This week, our guest is someone whose honesty is transforming how we talk about recovery, shame, and self-acceptance.

Laura Cathcart Robbins is the best-selling author of Stash: My Life in Hiding, a memoir about her journey through addiction to alcohol and Ambien, and the courage it took to tell the truth about it. She’s also the host of The Only One in the Room podcast, where she’s shared stories of other voices who’ve felt unseen or alone in their experiences.

In our conversation, Laura and I talk about how storytelling becomes a vehicle for recovery, what self-evolution actually looks like, and why truth-telling can be one of the most healing acts of all.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to keep it together or play a part just to be loved, this episode is for you. Laura’s story is a reminder that freedom begins where hiding ends, and that recovery, in all its forms, starts with radical self-honesty.

Connect with Laura:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauracathcartrobbins/?hl=en

Connect with me:

• Resources: https://www.shanettamcdonald.com/free
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
• Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/

Today’s guest is someone who isn’t afraid to strip away the fluff and tell the truth about what healing really takes.

Aycee Brown is a psychic channel, Human Design expert, and spiritual guide who’s spent over 15 years helping people dismantle illusion, release conditioning, and reclaim their intuition as their greatest power. She’s the host of Is My Aura On Straight? and the forthcoming author of Embody Your Magic (February 2026), a guide to unlocking your psychic and spiritual gifts.

In our conversation, Aycee and I talk about the dark side of “love and light” spirituality, what real awakening requires, and why manifestation without accountability never lasts. We explore what it means to integrate every part of ourselves — even the messy, uncomfortable ones — so we can stop performing healing and start living it.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things but still not feeling free, this episode is your invitation to wake up.

Connect with Aycee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayceebrown

Pre-order Embody Your Magic

Connect with me:

• Resources: https://www.shanettamcdonald.com/free
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
• Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/

In this solo episode, I share a story I’ve never told publicly—the moment I realized that being the most prepared, most helpful, most “good” employee still didn’t guarantee being seen.

Years ago, after co-hosting a work event, I found myself blindsided when a vendor lied about my role, and my boss believed them. That experience taught me something powerful about visibility, trust, and what happens when we rely on others to validate us.

In this episode, I unpack what it means to feel unseen at work, how that experience shaped my relationship with self-worth, and why learning to take up space (without apology) is the foundation of my upcoming group program, SEEN.

If you’ve ever felt overlooked or misunderstood in your career, even when you’re doing everything “right,” this conversation is for you.

Sign-up for 1:1 SEEN Coaching Sessions: https://calendly.com/shanetta-mcdonald/beseen

Connect with me:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamshanettamcdonald/
• Newsletter sign-up: https://shanetta.substack.com/
• Resources: https://www.shanettamcdonald.com/free