Episode 46 - Breaking Through Barriers: How Lori Bruton Found Hope Through Travel and Writing

What happens when you combine a passion for travel, a gift for storytelling, and a heart for helping others overcome their deepest struggles? You get Lori Bruton, our fascinating guest who shares her remarkable journey from trauma to transformation.

Lori opens up about the pivotal moments that shaped her path as an author, travel writer, speaker, and breakthrough coach. Her story begins with childhood road trips that sparked her love for exploration and continues through personal challenges that nearly broke her spirit. With raw honesty, she reveals how these experiences led her to develop a unique coaching approach that addresses trauma stored at the cellular level—going beyond conventional mindset techniques she describes as merely "spray paint on rust."

Her adventures have taken her swimming with dolphins and flying on private jets to the Bahamas, despite once being so terrified of flying she avoided planes for twenty years. Through essential oils, determination, and courage, she conquered those fears and now helps others break through their own limitations. Particularly poignant is her discussion about traveling with mobility challenges—a topic many avoid but one that affects countless wanderers worldwide.

For aspiring writers, Lori offers practical insights into breaking into freelance travel writing, crafting case studies (customer success stories), and using personal newsletters to connect authentically with readers. Her journey from writing personalized poems for her son's teachers to publishing books with forewords by renowned motivational speaker Les Brown demonstrates how passion and perseverance can transform dreams into reality.

Ready to break through your own barriers and embrace adventure? Subscribe now and join our community of travelers seeking not just to see the world, but to find themselves along the way.

Website: http://loribruton.com

Email: hello@loribruton.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/loribrutonbiz

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/loribrutonbiz

Linked In:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/loribrutonbiz

Newsletter: https://substack.com/@lettersfromlori

And more: https://linktr.ee/thelorifactor

Chapters

• 0:09 Welcome to Travels with Jim and Rita
• 1:05 Introducing Lori Bruton, Breakthrough Coach
• 3:31 Trauma Healing and Personal Transformation
• 5:29 From Toxic Relationships to Published Author
• 10:59 Swimming with Dolphins and Private Jets
• 15:23 Travel with Mobility Challenges
• 21:28 Freelance Writing and Newsletters
• 27:55 Connecting with Lori and Closing

Transcript

Jim Santos: 0:09

Welcome to Travels with Jim and Rita. I'm your host, jim Santos, along with my wife, rita, and welcome to the second season of our podcast. In the first season, we set in motion our crazy plan to outfox the real estate market in the US and actually increase our retirement nest egg by selling our home and car and spending the next three years or so living abroad and exploring the world. While we did manage to increase our net worth while we traveled, a bout of pancreatitis in Latvia caused us to return to the States for surgery and recovery and to rethink our plans in light of our ages and other factors. Enter Plan B.

Jim Santos: 0:44

We now have a home base set up in eastern Tennessee and are ready to hit the road once again. Our plans are now to spend anywhere from six to nine months a year abroad, returning to the US to visit friends, family and to recharge. Join us now as the adventure continues on Travels with Jim and Rita. Hello everybody and welcome to Travels with Jim and Rita. By the time this episode airs, we should be in Portugal on a bus about halfway between Lisbon and the coastal town of Lagos. We've enjoyed setting up our home base, but we're both looking forward to another Flixbus ride, aren't we?

Rita Santos: 1:25

Yes, we are.

Jim Santos: 1:26

Now, though. Right now, our focus is on international travel. We've done a fair share of travel in the US as well, and we'll probably do more once we've decided we've had enough of long airplane rides. A lot of our listeners are also interested in domestic travel, as well as earning some income as a travel or freelance writer. Our guest today is Lori Bruton, author, travel writer, speaker and breakthrough coach. Her articles have been featured in Travel by Vacation, Rental, Wander with Wonder, Foodie, Flashpacker, Lifestyles After 50, and Rovology. Her adventurous spirit has led her to swim with dolphins, fly on a private jet to the Bahamas and explore hidden gems around the world, and today that spirit of adventure has led her to our show. Lori, welcome to Travels with Jim and Rita.

