In this episode of Survival Mode Disrupted , Leticia sits down with LaCole Smith , a woman who has literally survived what most of us only fear in our nightmares: being sandwiched between two 18-wheelers and told she might never walk again. LaCole shares how one ordinary day turned into a life-altering collision – the motor thrown out of the car, water splashed across her face making her believe she was covered in blood, and doctors warning that a sneeze, a wrong turn, or a fall could leave her permanently paralyzed. But her story doesn’t stop at the crash. We go deep into what it means to be a bedridden mother of four, stuck in a back brace, drowning in pain, injections, isolation, and fear – and still deciding, “Failure is not an option. My children need me. I’m getting up.” Today, LaCole is the CEO of AAL Publishing & Consulting , a one-stop shop for authors where she mentors, publishes, and even prints books in-house, helping others find and protect their voices the way she fought to protect her own. 🎙️ What We Talk About The day everything changed: being hit by two 18-wheelers and realizing she survived what should’ve killed her Confusion, panic, and thinking she was covered in blood when water splashed her face The brutal medical reality: fractured back, damaged hip, back brace, injections, and the constant threat of paralysis The mental & spiritual crash: depression, grief, feeling forgotten, and still praying anyway The moment her mindset shifted from “why me?” to “this will NOT be my life” How her father’s faith and words grounded her when her own strength was shaky Sneaking out of bed to shuffle through the house because she refused to let the prognosis define her Why she believes mindset + words + faith = an unstoppable force The danger of letting other people’s fear and failure write your future How she went from flat on her back to publishing and printing the stories of others through AAL Publishing & Consulting 🔑 Key Takeaways “Anything we do NOT push through becomes a hindrance to our end goal.” “If I had stayed in that bed and accepted what they said, I would not be who I am today.” “Most people fail before they start because they let other people’s fear become their facts.” “Sometimes there’s blessing in the fall – because getting up again is where you find your strength.” 💬 Connect with LaCole Facebook (Personal): LaCole Smith Facebook (Business): AAL Publishing and Consulting, LLC Groups: Motivational Talk Dialogues Storytelling Unleashed (writing community) Instagram: @author_lacolesmith YouTube: AAL Publishing and Consulting 🔗 Resources & Links: 💣 Download the Survival Mode Exit Blueprint 👉🏾 Join the Survival Mode Exodus Membership 🎧 Subscribe to Survival Mode Disrupted: The Podcast on YouTube ✍🏾 Subscribe to Survival Mode Disrupted: The Newsletter on LinkedIn 💬 Book a
