Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 88

Honk if you love LA Unscripted Have you seen our billboa...

Honk if you love LA Unscripted

Get ready LA, we are bringing something new and differen...

Get ready LA, we are bringing something new and different to local tv!
Join @DaynaDevon, Monday at 7pm for our very first show with @mtelles and @libertechan.
And don't miss our special sneak peek on Emmy Sunday from 12-2pm on KTLA. #KTLAUnscripted #launscripted #KTLA #LA pic.twitter.com/wVgL3GK8sC

— LA Unscripted (@ktlaunscripted) September 17, 2020

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Ready for #KTLA’s New Lifestyle Show #KTLAUnscripted sta...

Ready for #KTLA’s New Lifestyle Show #KTLAUnscripted starting #Monday Sept 21 7pm? @libertechan @DaynaDevon @mtelles @ktlaunscripted @KTLA
preview on @SamOnTV https://t.co/QBHAATtl7n pic.twitter.com/sddiRPh0UR

— Lisa Niver (@wesaidgotravel) September 17, 2020

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Award Winner for Southern California Journalism Awards! Thank you!

Thank you! I am honored to have won for my print magazine story for Hemispheres Magazine for United Airlines in the 2020 Southern California Journalism Awards.



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G6. PRINT MAGAZINE FEATURE, Under 1,000 Words: Any feature. 



 Lisa Niver, Hemispheres Magazine for United Airlines, “Painter by the Numbers, Rembrandt”



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This year the Southern California Journalism Awards Gala was virtual and hosted by Cher Calvin from KTLA and George Pennacchio from ABC.

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Thank you to everyone who has supported me and to all of the outlets who published my work. Please see below for my print, digital and broadcast content which was nominated in 2020. Thank you to the Los Angeles Press Club for this opportunity to be recognized!

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A5. ONLINE JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR



Lisa Niver, We Said Go Travel



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B4a. ACTIVISM JOURNALISM



Lisa Niver, Ms. Magazine, “What Growing up X Taught Ilyasah Shabazz about Feminism”



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Congratulations to longtime Ms. Contributor @wesaidgotravel, a 5 time finalist for @LAPressClub's #SoCalJournalismAwards! Read her work at Ms. here: https://t.co/Q7SJjmyAA9

— Ms. Magazine (@MsMagazine) July 11, 2020

B13. EDUCATIONAL REPORTING



Lisa Niver, Wharton Magazine, “Treat Your Business Rival as Inspiration, Not Competition”



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I10. BROADCAST LIFESTYLE FEATURE



Lisa Niver, KTLA 5 News, “Star Treatment Package Giveaway”



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CONGRATULATIONS to all of the WINNERS and FINALISTS! I am honored to be recognized in this esteemed group!



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My past nominations and winning content:

2019 Winner: NAEJ Award for KTLA TV segment

2019 Finalist: National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards in three categories

Category H2a. Soft News: Ms. Magazine: Polar Bears Can’t Vote So You Have ToCategory F6a. Soft News Feature – Under 5 Minutes—Film/TV: KTLA TV Oscars Countdown to Gold with Lisa NiverCategory C1b. Business, Music/Tech/Art: My Wharton Magazine article: Four Female Founders Share Their Origin Stories



[image error]Lisa Niver at 2019 NAEJ Awards

2019 Finalist: Southern California Journalism Awards for Broadcast Television Lifestyle Segment: Ogden Ski Getaway

2018 Finalist for three categories of Southern California Journalism Awards:



SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY REPORTING: Smithsonian TRAVEL REPORTING: Popsugar FitnessPERSONALITY PROFILE: Saturday Evening Post



Lisa Niver at 2017 Southern California Journalism Awards



2017 2nd place winner for Southern California Journalism Award Print Column and finalist for Travel Reporting.



