SecondWind with Joyce

For many writers, the call is deep within them, but they aren't sure what that process looks like for them or how to get started. This episode focuses on answering that call to write and follow where your passion leads you!

Kathy Sparrow is an award-winning author and leadership and empowerment expert, who has been mentoring aspiring writers of non-fiction, fiction, and poetry for over two decades. Her latest book, The Whispered Teachings of Grandmother Trout, is touted as the feminine version of A River Runs Through It.

What You'll Learn From This Episode:

• How Kathy pushed past criticism and answered the call to write
• Kathy's writing routine and how she gathers ideas and inspiration
• Kathy's love for fly fishing and how she integrated that in her latest novel
• Her journey writing The Whispered Teachings of Grandmother Trout
• Advice for writers wanting to get started
• Finding your purpose in your writing and moving forward
• What Kathy is working on next

Download a free excerpt from The Whispered Teachings of Grandmother Trout here.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Linked In

Many women can spend their entire lives wrapped up in comparison and body image struggles. This week's guest aims to change that from an entirely different approach.

Heather Creekmore writes and speaks hope to thousands of women each week inspiring them to stop comparing and start living. Her first book Compared to Who? encourages women to uncover the spiritual root of body image issues and find freedom. Her latest release, The Burden of Better, offers women a journey into the depths of God's grace to find a way off the treadmill of constant comparison.

Heather is on a mission to help women uncover the spiritual roots of their body image and comparison issues. Her podcast tackles these tough topics through the lens of the gospel. Heather is best recognized from her appearance as a contestant on the Netflix hit show Nailed It!, and her blue bake-fail of a cake was the icon for the show for several seasons.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why Heather's main focus is helping women break free from comparison
• Why Heather thought that being "better" was the key to fulfillment, but it wasn't
• The problem with playing the comparison game
• Heather's struggle with body image and disordered eating and how she broke free
• Freedom from body image issues doesn't come from loving yourself harder
• The trap in constantly searching for the "ideal you."

Gift for Listeners:

Heather has a 5-Day Body Image Email Challenge free on her website. It's 5 days to transform the way you think about body image issues and kickstart your freedom journey!

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Laura Stack was best known in the business world for her professional moniker, The Productivity Pro. Her 30-year career as a keynote speaker, bestselling author of eight productivity books, and corporate spokesperson came to a screeching halt on November 20, 2019, when her 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide after becoming psychotic from dabbing high-THC marijuana concentrates. Laura responded by forming the nonprofit, Johnny's Ambassadors, to educate parents and teens about the dangers of today's high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide.

Her platform now brings education, awareness, and prevention curriculum to parents, drug prevention conferences, community groups, and schools to stop youth marijuana use. She is a powerful speaker who brings Johnny's personal warning and solid research together in her new book, The Dangerous Truth About Today's Marijuana: Johnny Stack's Life and Death Story. Described as a force of nature with unstoppable drive and unwavering purpose, Laura is determined to get teens to #StopDabbing.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Laura's personal story and how she founded her non-profit, Johnny's Ambassadors, in honor of her son
• What parents need to know about today's high-potency THC, and terminologies like "gateway drug" and "dabbing."
• What Laura has learned that has renewed her purpose to make a difference
• Laura's book and the curriculum she helped develop for middle and high school students

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Linked In | Instagram

When life throws punches, there are strategies to kick back, and that is exactly what this episode is about.

Jennifer Cassetta is a nationally recognized speaker, empowerment coach and self-defense expert. Equipped with her 3rd Degree Black Belt in HapKiDo, Master's Degree in Nutrition, and health coaching certification, she develops programming that helps women feel strong, safe and powerful from the streets to the boardroom. With clients that include American Airlines, British Airways, Del Monte, Nike, Uber and UBS, Jennifer has rocked over one hundred stages across the country with her superpower combination of engaging content and contagious enthusiasm.

Her skills have been featured on The Today Show, The Doctors, Rachael Ray and she was a featured expert on ABC-TV's My Diet is Better Than Yours. Her new book, The Art of Badassery: Unleash Your Mojo With Wisdom of the Dojo, will be found on bookshelves everywhere in August, 2022.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Jenn's traumatic experience being three blocks away from the World Trade Center on 9/11/01 and how it led her to martial arts
• The purpose of Jenn's new book, The Art of Badassery, and the approach to life through lessons from the dojo
• How to "embrace the suck," and push through the hard things
• How to learn to pivot and change direction, and make the ultimate comeback
• The importance of blocking negativity and communicating boundaries
• Finding power in body language and tone
• How meditation plays a role in Jenn's life
• The importance of learning self defense
• The purpose of her book, The Art of Badassery

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Linked In

It is never too late to unlock your creativity and invite more joy and playfulness into your life. This episode is a great reminder of the importance of connecting with your creative side.

Shannon Grissom is an award-winning artist, television producer/host, author, and songwriter, and she just launched an online creativity school called Painterly. Learn more about her work with sock monkeys at sockmonkeyoracle.com.

Shannon didn't discover painting until she was 33, but once she discovered this hidden passion, she was hooked and driven. By 1999, Shannon was able to leave her day job and began to create art as a full-time business. At 46, Shannon self-published her children's book Monkey Made of Sockies, along with a line of licensed merchandise, including a coloring book and the popular Monkey Made of Sockies golf club headcovers that have been carried on tour by several LPGA pros.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How the sock monkey got started, and how Shannon's career in painting didn't start until her 30s.
• The common thread in all of Shannon's creative work
• The oracle cards Shannon makes and how to use them as daily reminders
• The affirmations and how Shannon's affirmation cards are unique
• The importance of play in daily life
• How Shannon's oracle cards have helped people overcome obstacles
• How the creative process has been helpful for Shannon in releasing her limiting beliefs

Gift for Listeners:

A free sock monkey coloring page! Find it online for download here: beyondword.com/products/sock-monkey-oracle

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Linked In | YouTube

Genevieve Piturro is the founder the non-profit, Pajama Program, which this year celebrates its 21st anniversary, having delivered more than 7 MILLION magical gifts of new pajamas and new books to children through their 63 chapters across the U.S.

Genevieve is a professional speaker and purpose consultant. She shares life and leadership lessons from her award-winning bestseller, Purpose, Passion and Pajamas: How to Transform Your Life, Embrace the Human Connection and Lead with Meaning. The book debuted during the Covid shutdown to rave reviews as its message dovetails perfectly with our Nation's growing interest in finding purpose.

Her TEDx talk: "1 Idea + The Human Connection = 7 million Pajamas" debuted at the same time. Her book awards include the NIEA 2021 Award, the 2021 NYC Big book Awards, a bronze medal winner in the Anthem Awards, and Distinguished Favorite in the Independent Press Awards.

With a deep understanding of how vital purpose and the human connection is in leadership, team building, and the bottom line, Piturro created the Purpose ACER business training program. The program helps leaders create a shared culture by aligning the goals of the company and management with the goals of its employees.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How a conversation with a six year old girl transformed the direction of Genevieve's life
• How Genevieve's passion to help turned into a non-profit organization and support for businesses
• The steps to finding your true purpose
• How to reconnect after the disconnection of the pandemic
• What she hopes readers will learn from her book

Gift for Listeners:

Head to Genevieve's website for a free 45 minute consultation on finding your purpose or how to start re-connecting again after the pandemic.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Linked In | Instagram

This episode changes the conversation about change and transformation. Navigating change is always difficult, but with the world going through so much collective change in the last two years, this conversation is even more important.

Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino is the Chief Executive Officer of Compliance4, as well as the founder of The Best Ever You Network. Through these companies, she has helped individuals and organizations around the world be their best and achieve world-class excellence with gratitude-based behavior and belief systems. She is one of America's foremost personal and corporate development consultants specializing in mindset, gratitude, change management, strategy, leadership, and taking action.

Guarino is the author of eight books including the award-winning book Percolate – Let Your Best Self Filter Through (Hay House, April 4, 2014). The Change Guidebook – How to Align Your Heart, Truths, and Energy to Find Success in All Areas of Your Life (March 8, 2022) is published by Health Communications and distributed by Simon & Schuster. The Change Guidebook ends the search for self-help that works, serving as a life-long companion guide and resource to compliment your life. It is a guide for anyone who is seeking change and wants to align to their highest purpose.

