Heartbeat Narratives

MOMMY & MINI: Happy Daughter's Day! For this special occasion, we invite you to meet Megan and her five year old daughter, Mila, in this candid conversation about motherhood and love. While visiting Minnesota for the summer, Molly reconnects with her longtime childhood friend Megan, whom she first met in preschool. As Mila pops in and out of the conversation, Megan reflects on growing up as an...

“Your name just has to be Ryan, and you automatically have friends.” — Ryan Shoutout to all the Ryans! Thanks for landing here for this conversation. In this episode, we meet Ryan Jewell with the Ryan Meetup, a community of Ryans from around the country. What started as a lighthearted idea in Brooklyn, NY years ago has grown into an fun, inclusive movement: Ryans are finding friendship and connect...

This episode is a back porch conversation from the heart with Uncle John Kauhi, a humorous, resilient, heart on his sleeve kind of person who has lived a life full of unexpected turns. Born premature and fighting for his life from the very beginning, John has carried that same determination through growing up in Maunalua (Hawaiʻi Kai), Oʻahu, forming lifelong friendships, and working for years in...

FLYING THROUGH LIFE · In today's conversation, we welcome Elfi, a longtime friend whose extraordinary life has taken her from growing up in postwar Austria to Alaska and eventually Hawaiʻi. Elfi shares stories from her 44-year career as a flight attendant, including flying through intense storms, visiting countless new cities around the world and becoming a passionate advocate for flight safety. S...

PROVIDE, PROTECT, PREPARE · In this episode, Cypress Navarro-Acio shares his story of family, faith, and his path toward firefighting. Mahalo nui to the Ho‘omau Fire Academy for connecting us with him as a former cadet representing Class 020. From graduating high school during the pandemic to becoming a Division I soccer player, Cypress has continued to challenge himself and build the skills he ho...

PIZZA FOR THE PEOPLE · At Brooklyn’s iconic Luigi’s Pizza, owner and chef Giovanni Lanzo shares why quality pizza starts with family, passion, and staying true to his Calabria, Italy roots. With his 9-year-old son Luigi by his side, he reflects on finding joy in making pizzas,  even when his first -generation immigrant father hoped he would choose a different career path. Giovanni shares the impor...

COMING HOME · Aloha friends, this episode is for all this listeners who requested that I speak more about my life. I appreciate your feedback so much. In this conversation, the microphone is turned around, and I become the interviewee. A special mahalo to my friend, Love Chance, for being such a thoughtful and intentional interviewer, creating the space for me to share my own unfolding story. We m...

Saikō Sushi! (Supreme Sushi | 最高寿司) ⋅ In this mini episode, Molly visits Hatsune-zushi, a charming six-seat sushi restaurant near Yoyogi-Uehara Station in Tokyo, Japan. After a lively meal, Chef Koichi shares stories from his 32 years behind the sushi counter, from his favorite seasonal fish to the sensitivity and care that define the craft of sushi. With help from Molly's friend Rino, who tra...

"For the next seven generations" · In this episode, photographer and visual storyteller Lee Gavin, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, shares how his work weaves together culture, grit and resilience. Based in Pendleton, Oregon, Lee uses photography to document Native life across Turtle Island (North American continent) capturing honest human moments g...

LINE DANCING · Some of the best conversations happen when you least expect them. At 11 p.m. on a Saturday night in Hilo, Molly interviews Malachi, a 22-year-old born and raised on Big Island who recently found an unexpected new passion: line dancing. Decked out in his palaka shirt and cowboy boots, Malachi shares how a TikTok dance and a friend’s invitation led him into a community he now looks fo...

Join me for a short reflection on story collecting in the wild featuring unexpected narratives from my life lately :) -Molly Episode Highlights 00:29 — stand up comedy got me thinking 03:07 — spring chaos 04:01 — a night at the ... valet 06:04 — recruiting strangers for my podcast 07:10 — meeting auntie marilyn at long's 10:05 — a pit stop in kalihi 11:21 — old hawaiʻi 13:43 — life lately 14:03 —...

In today’s conversation, we invite you to meet Emily Reno, founder of Mezclada, whose journey through farming, travel, dance, and entrepreneurship has shaped a life rooted in curiosity and vibrancy. Now based in México, where she has reconnected with her ancestral roots, Emily shares how her experiences abroad and within agriculture inspired her to create Mezclada with the belief that farming shou...

