Persistence U with Lizbeth

As a young man spiraling out of control with drug addiction, Colleen Elaine's son clearly had a problem. He wasn't the only one. Colleen Elaine shares lessons learned after her life unraveled, and the permanent changes made as her son and entire family inched forward to wellness. You will learn: Sometimes a "problem child" indicates a family system deficit that needs addressing...

It's been over nine months since I packed my few boxes, stuffed my cats in an airplane, and flew from Alaska to Tennessee to a home where I knew no one, leaving the place where I'd spent more than 5 decades of my life. It's been tough, leaving the state that essentially raised me, leaving my grown daughters, and starting over again. But the gold has been in the struggle. You will le...

What do you say when a doctor tells you that you've got six months to live? When you're Dr. Allen Lycka, you get a second opinion. And a third.  And so on. Rather than close his practice down and get his affairs in order, Dr. Lycka followed his intuition and kept digging for the truth. Today, Dr. Lycka is a motivational speaker, a popular radio host of How to Live a Fantastic Life, and c...

Back when Fiona Demark was growing up in a small town in Australia, resources to help support her sight loss weren't readily available.  Legally blind since birth, she worked hard in school and envisioned a future for herself that included a career.  But her family didn't rally for her as she'd hoped, demonstrating apathy and even incredulity that Fiona would expend the effort for d...

Dr. Susan Landers had it all. A brilliant career in neonatology in the NICU unit, a supportive husband, also a doctor, and three children. It was wonderful, and sometimes, it was far too much. Today, Susan is the author of So Many Babies: My Life Balancing a Busy Medical Career and Motherhood. You will learn:Attempting to give 150% to parenting and your profession will lead to burnout Work- life b...

 Karen Mills wrote off her tummy pooch as simply another sign of menopause.  After all, what menopausal woman doesn't gain a bit of belly weight, or have trouble fully evacuating during urination ?When her doctor saw her for a routine appointment, she eventually learned that she had ovarian cancer. You will learn:The signs of ovarian cancer are often non-existent, or mimic symptoms of general...

 "We need to get rid of your mother," David Crows father told him when he was a young boy. He'd worried David would experience the mental health problems that she did, and insisted David help dispose of her to reduce the likelihood. What happened next became the award-winning memoir, The Pale Faced Lie, now optioned for film. You will learn:1. Parents forcing children to form allegi...

Frank Zafiro isn't afraid of a challenge. A police officer for many years before retiring as a captain, he'd long been a writer with a string of successes. But as the world of publishing changed, he found himself fighting to get his books into the hands of readers, before taking action that would change the trajectory of his career. You will learn:*How the publishing industry continually...

First, the diagnosis was epilepsy. Then, a host of other symptoms besides seizures were identified and treated. By the time Mary Held  finally found a doctor who landed on the right intervention, she'd lost mobility and nearly all the ability to work and live as she'd been previously accustomed. You will learn:*Trauma can create lasting debilitating physical and emotional harm.*Some peop...

Daniel Hess was just a little boy when his close-as-a -brother cousin died. Daniel himself was born with aortic valve stenosis, a heart defect that meant he couldn't play sports like other kids. He could have easily focused on the limitations, but from the beginning, pursued academia. You will learn:* The inability to pursue some things due to health problems created opportunities and motivat...

A quick interview with yours truly about what's happening these days, the signs of spring and the ending of isolation due to moving and the pandemic. You're invited (If you're an author or soon to be!) to my FREE  masterclass tomorrow and the day after (May 4 and 5, 2022 at 7PM EST) on The Three Mistakes New Authors Make, and the Mindset Shifts to Fix Them.  Sign up HERE!There'...

Jinny Wong was living the dream. With a supportive husband, a secure job with great benefits, and a growing family, what could be better? But she wasn't living her dream. Jinny wanted to pursue her passion of acting. But should she? How could she? What all was she willing to risk? You will learn:* Creating a plan of action with timelines is helpful to master goals.* Preparing for unforseen ci...

