Jac McNeil is a certified professional coach and a self-leadership expert for women solopreneurs. She completed her training and earned her credentials through The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) and International Coach Federation (PCC). Her work helps women unearth their own powerful business truths so they can do more of the work they love and feel called to do. Through the lens of self-leadership, she helps women bring their unique strengths, gifts and powerful potential more fully to their work and create thriving, integrity-based businesses. She created the transformational business-building program In Your Element and the digital program Your Personal Business Retreat Kit (to be released in April 2013). She lives in Fall River, Nova Scotia, with her husband Matt, little girls Sophie and Emilie, and their Bernese Mountain Dog Guinness. 

As I mentioned in my last post, I found my answer to the question “Who are your role models?” To me, my role models are individuals who have the courage to be real, to be vulnerable, to be themselves, and to share their journeys.

Janine Shepherd certainly fits those criteria.

I was introduced to her TedTalk after a friend and fellow blogger shared Janine's talk on her blog. I cried the first time I watched it.  Thank you Amelia for introducing me to Janine's powerful story and for sharing your personal journey!

Someone asked me "Who are your role models?", and to be honest, I had a hard time answering it.  I couldn’t think of very many females of my generation (i.e., in their twenties) who I wanted to aspire to be like.  The person who asked me the question was looking for examples of famous people.

I have had encounters with some famous people who I looked up to when I was a child, but when I met them in person years later, they were unfriendly and standoffish. I lost respect for them as the image they portray in the media is disconnected from the real version of themselves.  There are many people that are the same onscreen as they are in person; those I respect and model after.

I have interviewed many people for my #FuelPersistence series about how they persevere through many types of obstacles.  After Tamarisk reached out and shared her story with me, I had to ask her to be part of this series.  She is a brave indidivual who perseveres despite the challenges she is presented with in life.  Tamarisk has really inspired me, and I thank her for talking about difficult subjects.  It was really fitting to hear from an individual who is at high-risk of developing cancer, as many people in my life have been affected by cancer. As Tamarisk describes herself: "I’m a Connections Catalyst. Awesome title, right? Yeah, I made it up because ‘life coach’ doesn’t remotely sum up who I am, what I believe, or how I show up in the world. My purpose is to help you get more of what you want by showing you how to create the foundation from which to get it. We’re talking: greater confidence, clarity, and commitments around your emotional and spiritual well-being."

Thanks, Tamarisk, for sharing with us the lessons you have learned throughout your life! Read Tamarisk's interview below and feel free to leave comments afterwards :)

Linda Bacon, PhD, is a researcher on the inside track of weight regulation science – a scientist whose three graduate degrees, research, and clinical expertise uniquely prepare her to understand and translate the physiological, psychological, and socio-cultural underpinnings of weight control. An internationally recognized authority on weight and health, Dr. Bacon has published her work in top scientific journals as well as the highly acclaimed popular press book, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight.

Such an important message:  Invest in a girl and she will do the rest.  

Many of us, however, may see this ad on the television or in the newspaper but not accept it as a reality, because this oppression isn't occuring in our everyday life.  Let me tell you, oppression of some kind is occurring in your life.  The whole world is connected.

The one statistic that really struck a chord with me was: 130 million children lack the opportunity to go to school!  Something that I took for granted.  That number is HUGE - it is almost four times the population of CANADA and half the population of the United States.

People have many roles in their lives.  I became aware of all my roles when I had to write them down one day in class. For example, this is what I came up with:

- daughter, sister, grand-daughter, niece, friend, colleague, athlete, student, etc.

The one that stuck out to me that I have really examined the importance of recently was that of a sister.  I have always been the eldest sister to two younger beautiful sisters.  I think that because of the fact that I'm older than them I have always been very protective of them.