Brenna Crowson has had a diverse career path. She is a paralegal specializing in litigation and an international presenter on fitness who leads talks on health and wellness around the world. She is also a passionate yoga teacher who joyfully shares her practice with others. Her education is just as diverse as her career path—she has an undergraduate degree in economics, an MBA, and a Master’s Degree in education with an emphasis on special education for the visually impaired. Along the way, Brenna and her family experienced tragedy—the loss of her son. She channeled her anguish into writing a book about her journey and walking with others through their grief. Brenna loves teaching, embraces life with an open heart, is endlessly curious, and tries to make a positive impact everywhere she goes.

To learn more about Brenna:

https://www.facebook.com/brennacrow

https://www.instagram.com/bren_crowson/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenna-crowson-nccp-973176128/

Her new book will be available June 13 on Amazon! "The Journey Of Grief: A Roadmap To Hope"

The Artwork featured in this episode is by Mary Alice. For more information about her and her art check out: https://www.instagram.com/the_dizzy_hue/

Yvonne Simons grew up poor. Her parents told her she needed to be smart, work hard, and get a college scholarship, which she did. In her first career as a middle school teacher, she was frustrated by so many things about the system that she felt did not serve her students. She eventually used her role as an education reporter for multiple television stations throughout the country to tell the stories of things she believed needed to change. After twenty years on the air, she rose into news management—something she had no experience doing. But, like everything else she had tried, Yvonne did the work, honed her skills, and her star rose. She is currently the news director at KATU in Portland, Oregon where there is no shortage of news. She is also a classically trained singer, a cat lover, and a devoted daughter to her 93-year-old mother. But most importantly, Yvonne is a kind person and a deep thinker who shares her story with vulnerability in this episode about everything from major major mistakes to looking for love.

To learn more about Yvonne:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-simons-b6b8222b/

https://katu.com/

Karen Woomer was a corporate executive who stepped back from her career to focus on her family, but it wasn’t until she was hit with a major illness that she found her true purpose in life. Karen put off a routine colonoscopy because of the pandemic. When she finally had the test, she was diagnosed with late stage three colorectal cancer. The treatment was brutal, sending her to the hospital wondering if she would even make it. Her family and her friends rallied around her. When she came out on the other side, she vowed to not only spread awareness about colorectal cancer screening, but to get more involved in helping others in her community. Karen’s journey from cancer to healing will truly inspire you.

For more information on the work Karen is doing check out:

https://colorectalcancer.org

Designed For Joy | Living Wage Jobs for Vulnerable Women

Deanna Jones is a business leader in the tech world; she’s been at Cisco Systems for nearly 25 years, but she’s also a passionate speaker and consultant in the diversity arena. She’s Vice President of Harmony-the North Carolina LGBT+ Allied Chamber of Commerce. At the age of 54, she traded in attachment for authenticity and became the person she always knew she was deep down inside. Deanna’s midlife transformation story is one-of-a-kind. In this episode, she bravely shares her major reinvention and what it cost her to become the fulfilled person she is today.

For more about Deanna:

https://deannajonesnow.com/

https://www.harmonync.org/

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Megan Sumrell is a former corporate executive turned entrepreneur. As a business owner, mom, and wife, she knows exactly how hard it is to juggle everything while still maintaining your own sense of self and purpose. As the CEO and Founder of The Pink Bee, she took her 20-plus-year career and applied it to all things time management, organization, and productivity. She is the creator of the TOP Program and TOP Planner, a program and planner that teach planning and time management. But most importantly, she is a cheerleader and an inspiration for women who are trying to juggle work and family. She says there is no such thing as the perfect balance but you can find harmony if you are willing to connect with the dreams you had as a child.

For more about Megan and her work:

Website: www.megansumrell.com

Podcast: https://www.megansumrell.com/podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megansumrell/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WorkLifeHarmonyPodcast

Leslie Matz didn't know anything about professional football when a family friend and mentor, Susan Tose Spencer, the first female in charge of an NFL team, asked her to work for the Philadelphia Eagles. She quickly rose through the ranks and became a leader in the organization. After the birth of her son, Leslie wanted to return to her home state of North Carolina to be closer to family, and secured a position with a brand new NFL team, the Carolina Panthers. As much as she loved her career, having a work/life balance was becoming increasingly more difficult. Eventually, Leslie returned to her first love-teaching. In this episode, Leslie shares how she's never looked back, and how she became an advocate for the LGBTQIA community as the mother of a gay son.

It didn't look like Sharon Hill was going to have a bright future. Instead of attending her college classes, she played cards. Eventually, her failing GPA was proof that something needed to change. That's when Sharon got serious about her education. Before she even graduated, IBM came knocking. She worked for the tech giant for two decades and even got her MBA. But her next chapter was as big of a surprise to her as it was to everyone else. Sharon became an expert on all things relating to etiquette, everything from social etiquette to business etiquette. Now, she teaches other young professionals, especially Black professionals, how to put their best foot forward in the world. Sharon kept me laughing throughout our entire interview, and she promises to keep all of us on our toes when it comes to etiquette!

To learn more about Sharon, go to:

www.SharonHillInternational.com

(41) Sharon Hill | LinkedIn

Aletia Ferreira has always told her sons that life is hard, and so when you are choosing between two options, know that they will both present challenges in different ways. She came to the United States from South Africa in her early twenties as a wide-eyed dancer and aspiring actress. Her dreams of performing in Los Angeles soon turned to teaching dance and creating dance costumes in order to pay her bills and stay in the country. Today, her journey has brought her to another place, a place where she is once again helping to shape young lives through her passion for dance and movement. You will be inspired by her life-wisdom and her willingness to take risks.

For more on Aletia and her work:

https://www.facebook.com/KeKAYMethod

https://www.instagram.com/kekay_method/