Discover Your Talent–Do What You Love

Erik Weihenmayer was shattered when at 14 a genetic illness left him totally blind. In 2001 Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Since then he completed the Seven Summits. Erik’s latest book, “No Barriers,” is an inspirational story about kayaking the entire 277 miles of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Erik’s triumphs fueled his aspiration to help others shatter barriers in their lives.

Kim Ades was 15 years into building a family and a business with her husband. When her marriage dissolved, so did her shares in the company. A tool she used to deal with her loss—“it was like my oxygen”—is now the core of her thriving business. She is the president and founder of Frame of Mind Coaching and JournalEngine™ Software. She is recognized as one of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought mastery.

Brian Kurtz, a serial direct marketer for the past 35+ years, says he never met a medium he didn't like. He spent the first 34 years of his career helping Boardroom Inc. become a state-of-the-art direct marketing and publishing company and is now sharing and teaching all he learned doing that. His expert message today: Marketing isn’t everything. It’s the ONLY thing.

Linda Singh was thrown out of her home at 16, through no fault of her own. A high school dropout, working at a pretzel shop to survive, a display table in the mall for the U.S. Army caught her eye. That led to a conversation that changed the trajectory of her life. She became a Major General in the Army and now is helping people of all ages discover their inner strengths, passions and talents and match them to careers that will make them happy.

Steve H. Lawton, after careening into a tree at 45 miles per hour and suffering a major brain injury, believes every interaction with another person is a bonus that might never have happened. “It's a powerful way to live.” He is the author of “Head First! A Crash Course in Positivity.” Steve helps others by sharing his story and practical advice on how to create a positive mindset, lead with positivity, and achieve better outcomes for individuals and organizations

John David Mann and some friends started their own high school when in their teens. It was quite successful for a number of years. He is now an award-winning author whose books have sold more than two million copies, including the bestselling classic “The Go-Giver.”

When Marcelle and her husband decided he should accept a job as a foreign service officer in Uzbekistan, she knew she’d have to give up the job she loved. What she needed now was a “Portable Career” that could travel wherever her husband was posted. After 10 years of strategic communications consulting, Marcelle Yeager changed course to enable people to get to the next level of their careers. She recently co-founded ServingTalent, the first recruiting agency for military and foreign service spouses.

Lynn Marie Morski, MD, Esq. had recently co-founded a health tech startup on medical tourism. “All of my cylinders were firing at the same time. But the sinking feeling in my stomach told me something wasn’t right.” She faced the hardest “quit” of her life. Her goal is to de-stigmatize quitting and illustrate what a useful tool it can be. Through her Quitting by Design website, she helps people carve out successful lives through strategic quitting. She is a physician and an adjunct professor of h

Shellee Howard is the owner and president of College Ready and a Certified Educational Planner. She has a son who graduated from Harvard in 2016–debt free! She has traveled around the world helping students plan for their “perfect match” college. She knows what it takes to compete for entry into Ivy League schools to small town colleges. She believes that no two students are the same, and that each has a gift/talent and a passion that will set him or her apart from their competition.

Amy Smalarz had been in a consulting position she enjoyed for 10 years. One day the staff was called together and told that their division president had just been fired. It was the nudge she needed to step out on her own. She quickly discovered she had a lot to learn. As a women’s empowerment coach, author, podcaster and freelance writer, she now provides women the information and experience that helps them uncover and rediscover their truest, best selves, and bring that to everything they do in life.

Lindsay Kinder returned from France filled with a knowledge of cuisine from farm to table. But she did not know how she would use it. Would she be lulled back into the comfort of a 9-to-five job? She had left a stable career in life insurance to pursue her lifelong dream of learning to cook in France. She spent six months backpacking solo on a quest to discover where great food comes from, and what to do with it.

Steve Robertson is the CEO of Julian Krinsky Camps & Programs, an organization specializing in youth-to-adult programming that turns curiosity into passion and skill. He is a fan of the Gen Zs “because they are innovative, thoughtful, collaborative and motivated.” Generation Z is already impacting every facet of life: the workplace, how businesses present and sell products, and even what products businesses present and sell. In Steve’s opinion, “It is probably going be the greatest generation we’v

Mali Phonpadith’s father escaped a re-education camp, and her family fled war-torn Laos. Arriving in the U.S. at age five, she learned English from watching the TV show Sesame Street. Later, her teacher said Mali’s journal showed she was a poet– even though she didn’t know what poetry was. Mali Phonpadith is the founder and CEO of the SOAR Community Network, as well as an author, speaker and podcaster. SOAR stands for See, Own, Articulate and Release and is based uncovering your greatest gifts and t

Stephanie Weeks was so dead-set on a career in law, she had no Plan B. Everything she had done in college and work had pointed her toward that goal. Then, after graduation, she received the news that totally changed her path. It turned out, there was a better option. As a mortgage lender, she has closed thousands of loans totaling hundreds of millions of dollars in volume, but the real joy in her career comes from the smile that she sees from buyers and sellers during a smooth and on time closing.

Dr. Carolyn Jerdan has served in education for 20+ years as a teacher, counselor and administrator, both in private and public schools, with students ranging from preschool to adult. She earned an MBA at Northwestern University, and Ph.D. in school psychology at the University of Maryland. At Johnson Ferry Christian Academy she guides students through their college search process. Her passion is to help students realize their uniqueness and God-given talents so they can better plan for their future.