#DefineYourself Podcast

Chris Mitchell, founder of #DefineYoruslf, a self-publ9shed author, freelance writer, blogger, speaker and the pastor of the #DefineYourself Podcast, shares how and why he used the mindset of being optimistic while realistic after his ischemic stroke to his spinal cord, a spinal cord injury, to help him regain his ability to walk with a rollator.

You can purchase Chris’ book, it Doesn’t Define Me: How I Rebuilt My Life After Surviving an Ischemic Stroke To My Spinal Cord, from Amazon by clicking here or visiting https://www.amazon.com/Doesnt-Define-Me-surviving-ischemic-ebook/dp/B07JBK9YVN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12DH2F0J9SZQK&keywords=it+doesn%27t+define&qid=1657810423&rnid=2941120011&s=books&sprefix=it+doesn%27t+define%2Caps%2C115&sr=1-1

You can connect with Chris by visiting defineyourselfers.com

Join the conversation with your fellow #DefineYourselfers in the #DefineYourself Community on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfyscommunity

Judy Balloff, author of 365 Days Of Abundance, was diagnosed with a rare heart condition that only 2% of Americans have and most are men.  During the surgery to correct the cardiac problem, Judy survived 5 strokes during the operation.

The strokes robbed Judy of her ability to drive at night,  and the loss of her credit credentials that forced her out of her career in banking.

She pivoted from her banking career into a career in the insurance filed and has earned over a half million dollars in the past five years.

You can purchase Judy’s book, 365 Days Of Abundance, from Amazon by going to https://www.amazon.com/365-Days-Abundance-Inspiration-Principles/dp/B09RRRYFCK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=33NJSJRXAL7X3&keywords=judy+balloff&qid=1653073699&sprefix=judy+balloff%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1 or get a seven day free sample at http://www.judybaloff.com

You can connect with Judy at http://www.judybaloff.com

Shelly Slocum, a woman who never smoked in her life and never been around smokers, was diagnosed with lung cancer.  

Shelly shares how she was diagnosed with non smoking lung cancer that took half of one of her lungs, and how that experience, along with her daughter, pushed her to publish her book, Love and Inspiration from Mom.

You can purchase Shelly’s book, Love and Inspiration from Mom, on Amazon.

You can connect with Shelly by visiting https://loveandinspiration.org/

Roger Smith, author of The Most Unlikely Leader, An Unbelievable Journey From GED to CEO, shares his story of how went from getting a GED to becoming the CEO of a fortune 500 company.

Roger goes into how he became addicted to street drugs for twenty eyas and what got him to decide to get help.  

Smith shares how his addiction led him to drop out of high school in his sophomore year and how be homeless.

Smith talks about how his he survived being addicted to drugs and homeless.

Smith shares the lessons he learned from that experience, the experience of battling melanoma and a motorcycle accident, and from mentors he met on his way to becoming the CEO of a fortune 500 company.

You can purchase Rogers’s book, The Most Unlikely Leader, An Unbelievable Journey From GED to CEO, from Roger’s web site (Rogersmith.me) or from Amazon by going to https://www.amazon.com/Most-Unlikely-Leader-Unbelievable-Journey/dp/1955026130/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+most+unlikely+leader&qid=1651517999&sprefix=the+most+unl%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-1

You can connect with Roger by visiting rogersmith.me 

Dana Golden and David Marion were married and owned a successful brokerage firm for several years until David’s addiction destroyed their marriage, their business and landed David in a federal prison.

David was addicted to almost everything one can be addicted to: alcohol, drugs, and gambling before he met Dana and those addictions continued for years, with Dana being a codependent.

Dana and David share their stories, what motivated David to get cleaned up from his addictions and how, after a very bitter divorce and David’s incardination, how they can work together to write a book and now work together as a counseling team with David working with the addict to help him/her to overcome their addictions and Dana working with the family to help them heal and save their marriages.

You can purchase David and Dana’s book, Addiction Recovery: The No BS Guide to Recovery, from Amazon by going to https://www.amazon.com/Addiction-Rescue-NO-BS-Guide-Recovery/dp/1543991122/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3D6YSD92Z79NQ&keywords=Addiction%3A+the+No+BS+Guide+to+Recovery&qid=1650376166&sprefix=addiction+the+no+bs+guide+to+recovery%2Caps%2C102&sr=8-1

You can connect with David and Dana by visiting https://www.theliferecoverycoach.com/ 

Ellie Shefi walked through hell and came out happy.

Elli grew up in a family that struggled finically.  Ellie and her family would dig in trashcans for aluminum cans and newspapers to recycle for money.   She is also a survivor of abuse and rape and a survivor of domestic violence that forced her to live under a fake name and a ghost file.

Ellie has also been homeless (or as I prefer to call it “housing challenged”).  She has lived in her car and eating food that restaurants were throwing away at the end of the night.

Ellie is also a uterine cancer survivor and a medical miracle that has been told that she would be dead by and keeps on living.

Ellie has survived all of that and today she is attorney, entrepreneur, a number one international best-selling author, speaker, strategist, consultant, coach, and philanthropist. 

Ellie shares how she has successfully moved from the hardest and darkest days of her live to the success she is enjoying today.

Ellie shares what has inspired her and who has motivated her to become successful.

You can purchase Ellie’s books, from Amazon by going to https://www.amazon.com/Ellie-D-Shefi/e/B08GKYGQ2Z?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1651239847&sr=8-1 or visiting booksbyellie.com

You can connect with Ellie Shefi by visiting https://www.ellieshefi.com/ 

Dr Kelly Bohnhoff shares how she was caught in sex trafficking at a young age, how she got out of it, and how today she helps others deal what she calls trauma drama.

Dr. Kelly, as most people like to call her, shares how she accidently got caught up into a sex trafficking circle by spending a night at a girlfriend’s house for a sleepover.

Dr. Kelly shares what she and her 2 pre-teen friends experienced and how it affected their lives.

Dr. Kelly also described how she was manipulated and controlled by the teens who ran this sex trafficking group.

Recovery has been, and continues to be, a journey for Dr. Kelly and many survivors of trauma dram, and Dr. Kelly shares what trauma drama is and how to cope with it.

You can purchase Dr. Kelly Bohnhoff’s book,  Beyond Trauma Drama : Cultivating the Sacred Nature of Families to Heal, when it is realized in September 2022

You can connect with Dr. Kelly Bohnhoff by visiting her website at http://onesacredfamily.com/

Anthea McCarten shares her story about being sexually abused by a family member from the age of seven until she was twelve years old.

McCarten shares her experiences being sexually abused for five years, how it ended and how she broke her silence and told others about what had happened to her.

McCarten shares how she felt as she prepared to tell her parents, their reactions, and how she felt after breaking the news to mom and dad.

McCarten reckons the reaction her abuser had when he was confronted by her family and how she felt after the secret had been shared within her family.

McCarten talks about how this experience affected her teenage years, including dating, and her life afterwards – including depression, lack of self-worth and feeling that she was ugly and no man would want her, and a suicide attempt.

You can purchase Anthea McCarten’s book, Shhh…How Childhood Sexual Abusive Almost Stole My Sanity and How I Overcame The Past from Amazon by going to https://www.amazon.com/Shh-Childhood-Sexual-Almost-Overcame-ebook/dp/B09SV659CJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2X3JT7S5NR3R6&keywords=Anthea+McCarten&qid=1650289899&sprefix=anthea+mccarten%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-1  

You can connect with Anthea McCarten on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthea-mccarten-017659111/, on Instagram at either https://www.instagram.com/restore_the_gears/ or at https://www.instagram.com/redheadbikerchick/ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/publicspeakerandauthor

Join the conversation with your fellow #DefineYourselfers in the #DefineYourself Community on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfyscommunity

If you looked at Brad Shreve when he was an executive at a major hotel chain with an office with a nice window and a secretary, many would think he was the living definition of success.

Importantly images can be deceiving.  Brad was miserable and he was not sure why.  Although had had recently came out at the time, Brad did not know he had bipolar II and did not know it.

In Brad’s own words, “I did some crazy stuff”.  He made some choices including partying with subordinates and often late to work.  He was on the verge of losing his job when he decided to quit with no idea what he was going to do.

Brad marriage to his wife ended.   He moved from Northern California to Southern California, and he started to fully explore and embrace his sexual orientation. 

Brad got into a dangerous relationship with a man who was both emotionally and physically abusive

Brad shares on this episode of the podcast his story of accepting who he is sexually, and his battles with alcohol and cocaine and how he battled his mental health problems from his bipolar disorder, both before it was diagnosed and after.

Brad has been clean and sober since 2003.  He is one half of a happy marriage with his husband.  

Brad is the author of Mitchell Riley’s mysteries series and the host of the podcast, Queer Writer of Crime.

You can purchase Brad’s book, A Body in the Bathhouse, from Amazon by going to https://www.amazon.com/Body-Bathhouse-Mitch-OReilly-Mystery/dp/B08PP9ZJ6X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=330YB3KMANHZ4&keywords=brad+shreve&qid=1647618730&sprefix=brad+shreve%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-1 and A Body on the Hill from Amazon by going to https://www.amazon.com/Body-Hill-Mitch-OReilly-Mystery/dp/B09314JKZP/ref=sr_1_2?crid=330YB3KMANHZ4&keywords=brad+shreve&qid=1647618777&sprefix=brad+shreve%2Caps%2C130&sr=8-2

You can connect with Brad by vesting https://bradshreve.com/ or https://www.queerwritersofcrime.com/

·        Trevor Project - https://www.thetrevorproject.org/  866-488-7386  Text: 678678

Join the conversation with your fellow #DefineYourselfers in the #DefineYourself Community on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfyscommunity

At the age of 11, Michelle Kuei was hit by a speeding taxi  as she waited after school for her mom in her native country of Taiwan.

Kuri sent the next 4 years in a rehabilitation hospital and get around in a wheelchair.

When she was able to return home, Kuei fought to relearn how to walk.  Today she is walking with just the use of one crutch.

Kuei shares her journey and how she mental attitude helped her to overcome her injuries and more to become successful in her life.

You can connect with Michelle by visiting https://elevatelifecoaching.org/

Join the conversation with your fellow #DefineYourselfers in the #DefineYourself Community on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/dfyscommunity