Bold Becoming

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It’s been eight years since Shawn Whittemore and his wife, Cynthia, had their world turned upside down. They lost their son, Noah, when he was 32 weeks gestation. He stopped moving when the umbilical cord strangled him. Once at the hospital, Shawn and Cynthia had to make a million on the spot decisions. Thus began their journey of being parents of a deceased child. Learn how Shawn’s parenting role shifted from anticipation of a healthy baby to being the father of a baby that’s passed. And how he has a sort of dual identity, as the father of four live children and three that didn’t make it—Noah, plus two others (one ectopic pregnancy, one miscarriage). How he answers the question “How many children do you have?” depends on the circumstances. Sometimes he says four, other times, seven.  Julie’s Info.  https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite  https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change  Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Motherhood catapulted Arielle into questioning everything and filled her with self-doubt. Postpartum depression and pelvic floor pain catapulted her onto a journey to discover her true self. Postpartum rage added fuel to the fire. Physical pain kept her from doing things she loved, things that also protected her mental health like running and a passionate relationship with her husband. Postpartum depression affected every aspect of life, to the point she believed her family would be better off without her.  Find out the impetus for regaining her spark for life. Listen to how Arielle went from being lost and disconnected from who she was, what she wanted, and justifying being “just a mom,” to feeling confident with motherhood and her role in society. Learn about how common postpartum conditions impact mothers and their families. Listen to how Arielle’s identity transformed when she healed her mind and body. And how now she helps others do the same.  Bio Arielle Martone is a doctor of physical therapy, neuro-clinical specialist, certified yoga teacher and certified postnatal coach turned mama coach after overcoming postpartum depression and pelvic pain. Arielle helps new moms reclaim their identity by reconnecting mind, body and soul in order to feel amazing in their bodies and confident in their new role as mother. Guest Info. www.findyourwaymama.com Https:// www.instagram.com/ariellemartone/ Https://arielle-martone.mykajabi.com/book-a-call Julie’s Info.  https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite  https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming — subscribe to newsletter Book — Masters of Change  Website — www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Russell’s heart was missing a valve. He had surgery at twelve-days-old, and a few more over the years. This condition kept him from doing many things kids do. He had strength and endurance challenges. He lived with fear of getting hurt. His physicality revolved around protecting his chest and not damaging anything internally. His identity loss was the form of an identity nipped in the bud. Instead of the weak, slight kid with some academic confidence, he’ll never know who he would or could have been, had he been born with a normal heart. The flip side is a man fully engaged with life. Russell views life more broadly, values it more deeply, and believes he may experience more joy than the average person. Listen to what it’s like to live in a body that holds you back. Learn how he faces obstacles and challenges and endures the grief of lost opportunities. Find out how he dealt with comparison with others. Discover how he went from not being able to run on the basketball court for more than a few minutes to now doing strength training and rucking events, even though he can never build extra muscle. What role has experimentation played? What keeps Russell motivated to keep working so hard and continually discover what’s possible? Bio Russell Smith is a writer and real estate investor, with a family firm soon to celebrate 70 years in business, in Louisville, Kentucky. He writes a weekly newsletter with the tongue-twisting title of Solvitur Ambulando, which means “solve it by walking” and which focuses on modern living, philosophy, lessons from unheralded books, and adding a dash of intellectualism to life without getting a headache. He has just completed two terms on the Board of Directors of St. John Center, a non-profit for the homeless, where he served as Board Chair and revamped their largest fundraising event. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Sorkin Center in Washington DC, which strengthens non-profit Boards and leaders. His wife, Kathleen, works in government relations for a hospice provider. He has two daughters, Beatrice (10) and Cordelia (8) — yes, named for characters in Shakespeare. The family welcomed two new Havanese puppies this summer, Otis and Olivia. He enjoys reading, smoking meats on the Big Green Egg, rucking, yoga, tennis, and fly fishing. Guest Info. https://srsmith3.substack.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellsmith3/ Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

This is a double feature episode. Part 1 is about growing up and how he landed in prison. Part 2 is about prison life and how he became a new man in prison, and got paroled, with the help of prison staff attesting to his transformation. Jorge tells his story with spectacular clarity and it’s filled with a treasure trove of takeaways. A sequel is forthcoming, to cover his reintegration into civilian life. Fifty-year-old Jorge Bautista never intended to return to freedom. At age 18, he was given 30 years to life and sent to Pelican Bay State Penitentiary. This supermax prison houses those the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation labels “the worst of the worst.”  He’d taken the life of a rival gang member after one of them killed his best friend. He quickly adapted to the inner rules of prison life. He didn’t repent his crime. He spent many, many years in solitary confinement. This is the first interview Jorge’s done since being released six months ago. He said he was nervous, but told me that because of the healing and personal development work he did in prison, he’d be able to do it. Find out what catalyzed his shift in perspective and behavior to create peak transformation. Learn how he coped with prison, and the pain of his eventual repentance. Discover how powerful human relationships can be and what positive support can do for a person. Bio My name is Jorge Bautista. I was born in Mexico, but my family moved so much that by the time I was 13, we’d moved residency 14 times, to different cities, counties, states, and countries (Mexico and US). I'm 50 years old and just got done serving 32 years in prison for taking the life of another human being when I was 18 years old. I was sentenced to 30 years to life and I did all of my time in a maximum security prison. 15 years into my prison sentence, my younger brother was murdered which changed the trajectory of my life. After being found suitable for parole, I was deported back to Mexico where I currently live. Guest Info. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088037089090 Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

50-year-old Jorge Bautista never intended to return to freedom. At age 18, he was given 30 years to life and sent to Pelican Bay State Penitentiary. This supermax prison houses those the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation labels “the worst of the worst.”  He’d taken the life of a rival gang member after one of them killed his best friend. He quickly adapted to the inner rules of prison life. He didn’t repent his crime. He spent many, many years in solitary confinement. This is the first interview Jorge’s done since being released six months ago. He said he was nervous, but told me that because of the healing and personal development work he did in prison, he’d be able to do it. Find out what catalyzed his shift in perspective and behavior to create peak transformation. Learn how he coped with prison, and the pain of his eventual repentance. Discover how powerful human relationships can be and what positive support can do for a person. Bio My name is Jorge Bautista. I was born in Mexico, but my family moved so much that by the time I was 13, we’d moved residency 14 times, to different cities, counties, states, and countries (Mexico and US). I'm 50 years old and just got done serving 32 years in prison for taking the life of another human being when I was 18 years old. I was sentenced to 30 years to life and I did all of my time in a maximum security prison. 15 years into my prison sentence, my younger brother was murdered which changed the trajectory of my life. After being found suitable for parole, I was deported back to Mexico where I currently live. Guest Info. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088037089090 Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Eighty-one-year-old Liz worries about what will become of her son when she and his father die. Eric, their son, has schizophrenia. He got ill when he was 17 and has been disabled ever since. He cannot function independently in society and needs people to look after him. The beginning years were “very rough.” Liz and her husband tried all help available, and Eric never came back to himself. He’s a sweet, gentle and funny man, but the thought disorder makes his life impossible to manage alone. How did Liz know her son had a problem? Learn how Liz adjusted her parenting to accommodate their new reality. Find out how she kept herself sane through it all and has lived a full life. Discover the factors that come to play in dealing with a family member with severe mental illness. Find out if his life is empty. Guest Info. lizrebensdorf@gmail.com Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Thirty-seven-year-old Elena Joy Thurston was a married mother of four living in Gilbert, Arizona. She was also Mormon, choosing to join the religion when she was sixteen. She loved all the checkboxes she could check off that would make her good in the eyes of God, and the promise of an eternal family. She was a model mom involved in school, church and community activities. Until she had to take care of a personal problem — she loved a woman. Elena Joy voluntarily went to conversion therapy, four days a week for months on end, to try to solve her problem. Find out how a Mormon woman struggles to integrate who she is into her heart and psyche. Learn about the dangers of conversion therapy. Discover what saved her from taking her own life and hear about the documentary movie she’s in — Conversion. Bio Featured in the award-winning documentary, CONVERSION, Elena Joy Thurston is an inspirational Diversity & Allyship speaker, trainer, and author through a lens of LGBTQ+ inclusion. Elena Joy inspires her audiences to learn how Inclusive Leadership can improve company morale and productivity, changing members' lives in a practical way. A Mormon mom of four who lost her marriage, her church, and her community when she came out as a lesbian, her viral TEDx talk on surviving conversion therapy has been viewed more than 45,000 times and landed her media and speaking opportunities with ABC, CBS, FOX, Penn State, University of North Texas, Michael’s, Logitech, and more. Guest Info. http://www.elenajoyexperience.com https://www.instagram.com/elenajoyspeaks/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenajoythurston/ http://www.tedxcos.org/elena Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Terina Maldonado’s identity formation was thwarted in childhood through a cascade of intertwining factors.She took on parental responsibilities, endured child abuse and her father had narcissistic personality AND bipolar disorders. She was forced to adapt to survive. Layered on top of that was living within the norms of the Mormon church. Until one day she discovered a lie in the historical teaching of the church and lost faith in her religion. Listen to how she rebuilt herself starting from the ground up, discovering who she was by learning what she liked, and didn’t like, what she believed in and didn’t, all on her own terms. And without the help of her faith that had previously helped her endure struggle and trauma. Find out what freedom from authoritarianism looks like. Guest Bio Terina Maldonado is a survivor in every sense of the word. Empowered with resilience, empathy, and determination by living through child abuse, sexual assault, and leaving a high-demand religion. As a coach, facilitator & speaker Terina now helps others confidently claim their voice, and live an authentic life full of purpose in one on one and corporate settings. Dubbed by Faithwire News, “The Mom Who Took On Hollywood-And Won,” Terina is also a co-author of the book, Fear to Freedom. Her superpower is her unapologetic vulnerability. Terina has been featured by dozens of national and international media outlets for her harrowing story and powerful message - including The New York Times, CNN, ABC, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, FOX, and The Washington Post. Guest Info. www.terinamaldonado.com https://www.instagram.com/terina_maldonado/ https://www.facebook.com/Terinamaldonadolifecoach/ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdt726Xv/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/terina-maldonado-49129b201/ Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Miriam is a high achiever. She went through medical school. Twice. She has a non-stop “GO!” button for earning any title or diploma dangled in front of her. She’s also altruistic. But she didn’t see that she was leaving herself and her family behind while helping others. Until her 7-year-old’s wake up call — “Mom, why did you have me if your phone is more important?” Miriam’s priorities didn’t fit her values. But it took her four months into teaching others about burnout, in tears, for her to realize that SHE was burned out. The tipping point finally came in an interview with a man for the book she was writing — The 3G Cycle of Life. She quit her job to save her sanity and live according to her values. Find out about her journey back to sanity, and with her debut as an author, how she’s helping others do the same. About me... My name is Miriam Zylberglait, everybody calls me "Dr.Z" I am from Perú. I went to medical school there and practiced medicine for almost 10 years. I came to the U.S in 2011, leaving my parents, friends, and my job as an academic physician, to follow the love of my life. In the U.S. I had to start from zero. Learn a new language, and repeat my residency and fellowship. During these years, while in my 40’s, I rounded the hospital with my pregnant belly, twice. Best experience ever... I was never alone, my baby's kicks were the best reminder of why I needed to continue pursuing my dreams. Now I’m lucky to have a supportive husband, parents, sister, friends, and two wonderful little boys that help me to find harmony between my personal and professional life. Professional Bio I am a physician triple Board-Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and Obesity Medicine. I completed my medical education and Geriatric Fellowship in Perú and provided patient care for over 10 years at the Naval Geriatric Center. After moving to the U.S in 2011, I completed my training in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, got certified in Obesity Medicine. Guided by my interest in education, leadership and advocacy, I completed a Physician Leadership Academy with the Florida Medical Association, a Fellowship on Leadership Development and Education with the American Association of Medical Colleges, and have been certified as a Mental Health Ally and Physician Wellness Advocate. In 2021, I had the honor to be selected by the American College of Physicians to be part of the National Wellness and Professional Fulfillment Committee, and in 2022, I joined the Creators Institute at Georgetown University to write my first book — The 3G Cycle: The Secret of Achieving Joy, Meaning and Well-being. Guest Info. linkedin.com/in/drzmd Book — https://www.3Gcycle.live Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

On the bathroom floor, high achiever Hannah Austin was contemplating suicide. Twenty years as an executive in the healthcare industry had sucked her dry. Knowing self-care inside and out, she wasn’t implementing it and burnout almost took her out. In the solitude of the bathroom a voice said two words that saved her. Find out how Hannah pulled herself up and began taking care of herself, including letting others know what was going on and asking for help. How did she find out what’s most important and start investing in that? Hear about Hannah’s journey from secrecy and burnout to speaking her truth and inspiring others to put themselves first. Learn about how she’s leading others away from hustle culture. How did she break away from working 24/7 in a corporate job to owning her business, becoming a podcast host, best-selling author of Hello Head Meet Heart, and an emerging thought leader? Bio Hannah Austin is a highly sought-after corporate leader and management professional, specializing in the management and prevention of burnout for professionals. As the CEO and Founder of SheShatters, LLC, she draws on her experience consulting and coaching corporate leaders to provide employees- at the mid to high point of their careers with the support they need to burn brightly without burning out. Prior to founding SheShatters, Hannah spent 20 years as an executive in the healthcare industry, a role in which she faced immense pressure and witnessed her colleagues suffering the effect of burnout en masse. She became determined to make a change that would impact not only her own path in life but the paths of the many inspiring professionals she knew and worked with. Hannah founded SheShatters in 2021 with the goal of helping employees and managers to find a balance between their personal and professional lives, and on a macro level, leading a movement away from corporate hustle culture. Guest Info. Author: Hannah Morgan Austin Book Name: Hello, Head, Meet Heart-How to Tap Into Your Extraordinary Life Order Here:  Book Waitlist - SheShatters Website: Home - SheShatters LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-austin-sheshatters/ Instagram: SheShatters 🛑the🔥empower🧠❤️ (@sheshattersllc) • Instagram photos and videos Twitter: 📚📚📚Hannah Skei (@HannahSkei) / Twitter Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Michelle was ostracized by her peers and held back in kindergarten. She struggled with learning, understanding, physical coordination and social interaction. Luckily, she was diagnosed with learning differences and got lots of needed support. But that didn’t stop kids and others from treating her as dumb, and she internalized that identity. And, ambition didn’t let her stop chasing her dreams. Hear how Michelle learned how to compensate with a disability. Find out how she moved away from believing she was equivalent to how she was perceived and treated to land in a place of self-love and acceptance. What were the needle movers? And, how does she deal with not being the person she might have been, if she didn’t have this condition? Guest Bio Michelle Steiner lives with an invisible disability. She has articles published on The Mighty, Non-Verbal Learning Project, Dyscalculia Blog, The Reluctant Spoonie, Kalopina Collective, Imagine the World as one Magazine, Word Gathering, and her blog called Michelle’s Mission. She has had her photographs featured in Word Gathering and Independent and Work Ready. She works as a paraeducator in a school with students with disabilities. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two cats. Guest Info. msteiner441@gmail.com https://michellesmission.blog/ Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — Bold Becoming Book — Masters of Change Website Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Trevor not only survived two traumatic brain injuries, he also became a medical doctor. At age 13, apart from the TBI and its impact on memory and eyesight, Trevor suffered a broken pelvis, numerous broken vertebrae, and his legs were paralyzed. He had to learn to walk, talk and read again. His prognosis was that he might be able to work greeting people at Walmart. He blew that prognosis to smithereens, but then at 28, didn’t fare much better physically from the second accident, AND he lost his career in medicine because of it. Is it easier to face this trauma knowing nothing about what lies ahead? Or the second time, once you know what you’re up against? Find out whether stereotypes about recovering from TBIs are true. Learn key factors that helped Trevor master anger, despair, hopelessness and uncertainty, as well as achieve phenomenal physical recoveries. Please share this with someone who needs this. Bio Trevor Jones is a non-practicing medical doctor, an IT specialist, coach, speaker and 2x traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivor. He’s a change agent who spreads hope and dispels myths about TBIs. As a rehab. coach, he helps people recover faster and more fully from physical injuries. As a speaker, he educates people about TBIs, injury recovery and invisible disability awareness. Trevor has uncommon breadth and depth of knowledge, insights and tools that boost his ability to understand and support people in rehabilitation. He knows firsthand that it’s not doctors or therapists that get you well but you, putting in the work, and your mindset. Many people think that normal life is no longer possible after a TBI. Trevor knows that in many cases, with an undying sense of hope and optimism, combined with a vigilant and proactive support system, recovery and a full life can be attainable. Trevor maintains his love of medicine by tutoring students. He’s translating all he’s learned into ways to help individuals with catastrophic conditions and help society better understand the possibilities for those who’ve sustained TBI’s. Contact him via his website to find how he can help you. Guest Info. https://www.trevorjonesspeaks.com/ Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Book — https://www.courage-ignite.com/book-journey-opt-in Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

When Krystalore Crews met and married the love of her life, she was in a leadership role in the military. She’d joined to help with the cost of college, right after 9-11. A high achiever, she steadily moved up the ranks. But when her husband got transferred to a new state, Krystalore’s life fell apart. She left everything and everyone behind, including her status role. Answering the “So, what do YOU do?” question became her nemesis. Learn how Krystalore went from fetal position, crying almost daily, to finding her voice, becoming an entrepreneur and owning multiple businesses. Bio Krystalore Crews is a 20-year US Air Force Veteran, former NFL Cheerleader, 25-time Marathoner, Fitness Coach, and Leadership Consultant. Her igniting energy paired with her story of resilience packs a punch! She empowers others to #CrewsBeyondLimits by sharing her experience from the military, cancer, and wheelchair bound struggles to her days as a competitive professional athlete, dancer, and entrepreneur. She’s a motivational Speaker, Author, Coach, Consultant, and Retreat Leader, on a mission to empower every person on the planet to put themselves first for just 34 minutes per day! Guest Info. https://www.facebook.com/krystalore https://www.instagram.com/thecrewscoach/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystalore-crews Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Book — https://www.courage-ignite.com/book-journey-opt-in Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Dr. Pam was living her best life, super duper happily married for 18 years, engaged in satisfying work lifting people up. But in 2019, a series of events turned her world upside down, delivering mortality motivation on the scale of shock treatments. Her husband died. She had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) (and didn’t die…). Then open heart surgery, with a near death moment recovering from that. And let’s throw in catching COVID, landing her 10 days hospitalized in isolation. Her oldest brother died. And her youngest. And her brother-in-law. With a background in mental health, Dr. Pam knew to get professional help to process all this grief and change. The loss of her role as a wife was enough by itself. But the TBI caused temporary loss of her physical and cognitive independence. Find out how Dr. Pam navigated through this demanding life chapter to become the “Find Purpose After 50” coach for women. Bio Since birth, God has abundantly blessed Dr. Pamela Jackson-Smith to overcome obstacles that the average person would’ve let destroy them. Instead of shrinking back and using her experiences as a crutch, she uses her funny, outgoing approach as a certified life coach to lead women over 50 into an excited, purpose-led life! Although a bright, studious child who excelled academically, she suffered bouts of rheumatic fever, which severely inhibited her physical ability. During her college years, naysayers tried to dissuade her from pursuing a graduate degree, but she proved them wrong, going on to earn a M.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling and a Doctorate in Education. Despite the loss of both her husband and several loved ones within a short period of time, suffering a brain injury, and undergoing open heart surgery - all while working to find herself again, Dr. Pam came out on the other side unscathed — an unfaltering symbol of resilience for women searching for purpose later in life. Guest info. https://instagram.com/Dr.pamsplaceforcoaching https://facebook.com/Dr.pamsplaceforcoaching Website — https://www.drpamsplace.com Email — drpam@drpamsplace.com Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Book — https://www.courage-ignite.com/book-journey-opt-in Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Christy had an identity transition when her aging parents needed caregiving. She became a sandwich generation mom. Her mom used to be her pillar of support. She helped with the grandkids while Christy and her husband worked full-time. But when signs of concern became too noticeable to ignore, Christy took on the role of protecting her parents’ wellbeing. She describes the journey of becoming and surviving being a sandwich generation mom — caring for her kids and parents simultaneously. With astute insights and needed compassion towards everyone involved, including herself, Christy shares her wisdom in the interview and her book — Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation. Guest Bio. Christy is a passionate advocate for people in the Sandwich Generation - those raising children while also caring for aging loved ones. She's the author of "Building a Legacy of Love: Thriving in the Sandwich Generation." As the mother of two - now-adult children - she lived through the experience of managing the care of her parents (both of whom had some form of dementia) at the end of their lives while also working fulltime as a school psychologist. Christy integrates her knowledge of human development, case management, and personal development to provide a framework for families to "build a legacy of love" during this challenging life transition. Christy has worked in education for over 20 years and in educational or mental health related endeavors for over 40 years. She holds a Master's in Counseling Psychology and holds credentials in special education and school psychology. As a coach and consultant, Christy incorporates meditation, mindfulness, and other evidence-based practices to support growth and goal achievement as a pathway to living life fully. Christy offers workshops and webinars on caregiving from a holistic, whole family perspective. Guest Info. Instagram: @christybyates Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristyByrneYates LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christybyates/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg21IYSBobKHtnLAa4HfLrQ Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

With a suicidal mother, Bart Milatz’s identity got nipped in the bud. Parenting responsibilities for his younger siblings expropriated his childhood. Eighteen years old and on a plane to Australia, Bart felt free for the first time. He left behind the “empty, no identity, in prison,” version of himself. He began discovering who was under that burden, including exploring and embracing being gay. Until, always using protection, he got infected with HIV and was kicked out of the country. In Thailand, trying to find love in the gay community that also discriminated against HIV, he became an addict to sex, crystal meth and GHB. Years later, on death’s doorstep, a voice from within told him something that saved him. He’s now at a place he could never have imagined. He feels whole and happy. Find out how embracing everything life gives him is Bart’s secret to success. ​ Bio Bart Milatz is a human behavour specialist, educator and accountant. His mission is to empower you to master all areas of your life and create a life that’s worth living. He believes that everything in your life is designed to help you be your most authentic and inspired self. Guest Info. https://www.bartmilatz.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvktKgToUKF-CPOtPHZUBRQ https://www.instagram.com/bartmilatz/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartmilatz/?originalSubdomain=uk https://www.udemy.com/user/bart-milatz/ Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

TRIGGER WARNING — this interview describes an active shooter scene. Laura Hanson struggled with identity loss from day one in life. She was adopted. Her family gave her the best life they could, but they couldn’t fill the black hole of anguish and despair where abandonment lived. As a young girl she suffered immensely, using the only coping methods she knew of. At 22 she became a police officer, and later served on her department’s SWAT team. After going into a building during an active shooter scene, Laura used mortality motivation to begin redesigning her life as she navigated divorce. Find out how crises helped Laura tackle her lifelong struggle with abandonment and rebuild an identity with a solid foundation. Bio Laura Hanson is a former police officer for the Virginia Beach Police Department. She spent over 4 years on the department’s full-time SWAT team, and she was the only female on the team. Hanson recently published a memoir — Why I Went In. In it, she reveals her mindset, experiences on SWAT, and how responding to an active shooter at Building 2 in Virginia Beach on May 31st, 2019 set her on a path to self-discovery. She’s now a Certified High Performance Coach and passionately helps people develop a growth mindset so they can intentionally live their lives and overcome their limitations to become the best versions of themselves. Guest Info. https://instagram.com/laura_g_hanson https://www.lauraghanson.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Went-Laura-G-Hanson/dp/1667871323/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3958MMEOJRTUR&keywords=why+i+went+in+laura+hanson&qid=1668361712&sprefix=why+i+went+%2Caps%2C410&sr=8-1 Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Kreed was a kind and generous person. With the intention of serving and protecting, she became a police officer. But two quick years of service turned her into a suspicious and angry person. Her wife gave her an ultimatum — “Me or your job” — and Kreed chose her wife. After no longer having power over others, it took years for Kreed to find out who she was without that. But when her wife left her anyway, grief broke Kreed. Regularly sobbing on the floor in fetal position, she managed the pain one minute at a time until an offer from her daughter catalyzed her out of depression. But then she lost another relationship. And then the blow that transformed her — estrangement from her two adult daughters. Find out how this dogpile of loss transformed her into a happy, fulfilled person who loves herself and fully embraces her painful life chapters. Bio Kreed Revere is a podcaster, coach, author, public speaker and formerly estranged & now reconciled mom of two adult daughters, grandmother of four and an advocate for repairing and healing relationships between parents and adult children. She works as an estrangement and reconciliation coach specializing in relational communication and ambiguous grief. When not working with coaching clients or giving talks about estrangement and reconciliation, Kreed hangs out with her two greyhounds, remodels her tiny house or is hanging out with her daughters and their families. To learn more about Kreed, her work in the estrangement world, or to listen to her podcast, The Estranged Heart, please visit her links. Guest Info. www.TheEstrangedHeart.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-estranged-heart/id1589244018 https://open.spotify.com/show/3m6ms4MwDMsr5MCkbo9043?si=591ce360119b4af5 https://www.instagram.com/theestrangedheart/ https://www.tiktok.com/@theestrangedheart https://www.facebook.com/theestrangedheart Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music — Happy African Village by John Bartmann

