Planning Your Dreams, Refusing “Good Enough”, & Pushing Your Boundaries with S.G. Blaise

“I grabbed onto my passion, and held on for dear life.” ~ S.G. Blaise

Guest Bio: S.G. Blaise was born in a faraway land of castles, monarchies and fallen dictatorships aka Hungary. Hollywood movies were largely forbidden under Soviet oppression during her childhood, but her dad smuggled them anyway, risking his life so that his children could experience the magic and hope inherent in those stories. These stories were the reason she fell in love with Sci-Fi and Fantasy genres. She watched rebellions unfold in real time. Journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean for love. She ended up in sunny California, where she is living her dream—writing stories and annoying family members.

SHOW NOTES: 

• Website: https://sgblaise.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgblaiseofficial/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/thelastlumenian
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/sgblaiseauthor
• Classic Yoda to Luke Skywalker scene mentioned, “Do, or do not. There is no try.” Click here to watch the 24-secind clip now!

REMARKABLE LISTENER SPECIAL OFFER(S):

• All ebooks are discounted 60-80% on Amazon.

CORE THEMES, KEYWORDS, & MENTIONS:

• Hungary, Soviet Union, Sci-Fi, dreams, planning, short term planning, long term planning, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, artistic freedom, work ethic, family movie night, grief, dad died, reading, writing, novelist, talking through your problems, humor, reaching your goals, first generation American, guilt, balance, raising children, facing your fears, growth mindset, refusing good enough, constructive criticism, accepting criticism, ego, pushing your boundaries, Comic Con, “Start small, challenge yourself, and celebrate the victory’s along the way.”,  balance, gratefulness

For more Remarkable Episodes, Inspiration, and Motivation, please visit https://davidpasqualone.com/remarkable-people-podcast/. Enjoy!

Transcript

Planning Your Dreams, Refusing “Good Enough”, & Pushing Your Boundaries with S.G. Blaise

David Pasqualone: Smuggling movies illegally, moving from Hungary to Boston, and learn to overcome your fears by doing, not trying. All this and more, right now.

The Remarkable People Podcast. Check it out.

The Remarkable People Podcast. Listen. Do. Repeat. For Life!.

The Remarkable People Podcast.

David Pasqualone: Hello, my remarkable friend. Welcome to this week's episode of the Remarkable People Podcast, the SG Blaze story. This week we have an incredible time together going through SG's life, how she went from Hungary to Boston, [00:01:00] how she learned in her early age to take her dream, break it down to short and long term goals and realize it by not trying, but by doing.

And we're going to talk about that in the episode. We're going to talk about how at a young age, her father and mother would bring in American movies. He'd spend all week dubbing them so they could have fun on family night Sundays. And he would play these movies like Star Wars and Indiana Jones and these opened SG's mind and changed her life for the better.

So we're going to go through the practical aspect of just how we all have dreams and the steps we need to take to realize them and then being grateful to God along the way. There's so much in this episode, as you're going to see, SG's a remarkable woman, a lot of fun to be with. And she's an author of these great sci fi books and you're going to hear more about them in the moments to come.

Before we [00:02:00] jump into the episode, I just want to thank you again for being here. I know all of our episodes over the last four years have different topics and they solve different problems. And as you listen to the whole thing, you'll see like, wow, this wasn't in the title, but I got a gold nugget that changed my life.

All of our episodes go deep and wide. So listen through the whole thing, take notes, but more than anything, apply them like we're going to talk about in this episode. And then if you have comments or questions, reach out to me or the guest and, you know, check out the show notes for all the details. And then just let us know how we can help.

The whole purpose of the Remarkable People Podcast is to glorify God by helping you grow. And that's why we're here. So we love you. Enjoy this episode with our friend SGBlaze. And don't forget If you like this video, like this podcast, subscribe to this channel, and give us a 5 star review. If you don't like this video, let me know why!

Write davidpasqualone. com I [00:03:00] want to say a special thanks to my wife, Marcia, for helping me with the podcast. And a blessing to you is MyPillow is our season nine sponsor. They gave us promo code, Remarkable. Everything on every order you buy from MyPillow. com forward slash Remarkable or use promo code Remarkable.

Or call up and say, I want to use promo code Remarkable, you'll get up to 80 percent off all of your orders. It's amazing. For as far as I know, there is not a better promo code out there. So go to MyPillow. com forward slash Remarkable, whether it's a Christmas gift, a birthday gift, or just something special for yourself.

Enjoy the savings, enjoy the quality American products, and know that you are part of supporting the show. So we stay on the air. That's it. I'm David Pasqualone. This is our friend SG Blaze. I hope you love the episode. It changes your life for the better, and you let us know how. But right now, let's get started. [00:04:00] Hey, S. G., how are you today? 

S.G. Blaise: I'm doing great, David. Thank you so much for having me on your podcast. 

David Pasqualone: Oh, it's an honor. It's, I'm excited. I know you have a lot of great things going on in your world, and I'm looking forward to sharing that with our audience today.

And hanging out together is a special privilege. We've been waiting months to make this happen, so thank you for your patience and it's an honor to have you here again. 

S.G. Blaise: Oh, it's a pleasure and I can't wait to share what happened this year with you. 

David Pasqualone: Yeah, let's do it. So, this show is all about hanging out and getting to know one another and not just talk about your successes and what you're able to overcome and achieve in life, but we'll break it down the practical steps so our listeners can too.

So at this time we can go chronologically through your life past, present, and future or we can just stop at some highlights that you want to feature, but when this episode's over We have listeners who have been with us for all four years, have listened to all 180 plus episodes. [00:05:00] For people who are brand new, or for our loyal listener base, people who are going to be loyal listeners, right?

