Courageous Perserverance: Bea Pedersen on Overcoming Adversity with Humor and Love
The Courageous Destiny podcast takes listeners on an inspiring journey as Kristin Crockett interviews Bea Pedersen, a remarkable individual whose life story is a testament to resilience and faith. Bea's memoir, 'After Seven, When the Rates Are Cheaper,' serves as the focal point of their discussion, beautifully intertwining personal anecdotes with broader themes of perseverance, connection, and the transformative power of storytelling. Bea recounts a pivotal moment during a mission trip to Haiti, where she faced chaos and loss, leading to her brother's memorable advice about calling later when the rates were cheaper. This moment not only inspired the title of her book but also encapsulates the significance of maintaining connections during challenging times—a theme that resonates deeply throughout the episode.
As Bea shares her multifaceted background, from her days as an opera singer to her work in nonprofit fundraising, listeners are drawn into her narrative of overcoming adversity with humor and grace. The podcast transitions into a conversation about the importance of resilience, with Bea reflecting on her upbringing and the lessons she learned about perseverance from a supportive teacher. Her journey highlights that challenges are not merely obstacles but opportunities for growth, encouraging listeners to embrace their struggles as part of their unique story. Bea's commitment to writing daily letters to her son during his deployment underscores the power of connection, illustrating how even physical distance cannot diminish the bonds of love and support.
The discussion culminates in Bea's aspiration to become a motivational speaker, sharing her story to inspire others to find hope and courage in their own lives. Listeners are prompted to consider their paths and the potential for transformation, reinforced by Bea's belief that with faith, anything is possible. The episode serves as a beacon of encouragement, urging individuals to pursue their passions, cultivate resilience, and share their stories with the world. Bea's inspiring journey and her heartfelt message of perseverance leave listeners with a sense of empowerment, inviting them to reflect on their own lives and the connections that enrich their experiences.
Takeaways:
- Bea Pedersen's journey showcases the power of storytelling to overcome adversity and inspire others.
- The title of Bea's book, 'After Seven When the Rates Are Cheaper,' reflects a personal and poignant moment in her life.
- Writing daily letters to her son during his deployment helped to maintain a deep connection despite physical distance.
- Bea emphasizes the importance of perseverance, character, and faith in facing life's challenges and uncertainties.
- The podcast highlights the transformative effects of sharing one's story as a motivational speaker.
- Courage can manifest in various forms, including speaking openly about one's faith and experiences.
About Bea Pedersen:
Bea Pedersen has spent her life sharing her faith, her achievements, and her challenges through the delightful art of storytelling. Her whimsical, and sometimes acerbic wit, uplifts and inspires all with whom she has shared these delightful tales.
A second-generation Italian-American, Bea was born in Chicago, the last child of a large family. After relocating to the northwest suburbs, Bea was diagnosed with a congenital disease which caused a severe visual impairment. However, she persevered, being the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. She pursued her goal of becoming a professional opera singer performing on the stages of Orchestra Hall and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Always prepared to face new opportunities, Bea relinquished her promising career to assist her family and secured a position as a professional fundraiser in the non-profit arena. Flourishing in this new line of work, Bea led her constituents on multiple mission trips to Haiti, Nicaragua, and Ecuador. In addition, she has given countless motivational presentations and educational sessions throughout the United States. Using her story-telling gifts to engage her supporters, Bea has raised millions of dollars in support of world hunger, higher education, and child abuse prevention, care, and advocacy.
A published author, Bea has turned her story-telling skills into real-life tales featured in her first book, After Seven When The Rates Are Cheaper. She is currently working on a sequel as well as several children’s books, and will be publishing her son’s first book, The Character of Success in 2025.
Bea lives in rural Northern Illinois with her husband, Marco, of over 35 years and her dog, Glory.
Transcript
Hello everyone and welcome to the courageous Destiny build a business and life you love podcast.
Kristen Crockett:I am your hostess, Kristen Crockett, business and life coach and podcast extraordinaire.
Kristen Crockett:Today I have the incredible honor of interviewing a dear friend and colleague, Bea Peterson.
Kristen Crockett:Bea is a woman of multifacets.
Kristen Crockett:She's a former opera singer, professional non profit fundraising specialist, and now author of her first book, after seven, when the rates are cheaper, a memoir about overcoming adversity with humor and faith.
Kristen Crockett:Thank you Bea for being on my podcast today.
Kristen Crockett:I am so, so excited to interview you and get out to the world, you know what you're about and help give them a little bit of your inspiration, which I am just so honored to be able to get from time to time.
Kristen Crockett:So welcome to my show.
Bea Peterson:Well, thank you, Kristen.
Bea Peterson:I will tell you that the honor is truly mine.
Bea Peterson:When I first met you and heard your presentation, I was so inspired.
Bea Peterson:I knew you were someone I had to connect with.
Bea Peterson:And as a result of that, I think our friendship has just grown as professionals, but also just as personal friends.
Bea Peterson:And it's an honor for me and a privilege to be able to offer to share my story through this wonderful podcast opportunity.
Kristen Crockett:Wonderful.
Kristen Crockett:Well, I am so excited to have you.
Kristen Crockett:You know I want to.
Kristen Crockett:This book truly is extraordinary.
