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“Marie Pizano is an example of how you can overcome challenges to live with passion and purpose, and realize your ambitions. Her story can help empower and motivate others to find their Yes.” — Jack Canfield, Award-winning Author and Life Coach
Marie Pizano was once told that she makes coffee nervous, and for good reason. She has a bottomless well of energy that propels her forward no matter what forces are at work to hold her back.
“I’m generally prepared to jump off the cliff — with my stilettos on — and land on solid ground before I take off and go,” she says in her inspirational memoir, From Barefoot to Stilettos: Finding My Yes.
Her story is one of a woman who seeks purpose-driven endeavors that create change and redefine expectations. As the CEO and founder of MVP3 Entertainment Group, she used her expansive vision to launch a groundbreaking multipurpose complex in Memphis by partnering with Darnell Stitts of ATWEC Technologies to form MVP3 Studios & Partners, LLC. She also partnered with Melissa Harville-Lebron, the first African-American woman to own a NASCAR team, and they are joining forces for the upcoming NASCAR series.
But she is not all-business. She is also an impassioned community activist who spent the better part of 2020 advocating for a Tennessee amendment requiring divorcing parents to become educated on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — before being granted a divorce.
Giving back to the community and empowering others to rise up have been her driving forces since she could afford her first pair of stilettos. Finding My Yes is Pizano’s way of sharing the trials she endured and the triumphs she celebrated through humorous and heartfelt vignettes that elucidate simple but powerful life lessons. Ultimately, she hopes to encourage readers to ignore the haters, bolster their moral backbones, and ultimately, find their own “yes.”
“I believe that the universe gives back what you put out there, but I also believe that no matter how positive you are or how much you mediate or pray, some things are just out of your control,” Pizano says. “Sometimes things just happen, and sometimes life is just not fair. Regardless, you cannot give up.”
About the Author Born and raised in Chicago, Marie Valentina Pizano moved to Memphis in 1999. She has served on the boards of the International Children’s Foundation, the Women’s Foundation for Greater Memphis and The Commission on Missing & Exploited Children. She was co-founder of the Tiara Tea Society, chairperson for Go Red for Women and created “ROCK FOR HOPE” for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
She is a devoted mother of two and very passionate about film, music and community. The author, producer, radio/TV host and speaker is building her life and her company, MVP3 Entertainment Group, on truth and integrity.
From Barefoot to Stilettos is being made into a TV series, with Karyme Lozano (best known as an award-winning actress from Mexico) on board as writer. Pizano donates 10 percent of her book sales to charities that raise awareness and funding for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking: Amanda’s Way (www.AmandasWay.org) and Thistle & Bee (www.ThistleandBee.org); and she is working with www.Rotary-FYI.com to educate the public on ACEs.
For more information, visit http://mariepizano.com/ or www.FromBarefootToStilettos.com.
From Barefoot to Stilettos, Finding My Yes Publisher: WaterSide Publishing ISBN-10: 194763755X ISBN-13: 978-1947637559 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Teresa Hinojosa Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 832.569.5773 Direct 281.333.3507 Phone [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
Embrace Your Imperfections and Embark Upon a Healing Journey with God as Your Guide
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Crippling fear permeated every aspect of Christine Soule’s life from an early age and followed her into adulthood. Her past of brokenness — abuse, dysfunction, addiction and other trauma — could have very well defined her future. But once she turned to God and let Him lead the way, she found a path toward a brighter future.
“The key is discovering who you are in Christ — your true identify. And that’s especially significant if you, like me, have a past of brokenness,” Soule writes in her inspirational story, Broken and Beautiful. “So much of how we see ourselves revolves around the demands our society places on us, insisting we live up to its expectations. Don’t listen to the world. Listen to God.”
Soule’s life was a jumbled pile of broken pieces. Her father was married seven times; her mother four times. Between her parents’ divorce when she was 5 years old and the day she allowed the power and presence of God into her heart, she watched her sister have an affair with her adoptive father; met 15 siblings she never knew at her biological father’s funeral; turned to drugs and alcohol; got pregnant at 17; had twins less than two years later; and became a victim of human trafficking. She had to break the cycle for the sake of her children. With nowhere else to turn, she dropped to her knees and prayed. And that’s when everything changed.
