Rita Avellar is a writer, filmmaker, and creative entrepreneur who transforms real stories into art that makes people think. As the founder of Avellar LLC, she leads projects that blend storytelling, marketing, and web design— from writing to brand strategy. A two-time breast cancer survivor, she uses creativity as a tool for healing and reinvention. Through her work, including The Fat Lady short film and The Thriving Creative Summit, Rita empowers women to own their stories and turn them into purpose-driven work. Born in Rio and based in Indianapolis, she continues to bridge cultures, creativity, and courage in everything she creates.
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Jesse Ramos Jr. is a New York City–based Transformation Artist, speaker, and founder of BBT Fitness NYC.
Once a top banker with 14 years of success, Jesse spent two decades battling alcohol, self-hate, and the pain of hiding his sexuality in the 90s. His struggles led to heartbreak, burnout, and even jail—but it was the loss of his grandmother that pushed him to rebuild his life completely. He got sober, lost 90 pounds, and moved from California to New York City to start over with purpose and peace.
Today, Jesse coaches high performers, executives, and creatives to do the same—helping them break destructive cycles, rebuild confidence, and realign their lives through his Good Enerj method. Featured in Forbes, iHeartRadio, and Daily Mail, Jesse proves that no matter how far you’ve fallen, you can rise again—and live a life that finally feels like yours.
Connect with Jesse on Instagram
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Dr. Karissa Thomas is an award-winning author, global leadership strategist, and creator of the Mosaic Intelligence Method™—a living framework that helps leaders build emotional integrity, cultural flexibility, and identity agility in high-pressure environments. Her work spans disaster zones, classrooms, and corporate boardrooms, translating lived experience into practical tools for leaders, educators, and teams worldwide.
Through her books, Dr. Thomas helps leaders transform tension into trust and belonging. She equips them with the language, presence, and emotional resilience to guide others through change—not from above, but alongside them.
Connect with Dr. Karissa Thomas on LinkedIn
Visit Dr. Karissa Thomas Website
More about her books and method
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Princella Talley is a writer, ghostwriter, and editor with experience spanning the U.S., South America, and the Caribbean. As a digital entrepreneur, she has created content for Fortune 500 companies and globally recognized brands. Princella also cares deeply about environmental protection and personal wellness. Her sociopolitical commentary and creative work have reached millions of readers worldwide.
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Hady Méndez is a NY-based bestselling author, Latina speaker, and ERG coach. She currently serves as the Director of Programs for Lean In Latinas. She is also the founder and CEO of Boldly Speaking LLC, a company that is transforming the professional experiences of underestimated professionals by providing them with the skills to rise and thrive in the corporate world or in whatever path they choose. With a diverse career spanning over twenty-five years, Hady has served as head of equality for a major tech firm, held multiple customer-facing roles in high tech and financial services, served as a leader and advisor across various ERGs, dedicated two years to working with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women internationally, and served as Community School Director at an elementary school in the South Bronx. Hady’s essays have been featured in Business Insider and #WeAllGrow Latina, and herthought leadership has been leveraged by organizations such as Lean In Latinas, Power To Fly, Prospanica, and many others. Hady is a Latinas in Tech Luminarias 2022 honoree, a Women of ALPFA 2023 Latinas to Watch, a 2024 LinkedIn Top Coaching & Mentoring Voice, and the recipient of HACE’s 2025 Mujer Maravilla Award.
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About Michelle Smith: Hi, I’m Michelle Smith, LPC, LMHC, LCMHC, a licensed online therapist in Florida, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Oregon, dedicated to guiding clients through their healing with compassion and authenticity. My trauma-informed, eclectic, and client-centered approach integrates therapy modalities like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Clinical Hypnosis, Intensive Therapy, Couples Therapy, and Group Therapy to support clients in navigating the complexities of grief, trauma, anxiety, depression, and more.
My virtual therapy services are tailored to my clients' unique and specific needs. I create a safe, affirming environment to process trauma, grief and loss, and other life challenges while rewiring the subconscious patterns that keep clients feeling ‘stuck’ in perpetual loops.
By targeting the 90% of the brain that drives subconscious thoughts, and behaviors I help my clients shift their negative core beliefs, reducing emotional distress over past wounds and experiences, and changing thinking patterns for good. My clients report feeling relief and experiencing meaningful change after just a few sessions.
My virtual therapy groups include groups for grief and loss, trauma recovery, relationship loss & separation, motherhood transitions, and introduction to clinical hypnosis, help foster connection during the healing journey which can feel isolating. I offer a space to share and grow with others facing similar challenges.
Whatever your therapy needs, my goal is to help you find resilience and hope, achieving results faster than a traditional therapy model.
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Lauren is a former teacher, having started in Special Education before transitioning to become an English Language Arts/English as a Second Language teacher. She is fascinated by everything having to do with language and linguistics. She can explain arcane points of grammar with enthusiasm and joy, possibly a consequence of her Autism Spectrum Disorder. Although teaching is rarely seen as a glamorous job, Lauren has had the pleasure of teaching in places that people often consider exotic, like China and Alaska.
Although Lauren’s 29-year marriage ended in divorce, she remains grateful that her marriage also yielded her beloved daughter Robyn. Robyn and her husband Michael produced Drew, who is the apple of his Nana’s eye.
Lauren began playing the guitar at age 10. She eventually developed her musical ability to include songwriting. Other interests include a large variety of fabric and fiber hobbies, growing and using herbs, stained glass, beadwork, and jewelry making.
Lauren lives in a log cabin near Fairbanks, Alaska, along with Shadow, a grumpy poodle, Shenanigans, a Lab mix, and Sir-the-Cat, who runs the household.
Cody: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Dog
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Jason Polk has been a couples therapist for over ten years. The reason he became one was because of a divorce. Jason remarried and started a family. He has two young daughters, and he owns a couples therapy agency in Denver, CO.
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Estefana Johnson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and experienced trauma therapist with over two decades of experience in mental health. She began her career in 2001 as a Behavioral Health Technician, briefly stepping away in 2005 to teach in Japan. Her diverse background spans multiple roles and settings, including residential treatment for at-risk youth and medical social work, giving her a well-rounded perspective on mental health care.
As the Director of Clinical Training for ARISE Alliance Institute, Estefana Johnson oversees the professional development and training of clinicians on Critical Memory Integration (CMI™). Her role involves designing and implementing comprehensive training curricula for mental health professionals to enhance clinical skills, particularly in trauma-focused care, PTSD treatment, and therapeutic interventions. Estefana also develops and delivers trauma-informed programming tailored to the needs of at-risk populations, bringing these services directly into community-based settings to ensure accessible, responsive care where it’s needed most.
Connect with Estefana
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Mary Alice Stephens is a creative nonfiction storyteller. As a television writer-producer for HGTV, Food Network, and other media outlets, she shared others’ stories on everything from outdoor adventures to home improvement. In her debut book, Uncorked, Mary shares her own powerful story of alcoholism, recovery, and starting life anew at 45. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Dominican University of California and resides in Northern California. When not writing, she can often be found cyber-stalking her teens, planning her family’s next adventure, or searching for her elusive phone. For more, visit her website
Mary's Memoir: Uncorked: A Memoir of Letting Go and Starting Over by Mary Alice Stephens
Getting sober is one thing, staying sober another…
With a glorious bang, alcohol freed Mary Stephens from her lonely, self-critical teenage shell and fueled Fun Mary. For three decades, booze had been her best friend, the reliable spark igniting good times and (she thought) good friendships. But Fun Mary had a dark side: debilitating hangovers, blackouts, and perilous behavior. Not even a three-story fall that left her in a body cast could stop her from drinking. But finally, after putting her young son in danger and her marriage in jeopardy, Fun Mary had to go.
Now sober at age 45, everything Mary once cherished becomes a trigger—date nights with her husband, friendships centered around wine, and a father who expresses his love through alcohol. This new Sober Mary is lonely and vulnerable—feelings she drank to escape. Now what? Told with heart and humor, Uncorked: A Memoir of Letting Go and Starting Over is the powerful, inspiring, and relatable story of a woman's pursuit of a better life through sobriety.
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The content of this episode may be triggering for some listeners. Listen with discretion.
Angie Hawkins is a Self-Love Coach who empowers empathetic women who’ve lost themselves in people-pleasing and toxic dynamics to reignite their self-worth so they can set stronger boundaries, learn to trust their intuition, and love themselves fiercely. She is the author of Running in Slippers, a raw and vulnerable memoir about resilience after emotional rock bottom. Angie has moved from Chicago to Hawaii on her own, jumped out of a helicopter and into the ocean Navy SEAL-style, bungee jumped, skydived, and cliff jumped, yet is still terrified about allowing herself to be seen.
Connect with Angie
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Blanka Molnar is a conscious parenting coach, speaker, and the founder of Awarenest, a coaching company dedicated to helping parents heal multigenerational traumas and overcome challenges related to raising children.
She is a Certified Family Constellation® practitioner. Her proprietary blend of using the Family Constellation® therapy, meditation, and other holistic exercises and tools helps parents see nearly instant results. Typical issues Blanka’s clients come to her with include raising “spirited children” who may have special needs related to ADHD, other neurodivergent conditions, bullying, and emotional regulation.
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After a devastating nervous breakdown in 2010, Ivory Crump's life changed forever.
What followed was a powerful journey of healing from childhood abuse, religious trauma, and the suffocating weight of shame and silence. Once trapped in a cycle of control, fear, and spiritual distortion, Ivory found freedom by confronting her pain, deconstructing toxic beliefs, and rediscovering her inner voice.
