In a world that is rapidly changing, fueled by online media sources, start-ups, and gurus, it can be difficult to navigate the ever expanding swamp of knowledge. It seems there’s a recipe for success around every pop-up window and subscribe button. Especially when it comes to starting your own business. According to the online “experts,” it’s never been easier. Just buy their course! Fortunately for the Advice Giver reader, there’s people like Candace Carson who give us a much needed reality check. As the founder and president of The Intelligentsia Agency Inc., she’s no stranger to hardship. In fact, she’s releasing a memoir later this year that walks through her journey as a survivor. From abuse to homelessness, the murder of her fiancée to single mom, and now most recently successful business owner. To push through these trying times, Candace turned to her faith, which she credits as the most important part of moving forward. From there, she also sought out motivational speakers and dove into books. This journey lead her to discover the foundation of what would become The Intelligentsia Agency, previously known as Lily of the Valley Speakers. It’s purpose: To represent and connect the most brilliant minds, contributors, and intelligence to the world’s greatest companies and organizations. But, it wasn’t an overnight success. In fact, Candace fully admits she had no idea what she was doing when she got started, with barely any knowledge in the industry she sought to improve. By all accounts, she was destined to fail. And at first she did. What carried her through? An unrelenting force of passion, purpose, and curiosity. Her message to anyone with doubt, [you] can overcome any hurdle that’s in your way. Entrepreneurship is not only about solving problems for other people, but solving the problems within yourself that prevent you from reaching your own human potential. “If I can apply myself and go to the library multiple times per week, sit down, read, and eat peanut butter jelly sandwiches for a week at a time, or live on $20 per week for groceries, which I did. I can tell you exactly what I bought. Ramen, eggs, pasta, bread, cheese, etc. If I can do that and come out as successful as I have, anybody, anybody, anybody who is willing to do the work can succeed.” Today, The Intelligentsia Agency is quickly becoming renown for its unrivaled speaker and consultant vetting system, tailored for any business. You can learn more about The Intelligentsia Agency here at: www.theintelligentsia.co

The big event is seemingly just around the corner. It’s now up to you to host fifty executives, or maybe you’ve just been engaged, and what was once the most exciting bit of news just became the most stressful event planning nightmare. We’ve all heard the stories of Mother Nature showing up uninvited, or a mother-in-law ruining an otherwise perfect moment. But maybe less familiar is the stress from countless hours of researching a DJ or choosing a caterer. And it seems as soon as you find one credible, they’re booked, or worse, they cancel. But this doesn’t have to happen. In fact, Laura Ritchie, Christie Yerks, and Brittany Hagaman of Grit & Grace set out to change all of that nearly ten years ago. Unlike most event planners, which excel in one specialty or “signature style,” Grit & Grace prides itself in its unique approach to crafting memorable events, by making them reflective of their clients. In this way, no two events are the same. The secret to incredible custom events? Playing to the strengths of a diverse trifecta. Laura, Christie, and Brittany learned early on that leveraging each other’s talents, although vastly different, allowed them to tackle monumental obstacles that arose as a result of disrupting their industry. Along the way, they refined their craft and vision, and take enormous pride in being their clients’ guide. The biggest mistakes soon-to-be hosts often make? Contacting a planner too late, underestimating the demands of a project, and not prioritizing a budget. “[Our work] is our profession. Much like hiring a realtor to purchase a home, you want to hire a professional to give you assurance, that says that you’re making the right decisions along the way and not wasting your time.” That said, Laura, Christie, and Brittany don’t take on every client seeking them out—sometimes it’s just not a good fit. To deliver extraordinary results requires extraordinary standards and relationships, not only with partners or vendors, but clients as well. Their advice to entrepreneurs starting out? Commit to action, but understand each day is a learning curve. Even if you think you’re an expert, stay humble and be open to criticism. Growth and value will follow. To learn more about Grit & Grace’s services, you can find them at http://gritandgraceinc.com/

Everyone wants to live an extraordinary life, yet most feel like it’s just never going to happen. Whether it be shedding some pounds or becoming the best version of yourself. It always seems out of reach. A constant struggle. But it doesn’t have to be. Elaine Gibson beat Stage 4 cancer, and she didn’t do it with any of the traditional protocols. But boy, did she do her research! She went on a journey to find how the healthiest people lived, and it wasn’t found all in one place. She discovered from Dr. Otto Warburg, who won the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1931, that there is a distinct connection between oxygen, cancer, and disease. Cancer and all of the things that don’t function well are “anaerobic.” Meaning that it can’t function in the presence of oxygen. “I have one question I ask myself everyday: How do I get oxygen and alkalinity into my body?” Elaine took a proactive approach to solve cancer. And today she is taking that same approach to help people live their most extraordinary lives. “I totally believe we must have extraordinary health in order to have an extraordinary business, in order to have an extraordinary life, and in order to increase our impact on the world.” Incredibly, this isn’t actually that difficult. Forget counting calories, getting more oxygen in your diet can be as simple picking two to three of the most alkaline plant based foods on the planet, and eating them daily. Not too complicated right? So, what are these high-alkaline foods? Spinach, Broccoli, Celery, Cucumber, Kale, Bell Pepper, and Avocado. “I believe a plant based negatively charged alkaline lifestyle is [the first step] in bringing abundance to everything we do.” Renewed Living offers coaching to help you “Claim Your Extraordinary.” You can learn more about Elaine Gibson and Renewed Living at: www.renewedlivinginc.com