2013 Reinvention Awards: Top 10 Global Stories of Reinvention
January 2014
Reinvention Expert, Steve Olsher, has issued his 2013 Reinvention Awards for the Top 10 Stories of Reinvention throughout the world in 2013. The Reinvention Awards, in its inaugural year, identifies both celebrities and everyday people who have dramatically reinvented their lives over the past year.
“It’s been an incredible year of Reinvention, ranging from big name superstars to everyday heroes who are every bit as worthy of recognition as their high profile counterparts,” said Steve Olsher. “Each of these incredible people represent the resilience of the human spirit and our common ability to overcome any personal, professional or societal obstacle placed in our path.”
The 2013 Reinvention Awards are awarded to:
10) Sharell Cook of Mumbai, India. In 2005, she had little to smile about. She was picking up the pieces of a marriage break down and working in an “unfulfilling” government job in Melbourne, Australia. Rather than wallow, she took six months paid long service leave and signed up to engage in community work in India. Sharell now lives in Mumbai, has her dream job, a colorful life and has found new love and a greater sense of possibility. Click HERE for the complete story.
9) Susan Campbell Cross of Los Angeles, CA. Susan reinvented her life from being a suburban soccer mom with three children to becoming a commercial actor, author, on-air personality, and lifestyle expert, with articles appearing in The Daily Muse, Huffington Post Women, Forbes Women, OK!, Star and SHAPE, where she is currently the lifestyle editor. In addition she’s the “mom” for Jewel Osco’s Nutrition IQ, and lifestyle correspondent for Modern Media, the Radio Show and Let’s Talk Autism—a cause she deeply believes in. Click HERE for the complete story.
“It’s been an incredible year of Reinvention, ranging from big name superstars to everyday heroes who are every bit as worthy of recognition as their high profile counterparts,” said Steve Olsher. “Each of these incredible people represent the resilience of the human spirit and our common ability to overcome any personal, professional or societal obstacle placed in our path.”
The 2013 Reinvention Awards are awarded to:
10) Sharell Cook of Mumbai, India. In 2005, she had little to smile about. She was picking up the pieces of a marriage break down and working in an “unfulfilling” government job in Melbourne, Australia. Rather than wallow, she took six months paid long service leave and signed up to engage in community work in India. Sharell now lives in Mumbai, has her dream job, a colorful life and has found new love and a greater sense of possibility. Click HERE for the complete story.
9) Susan Campbell Cross of Los Angeles, CA. Susan reinvented her life from being a suburban soccer mom with three children to becoming a commercial actor, author, on-air personality, and lifestyle expert, with articles appearing in The Daily Muse, Huffington Post Women, Forbes Women, OK!, Star and SHAPE, where she is currently the lifestyle editor. In addition she’s the “mom” for Jewel Osco’s Nutrition IQ, and lifestyle correspondent for Modern Media, the Radio Show and Let’s Talk Autism—a cause she deeply believes in. Click HERE for the complete story.
8) Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. of Los Angeles, California reinvented his life from a Southern California, gun-toting street gangster and convicted felon, to a platinum selling rap artist known as Snoop Dogg, singer-song writer, actor, media mogul, and business icon. In late 2012, he rebranded himself as Snoop Lion, a peace loving Rastafarian who supports gay marriage, the legalization of marijuana, and a political advocate who is a staunch supporter of President Obama. In recent months, he has even contemplated his own political career. Click HERE for the complete story.
7) Gunther Karger of Miami, Florida has reinvented his life numerous times over the course of his storied career. After high school he joined the U.S. Air Force and received an electrical engineering degree. This led to myriad positions including working on the Bomarc cruise missile at Boeing, designing the first active communications satellite at ITT Labs, and financial newsletter editor, TV and radio commentator, and author. Today, Gunther advises the Dade County commissioners on how to save millions in the library budget by transforming a large system of 50 libraries to just a few, but to expand the library service using telecom networks and information technology to make the library services available at public places and open nearly all the time. Click HERE for the complete story.
