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Episode Summary
Twenty four years ago, Adrian sat in my high school English classroom. He was quiet. Thoughtful. The kind of student who did not demand attention, but was always paying attention. I do not think either of us could have imagined where life would take him.

Today, he is an Air Force ROTC commander and instructor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, leading and mentoring the next generation of Air Force and Space Force cadets.

But there is a chapter in between those two versions of Adrian that most people never saw.

After 9/11, he felt pulled toward military service, searching for purpose and direction. He became a pilot. He deployed. He stepped into leadership. And in one defining deployment, no one showed up when he left and no one checked in when he returned. In an environment that expects strength and steadiness, he carried that weight quietly.

In this conversation, we talk about what it feels like to grow up unseen, the pressure to hold it together when others are depending on you, and the moment that changed the way he leads. Adrian made a decision that day. If he ever had the opportunity to lead others, he would not let them walk through major moments alone.

Now, as an instructor and commander, that commitment shapes the way he mentors this generation.

This episode is about the moments that mark us, the responsibility that comes with leadership, and the choice to show up differently because of what you once needed yourself.

The Hidden Chapter Moment
Adrian’s hidden chapter was not just the deployment itself. It was what surrounded it, or more accurately, what didn’t.

No one checked in before he left. No one reached out when he came home. In a role where you are expected to be steady and strong, he quietly carried that experience by himself.

That moment stayed with him. Not in a bitter way, but in a clarifying way. He decided that if he ever had the responsibility of leading others, he would pay attention to those moments. He would not let someone walk through something significant and feel invisible. Now, as a commander and instructor, that decision still guides him. The way he shows up. The way he checks in. The way he leads.

Resources and Mentions:

🇺🇸 The LMU Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) : https://academics.lmu.edu/afrotc/

📩 Email: adrianfcruz@gmail.com

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🎙️ Episode Summary

At 42, Zulma walked into a classroom with determination and a clear sense of who she was.
At 46, just two months after graduation, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
At 50, she chose to pursue her master’s degree and begin again.
At 60, she chose her mind, body, and soul and moved to Panama to build a life aligned with freedom.

But between those milestones lies a hidden chapter.

In this episode, Zulma shares what it was like to face a breast cancer diagnosis in midlife while remaining grounded in her strength. She takes us into the quiet reality of treatment, the hard days when strength did not feel strong, and the decision to return to Argentina to focus on healing before rebuilding her life.

We talk about what it means to start over after breast cancer, to listen to your body instead of pushing through, and to believe in another dream when most people would have slowed down.

This is a story about rebuilding your life in midlife. Not because you lost who you were. But because you chose to grow again.

What We Talk About in This Episode:

• The emotional weight of a breast cancer diagnosis at 46
• The day strength did not feel strong
• Letting go of plans to prioritize healing
• Listening to your body after survival mode
• Becoming a therapist shaped by lived experience
• Grief and freedom in a move to Panama
• Honoring your internal hero in ordinary life

The Hidden Chapter Moment

Zulma’s hidden chapter was not just the breast cancer diagnosis.

It was the season where she had to stop.

Where achievement paused.
Where plans unraveled.
Where her body asked for attention instead of ambition.

That moment could have defined her by loss.

Instead, it became the turning point where she rebuilt her life in midlife.

Rather than rushing back into productivity, she chose healing. Rather than seeing herself as a victim of what she survived, she began to see herself as someone becoming again.

Resources and Mentions:

🦋 Dragonfly Therapy Services
www.dragonflytherapyservices.net

🎙️ Host of Keeping It Real with Zulma The Swearing Therapist Podcast

📩 Email: dragonflytslv@gmail.com

🔗 🎙️🎧 Zulma and I met from Podmatch.com https://www.joinpodmatch.com/genevievekruger

Support the show

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🎙️ Episode Summary:

This week’s bonus episode is a behind-the-scenes look at how I started Hidden Chapters. From the equipment I use to the platforms that keep everything running, I walk you through my real setup and what works for me.

But this episode is not just about microphones and software.

It’s about connection.

I share how honest conversations have created unexpected reconnections with former students, old friends, and new guests. I talk about the ripple effect of storytelling and how one shared story can quietly inspire someone else to speak up.

If you’re curious about starting a podcast or you simply want a behind the mic look at how stories create connection, this episode is for you.

