Persistence U with Lizbeth

Ahmard Vital readily accepted his mother's second husband as a father when he was young after his parent's split, enjoying the guidance and wisdom he offered. Not considering his new dad a "step," Ahmard found advantages to having input from two fathers, and celebrates having a closer than ever relationship with his first father today. Now he's working with today young men...

Anyone can schedule an annual training at work that satisfies the requirements to create an inclusive and anti-racist office environment. It checks a box, and can create a false sense of compliance to administrators without delivering measured success. That's where Dr. Helen Ofosu comes in. With an advanced degree in occupational therapy, she works individually with employees in a respectful...

There's a reason the Carnegie Foundation calls Robin Landa one of the great teachers of our time. An educator at Kean University, she pours into her students and other university professionals, helping them pursue their creative passions. This, while she's authored more than 20 books herself. Connect with Robin at http://RobinLanda.com. You will learn:Creativity is rarely an inherited tr...

Vivian Gray found herself wondering what came next. Her kids were headed to college. Her husband, whose poor health had long necessitated that she become his caregiver, was now stabilizing.  The pillar of her family no longer needed to eat life's leftovers. Now what? Today, Vivian Gray is the director of Phoenix Ascension, where she helps uplift other women through coaching and courses as the...

John Giordano is passionate about substance abuse treatment. With his personal history and ongoing education, he's given workshops around the world embracing holistic and unorthodox treatment methods. Today, he's an author and speaker. Connect with John at https://johnjgiordano.com/and find publications he's participated in or learned from You will learn:* A simple definition of sub...

I'm flying solo for episode 103 after a terrific past few days with my daughter. Buzzsprout sent some fun stats for our 2022 year, and here are the highlights:The podcast has grown by 50% over the previous year. 37 countries are listening! Your favorites in review--You will learn:5.What Happens When a Stranger Shows Up for the First 12 Years of Life to Take You Away? (Guest Bee Baumann) 4. Mi...

Chad Peevy knew early on that he didn't fit in. Not in his strict, Fundamentalist home. Not in his rural Arkansas town. Chad was gay, and had no one he could safely tell, and knew no one else like him. The result were feelings of isolation, hopelessness, and anxiety."Run away," he was encouraged by an educator at his school. And eventually, he did. Today, Chad is the founder of busi...

Jodee Gibson recalls the moment she gave up her limiting beliefs to become an expert in trauma, and later, the author of Healing Your Map. A teen mom who was later shocked when she found herself on the Dean's list in college, Jodee was motivated to keep moving forward and continue expanding her education. You will learn:*Jodee believes our map is the lens through which we see our world, deter...

What a great combination of events to end Season 2 on Persistence U. Episode 100 and nearing the end of 2022. I'll be returning in TWO WEEKs from now. Until then, please check out the backlist here! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1618984/website/background/edit   You will learn:                      * My focus facing New Years is typically what I learned the year prior and areas of growth. I invi...

By the time Sam Thiara traveled across the globe from Canada to India in search of his ancestral roots with a faded photograph and a name of a relative, he was ready to know himself more fully. He'd graduated college only to find work as a janitor, and struggled for a time to figure out where he best belonged. You will learn:* Credentials and professional roles are no substitute for attitude...

Lynne Parmiter Bowman's life has taken a few twists and turns professionally. Born in Hollywood, it wasn't unusual that her early work was in film. Which led to other work in writing and makeup artistry and management. But as her life and health evolved, Lynne learned that food could be instrumental in healing. Today, Lynne is the author of Brownies for Breakfast: A Cookbook for Diabetic...

Brad Ritter was a man who had it all. Only in his mid-thirties with a wonderful wife, kids, and a home and career that were more than sufficient, he felt stagnant somehow. While life hadn't dealt him hard circumstances, Brad knew he needed his mettle tested. So, after reading books and doing an internet search on how to find purposeful adversity, Brad dove into a camp run by former Navy Seals...

When Betsy Graziani Fasbinder married more than 30 years ago, she committed to more than a husband. She inherited a son, whose mother had died far too young. Unlike blended families of divorce, Betsy had to navigate her new family's grief and her own desire to be included as a mother. Journaling and writing helped. Today, that writing is Filling Her Shoes: A Memoir of an Inherited Family. You...

Jem Fuller lost his job, his marriage, and his home in one fell swoop during midlife. Rather than simply get through a rough time, Jem saw it as an opportunity to rebuild a relationship with himself, which had a positive impact on the rest of his life. You will learn:* Authentic self-acceptance creates an ecosystem for a strong support network.*Acknowledging one's strengths doesn't equat...

Dr. Nicole Bradford came from a large, bustling family that seemed focused on just getting by. Punctuated by parental domestic violence and siblings who got caught up in the criminal justice system,  the younger Nicole always believed she was made for more. Today,  Dr. Bradford is a speaker, author, and founder of Maintain the Flame, a nonprofit she established in memory of her sister. You will le...

We all have certain childhood memories that stick. For parenting coach Klara Sedlacek, one defining moment was when she was 8 and a stranger found her crying with fear since she'd received a grade her mother was sure to rage over. The stranger walked her home and deescalated her mother, and likely planted the seeds of why this molecular biologist focuses her career on helping strengthen mothe...

Chances are, if you live in the United States, chances are you’ll interact with the Social Security Office. It’s can be simple if you’re applying for retirement benefits. But should you be the one of millions who are petitioning for assistance regarding a physical or mental disability, good luck. Your work is cut out for you. Spencer Bishins was a lawyer for the Social Security Administration for...

After high school and college, our lives can become smaller and smaller, with the chance to meet people who challenge our thoughts and beliefs dwindling as our age increases. U.K. based athlete Muyiwa  Adebiyi  began the Day In Day Out podcast to continue to expand his knowlege base and his circle of support and influence.      You will learn:Challenging ourselves by setting new goals or aspiring...

As a Harvard graduate, Bracha could have worked in any number of high-paying fields. But she longed to make a difference in the lives of young people and became a prolific children's author. You will learn:Creating books for children that would have helped Bracha when she was young, dealing with eating disorders, has created opportunities for her to enrich the lives of her grandchildren and o...

At 18, Cindy Villanueva was clearly on the fast path to success. Attending UCLA after an illustrious high school journey that included near- perfect grades, Cindy instead got pregnant and became a teen mom and college dropout.  But even after three more children and a volatile divorce, Cindy didn't give up. You will learn: Deferred goals can always be resusitated if they're worth preserv...

Sometimes it feels as though life has it in for us. Since publishing my book and more recently, when that book became a movie, I've had the pleasure of connecting with so many people around the world, many experiencing crises similar to those I wrote about like abuse and parental kidnappings. But though I don't work with people who're in acute active crises any longer, there are som...

Christina Foxwell's early life in South Africa was with loving and strict parents. Her father was a Penecostal minister. It was during the age of apartheid, and Christina, a fair-skinned person of color, found herself longing to fit in and to be loved. Christina said she looked to men to abdicate her authority to and had a series of codependent relationships. It took a few tries in marriage,...

Parenting books and experts have much to say on parenting kids during the early years. Then the information seems to stop. Denise Drinkwalter is a former educator who's helped scores of parents who are wrestling with issues of communications, expectations, and disappointments when it comes to their adult kids. You will learn:* The dynamic doesn't magically change between parents and kids...

You might think that being a twin means you'll experience the world around you similarly. Not so, says identical twins and authors Joan and Jane, former therapists turned psychiatric entertainers. Perhaps it was their forced separation by medical staff when they emerged as preemies and sequestered from one another and all physical touch for a prolonged period of time. But each twin felt and a...

After a diagnosis of arthritis in her spine created neverending pain, Chery Ilov was told to resign herself to the fact she'd need medication for life and wouldn't be able to dance or become a physical therapist as planned. The pain was just a part of aging. Today, Cheryl is a physical therapist, martial artist, a podcast host, and an author of Forever Fit and Flexible: Feeling Fabulous...