A Twist of Fate

For years, Won Choi seemed to be checking every box — the right schools, the right jobs, the right milestones. But beneath the surface, a string of heartbreaking challenges was quietly building: infertility, loss, a family medical crisis, burnout, and a layoff that left her and her family in serious financial uncertainty. At her lowest point, she found herself questioning her worth and asking if t...

In 2016, Ishaan Mehta was attending a work offsite when a sudden accident changed the course of his life forever. He fell nearly 20 feet, sustaining a spinal cord injury that left him with no movement below his neck. In this episode, we talk about what it means to rebuild a life after everything changes—navigating disability, re-entering the workforce, and the mindset shifts that ultimately reshap...

Danielle is a New York City resident and has always found it to be a physically demanding place to live. Last year, she decided to go through her own weight loss journey, and take medication to help with the process. She has now lost over 40 pounds and is enjoying the change in her day-to-day living experience in NYC. In this episode, we dive into the different transformational aspects of weight l...

Sam Kabert found himself hitting rock bottom in 2019, despite having achieved what most people would consider to be incredible success. He had built a 7 figure business, and was recognized as one of Silicon Valley’s 40 under 40. Then when things took a turn, he found himself feeling broken and alone, experiencing what he calls “The Dark Night of the Soul”. For the next 3 years, he dedicated himsel...

Irene and Justin met at college in the Philippines and instantly felt a connection between them. Three months later, Irene finds out that her whole family is immigrating to the United States. They decide to commit to doing long distance, not knowing if or when they’ll ever live in the same country again. Fast forward to today, Irene and Justin are happily married with a daughter named Happy. In th...

Calvin is an ER doctor whose life changed forever in 2020 when he found himself on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this conversation, he reflects on the chaos of the early days—navigating uncertainty, facing impossible moral dilemmas, and making life-or-death decisions daily. Years later, he grappled with the toughest decision of all when his own life was at stake. Calvin is also a pub...

Kenna did not have what you would consider a typical childhood. Her parents divorced when she was about a year old, and her mom’s battle with drug addiction had her in and out of rehab centers, and sometimes without a home. In this episode, we explore the impact of addiction on families, the complexities it creates in a parent-child relationship, and the empathy needed for those facing similar cha...

"Blowing out someone else's candle doesn't make yours shine any brighter." Harmony was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan. She is the proud daughter of a Nigerian father, and a Japanese mother. At an early age, Harmony became increasingly aware of her looks and ethnicity, after being severely bullied in traditional Japanese school. It had a huge impact on her mental health, and it escalated to a po...

“You are not the darkness you endured. You are the light that refused to surrender.” Liz thought that she had it all. The perfect life with a perfect new job, and a perfect boyfriend. Until one night, she and her boyfriend went out drinking, only for her to wake up the next day with blood all over her pillow, unable to remember what happened. She had been violently attacked. This episode discusses...

Mike is the father to a beautiful 2 and a half year old girl, Celia. In October of 2022, he and his wife at the time decided to get a divorce. Shortly after, he packed his bags and moved out. He now has shared custody of Celia and spends half his week as a full-time parent, and half the time learning how to be single again. In this episode, we talk about the challenges of single parenting, its imp...

When Jean’s mother developed an unknown and aggressive form of cancer, her entire life had to be put on hold. She quit her job at the time to help care for her sick mom, only to lose her about a year later. Fast forward a few years, Jean gets yet another scare as her father gets suffers from a heart attack - which happened right after one of the happiest moments of her life, her wedding. Together,...

“To anyone out there who’s hurting — it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It’s a sign of strength.” - Barack Obama For as long as he can remember, Carlo has struggled with low self esteem. He was surrounded by a loving family, friends that cared about him, and had recently gotten engaged to his long time girlfriend. Despite this, he couldn’t shake off the feelings of depression and low sel...

**TRIGGER WARNING: Contains sensitive language around suicide, please be advised** “To anyone out there who’s hurting — it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It’s a sign of strength.” - Barack Obama For as long as he can remember, Carlo has struggled with low self esteem. He was surrounded by a loving family, friends that cared about him, and had recently gotten engaged to his long time gir...

“When you focus on someone's disability you'll overlook their abilities, beauty and uniqueness. Once you learn to accept and love them for who they are, you subconsciously learn to love yourself unconditionally.” - Yvonne Pierre Like many of us, family has played a huge role in Sam’s life. His father was a medical missionary, and met his mother at a church she frequented during a phase of homeless...

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Tommy was walking to work at his new job when he suddenly felt symptoms of what seemed like a sinus infection. His condition quickly worsened with different parts of his body failing, and he went from doctor to doctor trying to find an answer with no luck. He then started to notice that he couldn’t move one side of his face. After multiple misdiagnoses, one doctor finally shared that he likely had...

“Just because I can't control what life throws at me, doesn't mean I can't control how I handle it." - Devin Duncan Hae Jun was the victim of a hit and run accident in New York City. He was biking home from a work happy hour, and suddenly gets hit by a car that speeds off after the incident. Doctors initially told him there was a chance he may never walk again. After months in a neck brace and doi...

“No woman can call herself free who does not control her own body” ― Margaret Sanger In March of 2021, Jen was ecstatic to find out that she was pregnant with her second child - a son she had named Luke. During her second trimester, her doctor broke the terrible news that she had had a miscarriage, and recommended that she get an abortion to avoid the risks of induced labor. She and her husba...

"Wish not so much to live long as to live well." — Benjamin Franklin In 2008, Kevin Delaney woke up from a coma with doctors telling his family that he had only about 24 hours left to live. He was 42 years old, active and healthy, and now suddenly in need of an emergency liver transplant. The odds were stacked against him, but by some miracle, a few hours later they found an organ donor match in A...

"Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do." Carla is in her mid-30s and just recently gave birth to her first child - a beautiful baby boy named Wade. Her journey to motherhood has not been easy - she and her husband had been trying to get pregnant for over four years. Carla was diagnosed with what is known as "Premature Ovarian Failure" - doctors had...

“Family is like branches on a tree; we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.” Dennis is a 37 year old Columbian man who was adopted by a family in Sweden. For his entire life, he didn’t know much about his family other than what was written on his adoption papers. This all changed when, a few months ago, Dennis took a DNA test which led to him finally getting reunited with...

"In war, truth is often the first casualty." - Winston Churchill Olya Sukhopar is a US-based Ukrainian native whose family and friends are currently taking shelter in Central Ukraine amidst the ongoing war. Her mother has had to evacuate to Poland to seek medical assistance for her health issues. Outside of her day job, Olya is fighting the informational war with her volunteer efforts at "Now in U...

"The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other." - Mario Puzo Bijan Hardison is a 29-year old military veteran who grew up in a household with 15 foster siblings, and today, is responsible for raising his 18 year old foster sister. In this episode, we explore the complexities of foster families, and what it takes to show up for the people in your life who...

"We repeat what we don't repair." - Christine Langley Obaugh Luigi works as a psychotherapist helping clients from all walks of life navigate their own personal challenges. In this episode, we explore the intricacies of providing emotional support for others while at the same time taking care of your own mental health. We dig into Luigi's own journey with therapy, and the "aha moment" behind...