Never Ever Give Up Hope

Stephanie Collins, an award-winning author of With Angels Wings, has degrees in psychology and nursing. But, in the blink of an eye, she had to leave her career to care for her FOUR special needs children -- as a single mom.  After 23 years, she is still changing her child's diapers - but her attitude is beautiful - a true mother's love. Her story is one of strength and courage.  If you know of anyone who is the parent of a special needs child, this is a 'MUST LISTEN to' broadcast.   Stephanie does not see herself as a victim but someone who became strong in the face of adversity.  Through sheer perseverance and tenacity, she proved anyone can be an overcomer.   In Stephanie's words "If you are feeling overwhelmed and ready to give up -- I did too. These feelings aren't indicative of a weak constitution or failure -- they are symptoms of humanity.  People BECOME stronger every minute they persevere.  Focus on you NEXT breath -- you WILL get there. I’d like to say it was love and faith that helped me to over

Wolfgang Wolf was a freelance copywriter and co-founder of Ogilvy and Mather Direct as well as their Creative Director.    In 1990, his life made a sharp turn.  He suffered a major stroke and should not have survived.  He shocked the doctors when not only did he survive but was able to do things they said he would never do again; walk, talk, and take care of himself.    Since his stroke, he has founded a registered charity, got a Bachelors degree majoring in Counseling and is a guest lecturer.   His book, How to Survive (After) a Stroke, is NOT a book of rehabilitation techniques and medical advice.  Rather, it gives invaluable support by sharing stories of numerous stroke victims about isolation, loneliness, stigma, fear, disability and pain. It is a book that addresses coping skills to move past these negatives.   He is an active blogger and would love to connect with you - especially if you have had a stroke or know anyone who has. He will offer advice and support.

Mary McLaurine is a writer, a poet and a contributing blogger at Huffington Post. She survived a torturous childhood sexual abuse by her father but learned how to overcome the aftermath that affected her later in life.    She has much to offer anyone who has suffered from PTSD, sexual abuse and rejection.     She is an advocate for organ donation (as a recipient of a kidney after years of dialysis) and therapy animals, rescuing them from their abusive situations.    You cannot compare someone else's pain with your own.  It is pointless as we only know our own battle of what we have had to endure.  But you CAN be an overcomer and draw strength from your weakest moments.     It took a lifetime of raw emotion, endurance and determination to assemble her "mosaic."   The most beautiful part is not the multi-colored stones but the dusky, gritty grout that holds all the pieces together and made her unbreakable.  The broken pieces, sharp edges, soft curves, rough surfaces, and smooth stones are beautifu

Petra Monaco is a survivor.  She endured abuse and extreme trauma which made her the strong woman she is today.  She is an author of two memoirs -  Betrayal:  The Journey - Childhood Memories and the Adult Awakening and Lennon Steps.   In foster care since she was two years old, she repeatedly survived rejection and learned how to forgive. When her four-year-old son was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called urea cycle disorder, it created chaos in his little body.  As a mom, she had to make the decision to save his life with organ transplantation -- THREE times!     No parent should have to watch their child suffer to this extreme.  But Petra chose to have a positive attitude no matter what!  She is an encourager and motivator and you do not want to miss her interview. Through her blog posts and coaching, she can help you set boundaries in your life while making it feel like an act of love to self.  Her interview is insightful, candid and compassionate. For those of you who crave FREEDOM, s

Gretchen Crass, Owner of GST Fitness and Wellness, is a leading expert in the area of fitness, nutrition, & spiritual health. She is a personal trainer, nutritionist and lifestyle transformation coach helping people on their journey to become their "BEST SELF."  Gretchen had a rough childhood suffering molestation and rejection which led to Anorexia.  She is now sharing her story with solid advice on how to know your true self.  "The mind is a powerful thing and we need to use it for the greater good rather than against ourselves."   She is a coach for the Special Olympics as well as a Child Ambassador for World Vision. Gretchen has been featured in fitness magazine publications, such as Flex Magazine, Oxygen Magazine & Muscular Development Magazine. She has been interviewed on Salem Radio’s Mohsin Program numerous times as well as Sioux Country Radio Sports After Dark Program. Gretchen has also been featured on Montgomery County Cable, for her healthy nutritional and cooking advice for children.    G

Marquita Herald is an inspirational author of Resilient Living -- Build Inner Strength and Master Life's Challenges with Confidence and Courage.     Her book and website of the same name is aimed at inspiring readers to develop the capacity for emotional resilience.   The prevailing view of resilience is that it helps one to "bounce back" from a crisis. Marquita shows us how to "BOUNCE FORWARD."     Fear and dysfunction didn't run through her family -- it galloped. Through personal experiences and serious research, she now teaches courses on how to exercise resilience in any situation.   Three Keys she shares are:      Develop self-awareness Take responsibility for the choices you made Learn to manage your emotions through emotional mastery You CAN, You SHOULD, and if you're BRAVE enough....YOU WILL  

Ben Starling is an author, artist and boxer.  He is passionate about marine conservation and boxing which are central themes in his upcoming novel.   Ben has a Master of Arts from Oxford University and is Oxford's ONLY ever Quintuple Blue (which is a varsity champion five years running).    He has both coached and boxed competitively and with an advantage -- he boxed intelligently.  You must listen to his interview to hear his views on how this relates to life and gives you the upper edge!   From losing his partner to ovarian cancer to his passion for saving marine life, Ben's life experiences inspired him to intertwine them into his short stories and his novel.   His passion for life and love are evident in his stories. Click here for the Amazon link.     His compassion is evident in his interview.   Do you live a fear-based or love-based life?  Listen to his interview to get the answer.  

At twenty-six Jackie’s fiancé died and shattered her heart, her world crumbled. Leaving behind a loving family, a great career and fashionable home, she ran away from the tortuous feelings. Landing in Australia she quickly met Noel and married him. Both Jackie and Noel were quite possibly on the rebound! Together they purchased a thirty-three-foot sailing boat and sailed around the world.   Crashing within the first twenty-four hours, Jackie realized life would never be the same again; a floating home with no fridge or hot water, and with a dinghy instead of a car. Suffering self-doubts, she became fearful of her new world.   Not only did Jackie deal successfully with the challenges of her new existence, she also battled with the testosterone fueled nautical world to become both a professional captain and a qualified maritime teacher. Most importantly, Jackie found herself.   She’s sailed around the world one and a half times and trekked in the bush with five rescued horses for several months. Sh

Chris Tryon is an author, motivational speaker and cancer survivor.  Her book, Dear Sister, Today is..., is her personal journey through the various stages of breast cancer including valuable lessons she learned.  In her interview and her book, she wishes to share these insights resulting from her research, to empower her sisters who may be going through similar circumstances.   Most women are not aware they have a choice.  Most women are not aware the complications that can happen as a result of reconstructive surgery. Most women are not aware of the discomfort and agony this surgery can inflict.   Chris' message is to these women, all women!   In quoting Nicolas Cage, the actor: "If a guy only wants you for your breasts, thighs, and legs.....send him to KFC. You are a lady, not a cheap value meal!" Using the Toastmasters and Facebook platforms, Chris is on a campaign to get the message out to women of all ages.  "You have a choice!"  

Daniel Blanchard grew up in East Hartford under rough conditions.  He learned how to fight on the street and later used that knowledge to become a state champion wrestler. This is my SECOND interview with him and if you are a parent, a teacher or a human (!) you can glean secrets from this man's insight and enthusiasm. Daniel has recently been appointed by the Speaker of the House to the Special Education Advisory Council to Connecticut Department of Education; an incredible honor.  He has seven degrees in education and was also picked by the American Federation as the voice of educational reform.  He is an award-winning author, speaker, and educator. As a teacher and coach for teenagers, he drives life lessons into them.  He teaches them how to succeed in an imperfect world and never give up on their dreams. He is a key factor in helping them change their lives.   His interview will touch your heart and motivate you to get to know your teenagers on a new level - and relate to them!   Feeling Lucky? is about

Ruth Curran drew on her experience successfully overcoming a traumatic brain injury to become an expert on maximizing brain function through lifestyle modification and "turning up the noise on life." She shares her insights and proven techniques for amplifying everyday experiences in Being Brain Healthy. Curran has a master's degree in cognitive psychology as well as more than 28 years of experience as a strategist, business development executive, and organizational behaviorist.    Curran is passionate about the connection between the brain and daily functioning and believes everyone—regardless of age or stage of life—has the ability to use neuroplasticity to live a richer, deeper, more fully engaged life. She has created a series of photo-based thinking puzzles, games, and apps that help players work on cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, and executive functioning.   Ruth claims that it is more likely each of us knows more people with brain injury than cancer.  Think about it -- chemo brain, strok

Fran Macilvey is an author and motivational speaker.  Her first book, Trapped, tells the story of her life with cerebral palsy.   Fran was born premature and disabled, the younger of twins. She shares her earliest years to the joys and frustrations of marriage and motherhood.  Her book shines a bright, fresh light on the myths that “spastics” live with – and reveals the common ground that she endeavors to share with the rest of the world. She worked as a lawyer for ten years before turning to her first passion, writing. In the midst of home-making and the demands of child-rearing, I write about my experiences so that others can understand how challenging it is, to maintain the appearance of a “normal” life with a disabling condition. I also like to write about making the most of life, and my next two books are about how we can do that. In Fran's words....... "My first tool for coping is to surrender. A quote in my IN box lately came via Ingrid Bergman, who said, ‘Happiness is good health and a bad memory’ 

Sandra Elaine Scott is a transformational speaker, corporate trainer and life coach who specializes in helping individuals turn their someday dreams into TODAY'S REALITY.                     Her book, Manana Starts Today,  is a collection of empowering affirmations designed to assist you in moving forward towards your goals and dreams.     When Sandra was born with physical problems, the doctor told her mother "You sure got a lemon!"  Her mother was determined to prove the doctor wrong and DID!   "FAITH IS ELECTRIC AND FEAR IS STATIC"   Sandra strongly believes we can change our lives by applying these techniques:   LIVE LIFE TODAY  POWER OF AFFIRMATIONS  CREATING A POSITIVE LIFESTYLE  USING LIFE LESSONS YOUR MOTHER TAUGHT YOU    Sandra's interview was upbeat, fun and her tips doable! Her attitude is contagious and you won't want to miss the secrets she shares

Glenda Oakley Cook is a Transition Strategist, Leadership Coach, and Market Place Mentor. Utilizing her experiences as an Army “Brat,” former Army Captain and current Army spouse, she helps women take command of their lives to command the life they desire.                                  Glenda founded the Institute of Transitions, a consulting firm specializing in personal and professional development with an emphasis on transitions, leadership and confidence.  Her firm’s courses, training, events and coaching programs prepare emerging influencers with the ability to transition into their next stage of life with ease!  A combat veteran and a net worth over a half-million dollars by the age of 30, Glenda truly believes you can achieve anything with determination, dedication, and discipline.   She has been featured on over 40 different websites and publications; including the hit national television show on Esquire Network, Friday Night Tykes.   Her Philosophy – “If you transition your mindset,

Kathleen Pooler spent the first 18 years of her life in a loving, supportive family. The next 25 years were engulfed in the abyss of two abusive marriages. Pooler rescued herself and is now dedicated to helping other women (and men) do the same.   She hopes to help others find their inner strength through sharing her hard-earned lessons in her new memoir.  In addition to dealing with her two failed marriages, she was diagnosed with cancer and her son was abusing drugs.   “When we claim and honor the God-given strength within, we are able to climb out of the abyss of poor decisions and go on to live a meaningful, peaceful life.”   Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away from Emotional Abuse offers readers insight into her poor decisions and how they can learn from her story.   “I want to inspire hope and action for my readers who need to find their own inner strength,” Pooler explains.   She sums up her message in these six tips: A loving family, solid career, and strong faith foundation do not guarantee

Jamaican born Claudette Esterine studied International Relations at Kiev State University in the Ukraine and then theological studies at Newman Theological College in Alberta, Canada.   She has worked as a chaplain for both hospitals and prisons and has further studied Behavioral Counselling and Case Management in the Federal Correctional System.   As an active blogger, she helps women (and men) work through the daily realities of life including child abuse, domestic violence and racial marginalization.     She endured sexual, physical, emotional and mental abuse her entire life -- was stabbed by her own mother and used as a sex object 'pimped out' for years.     After realizing something was missing in her life during a 10-year same-sex relationship, she was able to turn her life around.   Now free from guilt and pain she is a WOUNDED healer - helping women from all walks of life to allow their pain to be the propellant for the life they want to live.   Her interview was not only inspiring but motivating

Ulka Shrikhande is an R&D Scientist, a natural motivator, consultant, and national speaker. She is passionate about building strong collaborative leaderships across organizations.  She works with academic institutions, start-up to mid-size companies and non-profit organizations. Ulka is a strong advocate of compassion and collaboration who uses coaching and national workshops as avenues to spread the message and create a positive impact on society - both for personal as well as professional enrichment. Her dream is to empower women and children with the power of dreams, to become advocates for building peaceful families. Ulka shares how to find your inward anchor points that show others who you are and what you stand for.  

Tony McAleer is a former organizer for the White Aryan Resistance (WAR), Tony McAleer served as a skinhead recruiter, proprietor of Canadian Liberty Net (a computer operated voice messaging center), and manager of the racist rock band, Odin’s Law. Tony was eventually found to have contravened Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act that prohibits the dissemination of messages likely to expose groups to hatred by telephone.   However, there came a time in Tony's life when he had to make a choice.  Tony's love for his children led him on a spiritual journey of personal transformation. Financial hardship and the harsh realities of single parenthood brought him to a place of compassion and forgiveness for himself and for others. Tony has spent the past six years as principal of McAleer & Associates Wealth Management and traveling as a motivational speaker. Today he is Executive Chairman of Life After Hate and shares his practice of compassion as a presenter of Kindness Not Weakness curriculum.   LIFE AFTE

No one plans to be unemployed for more than two years, nor to go without a consistent means of income for more than a year. Nevertheless, that’s my story.   Although, it was never my intention to join social media, I accepted an invitation and began using it as a platform to write and share my Inspirational Readings to encourage, inspire and empower people of all nations.     Vernita is a free-lance writer for Linkedin Pulse, Community Christian Service Worker and Faith Filled Magazine   Her message is that God loves you and has designed a purpose for your life. You can rise above having a low self-esteem, feelings of depression, rejection, fear, insecurities, inadequacies, being negative, complacent and overcome addictions of any kind.   Be encouraged to hold on through the darkest times for God will never leave nor forsake you. Learn the power of God’s Forgiving Grace and how He has commissioned you to change the world. God will restore your brokenness and heal you that you may move forward to a Progressive

For over 20 years, Mrs. X was married to a psychopath - a Captain with a major airlines.   When people think of psychopaths they think of violent criminals but most of them appear quite normal.   Experts tell us that 4% of the population are psychopaths and Mrs. X helps listeners recognize and avoid these untreatable social predators without a conscience.   She shares her determination to get her daughter back while surviving the aftermath of living her life with a psychopath.     In her interview, she lists the signs to look for and how to protect yourself.  You will be shocked.