Angela interviews Jody Hudson, author of My Promise to Alex, motivational speaker,

and founder of the Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation about her daughter Alex’s years-long

medical mystery that began with joint pain in fifth grade, escalated in high school, and

was finally diagnosed as Lyme disease after 40 doctors in 2017. Jody describes the

emotional toll of dismissal by the medical community, the complexity of Lyme treatment

and co-infections, and balancing cross-country care while working full time as a single

mother. She shares how faith sustained them, the moment of Alex’s death and the

“parting gift” Jody received, and how donations helped launch the foundation in 2018 to

support treatment costs. Jody explains how writing her book aided her grief and offers

guidance on support, faith, and honoring a child’s legacy.

https://www.alexhudsonlymefoundation.org/

https://www.facebook.com/jody.hudson.16/

https://www.instagram.com/jkutahudson/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jody-hudson-20a7963a

Angela interviews Kristen Swan, a former business coach now devoted to life and spiritual guidance, about the power of story, curiosity, and self-discovery. Kristan describes three “buckets” of story—stories we tell ourselves, inherited stories, and stories we share—and compares storytelling to visual art as a way to reveal universal human truths and reduce isolation. They discuss vulnerability, using journaling prompts to begin, and how consistent pen-to-paper reflection helps identify patterns, joy, and the nuances of connection, especially for introverts. Kristen explains how reflecting on past outcomes can restore hope amid a heavy world, and she explores anger, grief, acceptance, and letting go through personal examples involving family relationships and divorce.

https://kristanswan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kristan.swan/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristanbrowne/

Angela welcomes energy healing practitioner and author Dana Wylder, who shares how trauma, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation preceded her multiple sclerosis diagnosis and sparked a deep exploration of mind-body healing. Dana explains the yogic model of the five koshas, arguing that chronic illness often arises “upstream” and can’t be addressed through physical treatment alone. They discuss reducing external noise and toxic inputs, listening to symptoms as messages, creating space through “being” before “doing,” and becoming your own health advocate amid overwhelming and conflicting advice. Dana describes sound healing with tuning forks, patterns she’s observed in autoimmune personalities, and how symptoms can mirror inner states.

https://www.energyovermatter.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558718325925

https://www.youtube.com/@energyovermatter

https://www.instagram.com/energy.over.matter/

Angela interviews Dr. Lise Janelle, founder of the Heart Freedom Method and co-authoring a new book with Jack Canfield, about turning grief and hardship into healing and purpose. Dr. Lise shares how a series of losses in 1988—her father’s terminal cancer diagnosis, her 21-year-old brother’s death, and the end of a long relationship—sparked a lifelong mission to help others release emotional blocks. Drawing on Neuro Emotional Technique and the power of gratitude, she developed a method that identifies stuck emotional responses without needing physical contact. They discuss how challenges can build “wings,” how gratitude and opening the heart can reduce pain, and tools like her Best Friend Journal, online program, and in-person intensives to help people reconnect with love, meaning, and resilience.

http://drliseelite.com/

https://www.facebook.com/drlise

https://www.youtube.com/@drlisejanelle

http://www.instagram.com/drlisejanelle.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlise

Podcast host Angela interviews Jessica Taylor, who describes a severe brain injury that erased much of her memory and education, brought profound grief to her and her family, and left her without adequate medical support in Toronto. Jessica says she rebuilt her life through determination, extensive reading, and 20 years of research that led to her book A Spiritual Awakening and her memoir From Tragedy to Triumph: Reawakening My Broken Brain, aiming to help families understand brain injury and offer a new perspective on life. She recounts experiences of altered consciousness, spontaneous poem writing, and a lasting disappearance of jealousy, anger, and envy, and discusses ideas about the synaptic cleft, vibration/frequency, universal consciousness, oneness with nature, and reincarnation, including theological discussions with a retired Roman Catholic canon and research claims about church history and Jesus.

http://jessicaetaylor.org/

https://www.facebook.com/Yiska9/

Angela interviews professional artist Devorah Brinkerhoff, who created “Soul Portraits,” a mixed-media healing practice using personal materials like letters, photographs, journal pages, and legal documents to transform trauma and release old stories. Devorah describes how creativity is often dismissed in Western achievement culture, yet drawing and painting helped her self-connect, self-witness, and survive when words and even therapy couldn’t fully hold her experience. She shares how family conflict, lawsuits, and efforts to protect her children from sexual abuse led her to intuitively rip, reassemble, and paint over painful documents, creating relief and a sense of reclaiming herself. Devorah explains how her process supports grief, shame, and fear gently and at one’s own pace, and offers commissions, courses, workshops, and upcoming smaller, more accessible mini commissions via social media.

https://www.soulportrait.art/

https://www.facebook.com/devorahbrinckerhoff/

https://instagram.com/devorahbrinckerhoff

https://www.tiktok.com/@soulportrait.art

Angela welcomes grief and widow coach Kari Driskell, who was widowed at 38 with two young daughters, and discusses a direct, “no BS” approach to grief. Kari shares how platitudes and toxic positivity felt invalidating, why she believes there’s a difference between lifelong grief and “actively grieving,” and how healing can restore a fuller sense of aliveness rather than capping life at a reduced “new 100%.” She recounts her husband Eric’s sudden death from a massive brain aneurysm in 2017, the difficult aftermath of parenting through loss, and how she sought tools, experts, and community to rebuild her life without “letting go” of her person. Kari also explains her Red Folder Project—an “in case I die” folder covering key plans, contacts, wishes, and documents—and encourages listeners to take what serves them and leave the rest.

Kari Driskell :: Grief & Widow Coach

https://facebook.com/KariDriskellLLC

https://instagram.com/Grief.Coach.KariDriskell

https://www.tiktok.com/@karidriskell

Podcast host Angela interviews attorney, CPA, life coach, and author Stanley F. Bronstein, who describes losing his mother at age eight, receiving little explanation or support, and experiencing decades of delayed grief that contributed to obesity and disconnection. He recounts weight fluctuations through college, law school, and adulthood, a pivotal moment near age 50 when he weighed 320 pounds and committed to permanent lifestyle change, quitting alcohol and soda, progressively changing his diet to vegan, and building a daily walking practice that eventually reached 13–15 miles a day; he reports losing 220+ pounds naturally and walking 72,000 miles. A later family funeral triggered long-suppressed tears, and a return visit to his childhood home and parents’ graves brought forgiveness and closure. He shares lessons about being “more powerful than you imagine,” advocates excellence over perfection (“beat yesterday”), outlines key change factors (willingness, belief, discipline, commitment), and promotes his free resources: The Way of Excellence and the Million Pound Weight Loss Challenge.

Website: https://thewayofexcellence.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanleybronstein/