We talked over six months ago, can you give us a quick update on the pursuit of your dream since we last spoke?
-I've been doing a lot of growing as an artist and a person, and putting in all the work that's required of said growth. If you notice a difference between this new single and my previous songs, it's because "Won't Follow You Down" is a culmination of finding your voice, empowerment, and being the best version of yourself without letting anything bring you down. This track is the first of 4 that will make up my next EP. Each song will be released individually, so keep your eyes peeled for more and more new material.

What have you learned while pursuing this dream that you would like to share?
-I've learned now more than ever that you have to persevere. You have to put in the effort and put out the positive energy. There's a reason they always say "you get what you give." As Napoleon Hill tells us, you never know when you could be "three feet from gold", so never give up on yourself.

Remind us where we can find you to continue following your journey?
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Instagram
Facebook
Website

Spotify

"Won't Follow You Down", the new single on iTunes


​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

I believe in my dream to promote science education and critical thinking to the masses through comedy and entertainment.

What started this dream?
I have been a comedian for 24 years. I took 5 years off when my daughter was born to be off the road and not be gone for her first years. I realized that she never knew me as a comedian, just as a fight trainer and voice over actor, but I still identified as a comedian. She went with me to an open mic and it was amazing! I realized how much I really missed it. Comedy was my dream as a kid and I had abandoned it, though for the right reasons, it was time to go back. I decided to get back into comedy, but not full time, just on my own time for my own enjoyment. I no longer needed it for a living, so I started just talking about what I love to talk about: religion, science, critical thinking, beliefs, skepticism, etc. I am fascinated by what people believe and why people believe things that are not supported by facts.  I decided to write a new hour with all the points I would like my daughter to see at some point, to understand me, to know what her Dad was about, etc. then  put a video. It evolved into my first T.V. hour special, "Critical & Thinking".
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What motivates you to follow this dream?
Look around at the world. I just re-read Carl Sagan's "Demon Haunted World" which was published in 1996, 20 years ago and it was eerie how he named the same issues we are dealing with today, climate change, pollution, deforestation, religious zealotry, etc and pointed out that the last scientifically literate president was most likely Thomas Jefferson and how rarely if ever do we have congress people who even understand the basics of the arguments they are passing legislation on. Plus 20 years ago they got rid of the committee that helped congress understand the science. Furthermore, the generals public probably has even less understanding, yet is voting! Knowing what the facts are and how to determine what is real and what is not backed by sufficient evidence is even more important these days with all the misinformation on the internet.  I want my daughter to live in a better world than we live in.

What are your goals?
It is my job to make people laugh. That is my number one goal, but if I can get people thinking, researching and wondering through my comedy I will. When people laugh they let their defenses down and consider new ideas. It is not an argument, it is a show for entertainment, but comedians are often considered modern day philosophers. We have a public forum or stage that reaches thousands and has the potential to reach millions. Comedy is about pointing out the absurd and laughing at society and ourselves. I like to point out the absurdity of the things we believe and how the evidence either supports something else or at least does not support that belief in a way that makes the audience laugh at themselves, look at the subject from a new and simpler angle. I always get people coming up to me after shows either telling me that I changed their minds on something, got them thinking enough to research further or arguing with me about why I am wrong… either way the gears are turning and if you truly seek the facts, they are out their and facts are not subject to opinion. These questions and problems had real answers. Some of them have answers already and others don't, but the the best way we have to find the true answers is through honest, unbiased scientific investigation.

What would you like people to know and where can we find you?
I am on social media Twitter/Facebook @comediocre (for both). I have several YouTube channels but most of my modern comedy lives on /ApocalypseComedyShow. But if you really want to see what I am about please watch my first T.V. special "Critical & Thinking" available on Hulu, iTunes, Amazon and most other VOD formats. I just finished taping my 2nd hour special "ExtraOrdinary" and we are in the process of finishing it and negotiating where it will end up (Netflix, Amazon, Showtime, Starz, Seeso, etc)… so look for that in 2017!
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UPDATE: Ian's special drops Dec 12th. Amazon, AmazonPrime, iTunes, GooglePlay and most VOD sites.

​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

We talked about a year ago, can you give us a quick update on the pursuit of your dream since we last spoke? 
My dream has been to provide value to and support small businesses. I've always had a strong passion for aiding small businesses and by gaining social media marketing skills and creating the Symmetrical B2B Strategy, I have been able to fulfill my dreams. Since last year, I have doubled my social media marketing consulting and management business and I have also launched a digital course ( symmetricalmm.teachable.com )that helps small business owners to create social media marketing strategies. I’ve continued to write for Business2Community and I am currently working on an E-book about social media marketing for small businesses.
 
