We have all heard the pervasive conversation about the cost of living here, yet people frequently fail to mention that this place is an international food haven, it’s boundless with natural beauty, and one of the few places where you can be outside naked year round without seriously endangering your well-being - You’ve seen the naked people riding on bikes haven’t you?! These are some of the reasons why our guest and Bay Area local Terri Hannon is living in the Bay Area. With Akeisha Johnson, your host, and this is Making it Work!

In 2012 Forbes magazine, named San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland, California three of the most ethnically diverse large cities within the US. Meaning that the biggest ethnic group has a population no larger than 35% in the area. Yes, the Bay has flavor! This is one of the many reasons why sex educator and coach Elisabeth Bolasa lives here. With host, Akeisha Johnson, a life coach and your host, and Elisabeth is going to share with us all about how she is Making It Work

San Francisco is home to major fashion brands such as Levi Strauss and The Gap.Both companies are best known for their jeans, and their clothing’s comfort and style. What many don’t know is that these companies were born from their founders paying attention to what was happening right here in The Bay. Levi Strauss jeans were made to serve the miners of the gold rush in the 1860’s. 100 years later, Gap founder Donald Fisher saw jeans as everyday wear for an emerging counter-culture to corporate style of dress. What a visionary - business casual is definitely the standard in offices in here! With Akeisha Johnson, your host, and on this episode, we will chat with SF fashion designer and innovator Yuliya Raquel about what she is creating in The Bay and how she is Making It Work.

Who are those people that live in the best neighborhoods and still pay decent rent in the city? What did they do to have such a sweet rent-controlled apartment? Many times those folks have been around for a looonnng time! So, how would this happen for a young single man who does NOT work in the world of technology? I’m Akeisha Johnson, life coach and show host, and we are going to find out from nightclub manager and SF local Rodney Detheridge, on this episode of Making It Work!

The SF Bay Area frequently tops survey lists on healthy and happy living within the US. It maybe because of the many local farms which are about an hour drive away from the cities, or the all of the year-round outdoor physical activities for kids and adults alike. These are big reasons why people choose to move here and stay in this area. It’s one of the reasons why our guest fine art sculptor Jeff Zygmunt stays here. With Akeisha Johnson, a life coach and your host, and we’re gonna find out more about it on Making It Work.

The Beat Poets established a counter-culture in the 1950’s of freely using drugs to achieve higher-consciousness and challenged social conformity in the SF Bay Area. The reputation of these artists remain influential to the area - you can see it in how people dress themselves here and smell the counter-culture in plomes of marijuana smoke when walking down the street any time of the day. These are some of the reasons why many of the transplants were attracted to and now call The Bay home. With Akeisha Johnson, a life coach and your host, we will talk with Bay Area, filmmaker, and tv producer David Scott MacDougall to find out about how he is Making It Work!

What happens when people sit down to chat over a cup of coffee? Perhaps relationships are created and built. Or maybe, opportunities to travel the world are identifed just for the simple pleasure of having a conversation with another human being. This is what occurred when our guest Megan Gebhart decided to find out the answer to the question and some very interesting and inspiring things happened. One major thing is that she and I met - amongst many others! With Akeisha Johnson, life coach and your host, on this episode of Making It Work we’re gonna talk to our guest Megan about her book and why she chooses to call the SF Bay Area home.

When people think of their hometowns many pictures and sound bites come to mind. In the Bay people may think of the soft popping sounds of sizzling grilled meat at the local tacqueria, the smell of warm spicy pathcholi oil coming from a bohemian vendor selling handmade crafts on a bustling street, or the old men hanging on the corner playing dominoes and telling the neighborhood kids to stay out of trouble. Whatever it is, there are distinct things that are held sacred about your hometown - especially the friendships that were made. These are a few of the reasons why Destiny Arts Center Executive Director Cristy Johnston-Limon is so committed to empowering neighborhoods in the Bay - she is FROM here, AND she is also one mine and Allegra’s oldest and dearest friends. With Akeisha Johnson, your host, and on this episode of Making It Work, we will chat with Cristy about how she is contributing to communities that are surviving and thriving here in The Bay.

How many people do you know in the Bay Area who practice meditation? Betcha know at least three! Here in The Bay the ancient practice which originated in India is pretty commonplace. There are a multitude of resources to learn about the practice of meditation and places available to meditate with groups others. But, what about meditation makes it so popular in The SF Bay Area? If you ask physical therapist Karuna Patel Kaipa, she will talk about meditation’s healing aspects. This is one of the reasons why we are so excited to speak with this one fierce healer on this episode. With Akeisha Johnson, your host, and this is Making it Work!

SF Bay residents are 59% more likely to practice yoga than anyone in rest of the country according to Forbes magazine. SFO is the first airport to have a designated yoga room. Have you seen it?! This area is presently and historically been at the forefront of yoga practitioners within the US. On this episode, we will chat with yoga instructor and Bay Area native Lindsay Foreman about how she became a yogi while Making It Work living in the Bay!

Last May, San Francisco’s school board made a major decision. Special education students now attend any school while being taught in standard classes along with standard students, instead of being designated to specific schools and classrooms. These students now will have special education teachers to assist them individually along with their classroom instructor. With Akeisha Johnson, your show host on this episode of Making It Work, we will chat with undergraduate student, Amanda Harrinauth, about her experiences with special education and living in the Bay!