[image error]Lisa Niver at Los Angeles Press Club Awards 2019, Photo by Liz H. Kelly

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Mind Your Marketing Podcast with Lisa Niver & Cave Social

Thank you to Jordan Scheltgen and Cave Social for inviting me on Mind Your Marketing Podcast where they interview the top CMOs, Entrepreneurs, and Marketers from around the world.









Learn how Lisa Niver took her passion for travel and turned it into a business.



Check out her website: We Said Go Travel.

MYM 14 – Becoming a Travel Expert, and Turning It Into a Business with Lisa Niver

Listen on Apple Podcasts to EPISODE 14



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Listen on Spotify



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Cave Social is a content marketing agency specialized in creating lasting connections between brands and customers. We create and nurture business-consumer relationships through meaningful written, and visual content. Whether it’s social media, blogging or a full-blown video campaign, Cave can help. Measurable data is always provided to ensure quality service. And, of course, we enjoy every minute of it. We truly love what we do. If there’s one thing that sets Cave apart from our competitors, it’s our people and the level of knowledge, creativity and drive we bring to each campaign. We also offer ad creation/management services.

Cave Social is ready to help you tell your brand’s story on social media, and get more customers. They’ve been on social media since its inception and haven’t skipped a beat since. They can help you grow through both content creation and social media advertising (paid campaigns).

Find out how they have worked with local businesses, startups and Fortune 500s to craft their social strategies. Through their experience, they are ready to help you take your brand to the next level on social media.

The post Mind Your Marketing Podcast with Lisa Niver & Cave Social appeared first on We Said Go Travel.

“Practice makes better!” An Avocation becomes a Career on Thrive Global

Lisa Niver: “Practice makes better!” By  Phil La Duke on Thrive Global “How I Turned My Hobby Into A Career”

Remember to build community! When I was first creating my website, there were people who helped me. Dave from Dave’s Travel Corner made a suggestion and I said in five years when I figure out how to do that I will. He immediately sent me the code for my website. I have never forgotten his kindness. I have sent many people code and ideas as a way to thank him for all he did for me. Jessie from Wandering Educators gave me a suggestion and I said it will take me a week to do that. She said, “You are not going to do that. You are doing to hire my tech guy and he is going to do it.” I appreciate all the people who showed me the way to do it and the way to make it easier.

As a part of our series about entrepreneurs who transformed something they did for fun into a full-time career, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Ellen Niver, M.A. Education. Lisa is a science teacher and an award-winning travel expert who has explored 101 countries and six continents. She is an award-nominated television host, travel journalist and passionate artist who sailed the seven seas by cruise ship for seven years and backpacked for three years in Asia. She is the founder of We Said Go Travel which is read in over 200 countries and named #3 on the top 1000 Travel Blog and the top female travel blogger 3 times in 2019. Find her talking travel at KTLA TV and in her We Said Go Travel videos with over one million views on her YouTube channel. She has hosted Facebook Live for USA Today 10best, is verified on both Twitter and Facebook, has over 160,000 followers across social media and ran fifteen travel competitions publishing over 2500 writers and photographers from 75 countries. She has been a finalist for six Southern California Journalism Awards in the past three years for broadcast television as well as print and digital articles. She won an award for her print Jewish Journal article. Niver has written for AARP, American Airways, Delta Sky, En Route (Air Canada), Hemispheres (United Airlines), Jewish Journal, Luxury Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Myanmar Times, National Geographic, POPSUGAR, Robb Report, Saturday Evening Post, Scuba Diver Life, Sierra Club, Ski Utah, Smithsonian, TODAY.com, Trivago, USA Today 10best, Wharton Magazine and Yahoo. She is writing a book, “Brave Rebel: 50 Scary Challenges Before 50,” about her most recent travels and challenges. Look for her underwater SCUBA diving, in her art studio making ceramics or helping people find their next dream trip.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?

Thank you for including me in your series. When I tell people I am a travel journalist, they often say, “That is my dream job!” and I feel the same way. My parents took my sister and I on a cruise when we were in elementary school and we saw Ephesus in Turkey, the Egyptian pyramids, the Parthenon and the Western Wall in Israel. I felt like I walked into my history books and learned so much by physically being in these locations. I have always remembered that feeling and wanted to learn more about different countries.

What was the catalyst from transforming your hobby or something you love into a business? Can you share the story of your “ah ha” moment with us?

After I left ships, I started to teach again. When I chose to travel long term again, the blog revolution had begun and I started my site, We Said Go Travel. Slowly, I began to write for other sites and make videos of my adventures.

There are no shortage of good ideas out there, but people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. How did you overcome this challenge?

I worked one small step at a time. When I started my blog, I used blogger because it was free and I did not need a new password. I committed to writing once a week. I started to write for other sites and practiced using all the tools of technology.

I read books about how to grow your platform and decided to give a talk at my temple which led to my column at the Jewish Journal. When you just start, you have no idea what will happen next because of that step. People will help you build your dream but they have to know what you want to do.

I made commitments to myself to keep going and growing and learning. I asked for help from other business owners who taught me something new. I worked on that and went to networking events and reached out to more people who taught me one new step. I cannot believe that all of those tiny steps led me to write for Ms. Magazine. I am so honored to be able to share my articles in print and on their website.

What advice would you give someone who has a hobby or pastime that they absolutely love but is reluctant to do it for a living?

The best thing to do in the beginning is to try it out. How can you put your toe in the water? I often let people share an article on my site. They follow my guidelines and then say to me, that is so many steps. I would recommend spending a day with someone who is in that business and asking many questions about how does it work?

It’s said that the quickest way to take the fun out of doing something is to do it for a living. How do you keep from changing something you love into something you dread? How do you keep it fresh and enjoyable?

For me, the most important thing is to make sure that I take breaks! I love to write and to edit video but there are times when it gets to be too much. I plan my day and make sure that there are times when I am exercising, connecting with other people and working at my computer to make edits on articles and videos. I also make sure I am not on the road too often or too long because that can be exhausting also. I sometimes add an extra day after a conference so I can have down time before I get back to my desk to follow-up with everyone new I have met.

Many of my adventures include skiing or scuba diving. I have been able to enjoy a trip and then write about it for many sites like USA Today 10best. For me, switching between tasks or being home and on the road keeps me going.

What is it that you enjoy most about running your own business? What are the downsides of running your own business? Can you share what you did to overcome these drawbacks?

The best thing is traveling to new places or sharing a place I love with someone who has never been there. I love when someone comments on one of my videos and says it helped them decide to visit that location! In order to keep going, I make a schedule that includes time at my art studio, going to shabbat services at my temple and meeting with people in person which helps me keep a balance with running my own business.

Being able to see the importance of what I do also helps me. I have been thrilled to be able to share stories about saving our seas on the website for the TODAY show.

Can you share what was the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?

I worked in travel for seven years at Club Med and then on cruise ships for Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Renaissance Cruises. I worked seven days a week. Now I work for myself but I still work seven days a week. I have made some adjustments lately to take more time off. I am used to working part of every day. I did not realize how much work it would take to grow my videos and my website but it is working.

Has there ever been a moment when you thought to yourself “I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to get a “real” job? If so how did you overcome it?

I have taught in many school settings and worked in different types of travel jobs. When I get frustrated and threaten to get a “real job,” my best friend laughs and says, “you have never had a real job!” I think she might be right. I have always loved to do different things every day and to explore new countries. Fortunately when I feel like “I just can’t take it anymore,” something great is usually around the corner and it reminds me that I love what I do.

In September 2019, I am going to the United Nations Global Goals Conference as a journalist for Ms. Magazine. I am honored and excited to have media credentials for this important event.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?