Lori Bruton: 2:12

Thank you, I appreciate your having me on.

Jim Santos: 2:16

Lori, before we get to travel and writing. I'm intrigued by the phrase breakthrough coach in your bio. Can you tell us what you mean by that? Maybe give us an example?

Lori Bruton: 2:25

Absolutely. So many of us have been taught mindset and affirmation techniques and for me there was always a missing piece. It was like spray paint on rust and that approach doesn't last long. So identifying and shifting triggers and patterns is important. So I learned that trauma gets stored in our cells and that was the missing piece. So now I have a process and use tools that have helped me break through and move forward and get unstuck and have lasting transformation. So that's how I discovered the actual different type of coaching called breakthrough coaching.

Jim Santos: 3:09

So it sounds like there was some kind of personal experience that led you to this, the style of coaching.

Lori Bruton: 3:13

Yes, in fact I've had many coaches throughout the years and not all were good experiences, so always a learning experience, though In fact I resisted the role of coach. Even that word was kind of a trigger to me, like, oh, I don't know, is that who I want to be? But then people saw my compassion and my journey and my results, and I do have a heart to help people. So I decided to be brave and courageous and I decided to step into that role and I guide others now on their journey.

Jim Santos: 3:49

Had you always been someone interested in travel and helping others?

Lori Bruton: 3:53

Yes, I'd say my love of travel and writing in particular, were my two greatest passions. In fact, when I think of writing, I think of. Not only did I start journaling at a young age, in fact I wish I had some of those journals from way back then, or maybe it's best I don't.

Jim Santos: 4:12

I don't know.

Lori Bruton: 4:14

But also the writing part came when I would write personalized poems for my son's teachers when they were in public school and I would write them, frame them and give them as a gift. And as far as I know, to this day my oldest son's kindergarten teacher and now he's in his mid-30s, so we're talking a while ago and she still has that framed poem on her wall in her home. So I love to write where it really touches people's hearts. You know, makes a difference in their lives.

Rita Santos: 4:49

Now, do your clients, your coaching clients, come from your books, or how do they meet you?

Lori Bruton: 4:57

I'd say more like the networks I'm in. So, I meet people with different kind of business networking or networking meetings, whether it's virtual or in person, or referrals. So it's been more with that as far as my coaching role, which is still a little bit new to me as far as it being official.

Jim Santos: 5:24

Well, the books have you written. Are they more geared toward the coaching rather than the travel?

Lori Bruton: 5:29

So let me tell you a story about my books. It's story time, that's what I do best right, the first book I wrote.

Lori Bruton: 5:37

Because I went to this event and I got pulled up on stage and the host was asking me all these questions like what do you love to do? And I said, well, I always wanted to be a published author. And then he asked me more questions and then asked about the relationship I was in at the time. So once I told him more about that, he goes. You do know that's a toxic relationship, right? I go oh, are you sure? So through that journey I again needed to be brave and he asked me well, are you going to keep doing what you're doing or are you ready to be done? And I made a decision that day. I said, okay, I'm done so by breaking off that toxic relationship.

Lori Bruton: 6:24

That was the beginning of my book writing journey, because then I was able to talk about pretty much just different life experiences H-O-L-E to W-H-O-L-E, journey to Hope and Transformation. Because there was a time where I lost all hope. I'd given up, didn't even know if I wanted to live anymore, all of that. So from that to then saying, no, god's gift to us is life and our gift to God is how we live our lives. Gift to us is life and our gift to God is how we live our lives. So I just got it in me to say this isn't the life I was born to live. You know being stuck in this, toxic things and all of those obstacles. So I just tell people about here's where I was. And so I believe my books are more a message of hope and how to cope and overcome obstacles so that they too can live the lives they were born to live, which is my second book called the Lorry Factor. Live the Life you Were Born to Live.

Lori Bruton: 7:40

I was being interviewed by Les Brown Some of you may know Les Brown motivational speaker and he asked me about a defining moment in my life. And don't I end up saying one of the most embarrassing, hardest times in my life and I won't go there. You can read the book if you want to know more. But from there he took my story and used my name as an acronym to to then turn it into a message of hope.

