Listen To My Latest Podcast Episode:

OM112: Lucy Bedewi | How to Craft a Memorable Brand Voice

Listen To My Latest Podcast Episode:OM112: Lucy Bedewi | How to Craft a Memorable Brand Voice

Marci D. Toler

by | June 20, 2017

Overcoming Mediocrity - Volume V

RESILIENT WOMEN - These stories are meant to inspire and encourage women to realize their true potential.

 

 

 

 

Marci D. Toler

Marci D. Toler, LTC (Ret) is a combat veteran with several deployments under her belt. In addition to other awards and recognitions, she was awarded the Bronze Star for her meritorious efforts as the Commander, 259th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion. She is currently an author, speaker and CEO of Toler Leadership Group, partnering with corporate and faith-based organizations and leaders, improving their compassion and communications while harnessing the energy of change, to propel them forward and make a difference in the world. With over 33 years of public service, in the United States Army, she combines strategic thinking, compassion and value-based decision making to support leaders and organization in transition. Marci offers facilitated leadership coaching and workshops in leadership value based decision making, value alignment and conflict resolution.

She is the Co-Founder of You Are Worthy Ministries, a non-denominational, non-profit Christian ministry that provides Christ-centered seminars and retreats for women focused on learning, understanding and accepting the truth of God’s identity for each of us.

Marci is a proud graduate of Colorado State University in Business Economics, Econometrics and the RAM Battalion ROTC program. She went on to earn her Masters of Business Administration, Change Management, and was selected and graduated from the United States Senior Service College (US Army War College) with a Masters of Strategic Studies. She hopes to finish her PhD in Organization Management, when life slows down.

However, she is most proud that she is the mother of three children. They include Katherine, a Special Education Resource teacher; Geoffrey, a student of Agronomy at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and Joseph, who went home too soon.

 

Marci D. Toler
Toler Leadership Consulting
[email protected]
910-213-6467

 

 

 

Lead Strong, Serve Selflessly, Be Your Best Self and Love Well – Lessons from Iraq

Marci’s story is about the life and business lessons she learned from her year as a Battalion Commander in the Combat Zone of Iraq.

 

 

 

Ylona Cavalier

by | June 15, 2017

Overcoming Mediocrity - Volume V

RESILIENT WOMEN - These stories are meant to inspire and encourage women to realize their true potential.

 

 

 

 

Ylona Cavalier

Ylona Cavalier is a dynamic fitness group exercise instructor, personal trainer and organic gardener. Ylona has been in the fitness industry since 1983. Ylona holds specialty certifications in Cardio/Aerobics, Hatha Yoga, Spinning, Tabata, Core, Gliding, TRX Suspended weight training and the Doxa Soma-Praise Body-Christian Exercise Practice of integration of prayer, worship and stretching. Ylona received her 200 hour yoga certification at Soderworld Healing Arts & Spa Center located in Willowbrook, Illinois.

In addition to fitness, Ylona also studies nutrition with her new company PURIUM-ALL organic superfoods.  It is 80% nutrition what we put into our mouths and 20% exercise.  Please take a look and browse her website at: ylonacavalier.babystepseo.com

Ylona has taught fitness classes at Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center for 10 years, Edwards Health and Fitness Center in Woodridge and Naperville for eight years and the new ARC-Athletic Recreation Center in Woodridge, IL. Ylona’s teaching style is truly an uplifting, enthusiastic and fun workout experience.

 

Ylona Cavalier
PURIUM & YOUNG LIVING Essential Therapeutic Oils
[email protected]
www.ylonacavalier.com
ylonacavalier.babystepseo.com
630-201-1755

 

 

VisitMySite

 

 

 

 

RISE & SHINE – The Good Lord Is Upon Us!

Ylona came to America from Czechoslovakia when she was four years old with her family. When she was 16 years old, a stranger at a gym inspired her to be in the fitness industry. 28 years later, here she is. Ylona loves teaching fitness classes and personal training people. It is her passion and it makes her feel a whole lot better. Although she loves living a healthy lifestyle, she has also been through a lot of tough challenges in life. Ylona has had many deaths in her family, she has given birth to three boys with serious health issues and was in a fatal car accident. Without faith and the love of GOD and the Holy Spirit, Ylona could not go on. With her continued faith, she BELIEVES good things are coming her way and are truly possible.

 

 

 

Michele Riley Swiderski

by | June 13, 2017

Overcoming Mediocrity - Volume V

RESILIENT WOMEN - These stories are meant to inspire and encourage women to realize their true potential.

 

 

 

 

Michele Riley Swiderski

Michele Swiderski is a Natural Solutions provider who helps women become healers in their own homes. A mom with two small children who was suddenly widowed in her 30’s, Michele began her wellness firm, Simply Balanced with Michele, to share her lessons learned from overcoming the stress of suddenly single parenting, a more than 40 hour per week corporate position and the community commitments that she was drawn toward.

Michele’s journey is one of joyful resilience. Prior to founding her wellness business, Michele spent over 10 years as a visitor logistics and military event planner for a large government defense contractor. Before that, she established herself as a small business marketing consultant.

Michele is now creating a movement assisting her clients as they embrace wellness through the proper use of therapeutic grade essential oils, natural foods and education. She was called to this work through the experience of autoimmune issues, which she and her children experienced from grief, chronic stress and overwhelm. Michele provides services including one-on-one wellness coaching, in-home classes, seminars for other holistic wellness practitioners and their clients and entrepreneurial coaching.