💡 In this episode you’ll hear about:

• My podcast setup from recording to hosting
• Platforms I rely on like Buzzsprout, Riverside, and PodMatch
• The equipment I personally use including my MacBook Air, Samson Q2U, Focusrite 2i2, and Sony headphones
• Why podcasting is more than just a mic
• The unexpected ripple effect of sharing your story

This podcast is not just me talking. It’s a conversation.

If this episode sparked something in you, I would love to hear from you. Your story might be the ripple someone else needs.

🔗 Links & Tools I Use (Affiliate Links Where Applicable):

• Buzzsprout – https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2406015
• Riverside – https://riverside.com/
• PodMatch – https://www.joinpodmatch.com/genevievekruger
• Samson Q2U Microphone – (on Amazon) https://a.co/d/0iXj6kwv
• Focusrite 2i2 Audio Interface – (on Amazon) https://a.co/d/09ssoNA2
• Sony Headphones – (on Amazon) https://a.co/d/0ipiyQqv
• These are tools I personally use and recommend. If you use these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show

❤️I would love to hear from you!

💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters

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Episode Summary:
When schools shut down during COVID, learning didn’t just move online. Childhood did too.

In this episode of Hidden Chapters, I sits down with Karin Tramm, a retired Department of Defense Education Activity kindergarten teacher and author of 100 Days Smart. Karin shares what it was really like inside a kindergarten classroom when the pandemic hit an American military school in Italy. From teaching five year olds through screens to preserving routine, connection, and emotional safety, Karin offers a rare and honest perspective from the front lines of early childhood education during a global crisis.

This conversation explores how children adapted, how parents became co-teachers overnight, and how teachers carried far more than lesson plans. They carried fear, resilience, and the responsibility of helping children feel safe in a world that no longer made sense.

What We Talked About in This Episode

• What kindergarten classrooms looked like before COVID and why physical connection mattered
• How teachers tried to preserve routine, predictability, and emotional safety through screens
• The “hidden curriculum” of social skills, community, and emotional regulation
• The unique challenges and strengths of military connected families during the pandemic

The Hidden Chapter Moment

Karin’s hidden chapter is not just about teaching kindergarten during a pandemic. It’s about what children carried quietly behind screens. The loss of routine. The absence of touch. The confusion of learning emotions without faces, carpets, or closeness. While adults focused on lesson plans and logistics, teachers and parents were holding something much heavier. Fear, grief, adaptability, and hope. This episode reminds us that resilience was being built long before anyone could name it.

Resources & Mentions:

🔗 Karin's Website: https://karintramm.com/

🔗 FB: https://www.facebook.com/KarinTramm.author/
🔗 IG: @karintramm.author
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-tramm-23086925a

📖 Amazon to purchase her book “100 Days Smart”: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BTS9SR34

Museum of the American Military Family and Podcast:

https://militaryfamilymuseum.org

Support the show

❤️I would love to hear from you!

💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters

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Privacy Note:
Due to the sensitivity of the immigration process, some personal details are intentionally kept private in this conversation, including specific names and circumstances. This was a thoughtful choice made to honor both legal boundaries and personal dignity.

Episode Summary:
In this episode of Hidden Chapters, I sit down with Rasmus, whose life took an unexpected turn after a decision made years earlier resurfaced during the immigration process. Newly married and now separated from his wife due to circumstances beyond his control, Rasmus shares what it looks like to grow, heal, and stay grounded while living in the waiting.

We talk about identity, values, faith, emotional tools, and the importance of not standing still when life feels paused. Rasmus opens up about examining his beliefs, letting go of what he cannot control, and choosing intentional growth even in isolation and uncertainty.

This conversation is an honest look at resilience, self-awareness, and how seasons of waiting can quietly shape who we become, while respecting the parts of his story that remain sensitive.

What we talked about in this episode:

• How a past decision resurfaced years later and changed the course of his life
• Navigating marriage while being physically separated
• Examining personal values and learning to live in alignment with them
• Tools for growth. Journaling, gratitude, prayer, box breathing, and thought reframing

The Hidden Chapter Moment :

The hidden chapter in Rasmus’s story is not the separation itself. It is what happened internally while everything externally was on hold.

Instead of numbing, avoiding, or staying stuck, he chose to look inward. He examined his values, questioned his reactions, leaned into faith, and committed to growth. This season did not define him by what he lost, but by who he was becoming.

