Global Voice Magazine Nov. 2018 by Global Voice Magazine

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FROM THE FOUNDER The end of the year ; a time for reflection and renewal. Reflection of the past--what have I accomplished, how have I grown? Renewa l o f a s p i r a t i o n s , d r e a m s , g o a l s a n d a n t i c i p a t i o n o f t h e N e w Ye a r. L e t’s c e l e b r a t e w h e r e w e a r e a n d w h e r e w e a r e g o i n g ! ! A milestone for t he world was celebrated on Novemb er 11, 2018 w i t h t h e c e l e b r a t i o n o f A r m i s t i c e D a y, t h e e n d o f Wo r l d Wa r 1 . I n t h e U S w e a l s o c e l e b r a t e d Ve t e r a n’s D a y h o n o r i n g a l l w h o s e r v e d a n d f o u g h t n o t o n l y f o r t h e U S , b u t i n s u p p o r t o f o u r A l l i e s . Ve t e r a n’s f i g h t i n g f o r t h e f r e e d o m s o f m a n y c o u n t r i e s , b i l l i o n s o f p e o p l e t o h a v e f r e e d o m f r o m d i c t a t o r s a n d t y r a n n y. Ye s , t h e r e a r e s t i l l conf licts b eing fought in s e veral countries. Many p eople do not h a v e b a s i c s a f e t y a n d s e c u r i t y i n t h e i r o w n c o u n t r y. We c o n t i n u e to move for ward on these issues ever y day around the world. I n h o n o r o f Ve t e r a n’s D a y, t h i s i s s u e i n c l u d e s a r t i c l e s b y s e v e r a l Ve t e r a n s . Ve t e r a n s w h o a r e s t i l l s e r v i n g a n d t h o s e w h o t h o u g h n o l o n g e r s e r v e i n t h e m i l i t a r y, s t i l l s e r v e i n t h e i r c o m m u n i t i e s and around the world. One of the most important points I learned during my inter vie w with Brian Fleming, our cover and feature s t o r y i s t o d o o n e t h i n g t h a t s u c k s e a c h d a y, a n d a s i n e a r l y i n the morning as p ossible!! What do we dread? Is it exercise? Is it household chores or a business task? G E T I T D O N E E A R LY a n d then enjoy the day!! Also see it as a win!! T h e e n d o f t h e y e a r i s u p o n u s , p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r a N e w Ye a r a n d celebrations of holidays around the world. Canada celebrated T h a n k s g i v i n g i n O c t o b e r, t h e U S a n d Au s t r a l i a c e l e b r a t e d T h a n k s g i v i n g i n N o v e m b e r, a s s e v e r a l o t h e r c o u n t r i e s d o a l s o. T h i s i s a time of joy and thanksgiving. Hanuk kah is celebrated around the w o r l d D e c 2 - 1 0 , t h e Wi n t e r S o l s t i c e i s D e c 2 1 , C h r i s t m a s D e c 2 5 , Kw a n z a D e c 2 6 - Ja n 1 a n d l e t u s a c k n o w l e d g e F e s t i v u s , D e c 2 3 , f o r those Seinfeld followers. Let us have the best holiday season we c a n . We d o n o t n e e d t o s t r e s s a n d w e c a n c r e a t e t h e b e s t Ho l i d a y b y b e i n g w i t h f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y, n o t b y o v e r s p e n d i n g a n d b e i n g e x t r a b u s y. L e t u s s a y H a p p y T h a n k s g i v i n g , H a p p y H a n u k k a h , Me r r y C h r i s t m a s , a n d H a p p y Kw a n z a … a c k n o w l e d g e a l l h o l i d a y s e v e r y w h e r e . Ac k n o w l e d g i n g e a c h h o l i d a y d o e s n o t n e g a t e a n y h o l i d a y. T h e w o r l d i s d i v e r s e , w e w a n t t o h o n o r d i v e r s i t y, a n d w e w a n t t o h e a r t h e G l o b a l Vo i c e s r a i s e d i n c e l e b r a t i o n .

Ha p p y Ho l i d a y s t o a l l . B l e s s y o u a s w e c o n t i n u e t o c e l e b r a t e t h i s season of reflection and renewal.

DENISE JOY THOMPSON

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TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S 06

THE AUTHORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VOICE- BUL

SAFETY FIRST- THE FACEBO

ADAM DAVIS AND LT COL D

EDWARD BECHER

CREATE MILESTONES-NOT R

INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN FL

VETERANS HELPING VETER

IS THE GLASS CEILING STIL

THE JOURNEY BEGINS BY S

LINKEDIN-PUT YOUR BEST

SCOTT SPEIGHT

CAROL DAVIES NANCY BECHER

VICKY KNEE

53 58 62 65

UPCOMING EVENTS- KICKA CHEER MORE, STRESS LESS DENISE JOY THOMPSON

HANUKKAH- THE FESTIVAL CINDY COHEN

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF PRISCILLA KOHUTEK

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LLET PROOF MARRIAGE

DAVE GROSSMAN

OOK HOAX OF 2018

RESOLUTIONS IN 2019

LEMING- MY PATH TO MY PURPOSE

RANS DENISE JOY THOMPSON

LL HOLDING WOMEN BACK IN BUSINESS?

FOUNDER

NANCY BECHER

STOPPING

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MISTY ANDERSON COVER DESIGN

FACE FORWARD

ASS HAPPINESS RETREAT

L OF LIGHTS

F CHRISTMAS

TAMARA COLLINS LAYOUT DESIGNER

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T H E AU T H O Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S VO I C E

THE BULLETPROOF M A R R IA G E A DA M DAV I S DAV E G R O S S M A N

To g e t h e r y o u c a n m a k e i t t h r o u g h a n y t h i n g . We l i v e i n a t r o u b l e d s o c i e t y, a n d t h o s e m a i n taining order and justice are some of the most over worked, unappreciated, and underpaid. The nature of their jobs is stressful b oth p ers o n a l l y a n d r e l a t i o n a l l y. We ( Ad a m D a v i s a n d D a v e Grossman) wrote Bulletpro of Marriage: a 90 Day Devotional because of the number of marriages affected by the unique challenges facing our first responders and militar y m e n a n d w o m e n ( S h e e p d o g s . ) We wanted to provide proven methods to building resilient marriages, the same principles used to create resilient sheepdogs.

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Knowing God is using our own experiences and challenges from the militar y and law enforcement perspectives to help others is what it is all about. This is only the beginning of a massive move of touching the lives of our American heroes! Learn how to: • transition smoothly from duty to home. • resolve conflicts and develop healthy communication habits. • manage lifestyle stressors and cultivate resilience. • build trust and encourage i n t i m a c y. “S o m e t i m e s t h e g r e a t e s t love is not to sacrifice your life but to live a life of sacrif i c e .” Invite G o d to help you make your marriage bulletproof. R e a d e r ’s r e v i e w s o f Bulletproof Marriage: “ This devo is structured

to study WITH your spouse, which I absolutely love. Each day contains relevant scriptures, a devotional, sections specifically for both the sheepdog and the spouse, discussion questions, and a p r a y e r. Yo u g u y s , Ad a m a n d Dave have literally thoughts o f E V E RY T H I N G ! ” - @ammoandgrace “Ad a m D a v i s i s a d e v o u t a n d studied man of G o d and former L aw Enforcement Offic e r. I n B u l l e t p r o o f M a r r i a g e , Ad a m i s t o t a l l y f o c u s e d o n his audience – the militar y or law enforcement family and t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p. David Grossman is ren o w n e d p r o f e s s o r, t r a i n e r, and militar y veteran who demonstrates the deepest understanding of the physiolog y and psycholog y of those who march daily into stressful life and death situations on the battlefields of foreign countries or on the streets of the Un i t e d S t a t e s . David understands our he-

roes who may be called upon to sacrifice their lives for s o m e o n e t h e y d o n o t k n o w. Having read hundreds of devotional books and journals through my life, the Bulletproof Marriage innovatively l a y s o u t e a c h d a y ’s d e v o tion with Biblical scripture, a poignant illustration, a Q u i c k T i p, p r i n c i p l e s f o r t h e “S h e e p d o g ,” a n d t h e s p o u s e , questions for discussion, and a p r a y e r. The illustrations in each devotion demonstrate both a u t h o r s’ i n - d e p t h e x p e r i e n c e a n d k n o w l e d g e o f t h e l i f e’s challenges and blessings of militar y and first responders and their families. Such meditation daily between a h u s b a n d a n d w i f e , G o d’s f i r s t d i v i n e i n s t i t u t i o n , c a n’t h e l p b u t i n s t i l l G o d’s b l e s s i n g o n a m a r r i a g e . A l l m i l i t a r y, v e t e r ans, and first responders and their families should absorb t h e s e d e v o t i o n s .” S emper Fidelis, S t e v e Hu m m e r Lt Gen, US Marines, Retired

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A DA M DAV I S i s a f o r m e r l a w e n f o r c e m e n t o f f i c e r w h o k n o w s w h a t i t’s l i k e t o f a c e v o l a t i l e s i t u a t i o n s a t e v e r y t u r n . No w h i s m i s s i o n i s t o offer help and hope with his speaking engagements and inspirational books for those who walk the thin blue line. His speaking experience includes delivering keynotes at major colleges as well as churches and conferences throughout the Un i t e d S t a t e s . Ad a m i s t r u l y p o i s e d t o b e c o m e t h e ‘ ’g o - t o’’ v o i c e o f e n c o u r a g e m e n t f o r o f f i c e r s s eeking reassurance f rom s omeone w ho unders t a n d s w h a t t h e y l i v e e v e r y d a y. T h e u n c e r t a i n ty they face can also take its toll at home with f a m i l y, a n d m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y, i n m a r r i a g e s . I n 2 0 0 0 , Ad a m m a r r i e d h i s h i g h s c h o o l s w e e t h e a r t . Ad a m i s a n a l u m n u s o f Tr o y Un i v e r s i t y, a n o r d a i n e d m i n i s t e r, a n d a m e m b e r o f t h e A l a b a m a Wr i t e r s’ C o n c l a v e a n d t h e A l a b a m a Wr i t e r s’ F o r u m . I f y o u a s k h i s f r i e n d s a n d f a m i l y, m o s t w i l l t e l l y o u Ad a m i s p a s s i o n a t e a b o u t h i s f a i t h , f a m i l y, a n d h i s d i v i n e p u r p o s e . H i s m o s t p r i z e d role is that of husband to Amber and father to t h r e e p r e c i o u s c h i l d r e n . C o n n e c t w i t h Ad a m a t w w w. T h e Ad a m D a v i s . c o m

DAV E G R O S S M A N , a r e t i r e d U S A r m y L i e u tenant C olonel, is an internationally recognized s c h o l a r, a u t h o r, a n d s p e a k e r w h o i s o n e o f t h e w o r l d’s f o r e m o s t e x p e r t s i n t h e f i e l d o f h u m a n aggression and the roots of violence and violent c r i m e . He i s a l s o o n e o f t h e n a t i o n’s l e a d i n g l a w enforcement trainers. Dave is a former Army R a n g e r, We s t Po i n t p s y c h o l o g y p r o f e s s o r, a n d professor of militar y science who drew on his combined experience to establish a new field of s c i e n t i f i c e n d e a v o r t h a t h e h a s n a m e d K i l l o l o g y. He h a s s e r v e d a s a n e x p e r t w i t n e s s a n d c o n s u l tant in numerous federal and state courts, inc l u d i n g t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s v s . T i m o t h y Mc Ve i g h . Dave has five patents to his name, has published f o u r n o v e l s , t w o c h i l d r e n’s b o o k s , a n d s i x n o n f i c t i o n b o o k s , w h i c h i n c l u d e h i s ‘ ’p e r e n n i a l b e s t s e l l e r ’’ O n K i l l i n g ( w i t h o v e r h a l f a m i l l i o n c o p i e s s o l d ) , a n d t h e Ne w Yo r k T i m e s b e s t - s e l l i n g b o o k C o n t r o l : E x p o s i n g t h e Tr u t h a b o u t Guns, coauthored with Glenn B eck. S ome of his other books are On C ombat, Assassination G e n e r a t i o n , a n d S h e e p d o g s : Me e t O u r Na t i o n’s Wa r r i o r s , w r i t t e n w i t h S t e p h a n i e R o g i s h . C o n n e c t w i t h D a v e a t h t t p s : / / w w w. k i l l o l o g y. c o m /

Buy Now: Bulletproof Marriage Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Bulletproof-Marriage-Devotional-Adam-Davis/dp/1424557593 Bulletproof Marriage B&N Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bulletproof-marriage-adam-davis/11297 63610?ean=9781424557592 Behind the Badge Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Badge-Daily-Devotions-Enforcement-ebook/dp/B079WC2S9B/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1

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S TAY I N G S A F E I N A N U N S A F E WO R L D… … …

FA C E B O O K : F U L L O F H OA X E S E d B e c h e r, C O R C I , C H T I , C S M IA

Facebook, with over 2,072 million users monthly (1.66 Billion Mo b i l e u s e r s m o n t h l y ) i s one of the most popular social media platforms us ed. Many of us will use them not only for personal use but also as part of our small business. But the question d o e s c o m e u p “A r e w e using them safely?”

Ma ny o f u s h av e w i t n e s s e d t h e h o a x t h at occurred in October 2018 with people report-

ing that they had been hacked. While many did believe they had been hacked, the text messages they received were all part of a hoax meant to get people excited and ups et. The message many people received: “Hi....I actually got another friend request from you which I ignored so you may want to check your account. Ho l d y o u r f i n g e r o n t h e

message until the forward button appears... then hit for ward and all the people you want to f o r w a r d t o o. . . . I h a d t o do the people individu a l l y. P L E A S E D O N O T AC C E P T A N E W f r i e n d s h i p F R O M M E AT T H I S T I M E .” Ye a h i t w a s a h o a x , t h e message did not come f r o m a “f r i e n d”, y o u a c count was not hacked or c l o n e d . It w a s j u s t t h a t -- a hoax. But how can y o u b e s u r e ? Tr y t h i s : a) In the search box on Facebook, type the name you use for your Facebook account. b ) H o w m a n y o f “ y o u” do you find…. c) Oh just you, no othe r a c c o u n t s , w e l l t h a t’s good. Facebook has seen many hoaxes since 2011; one that has been going around was that you had sent ‘insults and p or nographic’ pic tures.

Nop e… hoax. L e t’s r e m e m b e r h o w many us ers Faceb o ok has; over 2.7 million and g r o w i n g e v e r y d a y. H o w many f riends do you have on Facebook? Say you have 200 friends, and you receive that h o a x m e s s a g e . Yo u r e ceive the message and you send it to 20 friends, those 20 friends send it to 20, and so on and so on. Think about the s cop e of it: how many people have now received that message? How can we avoid b ecoming part of the hoax? Ever y one of us has the ability to fact check w h a t w e r e c e i v e . Ye a h I k n o w I ’v e h e a r d i t t o o, ‘Ever ything you see on the internet has to b e t r u e , a n d i t’s o n t h e i n t e r n e t’. But do not believe ever ything you see or find to be true. As business owners and entre-

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preneurs, we owe it to o u r c l i e n t s , e m p l o y e eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friends and family members to keep our social media accounts safe. Things like posting pictures while we are on vacation can give someone enough information to know your home is empty and a target to burglaries. Do we check to see what information our employees, our spouses or even our children are posting? There have b een numerous occasions when people have made the smallest comment on S ocial Me d i a a n d i t h a s g o n e viral and caused more problems then expected. Remember what was said e a r l i e r, 2 0 s e n d s t o 2 0 sends to 20 and on and on. The world of social media has permitted us to take our small local business international through sites like Faceb o o k . It h a s l e t u s m a k e connections with people in places we could only have thought about 20 or e v e n 1 0 y e a r s a g o. B u t , w e must rememb er that many of these connections we have never personally met, so do we know who they really are? Many investigators have what are known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;s o c k p u p p e tâ&#x20AC;? a c c o u n t s , real accounts using fake names and personal data.

S o, i f i n v e s t i g a t o r s a r e using them, what makes you think that the criminal element is not using these same tactics to gain information about you, gain insight into you and y o u r c o m p a n y. T h e y m a y also be attempting to gain access to your financial information to drain y o u r a c c o u n t s . To d a y y o u have $30k, tomorrow $0. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. Till next time, S t a y S a f e , t h e Wo r l d i s a n Un s a f e P l a c e .

Ed Becher is currently employed by a big box store providing Asset Protection. He is certified as an Organized Retail Crime Investigator, Human Trafficking Investigator and Social Media Intelligence Analyst. Ed has taught classes in Executive Protection and Personal Safety. He was a Private Investigator, Personal Protection Specialist and Bail Enforcement Agent. Ed is a retired United States Marine Corps Master Sergeant having served 22.5 years on active duty.

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8 BENEFITS OF HAV I N G YO U R OWN RADIO SHOW 1 . Yo u h a v e y o u r o w n r a d i o s h o w ! Ho w m a n y people do you know are radio hosts (probably not many) 2. Showcase your authority status in your i n d u s t r y. H a v i n g y o u r own radio show sets you apart from others in your industr y and gives you i n s t a n t c r e d i b i l i t y. 3. Grow your brand a w a r e n e s s f a s t e r. 4 4 % o f the US population has listened to a podcast. Of those, 80% of people listened to the entire show and an average of 7 shows per week. This means you have dedicated ears and new people e x p l o r i n g p o d c a s t s d a i l y. This means you are able to reach people outside your current social media circles. 4 . Po d c a s t l i s t e n e r s h a v e b u y i n g p o w e r. 4 5 % o f monthly podcast listeners

have an average income of over 75,000 (compared to 35% of the general population). 5. Listeners are more in tune to subtle suggestions and offers from hosts during a podcast. 69% of listeners sited that podcasts ads made them aware of a particular product or ser vice. 6 . Po d c a s t l i s t e n e r s a r e far more likely to foll o w, s u p p o r t a n d s h a r e your message and brand on social media. 94% of all regular listeners use one or more social media channel (compared to 80% of the full population). They are more in tune with digital trends and online media. 7. Get to work with other experts and celebrities. All business owners, experts, and celebrities know that media app earances add to their credi-

bility and ability to sell. They seek out shows to guest on. This provides you an opportunity to network with, and potential do business with t h e s e p e o p l e . It e x p a n d s your sphere of influence. 8 . Yo u a r e a b l e t o f o s t e r a deeper connection with your audience. This long form format allows for you to provide richer and more robust content to your listeners without the short constraints of social media posts or low visib i l i t y. L i s t e n e r s a r e t h e i r to learn and grow and tune in with intent. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it is pretty solid reasoning on why you should look into having your own s h o w. I f y o u a r e i n t e r e s t e d in expanding your reach, please message us today to get more information.

