Karen Hall visits with Lauren Willardson to discover what happens when her mission in Texas turns into a fight for survival?

Lauren’s story is one of unimaginable courage: stabbed repeatedly in the night, she should not have survived. But through her faith, inner strength, and the miraculous power of God, she not only lived—she found new purpose.

In Part 1 of her journey, Lauren takes us into the darkest hours of her life and the gift of faith and hope that carried her through. This episode of The Hero Within with Karen Hall is a powerful reminder that miracles do happen, and the human spirit is stronger than we can imagine.

Meet Karen Hall:

Karen Hall, known as The Queen of Empathy, is an Emotional Intelligence Leadership Coach, speaker, international bestselling author, and podcaster. With over 40 years of experience coaching, Karen specializes in helping leaders develop emotional intelligence to build trust and strengthen relationships. Karen combines neuroscience, emotional intelligence principles, and practical leadership strategies to increase resilience and inspire high-performing teams. She is the Executive Producer and host of The Los Angeles Tribune, and Managing Director of The Los Angeles Tribune Women’s and Spanish Journals . Trained by renowned thought leader Marianne Williamson as a spiritual life coach, she hosts The Hero Within Podcast™, ranked in the top 2.5% globally. She also hosts Unstoppable AF - Unstoppable AND FUNNY! comedy podcast, The Empathy Advantage podcast and The AI Advantage podcast. Karen empowers leaders to regulate emotions to remain calm in crisis, overcome adversity, and deepen meaningful connections. Married for nearly 40 years to her husband Joshua, Karen cherishes her family of four children and five grandchildren as her greatest blessing.

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Meet Lauren Willardson:

Lauren Willardson, an Utah native, graduated from BYU in spring of 2025 with a degree in journalism and minors in Spanish and political science, with an emphasis in religious freedom. She was serving for just 10 weeks as a young missionary when an intruder entered her apartment in the middle of the night, stabbing her and her companion multiple times in their sleep. The young missionaries were saved by the hand of God, and Lauren has since enjoyed sharing her story to promote faith through podcasts, firesides, and many other venues. You can learn more about her story on Facebook and Instagram @TheWorkofHisHands.

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