Built From Broken

A few weeks ago, I told listeners I would be releasing two episodes a week for the next three weeks. I meant every word of it. Then life happened. Between Mother's Day, birthdays, end-of-school celebrations, travel, work commitments, family responsibilities, and all of the normal demands of life, I found myself carrying more than I realized. This episode became an honest conversation about gui...

This week’s episode is Part One of a special three-part series called Why This Work Matters , where I’ll be highlighting organizations that support children and families impacted by foster and kinship care and sharing why this work matters so deeply to me personally as a former foster youth. In this episode, I’m talking about Least of These Carolinas, a faith based nonprofit organization serving c...

In this first episode of the new In Real Time mini series, I wanted to sit down and talk more casually about some of the conversations, moments, opportunities, and reflections that have been happening lately throughout Foster Care Awareness Month. I share my thoughts surrounding recent CMS conversations connected to foster care liaison positions, attending the foster care symposium with Least of T...

Mother’s Day can bring so many different emotions depending on someone’s story. For some, it feels joyful. For others, it feels heavy. Sometimes it feels healing, complicated, grief-filled, or somewhere in between. In this episode, I wanted to create a space for every kind of mother and nurturing figure. The biological moms, stepmoms, foster moms, adoptive moms, single parents, women longing to be...

It has been one year of Built From Broken. In this episode, I reflect on what this past year has looked like, from starting this podcast during a time of uncertainty, to the growth, healing, and unexpected opportunities that followed. I share more about what was happening behind the scenes, how this journey has changed me, and what I have learned about faith, purpose, and starting before you feel...

May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and this episode is where it begins. Most people don’t think about foster care unless it directly affects them. But what happens when we take a moment to really understand it? In this episode, I am opening the door to start the conversation for a deeper understanding of foster care. Not just what people think it is, but what it actually looks like beneath the su...

In Part Two, we continue the conversation, moving into the more complex, emotional, and meaningful parts of my dad’s story. From the relationship we built later in life to the things I understand differently now, this episode is about perspective, growth, and the love that remains even after loss, as we approach the five year anniversary of his passing this Wednesday. We close this episode with a...

As we approach the five year anniversary of my dad’s passing this Wednesday, I’m sitting down to talk about him in a way I never have before. In this episode, I’m joined by my stepmom, Cindy, as we begin to unpack who he was, what shaped him, and the parts of his story I didn’t fully understand growing up. This is the start of a deeper conversation, one rooted in love, reflection, and seeing someo...

In the final part of this Q&A series, I’m sharing reflections on personal growth, healing, and what it looks like to move beyond survival and actually live differently. This episode touches on mindset shifts, breaking generational cycles, and parenting with intention, while also acknowledging that growth isn’t perfect and healing isn’t linear. As we’re coming up on one year of Built From Broke...

In this Q&A episode of Built From Broken , I’m answering some of the most personal questions I’ve received about my relationship with my mom. We talk about what it’s like growing up with a parent who struggles with mental illness, the confusion it creates as a child, and the understanding that comes with time. I share how my perspective has shifted as an adult… from anger to compassion, from m...

This week on Built From Broken , I’m continuing the Q&A series and answering some of the most personal questions that came in during Season One. We talk about what it feels like when people learn I was in foster care, how childhood triggers can carry into adulthood, how I truly feel when I look back on my childhood, whether it’s anger, sadness, or something deeper, and navigating the complex e...

Season 2 of Built From Broken begins with a listener Q&A, answering some of the most meaningful questions about my experience in foster care and the long term impact childhood trauma can have on our lives. After sharing my full foster care journey throughout Season 1, many listeners reached out with thoughtful questions about my experiences, the impact those years had on my life, and what heal...

Graduation was the visible milestone. Aging out was the quiet shift no one applauds. In this final chapter of my foster care story, I share what it felt like when the system stepped back and adulthood stepped in. No ceremony. No countdown. Just a case file closing and the realization that I was now fully responsible for my life. From navigating independence in my first apartment to learning hard l...

This episode begins the final chapter of my foster care story. Graduation week was more than a ceremony. It was the collision of everything that had shaped my adolescence. Family dynamics that were layered and complicated. Milestones that felt both earned and fragile. Independence that looked confident on the outside but felt uncertain underneath. In this episode, I share what it was like to stand...

In this episode, I pick back up at the end of my senior year, a season filled with anticipation, transition, and decisions that quietly shaped what came next. I reflect on being accepted to college, competing at BPA Nationals, prom, and senior skip day, all while navigating the uncertainty of preparing to age out of foster care. This episode captures the tension between independence and stability,...

As senior year continues, I am still a few months away from graduation and focused on staying grounded while navigating a season of transition. In this episode, I share what life looked like during this stretch of senior year, including changes in my living situation, a health-related scare, and how much of my energy was poured into school, work, and staying busy. I reflect on the difference betwe...

By the time Christmas came around, I had already mentally checked out. In this episode, I share what it looked like to quietly prepare for freedom long before I physically left. As graduation approached, my focus shifted to survival, independence, and getting out. This chapter reflects the slow unraveling that happens when care becomes conditional and adulthood is forced too early. I open up about...

In this episode of Built From Broken , I continue sharing what life looked like during my final stretch at the Dayridge House, a chapter marked by sharp contrasts. Before everything unraveled, there was a moment that almost changed my entire future. A safe adult. A stable home. An offer rooted purely in care and compassion. And the complicated fear that comes when kindness feels unfamiliar. But af...

As we step into 2026, I’m taking a moment to pause and reflect on what’s been built so far and what I’m intentionally carrying forward. In this episode, I share reflections on the first eight months of Built From Broken , the unexpected growth this space has experienced, and what it means to steward a story, a platform, and a community with care. I talk openly about choosing purpose over pressure,...

In this episode, I share a moment from this week that felt like a turning point. I spoke at my first foster care related event, and a high school student even asked if I had a podcast. Both moments reminded me why this journey matters and how purpose can show up in the smallest places. We also step back into my senior year, a chapter shaped by responsibility, growth, and quiet transformation. Mome...

This chapter begins with vulnerability. I talk about why starting this section of my story was difficult, not from confusion, but from clarity. I remembered everything too clearly, and stepping into this version of me meant facing the girl who wanted to belong, to be older, and to survive in her own way. In this episode, I share the tattoos I got in unconventional places, not having reliable rides...

This week’s episode is one I hadn’t planned to record, but it was placed on my heart after my mom’s birthday brought up emotions I couldn’t ignore. In this tender, honest reflection, I open up about the complicated grief that comes with loving someone who is still here, but not the same person they used to be. I talk about the memories I hold, the pieces of her I miss, the layers of love and loss...

In this final part, we wrap up our time with Gracie and reflect on how far we’ve both come since our early years in foster care. She shares her gratitude for being able to tell pieces of her story here and talks about hoping to come back on the podcast again soon. Gracie leads us through this week’s Broken to Built reflection question and even gives two Rebuild Challenges. She also closes us out i...

In Part 3, we open up about the habits and reactions we’ve carried into adulthood that may not seem “normal,” and how many of them are rooted in trauma. We talk about trauma bonding, over-apologizing, and the ways our bodies can tire more quickly after living so long in fight-or-flight mode. We also share about therapy, EMDR, and how some of us feel emotions more intensely because of what we’ve wa...

We kick off this episode with a funny little blooper, just a reminder that we’re real, human, and far from perfect. Hopefully it gives you a smile. In Part 2, Gracie and I talk about who we are today, who we’ve grown into, and how childhood trauma shapes the adults we become. We share honestly about protecting our children, motherhood, and why the way we parent might seem “extra” to others. This c...