The Catalyst with Samantha Kris

A lifetime of planning got Melina exactly where she wanted to be… only to realize that it made her miserable. This realization sparked a panic attack that would change her life. Melina shares her experience stepping away from a successful career in television to pursue her passion and how she discovered her purpose along the way.

Connect with Melina on Instagram and via her website. Be sure to subscribe to her podcast, Don’t Forget Your Lipstick.

Despite having a successful business, Shawn found himself unhappy in his life and in his career. Upon speaking to other business owners and leaders he realized he wasn’t alone, so many people were chasing their dreams and feeling unfulfilled. He knew there needed to be a better way and sought to find it. In this episode Shawn shares his four laws of happiness and explains how they spark transformational change by strengthening your mindset, becoming more disciplined and enabling you to build better habits.

Connect with Shawn on LinkedIn and via his website. Get more of Shawn’s actionable tools by grabbing a copy of The Happy Leader here.

Dan’s girlfriend landed her dream job and there was only one catch… it would require them to move across the country. The idea of being in a new state, working remotely and away from all that was familiar scared him but thanks to his improv community, Dan was taught to follow the fear. He shares how he made the big decision to start over in a new town and how he discovered what is truly important to him in the process.

Connect with Dan on LinkedIn and via his website.

In this candid conversation, Laura Wizman opens up about becoming a new mom, making the difficult decision to leave a family business, finding the strength to pursue her own path and discovering herself through it all.

Follow Laura on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, and stay up to date on her latest events via her website.

Kern Carter’s life changed forever when he found out he was going to be a father at the age of 18. After years of feeling ashamed and guilty for not giving his daughter the life he felt she deserved, he made a choice that would change everything, one he discovered he was actually preparing for his entire life. Kern reminds us that we are in control of our own story and our best chapters are yet to be written.

Follow Kern’s journey on Instagram, Medium and his website. Follow his work with Cry Magazine here. 

At just 11 years old, Solange Tuyishime escaped from war and genocide in East Africa, left everything she knew behind and started a new life in Canada. For years she ignored who she really was and silenced her biggest dreams in effort to belong. Today as President and CEO of Elevate International, a UNICEF Ambassador and Mrs. Canada World 2021, Solange empowers women and girls to become strong leaders and create environments in which they can belong and thrive in.

Connect with Solange on Instagram or through her website.

Being busy is honored, encouraged, and expected, so much so that what we do has become the definition of who we are. Renée Dineen believes this crippling dependency on ‘doing’ is triggering burn-out, damaging relationships, and is resulting in a loss of our sense of self. In this episode Renée shares the power of Authentic Inaction™ and reminds us that just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Listen to learn how you can get ahead and feel happier by fighting the urge to ‘do’.

Watch Renée’s TEDx talk, Authentic Inaction: Undoing the Doing in a Do Crazy World, follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn, and learn more about her services via her website. Renée’s book, The Art & Truth of Transformation for Women, is available on Amazon.

Rachel Weinstock was outcast and bullied most of her life. She was only 6 years old when she first had suicidal thoughts and even when the bullying stopped, the long-lasting trauma turned her against herself. Today she is a speaker and transformational coach who has dedicated her life to creating safe and empowering spaces for every child. In this episode she shares how we can rally to end bullying once and for all.

Connect with Rachel on Facebook and Instagram. Get more information via her website and community page. Watch her viral speech here.

Matchmaker and Dating Expert, Kavita Ajwani, joins The Catalyst for a special Valentine’s Day episode to talk about how dating has changed since the pandemic hit. Kavita shares tips on how to make the most of online dating, she offers tools to build your confidence, and she dishes on the absolute biggest dating faux pas. If you’re looking for love this Valentine’s Day, you’ve come to the right place.

Follow Kavita and Dashing Date on Instagram and learn more about Dashing Date's services on Facebook or via their website. 

2019 Kentucky State Teacher of the Year, Jessica Dueñas was a pillar of strength and positivity in her community but behind closed doors, she was battling with addiction and fighting for her life. She chose herself and her sobriety above all else, which meant walking away from everything she knew and starting over. She shares her journey of getting sober to help others who are in a similar situation and in desperate need of change.

Follow Jessica on Twitter, connect with her via her website and check out her article which was referenced in this episode here.