For everybody listening. If they stay through your episode, what's one thing you guarantee that they're going to learn and be able to walk away with and apply to their life by the end of this episode? 

S.G. Blaise: They're going to learn how to keep following their passion and see their dreams come true. 

David Pasqualone: Beautiful.

We all need that, right? To be consistent, best ability is dependability and staying the course. So that's great. Well, SG, let's talk about you've come to this place in life. You're making it happen. How did you get here? Give us a little bit of your background, where you've been, because we know that makes you the woman you are today.

Good, bad or ugly. It makes us who we are, right? 

S.G. Blaise: Absolutely. My background is that I grew up in Hungary. I was born in 1978, two months premature. I gave quite a square to my parents because I had prenatal pneumonia and underweight, [00:06:00] but that's how I started in life. And also under the second You know oppression of the Soviet Union, second half.

So my life has been influenced by these events of, you know, had some health struggles, you know, I almost died twice before I reached age three. You know, we had this fear around what you can say outside, what you can show outside of the house. And the fact that my dad smuggled in Hollywood movies to show it to his children, which was a really big no no.

So I grew up with this atmosphere, you know, experiencing the magic of sci fi and fantasy, you know, Star Wars movies, Indiana Jones, you name it, but not allowed to speak about it. And then I had a nightmare at age nine that started me on my writing journey. Of course, it wasn't a clear cut path with many twists and turns, but that's one of the pivotal moments in my life.[00:07:00] 

David Pasqualone: Okay, we'll talk about this. If it's a pivotal moment in your life, what happened with that nightmare? 

S.G. Blaise: It was a lucid dreaming. I didn't know that's what was happening. Basically, I grabbed control of that dream and I became the hero trying to save my little brother from this spider creature who was attacking us and the parents were not home.

And I went from being very scared to being courageous and fighting it and of course saving the day. And when I woke up, I had to write it down. So I wrote it down, and the next day I asked permission from my teacher to read it to the class. And it was a phenomenal feeling. They clapped, they were laughing at my jokes, and I got hooked.

And I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I also knew around age 10 that to be a writer means you have to have a strong job to support your writing habits. So I created a short term and long term plan so I would be able to Get to my dream. And it was [00:08:00] very simple, you know, get to a good college, have a good job.

That was my long term plan. And short term was to do your homework, study, go to school. And we had to do entrance exam for my high school, right? Because that was at the time the, the, you know, the method. So I had to prepare to enter to a really good high school. So long story short, I started to create lists and, you know, goals and write it down and kept it in front of me so I could follow them throughout my life.

David Pasqualone: Yeah, now that's pretty profound. Most adults sadly don't have the forethought to sit, yeah, sit down and put together a short and long term planning and that's great. So at 10 years old someone taught you to do that. Was that your parents? Was it something you were taught in school? Where did you learn to plan ahead and to have the vision?

S.G. Blaise: I think I learned to plan ahead is by listening to the adults conversation. I was always there in the same room when we had friends over and you know that was [00:09:00] the only time when people were allowed to really speak freely is when they were were together and it was a short you know gathering so they trusted each other to share their deepest fears and what they learned so I started to collect this little And one of the conversations I overheard was about an acquaintance who made it very, very high, only to fall almost to homelessness.

And I remember thinking to myself, oh no, if this grown up who was, you know, in his 40s could experience that. How can I avoid it and, and not have to experience it? And so I just started to brainstorm and wrote it down. I honestly don't know where the short term, long term came from. I think I just had to break it down to smaller steps, and I just 

David Pasqualone: went for it.

That's fantastic. And now the other question I had was, so you had this lucid dream and you're smuggling in, your dad's smuggling in videos and sci fi, like Indiana Jones, you said, and Star Wars and classics, right? Do you think [00:10:00] those were a catalyst in? You know, stimulating a part of your brain that normally wouldn't have been stimulated where you were from?

S.G. Blaise: It was definitely a huge stimulation, David. Because at the time, it wasn't just oppression for your personal freedom. It was also cultural oppression. There was no We we would not have had access to anything like that magical and that outside of the box thinking and creativity unless my dad, you know, brought it to us.

And, yes, movies did premiere in Hungary, but after the premiere if you missed it, you would not have a second chance to watch it. And I was one year old when Star Wars came to Hungary. And my dad knew in his heart that it was very important to his kids to broaden their horizon, to experience different worlds and, and imagine and, and in creativity, really.

And how 

David Pasqualone: many brothers and 

S.G. Blaise: sisters did you have? I have a younger brother. He's about [00:11:00] one year younger than me. One year. 

David Pasqualone: Okay. So your dad would take these back and he's like, shh, don't say anything. It's hard as a kid not to share a secret. But were you able to keep it a secret, or did you have friends come over and watch with you?

S.G. Blaise: I, I did my best to keep secret, David. Of course, I had a big mouth, so I'm pretty sure most of my classmates knew at some point or another that I was watching this, and it was very special. Every Sunday night was a movie night, and my dad would prepare a whole week to translate it, to use his own voice to dub it, because, again, we only were allowed to learn you know, Russian.

We didn't know English, and so he used his own voice. to translate it and, and, and to dub it so we could understand what's happening. And he was very professional about it, which was my first experience of having this amazing work ethic, even when you do something for a hobby. 

David Pasqualone: Yeah, that's special. Like Family Movie Night special, but for your dad to dub an entire movie, did he characterize and play out the voices like a [00:12:00] man and a woman and kids?

I 

S.G. Blaise: think he thought that was not professional enough. He did try to bring a little bit of different tone, but he had a deep voice, so did not give a lot of chance to make them come alive, but he would go back over and over if he made a mistake, if his voice didn't line up with the actor's voice, he would re record it over and over.

