Debra Lynn Alt: "I’m originally from New York City and have been a happy Connecticut shoreline resident for over 20 years. I’m a singer-songwriter and have produced three CDs. I’ve performed at benefits and have written songs for various causes, including one for cancer survivors which became a book I self-published illustrating the lyrics of the song with the award-winning photographs of my friend who inspired the song. Each Moment We’re Alive, Inc. is now a nonprofit that supports cancer survivors, whose Board I am the President of. I’ve done workshops designed to inspire and support around emotional well-being and healing. In 2018 I took a month-long shamanic certification training in Chile and have been practicing as a Shamanic Healing Arts Practitioner. I became a Justice of the Peace and have been ordained and officiate and sing at weddings and other ceremonies. I completed my first draft of a memoir about my experience learning shamanism, working title is Stumbling into Shamanism, A Songwriter’s Story."

Julie Apolinario is a forester who’s worked as an environmental scientist for 36 years and does energy work on the side. She’s completed a first draft of a sci-fi novel with a working title of ‘Alien Accountant Saves Earth’’. Retiring in January 2023, she plans to write full time (fiction and nonfiction) when set free. She traveled a great deal when younger, starting her career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, but loves her inner adventures best now.

Leah Campbell Badertscher, J.D., is an artist, writer, and life coach. She's the founder of Renascence Co., The Art School, and host of The Art School Podcast. Leah lives on a farm in Michigan with her husband and three children.

KC Baker is devoted to unleashing the brilliance of women’s voices worldwide.

As the founder and CEO of WomanSpeak, she has supported thousands of women around the world in her unorthodox and highly effective methodologies for helping women to clarify their messages, write career changing talks, and find the internal safety to speak up in their public, professional & personal lives.

She has spoken and taught at The United Nations in Switzerland, Women@Microsoft, and TEDxWomen, among others. She was an Advisor on Authentic Communication for Secretary Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Presidential Campaign.

She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, has produced her own children’s music album, and is a lover of dance, singing, qi gong and nature. She had a 9 year old son and splits her time between Scottsdale and Sedona.

Virginia Best was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Her education is in the field of visual arts and she
currently works as a children’s picture book illustrator, utilizing digital tools learned while studying
matte painting for film She resides with her spouse and 2 dogs in Derby, Vermont.

Rose Andrez Bradler is an inspirational speaker and loves to introduce new ways of looking at things including self-care & stress management, presentation-communication skills, and emotional intelligence.  She was trained by Ilana Rubenfeld in a three-year professional training program, The Rubenfeld Synergy Method.  Rose’s story was published in the book, Healing Journeys – The Power of Rubenfeld Synergy edited by Vicki Mechner. She combines her extensive experience in body-mind integration and alternative healing to support others.

Rose wrote her first solo show, Lost In Suburbia: The Demise of the Domestic Diva. It’s about one woman’s risky adventure with the heart of suburbia and the surprising revelation she makes along the way, both about herself, and what is really means to be “home”. Rose loves to sing! She has performed in a variety of NYC venues and has recorded two CD’s, “Lucky Woman” and “I Got A Man” with Verex Entertainment.  She had the privilege of working with Grammy award winning engineer, Dae Bennett who recorded and mixed the single “Wonderful”.

Rose resides in Edgewater, NJ with her wonderful husband, Greg.  They enjoy travel, music, and spending time with their 18 nieces and nephews! She is recording with Greg, an original song, “It’s Love That I Feel For You!”

She is an advocate for mental health and has raised considerable funds for the National Association on Mental Illness. Rose is looking forward to continue writing her first memoir about almost losing her life to mental illness. She is thrilled to be a part of the Gateless Academy community for the second time around.

Casey Z. Brewster is a writer & acupuncturist currently residing in Oregon. She grew up between Cincinnati, Ohio & Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Casey is bilingual in English & Spanish, flavored with Arabic swears. The first twenty years of her career were spent in community health & wellness programs. She's now an acupuncturist & certified Gateless Writing teacher at her private practice, Wild Flamingo Bodyworks. Casey is working on her first novel, which came to her in a dream when she first moved out West in 2007. Visit her online at www.wildflamingobodyworks.com.

