Speak Loud

Today I’m talking with Stacey Dash, an accomplished actress, author, and healthy-living advocate. Stacey is a mother who has navigated many waters, overcoming obstacles to raise her children and remain in the film and TV industry. She recently celebrated 5 years clean and is here to speak loud about balancing family, health, and careers while holding onto your vision in life. Focusing on the Future Stacey believes that the future is more important than the past. “The windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror,” she says, but still details how her childhood affected her life. Both of her parents were addicted to drugs, and Stacy grew up angry as a result of her dysfunctional childhood. At age 8, Stacey knew she wanted to be an actress after acting in her first play. An actress was able to escape the life they were living, she realized, and be someone else. She landed her first job at 18 after leaving home, but still struggled with self-worth all the way into adulthood. It wasn’t until her son was born, afte

Today I’m talking with Carl Bowcut from Orem, UT. Carl has degrees in both Psychology and Education and was an educator in the LDS church for 33 years. He’s a father of 6 and a grandfather to 14 and is here to share information about his and his family’s experience with balancing the brain using Cereset.Exploring Treatments for Depression and AnxietyCarl believes in speaking loud about mental illness. His wife has shown him that even high functioning individuals from stable backgrounds can suffer from anxiety or depression. Her questions of “Am I good enough?” and “Can I do this well enough?” have opened his eyes to mental illness, a topic that was much less talked about when they were growing up. Carl always remained supportive of his wife, but in his words, “Spouses are terrible therapists.” Despite having the constant support of her husband and family, Carl’s wife knew that there was still something missing in her journey with depression and anxiety. Many people suffering emotionally and mentally may assum

Today I’m talking with Denise Dixon from Atlanta, GA. Denise is a life coach with a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, author of several workbooks and journals (with an upcoming book about surviving breakups), and a mother. Denise believes in the power of speaking loud about what we’re experiencing in life so that others don’t feel so isolated. The Struggle to Understand Mental Health To Denise, mental health is deeply personal. Therapy is valuable, but it’s important to find the right fit. Denise was a serial therapist hopper, and as a high functioning person, she struggled to find someone who was able to see through her to what she felt was truly wrong. Eventually, Denise found out she had depersonalization disorder, finally giving her the name for what she was feeling. Denise pursued her Master’s in order to figure out herself, but in the process realized she had a gift for identifying issues in others. “Trauma knows trauma,” she says, and she decided to put those skills to use. From her own ex

Roger is a Seattle native and has joined the life of a nomadic traveler for an adult gap year. He decided to take a year off to travel to find and fulfill how he wanted to live his life. Currently, he is in Italy and is a writer, fellow podcaster, and adventurer; and he loves to cross-off items from his bucket list. Roger is keen on spreading the message about the importance of finding your self-worth focused on who you are as a person. This decision came about after a heart attack during quarantine, which gave him the chance to reflect on his life "and put a reset in."Finding your self-worth is a process of looking at the 168 hours in a week and seeing if the hours we spend in our activities reflect and share our value as a person. "There's almost a societal pressure that you're expected to find self-worth in your job." In addition, many people in society have accepted that certain professions are underpaid, overworked, and devalued - all of which have been accepted in our socia

Today I’m celebrating the 100th episode of the Speak Loud Podcast! I’m recapping some of my favorite episodes so far, and what I’ve learned in 100 episodes. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and sent messages about how they’ve resonated with the podcast. This show is for you, after all, so I always love hearing your feedback and ideas. The Speak Loud Podcast is about sharing a message of hope, but we all have to get through the dark parts to reach the light. I’ve learned how to use my past not as a crutch, but as a stepping stone for my future. After 22 years, my book Throwaway Girl is out this fall, and in that memoir, I cover details from Episode 1 in my own story of triumph and hope. Some of my favorite episodes have been with friends or people in my close circles. In “Speak Up and Speak Loud Against Abuse”, my talk with my aunt opened my eyes to generational trauma in my family. Scott Clover, my dear friend, and somatic healer helps clients remove emotional blockages and connect to their authentic

