www.exceptionalmag.com
July-August 2011
CONTENTS
Extraordinary Profiles 56
Cover Story— Nicko Williamson–London’s Green Entrepreneur Achieves Success with Climatecars
63
Susan Ellis—From Challenge Comes Knowledge and Triumph
Inspiration 68
Doors of Opportunity Usually Swing Open on the Hinges of Adversity
70
Stacy Hawkins Adams in Profile
72
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
73
Summer Self-Care
The Lighter Side 75
Water, Water, Everywhere
79
Profile Resources
80
Writers and Contributors
Cover photo by Grey Hutton Photography
Focus intently upon your life's passion. Don't lose sight of your goal.
www.exceptionalmag.com
Thank you...Founder, Monica Davis
Photo by http://everaftervisuals.com
Nicko Williamson
How many of us can say that at age 22 we wanted to become an entrepreneur? Londoner Nicko Williamson did just that. While attending Marlborough College he envisioned himself becoming his own boss, but more importantly, he wanted to make a significant contribution to his country’s environment. Nicko is beginning to see the fruits of his labor after three years of hard work that he spent to begin his company Climatecars. Not only is he fulfilling his dream as an entrepreneur and contributing to changing London’s environment, but Nicko’s entrepreneurial endeavor has become an asset to London’s economy. He employs 60 plus employees. In today’s world that’s a major feat, especially for the 27 yearold entrepreneur extraordinaire. Nicko’s dream behind Climatecars
London’ London’s s Green Entrepreneur Makes a Success with Climatecars
was to introduce a vehicle that would have lower levels of emissions, thereby helping to create a greener environment. He is succeeding, and his goal is to become the first company to provide a 100% emission-free taxi service within a few years.
Extraordinary Profiles
Climatecars has changed the tone of London’s taxicab industry. Nicko saw a need and quickly began to find a way to fill it. As the top green cab company, Nicko wanted to ensure that his customers would not sacrifice comfort and convenience. As a matter of fact, Climatecars offers enhanced customer service, from the time that the customers are picked up until they arrive at their destinations. Let’s take an interesting trip into Nicko’s entrepreneurial dream as he shares his experience with Exceptional People Magazine. Monica: Tell me about yourself in terms of growing up – your high school years. Nicko: I went to school called Marlborough College in Wiltshire, which is a boarding school. From there I grew up in the countryside and I had a rather nice upbringing. At about age 18 or 19 I went to Bristol University and studied Modern History which of course is a bit unrelated to what I’m doing now. But that was my main degree and when I was there I was always thinking about what I was going to be doing while my friends were applying to become investment bankers and entering other professions. I wanted to start my own business, so it was while at Bristol that I actually had the idea for Climatecars. It started during my last year at the university while I was writing my dissertation. I was scribbling down ideas about Climatecars and it progressed to the point where I began writing a business plan. Upon leaving Bristol University I began to focus on Climatecars in 2006. It took me a year after leaving Bristol to start the company.
Monica: What was your vision behind starting Climatecars? Nicko: My vision was an eco-friendly taxi company. I could see that everybody was using taxis. Taxis are incredibly popular in London. I thought why not make this green? I couldn’t see a reason why it couldn’t be green. I started looking at gas conversion as my first idea. I was going to convert them to run on LPG, liquefied petroleum gas, which has a lower emission than petrol or diesel. I then decided that really wasn’t the way because I couldn’t get it to work or make the emissions savings stack up. About that time the new generation of Toyota Prius came out and it was the obvious thing to use. We didn’t have to convert the Toyota Prius. If you compare a Prius to a standard black taxi, which are what most people use to get around town, the emissions on the new model Prius is around 89 grams per kilometer. The black cab is around 230 and at the high end 260 or 270 grams per kilometer. So the savings are vast and there’s no difficulty in doing it. We didn’t have to charge more for our service. Although there is no lower level of service, I wanted to create something that was better than our competitors. We have leather seats in all of our cars and we give away a special environmentally friendly branded bottle of water in all of our cars. We’ve got magazines and smart drivers who deliver great service. I want to be the car company that people or companies will use while feeling good about themselves while sharing and caring about the environment. But we’re also giving them great service. Monica: I would imagine that you had to acquire fund-
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Extraordinary Profiles
ing. How were you able to get the funding and what challenges if any, did you encounter in trying to fund your idea? Nicko: Lots of challenges. When I left the university, I was 22 years old. I had never run a business, never worked for anybody though I had participated in some internships. I didn’t have a lot of credible experience behind me. I knew a lot of entrepreneurs and I sought a lot of advice. One of them told me to go work for a taxi company in London, pick apart the business, to understand and build myself a bible, as it were, on how to op-
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erate this type of business. So at age 22, I went off and did that. I really came to understand the process. I went back to the entrepreneur and he was quite surprised that I did it. He began advising and mentoring me. By this time I was in a good position because I had a business plan and I had also attended London Business School which is the business equivalent of Harvard or Yale in the United States. I approached them with the idea and asked for help. They put two MBA students on it, and we actually entered a business planning competition. It was called a Global Social Venture Competition which is a competition for busi-
Extraordinary Profiles
nesses with an environmental or social impact. These two individuals were able to help me with the numbers and I was able to build a solid, robust business plan. I then approached a network of people who I knew had funds they may want to invest. I explained what I wanted to do -- I was trying to raise £200,000 to start the business. A number of them said yes. I submitted the plan and it’s amazing. The first person that I sent my business plan to contacted me and said he would give me £50,000. Another person came along and gave me £25,000 and another gave £20,000. I was over half way and suddenly the rest of it kind of fell into place. I managed to get a few relatives to contribute as well. It was all equity funding and I sold 30 percent of the company back in 2007. That allowed me to be adequately capitalized. I also leased vehicles and that gave me capital that I needed to start. Monica: When you were learning how to run a business by working for a rival taxi company, how long did that process take? Nicko: About three months. I
was young and impatient, so I literally crawled all over the business, spoke to everybody, trying to identify their weaknesses. I could have spent more time and I probably should have spent more time, to be honest. I probably would have avoided some mistakes. It wasn’t a very well-run business, so I didn’t want to shape my business based on that business. I just wanted to learn from their mistakes and understand the market. I had a timeframe in my head that I wanted to get this done within a year from leaving the university. It was just before Christmas that I left the company and allowed myself a couple of months to raise cash, get an office and hire people. It was a bit hurried but I feel when you have momentum you need to push on with it. Monica: What makes your eco-friendly car different from other eco-friendly cars? Nicko: There are other companies doing a similar thing in London. We were one of the first, but now other companies have realized it’s a sensible move to use the Toyota Prius technology. The differentiating factor with us is that we offer a really great service with lots of extras and added value beyond what other companies offer. We offer more of a corporate car service than a normal taxi service at a very competitive price. So it’s not just the eco-friendly side. It’s the little things such as when you get picked up from the airport, there’s a cold bottle of water waiting for you and a driver meeting you in a suit that looks smart and will help you with your bags. It comes down to great service. It’s the core of our business. Monica: Your goal is to combine ecology, economy and innovation to provide the most comfortable service. Nicko: That was one of our initial goals. We’re now working on new innovations. I’ve hired a new operations director this year who has mostly taken on the day-to-day operations which has freed up a lot of my time to allow me to focus on strategy. So what I’m doing now is looking at the next stage of the business, which is going to be running a fleet of totally electric cars and also combing that with range extending hybrids. We’re going to be using the U.K. version of the Chevy Volt and Renault bringing out a range of electric vehicles as early as next year. By this time next year we’ll have a much better range of vehicles and a wider range of services, again with lower emissions while striving to be the greenest car or taxi company around. July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 59
Extraordinary Profiles
Monica: Who are your customers or clients? Nicko: Corporate clients mainly. Ninety percent of our revenue comes from business customers and they range from one very large U.S. Investment bank, to Unilever, radio stations, ad agencies and others. We have a very diverse client base. My goal has been to spread our clients as widely as possible and not have too many clients taking up too much of our turnover. Our largest clients are no more than 15 to 20% turnover. That gives us stability so that if we were to lose a client, we won't go bust.
monitor every part of the process, which means we are able to provide reliable service. Monica: What value do you bring to your customers? Nicko: We give great service at the right price and at the lowest possible emissions you can get for this type of service. We’re not providing limo service but a very comfortable service that’s going to show up on time to get you to your destination on time. Monica: What about comfort?
Monica: Your service is becoming a luxury taxi service? Nicko: I wouldn’t use the word luxury because I don’t want people to be put off by price. We are very costsensitive and we offer services at a good value price. It’s no more expensive than any of our competitors. It’s actually often cheaper than the black cab over about two miles. We offer high quality and good value car service. We have a lot of cash and credit card customers, so if you’re ever in London and you want to book one of our cars, you can ring us up 24 hours a day or book online. Anybody can book our cars.
Nicko: Again, we offer things like leather seats, mineral water, nice clean cars, drivers who will turn the air conditioning to whatever temperature you want, generally good quality service. It’s all about comfort and service. People who decide to use us will use us often because of our green credentials.
Monica: The average person can use your service? Nicko: Yes, they can call anytime, 24 hours a day, 265 days a year. Monica: Your vision is to provide first class service. Your customer service has several components. I'll outline a few of them for you to expand on: The first one is reliability – how do you provide reliability to your customers? Nicko: We use a lot of technology. We’ve invested very heavily in very good software and hardware so that we have vehicle tracking. All of our vehicles are dispatched through our computer system which means that the jobs the drivers get are sent through PDA, and we can see exactly where the driver is. If the customer is running late, we can quickly change things around. We are able to 60 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011
Monica: How have Climatecars impacted the economy in London? Have you been able to measure the success that the car is having on London’s economy? Nicko: Not particularly in relation to the economy as a whole. We’ve grown tremendously. I would say it’s the whole product or service that we’re providing. We’ve been going for four years and last year for example, we did £2.2 million of turnover. It’s been growing really nicely and we’re planning on doing over £3 million next year. Assuming things continue to go well, I think it’s having a very positive affect on the economy in London.
Extraordinary Profiles
Monica: Absolutely. You’re putting people to work. Nicko: Yes. We have over 60 drivers as well as an office staff. It’s becoming a big business but we’re scaling it up. We’re not going to continue to do the same thing. We’re going to keep innovating ,and there will be other services that are complimentary to this one. Monica: Your aim is to be the first zero emissions car service. How far are you from reaching that goal? Nicko: We’re getting quite close. We’ve got the electric vehicles coming early next year and these cars will generally be zero emissions. There’s always the part of where we get the electricity from. There’s a lack of renewable electricity in the U.K., which is a bit of a problem. But we will be providing cars that do not emit any CO2 at all when they’re driving around town. They’ll be purely electric.
We’re within a year for part of our fleet to get to that point, but we’re quite a ways off for the whole fleet because we need to do some longer distance trips as well. The issue you have with electric vehicles is range. The ones we’re using are going to have about a 100 mile range to them, so we’re only going to be able to have a portion of our fleet solely electric. The remainder will be range-extending hybrids and other new technology. Monica: What do you attribute to the success of your company?
Nicko: A lot of hard work and pretty good marketing. It’s a solid idea and decent product. We’ve gone into an existing market and tweaked the product so that it works better and is different and interesting. I think that’s where the success comes from. We’re not trying to invent something new and revolutionary; we’re tweaking an existing product and it allows us to enter a market and receive decent market share fairly quickly because people need this service. We’re very proud of our brand. Monica: From a business standpoint what are some important lessons you’ve learned since starting the company? Nicko: Oh, lots of things, just being willing to try things. The first is cash flow. It’s obviously a very cash-intensive business. We’ve been profitable for quite a while now but to begin with, it was very tough to run the business when you’re not making money and lots of companies are delaying payment terms, and things like that. One of the key
things I’ve learn is managing cash. I think you have to keep innovating. I think you have to make sure you have a good story that’s well marketed, and a good sales team. I started off doing all the sales myself but we now have two people who also do sales and marketing for us. That’s very important. Also, along the cash flow line, make sure you have a very good numbers person. We’re lucky to have a finance director who is very helpful and it means we’re very much on top of the key metrics of the business. It’s extremely important that if you’re going to run anything operational that
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you absolutely need to know every little number that’s going on within the business and driving different areas of the business. Monica: Obviously one of the main keys to operating a successful business is a solid marketing plan and team. Nicko: Absolutely. We are not of a size where we use advertising but we use public relations to generate press. Our cars are branded quite subtlety, we do e-campaigns and cold calling as well. We’re not re-inventing the wheel. We’re doing a lot of search engine optimization and other related things.
difficult to say how we would have done it, looking back. The right people are generally attracted to some form of success, but when you’re starting a business from scratch, you have no success or track record, and it's quite difficult to get the right people involved in the business. I think that would be the key thing. We’ve made many mistakes and have learned from all of them. It’s part of the learning process. It’s managing while learning. If you’ve got the determination to make it succeed, it’s possible. Monica: I want to congratulate you on your success. You have achieved a lot in such a very short period of time. Nicko: Thank you.
