Not all adopted children get the chance to discover where they come from, but Julie Melanson did! Her journey to reconnect with her birth mother, Diana, revealed unexpected parallels, heartbreaks, and triumphs. With raw honesty, love, and compassion, she tells a story of resilience, identity, and the enduring power of family. Julie Melanson emerges as a promising author driven by a compelling personal narrative. JulieMelansonAuthor.com Julie is an up-and-coming author who has lived a tale that most adoptees would never have expected. She has sadly experienced the love and loss of two mothers, after which she was compelled to tell the story of both of these wonderful women who shaped her life in different ways.

Clarissa Burt is an award-winning international media personality/producer/director, writer, author, public speaker and supermodel. With hundreds of television and film credits to her name, this Who’s Who of International and American Women brings over 30 years of entertainment industry experience in both International and American markets. Her Brainchild, In the Limelight multi-media platform, is an online portal consisting of video/podcast/digital magazine providing educative, entertaining, and empowering content showcasing the savvy entrepreneur. Her engaging interviews bring to the forefront their trials, tribulations, victories, and triumphs. Clarissa’s fun, light and witty style makes for great conversation and is thoroughly enjoyed by her listeners. Ms. Burt’s extensive international social work garnered her two private audiences with Pope John Paul II. As a women’s advocate and a leader of social change for a new standard of living, Clarissa was instrumental as Ambassador to the United States for the Walking Africa campaign that awarded African Women the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. Clarissa is the first American to present at the Kremlin. She was recently awarded the Woman of Excellence award by the Women’s Economic Forum.

Brigadier General David Deputy (Ret.) is a Delaware historian, leadership expert, and the current owner of Spring Grove Mill House. After years of research using declassified documents, historical records, and personal interviews, David has compiled 250 years of verified American history into one remarkable book;

The Spring Grove Mill House: The Home with the Most Ties to American History

With 80 historical images and 230 pages of meticulously documented stories, this book is the perfect book for America's 250th anniversary celebration.

If you're here from the Weird, Strange, and Interesting Things community, you're in for a treat.

Angelique Medows 0 Founder of The Willingness Initiative and teacher at Harvard Medical School

Lifestyle wellbeing, nature relationship, arbor and element therapies, ceremony, unconscious voicing, reparenting, journaling, intuition, soul blueprints, breathwork, meditation, and more—Angelique inspires, guides, and loves people in customized ways to support them in overcoming addictive perceptions and beliefs about themselves and life, which keep them stuck.

Her clients now live more peacefully and joyfully within themselves and with life, as they overcome epigenetic and environmental patterns that led to compulsive eating, drinking, dating, drugs, gambling, body dysmorphia, disease, fear, failure, greed, and suicidal ideation.

She has authored a host of books and speaks publicly for corporations, and in private consultations on the topics of training, travel, and events for wellbeing.

Lisa Rothstein, author of Draw Out Your Genius: Use Visual Thinking to Sell Ideas, Drive Buy-In and Lead Change, is a New Yorker cartoonist and has proven with Fortune 500 companies that intentionally rough sketches create the clarity and emotional connection that perfect presentations kill decisions that used to take 12 months now happen in 90 minutes – and teams own the results.

Lindsay Burnett brings over 20 years of global Human Resources experience working with an array of Fortune 500 and startup clients. In addition to being an executive coach and holding leadership roles in the HR function, Lindsay was also a Professor of Organizational Culture and Employee Outcomes at USC. Working Hell to Working Well: Making Your Company Work for You captures Lindsay’s knowledge of how organizations work, showing the mindset shifts and approaches needed to create win-win scenarios for employees, leaders, and organizations. www.barnettcoaching.com

Taj Sarit is a modern Renaissance man whose journey has been defined by seeking wisdom through experience and transforming hardship into humanity. Guided by the belief that true healing begins within, his work reflects themes of self-discovery, peace, and forgiveness. His debut book, Behold, My Soul, shares timeless lessons on healing and transformation that resonate across cultures and generations. www.tajsimrit.com

Dr. Steven Stein is a world-renowned clinical psychologist, international bestselling author, successful entrepreneur, and engaging lecturer who is passionate about explaining the latest psychological research to everyday people in ways that can help them substantially improve their lives. He has also been the cast psychologist for dozens of reality tv shows, including Big Brother Canada, The Amazing Race Canada, MasterChef Canada, Beast Games, Bachelor Canada, Real Housewives of Toronto, Blown Away, Bachelor in Paradise, and many more.  www.stevenstein.com

At the age of 60, Anne L. Smith made the difficult decision to end a relationship that had shaped - and strained - three decades of her life. With the help of a skilled therapist and a profound curiosity to rediscover herself, she dug deep into childhood belief systems and behaviors that had kept her stuck in unhealthy relationships. Her debut book, Gray Divorce: My Life Rewritten, follows her journey of self-exploration as she found happiness within.   www.annelsmith.com

Deborah Mallow—often called a Ray of Sunshine—is a

seasoned coach and strategist specializing in positive energy, mindset, and overall well-being. She’s also a motivational speakerand the author of the well-received book 6 Steps To Fewer Days That Suck.

Her career journey has been anything but linear—from home furnishings and giftware designer to a #1-ranked biotech pharmaceutical sales representative—a path that shaped her deep understanding of both creativity and high-performance pressure.

It was Deborah's compassion and firsthand experience with burnout and negative emotions that inspired her to create The Daily Decisions, a self-improvement toolkit that isn’t about forcing positivity but about gently shifting your mindset to enjoy more, worry less, and approach life differently—with greater

intention.

Deborah believes life is to short to be grumpy—and she's here to help you have fewer days that suck and reconnect with your sunshine.

Award winning and 2X Best Selling Author Lisa Skinner is a behavioral specialist with expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. In her 30+year career working with family members and caregivers, Lisa has taught them how to successfully navigate the many challenges that accompany this heartbreaking disease. Lisa is a Certified Dementia Practitioner, a Certified Dementia Care Trainer through the Alzheimer’s Association, and a Certified Dementia Care Program Director, as well as the host of the internationally top-rated podcast The Truth, Lies, & Alzheimer’s Show.  Lisa is an internationally recognized TEDx speaker and has appeared on over 400 podcasts, as well as having been featured in Forbes Celebrity Magazine and on the NASDAQ Times Square Bulletin Display. Lisa also holds a degree in Human Behavior.

Lisa’s work is the convergence of compassion and clarity; translating complex medical realities into actionable steps for families, workplaces, and communities. She has learned what families need most—trustworthy information, practical planning tools, and a champion who will stand with them when the system doesn’t.