The Getting Real with Hilary Show

Lisa Skinner has spent 30 years as a behavioral specialist in the field of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. In our conversation we went over the risk factors for the disease - what we can and can't impact.  Lisa herself has had 8 family members who suffered.   Lisa's goal is to raise awareness of this disease by filling in the missing pieces for all of us.  Our conversation e...

Steve West is just a good guy.  Really good.  From a young age, he started speaking up about how people are treated.  He has created a game in Palm Beach County, Florida.  It's called THE IN-CROWD.  He takes what people need to give away and gives it to those in need.   He is looking to pass on his organization to the right person.  Steve is 86 and wants to continue the amazing work of his org...

Lean in to Grief, Nurture Yourself, and Embrace the Loving Memory | Sally McQuillen | Hilary Burns | S4EP12Sally McQuillen's memoir touched me deeply. She beautifully weaves losing her son, Christopher and her overwhelming grief, with the joy of raising this wild, beautiful child. You will feel her pain, her joy, and travel along her path of loss, acceptance and love. Sally wants to help other...

"Music, Porn & Jesus," is the name of Jerry Dale's book. How do those 3 words go together? That's what we talk about in our fascinating conversation. Jerry was raised in two worlds: the hood and the white neighborhood - so he knew both. His grandfather and father had side hussles that also became natural for Jerry. His love for music brought him into the music business. Even...

Wow!  This interview blew my mind.  Stephen's story is rich, eye-opening, and filled my soul.  Starting out as a theatrical lighting designer, Stephen started working with animal welfare, particularly with cats.  His journey led him to the site of the Joplin tornado, taking care of abandoned animals. Stephen had a life-changing experience with a cat he named Petunia and was never the same.  He...

"This is ridiculous," Amy told herself, but she did it anyway. She wrote handwritten letters to her "friends" on Facebook, never knowing how this simple act would change so many lives. Amy went with her gut, never stopping until she reached the end. "Dear Dana," her second book, tells this heart-warming story of her relationship with Dana, someone she hadn't seen...

Myasthenia Gravis is a pretty serious disease.  Jane Marla Robbins should know.  She was diagnosed with it in 2021.  Her doctors didn't really know how to treat her.  She had blurry vision, couldn't chew, and other nasty symptoms.   What would you do if you were diagnosed with this "Snowflake" disease?  (That means no two cases are alike).  Would you write a funny musical about y...

Tony's father was a gregarious, radio and tv star. Tony listened to his voice on the radio at night as he went to sleep. As he got older, he got to know his father better. When his parents divorced, his world shattered. Where was Dad and why was Mom unhappy? Tony's advice to parents who are divorcing. Get your kids into therapy. They may seem fine on the outside, but on the inside they cou...

After Years of Self-Hate and Shame | Jill Amy Sager | Hilary Burns | S4EP6After years of suffering and being ashamed of herself, Jill Amy Sager now fully loves herself and finds joy every day. In her book, "Guidance from the Universe: Hopeful Messages for Everyday Challenges," Jill shares how she transformed her life. Born with a disability of having different-sized legs, it was made dra...

I could not put down either of Ed Hajim's books, "On the Road Less Traveled," and "the Island of the Four P's." Ed's story can not be put into words and yet, Ed did. His father kidnapped him, told him his mother was dead, and then left him with neighbors. He was in the foster care system, orphanages, and left alone for a month at the age of 11. Here's the amazin...

Margot Denomme quit her job as a Crown Attorney (District Attorney in the US), to educate and create awareness about how low self-esteem and social media can harm children, leading to mental health struggles, bullying and legal issues. She compares her efforts to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and how they have changed the culture about drunk driving. Her first two books, "Mommy Am I Pr...

Reinventing Themselves at 60 and 93 - An Amazing Mother-Daughter Conversation | Amy Goober & Gwen Borden | Hilary Burns | S4EP3Amy Goober and Gwen Borden wrote a book together. Why is that interesting? Because Gwen is Amy’s mother. Amy was always quoting her mother and decided to let the world benefit from her wisdom. Their book is called, "My Mother Always Says," 25 lessons for Find...

