Who We Remember Michael E. Holden on his mother - The Woman Who Saved Us All
We ask each of our guests a simple yet profound question: "Whose life story from your own family would you most want to have documented on film?" and "How does your family's story shape your own personal and professional legacy?"
Today's guest: Michael E. Holden, Author of Authenticity Deficit ‘2024’, Speaker, Trainer, Registered Corporate Coach.
Michael's pick: His mother, Catherine Holden
Sound Bites
- “Instead of being put into a context of deficit, my mother's love and trust placed me into a context of abundance. That belief cascaded through the rest of my life.”
- "Why wait until someone dies to celebrate their life? I threw my mom a surprise celebration—not because she was gone, but because she’s still here. That’s the gift of living in alignment."
- "The world is pouring 99% of its time into things it won’t think about on its deathbed. What if we just raised that 1%—the part that actually matters? That’s what I’m after now."
Summary
In this moving and intimate episode, Michael E. Holden pays tribute to his mother—a woman of extraordinary strength, sacrifice, and compassion. Born in southern India, she left behind a life of rural hardship to become a pioneering nurse and midwife, ultimately immigrating to the U.S. during the “brain drain” of the late 1960s.
Her story is one of relentless devotion: to her patients, her faith, and most of all, her family. Michael shares powerful memories of how his mother championed him as a misunderstood child, supported his daughter through a life-threatening epilepsy diagnosis, and stood by him through spinal surgery and cancer.
Their bond is spiritual, generational, and alive in every story he tells. As Michael steps away from a 20+ year career in finance to pursue work aligned with authenticity and service, he credits his mother’s example as his deepest source of inspiration.
About Michael
Michael E. Holden is a speaker, author, and father of three who left a 20+ year career as a Fortune 500 executive to pursue a life centered on family, faith, and authenticity. A Cornell Executive MBA graduate, he is the author of The Authenticity Deficit and founder of a growing platform dedicated to helping others live with deeper meaning and purpose. Widely respected in the financial services world for his candor and client-first philosophy, Michael now channels his storytelling gifts to honor the people who shape us—especially the quiet heroes within our families.
Join Us
Visit us at storykeep.com/podcast to learn more about how StoryKeep is preserving family histories. Subscribe on your favorite platform to catch new episodes released bi-weekly, available in both audio and video formats.
Join me, Jamie Yuenger, as we go on a journey of remembrance and discovery, celebrating the stories of those we cherish. Don’t miss our enriching journey—subscribe today and be part of "Who We Remember."
Credits
Produced by Jamie Yuenger and Piet Hurkmans. Our show’s musical intro and outro is taken from the track “Thursday” by the independent artist Nick Takénobu Ogawa. You can listen and support his music on bandcamp here