David Pasqualone: Wow, yeah, and the tools back then weren't anything like today. That was difficult and time consuming. That's such a sweet love that he showed you. 

S.G. Blaise: Oh, exactly. And that's the love that, you know, one of my hope was to share with my son. You know, when I got to here, I, of course, I didn't speak language because even though I had 12 years of English knowledge, it was passive.

So, my son saw me fighting for this passion I had to follow my dream, to have to learn English, to become fluent, then to learn about how to write a book. And then Read [00:13:00] my book. So it was very special. And of course I wrote that book for him to not be able to put it down, which it happened a little bit.

David Pasqualone: Nice. Nice. So now you're you know, you're an older child, a young teen. You decide, I want to be a writer, but you already had the forethought, like, I need to have a career to support it until I can sustain a full writing career, which is hard. So where does your life go from 10 years old till university?

Well, first I 

S.G. Blaise: had to do an entrance exam to a very good high school. It was a very highly prestigious high school. And I got in early because I went on a competition. And, My dad died a year before, so I felt you know, drowning in grief. I felt like I wasn't a child anymore, you know, my childhood was over.

It shattered this reality of, you know, there is no safety. My dad [00:14:00] was my rock, my safety, right? So I went to this high school that was high level, very, you know, prestigious, competitive, and I was not sure what to do with my grief. The only way I could handle the daily life is to read, so I read everything I could.

And I tried to write a novel around second year in, but I realized that it took too much away from studying because it was very challenging. We had to do a so called four year exam that's both oral and verbal, and they literally I asked you to recite four years of knowledge or pick one topic and recite it at the end of the year.

So, high school was the hardest time of my life, both because of puberty, you know, grief, and of course you know, very high level of education and expectation I had to live up to. And then, I met my husband online, right as I'm entering college, and He, you know, brought [00:15:00] me to America, and then I learned I didn't speak English.

So, that was quite the surprise after 12 years of, you know, studying English in school, right after the Soviet Union fell, you know, and go figure. 

David Pasqualone: So, and let's go back a little bit two things about your childhood. How did your dad die, if you don't mind me asking? Was it natural causes? Did he have an accident?

Was he murdered? What happened there? 

S.G. Blaise: My dad died because he had brain cancer. So, right around when I was 12, he had headaches. He went to the doctor, then they misdiagnosed him, and for some reason at the time, it wasn't a tradition to tell the patient what you really have. So, he had a surgery, you know, shaved that head, shaved his head and everything, and he came home from the hospital and they didn't know what to do with him.

He actually diagnosed himself. Because he had his own CT scan in front of him, and he figured out what he has. [00:16:00] And it progressed very aggressively. There was nothing the doctors could do it. And when he passed away, it felt like it was very sudden. It was very aggressive form, and it happened less than a year.

David Pasqualone: So now, a lot of times when people are really close to their, their dad or their mom, they have a strained relationship with their other parent. Was your mom and you good? Were you tight? Or was it a strained relationship? 

S.G. Blaise: I'm very fortunate and grateful to say that I had a wonderful relation with my mom.

And that helped me to, to, you know to go for what I want. It was interesting because my personality is my dad, but I look like my mom. So, because my personality is, is not as similar to hers, of course, we butted heads as I got older, but she is my biggest supporter, you know, outside my husband and my son.

She goes out of her way to make me find time to write, which is a huge self [00:17:00] sacrifice, excuse me, on her own, and I'm just grateful to have her in my life. 

David Pasqualone: Beautiful. Now, you go to, your dad passes away, you go to high school, high school for most people is just nuts, and then you go to university and you said you met your husband online and you moved to America.

So before we get to that chapter of your life, what would you recommend? There's people now who've lost their parents, SG, and they're still struggling with that as an adult. And there's people who maybe are, you know, a younger teen right now listening to this. We have listeners from all over the world, all ages, all cultures.

What are some of the things that you figured out to do that helped you heal and move past the loss of your, of 

S.G. Blaise: your parent? What helped me the most to move past my grief was two things. Reading books and also talking about what happened to my dad. [00:18:00] And the more I talked about with friends and family, the more I felt supported and, and the weight lifted a little bit.

But being so young as 13, it still had that, why is this happening? Why me? And, and also this surreal feeling of school just didn't feel that important because I experienced such a loss. That doing a homework was so trivial to it that I really had to force myself to do the daily homework and assignments and just get into the routine of going and following that plan that I had.

So I would tell anyone who's young is to allow yourself to grieve. It's going to take time. Be kind to yourself and find a support system that you can lean on. It's not something that you should do alone. 

David Pasqualone: Yeah, I think that's good wisdom and [00:19:00] very, very important. Talking through your problems, not just suppressing it.

And then, you know, not complaining and whining and just sitting in your problems. But talking through them to resolution and then to moving past it. That's huge. So, when you're going through this, You found reading to be kind of like an escape, and then you're talking through it, so you're not just escaping, but you're also dealing with it.

And as time's going on, how did you get into the online and meet your husband? Were you looking for someone? Did you run into him? Did you have mutual hobbies? How did you guys connect? 

S.G. Blaise: He wouldn't be allowed to go back to just one tidbit for reading before I answered. Oh yeah, 100%, 100%. I was not a reader.

I didn't want to read. My dad and I butted heads because I didn't want to read because he was like, these are great books, they're funny, you should read it. And I refused. So when he passed [00:20:00] away, I went to this bookcase where his favorite books were, and I picked that specific Hungarian author, P. G. Howard, who writes parodies, and I read the first book standing by the bookcase.

