After 18 years of chronic pain, medical gaslighting, and being told "everything looks normal," she finally got the diagnosis that changed everything—endometriosis. In this honest and heartfelt episode, Evelyn shares what it was like growing up in Ecuador, moving to the U.S., and navigating two very different healthcare systems while advocating for her body. From being dismissed by countless doctors to trusting her intuition, her story is one so many will relate to. Now pregnant, she reflects on the strength it took to keep fighting and what she wants others facing invisible illness to know.

Val grew up in the heart of the Navajo Nation—where childhood meant long, early rides to school, deep family roots, and the quiet heartbreak of not being fully immersed in her own language. In this episode, she shares the layered story of leaving home, facing ignorance and racism, and the emotional work of keeping her culture alive for her children. From misconceptions about Native identity to the beauty and burden of preserving tradition, this conversation is a powerful reflection on resilience, belonging, and what it means to carry your heritage forward in a world that often misunderstands it.

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Lauren has lived many lives in one—each chapter filled with hard-earned lessons, deep reflection, and undeniable strength. But one of the hardest was growing up with a father addicted to meth—and eventually losing him to cancer while he was in prison. In this episode, she shares how that pain shaped her, how she found wisdom in the wreckage, and how she’s built a life full of love, purpose, and beauty. She’s dynamic, grounded, and proof that even the hardest beginnings can lead to powerful, redemptive endings.

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Kristen grew up in a whirlwind—an unstable home, few real friendships, no roadmap for relationships, and zero tools to cope. That chaos followed her into adulthood, where alcoholism and homelessness nearly took everything. In this episode, she walks us through the roots of her pain, how addiction stole years of her life, and the unexpected moment her twin brother tricked her into starting the path to sobriety. Now a new mom, she’s rewriting the story—healing her inner child, breaking cycles, and embracing a growth mindset she never knew was possible. Raw, reflective, and full of hard-earned hope

For Becca, being a teacher wasn’t just a job—it was a calling. But between navigating the challenges of special education, the uphill battles with administration, the weight of school safety fears, and the chaos of COVID, staying on that path hasn’t been easy. In this episode, she opens up about the realities of teaching today—balancing passion with burnout, advocating for her students, and holding onto the belief that this work still matters. A candid, heartfelt conversation about resilience, purpose, and what it really means to be an educator in uncertain times

After nearly a decade of doctor visits, misdiagnoses, and relentless searching, Francie finally found answers: POTS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and ulcerative colitis. In this episode, she shares the emotional and physical toll of chasing a diagnosis, the grief of lost time, and how mental health and chronic illness are deeply intertwined. We talk about building a personal toolbox for healing, navigating toxic social media spaces, and the growing (but still flawed) media representation of EDS. It’s a powerful conversation about resilience, identity, and redefining what it means to live fully—even with a body that doesn’t always cooperate.

In the quiet aftermath of postpartum without a baby, Lindsay's story reminds us of the kind of grief that doesn’t always have a name — and the strength it takes to live through it. In this Side Note, we pause to reflect on the people, places, and practices that hold us up in our hardest seasons. Who do you lean on when the weight feels unbearable? And what does it mean to be held when words fall short?

*Please be aware this episode contains details about pregnancy and infant loss*

When Lindsay welcomed her daughter into the world, she also faced the unimaginable—saying goodbye too soon. Born with heart complications, her daughter’s passing left her navigating postpartum without a baby, followed by the heartbreak of miscarriage and the long road through grief, therapy, and deep darkness. In this episode, she shares the raw truth of picking herself up when she didn’t want to, the healing that came in unexpected ways, and how her daughter became her guiding light. Now a mother to her son, she reflects on love, loss, and the resilience it takes to keep moving forward.

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