Life's Essential Ingredients
Life’s Essential Ingredients is spinoff of C4 Leaders, a California based non-profit who uses PIZZA to guide all people in RISING TOGETHER. The show is hosted by two best friends who were college roommates at the University of San Francisco – (Jeff with a Mike). Season 5 started in 2025 and the show is currently listened to in 102 countries and 974 cities.
The educational and entertaining show takes a deep, yet humorous look at life’s essential ingredients. The hosts engage in interesting conversation with some of the world’s best leaders, authors, athletes, musicians, chefs, architects, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, comedians, CEOs, coaches, professors, teachers, and many, many, more industries and professions.
The goal of the show is to have the guest highlight their life’s essential ingredients and for the listener to add an ingredient or two to their life recipe.
The hosts create space for the guest to be the star of the show and provide an incredible platform to highlight their life, their business, their passion, and most importantly, their gift they share with the world.
Our listeners are diverse and 9% are 18-24, 18% 25-29, 13% 30-34, 18% 35-44, 18% 45-54, and 55+ 24%.
Life's Essential Ingredients
Season 5 Episode #14 Autism is Scripting Life in PENCIL for Michael Pereira!
C4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved. We also write children’s books and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other. Please check out PIZZADAYS.ORG to support our important work.
Season 5 Episode #14 Michael Pereira is coming from Miami, Florida (inform, inspire, & transform)
You can find Michael via his website theautismvoyage.com
About our guest: After a successful career in Corporate America and after suffering through and surviving a personal encounter with COVID, Michael knew life had something different instore for him. But he still couldn’t put his finger on it. Then, in 2022, Michael’s son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and from then on, Michael began to look at life through a different lens.
That pivotal experience shifted Michael’s priorities from corporate achievements to creating a secure future for his family, sparking the inception of The Autism Voyage®. Michael decided to embark on a mission to share specialized knowledge of financial planning and support for special needs families. Driven by his firsthand understanding of planning for the future - financially, Michael is all in on using his talents to aid families and their unique challenges with raising and caring for a special needs child.
Michael, thanks for sharing your many talents, for being an advocate for autism, for providing valuable resources to help families with special needs children, and for being our guest on Life’s Essential Ingredients – welcome to the show!
TOTD – “All advocacy is, at its core, an exercise in empathy.” Samantha Power
Build a habit - to create intention - to live your purpose!
In this episode:
What was life like growing up?
What are your life’s essential ingredients?
I know you have traveled throughout your career… what do you love about traveling…
What life lessons did you take away from your travels/life experiences…
How has having a child with special needs affected your family and friends?
Has it been difficult balancing your time, care, love, energy with your daughter who is not a special needs child.
Asperger’s Syndrome – insights into indicators?
Aphantasia and Autism and distinct ways they intersect
Group Homes for special needs adults…
Planning for a special needs future
Special Needs siblings
The financial side of raising a child with special needs..
Food texture sensitivity… tips to help?
Challenges and balance of raising a special needs family…
Books or other resources you recommend?
Best resources you have found for your family?
The Autism Voyage…blog, website with resources for families of special needs children…
Long Term Care…
Legacy