Find Your Voice, Change Your Life

Today, I interview Michael Grant and Lee Glickstein. Michael once struggled with stage fright, from freezing in high school to facing the daunting role of speaking at his uncle’s memorial service. His voice, long held back by anxiety and fear, often felt locked away. Everything began to shift when he discovered Speaking Circles, created by Lee. Instead of relying on performance or technique, Micha...

Today, I interview John Briggs, who once believed that working harder and earning more was the ultimate measure of success, until the cost of that belief showed up at home. He grew up as the youngest in a religious family, often singled out and bullied in his childhood. Making himself small felt like the only way to stay safe. Even in the workplace years later, that pattern repeated. His voice sil...

Today, I interview Eric Atwood, who spent decades trapped in self-doubt, believing he had nothing of value to say. Labeled as the “shy, scared, stupid kid” after a traumatic moment in school, he carried that identity into adulthood, silencing his voice, hiding from connection, and believing he wasn’t enough. He grew up across seven countries, constantly moving because of his father’s humanitarian...

Today, I interview Jonathan Reynolds, who learned that voice isn’t something you perform, it’s something you live from. Growing up in a small town shaped by rigid roles and quiet expectations, Jonathan learned early on to silence parts of himself. But beneath that silence was a longing for truth, for freedom, and for something more real than what the world around him seemed to offer. In this conve...

Today, I interview Junie Moon, who grew up bright and bubbly, until one look from her mother made her feel unloved. Her free spirit met a controlling household where even a glance could silence her. By eight, she had learned to dim her light just to stay safe. Being cheerful and expressive got her labeled, and rejected. Bullied through middle school, silent in high school, Junie carried this fear...

Today, I interview Elisa Negroni, who grew up silenced—not just by family secrets and trauma, but by a culture that told her to stay small, stay quiet, and never question authority. Raised in Puerto Rico and Jamaica, Elisa learned early that speaking up came with consequences. A teacher once told her she wasn’t “college material,” and a cruel stepmother punished her for simply existing. The silenc...

Today, I interview Kristina Milosevic, who once struggled with shyness and fear of speaking up. As a child growing up in Serbia, she often felt more comfortable staying in the background. She was the responsible older sister, creative and observant, but hesitant to be fully seen. That shyness stayed with her into adulthood, where the pressure to meet expectations in a corporate marketing job built...

Today, I interview Patty de Vries, who grew up in a challenging environment where she felt the weight of constantly meeting expectations, pushing herself to succeed while disconnecting from her own needs. She learned early on to stay quiet and observe, taking her mother’s saying, "children should be seen and not heard," to heart. She also pushed herself to meet high expectations as an at...

Today, I interview Joan Perry, who once built a life filled with achievement, only to realize she was climbing the wrong ladder in the wrong building. Outwardly, everything looked perfect—career success, recognition, and status—but inwardly, she felt disconnected from herself. Joan shares how, for years, she followed the path that culture and family laid out for her, without ever stopping to ask i...

Today, I interview Julia Miron, who grew up in a home where speaking her truth wasn’t safe. As the youngest in a household filled with anger, control, and emotional chaos, she learned to stay silent to protect herself. She retreated into journaling, music, and nature—places where she didn’t have to explain herself, where she could finally breathe. Her voice, however, remained hidden. Her words bar...

Today, I interview Holly MacCue, who used to walk into work feeling sick with dread, afraid she would be exposed as a fraud. Even after being recognized by her boss as a “shining star,” she couldn’t shake the fear that she didn’t belong. A high achiever since childhood, Holly placed enormous pressure on herself to succeed—and it eventually made her physically ill. She lost her voice to laryngitis,...

Today, I interview Dr. Julie Lopez, who spent much of her life perfecting a performative voice to fit in and avoid rejection. Adopted as an infant and raised without biological connections, she unconsciously shaped her identity around external approval. She excelled in academics, leadership, and later, a high-powered consulting career, yet deep inside, she felt disconnected from her true self. Des...