6) Louise Wightman of Glasgow, Scotland reinvented her life after 13 years in the recruitment industry to being a life coach who runs Approach the Coach and a social media expert, running Digital Diva Media. As she sought to rebrand herself, she focused heavily on using the social media tools. Soon it became apparent that she was resourceful in leveraging these tools and decided it would make sense for her to find corporate clients and bill them for this service. Click HERE for the complete story.
5) Michael Blattman of Wiesbaden, Germany was forced to reinvent his life after being released from his position as Vice President of a student loan company in 2008. The company provided him with an $188,000 severance package so he felt he’d be fine financially. However, after struggling for 26 months to find work, he finally landed a job as a financial adviser earning half of his previous salary. Several employment stints later, he secured his “dream job” to teach business courses at an Army base in Wiesbaden, Germany. Click HERE for the complete story.
4) Edith Kelly-Green of Memphis, Tennessee reinvented her life after almost 30 years with FedEx as Vice President and Chief Sourcing Officer to becoming the “Sandwich Queen” by investing in, and operating, 10 Lenny’s Sub Shops in the Oxford, Mississippi and Memphis areas. As opposed to viewing her restaurants as cash cows—though they do make money—Kelly-Green invested in the shops to help her family and community. Her plan is to create a legacy that impacts others by encouraging them to be in business for themselves and to strive to be more than minimum wage workers. Click HERE for the complete story.
3) Jim Kelly of Pittsford, New York. Jim reinvented his life from being a Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Buffalo Bills to four Super Bowl appearances to being a dad, husband, coach, author, motivational speaker, philanthropist and now, cancer survivor. In May 2013 doctors removed most of his left jaw and his teeth to remove a cancerous tumor. The cancer battle follows back, neck, and double hernia surgeries, all in the last two years and losing his son Hunter at age 8 to a rare neurological disease. Click HERE for the complete story.
2) Andrew Clay Silverstein aka Andrew Dice Clay of Los Angeles, California stumbled upon reinventing his life from a crude, often insulting comedian and media personality best known for his X-rated parodies of nursery rhymes, to an Oscar-worthy, dramatic actor featured in Woody Allen’s 2013 film, Blue Jasmine. When he first received the call from his manager indicating that Allen wanted to meet with him regarding the role, his instincts told him to laugh it off. But Allen, a former stand-up comedian, saw potential in his reading for the role of Augie and immediately cast him for it. His performance earned rave reviews and was critically praised. Click HERE for the complete story.
1) Rachel Washburn of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reinvented her life from a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader to being an Army intelligence officer with a special ops combat unit in Afghanistan. Her mission—to pioneer a special mission whereby she could relate to women in ways that would be culturally inappropriate for male troops—including helping to deliver an Afghan baby in a snowstorm. In her second tour in Afghanistan, she served as a platoon leader of an Army intelligence unit. An Army 1st lieutenant and daughter of an Army helicopter pilot and an Air Force fighter pilot, the military is an environment she naturally excels in. And, in spite of the doubters who have trouble believing that a former cheerleader can effectively serve in the military, Rachel and her peers know that she serves her country in equal capacity as her counterparts. Click HERE for the complete story.
“Selecting just 10 finalists and breaking those down into the order shown was not an easy process,” says Olsher. “It’s both amazing, and encouraging, to see so many people across the globe having incredible impact on their communities, the environment, and the world. Ultimately, Reinvention is not about changing who you are, it’s about shedding the shackles and layers of your past and allowing yourself to become who you were born to be.”
7) Gunther Karger of Miami, Florida has reinvented his life numerous times over the course of his storied career. After high school he joined the U.S. Air Force and received an electrical engineering degree. This led to myriad positions including working on the Bomarc cruise missile at Boeing, designing the first active communications satellite at ITT Labs, and financial newsletter editor, TV and radio commentator, and author. Today, Gunther advises the Dade County commissioners on how to save millions in the library budget by transforming a large system of 50 libraries to just a few, but to expand the library service using telecom networks and information technology to make the library services available at public places and open nearly all the time. Click HERE for the complete story.
6) Louise Wightman of Glasgow, Scotland reinvented her life after 13 years in the recruitment industry to being a life coach who runs Approach the Coach and a social media expert, running Digital Diva Media. As she sought to rebrand herself, she focused heavily on using the social media tools. Soon it became apparent that she was resourceful in leveraging these tools and decided it would make sense for her to find corporate clients and bill them for this service. Click HERE for the complete story.
5) Michael Blattman of Wiesbaden, Germany was forced to reinvent his life after being released from his position as Vice President of a student loan company in 2008. The company provided him with an $188,000 severance package so he felt he’d be fine financially. However, after struggling for 26 months to find work, he finally landed a job as a financial adviser earning half of his previous salary. Several employment stints later, he secured his “dream job” to teach business courses at an Army base in Wiesbaden, Germany. Click HERE for the complete story.
4) Edith Kelly-Green of Memphis, Tennessee reinvented her life after almost 30 years with FedEx as Vice President and Chief Sourcing Officer to becoming the “Sandwich Queen” by investing in, and operating, 10 Lenny’s Sub Shops in the Oxford, Mississippi and Memphis areas. As opposed to viewing her restaurants as cash cows—though they do make money—Kelly-Green invested in the shops to help her family and community. Her plan is to create a legacy that impacts others by encouraging them to be in business for themselves and to strive to be more than minimum wage workers. Click HERE for the complete story.
3) Jim Kelly of Pittsford, New York. Jim reinvented his life from being a Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Buffalo Bills to four Super Bowl appearances to being a dad, husband, coach, author, motivational speaker, philanthropist and now, cancer survivor. In May 2013 doctors removed most of his left jaw and his teeth to remove a cancerous tumor. The cancer battle follows back, neck, and double hernia surgeries, all in the last two years and losing his son Hunter at age 8 to a rare neurological disease. Click HERE for the complete story.
2) Andrew Clay Silverstein aka Andrew Dice Clay of Los Angeles, California stumbled upon reinventing his life from a crude, often insulting comedian and media personality best known for his X-rated parodies of nursery rhymes, to an Oscar-worthy, dramatic actor featured in Woody Allen’s 2013 film, Blue Jasmine. When he first received the call from his manager indicating that Allen wanted to meet with him regarding the role, his instincts told him to laugh it off. But Allen, a former stand-up comedian, saw potential in his reading for the role of Augie and immediately cast him for it. His performance earned rave reviews and was critically praised. Click HERE for the complete story.
1) Rachel Washburn of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reinvented her life from a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader to being an Army intelligence officer with a special ops combat unit in Afghanistan. Her mission—to pioneer a special mission whereby she could relate to women in ways that would be culturally inappropriate for male troops—including helping to deliver an Afghan baby in a snowstorm. In her second tour in Afghanistan, she served as a platoon leader of an Army intelligence unit. An Army 1st lieutenant and daughter of an Army helicopter pilot and an Air Force fighter pilot, the military is an environment she naturally excels in. And, in spite of the doubters who have trouble believing that a former cheerleader can effectively serve in the military, Rachel and her peers know that she serves her country in equal capacity as her counterparts. Click HERE for the complete story.
“Selecting just 10 finalists and breaking those down into the order shown was not an easy process,” says Olsher. “It’s both amazing, and encouraging, to see so many people across the globe having incredible impact on their communities, the environment, and the world. Ultimately, Reinvention is not about changing who you are, it’s about shedding the shackles and layers of your past and allowing yourself to become who you were born to be.”
- Steve Olsher is America’s Reinvention Expert and has taught thousands how to NICHETIZE!™ (nitch a tize) by identifying and monetizing their WHAT—that is, the ONE thing they were born to do. He is an international keynote speaker; NY Times bestselling Author, and an in-demand media guest who has appeared on ABC TV, FOX TV, NBC TV, Fox Business, The Huffington Post, Forbes.com, CNBC.com and more than 300 radio shows including national shows hosted by Lou Dobbs, Jim Bohannon, and Mancow Muller.
He is based in Chicago, IL and available for interviews. Please see www.SteveOlsher.com for more information or email Steve@SteveOlsher.com to check availability.