Persistence U with Lizbeth artwork

Persistence U with Lizbeth

177 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 31 ratings

An award-winning author turned Lifetime TV movie subject, host Lizbeth Meredith works to tame trauma and increase resilience leveraging the power of persistence.
Created for and by survivors and strivers, Persistence U podcast with Lizbeth hosts guests willing to share from the heart to both inform and inspire. Whether they've publishing a first book after 70, or slowly re-entered life after a crushing setback, they'll tell who and what helped. Because big goals and obstacles are no match when you have a good community.

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Episodes

Celebrating the Women in Your Life Who've Shaped Your History and Other Updates

March 27, 2024 04:00 - 11 minutes

It's March, Women's History Month and spring is nearly here. In episode 155, a quick update of what's next on Persistence U over the next month or more, a personal update, and reminder that Women's History Month might just be the perfect time to reach out to a woman in your life to give thanks for her influence and/or sacrifices made on your behalf. Reminder: I'll be teaching a memoir class at the Chattery on 4/2/24 with writing coach and podcaster Ariel Curry. If you're in East Tennessee, jo...

Think only women get breast cancer? Two male survivors and a fierce mom want you to know the truth.

March 13, 2024 04:00 - 42 minutes

Podcaster Ron Rappaport (It's a Wrap with Rap) was stopped in his tracks when he received the diagnosis. Breast cancer?!! But he was a guy. How could that be? After Googling the matter, he found Male Breast Cancer Happens, founded by mom Peggy Miller with her son Bret Miller, who first found his lump at 17 and today is the youngest known male breast cancer survivor in the US. You will learn: * If a human has breasts, they can get breast cancer, regardless of gender. * Because men aren't enc...

Is it Too Late To Return to a Dream, Long Postponed? Stephanie Cotsirilos Shares Her Journeym and Why Becoming a Writer After 70 Was Just the Right Time

February 28, 2024 05:00 - 31 minutes

Stephanie Cotsirilos was drawn to the arts from an early age, but once a crisis across the globe required a different kind of skill set, she decided to go to law school. But sometimes opportunity knocks again, and today, Stephanie is an author first published after 70 with no end in sight to You will learn: Sometimes, life has a way of calling you back to your original plans, goals, and/or dreams. As long as we're alive, there's time to revisit our pupose. Age may bring confidence and det...

Four Lessons From Survivors, and the Finale to Season 4

January 17, 2024 05:00 - 13 minutes

It's hard to say what's helped more, getting formal support after trauma, or working with scores of brilliant and brave people who've survived the unthinkable. From domestic advocacy in the early 90's to true crime survivors today, their lessons resonate today. Things I've learned: Sharing our story, especially during dark times, takes courage and a commitment to connect and benefit another. Asking for help may be the most challenging (but necessary) part of the already challenging journey....

When the Person You Need to Forgive Is You: Larry Davis on Moving Forward After Divorce

January 10, 2024 05:00 - 25 minutes

(There are two spots where connection was lost. Just fast forward!) Larry Davis wouldn't wish divorce on anyone. When his marriage to his childhood sweetheart ended after more than a decade together, he fell into a funk for a time, and didn't know how to move forward. He was determined to learn and grow from the process. Today, Larry is a speaker, coach, and podcast host of Growth State of Mind. Connect with Larry at lawilliams.com on Instagram. You will learn: Forgiving ourselves after a ...

Re-thinking Your Relationship with Alcohol? Dr. Stephan Neff Shares Own Journey and Tips on a Healthier Life

January 03, 2024 05:00 - 35 minutes

Whether you're sober-curious, participating in Sober January, or have realized you're ready to make a change with respect to alcohol (or any other habit weighing you back), you're in the right place. Dr. Stephan Neff knows a few things about making big changes. A decade ago, he checked himself into rehab and kicked alcohol to the curb, one baby step at a time. Today, he's the author of My Steps to Sobriety: Get Sober and Stay That Way. Connect with Dr. Neff at https://mystepstosobriety.com/ ...

