Stories That Inspire Us

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series welcomed to my podcast (Episode #138) on Saturday, April 13, 2024, Katrina McGhee.  Katrina is a Certified Life Coach and the Author of the Book:  Taking A Career Break for Dummies.

Her book is absolutely phenomenal and receives my 20 Star review!  Stunning how  she turned a 20-month break to travel the world into a life changing career.  This ultimately led her to create a blueprint to help her clients create fail-proof plans and navigate successful breaks of their own.

You will absolutely love how she laid out her book which is broken down in “Parts” then Chapters.  What initially captivated my attention was Part 6:  The Part of Tens, Chapter 16 - Ten Ground Rules for a Successful Break.  Yes, I am one of those people who reads and studies the table of contents and this chapter was exciting and I learned so much.

You have to be open and have courage for changing your perception.  Katrina did for sure!  We had such an amazing conversation and I’ll leave you with a question Katrina asked:  “What is success for you and do you know what success is?”

To connect with Katrina further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to the podcast on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 (Episode #137), Dr. Audrey Birnbaum.  Audrey is the Author of the\ book:  American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy, a true story of her father, Jack Wolf Schwersenz, his family's nail-biting escape from Germany, and his subsequent adventure-filled efforts to embrace his adopted home.  

As soon as I started reading Audrey’s book, I was mesmerized and immersed in a time that I’ve only read about in history books.  Imagine this - you lose your Dad and years later you stumble upon your Dad’s notebook that he had written about his adventures as an 11-year old growing up amidst the rubble and antisemitism of war-torn Nazi Berlin.

Destitute and facing deportation, he must leave behind his sister and travel across a continent entrenched in war. With nothing in hand but expired visas to the US, Wolf and his family must figure out how to sneak aboard the Spanish freighter the Navemar, a ship that will gain its reputation as the "Hell Ship of Death." But Wolf's odyssey is just beginning.

An electrifying true account brimming with last-minute rescues and life-and death struggles that defy the impossible. This gripping narrative is not just a tale of survival, but a profound coming of age story, delving into the complexities of family dynamics and the search for national identity. 

In my opinion, once you pick up her book to start reading it, you won’t be able to put it down!  From narrowing escapes, no instructional manuals and banana splits, this will have you on the edge of your seat!  

Her voice tells his story . . . you must read her book!

"American Wolf: From Nazi Refugee to American Spy" by author Audrey Birnbaum is available at retailers and online including at Barnes & Noble, Walmart and at Amazon: 

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to the podcast on Saturday, April 6, 2024, Episode #136, Kimberly Parker.  Kimberly is   the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Revive to Thrive Wellness Center, a group practice dedicated to meeting the needs of Texas residents. As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC), and Transformative Coach, Kimberly brings a wealth of expertise in trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, life transitions, and self-esteem improvement. With a deep commitment to providing culturally humble care, Kimberly is passionate about empowering individuals and addressing the unique challenges faced by marginalized populations. 

Kimberly’s knowledge and her expertise is demonstrated in how and where she guides and mentors her clients.  In our heartfelt and honest discussion about trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, Kimberly empowers her clients in unique and challenging ways.  

Honestly, this certainly could have been an hour conversation.  Kimberly’s heart and soul is truly in the work with her clients.   Not only is she compassionate, she is well-equipped to deliver a transformative  experience.  Kimberly is also a coach, speaker and trainer.  As Kimberly shared, when in the midst of a very unexpected moment in your life, “be compassionate with yourself” and remember, “there is power in the pause”.

To connect with Kimberly further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, March 20, 2024 (Episode #135), Aeoliana Elliott.  Aeoliana is a podcast strategist, wife, hockey mom, former paralegal and an avid learner. 

Aeoliana has a passion for helping female podcasters go from being clueless about strategies to grow their podcasts aka frazzled, to having a far reaching podcast where they can share their heart and unique message, all while maintaining that crucial balance at home and avoiding burnout aka dazzled. 

Her expertise and enthusiasm is all about sharing your true authentic self and she shares her approaches on how important it is to set goals for your podcast, similarly as you would do for yourself.

Having a podcast can be a powerful tool for cultivating your passion and interest in a specific topic, while also fostering personal and professional growth.  When you host a podcast, you have the opportunity to dive deep into your chosen subject matter, researching and exploring various aspects of it.

Create a meaningful impact through podcasting - enhance your communication and storytelling skills as someone is waiting to hear your story!

Let me know what you thought of today’s episode.  Also, do you have a story you want to share?  Your story will inspire others!   If you are interested in sharing your story, please go to my website and “register as a guest”.

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Susan Ball.  Susan is a Domestic Violence Survivor, Abuse Recovery Mentor, Lived Experience Speaker, and Passionate Advocate who has transformed the most terrifying and painful experience of her life into a powerful gift to mentor and inspire women to live free, fulfilled, and unapologetically. 

Susan’s story from victimhood to forgiveness left no stone unturned.  She shared her story from a perspective that unfortunately many women go through but fortunately, Susan is now in a space of acceptance and has forgiven herself.  Her healing journey is no different and may be similar to someone reading these show notes and listening to her story.

From living in a furnace room at a friend’s house and drinking to numb the pain, to becoming a life coach and NLP practitioner, Susan admits that she fell into becoming an Abuse Recovery Mentor.  She is on a mission empowering women to Rise Up, Show Up, Free Their Voices, and move from the victim space to the Courageous & Healing Space.

She “truly” has done just that with a #FocusForward that won’t quit!

To connect with Susan further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to the “Stories” podcast on Thursday, February 22, 2024, Stephany Ann.  Stephany is an attorney, recipient of the governor's award for advocacy with survivors of domestic violence, and an International Best Selling author who triumphed over narcissistic abuse.

Stephany Ann’s “why me” to “for me” was the driving force of a woman who with two failed marriages to narcissists came to a point in her life where she “didn’t know” to “how do you detox”.  Her heartfelt words for other women are a testament to her overall journey; her resolve to help others is undoubtedly part of her incredible story.

Stephany has harnessed the transformative power of the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to guide others on their path to healing and personal growth. Her story is transformative, to say the least!  

I felt her strong, raw emotions; her story touched my heart.  She sheds light on a topic that has not only affected her in ways that conjure the emotional, narcissistic, and physical violence she endured but of course how all of the intricate details of her relationships also affected her children.

While Stephanie is taking some time off this year to be with her children, you may still connect with her further through LinkedIn:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Saturday, February 10, 2024, sKatie Selby.  Katie is a young lady with a language impairment and learning disabilities. She was diagnosed with a language impairment at the age of three and with learning disabilities at the age of five.  As Katie eloquently describes, she is the only person in her immediate and extended family who lives with a disability. 

She has a heart of gold and her sincerity to share with others is inspiring to say the least.  Her “ability” to help others to advocate for themselves led her to become a paraprofessionals and work with elementary school children with disabilities.  

Katie may have struggled but she didn’t let that stop her!  She learned self-advocacy skills and it is not surprising that Katie excelled where others thought she would fail.  She admits it was difficult at times; but know this about Katie:  her mission is to empower and engage individuals to be an advocate for themselves and to have the power to lead their educational and life journeys.  No doubt she has and will continue to do so!

To connect with Katie further, please check out her Instagram and Facebook profiles:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Thursday, August 17, 2023, Dr. Robert Wolf.  Dr. Wolf is a National Speaker and Author of his new book "Not a Real Enemy: The True Story of a Hungarian Jewish Man's Fight for Freedom" along with Janice Harper, which just won (3) awards!  The book details the remarkable story of his family's history that follows his Jewish parents and grandparents first living under the Nazis, and then under the communist regime in Hungary. It explores the depths of his family, shares their experiences, and his father Ervin Wolf's quest for freedom.

While immersing myself in Dr. Wolf's book, I found myself transported to a unique vantage point, where history unfolded before my eyes. His profound work evoked a deep sense of gratitude for his literary achievement. The pages held an irresistible allure and a constant thread of hope. True to its roots, this captivating narrative weaved together elements of suspense, tragedy, comedy, and ultimately, triumph. Brace yourself with a box of tissues for the emotional journey that awaits!

Step into the compelling narrative of Ervin Wolf and his family, as they navigate the turbulent grip of fascism sweeping across Eastern Europe, particularly Hungary. Witness their journey from a life of privilege in the upper-class to their harrowing imprisonment, daring escapes, heartbreaking losses, and thrilling exploits. Follow Ervin's gripping tale as he orchestrates his final escape under the cover of darkness, towards the elusive promise of freedom.

