Keep Moving Forward

In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, I recap my trip to Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim. If you followed the This Week At Disney team on Instagram throughout the past week, we were happy to have you taking our trip with us. However, if you would like to relive the wonder and nostalgia that is Disneyland, you can visit Facebook @ThisWeekAtDisney, Instagram @ThisWeekAtDisney, and Twitter @WeekAtDisney. For daily information as well as fun opinion pieces on Disney, you can visit our blog at www.thisweekatdisney.com. Always remember, you can beat the odds and go the distance, if only you keep moving forward.

According to the indomitable DeeDee Trotter, “success calls for a never give up mentality, faith, belief, and patience.” This adage which the 400 meter runner manifested herself models the life she has lead as a professional track and field athlete. Touching on the hardships she endured and the real struggle of actually pursuing this daunting dream, DeeDee paints an honest and inspiring story about what it takes to achieve your goals. I had a wonderful conversation with this incredible woman and I hope that you enjoy my interview with the the Glitter-Face Warrior. If you would like to find out more about DeeDee, Running 4 The People, and her pursuit for a fourth Olympic Games, you can visit http://deedeetrotter.com/.

In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, I discuss my upcoming trip to Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim. If you would like to take this trip with me and my fellow This Week At Disney team members, you can follow us on Instagram @ThisWeekAtDisney. Furthermore, you can head on over to our blog at thisweekatdisney.com to receive news and information about all things Disney. In addition, stay current with every episode of Keep Moving Forward at my personal blog site: katygalli.com, and on iTunes under "Keep Moving Forward."

This week’s installment of my podcast is truly special to me, for I had the opportunity to interview a man whom I’ve revered since I was ten years old. The first time I saw the movie Rudy, I knew that I could do absolutely anything that I set my mind to, just as long as I worked hard enough. Rudy grew up in the town of Joliet, Illinois where he quickly formed a dream of going to Notre Dame and playing football for the Fighting Irish. After a long fought battle, Rudy found himself on the Notre Dame football team where he was granted the chance to play in one game for two plays wearing that blue and gold during his senior year. Following his college career, Rudy went on to become a motivational speaker in founding his company Rudy International 45. He has a number of books and of course, the famous 1993 movie that is played immediately following almost every televised Notre Dame football game in the fall. It was an honor to speak with Rudy. I am not at all lying when I say my conversation with him was a dr

What is the one show that you watch while you are in Walt Disney World? The one that belongs to the only station you ever watch while in your room at the Disney resorts? Well, that would be the Top 7 Must-Do’s in Walt Disney World, of course. The passionate and excited host of this magnificent show agreed to allow me to interview her for today’s episode, and I could not be more thrilled. She will motivate you through her words and inspire you with her confidence as she relays the journey she has taken to become the entrepreneur that she is today. I can’t thank Stacey enough for her willingness to be interviewed, and I hope that you all enjoy our talk as much as I did. If you would like to see more of Stacey, you can check out her Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages all @StaceyJAswad. Furthermore, head over to VOBuzzWeekly.com to watch over 200 episodes of the voice over show that she cohosts and go to staceyjaswad.com for more information on this great woman.

Born without tibia bones, and causing him to have both of his legs amputated by the time he was 10 months old, Josh Pauls does not know the meaning of the words “give up.” He played all manner of sports growing up until he found his true passion and love in the game of ice hockey. Josh took up the game of sled hockey at a very early age and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a member of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team. He’s competed in a number of National competitions, bringing medals home for his country. Most notably, the 23-year-old has already made 2 Paralympic teams. In 2010 he travelled to Vancouver, Canada and in 2014 he ventured to Sochi, Russia. Both trips to the Games, he helped his team to victory as they won the gold. Josh Pauls is a legendary athlete and true inspiration for anyone looking to chase his or her own dreams. I am so glad for the opportunity to interview him. It was an honor to speak with such a driven individual and I hope that you enjoy my talk with the incredib