Kristen Crockett:So just so everybody knows, I'm going to be posting the link on how you can purchase this book book into the show notes and I highly recommend everybody if you are looking to do something big in your life, if you're an entrepreneur, if you're somebody who needs some inspiration and somebody who likes to laugh, purchase this book.
Kristen Crockett:It's truly extraordinary be what had you.
Kristen Crockett:I love the story behind after seven when the rates are cheaper.
Kristen Crockett:Can you share with my audience why you called it that and what inspired you to write the book?
Bea Peterson:Well, that was one of the initial inspirations for writing a book.
Bea Peterson:I consider myself to be a storyteller and as a storyteller it's helped me throughout my entire career.
Bea Peterson:When I sang opera, I told stories and music.
Bea Peterson:As a professional fundraiser, I tell the stories of my mission and share those partnerships with people to expand and support our community.
Bea Peterson:And all my life I told stories about what had happened to me growing up in a poor Italian family and all my mission trips when I was working for a Christian world hunger relief organization.
Bea Peterson:And just funny things in life like my first camping trip and sleeping outdoors for the first time, people seemed to enjoy my storytelling.
Bea Peterson:So on one of my trips as a missionary.
Bea Peterson:I wasn't a missionary.
Bea Peterson:I was leading a Group to missionaries who fed starving children.
Bea Peterson:And these were people that actually donated to the mission I supported on this particular trip.
Bea Peterson: We landed in Haiti in: Bea Peterson:And on the day we landed, the government decided to triple the price of rice and oil, two primary food staples in this devastatingly poor country.
Bea Peterson:Well, the people rioted.
Bea Peterson:They had gone over the edge this time.
Bea Peterson:And they bombed the United nations building.
Bea Peterson:All airplanes were gone and you were there.
Bea Peterson:We landed and they.
Bea Peterson:And the bomb went off.
Kristen Crockett:Oh my gosh.
Bea Peterson:Everything in the airport was cra.
Bea Peterson:If you think it's a Port au Prince is a crazy airport anyway, let me tell you.
Bea Peterson:It's hard to get through, negotiate.
Bea Peterson:But it was really crazy that day.
Bea Peterson:Fortunately, our missionary was there with the truck and she picked us up.
Bea Peterson:But by that time, thousands of people were burning tires in the streets.
Bea Peterson:We had to go off the road to even get around the burning tires in this huge truck that there were 11 of us in.
Bea Peterson:And it was about 40 miles to the mission.
Bea Peterson:And even when we got to the mission, rioters from the villages were coming down with machetes and stones.
Bea Peterson:And we got into the mission, which was very well fortified.
Bea Peterson:It's a very strong mission down there.
Bea Peterson:They have schools and churches.
Kristen Crockett:And this is in Haiti, correct?
Bea Peterson:Fond Parisian Haiti, yes.
Kristen Crockett:Okay.
Bea Peterson:So we got there and the people, they were hungry, they wanted food.
Bea Peterson:And we were a feeding organization.
Bea Peterson:So the missionaries decided we had.
Bea Peterson:They had just received a shipment of our food, so they decided they'd go down to the gates and all of us, along with their staff were pouring these bags of pre processed meals that were packed by volunteers into these bags, into garbage bags, these huge like 50 gallon garbage bags, tying them in knots and flinging them over this nine foot steel fence to the crowd on the other side.
Bea Peterson:The guards were shooting shotgun shells over their heads.
Bea Peterson:No one got hurt.
Bea Peterson:But it was a crazy situation.
Bea Peterson:So we knew this was going to be a difficult trip and we knew.
Bea Peterson:We didn't know when we were going to get back or get out.
Bea Peterson:But eventually these villagers went away.
Bea Peterson:They were satisfied.
Bea Peterson:They were hungry.
Bea Peterson:And nobody's telephone worked.
Bea Peterson:I had not to prompt a product here, but I had AT&T Global.
Bea Peterson:And AT&T Global was the only carrier at that time.
Bea Peterson: This is: Bea Peterson:So everybody used my phone to call home.
Bea Peterson:And I will tell you my phone bill that week.
Bea Peterson:It's a good thing my work paid for it because I'd still be paying off that debt.
Bea Peterson:That phone bill was so big.
Bea Peterson:I also received a call that night from my niece saying, auntie Rosie died.
Bea Peterson:My sister, who had been ill and in a coma for several months.
Bea Peterson:And she said, I'm just the messenger.
Bea Peterson:Call Uncle.
Bea Peterson:I said, you know, bats, I'm in Haiti.
Bea Peterson:I don't know what you guys are playing, but I'm in Haiti.
Bea Peterson:And she goes, I know.
Bea Peterson:It's all over the news.
Bea Peterson:Call Uncle Andy.
Bea Peterson:So my brother was taking charge.
Bea Peterson:So the next morning, beautiful sunny morning in the Caribbean, I go out into the terrace of the mission orphanage, and I dial my brother, and he picks up, and I said, andy, it's B.
Bea Peterson:Betsy called me last night, told me Rosie died.
Bea Peterson:You know, I'm in Haiti.
Bea Peterson:And I never got another word out.
Bea Peterson:My brother simply said to me, call me after 7 when the rates are cheaper.
