Dr. Stephanie Romero welcomes Dr. Cindy Tananis—retired education professor, evaluation expert, and Board Trustee at City Charter High School. Dr. Tananis reflects on her 30+ years in recovery, sharing how early pain led her to embrace community fellowship and mindful presencing. Drawing from their shared history during Dr. Romero’s doctoral dissertation, Stephanie and Cindy explore the need to humanize educational systems, rethink traditional evaluation metrics, and remain open-hearted learners throughout every stage of life.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode

• Book: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi – Referenced during the discussion on cultivating a "beginner's mind" and letting go of expert status.
• Community & Framework: 12-Step Recovery Programs & Fellowship – Highlighted as a primary pillar of recovery, community support, and personal presencing.
• Educational Institution: City Charter High School (Pittsburgh, PA) – A public charter school serving as a laboratory for collaborative learning where Dr. Tananis serves on the Board of Trustees.
• Tool: Generative AI as a Thought Partner – Recommended by Dr. Tananis as a patient, open-ended tool for asking big questions, testing ideas, and refining inquiry without judgment.

By becoming a Bridge Builder today, your recurring monthly gift creates a reliable foundation for our community. You guarantee that when a grieving parent, an exhausted educator, or a neighbor facing trauma reaches out, Awaken Pittsburgh can answer the call. Go to https://awakenpittsburgh.org/support/ to give today!

Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com)

Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting.

The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh!

Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support

Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.

Episode Summary: In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Romero sits down with tech entrepreneur and non-profit executive Sean Carr to explore the intersection of mindfulness, artificial intelligence, emotional intelligence, and leadership. Sean details his entry into meditation following a personal crisis, how daily practice anchors his work across multiple ventures, and why emotional regulation is an essential leadership skill. He also offers a practical, balanced take on AI—framing it as a efficiency tool that frees up capacity for genuine human connection rather than a replacement for human relationship.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Guest introduction: Tech entrepreneurship, advocacy, and centered leadership.

• 02:00 – Sean’s origin story: Crisis, therapy, and discovering meditation at a Sacramento Buddhist temple.

• 05:50 – Breaking generational stigmas surrounding mental health and emotional vulnerability.

• 09:30 – Emotional intelligence: Recognizing physical responses to anger and practicing emotional regulation.

• 13:00 – Sustainable workflow: Managing multiple ventures through 90-minute work sprints and daily intention-setting.

• 15:10 – Turning pain into agency: Founding the Juneteenth Coalition for cultural and economic empowerment.

• 21:00 – Choosing reframing and perspective over powerlessness and victim mindsets.

• 29:30 – AI in business: Using automation as an administrative assistant while maintaining authentic human touch.

• 38:30 – Recommended mindfulness resources and key takeaways.

• Buddhism for Busy People by David Michie – Recommended by Sean as an accessible entry point to daily practice and intention setting.

• Scale in Motion – Podcast hosted by Sean Carr focusing on business strategy, growth, and leadership.

• Juneteenth Coalition – Non-profit co-founded by Sean Carr dedicated to cultural celebration, youth golf access programs, and community empowerment.

• Blackwater's AI – Entrepreneurial venture specializing in AI consulting and business lead generation.

In this episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, host Dr. Stephanie Romero speaks with Erica Strasser—a licensed clinical psychotherapist, practice owner, adjunct psychology professor, and yoga and pilates instructor based in Pittsburgh. Erica shares her clinical insights and deeply personal journey of using mindfulness and somatic practices to anchor through grief, life transitions, and trauma.

• Mindfulness Roots & Unconventional Career Path: Erica details her early introduction to Buddhism and meditation at age 15, taking a college mindfulness course while earning an art history degree, and her eventual pivot into professional counseling following a major life tragedy.

• Transforming Grief into Purpose: How losing her first husband, Joe, to a drug overdose at age 27 inspired Erica to earn her Master’s degree in counseling with a focus on substance use recovery, grief, and mindfulness tools.

• Somatic & Body-Based Healing: The role of physical and sensory practices—such as running, yoga, walking meditation, and engaging the five senses—in moving grief and strong emotions through the body.

• Breaking the Stigma around Overdose Loss: Overcoming judgment, shame, and isolation associated with substance use disorder, and creating non-judgmental spaces through community work like Awaken Pittsburgh’s Mindful Connections for Healing After Loss course.

• Navigating Parental Loss: Reflecting on the ongoing journey of mother loss, holding space for grief, and recognizing subtle signs of presence and connection.

• Sustaining Wellbeing & Boundaries: Practical routines for avoiding burnout, including hard digital cutoffs (turning off phone and social media at 9 PM), hydration habits, and fitness walking.

1. Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Grief – A daily meditation book providing compassionate reflections for grief processing.

2. Boundary Boss: The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen, and (Finally) Live Free by Terri Cole – A guide to setting healthy boundaries, practicing self-care, and building foundational mental health habits.

Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com

Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com)

Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting.

The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh!

Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support

Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.