The Overcoming Odds Podcast

It was hard.

30 years of hard work. Massive credit card debt. Yet, the book was still not finished.

She said, “My mom died before she could finish her book. I am not going to die before I finish mine.”

However, things continued to get worse before they got any better.

She was fired from her job for throwing a pen at a student and saying, “Fuck” in front of the whole class.

Her marriage was falling apart.

A hard moment of reflection was bound to follow.

She gave up her apartment. Packed up everything and left.

Next stop, Martha's Vineyard, NY.

Two weeks, 336 hours, to complete her work.

But, the story was not coming out.

She said, “I was heartbroken. My one hope was that I could write a book.”

Fear took over.

She texted her best friend and explained all of the reasons why she couldn’t do it.

She felt devastated.

But, right before she was about to pack her things and leave, she received a message.

Her friend wrote back, “Use your true voice.”

It all clicked. She stopped trying to be the person her parents wanted her to be. Enough was enough.

All of a sudden, she understood how to tell her story.

93 days later, “You Don't Look Adopted” was finished.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

On change: You must create pressure, community, and guidance

On adoption: Every adoptee should tell his or her story

On flourishing, not survival: Take care of your body

On being “normal”: Just be yourself

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It was frustrating.

It would take 100 “No’s” before getting a single “Yes.” But, there was no other way around it.

Embracing rejection was the only way. Giving up on her dream was not.

Not for a girl from Long Island, NY.

Not for a girl who wanted to be on TV since the age of 3.

Not for a girl who worked on Broadway at the age of 9.

But, as most of us know, things often get worse, before they get better.

For Jenna Ushkowitz, it was not any different.

Roles were limited due to stereotypes.

Money was tight.

Becoming an actress was a mystery.

As some things were getting worse, others were getting better.

The entertainment industry shifted. It became more diverse. This time, favoring Jenna.

Even with this new wave of excitement and opportunities, there were still challenges to overcome.

I asked, “What does it take to succeed in this business?”

She replied, “This business is about timing, luck, and talent.”

Three factors that get to determine whether you’ll make it or not.

A devastating thought for most of us to imagine.

I asked, “How do you maintain your focus with so much pressure?”

She replied, “You must keep perseverance and passion for doing what you do.”

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

On family: You choose the type of people you want to have in your life

On acting: It’s all about timing, luck, and talent

On challenges: Don’t get in your own way

On mentors: Surround yourself with changemakers

On purpose: Listen to yourself

Failure is good.

Fail fast, fail often.

She said, “I failed many times throughout my life.”

At school, she was not the best student.

At home, her life was one of abuse and fear.

But, she was good at one thing.

She spent countless hours practicing with all the boys who were older, stronger and taller than her.

Basketball saved her.

I asked, “Why kind of impact did basketball have on your life?”

She said, “I wanted to play basketball to get out of my home.”

Basketball took her to her dream school.

It challenged her.

It tore her down.

It discouraged her to the point of planning an escape.

But, she continued to tell herself, “Get to the next play.”

One day after another, the message remained the same.

She turned adversity to her advantage and owned her outcome.

Even after everyone stopped caring about what she had accomplished.

She chose to Refuse To Lose.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

On self-improvement: It’s a daily habit

On problems: Be solution-focused

One adversity: It will become your advantage

Lisa believes that the ability to take control of your life all boils down to self-awareness. Through self-awareness you discover what makes you happy, drained, fired up, and motivated which in turn all help you decide how to proceed in life in the most strategic, productive way for your individual self.

Lisa herself is living proof of this. Gaining inspiration and training from her best friends and other life coaches after a difficult downward spiral in her own life, she was able to fully commit to what she discovered she wanted to be: a life coach. “Once I became clear on what I wanted and what my purpose was, I didn’t have any doubts.”

Lisa and her brother Joe were adopted by a mother who wanted a sister for her daughter, and wound up bringing not only Lisa home, but her brother Joe as well so that the siblings wouldn’t be separated. When asked about her birth mother, Lisa says, “I don’t think she wanted to give us up, but looking back I think it was the best decision.” Lisa has an endless appreciation for people, their stories, and helping them achieve their goals in life.

Lara came to the us by way of Operation Babylift, a mass evacuation of orphans from South Vietnam to the United States as well as other countries. She is now a professional musician living in Austin, TX as a Blues stage performer and recording artist.

Her musical talent was inspired by influences such as her father, who gave her her very first music lesson, and dance classes which contributed to her burgeoning talent at a young age. “Watching people play music when I can’t is a little like watching someone eat while I’m hungry,” she says while talking about a time when she had to rely on a day job to supplement her living expenses when starting her musical career.

Lara exemplifies a glass-half-full outlook on life and illustrates this through her thoughts on spirituality, productive routines, and constant self-awareness that allows her to consciously make healthy choices. She emphasises the importance of surrounding yourself with good people who will push you to meet them at their level, and knowing that regardless of who you know, or how much innate talent you may have, the bottom line of your success and happiness in life will always and forever come down to discipline and hard work.

