Featured Authors

Steven Lawrence Biegel, AIA, is an acclaimed registered architect and American Institute of Architects member. He has over 40 years of expertise and his architectural designs can be seen all over the country. He currently serves as the Director of Architecture at the Austin, Texas-based firm, PLACE Designers, and is the CEO of The Matrix Design Companies. Formerly, he was Vice President of the National Institute of Building Sciences in Washington, D.C.

Biegel is widely known in the Washington, D.C., Florida and Texas architectural communities for his leadership abilities and large-scale project management skills. He is an advocate for energy conservation and sustainable design. He is the author of Profit by Design: Essays on Managing a Profitable Architectural & Engineering Practice, and the portion of the Encyclopedia of Architecture, Design & Construction entitled “Roofing and Roofing Systems” which was published by McGraw-Hill in 1988.

Kimmy K. Powell is a mentor, author, speaker, angel investor, and serial entrepreneur with 30+ years of expertise building and scaling multiple 7-figure businesses. Her expertise spans a diverse portfolio of construction to luxury hospitality. Today, Kimmy is a vocal advocate for young, passionate, budding entrepreneurs providing them framework and momentum in their early ventures.

She was born in Dayton, Ohio, and graduated from the University of Dayton with a B.S. in Computer Science. Her early experience with IBM and Lexis/Nexis helped shape her professional expertise and business acumen. In 1991, she joined her husband and founded several companies in Construction and Commercial Real Estate. After relocating to Charleston in 2014, she began a career in hospitality and currently owns two 9,000 sq. ft. luxury spas (Woodhouse Spas, Inc.) in Charleston, South Carolina, and a 6,000 sq. ft. location in Franklin, Tennessee. She will be opening the doors to a 6,000 sq. ft. location in Savannah, Georgia in late 2023.

She and her husband of over 30 years, Keith, have raised three sons who have flourished into their own ventures. She splits her time between their residences in Downtown Charleston and Fripp Island, S.C. In her free time, she enjoys reading, boating, traveling, mentoring, writing, and spending time with friends and family. She lends her time and talents to the Harbour Club Executive Committee Board, The College of Charleston Board of Governors, The American Lung Association, and many more community and philanthropic endeavors.

Step into the shoes of Paul P. Rachmanides as he takes you on a remarkable adventure from a quiet Greek village to the bustling streets of the United States. The story begins with a young boy gazing at the sky, dreaming of a life beyond his village. Little did he know that this dream would set the course for a life filled with extraordinary experiences and monumental achievements.

Jenn Foster and Melanie Johnson are each Wall Street Journal, USA Today, & #1 International Bestselling Authors. Together, they own and operate Elite Online Publishing, Authority in Every Word. With an impressive list of accomplishments, Jenn Foster and Melanie Johnson are unstoppable business women, who have achieved remarkable success

Jenn is a successful entrepreneur with a proven track record, owning over twenty retail stores, a digital marketing company, and a web design company. She is dedicated to helping business owners use powerful and new online marketing platforms to get visibility, traffic, leads, and customers, and achieve bestselling author.

Melanie has spent many years as owner and operator of two independent TV stations in Texas, honing skills in business, media, marketing, and advertising, that earned her both recognition on camera and behind the scenes. Other accomplishments include TEDx speaker and Miss Michigan.

As speakers and consultants, they share their invaluable expertise around the country. On top of this impressive list of feats, they have published over 3000 books and all of their authors became #1 bestsellers. They host two popular podcasts: Elite Expert Insider and Elite Publishing Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, and several other media outlets. Both women are single moms that enjoy spending time with their children, traveling, and exploring the great outdoors.

Lee Glover, a fifth-generation farmer on Johns Island, has a deep-rooted connection to the land,

from his island childhood in the 1950s to witness the island’s transformation. In his book Field Trip, Glover takes readers on a captivating journey through Johns Island’s rich history, preserving its unique heritage and highlighting the enduring bond among its people.

With firsthand experience, Glover played a role in the drastic changes that shaped the island’s landscape, from the tomato industry’s peak in the 1980s to its eventual decline by 2000. Beyond farming, Glover extended his reach by packing, selling, and shipping his products, collaborating with farmers from Florida, Kentucky, and Belize. While no longer tending the land, Glover finds joy in his family his church, and staying connected to long-time friends. Through his enthusiastic voice and wealth of experiences, Lee Glover brings Johns Island’s vibrant stories to life.

Stephanie P. Kemp is an award-winning choreographer, teacher, mentor, author, and no-nonsense CEO. A self-proclaimed business junky, her obsession with the service industry catapulted her early success from start-up to scale-up, proving service—great service—is relationship driven. She believes it is the responsibility of mentors, coaches, and business owners alike to help everyone in their organization see past limitations, set high expectations, and earn their worth.

Not a fan of the “everyone gets a trophy generation,” she is outspoken and direct about her views on competition and complacency. Her motto “Do Better” is her personal and professional theme song—a song that she plays on loop in her daily life.

A serial entrepreneur, she has used her time-tested techniques, strategies, and lessons to not only sustain her seven- and eight-figure businesses but endure and thrive for over three decades. Her specialized “Wealth” formula has allowed her to live a life of abundance on her terms in alignment with her goals and her dreams.

Not a mathematician, scholar, or MBA, she is proof positive that you too can build a successful life filled with passion and purpose. Her message to fellow entrepreneurs, “You’re not selfish.” A life showered with personal and professional achievements is not only possible—it’s imperative.

Dr. Dorine Rivers, “River” to her friends, literally grew up on North and South American rivers rafting wild whitewater rapids, basking in the sun, and sleeping under a canopy of brilliant constellations. She transferred by osmosis her enthusiasm for the outdoors to her five children (all successful in their own right now) and her 20 grandchildren.
River has an undergraduate degree in creative writing, a Ph.D. in Business Management, Investment Banking and General Contractor licenses, and a few other degrees and certifications in between. She is the CEO of Alpha 81 Inc., an Arizona-based firm successfully supporting corporate innovations, expansions, and exits in software, technology, medical, life/health sciences, education, and other industries.
Her expertise is in strategic planning and management, and in building effective business infrastructures by creating and identifying growth opportunities and providing advisory services.
Her award-winning writing, photography, and graphic design have been published in books, magazines, newspapers, brochures, and advertisements. She is also a screenwriter and producer, as well as a developer of online educational courses.
She loves cooking, adventure photography, and is an avid biker, hiker, and water-sports lover.
Her everyday motto for living is based on Helen Keller’s quote: 

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Lynda Paul is the owner, founder, and chief investment advisor of Sound Money Management, Inc., RIA, an independent Registered Investment Advisory firm in San Antonio, Texas. With an undergraduate degree in corporate finance from Ball State University and a master’s degree in finance and marketing from Keller Graduate School of Management, Lynda is celebrating 28 years serving the needs of her clients in a spectacular way, operating her firm as a fiduciary. Lynda believes that when it comes to choosing a financial planner, independence, trust, and competence are foundational virtues. She has helped more than 500 clients achieve their financial goals and manages millions of dollars for her clients around the country.

Over the past decades, Lynda has served several organizations in the Chicagoland area with passion and honor including being a fundraiser for Red Nose Day to help spread awareness and to end child poverty, Roots & Wings, a young men’s ministry she founded in 2001 – creating the Jabez Project, Chair of the Finance Committee for the YWCA Board of Directors, and from 2011-2017, she served as an elected member of the College of Lake County Board of Trustees.

As a former Division I collegiate basketball player, Lynda has combined her passions for financial planning and athletic endeavors to create an inspiring and informative book about the importance of financial literacy entitled Making Sound Money Moves: Financial Handbook for All Jocks – 43 Reasons Professional Athletes Have Jacked-Up Financial Lives and What You Can Learn from Their Foul Plays. Her goal for this book is “to inspire young people to improve their financial IQ and relationship with money, and to help them understand that money decisions made today will impact their future.”

Lynda is married to Cliffton Paul, Sr., a retired police officer and Navy veteran, and they have three wonderful Millennial sons: Cliff Jr., Brandon, and Darius. In her leisure time, Lynda enjoys hiking, whitewater rafting, teaching Zumba and cardio-kickboxing, and reading up on financial planning strategies while hanging out at the beach.

Lynda speaks to audiences around the country on various topics on financial literacy, financial planning, and leaving a financial legacy. Her firm’s Form ADV is available upon request.

Joel is the founder of FinWizdom and an adult financial literacy facilitator. He is an accomplished financial content developer, educator, and trailblazer in applying behavioral finance to connect with an audience.

Joel is known for his keen ability to infuse behavioral economics when building content, messaging and deliverables that are relevant, engaging and shareable to a wide range of audiences. His career has spanned across many financial firms with household names. In addition, he has helped dozens of entrepreneurs and middle-sized organizations achieve desired growth and their goals–helping them sell more products, to more people, more often. He also teaches as an adjunct professor and presents at events large and small, but what is closest to Joel’s heart is helping all walks of life attain financial well-being.

With extensive financial marketing experience in banking, investments and insurance, he offers a unique perspective to financial literacy. In addition to consulting for financial industry pioneers and giants, Joel is the host of the FinWizdom podcast series—an exploration of how your emotions influence your ability to manage money. He uses storytelling to explain investment concepts and various psychological biases that impact financial decision-making. His mission is to help individuals and organizations recognize behavioral risks and learn how to accommodate, not ignore, them.

Joel has several degrees and certificates obtained from Hofstra University, Pace University, New York University and Rutgers University. These range from a BBA and MBA in Marketing, a Certificate in Behavioral Finance and a Mini-MBA in Social Media Marketing.

He has residence in both New York City and in the vicinity of Charlotte, NC, and he takes advantage of what both have to offer in terms of culture, entertainment, foodie options, tennis and hiking adventures—often with his wife of more than 15 years. And when not out exploring, he is a voracious reader in a wide range of genres and continues to expand his knowledge around behavioral economics.

Sabrina Lloyd is a Canadian entrepreneur, executive coach, and multi-millionaire living in Chicago. She leads with courage and strength and works to equip people with what they really need to succeed. Using the right tools and knowledge, she empowers people to become the courageous and strong leaders they were meant to be.

Sabrina received an Honours Bachelor of Life Science from the University of Toronto. She completed a double major in Science and Religion. Studying these two vastly different topics taught her how to think the way she does. She believes that holding two opposing ideas in your head teaches you to become more open-minded and still grow in conviction at the same time. It’s a philosophy that she holds close to her in both her personal life and her business successes. 

After taking courses with some of the top professors in the world to become proficient in business, innovation, and leadership, Sabrina started her career at American Income Life and quickly rose as a top 10 producer in her first year and continuously broke records. She then went on to found L.L.O.Y.D. Agencies, her own division of American Income Life. It has since been voted one of Chicago’s best places to work and is one of the fastest-growing AIL members. Sabrina loves working with strong people and is proud to say that everyone at L.L.O.Y.D. Agencies pushes her physically, mentally, relationally, and spiritually to be the leader that she is today. The most important thing to her is to be able to think for yourself—to change, grow, and separate from the pack. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. It’s where creativity and freedom truly exist. 

Sabrina’s newest endeavor, writing, has manifested itself in her first book, Stand Alone: How to Be an Extraordinary Leader. She takes her experience as a self-made successful business leader to guide her readers on how to live a life of significance and influence. Sabrina hopes that this book will change her readers’ mindsets on how they see themselves, and to realize that they have unlimited power within themselves that can be tapped into by just learning how to think differently. 

When she’s not working, Sabrina enjoys traveling, reading, and cooking. She is a student by nature and loves learning any new skill that she can think of. More than anything, she loves being a mother to her three beautiful children.

Donna Peters is a seasoned executive coach, lecturer, and author. As Founder of The Me-Suite, Peters helps career-driven professionals take control of the life they want to live. Peters believes each of us needs a C-Suite mentality to lead our own lives with more purpose, planning, and power–like C-Suites lead the companies we most admire. Peters knows we each need a Me-Suite mindset to marshal our personal core values, keep our day-to-day running smoothing, and stay fresh and relevant for the future we want to have.

Formerly a senior partner in Management Consulting, Peters hosts the top-ranking podcast, The Me-Suite, 2021 finalist for both Best Business Podcast and People’s Choice Award. She is faculty for the Executive MBA program at Emory’s Goizueta School of Business and certified through the International Coaching Federation.

She has been a guest speaker, panelist, and faculty member covering a variety of professional and personal development topics, including leading with a me-suite mindset, the power of creating options, leading in a pack of alpha dogs, and putting your network to work. Peters is a frequent contributor to Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global community.

Peters holds an MBA with Distinction from Cornell’s Johnson School, an MFA in Acting from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, an Executive Coaching Diploma from Emory University, and a BA from Davidson College.

Some of her more unusual accomplishments include playing a role in George Lucas’ “Radioland Murders,” performing a one-woman show off-off-Broadway, visiting 45+ countries, gardening with heirloom seeds, and weight-lifting.

Peters’ core values are Curiosity, Freedom, and Respect.

JT Mestdagh is a young entrepreneur and inspirational speaker based in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. A graduate of High Point University in North Carolina, Mestdagh is also an experienced mountaineer, extreme skier, boater, hunter, and adventurer who has made it his life mission to encourage people to untether from natural or self-imposed limitations and live full, passionate lives.

Born with life-threatening VATER/VACTERL syndrome, and extreme dyslexia and short-term memory loss, Mestdagh established the JT Mestdagh Foundation to bring encouragement, joy, and laughter to people with physical and learning disabilities and to their families. Proceeds of book sales support the foundation’s efforts to provide tangible assistance and to encourage people to never, never, never give up.

Johnny Sirpilla is an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He speaks professionally to businesses, communities, and universities on the importance of managing thoughts, internal honest reflection to develop meaningful professional and personal relationships, and re-framing each challenge in your life as an opportunity for self-development and growth. Johnny is the owner of Encourage LLC and the retired President and Chief Business Development Officer of Camping World and Good Sam. He currently runs his family office, Encourage LLC, which has holdings in several industries including e-commerce consolidations, fashion, and interior design, spirit brands, senior housing, med-tech devices, and population health management. In his leadership focus, he serves on many public/private company boards as well as volunteer boards for many organizations. Johnny has been married to his college sweetheart, Susan, for over 30 years and has three grown children, Beau, Bella, and Stone. They reside in Canton, Ohio, and Naples, Florida with their two dogs, Ted and Luna-Mae.

Amy Lawrence is the CEO of Gourmet Done Skinny. She combines her talents and love of cooking to produce healthy gourmet recipes for her company and food blog GourmetDoneSkinny.com. The tea room and restaurant she owned was voted “Best Small Tea Room in the USA” in 2004, a testament to her style and skillfulness as an entrepreneur. Amy has been an instructor for the World Tea Expo, Northwest Tea Festival, and a special guest on the Weight Loss Made Real Podcast. She has written fourteen books, traveled the world with her family, and is a proud member of the eWomen Network.

Jamey‎ Rootes has been one of Houston’s leading executives for more than two decades. He currently serves as President of the Houston Texans and is responsible for all business functions of the club. Under his leadership, the Texans have consistently been recognized as one of the most valuable professional sports franchises both in the NFL and globally.

During Rootes’ tenure, the Texans have earned many distinctions, including numerous “Crystal Awards” and most recently two American Business Awards for marketing excellence. Following the 2019 NFL season, the Texans extended their sellout game streak to 185 consecutive home games – a Houston NFL record.

He also serves as President of Lone Star Sports & Entertainment (LSSE), a sports management agency associated with the Texans. LSSE has been a catalyst for some of Houston’s most significant sporting events, including an annual college football bowl game and numerous international soccer matches.

In 2019, Rootes was selected as one of Houston Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs. Earlier this year, Rootes was recognized as the 2020 Steinberg/DeNicola NFL Humanitarian of the Year.

He also oversees the activities of the Houston Texans Foundation, whose mission is to be “Champions for Youth,” which has donated more than $35 million. Recently, Rootes co-chaired the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund, which has raised over $17 million to support the most vulnerable individuals and families affected by the pandemic in the Houston community.

Prior to joining the Texans, Rootes helped to launch Major League Soccer as the president and general manager of the Columbus Crew.

Rootes graduated Cum Laude from Clemson University’s Calhoun Honors College. While earning a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) with honors at Indiana University, he served as an assistant soccer coach for the Hoosiers. Rootes previously held positions at IBM and Procter & Gamble.

He resides in Houston with his wife, Melissa, and their children, Chris and Caroline.

Tracey Greene-Washington is President of Indigo Innovation Group, where she serves as a strategic thought partner, advisor, coach and consultant to philanthropic, nonprofit, and public/private sectors. In addition to her systems-level work at Indigo Innovation Group, Tracey is the founder of CoThinkk, a social change philanthropy organization committed to shifting the economic mobility, health, education, and leadership narrative of communities of color in Western North Carolina. A powerhouse in strategic innovation and collaboration, her work amplifies her commitment to accelerating change through systems-level approaches to achieving equity for communities at the intersection of community economic development, health, education, and leadership development.

She has a love for French culture and served on the American Hospital of Paris Foundation board for many years organizing the Ambassadors of the American Hospital. She also co-founded the American Friends of the Marmottan Monet Museum Foundation and launched outreach programs for increasing private American funding to support the arts in France. Linda and her husband regularly spend time at their summer home, Château d’Aptot in Normandy, France, with their rescue pets, donkeys; Zebby and Presidente, and dogs; Kaiser and Kristy.

Sara Stamford is a fast-rising creative author full of great, purpose-inspired stories. Her commitment to crafting novels that center on often overlooked societal themes and characters with a keen focus on female empowerment, inclusion, reversing stereotypes, and promoting deeper understanding, sets Sara apart from other new authors.

She currently spends her time between the United States and Europe.

Mark Merkley is an author and retired university instructor. He has a MA and BA in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication from Brigham Young University. Mark was trained formally as a technical writer and has recently delved into the world of creative writing. He believes that humor within creative storytelling possesses greater emotional opportunity to provide readers personal understanding of characters and their experience with complex issues.

An avid reader, Mark first received his inspiration for Sandra’s Syndrome from a character in Kathy Reichs’ bestselling novel, Bones Never Lie. After spending several years cultivating the idea in his mind, he decided to start writing it two days after his retirement. It is controversial. However, religion and science must engage common ground to understand the misunderstood and accept the uncommon. That common ground is the battlefield for the victory of social acceptance and inclusion.

When Mark is not behind a computer, he spends time playing softball and basketball; he enjoys puzzles and decision-making problems. Mark hosts uproarious parties and game nights for his friends. They bond over their love for travel, new experiences, fine tastes, and adventure. Love and acceptance are consistent.

Linda Barrett is an international lawyer and a Texas native, with degrees in philosophy, logic, and law from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas Law School. She has practiced law for more than 40 years. Her legal work has taken her all over the globe. Linda founded the Houston BARC Foundation to initiate large scale private funding for improving the quality of care and adoption rate of abandoned animals in the city’s municipal animal shelter.

She has a love for French culture and served on the American Hospital of Paris Foundation board for many years organizing the Ambassadors of the American Hospital. She also co-founded the American Friends of the Marmottan Monet Museum Foundation and launched outreach programs for increasing private American funding to support the arts in France. Linda and her husband regularly spend time at their summer home, Château d’Aptot in Normandy, France, with their rescue pets, donkeys; Zebby and Presidente, and dogs; Kaiser and Kristy.

Jennifer Goodman raised four children and is a grandmother of one (so far). She has an MEd and teaches middle school language arts at a private school in Southern California. She is “in-doors-y” and enjoys jigsaw puzzles, watching Dodger games, and doing 16-square sudoku. But when she is outdoors, she likes riding bikes at the beach or just sitting on the beach watching the waves.

Alvin Adjei is an American author and practicing lawyer. He is also the former President of the Houston Young Lawyers Association (HYLA.) Under his leadership, HYLA received recognition from the State Bar of Texas and the Texas Young Lawyers Association. Alvin has been consistently recognized since 2018 as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine, as well as receiving their Top 100 Rising Stars and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America distinctions in 2022. Alvin founded his practice, Burritt Adjei PLLC, in 2018. He is deeply committed to his job and clients, representing them in personal injury and criminal defense cases. Prior to opening his own practice, Alvin practiced law at Abraham Watkins Nichols Sorrels Agosto Aziz, where he gained substantial experience in all aspects of litigation. He also worked at the Harris County District Attorney’s office, where he was quickly promoted to Chief of County Criminal Court 6.

