Whenever someone asks me for a word that describes how I want to live, my answer is always the same.

Freedom.

Not just personal freedom, but freedom in my mind, my body, and my spirit. Maybe that comes from being raised Catholic, or maybe it’s simply my wild spirit that has never wanted to be contained.

So when I read Shaka Senghor's How to Be Free: A Proven Guide to Escaping Life’s Hidden Prisons, I knew I needed to have him back on the podcast.

Because this message isn’t just for people who have been behind bars. You don’t need a prison cell to feel imprisoned.

It’s for anyone lying awake replaying something they wish they could let go of. Anyone who can’t move past a loss. Anyone whose carefully built walls are keeping even joy out.

Shaka Senghor is known for his remarkable journey from solitary confinement to the C-suite. He is a New York Times bestselling author, a resilience teacher, and one of the most powerful voices we have on transformation, healing, and justice.

In his latest book, he names the hidden prisons that keep us stuck. They are not made of concrete and steel, but of grief, anger, shame, and fear.

And here is the truth that changes everything.

These prisons have doors.

In This Episode, We Explore

Grief
Shaka begins his book with grief for a reason. We talk about loss in a deeply human way, including the death of his beloved dog and his brother. In one of the most moving moments of our conversation, he shares how he refused to let his dog’s passing go unacknowledged, even taking legal action against the care center responsible. This is grief met with both love and accountability.

Anger
What does it mean to be the master of your emotions rather than a prisoner of them? He reframes anger as something that, when understood, can become a source of power and agency rather than destruction.

Shame
In one of the most courageous moments of the conversation, Shaka speaks openly about sexual abuse as a man and the silence that surrounds it. At a time when so many men carry this in isolation, his willingness to name it matters deeply.

Hope and Joy
There is light here, too. This conversation is not just about surviving. It is about learning how to live. He reminds us that joy is not something we earn after suffering. It is available to us now.

Shaka spent nineteen years in the Michigan prison system, including seven years in solitary confinement. Since his release, he has become a leading voice on resilience, healing, and personal transformation. His work has been featured on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, and How to Be Free is a roadmap for anyone who has ever felt stuck.

Which, if we’re honest, is all of us.

Hidden prisons are real. They are built from our pain, our past, and the stories we carry about who we are.

But as he reminds us through both his life and his work, the door is always there.

You just have to be willing to walk through it.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

With love,
Molly

🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Shaka Senghor

Website | Instagram

How to Be Free — available wherever books are sold

Molly Carroll:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Now accepting new therapy clients!
Learn more or schedule a session here.

Welcome to Molly's Magic.

I’m Molly.
A mom, a therapist, an author, a podcast host, and a TED speaker.
The alchemy of these roles has brought me here.

Molly's Magic is simple.
Short, meaningful, and doable steps to help you move closer to your goals.

Who is Molly's Magic for?

This is for the part of you that knows you are capable of more but cannot quite name what is getting in the way.

The part of you that feels stuck.
That senses something bigger is waiting.
That is ready, even just a little bit, to explore what that could look like.

The Story Behind Molly's Magic

I was not always the smartest, the most athletic, or the most beautiful person in the room.

But I have always had something else.
A deep, steady belief that things can happen for me in life.

And a lot of the time, they do.

From meeting the Dalai Lama, to walking into a fully booked restaurant and somehow getting a table, to getting into a Taylor Swift Eras Tour show on the floor with no ticket.

Over time, my kids started calling it Molly Magic.

What I Know to Be True

After 25 years as a therapist, and from living my own messy, beautiful, complicated life, this is what I know.

You have the magic too.

And I also know what gets in the way.

An unregulated nervous system.
A mind stuck in fight or flight.
The voice that tells you that you are not enough, or that there is not enough.
The pressure to be perfect.
Old stories that feel like truth.
Blame.
Staying stuck in the past.

These things do not just keep you unhappy.
They block your magic.

What Molly's Magic Is

Molly's Magic is about finding your magic.
Living your magic.
And gently moving the things out of the way that are keeping you from it.

You are not going to feel magical every day.
There will be hard days. Hard seasons. Moments when nothing feels possible.

You are okay when you are not okay.
And that is part of this, too.

This is about possibility and acceptance in the same breath.
Daily ritual and real therapeutic tools.
Self-love. Real, imperfect, practiced self-love.

Because when you learn to truly love yourself, you create more space for connection, for joy, and for magic in your life.

Every month, I will share one tool.
One shift.
One piece of wisdom.

Something I have learned over 25 years in the therapy room and, often, the hard way in my own life.

Short. Simple. Actionable.
Something you can begin before you even finish your coffee.

So welcome to Molly Magic.

And welcome home to you.

If this landed for you, share it with someone who might need it.

If you want more, subscribe to Cracking Open so you never miss an episode, and come find me so we can keep the conversation going.