As most Disney fans know, EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World is nothing short of a cornucopia of different cultures allowing any who visits to feel as if they really are traveling around the world. As EPCOT allows you to walk around World Showcase and be immersed in the heritage of each country it offers, Deanna Novak’s children’s books allow us this same opportunity. When we step inside the story she tells, we are transported, not only to a different land, but to one that actually makes us who we are today. Deanna is the creator of the original My Heritage Book, the first ever publication to allow such freedom in personalization. No two books are the same as they each tell the story of the heritage of one particular person. From her innovative notion of teaching children about their backgrounds, Deanna launched an educational empire where she not only writes her own books, but publishes them, as well, through her company Kids Heritage, Inc. I can’t thank Deanna enough for her willingness to be interviewed. I

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all." This fitting quote originates in the Disney film from which my favorite warrior princess comes from: Mulan. According to the Emperor of China, Mulan is worth fighting for, as "you don't meet a girl like that every dynasty." As I just finished a trip to the magical world of Disney and witnessed the beauty of Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival, this quote seems most appropriate. However, if we are to take these words of wisdom at face value, then the flowers in Walt Disney World must face more adversity than we could ever imagine. For there are no more magnificent topiaries than those residing around World Showcase Lagoon. Take a trip with me in this episode of Keep Moving Forward as I discuss this memorable vacation and all the new happenings that I witnessed in the wonderful world of Disney.

In this episode of Keep Moving Forward I discuss my upcoming trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and all of the new attractions coming to the Disney Parks this summer. If you would like to keep up to date on all things Disney, you can head over to www.thisweekatdisney.com as well as follow the TWAD team on Instagram as I chronicle our trip to the parks over the next few days.

In this episode of Keep Moving Forward, I interview Annette Jackson, founder of the Walt Disney World inspired subscription service, Main Street Creations. What would it be like to have Disney treats delivered right to your doorstep? All manner of character shaped and magically inspired delectable goodies coming right to you every single month? Well, with the launch of Annette Jackson’s subscription service called Main Street Creations, you can find out! Annette has a background in accounting and finance, and has worked for the Federal Government since she was 19 years old. Growing up, she saw the passion with which her father pursued his entrepreneurial dreams and that same self-starting spark ignited within her, too. While she still works in accounting and finance, fields that undoubtedly help her in her startup, Annette decided it was time to take the plunge. She embodies the Walt Disney saying to “quit talking and begin doing” and I am glad to have had the opportunity to speak with her.

In this episode of Keep Moving Forward I interview Tiffany Coburn. Inspirational Christian singer, performer in Walt Disney World Epcot Center’s Voices of Liberty, and original member of the a cappella group Voctave. As you make your loop around World Showcase in Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida, you might hear voices so beautiful, that you find you have no choice but to stop and listen. These beautiful harmonies belong to the Voices of Liberty, an a cappella group residing in The America Pavilion, of which, Tiffany Coburn is a member. Voices of Liberty has long been an integral part of The American Adventure, pleasing audiences for years with the magical sound of Americana songs. Wearing classic 1800s attire, Tiffany and a small group of top performers sing in the rotunda just before guests enter the America show. A member since 1989, Tiffany is a veteran Voices of Liberty  performer, and carries herself as such in all facets of her life. In addition to her singing with the Voices of

To kick-off the Keep Moving Forward podcast, I was privileged to interview the impressive entrepreneur, Geir Ness. For those of you who have ever visited Walt Disney World’s Norway Pavilion in Epcot Center, you know that the sweetest aroma to ever grace your nostrils exists within the walls of the country shop: the Puffin’s Roost. Disney fanatics immediately know that this scent belongs to the one and only Laila: the Essence of Norway, a perfume created by the entrepreneurial sensation himself: Geir Ness.   However, for those of you who might not be completely familiar with his story, allow me to enlighten you. Geir grew up in Oslo, Norway, learning the values of hard work, perseverance, and discipline from the woman whose name with which Geir branded his company: his mother. She instilled within him the power that he could do anything that he set his mind to. With dreams of becoming an actor, Geir moved to Los Angeles, California in the hopes of starting his career. To pay the bills, he worked as a