Sheena Cook grew up on her family farm in the north of Scotland, has a law degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and an MFA in Literature and Writing from the Bennington Writing Seminars, Vermont, US. She divides her time between Baltimore, Maryland and Edinburgh, Scotland. Her two children have gone to university and beyond. Her short stories and novel extracts have appeared in Beached, Two Serious Ladies, Literary Orphans, The Southampton Review, Gutter Magazine, The Potomac Review and Inertia.

Her short story ‘They Will Come No More, The Old Men With Their Beautiful Manners’ was chosen by Ian Rankin for 2nd prize in the Scottish Arts Club Short Story Competition 2022.

Her short fiction, ‘The All Of It, It Misses You, Come Home,’ won first prize in The Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction 2023.

In 2018 she was a Hawthornden Fellow and in 2018/2019 she was a Bookends Fellow, during which she worked on her manuscript A TENDER HATE with mentor Meg Wolitzer.

She is studying for an MA in Crime Writing at UEA.

She is represented by Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown.

As a non-profit communicator, Christina Dexter helps social advocacy groups tell stories so they can educate the public and make even greater impacts in communities. She is a creative non-fiction writer and is passionate about making writing accessible to voices that society says are small. She has worked with cooperatives of rural cocoa farmers in Ecuador, helping them capture their stories and sum up their barriers in words. She has lived in North India, facilitating empowerment efforts for women and girls in slums and government schools. In 2021, she became a certified instructor of the Gateless Writing Method. During her most recent trip to India, she used the method as an empowerment tool during workshops with women and girls. Christina is a South Dakota State University graduate and resides in a tiny house on her family’s farm near Kansas City, Missouri.

"Hi, I'm Melissa Dugan. My entire life in 100 words or less....Huh...Maybe I should have written that elevator pitch people talk so much about. Here goes, I'm a Southern California native, lived in Massachusetts for many years and have now made a long pit stop in Texas while trying to make my way back to California. I've worked in various jobs from media, to hospitality to a couple state agencies but they have all been nothing more than a paycheck. I didn't know i was a writer until I was."

Serena Cora Eastman: Everything Serena needed to bike 6000 miles in 20 countries fit in her bicycle panniers: hammock, sleeping bag, toiletries, dance shoes, mini dresses, rain gear, books and journal. Her BA in Neuroscience and art from Wellesley College, a Master’s in Bilingual and Multicultural Education at University of Alcala, Spain, TEFL certification, and Gateless Teacher Certification cram in there too.

Serena intersperses bicycle nomadism with more culturally-sanctioned professional pursuits. She worked with monkeys and humans researching color vision at NIH, as a bike mechanic apprentice, art supply marketer, professional salsa dancer and teacher and ESL teacher. She lives and writes in Hawaii on an active volcano.

My name is Chidi E. Ejikeme. I am Nigerian. I am something of an autodidact. Following secondary schooling in the United Kingdom (North Wales), I proceeded to Connecticut, USA, where I spent a few years studying philosophy and economics.

I returned to Nigeria in 1989 whereupon I began life as an entrepreneur. From 1990 to date, I have written as a social observer for newspapers within Nigeria, and worked as a ghost writer on a number of publications and books. I have authored a collection of essays, numerous poems, as well an as-yet unpublished play, “The Death of Sunday”.

I have, amongst other weird and wonderful things, written a political manifesto for a political group and worked with the Ministry of Tourism. I have also worked with art gallery owners and artists to put together exhibitions and bios for artists both in Nigeria and abroad- my abiding concern remains to make my own contributions to our lives here in earth.

Jackie Falla serves as a member of Elaine Construction’s Leadership Team as Director of Client Services. With more than 20 years in the A/E/C industry she brings to bear her skills in relationship and visibility building, technical and creative writing, and strategic growth planning in the areas of commercial and corporate real estate, and the institutional and academic marketplaces. Jackie is active in several industry organizations including SCUP where she serves on the regional council, IFMA as the Host of the FM Forward Podcast, IBD Pros where she serves on the Board, and CoreNet where she serves on the Executive Board. She is a frequent public speaker, pens the blog: www.questforthenest.com, and is working on her book, Sawdust2Gold: A Gals Guide to Building Wealth Through Real Estate. She holds a BS in Political Science from Boston University, and a Certificate in Business Administration from Harvard University, and is a graduate of CoreNet Global NE’s Leadership 2.0 inaugural class.