Lori Bruton: 8:12

You know being where I was, you know almost lost my life, but then it's like no, here's how I came out of it. So then I feel like my name had new meaning, because some people might say, well, do I care about Lori. You know who's Lori. Well, if you look deeper and not judge a book by its cover, you realize the word Lori is actually an acronym that helps other people and encourages and empowers them to see a larger vision of themselves, beyond their circumstances, and have an optimistic spirit and reinvent themselves and invest in themselves, know their true identity and that's how they can live the life they were born to live. So I don't know if that answers your question specifically, but is it a basic idea?

Jim Santos: 9:04

Oh yeah, certainly Do you have another book on the shelf you're thinking about?

Lori Bruton: 9:08

So those are my two nonfiction books I've written. In fact, les Brown wrote the foreword for the Laurie Factor, so that was really special, and I'm co-author in at least three or four different books now, and so what some people don't know is I do also have two children's books published. So I really want to do maybe more of that is writing more children's books. But for now I'm like okay, what can I use what I have to help more people and share my experiences? And the thing that lights me up most is travel, and in fact I think my love of travel started when I was in third grade and my dad took our family on a six-week road trip in his Pontiac and we got to see Mount Rushmore, old Faithful, I got to ride on a pony and go swimming, and I love the water boats anything to do with that?

Rita Santos: 10:10

How many people in the car?

Lori Bruton: 10:12

Four. So I have one older sister and we're never the closest, but you know we made it work. We're sisters. What are you going?

Rita Santos: 10:20

to do. Well, you're still living after you know six weeks.

Lori Bruton: 10:23

That's right, right. So that was quite the adventure and all you know. After all this time it's a very vivid memory and I really treasure that.

Jim Santos: 10:36

So that early introduction kind of got you interested in travel then.

Lori Bruton: 10:39

Definitely, because every year. Well, my dad was a businessman, entrepreneur and I think I get my entrepreneurial spirit from him, and every year he planned a big trip for the family. Oh, that's nice.

Jim Santos: 10:54

I understand you've done things like swimming with dolphins.

Lori Bruton: 10:59

Yes, that's one of my favorite things. I have a picture of that that I keep and remember that. So I've been involved with some different travel groups and just traveling with my son is the most favorite thing I've gotten to do. I think it was one of my trips to Cancun and there was an excursion and one of the things we got to choose is swimming with the dolphins.

Jim Santos: 11:26

And.

Lori Bruton: 11:27

I've always loved dolphins. I used to watch Flipper back when I was a kid and just anything to do with the dolphins in the ocean and the marine life, you know it always fascinated me.

Jim Santos: 11:42

I see that you also managed to fly on a private jet to the Bahamas. How did you arrange that?

Lori Bruton: 11:47

Well, there's another story. So I got the opportunity. It was actually a business mastermind, and what better setting than on the dock over the ocean in the Bahamas and flying on a private jet? In fact, I still have the opportunity to gather a group of people and they can have the same experience, where we can go and have a jet mastermind.

Lori Bruton: 12:16

The thing is, I used to be afraid of flying when I went to a business event years ago and I hadn't flown in 20 years. So I flew and it was very fearful for me, you know. But then, when it was time to fly back home, I told my friends. I said I can't, somebody's going to have to drive me home or come and get me. I can't get back on a plane. So I'm like don't worry.

Lori Bruton: 12:45

So one of my secret tools is I've been using a certain kind of essential oils for a really long time. So they're like no worries, we'll oil you up, you can get back on the plane, and that is definitely what got me through. So now, fast forward to the private jet, which is a nice little plane. I'm like okay, breathe, I can do this. You know, I definitely with a lot of prayers and some oils and just knowing that I have to get over my fear so that I can have this experience and this adventure. And I did it. So that was a really great experience to be able to fly in a private jet.

Jim Santos: 13:33

I bet you know one of the smoothest rides we had was on a small plane in the Galapagos. You would think the smaller planes would be more fearful.

Rita Santos: 13:42

Right, but actually it was pretty comfortable. It was a six passenger, I think.