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C R E AT E M I L E S T O N E S N O T R E S O LU T I O N S SCOT T SPEIGHT Ne w Ye a r ’s D a y i s r i g h t around the corner and for many this means a f resh start, new opportunities, excitement, celebration and even the oftentimes dreade d Ne w Ye a r ’s r e s o l u t i o n s . I say dreaded because I feel many create res olutions out of an obligation in hopes s o m e t h i n g i n t h e Ne w Ye a r w i l l b e d i f f e r e n t . It h a s b e e n said most people break their resolutions within the first t w o w e e k s o f t h e y e a r, w h i c h leaves them feeling like the rest of the year will be no different than the last.

One of my favorite ways to star t a question with my clients is with the words “what i f .” W h a t i f y o u d e c i d e d , i n fact that 2019 can and will be dif ferent than any other year? Yo u s e e , Ne w Ye a r ’s R e s o l u tions are usually short-term goals or fixes to much bigger i s s u e s i n l i f e . It w o n’t b e long before you start to hear people say things like “2019 w i l l b e m y b e s t y e a r y e t” o r “ I c a n’t w a i t f o r 2 0 1 9 s o I c a n l e a v e 2 0 1 8 i n t h e p a s t .” I would like to give you some ideas on how to do away with Ne w Ye a r ’s R e s o l u t i o n s a n d

create ongoing life change that literally could make 2019 y o u r b e s t y e a r e v e r. First, realize your past does not define who you are and does not have to define your f u t u r e . Yo u r f u t u r e i s e x a c t l y what you decide to make it be. When I am coaching clients they often ask “how can I d o t h i n g s d i f f e r e n t ? ’’ T h e answer is always the same-which they hate--just decide a n d t h e n AC T. T h i s s o u n d s t o o s i m p l e , I k n o w, b u t y o u truly must first decide that you want things to b e dif ferent. If you are focused on the

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past you cannot move forward--it is impossible. S econd, you must understand the only limits you have are the ones you place on yourself. If you have ever been around a child for ver y long you know they have such an imagination and have the capacity to think much bigger and without limits. A child will run around the yard acting as if they are climbing a mountain and are about to save the world. It i s a r o u n d a g e 9 o r 1 0 that children suddenly start fearing and putting limits on themselves and this only continues to get worse as the years go on. Find a way in t h e N e w Ye a r t o e x p a n d y o u r capacity ; either by reading more, surrounding yourself with people that push you, hire a coach or join a mast e r m i n d g r o u p. The third item on the list which is absolutely critical to your success in 2019 is to set a few milestones to help you see progress. The r e a s o n I u s e t h e w o r d “m i l e s t o n e s” r a t h e r t h a n g o a l s i s because I feel we can relate t o t h i s m u c h e a s i e r. E v e r y time we are in our vehi-

cles to travel somewhere we focus on the number of miles and if we are on the interstate we pay attention to the exit numbers which are ultimately milestones. S et incremental milestones that push you further each m o n t h . Wi t h o u t s o m e t h i n g to focus on we focus on nothing and what we focus on is where our energ y goes. Focusing on milestones, each week and each month, move us further along our journey of success. L a s t l y, m a k i n g l i f e c h a n g e s i s n o t e a s y, i f i t w e r e , e v e r y one would be changing. I have been a lifelong personal development guru and I am determined to not only make my life b etter but als o the life of ever yone around me. Recognizing this as my goal is not just about setting a few goals in hopes that you achieve them but rather about making some major life changes that are permanent. Life changes may mean making tough decisions about what and who to keep in your life. This is probably one of the toughest aspects of life change for peop l e . Yo u s e e , a s w e b e g i n t o grow and make changes, not

ever yone around us makes t h e s a m e c h a n g e s . Pe o p l e i n your life often do their best to keep you right where you are. Do not fall for it. Push f o r w a r d a n d d o n o t s t o p. Yo u r f u t u r e s e l f w i l l t h a n k y o u l a t e r, I p r o m i s e . In closing, 2019 can be your year to shine, make t h a t s i x f i g u r e s , h a v e a b a b y, find the love of your life, start that business or whatever you decide you want t o h a v e d i f f e r e n t . Yo u c a n say someone or something is holding you back, though the reality is you are holding you back, even if it is giving i n t o s o m e o n e e l s e’s d e m a n d s . I n m y b o o k , L i v i n g Yo u r L i f e i n Pe a k Pe r f o r m a n c e I m a k e t h e s t a t e m e n t “c h a n g e your mind, change your l i f e .” Yo u r m i n d i s t h e m o s t powerful tool you have. Expand it, and watch how y o u r l i f e c h a n g e s i n 2 0 1 9 . It truly can be the most exciting and the best year of your l i f e s o f a r. K e e p t h e p a s t i n the past and the best is yet to come.

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S c o t t D. S p e i g h t i s t h e f o u n d e r o f t h e Pe a k Pe r f o r m a n c e L e a d e r s h i p Tr a i n i n g C e n t e r, a h i g h l y s o u g h t - a f t e r s p e a k e r, a u t h o r a n d a n i n novative coach. A Chaplain i n t h e U. S . A r m y R e s e r v e s , currently stationed at Ft Ho o d , T X , h e w i l l c o m p l e t e a s e c o n d m a s t e r â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s d e g r e e i n marriage and family therapy f r o m Te x a s A & M . I n a d d i tion, Speight is a certified C o a c h , Tr a i n e r a n d S p e a k e r with the John Maxwell Institute. Ser ving in this industr y for over a decade, Speight has proven he has a passion for coaching. For over 20 years

he has excelled at leadership i n n u m e r o u s f i e l d s . He h a s shown his adaptability to work with a variety of clients such as Remax Elite, St. Johns R i v e r Wa t e r M a n a g e m e n t D i s t r i c t a n d c e l e b r i t i e s l i k e Pe t e r Frampton. Speight has been privileged to speak to a variety of audiences, ranging from large corporations, non-profits, s m a l l b u s i n e s s e s a n d t h e U. S . A r m y. H i s g o a l i s t o h e l p others live with a purpose; motivate, inspire and empower clients to help implement their plans and vision. C onnect with S cott at

S cott@S cottSpeight.com, w w w. s c o t t s p e i g h t . c o m a n d t o o r d e r S c o t tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s b o o k , L i v i n g y o u r L i f e i n Pe a k Pe r f o r mance, go to http://bit.ly/lifeinpeakperformance.

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B R IA N F L E M I N G M Y PAT H T O M Y P U R P O S E T H E F O L L O W I N G I S A N I N T E R I E W T R A N S C R I P T O F B R IA N F L E M I N G A N D D E N I S E J O Y T H O M P S O N

Denise: Brian, thank you for being available to speak to me; for saying yes to being p a r t o f t h e No v e m b e r i s s u e o f G l o b a l Vo i c e M a g a z i n e . I h a d mentioned I had met you at a conference where you were s p e a k i n g , i n 2 0 1 5 o r 2 0 1 4 . I â&#x20AC;&#x2122;v e been following you since that time. B eing a veteran mys elf, knowing your stor y and seeing what you are doing with your life, with what has happened to you, and how much you are able to share of yourself with others to help them put difficult situations into perspective and not let something that has happened in our life totally derail us or stop us from moving for ward.

Denise: I would like you to talk a little bit about your s t o r y. It s e e m s a s i f t h e p i v o t a l moment in your life was what happened to you in Afghanistan and the injuries that you suffered during one of your missions. Brian: Sure. I started with t h e U S A r m y â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Te n t h Mo u n t a i n Division in Afghanistan back in 2006 and two vehicles that were blown out and totally destroyed. The first one was o n Ap r i l 1 8 t h , a r r i v e d t h e r e and it was a double stack of anti-tank mines buried in the r o a d . My v e h i c l e r a n i t o v e r, s et it on f ire and two of my guys were injured. They both returned to duty a month later and I walked away completely

physically unharmed f rom that explosion. B r i a n : It a l s o t u r n s o u t t w o days later we got back to our for ward operating base in Kabul province and I had an email f rom my mother waiting for me and she had sent it the day we returned. She basically just said, Brian, this might sound odd, but a couple of days ago I had this really strange, intense feeling to pray for your protection. I thought that was kinda cool because we had just gotten blown up two d a y s a g o. A n d , a l l r i g h t , G o d l i s t e n s . Yo u k n o w, I l e a r n e d God tells women ever ything. I h a v e b e e n m a r r i e d 1 3 y e a r s . It comes to mom and for my wife, Ja m i e . I k n o w, I t r y a n d s t a y

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w i f e , Ja m i e . I k n o w, I t r y and stay on their good side. B r i a n : I s a y t h a t j o k i n g l y, b u t s e r i o u s l y, b e c a u s e a f e w months later my vehicle was blown up a second time and there were rumors going around that we were coming h o m e , a n d t h e e n d o f Ju l y s p e c i f i c a l l y. T h e e n d o f Ju l y, w e’r e e i t h e r c o m i n g h o m e o r w e’r e g e t t i n g e x t e n d e d 9 0 days, the militar y loves to do that. And my wife star ted p r a y i n g t h a t I ’d b e h o m e i n t h e e n d o f Ju l y. S u r e e n o u g h I was injured by a suicide b o m b e r, p u l l e d h i s m i n i - v a n right up next to my do or as I was in my vehicle. I was in the front passenger seat and we were driving through Kandahar to two miles from the main gate to Kandahar a i r f i e l d w h e r e w e’r e g o i n g and he hit the clicker and he blew himself in his van and about 10,000 pieces that d a y, w i t h i n a n a r m’s r e a c h o u t m y w i n d o w, t h e w h o l e v a n , e v e r y t h i n g w e n t u p. day stress. By shedding the urge to be perfect, beginning holiday planning earl i e r, s c a l i n g d o w n e x p e c t a tions, and using shortcuts to s a v e t i m e , y o u’ l l b r i n g y o u r tension level way down. Brian: I woke up in a ditch on the side of the road. I w a s b u r n e d a n d b l o o d y, I had no idea where I was. Uh, not to be too graphic, but there were car parts, body parts just littered e v e r y w h e r e . I c o u l d n’t f i n d m y w e a p o n . It w a s s t i l l i n t h e v e h i c l e . I d i d n’t k n o w w h e r e I w a s . My p o i n t w i t h this whole funniness of it n o w, o r t h e h u m o r o f i t , i s that my wife was praying I ’d b e h o m e a t t h e e n d o f

Ju l y. I w a s i n j u r e d o n Ju l y 24th. I arrived at Brooke A r m y Me d i c a l C e n t e r i n S a n A n t o n i o, Te x a s o n Ju l y 2 7 t h , t h e e n d o f Ju l y. O h , b y t h e w a y, m y u n i t g o t e x t e n d e d 90 days within three or four d a y s o f t h a t e x p l o s i o n . S o, and ever ybody came home. We l l , b y t h e w a y, w h i c h I ’m t h a n k f u l f o r ; y o u k n o w, some more stuff happened with them, but they all came home uninjured. B r i a n : Yo u k n o w, I b e l i e v e in the power of prayer and positive thinking. I just asked my wife to b e a little b i t m o r e s p e c i f i c w h e n s h e’s thinking of me, but I came home just as at the time she prayed. Brian In the bombing I sustained a second degree burns to my face and neck, which have now healed, third degree burns to both my hands, which required r e c o n s t r u c t i v e s u r g e r y, b u r n treatment and occupationa l p h y s i c a l t h e r a p y. Up o n arriving at Bro oke Army Me d i c a l C e n t e r t h e y h a d t o scrape the burned skin off my face and hands and neck with razor blades. When I g o t t o t h e m e d i c a l c e n t e r, it was the worst physically t o r t u r o u s p r o c e s s . I c a n’t even begin to describe. There are no words that can describe how painful that was, but they had to do it because if not, I would have definitely died of infection.

B r i a n : I ’m g r a t e f u l t o a l l t h o s e people who had to do this, who had it in them to have to physically torture me to keep me alive. I was an i n f a n t r y g u y, I c a n d o t h a t k i n d o f s t u f f . I d o n’t k n o w i f I h a v e i t i n m e to do that to somebody to keep them alive. I would if I have to; maybe in an extreme sur vival case, but to go day in and day out and have to do t h a t t o s o m e b o d y, I c a n n o t i m a g i n e . I commend the nurs es at Bro oke Army Me d i c a l C e n t e r f o r t h e j o b t h e y h a v e to do because it has to take a toll on you mentally to see people like me come in and then have to do things like that. I sp ent 14 months in my life there and life changed forever b u t n o t , y o u k n o w, n o t f o r t h e w o r s t . Right. C ome to find out.

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D e n i s e : Ye s . W h a t k e p t you motivated through that time? 14 months of recover y after what you just described was something you could never have imagined going through and what the treatment was per se, to make sure that you actually could heal. Right. They had to take off the burned skin, so new skin could g r o w. We r e a l l y c a n’t imagine unless we think a b o u t h o w w h a t’s t h e smallest cut like and now imagine those cuts are basically your skin being rem o v e d a l l o v e r y o u r b o d y. A l o t o f p e o p l e d o n’t k n o w those things happen when s o m e b o d y ’s b e e n i n j u r e d as severely as you were. B r i a n : Pe o p l e a s k , t h e y s a y, w e l l , s u r e l y B r i a n , they put you under ane s t h e s i a . N o, t h e y d o n’t . They keep you awake. And the reason they do that is because they usually have to do it multiple times. T h e y ’r e a f r a i d y o u’ l l f a l l into a coma if they put you under anesthesia multiple times in a short period of time. But then on the opposite end of the spectrum, they have to do it fast because people can go into shock from the a m o u n t o f p a i n t h e y ’r e e x periencing. For me it took about 30 minutes to do this process. So t seemed l i k e a n e t e r n i t y. B u t y e a h , i t’s , c r a z y. W h a t t h e y h a v e to do s ometimes for a p erson to stay alive. D enis e: How go o d of a patient where you

originally and during your 14 months of recover y? B r i a n : Yo u k n o w, I w a s n’t g o o d ; t h a t w a s a good patient. Brian: I was in a lot of pain and I do remember this one nurse kept wanting to come in and give me a shot in the stomach a n d I ’m t h i n k i n g , w h y d o you want to give me the s h o t e v e r y d a y ? We l l , y o u r b l o o d d o e s n’t c l o t b e c a u s e y o u’r e l a y i n g d o w n a l o t . So lady I can walk, I can get up and walk, she said “well I have to give it to y o u”. S h e g a v e i t t o m e a n d this is one more painful t h i n g . A n d f i n a l l y, I g o t m a d , N o y o u’r e n o t g i v i n g i t t o m e , y o u k n o w. A n d s h e’s l i k e , w e l l I h a v e t o. Brian: I think I may have even said “well if you tr y t o s t i c k m e u p t h e r e , I ’m going to stick it in your e y e s”. It w a s w h e n y o u’r e in so much pain, you kind of forget your etiquette a n d y o u’r e i n s u r v i v al mode. And there was a f u n n y p a r t , I ’v e n e v er disrespected chain of c o m m a n d e v e r, b u t t h e r e was a brand-new second lieutenant lady who came in, she says, “I hear we h a v e a p r o b l e m”. I b a s i c a l ly told her off “you can go back to where you came from, congratulations, y o u’v e b e e n i n t h e a r m y six months, what are you going to do to me? Look a t m e , l a d y, y o u k n o w, w h a t y o u g o n n a d o, g i v e me an article 15. Look at m e”. Yo u k n o w, t h a t w a s

the only time I really got on s omeb o dy during my treatment. I was ver y nice to people in general. Brian: They were helping me, they were doing their jobs and I knew in the back of my head this j o b c a n’t b e e a s y. Yo u asked also what kept me motivated to keep going. I d o n’t e v e n k n o w i f t h e word motivation can even a p p l y. F o r m e i t w a s m o r e l i k e , o k a y, t h i s h a p p e n e d . Like I ne ver had any trouble talking about it. The doctors would ask, the psychiatrist would ask, y o u k n o w, w h a t h a p p e n e d ? A n d , y o u k n o w, i t w a s n’t l i k e I c a n’t t a l k a b o u t i t o r I c a n’t k e e p m y s e l f c o m posed talking about it. I l i t e r a l l y j u s t s a y, w e l l , a suicide bomber blew up next, may tr y to kill me. He was t he only one w ho d i e d . S o n i c e t r y b u d d y. A n d I ’m i n j u r e d , b u t I ’m a l i v e a n d I ’m g e t t i n g b e t ter and I’ll be fine. B r i a n : I ’v e h a d s o m e really bad life experiences prior to the militar y and I guess something in those experiences, well, if I made it through those, I ’m g o i n g t o m a k e i t through this time. I neve r, n e v e r, d o u b t e d I w a s n’t gonna make it through. I mean, sur vival wise. I did doubt in Afghanistan w h e n I w o k e u p, I a c t u a l ly thought I was going to d i e . My b u d d y, a m e d i c , he told me, he said I said, h e y, h o w ’s m y c o n d i t i o n ? H o w a m I ? He s a i d , O h , y o u’r e g o o d , y o u’r e g o o d .

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Ho w a m I ? H e s a i d , O h , y o u’r e g o o d , y o u’r e g o o d . I s a i d , y e a h , b u t y o u’r e supposed to tell me that. I said, tell me the truth and I could see in his eyes, I believed his eyes not his w o r d s . I d i d n’t b e l i e v e h i s words because I could see the truth and the look. But yeah, he saved my life that d a y. B r i a n : I ’v e a l w a y s b e e n a person who believes things happen for a reas on. I b elie ve my stor y of my life is par t of a greater s t o r y a n d I ’m v e r y c o m fortable with the fact that I d o n’t h a v e a l l t h e a n swers right now to what I ’m s e e k i n g . I k n o w t h a t someday I probably will, b u t e v e n i f I d o n’t , I ’m okay with that. This hangs up a lot of people when they go through something traumatic or devastating.

T h a t’s t h e “ w h y ” q u e s t i o n , some people search for and never find it. I believe w e’r e s e a r c h i n g f o r a s e n s e of meaning in the suf fering we go through. In fact, Vi k t o r F r a n k l w h o s u r v i v e d t h e Na z i p r i s o n c a m p s , when he was talking about suffering, said in some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning. Brian: After I got injured and I ended up s p e a k i n g m y m e n t o r, m y o r i g i n a l m e n t o r, D a v e Roever put me on stage in front of 3000 people. I was still in burn bandages. I talked for two minutes-- I got blown up and because I ’m s t i l l h e r e f o r a r e a s o n , y o u k n o w, g o f o r i t , b e motivational..

