Life

Lit Up—and What’s Next for Its Authors

out and help someone experiencing a similar challenge.

Charlene Helm: We noticed many people are facing a lot of adversity right now. People are looking for encouragement and hope. We said, “We can accomplish several things at once if we invite a handful of heart-led entrepreneurs to share their stories.”

When you hear how somebody has faced serious adversity in their life, where they overcame when it would have been so easy to give up, it’s inspiring.

They leaned into their faith, made tough decisions, and knew in their heart that things would work out, and those challenges were the catalysts for what they’re doing with their lives now, so many years later. But while you’re facing that adversity, you have no idea that it’s setting you up for something so much bigger.

Now these entrepreneurs serve powerfully in their roles, and we are excited to help them share their stories.

Dennis: Let’s take turns hearing about why each one of you agreed to write a chapter in “Life Lit Up.” personal finances. self-limiting beliefs and thoughts, such as, “Why me? I’m not good enough. I’m just a poor, single mom. I am from a small town in southern Wisconsin. Why could I be anything?” Eventually, I invested money in myself— money I absolutely did not have—and here I am today, helping hundreds of people around the world. Articles have been written about me. I have guested on podcasts.

Donald Dy: I was honored when Noelle and Charlene reached out to me.

For the first five years of my life, I lived in the Philippines. I am privileged to have experienced all of the ups and downs in my life.

I have been in this industry for thirty years. At the most basic level, everyone faces the same struggle with money and resources.

“Life Lit Up” has been read by several people in my movement and in my team, and they were inspired hearing my story. I talk about my life, but not in the way I did in this book.

This is the first time I’ve co-authored a book. It has been an absolute privilege. I am glad to share my story. I am on a mission to impact a million people in the next four and a half years, and this book is the start of it.

Jamie Beringer: Your past does not define your destiny—I am an example of that.

I experienced extreme trauma in my early twenties. Now, I am a single mom of two girls. I have struggled financially—down to counting change to put gas in the car—but I knew that I was here for more.

I want everyone to see that regardless of where you’ve been and what you’ve gone through, this could be you—it’s a matter of taking the bet on yourself.

Vulnerability is not a weakness; it is a superpower. People are scared to tell their stories when they should share them. We need that community.

My company serves people in eleven countries. We help them with their

I wanted to take my mess and turn it into my message, but I fought

Tara Nagy: I am an empowerment medium. My work comes from a spiritual place. I have been a medium my whole life. I was able to tap into the other side at three years old.

My purpose has always been to serve. I am a conduit. Everything I do comes from Spirit.

We always end up where we’re meant to be, even on the other side. I strive to enlighten others and show them the power within themselves. It’s difficult to live life when you are not aligned in body, mind, and spirit.

When people see me on podcasts, magazines, and other platforms, they connect with the idea that they are capable, that they are able to do anything. It’s within them—they just need something to show them that they are worthy of accessing what they have.

Mara Riopel: I am an online business coach. My target demographic is mothers who are shifting from a traditional career to the online space.

I was hosting collaborative events when Charlene, Noelle, and I connected. They spoke at a few of my events and we started working together.

Two years ago, my five-year-old son was diagnosed with brain cancer. It was totally out of left field. Charlene and

Noelle went through this journey with me.

In my corporate career, I made six figures before I was thirty years old. I never felt like I had a story.

When my son was going through chemotherapy, there was a defining moment for me. I was walking down the hall in the hospital. It was quiet, like in a movie, and I heard a voice that said, “Strip away the significance of what has you playing small.”

That quote landed differently for me that day. I knew I needed to up my game.

Find your fire. Do what lights you up. That guides you to success, and following your light is the core of what your business will be.

When we pivot to the online space, it’s easy to feel lost. What should I do? What can I do to make more money?

You can make money doing anything if it fires you up. Elevate and go to the next level with it.

I started a movement called the Ambitious Mom

Movement. People pivot into the online space to get their message out there. Something held me back, but when I went through that adversity, knowing my child could die any day, it shredded that bullshit story I told myself about how and why I couldn’t do this or that.