Jim Santos: 13:46

Yeah, six, you could sit in the co-pilot seat too. It was that small.

Rita Santos: 13:50

Yeah, that's true, I did get to sit in the co-pilot seat too. It was that small.

Lori Bruton: 13:51

Yeah, that's true, I did get to do that. We all traded turns of sitting in the co-pilot seat, so that was fun.

Jim Santos: 13:59

And you're actually not the first person I've heard say that they love to travel but they hate traveling.

Lori Bruton: 14:05

I know the actual travel part of getting there and getting home.

Rita Santos: 14:23

I kind of just put it in the back of my mind and just go for it and think about it later. Exactly yeah, I think we're looking at about 26 or 30 hours of travel when we leave for Portugal next week. Right, right, trying to focus on the Portugal part to be grueling to get there.

Jim Santos: 14:40

I have a feeling from what you've been saying that your favorite travel destinations probably involve water in some way.

Lori Bruton: 14:46

Yes, sunshine, sand, you know toes in the sand and get in the water somehow, some way. Boat rides and that was fun. I had a private island excursion on one of my trips, so just that brings me back. I can't even picture myself on the boat because it was shortly after my dad passed away and a song came on and I think it was Don't worry, be happy. And there I am and I'm like, oh man, he just knows like it's okay and I'm enjoying what I love to do best. And I got to enjoy the private island and be by the water and ride on the boat and go swimming, and those are definitely all my favorite things to do when I travel.

Jim Santos: 15:36

What's your next destination?

Lori Bruton: 15:38

It's still to be determined, and there's one that I'm not sure I've gotten the courage up for yet, because I probably what's the longest I've flown. I've always wanted to go to Hawaii. I probably what's the longest I've flown. I've always wanted to go to Hawaii, but I don't see that anytime soon, and Cancun was probably the furthest I've traveled. But my son is now living. I'm praying it's temporary, but anyway. For now he's in the Philippines.

Jim Santos: 16:09

That's quite a distance, yeah.

Lori Bruton: 16:11

Yes, and I thought, wow, and they're like oh you know, you can come visit.

Rita Santos: 16:15

That would be a great place to visit. I think you would really love it.

Lori Bruton: 16:21

I'm sure I would. It's just again, even though I've gotten over the fear of flying the best I can, I'm not sure I can even physically handle the length of the trip. And yet I'm like, is there a way, like can I do part boat, part plane? Is there like can I break the trip up? You know, and you probably, could yeah.

Jim Santos: 16:43

You could probably get probably take cruises fly to California and get a cruise to. Hawaii.

Rita Santos: 16:49

Yeah.

Jim Santos: 16:50

And then a flight or a cruise from Hawaii to the Philippines. So we thought about the same thing. We've been to Hawaii a couple of times and it is beautiful once you're there, but it is quite a long plane ride. Especially from the East Coast here.

Rita Santos: 17:03

But if you went from Rochester to, say, LA and you stopped for a day or two, or San Diego, a big port, and you stopped for a day or two, or San. Diego, a big port. Yeah, San Diego is a great city to look around and stopped there for a little bit and then went to Hawaii.

Jim Santos: 17:22

That would be pleasurable, right. You could do it in a few steps and get a lot of travel articles out of it, right?

Lori Bruton: 17:26

Right, right, and that's what I need to be doing too. Is, you know, learning to increase my travel budget and just revenue in general, to generate more revenue so I can not only travel but just have that more freedom, which, of course, with some of the things I do and always looking like what editors you know will pay me for some articles or get to go on press trips, and I'm always searching for that. And the other thing that it's been a really frustrating I don't even know what you call it and I'm a writer and searching for this word right.

Jim Santos: 18:04

It's embarrassing.

Lori Bruton: 18:06

Yes, but like mobility, and maybe I can even start writing more of those articles. But I don't want it to become my identity that I'm not able to walk long distances right now. And so it's like, well, I'm not that old, but yet, you know, even when I tell my body, come on, we can make it. And I was supposed to stay in this one place at a retreat. I was asked to speak at a wellness retreat in December in Florida and the place I was going to stay, well, she switched it to a different place, but originally it was all one floor by a pool and that would have been perfect. But then it's like, oh, actually I'm going to put you in this other place, but it has an elevator. Well, come to find out. No, it didn't. So you know stairs and no elevators. And my most recent thing I was just I'm mortified about is in the airport, you know, and dragging luggage around, or, you know, even if it's a small bag, it's like, oh, I just come on, buddy, we can do this.

