Phoenix Lessons

Send us Fan Mail Plot vs Theme. Fact vs Feeling. What vs So What. The events of our lives may seem straightforward—but the meaning we make from them is where the real story unfolds. In this episode, Cami and Amanda explore the difference between what happened and what it means, and how digging into the “So What?” can reveal deeper insights, healing, and understanding. Join them for a thoughtful co...

Send us Fan Mail After losing her home and everything she owned in the Palisades fire, screenwriter Firdosi Wharton-Ali faced the unimaginable: a chance to begin again from nothing. But instead of only rebuilding what was lost, she chose to reimagine what her life could become. First, she poured herself into helping others in her community recover and heal. Then she turned inward. Standing in the...

Send us Fan Mail Can men and women really be “just friends”? As When Harry Met Sally  declared, “the sex part always gets in the way,” cross-gender friendships have always carried a certain cultural tension. But are we still stuck in that narrative? This week, Cami and Amanda unpack the emotional complexity of friendships across genders: jealousy, boundaries, attraction, emotional intimacy, and th...

Send us Fan Mail Ashley Borden—celebrity fitness coach and no-nonsense truth-teller—has built a career helping others transform their lives. But her own story is just as powerful. Like many of us, she’s faced breaking points, burned it all down, and rebuilt from the ashes more than once. In this episode, Ashley opens up about one of her most powerful, life changing decisions: choosing herself over...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean to be “old?" Is there a moment when you’re supposed to hang up your soccer cleats, retire your dance shoes, or put away the baseball mitt for good? This episode challenges the idea that aging has to mean slowing down or settling for less. Yes, the years add up—but who says they have to take your curiosity, energy, or sense of possibility with them? We...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Final Straw — our bold new series hosted by the incredible Mindi Rivin. Every transformation has a breaking point. That split-second when something inside you snaps and you think: I’m done. The job, the relationship, the city, the version of yourself you’ve outgrown — whatever it is, the final straw has landed. And from that moment? Everything changes. Final Straw dives into...

Send us Fan Mail Would you run a marathon? Now imagine running two back-to-back —no breaks, no excuses, just grit. Cami doesn’t just test her limits—she obliterates them. After a decade of dreaming, training, and refusing to quit, she’s finally conquered a 50-mile ultramarathon. But this isn’t just a story about running—it’s about resilience, mindset, and what happens when you refuse to give up, e...

Send us Fan Mail Creativity isn’t reserved for artists—it’s something every one of us needs. But what happens when you feel burned out, like the fire has gone out and you’re left standing in the ashes with no energy, motivation, or ideas? The truth is, creativity doesn’t return all at once. It comes back the same way it often begins: one small step at a time. Join Amanda and Cami as they share how...

Send us Fan Mail Danielle’s master’s degree project took her to Thailand, where she interviewed current and former sex workers. One woman’s answer changed her life forever. Twelve years later, Danielle and her co-founder Nee created Shared Space for All , an organization dedicated to supporting families in Thailand’s poorest region. Together, they have helped hundreds of children stay in school, k...

Send us Fan Mail After escaping a high-control religious environment, Heidi Fischbach dedicated her life to helping others not just survive—but truly thrive. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard and multiple professional certifications, equipping her to help clients reset their nervous systems and experience lasting freedom. Find her at heidifischbach.com . Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Do you have a goal, resolution, or “focus” guiding your year? Even with the best intentions, what happens when you miss a day or fall off track? Cami and Amanda share an honest, uplifting conversation about staying focused on what matters, finding grace when you stumble, and getting back up after a setback—or even a complete reset. Plus, don’t miss one of our favorite TED Talks me...

Send us Fan Mail Kristi Lyn Reddy is one of the strongest women we know—and we know a lot of strong women. She rescued herself and her daughter from domestic violence, built a successful real estate business, won a hard-fought battle with cancer, and recently returned to school to reinvent herself and rise once again. Find her at BalancedLivingTherapy.com for therapy, KristiLynReddy.com as an auth...

