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Our children are borrowed. They are not ours. It is our duty, our role, our most important thing to empower them and raise them right. -Katie Wood

The woman you are about to meet was a guest on The Story Behind Her Success in the summer of 2019. When we recorded her story, she was expecting her 4th child and that episode continues to be one of our most downloaded shows. The community of women who admire Katie Wood and consider her a wise coach and role model is quite stunning. A former school teacher, Katie has devoted her career to helping women reach their full potential through her vibrant social media presence, robust website: www.katielwood.com and inspiring public speaking platform. When Covid-19 caused families to go into lockdown in March of 2020, Katie joined millions of parents struggling to home school their children. The proud wife of a local firefighter and paramedic, Katie also endured the extra worry for her husband’s safety while he was on the front lines, providing treatment to patients on their way to emergency rooms. When Kate’s daughter saw her meditating one morning, she said “can you teach me how to have great mornings, too?” and in that moment, Kate’s next big project was hatched. She created A Simple Seed of Growth, Gratitude & Giggles. www.simpleseedjournal.com. Filled with 100 life lessons, the book is a 5 minute morning journal for kids. Recorded in Katie’s kitchen as her two year old son, Andrew played outside with his Dad, this breakthrough book might be exactly what you child needs to find peace, confidence and a new understanding that adversity can be a great teacher. Says Katie: “The goal of this journal is to bring families together, to connect them through beautiful conversations.” #podcast #thestorybehindhersuccess #asimpleseedjournal #gratitude

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I have created for other women what I know I needed, which is a platform to be seen and to be heard and to be celebrated for being just who you are. -Kristie Dean

We all know what it means to receive healing from medicine, but how do you mend a broken heart? How do you heal your soul? Enter Kristie Dean. The mother of three young girls and a gifted photographer, it wasn’t that long ago when she was sitting in a parking lot in tears, feeling like she had lost her way. Now the Founder & Director of The Soul Project in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, she is thriving in a community she created that inspires her and so many women, every single day. What started as a safe place where women could come together to tell their stories of struggle, triumph and hope has now expanded to include adolescent workshops and partnerships with survivor led organizations, all working in symphony to heal and empower women once caught up in prostitution and sex trafficking. The Soul Project also extends its heart and hands to widows, widowers and children who have lost a parent. Says Kristie: “Souls hang on to pain. We’re giving women a safe platform so that they can release that shame and pain and move on into their most empowered selves.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:00 — 22.0MB) | Embed

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Bad things can happen. Good things can happen. But how do you conduct yourself and I don’t mean putting on a facade. How do you take care of you? -Tara West

Childhood trauma can linger for a lifetime. It can kill your self-confidence, leaving you to wonder if you are worth it. Or, it can ignite a fire, deep down inside and propel you to break free. Welcome to the life of Tara West www.tarawestfashion.com. Today, she is one of the nation’s most successful stylists and fashion bloggers, but it wasn’t so long ago that she was cleaning up broken, bloodly glass off the floor, calling 911, and trying to rescue her alcoholic mother from her self-destructive behavior. In truth, things got so bad that Tara ran for her life one night and never looked back. Buoyed by the love of her grandmother, her uncle and her 3rd grade teacher, she knew that she was an innocent child and that both her mother and her father had failed miserably as parents. In this interview, Tara speaks openly about a childhood that could have scared her forever. She chronicles how she broke free from her mother, how she made her way in life despite the odds, how she loves being the mother of three, and is enjoying her career as an in-demand stylist, fashionista and podcaster. Says Tara: “Don’t wait for opportunity. Create opportunity. “ #fashion #stylist #fashionblogger