Life is entirely unpredictable—for better, or for worse. Unexpected hurdles like health problems and business setbacks can strain our resilience to the breaking point. Pull inspiration from Marcia Donziger‘s memoir, “You Are Meant for Great Things: My Story of Turning Setbacks into Stepping Stones.” In this story of overcoming overwhelming adversity, Donziger guides readers to reset, reframe and rebuild, no matter what lies ahead.
What is your book about?
In You Are Meant for Great Things, Marcia Donziger shares her personal journey through stunning obstacles in young adulthood that might have brought others to their knees (ovarian cancer at age twenty-seven, leading to infertility and divorce in the space of one year). She went on to thrive and triumph, starting a non-profit organization that created a virtual lifeline for over 300,000 people impacted by cancer.
Inspirational and relatable, You Are Meant for Great Things is about taking chances, learning from personal and professional setbacks and forging forward toward your own vision for success. Donziger guides readers to confront their self-limiting beliefs and dare to take steps toward securing their dreams. Only by navigating adversity, building resilience and embracing change will we wring everything we want out of life.
Topics include:
- Overcoming adversity like medical challenges, infertility, divorce and career setbacks
- Entrepreneurship and carving your own path
- Courage and resilience techniques like the 3 P’s (Pause>Pivot>Propel)
- Leading healthy organizations focused on inclusive, high-performing cultures
- Finding your own way and staying authentic in the process
Why should people read it? Who is the book for?
The book is for young to middle-aged women struggling with a compounding set of challenges all at once—who want to be inspired to carve their own path.
Single most important takeaway:
YOU are meant for great things! It starts with belief and trust in yourself to forge ahead despite obstacles. By overcoming adversity and using setbacks as stepping stones, life will evolve as it should.
Meet the author
At 27, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer and learned I would never have children. At 28, I went into remission. Six months later, I got divorced. It was brutal. But this experience taught me how to turn major setbacks into minor stepping stones. And in 2006, I had a vision: What if people could feel less alone throughout their cancer experience? What if they could be surrounded not just by family and friends, but by a network of cancer patients and survivors?
In 2007, I founded MyLifeLine.org Cancer Foundation, a digital nonprofit community organization. In 2017, with 10 years of experience in organizational development and strategy, I helped merge MyLifeLine with Cancer Support Community, where I served as VP of Digital Strategy and Business Development until 2020.
During this time, I realized the power of connection and community within a company culture to drive high performance and results. That’s when my Culture Transformation business was born. I’ve earned certificates, won awards, spoken to hundreds of people and been recognized by multiple media outlets. But still—nothing matters more to me than helping companies understand this truth: PEOPLE MATTER MOST. Okay, maybe my Peloton and 17-year-old twin boys.
Today, I work as a Fractional Culture Officer to help organizations wanting to create and foster healthy, empowering, inclusive cultures where people can thrive and do their best work.
To dive into more inspirational memoirs, read Singlehandedly: Learning to Unhide and Embrace Connection.
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