Pivotal People

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Today we're having a great conversation with my friend Dr. Heather Penny who shares key insights from her new book, "The Life You're Made For."  It's a fantastic book--I've read it and couldn't put it down.  It's not the kind of book that you read once--it becomes a guidebook for life.

Order Heather's book, listen to her podcast and learn about her coaching program HERE

Heather describes her book for anyone who can relate to this idea:

Are you struggling in the mire of life’s disappointments or stuck in a rut that’s lasting much too long? Are you looking to discover the strength and insight to excel in who you were meant to be?  

It’s time to reset your life with a new way of thinking that motivates and inspires you toward self-discovery and helps to uncover your true beliefs.  Through practical application, research, and personal experience, Dr. Heather Penny offers ‘3C Living’ as a way to go after the life you want.  Learn how to increase your clarity, build your confidence and engage your courage.  To find a new way forward, we need new ideas.  And the world is waiting for you to show up—in all your authentic glory—to offer the beauty, grace, and gifts that only you possess.

Get more from Heather at https://heatherpenny.com/
Order her book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FYJ9MTK
Listen to her podcast: https://heatherpenny.com/podcast/

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Jonathan Merritt is one of America’s most popular writers on issues of faith and culture. He is author of several critically-acclaimed books, including "Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing - and How We Can Revive Them" named “Book of the Year” by the Englewood Review of Books. 

Jonathan is an award-winning contributor for The Atlantic, a contributing editor for The Week, and a regular columnist for Religion News Service. He has published more than 3000 articles in respected outlets such as The New York Times, USA Today, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast and Christianity Today. 

In addition to the written word, Jonathan regularly contributes commentary to television, print, and radio news outlets. He has been interviewed by ABC World News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR, PBS, and CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

 Jonathan is also a sought after speaker at colleges, conferences, and churches on topics relating to spirituality, politics, and current events. Whether he is delivering an academic lecture or inspirational sermon, Jonathan’s captivating communication style and powerful presence are well-suited for intimate gatherings of hundreds or arenas filled with thousands. 

As a collaborator or ghostwriter, Jonathan has worked on more than 50 books, with several titles landing on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestsellers lists. Additionally, he trains hundreds of young writers through his Write Brilliant seminars and online course. He is often available for exclusive one-on-one coaching for a select number of advanced writers.

Jonathan holds a Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and has done additional graduate work focused on ascetical theology at The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. 

He is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades including the Wilbur Award for excellence in journalism, and the Religion News Association’s columnist of the year award. 

Jonathan currently happily resides in New York City. He is an aspiring dog dad, a college football fan, and intolerable before coffee. 
Hear more from Jonathan at:

https://www.jonathanmerritt.com/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jonathan_merritt/
Facebok:  https://www.facebook.com/JonathanMerrittWriter/

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Tara Sun is the author of Surrender Your Story: Ditch the Myth of Control and Discover Freedom in Trusting God (March 2023).  I read her book and couldn't put it down. It is filled with relatable stories, practical wisdom and encouragement for readers of all ages.

Tara takes readers on her journey of discovering the antidote to the burdensome and ultimately empty myth of control: surrendering to the God who cares for us and has an infinitely better blueprint for our lives – filled with the joy, peace and meaning we’ve been searching for.
“When we surrender to God, it might feel like we’re making a sacrifice—after all, it feels like we’re being asked to give up quite a lot,” writes Tara. “But genuine surrender actually involves an awesome trade. You get to trade away the burdens of performance, legalism, and control, and instead receive what I can only
describe as profound peace, real joy, and a deeply satisfying purpose. The best is yet to comewhen we surrender.”

In Surrender Your Story, Tara gives readers practical steps, strategies, and biblically rich insight for letting go of control and moving forward in faith, even in the face of setbacks and disappointments. “When we put our faith in Jesus, we are given a new life, a new nature and anew operating system,” writes Tara. “It’s not just our story. It’s His story.”

• Video: https://www.youtube.com/c/tarasun
• Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-talks-with-tara/id1526013986
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misstarasun/
• Website: https://www.tarasunministries.com/

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From the Producer of the critically-acclaimed documentary, “Forks Over Knives,” comes a new film about a unique restaurant that nourishes the body, mind and soul. Revelations Café: Food for the Soul follows the journey of married couple, Mia and Robby Graham, who, after receiving divine inspiration, created a faith-based café with a plant-based menu designed to heal the body. 

But for Robby and Mia, the decision to open Revelations Café was as much about spiritual health as anything else. As Christians and recovering addicts who had both experienced a transformative work in their own lives because of their faith, the Grahams wanted to create a cafe that would feed people spiritually– a place where people could gather, have community, and even pray together. 

“Revelations Café is about love and forgiveness,” said Mia. “And for us, that starts right here in our kitchen, with our own staff. We know that we are all broken people, just trying to do the best we can.”

In 2018, with no previous restaurant experience, Mia and Robby transformed a former mattress store into Revelations Café – named for the profound influence their relationship with Jesus has had on their lives. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck the world, while most restaurants were forced to shutter, Revelations Café developed plant-based freezer meal plans to nourish customers during a time when healthy eating was (and still is) paramount. Before long, some local physicians even began prescribing the meal plans from Revelations Café to their patients in lieu of pharmaceutical drugs.

For more information, visit www.revelationscafefilm.com.
View Revelations Café trailer here. 

Robby and Mia oversee Revelations Café operations and marketing. However, their roles go far beyond these two facets of the business. Both Robby and Mia’s passion is to serve the Lord by serving others. With degrees in Christian Counseling from Life Christian University, and as certified Life Coaches, Robby and Mia teach others how to break free from the hurts and hang-ups holding them back, to use God’s word as “a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path,” to trust God and walk by faith not by sight, to discover the God-sized dream within, and become one with Christ in body, mind and spirit.

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Polly Letofsky is the author of the bestselling and award-winning book, "3 MPH: The Adventures of One Woman's Walk Around the World."  She is also the founder of My Word Publishing. She has worked with hundreds of authors to help them self-publish their books, and many of them have won awards and landed on bestseller lists. 

On August 1, 1999, Polly Letofsky left her home in Vail, Colorado, and headed west. She traveled across 4 continents, 22 countries, and over 14,000 miles – by foot – to become the first woman to walk around the world.

As an awareness campaign for breast cancer, survivors and well-wishers around the world came to walk with her. Every day strangers welcomed her into their homes and shared meals. The world had embraced her.

Polly’s GlobalWalk has been featured in over 2,000 newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations around the world, including Good Housekeeping, CNN International, The CBS Early Show, NBC’s Your Total Health, and Fine Living Channel’s Radical Sabbatical.

A natural storyteller, since her return, Polly has been speaking to rapt audiences around the country. She richly details her journey with humor and honest reflection, the good times and the hardships. Sometimes serious, sometimes funny, always inspirational, Polly’s inspiring keynote personifies the spirit of commitment and perseverance that will compel your audience to take on life’s biggest challenges – one step at a time.

Her book: https://www.pollyletofsky.com/the-book/ and find it on Amazon
Her publishing company: https://www.mywordpublishing.com/
Contact Polly at https://www.pollyletofsky.com/

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Traci Schubert Barrett was one of the founding team members of national cable television network HGTV. After thirty years of experience in corporate America, Traci began to wonder, what if there's more to our vocational lives than success? In a leap of faith, she quit her executive job and went on a soul-searching journey. Today, Traci is an entrepreneur, podcast host, speaker, author and executive coach who helps others in their search for meaning beyond success. 

Her new book, "What if There's More? Finding Significance Beyond Success" shares the details of her soul-searching journey that led her to where she is today and equips readers to do the same.

Traci lives with her husband and two daughters in Nashville, Tennessee.
You can find more about Traci here:

Her website: TraciSchubertBarrett.com
Go to Traci's website to download a free sample of her new book!

Traci's company website for coaching, training and speaking is
NavigatetheJourney.com

Find her on social platforms:
https://www.instagram.com/tracisbarrett/
Discover multiple resources to help you in your journey:
https://www.tracischubertbarrett.com/links

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In today's episode, my friend Jenny Rae shares her concept of "the balance sheet of a radical life." She shares her perspective about approaching our lives from the perspective of serving others, learning new ideas, and having adventures. Her desire is to help other people live their own radical lives while pursuing their life purpose.

Jenny Rae is an accomplished business owner, author, and strategic advisor with a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Columbia Business School.  She co-built tech companies in the energy and financial services industries before purchasing Management Consulted, a private tech-enabled services company. 

Jenny  recently ran for Governor of California--and she came very close to winning.  She is also a wife and mother of three boys. They all live and work on their family ranch in Northern California.

She has developed an educational program called "Money Camp" which she provides at no cost, and is also doing individual money makeovers on a limited basis, at no cost. 

Jenny Rae is a frequent presenter at Harvard Business School, the Wharton School of Business, and over 60 other top institutions, and has been quoted in Forbes, Business Insider, and other business publications.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyraeca

FB: https://m.facebook.com/100066291232274/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyraeca/

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/jennyraeca

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Meet my friend Mark Gottlieb, one of the top literary agents in the industry. I believe he is so successful at his work because he is kind, caring, knowledgeable, and a really nice guy. As a result, he has meaningful relationships throughout the industry, and his submissions are respected by publishers.  He makes authors' dreams come true.

Mark is a highly ranked literary agent, both in overall deals and other individual categories.  Through his work at Trident Media Group, Mark represents numerous New York Times bestselling authors, as well as major award-winning authors, and has optioned and sold books to film and TV production companies. In his free time, Mark Gottlieb tutors free English language classes to adults from low-income immigrant families, via the Literacy Volunteers program at Family Centers, a nonprofit organization offering education, health and human services. He is also the Founder and President of the Stamford Literature, Arts & Culture Salon (SLACS). Mark Gottlieb is actively seeking submissions in all categories and genres and looks forward to bringing new and established authors to the curious minds of their future readers.

REVIEWS

“He is professional, knowledgeable, and deeply cares about the careers of his clients. …I’m lucky to have Mark in my corner!”

—Alan Hlad, USA Today bestselling author

“My writing career never would have advanced as fast or as far without Mark’s help.”

—James Breakwell, bestselling author

“He goes above and beyond his work expectations by cultivating caring relationships with his clients, always expressing empathy and patience. He is kind, supportive and knows what he’s doing.”

—Ruby Karp, author of Earth Hates Me

Get in touch with Mark:
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markgottliebliteraryagent/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markgottliebliteraryagent/

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Meet Zach Windahl--a successful entrepreneur, author, husband, friend and a really great guy.  Zach's life is an inspiration to everyone he meets.  I loved our conversation, his insights, perspective and simple advice for all of us to have a more fulfilling, peaceful, and joy-filled life. I've read his new book twice and bought it for my family members. 

You can learn more about Zach on his website, ZachWindahl.com. Here are a few highlights of his story, in Zach's own words:

Perspective changes everything

"My outlook on life wasn’t always to “see the good.” Through two defining moments in my life I learned how to experience positivity, joy and live every day to the fullest. The first was when my mom, a 4-stage cancer survivor, was given a 5% chance to live. The second was in 2014 when I hit a low spot in my life and moved to Australia with the mindset of “God, if you’re real, prove it.” I dove straight into an intensive program where we studied the Bible. God used those moments to rewire my thinking. This experience led me to growth and the hope of helping others find love and understanding in pursuing God’s word.

I’ve also written several books:

• The Bible Study
• The Bible Study for Youth
• The Bible Study for Kids
• The Best Season Planner
• Launch with God
• See the Good

In 2022 our Brand Sunday company received recognition as the:

• #63 Fastest growing business in America
• #3 fastest growing business in Minnesota
• #4 fastest growing consumer product in America

End of Zach's quote.

If someone could have a Christian product as the #4 fastest growing consumer product in America, I think there's hope for the world. Listen in and learn more from Zach.

Order Zach's new book "See the Good" from Amazon or anywhere books are sold.

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Kay Adams is the author of the book, "Bedside Witness: Stories of Hope, Healing and Humanity."  She shares real-life stories of clients and families impacted by dementia, and how she helped them manage their challenging situations with dignity and compassion. Her book opened my eyes to the complexities involved in dealing with this very real issue faced by so many of us.

She is a Dementia coach, consultant, trainer and speaker.  She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founder of Compassion Works, LLC.  with over 30 years of experience counseling and coaching individuals and families around a broad array of complex emotional and health-related challenges. She can work with clients anywhere, because she is available via Zoom. She does individual counseling and conducts online workshops. You can reach out to her at her website listed below.

You can book Kay for your book club! She is available to join your book club in discussing her book via Zoom, wherever you are. Take advantage of this excellent opportunity to ask questions and learn more about dealing with dementia.  Just send her a message at [email protected] for details.

She has worked extensively in the fields of geriatrics, hospice, palliative care and mental health counseling over the course of her career.  She is a  Certified Dementia Consultant and Trainer, and started her own company, Compassion Works, LLC, in 2017  to focus her passion and energy on engaging care partners and organizations impacted by dementia.

Learn more about Kay at her website:  https://www.kaymadams.com/
You can order her book on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Bedside-Witness-Stories-Healing-Humanity/dp/057837370X/

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