And I don't know how long I was standing there, a couple hours. It was a short book, but that's what gave me you know, that experience of reading something funny. You know Escape From Life!, and humor. I don't think I had humor until I read that book. And back to the question, I met my husband online, not because I was looking for someone.

I just wanted to talk to someone. And at the time in 1999, the only way you could talk is that you have to have a contact list. So I was searching for someone who was between 18 and 35, you know, who's a man and who lives in USA. That was like a group that you could choose. It was not very specific. I tried many others, but there was no hit, right?

So I saw this guy named, whose name was Alex, just like my dad. [00:21:00] And I said, I'm just going to send him a message. Hi, how are you? Would you like to talk? That's how we started. 

David Pasqualone: That's crazy. Like now, like back then, I know times were different and you could actually meet people that way, but now it's like Stalker Central to do something like that.

You don't want to do that. No, 

S.G. Blaise: not just that, but after we met, he came to Hungary on this, in summer, you know, we dated a couple of weeks and then he asked if I would like to go back to Boston and stay a couple more weeks at his place. I said absolutely. I had zero, zero thoughts of that's not a good idea or that should be red flag because I got to meet this amazing person who he was and I knew instinctively I could trust him.

So yes, there are red flags. If you're dating someone, make sure you meet them in person and listen to your instincts. Yeah. 

David Pasqualone: I mean, until you know somebody at least a year, it's usually not a good idea to make any major life decisions. So I'm glad it worked out for [00:22:00] you. But yeah, that's, that's typically not the case, so I'm glad you were the exception there.

And yeah, following the Holy Ghost is always 100%. Following our hearts can be deceitful, so be careful there, ladies and gentlemen. But, SG, so now you moved to Boston. Now, I'm from Milford, Mass. I love Boston. I'm 45 minutes away, which is where I grew up, so I love Boston. I think it's one of the greatest cities in the United States I've been to.

How did you like Boston when you came over? Oh, I was, 

S.G. Blaise: I loved Boston, but I also had my first cultural shock because I come from this small little country with eight million people to see this big, big country and big city and, and multiple lanes of highways. And I didn't know where to look. I didn't know what to do with my hands.

I didn't know what was happening. And, and I'm very visual. So when people tried to talk to me, especially if they had a dialect or an accent, it was like, boom, above my head. So it was very frustrating for someone who loves talking. [00:23:00] 

David Pasqualone: Yeah. And then how long were you out here before you moved 

S.G. Blaise: permanently? I'm sorry to interrupt you.

I was here for 22 years, married for 22 years, and I have an 18 year old son who was amazing and who was first generation American who still speaks Hungarian, which I'm very happy to hear. And, and because both my husband and I were Hungarian, you know, can speak Hungarian. 

David Pasqualone: Very nice. Now, is he Hungarian as well, and he was just in the United States, or is he American, just speaks Hungarian, because you trained him?

S.G. Blaise: He's a first generation Hungarian as well. His parents came to the U. S., one, his mom after the Second World War, and his dad right after the Fifty Sixth Revolution. And boy, do we have stories to tell about that. That was a whole craziness right there. So my husband grew up hearing these stories. He learned Hungarian, but that was only one problem.

He didn't know how to swear properly in Hungarian, [00:24:00] because they were too polite. So I taught him that. I'm very proud of him. I'm just kidding. 

David Pasqualone: No, hey, it's big. I remember when I was little, my mom wouldn't let us speak Italian in the home. She's like, you're American, speak American. So I always wish I learned Italian too, but I was fluent in the cuss words she'd yell at me, right?

Like I knew all the cuss words. So now you, so you came to America and never went back to Hungary? Like, I mean, maybe for vacation, but when you moved to visit, you stayed? 

S.G. Blaise: That's correct. We only went back once in 2012, which was where, another pivotal moment in my life when the idea came to me to write my book series.

But no, we wanted to keep going back to vacation. Something was always happening. And, and I knew that this is where my life was. And my mom she lives with me and What more can I ask for? I have everything I need and I'm grateful for this life I'm experiencing. I thank God every day to have this [00:25:00] amazing life and following my passion.

David Pasqualone: Awesome. So you came over, you meet a great guy, you get married, your mom moves over here, you have a son. It's, that's fantastic. It's, you know, you live in the American dream. So between SG, bring us through the timeline of your life. It's 

S.G. Blaise: very interesting when you look back at a timeline like that because you think that, you know, reaching your goal is from A to B, and it's a very clear path, but that's not true.

There were many twists and turns, and you know, as I said, I had to learn English, and my husband was very good at telling me that he's not going to translate. So, I have to learn, I have to activate, because I had knowledge of grammar, I had vocabulary, but I couldn't activate it. And the more I talked, the more I learned that you don't, you don't translate from one language to the other.

You learn sentences that you would use, and you, [00:26:00] you do the context, right? And then I watched as many Shows and movies I could. I had a lot to catch up on, David, because I missed on a lot of TV shows, a lot of movies that were not yet available in Hungary. I'm sure now they are. So, I visit myself with those you know, reading, watching TV, learning language.

I was hoping to get a job here, but then 9 11 happened, and there was just Be You know, hiring freeze. And just as the economy would let up, I had my son. And I don't do anything halfway through. So I said, if I'm going to have a son, I'm going to be a mom and I'm going to be committed to that. And that was one of the biggest guilt I felt when I started writing is that I had an eight year old.

And I felt so guilty for taking any minute From my son. So I had to convince myself that that's okay. You know, you're not taking the whole day. I'm taking a couple hours here, a couple hours there. But having him in my life and looking at the world [00:27:00] differently and teaching him Hungarian and being a role model for him pushed me to push my comfort zone and push the boundaries of my comfort zone to face my fears.

