Episode 361 - Beach Cities Gateway: Turning Personal Experience into Purpose with Debbie Murad

Success is Subjective: Real People. Raw Stories. Embracing a Non-Linear Life!

Success is Subjective: Real People. Raw Stories. Embracing a Non-Linear Life!
Episode 361 - Beach Cities Gateway: Turning Personal Experience into Purpose with Debbie Murad
Aug 11, 2026 Season 4 Episode 361
Joanna Lilley, MA, NCC

Debbie Murad spent years chasing achievement before realizing that purpose—not prestige—was what truly guided her career. From nonprofit leadership and clinical social work to teaching graduate students at USC, each chapter of her journey prepared her for something she never expected: creating a program inspired by both her professional experience and her own daughter's challenges navigating life after high school.

In this episode of Success is Subjective, Debbie shares how supporting neurodivergent young adults reshaped her understanding of success, why allowing her daughter to fail became an important turning point, and how those experiences led her to found Beach Cities Gateway. Together, she and Joanna explore purpose, parenting, life after high school, and why there is no one-size-fits-all path to adulthood. 

Debbie's Resources: 

Connect with Joanna Lilley  

Therapeutic Consulting Association

Lilley Consulting Website

Lilley Consulting on Facebook 

Lilley Consulting on YouTube
Email: joanna@lilleyconsulting.com

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Episode Artwork Episode 361 - Beach Cities Gateway: Turning Personal Experience into Purpose with Debbie Murad 25:00 Episode Artwork Episode 360 - Treatment, Character Development, and a Mission to Help Young Adults: Meet Theo Puccio, the 25-Year-Old Behind ORCA Recovery 27:00 Episode Artwork Episode 359 - The Canary in the Coal Mine: Finding Answers When Nothing Else Has Worked with Karla Gomez 22:01 Episode Artwork Episode 358 - Redefining Independence: Why Every Young Adult's Journey Looks Different with Kasey Bradshaw 21:03 Episode Artwork Episode 357 - From the Ivy League to Prison: Ken Miller's Extraordinary Journey Back to Purpose 25:13 Episode Artwork Episode 356 - Supporting vs. Saving: Loving a Child Through Addiction with Jenna Mathias 29:42 Episode Artwork Episode 355 - Make Magic Within Your Limitations: Adam Salzman on Gap Years, Travel, and Personal Growth 23:08 Episode Artwork Episode 354-Before Soul Fire Parenting: The Unexpected Journey That Led Don Campbell Here 28:39 Episode Artwork Episode 353-Inclusion in Action: Creating Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities with Kyle & Brent Pease 17:49 Episode Artwork Episode 352 - From the Stage to Student Support: An Unexpected Path to Purpose with Risher Reddick 26:02 Episode Artwork Episode 351 - Preparing Students With Disabilities for College Independence and Self-Advocacy with Annie Tulkin 26:50 Episode Artwork Episode 350 - From Hong Kong to Addiction Treatment: How Human Connection Shaped a 38-Year Career with Brian Coon 25:57 Episode Artwork Episode 349 - When the Ship Is Sinking: Addiction, Chronic Illness, and the Brave Decision to Pursue Recovery with Madison Burke 27:31 Episode Artwork Episode 348 - From Side Passions to Purpose: Cultivating Self-Trust Through Creativity with Aideen Ni Riada 24:36 Episode Artwork Episode 347 - Beyond Traditional ABA: Supporting Neurodivergent Families Through Connection and Regulation with Jerrod Zertuche 28:43 Episode Artwork Episode 346 - Running on Empty: Burnout, Boundaries, and a More Sustainable Way Forward with Dana Skaggs 27:08 Episode Artwork Episode 345 - Chasing Money, Finding Meaning: A Different Kind of Return with Rebecca Guez 20:58 Episode Artwork Episode 344 - Running, Numbing, Rebuilding: The Life I Didn’t Plan with Clay Cross 29:22 Episode Artwork Episode 343 - 30 Years in Death Care: What Grief Taught Me About Living and Listening with Dr. Chris Putnam 21:29 Episode Artwork Episode 342 - Beyond Motivation: Why Regulation Is the Key to Lasting Change with Jennifer Loehding 25:38 Episode Artwork Episode 341 - Delayed Independence: Understanding the Patterns That Keep Young Adults Stuck with Dr. Eric Beaudoin 27:18 Episode Artwork Episode 340 - Tough Love in Recovery: The Boundary That Changed Everything with Neill Timmons 23:27 Episode Artwork Episode 339 - From the Field to the Front Lines: Turning Personal Adversity Into Purpose with Brian McDonald 27:04 Episode Artwork Episode 338 - Felony to Faculty: How Tom Bannard Built Recovery Support on a College Campus 30:52 Episode Artwork Episode 337 - The Value of Connection: From Memphis to Mountain Bikes to Mental Health with Dr. Jack Hinman 23:55