She Flatlined… and Found Peace: The Story Behind The long awaited new book- “Story to Stage”
She survived a serial killer. Then her own body tried to finish the job.
One ordinary Tuesday, Ginine Emily Smith walked up a flight of stairs… and collapsed.
In the ambulance, her heart stopped. Every number in her bloodwork hit zero.
And in that space, between life and death, she experienced something she had never felt before.
Peace.
The kind of peace that doesn’t come from performance.The kind of peace that doesn’t come from doing more, achieving more, or being more.The kind of peace that can only come from truth.
And when she woke up -everything had to change.
The Hidden Struggle No One Talks About
From the outside, Ginine had built a life most people would admire. She was a high-performing leader, a successful stage performer, a creative force, and a woman who consistently showed up, pushed through, and carried it all with strength.
But on the inside, she was depleted. Like so many women, she had quietly learned how to survive rather than truly live. She coped through constant work and relentless busyness, through wine and food, through the pressure of always being the “strong one” for everyone else. She even hid within the rhythms of church life.
Because sometimes, the greatest hiding place is a life that appears to be working.
And that’s the tension at the heart of her new book:
Story to Stage: The Badass Guide to Rising from Pain to Power:
This is not just a memoir, nor is it just another self-help book filled with inspiration and no direction. It’s a wake-up call.
A Story You Couldn’t Make Up If You Tried
In Story to Stage, Ginine pulls back the curtain on a life shaped by extremes.
Growing up in a home where addiction and depression lived in every room.
Losing her father at fifteen.
Navigating years of survival, searching, and reinvention.
And at twenty-one—unknowingly befriending the East Side serial killer, George Russell.
Yes. That kind of story.
But here’s what makes this book different:
She doesn’t tell her story for shock value.
She tells it to show you what’s possible on the other side of it because the real story isn’t what happened to her. It’s what she chose to do with it.
From Pain… to Platform
What Ginine discovered—and now teaches globally—is this:
Your story doesn’t disqualify you. It positions you.
But only if you learn how to own it.
That’s where her signature RISE & ROAR frameworks come in.
This is the methodology behind Story to Stage—the same system she uses to help women, leaders, and creatives go from unknown to unforgettable.
This is not through performing or pretending- But by becoming fully aligned.
RISE — The Internal Shift
- Reconnect to your identity and voice
- Integrate your past instead of hiding it
- Storytell with truth, not trauma
- Empower yourself into aligned action
ROAR — The External Activation
- Reveal your message
- Own your voice and presence
- Activate your platform and visibility
- Rise into influence, impact, and income
This is lived experience—refined over decades on stages, in leadership, and through real transformation.
Why This Book Hits Different
Most books will tell you to heal first… then act.
Ginine challenges that completely. Healing and action happen together.
You don’t need another decade sitting in your pain, nor do you need to be “fully healed” to begin.
You need a roadmap, a witness whose life testifies to what’s possible with God, and the truth that brings transformation.
Inside Story to Stage, readers will discover:
- Why high-achieving can actually be a form of numbing
- How to rewrite your story before it rewrites you
- The 3 keynote secrets that turn invisible women into unforgettable speakers
- Voice and embodiment techniques that make people lean in
- How to build a platform that works—even when you’re not in the room
And most importantly—How to stop hiding.
For the Woman Who Knows She Was Made for More
This book is written for the woman who appears to have it all together on the outside, yet feels deeply disconnected from her own voice, identity, and purpose. It is for the woman who has endured more than she gives herself credit for—who has survived, adapted, and carried on, but knows there is something more within her waiting to be expressed.
It is for the woman who senses a message inside her—one rooted in her experiences, her resilience, and her truth—but isn’t yet sure how to articulate it, own it, or bring it into the world with confidence and clarity. It is especially for the woman standing in her next chapter, ready to rise into a new level of visibility, impact, and alignment.
Here is the truth: You are not too old. You are not too broken. You are not too late.
Your story is not something to move past or minimize. It is your assignment—your platform for influence, your pathway to purpose, and your opportunity to lead, connect, and create meaningful impact.
The Invitation
If you do not own your story—your story will own you.
*Other people’s opinions will own you.
*Your past will own you.
But the moment you decide to rise, everything shifts.
Story to Stage: The Baddass Guide to Rising from Pain to Power (www.story-to-stage.com)
is your invitation to:
👉 Reclaim your voice
👉 Step onto your stage
👉 And build a life and platform that reflects who you truly are
Not someday. Now.
Because the world doesn’t need another perfect voice.
It needs a real one.
And yours?
It’s been waiting long enough.
🔥 Pick up the book. Begin your rise.
Get your book now on Amazon