Today, I’m joined by Shannon Earley, a fellow podcaster who produces her show called Mama’s Need Love. She is the mother of two children and has been married to her “bestie” for 12 years. Shannon is a Christian and has a passion for reminding other mommas how important and beautiful they are. In addition, she reminds abuse survivors that although you’ve been through abuse, you can still be deeply loved.Remember That You’re a Beautiful CreationShannon is here to remind us that, as women, and especially mommas, we are all beautiful creations! Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that we are loved and amazing because of our abusive history. However, Shannon reminds us that we are unique human beings inside, no matter what abuse we have endured!Escaping One Abusive Situation to Fall Into Another Abusive SettingShannon was sexually abused by an older teen for six years. Never having told her parents, she moved out at the age of 19 with an older man who continued the abuse for more than two years until she finally left

Today I’m joined by Lauri Schoenfeld, a writer, speaker, and mother of 3. She hosts her own podcast, “The Enlightenment Podcast” and has recently released her novel, “Little Owl.” Lauri is a returning guest here to speak loud about embracing your inner weirdo. We often leave traumatic situations with traits and quirks that others may not have. When Lauri was younger, her best friends were her Barbie dolls--but when she was 12, her parents decided to throw them all away. After this, Lauri struggled to connect with wonder and curiosity, and for many years tried to be who she thought she was supposed to be rather than who she wanted to be.Lauri says not to judge yourself for traits you have as a result of trauma. Instead, lean into them with curiosity. The differences, in her opinion, are what make us fascinating as human beings. The curiosity of understanding why we are the way we are without judging should be embraced with ourselves and with others. As an adult, Lauri used to refuse to show she was hurting. Sh

Today I’m joined by Mark Smith, a “curator of the bigger vision within” and a podcast host from, “The Process Podcast.” Mark is a self-described “work in progress who believes success is limitless,” with the desire to share his life journey in a way that resonates with everyone--personally and professionally. Change is okay, Mark believes. This concept has always resonated with him, but became his passion in 2018, when he started writing a series he called, “Process”. After losing his father to cancer, going through a divorce, and a career change, Mark had to ask himself how to embrace change rather than wallow in what was. Mark’s grandfather once said, “All storms don’t come to hurt you, some storms come to clear your path.” Mark believes that change comes to push down a cleared path, one where we can move to the next level in life. Without change, we would never reach what we’re truly meant for. “It can be hard at first, messy in the middle, but rewarding in the end.” This is how Mark has chosen to approach

Today I’m joined by Cindy Wallace, author and mental health therapist, who is here for her first podcast to speak loud about healing from PTSD. Cindy has a bachelor’s in English and Creative Writing, as well as a master’s in Social Work, and as a writer has had more than 15 published articles and award-winning prose. Cindy describes that trauma often cuts life into a clean ‘before’ and ‘after.’ She was 16 when she was kidnapped and abused over 24 hours, while no one knew she was gone. When she returned home, she was “catatonic,” and felt she was watching someone else live her life through a lens. Her brain kept telling her to survive, and Cindy did so by pretending she was someone else. She was eventually diagnosed with severe dissociation and chronic PTSD but had blocked the trauma out completely. She had no idea why she had changed or what had happened to her for another 15 years. At 31, Cindy’s trauma resurfaced while writing a story for creative fiction, resulting in a psychotic break and a 2-week admitta

Today I’m joined by Jason Clawson, a clinical therapist and father of two boys, and co-creator of “Giving Sunshine”, which sends therapeutic care packages to families or individuals struggling with grief, terminal disease, and more. Since the death of his wife three years ago, Jason has started to look at life differently and is here to speak loud about finding hope after tragedy.From an early age, Jason was drawn to support others in difficult situations. His natural inclination led him to a residential treatment center shortly after college, where he was able to give support and encouragement to others daily. Jason’s career in therapy felt like the natural progression of his life. He’s gravitated towards helping people with addiction, as well as trauma and grief. He values being more than just a sounding board for his clients, but being someone who will walk the path with them. Three years ago, Jason’s wife passed away from stage 4 colon cancer. At the time, it felt impossible to calm down with so many fear

Today I’m joined by Nikisha Timms, a creative and empowered woman dedicated to sharing the light with others. Her movement, “The World Is a Better Place Because YOU Exist” is all about spreading love to those who need it most. She is a mother of 2 and an intuitive healer who is here to speak loud about her journey from the dark into the light. Choice Over Circumstance Nikisha grew up in an abusive home riddled with generational trauma. Both her parents were addicted to drugs, which sent Nikisha and her brother into foster care. She suffered from sexual abuse while in the system, along with other traumas.From her childhood, Nikisha learned to be a product of her own choices, not her circumstances. Despite her struggles, she started to unpack her emotional baggage, so that she could fill that luggage with something better. Healing Generational Trauma“By passing down generational trauma, you’re saying that the trauma that was done to you was okay,” Nikisha says. Her mother was sexually abused, and the traumas ha

Kristen Donnelly has been on the TEDx stage four times as a speaker in the past year. She is an international empathy educator and a researcher with two decades of experience in helping people understand inclusivity benefits. In addition, she is an “unapologetic nerd for stories of change.” Kristen lives in Philadelphia, where she is surrounded by her pile of books and Why Being a Human is Hard“Being a human is hard not because you’re bad at it, but because it is hard.” If we can listen to ourselves and understand ourselves and others better, we can make our human experience both fuller and richer. Empathy is About Understanding“Empathy is a cognitive, mental framework where you decide at every moment that you can, to choose understanding instead of stereotypes.” Understanding can become a practice and a posture that you use to move through the world instead of ignoring what’s around you or becoming ignorant.How to Make Your Life Better“I’ve searched high and low for an instruction manual [on life] and have n

Scott Clover is a fantastic somatic body and intuitive healer who has helped hundreds of individuals remove the emotional blockages created by years of trauma and abuse. Scott uses his unique skill set to help others connect to their authentic energy to experience their life potential while removing the layers of negative emotional habits. Working with Scott gives his clients the ability to heal themselves through changing their body’s energy patterns. He works with clients in the US and worldwide, healing the Earth one person at a time. He is here to Speak Loud about why you need to listen more to your intuition.What is Intuition?Scott describes two basic types of intuition: animalistic - which describes that “gut” feeling we get about someone or an energetic situation and your third eye energy, your source energy. The latter type of intuition holds all information from the dawn of time, which a few people, such as Scott, can tap into. Speaking and Listening to Your IntuitionScott says, the more we speak abo

Stephanie Martin is here to Speak Loud about the emotional and psychological abuse that comes with being inside a toxic relationship. She helps others move through toxic relationships to empower themselves to create a new life using her coaching, speaking, and writing. Her signature coaching program Liberated and Loved shows her clients how to cultivate self-love, self-worth, and self-trust. Stephanie is an Internationally Certified Life Coach, an introvert, world traveler, and adventure-lover. You Don’t Always Know You’re In an Abusive RelationshipStephanie didn’t even realize that she was inside an abusive relationship when she fell into a whirlwind romance. Early on, she experienced extreme jealousy and insecurity from her partner to the extent that she had to delete all photos from her past, which showed her having positive experiences with female and male friends. Psychological Manipulation within Her RelationshipHer partner would psychologically manipulate Stephanie and tell her that images of her past

Today I’m joined by John Callas: writer, director, and producer in the entertainment business. Some of John’s projects include feature films, trailers, documentaries, and music videos. He’s a published author who believes that everyone deserves happiness, and hopes to support other men through their own struggles with trauma. A Life Without ChoicesJohn grew up with unresolved anger issues and his violent streak caused him to act out until his mother sent him to military school. Feeling abandoned and alone, he initiated countless fights. The one benefit the school gave him was self-discipline and structure.After military school, the trauma continued, culminating in a suicide attempt when he was 15. By the time he was in college, John was struggling to figure out his life. When his roommate gave him the option of choosing which bed he wanted--the first time he had a choice in anything in a long time--his life started to go up. John Shares His Story with His New Book“When the Rain Stops” is John’s memoir, consis

