Podcast
“If we start and end our day with hope, and sprinkle hope throughout, we will be continually motivated to accomplish all our dreams.”
-Soraya
Welcome to the Weekly Podcast
“Be Convinced! Sharing Lifechanging Stories of Hope” with Soraya
Get a Big Dose of Hope in Just 30 Minutes!
Hope, along with the courage and confidence that arise from that hope, can be yours! For just 30 minutes, listen to each of these lifechanging stories of hope told by ordinary people who overcame life’s obstacles. Soraya engages people from various backgrounds who tell their inspiring stories of how they overcame challenges that wonderfully and often amazingly transformed their lives. She collects and enthusiastically shares their stories with the goal of encouraging, inspiring, and convincing you that we should all believe in, hope for, and work towards a better future for ourselves, our families, our communities, and the world.
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“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.”
— Robert H. Schuller
Ep. #43 - Author William Donaldson Encourages Us to Prepare for Our Deaths as He Shares His Uplifting Story of Helping His Parents to do so
Author William Donaldson shares about his book Estimated Time of Departure: How I Talked My Parents to Death: A Love Story. He relates his journey of helping his parents and others, including himself, come to grips with the reality and inevitability of death.
Author William Donaldson shares about his book Estimated Time of Departure: How I Talked My Parents to Death: A Love Story. He relates his journey of helping his parents and others, including himself, come to grips with the reality and inevitability of death. As his parents aged, he was there to help steer them to make decisions about dying. He gives us hope that death should not be feared, and that we should prepare ourselves for the inevitable, with plans that are sensible and manageable. Don’t avoid discussing and preparing for end-of-life. This interview will encourage you to have meaningful conversations with your loved ones and plan for the inevitable.
Website: www.estimatedtimeofdeparture.com
Ep. #42 - With Over 25 Years in a Very Accomplished Career in Marketing and Business Development, Author Scott Jeffrey Miller Inspires Us to be Better Leaders
Scott Jeffrey Miller is an award-winning and best-selling author and podcast host with over 8 million listeners – Franklin Covey on Leadership. He shares how he has been a life-long stutterer and has had to work hard to overcome stuttering and achieve success.
Scott Jeffrey Miller is an award-winning and best-selling author and podcast host with over 8 million listeners – Franklin Covey on Leadership. He shares how he has been a life-long stutterer and has had to work hard to overcome stuttering and achieve success. His over 25-year career started out with being fired, but his expertise has developed into one of leadership. He gives us hope for developing our own leadership skills and having career success. He is the author of the award-winning, multivolume Mess to Success series, including Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow. You will learn a great deal from this short interview!
Website: scottjeffreymiller.com
Social media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.miller.9469545
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmillerj1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottmillerj1/
Ep. #41 - Dyslexia and Literacy Problem Solver Lois Letchford Shares her Inspiring Story of Helping her Son Move from Trauma in the Classroom to Learning to Read and Later Achieving a PhD
What does a parent do when a teacher labels your 7-year-old son as “the worst child ever”? Lois Letchford searched for ways to help her son. Now a dyslexia and literacy problem solver as well as an author, she shares her hopeful story of how she became a literacy specialist after helping her son to learn to read.
What does a parent do when a teacher labels your 7-year-old son as “the worst child ever”? Lois Letchford searched for ways to help her son. Now a dyslexia and literacy problem solver as well as an author, she shares her hopeful story of how she became a literacy specialist after helping her son to learn to read. He was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disorder that causes people to struggle with letters and words. During her journey, she also discovered that she was dyslexic too. Her son successfully graduated from high school and college and earned a PhD in applied mathematics. She inspires parents, teachers, and listeners to believe in themselves, to seek solutions in order to go beyond average, and achieve what they may have believed was impossible. Lois fervently believes that “You shouldn’t look at a child as a struggling student but as a rocket scientist that he can become.” She is the co-founder of Teaching Students with Dyslexia Writing and Reading Program.
