Making Space for Conversations That Matter with Laura Prisc

Get comfy and settle in for your last opportunity to eavesdrop on a new episode of Making Space for Conversations that Matter. Listen in as Host, Laura Prisc, tells and abbreviated story about how the podcast came to be and how she knew it was time to release it. She's still very much engaged in her work and eager to see what new doors open as Ishe closes this one. You can still easily find her if you're so inclined. Just drop her a line at laura@lauraprisc.com or connect with her through the links below and let her know what's on your mind. Thanks for eavesdropping and have an intentional day! Laura's Bio If you're not already familiar with her and are curious about who Laura is, what she believes, and what she feels called to create in the world, take a few minutes to peruse her website, read her blog, and listen to the other podcast episodes posted there. www.lauraprisc.com You can also find her here: Schedule a complimentary consultation Laura by email Request a copy of her book – Are Your Leaders Wide Awake? LinkedIn On Facebook

It's always fun to encounter a kindred spirit – someone on a very similar journey, whose thinking and beliefs are aligned with your own… and that's exactly what host, Laura Prisc, experienced during this week's episode, getting to know MaryBeth Hyland. MaryBeth is striving to bring the essence of what it means to be human back into our lives and work. Her desire was borne of her personal experience, working in a company that looked like it had it all together from the outside, but turned out to be a dysfunctional culture once she was immersed in it. "I was experiencing too much internal discord to stay," she explains, going further to say that the awareness that one is out of alignment with others, or an organization is sometimes sudden and sometimes creeps up on you. Either way, it's uncomfortable and unhealthy to stay. Having experienced something similar in more than one organization and having to work her way through releasing the guilt and shame associated with the perception of "quitting," she's taken some bold and decisive steps to take back her life and work, and to share what she's learned with the people and organizations she now works with. Listen in as she shares her story, including how she chose to extract herself from a women's organization in which she was the 5th generation in her family to be involved. Breaking the cycle, as they say, is not easy even when it's clear it's the right decision. It comes with a lot of emotion, baggage, legacy, and expectation. Take some time to contemplate your core values and discern whether they are truly yours, or you've merely absorbed / inherited them from others. Ask yourself, "How did I get here?" and "Is this where I want to be in my life?" Perhaps you'll discover it's time for a change in your life, or you'll rest assured that you are in fact living a life you desire. Either way, it's a thought-provoking and engaging conversation. MaryBeth's Bio As the Founder and Chief Visionary of SparkVision, MaryBeth Hyland knows that extraordinary success is rooted in the vision, values, and culture crafted by purpose-driven leaders and their teams. With over a decade of experience, built on knowledge from a BA in Social Work and MS in Nonprofit Management, she's known for her ability to guide individuals and teams to know, own, and live their values. And she does that with the understanding that we all have a deep desire to know and return to our most authentic selves – at work, home, and within. As a certified mediator, mindfulness instructor, and values expert she engages audiences and teams all over the world with her authentic style of facilitation, coaching, and empowerment. Her recent awards include, "Circle of Excellence," "Innovator of the Year," "Top 100 Women," "Civic Engagement Leader," and "Leading Women." She has also been recognized as a leading expert by The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Author of "Permission to Be Human: The Conscious Leader's Guide to Creating Values-Driven Culture," her personal life's mission is to create spaces where voices are heard, stories are released, and alignment is ignited. Connect with MaryBeth: SparkVision On LinkedIn Get the Book: Permission to be Human