Heather Lee Farrell lives in the mountains and open spaces of New Mexico and has a professional background that melds healthcare, wilderness and body-based practices.

“I am in the last part of almost eight years of full-time recovery, healing & surgeries from a severe accident and adjunct medical needs. I’m navigating what arises as I create my new-normal-life. Creative expression helped me through this recent time. Especially writing as I wasn’t able to speak well for more than three years. I applied to Gateless as an act of bravery with my writing. I still cannot believe that I'm here and very excited to learn, connect, and join a community of writers."

Website: Heatherleefarrell.com
Instagram: @DrHeatherLeeFarrell. (instagram.com/drheatherleefarrell)

Mariska Nicholson Ferrero, a native Austin Texan, is the founder and owner of Olive + M, an all natural olive oil based skincare brand. Her involvement in the industry began out of her passion to educate people on the skincare benefits of olive oil, plant based oils and botanical extracts. Her primary goal has always been to create formulas that are effective and accessible to everyone, using ingredients sourced from Mother Natures apothecary. She is the mother of 2 teenage boys and splits her time between Austin and the Napa Valley.

Clara Goldberg-Freeman is an ICF certified life coach with a masters in social behavioral sciences from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Combined with living in Tanzania and Germany and a knack for insightful understanding, Clara loves using her multi-cultural, multi-spiritual perspectives to garner creative solutions. She is sought out for her capacity to offer clarity by keen listening, asking hard questions, and holding space for difficult conversations. Clara is also a military spouse of 18 years with two children ages 12 and 14. She just moved to Oklahoma City after living 2 years in Hawaii. ClaraMei.com, clara@claramei.com

Theo Lachmann earned a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from Brooklyn College in 2009. Since then, he's made a living as a mechanic. He practices yoga, QiGong and partner acrobatics. He is 35.

Shanta Lee is a writer of poetry, creative nonfiction, journalism, multidisciplinary artist, and a public intellectual actively participating in the cultural discourse with work featured in many platforms. Shanta Lee is the author of GHETTOCLAUSTROPHOBIA: Dreamin of Mama While Trying to Speak Woman in Woke Tongues, winner of the 2020 Diode Press full-length poetry prize and the 2021 Vermont Book Award. Her new illustrated poetry collection, Black Metamorphoses (Etruscan 2023), is a work that Shanta Lee describes as a 2000+ year-old phone line opened to Ovid. To see more of her work visit: Shantalee.com.

John Lincoln: "I'm just a guy trying to be the best man I can be in this world, who thinks about everything, lives life fully, loves to tell stories and likes to laugh 'till my eyes water. I have a wonderful partner, a pooch, a bald kitty, three parrots, a tortoise, a chameleon and some of the best people in my life a guy could wish for. I believe that we're all unique and when we understand and lean into who we most authentically are, with honesty and vulnerability, we thrive infinitely. I coach people to do that - it's the job I was born to do but could not do until I was ready.

I've done the corporate thing from dishwasher to Director, taken an intentional two-year sabbatical traveling the country on my “Travels with Pooter and Petunia Tour” in my Airstream trailer with my dog and cat, told stories on stage with Molly Ringwald, won a gold medal in men's singles figure-skating at the Gay Games and tend to straighten pictures when they're crooked. I am a lover of language and a linguistic lint-picker, thrilling at the power of the written word that stimulates my expanding mind, allowing me to will images into existence, in flights of fancy, grounded in truth.

Oh, and I am writing a memoir of my life.

Facebook: facebook.com/hjohnlincoln and facebook.com/groups/strengthsassessment
YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCRhVAoa_jqFmTzskSzZhgGg
Blog: ponderablepostulations.blogspot.com

Elise Lorimer emerged from the womb dancing—determined to weave the questions of a wide and deep reality into moving and engaging stories. Early days, she was a performer, actor, and writer, as well as a business professional in the banking world in NYC. She then moved to SF and became a prominent yoga instructor, international documentarian, photographer, and event producer there and afar. More recently, she’s emerged as a screenwriter, meditation / spirituality guide, and consultant for creatives in LA and beyond. Elise has led many live events and retreats in the U.S. and abroad. She recorded a meditation album, helped develop multiple yoga/chill music albums with Om Records, and is a published poet. She is now writing her first book to be published.

While developing her own projects, she also guides others to connect to their true creative nature and bring out their authentic voice, and works with creatives whose projects carry a vision to optimally evolve us all.

She’s delighted and honored to be joining what is undoubtedly to be a transformative and beautiful cohort of creatives in the Gateless Academy.

Allison Leone: In her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou wrote, "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." I've always been fascinated both by the human condition and by the power of the written word. And like everyone, I have a story to tell. I'm born-again single, a mother of 3 delightfully irreverent twenty-somethings, and wholly committed to truth-telling. Living my best life! in Chicago.

Janice O'Leary has worked as a magazine editor and writer for the last 20 years. Beyond writing for consumer magazines and newspapers about everything from home design, real estate, wine and spirits, and the luxury universe, she's published poetry and short stories. She has an MFA in fiction and an MS in journalism. Her hobbies include hiking, cooking, napping, knitting, and ceramics, but she has exactly zero time for them now that she's a single mom. She lives with her toddler son in Malibu, Calif.

Iyabo Onipede is a facilitator, speaker, and consultant who leads challenging yet compassionate learning experiences which create belonging, and thriving racial and cultural inclusion in organizations. A graduate of Goucher College and Georgetown University Law School, Iyabo self identifies now as a "recovering attorney" after practicing law for 20 years. She also has a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She also serves as the Co-Director of Compassionate Atlanta, where she delights in loving on her diverse and eclectic community and most comfortable in her own skin. Iyabo's home on the web is www.iamiyabo.com.

Megan Palmer from Nashville TN is delighted to return to the Gateless Academy as an alumni. She is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and nurse who is working on a memoir about finding healing through creativity. Last year she released an album called ‘Take Good Care’ written with the nurses in her Palliative Care Unit. In 2023 she will be published in a collection of stories about the resilience of healthcare workers called Courageous Well-Being for Nurses: Strategies for Renewal with Johns Hopkins University Press. She can’t wait to dive back in with Gateless!

Laura Petiford PMHNP, LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Psychiatric Nurse Practioner-BC and writer. She works in private practice in CT and is a frequent media contributor on relationship dynamics and mental health.

Annette Rose: "I've lived on three continents, and so I've had a few different lives. Born & raised in South Africa, I left to seek my fortune in Europe in 1985. I didn't find it, but I did begin teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). I met the father of my child in Spain & moved to the US later. I began teaching in 1994 on the border of Texas & Mexico, then moved to Bethesda MD in 2006. I've taught school in Northern Virginia for about 14 years, currently at the high school level. I've enjoyed teaching high school students but it's time for a change. I like traveling, history & archeology; thrifting & decorating; writing and reading; gardening and nature in all forms - except sharks, snakes & crocodiles. I'm not very enthusiastic about them. I'm excited for fresh adventures & experiences. So I am looking forward to the collaboration with other writers as we begin our writing journey."

Dawn Pitre Likens has been writing professionally in some form or fashion since 1998. Vacillating between journalism and creative non-fiction, she writes the way she thinks and speaks to create relatable, readable bedside and bathroom material that will keep you awake or on the pot longer than necessary.

A graduate of the University of Memphis with a degree in Liberal Studies, Dawn is also a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor with PATH, Intl., and makes her home in Memphis,Tennessee, with her husband, Steve.

Deepshikha Sairam is a Speaker, Writer and a Spiritual Mentor to high achieving women entrepreneurs helping them get beyond their inner critic so that they can unlock their unbounded potential and live a more creative and joyful life.

She is the creator of The Pathway to Self Mastery™, a self discovery process rooted in the intersection of Mind-Body Science, Ancient Wisdom and Spiritual Tools and podcast host of Journey Home to Self, a Spiritual podcast to guide women back to their true nature as they leap into their personal growth journey and Spiritual Awakening.

She has been featured in Entrepreneur, Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, Tiny Buddha, Elephant Journal, Self Magazine and the award winning Marie TV.

She lives in New Jersey with her 2 boys, husband and one year old Cavapoo pup. Most days you’ll find her curled up on the couch with a psychological thriller or riding her Peloton with Cody Rigsby.

