Discover Your Talent–Do What You Love

Claudia Penningtonand her husband were reflecting on their past 10 years together and realized they had been living the daily grind without goals, a budget or a plan, and a vague desire to help people. They decided to tackle some massive changes in their lives, starting with eliminating their debt. Claudia is a digital marketing consultant and trainer of side hustlers, freelancers, and small business owners in the fundamentals of digital marketing and SEO.

Tanner Gers thought his life was over when he lost his eyesight at 21. Then, he discovered a game changer–where there were no disadvantages, where everybody was on an even playing field. His sight did not return, but he regained a vision and enthusiasm for life. Since that day in 2004, Tanner has influenced the world as host of the podcast, "The Creative Success Show", and on his health and fitness blog, ABSolutelyLean.com, and as a professional speaker, author, and Paralympian.

Dr. Don McDonald has spent 17 years in the health and wellness industry as a chiropractor. It was from his position at the adjusting table that he noticed a common frustration developing into a major stressor in the lives of many patients. He identified it as ‘the Underdog Curse,’ and his chiropractic patients seemed unable to break out of it. It stopped people from living their best lives, and often stripped them of true happiness.

Ivy LaClair always thought of herself as a shy person, but when she joined her college Student Activities Council, she quickly had to learn how to put herself “out there.” A couple of years later she became president of the Council and had “a goosebump moment” when she realized who she had become. Co-founder of the personal development company, Motivational Millennial, Ivy is an expert on change, transformation and millennial success.

Ellen Antonelli was at a ballet with her parents at the age of 10 and witnessed a dance that portrayed inexplicable violence against women. It both angered and puzzled her. Her mother could not answer her questions about what she felt. In hindsight, she realizes how this moment has driven her career and passion for more than a quarter of a century. Her life’s work has been about empowering students and women and speaking out against violence and oppression.

Craig Ballantyne helps people get more done, make more money, and still get home on time for dinner. He offers five templates for creating rules of life that can be personalized. They act like the operating system for our lives. His templates are built on a foundation of Five Pillars of Success, which encompass time-tested principles such as professional accountability and a "Big Deadline." A co-owner of EarlyToRise.com, he is also the creator of the home workout system, Turbulence Training.

Seth Buechley experienced towering success in building a cellular network. He saw the upside, then the downside, of ambition. His Golden Touch became a reverse Midas Touch for a while. He tells how gratitude and humility turned him around. .

Amel Derragui headed to a meeting on her university campus in France to brush up on her English-speaking skills. She soon realized she had stumbled into a meeting for recruiting students to sell encyclopedias in the U.S. Was this the “something exciting” she had been looking for? Today she is a business and marketing coach and the founder of Tandem Nomads, an entrepreneurship platform designed to empower expat partners and help global nomads turn their challenges into successful portable businesses.

Debby Stone, after 16 years practicing law, is an executive coach and keynote speaker and the author of "The Art of Self-Promotion: Tell Your Story, Transform Your Career." “In a Twitter, soundbite world, attention spans are short. Telling your story and doing it in a confident, authentic and graceful way is the key difference between the people who make it to where they want to be and those who struggle to move forward.”

Swati Lodha was born to loving—and enlightened—parents in a traditional culture in Rajasthan, India. She realized how fortunate she was to be encouraged to think for herself. As a college student, she heard a speaker talk about paradigm shifts, and in a split-second she knew what her career would be. With a doctorate in Women Entrepreneurship, she is the founder of Life Lemonade, a training organization for life transformation, women empowerment, leadership and parenting.

Paul Lamar Hunter had a good job at Chrysler. When he heard the plant was closing. At age 40, he wondered where he would go next. Then, his union rep gave him some great news that totally changed the outlook for him and his entire extended family. Paul beat the odds against poor kids being less likely to obtain a college education. As the 19th child out of 21 natural children, he became the first in his family to graduate. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 2012.

Dr. Tom Tavantzis offers his expert view of the power of knowing your talent early in life – through high school, college and beyond. Research shows personality and natural abilities are largely formed by age three. These key traits are hard-wired at birth. Self-knowledge gained while young can guide choices about education, career and life planning best suited to natural abilities.

Delano Lewis, a former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa, rose from segregation-era Kansas to prominence in government, business, and the not-for-profit world. His bestselling memoir, “It All Begins with Self,” affirms his belief in the value of family, education, hard work, perseverance, mentors and supporters. His trailblazing career includes top positions at National Public Radio and the Peace Corps.

Kristina Rhoades learned early in life that her wheelchair did not have to hold her back. The spinal cord injury sustained in her infancy challenged her to discover her gifts and share them as coach, mom, leader and advocate. “We aren't told enough, by people we believe, that we can follow our passions, that we can have a career that blends with life, and we can do things that we love. It’s so important, and it’s something we need to model for our children.”

Simon Crowe is a master in the field of personal growth, who specializes in connecting the successful with their deepest purpose. As a qualified coach for over 12 years, he has guided hundreds of courageous individuals in achieving greater self-expression and fulfillment and experiencing deeper meaning in their lives. He works exclusively with high-performing, self-starters who have mastered conventional success and who are hungry to reappraise their life in honor of their unique gifts.