The worst day of her dad’s life was when Amy told him she wasn’t going to become a doctor. Coming from a family of wildly respected doctors, she was slated to carry on the tradition. Instead, Amy became a weaver. She never told her dad why she decided against medical school. But she thought it would contribute to her problem with headaches. Regardless, Amy’s headaches got worse and she finally stopped working. Now she was no longer a weaver. Nor a mother, which she yearned to be. So who was she? Find out how Amy dealt with identity loss, and loss of a dream identity. And how she reconciled her new identity as a disabled person. And, hear the heartwarming story of how she brought her dad into a world completely foreign to him, and fulfilling, on his last leg of his life. Bio Amy Lee, of Amy Lee Collage, is an artist who serves up joy and delight for collectors who value original works and have pride in their taste. A former weaver of apparel and interior design textiles for over 20 years, Amy saw her customers experience more than whimsical gratification. They described a kind of personal refuge where all was well and they didn't have to do anything, other than be fulfilled in the moment. Now her collages provide that same sort of vehicle — transporting people out of their stress through beauty’s immediate connection to pleasure. Amy’s collages are not metaphors but rather a process of creating beauty. She’s pulled into a space of “being” rather than “doing,” and filled with peace and love. This, despite excruciating pain from headaches. Collage is Amy’s refuge where she temporarily escapes pain. Guest Info. https://www.facebook.com/amyleepinneo https://www.pinterest.com/amylpinneo0509/_saved/. Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

In 2010, Marie was a high functioning, ambitious woman in her mid 30’s. Married with two kids and working full time outside the home, she venerated her super power — math. But things in the marriage weren’t going so well and at work, she was asked to do unethical things with numbers. Then on March 3rd, her life went over a cliff. Marie had a mental breakdown and became disabled and dependent on her husband and parents to be safe. Hear about what it’s like to lose control of your mind, and how her support system was critical to Marie’s recovery. She went from a fully functioning adult to a child-like state. She was terrified she’d stay stuck forever. Instead, she found her way into a new version of herself she never would have imagined. Guest Info. mariehannaman@mysideofthestreet.com https://linktr.ee/mysideofthestreet https://www.facebook.com/mysideofthestreetmariehannaman https://www.facebook.com/six20home sSix20home@gmail.com Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Brandon Laughinghouse lost himself to grief. Happily married, his business growing by leaps and bounds, and his dad — his rock — dies. Then his mom. Then his sister. Grief, depression and ADD took over and he didn’t know who he was anymore. He couldn’t look at himself in the mirror or spend time with family the way he wanted. He burned out on his job and became so scattered he couldn’t even write a check. Unhappy with who he was becoming, wanting something better for himself and his family but spending his time partying and overworking, one day he awoke and turned on a dime. That began the spiritual awakening which got him making choices congruent with his soul. Find out what helped Brandon regain control over his mind and his life and become balanced and whole again. Bio Brandon Laughinghouse, founder of Zenkai Success, is a transformation coach helping those seeking spiritual healing live more intentionally. His clients feel at peace with themselves and have greater confidence, joy and satisfaction. A former superstar entrepreneur for 20 years, cringing at his soul and no longer able to look at himself in the mirror, he needed to reconnect with his spirit. He tried more things than you can shake a stick at and now shares his winning formula that gets you back on solid ground and feeling better about yourself than you could ever imagine. Brandon helps you regain your personal power and overcome setbacks stunting potential and dulling happiness with high performance coaching techniques based in neuroscience and positive psychology coupled with psychedelic micro dosing protocols. These needle movers got Brandon out of his funk and to a new level of clarity, ambition and progress that’s fully aligned with his values and dreams. Find out more at https://www.zenkaisuccess.com/meet_brandon. Brandon’s Info. https://www.zenkaisuccess.com/meet_brandon Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

In an extra frisky moment, Gail Boenning’s sweet puppy jumped up and bumped her chest. That’s how she found out she had breast cancer. But while her diagnosis and treatment is one hell of an experience, she gets an A+ with how she’s handling it. Still in treatment, even during these tenuous moments, she's able to say it’s been a gift. Learn how Gail’s generosity and contribution put her in the driver’s seat and set the tone for her experience. Hear how serendipity showed up so that she could meet her challenge with empowerment rather than victimhood. Find out how she's already changed who she is for the better. Bio: Gail Boenning publishes daily love letters with the help of her three muses — Calliope, Thalia, and Urania. Through their conversations, the muses invite us to unleash the best versions of ourselves. The trio can be found at 3musesmerge.substack.com. Gail is also the author of Wandering Words: A Walk from A to Z, Meandering Muses: Inspirations from A to Z, and Flourishing Fictions: Possibilities from A to Z https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Boenning/e/B09G94L1NL/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Complacency gets cracked open when one’s mortality is on the line. Often when confronted with death, life becomes more vivid, valuable, even extraordinary. We start seeing what we’ve overlooked and taken for granted. We become grateful for everyday things and if lucky, find where joy resides. That’s what happened to Robert Pardi and his young wife Desiree during their 11 years with metastatic breast cancer. But how can we both live with the reality of dying and experience the joy of a life fueled by motivation? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Find out how Robert and Desiree harnessed the power and opportunity of transformation. Learn how perspective and choice can overrode even the cruelest of outcomes. Bio ​ Robert splits his time between his native New York and Abruzzo, Italy. In Dubai, he was a senior portfolio manager for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, co-founder of Evolvence Capital, and mentor to many young business executives. Now Robert embraces change and lives by a philosophy he calls Possibility in Action™. He’s a three-time author, international keynote speaker, Transformational Life Coach, and adjunct professor. After his young wife passed away of metastatic breast cancer, Robert re-imagined his life to achieve new dreams. He left his comfort zone by changing everything, and now shares hard-earned life lessons with others. Outside of coaching Robert provides personal growth experiences via retreats in Italy, facilitated discussion groups, and video modules. Find out more at www.robertpardi.com. Guest Info. https://www.robertpardi.com Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Who do you become when you believe that every family physically, psychologically, emotionally and sexually abuses their children? Who do you become when you’re a 4, 5 and 6-year-old being threatened with murder if you’re gay? Who do you become when you grow up in a white, US neighborhood, your ancestral roots are Amazonian and Euro-Latin American, but you’re told that has nothing to do with who you are? Rai Maestro survived too many suicide attempts to count. He now shares his story of family tragedy in the hopes that others seek the help that may keep them alive. This interview has a trigger warning, due to graphic depictions of child abuse. Rai’s story and perspectives are profound and important. They show the indomitable survival capacity of one human being, in partnership with God and competent mental health professionals. Bio Profession: I have been a bilingual event host, presenter, and MC, for over 20 years in the tri-state area. I perform at galas, award shows, fashion shows, beauty pageants, expos, conferences, etc. Abuse History: My parents abused me from a young baby to a teenager. They were in the closet, and my mother was an extreme homophobe. She hated my father and brother for being gay, and she made sure I would not become gay. I was an unwanted child, and my family hated me for being born. I was supposed to be an abortion, and they always wanted a girl. I lived in a violent home full of witchcraft where my parents had mental problems and were institutionalized. My father was an alcoholic and my mother enjoyed torturing me daily. I could never tell anyone anything because they brainwashed me into believing all families were the same. My mother threatened me daily, and they tried to kill me many times growing up. I also committed suicide many times as a child and as an adult. Recovery: I started therapy on and off in 2007, and in 2017, after a few suicides, I went into intense therapy. I have fully recovered since 2019 and I engage in public speaking seminars and conferences. My purpose is to help others and raise abuse awareness and prevention. I started going public in 2020 but was delayed because of covid. I wrote two books (not yet published). 1st book — Fighting Through the Darkness. 2nd book — OMG, My Mother Is a Witch. My book series — Let's Survive Together — will be a series of 12 books revolving around my life to help others recover. Guest Info. https://letssurvivetogether.com Julie’s Info. LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Facebook group — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB Tough Stories Workshop — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

How do you reclaim your identity if it was nipped in the bud by age one? And then ground into dust at age 4? If you never knew who you were to reclaim in the first place because survival meant becoming someone you weren’t? Heidi Henyon’s childhood was filled with developmental traumas, including child sexual abuse. She doesn’t go into detail about what happened, but rather discusses trauma’s many impacts on her identity. In a stained glass storytelling fashion, Heidi pieces together her early childhood into a display of the awe and beauty of the human capacity to survive and thrive. Bio Heidi Henyon’s favorite thing is witnessing her clients heal, become their own best friend, and see their magnificence and beauty. Using what she learned from her experience healing from extreme childhood abuse, addiction and the side effects of those, along with over 40 years of study, Heidi creates a space where women can safely and quickly heal from trauma and abuse and thrive in life. She believes that when we heal, we stop the abusive patterns from being passed onto the next generations. She is an Evolved NLP Master Practitioner, Miracle Minded Coach, Somatic Practitioner and has a bunch of additional certifications. She’s an Amazon international best-selling author of three books and has collaborated in two more. Stop the Secretes, which is about thriving after childhood sexual abuse, releases in spring 2023. At present, she’s renovating her retreat center in Northern Virginia and working with clients one on one and in groups. She enjoys cooking, hiking, being a grandma and simply having fun. Guest Info. https://heidihenyon.com/ Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Juxtaposition is the best description of Mark Matthews’ early childhood. His mother smothered with love and protection. And his parents were managing hell on earth. They had one son in prison for a violent crime. Another was 100% disabled with cerebral palsy. And they were both rotting in the bowels of addiction. But when he was nine his mom died. As Mark coped with his status change, he now fended for himself. His childhood died the day she died. Witness the brilliance and depth of human adaptability as Mark describes his identity transformation after his mother’s passing. Bio Mark Matthews forged an identity of self-acceptance, growth, and self-transcendent goals as a result of embracing the lessons he learned through exceptional childhood adversity. Mark was born into a family with generations of drug and alcohol addiction, as well devastating mental health challenges. At the age of 9, losing his mother, his protector, and looking upon his broken family, he felt completely lost, alone, and unlike everyone around him. Through this identity crisis, he came to believe that it doesn't matter whether you fit in, it matters whether you care about who is there, including yourself. Mark has navigated a host of identity threats -- being orphaned, romantic infidelity, oppressive religious customs, and more -- finding greater levels of growth, empathy, and purpose along the way. "To have the courage to ask the questions that might launch you into identity crisis is to have faith that you can and will evolve into someone better, for something better." Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Shuli Elisheva was a transphobic, homophobic Orthodox Jewish man. Except she wasn’t a man. Except she was in a man’s body. Married to a Jewish female rabbi and the main caretaker for their child, to the outside world she was successful. But inside, things were all mixed up. All her life, until she transitioned into a woman’s body, when she looked in the mirror she didn’t see herself. Then she knew she was not a man. Fighting this truth for more than a year, she finally succumbed to it and transitioned into the woman she was. She never could have imagined how many parts of her identity she would lose in the process, nor how happy she could be. Listen to how she navigated her journey into her true identity, with a body to match it, and remains a practicing Orthodox Jew. Bio Shuli Elisheva isn't just a Yiddish teacher – she's a Yiddish empowerment coach. She empowers Yiddish students of all levels to not just learn, but use the language with confidence, courage, and comfort, as a meaningful part of their daily lives. She is also a Yiddish poet and the composer of more than 50 Yiddish songs. Shuli has written extensively about her experiences as an Orthodox Jewish transgender woman on social media and in the pages of Unorthoboxed, a pathbreaking lifestyle magazine for religious Jewish women. You can learn more about her work as a Yiddish empowerment coach at: www.UseYiddishWithShuli.com Read her articles for Unorthoboxed at www.unorthoboxed.com/author/shulielisheva Follow her on Twitter @ShuliElisheva. Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Mus ic - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

“I felt like an 8-year-old that someone brought in from Kyrgyzstan and put it in an adult body, and it was asked to perform all the adult duties.” Nurzhan (pronounced Nurjan) Sterbenz lost her sh*t when she arrived in the USA for her graduate program. At home, she was a confident 21-year-old high achiever. She never could have fathomed how unprepared she would be for studying abroad. She rebuilt her plane while flying it, and succeeded in school and a career. But then she lost her sh*t again. What she was sure she’d be good at — motherhood — tanked her identity yet again. And even worse this time. Listen to how Nurzhan accessed resources developed back in early childhood to become the thriving individual she is today. Bio Nurzhan Sterbenz is a foreign-born mom from a small country called Kyrgyzstan in central Asia. She currently lives with her family in Oregon, USA. Prior to becoming a mom, she worked in international development as a project manager in alleviating poverty through community-based entrepreneurship. She has a masters degree in gender studies and marketing, and is currently exploring ways to reinvent herself after being a stay at home mom for the past eight years. She recently launched a podcast called “Foreign-Born Mama.“ Here, she talks about the limiting beliefs that may hold back immigrant mothers from becoming who they wish to be. She’s on a mission to help foreign-born moms evolve into more conscious moms, so that they can feel empowered to change their lives and reclaim who they are. Nurzhan is also an aspiring writer and storyteller, seeking ways both to tell her own story and engage with others on pathways for self discovery and improvement. Guest Info. ​Podcast  — Foreign-Born Mamas — https://www.buzzsprout.com/1795143 ​Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/nurjanm Julie’s Info. ​​https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite Podcast — https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/eeedNo9Bftb Website — https://www.courage-ignite.com Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