Website: https://www.loisletchford.com/
Social media links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LetchfordLois
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF-H07Ct7R0
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loisletchford/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loisletchford/
Facebook: https://bit.ly/364bk6E Teaching Students With Dyslexia Facebook Page
Ep. #40 – Prodigious author Allen Klein Shares the Power of Words and How Humor and Awe Will Give Us Hope
An award-winning author of over 30 books, Allen Klein loves to share how humor plays such an important role for our good health and mental well-being. He is a self-proclaimed “jollytologist”, a person who specializes in laughter and humor.
An award-winning author of over 30 books, Allen Klein loves to share how humor plays such an important role for our good health and mental well-being. He is a self-proclaimed “jollytologist”, a person who specializes in laughter and humor.
It all started with his first book titled The Healing Power of Humor, which he wrote in 1989 after his wife died, recounting how humor had helped him get through the 3 difficult years before her death. He shares how he went from loss to laughter, incorporating humor for every-day-challenges. He is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Applied Therapeutic Humor.
He captivates us with his discussion about his most recent book The Awe Factor - How a Little Bit of Wonder Can Make a Big Difference in Your Life and how we should stop and add wonder into our lives each day. His mantra is “a little bit of wonder can make a big difference in your life.” His sense of humor is captivating!
Website: allenklein.com
New Book: The Awe Factor - How a Little Bit of Wonder Can Make a Big Difference in Your Life
Ep. #39 – Staci Diffendaffer Shares Her Passionate Story of Transformation from Severe Depression, Anxiety and Chronic Illness to Unconditioned Love and Purpose
Afflicted for years with severe depression, anxiety and chronic physical illness, Staci Diffendaffer suffered greatly. She shares about how she lived on ever-increasing amounts of medication to ease her symptoms but how medication alone was not the true way to full healing.
Afflicted for years with severe depression, anxiety and chronic physical illness, Staci Diffendaffer suffered greatly. She shares about how she lived on ever-increasing amounts of medication to ease her symptoms but how medication alone was not the true way to full healing. As a Christian, she participated in the yearlong national Christian 12- step program Celebrate Recovery and credits her involvement in this program for the turnaround in her life to full healing - spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally. She motivates us to work through our hardships as they can be a catalyst for greater purpose. She wrote her book to candidly tell her journey and help others - Unconditioned Love – Healing Hearts and Minds in a Time of Conflict and Division.
Website: ownyourvictory.com
Book: Unconditioned Love – Healing Hearts and Minds in a Time of Conflict and Division
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/staci-diffendaffer/
Ep. #38 - Kyle J. Sullivan, “The Champions Coach”, Shares How He Went from a Division 1 College Athlete to Drug Dealer, Husband, Pastor, Father and Founder of a Successful Coaching Company
Known as “The Champions Coach”, Kyle J. Sullivan shares how he unleashed the champion within himself to become a husband, father, youth pastor and then establish his own coaching business.
Known as “The Champions Coach”, Kyle J. Sullivan shares how he unleashed the champion within himself to become a husband, father, youth pastor and then establish his own coaching business. He passionately talks about the stage in his life when he was using drugs and drug dealing and how he overcame that. He emphasizes that each of his life stages has enabled him to become better and stronger to then create his coaching business Unleash the Champ to coach people and organizations. His profound desire is to assist others in their personal “Championship Run”, which is the destiny or journey that each of us was created by God to accomplish. As Kyle says, he is here to help people to discover and chase after their championship run to release the champ within each of them.
Website: kylejsullivan.com
Email: kyle@kylejsullivan.com
Ep. #37 - Veronica Williams Inspires Women to Grow Personally, Spiritually and Professionally as They Wait on God for the Right Man
Veronica Williams is a master certified life coach, keynote speaker, certified facilitator and an influencer for women and married couples. She motivates us with her personal story of hope about waiting until she was 30 years old to get married.
Veronica Williams is a master certified life coach, keynote speaker, certified facilitator and an influencer for women and married couples. She motivates us with her personal story of hope about waiting until she was 30 years old to get married. Happily married and a mother, Veronica epitomizes the successful woman who waits on the Lord. She encourages young women to develop their faith, confidence, and God-given talents as they patiently wait upon God to bring the right man into their lives. She also shares about the importance of financial accountability and budgeting.
