Life & The Sunday Series

Find your why and find your way. Become more.

  • About Mark Brodinsky
  • Contact
  • The Higher Shelf!
  • Home

Need inspiration to find your why and your way?

Join the Tribe Today!

The Sunday Series (107), with Mark Brodinsky

May 15, 2016 By markbrodinsky Leave a Comment

It doesn’t have to happen because of challenges or misfortune.

There doesn’t have to be some tragedy or bad stroke of luck to make a dramatic change in your life which inspires others.

Some people are simply born with the power of inspiration inside them. In fact, most of us are, we just don’t realize it until we take a little time for introspection to gain perspective and realize we have so much to share.

In those moments of reflection you know it, you can inspire, you have a story… because everyone has a story.

I am Mark Brodinsky and this is The Sunday Series.


The Sunday Series (107): Every Breath She Takes

vow renewal

It all changed while in college when Rochelle Brown witnessed a young lady suffering a severe allergic reaction, struggling for air.

As the respiratory therapists came to the rescue and helped the girl to breathe again, Rochelle experienced her own breath of fresh air, she knew her life could and would be different. Prior to that moment she thought she knew what she wanted – to be a pharmacist – but suddenly everything changed.

With her own labored breathing and tears in her eyes Rochelle called her mom to tell her the news. She would not be completing the pharmacist program for which she had enrolled in college – she was going to make a change. She wanted to be able to talk to patients, to touch patients, to help rescue those in need. She knew she couldn’t experience any of this as a hospital pharmacist simply distributing medicine. Instead Rochelle realized she was addicted to a new drug – the drug of giving, of saving lives, of making a difference in the moment when it mattered the most. Rochelle told her mom she was going to become a respiratory therapist.

While it was a “180” from where she was heading in her career, for Rochelle it was the perfect fit – because to get to know her is to learn that helping others to breathe easier – by giving of herself, no matter what the situation – is simply ingrained in her soul.

It was no surprise Rochelle finished in the top of her class as a respiratory therapist.

ro and parents

“This all came very easy to me, to help people in their time of need, either near the end of their life, or in some tragic situation and to be there for them and their families. It’s a thankless job, no one really thinks about the respiratory therapist that much when things are going wrong, many times they don’t even know you exist by the time they see the patient. But you don’t have to hear thank you to know you have made a difference.”

Rochelle continues, “I’m not good at thank you’s anyway. I’m doing my part as a human, I’m part of your story, not for the glitz and the glory. You are in this life and this world and God put you in a position to do better for others. It was ingrained in me as a child, you just do it.”

Just doing it is what Rochelle is all about, for herself, for her family and for everyone she comes in contact in her life. In all transparency when Rochelle and I first started speaking she thought because her family was “normal” and she came from a “normal” upbringing that there was no story to tell. Except what you come to realize in life, especially as you take a look into your own journey, it doesn’t mean you have to go to the depths of some intense life event to know your life has incredible meaning and worth to others. Some of the most inspirational stories of all are of those who simply were born to give, and by doing so inspire each and every one of us.

Besides, a battle with courage is just around the corner in this story.

It’s only been four years since Rochelle and her husband Joshua made the move which changed their lives forever: leaving home. Growing up in a close nuclear family in New Lebanon, Ohio Rochelle never thought she would be far from her tight-knit family. Her parents are high-school sweethearts, been married for over 30 years, and Rochelle says they taught her and her brother “all about giving back and being more, to leave things and people better than they found them”.

Rochelle & Brother Rodney

Rochelle & Brother Rodney

Rochelle says she never thought she would be leaving the comfort of closeness she felt by being nearby to her parents, even as a wife and mother of two little boys she was never far from them. But when Joshua got an offer as a robotics engineer in middle Tennessee the couple had to make a decision, should they stay or should they go.

After a trip to Tennessee where Joshua was officially offered the position, Rochelle says the couple drove home to Ohio nearly in silence, praying quietly for the answer, to know if this dramatic change was the right one. Rochelle says, “I finally looked at Joshua and asked what are we going to do? He said, ‘I think if we don’t go we will be miserable for not taking the chance.'”

Telling her parents was the hardest thing she had to do says Rochelle. “I spent 28 years in one place. I started crying. My mom and my dad are my best friends in the world. My dad said if this is what you are supposed to do, then this is what you are supposed to do. My mom got quiet, but stayed strong for me. I appreciated their support – and I still do more then ever.”

