Overcomers Overcoming

Joan Quinlan has overcome multiple life traumas brought about by her early lifestyle. Her family culture was one of working beyond any life adversities rather than finding anyone who could empathize with her. That culture caused her to repress many of her early life anxieties, which led her to excessive alcohol consumption. The term for this was formerly alcoholic. The accepted term now is substan...

Harris Cooper, formerly GS-15, discusses his approach to organizational culture, drawing from his 39-year government career. He emphasizes the importance of the Golden Rule and the Serenity Prayer in his management style, along with two simple rules: do your job and keep the boss out of trouble. Harris also shares his experience leading a diverse workforce across multiple naval and marine air stat...

Mike Chapman is a Certified Recovery Life Coach and Brainspotting Provider with Polar Life Consulting and Husband Material. This is an outgrowth of his early life of having survived child sexual abuse and human trafficking, and he is listed with the Speakers Bureau within Survivor Network NC (North Carolina) as a Lived Experience Expert. He also hosts an award-winning podcast where he interviews m...

Jyoti Dhanota is also known by her preferred professional pseudonym "Geet." She is a prolific self-published author with an extensive literary portfolio comprising 11 captivating books. Specializing in the genre of fictional romance, Geet fearlessly tackles taboo subjects prevalent in South Asian communities, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and diverse literary landscape. Her dedication e...

John A. Brink was born in 1940 in Nazi-occupied Holland during WWII. From the time he could walk, his days often consisted of foraging for food with his brother and sister during harsh warlike conditions, surrounded by death and hardship, especially during the hungry winter of 1944/45. John's mother was left to raise her three kids alone when their father was drafted into the Dutch Army. They woul...

Kirtti  Sharma shares her journey of overcoming an abusive marriage, highlighting the emotional and physical struggles she endured, including societal pressures that stifled her individuality. As a child, she would pray daily to escape her father's violent behavior. After recognizing the toxic dynamics of her relationship, she, with her mother's help, escaped the clutches of her abusive husband. I...

Sarah describes having reached her "quarter-life" crisis. She began to see how strategic anyone can be with your career path. It was a revelation that she could design her path to meet an ideal employer's needs and job requirements. Fast forward a few years, and she was filling the role she had previously scouted and loved! Soon enough, she made six figures and kept looking for growth opportunitie...

Matthew "Dr. Matt" Zakreski, PsyD, is a high-energy, creative clinical psychologist and professional speaker who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodivergent clients. He is proud to serve the Gifted community as a consultant, a professor, an author, and a researcher. He has spoken over 400 times worldwide about supporting neurodivergent people. Dr. Zakreski gradua...

Bambi needed thirty-two years to accept her given name. She can now say it with pride. She is a mother of six adult children and thirteen and counting grandchildren. Bambi has never stopped since her 7th-grade teacher told her she had a gift to write. She has published two books, with a third projected for 2025. Her passion is for people, sitting around a table and listening to their stories, and...

Andrew Matthews is an Australian author and international speaker born in Victor Harbor, South Australia. His books, including BEING HAPPY!, FOLLOW YOUR HEART , and BOUNCING BACK! , sold over eight million copies in 48 languages. Andrew has presented to over 1,000 corporations on five continents on the topics of attitude, enjoying work, and resilience. He also speaks in universities and prisons. H...

Dr. Frank L. Douglas grew up in British Guiana. Despite being exiled from his home country and experiencing discrimination, his critical thinking and problem-solving skills have earned him international acclaim. His love of education earned him a Fulbright Scholarship. He worked at Ciba Giegy and Aventis and was involved in the pharmaceutical industry, where he spearheaded the research and develop...

Philip Blackett is an author, consultant, and entrepreneur with a rich background spanning prestigious roles at FedEx, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Chick-fil-A. He earned a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a bachelor's degree in political science and economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.   H...

Marissa Levin chronicles her 30+ years of entrepreneurial experience and how she transitioned through this period. In 2012, she launched Successful Culture, a leadership consulting organization that helped CEOs master the 3 most critical aspects of business growth: leadership development, strategy formulation and execution, and corporate culture creation & improvement. She developed a global C-lev...