When I moved back to America from Asia in 2014, I received an email inviting me to the Red Carpet of the Oscars with United Airlines. I was surprised and honestly thought it was a spam email at first! I had so much fun and loved the whole day even though it rained on us. We sat in Row A and saw all of the stars. We were watching when Oprah stepped on Lady Gaga’s dress!

This year I was able to record a segment at Kimpton La Peer with KTLA for the Oscars! I have shared five travel segments on KTLA TV this year so far.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I was traveling in Asia for 11 months (2008–2009), I knew that some of my electronic equipment might break. During the first week, my laptop had issues and I had to find someone to service it. Later, I broke the laptop screen as well as the CISCO FLIP video camera. I was able to use a NOKIA phone for filming and bought a new laptop. My biggest surprise was when my external hard drive died. I was trying to find someone who could recover my photos and videos. The man at the shop said, “Why did you only back it up once?” I said, “I did back-up every month.” He said, “It does not count unless you back-up twice.” I had no idea. Now I backup all my photos and videos to three separate external hard drives. It did not feel funny at the time but it was very memorable.

Who has inspired or continues to inspire you to be a great leader? Why?

My teacher,Joannie Parker, used to tell us in my all-girls’ high school English class and in our senior elective of Women’s Studies, “Some day when you are the CEO of the company…some day when you are president of the country.” She talked to use about the news of the day, women’s suffrage, women’s rights and what we could do to build community and make the world a better place. I have always been inspired by her efforts to change what she could and hope that I can make a difference in my corner of the world as well.

I was able to share a print story this year in Ms. Magazine about a women’s economic development project in Africa. Your old bicycle can change someone’s life!

How have you used your success to make the world a better place?

It is crucial to me to tell good and important stories that are not being heard. I was invited to ski with the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah. I wrote a story for Sierra Club about a ski lesson with Jennifer who is blind. I wrote about making magic on the mountain with Matt who is a wounded warrior in a wheelchair and our day skiing for Ski Utah.
For Saturday Evening Post, I shared about my day trying to keep up with 14 year old Saylor O’Brien who is training on the Paralympic development team and has spina bifida.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

I had no idea that there would be no days off when I started to work on cruise ships. It was worth it because we had time off each day and some of those days I went scuba diving. I still work every day and I still love all the adventures I get to take in my time off.I wish I had known that change is the only constant. As soon as I figure out how to post something on a social platform, they change it. It is not so hard but it is always something different. I remind myself I figured it out before and I will figure it out again.I had no idea that everything would take so long. People always tell me, “It will take longer than you think.” However, I have learned to never give up and believe that eventually I will meet my goals. I was as excited when I had 10,000 views on YouTube as I was in July of this year to get to one million views. I wonder what is my best next goal and I know slowly it will happen.Remember to build community! When I was first creating my website, there were people who helped me. Dave from Dave’s Travel Corner made a suggestion and I said in five years when I figure out how to do that I will. He immediately sent me the code for my website. I have never forgotten his kindness. I have sent many people code and ideas as a way to thank him for all he did for me. Jessie from Wandering Educators gave me a suggestion and I said it will take me a week to do that. She said, “You are not going to do that. You are doing to hire my tech guy and he is going to do it.” I appreciate all the people who showed me the way to do it and the way to make it easier.I had an Israeli dance teacher who said, “Practice makes better!” and that is what I try to do each day to get better! When I was starting out in video, someone recommended that I work with a video coach. I thought that was a great idea and asked for suggestions of who to work with. My friend’s friend offered to introduce me to her coach who was excellent. Always remember to keep asking for help and to get a tiny bit better each day. I am also amazed that other people think I am brave. I was recently in a Reader’s Digest article about strength, acceptance, beauty and bikinis!

What person wouldn’t want to work doing something they absolutely love. You are an incredible inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I am now a trainer for the #IamRemarkable workshop which is a Google initiative empowering women and underrepresented groups to speak openly about their accomplishments in the workplace and beyond, thereby breaking modesty norms and glass ceilings. One of my favorite things about this workshop is when we get to say, “It is not bragging if it is based on facts.” It is important to share your successes! I hope more people will take this workshop and become facilitators and we can see what happens when everyone feels supported in following their dreams and passions! In June, I presented this workshop at Ms. Magazine for all of their summer interns.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“What is success?
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch Or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”

Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

I absolutely love the 21-Day Meditation series by Oprah and Deepak Chopra. It is on the app from Chopra Center and I listen to them often but especially when I am in the airport waiting for a flight. I would love to meet either of them for a meal and talk about meditation, inspiration and life goals!

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Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this. — Published on May 7, 2020

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Let’s Talk TRAVEL on Sessions with Lisa & Collin!

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Thank you Collin Mitchell and Monster Chats for inviting me to talk about my business on Sessions! I was honored to talk TRAVEL with you.

WATCH THE VIDEO/PODCAST here on YouTube

Monster chats is presented by Monster VoIP where we share the tools methods and best practices that business leaders use to build new connections, strengthen relationships and impact sales in organizations of all shapes and sizes.

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Listen on Anchor.FM

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Listen on Spotify

On Today’s episode, we are going to be talking with Lisa Niver. Lisa and I are going to be talking about Travel, Adventure, Books, SCUBA, Skiing, and Writing!

Lisa Niver is an explorer, writer and educator who has traveled to more than 100 countries. She shares her adventures on KTLA Television and on her We Said Go Travel YouTube channel with over 1,200,000 views. Niver writes for Ms. Magazine, Wharton Magazine and many more.

Learn more about Monster VoIP #1 VoIP Provider

Tired of juggling multiple platforms to communicate with employees and clients? You’ve come to the right place. Monster VoIP offers a Cloud-based Unified Communication solution that is high-quality and reliable (99.999% uptime!). We call it Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), which basically means you can leverage your business phone system to do much more than make outbound calls. Instead, you can enjoy robust, modern communication applications and services, all consolidated within a single user interface. In addition to your business VoIP system (aka office phone system hosted in the Cloud), messaging (SMS), video, conferencing, and other business apps are integrated into one communication platform and accessible on all of your devices. Anytime. Anywhere. It’s the ultimate Unified Communications solution on one intuitive platform. We promise that you’re going to love it!

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5 Things You Need To Know To Survive And Thrive After A Divorce on Thrive Global

Thank you to Yitzi Weiner and Kristin Marquet for including me in their series on THRIVE GLOBAL:
5 Things You Need To Know To Survive And Thrive After A Divorce



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…Somehow I got back up and recreated my life again and honestly, it has turned out better than I could ever have imagined.

As part of my series about the “5 Things You Need To Know To Survive And Thrive After A Divorce Or Breakup” I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Ellen Niver, M.A. Education.

Lisa is a science teacher and an award-winning travel expert who has explored 101 countries and six continents. She is an award-winning television host, travel journalist and passionate artist who sailed the seven seas by cruise ship for seven years and backpacked for three years in Asia. She is the founder of We Said Go Travel which is read in 213 countries, named #3 on the top 1000 Travel Blog and the top female travel blogger 3 times in 2019. Find her talking travel at KTLA TV and in her, We Said Go Travel videos with over one million views on her YouTube channel. She has hosted Facebook Live for USA Today 10best, is verified on Twitter, has over 160,000 followers across social media and ran fifteen travel competitions publishing over 2500 writers and photographers from 75 countries.

Niver won a 2019 NAEJ (National Arts and Entertainment Journalism) award for one of her KTLA TV segments in December 2019 and was a finalist for articles published in both Ms. Magazine and Wharton Magazine. Niver won a Southern California Journalism Award for her print story for the Jewish Journal and has been nominated as a finalist for five other broadcast television segments, print and digital articles over the last three years.

Niver has written for AARP, American Airways, Delta Sky, En Route (Air Canada), Hemispheres (United Airlines), Jewish Journal, Luxury Magazine, Ms. Magazine, Myanmar Times, National Geographic, POPSUGAR, Robb Report, Saturday Evening Post, Scuba Diver Life, Sierra Club, Ski Utah, Smithsonian, TODAY.com, Trivago, USA Today 10best, Wharton Magazine, and Yahoo. She is writing a book, “Brave Rebel: 50 Scary Challenges Before 50,” about her most recent travels and challenges. Look for her underwater SCUBA diving, in her art studio making ceramics or helping people find their next dream trip.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I have always felt that the quote about the road less traveled explained my career path the best. I thought I would be a doctor but then I left medical school and became a teacher. I loved being a teacher but wanted to scuba dive and then I worked on a cruise ship until September 11th when my company went bankrupt. Then I was teaching and missing traveling and fell in love and traveled more and got married and then everything unraveled and I was getting divorced. There have been so many times when I thought I had a plan and then felt like my entire life was a train wreck. I have felt blindsided several times and had to start all over again. It has been really challenging, difficult and mainly I wanted to just pull the covers over my head and cry every time. Somehow I got back up and recreated my life again and honestly, it has turned out better than I could ever have imagined.

A journey to freedom over three Passovers

Can you explain to our readers why you are an authority about “divorce”?

I know for myself I felt like a complete and utter failure when I was getting divorced. I was embarrassed that the man I had been head over heels in love with had been treating me terribly. I knew our marriage was broken; I just hated having to tell anybody about it. I was living in Asia with him and had quit my job, sold my car and rented my condo. When I left him and returned to America, I felt like I had nothing except culture shock and my ongoing pity party for myself. Many women I have spoken to about their divorces also felt alone and like failures. I think one of the hardest things is feeling like it is only you.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?

One of the hardest things for me was to stop wishing that I had never met the man who became my husband. I just kept telling everyone and especially my therapist, if I never met him, my life would have been so much better. If only, I had a magic wand and could go back in the past and never answer his online dating message! I was focused on how I could erase it all.

I was going to many new classes like kickboxing and hula-hooping because someone told me you could not do new things in the old way and it was a way to remake yourself. I had two new jobs as I was trying to figure out if I was going to keep teaching or try to be a journalist. I got both offers to be a lead teacher at Nickelodeon on Bella and the Bulldogs and contributor for USA Today 10best on the same day. I called a few people for advice about what to do and they said, “Take both!” It was smart advice and it kept me very busy.

I was reading books non-stop and when I read Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success I finally was able to stop looking in the rearview mirror and drive forward into my future:

“Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could be any different…Forgiveness means breaking the psychological ties that bind you to the past, giving up the quest to change what has already happened…Rather than dwelling on the past, she found herself asking the hopeful and forward-looking question ‘What now?’”

I started to accept that I was never going to have a magic wand or change my past but I could make new and different choices in the present. I felt like I was leaving medical school again and having to find a new job after Renaissance Cruises went bankrupt — all rolled up together. I felt certain that I had made too many mistakes to start over again. Many times, I feared that I had ruined everything. But with the support of my friends, family, rabbis, and therapist, I found a way to create a new life.

In the last three years, I have been nominated nine times in four different awards and won twice in both the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and in the Southern California Journalism Awards.

Supersurvivors: https://www.wesaidgotravel.com/survive-the-unexpected-supersurvivors/

I am a grateful 3x NAEJ Awards Finalist!

Lisa is a winner! National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards 2019

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I first left my marriage, I told everyone I was living in CrazyTown and hoped to someday move to Sucksville. It seemed like Sucksville would be an improvement over the daily hysteria in CrazyTown. A new friend called to tell me about how her life was going into the toilet and she said she was now living in Sucksville Adjacent. I laughed so hard that day and it was one of the first times I thought anything was funny since I had left Thailand and my now ex-husband. I realized that it was possible that things were going to get better!