Joe Galindo is a culinary entrepreneur based in Austin, Texas where he and his wife own and manage, RedBookChef. Their venture was inspired by his wife’s little red notebook in which she would take notes while watching cooking programs as a young girl. In this episode, Joe tells us the story of how he went from foster care and a lucky adoption, to where he is today.

At the age of five years old, Joe was found by Child Protective Services and entered foster care in Fort Worth, where he was later adopted by a loving family who instilled within him a life-long work ethic, which has made him into the entrepreneur that he is today. Ever since childhood, Joe maintained a strong positive outlook on life and always believed that things would be okay, even when they seemed to be at their darkest.

Joe worked in a myriad of roles within the food service industry, including one at Walt Disney World, where he continued to develop his entrepreneurial spirit, and honed his skills as a businessman in the world of food service.

"I need you to be invested in yourself."

Joshua Banks doesn’t believe there is any such thing as a selfless act. But, he does believe we can all be our most authentic selves while benefiting the people around us. According to him, we all have the potential to be self-centered, yet still be a positive influence within our communities.

Joshua earned many commendations during his years in law enforcement, where he learned much about the nature of people at their worst, as well as at their best. He also spent many years ministering, helping his community connect to God in ways that helped them find themselves as individuals. Joshua’s journey has led him to a place where he has devoted his life to building others up, teaching vulnerability, communication, and togetherness in a world that has become as disconnected in some ways as it has become connected in others.

Today, Joshua spends his time communicating his mission of helping people become their best selves through speaking engagements such as the Mastering Manhood Conference, and his books, Jesus Others You: The Self-Centered Gospel, and The Doctrine of Synchronization, which explore and emphasize the importance of being centered, and self-centered, as an individual in order to grow while leaving a positive legacy.

Kira Omans is an Asian-American actor, model, dancer, and adoptee advocate. She was adopted by a Caucasian family living in Washington DC and grew up with an adopted brother from Korea, as well as a sister.

Join us as she discusses her struggles to adjust to how different she felt at school as her family had always celebrated their diversity. But, at school, these differences weren’t celebrated. They were highlighted in negative ways and she was forced to learn the harsh realities of racism and micro-aggressions, especially later in her career as a professional actress.

***

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving us a short review? It takes less than 60 seconds, and could make a huge difference in spreading the word of these inspiring/courageous conversations.


For information on how to join any of the upcoming, “Courageous Conversations”, please leave us a message via the “contact us” page on (https://www.overcomingodds.today/)


Interested in sponsoring any of our upcoming events? Please contact us via email ([email protected]) or website (https://www.overcomingodds.today/)


For more daily inspirational content, consider following us on:

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/_overcomingodds?lang=en

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Kevin Kreider spent much of his upbringing being made painfully aware of how different he was as a Korean adoptee.

The pain imposed on him by peers and the media for looking different, and the insecurity that followed motivated Kevin to begin working out. He eventually managed to start both modeling and acting careers, but was again set back. This time it was by Alopecia Areata, causing him to go bald.

Being an Asian male in modeling or acting was especially challenging, but going bald made it next to impossible for Kevin to continue on his current trajectory. He decided to quit everything and embark on a soul-searching mission in the form of a cross-country skateboard trip from Los Angeles to New York City.

After his trip, Kevin had to decide what to do next.

Kevin had to start from scratch and decide what was really important to him. He returned to his previous fitness career as a coach, but this time it wasn’t about, “Making it as an Asian model or actor.” It was now about helping others find the same feelings of confidence he did when he decided to become fit and healthy.

Kevin doesn’t believe one should face all of the life’s challenges alone.

People need a group of family, friends, and like-minded people to inspire them and help them when they’re down. At the end of the day, there is always someone else out there who knows how you feel.

***

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving us a short review? It takes less than 60 seconds, and could make a huge difference in spreading the word of these inspiring/courageous conversations.


For information on how to join any of the upcoming, “Courageous Conversations”, please leave us a message via the “contact us” page on (https://www.overcomingodds.today/)


Interested in sponsoring any of our upcoming events? Please contact us via email ([email protected]) or website (https://www.overcomingodds.today/)


For more daily inspirational content, consider following us on:

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/_overcomingodds?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/overcomingodds/?hl=en

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/overcomingodds.today/

Oleg Lougheed, host of the Overcoming Odds Podcast, has a heart-to-heart with the most connected man in America, top business strategist and former director at Dell Computer Corp. and Enron: Peter Strople. The two talk about loss, love, relationships, and how Peter came to define those things through struggle and success.

***

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving us a short review? It takes less than 60 seconds, and could make a huge difference in spreading the word of these inspiring/courageous conversations.


For information on how to join any of the upcoming, “Courageous Conversations”, please leave us a message via the “contact us” page on (https://www.overcomingodds.today/)


Interested in sponsoring any of our upcoming events? Please contact us via email ([email protected]) or website (https://www.overcomingodds.today/)


For more daily inspirational content, consider following us on:

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/_overcomingodds?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/overcomingodds/?hl=en

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/overcomingodds.today/