Broken and Beautiful is Soule’s remarkable story of how God took the pieces of her broken, astonishingly dysfunctional life and transformed it all into a breathtaking mosaic of joy and purpose.
“The places where you feel hopeless are exactly what He wants to redeem and fill with beauty, dignity and strength. He has a plan for your pain. A wonderful intention for your failures. A purpose for your hardest, darkest stories,” Soule writes.
Told with honesty and surprising touches of humor, Soule shares her journey from drug- addicted stripper to exuberant Jesus lover with a passion for helping others embrace God’s love. Broken and Beautiful is a raw, authentic story of hope, from a place of experience.
Author Christine Soule lives with the love of her life, Mitch Soule, in Seattle. They have five kids and three wonderful grandchildren. She is the founder and CEO of Providence Heights (www.providenceheights.org), a nonprofit created to house women and children in need and to provide counseling, education and jobs.
Broken and Beautiful: Let God Turn Your Mess into a Masterpiece ISBN-13: 979-8662957619 Available from Amazon.com (Broken and Beautiful), providenceheights.org and christinesoule.com
Musical Savant Inspires Heartbroken Pianist In Return Of The Song
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Caroline Carlyle, a gifted pianist, has abandoned her unfinished compositions and traded her old ambitions for the comfort and familiarity of being the town’s favorite piano teacher. The music that once filled her heart died along with her fiancé in the floodwaters of Guate-mala six years ago. Struggling with aching loss and a splintered faith, she has long since given up on rediscovering the inspiration that once came so easily.
Until, that is, a prodigious, musical savant enters Caroline’s life, shattering her glass cocoon, capturing the attention of many of the townsfolk, and awakening Caroline’s courage and sense of purpose. Inspired by her new acquaintance, Caroline embarks on a quest to track down the beloved rare piano she played as a child. Her search leads her to Rockwater, the Kentucky estate of a wealthy gentleman who will forever alter the trajectory of Caroline’s life.
Return of the Song is the compelling first book in the Rockwater Suite series from Phyllis Clark Nichols. Readers will find themselves immersed in the fictional town of Moss Point, Georgia, where quiet glimmers of romance and undercurrents of mystery complement the town’s Southern beauty and charm. They will discover the hope of life after loss and the rekindling of love and purpose.
With change in the air at Moss Point, secrets will be revealed, events will converge and characters will collide — all of it building to an unexpected crescendo. Who will ultimately help Caroline find the real music of her heart again?
Author Phyllis Clark Nichols weaves her faith and her Southern culture into character-driven stories that bring hope and light as they explore profound human questions. A classically-trained musician and retired cable executive, she enjoys art, books, nature, cooking, travel and stories about ordinary people who live extraordinary lives. In addition to the Rockwater Suite series, Phyllis is the author of the Family Portrait series and the inspirational Christmas novels, Christmas at Grey Sage and Silent Days, Holy Night. She and her husband live in the Texas Hill Country. Please visit her at www.phyllisclarknichols.com.
Return of the Song Publisher: Gilead Publishing ISBN-10: 1683701453 ISBN-13: 978-1683701453 Available from Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com
Trish Stevens Claire Downing Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
Emotional Brain Training – A New Antidote To Pandemic Stress
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Stress is overwhelming our nation. We are all in the same situation and need to unlock our brain’s natural powers to process stress back to health, happiness and purpose. New York Times bestselling author and health psychologist Laurel Mellin delivers a unique, proven way to switch off that stress with “What’s my number?” One Simple Question that Unlocks Your Brain’s Power for Health, Happiness & Purpose.
“We are entering the Age of the Emotional Brain, a time when the overwhelming chaos, shrinking resources, gaslighting and gridlock cause so much brain stress, that we have outstripped the thinking brain’s capacity to cope,” Dr. Mellin writes. “We need to reset our approach to play by the rules of the emotional brain. By doing that one thing solutions to life’s challenges appear. We unlock the amazing power of the brain.”