Wayne Mullins is a breath of fresh air; he's a marketer who focuses on human connection and understands that while the common label for what's happening online these days – "social media" – is really not social, rather 'digital.' "People show up and throw up," he explains to host, Laura Prisc. Whatever message one feels compelled to share is thrown up on some digital media platform or channel, and the sender gets frustrated when there's no response, or the response is other than what was desired. It's not real communication; it's sound bites, snippets, and surface, rather than deep, meaningful, and real exploration and discussion about the things that are most important to us. Based on the idea that 'people do business with people,' he focuses his work with Ugly Mug Marketing on what his clients are trying to accomplish, then designs a plan to help them achieve that specific goal. He encourages his clients to focus on the results, not the form through which the message is delivered. Laura shares a similar perspective, learned during her time working in a small advertising agency. She explains how often a client would come looking for a particular form of advertising, and she and the team in the agency would back them up to get to the root of what they were hoping for in an outcome. Begin with the end in mind and work backwards to design the solution; she still uses that approach today with her coaching and consulting clients. While he's busy running his business and leading people, he sees himself as a person trainer of sorts, pushing people to grow into their potential. Coming to this awareness was a stretch for him, as it wasn't addressed in business school! The academic focus was on the elements of the stuff of business, but Wayne soon discovered that the 'people ARE the business!" So, he now focuses on investing his time, effort, and energy on building relationships and nurturing them. It's been said on this podcast before, "if you take good care of your people, they will take great care of your business!" It's truly that simple! Listen in for this, and so much more insight and wisdom. Wayne's Bio Wayne Mullins is the founder and CEO of Ugly Mug Marketing. Over the past 20 years, he has scaled multiple companies and helped hundreds of entrepreneurs do the same with their companies. Ugly Mug Marketing has won the praises of some of the leading influencers in the business world, such as, Chris Voss (New York Times Best Selling Author of Never Split the Difference), Neil Patel (Founder of QuickSprout & Kissmetrics), and Ari Weinzweig (Co-Founder of Zingerman's). Wayne's work directly influences more than one hundred thousand entrepreneurs annually through his blog, books, and training programs. Wayne has personally worked with clients in over 100 industries - from every corner of the globe. And through his books and training programs, Wayne directly influences more than a quarter million entrepreneurs each year. Connect with Wayne: Ugly Mug Marketing On Facebook On LinkedIn Instagram @uglymugmarketing Snapchat uglymarketing By phone: 318-290-3430

Conversation about the perils of living on autopilot and how to break the cycle of insanity!

When someone doesn't have a clear vision for what they want or are working towards, it's nearly impossible to make progress. As a productivity coach for entrepreneurs, Todd works with a variety of clients who often have a few things in common: Lack of clarity about what they are striving to create or achieve, inability or unwillingness to make decisions, and no clear plan forward. He is able to skillfully help his clients discern their focus, make decisions, and craft easy-to-follow action plans. In alignment with Laura's principle that "One Size Does NOT Fit All," Todd has a lot of tools and processes at his disposal, from which he picks and chooses based on each client's specific needs. His background is as a clinical psychologist, having done significant work in trauma disorders, relationship counseling, and marital counseling, but working with business owners is his sweet spot. "I love the pace, the opportunity to help clients implement quickly, and see a real-world impact," he explained. Laura and Todd also explore his youth and some unique experiences growing up, that sparked his interest in personal and professional development. As with any good 'travel guide,' he is able to serve his clients well because he's traveled a similar path. Todd's Bio Dr. Snyder has completed both a Master's Degree and a Doctoral degree at Baylor University's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience in Texas. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship in Baltimore, Maryland, he moved to Valparaiso, Indiana, (near Chicago) where he currently lives with his wife and two sons. He has worked as a self-discipline coach, stress-management consultant, and productivity consultant for people all over the globe. Prior to developing his current specialty, Snyder worked as a clinical psychologist in private practice, as a marriage counselor, and as a relationship coach. Due to word of mouth and a few interviews, he inadvertently became a consultant to business owners in the world of online e-commerce, especially in the areas of integration marketing, productivity, and decision making. Throughout his career, he has been a student of what he calls "active ingredients" of success. These are the few variables that make the biggest difference when trying to accomplish a specific goal or outcome. In his various roles as counselor and consultant, he became increasingly aware of the power of decisions to steer people's lives toward happiness or misery, success or frustration. The problem is, when it comes to productivity, most of us don't feel in control of the decisions we make about where we focus our limited time and energy. Fortunately, he's found a solution for that problem. As a student of peak performance, he continuously refines the key insights and mental models that can flip the switch for uncommon results. You can find Todd here: Todd Snyder Coaching Todd on LinkedIn

