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Lawrence C. Harris is a youth speaker who helps teens and young adults believe in themselves, think differently about their future, and make better choices.

Growing up, Lawrence faced serious challenges. Those experiences led him to start speaking so other young people would know they are not alone and that their past does not have to decide where their life goes.

He has spoken to thousands of students through school assemblies, workshops, books, podcasts, and online events. In his talks, Lawrence shares real stories from his life and simple ideas that students can use in their own lives.

Students connect with Lawrence because he is honest and easy to relate to. His goal is to help young people believe they are capable of more than they think and take responsibility for the direction their life is going.

Lawrence is an extraordinary young man. He suffered abuse at home and worked hard to help his younger siblings. Along the way, he worked on himself, learned to love himself, and ended up being a motivational speaker when he was still a teenager.

Lawrence explains the difference between PTSD and Complex PTSD and teaches us that if you start with the simple things (making your bed, brushing your teeth) and build slowly on those concrete things, real progress is possible.

Teens and others can learn so much from Lawrence's positive approach to healing yourself.

• How to Build Self-Love in a World That Profits from Your Insecurities
• From Pain to Purpose: How to turn your struggles into success.
• Keeping hope alive during hardships

Check out his website for more information:

https://www.lawrencecharris.com/

You can get his e-books there or on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Lawrence+C.+Harris&i=stripbooks&crid=14TQ77Q0DDH6N&sprefix=lawrence+c.+harris+%2Cstripbooks%2C122&ref=nb_sb_noss

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Original music "Saturday Sway" by Brendan Talian (for all interviews before 2025)

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Melissa Pruitt is a Marketing & Sales Coach, Author, and Speaker who’s dedicated to helping online entrepreneurs take their knowledge and skills to market and sell their courses, memberships, and coaching programs. Her background in psychology and NLP as a clinical therapist and coach bridges human behavior with marketing strategy, and this is how she teaches her clients to create deeper connections with their audiences. Her Psychology background combined with her expertise as a two time published author and copywriter allows her to help her clients connect deeper with their audiences.

Melissa is also TEDx speaker, been featured on multiple publications and platforms, including Huffington Post, various podcasts, summits, and events and loves to share her message of creating a fulfilling business on in person stages, Zoom stages, and mastermind events. She is the co-owner of Adaptive Marketing Program which helps online entrepreneurs market and sell their offers and the co-host of the Online Marketing Podcast with her husband and business partner Paul.

I loved speaking with Melissa and learning about the importance of consistency in growing your business, building trust with your customers, and having fun!

You can reach Melissa at:

Instagram: @realmelissapruitt

website: https://adaptivemarketingprogram.com/

Get her book "Influenced: From Social to List to Launch" here:

https://www.amazon.com/Influenced-Social-Launch-Melissa-Pruitt/dp/B0DH83QSY9#:~:text=Influenced%3A%20From%20Social%20to%20List%20to%20Launch%20is%20the%20ultimate,a%20successful%20business%20or%20project.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
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The Storied Human is on YouTube now-- check it out:
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Have a story? DM me on instagram: lthompson_574
Drop me an email: thestoriedhuman@gmail.com

See all my links on Linktree:
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Also see all episodes on my new website: https://www.podpage.com/the-storied-human-what-is-your-story/episodes/

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Original music "Saturday Sway" by Brendan Talian (for all interviews before 2025)

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What an uplifting conversation with Karen Salmansohn! Her unique perspective on death and how facing it can motivate us to truly live is refreshing and much needed!

KAREN SALMANSOHN, bestselling author and behavioral change expert, whose books and courses have sold more than 2 million copies worldwide. With 1.5 million social media followers, Karen has built a dedicated following by blending humor, research-backed insights, and practical strategies for creating a more meaningful life. In her upcoming book, YOUR TO-DIE-FOR LIFE: How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret . . . Before Your Time Runs Out [BenBella Books | July 22, 2025], she challenges readers to rethink their relationship with mortality—not as something to fear, but as the ultimate motivator for living boldly and authentically.

Her book is available on Amazon.

