Michelle Renee has been "dreaming big" all her life. From abused runaway, at times homelss, teen to becoming a banking industry Executive by the age of 30. At age 35 Michelle's 13 year career came to an end when she, and her 7 year-old daughter, were stalked, kidnapped, held hostage, taped with exploives and after 14 hours, Michelle was forced to rob the bank she managed to save their lives. Michelle Renee kept on "dreaming big" and is now the 2008 MSN Hometown Hero, a published author, speaker, and owner of dreamBIG® Consulting and Women Who dreamBIG® and delivering her "Live Your dreamBIG® Life" message to the masses!

Michelle's debut book, Held Hostage:The True Story of a Mother and Daughter's Kidnapping shares her journey with passion, grit and courage. From the dark aftermath of violent crime, confronting her abusive past in order to embrace what she calls "her now" and what it took for her and her daughter to overcome this devastating tragedy with self-love will be a Lifetime movie in May 2009. Michelle is curretnly seeking publication for her sophommore book, Hostage No More: 10 Secrets to "Live Your dreamBIG® Life".

Michelle has been awarded for her success in banking as well as for her leadership in our community via her advocacy efforts with The Violent Trauma Awareness Project and Rock To Stop Violence: A Rock & Roll Benefit Concert, Fashion and Art Show. Her vision is to have a sold out arena for her Rock To Stop Violence event with well-known headline bands who want to share in this global message of standing united for peace and non-violence and inspiring others to see that they can "Live Your dreamBIG® Life".

Michelle studied Communications with an emphasis on Public Relations at the University of Alaska and is a member of the Global Peacebuilders Project, National Association of Women Executives, was named Soroptimist International's 2007 Woman of Distinction, and has been interviewed by Gayle King, featured in magazines in the UK and on national and international radio. In 2008 Michelle was honored to be added to the Chicago Children's Hospital Trauma Center Survivor Wall, became a Family Advocate for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and Children's Hospital Chadwick Center in San Diego, and was featured on The Biography Channel and A & E Television.

Michelle resides in Southern California with her daughter, Breea.

Blog Entries by Michelle Renee

Saying Yes to Love Again, or Just Getting Your Flirt On

4 Comments | Posted December 8, 2009 | 05:55 PM (EST)


I hadn't been grabbed around the waist and kissed like that in so long I could hardly remember what warm sensual lips felt like on mine. I loved every second of it but still something inside of me rang as loud and clear as the three-o-clock whistle on a Friday...

Read Post

Develop Your Strategic Plan for 2010‏!

Posted November 7, 2009 | 03:54 PM (EST)


Business mistake #1: Don't have a strategic business plan. I learned this the hard way when I was dipping my toes into the entrepreneurial pond for the very first time. Now that it is almost 2010, the economy is showing at least some signs of light at the end of...

Read Post

Grey's Anatomy Sheds Light on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

2 Comments | Posted September 28, 2009 | 03:40 PM (EST)


The reminder on my TV had been set for a week. My daughter and I were settling in for our favorite show premiering on Thursday night and ready for two hours of Grey's Anatomy drama.

Last season they introduced us to a new character, Owen -- a doctor suffering from...

Read Post

In Le Murder Case Arrest, They Blame Workplace Violence

Posted September 17, 2009 | 03:19 PM (EST)


I read this in today's headlines:

"It is important to note that this is not about urban crime, university crime, domestic crime but an issue of workplace violence, which is becoming a growing concern around the country."

Workplace violence, including the bank robbery-motivated stalking, kidnapping and 14 hour hostage ordeal...

Read Post

Creepy Job Postings on Craigslist

6 Comments | Posted September 15, 2009 | 03:57 PM (EST)


Millions of people everywhere are struggling to make ends meet, stay in their homes and afford to put gas in their car to even get to a job interview. Okay, so there are a few that are not struggling and some that will tell you that there is no recession,...

Read Post

Will DJ AM Quote About PTSD Get People To Finally Listen?

3 Comments | Posted September 1, 2009 | 12:47 PM (EST)


In an interview DJ AM said "I understand why they call it post-trauma" referring to the his state of mind in the aftermath of the plane crash he survived.

An article today in the New York Times about kidnap and hostage survivor Jaycee Dugard states, "About two-thirds of children...

Read Post

United Airlines Ripping Consumers Off?

34 Comments | Posted August 19, 2009 | 02:31 PM (EST)


I had been planning my trip to Australia for over two months. It was on my daughter's top three places she has always wanted to go so for her 16th birthday, since a car was pointless after her "challenges" passing the written driving test, I decided to book our first...