Monica: Within a short period of time your company has grown tremendously.
Monica: When you first started with your idea, what did your parents think?
Nicko: Yes, thankfully. We've got to keep it going now. Monica: What advice can you give other young entrepreneurs about starting a business? Nicko: I would say one of the key things is assembling a good team. Whether it’s a team of people to work with or a team of people to advise and support you. I was very lucky with my London Business School associates and a few other people I involved in the business. Although I was running it myself, I was able to pick up the phone and get advice and help from them. Without it the business wouldn’t be where it is today. I would say don’t get put off but make sure that any new business you think of going into is well-researched. I think people dive into things without really understanding the market and the players and competitors. I did a lot of competitive analysis before I started, so I knew exactly what I was up against, what other companies were charging. I researched everything about the car and taxi market in London. I think those are the key things to do. Make sure the planning process is well done. If you miss something, the business can be completely and fundamentally flawed. Monica: Looking back on everything that you’ve done so far, is there anything that you would do differently? Nicko: It’s very easy to say in hindsight. I think probably staffing. We had a lot of difficulties with early members of the staff. I think I would probably have spent more money on recruitment rather than advertising. It took a while to assemble the right team, but it’s really 62 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011
Nicko: They thought I was nuts, quite honestly. I remember going out to dinner with my dad and he asked, “You’re really serious about this business?" He listed all the reasons why I shouldn’t do it, and I paid no attention to him. I said I was going to do it and we changed the subject. After a while he saw how determined I was to get it done, then I got a tremendous amount of support. So he began to introduce me to a lot of people that he thought could be potential investors. Both of my parents became incredibly supportive. I‘m lucky enough to come from a family that's pretty liberal. They weren’t focused on my becoming a lawyer, a doctor or some other profession. They encouraged me to do what makes me happy. They saw that I had the grit and determination to do it. I’ve always been a determined person. I’ve taken a different route and I have complete control over my life, whereas a lot of my friends who are working in the corporate world are working very long hours for others and not necessarily enjoying it. For me, I’ve had to work tremendously hard, but I’ve actually gotten somewhere, some place where I have control. I think it's an incredible place to be. Monica: What do you think about the economy today and the impact that entrepreneurs will have? Nicko: I really think entrepreneurs are going to rebuild the world economy, and I believe with a little determination, hard work and building good teams, anything is possible. ♦
As a parent, you want your child to grow up happy and healthy. Susan Ellis was no different, but what was different about her son Ryan was that before he turned three years of age, she noticed that he was developmentally delayed. By three and a half years of age, Ryan was officially diagnosed with autism. Ellis knew she had an uphill battle, but she was willing to endure. She made a commitment to herself and to Ryan that she would help him live the best life possible. From challenges often come victories, and from her life’s challenges, Ellis has developed a series of products that are improving her son’s life, as well as the lives of many other children. She and Ryan’s therapist, Marnie Danielson, developed a series of programs called "The TV Teacher" aimed at helping kids with special needs learn to write. The programs have become so effective that
Susan Ellis From Challenge Comes Knowledge and Triumph
Extraordinary Profiles
one of them is being considered for use with normal kindergarten children as well. Ellis, a dedicated and determined mother has turned her challenge and her son’s challenge into an amazing success story. Monica: Talk a little bit about your experience with Ryan and how that inspired you to start the TV Teacher program. How has it helped parents with kids who are suffering from autism? Susan: We saw differences, and he was always delayed, I guess I should say. And he was never really quite reaching some of the milestones even at, 12 months and 16 months. But at about 18 months he was definitely delayed and had very bad temper tantrums and he wasn't responding to his name or becoming engaged or listening. And we started going through speech therapy and occupational therapy. This was probably about the time -- a few years before Autism Speaks and Jenny McCarthy and others brought a little more media attention to autism. It wasn't that prevalent in discussions with people what autism was about. A number of teachers who knew and therapists who knew wouldn't tell me. I really had no idea why my child was behaving this way, but I knew something was wrong. We finally had the official diagnosis when Ryan was about three and a half years old. At that point we were able to research different things that we could do to help him such as a glutenfree, casein-free diet, which made a huge impact on him. He ended up being allergic to a lot of the foods we were giving him, typical foods that children eat. Trying some other biomedical interventions like B-12 and different supplements and vitamins
made tremendous breakthroughs with him. He began talking within weeks. With a child who really had no clue about the world around him, after we began removing milk and gluten and wheat from his diet, you could just see the haze beginning to lift. It was interesting. So we've been very fortunate that a lot of the interventions that we've done with Ryan have been very successful. That's been a saving grace for us. And through that we started to learn. We did ADA therapy, which is very intense one-on-one therapy. That helped me to understand how to teach him. He's very visual, and so through the next couple years, I worked very intensely with Ryan, bringing him up to grade level. So this is basically how the TV Teacher was born -- through all of these breakthroughs that Ryan was having. He got through all those therapies up to grade level. He was about to enter kindergarten, but he still could not write. He couldn't write his name. He wouldn't write a shape or a letter. But the interesting thing was that he could actually read and spell. So he understood letters and he knew how to use them, but he just couldn't motor-plan them. He had been in therapy for almost two years, inside and outside the school system, working on this one skill. I had purchased every program I possibly could imagine that I thought would help him, motivate him, and nothing was working. And I watched him one morning watching TV. He was imitating a dance step that he saw on TV, and the light bulb went on in my head. I said, "Wow. If he could imitate that, why couldn't he imitate writing? If I put writing on TV, would that be enough to motivate him?"