What have you learned while pursuing this dream that you would like to share?
Persistence is essential! There are many times where I questioned what I was doing and felt like throwing in the towel. However I believe in my strategies and I’ve seen the impact of my services on small businesses so I encourage people to persistently pursue their goals. The business world is extremely competitive so dedication to your work and the ambition to outwork your competitors is essential.
 
Remind us where we can find you to continue following your journey?
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/acbelton and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/abcpanotary and to learn more about Symmetrical Media Marketing, please view our website at www.symmetricalmm.com and connect with us on social media. Thanks and I look forward to speaking with you!


​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

I believe in my dream to make a livelihood from my own work of graphic novels.

What started this dream?

I grew up very poor, without cable or internet, in the modern age. I always had an inclination to art and I feel like living under those circumstances, brought that out of me.
My way of entertaining myself as a child was through drawing and creating characters for stories. I used to have lists of character names and situations, much like a writer does, which I would later incorporate into my creations. I made elaborate housing and neighborhood plans. I’d characterize all my characters and give them relationships to each other. I’d cut all this out, lay it out and create whole movies on paper on the floor. I’m impressed even today, with the things I created.

In middle school, I was exposed to “Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson, which made me realize, what I was doing was pretty close to comics. So I started making them. In school, I’d pass them around and have people read them. I continued taking art classes at school and strengthening my skills.

Eventually, I did get internet and TV at home… probably around end of high school. I
have since been learning to produce my artwork digitally and also went back to school for screenwriting, all in an effort to hone my skills.

What motivates you to follow this dream?

I believe we all have a gift to offer the world and I don’t want to live my life having not offered
it. Simply put (after enjoying my loved ones), pursuing and even more so ENJOYING the pursuit of my dream is the most important thing to do with my time in this world.

What are your goals?

To make a livelihood on my own artwork, primarily graphic novels.
I have other aspirations too, such as using the knowledge of story boarding and
cinematography that comes with producing graphic novels, to eventually freelance concept art.

But this comes after or in the process of producing my own brand of graphic novels.

What would you like people to know and where can they find you?

Don’t wait until someone comes along and gives you permission to do your thing. There is no
direct career path for the artist. Forge a path for your own dreams. There is no better time than
the present.

I’d like to thank Doug for the wonderful work he is producing and for giving me the opportunity
to be a part of it!

You can find me at:
Website: www.mollyirizarry.com
Twitter: @mollyirizarry
Intagram: mollyirizarry​


​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

Can you give us a quick update on the pursuit of your dream since we last spoke?

For sure! My dream is to be a prolific, published Young Adult and Fantasy novelist – so it’s a bit of a lofty dream and it’s going to take a long time to get there. Meantime, I’m doing the hard yards (and years) as an indie author as I try to break through. Since we last spoke in May, I’ve had an incredibly busy winter (keeping in mind I’m down here in Perth, Australia).

The biggest news is that I released my latest e-book, THE BLACK FLOWER, in mid-July. It’s a short story that tackles some big stuff like alcoholism, violence and relationship breakdown. Nick, the protagonist, is probably not someone you’d want to be friends with, and yet you come to feel sorry for him once you find out everything that made him who he is. THE BLACK FLOWER is set in my hometown of Geraldton, Western Australia, and I’m proud of this, since not many stories are set there. You can get a free copy of this story here.

In late August, I completed the first draft of my second novel. This is a heavy YA novel which is very close to my heart. It flowed out of me like I was channelling something ethereal: when I look back over it now, there are some lines that I can’t even remember writing, which is a bit freaky. I am really excited about this manuscript and I’m looking forward to getting it out to more beta readers in the next few weeks. I also had some success with my fantasy e-book THE SCROLL OF ISIDOR in late July and early August: it had a sales spike in the USA and UK, which was incredible. It peaked at #3 on the iTunes Epic Fantasy Chart (Free) and #19 on the Barnes & Noble Fantasy Short Stories Chart. I was pretty blown away by this – especially since it was released way back in March.

Apart from those three big milestones, I’ve also kept myself busy with writing a couple of articles for the Huffington Post. One of these, about Australia’s upcoming same-sex marriage postal vote, went viral across the country and even landed me an interview on breakfast radio, which was great fun. I also started a regular weekly blog and established my official YouTube channel. Ahead of me this month is some editing work on the second novel. In late October, I’ll be releasing a new fantasy e-book from the same world as THE SCROLL OF ISIDOR, so I’m excited about that, too. And November I will be starting a rewrite of my first novel … so there really is no rest for the wicked.

What have you learned while pursuing this dream that you would like to share?

I have found that my dream depends on me. That is, I have to be the one in the driver’s seat: I can’t sit around and wait for a moment of inspiration, or just hope for opportunities to fall from the sky. As a writer – or, frankly, as anyone with a big dream – you are in charge of your dreams and it’s down to you to take them from nebulous ambitions and turn them into tangible goals that can be achieved, piece by piece.

The other thing is that you have to learn to be resilient. I get rejections all the time. When I first started getting them, they would really knock me around, but as Cat Stevens once sang, “The first cut is the deepest” – and this is really true. Over time, the rejections hurt less. I got one last week and essentially just shrugged. The important thing is to learn from the rejections and mistakes and use them as fuel to keep driving yourself forwards. If you believe in yourself and your dream, your determination will carry you to your destination.

Remind us where we can find you to continue following your journey?

I’m on Twitter every day (@V8Sheppard), so come and say g’day to me there. I’m also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/HoldenSheppardAuthor …)
and my weekly blog is at http://holdensheppard.wordpress.com . All of my e-books are available from Kindle, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo and Smashwords, and you can also find all of them for FREE at http://www.holdensheppard.com .


​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

I believe in my dream to fulfil my own dream of being a successful author, while helping and supporting others in achieving the same.
 
What started this dream? 
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to write stories, but I never believed I was good enough. When I was in primary school my nan purchased a typewriter for me that had once belonged to an author, as a means to encourage me. My written skills in English were very poor, my spelling, atrocious, but she read my stories and she believed in me. That is where my dream to become an author originated, from the belief my nan had in me. The second part, well, over the years I have come to a horrible understanding, with the exception of precious few, everyone is only out for themselves. People seem to believe that by helping other people in the same industry they are putting themselves at a disadvantage, but I believe the opposite is true, and I intend to prove it. I see no honour in being successful if you have to use another person’s back as a stepping stone. To further this, all of my books also donate a percentage of the royalties I receive to The Defense Medical Welfare Service, which is a charity looking after the health and needs of the real heroes out there, who put their lives on the line for us.
 
What motivates you to follow this dream? 
I love to write, it is my passion. In my free time, when I’m not writing, I’m reading or gaming, and if I enjoy reading someone else’s work I ensure that their work is recognised by discussing, promoting, and supporting it.
 
What are your goals? 
My goals are a little more complex, I may be an author, but I am first and foremost a wife and mother. My goals are to keep my family happy in a loving and nurturing environment. My professional goals, I simply want to continue to improve and hone my craft. For me a book is a promise to a reader, they invest their time and money into a book, and in return the author promises to entertain them. It is my goal to always try to fulfil this.

What would you like people to know and where can we find you?
Well, like most people these days I can be found online, but I won’t overwhelm and take up your space with all my links, so here are just a few:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/simmillkj
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oneirois
Blog www.darrienia.com
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/K.J.-Simmill/e/B012ZG7R4S

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​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

I believe in my dream to become both a successful occupational therapist (OT) and writer.

 What started this dream?
I have always wanted to be a writer since I was little. I would write little short stories for my family to read; writing has always been a significant part of me. So has helping people, which is why I am currently going to school to become an occupational therapist. When I was deciding on which career to choose, I knew whichever path I chose would involve helping people. My mom suggested occupational therapy to me, which led me to spending a large portion of time googling OT. OT seemed like such a fun and beneficial career. Like I said before, writing has always been a significant part of me but I never felt like that was the only career path I could take, which is another reason I chose occupational therapy.

What motivates you to follow this dream?
My love of writing and my dedication and willfulness to help. Whatever I do, I want to leave a positive mark on this world.

 What are your goals?
My goals are to one day have my writing published in some sort of way; ideally, I would like to have a novel published. My goal for OT is to help others who are struggling physically, emotionally, cognitively, etc. in the best way I can. I want to use the knowledge I have gained throughout my years of college to improve the quality of life of each client I will one day work with.
 
 What would you like people to know and where can we find you?
I want people to know that, when it comes to choosing what to do with the rest of your life, at the end of the day the best thing to do is to follow your heart. Do what you love, because life is too short to spend the rest of your life hating your job. I also want people to know how much capability we have within ourselves to help those in need; I encourage you to always give a helping hand, shoulder to cry on, etc. when you can. It is important for us as humans to stick up and fight for each other.

