Acknowledgments & Dedications
Acknowledgments
& Dedications
This work is dedicated to six important people in my life:
My sister Nancy. She was an amazing spirit who lives on my heart, even though she has been in heaven since 1991. Her life and death led me on a path of personal growth for which I am indebted. Things she said to me 30 years ago, as well as the revelations on the night she died, have changed the course of my life for the good. These were definite dark storms in my life which offered important insights about myself, especially through work, leading me to enjoying my life more. And putting me on the path to truly accepting myself and not looking to others to validate me.
My sons Joe and Sam, in the hope that they, too, might learn the value of the workplace as a wonderful venue for healing.
My love Charles, who loves and accepts all of me, without question.
My Dad, who, despite the challenging lessons he presented to me, was my most significant teacher dedicated to helping me learn that I alone am responsible for self-acceptance.
And to my Mom, who taught me that all things are possible.
Advisors
I have been incredibly blessed with brilliant teachers, guides, mentors and coaches throughout my life. I would never have been able to learn the value of the workplace as a venue for healing without each one of the following people. I definitely would never have reached the level in my career without them. God certainly blessed me by surrounding me with every one of them and I am incredibly grateful. The insights I have learned from them about myself and others have enabled my own journey to greater self-acceptance. I call them my Board of Advisors for both work and life:
Professional Advisors:
I know I would still be out in the world spending my energy trying to be perfect, making desperate efforts to please everyone, and not fully understanding how the workplace could serve as a place of healing for myself:
Toni Chinoy, President, Harlan Evans
Toni, one of the most important and significant people in my life, has shaped my views about myself, as well as my role as an HR leader in massive and deep ways. She is one of the primary reasons my career has been so successful, coaching me how to be more effective, plus coaching me in how to, in turn, coach many, many leaders. Through her insightful, powerful insights, she has been a driving force supporting me as I face the many challenges I have faced in my workplaces and my life. An organization and leadership expert and consultant, she has written many books of her own, based on her intellectual property. Many of the insights I have learned from her are shared throughout my own Healing at Work messaging. She has been my magic wand, executive coach extraordinaire, my secret weapon, my lifetime guide and friend through years of difficulties, always helping me to see the gifts in each challenge. She has an incredible way to pull deeply wounded ASDPs from the claws of despair back to being warriors in the workplace. She is amazing!
Sue Paige, Founder, CEO, Facilitator, Pathways to Successful Living
She embodies love with complete, unconditional support for not just me, but for everyone. She empowers people to lead more enriched, successful and fulfilled lives, so our world is a better place for the children of today and for a thousand generations to come. The Pathways to Successful Living seminars have significantly and positively influenced and shaped my life in countless ways. It was in the leadership seminar that I discovered my purpose in life: To teach self-acceptance to create a more joyful world. It is that purpose that was foundational to creating my book, Healing at Work.
Ken Wright, Ken Wright and Associates
Ken is a dear friend and consultant who has taught me much about leadership and impact on organizational effectiveness as well as on myself as a leader. His insights on how to manage my perfectionism and people pleasing are profound. He also partnered with me for over 25 years in three organizations helping leaders to become more self-aware so they can have a more positive impact on the lives they influence daily.
Nancy Lee, Nancy Lee and Associates
Wonderful mentor and best idea creator for how to ask for support from others. She also gave me the idea for how to organize the ideas that inform my Healing at Work message.
Carlos Martinez, Onsite
Carlos is the one who told me that I did have a lot of trauma in my childhood. He is the first to ever acknowledge that.
Gary Goberville
For being my HR and leadership role model and leading me to Pathways to Successful Living by how he showed up every day.
Artie Byrd
Who believed in me when I didn’t. He is only one of two bosses I would have taken a bullet for.
Dr. Elliott Jaques
Who shaped my views of effective organizations and leaders in ways that help me every day.
Keith Nosbusch
The boss of a lifetime – the other boss for whom I would have taken a bullet any day. He taught me the importance of learning how to receive versus only give.
Mara Swan
CHRO extraordinaire – the one whom I can call no matter how challenging the professional issue I might be facing.
Personal Advisors:
Jerry Schmitt
Great dad and former husband of 19 years who always allowed me independence, including time away to work on Healing at Work.
Chris Lapak
Made me set agreements, kept me accountable and saved my life. He continues to hold me accountable to this day not to drink ever again.
Carolyn Rose
A consistent force of friendship, mentorship and creative brilliance without whom, I’m not sure what I would have done.
By far the best equestrian trainer/rider anyone could ever dream of.
My cheering squad
Kathy Sue, Sandl, Anne, Becky W, Jennifer C., Barbara N, Becky B., Jennifer, Rebecca
Who helped me with breakthrough insights that changed my performance in my equestrian sport and life.
For inspiring me with his story and encouraging and showing me how to bring my book to life by sharing many lessons of his own book writing journey (author of Someone Like Me – An Unlikely Story of Challenge and Triumph Over Cerebral Palsy).
Hypnotist and life expert who helped me release past memories holding me back from joy.
Martha Finney, Executive Editor and Publisher, Leadership Directions Media
Martha has been a fantastic guide and partner to me during the process after I wrote my first manuscript, originally entitled, Dark Storms, Great Gifts. I had worked with Martha previously on a professional project as a chapter author in the book, HR Directions. We reconnected by chance in the summer of 2018. She started as my editor and since has become my co-author and publisher. She has truly been a God-send, repositioning the book content in a more powerful way for readers.
Chiquita Jones, Chiquita Jones Virtual Services
At Martha’s recommendation, I hired a virtual assistant, Chiquita Jones. She has become a key member of our team, building up the systems infrastructure so essential to building out the Healing at Work message and getting it out into the world.
And of course to God, for whom I am grateful every single day for His blessings, guidance, placing people in my life who guide, challenge, love, support and teach me. It was through God’s gentle loving guidance that brought this message of healing at work to you.