Bea Peterson:Click.
Bea Peterson:Now, now, we just experienced a bombing.
Bea Peterson:We've just experienced tires in the street.
Bea Peterson:We've just experienced thousands of people rioting.
Bea Peterson:And he's worried about a buck 75aminute.
Bea Peterson:So the pastor who was on this trip with us, who was visiting with us, was standing next to me when I made this phone call.
Bea Peterson:And he was a real tall guy, you know, I'm short in stature.
Bea Peterson:And he put his arm around me and he said, poor B.
Bea Peterson:And I looked up at him and I said, chuck, if ever I write a book about my crazy, dysfunctional family, it's going to be called after 7 when the rates are Cheaper.
Bea Peterson:So that was the incentive for that story, which was the impetus for this book.
Bea Peterson:And I just felt it had to be the title of the book, even though it wasn't the lead story.
Bea Peterson:And it wasn't until several years later, if I can go on with how the book came about, because that was the whole crux of my life was that book, is that my son is a Navy lieutenant.
Bea Peterson:He was stationed to Sasebo, Japan, as a navigator aboard a mines sweeper.
Bea Peterson:And when he was leaving Chicago, and again, it was April, interestingly enough.
Kristen Crockett:What is a Matabine?
Kristen Crockett:Borderline Buddha binds Sweeper.
Bea Peterson:A.
Bea Peterson:A aboard.
Bea Peterson:He.
Bea Peterson:He was stationed aboard.
Bea Peterson:Like, you know, you're aboard a ship.
Kristen Crockett:Oh, okay.
Bea Peterson:He was stay.
Bea Peterson:He was commissioned to.
Bea Peterson:To serve on a ship which is a minesweeper.
Bea Peterson:Minesweepers are the ships.
Bea Peterson:They're all wooden ships always.
Bea Peterson:Because they're that go out before the entire fleet and check for mines.
Bea Peterson:They've got this huge.
Bea Peterson:You know what a narwhal nail is?
Kristen Crockett:Mines.
Kristen Crockett:Like.
Bea Peterson:Mines.
Bea Peterson:Like mines in the water that blow you up.
Kristen Crockett:Oh, my gosh.
Kristen Crockett:Be.
Bea Peterson:Yeah.
Bea Peterson:Tell me about it.
Bea Peterson:So.
Kristen Crockett:Oh, my gosh.
Bea Peterson:You know that, you know, narwhal whales have that long thing out the front, that's what a minesweeper has on the front of their ship.
Bea Peterson:And they, and they check to see if there's any steel or mine.
Bea Peterson:That's why the ships have to be wood.
Bea Peterson:So they're smaller ships.
Bea Peterson:They only have a contingent of 82.
Bea Peterson:They cannot, they cannot, you know, like, load supplies at sea.
Bea Peterson:They always have to go into docks.
Bea Peterson:They can't be at sea for more than seven days at a time.
Bea Peterson:So they never know where they're going to be or where they're going to reload for.
Bea Peterson:For supplies when they're out.
Bea Peterson:But they have to go in front of the fleet to make sure the fleet doesn't get blown up.
Bea Peterson:So it, it's.
Bea Peterson:And, and my son was the navigator, so he had to ensure the lives of 82 men every time he went out to make sure they got out of port, they got to their destination, they got in their destination, they got out of their destination and they got back safely.
Bea Peterson:And.
Bea Peterson:But Japan has a different telephone system than we do.
Bea Peterson:Right.
Bea Peterson:Was all Internet at that time.
Bea Peterson:So my son's phone didn't.
Bea Peterson:Wouldn't take any calls when he was.
Bea Peterson:He was gonna have to get a local call.
Bea Peterson:But my son landed in Sasebo and was.
Bea Peterson:Was flown out to his ship, which was already at sea because he had to go to duty right away.
Bea Peterson:So didn't have contact with him for almost six months.
Bea Peterson:And I knew that the only way to connect with my son was to write him a letter.
Bea Peterson:And I am the type of person that I just don't write one letter.
Bea Peterson:I write a letter every single day.
Bea Peterson:That was my promise.
Kristen Crockett:And unfortunately, guys, please listen to this because it is so heartwarming.
Kristen Crockett:So.
Bea Peterson:Well, it was.
Bea Peterson:It was heartwarming for me too, Kristen, because my son was stationed in Sassable during.
Bea Peterson:When Covid hit.
Bea Peterson:So a year, a year's deployment turned into two and a half years and 957 days.
Kristen Crockett:Oh, my Lord.
Bea Peterson:And I wrote my son 957 letters every single day.
Bea Peterson:He was stationed in Japan.
Bea Peterson:And when I first started the letters, it was just, oh, I miss you.
Bea Peterson:I hope everything's going well.
Bea Peterson:Let me know how things are when you can.
Bea Peterson:Sometimes Ben wouldn't get a letter for 30, 40 days, and he'd get 30 or 40 letters at one time.
Bea Peterson:So I had numbered them.
Bea Peterson:And then I thought, well, you know what?
Bea Peterson:I'm going to start including pictures.
Bea Peterson:So I I put pictures of her home, changes of the seasons, the goslings in the spring, the dogs growing up.
Bea Peterson:I.