My name is Brandi, and I can be found on Twitter and Instagram as xobrandilarissa. My blog is xobrandilarissa.wordpress.com. Feel free to reach out!

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​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

I believe in my dream to become the #1 pound-for-pound mixed martial artist and the greatest Heavyweight Champion to have ever competed. 

What started this dream?

I was directionless and unmotivated in my youth just like many youth tend to be until I read about MMA and the UFC in a magazine and from then on I was hooked. 

What motivates you to follow this dream?

Overall I would have to say that I'm just very passionate about training and competing and passion is what keeps me motivated. I have very lofty goals as well and I know to attain them I'll need to work as hard as I possibly can which is also a big factor but the bulk of my motivation comes from just loving what I do. 

What are your goals?

Namely to become heavyweight champion of the world and be recognized as the pound-for-pound best mixed martial artist to have competed. I want to be able to look back on my career and say that I defeated the other best fighters in the world and truly made the most of my potential all while glorifying God and spreading Christianity and setting a positive example for people to follow their dreams. 

What would you like people to know and where can we find you?

I would just like people to know that I found something I truly love which I feel like is a big part of success as it is.  People can find me on social media on Instagram as @tallstevefightspeople and Twitter as @tallsteve1992

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​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

We talked over six months ago, can you give us a quick update on the pursuit of your dream since we last spoke?
Neuron Guard has reached some important milestones, namely the US patent for the therapeutic collar and the creation of the first fully functioning human system for body temperature. We are looking for industrial partners to enter the market by the end of the next year (2018). In fact, depending on the risk class, medical devices have access routes for different clinical uses to ensure maximum safety for patients. We are structuring the company to face this new phase. We have also been recognized as the best European Startup in HEALTH category and received the awards by Antonio Tajani, the President of the European Parliament.
 
From a personal point of view, I am still dealing with my dream to structure a gender balance company and help other women, especially the young ones, to keep going on and follow their pathways. In fact, I am working for “LEAN IN THE EU WOMEN BUSINESS ANGEL COMMUNITY”, a new development area for women’s Business Angel in Europe supported by the European Commission. The project is a multicultural one, formed by a consortium of 7 companies from different countries of Europe, and supported by an increasing number of associated partners from Europe and worldwide. As Steering Committee Member, I am responsible for monitoring the quality progresses of the project. Moreover, I have received several acknowledgments, such as the Prize "Germoglio d'Oro" that recognizes young women who have stood out for courage and entrepreneurial endeavors. I have received this award for the courage, energy and optimism that I have invested in my ideas (Neuron Guard), as example of a young Italian who risked and succeeded. I had also the privilege to be one of the finalists of the EU Prize for Women Innovators in the new category of Rising Women Innovator, which recognizes excellence in female entrepreneurs aged 30 and under, and Wired Italia has named me in the Top 50 influential people to watch out in 2017.
 
What have you learned while pursuing this dream that you would like to share?
I have learned that one of the most important thing in doing and starting a new business is to work with skilled, motivated and multicultural persons in whatever situations, and share and learn from others.
 
Remind us where we can find you to continue following your journey?
You can find me via Twitter (@maryfranzese), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/franzesemary), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-franzese-52855135/) and Instagram (mary_franzese).
Our website is www.neuronguard.com


​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P

I believe in my dream to inspire kids of all ages to believe in themselves and to live their wildest dreams while making the world a happier place.

What started this dream? 
Several years ago I was inspired to write my first book, The Little Rose, to empower kids to be their authentic selves and to seek friends who encourage them to bloom and grow. Since then, I've grown my Whimsical World of Sheri Fink brand to inspire and delight kids around the world while planting seeds of self-esteem. 

What motivates you to follow this dream?
I get excited thinking about people believing in themselves and the possibilities for their lives. It's a passion of mine. 

What are your goals? 
My goal is to make a massive positive difference in the world while having fun and creating a legacy that will benefit generations to come. When we believe in ourselves, we make more positive choices and live happier, more fulfilling lives.

​What would you like people to know and where can we find you?

Website: www.SheriFink.com 
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/SheriFinkFan
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sheri_Fink -  @Sheri_Fink 
Instagram: www.instagram.com/Sheri_Fink  - @Sheri_Fink 

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​​The Dreamer Blog features two people each week in pursuit of their dreams, large or small everyone has a dream that deserves support. Douglas Geller, the author of this blog is also the author of the book The Dreamer; you can learn more about The Dreamer and purchase it at: http://amzn.to/2j7W79P