Laura Thielemann was born and raised in Lima, Peru, where she spent much of her childhood being raised by her grandparents while her mother worked in the United States to build a future for their family. It was a childhood rooted in love, tradition, and the steady presence of family who helped shape Laura’s sense of belonging.

At twelve years old, Laura moved to the U.S. and reunited with her mother after years apart. She entered a completely new culture and had to slowly find her footing in a place that felt unfamiliar. Without speaking English, Laura began learning the language through Disney movies, navigating school, and discovering how to keep moving forward through seasons of change.

In part one of this conversation, Laura reflects on family, generational influence, and the resilience that forms over time. This episode is a reminder that even when life brings transition and uncertainty, love, perspective, and perseverance can carry us forward. Part two continues next week.

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.

In part two of Brandon’s story, he returns to share the pieces he wasn’t ready to say out loud the first time we talked.

After living a fast, dangerous life shaped by drugs, violence, loyalty, and loss, Brandon reflects on the moments that followed. The realities of prison, the people he lost along the way, and what it looks like to rebuild life at a slower pace after everything he once knew came to a stop.

This conversation goes deeper into faith, identity, anger, patience, and the mental challenges of starting over after years of survival mode. Brandon speaks honestly about learning to live differently, the tension between who he was and who he’s becoming, and why staying the course now matters more than ever.

This episode is for anyone who has had to slow down, start over, or learn a new way to live after life forced change.

If you haven’t listened to part one of Brandon’s story yet, I’d encourage you to start there.

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.

Brandon grew up learning how to survive early, navigating life largely on his own. What followed was a fast, dangerous world shaped by anger, loyalty, money, and choices made long before he understood their weight.

That path eventually led him to prison, a place Brandon now reflects on as the moment his life was forced to slow down and, in many ways, the reason he is still here today.

In part one of Brandon’s story, he shares what life looks like now after years of moving at full speed. He reflects on growing up around drugs and violence, selling at a young age, losing close friends, and how slowing down changed the way he sees the world. Through it all, he shares the lessons he’s still learning about patience, responsibility, faith, and what it means to live a different kind of life now.

This conversation is honest, raw, and deeply human. It’s a reminder that we often cross paths with people every day without knowing the life they’ve lived or what shaped the person in front of us.

In part two, Brandon returns to share the parts of his story he wasn’t ready to say out loud the first time we talked.

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.

Life does not always go the way we plan, and sometimes the challenges we face feel bigger than we can handle. In Part 2 of Angela Taylor’s story, she dives deeper into the valleys of life, sharing moments of doubt, heartbreak, and the struggle to balance personal faith with the pressures of parenthood and work.

Angela opens up about navigating difficult seasons, from professional setbacks to the emotional weight of raising a family while finances are tight. She shares how the lows in her life, including loss, frustration, and feeling powerless, have become opportunities for growth, healing, and a stronger faith.

Through her story, you will hear how leaning on God, seeking support, and facing struggles honestly can transform even the hardest seasons. Angela’s journey is a powerful reminder that hope, purpose, and resilience can be found in the darkest valleys.

What you will hear in Part 2:

• How to face moments of doubt and trust that God is in control
• The power of leaning into faith during personal and professional struggles
• Healing from past pain and breaking cycles for the next generation
• Why honesty, vulnerability, and seeking support are key to finding peace

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.

Faith isn’t always easy. Sometimes it is tested in ways that leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about life, God, and yourself. In this powerful conversation, Angela Taylor opens up about the valleys she has faced, moments of heartbreak, the challenge of managing family life on a tight budget, and feeling powerless in the midst of it all.

As she navigates the highs and lows of her business and the demands of parenthood, Angela shares how faith and perseverance helped her survive seasons that could have crushed her. She talks about the emotional toll of slow business, impossible decisions, and feeling like her prayers were not being answered, yet still finding hope and purpose when she needed it most.

If you have ever felt like life is out of your control, this episode is a raw reminder that God is at work even in the valleys. Angela’s story will challenge you to trust the process, lean into faith, and find strength when you feel powerless.

What you will hear in Part 1:

• How faith is tested when nothing seems to go right
• The struggle of carrying the weight of others’ lives while managing your own
• Finding hope in the midst of setbacks and disappointment
• Why trusting God during life’s valleys changes everything

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.

This week’s episode is a short holiday message and a moment of gratitude.

With the season being so full, I’m taking a brief pause from guest stories to make sure every story receives the focused attention it deserves. Instead, I wanted to share a simple reflection on connection, the unexpected conversations this podcast has already opened up, and three small ways we can stay connected during a busy week.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, ask thoughtful questions, check in on someone you’ve been thinking about, and remember that the people around us are often carrying more than we realize.

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for creating space for the stories that connect us.

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.

Breast cancer didn’t just change Emily Crowder’s body. It changed how she listens to it, cares for it, and teaches her children to do the same.

In Part 2 of Emily’s story, she opens up about healing after breast cancer and the deeper transformation that followed. From rebuilding her relationship with her body to navigating fear in the quiet hours of the night, Emily shares how faith, community, and intentional lifestyle changes helped her move from survival into purpose.

This episode is about listening to the whispers before they become screams, advocating for your health, and learning to treat your body with grace instead of criticism. Emily reflects on motherhood, faith, and the support systems that carried her through the darkest moments and continue to walk with her today.

Her journey is honest, grounding, and full of hope. A reminder that healing is not overnight, but it is possible.

In this episode, listeners will gain:
• A new perspective on healing that goes beyond physical recovery
• Encouragement to listen to their body and advocate for their health
• A reminder that faith and community can carry you through the unknown

Emily shares:
• Identifying root causes and changing her lifestyle after breast cancer
• Learning to view her body with care
• The emotional weight of nighttime fear and how faith carried her through
• Telling her children about her diagnosis and walking them through it with honesty
• How motherhood reshaped her motivation for healing
• The importance of surrounding yourself with women who understand your journey
• Bible verses that anchored her through uncertainty
• Becoming “Emily 2.0” and what healing looks like now

Guest: @emilycrow83
Support: @tumanbcf

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.

Emily never expected to hear the words “you have breast cancer,” especially after a year of screenings that offered more questions than clarity. In this emotional Part 1, she shares the moment that changed everything and the confusing road that led there. She opens up about navigating repeated callbacks, the uncertainty that followed, and the strength it took to keep asking for answers.

Her story is honest, hopeful, and full of courage. It also shows how important it is to trust yourself, speak up, and advocate for the care your body deserves. If you or someone you love is walking through something heavy, Emily’s voice will meet you with comfort and strength.

In this episode, listeners will gain:
• A reminder that even life-changing news can be met with strength you did not know you had
• A deeper understanding of how to advocate for yourself when something feels off
• Encouragement to look for the God moments that show up in the middle of fear

Emily shares:
• The year of screenings and unclear results
• The breast pain she did not want to overlook
• The phone call that changed everything
• How she told her husband, her family, and her children
• The women who stepped in and supported her
• The God moments that carried her through the unknown

Part Two continues Emily’s story and the transformation that followed her diagnosis.

Guest: @emilycrow83
Support: @tumanbcf

Every life has a story worth telling. Follow Unspoken Lives Podcast on your favorite podcast app and join the conversation. Visit unspokenlivespodcast.com and follow @unspokenlivespodcast on Instagram.