Today I’m joined by James Owen Roberts, a ParaOlympian athlete, entrepreneur, and Tedx speaker who is here to share his story of triumph and resilience. James is a fellow podcaster, with the “Mindset Athlete” podcast, as well as an author with more than 15 years experience in exercise and diet mindset. James comes from a stubborn family. When he was born with his disability, there was doubt surrounding how he would navigate an able-bodied world. Throughout his life, James learned how to “overcome the monkey bars” and participate in all the things his peers were able to do. Whenever someone told him no, he couldn’t, James responded with, “Watch me.”In his early adulthood, James went unexpectedly from swimming to rowing as his main sport. He was hesitant to start something new, but a conversation with his mom pushed him to try. In her eyes, it was a win-win situation: either he’s good at it, or he’s not, which means he can try something else. James found the motto, “I don’t know for certain, but why focus on ne

Today I’m talking with Chana Mason, who coaches her clients in clarifying vision, shifting beliefs, and manifesting their dreams. Chana’s work turns complex ideas into easy, accessible tools for transformation. She’s an author, life coach, and businesswoman who challenges her students to question the beliefs that keep them locked in trauma. Chana was born in Bogota, Colombia. As a young child, she was unaware of just how dangerous a place it was, until--at 5 years old--multiple men broke into her house, held her mother at gunpoint, and threatened to kidnap her and her sisters. Within 48 hours, her family had fled to Miami, Florida, where Chana would grow up. What Chana didn’t realize was just how much trauma had been inflicted on her and her family. Chana’s trauma manifested in nightmares, hallucinations, and eventually anxiety and depression in her later years. It wasn’t until her 30s that she started to see a change, after years of therapy missing the mark. Chana moved to Israel to connect with her religion

Today I’m joined by Gabriel Shaw, who for more than 15 years has helped people heal as a paramedic, a kinesiologist, clinical exercise physiologist and Tai Chi instructor. Gabriel has led specialty workshops at events such as the Victoria Yoga Conference, Tai Chi Mountain Retreat, Burning Man and more. Today, Gabriel is here to speak loud about how he helps people through their trauma-healing with various modalities. Everyone stores trauma in their body. Gabriel specializes in using movement to heal. Oftentimes, trauma is locked away in our bodies and ignored. Healthcare practitioners especially are often overlooked in the trauma they take on in their fields. Careers in the medical field can have short lifespans because of the stress they induce, something Gabriel struggled with, himself. During his time as a paramedic, Gabriel put himself last, believing his trauma wasn’t ‘as bad’ as his patients’. One of his tools for healing was Tai Chi and Qi Gong, which let him tap into his body in order to release what

Today I’m joined by Michael Unbroken, creator of the Think Unbroken podcast and book. He has gone from homeless to hero, empowered more than 100,000 other survivors to be their own heroes, and spoken in 80 countries about generational trauma. Michael is on a mission to end generational trauma in his lifetime through information and education. Michael has lived a chaotic life. He was physically abused, molested, endured homelessness and poverty. In short, life was not pretty. Throughout childhood, Michael had two goals: survive, and become a Marine sniper in order to escape his current situation. While he succeeded with the first, a knee injury kept him from the second, and he was forced to find a new path. Michael thought the answer to all his problems was money. At 18, he made a goal of making 100k a year. He started off learning skills, and eventually landed a job making more than his original goal. But at 25, Michael was miserable. He was overweight, smoking, drinking, and cheating. After attempting suicid

Today I’m joined by Josh Boone, a marketing advisor and fellow podcaster from “The Josh Boone Show”, where he has talks with some of the world’s most unique thinkers. On his show, Josh deconstructs society, psychology, and purpose, and hopes to share some of the things he’s learned and show that while he may still struggle with mental health, it doesn’t stop him from living his life. When asked about what modalities he uses, Josh says, “Everything.” He considers himself an optimizer, given his marketing background. He uses the concept of ‘split-testing’ to try different practices at the same time, testing what works and what doesn’t. Meditation, books, and supplements have been some of the most impactful. Josh emphasizes the importance of creating a buffer. Meditation helps separate himself from his thoughts. “Not my circus, not my monkeys,” Josh says. He’s also recently turned to functional medicine. Many people struggle with feelings of being ‘broken, when in reality a physiological deficiency--like magnesi