keep listening to Annie Talks!

Annie Talks with Melody Trice of The Melody Trice Show | TV Show Host | Actress | YouTube star | Episode 16 (made with Spreaker)

In Episode 14, Annie Talks with Carrie Barron, Certified Health Coach - Center of Obesity Prevention and Education (COPE) Program about her healthy lifestyle choice, her inspiration, and how she is impacting others to make the same decision.

Carrie shares her story about her struggles with obesity throughout her life. At one point she was denied access to riding a roller coaster with her children because of her size. Now she celebrates her inspirational transformation having lost over 140 pounds, by boarding those same rides at amusement parks she was once told not to, and by also becoming a certified health coach where she inspires others to make healthy lifestyle changes as well.

To find out more information on the COPE Program, contact Carrie Stuart Barron at https://www.facebook.com/carrie.s.barron, or email me at annie@annietalks.com or visit my website at http://www.annietalks.com/ and click on CONTACT US.

To watch the video featuring Carrie Barron, visit my YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/c/AnnieRivera

***********

MUSIC
“Annie Talks” theme song by Keahi Music http://www.keahimusic.com/

Other music:
All music used in this podcast (and video) courtesy of YouTube Audio Library

Wheels by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Autumn Day by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100765
Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Acoustic Guitar 1 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

River Meditation by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Annie Talks with Certified Health Coach Carrie Barron - Episode 14 (made with Spreaker)

In Episode 13 on the Annie Talks podcast, my guest is five-time Emmy Award-winning percussionist, Emedin Rivera -- no relation at all, in case you were wondering.

Born and raised in the Bronx, NY, Emedin started playing the bongos at the tender age of 8 years old, due largely in part to his father and uncle who also played the bongos in Puerto Rico.

The way in which Emedin plays percussions is mesmerizing as he blends Latin Caribbean with African, Fusion, merengue, salsa, etc...you name it, he plays it.

Emedin has recorded with heavyweights in the music industry such as Harry Belafonte, Gregory Hines, Ben E King, Dave Samuels, Latoya Jackson, Vicky Sue Robinson, and the list goes on.

Emedin has also recorded LIVE with Larry Coryell, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Rick Cua, Denise Williams, and that list goes on and on.

Emedin is no stranger to music, as you can tell from this impressive list of credits, but he has also "invented" a new type of instrument (with the help of master craftsmen Matthew Smith of Ritmo percussion) which you'll learn more about in the podcast.

Be sure to visit his website at www.EMEDINRIVERA.COM, where you can find out more information about the release date for his new record, view his videos, sample his music, and see photos. Or you can check out my website at www.AnnieTalks.com where I will also update Emedin's upcoming release date and more information.

Also, to learn more about the Conga Toms™ check out Emedin's YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7CGUGvK9Io

So without further adieu, here now is my conversation with Emedin Rivera.

Annie Talks with Five-Time Emmy Award-Winning Percussionist Emedin Rivera - Episode 13 (made with Spreaker)

If you follow my YouTube channel, you may have seen my next guest on one of the episodes, the first of these Hawaiian-style jam sessions called "Kanikapila." An artist named Alissa Hunnicutt.

Alissa is an upcoming new artist to follow. She is a very promising songbird who plays a mean ukulele.

I recently caught up with Alissa at the 2018 #NAMMShow, and for those unfamiliar with #NAMM it is the National Association of Music Merchants, where music companies, event-goers and industry folks from around the globe, gather to the see and hear the latest in musical instruments, music production, music technology, music software...you name it, music everything.

Alissa hails from Iowa City, Iowa. She holds an undergraduate degree in Voice from University of Iowa, and later attended graduate school at Manhattan School of Music in New York City, New York where she lived for 20 years.

So now, without further adieu, is my discussion with Alissa Hunnicutt...We pick up the conversation where she talks about studying in New York.

Follow Alissa on social media:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/puppetmissy
Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/alissahunnicuttmusic/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/puppetmissy/

For show dates mentioned in this podcast and for more information on Alissa Hunnicutt, please visit her website at http://alissahunnicutt.com/

If you haven't already checked out my YouTube channel, be sure to visit www.YouTube.com/c/AnnieRivera. There you'll find interesting videos on fitness, product reviews, tutorials, my CELEBRATION AWARENESS videos and other Annie Talks and special guests. 

And last but not least, if you haven't already SUBSCRIBED to my podcast, be sure to hit SUBSCRIBE and be notified of new episodes.

Thank you all again. Keep listening to ANNIE TALKS.

Annie Talks with New Artist Alissa Hunnicutt (made with Spreaker)

In Episode 18 of Annie Talks, I wanted to try something a little different. I have a segment on my YouTube channel called "My Favorites" -- and they're different things for that given month. Things like: favorite movie, favorite show, favorite podcaster, favorite YouTuber, favorite foods, etc. 

So, specific to the podcast audience, I thought it would be nice to have a "Favorite Podcaster" of the month. In actuality, I started listening to them toward the end of 2017. They are the go-to podcasters that I listen to on a daily basis, particularly for their content. 

I hope in some small way, that I could contribute to the world by influencing others to listen to the types of podcasts that I listen to. 

I don't know how long each of these episodes will be each and every month, but I guess we'll test the waters in this maiden voyage of a series. So this is the first of what I hope to be a monthly series simply titled "My Favorite Podcasters of the Month," and so without further adieu, here are my favorite Podcasters for the month of February.

1) So, here's a podcaster that I mentioned more recently in one of my YouTube videos. This podcaster is Frank Buckley Interviews. Frank Buckley is the KTLA 5 Morning News anchor seen Monday through Friday from 7 - 10 a.m. in Los Angeles. I think the reason I enjoy Frank Buckley Interviews so much is primarily because of the people he interviews. I mean first of all these are high profile people, celebrities, authors, athletes, etc. I mean, guess when you're a prime-time news anchor, you can have whoever you want on your podcast, right? 

All kidding aside, he really does have great interviews on the podcast. Recently he interviewed actor George Takei, known best for his role of Hikaru Sulu on the USS Enterprise on the original show "Star Trek." George Takei is also starring in the musical "Allegiance" at the Aratani Theater at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in downtown Los Angeles. I actually saw George perform in "Allegiance" right around the time it had opened in New York City, a Broadway original with then co-star Lea Salonga. It was truly an amazing performance by both actors. I remember attending the performance with my good friend Nikki, and between the two of us and the many hundreds of theater-goers, there was not a dry eye in the theater! I kid you not. 

Frank Buckley Interviews has awesome guests on his show that a small-time fish in a large pond like me can only dream of having on my show one day. He had Jimmy Jam, who as you know, along with co-producer Terry Lewis wrote and produced Janet Jackson's first album. In that particular podcast, Jimmy Jam talks in detail about that experience and what all transpired behind-the-scenes while working with Ms. Jackson herself. This was one of my favorite episodes on Frank Buckley Interviews. There were so many more favorites including an interview with the legendary voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mr. Vin Scully himself. 

So, if you're like me and love to hear these deep conversations with legendary greats, or celebrities, and other high profile public figures, I recommend downloading and listening to Frank Buckley Interviews.

2) My next favorite podcast of the February is a show I first downloaded way back in October or November 2017 and didn't actually start listening more intently until this year beginning in January. First of all, this podcaster is living the dream in the beautiful, picturesque, beachfront islands of Puerto Rico! Yep, way to make me jealous man! He is the founder, creator, and host of Entrepreneurs on Fire and calls his listeners Fire Nation -- I'm talking about none other than John Lee Dumas. 

Entrepreneurs on Fire, also known as EonFire, is such an inspirational podcast and JLD features so many cool guests who are indeed entrepreneurs themselves who have built an empire from the ground up and oftentimes lend their expertise with tips and tricks on how to get started with your own ventures. 

So, by listening to JLD and EonFire and all the great tips shared by his guests, you start to develop ideas of your own.

Now, I heard a statistic recently that podcasts in 2018 alone, let alone how well it did in 2017, and the years previous; but the statistic showed that podcasts are growing exponentially -- not just the number of podcasts popping up every single day, but rather, the number of people listening to podcasts is growing exponentially. In fact, for commuters, especially here in California, people spend more time commuting to and from work, to school, or spend more time in their cars or modes of transportation commuting from point A to point B, then maybe point C, or D; you get my drift? They are listening to more podcasts while on their commute, they're listening to podcasts while at the gym, working out, walking their dogs, or at their desks at work. It's a happening thing and it's not going away. Podcasts are here to stay!

If you are an entrepreneur, whether you're a start-up business, or you're an entrepreneur and want to stay connected with other entrepreneurs, or need a little inspiration and motivation, I recommend Entrepreneurs on Fire hosted by John Lee Dumas. JLD shares his own story on how he got started, and he collaborates with other entrepreneurs in hosting webinars and online courses. His podcast is worthy of listening to and following. 

3) For my last Favorite Podcaster of the month of February, I have been listening to The Gary Vee Audio Experience. He is Gary Vaynerchuk, New York Times bestselling author of the new book "Crushing It," which I have yet to get. I have one of his books called "Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook" which talks about how to tell your story in a noisy social world. Gary Vee, as he's known as, is an American-Belarusian entrepreneur, and business mogul. He has a strong social media presence on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and he is the founder, CEO and owner of VaynerMedia. Gary is in high demand as a public speaker worldwide. He is a serial entrepreneur and has been an early investor in companies such as Twitter, Tumblr, Venmo, and Uber. 

Gary Vee is so popular he's known in many industries from Fortune 500 companies and in the music industry. Athletes, celebrities, talk show hosts all know about GaryVee. 

I was listening to a podcast earlier today and he said something that struck a chord with me (and I'm not quoting verbatim, but rather paraphrasing here), he said:

He became successful by basically being himself. He said, "When I did me, the world came to me." So, as we find ourselves, constantly trying to find the next meal ticket, hustling, and trying to prove ourselves to our boss, our colleagues, our clients, or customers, once you just be yourself, be you, the world will eventually accept you for you are. They may even want to become like you, or become your friend, gravitate to you! 

GaryVee may be a bit rough around the edges, kinda street smart, but honestly, put aside the roughness, you'll see the successful man he is. 

I remember someone once told me, "Don't listen to the way I'm saying it, but rather listen to what I'm saying." 

Same concept applies...he'll be the first to say it, he curses a lot. He knows that...but once you get past all of that and hear the sound advice he gives, he's pretty motivational and inspirational. 

One of the things I like about Gary is he's evolving. What do I mean by that? He's dynamic and changes with time. Technology is so advance and is advancing every day...I'm in the know of most technology, but I'll be the first to admit, I don't know a lot of stuff still. Gary is forward thinking and always looking ahead of what's to come. He is jumps on that early adopter train when he sees a good thing coming down the pike. 

Must be nice! If I had his fortune, I would likely be doing the same thing. He had so much knowledge we all have so much to gain from his knowledge. I love that he likes to share his successes, his ideas, his tips and tricks. One more thing about Gary is there is no one-way cookie cutter way of doing things in his eyes. When you listen to him talk with millennials, young people or other Podcasters, I am always listening for a common denominator in the things he tells them. And what's interesting is you don't hear it. For every person he speaks to, no matter who they are, it's different, dynamic and specific to that person. He'll have advice or suggestions tailor-made to that individual. I think that's what I also enjoy most about Gary is that he listens to the individual and has some sort of nugget advice specific to that individual's scenario. He'll tie that in somehow with experiences of his own, but it always seems as though there's a message that is much more meaningful to that individual -- and it could be just as meaningful for me, or other listeners, etc. 

So, The GaryVee Audio Experience is another one of my favorite Podcasters for the month of February.

If you haven't already checked out my YouTube channel, visit www.YouTube.com/c/AnnieTalks. You can check out some of my videos on fitness, product reviews, tutorials, my CELEBRATION AWARENESS series and other Annie Talks episodes. 

And last but not least, if you haven't already SUBSCRIBED to my podcast, be sure to hit SUBSCRIBE to be notified of new episodes.

Thank you all again for tuning in and keep listening to ANNIE TALKS.

#FrankBuckleyInterviews #JLD #EntreprenuersOnFire #JLDEOFIRE #EOFIRE #EOnFire #GaryVee #GaryVeeAudioExperience #GaryVaynerchuk #CrushingIt

My Favorite Podcasters in Feb 2018 (made with Spreaker)

My guest on Episode 19 of Annie Talks is a fellow Cal State Fullerton alum who I met while we both served on the College of Communications Chapter of the Alumni Association. We were on the leadership team. I was then Vice President of Marketing later became President. He was tech and marketing guru. Fast forward to today -- he is the founder and host of the Digital Coffee Podcast, Brett Deister. 

Brett is a techie at heart. He's a lover of good coffee and tea. He builds his own computers, tests out every new tech he can get his hands on. He's also an avid, gamer. Brett has seen the how much the industry has changed over the years. He also loves the rapid changes in the marketing industry.  He loves talking to people about technology and from that he started Digital Coffee Podcast to give a different perspective on the tech, marketing, and gaming industry. He wants Digital Coffee to be a place for anyone to go to and learn about tech!

Brett has great insight into the world of technology, gaming, and marketing that we each can take away some good pieces of information.

Visit Digital Coffee Podcast at https://digitalcoffeepodcast.com/

Be sure to check out my YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/c/AnnieRivera. There, you'll find videos on fitness, product reviews, my Celebration Awareness series and more Annie Talks. 

And if you haven't already done so, be sure to subscribe to Annie Talks podcast and be notified every time we upload an episode.

For more information on Annie Talks visit www.AnnieTalks.com.

Thank you all so much for tuning in -- and KEEP LISTENING TO ANNIE TALKS!

#DigitalCoffeePodcast #BrettDeister #GamersCafe #MorningMarketing #AnnieTalks