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T h i s y o u n g l a d y w a l k e d u p t o m e a f t e r w a r d s a n d s h e s a i d , B r i a n , g r o w i n g u p, I w a s m o l e s t e d a n d rap ed and abus ed and oh, my b oyf riend was abusive. She said, “I tried to kill mys elf but failed the a t t e m p t .” T h i s i s a s t r a n g e r t a l k i n g t o m e a n d I ’m t h i n k i n g s h e w a s m y a g e l i k e 2 2 a t t h e t i m e . I ’m thinking, why is she telling me this? Brian: Then she tagged this on the end and this is the one -egree shift that changed ever ything. This is, I mean, a one-degree shift is a small shift where over the course of your life that makes a total d i f f e r e n c e i n w h e r e y o u e n d u p, w h i c h i s w h y s o m e p e o p l e e n d e d u p i n o n e s p o t . No w t h e r e’s a n o t h e r w a y t o c h a n g e a n d i t i s r e a l l y h o w y o u t h i n k . S h e t o p p e d o f f h e r s t a t e m e n t w i t h “ Yo u k n o w, B r i a n , if you can sur vive all of that, I think I can get through this. If God can bring you through all that, I think God can bring me through all this. B r i a n : I d i d n’t k n o w a t t h a t m o m e n t , b u t s o m e t h i n g c l i c k e d . I f e l t i t i n m e . S o m e t h i n g s h i f t e d , a n d I t o l d D a v e t h a t n i g h t a s w e l e f t t h e v e n u e a n d g o t b a c k t o t h e h o t e l , “ I d o n’t k n o w h o w t o d o t h i s , b u t I h a v e t o d o t h i s”. It w a s n’t i n a s e n s e l i k e , h e y D a v e , I ’v e c o n s i d e r e d p u r s u i n g p u b l i c s p e a k i n g a s a c a r e e r o p t i o n . No, i t w a s , “ D a v e , I h a v e t o d o t h i s o r d i e t r y i n g a n d I d o n’t k n o w h o w ”. D a v e s a i d , d o n’t w o r r y, I ’ l l s h o w y o u h o w. A n d h e d i d .

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B r i a n : I f y o u d o n’t k n o w, D a v e’s a Vi e t n a m v e t e r a n who was horribly injured by a phosphorous grenade which blew up next to his face, b u r n e d o f f h a l f h i s b o d y, a n d h e’s b e e n w r i t i n g b o o k s a n d speaking for over 40 years n o w. B u t t h a t Vi k t o r F r a n k l quote, in some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning. I found a semblance of meaning when I met the young lady and as much as people will say I h e l p e d h e r, s h e a c t u a l l y h e l p e d m e . Ne i t h e r o f u s k n e w i t . A n d people who hear this stor y are a l s o h e l p e d . I s n’t t h a t i n t e r e s t i n g ? Ye a h . Denise: I look at what other p e o p l e h a v e g o n e t h r o u g h . I ’v e been a therapist for almost 30 years, almost 28 years in the militar y and I see what people are capable of, especially when individuals have gone through something like you have gone through, what the woman had gone through, her discussion with you and sharing that with y o u . It d o e s g i v e u s t h e i d e a o f “ Ye s , I ’m g o i n g t h r o u g h s o m e thing, but we know individuals w h o h a v e g o n e t h r o u g h w o r s e”. Yo u w e r e i n s p i r e d b y h e r h e a r ing your words. What if you had made the decision not to s h a r e , a n d s h e w a s n’t a b l e t o meet you? I think sometimes t h a t’s w h a t w e h a v e t o l o o k a t , who are the people that we are m e e t i n g i n o u r l i v e s , t h e y ’r e sharing their stories, their j o u r n e y, t h e i r t r a u m a , a n d w e can look at what is going on in our life. What if I look at it differently or if I put it into a different perspective, can I move for ward? Like you said, that one shift, right? That one step in a different direction.

B r i a n : O r h e r e’s t h e t h i n g I d i d n’t h a v e a n y a d v i c e f o r, b u t h e r e’s k i c k e r. Pe o p l e o f t e n t h i n k , w e l l , I c a n’t h e l p s o a n d s o, t h i s p e r s o n I c a r e a b o u t b e c a u s e I d o n’t k n o w w h a t t o t e l l t h e m . I d o n’t h a v e t h e r i g h t a d v i c e . O h , I d i d n’t h a v e any advice, but she simply k n e w w a l k i n g a w a y. Brian: I can look back at that now and say she walked away knowing she was not alone in her suffering and that was the big thing she walked away from, in the same effect I had when I met Dave at the m e d i c a l c e n t e r. T h a t w a s t h e e f f e c t I h a d o n h e r. T h a t’s t h e e f f e c t s h e’s p r o b a b l y h a v i n g a n o t h e r p e o p l e . It s p r e a d s , it grows and like virally in a g o o d w a y. T h e b i g g e s t l e s s o n i s y o u l e a r n y o u’r e n o t a l o n e in your suffering for some r e a s o n . We t h i n k o u r s u f f e r i n g i s n e w. I m e a n , a l l t h e s e thousands of years of recorded h u m a n h i s t o r y, w e t h i n k w h a t we went through is unique and d i f f e r e n t . No b o d y u n d e r s t a n d s r e a l l y. No b o d y, n o b o d y u n d e r s t a n d s . No b o d y ’s e v e r b e e n through your thing or they c o u l d n’t p o s s i b l y. A n d t h i s b e sides the fact that even though we all get hurt in a thousand d i f f e r e n t w a y s . Yo u k n o w, a s a therapist, there are only a limited number of issues that we deal with as human beings a s a r e s u l t o f t r a u m a , a n x i e t y, depression, post-traumatic s t r e s s , w h a t e v e r. B r i a n : T h e r e’s a f i n i t e n u m ber of those issues and even though you and I hurt in a different way or me and that girl, h u r t i n d i f f e r e n t w a y, w e o f t e n deal with the same effects o f t h o s e t h i n g s , y o u k n o w,

anxiety or depression or whate v e r. B e c a u s e o f w h a t w e w e n t through. Even though what we went through is different, but we connect with people based o n t h e e f f e c t o f i t . I ’m l i k e h e r. S h e w a s a b u s e d , b u t s h e was dealing with post-traumatic stress in much the same way I was as a combat veteran w h o’s n e v e r a b u s e d g r o w i n g u p, b u t I h a d t o f i g h t t e r r o r ists and was injured in the p r o c e s s . We c o n n e c t e d o n t h e suffering, not on the incidents that caused the suffering, but on the effect of the suffering and it started setting us both free. D e n i s e : I n s o m e w a y s i t’s t h e humanness that each of us has that can connect with another p e r s o n . It’s l i k e y o u s a i d t h a t the suffering that each of us goes through in some ways. If we do not share it, then it can continue to consume us. B r i a n : We b e c o m e i s o l a t e d and in a world in a war zone, b y t h e w a y, l i k e t h e r e’s a w a r zone. Life is a battlefield and you know who were the most vulnerable endangered person i n a w a r z o n e ? It’s t h e s o l dier who is who finds himself alone. If I were to walk out into the mountains of Afghani s t a n r i g h t n o w, I w o u l d n o t last ver y long. They would get, t h e y w o u l d g e t m e i n , t h e y ’d kill me and probably a whole lot of other bad things before that back b ecaus e why? B ecause I was alone.

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B r i a n : Ye t w e i s o l a t e a n d s o m e t i m e s w e d o n’t e v e n r e a l i z e i t . I , I ’v e c a u g h t m y s e l f several times like I need to get out of this house. I need to go hang out with somebody and I ’m , I ’m n a t u r a l l y c o m f o r t a b l e b e i n g a l o n e . It’s l i k e i t’s p e a c e f u l . I d o n’t h a v e t o d e a l w i t h any b o dy but that to fog taken t o o f a r. T h a t c a n b e e x t r e m e on either end. Denise: I was laughing as you said that because ironicall y, I t a l k t o o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s who work out of their home. I have my home of f ice and I have a lot of video calls, so I ’m c o n n e c t i n g w i t h i n d i v i d u als but then I also have a lot of t i m e a l o n e i n m y h o u s e a n d i t’s s o m e t i m e s I ’m l i k e , o h , I h a v e c o f f e e , w a t e r, f o o d , e v e r y t h i n g I need. Right, the important s t u f f . T h e n I r e a l i z e I h a v e n’t left my hous e all week.

D e n i s e : T h e n i t’s l i k e , o k a y, I need to go out and connect. S o m e t i m e s w e f o r g e t , a n d I ’v e talked to other business owners and entrepreneurs about this, we forget that we also need that physical, in-p ers on, connection. Denise: So after talking with the woman who shared her stor y with you and you got into the car with Dave and you said, I need to do this, you k n o w, I , I t h i n k t h a t I n e e d to share my stor y and more I n e e d e d t o d o t h i s . Ho w w a s t h a t p r o c e s s f o r y o u ? Ho w w a s that then you, you mentioned that you were still in your burn bandages, right? S o then what were your next steps? B r i a n : We l l , I h a d a v e r y unique privilege. Dave Roever did for me what you probab l y c o u l d n’t p a y a n y c r e d i b l e p u b l i c s p e a k e r w h o’s b e e n

a r o u n d a l o n g t i m e t o d o. He took me for about a year on the road with him, almost ever y weekend and put me on stages and got me to talk two to three minutes at a time, then four to five, then five to s e v e n m i n u t e s . He w a s g i v i n g me stage time, I was getting e x p o s u r e b e c a u s e h e’s a p r e t t y w e l l - k n o w n g u y, e s p e c i a l l y i n his realm. The biggest thing, I think Dave knew this, he never told me this, but he knew this through his own experience because he started preaching when he was 17. After he got b a c k f r o m Vi e t n a m , h e s n u c k o u t o f B r o o k e A r m y Me d i c a l C e n t e r, s a m e h o s p i t a l I w a s , a n d h e’d g o p r e a c h f o r a l l h i s d a d’s f r i e n d s . P a s t o r s w h o s a i d , h e y D a v e , w e’d l o v e t o have you preach when you get h o m e f r o m Vi e t n a m . He’s l i k e , well, you know what Brian? I got injured, but I kept those n u m b e r s . He s a i d , I c a l l e d

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e v e r y o n e o f t h e m . He s a i d I w o u l d g o o u t . A n d h e k n e w. He k n e w t h e r e’s a h e a l i n g e f f e c t i n s h a r i n g y o u r s t o r y. B r i a n : B u t h e r e’s t h e t h i n g , nobody really cares about B r i a n’s s t o r y. Ye a h , i t’s a c r a z y s t o r y, b u t h e r e’s w h a t y o u r e a l l y c a r e a b o u t . He r e’s w h a t ever ybody really cares about. Yo u a l l w a n t t o l e a r n s o m e thing f rom my stor y that can help you live a better stor y b e c a u s e a t t h e e n d o f t h e d a y, nob o dy cares ab out my stor y a s m u c h a s t h e i r o w n . T h e y ’r e tr ying to see, Brian, you struggled with this and you g o t t h r o u g h i t . We l l , I ’m d e a l i n g w i t h t h i s a n d I ’m t r y i n g t o get through it. What did you d o t h a t I c a n u s e i n m y s t o r y, so I can live a better stor y? T h a t’s w h a t p e o p l e a r e r e a l l y i n t e r e s t e d i n . T h e r e’s t h i s reciprocal effect that takes place when you go to help other people. Sometimes peop l e t h i n k , w e l l , I d o n’t w a n t t o give ever ything I can give to o t h e r s b e c a u s e t h e n w e’ l l h a v e nothing left for me. This is L o s e r Me n t a l i t y. B r i a n : To t a l l y n o t h o w l i f e works. The more you give, it comes back to you exponentially in s o many dif ferent w a y s . I m e a n , I d o n’t k n o w what I did go o d in my life to deser ve crossing paths divinely with Dave, but it happened, through no power of mine. I c a n’t t a k e c r e d i t f o r t h a t , I was willing to hear what he had to offer and that was it. It’s j u s t , y o u k n o w, w e , w e w e r e a l l l o o k i n g . We’r e n o t g o i n g t o u s e m y s t o r y, i’s n e v e r t o j u s t p r o j e c t m y s t o r y. I ’m j u s t l i k e I k n o w t h a t y o u’v e been through something. I know that ever ybody in ever y audience has been through

s omething and s o my stor y i s t h e p l a t f o r m . It’s a b o u t 1 0 p ercent of my message which is needed, but the rest of it is about what I learned and how it applies to your life. Brian: And when I learned that, my s ens e of meaning i n l i f e m a g n i f i e d i m m e n s e l y. Plus, I realized when I started writing down things I had l e a r n e d t h a t h e l p e d m e . No w t h a t’s w h y I ’v e w r i t t e n b o o k s a n d I d o i t b e c a u s e t h e r e’s s o m u c h t o s h a r e a n d I g e t i t . It’s weird because the more you do something that reinforces your sense of meaning, you get a greater sense of meaning and the greatest sense of c o n t r i b u t i o n , a n d y o u’r e m o r e fulfilled and that leads to more opportunities to do the same over and over and over a n d o v e r. B r i a n : Pe o p l e d o n’t u n d e r stand the greatest thing you can ever do is go do somet h i n g f o r s o m e b o d y w h o c a n’t return the favor and never exp ect anything in return f rom t h e m e v e r. R i g h t ? It i s a m a z ing what happens when you start living your life that way a n d t h e r e’s n o s e l f i n t e r e s t i n it. I had nothing to offer when I w a s e a r l y o n i n m y c a r e e r, I d i d n’t t h i n k I d i d , b u t t h a t’s n o t t r u e . T h a t’s i f y o u w a n t t o b e h a p p y i n l i f e . T h a t’s h o w you get it. Learning to give. Then in a later part in a different time. Also learning to r e c e i v e a n d s o m e t i m e s t h a t’s hard and oftentimes we have difficulty with both of those and then we work on the giving because then we realized, o k a y, I c a n l e a r n t h a t , b u t w e d o n’t a l w a y s l e a r n t o r e c e i v e i n a p o s i t i v e , a s i n c e r e w a y. We c a n b e a f r a i d o f , o f b o t h o f those things.

Brian: When somebody tries to do somet h i n g f o r y o u a n d y o u d o n’t r e c e i v e i t , y o u d o n’t a l l o w t h e m t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e f e e l i n g a n d t h e r e a s o n s , u m , b e c a u s e I ’m v e r y m u c h t h a t w a y. B u t w h i l e y o u h a v e t o r e a l i z e i s t h a t y o u’r e a c t u a l l y, y o u’r e a c t u a l l y r e f u s e d a n d t h a t p e r s o n , t h a t b l e s s i n g t h a t t h e y ’r e t r y i n g t o g e t b y g i v e n t o y o u , y o u’r e k i n d o f cutting them short and if you really allowed t o b e s e l f l e s s a n d n i c e , l i k e y o u s a y, l e t somebody do something for you because it m a k e s t h e m f e e l g o o d t o d o i t . D o n’t s t e a l t h a t , d o n’t r o b t h a t f r o m t h e m . B e c a u s e i t’s n o t a b o u t , y o u , y o u k n o w. D e n i s e : It’s l i k e a c c e p t i n g a c o m p l i m e n t and we want to deny it and instead just say thank you so much for complimenting me. I appreciate it and that person feels so much better and we feel better instead of discounting it and denying it.

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Denise: That person wanted to give. I think t h a t’s o n e o f t h e s e v e r al things you mentioned which is ver y important, is allow people to give, allow our self to give our b e s t s t u f f , r i g h t ? We w a n t to share the best that we can to help others. And then they also will come back to us if they need to because we did give them something of great value. Denise: One of the things I wanted to ask y o u a b o u t , b e c a u s e y o u’v e mentioned God and oftentimes to give meaning to something we need to have a sense of a higher p o w e r, a s e n s e o f t h e r e i s more than just us, whether i t’s G o d , S p i r i t o r Un i verse. And I usually use a l l t h r e e . To e n c o m p a s s ever yone in the crowd. A n d a l s o, y o u k n o w, I guess it reminds me to be open to receiving from, from whatever it might b e working in my life. S o talk a little bit about your relationship with God. B r i a n : We l l , h e r e’s w h a t I’ ll preface because I know a lot of your listeners, readers may be in this p l a c e . Yo u c a n n o t h a v e an over-arching b elief that all exists and that a l l i s n o t h i n g . I ’m n o t knocking on an atheist. There are ver y few true a t h e i s t s b y t h e w a y, b u t if you already identif y as an atheist, meaning you b e l i e v e t h e r e’s n o G o d , t h e r e’s n o a n y t h i n g , t h e n the implication of that is ever ything is meaning-

l e s s . O h , t h e r e’s n o o r d e r t o a n y t h i n g . T h e r e’s n o moral standard of right and wrong, even though we all have one, it comes f r o m s o m e w h e r e . It’s i m p ossible to have an overarching sense of there is no meaning to anything in life. And then in the m i c r o, d a i l y s t r u g g l e s o f your life, find a sense of meaning. B r i a n : It d o e s n’t w o r k t h a t w a y. Yo u c a n’t s a y a l l is meaningless, but now I ’m s e a r c h i n g f o r m e a n ing in this one particul a r e x p e r i e n c e . We l l , i f somebody is doing that, t h e y ’r e a c t u a l l y i n d i c a t i n g t h e y d o n’t e n t i r e l y b e lieve that overarching all this is meaningless. And my reas on for saying that a g a i n , i t’s n o t t r y i n g t o t a k e a s h o t a t a n y b o d y, b u t it helps if somebody is in that position to truly realize the contradiction in that. When we ask the why q u e s t i o n , w e’r e s e a r c h i n g f o r m e a n i n g , t h a t’s w h a t t h a t i s . We’r e t r y i n g t o make s ens e of it. Why did this happen? A person w o u l d n’t a s k t h a t q u e s tion if they truly believed ever ything was meaningless because it would be a stupid question to ask. Pe r s o n a l l y, I ’m a p e r s o n o f faith for a few reasons. Brian: One, I choose to b e . It’s a c h o i c e , w h a t w e believe is always a choice, w h e t h e r i t’s a b o u t G o d or a situation or another p e r s o n . It’s n e v e r a m a t t e r o f a b i l i t y. It’s n o t t h a t w e c a n’t b e l i e v e , i t’s t h a t w e

choose to or not to believe something is completely a matter of the will. The second thing for me is that life makes more sense t h a t w a y. I ’m n o t j u s t , i t’s ideal and a cushy thought to think God is out there. When I look at the grand scheme of life and the univers e, universal physics and quantum physics, ever ything else, and this i s n’t j u s t m e . T h e r e w a s actually s ome physicists and scientists that are affirming there is somet h i n g . T h e y w o n’t , t h e y d o n’t , t h e y c a n’t c a l l i t G o d b e c a u s e t h e y ’r e t r y i n g to put it in the scientific methods. But even Stephen Haw king, b efore he died, alluded to a godlike source; there must be, since that guy was like the ultimate atheist. Brian: Even some of his followers started saying, o h , h e’s o l d , h e’s g o i n g c r a z y. T h e y s t a r t e d k i n d of pushing him aside for making such a statement. What makes most sense logically is there is a crea t o r, I m e a n i t . I m e a n , I ’v e g o t a C a d i l l a c s i t t i n g i n m y d r i v e w a y r i g h t n o w. I g u a r a n t e e y o u I ’m n o t going deep into this, but it is easier for me to believe that a tornado blew through billions years ago and now this Cadillac is sitting there ready to run, r e a d y t o g o. It’s g o t t h e gas, the carburetor engine, a n d i t’s j u s t o p e r a t i o n a l or that it was made up in Detroit by an automobile m a n u f a c t u r e r. F o r m e , I ’m a n e d u c a t e d p e r s o n ,

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b u t I ’m a s i m p l e p e r s o n . I d o n’t l e t t h e o b v i o u s , l o g ical, things get overshado w e d b y t h e t h i n g s I d o n’t k n o w. Brian: A lot of people s a y, a n d I u n d e r s t a n d , t h e r e a s o n t h e y d o n’t b e l i e v e i n a h i g h e r p o w e r, o r s u c h , is because of the quest i o n s t h e y c a n’t a n s w e r. A lot of the questions I c a n’t a n s w e r a n d b e c a u s e I c a n n o t a n s w e r, i s a c t u ally one of the reasons I d o b e l i e v e b e c a u s e t h e r e’s so much more out there. It’s n o t w h y I c a n’t e x p l a i n t h e r e f o r e I d o n’t b e l i e v e t h e r e’s a G o d . It’s I h a v e n o idea how that could be, so t h e r e c a n’t j u s t b e n o t h i n g . This is just my p ersp ective bas ed on my life exp erie n c e . At t h e e n d o f t h e d a y we could get to the end of life and somebody could disagree. If they were

right, then I am simply a person who lived a good, fulfilling, meaningful life, believing what I did even though it was wrong, and it was a life worth living. Which I think is a great alternative to living life thinking all is meaningless and then getting to the end and being right or wrong. I think quality of life is b e t t e r b e c a u s e I b e l i e v e I ’m h e r e f o r a r e a s o n a n d i t’s to help other people and to help them win their battles and to live a greater stor y themselves. B r i a n : B u t i t’s a c h o i c e and that choice has led me like a steering wheel. What i f a t B r o o k e A r m y Me d i c a l C e n t e r, w h e n I m e t D a v e , I thought to mys elf, there is no meaning in this? Ever yt h i n g ’s m e a n i n g l e s s . T h e r e is no reason I would be in t h e p o s i t i o n I a m t o d a y.

I w o u l d n o t b e w h o I a m t o d a y. I w o u l d n’t b e s i t t i n g i n t h i s h o u s e , i n t h i s o f f i c e r i g h t n o w. Yo u a n d I would have never met. I would have gone down a ver y different path to a ver y different destination, s o my b elief ab out what my experiences are what led me in this direction rather than what it could have. I know a lot of guys u n f o r t u n a t e l y, w h o w e r e i n j u r e d like me, the y to ok a ver y dif ferent approach. I hope the best for them and I feel bad for them, but they chose to believe something that led them to where they are n o w. T h a t i s n o t a v e r y f a v o r a b l e p o s i t i o n i n l i f e a n d s o i t’s v e r y important what you believe about, w h a t y o u’d g o t h r o u g h a n d b e v e r y c a r e f u l . B e O p e n . I ’m o p e n t o a n y t h i n g . I ’m o p e n t o a n y t h i n g , I w i l l never claim to know ever ything. I ’m v e r y o p e n t o t h e f a c t t h a t c e r tain things about what I believe could be wrong.

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B r i a n : I ’m o p e n t o i t . Ju s t t h e f a c t I ’m o p e n t o i t m e a n s t h e r e’s p o s s i b i l i t y n o w. I d o not claim to know ever yt hing. Nob o dy can claim e ve r y t h i n g . Yo u’r e j u s t a l i a r. N o, n o b o d y h a s f u l l k n o w l e d g e o f t h e u n i v e r s e . Yo u c a n’t a n s w e r e v e r y q u e s t i o n . Yo u d o n’t h a v e e v e r y a n s w e r there could possibly be in order to be qualified to tell me there is no God. There is n o m e a n i n g , t h e r e’s n o t h i s . Nob o dy has t hat kind of knowledge. Denise: I liked what you said about being open to the opportunities or possibilities or at least listening to what is being shared or what comes in front of you. Denise: Can you talk a little bit about working things t h r o u g h , a n d I d o n’t k n o w i f t h a t’s q u i t e t h e w o r d s I w a n t t o u s e , b u t y o u k n o w, y o u c a m e b a c k . Ja m i e p r a y e d y o u w e r e h o m e i n Ju l y, n o t i n the way anyone would have wanted you to come home, b u t y o u c a m e h o m e . Yo u a n d I both know individuals who do not come home alive and then you had 14 months at B r o o k e A r m y Me d i c a l C e n t e r

recovering and then recover y continues when you get home. So how did you and Ja m i e w o r k t h r o u g h t h o s e tough times? Brian: While there are a few things we worked through, we also took the new enemies as they pres e n t e d t h e m s e l v e s . Yo u k n o w, t h e e n e m y. T h e e n e m y was post-traumatic stress a n d t h e e f f e c t s o f i t . It w a s s l e e p l e s s n i g h t s . It w a s a n x i e t y, i t w a s s e e i n g , y o u k n o w, somebody putting something down on the side of the road and walking away and going, what the hell are they doing? Brian: What is it like? I just came from a place where for the past several months we were always on the looko u t , a n d I w a s n’t c r a z y. I w a s n’t l i k e o v e r l y h y p e r v i g ilant, but I saw things, you k n o w, e v e n g o i n g d o w n I - 1 0 o r 3 5 i n S a n A n t o n i o, i t’s like, this is not how we were i n K a n d a h a r. I n e v e r t h o u g h t I was back there. Maybe that happens for some people, f o r m e i t d i d n’t . B u t I h a d to start identif ying the new enemies because this is a w h o l e n e w b a t t l e f i e l d n o w. I f

I kept thinking the enemies were all in Afghanistan, I w o u l d n’t s e e t h e e n e m i e s here. Brian: I’ll tell you the w o r s t e n e m y, t h e m o s t d a n g e r o u s e n e m y, i s t h e o n e y o u d o n’t t h i n k i s t h e o n e , t h e o n e y o u d o n’t k n o w a b o u t . It’s l i k e , y o u k n o w, I ’v e h e a r d i n b o x i n g , w h e n y o u g e t o l d e r, t h e w o r s t h i t you can take is the one that y o u’r e t o o s l o w t o g e t o u t o f t h e w a y. Yo u s e e i t c o m i n g a n d y o u c a n’t g e t o u t o f t h e w a y b e c a u s e y o u’r e a g i n g . Yo u r r e f l e x e s a r e n’t what they used to be. In the new battlefield after you go through something and y o u’r e g o i n g t o h a v e n e w enemies present themselves. Yo u n e e d t o n o t o n l y i d e n tify with new enemies, but h o w d o t h e y a c t ? Ho w d o they operate? When do they present themselves? Brian: I mean in Afghanistan we would get ambushed usually around sunset from an elevated position in m o u n t a i n s a n d t h e y ’d r u n over the mountain tops to escape into the dark. That was their thoughts

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a n y w a y, b u t t h e n w e b r o u g h t i n A- 1 0 s a n d f i x e d t h e m , a n d then some other ordinances in close air support. But we knew their tactics, their techniques and their procedures. Uh, w h a t w e c a l l T T Ps i n t h e m i l i t a r y. We k n e w h o w t h e y o p e r a t e d . We k n e w w h a t t h e c o n d i t i o n s w e r e t h a t w e r e i d e a l . We knew that if they blew up a v e h i c l e w i t h a r o a d s i d e b o m b, they usually ambush it immediately following that with machine guns and rockets and they fire into a smoke to tr y a n d f i n i s h y o u o f f . We k n e w t h a t’s h o w t h e y o p e r a t e d . Brian: In your life, when you go through something traumatic and you start having these negative effects; there are enemies, that are new enemies. Like I said, it can be the post-traumatic stress. It c a n b e t h e d e p r e s s i o n , t h e a n x i e t y, i t c a n b e n o t t r u s t i n g y o u r s p o u s e . Um , s o w h o are these enemies and how do t he y op erate? How do you recognize them? Even more important, how do you defend against them? I mean, when you get into an ambush, if you g e t a m b u s h e d , y o u’r e p r o b a b l y just gonna die. I know in infantr y school, they taught us a t e c h n i q u e . It’s v e r y s i m p l e . It’s called turn and burn. If I get ambushed f rom my left, turn toward the fire unload ever y round I have into those people and run toward them and kill t h e m , n o w y o u’r e p r o b a b l y g o ing to die in that process. The s l i g h t e s t c h a n c e t h a t y o u’r e going to sur vive is doing that. Brian: That sounds insane. It d e f i e s l o g i c t o r u n t o w a r d g u n f i r e , b u t t h a t’s h o w w e’r e t r a i n e d b e c a u s e t h a t’s h o w y o u t r e a t a n e n e m y. Ac t s l i k e t h a t i n c r e a s e s t h e c h a n c e y o u’r e

g o i n g t o s u r v i v e , i f i t’s g o i n g t o b e , t h a t’s g o i n g t o b e your best bet. Even though it sounds really hopeless and it probably is, not all the time, i t’s a m a z i n g w h a t h a p p e n s . Not only t hat, we know we to ok one enemy at a time, but a l s o, I h a d t o f i n d a n e w m i s s i o n . No l o n g e r w a s I p a r t o f this team with this mission of defending our countr y against these crazies and these radical Islamic terrorists who caused 9 / 1 1 t o h a p p e n . No w, i t w a s like I had to create my own new mission. I had to plan the m i s s i o n . Yo u k n o w, G o d b l e s s t h e o p o r d e r. G e e s . Yo u k n o w, i f y o u’v e e v e r p u t o n e o f t h o s e t o g e t h e r, i t’s a w f u l e v e n w i t h the team. B r i a n : B u t , y o u k n o w, i t’s necessar y for mission plann i n g . No w I d e f i n e m y n e w mission, and nobody told me t h a t . No t o n l y d i d I h a v e t o find a new mission, I had to plan it, get all the elements and the pieces in place, the a l l i e s a n d w h o’s h e l p i n g m e h e r e a n d w h o’s h e l p i n g m e t h e r e ? W h a t’s t h e m i s s i o n ? Who were the enemies? What could go wrong, what are the contingenc y plans? I had to find a new mission in life that w a s o u t s i d e o f t h e m i l i t a r y. I’ll be honest, I did not lose my s ens e of identity when I l e f t t h e m i l i t a r y. A l o t o f men and women hang up the uniform; only then to realize so much of who they are and their sense of identity was wrapped up in that. But now t h a t y o u’r e n o t i n t h e m i l i t a r y anymore, like if your identity i s i n t h a t , w h e n y o u’r e n o t i n i t , y o u’r e n o t a n y m o r e . A n d what happens when you get outside of something where y o u’v e p l a c e d s o m u c h o f y o u r identity as a human being, so

y o u c a n’t p l a c e i t i n t h i n g s l i k e t h a t . E v e n t h o u g h i t’s v e r y important. S o I had to find a new mission and uh, identif y the enemies and then carr y it o u t . It’s j u s t l i k e g o i n g o n t h e next mission. Denise: S o what was your n e x t m i s s i o n ? Yo u’r e a t h o m e , y o u’r e w i t h Ja m i e . Yo u h a v e n’t q u i t e g o t t e n y o u r c a r e e r going, your speaking career though, you were working on that. What were you focused on doing that b oth for yours e l f a n d f o r Ja m i e ? Brian: I had a singular focus in life. I wanted to meet more people like that young lady who had tried to kill herself and had received hope because of what she heard. I went through that and I got hooked on that. Like people are hooked on heroin. It h o o k e d m e . I w a n t e d t h a t f e e l i n g a g a i n . I k n o w t h e r e’s psycholog y and brain drugs, y o u k n o w, b e h i n d t h e r e t h e r e’s probably some endorphins and all the rest of those that were f iring of f my brain. Wo w. T h a t’s h a p p e n i n g e p i nephrine and ever ything else. But I found my next mission w h e n I m e t h e r, a n d I w a s n’t e v e n l o o k i n g f o r i t . It w a s l i k e r e v e a l e d i t s e l f t o m e . I ’m n o t s a y i n g p e o p l e d o n’t h a v e t o push and have effort to get to w h e r e t h e y w a n t t o g o, y o u d o. T h i s i s s o m e t h i n g I ’v e n e v er had as far as motivational w i s e , I ’v e n e v e r h a d t o p u s h . This pulls me, and ever y time I go off track I get pulled back onto this path and it realigns me with this, this has always b e e n , e v e n t h o u g h t h e r e’s great opportunities out there other wise, this is always the thing I come back into realignment with.

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B r i a n : A n d s o, m y s i n g l e mission to answer your question coming home was to continue finding people like that young lady and helping. And it just so happens that one of the most qualified people ever came into my life and literally took me under his wing as a f r i e n d a n d a s a m e n t o r. A n d s o, I m e a n t h e s t a r, t h e s u n , the earth, the moon, ever yt h i n g a l i g n e d i n m y l i f e . He r e’s the thing, this is interesting. I call this the power of doing things you hate. I hated going to the medical center because i t’s a m e d i c a l c e n t e r, n u m b e r o n e . Nu m b e r t w o, t h e p a r k i n g . The parking is so horrible, the s i t u a t i o n , i f I ’m l a t e f o r m y a p p o i n t m e n t , I g e t w r i t t e n u p. If I illegally parked in order to make my app ointment, I get a t i c k e t o r t o w e d s o I c a n’t w i n , so even thinking of going to the medical center literally was causing me tension, head-

aches, physical pain. Brian: The day that Dave c a m e t o t h e m e d i c a l c e n t e r, I did not have an appointment t o b e t h e r e . I d i d n’t h a v e t o g o. We l l . I w a n t e d t o h e a r h i m t a l k , s o I s h o w e d u p. A n y w a y. I did the thing that was inconvenient. I did the thing that was painful. B ecause of that, my life shifted fore ver and w e’r e h a v i n g t h i s c o n v e r s a t i o n . That one little inconvenient decision. Look, I never would have known what I missed out on and the life I now have, a ver y good, productive, happ y, f u l f i l l i n g l i f e I h a v e . I would have never known that I missed out on this. If that one l i t t l e d e c i s i o n , I ’m t o o t i r e d . I d o n’t w a n t t o g o b e c a u s e I h a t e g o i n g t h e r e . No b o d y w o u l d have blamed me for that. T h e y ’d s a y y e a h , B r i a n , y o u’r e justif ied. Of cours e, we understand, but my life, I would b e

a different person. I would be in a different place if not for that one little inconvenient d e c i s i o n . T h a t’s w h y I t e l l p e o p l e , d o, d o t h e h a r d t h i n g s , d o t h i n g s t h a t y o u d o n’t w a n t t o do because you might just trip over a Dave Roever in your life that completely alters the course of your life. Someone who takes you to a different level. D e n i s e : We l l , i n s o m e w a y s , what you just said, and I know t h e r e’s o t h e r p e o p l e t h a t p r o b ably said similar things and b u t i t’s s o t r u e . It’s s o p r o found. If we do not in some ways go out of our comfort zone or I started to call it o u r “u n c o m f o r t” z o n e , r i g h t ? We s t a y i n i t . Yo u r e a l l y d o n’t l i k e i t , b u t w e d o n’t w a n t t o do anything els e. And living n e a r B r o o k e A r m y Me d i c a l C enter at the time that you were going there, they have a

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n e w p a r k i n g g a r a g e n o w, b y t h e w a y. I m e a n I - 3 5 s o u t h t h e t r a f f i c’s a l w a y s s t o p p e d a n d y o u’r e r i g h t , t h e r e’s n o p a r k ing and you were still injured. Yo u w e r e s t i l l r e c o v e r i n g . S o t h e r e’s s o m a n y r e a s o n s f o r you not to have done that. Look at that thing that you made yourself do when there w a s , y o u k n o w, 1 0 0 r e a s o n s n o t t o. Yo u’r e r i g h t , i f y o u had not met him and the lives t h a t y o u’v e t o u c h e d . I m e a n , I k n o w y o u’v e s p o k e n t o h u n dreds and thousands of people. B r i a n : Ye a h . Ye a h . It’s , i t’s a w e i r d t h i n g a n d i t’s o n e o f the sad things is that people think, people think that they can only go to an extent and t h e y g o, w e l l , I c a n’t g o a n y f u r t h e r o r I c a n’t g e t b e y o n d this, but the truth is most people operate in life and they do things to the point of d i s c o m f o r t n o t a b i l i t y. W h e n y o u h a v e t o g e t u p, y o u k n o w, a m o u n t a i n a n d y o u’r e g e t t i n g s h o t a t a n d i t’s 1 2 5 d e g r e e s o u t a n d y o u’r e w e a r i n g 1 0 0 pounds of body armor and ammo and the enemies above you with the superior position a n d y o u’r e i n A f g h a n i s t a n a n d y o u HAV E t o d o t h e m i s s i o n a n d y o u t h i n k t h e r e’s a p a r t o f you that might think in some cases, how in the world is t h i s e v e n p o s s i b l e ? It d o e s n’t m a t t e r. G o d o, i t’s l i k e t h e r e’s n o b a c k d o o r. T h e r e’s n o o t h e r plan B, like people operate to the point of discomfort not to walk through, able to do and when somebody is put in a position where they have to be more than they think they can ever be, they ended up usually w a l k i n g a w a y g o i n g , I d i d n’t t h i n k I c o u l d g o t h a t f a r. Brian: The lesson there

is, yeah, just imagine if you push through the discomfort ever y time you wanted to stop when you were uncomforta b l e , w h e t h e r i t’s p h y s i c a l t r a i n i n g , w h e t h e r i t’s t r a u m a , w h e t h e r i t’s y o u r j o b. Mo s t people operate to the point of d i s c o m f o r t a n d s t o p. It’s n o t , t h a t’s n o t h o w m u c h t h e y h a v e i n t h e m . T h a t’s j u s t t h e y d o n’t want to be uncomfortable anymore. B r i a n : T h a t’s w h y I h a v e a rule I live by is to do something that sucks ever y day and do it as early as possible. I have a pull up bar that taunts me right outside my b edro om d o o r, h a n g s o v e r m y l a u n d r y room on these nine-foot door frames and I can jump and grab it. I start knocking them o u t a n d i f I d o n’t , i t’s t h e r e looking at me. I walked past h i m m u l t i p l e t i m e s a d a y, b u t when you do something early on this tough, get something o u t o f t h e w a y. Yo u g e t a s m a l l v i c t o r y e a r l y o n i n t h e d a y. R i g h t . A n d i t’s a m a z i n g t h e difference it makes in your mindset when you have other t h i n g s y o u h a v e t o d o. D e n i s e : Ye a h , I l i k e t h a t . D o something that sucks early on i n t h e d a y. B r i a n : T h e r e’s e v e n a n a v y s e a l a d m i r a l . He t e a c h e s t h e same thing, but he just says, h e s a y s , y o u k n o w, i f y o u w a n t to be successful, just make your bed the first thing in the m o r n i n g e v e r y d a y. H i s p o i n t i s a t l e a s t y o u’v e a c c o m p l i s h e d something. B r i a n : Ye s , a n d e v e n i f y o u accomplish nothing else the whole day you will come back to a bed. This freshly made bed and it was made by you.

get somebody going somewhere, then y o u’v e g o t t o g i v e t h e m a q u i c k w i n a n d e s pecially in business or whatever the case, if t h e y ’r e g o i n g t o b u y i n t o w h a t y o u’r e d o i n g a n d b e a p a r t o f i t , y o u’v e g o t t o g i v e p e o p l e some sort of quick win because then their b e l i e f g r o w s . W h e n y o u r b e l i e f g r o w s , t h a t’s when you start doing amazing things in the w o r l d . It’s n o t t h a t y o u l a c k t h e a b i l i t y. Yo u h a v e t o b e l i e v e . Ye a h , t h e b e l i e f n o w s u d d e n l y, a n d I d o n’t w a n t t h a t t o s o u n d h o k e y a n d s e l f - h e l p i s h b e c a u s e t h e r e’s s o m u c h crap out there, but it truly has a lot to do w i t h i t . Yo u r b e l i e f i s e v e r y t h i n g a n d i t’s only limited by what you choose.

