Empowering Lives Through Unforgettable Journeys, with Christina Menkemeller, Being Positioned (North Fulton Business Radio, Episode 757)
This episode of North Fulton Business Radio features an inspiring and truly unforgettable conversation with Christina Menkemeller, founder and executive director of Being Positioned. Her organization provides unforgettable travel experiences for people with rare genetic disorders. Christina shares her personal journey of navigating life with neurofibromatosis type two (NF2), a rare genetic condition, and how it led her to create Being Positioned. The organization, akin to Make-A-Wish, aims to empower individuals with rare genetic disorders by breaking the cycle of depression through the joy and freedom of travel. Christina discusses the transformative impact of these travel experiences on recipients, including stories of regained confidence and new life perspectives. She also touches on the challenges of running the nonprofit amidst her own health battles. The episode captures the essence of how Being Positioned is not just offering trips but is deeply involved in changing lives by fostering community, hope, courage, and a sense of adventure among those facing difficult diagnoses.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta.
Christina Menkemeller, Founder & Executive Director, Being Positioned
Christina Menkemeller, driven by a deep desire to help others, initially pursued a career in therapy. However, her life changed when she was diagnosed with multiple brain tumors. Her condition, Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2), causes progressive hearing loss, leading her to question the feasibility of a counseling career.
After graduating with a master’s degree in social work, she received an unexpected job offer from her neurooncologist. She was hired as a social worker at the same cancer center where she was receiving chemotherapy. The job felt like a miracle and gave Christina the opportunity to meet the needs of her fellow patients, while learning how to navigate being a patient herself.
But after working there for a year, her doctor decided to give her a break from treatment. So, Christina and her husband quit their jobs to travel the world for 14-months! These transformative experiences led her to establish Being Positioned, a nonprofit providing unforgettable travel adventures for people with rare genetic disorders. Christina combines her unique perspective as a patient and her passion for people to inspire meaningful change through their journey experiences.
Being Positioned is a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower and improve the lives of individuals living with rare genetic disorders. Their mission is to help each person discover purpose through traveling, building community, and creating memorable experiences.
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Topics Discussed in this Interview
00:00 Welcome to North Fulton Business Radio
01:30 Introducing Christina Menkemeller from Being Positioned
01:59 The Mission of Being Positioned: Travel Dreams for Those with Rare Genetic Disorders
02:25 Understanding Rare Genetic Disorders
05:42 Christina’s Personal Journey with Neurofibromatosis Type 2
07:53 The Life-Altering Diagnosis and Its Impact
12:15 From Social Worker to Nonprofit Founder: The Birth of Being Positioned
14:38 A World Tour with a Purpose
18:00 The Formation of the Nonprofit, Being Positioned
19:47 Navigating Challenges and the Power of Travel
23:34 Empowering Through Adventure: Real-Life Impact Stories
26:50 The Ripple Effect: Gratitude and Personal Growth
28:29 Fueling the Mission: Fundraising and Community Support
29:44 A Unique Fundraiser: Cereal de Mayo
33:43 Facing the Future: Plans and Personal Challenges
37:50 Closing Thoughts
About North Fulton Business Radio and host John Ray
With over 750 shows and having featured over 1,200 guests, North Fulton Business Radio is the longest-running podcast in the North Fulton area, covering business in our community like no one else. We are the undisputed “Voice of Business” in North Fulton!
The show welcomes a wide variety of business, non-profit, and community leaders to get the word out about the important work they’re doing to serve their market, their community, and their profession. There’s no discrimination based on company size, and there’s never any “pay to play.” North Fulton Business Radio supports and celebrates business by sharing positive business stories that traditional media ignore. Some media leans left. Some media leans right. We lean business.
John Ray is the host of North Fulton Business Radio. The show is recorded and produced from the North Fulton studio of Business RadioX® inside Renasant Bank in Alpharetta. You can find the full archive of shows by following this link. The show is available on all the major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and many others.
The studio address is 275 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA 30009.
John Ray also operates his own business advisory practice. John’s services include advising solopreneurs and small professional services firms on their value, their positioning and business development, and their pricing. His clients are professionals who are selling their expertise, such as consultants, coaches, attorneys, CPAs, accountants and bookkeepers, marketing professionals, and other professional services practitioners.
John is the national bestselling author of The Generosity Mindset: A Journey to Business Success by Raising Your Confidence, Value, and Prices.
Renasant Bank has humble roots, starting in 1904 as a $100,000 bank in a Lee County, Mississippi, bakery. Since then, Renasant has become one of the Southeast’s strongest financial institutions, with over $13 billion in assets and more than 190 banking, lending, wealth management, and financial services offices in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. All of Renasant’s success stems from each of their banker’s commitment to investing in their communities as a way of better understanding the people they serve. At Renasant Bank, they understand you because they work and live alongside you every day.
