I Survived Prison: What Really Happens Behind Bars
One day Jennifer Wilkov was a successful financial planner with a designer wardrobe and a cozy apartment on a tree-lined block. The next, she was an inmate in one of New York's most violent prisons. See how she turned a devastating experience into a positive contribution to other's lives.
Click here to read her inspirational story in Marie Claire magazine.
WOR 710HD- Joan Hamburg talks to Jennifer Wilkov, featured in the April issue of “Marie Claire,” she tells her story of going from being a law-abiding professional to spending 4 months in the notoriously violent Rikers Island Prison.
Click here to hear this incredible interview.
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"You can do it.
I'm committed to showing you that you can.
No matter how big a challenge...
no matter how bad a circumstance...
you can do it... now!" ~ Jennifer S. Wilkov |
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Throughout my life, Love and Persistence have always been at the forefront of everything I have experienced and accomplished. These two qualities along with a "Can Do" attitude have provided the foundation for my outstanding achievements and accomplishments against all odds.
I do believe that life is a gift and each day we unwrap this present to discover more
about who we are and what we are capable of doing and contributing in the world. I've been making choices since I was a kid - and I learned to embrace and enjoy each
one I've made. Sometimes they served me and others; sometimes I learned a valuable
lesson when one didn't in the way I had intended it to.
Living through many people's greatest fear has given me a strength beyond measure.
I was introduced to a real estate opportunity by a family member. It turned out to be a scam, and I didn't know anything about it. My family and I lost a significant amount of money and I was upset and bewildered. I reported it to the authorities and informed those I had referred to this investment.
Well, the attorney my family and I hired to defend me when I somehow got accused of being part of the fraud mishandled my case incredibly. I was told to plead guilty to something I didn't do and thereafter was compelled to serve 4 months in one of the most dangerous jails in the United States - Rikers Island in New York City.
I found myself in a situation which was bizarre beyond belief. I turned to my strong faith that this like everything else happened for a reason and that there was some good that I could contribute there. And I did.
The day before I was sent to Rikers Island, I donated my hair to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program to support other women who were suffering from hair loss due to breast and ovarian cancer treatments.
I told my mother to promise me that we would make this the most positive experience ever. She agreed and we did.
While I was there, I inspired others, both officers and inmates, by just being myself. I assisted an inmate with transforming her low self-esteem into a great respect and love for herself. I taught others yoga, how to read, the benefits of meditation, and anything else they asked me to assist them with. I even suggested to the Deputy Warden that an Officer Appreciation box be introduced into the facility to recognize those officers who really did assist and support the inmates of Rikers Island. I personally wrote 6 of these appreciation letters myself while incarcerated.
I never forgot who I was. I continued to write, dream and love my wonderful boyfriend, family and friends. They all reminded me who I was for them and how inspired they felt by what I wrote while I was there. They marveled at the way I chose to handle this surprising situation and how I turned a devastating experience into a positive contribution to other's lives.
Four weeks after I was released from Rikers Island, I turned 40 and leapt out of an airplane to go skydiving for the first time.
I've climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa; flown on the flying trapeze; been up in a hot air balloon over Napa Valley and the plains of Kenya to watch the wildebeest migration; climbed up and jumped off a 55 foot telephone pole in Fiji; walked across hot coals and broken glass barefoot; eaten fire; practiced a holistic martial art called Shintaido under a live waterfall and climbed a volcano in Japan; and so much more.
I've visited 5 of 7 continents and intend to set foot on the remaining two during my lifetime.
All my life I have leapt when there was no net – and I’ve made it and did everything I set out to accomplish.
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You've got to leap into living your life.
When life hands you something unexpected,
embrace it, love it, welcome it and ask yourself:
since this situation is what it is,
how can I make this the most positive experience ever? |
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At age 11, I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, a debilitating condition where the
body attacks itself in the digestive track, causing scar tissue and great pain.
For 25 years, I suffered the trials and tribulations that come with this disease and
never let it stop me from being everything I wanted to be. In and out of hospitals plus
two major surgeries with my parents nearly losing me during one of them, my mind
was set that I could beat this condition and live a normal life like everyone else.
At age 14, I was 64 pounds, a virtual skeleton. After being hospitalized for 5 weeks
and
pumped up with fluids and corticosteroids to reduce the inflammation, I emerged
in
9th grade at 134 pounds. What a challenge that was! No clothes fit me and I missed
the first 5 weeks of freshman year of high school.
After surgery #2, I chose to discontinue the conventional treatments of this disease
and
beat it for good. I thanked my parents, family and physicians for everything they
had
done to support me. Then I chose an alternative path to treatment and focused on
my
diet, exercise and sleep.
In 6 months, I was off every drug treatment and haven't
experienced any symptoms of this condition since 2001. I said I would beat it - and I
did.
My professional life has spanned 9 careers.
I have worked in strategic planning and business development for nearly two decades.
From leading the versatile team inside the company and enrolling the nation's largest retailers as cooperative partners as a non-techie that built the original data warehouse for Revlon to being a prolific Project and Practice Manager who worked with companies across multiple industries for Microstrategy, a prominent business intelligence software company, to becoming a Certified Financial PlannerTM while working in the Advanced Advisor Group with American Express Financial Advisors Inc. and a best selling award winning author, the entertainment world, consumer products, technology, finance, public speaking, writing and teaching have all been a part of my ongoing journey professionally.
I've never been fired from a job. I always left when I felt there was either a conflict of philosophies or a greater opportunity to grow in another position and company.
I've always stood fast in my belief that working was about growing, learning and becoming more of who I am so I can serve my clients and company well.
These days, I'm an uber-entrepreneur and am known affectionately as "The Make It Happen Girl." Friends and clients say I can make any project happen. I believe that every job I've had in every profession contributed to my vast understanding of business and getting projects done with great teamwork and success.
When I set out to write my first book, Dating Your Money: How to Build a Long-Lasting Relationship with Your Money in 8 Easy Steps, I gathered a team of traditional publishing experts in each area required. We sat down and I declared that I would write, publish and produce this book and get full distribution and publicity for it in 90 days.
I also set out to set up my own publishing company and make a professional audio recording of the book in the same 90 days. I was running my own financial planning practice at the time with a full staff too.
I said it, we did it, and that book went onto win two award recognitions from the distinguished USA Book Awards and become a beloved series.
From Divorce to Prince Charming By
Putting Boys Before Business...
Love and romance escaped my life for many years. I married and divorced and continued to persist in my search for a loving partner to share my life with. I focused on me and learning more about what I wanted in a romantic relationship.
What qualities was I seeking in the man of my dreams? I mean, who was he really?
After going out on first dates for over 2 years, I never gave up on the intention of meeting him. I sought him out and God delivered.
Through Divine intervention (there is no other explanation), I met my Prince Charming on Facebook. I actually wasn't out there looking for a mate. I guide a group of Writing and Author colleagues in my group, "Your Book Is Your Hook!" Sure enough, he found me and my group and joined it because he wanted to write his book.
We connected when he wanted to help me with the sniffles I had one day in the Spring. I had never heard of the town he lived in there in the middle of the United States. Believe me when I say, he has been hand selected for me. He is everything I dreamed of - and more.
I put everything I did and everything I learned about finding this dream man in a book I co-authored with Kimberly A. Mylls called Boys Before Business: The Single Girl's Guide to Having It All. It includes everything I did for me to prepare myself and my life for him. I wrote my Dear God Letter to ask the Universe for help in finding him. And I did.
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Jennifer S. Wilkov
Dynamic Speaker, Best Selling Author & Impactful Business Consultant
Jennifer’s purpose is to inspire people everywhere to leap into their lives and live the life they've imagined. She believes it's in every one of us - we CAN do it.
Ms. Wilkov is known as the "Make It Happen" girl. With nearly two decades of strategic planning and business development experience in corporate America and real life business ownership as a serial entrepreneur, she knows how to take any project from where it is to where you want it to be through proper planning, effective networking and sound marketing strategies that work.
