Marcella Piersol grew up in California's San Fernando Valley, "living on the edge". She surfed, skateboarded, and basically was "super active". Her parents divorced when she was young, and her father was granted custody which was unusual for the early 70's. He had a huge impact on her life. Marcella is a first generation American as her father emigrated with his parents from Germany in 1938 at the age of 5 to avoid WWII. He only spoke German. Putting himself through school, he became an engineer then later an attorney. Ultimately, her father worked for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Marcella graduated from college with a degree in business marketing. Because she has been physically active over the years, she didn't think a "regular job" would be right for her. Before she graduated, she heard that the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department were hiring. She applied and three months later entered the LA Police Academy. In 1984 when she joined LAPD, there were not that many women police officers. As Marcella is a small woman (5'2", 110 lbs.), "what kept me afloat in the Academy was my physical fitness". She was also "super young and super young-looking". Very soon after joining LAPD, they "scooped me up and threw me back in high school" where she worked undercover as a student for a semester to discover which students were selling narcotics. As a police officer, Marcella retired from the LAPD as a lieutenant in 2006 after 22 years. She is still connected to her "family" at LAPD by participating in the Police and Fire Games. She even competed in Belfast where "they rolled out the red carpet for us!" Fitness has been a major factor in her entire life. Marcella was only in her forties when she retired and wanted to pursue another career. Fitness was "a natural transition". She now inspires others to achieve and maintain fitness. In fact, one of her clients has lost 70 lbs! Besides her individual clients, Marcella was also a high school girls' cross country and track coach for 4 years. She now works part-time at a resort as a fitness manager where she supervises 16 instructors. Marcella has started steering her business in a different direction. She wants to "combine my love of travel with my passion of fitness and become a traveling fitness professional". In this role she would travel to different resorts and train guests. Actually, she completed a week at a resort in February as a guest trainer. She thought to herself "Maybe I should be a personal trainer that travels! Whether it's for groups or whether it's for resorts, I kind of want to throw myself out there and see if there's a niche for that!" She's scheduled to train guests at a resort for 2 weeks in November. Marcella has found a company that hires guest instructors and through it, was hired to go to Cancun in March. Her advice to 50+ folks who are starting businesses: "Be nice to people. It's rewarding. It's so much easier just to be nice. Follow your dreams. Stay positive. Surround yourself with people who support you and most importantly, make wellness and health a priority!" Marcella Piersol, Fitness Expert & Trainer Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/911_fitexpert-624028858035225 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/911_fitexpert

Silver Linings

Ep. 18 – Make Health & Wellness a Priority with Marcella Piersol

Maryke Cudd has been married to the SAME GUY for 42 years! She and her husband have two grown sons and six grandchildren. Maryke was employed by the postal service for 28-½ years and worked her way up to Postmaster. She was offered early retirement and decided it was the right time. After she left her job, Maryke took her mother back to her mom’s native country of The Netherlands. Maryke enjoyed leisure time for a while, but all of her friends still worked, and she was got bored. Since Maryke and her husband like the travel, she thought she might enjoy being a travel consultant. Maryke loves her job; it’s a passion for her. She loves working with her clients to create their travel experiences. After their second son left home for college, she and her husband had more time to travel with their friends. Sometimes they travel as a couple but more often in a group as “it’s more fun with a group!” It can be a small group or a large group like the trip she has planned to Alaska in July with 40 people! Maryke loves to cruise because “it’s a great value for your money. It’s where you visit several ports, and if you find one place you really like....then go back and enjoy that.” Her favorite place to cruise is the Caribbean because it’s so easy to get there since Maryke lives in Texas and Galveston is a big port. She and her husband travel a lot to the Western Caribbean via cruise lines out of Galveston, though she’s headed for Florida in the fall for a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. Cruisers have the choice of many different activities. Their travel group “made an agreement from the get-go: everybody does their own thing. If you happen to go together, that’s great, but we’re all going to meet at dinner, and we’ll see each other on the ship. That’s the way it’ll be.” It seems to have worked great for them! When Maryke worked for the Postal Service, she had the opportunity to travel when working on special projects. She and her husband also got a taste of traveling. Once she retired, she wanted to do something with her life. She believes in order “to do something right, you have to know about it. You have to....know the business.” She did the research and decided to buy a franchise from Cruise Planners affiliated with American Express. The company provided extensive training including behind-the-scenes ship inspections during which she got to see all the category of rooms, look at the entertainment, and sample the food. Maryke said, “I educate myself to be able to provide that information to my clients.” She asks clients what they’re looking for so she can make recommendations that would be the best value for their money. She’s now been a travel consultant for 10 years! In order to inform her clients the best she can, Maryke travels to many destinations so she has first-hand experience. If she hasn’t been to a certain place, she usually knows a colleague who has who can fill her in on the experience. There is no fee to clients, although there may be a fee if it’s a large group or a destination wedding (for planning). Normally, there’s not a fee. She strives to find the best value for her clients’ money. Maryke talked about the importance of travel insurance. It can cover many travel-related circumstances, but she does advise people to read all the terms and conditions of the policy. She described a couple of situations concerning her clients and how they were covered by their travel insurance. To 50+ folks thinking about starting a business, Maryke’s advice is to have a passion for something. “A person with a passion is a successful business person.” Then you have to do your research. Also, access SCORE and/or other local resources in your community to learn about small business development. In addition, you need to know your finances. Be sure to check out the IRS tax regulations as well. Maryke Cudd, Travel Consultant - Cruise Planners Website: https://www.readysettraveler.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readysettraveler/

Ep. 17 – Travel Now While You Can with Maryke Cudd

Karen welcomes her second international guest but FIRST guest from across the Atlantic Ocean! Andi Nagel lives in the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain but are actually off the coast of Morocco. Andi coaches women who are going through major life changes to "discover their full power and strength". Her company is Marvellous Woman. Andi's life is a story of tenacity and resilience. She was born in Salzburg, Austria. For part of her childhood, Andi lived in children's homes. Her parents died when she was 19, so she had to "take life into my hands, alone." She said, "I didn't have a penny in my pocket." She's achieved many things in her life and sees it as "a big adventure." Andi knew she had to make a living so she started modeling. She then studied graphic design and was always interested in healing professions. At the age of 25, Andi's daughter was born. Later, she got married. She and her husband owned and operated a four-star hotel in Costa Rica, which she designed incorporating feng-shui. Her marriage lasted 13 years, then she divorced and moved to the Canary Islands. Andi runs a little bed and breakfast with three suites, Casa el Sirocco, but is selling it because she wants to travel the world. Recently, through her business Marvellous Woman, she began offering life coaching services to women online, so she can really work anywhere! She serves clients from all over the world including the United States, Canada, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. Andi is starting a new endeavor. She is segueing into "Wedding Coaching" where she will work with couples to prepare them for a long-lasting marriage. Often, people are so in love and rush to get married. They have "their pink sunglasses on." Her goal is to coach couples so "their love will go deeper and deeper" over the years. Years ago, Andi started coaching women because of experiences she had been through in her own life. Many forgot themselves and put their families first. She helps women find ways to empower themselves to get their needs met. "We forget that we are here on Earth to take every chance we can to enjoy life. Enjoy your life every second, every moment." Her advice to people over 50 starting a business: "Don't think so much! Don't think so much because your thoughts can destroy everything. Think about maybe your numbers and everything but also the second part, the really main advice I can give that I live: Do what you love to do and do it with passion! Think about what you can give to people. What great gift you can give to other people to make them happy because then you are happy. That's it. This is my biggest advice." Andi Nagel, Online Life Coach for Women - Marvellous Woman/Coach for Engaged Couples/Wedding Planner Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/andreazsuzsanagel/ 

Ep. 16 – Enjoy Your Life Every Second, Every Moment!

My guest was unable to be with me today due to technical difficulties, but will hopefully reschedule for a later date. At first, I thought I'd move my June guests up a week, but then the idea popped into my head to interview MYSELF! If you've read my brief bio on my Inspired News Radio personality page, you may know a little bit about me, but I wanted to fill in more of the details about my background and current passions. This is episode 15, so I thought it was about time to tell you more of my story. I was born and raised in Corpus Christi, TX. Growing up in our generation (50+ peeps!) was quite different than growing up in today's world. We had no cell phones, no computers, no microwaves. We spent more time on developing friendships because we had to TALK to people either face-to-face or on the phone. After graduating from Ray High School in Corpus, I attended Sam Houston State University and majored in English with a minor in Drama. After graduating from college, I taught in Corpus Christi for five years then moved to St. Louis where I lived for a little more than 10 years. I LOVED the weather in St. Louis! There are actually four seasons! I didn't like driving in snow, though! I struggled with an anxiety disorder in my late teens and into my 20s. While living in St. Louis, I managed pretty much on my own to get to the point where I could manage the anxiety disorder. Because of this experience, I decided to go into the mental health field and so returned to school at the University of St. Louis - Missouri where I earned a Master of Education degree in Counseling. I then got my first job in the mental health field while still in St. Louis as house manager/case manager at an adult psychiatric group home. Moving back to Texas in 1994, I had a few other direct care jobs in the mental health field then later worked for a mental health education and advocacy organization. After serving there as a Community Outreach Specialist and Program Coordinator, I started my own business, Meetings, and Milestones, planning events and conferences. While learning about social media to promote my business, I then decided to go into social media to help other companies develop strategies to promote themselves on social media. In 2016, I created my social media company, Fluffy and Fido Social Media, but learned pretty fast that it wasn't a good idea to niche down so quickly to just work with dog and cat businesses. I rebranded to KG's Creatives in 2017 and now offer social media and Facebook ads strategy and management. Presently, one of my big passions is educating filmmakers about the need for good social media promotion and strategizing with them so they have a plan before filming even begins. I advise people over 50 that if you have a dream or a passion, keep pluggin' away at it. Find someone you can talk to about your business, a "business buddy", so you can keep each other motivated. To those over 50, it IS possible to learn new skills, and we can all learn from each other - older and younger people! Age is just a number! It has little impact on being able to learn. Keep your mind active and continue to learn new things. Maybe I'll come back and do a Part 2 in the future so I can fill you in on the other parts of my life since moving to Houston in 1999, which includes my wonderful hubby. In October, we'll have been together for 15 years!   Karen George, Owner/Social Media & Facebook Ads Strategist & Manager - KG's Creatives, Show Host - Silver Linings on Inspired News Radio. Website: https://kgscreatives.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kgscreatives/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kgscreatives/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kgscreatives/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karengeorge2/

Ep. 15 – Age is Just a Number

Join Karen as she welcomes her FIRST international guest to Silver Linings! In this episode, she talks with Gailene Green from Ottawa, Ontario in Canada. Gailene is an incredibly talented designer and seamstress whose business is Designs by Gailene. She describes herself as a life-long seamstress but became a full-time one 7 years ago.   Back in the day when she was in 7th and 8th grade, Gailene took a Home Economics class along with her fellow girl students (boys took mechanics in those days). Many of her classmates were not very good at sewing but were required to sew different garments. Since Gailene was known to have this talent, many of the girls would meet her after school, give her their fabrics, and pay her to make their clothing projects for the class! Actually, Gailene started making her own clothing at age 8 and began sewing for others when she was 13. Creations she sewed made up about 95% of her wardrobe; however, she doesn't sew much for herself now that it's her full-time job. As they say, "The shoemaker's children go barefoot." Gailene's training in engineering dovetails into what she's doing now. Seeing an object completed before it's actually created is a special skill most people don't possess. She explained to previous co-workers, "It's all about three dimensional space and how you can visualize in three dimensions." When she was an engineer, her ability to do this made her designs, "very unique, very workable, and very usable." When Gailene runs into other people who have this ability she thinks, "There's another person like me and I want to latch onto them because they understand how it is that you can actually see how these things go together." Gailene thinks it takes a special kind of personality to start a business, especially for women. "It can be very scary. There are no promises...you can do all the planning you want, but we all know the old adage, 'If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.'" It takes a certain kind of personality and strength to say, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" This is her, Gailene said! Gailene designs just about anything, Her tagline is "Bring me your dreams and I'll turn them into reality." She even made a costume for a man who dressed as "The Ultimate Canadian" complete with a spandex bodysuit, cape, and hood mask which she made from scratch! See a photo of this costume on her 7-1-18 Facebook page post. She also creates a lot of garments from photographs. Gailene can take different parts of garments from photos and combine them all into one garment. Closing with some words of advice for people 50+, Gailene said, "If you're 50-years old, and you're on the fence about where you're going next...jump! Take an early retirement, whatever. Make the leap. Get yourself started doing that thing that you've always considered 'just your hobby'. Stop calling it that and make it your business."    Gailene Green, Business Owner, Designer, Seamstress, Costumer, Haberdasher, Milliner, Jewelry Maker; Designs by Gailene. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DesignsbyGailene/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/gling1/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gling01/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com?Gling01/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theveiledeye/

