Empowered Conversations

If you have ever felt confused, ashamed, tired, and isolated in a relationship – wondering if it's you – Carine Van Hee speaks directly to that. Carine is a visual artist, survivor of mental abuse, and author of Is It Me? The Hidden System Behind Toxic Relationships. She understands that toxic relationships don't happen by accident. They follow a predictable, hidden system that shapes how...

The month Melissa Crook turned 50, she ended up in the ER twice. Racing heartbeat. Sky-high blood pressure. And after all the tests came back normal, she had to ask a harder question: what was happening inside her that no scan could see The answer was years of unprocessed emotions, codependency, performing for approval, and no peace or contentment in her life. That wake-up call began a healing jou...

Mike Wysocki spent 30 years in tech sales. It gave him money. It gave him no joy. So he decided to find out if anyone actually found satisfaction in their work. He built a website, asked workers over 20 questions about their careers, and turned what he learned into an award-winning, Amazon best-selling book: Careers By the People: Candid Career Advice from 101 Experienced Professionals. Since then...

If you have ever reacted to your child and then thought, "Why did I just say that?" – you don't have an anger problem. You have a pattern problem. Latiffe "Lati" Ghanem is a certified trauma-informed life and conscious parenting coach trained by Dr. Shefali Tsabary. She helps overwhelmed moms navigate escalating power struggles through calm, confident leadership – so parent...

Arky Jones has always been fascinated by one question: why do people think, react, and live so differently from one another? That curiosity became the foundation for PersonalityPeek – a platform designed to help people better understand themselves through personality insights, self-awareness, and personal growth. Arky combines personality concepts, Stoic wisdom, and practical self-help to help lis...

Saw Myint is a mother, a CPA, a finance broker, a property developer, and the founder of a charity. But her deepest mission is helping people heal. For the past decade, Saw has been practicing science-backed Buddhist self-healing for mental well-being. She now shares insights from self mental healthcare and stress relief practices the Buddha Way, backed by evidence. Her approach helps people navig...

Thomas Wurm spent 14 years on the wildland fireline pushing his mind and body to the edge then his captain and best friend died suddenly. The grief cracked him open completely. ‎What followed was a spontaneous out-of-body experience, a debilitating healing crisis, and a desperate search for something that actually worked. He found it: NLP, Mental and Emotional Release®, Huna, and Qigong – practice...

Hanna Curman had the perfect career on paper. Travel. Influence. Impact. But something was missing not work, but belonging. ‎To avoid feeling that, she kept herself busy. She even filled Friday afternoons with meetings, convincing herself she was "in charge" of not being part of the team's fika. In truth, she was trying to outrun a basic human need: connection. Her body eventually ca...

You've felt it. That quiet, nagging sense that something isn't quite right with your baby. You can't explain it. You don't have a medical degree. But your gut is screaming at you. ‎So you ask a question. Maybe at the pediatrician's office. Maybe with a lactation consultant. And then you do something most parents do, you apologize. ‎"I'm sorry, I know this is probably n...

‎Cancer. Lyme disease. Stroke. Diabetes. Heart attack. Hypoxia.‎‎ Magic Barclay survived all of them. And then she decided to understand why. ‎‎She threw herself into study – learning how the body's systems work together, how trauma affects every cell, and how to treat root cause instead of managing symptoms. Now she helps others do the same. ‎‎In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we ta...

What happens when the healthiest person you know dies without warning? ‎On November 9, 2024, Julia Lindenthal's father – seemingly healthy, in great shape – died suddenly. The autopsy revealed the cause: aortic dissection due to arterial plaque calcification.‎‎In an instant, her world changed forever.‎‎ But Julia didn't stay frozen in grief. She turned her pain into purpose – launching a f...

‎What does healing after betrayal actually look like – not in theory, but in practice? ‎‎Gilza Fort-Martinez is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 30 years of experience. She's known as The Tough Love Healer. And she has developed a clinical framework that helps people move through betrayal – not around it. ‎‎In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we focus on The 4 R's...

Low sexual desire is one of the most common yet least understood issues in intimate relationships. Many people suffer in silence, believing something is broken.‎‎ Dr. Lori Davis is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and AASECT Certified Sex Counselor. She addresses both the medical and emotional sides of sexual health. ‎‎In this episode of Empowered Conversations, we uncover the medical a...

‎What happens when a nurse, hospice specialist, and teacher decides to become a writer? You get stories shaped by a lifetime of listening, observing, and caring for others. ‎Nancy Jasin Ensley writes across multiple genres – memoir, literature, science fiction, mystery, thriller, action and adventure, and children's literature. Each story is rooted in family, faith, service, and lived experien...

The world told Win Charles what she couldn't do. She spent her whole life proving them wrong. ‎Born with Cerebral Palsy, Win became an author, a competitor in the Kona IronMan Triathlon, and a motivational speaker touring the country to raise awareness about living a full life no matter what holds you back. Her memoir is called I, Win. And that title says everything. ‎In this episode of Empowe...

Here's a myth we've all believed: Leaders are born. You either have "it" or you don't. Charisma. Confidence. The natural ability to command a room. ‎Jim Carlough has spent over 30 years leading teams and developing leaders. And he's here to tell you something different: Leaders aren't born. They're developed. ‎‎Jim is the author of The Six Pillars of Effective Lea...

I brought my sister on the podcast. No script. No filter. We grew up in the same house but had totally different childhoods. So I finally asked her: What drove you crazy? What did I miss? When did we stop just being siblings and start really seeing each other? We talked about the fights, the traditions, the falling out that changed everything. Some of its funny. Some of it's not. All of it's real....

In this episode, Jonathan joins me. He’s not married, not a dad, just someone raised by both parents who paid close attention. No stats, no debates. Just one honest conversation from his side of the kitchen table. We get into what he thought was normal until he got older. What his dad got right, and what was missing. Where the split was 90/10, and who actually showed up. And the harder question, w...

Welcome to Empowered Conversations, a podcast where we dive into real, unfiltered conversations about life, health, and everything in between with a focus on women (and men), but open to anyone who wants to listen and learn. We're talking honest chats, inspiring stories, and sometimes, a little bit of messiness. Join us as we explore what it means to be empowered, and how we can support each other...