Website: allianceseminars.org
Ep. #36 - Emily Marquis Provides Inspiration for Developing Simple Healthy Habits Based on Her Extensive Professional Training and Personal Experiences
A nationally board-certified health and wellness coach and university teacher in that field, Emily Marquis shares her personal story of how she experienced much emotional, physical, and mental abuse and pain but is now able to provide hope for others.
A nationally board-certified health and wellness coach and university teacher in that field, Emily Marquis shares her personal story of how she experienced much emotional, physical, and mental abuse and pain but is now able to provide hope for others. Emily is a true expert in her field, with a master's degree in health & wellness coaching, NAHU certification in employee wellness, and 10 years of professional experience. Her SMART method for goal setting (specific, measure, action, realistic, time) has helped many with their own tough personal challenges.
Website: emilymarquis.com
Ep. #35 - Tiffany Foote, “The Fearless Millennial”, Shares Her Story of Hope and Her Desire to Empower Her Generation and Others to Speak Up and Communicate Better
Meet communication coach Tiffany Foote, “The Fearless Millennial”, who shares her story of hope in overcoming the fear of public speaking and living fearlessly. In a society enmeshed in social media, good communication skills have been lost.
Meet communication coach Tiffany Foote, “The Fearless Millennial”, who shares her story of hope in overcoming the fear of public speaking and living fearlessly. In a society enmeshed in social media, good communication skills have been lost. As a communication coach, she is passionate about helping millennials (and others) learn to speak up, establish credibility with their audience, and speak better.
Website: fearlesspresentations.com
Email: tiffany@leadershipinstitute.com
Ep. #34 - Author and Father Steven Crane Shares His Story of Hope About How He Discovered the Lifechanging Power of Gratitude
Prompted by his teenage son asking "Why do you always have to be so negative?", my guest Steven Crane spent essentially all of 2020 exploring and ultimately answering that question - and others.
Prompted by his teenage son asking "Why do you always have to be so negative?", my guest Steven Crane spent essentially all of 2020 exploring and ultimately answering that question - and others. The result was his book I Can Appreciate That, which is a collection of essays exploring episodes from his life (from his complicated medical history, and losing loved ones to cancer, to career challenges and a crisis of faith) which although originally considered "negatives", were actually holding a bounty of unseen blessings. Along the way, Steven discovered the lifechanging power of gratitude and a process for appreciating nearly every situation and relationship. A portion of all sales of his book support funding to cure childhood cancer.
Website: www.brainsofsteel.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ICATstory
Instagram: instagram.com/icanappreciatethat/
Book: I Can Appreciate That - Replacing Negative Space with the Hidden Blessings of Challenge
Learn more at: www.amazon.com/dp/0996598723
Dedicated site for detail on the charity his book supports:
Ep. #33 - Hope Reger Shares Her Journey of Hope After Her Son Was Tragically Killed
What does a parent do with the profound grief from the tragic sudden death of a child? My guest Hope Reger was told that her 19-year-old son Justin had been shot to death.
What does a parent do with the profound grief from the tragic sudden death of a child? My guest Hope Reger was told that her 19-year-old son Justin had been shot to death. She shares how she was able to take that immense personal pain and transform it into a true purpose to honor her son. She provides at no charge a virtual grief support group for persons who have lost loved ones so that no person travels the road of grief alone.
Website: grief2hope.com
Ep. #32 - Nancy McKay Shares Her Inspirational Story of How She Overcame Addiction and Health Challenges to Now Assist Other Women in Overcoming Theirs Through Counseling and Equus Coaching
Have you heard about equus coaching? My guest Nancy McKay is a former alcoholic and cancer survivor who is using her knowledge and experiences to assist others.
Have you heard about equus coaching? My guest Nancy McKay is a former alcoholic and cancer survivor who is using her knowledge and experiences to assist others. She is now a recovery and resilience expert and a life and equus coach who helps women find their voice and build their courage. As a certified equus coach, she uses horses in coaching women, as horses have a unique ability to help people heal. It is a fascinating method that is being used successfully. Listen as she tells us about her poignant story that is sure to inspire and motivate you!
Website: amazingoutlookcoaching.com
Facebook profile: www.facebook.com/nancy.mckay1
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amazingoutlookcoaching
Instagram: www.instagram.com/nancymckay_/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nancymckay/
Facebook Group: Women & Alcohol: https://bit.ly/3cYORv0
Ep. #31 - Caleb Whittle Shares How He Helps Employees Build the Intrapreneurial Spirit so That They Inspire, Lead and Motivate Those Around Them
So many people talk about becoming entrepreneurs but what about those who want to be employees and improve their job performances by being more innovative & creative in the companies they work for?
So many people talk about becoming entrepreneurs but what about those who want to be employees and improve their job performances by being more innovative & creative in the companies they work for? My guest Caleb Whittle shares how he gives hope by assisting employees in developing their intrapreneurial talents, so they thrive within their companies while helping those companies to add value to their communities. Caleb also shares some wise tips on saving and investing your money as well as how to earn extra money in side jobs.
Website: calebwhittle.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/calebwhittle
Ep. #30 - Meridith Alexander and Daughter Schuyler Share Their Journey After Schuyler Suffered Injuries in a Near Fatal Accident in South America
Guests Meridith & Schuyler Alexander, a mother and daughter team, share their story of hope involving the aftermath of a tragic accident in 2016 that left Schuyler with severe physical injuries. Schuyler was on vacation in Columbia, South America, already a world traveler despite her young age of 22.
Guests Meridith & Schuyler Alexander, a mother and daughter team, share their story of hope involving the aftermath of a tragic accident in 2016 that left Schuyler with severe physical injuries. Schuyler was on vacation in Columbia, South America, already a world traveler despite her young age of 22. Meridith describes the grueling efforts to transport Schuyler to the United States for medical treatment and how they have since persevered despite all their challenges. Meridith has become a resilience expert and inspirational speaker, with Schuyler joining her on speaking engagements. Meridith draws on what she has learned from her journey through Schuyler’s recovery to now help and counsel women to “unleash the epic version of themselves”. Schuyler also shares a mantra that she uses to encourage herself daily for every small achievement that she makes: “Inch by inch is a synch, yard by yard is hard.”
Websites:
Book: The Sky is the Limit – And Sometimes the Limit is Just Beginning
Ep. #29 - Australian Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Steve Killelea Shares His Journey of Hope in Advancing Peace Initiatives Throughout the World
Can anyone truly understand what peace is and promote its development all over the world? My guest Steve Killelea is determined to do just that and gives us hope that thriving peaceful societies are definitely attainable.
Can anyone truly understand what peace is and promote its development all over the world? My guest Steve Killelea is determined to do just that and gives us hope that thriving peaceful societies are definitely attainable. A successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, Steve has dedicated his life’s work to learning about and understanding peace and how it can be developed worldwide. In 2007, he founded the Institute for Economics and Peace, a nonprofit global research institute whose goal is to analyze the intersection of business, peace, and economics. In his new book Peace in the Age of Chaos: The Best Solution for a Sustainable World, Steve discusses why he became involved with studying peace and how peace can be pursued through various frameworks to enable people to reach their fullest potentials in societies all over the world. Peace is not the absence of war but a positive force that can have a tremendous impact on peoples’ lives on a daily basis.
Websites:
Book: Peace in the Age of Chaos: The Best Solution for a Sustainable World
Ep. #28 – Children’s Author and Dog Lover Lisa Wiehebrink Shares Her Story of Helping to Build Character in Children and Healthy Partnerships Between Children and Their Pets
Did you know that how children treat their pets is often an indication of their compassion, kindness, and empathy? Mother, children’s author, and dog lover Lisa Wiehebrink shares how she strives to inspire children to develop kindness, compassion, and empathy toward others through her books about dogs.
Did you know that how children treat their pets is often an indication of their compassion, kindness and empathy? Mother, children’s author, and dog lover Lisa Wiehebrink shares how she strives to inspire children to develop kindness, compassion, and empathy toward others through her books about dogs. Her books are used in classrooms for character education to help children learn to have better relationships with others and humane education for children to learn to develop better relationships with their pets. Animal organizations also use her books for community outreach, shelter reading programs, and pet adoptions.
