Libsyn Directory

103. Cancer, Clarity, and Calling: Diana Fritz on Finding Purpose Through Life’s Hardest Battles

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Release Date: 07/03/2025

125. Andi Simon: The Stories We Believe—and Why They Make Change So Hard

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with Andi Simon—corporate anthropologist, author, and founder of Simon Associates—to explore a deceptively simple question: Why is it so hard to see what’s right in front of us? Andi has spent decades studying how people think, behave, and—most importantly—how they make meaning. From working with banks and healthcare systems to helping leaders navigate transformation, she’s seen the same pattern over and over again: People don’t resist change because they lack information.They resist change because of the stories they...

124. The Price of Change: David Schnurman on Choice, Family, and What Really Matters

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with David Schnurman to explore a question many of us quietly carry: what do we think will happen when we change our lives? Change often begins with hope. A new job, a new city, a new path — we imagine it will give us clarity, fulfillment, or relief from whatever feels unresolved. But as David reflects throughout this conversation, change doesn’t always deliver exactly what we think we’re buying. Together, Bill and David explore the deeper motivations behind the choices we make. Family expectations, personal responsibility,...

123. Built to Serve: Omar Ritter on Leadership, Discipline, and Living With Purpose

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Omar Ritter for a conversation about discipline, leadership, and what it really means to live with purpose. Omar’s story is rooted in challenge. He reflects on the moments that shaped him — not just professionally, but internally. We talk about early lessons in responsibility, learning how to carry weight, and what it means to choose growth instead of comfort. Throughout our conversation, a theme keeps surfacing: discipline. Not the loud kind. Not the performative kind. But the quiet, daily commitment to becoming someone you can...

122. Ron Kmetovicz: What We Carry Forward About Money, Work and Independence

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, Bill Ellis sits down with Ron Kmetovicz—engineer, entrepreneur, investor, and author of Ghost Money: The Pathway to Financial Independence. This conversation isn’t about getting rich quickly. It’s about what quietly sustains a life. Ron reflects on growing up in an entrepreneurial farm family in Pennsylvania, working in early Silicon Valley labs during major technological shifts, and building a career grounded in confidence rather than accumulation. He shares the philosophy behind “ghost money”—multiple revenue streams paired with minimal...

121. Remember You’re Dying: Annie Dike on Change, Courage, and Finding Meaning Without Tidy Answers

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Welcome to What’s the Point? — the show where we explore what shapes us, what changes us, and what gives our lives meaning over time. In this episode, I’m joined by Annie Dike — a writer whose life has moved through wildly different worlds: a complex early life in Clovis, New Mexico, a career in law, years living and working at sea, and a steady commitment to writing as a way of making sense of experience. Annie begins in Clovis — a place she once wanted to escape, but later came to appreciate for what it gave her: creativity, closeness with her brother, and a tough kind of...

120. Building Something That Holds: Loryn and Edo Nalic on Partnership, Perseverance, and Belonging from Balkan Treat Box

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s The Point?, I sit down with Loryn Nalic and Edo Nalic, partners in life and work and the force behind Balkan Treat Box, Telva, and the Ridge Room in St. Louis. Their story isn’t just about building award-winning restaurants. It’s about displacement, resilience, trust, and what happens when two people commit to solving problems together instead of letting adversity define them. Edo shares what it was like growing up in Bosnia during war, fleeing to Germany, living with uncertainty, and eventually coming to the United States alone. Loryn reflects on a very...

119. From Survival to Self-Respect: Jason Van Ruler on Healing Old Patterns

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Jason Van Ruler for an honest conversation about healing, responsibility, and the quiet work of becoming someone you can respect. Jason shares parts of his story that began in instability—growing up in a chaotic environment, learning early how to survive, and internalizing beliefs about worth that followed him into adulthood. Like many of us, he found himself repeating familiar patterns, even when they no longer served him. We talk about the turning point that came when Jason realized that awareness alone wasn’t enough. Wanting change...

118. The Secure Leader: How Attachment Shapes Trust, Leadership, and Purpose with Dr. Jaime Goff

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, host Bill Ellis sits down with Dr. Jaime Goff, founder of The Empathic Leader, LLC and author of The Secure Leader, for a powerful conversation on how our earliest emotional experiences quietly shape the way we lead. Drawing from her background in psychology, higher education leadership, and executive coaching, Dr. Goff explains how attachment patterns formed in childhood influence trust, control, communication, and emotional regulation in adulthood—especially in leadership roles. She shares personal stories from her own journey, including growing up...

117. From Experiments to Empowering Creatives: Kacper Staniul on Purpose, Curiosity, and Building What Matters

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I talk with Kacper Staniul, founder and CEO of MyArchitectAI, about how purpose often reveals itself not through a single calling—but through curiosity, experimentation, and the discipline to keep building. Kacper’s journey began far from startups and artificial intelligence. As a university student in Poland studying materials science, he admits he had little sense of direction. What changed everything was exposure to the internet and the realization that learning wasn’t limited to formal education. That discovery sparked curiosity, and curiosity...

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...

More Episodes

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 others.

Diana Fritz is a wife, mom, leadership coach, and cancer thriver who brings two decades of business experience and a deep personal story of resilience. A DISC-certified consultant and member of the Maxwell Leadership Group, Diana leads with authenticity, using her life experiences to teach others about communication, connection, and courage. Her book, Uniquely Imperfect, Uniquely Qualified, captures the heart of her message: that even our hardest seasons can become our greatest qualifications to help others.

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways:

A Rare Diagnosis: Diana shares how a routine biopsy turned into an 11-year battle with sebaceous carcinoma, a rare form of cancer that eventually led to the removal of her eye.
From Control to Surrender: As a single mom and executive, Diana reflects on learning to release control and trust the journey—especially when the future was uncertain.
Faith and Family First: Grounded by her faith and driven by her love for her two sons, Diana found strength in focusing on what truly matters.
Seen, Heard, and Valued: Diana offers insights on how to treat others with dignity, especially those with visible differences, and why a smile or “hello” can change someone’s day.
Purpose from Pain: Her story reveals how challenges can transform into powerful opportunities to lead, influence, and serve others.

Diana Fritz’s story is a testimony to the power of faith, perspective, and service. Her willingness to embrace vulnerability and lead with compassion is an invitation for all of us to stop waiting for perfect circumstances—and instead, start living with purpose. Whether you're walking through a storm or simply searching for direction, Diana reminds us that we can find strength not in spite of adversity, but because of it.

Subscribe & Share:
Inspired by Diana’s story? Be sure to subscribe to What’s the Point? so you never miss a conversation about finding meaning in every chapter of life. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement, clarity, or a reminder that they’re not alone in their journey.

Connect with Bill:

Links for This Episode:

CONTACT INFO:

Email diana@grituiuq.com

Website(s) https://grituiuq.com/

SOCIAL MEDIA INFO:

LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/diana-fritz-b032064

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/diana.kline.395

BOOK:

Uniquely Imperfect. Uniquely Qualified: Overcome Adversity, Escape the Imperfection Mentality, and Journey from Self to Serve https://www.amazon.com/dp/1636804306?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_1JNFAV8K7142AJXD77CX&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_1JNFAV8K7142AJXD77CX&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_1JNFAV8K7142AJXD77CX&bestFormat=true

Quick Episode Summary:

0:00 – Bill introduces Diana and previews the themes of resilience, surrender, and compassion
1:08 – Diana shares her rare cancer diagnosis and what made her case so unique
3:44 – The decision to remove her eye and undergo a life-altering surgery
6:10 – Parenting through pain: navigating cancer as a single mom with young children
9:29 – The emotional and relational weight of visible differences and public perception
13:00 – Why Diana strives to make others feel seen, heard, and valued
15:10 – How connecting with patients, doctors, and strangers gave her a greater sense of purpose
17:01 – Bringing her story into her leadership coaching and DISC communication work
20:00 – Her career evolution from corporate leadership to coaching and people development
22:45 – Choosing authenticity in leadership: owning your mistakes and leading with humility
24:55 – Her motivation to model resilience for her children and others watching
26:00 – Viktor Frankl, meaning-making, and how her mindset started long before her diagnosis
28:00 – Why she titled her book Uniquely Imperfect, Uniquely Qualified and what it means
30:00 – The power of turning adversity into a unique ability to help others
31:00 – How her commitment to growth and influence shaped her career and personal mission
34:00 – The worst advice she ignored—and the best advice she followed
38:45 – Final reflections on finding your “why” and helping others as the path to healing

TOPICS