To connect with Dr. Wolf further, please check out his website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Thursday, August 10, 2023, Rita Ernst.  Rita is an organizational effectiveness consultant, executive coach, speaker, writer and Owner / CEO of Ignite Your Extraordinary, an organizational consulting practice emphasizing the convergence of happiness and productivity to create positive, committed, high-performing organizations.  She is also the Author of the Book:  Show Up Positive.

I “truly” was riveted when I read Rita’s book.  From the Dedication, Preface and reading the first chapter: You “Show Up Positive” Invitation, I knew this was so much more than what I had anticipated.  As Rita stated in her book, “. . . the beginning of a multi-dimensional change; not a step-by-step . . .”, I felt as though I was not going to just read her book, I certainly was going to learn a whole lot from reading it, and I certainly did!  

Rita, by nature, is a Geek when it comes to psychology.  She holds an advanced degree in Organizational Psychology from Clemson University.   Her book advocates you to stop waiting and generate positivity yourself.  She offers in her book Show Up Positive acts to inspire and motivate your success while taking back your happiness at work.   As mentioned on the back of her book:  “Rita emphasizes grasping reality with all of its flaws and disappointments and choosing not to let those imperfections define the possibilities. . .”

The beauty of Showing Up Positive is that not only can employers improve employee morale, reduce operating costs and increase profit margins, you, as an individual, can learn, develop and cultivate your own positivity by engaging and taking an active part in creating your own “Template for Success”!  How you use this book will make an impact in your life, a positive one and that certainly will “Ignite Your Extraordinary”!!

To connect with Rita further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Tuesday, August 2, 2023, Edmund A. Rossman, III.  Ed has been in the libraries and broadcasting industry since 1980.  Ed has also been a business manager of radio stations in (2) major markets.  He is also the Author of the Book:  "A Guy's Guide to Throat Cancer".

A personal story of the Do’s and Don'ts of Recovery (the subtitle of Ed’s book) and how Ed’s 50 / 50 % chance of survival put him on a path of self-reflection and self-discovery.  His book was written through his eyes and observations through his journal entries in CaringBridge which is a social media platform for people with illnesses to easily keep all those interested in their treatments and locations as informed as possible in an efficient way. 

To say Ed had an upbeat approach is “truly” and understatement.  He offers motivation and distraction through music and motivation not only for himself, but the utmost respect in lightheartedness and seriousness to his family and friends.

Through his entries, Ed encouraged his friends, family and colleagues to look at life through a guy's eyes, of not being a victim, and with faith in the Lord that he would pull through.

His entries reflect in his writing as if he was discussing things on a bar stool, not a hospital room.  Through discipline, strength, learning his attitude and his faith, Ed was able to correlate different things in his life with what was happening in his treatments.  For instance, not using “difficult” in describing what he may have been feeling but using the word “different”.

His medical treatment spanned the Lenten season, and his journal entries and discussions contain many daily mass readings that provided him and his "crew" with a spiritual scaffolding of support. The biblical messages of faith, perseverance and gratitude are tonic to anyone, not just guys, in going through this life-changing disease.

“Truly”, life is a beautiful garden!

To connect with Ed further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Monday, July 31, 2023, Terri Kozlowski.  Terri is a certified life coach, blogger, and the Author of the book: "Raven Transcending Fear," which recently won the FireBird Award from SpeakUp Talk Radio in the Memoir category!  Read the press release here:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Marjie Hadad.  Marjie is an international public relations expert, the general manager of Must Have Communication & Consulting, an author, an award-winning TV producer, as well as a coach and a speaker on how to apply public relations strategies to parenting, life and careers.  Marjie is the Author of the Book: The Power of PR Parenting / How to Raise Confident, Resilient, and Successful Children Using Public Relations Strategies, which was published in April, 2023. 

With 30 years of PR experience, Marjie certainly is an expert in her field; however, she freely admits she had no idea on how to write a book.  The thought of course came to her when she had a conversation with her daughter seeing her friends in their professional relationships and how to balance that out with their personal lives and her daughter’s response was “you did it Mom”.  Marjie enlisted the assistance of her publisher, Muse Literary and her story development coach.

The Power of PR Parenting is more than just a book on parenting.  It’s a glossary, your go-to resource and so much more!  From the introduction in her book, you feel as though Marjie is sitting across from you at a coffee shop; friend to friend - that’s how I knew this was going to be an amazing story with practical advice and strategies.  [Full disclosure, I’ve only read about ½ of her book - and I can’t wait to finish reading it - of course, it’s THAT GOOD!]

While no parent is perfect, what Marjie gets across to her readers is that it’s more of a relationship on how we react or in some cases, the lack thereof.  She gives practical advice from both points of view and when a crisis happens, how she relates that to her PR background in my opinion is astounding.  There is always a lesson to be learned and “you just deal with it.  And yes, it can be learned.”

What is even more impressive, at the beginning of each chapter, she informs the reader of what they will learn in that particular chapter and at the end of said chapter, you can apply the PR strategies she has outlined by scanning the QR Code with access to the workbook that will walk you through the process.   

To connect with Marjie further and to purchase her book, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Thursday, July 20, 2023, Lyn Delmastro-Thompson.  Lyn is a certified hypnotist, energy healer, and entrepreneur for the past 13 years.   Lyn is also the Author of the Amazon Best Seller, You Are Not Your Diagnosis.

This is my 3rd time having the pleasure and honor of interviewing Lyn.  She was a guest on the podcast I co-host with my sister, TwoSistas, on her solo podcast on March 13, 2023 and a few days later on the celebration of our 600th episode on March 18, 2023.

The life-changing dramatic diagnosis of having a form of leukemia had a major impact on her life.  She underwent 3-years of chemo treatment; however, despite the fact that her blood work was starting to look better, her health further declined and this deeply affected her mindset.  She lost an extreme amount of weight and of course reported this all to her physicians.  Lyn instinctively knew that something was just not right.  Thankfully, she followed her instinct!

Lyn started to explore different holistic types of therapy and after finally being seen by another physician, she learned that she had been misdiagnosed with leukemia, she became passionate about sharing her message.  (I can’t even imagine being told that you were misdiagnosed / how does this happen?  It’s more common than you think.)  

Lyn believes that a chronic illness diagnosis doesn't have to be a life sentence (she certainly did not accept the status quo.) Lyn works with women with chronic health symptoms who want more energy so they have peace of mind, live a meaningful life, and be independent.

Lyn’s gaslighting journey through the perils of 3-years knowing she was diagnosed with leukemia, her body knowing that something was not adding up and having the patience to finally accept that she had to be her own advocate paid off - it was not easy but she is where she is today because of what she went through.  “Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer; seek that referral for a 2nd opinion”.  Lyn did and now she of course realizes that she had the opportunity to share the impact of what transpired with her journey in a way that helps others.  She has done that and more!

To connect with Lyn further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, Sarah Duran (Episode #125).  Sarah is a freelance project manager, consistent six-figure freelancer, and solopreneur coach. She started her company, Fruition Initiatives, to help people and organizations turn their ideas into action – to bring their goals to fruition.  Sarah is also the Author of the Book:  How to Start a Business of One / Instant Freelancer / The Shortest Path to Independent Work and Money in the Bank.

Sarah’s book is a book I wished I had when I initially started my journey of entrepreneurship - it is that good!  (Sarah also has a workbook that accompanies the book as well.  I decided to read her book first; now I am going to download the workbook and read it again!)  She lays her book out in such a way to really enable her reader to strategically input their ideas and thoughts into action!  Taking action may be the hardest part to your independence; however Sarah quotes in her book a famous quote from Susan B. Anthony:  “Independence is happiness!”

We specifically chatted about the first part of her book:  “Why Freelance Now" and the two parts to that specific section:  The Freelance Revolution and What Freelancing Needs to Give You.  The perfect place to start indeed as you need a healthy foundation to start your freelance business.  Sarah identifies (10) descriptions of freelancers some of which of course can be intertwined.  I believe I am a mixture of freelancer, creative, consultant and coach.  

Sarah is also a coach, podcaster, blogger, and content creator who helps solopreneurs live up to their highest potential. She takes her expertise as a consistent six-figure freelancer and combines it with her background in curriculum design, facilitation, and coaching to give solopreneurs the support to get what they need out of their work EVERY DAY.

To connect with Sarah further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Eleni Fuiaxis (Episode #124.)  Eleni is an Educator, Entrepreneur, SAG Actress/Model and Mother 2.  Eleni is also the Author of the children’s book Series “The Kids We Love Collection”:  Picky Patrick.