On 9/11, Inez Ribustello was a happy 25-year-old who’d never had anything really big and bad happen in her life. At 22, she’d found her “forever job” at Windows, which was like a tight knit family. It was on the 107th story of One World Trade Center. Inez wasn't at work on 9/11. She was at a wedding in her hometown in South Carolina. At first, she wished that she’d died, as hard as it was to process what happened — “It’d be easier.” Besides co-workers who died, on 9/11 she lost her community. “That day, we all went our separate ways, without the support we counted on for everyday things.” Listen to how Inez transformed emotions and her identity to create a full and happy life again, albeit as a different person. Bio Inez Ribustello got her start in the world of food and wine after moving to New York City from her home state of North Carolina. Her wine career took a huge leap forward when she became an Assistant Cellar Master at Windows on the World in One World Trade Center.  In a very short time, she was promoted to Beverage Director. After losing her job and her work family on 9/11, Inez chose to eventually move back to her hometown with her fiancé Stephen. Together they opened their own restaurant, wine bar and retail store called On the Square. Inez’ next big venture was Tarboro Brewing Company, a microbrewery that began operating in 2016.  Almost a year later, she and her husband opened a satellite taproom in a neighboring town. Stephen and Inez have two 2 children that they absolutely adore. In September of 2021, Inez self-published her memoir Life After Windows, a book she wrote chronicling her journey from North Carolina to Manhattan. Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://www.courage-ignite.com/podcast https://www.courage-ignite.com Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Glynis German lost her identity upon taking on the role of motherhood. She regained her bearings and raised two happy and kind sons. Adjusting to the separation from her husband, she preempted the empty nest syndrome. She learned early on how to live apart from her children. Now with them in their 20’s, she enjoys her close connection with them and is preparing for one son to go away to college. Listen to Glynis’ philosophy about parenting and children, and how she makes the most out of her relationships. Bio 60 years young, of mixed heritage, born in Jamaica to a Jamaican mother and Welsh father. She owes her open mind, sense of service to others and thirst for understanding her fellow beings to them and her ancestors. Glynis has lived in Mallorca, Spain since 1992 and is mother to two wonderful young men. She trained as a secretary immediately after school so has been lucky to work with some interesting companies on the island, from sustainable development to film production. It was in 2011 when her life changed - for the better and forever! That was the summer when she finally discovered her life purpose - that she had been born to be a celebrant. She now officiates weddings every summer and ceremonies for funerals and baby blessings all year round. She is the founder of the Mallorca Death Café after discovering that one could enjoy tea and cake and a chat about death back in 2015. She offers monthly meet ups online for health and funeral professionals as well as in person encounters in her local community. She also has a monthly international online meeting of the death café gathering people from all over the world to talk about the one guarantee in life namely death! Glynis has volunteered in palliative care with local association DIME since 2010 and in 2020 she founded the Giving Life to Death Festival- a nationwide, week long series of activities inviting society to break the taboo around dying and death. The Festival also gives a platform to the many incredible professionals and organizations working in this field. She is currently training to be an end of life doula with Living Well Dying Well UK and is driven to deepen her knowledge around end of life after having trained with Vinyana in the spiritual accompaniment at end of life in 2017. Towards the end of 2022 she will be offering end of life doula training in Spain with the support of Living Well Dying Well. Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://www.courage-ignite.com/podcast https://www.courage-ignite.com Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Boog Highberger, despite his nickname, was a pretty regular guy. He had his high school sweetheart. He was above average in smarts. He wanted to be liked and have friends. He loved playing baseball. But one winter day, on the way to watch basketball, his life changed forever. He and his friends stopped to take advantage of a snowdrift, back in the days when it still snowed in Kansas. His friend jumped in and Boog did the same. Only “I didn’t notice how the other person jumped.” Boog dove in, hit his head, cracked his neck and at 17, was paralyzed from the neck down. Find out how Boog’s and his family’s mindset and beliefs kept him from despair, got him walking again, and turned him into the remarkable, happy, fulfilled man he is today. Note: Unfortunately, in the audio editing process, I wasn’t able to increase the volume of Boog’s voice. You’ll need to listen to this in a quiet space. Bio Dennis "Boog" Highberger (born September 26, 1959) is an American politician. He served as a City Council member in Lawrence, Kansas from 2003 through 2009 and was the city's mayor from 2005 through 2006. He graduated from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1992. He was an attorney with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) from 1992 to 2011. He has been a Democratic member for the 46th district in the Kansas House of Representatives since 2015. According to him, his next term may be his last, if reelected in November 2022. He generally runs unopposed. Boog’s Info. https://mrboog.wixsite.com/boogorama https://www.ravenbookstore.com/BOOGORAMA Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://www.courage-ignite.com/podcast https://www.courage-ignite.com Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Sherry Richert Belul never remembers being happy as a child. Three things troubled her. Feeling out of place because she was different. Her father’s abandonment. And the tremendous amount of heartbreak in the world. Sherry hated herself and thought she was “born wrong.” Depression invaded her life and kept her from joy for years, causing her to contemplate suicide ongoingly. Her reality was that of living in absolute darkness, feeling like a “solid iron wall was closing in on her.” Until one day in a meditation, on one in-breath, when she saw a “pinprick of light.” For that half-breath, she didn’t feel like being dead. Listen to how Sherry transformed her identity into one of the most joyful people you’ll ever meet, while still contending with thoughts of suicide. Bio Sherry Richert Belul, founder of Simply Celebrate, helps people find creative, intentional and impactful ways to celebrate life and to express love for family and friends. As a certified high performance coach, Sherry supports people in living their best lives, full of joy, success, engagement, and meaningful relationships. She is the author of "Say it Now: 33 Creative Ways to Say I Love You to the Most Important People in Your Life." Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Town + Country, and The Wall Street Journal. Socials: https://www.instagram.com/simplycelebrate/ https://www.facebook.com/simplycelebrate https://twitter.com/simplycelebrate https://www.youtube.com/sherrybelul https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherryrichertbelul/ https://www.pinterest.com/sherrybelul/creative-gift-giving/ Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

At age 15, Robert Murray joined a study group. The leader wanted to see if they could make a business that was a “force for good.” They would use a management model based on respect, safety and consensus-type decision making. A company was born and it became wildly successful for 20 years. During this time, Robert worked at the company and it was so much fun "it didn’t feel like work." But then one wrong question led to a hostile takeover. Robert and many others lost their jobs and with this, he lost his sense of who he was and where he fit into the world. Listen to how Robert reinvented himself, surviving depression and finding new meaning in life. Robert’s Info. At 15, Robert Murray grew a business with a group of friends from a start-up to $200 million. Their aspirational mission was to be an example of how business COULD BE, if it focused on making a positive impact in the world. That mission was so engaging, he spent the first 20 years not even thinking of it as work! That early success gave him the passion for what he's doing today. He's facilitated hundreds of powerful conversations and events in organizations such as Keller-Williams, Google, Organifi, State Farm, Pro-Match, DaoCloud and many others. Now, he's partnered with a fellow High-Performance Coach, Daniel Fernandes, to mentor some of the best coaches in the world on how to create transformational group programs. Over hundreds of sessions with advanced coaches, they've co-created some of the most effective tools in the world to create powerful group sessions where everyone progresses rapidly and feels safe, seen and heard. Group Coach Magic  https://www.groupcoachmagic.com/ Rob@groupcoachmagic.com Julie’s Info. https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://facebook.com/juliebrownecourageignite https://www.courage-ignite.com/podcast https://www.courage-ignite.com Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

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A sheriff lived across the street from Charlie Cardin but never did anything when the yelling and screaming was happening. Nor did anyone else. Apart from assaulting her mom, her dad sexually abused Charlie when she was little. Then he allowed his friends to “touch and do whatever they wanted with me” when she was a young teen. Charlie was a little girl who never even got to know who she was “because with sexual trauma, you spend your time being someone else to survive.” Survival looked like dissociating, checking out, pretending everything was okay, and telling herself whatever she needed to get through the next moment so as “to not lose hope.” Find out how Charlie kept hope alive and grew up to become a strong, independent and happy person who helps others escape abuse and chase their dreams. Bio: Charlie Cardin started Fire Sisters Rising in 2016 with a focus on inspiring survivors of domestic violence to recognize their worth, vocalize their struggle and mobilize toward freedom. You are a Fire Sister when you have risen from the ashes of abuse. In her book, Overcoming the Impossible to Achieve the Extraordinary, Charlie reviews the specific mindsets that must be transformed to reclaim your power after the fires of abuse. It is as much about her personal story as it is in providing tools to gain insight into why survivors stay stuck in cycles for generations. Charlie is a writer, a soulful coach, speaker and healer who focuses on the liberation of the heart from the pain of abuse. She has taught workshops, created a powerful online course and  facilitated numerous healing circles. Charlie developed her methods of healing and transformation throughout 30 years of research into her own psychology and familial patterns with various practitioners from psychologists to cranial sacral healers. Serving with domestic violence and trauma centers across the US, she’s facilitated support and healing to hundreds of women. Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

What’s it like to live 36 years knowing you’re disconnected to your biological identity? Damon Davis knew he was adopted and “was perfectly comfortable with it.” He's Black American, as were his adoptive parents Veronica and Willie and therefore, his adoptive status was only revealed at will. He had a great upbringing and didn't search out his birth parents. Until a couple of factors led him to that search when he was 36. The impact on his identity from this search, and what prompted it, is one of meaning each soul yearns to understand. Bio Damon Davis is the host of the "Who Am I Really?" podcast (www.whoamireallypodcast.com) where adopted people share their stories of adoption and their attempt to find their birth families. He has interviewed nearly 200 adoptees from an array of life experiences from awful adoptions and amazing reunions to inspiring adoptions and unfortunate reunions. In his autobiography "Who Am I Really? - An Adoptee Memoir" Damon shares his journey to becoming an adoptive parent and his emotions over the birth of his son, Seth. He opens up about the heartbreak of grappling with his adoptive mother's mental illness while balancing the joy of locating his birth mother working nearby. His journey took a twist when he located his biological father via DNA testing. IG: @WAIReally Facebook.com/waireally

Becca Rae can’t remember how many times she was voted Teacher of the Year. Then, after she couldn’t get rid of a sinus infection for months on end, and a few other things happened, she saw a new, albeit fuzzy, vision of her life trajectory. Join us as we discuss the wide range of experiences Becca Rae had as she navigated Family Medical Leave, a lack of feeling valued on her job, and her re-discovery of the Becca Rae that had been buried beneath decades of serving others. Find out how she had the courage to jump into the unknown and find her life’s next chapter. Bio.: Becca Rae Eagle, M.S.Ed., is a wife, mom to a college age son, debuting author, podcaster, writing coach, journal creator, and soul tender. Becca helps women recall their voice to beckon more joy from life, one pause at a time. Becca serves as Community Joy Ambassador for Clare Kumar (based in Toronto, Canada). Becca is also the owner of Beckon More Joy LLC that launches 7.7.22, where you'll find 1:1 writing coaching, ghost writing services, teen journals, and journal retreat offerings. You can find samples of her books that will be published in winter and spring 2023 on her brand website. Social handles: https://www.facebook.com/Beckoningjoy2day https://www.instagram.com/beckoningjoy2day/ Podcast: https://beckoningjoypodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Website: Beckon More Joy LLC