“What’s my number?” offers a profoundly effective way to alter how we process daily life to meet the high-stress demands of our times. Through emotional brain training (EBT), we can use the power of our own emotions to crush cravings and regain control; clear away ineffective beliefs; deal with workplace stress; relieve anxiety, depression and hostility; resolve conflicts in relationships; boost our sense of purpose; and create joy in our lives.
Consider the following: • Traditional methods for stress reduction were developed 50 to 100 years ago and are no longer relevant to today’s overwhelming stress levels. • Before 1990, stress was low enough that we could think and do our way out of problems. With far more stress, the emotional brain takes charge. This brain does not change by thoughts or actions, but by emotions, so we need a new system for processing daily life. • This system is easy, fast and can switch off stress and activate positive emotions in about four minutes. • Stress is the number one epidemic worldwide and the physiological root cause of common diseases (diabetes, cancer and heart disease) and causes or exacer-bates all emotional, behavioral and relationship problems. • We have cracked the code on emotions and developed a simple system for pro-cessing emotional stress and switching off stress overload that anyone can use.
“What’s my number?” offers the keys to unlocking the brain’s power to turn off stress so that we can stem the negative cascade of emotions, resolve conflicts, boost our sense of purpose and create more joy in our lives.
Dr. Laurel Mellin is the founder of Emotional Brain Training (EBT), a neuroscience-based solution to stress. She is a health psychologist and Associate Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine and Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Mellin is a New York Times bestselling author and researcher, speaker and clinical trainer. EBT is the only method that maps the emotional brain; the seat of health, happiness, spirituality, relationships and productivity in a structured way that empowers people to self-direct their own emotional health and well-being.
“What’s my number?” One Simple Question that Unlocks Your Brain’s Power for Health, Happiness & Purpose Release Date: April 2020 Publisher: EBT Books ISBN-10: 1893265013 ISBN-13: 978-1893265011 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Teresa Hinojosa Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 832.569.5773 Direct 281.333.3507 Phone 832.569.5539 Fax [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
Trish Stevens Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 281.333.3507 Main/Office 832.334.2733 Cell [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing)
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Some Of The World’s Happiest People Share This Trait: They Live Every Aspect Of Life With Purpose
We have only one life so there’s no time to be stuck doing something we hate and regretting it later. Craig Sroda’s new book, The Ultimate Manual, is both motivating and inspirational; providing simple steps to help readers build their own unique life plan, utilizing their natural strengths and traits, so they may accomplish their goals and live the life of their dreams—with no regrets!
Craig C. Sroda, founder and former CEO of Pinnacle of Indiana, provides actionable, step-by-step instructions for living a more purpose-driven life in The Ultimate Manual — a personal life coach in a book.
With 232 pages of clear, customizable exercises, The Ultimate Manual guides readers on a journey of discovery that will provide insight into the following areas:
• Strengths
• Emotional Intelligence
• Love Languages
• Turning Points
• Life Wheel Evaluation
• Time Usage
• Core Values
• Legacy Thinking, and more
Additionally, Sroda teaches readers how to take everything they’ve uncovered and synthesize it into a unique, one-page life plan — a dashboard of sorts to keep front and center that will help readers stay on track and accomplish their goals.
Anyone of virtually any age who is seeking purpose and looking for affirmation for their life direction will find valuable information between the covers of The Ultimate Manual that will help them live their lives on purpose — with purpose — and minimize regrets.
Author Craig Sroda’s mission is to guide people toward ways that work for them to live their lives intentionally. His goal is to influence 100,000 people to create a life plan by 2022. With the ripple effect, those 100,000 people will influence one million through their five domains of life: personal, family, vocation, community and faith.
Sroda co-founded and served as CEO of Pinnacle of Indiana — one of Indiana’s largest Microsoft partners — for 18 years. His passion is helping individuals operate in their “sweet spot”— a place where their passion and strengths intersect so they can maximize their potential. Sroda’s previous books include You in the Sweet Spot and Intentional Living and Leadership. After completing his first life plan and exposing priorities of his faith, his wife, three daughters and wanting to help others live on purpose, he sold his company. He is committed to helping others recognize their natural strengths and know their “why.”
The Ultimate Manual: The Missing Guide to Living a Meaningful Life Released: November 2018 Available from Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=The+Ultimate+Manual&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
