Ashley Cooper underwent intense bullying as a child. The depression that followed left her virtually without hope. At 25, halfway around the world in Thailand, she questioned her own sanity as she began a 21-day vow of silence. Today, she is on a "soul mission" to helping others see their divine nature and understand that anything is possible, if they just believe. A yoga instructor, mindfulness coach, she’s the founder of The 6A Method from Pain to Power™ and co-founder of ABC Charity™- a global art project based on kids helping kids.
Otakara Klettke learned to listen to her body and nurture her health as she grew from being a sickly child to a personal fitness trainer, adventurer, TV reporter and mom. In her book, “Hear Your Body Whisper,” Otakara tells how to unlock your body’s self-healing mechanism. More than ever, she contends, it’s crucial we learn how to bring our human consciousness and awareness to the task of keeping ourselves healthy. The body has its own, natural self-healing mechanism and we can listen to it and even learn to guide it.
Stephen Christopher’s fortunes after the crash of 2008 were lower than he’d ever imagined—just short of living on the streets and going without food. So, when he urges aspiring entrepreneurs to set aside fear—and asks the question, “What’s the worst that could happen?”—they know he is speaking from experience. Far from being disillusioned and defeated, he is helping people grow their businesses, through his firm, Seequs Digital Marketing, and his podcast, Business Revolution
Laura Pennington's only half joking that her new career started with the Google search: How to become a freelance writer.” Professors in college had nurtured her writing, even though she wasn’t in a writing field. As she queried Google, she thought, “Well, at least I’m not a BAD writer.” Today, with a full roster of writing gigs, she’s helping other aspiring writers craft a freelance lifestyle that suits them.
Kwame Christian was offering free seminars on negotiation strategies as a sideline to get clients for his law firm. He noticed he was loving it more than anything he was getting paid to do. Then it hit him: I could be doing this for a living!”
Dr. Lori Shemek counseled clients struggling with health and lifestyle issues for years. Repeatedly, she saw how simple changes could alter the dynamics of a whole family for the better. In her late 30s, she began imagining: How powerful would it be to marry psychological insights with nutritional wisdom? Today she is the best-selling author of “How To Fight FATflammation!” and “Fire-Up Your Fat Burn!” She has made it her mission to help clients lose weight and educate the public on the toxic effects of certain foods and lifestyle choices. The Huffington Post has recognized Dr. Shemek twice as one of the top 16 health and nutrition experts alongside such names as Dr. Oz.
Dirk Van Loon cites two main reasons people fail to exert influence. Drawing on his leadership experiences in companies such as Nike, Atlas Copco, Bare International, he offers six factors crucial to gaining influence and exercising it effectively. The Belgium-based entrepreneur, coach, and transformation expert and his team have guided and supported countless individuals and organizations through the challenges posed by ever-growing global competition and the increasing pressure to perform. His expertise lies in multiple fields, including conflict resolution and transition management.
Dan Sheedy died twice in one day 20 years ago. The first time was when his vehicle was hit from the side; then again in the E.R. Resuscitated twice and recovering miraculously, he returned to his job as a hedge fund manager. But he also began to consider some dramatic changes.
Aimée Lissantheia talks to the bees, and says they listen to her. “We had this lovely conversation,” she recalls, talking about a chat at a café with a honey bee that nestled between her fingers. An odd story, perhaps—and an unlikely relationship—but one that led to an award-winning children’s book about a bee’s-eye view of the natural world entitled, “The Amazing Adventures of Melissa Bee.”
Scott Wilhite was in a corporate job he hated, with a mindset he called “grumpaholic.” Feeling miserable, he ran a fantasy jackpot scenario in his head, and asked himself, “If I win the Powerball and $32 million, what will I do?” After quickly imagining his first seven days as a millionaire, he began to suspect lack of money was not his problem. He set out to discover what was missing. Scott has since created the Feed Your Happy app, authored a mindset course on the 7 Core Skills of Everyday Happiness, and founded nCOURAGE.LIFE.
Mira Halpert saw her daughter’s passion for becoming a teacher at a young age. When the school said her daughter was not college material, Mira was heartbroken. But it also turned Mira into a “mom on a mission” and spurred her husband to leave his corporate job. They now have helped more than 2,000 students and are working to help thousands more.
Craig Ballantyne helps people get more done, make more money, and still get home on time for dinner. He offers five templates for creating rules of life that can be personalized by each individual. They act like the operating system for our lives. His templates are built on a foundation of Five Pillars of Success, which encompass time-tested principles such as planning and preparation, professional accountability, positive social support, a meaningful incentive, and a "Big Deadline." A co-owner of EarlyToRise.com, he is also the creator of the home workout system, Turbulence Training.
Brad Finkeldei was a smart guy who figured out early in life how to use his intelligence to get things done. But by the time he thought he should be enjoying his accomplishments, he realized he just wasn’t happy. Could he learn to slow down and understand the meaning of “be present? Soon, he left a lucrative $90,000 a year job in the tech industry to pursue his passion of helping others.
Otakara Klettke was born in Czech Republic and very sickly from an early age. Because of that, she spent more time reading great literature in her mother's library and visiting doctors than playing with children her own age. Now she lives on a ranch in the mountains of Oregon and travels every chance she gets. If it wasn't the doctors who turned around her life, what did she know that they did not?
Mac Prichard was disillusioned with college. Carrying a mediocre grade point average, he was about to drop out after his sophomore year. Although he barely knew his academic advisor, he decided to have a talk with him before reaching a decision. “He was a nice enough guy, and he made some suggestions I decided to follow.” Mac recalls. “He probably does not recall that conversation. But for me it was life changing.” Today, Mac is the publisher of Mac’s List, an online community for people looking for rewarding careers, doing creative and meaningful work, with 80,000 visitors each month.
Debbie Lazinsky’s doctor asked her, “Do you realize you weigh 318 pounds?” A question flashed across her brain: “How am I going to lose 200 pounds? I can't wrap my brain around losing what much!” Just the same, Debbie began to lose–five pounds at a time. And now she maintains her weight-loss naturally. Debbie specializes in giving practical advice to busy women on eating real food and lose weight permanently. Her before and after photos were featured in the January 2014 issue of People magazine.
Cole Hatter believes live events matter in creating thriving businesses and strong relationships. An entrepreneur, investor, author and acclaimed speaker, his Thrive: Make Money Matter annual conference teaches entrepreneurs how to dominate in business and in life while making the world a better place. His greatest passion is providing a platform to educate and empower entrepreneurs to live their lives and run their companies in a way that makes a measurable difference in the world.
Douglas Heikkinen was in the hyper-driven financial world of the 1980s, in its heyday, with a powerful mentor who demanded his best. He loved it. But after 13 years, changes in the firm—and in himself—he knew the time had come for him to move on. The firm had become too corporate for his liking. An uncertain world of high risk and potentially great reward lay before him. He was thinking like an entrepreneur.
Sharon Livingston’s focus group of moms was discussing a popular sugary kids’ drink and a healthier alternative as part of a research study. But then the tears came as moms expressed deep feelings. It was not a typical focus group, and certainly not a typical moderator. From an early age, “Dr. Sharon” learned how to help people open up. She built on those childhood insights through undergraduate and post-graduate studies in psychology, and has interviewed over 62,000 people.
Gregg Burkhalter’s career in radio broadcasting, music marketing and distribution suddenly came to an end. There he was with no job, no brand, no network, not even a social media presence. Could he possibly build new relationships online the way he made friends in person? Could he possibly build relationships On LinkedIn the way he made them in person and become The LinkedIn Guy? He had to try.
Sandy Weiner felt coaching totally suited her nature, but the exhilaration she felt in much of her life did not extend to her dating relationships. To her surprise, helping her divorced friends polish their profiles for dating apps and websites led her to use her talents in a brand new way. As founder of Last First Date, she devotes herself to helping women over 40 achieve healthy, off-the-charts love.
Laura K. Meier, Esq. is a family trust attorney, best-selling author, and mother of four. Her mission is to help every mom and dad in America protect their children through a proper family estate plan. Laura is the author of the #1 best-seller “Good Parents Worry, Great Parents Plan,” a guide for parents that helps them understand the legal and practical steps they must take to protect their children. Her work has been featured by NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, the Fiscal Times, Worth, Investopedia, Wall Street Select and more.
Rabbi Aryeh Weinstein had trained to be a rabbi to lead people through his gift of speaking, but often on the way to synagogue, his childhood shyness would return, and he would pray for a miracle that would keep him from having to speak. His miracle eventually did come, but not in the way he’d envisioned it. Today, he is a recognized expert in the science of Jewish spirituality. He is the host and creator of the Beginning Within podcast and the website, beginningwithin.com.
Abhrekha Jain was well into a career in software engineering for a multinational company when her first child was born. Most women in India would have given up their careers, but Abhrekha valued both her motherhood and her job. Her decision would have far-reaching consequences. Born into a traditional culture in India to parents who gave her every opportunity, she found a creative option that worked for her and opens doors for others.
Rob Dial knew he had greatness inside, even as a teen delivering pizzas and working at PetSmart. He just didn’t know how or where to let it out. Then while working in the cruelling job of selling Cutco knives door-to-door, it dawned on him where his inborn talents really were. Promoted to run a franchise with the company at 21, he grew it to a multi-million-dollar business. Today he runs a motivational podcast, MWF Motivation, alongside a coaching practice and an e-commerce business.