One of my favorite things to do is to celebrate other women who are making big waves in the world... and then my second favorite thing to do is to connect them with other people who NEED TO KNOW these women! 

Hence, this monthly blog post and shout-out sharing a woman in my community you need to know! 

Diann Wingert and I have been circling the online and podcasting world for a hot minute -- and even before I knew her personally, I liked her. I admired her presence. Then, when we finally connected to have a 'get to know you' chat on zoom, I fell madly in love with her vibe -- she is someone who says what she thinks, and commands your attention when she speaks. Go listen to one of her Driven Woman podcast episodes and you'll see what I mean. 

So it's with great pleasure to have Diann in our VIP Community and to showcase her here this month for our Accelerator Spotlight. Keep reading, and I double-dog-dare you to connect with her and follow her as fast as you can. This...

The spirit of a 'can do' attitude will take you very far in life. This notion that 'I can do it!' and 'I'll figure it out' or 'if she can do it, so can I'  is often times more than half the battle when taking on new challenges and getting yourself out of a place you no longer want to be. 

This is the exact attitude Debbie Adams brings to the table in her work as a business coach and trainer inside her PeopleCan training and development company. 

And once you get to know her story, you can see how her own humble beginnings and challenging setbacks have paved the way for her success. For it's not the stock we come from, or the successes we have in life that truly shape our ability to do hard things. It's circle of influence we surround ourselves with and the mindset we keep when the chips are down. 

I've enjoyed learning about Debbie and her apprenticeship model of teaching and learning. Take a minute to learn from her and her success. 

APRIL: Let's start...

I always like to say doing story work is like peeling an onion. 

As you go, you remove each layer, revealing more stories you have to tell. 

This is certainly the case with Becky Burroughs. When I first met Becky, she didn't think she had a story to tell. Like so many of the women I meet, she thought her story was worthless -- not important to tell. But as we began our work together, Becky began peeling back the layers of her onion. 

Now, Becky is one of the 14 authors who've come together to write their story in our community collaborative book, Elevate Your Voice.

And before the book has even officially published, Becky has already begun working with a publisher to write and publish her first solo book this year. 

Becky is on the move! Her work as a leadership coach for women in ministry has seemingly been set ablaze with passion as a result of Becky doing her own story work! 

Nowadays, you can find her live-streaming, creating Instagram reels,...

There are some people you cross in life who, no-matter-what, always make you feel better after being around them. This is Trainer Dane Boyle. 

Dane's magic touch is making people feel like anything is possible; whatever they are dreaming of is achievable. 

This health & wellness expert and life coach is all about positive empowerment. His key phrase is "go be amaZing!" 

Ever since Dane made his way into the LIGHTbeamers Community, and our Visibility Accelerator, we've watched him reach more and more people with his positive energy, candid stories, and dedication to helping others live their best lives. 

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APRIL: Let's start with a little introduction. Tell everyone a bit more about you & share a piece of your journey.

TRAINER DANE: Stop for a minute…
I want to share something with you.

Where I am today is not where I was yesterday.

Life is a 4-letter word. Yes it is. I have...

When someone has a career in the same industry for over 30 years, they are worth a closer look! This is a person who has stamina, passion, and a whole-lotta wisdom to share! 

Let me introduce you to Phyllis Pieri - a franchising expert who helps people start, build, and buy franchises. But there is so much more to this story than just business (there always is!) -- Phyllis knows exactly where this passion comes from, and much of it was instilled in her at a very young age. 

Phyllis also has a big heart for helping more women start their own businesses (using the franchise model), for as you'll read below, her story took her down the path of single momhood and owning her own business is something that saved her during a difficult time! 

Inside our Community, we've watched Phyllis show up on message over again -- there's no question she knows what she's talking about and the passion she carries for her work is palpable. 

These are the people we love spotlighting on...

When was the last time you looked long and hard at yourself in the mirror and met the woman staring back at you with love and compassion? 

The stories we tell ourselves, inside our head and in our self-talk, are the most important stories we will ever tell. 

This is why I love the work of Nicole Herman, and her particular journey from self-loathing to self-discovery, and finally to full self-acceptance. 

Nicole is a beautiful member of our Community, and an avid student of storytelling! You'll see by her spotlight feature below how doing the inner work has led to her biggest transformation, which has transformed the outer view! 

I'm thrilled to feature Nicole this month as our Accelerator Spotlight, and it's our hope you'll be able to see a piece of yourself in her story! 

APRIL: Let's start with a little introduction. Tell everyone a bit more about you & share a piece of your journey.

NICOLE: In 2012 I found it necessary to walk away from toxic...

When you have a story that is deep, dark, painful, and full of wounds... it feels impossible to share. 

The shame and the re-living of details can pull you down into a spiral, freezing your voice in that moment in time. 

This is the healing and transformative work of storytelling. 

Learning to use that story for something that is good, healing, hopeful and inspiring takes you miles from that dark place you once existed. 

This is the story of Melinda Kunst. 

When she first entered the Lightbeamers world, she was beginning to figure out how to use her story to help others. Specifically, she wanted to improve her video skills for social media. 

In the span of time she's been in our Community, and a member of our Visibility Accelerator, her confidence has grown exponentially. She went from a message that was a little all over the map to becoming laser focused on her work helping others have Hope When There Was None.  

Melinda's story started in that...

Sometimes people fall in your lap in the wildest ways. 

Terri Ann Heiman landed in the LIGHTbeamers world after hearing me speak in a Clubhouse room (which is hysterical to me because this was one of only a handful of times I've actually played on Clubhouse). 

We immediately connected via DM and began a conversation around Terri's desire to get her story out to more people and grow her visibility around her work as a Spiritual teacher and mentor. 

The tools of her trade have been so helpful in healing and navigating her own life, she is passionate about getting this information to more people! 

Over the past year, it's been really fun to watch Terri implement the story techniques we teach inside our Visibility Accelerator and explore being more authentic and vulnerable with her audience. 

I've noticed a big change in how Terri approaches her online messaging on her social channels and in her weekly Podcast. She also used amazing storytelling to launch her...

Product-based business owners seem to struggle with storytelling more than service-based business owners.... Often, we find the business owner hiding behind the products... not really comoing forward to share the story of how the products have impacted people's lives!

Stephanie Talia's story is a reminder that everybody has a story -- and sharing that story can be helpful to other people.... even if you are sharing a product as part of your relief-package!! 

As you'll read in this month's Accelerator Spotlight -- Stephanie is using her story to help other people who suffer from skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and other debilitating skin outbreaks. 

Stephanie first got into the LIGHTbeamers world when she attended one of our Storytelling Symposium's in Dallas, TX. She's been involved in several of our group coaching programs and is now a member of our Visibility Accelerator, where she continues to hone her craft around storytelling so she can reach more people --...

It has been an added-bonus in my life to get to meet some of the amazing women who walk through my Community and begin sharing their story. 

I've watched Tami VanHoy rise to share her story with such passion and conviction because of how grounded she is in her faith & identity. It's inspiring. 

Tami spreads a message today that is calling women to stop living with their hair on fire, and instead, light their heart on fire! 

I hope you fall in love with her story as much as I have! 

APRIL: Let's start with a little introduction. Tell everyone a bit more about you & share a piece of your journey. 

TAMI: Nana. That's what my biggest fans call me! I have 6 grands with #7 on the way, and of all the titles I've had, this one is my favorite. Other titles I've answered to include: mom (I've raised 4 who call me that!), wife, entrepreneur, business owner, founder, CEO, Mindset / Business Coach, Speaker, employee and yes...daughter and sister. But my story...