Alvin Adjei is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School, where he received the annual Jon Krupnick award for excellence in the art of Trial Advocacy. He now serves as a guest instructor for their Intensive Trial Advocacy Course. Alvin resides in Houston, Texas, where he stays active building his law practice, training for marathon races, and spending time with his family.

Ms. Cohen is a managing director at a large global consulting and technology company. Spending time with dozens of companies, she has seen both incredible collaborations, as well as those stifled by professionals who seemed to have forgotten that the journey towards greatness is as important as the greatness itself. Equally important, the journey may affect how great the outcomes can be.

Ms. Cohen was named a Luminary by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, which recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on the healthcare industry, serve as a role model, actively mentor others, exhibit dedication to the industry, and consistently demonstrate exceptional leadership.

Outside her industry work, Ms. Cohen creates and leads workshops on the topic of bringing the rules of improvisational comedy to the workplace, for the purpose of creating the most collaborative and innovative work environment possible.

Ms. Cohen graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and a theme in Fine Arts/Theatre. It was in college where she became exposed to improvisational comedy, cast in an improv group called Titanic Players alongside a mighty cast of hilarious actors, who performed regularly.

Today, Ms. Cohen lives on the East Coast with her husband, kids, and their family dog.

Robert M. Brantner is currently working as both a captain and a line check airman for a major US airline. He started his flying career as a bush pilot in Alaska, which later led to a job as a pilot for Trans World Airlines. He spent four years with TWA before he landed his dream job, working for the airline he flies for today.

Bob was born in Southern California and attended high school there before heading to Arizona for college. After graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he moved to Alaska when he got his first flying job as a bush pilot. During his time in Alaska, Bob first tried his hand at writing, penning a memoir on his experiences flying Cessnas in the untamed Alaskan wilderness.

All throughout his flying career, Bob has continued to write. He penned several (unpublished) manuscripts. It was after Bob’s completion of Claus: The Untold Story of Kris Kringle, that he decided to work with his younger sister (and editor), Taylor Brantner, on cleaning up the story until it was fit for publication. After some success with Claus, Bob dug out his previously edited (however, unpublished) manuscript of Five Hundred Feet. He teamed again with Taylor and re-edited the material. The reception of Five Hundred Feet was terrific and still is selling strong.

Bob’s mother’s first job was as a stewardess in 1965 working for United Airlines. Through her experiences, Bob’s mom Deni, instilled in him a lifelong passion for aviation. His latest novel, Skyheist is more than just an exciting aviation adventure, but is an homage to aviation’s golden age of the 1960’s.

Bob is a certificated Airline Transport Pilot and is type rated in the Beech 1900, Boeing 737, 757, 767, Airbus A320 and A220, as well as the DC-9. He is also a rated Flight Engineer. Bob served in the Flight Engineer position working on the Boeing 727 during his time at TWA. He also holds a commercial sea plane rating that he obtained while in Alaska.

Skyheist is Bob’s fourth published book. He wrote the afore mentioned Five Hundred Feet Above Alaska and My Year as an Alaskan Bush Pilot, drawing from his experiences flying in “The Last Frontier.”

Bob is married to Kelly Kaczka Brantner and they have one daughter, Madison, and a dog, Fergus. They live just outside of Annapolis, Maryland.

Sam George is a master at two things: discerning trends before they are recognized as trends and communicating these ideas to the public at large.

He is the co-author of The Great Divide: Retro vs. Metro America, the first book to name and bring awareness of the cultural rift in America, which has become a war. The Great Divide received national press coverage, including reviews in the New York Times, Newsweek, the Los Angeles Times, and a presentation to National Press Club that was covered by C-SPAN.
In 1995, Sam was hired to put together the strategy to legalize marijuana. The program was in part funded by George Soros. Sam’s focus groups and polls showed that the only way to “legalize” marijuana was to “medicalize” it first. Another funder, John Sperling, Founder of the University of Phoenix, described it as a “genius” idea. It worked. A total of thirty-three states have approved medical marijuana and ten states have legalized marijuana.

Sam now splits his time between writing and digital communication. He specializes in advocacy, marketing, and fundraising for nonprofits and corporations. He also leads an entirely online yoga company, YMEDICA, which educates yoga teachers on medical yoga

James McEachin is a Silver Star, Purple Heart veteran of the Korean War, an accomplished actor, and an award-winning author. Known as “Jimmy Mack” in the music industry, McEachin was a producer, songwriter, and eventually owner of the record label Mack IV best known for the doo-wop group, The Furys. Because of his long-held moniker in the industry, some speculate James McEachin to be the Jimmy Mack Martha (Reeves) and the Vandellas cried for in their hit song.

McEachin, having appeared in nearly 200 movies and television shows is perhaps best known for his roles on Perry Mason, Matlock, Play Misty for Me, First Monday, and his NBC series Tenafly. He has authored six novels, multiple screenplays, and his one-man play, entitled Above the Call; Beyond the Duty which opened at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The two-hour play has been seen in places as far away as Kuwait.

In 2005 McEachin was appointed a US Army Reserve Ambassador and spent his free time speaking to soldiers, veterans, and America. In late 2006 he produced the film short Old Glory, a film short for the soldier, veteran, and patriot in us all.

He continues to speak for the veterans who may no longer have a voice to speak for themselves.

Currently, he is in discussion with two production companies regarding his award-winning novel, Tell Me A Tale.

John Reger is a successful entrepreneur and is currently the owner of ten businesses. He was born in Guam and grew up in Houston, Texas. John is goal-oriented and has a hunger to reach for success every day. His businesses range in a variety of shopping centers, clothing lines, window tinting, buildings, and HDS rental homes. He has amazing relations with commercial businesses who have partnered with him such as Hot Topic, Party City, Spirit Halloween, and hundreds of other outlets nationwide. His business is recognized internationally in the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, and New Zealand.

John dropped out of school at the age of fifteen, and he began his entrepreneurship journey at the age of eighteen. He was determined to exceed expectations beyond recognition and was a firm believer in “never doing just enough.” He considers himself an engineer designer, contractor, and businessman all in one. This kind of ambition has taken the young entrepreneur beyond the roots of intellect by becoming a perspicacious achiever and a champion. Throughout his trials, John learned to ameliorate success in his failures. He took risks that ended up costing him fortunes, and even when those losses seem to have castigated him, his determination to rise above the error branded him as a true master of entrepreneurship.

John considers himself as a private man who rarely shows himself in news and media outlets. Instead, John stays behind the scenes, blithely away from the world in order to focus on what truly matters, such as his wife, kids, and his businesses. A contributing factor to John’s entrepreneurship experiences was his father. He considers his father being “the smartest man in the world,” and was his mentor in his late adolescent years until his young adult life. John enjoys sharing his knowledge with other entrepreneurs. He wrote the book Don’t Talk for Free, about his successes and sales techniques.

Aside from his many achievements, John’s hobbies are car racing and boxing. He enjoys collecting exotic cars but also enjoys a casual life by driving his truck or Jeep Cherokee on a daily basis. He enjoys spending time with his six wonderful children and his beautiful wife.

After returning from Desert Storm and serving as a quality control aircraft mechanic with Lockheed Martin, Brad took a position with the local police department in Junction City, Kansas. He worked cases involving everything from stolen bicycles to homicide, developed the Gang Intelligence Unit, and even acted as a liaison to the FBI to assist in the investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. From there, he moved to the Manhattan Police Department in Riley County, Kansas, and after a few short years was promoted to detective. With the RCPD, Brad developed the Hi-Tech Crimes Investigation Unit shortly after the birth of the internet and, working with a team of nerds, lawyers, judges, white hat hackers, and officers, was involved in the initial stages of what is now Computer Forensics. His assignments spanned over all major crimes, and he served as a liaison to the DEA working narcotics, and on the JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force) after the events of September 11th, 2001.

After retirement, Brad has gone on to continue in the roles for public service. He developed his own company, Forensic Solutions Inc. which has divisions that work in Computer Forensics, Voice Stress Analysis for Cold Case investigations, and data recovery for the everyday person. His investigations with FSI have been featured on 48 Hours, True Crime TV, A&E’s Dead Again, NBC, Discovery Channel’s Killing Fields, and several journals.

Brad is the author of the Gotcha book series, a True Crime trilogy based on real homicides and Cold Cases that he helped solve during his career as a detective.

Brad is married and the father of three beautiful children. Brad continues to hope this world will see past the issues of color and hate and realize we are all in this together as

ONE race: Human.

Spence’s background in cognitive behavioral therapy and rational emotive therapy has enabled him to become a sought-after coach in the Houston area. Spence’s expertise in helping Multimillion-dollar business owners increase their profit year after year, only adds to an already expansive resume. He has been married to his wife Patricia for the last 27 years. Together they have two children, Malkia and Sebastian, and a dog, Winnie. Spence is a true foodie. When he is not working with his clients, he enjoys boiled crawfish when in season and barbeque all the time. Both Spence and his wife are still on the quest for the ultimate crab cakes.

To expand the sharing of her love of developing others and enhancing their leadership skills, Tonya opened A Pearl Plus Consulting Services, where PEARL stands for “Prepared, Equipped, And Ready to Lead”.

In her spare time, Tonya enjoys serving the community with her church, First Baptist Church of Manassas and her Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., golfing, and reading. She also loves to travel, especially to warm climates.

Roynell Young, former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro Cornerback, is Founder and CEO of Pro-Vision, Inc., a nonprofit he’s had the privilege of stewarding since 1990 with a vision for developing Houston’s often forgotten and overlooked young people. Young was selected from Alcorn State University in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He enjoyed a nine-year career in the National Football League with the Eagles before retiring in 1988 to pursue his passion for youth and community development. In 2021, Young was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame. He lives near Houston, Texas, with his wife, Kathleen, and is the proud father of Roynell Young Jr.

Randy Guttenberger is an Author, Speaker, and Personality Insights Analyst working with companies, schools, churches, individuals and families for over 25 years. He helps improve human performance and relationships by using a combination of professional assessments, insights, neuroscience, and unique coaching expertise.

As President of MYS Initiatives, Randy gives practical solutions to seemingly complex problems through his unique ability to reframe and hone in on resolvable core issues; “Randy quickly brings focus to a fog”. He shows how to calm the unconscious conversations that are self-sabotaging, allowing decisions made in the conscious mind to succeed so people enjoy life the way they are meant to.

Randy has an ability to connect with anyone’s life experiences by seeing the bigger picture as well as the immediate need. His humor and energy transforms difficult concepts into simple, fun and practical solutions. Over several decades he combined proven concepts and refined them into one package addressing the brain, personality dynamics, and a workbook to bring success steps to life.

Through success with thousands of clients in as many different situations Randy identified principles that were instrumental in empowering people toward meaningful growth and change.

In his history coaching companies he saw that minimum effort/maximum return was key, and applied this rule of thumb to these core concepts.

This program is taught in the Managing Your Self certification program training counselors and coaches to deliver these wonderful solutions to their communities.

One unique quality of the book, Managing Your Crazy Self, is how it illustrates neuroscience concepts in real life situations. Randy outlines the breakdown of the brain’s structure, the problem and the solution, how it applies to relationships, and simple action steps for immediate peace and control. The cartoon illustrations simplify and clarify neuroscience making it easy to understand how to gain control over thoughts and emotions.

Currently, Randy presents MYS with many businesses, conferences such as American, Oklahoma, Virginia, New Mexico, Louisiana and Texas Counseling Associations. He has been a keynote speaker at the 2019 NAMI Gulf Coast, and hosts hundreds of workshops for individuals, couples and school/professional counselors across the United States. He has three sons and currently lives in Texas.

At the age of six, Mija was introduced to the subtler energies in life that our modern Western world has only recently begun to acknowledge. As she grew, she realized that her gifts could be misunderstood so she learned to let them recede. After 27 years of climbing the corporate ranks as an Executive for various top Fortune 500 financial companies, achieving extraordinary success, there came a point where she felt she had reached her peak and started to grow restless in her career. She began questioning what she was really contributing to society and had a strong desire to help others and make a real impact on people’s lives.

Mija transitioned from the finance industry into a career of life coaching where she would be able to fully apply her spiritual gifts of intuition and advice. Mija spent years studying, learning, and developing her abilities. She is a Certified Life Coach and Reiki Master Teacher and is versed in a number of modalities that she uses in her toolkit to serve her clients. These include trauma healing, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Akashic Record reading, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) & TFT (Thought Field Therapy). Her goal is to help everyone become the master of their own universe.

Mija lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two children. She enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time outdoors hiking and biking with her family.

Clark D. East became a millionaire at age 25 and went on to become a successful commercial developer, specializing in retail shopping centers spanning Texas, Florida, and North Carolina. Clark developed over 1,000,000 square feet of retail space including not only shopping centers, but apartments, office buildings, and hotels, exceeding over $100 Million in development. Some of his clients have included Starbucks, CVS, LA Fitness, HomeGoods, GolfSmith, Chipotle, McDonald’s, Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s and Panera Bread.

Always the entrepreneur, Clark founded/invented “TracFind” – it tracks anything, anytime, anywhere, and alerts you instantly worldwide. He was awarded a patent on this device.

He also invented a “Faith Coin” and gives them out on a regular basis to individuals he feels a connection and need.

Originally from Louisiana, Clark began his career early, owning a bar/restaurant and limo service at just 19 years old. Clark’s heart is still on the Gulf Coast of Florida where he grew up. Clark loves boating, the beach, and anything around water. He loves spending time with his four grandkids and his family. He is passionate about family, cooking, creating, and giving back.

Clark currently resides in Sugar Land, Texas.

Doug is an international public speaker, profit-strategist and award-winning business and executive coach, with multiple years of winning national and global ActionCOACH awards, beginning his first entrepreneurial experience selling holiday greeting cards door-to-door. This early drive for success led him to become a very successful business owner, now on his 9th successful business.

Having been the owner and manager of 3 multi-million-dollar companies, Doug understands the challenges, the pressures, and the pleasures associated with being your own boss. He has diligently worked as a consultant, coach, trouble-shooter and director while also enjoying a wonderful journey! As a business coach the opportunity to facilitate and assist other business owners and entrepreneurs to achieve amazing results is his mission.

Doug was professionally trained by multi-millionaire, author and world-class entrepreneur Brad Sugars. With the support of ActionCOACH global resources, Doug’s coaching, training and development programs are world-class.

Doug’s strong belief is that having a certified business coach is the single most positive investment a business owner can make in themselves and for their business.

Heather Ross is a Marketing Visibility Growth Strategist, Business Coach, and Automation Marketing Expert. Heather draws on her years of experience and expertise of social media, eCommerce, branding, traditional and celebrity marketing. She uses powerful strategies to deliver practical and profit enhancing tools for her clients to increase their revenue, get in front of larger audiences, attract clients and not chase them, grow their leads, and automate their online programs.

Ivanni Delgado is a graduate engineer from the University of Tulsa, with a master’s degree in business from NSU University, Oklahoma. He is a member of the Texas Association of Authors. He is also the author of the books: “How We Got Here”, “Where This Civilization Is Going” and “Life Under A New Perspective”. He wrote “How We Got Here” to answer one of the most important questions about the existence of the human being and with his answer, he opens an Enlightened Look at the Past that will Change your Future. He wrote “Where This Civilization Is Going” so people know the origin of civilization to understand it so they could avoid the collapse of civilization due to the dangerous trend that it is taking. He wrote, “Life Under A New Perspective” with the purpose of helping people in the difficult task of living by showing them the way, how to make their life easy and prosper.

Jeff Ingersoll is a financial professional dedicated to advising and enabling people to live an abundant life; a life of most potential.

Jeff’s mission is to design retirement income strategies which lead to confidence and peace of mind. With three decades of experience, Jeff has in-depth knowledge and experience identifying and resolving costly financial gaps and weaknesses that other financial advisors often overlook.

His credentials include a B.S from Brigham Young University, Emphasis: Family Financial Planning and Counseling. Designations: Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) Wharton School of Business – University of Pennsylvania, Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and Qualified Plan Financial Consultant (QPFC). He is a member of the Investments and Wealth Institute® (IWI) and National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA).

Jeff’s key to his success is his commitment and ability to cultivate mutually rewarding, long-term relationships which are founded upon principles of extraordinary personal service, stewardship and trust.

Away from the office, Jeff has devoted years of service and leadership to the youth of his community. He is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys reading, gardening, big band jazz, playing the piano and watching movie classics. Jeff and his wife Cindi recently celebrated 40 years of marriage and greatly treasure their relationships with family and friends.

Steven is best known for having obtained the first-ever granted exclusive worldwide license to replicate Michelangelo’s incomparable “La Pieta” sculpture from the Vatican Observatory Foundation. His company, “Vescovo Buonarroti Art”, has made the viewing of its replicas available to Catholic Churches throughout the United States, as well as internationally (see www.LaPieta.com).

Steven has served in many callings in his Church, beginning as a young missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Seville, Spain (now Malaga) Mission. Since his mission, Steven has worked in various callings including serving as a Priest Quorum Advisor, Elders Quorum President, in a Bishopric, and as Director of Public Affairs for Tempe and Chandler, Arizona.

When not serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Steven can be found doing missionary work and finding the Lord’s elect. Steven is a witness to the reality of our risen Savior, Jesus Christ, and shares this message to all who will listen. Steven joyfully welcomes opportunities to promote building faith in Jesus Christ, including volunteering to speak at firesides, or other faith-promoting events.

Steven and his wife Rebecca recently moved from Arizona to Utah, and have raised four daughters along with a little Yorkie dog named “Gracie”, who they all swear is an actual person.

From a Dental School drop-out to a National Sales Manager of a multi-billion-dollar medical device company, Chip Helm has honed his sales skills from the ground up. With anecdotal examples from his successes and failures, Chip’s stories will have you laughing while you learn. Chip knows how to develop and maintain long-term relationships to help drive sales success. If it is personal branding, practicing humility, or following-up and following-through, his practical advice is applicable to anyone at any stage in their career. His mentoring, and leadership has helped thousands of students, and colleagues over his last three decades in sales. Chip is a regular guest lecturer at business schools around Indiana, including Purdue, Ball State, Butler University, and Indiana University.

Chip holds a BA in Biology from Indiana University and an MBA from the University of South Florida.

Francie Willis began her professional career with the Wendy Ward Charm School coaching over 6,000 young women in a short span of six years. Her experience led her to the staff of Miss Teenage America as event choreographer and to the development of a nationwide Business Etiquette Program for Women. Traveling across the nation, she made presentations to Fortune 500 companies, and consulted with management staff of corporations in the USA. Including IBM, 3M, Coca Cola, General Electric, Xerox, Chevron, CBS, Sara Lee, & Eastman Kodak.

As a visionary entrepreneur, Francie Willis took a pioneering step when she opened Urban Retreat, a luxury day spa and salon in the heart of River Oaks, Houston, Texas. Within four years after opening her industry transforming business, Modern Salon and Spa, the two leading industry magazines, named Urban Retreat the 1993 Spa of the Year. As Co-Founder and CEO of Urban Retreat, her success has been recognized by Allure, Better Homes & Gardens, Elle, Redbook, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Town and Country, Women’s World, Seventeen, People and Day Spa Magazine.

With her reputation well established, Willis opened Urban Retreat West Day Spa and The Urban Retreat Skin Care Center and Medi Spa. Utilizing the knowledge gained from her skin care research and experience, she gained notoriety in the cosmetics industry creating Franché® Mineral Cosmetics (the first mineral-based makeup with freeze-dried vitamins and sun protection factor (SPF) 20 and Franché® Chirally Correct Skin Care. Franché® launched at the celebrated Henri Bendel department store in New York. The development of her skin care line included products for women, men, and children.

Willis has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Grandmother of the Year and Inspiring Business Woman of the Year by The Inspire Women’s Organization, the Houston Treasure Award by the Social Book of Texas, Business Entrepreneur and Business Woman of the Year by the Texas Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Community Hero Award by the Houston Fire Museum, Distinguished Service Award by the University of Houston HAO, “Windows of Opportunity” Business & Entrepreneur Honoree by Benefiting Inner City Kids with Scholarships, Lifetime Volunteer by the Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP), Top 25 Houston Leaders and Legends, and Volunteer of the Year by The National Association of Fund-Raising Executives, Humanitarian of The Year by the Cleveland Amory National Association, and Business Woman of the Year by the national organization A Tribute to Business Women.

Gary Bowen earned degrees in Economics and an MBA from the University of Utah. His career began in egg marketing, when hired by Jon M. Huntsman Sr.. His experiences included agricultural wholesale marketing and financial consulting. He was a Utah State Division Director and a Securities Examiner.

Gary’s studies began in 1962-64 as a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Missionary to West Mexico, where he learned Spanish and Mexican culture. In 1964, he married Herlinda Briones-Vega, who introduced him to Mexico’s hidden history. Reading Spanish history books, having coincidental meetings over decades with a member of Mexico’s Congress and Mexican Jesuit Priests, Gary came to know a history of Mexico that other than Herlinda and Mexican Catholic Priests is largely unknown. Gary likens his historical research to the idealistic dreams of Don Quixote of La Mancha for a better world.

Gary and Herlinda are parents of 4 children, 10 grandchildren, and one g-grandchild. In 2017, Gary was elected to the Emigration Canyon Metro Township Council, which keeps him very involved in community activities in Salt Lake County, Utah

Jana Laird Phillips is a native Texan, who has lived and worked in Dallas, Washington DC, and Houston. She is a BBA graduate of Baylor University with a double major in Marketing and Journalism. Ms. Phillips worked in the Energy Industry for several years, and has numerous articles published in Energy trade journals. She is currently the publisher/owner of an online magazine, www.houstonhipandhaute.com

Ms. Phillips writing career began at an early age when she won a city wide essay contest “What Thanksgiving Means to Me” in the fourth grade. She continued her writing with short stories that were published in her high school’s literary magazine. Ms. Phillips was an honor student, a National Honors Society member and officer, a class officer, a member of the Student Council, and the lead in the Senior Play. In her Senior Year she was chosen by the yearbook chair and committee as the Outstanding Female of the class.

While at Baylor University she worked on the school paper, The Lariat, and in the Public Affairs office. She was very involved with her organizations and was a member of the Homecoming Court her junior year. She was a member and officer of the business school honor society and the public relations student society. She was one of three journalism students chosen to attend an advertising/marketing seminar in Dallas.

In Houston she is involved in many charities as member and officers. She was Chair of the American Red Cross Ball, and as a member of the Rotary club she was on the Lombardi Award committee, as the Parent Liaison.

Ms. Phillips enjoys meeting new people for her online magazine, and is working on her next Sterling Barrington Novel.

Frank J. Donohue operates Boeing B-747 jumbo jets all over the world with over thirty-six years of flying experience. He is the author of “School and Schooled”, “Ten Healthy Tips” and soon to be a released “Stop Hating” Frank is the owner and creator of NOT-Y a pilot video channel featuring pilot flight and non-flight stories.

At the young age of just 26, Frank achieved his airline career goal with a flight position on the Boeing B-747 jumbo jet. He has piloted trips to over fifty international cities and most of the cities in the United State for both the Flying Tigers and FedEx. For over 30 years he has flown with over 1000 diverse pilots and met thousands of other distinctive people throughout his travels. As a Pilot Frank has a unique skill set that provides valuable information to people through his NOT-Y pilot video channel.

Frank writes for the Quiet Birdman Beam magazine. In 2018 the QB Beam featured Frank’s story “Flying Around the World in Ten Days.” He was also featured in the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) magazine with the story, “Capt. Frank J Donohue (FedEx) Gulp – Solo.”https://www.alpa.org/en/campaigns/my-first-flight/members-home/members/frank-donohoe.

Frank J Donohue born in New York 1961 is an American pilot, author, publisher and video producer. Frank served four years in United States Air Force. He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for his contribution in computer accounting of aviation fuel. While living in England he obtained and associate degree in resource management and a private pilot license. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in 1985. Frank’s first pilot job was training college students at ERAU to fly airplanes. He soloed fifty-four students during his first nine months of employment. Frank has acquired the Airline Transport Pilot license, Flight Instructor license, Advanced and Instrument Ground Instructor licenses, Flight Engineer License, Aircraft Dispatcher license and Remote Pilot Certificate. He received a prestigious pilot award for over 30 years and 8,600 flight hours of impeccable service for a very distinguished career of flying excellence with FedEx. “Frank’s dedication and commitment played a pivotal role in building the most successful transportation company worldwide.” FedEx delivers over six million packages daily to over 240 countries worldwide and every zip code in the United States. Packages are routinely delivered on time more than 98% of the time. Frank retired from FedEx in 2017.

Originally from Long Island, Frank lives in Virginia Beach with his wife. They have two grown children. He enjoys traveling, gardening, fishing and helping people. He donates time and money to various philanthropic organizations.

You can contact Frank J Donohue on FB, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram and visit his websites: www.frankjdonohue.com, and www.not-y.com

Recipient, Doctorate of Education in Human Relations. Author of eight books, including the internationally popular Believe It! Become It!: How to Hurdle Barriers and Excel Like Never Before.

Recipient of the “Points of Light Award” given by U. S. President George W. Bush. Recipient of the “President’s Volunteer Service Award” given by U.S. Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

Honored as Washington State Young Mother of the Year and Utah State Woman of the Year.

Dr. Paula Fellingham is the Founder and CEO of the Women’s Information Network (WIN), an educational and social network for women, and a global community of women: www.WomensInformationNetwork.com. The WIN hosted the largest gathering of women in history for the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2011: 377 live events in 152 countries.

Paula is the Founder of the non-profit Global Prosperity and Peace Initiative (GPPI). Dr. Fellingham and her team work with Peace Ambassadors worldwide to fulfill their mission “to increase the level of love, prosperity, and peace on Earth.” See www.ProsperityandPeace.org and www.WomenofExcellenceWomenofFaith.org. Dr. Fellingham is also the Founder of the International Youth Parliament: www.InternationalYouthParliament.com and the Women of the Middle East Network: www.WomenOfTheMiddleEast.org, launched in Israel.

Paula’s comprehensive “Total Life Excellence” curriculum is taught globally to strengthen people mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, financially, and in their relationships.

Paula has given presentations to delegates at the United Nations, for the World Movement of Mothers in Paris, and at numerous other conferences across the world. Paula participated in the World Congress on Families in Geneva, and at the World Movement of Mothers Conference at NATO Headquarters.

Former radio personality, for years Paula hosted a daily two-hour show called “Solutions for Families.”

Paula is a columnist for the Los Angeles Tribune, and she’s written articles for People Magazine, International Business Times, Boston Globe, ABC 11, Worth Magazine, Family Living, Executive Excellence.

Founder of Solutions for Families, Inc, Women Celebrating Life, Inc., Families Now, Inc., Unlimited Living International, Inc. Former member of the National Board of Directors, Worldwide Organization for Women. Former Vice President of eFamily.com. Former Executive Director of Families Worldwide Inc.

Producer of The Fellingham Family musical group. Paula’s eight-member family band performed across America and internationally for twelve summers. During their final season, they presented 273 shows.

Paula received her Bachelor of Arts in 1971, and her Doctorate in 2004. Dr. Gilbert Fellingham (University Professor of Statistics) and Paula are the parents of 8 children, and the grandparents of 24 grandchildren.

Todd is a Mentor & Personal-Development Coach for those looking to get more out of life, and he also works at, what he calls the best University on the Planet, Wasatch Recovery Treatment Center as a Belief System Counselor.

In 1989 he founded the non-profit, anti-drug entity Sly Dog “Drug-Free That’s Me, which features a sought-after education program for elementary schools. This program has encouraged over 100 thousand school-age students, emphasizing principles of positive self-talk, personal commitment, goal setting, and character building.

Todd spent his youth addicted to drugs and alcohol. Through his own recovery and newfound awareness, Todd learned that more powerful than any addiction was the power of the human soul. Over the past 25 years, Todd has discovered and taught universal principles that have empowered thousands to conquer addiction, crush compulsive behaviors and change their limiting belief systems.

Todd’s story was recently told through a popular YouTube clip that received over 1 million views and has been translated into 3 languages. Todd has conducted over 1,000 speaking engagements and close to 10,000 individual coaching sessions.

Todd is an author of the popular eBook “It’s Time to Start Living” available on Amazon. He also produces a popular Podcast on iTunes that he actually calls a Beliefcast that is geared toward high school and middle school-aged kids.

Todd’s Story was also featured in Best Selling Author Simon Sinek’s new book, “Find Your Why”. Today, Todd uses his firsthand fight against addiction to give hope to thousands of teenagers, young adults, parents and connects with them on an authentic level.

Todd has been married to his sweetheart for 27 years. They have four children and live a happy, busy life together.

Life is very short… so what are you doing about it?

I’m on a mission to facilitate integrity, freedom, and balance for people using automation technology.

After being in a career that never resonated with me in software engineering, I realize that the nine to five life didn’t work for me. I needed something that would give me more time with family and allow me to pursue my dreams in competitive skiing.

So, I quit my engineering job December 2018 to make a permanent change in my life…

Since then, I have worked with some of the top coaches in the entrepreneurship industry such as the Anthony & Adrian Morrison, Loral Langemeier, Jeff Walker, etc.

This is my first book called, Grow Your Business Massively & Easily with Integrity Using LinkedIn Automation. In addition, I am a JV with Loral’s company, packed rooms with CEO Randy Tate’s iFlip investment AI (Algorithmic Intelligence) software for iflipinvest.com, grown my network from 574 people May 2018 to over 35,000 in June 2019, and co-worked with the companies that are at the top in the entrepreneurship industry that made over $450 million in sales in the past year. I have also taken part in mentorship with Loral in her Big Table program, and am a Udemy Instructor.