A best selling award winning author, film writer and producer, and creative consultant for projects that ignite her passions, Ms. Wilkov is dedicated to helping individuals understand our world through books, films, blogs and other media with a positive message.
She is also an award-winning freelance writer (2009 Silver Eddie Award for article featured in Marie Claire April 2009 issue) who has been quoted and whose writings have appeared in national magazines and newspapers.
Jennifer generously shares her talents, skills and insights with uber entrepreneurs, authors, filmmakers and other creatives to bring the rare combination of a strong business sense with a creative flair to every project.
Listeners discover how to make “it” happen for them each week as Jennifer hosts the "You Can Do It!" radio talk show on The Women's Information Network. Each show provides genuine insights into how to take the worst circumstances and turn them around to serve the Greater Good, which can then lead you right into the life of your dreams. Whether you feel stuck or are looking for what’s next for you, it’s your time to make “it” happen. Jennifer empowers people with the understanding that no matter what situation, circumstance or condition you are in, You Can Do It!
As the host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” radio talk show on the WomensRadio Network, Jennifer provides thousands of authors and writers each week with interviews with industry professionals, published authors and insights about what they need to know to make their book their “hook”.
An empowering speaker, Ms. Wilkov inspires and motivates audiences everywhere to let go of their fears, get rid of their roadblocks and leap into the life they've always wanted to enjoy. A Certified Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), she brings her knowledge, wisdom and experience to the core of helping others live the life of their dreams using simple techniques and engaging exercises.
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Hire Jennifer for your next conference, sales meeting, retreat or organizational meeting. Interview her for your next television or radio program or for your next inspirational article or blog post.
Jennifer S. Wilkov is one of the most sought-after female speakers for living life to its fullest.
Jennifer’s passion for communication has led to her being a radio show host, best-selling award-winning author, speaker, an award-winning freelance writer, a successful book business consultant and entrepreneur. She survived being incarcerated in one of New York’s most violent prisons after inappropriately being told to plead guilty to a crime she didn’t commit by an attorney who mishandled her case. Jennifer continued to succeed as an author, entrepreneur and speaker after enduring this devastating, unimaginable experience. She knows what it takes to live the life you love in the face of any challenge. Jennifer loves to inspire audiences everywhere with the insights, knowledge and wisdom she has gained so participants take action, leap powerfully into their lives and at last live the life they’ve imagined.
For press & meeting planners, click here to hire Jennifer.
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Leadership: Overcoming Obstacles - "You Can Do It!"
Have you ever been uncertain about what to do when you were hit with what appeared to be a devastating situation? Did you find your self-confidence teetering, unsure of how to be with what was in front of you? It’s usually easy to know what to do and how to be in moments of great glory, but what about in those moments of utter despair? How do you rise above seeming stressful or devastating experiences and walk away a better person?
If there’s anyone who has felt such uncertainty in the face of total earth-shattering circumstances, it’s Jennifer S. Wilkov. Jennifer didn’t just survive being incarcerated in one of New York’s most violent prisons for a crime she didn’t commit, but she walked away totally renewed, having transformed not only herself during her 4-month stint but lifting and transforming the lives of every person she touched.
Known as “The Make It Happen Girl,” Jennifer brings her masterful capacity to transcend adversity, together with her extraordinary talent to make manifest her greatest heart’s desires into a brilliant presentation that will show you how to master the art of accomplishing anything in any situation, circumstance and condition. She will convince you that You Can Do It! She will show you how to break through the paralysis, make thoughtful decisions, keep your focus on what you want to achieve and leverage each moment as an opportunity to live your life to the fullest and make a difference.
