I have faced and conquered a number of fears. Yet there is still one thing that frightens me – medical tests. I hate it when a doctor says “I think we should do a test just to be sure all is good.”

In years past I would panic everyday to the point where I could not think about anything else until the test was completed and I received the results. The only test I had that had a negative outcome was when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was fortunate that my breast cancer was found...

This week News4 in Jacksonville, FL published this article (http://www.news4jax.com/news/Domestic-violence-doesn-t-discriminate/-/475880/7897318/-/vfm16c/-/index.html). The title of the article is “Domestic Violence Doesn’t Discriminate”.

Many people still believe that domestic violence is prevalent at lower income levels and not affluent successful women. Well they are wrong! I was abused and I was a successful Wall Street executive.

Domestic violence is an equal opportunity social...

One of the most dangerous times for a victim of domestic violence is when she leaves the abusive relationship. I know. When I left my ex-husband the reign of terror began in earnest. I was stalked, terrorized and beaten within an inch of my life. At the advice of my attorney I hired a bodyguard. I was fortunate I had the means to afford one but not all women do and this is a story about one of these women.

Her name was Shelby Wilkie and she was murdered by her husband. It seems that Shelby h...

This story ran on December 30, 2011 (http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/16418294/domestic-abuse-victim-survives-12-hours-of-beating).The story is about a woman who endured 12 hours of torture at the hands of her boyfriend. During those horrifying 12 hours she was so severely beaten, kicked and dragged by her hair that she kept losing consciousness.  She miraculously escaped when he left the house to get cigarettes. He was arrested.

She appeared in court to testify. “He kicked me in the head. He...

Since I have not lived in NYC for over five years I was unaware of the annual Good Riddance Day (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/29/good-riddance-day-in-time_n_1174784.htmlIt’s a day where folks can smash, shred, dump or find other ways to destroy their bad memories of 2011.  I love that idea –it’s a way to make room for the good that will come into our life in 2012.

We have a similar ritual in The Business of Me to help our participants rid themselves of the negative thoughts...

Picture this - a young 19 year old college student standing in her boyfriend’s bedroom - he has a gun and puts it against her head and says “this is how you do it” and pulls the trigger. The young woman falls dead on the floor. He calls 911 hours after the shooting and tells 911 “A woman passed out”.

The young man had repeatedly abused his girlfriend and he finally murdered her. He has been charged with reckless homicide.  The young woman’s grandmother is now fighting to have the...

Many of you have heard me talk about Omerta. Omerta is a code of silence prevalent in Sicilian heritage. I have talked about how Omerta affected my life and how it was part of the reason I endured domestic violence for so many years and stayed silent.

I have a story I want to share with you. It was Memorial Day1992 and my aunt invited my mom to a family barbeque. My mother asked if I could come. Now you need to know that I was living with my mom and she didn't tell anyone in the family that...

Last Wednesday I was honored to be the keynote speaker at The Dress For Success Event commemorating Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The incredible event was held at Brooklyn Boro Hall which was draped in purple.

I was also honored to be invited to an interview which included Dress For Success CEO Joi Gordon and Verizon http://www.ny1.com/content/149534/women-s-groups-use-film-to-convey-domestic-violence-message.

I want to thank Dress for Success for including me at their wonderful event!