Inside this episode, I had the pleasure to find out what helps make Tony Gareri, the CEO of Roma Moulding, tick. Tony has built Roma's brand into an industry-leading brand synonymous with quality and luxury while fostering a family-like corporate culture that resonates deeply with his customers. Their commitment to giving back and sustainability further cements Roma as an organization worth modeling. 

During our roughly one-hour conversation, Tony glows with an exuberance only someone deeply in love with what he does can display. 

A brief background on Tony Gareri from his personal brand's website - 

"Tony is a family man, a curious CEO, a prolific speaker, and a culture & leadership junkie. He lives in gratitude daily and as such, has a passion for making a positive impact around the world. 

As the CEO of Roma Moulding, a frame manufacturer that is world-renowned for its iconic design, Tony laid the foundations for a culture shift when he was appointed in 2011. He implemented a progressive strategy that prioritizes the happiness of his team. This transformation would profoundly reframe the way Roma Moulding would do business. 

By establishing a clear mission, vision, and a series of core values, he constructed a strong framework for effective leadership. During the last decade, Roma Moulding has achieved a number of accolades including Manufacturer of the Year and Most Admired Company Culture to name a few. Tony is a frequent guest on numerous podcasts, a lecturer at universities across Canada, and featured on blogs; all of which are focused on his passions: business, leadership, mission work, culture, and employee happiness. He’s been acknowledged for his work in notable publications such as Forbes, Toastmasters, Inc.com, and The Drive." 

Tony can be found at
- Website - https://www.tonygareri.com
- Company Website - https://www.romamoulding.com
- Instagram - @tonygareri

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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. Share this with anyone you feel would be inclined to help or even just become more educated on the topic.

Check out https://www.dereknielsen.com/listen/ for more episodes with fascinating people around the world trying to make an actual change outside themselves to make this planet a better place to live. Photography For Change

Inside this episode, Katherine Mason shares with us her love for painting but a deeper love for helping others. How her faith guides her life and how she wants her legacy to be more about art but how well she treated others.  

From an early age, Katherine was a talented painter excelling in advanced art classes in high school.  In called she lost motivation by being pushed through the system without challenge. Her love for art began to fade when a favorite professor pulled her aside to help her refocus. For all of us, we are thankful he did. Her work delicately touches the soul as does her mission. 

A word from Katherine - 

I started my Lipstick Series in order to support women who have battled, or are currently battling, Breast Cancer. When asking women what the hardest part of their journey with cancer had been, they had a shockingly similar answer:

They didn't feel beautiful anymore.

After finding out a good friend was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, I had the opportunity to sit down with her and try to better understand the battle she was fighting. She told me that before her chemotherapy treatments, she would apply lipstick because it was the only thing that made her feel strong and beautiful again. From then on, I decided to create this series entirely out of lipstick.

My series continues to grow thanks to the generosity of those who have donated lipstick in honor and in memory of their loved ones. I’m privileged to be able to incorporate these people into my work, keeping their spirits alive!

This body of work will be sold to raise money for The Rose clinic and the National Breast Cancer Foundation in hopes of finding a cure, and in the meantime, reminding women just how beautiful they truly are.

  If you are inspired by this podcast and want to get involved please check out
- Website - https://paintedwithlipstick.com
- Instagram - @paintedwithlipstick
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paintedwithlipstick
- Tick Tock - @paintedwithlipstick

Share this episode across whatever platforms you enjoy listening to podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. Share this with anyone you feel would be inclined to help or even just become more educated on the topic.

Check out https://www.dereknielsen.com/listen/ for more episodes with fascinating people around the world trying to make an actual change outside themselves to make this planet a better place to live. Photography For Change

Inside this episode, Priya Shah opens our eyes to the connection between art, community and healing. Her organization The Simple Good (TSG) was created out of a blog started in March 2011 on the need to share what people found to be their "happy" from around the world. The blog quickly went viral. 

By April 2013 TSG’s first pilot youth arts program took place in Auburn Gresham, Chicago, and resulted in an incredible wave of interest from schools across Chicago. The Simple Good had arrived, and became an official non-profit organization on August 2014.

In 2015 TSG continued their global reach by facilitating a photography exchange between high school students in Roseland, Chicago and students in Moshi, Tanzania.

TSG formalized our SEL & Mindfulness-based Arts Residency curriculum, and expanded their projects into the programs they currently teach in schools and community organizations.

Its mission is to connect the meaning of good from around the world to empower youth to become positive activists through art and discussion.

Through mindfulness and social-emotional learning (SEL) based art programming and public art projects, their mission is to transcend the message that no matter where you go in the world, good means the same to all of us and that is what connects us as human beings.

TSG BUSINESS SERIES
This series of workshops and training programs help corporate partners create space for more empathetic and inclusive workplaces using our expertise in Social Emotional Learning and experience working in diverse communities. It is through these conversations that we empower those in positions of influence to recognize and address what is dividing them to uncover the commonalities that build bridges of community, hope and positive connection.

My conversation with Priya reminded me how necessary it is to remain open to others and to find what makes us happy.


City Of Big Creams Fundraiser

Thursday, September 29th

VIP Pre-Dinner: 5:30 – 7:00 PM

City of Big Dreams: 7:00 – 11:00 PM

The Simple Good invites you to their 10 year anniversary celebration, City of Big Dreams Fundraiser – the only immersive arts experience celebrating the simple good of Chicago and a one of a kind evening of music, visual arts, dance, and poetry complete with interactive experiences to take you on a journey to celebrate the dreams that we can make a reality together.

As guests of their intimate evening, you will connect with Chicago’s diverse and vibrant arts culture, while intentionally engaging with arts activism to support The Simple Good youth. 

If you are inspired by this podcast and want to get involved please check out
- Website - https://thesimplegood.org
- Instagram - @thesimplegood
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesimplegood
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheSimpleGood

Share this episode across whatever platforms you enjoy listening to podcasts.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. Share this with anyone you feel would be inclined to help or even just become more educated on the topic.

Check out https://www.dereknielsen.com/listen/ for more episodes with fascinating people around the world trying to make an actual change outside themselves to make this planet a better place to live. Photography For Change