A Contagious Smile Podcast

Send us Fan Mail What happens when life throws everything at you - traumatic brain injury, severe mental illness, chronic pain, and profound loss? Kurt Wagner's answer might surprise you: you become stronger. After a catastrophic assault left Kurt with a broken vertebral artery, blood poured onto his brain for approximately eight hours. Doctors gave him last rites, believing he wouldn't...

Send us Fan Mail "You're not your diagnosis, you're not your condition." These powerful words come from Victoria, founder of A Contagious Smile and survivor of extreme domestic violence that has left her with titanium throughout her body, one arm amputated, and now facing complete deafness. Victoria's story isn't just about survival—it's about transformation. Aft...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what happens when someone refuses to serve your child with a medical condition? Victoria and Michael share a raw, unfiltered account of standing up to a McDonald's manager who denied their daughter food despite knowing her medical needs. This powerful confrontation highlights the fierce advocacy that defines their approach to life and healing. The couple dives d...

Send us Fan Mail Some heroes wear uniforms, while others create sanctuaries for healing. In this powerful conversation, we meet JJ, founder of Ripple Retreat and a veteran with 27 years of military service who transformed his own trauma into a mission of recovery and hope. After surviving four close calls during deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, JJ faced another battle with alcoholism that near...

Send us Fan Mail We're thrilled to announce the launch of Contagious Smile Academy! This passion project represents years of experience transformed into over 100 practical courses designed to support trauma survivors, special needs families, veterans, and anyone seeking personal growth during challenging times. The Academy features specialized collections including the Safe Haven Phoenix Cent...

Send us Fan Mail The raw power of lived experience drives everything behind A Contagious Smile, and in this candid episode, Victoria and Michael reveal exactly why they've dedicated their lives to supporting abuse survivors. Fresh off receiving three prestigious awards—including Best Transformative Trauma Advocate for Domestic Violence from Insider Weekly—the couple shares how their platform...

Send us Fan Mail After Victoria's powerful interview about surviving domestic violence became the podcast's most popular episode ever, Michael and Victoria return with this crucial follow-up discussion diving deeper into practical escape strategies that saved her life. Victoria shares the harrowing reality of living with a violent narcissist while pregnant with her daughter. "He tes...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when parents face the unexpected challenge of raising a child with different abilities? While some choose to run, others discover the most beautiful journey imaginable—one filled with unconditional love and unexpected lessons. In this raw and honest conversation, Victoria and Michael tackle the painful reality of abandonment in families with medically complex children...

Send us Fan Mail The weight of trauma is perhaps best explained through a powerful metaphor: imagine holding a paper coffee cup. For a minute, it's nothing—lightweight, manageable. After an hour, it feels heavier. After days without putting it down, your muscles lock in place, exhausted from carrying something that initially seemed insignificant. This is precisely how trauma, fear, and resent...

Send us Fan Mail https://acontagioussmile.mn.co/ Breaking free from the chains of domestic violence takes more than courage—it requires strategy, support, and hope. This raw, powerful episode features survivors sharing the methods they used to escape abusive relationships while living under the constant surveillance of their abusers. From creative financial independence strategies to secret docume...

Send us Fan Mail We're back after a three-week hiatus, and there's a good reason for our absence. Victoria has undergone two additional surgeries, including a spinal implant for her Complex Regional Pain Syndrome that has miraculously reduced her pain by over 80%. As she puts it with characteristic humor, "I really should get free HBO at this point with all these things I have to pl...

Send us Fan Mail The overwhelming response to our podcast has shown us just how many people are silently struggling with the aftermath of narcissistic family dynamics. This episode dives deep into what it truly means to be the "black sheep" in a narcissistic family – not a flaw, but a superpower of truth-seeing that threatens those who rely on facades and manipulation. We share a particu...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when the people who should love you most become your greatest source of pain? In this raw and unfiltered Q&A episode, Dana and Victoria tackle the toughest questions about narcissistic family relationships sent in by listeners desperately seeking answers. The conversation dives deep into the psychological warfare experienced within toxic family systems—from feelin...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine a world where every special needs child feels like a superhero rather than someone who's different. That's exactly what we're creating with the Stucco Squad – our passion project unveiled in this heartfelt episode. After celebrating my husband's first colonoscopy (yes, really – and men, this is your sign to schedule yours!), we dive into the exciting de...

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Send us Fan Mail When a narcissist targets you for abuse, they reserve a special kind of cruelty that no one else sees. This powerful episode pulls back the curtain on narcissistic abuse through raw, firsthand accounts that validate what countless survivors experience behind closed doors. Dana and her co-host courageously share their personal journeys through narcissistic relationships, revealing...

Send us Fan Mail The unexpected viral success of our podcast has revealed a disturbing truth: millions of people recognize the nightmare of narcissistic abuse. While gratified to reach so many, we're heartbroken that our stories resonate with such a vast audience. This episode takes a dark turn as we explore the shocking reality of narcissistic retaliation. Dana shares a chilling recent incid...

Send us Fan Mail The unfiltered wisdom of teens takes center stage in this refreshingly honest conversation about youth mental health. When our teenage guests Kinsley and Faith join the podcast, they waste no time delivering hard truths about what young people actually need from the adults in their lives. "Maybe not hound them so much about a couple of things on the floor of their room,"...

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to heal after narcissistic abuse? In this raw, unfiltered Q&A episode, Dana and Victoria tackle the questions that keep survivors up at night—from handling others' judgment to finding self-worth when everyone around you has tried to strip it away. "I don't have to prove anything to anybody," Victoria asserts when addressing how to handle o...

Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Mark Wright's story redefines what's possible after traumatic injury. As the first amputee motorcycle officer in United States history, Mark demonstrates that our physical limitations are often far less restrictive than our mental ones. When Mark crashed his motorcycle after a late-night shift, hitting a disabled vehicle with no lights, his world changed forever. Multipl...

Send us Fan Mail The pollen count is high and so are the emotions in this raw, unfiltered conversation between Victoria and Michael. Between sneezes and watery eyes, they dive into the grueling realities of advocacy work—the sleepless nights, endless paperwork, and emotional toll that comes with fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves. Victoria opens up about a new family she's wor...