Damiun Moore was a typical kid who needed a close and satisfying relationship with his dad. As a 12-year-old boy, he had a strategy to get just that. He’d become a pro basketball player like his cousin, who had the level of connection and dedication with his own father that Damiun so craved. That plan fizzled out as soon as it began when his father’s role fell short of expectations. But reality didn’t deter Damiun. He kept the dream alive until at the doorstep of going pro. At a crossroads, Damiun released himself from his quest “to be good enough” in the eyes of his father and discovered his own path in life. He leaned into following guidance from within rather than seeking external validation. Talking Points: - The benefits of a pro’s mindset. - Roadblocks when you haven’t done the work to reach your destination. - What to expect when success happens without a lot of effort. - Dangers elites face. - The internal attitude you need to excel at the highest levels. - The indignity of believing you’re good enough. - The importance of discovering the root of your anger and resentment. - The magic of internal validation. - The benefits of reaching out for the support you need. Bio Damiun Moore is a Certified High Performance Coach who's been mentored by the world's best Athletes and High Performers. Damiun is moving with the intention to serve and inspire love in every aspect of performance. His coaching services are available now at damiunmoore.com you can connect with him on socials @damiunmoore. Julie’s Info. LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Facebook group — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB Tough Stories Workshop — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Jill and Linda were a happy couple. They went about their lives and built a strong family with their three adopted foster children. They both knew a bit about grief and loss — Jill did hospice grief work and grief therapy, and Linda was an emergency room nurse. So when Linda got diagnosed with breast cancer, and survived, and then a 100% fatal pulmonary disease, they knew what to do — anticipatory grief work and planning for the inevitable future. Jill lost Linda. Shortly after, while ”not doing grief properly,” Jill remarried. Then Casper fell ill and died. Then Jill remarried again. Ricocheting back and forth from wife/partner to caretaker to widower and back again was a disorientating and challenging journey. Learn how Jill navigated loss, effectively used her “grief card,” and intentionally became the version of herself she really wanted to be through post loss growth. Talking Points: - The most important things to focus on once your loss occurs. - How a terminal diagnosis is about more than just one death. - The widow rules. - What does “go through grief and take them with you” mean when you lose someone? - How to keep your loved ones with you after they’ve transitioned. - The most amazing and beneficial possibility from grief and loss - The difference between anticipatory grief, and life after loss grief - How many people do you unexpectedly lose, by them walking away from you because of discomfort, when you have a death? - The internal attitude you need to face mortality. - The importance of understanding that your inner and outer support circles fluid - The most important gift to capitalize on during the grief process - The indignity of differential legal protections. - The magic of the grief card - How to move in and out of caregiver mode. - What the “giving back” at the end of the grieving process is. Bio Jill Johnson-Young, LCSW is the CEO of Central Counseling Services in Riverside, Murrieta, and Corona California. She specializes in grief and loss, dementia, and trauma and speaks internationally to therapists, allied health professionals, associations for grief, the funeral industry, and community groups. Her career has included more than a decade with hospice as a medical social worker and as director of social workers, chaplains and grief staff. Jill has authored several books for children and adults on grief and was a founding member of the Riverside Purple City Alliance. She also facilitates a monthly dementia support group in the community and a weekly FB live Grief Chat. Her most recent book release is “The Rebellious Widow,” which weaves some of her story into the book you need to prepare for a coming death, the dying process, and recovery. Jill teaches grief and dementia to therapists, and current courses are on her site. You can find more about Jill at www.therebelliouswidow.com and www.jilljohnsonyoung.com

For Josh Perry, getting a brain tumor diagnosis at 21 wasn’t what took all the courage he had. That forced him to look inward and evaluate his life and yes, that took courage. So did his string of new tumors and treatments. And being a pro BMX athlete. What took all the courage he had was choosing to give up the identity of a BMX athlete. He came to a point where that identity was the thing holding him back and decided to let it go. That “was the hardest and scariest thing I’ve ever done.” Bio Josh Perry is an optimization strategist who helps people dial in their mindset and health so they can increase their performance, personally and professionally. Josh's passion for helping others was born during his experiences battling multiple brain tumors over his career as a pro BMX athlete and pursuit of helping himself survive, and continue successfully living his dream. Josh believes he is alive to share his story and help others with all that he has gained. Josh retired from his sport in 2017 to start a speaking and coaching business focused on empowering others to see beyond their circumstances and equip them with the tools, knowledge and strategies to create momentum towards their desired outcomes in life. His life’s mission is to inspire new perspectives so that others can begin taking congruent action in their lives. You can learn more about Josh at www.JoshPerryBMX.com

Bandz Mabuse was a driven young man with high ambition. All set to deliver on his and his parents’ expectations, a few mortality motivation moments piled onto each other and changed his trajectory. A channel to his inner whispers opened up. One day, he lost track of time reading personal development books instead of his law books. That was when he decided law wasn’t for him, landing him in an identity crisis. He finished his degree but didn’t pursue it further. Getting a 'very good job in banking,' he still paid attention to the feelings and random thoughts about becoming a thought leader. He wanted to help people with personal development. And the more he connected with that, "the more my job sucked." Until one day he quit his job. He ventured into his new life, without a plan, pursuing his dream of becoming the next Tony Robbins. Bio Bandz is a thought leader and coach. Through coaching, mentoring and content creation, he inspires  positive change and creates transformation for his clients. Currently living in Johannesburg, South Africa, Bandz is the founder of Succeed With Purpose. This online coaching program guides individuals to be fired up about their purpose so they can find success and meaning in life. Guest Info. bandzm@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/bandzmabuse Julie’s Info. LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Facebook group — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB Tough Stories Workshop — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

This story’s about identity loss because of “vaccine” mandates. It describes angst due to a decision backed by the Nuremberg code and other moral, ethical and legal concepts. The story focuses solely on identity transition. We do not discuss views about the context itself. We recorded a few weeks before Thanksgiving 2021. When she lost her job because of “vaccine” mandates, Susan McDonnell’s life trajectory derailed. She lost access to the main pillar of who she was and that provided fulfillment. Catapulted to a place she never in a million years imagined being, she’s questioning her value in society. “That part of me, my identity as a nurse — the skills, education and passion I had in that — defined why I was taking up space.” At 56, Susan fell over a precipice into an abyss. Floundering, she’s in a place anthropologists call ‘liminality.’ She's no longer who she was. She doesn't know where she's headed or what the future holds. And she's in the dark about the gifts that so often come on the other side of identity transition. Learn from her as she builds a new identity, struggles with motivation, and explores belonging to a minority group that’s up against a wall. Talking Points: - How this identity loss trauma is vastly different from all her other traumas. - What types of healthy distractions and support systems keep you afloat? - The benefits of comparison as a coping mechanism. - What to expect when no one’s going to save you. - What’s the biggest way to let someone hurt you? - The internal attitude you need to hasten your “Get over it stage” so you can do what you need to do. - The importance of having outlets to relieve stress. - The indignity of how much time in a day you can get triggered by stress. - The magic of focusing on controlling the present moment and nothing else. - The benefits of faith. Julie’s Info. LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Facebook group — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB Tough Stories Workshop — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook Julie’s Son’s Pottery Info. www.DwayneSackey.com https://instagram.com/dwaynespots Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

“I’m screaming with everything in me that I need help and nobody can hear me.“ That sums up Susan Deitrick’s first 20+ years. Susan's the epitome of the rebound effect. No matter how many times her identity is stripped away, she builds back stronger and better.  Growing up in a family with violence and addiction, at the age of two she wanted to build an igloo, got to sleep in it and never wake up. During that same time she fell in love with God, where she learned what love was. In the refuge of God’s love, Susan survived suicide attempts, rapes, and physical, verbal and emotional abuse from her family. Then, feeling dead and broken, God made it clear that he was still going to use her. She agreed to his plan, and God added a loving partner. Out of her pain and trauma, Susan had many years of “the best life ever.” Talking Points: - The benefits of hiding the truth from yourself. - The travesty of professionals pushing reality under the rug. - The choice that helped Susan get past her traumatic family experiences. - How learning to write in code became her escape to sanity. - The benefits of learning mind over matter. - The value of a vessel broken into fragments. - The magic of having an outlet she could control for her pain. - The benefits of being stoic. - The internal attitude you need to refuse to settle. - The top three concepts that help someone struggling. - What to expect with the cumulative effects of unresolved trauma. - Do we ever lose our identity? Or do we keep peeling off layers to find it? Bio Susan’s life is a cornucopia of service — English teacher, school counselor, pastor, kid therapist, and soon-to-be podcaster — these are all iterations on her calling as a healer. God’s smile is now shining through the fragments of her life, connecting the dots of her many personal and professional turns and helping make sense of her journey. While recovering from the recent loss of the love of her life, her spouse of 35 years, God’s told her “The best is yet to come!” Since she doesn’t argue with The Boss, she’s ready to travel this final chapter together with God, and under God’s amazing control. Her podcast is Fragments2WHOLENESS — Unveiling the Many-Colored Masterpiece of Our Life. Julie’s Info. Tough Stories Workshop — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook Free private Facebook group — https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite LinkedIn — https://linkedin.com/in/julie-browne-courage-ignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann https://julie-browne.mykajabi.com/podcast?preview_theme_id=2149028465

As a little girl, Lori Linford didn’t believe she was good enough. So she became an overachiever. And adding shame and secrets to who she was, she held her dignity together while the target of molestation. But in her first marriage, a sense of unworthiness stripped away any semblance of belonging to herself. One day, looking in the mirror, she said “I have no clue who you are.” When that marriage crashed and burned, and then the next, she resurrected a power developed during the years of molestation. With that power, Lori could now separate bad things that happened to her from who she was. She no longer allows what people did or said to her to define who she is. Through this awakening process she gained her freedom of choice. Today, she’s in charge of writing the rest of her life’s chapters. Talking Points - The benefits of adversity. - What types of challenges come with overachievement? - What to expect when you find your power. - The internal attitude you need to regain your sovereignty. - The importance of knowing how to manage failure. - The indignity of losing self-love. - The magic of positive role-modeling. - The benefits of therapy, self-help books and coaching. Bio Lori used to live her life doing the right thing. She was a straight-A student. She skipped a grade in school. She was a cheerleader, a drillteamer and an all-state athlete. Later she married a guy from high school and changed everything she was to please her husband. 10 years into that marriage, busy with 4 kids and feeling completely lost, she was unhappy, ignored, and filled with massive self-doubt... 7 years later, in the last months of her marriage, she chose to take her life back for herself and started to give herself permission to take care of her needs along with everyone else's. After finding out about her husband's affair, she asked for a divorce and started a new life. A few years later, she remarried and was shocked to find out she was pregnant a few years later, in the middle of an already failing marriage. Her daughter's father moved out when she was 3 months old, and it was one of the darkest times in her life. All of the self-doubt reappeared, and again she had to learn to adapt and care for her five children on her own. She dove into coaching, began listening to life coach podcasts, hired her own coach, and even went to work for a coach. She began coaching and helping women through their dark times, and began her podcast, Single and Strong. It's there she shares her messages of hope, change, overcoming divorce and embracing singleness. Guest Info. podcast: Single and Strong website: lorilinford.com IG: @lorilinford Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorislinford Julie’s Info. Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB - Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

What if fun could transform your life? Thomas Edwards Jr. had made it to the top of the world. He was The wingman, helping people from all over the world create romantic relationships. Before he knew it, success was at his doorstep. When his mother showed him the article about him in the Wall Street Journal that was proof. The peak was his interview on the Steve Harvey Show. And his fall was at the after party. He realized he was filled with an inexplicable emptiness. It terrified him. It didn't go away the next day, or the next, or the next. And he didn’t know what to do about it so he tried to drink it away. Things went from bad to worse until he rediscovered what was missing — play. Pure, unadulterated fun and joy. After doing all the “right things” to recover, reconnecting with fun was Thomas Edwards Jr.’s winning strategy to save himself. Talking Points: The four treasures under the umbrella of fun. What happens when you make life about having fun and winning is the byproduct. How to become unrecognizable, in a good way, even to your wife. The danger of living someone else’s dream. What types of boundaries can keep a troubled marriage together? What to expect when your life isn’t what it appears to be. The internal attitude you need to win the game of life. The importance of having someone to talk with about your feelings. The indignity of living a life as someone you’re not. The magic of reconnecting with purpose. The benefits of not living on autopilot. Bio Thomas Edwards Jr. is an innovative visionary of maximizing fulfillment in life. Using his unique, game-like methodology for high-level transformation, Edwards works as a playfulness coach for professionals, leaders, and businesses who seek to level up their purpose, joy, passion and achievement. A former professional wingman, Edwards has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including Men's Health, the Wall Street Journal, GQ, Entrepreneur, the New York Times as well as MTV, ABC and the Steve Harvey Show. When he's not collecting watches, swimming laps in the pool, going on dates nights with his wife Star or being a proud #girldad to his 4-year old daughter, you can find him playing some of his favorite video games at home in Carlsbad, California. https://www.thomasedwardsjr.com http://1upeffect.com (my book for pre-order) Julie’s Info. Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB - Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com

What do bathroom towels have to do with identity? Cristina Stephenson had to replace everything after her ex emptied the house into a moving truck. Yoga had given her the courage to admit her marriage was unhealthy. “Yoga saved my life.” And when she needed a towel to take a shower, standing in the aisle of Target, she realized exactly how much she’d lost kowtowing to him, living for his happiness instead of her own. To start with, she didn’t even know what colors she liked anymore. During that transformational half hour in the aisle at Target she regained part of herself. As she chose three colors — lime green, orange and purple — they made her happy. Not because a magazine said this will make your house look beautiful, but because when she looked at the colors she felt a little of herself come alive. “I felt my soul tickle me behind the heart.” Bio Cristina is a Certified Health Coach and lives near Atlanta, GA with her bratty yet charming husband and three young shin kickers, who she absolutely loves and doesn't love momming them.  She loves to ditch pre-packaged food to cook from scratch, is half Italian and humor is her love language.  She infuses entertainment with her cooking videos on her YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/CristinasCulinaryCabaret).  You can also follow her on Instagram (@cristinasculinarycabaret) and in her private Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/findyourshimmer/). She is releasing her new podcast, called Outlets of Joy, in January 2022 where she helps moms find their shimmer through food, health and humor. In her spare time, Cristina searches for new secret places in her home to hide from her kids so she can eat some chocolate in peace.

