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Some stories start with a roadmap. Ours begins on the side of a highway, smoke from a sliced radiator curling into the night while Dayelene and her son lie on a picnic rug, laughing at the chaos and choosing to keep moving.

From Airlie Beach’s endless summer to Victoria’s four seasons in a day, this is a candid journey through starting over, co‑parenting after domestic violence and learning how to let go of identities that no longer fit.

Dayelene is a single mum who rebuilt life twice, first for safety, then for alignment. She opens up about the hidden cost of coercive control, the slow burn of CPTSD and what it took to find grounding when anxiety kept hunting for the next storm. We talk safety planning and court hurdles, the sting of rental shortages, sneaking a beloved dog into motels on a state-spanning drive and the moment she realised that “old ways don’t open new doors.”

There’s no gloss here, just the real, repetitive work of recovery and the honest truth that relapse and repair can live in the same week. The conversation leans into practical tools including EMDR and therapy, daily systems that respect limited capacity, ten-minute walks that restart the day, food that steadies the mind and hobbies that reignite confidence. We unpack how to stop replicating yesterday’s life in today’s context, how to choose connection over isolation and how to teach kids resilience by letting them see you break and rise.

We also share what’s next for Dayelene, finishing a body–mind practitioner qualification, stepping fully into trauma‑informed coaching and launching a free community event in Geelong with breath work, meditation and open‑armed connection.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between survival and growth, this episode offers hope you can hold and steps you can actually take. Subscribe, share with someone who needs a steady voice, and leave a review to help more Everyday Warriors find their way back to themselves.

Connect with Daylene on Instagram here

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Contact me directly at https://everydaywarriorspodcast.com.au or head to
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Music Credit: Cody Martin - Sunrise (first 26 episodes) then custom made for me.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and stories shared on this podcast are personal to the host and guests and are not intended to serve as professional advice or guidance. They reflect individual experiences and perspectives. While we strive to provide valuable insights and support, listeners are encouraged to seek professional advice for their specific situations. The host and production team are not responsible for any actions taken based on the content of this podcast.

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This is my longest episode yet but it deserves ALL the time to tell this incredible Everyday Warriors story!

What if “being strong” is the very thing keeping you from healing? Shaunace's story starts with speed, a senior OT by her mid‑20s, a mortgage, a wedding to plan and a body built for aerial silks and pole. Then breast cancer hits. She keeps it secret, rushes back to work after a double mastectomy and reconstruction. She then powers on until pain in her chest reveals metastasis and a fractured sternum. That’s the moment everything truly stops.

What follows is a radical reframe of strength and recovery. Guided by a counsellor who helps unwind childhood beliefs, Shaunace spends 40 days in deep stillness, learns to cry again, and chooses radiation and tamoxifen from a place of sovereignty, not fear. Within two weeks her pain vanishes, challenging the expected timeline. She starts seeing healing as science and nervous‑system safety working together. Gratitude, sunlight and calm become part of her healing journey. A cancer charity’s “feel better” kit packed with endocrine disruptors sparks a new mission; she builds 11:11 Lab, a clean and luxurious skincare brand that later wins awards.

The third diagnosis tries to break that momentum. Medical menopause, a grim prognosis and a hard conversation about kids collide with a pivotal insight. If PET scans track cancer using radioactive glucose, then glucose is fuel. Shaunace pivots to a low‑glucose, animal‑based approach, layers in targeted off‑label medications and botanicals and integrates standard care. Six weeks later, scans show a 75% reduction in tumour sizes, including cleared lung lesions. It’s not anti‑medicine, it’s pro‑agency, blending oncology, metabolism and mindset.

We also dive into life after crisis which includes coaching rooted in NLP, hypnotherapy and breathwork, retreats for high achievers and a VA agency built to free founders from busywork. Shaunace talks candidly about identity, reconstruction, redefining family and why she prefers “clear scans” instead of "cancer free" and “thriver” instead of "survivor".

If you’ve ever equated worth with doing more, this conversation offers a new blueprint. Choose differently, align your care and build a life that heals while you live it.

Connect with Shaunace on Instagram or her Website

Purchase from 11:11 Lab

Support the show

Thanks for listening in!

Contact me directly at https://everydaywarriorspodcast.com.au or head to
Instagram https://www.instagram.com.au/_trudie_marie or
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/trudie.dwyer

Support the Podcast - Buy me a Coffee

Buy my Book here

Apply to be a guest here

Music Credit: Cody Martin - Sunrise (first 26 episodes) then custom made for me.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and stories shared on this podcast are personal to the host and guests and are not intended to serve as professional advice or guidance. They reflect individual experiences and perspectives. While we strive to provide valuable insights and support, listeners are encouraged to seek professional advice for their specific situations. The host and production team are not responsible for any actions taken based on the content of this podcast.

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What happens when your entire world collapses around you? For Bridgette, April 2020 brought an unimaginable storm – serious legal proceedings against her family's investment business, followed just two days later by the birth of her daughter Emerald, all during the earliest and most uncertain days of the pandemic.

In this raw and moving conversation, Bridgette reveals how she navigated this perfect storm while operating in pure survival mode. "I remember telling myself, Bridgette, you can have a breakdown later. Right now, your priorities are protecting your partner and caring for your newborn," she shares with remarkable candor. As the legal battles intensified, the family lost their home, faced 27 separate cases, and Bridgette's body eventually rebelled through severe autoimmune issues triggered by the prolonged stress.

The healing journey that followed touches on powerful modalities including Reiki, kinesiology, and forgiveness practices that allowed Bridgette to release the dark energy she'd been carrying. Perhaps most transformative was discovering how her daughter became her greatest teacher and mirror, helping her shift from robotic mothering to present, joyful parenting despite ongoing challenges.

Today, five years into their legal battle with no end in sight, Bridgette has found purpose in her pain. She's building communities for others facing adversity, creating wellness programs for mothers, and embracing a new identity forged through fire. Her partner James is even developing a social media platform allowing people to counter misleading press narratives with evidence-based corrections.

Listen now to this extraordinary tale of resilience that will inspire you to find strength in your darkest moments and transform adversity into purpose. How might your own challenges be preparing you for something greater?

Connect with Brigette on Instagram here

Link for Media.com

Support the show

Thanks for listening in!

Contact me directly at https://everydaywarriorspodcast.com.au or head to
Instagram https://www.instagram.com.au/_trudie_marie or
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/trudie.dwyer

Support the Podcast - Buy me a Coffee

Buy my Book here

Apply to be a guest here

Music Credit: Cody Martin - Sunrise (first 26 episodes) then custom made for me.

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and stories shared on this podcast are personal to the host and guests and are not intended to serve as professional advice or guidance. They reflect individual experiences and perspectives. While we strive to provide valuable insights and support, listeners are encouraged to seek professional advice for their specific situations. The host and production team are not responsible for any actions taken based on the content of this podcast.