Alan Lazaros is a business coach, consultant, trainer, and speaker specializing in helping businesses maximize their growth, impact, and profitability online. He believes in a heart-driven approach to inspiring, motivating, and educating others on what is required to reach the next level. When he was two years old, his father passed away in a car accident. At age 26, after getting into a nearly fa...

Dr. Fidele Sebahizi grew up in a poor African village, living and surviving an ethnically motivated massacre in a United Nations refugee camp of Gatumba in Burundi, Africa. Fidele overcame life obstacles as an immigrant in the United States to achieve the American dream. He became the first immigrant to join and work for the Abilene Police Department (APD) in Texas as a police officer and the firs...

Michaela Cox was born blind and widowed early by the love of her life in her second marriage. She is now a single mother and author. She is a multi-published author and speaker. She writes on various passionate topics and often takes from her life experience and journey. She is the author of five series, including 'Take a Sip, Take a Breath and Go...' series on motherhood, "Before the Clock Strike...

Lisa Lynch's journey to recovery began after she was in a boating accident and suffered a spinal cord and pelvis injury that left her dependent on a wheelchair. She soon learned that sand and wheels don't mix well. She also learned that she didn't think she could enjoy the beach life any longer. Her 13-year (as of this writing) healing journey took her on many different paths. She discovered solut...

Paul Granger describes his emotions and learning from his life experiences of enduring a stillborn childbirth and job termination from a toxic ministry experience. He and his wife prayed fervently for God to restore or create a heartbeat for their child in the womb of his wife. They prayed for and "claimed" that God could and would make a heartbeat. That did not happen. So, did God not hear or not...

Jordan Wilson is a modern-day prodigal son. He was raised in a Christian family with wholesome values. He felt somewhat protected and isolated from the world at an earlier age. Accordingly, he thought he needed to experience the world by engaging in different life events. That included drugs and alcohol. Through his mother's prayers and fasting and his revitalized life in Jesus Christ, he develope...

Donene Taylor is a Professional Author and Speaker who delivers energizing, fun, inspirational, and motivational presentations to many different organizations and teams. She joined the Women's Professional Rodeo Association in 1998 and became a Women's Professional Rodeo Association World Champion Tie-Down Calf Roper in 2016. Donene is also a 4-time WPRA Mountain States Circuit Champion Tie-Down C...

Scott and Randy Baker met when they were 16 and married in 1997. Through their marriage journey, they are learning to adapt to each other as they each learn to adapt to and be aware of their childhood culture. Scott is reserved, while Randy is outgoing by personality type. Randy reminisces about her childhood experiences and her response to her encounters. As frequently happens, our past and its a...

Alan Lazaros is a business coach, consultant, trainer, and speaker specializing in helping businesses maximize their growth, impact, and profitability online. He believes in a heart-driven approach to inspiring, motivating, and educating others on what is required to reach the next level. When he was two years old, his father passed away in a car accident. At age 26, after getting into a nearly fa...

Iryna Ishchenko was born in Kazakhstan and then moved to Ukraine with her family when she was one year old. She knows how it is to grieve your parents when they are still alive, but they are no longer your parents because of bodily function deterioration. They are not the ones you have known and loved for your entire life. She knows what it's like to fear your own emotions because you have always...

Brittney Phillips is a certified life coach, certified stepparent coach, and founder of Blending Bravely, a coaching and education company specializing in empowering women of faith in blended families. With a heartfelt commitment to helping moms in blended families find peace, strengthen their sanity, and deepen their faith, Brittney offers a transformative approach that fosters strong connections...

Pat Wetzel is an award-winning author who has learned perseverance to get beyond the bumps she is experiencing in life.   From Wharton Business School to global finance, from disability to learning to soar (Pat is a sailplane pilot with over a decade of tales to tell), from world travels to travel within, Pat has led an extraordinary life. In her book, she tells the stories of other great people,...