Rochelle and the boys, 4-year-old Ethan and 2-year-old Colin, stayed back home in Ohio while Joshua got things set up in Tennessee. And once she and the kids made the move as well – there was another change Rochelle couldn’t have seen coming.

rochelle boys

She wanted to have the time to be a mommy and be there for her boys. After arriving in Tennessee Rochelle knew she probably couldn’t work as a respiratory therapist because of the crazy shifts she might have to endure as the new kid on the block. So Rochelle set up a few other job interviews. But after the first one she went on, the other two no longer mattered. Rochelle had found the place she wanted to call home.

“I never saw myself on the other side of healthcare, but I listened to this woman Taraina Mccants tell me about this company and how its sole purpose was helping and giving, and it spoke to me. I canceled the other two interviews and called my husband to tell him I was going to be an insurance agent. He said, ‘you are crazy, but if that’s what you want to do, then do it.'”

That was 2012. Fast forward four years later and Rochelle is one of the top Field Sales Leaders at USHEALTH Advisors. And to know how much Rochelle loves to give – it’s the perfect fit.

 

Rochelle and Taraina

Rochelle and Taraina

 

Having fun at USHA

Having fun at USHA

“As a leader I’m now in this business to help others help their own families. It gives me a level of responsibility which keeps me going even in the times I might feel lost, knowing I’m responsible for their lives. Watching agents come in from their brokenness, whatever their story might be, we all have one, and by doing so I learn more from them each day then I can ever teach them myself. This company gives me the opportunity to impact other people’s lives more than just taking care of their health insurance and it is really important to me.”

husband and ro

“I worry. I’m a worrier, it comes from always being three steps ahead. I struggle with making sure everything is taken care of and to make sure everyone is happy and healthy and doing well. I go well out of my way to make things better and I worry that everyone is OK. I’m good at taking on other people’s stuff. Self-image and self-worth is something you always have to focus on. To help me I have a worry-cross, made out of wood, engraved with my favorite verse – Be Still and know that I am God. It fits in the palm of my hand and is something very dear to me.”

From the simplest of desires comes the ability to help others live out their own dreams. This is what Rochelle strives to do each and every day. Giving is living and Rochelle was quite simply born to run on this foundation and to lift up others who enter her life… that is true inspiration.

“My parents taught my brother and I to be honest and truthful even when it hurts”, says Rochelle, “to be careful and true, you never know what little thing can impact one persons life dramatically.”

rochelle and agent

“I feel like everyone around me has these tragic stories and I don’t. But you can be a person who impacts people’s lives truly by choice, not just because something bad has happened – because you choose to be a servant and choose to help them with their stories and how they impact you. You can choose to stay on your path, or you can rise above it. Whatever your life story is – whether you think it’s a tragic story, or abnormally normal – I think mine is very normal, I’m blessed to come from a tight, nuclear family. Whether you face something grand and have to overcome the world, or if you are just the girl next door, you have to find a way to be the best version of you because others deserve the best that you can give. Take your experiences seriously and whatever your gift is you should be using it to get better and be the best version of yourself all the time.”

rochelle and joshua

You can talk the talk, or you can walk the walk. Rochelle does both. Think your “normal” story doesn’t matter? No one is normal. Everyone is different, but parts of us are all the same inside, the goal of his human existence is to use the best parts of you to bring out the best in others. Rochelle Brown proves it every day – by giving she is living. And for all of us that means the world is a better place to be.

rochelle and family

Until next time thanks for taking the time,

Mark

Join the Tribe! Enter your name & e-mail address into the box on the blog and get posts sent directly to your inbox!

Author: The #1 Amazon Best Seller: It Takes 2. Surviving Breast Cancer: A Spouse’s Story
(http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Brodinsky/e/B00FI6R3U6)

Huffington Post: (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-brodinsky/)

The Profile: (http://www.talkinggood.com/profiles/MarkBrodinsky)

The Podcast: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/sunday-series-courage-inspiration/id1028611459)

USHEALTH Advisors: (http://www.prweb.com/releases/markbrodinsky/072015/prweb12862708.htm)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related

{total}Tweet
{total}+1
{total}Like
{total}Share
{total}Pin

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Top Posts & Pages

  • The Sunday Series (66), with Mark Brodinsky
  • Life Is A Highway: Observations of Life
  • Your Turn: It's Just About... Life
  • Passion: It's Just About... Life.
  • About Mark Brodinsky
  • The Sunday Series (67), with Mark Brodinsky
  • "It's Your World Now": It's Just About... Life
  • What He Was: It's Just About... Life

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Search over 500 posts, including The Sunday Series

Get all My Latest News & Offers
Introduce yourself with your name and email below

#1 Best Seller on Amazon

Click to order your copy today!

The Book Trailer

Mark Brodinsky
Emmy Award Winner, 1996

Ever thought about writing a book? check this out!

Blog Reviews

Love seeing new blogs hit the ground running like this one (by a dad no less), but I also urge anyone vaguely interested in blogging to stay tuned, I am. Good luck on your journey – glad that I am along for the ride.

Rachel Blaufeld

Great blog Mark! I always appreciate reading what you have to say. You are very gifted and talented and hopefully someday you’ll not just blog, but write a book.

 Stephen Koncurat

I’m definitely along for the ride. We’ve all seen how much damage the written word can inflict. More positive writers are needed. And I love how you are using your personal experiences – those with your wife and children – and your gift of writing to open eyes and to inspire others.

Victoria Endicott

Absolutely beautifully written! The girls in your life must be very proud of you. Thanks for sharing Mark, I look forward to reading more!

Gina Glick Jolson

Very shortly this site will be famous amid all blogging and site-building users, due to it’s pleasant posts.

Leila Galloway

Absolutely beautiful! Are you at all thinking of penning a book? You’ve got a fan base out there that really thinks you should Mark. You write so eloquently. Glad that I got onto this site.

Marilyn Lefkowitz

Mark, You are truly a gifted writer and obviously, a special father and husband . Always a delight to read your words.

I’m speechless…beautiful words flow from your heart just like a gentle waterfall into a tranquil stream… thank you so much for the friend request I was blessed the day I clicked confirm.

Lynne Turner Dorsey

From your first writing in 4th grade entitled “People” which was published in the school newspaper, you have always been able to write. Never more so than when you started “Caringbridge” and now your blog, everyone who reads says what a wonderful writer you are. Our DREAM for you is to become an author and encourage people every day. You are by the far the best and we hope and pray you reach your dream.

Bonnie Brodinsky

I know you always thank us for reading but I would like to say thanks for writing.

Stuart Abell

Great piece. You are an inspiration!

Rob Commodari

Mark I just wanted to let you know that you are succeeding in your “ultimate goal”. I have gained so much from your blogs. I look forward to reading them for the special lift that they give me. Thank you.

Amy F.

I love waking up and starting my day with my coffee and your blog! It a great way to start my day with positive uplifting thoughts!! It puts me in a positive frame of mind throughout the day and allows me to reflect on my personal life, make changes, and grow !!!

Gayle Blank

You are quite talented Mark. Thanks for sharing!

Cynthia

I always look forward to your Blog Mark. Thanks for sharing and as you always do, make it a great / remarkable Day!

Chuck Connolly

Thanks for your Blog Mark. It is fun, encouraging and a nice break from a day full of ups and downs.

Jackie Hetrick

With my busy schedule, there is (sadly) little time for reading. But I have two must-reads every time I come across them, the sports section and your blogs. Keep inspiring and following your dream!

Ed Nemec

Mark, you are a truly remarkable individual. You do speak from your heart, I can’t wait to read your book. You are an incredible writer.

Debbie Press

Mark, I am glad I clicked on your post this morning, which lead me to your writing, your goal.
Would like to connect. This speaks to me.

Aileen Braverman

I can’t wait to read the book. I have followed all the blogs and feel so good that I know u guys. You make me cry but you make me laugh too. All the very best to you!

Beverlee Rendelman

Connect with Mark!

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

WOW!!! It Takes 2 is a must read for anyone who has known someone diagnosed with cancer or other life threatening disease. This is the real story of a family lead by an incredible woman, Debbie Brodinsky, who took radical steps to beat the breast cancer beast. The story is told by her husband, Mark Brodinsky, through journal entries he kept starting with diagnosis through one year cancer free. This author's unique ability to pour his heart out onto the page draws you in from the beginning and holds you until the very end.

Thanks to Mark and Debbie Brodinsky for this gift...I have a new perspective on what it means to be a breast cancer survivor. You are a hero, Debbie Brodinsky!

TeeBThree
September 25, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

This book gives a heartfelt, in depth description of what it is like to go through breast cancer with the one you love. It is beautifully written and I felt as though I was living it with them! I highly recommend this book!

Jgs17
September 24, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

In It Takes 2, Mark Brodinsky windows us into his world where his wife, the cancer patient, is not the only victim. Part journal, part roadmap, It Takes 2 goes to the real humanity of facing the mortality of one's better half. Mark's candid perspective, love, and fierce intention resonate with hope in a story which is about much more than cancer. Mark himself is perhaps the most heroic character for the way he appreciates this life and so many of us in it...as he says, "thanks for caring."