"What is it Costing You Not to Listen," Christine Mile's first book, literally changed my life. 96% of us think we are good listeners and given what we know about listening, that makes sense.   But, given what we don't know about listening, it means our lives could work 1000% better. The old, we don't know what we don't know.   Christine's book addresses the problem t...

I learned so much about people in my interview with Sam Mitchell. He is a 22 year old, motivational speaker, entrepreneur, blogger, podcaster, educator and has done a Tedex talk. Sam is a high functioning human being on the autism spectrum with a mission: to show people that people with autism are not broken. He has spoken all over the world, demonstrating his success and educating people about au...

Felicia took on mental illness head on. She is dedicated to changing the context of mental illness into the conversation of mental genius. Everyone has a gift, we are all different, and there is nothing wrong with any of us. Her creation, TrainYourGenius.com, is a community where everyone is embraced, accepted as is, and given training to create the life of their dreams. Felicia is bold, brave and...

Imagine being an American heiress in the early 1900’s.. Your job is to marry and get a title.  It doesn’t matter that you hand over your money to your husband and give up your American citizenship. It’s just what was done.  The most important thing back then was to get married. "The Countess and the Nazi," by Richard Hutto, tells the story of Muriel, and her heroic life. Richard shines a...

Andrew Shelley has been involved in the world of squash for nearly 50 years. He is the founder of the World Squash Library and a co-author of Squash: Then and Now: A Celebration. He wants people to know where the sport of squash came from, its background, and its history. The book is a beautiful compilation of history, photos and anecdotes of how squash started, and how it has transformed into the...

When Marilyn Fleming broke her toe, it literally woke her up and had her take a look at how she was living her life. "I was literally breaking and causing damage to myself with my anger," she said. Limping with her broken toe, she was drawn to a man in a Brooklyn, NY park who was doing Tai Chi. She was mesmerized. Her life changed in that moment. She was so drawn to this man and his gent...

Andrea didn’t feel right.  She knew something was wrong and got herself to the hospital.  She was having a heart attack.  The doctors did tests but couldn’t find anything physically wrong.  They told her something incredible:   “You gave yourself a heart attack.”  Andrea’s stress was affecting her health and she decided to do something about it.   She started introducing mindfulness into her life....

I didn't know what to expect when I read the Bipolar Therapist, by Marcia Naomi Berger. But here's what I do know. I couldn't put it down. Marcia's courageous storytelling gives you insights into what it is like to have manic episodes, be treated differently, be hospitalized multiple times, and yet still end up living a productive, fulfilling love-filled life. If you know someone w...

H. Demetrius Purefoy has had a full life in many different realms. He pursued his martial arts while in the Air Force in Japan and South Korea. He returned to the states, got his accounting degree and practiced accounting for several years. When his company got bought out, he decided never again. He opened Pure Martial Arts Fitness Academy where he did his own accounting only. He is teaching kids...

How to Bring Enjoyment and Profitability to Your Company is one of the sub-titles of Mike Dunlop's book, the Art of the Turnaround.  Mike is a gifted business turnaround magician who self-learned how to save ailing companies. Mike does not have a formal education. He dropped out of high school and did not go to college. Mike’s genius was developed on the court. He came to the US with $300 to h...

"Something is wrong with me," Tania Badiyi thought when she received her cancer diagnosis. "What am I missing?" She went on a search to find out how she could heal her body. "Traditional medicine was rogue," she said. "I am grateful, but it wasn't enough." Our conversation traces Tania's genetic propensity to re-invent herself in times of uncertainty...

"Saving the Beast" - A recovering reporter reflects on America's broken media and how to fix it. That is the title and subtitle of Ted Czech's book.   Ted was in journalism for 25 years and left when he was disturbed and unsettled by what he was seeing in his field. Professors were no longer teaching that journalists owe allegiance to the truth. Instead, young students were being...

Kelly Kirk has quite the story.  He was living a charmed life.  Then,  everything changed.  His niece and nephew were murdered, his parents died, he lost his business and he ended up living in his car.  He didn't want to keep living.  He couldn't see a reason to. He met Sofia Graham and through her belief in him started changing his attitude.  Through a gym membership gifted to him, he got...