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I called his therapist, Marnie and I said, "I think I know what he needs. Would you just give me a few minutes of your time," and graciously she did. We went to my basement with my camcorder camera, and we started on the letter C. She would say rhythmic chants that she had always said in the clinic, but he had been so distracted that he never really caught on. His therapist looked at me, and she said, "Sue, I don't get this. I do this all the time. What are you trying to accomplish here?" I said, "I just know how his brain works. I know how he thinks. I really think he needs the visual aspect of it." "This is boring though. Let's make it jazzy. Let me throw in some props, make it more exciting." And we did, C is for cat; C is for candle and so forth. I said, "Just be as goofy as you can." And I videotaped her, and then we moved it to the chalkboard. We put it down on paper, and it ended up being about a three-minute video. Later that afternoon I showed it to him and he sat there completely glued and watched it and said, "Do it again." I played it for him again. I put a marker in his hand, and I said, "Are you ready, little buddy?" And instead of taking that marker and throwing it across the room, as he had been doing for two years, he actually held it. We started saying the chant, "Up and around, letter C, up and around, letter C." And he just got it. We made this multi-sensory approach. That was the miracle that finally made that connection that he needed. Now I'm hearing that from children, therapists and teachers all over the country. I called her up immediately and said, "Okay. We've got one letter down. We've got 25 more to go. When are you coming back?" So we worked really diligently all summer long. She
Extraordinary Profiles
with some of my friend's children. They were having incredible breakthroughs too. Within minutes they were correcting their letters. So I said, "We're going to go professional." So we made a professional DVD, The Uppercase Alphabet Beats. And we didn't even know at the time whether we would sell 50 of them. But we had such an amazing response, and teachers and parents and therapists just loved it and asked us to do more. So we came out with the lower case a year later. And I mean these productions are really two-hour long productions, so they're quite intense and they take quite some time to produce. And then we came up with a prewriting program called Strokes, Shapes and Scenes that works on just making a simplified line down or a mid-line cross to making shapes and making pictures from shapes. And this is really working on creativity that so many children with autism and
was gracious enough to donate free therapy time, trying to create this tool for him. And you don't find that many individuals who can give up their time on the weekends to do this. And as we started going through a couple letters, she started giving it to some of her other clients, and they had tremendous success as well. Ryan’s therapist said, "I think we've got something here. These people are finding success. Ryan is finding success." And I even tried this July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 65
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Down syndrome and ADD -- many of them lack that ability to think abstractly. Just video-modeling that on the TV and allowing them to say that this is okay and this is what we mean by changing some designs has really made great breakthroughs, as well in allowing them to be a little bit more palatable in their thinking. We recently came up with Number Beats, which teaches children to count, skip-counting and writing numbers. Monica: What are some of the usual signs that a child may have autism? Susan: Most likely you're going to get a lack of language processing in speaking. A lot of times you'll see that when you call their name, they won't respond. They may be in a room or even in a preschool environment in a class, but they're playing alone. They're not necessarily engaging and wanting to engage with other children. Many children with autism have sensory integration. Sight-wise, hearing, touching, feeling are many times either very high or very low for them. A lot of children with autism may have problems with loud sounds. What you and I may not consider to be loud, like flushing the toilet -- that sound would drive my son to the ground. So those are certainly key things to consider, that there might be a bunch of little things on this spectrum. Those are some key points that may be a "red flag," to watch for. Monica: When you began TV Teacher, how did you bring people together, the teachers and the specialists to help you create this amazing program?
Susan: Great question. It has been primarily, Ryan’s therapist, Marnie and me. We have a great collaboration because she has over 15 years experience with occupational therapy inside the school system and in her private clinic, working with children with various diagnoses. I, of course, had been living 24/7 with autism with language delay. I have another son with Auditory Processing Disorder. So it's been really us putting this together and working from the magic that we first created in that basement video. It's the same type of design, only now more professional. We created workbooks. We sat down with a group of kindergarten teachers who had already been using our program and asked, "What do you want in a workbook," and just gaining ideas from them. We certainly like to ask questions and we always try to incorporate the feedback that we get from various therapists and teachers and parents. Monica: Where do you see the TV Teacher program in the future? Susan: I think our next program will be focused on cursive writing. Marnie is such a capable and qualified occupational Therapist (OT) and has a presence that kids just love. And I think we're going to come up with stories, for example, going to the dentist, how to play with friends or not to bully, and just different things from a social aspect. Monica: That would certainly open up many more doors for you. Susan: Around the country school systems are beginning to learn about our program. They will purchase our programs and put it in special needs pre-K and kindergarten classrooms, as well as regular kindergarten pro-
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grams. We are in various retail stores so that people who home school can go into a school-based retail store and purchase our product. We are available online. We've made the program cost very reasonable. We didn't want it to be out of reach for any person or to ruin the budget of a school system by any means. It’s very affordable for teachers and parents of children with special needs. There are so many things that we spend money on that insurance doesn't cover. We wanted it to be very easy and a no-brainer price for parents to use. Monica: You have found your purpose in life, and it's wonderful that you're not only helping your child, but you are helping thousands of other children as well. So what do you find most rewarding about your life’s passion? Susan: Exactly that, I'm helping children that I've never met. When I get an email from a parent in Montana or a city where I've never been, just the fact that what we have developed has touched a family so much and has reduced frustration for a child -- I mean that just makes our day. It never gets old, and we share with our team whenever we receive emails. We say, "We helped another one." To have a child go from being so frustrated while performing a simple task to understanding how to motor-plan and providing a feeling of accomplishment, it's amazing. I have learned to have patience more than I ever thought I would. I look at a lot of things differently now. I have become much more accepting of differences, a lot more relaxed about differences than I ever have been, especially when I was in the corporate world. ♦
Inspiration
Appreciate all successes, no matter how small.
Inspiration
Doors of Opportunity Usually Swing Open on the Hinges of Adversity
By Catherine Galasso-Vigorito
Spring
had come to the northeast, and with the weather mild and sunny, my husband and I decided to take our children to visit the zoo. We, along with scores of other people with smiles on their faces, went through the entrance gate and canvassed 68 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011
exhibit after exhibit, peering in awe at the amazing creatures. Enjoying nature’s splendor, we walked up a tree-lined short path, and stopped to marvel at the natural beauty of the towering 17-foot giraffes and their offspring basking in the zoo’s open woodland. One little giraffe, was sitting on the
Inspiration
ground next to the mother, but in an instant, the baby got up and was on her feet. Then, the calf seemed to wobble and fall down. Yet effortlessly, the calf stood back up again. My oldest daughter’s hair fluttered about her face in the breeze and her blue-green eyes were wide open with curiosity, as she said to me, “Mom, with their long legs, I am surprised how quickly the calves are able to stand up.” I agreed. And at that moment, I recalled a book that I had read years ago about calves that taught me a valuable life lesson. “Well, honey,” I answered my daughter, as we stood still, arm in arm, “The calves have to get up quickly if they tumble, because if they’re in the wild, they can fall prey to other animals.” Continuing, I told my daughter that when a mother giraffe gives birth, she does so standing, and the calf then drops to the ground from about six feet up, and typically head first. Quickly, I assured, “The fall does not hurt the calf. However, almost immediately after birth, the mother teaches the calf, by actually knocking the baby down, to stand up on its own legs. She knocks the calf down repeatedly, for the mother giraffe wants to strengthen her little one in an effort to try to keep the calf safe for the challenges ahead.” “Mom, the calf learns to ‘get up’ by being ‘knocked down?’” My daughter asked. “Precisely,” I uttered. And as if reading my mind, I knew she sensed what I was saying. When we arrived home, I went into the office to skim my shelf for the book, ‘A View from the Zoo,’ by Gary Richman. I found the copy and sat down on my wingback chair and began to read once more how the author described the birth of a baby giraffe: “The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. Then she positions herself directly over her calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long, pendulous leg outward and kicks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heels.