I am a well sought-after joint venture partner for B2B and instructor for social media automation. I am a Certified Life Coach and a ThetaHealing Practitioner.

On the side of business, I intend to travel internationally speaking about my internet marketing business, and it is my goal to become a bestselling author. As for fun activities outside of business, I’m a competitive freestyle mogul skier for Park City Freestyle and aspire to travel internationally for World Cup competitions. I love to hang out with friends and family, crack jokes at the comedy club once a month, hike, bike, do yoga, and meditate.

Sandra Spurgeon has been a practicing trial lawyer since 1990. In that time, she has successfully litigated in excess of 120 cases through verdict in both state and federal jurisdictions.

Throughout her career, Sandra has synthesized a plaintiff and defense litigation practice that has afforded her great insight and a unique perspective in “getting to the heart” of the case from the beginning stages thru trial. Thru experience, she has achieved trial excellence in the courtroom.

From a defense perspective, Sandra’s includes not only the handling of commercial litigation but also, the defense of insurance claims, healthcare professional liability claims, coverage and extra-contractual issues and fire & casualty claims.

In Kinney vs. Butcher, 131 S.W.3d 357 (Ky. App. 2004), her successful argument presented to the Kentucky Court of Appeals resulted in the decision delineating the standard for an award of punitive damages. In Pike vs. GEICO, 174 Fed. Appx. 311 (6th Circ. 2006), she successfully litigated the prescribed time period for filing an underinsured motorist claim in KY.

Sandra’s practice also includes the representation of victims and families who have suffered catastrophic losses and has collected settlements and judgments in excess of $50,000,000. In 2016 & 2017, she collected in excess of $16,000,000 in settlements and/or judgments. In 2017, Sandra litigated a Federal Tort Claim to judgment with the verdict in excess of $2,000,000. Chrispen vs. United States of America, 7:16-132. Although she has always allowed her verdicts and results to speak for themselves, she considers the verdict in Dotson vs. Sony Electronics, 7:02-CV-35 among one of her biggest accomplishments. Sandra successfully litigated this res ipsa loquitor products liability claim to a multi-million dollar judgment unanimous verdict in federal court on behalf of a burn victim.

Through experience, Sandra has developed a systematic approach for handling of complex litigation matters beginning at case selection, through the discovery process, trial preparation and execution in the courtroom. Additionally, she serves as an expert witness and lectures before various organizations and clients on trial practice, evidence and Kentucky law. Sandra is adept at handling complex legal issues and is a skilled legal writer.

Sandra is active in her community where she currently serves on the Board of Directors for Foster Council and Women Leading Kentucky. She has also served as the parent representative for the Fayette County School Systems. She is an advocate for children and families in her community and was instrumental in the drafting of the Michelle P. Waiver program for children in KY. She is the proud mother of two adult daughters, Victoria and Elizabeth.

S.J.’s writing experience includes employment with affiliates of PBS, CBS and ABC television stations where she worked on productions and wrote scripts. She then became part of IBM, where she repaired test systems and also wrote test procedures and engineering presentations.

S.J. was born in Minnesota and braved 30 years of snow until IBM moved her to Austin, Texas. After being part of the great IBM personal computer boom, she found true love with a British man in Utah.

S.J. and her husband live north of Salt Lake City at the foot of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains. They have two grown children, a daughter and a son, who bring them joy!

L.R. Hubbard gained her love for reading and writing at an early age. She craved creative writing while in school, and appreciated all the teachers that encouraged her to explore the art of constructing short stories, including her parents, who were educators. In her early college years the idea for her first book fluttered into her mind, but she pursued a career in Elementary Education first.

She graduated from Weber State University at the age of 22 with a degree in Elementary Education and jumped into the classroom. Years later she earned a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University. While she is no longer actively teaching, the years she spent molding the minds of young children and instilling a love for reading within them helped her to know that it was time to focus on being a mother and an author.

She currently lives with her husband and three amazing children in Ogden, Utah. She enjoys playing pickle ball, eating cheesecake, and playing the piano when she isn’t in the car running children around to their various activities.

Karmel Larson is a serial millionaire entrepreneur shattering barriers as the founder of Momni and the Momni Foundation. A professionally trained social worker, she is passionate about empowering women and strengthening families. Featured on Dr. Phil (Tuesday’s with Troy), ABC, NBC, FOX, The CW, Yahoo Finance, and Fortune. Karmel is a captivating, keynote speaker who inspires action. She presented at the UN on the global childcare crisis and was awarded the “Women of Distinction Award” by The India Council of Human Rights. Internationally known as “Mama Karmel”, she considers her greatest life work-her magnum opus, to be her 8 children.

Jordan L. Brown is a very dynamic professional in a variety of industries. Once her cheerleading career ended, she used everything she learned from cheerleading to create her dream life! After attending Southern Illinois University in the Midwest, Jordan adventured to Southern California with her golden retriever, Charm, to pursue a life she could call her own. Jordan continues her passion of cheerleading as a personal cheer coach. She is in media production and modeling. Jordan values society’s health on a local and global level; therefore, she is involved in the dental industry as well and is a global ambassador for Global Dental Relief, which is a non-profit providing dental care for children all over the world. Deep within this author’s heart is a strong sense of empowerment and philanthropy bringing her commitment to participate with multiple non-profits.

The Publisher of The Texas Pilgrim is James M. Windham, who founded the publication in April 2000 as a vehicle for commentary on current events, public policy, and culture.

Believing that ideas have consequences, his objective is to engage readers in a dialogue on the critical issues of our time and the ideas that drive public policy and popular culture in America.

Originally from Livingston, Texas, Jim graduated from The University of Texas in 1965, and has lived in Houston since 1967. His professional career has included serving as CEO of a major commercial bank and founding and managing a corporate finance advisory firm. He has been very active in political and civic leadership on a local and statewide basis for many years, including service as Chairman of the Texas Association of Business, founding director and Chairman of the Texas Lyceum Association, founding director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, member of the executive committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, member of the Board of Regents of Stephen F. Austin State University, and for twelve years served as Chairman of the Texas Institute for Education Reform, which he founded in 2006. He and his wife, Lela, a native Houstonian, have two daughters and four grandchildren.

Robert M. Brantner was born in Southern California and attended high school there before heading to Arizona for college. After graduating from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he moved to Alaska when he got a job as a bush pilot. During his time in Alaska, Bob first tried his hand at writing, penning a memoir on his experiences flying Cessnas in the untamed Alaskan wilderness. After almost four years of flying in Alaska, Bob moved south to warmer climates where he flew for Trans World Airlines for four years. After leaving TWA Bob moved onto another major airline, where he works as both a captain, as well as a Line Check Airman today. Bob is married to Kelly Kaczka Brantner and they have one daughter, Madison and a dog, Fergus. They live just outside of Annapolis, Maryland.

Alicia Tho Brown was born in Can Tho village in Vietnam. Alicia Brown (Tho), escaped the country about five years after the fall of Saigon. Her family was granted asylum from a refugee camp in Thailand and settled in Little Rock, Arkansas. She now lives in Las Vegas, NV with her husband of over twenty years, Dr. Gregory Brown.

Bill King is an outspoken independent who has, for years, written about the political dysfunction in our country. But he has done more than just pontificate from an armchair. In 2015, he ran as an independent for mayor of Houston, losing a nail-biting runoff in the closest mayoral race in the city’s history. Prior to running for Houston mayor, King wrote over 500 opinion pieces for the Houston Chronicle and served a stint of that paper’s editorial board. Today he publishes a widely read newsletter and blog, www.BillKingBlog.com.

Over the years he also served as the mayor of his hometown, Kemah, Texas, was a successful businessman and lawyer, and served in many other public and civic capacities. He is perhaps best known for his work on Houston’s evacuation procedures in the wake of the disastrous Hurricane Ike evacuation. His work on a Gubernatorial commission and a regional task force charged with review evacuation procedures won the National Hurricane Conferences Outstanding Achievement Award in 2006.

Out of this was born the idea that there are many great pleasures we enjoy daily, with no particular acknowledgment of those benefits. “Appreciation” became the theme of a series of books aimed to consider the obvious things we could, and maybe should be grateful for in our lives. Her second book, titled “Thank You for Feeding Us” explores the realm of food production via agriculture and aquaculture, and the farmers that sustain us daily. And there are more to come.

With each new book, the author will offer products directly tied to the topic. Most Wednesdays refers to a vintage shop on Etsy that offers items similar to the wedding presents her parents received in the 1950s, as well as clothes, hats, and nostalgia from the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Thank You for Feeding Us will introduce at least one of her own creations.

This is a fun and new experience as she spent an entire career as an aerospace engineer for the Navy. She lives near Annapolis, Maryland with her husband, a former naval aviator.

Beverly Kyer has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and is a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers. She has postgraduate certificates and over three decades of experience in the integrated approach to readjustment counseling therapist, post-traumatic stress disorder, social research for the mentally ill, and employee assistance program coordination. Beverly was also certified in Toronto Canada at the Traumatology Institute as a Compassion Fatigue Specialist. Beverly became a Clinical Social Worker specializing in pediatric oncology; PTSD in Vietnam Veterans, and Psychiatric Day Hospital Treatment. She spent much of her career with the Veterans Administration Veterans Outreach Center and Medical Center in The Bronx, New York City. Beverly also spent more than a decade as a direct care service provider in the foster care system. She also spent seven years as an urban high school counselor, providing emotional and psychological support for students and staff. Two episodes of heart failure led Beverly to make a major downshift in her life by resigning from full-time employment, joining the self-employed, and devoting her life to help others who work in highly stressful environments. Beverly lectures around the country on compassion fatigue, which is sometimes known as secondary or vicarious traumatic stress. Beverly has three grown children: two sons and an adopted daughter, and she lives in Northern California in a quiet cul-de-sac near the delta. Oil painting, music, movies, and good books are among her passions.

Cory is a captivating speaker and author. She is passionate about assisting others in creating a life they love. She has mentored salespeople and business owners and loves volunteering to make a difference in her community. She has worked hard to go from living in the smallest house in the best neighborhood as a kid to owning 4 rental properties and traveling for fun all over the globe working for herself. She’s spent over two decades sharpening her communication and skills in transformational personal growth.