Rita Santos: 19:13

You know you can always ask for assistance. A lot of people do, and you should.

Lori Bruton: 19:19

And I did. It's like you know, I really don't want to, but why? I mean, I got to the point I'm going to create more damage to myself, so I'm going to have to ask for assistance, absolutely.

Lori Bruton: 19:32

So now that you know I'm in where sometimes I need to do that. I'm like well, what about other solo travelers or even just travelers who still want to travel, but how can they still do it with some mobility issues? And doesn't mean people just strictly in wheelchairs, but sometimes you might need one through the airport or just walking, and so that's where my focus, and maybe some more travel writing, will address.

Jim Santos: 20:01

Yeah, actually that's a big issue. I mean, I just turned 67. My wife is well, let's just say, older than me.

Rita Santos: 20:08

He doesn't want to embarrass me.

Jim Santos: 20:10

We love to travel and we can walk fairly well. I mean, we walk several miles at a time in the cities that we visit, but carrying suitcases upstairs.

Rita Santos: 20:19

Yeah, we can't do it.

Jim Santos: 20:20

Is going to kill us.

Rita Santos: 20:22

I mean, we do it. We always try to get an Airbnb or a hotel that either has a lift, some type of escalator, but if they don't and we have to carry a suitcase upstairs, we do it together.

Jim Santos: 20:36

Yeah, or like one bag at a time. One bag at a time.

Rita Santos: 20:40

It's just so you're not the only one out there, and don't let that stop you.

Jim Santos: 20:46

There are ways and often, even if they say, yes, we have an elevator, well, they do, but you have to go up two flights of stairs to get to the lobby where the elevator is Right.

Rita Santos: 20:53

We've had that happen too.

Jim Santos: 20:54

Right the place. In Germany you had to go upstairs before you got to the lobby yeah.

Lori Bruton: 20:59

Oh, my goodness yeah.

Rita Santos: 21:01

And you will find that a lot in Europe really it's not as handicapped accessible as the US. Not by any means.

Jim Santos: 21:08

Yes, that could be a very good topic for you to pursue.

Rita Santos: 21:10

That would be good, but you can. There are workarounds to all of that. You can tip your cab driver or your. Well, there, they call it bolt, which is it's like a ride share service, like an. Uber service, you know. Tip them and ask them to carry your luggage up to wherever it goes. Don't let that stop you, Lori.

Lori Bruton: 21:32

That's a good tip. I'll keep that in mind. Well, in addition to the travel writing and the coach writing, what other types of writing are you doing now? So I continue to journal, and case studies are one of my newest forms of writing as well, as I've written speeches on content writing, book writing and in fact I even can help other people write their books and the case studies, which another name for that is customer success stories, like happy customers, if there's organizations or businesses that say, hey, you know, I have a happy customer, they use my product or service and this is their experience, and then they want to highlight those stories either on their website or in some kind of marketing. So those are fun to write.

Lori Bruton: 22:29

Just getting into that. In fact, I became a certified case study specialist. So those are some of the other kinds of writing I do and in my coaching, some of the tools I use because journaling can be I use because journaling can be. You can just write out randomly, you know, get everything out and then use that and maybe some essential oils, plus the cellular process that you know. I learned so together. You know, writing still plays a big piece of somewhere.

Jim Santos: 23:06

So you have a newsletter as well. What kind of topics does your newsletter cover?

Lori Bruton: 23:10

Yes, so it talks about. You know, my journey has been a lot of ups and downs and unexpected detours. So every step, every challenge, every breakthrough has led me to deciding to create a newsletter where I get to connect with people and I launch letters from Lori so I share stories and insights and inspiration. So, whether people you know want to break free from resistance or something's holding them back, this is where I am, but this is where I want to be. Can you help me get there?

