Adversity is an Adventure!



Divya Parekh is a Business Strategist, Author and Coach who survived an accident which triggered medical debts which piled up to over $35,000 for two years. After almost losing her sanity and her business, she discovered how to shift her mindset and move towards healing. She now shares how to manifest your dreams in life and business and helps many others do the same.

Biography taken from: https://www.braigforsafety.com/about

Holly Ferrell is Veteran Warriors’ National Appeals Director and oversees all veteran caregiver related matters.  In this role, she handles cases of various natures: those who have had their applications denied; those who have been discharged; those who are attempting to resolve issues with the VA staff; those veterans and their caregiver who are attempting to decide whether to apply and whether they meet eligibility; those veterans who require assistance with applying; those who are looking for other resources or possibly that their veteran requires more care; and any other related matters.

With her clinical background, the majority of her time is spent assisting veterans whose Caregiver Program applications have been denied and those that have been discharged from the program with properly drafting their appeals, including assisting the veteran and caregiver with gathering the proper documentation and medical records to prove they were wrongfully denied.  On a case by case basis, Holly will represent a veteran and their caregiver with their appeals either onsite or via teleconference.  There are often times where she is required to help open the dialog between the veteran and the VA to discuss potential administrative errors on a Veteran’s Eligibility Assessment, misconduct, or other wrongdoing by VA.  She has oversight of all the organization’s cases regarding the public law’s clinical and administrative eligibility for the Caregiver Program, requiring her to spend a lot of time discussing options with veterans or caregivers regarding Program eligibility and whether there may be other more suitable programs.

When Holly is not assisting other veteran families, she enjoys spending time with her family.  Holly’s husband is a post 9/11 Army veteran, which allows her to relate closely with the veteran caregiver community.  Daniel and Holly have four children, three boys and a little princess, and one four-legged fur-child.  With two of their four children knowing life before the military discharge and two only knowing the veteran lifestyle, she has strived to ensure her children are well rounded, compassionate, and understand that their lifestyle is not typical for many of the peers.  She and her family frequently help other families who are attempting to transition out of the military to navigate the veteran family lifestyle, particularly with navigating the VA and adapting to a new way of life.

Elizabeth Tandy Shermer (Ph.D., University of California at Santa Barbara, 2009; B.A. University of Virginia, 2003) is an Associate Professor of History at Loyola University Chicago where she teaches courses in twentieth-century United States history, with an emphasis on in the fields of capitalism, business, labor, political ideas and ideologies, regional development, and urbanization. She previously taught at Claremont McKenna College in California.

Shermer has written extensively on twentieth-century U.S. political and urban history.  She is the author of Sunbelt Capitalism: Phoenix and the Transformation of American Politics (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2013), editor of Barry Goldwater and the Remaking of the American Political Landscape (University of Arizona Press, 2013), and co-editor, with Nelson Lichtenstein, of The Right and Labor in America: Politics, Ideology, and Imagination (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012). Her articles have appeared in the Journal of American History, American Historical Association Perspectives, Bloomberg News, Huffington Post, and History News Network.  Her article “General Motors vs. General Electric,” November 26, 2012, History News Network, was recently named an “Editor’s Pick” for 2012.

Shermer was previously the assistant director at the Center for the Study of Work, Labor, and Democracy at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 2005 to 2009.  She was also the Paul Mellon Fellow of American History at the University of Cambridge from 2010 to 2012 where she taught graduate-level American history courses and lectured in the US history survey. Shermer was the recipient of the 2011 Lancaster Dissertation Award in the Humanities and Fine Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and the runner-up for the 2011 Council of Graduate Schools/UMI Distinguished Dissertation Award in the Arts and Humanities.  She was the student Commencement Speaker at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2009.

Shermer currently serves as co-editor of the book series “American Business, Politics, and Society” at the University of Pennsylvania Press which explores the relationship between governmental institutions and the creation and performance of markets, firms, and industries. She is a contributor to Bloomberg.com’s Echoes Blog which places economic current events in historical perspective.  Shermer is currently a Scholar-in-Residence at the Newberry Library.

