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96. From Diagnosis to Empowerment: Deb Krier on Living Fully, Leading Boldly, and Building a Legacy

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Release Date: 03/27/2025

110. The Sweet Work of Meaning: Family, Craft, and Purpose with Shawn & Lawren Askinosie show art 110. The Sweet Work of Meaning: Family, Craft, and Purpose with Shawn & Lawren Askinosie

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

On today’s episode of What’s the Point, we explore how meaning is created—slowly, intentionally, and lovingly—through the everyday work of craft, family, and purpose. Bill welcomes Shawn and Lawren Askinosie, the father–daughter team behind Askinosie Chocolate, one of America’s most respected bean-to-bar chocolate companies. Their story is more than a business profile—it’s a human story of growth, legacy, and discovering what truly matters. Shawn left a long and intense career as a criminal defense attorney to pursue chocolate making—a leap that few understood at the time....

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Discovering meaning and purpose by choosing connection over division — how one leader turned a moment of frustration into a nationwide movement for unity. After three decades in high-powered business and private equity, Adam Mizel found himself yelling at the TV in 2020, watching the world unravel. That moment sparked an unexpected transformation—from executive to bridge-builder. Today, he’s the co-founder and CEO of US United, a growing movement focused on creating unity through human connection, community action, and service. In this episode of What’s The Point, Bill Ellis and Adam...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis welcomes John Golden—strategist, podcaster, martial arts practitioner, and Chief Strategy & Marketing Officer at Pipeliner CRM. John’s story stretches from growing up in Ireland to building a career in the U.S. that blends sales leadership, publishing, and purpose-driven business. Through their conversation, John emphasizes why embracing the journey matters more than obsessing over the destination. He shares how self-awareness, core values, and non-negotiables can guide decisions, why comparison is a trap, and how authenticity is the...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Trust. It’s something we all crave, yet so many of us feel it slipping away. In today’s conversation, I sit down with Chip Webster, founder of Unity and Service and author of Unity and Service: A Pathway to Responsible Citizenship. Chip has spent decades observing how trust is built—and broken—in boardrooms, neighborhoods, and across our country. His mission is simple: rebuild unity one act of service at a time. We dive deep into the cultural shift that’s left many of us disconnected and cynical. Chip challenges us to get off the couch, engage with our neighbors, and remember that...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, host Bill Ellis sits down with Derrick Girard—entrepreneur, Air Force veteran, and author of Put to the Test. Derrick shares how a series of business challenges—including three major lawsuits—pushed him to reevaluate everything he thought he knew about success, leadership, and resilience. From growing up in a military family to launching a tech company without a tech background, Derrick’s story is one of grit, adaptability, and a relentless “figure it out” mindset. He opens up about the emotional and professional toll of building something...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

What if the real problem in corporate culture isn’t the strategy—but the absence of shared principles? In this powerful episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis welcomes bestselling author, speaker, and former Fortune 10 executive Kyle McDowell. Kyle pulls back the curtain on what’s broken in today’s organizations—and how The 10 WEs framework can shift the culture from dysfunction to excellence. With nearly 30 years of experience leading massive teams, Kyle’s message is as bold as it is simple: begin with WE. Whether you’re leading thousands or just trying to be a better...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