And to, to have that gross mindset that allow me to, to really be a good mom, a good wife, and a good daughter, and not to mention a good writer. 

David Pasqualone: Yeah, that's, I mean, you're hitting all the keys. You got your relationship with God, with yourself, with your spouse, with your family, and then the rest of the world.

So you're, you're hitting all the main checkbox that matter, right? It's not what happens even in this life. It's eternity. So as you're going through SG and you're writing, Some people whip a book together in like three months. Some people take 18 years. How long did your first book take you on this journey?

S.G. Blaise: David, my first book took six years to make it into what it is today. And that's because I had to learn the [00:28:00] craft simultaneously, and I refused to have a good enough book in my hand. I was striving for perfection, knowing that there is no perfect, but I'm going to put my best into it. And when I found the structure that allowed me to deliver my art, I leaned on it.

I, I did read and critiques. It's a group meeting where they would help me to, to understand what I'm, you know, like they would be the first readers. You know, criticizing what I wrote, but in a constructive manner, which allowed me to be open to feedback, which is very hard when it's your baby that everyone is having opinions about.

But it was a beautiful group that I went to. And then I kept going to writing conferences, workshops, I read books. And the funniest thing happened, David, of, of during all this time. I started to become a better person. Not just a better writer, but a better person, because in order to write my truth, I had to know who I am and I didn't know [00:29:00] who I was.

So I, I dived into pop psychology. I dived into self help books. I dived into personality tests to understand who I am. And of course. Able to craft realistic characters, right? And it was such an amazing experience to discover what I'm capable of, of who I am at that point in my life, because that's not who I am today, right?

And, and to go from that personal journey that paralleled my, my writing journey.

David Pasqualone: are writing. Most of the time, it's some of the most intimate, personal, like, vulnerable times. So you like think, I have this opus and it's great. And it's like, this is amazing. And you're like, you wouldn't show it to people unless you thought it was really strong. And then you show it to people who love you or care or engaged in helping you with constructive [00:30:00] criticism and feedback.

And man, it hurts. It hurts when they tell you the mistakes you made and how, well, this doesn't make sense and yeah, it's kind of boring. So for our listeners who want to write, let's explore that a little bit because that's really important. Like you said, you had to grow as a human to grow as a writer.

And it's a circle. It benefits everybody. The rising tide floats all boats, right? So how did you learn to accept criticism better so you could become a better person, and more importantly, I mean a better writer, and more importantly, person? David, I 

S.G. Blaise: had to learn is that what kind of writer I wanted to be.

And I decided early on that I'm going to love what I do. I will not complain about it. I'm going to embrace the challenges, the critiques, because anything that makes my writing better, makes me a better author, is to my benefit. And when I took myself, my ego, out of the question, then none of their feedback, no [00:31:00] matter how personal it may have sounded, affected me on a personal level, because I was able to sort through their advice and look at things.

There is no pattern here. Disregard, right? Oh, okay. Three people mentioned that this is missing. I make note. So, I was able to look at it objectively, as opposed to personally. And also, I grabbed onto my passion, David, and I was holding on for dear life, because I had so many fears just in the beginning. I was not a good driver.

So when I got into this Read and Critique group, I had to drive an hour to get there, or 35 minutes, depending on which route you take. And I did not like highways. I did not like driving at night. I'm not seeing well in the darkness, even with glasses on. So The only way I survived doing this, which, by the way, that eight months is a blur, is to grab onto that passion and let it be the fuel behind, the wind behind my sail, [00:32:00] so that nothing would stop me.

And, and I shocked my family, I shocked my, my friends, because they knew how much I don't like to drive. And yet, there I was, every week, going until the fog set in, and then You know, I reached out to my husband that I could use some support here, which he was very happy to provide. 

David Pasqualone: Yeah, I'm sure they were shocked, because I know a lot of people, I grew up outside of Boston like we discussed, and it's a true melting pot for all over the world, and we never, there was not a lot of bias or bigotry, it was just like one race, the human race, people from all over the place, different cultures.

different upbringings, but they're all humans and God loves us all. But I remember a lot of the people who came over from overseas, they didn't know how to drive, they didn't want to drive, and they were terrible drivers. So now you're forcing yourself, even in that area of your life, to become better, right?

Was that just terrifying out in that area with so many people beeping and screaming at you? Oh, it 

S.G. Blaise: was, David, the most terrifying [00:33:00] experience. I had my music blasting, so I didn't feel alone. I tried to leave at least an hour early so I could still catch that sun setting, so I wasn't driving in complete dark.

And then I would wait for the group to start and chat with the lady who was running it. I did everything to set myself up for success. And David, I forced myself to turn my weakness into strength, which I would highly recommend to anyone who's listening, is that don't look at yourself as this is a weakness.

Being stubborn may sound like something that could be described as weakness, but if you flip it as a strength, it's willpower. Right? Having a vivid imagination may not be a great idea when you're in elementary school because you're not fitting into the, to that box. But when you turn it into strengths, you become an artist.

You become a writer, right? So, I try to do that. I try to teach that to my son. Actually, I don't like the word try. I did my best. Try is [00:34:00] passive. You know why? Because there is no try. 

David Pasqualone: Do or do not, as Yoda would say. Well, 

S.G. Blaise: I can prove you, David, how you prove that there is no try. Yeah, 

David Pasqualone: oh no, I agree with you, but yeah, go, 

S.G. Blaise: say it.

So say, like, you see this, me holding this book, please ask me for this book. Can I have that book? May I have that book? Here you go. That's the do, right? Okay, ask again, please. May I have that book? That's the no. Now, let me show you how there is no try. What is this? I'm giving it to you. I'm doing it. I'm not giving it to you.

