By: Rayah Hilmi Hammad
Thursday, March 7, 2019 at Passaic County Community College. Joan Herrmann, featured in Forbes, radio show host, creator of the change your attitude, change your brand, made time to speak on the choices we make in our daily lives and the attitudes we carry.
The college theater was filled with students, faculty, and staff and became witnesses to the experiences, struggles, and choices Herrmann has made throughout her life.
Attitude is what determines the solution of a certain problem. It is the key for a happy life away from stress and anxiety. How amazed should we be to know that attitude is the key to changing someone’s life?
Joan Herrmann, is a mother of two sons, a sister, a daughter, and a wife for a period of time.
With all these people around her, she was inspired as a mother who started a career in her 40’s.
After her divorce that was caused by arguments, the last argument between Herrmann and her husband led them to a dead end.
Herrmann’s husband used to continually drag her down with his lack of support and jealousy as Herrmann described. “You are making a fool of yourself and everyone is laughing at you,” were words that came out from Herrmann’s ex-husband that led Herrmann to ask for a divorce. Herrmann shared her beginning with the attitude that she has chosen to continue her life with. Besides that, she mentioned that she had to get back on her feet for her two sons.
The reason behind striving to become a public speaker was to help people create positive energy. Herrmann was raised by a joyful and grateful family until one thing happened that took the joy away. Herrmann’s sister fought cancer with all that she had but— “cancer was stronger than her,” Herrmann said as tears are in her eyes. A few months after, Herrmann’s mother passed away too. “I was no longer a wife, a sister, and a daughter,” Herrmann continued to say, “I call that year the year of losses”.
Life was not on her side yet, she faced depression as she did not know who she was anymore. For the first time, she was on her own with a responsibility of taking care of two teenagers. Even the worst time she saw the best in herself, with all that life has taken away from her, she still figured it out and had a lot to give, inspire, and encourage.
In her life, Herrmann worked as a reporter and met a lot of famous people, such as people with disabilities who did not quit life because of their disability.
Every single person Herrmann has met and interviewed has inspired her in some type of way to keep going on with her journey. Those people helped her to appreciate life even when it seems harder than it ought to be.