The Dare to Declare Podcast

What if the vision on your heart was meant to carry you further than you ever imagined?

In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with global adventurer and author Polly Letofsky, the first woman to walk around the world… covering over 14,000 miles across four continents.

What began as a childhood dream became a global mission for breast cancer awareness, where strangers opened their homes and shared their stories along the way. But the journey wasn’t easy. Polly faced extreme conditions, danger, and even found herself navigating a rapidly changing world after September 11.

This conversation goes beyond the walk.

Debbi and Polly explore the power of vision, trusting your intuition, building the right support system, and why challenges are not a sign to stop… but part of the path forward.

Because the truth is…You don’t need permission to follow your vision.

You just need to take the first step.

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What if everything you thought defined you, was actually meant to be rebuilt?

In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with reinvention catalyst, international speaker, and identity coach Carol Elizabeth for a deeply honest and powerful conversation about what it really means to start over… and rise again.

Carol shares her journey from being a fitness professional and high-performing entrepreneur to walking through some of life’s most defining challenges, including cancer, divorce, and losing the identity she once built her life around.

What emerged wasn’t a breakdown, but a breakthrough into truth, purpose, and a completely new way of living.

At 55, Carol calls herself a walking proof of possibility. A woman who has burned it all down and rebuilt from what’s real, not from what was.

But this conversation goes deeper than reinvention.

Debbi and Carol explore the difference between happiness and true joy, the identity shifts required to create a life on your terms, and the power of becoming the thinker of your thoughts instead of being controlled by them.

They also dive into the importance of community, surrounding yourself with people who expand you, and how choosing joy daily can transform even the hardest seasons of life.

Carol also shares her mission behind YouSchool™, her transformational work designed to help women upgrade their identity, reconnect with their truth, and create a life that actually feels aligned.

Because the truth is… you’re not here to stay the same.

You’re here to grow, evolve, and become.

And it’s never too late to become who you were always meant to be.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stop living from your past… and start creating from your future.

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👉⁠ ⁠Learn More About Carol Elizabeth Here⁠ ⁠

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What if the biggest impact you make in the world starts with simply following what you know is right… even when it doesn’t make sense on paper?

In this episode, Debbi sits down with entrepreneur and former preschool teacher Paul Buckley, founder of Ratio Staffing, for a heartfelt conversation about purpose, leadership, and solving one of the biggest challenges facing early childhood education today.

Paul shares his unexpected career journey from working with preschool children, to spending nearly a decade in biotech manufacturing, and ultimately walking away from a stable corporate career to become a stay-at-home dad. That decision eventually led him back to the early childhood field in a completely new way.

Along the way, Paul discovered a major problem facing preschools everywhere: schools struggling to find teachers, and teachers struggling to find the right schools. What started as a small effort helping one preschool hire staff eventually grew into a full platform designed to connect educators and schools in a simpler, more supportive way.

But this conversation goes deeper than staffing.

Debbi and Paul explore the leadership lessons learned in early childhood education, the power of belief from a mentor, the role of energy in shaping our environments, and how trusting your calling can lead you to work that truly matters.

In this conversation, you’ll discover:

• How one mentor’s belief can shape the trajectory of someone’s life

• Why leadership in early childhood education matters more than ever

• The surprising skills that helped Paul succeed in the corporate biotech world

• What led him to walk away from a stable career to stay home with his son

• The major hiring gap affecting preschools and educators today

• How Ratio Staffing is helping schools and teachers find each other more easily

• Why creating calm environments for educators ultimately benefits children

Paul also shares the deeper mission behind his work: helping educators stay in the field they love, supporting preschool leaders who are stretched too thin, and ensuring children have access to the teachers they deserve.

Because when the right people come together in the right environment, everyone wins.

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen when you stop worrying about what people think and start building something that truly serves others.