If you had a close friend come to you for advice after a divorce, what are 5 things you would advise in order to survive and thrive after the divorce? Can you please give a story or example for each?

When I was first choosing to take back my name and find a lawyer after I left my marriage, I felt like I was stuck in a long dark tunnel. I thought if only I had a flashlight and a friend would walk with me, maybe it would not feel so lonely and I would not feel so badly. After my divorce, when a friend called me upset about her upcoming divorce I told her that I would walk with her and she could borrow my flashlight. I offered that she could call me anytime and we would often have long chats over Facebook messenger as we were in very different timezones.

Therapy is one of the things that helped me the most in my divorce process. I remember telling my lawyer I am not here for crying, I am here for legal advice. I can cry at my therapist’s office. While I did cry at both places, I wanted my lawyer to focus on her specialty. I have offered many friends’ referrals for therapy and told them about how it really made a difference for me. I am surprised how many people are resistant to therapy and getting assistance, especially at difficult times.

As I changed continents as part of leaving my marriage, I had to find a new job and circle of friends. Many people I have spoken to have not had to move or change professions as part of their divorce, but it has still impacted their daily lives, routines, and support circle. I tried many new classes and searched for ways to connect with people. I joined a salsa dance performance team and having a regular place to go with the same group was enormously helpful to me. I have recommended to many women to find a new hobby or reclaim one they had lost.

I had always been involved with my temple and it was one of the things I missed living overseas. When I came back to Los Angeles, I met with my rabbi many times to talk about how I could get more involved and to have discussions about what it meant to be getting divorced. He helped me with the steps for a religious divorce or GET and I created my own mikveh ceremony to start over. Many people ask me questions about the GET process and if they could use the mikveh ceremony I created.

As part of my divorce, I restored my name. I had not realized how many places and how many times I would have to change my name. In the beginning, it felt so aggravating and upsetting. I spoke with my friend, Jessie, about it and she said, “When there is a spider in your room, you STOMP STOMP! and then it is gone.” It became my mantra every time I had to change my name AGAIN, I just thought it was a spider and STOMPED it. Eventually, it just did not bother me so much. I would send Jessie an email and say, “I stomped another spider.” It made me feel better that I had someone to share it with and it actually became kind of humorous after a while. It was weird that it was easier to change my name at any bank than any airline frequent flyer program. At one point, Jessie called me and said don’t be upset, “There was a spider and I called for Ed to stomp on [Ex-husband’s Name]!” I laughed so hard that our mantra to help me had evolved to such an extent.

What are the most common mistakes people make after they go through a divorce? What can be done to avoid that?

For me, the biggest mistake was thinking it would be easy to deal with. My friend Joan called me after I had been home for less than a week and said, “I have known you for a long time and I want to let you know you are not going to figure this out over the weekend.” It was helpful to have someone who knew me tell me the truth. As part of returning to the USA, I needed a car to start my new job. I was test driving cars and my friend Jessica called me and said, “Lisa, this is not going to take one test drive. This is not like buying a sweater. You are going to have to drive cars to different places and see what you like.” I think the biggest mistake is not listening to people who are trusted advisors who can help you figure out your next steps.

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources related to this topic that you would recommend to our readers?

I loved books by Brene Brown, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Glennon Doyle Melton, Adam Grant and Grit by Angela Duckworth, and Option B by Sheryl Sandberg.

Here are some articles I wrote about their books.

Carry On, Warrior: Share your Brutiful life like Glennon Doyle Melton

Are You Ready to be a Love Warrior?

Forgiveness Is a Favor: Finding my Strength

Daring Greatly: Share Your Story Summer Writing Contest

I recently wrote about feminist fiction books for Ms. Magazine and about how you can read and change your perspective!

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Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote” that helped you in this work? Can you share how that was relevant in your real life?

One of my favorite proverbs is “Fall down 7, Rise up 8.”