Here’s more of what you will learn:
- The secrets to turning moments of adversity into amazing opportunities
- The basics of perception which begins with you
- How to replace your fears with faith
- Proven techniques to succeed in every situation: faith, optimism & persistence
- Fool-proof ways to master your mindset
- The importance of building a dream support team
- How to maintain your integrity in the face of judgment from others
- Top strategies to leap into your life and live it to its fullest
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Other topics Jennifer can share with your audience include:
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Leap Into Your Life and Live Your Dreams
- Learn to let go and dream
- Understand what it takes to leap into your life
- Experience life at its greatest levels - you can have it all now
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Love & Persistence: Be, Do and Have Anything
- Determine what you love
- Identify the right people to have around you for support
- Become persistent - keep at it ‘til you get what you want
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The Art & Science of Making It Happen
- Understand what stops you from doing everything you want
- Start doing what you never thought you could
- Plug into your "Can Do" attitude and live the life you love
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Clarity: The Key to Success
- Get clear about what you want
- Articulate it clearly so others understand what you want
- Write it, talk it, be it consistently in every contact point
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Be Yourself... And Win
- Stop trying to be what you think everyone wants and be yourself
- Connect with your beliefs, perspectives and intentions
- Work on projects with passion and power that motivate you and serve others
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Get Your Dream with a Team
- Accelerate your results by working with a team
- Learn how to determine who's on your team - and who's not
- Cultivate clear communication and commitment within the team
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For press & meeting planners, click here to hire Jennifer.
Click here to review Jennifer's extensive experience with media and speaking appearances.
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The Make It Happen Program - www.MakeItHappenProgram.com
Ready to make it happen for you? If you are a:
- Celebrity
- CEO
- Business Owner
- Author
- Or want to become a business owner or author in 90 days or less
Learn what you can do now to save time, energy and money while moving yourself forward, quickly and effectively so you can do more, have more and enjoy more of what you want.
Jennifer works with high caliber individuals to guide and support them in keeping
their focus on creating what they want to experience in life rather than on creating
what they don't want.
Discuss with her how she can assist you with her vast understanding of industry systems, resources and strategies that work to build and grow your project, business and platform.
Jennifer will be your daily accountability partner who brings wisdom, knowledge, insights, experience, resources and contacts to make your project and platform
happen so you can accelerate your results in 90 days or less.
Go to www.MakeItHappenProgram.com and submit your application now to be considered as one of the five candidates for this highly exclusive program.
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Your Book Is Your Hook! - www.yourbookisyourhook.com
 Jennifer S. Wilkov has been called the quintessential writer and teacher for the 21st century. Well-known for her comprehensive knowledge of the end-to-end book publishing and marketing process by students everywhere, she is an absolute encyclopedia of resources and "how-to" guidance for any activity dedicated to writing, positioning and promoting books properly in the marketplace.
She is the creator of the "From Thought to Sales in 90 Days"TM Book Process for turning any idea into a book and any book into a thriving business. She supports first time and seasoned authors in their book endeavors through coaching and training.
Listen to the "Your Book Is Your Hook!" radio show on the WomensRadio Network every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am where you get the opportunity to go behind the books and discover the process from thought to sales of how other authors have succeeded in getting published and how they use their book as their hook. You’ll also find out about industry professionals and resources to help you as a writer and author with your book project so you can write, market, publish and make money with your book.
"My intention is to support authors and writers like you everywhere to write, market, publish and make money with your books. I want you to love writing them, write more of them, make a difference for humanity, and leave a legacy for yourself, your family and the human race. Whether your book is a fiction, non-fiction or children’s book, whether you entertain, educate or enlighten others with your book, I’m here to help you."
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Boys Before Business - www.boysbeforebusiness.com
An inspiring guide for women everywhere who want to have it all - the man of her dreams and the dream career. This delicate balance of life's greatest pleasures is possible when you put "Boys Before Business." This is Ms. Wilkov's fifth book project
and first with co-creator, Kimberly A. Mylls.
Meet Ms. Wilkov live during her 18-city national U.S. book and event tour for Boys Before Business: The Single Girl's Guide to Having It All! With live book signings and Girlie Chat events scheduled at Barnes & Noble stores, at Saks Fifth Avenue stores and other appearances throughout the country, click here to find out when she'll be coming to a city near you.
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Dating Your Money - www.datingyourmoney.com
 Learn how to build a long-lasting relationship with your money in 8 easy steps. Gain competence and confidence when working with your cashflow and feel the freedom of driving and guiding your finances with ease. Spend quality time with your cash. Use your emotions as clues to what’s working for you and what’s not.