2023 Roundup of the Podcast, the Patrons, and the Power of Persistence

December 27, 2023 05:00 - 16 minutes

Hello to episode 148 and Goodbye to 2023. Here's my brief recap of the podcast, this year's Patrons, and the role of persistence that brought unexpected and much-appreciated surprises. You will learn: Five of this year's favorite podcast episodes are linked below. David Richman Eleanor Andrews Maria Henson Chad Peevy Debbie Russell Thank you to my Patrons for supporting the podcast and my writing this year! And to all of you enjoy stories of persistence as much as I do. Thankful Ground...

Do the Skills Build Surviving a Natural Disaster Transcend to Other Crises?

December 20, 2023 05:00 - 31 minutes

Sandra Younger knew two decades ago that the Cedar fire that raged and destroyed her California home didn't just affect her. Neighbors died. Thousands of homes were lost. Firefighters suffered. And in the end, a whole new world for Sandra was revealed that's informed her work today as a resilience coach. Connect with Sandra Younger and learn about her book The Fire Outside My Window at https://www.sandramillersyounger.com/. You will learn: We are not our belongings, no matter how sentimenta...

What This Mom Learned When Advocating for Her Son's Education Has Informed Her Work Helping Today's Students With Dyslexia and Other Literacy Challenges

December 13, 2023 05:00 - 31 minutes

Lois Letchford didn't set out to be the author of Reversed: A Memoir. An educator, married to a university professor, she was uniquely qualified when a teacher told Lois that Lois's first grade son was the worst she'd had in decades of work. When she decided to home school her son, Lois tried usual methods of tutoring and got the same old (bad)results. So she listened when her mother-in-law told her to open her mind to using different ways of instruction. Connect with Lois at https://www.loi...

From Trials to Triumph

December 06, 2023 05:00 - 27 minutes

Laura Mangum-Broome recalls her journey just a few years back as woman who faced a series of life-altering challenges: battling cancer, enduring health problems related to cancer treatment which led to a heart transplant, losing health insurance, navigating through a painful divorce, and coping with the tragic loss of her child. Today, she emerged stronger, transforming her pain into power and becoming a resilience coach. Contact Laura at https://www.icope2hope.com/ You will learn: Resilience...

Ever Feel Like You've Lost Your Voice? Valeria Elliott Shares How She Finally Found Hers

November 29, 2023 05:00 - 28 minutes

At age six, Valeria Elliott learned to wield the power of silence rather than engage in conflicts. But what started as a coping mechanism to avoid her father’s anger became a pattern of behavior that made her an easy target for bullies in school, and later, in the workplace. Valeria had lost her voice. Connect with Valeria at https://msvthestoryteller.co/ You will learn: Old coping mechanisms may need to be addressed after they've exceeded their usefulness. Unexpressed emotions have a way ...

How A Shocking Diagnosis Became the Catalyst for Larissa Kindred's Journey Out of Mormonism and Into a Life of Her Choosing

November 22, 2023 05:00 - 41 minutes

Growing up Mormon left little freedom for Larissa Kindred to take up space. The mandate was clear on how to be a good woman: marry, procreate, and be sure that the needs of the family always came first. Desires for education and a career seemed both selfish and out of reach. Connect with Larissa and her research at lds_women_and_garments on Instagram. A diagnosis of breast cancer while still in her 30's changed everything. Today, Larissa is a graduate student researching the impact of Mormo...

From Underestimated Teen to Military Mentor: How Persistence Helped Transform the Life of Jason Pike

November 15, 2023 05:00 - 27 minutes

When high school officials told  Jason Pike he wasn't college material, he decided to try a back door approach to success.Learning disabilities had colored their view of Jason, who decided to enroll in the armed forces. Sent to a brig as a punishment for being a slow learner, Jason refused to break, inching his way from the bottom up to serving 31 years in the armed forces as a combat veteran.Connect with Jason Pike at https://www.jasonpike.org/ You will learn: While some youth are decimated...

From Unspoken Trauma to Unbreakable Spirit: Delicia Niami's Journey from Kidnapping to Self-Love

November 08, 2023 05:00 - 29 minutes

Being kidnapped as a child by her father and taken to Iraq from America was just the beginning for Delicia Niami.Trauma followed her into early adulthood, through bullying, molestation, and assaults, yet she never considered herself to be an abuse victim.The memories  sometimes flooded her, uninvited and with perfect recall, until Delicia knew it that it had to stop.After much and varied healing work, Delicia is today the author of Kissing Asphalt: The  Courageous True Story of One Child's Un...

