In 2008, Gloria Squitiro was legally banned from the Kansas City, MO City Hall, where her husband, Mark Funkhouser (“Funk”), was mayor. Good Morning America, Fox and Friends, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, USA Today, The Washington Post—even Great Britain’s left-wing The Guardian and America’s right-wing Rush Limbaugh—did stories about her. 

Funk calls her “a skydiver afraid of heights”—someone who figures out how to spend a cost-free summer in Europe, arranges it all, but when it’s time to leave, has an anxiety attack walking out the door.

In this first volume of her humorous, sharp-witted, and brutally honest memoir, Gloria pushes past her fears, spends the summer abroad with her family—living far outside her comfort zone—before setting up a campaign office, and eventually, without any experience, helps Funk cross the finish line—only to learn that being Kansas City’s First Lady will be more difficult than she could’ve ever imagined (but those stories are saved for later print & ebooks). 

In sharing her story of courage and becoming her New and Better Self, Gloria hopes to inspire you to also step out in faith, to make a difference where it counts, and to stand up for others … and yourself.

Despite spending years in genteel Nashville, beige Kansas City, and smugly diplomatic Washington, Gloria Squitiro is still a New York Italian girl at heart, who can’t—and won’t—stop voicing what most of us know but are unwilling to say. 

WHAT

IS

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Reaching

FOR

BRAVE?

Dreams that you have while sleeping just happen to you

But dreams that begin as a stirring in your soul are meant for action

Even if the actualization seems out of reach

OR WORSE

Within reach, but too crippling to anticipate taking the first step

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My head told me I was a neurotic homebody and I better play it safe

My heart wanted a big life

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How to resolve the CONFLICT?

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I stopped getting caught up in the logistics and started planning for my dreams

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Reaching for Brave...

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DOESN'T MEAN YOU STOP BEING AFRAID 

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IT MEANS YOU DO IT ANYWAY​

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AND COME OUT STRONGER ON THE OTHER SIDE 

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