1. How do you monetize your passion?

2. How young is too young to start a business of your own?

3. How soon can a young entrepreneur expect to start making money and/or profit?

4. Is growing a business organically too slow?

5. Work 9-5 for someone else, and 5-9 for yourself. How?

6. What is the definition of success?

About Maxwell Bentley:

Maxwell Bentley is a video producer known for launching high-performing video marketing strategies for brands across the globe. He has partnered with Roblox, Hyundai, Quantum Bank, and an extensive clientele of nonprofits and small businesses.

He is the Founder & Executive Producer at the Bentley Media Group, a video marketing agency that was named a finalist for Forsyth County Business of the Year in 2018 and 2019. His agency has generated over 100,000,000 trackable video impressions that have translated to millions of dollars in sales revenue for his clients since 2015.

In 2022, he produced a donor appeal film for Meals By Grace, a Georgia nonprofit dedicated to feeding hungry children, that helped raise over $187,000 for the organization. He was subsequently named to the University of North Georgia inaugural 20 Under 40 Alumni class. In 2017, he produced a trailer for the Xbox title Super Bomb Survival and served as the lead editor for the Roblox app trailer.

He serves on multiple advisory boards and has partnered with area schools to help prepare rising talent for the demands of the Georgia film and video production industry. He exists to form meaningful relationships where his clients and his staff feel successful.

1. Your parenting challenges led you to become a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Havening Techniques® Practitioner. Tell us more.

2. How is “addiction” to digital technology different from addiction to substance abuse?

3. What is so important about self-esteem and autonomy in relation to digital wellness in children?

4. What can parents do to nurture self-esteem and autonomy in their children as they develop?

5. What role can schools play?

6. How do Havening Techniques help children and families?

About Liz Naik

Liz was born in the UK and lives in Switzerland. Her hobbies include walking in nature with her dogs and watching football. Liz is passionate about education, creating awareness and equal opportunities for all. Liz is a Stress Management Coach, holds a degree in Biochemistry and a diploma in Digital Wellbeing. Liz is also a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Havening Techniques® Practitioner.

Combining her various expertise, Liz can offer clients a holistic approach to the management of stress, anxiety, and trauma. By removing deep-seated limiting beliefs, building self-esteem and resilience, clients can grow, excel, and learn to self-regulate their stress and anxiety levels.

1. From almost becoming a veterinarian to getting a late diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, how did you cope?

2. How did the diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in adulthood change your personal life and professional trajectory?

3. What kind of stigma did you have to deal with after being diagnosed with T1DM as an adult?

4. How did you deal with the stigma?

5. What is ‘Party Like a Diabetic’ all about?

6. What guidance would you have for non-diabetic adolescents and adults who have friends with T1DM?

7. Comfort conversation vs. Solution conversation: which to have and when?

8. At Meharry Medical School, you teach health coaching and communication skills to medical students. What are the common themes that often come up in those discussion and how do you address them?

About Caitlin Grenier:

Caitlin is the Founder of Party Like A Diabetic and author of "The Sweet Ass Journal to Optimize Your Diabetic Lifestyle in 100-days", which was driven by her diagnosis of late onset type 1 diabetes in 2013.

After getting used to her "new normal" she became a National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach that specializes in working with people who have diabetes to reach their optimal health and well-being.

In addition, she is also an adjunct instructor at Meharry Medical College where she teaches foundational health coaching skills and communication to medical students. She is a senior partner success manager at Diasyst, a company that focuses on remote patient monitoring for patients with chronic diseases.

1. Journey from an exhaustive dream job back to a childhood passion

2. How do global technology companies use behavioral psychology to a great effect in their products?

3. What cognitive load comes with keeping a phone in your pocket?

4. What is digital snacking and how is it so effective even if done for 10 minutes?

5. Digital detox can be done anywhere and anytime. How?

6. We are 35% less active. Why and what is the impact?

7. What is your tipping point?

8. How to take ownership of your attention?

About Colin Corby:

CEO and Founder of Technology Wellbeing Ltd and Creator of ‘The Digital Detox Coach’.

Ironically, Colin is a technologist himself. He is also an endurance triathlete. He is fascinated by the collision between technology and psychology, and how this relationship is changing our world, our health and even the way we think. He is passionate about helping people and organizations achieve a healthier and more productive relationship with technology.

He holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Technology Management, a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Mathematics.

Author and co-author of several articles on the future of work, digital culture and digital detox. He has also appeared on the BBC Wales X-Ray program as a Digital Detox expert.

1. What are the biggest challenges for leaders to get to know their talent?

2. How does one sharpen their skills as a leader?

3. How does a leader keep themselves motivated and relevant?

4. What does ‘The future of work is human’ mean?

About Ana Smith:

Ana is an organizational psychologist, operating in the crossing of business, psychology, and technology. Ana is a highly sought executive coach and facilitator. She is known for her passion for what she does and for her energetic and interactive style. She is the CLO of Brightflare Performance Solutions.

