How Lance Cibik Left Corporate to Become an Adversity Speaker
The Story
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
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
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 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
The book didn’t just add a credential to Lance’s bio. It changed what his business could charge. It raised his authority as an adversity speaker, supported higher speaking fees, and kept working as a kind of business card long after he’d left a stage. “The ROI is there!” he says. Invitations now come from financial groups, students, churches, and nonprofits, and each audience gets a version of his message tailored to them. The book also opened a path he hadn’t planned for: executive and youth coaching, work that grew directly out of people reading his story first. He keeps the momentum going with a weekly newsletter that’s grown past 1,500 subscribers and a steady presence on LinkedIn and other platforms that has established his thought leadership.
What People Are Saying
- “An excellent read! I highly recommend this book to anyone in business, especially top performers. It serves as a powerful wake-up call, helping you identify areas in your life that need meaningful change. Simple, raw, and incredibly impactful.”
- “One of the standout aspects of this book is the way it highlights how setbacks can become stepping stones, guiding readers to discover their true potential. The storytelling is authentic, and the insights are practical, making it a perfect read for anyone struggling to find meaning amid life’s challenges.”
- “Great book and very inspiring. Highly recommend this book. Lance’s story is powerful and inspiring given all of the adversity he went through.”
What’s Next for Lance Cibik?
These days, when Lance isn’t on a stage or performance coaching, he’s usually at home spending time with his wife and daughters, followed closely by whatever keeps him moving: pickup basketball, a heavy lifting session, or a few hours volunteering in his community.
He’s still speaking, still building the platform the book helped launch, and still performance coaching, both executives and youth. His website lays out the mission plainly: help people get healthier, perform better, and become the best version of themselves. Sessions are available to book directly on his website.
For Lance, the goal was never to publish a book and move on. It was to build something that keeps opening doors, for himself and for everyone he’s coaching toward their own better version.
