Coach Mikki and Friends

Baloney cake sounds like a joke until you hear what the “icing” is. Mel joins me for a laugh-filled trip through the world of vintage recipes, retro desserts, and those classic mid-century food trends that leaned hard on gelatin molds, convenience ingredients, and pure confidence. We get into the unforgettable lineup: baloney cake layered like a real cake, hot dogs suspended in lemon-lime Jell-O, and a tuna mousse that dares you to look at mayonnaise the same way again. 


Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves weird food history, and leave a review if you want more conversations like this. Then tell us in the comments: what food do you miss from growing up, or what’s the grossest recipe you’ve actually eaten?

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 Thank you, Donna Grande with  GrandeConnections, for having me as your guest!! 

A seven-year-old falls in love with Giants football. Years later, she’s calling plays, building culture, and proving that coaching is a craft earned in the film room, on the practice field, and through a thousand quiet acts of leadership. Coach Mikki St. Germain joins us to share how she moved from team mom to Varsity Special Teams Coordinator and D-Line Coach.

We dig into the hard parts: being second-guessed, a sideline confrontation that crossed the line, and the moment she chose accountability over ego to protect her team’s standards. She breaks down why “winning and learning” beats “winning and losing,” how players absorb their coach’s mindset under pressure, and why belief, consistent, practiced, and visible, changes on and off the field. 

If you’re ready to trade doubt for reps, bias for standards, and noise for purpose, hit play, subscribe, and leave a review with the bold move you’ll take this week.

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What if “unlucky” is just a story we inherited, and we’re free to rewrite it? We kick things off with Friday the 13th and follow the thread through Norse myths, the Last Supper, and the Knights Templar to see how fear gathers power over time. Then we flip the script with Galentine’s Day, turning a date with a bad reputation into a bright spot for friendship, humor, and everyday love that doesn’t wait for a calendar prompt.

From there, we lose it in laughter talking about  the rituals we learned as kids, honking through tunnels, lifting our feet over railroad tracks, counting cows until a cemetery reset, still echo in how we chase luck and ward off jitters. We share the nostalgia of vintage toys and board games (yes, Operation’s terrifying buzz and Monopoly debt at age 10), plus the handmade Barbie outfits that prove fashion really does come back around—hello again, shoulder pads. These memories aren’t just cute; they’re a map of how culture changes and how we choose what to keep.

We also open up about what we’re building now. Mel’s crafting seasonal word search books, sketching cozy mysteries, and launching a stock photo portfolio. Mickey’s fresh off a keynote on why comfort zones kill success and is racing to finish a new book before a small East Coast signing tour. Creativity becomes our counterspell to superstition: show up, make something, share it. That’s how we make our own luck.

If you’ve ever wondered why 13 feels spooky, whether numerology helps or hinders, or how a sitcom joke turned into a global celebration of women’s friendship, you’ll feel right at home here. Come for the folklore and stay for the heart, the laughs, and the reminder that joy lands best when it’s shared. If this conversation made you smile, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review, what superstition are you still carrying?

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What if joy isn’t a reward for getting life “right,” but your natural baseline? Coach Mikki sits down with Sensei Nancy, author, life sensei, and founder of The Dojo, to explore what happens when we stop trying to fix ourselves and start remembering who we really are. This isn’t a pep talk; it’s a grounded look at the mindset, language, and community that make lasting change feel possible.


The conversation turns deeply personal as Sensei Nancy reflects on her divorce and the identity free fall that comes when roles fall away. If you answer “Who are you?” with titles and tasks, this part will land. We talk about becoming someone who can look in the mirror with unflinching love, about declining invitations into unworthiness, and about picking rooms that expand you rather than compress you. Expect practical takeaways and an invitation to try a weekly cadence of reflection, language upgrades, and community support that keeps momentum alive.

If you’re ready to honor your gifts, raise your frequency, and find a circle where your joy is welcome, you’ll feel at home here. Explore Nancy’s books, YouTube topics, and how to join the Dojo. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s awakening, and leave a review telling us one word you’re retiring from your vocabulary. Your light belongs here.

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Welcome back Mel!! Listen as we swap stories about choosing presence over panic, from a tense checkout line during storm prep to why people are buying vinyl, CDs and even flip phones again. We share simple ways to read a room, spread calm, and enjoy real connection without screens.

• Mel returns for a monthly chat
• reading emotional undercurrents in public spaces
• small acts that lower crowd anxiety
• practical storm prep without panic
• games, conversation and offline time when power drops
• creative outlets: Mel’s word search books and journals
• digital fatigue, AI slop and the flip phone shift
• owning media again: vinyl, CDs and VHS nostalgia
• streaming frustrations vs tangible collections
• choosing presence, compliments and everyday kindness

Links to Mel’s books 

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