Change in Motion

Ruth Clare is a successful author, having written her award-winning memoir Enemy: A True Story of Courage, Childhood Trauma and the Cost of War. Behind her achievements as an actress and a TEDx speaker, lies a painful story. In this episode, Ruth talks about the effects that the Vietnam War had on her veteran father who abused her and the rest of her family physically and emotionally. In her book, Ruth writes: “My Father. My Enemy. My Beloved.” But this episode is about more than her relationship with her father. It is a story about loving yourself and having your voice heard.Her wounds resurfaced when she became a mother and took on the task of raising children of her own. Join me in my conversation with Ruth who has a striking ability to reflect upon her past and a strong will to take the reigns of her life into her own hands.   ***RUTH’S MEMOIRBuy Ruth’s memoir Enemy on Amazon (USA), Amazon (Canada), Amazon (UK), Barnes & Noble and many other retailers.***BOOK RUTH AS A SPEAKERYou can book Ruth as a speaker for your event by contacting her through her website:ruthclare.com/contact***RUTH’S SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: @ruthclareauthorFacebook: Ruth ClareYouTube ChannelLinkedIn Profile***TRIGGER WARNING: Many detailed mentions of physical and emotional abuse throughout. Mentions of alcohol abuse, gaslighting and trauma.

Terry Tucker has assumed many roles in his life: from loving husband and father, a talented and rising basketball star in his college years, to fulfilling his dream of working as a hostage negotiator (for a trigger warning, see the bottom of the show notes).  But life had other plans. In a twist of fate, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Yet despite the hardship, pain and daily dread that his cancer poses, Terry holds his head high, puts his family above everything else and participates in a medical trial that might not benefit  him but can help save the lives of others.Nowadays, Terry runs his own company and works as a motivational speaker. Join me in this inspiring talk with Terry who shares his wonderful wisdom on what matters in life and the meaning of sustainable excellence.***TERRY’S WORKYou can contact Terry via LinkedIn here for business or speaking enquiries or just to say hi.You can buy Terry’s book “Sustainable Excellence” on Amazon (USA), Barnes & Noble (e-book and paperback), Amazon (CAN) and other book stores.CONTACT TERRYTerry’s Website: motivationalcheck.comTerry’s Facebook page: Motivational CheckTerry’s LinkedInTerry’s Instagram: @sustainableexcellenceauthorTerry’s X (Twitter): @terrytucker2012Terry’s YouTube Channel ***TRIGGER WARNING: At 38:34 Terry starts telling us a story about a hostage negotiation he once conducted with somebody who attempted suicide. Skip to 40:45 to avoid listening to this section.

Cindy Gersch worked as a successful corporate executive, was a marathon runner and juggled all her commitments while taking care of her two children on her own as her husband was deployed. Then came the diagnosis that would alter the course of her life irrevocably: fibromuscular dysplasia. A journey began that would lead her to unexpectedly losing her job, friends and her husband telling her he wants to separate via a note on Christmas Day. All the while, she experienced physical pain every day.In this very emotional episode, we talk about Cindy’s journey through pain, her enormous love for her children, and the wonderful kindness of one amazing friend.After nearly losing her life to sepsis, she decided to turn her life around completely. Nowadays, she runs her award-winning marketing business NEU Marketing Group and helps support small business owners via her Facebook Group that has more than 15.000 members.***Contact CindyTikTok (most active): @716girlinatlInstagram: @cindygerschmarketingX (Twitter): @716girlinatlEmail: Contact formCindy’s BusinessYou can contact Cindy for motivational speaking bookings via her website.Business Website: NEU Marketing GroupFacebook Page: NEU Marketing GroupIllness SupportNARD: National Organization for Rare Disorders***Trigger Warning: depression, suicidal thoughts, alcohol abuse.

Jane Sagui is the Co-Founder and CEO of the successful health app Pollie, which is revolutionising how PCOS and other chronic health issues are treated. Jane suffered from symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome for years before she received her diagnosis in her early 20s. She found that she had to visit many doctors and conduct her own research to help her design a system of treatment and build a medical team to overcome her health issues. In this episode, we talk about her journey of discovering her illness, the debilitating symptoms along the way and take a fun look at Jungian psychology and personality tests. We also talk about the concept of femininity in society and the social stigma that comes with PCOS. Jane also gives us many insights into how Pollie works and what it takes to run the app successfully.About PollieAfter a successful career in the start up world, Jane came to the conclusion that no women should have to go through the painstakingly long process of building a holistic treatment plan for PCOS. She co-founded the app Pollie which has been successful in helping women manage complex conditions and symptoms in between doctors’ visits.Pollie takes an evidence-backed approach that seeks to treat the root cause of many chronic illnesses, such as PCOS, endometriosis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome. You can find out more about Pollie on their website pollie.co.***Social MediaPollie’s Instagram: @pollie.coPollie’s X: @pollieco Jane’s Instagram: @janesaguiJane’s X: @jsaguiContactEmail Pollie: [email protected]***Trigger WarningBrief mentions of anxiety.