What if you didn’t need a college degree to create the life of your dreams? In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with bestselling author, entrepreneur, and blue collar advocate Ken Rusk to unpack what it really means to take control of your future—without following the traditional path. Ken shares his journey from ditch digging at age 15 to becoming a successful business owner, author, and mentor helping others pursue comfort, peace, and freedom on their terms. From practical tools to mindset shifts, this episode offers a blueprint for building a life by design, not...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this powerful episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis welcomes leadership and change consultant Diana Fritz to share the profound journey she’s walked since her rare cancer diagnosis. Diana opens up about the physical, emotional, and spiritual impact of living with—and surviving—a life-altering form of cancer. From losing her eye in a high-risk surgery to gaining a deeper sense of mission, her story is one of grit, grace, and choosing to grow through what she’s gone through. Diana’s message is clear: adversity doesn’t have to define us—it can uniquely qualify us to serve...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill sits down with Alaskan financial coach and entrepreneur Chad Hufford. Chad shares how growing up under the mentorship of his father in the finance world laid the groundwork for his passion to help families build wealth with purpose. As the founder of Veritas and a longtime Dave Ramsey SmartVestor Pro, Chad brings deep experience, a coaching mindset, and powerful insights on faith, finances, and family legacy. Chad Hufford is a lifelong Alaskan, financial advisor, and founder of Veritas, a holistic financial services firm based in Anchorage. A Ramsey...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Trauma. We all see it and experience it at some point...to some degree. What is it? What can we do about it? How do we move through trauma? How do we find and embrace healing? In this episode of What’s the Point?, host Bill Ellis sits down with  a Professional Coach and Consultant, Trauma-Informed Certified Coach, and  Founder of GKF Coaching and Consulting/Families Blossoming LLC. Gigi has a deeply personal connection to trauma and shares her compelling personal story of navigating significant life’s rollercoasters, and how these lived experiences, coupled with her...

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An Honest Conversation About Life, Illness, and the Power of Perspective
In this powerful episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with Deb Krier—a seasoned marketing and communications expert, longtime business podcaster, and three-time cancer survivor—who has turned unimaginable adversity into a purposeful mission to help others live with clarity and courage.

Deb's career began with a simple piece of advice: turn your passion into your profession. That led to a decades-long journey in PR, branding, social media, and communications, eventually founding Wise Women Communications, LLC, an award-winning, full-service firm. She later launched The Business Power Hour podcast, now a part of the C-Suite Network, where she's hosted over 1,000 episodes helping business leaders thrive.

But in 2015, her life took a dramatic turn when a routine mammogram resulted in a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis. Deb faced catastrophic complications during treatment, spending months in the hospital and undergoing nine surgeries. Through it all, she worked, coached, and kept her sense of humor. Today, she channels that experience into her platform, TryingNotToDie.live, and supports others by showing what it means to not just survive—but truly live.

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways:

  • Living with Purpose: Why Deb launched TryingNotToDie.live to encourage others to embrace life despite illness.
  • Turning Passion into a Career: How a love for PR and communications led to the founding of her own agency.
  • Trust and Advocacy in Healthcare: How standing up for herself—and switching doctors—was essential to her survival.
  • The LIVE Acronym: Lead your tribe, Invigorate your soul, Voice your feelings, Elevate your mindset.
  • Misdiagnosis and Resilience: From a stage 0 to stage 4 diagnosis and overcoming life-threatening complications.
  • Support is Everything: The role her husband, friends, and professional network played in helping her recover and thrive.
  • What Not to Say: The worst advice Deb didn’t follow—and why that mattered.
  • Professional Identity Through Illness: How she balanced treatment with podcasting, coaching, and leadership.

Deb Krier doesn’t just talk about surviving—she lives out the message of thriving through adversity, being your own best advocate, and helping others find strength in their stories. Whether you’re facing a diagnosis, caring for someone who is, or simply looking for ways to live with more intention, this episode offers perspective and purpose in abundance.

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Quick Episode Summary: 

  • 0:00 Welcome and introduction to Deb Krier’s inspiring journey
  • 1:00 From communications and cancer PR to becoming a patient herself
  • 3:00 Misdiagnosis, shifting from stage 0 to stage 4, and the importance of informed care
  • 6:00 Finding the right medical team and surviving septic shock
  • 10:00 Deb’s perspective on trusting medical providers versus liking them
  • 14:00 The childhood advice she rejected and the wisdom she embraced
  • 17:00 The moment she launched Trying Not To Die LIVE
  • 20:00 A deeper dive into the LIVE acronym and what each part means
  • 27:00 Standing your ground when medical instincts say otherwise
  • 31:00 Why we can’t just "try not to die"—we have to choose to live fully
  • 33:00 Legacy, service, and taking others on the journey with you
  • 34:00 Deb’s podcasting journey: Over 1,000 episodes and counting
  • 36:00 Communication, nuance, and the lost art of listening
  • 40:00 What’s next: Becoming a cancer coach for business leaders
  • 43:00 Deb’s answer to "What’s the Point?"—Leave a legacy you’re proud of