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Denise: I do a lot of work around the concept of gratitude and in s o m e w a y s i t’s s i m i l a r t o w h a t y o u’r e s a y i n g . I f w e wake up in the morning a n d w e’r e g r a t e f u l t h a t w e w o k e u p, r i g h t ? T h a t should be the ver y first thing in some ways that w e c a n b e g r a t e f u l f o r. Yo u k n o w, t h a n k , y o u k n o w, G o d , S p i r i t , Un i v e r s e , w h a t e v e r, w h o m e v e r o u r higher power is and just that small change that is a win in itself. Then, you k n o w, s e e i n g o u r s e l f t h a t first second in the mirror and not thinking, Oh I d o n’t l o o k v e r y g o o d w h e n I w a k e u p. Tu r n s i n t o y o u can see yourself because s o m e p e o p l e c a n’t , s o b e g r a t e f u l . It’s l i k e t h e r e’s all these little things that we can be grateful for that we can have that q u i c k w i n . M a y b e i t’s n o t a p h y s i c a l a c t i v i t y, b u t i t’s building ourselves up for the rest of the day because w e a l l k n o w, w e w a k e u p a n d w e’r e n o t h a p p y a b o u t s o m e t h i n g . Yo u k n o w, h e r e i n Te x a s w e’v e h a d s o m u c h r a i n l a t e l y. I w a k e u p t h i n k i t’s r a i n i n g a g a i n . T h e n I s a y, o h w a i t , t h e r e are areas that need the rain and then the aquifer w i l l b e f u l l a n d w e w o n’t have this drought. Then when the sun comes out, w e’r e r e a l l y, r e a l l y g r a t e f u l . B u t i t’s a q u i c k w i n , our mindset, how we go about the day and one day at a time. Denise: Brian, what are one or two key things, w h e t h e r i t’s m i n d s e t o r

b e h a v i o r, t h a t y o u r e c o m m e n d , w h e t h e r i t’s f r o m a personal perspective. For individuals who are building their business, indiv i d u a l s w h o d o n’t w a n t that nine to five. They want to build their business. They want something more in their lives. What are one or two key points or recommendations that you would share with them? B r i a n : We l l , t h e r e a r e three things I can narrow down that have changed my life in all of thos e w a y s p e r s o n a l l y, p r o f e s s i o n a l l y. I l e a r n e d i t through my exp erience, sometimes a bad judge of experience. The first thing is, I call them the three m’s , m e a n i n g , m e n t o r i n g and mission. Brian: Searching for meaning in our suf feri n g . We t a l k e d a b o u t that, because when you find that you or at least in pursuit of it, you live with a greater sense of s o m e t h i n g . Yo u h a v e m o r e hope, but in business it could be simply asking the question, why? Why should I do this business now? Is there demand for this? There needs to be demand, but there are a lot of things that I can do a business, but why am I doing it? Am I doing it j u s t b e c a u s e i t’s a g o o d f i n a n c i a l o p p o r t u n i t y. I ’v e l e a r n e d t h a t d o e s n’t w o r k for me alone. Like, I could do really well with that. O k a y, w e l l , t h a t a l o n e i s n’t e n o u g h f o r m e . I ’v e

l e a r n e d I ’v e h a d a t a s t e of meaning in life and I c a n’t d o w i t h o u t i t . It’s n o t t h a t I l a c k h e a b i l i t y, b u t I w o n’t d o w e l l w i t h t h i n g s t h a t d o n’t h a v e a great sense of meaning to m e . S o, i f y o u’r e i n a b u s i ness, are you doing it just b e c a u s e i t’s a g o o d f i n a n cial opportunity because there are a lot of those out there. But what is deeply meaningful to you about what you do? Where does it touch your soul? B r i a n : S o t h e r e’s m e a n i n g , t h e r e’s m e n t o r s i n a mission, meaning mentoring is like a chain of command. Where are you t r y i n g t o g o ? We l l , w h o are you learning from that is better than you? That already knows how to get there. B r i a n : Yo u k n o w, w h o’s the general-- well follow that person. Dave Roever became that upper part of my chain of command. T h e n y o u k n o w, t h e r e a r e other people on the same j o u r n e y o f e q u a l r a n k . Yo u k n o w, I w a s a n E - 5 , m y b u d d y w a s a n E - 5 . We’r e on the same journey tog e t h e r. We c a n h e l p e a c h other along and walk this r o a d t o g e t h e r. We c a n h e l p each other along and walk t h i s r o a d t o g e t h e r. T h e n t h e r e’s p e o p l e b e l o w y o u w h o y o u’r e t a s k e d w i t h l e a d i n g . We l l t h e s e a r e t h e people who contribute to your contributing to them. The thing about it is when y o u’r e l e a d i n g t h e m , h e l p ing them, contributing to their lives, that reinforces

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your sense of meaning. S o i t’s a n a n u p w a r d s p i r a l . The last thing is a mission. So we had meaning, we have mentoring and miss i o n . B e Ve r y C l e a r a b o u t t h e m i s s i o n t h a t y o u’r e o n . What exactly are you tr ying to accomplish? Brian: I mean, most missions in Afghanistan we went on, we could describe them in three to five words, identif y enemy pres ence, lo ok at that. Really all that means is go over here and if you get s h o t a t , w e k n o w t h e y ’r e t h e r e . S o, t h e S e a l Te a m that went in to get bin L aden, what was their mission? Get bin Laden, provide medical aid. Like this i s s i m p l e . Pe o p l e c o m e , I speak for companies, big companies, and they have these huge multi-paragraph mission statements, they’ ll

read them to me and I’ll sum it up in five words a n d g o, o k a y, s o w h a t y o u r e a l l y m e a n i s y o u’r e t r y ing to get bin Laden or w h a t e v e r, y o u k n o w ? T h e y g o, y e a h , o k a y, s o I ’m g l a d w e’r e c l e a r n o w. A l l y o u r people need to be clear on t h a t t o o. S o t h e y c a n k n o w where there place is within this overall mission and why their role matters.

f i g h t i n g i n b a t t l e t a c t i c . It i s s o m e t h i n g I a m ; a n d I ’v e r e a l i z e d the b est thing anyone can bring to me, is a problem because I know I also think in processes and planning. If someone brings me a problem, I doubt that with enough time and enough research and gathering other people around, that there would ever be a probl e m w h e r e I c a n’t c r e a t e a p l a n a n d h e l p y o u s o l v e . I d o n’t b e l i e v e there is.

B r i a n : Yo u k n o w, a g a i n , w e’r e g o i n g b a c k t o m e a n i n g . S o r e a l l y, i t’s a s e n s e of meaning, a chain of command mentors, and a m i s s i o n . W h a t’s t h e g r e a t e r m i s s i o n y o u’r e l i v i n g f o r ? The greater mission I am l i v i n g f o r, D e n i s e , i s t o help people win their batt l e s . To p u t i t b l u n t l y a n d plainly it is three words, w i n t h e i r b a t t l e s . It’s s o m e thing I have a lot of life experience in militar y and

Denise: Right and you came up with the three words to describe what you do best, problem, planning and processes. B r i a n : I d i d n’t e v e n k n o w t h a t ab out mys elf. Like s omeone pres e n t e d t h a t t o m e . My b u d d y ’s like, yeah, you think like my buddies in the Marine Corps, Brian, you thinking processes? And I s a i d , y o u k n o w, y o u’r e r i g h t . I d o. I d i d n’t r e a l i z e i t , e v e n t h o u g h I ’m d o i n g i t . To a n s w e r y o u r q u e s t i o n or the three pieces of advice.

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Search for meaning. Do things meaningful with your life. Have go o d mentors in your life. That connection. Yo u t a l k e d a b o u t a p e r s o n al connection on all those different levels and even in the areas of your life that are most important--your health, your business, your f a m i l y. W h o a r e y o u f o l l o w ing in each of those areas to g e t w h e r e y o u’r e t r y i n g t o g o. A n d t h e n m i s s i o n , w h a t’s t h e o v e r a l l m i s s i o n y o u’r e living for? Denise: Right. Brian, when you and I met, the attendees were gifted a book that you had written, Redeployed. I will provide information on how individuals can get that b o o k . Yo u a l s o r e c e n t l y h a v e written or have available a new book. B r i a n : Ye a h , i t j u s t c a m e o u t a c o u p l e o f w e e k s a g o. I ’v e g o t a c o p y r i g h t h e r e a n d i t’s c a l l e d T h e R e s i l i e n c e B o o k l e t . I ’s a b o u t h o w extreme sur vivors overcome massive challenges. I know that people can come back f r o m e v e r y s e t b a c k s t r o n g e r, a s a s t r o n g e r, b e t t e r p e r s o n . I ’v e r e a l i z e d t h a t , w e t a l k e d

about this, how two people can go through the same situation. One recovers, one d o e s n’t . W h a t’s t h e d i f f e r e n c e ? We l l , I h a v e a b o u t a dozen closest friends are extreme tragedy sur vivors like me and one of the greatest g i f t s i s I ’v e b e e n a b l e t o t a l k t o t h e m a n d s a y, h e y, h o w d i d y o u d e a l w i t h t h i s ? Ho w did you deal with it? Because this is real life exper i e n c e . T h e y d i d n’t l e a r n i n a textbook how do I get past t h i s ? T h e y ’r e j u s t l i k e , w e l l , h e r e’s w h a t I d i d w h e n I had this struggle. I realized there were certain common t h r e a d s t h a t t h e w o r l d’s m o s t resilient people all had in common for their ability to bounce back and continue fighting for it and overcome t h e s t r o n g e s t t h e y ’r e f a c i n g . B r i a n : W h e n p e o p l e d i d n’t have some of these things, they were falling off track a n d t h e y w e r e n’t g e t t i n g b a c k u p a n d t h e y ’d c o n t i n ue to always struggle. I hate s e e i n g t h a t . Pe o p l e o v e r t h e years have asked me that o n e q u e s t i o n , B r i a n , w h a t’s the one thing that helped you move for ward? There w a s n’t o n e t h i n g . T h e r e w e r e

multiple things at different p o i n t s . S o, I t o o k a l l o f t h a t , along with my studying over the past 10 or 11 years, all my res earch, I lo oked at my personal life experience, the life exp eriences of my f r iends w ho are trauma survivors and overcome major challenges and I simplified e v e r y t h i n g . S o, h e r e’s w h a t they all had in common and h e r e’s w h a t y o u c a n d o i n y o u r o w n l i f e . A n d s o t h a t’s the Resilience Booklet. I m a d e i t s h o r t i n t e n t i o n a l l y. It’s 5 2 p a g e s . B r i a n : O h , d o n’t l e t t h a t fool you though. The reviews we are getting on it are pretty incredible. One g u y s a i d i t’s p a c k e d w i t h g o l d n u g g e t s . He’s g o t l i k e multiple underlined comments on ever y page, which I ’m h o n o r e d t o h e a r. T h e r e’s a lot in this little booklet. I did it because you probably know a lot of people, I do this, you may do this. I ’v e g o t a b o o k s h e l f , I g o t multiple bookshelves down h e r e . Ho w m a n y o f t h o s e books have I finished? A lot of them, but not all of them. Now if I tr uly b elie ve t his matters, this message can

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c h a n g e p e o p l e’s l i v e s , i t’s m y responsibility to get it to them i n a w a y w h e r e I k n o w t h e y ’r e going to get through it, finish it and be benefited by it. So t h a t’s w h y I w r o t e i t t h a t w a y. If your listeners, your readers, if they want a copy of it, they can get a free copy of the book at ResilienceB ooklet.com. Brian: The only thing I ask is that they pay $7 shipping, a $ 7 f l a t p o s t a g e f e e . S o, t h i s is the way I can get this out to p eople where any b o dy can literally afford it. In addition to that, if they get the booklet, they also get the ebook d o w n l o a d i n s t a n t l y. T h e y get the audio keynote of the keynote speech I gave that this book is based on which I gave the keynote to over 400 mental health professionals at a university in B oston a c o u p l e o f y e a r s a g o. T h e r e’s a 10- video battle plan for life video series for getting through your problems, issues and challenges and a few o t h e r b o n u s e s . T h e r e’s f i v e total bonuses instantly downloadable all for a small $7 f l a t s h i p p i n g . Yo u g e t t h i s i n the mail within like three to f i v e d a y s . T h e o n e t h i n g I ’v e been hearing back are people s a y i n g , I c a n’t b e l i e v e h o w fast the book arrived. Like I ordered it, it was there like t w o d a y s l a t e r. T h e y ’r e l i k e , I thought it would take a month o r t w o, l i k e a l l t h e s e o t h e r authors and speakers out there t h a t d o w h a t y o u d o. I ’m l i k e , n o, I g e t s t u f f d o n e . Yo u k n o w, I k n o w I ’m g o i n g t o t a k e c a r e of you. B r i a n : Ye a h . R e s i l i e n c e b o o k let.com is where they can find more about that.

D e n i s e : O k a y. D e f i n i t e l y. I will share that with my network and Brian, I want to thank you so much for taking t h i s t i m e . I ’v e k n o w n a b o u t you for years and when I met you, I quickly tried to follow you on Facebook. I truly a p p r e c i a t e , y o u k n o w, h a v i n g worked with individuals both in the militar y and the civilian world who are affected by trauma, being deployed mys elf and s eeing f irsthand what happens to individuals in the deployed environment. There definitely was a reason for what happened and that allowed you to be on the path and the journey that you are b e c a u s e y o u’r e a b l e t o h e l p s o many p eople. And s o s omet i m e s w e l o o k a t a p e r s o n’s life and think about what if t h a t h a d n’t h a p p e n e d a n d t h e y d i d n’t h a v e t h a t j o u r n e y. T h e y d i d n’t h a v e t h a t p a t h . T h e people that you have spoken to and in f ront of, many of them may not be here because t h e y d i d n’t h e a r y o u r w o r d s .

i t b e c a u s e t h e y t h i n k t h e y ’r e a l o n e , t h e y ’r e i s o l a t e d a n d t h a t’s w h e n a l l t h e i r d e m o n s pile up and finish you off. T h a t’s l i k e b e i n g a l o n e i n Afghanistan as an American s o l d i e r. Yo u’r e s c r e w e d w h e n y o u g e t a l o n e , y o u’r e f i n i s h e d . A n d t h a t’s w h y t h a t h a p p e n s . When somebody comes along with a message of hope, you r e a l i z e y o u’r e n o t a l o n e , a n d t h a t t h e r e’s h o p e . E v e n i f y o u d o n’t k n o w h o w i t’s g o i n g t o happen, you believe somehow t h e r e’s h o p e a n d t h a t’s c a l l e d faith.

B r i a n : T h a n k y o u . I ’v e b e e n t o l d t h a t a l o t a n d i t’s n o t that Brian is special or that B r i a n h a s a s p e c i a l p o w e r. It’s t h e m e s s a g e . We a l l h a v e the message to an extent if we learn how to use it. There are people, veterans who have committed suicide, who m y b u d d i e s s a y, m a n , I n e v er saw it coming. They said, y o u k n o w, a n d a g a i n , I ’m not glorifying me and please understand that, but Brian, t h e y s a y l i t e r a l l y, B r i a n , I think if they would have had a chance to talk to you first, t h e y ’d s t i l l b e h e r e . N o w t h a t could b e any b o dy who the y can relate to who can help t h e m , y o u o r a n y b o d y. It’s what you just said, the people who give up hope, they do

Brian: Denise, I want to equally thank you because again, I know you are also in t h e m i l i t a r y. Yo u d e p l o y e d j u s t l i k e I d i d . Yo u’v e l o s t friends in war zones just like I d i d , a n d y o u k n o w, a n d I h o p e ever yone realizes who reads or listens to your stuff, that you are just as human as they a r e . I t h i n k t h a t’s o n e r e a s o n y o u’r e p r o b a b l y e f f e c t i v e b e c a u s e y o u’r e v e r y p e r s o n a b l e a n d w e’r e n o t a b o v e e v e r y b o d y. We’r e n o t o n t h i s p e d e s tal, with the more work we do we make people realize that w e’r e j u s t l i k e t h e m w h e n t h e y immediately tr y to elevate us b e c a u s e w e’r e t h e s p e a k e r o n stage, where the best thing you can ever do is let people k n o w I ’m j u s t l i k e y o u a n d

D e n i s e : I ’m v e r y h o n o r e d t o have spent this time with you and having you share what you have been through and also what you are doing to help people all around the world. Thank you ver y much and I look for ward to our next conv e r s a t i o n . We n e e d t o h a v e a n in-person meeting, especially s i n c e w e a r e b o t h i n Te x a s . S o, I need to connect with your speaking calendar soon.