Tragedy struck the day after Brian S. Quinn found out that he had passed the bar exam. At a trial on the next day, he watched his mentor fall on the courtroom floor and have a heart attack. Brian’s life would never be the same again. Having just passed his exams, he took over the law firm in the next few days. Without the necessary training, he never felt good enough to represent his clients. Following decades of alcohol and drug addictions, multiple encounters with law enforcement and a prison sentence, Brian says he is a changed man.***ContactsYou can contact Brian via e-mail: [email protected], Brian works for the Pennsylvania Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers Program. You can visit their website here. The Program runs in other states as well and you can reach them here. For immediate assistance, you can call them on these numbers:651-646-5590 or 1-866-525-6466The ABA website has a list of further assistance programmes here.***Resources:If you or anyone you know suffers from imposter syndrome, alcohol or drug addiction, these resources might be of interest:Trauma: Mind UKDrugs & Alcohol & Addiction: Mind UKDrug & Alcohol Addiction: List of useful contacts in the US (usa.gov) and the UK (Mind UK).***Trigger Warning: Mentions of alcohol and drug addictions, prison sentence, PTSD, Imposter Syndrome. 

Theresa Brown was an English Professor before she became a Registered Nurse and a successful author. Most recently, she published her memoir Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient. We talk about her years going through breast cancer and her thoughts on the health system after seeing it from both sides.Theresa tells us about her years as an oncology and hospice nurse, what it was like to receive her diagnosis and her long road to recovery. Her message is one of compassion and hope. Theresa is now cancer-free and she does not live in fear of the cancer returning. But the fear is there, she says. And the most important thing she can do is to value what she has.***Theresa's Books:You can buy Theresa’s memoir Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient on Amazon (US), Barnes & Noble (US), Amazon (CAN) and Amazon (UK).Also, have a look at Theresa’s other books:The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve Hours, Four Patients’ LivesCritical Care: A New Nurse Faces Death, Life, and Everything in Between***Theresa’s Social MediaInstagram: @theresabrownrn2021X: @TheresaBrown

Lisa Cornwell embraces the label she has been given: She is a Troublemaker. Throughout her life, Lisa has stood up against bullies and authority figures who abuse their power. In this episode, I chat with her about how her life changed when she faced a public smear campaign from her former employer, a Golf TV channel, and how she fought back. Lisa takes us through her memoir “Troublemaker: A Memoir of Sexism, Retaliation and the Fight They Didn’t See Coming” (with a foreword by Hillary Rodham Clinton). She opens up about the toxic workplace environment at the TV channel and makes some pointed remarks on what people can expect when they decide to speak up.We also talk about Lisa’s years growing up. She lets us in on the dark chapters of her life that were marked by her eating disorder and about going from an aspiring golfer to reporting on the sport.Trigger warning: Eating disorder and depression. To avoid listening to this section skip from 00:17:52 to 00:32:36.***Lisa's Book:You can buy Lisa Cornwell’s memoir “Troublemaker” on Amazon (US), Barnes & Noble (US), Amazon (CAN) and Amazon (UK).Lisa's Podcast:Follow Lisa and Karen Crouse’s sports podcast: “The Troublemakers Podcast” on Apple, Spotfiy and anywhere else you get your podcasts.***Lisa’s Social Media:Twitter: LisaMCornwellInstagram: Lisa_Cornwell

Before she became an award-winning memoirist, Ly Tran immigrated to the US at the age of 3, where her life was shaped by the inherited trauma from her father’s experiences as a Vietnam War Veteran and Prisoner of War. Ly’s childhood was spent working in poverty and sweatshop labour from her home in New York. She gradually lost the ability to see properly, leading to her grades deteriorating and her dropping out of college. And yet Ly’s story is  NOT one defined by her darkest periods of depression. Her story is an inspiring journey marked by changes, ambition, intelligence and success.She regained her eyesight, graduated from Columbia University and faced her family’s intergenerational trauma headon by writing about her life in her memoir “House of Sticks”. Her book was selected as one of Vogue’s and NPR’s Best Books of the Year and in this episode, we dive deeper into the many turning points in Ly’s life.***Buy Ly’s memoir “House of Sticks” on Amazon US, Amazon UK and Barnes & Noble (US).Ly’s social media:Instagram (@endingforadverbs)Twitter (@LyTranWrites)***Trigger Warning: Depression, trauma.

Christy Warren served as a firefighter for 25 years until the moment that the trauma she witnessed over the course of her career became unbearable. Having been neglected as a child, Christy was always self-reliant. Keeping a clear mind during intense emergencies came naturally to her. When she would respond to a horrific accident, she would “close the lid” on the experience…until it all came out and she was diagnosed with PTSD. By leaving her career behind, she was able to breathe again but was now faced with a loss of her identity. This is Christy’s story of how fighting her way through flames left her burnt out and her journey of discovering the true value behind being a human.**Buy Christy’s memoir “Flash Point: A Firefighter’s Journey Through PTSD” on Amazon (UK), Amazon (USA)  and Barnes & Noble (USA).Christy's Podcast:Firefighter Deconstructed (Apple / Spotify)Christy's social media:InstagramX (Twitter)**The IAFF has compiled a list of signs of PTSD in firefighters, which you can view here.If you suspect that you or someone you know is suffering from PTSD, please seek help. Here are some websites, you might want to have a look at:PTSD Alliance ADAA PTSD UK Mind 

At the age of 2, Blake’s doctor told his parents that their child would likely never be able to walk. Blake has no lower legs but today he is one of the fastest paralympic runners in the world. In our conversation, Blake talks about how he was questioning life until he realised that he was responsible for finding the strength to achieve his dreams.We talk about what it was like to compete in a sold-out stadium of 85.000 people, most of whom were cheering for his opponent Oscar Pistorius. We also talk about what led him to alcohol and drug abuse, losing his sponsors and a sense of his identity - and how he was eventually able to turn his life around.Trigger Warning: There is brief mention of Blake’s addiction to alcohol and drugs.**Blake’s documentary was released in June 2023 and is called “Abled: The Blake Leeper Story”.Blake’s film “Hollywood Twist” will be coming out in December 2023.You can follow Blake on Instagram (@leepster) and Twitter (@Blake_Leeper). To book Blake as a speaker, go to his website www.leeperruns.com or contact the agency APB on their website. 

As an award-winning war correspondent, Anjan has reported on many of the world’s most dangerous conflicts.  Anjan had become a father shortly before his work as a war correspondent led him to a dangerous conflict zone. We talk about how his work impacted his marriage and ultimately led to the breakup. Anjan gives a gripping account of how close he came to dying in the war zone and his struggles to balance the role of husband/father with a career that might endanger his life.Throughout the episode, we discuss his recent memoir Breakup: A Marriage in Wartime, which he hopes encourages war correspondents to talk more openly about their personal struggles.Trigger Warning: Contains mentions of war and references to killings.You can buy Anjan’s most recent book on Amazon (US) and Barnes & Noble.Other books by Anjan:Stringer: A Reporter's Journey in the CongoBad News: Last Journalists in a DictatorshipAnjan's Twitter account: @anjansun

Alana's life was forever changed following an accident that left her paralysed when she was just 17. Fast-forward to her 20s and Alana was a three-sport phenomenon having won gold for wheelchair basketball with Team USA and alpine skiing at the Paralympics. She talks to us about what her journey to Paralympic success has been like as she struggled with her mental health, grief and further injuries.  Alana tells us how she managed to find acceptance and peace with her new body and credits sports as giving her the power to turn her life around.You can follow Alana on Instagram (@alanathejane) and Twitter (@alananichols21). To book Alana for speaking engagements, visit her website: www.alanajanenichols.com

In the coming episodes you’ll hear about injuries that ended careers at the NFL, being blacklisted for speaking up about toxic cultures in TV reporting and Hollywood, when grief hits you during a race and traumas suffered through shocking incidents and firefighters and children of Vietnam war veterans. You will hear about how a world record holder shifted his mindset after his prosthetic leg fell off in a game, how a PCOS diagnosis can lead to a revolutionary women’s health app, the journey from Fibromuscular dysplasia to creating an award-winning business and an oncology nurse facing a breast cancer diagnosis.For a shorter version, have a look at the Instagram page.