I'm here too
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I'm Here Too Podcast

I’m Here Too Podcast

A podcast, hosted by Ara Tucker that explores the intersections of art, culture, creativity, family, identity and all that fills the spaces in between.

We all have a chance to make our own mark, our own impression. Big or small as it ends up being. What a freeing realization that has been for me. Don’t get me wrong. It’s been a long and circuitous road getting to the place where “I” feels authentic and where I don’t apologize for the way I walk through the world.

It took me a long time to get to here, a place where I will be seen and heard. But now that I’m here, I’m eager for some company. I look forward to sharing my journey with you, learning from others, and creating a space where we can feel more connected, inspired and safe to be ourselves.

Off we go!

Mastering the Art of YOU, a conversation with Dana Bernstein

You can also find this podcast on YouTube (transcript available), Spotify (video and audio versions), Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts (transcript available) and other fun places where podcasts live so subscribe, follow and tell your friends and your cat to listen and let me know what you think.

Hi everybody!

Welcome to this episode of I’m Here Too: Mastering the Art of YOU, a conversation with Dana Bernstein. Among many things, Dana is a conflict resolution author, speaker, consultant and Principal of Dare to Live Brave. With over 2500 coaching hours and more than 100 clients, Dana specializes in de-escalation, negotiations, contracts, project management and high stakes situations. 

In 2025, Dana published “It’s the Thought That Counts: Mastering the Art of YOU vs. you,” an interactive book helping individuals resolve internal conflict to better navigate external challenges. 

Dana and I got to know each other as part of the Rutgers Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance program and it was a real treat to get to sit down with her. As I think you’ll learn during the conversation, Dana has a way with words and I asked her to elaborate on a number of quotes that resonated with me after reading her book and listening to some of her other podcast appearances including: 

  • “The words that make you tick, are the same ones that tick you off.”

  • “Sometimes the mountains are there for a reason.”

  • “If you’re not vulnerable, you don’t have the stickiness to grow.”

  • “You get to choose your hard.”

Dana also generously did some live coaching with me, shared her thoughts on how quiet the outside noise so you can tune into your true inside voice and at your own pace, had some wild adventures and musical experiences to share, and somehow did all of this without missing a beat - even when we got disrupted briefly by a technical glitch. If you want to witness someone living their values out loud and in service of helping others, if you want to learn how to navigate in this fast paced world, or if you’re just curious about my least favorite food, then I think you’re really going to like this conversation.

Off we go, enjoy!

CHAPTERS

(00:00:05)  Introduction

(00:02:30) ‘Dare to Live Brave’

(00:04:01) How do we trust ourselves?

(00:05:32) Moving to France without knowing (much) French

(00:08:45) Wherever we go, there go our values

(00:11:13) Do we have to live in the fast lane?

(00:14:22) Building connection with others and showing them they matter

(00:15:03) Becoming your best and most intentional self

(00:18:40) What’s your ideal emotion?

(00:19:56) Writing “It’s the Thought That Counts”

(00:24:30) Curiosity, Play and Leadership

(00:27:21) “The words that make you tick are the words that tick you off”

(00:31:30) “Sometimes the mountains are there for a reason”

(00:32:57) “If you’re not vulnerable, you don’t have the stickiness to grow”

(00:35:50) “You get to choose your hard”

(00:38:45) A diverse career journey and finding joy in work

(00:42:20) Handling stress and navigating when “something happens”

(00:43:55) Preoccupations

(00:46:35) Superpowers

(00:49:32) Be good to yourself

(00:51:13) Binge watching and mosh pits

(00:56:53) Closing

About Dana Bernstein

Dana Bernstein is a Conflict Resolution author, speaker, consultant and Principal of Dare to Live Brave. With 2500+ coaching hours and 100+ clients, she specializes in de-escalation, negotiations, contracts, project management, and high stakes situations representing universities, government, banking and courts. She founded and manages a family-run animal hospital.

Dana published 30 articles on contracts and negotiations (1995-2007). She produced 8 PMI webinars with “Mastering the Art of Human-ness in Project Management: Serving Others Through Powerful Communication,” garnering 52,500 views since March 2020.

In 2025, Dana published “It’s the Thought That Counts: Mastering the Art of YOU vs. you,” an interactive book helping individuals resolve internal conflict to better navigate external challenges. Dana has a Master’s in Dispute Resolution from Montclair State and is a court-appointed volunteer mediator. She is an ICF NJ Board Member, Co-Director of Programs with a PCC Credential. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Meeting Professional (CMP).

An avid volunteer, Dana has been working with the Girl Scouts and the Girl Scout Service Unit Leadership Team for 15 years. She is a strong supporter of women advocating for informed health choices for those who have breast cancer.

Dana helps people use their voice in managing conflict. Dana offers a vast portfolio of business accomplishments with a proven track record of leadership and successful outcomes.

PodcastAra Tuckercoaching, author, careerComment