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Golden girl Cindy Villanueva left home for UCLA, full of promise—and one year later was an unwed teen mom and college dropout. After suffering domestic abuse and two divorces, she was on the ropes. Don’t Fight Mad describes her journey back to the joy-filled life she enjoyed as a child.

Through deeply personal stories, Cindy shares how martial arts became a metaphor for recapturing her strength, identity, and joy. She offers a candid and authentic blueprint for those who long to rekindle the wonder of a well-lived existence.

Whether you are an avid martial artist or you assiduously avoid exercise, Don’t Fight Mad has an inspiring message of fighting for joy and living in grace.

Don't Fight Mad: A Black Belt's Quest to Recapture Joy

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Get the Companion Journal

Use this companion journal to Don’t Fight Mad to put these seven techniques to work for you:

Get in the Ring
Get in the Right Ring
Get Prepared
Get Comfortable with Punches
Don’t Fight Mad
Mix It Up
Listen to Your Coach

Join Cindy on a journey to uncover and awaken your inner black belt. The profound questions and prompts will help you recapture your love for life…and for your self. And who knows what that will bring?

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This is a wonderful book about resiliency and striving in life despite all the speed bumps we may face.
Jay Juhl
Touching story of growth but also practical application of life thoughts that help healing. Wonderful.
MusicMan
This book is for every woman who’s ever been held back, held down, or doubted herself.
Laura Wall
Read this! Cindy…makes the reader feel empowered and ready to fight for joy.
Linda Jones
This book re-awakened an excitement in me to live unafraid, full of joy, and receiving in grace.
Alison Cooper

Available Now

Finding Our Wings: Seven Entrepreneurs on Reclaiming Hope and Power

Despair, excruciating emotional pain, and loss—and yet glorious triumph. After an initial failed attempt to bring this book to life, this group of entrepreneurs felt as if their wings had been clipped. What to do?

Once again, they embraced the lessons contained in this book—stories of grit, determination, redemption, and joy. This collection of stories is a reminder of the light within us all. We can all take flight, overcome the darkness, and reclaim our strength and joy!

Audiobook available on Audiobooks.com, Bookbeat, Kobo, and Apple Books.

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Finding Our Wings: Seven Entrepreneurs on Reclaiming Hope and Power

These stories written with such vulnerability are an empowering reminder of our resilience as women.
A. Cooper
This is less #bossbabe, more real, actual resilience. After reading the stories here, I felt fearless, and you will too!
Tolly Moseley
It takes a lot of courage to write from a place of such fierce vulnerability.
Erik Harvey

About Me

Hi, I'm Cindy

I started this author journey after 20 years of living a have-to life–and finally figured out how to get the want-to life I’d dreamed of. I wrote a book about it, using martial arts as a metaphor for life.

And along the way, I started dabbling in fiction.

And now? I tell stories of women who suffer and struggle and overcome. Women who share their deepest souls with others and who face adversity and tragedy with humility, strength, and resilience.

But not without bruises along the way.

Kinda like me.

I’m a proud California girl who now calls the east coast of Florida home. My mom used to tease that I was part mermaid, the beach is such an essential part of my life. From west coast (shout out to Santa Cruz!) to the east coast, I’m never far from the water. And if my dreams come true, there’s a part-time home in Barcelona, another coastal locale and my favorite place on the planet.

I hope you’ll follow along, whether you’re a Don’t Fight Mad squad member, a love story fan (coming soon!), or a word devotee.

Speaking

Cindy is a regular podcast guest and public speaker, addressing a variety of topics including martial arts, women in leadership, and having a “want-to” life.

To book Cindy for your event, send her an email using this form.

Contact Cindy

Cindy was an inspiring and incredible speaker. She brought the audience in and took them on a journey that left everyone feeling empowered and motivated. She was exceptionally thoughtful in her presentation to ensure her story delivered the right influential punch with our MBAs.
Keiko Akashi, University of Texas at Austin
Cindy walked our leadership team through corporate culture, management, and leadership training, and we now have a foundation and path for success clearly outlined—neither of which we could have created on our own.
Alison Cooper, Research Director, Texas Diabetes & Endocrinology
I used your technique of telling someone to stop until he calmed down, and it worked like a charm. The look in his eyes was priceless. Thank you for that empowerment.
Dawn, attendee at Get Comfortable with Punches webinar