KITCHEN CHEMISTRY · Today we’re joined by Rachel Fukumoto and Micah Kekoa Davis to share their unexpected - and adorable - love story that all started in the kitchen. The two met in culinary school on Oʻahu and quickly became best friends, never expecting their connection to turn romantic. Now married and living in Hilo, Hawaiʻi, Rachel works as a farmer grant writer while Micah is a sous chef. To...

A CUP OF PEACE · In this episode of Heartbeat Narratives, a quiet walk through the streets of Kamakura, Japan leads to an unexpected conversation with Naoko Noguchi-san and her husband, Katsuyo-san, the couple behind and owners of, Idobata Coffee, a small coffee truck they began together after retirement as part of their “second life.” Naoko-san reflects on the joy of meeting people from around th...

In this episode, we’re joined by “Otto” (name changed for privacy), a German-born, Hawaiʻi-based ocean lover who lives by a reduce, reuse, and recycle mindset - finding value in what others often overlook. We get into his life shaped by discipline, curiosity, and the occasional late-night dumpster dive. From free diving in the Pacific to "adventure diving" into dumpsters, Otto shows how resourcefu...

YOGA · What if the way you move on your mat could change how you meet the world? Today’s guest is Devi Sakti, a Honolulu-based yoga teacher (RYT 500) who was born and raised in the Bay Area. She honors her Indian heritage while staying rooted in ancestral wisdom and grounded in the modern world. She moves between the lineage of yoga and her lived experience as a millennial woman who works in tech...

WHIMSY · What if the cure for burnout was… bubbles? 🫧✨✨In this episode, Molly chats with David (aka Uncle Bubble), the human behind Honolulu’s dreamy nighttime bubble parties where strangers become a community and “dancing ugly” is highly encouraged. What started as a quirky pandemic experiment turned into a full-on movement of joy, play, and unexpected healing. Alongside his bubble work, David...

"Love is all that matters" · This dynamic conversation with Chaplain Brianna Higa of Kailua, Hawaiʻi was the culmination of an unexpected meeting that unfolded into something beautiful. She shares what it looks like to sit with people in moments of fear, transition, and letting go, and how presence alone can be an offering. We learn about the role of a chaplain, how it differs from traditional rol...

Meet Kai Uyehara, originally from the south shore of Oʻahu, who is helping revitalize the traditional art of making Hawaiian fishnets. Kai shares about his love of the ocean and how his reverence for Hawaiian culture continues to grow. From learning how to throw net to spending long hours observing the shoreline, he reflects on how slowing down and going analog has shaped the way he approaches fis...

ALOHA ʻĀINA & ART · In this episode, Lily Māhealani Mitchell invites us into the in-between - between Hawaiʻi and England, painting and design, emotions and healing. She traces her path from meticulously painting roses as a kid to creating protest-inspired archival work like a hidden-ink Kumulipo typography piece that questions who knowledge is really for. Living abroad sharpened her awareness of...

PRESENCE · In this season of heart-to-hearts, we sit down with Love Chance - a mother, entrepreneur, ʻāina lover, and dreamer. She is also the founder and creative force behind The Indigenous Soap Company. Guided by ancestral wisdom and reverence for the land, Love weaves Cherokee and Hawaiian teachings into her motherhood, her business, and the way she moves with intention. What began as a chance...

What does it mean to believe you are enough? In this episode of Heartbeat Narratives, Teron Buford, author, storyteller, and founder of Grace Through Soul, joins the conversation for a reflective discussion on identity and self-worth. Teron and Molly reconnect as friends from their college days, reflecting on how shared history deepens the conversation. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Teron share...

GOOD NEIGHBORS · In this solo episode, I reflect on what it means to be a good neighbor during a time of uncertainty and injustice. While I touch on ICE operations in Minnesota, my aim is to move beyond politics and into a place of shared humanity and respect for dignity. I’ve noticed that most of my neighbor interactions happen during crisis, and I wonder how much stronger our communities could b...

HANAHAU'OLI: JOYOUS WORK · Step back into the magic of elementary school as Kauʻi, an Oʻahu-based elementary school principal, shares how care and heart guide her work in education and leadership. From the power of a welcoming classroom to the small, meaningful moments that shape a child’s day, she reflects on why elementary school environments matter so deeply. Caring for our keiki extends beyond...

Aloha · In this first mini episode of 2026, we explore pivots - pivots to slow down, to shift energy, and to find grounding amidst chaos. Together, let’s uncover ways to dance through it all. I’m grateful for your support, feedback, and stories over the past twelve months since we launched Heartbeat Narratives. Mahalo for listening and sharing this journey with me. As we step into the new year, pl...