What is holding you back? What story do you tell yourself? It’s garbage. Drop it and rewrite it.

Carrie Donatelli: I met Noelle and Charlene through a group coaching program. We connected offline. When they said “book,” I was in. I had wanted to be an author since I was a little girl.

Like Jamie, I am a smalltown girl, born and raised in West Virginia. I have experienced domestic violence and other forms of abuse. Twenty years later, I started my business offering my services to other businesses. I’m a profitability coach helping other business owners be more profitable and pay themselves more.

Writing this chapter scratched the scab I had worked so hard to protect, and it made me learn new things about the healing process. It’s ongoing. It’s not linear. There are ups and downs. It never truly stops.

You can get into a good space, though. I recently started a second business that revolves around spirituality. I love crystals. Teaching is my passion, so I am teaching classes on making spiritual jewelry. My nine-year-old daughter and I are going to teach a class on crystals for children.

Everything happens for a reason. This book helped me dive deeper into my healing journey and discover so much about myself, and now I’m using my experience as a launchpad to be better.

I want to help others feel happier. Teaching others how to heal and sharing what has helped me, sharing this story, is exciting. I felt honored and thrilled when Noelle and Charlene offered me space in “Life Lit Up.”

Ramona Kossowan: I am a coach with a blend of modalities, but at the heart of it, it’s about helping people come back to who they are and be emotionally resilient, mentally clear, and physically confident, and prioritize their well-being.

There are nuances to this field. I’ve been on my own journey to know and accept myself and make myself a priority. Since I began sharing my story, people who meet me see me as a mentor or a source of inspiration.

I have been down in the gutter. I am a work in progress. It’s refreshing to share my story so honestly.

Through my journey, I’ve discovered ways to support others. I’m especially passionate about helping women over forty step into the amazing power they have at this stage of their lives.

My primary method is gentle trauma release. You can’t be your most empowered, creative, loving, joyful self until a significant amount of trauma has been cleared from your system.

There is more to it than that. It’s not as simple as looking something up online and feeling better. You need to learn how to maintain your well- being and take the lenses off. How have you been subconsciously seeing the world and showing up? That’s not who you are. That’s how you learned to survive. It’s not where you need to finish.

Learn to feel good about who you are, where you’re going, and trust yourself and see your worth in life.

Mary Holland: Charlene, Noelle, and I met in a few different groups, and we’ve sort of morphed together. It’s been a process.

I was widowed at twenty-six years old while pregnant with my first child. I am fifty-five now. I run a group called Abounding Joy, where I share my journey of widowhood. Even while juggling so many things—pregnancy, business, the death of a loved one—you can find joy in life.

At my core, I am a coach trying to help people understand their identity and their relationship with Christ. I am a Christian. I want people to understand that they are worthy, and that selfworth is not something they have to earn—it is a gift. I empower people, especially women, to understand who they are and what power they have.

God has done the work for you. You can be abundantly joyful, have an abundant life, and possess power and authority in who you are. It has been gifted to you by God.

I help others find love for themselves through healing, prayer, and declarations.

For a long time, like Jonah, I ran from my grief. It kept coming right back into my face. Eventually, I found peace and came to terms with my story. I want to share my story as a victorious one.

Junaid Ahmed: I wanted to create a course. I have extensive experience in content creation, but I wondered, “Where do I do it?”

I realized I needed to take a little space and delve into all it would take to do this. The pandemic was a catalyst. I was able to put all of my knowledge into this little space so I could spend more time with my children.

I am on yet another path. It’s never-ending. I never reach a point where I’m done. Life keeps moving on, and at this point, I am on dad duty while my wife works full time.

Entrepreneurship is not rainbows and daisies. You have to power through everything.

I recently read a “Newsletter Today” article where the author wrote, “Don’t forget to have fun.” before Christmas. I was a single parent, and I felt like I dropped the ball on parenting, and it forced me through a healing journey.