As a very busy Mom, Eleni recognized the importance of the connection with her children and one thing that her two sons loved were the stories that she would share with them.  Eleni explained that as an actress / model, she was always sharing stories and she of course, absolutely loved this time with her sons!  Her sons were engaged with her stories and urged her to write them down.  Time went by and Eleni finally started to do just that. 

As every story goes, there are trials and tribulations along the way.  Suffice it to say, she continued to flourish, nurturing her gift (even through the ups and downs that life threw at her.)  When she wrote, she flourished!  It wasn’t until 8 years later where she picked up where she left off and started the process again.  “Comparison is the thief of joy” and until Eleni grasped and shifted her perspective, she then flourished even more!  

She may have thrown caution to the wind when she left her lucrative, 6 figure salary in Sales in NYC however she knew she was meant for more!  During the height of covid, she switched gears yet again and became a Certified Teacher in New York City to serve children and give back to her community.  

Obstacles, many; self-doubt at times, divorce and numerous other events may have derailed her, but “Truly” she is now in her own element and sharing her gift with others! 

To connect with Eleni further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, Jackie Dighans (Episode #123).  Jackie is a Covenant Life Coach.  She loves helping people align with the covenant of God, throw off weights and sin, and forget the past so they can run their race and reach toward the goal of the high call of God.  She is also the Author of the Book:  Covered / Living in triumph while going through trials. 

Sometimes there are more questions than answers when going through life’s ups and downs; sometimes it’s the process of rising above the circumstances.  As we all know, that certainly is not easy to do.  However, what if those trials and tribulations we have gone through were meant for something bigger?

As Jackie pointed out, there are messes in our lives and God has us “Covered”.  Leaning on our faith and believing that through the noise of it all, if we listen with intent and love in our hearts with the hope that there is meaning and purpose, God’s guidance will direct us in a way which we may not realize right at first.  In our hearts, he is laying down the foundation and God is right there by our side.  

I highly recommend reading this book.  It is an honest, raw and vulnerable story filled with trials and tribulations and the backdrop of how one woman’s faith and love for God and her family, lived in a way where she certainly has and will continue to triumph and inspire others to do the same!

Jackie also has recently published (2) other Books: 

Covered on a Deeper Level / Living in Triumph While Going Through Trials Bonus Materials

What if You Believed?  / 31 Beliefs to Act on From the Living Word to Bring About Life Change.

To connect with Jackie further, please check out her various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Tuesday, June 20, 2023, Allyza Shaine (Episode #122)  Allyza is a Business Mentor & Women’s Health Advocate dedicated to helping you secure the wealth legacy in your lineage.  She believes that generational poverty can end with us and it is your birthright to be unapologetically wealthy.  We have the power to break that chain and change the narrative for our descendants.

In more ways than one, Allyza has taken the oath of becoming the chain breaker.  From age 7 when she came to the United States with her Father and 3 younger siblings, she has been taking care of “business”.  It was until after the birth of her 1st daughter where she realized that she wanted to rely on her own wealth and of course there were non-negotiables and for her, it meant being there for her children and husband.

Allyza began to research how she could make money and stay at home with her daughter.   Since she and her family (her husband and 2 daughters with her 3rd child on the way) are still living the military life (her husband is still in the Armed Services), she began to share her insights with other military spouses showing them the possibilities.  Allyza realized she was certainly on to something!

While Allyza works with military spouses and other women entrepreneurs, she brings a style of coaching that she 100% loves and enjoys!  More importantly, she honors her non-negotiables and coaches her clients as well to do the same.

Although fear certainly may be on your mind, as Allyza points out it’s important not to compare yourself to others.  Do what your soul is calling you to do!

Her insights on women & wealth have been featured on CBS News, ABC news, and on stage alongside trailblazing women like Sally Krawcheck and Monique Idlett-Mosley. 

To connect with Allyza further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Friday, June 16, 2023, John Sovec (Episode #121).  John is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQ teens and their families during the coming out process. He is the clinical consultant for The Life Group LA, adjunct faculty at Phillips Graduate Institute and guest lecturer at Alliant University, Antioch, Cal State Fullerton, and USC School of Social Work. John is currently a member of the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

John is the Author of Out: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond (just released in May 2023). John speaks at conferences nationwide, maintains a private practice, and provides training for community agencies, schools, non-profits, and professional consultation on how to successfully support LGBTQ teens.

The “words you need” the “more words you need” is a part of the process to connect on a deeper level for the parent and child when coming out.  As John explained, when a child comes “out” to their parents, the child has actually thought about how to have this conversation with their parents for quite some time.  Typically, the parent may be the 2nd or 3rd person to find out.

There is guidance and care for each party involved.  In other words, most definitely for the child and for the parent / parents, perhaps a grieving process.  While my words alone in these show notes cannot adequately articulate John’s heartfelt, caring and loving gift of compassion for all involved, there is hope and guidance to create a new family environment.

“Many parents and teens find themselves not knowing where to turn.  “Out” is like sitting down to a trusted friend.  This is the go-to resource for any parent supporting their LGBTQIA+ kid through the coming out process.”

John is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQ adolescents with his work featured on The Riki Lake Show, OWN, FOX, The Advocate, Bravo, LA Talk Radio, The Washington Post, and columns for Huffington Post, Medium, and Good Therapy.

To connect with John further, please check out his websites and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Don Wardlow (Episode #120).  Don is a Writer, Podcaster of The Baseball Lifer and baseball’s first blind broadcaster - YES - you heard that right!  But first, before we dove into his amazing story, we shared our favorite baseball teams with each other.  Needless to say, it boils down to the Red Sox vs Yankees - he is a “Yankees” fan and I am a “Red Sox” fan!!  (The rivalry I am sure will continue!)

As a young boy, he was introduced to baseball and started off as a Mets fan.  It wasn’t until his Grandfather, a huge Yankees fan, where Don realized his love and passion for baseball.  That soon of course included other sports such as basketball.

Don was 28 when he became baseball's first blind broadcaster.  During the next 12 years, with Jim Lucas doing play-by-play, he did color commentary with 4 minor league baseball teams.  His ability and passion for pursuing his dream to become a broadcaster was the relentless pursuit of what is “truly” possible.

Don recounts the backdrop of his story when he first met Jim Lucas and how their eventual collaboration including baseball and basketball was the starting point of so many amazing broadcasts.  Despite the fact that there was a 4-year gap where Don and Jim’s lives went each in their own directions, they soon came back to work with one another.

No doubt - Don loves baseball and basketball as well.  He is also a blogger and wrote articles for “Baseball As I see It”.   Beginning in 2020, he started writing an irregular column called "A Word About Sports" for "The Consumer Vision Magazine."   Don is also working on his memoir “Baseball As I Saw It”.  

Although Don is an avid Yankes fan, I can’t hold that against him!  He is passionate about what he does and it certainly is a vision to behold!

To connect with Don further, please check out his various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, Vanessa Ciano Saracino (Episode #119).  Vanessa is an Author, CEO, Influencer, Blogger and Fashion Designer for her faith based Christian line, Be*You*Tiful.  She is also a 2/time International Best Selling Author - soon to be 3rd time with her new co-authored Book:  Ignite Your Faith.  

Vanessa’s chapter in this book is a testament for the love and relationship with her Dad, Rocco Ciano, as well as the faith and inspiration of those who have supported her along the way.  As Vanessa shared, there are signs and wonders all around us and God has a way of strategically placing us where we need to be.  Vanessa was right where she wanted to be - on a journey with her Dad as he transitioned into the life ever after.  (Her Dad passed away and she shared that the time she was able to spend with her Dad, of course meant the world to her; it was very hard but very beautiful on so many levels:   “Vanessa, tell me another story.”)

The process of writing comes very naturally for Vanessa.  Although initially she was not sure what she would write about, when it came time to do so, God was with her!  Writing comes to her very naturally and it’s with her voice that she shares her faith and wisdom for such a time as this.

Also with Vanessa on this “Ignite” journey is an amazing team from Ignite Publishing and specifically, Lady JB Owen who is the Founder / CEO of Ignite Publishing and JBO Global, Inc. along with 31 other amazing co-authors who really have bonded as an “ignited” family!

Ignite Your Faith shares “Inspiring stories that will uplift your heart and enrich your soul.”  It will be available for a free download on Friday, June 16th to Sunday, June 18th from Amazon.  After you have downloaded the book from Amazon, please make sure you leave a “review” to help these amazing authors (some of whom are 1st time authors) reach #1 International Bestseller status!!