Through therapy, spiritual awakening, and deep inner work, she unearthed her true identity—and now she helps others do the same. As a spiritual coach and creator of the S.T.E.P.S. to Freedom Method, Ivory guides women through the shadows of religious trauma into a place of purpose, self-trust, and spiritual wholeness. Her work is a testament to what’s possible when we stop surviving and start reclaiming our power.
Connect with Ivory, Email: ivorypcrump@gmail.com
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After a successful 39-year career in the software industry, Nancy retired in August 2023. Nancy spent her last 16 years as the General Manager of Strategic Operations for Verint Systems, where she spearheaded global strategies and their implementation across the business. A respected industry voice, Nancy frequently addressed audiences across the world on the future of technology and Verint's strategic vision. She also lent her expertise through board positions for tech startups and various non-profit organizations.
Alongside her professional achievements, Nancy navigated the challenging world of caregiving. In 2015, she began caring for her husband who was living with frontotemporal dementia. She also supported her father-in-law, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019, and helped her mother care for her father, who lived with Parkinson's disease starting in 1999. All three passed away in 2024.
Nancy's experience balancing a demanding career and her caregiving responsibilities highlighted the scarcity of practical, candid resources for dementia caregivers. Frustrated by the lack of accessible, day-to-day guidance on challenging topics, she recognized a critical gap in support for the millions facing similar situations.
A discussion on this topic with her long-time friend and former colleague, Sue Ryan, led to the creation of The Caregiver's Journey, a nonprofit focused on supporting dementia caregivers. Drawing on their combined experiences and insights gathered from other caregivers, they provide honest, practical advice for those on similar paths. Their 35-year friendship and shared professional background provide a strong foundation for this venture.
Nancy brings her business expertise, caregiving experience, and acquired knowledge as a Certified Caregiving Consultant to The Caregiver’s Journey, where she continues to channel her passion for improving the lives of dementia caregivers.
Connect with Nancy on Instagram
Email: nancy@thecaregiversjourney.org
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This episode is a compilation of poems written and performed by Dayne Christopher Anderson.
Dayne Anderson is a poet, author, project manager, and aspiring entrepreneur whose life is driven by faith, love, and a powerful desire to help others grow—spiritually, creatively, and financially. He discovered poetry at 16 after writing a heartfelt piece for someone he cared about, and from there, his words began to flow on any topic that stirred his heart. When Dayne gave his life to Christ, his writing took on new depth, exploring love, purpose, and the beauty of human relationships through a spiritual lens.
His journey to Canada is a central part of his story—one he’s currently documenting in an upcoming book that reflects on the ups and downs of leaving his homeland, building a new life, and the many people who shaped him personally and professionally along the way. At the heart of that story is the faith that strengthened him after surrendering his life to God, giving him clarity, direction, and peace amidst life’s uncertainties.
Dayne credits his parents for being a bedrock in that journey—their love and support pivotal to his success. They always encouraged his passions, including his writing, even after a funny but heartbreaking moment when his mother accidentally threw away over 300 of his poems. Sharing his voice hasn’t always come easily—he once struggled with confidence after being criticized—but he made the choice to rise above the noise, trust God, and speak his truth. His words may not sound perfect, but they’re real, honest, and grounded in a desire to reflect true life, not the filtered highlight reels we see online.
With both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration, Dayne works professionally as a project manager. He’s also deeply passionate about financial empowerment, guiding others through the world of stocks and securities to help them build a solid financial future. One of his long-term goals is to launch a fintech business—one designed to break down barriers and bring financial wisdom to more communities.
His debut book, The Greatest of These is Love, is available on Amazon, and he continues to write with hopes of publishing more in the years to come. Whether through his poetry, financial advice, or genuine encouragement, Dayne is someone who leads with love. If you reach out to him, he will always seek to offer a kind word, guidance, or a helping hand.
Follow his journey and poetry on Instagram and Facebook
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Weam Namou,
Born in Baghdad to an ancient lineage called the Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians who still speak Aramaic), Weam Namou emigrated to the U.S. at age ten. She is an Eric Hoffer award-winning author of 21 books, an international multi-award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and poet. Her two feature films have earned over 50 global awards from festivals in New York, France, Sweden, Italy, India, and beyond. She wrote and directed Pomegranate, the first Iraqi American feature film, released to 25 countries in March 2025 during Women’s History Month. In 2024, she received a Kresge Arts in Detroit Fellowship for Directing.
Weam has served in numerous leadership roles, including as Executive Director of the Chaldean Cultural Center, home to the world’s only Chaldean Museum, Ambassador for the Authors Guild of America [Detroit Chapter], Vice President of Detroit Working Writers, and host of a weekly TV show. She is the founder of The Path of Consciousness, a spiritual and writing community, and Unique Voices in Films, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Her essays, articles, and poetry have appeared in national and international publications such as World Literature Today, Acumen (England), and The Transnational (Germany). As a keynote speaker, she has delivered readings, lectures, and workshops at cultural and educational institutions worldwide.
Weam earned a Communications degree from Wayne State University and broadened her education through global travel, studying fiction, memoir, and screenwriting at institutions including the University of New Orleans in Prague and the Motion Picture Institute of Michigan. She also learned ancient philosophies from Indian and Native American teachers, as well as the late internationally bestselling author Lynn V. Andrews.
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Colin Potts is the Chief Operating Officer of Regenerative Orthopedics & Sports Medicine (ROSM), overseeing nine clinics and a team of nineteen providers. With over thirteen years in regenerative medicine, Colin has helped expand ROSM’s services, including launching the Regenerative Pelvic Institute and Regenerative Aesthetics & Cosmetic Medicine. A passionate advocate for amputees and people with disabilities, Colin shares his own journey of overcoming adversity—like the loss of his leg and his brother—to inspire others. With a warm smile and an infectious positivity, Colin is dedicated to teaching others the importance of resilience, acceptance, and finding joy after loss.
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Cathryn Baker is a dynamic coach, consultant, and keynote speaker who brings decades of experience and a passion for personal growth to every engagement. Over her 37-year career, Cathryn co-founded and successfully exited two staffing companies, gaining invaluable expertise in leadership, operations, and sales.
After discovering her "unlived life" on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country, she pivoted to launch a coaching and consulting company dedicated to helping businesses develop their talent—particularly mid-level managers poised to become the leaders of tomorrow. Cathryn's approach blends her coaching expertise with real-world business insights to bridge the gap for mid-level managers, transforming them into high-impact leaders.
As a keynote speaker, Cathryn inspires audiences with her signature talk, "Your Unlived Life is Waiting for You", an engaging mix of storytelling and actionable strategies to help individuals unlock their potential and pursue their dreams. Her innovative and interactive workshops develop the skills managers and leaders need to create a coaching culture.
Now residing on the ranch in East Texas with her husband, Cathryn is driven by her passion for helping people discover their true potential and take meaningful action to achieve it.
Cathryn holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She earned a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) certification through iPEC’s ICF accredited program and is a certified Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Master Practitioner. She is also an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
Email: cbaker@thinkavanzara.com
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Taylor Bowden is the creator of Life's Value Learning, a platform designed to help anyone master their mind and ultimately build the life they desire. He believes the world is filled with opportunities waiting to be manifested and brought into reality. However, many of us including Taylor himself at one point has allowed mental barriers to stand between us and our deepest desires.
Often, we begin to doubt what we're capable of, which can lead us to avoid even trying. Taylor once held that same perspective until he discovered the incredible potential of the mind, especially in the state of positivity.
Once he realized that the world is experienced through perspective, he began viewing life from new angles that empowered him to excel in everything he pursued. Today, his mission is to motivate others and help them achieve a calm, focused state of mind so they can live in a world full of abundance and opportunity.
Taylor plans to inspire thousands if not millions because he truly believes that we all possess extraordinary potential.
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About Janet Bayramyan: With over eight years of experience as a trauma therapist, I have had the privilege of working with diverse clients across various age groups and backgrounds. It has been a privilege to have individuals of all types of backgrounds share their personal stories with me. I have experience working with individuals with a history of trauma and addictions, couples facing relationship challenges, and individuals experiencing significant life transitions. I approach therapy from a supportive and strengths based perspective, always considering one’s strengths, cultural background, and identity.
While I provide tools to cope using a range of specialties, my ultimate goal is to delve into the core issues and help strengthen your ability to hold your own pain and heal. I believe that everyone possesses a powerful story, and I merely help guide you to creating harmony and inner acceptance. I do not view moments of pain as indicators of brokenness but as opportunities to slow down, gain a deeper understanding, find meaning, and develop more effective coping strategies.
As a certified EMDR and Brainspotting psychotherapist, I specialize in trauma resolution and healing. I am also trained in Attachment Focused EMDR, the Havening Techniques, Internal Family Systems (IFS) level 1 and 2, also known as parts work, and other trauma modalities. Through the lens of EMDR and IFS, I assist clients in understanding and processing how trauma has impacted their body, their nervous system, and their ability to feel safe and calm in the world.
My approach to working with clients is collaborative and supportive. I want to assure you that what you bring to the therapy room is not going to be overwhelming or intimidating to me. I am committed to honoring and holding space for your experiences and all of the different parts of you. Together, we will work towards finding relief and creating the life you desire.
In addition to my clinical practice, I am an active member of the EMDR International Association, Brainspotting Inc., and the Internal Family Systems Institute. I hold a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California and completed my Bachelor’s degree at California State University Northridge.
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