Today, I interview Robyn Smith, who spent much of her early life feeling unheard and afraid to speak up. As a child, she was timid and quiet, often holding back her voice in class and around others. Early experiences of separation from her mother left her with a deep sense of not being fully seen or heard. At home, she had the freedom to make choices, but in the outside world, she shrank into the...

Today, I interview Linda Graf, who lost her confidence in speaking after a sudden family financial crisis during her teenage years shattered her sense of stability and support. Once a child who thrived in speech contests and artistic pursuits, Linda found herself unable to speak in front of even a small group, carrying this fear well into adulthood. As Linda navigated her career in sales and later...

Today, I interview Sarah Dawkins, who struggled with losing her voice after being constantly told to be quiet as a child. Her curiosity was often met with dismissal, and a negative experience in school left her feeling silenced and small. Later in life, despite her passion for teaching and helping others, the fear of public speaking deepened her internal struggle with self-expression. Sarah grew u...

Today, I interview Carla King, an author and publishing expert who overcame the struggle of being an introvert terrified of speaking publicly—even after her writing was published. Carla grew up in a unique environment shaped by her introverted, artistic mother and extroverted, mechanical father. Living in rural North Carolina, she spent much of her time reading and working on mechanical projects w...

Today, I interview Dr. Kalpana Sundar, who overcame a life of restriction and stifled self-expression to discover her authentic voice. Growing up in a traditional Indian household in the United States, Kalpana experienced the tension of balancing cultural expectations and her own independent spirit. As the firstborn and a rebellious child, her attempts to express herself were often met with resist...

Today I interview Natalia Price, who shares her journey of overcoming silence and fear to embrace her voice and power. Growing up in South America, Natalia experienced a childhood marked by bullying and cultural expectations that kept her quiet and compliant. Moving to the United States at age 10, she became aware of new possibilities for women’s empowerment but struggled to break free from old pa...

Today, I interview DevSuroop Kaur, who grew up as the youngest of three sisters in a family where she often felt muted and silenced. As a young adult, she searched for herself through diverse experiences, including working in Alaska, battling addiction, and struggling with a fear of speaking that kept her from fully expressing who she was. Her turning point came in her early twenties when she disc...

Today, I interview Meg Dennison, who grew up in a rural area where life was quiet, and opportunities to connect were limited. In her household, her father’s preference for peace and order meant that noise and self-expression were often discouraged. While the stillness of her environment shaped her early years, Meg’s lively and rebellious spirit found subtle ways to emerge.  As she grew older, her...

Today I interview Leisa Reid, who grew up with a strong sense of independence fostered by her parents’ unique approach to raising her. With her parents divorced and living in different states, Leisa’s early life involved traveling alone between homes, which encouraged self-reliance from a young age. Her father, a hypnotherapist, further nurtured her independence by introducing her to ideas about i...

Today, I interview Kathryn Regganie, who grew up feeling different because of her learning disabilities, especially dyslexia. Kathryn shares how she faced challenges in school and often felt disconnected from traditional learning systems. Despite these struggles, her parents, especially her father, were a strong source of encouragement, reminding her she had the choice and determination to succeed...

Today, I interview Katherine Kennedy, who grew up feeling the need to appear like everything was perfect, avoiding hard conversations and hiding behind a mask. As the youngest in her family, she was often seen as the one who brought fun and laughter, but underneath, she struggled to express her true emotions. This sense of needing to present a perfect life, while holding in difficult feelings, lef...

Today, I interview Dana Weaver, whose story starts with a pivotal moment during her childhood when her great-grandmother, a woman she adored, moved into a nursing home. Seeing the poor conditions in the facility sparked a realization in Dana that things needed to change. This event, coupled with her father’s encouraging words, planted a seed in her heart that would later grow into her passion for...

Today, I interview Randall Alifano who grew up in a loud, talkative Italian family where everyone spoke, but no one really listened. Like many of us, Randall often felt unheard and disconnected, surrounded by people but without real understanding. This early experience of being silenced planted the seed for his deep curiosity about human connection and the power of listening. As he grew older, Ran...