Bea Peterson:I put pictures of Christmas parties and family parties and the kids that were being born.
Bea Peterson:So.
Bea Peterson:And then, you know, as time goes on, you still run out of things.
Bea Peterson:And I thought, you know what?
Bea Peterson:I'm going to start to tell my son about my life, because Ben didn't really know much about my life.
Bea Peterson:I'd had a very difficult upbringing with a.
Bea Peterson:With unfortunately, a lot of abuse, and I'd never shared that with my son because I didn't want my son's life to be one of trauma or trials.
Bea Peterson:I wanted him to know that.
Bea Peterson:I wanted him to love me as I was.
Bea Peterson:A person with an optimistic spirit who believed that with God, anything was possible.
Bea Peterson:That was what I had taught my son every day.
Bea Peterson:With God, anything was possible.
Bea Peterson:Because for me, it was Kristen and I had the son I was so proud of.
Bea Peterson:And then during the midst of all this, my husband had a stroke.
Bea Peterson:My.
Bea Peterson:My son was shipped home because we thought he was going to die.
Bea Peterson:His coming home turned my husband's prognosis around.
Bea Peterson:And while he was home, he was told he had to go to Atlanta.
Bea Peterson:They extended his.
Bea Peterson:His leave so he could go to.
Bea Peterson:I'm saying.
Bea Peterson:I'm sorry, not Atlanta, to Rhode island and compete for ship Handler of the Year.
Bea Peterson:My son won that year.
Bea Peterson:He was the best navigator, best ship handler in the entire Navy.
Bea Peterson:And all because he came home from my husband's stroke, came home to see his family.
Bea Peterson:When he went back to Japan, he told the Navy guys he was going to quit because he wanted to help his mom.
Bea Peterson:You know.
Bea Peterson:You know, part of my story is I'm visually impaired.
Bea Peterson:I was born with a congenital disease which took almost 90% of my vision, and my husband now was stroke victim.
Bea Peterson:He'd also had a.
Bea Peterson:He was also disabled before that, so a lot of caregiving to do.
Bea Peterson:And the Navy said, what?
Bea Peterson:You're the best ship here.
Bea Peterson:What can we do to keep you?
Bea Peterson:And he said, I'm due for shore duty when I get out of this.
Bea Peterson:This tour.
Bea Peterson:Can I go to Great Lakes, which is near our home, Great Lakes Naval Base.
Bea Peterson:So they sent him there.
Bea Peterson:And when he came home and all his stuff came home a few months later, he had this huge box, and it was filled with all my letters, and I realized he'd kept them all.
Bea Peterson:And not only that, but he had.
Bea Peterson:He had pasted my letters onto the wall of his apartment, and I thought it was junk.
Bea Peterson:When I.
Bea Peterson:When I first ever Saw it on a video call.
Bea Peterson:After two and a half years, I said, what's all that junk?
Bea Peterson:He said, mom, those are your letters.
Bea Peterson:And my letters meant something to him.
Bea Peterson:And when he came home, he said, you know, mom, you've got a book in you.
Bea Peterson:And so I turned the letters and my stories and my early life and my theme that with God, anything is possible into after seven when the rates are cheaper.
Kristen Crockett:That is incredible.
Kristen Crockett:You have so many incredible stories.
Kristen Crockett:And one of the, one of there's a few things and nuggets that I'd really like to showcase for my listeners today.
Kristen Crockett:And one of them is when you have somebody deployed, right?
Kristen Crockett:It was originally supposed to be a six month tour or twelve month tour and then ended up being two and a half years.
Kristen Crockett:And I love the fact that you created connection with him instead of focusing on, I mean, I'm sure there was rough times, you know, around the holidays and I'm sure you missed him terribly.
Kristen Crockett:But it was a way to create, even in the most heartbreaking of situations, you want that person to be with you.
Kristen Crockett:You want them to be safe.
Kristen Crockett:And here we've got, you know, Covid.
Kristen Crockett:We've got.
Kristen Crockett:And what a different perspective of COVID right?
Kristen Crockett:We've got all that going on.
Kristen Crockett:Your son's not there.
Kristen Crockett:But you guys really created this amazing connection that was so important for him and you.
Kristen Crockett:And I always say when you're going through it, one way to really, you know, you're going through a tumultuous part in life.
Kristen Crockett:If you can find a way to create happiness, you can find a way to create connection.
Kristen Crockett:It's really such a powerful thing to do.
Kristen Crockett:So I really wanted to showcase that for my listeners.
Kristen Crockett:And also just everything that you've been through, even have, I can't even imagine having, you know, being in the middle of Haiti, having bombs going off around me and then, you know, finding out that one of my siblings passed away and then having them say, you know, just call me later.
Kristen Crockett:Yeah, call me after 7 when the rates are cheaper.
Kristen Crockett:You know, just a story of resiliency.
Kristen Crockett:And I love the fact that you have never in your book and as far as I've known you, you don't fall into victim mode, which a lot of us do.
Bea Peterson:That's what it's all about is when I was, when I was nine years old, and this is a story in the book too, when I was nine years old, we were finally going to leave Chicago and move to the suburbs to get a home.
Bea Peterson:We were always in an apartment very Small apartment, a lot of us.
