When the Future Disappears in an Instant It wasn’t a shouting match. It wasn’t a courtroom. It was sushi. A quiet moment at a familiar restaurant. And a handshake. That was the moment Mikelann Valterra’s marriage ended. Not with …
When a Dream Doesn’t Fit Anymore There’s this idea we all grow up with – that if we start something early enough and push hard enough, we’ll end up exactly where we’re supposed to be. But what happens when that place n…
Seeing People Isn't Always Easy — But It's Always Worth It When Adam Erwin boarded a plane shortly after 9/11, he was filled with the kind of fear many of us still remember from that time. It was his first flight since the attacks, and every …
When Life Splits Into “Before” and “After” There’s a moment Tony Stewart will never forget. His wife picked up the phone, listened quietly, and then looked up and said, “I have tumors in my lungs and spine.&rdquo…
We all know the script: go to school, get a degree, find a good job, buy a house. It's the path many of us are encouraged to follow, often without questioning if it truly fits. But what if that script never felt right to begin with? In this article…
The Day Ian Fee Chose Himself Over Alcohol For three decades, Ian Fee believed that alcohol was his superpower. It helped him network, entertain, and keep the party going. He could walk into any room, light it up, and leave with new clients and new…
Growing Up Without the Words Leyla King grew up in Texas surrounded by warmth, family, faith, and tradition. Sunday feasts with dozens of cousins, strong matriarchs in the kitchen, and a deep connection to her Christian upbringing were the …
When Laura DeKraker Lang-Ree’s three-year-old daughter whispered, “It hurts everywhere, Mama,” she had no idea those would be the words that shattered her world. But in that quiet moment, everything changed. What followed was a dia…
Burnout Doesn’t Always Announce Itself If you’ve ever taken on too much and told yourself, “I’ve got this,” you’re in good company. That was Andrew Lang’s default for years – saying yes, staying late,…
The journey through a life-threatening illness is one that can shake us to our very core. It's a path that challenges our resilience, redefines our priorities, and often leaves us forever changed. Recently, I had the privilege of speaking with Vanes…
Life has a way of throwing unexpected curveballs our way, doesn't it? One moment we're cruising along, thinking we've got it all figured out, and the next, we're faced with a challenge that shakes us to our core. These moments, these life shifts, ca…
Life has a way of presenting us with unexpected challenges that can shake us to our core. For Emily Holland, her journey of self-discovery and transformation began with a simple decision to reevaluate her relationship with alcohol. Her story is a po…
Guilt is a powerful emotion that can keep us tethered to toxic relationships long after we've recognized the need to leave. It's a complex web of feelings, often intertwined with shame, fear, and a misplaced sense of responsibility. I recent…
Life has a way of throwing unexpected challenges our way, doesn't it? Sometimes, these challenges can feel overwhelming, leaving us wondering how we'll ever find our way through. As we learn from Carol Look's story, within these struggles lies the p…
Life has a way of throwing curveballs at us, doesn't it? One moment we're cruising along, thinking we've got it all figured out, and the next, we're faced with a challenge that shakes us to our core. These moments, these life shifts, can be incredib…
Have you ever felt like you're living on autopilot, chasing success and financial security without truly considering what brings you joy and fulfillment? I recently had the privilege of sitting down with Ofer Niv, a remarkable individual whose journ…
The power of storytelling is undeniable. It has the ability to heal, connect, and transform lives in ways we often can't imagine. I recently had the privilege of speaking with Susan Lieu, a remarkable Vietnamese American playwright, performer, and a…
Life has a way of surprising us, doesn't it? We often think we have it all figured out, only to find ourselves on an unexpected journey that challenges everything we thought we knew. This was certainly true for Trystan Reese, a remarkable individual…
From poverty line to millionaire: Audrey's path to financial independence Life has a way of throwing curveballs at us, doesn't it? Sometimes, these unexpected moments become the catalysts for incredible transformations. I recently had the chance to…
Life's complexities often reveal themselves in the most unexpected moments. For Martha S. Jones, that moment came during a college class presentation on Frantz Fanon's "A Dying Colonialism." As she stood before her peers, index cards trembling in he…
Life has a way of throwing curveballs at us when we least expect it. These moments can shake us to our core, leaving us questioning everything we thought we knew about ourselves and our path forward. But what if these challenging experiences could b…
This blog post explores the impact of vulnerability and storytelling, as discussed in my latest podcast episode, "Redefining Success and Embracing Stories | Ashley Menzies Babatunde." We discuss how sharing personal struggles can lead to healing, co…
Maggie's Journey: From Darkness to Dawn Maggie Maris had always been a perfectionist, striving for excellence in everything she did. But beneath her seemingly perfect exterior, she battled with feelings of inadequacy due to undiagnosed learning dis…
Introduction Leaving a family business is a significant decision that can evoke a rollercoaster of emotions. Societal expectations, internal struggles, and the fear of change can make breaking away from the familiar daunting. In this blog post (wri…