Conversations with Courageous Women
On this page, I will be uploading video interviews with some fascinating women I have met during my travels, and who have inspiring and transformational stories to tell.
They are “average” women, in that they aren’t celebrities, socialites or born to wealth. But they are extraordinary in what they have done in their lives!
Their stories are rich with challenges, legacy and perseverance, often in spite of the odds. Join me to witness their adventures of becoming. My greatest wish is that when you watch these women’s journeys, you will understand that many things are possible which you may not have even dreamed about!
“Courage is a learned skill, like playing the violin, fencing, writing or cooking. The more you practice it, the better you will become at it.”
– Ileana Rontea
“Growth Through Adversity” with Sabrina Victoria, Podcaster and Visionary
What do you do when you’re young, pregnant, naïve, and alone?
If you’re Sabrina Victoria, you grow through adversity! This is the poignant story of a young woman faced with a heart-wrenching decision at an age when she was not ready for it. And yet, after many trials, tribulations, lessons, and incredible self-growth, Sabrina has emerged as a powerhouse for women’s voices. She is relentless in her dedication to encourage and inspire women to tell their stories.
It was wonderful to interview a woman whose passion is to encourage women to find their own power, as it is in such alignment with my own work. Sabrina speaks from her heart, is very real and quite inspiring in what she has achieved. A mom, a coach, a podcaster, an entrepreneur, a woman armed with a calendar, Sabrina has enormous energy, drive, and an infectious vibe!
Although her current focus is on time management, tune in to hear her other exciting upcoming project and her amazing vision. Worth watching until the very end!
Her Flagship Company is: www.humanbetter365.com
Her community is: www.sobersociety.solutions
Her podcast is: www.herversion.life
“Setting Yourself and Your Family Free from Generational Trauma” with Elena Balasa (soon to be Reiki Master)
Elena Balasa was born in Communist Romania and suffered a great deal of abuse, bullying, and trauma from family, teachers, fellow students and even colleagues. She was bombarded by minimizing and disempowering messages from all sides for much of her life.
After emigrating to the United States, she eventually began to work with a therapist at the age of 51. Although she embarked on this journey to deal with panic attacks that were plaguing her, she was determined to heal the trauma she had endured for decades.
She slowly came to understand that those who had been abusive toward her were doing so out of their unhealed wounded selves and she was determined to break that pattern!
It was through her therapist that she discovered the gentle modality of “reiki”. In the interview she tells us that using reiki along with traditional therapy increased her healing tenfold. She is now on the path of not only healing herself but studying to become a Reiki Master so that she can also help others who are on their own journey of transcending their own trauma.
“The Healer’s Journey” with Yvonne Guenther,
Energy Therapist
Yvonne Guenther is a licensed Acupuncturist, Yoga & Reiki Teacher and Emotion Code Practitioner. As a holistic healer she incorporates various therapies to help bring balance to her clients lives using a mind/body/spirit approach.
All the modalities she uses she has experienced on herself first. Most recently, she has been using the Emotion Code to help heal “trapped emotions” in her clients’ energy field and bodies and free themselves of unwanted pain and trauma.
Yvonne was born in Stuttgart Germany, but her path has been both exciting and meandering, taking her through 5 continents and 9 countries (and still counting)! I met Yvonne when we both lived in Malaga, Spain and I needed help with some issues that were holding me back. We worked in-person in Spain and then later also remotely.
Throughout her travels, Yvonne learned to trust and surrender to the Universe, which has always taken care of her. As the “Reluctant Healer”, Yvonne’s soul had a Big Plan for her to learn various healing modalities and share them with the world. Watch her fascinating journey of self-development, pushing past her own limitations, while developing resilience and her own intuitive guidance.
If you wish to reach out to Yvonne for assistance (she works both in person and remotely), you may explore her website – AnahataHealing – and mention you found out about her from this video.
