Never Ever Give Up Hope

Ben Starling is an author, artist and boxer. He is passionate about marine conservation and boxing which are central themes in his upcoming novel. Ben has a Master of Arts from Oxford University and is Oxford's ONLY ever Quintuple Blue (which is a varsity champion five years running). He has both coached and boxed competitively and with an advantage -- he boxed intelligently. You must listen to his interview to hear his views on how this relates to life and gives you the upper edge! From losing his partner to ovarian cancer to his passion for saving marine life, Ben's life experiences inspired him to intertwine them into his short stories and his novel. His passion for life and love are evident in his stories. Click here for the Amazon link. His compassion is evident in his interview. Do you live a fear-based or love-based life? Listen to his interview to get the answer.

At twenty-six Jackie’s fiancé died and shattered her heart, her world crumbled. Leaving behind a loving family, a great career and fashionable home, she ran away from the tortuous feelings. Landing in Australia she quickly met Noel and married him. Both Jackie and Noel were quite possibly on the rebound! Together they purchased a thirty-three-foot sailing boat and sailed around the world. Crashing within the first twenty-four hours, Jackie realized life would never be the same again; a floating home with no fridge or hot water, and with a dinghy instead of a car. Suffering self-doubts, she became fearful of her new world. Not only did Jackie deal successfully with the challenges of her new existence, she also battled with the testosterone fueled nautical world to become both a professional captain and a qualified maritime teacher. Most importantly, Jackie found herself. She’s sailed around the world one and a half times and trekked in the bush with five rescued horses for several months. She has also trained to become a professional maritime captain and teacher. Currently, she is exploring the European canals on a 1920s Dutch barge with her Australian husband, Noel. Jackie donates 50% of proceeds from her horse trekking book (A Standard Journey – 5 horses, 2 people, and 1 tent), to help rescue more horses. Her motto: Be an encourager, there are far too many critics in the world already

Chris Tryon is an author, motivational speaker and cancer survivor. Her book, Dear Sister, Today is..., is her personal journey through the various stages of breast cancer including valuable lessons she learned. In her interview and her book, she wishes to share these insights resulting from her research, to empower her sisters who may be going through similar circumstances. Most women are not aware they have a choice. Most women are not aware the complications that can happen as a result of reconstructive surgery. Most women are not aware of the discomfort and agony this surgery can inflict. Chris' message is to these women, all women! In quoting Nicolas Cage, the actor: "If a guy only wants you for your breasts, thighs, and legs.....send him to KFC. You are a lady, not a cheap value meal!" Using the Toastmasters and Facebook platforms, Chris is on a campaign to get the message out to women of all ages. "You have a choice!"

Daniel Blanchard grew up in East Hartford under rough conditions. He learned how to fight on the street and later used that knowledge to become a state champion wrestler. This is my SECOND interview with him and if you are a parent, a teacher or a human (!) you can glean secrets from this man's insight and enthusiasm. Daniel has recently been appointed by the Speaker of the House to the Special Education Advisory Council to Connecticut Department of Education; an incredible honor. He has seven degrees in education and was also picked by the American Federation as the voice of educational reform. He is an award-winning author, speaker, and educator. As a teacher and coach for teenagers, he drives life lessons into them. He teaches them how to succeed in an imperfect world and never give up on their dreams. He is a key factor in helping them change their lives. His interview will touch your heart and motivate you to get to know your teenagers on a new level - and relate to them! Feeling Lucky? is about a teen struggling with life in a violent and frustrating world. He's trying to do what he can, but he's angry about the hand life has dealt him. Then, out of the blue, his estranged and mysterious Granddaddy stops by to see him. They go for a walk in the park and for one stormy and magical afternoon, Granddaddy talks about being a former WWII fighter pilot, about the past, his famous friends, and how he escaped a meaningless life.

Ruth Curran drew on her experience successfully overcoming a traumatic brain injury to become an expert on maximizing brain function through lifestyle modification and "turning up the noise on life." She shares her insights and proven techniques for amplifying everyday experiences in Being Brain Healthy. Curran has a master's degree in cognitive psychology as well as more than 28 years of experience as a strategist, business development executive, and organizational behaviorist. Curran is passionate about the connection between the brain and daily functioning and believes everyone—regardless of age or stage of life—has the ability to use neuroplasticity to live a richer, deeper, more fully engaged life. She has created a series of photo-based thinking puzzles, games, and apps that help players work on cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, and executive functioning. Ruth claims that it is more likely each of us knows more people with brain injury than cancer. Think about it -- chemo brain, stroke, pain syndrome...... they affect our thought processes. I GUARANTEE that Ruth's interview will challenge and excite you -- and instruct you on how to improve your brain health: For insights and proven techniques for amplifying everyday experiences go to her blogs: Being Brain Healthy www.rollingmulliganpublishing.com My free brain puzzles and apps -- www.craniumcrunches.com

Fran Macilvey is an author and motivational speaker. Her first book, Trapped, tells the story of her life with cerebral palsy. Fran was born premature and disabled, the younger of twins. She shares her earliest years to the joys and frustrations of marriage and motherhood. Her book shines a bright, fresh light on the myths that “spastics” live with – and reveals the common ground that she endeavors to share with the rest of the world. She worked as a lawyer for ten years before turning to her first passion, writing. In the midst of home-making and the demands of child-rearing, I write about my experiences so that others can understand how challenging it is, to maintain the appearance of a “normal” life with a disabling condition. I also like to write about making the most of life, and my next two books are about how we can do that. In Fran's words....... "My first tool for coping is to surrender. A quote in my IN box lately came via Ingrid Bergman, who said, ‘Happiness is good health and a bad memory’ and I am relieved to hear it. I enjoy the reminder that the past may be real, but is not as real as the shadows beneath the trees I can see over the road. And in the midst of life’s unexpected challenges, it is anyway easier not to think about our preoccupations. Somehow, that makes them bigger and more looming. As they get bigger, they cast a wider shadow over the rest of life. The next tool is notice how far I have come. Not to dismiss the compromises and the dignified silence, but to see these as the best I could manage, at the time. And finally, keep eating. Oatcakes at three am, with a cup of barley coffee, are remarkably sustaining, and remind me that small acts of love are just as important as big ones." Fran's second book, Happiness Matters, and her third, Making Miracles, detail her quest for happiness and success.

Sandra Elaine Scott is a transformational speaker, corporate trainer and life coach who specializes in helping individuals turn their someday dreams into TODAY'S REALITY. Her book, Manana Starts Today, is a collection of empowering affirmations designed to assist you in moving forward towards your goals and dreams. When Sandra was born with physical problems, the doctor told her mother "You sure got a lemon!" Her mother was determined to prove the doctor wrong and DID! "FAITH IS ELECTRIC AND FEAR IS STATIC" Sandra strongly believes we can change our lives by applying these techniques: LIVE LIFE TODAY POWER OF AFFIRMATIONS CREATING A POSITIVE LIFESTYLE USING LIFE LESSONS YOUR MOTHER TAUGHT YOU Sandra's interview was upbeat, fun and her tips doable! Her attitude is contagious and you won't want to miss the secrets she shares

Glenda Oakley Cook is a Transition Strategist, Leadership Coach, and Market Place Mentor. Utilizing her experiences as an Army “Brat,” former Army Captain and current Army spouse, she helps women take command of their lives to command the life they desire. Glenda founded the Institute of Transitions, a consulting firm specializing in personal and professional development with an emphasis on transitions, leadership and confidence. Her firm’s courses, training, events and coaching programs prepare emerging influencers with the ability to transition into their next stage of life with ease! A combat veteran and a net worth over a half-million dollars by the age of 30, Glenda truly believes you can achieve anything with determination, dedication, and discipline. She has been featured on over 40 different websites and publications; including the hit national television show on Esquire Network, Friday Night Tykes. Her Philosophy – “If you transition your mindset, you will transition your life!” A master at adapting and overcoming obstacles, breaking barriers and slaying societal statistics, she is quickly emerging as a millennial empowerment expert. She is a contributing author to the book entitled Resilience: Living Life By Design where she invites readers on a tour of a monumental point in her life. She is the founder of The SALUTE movement; honoring women for all that they balance in terms of life, family and career. In her chapter, A Salute to Success: Three Principles to Overcoming Obstacles, she shares the redemption tools she used to earn her SALUTE. Three steps to becoming a success: 1 - Pursue resiliency to overcome your challenges -- There is power in your thoughts so clean out the negative clutter to create a positive circle around you 2 - Realize that any obstacles in your life do NOT define who you are. What you do NEXT - after the trauma is what DOES define who you are. Be Defiant! 3 - Give yourself permission to fail -- Every successful person has had setbacks. Find the lesson you can learn from every challenge you face

Kathleen Pooler spent the first 18 years of her life in a loving, supportive family. The next 25 years were engulfed in the abyss of two abusive marriages. Pooler rescued herself and is now dedicated to helping other women (and men) do the same. She hopes to help others find their inner strength through sharing her hard-earned lessons in her new memoir. In addition to dealing with her two failed marriages, she was diagnosed with cancer and her son was abusing drugs. “When we claim and honor the God-given strength within, we are able to climb out of the abyss of poor decisions and go on to live a meaningful, peaceful life.” Ever Faithful to His Lead: My Journey Away from Emotional Abuse offers readers insight into her poor decisions and how they can learn from her story. “I want to inspire hope and action for my readers who need to find their own inner strength,” Pooler explains. She sums up her message in these six tips: A loving family, solid career, and strong faith foundation do not guarantee a problem-free life. We all have everything we need within, but we need to claim and honor our own inner strength to get the life we want and deserve. Abuse, in any form, is harmful. Emotional abuse may not cause direct physical harm, but it can be damaging to your mind and your spirit. The very things you think are holding you back from having the life you want can serve to help you find your way to freedom. Hope matters, even when all seems hopeless in the moment. Nothing can rescue you until... you decide to rescue yourself How does a young woman from a stable, loving family make so many wise choices when it comes to career, but so many poor choices when it comes to love? Her life and the lives of her two children hinge on her choices and the answers she finds.

Jamaican born Claudette Esterine studied International Relations at Kiev State University in the Ukraine and then theological studies at Newman Theological College in Alberta, Canada. She has worked as a chaplain for both hospitals and prisons and has further studied Behavioral Counselling and Case Management in the Federal Correctional System. As an active blogger, she helps women (and men) work through the daily realities of life including child abuse, domestic violence and racial marginalization. She endured sexual, physical, emotional and mental abuse her entire life -- was stabbed by her own mother and used as a sex object 'pimped out' for years. After realizing something was missing in her life during a 10-year same-sex relationship, she was able to turn her life around. Now free from guilt and pain she is a WOUNDED healer - helping women from all walks of life to allow their pain to be the propellant for the life they want to live. Her interview was not only inspiring but motivating