What Therapist and Coach Clint Callahan Wants You to Know About Not Glossing Over Traumas, the Impact of School Bullying, and the Importance of Creating Brave Spaces to Heal

November 01, 2023 04:00 - 27 minutes

Clint Callahan was born prematurely, back in the day when medical practices supported isolating babies and kept them from parental touch. Some of his early experiences, combined with his smaller size compared to his peer group, led to him later being bullied in school. Access to mental health counseling changed everything. Today, Clint is a mental health counselor and coach who created the Small Changes, Big Impact transformational system.Connect with Clint at smallchangesbigimpact.netYou wil...

From Young Love to Premature Caregiving: Navigating Life with a Spouse's Cancer Journey with Erin Copelan

October 25, 2023 04:00 - 15 minutes

When young Erin Copelan married a man 26 years her senior, she did the math and assumed she would one day become his care provider. His liver cancer diagnosis came when Erin was only 34,  and she was lost.Today, Erin is the author of Welcome to Caregiving: The Things Caregivers NEVER Talk About, the proud wife of a now-healthy husband, and creates resources for caregivers she wishes she'd had.Connect with Erin at https://erincopelan.com/You will learn: Not all writing is therapeutic. Each p...

Are Your Limitless Goals Doused by Your Limiting Past? Business Coach Joey Drolshagen Has You Covered

October 18, 2023 04:00 - 25 minutes

During his childhood, Joey Drolshagen saw both of his parents work constantly and still struggle financially. Like many of us do, he committed to doing better. He found himself in a pattern of casting a vision for a great future, but employing common actions that didn't achieve the results he desired.Today, after much retraining, Joey's quit his secure job and spends his days helping other's thrive as they take steps toward business success.Connect with business coach Joey Drolshagen at https...

A Shocking Crime Became the Catalyst For Change and Choosing Life Lessons Worth Sharing

October 11, 2023 04:00 - 24 minutes

By the time her mother was shot to death during a petty crime in India, Farah had already been through huge transitions. Moving from London to India without warning as a child, later attending school in an Irish convent, Farah's mother had believed we choose our lives for the lessons we will learn.And now this.Her mother's shocking death left Farah wrestling with issues that would require introspection and commitment to get on the other side.You will learn: Losing that touchstone we've alway...

A Hidden Journal Becomes a Memoir Breaking the Silence of Domestic Violence

October 04, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes

When Dana Diaz was a young woman, she was certain she'd grabbed the hand of the right person who would lift her out of a love-starved, dysfunctional childhood. Her beau seemed to love her instantly, wanted to be with her constantly, and was ready for a lifelong commitment. Fast forward more than two decades, and the journal Dana secretly kept helped create the bones for transformation, and the outline for her memoir Gasping for Air: The Stranglehold of Narcissistic Abuse.Connect with Dana at...

Acclaimed Family Therapist and Author Karyl McBride Talks About What a Narcissist Is and Isn't, and Why She Wrote Will The Drama Ever End

September 27, 2023 04:00 - 29 minutes

The  word narcissist abused has become both overused and misused today. Acclaimed family therapist Karyl McBride recalls the time when it was used by clinicians only. She's spent much of her career digging in to the definition and impact of narcissists on their families, and continues that work today with Will the Drama Ever End, her newest book.Connect with Karyl at https://karylmcbridephd.com/You will learn: The definition of a narcissist. The impact of being raised by one. Adult childre...

Author Don Proffit Proves a Picture's Worth More Than a Thousand Words After a Flood Destroyed All of His

September 20, 2023 04:00 - 38 minutes

#memoir   #alaska Just as he was readying for retirement, a flood seemed to wash away all of Don "Buzz" Proffit's history when decades of photos from his life and those of his ancestors were destroyed.Connect with him at DonaldProffit.comAn educator and former conscientious objector who served his country by teaching in Alaska in the 70's, the photos captured snippets of time he feared he'd forget forever.But Don decided to write about some of his memorable photos. And what came next would tu...

