Transition is something we can all relate to, as change is universal. Yet such times of major change can cause depression and fear in many, so it is important we talk about the ups and downs of change and empower each other along the way.

My guest today is Krista Guloien, two-time Olympian and silver medalist, who recently released her book, Beyond the Finish Line. As stated in her book summary: “Krista’s forthright tell-all of her journey to the 2012 Summer Olympic rowing podium, as well as what came after, will help you find closure and peace, as well as a safe place to relate, laugh and reflect on the “what next?” after sport.” Krista’s story is so important!

How did you discover your passion and turn your vision into reality?

To inspire you, I asked millennial entrepreneur and recent graduate from Royal Roads University, Alexandra Andrei to share how she turned into reality her passion to “make people feel beautiful and self-confident by using makeup.”

 Today the featured speaker at The Self-Discovery Retreat is Laura Whitfield, a writer and traveller who blogs at laurawhitfieldwriter.com. She is the founder of Defying Small, an online community of visionaries worldwide. She is also writing a memoir, called Defying Small, Embracing Small: How Defining Moments Can Help You Live a Bigger, More Passionate Life. Join Laura on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read her free, downloadable Defying Small Manifesto.

Think you are too quiet to make a difference in the world? Over the years, many of my readers have expressed that because they are “shy, quiet, introverted, and/or sensitive,” they don’t put themselves out there to be seen. I was like that too. During my teens I was extremely shy; I had a hard time performing in public as I didn’t want to be judged negatively. I took supportive roles rather than lead ones. I didn’t want to stand out. I didn’t want the attention. Now, look at me!

Today my guest at The Self-Discovery Retreat is Katherine Mackenzie-Smith, a life coach for introverts, an assistant life coach trainer, a writer, and a speaker. Katherine hails from Australia; her light to empower introverts shines so brightly it resonates around the world! I had to reach out and invite her to share why she speaks from the heart.  Through reading Katherine’s story, passions, and life lessons, I hope you will be empowered on your journey to rise to your platform & shine!

Money. This is a word that keeps coming up as a source of stress in many of the conversations I have been having so I thought we should talk about it. How does this word "money" make you feel?

To join the dialogue, I invited Amanda Abella, an expert on this topic, to speak to us all about helping us all become our best selves by improving our relationships with money.

Amanda Abella is an online business coach, speaker, and author of the Amazon bestselling book, Make Money Your Honey: A Spirited Entrepreneur’s Guide to Having a Love Affair with Work and Money. She is committed to helping millennials (and anyone who wants to join us) have a better relationship with work and money by means of entrepreneurship, online marketing, and an abundance mindset. Thanks, Amanda, for joining us today at The Self-Discovery Retreat.

Today, singer-songwriter Ilana Harkavy is sharing her story, passions, and life lessons with all of us. I’m so grateful Ilana reached out to me by following me on Twitter so I could be introduced to her awesome music and the Just.Girl.  project – a fiery musical movement that empowers girls to embrace their passions, be blatantly honest, and take ownership of their individual struggles. After checking out her work, I had to invite her to be a guest speaker at The Self-Discovery Retreat to encourage us all to rise to our platforms & shine!

Blogging nurtures self-growth; new Southern California psychiatrist Vania Manipod, DO, showcases this. I learned about her blog, Freud & Fashion, a couple months ago through the WordPress blogging community. Vania created her blog while studying for psychiatry, as a therapeutic outlet in her personal and professional development.  Her story is a shining example of how blogging can create positive change in a young person’s life. Today, you’ll hear from Vania herself how blogging nurtured her personal and professional growth as a new young mental health practitioner.

As an entrepreneur and a mental health professional, I know how hard it can be for people to start seeking help because they don’t want to be labeled. According to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, “60% of people with a mental health problem or illness won’t seek help for fear of being labeled.”

So when one of my blogging friends, Amelia, posted an article on Facebook about two passionate Canadian entrepreneurs, Kyle MacNevin (22) and Kayley Reed (21), who are creating a conversation on mental health through fashion, I was curious to hear their stories and learn more about their company, Wear Your Label.

Often, we are so consumed with our own lives and want people to help us, we forget to give back. But this perspective can prevent us from looking outward to see how others need help. Through helping others, I have learned, you help yourself.

If you have been a following The Self-Discovery Retreat, you know that one of my missions is to give you all the support you need to shine on your personal platform, whatever that may be! Today, I want to shine light on and give back to a reader, Ali Berman (Co-Founder of TeenFest Canada), who gives tirelessly to her local community (Victoria, BC).

I’m so excited that today, athlete and entrepreneur Ian Warner is empowering us all to #fuelpersistence through sharing his story, passions, and life lessons. Ian reached out to me through Twitter and after connecting with him through email, I had to invite him to share his story on The Self-Disovery Retreat. I love his passion for life and how he created a company with his brother, also a fellow athlete.

Ian Warner grew up in Toronto, Ontario, where he attended the athletic powerhouse, Birchmount Park Collegiate. There he won provincials 8 times and earned himself an athletic scholarship to Iowa State. At Iowa State, he excelled as an entrepreneur by raising $150,000 from an angel investor. The same year as that investment, he became an NCAA All-American and made the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team.

Happy New Year! For many of us, January marks the beginning of new goals that we set for ourselves. The start of the new calendar year also marks the countdown for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games happening this summer. Therefore, I thought I would set the year off on the right track for all of us by showcasing a mentor of mine, Chandra Crawford, who has excelled in achieving her goals as a Gold-Medal Canadian Olympian and Founder of the organization, “Fast and Female.” I’m excited that today Chandra is sharing her insights to help us all #fuelpersistence in our personal and professional goals. Chandra is a positive role model, who I am honoured to feature on Arianna’s Random Thoughts. With this interview, my hope is that Chandra will empower us all with some practical strategies for achieving our dreams.

Do you ever shy away from sharing anything about yourself with larger audiences?

When starting my journey creating my online platform and sharing my “random thoughts” with a global audience, looking for inspiration I reached out to a well-known educator, author, and entrepreneur to be part of the The Self-Discovery Retreat interview series; she appeared to be really confident as a speaker. However, she wrote back declining, saying: “This probably sounds crazy, but I typically shy away from sharing anything about myself to larger audiences. I purposefully write from a third-person perspective to reflect the voice of humanity.”