Ep. 14 – Bring Me Your Dreams and I’ll Turn Them into Reality

Wendy Wortham and Cindy Daniel are twin sisters who left home at a very young age. The first necessity was being able to eat so they got jobs as waitresses and then continued working in service-related industries over the years. Realizing sales "was where we were going to make our money," they sharpened those skills and spent 30 years selling for various companies. When Wendy's son got married, she realized there weren't affordable options for many people who wanted to plan an event. As Wendy prepared to have a thyroidectomy after a diagnosis of thyroid cancer, she told Cindy, "If I'm alive after this, we're going to start a people over profit-based business and help people like us who don't have family or friends or money and help everyone enjoy a dream event regardless of what their income might be." Cindy described how they encountered people who wanted them to plan an event but had no money, so Wendy rebranded and expanded to start the Pawning Planners. They took trades for event services. Having had many years of "flipping" experience, Wendy and Cindy had an idea of how much items might be worth. If a client couldn't afford even their low-cost planning services, Wendy and Cindy would go to the person's house, go through his/her belongings and find items they could flip to cover the expenses of planning and coordinating the event. There did come a time where they had to start qualifying people as truly needy because people started taking advantage of their desire to help everyone. That said, they do occasionally plan events for people who have nothing as they believe in giving back to their community. Wendy and Cindy have experienced various mishaps at events over the years, especially at those with open bars. Cindy said, "Trouble usually escalates quickly...two fingers of whiskey can cause a five-finger brawl!" At this particular event, Wendy ended up getting thrown over a chair! The sisters rebranded once again when they received a request to perform a prison wedding. Wendy went through the process to become a qualified officiant at prison and county jail weddings. Cindy remarked, "These weddings took over the majority of our business. We were busier than a one-armed cattleman during branding season!" Wendy added, "It fits perfectly with our existing clients and schedule." Prison weddings are Tuesday - Friday during the day, and their other events are mostly on the weekends. When asked what they would tell people over 50 who are starting a business, Wendy said. "To be versatile. To adapt. We never planned on rebranding and expanding over and over, but we did because the demand was there. As you're older, use that education and your life-learning skills of what you've been through and what you've noticed in business, in your OWN business." Cindy added these words of wisdom, "A true entrepreneur will use any obstacle as a vehicle for success." Wendy Wortham & Cindy Daniel, Entrepreneurs, Owners: Texas Twins Events, The Pawning Planners, TDJC Officiant. Websites: www.TexasTwinsEvents.com, www.ThePawningPlanners.com, www.TDCJOfficiant.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/texastwinsevents/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/texastwins2, https://twitter.com/texastwins2004 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendywortham, https://www.instagram.com/thepawningplanners2, LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-wortham-62841358, https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-daniel-46600924

Ep. 13 – Use Any Obstacle as a Vehicle for Success with Wendy Wortham & Cindy Daniel (Texas Twins Events)

Scott Sullivan lives in Northern California but was born and raised in the Midwest. His interest in radio began when he was in college. Scott presently hosts two shows on Inspired News Radio: Mind Your Own Business and Sales with Sully. He never dreamed internet radio could be this much fun! Scott has a 30-year history working in sales. After the age of 50, he "hung out his shingle" and is now assisting "small to medium-size companies improve their bottom line and their top line by organically helping them grow their sales through tactical marketing and sales training and coaching." His mantra: "We'll do it for you; we'll do it with you; we'll teach you to do it; OR we'll watch you do it and train you as you go." Basically, Scott's company offers several different levels of sales and marketing services at different price points. As the conversation continued, Scott touched on sales as being a combination of art and science. The art or skill is interacting with prospects without overselling. The science is tracking the numbers and knowing when to approach prospective customers. Both are necessary for success. Scott believes personality influences one's success in sales. He said, "I think you can teach anyone the mechanics of selling", but not everyone will be successful. He used the analogy of Michael Jordan and basketball. "If you took Michael Jordan, a person who already has a natural ability in athleticism and gave him training, he's always going to be a better basketball player than I am, who has no natural ability." Touching on the psychology of sales, Scott said he can teach people how to sell, but can't help them overcome the fear of selling. He read a psychology book on selling in which the author wrote that we're only actually afraid of two things instinctively: fear of falling and a fear of loud noises. As we grow, internal and external influences can cause us to develop a fear of something (in this case, selling). "We start off with a clean slate and don't know we should be afraid of sales until we learn it from our environment." Next, Scott told the story of how Inspired News Radio was created. He believes "people are put in our path for a reason, and if we can take advantage of that, it's to our betterment." This is what happened with Inspired News Radio. Scott was sitting in the Las Vegas airport waiting on a colleague to arrive when he literally bumped into a couple. As they began talking, he learned they owned five internet radio stations and were interested in selling one. After much discussion, Scott and his wife, Susan, bought the station. The Inspired News Radio Mission Statement is, "Positive Programs Delivered to the World that is Designed to Inspire, Inform, Educate, and Motivate!" Scott and Susan re-branded, built a new website, and started attracting show hosts and a new audience. INR is a 24/7 streaming platform, and the shows are archived so listeners can access them later. Lastly, Scott touched on challenges faced by older entrepreneurs. As with anything else, there are pros and cons depending on one's situation in life.   Scott Sullivan, Entrepreneur, Radio Show Host, Sales Consultant; Sales with Sully INR Shows: Mind Your Own Business, Sales with Sully  Scott's personality page:  https://www.inspirednewsradio.com/scott-sullivan Website: https://www.scottsullivan.biz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saleswithsully Twitter: https://twitter.com/SALESwithSULLY Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saleswithsully LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottsullivan7076315668

Ep. 12 – Simply Sensational Scott Sullivan

Glo Ochoa and her parents moved a lot when she was young as her father was in the military. Because of the brief time living in different locations, Glo found it a challenge to build lasting friendships so she read a great deal and started her life-long quest of learning about a variety of topics. In high school, Glo was interested in becoming an artist and writer, but a teacher discouraged her from following that path. So after high school, Glo worked in accounts payable and accounts receivable and thought she wanted to become an accountant. On her 35th birthday, Glo had an epiphany and decided she would go to college since she couldn’t move further up the corporate ladder without a degree. As she put it, “I was training everyone else to move up the ladder!” Glo earned two degrees: Business Management and Information Technology which opened a lot of doors for her. She quickly progressed from tech support to software configuration to IT management. In addition, she was a tech writer and trainer. Paradoxically, Glo found she was doing her job so well, she would be laid off! After she created all the IT procedures for a company, another person would be hired at a lower salary to take her place. The last time Glow as laid off, she ended up then partnering with a mergers and acquisitions startup to be VP of IT and Marketing. Again, she did such a good job that the owner sold the company to a bigger company! For an eight-year period during her career journey, Glo taught a “Social Media 101” curriculum to older adults which she developed. She describes how it excited her when older adults would learn new skills! Three years ago Glo started her new company, Social Media Wrangler. She intended at that time to focus solely on social media. However, because she has so much information stored in her head about numerous topics related to IT, social media, graphic arts, etc., which she is eager to share, she started rebranding to Glo 411. Through Glo 411–Your Digital Social Media Wrangler, Glo offers SEO, Facebook group, and social media account audits. Glo put it this way, “You can’t just work out your arms and expect everything else to get in shape, too!” After she recorded the intro and outro for Silver Linings, Glo decided to add voice over services to her list and has already landed more voice over projects! She also offers web design, redesign, and updating, logo design, ebook formatting, and cover design, mini videos, and more. “I have quite a variety of services!” Listen as Glo and Karen discuss the experience of older adults starting a business. So far, no one has said they don’t want to work with her because of her age. Often, it has been more a case of her own mindset that has gotten in her way. “Oh, I’m too old to do that,” she has told herself in the past. Glo closes with sage advice for older adults wanting to start a business.   Resources for Glo Ochoa InfoTechPreneur Glo411 - Your Digital Media Wrangler Website: https://www.SocialMediaWrangler.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theGlo411 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/TheGlo411 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin/in/gloriaochoa1 Facebook Groups: ✨ GLO 411 ✨ #glo411 Social Media For Newbies 50+ Interested in SEO Tips for your LinkedIn Profile? https://www.socialmediawrangler.com/linkedinseolead.html

