EP65: Defining Yourself On Your Terms with Lizzie Velasquez

Do you feel like your brain has been serious overdrive lately? A stream of clutter of fear, doubt, confusion, worry or overthinking turning your mental space into a chaotic mess? I know this whole quarantine sitch from the Coronavirus and all the uncertainty of the future has been wrecking havoc in our minds. When we’re caught up in our heads, distracted by worry, overthinking or fear, we’re not present or clear-headed. And when we’re not clear-headed, we lose the connection to ourselves, to others, our environment, and our lives. Mental clutter pulls us off center, depletes our energy and disrupts our inner balance and harmony. If your mind is frantically waving a red flag, begging you to free up some headspace by clearing out the head-trash, then make sure you get your earballs on today’s episode. I lead you through a guided hypnosis that will give you a little boost to declutter your mind to create more calm, clarity, focus and peace. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP74

Today I’ve got two special guests for you - inspirational speaker, trainer, serial entrepreneur, and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series (with over 500 million books sold around the world), Mark Victor Hansen, and his wife Crystal Dwyer Hansen who is one of America’s leading success and wellness coaches. The huge success of the Chicken Soup series might suggest that Mark just has that Midas touch — but he assures me that isn’t the case. In fact, before Chicken Soup for the Soul’s release in 1993, Mark faced bankruptcy, a ton of rejection (the book was turned down 144 times!), and felt so low that he had to reach up to hit rock bottom. In this episode Mark tells me how he managed to pick himself up after each rejection, and how his faith in the power of his idea kept him going when everyone around him was telling him to quit. You’ll hear Mark and Crystal share their top tips for surrounding yourself with positivity, boosting your self-worth, and improving your inner monologue. They explain that cultivating faith, focusing on solutions, and clinging to your belief in yourself and your goals can lead to all kinds of miracles. And, if you’ve ever found yourself wondering if you can actually make a living by following your passion you’ll definitely want to find out how “becoming a bold asker” could help you uncover your true purpose and create a life of abundance. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP73

Listen in as I talk to America’s Life Coach, Stephen Lovegrove about his own transformational journey from an unconventional childhood growing up as a gay kid in what he describes as a fundamentalist religious cult, to becoming a renowned coach that has helped countless entrepreneurs and A-listers to embrace their power, claim their destiny, and make their dreams come true. If you sometimes feel like events from your past are holding you back, Stephen is here to give you a wonderful reminder that you have way more control over your future than you might think. Tune in to find out how you too can overcome your past and create a life filled with love, hope, and success. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP72 

In this episode I’m talking to Dan “Nitro” Clark about how he rose to fame in American Gladiator, despite a childhood marked by trauma, alcohol abuse, and drug use. Dan reminds us just how deceptive appearances can be as he describes how “broken” he felt even when it looked to the rest of the world that he had everything we’re supposed to want: money, fame, incredible physical fitness, and even his own action figure!  Dan proves that with the right mindset, inner healing, and support, we can bounce back from anything, even a heart attack which Dan had back in 2013. That heart attack was a catalyst for him to break free from being a “some day” guy to living on purpose and taking inspired action every day. So, If you’ve ever found yourself saying “some day” to the things you want to experience or to accomplish, this episode is the perfect kick up the butt to start living your life right now! For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP71

If you're searching for answers in life (and really, who isn't?), you might not have to look any further than yourself. Today I’m dropping a solo episode on the podcast and I’m giving you a powerful guided hypnosis experience that will connect you with the still, small voice—your inner GPS that is always guiding you to your truth. I work with high achievers who are at the top of their game, and they know that one of their greatest assets for their personal and professional success is being able to listen to and trust their intuition. Your intuition, aka inner guidance is a superpower and can support you in so many ways like connecting you to your truth, unveiling answers to questions, and guiding you on your path and evolution. It’s important to be in tune with yourself and to connect with your own inner wisdom for guidance. This guided hypnosis will help you strengthen that connection with your inner wisdom. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP70