What if We Could Love Ourself Like Our Pet Does? Author and Relationship Coach Maureen Scanlon on How Her Dog Taught Her to Become Her Own Best Friend

September 13, 2023 04:00 - 30 minutes

Whether you're coupled, newly divorced, widowed, or a serial single person, loneliness is part of life. The avoidance of it can lead to destructive habits or relationships. Maureen Scanlon's dog's unconditional love for her not only helped her through hard times, but aided in shaping two books and a coaching practice. Today, she teaches others the art of how to be their own best friend. Connect with  coach Maureen at https://lifecoachmaureen.com/ and learn more about her books HERE. You will ...

A Melancholy With the Change of Seasons and Being Okay When We're Not

August 23, 2023 04:00 - 20 minutes

It's the end of summer and the end of season 3. As one who struggles with change, it's come with blue moods and a sense of dread, despite so many lovely things in my world.The podcast will resume on 9/13. Enjoy the backlist of more than 130 episodes, please.Want to learn what's new on Persistence U?Connect with me at lameredith.com and hop on my email list!You will learn: Toxic positivity can exacerbate feelings of aloneness and desperation. Normalizing conversations about depression, anxie...

How a Mom of 6 Walked the El Camino Alone and Learned to Travel at the Speed of Love

August 16, 2023 12:00 - 28 minutes

Few of us have the time to walk a near 500-mile pilgrimage, least of all, mom of six Hollee Brock.   But after a lifetime of happily raising a busy family, she knew she had to do it.What happened next became the subject of her podcast Along the Camino, and a point of transformation.You will learn: A pilgrimage is a journey with a purpose or intention. In a society focused on goals, it's easy to overlook the important transformations that occur simply inside persisting. The power of sharing...

Renowned Composer Tina Davidson on Finding Her Roots and Writing Let Your Heart Be Broken

August 09, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes

Composer Tina Davidson knew she'd been adopted, and had enjoyed life in a bustling family of five children who'd lived internationally. She discovered later her birth father was a world-famous scientist. Yet something didn't feel right.Today, Tina Davidson is a well known composer and author of Let Your Heart Be Broken.Connect with Davidson's Tedx Talk and learn more about her work at  https://www.tinadavidson.com/listen/You will learn: Music and writing can provide an outlet for expression ...

Kim Peacock on Permission to Fully Heal and How We Can Best Show Up for Friends Experiencing the Loss of a Loved One

August 02, 2023 04:00 - 29 minutes

When Kim Peacock's children were nearly grown, she revisited the partially healed trauma of losing one of her daughters while on a family vacation years before.Kim shares her journey of faith and healing, and how she turned it into work helping others deal with grief.Connect with Kim Peacock HERE and learn more about her work and writing.You will learn: Everyone experiences loss, and the only control we have is our response. Sometimes showing up for a grieving friend is better than anything...

Debbie Russell on Why She Left a Career in Law and Wrote Crossing Fifty One: Not Quite a Memoir

July 26, 2023 04:00 - 35 minutes

Debbie Russell had a thriving career as a prosecutor. She'd worked hard for her career, and found that she was addicted to the adrenalin rush it provided, and the fact it offered a pension. Somehow, she'd  known even then that she wanted to retire with some time left in life for creative pursuits. And finding old family letters focused Debbie's attention on both knowing more and writing.Connect with Debbie and her writing at https://debbie-russell.com/ You will learn: Eventually, work stress...

After Traveling to More than 100 Countries, Writer/Producer Rebecca Chandler Found the Most Challenging Journey in Later Life Was Healing From Old Trauma

July 19, 2023 04:00 - 20 minutes

Rebecca Chandler is  no stranger to challenges.As a writer and producer, she'd enjoyed traveling to far-flung locations and living out of a suitcase.(Connect with Rebecca at rebeccaechandler.com and find out about her books and work.)And then, one day, she felt a crack. She would later be diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), attributed to early childhood sexual abuse.You will learn: There are many routes to healing. Journaling, EMDR, and talk therapy, and many other interven...

Author and Coach Mary Giuliani On When She Learned the Root of Her Addictions

July 12, 2023 04:00 - 32 minutes

Mary Giuliani was a successful life and business coach who'd maintained a 160 pound weight loss by the time she read a book that changed her life. Through the information inside The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel van der Kolk), Mary learned that things that had happened in her childhood were still impacting her, now late in her fifties.          To connect with Mary and learn more about her work and writing, find her at marygiuliani.net.You will learn: Too many toxic traumas in childhood can p...

Untitled Episode

July 12, 2023 04:00 - 32 minutes

Lizbeth’s links Support the podcast and Lizbeth's writing for $2 or $5 a month on Patreon HEREOR Buy Lizbeth a Coffee Lizbeth's memoir Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters is now a TV movie, #Stolen By Their Father on Lifetime, now streaming on Roku, Vudu, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.Lizbeth's second book, Grounded in Grit: Turn Your Challenges Into Superpowers is available to order wherever books are sold! Interested in seeing if you and Lizbeth would partner well for 1:1 coaching? Si...

When an Injury Crushed His Sports Career Dream, Troy Ismir Discovered How to Be Fully Alive

July 05, 2023 04:00 - 26 minutes

He was known as a football player.  Troy Ismir had what looked like a promising future in sport, until one injury ended it all.Bouncing back from that setback wasn't easy. But Troy leaned on his faith, habits, and desire to live his purpose before deciding to leave his comfortable job in pharmaceutical sales in order to become a coach helping men integrate spirit, mind, and body to live theirs.Connect with Troy and learn more about his book True Power is Inner Power  at troyismir.com.You will...

How Do you Build Community After You Move? Author Melody Warnick Shares Tips for Finding Where You Belong

June 28, 2023 04:00 - 36 minutes

Melody Warnick is no stranger to feeling like an outsider. The author of If I Could Live Anywhere and This is Where You Belong, Melody found herself moving around the country to follow her husband's career while she freelanced for magazines like The New York Times, Washington Post,  and Woman's Day.When she moved a final time to a town she didn't love, Melody knew the problem was hers to solve. (Connect with Melody and her work at http://melodywarnick.com/)You will learn:   Investing in the ...

Because Belly Flops Are the Predecessor to Later Successes/Interview with Paul Padmore from My Perfect Failure Podcast

June 21, 2023 04:00 - 33 minutes

Who has ever accomplished big goals without experiencing failures along the way?Paul Padmore was on a sure-path to success when he was laid off work a few years ago.  Like all of us who face setbacks of that nature, he was equal parts humbled and horrified.  Unlike most of us, he decided to normalize the conversation about failures.Today, Paul Padmore is the head of customer engagement at Innovationbubble and the host of My Perfect Failure Podcast.Connect with Paul Padmore HEREYou will learn:...

The Transformational Power of Gratitude with The Thank You Project's Author Nancy Davis Kho

June 14, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes

What if you could transform your life while brightening the lives of others...for free?That's the gift Nancy Davis Kho gave herself for her 50th birthday when she decided to write 50 people, some she knew, some she did not, who'd made a contribution to her world.(Connect with her HERE and learn about her book, podcast called The Midlife Mixed Tape, and other work).The results of that gift were shared in her book, The Thank You Project: Cultivating Happiness, One Letter at a Time.You will lear...

From Foster Care to Financial Freedom: Victoria Pelletier Shares How She Said Goodbye to a Hard-Knock Life and Leveraged Trauma to Create a Trauma-Informed Workplace

June 07, 2023 04:00 - 28 minutes

Victoria Pelletier has vivid memories of the day her biological mother relinquished care of her to a family to be fostered and adopted. She credits a supportive adoptive family and a drive for more that led her to be a COO at the age of 24, and the reason diversity, equity, and inclusion are key values to her today.Connect with Victoria at Victoria-Pelletier.com.You will learn: Overachieving is sometimes a compensatory effort from those who've experienced trauma. Adaptations learned during ...

Allowing Joy to Coexist with Grief: Author Deborah Covell Fletcher on Finding Your Hey

May 31, 2023 04:00 - 35 minutes

Back when Deborah Covell Fletcher was pregnant, she was considered "geriatric" at age 37. To her delight, she learned she was carrying twins. But not long after their births, one was found to have a traumatic brain injury from birth that would change everything.(Connect with Deborah HERE.)You will learn: Grief and joy can coexist peacefully if we allow it. Sometimes what looks like the worst thing that can happen brings unexpected rewards. Support and connections made during life's greates...

Author Steve Wilson on the Highs and Lows of Bipolar Disorder, and Lessons Learned After More Than Forty Years of Efforts to Get the Treatment Just Right

May 24, 2023 04:00 - 44 minutes

Steve Wilson's bipolar disorder was diagnosed in the 1950's, but he'd suffered with long bouts of highs and lows beginning at 9 after he was sexually assaulted. More than four decades later, after numerous tries with the correct dosages of medications, therapy, and even peer support, he reached an equilibrium that allowed for a successful personal and  professional life.Today, in his seventies, Steve is the new author of Teetering on a Tightrope, a proud husband, father, and grandfather. He f...

That Pivotal Moment When Angela Howard Knew Something Had to Change, and How She Went About It

May 17, 2023 09:00 - 25 minutes

When Angela Howard was pregnant with her second child, she experienced the ultimate betrayal with her husband.She believed that rather than spiral into feeling victimized, she chose to autopsy her personal and family history to see if there were factors needing to be looked at.Angela decided go to the Omega Institute and learn about somatic healing.Today, Angela is a the founder of Wildheartexpressive.com and is a confidence coach, combining somatic movement therapy with coaching.You will  le...

Dr. Debi Silber on Healing from Betrayal and How Coaching Can Move the Needle in a Way Therapy Might Not

May 17, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes

Dr. Debi Silber didn't set out to become an expert on healing from betrayal. But when life handed her one too many opportunities, she decided to re-tool, go back to school, and did research on healing from it.Today, she's the founder of the Post-Betrayal Institute and the host of From Breakthrough to Betrayal Podcast.(Connect with Dr. Debi Silber at the PBT Institute or From Betrayal to Breakthrough Podcast.)You will learn: Therapy is often beneficial, but clients may get stuck repeating the...

What if You Finally Roll the Dice, Open a Business, and the Economy Tanks? Entrepreneur and Podcaster Chris Lalomia Shares How He Weathered the Storm and Helps Other Business Owners Do the Same

May 10, 2023 04:00 - 17 minutes

Chris Lalomia had a fancy job in banking with all the perks. But after several years, he realized he wanted more. He wanted to be an entrepreneur. Connect with Chris at his podcast The Small Business Safari HERE or learn more about his company The Trusted Toolbox and his book HERE.With a business education, a banking background, and his trusty business blueprint in hand, he opened a handyman business with an eye for building it into multiple businesses. And then the economy collapsed.You will...

Available As Is Author Debbie Weiss on Losing Her Childhood Love and Creating a Grown Up Life

May 04, 2023 00:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MB

Debbie Weiss met the love of her life in grade school, and in early adulthood, they married. A happy couple who enjoyed decades of marriage, it all came crashing down with a cancer diagnosis. Debbie's husband died in his early fifties after intentionally shielding her from the prognosis, leaving her unprepared for what lie ahead. Connect with Debbie and learn more about her book, Available as Is, and her blog HERE You will learn: Efforts to protect our loved ones from difficult conversati...

How Do We Find the Courage to Talk to Our Dying Loved Ones About the Inevitable? One Brother's Mission to Honor His Sister's Life and End of Life Experience

April 26, 2023 04:00 - 24 minutes

Most of us won't talk to our ailing loved one about their impending death. It was something that bothered David Richman when his beloved sister was dying of cancer. So David took action. He'd already transformed his life, giving up smoking, shedding excess weight, and leaving an abusive relationship. Now, he worked to normalize tough conversations and give voice to 15 different cancer survivor's stories by riding his bike 5000 miles to connect with them.Connect with David HERE to learn more a...

What if You Finally Reach that Big Goal, and Still Feel Empty? For Attorney Amber Fuhriman, it Led Her to Redefine What Success Really Meant

April 19, 2023 04:00 - 23 minutes

Amber Furhiman's father thought she should be a lawyer. She thought it was a ridiculous idea. Then, unexpectedly, he died.Amber worked toward her law degree with renewed interest. Once she achieved both it and the financial benchmarks she set for herself, she felt empty.Connect with Amber on The Success Entrepreneur Podcast or by clicking HEREYou will learn: Living life, telling ourselves that, "If only X happened, then everything would be great," is a setup for disappointment.  Finding out...

Getting Beyond Surface Emotions and Why 'Bootstrapping' Doesn't Work in the Long Run: Interview with Sharon Hughes

April 12, 2023 04:00 - 24 minutes

When we don't take time to grieve and feel our tough emotions, the pain  often resurfaces.That's what Sharon Hughes found after a lifetime of "bootstrapping," skimming over big issues in her life like trauma in her childhood, an assault as a teen, and a later, divorce. Today, she's a confidence coach who helps faith-based women give themselves permission to pursue their dreams and succeed, and the author of The Girl in the Garage. Connect with her at SharonHughes.net.You will learn:* Proclaim...

A Young Man From Belfast Decided To Motorcycle to Australia in the Seventies. Forty-plus Years Later, He Arrived

April 05, 2023 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MB

Chris Donaldson had a dream. A young man growing up in Belfast in the 70's, he wanted to ride his motorcycle all the way to Australia.  With the guts of someone who didn't know better, Chris made his way. Through Europe. Through Africa. The Middle East. Find out about Chris's memoir, Going the Wrong Way: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? at http://chrisdonaldson.world/ and enjoy his travel photos there. You will learn: Taking the perspective of how you will accomplish a goal, rather than ent...

From Compton to Alaska in the 60's: How One Young Black Woman Found Opportunity and Never Stopped Paying It Forward

March 29, 2023 04:00 - 22 minutes

Eleanor Andrews made a huge change.A young wife in the 60's, she moved from her home in Compton, California to Fairbanks, Alaska and began life in the Last Frontier. She was one of a few Black women living there at the time. And though her husband died young, leaving her to face frigid  temperatures and parenting two children alone, she opened her mind to opportunity. And those opportunities never stopped coming. Today, Eleanor is a retired businesswoman. A philanthropist. A great-grandmother...

How Being a Child Misfit Inspired Heather Flynn to Later Champion Inclusion, and Why She's Proud to Have Helped Pass Title IX in Alaska

March 22, 2023 04:00 - 29 minutes

Imagine a time when your ability to get a raise was not based on merit, but on whether your importance to your family merited it.  That's what Heather Flynn faced early in her career, as did countless other women who did the same work as their male counterparts but were told they would be paid less money since they weren't the head of the household. You will learn: Sometimes, it's the childhood experience of being excluded that sparks a passion for inclusion. Title IX  is an important part ...

What Does it Take to Change a Justice System Stacked Against Women? For a Young, Kentucky-Based Journalist, Grit Was Only The Beginning

March 15, 2023 04:00 - 29 minutes

Maria Henson was a young journalist based in Lexington, Kentucky in the early 90's when she found a problem that needed solving. Too many victims of family violence were not being protected when they called the police, or when they filed for a protective order before judges.With a dynamic team of writers and editors behind her at the Lexington Harald-Leader, she spotlighted stories of justice, publishing photos and names of victims and discussing the judges, prosecutors, and officers who stoo...

The Final Conversation I Meant to Have With My Long Estranged Mother, and the Intersection with Women's History Month

March 08, 2023 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MB

It's Women's History Month, and I've already been thinking about the lives of women past, and the opportunities they didn't have. My own mother, a woman who was smart and capable and wanting more, reminded me of how tragic it is when people are forced into roles due to societal expectations. So I decided to call her, after nearly 3 decades of no contact. You will learn: Motherhood is a role that's neither intuitive nor desired by all women who become pregnant, resulting in devastating con...

The Tale of Two Fathers and Why It's Worth Hearing From an Estranged Parent with Ahmard Vital

March 01, 2023 05:00 - 28 minutes

Ahmard Vital readily accepted his mother's second husband as a father when he was young after his parent's split, enjoying the guidance and wisdom he offered. Not considering his new dad a "step," Ahmard found advantages to having input from two fathers, and celebrates having a closer than ever relationship with his first father today.Now he's working with today young men who struggle with parental relationships and boundaries.Connect with him HERE. You will learn: When a parent is estranged...