​the emergence of Engaging Ikigai...

M: I remember when we were first together you were at a fun stage in your life because you were learning more about who you truly were and revved up to start a company and take your personal training to the next level. Because we enjoyed creating healthy meals together, that was one of the first things that we discovered - our love of 'real' food. I suggested One-Step-Health, as a name and it became the first name our company had. (and we still have a few clients who remember those days.)

D: yeah... and it became a partnership pretty quickly... and when we became an LLC - we created the name: Livin Now.  "Life is Now" was my mantra at the time, and you loved the concept, so the name was a perfect fit for us both.

M:  and I loved how you were always about getting back to the basics... 

D: though I got a bit militant about it... "until you can drink the right amount of water for 30 days, don't even talk to me." ha ha! 

M: yeah... you've definitely mellowed out... though you still keep your core values.

D: I'd been through the fitness world of pre-workout drinks and the latest crazes and it was all about quick fixes which believe me, I tried! They just don't work in the long run. I wanted to get back to what fitness is: Real health. How much water do you drink? What do you eat? The basics. ​

M:  And I was grounded in that because of my work with La Leche League International. One of the things we did as a Leader was educate women about nutrition. Their concept of nutrition is eating foods in as close to their natural state as possible. 

D: And when I met you, you brought that holistic side to me. You used to call me 'chemical man' and yeah, I had a deep love of bleach at the time, but now that I educated myself about it... 

M: I have to call you "natural man!"  But you did have some "natural" in you from your parents, right?

D: when I was growing up, I learned to take 'honey for your throat' when I was ill, and use 'baking soda and vinegar' for the drain -  so, yes,  'natural' was planted in me. What I like about your philosophy is eating 'real' food.  I grew up eating healthy foods, but plenty of junk as well, I wasn't a believer in organics, but now I can taste the difference. Good, natural food tastes better and helps our planet... which is important to me having grown up in the beauty of Oahu. 

M: And then we decided it would be fun to work with individuals and couples to share the joy we've found in creating a a thriving life...

D: and it was funny that we both had the Conscious Loving Book by Gay and Katie Hendricks and felt a connection with it. 

M: So we looked online to see what resources they might have and next thing you know we were signed up for a coaching program. And how can we begin to describe how Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks have helped transform our lives?

D: Hallelujah! ha ha ha ha... And that's what inspired our latest company, Michele and Dean, LLC and our exploration of Engaging Ikigai. And now the journey continues...

on yasu and michbug

M: There’s something joyful and whimsical about having these characters emerge, and their names became apparent rather quickly. Yasu was your dad's nickname and since we met, I've felt a connection with him and started to call you that.

D: ... And 'mich' was your mom and brother's nickname for you... and 'bug' comes from your dad...

M: ... Yeah... my bro and dad still call me by those names. When we decided to say yes to these characters... ta-da... our nicknames had a home!

D:  And then your idea for a book came... 
​
M: I'm excited to see what these two get up to... it's going to be a fun ride.

on going plant-based...

M: Well this was a surprise!

D:  Yes it was... if you said I'd be doing this 5 years ago...

M: Yep... me too, really. Even though I always felt a pull towards plant-based eating, I resisted the heck out of it.

D:  Yeah, we avoided watching those "food shows" until we were ready... and really, it was not about watching a show, it was something that suddenly felt right. 

M: It feels really good. I can't explain why either, but it feels in alignment with my whole system.

D:  I love how it feels too, and to trust that it's right for me, feels especially good. Following impulse is something we're both studying and exploring... and so the adventure continues...

Engaging Ikigai Online Program

Couple's Program

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