share your stories

Erick Escalante is an improviser and creative performer from San Diego, CA.  Erick took acting classes all throughout high school and college, but he tried his first official improv class in June 2021, when he decided to take a Level 1 class at Finest City Improv.

Before that, Erick was struggling with depression and addicted to getting high and/or drunk to numb himself from the emotions. He says he was "comfortable in the laziness of not wanting to live." When he started taking improv classes, he realized that being high during class wasn't helping him keep up with the scenes or stay present. He didn't feel like he was doing well in the classes and wanted to be a better improviser. By Level 4 class, he decided to quit drugs and alcohol cold turkey, and he has been sober ever since!

The improv community helped Erick to keep going with his sobriety and allowed him to be more sociable and creative and feel alive again. Making people laugh has become Erick's new dopamine hit and addiction. Erick has now been sober for more than a year and a half, and he credits improv for changing his life and saving his life.  

Erick has fully immersed himself in the improv world, which has opened up other opportunities for him to perform at San Diego Comic Con and be a Scare Actor at the Balboa Park Haunted Trails. During this episode, Erick shares all about these experiences and performances, which he never would have done or even tried if he was getting high all the time. 

Congratulations to Erick for doing the hard inner work and continuing to stay sober — every day sober is a day to celebrate! And improv was the catalyst for helping him make that positive change. I am proud of you, Erick, and we are all proud of you! <3 

You can find out more about Erick here: 

• Instagram - @greyfoxalias 
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GreyFoxAlias
• Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@greyfox0986
• Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/greyfoxalias
• Voicebox San Diego Instagram - @voicebox_san_diego
• Finest City Improv Calendar/Shows - https://www.finestcityimprov.com/theater/
• The Dinner Detective San Diego - https://www.thedinnerdetective.com/san-diego/
• Balboa Park Haunted Trails - https://hauntedtrail.net/

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• Email: Dayna@improvlyspeaking.com
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• Join the Mailing List - https://www.improvlyspeaking.com/mailing-list
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Today, I interview Trish Tonaj. Trish was the firstborn, and her parents encouraged her to be herself, which meant a childhood full of art. She loved to paint anytime she got the chance. She even took classes in school. However, when she was reaching the end of high school and beginning to forge a path for her life, her father suddenly discouraged the idea of her becoming an artist, despite having paid for lots of classes and extracurricular art activities. He told her she would never make any money. Trish was shocked.

With that, she chose to go into marketing instead. She was still able to use it as a creative outlet, developing lots of programs and tools to help her clients succeed. In her corporate career, Trish never really had a problem speaking when giving presentations. She says that's because she was talking about the company – she wasn't sharing personal details about herself. She wasn't speaking from her heart.

Later, she paused and considered her future. She decided to make a change and follow her passion to become an artist. She was going to be marketing something different: herself. She began facilitating storytelling outlets and rediscovering her love for art.

Trish got into photography, watercolor, oil painting, and drawing, and finally chose acrylic painting. She says the challenge as an artist is to connect your own heart to that of the buyer. You have to find the right way to create something that will bring joy to both hearts. It's a psychological assessment of what the client really wants to see and why.

When she began her own projects and writing her own material, that's when the stage fright crept in. She was putting herself out there in a truly personal way. She was afraid she'd forget what she wanted to say. She found that the best way to build her confidence was to "practice, practice, practice".

Over the years as her programs and goals have evolved, her marketing has evolved along with it. Trish believes that everyone has a story to tell and that all we need is the right platform and the opportunity to share those stories. She believes that sharing our own life experiences helps others. She points out the importance of giving ourselves permission to revisit who we are and where we're going, and to make changes along the way.

__________________

Trish Tonaj is an award-winning marketing consultant, author, and founder of ShareYourStories.online, and is following her passion for the arts and trading a pen for a paintbrush as an artist.

Trish started painting at an early age. Her work is best described as abstract and whimsical using pure color. Whether you hang her work outside or indoors, enjoy a splash of color to highlight your personal space. She invites you to explore your own creativity in a series of workshops “Colour Outside the Lines”, designed for corporate teams and entrepreneurs. Her work is found in Europe, the United States, and Canada.

As a published author and speaker, she has two books: Breaking Barriers: 10 Entrepreneurial Women Share Their Stories and A Diary of Change: 12 Personal Tools.

Trish is the founder of shareyourstories.online, an international marketing platform featuring business stories and sharing great ideas. She is the host for Business Mentorship; Keepin’ It Real, live and unscripted interviews introducing you to the person behind the logo.

Find Trish here:

https://trishtonaj.com/ https://ca.linkedin.com/in/trishtonaj 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/shareyourstories-online/?viewAsMember=true
https://www.instagram.com/trish_tonaj/?hl=en 
https://www.facebook.com/trishtonaj/ 
https://www.facebook.com/Phaze2inc 

I’m Dr. Doreen Downing and I help people find their voice so they can speak without fear. Get the Free 7-Step Guide to Fearless Speaking https://www.doreen7steps.com​.

Chloelle Bond Business Specialist and Consultancy shared her stories on how she went from an abusive relationship to MILLIONAIRE MONEY VIBE.

WEB: SACRELC.COM
INSTAGRAM: @MILLMONEYVIBE

Contact Christelle (host of Love Life After)

• Tweet us at @LoveLifeAfter
• Follow us on instagram @love.lifeafter
• Email us at lovelifeafter18@gmail.com
• Leave us a review on our YouTube chanel https://youtube.com/@lovelifeafterpodcast6174
• Support our show https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lovelifeafter
• Subcribe https://www.buzzsprout.com/250080/support
• Shop https://love-life-after.myspreadshop.com

Thank you for your support and thanks for listening!

Podcast Guest: Terri Tonkin

Www.connectwithin.com.au
Insta: connectwithinau
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/terri-tonkin
Facebook: facebook.com/terri.tonkin.3
Facebook: facebook.com/connectwithinmindsetlifecoach

Podcast Host Abby Yoong

https://www.facebook.com/abbyyoong

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-yoong-709340188/

Grab my free book here

https://tinyurl.com/yc72afzx

It’s been one year since the start of Bad Right Breast, and we’re going to take a summer hiatus after next week’s episode.  We’re preparing to return in the fall with three new series:  Motherless Daughters, Artists’ Stories & Meta Stories.  If you feel you have a story to tell in any of these categories, please reach out to us as we’d love to share it.  Next week, will be our first episode in the Meta Stories series.

Music by Becca Ayers
Graphic Art by Justin West
Website Design by Alec Addalia

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WEBSITE:  www.BadRightBreast.com