🔗 Resources and Mentions :

• Military Spouse Advocacy Network: https://www.militaryspouseadvocacynetwork.org/
• Foreign Born Military Spouse Network : FMSN LinkTree
• Military Spouse Leadership Development Program: https://www.leadershipinstituteformilitaryspouses.org/

📩 Rasmus email: ralle.skov@gmail.com

Support the show

❤️I would love to hear from you!

💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters

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Episode Summary:

This conversation with Alex explores how early, unspoken family trauma shaped her identity, coping patterns, and relationships. A sudden financial collapse during her late teens created instability, emotional suppression, and a belief that strength meant independence and silence. In her twenties, that unprocessed grief showed up as self-sabotage, addiction, unstable relationships, and repeated rock bottoms. Healing began when Alex stopped looking for external fixes and instead faced her internal patterns, especially in romantic relationships. Through therapy, community, and a secure partnership, she learned boundaries, emotional honesty, and the power of connection. Today, she channels her lived experience into advocacy and leadership within military and foreign-born spouse communities, helping others navigate transitions, identity, and belonging.

What We Talked About in This Episode:

• Unspoken family trauma and emotional suppression
• Repeating cycles of self-sabotage
• Healing through boundaries and relationships
• Why asking for help changes everything
• Finding identity through community

Alex’s Core Hidden Chapter Moment:

The hidden chapter moment was not the financial collapse itself. It was the belief she formed afterward. That she had to be emotionally self-sufficient, unbreakable, and worthy only through achievement. This belief quietly shaped her addictions, relationships, and self-worth for years until she faced it directly.

Resources and Mentions:

FMSN Foreign Born Military Spouse Network: FMSN Linktree

🔗 Alex's FMSN email address is atomaso@fbmnetwork.org.

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-pop-apt/

📩 Email: alexxandra.pop@gmail.com

Resources: Military Spouse Advocacy Network: https://www.militaryspouseadvocacynetwork.org/

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for anyone navigating unprocessed trauma, repeated self-sabotage, or major life transitions, especially those learning how emotional healing happens in connection rather than isolation.

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💭 Hidden Chapters Survey:
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❤️I would love to hear from you!

💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters

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Hidden Chapters is back for Season 3!! 🎉

In this short pre launch episode, I sharing whats coming this season, and reflecting on the quiet, untold stories behind the smiles, the hidden parts of life that shape us, inspire us, and sometimes stop us in our tracks.

I talk about why this season feels different, the exciting lineup of guests ahead, and what listeners can expect from these honest, real life conversations. A little introduction to our first guest, Alex, and a little invitation to join me on Substack for extra reflection and connection.

If you're ever wondered what's behind someone's hidden chapter, this episode is the perfect way to step back in, settle into the season, and get ready for stories that hopefully stay with you.

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💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters

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🎙️ Season 2 closes with a heartfelt look back at the stories that shaped Hidden Chapters. This finale brings together powerful moments from Seasons 1 and 2: highlight clips of guests, reflections, and stories that continue to resonate.

🎙️ Highlights include:

• Jay Smith Pinned but Not Out
  Season 1 Ep.6
• Jillian Delgado The Summit of Strength
  Season 1 Ep. 3
• José Raymundo From Immigrant to Sergeant Major
  Season 2 Ep.4
• Jessica Wright Living through it, Leading from It
  Season 1 Ep. 7
• Laura Lyn Donahue Who Do You Think You Are?
  Season 2 Ep.2
• Christin James Raising Hope after Loss
  Season 2 Ep.8
• Justin Mitchell The Power of Music and Mentorship
  Season 1 Ep.4
• Genevieve's Why Sharing Your Story Matters
  Season 2 Ep. 6
• Jennifer Blankenship When Trust is Broken
  Season 2 Ep. 5
• Meg McGlynn What She Didn't Expect
  Season 1 Ep.8
• Chris Kruger Walking Away from the Ledge
  Season 2 Ep.1
• Lindsay Swoboda Holding on and Letting Go
  Season 2 Ep.3
  
  ✨ Why listen? This episode is your opportunity to relive the stories that moved us, reflect on lessons learned, and gain inspiration from voices that have walked through courage, grief, resilience, and hope.
  
  

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❤️I would love to hear from you!

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