Ep. 11 – Glo 411: She Knows It All (Well, Almost!) with Glo Ochoa

When Karen Anne Jacks was four years old, her mother was pregnant with her fifth child. Karen Anne's father had left. And so, to get back on her feet, her mother made the very tough decision to place Karen Anne and her siblings in an orphanage for a few years. Karen Anne remembers the experience as "very intense and regimented".  As she grew up, Karen Anne lived with different families and attended numerous schools. What she learned is that "I can step into anything. I can make anything work." After high school, it was suggested that Karen Anne attend beauty school, which she did, and "I loved it! I was like a duck to water!" Karen Anne realized she was in charge of her career and could be as successful as she wanted. She became a Board Certified Hair Colorist and Hairdresser, and at the age of 27, Karen Anne opened a salon and learned as she grew her business. Karen Anne closed her salon after 15 years but continued with her own "personal, private clientele" at her home. Over the years her clients would ask for recommendations for box hair color, so they could use it at home. Karen Anne knew of none, but this sparked the idea for her new business, and Della Ricca Hair Color was born. After several years of research, Karen Anne found a manufacturer in Italy who negotiated with her to create tiny tubes of hair color for home use. At first, Karen Anne thought she'd lose her clients, and hairdressers would lose business because clients would be coloring their hair at home. Then a hair color company came out with a similar product. Karen Anne thought she'd have to give up her dream. She said to herself, "It's already being done, but then I thought as I'm walking down the grocery aisle, 'how many toothpaste tubes do you see?' and I'm like 'You know what? I CAN DO THIS!'" Karen Anne found that clients wanted to continue going to her to have their hair colored but would refer potential customers who wanted to color their hair at home. This was an "A-HA" moment in that she realized hairdressers are missing out on a lot of potential business! Listen to find out how to order the product from Karen Anne and her plans for a new business model to collaborate with salons across the country. She also touches on how people sometimes react to one's age when starting something new, but also how age and the resulting confidence and experience can really be used to one's advantage. Karen Anne also offers words of wisdom to those starting new businesses.   Resources for Karen Anne Jacks, CEO/Founder, Della Ricca Hair Color Website: https://www.dellariccahaircolor.com Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DellaRiccaHairColor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dellaricca Twitter: https://twitter.com/DellaRiccaColor LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-anne-jacks-1291575 Watch Karen Anne color her own hair! https://youtu.be/bL2bf5s_wOs

Ep. 10 – Color Me Successful with Karen Anne Jacks

For years, Julie Parker worked in the corporate world as an analyst in the oil and gas industry. A few years ago she began searching for a new career direction when she stumbled upon the concept of face reading. Julie had thought about becoming a nutritional coach based on a long-time interest in food and health. She was taking classes toward that goal when one of her fellow classmates led her to the website of a face reader. Julie's interest was piqued and she scheduled a reading with the woman. She submitted the required information and said, "Holy Cow! What came back was crazy!" The face reader "enlightened me about so many questions I had for decades!" Julie attended the woman's four-day workshop and soon after, a six-day intensive training. When she returned from training, Julie was laid off the contract job she had at the time. She saw it as "a kick in the pants" to start her own face reading business. Listen to Julie talk about her experience running her own business as she adjusted to the changes from the corporate world. She has consistently stepped out of her comfort zone to try new things like public speaking, leading workshops, and giving video interviews. Julie also describes her face reading process and types of readings she offers: in person, on the phone, or on Zoom. In addition, she offers valuable advice for people starting their own businesses.  Julie Parker, Face Reader; Owner: Your Inner Blueprint Website: https://www.yourinnerblueprint.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julieparkerbiz  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julie_parker YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe_ATWHIVJrSsYSzAe4q0gw/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-parker-40754733 What Do Your Nose, Eyebrows, and Chin Say About You? https://www.your innerblueprint.com/find-your-features

