Seeing is Believing

“Anything is possible if you believe in yourself.”

He said, “I didn’t want to be a Catholic nun, but I wanted to be the Executive Director… I wanted to be the person who was able to make things happen for children… So, at 12 years old I started signing my name, ‘Nathaniel J. Williams, Executive Director.’”

He consciously thought of the end result, felt what it would feel like once he did achieve the end goal, and spoke it into the universe every opportunity he was given.

12 years later, his dream became a reality.

“Executive Director,” a title that became a part of Nathaniel J. Williams’ identity, and has been a part of it ever since.

As I was once told, “Seeing is believing.”

For Nathaniel J. Williams, it was no different.

In fact, one could argue that it is through visualization, Nathaniel J. Williams was able to acquire all of the positions he has had throughout his life including direct care worker, foster parent, nonprofit and for-profit organization founder, talk show host, and international motivational speaker.

What can you do today that will put you one step closer toward achieving your goal?

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • On Traumatic Experiences: Embrace them

  • On Environment: “Your five closest friends are often going to be an indicator of how successful you’re going to be”

  • On Visualization: Think it, feel it, act on it

  • On Gratitude: Be grateful for what you do have, not focus on what you don’t have

Want to Connect with Nathaniel?

Website | Twitter

Just One Person At A Time

He was afraid to let the people know the real him.

He said, “I was ashamed, embarrassed and … afraid that people in my professional career were going to see this side of me…”

A situation that made Travis Lloyd realize the importance of living the story he wanted to live, and not the story that others wanted him to live.

A situation that made him realize the importance of continuing with his work, to inspire others who were living or lived in a similar upbringing that he did, even if it meant sacrificing everything to become something.

As fellow adoptee, Colin Kaepernick once said, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”

For Travis Lloyd, it was no different.

He said, “I had just written my first song called, ‘No one else’ talking about no one else understands what’s going through my head… I had never showed anyone that song before… I performed this in front of 600 teenagers from all over the country who all grew up in foster care… I was shaking when I did it… Afterward… these kids just started attacking me… They wanted my signature, they wanted to talk to me, they wanted to share their stories with me… That felt so good to me to know that I was able to inspire them, to know that it’s possible to do something bigger… But, I still wasn’t to the point where I was ready to do that… I was ashamed… embarrassed… afraid that people in my professional career were going to see this side of me… So, I changed my name on social media…”   

A name change that at first allowed Travis to continue developing his message.

Since then, Travis has become one of the leading voices for foster youth around the world.

What are the sacrifices that you’re willing to make in order to continue doing what you love the most?

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • On Public Narrative: “What are the 3, 5, 7 things that I want the world to know?”

  • On Building Confidence: Define your “why” first

  • On Struggles: Know that you’re not alone

  • On Opportunities: Stay open minded

Want to Connect with Travis?

Website | Youtube | Instagram | Facebook

Breaks, Breakthroughs, and Breakdowns

Where do you come from?
 
A question that some of us are fortunate to have an answer to, others not so much.
 
A question that sparks a story deep inside our hearts; a story that gives others hope to not give up when times get tough.
 
He said, “My mother… at 18/19 years old… had a six-month-old baby boy, $100, a plane ticket, a friend’s name in Chicago and she decided to start our life…”
 
Not the most ideal beginning, but sometimes the only thing we have is starting where we are, using what we have, and doing what we can.
 
For John Robinson, it was no different.
 
He continued by saying, “I believe people should overcome less.”
 
A motto that has become the guiding force behind his current work: to connect those who seek with those who raise their hand to give.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • On Family: A collective energy of those that care about each other

  • On Purpose: Focus on present-purpose

  • On Overcoming Odds: Trust yourself

  • On Growth: Ask yourself, “How do I?”

Want to Connect with John?

Website | Twitter

Life Won’t Give You Anything You Can’t Handle

Who are you?
 
A question that some, if not most of us, seek an answer to.
 
A question that led Joel de Carteret on a lifelong journey of self-discovery.
 
He said, “I was 35 years old and I didn’t know who I was… I wanted to write my own narrative…”
 
A journey that taught Joel two important life lessons:
1. If you want to do something, you have to do it yourself
2. Whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve
 
These are the lessons that have become Joel’s cornerstones as a filmmaker.
 
The profession that has allowed him to not only tell just any story, but stories that are making a difference.
 
Stories that give our time, on this pale blue dot, meaning.
Stories that inspire others to keep going during times of adversity.
Stories that can change your life, if you’re living your life authentically.
 
Are you living a true and authentic life?

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
On Identity: Stay curious about who you are
On Adversity: “Life will never give you anything you can’t handle”
On Self-Narrative: Who do you want to be and what do you stand for?
On Purpose: Tell stories that are going to make a difference

Want to Connect with Joel?

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Where There's A Will, There's A Way

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
 
A mindset that allows us to get through life’s toughest obstacles.
 
A mindset that allowed JT McCormick to overcome racism, poverty, and abuse to achieve the American dream.
 
A dream that taught JT the importance of not being defined by your past.
 
He said, “My name is JeVon Thomas McCormick. I’m half white, half black, I had no college degree, my father was a pimp, my mother was an orphan.”
 
A set of labels that would stop some, if not most of us, from going after our dreams.
 
But, JT McCormick was different.
 
He decided to use these labels in order to get to where he wanted to go.
 
He said, “I was whatever I needed to be in order to get to where I wanted to go.”
 
What’s stopping you from achieving the ideal version of yourself? 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
On Abuse: Learn how to avoid potentially abusive situations
On Perfectionism: Done is better than perfect
On Identity: “I was whatever I needed to be in order to get to where I wanted to go”
On Hardships: “If I made it through it once, I can do it again”

Want to Connect with JT?