You can reach Karen at:

NotSalmon.com

Instagram

X

Facebook

YouTube

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The Storied Human is on YouTube now-- check it out:
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Have a story? DM me on instagram: lthompson_574
Drop me an email: thestoriedhuman@gmail.com

See all my links on Linktree:
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Original music "Saturday Sway" by Brendan Talian (for all interviews before 2025)

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Joan had a rough beginning when her father died young (Joan was only 2) leaving her mother destitute with two young children. She examined this early life in her late 20s during psychoanalysis and uncovered all kinds of connections and meaning about some of her issues and patterns.

She contrasts these psychoanalytic sessions with later ones in her life in her new memoir -- "Untangling: A Memoir of Psychoanalysis"

Through her personal sharing, she illuminates how psychoanalysis can help us understand our own stories and feelings.

Available on Amazon: Untangling: A Memoir of Psychoanalysis

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
Check out my Facebook group -- The Storied Human.

The Storied Human is on YouTube now-- check it out:
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Have a story? DM me on instagram: lthompson_574
Drop me an email: thestoriedhuman@gmail.com

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Ken Miller is one of the good guys -- after he straightened out his own life, he knew he had to pass it on. He now mentors Black men and gives presentations all over the country. His journey included going to an Ivy League college, then to jail, being homeless for several years and then to overcoming addiction and growing his businesses and becoming successful (he is a millionaire today).

Bio: Ken Miller is an author, speaker, and the founder of Denali FSP, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations achieve sustainable funding. His book, Becoming Ken: One Black Man’s Journey from Ivy League to Prison and Back Again, chronicles his powerful story of resilience, redemption, and authenticity. Through his keynotes and programs like “From Rock Bottom to Resilience,” Ken inspires audiences to embrace truth, face adversity, and make meaningful life choices.

His work has him doing a lot of speeches and podcasts for free. He has published one book and he has three more on the way! Ken is definitely inspired by the men he helps and the connection he feels to his Creator. He has mentored men all over the world. Some he has mentored for 10-15 years.

"I give you permission to dream" is what he tells them during his mentoring sessions. Even grown men have had their dreams crushed over their lifetime.

Talk about a rewarding life based on his own story!

His website is: www.kenmillerspeaks.com

Ken is on LinkedIn: KenMiller84

AIVAlution LLC | | Denali FSP

Purchase Ken’s Book: Becoming Ken

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Check out my Facebook group -- The Storied Human.

The Storied Human is on YouTube now-- check it out:
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Have a story? DM me on instagram: lthompson_574
Drop me an email: thestoriedhuman@gmail.com

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If you have seen recent movies or shows about being a showgirl, it could seem pretty depressing. Diane Christiansen is here to tell you that it was exciting and uplifting and a way for a young woman in the 1970s who could dance and perform well to see the world!

Showgirls were powerful women in charge of their own careers — and well-paid, valued players in the flashy world of sequins, feathers, step-kicks, and lavish productions. Most were classically trained dancers who traveled the globe and planned their post-showgirl futures well in advance. They were nothing like the forlorn characters in recent movies.

Diane tells us what it was really like to be a showgirl and how she pivoted after "retiring" in her early thirties.

She captured it all in a book "The Last Real Showgirl--My Sequined Life Onstage" available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Showgirl+Diane+Christiansen&i=stripbooks&crid=3S1YE2W0LIK1B&sprefix=showgirl+diane+christiansen%2Cstripbooks%2C189&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

or at McFarland:

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/The-Last-Real-Showgirl/

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Check out my Facebook group -- The Storied Human.

The Storied Human is on YouTube now-- check it out:
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Have a story? DM me on instagram: lthompson_574
Drop me an email: thestoriedhuman@gmail.com

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Original music "Saturday Sway" by Brendan Talian (for all interviews before 2025)

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Tiffany L. Smith, RN has spent nearly 15 years on the frontlines of American healthcare, working in ERs, ICUs, hospice, wound care, and more. A nurse, wife, and mother, she has witnessed both the triumphs and the failures of a system pushed beyond its limits.

Her debut book, Broken and Brave: The Fight to Heal American Healthcare, blends memoir and manifesto, capturing the raw intensity of a single 12-hour COVID shift while exposing the deeper flaws harming both patients and providers.

