Kim Lim is a bio-medical CEO, mother of two and best-selling author. Kim knows firsthand the struggle of balancing the role of boss and mom. But what she didn't expect is that the same skills she uses in the boardroom can also be used to wrangle her two boys at home. “You can find a balance between work and home life. Being a working parent—especially doing it solo—means double the responsibilities, but you can achieve harmony and success.”
Anna Balkan tediously unraveled her sweater, using the yarn to knit a new one. But she learned both resourcefulness and creativity. Leaving the Ukraine behind, Leaving the Ukraine behind and moving to the United States, she eventually built a thriving career at Accenture. But she also held onto her artistic side. Now, she’s well into a new frontier. Anna started Anna Balkan Jewelry, then opened Anna Balkan Design Jewelry Gallery in 2010. She is personally committed to giving back to her local community through her hiring and business practices.
Terry Gremaux learned a strong work ethic from his parents, as he demonstrated in his years working as an underground gold miner. But a life changing event and the guidance of mentors, set him on a path no one in his family even understood. Today Terry is an entrepreneurial leader who trains business owners worldwide how to use free social media strategies to grow their businesses.
Lauren McLaughlin has had a long, varied career which led her to love and learn about people and what makes them do what they do. “Often around age 40, people recognize they are not happy and take responsibility for their dissatisfaction. They decide to let go of their excuses and to stop blaming others. Letting go is difficult, but holding on is what hurts.”
Joshua Latimer threw in the towel when none of the side gigs he tried worked out. He went down a traditional career path: banking. He was very driven and focused, and so he succeeded. But he was far from happy building someone else’s dream. He wanted his children to see that if you attempt to do things, it's going to be okay. If you try to influence the world and live a better life than average, you can do it. That would require he take a big risk.
Lisa Bloom, as the daughter of an Irish storyteller, had the gift of gab, but she knew the taboo topics in Ireland: money, religion and sex. Then, she settled in Israel, and that was all they talked about! But it was in a U.S. government job that she learned the true power of storytelling and how people are so motivated by their inner stories. Lisa is a professional Storyteller, accredited coach, author, mentor and leadership expert. She is also the author of "Cinderella and the Coach-the Power of Storytelling for Coaching Success!" and the creator of “Stories That Sell & Certified Story Coach Programs.”
Cynthia Zhai is a voice coach, speaker, trainer, and author of the book "Influence through Voice." She helps top executives from global corporations and the government to speak with confidence, credibility and conviction. She inspires people to embrace change and take action. Her experience, professionalism and effectiveness bring tangible results for clients, both in the way they project an influential, convincing voice, and in leading teams and negotiating with customers. Her clients from 36 countries over five continents include the Singapore Tourism Board, Barclay’s Bank, and Google.
Seth Buechley experienced towering success in building a cellular network. He saw the upside, then the downside, of ambition. His Golden Touch became a reverse Midas Touch for a while. He tells how gratitude and humility turned him around. His perspective, which began in a commune in the woods and led him to financial success, shines through his insights into the advantages and disadvantages of ambition. He illustrates the essential value of gratitude in leadership with lasting impact.
Diana Dorell sometimes would blurt out a vision or premonition she’d had when she was with friends growing up. “They looked at me like I had three heads, so I learned to lock it down.” Finally she came to understand that she had to start listening to herself and not worry what others thought. As a third-generation medicine woman, healer and coach she helps her clients release negative self-talk, trust their intuition and find love and confidence again, starting within themselves. She is a co-author of “The Dating Mirror: Trust Again, Love Again” on Amazon.
Erik Newton surfed through a mischievous youth, feeling truly alive. Then, adulthood and responsibility happened. Remembering a teacher who had urged him to reach out and create what he wanted in life, he found himself at a major turning point. Leaving his divorce-focused law practice behind, he still believed in love. Today, he has a unique, real-world comprehension of what makes one marriage thrive and another fall apart. Ultimately, his calling to help couples build healthy relationships superseded his legal career, and he is now podcasting and publishing an online magazine about relationships.
Lori Saitz recalls how her teachers would write on her report cards, “Lori is a very bright student but she needs to learn to speak up more in class." She finally took those words to heart and faced her shyness head-on. In the process, she discovered her superpower. Through Zen Rabbit Baking Company, she introduced the Gratitude Cookie to help clients say thank you to customers, strengthen relationships and increase their lifetime value. Today, she’s The Quiet Girls’ Guide, helping women who are terrified to walk into a room full of people they don’t know, become comfortable starting conversations with strangers.
Dr. Don McDonald has spent 17 years in the health and wellness industry as a chiropractor. It was from his position at the adjusting table that he noticed a common frustration developing into a major stressor in the lives of many patients. He identified it as ‘the Underdog Curse,’ and is chiropractic patients seemed unable to break out of it. It stopped people from living their best lives, and often stripped them of true happiness. Dr. Don is now a life coach and motivational speaker who dedicates his time to empowering people with the new, inspiring information regarding success, health, and his first love, neurology.
Connor Cranston didn’t fully understand what it meant when he learned he and his twin brother were being adopted. “In Vietnam we’d heard of the American Dream, but little did we know we were in for a wild ride!” He calls himself “a miracle child,” and loves teaching, educating, and speaking to people. He started out his entrepreneur journey at age 12, selling things in his school, at garage sales, and online. At 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps to get girls. Now he speaks and trains business people and individuals all over the globe. He owns and operates three businesses.
Maia Aziz’’s parents were asking her “where do you want to do volunteer work this summer,” while her friends were off doing kids’ things. “It was just what they expected of me,” she recalls. “I didn't know how to exist without that core value of the importance of helping others.” Today she is a Certified Humor Professional (CHP) and contributing writer to The Positive Psychology People. She hosts a weekly talk radio show, Morning Moments with Maia… Conversations of Love and Laughter, where she shares heartfelt and often hilarious conversations about love, laughter, leadership and life.
Justin Constantine survived a gunshot wound to the head while serving as a Marine in Iraq. For his entire life he had been a focused and highly motivated individual. Returning home, he developed an even deeper understanding of adversity. How he is dealing with these new challenges is impacting thousands of his fellow veterans and the companies that want to help them. Justin is an attorney, inspirational speaker and author, and an expert in leadership, overcoming adversity and Veteran employment.
Jessica Olmon felt trapped in a prestigious law firm she had methodically pursued at the beginning of her career. From the outside, it looked like the perfect situation—great pay, brilliant colleagues, an office with a beautiful view —but after five years she knew something was missing. She knew she needed a dramatic change in her mindset. Today, her passion is to help entrepreneurs find success and freedom through their business, and she does this through her law firm as a mentor, and through her entrepreneur success program, Course Corrected.
Sarah E. Brown, former managing partner of Accenture, explains how your personality can be a clue to finding a job that will make you happy. Using her expertise and a respected personality assessment, she creates an individualized “Book of You” for her clients, which can be like having a career and life coach in a book. Sarah has had several careers, all of which she says took her full circle to what she originally set out to do right out of college: teaching; writing; and researching. Along the way, she has learned what she believes makes for a happy, successful work experience.
Malcolm Saunders tried an idealistic, teenage flirtation with vegetarianism. It involved little more than dropping the meat from his meat, potatoes and junk food diet. Today he has a whole new relationship with food—and with all of life. With nearly 20 years in food and nutrition, he is the owner of The Light Cellar. An intuitive chef specializing in the alchemy of superfoods and super herbs, his desire is to inspire others to live and eat from a space that honors the sacredness of all life, illuminating the power our food choices have on ourselves, other beings, and the planet we live on.
Lauren McLaughlin was delighted to take six years off to be a full-time mom. But as soon as her son went to school, Lauren plunged back into a career. So far, it spans public relations for the Red Cross, newspaper publishing, politics, real estate, and now a ministry. She's a writer, speaker, teacher, retreat coordinator, keynote speaker, counselor, ordained Unity minister and professional student. Lauren is always seeking to learn about people and new ideas.
Justin Deese performed just well enough in academics to be allowed to participate in the sports he loved. But one coach, in particular, opened the door to personal growth and development. Years later, it was no surprise when he stepped into a coaching role in other people’s lives. Today, he is a highly sought-after business strategist, visionary, and lifelong entrepreneur. He simultaneously built three flourishing in-home service companies in multiple states and is an expert at helping fellow business owners structure and manage their companies for maximum profitability.
Ann Reynolds endured fruitless job interview after interview, new teaching credentials in hand. A native of California’s Napa Valley, she gave her surroundings a second look. Little did she know what a temporary harvest season job at a winery would bring. Today, she has more than 20 years in the wine industry. Her experiences include wine retail and wine making. Since 1989 she has poured wine in tasting rooms, run a winery laboratory, worked in winery cellars, and assembled entire winery compliance systems at several Napa wineries. In 2006, she began offering courses in winery compliance.
Alison Cardy, author of “Career Grease: How to Get Unstuck and Pivot Your Career,” is a certified career coach who has guided hundreds of people at career crossroads to find innovative and functional career solutions. Both realistic and optimistic, Alison encourages people to get clarity by self-analysis, but just as important, by taking action. In this interview, she shares why people get stuck at crossroads and recommends steps to get unstuck. Alison’s work has been featured on Monster, Forbes, LearnVest, the Huffington Post, and the Chicago Tribune.
Don McDonald had grown so accustomed to being an underdog on his basketball team that he didn’t know how to cope when a transfer to a new team made him a top dog. The idea that people expected him to always succeed was more stress than he could handle. He began to sabotage his own sports career. Dr. Don has spent 17 years in the health and wellness industry as a chiropractor. He is now a life coach and motivational speaker who dedicates his time to empowering people with the new, inspiring information regarding success, health and his first love, neurology. He is also the author of “The Underdog Curse.”
Ivy LaClair always thought of herself as a shy person, but when she joined her college Student Activities Council, she quickly had to learn how to put herself “out there.” A couple of years later she became president of the Council and had “a goosebump moment” when she realized who she had become. Co-founder of the personal development company, Motivational Millennial, Ivy is an expert on change, transformation and millennial success. She is co-host of the Motivational Millennial Podcast, a seasoned facilitator, and author of the personal transformation guide, "Motivating Your Millennial Mind."
Jeremy Paris’ teenage rebellion might have led him into a surly adulthood, as just another guy with a chip on his shoulder. But a high school teacher saw beyond his “in-your-face” art project and praised his originality and courage. That changed Jeremy from that point forward. After a career in the military and as a defense contractor, he started the Veteran Resource Podcast to inform veterans about the many organizations, programs and opportunities available to veterans and their family members.