“Is this really happening…is this my life right now?” Arletha stayed late at work because her husband called saying he could pick up the kids. Then everything changed forever. Five minutes from home, an Amtrak train hit her husband and their two children and they all died. In utter despair, Arletha asked God what to do and the message was loud and clear: “LIVE.”  Arletha’s taken that to heart. She became a servant carrying out God’s plan. Listen and learn how Arletha Orr accesses happiness in spite of tragedy to live a full vibrant life.  Talking Points:  - The most common reason people resist healing their grief.  - The benefits of faith when there’s nothing else. How can you be at peace and happy in the face of tragedy?  - What to expect when nothing is going to be fine.  - The importance of not putting off living today for tomorrow.  - The internal attitude you need to manage when there is no going back to normal.  - The importance of prayer. The magic of God’s directive. Just how bad does grief hurt?  - The benefits of taking chances.  Bio  Arletha Orr is from a small town in Mississippi. She worked a corporate job until exasperated by it, she ventured into full time entrepreneurship. Until destiny had other plans. When her world collapsed, after a fatal evening, Arletha discovered her true calling. She knew God had a greater purpose for her and with Him by her side, Orr began shining a light for the people whose lives are consumed by darkness. With passion and vigor, she selflessly serves others and saves souls for God's Kingdom. Orr is an author and publisher. She's also a certified life coach who answered the call of God to inspire and encourage those around her as they process grief.  Arletha’s Info. coach@arlethaorr.com www.iShallLive.com 601.715.4001  Julie’s Info.  Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB - Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com  Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

What happens when administration gets in the way of doing your job? Not just how you do your job, but eviscerates the very core of what you're there to do… On one of his teaching jobs Andy Browne, (Julie’s dad), was thwarted from his life’s mission of passing on his values of curiosity, learning and growth. The administration treated students more as criminals than young learners, with futures full of options for them to delight in, discover and explore. After just one year, this environment “crumpled” Andy, so much so that an acquaintance didn’t recognize him. Listen to this episode to learn what one version of moral injury looks like. Talking Points: Why grades don’t equal learning.  What NOT teaching to the test looks like. The internal attitude you need to keep an open mind. What thinking outside the box about learning accommodations looks like. The benefits of school field trips. What type of mindset creates innovative thinking? The importance of maintaining high ethical standards. What to expect when your values don’t jive with your work environment. The importance of giving everyone their fair chance. The indignity of being treated like a criminal. The magic of respecting others. The benefits of cultivating and encouraging personal agency. Bio Andy Browne taught high school biology and natural history for over three decades in the San Francisco Bay Area. Two of his grandfathers taught engineering at Stanford, so he fell a bit short of his original vision for himself. But this didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for teaching, which is still behind almost every conversation he has. Now at age 94, his current employer REI, pays him to talk to customers and employees alike, about anything. Andy’s a lifelong nature enthusiast and now instead of leading trips, others invite him. Besides conversation, backpacking and photography, he enjoys reading, napping, making others feel valued and fixing things. A common lunch menu is two pieces of toast — one with butter and cinnamon sugar, the other with melted cheese. For Christmas parties, people await his persimmon puddings. Guest Info. Email: andybduzit@comcast.net Julie’s Info. Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB - Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

What happens when your last child will never leave home? Jean Olney discovered that when Gabe was born with a traumatic brain injury. Her freedom from motherhood, that she could almost taste, was tragically dashed, catapulting her into an unfamiliar and unimaginable role as a forever full-time caretaker for a totally dependent child. Gabe cannot walk, or transfer from the wheelchair to bed or bath. He can’t feed himself or talk in a way that anyone other than family can understand. Western medicine and insurance has little to offer so Jean manages with craft and creativity. And through it all, she and her family have grown. Their lives enriched in ways previously out of reach, resulting in lives much more worth living.

What’s a girl to do? From corporate America to unemployable, unable to even go to the grocery store on demand… A car accident nabbed Janelle’s life as she knew it, leaving her on a slow and painful journey to … who knows where ... Living with a disability is one thing. Accepting it is a whole other can of worms. And interfacing with others is another level of distress. Janelle’s wisdom about how to help a person with a TBI are point blank bullseyes for how to be a better ally. Listen to her tell it like it is. Talking Points: What holding hope and space for someone who cannot do it for themselves is worth. The hardest question to answer. The benefits of having supportive people around you. What types of challenges do TBIs (Traumatic Brain Injury) present to daily living? What changes beyond your imagination can you expect with a TBI? The internal attitude you need to manage with a TBI. The importance of recognizing the real impact of invisible injuries. The indignity of 99.9% of people completely misunderstanding what living with a TBI is really like. Do you always know you have a TBI? The benefits of withholding assumptions and having curiosity. Bio A Minnesota girl living in Florida whose mission is leading humanity to better understand concussions, end brain injury stigmas and help those with healing brains experience solidarity and hope. While the fullness of Janelle 2.0 is still being discovered, here are some highlights...ice cream and kombucha connoisseur, loves temperatures in the 70's, kitty mama, Jesus lover, travel enthusiast, charcuterie boards = one of her love languages, business coach and mentor, multi-passionate entrepreneur and business owner. Janelle’s Info. FB: https://www.facebook.com/BusinessAfterBrainInjury IG: https://www.instagram.com/businessafterbraininjury/ Julie’s Info. Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB - Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

What happens when a parent loses their son to murder…over a soccer game?!? What happens when a country normalizes murder as a way of problem solving? In this week’s podcast episode Don Jaime, my Colombian bespoke jacket-making teacher, tells his story. He lives in the Colombian neighborhood where Pablo Escobar housed his assassins — Manrique, Medellín. Three years after the height of Escobar’s reign of terror, Don Jaime broke one link in the never-ending chain of revenge violence. He describes how he and his family regained a sense of meaning after having their world destroyed. Find out how he made peace with tragedy.   Talking Points: The two things Colombia needs most.  The benefits of forgiveness. What to expect when basic societal needs go unchecked. What types of missing social structures create fertile ground for crime and violence?  The internal attitude you need to avoid revenge. The importance of providing outlets which support youth.  The indignity of a society without peace or ways to make an honest living.  The magic of leveraging perspective.  The benefits of service.  Julie’s Info.  Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB -   Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite  Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com  Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Vernita Bowe had sunk so low from putting others first that she was drowning. It took years to recover what she’d lost of herself in an emotionally abusive marriage. She’d become co-dependent, had no sense of self-worth, and could no longer access her confidence and courage to speak her mind.    She calls herself a “recovering perfectionist.” Her determination to fix things and make everything work out, to tell herself “I’ve got this” and not ask for help, held her back from what she needed most — help. When she finally didn’t want to sink any lower and REALLY wanted to change, she got what she wanted: her vibrant, loving, laughing, joyful and outspoken self back!  Find out how she ended up with enough courage and  confidence to share!  Bio www.vernitainspires.com, Vernita Bowe on FB, vernitainspires on IG. Motivational Speaker, Christian Life Coach, Licensed Minister, Mother, Grandmother. Inspiring and motivating others to a new normal after trauma. Podcast - Restored-A Journey to Healing and Wholeness. Julie’s Info.  Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB -   Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite  Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com  Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Note: This interview took place on February 8, 2022, shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine Surviving a string of atrocities, Lena Cebula tells her story of life in Ukraine after the Soviet Union collapsed and with it, her country’s economic and social systems, normalizing addiction, rape and abuse. Her story is one of hope when there’s none in sight.  She no longer feels like she could be roadkill, passed by with no one looking for her or coming to bury her. Starting from age 11, her life mimicked her country — total chaos. And part of that included being imprisoned in a brothel in Israel that was better than living in her own home. At age 40, she finally felt like herself again, and after not telling anyone about her ordeals for 20 years, she’s on a mission to stop human trafficking.  Talking points Generic trends in a collapsed country. The three most common risk factors increasing the odds of getting trafficked. The benefits of addiction.  What red flags may indicate human trafficking? What to expect when a person is broken. The internal attitude you need to heal.  The importance of a good beginning in life.  The indignity of being bought and sold as a human and held as a prisoner and slave.  The magic of giving grace to yourself and others.  The benefit of not surrendering to a victim mindset. Lena Cebula is a wife and mother of three beautiful children, drug addiction and human trafficking survivor and author of a spiritual autobiography — Miraculous. She was raped numerous times and had a baby at 14 who she had to give up and died 3 months laters. Today she’s a Christian, social justice advocate, blogger, speaker and host of Love&BLoved podcast. Her mission is to encourage, inspire and to give hope that there’s a chance to have love, joy, peace and wholeness again after everything you’ve seen and done! She does this by sharing the good news of God’s love and creating awareness about the reality of human sex trafficking. Lena’s Info. Podcast — Love&Blood Book — Miraculous: Journey from Hell to Heaven Website — www.Loveandbloved.com Email — LenaCebula@gmail.com Sex Traffiking info — www.fight4freedom.ca Julie’s Info.  Workshop — Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist   Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB -   Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite  Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com  Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

What does the infiltration of child sexual abuse’s effects into every aspect of life (for a lifetime) look like? Why don’t people recognize it’s happening? Who’s perpetuating these crimes? What’s the one thing these children need most? Ms. Neicee Jordan, author of Behind Closed Doors, describes the impact on her identity from her stolen childhood innocence and later, her harrowing escape from marital violence. Living a life of confusion, anger, distrust and fear while holding her secrets for 20 years, Neicee finally broke free of bondage. She’s now fulfilling her assignment of illuminating the darkest and meanest crevices of society to help others suffer less.  Talking Points Trends in child sexual abuse Three common outcomes of child sexual abuse  What types of behavioral symptoms may indicate child sexual abuse What to expect when a child discloses sexual abuse The indignity and danger of being trapped in a relationship with domestic violence What the internal attitude of a success mindset is The magic of feeling light after disclosing the secret The benefits of overcoming anger The importance of all that happened Bio My name is Neicee Jordan, born Tahneisha Plowden. I was born and raised in NE Ohio and moved to NC in 2014. I suffered years of sexual abuse from multiple family members and years of physical abuse from my ex spouse. I kept all this trauma tucked away in my heart for decades.  In my book, “Behind Closed Doors,'' I share the pathway I took to get free from these traumatic events. Far too many people carry around the weight of painful things that happened to them behind closed doors. This is why I created a Behind Closed Doors Journal — a self-healing journal — to coincide with the book. My goal is to help people understand there is hope and a pathway to freeing your mind from a dark past, and most importantly, to give encouragement to #speakout.  Niecee’s Info. Instagram — https://instagram.com/1neiceej Facebook — Niece Jordan Book — https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Closed-Tahneisha-Neicee-Jordan/dp/B09HPCBNM2 Email — iamneiceej@gmail.com Julie’s Info.  Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Facebook — Bold Becoming private Facebook group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB -   Instagram — https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite  Email — Julie@courage-ignite.com  Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Haysing Han’s identity as a strong, insightful corporate leader crumbled before her eyes. Feeling isolated and unsupported in the very place where she poured out her heart and soul, the Kool-aid she drank to become part of something bigger than herself started to turn sour. Never imagining that something at work could profoundly change her world view, her career success devolved into a brush with death, a mental health leave of absence and a journey through depression. Now on the other side, she's a high performance personal coach, understands the pain of others and sprouted compassion in places previously lacking it. Takeaways 1. You can become clinically depressed when things around you aren’t okay and you keep your mouth shut. 2. Seeing herself in a book about another person helped her figure out what was happening to her. 3. She had pain in her body and thinking in her head, and didn’t know how to merge the two together. It was so painful she wanted to kill herself.  4. People who die by suicide are not cowards. You get into a moment where you cannot shake it off, regardless of how high functioning you are. The only thought is “How can I end this pain?” 5. Those strong people who get right back up after getting knocked down tend to suppress their feelings. Start taking time out to grieve and give yourself love. 6. Doing nothing is a blessing. If you can, give yourself time to do nothing and become aware of things. 7. Change doesn’t happen overnight. 8. High achievers seek success. That’s not who you are. There’s more to you than what you achieve.  9. Change is a long process. It requires patience, trial and error and not giving up on yourself. You’re worth the effort. 10. Always remember you’re a child of God and your soul is beautiful. Bio Founder of H. Manifest Inc., Haysing Han is a women's leadership and business coach and a high performance expert. She’s one of the elite Certified High Performance Coaches  hand-picked and trained by Brendon Burchard serving clients in 60+ countries. Coupled with Brendon’s gold standard curriculum, Haysing’s coaching approach draws upon her 20 years of success in people leadership, executive stakeholder management, and enterprise-wide business transformations in Corporate North America. She’s passionate about guiding women leaders to level up their games in corporate leadership or successfully transition from corporate to entrepreneurship. To learn more about her mastermind coaching programs, please contact her via haysing@hmanifest.com.