“Signs from the Angelic Realm”, with Deborah Marshall-Warren, Whole Being Hypnotherapist
Deborah Marshall-Warren is the author of three books, an enthusiastic traveller and the conduit for Whole Being Hypnotherapy. She has had her own private hypnotherapy practice for over 27 years and has been a visiting consultant and trainer at international hospitality and wellness resorts in South-east Asia for several years.
In 2011 Deborah gave a highly regarded talk as part of the TEDx series, entitled ‘The Wizard of Us!’
Deborah’s life shifted from her quiet northern England existence, when at the age of 21, she took the courageous decision to go and work on a kibbutz in Israel. Through a series of events spanning many years, she received guidance and inspiration to follow the path of hypnotherapy. To this day, she avows that her work is guided by Spirit and that she uses her intuition to determine how to best help her clients.
Deborah specializes in Interactive Hypnotherapy, which is different than Direct Suggestion Hypnotherapy, by tackling the root of ongoing issues. Interactive hypnosis and therapy is a form of fast-track psychotherapy, promoting freedom from emotional issues that are impacting low self-esteem and confidence issues, self-belief and lack of self love.
Her work can help with weight management issues and support overall inner peace, and well-being. The client designs new definitions that do them justice, and reflect who they are in the present.
You may find Deborah at: https://www.wholebeingtoday.co.uk/ or by e-mail at: appointments@marshall-warren.com
“Following Your Inner Guidance” with Alison Pearson, Fire Shaman
Alison Pearson is a blessed individual in that she has always been able to hear her Spirit Guides. When she was young, she thought everyone did too. She later found out that was not the case, and understood she was different in some ways.
Her true spiritual sojourn began when she attended a Spiritualist Church in her small town in the U.K at the age of 16. Years later, she was one of the spirit mediums invited to bring messages forth from the other side to loved ones who wanted to connect. She then began to study reiki to ease her son’s difficulty in dealing with his many ailments.
As she became an initiate, she realized that she experienced this modality in a unique way. Her spiritual path continued to unfold, as she was guided to her true passion – Fire Shamanism. Using both of these powerful tools, Alison has been able to help many people around the world by connecting to their energetic fields and working with them in non-linear time. The results others have experienced are astonishing.
Watch this fascinating deep dive into the life of a woman who is able to “walk both worlds”.
Alison and I have at times worked together, offering our combined services of energy healing and life mentoring. The energetic work Alison does acts as a springboard for opening up a client’s chakras, getting things unstuck and allowing energy to move freely. Life mentoring then helps with navigation of necessary inner work, figuring out which direction to move into and shifting into a new path.
If you wish to work with Alison and/or me, you may send an inquiry e-mail at ileana@phoenixontherise.com.
“Overcoming Fear & Worthlessness Despite Childhood Conditioning” with Simona Mango
Most women receive either negative messages regarding their worth, or at best, mixed messages about their place in society. This makes for very confusing times and often a reluctance to follow their dreams.
Meet Simona Mango, a professional opera singer, vocal coach, mindset & nutrition coach for opera singers (and other humans).
We had a chat about how she overcame all the usual, harmful and disempowering upbringing most girls experience and decided to just do the things she wanted to do, no matter how scary they were.
Her message to all women is: be who you want to be, even if it’s not what others want you to be.
Simona is a very passionate nutritionist; she wants health and happiness for all human beings, and she helps mostly women – not necessarily opera singers – get into their best shape and feel the best in their bodies and minds.
For those of you who wish to check out Simona’s work, you can access her website here – Simona’s Health Column. If you use this personal link, Simona and I have a special gift for you: a full, 60-minute long, totally free, nutrition coaching session with her, with no strings attached! Here, you can also download her free “Guide to Strengthen Your Immune System”!
(If you buy through this link, I may receive a small commission. This does NOT result in any additional cost to you, and the affiliate money I earn helps pay the fees to keep this site up and running – thanks for your support!)
“Why does it feel good to help someone else?
Because the most fundamental truth is that We Are All One and spring forth in different forms,
from the Eternal Essence of Source Energy.”
– Ileana Rontea