I think I learned this lesson as a child in the book, “The Little Engine That Could!” Now I might describe it in terms of Angela Duckworth’s GRIT that when I feel like giving up I can reframe the situation and find new resources and ways to continue learning about the situation and ways to achieve success. No matter what happens I can get up one more time and find a way forward that works for me. I may need to change my goal or my strategy and sometimes I may feel like a derailed train but eventually, I will find a path that works for me.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

I am writing a book about the 50 challenges I achieved before I turned 50. It started during my divorce when I chose to work with Dr. Brodney, an optometrist, who correctly diagnosed my eye issues which were never fully understood when I was a child. I had many accidents and believed I was clumsy and not good at sports. It turns out that I had an eye turn which impacted how I interacted in the world especially with any sports with a ball!

During my vision therapy, Dr. Brodney recommended I challenge myself and see what more I could accomplish now that my eyes were working together. I realized I had to try new things and let go of old limitations. It was at the same time I was changing my name and evolving my life after my marriage ended. I found that I could do so many of the things I was afraid of and many of them were actually FUN!

Because of the position that you are in, you are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Global Angel x Adrienne Bankert: A Partnership to Spread Kindness and Provide Helping Hands

At a time when the world seems at its breaking point and obstacles arise daily, it is important to remember the inherent good that lies within everyone. Appreciation, compassion, courage, humility and generosity are all traits that ignite again when we need it the most. We are citizens of the world, and must lean on one another to repair and rebuild.

Global Angel is a value driven fashion brand based on those principles. Each item of clothing embodies purchase with a purpose. Twenty-five percent of proceeds from every sale are donated to a charity of the customer’s choice, including Color of Change, American Cancer Society, Best Friends Animal Society and St. Jude to name a few.

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Founded by Amber Dawn Shopay after the Woolsey fires, it has grown into a brand offering so much more than chic apparel. At a time when activewear and loungewear are taking center stage, Global Angel is also providing comfort and solace to many through its donations.

Global Angel has a new partnership with Emmy-award winning journalist and national correspondent for ABC News and Good Morning America, Adrienne Bankert. Together they will spread messages of kindness through a collection of tees. The three styles each carry with it words of encouragement from Bankert’s new book. Quotes include “The unbeatable kind,” “Start with the KIND of person you want to be,” and “It’s time to redefine what it means to be kind.”

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“Kindness” is a word that is universally understood in every culture. It speaks volumes and has the power to make change. The kindness collection will benefit Sacramento Helping Hands with 25% of each sale going towards their cause. The organization relies on the generosity of others to help those within its community. From delivering groceries to the elderly to providing clothing to families in need, Sacramento Helping Hands demonstrates the epitome of kindness. The donation will directly impact continued community efforts.

[image error]Global Angel x Adrienne Bankert

Celebrating the recent launch of her book, “Your Hidden Superpower: The Kindness That Makes You Unbeatable at Work and Connects You with Anyone,” Adrienne Bankert states, “We need constant reminders that kindness is not just polite. Kindness is powerful. Wearing messages from Your Hidden Superpower is only the beginning of signaling a shift in perspective and prioritizing kindness at a time when we truly need more generosity and compassion. Global Angel’s mission to give back 25% of proceeds to charity is a wonderfully conscious business platform. For years I have looked for creative ways to give to. worthy causes, and this is one simple and effective way to impact the community and positive change.”

Amber Dawn Shopay shares the same sentiment noting, “In this time of uncertainty, kindness shines through. It is a characteristic that someone remembers. It’s that extra “thank you” that makes a difference; a helping hand when it is needed the most. Kindness is the tie that binds us as citizens of the world.”

About Global Angel:
Amber Dawn Shopay established Global Angel in 2018 in order to fulfill her desire to give back. Global Angel is a platform designed to offer high-quality goods that give back to the world, in just the way you choose. You pick the product; you pick the cause, because we’re more than just an online shopping destination. We’re a far-reaching, communal effort of compassion.

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