 
Louisa Shawkat has lived in many places and is currently residing in Ashland, Oregon. She was educated in Boston and San Francisco, worked in public health, and has sunk her heart into community through writing salons, tantric exploration, sharing circles, and dance. She has raised two boys and is finding new footing after releasing herself from a 25-year marriage. She is currently emerging from the pandemic, walking with grief, weaving herself back in, finding new threads and belongings.

Heather Sommerlad is a writer, musician, and educator in Guilford, VT. When she’s not furiously working on her memoir, she’s teaching little kids how to play stringed instruments in public schools, or facilitating a local concert series that educates musicians and audiences on composers who are anything but cis, white men. Sometimes, she writes string-heavy, introspective music and records it, DIY style, until it turns into a full length album, but just as often, she’s too excited to wait for it to become a collection before sharing. Currently, Heather is living off-grid in a 120 sq ft. cabin she built with her wife over the summer. She could probably use a hot shower right about now, but she’s absolutely thrilled and grateful to be a part of the Academy again!

Amy Suardi is an essayist and author of My Beautiful Terrible Pandemic Life. Founder of the Frugal Mama blog, her writing has appeared in River Teeth, Motherwords, The Startup, and Babble. While she works on her memoir, she sends out weekly drawings and ideas on the creative process in her illustrated blog, Tending the Creative Garden: encouragement and tools for creating new things.

Gillian Summers: "I grew up in Liverpool, UK with an Irish mum an Irish, English, and Scottish dad, and six siblings. I followed a lineage of strong women into nursing, and through nursing eventually got out of Liverpool to pursue my dream of traveling the world. I settled in Sydney Australia, where I specialized in Addiction. However, After 9/11 I moved to San Francisco to be closer to my sister, her husband, and three small children. Moreover, it was during this time I seriously cultivated my deep love of storytelling.

As a Storyteller and Solo Performance Artist, I have told my autobiographical stories in theaters, bars, and festivals from Dublin, Ireland, to Sydney, Australia, and from California to Chicago. Performing my one-woman play, "Hush" in the sold-out EXIT Theatre during the 2015 San Francisco Fringe Festival, cemented my belief in the healing power of story.

That same year I enrolled in an MFA in creative writing in order to learn how to bring my stories from the stage to the page. However, the experience not only silenced me but broke my heart. Some years later I found Nina Hart’s writing sanctuary for the broken-hearted artist, and through her unique gifts combined with Gateless Teacher Training, she helped me heal and find my voice again. Nina eventually introduced me to Suzanne, who invited me to join last year’s Academy.

With Suzanne’s love of my writing, and her belief in me as a writer reinforced in all of my pods, I was finally able to break through some of the crippling effects of my inner critic on my writing. Moreover, with the kind of community support, craft expertise, and cheerleading my MFA lacked, me and my writing thrived. In no uncertain terms, Gateless changed my life.

Since Gateless finished in July, I have moved out of my apartment, sold or put things in storage, bought a vintage camper trailer named Maggie, and headed out on the road to pursue my dream of traveling and writing. Since leaving Santa Barbara, CA in October we’ve been to Joshua Tree, through Arizona to Sedona and Santa Fe, where I am currently house-sitting, and Maggie is sheltering from the occasional snow.

My hope for Gateless this year is that I continue to transform the critic's hold over my writing so that the still small voice within finally replaces her as the driver of my writing and my life, and becomes a roar.

Furthermore, so I can help other women do the same because I consider every woman’s authentic voice to be a revelation waiting to be heard, especially in this time of the arising of the Divine Feminine.

According to the poet Muriel Rukeyser, “If one woman told the truth about her life the world would split open.”

Thanks to Gateless mine sure has.

Meg Sylvester is an author, creator, and spiritual entrepreneur who helps kind-hearted humans to “live life well”. Meg is the founder and creator of The Miracle Way, a love-based approach to personal, professional, and spiritual transformation, and has helped thousands worldwide to uncover their purpose while reaching deeper levels of fulfillment and pleasure. She is passionate in guiding others to experience their genius and creative potential through retreats, online programs, certification trainings, publications, and more. Meg holds training and certifications in Gateless Writing, Kundalini yoga and meditation, transformational breathwork, life coaching, pre-natal, yin, and trauma-informed yoga. When she is not leading retreats in dreamy destinations around the globe, you can find her at home in Austin, TX with her husband Justin consciously corraling their three kiddos, Lily, Ruby, and Happy, and taking care of their senior dog, Dr. Pancakes.

