HOLISTIC ROASTERS :: COFFEE

Food and drink on the go!? Yes…with GoLidZ! Founder and CEO Bonnie Strominger joins Justin to discuss launching GoLidZ, building the brand, and bringing the product to the food and beverage industry in this best-of-ContenderCast episode!

Rick Clark, Georgia Tech’s director of undergraduate admissions joins Justin to discuss the college admissions process – tactics that work and a few that don’t!! Rick joins Justin to share his admissions experiences on this best-of-ContenderCast episode.

Stepparents tend to get a bad rap. Odds are, your first encounter with the role was through the archetype of an evil stepmother in a fairy tale like Cinderella. The cultural narrative depicts stepparents as a negative force in the life of a child—either ignoring, taking advantage, or actively working against them! Monique Honaman is on a mission to change the narrative. She has joined forces with her husband, Justin, to write BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! A Child’s Guide to Understanding the Role of a Step-Parent. The picture book illustrates the positive role a bonus parent can play, not to replace either parent—but to be a ‘bonus’ trusted adult in the child’s life. Monique has also written two books for adults on the topic of divorce, The High Road Has Less Traffic and The High Road Has Less Traffic … and a Better View. Today, Monique joins Katherine to share the inspiration for BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! She explains the message of the book and what she has learned from reader feedback. Monique discusses her own experience, offering advice on how to include the kids as you build a strong blended family. Listen in and learn how to avoid competition between step- and biological parents and reframe the stepparent as an additional positive role model—a BONUS! Topics Covered The impetus for BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! The messages behind BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! Bonus vs. replacement No superheroes Value words How competition between biological and stepparents puts kids in an unfair place Monique’s guidance for adults who feel threatened by stepparents Empathize with children Conversation with bonus parent Set ground rules, expectations The pros and cons of bonus parents who don’t have kids of their own What Monique learned in writing BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! Applies to diverse situations beyond divorce Why the ‘core parent’ should handle issues like discipline How the bonus parent can serve as a trusted role model in a child’s life Monique’s advice for putting together a strong blended family The common thread among Monique’s High Road books and BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! Monique’s mission to change the narrative around what it means to be a stepparent Connect with Monique Honaman Monique’s Website: http://highroadlesstraffic.com/ Bonus Dad and Bonus Mom Website: www.contenderbrands.com/bonus-dad-bonus-mom/ Resources BONUS Dad! BONUS Mom! A Child’s Guide to Understanding the Role of a Step-Parent by Justin and Monique Honaman: amazon.com/BONUS-Childs-Guide-Understanding-Step-Parent/dp/1940237084 The High Road Has Less Traffic: Honest Advice on the Path Through Love and Divorce by Monique A. Honaman: amazon.com/High-Road-Has-Less-Traffic/dp/0615375340 The High Road Has Less Traffic … and a Better View by Monique A. Honaman: amazon.com/High-Road-Has-Less-Traffic/dp/1940237033 Janis Abrahms Spring: www.janisaspring.com/ National Stepfamily Resource Center: www.stepfamilies.info/ Connect with Katherine Miller The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/ Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/ Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1

Reacting with aggression feels good in the moment, powerful even. Perhaps you believe that taking the high road in the divorce process puts you at a disadvantage, making you look weak—as if you’re letting the other person off the hook for their behavior. But Monique Honaman argues that the next best decision is not the one born from anger. In fact, the smart choices that work for your family long-term require the presence of mind to take emotion out of the equation. Monique had no aspirations to write a book. But as she navigated her own divorce, Monique received phone call after phone call from women with questions about the process. After a conversation around collaborative divorce at an unrelated business conference, someone suggested that Monique write a book. That night in her hotel room, she sat down with her laptop and outlined the chapters that would become The High Road Has Less Traffic. Since then, Monique has written a follow-up, The High Road Has Less Traffic and a Better View. Today, she joins Katherine to share the meaning behind her shrewd titles, explaining why taking the high road is not synonymous with weakness. Monique speaks to her experience with collaborative divorce, discussing how a professional team can facilitate the division of assets and drafting of a parenting plan. Listen in for Monique’s insight around determining your end game and leveraging the power of forgiveness to free yourself and move forward. Topics Covered The isolation and fear experienced by people in the divorce process Monique’s definition of ‘the high road’ Why the next best decision is not always the easiest The benefit of making decisions from a place of logic rather than emotion How to consider the long-term impact of your choices Why Monique is a proponent of the collaborative divorce process How a professional team helped facilitate Monique’s divorce Parenting plan Division of assets The differences between a collaborative and a litigious, traditional divorce The value of assessing your end game in the divorce process The misconception that the law is interested in the facts that led to divorce Monique’s insight on the power of forgiveness Doesn’t mean excusing behavior Frees you up to move forward Connect with Monique Honaman Monique’s Website: http://highroadlesstraffic.com Resources The High Road Has Less Traffic: Honest Advice on the Path Through Love and Divorce by Monique A. Honaman: amazon.com/High-Road-Has-Less-Traffic/dp/0615375340 The High Road Has Less Traffic … and a Better View by Monique A. Honaman: amazon.com/High-Road-Has-Less-Traffic/dp/1940237033/ Janis Abrahms Spring: www.janisaspring.com/ Connect with Katherine Miller The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/ Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/ Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1