Tiffany is the founder of Broken and Brave Health, a movement to empower patients, support burned-out providers, and spark change in American healthcare.

You can get her book on Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Brave-Fight-American-Healthcare/dp/B0FDG35NPG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZKAURV9RKV6D&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Eq6EYUV09qenX3xOlhb6J-oYwV85dTurdK8EwgQVyVhGLM-MZTVa1f5k5EIjq4v7UmGvfSkHDrdJCmJFv3DYPrvhWgz7OkMzcaU_bKovijgB_bHTDS6hcKAuNXKOwpP_zP4C8r2Ebdaf9I7HG4WtyGAjXBENLZ18T_UNerSh5niRhNTtZ57_zKVe488XARlKWeUzkl3KHzZeUOSAFA-EInm0qTWwrpJo7thYLmQLHQg.lJ4dfBAoVfQ9ofdwbGerZSHQz2mbwz7ceDVJthGUgeY&dib_tag=se&keywords=Broken+and+Brave&qid=1762816709&s=books&sprefix=broken+and+brave%2Cstripbooks%2C174&sr=1-1

It's a great read and a moving account both of what RNs go through (esp during Covid) and what the system needs to improve.

Tiffany's website is:

https://brokennbrave.com/

Her Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/brokennbravehealth

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The Storied Human is on YouTube now-- check it out:
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Have a story? DM me on instagram: lthompson_574
Drop me an email: thestoriedhuman@gmail.com

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For years he struggled with his undiagnosed BiPolar disease. He had several careers and tried several healing modalities.

Oddly, he found focusing on his work and working hard did help and when he went back to school as an adult, he ended up developing a note-taking method that he grew into a business.

When he finally found a good psychiatrist, and was put on the proper medications, he said it was like a miracle -- he could function normally and he has felt better ever since.

To keep his health balanced, he follows 14 Foundations, which he outlines in his book "Finding Peacce of Mind."

Some of Jonathan’s 14 Foundations are:

1. Get good regular sleep, go to bed at the same time, get up at the same time.

2. Be part of a community.

3. Being present and in the moment.

4. Meditation

5. Having structure to your day (having breakfast at the same time, dinner at the same time, etc.)

6. Have a written plan for the day (write it the night before).

7. Not letting your slip-ups define the whole rest of the day {“You can start your day again at any time.”)

Jonathan’s new book is called "Finding Peace of Mind" (and all of his profits will go to mental health nonprofits). About the book:

Finding Peace of Mind: An Inspirational Journey Through Bipolar, Depression, Addiction And... Dyslexia is a memoir by Jonathan Kemp that details his experiences living with bipolar disorder, depression, addiction, and dyslexia. The book chronicles his path from a difficult past to a place of healing and resilience, offering insights into managing mental health and neurodiversity. It serves as a resource for those seeking understanding and hope, providing practical strategies for emotional resilience and self-awareness. Jonathan Kemp was born a future Viscount, but wealth and privilege did not protect him from his own brain malfunctioning.

He is also planning on doing a 7-month walk through the UK to support mental health efforts and raise awareness (he will give talks and interviews along the way and donate those proceeds to mental health nonprofits as well).

PLUS, if you buy the book, you get a code for free access to his note-taking training called “Smart Wisdom.”!! It’s the complete high-quality online course you would get from him in person.

Find him on social media:

He is on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathankemplondon/

and Facebook: Jonathan Kemp (add “London” to your search)

Website will be available soon – Jonathan Kemp.com

PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW FOR ME IF YOU FEEL INCLINED, on SPOTIFY OR APPLE, or wherever you listen to podcasts (or on my podcast website: it helps keep The Storied Human high up in the ratings! And recommend this episode to a friend who may need to hear it!

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
Check out my Facebook group -- The Storied Human.

The Storied Human is on YouTube now-- check it out:
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Have a story? DM me on instagram: lthompson_574
Drop me an email: thestoriedhuman@gmail.com

See all my links on Linktree:
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Also see all episodes on my new website: https://www.podpage.com/the-storied-human-what-is-your-story/episodes/

Keep in touch!

Original music "Saturday Sway" by Brendan Talian (for all interviews before 2025)