time on its wobbly legs. Then the mother giraffe does something remarkable. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up… “I’ve thought about the birth of the giraffe many times. I can see its parallel in my own life. There have been many times when it seemed that I had just stood up after a trial, only to be knocked down by the next. It was God helping me to remember how it was that I got up, urging me always to walk with Him, in His shadow, under His care.” Perhaps, you have been knocked down time and again. Maybe, you experienced an emotional ‘kick.’ Or have suffered through various trials. But let’s keep in mind that the events in our lives, even the most difficult, have meaning and value. All of our experiences, good or bad, haven’t been wasted. It is those experiences, molded together, that allow you to help others, to understand their pain, and shape you into the person you are destined to be. And similar to the baby calves, our challenges, obstacles and ‘kicks’ are a call to strengthen us, not to defeat us. God created you with a vast inner determination and resilience. You have special gifts and abilities. Therefore, despite how many setbacks you have had, press on, daring to reach forth for your heart’s desires. Stop looking at where you’ve been and begin to focus on where you can be today and tomorrow! Expand your range of possibilities. Go further. Don’t wait. And if you stumble along the way or if someone trips you, get back up and start to move forward again. God is with you, so rest in His care, timing and sovereign purpose. It is just a matter of time before you accomplish your dreams. So boldly look with hope and confidence to the future. Victories are forthcoming, with more joys, more blessings and more rewards, in store for you. I still wonder sometimes why the knocks and kicks in my own life are so many. But then I receive a letter from a reader who says, “I feel like you are writing these words for me,” “I want you to know how you have changed my life,” and “Thank you for being there...” And instantly, with startling clarity…I know.
“When it doesn’t get up, the violent process is repeated over and over again. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby calf grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts. Finally, the calf stands for the first July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 69
Stacy Hawkins Adams in Profile By Bonnie Atwood
No bling
required. When Stacy Hawkins Adams looks at you, she radiates all by herself. There’s no other word. She actually radiates. Her attention is so focused on the listener, it appears that rays of light are coming from her eyes, her smile, and even her dimples. Dressed in her characteristic basic black suit, pink shirt, black boots and understated jewelry, Adams greeted attendees at the Women Who Mean Business Summit sponsored by the Metropolitan Business League in Richmond, Virginia., in January 2011. As part of the trade show, Adams had a booth set up to feature her six nationally published novels of inspiration. 70 | Exceptional People Magazine | July-August 2011
She was also one of a panel of authors who presented their personal stories and fielded questions from an enthusiastic audience of entrepreneurs. Adams seems born for this role, and, indeed, she told the audience that her interest in writing dates back to early childhood in Pine Bluff, Ark. She loved to read poems. At the tender age of 10, she wrote a letter to the police department. She wrote some pieces which her sister, Barbara, stapled together for her. “Now you have a book!” said her sister. That did it. Adams knew what she would do in life. Adams covered the real world of social issues before she developed her craft as a fiction writer. She was a full-time newspaper reporter and columnist for 14 years, primarily at
Inspiration
the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where she also wrote an inspirational column. She still writes a weekly parenting column called “Life Notes.” Her most recent column is typical of the important messages that she imparts. It reviews an important documentary film for parents: “Race to Nowhere.” She keeps up with all things of interest to parents and families. On these matters, she has a frontrow seat. She’s the parent of a child in elementary school and one in middle school. Adams’ work is filled with food for thought. She tells stories of faith, social issues, and personal growth. The characters in her novels are creations (“I’m not Serena,” she says), but they are representative of you and me— real people with real and modern problems, hopes, and dreams. Adams encourages readers to “tune in to hear God’s whispers.” She reveals her deepest thoughts, and even doubts, about a God that “I couldn’t see or touch.” She comes through her journeys with a clearer, deeper understanding of God’s role in her life. This is the message that she so successfully shares with her devoted readers. Adams’ fourth novel really skyrocketed her career. That book was The Someday List, which maintained a steady presence on the Essence bestseller’s list, and then went on to the Kindle bestseller list. Adams says that her characters are all made up, but they are based on the concerns that real people send to her. After every book publication, readers pour their hearts out to her in emails. Some of the topics are those that are important, but tough to talk about, like domestic violence and infertility. She handles these topics carefully, but, she says, “not in a soap-operaish way.”
This reporter first met Adams at a Richmond Toastmaster meeting—the best place where nervous, amateur speakers can come to learn to be polished orators. Adams was a natural. She has developed her speaking career right along with her writing. She is a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and can keep an audience entranced and uplifted. Adams has now added personal coaching to her resume. She launched her own coaching service called “Author in You.” If you have book trapped inside you, yearning to get out, she’s your coach. She helps fiction writers and nonfiction writers to complete those manuscripts in progress. Many writers were quick to give her credit for her coaching, and she’s taking it up a notch with a new teleseminar coaching service. Adams uses her considerable talents to give back to the community, too. She does child advocacy as an active board member and as a marketing consultant for such issues as children’s advocacy, prevention of child abuse, and promotion of literacy. Adams’ eighth and latest book is due out in early 2012. Her publisher is Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. The Metropolitan Business League (MBL), which sponsored this summit that featured Adams among it speakers, is composed of small business owners in the Richmond, Virginia, region. The MBL has been serving entrepreneurs of all kinds for 40 years. This summit brought together some of the best and most successful businesswomen in the nation, including the keynote speaker, personal financial advice guru Suze Orman.
The latest of Adams’ acclaimed novels is Dreams That Won’t Let Go, published a year ago. In May she had a book of nonfiction released: Who Speaks to Your Heart? Busy women from all walks of life can relate to these books of devotion. Adams empowers women. Her goal is to “ignite hope and faith to fuel your dreams.” She calls her first three novels the Jubilant Soul Series, in which “faith, family and drama co-exist.” Her books are the kind that people read when they need a lift, and write notes in the margin. They’re the kind of reading that makes you want to talk to your friends and re-commit to something greater than yourself. They’re the kind of books that make you want to, well, contact the author herself and tell her how you feel. July-August 2011 | Exceptional People Magazine | 71
Inspiration
What do you do in the face of challenge and uncertainty? Do you get stuck in fear or are you able to see it as an opportunity for growth?
