The One Way Ticket Show

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Polyglot Tour Manager - Michel Behar Dec 11, 2018

Show notes

Michel Behar was born in Amsterdam, and has worked as a tour manager/study leader since 1986. He has a command of 12 languages.

Michel enjoys pioneering and leading people to challenging destinations, mostly in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, to prepare new lectures, and document them with photos.

Far flung destinations and the USSR have intrigued Michel since the age of 7, perhaps because his great-grandfather was Vice President of the Communist Party in Amsterdam. If he wasn't participating in one of the Komintern international communist political meetings in Moscow, he was smuggling diamonds on behalf of the broke Soviet regime (as Michel discovered on the front page of a 1920 New York Times when digging in its archives).

Perhaps it was that Soviet connection that led Michel to name his company Stakhanovets, the Russian tongue-in-cheek word for an ambitious worker, inspired by the exemplary Soviet coal miner, Stakhanov.

When leading tours, Michel wears two neckties a day, unless the destination is Afghanistan, Pakistan, Chechnya, Somaliland or Iraq, where it's advisable to keep a low profile. For the record, his favorite ties include his bipolar one with penguins and polar bears, and the other one featuring rubber duckies.

In this episode Michel shares his one way ticket to Uzbek oasis towns during the Islamic Renaissance between the 9th -12th centuries. He also talks about his adventures traveling to far flung lands, and how he navigates speaking 12 languages!

Michel is just one of the superb guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with them where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty; Journalist-Humorist-Actor Mo Rocca; Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals and more.

David Henry Hwang - Playwright, Screenwriter, TV Writer, Librettist Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

David Henry Hwang is a playwright, screenwriter, television writer, and librettist, whose stage works include the plays M. Butterfly, Chinglish, Yellow Face, Kung Fu, Golden Child, The Dance and the Railroad, and FOB, as well as the Broadway musicals Aida (co-author), Flower Drum Song (2002 revival) and Disney's Tarzan.

Hwang is a Tony Award winner and three-time nominee, a three-time OBIE Award winner, and a two-time Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. He is also America's most-produced living opera librettist, whose works have been honored with two Grammy Awards. Additionally, he co-wrote the Gold Record Solo with the late pop star, Prince.

He is currently a Writer/Consulting Producer for the Golden Globe-winning television series The Affair. His screenplays include: Possession, M. Butterfly, and Golden Gate. Hwang was a Residency One Playwright at Signature Theatre, which produced a season of his plays. M. Butterfly was recently revived on Broadway.

Hwang's opera An American Soldier, with composer Huang Ruo, premiered in June 2018 at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Recent honors include 2011 PEN/Laura Pels Award for a Master American Dramatist, the 2012 Inge Award, the 2012 Steinberg Distinguished Playwright "Mimi" Award, a 2014 Doris Duke Artist Award, and a 2015 Ford Foundation "Art of Change" Award. He serves on the Board of the Lark Play Development Center, as Head of Playwriting at Columbia University School of the Arts, and as Chair of the American Theatre Wing.

In this episode David talks about multicultural representation in the arts, the future of theatre, and his one way ticket to post-Majoritarian America circa 2040.

David is just one of the superb guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

MilesAhead Founder & CEO - Rob Karp Oct 30, 2018

Show notes

Rob Karp, CEO & Founder of MilesAhead, a luxury travel concierge, founded the company when he was just a sophomore in high school. Today he's a 20-year old rising senior at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration.

At 14, Rob developed a passion for the travel industry and a drive for delivering a best-in-class customer experience. Self-taught, Rob developed his airline knowledge by learning about points and began helping family and friends with their travel. What began as a hobby and one man operation throughout his high school years developed into MilesAhead. The company grew exponentially during Rob's freshman year at Cornell University, where he met most of today's employees at the School of Hotel Administration. Today the company is powered by more than ten dedicated and passionate employees located across the country who sold $7 million in travel in 2017. In 2018, MilesAhead is on pace to generate revenues in excess of $1,000,000. Not bad for a company whose founder started with $600 he earned from refereeing soccer matches.

Since hiring his first employee during the fall of 2015, Rob has grown MilesAhead into a ten-plus person organization, employing part-time college students and full-time "adults." Rob and his team have visited over 300 hotels since 2016, spanning from Italy to Bora Bora to Japan, and utilize their time off from school to travel the world and deliver that first-hand knowledge to their 500+ clients. Rob has been featured in various news outlets, including CBS TV, Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg TV and various Ivy League and Cornell publications. Named one of Travel + Leisure's International Rising Stars in 2017, Rob plans to grow MilesAhead after college and follow his dream of creating the world's best travel advisor.

In this episode Rob talks about MilesAhead, the travel biz, and his one way ticket to Florence, Italy!

Rob is just one of the superb guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Miss Universe 2005, Author & Entrepreneur - Natalie Glebova Oct 16, 2018

Show notes

Natalie Glebova - author, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, and public figure, has been intensely focused on empowerment coaching and gender equality activism for the last decade. A former Miss Universe (2005) and UN Women's advocate, she is very passionate about encouraging young people to build their self-confidence and reach their biggest goals.

A graduate of IT Management from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada with a Bachelor of Commerce, she also has a certificate in Nutrition and Sport from Washington State University. Natalie has been actively involved in charity work ever since she moved to Thailand in 2006, and was a spokesperson for world-wide and local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Operation Smile, SOI Dog Foundation, UNDP, WWF, and Freeland Org.

Her first book Healthy Happy Beautiful became a best-seller in Thailand between 2006 and 2007, offering principles which highlight some fundamental steps towards taking care of our bodies through nutrition, exercise and a healthy mind.

Using principles she's learned from world renowned coaches such as Tony Robbins and Simon Sinek who she considers her personal role models, Natalie became successful in many areas of her life including career, relationships and personal development.

As an avid entrepreneur, she co-founded an online startup - Travelbook™ with her husband Dean, a travel-sharing platform that connects travelers through their experiences (travelbook.com). Her most recent business venture is EMPOWERED - a series of workshops, training courses and seminars to teach young minds valuable skills for living an accomplished and fulfilling life, such as building self-confidence, mastering public speaking, goal-setting, negotiating effectively, and positive thinking (EmpoweredClub.com).

Being a Russian immigrant in Canada when she was just 13 years old, Natalie overcame many obstacles and low self-esteem as she was growing up in a new country and adapting to a new culture. It was with this strong attitude and winning mindset which she learned from her young life, that she found the audacity to set big goals and break through barriers - becoming the first immigrant ever to obtain the Miss Canada and the Miss Universe titles.

Now, as a mother to her daughter Maya, Natalie's mission is to help young people become happy and self -assured. With her latest book, I am Winning - A Guide to Personal Empowerment, Natalie's hope is to ignite the spark of courage in her readers towards becoming the best versions of themselves.

In this episode Natalie shares tips for being the best one can be, plus her one way ticket to the very first Burning Man in 1986!

Natalie is just one of the superb guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Happiness & Wellness Expert - Karen Salmansohn Oct 02, 2018

Show notes

Karen Salmansohn is a happiness and wellness expert who is the author of numerous best-selling self-improvement books like "Life is Long", "Think Happy" and "How to Be Happy, Dammit", with more than one million copies sold.

She has studied to be a yoga and meditation teacher at Ishta Yoga and designed a line of inspirational jewelry showcased on HSN. She is also the founder of two popular sites which help people reach their highest potential: www.NotSalmon.com and www.MastersInLife.com (a video learning site).

Karen has been featured on the Today show, The View, CNN, and Fox News; served as a columnist for Oprah.com, Psychology Today, CNN, MSN, Yahoo, AOL, Match, and Huffington Post; and has been featured in the New York Times, Business Week, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Time, Marie Claire, Fast Company, InStyle, Self, ELLE, and the New Yorker. She lives in New York City.

In this episode, Karen shares her one way ticket to one year from now and offers tips on how within just 365 days, we can all be our best selves.

Jenny is just one of the superb guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

ProjectExplorer Founder & Creator - Jenny Buccos Sep 18, 2018

Show notes

Jenny Buccos is a multi-award winning director and producer. She is the founder and creator of the ProjectExplorer education series and an agent for global citizenship.

In 2003, before the existence of YouTube or widespread online video, Jenny founded ProjectExplorer.org as a means to educate children and families about global cultures and histories. To date, she has directed and produced more than 500 webisodes. Under her direction ProjectExplorer.org reaches a global audience of over 6 million viewers.

Jenny is a three-time recipient of the prestigious GOLD Parent's Choice Award for Excellence in Educational Programming. She is a 2010 recipient of the National Award for Citizen Diplomacy; honored alongside Academy Award winner Robert Redford for her exemplary work as a citizen diplomat. In July 2012, she was named a White House Champion of Change.

Jenny's work has taken her to more than 70 countries. Currently, she is filming a family-focused ProjectExplorer TV series with Kari Byron (Mythbusters) and Intuitive Content for broadcast in spring of 2019. She serves as the Show's Creator and Executive Producer.

In this episode, Jenny discusses the role ProjectExplorer plays in educating children and families about global cultures and histories. She also shares her one way ticket to Mars!

Jenny is just one of the accomplished guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Yiddish Version of "Fiddler on the Roof" Cast Members Aug 28, 2018

Show notes

The big news this summer on the New York theatre scene has been the premier of the Yiddish version of the much beloved musical, "Fiddler on the Roof", presented by the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Directed by Oscar and Tony Award Winner, Joel Grey.

In fact, both Mr. Grey and the Folksbiene's CEO, Chris Massimine were previous guests on the program.

The Yiddish version of "Fiddler" has been such a hit that its run keeps getting extended!

In this episode, Host Steven Shalowitz sits down to chat with three of the show's cast members: Jennifer Babiak who plays Golde; Adam B. Shapiro who plays the Rabbi and Bobby Underwood who plays the Constable.

Each talks about the relevance of "Fiddler" today, working with Joel Grey, and of course, they each share their own one way ticket destinations.