Autoimmune disorders chose the wrong person when they tried to take down this former professional basketball player. And health wasn’t Amy’s only battle. Retired at age 30 from a super sports career, she rebuilt her worth from the ground up when prospective employers, unaware of the work it took to be a pro athlete, deemed her “unqualified.” This double whammy stripped Amy of everything she knew, forcing her to rediscover herself. And although this dark place was akin to torture, it held power. It gifted her with seeing who she really was, beneath any status role. Outfitted with this unassailable knowledge, she’s built a life to support this fortified version of herself and help others do the same. Takeaways 1. A switch to eating lots of whole foods may drastically decrease autoimmune symptoms. 2. Different symptoms are your body’s way of saying “That’s enough.” 3. When we feel good, our mind is open to opportunities. When we feel bad, we can only see as far as getting through the day. 4. Knowing you’re going to change careers doesn’t prepare you for the identity loss. 5. External validation can morph into believing that what you do is who you are. 6. We find our true worth when what we think we are is taken away. 7. The more we really know ourselves, the more accurately we see things for what they are. 8. Asking "What if this is actually where I need to be?" is a positioning that gives us better decisions. 9. It’s not a coincidence that when we shift our perspective to see more opportunities, more flow into our life. 10. To change your perspective, start by focusing on small things to be grateful for. 11. The only wrong decision is not taking action — staying in indecision. 12. Decisions are little experiments giving us information to move us forward. 13. It’s worth it to pursue growth and stay with it. 14. Confidence comes from taking action — even small action. 15. Set small goals and follow through. After consistent action, you’ll start saying “What else can I do?” 16. Be willing to dream. 17. The pursuit of health puts you in the space to dream. Bio Amy Denson is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP). Specializing in thyroid health, she coaches and mentors women reclaiming their energy to feel like themselves again. Now a retired athlete with 2 autoimmune disorders, she went from playing professional basketball all over the world to battling professional fatigue and not recognizing herself in the mirror. In the midst of her rock bottom moment she felt a nudge that told her there had to be a better way. Relying on the mindset built during her athletic career, she paved the way to not just feel like herself again but even better! Amy’s Contact https://instagram.com/coachamyrae AmyRaeNutrition@gmail.com Julie’s Info. Julie’s Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Becoming-Identity Retooled Private Facebook Group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB -  Julie@courage-ignite.com https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

If your culture doesn’t allow for showing weakness, if it’s one where you’re taught to be strong, pick your own self up, therapy’s not for us, and just keep going at all costs, sometimes you won’t even recognize when you have a problem. This is Leia’s story — a courageous, independent, strong-minded woman (and let’s not forget FUN!), who lost herself in abusive relationships and addiction. Still a successful professional but now a defeated mom, after losing custody of her daughter, she unraveled her life journey to reveal its roots in early childhood trauma. Divorced, back sleeping in her childhood bedroom, staring at the plastic stars she’d put on the ceiling as a little girl, the light from those glow-in-the-dark stars reconnected her with the hope each had represented as she upgraded herself to a version she’d never come closer than light years away from imagining. Takeaways 1. The combination of a series of spiritual events + faith in God + wanting a healthier lifestyle created the fuel to overcome addiction and turn her life around. 2. Her answer to her own question “Am I living my best version of me?” coached her way into transformation. 3. She asked God for signs and followed through on their direction. 4. If you’re drinking or using drugs and can’t stop, it could be a coping mechanism for unresolved trauma. There are better ways to cope and healing is possible. 5. Trauma stays inside of you. It doesn’t go away because the event(s) end. 6. If this former party girl can quit alcohol and drugs, anyone can. 7. I found grace in hard times and grew from my mistakes. 8. Every day is a new opportunity to be better. It’s never too late to change, to be your best self. 9. You have to get sober before the universe gives you the opportunities you seek. 10. Best thing from sobriety is mental clarity — can see and understand things, feel smarter. 11. You can notice your own toxic behavior once sober. 12. Through awareness you can change. 13. Clarity is priceless. My ambition is 10x what it was and doesn’t feel like too much. 14. If you’re stuck, you need to use mindset to believe it’s possible. 15. Share your aspirations with people close to you. 16. Hard times are shaping you for who you need to be. Bio Leia Baez is an award-winning journalist, government communications director, author, mindset coach and motivational speaker. While Leia spent most of her career telling other people’s stories as a journalist, it’s her own story of overcoming adversity that went viral online, reaching more than 6.5 million people across the globe. Read more about her at leiabaez.com. Contact www.leiabaez.com IG, FB, LinkedIn Book - https://leiabaez.com/product/a-star-for-stella/ Julie’s Contact Julie’s Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Becoming-Identity Retooled Private Facebook Group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB -  Julie@courage-ignite.com https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann XPHHkjKR1x6RwMgjhZ0W

When you conquer a brain tumor, you get to go on with your life. When you get a second one, life means something different. And if it leaves you with profound fatigue, you need radical acceptance to send your independent streak packing and get some help. Tenacity and faith hold things together for Joanne VanderVies as she cherishes her “second second chance.” She knows what’s important — relationships over roles — and makes the best of whatever time’s left with her loved ones.  Takeaways  1. Mortality moments show you what really matters. 2. With profound fatigue, it doesn’t matter how much sleep you get, you’re still always tired. 3. If you know a chronic fatigue warrior, think of what you do in your house; it’s probably on their to-do list too.  4. It’s a skill to know how to change directions when things don’t work out. 5. It’s unhelpful to tell someone “You don’t look sick,” or “Why don’t you just do it?” 6. Radical acceptance is accepting what is — it’s important when you can’t do what you want. 7. Self-care is the main job of a person with chronic fatigue. If that doesn’t happen, nothing else will.  8. Courage is facing up to what life is.  9. Asking for and receiving help is THE top priority for someone with a chronic condition. 10. There’s hope even when there’s bad news. 11. People can be much more unwell than they look. Don’t make assumptions. 12. Not everyone will understand what you’re going through. Even people close to you. Even when they know. 3. The biggest mistake for someone with a chronic condition is not asking for help.  Bio Burning through various careers, Joanne VanderVies searched for who she was at her core. Many roles became part of her identity, and Aunt Jo and Great Aunt Jo leave the rest in the dust. A brain tumor survivor challenged with profound fatigue, she currently works as a nurse and personal support worker. Her hot off the press project is hosting the podcast "The Sun Rises — Hope for a Bigger and Better Life." Joanne’s mission is to help people in whatever way she can. Podcast https://anchor.fm/joanne-vandervies/episodes/The-Sun-Rises-Podcast-Trailer-e19tt1i Instagram https://instagram.com/great_aunt_jo  Facebook Joanne VanderVies Julie’s Contact Julie’s Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Becoming-Identity Retooled Private Facebook Group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB -  Julie@courage-ignite.com https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Today we discuss how being a stay-at-home mom impacts Liz’s identity. She couldn’t go back to who she was pre-motherhood and, the sole role of motherhood wasn’t panning out for her. Motherhood caught Liz off guard with no fair warning of what it would be like nor the guidance she needed. It uprooted her from herself and left her in shock. Motherhood covered up the majority of who Liz was. She was off balance and needed to find a way to both be herself again and a good mom. Shortly after her second child she started to make headway back to being herself. She tried new things and eventually started an art business. Her main goal is to create more time for herself so that she can be herself. Her artwork became her mental health practice. It's her way to have time alone. She’s making inroads into uncovering herself and finding alignment with motherhood. Main take-aways : Don’t let yourself be completely taken over by the needs of others. Keep fighting for yourself. Force yourself to get alone time. Making time to be yourself is necessary rejuvenation to avoid overwhelm and burnout. You don’t need to do motherhood the way you thought you needed to. Figure out things you can let go of and let go of them. Try out new things to find what lights you up.  For the sake of children's mental health, figure out how to be a less stressed mom.  Bio: Liz Bonny is a fiber artist based in Lawrence, KS. She’s been weaving and dyeing for nearly twenty years and started spinning on a drop spindle nearly ten years ago. She’s taught various small fiber classes through her local fiber guild and at home. She’s a full time stay at home mother of two very active children and spends her spare time creating -  it's therapy after all. Instagram: @harvestrybyhand Email: lizbonny@gmail.com Shop: Etsy.com/shop/harvestrybyhand  - Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

“Sarah The Artist” lost her ability to do art and with it, her identity. After nearly two decades working as a successful professional artist, a relocation left her without the joy that inspired her muse. Trying to force the artistic process failed. For a couple of years she resisted giving into this defeat. After going down kicking and screaming, a lightbulb went off one day, illuminating her way forward.  Takeaways: 1. Some things can't be forced. 2. After your loss, it can take a few years to allow yourself to think of yourself as someone else. 3. Busyness can cause you to miss the cues the universe gives you to find that which fulfills you. 4. Seek those who will support whatever you're doing and take with a grain of salt those who invalidate your experience.  5. Explore things you've always been interested in. See if things you enjoyed in the past and let go of still bring you joy. 6. Sometimes to change, some people need to be let go of. 7. People recognize and understand the old you. They want that you. Don't let this keep you from moving forward. 8. When you feel guided to be doing what you're doing, that's what will help you get through your moments of doubt. 9. We're connected to something bigger than ourselves - a larger purpose. When you find the “right thing” to do, it feels the opposite of swimming upstream. 10. The day will come when the light switch goes on and you won't be able to ignore it. This will be the “right thing” to do. 11.Things have to be taken away for you to look for what's missing. 12. Grief work; you can either dole it out over 15 years or just get in there and feel it. 13. Cherish that one person who believes in you and helps you when you don't believe in yourself. 14. Every moment has some little bit of joy in it. Practice looking for those specks of joy.  Contact Info: Sarah’s website: www.SaltAndFireSpellworks.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/SaltAndFire.Spellworks Podcast: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/salt-and-fire-spellworks-claim-your-v8xlfSdhb6n/ Julie’s Contact Julie’s Tough Stories Workshop https://www.courage-ignite.com/Tough_Stories_Workshop_waitlist  Bold Becoming-Identity Retooled Private Facebook Group (free) https://www.courage-ignite.com/Bold_Becoming_FB -  Julie@courage-ignite.com https://instagram.com/juliebrownecourageignite Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Livia Rismondo, a 22-year-old Canadian citizen from a town of 200, went to Australia to backpack and have adventures. What she got was a 5+ year relationship with her identity rooted in another person, until the relationship ended, landing her in a dark place where she no longer knew who she was and didn't know how she got there. On her journey to becoming unrecognizable from that dark place she learned about depression and anxiety, what self-care is and how to set limits, the value of human connection, and that home is not a place but a feeling. Takeaways Through my identity rebuilding process I had massive growth, I became unrecognizable from where I was at my darkest moments when I didn’t know who I was anymore. Even though it feels like your pain and suffering will never end, it won’t last. Firmly believe that you’ll come out the other side, that it’s temporary. Be okay with your heavy feelings. Feel them. Build up and lean on your support network. Really learn what self-care is and do it. (P.S. There’s no instant gratification in self-care, its benefits are invisible and you’ll only understand their power over time.) You’re likely to become a 2.0 version of yourself, even though you have no idea what that looks like or how you’ll get there. Have the courage to ask yourself: Is the fear of doing something new, unfamiliar or scary more powerful than the stuck, unhappy feeling? To which will you give more power? Believe that whatever decision you make, it’s the best decision in that moment, and there are no wrong decisions. You can have beautiful outcomes from traumatic experiences. How to 10x honoring yourself: Focusing on a specific goal/project that’s just for you makes it possible to prioritize your time without guilt. Bio Livia Rismondo, host of “The Expat Chronicles” podcast, is a broadcast professional whose adventurous spirit gives her the distinction of being an expat. An inspiration to those looking for something bigger out of life, she encourages people to find the motivation, determination and courage to step outside their comfort zone. Livia believes that everything life throws at us has a definite purpose in us becoming who we’re meant to be. She sees sharing personal journeys as a common thread that permits us to relate to each other. In keeping the spirit of human connection alive, Livia’s podcast is where expats share their stories and gain inspiration and a sense of belonging. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/livia_rismondo/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/theexpatchronicles Website https://www.theexpatchronicles.com.au/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7eBeNhh1sxtTm7BENbaacF?si=37adae7463974563&nd=1 Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-expat-chronicles/id1594038162?fbclid=IwAR3wbVK3ThWLw4X1Z2YJ5ihg_Mj4Gh0PAt7fGA3EOXfU-5VVxtKtfXGz_8o - Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

