When Shana Francesca, our guest today, was just three years old, she was raped by her babysitter's boyfriend. When she was older, she was the victim of attempted sex abuse by her father, an evangelical minister. Today, Shana has turned those experiences into a mission of helping others cope with life's challenges and achieve joy in their lives.

You’re rolling along with your life, busy with work, the family, your special interests, but before you know it, you’re reaching your “golden years,” so you begin to reflect. What has my life meant? But before you reach that stage, what can you do to make sure you are happy with the answer?

That's where Shana Francesca comes in. She is a much-in-demand speaker, writer, and entrepreneur whose goal is to help people live more joyful and connected lives through the principles of life design.

Shana says our present and future are transformed when we “infuse our lives with intention and accept ourselves as the author of our own story.” She’s the founder and lead designer at Concinnate, a multi-discipline interior design and life design firm that helps people achieve what is possible in their own lives so when they approach those golden years that I mentioned they can be satisfied with what they’ve accomplished.

Shana does this through speaking engagements, podcast appearances, and workshops, and we’re happy to have her with us today.

Here are some questions we discussed with Shana:

1. Your story is a powerful one of healing from abuse, trauma and PTSD. Tell us about that.
2. You grew up in and around the performing arts, tell us what you did and how it prepared you for the work you do today.
3. What did you do professionally before launching Concinnate?
4. Tell us about Life Design. What is that?
5. You talk about the power of “intention.” What is that? Why is that so powerful?
6. On your website, you talk about the importance of curiosity. How has that led you to where you are today?
7. Our world seems so divided today, with people on the right and the left at each other’s throats, it seems, especially on social media. Tolerance and empathy seem to have been lost. What’s needed to overcome this? What can we as individuals do to make it better?
8. Is your message meant for young people who are just embarking on their life journey? Or, is your target audience adults who are struggling with work, family, the responsibilities of daily life?
9. What about the rest of us…seniors who may not have that many years left…is it too late?
10. How can people connect with you and learn more about your work?