Career paths rarely follow a straight line, and the stories of these ten women demonstrate how pivot points can lead to meaningful service for families, businesses and society at large.
Vikki Ziegler – Making Family Law Accessible
Vikki Ziegler, Esq., is a well‑known divorce attorney who has spent more than 29 years handling complex family‑law matters in New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. As a child of divorce, she blends professional expertise with personal insight, guiding clients through custody, asset division and prenuptial agreements.
Beyond the courtroom, Ziegler reaches a broader audience through two seasons of Bravo’s Untying the Knot, the Love, Lies, & Litigation podcast and her book The Pre‑Marital Planner. Her goal is to help couples approach marriage and major life transitions with preparation, knowledge and dignity.
Nicole Braam – Real‑Estate Entrepreneur Focused on Families
Nicole Braam turned a two‑decade career as a State Farm agent and military‑spouse relocator into a thriving real‑estate enterprise. After founding Better Properties DuPont, Lacey & Yelm in 2017, she grew the firm from three agents to more than 60 professionals before selling it to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate in 2023.
Now operating as a Compass REALTOR® and Managing Broker, Braam has sold over 1,000 homes, generating $450 million in career sales. She emphasizes repeat business and referrals, with more than 85 % of clients returning or recommending her services. Her work centers on helping families find stability during moves, especially military relocations to Joint Base Lewis‑McChord.
Anita Johnston – Using Storytelling to Address Eating Disorders
For more than forty years, psychologist Anita Johnston, Ph.D., has explored the psychological roots of disordered eating. She founded the Anorexia & Bulimia Center of Hawaii in 1982 and later helped develop the Ai Pono Hawaii treatment center and the Light of the Moon Café, an online education platform.
Johnston’s approach blends myth, metaphor and narrative to uncover the emotional and cultural factors behind eating struggles. Her 1996 book Eating in the Light of the Moon has been translated into seven languages, and she is preparing a new work, Moon Rising, which links feminine wisdom with masculine strength.
Francesca Zampaglione – Teaching Executive Presence
Former Deloitte executive Francesca Zampaglione created the ACT Method™—Appearance, Composure, Trust—to help professionals develop executive presence. After a decade at Deloitte, she launched a speaking business in 2017, delivering the framework to colleges, universities and accounting firms across Pennsylvania.
During twelve years as Vice President of Learning & Development at the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs, Zampaglione expanded continuing‑education offerings from roughly 400 in‑person events to over 1,000 across multiple delivery channels. She holds an MBA from Temple University and a business‑administration degree from Widener University.
Why Their Stories Matter
Each of these women illustrates how perseverance, faith in one’s purpose and a commitment to family values can turn career setbacks into opportunities to serve others. Their achievements align with the core pillars of community‑first journalism: honoring faith, supporting traditional families and championing individual liberty through informed, honest storytelling.
Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.