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👉 ⁠Learn More About Paul Buckley and Ratio Staffing Here⁠ ⁠

💫 The Dare to Declare Vision Board Magazine & Online Course⁠ 

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What if the life you’re longing for isn’t behind you… but waiting for you to decide it’s not too late?

In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with best-selling author, award-winning speaker, and former engineer Dawn Mattera Corsi for a powerful conversation about reinvention, responsibility, and creating your best life after 40.

After years in the defense industry, Dawn realized the stress and burnout of corporate life were costing her more than they were giving her. She made the bold decision to walk away, rebuild her health, and redesign her life from the inside out. What followed was a complete reinvention: becoming a certified trainer in Jack Canfield’s Success Principles, an author, and a speaker dedicated to helping women over 40 rediscover purpose, confidence, and connection.

Together, Debbi and Dawn explore the life-changing principle E + R = O, Event plus Response equals Outcome, and how our response to life’s challenges ultimately shapes what comes next. Dawn shares how this mindset helped her navigate divorce, career change, and starting over in midlife, including the decision to move to Florence, Italy in her forties, a step that changed the trajectory of her life and led her to love again.

You’ll also hear Dawn’s Five Keys to a Dolce Vita, her philosophy for designing a life filled with purpose, connection, and enthusiasm, and why she believes it’s never too late to try something for the first time.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your best years are behind you, this episode will remind you they may just be getting started.

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What if the thing holding your business back isn’t your time, your strategy, or your effort… but your relationship with money?

In this episode, Debbi sits down with speaker, author, and business strategist Kendra Cooke for a candid conversation about financial literacy, mentorship, and the courage it takes to stop avoiding the conversations that truly move your life forward.

Kendra shares her journey from entry-level receptionist at a Nashville brokerage to owning her own boutique firm and coaching professionals across the country. Along the way, she opens up about the moment she realized she didn’t have a time management issue at all, but a money issue, and how learning to face her finances head-on became one of the most freeing decisions of her career.

Together, Debbi and Kendra talk about the power of being in the right rooms, choosing the right mentors, and surrounding yourself with people who elevate your standards. They also dive into Kendra’s recent TEDx experience, what it took to step outside her comfort zone as a seasoned speaker, and why doing hard things is still essential, even when you’re already successful.

This conversation is both practical and personal, touching on the generational shifts around money, the importance of women understanding their finances, and the freedom that comes from being aware of where your money is going and what it’s building for your future.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why many women avoid their finances and how to change that

- The surprising realization that changed Kendra’s business and life

- How mentorship and accountability can accelerate your growth

- What stepping onto a TEDx stage taught her about doing hard things

- The importance of community, collaboration, and being in the right room

- How to create intentional schedules that support both business and life

- Why choosing a “word of the year” can shape your decisions and direction

- And how understanding your money can ultimately lead to more freedom

Kendra also shares practical insights on tracking your finances, building sustainable business systems, and creating a safe space for women to talk openly about money without shame or fear.

If you’ve ever felt unsure about your finances, overwhelmed by the numbers, or hesitant to ask questions, this episode will remind you that awareness is the first step toward change and that freedom often begins with one honest conversation.

Because when you stop avoiding the conversation around money, you create space for clarity, confidence, and choice.

🎥⁠ ⁠⁠Watch This Episode on YouTube⁠⁠⁠ 

👉 ⁠Learn More About Kendra Cooke Here⁠ ⁠

💫 The Dare to Declare Vision Board Magazine & Online Course⁠ 

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What if the breakthrough you’re waiting for isn’t about trying harder… but about staying the course long enough for life to meet you there?

In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi Sluys sits down with global keynote and TEDx speaker, author, and transformational strategist Ravi Prakash for a deeply moving conversation about resilience, patience, identity, and the quiet power of persistence.

Ravi’s story reads like a movie script. Born in India to a family shaped by revolutionaries, he faced early adversity, temporary blindness, and more than his fair share of doubt. He arrived in the United States with just $20 in his pocket and $2,000 borrowed, driven by a single conversation with a relative who told him he wouldn’t make it.

He proved them wrong.

Over the next two decades, Ravi went on to lead global teams of over 1,000 people, work across 80+ countries, and hold executive roles with companies like Salesforce, Oracle, Ericsson, Airbnb, and more. But one of the most powerful chapters of this journey is his recent TEDx talk, a dream that took 225 applications, 224 rejections, and years of unwavering commitment before finally becoming reality.

In this conversation, Ravi and Debbi explore what manifestation really looks like in real life, not as wishful thinking, but as consistent action, discipline, and identity-level decisions made long before the evidence shows up.

Ravi shares the stories that shaped him, from losing his sight as a teenager, to the moment a stranger handed him a blank check so he could buy his plane ticket to America, to the daily rituals and inner discipline that have guided his life ever since.

You’ll also hear why Ravi believes purpose isn’t something you decide once and for all, but something that reveals itself through action, and why he says, “Your heart knows. If you listen, it will always guide you.”

Ravi also shares powerful insights about health, focus, leadership, and inner alignment, including the story of how he transformed his own health, ran marathons, and even brought a blender into his children’s school to teach kids about nutrition and stamina for life.

If you’ve ever felt discouraged by delays, rejection, or the feeling that your dream is taking too long… this episode will remind you that life works on its own timeline, and persistence is often the real manifestation tool.

Because sometimes the breakthrough isn’t about doing more.

It’s about becoming the person who stays committed long enough for the result to catch up.

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What if the reason your goals aren’t manifesting has less to do with your mindset and more to do with your environment?

In this episode, Debbi sits down with world-renowned Feng Shui Master, teacher, and star of The Secret, Marie Diamond, for a powerful conversation about how your home, your workspace, and even where you sit each day are silently shaping your results.

Marie shares her extraordinary story, from a near-death experience at 15, to becoming an international lawyer, to eventually being guided into the work that would impact over 500 million people worldwide through The Secret. Along the way, she reveals how one simple change to her bedroom as a teenager completely transformed her life, and set her on the path to mastering the energetic principles of Feng Shui.

You’ll discover why Marie believes your environment acts like a three-dimensional vision board, how the images and objects around you are constantly programming your subconscious, and why decluttering is one of the fastest ways to create momentum in your life and business.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

- Why your home might be blocking (or boosting) your manifestations

- How to position yourself for more opportunity, money, and clarity

- The hidden mistake most people make with their vision boards

- How Marie worked behind the scenes with the creators of The Secret

- Why generosity is one of the most powerful marketing and manifestation strategies

- And how small, practical shifts in your space can create massive changes in your results

Marie also shares simple, actionable tips you can start using immediately, including how to activate different areas of your home for success, relationships, health, and wisdom, and why where you sit, sleep, and work matters more than you think.

If you’ve been doing the mindset work, setting goals, and creating vision boards but still feel like something is “off,” this episode might reveal the missing piece.

Because sometimes, the breakthrough isn’t about trying harder. It’s about aligning your space with the life you’re ready to live.

🎥⁠ ⁠Watch This Episode on YouTube⁠⁠
👉 Learn More About Marie Diamond Here
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What if the story you were handed was never the one you were meant to keep? What if the parts of your past that felt the most devastating… became the very places where redemption takes root?

In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi sits down with Lainie Hartley, author, speaker, and former foster child turned cycle breaker, to explore what really happens when a childhood marked by neglect, abandonment, and survival is rewritten through healing, faith, and fierce generational change.

Lainie opens up about the painful realities behind her memoir, Simply Neglect, from going to bed hungry and knocking on neighbours’ doors in search of food, to being surrendered to foster care three separate times by the mother meant to protect her.

She shares openly about the systems that failed her, the shame that followed her into adolescence, and the defining moment when she decided her story would not end where it began.

