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Angelina and Claudia are high school friends that were recently reunited.

During the podcast, they reminisce and discuss how their lives progressed since leaving school and the memories as daughters of Italian immigrant parents growing up in a big Italian family in the 80s.

They discuss what the Italian culture means to them and how it has influenced their life and what specific Italian cultural aspects they valued and have maintained.

Now as their parents are getting older they discuss how family members can assist their parents in planning for their future environment and making life more comfortable for them as they grow older.

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Born in Adelaide, Australia, to Italian immigrant parents, Claudia
Callisto is an Amazon bestselling author and the co-founder of
Shining Light, an organisation that provides women and children
the tools to practice mindfulness, kindness and gratitude, as well as
develop positive mindsets.

Claudia is a wife and a mother to one child, Marcus. She is a
passionate amateur photographer and loves ticking things off her
bucket list. Claudia also loves spending time with her family and
friends laughing, eating, and preparing rustic food to enjoy
together.

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A very funny podcast where Claudia is reunited with her “Giussa” girlfriends from university.

They met as young ambitious ethnic women and they developed a special supportive connection. During the podcast they laugh together about the fun times at University, going out clubbing in the 80s and reflecting on their culture and what influenced them throughout their lives as young women and now as mothers.

A funny podcast filled with lots of laughter and funny stories growing up and the expectations that were placed on them as ethnic women and as daughters of Italian and Greek parents.

The guests also have some wonderful insights into what cultural influences and wisdom they have imparted to their own children.

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We are Claudia and Diana; two sisters who form the brand Shining Light.

Our inspiration for the business stemmed from the challenges we both faced in our lives from our IVF story.

The emotions which accompany the infertility journey were very overwhelming and difficult at times, however through the use of journals and positive affirmations that we both adopted we were able to believe that we had the inner strength to overcome any challenge life threw at us. In the end we both ever so grateful and fortunate to be Mums of one child each … our Shining Lights.

We are now navigating the territory of the teenage years and the influences that impact today’s youth. More than ever this focuses a light on the need to enhance our children to be resilient and confident with a strong sense of self-worth.

In essence, our business Shining Light aims at providing inspiration and promoting positive affirmations to all individuals to help them shine in their journey. Most importantly we all need to love and accept ourselves and others just the way we are.

As individual women, sisters and mothers our business mantra ultimately focuses on providing positive inspiration to all individuals including being kind to one self. For us our message is simply about:

• Supporting each other and each others dreams . We believe that when one shines we all shine
• Its about living your best life
• Its about never stop dreaming and letting your dreams being your wings
• Its about believing that you are never too old to start something new or have a new adventure
• Its about Its about being your awesome self and being true to yourself
• Its about acknowledging that life is complicated and that you have to learn to be happy right now and not wait for things to get better.. You simply need go just go ahead and take that chance …there is never a right time.
• Its about having happy thoughts and being kind to yourself and others
• Its about being yourself and accepting yourself as you who you and what size you are and ignoring negative comments from others
• Its about being responsible for your inner voice and making sure it is filled with constructive thoughts and not destructive thoughts that are filled with fear of failure .
• Its about taking a chance on things and giving it a go in life .
• Its about acknowledging that you will eventually get through the darkness and the light will shine again
• Its about when all else fails BREATHING in and out and give yourself a break and acknowledging your doing the best you can .

To find out more go to www.shininglightcd.com.au

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A very funny episode filled with banter and constant laughter as Claudia interviews another family of sisters.

From the start of the podcast, you are also laughing out loud and you feel like you are physically sitting with them around the kitchen table listening to their stories.

The beautiful sister connection comes through this unique episode as they interact, interrupt, laugh and share their antics growing up in an Italian family and how they also managed to enjoy life despite their dad's strictness.

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Another funny podcast with Claudia and her fellow Italian Adelaide girlfriends laughing and talking about life as daughters of Italian immigrant parents.

They discuss the concept of whether they were actually able to achieve it all – corporate career, motherhood and being that perfect Italian wife like their immigrant mothers or did they all end up simply exhausted.

The guests talk about what Italian cultural activities they currently enjoy and the things they love about their Italian culture including the Italian Christmas food traditions.

They laugh together about what life was like growing up in the 80s, the efforts they made to leave the house to go out and have fun and still meet their curfew.

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Claudia interviews her “school mum” girlfriend Kate who is also a mental health nurse working with the youth.

They discuss their own concerns they have as mothers of boys and the topic of mental health for kids within the current social media environment.

Kate discusses her own challenges growing up as an ambitious and headstrong daughter of immigrant parents, her career dreams and how they both navigated the cultural expectations placed on them by their parents.

Now both mothers of boys, they discuss their version of ethnic parenting strategies within their own families and how they ensure their own children are free to live their own lives but still maintain what cultural and ethnic family values they expect from them.

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