It falls down. I'm not giving it to you. There is literally no tribe. Sorry, I just had to prove it to you. No, 

David Pasqualone: that's good for the listeners out there. And there's a great clip. I'm sure you've seen it with your love for Star Wars. I think it's Return of the Jedi, where Yoda says to Luke, do or do not, there is no try.

Do you remember? [00:35:00] Exactly. 

S.G. Blaise: Exactly. That's what I told my son, and that's what he, he fought me. He said, Mom, there is try. And I, I did the exact same as you know, example for him. And when the light went out, you know, he realized, He was shocked that there is no track because otherwise it's hard to explain why there is no track.

Sorry, that's my pet peeves. I don't want to take too much time for that. But back to the pushing your boundaries. Another thing that I was very scared of is Public speaking. And I thought when I was 10 years old that being a writer means you hide behind your, your desk, or you're sitting at your desk, you're hiding from the world, you're never, they're never gonna see you, right?

And then I learned that that's not how it works. And these days, today, I have to do comic cons. I have to do book festivals. Now, when I say I have to do, I want to do. But it requires engaging with my audience, with my fans, my readers. And I knew [00:36:00] that speaking was not my forte. I'm visual. I'm not audio. So, the way I conquered it, David, is I signed up for improv.

Because I knew that I have to go on stage. It was part of the workshop. You had to have one stage time on level one and two stage time in level two. So I did that last year. It was The scariest thing to experience and what a freeing experience to have that you, you realize you just have to let go. There is no control in situation.

When you let go, you may surprise yourself and the best thing may happen that you can't even imagine. 

David Pasqualone: Yeah, now talk about that, you know, people have all sorts of crazy stats, but you and I are here, and our listeners are with us, and ladies and gentlemen, you just heard SG say she wasn't fully comfortable staying on stage and speaking, so she [00:37:00] forced herself to do it.

I couldn't speak publicly, I was terrified, and I knew God was calling me into sales, and I'd always be making presentations, so I'm like, what am I more afraid of than speaking? Singing. So I took a voice class in college and humiliated myself three times a week in front of like, 28 women and two guys, right?

So that, you talk about busting your ego, right? So what that allowed me to do is be like, man, if I can sing, I can speak. My singing was horrible, but if I could stand up and do it, I could speak. And SG, you kind of do the same thing. You're like, I'm going to stand up here and I'm going to develop my skill.

And it becomes. So what do you recommend people do to just rip that, you know, draw a string and pull the parachute and kind of jump, make the move? What do you recommend they do to get started? Find a [00:38:00] group? Or where would you recommend they start looking? 

S.G. Blaise: Yeah, my recommendation would be is to maybe start small, you know, you don't have to pressure yourself to, to climb the Mount Kilimanjaro just because you want to be a climber, but maybe start at the closest hill that's challenging, right?

Start small and, and challenge yourself. And then when you achieve, you conquer that challenge, celebrate it. And then go for the next one and, and, and push that comfort zone, push that the boundaries of your comfort zone, because each time it's going to get easier. And having an open mindset is so important, David, because when you're open to these new experiences, It's also easier to find opportunities and see that they are, in fact, opportunities to push your boundaries.

It's not something that that you need to take a step back. It's something that you can go toward to. Nice. 

David Pasqualone: So now you're taking this class. [00:39:00] You're, you're a wife, well first off, you're a child of God, you're a wife, you're a mother, you're a daughter, you got normal life responsibilities, you're writing a book, you're taking speaking classes, you're learning, you're growing, you're driving in the city of Boston, all sorts of challenging things.

Where does your life go from there, S. G.? 

S.G. Blaise: I hope my life goes from there is, is a different, you know, challenges, you know, that I can tackle finishing this. 13 book series, David, that I'm writing book five currently. To see this book series become a transmedia fan franchise with maybe comic books, tabletop RPG games, you name it, we'll have it, crossing fingers.

It's to see how far we can take it because I can tell you, as an indie published author, it's not just me who's working on this. I have the most amazing team behind me that's keep growing [00:40:00] every year who believe in this as much as I do, who love this as much as I do, and we are working hard to make things happen next year.

We have a lot of excitement. A lot of new things coming, the readers and my fans way and our listeners way, if they're checking us out, we're gonna go back to the Comic Cons with a more amazing booth. Oh my gosh, David, we're gonna have a lot of things to do. 

David Pasqualone: And talk about that, you just had an exciting Experience.

Talk about your booth at the last one. 

S.G. Blaise: So David, we, as we did the Comic Cons, we were preparing for the LA Comic Con booth that we were hoping to have an immersive experience because I firmly believe, and my team firmly believe, that anyone who comes to us should have an amazing experience. They should be recharged, they should feel inspired, and they should walk away happier than they came to our booth.

So we worked on this booth for months to design it, to look [00:41:00] at easter eggs we can place there, to find costume designers, fabricators, cosplayers who will be there. Everything was for our audience to make sure that they cannot walk away without stopping and experiencing this. And the best part, David, the LA Comic Con organizer came to us and presented us with the best booth award.

Jaw dropping surprise. 

David Pasqualone: Yeah, and that's massive. Some people don't know what Comic Con is, so give a quick explanation of what Comic Con is. And within America, the L. A. Comic Con is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, correct? It's definitely 

S.G. Blaise: one of the biggest. I believe San Diego Comic Con is the biggest, and then New York Comic Con.

Don't ask me, I'm not 100 percent sure with the order. Comic Con is basically a convention for fans. You get to go there to see your favorite illustrator, comic book artist small business owners who do you know, dice for role playing. But there are [00:42:00] more, because every time, you know, you can see crews, people who want to, you know, sell their crews, or T Mobile was there at one point.

