By Lucy M. Pritchett

We recently caught up with Liz Everman, our 2004 Most Admired Woman/Media, and we’re glad we did. Liz continues to report on Wednesday’s Child with WLKY News Channel 32 and is chair of Wednesday’s Child Incorporated, which helps recruit and provide support to adoptive families of older foster children, some with special needs.


Liz estimates that some 4,000 children in Kentucky have been adopted as a result of Wednesday’s Child, which is in its 37th year.

This energetic woman has taken on another enthusiasm. She recently received her certification in Applied Positive Psychology from The Flourishing Center in New York. Last year, Liz attended three-day classes once a month for seven months which were supplemented by online work and research. The course is designed around the model of Flourishing developed by Dr. Martin Seligman, professor at University of Pennsylvania and founder of Positive Psychology.

Photos by Trina Whalin 

“The idea is to help people build on their strengths, to broaden and build on what’s right with them instead of what’s wrong,” Liz says. “It encourages individuals to adopt practices that lead to living happy, engaged lives. There is a questionnaire that identifies one’s top 24 strengths and virtues. You take your top five or seven and build on them.”

It won’t surprise you to know that two of Liz’s top five strengths are creativity and originality and the capacity to love and be loved.

You can take the test here for free.

“I started out thinking I would take the course for myself and then realized I could use this to help the Wednesday’s Child kids. I plan on starting with a small group, those between 18 and 24 who are aging out of the foster care system.

“I’m fascinated by the science of it. To become authentically who you are and not struggling to be something you aren’t.”

On a totally different note, Liz says that Korean dramas have become another passion. They offer a look into a different culture with its fashion and makeup and food, she says. “I’ve even learned a few Korean phrases, which come in handy when I eat at Charim (a Korean restaurant in St. Matthews).” She watches these shows on DramaFever.com and viki.com. Both sites offer free streaming. Netflix also carries a selection of Korean dramas.

Liz thought of many things that work for her in life, but we narrowed them down to these three:

10 Guideposts for Wholehearted Living by Brené Brown
I read these every morning and try to live my days based on these ideals. This is the way I want to show up in the world. The words remind me that a purposeful life leads to authentic happiness. This is not just something to study but a way of life.

JBL Bluetooth portable speakers
I love music, and this way I can listen to it wherever I go. I have the waterproof tabletop speaker and the one I can clip on my belt and move around with. I also have a bluetooth earbud for the car. I listen to iHeartRadio — everything from bluegrass to Beatles, and music from the ’40s to classical, popular, and gospel. I am serious about my music.

Find My iPhone App
I use this every day! I am always losing my phone, and I can find it with this app. I use my iPad to find the phone and use the phone to find my iPad. I have left my phone in hotel rooms and in taxis. I sign in to my account and have it play a sound if my phone is somewhere in the house. If it has been lost or stolen, I can remotely lock the phone, see its location on a map, and send a message to call me if found.