Francine Ward

Motivational speaker, life coach and attorney, Francine Ward has overcome obstacles most people would consider impossible. At fourteen she was a heroin addict and a practicing alcoholic; today she's twenty-seven years clean and sober. At eighteen she was a high school dropout who lived homeless on the streets of New York; today she's a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and no longer lives on the streets. At twenty-one she was a prostitute selling her body to support her drug and alcohol habits; today she's a lawyer, a successful entrepreneur, a loving wife, and a twice-published author. At twenty-six she was hit by a car and told she'd never walk again; in her early forties, she ran two 26.2-mile marathons. At twenty-eight she was the poster child for someone who is selfish, self-centered, and self-absorbed; today, at fifty-three, her amazing life is about being of service to others.

The author of Esteemable Acts: 10 Actions for Building Real Self-Esteem and 52 Weeks of Esteemable Acts: A Guide to Right Living, Francine's story is one that movies are made of. She's been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, Black Enterprise, and Heart & Soul Magazine. She's also appeared on The Tavis Smiley Show, Good Day New York, Good Day Atlanta and more! An upcoming PBS special where her life and work are profiled will be aired in January 2007.

Francine Ward is president and CEO of nCompliance, inc., a training and consulting firm specializing in copyrights, trademarks, and employment law issues.