The leap into color!
For many, Deborah already had a fulfilling life: a good marketing job in the fashion industry, a nice boyfriend, close friends, and a wonderful family. It was a "great life in black and white," as she described it, but the feeling that she could be experiencing and doing much more hung over her like an oppressive cloud. Motivating people and foreign travel had always been passions, but creating a lifestyle around them seemed to be expecting too much. The day arrived when risking everything was easier than accepting the status quo.

Taking a three-month leave from her job, Deborah boarded a direct flight to Milan, Italy, a city that she had never visited before. With no definite plans, no language skills, no working papers, no contacts, and very little money in her pocket, her real journey began. What started as a brief voyage into the unknown slowly transformed itself into an odyssey of self-discovery. Over the next twenty years, the life Deborah really wanted would gently unfold before her in brilliant color.

Life in the business capital of Italy . . .
The first years in Milan awarded Deborah exciting jobs in marketing, sales, and training positions at Italian companies where she was able to sharpen her business and people skills in an international setting. Working freelance allowed Deborah the flexibility to make her own schedule, earn money, learn Italian, travel, make wonderful friends from all over the world, and most of all, to create a lifestyle in which she was to thrive.

Watching the effects her enthusiasm had on the people around her was an unexpected reward to living the life she always wanted. Many people were motivated to believe in themselves and make successful changes in their own lives. Unknown to her at the time, inspiring others to live life to its fullest would become a driving force in her future career moves.

The Move to Rome/The Magic of a Team . . .
After seven rewarding years in Milan it was time for Deborah to move to Rome, a city steeped in history and ancient wisdom. Once again, the feeling she could be doing more motivated her to use her business experience to promote a positive change in the world.

After some downtime and self-reflection in Rome, the "Eternal City," a most unusual opportunity presented itself to Deborah; a chance to do Public Relations and Educational projects for an international non-profit organization. In meeting the organization's dedicated team of volunteers and veterinarians who were saving thousands of abandoned animals, she knew she had landed in the right place. Working in this new field pushed Deborah out of her comfort zone but the chance to work with such compassionate people encouraged her to take on the challenge.

It was here that Deborah learned about the power of a team that was bound by mutual respect. With people mentally and emotionally connected to achieve the same goal, mountains were moved and miracles were commonplace in an atmosphere where an abundance of human resolve and hope was ever-present.

Moved by the commitment of this team, Deborah was ready to take on projects that presented a steep learning curve. In organizing community outreach programs, creating educational materials, granting television and newspaper interviews, and arranging gala fundraisers, her creative side flourished and she was inspired to do things she didn't believe she was capable of doing. Writing a children's book was one of those things as her heart and soul went from pen to paper and the true story of an abandoned cat on the streets of Rome unraveled. Upon completion, the book was not only published but also won an award for its educational merit from the Province of Rome.

For the next twelve years countless men and women from the United States, and other countries, came to Rome to spend their vacations working for Deborah's international volunteer program. For many it was the first time in their lives they experienced genuine fulfillment by using their talents to do a job that had meaning for them. Inspired by Deborah's "you-can-do-anything-you-want" attitude, Italians and foreigners alike began looking to Deborah for guidance in making their careers and lives more meaningful. It was definitely time to do more.

Birth of Esprit Seminars- Creativity and Prosperity on the French Riviera . . .
Light, color, and creative energy attracted Deborah to the south of France, like so many others before her. She too, such as Picasso and Matisse, and writers like Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald, was inspired by the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This environment provided the perfect place for people to open themselves up to their limitless possibilities and it was here that the concept of Esprit Seminars was born.

Combining her Marketing and Education background with years of living the vision of “you can do anything you want,” Deborah, with a team of dedicated professionals, was committed to sharing this vision with like-minded women. Non-linear and novel thinking were used to create the workshops that would allow women to join energies and develop a roadmap to true-to-self career and life successes. As the perfect backdrop to the life changing seminars, "the magic of the Mediterranean and colors of the French coast allow people to dream and open themselves up to future possibilities.
 

	Deborah holds a BBA in Marketing and a MS in Education
	Member European Women’s Professional Network

In the course of her work in the Non-Profit sector, Deborah has appeared on the Discovery Channel, Swiss and German television, given interviews to the BBC and countless other international TV, newspaper and magazine networks.

A secure job used to be a mainstay in Kim’s life, although she realized there were compromises to accept. Working as a medical technologist provided Kim acceptable doses of job satisfaction and a steady income that allowed her to meet all necessary expenses and to maintain a nice existence. As she approached the age of 40, the growing feeling that there was more out there began to gnaw at her.

Due to her love of horses, Kim decided to create a small business boarding horses and preparing young people to compete in local shows. Marketing and advertising, in a not-yet existent Internet world, were challenges to surmount, but eventually Kim had acquired a regular clientele. After struggling with her full-time medical job, as well as teaching riding in the evenings and weekends, Kim still felt that something was missing.

There were signs that had been popping up all through her youth: sitting in a restaurant with a friend and speaking gibberish French just to pretend to be bi-lingual, watching The Underworld Sea of Jacques Cousteau straining to hear the French language spoken under the English translator, falling in love with French Olympic ski champions… It was time! Kim decided to pursue her true life-long passion for learning the French language. At the age of 42, Kim quit her job, ended the riding business, took out a personal loan to pay her monthly expenses, and enrolled as a full time student at the University of NC to pursue a degree in French.

Thriving in her academic environment, a Bachelor in Arts in French, Cum Laude, was awarded to her in only 3 years. Upon graduation, Kim landed a job working for a French company in Atlanta and then a job teaching French for a private school.

Due to unforeseen life forces, where Kim ended up being a widow at the age of 51, she next decided to pursue an on-line Masters of Education degree, while maintaining her French teaching job. Having the Masters would hopefully allow for a higher salary and better job opportunities. Kim took one class at a time and finished in two years.

With all these changes in Kim’s life, her restlessness returned once again. This time she was finally forced to confront her real dream – to live in France.

Having visited France as a tourist, Kim next decided to take a year off to follow her life long passion. She was preparing to move when life threw her another curve ball. She met her current French husband in Atlanta on a blind date, and the move to France became forever, not just for a year! Kim and her husband have lived in Nice, since 2007 and are enjoying discovering life as residents and all that the French Riviera has to offer.

Investigating the idea of becoming an entrepreneur in France, Kim met Deborah and learned about the Esprit Seminar vision. Kim joined the Esprit team to help other women discover and achieve their passions, no matter at what age or at what stage in life. It’s never too late!

Nicholas’ professional achievements include being a top sales performer, with over twenty years experience working for a multi-billion dollar company along with smaller firms. However, financial success without realizing one’s passion caused Nicholas to re-think his career goals and make a change. His real job satisfaction came from guiding people through challenging career and business ventures; finding a way to use his corporate sales and marketing experience to help others turn ideas into business accomplishments was the next step for him.

Just about this time, the concept of Esprit Seminars was born. The idea of helping women launch creative career projects, promote new ways of thinking about business, and help people do something they enjoy was a perfect opportunity.

As a result, Nicholas decided to join the Esprit Seminars team from the onset, helping to create and develop the workshops and business strategies. Due to Nicholas’s guidance, Esprit Seminars grew from a passionate idea into a business project that continues to thrive in an environment of commitment, enthusiasm, and a positive team – all vital ingredients needed to bring a project to life. By example, he is now living the Esprit Seminars vision and is committed to helping others experience their professional and personal journey of self- discovery.