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Become A Student Of Life

What defines a great leader?
 
A question that some, if not most of us, seek an answer to.
 
A question that more often than not will lead you on a life-long journey of trial and error in figuring out what makes you an effective leader.
 
For Jim Johnson, it was no different.
 
He said, “Leadership can be learned… Like anything in life you can become better at it by making it a study…”
 
A level of commitment to a process with no definite destination.
 
A level of commitment to becoming a student of life at all times.
 
A level of commitment that has led Jim to seek answers to the following questions in order to see the larger picture:

How do you influence people in leading them in a positive direction?
What are you all about as a person?
Are you going to lead by example?
Are you clear about your core values?
Are you going to find ways to add value to others?
 
“Start by trying to make a positive difference in one person”

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
On Relationships: Learn to build trust
On Trust: “Do what you say and say what you do”
On Leadership: “You can become better at leadership by making it a study”
On Influence: Find ways to add value and help others become better

Want to Connect with Jim?

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Forgiveness

Abuse.
 
An act he simply couldn’t escape during his early years.
 
He said, “I grew up in a fear-filled, violent background. My father was physically abusive to me, my mom was as well… I didn’t know what a loving family looked like, but I knew from a very early age that what I was experiencing was wrong.”
 
An environment that made him feel unsafe.
An environment that made him feel as if he was constantly walking on eggshells.
An environment that made him afraid to make mistakes.
 
A set of experiences that made him go from victim to survivor to advocate.
A set of experiences that led him to write his latest book, “Killing My Father Then Finding Him.”
 
A book that started a painful, but much-needed conversation.
A book that gave others a voice and helped them understand that they’re not alone.
 
He said, “I had so many people contact me… hundreds of people contact me… some I knew, some I didn’t know… emails… I got a phone call… I got contact from people saying, ‘I grew up the same way, but I always thought I was the only one.’”
 
Everyone has a story.
Live yours.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • On Forgiveness: Learn to forgive because it’ll free you to tell the truth

  • On Judgment: Approach people wanting to know “who they are”

  • On Discipline & Punishment: “Discipline is rooted with love ... punishment is rooted with anger”

  • On Hardships: Don’t give up

Want to Connect with John?

Twitter

Step Into Bravery

Voiceless.

She said, “I grew up in an environment where I wasn’t necessarily allowed to be myself or wasn’t able to grow into who I truly was.”

Many, if not most of us have times like these in our lives.

She said, “I finally found the courage to tell my story a few years ago. I was at a family funeral. My adopted dad came up to me and was trying to confront me why our relationship wasn’t great… It was just not an appropriate time. But, growing up I would have sat there, been silent and just kind of taken the words in… Don’t speak my mind… But, this time there was something different.”

This was a moment that made Brooke O’Neill take ownership of her story.

A moment that allowed her to go from victim to victor of her past.

A moment that helped shape her purpose, to Step Into Bravery, a process of acceptance, growth, and embracing bravery.

Step into your own bravery and take ownership of your story.

If you can stop comparing yourself to others and believe in who you are, and say “I am who I am. This is my name, this is who I am,” and you own that, then you can do amazing things.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • On Identity: Embrace who you are

  • On Growth Mindset: Stay curious

  • On Courage: “Know that you’re not alone”

  • On Self-Narrative: Own your story

Want to Connect with Brooke?

Website | Instagram | Twitter

Turn Your Worst Adversities into Your Greatest Advantages

Unadoptable.
 
A term that became a part of her identity at the age of seven.
 
She said, “My mother asked her neighbor to babysit while she went shopping, but she did not go shopping. Her clothes were packed, her car was loaded and she moved out of state… She never came back.”
 
A situation that made Rhonda Sciortino understand early on the concepts of abandonment and rejection.
 
A situation that left her no other option, but to live her with maternal grandparents, a mentally ill grandfather, and an alcoholic grandmother.
 
She said, “We lived in a little shack, about the size of a two-car garage… It didn't have working plumbing… No heat or air conditioning… Lots of times we went without food… Lots of times we had no electricity… Pretty rough upbringing.”
 
She continued by saying, “I was abused… Physically… Emotionally…”
 
A type of upbringing that most, if not all of us, would want to forget as fast as possible.
 
But, Rhonda is different from most people, as she did not have the luxury of forgetting.
 
An upbringing that took her on a journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor, and ultimately turning into an advocate.
 
An advocate for those who’ve suffered abuse, abandonment, poverty, filth, and hunger.
 
“My success is helping other people get theirs.”

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • On Hardship: Identify the takeaway to prevent future hardships

  • On Avoiding Abuse: Learn to redirect the conversation

  • On Relationships: Form quality relationships with healthy people

  • On Communication: Give people the benefit of the doubt

Want to Connect with Rhonda?

Website | Instagram | Twitter

Generational Poverty to Generational Wealth

What would you do if you became homeless today?
 
It’s a condition that is unimaginable to most, if not all of us.
 
A condition that made Tiffony become more resourceful, so she would never have to lay her head on the concrete ground again to sleep, or beg at a church or soup kitchen for a meal in order to survive.
 
She said, “I started to realize that at 36 years old if something really bad had happened… I didn’t have long-term care protection. I didn't have a saving vehicle that would allow me to take care of myself if I didn't have any income.”
 
This was a moment of truth that made her realize the importance of financial literacy.
 
A moment of truth that made her become accountable for her actions.
 
A moment of truth that made Tiffony Jacobs want to change the current cycle of living in generational poverty, to one of generational wealth.

“Don’t change your dream, change your plan.”

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

  • On Future: Plan to live beyond your retirement

  • On Thriving: Invest in yourself

  • On Resilience: Define your next steps

  • On Courage: Find a group that shares your values

Want to Connect with Tiffony?

Website