How Do You Turn Trauma Into Purpose? — Rhonda Sciortino

I’d love you to check out my new book, ⁠Start With Values⁠ (https://values.institute/start-with-values-book/). It’s packed full of tools to help you lead a life that is aligned with your core values, reducing stress and increasing fulfillment.

In This Episode

Rhonda Sciortino is a “bootstrapper” in the truest sense. She founded Child Welfare Insurance to protect those caring for abused children, launched the Successful Survivors Foundation to help people mine their toughest experiences for strengths, and co-founded Prevent Child Trafficking Nevada to build a prevention model any community can replicate. She’s the author of 15 books and creator of the courses “Write Your Book in Days” and “Succeed Because of What You’ve Been Through.” In our conversation, we unpack how to discover purpose through service, transform adversity into advantage, cultivate joy (not just fleeting happiness), and practice real kindness that changes lives—starting with your own.

Big Ideas

🔎 Purpose begins with service — Look around, ask “Who can I help?” and let purpose emerge through repeated acts, not a single epiphany.

🧭 From victim to creator — Reframe the past objectively (like a reporter), extract your “gold” (resourcefulness, empathy, grit), and bring those strengths forward.

💪 Adversity advantage — Prior hard things build decision-speed and calm under pressure; it’s the difference between freezing and moving when seconds count.

😊 Joy vs. happiness — Happiness is a mood that swings; joy is internal, tied to purpose and gratitude, and isn’t switched off by external events.

🫶 Real kindness ≠ politeness — It’s giving without expectation. Practiced daily, it amplifies joy and changes how you show up everywhere.

👨‍👩‍👧 Raising resilient kids — Resist over-rescuing; teach thinking and problem-solving. Let small challenges train nervous-system confidence.

🚨 Preventing child trafficking — Know the signs, act safely, and coordinate with law enforcement; community awareness can save lives.

🔥 “Succeed because of” your story — Your hardest chapters contain transferable skills that employers, partners, and communities need.

🧠 Confidence = self-trust — Walk in with evidence (“here’s what I’ve overcome; here’s how I solve problems”) not empty affirmations.

🌱 Gratitude as fuel — Gratitude and joy form a reinforcing loop that steadies you through inevitable setbacks.

Connect with Rhonda Sciortino

Website: https://www.rhonda.org

Successful Survivors Foundation: https://www.successfulsurvivors.org

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rhondasciortino

Prevent Child Trafficking Nevada: https://preventchildtraffickingnevada.org