Personal Bio for Donna Schilder

One thing that makes me unique is my varied life experience.  I haven’t exactly been a Couch Potato. I’ve failed at more things than most people ever think of trying.  And, I’ve succeeded.

I am not your typical American.  I have broken the mold of the typical American lifestyle.  In my over 50 years on the planet, I have traveled at least 3 years of it.  My husband and I traveled 5 months a year for 5 years and made more money in the other 7 months than we had in previous years.  I have been to over 45 countries and 43 states.  I taught English in China.  Petted Tigers in Thailand.  Visited family members in Slovakia that lived before Communism, during Communism, and after Communism in their country. The time I’ve spent observing how different people live, gives me a unique and broad perspective about what the possibilities are in life.

I have held over 20 different types of jobs (from pop singer to Maintenance Manual Validation Specialist for the B-2 Bomber)  in 7 industries, and as a consultant for over 10 years I worked with every type of department there is in a company (from HR to Engineering), helping them improve their processes.  I know what it’s like not to be in the right job and I can tell you what’s it like to work in a lot of different types of jobs, because I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do.  I know what it’s like to have a dream and fail.  And get back up time and time again.  And dare to dream again.

I’ve had multiple income streams my whole life (before it was popular).  Even while I was working at my first job as a 22-year old, doing research for the first reality television show, “That’s Incredible!”, I had a side-business doing copy-editing.

Here is the list of 20 Careers I tried before I found my calling as a Coach (at age 42):

1. Singer/Songwriter – I had a song played on the radio
2. Library Analyst
3. Administrative Assistant
4. Engineering Change Order Analyst
5. Retail Salesperson at Bullock’s Westwood
6. Script Reader for TV and Feature Films
7. Rare Book Cataloger
8. Television Reality Show Researcher for the Show:  “That’s Incredible”
9. Television Show Talent Coordinator
10. Technical Library Associate in Aerospace
11. Technical Editor for B-1 Bomber Technical Manuals
12. Validation & Verification Coordinator for the B-2 Bomber Maintenance Manuals
13. Software Tester
14. Computer Hardware Tester
15. High School Teacher English Teacher
16. Total Quality Improvement / Process Improvement Facilitator – Aerospace
17. Staff Development Director – For a Medical Practice & Integrated Physician Association
18. Corporate Trainer – Medical Insurance
19. Independent Business Consultant (for over 10 years) – Process Improvement & Training
20. Professional Speaker

Industries I’ve worked or consulted in:

1. Television Series & Movies & Feature Film – at one point my desk was right next to Martin Sheen’s Office
2. Aerospace – I’ve stood in the cockpit of the B-2 Bomber and started in the days when we had to cut and paste the page numbers onto Technical Manuals
3. Healthcare
4. Insurance
5. Manufacturing
6. Non-Profit – including Purpose Driven Ministries
7. Financial Services
8. Fashion
9. Training

I’ve always been able to generate multiple income streams, but not all of my business ideas have been successful.  Here are some of my businesses:

1. Copy Editor
2. House cleaner & personal assistant
3. Songwriter – I received interest from record companies, but never sold a song
4. Journalist
5. Resume Writer
6. Screenwriter – I wrote two really lousy screen plays, but I’m proud I was able to complete them
7. Online Video Training

I have traveled the world extensively, visiting over 35 countries, staying as long as 3 months in a country. I have also visited 43 states in the U.S.  Here are some of the countries I’ve visited:

1. Australia
2. Austria
3. Bali
4. Belgium
5. Belize
6. Bhutan
7. British Virgin Islands
8. Brussels
9. Cambodia
10. Canada
11. Cayman Islands
12. China
13. Costa Rica
14. Czech Republic
15. Dominican Republic
16. Egypt
17. England
18. France
19. Germany
20. Greece
21. Haiti
22. Hungary
23. Indonesia
24. Ireland
25. Israel
26. Italy
27. Jamaica
28. Japan
29. Jordan
30. Laos
31. Liechtenstein
32. Mexico
33. Monaco
34. Netherlands
35. New Zealand
36. Northern Ireland
37. Poland
38. Portugal
39. Scotland
40. Slovakia
41. Spain
42. Tahiti
43. Taiwan
44. Thailand
45. Turkey
46. Vietnam

Some of the highlights of my travel adventures have included:

• Teaching English in China to Junior High and High School students
• Taking cooking classes in Vietnam
• Visiting every room in the Louvre
• Petting tigers in Thailand
• Zip-lining in Costa Rica
• Hiking up a Glacier in New Zealand
• Visiting relatives in Slovakia
• Kayaking over a submerged city in Turkey
• Hiking around the Ayers Rock at the Red Center
• Standing in the Gas Chambers at Auschwitz
• Crawling through the Kuchi Tunnels in Vietnam
• Seeing the King’s Coronation Celebration in Bhutan
• Cruising on the Nile
• Hearing the New Year’s Poems of the Japanese Royal Family
• Being blessed by the Pope
• Talking to a woman who had hidden in the woods when the Nazi’s took over Holland