Work with Jennifer as a Cash Coach to organize your money and leverage your emotional intelligence so you can work with your finances more effectively and efficiently.
Jennifer donates her time to speak with participants and the staff of domestic violence support groups, centers and shelters across the nation to help them understand basic money decision-making skills and how to best handle their emotions and fears about their finances using effective basic life and relationship building skills.
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Collaborative Copywriter - www.collaborativecopywriter.com
 Leverage Jennifer's knowledge, experience and creative approach to copywriting and social media. Have someone who is passionate about it to do it for you. You don't need to learn it or figure it out.
Spend your time doing what you do best and what you enjoy most. Effectively communicate your business to your team, vendors, prospects & clients.
Start gaining the business you know you can do well.
Speak clearly about what you do so it's easy to understand and do business with you.
Overcome overwhelm. Grow your business. Accelerate your results.
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Green Book Publishing -
Go Green With Your Book (Authors)
Go Green With Your Book (Publishers)
Jennifer's dedication to the environment is encapsulated in this book project that serves authors and publishers with a powerhouse of information for how to make your book environmentally friendly. She produced and published this book to support the book publishing community with its green efforts. The book was written with Cindy Katz, founder of Plant A Tree USATM, and includes an exclusive foreword from Tyson Miller, Director of the Green Press Initiative.
Jennifer wrote the Go Green Guides for Books for both authors and publishers which were first published on Treehugger.com and can now be seen on the Discovery Company's website, PlanetGreen.com, about specific resources and tips from the book. Click the links in this box to read these free guides. |
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Dear God Letter - www.deargodletter.com
 Take the first step to achieving your goals and the life of your dreams. Simplify the process of writing down what you want using the Dear God Letter system - a fast, fun way to clearly express what you desire. It takes less than 10 minutes to write your first letter. Then take action every day to get what you want.
Experience this Divine teamwork for yourself. Whether it's your romantic relationship, health, finances, career or your happiness, the Dear God Letter will change your life so you can start living the one you've always dreamed of.
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Radio show host Jennifer S. Wilkov shares her insights, wisdom and experience each week during her shows on two different networks. She interviews some of the most fascinating, dynamic people who have lived through unimaginable circumstances in their lives and come out on top, and she talks with industry professionals, authors and writers who contribute to the book writing, marketing and getting published process for other authors, writers and wannabe's.
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"You Can Do It!" Show on The Women's Information Network
Listeners discover how to make “it” happen for them each week as Jennifer hosts the "You Can Do It!" radio talk show on The Women's Information Network. Each show provides genuine insights into how to take the worst circumstances and turn them around to serve the Greater Good, which can then lead you right into the life of your dreams. Whether you feel stuck or are looking for what’s next for you, it’s your time to make “it” happen. Jennifer empowers people with the understanding that no matter what situation, circumstance or condition you are in, You Can Do It!
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"Your Book Is Your Hook!" Show on the WomensRadio Network
Jennifer provides thousands of authors and writers each week with interviews with industry professionals, published authors and insights about what they need to know to make their book their “hook” as the beloved host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” radio talk show on the WomensRadio Network. Listeners learn tips and techniques from Jennifer and other industry professionals that they can immediately put into action for their books. They also find out how other authors got published and how they use their book as their "hook!" Tune in weekly on Tuesday mornings at 9am to get the next steps for writing, marketing and getting your own book published. |
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 | "When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me"." ~ Erma Bombeck |
 | "If you think you can do it or you can't do it, you're right." ~ Henry Ford |
 | "God writes the best scripts. I’m doing my best to live through it while taking great notes." ~ Jennifer S. Wilkov |
For more of Jennifer’s Favorite Quotes, click here.
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For press & meeting planners:
Click here to book Jennifer S. Wilkov as a guest for your interview or as a speaker for your next event.
Click here to review Jennifer's extensive experience with media and speaking appearances.
To connect with Jennifer online, please click on the social media network through which you’d like to contact her.
For all other inquiries, send an email to info @ jenniferswilkov.com.
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© 2009 Jennifer S. Wilkov All Rights Reserved