Entrepreneurs forget to have fun. You have to have fun. Why are you doing this in the first place? For your kids? For yourself? So people know what’s possible?

Life is not designed for us to work nine to five for somebody else, only to later wonder what we did for ourselves.

Charlene Helm: Noelle and I are from opposite sides of Canada. We met during the pandemic at a movement-based marketing event to learn challenges as vehicles to take business online.

I needed to know how to facilitate a conversation between my daughter and me about what had happened, and I didn’t have resources available to do it, so I created one. I used it in early childcare practice.

Over the course of a decade working in early childcare, I learned that what heals children also heals adults. I made a process-based book and then naturally fell into life coaching.

I pivoted into the online world to grow my business. That’s when I met Noelle.

We still coach in our own individual lanes, but we also link arms to support others and bring their messages out to the world.

My chapter in “Life Lit Up” focused on my journey through grief. My father died very suddenly a week

We all have a story in our heart. In this group, we have turned our stories into businesses. You have that within you too. You just may need somebody to help you pull that story out and discover how you can step into your voice. It’s much easier than you think, and there is support to be found. Say yes to yourself.

Noelle McGough: I grew up in a home that experienced a very silent type of abuse: psychological abuse. It was hard to understand as a child, and through hindsight and retrospect, I have learned a great deal.

The abuse I suffered resulted in an eagerness to impress, to please, to gain approval from others.

I have journeyed toward self-acceptance and am moving forth with my God-given talents. A love for others has been placed in me—love that does not hinge on others’ approval of who I am and what I am doing.

My chapter is about letting go of striving for approval from other people. I have seen it in a lot of entrepreneurs. I think a lot of our feelings of failure come from hinging ourselves on acceptance and approval of other leaders and entrepreneurs. The comparison trap. I have spoken to that in my chapter, how I have overcome it, and how to accept who we were created to be.

Dennis: What are your plans for the future? What is your next step?

Junaid: I am going to continue showing people what’s possible. I set an example for my children every day, when I tell them, “Lean into what you’re passionate about. Keep going.”

I was offered to teach a class on entrepreneurship at my son’s private high school. This opportunity only came to me because I leaned into podcasting, beekeeping, and entrepreneurship.

Jamie: I have been taking a step back. “New levels, new devils,” as they say.

If I take one step back, I can go ten steps forward when I’m ready. I have rebranded at the perfect time, in sync with the launch of “Life Lit Up,” and now I’m focusing more on my story.

Entrepreneurs put maybe 20% of themselves out there on social media— the highlight reels—and I’m trying to dive deeper and show the remaining 80% of myself and my story. We’re all human.

Donald: God gave me a vision, and now I have a mission to reach one million people over the next four and a half years. I never wanted to move my business online or to share my background, but now my focus is on serving this community through an online five-day challenge every month.

I want to impact others’ lives and create millionaires. I launched my first online program last year. I feel a pull to fulfill God’s will by helping others build themselves up financially so they, too, can do what God calls them to do.

Mary: I had a friend whose daughter committed suicide. She was in the depths of despair.

Seeing her work through her grief was inspiring. She saw her true identity and said, “I grieve in a different way.”

I am called to give others a place to have hope and let their light shine, even during life’s most difficult challenges.

If this is the way and the means that God has given me, I am right on board.

Ramona: My work is separated into boxes—fitness training, empowerment coaching, and trauma coaching. How do you blend those together?

I have witnessed people’s healing journeys. But once they’re healed, what steps do we take? We spend several months together, and then what?

I recently launched a pilot program, which is groupbased for accessibility and affordability. This program focuses on physical wellbeing, tailored to each client’s body.

How many times have unathletic women over forty attended gym classes or worked with trainers, only to be told to do burpees? No wonder they hate working out!

I customize fitness training to each person, according to their body and their goals. I support my clients so they don’t feel panicked, like they have to go from zero to one hundred in six weeks.

Carrie: “Life Lit Up” helped me dive further into my healing journey.

I became a Reiki practitioner and recently started a second business that focuses on energy healing. I want to help others heal their emotions, because we tend to heal our emotional bruises last. No one can see what is going on in our heads. I used to shove my emotional issues down, claiming I’d “do it another day,” but the only way to the other side is through.

I help people face their emotional trauma so they don’t have to stop their lives because they’re stuck in the mud of their emotions, not by putting a Band-Aid on it but through energy healing and talk therapy.

Mara: I’ve always had a vision for what I wanted to do, including writing my own books—eventually— and being a speaker. I was born to do this stuff.

I recently gave birth to my fourth child. My household has been chaotic for the last eight months. I have a few businesses and four kids running around.

You either make excuses or you find a way. I love leading from the front, so part of my teachings in the Ambitious Mom Movement revolves around the idea that we have to find a different way to work so we can live a different way.

I’m aiming to set an example. If I can manage all of this with four kids, you can too.

Many women ask, “How do I balance everything?” know how to find that within yourself, then you’re capable of bringing it out. You’ll shine.

Delegate, ask for help, and know what you won’t. Don’t get bogged down by the shoulds, or your todo list will never end.

Tara: As a spiritualist, helping others comes naturally. Over time, I leaned over the edge and became a people pleaser in an unhealthy way. I helped other spiritual people build their businesses to the detriment of my own.

My next step is focusing on community. One-onone client sessions have always been good and powerful for me, but I can only reach so many people that way, so I’m stepping out into group sessions.

Charlene: Noelle and I share a heart at the core of our business. We came together in large part because we did this exercise called 7 Levels of Why, and at the seventh level, our Why was the same.

Your adversity only holds you back if you let it. You have to be open to a different experience. If you are, we can partner with you and show you how to navigate proactively, how to take your amazing ideas and ground them into tangible, actionable processes so you can share your message. That’s what gets us pumped up.

In my corporate career, I worked sixty-hour weeks, and when I was home, I wasn’t truly home. It’s possible to reach this level of success without taking a traditional nine-to-five job.

I get guidance from the source—whether you want to call it God or something else—and I share with others so they can prosper. If you don’t go within, you go without. You have everything you need inside of you. If you

Noelle: A book chain in Canada reached out to us after seeing our post on Facebook. They wanted to put “Life Lit Up” in one of their local stores! Soon after, another store from the same chain reached out.

I was asked to do a book signing, which I’m excited about.

I am looking forward to speaking engagements. This has been the busiest month of my life. I can’t think of another time when I’ve been so busy. I opened a boutique motel that I’m co-owning with someone who is remote, I’ve sold another business, and we’ve launched a book.

Through these processes, I’ve learned that while I’m tired at the end of the day, if I am planned and organized and take things day by day, and “By the grace of God go I” is my ethos, then everything can be accomplished and the glass ceiling can be shattered. If I can get through this month, I could do even more next month.

People have said, “I could never do what you do,” and that fires me up more to help others shed those self-limiting thoughts and language.

I feel proud of everyone who participated in this project. I want to do another book like this. We’ve had reviews that say things like, “My husband and I are halfway through the book and it is changing how we do business.” here? We are changing lives and empowering entrepreneurs who feel alone or otherwise down and out. By coming together and sharing our stories, we’re helping them.

Who knows what’s next?

Dennis: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Charlotte: Thank you all for being courageous in your “yes.” Your stories show great strength and vulnerability. They are raw, intimate, and powerful. We are honored and blessed to co-author with you all. This will change lives.

We hope “Life Lit Up” will be a bedside table read for somebody who’s really struggling, when they’re crying themselves to sleep at night—as many of us have in the past—that they’ll open the book and think, “They did it. If they can, so can I.”

If that’s not why we do what we do, then what are we doing

Noelle: Thank you, Dennis, as our publisher, for believing in us, and to Motivation and Success for believing in this project and its authors. We have felt your encouragement every step of the way.