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then speak like you and I, or when I get onstage. I talk like you and I are talking right n o w. I d o n’t g e t t h i s motivational speaker v o i c e . I d o n’t l i k e t h a t s t u f f . It’s n o t r e a l . It d o e s n’t h e l p a n y b o d y. Yo u a r e t h a t k i n d o f person though, and I appreciate that and your ser vice and your deployments and what y o u’v e d o n e f o r t h i s c o u n t r y. Yo u d i d a number of years being at the rank you are at. Thank you for what you continue to do and giving me the honor of coming on here for you. I ’m h o n o r e d b y t h a t .

B r i a n F l e m i n g i s a n a u t h o r, s p e a k e r a n d s e r v e s a s a D e p a r t m e n t o f D e f e n s e “ R e s i l i e n c e Tr a i n e r ” f o r t h e U S M i l i t a r y o n b a s e s a n d o u t p o s t s a c r o s s t h e g l o b e . He a l s o c o n d u c t s “ R e s i l i e n t L e a d e r s h i p” k e y n o t e s f o r F o r t u n e 5 0 0 c o m p a n i e s , a s s o c i a tions, and organizations across the globe. He a n d h i s w i f e Ja m i e a n d I h a v e b e e n h a p p i l y m a r r i e d f o r o v e r t e n y e a r s a n d e n j o y mountains, motorc ycles, and world travel. They have two awesome kids and live near Dall a s , Te x a s . F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n c o n n e c t w i t h B r i a n a t w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / p u b l i c / B r i a n F l e m i n g , w w w. b r i a n c f l e m i n g . c o m a n d w w w. r e s i l i e n c e b o o k l e t . c o m . B r i a n’s b o o k R e d e p l o y e d c a n b e f o u n d a t w w w. a m a z o n . c o m / R e d e p l o y e d - C o m b a t - Ve t e r a n s - B a t t l e - Wi t h i n / d p / 0 6 1 5 7 6 1 2 0 8 .

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VETERANS HELPING VETERANS There are thousands of notfor-prof it organizations and r e s o u r c e s t o s u p p o r t Ve t e r a n s . He r e a r e a f e w o f t h e Ve t e r a n t o Ve t e r a n o r g a n i z a t i o n s providing education, psychological care and support and t r a n s i t i o n s e r v i c e s . He l p i s available, reach out and connect!!

w w w. i r o n t h e r a p y p r o j e c t . o r g IRON THERAPY INC. (aka IRON THERAPY PROJECT) is a veteran founded, family operated, non-profit organization dedicated to veteran wellness. We a r e a 5 0 1 ( c ) ( 3 ) c h a r i t y r e g i s t e r e d i n Ne w Yo r k S t a t e and California as a charitable organization. Our only goal is to help the veteran community b y p r o v i d i n g h e a l t h y, f u n , a n d proac tive metho ds for veterans s eeking to achie ve physical and mental well-being.

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c o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h l o c a l Ve t e r a n o r g a n i z a t i o n s , Ve t e r a n a d v o c a t e s , a n d o t h e r Ve t e r a n focused operations.

h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / pg/Hero eshavenSanB enito heroeshaven2@gmail.com H e r o e s H a v e n Ve t e r a n S e r vices provides communit y - b a s e d Ve t e r a n S e r v i c e s t o h e l p l o c a l Ve t e r a n s i n t h e S a n Benito T X area.

w w w. v e t s e d u . o r g Ve t s E D U, c r e a t e s a n e t w o r k of professional ser vices that when working together prov i d e Ve t e r a n s & t h e a c t i v e militar y community with the E D U C AT I O N , R E S O U R C E S , & KNOWLED GE they need to navigate through their wellearned benefits. -- As an organization, Ve t s E D U f o c u s e s p r i m a r i l y o n t h e VA l o a n b e n e f i t s s o o u r Ve t e r a n s & a c t i v e m i l i tar y community can achieve the American Dream of home o w n e r s h i p. We e d u c a t e o u r heroes who have ser ved us t h r o u g h E X P O S U R E , AWA R E N E S S , a n d AT T E N T I O N b y

the risk of female veteran homelessness and suicide by providing a secure, comfortable environment for female veterans and their children to h e a l a n d r e c o v e r.

h t t p s : / / w w w. Te x a s Ve t e r a n sOutdoors.org h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / Te x a s Ve t e r a n s O u t d o o r s Te x a s Ve t e r a n s O u t d o o r s is a charitable organization that provides a positive social a t m o s p h e r e f o r Te x a s Ve t e r a n s through educational outdoor experiences.

h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / campshield.org Camp SHiEld â&#x20AC;&#x201C; After Militar y Ser vice offers rehabilitation and recover y ser vices for female veterans living with h o m e l e s s n e s s , a b u s e , Po s t Tr a u m a t i c S t r e s s ( P T S ) , M i l i t a r y S e x u a l Tr a u m a ( M S T ) and addictions. A transitional housing program will also be available. VISION: Endeavor to reduce

D a l l a s w a r r i o r s h o c k e y. c o m T h e D a l l a s Wa r r i o r s w e r e created to give our disabled U S M i l i t a r y Ve t e r a n s a w a y to rehab through an amazing o u t l e t . We s t r i v e t o c o n n e c t t h e c o m m u n i t y t o o u r Un i t ed States ser vice members by demonstrating first-hand the desire to achieve excellence i n e v e r y t h i n g t h a t w e d o. T h e D a l l a s Wa r r i o r s a r e h i g h l y active throughout the Dallas/ F o r t Wo r t h Me t r o p l e x . Yo u can also catch us in regional and national tournaments, repres enting our Nor t her n Te x a s r o o t s w h e r e v e r w e g o. We m a i n t a i n a s t r o n g r e l a t i o n ship with the US Department o f Ve t e r a n s A f f a i r s , w h o c o n tinue to support our efforts as w e g r o w. We a r e d e d i c a t e d t o helping disabled veterans the s p o r t o f i c e h o c k e y.

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S a v e a w a r r i o r. o r g S a v e A Wa r r i o r b e l i e v e s in challenging conventional thinking. The way we challenge the idea of suicide is so novel and so inspiring, it connects the lives of all who are transformed from sharing in this experience. Since 2012, those who comp l e t e S a v e A Wa r r i o r e x c l a i m h o w o u r “u n i q u e a p p r o a c h t o o r d i n a r y ”. . . s a v e d t h e i r l i f e . We a r e g r a t e f u l f o r y o u r g e n erosity which made the difference; perhaps a lifesaving difference. S a v e A Wa r r i o r i s a n o r i g i n a l , Wa r r i o r - l e d , well-grounded and timeless journey for active duty milit a r y, r e t u r n i n g v e t e r a n s a n d first responders who feel desperately alone. Give us a week and you will change the way you see - and live - your life.

CAREForce.us CAREForce provides Cris i s Tr a i n i n g , R e s p o n s e a n d Organizational Development f o r f i r s t - r e s p o n d e r s , Ve t e r a n s and community-based organizations. CAREForce through its relationship with Grace School of Theolog y provides t r a i n i n g i n C h a p l a i n c y.

w w w. c s - m i n i s t r i e s t x . o r g Calvar y Steel (CS) Ministries is a veterans helping veterans organization that offers free faith based counseling, programs, and a church for those struggling with the soul w o u n d i n g o f Po s t - Tr a u m a t i c Stress. Our vision is to honor God b y e x a l t i n g o u r S a v i o r, J e s u s Christ, by providing a place for veterans, first responders, and civilians from all walks of life, to come and share in the healing and redemptive power of Christ. By teaching a “Lifestyle o f r e c o v e r y i n C h r i s t”, l i v e s a r e made whole again and families are restored.

h t t p : / / w w w. s t r o n g e r a l l i ance.com The Stronger Alliance exists to unif y Christ-centered organizations whose objectives are to aid those men and women living in the shado w s o f P T S ( Po s t Tr a u m a t i c Stress) and turn them into Po s t Tr a u m a t i c S u c c e s s e s f o r G o d’s g l o r y. Purpose • 1 . S A— To u n i t e Christ-centered organizat i o n s a c r o s s t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s whose objectives are to help those living in the shadows of P T S D. • 2 . S A G r o u p s — To c r e a t e a national grassroots movement of like-minded people within communities, churches, workplaces, or schools that stand with our veterans, first-responders, and those affected by traumatic life experiences. A growing hunger exists in our nation to return to the values our fore-fathers built America upon. SA Groups are not political, but patriotic in nature. SA Groups ser ve as prayer support and encouragement for those who put their lives on the line to protect and defend our nation, communities, homes, and rights.

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IS THE GLASS CEILING STILL H O L D I N G WO M E N BACK IN BUSINESS? C A R O L DAV I E S

It i s e x c i t i n g t o b e a w o m a n i n business thes e days. S o many opp o r t u n i t i e s a r e a v a i l a b l e . No t h i n g i s i m p o s s i b l e . We h a v e b u i l t o n a l l the past efforts of successful women. When you compare where we are at now and what was possible o n l y 3 0 y e a r s a g o, w e h a v e m a d e s o many advances. L e tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s l o o k a t a b i t o f h i s t o r y. Back in the 1970s women with ambition to advance to the upper echelons in the business world succeeded usually by imitating the male approach to management. Au t o c r a t i c l e a d e r s h i p a n d r i g i d control were the sure signs of what was the prevalent style of managem e n t . Wo m e n a n d m i n o r i t i e s w e r e not exactly welcomed into the h a l l o w e d r a n k s o f m a n a g e r s . Wi t h w h a t w e k n o w t o d a y, s u c h a n a t t i tude seems extremely unbelievable and archaic. There have indeed been major advances for women in

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the business world. Despite all this positive evidence for women to succeed in business, there is one impediment that has remained – the dreaded “g l a s s c e i l i n g ”. Wi k i p e d i a tells us “ T h e Un i t e d S t a t e s F e d eral Glass Ceiling Commission defines the glass c e i l i n g a s “t h e u n s e e n , y e t unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate l a d d e r, r e g a r d l e s s o f t h e i r qualifications or achievem e n t s .” David C otter and colleagues defined four distinctive characteristics that must be met to conclude that a glass ceiling exists. A glass ceiling inequality represents: 1 . “A g e n d e r o r r a c i a l difference that is not explained by other job-relevant characteristics of the e m p l o y e e .” 2 . “A g e n d e r o r r a c i a l difference that is greater at higher levels of an outcome than at lower levels of an o u t c o m e .” 3 . “A g e n d e r o r r a c i a l inequality in the chances of advancement into higher levels, not merely the proportions of each gender or race currently at those h i g h e r l e v e l s .” 4 . “A g e n d e r o r r a c i a l i n equality that increases over t h e c o u r s e o f a c a r e e r.” Cotter and his colleagues found that glass ceilings are correlated strongly with g e n d e r. B o t h w h i t e a n d m i -

nority women face a glass ceiling in the course of their careers. In contrast, the researchers did not find evidence of a glass ceiling for African-American men. The glass ceiling metaphor has often been used to des crib e invisible barriers ( “g l a s s” ) t h r o u g h w h i c h women can see elite positions but cannot reach them ( “c e i l i n g ” ) . T h e s e b a r r i e r s prevent large numbers of women and ethnic minorities from obtaining and s ec uring the most p owerful, prestigious and highest-grossing jobs in the w o r k f o r c e . Mo r e o v e r, t h i s effect prevents women from filling high-ranking positions and puts them at a disadvantage as potential candidates for advancem e n t .” It i s q u i t e f r u s t r a t i n g and discouraging that this “g l a s s c e i l i n g ” i s s t i l l q u i t e in evidence. For example, i n t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s , t h e r e have been a lot of studies conducted at the local, state and national levels to see how this problem can be addressed and solutions found. One inspiring organization created recently is t h e Na t i o n a l G l a s s C e i l i n g Commission. As stated on its website, it “is a nonpartisan B oard composed of notable and experienced professionals who provide unbiased reflection on the trends in o u r n a t i o n’s v a r i o u s c o m p a n i e s a n d m a r k e t p l a c e s”. http://nationalglassceilingc o m m i s s i o n . o r g . It s v i s i o n

i s “t o s e e d i v e r s i t y a n d inclusion set as a business standard, and to develop communities and workplaces that value all people equally for their individual c o n t r i b u t i o n s”. We c a n s e e t h a t t h e r e i s now commitment at top levels to address the glass c e i l i n g b a r r i e r. I n f a c t , i t i s a g l o b a l c o n c e r n n o w. T h e r e have b een many studies d o n e i n t h e Un i t e d Na t i o n s and its organizations in the last 20 years. I worked as a researcher a n d l i b r a r i a n a t t h e Un i t e d Na t i o n s i n Ne w Yo r k a n d Geneva for more than 20 years. I saw first hand that glass ceiling syndrome is prevalent at the international level. The head of t h e Un i t e d Na t i o n s , p o s t o f the Secretar y General, has always been a man. There have always been women candidates, but they have not succeeded in being voted into this important posit i o n . It c a n b e g e n e r a l i z e d that this is in part because o f t h e s o - c a l l e d “o l d b o y s’ n e t w o r k”. T h i s i s c e r t a i n l y evident at national political levels as well, as most world leaders are male. Ho w e v e r, t h e Un i t e d Na t i o n s a n d o t h e r i n t e r national organizations have made strong efforts in recent years to recruit and promote women in the top management positions and designing career tracks t o d e v e l o p w o m e n’s c a r e e r paths in management and l e a d e r s h i p.

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THE CEILING Wo m e n h a v e b e e n l a r g e l y e x c l u d e d f r o m t h i s p a t h t o l e a d e r s h i p. O l d o r o u t - d a t e d c u s t o m s take determination and time to change. The Un i t e d Na t i o n s i s d e v o t i n g a l o t o f e f f o r t s t o help change the global business climate so that t h e g l a s s c e i l i n g w i l l b e b r o k e n . T h e Un i t e d Na t i o n s D e v e l o p m e n t P r o g r a m ( U N D P ) a n d t h e International L abour Organization (ILO) have conducted and contributed many studies and documents that assess and report on global political and business trends in member countries. p o r t e d i n G l o b a l E m p l o y m e n t Tr e n d s .

O n e g r o u n d b r e a k i n g s t u d y, B r e a k i n g t h r o u g h t h e G l a s s C e i l i n g : Wo m en in Management, was published by ILO in 2001, updated in 2004. It r e p o r t e d i n G l o b a l E m p l o y m e n t Tr e n d s ( 2 0 0 3 ) “t h a t w o m e n c o n t i n u e t o h a v e l o w er labour market participation rates, higher unemployment rates and significant pay differences compared t o m e n . Wo m e n r e p r e s e n t o v e r 4 0 per cent of the global labour force, approximately 70 per cent of women in developed countries and 60 per cent in developing countries. There has also been little change in their share of professional jobs in the last f e w y e a r s . Wo m e n o c c u p y a r o u n d 3 0 to 60 per cent of professional jobs in the sample of countries from which new data were available. This represents an increase of 0.7 per cent b e t w e e n 1 9 9 6 - 9 9 a n d 2 0 0 0 - 0 2 . Ho w e v e r, c o n s i d e r a b l e v a r i a t i o n s r e m a i n b e t w e e n w o m e n’s s h a r e i n d i f f e r e n t t y p e s o f p r o f e s s i o n a l j o b s .” ILO also publishes an annual Wo r l d E m p l o y m e n t a n d S o c i a l O u t look (formerly Global Employment Tr e n d s ) . M a n y i n t r i g u i n g s t a t i s t i c s and trends can be found in these publications. T h e “g l a s s c e i l i n g ” d o e s s t i l l e x i s t b u t i t i s m u c h m o r e v i s i b l e n o w. Wo m e n a n d m i n o r i t i e s a r e r e c e i v ing more training and development to up their leadership skills. In fact, the leadership culture itself is c h a n g i n g f o r t h e b e t t e r. Wo m e n a r e having a profound effect on changing corporate cultures. What an exciting future awaits!!

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C arol D avies assists women to cre ate extraordinar y transfor mation in t heir p ersonal and professional lives through coaching and training to reach their potent i a l . C a r o l’s b a c k g r o u n d i n l a r g e i n t e r n a t i o n a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s s u c h a s 2 2 y e a r s w i t h t h e Un i t e d Na t i o n s h a v e g i v e n h e r a n u n i q u e s k i l l a n d a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r w o r k i n g with p eople f rom many dif ferent cultures. C ombined with her training and exp e r t i s e i n h o l i s t i c h e a l i n g a n d e n e r g y t h e r a p i e s ( E F T – E m o t i o n a l F r e e d o m Te c h nique, Reiki and NLP) give her a unique view on the ways in which the body/ spir it is able to he al its elf. Her passion is to te ach groups and individuals how to be proactive in getting what they want in both their personal and professional lives. By understanding the deep structure of an issue, then breaking it down into manageable size components, Carol facilitates learning while participants a r e h a v i n g f u n a n d e x p e r i e n c i n g s u c c e s s . C a r o l’s s t r e n g t h i s h e l p i n g s t r e s s e d a n d busy entrepreneurs to be the best they can be while having fun and finding their true passion to follow in life. C o n n e c t C a r o l t o e x p l o r e t h e s e i d e a s f u r t h e r a t w w w. t h e p a s s i o n m o t i v a t o r. c o m a n d f o l l o w h e r o n s o c i a l m e d i a a t w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / c a r o l d a v i e s c o a c h , w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / C a r o l d a v i e s t h e p a s s i o n m o t i v a t o r o r h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / g r o u p s / 1 5 9 7 1 4 2 4 4 7 1 6 4 0 3 . L i n k e d I n , w w w. l i n k e d i n . c o m , a n d Tw i t t e r w w w. t w i t t e r. c o m / f r e e y o u r s p i r i t . L i s t e n t o h e r w e e k l y s h o w “O n l y t h e B e s t f o r Yo u” o n G l o b a l Vo i c e R a d i o h t t p s : / / w w w. s p r e a k e r. c o m / s h o w / o n l y - t h e - b e s t - f o r - y o u .

