The Gentle Year

Albert is a lifelong learner, CPA, author, and partner at a national public accounting firm. He earned a BS in Accounting from Southern University and A&M College and an MBA in International Business & Entrepreneurship from LSU with a 4.0 GPA. He is a member of multiple honor societies and a lifetime member of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). Guided by the principles “Accounting is the heartbeat of business” and “Follow the money,” Albert is committed to empowering future leaders, families, and entrepreneurs toward financial excellence and lasting impact.

With over a decade of experience trading foreign currencies, Albert Smith brings a deep understanding of the global financial markets and family to The Gentle Year. 

After years in retail, manufacturing, and corporate finance — including 17 years with a Fortune 500 investment firm — he went on to found his own commodity trading company.

Passionate about helping others achieve financial freedom, Smith believes that investing is not just about money, but about empowerment, independence, and choice. His insights on leverage, discipline, and long-term thinking inspire listeners to approach both finance and life with strategy and purpose.

Amber Trivedi — Co-Founder of LifeSpark Labs

Amber Trivedi is the Co-Founder of LifeSpark Labs, where she helps organizations and leaders cultivate curiosity, empathy, and emotional intelligence in the workplace. Drawing on her experience as both a professional and a parent, Amber brings a unique perspective on how the skills we use to lead teams can also transform how we nurture our families.

In her conversation on The Gentle Year, Amber reflects on parenting in the digital age — from navigating screen addiction and online communication to fostering emotional awareness and human connection. Her insights remind us that curiosity, patience, and understanding are the real tools of growth, both at home and at work.

David Fowler is a dedicated teacher, mentor, and the founder of Your Future Basketball, a program that empowers young athletes to reach their full potential both on and off the court. With years of experience in education, David combines his passion for teaching with his love of the game to help students develop discipline, leadership, and confidence.

Through Your Future Basketball, he creates opportunities for youth to grow not only as players but as individuals — focusing on teamwork, accountability, and the mindset needed for success in life. His work reflects a deep belief that sports can be a powerful vehicle for personal growth and lifelong learning.

Dr. David Marcus, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with over 40 years of experience in research, therapy, and family advocacy. He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Louisville, where his research focused on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and antidepressant treatment for depression, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Cincinnati Department of Psychiatry with an emphasis on Self Psychology and psychoanalytic theory.

Dr. Marcus has worked in a wide range of mental health settings, including community mental health centers and psychiatric facilities for children. His work centers on supporting families under stress, promoting children’s emotional well-being, and advising legal professionals on the impact of custody conflict on child development. His forthcoming book expands on these themes for parents.

Kimberly Lechnick  empowers ambitious professional women in midlife to rediscover their self-worth and build meaningful, fulfilling relationships—starting with the one they have with themselves.

As a certified Relationship Coach and founder of Intentional Pathways By Design, she helps high-achieving women break free from self-doubt, reconnect with confidence, and create the deep, authentic love they desire.

Many of her clients have spent years excelling in their careers and caring for others, yet find themselves feeling disconnected or stuck in unbalanced relationship patterns. Through self-worth coaching, mindset work, and gratitude-based practices, she guides them back to the power of who they truly are—creating lives rooted in confidence, intention, and emotional fulfillment.

Rebecca L. Norrington is a Happiness Specialist, author, and emotional wellness coach dedicated to helping people live from the inside out. With a background in psychology and over two decades of experience in personal development, Rebecca blends science, spirituality, and humor to teach others how to prioritize emotional balance over external success.

As a contributor to The Gentle Year, Rebecca offers insights that help parents, students, and families cultivate authentic joy, resilience, and peace — even in life’s most chaotic seasons. Her work reminds us that happiness is not something we chase, but something we choose moment by moment.

Shara Ruffin is a licensed therapist, parent, and founder of Journey to Licensure, a company dedicated to supporting social workers and mental health professionals on their path to professional licensure and emotional well-being.

As a mother, entrepreneur, and advocate for self-awareness, Shara shares candidly about breaking cycles of cultural conditioning, healing through emotional work, and homeschooling her Gen Alpha son while running a thriving business.

In her appearance on The Gentle Year, Shara opens up about motherhood, grief, and growth — offering wisdom and hope for parents striving to raise emotionally grounded children in a fast-paced world.

Tanya Bunting is the mother of 5 children and is a dynamic creative instructor specializing in essay writing, storytelling, thumbnail design, video editing, and video production. With a passion for helping students craft compelling narratives—whether in written form or through multimedia—Tanya empowers learners to find their voice and express it with clarity and impact. Her background in visual storytelling and digital content creation equips students with real-world skills that translate seamlessly from the classroom to college applications, YouTube channels, and beyond. Whether polishing a personal essay or producing a standout video project, Tanya brings a thoughtful, energetic approach to every session. 

Ted Lamb is a veteran educator, historian, and father of two homeschool graduates with nearly three decades of experience in education. Trained in Social Studies Education, Ted teaches in the public school system while intentionally applying Biblical Classical and Principle Approach® methodologies wherever possible.

Over time, growing concerns about students’ declining critical thinking, resilience, and love of learning led Ted to deeply examine educational philosophy. Through study, prayer, and training with the Foundation for American Christian Education (FACE), he became a certified Principle Approach® teacher.

Ted believes history should be taught providentially—through primary sources, reflection, and an understanding of God’s hand in human events. His work focuses on restoring meaningful learning, critical thought, and moral responsibility in education. 

Terry Bean has always believed in magic—perhaps because she learned early to see the world through rose-colored glasses, long before she ever wrote a book about it.

In fourth grade, Terry played Mother Nature in a school play, stepping onto a dark, messy stage and walking off transformed in a flowing gown and rose-colored glasses. In many ways, those glasses never came off. 

Terry studied Communications and Marketing at the University of Hartford before beginning her career in Manhattan. 

After the market shift, Terry reinvented herself more than once, yet one constant remained: a magical story she wrote in 2014, always knowing it would one day be shared. That story became ABRACADABRA.

Today, Terry is back in New York caring for her mother. This quieter chapter is deeply meaningful, guiding her toward a life and work rooted in simplicity, gentleness, love, and joy—even through harder moments.

Tony Berardo is a content creator, entrepreneur, and father redefining modern fatherhood, success, and presence in the digital age. After nearly a decade in corporate marketing, Tony was laid off and faced life-altering events that forced him to reevaluate work, money, and legacy.

Today, he creates story-driven content across Instagram, YouTube, and his podcast Humanity & Hashtags, exploring fatherhood, masculinity, mental health, and entrepreneurship. He is also the founder of Human Dad, a community-first apparel brand celebrating involved, emotionally present fathers.

After years of infertility and IVF, Tony became a father to a daughter who reshaped his priorities. He now advocates for alternative career paths that allow parents to spend more time at home during their children’s earliest years.

Tony shares his work at theberardo.com.