In this episode of Chu on This!, Dr. Katie W. Chu sits down with Tony Sommer, whose journey spans military service in the U.S. Air Force, corporate leadership, and ultimately a purpose-driven career in optometry and myopia management.

Recorded in an Atlanta hotel just hours after Dr. Chu landed, this intimate conversation weaves together stories of service, family, fear, faith, and vulnerability. Tony reflects on leaving the military to prioritize family, navigating the corporate world, and discovering fulfillment through meaningful, values-aligned work. Along the way, he shares moments of courage, including confronting deep fears, redefining success, and learning to surrender control.

Dr. Chu also opens up about her own transformative experiences — leaving an abusive marriage, confronting childhood trauma, and choosing vulnerability as an act of strength. Together, they explore how their generation was taught to “suck it up,” and why unlearning that mindset has been essential for healing, leadership, and inner peace.

This episode is an honest, wide-ranging dialogue about choosing courage over comfort, releasing facades, honoring legacy, and understanding that true success has nothing to do with material goods — and everything to do with impact, faith, and connection.

Vulnerability is not weakness — it’s strength refined. Katie and Tony reflect on how openness around fear, trauma, and uncertainty has become a powerful source of connection and leadership. Vulnerability allows others to feel seen and less alone.

Success isn’t material — it’s relational and meaningful. Tony shares how releasing the pursuit of titles, status, and possessions brought clarity and peace. True success is measured by impact, wisdom, and the people you help along the way.

Courage often means choosing discomfort in service of purpose. From facing fears in the wilderness to launching deeply personal work, both speakers highlight moments where courage required stepping into discomfort to live more fully aligned lives.

“Being vulnerable now is one hundred percent a sign of strength.”

“Material goods aren’t success. Impact on others is.”

“You can’t live authentically if you’re always wearing a facade.”

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsommerjr

My latest project: https://www.treehouseeyes.com/

In this episode of Chu on This!, Dr. Katie W. Chu sits down with Jeremy Hill, a seasoned ophthalmology professional with more than 30 years of experience in medicine, for a deeply reflective conversation about faith, resilience, mentorship, and what truly matters in life.

Jeremy shares his journey of working every role in ophthalmology — from the front desk to administration — and how those experiences shaped his perspective on leadership, gratitude, and service. He reflects on the mentors who guided him, the daily habits that ground him, and the importance of becoming invaluable through learning and humility.

The conversation takes a powerful turn as both Katie and Jeremy open up about their cancer diagnoses and how those moments fundamentally reshaped their outlook on fear, faith, and surrender. Jeremy speaks candidly about trusting the process, letting go of control, and choosing to believe that no matter the outcome, you can still choose to win.

Together, they also explore parenting, boundaries, coaching, leadership, and why success isn’t measured by trophies, titles, or metrics — but by the people you help shape along the way. With honesty, warmth, and quiet wisdom, this episode is a reminder that meaning often comes from closed doors, surrender, and lessons we didn’t know we needed.

Faith transforms fear into clarity. Jeremy explains how surrendering decisions to faith removed stress and fear from major life choices. When you trust the process, decisions stop feeling like burdens and start feeling like alignment.

Winning isn’t the goal — character is. Whether coaching kids or leading professionally, Jeremy emphasizes that shaping good humans matters far more than wins, titles, or metrics. The real victories reveal themselves years later.

Closed doors are often protection, not rejection. Both speakers reflect on learning to appreciate closed doors, recognizing them as redirection toward something better rather than setbacks to fight against.

“I can either defeat it, or let it defeat me.” — Jeremy reflecting on his cancer diagnosis and the mindset that carried him forward.

“Regardless of the outcome, you’re going to win.” — A powerful reframe on faith, fear, and trusting the journey.

“Winning isn’t the most important thing — making good people is.” — Jeremy on coaching, leadership, and what truly lasts.

Website: http://iorpartners.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553224443815 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ior-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iorpartners/

In this episode of Chu on This!, Dr. Katie W. Chu sits down with leadership expert, author, entrepreneur, and speaker Tiana Sanchez for a deeply engaging and honest conversation about boldness, calling, faith, and the transformative role of failure.

Tiana shares her journey from being laid off during the 2011 recession to launching her own business and stepping into her purpose — even when it terrified her. Together, she and Dr. Chu explore what it means to make bold moves, how mindset shapes outcomes, and why failure should be viewed as an experience rather than an identity.

They also dive into the challenges of entrepreneurship, the courage it takes to speak hard truths, the influence of legacy, and the moments that feel chaotic but ultimately push us toward clarity. From business to faith to personal growth, this episode is filled with wisdom, laughter, vulnerability, and rich storytelling.

This is a conversation about owning your story, stepping out in faith, and embracing the divine delays, detours, and disruptions that shape who you become.

1. Failure isn’t final — it’s an experience, not an identity. Tiana reframes failure as something you experience, not something you are. Shifting from “I failed” to “I experienced a failure” changes how we move forward.

2. Boldness is courage in motion. Courage is the desire to act. Boldness is taking the step. Whether launching a business or speaking publicly, bold moves require movement, not perfection.

3. Legacy matters — what you build now becomes someone else’s blueprint. Legacy isn’t about fame. It’s about impact. Your intentional choices become the seeds of possibility for others.

“Sometimes you just have to leap and grow your wings on the way.”

“Boldness is an action — it’s courage in motion.”

“Divine delay. If something doesn’t go your way, it may be saving you from something you can’t see yet.”

Website: https://tianasanchez.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tianasanchez/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TianaSanchezFanPage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/likearealbosslady/?hl=en