Holly Porter on Survival, Purpose, and the Shift That Changed Everything

Women's Journal Staff on January 20, 2026

By: Lisa Patrick

Holly Porter’s career spans more than two decades across entrepreneurship, real estate, event production, and business consulting. As the founder or co-founder of eleven ventures, she has built a professional life grounded in leadership, strategy, and service. Yet it was an unexpected and life-altering health crisis that ultimately reshaped the direction of her work—and her understanding of purpose.

During a seventy-day hospitalization with COVID, Porter faced a near-death experience that stripped away her voice, physical strength, and sensory awareness. Removed from the identity she had long associated with achievement and momentum, she encountered what she describes as a profound moment of clarity—an experience she refers to as the “Stadium of Light.” In that space, she came to understand that her life’s work was unfinished, and that survival alone was not the point.

That experience became the foundation for her book, Near Death Shift: What Dying Taught Me About Life, Business, and Purpose. Rather than positioning the book as a memoir alone, Porter frames it as a reflection on how confronting death can radically reorient how one lives, leads, and relates to the world.

In Near Death Shift, Porter traces the emotional and spiritual terrain of her recovery, offering insight into what it means to surrender control while remaining engaged with life. What distinguishes the book is the way she translates an ineffable experience into a practical framework for everyday living. Her SHIFT model—Surrender, Hope, Intuition, Faith, and Transformation—emerged not as a theoretical construct, but as a lived process forged during recovery. As she relearned how to walk, breathe, and function independently, Porter also began to rebuild her sense of mission, guided less by urgency and more by intuition.

“You don’t have to die to experience a near-life awakening,” Porter writes. “You just have to be willing to shift.”

The book speaks to a broad audience, particularly entrepreneurs, leaders, and individuals navigating moments of uncertainty or transition. By blending reflections on leadership with spiritual inquiry, Porter challenges the assumption that resilience must come at the expense of inner alignment. Instead, she proposes that clarity, compassion, and purpose can coexist with ambition and impact.

Porter’s professional life reflects the same themes explored in her writing. As CEO of Retreat RnR and founder of the Adventure Bucket Wish Foundation, she focuses on creating environments where individuals—particularly women—can reconnect with identity, possibility, and purpose. Through retreats, mentoring, and consulting, she emphasizes leadership that integrates emotional awareness with strategic action.

Her work has been recognized with numerous honors, including the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for over 4,000 hours of volunteer service, the Unite 2025 World Honoree Award from Leaders of All Nations International (LOANI), and an Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism from the Global International Alliance. In 2025, she was also presented with the Beautiful Survivors Award by LOANI.

At its core, Near Death Shift positions hardship not as something to bypass, but as a teacher. By blending personal narrative with spiritual reflection, the book invites readers to consider how illness, loss, or burnout can become catalysts for clarity. Rather than offering fixed answers, Porter encourages inquiry—asking what remains when familiar identities fall away, and how faith and presence can shape what comes next.

In a culture that often prioritizes relentless momentum, Holly Porter’s work invites a different conversation—one centered on listening, recalibration, and trust. Her story is not framed as a triumph over hardship, but as an ongoing practice of choosing alignment over autopilot and meaning over momentum. Porter’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience not as a means of survival, but as a path to profound personal transformation, reminding others that true success comes from embracing both struggle and surrender.

Near Death Shift is available through Holly Porter’s official website, as well as through major book retailers.

Tsikki Thau on Manifestation, Alignment, and the Inner Work of Change

Women's Journal Staff on January 20, 2026

By: Helen James

In a cultural moment shaped by vision boards, affirmations, and rapid self-improvement trends, Tsikki Thau offers a different perspective on manifestation—one rooted not in wishful thinking, but in inner alignment. An internationally recognized stress-management expert, transformational speaker, and author of Attract It All, Thau has spent more than three decades teaching people how she understands the relationship between mindset, emotional regulation, and personal change.

Rather than presenting manifestation as a shortcut to success, Thau frames it as an internal process. “Manifestation is not wishful thinking, vision boards, or pretending everything is fine when it isn’t,” she explains. “Manifestation is the process of bringing your internal world—your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs—into a perfect alignment with what you want to achieve and experience.”

Throughout her work, Thau challenges common assumptions about positive thinking. One of the most persistent myths, she says, is the idea that repeating affirmations alone can transform a person’s life. Instead, her approach emphasizes awareness, consistency, and commitment as central elements of change.

A Focus on Regulation and Awareness

Thau’s teaching emphasizes the internal state. She describes many personal challenges as rooted in stress, fear, and long-standing conditioning rather than a lack of desire or motivation. In her work, she encourages people to become more aware of how these patterns influence their choices and reactions.

In Attract It All, she outlines practices she uses to help people develop awareness of their internal patterns. Her approach often begins with calming the body and creating space for reflection before attempting change.

Reframing Manifestation

Thau describes manifestation not as control over outcomes, but as a shift in the relationship with oneself. She characterizes the process as one rooted in alignment rather than force, emphasizing belief, commitment, and conscious choice.

Consistency, she notes, plays a central role in her philosophy. Her work encourages sustained engagement with personal practices rather than dramatic or short-term efforts.

Working With Resistance

Resistance, Thau suggests, is not something to fight. In her teaching, resistance is framed as information—an indicator that attention and care may be needed rather than pressure.

Rather than pushing forward, she encourages pausing and listening, using awareness and self-compassion to navigate internal resistance.

From Self-Protection to Self-Trust

A recurring idea in Thau’s work is the distinction between self-protection and self-trust. She presents the mind as a protective mechanism shaped by experience rather than an obstacle to overcome.

By observing patterns such as fear, doubt, and hesitation, Thau encourages readers to explore new ways of relating to themselves and their goals.

Daily Practice Over Dramatic Change

As people seek resets—particularly at transitional moments—Thau advises beginning with small, repeatable practices. Her approach emphasizes consistency and reflection rather than intensity.

These ideas form the foundation of Attract It All, a book that draws on decades of teaching and speaking. Rather than offering guarantees, the book presents a framework for self-inquiry, awareness, and intentional choice.

For Thau, the central message is one of responsibility and agency—encouraging readers to explore how internal alignment shapes their experience.

Attract it All is now available on Amazon.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and reflects the personal perspectives and teachings of Tsikki Thau. While the methods and philosophies described may be beneficial to some, they are not intended as a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional before making any changes to your wellness or stress-management practices. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any institutions or organizations.