Every day, we are faced with numerous choices… who we're going to be, how we're going to show up, what we'll do or not do, what to wear, what to eat, where to go… some days it literally feels endless, and perhaps even overwhelming. But it's important, sometimes crucial, even, for you to recognize that the choice truly is yours. In this week's episode, Laura shares some personal stories, insights, and ideas on how many choices we are faced with daily and how even indecision is a choice. The consequences may be minimal or monumental, but it's hard to choose correctly when operating on autopilot. Truly, the choice is yours… and I hope you'll make it, purposely, thoughtfully, intentionally… with consideration for the potential outcomes, choosing that which is most desirable and aligned with what you are hoping to create in the world. Laura's Bio If you're not already familiar with her and are curious about who Laura is, what she believes, and what she feels called to create in the world, take a few minutes to peruse her website, read her blog, and listen to the other podcast episodes posted there. www.lauraprisc.com You can also find her here: Schedule a complimentary consultation Laura by email Request a copy of her book – Are Your Leaders Wide Awake? LinkedIn On Facebook

Begin with the end in mind. This is sage advice: Discern what it is you are trying to create. Cast a vision and articulate it clearly. Once you've done that, you can craft a plan that culminates in the achievement of that goal and one that allows you to "start well." This is the jumping off point for today's episode, a meaningful conversation with Consultant, Don Davis. Davis worked for many years in GE, helping start-ups come to life. As he was contemplating what he wanted to do with his life and work long-term, he recognized he is energized by the entrepreneurial geniuses – people with high energy, curiosity, and a strong growth focus – and wanted to continue working with them. Hence, his consulting firm. He notes that 90% of businesses die within their first 10 years and goes on to share some of the wisdom he's accumulated over the course of his career. He and host, Laura Prisc, dive deep into some of those areas, including casting vision, knowing your own strengths, how to build a thriving team, knowing how and from where to receive sound advice, and more. This is the kind of expertise and insight he offers his consulting clients… and you can benefit from it simply by listening to today's episode, then follow the links below to get connected with Don. Don's Bio: Don Davis, president and principal of 5280 Life Sciences Consulting, is an expert operations leader with a 30-year career in healthcare and life sciences. After decades of working for companies like GE, BD, and Roche, Don now helps others improve their operational excellence, program and project management, analytics and KPIs, and IT systems and infrastructure, resulting in increased profitability and improved ability to scale their organizations. Connect with Don: Don on LinkedIn Don Online Don's Podcast

While Jeff poses that very question at a later point in today's Conversation, first Jeff and Laura explore one of the more common threads of discussion around leadership, which starts with the fundamental question: What's the difference between management and leadership? Today's conversation dives in with this and an insightful discussion about the activities, tasks, nuances, and expectations for leaders unfolds as Jeff and Laura explore and share their ideas and experiences. As Jeff has depth of expertise and experience working with CEOs in Healthcare start-ups, the two also dig into the struggles many entrepreneurs face, and both work through with their respective clients – the truth that sometimes the creative genius that conceives and idea for a product, service, or enterprise is not the person who is actually best equipped to carry that idea forward and build a solid, thriving business around. It's important to recognize one's unique gifts, strengths, and contributions… to do the work only you can do in whatever enterprise you're engaged in, and know that sometimes the best next thing you can do is hand it off to someone else to manage the day to day, or do the marketing and promotion that will allow your creation to shine in the marketplace. This is a tough realization for many, and others understand it intuitively. Jeff shares some of the questions he asks his clients to allow them to work through their own thinking with greater clarity about what roles they play, how they want to show up in those roles, what others need or want from them. Truly, this is the fundamental work for all of us, and crucial to effective, powerful leadership. Laura and Jeff discuss life, work, authenticity, Lego, stress-relieving practices, and much more on today's episode. Jeff's Bio Before becoming a full-time coach and consultant, Jeff spent over 25 years working for some of the most innovative organizations in health care, financial services and employee benefits as both a lawyer and executive. He started out as a hard-charging law firm lawyer and chronic overachiever who had to be the smartest and most accomplished person in the room. Jeff recognized he needed to change when a series of panic attacks threatened to derail him. In the mid-90s, he began to practice meditation, and later yoga, as a way to cope more effectively with his high stress career. As his practices began to take root, he began a path of deep psychospiritual study that continues to this day. Jeff discovered to his great surprise that his stress nearly vanished as he got more present. He also saw that as he let go of his need to be the smartest person in the room, the people he led somehow became more responsive and capable! As he continued to work on his own development, he dedicated himself to learning to teach others the leadership skills that he had considered innate (and at one point, beyond him). His Creating Extraordinary Futures process is the culmination of his learning thus far. Jeff has worked personally with internationally known spiritual teachers and coaches such as Peter Fenner, Jack Pransky, Rich Litvin, and Doug Silsbee. He is a Certified Presence-BasedTM Coach and has been awarded ACC certification with the International Coach Federation. After 13 years in Chicago and almost two decades in Washington, DC, Jeff now lives near Aspen, CO, with his wife and family. Connect with Jeff and Other Resources: Jeff Munn Online Jeff on LinkedIn Understand Your Builder Profile Connect with Laura to Understand Your Builder Profile! The Art of the Brick – Nathan Sawaya