JULIAN MIRANDA: OWNER OF ~STANDING O’ MUSIC~ WHICH IS A MANAGEMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION COMPANY FOR YOUNG TALENT IN THE AREA OF MUSIC. BEING A SINGER/SONG WRITER FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS AND HAVING WORKED WITH & TRAVELED WITH SUCH GREATS AS, AND APPEARED ON:

* Opening for Ray Charles 

* Opening for Stephen Bishop

* Opening/ Singing w/ Ms. Oleta Adams

* Singing & Recording  w/ Freddie Revel

* Opening act for Marrianne Williamson

 * Touring w/ Jessica Simpson – 1 year 

* World Tour Enrique Iglesias- 4 years 

* Rick James -2 yr Ebony Eyed Duet 

*  Teena Marie 7 yrs as Vocal Captain. 

* Star Search 

* Natalie Coles Big Break 

* Signed to Paisley Park 

* Signed to Michael Simbello

* 92.3 The Beat HOME JAMS Winner

* Jingles, Radio Spots, Commercials 

* Vocal Coaching

* AGT

JULIAN IS ACTIVE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALL OF HIS YOUNG ARTISTS.

“WE COVER THE FULL GAMET OF MUSICAL SERVICES FROM MANAGEMENT, ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, VOCAL COACHING, STYLIZING, MUSIC CONSULTING, PRODUCTION: BOTH IN THE RECORDING OF MUSIC, ON-STAGE MUSIC & SONG WRITING.”

DR. GREG HAMMER

Greg Hammer, MDA is a pediatric intensive care physician and pediatric anesthesiologist. Dr. Hammer cares for infants and children of all ages as well as their families as they endure very stressful times. Dr. Hammer is the author of the soon-to-be-released books GAIN Without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Healthcare Professionals. 

A popular guest lecturer, he frequently speaks around the world in order to share his philosophy with physicians and other medical professionals. Dr. Hammer’s clinical focus is in pediatric cardiac anesthesia and pediatric critical care medicine. His research is in developmental pharmacology and immunology, and he has an active laboratory with multiple ongoing studies in these areas. 

He has published widely on topics related to pharmacology and perioperative care of children undergoing cardiac and thoracic procedures as well as organ transplantation. Dr. Hammer is a health enthusiast and meditator, utilizing a non-duality and mindfulness-based approach, including the GAIN method. 

He is a member of the Stanford WellMD initiative. He is currently the Chair of the Physician Wellness Task Force for the California Society of Anesthesiologists and a member of the Wellness Committee for the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He has been a visiting professor and lecturer on Wellness at institutions worldwide. 

He teaches GAIN to medical students, residents and fellows at Stanford. Practicing medicine is a privilege. It is immensely rewarding. Yet more and more physicians are suffering from burnout. In order to provide an efficient and effective antidote to burnout, Dr. Hammer created GAIN Without Pain, a four-step process of meditation and mindfulness. GAIN is an acronym for Gratitude, Acceptance, Intention, and Nonjudgment. GAIN practice can substantially reduce stress and increase well-being in as little as three minutes a day.

Adam Knight is a singer/songwriter raised on the backroads of Southern Oregon where he grew up listening to Soul, R&B and Acoustic music. Adam is a versatile performer equally singing Pop, Neo Soul, EDM, R&B and Acoustic genres. Known for his hit “Ive Got The Gold”, which has been streamed more than 30 Million times worldwide, while charting in countries like Germany, France and Turkey. Adam also is known for his incredibly passionate and soulful live stage presence, exhibiting his ability to dance, captivate the audience and lead the energy of the show with purpose. Adam is working on his first full length album which he will release in 2020. 

How Do You Connect with the Other Side?

How does a person contact the other side? How do you get their attention and actually know your message was received? Carole’s been reading for clients, supporting their dreams and making friends for over 40 years.  She’s an expert at communicating with the other side and delivering their messages with compassion, and humor. Carole is a host with her own podcast