On September 18th 2015, I had the biggest life changing event happen to me and my family to date. I lost not only my best friend and fiancé, the man my children saw as Dad, I lost my future. I was forced to not only say goodbye to the man I loved but to be the one to give the official words to turn off the life support machines keeping him alive.
Once I discovered DNA jewellery and keepsakes I knew this was my purpose in life. To ensure no other families have the same regret of not having something to hold onto after losing someone taken too early. While we focus on loss we also celebrate the good times too.
Every aspect of my business is in memory and honour of Manny, I launched TTA on the anniversary of his passing to celebrate him and how even in his passing, he is supporting our family and is a part of our lives daily. The name coming from a saying he’d repeat over and over that it’s how long he’d love me and until he took his last breath, he kept that promise and now I live everyday keeping up my end.
Unlike many other DNA artisans, I ensure I cater for all moments in life, turning all of life’s memories into keepsakes you can hold, I do tend to be more drawn to loss, especially the loss of loved ones because that’s why I started my business.
At the time of Manny’s passing I had no idea this industry existed, my goal now is to never hear another person say “I wish I knew you existed when….” And only hear “thank god I knew” to help families during all stages of life.
Today Tomorrow & Always was officially launched by accredited artisan and mother of four, Allison Ockenden in Manny’s honour – letting him live on in her heart and hands as she crafts each precious and entirely unique keepsake.
Today Tomorrow & Always was created with the vision of helping others celebrate life, love and loss. Cherishing births, relationships and marriages as well as commemorating the life of lost loved ones by creating memories you can hold and admire.
Allison’s goal is to create a priceless mementos to represent any memory you have from times throughout your life, because life holds so many precious moments that deserve to be re lived again and again.
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Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Mindy Scheirer, on air from July 18th
Before starting the Runway of Dreams Foundation in 2014, Mindy spent 20 years working in fashion as a designer for the INC collection and as a stylist for Saks Fifth Avenue. Mindy was inspired to start Runway of Dreams after her son Oliver, who has Muscular Dystrophy, dreamed of wearing jeans like everyone else. After using her design skills to adapt jeans that met his needs and increased his confidence, she went on to conduct extensive research as to the modifications required to mainstream clothing to meet the needs of the largest minority in our world- people with disabilities.
In 2016, Mindy partnered with Tommy Hilfiger to make fashion history creating the first mainstream adaptive clothing line in the market. Runway of Dreams was founded on the basis that clothing is a basic human need. The foundation develops, delivers, and supports initiatives providing a platform to broaden the reach of mainstream adaptive clothing and promote people with disabilities (PWDs) in the fashion industry. The 2022, the Runway of Dreams fashion show was recognized as one of the top seven NYFW shows by Forbes, highlighting the latest designs from the Adaptive category featuring brands such as Kohl’s, Target, JCPenney, Zappos.com and Tommy Hilfiger.
Due to the overwhelming amount of requests Mindy received at Runway of Dreams from a multitude of brands and industries for connection to PWDs, in 2019, Mindy created GAMUT Management. GAMUT is a trailblazing consulting and talent management company that represents people with disabilities (PWDs), across the fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment industries.
GAMUT exists to lead brand’s towards doing better, more inclusive business, helping to engage with, and develop new products for PWDs. GAMUT works with a diverse range of clients including Adidas, Victoria’s Secret, Footlocker, Kohls & QVC. disabilities.
Mindy has been featured in ?Newsweek’s ? “The Creative Class of 2019: Innovators,” and ?People magazine’s “Heroes Among Us: Making the Fashion Industry More Inclusive”. She has also been featured in USA Today, Parents Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue Business, WWD, NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America & The View, Access, CNBC, Forbes, and Fox News Channel.
An inspiring ?TED ?Talk speaker, Mindy has received numerous awards including Arc’s Catalyst Award for “Marketing Influencer of the Year”, Citrin Cooperman’s “Women at the Wheel Leadership Excellence Award”, the Association of Image Consultants “International Bravo Award” and Enable Inc.’s “Michael Graves Award for Creativity and Persistence”. Mindy has also been given the honor of ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in recognition for her innovative work in the Adaptive space towards raising awareness and driving change for people with disabilities.
Mindy studied Fashion Design with a dual program at the University of Vermont and Fashion Institute of Technology.
Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Lisa Wilkes, on air from April 18th
As far back as I can remember, I eagerly participated in charitable ventures. This stems from being an extreme empath—it wasn’t intentional, exactly, but I always searched for ways to better the lives of those around me. Sometimes it seems I have a special built-in antenna that allows me to sense any suffering within a five-mile radius. Then I take all the necessary steps to alleviate that suffering, even if it means staying awake for nights on end or working myself to the bone.
I clearly recall saving an injured bunny rabbit when I was seven years old. I found the wounded bunny on the playground at school. My first instinct was to carry the rabbit home, gently, in the safe and plush fabric of my lunchbag. Then I brough the bunny to the vet for immediate medical attention.
When I was nine, I wrote a guest editorial in the local newspaper (I grew up in the Chicagoland area, in a town called Glenview) listing all nearby animal rescues in need of donations, should any youngsters have extra money to spare from birthdays or recent holiday gifts.
It never really occurred to me to do anything other than help out wherever I could, whether that meant assisting animals or humans. The thing is, most folks seem to be deeply interested in personal gain, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s great to strive for bigger, better, more ambitious goals. It is wonderful to challenge ourselves, reaching for impressive new goals, and expand our horizons. But, for me, the motivation was different. I always accepted a fresh new challenge with the underlying intent to help others through its completion.
Throughout middle school and high school, I tutored my peers in all subjects four to five days per week. I stayed late after school, trying my best to explain lessons they were struggling to understand. My parents are both educators, so I suppose I was born to appreciate academia! I loved my classes, which made me quite nerdy. But I was a compassionate nerd, eager to help my classmates. At my twentieth high school reunion last year, a beautiful and brilliant friend of mine named Sheena reminded me of the time I rode four miles on my bike to deliver her missed assignments when she was out sick from school for a week. I had forgotten that incident! But it definitely sounds like me. I think finding ways to help others is a source of fuel for my soul. It is my sustenance. My internal batteries are charged through acts of service.
Fast-forward to college, where I created and launched a brand-new mentorship program linking University of Florida students to disadvantaged students in the nearby elementary school. I received the Member of the Year award for my university’s philanthropy club, and went on to complete two years of full-time service with AmeriCorps (the domestic version of the Peace Corps). I built houses in conjunction with homeless families. I also prepped adolescents for their next chapter of life by tutoring high school dropouts, to help them pass their GED exam so they could pursue higher education or more advanced work opportunities. 90% of my students passed the exam that year, which was astonishing and really impressive.
My main areas of concern are animal rescue and basic human rights. I have watched this nation become increasingly divisive and hateful over the past few years. Sure, there was always bigotry brewing right below the surface, and ethnic minorities as well as the LGBTQ+ community were often subject to its wrath. But it feels as though hate was given a special platform on which to thrive. Since 2016, I have seen the harm caused to those who are most vulnerable. Violence has been inflicted on ethnic minorities for no reason other than the color of their skin, and these injuries are more public than ever, thanks to modern technology and cell phone footage. Yet I haven’t seen a huge societal shift toward equality, not yet anyway. It seems many politicians and subsets of society are more determined than ever to deny racism’s existence. Here in Florida, teachers are no longer allowed to present American history. They have to adhere to a strict set of standards and intentionally ignore any topics involving racial injustice. It’s frightening that repressive, power-hungry politicians are so thirsty for support that they are wiling to pander to society’s most extreme white supremacists. Frankly, it scares the hell out of me. My newest novel, Mid-Flight, addresses racial injustice in no uncertain terms. I wanted to remind the world that there are consequences to this type of unacceptable discrimination and marginalization. My fictional novel intends to serve as a warning and a reminder that action is needed from each one of us, within our own individual spheres, if we hope to attain the equality and dignity which has—shamefully!—been denied to people of color.
I also noticed blatant attacks on women and the LGBTQ+ community. This is another theme of my newly-released novel, Mid-Flight. When Texas cracked down on women’s rights, restricting medical care and basic autonomy for women, I stepped into action, Quickly. My social work clients and those I had met through my nonprofit work were suffering so much. Women who were raped, harassed, and threatened were suddenly denied the right to control their own bodies. It was a slap in the face after already enduring unspeakable trauma, and I could not watch these individuals suffer immensely at the hands of misogynistic politicians and narrow-minded extremists. So I launched my own project, with the help of a fellow social worker. We created a website providing information and resources to women who no longer had any access to medical care. We shared transportation networks, contact information, and helpful tips to those whose rights had been stripped overnight. In addition, I threw myself into every volunteer opportunity offered by Planned Parenthood. I spent hours making care kits for men and women in low-income communities. I met with leaders to discuss ways we could expand our reach and help even more women. I hit the ground running, long before that egregious decision was announced by the Supreme Court in June of 2022.
Believe it or not, between writing books and pursuing my master’s degree and working as a flight attendant and fighting for human rights, I also immersed myself in the world of animal rescue. I began fostering homeless pets during the pandemic. Over the course of three years, I fostered 29 cats, two dogs, two birds, and a bunny. I am happy to report they all went to safe homes where they are currently living their best lives! In addition, I became a leader on my airline’s animal rescue team, SWATT, earlier this year. SWATT is a group of airline employees who use our travel benefits to fly rescued dogs and cats all around the country, to their new homes. The program is fully volunteer. It is so heartwarming to transport a rescued pet to its new family; I cry every single time! I can’t help it. It’s just so sweet to greet the new family and witness their eagerness to welcome this adorable furbaby into their home.
I believe this is a crucial moment in history. Every generation receives opportunities to protect those in need, but this present moment (right here and now, in each of our lives) feels like a critical turning point. We have witnessed incredible steps toward acceptance and compassion. Animal cruelty is now a felony here in America, and it’s about time! The bill passed unanimously in the Senate. There is a movement toward preserving our planet and ensuring ethical, sustainable harvesting of natural resources. Same-sex marriage and interracial marriage have finally been codified into law, after weighty opposition from those who stood to benefit from hate-fueled discrimination.
Yet there is so much work to be done. And I am eager to tout the importance of taking a stand in favor of compassion. In the animal rescue world, I constantly see animals who are tortured and killed. With a shattered heart, I continue my pursuit of rescuing as many homeless pets as possible.
And I know women, ethnic minorities, many within the LGBTQ+ community (especially trans individuals) who still cannot receive access to basic human rights, including medical care. I have watched my patients and friend suffer from re-traumatization of crimes committed against them. When those in power deny resources to the individuals who need it most, we all need to speak up. The responsibility rests on our shoulders to voice our concerns loudly, publicly, and without ceasing. We also need to roll up our sleeves and get to work. Through my novels, my work with nonprofits, and my actions within the community, that’s exactly what I intend to do.
BIO
Lisa Wilkes is an American flight attendant, animal rescuer, and author. She has spent 13 years as a flight attendant, jetting across the globe and collecting inspiration for her writings. Her debut novel, Flight Path, is a fast-paced romance laced with serendipitous encounters.
In 2022, Lisa earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. While in graduate school, she interned as a community liaison. Lisa also completed an eight-month apprenticeship in the Behavioral Health Unit of a hospital, assisting patients in outpatient treatment programs. In addition, she has written web content for multiple nonprofit organizations and recently joined the leadership board for a national aviation-themed animal rescue group. Lisa continues to serve as a powerful advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and women’s rights organizations across the country.
In her second novel, Mid-Flight, Lisa transports readers to the year 2038. A flight attendant uncovers a political ploy to decimate one-fifth of the population. To combat this sinister plan, she must risk everything. Including her breathtaking new romance.
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Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Col. Eileen Collins, on air from April 11th
Retired NASA astronaut and the agency’s first female shuttle commander, Col. Eileen Collins
With all the craziness happening here on Earth, recent stories of big happenings in outer space haven’t received as much media attention as they might deserve.
Trashing the International Space Station, mountains of space junk clogging the atmosphere, gender-specific spacesuits for woke bureaucrats, top-secret Chinese space walks, and lots more have barely registered a blip on the public’s radar.
Retired NASA astronaut and the agency’s first female shuttle commander, Col. Eileen Collins shares her journey in space and what is happening now.
Introducing Retired Colonel Eileen Collins, NASA’s first female shuttle commander. As of today, 72 women have flown in space, and many of those have cited Col. Collins as an inspiration. Eileen Collins retired from the Air Force in 2005 and from NASA in 2006, having logged more than 6,751 hours in thirty different types of aircraft and spent 872 hours in space. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross and NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal and was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame, among many other honors. Col. Collins recently served as an advisor to the National Space Council and is a board member of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation.
She retired from the Air Force in Jan 2005 and from NASA in May 2006 after a 28-year distinguished career. A former military instructor and test pilot, Collins was the first female pilot and first female commander of a space shuttle.