A bonafide, virtually recovered codependent, separated from her husband after almost 3 decades with a man suffering from alcoholism, Tammy Roach is in transition. A car accident gave her a traumatic brain injury, persistent post concussive syndrome, and yanked away her old identity lock, stock and barrel, catapulting her into a new, luxurious identity that includes “Being Joy!!” Tammy’s had a few lifetime’s worth of challenges, starting with not feeling safe in her family. She’s got an adopted brother with fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, and at 18 became homeless with schizophrenia. She’s been a caregiver to many family members, including her husband as he survived a brain tumor. And her daughter was in a mass shooting. This interview is chock-full of insights she’s discovered on her path to wholeness and freedom. Here’s a few: Silence is no longer an option. Joy is possible regardless of circumstances. Life can include not fitting into others’ boxes. We break out of others’ boxes by speaking our truth. Your real you is BEGGING to come forth. You matter. Boundaries are better constructed as gates than walls. Boundaries are for you to uphold vs. others to respect. Overwhelm is a symptom of not living your truth. Feeling good is a clue that your choices are in alignment with your soul. You can change your belief system by tuning into your emotions and evaluating the current validity of rules you’re following. When you believe differently, you make new rules that pull you back to your core self. Allow grace to dilute shame. Tactic to shift from shame — Use awareness to move into acceptance — you did the best you could in that moment. Settling keeps you unfree and under external and internal pressure. Reframe “Struggle” from something to work AGAINST, to something to struggle FOR. Joy comes from sovereignty. You can reclaim your power through your voice — “language upgrades.” Self-care, meditation and speaking your truth are core to experiencing the love and freedom that is your birthright. All the love you desire is within you. You must give it to yourself. Bio Tammy Roach helps women remember who they are. When we remember who we are, we open to our true purpose and experience peace and satisfaction. She works as an aromatherapist, breath-work coach and will soon debut her podcast This TLC Life. She teaches clients how to transform physical and emotional pain, reduce physiological stress and release stuck emotions. She helps women find freedom to live authentically. Tammy’s lived most of her life separate from her true calling. She was the epitome of  co-dependent. After a car accident, that changed from black to white. No longer able to live someone else’s requirements, she HAD to live her authentic life. She kick-started her journey with self-care. Self-care made self-love accessible, which put self-worth within reach. And self-worth gave her the golden nugget — self-value — making it possible to believe that she matters. Once we’ve allowed ourselves to receive the love we so profoundly desire, our lives change. Instagram — https://instagram.com/tammyroachofficial - Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Bold Becoming gives people in identity crisis honest, positive talk about what's messy, what's real and what's next.  Music - Happy African Village by John Bartmann

Everyone can recognize unfairness. All it takes to see it is moving aside the layers of status beliefs. Those constructs protecting our privilege. Yet the status of “deserving" dictates how we use fairness. This castrates fairness. We do this with arbitrary "fairness" rules which exclude people for irrational reasons. Deserving and fairness intertwine in our psyche. This relationship comes from every angle in life. It is ubiquitous, and yet many aspects are invisible and untraceable. In the end, it forces us to depreciate ourselves. We know when we're treated unfairly. And to assimilate this disconnect we rationalize. As children, that's our only defense - we have no capacity to enforce fairness. So we come to believe that we don’t deserve. This keeps us safe. We avoid entering into a state of (unacceptable) rage at unjust treatment. Over time we divorce the relationship between deserving and fairness. Eventually we forget that relationship. We see them as separate entities. As adults, it’s our job to pull this relationship out of the closet, to examine it, and to reignite our sense of deserving.

Perspective has the ability to turn the world upside down. Wars start over it. Divorces happen because of the power behind this word. Suicide robs lives because of this. This episode is about how I saved a 10-year dream by harnessing the power of shifting perspective. . Shifting perspective is one of the great saviors. It's available to all who choose, at any time. NOT shifting perspective is likely a major contributing factor behind any downfall. . What's something you've dug in your heels over? What beliefs keep you separated from others? What would it take for you to start allowing for the phenomenon of differences of perspective? What's one needle mover worth shifting perspective and treating differently? . Are you willing to make that shift - today?

How is putting together a puzzle for fun like real life? I found that out last night.  - Amazed at how I could have deep feelings over a simple game, I felt exhilaration and anxiety. Yep! Anxiety. I wasn't sure I had all the pieces. If one or some were missing, I'd spend more time putting it together, searching for something that didn't exist. Was it worth it??  - The process reminded me of working on projects in life. We choose something we want, then get scared that we might get disappointed. So many times we don’t even start because we’re not assured success. Or we don’t know everything and shortchange ourselves. Because we CAN learn and invent new ways to do things. - Discovering the overlap of life skills and puzzle-putting-together skills was almost as much fun as the puzzle. I had a general action plan. I sought out patterns, akin to batching tasks on a project. I worked on the easy part first. LOL! I got totally frustrated when I couldn't complete certain sections/tasks. And I frequently lost focus, moving to work on another part of the puzzle than what I'd intended to work on.  - I discovered that, as in life, it's impossible to follow a plan of action without detours. And detours, and spaces of the unknown, add spice to life.

If not you, then who? If not me, then who? If you and I have access to power, if we have the luxury of being in a position where we get to make choices every day about what we can do with our lives, then we have the ability to help others. It's you and I who can influence others in profound ways, if we so choose. We can speak truth to power. We can call out abuse, corruption, and all the things that take us all down. The things that produce cynicism and hatred. The things that destroy hope and motivation. It's all around us in our everyday lives. It might even be in our homes. What are you ready to take a stand for? What's a vision you want to help actualize? What's one thing you can start doing on a consistent basis to make that change that matters happen?

In life, there's pecking order. Then there are systems and circumstances that make pecking order pale in comparison. When we spend time getting to know the pain of others it helps us appreciate what we have. If you’ve any sense of boredom or feel a bit rudderless, go out and learn about others who struggle more than you. It's where many find purpose. They see that in comparison, there are others with problems they never imagined. They see problems way worse than their own. This creates compassion that can extend to a helping hand. When's the last time you volunteered, helped make something or someone's life better? We in the USA would do well to gain more perspective. And it's up to you to make that happen.

How worth it is it to hang out with people who aren’t awesome? Okay, we don’t have to be awesome, and the real question is this. What do you do when someone disrespects you? And do you have a consistent way of defining and judging “disrespect”? On another topic, how do you handle it when your expectations of others disappoints you? Are you able to not let it get you down? One of the best ways of making your life better is to choose your friends with care. Leave me a message and let me know how you do this.

Ever wonder why it's so hard to change? Our brain's neural pathways keep us thinking the same thoughts, even when we try not to. Even when we make behavioral changes, the brain’s a stubborn entity that isn't so quick to change :) Over time the brain can change and make new neural pathways. And it takes work. While thoughts may appear without our permission or planning, what we do with them is what counts. It's hard to control which thoughts appear and we CAN and must take charge once they appear. We can use OTHER thoughts and decisions to replace thoughts which no longer serve us. By choosing thoughts which direct us to actions that will better serve us, we can take over impulses.

No matter how independent you are, there's no getting around the fact that humans are communal beings. Given that, how many ways do you consciouisly set the stage for success by using the help of others?  And about deadlines, let me know in the comments how you set your deadlines when you're accountable to no one but yourself. I'll share with others and might just adopt some for myself! 

We're taught to wait our turn, to be picked, to get prepared before showing up. What if that's not the best choice? So much in life will pass us by following this advice. Seth Godin teaches us to choose yourself. I agree. Mrs. Wooster used to keep me in from recess for not raising my hand and speaking out. Eventually I learned to play by the rules. Then not only didn't I get a chance to speak, I got left out. I didn't get chosen, over and over again. I'm regaining my old self. I interrupt (being polite and waiting to be called on still doesn’t work). I choose myself. I follow the beat of my own drum. Because playing by "the rules" and being "polite" didn't work. I hope you'll speak your truth and not wait to be called on. Many people are happy when you're silent. And there are many who NEED to hear your point of view. You are not alone.

Many people hold back from investing in their future based on how they're doing in the moment. They say "I won't spend money on this course to give me shortcuts to where I'm headed because I already spent x-amount and haven't recovered that yet." Whatever we did in the past stays in the past. It's a sunk cost. It's irretrievable. If we make decisions based on the past and the present then we shortchange ourselves. Make decisions as if you're already WHERE you're headed. Pretend you're already there. Use pretend retrospect. Go into the future and decide what you needed to get there. Then follow through with those decisions.

Intuition has a way of putting the brakes on things. It also nudges us, persistently. How come so often we push these inner knowings aside? . What kinds of situations do you override your intuitive voice?  When you override intuition are there patterns, or is it all over the map? . I'm both a highly logical person and I also go with my gut. A lot of times I have to experience some pain or discomfort before I'll act on my intuition. Often, it's in retrospect when I understand what my intuition was telling me. . How do you honor, understand and take action on your intuition? Let me know in the comments.

I'm a single mom of a 27 year old. Time evaporated. I have NO idea how childhood ended. . Cherish every long moment of this time with your children. Drop everything to make time to play with them. There’s no redoing it, only living it in the moment. . They need so much more from you than you have time and energy to give. Make a way to give it to them anyway. You can make money later. Let your standards slide in that realm and spend time with your kids. . That’s what I'd do differently if I could go back and do it again.

Nike says “Just Do It!” I didn’t used to think that way. I’m detail oriented and love to plan. I’m a comprehensive type who leaves no stone unturned. Now I’m a proponent of the “Just Do It” crowd. I’m not saying not to aim for premium. What I’ve learned is that getting to premium before starting is impossible. And that hurts. And that hurt doesn't matter. Because I’m too old and life is too short to get my ducks in a row. Has this ever happened to you - you get your ducks in a row - then things change and you need some new ducks? What I’ve learned is that for some things, intricate plans are obsolete before we even get started. For some things, it’s best to run with your idea and build the plane while you’re flying it. Not for everything, but for some things. It’s incredible what retrospect does. I would have NEVER imagined myself saying any of this before...

Double the benefit by making better choices. We all know a lot of better choices and many of us regularly choose not to make these. Especially around self care. How often do you actually weigh out doubling the benefits? Or, doubling in the other direction? When we add up little choices over time, are we actually getting ahead? Or are we canceling out the good with the less good? P.S. Just heard on the radio, shortly after recording this, about a dead zone in, I think, the Gulf of Mexico. It’s caused by runoff of fertilizers upstream. Quality really does count. Our choices have consequences.

Today I felt like I came home. I'm over-the-moon happy about finding great meaning in my work. I made arrangements to help people in prison and I'm starting with Jerome. I'm going to send him a printed version of my transformative writing program - The Precious Moments. It's a way to rewrite life narratives and leave the past in the past. It’s a way to make better stories and feel better. This happened to me. I wanted a better story to tell about losing my career. In working on that, I discovered a way to transform a disempowering story. It's a vehicle that transfers people into more empowering versions of the same story. When we choose different moments to focus on we can move forward, regardless of the past. These "revised editions" of our narrative help us feel better. And make different decisions. Humans have immense capacity to evolve, and it all starts in our head and heart.

Nothing new here today - an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure. So you tell me, if we all know this to be true, why's it so hard to choose the better payoff? Part of the answer might come from childhood. This is where we learned to settle. Because we had to. And to do this, we learned to handle our feelings so they didn't overpower us. Now as adults, does this previous coping mechanism come back to haunt us?

When do you give yourself permission to change your mind? For most of us, it often takes a few times before we learn a lesson. And once we learn something this influences our decisions. Yet what is it that makes us turn on our own best laid plans? Let's explore this troubling question. We don't have answers, but atleast we'll name what's going on.

Why is it our duty to work towards personal happiness? Generally, when you feel better you act better. It's easier to be considerate of others. The world needs people to stive to feel better because there's a saying "A rising tide lifts all boats." Everyone who feels good doesn't always do good. On the otherhand, when those of us with kind and generous hearts feel better then we have more to give. Every day, each of us has the choice to see the glass as half empty or half full. When we see it as half full, this means that we're able to focus on things that matter and let go of the little stuff. Isn't this is where happiness lies - in the things that matter? Happpiness depends upon ourselves. ~Aristotle

People spend a LOT of time analyzing why things are as they are. Understanding history gives us a better chance of not repeating mistakes. Cause and effect have their place. My ask is that you experiment. Try spending more time answering: "What’s the next best move I can make TODAY?" If we live in the moment and simply take action, what might happen? I believe that more often than not, we have the information needed to make informed decisions. And if we look at reality in the face and take action, then we’ll have fresh data from which to judge. This data matters most to me.