She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, lived all over the San Francisco Bay Area and settled in Utah for many years to buy real estate between Ogden and Salt Lake City. She’s owned rental properties for 10 years and has been selling Juice Plus for about 20 years. She’s tried other products but has found none with a body of research behind them that rivals that of Juice Plus. Thanks to Juice Plus and a healthy lifestyle, she’s only ever been to the women’s doctor for the last 20 years. She loves sharing her secrets to healthy living and multiple streams of passive income.

She is currently studying to be a Certified Natural Health Practitioner through Trinity School of Nutrition. She is finally pursuing her dream of writing books that make a difference in people’s lives while working for Elite Online Publishing remotely.

This is now allowing her to travel the country and beyond, in search of her next rental property location and home. Cory’s travel bug has taken her to 22 countries and 49 states so far and she has plans to visit several more. Her bucket list gets shorter and longer every year. Alaska is her last frontier in the US while Greece, New Zealand and Scotland top her list outside the US. If she travels through your town you may find her out enjoying one of her favorite hobbies. Cory loves meeting new people, so she might be dancing swing, salsa, country or any other partner dance. You may also catch her singing karaoke or even jumping in with a local band. During the day she could be hiking, biking or running to enjoy the great outdoors.

Bennett Fisher’s father was Chief Quartermaster on the Mahan-class USS Preston DD-379 destroyer at the Second Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 11/13 and 14/1942. This destroyer was the fifth Navy ship of six named after 1861 U.S. Naval Academy graduate (first in his class) Lieutenant Samuel Preston (1840 Canada – 1/15/1865 Fort Fisher, North Carolina). Preston was killed in a ground assault on the Confederate Fort Fisher, which protected the South’s trade routes from Europe and the Caribbean to Wilmington, North Carolina, during the Civil War.

Preston was part of a six warship Task Force (four destroyers and two cruisers) in the 11/13-14/1942 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. The Task Force intercepted a much larger Japanese Task Force delivering troops and supplies to Japanese strongholds on Guadalcanal Island. The Japanese Navy sank or heavily damaged all six American ships except for one cruiser. The Preston sank with more than half its crew lost, including 1924 U.S. Naval Academy graduate Captain (Commander) Max Stormes.

Bennett’s father survived, after 14.5 hours in the ocean sharing a life jacket with a crewmate. Most of his shipmates did not.

After World War II, his father married and moved to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas to farm dry land he inherited from his mother. Bennett was the first of four children born.

Bennett’s father would not talk of his Navy and War experiences. After his father died, Bennett researched his father’s six-year military career. This led to his interest in military history, especially the Pacific Theater of World War II. Bennett took a continuing education course at Rice University on WWII, Pacific Theater. He has given talks on World War II history. He has assisted senior veterans in preparing presentations on their time in the military. He currently coordinates a Veterans group for seniors at a YMCA in Houston.

Dino Watt is a PHD- Passionate Husband and Dad! He also just happens to be one of the most exciting business relationship trainers in the world and the author of the #1 International Best-Selling book, The Practice Rx. As the CEO of Our Ripple Effect, Inc. Dino is an award-winning mentor, trainer and coach. His programs, focus on helping high performing business leaders Make Love & Business Work(TM). His goal for all his clients is for them to have more passion for what they do, get more productivity from their team and create more profit in all areas of their life. As The Relationship Expert, his passion for what he does stems from the belief that no success in your business can compensate for failure in your relationships. Dino’s unique ability to help high performers have the greatest success in both their personal and professional relationships has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX News and TEDx. “Everything you have ever received in life has come from a relationship you built, and everything you will ever receive from here on out, will come from a relationship.”- Dino Watt

Ivanni Delgado was born in 1951. He is an engineering graduate from the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma with a master in business from the University of NSU of Talehquah, Oklahoma. He currently directs a small company in the petroleum service industry. He has constantly been observing and analyzing the attitude of people with whom he works or relates to. He thinks that for a company to be productive, its people have to also be productive, which requires having an adequate attitude about what they do and that definitely will depend on their way of thinking. He has the particularity of turning any relationship, including work and business ones, into friendships. Like any good friend, he is given to helping others, and because of this, he decided to write this book with the idea of helping people in the difficult task of living.

Jen Deveraux is an author and motivational speaker. She survived a horrific car accident. A fifty-ton truck hit her at speeds of 60 mph. Her Volvo saved her life. She struggled with infertility, adoption, divorce and now strives to raise her two girls. In 2018, she found and married the love of her life. She loves spending time with her husband, daughters, family and traveling.

Jen had the opportunity to sing and dance as a teenager with Encore Entertainment, traveling the country. She currently sings and her song You are Stronger ends her speaking engagements. She was an athlete playing Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, and was a Cheerleader in high school. She was crowned Miss Grantsville in 1999 and went to Miss Utah in 2000. As an entrepreneur, Jen owned and operated Real Deals on Home Décor, a successful 2,500 sq ft showroom home décor store for 9 years where she was the youngest owner at the time she opened and biggest opening week up to that date. Since 2010, Jen has worked for Utah Media Group as a National Advertising Strategist focusing on Healthcare and Financial clientele. She has been awarded many awards Rookie of the Year and President’s Club Choice Executive of the Year.

She didn’t realize, how strong she was until being strong was the only choice she had. She is the girl that wakes up with purpose and intent. She is the girl who shows up and NEVER gives up. She is the girl who believes anything is possible and is willing to work for it. She hopes that she can Help One Person Every day. Jen is inspiring and brings hope to those that are going through times that they think they can’t bare.

“I have endured, I have been broken, I have known hardship, I have lost myself. But here I stand, still moving forward, growing stronger each day. I will never forget the harsh lessons in my life. They have made me stronger.”

Mr. Jay Lucas serves as Chairman and Managing Partner of The Lucas Group, a strategy consulting firm that he founded in 1991, focused on the specialized needs of private equity investors and their portfolio companies.

He is a strong supporter of our veterans, leading the effort in New Hampshire for ‘Children of the Fallen Patriots’ – an organization devoted to making sure that every child who loses a parent in active military service can have their education paid for all the way through college. Thus far, Fallen Patriots has helped more than 700 surviving military children pay for their education.

Jay earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, a Law degree from Harvard Law School, and a BA from Yale University. He attended Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar where he studied International Relations and Military History.

Jessica is a dynamic speaker, author, and certified coach supporting others to realize their full potential. She has mentored youth for years, is a leader in her community, and founder of www.TheCourageousTribe.com. She has worked hard for what she has, and has been on both sides of the coin. Jessica was raised in a small town in Eastern Pennsylvania, along with her older sister, by a hard-working single mom. The humble beginnings she experienced as a child set the stage for some rebellious years for Jessica. Answering to no one, she knew how to get what she wanted in an unhealthy way in order to get by. But ultimately Jessica knew she wanted more, knew it was time to sink or swim, so she started kicking. She became a court reporter and made a good life for herself working for various agencies in the Manhattan and Philadelphia areas, even working with a former U.S. president. Equal parts feminine, gritty, and free bird, she has seen and lived the good, the bad, and the hot messes. She’s spent over a decade sharpening her emotional intelligence and honing her skills in transformational work. Jessica currently lives happily on the West Coast with her pup, Jake.

Mica Mosbacher, the widow of the 28th U.S. Secretary of Commerce, is a political strategist, award-winning journalist and bestselling author. She has held national roles in five presidential campaigns and is presently a Senior Advisor of the 2020 Trump Campaign. She is a frequent guest on Fox News, Fox Business, BBC World News, BBC Radio, LBL and CBC Radio, APR Radio and other international news channels.

She was appointed Honorary Consul-Iceland and served 8 years. Mica has been active for two decades in political fundraising for GOP candidates. She was appointed to a six-year term on the University of Houston Board of Regents by Governor Perry and served as Vice Chair. In addition, Mica has co-chaired numerous charitable events and she was named Philanthropist of the Year by TAASA for advocacy of assault victims.

She has been accorded two damehoods. Was inducted into the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame along with Barbara Bush. In 2011 Houston City Council honored her for a public art installation on tolerance. She currently serves on the board of Turning Point USA and the London Center for Policy Research. Mica is also an ardent supporter of Judicial Watch.

Mica is a fifth-generation Floridian and grew up in Houston, Texas. She currently resides in Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Mica has two grandsons and is a member of Holy Trinity Church, in D.C.

Jessica is a dynamic speaker, author, and certified coach supporting others to realize their full potential. She has mentored youth for years, is a leader in her community, and founder of www.TheCourageousTribe.com. She has worked hard for what she has, and has been on both sides of the coin. Jessica was raised in a small town in Eastern Pennsylvania, along with her older sister, by a hard-working single mom. The humble beginnings she experienced as a child set the stage for some rebellious years for Jessica. Answering to no one, she knew how to get what she wanted in an unhealthy way in order to get by. But ultimately Jessica knew she wanted more, knew it was time to sink or swim, so she started kicking. She became a court reporter and made a good life for herself working for various agencies in the Manhattan and Philadelphia areas, even working with a former U.S. president. Equal parts feminine, gritty, and free bird, she has seen and lived the good, the bad, and the hot messes. She’s spent over a decade sharpening her emotional intelligence and honing her skills in transformational work. Jessica currently lives happily on the West Coast with her pup, Jake.

Nicole Black is a Certified Rolfer™ through the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration in Boulder, Colorado. She specializes in a form of manual therapy that focuses on addressing people’s problems and not just their symptoms.

A native of Southern California, she currently resides in Santa Barbara with her daughter and is the co-founder and former CEO of Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro. When she isn’t working to promote her story of getting healthy from the inside out, she enjoys travel, yoga, Pilates, and chasing dragonflies.

Part of her success story is losing over one hundred pounds while working at a French bakery. In her book, Fat Shame: Ditch the Shame, Get Confident, and Claim the Life You Deserve, Nicole shares her own journey with yo-yo dieting and going from obese to thin, from thin to obese, and finally, from obese to healthy. She discovered that even at a size four, she didn’t feel thin or beautiful on the inside. She set out to change that, and now she shows you how you can too.