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THE JOURNEY BEGINS BY STOPPING NA N C Y B E C H E R

I ’v e b e e n a n e n t r e p r e n e u r m y whole life. I remember setting up a grocer y store in the living ro om with my little cash regist e r, g r o c e r y c a r t a n d f o o d f r o m the kitchen, making my family “buy” what they wanted to fix for dinner – all before I was i n k i n d e r g a r t e n . It w e n t u p h i l l f r o m t h e r e . M a n y, m a n y b u s i n e s s e s l a t e r, I ’m s t i l l s i t t i n g h e r e thinking of what I need to do to actually make this business something that I want and can be proud of. After a period of time when (due to situations b e yond my control – yeah, we all have those s o m e t i m e s , r i g h t ? ) I w a s n’t a t my b est and my business was somewhat lackluster to say the

least, I am starting to climb out the other side and can see where this is going -- where I wanted it to go w hen I b egan this part i c u l a r j o u r n e y 1 0 y e a r s a g o. Even though the problems began without my creating them, the c l i m b o u t c e r t a i n l y h a s n’t b e e n because I just sat back and let life happen around me. Far from it. Have you e ver felt depress ed over the way your life (and your business) were going? Maybe not depressed but have you felt like t h e r e w a s j u s t s o m e t h i n g “o f f ” ? That you could be doing somet h i n g d i f f e r e n t ? Ho w o f t e n h a v e your family and friends told you “ W h y d o n’t y o u j u s t g o o u t a n d g e t a J. O. B .” ? I h a v e o n m o r e

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o n m o r e t h a n o n e o c c a s i o n . It finally took me some time, sitting back and lo oking over my l i f e t o r e a l i z e t h a t I j u s t w a s n’t h a p p y. No w, f o r m e t h a t w a s , i n p a r t , because I had been sick and c o u l d n’t d o t h e t h i n g s I u s e d t o d o. I n t h e p a s t I w o u l d t r a v el around to other cities, talk with and share my exp er tis e with businesses around the area and watch as they would get t h e “A- HA” l i g h t b u l b g o i n g o f f over the heads. But, then, after m y a c c i d e n t , I c o u l d n’t d o t h a t now and I felt stuck; sitting in bed, not being able to talk with anyone. I realized that I needed to choose: I could either give up o r ‘g e t u p” f i g u r a t i v e l y s p e a k i n g and discover new ways to do t h i n g s a n d n e w t h i n g s t o d o. I c h o s e t h e l a t t e r. G e t t i n g o u t p a p er and p en, I clos ed my e yes, got comfor table and let my m i n d w a n d e r. A p i c t u r e e v e n t u ally started to emerge of what seemed to be me sometime in t h e f u t u r e . It w a s “A D a y i n t h e Life of ” picture and showed me a l l k i n d s o f a c t i v i t i e s : m o n e y, health, relationships, and more. Before long I was writing it a l l d o w n . Ab o u t a n h o u r l a t e r,

exhausted, I realized that I had created my roadmap for where I w a n t e d t o h e a d . It m a d e s e n s e , i t f e l t r e a l a n d r e a l i s t i c . At t h a t point I knew that I was ready to move for ward. I knew where I w a n t e d t o g o. B u t h o w t o g e t t h e r e ? No w was the time for setting goals and creating the steps to get me to that sp ot in my future life. I c a n h e a r y o u a l l n o w. Mo a n i n g a b o u t g o a l s e t t i n g . It d o e s n’t w o r k . It j u s t g e t s f r u s t r a t i n g a n d s o f o r t h . A n d I ’m n o d d i n g m y h e a d y e p. U N L E S S – W h e n done correctly goal setting is a ver y important part of your life. Not t he kind t hat we s et o n Ja n u a r y 1 s t a n d s t o p o n t h e 1 0 t h ( l o l ) . Yo u h a v e t o m a k e a commitment, and you have to t a k e b a b y s t e p s a l o n g t h e w a y. O t h e r w i s e , s u r e , y o u’ l l p r o b a b l y fail in your desire to do something BIG. T h e r e’s a q u o t e o u t t h e r e t h a t says without action, a goal is only a dream. So true. But when paired with small steps, action oriented, purposeful, steps, you will see yourself moving ahead. I ’m n o t t a l k i n g t h e m u s t d o’s here like cooking dinner and p a y i n g t h e b i l l s . I ’m t a l k i n g about the items that are import-

ant for growth. For instance, if you want your business to grow by 10% you need to either create a new product/ser vice OR you need to add new clients or get regular clients to buy more. Ho w a r e y o u g o i n g t o d o t h a t ? L e t’s t a k e g e t t i n g r e g u l a r c l i e n t s t o d o m o r e . It i s w e l l known that it is much easier to get repeat customers than it is to go out and find new ones all t h e t i m e . S o, w h a t d o y o u d o t o get customers to return? 1. Create a newsletter and send it out? What do your customers want? What is important to them? Can you tell them about ser vices/products they may not know you have? Can you share stories with them? What about giving them something as a thank you the next time they buy? 2 . O f t e n , i t’s a b o u t c u s t o m e r ser vice. Can you do something – even just something little – that makes them feel wanted and appreciated? S omething t h a t t h e c o m p e t i t i o n d o e s n’t do? 3. Pick up the phone and call a few of them “just to tell them t h a n k y o u .” D o n’t t r y t o s e l l s o m e t h i n g , j u s t s a y “ h e y, I ’m s o g l a d t h a t w e’r e c o n n e c t e d .”

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See the type of small steps I ’m t a l k i n g a b o u t ? W h e n you create a few of these, focused on the long run, you will get movement. Maybe s o m e o n e t h a t h a s n’t b o u g h t from you in a while will t h i n k “ I h a v e n’t g o t t e n X i n a while. I should buy some m o r e .” O r t h e y w i l l t e l l a c o l l e a g u e , “ Yo u k n o w, I just got a really nice call from ____________ thanki n g m e f o r b e i n g a c u s t o m e r. Ho w n i c e i s t h a t ! ” A n d t h e colleague will say “What do they do? Gee, maybe I s h o u l d c h e c k t h e m o u t .” T h e business has just had a new s a l e o r t o o. O f c o u r s e , t h e r e’s a l o t more to growing a business, b u t a t t h i s p o i n t , I ’m g o i n g to clos e with my favorite s a y i n g “ I f y o u d o n’t k n o w w h e r e y o u’r e g o i n g , a n y w h e r e w i l l g e t y o u t h e r e .” S o, t a k e a f e w m i n u t e s t o

work ON yourself and your b u s i n e s s . D o a m i n d d u m p, figuring out where you want t o g o, a n d t h e n s t a r t t o c r a t e the road map to get you there. I promise, it is well worth the effort. I f y o u’d l i k e m o r e i n f o o n a n y o f t h i s , I ’m h a p p y t o c h a t . Yo u c a n f i n d m e a t w w w. d o n t w a i t t i l p i g s f l y. c o m . L e t’s t a l k a n d s e e w h e r e y o u g o. I ’m s u r e y o u’ l l soon be Soaring HIGHER.

Na n c y B e c h e r d r e a m s o f a w o r l d t h a t r u n s o n t h e v i b r a n c y o f t h o u s a n d s o f s m a l l b u s i n e s s e s , a l l w o r k i n g t o g e t h e r, m a k i n g m o n e y a n d l i v i n g i n g r e a t s u p p o r t i v e c o m m u n i t i e s . A s a n a u t h o r, j o u r n a l i s t a n d b u s i n e s s c o n s u l t a n t f o r m o r e t h a n 3 0 y e a r s , s h e h a s w o r k e d w i t h h u n d r e d s o f c o m p a n i e s – l a r g e a n d s m a l l ( t h r o u g h o u t t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s a n d i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y ) -- helping them create strategies and processes that are built to give them more revenues, less stress and raving fans. While knowing that starting and growing a business is hard work, she also believes that there needs to b e fun involved and her approach to helping others is to share with them the conc e p t o f n o t w a i t i n g “t i l l p i g s f l y ” t o g e t o u t t h e r e a n d g e t s t a r t e d . H e r f i r s t b o o k “ B a b y S t e p s t o S t a r t i n g ( a n d R u n n i n g ) Yo u r O w n B u s i n e s s” w i l l b e o u t e a r l y f a l l . P r a c t i c a l t i p s a n d t e c h n i q u e s c a n b e f o u n d o n h e r w e b s i t e a t w w w. d o n t w a i t t i l p i g s f l y. c o m .

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LINKEDIN P U T YO U R B E S T FA C E F O WA R D VICKY KNEE I ’v e h e a r d t h e s a m e l a m e n t m a n y, m a n y t i m e s . … “ L i n k e d I n j u s t d o e s n’t w o r k ! ” Yu p, t h a t m u s t b e why the platform is growing by 2 new members each S E C O N D. I f y o u’r e l o o k i n g for connections who are business-minded? LinkedIn is the place you need to be. I know the internet has become a scar y-confusing p l a c e t o b e . It r e a l l y d o e s n’t m a t t e r i f y o u’r e o v e r 4 0 o r u n d e r, e a c h g r o u p w i l l f a c e their own set of challenges

with using this platform to connect with viable leads. How do you jug g le it all and come out looking good? Looking like you actually k n o w w h a t t h e h e c k y o u’r e talking about? Here are a fe w baby steps: 1. Choose your social media platforms carefull y. I f y o u’r e r e a d i n g t h i s , I ’m g u e s s i n g t h a t L i n k e d I n i s a t l e a s t a c o n t e n d e r. I f t h a t’s t h e c a s e , I w o u l d r e c ommend Facebook to be a

happy companion. 2. Dedicate at least an hour a week to a) learn how to use it, and b) explore and connect with the right people. 3 . Un d e r s t a n d t h e u n w r i t ten rules as well as those posted in ever y group 4. Have an excellent profile set up to attract others. L e t’s t a k e a l o o k a t e a c h o f these.

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Choosing your platforms. I often speak with clients who join ever y social media out there. They start a prof i l e ( o f t e n i t’s n o t m u c h o f one), and then NEVER GO B AC K … W h y ? W h y w o u l d

you join the Chamber of Commerce but never go to any e vents, interact with any memb ers, and d o n’t p u t t h e m e m b e r s h i p s t i c k e r o n y o u r d o o r. Yo u w o u l d n’t r i g h t ? S o w h y would you do this for a n y s o c i a l m e d i a . H e y, I g e t i t . It’s a t o n o f w o r k to have an ef fective anything - social media, blog, n e w s l e t t e r, y o u t u b e c h a n nel … shall I go on? So I recommend you start with 2, max. And if you are starting up a business, and your customers are older than 25, LinkedIn is great for your self-promotion and to share your exp ertise with your connections. I recommend Facebook as the companion social media for a couple of reasons. a) they own Instagram so you can get a lot more coverage with shared posts/videos, and Facebook does a much better job with goups and advertising. Dedicate a minimum of 1 hour each week. We a l l k n o w t h a t c o n s i s tanc y is the way to success. In anything, showing up regularly trumps sporatic f lash and fanfare e v e r y t i m e . W h a t’s t h b e s t way to incorporate this to your weekly routine?

I have one day a week where I actually log in to LinkedIn to do some h e a v y l i f t i n g . H o w e v e r, I have the notifications set up so I receive an alert notice whenever I have a message or a new connection request. Ever ything e l s e g e t’s c h e c k e d w h e n I log in. I do this so I can respond quickly to human communications. Un d e r s t a n d t h e u n w r i t ten rules as well as those p o s t e d i n e v e r y g r o u p. Yo u n e e d t o r e m e m b e r w h e n y o u’r e o n L i n k e d I n a n d w h e n y o u’r e o n F a c e book. They both have ver y d i f f e r e n t “r u l e s”. On LinkedIn, keep it professional and more business-or iented. No religion, politics, race y, r a c i a l , o r r u d e j o k e s , and absolutely no spam. Be careful with the memes. Inspriational memes should be kept on other social medias. This may sound ver y austere and not much fun, but I have a connection who posts a j o k e a d a y. T h e y ’r e b r i l l i a n t , f u n n y, s h o r t , a n d non-offensive. I have no idea how he finds such a consistant stash of these without res o r t i n g t o” k n o c k - k n o c k” o r “ ”p u l l m y f i n g e r ” j o k e s b u t h e d o e s . I f y o u’r e n e w to LinkedIn, take some of your hour to explore and see what others are doing. Pick a few good ones to follow and imitate.

Have an excellent prof ile set up to attract others. This is a topic for itself but the more important points are: 1. Profile picture: This needs to be current, and i f y o u d o n’t h a v e a p r o fessionally shot head & shoulder pic then a good quality pic using your p h o n e w i l l d o. S m i l e , h a v e a neutral background if possible, and be looking at t h e c a m e r a . Pe o p l e s h o u l d be able to identif y you at a networking event from your profile picutre. - so NO group shots, distantce shots, pets or kids in the pic. Us e y o u r f u l l n a m e ( t h e o n e p e o p l e k n o w y o u b y. LinkedIn offers a field for maiden names for ladies who have changed their name. This is good to think about as people may search for you by that name. 2 . Up d a t e y o u r h e a d l i n e : Yo u r p r o f i l e p a g e i s n o t a resume but a persona l w e b p a g e a b o u t YO U ! Think of it as a promo brochure for the career you are looking to build, rather than a bullet-point l i s t o f j o b s y o u’v e h a d . S o, i f y o u’r e a n e x c e l lent bookkeeper and you specialize in construction companies, you might have a title such as bookkeeper for construction businesses | saving construction business o w n e r s t i m e & m o n e y.

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3. The Summar y is top part of the page when people view your profile. The first 2 sentences are the most important as those a p p e a r “a b o v e t h e f o l d”. S o the visitor can read these lines without scrolling down on your profile. This is the part that will capture their interest and let them decide if they want to talk to you further or continue browsing other profiles. It’s p e r f e c t l y a l l r i g h t t o repeat the information you have in your work experie n c e i n t h e s u m m a r y. B u t i n c l u d e t h e To p 1 0 i t e m s , not ever y detail. The summar y should be like your Best of album! If you would like to continue with LinkedIn traini n g p l e a s e l e t m e k n o w. I offer 1-1 online tutoring

customized to your needs. F r e e P r o f i l e Au d i t I ’m a l s o h a p p y t o o f f e r readers a free profile audit with suggestions as to how you can turn your pofile from ordinar y to excellent. A profile audit is a review of your current profile, with an online inter view with you to get a clear vision of you and your m e s s a g e . Yo u w i l l t h e n get recommendations for changes to create a “B est f a c e f o r w a r d” p r o f i l e ! Download my f ree PDFL i n k e d I n D o’s a n d D o n’t s by clicking on the this photo or the link right here.

Vi c k y K n e e i s a l i f e c o a c h f o r t h e p e r s o n s t r u g gling with limiting beliefs, cognitive dissonance, and those who earnestly want to achieve more for thems elves in any areas of their life. In addition t o c o a c h i n g , a p a r t o f Vi c k y ’s b u s i n e s s i s s p e n t a s a t r a i n e r, h e l p i n g o w n e r s a n d i n d i v i d u a l s e n h a n c e their social media presence, particularly in using LinkedIn for your business. w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / g r o u p s / G e t a L i f e w i t h C o a c h i n g

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I want a kick ass retreat!

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CHEER MORE, STRESS LESS T H I S H O L I DAY SEASON DENISE JOY THOMPSON

There are s o many holidays celebrated around the world the last quarter of t h e y e a r. A s t h e h o l i d a y s e a s o n a p proaches, your stress level will probably rise. In addition to your typical schedule of work, home and kids, y o uâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;v e g o t m o r e s h o p p i n g t o d o, m e n u s to plan, and food to prepare. The good news is, even with all the extra activities and preparations, you can still reduce your holiday stress. He r e a r e s o m e p r o v e n s t r a t e g i e s t o help you decrease your stress. Some of these may even be so effective that y o uâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; l l c h o o s e t o u s e t h e m a l l y e a r long, not just during the holidays!

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1 . Ac k n o w l e d g e t h a t e v e r y t h i n g d o e s n’t n e e d t o b e perfect. The commercials and movies on television during the holidays really miss the mark when it comes to realistic portrayals of family holidays. • Ac c e p t t h a t y o u c a n e n joy some beautiful holiday get-togethers regardless of whether something is spilled o r y o u’r e h a v i n g t r o u b l e l o cating your favorite dinner napkins. • Furthermore, most people will hardly notice if the pies were baked a little too long or you forgot the cranberr y sauce. Mae Kroeis notes I feel major pressure to create these amazing memories for my kids that are impossible to l i v e u p t o. It f e e l s l i k e t h e r e are s o many things I should b e d o i n g t o m a k e i t a “s p e c i a l” t i m e o f y e a r, t h e p r e s s u r e i s s u p e r s t r e s s f u l . We have to donate, go to events, d e c o r a t e f a n c y, d o t h e e l f o n a shelf, plan big meals, etc... am I letting them down if we j u s t d o t h i n g s “o u r w a y ” ? ! Ww w. m a e k i t h a p p e n . c a . 2. Start holiday planning and preparations earlier and s a v e m o n e y. C a n y o u i m a g i n e h o w m u c h l e s s s t r e s s e d y o u’d feel if you had all your gift shopping and wrapping done in October? If you developed a plan and a budget and stuck to it? L ast minute shopping adds up quickly with impulse buying. • A l s o, p l a n y o u r h o l i d a y menus well in advance of u s i n g t h e m . T h i s w a y, y o u’ l l have the menu set and the store lists made. As the hol-

i d a y s g e t c l o s e r, r e v i e w y o u r menus and shopping lists and make any minor adjustments you want. • Spreading holiday tasks out over longer periods of t i m e m e a n s y o u’ l l h a v e l e s s stress during the holiday season. Amber Duffney acknowledges her biggest stress is spending more money than she planned on spending. Eve r y. D a n g . Ye a r, A m b e r s t a t e s . A m b e r i s a Wo m a n’s E m powerment and Relationship Coach. Connect with Amber a t w w w. a w o m a n s w o r t h c o a c h ing.com. 3. Scale down your holiday plans. B ecause adults sometimes have an overly idealistic view of the holidays that springs from their childhood experiences, this strateg y can b e t o u g h t o d o. S c a l i n g d o w n your plans involves letting go o f y o u r “p e r f e c t d r e a m” f o r the holidays. • E s s e n t i a l l y, k n o w t h a t y o u d o n’t h a v e t o r e p e a t t h a t s p e cial holiday memor y you have i n y o u r m i n d . Yo u d o n’t h a v e to find the perfect gift, spend the most money or have a room stacked with wrapped packages to show your love to others. • Ascribe to the theor y t h a t , “ It’s t h e t h o u g h t t h a t c o u n t s .” Mo s t p e o p l e w i l l never remember the cool thing you got for them that o n e y e a r. B u t t h e y w i l l h a v e warm memories of the time you spent together as a fami l y. Amy Minkof f is a coach and acknowledges her biggest stressor is this can be one of the busier times of the

year for coaches between the c urrent stress of year-end and holidays combined with Ne w Ye a r ’s r e s o l u t i o n t i m e , and wishing I could check out the last two weeks of the year like many others when I k n o w i t’s b e s t f o r m y b i z to stay in the game. I handle it in two ways: (1) Even t h o u g h I ’m s t i l l i n t h e g a m e and not completely off, I set aside specific holiday time, for shopping, for family and friends, (2) I plan extra time o f f l a t e r i n 1 s t q u a r t e r, a f t e r t h e Ne w Ye a r r u s h . . . a n d I h a v e t h a t t o l o o k f o r w a r d t o. O verall, I always hit pause w h e n s t r e s s - m o d e s n e a k s u p, and come back to the moment of being in ser vice of my clients - or my family and f riends. As for my clients, one of their biggest stressors is feeling like they have t o s a y “ y e s” t o e v e r y t h i n g - e ver y invitation - during t h e h o l i d a y s . To m o v e t o wards feeling peace of mind, I remind them when they say “n o” t o o n e t h i n g , t h e y a r e s a y i n g “ y e s” t o s o m e t h i n g els e. I invite them to identif y t h e i r p o t e n t i a l “n o’s” a n d what it could mean saying “ y e s” t o. To c o n n e c t w i t h A m y g o t o w w w. a m y m i n k o f f coaching.com.

