Most memorable journeys

Dayna Reggero has been a guest before on Most Memorable Journeys. She is a big supporter of community and has introduced me to Paula. She is joining the episode for support and more insights.

In this episode, we dive into the transformative journey of Paula Swepson-Avery, a woman whose career shift from manufacturing to community-driven leadership has had a profound impact on her hometown of West Marion, North Carolina.

After spending decades working for Broyhill Furniture and rising through the ranks, Paula faced layoffs that ultimately nudged her into a new professional direction. In 2016, she became involved with the West Marion Community Forum, a group focused on improving local life through collaboration and community engagement. From co-chair to executive director, Paula has helped spearhead initiatives that address critical issues like public transportation, affordable housing, youth empowerment, and food security.

Under her leadership, the Forum has created a free public transportation system for the area, organized youth programs, and provided hundreds of meals to those in need. Paula shares her personal growth from a manager to a leader, learning the importance of flexibility, collaboration, and empowering others along the way.

This episode explores Paula’s inspiring story, leadership insights, and the power of community action. Tune in for a look at how one individual can spark change and build stronger, more connected communities.

Becky Lukovic is a 20 year veteran in the travel industry. She started On the Go Travel Company in Indiana in 2001 after an “aha” moment in Sorrento, Italy. Standing on a bridge overlooking the sparkling Bay of Naples, Becky realized planning independent and culture-centric travel was her passion. In the next 20 years, she would use that passion to design unique, custom adventures for her clients.

Becky developed an extensive book of luxury travel connections and became involved in the American Society of Travel Agents, held a position on the Mid-America Chapter board, and served on the national ASTA communications committee in the early 2000s.

In 2010, Becky rebranded her company as Bella Travel Planning, LLC. in Carmel, Indiana to reflect her passion for beautiful, engaging, life-changing travel. In the summer of 2015, she and her husband moved cross-country to beautiful Atlanta, Georgia to start a new adventure.

Becky designs adventures for her clients across seven continents ranging from private scuba dives in Costa Rica to tiger sanctuaries in India to the 2008 Summer Olympics in China to cruises at the bottom of the world – Antarctica. She is a specialist in Culinary travel, Wine tasting trips, Italy, France, South Africa, Adventure travel, Antarctica, Incentive trips and meetings, and girlfriend getaways.

Recently, Becky trekked in the mountains of Uganda to visit a family of Silverback Gorillas—what an adventure. She’s been on land in Antarctica photographing colonies on Penguins, and explored countless off-the-beaten path European Ski resorts and Christmas Villages. A well-crafted tasting menu with wine parings are her love language and she counts many hotel owners and general managers as personal friends. A quick google of her name will reveal how many times she’s been quoted for industry publications as well as being featured on the cover of Luxury Travel Advisor Magazine.

Becky is a former member of the Saveur Magazine Travel Advisory Board and is currently a member of The Vast adventure travel society and the Culinary Travel Community with Virtuoso. She holds many destination and resort specialist certifications and is a preferred advisor with Four Seasons, Relais & Chateaux, Belmond, Ritz Carlton, Luxury Collection, Blackberry Farms, and Mandarin Oriental just to name a few. With these partnerships, she can wow her travelers with upgrades, complimentary breakfasts, hotel credits, and special rates for your travels.

https://bellatravelplanning.com/

I met Emilia at the Cyprus Diaspora Forum where she was an amazing emcee; thank you Paul Lambis for getting us together. I instantly fell in love with her beautiful, honest and down to earth personality. In this podcast she talks very openly about her struggle to get pregnant.

Emilia is an award-winning Television and Radio journalist and presenter. She is a Senior Broadcast Journalist at the BBC and a News Correspondent for BBC News, BBC London News and BBC World. She also reports on BBC Breakfast, the BBC One O'clock News, Outside Source, Radio 2, Radio 4, BBC World Service, BBC Radio 5Live and is a guest presenter on Inside Out London.

Before joining BBC London as a Sports Journalist and producer in 2009, Emilia was part of the Radio Wimbledon team and also covered The World Rally Championships. She's reported on the London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics, The London Marathon, Wimbledon, Queens, The ATP World Tour Finals, The Champions League, The Premier League, The NFL at Wembley, The Queen's Diamons Jubilee, The Epsom Derby and The BBC Sports Personality of The Year Awards. She also covered the Royal Family’s Christmas celebrations at Sandringham in 2016 & 2017 for BBC News and presented the BBC's Inside Chelsea FC, West Ham FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC Podcasts on iTunes.

In 2015, Emilia was commended by the judges of the CIRCOM Prix Awards as European Rising Star Journalist of the year.

https://emiliapapadopoulos.com/

Jennifer K. Hill is a successful entrepreneur, author, speaker, TV & Radio host, and thought leader. She has written two books, and has authored two popular white papers.

In this episode, she shares many travel stories, covid adventures with us and how she moved to Lisbon.

Hill built and sold her first company by the age of 38 to Marcum Search LLC (a subsidiary of Marcum LLP), where she became President of their California Division. She has hosted popular TV shows on Awake TV Network with Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Rollin McCraty, Dr. Dain Heer, Dr. Bruce Lipton, Dr. John Demartini and many other leaders from around the world.

Hill has also moderated events including a 2020 talk at UCI with Dean Bill Maurer, Professor Don Hoffman, and Dr. Deepak Chopra. She recently hosted the Global Coherence Initiative’s largest event of the year with over 600 people from around the world, which featured Gregg Braden, Howard Martin, and other noted thought leaders.

Hill has worked for years with renowned celebrity vocal coach, Arthur Samuel Joseph. She recently collaborated with Joseph to create the “Achieve, Reclaim and Command your Destiny” program.

When she is not hosting or speaking, Hill loves to give back and has built two schools in 3rd world countries.

She recently co-founded Om-Heals.com, an energy medicine marketplace platform to connect energy practitioners with users seeking to reconnect with their health and vitality.

https://www.vocalmasteryforleaders.com/

https://metabizics.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferkhill/

https://www.instagram.com/jenhillspeaker

End of March 1982 I arrived in Cyprus for the first time, and I have been talking in the first episodes of this podcast about how I had no idea where I was going. I very much enjoyed my 6 summers as a holiday Rep and I so appreciated the life here. However, my personal life wasn't working out, and so I left in 1988, not planning to ever come back but as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"

I came back in 1994, got married in 1995 to my husband Hector, and by 1997, I was the mother of the two most beautiful babies in the world. Even though I loved spending time with them, I needed something to do, and I started importing quality wooden toys from Germany and opened two shops; it wasn't a very successful mission and I gave up after a few years. My most enjoyable appointment was working for the Cyprus Police Association as an interpreter for 17 years, predominantly because I got to travel again and met amazing people all over Europe and beyond.

Cyprus has become my home, I became a Cypriot citizen, I speak perfect Greek. Our children are now grown up and live abroad but they love coming back because the island grounds them.

I trained as a Hypnotherapist, NLP Practitioner and I wrote a book called "The Soul Kit - first aid for the soul"

I am the Regional Director of the Global Woman Club Cyprus and I love connecting women and networking, I love people.

I love my island in the sun as I lovingly call it, I love nature, the sea, the mountains (this winter I did what I had wanted to do for many years, I swam in the sea in the morning and skied in the afternoon). I love the traditions, the cooking, and baking and most of all, I love the community and my beautiful friends. I love this podcast which also celebrated its first birthday. Basically, I love my life.

https://thesoulkit.com/