You have the story, the courage, the spirit and the faith to know that your story will inspire others, please make sure that you use your voice to share it!  There’s a revival happening around the world - Ignite Your Faith will no doubt “truly” uplift your heart and enrich your soul! 

To connect with Vanessa further, please check out her various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, June 14, 2023, Michal Stawicki (Episode #118).  Michal is a bestselling author in the personal development field and a business coach. He is obsessed with changing the world through daily habits, starting with his own habits and his world.  In the last decade, he published 19 books, sold over 84,000 copies, created dozens of new good habits, coached over 100 people in developing new habits, started a book advertising business, and quit his day job as a database administrator.

Michal was Nicknamed Mr. Consistency, and with good reason!  Consistency is about establishing habits; habits give us the backdrop to our goals and accepting the discipline to achieve those goals is how he was nicknamed!  

Persistence is without a doubt an ingredient to his success.  As a Best Selling Author in the personal development field and a business coach, he has an obsession with changing the world through daily habits, starting with his own habits and his world.  

Michal preaches and practices consistent daily action. He believes this is the means to achieve success in any area of life, from parenting to business.  He points this out in his book:  Simplify Your Pursuit of Success / Six Simple Steps to Success.  

Michal’s book is well thought out and written with a robust attention for challenging your methodology.  Changing is hard but establishing and claiming your success will help you to reach those goals!

Believe - success in your hands!

To connect with Michal further, please check out his website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Episode #117, Thursday, June 8, 2023, Jamie Blanco.  Jamie is a Journalist, Actor and Podcast Host and more importantly is a Co-Author of the Book along with her Dad, Jimmy Blanco, Hope for the Hopeless / How One Man Fought The World’s Deadliest Brain Tumor on His Terms and Won.

Jamie was just nine-years-old when her father Jimmy got sick.  Her Dad, Jimmy Blanco, was one of the longest living survivors of the world’s deadliest brain cancer and he defied the odds without traditional medicine. In 1995, he was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme grade IV and given less than four months to live. Given no hope of survival, Jimmy rejected chemotherapy and radiation and the doctor's death sentence for him. He self-treated with natural medicine, radically altered his diet, practiced visualization and other mental focus techniques, and had a healthy faith in God. 

He fought EIGHT incredible years against the same tumor that claimed the lives of John McCain, Beau Biden, and Ted Kennedy – a disease that today kills most of its victims in under 15 months. Many doctors have called Jimmy’s story a miracle. 

This book is a testament to not only his story and of course his family’s story, but for the hope and his faith, and inspiration and his dedication to defying the odds.  His message of building a team, advocating for yourself, using the power of his mind, the power of his faith is beyond amazing!

While Jimmy decided not to undergo chemo and radiation, as Jamie describes in her Dad’s Memoir, “ . . . this book is not a wholesale endorsement of that approach, merely a testimony of the life he lived.”  While seeking a more holistic approach, Jimmy certainly defied the odds and “truly” claimed his Hope for the Hopeless. 

Sadly, Jamie’s Dad did not finish it.  Fifteen years after his death, his widow, Elizabeth, found the unfinished book he’d been writing and gave it to their daughter, Jamie. Now as an adult and award-winning journalist, Jamie knew what she had to do—complete her father’s work. She investigated the biggest factors that contributed to her father’s miraculous remission and dived into the latest brain cancer research, both the great and the lacking.  I am so glad that she did!!!

To connect with Jamie further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Episode #116, Wednesday, June 7, 2023, Suzy Wood.  Suzy is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and owner of True Wellness Within where she works with women to get control of their lives and their health after divorce. Her clients achieve their goals by addressing both food and lifestyle choices.

The two most stressful events for many can be a divorce or the loss of a loved one. It  is never easy and as Suzy explained as far as divorce goes, you haven’t failed - the marriage has only reached its expiration date.  Divorce can be a calling card to have a do-over, re-launch yourself and live your best ever.

It’s not easy to get there, but it can be done!  We have to consider our key lifestyle factors and find that balance to build our confidence to reach our goals.  It’s often the internal chatter, whether we are in the fight or flight mode and how that affects our overall parasympathetic system.  For many, it starts as baby steps and that’s certainly okay.  

Building a healthy lifestyle “truly” comes from “within”.  After her divorce, Suzy left her career in high tech marketing, re-educated, started her own business and is now living her best life ever! 

Suzy loves working with her clients (women) who are going through similar situations.  She offers 1:1 coaching services as well as free monthly support guidance in her Facebook group.  She also has a quiz on her website.  Has your body healed after divorce? 

To connect with Suzy further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Tuesday, June 6, 2023, Angela Wilson.  Angela is the Founder of Angela Unlimited.  Angela coaches women from around the world, to examine and overcome mindsets that have been imposed on them (by others, or themselves) that are now limiting their lives. 

Living the stories that are created and receiving criticism, especially when Angela was growing up, she often felt that she was not good enough and interpreted that to mean that she was not okay and perhaps would never reach her dreams.  Angela always thought she needed to change so that she could be what others wanted her to be.

It wasn’t until she became an adult, that she realized that she wanted to live her true authentic self.  She found the courage to stand up, to let everyone know that she had a story to share and indeed she has done just that!

The structure and vision of looking at your story from a point of view is all derived from our mindset.  “I couldn’t” stayed with Angela until she was able to tap into her inner self.  She had a dream, she had the vision and she was able to turn that around!

Her book:  Living Out Loud, is a testament to her very vulnerable story.  Angela’s purpose was that she wanted to share that designing your life is truly a possibility!   Angela also wanted to create a ripple effect with her book which includes exercises, design keys and mindset shifts to assist the reader to stand strong and own your voice and allow yourself to be seen!

After reading each chapter, there is “Angela’s Design Keys to Living Out Loud” with a QR Code to direct you to her YouTube channel with a message from Angela about the chapter. 

Angela has gone from “Angela Limited” to “Angela Unlimited”.  While this certainly did not happen overnight, she is in a place now where she coaches her clients to live out loud through their own stories.  Fuel your dreams, work on your mindset and have that typical conversation regarding money so that women can see they can live by their own stories.  From here they can open up and start seeing the possibilities around them and to stand strong in their life.

To connect with Angela further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Friday, May 19, 2023, Doreen Padilla.  Doreen is a Speaker and Author and the owner of Barking Beagle Books.  She authored her first book, "Outsiders: A Journey to Belonging" which is the true story of a dreamer's long and arduous journey home.  Her work as an author has helped tell the stories of dreamers in America.

Part memoir, Doreen’s story of feeling as an outsider is not only her story, but the story of her husband, Saul.  Through the mystical stages of life as teenagers, to young adulthood and beyond, to where they are today, their story of diversity and the struggles they went through, they no longer feel as though they have to hide behind their masks.

Doreen was a young, struggling, single mother when she decided to pivot and create a better future for herself and her daughter. She went on to be the first in her family to graduate from college and to earn a graduate degree.

As with any story, there are often twists and turns along the way.  As Doreen shared today, she was inspired when she was an audience member listening to a speaker’s story.  What Doreen took away from that speaker is two fold: there are often those stories where one’s biggest weakness later in life is embraced in such a way to their advantage - inspiring others!  

This is one of those occasions when the true story of a dreamer's long and arduous journey home was meant to be shared.  As Doreen and Saul have found through their stories, “you just never know”!

To connect with Doreen further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Friday, May 12, 2023, Tenya Eickenberg.  Tenya is  a certified life and self-care coach whose passion is to help women release their emotional baggage and direct their energies toward efforts to heal and regain strength, freedom, and happiness. Her unique approach to energy healing is an alternative method that deviates from conventional medicine or talk therapy and instead encourages individuals to nurture positive energy for healing to take place.

Tenya took an active part in her decision to enter this profession.  She shared the backdrop of her story which stemmed from her long-term fight against depression and anxiety, which made her look for other ways of healing apart from the traditional treatment methods. She discovered that energy healing is an effective technique for regaining one’s health after realizing that it brought about positive changes that medication and therapy could not achieve. Energy healing is widely used and recommended as a reliable healing method of releasing tension and getting oneself back to a more positive and fulfilling life. 

We also discussed the benefits of self-care.  Tenya started her self-care practice about 9 months into her certification journey.  At that point, Tenya stated that she was about 80% healed and with her implementation of self-care:  meditation, journaling and creating boundaries, she is now 100% healed!  While this indeed is significant, Tenya stated that there are of course those moments when sadness, anxiety creep-in; however, she now has the tools to guide her through.