Throughout her global career, she has been extremely curious about the impact and relationship between humans and technology.

She has worked with organizations such as Microsoft, General Electric, and American Express, helping teams and individuals elevate their performance and productivity, whilst optimizing their wellbeing.

1. A fortuitous introduction to ADHD. How?

2. How has the diagnosis, clinical spectrum and management landscape of ADHD changed over the last 5-10 years?

3. Do we have the grit to face the challenges that real life has to offer? If not, where has the grit gone and why?

4. What are some favorable and unfavorable features of modern parenting?

5. What role does screentime play in the onset or progression of ADHD?

6. What are some resources for parents to investigate if they are concerned about their child’s socioemotional behavior?

About Christine Robinson

Christine L. Robinson, M.Ed: Founder and President of ADD Action Coach Inc

Passion, focus, and personal experience drove Christine to start her own company, ADD Action Coach, Inc, focusing on ADHD Coaching and educational consulting/advocacy. After her own child was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, she went back to school to earn her Master's in Education to help navigate her own child's educational struggles. Along the way she met Dr. Edward Hallowell who introduced her to the ADHD coaching field, and she knew she had found her passion. 

ADD Action Coach works with improving executive function, time management, organization as well as forming daily habits- and much more! Christine is also a certified practitioner in the Zing Performance program which is an exercise-based program to optimize focus, concentration, and coordination. She believes that the mind body connection is the key to life balance and that cognitive abilities can be improved with prescribed cognitive and physical exercises. Her company offers services for adults, couples, students who middle school through college, parent coaching as well as a complete range of educational consulting services.

Christine has spent over 17,000 hours coaching children, teens, adults, couples, and college students.  She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and English from Clark University and her Master's in Education from Fitchburg State University graduating summa cum laude. As well as having her private practices in Nashville Tennessee she also is associated with the Hallowell Center in New York City.

A certified teacher and master coach who also has over 20 years of sales and management/leadership experience, she is considered an expert in her field of ADHD, special education, advocacy work and individualized education plans. Christine also has her own training program for those who would like to add coaching to their existing practice or start their own ADHD coaching business.  We work with clients in person in Nashville, Chicago, and New Jersey as well as remotely all over the U.S. and internationally.

Website www.ADDActionCoach.com

1.     How to use your own failures to help others see their failures as opportunities to get better?

2.     Why is sleep king? What are some crucial sleep hygiene elements?

3.     What makes nutrition the next important health aspect?

4.     How do you coach athletes in their health and wellness journey?

5.     There is a lot of discussion around athletes’ physical health. What about their mental health, on and off the field?

About Wendi Irlbeck

Wendi Irlbeck, MS, RDN. LD, CISSN is a registered dietitian nutritionist, health & fitness coach, writer, speaker, and former college athlete. Wendi utilizes evidence-based science to create nutrition programs for athletes to optimize performance, minimize health risks, and enhance recovery from training while focusing on injury prevention.

Wendi partners with parents, sports performance staff, special needs and recreational athletes and organizations to eat and fuel for success. Wendi specializes in sports nutrition serving youth athletes as well as collegiate and recreational athletes teaching them the importance of sleep hygiene, stress management, and fundamental foods to fuel performance. She partners with a variety of college and high school programs serving as their contract dietitian. Most recently acquiring contracts with Doane University XC/TF programs in Nebraska as well as the 3rd ranked Nationals Girls Soccer Academy in Detroit, Michigan.

She also partners with corporate wellness organizations, general weight loss clients as well as those simply looking to live a healthier and more fit lifestyle! She earned both her B.S. and M.S. at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Prior to starting her own private practice, she spent time working in corporate wellness, at the University of Florida, and for the dairy council as a sports dietitian. Wendi is based in Nashville, Tennessee but provides onsite and international online coaching and speaking services.

You can reach her at www.nutritionwithwendi.com and on social media @nutrition_with_wendi.

1. What might bring an educator back to teaching from retirement?

2. What were some of the salient changes that you noticed in the middle school student?

3. Is it COVID or screens or both or neither?

4. Middle school student is struggling with learning, grammar, math, spelling, etc. Why?

5. What are some strategies that you employ as a teacher to overcome these challenges?

6. Do you allow cellphones in your classroom?

7. How have smartphones impacted your parenting?

About Rhonda Sillesky

Marketing Director, HGI (Hegemon Group International) and Educator

"This is my 28th year in education. Four years ago, I retired to go into business for myself in financial services, which I still do on the side. I received a call in March 2023 asking me to come back into the classroom and it absolutely felt right, so I jumped back in. After all, it is my passion and I certainly feel it is what I was called to do! In the few months I have been back in the classroom, I have some fascinating observations about some of the changes I have seen in the middle school child in a short four years.

I am the proud mother of two beautiful daughters, 22 and 24 years old. They have always been a big part of my “why” as an educator!”