Jennifer, Adam and Bobby are just some of the accomplished guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Steven explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Main Street Vegan Author & Podcaster - Victoria Moran Aug 14, 2018

Show notes

Victoria Moran (www.mainstreetvegan.net) is the author of thirteen groundbreaking books about inner and outer wellbeing, and has appeared on The Oprah Show, Today Show, Good Morning America Now, and NPR's All Things Considered. She's been an ethical vegan for thirty-five years, maintaining a 60-pound weight loss as a result.

Victoria's undergraduate thesis in religious studies became the 1985 Compassion the Ultimate Ethic: An Exploration of Veganism – her first book and the first full-length book on vegan philosophy and practice ever to come from an actual publisher. Twelve additional books have followed, including the best-selling Creating a Charmed Life (in 30 languages), the essential vegan weight loss guide, The Love-Powered Diet; the good health/peace-of-mind manual, The Good Karma Diet; and the genre classic: Main Street Vegan, which VegNews magazine called "The Vegan Bible, New Testament," and which Ellen Degeneres wrote "offers practical advice and inspiration for everyone interested in going vegan, no matter what tax bracket you're in!" Victoria was assisted on Main Street Vegan by her daughter, Adair, a lifelong vegan who is now an aerial performer, a stuntwoman, and a wildlife rehabilitator.

Victoria has written for Yoga Journal, Mothering, Natural Health, Woman's Day, Martha Stewart's Whole Living, Vegetarian Times, VegNews, and The Huffington Post; and her work has been noted in publications included USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, Self, Real Simple, Glamour, Woman's World, Vegan Health & Fitness, and O the Oprah Magazine. She hosts the weekly Main Street Vegan podcast, recipient of a Vegan Media Outlet 2015 Award. In addition, she has appeared on the covers of Barefoot Vegan and La Fashionista Compassionista magazines, and she was voted Peta's Sexiest Vegan Over 50 in 2016.

A moving and engaging speaker, a certified holistic health counselor (CHHC, AADP) and graduate of the T. Colin Campbell/eCornell program in plant-based nutrition, Victoria is the founder of Main Street Vegan Academy, training Vegan Lifestyle Coaches and Educators in a boutique program in Manhattan with graduates from twenty-four countries. The program inspired The Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook, coauthored with JL Fields, which debuted in December 2017 in the number 1 spot in vegetarian diets on Amazon. Victoria is also the producer of A Prayer for Compassion, a documentary from filmmaker Thomas Jackson which will debut this fall with the mission of introducing veganism to people who identify as religious or spiritual. She lives with her husband and their rescue dog, Forbes, and a handicapped rescue pigeon, Thunder, in a LEED-certified green condominium in Harlem.

In this episode, Victoria shares her one way ticket to the mystical isle of Avalon. She also shares the myriad of reasons why one should explore adopting a vegan lifestyle.

Victoria is just one of the accomplished guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Spiekermann Travel Service, President - Ihab Zaki Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

Ihab Zaki is the President of Spiekermann Travel Service, a Michigan-based travel agency established in the 1940's.

It was only natural that Ihab selected a career in the travel industry. His mother is one of Egypt's top Egyptologists/guides who instilled in her son a love of history and travel. He began his career working in a travel agency in Egypt handling inbound visiting tourists from all over the world.

After moving to the U.S. and purchasing Spiekermann in 1991, the Cairo native decided to expand the business beyond his familiar Egypt. He began scouting nearby destinations which at the time were obscure and seldom visited by Americans, including Jordan and Syria. It snowballed from there where every year or two he would offer new destinations.

Today, Spiekermann's repertoire includes adventures to all of the Near East from Morocco to as far as Central Asia, plus the Balkans and little visited countries in East and West Africa and South America.

Spiekermann has established its reputation as being a leading operator of private and group tours to some of the world's most exotic and least know locations. Their claim to fame is for running adventures to some of the world's diciest and scariest destinations. Their clientele has mushroomed through the years with many guests becoming repeat customers. In fact, a few have even taken 20 or more trips with Spiekermann!

Ihab earned both his B.A. in Economics and his M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from The American University in Cairo.

In this episode, Ihab shares his one way ticket to continuous travel! In so doing, he talks about journeys to some of the places he'd like to revisit including: Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, and his native Egypt.

Ihab is just one of the accomplished guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

Punic-Roman-Islamic Historian - Mohamed Halouani Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

A graduate of the Sorbonne in Paris, Mohamed is an expert on Punic and Roman Civilizations, Islamic and secular architecture and eastern decorative arts.

Mohamed is a skilled polyglot and has served as a translator and interpreter for the French Government for over 15 years.

The Tunis-born Mohamed is also the President of the Cultural Tourism Federation of Tunisia. He currently resides in Paris.

In this episode, Mohamed shares his one way ticket to Madrid! He also talks about his guiding for Spiekermann Travel Service to Tunisia, Algeria and Mauritania and the treasures found in each of those countries.

Mohamed is just one of the accomplished guests featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they'd go if given a one way ticket, no coming back! Destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.

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