Today’s broadcast was also simulcasted through the Wisdom Audio App and Dr. Robert James Goodman joined us on today’s discussion.  Thank you Dr. Goodman!

Tenya is one of those kind souls whose mission it is to teach women that healing is possible if they follow the right method, especially when they have the right information, dedication, and consistency required to realize gradual changes. She guides and trains women that adopting deliberate self-care techniques along with energy alignment can help them overcome anxiety and depression. According to her, one must first have a strong intent to heal, because without it healing will be delayed. This is the right approach to this kind of healing process because every achievement begins with a personal decision to succeed. 

To connect with Tenya further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Thursday, May 11, 2023, Sherrie Dunlevy.  Sherrie is a former NBC News Anchor, Inspirational Speaker and the Founder of the Graduating Grief Academy, an online support community, as well as host of the podcast:  Graduating Grief.  She is also the Author of the #1 Best Selling Book: How Can I Help? / Your Go-To Guide for Helping Loved Ones Through Life’s Difficulties. 

How to support others in the simplest and kindest way possible when tragedy, death or so many other unexpected life events occurs is NEVER easy for anyone (especially for the person who has experienced the tragedy.)  What do we say, how do we say it and as a family member or friend, how can we support our loved one (or friend) who has experienced the tragedy?

Sherrie’s book was written to help people know exactly what to say and do when the people they love and care about are hurting.  A life lesson / guide to direct us to help those suffering through their distress of a traumatic life event. 

Sherrie’s quest in writing her book took her several years.  Through her personal tragedy, she found passion and purpose.  As her story evolved it became evident that there wasn’t really a book that could guide you through or share a simple list of techniques to help and comfort others.  Her book does just that!

Life can be difficult.  We never know what someone else is going through.  But when we do know the specifics of one’s story, having this guide as a useful and purposeful tool is a way to navigate through a stressful situation on how we fully respond in a way that is heartfelt, genuine and can be such a blessing during someone’s difficult times.

I read Sherrie’s book with a new lens on how I can personally acknowledge, encourage and be ever more present in my follow through in a much more meaningful way.  I know you will too.  It’s not a book you would think to buy but definitely the book you should buy to guide you through when tragedy strikes.

To connect with Sherrie further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Thursday, May 4, 2023, Philippa Robinson.  Philippa is the Author of the Book:  I See, Me.  This is her 2nd appearance on “Stories”.  Her 1st podcast was recorded on Friday, October 14, 2022. 

In her book she shares very intimate and raw experiences she went through as a child and how these events have shaped her into the woman she is today.  In many ways, this is her memoir of her experiences and “journey from less than to enough.”

This is one of those books where you will read it again and again!  Written obviously from one woman’s point of view, her tenacity to share her story is so relatable to women and men alike.  We never know what someone else is going through and sharing her story from a personal perspective and being vulnerable to others, she is quite a novelty; especially with her pink eyeglasses!

Writing her story was an act of self-love.  She describes her process and of course attributed it to the lack of love, the attention she sought after and the fact that she never felt safe.  She realized in a most beautiful way that through this process, through her therapy, her story mattered and she wanted to share that journey to inspire others.

There is a validation process and Philippa shared that she now has the tools to help her through those triggers.  For instance, a month or so ago, a certain incident happened and she was “triggered”.  Instead of it normally taking 2 weeks to work through, with her strategies in place, she was able to work through it in 2 days.  “I didn’t deny the truth.”

Everyone has their own journey; their own truth and what is derived from that is one’s own personal transformation.  During Philippa’s own personal transformation, through healing childhood trauma and learning to love and live for herself, she arrived at her soul mission to guide people to be the truest versions of themselves because she believes that is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.

To connect with Philippa further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Tuesday, May 2, 2023, Alex Pin.  Alex is a Parenting and Emotional Well-Being Coach for moms who want to be the mom they needed as a child.  Alex created a  Mom in the Jungle Community (coaching, books, podcast) after seeing and experiencing in her own personal life how investing in yourself can really change your life when you have the GPS to be and give the best and real to your children. 

At a very young age, Alex knew she wanted to save the world.  Her story of resilience in the face of adversity starting at age 7 no doubt shaped her future.  The inner voice of a young and impressionable 7 year old hearing that she was the “devil” set the trajectory of her life.  

Wanting to be loved, wanting just anyone to see who she really was, set her on a path initially of destruction, she took quite the deep dive to become a better person, and indeed she has!  She freely shared her abuse of drugs and alcohol and at one point, found the inner strength and power to find and love herself!  She may have not noticed it at the time, but she came to the realization that it was a jungle out there!

“Hannah’s Christmas Wish” is a story of a young girl in a wheelchair who writes to Santa Claus with a very specific wish in mind . . . The takeaway of this particular story is beyond imagination of what could be yet its significance to children and parents alike that have connected with one another on a more deep note - that’s the takeaway and inspiration!

“Be vulnerable . . . be present . . . build that better connection . . .” Alex Pin

To connect with Alex further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Monday, May 1, 2023, Julie Zaruba Foutaine.  Julie is the Founder of EMPOWER Possible, LLC, adjunct faculty at the University of Mary in Bismarck North Dakota, and a Well-Being Specialist at Essentia Health a regional healthcare system in the Midwest. Her philosophy is to be data-informed, deliberately collaborative, and strategically results-oriented so that she can deliver superior health and wellness initiatives, programs, and events that result in improved morale, increased well-being, and a positive financial outcome. Over the past decade, Julie worked with individuals to empower themselves and reach their full potential, teams to develop their strengths, and organizations to build well-being programs and policies.

Julie is very passionate about her work.  Her work unites many disciplines that support the promotion of health and well-being.  More specifically, her MBA coursework in Change and Leadership, American Council on Exercise Certifications in personal training and health coaching, and her Master’s of Science in Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science have influenced her ability to provide hundreds of programs and develop strategic priorities for the many organizations she consults with. 

This is “truly” phenomenal and of course, she is known for her ability to develop and attain strategic goals while engaging employees and leaders.  She obviously has an ability to connect with others and shares her experiences from a place of passion.

Julie incorporates the wisdom of experience and theoretical frameworks and fosters innovation to build a culture of well-being where all have the opportunity to thrive. Through her work as the Founder of EMPOWER Possible, she offers courses, coaching, and consulting services with capacity-building opportunities for self-development, social engagement, systems awareness, and action learning. EMPOWER Possible’s mission is to build the capacities of change-makers by learning about engagement, meaning, well-being, empathy, and regenerative practices.

Our conversation on empowerment, reframing, and engaging in our own well being has the potential to harmonize our lives in ways that we did not anticipate.  The true test for some (for this podcast host at times) is when to say “No”.

NO is a complete sentence and needs no further explanation; however, if you need to, you should say YES in reaching out to Julie!

To connect with Julie further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, Dr. Debi Silber.  Dr. Silber is the Founder of the PBT (Post Betrayal Transformation) Institute and is a holistic psychologist, a health, mindset and personal development expert, the author of Trust Again, and is a 2-time #1 International bestselling author of: The Unshakable Woman AND From Hardened to Healed. Her podcast: From Betrayal to Breakthrough is also globally ranked within the top 1.5% of podcasts. 

Her recent PhD study on how we experience betrayal made 3 groundbreaking discoveries that changes how long it takes to heal. In addition to being on FOX, CBS, The Dr. Oz Show, TEDx (twice) and more, she’s an award-winning speaker and coach dedicated to helping people move past their betrayals as well as any other blocks preventing them from the health, work, relationships, confidence, and happiness they want most.

From Dr. Debi’s own personal experience, to the “Fab 14” (the raw and vulnerable stories shared by Dr. Debris clients), betrayal is a vulnerable wound that can last literally for years.  Part of initially not understanding the human perspective behind being betrayed stems from the fact that we have to know the “why” we are blindsided.  That is not easy.

From the Introduction in her book: Trust Again, Dr. Debi’s own personal story of betrayal to the (3) discoveries, is a grieving process.  They say time heals all wounds but that in most cases is not accurate.  In fact, Dr. Debi shared the results from staggering percentage statistics from the responses to her Quiz on her website.  

There are many faces of betrayal; it creates chaos but there is hope in knowing that you can turn your betrayal into a positive life change; however, YOU must put in the work and go through the (5) stages.  (Dr. Debi describes the stages in great detail.)  She points out that in Stage 3, where the survival instincts start to emerge, this is the most common place where people remain stuck.