Website: tailsthatteach.com
Email: lisa@tailsthatteach.com
Ep. #27 – Biologist Dr. Rebecca Heiss Shares Her Personal Story of Hope and How We Can Rewire Our Brains to go From Being Fearful to Being Fearless
Did you know that our brains are built for survival and not happiness? Biologist Dr. Rebecca Heiss shares how personal tragedies propelled her to break patterns and behaviors that held her back due to fear and a desire to “stay safe”.
Did you know that our brains are built for survival and not happiness? Biologist Dr. Rebecca Heiss shares how personal tragedies propelled her to break patterns and behaviors that held her back due to fear and a desire to “stay safe”. Using her science background, she seeks to help others become less fearful and happier through learning transformative techniques. She gives us insights from her new book Instinct – Rewire Your Brain with Science-Backed Solutions to Increase Productivity & Achieve Success.
Website: rebeccaheiss.com; icueity.com
Email: rebecca@rebeccaheiss.com
Ep. #26 – Vivian St. Juste Schweizer Shares Her Story of Lifelong Advocacy for Those Who are Vulnerable and Her Commitment to Seeking Justice
A passionate and lifelong advocate for victims, Vivian St. Juste Schweizer shares her story about how her advocacy skills for the vulnerable started at home at a young age as she advocated for the rights of and services for her disabled brother on St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands.
A passionate and lifelong advocate for victims, Vivian St. Juste Schweizer shares her story about how her advocacy skills for the vulnerable started at home at a young age as she advocated for the rights of and services for her disabled brother on St. Croix, U. S. Virgin Islands. Over the years, her advocacy for the vulnerable has helped innumerable people, as she served in various leadership positions, including as the executive director of the Family Resource Center on St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands, a nonprofit organization committed to assisting victims of domestic violence and other crimes. She has continued unabated, despite her own personal setbacks and losses, including those resulting from two hurricanes that devastated the U. S. Virgin Islands in 2017. Now, remarried and living in North Carolina, Vivian uses her expertise to assist businesses and organizations (for-profit and nonprofit) in many ways, including board development and strategic planning, as well as grant research and writing.
Website: everythinggrants.com
Email: everythinggrants@gmail.com
Ep. #25 – Accomplished and Vivacious Wife, Mother and Entrepreneur, Ayanna Hall Shares her Story of Hope in Transitioning Through Various Stages of Life
We all go through various stages in life. How can we successfully handle those transitions? Ayanna Hall, an accomplished entrepreneur, shares her story of overcoming challenges as she went from being a successful pharmacist and working mom with three children, to a stay-at-home mom, and then to building a business based on a now popular website, all while balancing marriage and ministry.
We all go through various stages in life. How can we successfully handle those transitions? Ayanna Hall, an accomplished entrepreneur, shares her story of overcoming challenges as she went from being a successful pharmacist and working mom with three children, to a stay-at-home mom, and then to building a business based on a now popular website, all while balancing marriage and ministry. Her mission now is to help wives and wives-to-be to gain clarity, confidence, and happiness. However, anyone and everyone can benefit from Ayanna’s wisdom.
Website: beyondcommitted.com
Email: hello@beyondcommitted.com
Instagram: @beyondcommitted
Ep. #24 - 25-year-old Liudeli Torres Shares His Story of How He Went from Being Socially Inept to Socially Apt and Then Establish His Own Business
Growing up as a Hispanic male who was viewed as a nerd in high school, Liudeli Torres suffered from poor social skills. As a young adult, he would go out of his way to avoid interactions with people. He tells us how he made a dramatic turnaround by being disciplined and focusing on self-improvement strategies he learned from books.
Growing up as a Hispanic male who was viewed as a nerd in high school, Liudeli Torres suffered from poor social skills. As a young adult, he would go out of his way to avoid interactions with people. He tells us how he made a dramatic turnaround by being disciplined and focusing on self-improvement strategies he learned from books. He slowly but intentionally put those strategies to work and has seen his social skills improve considerably. At the young age of 25, he now owns and operates his own website development company "Don't Be Basic" where he encourages small businesses to think outside the box.
Email: ltorres@dontbebasic.us