Réné Pallace
September 24, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

It Takes Two: A Spouse's Story by Mark Brodinsky should be read by every person who is experiencing serious illness or injury or by a loved one of someone who is experiencing either of those situations. The book is an eloquent testament to the power of love and the healing energy derived from the belief that things will get better. There is not one word of "poor me" from the author or his wife who suffered breast cancer and the radical surgery she elected to have to beat the cancer. Rather, the book is a celebration of the courage displayed by them both in seeing it through.

The book also encourages readers to speak and write down their true feelings and be validated in them. John Mackovic writing in the Palm Springs, CA Desert Sun on November 2, 2013 quoted author and artist Doe Zantamata who said, " To be happy, you don't have to do anything new. You just have to remember how to believe again...Believe everything good is possible. Believe in your dreams. Believe in people. Believe in love. But most of all...believe in yourself." The author, his wife, their family and extended family and friends never stopped believing in his wife's recovery, and I think, in themselves. Read this book and believe.

Paul A. Riecks
November 4, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

This book is a must read for anyone with a family member with breast cancer. It takes you through the spouse's perspective from diagnosis to recovery. Mark journaled his wife's journey and put all of his emotions out there. It is beautifully written and inspiring to anyone going through breast cancer. Thank you, Mark for sharing Debbie's story.

Jmu1109
October 23, 2013

ittakes2_reviews_2

A friend recommended this book. This was a great perspective of a man standing beside his partner and passing along to the reader fear, hope, useful information and a broader story than his own. I loved Vinnie the tattoo artist. This is a great book. Thanks for sharing, Mark and "thanks for caring"

Blahsan

ittakes2_reviews_2

This book is a must read. What sets this book apart from other books about surviving breast cancer is that it is told by the husband and his point of view, not from the survivor. At times sad, at times poignant but even through the worst of it you can always feel the love he has for his wife, her strength and the strength of their extended family and friends. The posts that are included from their friends and family lets you really into the heart and strength of the family. I would recommend this book to anyone who is currently going through this, whether you are the person or the caregiver. I also recommend this book to anyone who has a friend that has been or is currently going through their fight now. It was an eye opener for me.

L. Bogash
Seven Valleys, PA

ittakes2_reviews_2

There isn't a shortage of books about breast cancer, but most are written from the perspective of the person who has battled cancer or a physician or other expert. What an enlightening experience to read about breast cancer from a husband and caregiver's perspective! Not only does the author give us insight into his wife's experience and emotions, but he openly shares and reveals his love, compassion, support, and, yes, sometimes anger at the disease as he stands by his wife's side during their journey to beat the beast. Your story may not be the same, but I guarantee if you have a loved one battling cancer, you won't go wrong reading It Takes 2.

 PattiM
September 25, 2013

 

ittakes2_reviews_2

From the moment I opened this book I never stopped reading. Mark invites the reader to come along on this journey that his family went through. I cried, laughed and learned so much. This book will give comfort and knowledge to those going through similar situations. Most importantly, Mark and his family never give up. They get knocked down and get right back up. They fought cancer together and with their strength, determination and will to prevail... They do!

 Jenny Schloss 

Recent Comments

  • Patricia Storey on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky
  • markbrodinsky on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky
  • markbrodinsky on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky
  • Abby Scherr on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky
  • Sheila Hyman on The Sunday Series (152), with Mark Brodinsky

The Sunday Series (24), with Mark Brodinsky

It’s nothing more than a muscle, a small part of your makeup which beats in rhythm to sustain life. Yet it holds so much significance, not just in its ability to exist at the core of your body, but at the very center of your being. Its physical importance can’t be denied, but it’s the […]

A Beautiful Grind: It’s Just About… Life

We won’t stop. No way. I was 4-years-old the last time the Orioles celebrated the milestone of clinching their division on their home field. I missed that one, still in the Single “A” division of my life. This time, I got to party like it was 1969. We all did. And hopefully you didn’t come late to […]

Categories

  • Life
  • Sunday Series
  • Uncategorized

Pages

  • About Mark Brodinsky
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Storytelling
  • The Higher Shelf!

Connect With Mark!

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Categories

© 2023 Life and The Sunday Series. All Rights Reserved.

Built Masterfully on WordPress and Maintained by the Blogging Experts