Back in 2014, Kanwer Singh AKA Humble the Poet left his career as an elementary school teacher to take the leap into the music scene based on a false promise that landed him deep in debt. Feeling betrayed and ashamed, he stayed in bed for 2 weeks taking NyQuil and muscle relaxers, waiting for someone to save him. The reality was that he needed to wake up, and he did. You’re going to hear how he got creative to make money, but more importantly, how he gained the courage to face his shadows, and turn his entire life around to become the incredible MC, spoken-word and hip-hop artist, speaker, filmmaker and best-selling author that he is today. Humble is a powerful example of what’s possible when you take responsibility for your life and do whatever it takes to improve your circumstances and thrive. If you need real inspiration and steps to empower yourself to turn your life circumstances around, this episode is for you. For full show notes and episode resources head to https://stephaniekwong.com/EP69

Former NFL athlete, international speaker, author and shift coach, Anthony Trucks defied painful odds, and created his own destiny. Anthony was given away at 3 years old into the foster care system and experienced an extreme amount of horrific abuse that no child ever should. He endured beatings, starvation, and different forms of torture all before the age of 6. He was in foster care for 8 more years before being adopted into a poor all white family as the only black person. In the years following, he continued having crazy shifts in his life like becoming a teen parent, losing his self-defining career in the NFL to an injury, having twins at 25 in an unstable marriage, coming close to suicide at age 28, getting a divorce, fully changing careers to try a new venture, losing his adoptive mother and father, remarrying his ex-wife and more. As you’ll hear today, Anthony didn’t let his past define him. He called the shots for his future by digging in deep to heal and creating powerful identity shifts that brought him from former foster child to pro-athlete, to one of the most highly regarded speakers and trainers in his industry. We don’t always have a choice to the homes we’re born into and how we’re raised, but we always have the opportunity to rewrite our future. You’ll hear how Anthony ultimately built a deeply fulfilling life and an incredible level of success when all the odds were stacked against him. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/E68

Do you struggle with truly owning and unapologetically expressing who you authentically are? Billie Lee is a woman who knows deep in her soul that being true to yourself and comfortable in your own skin can gift you a lifetime of inner peace and joy. Billie is a transgender woman, activist, and blogger. You may recognize her from her time on the hit reality show Vanderpump Rules on Bravo TV. Billie was born and raised as a boy in a small town in Indiana. It was difficult for her to be who she was with constant bullying and shaming. Today you’re going to hear Billie’s difficult and deeply moving journey of discovering her trans experience, transitioning from male to female, and loving herself even through all the judgment and rejection of society. You’re going to learn how to release shame and create more self-love and acceptance. Billie also shares how she shielded herself from judgment and her steps to discover who you truly are and how to fully own it. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP67 

When life knocks you down, you always have the choice to stand back up. Today you’ll hear author & speaker, Chris Norton’s journey to stand after a life-altering spinal cord injury that had him lose feeling and movement from his neck down. Chris was given a 3% chance of any improvement, but he didn’t accept that as his fate. He beat the odds, worked his butt off to regain movement and years later he achieved his impossible when he walked across the stage of his college graduation capturing over 300 million views online. A few years after that he conquered the challenge of walking his wife down the aisle at their wedding. Chris shares the behind the scenes of what it took to achieve his goals and the mindset he uses to stay focused on his future instead of staying stuck in the past. Chris’ story and wisdom he gained along his journey to rise are truly inspiring. You’ll hear Chris empowers others to get back up when they get knocked down, and the power of hope, trust and faith to achieve the impossible. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP66

Motivational speaker, activist, author and YouTuber, Lizzie Velasquez was cruelly dubbed "The Ugliest Woman in the World" on a viral YouTube video when she was 17 years old. She was born with an extremely rare congenital disease that among other symptoms, prevents her from accumulating body fat, gaining weight, and it impacts her vision, bones, and heart. Out of that horrific YouTube incident, rose a fire and a desire in Lizzie to make it her life’s work to stand up for bullying victims, to inspire people around the world to look at inner beauty, and to spread kindness and acceptance. In this episode you’ll hear Lizzie’s incredible personal story of resilience, optimism, and forgiveness. We also talk about how to turn your pain into purpose and how to find the silver lining in the adversity. For full show notes and episode resources head to http://stephaniekwong.com/EP65