"You can't do that." "You have to do it this way!" "You can't be good at all of that, you have to choose just one…" While he doesn't come out and say it that explicitly, these are all messages Christian Del Rosario likely heard – and, thankfully, ignored – on the way to developing the artistry he creates with his cameras. You see, Christian is one of those rare photographers who is able to apply his unique vision and ability to capture the true essence of his subject – be that a person, animal, object, landscape, or structure – and share it with others in the resultant photo. Truly, he is an artist. And his joy and gratitude for being able to combine his three major passions into his life's work is evident in his smile, his voice, and the energy he exudes, whether in person or on a podcast recording line. Today, Laura invites Christian to tell the story of how he showed up, said "yes" to opportunity, and created his dream life – traveling the world, working with interesting and fun people, taking breathtaking photographs, and spending time with and supporting animals along the way. Like many other entrepreneurs – and especially in the artist's arena – Christian didn't fully grasp the value of what he creates, early on in his work. He often shared his expertise for free, because it came so easily to him and he simply loved to get to do it. He also was wise to continue upgrading his skills, expertise, and tools, so he was able to continually upgrade his offer to those who saw the value he created through his lens. "I try to interpret the view… to see the shot and understand the experience someone else will have when they see the photos I produce," explained Christian, when Laura asked him to share what he sees and feels as he frames a shot. And if you've ever seen his photos, you know he's truly gifted at it; his intent is evident in his results. While he's been working as a professional photographer for 11 years, it was only a few years ago when he really gathered his thoughts, got strategic, and focused more clearly on how to continue building the life he desires and that allows him to feed and support his three passions. To-date, he's experienced 75 countries around the world doing work for a variety of individuals and organizations, including the national travel bureaus in several countries, the United Nations World Tourism Assembly, and other organizations near and far. In fact, just after finishing recording this episode, he was headed for the airport and jetting off to Dallas, Madrid, and London for work (play?!). Listen in on today's conversation, and you'll be intrigued to take a look at life through Christian's lens: Instagram at thechristiandelrosario.com Facebook at Christian Del Rosario and Christian Del Rosario Photography Websites Christian Del Rosario / Attreo Studio Galleries and African Safari 2020 Christian's Bio Christian combines his passion for photography with his love for travel, animals, and inspiring people. In 2008, Christian decided to follow his passion and make a career shift from the corporate world into professional photography as a full-time career. What started as a pastime has progressed into a very successful business serving clients of industry sectors. Christian has had the distinct honor to work with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Tourism Boards of several countries, well known restaurants, coffee companies, magazines, top self-development companies, charitable organizations, and of course -- all his friends who have pets. When he's not writing about himself in the third person or not carrying a camera, Christian likes to go walking with his three dogs, growing Japanese maples in his backyard, and advocating for animals. He's most proud of his experience in learning many different cultures and loves to encourage people to travel through his photographs. He lives in California and wants to have an animal rescue farm one day.