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4 . Ta k e s h o r t c u t s t o s a v e time. Figure out easier ways to do things that will provide more time for other holiday tasks and activities. •One good example: R ather than baking the pies, order them from a n e a r b y r e s t a u r a n t t h a t’s known for its delicious baked goods. • W h e n s h o p p i n g , d o n’t b e afraid to select gift cards as holiday gifts. The fact is that many p eople prefer receiving a gift card as they can then choose exactly what they want. Gift cards a r e e a s y t o s h o p f o r, s a t i s f y nearly ever yone and will cost you less in wrapping p a p e r. B a s i c a l l y, g i f t c a r d s a r e “n o f u s s a n d n o m u s s .” Grace Distilo-Orban s t a t e s a m n o t a No r m a n Rockwell painting; nor am I M a r t h a S t e w a r t . Ne e d i n g the perfect decorations, meals and the perfect gifts is too much pressure. Time together is what matters and Chex mix is enough Martha! (Response from D e n i s e … . We a l l k n o w C h e x Mix is awesome!!) 5.Choose what you want t o d o. Po n d e r w h a t t h e holidays truly mean to you and then express that meaning in your celebrat i o n s . Av o i d g e t t i n g c a u g h t up in the commercialism that has taken over the entire holiday season. • S o m e w o u l d s a y “ i t’s a l l a b o u t t h e s h o p p i n g .” Ho w e v e r, i t’s w o r t h y o u r t i m e to think about what ideas you hope to portray to your friends and loved ones during the holidays. •Let go of feeling required to plan and carr y

out elaborate, lavish cele b r a t i o n s . M a y b e y o u’d r e a l l y r a t h e r h a v e s m a l l e r, more intimate gatherings with friends spread out o v e r a m o n t h o r t w o, r a t h e r than a big whoop-de-doo that makes it difficult to really connect with others. • The best way to teach your children that the holidays are about giving to others is to take them to visit local charities or even to ser ve meals at a church soup kitchen. Nicky Rivera shares her biggest stressor is around feeling obligated to buy gifts for people ither than my daughter and signifi c a n t o t h e r. My f a t h e r usually will have Christmas at his place and its filled with immediate, extended a n d f r i e n d s o f f a m i l y, w h o yes, I absolutely adore, but always feel lressured to have something for them simply because they s h o w e d u p. No t t o m e n t i o n t h e i r c h i l d r e n ! It g i v e s m e anxiety just thinking about it. Shopping in general is not something that I love t o d o. Ho w d o I h a n d l e i t ? Hmmm. I usually just get frustrated, lol. I have to think of how to approach it differently this year! ***** T h i s y e a r, m a k e t h e d e c i sion to reduce your holiday stress. By shedding the urge to be perfect, beginning holiday planning earl i e r, s c a l i n g d o w n e x p e c t a tions, and using shortcuts t o s a v e t i m e , y o u’ l l b r i n g your tension level way down.

s h o r t c u t s t o s a v e t i m e , y o u’ l l bring your tension level way down. Think about what you really want the holidays to mean to y o u a n d y o u r f a m i l y. T h e n , y o u can let go of expectations based on the past and really enjoy your t i m e t o g e t h e r. A n d u l t i m a t e l y, i s n’t t h a t w h a t t h e h o l i d a y s a r e for? Thank you to the coach contributors who were honest in sharing their own stressors r e g a r d i n g t h e h o l i d a y s ! ! We a l l have it, there are ways we can decrease it!!

HA P P Y H O L I DAYS E V E RYO N E ! !

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Denise Joy Thompson is a coach, a champion for women finding their power within, a catalyst for transf o r m a t i o n , a s p e a k e r, w r i t e r, therapist, and an Air Force veteran. Denise is the CEO of Global Broadcasting LLC a n d f o u n d e r o f G l o b a l Vo i c e M a g a z i n e , G l o b a l Vo i c e R a dio and The Coach Alliance. S h e i s t h e c r e a t o r, c o m p i l e r, a n d p r i m a r y a u t h o r of Live In Gratitude Dail y : T h e K e y t o Ab u n d a n c e , Joy and Love and compiler o f D i s c o v e r Yo u r D e s t i n y, L i v e Yo u r D r e a m s , L o v e Yo u r Life: Expert Tips On Creating Success.

Denise lives near San Antonio with her husband a n d â&#x20AC;&#x153; T h e Tr i p l e t sâ&#x20AC;? ( S m o k e y, S n o o p y, a n d T i g e r ) . I n h e r spare time she loves traveling, wine tasting, and reading. C onnect with Denise at w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / g l o b a l voiceradio1 w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / g r o u p s / globalvoiceradio w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / t h e coachalliance w w w. t w i t t e r. c o m / c o a c h a l liance1 thecoachalliance@gmail. com

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HA N U K K A H T H E F E S T I VA L OF LIGHTS CINDY C OHEN “ The miracle, of course, was not that the oil for the sacred light - in a little cruse - lasted as long as the y say ; but that the courage of the Maccabees lasted to this day : let that nourish m y f l i c k e r i n g s p i r i t .” — C h a r l e s R e z n i k o f f , “Me d i t a t i o n s o n t h e F a l l a n d Wi n t e r Ho l i d a y s” Historically Hanuk kah recalls the first fight for religious freedom. The stor y of Hanuk kah is the ageold struggle of the Jewish people to remain Jewish in a non-Je wish world. Hanukkah commemorates the v i c t o r y o f Ju d a h M a c c a b e e and his followers over the forces of the Syrian tyrant Antio chus Epiphanes and the rededication of the

Te m p l e o f J e r u s a l e m w h i c h the Syrians had profaned. The practice of Jewish rituals such as the Sabbath and circumcision were outlawed. The worship of Syrian-Greek Gods and the sacrifice of pigs replaced the traditional worship at the temple. One day the Greeks came t o t h e v i l l a g e o f Mo d i i n a n d s e t u p a n a l t a r. T h e y c o m mended the Jews to bring a pig as a sacrifice to show obedience to Antiochus decree, Mattathias, and old priest, was so enraged when he saw the Jew about to do so (sacrifice the pig) that h e k i l l e d h i m . He a n d h i s five sons then fought the G r e e k a r m y, r e t r e a t e d t o the mountains, and began

a guerrilla war against the Greeks and their Jewish allies. Before he died of old age, Mattathias passed on the leadership to his son Ju d a h k n o w n a s M a c c a b e e ( m e a n i n g H a m m e r ) . Ju dah led his forces against a series of armies sent by Antiochus, and through superior strateg y and braver y he defeated them all. Fin a l l y, h e a n d h i s f o l l o w e r s liberated Jerusalem and rec l a i m e d t h e Te m p l e f r o m i t s defilement by the Greeks. T h e Ta l m u d ( c o m p i l e d over seven centuries) later records the army could f ind only one small vessel of oil, e n o u g h t o l a s t o n e d a y, b u t w h e n t h e y l i t t h e Te m p l e menorah with it, a miracle occurred, and the menorah

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come a symb ol for b oth our physical and spiritual resistance to tyranny and assimilation. Present Day Obser vances:

IT’S A FEAST miracle occurred, and the menorah burned for e i g h t d a y s . To c e l e b r a t e v i c t o r y a n d r e d e d i c a t e t h e Te m p l e , t h e M a c c a b e e s p r o c l a i m e d a n e i g h t day festival, which was to be obser ved each y e a r. The celebration of Hanuk kah re volves around t h e l i g h t i n g o f t h e H a n u k k i a h o r Me n o r a h ( s p e c i f i c c a n d l e h o l d e r ) . It i s a s p e c i a l t i m e f o r f a m ilies and friends to spend time together singing, playing games, giving gifts, retelling the stor y and meditating on the meaning of Hanuk kah. T h e n i g h t l y k i n d l i n g o f t h e Me n o r a h w i t h i t s increasing brighter light has become a symbol

Hanuk kah lasts eig ht days. This Jewish festival is celebrated ever y year beginning the 25th day of Kisl e v ( i n D e c e m b e r ) o n t h e He b r e w c a l e n d a r. It i s c u s t o m a r y t o p l a c e t h e Me n o r a h i n t h e w i n d o w w h e r e its lights will be visible from the o u t s i d e . D i s p l a y i n g t h e Me n o r a h is a demonstration of Jewish pride a n d i d e n t i t y. T h e l i g h t s a r e k i n d l e d o n t h e Me n o r a h w h e n i t g o e s d a r k , after sunset. E ach night one more candle is kindled until all eight days are obser ved. The playing of games has long b een ass o ciated with Hanuk kah. The most popular is the game of Dreidel. The Dreidel is a four-sided t o p w i t h He b r e w l e t t e r s i n s c r i b e d on its sides. These letters represent t h e s a y i n g “A g r e a t m i r a c l e h a p p e n e d h e r e .” Many p eople exchange gifts and/ or small sums of money to their children. These practices are part o f H a n u k k a h’s s p e c i a l a p p e a l t o children during what has become ( i n t h e U. S . ) a t i m e o f a l m o s t u n i versal gift giving. It i s c u s t o m a r y t o e a t f o o d s t h a t fried in oil, such as potato pancakes (latkes), jelly-filled donuts (sufganiyot) to remind us of the miracle of the oil and cheesy (dair y) foods. To a d d t o t h e g a i e t y o f t h e o c c a sion, may different foods can be decorated with the Hanuk kah motif. C ookies cut into share of candles, coins, dreidels, six pointed stars and menorahs.

HA N U K K A H I S A T I M E FOR FEASTING!

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Article written by Cindy Cohen, 1st appeared in the cookbook Generation to Generation Dor Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dor published in 1996. This Hanukkah excerpt is shortened from the original article. Cindy Cohen is a Certified Health Coach, Registered Nurse, Wellness Consultant, published author and sought-after national speaker. For 16 years Cindy the team at C2 Your Health LLC have been championing & inspiring healthy living around the world one person at a time through health coaching, corporate wellness and community seminars ever since winning many awards throughout the years including Wellness Council of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top 50 Health Promotional Professional in 2016.

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W HAT I S T H E MEANING OF CHRISTMAS? Pris cilla Kohutek

Christmas means different things to different people. For some people, it is a time full o f l o v e a n d g o o d c h e e r. T h e y welcome the season with eager anticipation. They harbor wonderful memories and feel all warm and fuzzy when they reminisce about holidays past. Pe o p l e l i k e t h i s a r e f u n t o b e around during the Christmas S eason. Their attitudes are contagious. They make us all feel good. Ho w e v e r, m a n y p e o p l e d r e a d the holiday season and prefer to ignore Christmas rather than to celebrate it. They are reminded of Christmases past t h a t w e r e n o t s o m e r r y. S a d l y, many of thes e p eople s eem to take great pleasure in ruining Christmas for as many others as possible, especially their children. They wallow in their

miser y and revel in relating their sad experiences. The worst par t is that the y p erpetuate their miser y through their children. These poor kids w o n’t h a v e p l e a s a n t m e m o r i e s o f C h r i s t m a s e i t h e r. T h e s t o r i e s v a r y. He r e’s a sampling: “I remember the year we lost the family busin e s s . We h a d n o m o n e y t o celebrate Christmas and not m u c h f o r C h r i s t m a s d i n n e r. Things got better and our situation improved, but I’ ll never forget that Christmas. I prefer t o i g n o r e C h r i s t m a s d a y s o I ’m not reminded of that horrible y e a r.” One woman said that she hates the holidays because it was just an excuse for her alcoholic father to drink. Ever y Christmas was ruined when he got drunk and became abusive.

Another man says that C h r i s t m a s d o e s n’t m e a n m u c h to him because they were a militar y family that moved around a lot. Many years t h e y w e r e n’t e v e n t o g e t h e r a t Christmas so they treated it like any another day—nothing special. To t h e s e p e o p l e , I s a y t h a t i t’s t i m e t o l e t i t g o ! T h e p a s t i s p a s t . We c a n’t c h a n g e i t ; s o, get over it and move for ward. Yo u r c h i l d r e n a r e n’t r e s p o n s i ble for your misfortune. They d e s e r v e b e t t e r, a n d y o u o w e i t to them. S t a r t r e b u i l d i n g t h i s y e a r. Stop focusing on yourself and concentrate on ways to make things better for your children.

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Give them something to hold on to—a fami l y h o l i d a y t r a d i t i o n . I f y o u r f a m i l y d o e s n’t h a v e a n y, y o u c a n e i t h e r r e s u r r e c t a n o l d c u s tom that has been lost along the way or create new ones. The important thing is to give your children and grandchildren a legac y that they can pass on to their children and grandchildren. If you are starting from scratch, introduce n e w p r a c t i c e s s l o w l y a n d s i m p l y. O n e c u s t o m that is fairly easy to instigate revolves around f o o d . It s e e m s t h a t e v e r y c o u n t r y a n d m a n y local regions have a dish or a meal particular to the area for Christmas Eve to set the m o o d f o r c e l e b r a t i n g C h r i s t m a s d a y. T h e choices var y from clam chowder to fish pie t o b r e a d b o w l s o f b o e u f b o u r g u i g n o n . We’r e f r o m s o u t h Te x a s , a n d o u r f a m i l y ’s t r a d i t i o n a l C h r i s t m a s E v e d i n n e r i s Me x i c a n f o o d : c h e e s e a n d c h i c k e n e n c h i l a d a s , t a m a l e s , Me x i c a n rice, borracho beans, chili, and guacamol e . B e i n g c o r p o r a t e n o m a d s , i t w a s n’t a l w a y s been easy to come up with the ingredients for such a meal. One year long, long ago when we l i v e d i n To k y o, i t w a s t o t a l l y i m p o s s i b l e t o come up with tamales and the corn tortillas n e c e s s a r y f o r e n c h i l a d a s . We d e c i d e d t o d i n e out on Christmas Eve.

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Of course, there were no Me x i c a n r e s t a u r a n t s i n To k y o in those days, so we opted for a continental meal. Our daughter burst into tears, and dinner was a disast e r ! We w e r e s u p p o s e d t o h a v e Me x i c a n f o o d a t h o m e and then gather around the Christmas tree to open o u r p r e s e n t s . It j u s t w a s n’t Chr istmas ot her wis e. Now we laugh about the drama that t o o k p l a c e t h a t y e a r. B u t t o t h i s d a y, w e h a v e Me x i c a n food at home on Christmas Eve; and we have passed the tradition down to our grandd a u g h t e r. My h u s b a n d a n d I c h o s e t o c a r r y o n t h e Me x i c a n f o o d tradition because it is part of o u r h e r i t a g e . We w e r e b o t h r a i s e d i n s o u t h Te x a s , w h i c h is strongly influenced by the Me x i c a n c u l t u r e . It i s s o m e thing from our past that we can carr y with us; something that grounds our nomadic existence. Decorating the house is another family tradition. A g a i n , t h i s h a s n’t a l w a y s b e e n e a s y. I n t h e “o l d d a y s” even Christmas trees—real or fake, were not to be found in A s i a . H o w e v e r, w e g o t c r e ative and decorated a balsam p i n e t r e e . We l l , s o r t o f d e c o r a t e d i t . We d i d n’t h a v e a n y t r e e o r n a m e n t s e i t h e r, s o I d e c i d e d w e’d h a v e a “C h a r l i e B r o w n” C h r i s t m a s t r e e , named after the cartoon c h a r a c t e r. A l l w e n e e d e d w a s one red glass ball and a gold s t a r f o r t h e t o p, w h i c h w a s made out of cardboard and covered with gold foil.

It w o r k e d a n d b e c a m e a symbol of our Christmases in Thailand—a tradition within a tradition. Many times, a simple Christmas tree was the full extent of our decorating. In later years, as things became m o r e a v a i l a b l e , w e w e n t “o v e r t h e t o p” a n d d e c o r a t e d e v e r y t h i n g t h a t d i d n’t m o v e o u t o f o u r w a y. My p o i n t i s , w e made the holidays special. To g e t h e r, w e o v e r c a m e o b stacles and celebrated Christmas in a warm and loving atmosphere. Keeping our little family traditions alive for our child r e n’s s a k e a n d f o r o u r s h a s given us a lifetime of memorable experiences. This year give your family a special present. Give them love and joy and a tradition or two to carr y into the future. B egin filling a treasure chest with wonderful memories for all of you.

Priscilla Kohutek is a best-selling author, a career journalist, and a native Texan. Her life is rich with exciting experiences, having spent 25 years living and writing in the Far East where her feature articles and columns appeared regularly in major magazines and newspapers. A few years ago, Priscilla shifted gears to focus exclusively on writing Olivia Garza’s extraordinary biography, OLIVIA. Priscilla and her husband, Ed, live in San Antonio and are involved in numerous local and national charitable organizations. When not writing, volunteering, or enjoying family time, they are probably at a cat show, exhibiting their two award-winning British Shorthairs, Professor Higgins and Lord Chesterfield; and their new addition, an American Shorthair named Top Gun. Otherwise, they’re traveling the world in search of another adventure.

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T E M P L AT E B Y I S SU U

Global Voice Magazine Nov. 2018

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