Purpose Over Perfect

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS EPISODE TALKS ABOUT CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSEBio:Katrina Spagnoletti is a fifty-six-year-old wife and mother of three. She is a motivational speaker and the founder of YourNewFaceof50.com, and the author of "What My Mother Never Knew," a self-help book designed to help people who have suffered from childhood trauma; albeit sexual, mental, or physical abuse. Katrina is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. Through this book, she details the experiences suffered as a child, and connects the lingering effects throughout her adult life. The author connects the fundamental links between childhood sexual abuse and failed relationships, trust and abandonment issues. More importantly, the author details her journey through the healing process, via her faith, physical fitness and pageantry. The author subsequently discusses her healing through physical fitness and nutrition.Links:AmazonInstagramWebsite

This week, I chat with Solange Tuyishime, President of Elevate International and Mrs. Canada World. From discussing her childhood experiences as a refugee from East Africa to how and why she got her start competing in beauty pageants, Solange shares how she finds a sense of belonging outside her trauma without disregarding how those experiences have shaped her into the woman she is today.Follow Solange:Mrs. Canada World InstagramWebsiteElevate International InstagramElevate Website

Many year ago, I was asked to give a speech at a Christian girls' camp for my church. That speech, however, applies to so many of us: girls, boys, teens, adults. I decided to share this talk because I find myself not only needing to remind myself of these things that I talk about in the speech, but also I seem to be having this very conversation with my friends lately!

#MotivateMonday: the "iceberg"Are you comparing your base of the iceberg to someone else's tip of the iceberg? In this episode, Elizabeth talks about the problem with comparison and the moment she realized she was finally breaking the surface in her own advocacy journey.

An interview with Mike Pickles, educator, author, motivational speaker & podcaster, who recently published a book called “Perfectly Imperfect”, in which he offers 7 pieces of advice to a more fulfilling life, such as:- You are enough- Life is your responsibility- Take more risks- Never stop learning- Travel more- Open your heart- Live a balanced lifeLinks:Podcast- The Daily Dill Podcast with Mike PicklesTwitter- @PicklesHugsInstagram- daily_dill_mikeYouTube- Daily DillBio:Michael A. Pickles was born in Digby, Nova Scotia, Canada. He has been teaching for 18 years within Canada, but has also taught overseas in Malawi, Africa and in Guyana and Ecuador, South America.He has been published in many newspaper articles, was interviewed on CBC North and was co-authored in a book called "The Path to Success" alongside The Secret guru Sandy Forster. His latest inspirational book is entitled "Hug Someone You Love Today: And How to Leave Your Personal Signature".Michael just finished teaching a four-year Teacher Education Program for the Nunavut Arctic College in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. Next, he will be teaching at Saint Josephs Catholic School in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.

In this episode, licensed therapist Shannon Corn talks about the relationship red flags you probably haven't heard but you've definitely seen your friends ignore, how to handle being on the friend side of a bad relationship, and scary relationships young girls are getting into at the age of 12 or 13.Download the free relationship red flag guide at www.ShannonCorn.comFollow Shannon Facebook or InstagramShannon Corn has her Master's degree in Social Work and is a licensed clinical therapist. She is a life coach, relationship expert and couples therapist who has several years of experience working with individuals and couples to create long-term, love-filled, successful relationships. Shannon has helped countless people overcome issues such as infidelity, poor boundaries, communication issues and unhealthy patterns in relationships. Shannon specializes in working with successful women who are tired of dating jerks and are looking for “the one.”

In this episode, I talk to my friend Natalie Murray who inspired me several years ago when she announced that she was going to go back to school when her youngest was two-years-old. Natalie talks about what it took to make that dream happen and what she is doing with her degree now.Bio:Natalie graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science from Weber State University in 2017 and is currently teaching Health and PE as well as coaching cheer at her local Jr. High. Going back to school as a wife and mother had been one of the hardest yet most empowering things she has ever done and she believes it has helped her in all areas of her life, especially motherhood. Natalie has been involved with pageants and dance for over 30 years! She was trained in classical ballet for 12 years and danced on her high school drill team for two. She then went on to help coach that team and had her firstborn in Florida while on their drill vacation. She has also taught dance at many local studios. Her pageant experience stems from a competitor to a director and judge and everything in between, as she loves the self-improvement that comes from competing in pageants and wouldn’t be who she is today if it wasn’t for the opportunities and life skills they have provided. She served as Mrs. Utah America 2015 where she spent her time promoting her platform, “Don’t Delay, Prepare Today” in the hopes to encourage individuals and families to become better prepared for emergencies. She occasionally does workshops and helps prepare contestants for competition. She is going into her third year coaching cheer and loves being able to continue to be a role model for young women. Natalie and her husband Lance live with their four children in Utah.