Lori Bruton: 23:49

So I think of it as a blend of personal growth and travel adventures and just the simple joys that make life rich and fulfilling.

Lori Bruton: 23:59

So I can share lessons from my travels, because not only are there very silly stories, there's like lessons or, like you said, workarounds of here's what happened, here's what I did or here's what I learned that I can do differently next time, and insights from what I've learned with my coaching and just getting the message to people that they're capable more than they realize.

Lori Bruton: 24:27

Basically, I'd say I'd describe it as a space where faith meets freedom and where transformation is possible and people can just breathe a little deeper, knowing that someone truly understands and they're in the right place and that my content is relatable. And you know because I know, even though I'm telling some of my own stories and experiences and they're in the right place and that my content is relatable. And you know because I know, even though I'm telling some of my own stories and experiences, I want to also make sure the bigger piece is showing other people how they can be in a better place. You know, whatever is not ideal in their lives now doesn't have to stay that way, and then maybe inspire ideas for them, right, you know? So I'm just like a really message of hope and encouragement and just a fun place to be.

Jim Santos: 25:18

You know, I've got a couple of books myself Right for International Living and from time to time people at conferences will say you know, I always wanted to write and I'm always thinking, well, why didn't you start? Yeah, you know. Do you have any tips for people who are?

Lori Bruton: 25:34

interested in getting into freelance writing. Yes, and of course, freelance could be all different types of writing and, again, my favorite thing is the travel writing. However, I started local and, like in our local penny saver, it even says hey, if you want to write a story for us, contact us. So I've written and they've published several stories, like they in my hometown here, they brought in an old caboose from a train that has quite a bit of history to it, so I wrote an article about that that got published in a newsletter. So I'd say, just get some story ideas and look around and be aware and talk to people. And then just, there's different ways to pitch a story and it can be informal or it depends where you want to go with it.

Lori Bruton: 26:32

But when I attended a travel writing workshop in Austin, texas, years ago, oh wow, that just in fact I just still notes and I think that was 2017.

Lori Bruton: 26:46

And from there, that really taught me the skills and the process and that can be really for any type of freelance writing, but that was particularly for travel writers. And then, since then, I joined a group of writers and they're great. You know the people that run that and they put out content and I continue to learn and hone my skill and I get to go on retreats and press trips and those have been some of the best trips I've been on so that I can write articles about where I've been and they just have a wonderful organization and I actually have a link for anyone that says, hey, I want to know more about the travel writing. But, as far as freelance, there's a lot of ways to go about it and those are some of my tips off the top of my head, but I'm always willing to give more details that people are. Feel free to reach out to me and I'm sure I can come up with more stories and tips and resources.

Jim Santos: 27:55

Well, what is the best way for listeners to connect with you?

Lori Bruton: 27:58

So I'd say well, there's my newsletter out there, but also text a number or find me online and message me.

Jim Santos: 28:09

I have Linktree here and I think your email has Facebook and Instagram.

Lori Bruton: 28:14

Yes.

Jim Santos: 28:15

Well, Lori, it's been a pleasure chatting with you. It sounds like you have a lot of irons in the fire and really thank you for taking the time to talk with us today.

Lori Bruton: 28:23

Yes, it's been a pleasure to be here, and thanks for letting me share all Lori's stories. More to come.

Jim Santos: 28:32

If you'd like to learn more about Lori Bruton and her work, you can check out loribrutoncom. That's L-O-R-I-B-R-U-T-O-Ncom, and we'll have links to that site and several others that we mentioned here in the show notes. You've been listening to Travels with Jim and Rita. If you'd like to read more about where we've been, see some photos of the places you've been hearing about, check out our blog at jimsantosbookscom and our YouTube channel and Instagram for videos. Meanwhile, you can access my books, audio books and short stories at jimsantosnet, and there are links to those sites Instagram, youtube and so on in the show notes. We'd love to hear from our listeners as well, so if you have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover or you want to tell your own travel story, email us at jim at jimsantosbookscom. Until next time, remember we travel not to escape life, but so that life does not escape us.