One of my favorite Workshops that I conduct is "The Joy Workshop" One of the ideas that I talk about in the Workshop is how challenging people or events around us can be
Our security is in the truth that we are eternal spiritual beings who are always safe each and every moment. Harm can come to us on the physical level - but we cannot be
Turning Challenges into Opportunities By Shelley Riutta MSE, LPC
What do you do in the face of challenge and uncertainty? Do you get immobilized by fear and sink into negativity? Or do you look at challenges as a springboard to opportunity and growth? Our mindset in the face of challenge will dictate our experience of the challenge. It always amazes me that in just a brief moment we can shift our perspective of a situation and completely transform the experience. How amazing is that! Such power we have moment by moment to shape our experiences in life. No one has this control to create this shift but you. If we look at your reaction to the economic changes--what perspective are you choosing? Is it fear based - "The world is falling apart and it is just going to get worse - I am unsafe" or "We are going through a huge transformation and I know wonderful things are going to come from it - I am excited to see what good will come from this."
opportunities to practice staying in our own emotional state. So many of us let situations and others around us determine how we feel moment by moment. Instead we all need to determine how we want to feel throughout the day and stick with it--NO MATTER WHAT. To put it simply - do you want to be a Thermometer (mirroring the temperature of those around you) - or a Thermostat (putting your setting where you want it to be)? Now more than ever this is something you can be practicing. Decide what perspective you would like to take based on what is happening in the economy - a fear perspective or a faith perspective. One of the opportunities of this current transformation is that we can start to understand more deeply that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. Money and material items do not create safety and security for us.
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harmed or destroyed on the spiritual level - this part of us lives on. So, what if what we are going through is a transformation - a spiritual awakening - an opportunity to connect more deeply with who we truly are? Those that open up to this will have an amazing experience and those that resist the opportunity will continue to struggle. We are all called right now to step out of our stuck patterns of trying to create safety with the patterns of our wounded self - and asked to move more into the light and love of who we are. I remember attending a Workshop were the presenter gave this quote "Most people think they are drowning in an ocean of water - when in reality they are just in a wading pool." So don't buy into the current belief that right now we are all drowning in an ocean of crisis - instead remind yourself and others that we are in a wading pool - and we are capable of navigating this calmly and successfully! ♌
Inspiration
“The perfect man of old looked after himself first before looking to help others.’ ~Chuang Tzu
Ice water and sugary sweet lemonade alone no longer cool me, it takes massive lowering of the air conditioner, ceiling fans on high and sitting quietly until the sweat stops.
Can you believe that it is the middle of the year! Summer is upon us and it is hot, hot, hot! I remember the summers of my youth in North Carolina, with no air conditioning, with fans in the ceiling and window. Staying inside wasn’t an option so I spent many days outside on the porch or running up and down the street.
So knowing all of this, I’ve decided to take time for pampering me this summer. I invite you to join me in treating yourself well; to consciously engage in self-care. Does taking care of yourself first sound selfish to you? It did to me too, then I learned that the better I take care of myself, the better I can take care of love ones.
Looking back on it, summer didn’t seem as hot then. We’d have ice water and sometimes lemonade to keep us cool. The living was easy!
When was the last time you pampered yourself? You could treat yourself to a long, lazy, luxurious bath. Use your most expensive bubble bath; listen to your favorite sensuous, soothing music.
Is it because I’m a woman of a certain age that it seems hotter? Could it be that my frequent personal summers contribute to the overall feeling of being hot? You know what I’m talking about, suddenly, out of nowhere my body heats up from the inside out. Sweat rolls from places that I can’t mention in mixed company!
Just as the sun begins to set, take a short walk in the park. Deeply inhale the smells of summer as you notice the colors of the deep green shade of the leaves and azure sky. Allow your body to relax as you are walk swinging your arms to a rhythm only you hear.
Light your favorite scented candle and sit quietly in your bedroom reading a delicious book. Enjoy the aroma from scented candles floating as a backdrop around you. Of course, you can think of many other ways to pamper yourself. Caring is a natural feeling. Today with the emphasis on ‘going green’, how are you caring about the planet? Realizing that we are all connected is the first step to caring for our world. However, the first step in taking care of the planet is to take care of you. Take it one day at a time. Just for today, pay special attention to the little things you do that pampers you. Then think about the one little thing you can do to care for the planet. Make a conscious choice to participate in caring for you first! Stay cool! Yes, we are experiencing record breaking heat! This is the perfect time to slow down, indulge in safe care and enjoy the long days of summer. ♦
Summer SelfSelf-Care By Inez Bracy
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The Lighter Side
That’s it!! I can’t take it anymore. I’ve waited long enough. I’ve got to have it.
Are you kiddin’? He can’t take it? My nerves are shot.
Lighter Side
Water, Water, Ever ywhere….but it’s Gonna Cost You by Angie Brennan “I need a bottle!” If you find yourself saying this often, you are most likely: a) an infant, b) a drunk, or c) one of the thousands of Americans reaching for their bottle of mountain spring distilled water. Remember the good old days when hydration was simple? Pick up a glass, fill ‘er up with tap water, and you’re good to go. Pretty much the only decision you had to make was whether to add ice. These days, choosing your water has become almost as complicated as choosing a car---and in some cases, nearly as expensive. Just visit the bottled water aisle at the grocery store and take a look: do you want distilled water? Carbonated water with a subtle fruit flavor? Mineral water? Or pure mountain spring water, carefully collected by alpine hikers? (Or not) Then, of course, there’s the question of size. You could buy a crate or batch of those cute 8 oz. bottles that fit so nicely into a purse or pocket. There’s also the hefty 40 oz. mega-bottles, handy to have along in your car if you happen to become trapped inside and are forced to live for days solely on Tic-Tacs, cold fries harvested from under the drivers’ seat, and a gigantic bottle of water. Many assume that a pricey bottled beverage must be healthier for you than the tap water you use to rinse the dishes or water the houseplants. Perhaps. All I know is that my begonias have never gotten the flu or needed a root canal, so maybe there’s something to be said for plain ol’ tap water.
But what about taste? Surely something called “Glacier Spring Icy Dew from Heaven” would be a pleasure to drink, right? A popular news show once ran an informal taste test between variously-priced bottled waters and ordinary tap. Tap water made a pretty good showing; surprisingly, the worst taste was awarded to the most expensive bottled water. “It tasted like toilet water,” claimed one participant, who didn’t offer an explanation as to how, exactly, he knew that. Speaking of toilet water…your canine friends need no longer resort to lapping up water from such an undignified source. One online business offers bottled water for especially for dogs. A word of warning if you’re tempted to sneak a sip while taking Fido out on a walk: the water comes in four flavors: beef, chicken, lamb, or liver. Still, if you enjoy a good liver-flavored water, go for it. So if bottled water is more expensive, isn’t necessarily better for you, and doesn’t always taste better, why buy it? Well, lots of reasons! For example: ∗ You need to put something in the bottle holder on
your new backpack ∗ You enjoy making loud, plastic-popping sounds ∗ You often become trapped in your vehicle So go ahead and stock up on those water bottles. And you might want to pick up a few extra packs of Tic Tacs while you’re at it. Just in case.