Send us Fan Mail Goals? Resolutions? Bucket lists? How do we decide what’s actually worth chasing—and what “success” even looks like for us? In this episode, we explore how to set meaningful goals, define our own finish lines, and create realistic plans to get where we want to go. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Wills and trusts attorneys sit at a rare intersection of law, family, and mortality. They see the practical realities of what happens when someone dies—but also the emotional, often messy human side of it. From that vantage point, someone like Amelia Heath can offer remarkably grounded wisdom about both grief and planning .  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail It’s incredibly painful when your grief is still raw but the world around you seems to have moved on. That mismatch—between your inner reality and others’ expectations—can make you feel isolated, defective, or misunderstood. But nothing is wrong with you. Grief is not linear, it does not follow schedules, and it certainly does not obey other people’s comfort levels. Support the sh...

Send us Fan Mail Debbie has spent much of her life untangling the knots of shame and blame—trying to understand what truly belongs to her and what never should have. While the answers might seem obvious to some, they become far more elusive when you’re raised in a toxic spirituality that insists you’re always at fault. From the clothes she wore to the abuse she endured, the cult-like faith of her...

Send us Fan Mail Mindi Rivin spent much of her adolescence searching for herself on the streets, navigating instability and hardship. Eventually, she found safety and a sense of purpose at a local community college, where she began to rebuild her life. As a young adult, she became engaged—only to be confronted with the unexpected: her fiancé announced they would be living under the strictest tenet...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when women walk away from extreme religion? Beyond Belief , edited by Cami Ostman and Susan Tive, shares powerful, personal stories from women who left rigid faith communities. These narratives reveal not only the control and misogyny often embedded in religious orthodoxy, but also the deep allure—belonging, purpose, and spiritual meaning. Honest, raw, and reflective,...

Send us Fan Mail Ronna Russell is a two-time author ( The Uncomfortable Confessions of a Preacher’s Kid, Scold's Bridle ) and visual artist. Ronna talks with Cami and Amanda about her multiple times through the phoenix cycle finding her faith, her fire, and ultimately her freedom. View her art and follow Ronna on Instagram @scrapartcrone . Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Why is it so hard to talk about sex? And if it’s such a struggle, why do we keep coming back to it? This universal experience often leaves us questioning ourselves, our desires, and our relationships. What messages did we absorb as children that now keep us silent—afraid, ashamed, and stuck in the dark? It’s time to flip the switch, break the silence, and find some real freedom. S...

Send us Fan Mail Kyle Firstenberg has lived through a series of Phoenix moments—periods of profound transformation where life demanded he rise from the ashes and reinvent himself. Each chapter forged a stronger, more intentional version of who he is. The result? A man who now chooses his path with clarity and courage. Today, Kyle lives life on the road—traveling, seeking adventure, and helping oth...

Send us Fan Mail Amanda and Cami explore how stepping out of your comfort zone can open your eyes to new possibilities, help you get unstuck, and move through the ashes of what’s no longer serving you. One of their favorite tools for transformation? Travel—not the vacation kind, but real, perspective-shifting travel. Tune in to hear how shaking up your surroundings can help you shake things loose...

Send us Fan Mail Jennifer Drennan is a 23-year critical care nurse and the mother of a special needs, disabled and autistic teenage child. When Jennifer’s daughter, Caitlyn, was born in 2010 with congenital, stage 4 cancer, Jennifer was unexpectedly thrust into on the other side of the healthcare spectrum, a totally unfamiliar world of having to learn how to parent and advocate for her medically c...

Send us Fan Mail We all make bad bargains. We stay in relationships for security or stay in jobs for fear of change while living with consequences that are just too high. Bad bargains keep us stuck in the ashes and make it almost impossible for us to move forward and soar again. How do we break these bad bargains? How do we even know we're living with a bad bargain? Cami and Amanda walk us th...

Send us Fan Mail Keely Carolan, a twenty-three year old rock climber and climbing coach, nearly lost her vocation and avocation when her body started to break down. Instead of giving up her dreams, she learn how to slow down, listen to her body, and embrace life at a new pace. You will be encouraged by her story of rising from the ashes to living out this new wisdom so early in life. Support the s...