Humanize - Our Shared Stories

Humanize - And Its Purpose ...

Welcome to Humanize - our shared stories! It is a community devoted to sharing individual stories of epic transformation, real rejuvenation and pivotal moments in time, featuring inspirational leaders and agents of change from around the world.

Emanating from all walks of life, it is through these incredible human stories, lying deep in the souls of our world’s most purpose-driven individuals that are sure to inspire, comfort and support your own life's work. You'll find it’s a spilt second that changes everything - and what comes next not only reshapes a personal trajectory, but also many across the globe.

Join A Community! Spearheaded by the highly-respected leader in wellness, employee wellbeing, corporate culture (and LifeGuides' own) Ryan Picarella, we'll uncover our shared stories of the past, to create new paths together.

Through Humanize, we will be offering special events, plus a variety of resources to share the wisdom of many highly-regarded contributors. And, Ryan is honored to be a featured speaker across several events and conferences, where you'll be the first to be invited to join!

Get To Know Ryan ...

As a pioneering leader in employee wellbeing, wellness, and corporate culture, Ryan Picarella has worked with communities and organizations around the world to ignite healing social movements - to ultimately create long-term, healthy lifestyle changes for millions.

Earlier this year, Ryan joined LifeGuides® as EVP, Growth & Partnerships, after serving more than eight years as the CEO of the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA). Previously, he held several roles with Blue Cross, and other health solutions industry leaders.

With deep experience in organizational culture, Ryan is focused on supporting the LifeGuides® overall mission of being a business as a force for good. With its driving purpose, Ryan is excited to build Humanize into a globally recognized resource, through the holistic perspective encompassing the power of human connection and authentic caring.

Ryan's Take On Humanize - Our Shared Stories ...

The art of sharing stories is as old as the human experience. It transcends age, language, religion - and is a true cultural phenomenon. It is the common fabric connecting us in a beautiful tapestry of our shared human experience. This tapestry quickly becomes a true hero’s journey – it is our journey, our shared journey.

The journey of life, as they say, “it’s not about the destination, it is about the journey.” Or, if you ride motorcycles, “it is all about the ride.” As we are able to recognize, the past shapes the future; our history shapes us today.

Case in point, I have long been fascinated by my own origins, where the previous generations came from and what their stories are. I have even curiously wondered if I had a time machine, where would I go? who would I visit? Throughout history, stories have been foundational in every culture, as some are written, while others are handed down generation to generation, or many have potentially vanished forever. When my grandpa died, he left a journal recounting his experience in WWII, at Pearl Harbor, no less. His stories then continued to the shores of Normandy, watching helplessly as his ship and fellow servicemen were hit by a torpedo. I could feel the emotion in his words and see the tear stains on the pages, as he wrote these stories, so they wouldn’t be lost in time and shared with the generations to follow.

Meanwhile, I have been doing webcasts, podcasts, and other sharing mediums for years, but this time it’s different! After coming to terms with my own struggles, while recognizing the many mistakes I have made and leaning into the beautiful moments of life and successes, it’s time to share all of it, as well as to continue learning from others. It’s not just about loss and struggle. It is about joy and triumph. In all of my years working with some of the world’s most influential leaders, I have discovered there is always a story. The universe works in mysterious ways and in a single moment in time everything can change forever. It isn’t just about coincidences. It is about truth and honoring the events of the past, to further fulfill our present and realize the future.

Humanize is not about me; it is about us. It is about pivotal moments in life that change us forever. Humanize is about authenticity and vulnerability. It is about learning, growing and sharing, so we are all able to elevate consciousness and humanity, together. Humanize is truly about being human, while embracing its pain, but also its beauty and joy. Humanize is about my dream of making the world a better place, one beautiful story at a time. I invite you to join me, along with our (new) community on the journey of hope, inspiration ~ and shared stories.

NEW RELEASE! A Shared Story: Overcoming The Past To Build The Future

Susan Schmitt leads Human Resources for Applied Materials and its more than 20,000 global employees. Susan has more than 25 years of experience in human resources, providing executive leadership for the function most recently at Rockwell Automation, and previously at the Kellogg Company and other organizations. She is the recipient of the Society for Women Engineers’ Global Leadership Team Award, as well as a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources — the highest professional honor for individuals in HR.

In the midst of her numerous successes, her own fears came to light. In particular, she looked to others for validation, as she notes, "I wasn't capable of doing this for myself." In this transparent conversation with Ryan, Susan discusses how her work and the workplace also became the place for her healing. Thus, her acclaimed book, co-authored with Martha Finney, Healing At Work, serves as inspiration to conquer our fears rooted in our past with ways to build the future we all deserve.

A Shared Story: Music & Soothing The Soul

Meet Manas Itene, a Nigerian born musician, self taught drummer, beautiful singer and moving songwriter. Since 2002, he has been the drummer and backing vocalist for Michael Franti & Spearhead, spreading good vibes and positivity. From the age of 16, he started spreading the message of peace and hope with a popular Nigerian Reggae band, where it brought him to the US to record with numerous well-known musicians. Now, Manas has just released his new album, One Accord, with a mix of music genres that are moving, happy, uplifting. We're honored to have a sneak peek with performances and conversation with Ryan.

A Shared Story: Conquering Self-Doubt & Isolation

Meet Leadership Coach and Guru, Eric Kaufmann, with his expertise in developing conscious leaders to be stewards of humanity. His latest book, The Four Virtues of a Leader: Navigating the Hero’s Journey through Risk to Results, teaches the essential virtues shared by successful leaders and how they navigate through uncertainty and anxiety. And, it is his lifelong path he shares with Ryan on this Humanize Story, as Eric's story helps us create a new self-awareness, along with inspiration to be our best self and a happy human.

Humanize - And Its Purpose ...

Get To Know Ryan ...

Ryan's Take On Humanize - Our Shared Stories ...

Enjoy Our Special Humanize Events!

Humanize - Our Shared Stories ... Ryan's Blog

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