Rise Higher

When life knocks you down, you always have the choice to stand back up. Today you'll hear author & speaker, Chris Norton's journey to stand after a life-altering spinal cord injury that had him lose feeling and movement from his neck down. Chris was given a 3% chance of any improvement, but he didn't accept that as his fate. He beat the odds, worked his butt off to regain movement and years later he achieved his impossible when he walked across the stage of his college graduation capturing over 300 million views online. A few years after that he conquered the challenge of walking his wife down the aisle at their wedding. Chris shares the behind the scenes of what it took to achieve his goals and the mindset he uses to stay focused on his future instead of staying stuck in the past. Chris' story and wisdom he gained along his journey to rise are truly inspiring. You'll hear Chris empowers others to get back up when they get knocked down, and the power of hope, trust and faith to achieve the impossible. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP66

Motivational speaker, activist, author and YouTuber, Lizzie Velasquez was cruelly dubbed "The Ugliest Woman in the World" on a viral YouTube video when she was 17 years old. She was born with an extremely rare congenital disease that among other symptoms, prevents her from accumulating body fat, gaining weight, and it impacts her vision, bones, and heart. Out of that horrific YouTube incident, rose a fire and a desire in Lizzie to make it her life's work to stand up for bullying victims, to inspire people around the world to look at inner beauty, and to spread kindness and acceptance. In this episode you'll hear Lizzie's incredible personal story of resilience, optimism, and forgiveness. We also talk about how to turn your pain into purpose and how to find the silver lining in the adversity. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP65

Have you ever been told that you don't have what it takes to accomplish your biggest dreams? If you have, then you are going to love this episode with hip hop dancer, Amanda LaCount! When Amanda was ten years old, a studio director told her that her body type didn't "fit his vision" for his dance team and she was kicked out. You'll hear how she used that judgment as fuel to rise even higher to become the well known hip hop dancer, actress, choreographer, singer, model, and influencer that she is today. Amanda has danced with some of the biggest names in show biz like Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and Lizzo, and she's proof that YOU decide your future, not the opinion of someone else. Because Amanda's experienced countless ignorant comments about her body, she's on a mission to celebrate body diversity and acceptance through her body positivity movement #breakingthestereotype. If you're ready to break through any doubts, judgments or setbacks to achieve your dream, you're going to love this episode. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP64

Have you ever struggled with grief and moving forward in a productive way? Or have you ever wanted to increase your productivity to become ridiculously efficient? If you've said yes to one or both of those questions, then you're going to love this episode with Marissa Brassfield, integrator, storyteller, and secret weapon for visionary entrepreneurs. Marissa honed her skills working under the mentorship of Peter H. Diamandis, serving seven years as "Operations Goddess" at his PDD Ventures. She also co-created Diamandis' annual Abundance 360 executive mastermind and leads the experience and content design for annual January summit. Today, Marissa does a vulnerable deep dive into her personal grief process that she went through when both of her parents passed away within 14 months of each other as she was in the midst of building her incredible career. Marissa shares how this experience was a catalyst to connect with her true authentic self, and how she used work and creativity to move forward through this time of growth and healing. And because Marissa is the Goddess of Operations and being ridiculously efficient, of course we've got her giving some badass productivity tips and how to tap into your own superpower so you can become ridiculously efficient too! For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP63

In this episode, the CEO of FounderMade Meghan Asha joins me to discuss the power of speaking your truth, positive perseverance, and how to dull the voice of your inner critic to reach your highest potential. Meghan discusses her journey from being unsure of herself and not feeling like she belonged, to speaking her truth and building a multi-million dollar company. Meghan is all about following the love, learning to live with (but not be ruled by) your inner critic and first and foremost the power of positive perseverance. Her reminder and first hand example that being human for that matter is meant to be messy and imperfect is an important one. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/ep62

Today we've got the sleep doctor, Dr. Breus talking about how to overcome sleep deprivation and unhealthy habits in order to create a healthier, more successful life. Dr. Breus is a clinical psychologist, best-selling author, and the top sleep specialist in the country. He can help YOU rise higher and improve your health by following his 5-Step Method for optimal sleep. He explains how using chronotypes, understanding your circadian rhythm, and being conscious of environmental stimuli can give you the sleep quality and quantity you need to be successful. Dr. Breus even goes on to teach us that there is a perfect time to do everything, like having sex, eating a cheeseburger and the perfect time to ask your boss for a raise based on your hidden biological chronotype which you're going to learn all about today. For full show notes and episode resources head to https://stephaniekwong.com/EP61

GloZell Green, comedian, YouTube sensation, actor and author, joins me to discuss her deepest truths, her path to authenticity, and how she manages life in the public eye. GloZell is hilariously honest, and you might be surprised to hear her dive deep into her struggles with depression, faith, and her career. Things always look rosy from the outside looking in, but today is all about stripping away the masks we all wear and personas we cultivate in order to unapologetically be and share your true self. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP60

Are you ready to bust through your fears to make you're dreams a reality? Steve Sims, is the real life Wizard of Oz, founder of Bluefish, the world's top luxury travel and lifestyle concierge firm, and author of Bluefishing: The Art of Making Anything Happen, joins me to discuss his path of becoming an incredibly successful entrepreneur with a star-studded client list. He makes his clients' wildest dreams come true, from getting married by the Pope in the Vatican, singing on stage with Journey, being serenaded by Andrea Boccelli, and connecting with powerful business moguls like Elon Musk are just a few of the many projects he has worked on. Today you'll hear some of Steve's badass tips, practices, and strategies to help you break down any obstacle to turn your dreams into reality. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP59

Suzy Batiz, inventor, founder, and CEO of Poo-Pourri, the cult-favorite, all natural before-you-go toilet spray shares her powerful story of how she rose up from some of life's lowest lows to build a $500 million empire and a deeply fulfilling life. Suzy shares her journey from a dysfunctional family, poverty, sexual and domestic abuse, depression, a suicide attempt and 2 bankruptcies, to embarking on a spiritual sabbatical where she transformed herself and developed internal happiness and abundance. Suzy now lives life on her terms. She follows and does what makes her come alive, and she inspires and empowers others to do the same. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP58

Jordan Bach, life coach, motivational speaker, blogger, and yoga & meditation teacher, joins me to talk all about cultivating faith, trust, and your spirituality to live a deeply fulfilling life. If you're hitting a rough patch in life and need some guidance, Jordan drops some serious nuggets of wisdom on how to release the struggle and to receive answers from the divine. We also discuss everything from how to stop holding yourself back, to how Jordan powerfully communicates with those he disagrees with, to how to truly connect with peace and happiness within. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP57