The Power of Perseverance with Kathy Garver

The Power of Perseverance with Kathy Garver

“Visionaries and creatives tend to be more emotionally sensitive.” — Dianne A. Allen 

2020 has been a tough year for everybody which makes perseverance a relevant topic to talk about. Think about the hard times you opted to persevere when you had all the chance to give up. After all, what can you achieve by giving up? Winners in life don’t quit.

In this week’s episode, we have Kathy Garver to share with us her journey and the importance of perseverance. 

Part One of ‘The Power of Perseverance with Kathy Garver’

Back in high school, Kathy started wondering what her life purpose is. Living in Los Angeles, her mother enrolled her into a singing and dance class, with the expectation of becoming the next Shirley Temple. She didn't start working professionally until she was eight. 

Hollywood's legendary Cecil B. DeMille was one of the first to recognize Kathy's distinct talents. Originally hired for a small part in the epic motion picture "The Ten Commandments," Kathy was noticed by the great director who had special scenes written into the movie to highlight the little girl. This followed her first film, The Night of the Hunter, directed by Academy Award winner Charles Laughton.

“In the entertainment business, you have to be able to do a lot of things.” – Kathy Garver

Kathy doesn't suffer from the sometimes-exaggerated maladies common to former child actors. The hardest thing is being accepted as someone who has depth. Her parents stressed education and normalcy through her childhood and during her Family Affair days, in learning to think and work independently. 

One of the most significant conclusions of why so many famous child stars did not make the transition from being a well-renowned personage, well-reviewed, to jumping over to success is because:

One, the parents took all their money, and when they got to be 18, they didn't have anything. They were bitter and resentful.

Two, they didn't have an education or any other skill sets on which to maneuver and move on to.

Three, they got depressed because they weren't in the limelight anymore. They went from the cute little kid to the awkward teenager, and nobody was buying in Hollywood. The emotionality led them to drugs. It's a serious thing that happens to other child stars.

Part Two of ‘The Power of Perseverance with Kathy Garver’

Kathy's parents have always been supportive but when they moved from Los Angeles to San Bernardino, her awkward transition away from the limelight turned out to be a blessing in disguise. 

Ms. Garver was a freshman majoring in speech at UCLA when she was tested for a television series entitled Family Affair. Kathy, deemed "perfect" to star as "Cissy" with Brian Keith as "Uncle Bill" and Sebastian Cabot as "Mr. French" performed for five years in one of the warmest and most enduring series of the 1960s and '70s. With Anissa Jones as "Buffy" and Johnny Whitaker as "Jody," the show continues to be popular today, pleasing old and new audiences worldwide – a true classic.

“Be joyful every day and make the most of who you are.” – Kathy Garver

Kathy is also very much in demand for her numerous vocal characterizations. She's a stand out in the very competitive field of voices overs for cartoons, commercials, toys, and audiobooks. She voiced "Pepper" an automotive whiz in the Chuck Norris Karate Kommandos series and "Firestar," a mutant superhero in the Spiderman and his Amazing Friends TV series. Ms. Garver produced, narrated, and wrote lyrics and original music for eight audio Beatrix Potter tales and eight Mother Goose based audiotapes for Smarty Pants, Inc.  

Kathy's Beatrix Potter tapes have sold over two million copies and have won numerous awards.  Ms. Garver has also won two Audie Awards, one for her narration of The World's Shortest Stories, the other in 2004 for her direction of Amy Tan in The Opposite of Fate read by the author. Kathy has recorded books for Brilliance Audio, Dove, Listen, and Live and can be downloaded at the Timberwolfpress.com site. Her voice has been heard in Apollo 13 (which was awarded the Academy Award for sound), Ransom, Back Draft, and Jingle all the Way, all directed by Ron Howard.

It takes hard work, dedication, and focus to accomplish something. No matter what your talent is, use all of them to spark inspiration in others. Be proud of yourself, no matter what circumstances you're in. Don't let your negative thoughts consume you and make you think you'll never achieve your goals.

About Kathy Garver

Kathy was born in Long Beach, California to Hayes and Rosemary Garver joining her sister, Beverly, and brothers, Hayes, Jr. and Lance.  Beverly entered UCLA at a precocious 15 years old at the time Kathy started working professionally. During Ms. Garver’s teenage years, Kathy added radio and stage to her burgeoning film and television career. 

Kathy now has her own family affair. She met her husband of 33 years, business executive David Travis, on a tennis court in Palm Springs – truly a love match.  Their son Reid Garver Travis, now 23, continues the tradition of show business by appearing in national commercials, TV, movies and by doing voice overs.

Most fondly remembered for her starring role as “Cissy” in the long running CBS international television hit, “Family Affair”, Kathy Garver has also garnered critical acclaim in movies, stage, radio, voice-over animation, and audio book narration. 

Ms. Garver has used her wealth of experience and education to entertain and instruct thousands of people with her exciting and successful motivational and interactive speeches and presentations. From Keynote speaker to host to workshop leader, Kathy Garver has enriched the lives of those who have been able to listen and learn from her inspirational communications.  

Kathy is available for corporate events, hosting, emceeing, moderating groups, giving lectures, workshops, keynote addresses and tailoring specific programs for the needs of her clients.  She includes workbooks and takes home audio albums for her clients and audience members.

Today, Kathy Garver is an accomplished and versatile actress, appearing in such films as Sweet November, The Princess Diaries, MOW'S such as FBI Murders and Stay the Night with Guest Star roles on many TV shows. She is a sought-after celebrity on Game shows, winning top money for charities as she did on “Street Smarts” and other reality programs.

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