You do not have to do any of this alone.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

With love,
Molly

🌱 Please consider supporting the podcast on Patreon.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Molly Carroll:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Now accepting new therapy clients!
Learn more or schedule a session here.

Welcome back to Part 2 of our 100th episode.

If you have not listened to Part 1 yet, pause here and go back. Truly.

Tommy, Lisa, René, Leo, and Cora brought everything. And your responses told me just how deeply it landed.

You shared that Tommy reminded you that everything you need is already inside of you.
That Lisa’s story made you want to start something new at 60.
That René’s story changed the way you see single moms and families of three.
That after listening to Cora, you wanted to sign up for her workshop on overcoming toxic friendships. Honestly, same.
And that Leo left you feeling more hopeful about your own life.

I could not have asked for more than that.

And now, we continue.

Because there are more stories to tell.
More moments to sit with.
More truth to witness.

In this second half, you will hear from some of the people who have held me together for decades.

Charlotte Hardwick, my most trusted confidante, reflects on what 100 episodes of this podcast have taught her.

Noelle Teuber, who has been running beside me, both literally and figuratively, for 15 years, shares about loss and what it means to find love again on the other side.

My husband, Adam Carroll, opens up about navigating life’s biggest transitions and what it truly means to believe in yourself when the path is not clear.

Bowen Teuber speaks honestly about the loneliness and challenge of transitioning to college and how he found himself in the middle of it.

And then there is me.

Because if I am going to ask the people I love most to crack open on this microphone, it only feels right that I do the same.

I share what it meant to show up for René after she lost Jason and how, in that moment, our group of friends became something more than friendship.

We became family.

These are not famous voices or household names.

They are the people who show up.
The people who stay.
The people who love.

And somewhere in these conversations, my hope is that you hear yourself.
That you feel a little less alone.
And that you are reminded:

Cracking open, that beautiful, messy, courageous act of being human, belongs to all of us.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

With love,
Molly

🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Molly Carroll:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Now accepting new therapy clients!
Learn more or schedule a session here.

In this special two-part 100th episode, you’ll hear something a little different—the everyday, deeply human stories of the people closest to me.

From navigating the loss of a husband to the tender uncertainty of leaving home for college. From launching a business to discovering a passion for a sport you never imagined trying at 50. From the journey of growing from boy to man, to finding resilience after heartbreak, to the quiet but powerful work of building strong friendships.

These are not famous voices or household names—and that is exactly the point.

Because cracking open doesn’t belong to the extraordinary few.
It belongs to all of us.

My hope is that somewhere in these conversations, you hear yourself. You hear your own story. And maybe, just maybe, you feel a little less alone in yours.

But to understand why this episode means so much to me, you have to know a little about the journey that brought us here.

One Hundred Episodes

One hundred episodes.
I still have to pinch myself writing those words.

When I started this podcast, I had one question I couldn’t stop thinking about:

What is your cracking open moment—and how did it change you forever?

I had no idea that question would lead me to 99 of the most extraordinary people I’ve ever had the privilege of sitting with.

From Jodie Patterson and David Nichtern, who said yes when I had absolutely no idea what I was doing… to Fr. Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries, Mary Pipher, Shaka Senghor, Elizabeth Lesser, Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Dr. Dan Siegel, Terry Real, Dr. Lisa Miller, Tami Simon, Dr. Ellen Langer, Cory Richards, Suneel Gupta, and so many more whose wisdom has changed me forever.

Guests who overcame heroin addiction, grief, incarceration, and unimaginable loss. Guests who returned a second time because one conversation wasn’t enough. Guests who became dear friends.

Every one of those 99 guests trusted me with their cracking open stories—with their vulnerability, wisdom, and kindness—and they will forever be woven into the fabric of this podcast.

And for that, I am deeply grateful.

Because here’s the truth:
I’m not Joe Rogan.
I’m not Mel Robbins.
I’m not a celebrity who decided to start a podcast.

So every single time someone said yes to me—trusted me with their time and their story—I jumped up in pure joy.

Coming Home

For episode 100, I wanted to do something that felt true to why I started this podcast in the first place.

So I turned to the people who know me best—and asked them the same question I’ve asked every guest:

What was your cracking open moment?

You’ll hear from my husband of 22 years, Adam Carroll, my son Tommy Carroll, my daughter Cora Carroll, and my brother Leo Rowen.

You’ll also hear from the friends who have held me together for decades.

Charlotte Hardwick, René Mitchell, Lisa Bermudez, Noelle Teuber, and Bowen Teuber.

My Team

And none of this would exist without my team.

Natalie, Kevin, and Chloe: this is yours too.

Ninety-nine episodes of strangers who became teachers, teachers who became friends, and stories that cracked me wide open in ways I never expected.

And now episode 100—coming home to the people who have been cracking me open my entire life without even knowing it.

It feels exactly right.

If this episode moves you, please share it with someone you love.
And if you haven’t yet, subscribe so you never miss a Cracking Open moment.

We’re just getting started.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

With love,
Molly

As we approach our 100th episode, I’ve been revisiting a few conversations that have stayed with me long after the microphones were turned off.

Bill Valentine’s episode was re-released because of the way he shared heart-centered, real-life wisdom while facing the end of his life. And today, I’m re-releasing my conversation with Serena Dugan for a different—but equally powerful—reason.

Over the years, people have stopped me on the streets of my hometown of Bend to tell me that Serena’s words gave them the courage to finally write the book that had been living inside them… or to leave a corporate job and start a small design company to help people feel more alive in their homes.

These two episodes remind us that our "cracking open" moments come in many forms. Sometimes they arrive through confronting mortality, and sometimes they arrive through choosing to trust our creativity and make brave, life-altering changes.

Serena is a beacon of authenticity and creative courage. She is an artist and textile designer based in Sausalito, California. With a background in both psychology and fine art, Serena has spent over 20 years shaping her voice as a painter, product designer, and the Chief Creative Officer of Serena & Lily, the home and lifestyle brand she founded in 2004.

In 2020, she launched Serena Dugan Studio, her namesake collection of fabrics and wallpapers. Her art-driven textiles draw inspiration from around the world—from the breezy jet-set spirit of Capri in the ’50s, to South American basket-weaving traditions, to the colorful mid-century architecture of Mexico City. Most recently, Serena collaborated with Erik Lindstrom on a line of rugs inspired by her artwork.

In our conversation, we explore what it really means to trust your creative instincts, make decisions from your inner knowing, release ego, and find your way forward through grief and loss. This episode is both grounded and expansive—a reminder that creativity lives within all of us when we remain open to change and willing to listen to ourselves.

Serena also speaks honestly about the value of making mistakes, starting over, and remembering that our achievements do not define who we are. As she so beautifully shares:

This conversation is a gentle but powerful reminder that our creative work, our businesses, and our accomplishments are simply vehicles. The true masterpiece is how we love and connect with others along the way.

If you’ve been waiting for permission to start that project, make that change, or trust the creative voice that’s been quietly calling you forward—let this episode be your catalyst.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

With love,
Molly

🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Serena Dugan:

Website | Instagram

Molly Carroll:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Now accepting new therapy clients!
Learn more or schedule a session here.

In times of uncertainty, we need reminders of what truly matters. Today’s episode is a profound lesson in hope, love, and perspective—one that gently calls us back to presence, connection, and grace.

This is a re-release of my conversation with Bill Valentine, who passed away peacefully at home on October 21, 2022. I felt deeply called to bring this episode forward again. It’s exactly what we need right now.

This conversation isn’t about fear or loss—it’s about living without regret, being fully present because life is fleeting, and holding hope for the future.

Many people say the most precious gift we can give is our time. Bill understood this in a way few ever do. When we recorded this episode, he was living with stage four terminal pancreatic cancer, and he chose to spend some of his remaining time with us.

Bill was the only guest I’ve ever interviewed without doing extensive research beforehand. I wanted to meet him heart to heart. As it turns out, that choice mirrored one of his greatest realizations: who we truly are has nothing to do with what we’ve accomplished.

Bill was a husband and a father of four boys. His focus had narrowed to what mattered most—love, relationships, and presence.

In this conversation, Bill shares what his days looked like, what cancer was teaching him, and the lessons he wanted his sons to carry forward. He speaks openly about participating in his own living funeral—receiving love, hearing how he mattered, and discovering that he was, and always had been, enough.

He also shares how psilocybin treatment helped him come to terms with his diagnosis and arrive at a simple, powerful truth: the meaning of life is to give and receive love. This is the legacy he left behind.

Bill was one of the greatest teachers to ever join Cracking Open. His wisdom, humility, and open heart continue to ripple outward.

Rest in peace, Bill.
Thank you for everything you taught us.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

Love,
Molly

🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Molly Carroll:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Now accepting new therapy clients!
If you’re feeling stuck, navigating change, or craving more purpose and peace, I’d love to support you. Learn more or schedule a session here.

Throughout my life, clients and friends have often described me as a bridge—a bridge between science and spirituality, between practical cognitive tools and trusting your intuitive voice, between deep compassion and what I lovingly call “getting Nebraska on you” (a little tough love and real accountability).

Maybe you’ve felt that tension too. Wanting concrete strategies you can rely on, while also sensing there’s a deeper wisdom guiding you—something you can’t always explain, but you know is there.

That’s exactly why I’m so excited to share today’s conversation with MaryAnn DiMarco on the Cracking Open podcast.