For more information or to follow her, please visit her website, www.nicoleblack.com; she would love to hear from you.

Stacy Goresko, Ph.D., is an accomplished Author, Speaker, Trainer, Certified Autism Consultant and Inspirational Life Coach. Most importantly, she is a mother of two, one of whom is on the Autism Spectrum. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Stacy now resides with her two children in Boulder, Colorado. She has made it her mission in life to bring people together and create meaningful relationships and community. When you don’t see her being Mom or helping others, you will find her hiking in the Rockies, riding her horse or simply enjoying the wonders of nature.

Steve Knowles is a longtime aviation buff who specializes in studies of World War II. He had a successful career in broadcasting and television programming sales management before becoming a full-time writer. Knowles was based in New York, Boston and Chicago with CBS Radio, Warner Bros. Television and independent television producer Carsey-Werner. He also created and hosted a radio program “Church and State” in the early 2000’s. It was through his media associations that he met Frank Boyle while Frank was running Frank Boyle & Co., a brokerage engaged in the sale of radio and television stations. Knowles double-majored in History and Journalism at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He is the father of four adult children and resides near New York City.

Dr. Sybil Pentsil is a multi-talented woman who wears many hats as she makes her impact on society. Not only is she a Doctor of Pediatric Academic medicine at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, she is also an ordained minister, serving as pastor at the House of Worship in Owings Mills, Maryland.

Sybil has written and co-authored many booklets and training guides for classes on premarital training, marriage counseling, spiritual development and leadership training. Her books include Free to Dance: Gaining Victory Over Your Thoughts and Emotions and Motherhood Redefined, both available from Better Life Today. In 2005, Sybil and her husband Fiifi co-founded Better Life Today, a self-improvement organization. They are known internationally for impacting marriages & businesses. Sybil speaks at conferences, seminars, youth groups, medical meetings, schools, churches, businesses, and other groups. She also conducts one-on-one counseling sessions.

Sybil and Fiifi are committed to family and enjoy traveling internationally with their children. They have three awesome sons – Jeremy, Jason, and Jesse.

Warner Roberts made Nancy Reagan cry, Queen Elizabeth laugh, and Billy Graham pray; great photographer Scavullo called her a classic beauty; Joan Rivers called her a great interviewer; Arnold Schwarzenegger and Chuck Norris instructed her in self-defense and famous artist Leroy Neiman sketched her during an interview.

Warner Roberts has had success in many careers: as a fashion model, an award-winning television journalist, an actress in film and theatre, writer and speaker. She hosted “The Warner Roberts Show” and numerous television specials where she interviewed many of America’s most celebrated personalities. Recently Warner has had roles in eight feature films. She is also a contributing editor for the national publication, “Cowboys and Indians” and for “H Texas” Magazine. Warner created The Social Book in 1996.

Warner’s community service work has included spearheading events and serving as a board member for many organizations. Her history of volunteerism in the city has been rewarded many times, with awards that include the Crohn’s and Colitis “Woman of Distinction,” the Savvy Award, the Cancer League “Pacesetter of the Year” and “Entertainer of the Year” Award, the American Heart Association “Heart of Houston” Award, the Shrine Hospital Award, Silver Grace Hope Award, Wellsprings Award, Houston Delta Gamma Foundation “Women of Vision” Award, the Cancer League “Heart of Houston” Award, the Houston Children’s Charity “Heart of Houston” Award, The Mission of Yahweh “Leaders and Legends” Award, the Lady Washington Chapter NSDAR “Excellence in Community Service” Award, Easter Seals “Hats Off to Mothers” Award and the “I Am Waters” Award. She was the Honoree of the first American Heart Gala, the National Kidney of America Gala and the American ORT Gala. She has been honored three times by the March of Dimes, five times by the Leukemia Society and once by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and Texas Children’s Hospital. The Houston Chronicle named her one of the “Most Beautiful Houstonians.”

Warner has been profiled in three books, including Texas Woman by Richard Pruitt and David Woo, Evin Thayer Mayor’s Millennium Celebrity Series, a book that includes photographs of 100 prominent Houstonians, and Wind for New Wings .. a Message from the Leaders of Today to the Leaders of the New Millennium by Bertie Simmons.
Her love of hearts inspired her to create “A Celebration of Hearts” museum in the lobby of the Dr. Denton Cooley Texas Heart Institute, collecting hearts from celebrities nationally and locally for the permanent exhibit. Also, she created an annual event that honors “Houston Sweethearts” on Valentine’s Day. She created and annually presents “Houston Treasures” for The Social Book.

The first Mission of Yahweh dorm, for which Warner raised the funds, was named The Warner Roberts Building in 2017. Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed “Warner Roberts Day.” She has received this honor from two previous mayors.

Warner’s top priority is her beloved family, husband Bob, son Bob, Jr., his wife Kristin and their sons Bob III, Ryan and John Luke and son Cliff Lee, his wife Angie and their sons Lee and Cliff.

Wes Oleszewski has authored 24 books since 1991. Born and raised in mid-Michigan he is noted for his meticulous research as well as a knack for weeding out the greatest of details from the most obscure events and then weaving those facts into the historical narratives. His tales of actual events are real enough to thrill any reader while every story is technically correct and highly educational. Additionally, his fiction work is garnished with the flavor of reality as he dips into his own personal experience to allow the reader to feel as if they are actually there. Born on the east side of Saginaw, Michigan in 1957, Wes Oleszewski attended public school in that city through grade nine, when his family moved to the farm town of Freeland, Michigan. In 1976 he graduated from Freeland High School and a year later entered the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, Florida. Working his way through college by his own earned income alone, Oleszewski graduated in 1987 with a commercial pilot’s certificate, “multi-engine and instrument airplane” ratings as well as a B.S. Degree in Aeronautical Science. He has pursued a career as a professional pilot as well as one as an author. A former airline captain and corporate pilot he holds an A.T.P. certificate and to date has filled more than three logbooks with flight time most of which is in airline category and jet aircraft. Recently he gave up the life of a professional aviator and now enjoys his job as a professional writer.

Sterling Nelson – A lifetime love of art, illustration, and design have been the motivating factors in Sterling’s life. Beginning in high school where he was a member of VICA club becoming their parliamentarian. He received the Sterling Scholar award for vocational education (print and design). He was a member of the debate team and went to state three times in extemporaneous speaking. Sterling attended Utah State University in their art program. He is a graduate of Al Collins School of Design in Tempe, Arizona. He has also received a certificate in the one-year design program from Eagle Gate College in Murray, Utah.

For over thirty years Sterling has been honing and expanding his artistic skills in order to bring mind-blowing illustrations to the public. With tattoo flash (images) he has found the perfect niche for the black and white line art that has always been his favorite form of artistic expression. The stunning and dynamic art seen in his body of work will enliven and turn on the creative juices for people of all walks of life.

Sterling lives in Utah with his two wonderful children where he is obsessed with his artwork and is, unfortunately, one of the millions of Americans that binge watches television shows to absurdity. To see his illustrations contact his business site at Sablethorne Adult Tattoo Coloring Books on Facebook, Twitter, or go to Amazon and purchase the first of many coloring books to come.

JT Jester is a bestselling author, motivational speaker, and inspiring podcast host. The High Point University graduate is the author of two other books, Untether: Inspiration for Living Free and Strong No Matter What the Challenge, and No Bad Days: How to Find Joy in Any Circumstance. When JT isn’t fishing for sailfish in the Florida Keys or doing something else adventurous, he is running his foundation in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

As a little girl growing up in Dallas, Texas, Cynthia would stay up long past her bedtime sitting at the top of the stairs, listening to her parents and their friends toast each other at dinner parties with poems they had written for one another celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, or basically anything, if the muse inspired them. Whether short, or sometimes way too long, the poems never ceased to delight; and ever since then, she has enjoyed writing poems for, and about, family, friends, and now a rescue dog, she loves. She lives in Houston with her husband, Ben, their dog, Hap; cat, Minnie Moo Moo; and outdoor cat, Kittyfur, and is blessed to have all four grown children and their families living a bicycle ride away. Whether at their summer home on Nantucket or in Houston, Cynthia enjoys volunteering, needlepoint, serving on the Altar Guild of her church, keeping the ice cream drawer filled with popsicles and M&M’s. She also is dedicated to walking, walking, and more walking with Hap, who at this very moment is no doubt dreaming of, trying to, or successfully eating something he shouldn’t.

Tammy O. Bullock is from a small town in Utah. She is a proud mother and grandmother. Tammy is an administrative secretary at a high school, and in her free time she travels with her husband, has a passion for gardening, and a great love of horses and dogs. Growing up she delighted in hearing tales told by her grandparents that were passed down from generation to generation.

After her grandmother passed away, she inherited a trunk of old photos. Tammy was intrigued by the photos of her ancestors. Soon she found herself knee-deep in genealogical research. One ancestor, in particular, stood out; her great, great grandfather, Ole Mads Olsen who had emigrated from Denmark. She began to explore Danish customs, and along with her sisters have entwined them into their family Christmas traditions.

In 2015, Tammy decided to write a Danish Christmas story so her children and grandchildren would know her favorite Danish traditions. She titled it The Nisse of Christmas. Her family has since encouraged her to publish the story. In 2018 Tammy accomplished her dream of going to Denmark. She fell in love with the country her ancestors came from. After her return, she had a renewed desire to publish her story.

This book “The Nisse of Christmas” is a gift of love to her children and grandchildren. Although the story is fictional, the names and characters were real.

“We collect Christmas books to read through out the season. So when a friend highly recommended this darling book I was thrilled to find it on Amazon. It is the cutest story about Santa’s reindeer and how they got their names. As well as why Santa chose them to guide his sleigh. I loved that there was a cookie recipe & the cherry on top was the darling challenge it has in it at the end for the kids to speed kindness. It was fun, funny & well written. We loved it, and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 5 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️” – Amazon review

“Cute book that has vibrant pictures that help capture details about the reindeer. Well written and creatively shares how each of the reindeer were found and joined Santa’s team!” -Amazon review

“Excellent Book! My 5 year old loves when I read it to him and had fun finding out each reindeers story and their favorite cookie ingredients” -Amazon review