Michele holds a double bachelor’s degree in Marketing Communications and Public Relations with an emphasis in Entrepreneurial Business.  She is currently finishing her MBA. She enjoys participating in a wide variety of wellness activities, yoga, meditation, reiki, chiropractic care and acupuncture.  Michelle also collaborates with other holistic wellness practitioners.

“I receive tremendous satisfaction and joy from helping people to find natural wellness solutions for health and home in simple, obtainable ways. Living well and incorporating daily wellness routines can change everything about how you live and the way your family functions.”

 

Michele Riley Swiderski
Simply Balanced with Michele
[email protected]
SimplyBalancedwithMichele.com
847-727-4962

 

 

VisitMySite

 

 

 

 

Navigating Life Part Two… Let It Go

Michele’s story is about how perception of a charmed life and ones understanding of societal and family expectations, often are not even shaken by tragedy. It requires an awareness of self, true wellness and a complete shift in mindset to truly embrace heath, love and life.

 

 

 

Jennifer Truesdale

by | June 8, 2017

Overcoming Mediocrity - Volume V

RESILIENT WOMEN - These stories are meant to inspire and encourage women to realize their true potential.

 

 

 

 

Jennifer Truesdale

Jennifer Truesdale grew up on the North Shore of Massachusetts, spending summers at “Happy Hampton Beach” in New Hampshire, where she was taught the value of hard work at young age, helping her grandparents with their beach motel.

At the age of 12 and after 13 or more broken bones, she was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta, (brittle bone disease).

After graduating from school, she had to leave her sweetheart behind to go off to college. She attended the University of Miami, where she landed exactly 10 days before Hurricane Andrew, which was at that time the most destructive hurricane in United States history. Surviving her first hurricane was a life changer. Due to some prior knee injuries, life on campus became too difficult after Andrew ripped it apart. Therefore, Jennifer moved back home. The only problem was that “home” moved 2,000 miles south.

At home, before she could even put down her suitcase, her mother laid out her life options as she saw them. With a whole four hours to ponder the options, she choose insurance school. She realized she had found a career that she was excited about. However, living 2,000 miles away from her sweetheart was not so exciting, so she packed up and headed north.

Over the years, she had worked in many aspects of the insurance industry, and by the age of forty she found herself a single mom for the second time. Scraping by on Social Security Disability and clipping coupons was not the life she wanted for her children.

After a car accident left her with a traumatic brain injury and a couple of broken bones, she realized that she just couldn’t live that way. She went back to work selling insurance and has become a top producer on her Aflac team.  She is mentoring new agents and helping change lives.

She has also helped her daughter found the not for profit organization, Solar for Our superheroes, which provides solar panels for real world heroes.

 

Jennifer Truesdale
True Insurance and Notary Services, Inc.
[email protected]
jentruesdale.com
603-929-9070

 

 

VisitMySite

 

 

 

 

Brittle, Not Broken

She sells insurance, and while that sentence may at first sound typical, the true story behind it is anything but. Throughout her life, she has been told by doctors and experts that she is disabled. She has broken 68 bones. Sixty-eight. And two years ago, she suffered a traumatic brain injury in a tragic car accident. On top of this, she was a single mom to three kids.

Suddenly, she found herself surviving on five hundred dollars per month from Social Security Disability, which, when you throw in a two thousand dollar mortgage which was six months behind, well you do the math. One year ago, she decided that there was no way she could continue to let her life be decided for her.

Eleven and a half months later, she has moved from $500 per month to a six figure income. She lives her life with a mindset of self-definition, never letting the world tell her what she is, and instead deciding for herself.

 

 

 

Irina Zlatogorova

by | June 6, 2017

Overcoming Mediocrity - Volume V

RESILIENT WOMEN - These stories are meant to inspire and encourage women to realize their true potential.

 

 

 

 

Irina Zlatogorova

Irina Zlatogorova is an independent business consultant with over 20 years of experience in leading and managing complex projects for Fortune 500 companies. She has demonstrated substantial process improvements and savings results in consumer products, home services, and the retail industry. Irina has been recognized for her expertise in effective contract negotiations, building teams, and providing mentorship to young business professionals.

In her previous role as a Divisional Vice President of Procurement for Sears Holdings Corporation, Irina was responsible for managing a team of 100 professionals and oversaw over $4 billion in annual spending for purchasing products and services. Her responsibilities included conducting supplier risk assessments, measuring team’s performance against industry benchmarks, and providing continuing training to associates.

Before Procurement, Irina was a Compliance Officer for the Home Services organization at Sears.  She was responsible for ISO 9000 standard implementation, as well as adherence to statutory and regulatory requirements for the service industry. She also has extensive experience with divestitures, mergers and acquisitions, business process outsourcing and spending analysis.

Irina is fluent in the English and Russian languages, has an MBA from Northern Illinois University and is pursuing her Ph.D. in Business Administration with specialization in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Northcentral University.

 

Irina Zlatogorova
[email protected]
630-945-4984

 

 

 

Three Life Lessons

In this story, Irina shares her three biggest life lessons that helped her to overcome many obstacles and create the life she always wanted to have. They are:
Lesson#1 – Invest in yourself and your education.
Lesson #2 – Turn a ‘Bad’ situation into a ‘Good’ one and help other people.
Lesson #3 – Find out what your passion is.
Irina sincerely hopes that these three life lessons from her life examples will help you to overcome your obstacles, to stay focused on your life purpose, reach your highest goals and become your best self.

 

 

 

Pin It on Pinterest