To take the risk to love is to expose yourself to possible betrayal.  Dr. Debi Silber

To connect with Dr. Silber further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, April 19, 2023, Lety Algeri.  Lety is a Holistic Health Coach and the Founder of The Craving Crusher Method.  She helps women break free from Emotional Eating and empowers them to create healthy relationships with food so they can feel amazing in their bodies and mind.  

Her holistic approach focuses on how the highs and lows of life affect our eating habits and overall health. Using her unique Food Therapy Techniques, Lety teaches simple actionable steps to say goodbye to emotional eating and ensure sustained success. 

Lety shared that it is important to really understand where the cravings are coming from.  Although many signs of cravings are messages from our bodies that we are lacking a micro or macro nutrient; often (and certainly for Janis), there is a strong, emotional attachment to cravings through different events in our lives, i.e. from our childhood, etc.

It can be extremely draining and Lety understands from her personal experience battling with emotional eating and exhaustion how debilitating it can be in all areas of life. The result of this was the development of unique methods and frameworks that enabled her to end her struggles with emotional eating, regain her energy and understand precisely what her body needed to thrive, enabling her to transform her health and the health of thousands of women.

Food therapy and our belief systems can impact our health in ways that we do not anticipate.  If we are open to understand and use simple and effective strategies for sustained health, we can create life-long change which is sustainable!  That’s a good thing!

To connect with Lety further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, Gael Wood.  Gael is a Coach, Entrepreneur and Author of the Book:  Designing Your Dream Life Workbook (as well as several others!).  She is also a massage and spa professional with over 25 years’ experience.  She opened a day spa and massage center in 2003, and launched her first online business in 2013, then in 2016 she retired from hands-on massage to concentrate on creating online training, coaching and courses. 

Gael always loved the thought of having a business of her own.  She has created 60+ online courses, Massage and Spa Marketing Content Clubs, Massage and Spa Resource Bundles, and 15 eBooks. She created the ELEVATE Mastermind for people who want to add an online business to their income streams, and a low-cost subscription program called The Monthly Challenge Club for Entrepreneurs.  To say that she is passionate about what she does is an understatement!

Her Designing Your Dream Life Workbook takes you through the process of taking that first step toward change.  Change is inevitable and Gael’s book sets you up to “upgrade” your plan to help you become crystal clear on what your Dream Life looks like!  

The workbook is designed in such an amazing way giving you the tools and clarity questions to help you figure out what you really want from and then to create it.  While some roadblocks may happen along the way, Gael urges you to remain very consistent even if it is for 10 minutes a day - certainly doable while working a full-time job.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this Workbook!  Gael also included very specific questions / exercises for you to write and incorporate  them directly into the workbook.  Thought provoking, Designing Your Dream Life is certainly doable!!

Gael is also the co-host and co-founder of the Global Wellness Professionals Marketing Summits and The Work Freedom Summit and was inducted into the World Massage Hall of Fame and featured as a Massage Magazine All-Star in 2019. 

To connect with Gael further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Monday, April 17, 2023, Hope Reger.  Hope is the Founder of her program / group, Grief 2 Hope.  She is also the Author of the Book:  Grief 2 Hope / A Mother’s Memoir of Devastation to Determination.  

“5 Seconds That Changed My Life Forever . . . “   From the knock at Hope’s door from (2) police officers on November 17, 2016 at 6:30am, Hope knew instinctively that this was no ordinary visit.  She was handed a note with a name and telephone number to call.  Once back inside, she called the number and then the person on the other end answered “Greene County Coroner”.  The coroner asked her name and if she was Justin’s Mother.  In that “5 Seconds”, Hope was informed of the traumatic loss of her son to murder.

Stricken with a shock of unimaginable grief is an understatement.  As a Mom, she thought about how she could fix it; how could she help her son - that’s what Mom’s do.  The enormity of losing her son hit her like a tidal wave, the grief she felt had to temporarily be put on hold as she began to notify her other son, family and friends of Justin’s tragic passing.

Her grief journey began and is still ongoing but there was a time during the initial phase of her grief where she was angry at the world around her.  It was hard - nobody would have questioned her hate, her revenge and the anger she continued to feel.  She ultimately found a way to honor her son.  Hope found her purpose in life through the loss of her son to murder.

That purpose is to provide positivity, inspiration, and hope to others through her Grief 2 Hope program she created in honor of her son. Grief 2 Hope is a virtual peer grief support group that allows grievers a safe space to be their authentic self with support of others who understand and know exactly what they are going through.  

To connect with Hope further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, Saras Naidoo.  Saras is a Cancer Freedom Holistic Coach, empowering cancer women survivors to overcome their overwhelm, anxiety and stress, helping them through their daily challenges to find their joy again.  Her clients transform from cancer survivors into becoming cancer warriors! 

Being a 9 year Breast Cancer warrior herself, she also was caregiver to her husband who was diagnosed with terminal kidney cancer two years prior to her.  He was given 4 months to live but thrived and lived for 9 years.  Now Saras sees her cancer as a gift.  Her own transformation began after her diagnosis.  Today, she is relentlessly pursuing her goal to help 100,000 cancer women survivors to achieve massive transformations by putting an end to the constant fear, stress, anxiety and overwhelm of their diagnosis and to take action to create the best, most authentic version of themselves! 

She has spent the past 10 years studying nutrition, alternative treatments for cancer and the root causes of cancer.  She is a Certified Reiki Master, Certified Hypnotherapist, Certified Life Coach, Certified DNA Numerical Code Practitioner, Shamanic Practitioner, EFT Practitioner and now a Medium.  She is an international speaker, reaching cancer warriors worldwide.

“Truly” she is a warrior at heart.  She shares her passion for helping others through the mind, body, spirit process.  It’s not easy; there’s a mourning type of process and it is through her process that I have no doubt she will reach her goal of helping 100,000 cancer women survivors!

To connect with Saras further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us is excited to share this Post Podcast Chat concluding my podcast episode with Rose Gonzalez which was recorded on Thursday, February 23, 2023.   Rose is a Mom of 4, a Grandmother and an entrepreneur.  Rose and her husband have built their business as one of the Top 3% of Coldwell Banker Worldwide while balancing life.  She went back into real estate in 2018 while holding down a full-time job and pregnant with her 4th child.

In this just under 3-minute chat, I asked Rose (2) different questions about the glamorous and unique side of real estate in her area.  The answers may surprise you!

[TO LISTEN TO ROSE’S ORIGINAL PODCAST RECORDED ON FEBRUARY 23, 2023, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW]:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, is excited to share this Post Podcast Chat concluding my podcast episode with Maurice F. Martin which was recorded on Thursday, March 2, 2023.  Maurice is the Author of the Book:  Your But is Too Big / 7 Principles That Empower You To Heal Past Hurts and Get Motivated To Find Your Purpose.  His book hit #1 in (2) different categories:  Christian Faith and Christian Counseling!  He is also a sought after Speaker, Counselor, Spiritual Life Coach and Former Co-Host of the TV Show “Grace Factor Podcast”.

In this just under 4-minute chat, I asked Maurice:  What is something you and your wife are working on?  His Answer:  Everything!

[TO LISTEN TO MAURICE’S ORIGINAL PODCAST, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW]:

Stories That Inspire Us is excited to share this Post Podcast Chit Chat concluding my podcast episode with Kristine Schroeder which was recorded on Wednesday, February 8, 2023.  Kristine is a small business owner of a Virtual Assistant business, Schroeder Administrative Solutions.  Before she began the journey of entrepreneurship, she had to overcome the demons of her past.

To say that was a learning journey is an understatement.  She came to realize that it was not her fault for many of the things that she was burdened with as an impressionable 13-year old.  It took her many years to have the confidence and NOT be a victim in order for her to succeed in life and business.

[TO LISTEN TO KRISTINE’S ORIGINAL PODCAST, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW]:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Friday, April 7, 2023, The Fab Four:  Dr. Barb Hughson, Dr. Wayne Benenson,  Chris Barry and Lisa Johnson.  A little bit about each of my amazing guests:

Dr. Barb Hughson - Dr. Barb has been involved in education and learning for over 25 years. She has been an entrepreneur offering courses in parenting, a mediator for families, and a therapist for children and adolescents.

Dr. Wayne Benenson - Dr. Wayne has been teaching for over 50 years and he still enjoys the magic of the "teachable moment." He has taught at every level (preschool, elementary school, middle school, high school and college).  He has taught and supervised student teachers at three universities and his research interests include SEL (Social Emotional Learning), Peer-based conflict management, and service learning.

