Succeed Against the Odds

This week's guest and I both immigrated here when we were just seventeen years old. The difference is that Masha Malka had to flee her home and find refugee status in the States. Knowing very little English and having scarcely anything to her name, Masha had to push herself to create opportunities and overcome all the odds. More at FrancescaAnastasi.com

Like millions of others, Tara's weight was an issue she struggled with for years. On top of that, she dealt with thyroid cancer. There was every opportunity for Tara to simply give up and stop fighting, and as she explains, she certainly did. However, she was then given a second chance at life...more at FrancescaAnastasi.com

This week's episode features a tremendous woman, Sharlrita Deloatch. Sharlrita has definitely succeeded against the odds. Sharlrita' rebuilt her life from sitting in a back of a police car to becoming a successful speaker and business coach, ontop of being a speaker herself. More info at FrancescaAnastasi.com

No matter what job you have, relationships are everywhere. If you lack in the proper tools and techniques to make relationships work, you probably aren't going to live up to your full potential. I recommend taking a listen to Paula and seeing how she can help you. Learn more at FrancescaAnastasi.com

It isn't shocking to say that sometimes goals don't work out. What is less accepted, however, is the idea that your mindset could have played a large role in the outcome. My guest this week, Carla Rieger, knows all about the importance in mindset, even going as far as creating a whole business around it. More at FrancescaAnastasi.com

How many of us have felt the burnout of a once passionate career path? Now imagine our jobs impacted the next generation and not just ourselves. My guest this day is dedicated to helping teachers and students never feel the ramifications of any of this. Dr. Marquita Blades is an amazing speaker, educator and all around powerhouse. She was lucky enough to find her love of teaching early on and she...

One of the most important things on the path to business, and personal, success is confidence. It seems simple enough and yet so many of us struggle every single day with an aspect of confidence. My guest this week, Alyssa Dver, is here to help with just that. Interestingly enough, through helping her son with his neurological condition, Alyssa grew aware that it was time to leave her ... more at...

Odette Peek, my guest this week, has been through a tremendous amount of obstacles. Overcoming literal paralyzing pain, she has turned what could have been another story of lost dreams into... more at FrancescaAnastasi.com 

This week's guest is a best selling author, motivational speaker, successful entrepreneur, and former professional NFL cheerleader! Talk about a range of careers! Although Kelly Roach spent her early years focused on dance and cheerleading, she has become a very successful coach who helps small businesses reach.... more at FrancescaAnastasil.com

In today's busy and hectic world, do you often find yourself wishing for a time out of sorts. If only you could get away and focus in on growing as an individual, right? Perhaps if you could just remove yourself from the hustle and bustle but still be able to participate in your life's passion of coaching others to their full potential. If you've ever had these thoughts... more info at FrancescaAn...

Growing up with a narcissistic mother was a very difficult path Gayle had to overcome. She had to get through years of emotional abuse before she was able to distance herself from her family, only to then truly find it in her heart to forgive them. Throughout the episode, Gayle discusses forgiveness. Whether it be the importance of implementing it or tips on how to activate it even in the most see...

Many years ago, Karen had her life fall apart around her when she discovered the infidelity of her then-husband. Instead of allowing herself to wallow forever, Karen took the time she needed to grieve and then demanded a better life. By using what she has termed the "architectural method", Karen helped herself, and in turn continues to help others, go through the steps to a successful business and...

This week's guest is the amazing Paula McDade. Paula has taken on many ventures and continues to succeed against the odds. She is a speaker, graphic designer, editor in chief of her magazine Brilliant Awakening, and CEO of her company Stellar Creative.  As a child, Paula was quick to adopt the entrepreneurial spirit as she used to sell hand drawn cartoon characters to her friends. As she grew, so...

Often I see people not only struggling to achieve their goals but misunderstanding why they aren't doing so. Sometimes an issue needs a second opinion to look at it to get to the bottom of what's going on. Amazing coaches like my guest this week, Vicki Fenn, have made it their mission to help you do just that. ​     Vicki knows what it's like to feel invisible and lost. She also knows what it's li...

Every week I strive to bring you a certified expert in a variety of fields in order to help you develop your business and yourself! This week is no different but very special because it is the first ghostwriter that has graced the Succeed Against the Odds Show. Joscelyn Duffy has written over a dozen books, including her own. She has helped a wide range of clients including New York Times best-sel...

There are many things in life that unite us as a species. One of these things is the fear of failure. So many of our decisions are based loosely, if not solely, around attempting to avoid failure that it can be paralyzing at times. My guest this week has a fresh take on failing. Donya Zimmerman embraces failure because she knows that without it, we could never enjoy the euphoria of success.     Do...

Everyone experiences a series of ups and downs in their lifetime. It is how we handle the situations we are put in that propels us forward or keeps us behind. There are people, for example, who are lucky enough to learn how to overcome the obstacles put in their way and use their experiences to help others. These people are those who go the distance. This is the case with my guest this week, Ruksh...

It is quite understood that in the business real, visibility is not an option. Entrepreneurs need to learn to put themselves out there and make themselves seen and heard, even if it's hard to do so. Vulnerability can sometimes lead to the best of outcomes. Kathleen Gage, my guest this week, would most likely agree. Kathleen is all about visibility. A dedicated author, coach, speaker, and entrepren...

There are a lot of us that go our entire lives living in the shadows. For whatever reason, we find ourselves being drawn into the invisibility, allowing life to just pass us by. This was the kind of life my guest this week, Beth Campbell, had for around fifty seven years. Although that was the case, it is no longer how Beth chooses to live. She is stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight...

Time and time again it has been proven that one of the most important aspects in a relationship, business or personal, is trust. If this is a commonly accepted idea, then why are we not paying more attention to developing and optimizing trust in all our relationships? That is where my guest this week, Tyler Hoffman, comes in. Tyler realized very early on in his career that without trust, you canno...

Dr. Samantha is a professional speaker, author, leadership consultant, founder and CEO of ElevateHER, psychologist, entrepreneur and more!   More info at FrancescaAnastasi.com

One key point that I hope to highlight in every guest's story is how they  overcame whatever odds they were given. It is truly so easy to give up when life hands us a problem. It is the easiest thing in the word. It takes so much courage, devotion, and hard work to accept the hardships in our lives and begin the steps to succeed in spite of them. Someone who knows this struggle all too well is Eli...

I am personally of the mindset that everyone, especially every woman, should be self employed and should be an entrepreneur. So many disappointing situations can be solved with gaining financial freedom. Although I am aware that there are plenty of people who disagree with me, my guest this week, Stacey Banks-Houston is not one of those people Stacey has been living in the entrepreneurial mindset...

I wanted to make sure that the weekly Succeed Against The Odds episodes we bring you are centered around a variety of topics. I made this to be an important point for two reasons. The first reason is that there is simply a myriad of different aspects that play into personal and business development and I wanted to tackle all of them. The second reason is that a lot of these topics are fragmented i...

There are a few commonalities amongst the entrepreneur community, especially some of the women.  Sometimes, although their business is great, they find it difficult to take the steps to network and present themselves to the standard they present their business. Unfortunately, when you choose to be an entrepreneur, your business' brand includes yourself. Some women struggle with this idea of being...