What Would You Say? 27 Reflections on Pivotal Moments

Cristina Marcello is a nonbinary trans individual who found their authentic self by exploring their gender identity. They advocate for the transgender community and strive to create a world where humans can just be humans. Cristina has over ten years of experience in broadcast and audio production and is the Connect Manager at Podchaser, where they coach on guest booking, podcast marketing, and client relations. A certified audio engineer, they began their career in terrestrial radio and are also the Executive Producer for Robert Manni Radio on KCAA and Associate Producer for Inside the Vault with Ash Cash.

Jackie Scully is an experienced History and Psychology teacher and the creator and host of The Teacher Story, which features her own story and teacher interviews. She is also the co-founder of The Teacher Circle LinkedIn group, a global community supporting teachers and others in education. She aims to elevate teacher voices and put them at the forefront of the education reform movement. A former public school teacher in Hawaii and Pennsylvania, she now teaches at a private school in Wilmington, Delaware.

In six years, Sarah Blankenship went from food stamps to six figures, and she now uses her story to inspire others to excel in their own careers. Through her coaching business, Brite Launch, Sarah provides one-on-one career coaching and workshops with a specialized emphasis on accelerating Gen X careers. As the voice of Gen X Nation, she is a fierce advocate, leader, and community builder for Generation X, with a servant's heart and a love of helping others navigate life's biggest challenges.

Matt Gilhooly is the creator and host of The Life Shift podcast, which features conversations about the pivotal moments that change lives forever. When he was eight years old, his mother died suddenly — a loss that took over twenty years to process and that, along with later losing his grandmother, shaped who he is today. A creator at heart, Matt has self-published more than ten coloring books and released a children's book, 'I Can Be Anyone: A Soul's Journey,' in 2021.

Danielle McCombs is a growth-minded individual constantly striving to improve herself and deepen her understanding of the world around her. After a 20-year career in commercial real estate, she decided to pursue her passion for inspiring others to be the best version of themselves. She is a Co-Active Institute-trained coach and hosts the podcast The Opposite of Small Talk, where she explores new ways to grow both personally and professionally.

Liam Heffernan is an award-winning freelance podcast producer, Audio Director at The Podcast Boutique, and co-creator of Emmeline, a podcast network supporting female and non-binary podcasters. His passion for audio began in hospital radio, which continues to this day as he volunteers for the Hospital Broadcasting Association in the UK. In a past life, he was an Oscars expert, film critic, and banker; now he is a proud husband and dad of two fur babies.

Claudia Noriega-Bernstein is an artist, writer, philanthropist, abundance coach, mentor, mother, and wife. During her career as a journalist, she worked for magazines and television in South America and the US, covering subjects from parenting, forgiveness, and growth to political issues. She has dedicated the last twelve years of her life to empowering people, especially children and women. As a life and abundance coach, she has helped people from different backgrounds discover and implement the full potential of their creative powers for personal growth and self-healing.

Wayne Partello is the co-founder and CEO of CUENTO Marketing, a marketing and brand consultancy based in San Diego. He is passionate about helping brands determine their story and bring it to life. After over a decade of media experience followed by over a decade of NFL and MLB front-office experience, Wayne decided it was time to scratch the entrepreneurial itch he'd had since his teenage years, using everything he had gained to help brands identify who they want to be and how to make it a reality.

Lorraine Connell is the owner of Peers Not Fears, LLC, and a veteran educator of over 20 years. She works with schools and youth-serving organizations to coach educators and students and hosts the podcast Education Unimagined. In 2022, Lorraine left her full-time chemistry teaching job to work with interested schools, families, and communities to develop more equitable access and empowerment of students.

Matt Drinkhahn is an entrepreneur and corporate veteran in sales, coaching, recruiting, leadership, and sales management. He has coached high-performance individuals and teams for eight years with ProAdvisorCoach and has led dozens of offsite retreats and conferences. Known for his integrity and highly energetic, enthusiastic personality, Matt transformed a freak zipline accident that followed the loss of his father into an opportunity to teach, coach, and speak to teams and companies. He hosts The Eternal Optimist Podcast.

Josh Painter founded the Best Version Ever community after realizing that most people live a life others expect of them, not a life true to themselves. He was once living that same life, moving from one job to the next, barely getting by, and almost losing everything. Since then, Josh has built and sold a successful real estate company, started a charity organization, and lives his Best Version Ever by helping others crush their goals and reach their full potential in all areas of life.

Pamela Topjian is an inspirational figure, having overcome a childhood marred by neglect and abuse, two toxic marriages, and a battle with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. After a cross-country trip alone, she experienced a breakthrough and has since dedicated her life to helping others. She is a board-certified hypnotherapist and author who now lives in Northern California with her third husband. Through her moving memoir, she seeks to provide solace and encouragement to those in similar situations, proving it is possible to make it through the darkest of times and live a life of fulfillment.

Grant Baldwin is the founder and CEO of The Speaker Lab, a company that has helped thousands of people build successful and sustainable speaking businesses. His expertise and insight have been featured on the Inc. 5000 list, Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The Huffington Post. His leadership and commitment to creating a unique organizational culture are evident in his team's impact.

John Kelley is a Texas firefighter, entrepreneur, and marketing advisor. As a business major, small business owner, and marketing advisor for Beefy Marketing, he has become very familiar with entrepreneurs' daily challenges. Bringing his humor and love for helping others to The Small Business Origins Podcast, he dives deep into what makes each business tick, helping bring useful information to other small business owners.

Bernie Borges is the Vice President of Global Content Marketing at iQor, an Advisory Board member at Vengreso, and producer and host of the Midlife Fulfilled podcast. A highly accomplished B2B marketer and technology sales professional with over three decades in the industry, he's the author of Marketing 2.0 and has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Content Marketing Experts, Marketing Insider's 60 Best Marketing Speakers, and SEMRush's Top 100 Content Marketing Influencers.

Ryan Gottfredson, Ph.D., helps organizations vertically develop their leaders primarily through a focus on mindsets. He is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of Success Mindsets: The Key to Unlocking Greater Success in Your Life, Work, & Leadership, and the author of The Elevated Leader: Leveling Up Your Leadership Through Vertical Development. He is also a leadership professor at the College of Business and Economics at California State University-Fullerton.

Adam Coelho is the host and executive producer of The Mindful FIRE Podcast, a show about crafting a life you love and making work optional using the tools of mindfulness, envisioning, and financial independence. He's also a father, husband, entrepreneur, speaker, and facilitator. For the last 12 years, Adam has worked in sales at Google, where in addition to his core role he has taught mindfulness, envisioning, and emotional intelligence to over 2,500 Googlers worldwide.

Angela Irwin is a confidence coach and TEDx speaker who inspires women worldwide to reprogram their self-acceptance and build lasting confidence to achieve their full potential. Born with normal hearing, she began losing her hearing around age seven and eventually went completely deaf; at 22 she received a cochlear implant she describes as a "second chance at life." During the pandemic she launched the Joyful Life Cochlear Implant Fund, a 501(c)3 that helps cochlear implant recipients access the ongoing technology they need. She has lived and traveled worldwide, including 12 years in France with her husband Colin.

Daniel Rinaldi is a singer/songwriter who presently serves the state of Massachusetts as a mental health counselor. Drawing on his own experience of losing his older brother to an inoperable brain tumor at age 10, Daniel helps others process their grief and find ways to move forward. He is currently developing several projects in the mental health space and working on releasing his own podcast focusing on his personal stories and mental health.

Brian Acord is an entrepreneur, educator, coach, and community advocate. He has worked with over a dozen startups, non-profits, and Fortune 100 companies, and has taught business courses at multiple universities. He currently teaches the Everyday Entrepreneur Program to refugees and underserved communities and is a certified coaching trainer for USA Lacrosse. Brian also hosts his podcast, Strangers You Know, where through deep and meaningful conversations he unravels the complexities of human experience.

Raised in North Carolina, Wiley Davis learned how to navigate life as a secret atheist daughter of a minister, finding refuge with horses and her girlfriends at an old cow farm turned horse property. She moved to Los Angeles and worked in the entertainment industry before finding the love of her life — a sick yellow puppy named Hank — who inspired her to leave Hollywood for the veterinary field to compassionately care for disabled animals. Her debut book, "It's Me or the Horse," is a fictionalized story inspired by true events. Wiley considers herself a student of self-improvement, female empowerment, and healing, and incorporates her learnings into her writing.

Matt LeBris is a born and raised New Yorker who caught the hustler spirit that fills his hometown streets. A Forbes 30 Under 30 Nominee, Matt has worked with Daymond John of Shark Tank and hosts a top 1% globally ranked podcast, Decoding Success, which features guests like Mel Robbins and Grant Cardone.

Living in Naples, FL, Beth Booker is a creative entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in PR and marketing. As CEO of Gracie PR, her diverse background spans multiple industries, from fashion to wellness, beauty to lifestyle, and healthcare to startups. Every project she takes on produces results-oriented work that is creative, strategic, and authentic. When she's not running her company, launching national PR campaigns, and coordinating interviews, she can be found chasing her two kids, cuddling her three dogs, reading, and practicing self-care.

Ryan Berman is the founder and chief creative officer of Courageous, a creative consultancy, where he has helped countless companies and leaders discover their true potential. As a creative in San Diego, he found himself struggling to balance his passion for creativity with the demands of leadership and management. Through his experiences, Berman emphasizes the importance of being courageous in the pursuit of your dreams and finding personal and professional alignment to achieve success.