Heidi Siefkas is an author, TEDx speaker, and adventurer. Originally from small-town Wisconsin, Heidi hangs her hat in Nashville. Heidi is the author of four, inspirational non-fiction books: When All Balls Drop, With New Eyes, Cubicle to Cuba, and Look Up—Global Stories of Resilience.
For author and speaker Heidi Siefkas, the journey to her latest book, Look Up—Global Stories of Resilience, was personal from the start. Known for her signature “Look Up” mantra—created after a traumatic accident in 2010—Siefkas has long encouraged others to be present, seek beauty, and find the upside in life’s toughest moments. But in the midst of writing this collection of global resilience stories, her own world was upended once again.
“At the onset of writing the book in 2022, I felt like my compass was set on my true North and that there was no doubt in my mind that this was my purpose,” she shared. “However, when my life partner of twelve years, Brian, passed, I questioned even if Look Up was enough to make it through.” After the sudden loss of Brian in a medevac accident, Siefkas paused the project for the entire year of 2023 to grieve and heal.
But when she picked up the project again in 2024, she came back with renewed strength—and purpose. “I needed to continue the book not only for myself but the sheros, heros, and badasses that had already shared their powerful stories.”
Many of the stories feature contributors stepping forward to share their experiences publicly for the first time. While some had shared their stories with friends and family—or even written their own books—for most, seeing their stories in print in Look Up is a brand new and deeply emotional milestone. Siefkas is eager to hear how the process of telling their truths impacts their continued healing journey.
Throughout the book, one theme that surfaced again and again was the idea of being in the moment—a natural connection to the “Look Up” philosophy. “Being in the moment is something that I have found common in many ways that humans deal with challenges,” Siefkas noted. “When you are living a full-blown life catastrophe, escaping war, or sailing at night across the Pacific in a mad storm, you must be in the moment to keep your sanity and survive.”
Though she had a hunch that “Look Up” was a universal truth, she was still struck by how deeply embedded the practice was across cultures. “It wasn’t surprising,” she said, “but it was validating.”
With stories spanning continents and experiences—from war and natural disasters to addiction and immigration—Siefkas noticed both cultural nuances and a consistent thread: the human capacity to rise. “I was hypothesizing that the common thread was Look Up: being in the moment and finding the upside. And I think it was proven,” she said.
Contributors often used different language—“making lemonade out of lemons” or “finding the silver lining”—but their resilience shone through regardless of background or upbringing. “These individuals in the book are the epitome of resilience,” she explained. “But I know each would define that differently. And I’m still wondering what makes some resilient and others not… maybe that’s another book.”
Heidi Siefkas took great care in helping contributors distill their complex life experiences into focused, digestible chapters. Some interviews lasted an hour, others stretched over multiple sessions. “The goal wasn’t to write 20+ memoirs,” she explained, “but 20+ short snapshots of the pivotal moments in their lives.”
Some, like Chong Hang—whom Siefkas met as a child when her family sponsored his immigration from Vietnam—had full-circle connections to the author. Others, like Helena Summer, came with deeply layered stories that took time and care to shape. “Helena’s message is very powerful,” Heidi Siefkas noted. “Instead of getting PTSD from war in Croatia, she leaned into the moment and had Post-Traumatic Transformation. I like to use the term Post-Traumatic Growth, but potato patahto.”
To guide readers through the emotional terrain of the book, Siefkas organized the chapters into thematic sections such as “Transforming Loss and Pain into Purpose” and “From Adversity to Personal Empowerment.” “It gives the reader the choice to skip to what is more important to them,” she said.
Each story, whether it involved sudden trauma—like Pamela Reader’s escape from the Lahaina fire—or long-term challenges, like Krystle Knight’s battle with addiction and homelessness, revealed the same truth: “All the stories tapped into that power of perspective, the moment, and eventually seeing the obstacle almost as a gift or a tattoo of honor.”
While the Look Up mantra hasn’t changed in meaning for Siefkas, it has been reinforced. “One can implement Look Up anywhere and anytime; it is useful in your lowest low or just while you are stuck in an annoying TSA line or traffic jam,” she said. “We only have the power to change our perspective and be in the moment.”
And if there’s one lesson readers take away from this tapestry of resilience? Siefkas puts it simply: “You have a choice. Each roadblock or impasse you come to, you can choose to stay the same course or switch your mindset and reset your compass to another true North that serves you… Just remember, take the time to pause, reflect, and always… look up.”