The Lighter Side: Actual headlines seen in newspapers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers Safety experts say school bus passengers should be belted Drunk gets nine months in violin case British left waffles on Falkland Islands Squad helps dog bite victim Miners refuse to work after death Juvenile court to try shooting defendant Children make delicious snacks
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Lighter Side
Pessimist's axioms ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key. Life isn't like a box of chocolates; it's more like a jar of jalapenos. Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it. Ring bell for maid service. If no answer, do it yourself. I don't have an attitude problem, you have a perception problem. My reality check bounced. You can go anywhere if you don't look serious and carry a clipboard.
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Lighter Side
A
husband and wife came for counseling after 25 years of marriage. When asked what the problem was, the wife spoke of neglect, loneliness, and feeling unlove d.
As she spoke, the therapist stood up, embraced her, and kissed her passionately. Then he turned to the husband and said, "This is what your wife needs seven times a week. Can you do this?" The husband thought for a moment and replied, "Well, Doc, I can drop her off here on Mondays and Wednesdays, but on the other days I play golf."
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Lighter Side
Shrimp Trio
These recipes require one bag of large, frozen, precooked shrimp with tails on, along with three sauces ‌ two to serve cold with sauces and one to be served piping hot. The recipes serve two. Thaw the shrimp at room temperature, then place on a bed of ice to maintain their solid texture. For convenience, prepare the two cold dipping sauces ahead.
Shrimp scampi (hot) Place six shrimp in each of two small baking dishes and add:
Cocktail sauce (cold)
Remoulade sauce (cold)
5 tablespoons horseradish 3 tablespoons ketchup 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Combine and chill.
1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons Creole mustard 1 tablespoon ketchup 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion stems 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce Two dashes each of salt and pepper Place in a bowl, stir thoroughly and chill.
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1 tablespoon white wine 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced garlic 1 dash of salt. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees or prepare under the broiler until liquid turns a crusty brown around the outside edge. Place the remainder of the icechilled shrimp on the table with the two chilled sauces. The Scampi can be served along with or after consumption of the chilled shrimp. Add a plate of fresh vegetables with dipping sauce and your favorite rice dish to complete this healthy meal.
Profile Resources Part One Dr. Julianne Malveaux, Pg. 4, http://www.bennett.edu/ http://www.lastwordprod.com/ Winston E. Scott, Pg. 10, Excellence -- Above and Beyond http://coa.fit.edu/ Michelle Hollaender, Pg. 18, Helping Hands for Central American Communities http://www.helpsintl.org/ Dana Humphrey, Pg. 26, World Traveler and Public Relations Expert http://whitegatepr.com/ Derrick Miles, Pg. 32, Using His Spiritual Gift to Change Lives http://milestonemotivation.com/ David Riklan , Pg. 38, Self-Improvement Guru Shares Resources with Millions http://www.selfgrowth.com Photo Credits Dana Humphrey—Pg. 26, MYKO Photography, Inc., http://www.mykophoto.com/ Pg. 27, Tony Gale Photography http://www.tonygale.com/,
Part Two Nicko Williamson, Pg. 56, London’s Green Entrepreneur Achieves Success with Climatecars http://www.climatecars.com Susan Ellis, Pg. 63, From Challenge Comes Knowledge and Triumph http://www.tvteachervideos.com/ Stacy Hawkins Adams, Pg. 70, Stacy Hawkins In Profile www.AuthorInYou.com, www.StacyHawkinsAdams.com, www.TheMBL.org, Author: Freelance Writer Bonnie Atwood: http://www.tallpoppiesfreelance.com/ Cover Photo Credits Nicko Williamson, Pg. 56 (all photos)—Grey Hutton, grey@greyhutton.com, http://www.greyhutton.com Monica Davis, Pg. 2 and back cover, Ever After Visuals—http://everaftervisuals.com Additional Credits Graphics: Jeff Hayes, http://www.plasmafiregraphics.com
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Writers and Contributors
William R. Patterson
Annemarie Cross
Ranked as the #1 Business Motivational Speaker by Ranking.com, William R. Patterson is a three-time award-winning lecturer and international bestselling author who uses his trademark approach, THE BARON SOLUTION™, to coach, train, and motivate business leaders, sales professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors. His breakthrough book, The Baron Son, has been translated around the world and featured in the Forbes Book Club and Black Enterprise. William is an internationally recognized wealth and business coach who has been a featured guest on over 500 television and radio programs. William's website, BaronSeries.com, is winner of four 2009 Web Awards including: Best Speaker; Best Male Author; Best Business Advice Site; and Best WealthBuilding Site. For more information, visit http://www.baronseries.com
Annemarie Cross is a Career Management & Personal Branding Strategist, Speaker, Consultant, Radio Broadcaster, and Author of ’10 Key Steps to Ace that Interview!’ She is also the founder/ principal of Advanced Employment Concepts – Career Management and Corporate Career Development Specialists offering powerful programs for people striving for career success and fulfillment, as well as savvy companies committed to building and retaining their most important asset – their staff. Widely considered a personal change agent and success catalyst, Annemarie has distinguished herself as being people-focused, caring, inspirational and life-changing in her approach. Annemarie can be contacted at www.a-e-c.com.au email: info@a-e-c.com.au.
Catherine Galasso-Vigorito
James Adonis
Catherine Galasso-Vigorito’s nationally syndicated weekly column, “A New You,” has endeared her to readers worldwide for over 15 years.
James Adonis is a people-management thinker and the author of three books including his latest, ‘Corporate Punishment: Smashing the Management Clichés for Leaders in a New World’. Thought-provoking and entertaining, James's keynote presentations and workshops show companies how to solve staff turnover, engage all generations, and win the war for talent. He has presented to audiences across Australia, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, with an impressive list of clients including McDonald's, American Express, CocaCola, Qantas, and Gucci. www.jamesadonis.com.
Known for her ability to uplift and encourage, Catherine has become America’s most beloved inspirational voice. Catherine is the founder and CEO of her own company, A New You Worldwide, developing and designing inspirational products. Her mission is to instill hope in the hearts of people everywhere, inspiring them to live a better life. She makes her home on the East Coast with her husband and three daughters. Visit her website at www.anewyouworldwide.com Searching for inspirational gifts - visit http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/app.nav/ params.class.K990/walk.yah.0101-K990.