Ep. 9 – Your Face: A Road Map of Who You Are with Julie Parker

Deborah Douglas was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Growing up with three older brothers she could "run, catch, throw, and climb" with the best of them. At age 12, Deborah started dance lessons at a neighborhood studio with "Ms. Billie". She took ballet, jazz, tap, and acrobatics with the dream to be a ballerina and dance teacher. After high school, Deborah stopped dancing but was introduced to karate. This particular style of karate, ShorinRyu, reminded her of the choreographed movements of dance, so she really enjoyed it. Deborah started teaching karate at her dojo in the '70s and continued until she retired in 2007. For about 5 years, Deborah didn't teach at all. She wasn't happy and started gaining weight. She eventually decided to take action and hired a trainer to get back in shape. Through her trainer, she connected with a yoga instructor. After a year of practicing yoga, which she had been introduced to back when she taught karate, Deborah realized she wanted to teach yoga. At that time she took a teacher training course and opened her yoga studio in 2013. At present, Deborah continues to teach yoga and tai chi but has rebranded to focus on Reiki, a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that promotes healing. She also added aromatherapy - which is the custom blending of essential oils for each client's specific health issues. Deborah believes these non-traditional methods can complement traditional medical treatments. Listen to Deborah as she talks about her passion for Reiki and aromatherapy, and how people can access her services whether they live in Houston or not.   Deborah Douglas, Stress Elimination Specialist Reiki Master Practitioner (RMP), Certified Aromatherapist (CA), Tai Chi Teacher, Certified Yoga Instructor (CYI), Renshi (6th-degree black belt) - ShorinYRyu (Okinawan Karate) There's more information about Deborah and YogaMix Studio on the Website YogaMix Studio is also on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.  

Ep. 8 – My Passion for Reiki and Aromatherapy: Creating Synergy for Better Health with Deborah Douglas

Nancy Leeds Gribble grew up in Florida where she loved the sunshine, water, and the outdoors. Nancy moved to The Woodlands, TX (close to Houston) 3 ½ years ago, “sight unseen!” to be closer to her sister. Her sisters in Boston wanted her to move there, but cold weather wasn’t in Nancy’s plans! Nancy worked in real estate for many years. She started in property management which segued eventually into becoming a successful realtor. In 2008 she “rode the wave” during the stock market and real estate crash, but basically, lost her career due to the economy. The ultimate life shift happened that year when her husband was diagnosed with cancer and then passed away in 2009. When her husband became ill, Nancy realized, “There’s nothing more important than your health!” She said, “I took a deep dive into learning everything I could about the healing power of food; why we need whole foods; and of course, I learned about the damage (caused) by processed foods.” At that point, she had lost everything: her husband and her career. She went bankrupt “emotionally, physically, and mentally.” Eventually, Nancy returned to real estate but didn’t feel the fulfillment she had before. Her “heart was no longer there.” She needed to find her path not only for herself, but to be the best parent to her young son. While reading the book, Hero, one day, Nancy came across a passage which basically said, “If you’re not sure what to do, gravitate towards what you love.”   Listen to more of Nancy’s story as she shares how she became certified in several different areas related to health, fitness, and weight loss. Nancy offers a variety of programming through her website including personalized coaching.   Nancy Leeds Gribble, Certified Health, Nutrition, & Lifestyle Coach; Online Personal Trainer Website: https://www.nancyleedsgribble.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancyleedsgribble/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancylg27/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-l-gribble-a23667b3/

Ep. 7 – Gravitate Towards What You Love with Nancy Leeds Gribble

Karen's guest this week on Silver Linings is Cindy Hide, Family Law Attorney, Founder: Love, Money and the Law.  More about Cindy and her Silver Lining path:  Attorney Cindy Hide says going to law school was something "I always wanted to do. It was either become a professional ballet dancer or go to law school!" In high school, Cindy needed to make a decision about her path of study. Her mother said "If you want to be a ballet dancer then you go right ahead. Just know you're pretty much done when you're about 25. If you'd like to go to law school we'll be very supportive of that endeavor." A few years after she graduated from law school and started her own practice, Cindy met her husband-to-be, had two children and moved to Ohio, and had the "greatest life ever for 10 years." She later divorced which took 7 years for the entire procedure. When her daughter almost finished college, Cindy decided to start over at the age of 49. She put her house up for sale, packed "the bare essentials" in a U-Haul and moved back to Texas, where her heart is. Starting over was a "lesson in true grit" for Cindy. She had been out of the legal field for 20 years. It was rough the first few years as she hustled to build her practice from the ground up. When Cindy was still living in Ohio, she started her passion project "Love, Money and the Law". Because of her experience with a lengthy divorce and learning so much from her law practice, she wanted to help others get through the system, provide an educational experience, save money, and provide an emotional support system. She held multidisciplinary conferences about the divorce process which she continues to offer today. As her family law practice in Houston developed, she spent less and less time on Love, Money and the Law but had continued writing content all through the years. At the beginning of 2019, Cindy made the decision to focus on prenuptial and cohabitation agreements and the bulk of her time she would devote to Love, Money and the Law. "So many exciting things happen when you make that shift. I mean in your whole being, not just mentally making a decision, but completely stepping into the space that this is who I am and what I'm doing now." Through Love, Money and the Law, Cindy now focuses on helping couples create healthy relationships and offers insights into aspects of the legal system. The Love, Money and the Law website will be online in April with lots of complementary information. Cindy will also offer monthly seminars, webinars, ebooks, and a podcast with guest experts in a variety of fields.   Cindy Hide, Family Law Attorney, Founder: Love, Money and the Law Websites: https://www.LoveMoneyLaw.com; and https://www.HoustonPrenupAttorney.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveMoneyandtheLaw Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lovemoneyandthelaw LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindyhide/