Collins graduated from the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, California, in 1990. She was selected by NASA and became an astronaut in July 1991. After tours at Kennedy Space Center (shuttle launch and landing) and Johnson Space Center (shuttle engineer and capsule communicator), she flew the space shuttle as pilot in 1995 aboard Discovery. She was also the pilot for Atlantis in 1997, where her crew docked with the Russian Space Station MIR. Collins became the first woman commander of a U.S. spacecraft with shuttle mission Columbia in 1999, the deployment of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Her final space flight was as commander of Discovery in 2005, the “Return to Flight Mission” after the tragic loss of Columbia. She has logged more than 6,751 hours in 30 different types of aircraft and more than 872 hours in space as a veteran of four space flights.
Collins currently serves on several boards and advisory panels, is a professional speaker and an aerospace consultant. She is married with two children.
Collins is also a member of the Air Force Association, Order of Daedalians, Women Military Aviators, Women in Aviation International, U.S. Space Foundation, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Ninety-Nines.
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Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Kimberly Butler, on air from March 27th.
I first heard Kimberly when she was a guest speaker on Deb Drummonds Show Up, Stand Up and Speak up event, (next one April 8th) Kimberly blew me away, but more than that, I felt I heard her from the core of who she is, and of cause I had to interview her.
On this show which is long because we covered so much, we discuss her journey from an orphanage to opening up the biggest doors in the world as a photographer. Her experiences with stars, politicians and Barbara Walters (she was her personal photographer) and the trust they had in her.
We speak about her memoir, the books to come, and her linage which goes back one thousand years, related to royalty, presidents and leaders. Her life has know many struggles, seized opportunities and with a determination to succeed her way, from the very core of her being.
Photojournalist and celebrity photographer Kimberly Butler has published her first book, “The Art of Fear: A Photographic Memoir”, an epic poem featuring 34 exquisite yet disturbing images – without using Photoshop — where she faces her fears to reveal the childhood trauma she experienced when, at 8 years old, she was removed from her home and placed in Ottilie Orphan Home in Jamaica, New York. The young woman posing in the photographs wearing a gas mask – a metaphor for the protective walls Butler built around her life – is her own daughter, Caitlin, whom she adopted from a Lithuanian orphanage – coincidentally – at the age of 8 years old.
“I wanted to share my journey to help others,” says the award-winning photographer. “Those who are born into circumstances that make life even more difficult than it already is — whether due to dysfunctional childhoods or personal demons. And, of course,” Butler adds, “this turns out to be just about everyone to some degree or another.”
The locations for the photographs in this 104-page softcover book include a collapsed abandoned building, a deserted icy beach during winter, and an empty church and cemetery – each representing the loneliness, isolation, and fear she fought to overcome by using masks to cloak feelings of shame and worthlessness.
“The Art of Fear: A Photographic Memoir” features a foreword by award-winning novelistNeil Gaiman, whom Butler includes in her memoir among the photographs of her daughter. He describes it this way: “Kim produced several gallons of paint, and had me put my hands into the paint, and took photographs of me making marks on the paper floor; and photos of me just watching my hands drip. By the end of that shoot I trusted her completely. And in some odd way, she trusted me.”
Of the collection of photos in “The Art of Fear,” Gaiman writes, “It was stranger, more poetic, at once beautiful and in-your-face, futuristic and old. They seemed like messages from a future in which the air was harder to breathe, in which we were struggling to live in the world we had made…She says I’m her muse, but all I ever do is tell her how beautiful and strange her pictures are, and how hard it is for me to get them out of my head…There is nobody like Kimberly Butler.”
Kimberly Butler has photographed hundreds ofcelebritiesand world leaders including five U.S. presidents. Her credits include covers of New York Times best sellers andgallery shoots for major broadcast networks. She was also a regular contributor to PEOPLE magazine for more than a decade. Butler has traveled extensively in theMiddle Eastand the former Soviet Union as a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker inJordan, Jerusalem, Gaza, and Chechnya. For the past two decades she has been the creative force behind the American Library Association’s CelebrityREADposter series, exhibited nationwide in public schools and libraries. In 2018 she exhibited her photographic series on banned books in NY called “CENSORED.” Butler is a native New Yorker and lives in Manhattan.
Please reach out to Kimberly in person for her book.
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