Bea Peterson:And, you know, I am a survivor of child abuse in both sexual, verbal and physical child abuse.
Bea Peterson:I was also born with a congenital disease, so I was legally blind, even corrected vision, and I was epileptic and had a few other problems.
Bea Peterson:And so leaving Chicago, getting a home, this was a great, great opportunity for me.
Bea Peterson:And I.
Bea Peterson:And when I, when I was leaving, I had this one teacher I just absolutely loved, and I asked her to sign my little autograph book.
Bea Peterson:And, and this is what she wrote.
Bea Peterson:And it was right before Thanksgiving, and she wrote, dear Beatrice, remember our forefathers and how they persevered.
Bea Peterson:Remember, you, too, must persevere.
Bea Peterson:Now, I will tell you, at nine years old, I didn't know what persevere meant.
Bea Peterson:I had to look it up, you know, and it, it meant, you know, that you really had to, you know, like, stick to it and, you know, keep going despite problems.
Bea Peterson:But I looked at that word a lot differently back then, and I still do because I kind of broke it up, you know, to purr and sever.
Bea Peterson:And that meant to cut through.
Bea Peterson:That's how I saw it.
Bea Peterson:Purr to, through.
Bea Peterson:Going through something like perennial through the year and sever to cut.
Bea Peterson:And what it said to me was, I gotta cut all this crud that's in my life, and I gotta get through it.
Bea Peterson:Like God who parted the red seas for the Israelites, he was going to create a path for me, and I was going to take that path.
Bea Peterson:On faith, Kristen, because that's what it's all about.
Bea Peterson:Connection is all about faith.
Bea Peterson:Having faith in the person that you could no longer connect with on a daily basis.
Bea Peterson:You can't call or see.
Bea Peterson:Having faith that, you know, you have given them the tools to be the best person they can be.
Bea Peterson:In my son's case, a man of faith and integrity and to trust that.
Bea Peterson:That my words would still mean something to him and that he, too, knew that with God anything was possible.
Bea Peterson:Connection is about being resilient enough to know that even if I'm alone and not physically connected to somebody, I can stand tall because I'm connected to my God, whom I believe will keep me strong and faithful and resilient enough to go on in Romans.
Bea Peterson:And I always get the number wrong.
Bea Peterson:I should have it in front of me.
Bea Peterson:I'm sorry, I don't.
Bea Peterson:Romans, I believe it's Romans, chapter three, verse five, and it might be chapter five, verse three, so forgive me if I get the number wrong.
Bea Peterson:But it's in Romans, it says, suffering produces perseverance.
Bea Peterson:Perseverance, character and character.
Bea Peterson:Hope.
Bea Peterson:Well, I knew I had to persevere.
Bea Peterson:But now I had to build my character.
Bea Peterson:And a person of character is a person of integrity, someone you can trust to do what they say they will do, someone you can rely on to be truthful.
Bea Peterson:A person of character is a person of forgiveness, a person of joy, a person of gratitude, a person of hope.
Bea Peterson:I wanted to be that person at 9 years old.
Bea Peterson:I wanted the abuse to stop.
Bea Peterson:And I wanted to let them know that I could do anything, despite my disabilities, which, to be honest with you, weren't even diagnosed then.
Bea Peterson:They weren't diagnosed for another almost three years.
Bea Peterson:And when I found out that I was only blind and not stupid and my parents thought this was a revelation.
Bea Peterson:I can deal with being blind.
Bea Peterson:I can figure out how to help myself.
Bea Peterson:I can figure out how to read close.
Bea Peterson:I can maybe get better glasses.
Bea Peterson:I can seek out help.
Bea Peterson:Even as a child, I learned to seek out help because the people in our lives.
Bea Peterson:Honestly, Christian, I don't want to proselytize.
Bea Peterson:I'm not trying to make anybody a Christian or a faith person here, but I want you to know my God led the way for me.
Bea Peterson:But you can find whatever that force is within you, whomever you are and whatever you believe to know that you too can persevere.
Bea Peterson:You too can cut through, believe in yourself and find the help and seek out the resources to build those capabilities, capacities, Skills within you to forge on and to create your destiny.
Bea Peterson:For me, it's not a destiny.
Bea Peterson:It's a pathway.
Bea Peterson:It's a pathway that God has created for me and asked me to take.
Bea Peterson:Take the chance to take.
Bea Peterson:And through my faith, I've been willing and hopefully I will continue.
Bea Peterson:I haven't always been the most positive, great person in the world.
Bea Peterson:Sometimes it's been hard.
Bea Peterson:But I know that in the end, God will help me persevere.
Bea Peterson:God will help me build my character and find hope.
Kristen Crockett:Oh, my gosh, Bea.
Kristen Crockett:I have to.
Kristen Crockett:I have to.
Kristen Crockett:I want to just showcase a few things from what you just shared.
Kristen Crockett:You are probably the easiest person I've ever interviewed on my show.
Kristen Crockett:I.
Kristen Crockett:I don't even have to be here.
Kristen Crockett:It's so wonderful.
Kristen Crockett:And I'm.
Kristen Crockett:And I really hope my listeners are really picking up these nuggets.
Kristen Crockett:And that's my intention and why I wanted.
Kristen Crockett:You have to have you on the show.
Kristen Crockett:So much, you know, you had broke apart per.
Kristen Crockett:You had a.
Kristen Crockett:I just want to really quick, you know, backtrack.
Kristen Crockett:But you had this teacher and this teacher, when you were nine years old, taught you about, you know, gave you that word perseverance.
Kristen Crockett:It became an intention for your life.
Kristen Crockett:So even though you were going through abuse, even though there was, you know, mental and I believe, physical abuse happening, you were able to, you were able to get that word and create an intention for your life and know and have faith.
Kristen Crockett:Leaning into, leaning into God, leaning into a higher power to be able to get through that situation, but not just get through that situation.
Kristen Crockett:You also went on to become an opera singer.
Kristen Crockett:You went on to.
Kristen Crockett:And this is why I want people to hear it.
Kristen Crockett:Like when you don't fall into, you know, a self.
Kristen Crockett:I'm not saying that there's not plenty of reasons a human being can feel sorry for themselves or really have a powerless moment or two, becoming a victim because horrible things can happen in the world.
Kristen Crockett:But when you don't live there, when you don't keep serving at tea, you don't keep serving.
Kristen Crockett:You're going to create whatever direction you decide to focus on.
Kristen Crockett:So if you, what you did and what that angel in your life, that nine year, you know, that teacher when you were nine years old, as far as I'm concerned, is a human angel, gave you that word.
Kristen Crockett:It changed everything.
Bea Peterson:It changed everything.
Bea Peterson:First of all, let me tell you, I, I'm, I again, I'm just honored to, to talk with you.
Bea Peterson:You, you, you really listen and I appreciate your listening and picking up on these points and wanting me to share and I'm grateful for this opportunity.
Bea Peterson:I can't tell you how much, because I, I just admire you so much.
Bea Peterson:I really do.
Kristen Crockett:Thank you.
Bea Peterson:I do.
Bea Peterson:It's, you know, it's, I have worked with, you know, abused women.
Bea Peterson:I've worked with domestic violence.
Bea Peterson:I've worked with a lot of child abuse victims in my career as a fundraiser when I, when I was in high school and I, and I started to overcome a lot of the abuse and stop the abuse, you know, taking, taking stands, there's in the story, there's stories about how that happened.
Bea Peterson:But, but when I had an opportunity to go to college.
Bea Peterson:So I would be the first in my generation to go to college.
Bea Peterson:I was the second of eight children to graduate from high school and my sister barely, barely made it.
Bea Peterson:She didn't even want to, but she did.
Bea Peterson:And I was the second.
Bea Peterson:But I got a scholarship to go to college and because I could sing, that was a gift from God.
Bea Peterson:But I knew that my gift had to be cultivated and worked out.
Bea Peterson:We're all given gifts, but we still have to work, we have to practice, we have to study, we have to educate ourselves, we have to build ourselves up.
Bea Peterson:Whatever your profession is, you're a physical trainer.
Bea Peterson:If you're a weightlifter, if you're a nurse, you have to learn your trade.
Bea Peterson:And I did.
Bea Peterson:And I was good.
Bea Peterson:And I had the opportunity to sing for some stellar opera singers at the time and be in some phenomenal competitions.
Bea Peterson:And I knew that's where God wanted me to be.
Bea Peterson:I would share my voice and uplift and inspire people with the beautiful music that so many composers had created.
Bea Peterson:And then God showed me another opportunity to follow.
Bea Peterson:And my brother was a victim of diabetes and self abuse and smoking and he had to have his legs amputated.
Bea Peterson:He needed to be careful.
Bea Peterson:And my sister, one of them, you know, I come from a big family, said she'd take him in if, If I would help pay her to take care for him.
Bea Peterson:I never hesitated, Kristen.
Bea Peterson:I stopped my voice lessons.
Bea Peterson:I went and got a job.
Bea Peterson:I could type well, by this time I'd had, I had good lenses.
Bea Peterson:I was seeing well enough to at least get around, you know, being mobile.
Bea Peterson:I couldn't drive at that time, but I was, you know, getting around reading.
Bea Peterson:I got through college and I never hesitated getting a job.
Bea Peterson:And let me just say that a door didn't close on my life.
Bea Peterson:A new door, a new pathway appeared for me to take, to be courageous enough to take.
Bea Peterson:And I did.
Bea Peterson:And do you know what that pathway led to?
Bea Peterson:Even though I will tell you that my, my brother eventually died of this terrible disease that led to meeting my husband because the job I was at, I knew a person who introduced me.
Bea Peterson:We met, it was love at first sight.
Bea Peterson:We, we got together, we knew we were going to get married.
Bea Peterson:We did get married.
Bea Peterson:We did one, he, he opened up a new life for me.
Bea Peterson:I, I'd never gone camping before.
Bea Peterson:I'd never gone canoeing before.
Bea Peterson:I didn't even know what the outdoors was other than being out outside on the streets of the Chicago in my coat.
Bea Peterson:This was a wonderful, wonderful opportunity for me.
Bea Peterson:So it was by, by being willing to, to follow the path, take a chance, follow, be courageous enough to dare.
Bea Peterson:My life changed completely for the better again and a new career opened.
Bea Peterson:And let me tell you, Kristen, that's not the end.
Bea Peterson:You see, I believe that with this book and the opportunity to give motivational presentations for my book, which you were very kind to come and attend and hear me, then, another pathway is opening.
Bea Peterson:And God saying, be even at your mature Age.
Bea Peterson:And we won't go into the numbers, but we know they're big, and they're big even at your age.
Bea Peterson:It's not the end.
Bea Peterson:It's not a door closing.
Bea Peterson:It's another pathway I'm lighting for you to come to me.
Bea Peterson:And I just have to be courageous enough to do that.
Bea Peterson:And I believe I am.
Kristen Crockett:You said.
Kristen Crockett:I picked it out from what you said.
Kristen Crockett:But I think this is so important for our listeners to really tune into this right now.
Kristen Crockett:I believe a pathway is opening.
Kristen Crockett:When you are creating perseverance in your life, believe a pathway is opening.
Bea Peterson:Perfect.
Bea Peterson:Right through all the crud.
Kristen Crockett:You cut through the.
Kristen Crockett:Through.
Bea Peterson:Cut through that pathway I made.
Kristen Crockett:I always tell my clients, don't focus on what's not happening.
Kristen Crockett:Don't focus on, you know, I know that we're.
Kristen Crockett:We're.
Kristen Crockett:We're trained to do that.
Kristen Crockett:Like, I know that our human ego is designed to help us survive, but cut through all of the crud.
Bea Peterson:So let me.
Kristen Crockett:Let me know and create that vision.
Kristen Crockett:The vision will allow that pathway to unfold before you.
Bea Peterson:Right?
Bea Peterson:It's all about fear.
Bea Peterson:Kristen, let me give you an analogy here.
Bea Peterson:When I say parting of the Red Sea, cutting through that pathway.
Bea Peterson:Cut that for me.
Bea Peterson:That was the road.
Bea Peterson:Walls of water are still on either side of you.
Bea Peterson:Whatever destiny you decide to follow, whatever path you take, those walls of water, and you know what?
Bea Peterson:They may come crashing down.
Bea Peterson:I'm going to tell you now.
Bea Peterson:Learn to swim.
Bea Peterson:Because it doesn't mean the road is over.
Bea Peterson:It doesn't mean the pathway's done.
Bea Peterson:It just means you've got to find a different way to get to the other side.
Kristen Crockett:That's right.
Kristen Crockett:Learn to swim.
Kristen Crockett:Go.
Bea Peterson:Be resilient.
Kristen Crockett:Yes.
Bea Peterson:Learn.
Bea Peterson:Find within yourself the capacity.
Bea Peterson:Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he created the filament light bulb.
Bea Peterson:Do you know what he said about his failures?
Bea Peterson:I didn't fail.
Bea Peterson:I found 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb.
Kristen Crockett:Exactly.
Kristen Crockett:Exactly right.
Kristen Crockett:And I love that you said, be resilient.
Kristen Crockett:Remember?
Kristen Crockett:It's B.
Kristen Crockett:Peterson.
Kristen Crockett:Be resilient.
Bea Peterson:It is B.
Bea Peterson:Or B, whichever you want to put.
Bea Peterson:I don't really care, but it's B.
Kristen Crockett:Well, we're.
Kristen Crockett:We're coming to the end of this podcast, but I will have be back.
Kristen Crockett:Particularly, I'm going to do my first plug for the courageous Destiny Guided Moments podcast, and I am going to request that Bea come and join me for that podcast as well.
Kristen Crockett:Because there's so many moments that we see, even in her short time here, where something happened.
Kristen Crockett:It doesn't show up like unicorns and rainbows, but because that thing happened, it led to something extraordinary.
Kristen Crockett:Even in the.
Kristen Crockett:Being in the middle of a mission trip talk, you know, having her sister pass away and then having her brother say after, call me after 7 when the rates are cheaper is now a book, as you can see.
Kristen Crockett:So that is truly extraordinary.
Kristen Crockett:But I got two questions that I ask everybody who comes onto my podcast.
Kristen Crockett:So I'm going to ask you these questions now.
Kristen Crockett:The first question be, and I can't wait to hear the answer.
Kristen Crockett:What is the most courageous thing you've ever done?
Bea Peterson:You know, there's so many.
Bea Peterson:So can I, can I answer that with two question, two things?
Kristen Crockett:Because there's, I think, I think I'll bend the rules this one.
Bea Peterson:Okay, thank you.
Bea Peterson:So the most courageous thing I've ever done is so, you know, recently I, I, I was admitted into leadership of Greater McHenry County.
Bea Peterson:And I, I knew I was going to be facing a lot of challenges that I would never have faced before in my life.
Bea Peterson:So I told my husband I want to do something I've never done.
Bea Peterson:So I went to a, a high ropes adventure course on my own and did this entire course of high ropes adventure and ziplining all by myself and that.
Bea Peterson:And as an almost 70 year old woman, I gotta tell you, I was thrilled when I got to the end of that I had done it.
Bea Peterson:I was so proud of myself.
Bea Peterson:So that was, in terms of physical daring, that was the most courageous thing.