Ep. 6 – Love, Money and the Law: Helping Couples Create Healthy Relationships with Cindy Hide

Karen's guest this week is Rev. Nell Green.  Many years ago, Nell and her husband experienced a call to ministry as partners. They looked for opportunities to work together but couldn't find much in the U.S. So they researched overseas organizations that would be a good fit for them. They located two places: Japan and West Africa. When Nell was 28 she, her husband, and their four-month-old baby moved to Dakar, Senegal. Nell learned an important lesson in Senegal: women are women no matter where they are in the world. They have style and a sense of presenting themselves. They know how to express themselves through their beauty and their clothes. That lesson started a lifelong journey for Nell of studying women and fashion around the world. In explaining the story of how Threads by Nomad came about, Nell told me that her daughter, Christen, grew up in Africa with a love of fabrics and textiles and in a shared interest with her mother, a love of the beauty of women and how they express themselves through fashion. Three years ago, at the end of 2015, Nell, Christen and their husbands, took a trip to Africa as Christen had not been back since she left many years prior. On the first day there, Nell took Christen to a huge fabric market. As a seamstress since childhood, this was Nell's place to shop! Nell observed her daughter being totally mesmerized by the market! She said to Nell, "Mom, we can do this! We can have a clothing design business, and we can hire refugees in the U.S. to create our designs for us!" Listen to the podcast to learn more about Threads by Nomad and its rapid development. Not only does Threads by Nomad employ refugees in the U.S., but they also collaborate with micro-enterprise entrepreneurs from around the world to source their fabric. Nell recently started a new sister organization, a non-profit called The Off Ramp which will assist refugees in adjusting to their new lives in the U.S. Threads by Nomad Spring collection is now available on its website. Take a look! Rev. Nell Green, Co-Owner - Threads by Nomad; President/CEO - The Off Ramp Websites: https://www.threadsbynomad.com  and   https://www.theofframp.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threadsbynomad Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threadsbynomad

Ep. 5 – Celebrating Diversity Through Design with Rev. Nell Green

Wendy Lee said, "I kind of equate my life to a Jerry Springer episode. In a nutshell, there was a lot of trauma and dysfunction in my family". Wendy seemed to go from one tragic situation to another and didn't have a chance to process or heal. She compensated for not having a good sense of self by being an overachiever in the corporate world. In her personal life, however, Wendy found herself in one dysfunctional relationship after another. She finally decided she didn't want to live that way and started on a path of self-development. Wendy began connecting with life coaches and attended her first transformational retreat. Wendy's personal transformation continued to develop until it became a part of her daily life. Soon she "just completely 1,000% knew that (her own business) was going to be the next step". She created LeadHERship Revolution, a program where she teaches women professionals a new way of leading by "getting out of their heads and into their hearts". If you’ve heard something during this episode that resonates with you, and you’re interested in connecting with Wendy, she’s offering a complimentary 45 minute phone call. Sign up here: http://leadhershiprevolution.com/connect/   Wendy Lee, Transformational Coach & Influential Speaker, LeadHERship Revolution From her website:  Wendy founded LeadHERship Revolution™ in 2018 to spread the message that you no longer need to check your heart at the door to be a strong leader, and that healing and transformation DO have a place in the workplace. She teaches her Contagious Influence approach to women leaders of all ages around the globe who want to Lead Differently.  Read more at LeadHERshipRevolution.com. Would you like to connect with Wendy?  You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Ep. 4 – My Transformational Journey and How it Led to the LeadHERship Revolution with Wendy Lee

Silver Linings is an interview show about business owners who’ve taken the plunge and started new businesses after the age of 50.

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Silver Linings

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