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Writers and Contributors
Dean G. Campbell
Dorothy Rosby
Mr. Campbell advises clients throughout the country and is licensed in securities and insurances in many states.
Dorothy Rosby is an entertaining speaker and syndicated humor columnist whose work appears regularly in 30-plus newspapers in eleven Western and Midwestern states. She is also Community Relations Director for an organization which supports people with disabilities. She lives in Rapid City, South Dakota with her husband, son, mother, and hamster. Contact her at drosby@rushmore.com or see her website at www.dorothyrosby.com.
Dean G. Campbell is President of Campbell Retirement Planning Centers, Inc. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan with degrees in Finance and Economics. While attending college, he also taught business applications. Simultaneously he began attaining licenses to transact business in Securities and Insurances. Upon graduation, he worked for an independent brokerage firm then moved on to IDS Financial Services, now Ameriprise. After becoming a top producer at Ameriprise, Dean worked as a Financial Planner for Empire of America Bank in Buffalo, New York. He later became a Financial Planner for First of America Bank where he also for a period worked as the financial consultant for the bank’s customers at fourteen branches. Thirteen years ago Dean started Campbell Retirement Planning Centers, Inc. To date he has personally helped over 2,500 people with planning there financial futures. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Eastern Michigan Better Business Bureau and was recently appointed for his fourth term. Through the business and personally, Dean donates to several charities, helping those who are less fortunate. Visit his website at http://www.campbellretirement.com. Securities offered through Sigma Financial Corp. Member FINRA/SIPC
Angie Brennan Angie Brennan is a humor writer and illustrator from Maryland. Visit her website at www.angiebrennan.com for cartoons, spoof advice, and more.
Greg Williams Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator, is an internationally sought after speaker/trainer. He provides negotiation expertise to corporate and individual clients that seek to maximize their negotiation efforts, at the negotiation table. You can sign up for Greg’s free negotiation tips at www.TheMasterNegotiator.com – You can also view his Negotiation Tip videos at http:// www.youtube.com/user/ TheMasterNegotiator - Greg’s motto is, “Remember, you’re always negotiating”.
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Writers and Contributors
Rosalind Sedacca
Margaret Paul
Recognized as The Voice of Child-Centered Divorce, Rosalind Sedacca is a Certified Corporate Trainer and founder of the Child-Centered Divorce Network for parents facing, moving through or transitioning beyond divorce. She is the author of How Do I Tell the Kids about the Divorce? A Create-a-Storybook™ Guide to Preparing Your Children – with Love! which offers a unique approach to breaking divorce news to your children based on her own personal experience. She is also the 2008 National First Place Winner of the Victorious Woman Award.
Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is a noted public speaker, bestselling author, workshop leader, relationship expert, and Inner Bonding® facilitator. She has counseled individuals and couples, and led groups, classes, and workshops since 1968. She is the author and co-author of eight books, including the internationally bestselling Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?, Healing Your Aloneness, Inner Bonding, and Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By God?
As a Certified Corporate Trainer and Business Communication Strategist she provides consulting, speaking, training and Executive Coaching services to organizations nation-wide on marketing, public relations and business communication issues. She specializes in gender-related dynamics, marketing to women and employeemanagement collaboration in the workplace. To learn more about her book, free ezine, programs and other valuable resources on creating a positive ChildCentered Divorce, visit www.childcentereddivorce.com and www.howdoitellthekids.com. For more information about her customized programs, audio and videotapes, and other services, contact Rosalind at 561-742-3537 or Talk2Roz@bellsouth.net.
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She is the co-creator, along with Dr. Erika Chopich, of the Inner Bonding® healing process, recommended by actress Lindsay Wagner and singer Alanis Morissette, and featured on Oprah, and of the unique and popular website www.innerbonding.com. Their transformational selfhealing/conflict resolution software program, SelfQuest®, at www.selfquest.com, is being donated to prisons and schools and sold to the general public.
Sue Urda Sue Urda is an Author, Speaker, Inspirer and Co-Founder of Powerful You! Women’s Network, She was named twice on Inc. Magazines list of the 500 FastestGrowing Private Companies. Sue’s vision is to contribute to a global consciousness of women helping women succeed in business and in life and to open them to truth of who they are. www.sueurda.com.
Writers and Contributors
Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush
Shelley Ruitta
Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush is CEO of News Archives International. This multiaward-winning journalist writes and publishes news articles about productive individuals committed to making positive changes in their lives and in the world around them. She also writes and directs live performances for young, exceptional artists throughout the Los Angeles region. Sharon shares her life with her husband, veteran actor Grand L. Bush.
Shelley Riutta MSE, LPC is a Holistic Psychotherapist and Inner Bonding Facilitator in private practice specializing in Transformational individual counseling, presentations, groups and Workshops. To get her free workbook "What Do You REALLY Want: Finding Purpose and Passion in Your Life" or for information about the free teleclasses she does every month visit her web-site www.RadiantLifeCounseling.com or call her at 877-346-1167.
To learn more about Sharon, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Sharon_Dahlonega_Raiford_Bush and http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonraifordbush. She can be contacted at https://www.facebook.com/TVwxGirl.
Dawn McCoy Dawn McCoy is author of "Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider's Guide to Success" http://flourishleadership.com/store/ index.html She is also is president and CEO of Flourish Leadership, LLC which provides coaching executives, public servants, and youth leaders. For author and speaker details, visit http:// www.flourishleadership.com.
Dawn Abraham
Inez Bracy Inez Bracy is the host of her own radio talk show; Living Smart and Well and is a columnist for Senior Stuff a local ezine, the Orlando Examiner, a former columnist for the Island Voice magazine and the author of Rejuvenate Your Life in 21 Days. Bracy’s radio show, Living Smart and Well shares tips on creating your best life and is heard globally on www.livingsmartandwell.com. Bracy is an author, a masterful coach, powerful trainer, and a dynamic speaker. With more than 20 years of experience working for educational institutions and non-profits, Bracy uses her knowledge to help people create extraordinary lives.
http://overfiftyfineandfancy.com
Dawn Abraham is a Certified Life/Business Coach, and is an “Official Guide for Small Business Marketing at Selfgrowth.com. She also partners with professionals and entrepreneurs to help them create balanced lives while earning more money. Law of Attraction, Self Esteem, Abundance, Meditation, Motivation, Reiki, Private & Group Coaching, Free Life Changing Mp3's and Teleclasses are offered. http://www.qualified-lifecoach.com
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