Bea Peterson:But the most courageous thing I've probably ever done is I was at a women's meeting and we were all talking about, you know, things we, we liked and things we didn't.
Bea Peterson:And I simply stood up and said, I am a woman of faith and I believe that everything I do is offered to me as an opportunity to show God how much I love him.
Bea Peterson:And that's what every challenge in my life has been.
Bea Peterson:And a woman came up to me and said, I just want you to know how excited, how proud of you, how stunned I was that you said in front of all these professional women, I am a woman of faith.
Bea Peterson:You know, Kristen, it takes more guts and daring in this world today to say I believe than anything else we can offer another person because that is the testament that we can overcome anything.
Kristen Crockett:That is so true.
Kristen Crockett:Oh my gosh.
Kristen Crockett:And I really appreciate that because I often say, you know, one of my favorite ongoing coaching assignments I give every single one of my clients is do a courageous action every day in the direction of what you want and you'll be surprised how fast you get there.
Kristen Crockett:And you know, to me, courage means core is French for from the heart.
Kristen Crockett:Rage, destiny, you know, so one courageous thing from the heart and I want people to be able to stand in the power of their heart and their truth, no matter what it is or whether it's popular to somebody else.
Kristen Crockett:And that's what I love so much about that story you just shared, is how you're standing in your heart, your belief system and it isn't reliant on its full self expression.
Kristen Crockett:Right.
Bea Peterson:You can think that's why we're kindred spirits.
Kristen Crockett:Yes, yes.
Kristen Crockett:Like, you know, you go through all these things, you go through bombings, you go through this, you go through that.
Kristen Crockett:And the most when you're fully sick, I was like, but when I'm fully self expressed about, when I'm fully self expressed about my love for the Lord, look at this.
Kristen Crockett:You know, so I want to point that out for people because courage comes in so many different ways and forms.
Kristen Crockett:The second question I want to ask you is what is left on your bucket list?
Kristen Crockett:What is the most courageous thing left on your bucket list that you want to make sure happens?
Bea Peterson:So I'm, I'm.
Bea Peterson:I've never really iterated this before, so this will be the first time.
Bea Peterson:I love my job, I love my work, but I really believe with my whole heart God has opened a new door for me to share my story through motivational speaking.
Bea Peterson:The responses I had just from that first day that you were there and that first time I did it.
Bea Peterson:I have four bookings already for next year to share my story.
Bea Peterson:Because my hope is that my takeaway will be for me, it's always with God anything is possible.
Bea Peterson:But with you, if you can find within yourself the belief, the strength, the courage to persevere, that hope is yours and success can be yours.
Bea Peterson:Not necessarily in the number of dollars in your bank account, but in the number of people who call you friend.
Bea Peterson:Because you see, Kristen, in that I am rich beyond measure.
Bea Peterson:And if I can share that story with others, if God will allow me to pursue that as a career so that I can continue to support my family and our home, then I know I'll do both fulfilling.
Bea Peterson:And if I can't, if I still have to work two jobs and do it, if you will allow me still to share, it will still be enough.
Bea Peterson:That's the courageous destiny I'm looking for to, to create this new way of offering hope to others.
Kristen Crockett:And with that I say that is an amazing mic drop.
Kristen Crockett:Bea, thank you so much for being on my show.
Kristen Crockett:Thank you for so much for being here.
Kristen Crockett:I truly hope that this, you know, my intention is that this recording that we've done today makes its way into the hands of whoever needs to hear and be uplifted.
Kristen Crockett:And to know that even by practicing belief, by.
Kristen Crockett:By taking something, a word like perseverance and turning it into an intention, it can really make such a powerful difference in life.
Kristen Crockett:And by the way, you can reinvent yourself at any age.
Kristen Crockett:You can.
Kristen Crockett:Exactly.
Kristen Crockett:You can have a completely new courageous destiny.
Kristen Crockett:Nobody said that.
Kristen Crockett:You have one career your whole life, and then you, you know, you retire and play golf and that's all there is, you know, or you retire and you watched Wheel of Fortune, eating, you know, TV dinners every day.
Kristen Crockett:You get to keep growing.
Kristen Crockett:You get to keep, keep creating.
Kristen Crockett:And I love so much that you had my very favorite saying, maybe a little crass the brass ovaries to write your book, get out there, declare yourself as a motivational speaker and be on my podcast today.
Kristen Crockett:So thank you so much.
Kristen Crockett:And with that, everybody, is there.
Kristen Crockett:Is there a few extra words that you would like to share with my listeners today?
Bea Peterson:Only that I am so grateful for this opportunity to share and you might add one more word to that list.
Bea Peterson:Keep connecting.
Bea Peterson:Oh, yes, your connections.
Bea Peterson:It's how we share with each other.
Bea Peterson:So thank you for allowing me to connect and share.
Kristen Crockett:Well, thank you so much.
Kristen Crockett:And until next time, everybody, this is the courageous destiny.
Kristen Crockett:Build a business in life you love podcast.
Kristen Crockett:And that was B.
Kristen Crockett:Peterson.
Kristen Crockett:Please feel free to download her book in the show notes.
Kristen Crockett:You guys will not be disappointed.
Kristen Crockett:Thank you.
Kristen Crockett:Be.
Bea Peterson:Thank you.