So, there are a lot of people exhibiting, and you get a chance to go to their booth or at their table and interact with them. 

David Pasqualone: And the stars are there. People are dressed up. They have a lot of fun. I mean, there's a lot going on. It's a huge event. Multi day too, correct? 

S.G. Blaise: That's correct. The longest one is the San Diego Comic Con and they usually average three days.

And as you said, the cosplayers, everyone either dress up as something they, they love or they watch others professionally make costumes. It is truly a wonderful place because everyone's happy to be there and you feel that energy. So it's really an amazing experience. 

David Pasqualone: Yeah, and I can't even imagine with all the fantasy and with all the creativity and with all the like passion that people have in that world To win best booth.

That's [00:43:00] that's just a huge accomplishment. So how big was your booth? What did you do? How did you guys get this honor? 

S.G. Blaise: The booth, let's start with that. The booth was, I believe, 10 by 20 or maybe 20 by 20. We had, we kept expanding because the, the original concept kept growing. And what we did to make it an amazing experience is we had TVs built in as windows.

And we had the whole story that the booth was a rebel ship. that crash landed on the planet that the first book is set on. So you would see you know images from, from the first book location come to life a little bit, right? You would see the fire, you would have that magical sound going around, and then you would have the Easter eggs of little items that you can find in the book that you could touch and then talk to the cosplayers.

Who went above and beyond David to state the whole event they were supposed to do an hour or two a day, they stayed the whole event out of [00:44:00] the goodness of their heart because they saw what an amazing experience this was. How hard everyone was working. I know I didn't take more than a two minute break, , my husband had to drag me away 'cause I either do something or I don't do something my, that's my quest in life is balance , which is also happened to be the same quest for my.

And I think because we weren't going for the award, we were going for an experience, I think we just We're fortunate to have the founder recognize that, you know, and, and, and all the people who stopped by, they, we, we made their day. They made our day. You see this exchange that's happening. It was such an amazing feeling that I was on cloud nine for two weeks after, you know, everyone that worked on that project, we were so inspired by this feeling and this kept going and and I just, you know, I always pray.

To God, I, I do [00:45:00] gratefulness. I don't ask for things. I'm just grateful for experiencing, for the health, the life and opportunities we have. And this was the most amazing gift and, and experience that I felt happening, you know, outside of personal experiences, which You know, I don't want to get into, but obviously, getting married and having my son, you 

David Pasqualone: know.

Yeah, I know, I get it. And that's huge. And then, to be in such a creative world. Now, talk a little bit about, you said you have a vision for a 13 part book series. And then you're on five currently, is that correct? That's correct. So give a quick overview, but I do want to go back before we go on Easter egg.

If you're listening and you're, she's not hiding eggs like for Easter. Easter eggs are whether you're a writer or an artist, little video games is really what popularized it mainstream. [00:46:00] But you basically take and hide things within the video game, or you hide things within the art, or you hide stuff within the book.

And they're called Easter Eggs, because when people find them, it's usually the loyal fans find them, because they notice like an anomaly that's an Easter Egg. So even our book, we took the podcast, Remarkable People, and wrote a book out of it. Remarkable People Volume 1. How they achieved and overcame, right?

And you can too. And we put an Easter egg in there that nobody's found yet, but it's there. So if you're listening and you bought the book, go check it out and find that Easter egg. I'll send you a free t shirt. But anyways, SG, that's awesome that you could do that for your fans. So talk a little bit about what your book is.

And who is your fan base? Like, how wide is it? Is it within America? Is it global? What's going on in that 

S.G. Blaise: world? Thank you for your kind words, David. The fan base, it's, I thought it was 14 plus female, or excuse me, women reader. It turns out to be that we have a great variety [00:47:00] of readers and audience who come to the booth.

It seems to be 50, 50%, 50, 50 percent with men and women. Anywhere from, from nine years old to all the way to 99 years old. And it's all over the world, people who speak English, people who don't speak English. We have, we're selling books in, in All over the world, right? And it's such an amazing feeling because to me that was Star Wars.

Star Wars was something you can get lost to, you know, you can see yourself in any characters, experience the magic, and be inspired. And when I wrote this book series, that was my hope, is to not only provide female empowerment, But also to create a diverse cast of characters, a rich world building, and a cinematic storytelling.

And the book is about a 19 year old rebel princess who must defeat the dark god before he finds her the last luminion. And this [00:48:00] track throughout the whole 13 book series with each book wrapping up the story almost like a standalone, but they build on each other because you see the characters coming back exploring different worlds, different enemies.

I planned 13 books, David, but that's just this series. I'm also going to have a nine book spin off, and after that a seven book spin off, and I'm already looking into what else we can do, what more stories we can explore, because the, this book series plays out in the seven galaxies, and I hope to explore both locations, timelines, characters, origin stories, as long as I'm alive.

David Pasqualone: And what is your, you know, we don't know who's listening to this podcast, whether it's readers or whether it's producers, right? So, what's your, I guess, ideal outcome? Like right now, do you want to see this on the silver screen where it's a live [00:49:00] action movie? Do you want it to be CGI? Do you want it to be cartoon?

What would your ultimate, you know, goal to be? 

S.G. Blaise: I have a lot of ultimate goals, David, and it's hard to pick just one. I would love to see this as a TV show, you know, with special effects. I would love to see this as a comic book series of spin off, comic book series, and keep going. Keep going and see what else is there because right now I can't even think of all the possibilities that's available to us.

David Pasqualone: Nice. All right, then let's do this, SG. You go to the Comic Con, you win this huge honor, you're writing your fifth book. Where are you today? Where are you heading? How can we help you get there? 

S.G. Blaise: I'm heading to finish this book series, David. Next year, we're gonna have a lot of changes coming your way. We're gonna have rebranding.

