by Dennis Dalman
Zap! Shazam! Boom! Kapow!
In her writing and inspirational presentations, Kelly Radi of Sartell often uses those cartoony exclamations when she is channeling TV’s “Wonder Woman.”
Radi is an international motivational speaker and a published author who struck gold not once but twice. Her last two books each earned Gold Award medals in the category of “Inspirational Works” from the Midwest Independent Publishers’ Association.
Her latest is entitled “Wonder-Full: Activate Your Inner Superpowers (No Cape Required).” As that title suggests, the book is chock-full of words of wisdom served up with heaping helpings of humor, along with words and images from the “Wonder Woman” TV series. When she was a girl, Radi enjoyed that show, admiring the dashing derring-do of its star, Lynda Carter.
Radi recently shared her insights and life events during an interview with the Sartell Newsleader.
Radi believes strongly that inside every woman is a Wonder Woman waiting to be unleashed, that inside every man there is also a Super Hero.
In the intro to her book it states this:
“You may not have a golden lasso or magic bracelets. You may not wear a cape. But make no mistake, you have great power within. Like a super hero, you are strong. You are smart. You are capable. You have the power to lead. To teach. To mentor. To love. To conquer fears and overcome challenges. To be successful in your personal and professional lives.”
Radi shares that life-affirming message at corporate conferences, professional associations, civic and community clubs, hospices and women’s groups
The following are excerpts from Radi’s book:
Zap! Zap self-sabotaging attitudes and self-imposed limitations. Replace them with positive self-talk rooted in a sense of mission and purpose.
Shazam! Minimize burnout and maximize personal productivity with self-awareness, work-life harmony and personal responsibility.
Boom! Celebrate and nurture collective power of the people in your organization through team-building exercises and healthy communication techniques.
Kapow! Push beyond your comfort zone to identify your own unique superpowers and use them with positive intent in your personal and professional lives.
Born in Mountain Lake, Radi, like a sponge, soaked up the wisdom and kindnesses of a circle of women in her “small village.” When she left that village for the “modern world” (the college city of Grand Forks), all of the back-home support was a constant inspiration.
“As I began my journey into adulthood, those women instilled confidence and values,” she wrote. “They sent cookies and funny Hallmark cards.”
Radi earned a degree in public relations and aviation services from the University of North Dakota. She then landed a job as aircraft dispatcher for Northwest Airlink in Memphis, Tenn.
The love and nurturing from the folks and friends back home followed her to Memphis and then beyond that when she moved to Sartell 27 years ago. She and her husband, Marty, have two grown daughters. For 16 years Radi was an at-home mom, then she became a spokesperson for CentraCare health system’s Blend Family Wellness Initiative.
Radi is a member of the National Speakers’ Association and earned that organizations “Minnesota Academy Award” in 2018.
Radi learned how to use her varied experiences to teach and inspire others through public speaking and writing, helping people find their own inner powers. The foundation of those strengths stems directly from the strong supportive women from her childhood’s village.
“Those women are still my lifeline,” she wrote. “Together, we’ve experienced potty training and puberty, job promotions and retirements, breast cancer and hot flashes, wrinkles and hair dye, regrets and pleasure, graduations and college, deaths of parents and births of grandchildren, divorces and weddings, heartaches and love. We know when to call an impromptu happy hour and who needs it most.”
To achieve success and happiness, to unleash one’s inner power, Radi suggests people take a close look at their friends, then ask themselves the following questions:
Do you lift one another up? Do you push one another to be better? Or do you compare and judge one another? Do your values align? How exactly are you supporting one another?
“You (might) need to prune your relationship tree,” Radi concluded. “You simply cannot function to your fullest potential by spending time with people who don’t’ have your back.”
Good friends, she said, help us “to become better versions of ourselves.”
Radi’s first book is entitled “Out to Sea: A Parents’ Survival Guide to the Freshman Voyage.” In that book, Radi shares strategies, with humor and insights from research and personal experiences, about “The Launch” – the time when it comes to sending children off to college.
Both of her books can be purchased at the following places: Evelie Blu Boutique, St. Cloud; Weathered Revivals, St. Joseph; Copper Pony, Sauk Rapids; Barnes & Noble, St. Cloud; and via Amazon.com
To learn more about Radi, her books and her speaking presentations, visit her website at www.raditowrite.com.
EDIT: A story about Kelly Radi of Sartell and her book entitled “Wonder-FULL” was published in the April 15 Sartell Newsleader. Radi would like readers to know that the book’s illustrator is Athena Currier, a designer/illustrator who lives in the Twin Cities.
Kelly Radi of Sartell is a widely praised motivational speaker and the author of two award-winning books.
Kelly Radi’s book, “Wonder-Full,” combines strategies for success in life intertwined with loads of laugh-out-loud humor.