As a trusted leader, consultant, trainer, speaker, and best-selling author, Elizabeth provides development and training to individuals and organizations around the world. Elizabeth serves as a Leadership Advisor for the Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute and is a member of the Forbes Business Council. She is a Certified Master Coach.

Elizabeth lives her daily life with multiple, life-threatening food allergies. Elizabeth and Sally Huss co-authored three best-selling children's books: A Lesson For Every Child: Learning About Food Allergies, Self-Confident Sandy and Best Ever You.

Free Gift for Listeners:

Create your best life download on Best Ever You.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Elizabeth's father's stroke and how that sparked transformation in her life
• How her new book helps people to navigate change on a relatable level
• The ten points of change that are discussed in the book
• How gratitude drives her approach to everything
• Elizabeth's daily struggle with life-threatening food allergies and her book for children who suffer from them
• How to align your heart with your energy and be your authentic you

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linked In | YouTube

So many people grow up with limiting beliefs and feeling like they aren't enough. Today's episode will inspire you that it is never too late to find healing.

Judy Jewett is a healer, intuitive reader, medium and a Holistic breakthrough coach who has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs who are not having the results that they want in their lives to build confidence, reclaim their inner truth and make more money doing what they love.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• How Judy worked through a learning disability and limiting beliefs growing up
• We can change the course of our learning at any time
• The spiritual journey to healing we are all on, and the energy blocks that must be removed
• The exercises Judy works on with clients to help them overcome obstacles
• Judy's self-discovery journey and transition to becoming a healer
• How to live as your authentic self and live by your truth
• Learning to listen to your intuition

Bonus for Listeners:

It's important to understand your Energy Signature. Take the free quiz and learn about your Energy Signature. Gain a chance to book a free session to learn more in-depth meaning about your ENERGY here.

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Linked In | Instagram | YouTube

There is often mixed messaging when it comes to female sexuality. Rediscovering sexual desire during major life transitions can be difficult. This episode empowers women to embrace their feminine fire at any life stage.

Amanda Testa, Southern Belle turned Sex Coach, is a soulful, heart-centered expert when it comes to sex and relationships. She helps overwhelmed professional women and couples reconnect to themselves, their libidos, and their partners.

Her unique proven process, The Feminine Fire Method™ combines neuroscience and nervous system regulation, with ancient practices to help women heal their relationship to their sexuality so they can eliminate shame and guilt, own their confidence, feel like a Goddess in their skin, and have the deeply connected relationships they desire.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Amanda's personal transition and how she rediscovered her feminine fire after the birth of her daughter
• How sexual energy is a reflection of your health and vitality
• How Amanda developed her coaching program to be effective at connecting women to their feminine fire
• The importance of slowing down and being present and taking a deep breath
• How cultural conditioning plays a role in how you show up sexually in your relationship
• How to have a sensual wellness practice to connect to your own body
• How to work with your partner to deepen your physical connection
• How to move past unnecessary shame that holds you back

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Podcast

In the challenging times we live in today, there is an ominous sense that the world is breaking apart. Long-held comfortable beliefs are being shattered, and we face unprecedented questions and challenges. Radical Loving: One God, One World, One People, by Rabbi Wayne Dosick, PhD, DD, is a compelling appraisal of the state of our present-day world and a bold, visionary, spirit-filled blueprint for its transformation and evolution through Radical Loving and Awesome Holiness.

Rabbi Wayne Dosick teaches and counsels about faith, ethical values, life transformations, and evolving human consciousness. Well-known for his quality scholarship and sacred spirit, he is the rabbi of The Elijah Minyan, a retired visiting professor at the University of San Diego, and the host of the monthly Internet radio program, "SpiritTalk Live!" heard on HealthyLife.net.

The bestselling, award-winning author of nine critically acclaimed books, including the now-classic Living Judaism, and the more recent The Real Name of God: Embracing the Full Essence of the Divine, Rabbi Wayne is the author of more than 400 articles of religious, political, and social commentary.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why we need Radical Loving more than ever
• How to connect and listen to God
• What Radical Loving means
• Rabbi Wayne's spiritual practice of gratitude
• How awesome holiness is the twin of radical loving and how it helps us connect to each other
• Where to get started to love better
• How to model this loving behavior to our children
• How to live out the greatest good for the highest society

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Website | Facebook