MY JOURNEY

Every Child Can Succeed!

I hope my testimony can be an inspiration and an encouragement to you today.

It was June 1971, when my family and I were returning from a deep sea fishing trip out in the Atlantic Ocean. As we entered the No Wake zone of the inlet, my dad pulled back on the throttle to slow the boat down. Without notice, the boat engines exploded. And my sweet mother was standing in between both engines when it happened. At that moment, my world forever changed. It is one of the most defining moments of my life. I learned a lot about myself that day. I learned how to overcome trauma caused by such a terrible accident. I learned how to be resilient. I learned the depths of my mother's love. I learned perseverance and determination are character traits that will propel you forward. I also learned that some people cave under such circumstances.

Sadly my parent's marriage couldn't survive such a tragedy, and my dad walked out on us. With all the upheaval, life became a struggle during my middle and high school years.

Our way of life radically changed. During the divorce, Mom lost everything.

Everything that happened was refining me, teaching me, shaping me, and preparing me to rely fully on the Lord for the next day. Through it all, I discovered my desire for helping others develop resiliency to overcome the twists and turns of life.

During high school, I worked a series of odd jobs to help mom pay the bills. After graduation, I sought employment at a large entertainment company. I learned a lot about people, families, customer care, training, and working with dignitaries. One of the most important lessons I learned was true leaders don't have to tell you they are important because they are not focused on being important. Instead, they focus on building up the people around them.

"Leaders shine a light for others, so they find their way."

Because of my childhood, I learned to take risks. Something in me believed failure was just an opportunity to try again. In my mind, the worst thing that could happen is it didn't work out, and you'd have to try again.

I have been an educator, leader, movement shaper, and speaker for over 30 years now, and released my first book: Parenting beyond the Rules. Raising Teens with Confidence and Joy. My goal is to offer hope and help to parents and educators of the over 63 million teens who need guidance and unconditional love not just another set of rules. It's true the teen years are among the most challenging for parents, but they can be the most rewarding season of the parenting journey.

Every child is a masterpiece in the making, and mom and dad get to help their child become the person he or she is created to be by painting a picture of possibilities for the future.

I've had the privilege of making television appearances, doing radio interviews, being a guest on various podcasts, and writing numerous magazine articles. I still stand in awe that God has allowed me to be a messenger for something as exciting and encouraging, and truly life-changing.