Jan Taylor is a generalist at heart, with degrees in Education and Creative Writing. She co-owned and operated a musical instrument manufacturing business for twenty years, then settled into higher education at Maryville College, in east TN. She has authored several local newspaper columns, focusing on literacy and library services. She enjoys learning about writing craft in all genres. Other interests include time outdoors, exploring various spiritual practices, and bicycling.

Jen Waite grew up on the coast of Maine. After graduating from Vassar College she moved to New York City for ten years, where she first worked in finance and then pursued acting and modeling. She moved back to Maine in 2015 shortly after the birth of her daughter. She is the internationally best-selling author of A Beautiful, Terrible Thing and Survival Instincts. She is currently at work on her third book and lives in Southern Maine with her seven-year-old daughter.

Kate Waitzkin is a mama, writer, wellness educator, and celebrated yoga and meditation teacher. Recognized for her accessible, potent approach to leading guided meditation and creating impactful experiences through breath-centered movement, inspired language and sequencing, and purposeful moments of reflection, her teaching journey began in New York City in 2006, then led her to San Francisco and, eventually, back to her hometown of Austin. Kate leads annual retreats and continues to share her teachings through her in-home studio, The Shala, and via her virtual platform, The Shala Online. Kate is the founder of The Ritual Practice, an online mindfulness program, and is working on her first book. Her writing has appeared in Magnolia Journal, Texas Highways, goop.com, camillestyles.com, and teach.yoga.

Susan Weis-Bohlen began writing in journals when she was nine years old. In her 20s she moved to Tel Aviv, Israel, and worked as journalist at The Jerusalem Post, and a film publicist. After a decade abroad, she returned to the US and opened a bookstore, Breathe Books, which she ran for ten years. Along the way she taught yoga and meditation, and took people on trips to India and Bhutan. Susan added Ayurveda to her practices and became a certified practitioner in 2007. In February 2020, Susan attended a Gateless Retreat in Florida, and took the teacher training later that year. Since then she has been leading writing salons and retreats, and plans to begin international writing/yoga/meditation trips in 2023. Susan has written three books: Ayurveda Beginner’s Guide, Seasonal Self-Care Rituals, and The Beginner's Guide to Ayurvedic Home Remedies. Susan lives in Reisterstown, Maryland, with her husband Larry, and their sweet pups Ella and Joonie.

Lisa Weiss is a three-time Emmy Award-winning producer, journalist, and founder of the storytelling company Storybeat Studio. Previously, Lisa worked for Oprah and CBS News. A mother of two kids, a cat and a dog, she is in the thesis stage of the MFA in Prose and Poetry at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and is excited to be part of a writing community.

After graduating from Pacific University (MFA in Poetry), Western Washington University (MA in Literature), and the College of Saint Benedict (BA in Literature), Jennifer Whetham spent the first decade of her career teaching writing and literature courses in Washington State two and four year colleges. In 2013, Jen transitioned to policy work in assessment, teaching, and learning at a Washington State government agency, where she spent the next almost-decade (9 years) partnering with faculty from a range of disciplines and across sectors (K-12, two year colleges, four year colleges, universities) to collaboratively build communities of practice across Washington State informed by the scholarship of teaching and learning and a shared commitment to addressing opportunity gaps and dismantling systemic racism through equity-producing and antiracist assessment practices. Jen is a Gateless Trained teacher (2017) and a certified 5-PATH Hypnotist (2019): licensed in the State of Washington as a hypnotherapist and a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, Jen offers both Gateless writing salons and private coaching informed by her passion for Jungian psychoanalysis and psychological astrology.

Jacqueline Whitmore is certified etiquette expert and the author of "Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work" and "Poised for Success: Mastering the Four Qualities That Distinguish Outstanding Professionals."

In 1998, she founded The Protocol School of Palm Beach, a company specializing in business etiquette, international protocol, personal branding, executive presence, and communication skills.

She has served as a contributing writer to The Huff Post, Entrepreneur.com, Fortune.com, and other publications.

On rainy Sunday afternoons, Jacqueline enjoys cooking, drinking wine, and listening to Sarah Vaughan Radio on Pandora.