When Robyn Moore's doctor told her she needed an 11th medication to manage her mental health, inwardly she balked. It took some encouragement to address her concerns directly, and the decision to do so spurred a series of other opinions that needed challenging. You will learn:* Giving ourselves to challenge limiting thoughts is the first step toward transformation.*  Working on mindset and &q...

Welcome to this three-part miniseries  about the book-to-movie process. Contrary to what I mentioned in the recording, the next two will be published this week! :)I'll be sharing some of what I learned when my memoir, Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters, became Stolen By Their Father on Lifetime Television, and mistakes I made (and nearly made) throughout the process. I'll answ...

Ed Di Gangi wasn't an adopted person who'd always wondered about his biological family. His childhood had been a good one. That changed as he approached his 70th birthday, when Ed's curiosity was piqued by a trip to the graveyard. His journey to know his history is documented in his memoir, The Gift Best Given. You will learn:* Getting to know a long lost family member can still occ...

Welcome to this three-part miniseries  about the book-to-movie process. Contrary to what I mentioned in the recording, the next two will be published this week! :) I'll be sharing some of what I learned when my memoir, Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters, became Stolen By Their Father on Lifetime Television, and mistakes I made (and nearly made) throughout the process. I'll ans...

For LaTonia Edwards, seeking help to heal from childhood abuse and, later, military sexual assault, wasn't something she learned from her family growing up. But her journey to find the right services led her to become the vibrant business woman she is today, creating the very support she'd not found back when she was seeking help. Today, LaTonia is a trauma-informed violence and sexual a...

Stel Coombe-Heath sat in her home a few years ago, surrounded by the evidence of fast food and donuts she'd eaten, and realized it was her time to ask for help. She'd long taken her fitness and weight to punishing levels, depriving herself for period of time, followed by bingeing. Then shame. Discomfort. And pushing herself to exercise more and eat less. It was time for a change. You wil...

It wasn't until new schoolmates threatened to lynch her in her teens that (now) Dr. Naeema's mother had to tell her the truth: her father was not the man on her birth certificate, and was a Black man. In that moment, whom she'd believed herself to be was forever changed. You will learn:Family secrets fester and create an unnecessary sense of shame. To embrace ourselves fully, we mus...

Kerryn Vaughan was living her best life in her 30's, playing in a rock band in Australia and enjoying the adulation when her younger sister received a cancer diagnosis. Kerryn felt helpless, watching her sister die, and it took a long while before she was able to pivot. Today, Kerryn's the host of Get Off the Bench Podcast, an author, and a leader teaching others how to greenlight their...

Today is so very significant to me. Stolen By Their Father, the Lifetime Television movie based on my book, Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters, premiers today. And it's 32 years to the day after leaving abuse behind, something to celebrate, indeed. You will learn:Happily Ever After is for fairy tales, but my family been so fortunate to live our lives reunited in a Happily Ever Afte...

Jenn Smrz lived so many women’s reality: shrinking to fit her work hours to accommodate her mom duties without falling down on any of the details at home or at work. Then in May 2019, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer, which she equated with a future of easier successful treatment. Five surgeries later, Jen has learned much. You will learn:* Often, there is no family history when breast...

Author Annabelle "Bee" Baumann says that her world went from vivid color to black and white the day her real mother showed up unexpectedly at when she was 12 and took her home. All feelings of security evaporated as she was plunged into poverty to with strangers, who commented that she didn't sound like they did. You will learn:* How being a misfit in your own family can translate t...

Teresa Moerer was certain physical therapy would be her  dream career. It was not. But rather than waste the training and experiences earned during her long career spent in numerous locations, she found fulfillment in creative outlets and taking the best of the training and principles she learned to create her own business model where she promotes health and wellness for older adults. You will lea...

In this interview with return guest Evelyn LaTorre, she shares her journey in creating a love that's lasted for more than five decades, despite the odds being stacked it. Writing back-to-back books, family reactions on publications, and becoming an author later in life are part of the conversation. You will learn:The challenges of marketing the first book when deadlines for the second one loo...