Advertise on podcast: Second Acts

In today’s fast paced world, achieving personal growth and financial success can be challenging. Reverend James Parker interweaves spiritual insights with practical financial wisdom to help us develop the mindset, habits, and practices that are necessary to reach our deepest desires. Reverend Parker is the senior minister and CEO of Unity Chicago and the author of the book, The Wealth Spark: Igniting Your Path to Abundance and Success. Connect with Joan Herrmann at CYACYL.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inner strength is an essential skill that’s necessary for carrying out tasks, making decisions, and achieving goals. Without it, it’s difficult to start anything, and it’s difficult to get to the finish line. Alyssa Ages was able to flip Mack truck tires and walk with 300 pounds on her back. She was the strongest she had ever been, until her body betrayed her. During the process of rebuilding her strength, she began to wonder: What if strength isn’t about how much we can lift, what if it’s about how we manage life’s struggles? Alyssa explains how the pursuit and possession of strength can permeate every aspect of our lives, from building resilience and confidence, to finding joy in discomfort, to teaching us to handle adversity. Alyssa is the author of the book, Secrets of Giants: A Journey to Uncover the True Meaning of Strength. Find out more about CYACYL Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joy is one of our basic needs, and yet it eludes many. When we experience life’s challenges and turmoil it may difficult to live in joy. Grace Harry learned how to see her pain as a gift that created a pathway for joy. She discusses how we find joy, re-discover it, and incorporate it into our daily lives. Grace worked for 30 years as a music industry executive at Island Def Jam and Jive Records, and was once married to Usher. Today, she helps people welcome joy back into their lives. Her new book is The Joy Strategist: Your Path to Inner Change. Follow Grace Harry on Instagram @graceharry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just about everyone has had an experience that has led to wondering if there’s a way forward. Sometimes it’s so devastating that you can’t see a path no matter how hard you try. According to Dr. Ken Druck, it’s not always clear how to go on. And that’s okay! He offers a guide for when we find ourselves feeling lost, uncertain, or even terrified about the road ahead. Dr. Druck is one of the nation's leading grief and resilience experts. Since losing his own daughter in a tragic accident, and later working with families after 9/11, Sandy Hook, and Columbine, he has dedicated his life to helping others learn how to face hardships and navigate life’s daily ups and downs. Dr. Druck is a best selling author of more than a dozen books, a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Contribution to Psychology award, and a speaker. He is often featured in national press. His new book is, How We Go On: Self-Compassion, Courage, and Gratitude on the Path Forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we think of well-being, we often think of our physical and mental health. But, according to Kamlesh Patel, affectionately known as Daaji, there is a third system we often overlook: the spiritual anatomy. He contends that the chakras lead us back to the sustainable happiness and meaning we desire. Daaji discusses how we can learn how to nurture our spiritual anatomy to become our most authentic, divine self. Daaji is the spiritual leader of the Heartfulness Organization and the author of numerous books including Heartfulness Way and Designing Destiny. His new book is Spiritual Anatomy: Meditation, Chakras, and the Journey to the Center. Connect with Joan Herrmann and CYACYL.com www.daaji.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Online dating is a big part of the dating world today and is one of the main ways people look for a partner. The Pew Research Center reported that 3 in 10 U.S. adults have used dating apps. When meeting strangers online, how can you be sure the person is legitimate and has your best interests at heart? Donna Marie Hayes was scammed and robbed of her life’s savings by a man that she described as the “love of her life”. When she began the relationship, Donna was at the top of her game. She had a successful career on Wall Street and was starring in her own one woman off Broadway show. Donna shares how she fought back and the lessons she learned. Donna owns a coaching practice dedicated to helping women shed victimhood for empowerment. She is the author of the book, These Broken Roads: Scammed and Vindicated: One Woman’s Story. Find out more about Joan Herrmann and CYACYL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women are increasingly controlling wealth. Research shows that 95 percent of women will be a primary financial decision maker at some point in their lives. Nancy Tengler believes that it’s important for women to develop the knowledge and skills required to accumulate wealth and build an investment portfolio. She offers strategies for investing, especially in these times of inflation and rising interest rates. Nancy is CEO and chief investment officer of Laffer Tengler Investments. Her career as a portfolio manager spans 40 years. She is a financial commentator on media and author of the book, The Women’s Gide to Successful Investing: Achieving Financial Security and Realizing Your Goals. Read Nancy's blog Connect with Joan Herrmann and CYACYL.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Change is the one constant in life and yet most of us are addicted to certainty. We like life to be neat and tidy but the reality is, it’s anything but. One day, Emma Nadler got a call from her daughter’s doctor that changed her life forever. Faced with the realities of raising a child with a rare genetic condition, she had to confront her preconceptions of motherhood and her perfectionistic beliefs. She discusses how to navigate whatever challenge life throws at you. Emma is a psychotherapist, author and speaker. She helps people understand and tolerate emotions, build deeper relationships, and find meaning in life's challenges. Her memoir, The Unlikely Village of Eden, is about learning to adapt and accept when life doesn’t go as planned. Meet Emma Nadler here https://emmanadler.com/ Joan Herrmann and CYACYL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our bodies are built to respond to stress, but it’s easy to forget about your innate power when you are facing challenges. According to Dr. Christy Gibson, it is possible remodel your brain to achieve post-traumatic growth. She explains how to embrace your power and transform your life. Dr. Gibson is a physician, change agent, and trauma clinician. She is the author of the book, The Modern Trauma Toolkit: Nurture your post traumatic growth with personalized solutions. The Modern Trauma Toolkit- Christy Gibson, MD Find out about Joan Herrmann and CYACYL.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a traumatic past, which includes kidnapping and physical, emotional and sexual abuse, Doug Dane beat the odds stacked against him to find happiness and success in his own life. Doug’s work is inspired by the steps he took to overcome the typical trajectory for someone in his shoes. He discusses ways to help us break into a new life, no matter what we may have experienced. Doug is a mindset mentor, speaker, mental health advocate, and author of Mistaken Identity: A Guide to Letting Go Of A Past That’s Holding You Back. Live coaching and mentoring with Doug Dane Find out about Joan Herrmann and CYACYL.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we experience a difficult time, we may believe that finding joy is too hard, too much to hope for, and only for those who are resilient enough. According to Dr. Tanmeet Sethi, joy is an innate human right accessible to all. Dr. Sethi helps us rediscover joy, not as a destination or solution, but as a practice for healing. Dr. Sethi is a board-certified integrative family medicine physician and clinical associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She has spent the past 25 years working on the frontlines of the most marginalized communities, as well as globally with victims of school shootings, survivors of hurricanes, citizens impacted by police violence, and psychologists in Ukraine under attack. Dr. Sethi is the author of the book, Joy is My Justice: Reclaim What Is Yours. Dr. Tanmeet Sethi Find out about Joan Herrmann and CYACYL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At age 11, Brooke Ellison was hit by a car, an accident that left her paralyzed from the neck down and dependent on a ventilator. Ten years later, she graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in cognitive neuroscience. At 23, she penned Miracles Happen, a memoir that was adapted into a movie, The Brooke Ellison Story, directed by Christopher Reeve. Brooke went on to earn her MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a PhD in sociology from Stony Brook University. Today, she is a tenured professor at Stony Brook. Brook talks about the story of her remarkable life, and her belief that people possess the strength and grit to fight back when we feel all is lost. Brooke is also the author of Look Both Ways. Find out more about Brooke Ellison Find about about Joan Herrmann and CYACL.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices