These locals share their inspiring journeys, challenges and triumphs, encouraging others to follow their lead and achieve their goals and dreams.
The Medical Intuitive Master Healer
Winifred Adams
Winifred Adams is a Medical Intuitive Master Healer, as well as a public speaker, author, musician and jewelry designer. In her new book launching this summer, she shares about her incredible journey leading to her work as a healer.
“Essentially, my life was guided step-by-step to lead me to see my gifts of healing,” says Winifred, noting that as a child, she wanted to be a singer—a desire guided by her heart to sing above and beyond anything else. Her connection to music led to her initial realization of her innate gift to tune in to her own spirit as a guiding light in her life. In this way Winifred receives direction and guidance to help others through her work and creativity.
Winifred’s greatest mentor, her Master meditation teacher for over 25 years, showed her a true example of grace to strive for in life. In her courses and classes, Winifred shows people, as she says, “not only that connecting to your own heart is paramount to being able to interface with your spirit, but I actually help facilitate a direct experience of connection so that they, too, know this to be true.”
Connecting to spirit with an open heart encompasses an important aspect of her work.
“It is the simplest wisdom passed down over time that still holds true today,” she notes. “I always strive for the truth—the highest truth—and despite great hardships at times, I hold my faith intact without compromising. I bend, but don’t break.”
Her future goals include releasing more healing music, and she finds fulfillment by inspiring people to be noble, honest and strive to always do better in their lives.
Another honor Winifred holds dear to her heart—her greatest reward of all—is saving lives through her extreme healing work. During this time of trouble on Earth, Winifred offers meditations for anyone worldwide who would like to participate, collectively focusing on hospitals, staff, patients and caregivers.
MakingLifeBrighter.com
Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of Malibu
Kasey Earnest
Kasey Earnest is the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu. As a kid she originally wanted to be a veterinarian because she loved animals, in particular dogs. That care and concern for others led her to pursue her passion for civic engagement, because she wanted to be involved in work that supported individuals and communities. During a college internship in public policy in politics, she realized she needed to redirect her course toward nonprofit administration and grassroots initiatives. Her strong work ethic has been integral to her drive to support kids in her community, along with her supportive husband who has been vital too.
Another key influence and mentor in Kasey’s life is her mother, a retired public education principal, who always cared for others as a teacher and principal, and who created this early foundation of service in Kasey’s life.
“She instilled in me at an early age the importance of caring for others and moreover the perceptiveness to seek out those who need the most support,” Kasey says. Some of the advice she seeks to impart to other women is, “Always be the most confident and similarly the most compassionate. Don’t let perfectionism get in the way of great ideas and always seek feedback and incorporate that feedback... Always stay true to who you are.”
Kasey has a lot to be proud of, including her daughter and all that she is learning and accomplishing as she benefits from the civic programs and extended family of the Boys & Girls Club.
The relief work the organization provided during the Woolsey Fire helping so many fire victims with emergency funds and supplies led Kasey and The Boy & Girls Club of Malibu to be named a 2019 State of California Non Profit of the Year by CalNonprofits and Senator Henry Stern. Her future goals include establishing an endowment for the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu for coming generations.
Watching the children they serve overcome life’s many challenges and creating pathways to a bright future is a highlight of her career in community outreach.
”Make sure whatever you are giving the most of yourself to goes beyond yourself,” she advises.
BGCMalibu.com
The Visionary
Kathy Eldon
Kathy Eldon is an author, film producer, filmmaker and founder of Creative Visions, a Malibu-based global nonprofit and UN NGO that supports creative activists who use media and the arts to ignite positive change. Located above Boardriders on the PCH, Creative Visions was inspired by the life of her son Dan Eldon, a 22-year-old photojournalist who was killed in Somalia while working for Reuters News Agency.
Kathy founded Creative Visions in 1998 with her daughter, Amy Eldon Turteltaub, incubating more than 400 projects and productions in 32 countries and impacting more than 100 million people. Dan’s art and photography have inspired four books, three documentaries and a feature film, “the “Journey is the Destination,” now on Netflix.
As a little girl in Iowa, Kathy dreamed of traveling the world and communicating “things that matter—though I had absolutely no idea what mattered,” she laughs.
After moving to Kenya with her family in the 80’s, Kathy wrote books and worked as a freelance journalist for the largest English language newspaper. In 1990, she became a film producer in London, determined to tell important stories that would ignite social change.
Her first feature, “Lost in Africa,” about ivory poaching, came out the same week as a Disney-film based on the same book—"which meant no one except my mother saw our film,” says Kathy.
After her son’s untimely death, Kathy moved to Los Angeles, hoping to produce a film about the courageous young journalists who lost their lives with him. Due to nonstop obstacles, it took 23 years to finally complete “The Journey is the Destination.”
“Along the way I became a documentary film producer, wrote lots of books, and my daughter Amy and I were able to found Creative Visions to help creative activists like Dan tell stories that need to be told about problems that need to be solved,” shares Kathy.
Despite tragedy and setbacks, Kathy continued to persevere, forced to create her own work as an author, journalist and film producer, because, “I am unemployable!” she jokes. “Working with talented media makers at Creative Visions is my favorite job.”
Kathy credits a “creative vision, incredible luck, my brilliant team, Yorkshire Gold tea and chocolate chips” along with daughter Amy, for helping her achieve her goals.
She advises women facing adversity to “Know that you can transform yourself and in so doing, the world around you. Create YOUR vision of your life, build the scaffolding, lay the bricks and move in.”
Her children—"Amy, who loves me despite my annoying suggestions and is my calm center, my creative partner and my dearest friend” and son, “Dan, whose mischievous spirit continues to inspire souls to believe they have a role to play in changing the world around them”—have inspired her throughout her life.
She is “excited about helping create a more just, caring and compassionate world. As an Arts Commissioner for Malibu, I know that our resilient city can be an example of how we can create ‘unity in Community.’ I’d like to suggest this as our city motto: ‘Spark Malibu- Spark the World’.”
She aims to continue her commitment to “nurture the creative activist spirits of those who live in Malibu. Please get involved at CreativeVisions.org,” she urges. —TM
The Artist- Translating Emotion into Art
Caroline Peta M. Jones
Caroline Jones has always been a passionate artist, and she knew early on that creating artwork was both doing what she loved and a viable way to live and make a living. She calls herself an “Umbrella Artist,” one that uses both her innovational freedom to make collections or series of works to exhibit in galleries, as well as being disciplined and resourceful by using that same skill set to make ends meet. Pursuing her vocation in fine art and sculpting throughout her life has evolved into the creation of powerful, artistic monuments and memorials for clients.
As a child, Caroline had wanted to be a farmer because she loved animals and nature, a special constant force in her life, especially when she was sent to boarding school at age 7. Looking after her little garden plot and rabbit made her feel joyful!
“I was so excited about nature's abundance,” she notes. “It was like going on a treasure hunt every day.” It is with this sense of nature as a life force that she has become more involved with how the future of green cemeteries can be as much about land conservation as it can be about land restoration.
After finishing her A-levels at school, she was determined to pursue becoming an artist, much to her parents’ chagrin. So at 18, Caroline began painting on the streets of Gibraltar where her father was a commander in the British Army. She earned enough money selling her works that she bought her parents’ car from them and moved to Spain. For the past 30 years Caroline has had a consistent Fine Art practice with exhibitions, galleries and studios from Hong Kong and London to present-day L.A., where her studio sits at the top of Saddle Peak @thedomehometopanga. She attributes her success to “rebellious discipline,” a term she has coined for her journey.
“I’ve never had a mentor as such but have definitely been inspired by the strengths and goodness of many friends,” she says, adding that she strives to balance work, family and community while doing what she loves.
One of her favorite aspects of creating her pieces comes from feeling the “time-captured presence inside [a] stone,” she says. “I use that presence to immortalize those who have passed and to make something meaningful for the loved ones; I feel it connects the souls of the living and the dead.”
Caroline’s clients sing her praises.
“I think for me the best awards are those bestowed on me by people who have bought my art or who have commissioned my work and have been truly inspired by what they received,” she shares.
CPMJones.com | @carolinepmjones
The Creative Peacemaker & Realtor
Veera Mahajan
“You have to do what makes you happy, that’s for sure,” says Veera Mahajan, who wanted to become a doctor as a child.
“I came from that kind of family,” says Veera, whose school principal father pushed her to pursue math or science. Earning a BSc in Computer Science and marrying a man in a similar field, the Indian-born, Michigan-raised Malibu resident settled down with her husband, running a business and raising two sons Kunal and Rahul, together before deciding to make her own choices.
Overcoming her fears, Veera made a courageous decision to leave her abusive relationship and start a new life in Malibu, as she writes about in Unreported, her self-help book chronicling her journey from domestic violence to love and freedom.
“Most women are used to being toldwhat to do,” says Veera, who grew up having her ideas “shot down” and letting the men take the lead.
“Learning how to make a decision on my own was my biggest challenge!” says Veera, who now serves as a mediator, guiding others to peacefully make choices that serve their highest good.
“Spiritual psychology is my strength,” says Veera, who has a master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica and a master’s degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine Law School. “Mediation teaches you the skills to facilitate a negotiation… I try to make both parties be peaceful and happy with their decisions.”
Veera’s genuine care for others is a common thread in her many endeavors—from founding a nonprofit organization, Foundation For Women At Risk, and publishing the Malibu Chronicle, a “good news” magazine, for six years until 2017, to serving others through Rotary Club, Safe Passage, St. Jude’s, Wounded Warriors, Jane Seymour’s Open Hearts Foundation and her writing—she puts her heart into everything she does.
“I’m willing to do above and beyond,” she says, adding that her willingness to take chances has opened doors for her.
“So many miracles have happened in my life,” Veera acknowledges, encouraging women to pursue their goals.
“You can’t go into something half-heartedly,” she says. “Build a goal and go after it—enjoy the journey!”
A lifelong learner, Veera is currently studying Forex and real estate investing, while also working on producing a film, writing, mediating and helping others in many ways.
“I’m not afraid. I just jump in,” she says. “I learn from everybody—even from my puppy,” she laughs, adding, “I have mentors everywhere; people who work hard and are successful and are willing to teach others.”
Veera’s can-do attitude has led to many accomplishments—winning the Mrs. Asia California Beauty Contest in 2012, receiving Mahatma Gandhi and Star of India awards, running a marathon, skydiving, earning two master’s degrees, publishing a magazine and books, and working toward a bright future in real estate investing.
“For all the people who say you can’t do it, or you won’t do it—I’ll see you at the finish line to show you I did it! Make a plan and finish it; approach everything with fun and excitement,” she says.
VeeraMahajan.com | UnreportedtheBook.com
—TM
The Executive Director- Malibu Foundation
Evelin Weber
Evelin Weber is the Executive Director of the Malibu Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, whose goal is to create a more resilient community and to support the people of Malibu and neighboring areas as they work toward rebuilding after the Woolsey Fire. She is committed to making a difference in the face of adversity, responding to events that have been caused by climate change or global pandemics.
Fascinated by the workings of the brain, Evelin originally wanted to be a brain surgeon. While she ultimately decided to pursue work in finance and strategizing for companies across the world, she continued to use her interest in neuroscience and psychology as a tool when approaching her work. She set up a private foundation to support post-disaster economic relief in the Philippines, where she was born, using the business sensibilities she had developed working in global finance. She found that it is often the most vulnerable who are in need of additional social services, and she integrates this knowledge into her current work at the Malibu Foundation.
She attributes her success to her husband and toddler who have shared enormous love and support as she serves her community. The Foundation Board also has been hugely “helpful and encouraging. Their leadership and guidance have allowed me to fulfill and execute on the many varied needs of Malibu and beyond,” says Evelin.
She makes it clear that to achieve such great accomplishments, she herself realizes that self-care is essential for women.
“As women, we often take on a lot of responsibility. Due to that nature, I think self-care during these times is critical. Emotional and mental wellness is just as important as physical wellness. As women, we are the anchor. Women are the true face of resilience and we have seen it all throughout history.”
With the recent outbreak of CV-19, the Foundation’s ability to execute, implement and strategize to create a responsive program is the direct result of the work she and her team have done. She expresses how proud she is of them for stepping up during this time, addressing a massive global pandemic that is directly affecting everyone’s daily lives and changing life as we know it.
“The old world of ME has now been replaced by the community of WE. The only way forward towards success is collaboration,” states Evelin.
TheMalibuFoundation.org
