An Unfiltered Life

This week on An Unfiltered Life , I'm recording from my brand-new office in our new home - and wow, life has been a whirlwind. We're still unpacking, still cleaning out the old house, and somehow in the middle of all that, I realized I've lost nearly 50 pounds . In this episode, I share: ✨ Why our Montana vacation unexpectedly fell through (and why it was actually a blessing) ✨ The e...

Some seasons of life don't come with neat conclusions. This episode is a little bit of moving boxes, summer schedules, and learning to let go of the version of yourself that thought she had everything figured out. I'm sharing about our upcoming move, the unexpected ways old dreams seem to be unfolding, the challenge of preparing for Porch Stories, and what happens when your beliefs begin t...

This week was full of graduation emotions, blended family moments, business ideas, and a whole lot of real life. I’m talking about parenting, divorce, content creation, TikTok Shop, and why sometimes the thing you’re learning right now becomes the thing you’re meant to teach next. Want help making social media easier? Come join us inside the Magnetic Content Club. I’m sharing weekly trend reports,...

In this episode of An Unfiltered Life , Melissa shares a real and tender reflection after Mother’s Day, navigating the complicated emotions of parenting, apologizing, healing, and finding hope in the middle of messy family relationships. She talks about the hard parts of motherhood, the beauty of seeing healing pass down to her kids, a magical trip to the Denver Botanical Gardens, starting workout...

In this episode of An Unfiltered Life , Melissa shares one of the hardest stories from her past: the time she found herself inside a controlling church environment after a powerful faith awakening. She talks about loneliness, spiritual manipulation, being called a witch, learning to question authority, and the heartbreaking realization that love, faith, and control can sometimes get tangled togeth...

In this episode of An Unfiltered Life , Melissa talks about thunderstorms, sourdough starters, clawfoot bathtubs, kids being kids, and the strange little adventures that make life feel alive again. But underneath the funny stories is a deeper realization: selling products never felt personal, but selling coaching, photography, and her own creative gifts does. Melissa opens up about ADHD, rejection...

This week, Melissa opens up about what healing really looks like after years of people-pleasing, peacekeeping, and survival mode. From navigating difficult relationships with her children, to unpacking old religious conditioning, to learning how to set boundaries and finally protect herself, this episode is an honest look at growth in real time. She shares how childhood patterns shaped the way she...

Recorded in my car, with an overheating phone and imperfect audio, this is one of my rawest episodes yet. I’m sharing the true story of the destruction of my marriage, why the Taylor Frankie Paul story is so triggering for me, and what people often miss about trauma bonds, reactive abuse, religion, and toxic relationships. This one is emotional, messy, and deeply real. Content warning: This episod...

What if the business you start today doesn’t need to be your forever business? In this episode of An Unfiltered Life , Melissa shares the real story of her entrepreneurial journey - from knocking on doors as a kid to make Tootsie Roll money, to dumpster diving and flipping finds, running a food truck, building a seven-figure network marketing business, and now leading the Magnetic Content Club. Th...

So many women have been praised their entire lives for being strong . But what happens when being “the strong one” starts to break your nervous system? In this deeply honest episode, Melissa shares her personal journey through chronic stress, raising six kids, living in survival mode, and eventually discovering how nervous system regulation changed everything. From unexpected weight loss during a...

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do… is absolutely nothing. In this episode of An Unfiltered Life , Melissa shares a deeply personal reflection after taking a full day of rest following an emotional weekend at an intuition workshop. From learning to trust her inner voice to exploring conversations about grief, spiritual experiences, and healing family relationships, this episode dives i...

In this raw, unedited-feeling episode, Melissa reflects on motherhood, entrepreneurship, burnout, and the dangerous myth that women should be able to “do it all.” From building businesses for 20 years to homeschooling six kids, navigating divorce, regret, spoon theory, jealousy, mom guilt, and learning emotional capacity the hard way - this one is vulnerable. We talk: Why comparing yourself to “Su...

This episode comes with a gentle content note. If you usually listen around little ears, you may want to save this one for later. Melissa shares a deeply personal reflection on why many women dim themselves - through clothing, posture, personality, or even online presence. From childhood experiences that shaped her relationship with attention… to healing, remarriage, and unexpectedly gaining 700 f...