Over the course of his adulthood, Dave Dean has owned, built, been involved with, bought, sold, or closed 37 businesses; ~11 of them are still in his care today. It all started when as a young man, Dave bought the company his dad started but lost through receivership when it failed. He 'arrogantly' (by his own measure!) thought he could do it better. The experience was the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of learning, exploring, discovering, building, and releasing numerous businesses. Fueled by his strengths (Laura is certain he has Input, Learner, Futuristic, Strategic, Connectedness, and Relator in his top 10!), he thinks of himself as a "business butterfly," preferring the idea of being a 'business explorer – builder' to the term 'entrepreneur.' When he becomes intrigued by an idea, he dives in and becomes immersed until his curiosity is satisfied. Often, what that means is his giftedness is in seeing opportunity, crafting a vision, designing the big picture concept of how something can be, and then handing off the daily operations and detail work to someone more interested and gifted in handling those aspects of the process. He says he was blessed when he met the man who would become an invaluable business partner while dropping off and picking up his young twin sons at school 20+ years ago! Darren's skills and interests complement Dave's nicely and together they are supremely more productive and effective. It's a perspective and process they share with clients in the Mastermind groups they facilitate, teaching other business owners how to think bigger, explore new ideas, expand their reach, and build satisfying work. Having experienced mentors has been another key to Dave's success over the years; one has to be aware of those who are achieving the success you desire and be willing to learn from their experience, adapting it to your own needs and situations along the way. Today's conversation covers a broad range of ideas and topics associated with business including using style and strengths assessments (DiSC, StrengthsFinder, Gallup Builder Profile) within your team, the difference between having a business idea and actually being able to bring it to life (understanding the strengths of the team you need to bring along with you), and how to create real freedom in your life. Nearing the end, Dave shares a story of a current endeavor – working closely with an artisanal chocolatier who is brilliant within his craft, but not as aware of or skilled with the numerous daily tasks and responsibilities of running a growing business. When I asked Dave for his Bio, here's what he shared with me… "What the hell have you done?" my wife was a little suspicious as I handed her the bunch of flowers... As it turns out her suspicions were correct, I'd just quit my job as a systems analyst and borrowed £13,000 to buy my father's failed print finishing business from the liquidators. If I'm honest, that may well have been the first nail in the coffin of my first marriage. That was the start of my entrepreneurial journey, now fast forward to today... As a visionary and strategist, I enjoy starting and working with others to start new ventures from the ground up and then handing them over to my management teams to run day-to-day because they're usually better than me at doing that! I've started, developed and grown over 30 small businesses in many different sectors! Fact is, I love doing what I do and was once described as a "serial entrepreneur"... though I'm not sure whether that was a compliment or not? One of my mentors, John Maxwell, says "Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn!" Well, that's certainly been the case for me. I've had several failures in business - some of them catastrophic, but every one of them provided valuable lessons and helped me grow and develop. This development led me to realize I had experiences valuable to others in similar situations, but I didn't know how I could help them. The solution presented itself in 2011, when I joined LEAD Wales and experienced coaching for the first time. My coaching journey progressed and led to my earning ICF accreditation then Certification by the US-based, John Maxwell Team. The result: My team and I have launched an exclusive co-working space and business club for entrepreneurs who want to develop themselves so they can, in turn, develop their staff and their businesses. Come visit us in Llantrisant (UK) and see what all the fuss is about - contact me to arrange a visit. Resources discussed and connect with Dave here: Dave on Facebook Dave on LinkedIn 729 Renegades Mastermind Groups Priority VA Culture Wins

Do you ever wonder why you or someone you know does the things that they do? In this episode, Maureen Craig Mcintosh explains how all behavior is purposeful. It's our best attempt to satisfy one of our five basic needs. Hear as she describes what those needs are, the choices we make to fulfill those needs, and what it means to be demonstrating or receiving caring habits or deadly habits. Maureen shares examples of the deadly habits, and explains how they are used to control someone else to get what you want, instead of controlling your own actions. She also speaks about 'first date' behavior; putting your best self forward to get what you want, until it is too hard to continually maintain. Laura speaks to the thought that love and kindness are behaviors that we choose – and it seems that they are now principles that businesses need to teach. She mentions a book called Love Does, and describes how love is an action. The author, Bob Goff, followed up with another book called Everybody Always, which shares the idea that we should always love everyone even when it's difficult. Listen as they discuss how all actions are a means to an end, but certain behaviors and habits bring more success than others. Laura and Maureen give examples from their own lives of needing to make a conscious change to the caring habits in order to become the person she wanted to be. Scientifically, we learn how to externally control our environment at birth. And through life, we have to adapt our behaviors to get what we want. They discuss how we have to change our behaviors and adapt in order to be our most authentic selves. Maureen dives into the toxic triangle, and describes the negative actions we should avoid. She and Laura also discuss relationships and how to properly navigate these difficult situations. Hear how these concepts can be shared with today's youth to cultivate a happier society. Maureen and Laura speak again to the importance of shifting habits to create better, healthier reactions that help us succeed. Choice implies responsibility. Listen as Maureen and Laura discuss emotions and actions, and how becoming more self-aware can allow us to take control of our lives and become more empowered. Hear about our Five Basic Needs and how we should change how we go about achieving them as we go through life: Survival Belonging/Love Power Fun Freedom Maureen helps us clearly define Caring vs. Deadly Habits and provides examples of associated behaviors. She explains how we should display the Caring Habits, and how we should cope, even when people are displaying Deadly Habits. She helps listeners reframe their thinking: What am I getting when I act this way? How can I behave to get a more favorable outcome? Caring Habits: Supporting Encouraging Loving Caring Negotiating Differences Respecting Trusting Accepting Deadly Habits: Blaming Complaining Nagging Criticizing Threatening Punishing Resources: Monctonrealitytherapy.ca Love Does Everybody Alway About Maureen: Maureen is a former registered nurse with a 20+-year history of working with youth in the field of healthy sexuality, a licensed counseling specialist, certified professional coach, and Senior Faculty Member with the William Glasser International Association, not to mention a great friend of Laura for the past several years.