We're gonna do probably [00:50:00] different look on the booth. Not too different because it still has to be the ship. And we're going to start pitching this to parties interested that could help expand this media multiple version of media. Next year, we're gonna have a lot of changes coming your way.

I'm gonna keep writing, David. I'm gonna keep going to Comic Cons. Next stop is WonderCon in, I believe, end of March. That's where I'm gonna be for three days. And I'm gonna keep going to San Diego Comic Con, to LA Comic Con, to Dragonsteel, maybe try something in Arizona, Crossing Fingers, and all the book festivals that are local because they're the easiest one to tackle.

David Pasqualone: Nice, beautiful. And there's a lot of commitment, time, and money. I mean, they're a lot of fun, but I'm sure it's a lot of work. Just logistics alone, getting your booth to and from these locations is a bear. So, you're juggling a lot. So, between your birth and today, SG, is there anything we missed before we wrap up the episode?[00:51:00] 

S.G. Blaise: I think we pretty much touched on everything, you know one of the things that's interesting to me is, is how trauma like experiencing oppression can affect you. And I always think about, is that the reason I have, you know, struggling with anxiety or was it genetics? I never know. But I'm grateful that my son grew up.

Knowing that he has the right for free speech. He has the right to experience art and culture. He has the right to choose his own path. And not being told what he has to do, and to me, that is the beauty of this world. And to grow up in this amazing country, I'm very grateful to be here and for him to have this.

David Pasqualone: Yeah, we all need to be thankful for that. I mean, for us who grew up in America, it's so easy. And there's some countries we have almost no freedoms. And other countries are like America, you're blessed right from [00:52:00] birth. So it's like wherever we're at, whatever state we're with, we need to be grateful. So it's awesome that you're grateful and it's inspiring to see that, you know?

Don't take for granted what we have that God's given us so 

S.G. Blaise: kindly. Thank you. And that's what it's in every book has that I thank God and the acknowledgement because I, I feel blessed if I, if you, I may say so. And I felt protected throughout my life when certain things happen. I just felt there was a bigger power, you know, looking out and, and listening to my prayers.

David Pasqualone: Yeah, God's always there and He hears us, right? So that's so, so true. Now, I'm going to have you send me a couple photos of this booth and I'll stick them in the show notes. So ladies and gentlemen, if you want to check out SG's booth, you want to check out links to her book and her website we'll have it all there in the show notes.

Make sure you check it out. SG, what is, [00:53:00] if someone wants to continue the conversation or pick up your books, what's the best place to get them? Is it your website? Is it Amazon? Is it some other outsource? I just lost my, is it some outlet outlets? A we in How, how, what's the best way to reach you and what's the best way to buy your books?

S.G. Blaise: Best way to reach me, David, is through my website. I have my email in my books on the copyright page I have, my website is sg blaze.com. I'm on Instagram, SG Blaze Official. Try to respond to dms. Email is always better and my books are available on Amazon. Kobo, Barnes Noble, Google, Apple. We have audiobook, ebook, and paperback version.

David Pasqualone: Beautiful. And S G, Sierra God, but Blaze is spelled B L A I S E, correct? That's correct. Alright. And then, again, it'll be in the show notes, ladies and gentlemen, so check it out. Well, S G, it's been [00:54:00] an honor having you here. I'm super excited. You know, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm not a big fiction reader, but you got me wanting to check out one of your books.

So I might do that. So I read a lot, and I read, like, you know, I read my Bible, I read True, I read, like, personal development content, but if I'm ever in the sci fi mood, I think I'll check out one of your books. 

S.G. Blaise: I appreciate your kind words, David, and I'm very grateful for your, for the support and for your support and to be here and able to talk about my books and myself.

You are amazing, and thank you very much. Oh, well, 

David Pasqualone: thank you, and we are so thankful we had this time to learn with you and grow together. Ladies and gentlemen, like SG said, like Yoda said, like our slogan says, don't just listen to great content, but do what you need to do. Repeat it each day so you can have a great life in this world.

But most importantly, an eternity to come. Life's short, 78 years on average. SG's [00:55:00] dad was taken home early. But we need to make sure that when we leave this planet, we're with God and eternity and peace and joy and love. So make sure you know about that. Write me if you have any questions, and we'll do our best to help you have that peace and joy.

But SG, it's been a true honor. Thank you for being here today. I really appreciate you. Thank 

S.G. Blaise: you so much, David. 

David Pasqualone: All right. And ladies and gentlemen, We'll see you in the next episode. And don't forget this episode and all of season nine's been brought to us by MyPillow. MyPillow doesn't have just great pillows.

They have sheets and blankets and slippers and coffee and mattress toppers. They have over 250 products and I can say, God's listening to me now, I use their products every day. So I love my pillow. It's not just because they're a sponsor, I'm pimping their, their gear. It's because I truly use it. I truly love it.

And it's great value. And if you use promo code REMARKABLE, you get up to 80 percent off your entire order, [00:56:00] every order. So whether it's Christmas gifts or birthday gifts, or you just want some nice stuff for your house. I think there are towels, some of my favorite towels for the kitchen and for the bath.

Use them, love them, and with promo code REMARKABLE at mypillow. com, you get up to 80 percent off all your orders. So you get awesome stuff. You save money doing it, a great American organization is supported, and the Remarkable People Podcast is funded. It's a quadruple win. So, SG, thank you for being here today.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here today. I'm Dave Pasqualone. We love you. In the next episode.

Narrator: The Remarkable People Podcast. Check it out.

The Remarkable People Podcast. Listen. Do. Repeat. For Life!.[00:57:00] 

The Remarkable People Podcast.