In this deeply honest and vulnerable episode, Melissa opens up about patterns, parenting, marriage, trauma, and the quiet cost of survival. She reflects on years of doing “what she thought she was supposed to do,” the weight many women carry in silence, and what it looks like to learn how to ask for help, rest, and real partnership. This episode explores friendship breakups, healing after divorce,...

In this episode, I’m sharing a real-time life update that weaves together business growth, emotional healing, creativity, motherhood, and personal boundaries. I talk about what it’s been like watching Kevin fully step into his company, Frostbite Creatives, and how that shift stirred up stress I didn’t even realize I was carrying. We dive into emotional awareness, learning how to feel again after y...

Big life changes are happening over here. In this episode, I’m sharing some very real behind-the-scenes updates from our life right now. My husband is officially stepping out on his own and starting his own marketing agency, which means we are now fully self-employed. It’s exciting, scary, and stretching us in all the ways. We talk about what “failure” really means, how fear shows up when you’ve l...

If you’ve been feeling that itch to make more money, build something of your own, or finally stop asking permission to live your life - this episode is for you. In this chatty, unfiltered episode, I talk about how to think about money and business as a game , why fear of failure keeps so many women stuck, and how to spot real business opportunities hiding in plain sight. From messy kids’ rooms and...

Saving money gives us a dopamine hit… but actually doing the things that save money? That’s where it gets real. In this episode, I share how I learned to save money when we truly had none - from paper routes and food stamps to garage sales, dumpster diving, negotiation tactics, and learning how to stretch food, fuel, and everyday life without shame. This isn’t about perfection or Pinterest frugali...

Christmas break is over, the house is finally quiet, and I’m having some real realizations. In this episode, I talk candidly about what it actually means to decenter our kids - not by loving them less, but by finally including ourselves again. I share how years of motherhood, homeschooling, guilt, over-functioning, and saying yes at the expense of my nervous system slowly pushed me to the edge… an...

It’s Christmas Eve, so I’m doing what I love most; jumping on for a yappy, chatty catch-up. We’re talking about why our brains choose “familiar” relationships even when they’re unhealthy, what my therapist said that absolutely rocked me, and how we can start building a new picture of what love is supposed to feel like. Then we pivot into real life: Goodwill bins (and how I’ve basically been “manif...

Trilby thought being a “free spirit” made her the perfect wedding photographer - until missed meetings and late arrivals nearly wrecked her business. In this heartfelt, Hallmark-style fiction episode, discover how one woman with ADHD learned that structure isn’t a cage but a lifeline. With the help of a paper planner, supportive friends, and a few hard lessons, Trilby finds the peace that comes fr...

Today is a happier one. Life update first… and then I’m telling you the real story of dating after divorce, what I worked on, what I looked for, what I avoided, and how I ended up remarried to a man who calms my nervous system. In this episode of An Unfiltered Life , Melissa shares a real-life look at dating after divorce - from the messy brain chemistry, to Facebook Dating, to the moment she real...

Melissa finally says out loud what’s been brewing for years: why she no longer trusts “church as usual,” how she still deeply loves God, and what happened the night the Death card showed up for her - twice. In this raw, unfiltered episode, Melissa shares the story she’s been nervous to tell: her journey out of traditional church culture and into a more expansive, Spirit-led faith. She opens up abo...

What if the mentors you’ve been praying for are actually the women already standing in your kitchen, at your church, or in your tiny hometown, you're just not asking the right way? You might’ve clicked in expecting a deep dive into my recent spiritual journey, and that episode is coming. But with my daughter home recovering from tonsil surgery and roaming the basement where I record, I needed...

It’s the first Monday of Thanksgiving break and I’m coming to you from the basement in a towel and a moo-moo, giving a real-time life update. From my daughter’s tonsil surgery and autoimmune history, to my 12-year-old wanting to spend more time at his dad’s, to rethinking what Thanksgiving and Christmas actually look like after last year’s disaster… we’re going there. If you’re a mom feeling the h...