Leading others can be described and defined in a variety of ways. In today's episode, podcast host, Laura Prisc, shares her thoughts on what it means to lead and shines a light on one of the most prevalent mistakes organizations make when promoting or hiring someone into a leadership position – especially if it's that person's first time becoming responsible for the people on their team. Laura's Bio If you're not already familiar with her and are curious about who Laura is, what she believes, and what she feels called to create in the world, take a few minutes to peruse her website, read her blog, and listen to the other podcast episodes posted there. www.lauraprisc.com You can also find her here: Schedule a complimentary consultation Laura by email Request a copy of her book – Are Your Leaders Wide Awake? LinkedIn On Facebook

In 2011, Valoria Walker's mother was nearing her end of life. While Valoria's sister was her primary caregiver, Valoria provided respite care when she could. There was a point when her mother's health was in serious decline and she was moved from the hospital to hospice. She had chosen to end her dialysis treatments and did not want to be on a ventilator. Valoria was there with her. Within a couple of hours, her mother was started on powerful anti-anxiety meds and soon slipped into unconsciousness. Hospice staff explained that "sometimes, they don't awaken, again." While her actually passing wasn't immediate, essentially, her mother was gone and Valoria and her sister would not have another chance to have those final, oh-so-important conversations with their mother. There was no closure. No goodbye. Valoria's brother missed the whole experience! Not surprisingly, this was a powerful turning point for Valoria; one that would change her life and the course of her work. She began working on Advance Planning Directives, to help others in similar situations have a different experience, to help those who were anticipating their own passing to have a say in what would happen and how the process would progress. Eventually, she found "Doula" training, jumped in, and formed her practice: Doula by Destiny! Her mission is to ensure others don't have the same kind of experience her family had. Her time now is spent helping others plan for their transitions thoughtfully, so that the individual's wishes are known and honored. She gets to know and support whole families. She is able to have potentially uncomfortable conversations that loved ones may avoid. She notes that while we seem to be getting better about talking about death – before it happens – there's still a lot of fear and discomfort associated with it. She wants to reframe how we think about, talk about, and experience it. Listen in as Valoria and host, Laura Prisc, share experiences, insights, and resources that may help you have a different experience when the time comes. Valoria's Bio: Valoria Walker is an Advance Care Planning Trainer and End-of-Life Doula. She is the founder of her private practice called Doula by Destiny. As COVID-19 continued to spread, Valoria pivoted her business to serve patients and caregivers by providing companion calls and virtual meetings. Valoria partners with organizations to promote the significance of advance care planning for medical emergencies and holistic care at the end of life. Serving as a speaking ambassador to bring awareness of The End-of-Life Doula Movement, her desire is for everyone to achieve comfort and peace at the end of life. Her recent accomplishments include her interview, Parting Gift, published in the October edition of The Oprah Magazine. She is the reigning Grand Prize winner of the 2019 Boom Competition sponsored by AARP. Her plans are to continue supporting individuals in various care settings to stay connected to her calling and the community. She sits as an Advisory Council Member, International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA), and End-of-Life Doula Advisory Council Member for NHPCO. Valoria holds a Master's in Management of Aging Services. She believes receiving a degree is an accomplishment, but having compassion is a gift. Connect with Valoria + Resources: Oprah Magazine – Parting Gift What is a Doula? Article Let's Talk Aging Article Human Composting? Article Recompose Life – Composting Service