Debra Poneman is the President of "Yes to Success," a company she founded because it was always her dream to make a difference in people's lives. "Yes to Success" helps people create true success and prosperity, enjoy deep and lasting happiness, and realize their biggest dreams. Almost overnight, her seminars went from having 10 participants to thousands of participants.



Debra could often be found on radio and television talks shows, and at one point she had started negotiations for her own talk show. She had it all, or so it seemed. She very quickly realized that success and fulfillment were not at all the same things.

With the birth of her first child came the birth of a new passion for Debra: being a stay at home mom. With phone call after phone call of people asking her to come back to work, she knew her hectic life needed to be put on hold. She didn't feel as if she was throwing her dreams out the window. She was simply taking a detour to reach them.

Debra left all the lonely hotel stays for bedtime kisses and tucking her kids into bed. She also joined another company, Melaleuca, a business in which many moms have found success because it's something that works around an unpredictable schedule.

As her children got older, Debra Poneman still dreamed of doing what she had always wanted to do, writing an inspirational book. One night, her son brought her one step closer to that reality. He simply asked her to watch a televised talent show with him.

Debra wasn't particularly interested in watching a talent show, but she loved spending quality time with her kids, so of course she said yes. What she saw wasn't just any old talent show. It was the first season of the highly successful reality TV phenomenon, American Idol. In no time, she was hooked.

Marci Shimoff loved with the show as well. Marci, a successful writer of inspirational books including a couple of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books, was one of Debra Poneman's dearest friends. One night while discussing the outcome of an episode, like they had done so many times before, they suddenly realized the perfect title for a new book: "Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul."

American Idol is all about living your dreams and never giving up. That's exactly what Debra was doing her entire life. When contestants are booted off the show, they try again the following year. When Debra's life was on hold for her children, she kept the inspirational book idea in the back of her mind.

Through her inspirational book that told the stories of several of the American Idol contestants, Debra was able to show the world how average people can live out above-average dreams. Be the best teacher, banker, singer, or garbage collector you can be, regardless of what the Simon Cowell's of the world have to say about it!