Stand Up & Speak Up was started by Debby Montgomery Johnson,  almost 3 years ago as a platform for encouraging survivors of Online Relationship Fraud//Scams to feel safe in telling their stories to other victims/survivors as part of their recovering from the trauma of deception and manipulation.    This is the second special edition of Stand Up & Speak Up with Debby Montgomery Johnson and Dr. Tim McGuinness, Directors of SCARS, guest host. This episode features three international...

Nothing has more impact than a SURVIVOR's story, especially a story of financial fraud.  It's difficult to tell the world about something that has happened TO you, especially something that many people ridicule or victim blame.  Standing Up and Speaking Up is an important step to recovery, financial and emotional and No One needs to feel ashamed - we have been a victim to a crime and it's time to move on with support.  The Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams (SCARS) is an...

How could a "Nerd kid" from Oklahoma turn his stutter into a global media platform?  Well, Michael D. Butler tells all and his story is BIG, bold, and valuable for all ages.  Michael had a dream of speaking on the world's stages and when the local librarian gave him a book written by an  11 year old boy. There was a sailboat on the cover and it ignited his imagination and dreams.  When a plane flew over he dreamt of being on that plane and his life changed, and today he's traveling the world....

Beware and Be Aware - YES, folks, everyone can be taken by someone online (and in person.) And those "mis-steps" without additional judgment/victim blame/victim shame can lead to an international awareness of how criminals are ripping out hearts while laughing their way to the bank.  Elina tells her story, not only from a victim/survivor/thriver/advocate position, but also as a researcher.  Her book. Love On The Line, How to Recover from Romance Scams Gracefully and without Victimization is a...

What happens when the boss isn't listening to the team and tasks them with something redundant?  Does anyone speak up?  Has your organization ever "monitored your mouse" to see how much work you are doing during the day?  YES and NO are my answers to those questions and Krishna Ruparelia has a lot more to tell as she works with top leaders in making their employees' well-being A PRIORITY.  In this episode of Stand Up & Speak Up, Debby and Krishna go over the keys to UNSHAKABLE RESILIENCE...

Stand Up & Speak Up with Debby Montgomery Johnson and Linda Fostek. Hurricane season is almost here but we're faced with crises daily.  It's time to get prepared, from 72 hour emergency kits, estate planning/wills/Power of Attorney/ and even to password protections.  Linda turned her father's "Home Operations Manual" into The Crisis Planning Home System and every home should have one.  Do you know where your water shut-off valve is?  Do you know where the gas turn-off valve is?  Do you...

This episode of Stand Up & Speak Up with Debby Montgomery Johnson and Peggy Lee Hanson shares the importance of life's experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly! Each of us has something we're hiding because of embarrassment or shame. Writing your story is the first step to healing and recovery. Speaking about your story is the first step to helping someone else. Going PUBLIC with your story will start a movement to change the world. Be courageous one word at a time. You never know who...

You are NOT your story, but you ARE the teller of your story and it's time to change the way you speak to yourself and to the world.  Gail Dixon is the Founder of The Heart's Voice Movement and an author, speaker, and Communicational Consultant.  For decades Gail has worked with individuals and organizations to harness the power of words to achieve their goals. She listens "between the lines" to hear the heart of the message and then speaks back the "right" words to create your powerful...

SEASON 3 here we come!  What a great way to kick off the start of Season 3 of Stand Up & Speak Up.  Storytelling isn't just for kids - it connects us ALL.  Today's special guest on Stand Up & Speak Up is Kesha Christie and she's coming in from Ontario, Canada.  Originally from Jamaica, Kesha grew up hearing traditional stories from her grandparents.  Oral storytelling is an integral part of  African and Caribbean identity and passed down from generation to generation.  Not wanting the...

What a great way to end Season 2 with a SUCCESS story!  Aleksandra Rehar, born in Slovenia before it was Slovenia, has suffered tremendous personal losses over her lifetime.  She's Standing Up & Speaking Up about how all the magic happens outside of your comfort zone!  Aleksandra and Debby take a journey across the pond to Slovenia and encourage YOU to look at the map - the country is beautiful and is surrounded by history and history in the making.  Then it's time to take a look within....

With Tinder Swindler and Inventing Anna, the world of online fraud has blown up.  Online relationship fraud/scams are running rampant and during the pandemic millions have been "taken" by scammers around the globe. Dr. Tim McGuinness, Founder and Director, of The Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams (SCARS) and Debby Montgomery Johnson, also a Director, raise awareness about Pig Butchering (financial fraud linked to relationship scams) and the steps victims/survivors need to take to...

She lost her arm in a motorcycle accident - it was not the "honorable death" she had planned pre-deployment yet it changed her life and she hasn't looked back.  Victim?  Not on your life.  Sammy Moonwalker Tucker, was born the day man walked on the Moon and her father wanted to remember that forever! Drugs and abuse ran rampant around her during her childhood and then reared their ugly heads during young adulthood.  Poor choices led to experiences that robbed her of happiness and purpose....

Stop looking for love in all the wrong places!  If things are not working for you, then what can YOU do to change and how can you heal your relationship patterns?  Nicki Hu grew up with a "controlling" mother (don't we all and don't we turn into that as we have children?!" yet she turned on the rebellious button when she needed to do her own thing.  Sometimes we need to release the toxic relationships in our lives and it may be difficult if those relationship include family and friends....

Nine decades-plus can teach you a lot about life, but an hour with your 92 year old DAD will feed your soul forever. This Stand Up & Speak Up episode was another Labor of Love for me and for our family.  Too many of my friends lament the passing of their parents but more wish they had another hour, or another phone call with their folks.  "If only" is what I was hearing and I didn't want to have those regrets. Dr. Jack Butz has led an extraordinary life.  His father passed at 46 years old...

It takes one drop to make a ripple that will change the world and Sammy Blindell, CEO of the Brand Builders Club and The One Drop Movement Global followed her vision.  "Individually we are One Drop, and together we are the ocean," says Sammy and it's time to focus on what's really important.  Bullied as a child, Sammy believes that protecting herself held her back from achieving much more and if you don't take control of your "label - victim, failure, gullible, gold digger" you are leaving...

TThis special edition of Stand Up & Speak Up this week is with Debby Montgomery Johnson and her mom, Gwendolyn Kennedy Butz.  If you could have your mom's undivided attention for an hour, what would you ask her?  What was life like when she was a little girl?  Who taught her to cook?  Where were the holidays spent and with whom?  Who did the dishes?  Did your mom REALLY ever talk about life as a young adult?  What were her joys and times of sadness?  Did she work outside of the home or...

"How could I make a financial mistake?"  Have you ever asked yourself that question?  Are you a  Certified Financial Planner, trained for more than 40 years, and those words came out of your mouth?  NOT, except for our own Expert, Debra L. Morrison, CFP, MS, Financial Coach, TedX Speaker, and international author who acknowledges that EVERYONE, repeat, EVERYONE can make a financial "oops" and recover.  What does it take to move forward past the self-flagellation and shame?  Acknowledgement ,...

I Love You~ I'm Sorry~ Please Forgive Me~ Thank You!   These "simple steps to healing" are the key to the ancient Hawaiian practice of Ho'oponopono. Ilene Gottlieb, The Heart Healer, shares the benefits of combining the practice with her Conscious Heart Connections and the two very simple techniques can be used immediately to support your self-care regimen.  Wouldn't you like to shed the fear, self-sabotage and negative thoughts swirling around in your head?  Don't feel guilty - see how...

Frustrated by your toddler yelling at you?  Perhaps you need to look in the mirror to see WHY they are doing that!  Celia Kibler, Founder of Pumped Up Parenting, says we need to be intentional when communicating with each other because we're really raising "adults and not children!" Electronics ruling the household?  Celia says "raise kids that are polite, well-mannered, respectful.  Raise kids to do chores, play outside, eat meals together when possible and THEN put the video games on...with...

Courage - Respect - Trust!  Dr. Gaye Lang led the way to teaching Restorative Practices in the classroom in Texas and beyond, and her reach to the White House gives her EXPERT status.  Her SUPER POWERS and decades of experience, multiple degrees, and intense desire to bless the children equip thousands of educators to transform their school and classrooms into restorative places of learning and community.  Dr. Lang is also the author of SEVEN, a best-selling historical fiction about 7...

"Be careful with her...she's clinically SHY" said her dad and that was the beginning of Linda Fisk's staying hidden as a little girl.  Wow, you need to check out what happened after her first college public speaking class.  Linda's STANDING UP and SPEAKING UP turned into a worldwide movement called LeadHerShip Global!  Her dream of speaking in front of hundreds in spite of her disabling stutter caused her to  live her fictional version of herself behind the smile.  Then she learned that...

Beware and Be Aware - We can ALL be taken by scammers no matter how well trained and well educated we are. It's important to protect your online presence (lock down your friends - you don't need thousands), protect your finances (check your bank accounts regularly) and protect your heart! This is a fun conversation about a very SERIOUS TOPIC...don't take it lightly - this could happen to your mom, daughter, or best friend (guys included.) If anyone has been a victim or knows someone taken in...

This week's Stand Up & Speak Up with Debby Montgomery Johnson and Greta McClain, Founder of SilentNoLongerTn.org. Some ask "How could SHE be a victim of sexual assault?" SHE was a former Detective in the Sexual Assault Department in the Nashville Metro Police Department and she was trained to protect others but when faced with her own attacker, she felt hopeless and defeated afterwards. Wanting to crawl under a rock and hide (The Woman Behind The Smile) Greta faced depression and near...

Stand Up & Speak Up with Debby Montgomery Johnson features special guest Heshie Segal. Heshie is the founder and CEO of The JetNetting™ Connection and known to the children of Tanzania as "Mama Heshie!" We dove into Heshie's life which is filled with challenges, triumphs, pain and passion. Abused as a child catapulted her into her mission to protect the children. She is a rebel WITH a cause and she's clear when she Stands Up & Speaks Up about sexual abuse (I was the "family toy",)...

This is a special, end of the year wrap up, with Debby Montgomery Johnson and Tim McGuinness, PhD, Founder of The Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams (SCARS) and we discuss the top online scams of 2021.  This has been a banner year with the pandemic, social distancing and everyone on the computers looking for "friends and companions" and the scammers are right there with us.  No one is "immune" to online scam and we'd like to highlight the top scams, which include medical scams...