Katy was just 19 when she met the man who eventually would be the reason she nearly lost her life. Now, more than a decade later, Katy is thriving in her business, in her marriage and in parenthood, and is using her story to help advocate for others.Instagram: @Katy_ClatterbaughPodcast: The Joyful Life - A #Shareyourstory Podcast Domestic Violence National Hotline: 1.800.799.7233 (SAFE)

Show Notes: When Adam and Stephanie Barrett's son was once again life-flighted to Children's Hospital, the family relied on the Ronald McDonald House to be close to their son while providing stability for their other children. They had to rely on their faith to make a dramatic move in hopes that it would save his life.Now, years later and after a clean bill of health for her youngest, Stephanie went from being a stay-at-home mom to the family breadwinner. In this episode, she gives tips on how she makes it work and the choices they had to make to save his life.Listen on iTunes:Stephanie's Personal InstagramStephanie's Photography InstagramBiography:Growing up, my life revolved around basketball and took me to places I never thought possible. I played Division I basketball for Arizona State University before my career ended due to numerous foot injuries. It was a difficult decision to close a chapter that had been a huge part of my life for so long, but with it came new adventures and aspirations. I transferred to Brigham Young University to finish my schooling at a top 5 business program in the country and graduated with a B.S. in Business Finance, a year ahead of all my peers. Upon graduation, I met the love of my life, got married and had children. My husband had an opportunity to coach Division I Women’s Basketball and I put my work on hold to be a stay-at- home mom.In addition to my duties with my own children, I became a “mother” away from home for the players my husband coached; we opened up our home to them for regular team dinners, fun activities, birthday celebrations, holidays, make-up tutorials, etc... We built incredible relationships with those young women that will last a lifetime.While living in a small town in Pennsylvania in 2014, my husband was coaching at Saint Francis University. Just before Christmas, we started to notice our youngest son, who was three-and-a-half-months old at the time, retract when he would breathe. To make a long story short, we ended up at Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, two hours from our home with our son on oxygen and monitors around the clock. He went through every test you could think of, including a lung biopsy at four-and-a-half-months old. All tests were inconclusive but for some perspective of the severity, local hospitals and ER’s wouldn’t even admit us. My son’s final diagnosis was based on what they knew he didn’t have because they could not figure out what he did have. All treatments were experimental, including a suggestion to move somewhere with shorter winters and dry, warmer weather. Unfortunately, it was too late for my husband to find a job in his field that allowed me to continue to be a stay-at- home mom. I decided to go back to work and got a job as a Financial Analyst. As I head into work, it is still incredibly hard to leave my children, but I am grateful to have a flexible job that allows my husband to continue to follow his dreams as well.Along with my 9-5 job, I stay busy with my children’s various activities, community service, baking/cooking, and modeling/runway as time allows.Since moving to Las Vegas, my youngest has “grown out” of whatever he had. Even with his lingering effects, he got a vote of clean health from his pediatrician just a couple months ago. I have visited numerous Ronald McDonald Houses throughout the country and most recently in Rome. I hope to make a difference in the lives of the children and families around the world while staying at the Ronald McDonald House, just as other’s once did for me.