Chris Barry and Lisa Johnson:   Chris and Lisa are Certified High-Conflict Divorce Coaches and the Co-Founders of Been There Got Out.  Chris and Lisa support and guide people in these harrowing situations so that they can avoid common mistakes and have the best chance at getting themselves (and their kids) through it all as unscathed as possible.  Lisa is also a Certified Domestic Violence Advocate who has successfully represented herself through scores of court appearances.  Her case was published in the Connecticut Law Journal in March 2021 and is now being used as legal precedent. Her live testimony helped pass

Jennifers’ Law in Connecticut, the third state in America to expand its legal definition of domestic violence to include “coercive control.”  

We touched upon several aspects of high-conflict, what the stress and overwhelm does for their clients and of course, their children who are involved with the emotional breakdown.  Are you feeling overwhelmed, are you in the midst of a divorce and feel as though you are alone?   . . . parting words . . .

Dr. Wayne:  “ . . . Soothing can be yours.”

Dr. Barb:  “ . . . You can do this . . .”

Chris:  “ . . . You’re not alone . . . “

Lisa:  “ . . . We’ll help you get through it . . . you’re going to be okay.”

To connect with Dr. Barb, Dr. Wayne and Chris and Lisa further, please check out their various social media platforms:

Dr. Barb:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Megs Thompson.  Megs is a professional word-twerker, intuitive writing coach, ghostwriter, author & publisher based in the heart of Montana. 

After spending 20+ years trying to fit into someone else's box in the corporate world, afraid of what could happen if she swam against the current, Megs decided to leave her health insurance, paid vacation & regular paychecks behind to start her own business, following her passion & purpose only a few months before the world caught on fire (2020). Now, 3 years later her businesses are booming, she's loving life, following her heart & saying YES to herself as often as possible.

As a word-twerker, today we chatted about Megs’ first book: Everything I Know About Business, I Learned From Pop Music / Scrub-Free Business Advice for Entrepreneurial Gangsters (Megs is also the author of several other books!)  Her book is an honest and raw personal story with personal emphasis and more importantly strategies to implement in your own business.

From her “Playlist” (aka Table of Contents), to The 11 Commandments of Successful Business Ownership, Start, Stop, Continue:  The Badass Business Owner Edition, Megs shares her personal journey to entrepreneurship, the good, the bad, the ugly and how she finally realized that she no longer will “do” what she does not like or want to do!

More about Megs:  Through her businesses Megs coaches & supports other creative, trend-setting, woo-believing badasses through the process of confidently sharing their story without migraines, sleepless nights, or court-ordered anger management. When she isn’t playing with words, Megs can be found exploring rabbit holes & fueling her slight obsession with all things true crime, coffee, cryptids, and cults.

To connect with Megs further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Friday, March 31, 2023, Natasha Sharma.  Natasha is an Author, Speaker, and Mentor. Her expertise is guiding people to cure themselves of physical diseases by exploring the metaphysical connection of the mind-body-soul to the said illness.  Her passion is Money and Manifestation and her mission in life is to have conversations about death and use that inevitability to free people to enjoy their lives now. 

She believes that death needs to be an easy day-to-day, dinner table conversation. In that pursuit, she has started the conversation in the Bestseller collaborative book project "Wealth Codes – Sacred Strategies for Abundance" Chapter 11 “The Beauty of the End Game – Finding Abundance Through Accepting Death”.  Her recent book collaboration is called "Mindset Mastery", Chapter 3 - Here We Go Again - The Practice of Radical Acceptance - where she dives into the cyclical nature of life and the self-awareness journey. 

The beauty of the end game and the stage of acceptance is a self-awareness journey worth taking.  With so many things to worry about these days, Natasha sheds light on the subject of death and how the gift “truly” is living your life with that acceptance.

"Life is finite and we need to take responsibility for our death(s) -  the death of the old versions of ourselves, relationships, patterns, and the final death with the capital “D”."

To connect with Natasha further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Thursday, March 30, 2023, Tiffany Obeng.  Tiffany is a lawyer and author of several educational and inspiring children's picture books. Tiffany creates books featuring Black children and families in spaces where they have historically been absent. 

Inspired by her son Andrew’s inquisitive nature to learn more about dinosaurs, her books are structured to feature Black child characters in normal everyday situations.  However, “truly” these books are for every young child inquisitive to learn, inquire and know more about a particular subject.

It was important to Tiffany in this way, so that all children are normalized, humanized, and the world can be made a safer place for them. Her books include popular kids' career books Andrew Learns about Lawyers and Andrew Learns about Engineers; season book Spencer Knows Spring and honesty book Scout's Honor.

Having had the opportunity to read Andrew Learns About Scientists, Tiffany’s book is beautifully written and illustrated and I learned as I read with great interest, that I am still a kid at heart and even learned a few things!

No doubt that Tiffany is on a mission and that is the beauty and inspiration on how she will be the Britanica of Books!! 

To connect with Tiffany further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, Suzanne Culberg.  Suzanne is an international mindset coach and speaker, and Nope Coach, who helps over-givers and people pleasers learn to say ‘No’ to others in a way that feels good, so that they can say ‘Yes’ to themselves.   Suzanne is also the Author of the book:  The Beginning is Sh*t / An Unapologetic Weight Loss Memoir.

Sometimes with every story that needs to be told, the beginning is certainly shit!  It’s how we cultivate our perceptions and expectations to where we were to where we are today is the magic of the journey!

As Suzanne mentioned, from a person’s point of view, we treat ourselves as the villain.  We set high expectations, perhaps have an all or nothing attitude and from the onset have already set ourselves up for failure.

Once Suzanne aligned herself and experienced momentum in her journey, she realized that whatever society or social norms dictated, that she was not willing to give her power away!

Her book is a heartfelt, very raw and authentic journey starting as early as age 4.  Now writing a memoir can really be quite a daunting task, but it was through this writing process where she shared many of her watershed moments through each part of her journey.  Those moments where she needed to find solace and comfort are the times where she shared her “appreciation”.  

Whether your journey or goal is not specific to weight loss per se, by reading Suzanne’s book with an open mind and heart, you will claim your story, solidify the power in your story and hopefully share it with others - I am so glad that Suzanne did!

Suzanne’s passion for helping women is fueled by her own experiences of over-giving, over-consuming, and over-doing everything. She’s on a mission to not only help women set boundaries for themselves but also to make boundaries normal. We should be saying ‘No’ more often. 

“NO” is a complete sentence and does not need any further explanation!

To connect with Suzanne further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Saturday, March 25, 2023, Kellina Powell.  Kellia is best known as the Deaf Queen Boss!  She is a young entrepreneur who loves to help people with their personal growth and educate others about the deaf community. 

At the age of 4, she lost 100% hearing in both ears.  She started her journey to overcome many challenges living in a hearing world.  Nothing stopped Kellina, literally nothing!  

Kellina always knew she was meant to do more.  It is her hope and inspiration that those who hear her story will know that no matter what obstacles are in the way you can overcome them!  

Kellina shared her journey, struggles, the obstacles thrown at her throughout different times in her life.  From not being accepted to a school she applied for (at the fault of her teacher not entering her grades in a timely manner), to what it’s like, how you can remove barriers and what contributions can be made to level the playing field.

For any individual who has a disability, Kellina offered (4) tips:

*Find your support system.

*Speak and engage with your specialist.

*Join supportive Facebook groups.

*Read self-love / self-help books

What’s on the horizon for Kellina?  An upcoming children’s book out in the new few months, growing her coaching business (to reach the whole world!), and starting a non-profit organization (and so many other things!)

Remember, no matter what obstacles are in your way, you can overcome them!

To connect with Kellina further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Friday, March 24, 2023, Katja Rusanen.  Katja is a #1 best-selling author, transformational story coach, and spiritual mentor with master’s degrees in Spiritual Psychology and Spiritual Science. Her pragmatic approach, combined with her spiritual awareness, helps her clients get results fast. With over 10 years of coaching experience, Katja helps purpose-driven coaches and healers overcome their limiting inner stories so that they can accelerate their Soul-aligned business growth.

To say that Katja is deeply committed to her transformational work is an understatement.  Having been through her own emotional trauma, she was from a culture that didn’t talk about their emotions or feelings.  As an impressionable 16 year old, she suppressed her emotions deep down.  It wasn’t until she was at a crossroads, that she found the courage to share her story.

As Katja worked through her journey, the feelings and deep emotions and wounds began to surface.  As with any transformation story, she realized that she not only wanted to write her story, she wanted to strive to share with her readers the lessons she learned along the way.  This evoked a calling deeply connected to her heart and soul and to find that meaning and purpose out of the darkness.

Katya is the Author of her Books:  And You Must Love Me, But He Loves Me and If I Love Me.

To connect with Katja further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Thursday, March 23, 2023, Dr. Amber Tichenor, PhD.  Dr. Tichenor has a Ph.D. in I/O Psychology and is the founder of To Be, Coaching + Consulting®.  A thought leader on the topic of women’s rivalry, Amber has 20+ years’ experience as an Organizational Change Strategy and Leadership consultant where she helped guide businesses through transformational change. She is also the author of her Book:  Behind Frenemy Lines: Rising Above Female Rivalry To Be Unstoppable Together.

Although I have not had an opportunity to read her book in its entirety, I can tell you this is a book that ALL women should read!  Dr. Tichenor has written her book in a way that really speaks to the matter of heart when it comes to “Behind Frenemy Lines”.  She has laid out her book in (3) parts and after each story and segment, she reaches out to the reader in “Your Turn” where she engages her reader to take a moment to write their own beliefs, etc., regarding the topic at hand. 

Through her own personal stories and to those women who bravely shared their thoughts and perceptions on their “frenemy” stories, this book catapults the reader to really take a brave look not only into themselves but to others as well.

From Part 1 / The Opposition to the Last Word, her book is one of those books you cannot put down!  Thought provoking, there are several areas of her book that I went back to re-read and journal my thoughts and perceptions to the very specific questions put forth as I read with great intent.  There were many times that through different business associates or life in general, where certain things did pop up for me.

Dr. Tichenor’s podcast was an eye opener for me in more ways than one.  From her sharing of these stories, to the mindset of those who are in our circle to dealing with unresolved trauma and forgiveness, it was a way to look at a situation from a different lens (almost as for every action there is a reaction and why not be proactive with that reaction.)

No doubt that Dr. Tichenor is deeply passionate about addressing the phenomenon of rivalry between women.  She consults with organizations and offers speaking engagements and workshops on the importance of the phenomenon, the challenges and behaviors it presents, along with coping and recovery steps. 

Dr. Tichenor's goal is to promote collaboration over competition, to empower women to find their voice, leave the rivalry behind, and team up with a community of like-minded women who support each other to be unstoppable together.

To connect with Dr. Tichenor further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Wednesday, March 22, 2023, Becca Pearce.  Becca is a survivor in more ways than one.  A young professional CEO in her 30’s, at the top of her career, Becca was announced as the first CEO of a state-based health exchange in the country, tasked with implementing Obamacare by October 1, 2013. 

By 2013, The Baltimore Sun announced her resignation amidst controversy. On April 14, 2015, she was diagnosed with a golf-ball-sized brain tumor, changing her life forever.  From the time Becca was diagnosed with the brain tumor until her surgery was 5 weeks which was the scariest time of not only her life, but that of her husband and daughter.  

Fast forward and thankfully the tumor was benign and operable however, she had to learn to walk again and many other things as a result of the tumor.  She recalled that initially she was having hearing issues on one side which gradually changed over a 2-year period when her friend advised her to obtain a hearing test.

Becca shared her perspective on her appreciation (yes, appreciation!) for what she has been through.  What she believed to be most important swiftly changed and morphed into a set of leadership lessons for CEOs, high-performing executives and women leaders.

Although no amount of show notes can fully describe Becca’s journey, she fully believes she found her true calling; she found the value of humility and so many other amazing qualities!  She learned what really was important to her and basically fell in love with her husband again!

Too many times, we are searching, yet resisting with fear, what we are meant to do through our passion and our purpose.  We question, we put them on the back burner, it’s something for the future and continually also question our own happiness:  “I’ll be happy when . . .” 

What if being “happy” was finding that appreciation for what you and your family have been through to morph into something to inspire others?

Becca’s story is living each day with purpose and passion and continues to evolve!

To connect with Becca further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Saturday, March 18, 2023, Sam Perez.  Sam is a television news reporter who loves telling and sharing stories. This passion led her to the University of Georgia, where she graduated with degrees in journalism and Spanish.  Sam is also the Author of the Book:  Deviate From Denial / Erasing the Stigma of Addiction and Recovery through Inspirational Stories.  (This is Sam’s 2nd appearance; her 1st appearance on “Stories” was October 15, 2022 - link to that podcast is below.)

Erasing the stigma is not an easy thing to do.  Through societal norms, Sam’s continuing inspiration for sharing these types of stories is through the awareness and admiration with her parents who instilled and through their actions the human aspect behind “2nd chances”. 

It is not an Us vs Them situation.  It is how we as a society can firmly bond to the idea of talking about addiction and recovery with empathy and an understanding that we don’t have all the answers yet. 

Sam shared the story behind the story aspect with some of the people she interviewed for her book.  While many stories had a happy and inspiring ending, some did not.  As a journalist, no story would be complete without sharing the stories of those who have lost a child due to addiction and it was through one Mom’s story and the Mom’s willingness to open up to Sam her with her journey and that of her son’s that catapults the emotional and mental health trauma to another level.  This Mom wanted to share her story in the hopes of inspiring other parents.    

There is hope; there is a domino effect and those dominoes can DV8 in such a beautiful way!

Sam’s audio version of her book will be coming out very soon!  To connect with Sam further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us welcomed to today’s podcast, Thursday, March 16, 2023, Abbey Heagney.  Abbey is a Health & Mindset Coach and Owner of Wellness with Abbey.  She coaches women who deserve to feel healthy and confident in their body while living the life they love!  Her story did not start out that way.

Abbey, as she puts it, is a Reformed Self-Hater.  Starting at the very impressionable age of 12, she had a very bad perception of her own wellness.  Abbey used her connection with food as the enemy while using movement (exercise) as a further means of punishment.  From early on, her inner mean girl was obsessed with haunting her in a way that she indeed became a self-hater.

During that time frame, Abbey was involved with gymnastics and it was one thing her coach had said to her in passing that really stuck with her “not to gain weight”.  Abbey realized that the coach did not say that to be mean or cruel to herself or her teammates, however, it was Abbey who literally and figuratively looked for evidence on how this applied to her in the field of sports she loved.

As Abbey proceeded in life and met her future husband, it wasn’t until she became pregnant with her first child that becoming pregnant would mean that she would indeed gain weight.  This was a whole new concept for Abbey.

The relationship between food, loving yourself enough to have compassion is lacking for many women and why gaining weight and being unhealthy is more than just a physical aspect.   (I know this first hand as well through my own health journey!)

It’s certainly “hard” and Abbey learned how to find confidence in who she is and live her healthiest life without restrictions or guilt. She now works with women in her private coaching practice, to do just that - help them find their own unique confidence by creating simple and effective healthy habits that work for them, their lifestyle and their goals. There is no one-size fits all cookie cutter approach – she honors your individuality and believes so deeply that no matter where you are starting or what you’ve tried in the past, it’s possible to achieve any goal you set for yourself and that’s the key to your success!

To connect with Abbey further, please check out her website and various social media platforms:

Stories That Inspire Us / The Author Series, welcomed to today’s podcast, Kristina Lucia.  Kristina is an artist, creator, and author of Curiously Created Creations of Kristina Lucia.  Her touching storybooks, the Bella Lucia Book Series, ignite the imaginations of children and their parents through her limited edition animals and also improves communication and deepen their relationships between parent and child.

Her humble beginnings in a small farm town (there was only one traffic light!) sparked her creativity at a young age and her adopted home of New York City keeps her inspired daily.  She may have started out with humble beginnings but it wasn’t until several dramatic life events occurred that she realized she had to pivot and perhaps in a way that she did not anticipate.

After a layoff and injury, she realized that she had this amazing portfolio between her crocheting and story writing.  Although the possibility of starting her own creative business was doubted by many naysayers, Kristina in no way doubted her ability to realize her dream!

From working on Wall Street during the day to dancing at night (I know, how does one go from Wall Street to dancing at night!) she always knew that her creativity was more like a puzzle; a map she had to follow even though that pay may have been unknown she knew where it would lead to!  She freely stated that “my creativity saved me!”

Mind you, along the way and from further trauma she experienced, she ultimately new that through everything, she had to embrace the process and her recommendation for those who may be in the same place in their lives will know to follow that healing journey and to open your heart and soul!

Kristina currently has 3 Bella Lucia Book Series out and in total has another 12 in the works!  Between her (2) blogs and working on the animation of her books, she wholeheartedly embraces her inner child and that is just amazing to see!

Kristina has a special gift for my listeners and viewers!  Do you have a child who loves to color or perhaps YOU love to color!!  Check out her free gift below: