Mastering Midlife Podcast

Becoming a CEO with Pencil Data's Val Bercovicci

    Val Bercovici is the Founder & CEO of PencilDATA. He describes PencilDATA as a lie detector for data, but from a broader perspective, it’s a company that offers cybersecurity software that seeks to detect and prevent cyber breaches. Val has extensive experience working in executive positions as well as hands-on experience with cloud storage and data management innovations, Big Data, and storage architecture.   Val joins me today to share what it’s like being a CEO, the challenges...

Winning Through Generosity and Service with James Boening

Encore: Conquering Grief and Battling Your Way Back to Happiness with Richard Pryor

MM056 The Most Effective | Useful | Freeing | Spiritual Tool I’ve Ever Learned   It is documented (see below in links) that Dr. Hew Len, a Prominent Hawaiian Psychiatrist, healed over 200 inmates in a hospital for the clinically insane.  If his tool for this miracle can accomplish that, it can help you and I make better choices.   When things aren’t going the way they “should be” (the way I want them to) When I have a Resentment When I need to make a difficult choice When someth...

Encore: The Most Effective Useful Freeing Spiritual Tool I've Ever Learned

MM072 – Conquering Grief and Battling Your Way Back to Happiness with Richard Pryor   Richard grew up in Revere, MA, a small city outside of Boston. After graduating high school, he then dropped out of college after a couple of months. He went to work in an airline kitchen where he met his wife of 29 years, Barbara. One year later, Barbara gave birth to Richie on November 17, 1987. Three years later, they were blessed with Matthew. Richard decided that he didn’t want to work a blue-colla...

Encore: Hacking Life Through Improved Productivity With Demir Bentley

MM048 Hacking Life Through Improved Productivity with Demir Bentley   Demir Bentley is a nationally recognized Productivity and Performance Coach. He and his wife, Carey, founded Lifehack Bootcamp, a company that creates programs that allow people to pursue happy and successful lives through increased productivity and fewer working hours. He has been featured in multiple publications such as Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post and has been featured as an expert guest...

Encore: Former NFL Player Anthony Trucks: What Do You Do When Your Identity is Suddenly Taken Away?

MM057 - Former NFL Player Anthony Trucks: What Do You Do When Your Identity is Suddenly Taken Away?   Anthony Trucks is a former NFL superstar, author, American Ninja Warrior, and Founder of Modifidentity. Modifidentity is a coaching company that aims to help individuals find their real purpose in life and become who they want to be by employing identity modifications. He credits who he is today to the kind of rough upbringing he had experienced, particularly when he was given away when ...

Encore: The Profound Freedom Found in A Self Forgiveness Practice

MM082 – The Profound Freedom Found in a Self-Forgiveness Practice   Confession.  Atonement.  A fearless and searching self-inventory (AA).  Religion, 12 Step Programs and self-help are full of exercises helping us take stock and finding forgiveness with the help of others or a higher power. What I find often lacking is one more step.  Self-Forgiveness.  The act of letting ourselves off the hook once another person or G-d does.     “The ego uses these things that we haven’t forgiv...

Encore: Being Brave, Facing Dragons and Coming Back Stronger with Rachel Martin

MM035 Being Brave, Facing Dragons and Coming Back Stronger with Rachel Martin   Rachel Martin is a full-time blogger at FindingJoy.net as well as a public speaker, podcaster, and marketer. She is an advocate of women empowerment, especially for moms who believe the rest of their lives will revolve around being a mother. She is a featured contributing author for multiple publications such as The Huffington Post, The Today Show, Motherly, Parents Magazine, and What to Expect. Additionally,...

Encore: Global Executive, Wife, Mother, Daughter. Managing the Landmines with Helen Appleby

    Helen brings her years of experience managing a billion-dollar business, raising a family and juggling the responsibility that comes with having it all. Our conversation explores the unique journey being a woman climbing the corporate ladder, the constant pull of being a working mother and how to win this marathon (hint, don’t sprint it).     Helen Appleby is an Executive Coach and the author of “The Unwritten Rules of Women’s Leadership,” book and workshop series. Prior to bei...

Encore: Lets Talk About Your Posse' You Gotta Have One

MM027 Let’s Talk About Your Posse’ with Mark J. Silverman   You are the sum total of the 5, 10, or 2 people you hang around with.  They are a reflection of you, they influence you and they are a huge part of the quality of your life and production.  Choose wisely. A bad Posse’ can result in misguided adventures.  No Posse’ can be isolated with all the health and well-being consequences it brings.   Too many of us wake up in Mid-life to find out we do not have a deep bench of friend...

Encore: Sustainable Success for the Ambitious Woman with Dr. Mandy Lehto

Encore: Five Questions That Will Determine Your Future Health with Dr. Marta Illueca

Dr. Marta Illueca has over 30 years of experience in the medical healthcare industry which includes pediatric medical education and a decade of clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry. She also holds a Certificate of Advanced Study in Pain Topics from the Public Health and Professional Degree Programs at Tufts Medical School. Additionally, she is an ordained deacon at the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware and has a unique, three-prong approach to achieve her vocational goals. She is on ...

Encore: No One Size Fits All

    There is no “one size fits all” answer when it comes to achieving success in life, in business, or in our personal development. We often hear that the best way to achieve success is by being authentic. While authenticity certainly helps others relate to you, your beliefs, and your values, it is not the single-most-important factor you need to achieve your goals - especially regarding your personal growth and development.   Today, I explain how authenticity and professionalism eac...

Encore: Former Gang Member Turned Marketing Exec Turned Performance Coach Mike Rosenfeld Talks Reinvention

MM041 Former Gang Member Turned Marketing Exec Turned Performance Coach, Mike Rosenfeld Talks Reinvention.   Mike Rosenfeld is a Peak Performance Coach, motivational speaker, strategist, and Breathwork Therapist. He works with high-performance athletes, celebrities, CEOs and corporations, providing them with effective tools and strategies essential to achieve success. His unique and practical 5-step “PLAY BIG. NEVER SETTLE” program helps people create extraordinary results in all areas o...

Encore: Healing Difficult and Dysfunctional Relationships with Phil Goddard

MM036 Healing Difficult and Dysfunctional Relationships with Phil Goddard   Phil Goddard is an internationally renowned life & relationship coach, speaker, leadership consultant, and lover of life and humanity.  He is a published author and the host of The Coaching Life Podcast.  His work centers around transforming relationships and leadership through developing a deeply grounded understanding of the principles behind our human experience and the nature of how our experience of life is ...

Encore: The Complicated Art of Adulting

Encore: The Fine Art of Adulting

Encore: Fatherhood, Leadership and Legacy With Devon Bandison

MM051 Fatherhood, Leadership and Legacy with Devon Bandison   Devon Bandison is an internationally recognized success coach, TEDx speaker, fatherhood authority, and the author of Fatherhood is Leadership, a book that helps fathers be more engaged with their families while also being successful in their career. He has worked with Fortune 100 companies, professional athletes and sports teams, and top business and life coaches across the globe. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administ...

Encore: How An Exciting Personal Life Adds Rocket Fuel to Your Career with Uneeb Khan

MM025 How an Exciting Personal Life Adds Rocket Fuel to Your Career with Uneeb  Khan   "Uneeb Khan is an Electrical Engineering and with one of the most prominent engineering companies in the nation. He was presented The Propel Leadership award in 2016 and a teaching award in 2017. Uneeb's expertise has allowed him to work on high-profile projects such as the World Trade Center (Freedom Tower), several United Nations Buildings, and many other named institutions. Uneeb craft fully execute...

Encore: A New Way to Look at the Burden of Responsibility

MM053:  A New Way to Look at The “Burden” of Responsibility How do I lift the heaviness and the burden of the dictionary’s definition of “Responsibility?”  “The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.  Synonyms: blame, fault, guilt, culpability, liability” By redefining it as “The Ability to Respond.”   “Any time our behavior is in reaction to ‘not wanting to be something’ it becomes unsustainable.” – Mark Silverman     Today o...

Encore Former Big League Sports Coach Talks Habits, Presence and Evolution

MM025 Alan Stein Jr., Former Big League Sports Coach, Talks Habits, Presence, and Evolution   Alan Stein, Jr. is a former big league sports and performance coach turned motivational speaker who individuals, audiences, and organizations discover techniques and strategies to improve their performance, increase accountability, and raise their game to be the best they can be. As a highly sought-after keynote speaker, he has presented on various stages and at workshops and training seminars s...

Encore Dealing with Grief in All Area of Our Life with Diana Bonnici

    Midlife brings grief in all flavors. Yes, death and loss of loved ones, but also in job loss, fading youth and vitality, heck – even losing your phone. Diana helps us understand how grief presents itself (it’s not always how we think), how to process and ultimately move through to find the gifts and deeper experiences. Having just lost my mother and my dog in last few days, every word she offered has been spot on. For a better understanding of the Grief Wheel, please download a cop...

Encore: Show Me Your To-Do List, And I'll Show You What You Value

MM031 Show Me Your To-do List, and I’ll Show You What You Value Your To-do List.  Your Calendar.  Your Credit Card Statement.  They hold invaluable information.  They tell us where you put your resources.  Your time.  Your attention.  Your funds. The first step to freedom, in other words, the ability to make different choices, is to get conscious.  Look these things in the eye and question.  Decide.  Choose.  You want to know why your life looks as it does (good or bad)?  Where you aim you...

Encore Midlife, Mental Health and Suicide with Paul McGregor

    Paul is a force of nature when it comes to influencing us all to take a look at our state of mind. He uses his powerful experiences, having his father committing suicide at a young age, to get us and all of society to bring Mental Health conversations out of the shadows. In this episode, we talk about the signs to look for, the tools to avail yourself of and the dangers of “social perfectionism.” You will not want to miss this one for yourself or a loved one. We are all effected.  ...

How to Transform Your Limitations into Advantages with Mark Barden

Mark Barden is a Partner at eatbigfish, a highly-renowned consultation company that takes on the challenges of moving an established brand higher up the ranks through market research and effective business strategies. He is the co-author of A Beautiful Constraint, a book that teaches readers to highlight the constraints in their lives and view them in a positive manner that leads to solutions. Mark has plenty of experience with improving the business positions of high-profile brands such as ...

Jason Goldberg Hands You The Keys To Your Own Prison Cell

Today on Mastering Midlife What does an award-winning entrepreneur, a TEDx Speaker, a bacon- atarian (that’s a vegetarian who still eats bacon), a funky sock lover, a former rapper (who opened for the Wu-Tang Clan - YES, really!) and a previously 332lb man (who has since lost over 130lbs despite his affinity for bacon) have in common?  They are all the same guy.   Join Jason and I as we discuss that transformational moment from the victim of life to the owner of our experience and ho...

Jason Goldberg Hands You The Keys Your Own Prison Cell

Today on Mastering Midlife What does an award-winning entrepreneur, a TEDx Speaker, a bacon- atarian (that’s a vegetarian who still eats bacon), a funky sock lover, a former rapper (who opened for the Wu-Tang Clan - YES, really!) and a previously 332lb man (who has since lost over 130lbs despite his affinity for bacon) have in common?  They are all the same guy.   Join Jason and I as we discuss that transformational moment from the victim of life to the owner of our experience and ho...

Trusting Yourself To Move from Corporate to a "Portfolio" Career with Brady Sadler

Brady Sadler is an entrepreneur, executive producer, and author of Collaboration Is King, a book that highlights the importance of brand partnerships and introduces brands and leaders that are spearheading innovation. He co-founded Double Elvis Productions, a podcast production, and development company that focuses o original podcasts with an emphasis on pop culture and music. Brady is also someone who actively works with nonprofits and funds entrepreneurs through angel investing. Brady j...

Encore: Loving the Quiet After the Distractions

MM059 Loving the Quiet After the Distractions   So, you’ve cleared the distractions.  The chaos has quieted down.  Now what?  They say nothing is more frightening than the “blank canvas.”    Your nervous system is acclimated to the chaos and the overwhelm Calm.  Space.  Are foreign to our nervous system, so it thinks something is wrong. It takes time to let the dust settle and learn to create rather than react. In time, you will learn to love the quiet, the calm, and the space ...

Encore Episode: How to Have Productive Conversations With People Different From You

 MM054 How to Have Productive Conversations With People Different From You Frederick Jefferson III is the Senior V.P. of Jefferson and Associates, a consulting and executive coaching firm focused on organizational diversity and inclusion in the 21st century. As an executive leadership coach, he has over 20 years of international experience coaching clients in the areas of organization change management, action learning, strategic communications, and change management. He is also part of th...

What to do When Things Aren't Firing on all Cylinders with Mitch Schneider

  Mitch Schneider refers to himself as a Change Agent and Chief Thought Provoker. He champions the idea of assessing one’s self and looking for solutions in times of crisis. He is the author of Misfire: What To Do When Things Aren’t Running On All Cylinders where he tells the story of a business owner’s unorthodox path to success. Mitch has over 40 years of experience in the automotive industry and cites this as the reason behind the way his book is titled.   Mitch joins me today to d...

Baby Shark, The World Series and Improbable Success

  What does a children’s song have to do with a major sporting event and business success? Well, nothing…and everything. What started out as a “pick me up” for a slumping baseball player, turned into a crowd pleasing, fire igniting phenomena propelling one of the worst teams in baseball, to the World Series.   Now, is this success due entirely to a song? No. But it is one ingredient needed to create incredible, and yes, improbable success.   Today on Mastering Midlife   Join me...

How We Created a Loving Divorce with Robin (and Mark) Silverman

Before Robin Silverman was a mother and homemaker, she could be found behind the video camera producing award-winning videos for both business and artistic ends.  But Robin did not stay behind the scenes.  For years, she used her Master’s Degree in Interpretation (ASL) from Gallaudet University to pioneer signing/performing music lyrics on screen and on stage.  She has performed with world-class artists like Garth Brooks, Bruce Springsteen and at the Opryland Hotel with Vince Gill.  After ye...

The Five Money Conversations to Have with Your Kids with Scott and Bethany Palmer

Bethany and Scott Palmer are the authors of The 5 Money Conversations to Have with Your Kids at Every Age and Stage and the founders of The Money Couple. Their ultimate goal is to put a dent in the divorce rates in the US that are caused by money problems. They use their wisdom and experience as financial advisors for over 25 years to salvage marriages that would have been ruined by issues with wealth management. They’re currently eyeing the younger generation and seek to give parents sage ...

The Hustle, The Grind, The Driven Part 1

I know what I do for a living.  I know what I do for my clients and my audience.  But… articulating that, helping people understand in a conversation, isn’t always easy.  So I work with branding and marketing people to help make my messaging more accessible.  In the next few Friday podcasts I will be talking through, what I call, the stages of midlife leadership.  We will explore both the challenges and the opportunity in each stage and how to ready yourself for the next one.   “If I can...

Speak the Same Money Language and Save Your Marriage with Scott and Bethany Palmer

After watching so many couples struggle over money, Scott & Bethany Palmer set out to find out why. After a decade of research with a Stanford scientist, they cracked the code to stop the money issues that so often lead to divorce. They discovered that money “issues” aren’t really about dollars and cents -- the real problem is a couple’s struggle to communicate about and agree on money. They developed The 5 Money Personalities to help couples understand their own unique perspectives and be...

Jody Vehr Talks About Her Journey From Abuse to Freedom and Self Forgiveness

  Jody Vehr is the Co-owner and Dream Manager of Timney USA and the author of Just Hit Send, a memoir that puts the spotlight on more than just knowing your vulnerabilities but also learning how to forgive yourself. Shortcomings, and past mistakes, she wants readers to know you have to find time for self-forgiveness to discover inner peace. Jody holds a degree in Spiritual Psychology, which she obtained from the University of Santa Monica - a degree that greatly supported her ability to he...

Navigating Transition and Loss to Embrace Change and Growth

I have never lived more than walking distance from my kids.  That is about to change and I have…. “feelings.”  Transition, change, perceived loss, it’s all part of the game.  Since it is an inevitable reality we might as well get graceful with it.     Be Part of the Show - Ask Mark Anything   Do you have a question for Mark or one of his guests? A suggestion? Your own tip for thriving in this time of career and life? Please, share with us. Go to my podcast page www.markjsilverman.c...

Dr. Will Cole Unravels The Confusion Around Getting And Staying Healthy

Dr. Will Cole, IFMCP,D.C. leading functional-medicine expert, consults people around the world via webcam and locally in Pittsburgh. He specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing health programs for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal dysfunctions, digestive disorders, and brain problems. Dr. Cole was named one of the top 50 functional-medicine and integrative doctors in the nation and is a health expert and course instructor f...

Lessons From an Elite Army Ranger On Life, Business and Leadership with Captain Joseph Sacchetti

Captain Joseph Sacchetti is the Global Vice President of Channel Sales for KeyedIn Solutions. KeyedIn Solutions offers solutions for project and portfolio management, service automation, and manufacturing ERP. He also served two tours in Iraq with the US Army Rangers and was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions in combat. After the military, Joe successfully transitioned to business, working in pharmaceuticals, and then the technology field. He is also the author of the upcoming book, Lea...

What I Learn From Talent Show Contestants

I am a sucker for talent shows.  The more dramatic the story, the more drawn in I am.  It is my “guilty pleasure” if you will.  But behind the production and the obvious emotional manipulation, are real people.  And these real people are willing to put themselves out there, in front of the world, to be judged on their talent, or their lack of it.  There is a lot to learn from their example.   “My heart breaks wide open when I see military return home videos, talent show videos, and rando...

You Don't Have to be Ruthless To Win with Jonathan Keyser

  Jonathan Keyser is the founder and thought leader behind Keyser, the largest occupier services commercial real estate brokerage firm in Arizona. Through sheer determination and focus on selfless service, Jonathan is disrupting the commercial real estate (CRE) industry, and beyond. An Inc. 5000 company, Keyser has rapidly become one of the fastest growing firms of its kind in the country, serving companies and their real estate needs globally. Award winning and nationally recognized, Keys...

How to Turn Your Weakness Into Your Superpower with David Rendall

David Rendall is a keynote speaker known for providing unconventional or unorthodox strategies to help entrepreneurs and executives boost employee engagement, teamwork, and overall productivity. He is the author of the book The Freak Factor, where he talks about unleashing your uniqueness by flaunting your weaknesses. David’s charisma is due to his experience in stand-up comedy as well as being a leadership professor before his current career as a speaker.   David joins me today to dis...

Episode 100 Celebration: Mark Answers YOUR Questions

MM100 Episode 100 Celebration – Mark Answers Listener Questions   100 Episodes!  You, the listeners and guests, rock.  What a privilege to be able to share so much valuable wisdom in such a short period of time with so many people.  Today, I answer YOUR questions.  Keep them coming and we can make this a regular thing.   “It’s ok to experience the pressure and the stress of the game… as long as you remember it is a game.” – Mark J. Silverman   Today on Mastering Midlife:   Q...

How to Make a Career Change That Actually Works with Career Coach Michael Alan Tate

Michael Alan Tate has been an executive consultant and career coach for more than 20 years. He is the founder and president of On the Same Page Consulting, as well as an inspiring speaker and author. His first book, Design a Life that Works, teaches how to balance business, career, family and personal values in an individual strategic life plan. Mike’s latest book, The White Shirt, is a career parable with tools to create successful career move strategies.   Michael’s experience and wisd...

Transforming Anxiety Instead of Managing it with Titus Kahoutek and Katie McKenna

Titus Kahoutek is the co-founder of Heroics Training Systems, a company that helps innovators, leaders, and organizations to optimize their performance and lead enriching lives by reintegrating their body and mind and empowering their potential. He is a coach, speaker, and trainer that is fascinated by the human potential and human landscape.   Katie McKenna is the founder of a private integrative counseling and nutrition practice that uses a unique and integrative approach to foster phy...

We Can't Change Our Story Until We Know Our Story

Childhood trauma’s still run us.  Big or small, the experiences we had and the decisions we made from them, inform everything we think and do today.  These beliefs and tools we learned in childhood, that worked then, no longer work today.   “We can’t change our story till we know our story.” – Mark J. Silverman   Today on Mastering Midlife:   The beliefs, the conditioning, the tools we developed, that worked when we were young, are brought into adult life, and don’t work anymore. ...

You Built an Amazing Business, Now You Want to Create What's Next with Brandon Green

  In 2006, Brandon Green co-founded the Keller Williams Capital Properties real estate organization and together with his partners built it into a regional network of 8 offices and $2 billion in annual sales in a little more than a decade. Nationally recognized for business growth and achievement, he dealt with countless stakeholders and managed a wide diversity of people in an industry that is undergoing massive structural and economic change. Brandon believes impact-focused businesses ma...

How to Lose The Weight With Love and Forgiveness with Nadine Larder

Nadine Larder is an artist, public speaker, and the founder and CEO of Printer Bees, an online printing and full-service marketing company. She is the author of The Secrets I Share With My Friends, a book aimed at helping entrepreneurs find direction and build lucrative businesses. As a mother of five children, she describes parenthood as one of life’s greatest teachers and one of the best and most rewarding aspects of her life.   Nadine joins me today to share her weight loss journey an...

Whitney Houston... What if?

  Whitney Houston had a Midlife Crisis. It looked like the tried and true tragic story of superstardom and crash, but it followed the same road we all trudge. The scenario was spectacular, the characters larger than life, and the fall, horribly public but Whitney’s story is one many of us can relate to if we actually thought about it. In this episode I share my take on what happened, and what might have been.     “Had she survived her midlife crisis, I have to wonder, what would her ...