MaryAnn is an author, motivational speaker, and internationally recognized psychic medium and spiritual teacher known for her refreshingly grounded, relatable approach. With humor, heart, and real-world wisdom, she helps people develop their intuitive gifts and trust the guidance that’s already speaking to them.

In This Episode, We Explore

✨ MaryAnn’s personal journey of becoming a psychic medium—and learning to trust her own gifts
✨ How to tune into your guides and intuitive voice for clarity, comfort, and grounded decision-making
✨ Her concept of your “universal team of besties”—energies here to offer breadcrumbs of wisdom and help illuminate your soul’s purpose
✨ Why trusting benevolent guidance is the foundation of intuitive listening
✨ The power of language and curious questioning as tools for getting unstuck and moving forward

MaryAnn has been featured on beloved podcasts, including Dear Gabby, The Marie Forleo Podcast, Sibling Revelry, Small Medium at Large, and Language of Love. She also leads sold-out workshops, group programs, and one-on-one mentorship for lightworkers, empaths, and those wanting to deepen their connection with Spirit.

She’s the author of several books, including Believe, Ask, Act, Medium Mentor, and one of my personal favorites, The Guide(s) Book—a beautiful roadmap for connecting with your guides and understanding life’s journey with Spirit by your side.

Talking with MaryAnn feels like meeting someone who speaks both of my languages. We’re building the same bridge—between the seen and unseen, the practical and the mystical, the mind and the soul.

What struck me most is how aligned our approaches to transformation are. We both believe real change happens when we take grounded, accountable steps with our own two feet—while also trusting the spiritual guidance illuminating the path ahead.

Whether you’re using evidence-based tools or learning to listen to your guides, both are pointing to the same truth: You don’t have to choose between practical action and intuitive wisdom.

Real growth happens when we walk the bridge that honors both—and meet ourselves, and our highest potential, right in the middle.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

With love,
Molly

🌱 Please consider supporting the Cracking Open podcast on Patreon.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

​​​​​​​MaryAnn DiMarco

Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

The Guide(s) Book
Mapping Out Life’s Journey with Spirit by Your Side
Listen on Audible

Molly:

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Have you ever had one of those months where you just can’t climb out of a dark hole? That was my October and November.

My son had a health scare (instant compassion for every parent walking that road), I wasn’t sleeping—wide awake at 3 a.m. every night (thank God for a dear friend who meets me at Starbucks at 5 a.m.)—and I felt completely unmotivated and uninspired by my work. Not fun.

I’m sharing this because maybe you’ve been there too. And here’s the gift hidden inside those seasons: wisdom.

What did I learn? Compassion for myself. Humility that I will never “have it all together.” Trust that this, too, shall pass. And it did pass. The light returned—beginning with the conversation you’re about to hear with Dr. John Price. It was medicine for my soul, and I know it will be for yours too.

Meet Dr. John W. Price

Dr. John W. Price is a licensed psychotherapist, Jungian scholar, and modern-day mythmaker devoted to bridging psychology and spirituality in service of deep transformation. He holds a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate in Jungian Psychology and co-founded The Center for Healing Arts and Sciences in Houston with his wife, Leila-Scott Price.

Before dedicating his life to healing, John spent a decade as a professional musician—a journey that immersed him in both the highs of creative success and the depths of self-destruction. Becoming a father marked a powerful turning point, when the soul’s call overtook ambition and led him to his true purpose: guiding others through life’s great initiations—grief, identity collapse, spiritual awakening, and the long return to wholeness.

He now serves as President of the Board at the Jung Center of Houston, teaches at the Esalen Institute, and hosts The Sacred Speaks podcast—where he explores depth psychology, spirituality, mysticism, and meaning with guests like Richard Rohr, Anne Lamott, and Thomas Moore.

In This Episode We Explore

✨ John’s own “cracking open” story—from life as a rock musician to his awakening as a soul-centered psychotherapist
✨ How fatherhood transformed his ambitions into a deeper calling to serve
✨ Practical wisdom for navigating the dark night of the soul with grace and courage
✨ How men’s vulnerability and shadow work can become catalysts for collective healing
✨ Our candid exchange where I challenge John to fully step into his leadership as a bridge between psychology, spirituality, and the modern masculine

This conversation is rich with laughter, depth, and truth—but above all, hope.
John is a luminous guide whose presence reminds us that even in darkness, we are never alone.

If you’re walking through your own “dark night,” or simply feeling lost, uninspired, or uncertain, this episode is your lifeline. John offers not quick fixes or toxic positivity, but grounded wisdom:
You’re not broken—you’re breaking open.

Press play and remember—the light isn’t just coming; it’s already within you, waiting to be rediscovered.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

With love,
Molly

🌱 Support the Cracking Open podcast here.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

Dr. John W. Price
Website | Substack | Instagram | YouTube

The Center for Healing Arts & Sciences

The Open Gate Program