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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

116. The Fight Within Us: Gavin Lance Topp on Purpose, Sobriety, and Becoming a Man show art 116. The Fight Within Us: Gavin Lance Topp on Purpose, Sobriety, and Becoming a Man

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Gavin Lance Topp, a former professional boxer whose life has been shaped as much by the battles outside the ring as the ones inside it. Gavin’s story is a powerful exploration of purpose, identity, and the fight within us all. Growing up in Australia and moving often as a child, Gavin found structure and validation in boxing. What began as an outlet for rage and energy became a disciplined pursuit that carried him from amateur fights to becoming the Australian Junior Middleweight Champion and eventually earning a world ranking. But as...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I’m joined by Vanessa Thompson, whose story is a clear reminder that purpose doesn’t usually arrive fully formed. More often, it takes shape slowly—through struggle, uncertainty, and hard-earned clarity. Vanessa shares her journey through seasons of instability and questioning, moments where the path forward wasn’t obvious, and how those experiences ultimately reshaped how she thinks about work, success, and sustainability. We talk about how easy it is to chase outcomes without pausing to ask whether the life we’re building is actually...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with artist Cbabi Bayoc, a painter, muralist, illustrator, and author whose work is rooted in one powerful idea: painting the world he wants his children—and all of our children—to thrive in. Cbabi shares how his art has always been about people. Faces. Emotion. Community. From his early days studying at Grambling State University to drawing caricatures at Six Flags, he learned to observe humanity closely, to listen, and to let people teach him through their reactions. What could have been discouraging moments became lessons in humility,...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

When you sit down with someone who has lived a big life, you can feel it instantly. That’s exactly what happened in today’s conversation with Tracy Spears—author, speaker, leadership coach, and co-founder of the Exceptional Leaders Lab. Her story is one of grit earned the hard way, grace discovered over time, and the lifelong work of becoming who we actually are. Tracy’s journey begins in a trailer park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where early messages about work ethic, worthiness, and performing for belonging shaped her worldview. She openly shares how one sentence from her father in third...

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What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with Tim Christophersen, one of the world’s leading voices in nature restoration and conservation, to explore what really drives us as humans and how we find meaning in our relationship with the natural world. Tim’s journey is a powerful human story of growth, purpose, and responsibility — and it’s bigger than politics, bigger than hot-button climate debates, and deeper than soundbites. Tim shares how his love of nature began as a young boy walking through forests in Germany with his grandfather, quietly building the foundation for a...

info_outline 111. Finding Meaning Through Resilience and Kindness with Noemi Beres show art 111. Finding Meaning Through Resilience and Kindness with Noemi Beres

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with Noemi Beres, a woman whose life story is a powerful reflection of resilience, kindness, and purpose. From growing up in Hungary in a modest but deeply loving family, to becoming an entrepreneur, connector, and creative force, Noemi shares what keeps her going and how she discovered what truly matters. Noemi opens up about her childhood, shaped by hardworking parents and the strong values of Eastern Europe. She shares how her family’s history — stories of survival, perseverance, and hope — gave her the foundation to keep going, even...

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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...

info_outline 108. The Journey, Not the Destination: John Golden on Authentic Leadership and Self-Awareness show art 108. The Journey, Not the Destination: John Golden on Authentic Leadership and Self-Awareness

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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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