Today we’d like to introduce you to Diane Woodford.
Hi Diane, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Big Dreams Born in The Motor City!
My story began with Love and continues to thrive in Love. I was the first born of three daughters. I made my entrance into this world in the mid 60’s, born in the Motor City otherwise known as Detroit. I was born right at the threshold of Detroit erupting into the chaos of the riots.
I was born with a fire for change already burning inside me, at a time when my city itself was on the brink of bursting into flames for its own transformation. It seemed inevitable that I would become a trailblazer, like my father.
My father was a truck driver who crossed the country and even ventured into Mexico and Canada. His only plane rides were to and from Vietnam and from everything I’ve been told, the man who returned was not the same one who left. Prior to his deployment I was just an infant and my father predicted to my mother that I would one day travel the world. Today I am a world traveler, so I guess it’s true what they say about the power of spoken words.
I was a wildly creative child, fueled by an imagination that stretched far beyond the world around me. I often pictured myself traveling across the globe, returning home to a family eager to hear every detail of my adventures.
I finally left Detroit for the first time at almost nineteen, along with my two-year-old daughter as we headed to Nashville, Tennessee. We were going to live with my daughter’s father and my soon-to-be husband who was stationed at Fort Campbell.
That departure marked the beginning of a lifetime of travel. And just as I’d always imagined, each time I returned, my family greeted me with excitement, waiting to hear where I’d been and what I’d seen.
I lived up to being the trailblazer in the family, and my adventures inspired my mother and sisters to get passports and begin charting their own paths across the world.
Fast forward to the present: we’re nearing the end of 2025, and in just a few weeks I’ll be celebrating my sixtieth year of life. I must admit, my story has been one of rich experiences filled with more highs than lows.
Through every season, love has been the constant thread, the key ingredient that continues to shape my life to this very day. As I sit and reflect on this past year, my heart overflows with gratitude especially for the incredible human beings who love me, support me, and walk this journey with me.
My story is now closer to its end than its beginning, and though I have traveled a mighty long way from the little girl who once sat on her porch in Detroit dreaming of a big, beautiful life filled with love, family, and adventure, there is still life to live and love to give.
I may not know exactly how my story will end, but this I KNOW: dreams really do come true and love always wins.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At nearly sixty years old, I live by the mantra of “Ease and Flow.” I let my peace guide me as my internal compass for how I move through the world. But it wasn’t always this way. And honestly, life gave me exactly what I believed it would: struggle.
I grew up hearing that “the struggle is real” and “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” so I expected struggle… and that’s exactly what showed up. I start my response here because it gives readers a glimpse into my mindset and how far I’ve come.
Here’s my truth: my greatest lessons and my greatest blessings have both come from my mistakes and my challenges. There were so many moments that could have sent my story spiraling in a completely different direction.
Take being a teen mom, for example. Statistically, that was supposed to be a huge “ding” against me. I actually had people tell me I had ruined my life. But against all odds, I had my baby and, in the end, love won.
One of the biggest lessons from that chapter was the power of community. It truly takes a village. Because I had such a strong village supporting me, I was inspired to become a source of support for other young mothers and women that I have met throughout my life.
In many ways, becoming a teen mom prepared me for a lifetime of leadership, mentorship, and service, a path I’m proud to have walked ever since.
Another major hurdle is that I’ve always chosen to live beyond the comfort zone. That’s hard for many people to understand, especially when they see my choices as irresponsible or reckless. For years, I tried to build a bridge between my way of living and what others considered “normal.” That effort was exhausting, frustrating, and honestly… pointless.
Nearly a decade ago, Charles and I answered a call that made absolutely no sense to anyone but us: we set out to experience life in Europe, starting with Paris. At the time, we were living comfortably in Pasadena, California, I was in my dream job, we had a wonderful community, and life was good. So, imagine the reactions when we chose to leave everything familiar to pursue an adventure that sounded, to most people, completely crazy.
And speaking of “crazy,” that’s exactly what people called us. They couldn’t understand what we were doing or why we were doing it. But instead of caving to the pressure, we kept going.
It wasn’t always easy. It was challenging, sometimes lonely, and yes, we even questioned ourselves. But every time we reached the end of our rope, something or someone would show up to remind us to keep going. A spark, a sign, a nudge… just enough to say, “You’re on the right path.”
It took nearly a decade before we finally set foot in Paris, but because we didn’t quit, once again, Love Won!
From December 2024 to January 2025, we spent thirty beautiful days in Paris, to include, Christmas, New Year’s, and my fifty-ninth birthday.
Catch this: I started the journey to Paris at forty-nine… and I finally made it to Paris and celebrated turning fifty-nine. It may sound like a long journey, but in truth, it was preparation.
During that decade, my husband Charles and I traveled across the United States spreading love and building human connections. We became published authors, launched a podcast, lived through a pandemic, and survived a near-death experience with Charles.
Looking back, we now fully understand that the magic is in the journey. The destination is just a reset, a starting point for the next chapter.
When you realize that it’s the waves that carry you forward and the mountaintops that offer the clearest views, you learn to push through the toughest waves and climb the highest mountains. Any struggle can be conquered but it begins with MINDSET.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Professionally, my story has many chapters. I’ve been retired for nearly a decade now from the healthcare sector, where I served as a Clinical Instructor for graduate nursing students. My nursing specialty was Cardiac Critical Care, a fitting foundation for my heart-centered leadership and my current role in spreading love throughout the world.
Today, I am the Executive Producer and cohost of The Love Drops Podcast, which has streamed consistently since 2020. Alongside the podcast, I am the creator of Paths2Transformation.com, a published author, international speaker, philanthropist, and One Love Ambassador.
One of the things I am most proud of right now is showing my grandkids what love looks like in action. Earlier this year, when fires devastated Altadena, Charles and I returned to the States from Porto, Portugal to support family and friends who lost everything.
Three of our grandkids live in California, and we brought them with us as we served, distributing gift cards, socks, and toiletries to people directly and indirectly affected by the fires. I have always believed that actions speak louder than words, and I know that our love mission left a positive imprint on our grandkids for how they will “love forward.”
What sets me apart is that I am free to live my message of love unapologetically, regardless of what is said or done around me. I stand firmly in the truth of One Love. And when I’m not invited to the table, I build my own not just for myself, but for anyone who needs a seat at the table of ONELOVE.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along the way is that we are all connected. In pursuit of my dreams in life, especially the journey to Paris so many people that Charles and I met along the way were genuinely cheering us on.
Looking back, I also came to understand those who drifted away early on. Our journey was “frightening,” even for us, and it made others confront what was calling them. It’s much easier to ignore your own calling when you’re not constantly reminded of it.
I truly believe that many who ghosted Charles and me weren’t doing it out of malice, they were avoiding the discomfort of facing their own dreams, or the fear that being close to us might spark an adventure in them they weren’t ready to pursue.
Once we stopped trying to explain ourselves, everything began to flow with far more clarity and ease. And when we finally arrived in the City of Lights also known as Paris, we could feel the love and support of people from all over the world who had supported and followed our journey.
One of the coolest surprises was how our love and light connected us with other expats in Paris, and together we celebrated and joyfully called ourselves “Christmas Misfits in Paris!”
My greatest lesson of all is that; Love wins and dreams really do come true.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paths2transformation.com/ourstory
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-woodford-7708a435
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@lovedropspodcast
- Other: https://www.paths2transformation.com/after-care
