Amplifying Our Voices

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of childhood trauma, domestic violence, abuse, and a past suicide attempt. Please listen with care. In this episode, Miguel Olave shares how watching his mother raise three boys on her own taught him resilience, resourcefulness, and the instinct to keep moving forward even when life felt heavy. Miguel also opens up about the years he spent suppres...

Today’s conversation with Dr. Naomi Asher, author of "Take to the Bed (And Bring a Cake)," is one you’ll feel in your spirit. Naomi opens up about her multicultural upbringing, the labels placed on her as a child, and how it impacted her. Her story is a reminder of how early experiences shape our confidence, our work styles, and the way we move through the world. Naomi also breaks down b...

In this moving conversation, I sit down with Leslie Vines — a lifelong educator, daughter of a fiercely resilient single mother, and a woman whose life has been shaped by service, language, and love. Leslie opens up about growing up in East Tennessee, losing her father at a young age, and being raised by a mother whose strength, independence, and determination became the blueprint for her own life...

In this episode, Eileen López Tomé shares the powerful story behind her life as a first‑generation Cuban American, eldest daughter, mother, and breast cancer survivor. She opens up about her parents’ immigrant beginnings, the pressure to overachieve, the mental load of motherhood, and the moment everything stopped when she heard the words “you have breast cancer.” Eileen reflects on identity, fait...

In this powerful episode, Marie Kelly opens up about the defining moments that shaped her—from early encounters with bias to the pivotal experiences that pushed her to rewrite her narrative. Marie shares how a racist doctor’s early prediction became fuel for her determination to rise, succeed, and defy every limitation placed on her. She talks about her journey in leading authentically, navigating...

In this episode, I sit down with Miguel Montañez to explore a story rooted in culture, identity, loss, and rebirth. Miguel shares how his Puerto Rican upbringing shaped him and talks about what he had to unlearn as a Latino man. He opens up about his journey with alcohol — how it began, when it shifted into something heavier, and the moment he realized he needed to choose recovery. Miguel talks ho...

What if the life that looks perfect on paper is the one quietly breaking you? In this week’s episode, I sit down with David Golchin a leader who walked away from the job, the house, the “success,” and the identity he spent years building. Burnout, a failing relationship, and a moment of clarity on the other side of the world pushed him to choose something radically different: joy, presence, commun...

Join me as I sit down with Noemy Sanchez — a first‑generation Latina journalist whose story reflects the reality so many of us grew up in. From translating at doctor’s appointments as a child, to navigating college alone, to stepping into newsrooms where no one looked like her, Noemy shares what it means to carry your family’s hopes while building a path that didn’t exist before. We talk about the...

In this episode, I sit down with Waldo and Jacqui Solano — the couple who built Knoxville’s salsa community from absolutely nothing. Waldo shares his journey from Acapulco to the U.S. with a translator device in hand, asking “is possible work?” and discovering salsa in a way that changed the entire trajectory of his life. We talk about what it means to start over in a new country, to take risks wi...

In this episode, I sit down with Matha Vang — a first‑generation Hmong American, consultant, entrepreneur, and mother who has reinvented herself more times than most people dare to try. Matha opens up about growing up in a culture where women are taught to stay small, entering corporate America without a blueprint, and realizing that silence wasn’t going to take her where she wanted to go. We talk...

Welcome to Amplifying Our Voices . I’m Patty Hyack, and this is a space for real stories, healing, and belonging. Together, we explore the stories beneath the surface—the ones shaped by culture, identity, and quiet strength. May these conversations remind you that your voice matters, your story is sacred, and you are never alone. Tune in to hear my why and what to expect.