I conducted this interview in 2017 but today in 2020, it's still so relevant. Now that the old podcast is down, I'm publishing again so that the great work being done is not forgotten.Former U.S. Marine Erin Kirk-Cuomo is fully aware of what her sisters in the Marine Corps are going through as they battle Marines United; a group of 30,000+ men who stored and shared thousands of photos of female Marines on Google Drive and Facebook. Some of the photos were taken without permission, some were nude photos shared without permission. In many cases, male Marines encouraged each other to find these women and rape them, even posting their duty stations, full names, addresses and phone numbers.Erin knows because it happened to her. As co-founder of Not in My Marine Corps, she's helping to lobby for federal laws that will make non-consensual photosharing illegal on a federal level, and providing support for victims. But like many before her, she's sometimes fighting an uphill battle not everyone is sure she can win.Listen on iTunesShow Notes:Links: https://www.facebook.com/NotInMyMarineCorps/https://www.notinmymarinecorps.org/Biography: Erin Kirk-Cuomo is a former United States Marine, business owner, activist, co-founder of Not In My Marine Corps, Coast Guard wife, and mother. Ms. Kirk-Cuomo is a 2002 Graduate of the University of Tampa with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry, and a 2005 Graduate of the University of the Arts in Photojournalism. Upon graduating from the University of the Arts in 2005, Ms. Kirk-Cuomo enlisted in the Marine Corps as a combat photographer.After completing basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina, Ms. Kirk-Cuomo completed combat training at Camp Geiger in Jacksonville, North Carolina before attending the Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland where she graduated as the Distinguished Honor Graduate. Ms. Kirk-Cuomo was assigned to Camp Pendleton where she briefly worked at the base combat camera unit before being transferred to 1st Marine Division Combat Camera, deploying several times to Fallujah as a combat photographer. During her deployments in Iraq, Ms. Kirk-Cuomo was deployed with various infantry units in and around Al Anbar to include Ramadi, Al Qaim, Saqlawiyah, and Korean Village. Ms. Kirk-Cuomo was also a member of the lioness team and later a member on the very first female engagement team created in Fallujah in 2008. Upon the end of her deployment to Iraq in 2008, Ms. Kirk-Cuomo was selected as the Commandant of the Marine Corps’ photographer for General James Conway. Ms. Kirk-Cuomo traveled to Afghanistan extensively while being assigned to the staff of the Commandant including covering the beginning of the battle of Marjah in 2010.Not In My Marine Corps was created in order to provide a platform of resources for survivors of military sexual trauma, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and non-consensual photo sharing. Not In My Marine Corps also strives to provide an online support group to share stories and experiences to encourage and educate survivors that they are not alone in this fight.

Miss Indiana USA 2014 and Mrs. Indiana America 2017 Mekayla Diehl Eppers is well known across the country as the beauty queen who graced the Miss USA stage with a "normal body." But what may not be so well known is the difficult childhood that taught Eppers to be the strong woman she is today. In this podcast, Eppers talks not just about the social media outcry, the following appearances on national TV, including GMA, but also how she learned to forgive after being sexually abused by her mother's cocaine dealer as a child. In a podcast that every adult should listen to, Eppers discusses the conversations that she had with her husband prior to getting married, and how he helped her continue her journey as a role model to others and herself.Listen on iTunesLinks:https://www.instagram.com/mrsamerica18https://www.instagram.com/reignfitness_and_pageantryBio:Mekayla has over 16 years in the pageant industry, getting her start in the Miss America Organization and, then, competing in the Miss Universe Organization. In 2014 she was crowned Miss Indiana USA and became a semi-finalist at Miss USA in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. After receiving praise about her "normal body" on social media, she had live interviews on national networks like CNN, Fox and Friends, Good Morning America. This phenomenon sparked her passion to helping others to become truly healthy. As the 2017 Mrs. Indiana America, Mekayla has evolved that passion into her new platform; The Feather Project. Mekayla will compete for Mrs. America in Las Vegas in August and hopes to have the opportunity to spread her native teaching nationwide! When she isn't on the stage, Mekayla spends her time working on her new house with her husband in Bristol, Indiana while working as a real estate broker, fitness coach, and promotional model while volunteering as a Co-Director of the Miss Collegiate North pageant.

Six years ago, I was asked to give a speech at a Christian girls' camp. That speech, however, applies to so many of us: girls, boys, teens, adults. I decided to share this talk because I find myself not only needing to remind myself of these things that I talk about in the speech but also I seem to be having this very conversation with my friends lately!