Hello, dear friend.

I’m Leisa Watkins — blogger, speaker, author, life coach, and eternal explorer of what it means to live well, even when life is hard.

I created Cultivate An Exceptional Life™ as a sanctuary of hope for women walking through chronic illness, medical uncertainty, trauma, or the unexpected detours of life. My mission is simple: to help you rediscover resilience, reclaim joy, and create a life that feels meaningful, even in the middle of challenges you never asked for. Because an exceptional life doesn’t just happen—it needs to be cultivated. Too often we live by default, letting circumstances shape our days. Here, we choose to live intentionally.

But to understand why this work matters so deeply to me, you need to know my story.

My Story

Like many women, I never expected my life to be shaped by illness, loss, or trauma. Yet my family and I have faced more than twenty-five diagnoses of chronic illness, life-altering injuries, financial hardship, and heartbreaking loss.

There was a week that tested us to the core. My husband had been diagnosed with cancer a few weeks earlier, and I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. As we tried to absorb our own diagnoses, our daughters were fighting medical battles of their own.

There were also weeks that tested us to the core:

• We lost our car.
• Our power and water were shut off.
• I found myself humbly reaching out to strangers for help.
• Another time, my husband survived a drunk-driving accident that required months of recovery, while one of our daughters spent 30 days in a children’s hospital. I was trying to manage it all with a body that was breaking down.

Some seasons brought loss after loss. In one month alone, I endured three surgeries, an ectopic pregnancy, and a traumatic car accident — one of three accidents I’ve survived.

I also know the grief of nine miscarriages, the trauma of sexual assault, and the long road of rebuilding after financial collapse.

These experiences shook me, shaped me, and ultimately sparked a deep desire to understand how people survive—and thrive—beyond pain.

What I Learned Along the Way

In the darkest moments, I searched for answers anywhere I could find them. I immersed myself in research, connected with online communities of people battling similar conditions, and listened to stories of struggle, resilience, and hope.

Life is worth living — and worth living well.

• Even when the path is painful.
• Even when you feel alone.
• Even when life looks nothing like you imagined.

That belief became the foundation of Cultivate An Exceptional Life™.

Why I Created Cultivate An Exceptional Life™

This space was born from my desire to share what I’ve learned — not as a medical expert, but as a woman who has lived through deep hardship and found her way back to meaning and joy.

Here, I share:

• Stories of navigating chronic illness and caregiving
• Insights for emotional resilience
• Gentle mindset shifts that support healing
• Tips for communicating with doctors and advocating for yourself
• Reflections on grief, hope, trauma, and recovery
• Practical ideas for creating joy in everyday life
• The beauty found in art, photography, travel, nature, and hobbies

My hope is that something here makes your path feel a little lighter, a little more possible, and a lot more hopeful.

My Experience (Why You Can Trust My Voice)

I write from lived experience, compassion, and decades of walking through medical and emotional complexity. My background includes:

• More than 25+ years navigating chronic illnesses
• Caregiving for disabled adult family members
• Lived experience with MS, trauma, loss, and recovery
• Extensive personal research in chronic illness, trauma, resilience, and women’s health
• Coaching experience helping women shift mindsets and cultivate healing habits
• Professional experience in leadership, including roles as CEO and Chief Operations Officer, teaching, marketing, writing, and digital publishing
• The wisdom that only comes from surviving what you thought might break you

Note: I am not a doctor. I simply share what has helped me and what I’ve learned from years of lived experience and research. Always consult your own healthcare team for medical guidance.

What You’ll Find Here

Cultivate An Exceptional Life™ is a blend of:

• Chronic illness support
• Emotional healing and resilience tools
• Mindset guidance
• Self-care strategies
• Grief and trauma navigation
• Journaling prompts and worksheets
• Personal stories
• Creative living
• Art, photography, and inspiration
• Travel, beauty, and joy — because life should still have beautiful moments

This space honors the truth that life can be both heavy and beautiful at the same time.

A Few Fun Things About Me (Because Life Is More Than the Hard Stuff)

I call myself a “conflicted vagabond.” Part of me dreams of selling everything and traveling the world — eating warm croissants in Paris, wandering Indian markets, making friends in cafés, and capturing beauty with my camera.

Another part of me longs for a charming city brownstone, where evenings are filled with ballet performances, museums, football games, and candlelit dinners with good conversation.

And yet, another part imagines a quiet country homestead — chickens in the morning, books on the porch in the afternoon, and the peace of a slower life.

I’m wonderfully, beautifully conflicted. And that’s okay.

A Look at My Journey Through Work

I’ve worn many professional hats — banker, traveling art teacher, craft and hobby designer, CEO, Chief Operations Officer, head of marketing, digital assets director, web developer, and lifelong entrepreneur. As a child, I dreamed of being a prima ballerina or an FBI criminal profiler. Life had other plans, but each path taught me something valuable.

Every role, every twist in the road, has shaped the work I do today — helping others navigate their own unexpected journeys.

My Love for Travel, Art, and Photography

I’m endlessly curious about the world. Traveling, creating art, and photographing life bring me joy and grounding. You’ll find pieces of all of these passions woven into the blog — because creativity and beauty are part of healing too.

The Medical Challenges My Family Faces

Our family’s journey includes a range of chronic illnesses and medical crises — many affecting more than one of us. We share these not for sympathy, but to offer understanding, connection, and community for others walking similar roads.

These include:

• Cancer (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma)
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)
• Mast Cell Activation Disorder
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Post-Concussive Syndrome
• CSF Leak
• Dysautonomia
• Diabetes and blood sugar issues
• Lyme disease
• Epstein-Barr Virus
• Fibromyalgia
• Connective tissue disorders
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Hashimoto’s
• MTHFR gene mutation
• Congestive heart failure
• Heart issues
• Asthma
• Chronic kidney disease
• Blood clots
• Sepsis
• Internal bleeding
• Workplace injuries
• Osteoporosis
• And more

(This section represents our personal experiences only. It is not medical advice.)

Want to Learn More?

If you’d like to dive deeper into my journey, I invite you to explore the blog posts tagged “My Story.” Each one offers a closer look at the struggles we’ve faced, the hope we’ve fought for, and the lessons that have shaped my work and my heart.

Thank you for being here. I’m honored to walk alongside you as you cultivate your own exceptional life.

With love and gratitude,

Leisa

There’s a Lot More to My Story

Throughout my journey, I’ve learned countless lessons that have shaped who I am today. If you’d like to dive deeper into my personal story and the experiences that have guided my path, I invite you to explore the blog posts tagged ‘My Story.’ Each one offers a closer look at the challenges I’ve faced, the wisdom I’ve gained, and how those lessons continue to impact my life and work. Click below to read more and join me on this part of my journey.”