From Corporate SVP to Resilience Speaker: Lance Cibik’s Story
The Story: How an Adversity Speaker and Author Found His Mission
Before he became an adversity speaker and author, Lance Cibik learned what resilience truly meant. Born into difficult circumstances, Lance lost his mother to suicide before his first birthday. He grew up paycheck to paycheck, and by 17 years old, he was living on his own.
Despite it all, he became a first-generation college graduate with a degree in Business and Finance, earning the Certified Financial Planner designation. He spent over 22 years in financial services, consulting, sales, and leadership roles, rising to Senior Vice President and overseeing teams across the country.
But then came a life-changing car accident that took a man’s life and radically reoriented Lance’s path. His mission became crystal clear: help others find clarity, strength, and purpose despite their past adversity.
The Curiosity: Why a Keynote Was Never Enough
As Lance began exploring this new calling, he started speaking at churches, schools, and corporate events. He started noticing that people were deeply connecting with his message of hope.
Over time, a thought kept surfacing: What would it look like to turn this message into a book?
The idea felt heavy, but the pull toward writing was undeniable.
“I took the leap of faith.”
The Solution: How Lance Found the Right Book Partner
A series of conversations led him to Streamline Books, and the timing felt providential.
Lance entered the partnership nervous but hopeful. What he found was a team that made space for the emotional journey, offered clear guidance, and brought steady professionalism to every step.
“Streamline made it easy. They were pros the whole way through.”
The Journey: Writing Adversity Fuels Purpose
Writing Adversity Fuels Purpose meant returning to painful truths: childhood loss, instability, financial struggle, and years of pushing forward when life felt overwhelming.
Streamline helped him shape those experiences into a narrative grounded in hope, clarity, and honesty. Together, they told his story in a way that felt raw, relatable, and deeply practical.
He has since left his corporate job and is now living a purpose-filled, successful life as a full-time author, speaker, and coach.
The ROI of Being an Adversity Speaker and Author
The book added immediate, tangible value to Lance’s career as an adversity speaker and author. It raised his authority, supported higher speaking fees, and acted as a business card that kept working long after he left an event.
“The ROI is there!”
Speaking opportunities for diverse audiences. Lance has tailored his message to financial groups, students, churches, and nonprofits. And he gets paid.
A huge pathway opened up for him to start executive and youth coaching.
He writes a weekly newsletter with over 1,500 subscribers.
→ Lance is amazing at making his message visible on LinkedIn and other platforms. If you’re looking for an example of effective book marketing months after launch, be sure to check out his profile.
What People Are Saying About Adversity Fuels Purpose
- “relatable, conversational, and impacted them emotionally”
- “simple, raw, and incredibly impactful”
- “a powerful wake-up call… helping you identify areas in your life that need meaningful change”
- “a reminder that we are not alone in struggle”
- “a deeply personal exploration of how life’s toughest challenges can become a catalyst for transformation”
When he is not speaking or coaching, you will find Lance where he is happiest: spending time with his wife and daughters, volunteering in his community, playing basketball, or lifting weights at the gym.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can a financial professional become an adversity speaker and author?
Lance Cibik did exactly that. After 22 years in financial services and a life-changing car accident, he left his corporate career to become a full-time adversity speaker and author, writing Adversity Fuels Purpose with the help of Streamline Books.
How does writing a book help a speaker get paid more?
For Lance, publishing his book raised his authority and directly supported higher speaking fees. A book signals credibility to event planners before they ever hear you speak, and it opens doors to coaching, consulting, and additional revenue streams that a keynote alone cannot unlock.
What does it mean to turn adversity into purpose?
It means recognizing that what others see as obstacles are actually opportunities. In Adversity Fuels Purpose: Create a Life of Impact and Success, Lance Cibik provides a blueprint for turning personal hardships, professional setbacks, and seemingly insurmountable odds into the cornerstone of lasting success. The core message is simple but powerful: your past does not define your future. It prepares you for it.