Read Post

Sarah Palin Wants Letterman to Apologize... Seriously?

47 Comments | Posted June 12, 2009 | 05:14 PM (EST)


This one has got me half laughing and half shaking my head in disbelief.

Sarah Palin said "It's no wonder girls have such low self-esteem in America when a comedian can make a remark like this." Really? She went on to say that this is the reason we have...

Read Post

How do you Want to "Spend" Your Time?

Posted June 4, 2009 | 03:55 PM (EST)


When a friend of mine came over last night because things at home were again too tense to handle, we began talking about how his life has been for the past several months. His concern, he said, was about doing the right things for his son, his wife, his job,...

Read Post

Breaking Through the Three "R"oadblocks to Success

Posted May 8, 2009 | 12:00 PM (EST)


As I was enjoying a relaxing evening in the Jacuzzi I began to ask myself, "what are the three things that have kept me trapped, or stuck, when success was right in front of me?" The answer that came to me is the three "R's" that keep us all from...

Read Post

Spring Cleaning For Entrepreneurs

Posted April 28, 2009 | 02:54 PM (EST)


Get ready for spring cleaning...for your business!

Break out the dust buster and mop and clean up the clutter that has not been working for you in your business. Goal setting, visualizing, branding and creating a 3, 6, 9 and 12 month business plan are all things that must...

Read Post

Lessons From a Junk Yard

Posted April 23, 2009 | 03:12 PM (EST)


When I arrived home from a speaking engagement in Florida the back window to my car was shattered. My mom was so sweet to want to stock my fridge with groceries before I arrived home and when she pulled out of the garage to go pick up my daughter from...

Read Post

Can Software Bail-Out Unemployed and Troubled Companies?

Posted March 10, 2009 | 12:33 PM (EST)


Lemonade stands have always been the start of something big: the first glimpse of entrepreneurship and The American Dream! When I was 12, it wasn't lemonade but mistletoe picked by my six siblings and me that sparked my entrepreneurial spirit. I remember clearly the living room strewn with the holiday...

Read Post

Chris Brown & Rihanna: A Wake-Up Call?

Posted February 18, 2009 | 04:52 PM (EST)


As I was reading the latest Chris Brown-Rhianna report on the ABC website today, I realized that there are always red flags in a relationship leading up to this kind of action. But with abusive behavior, whether emotional or physical, red flags are often either ignored or excused. People stay...

Read Post

Making Our Own Mistakes

Posted February 2, 2009 | 08:43 PM (EST)


Winter Formal for a freshman in high school is supposed to be a magical memory, right? Being the girl that didn't attend any high school dances and feeling like I made a huge mistake by choosing not to take advantage of all that high school had to offer, I really...

Read Post

I Feel a Bit Like the Real Life Wendy and Lucy Story

Posted January 30, 2009 | 04:30 PM (EST)


In the new movie nominated for two Spirit Awards Wendy and Lucy, Michelle Williams, an Oscar nominee for her work as the late Heath Ledger's wife in Brokeback Mountain, gives another deeply emotional performance as Wendy Carroll, an Indiana woman who intends to reach Alaska in her unreliable Honda with...

Read Post

The Emotional Aftermath of Flight 1549

Posted January 19, 2009 | 04:13 PM (EST)


As I was listening to the father of the co-pilot who assisted in the safe landing of US Airways flight 1549 into the Hudson River discussing his son's condition on the news I heard him say, "Physically he is okay and he got pretty cold out there but emotionally I...

Read Post

Tips for Divorced Dating Divas

Posted January 7, 2009 | 01:59 PM (EST)


I decided to start out my new year with a blog that reflects my how I want to focus my energy this year: light and fun! Oh, and I have set an intention to get out of my hyper-focused haze of 2008 and date more!

After 15 years of...

Read Post

Bank Robberies Coast To Coast

Posted December 31, 2008 | 10:21 AM (EST)


Last week San Diego experienced an unprecedented three major take-over style bank robberies in one day. In the past two weeks there have been an astounding number of kidnapping bank employees and their families for vault ransom, the type of bank robbery we were victims of, and today bank robberies...

Read Post

Every Penny Counts

Posted December 19, 2008 | 12:14 PM (EST)


When a life altering event happens suddenly the view looking from the inside out becomes a whole lot more colorful and life itself takes on new meaning.

Since being kidnapped, held hostage and forced to rob a bank to save my daughter's life, I see myself, others and my...

Read Post