The Gut Punch

The Phone Call That Shattered Her World (S4 -E7 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Brigitte St-Jean Episode Overview: In this powerful episode of Gut Punch, host Kathryn Lancioni sits down with transformational coach Brigitte St-Jean for an honest conversation about navigating life’s toughest moments and the journey toward self-forgiveness and growth. Together, they explore the energy of transforma...

What Happens When the Family Secret Blows Up Your World? (S4 -E6 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Katarina Polanska Episode Overview: In this compelling episode, Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Katarina Polanska, a relationship coach whose upbringing and family crisis shaped her approach to personal growth and connection. Katarina recounts the moment her father’s unexpected confession of an affai...

The Seizure That Changed My Life Forever (S4 -E5 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Michael King Episode Overview: In this powerful episode of Gut Punch , host Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Michael King, executive recruiter and author, who recounts his extraordinary journey from carefree bartender to battling a life-changing epilepsy diagnosis in his early thirties. Through raw and honest storyte...

From Personal Tragedy to Global Impact (S4 -E4 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Karestan Koenen Episode Overview: In this episode, Kathryn Lancioni and Karestan Koenen dive into the realities of trauma—both personal and universal. From surviving medical crises to confronting institutional trauma, they reveal the profound disruptions and lasting aftereffects these experiences can have on the mind...

From Peace Corps to PTSD (S4 -E3 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Karestan Koenen Episode Overview: In this episode, Kathryn Lancioni welcomes Karestan Koenen, a psychologist and trauma researcher, for an in-depth conversation about the aftermath of life-altering trauma. They share not only scientific perspectives but also deeply personal experiences—Kathryn’s journey surviving a near-death healt...

From Prison to Purpose: One Man’s Path to Redemption (S4 -E2 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Ken Miller Episode Overview: This week’s conversation picks up with Ken Miller, who moves beyond sharing his recovery story to focus on the practical work he does today as a mentor, coach, and leader. Kathryn and Ken explore the frameworks that underpin his mentoring, the power and transformational force...

From Ivy League Dreams to Prison Nightmares (S4 -E1 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Ken Miller Episode Overview: In this powerful Season 4 premiere, Kathryn Lancioni welcomes Ken Miller to explore the depths of despair—and the heights of redemption. Ken shares candid memories from his early years in the foster care system, the trauma of adoption secrecy, struggles with addiction and homelessness...

The Two Words That Saved My Life (And Can Save Yours Too) (S3 -E12 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Alan Underwood Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Alan Underwood for an intimate conversation about loss, resilience, and transformation. Alan Underwood opens up about a period in his life marked by profound grief—the loss of multiple loved ones and his business—leading him to the br...

What REALLY Happens When You Share Your Mental Health Story with the World (S3 -E11 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Michelle Hammer Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Michelle Hammer, an outspoken advocate, artist, and founder of Schizophrenic NYC. Michelle shares her deeply personal journey from the confusion and pain of her earliest symptoms, through misdiagnosis, and finally to...

How One Journalist Survived a Brutal Attack and Rebuilt Her Life (S3 -E10 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Arbana Xharra Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni welcomes Arbana Xharra, a trailblazing journalist from Kosovo who risked—and ultimately sacrificed—almost everything for her commitment to truth and justice. Arbana shares her journey of reporting on corruption and religious extremism in a pos...

Ignored by Doctors: How Pushing for Answers Saved My Life (S3 -E9 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Tiffanie Janowitz Episode Overview: In this episode of Gut Punch , Kathryn Lancioni welcomes Tiffanie Janowitz, who recounts her recent battle with breast cancer—a journey marked by repeated medical dismissals and the pivotal decision to trust her own instincts. The conversation explores the roles o...

How a Siberian Girl Defied Critics and Found Her True Voice (S3 -E8 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Marina Robbins Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni dives deep into stories of resilience and the power of voice with Marina Robbins, a practicing psychologist and vocal coach based in Barcelona, Spain. From facing a life-altering moment of rejection as a teenager in Siberia to forging a life that h...

Locked Away, Left Behind, and Coming Back Stronger (S3 -E7 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Andrea Parquette Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Andrea Parquette, the president and founder of the Stigma Free Mental Health Society. Andrea shares her deeply personal journey, from her first brush with psychosis and a life-changing diagnosis of bipolar disorder, to hitting rock bottom a...

