Empowering Women, Transforming Lives

What if becoming who you truly are requires letting go of who you thought you had to be?

In this episode of Empowering Women, Transforming Lives, Rebecca Hall Gruyter welcomes Deanna DeCamillo Scaldaferri for a powerful conversation about awakening, healing, self-trust, and rediscovering the person underneath fear and limitation.

Deanna shares her journey from narcissistic abuse survivor to thriving, including what it took to reclaim her voice, rebuild trust in herself, and turn pain into purpose.

This conversation will explore what it means to unmask your potential, reconnect with your authentic self, and step into your life with greater purpose and personal power.

As always, you can find Rebecca at: https://www.yourpurposedrivenpractice.com/

About the Guest

Deanna DeCamillo Scaldaferri is a Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist, Usui Holy Fire III Reiki Master, Intuitive Life Coach, and Public Speaker. A narcissistic abuse survivor, Deanna transformed her own pain into purpose and now helps others reconnect with themselves, reclaim their power, and rediscover the light within.

Connect with Deanna: Website: https://www.healinghandsbydeanna.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deanna-decamillo-scaldaferri-6b242a2a5/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BKfYBaUax/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/decamde1?igsh=M2FtZ3FsM2N6dHdh&utm_source=qr YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HealingHandsbyDeanna https://www.deannadecamillo.com/ https://www.meetup.com/charlotte-narcissistic-abuse-recovery-meetup-group

What does it take to lead with courage in a world that feels more complex by the day? In this replay, Rebecca Hall Gruyter sat down with Farah Bala, Leadership & Executive Coach, Consultant, and Speaker, to explore what it means to lead authentically in today's complex world. As the founder of FARSIGHT, Farah has helped leaders across industries and continents develop the skills and presence to create meaningful, sustainable change. Together, Rebecca and Farah dove into the power of inclusive leadership, the intersection of identity and influence, and why authenticity is one of the most important leadership tools we have. As always, you can find our host, Rebecca Hall Gruyter at www.yourpurposedrivenpractice.com. Our guests are also online. Farah's online home is: https://www.gofarsight.com About the Guest Farah Bala is a Leadership & Executive Coach, Consultant, and Speaker, and the founder of FARSIGHT, a leadership and organizational development consultancy working across countries and sectors. She is a contributor to the Forbes Coaches Council, with features in Forbes and Success Magazine. Farah co-created Wonder Women, an executive leadership community for women of color, and hosts the FARSIGHT Chats podcast. She is a recipient of the World Zoroastrian Organization's Diversity Award and an accomplished performing artist with more than two decades of stage and screen experience.

• Connect with Farah at gofarsight.com and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thefarsightagency/

What if your greatest strength is hiding inside the story you wish you could rewrite?

In this episode of Empowering Women, Transforming Lives, Rebecca Hall Gruyter welcomes award-winning author Jan Hemby for a powerful conversation about resilience, self-worth, and finding strength through life's difficult chapters.

Through her novels, Jan explores women facing bullying, intimidation, sexual assault, and other experiences that can cause us to question our worth and lose sight of who we are. She shares why she tackles these difficult topics, the common thread of empowerment woven throughout her characters, and how our stories can remind us that our circumstances do not have to define our future.

As we embrace October's theme, Unmask Your Potential, Jan invites us to look beyond what has happened to us, reconnect with our worth, and discover the strength that may have been there all along.

As always, you can find Rebecca at: https://www.yourpurposedrivenpractice.com/

About the Guest

Jan Hemby is an award-winning novelist, regional speaker, mom, grandmother, coffee enthusiast, and self-described cellulite warrior.

She is the author of The Gates Manor Trilogy, which includes The Gates Manor Band, Secrets and Surrender, and Keepsakes. She has also written Burnt Toast: Devotions for Imperfect People and Spilt Milk: Devotions for Imperfect People and collaborated with her husband, Billy Hemby, on the Amazon bestseller Stockbroken. Her latest work, Nothing to Lose, debuts November 10.

Through her writing, Jan explores difficult real-life issues while reminding readers of the resilience, worth, and potential within them.

Connect with Jan

Website: https://www.janhemby.com Facebook: Facebook.com/Lifewritenow Instagram: instagram.com/janhemby/

Watch highlights from the July 2026 Author Virtual Summit Showcase with host Rebecca Hall Gruyter.

In Part 2, featured speakers John Lanier, Allison Williams, and John Gullo share inspiring insights, personal experiences, and meaningful lessons from their journeys as authors and thought leaders.

This episode continues the summit highlights, bringing together standout moments and powerful messages designed to encourage, inspire, and help you see new possibilities in your own journey.

Enjoy Part 2 of the July Author Virtual Summit Showcase Highlights and celebrate the voices and stories these incredible authors are bringing into the world.

As always, you can find Rebecca Hall Gruyter, upcoming events, resources, and more at YourPurposeDrivenPractice.com.

What if the person you learned to be in order to survive is no longer the person you're meant to become?

In this episode of Empowering Women, Transforming Lives, Rebecca Hall Gruyter welcomes Kerri Hummingbirdand Skye Bellarmine for a revealing conversation about the identities we hide behind, the challenges that reshape us, and the courage it takes to discover what we're truly capable of.

Kerri explores how the "masks" we adopt for acceptance can quietly limit our potential and how healing our stories can help us uncover a more authentic self. Skye shares what she has learned about perseverance through extraordinary setbacks, including surviving a near-death experience, and why getting started can be one of the most powerful steps toward a comeback.

Together, they explore a compelling question: When life strips away who you thought you had to be, who might you become next?

As always, you can find Rebecca at: https://www.yourpurposedrivenpractice.com/

About the Guests

Kerri Hummingbird is a Medicine Woman, Mother, Mentor, #1 international bestselling author, and founder of Inner Medicine Training. Through ancient wisdom, healing, and personal transformation, she helps people break free from limiting identities and turn life challenges into gifts of wisdom.

Connect with Kerri: Website: https://kerrihummingbird.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kerri.Hummingbird.Author.Speaker.SoulGuide X: https://x.com/KerriHummingbrd Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kerrihummingbrd/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerrihummingbird/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCIvzw9fZaQdLy9jbiCuX2A

Skye Bellarmine, CPS, is a professional speaker, #1 international bestselling author, and inspirational thought leader who teaches people how to overcome challenges, unlock their potential, and turn setbacks into comebacks. Through her Breaking Solace trilogy and signature message, Embrace Your Uniqueness: Just S.T.A.R.T., she encourages others to persevere and create lives they love.

Connect with Skye: Website: https://www.skyebellarmine.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/starskyepress Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ginny.frings TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shiba.fam3 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skye-bellarmine-71a13514/

What if the story you've been carrying, or the voice you've been holding back, is exactly what the world needs to hear? In this episode of Empowering Women, Transforming Lives, Rebecca Hall Gruyter welcomes Paul Chiniquy and Dr. Kristine Sickels for a conversation about storytelling, finding your voice, overcoming obstacles, and having the courage to bring your ideas into the world. Paul shares how a science-fiction idea that stayed with him for decades eventually became Lost Rocket, and how personal loss led him back to writing and a new creative chapter. Dr. Kristine explores what keeps women from speaking with greater influence in the workplace and why authentic communication has become an essential leadership skill. Together, they remind us that whether we are writing a new story or speaking up in the rooms that matter, our voice can become a powerful catalyst for what comes next. As always, you can find Rebecca at: https://www.yourpurposedrivenpractice.com/ About the Guests Paul Chiniquy is a self-taught screenwriter and author whose creative journey spans decades. After stepping away from writing, the passing of his wife in 2019 inspired him to return to a science-fiction story he had envisioned years earlier. With guidance on adapting his screenwriting skills to fiction, that story grew into the novel Lost Rocket. Connect with Paul:Website: https://www.lostrocketseries.com/ Facebook: @paulchiniquy Instagram: @paulchiniquy TikTok: @paulchiniquy YouTube: @paulchiniquy Dr. Kristine Sickels spent more than 20 years climbing the corporate ladder, ultimately serving as Senior Vice President of Marketing for a $2 billion multi-brand portfolio. Today, she is co-founder of C-Sweet and CEO and co-owner of Mic Drop, where she helps women strengthen their voices, master public speaking, and expand their professional impact. Connect with Dr. Kristine:Website: https://drkristinespeaks.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkristinesickels/ Substack: https://kristinesickels.substack.com/

What if the moments that shake you most are the very ones that reveal who you are becoming?

In this episode of Empowering Women, Transforming Lives, Rebecca Hall Gruyter welcomes Sheren Bouchakian and Dr. Lynnea Brumbaugh for a powerful conversation about resilience, authentic leadership, identity, and finding purpose through life's unexpected turns.

Sheren shares her journey from immigrating from Egypt as a child to building a successful career on Wall Street and in tech, becoming a working mother, and later navigating chronic illness and a profound shift in identity. Her story explores what happens when the definition of success you once knew begins to change.

Dr. Lynnea brings her perspective on turning our scariest moments into what she calls "sacred success." Drawing from her upcoming book, Shaking on the Inside: Turning Our Scariest Moments into Sacred Success, she explores why true leadership begins within and how greater self-awareness can create a ripple effect across our lives, teams, and communities.

Together, they remind us that we don't have to appear fearless to move forward. Even when we are shaking on the inside, we can choose to grow, lead authentically, and create success that reflects who we are becoming.

As always, you can find Rebecca at: https://www.yourpurposedrivenpractice.com/

About the Guests Sheren Bouchakian

Sheren Bouchakian is an immigrant, former corporate executive, wife, mother, and advocate for living with grit, grace, and authenticity. After moving from Egypt to New Jersey as a child, she went on to build a 30-year career in HR across financial services and technology, including the experience of ringing the Nasdaq bell when her company went public.

Today, as she navigates recovery from chronic illness and a new season of life, Sheren is focused on family, kindness, authenticity, and using her experiences to make a meaningful difference.

Connect with Sheren: Website: https://www.gritandgracegirl.com Facebook: Sheren Ghali Bouchakian Instagram: @sherengb LinkedIn: Sheren Bouchakian

Dr. Lynnea Brumbaugh

Dr. Lynnea Brumbaugh, Ph.D., is a globally recognized author, speaker, coach, and trusted advisor to executives. Through her ExecutiveOS programs, she helps leaders move beyond friction and burnout, deepen self-awareness, and build high-performing teams.

Her work centers on the Ripple Effect and the idea that transformation within one leader can influence an entire organization. Her upcoming book, Shaking on the Inside: Turning Our Scariest Moments into Sacred Success, explores how fear and life's most challenging moments can become catalysts for deeper, more meaningful success.

Connect with Dr. Lynnea: Website: https://www.theexecutiveos.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnea.leadership.flow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynnea.annette/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlynnea/

Watch highlights from the July 2026 Author Virtual Summit Showcase with host Rebecca Hall Gruyter.

In Part 1, featured speakers Ethan King and Dondee Sponsellers share powerful insights, experiences, and lessons from their journeys as authors and thought leaders.

This episode brings together standout moments from the summit, highlighting the stories, ideas, and messages they are bringing forward through their work.

Enjoy Part 1 of the July Author Virtual Summit Showcase Highlights, with more featured speakers to come in Part 2.

As always, you can find Rebecca Hall Gruyter, upcoming events, resources, and more at YourPurposeDrivenPractice.com.

What if aging could become an invitation to rediscover what's still possible?

In this episode of Empowering Women, Transforming Lives, Rebecca Hall Gruyter welcomes Beverly Peterson, the Lady Rejuvenator, for an uplifting conversation about healing, mindset, purpose, and redefining what it means to age.

Approaching 84, Beverly shares her journey of reversing chronic lung disease and the practices that helped her move from victim to victor. Through her Tools for Transformation, she encourages listeners to release limiting beliefs, embrace gratitude, and remember that it is never too late to rejuvenate.

As always, you can find Rebecca at: https://www.yourpurposedrivenpractice.com/

About the Guest

Beverly Peterson, the Lady Rejuvenator, is a transformational guide, speaker, coach, certified Hippocrates Health educator, raw foods chef, and co-author of Being the One.

Her mission is to help others release fear, find purpose in their experiences, and step into what she calls LIGHT: Living In Gratitude, Harmony, and Trust.

Connect with Beverly

Website: https://LadyRejuvenator.com

What if the things taking up most of your time are also keeping you from fully showing up for your life?

In this episode of Empowering Women, Transforming Lives, Rebecca Hall Gruyter welcomes Ethan King and Audrey Davis-Dunning for an energizing conversation about creating more freedom, embracing confidence, and taking center stage in your own life.

Ethan shares insights from his #1 international bestselling book, Done: Let A.I. Do Your Work So You Can Live Your Life, exploring how everyday people can use AI to automate draining tasks, reclaim valuable time, and focus more energy on the people, passions, and opportunities that matter most.

Audrey brings a different but complementary perspective through movement, African dance, and personal development. She shares how reconnecting with your body, cultural roots, and authentic self can build confidence, awaken self-expression, and help you step more fully into your power and purpose.

Together, Ethan and Audrey explore what becomes possible when you create space for what matters, stop playing small, and give yourself permission to truly take center stage.

As always, you can find Rebecca at: https://www.yourpurposedrivenpractice.com/

About the Guests Ethan King

Ethan King is a 3x bestselling author, TEDx speaker, entrepreneur, and leading voice on using AI in everyday life. An art major with no technology background, Ethan built and runs multiple businesses by automating work that once consumed his time.

His latest book, Done: Let A.I. Do Your Work So You Can Live Your Life, became a #1 International Bestseller within 10 hours of launch. Today, Ethan helps busy people use AI to reduce repetitive work and create more time for the things that matter.

Connect with Ethan:

Website: https://ethanking.com LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kingethan Instagram: https://instagram.com/ethanking.co Facebook: https://facebook.com/ethankingofficial YouTube: https://youtube.com/ethankingtv TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@ethanking.com X: https://twitter.com/ethankingdotcom

Audrey Davis-Dunning

Audrey Davis-Dunning is a motivational speaker, educator, Mom-preneur, and founder of Get Your Goddess, a women's empowerment organization she created to help women step into greater confidence, purpose, and self-expression.

By combining her passions for African dance and personal development, Audrey creates transformational experiences through movement, music, coaching, workshops, and self-reflection. Her work encourages women to reconnect with their bodies, embrace their natural beauty, rediscover their voices, and confidently take center stage in their own lives.

Connect with Audrey:

Website: https://www.audreydavisdunning.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getyourgoddess/