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
103. Cancer, Clarity, and Calling: Diana Fritz on Finding Purpose Through Life’s Hardest Battles
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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102. Legacy, Leadership & Financial Freedom: Chad Hufford on Faith-Fueled Stewardship
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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101. From Purpose to Possibility: Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez on Living Intentionally Through Life's Transitions
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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100. Shattering the Big Delusion: Harold Long on Addiction, Recovery, and the Power of Honest Transformation
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
A Radical Rethink on Addiction and Healing In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis is joined by Harold Long, a theologian, recovery coach, and author of The Big Delusion: Shattering the Delusions of Alcoholism and Addiction. With over 40 years of experience in recovery, Harold brings a deeply compassionate and honest perspective on what really keeps people trapped in addiction—and what it takes to finally break free. Drawing from personal experience, decades of volunteer work in the criminal justice system, and countless conversations with those in treatment and recovery, Harold...
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99. Young Salt at 60: Deborah Hammett on Reinvention, Resilience, and the Freedom of the Sea
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
Redefining Retirement, One Wave at a Time In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis welcomes Deborah Hammett, retired educator turned solo sailor and author of Young Salt at 60. After a 30+ year career as an elementary school teacher and principal on Martha’s Vineyard, Deborah did something few would expect—she learned to sail at age 60 and now lives aboard her boat, Maia, navigating the East Coast and The Bahamas. Deborah’s story is about more than sailing—it’s about reinvention, lifelong learning, and answering the question: what’s next? From her early dreams of changing...
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98. The Generous Leader: Joe Davis on Leading with Care, Driving Results, and Leaving a Legacy
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
Reimagining Leadership Through Generosity In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis is joined by Joe Davis—retired Managing Director and Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), author of The Generous Leader, and lifelong connector. Joe spent 37 years with BCG, co-founding the DC office, launching its North American public sector business, and eventually leading BCG North America. He also founded the Center for Inclusion and Equity, reflecting his core belief: the best leaders are those who help others thrive. Now in his second term as Board Chair at Whitman College, Joe...
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97. Midlife Career Change with Purpose: Scott Doyne on Identity, Transition, & Finding Your Next Chapter
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
In this enlightening episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis welcomes Scott Doyne—a former sports executive, keynote speaker, professional coach, and author of Exploring the Midlife Career Crisis: A Guide to Navigating the Four Stages of Career Transition. After two decades leading strategy and analytics at Turner Sports, Scott made a dramatic shift, stepping away from the world of NBA.com, March Madness, and Bleacher Report to help others redefine success in midlife. Scott unpacks how leaving behind a "dream job" can be the beginning of a more aligned and fulfilling journey. From unpaid...
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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
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...
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95. Stress-Free Book Marketing: Rick Lite on Self-Publishing, Promotion, and Author Success
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
The Road to Successful Book Publishing In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with Rick Lite, the founder of Stress Free Book Marketing, to discuss the ins and outs of self-publishing, book promotion, and long-term success as an independent author. With decades of experience helping authors launch and market their books, Rick shares invaluable insights into what it really takes to get a book into the world—and keep it thriving. Rick’s journey into the publishing industry began unexpectedly when he stepped in to help his wife, Lori, launch her children’s book series....
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94. Mastering Mindset and Performance: Dre Baldwin on Discipline, Confidence, and Success
What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose
In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with Dre Baldwin, the CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. Dre’s journey from a late-blooming high school athlete to a professional basketball player spanning nine years and eight countries is nothing short of remarkable. Now, with over 103 million content views, 35 books, and 3,200+ episodes of his Work On Your Game MasterClass, Dre is a master of high performance, consistency, and personal development. If you're looking for strategies to level up your mindset, this episode is packed with actionable insights. Episode...
info_outlineAn 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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Connect with Bill:
- [email protected]
- www.brandingpillars.com
- www.brandingforresults.com
- IG - @wcellis
- Facebook - @CoachBillEllis
- LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/wcellis
- Book: Women Who Won
Links for This Episode:
- Name: Deb Krier
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: +1_-_303-594-8930
- Website: https://tryingnottodie.live/
- SOCIAL MEDIA INFO:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahkrier/
- Facebook: Personal: https://www.facebook.com/Deb.Krier
- Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tryingnottodielive
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