If You Don’t Like the Rules, Change the Game (S3 -E6 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Aysha Saeed Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni sits down with acclaimed fashion designer Aysha Saeed to explore the intersection of personal style, confidence, and resilience. From Aysha’s journey immigrating to the United States, finding her way as one of the few women on Wall Street, to building her own fashio...

Grief, Grit, and Building Hope from Heartbreak (S3 -E5 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 : Jason Reid Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Jason Reid, a serial entrepreneur and founder of the Tell My Story foundation, to explore the gut punches life throws our way and the resilience required to move forward. Jason opens up about his experience building businesses, facing repeated setbac...

Uncharted Moments: How Love Survives Life’s Hardships (S3 -E4 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Jeff Ton Episode Overview: What happens when the world changes overnight—and every single day after? In Season 3, Episode 4 of Gut Punch, host Kathryn Lancioni reconnects with Jeff Ton, a beloved returning guest, as he shares the raw, deeply moving story of his wife Carmen’s battle with Multiple System...

From Cop to Defendant How My Arrest Changed Everything (S3 -E3 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Dr. Kareem Puranda Episode Overview: In this compelling episode of Gut Punch, Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Dr. Kareem Puranda-a former police officer, football player, and now a mental health professional and community advocate. Dr. Puranda shares his raw, personal journey from growing up in a high-...

Mandy’s Gut Punch Journey from Victim to Legend (S3 -E2 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Mandy Horvath Episode Overview: In this compelling episode of Gut Punch, Kathryn Lancioni welcomes Mandy Horvath, whose life was forever altered after being struck by a train under mysterious circumstances. Together they unravel how Mandy Horvath moved beyond trauma and rebuilt her life, setting world records...

The Untold Story Behind the Ascent (S3 -E1 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Mandy Horvath Episode Overview: Life can change in an instant, and no one knows this better than double amputee, world record holder, and adventurer Mandy Horvath. Hosted by Kathryn Lancioni, Gut Punch brings you the story of an extraordinary woman who turned her most traumatic experience into a life of record-breaking ac...

How Trauma Turned One Woman into a Global Advocate (S2 -E(No episode number) ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Tess Millay Episode Overview: In this episode, Kathryn Lancioni continues her conversation with Tess Millay, diving deep into what happens after a life-altering trauma. Tess Millay recounts her recovery journey after surviving abduction, facing unexpected setbacks in her personal life, an...

Real Strategies for Taking Back Your Health from the System (S2 -E12 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Caitlin Holcomb Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancione sits down with Caitlin Holcomb, founder of Wellmate, to unravel how technology and a consumer-first mindset can transform healthcare and wellness. Drawing on both personal and professional experiences, Caitlin Holcomb delves into the fragmentatio...

The Uber Ride That Changed Everything: A Near-Death Wakeup Call (S2 -E11 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Ashli Pollard Episode Overview: Life can turn on a dime, and few know this better than entrepreneur and women's business advocate Ashli Pollard. In this candid and uplifting conversation with host Kathryn, Ashli recounts her own “gut punch” moment—surviving a car accident that changed everyth...

How Getting Laid Off on Zoom Changed Everything (S2 -E10 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Nora Osman Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Nora Osman, founder and CEO of Norvana and author of "Zero to Hero." Nora opens up about her unexpected professional gut punch—being laid off from a dream leadership role in healthcare—and reveals how that life-altering moment propelled her onto a...

Healing After Horror: Finding Purpose When Life Breaks You (S2 -E9 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Tess Millay Episode Overview: In this powerful conversation, Tess Millay joins host Kathryn Lancioni to share her story of survival and transformation after being abducted, assaulted, and left for dead at just 21 years old. Tess describes the moments leading up to the attack, the shock and terror d...

The Shocking Reality of Life After a Dream Career (S2 -E8 ) Host : Kathryn Lancioni Guest : Sandra Menziesh Episode Overview: Kathryn Lancioni sits down with Sandra Menzies, who shares her experience of retiring after 35+ years in pharmaceuticals and federal service. Sandra reveals how the transition led her to reassess her sense of purpose and invent new ways to connect, grow, and give herself pe...