But this conversation is not just about trauma.

It’s about the resilience that rises in the cracks, the grace that meets us in the unexpected places, and the profound healing that unfolds when someone chooses to break a cycle instead of repeat it.

As a bio, foster, and adoptive mother, Lainie brings a rare, 360-degree perspective to the child-welfare world. She speaks candidly about parenting through a trauma-informed lens, the complexities of repairing generational patterns, and how she now uses her voice to advocate for vulnerable children and families.

Her blend of honesty, compassion, and unwavering hope will leave you breathless.

And stay tuned until the end, because there’s a plot twist in Lainie’s story that you will not see coming.

If you’ve ever wondered whether healing is possible for the parts of your story that feel the most broken or whether your past disqualifies you from a redeemed future, this episode will remind you:

- No story is too broken for God to rewrite.

- No cycle is too strong to break.

- And no childhood defines the adult you choose to become.

🎥⁠ ⁠Watch This Episode on YouTube⁠⁠👉 Learn more about Lainie Hartley and purchase your copy of Simply Neglect Here
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What if the greatest measure of success isn’t wealth or status, but the courage to keep showing up, no matter what life throws your way?

In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi sits down with Tom LeNoble, executive leader, international speaker, resilience coach, and philanthropist, to explore how resilience, reinvention, and purpose can redefine what it means to truly live.

Tom’s remarkable career has spanned Fortune 500 powerhouses like MCI, Walmart.com, Palm (HP), and Facebook (Meta), as well as high-growth startups.

But behind the titles and boardrooms is a man who’s faced down three terminal diagnoses and lived to tell the world, “I’m still here.”

Together, Debbi and Tom dive deep into:

• The mindset that helped him transform survival into purpose.

• How his near-death experiences shaped his mission to give back.

• The lessons learned from working alongside some of the world’s biggest brands, and why he walked away to serve others.

• The power of philanthropy, not as charity, but as a way of living.

• What it really means to lead with empathy and vision in today’s world.

From global boardrooms to acts of quiet generosity, Tom’s journey is proof that true leadership begins with presence, service, and heart.

His book, My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels, captures the humor, humility, and hard-won wisdom behind his extraordinary story.

If you’ve ever faced a setback that made you question your purpose, or wondered what it means to live a life of impact, this conversation will leave you inspired to declare, just like Tom, “I’m still here.”

🎥⁠ ⁠⁠Watch This Episode on YouTube⁠⁠⁠

👉 ⁠Learn More About Tom Here⁠⁠

💫 The Dare to Declare Vision Board Magazine & Online Course⁠

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What if revisiting the simple joys of childhood could help us reconnect with creativity, purpose, and presence in a world of constant distraction?

In this episode of the Dare to Declare Podcast, Debbi sits down with Adam L’Heureux, teacher, author, and former stand-up comedian from Victoria, BC, to explore how nostalgia, humour, and conscious parenting can guide us toward a more connected and intentional life.

Adam shares the story behind his debut book, Remember When, a heartfelt and hilarious collection of memories from growing up in the ’80s and ’90s that reminds readers of the beauty in simplicity and the power of imagination. He also opens up about his research on social media addiction and how technology has reshaped the classroom, offering honest insights on what parents can do to help their kids thrive in a screen-saturated world.

From manifesting a real-life connection with Chicken Soup for the Soul creator Jack Canfield through visualization, to finding joy in low-tech parenting and storytelling, Adam’s journey is a reminder that laughter and nostalgia aren’t just entertainment, they’re tools for healing, grounding, and rediscovering what matters most.

If you’ve ever longed for the slower pace of your own childhood, or wondered how to raise kids who value imagination over algorithms, this conversation will make you laugh, reflect, and remember when life felt a little lighter, and a lot more human.

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👉 ⁠Learn More About Adam L'Heureux Here

💫 The Dare to Declare Vision Board Magazine & Online Course⁠🩵

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