Can I Just Say? with Nikki La Croce

This episode is not your typical interview - it is a moment in time I’ll never forget. I’ll be forever grateful to have shared this experience with my niece. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from spending time with my niece and nephew these past few weeks, it’s how important it is to nurture our inner child. A few years ago, I would have scoffed at a comment like that. But after many therapy sess...

While we all have our own challenges and particular journey, when it comes to confronting difficulties and working through mental health issues, courage and awareness are two tools that we can all use. Here on the show today to talk about the need for leaps of faith in order to feel, and subsequently heal, is the amazing and inspiring Maddie Ace. Maddie is a singer, writer, podcaster, and all roun...

Tiffany Yu has a mission to change the way disabled people see themselves and to help them own their narrative. Part of this mission is to transform systemic ableism. Before Tiffany became the founder of Diversabiltiy, a disability advocate, speaker, writer, consultant, and coach, she was involved in a tragic car accident that left her disabled. In today’s show, she shares her story. We begin our...

Firefighting definitely ranks as one of the tougher professions out there, and our guest today is a testament to that and so much more. We are joined by young firefighter, Alayasia Ouerfelli, to talk about her journey in the job so far, as well as the amazing and inspiring Bad Bitch Movement that she is spearheading. We start right at the beginning, with Alayasia's upbringing and family life,...

Much of the healing that we all need as individuals relies heavily on the idea of self-acceptance, without which it is hard to imagine making much progress in personal growth. Joining us on the show today is an expert on the topic of self-acceptance, coach and speaker, Kevin Nahai! Kevin is an advocate for those dealing with complex emotional situations and uses his own experiences of personal pro...

Florence is an enchanting city that’ll tug at your romantic side. Abuzz with vibrant energy, this classical city is packed with Italy’s very best, including ancient architecture, tranquil gardens, and bona fide locals. This Italian dream became a reality for today’s guest, Melinda Gallo, an expat writer and photographer who has made Florence her home. We open the episode by finding out about Melin...

The journey of self-discovery is a never-ending one and more often than not reveals more than we might have expected. An idea that seems to come up in conversations on this topic more and more often is that of generational trauma, and how we carry the legacy of our families and loved ones forward with us. Here to talk about her path through difficult times and the work she has done to begin to lib...

Just like many industries and sectors of the creative world, music remains a space that is generally exclusive and non-diverse. This is especially true when it comes to the more technical sides of music, such as engineering and producing. Mari Sullivan, or as she is known professionally, MariGo, is out to change this! Mari, is a trained musician, Ableton Live instructor, and Twitch Streamer, and t...

After a near death experience in 2007, Ryan Henry Ward committed his life to his love and passion of becoming an artist. Fighting through poverty in the streets of Seattle, he has risen to be known as Seattle's Most Prolific Artist, painting more than 2800 canvases and more than 350 murals across the country. In this episode, we learn about the accident that nearly cost him his life and how it...

We still live in a world where the survivors of abuse and sexual assault have trouble being believed and are shamed in many ways, a dynamic that makes dealing with something so painful, that much more difficult. Joining us on the WhoTheF*ck Podcast today is singer-songwriter and podcast host, Rae du Soleil! She is here to share her message of strength and hope as well as some of her own story of d...

Labels help us choose the right product off the supermarket shelves, but human beings also apply labels, both to themselves and others, and these labels can drastically affect our perceptions of our true selves. Today’s guest is Cuyla Coogan. Cuyla is a queer life coach based in southern California, whose mission is to help people in the queer community become more confident and comfortable, so th...

Life can sometimes feel like swimming through an ocean of emotions, distractions, and chaos, and without the proper tools to help ourselves deal with this unpredictability, it can feel like we are drowning. Sharon Zapata joins us for this episode to talk about her new book, Middle Finger Happiness, and unpack her philosophy towards self-repair, a vital part of any healthy life. We get to hear from...

Bianca Amos (@bianca.amos) comes on the show to share her story about immigrating to Canada to pursue a better life for her and her son. Bianca is a writer, media producer, content creator and host of the Once Broken Podcast (@oncebrokenpodcast). I was so thrilled to have her on after first connecting with her here on IG. In this episode, we talk about: - The decision to leave home for another cou...

Learning about Alaina’s battle with cystic fibrosis offered me a great deal of perspective and hope beyond what I could have imagined. Diagnosed with CF at age 2, Alaina spent a good deal of time living her life as anyone who didn’t have a life threatening illness may do. But as Alaina’s health declined during her early adult life, she was faced with challenges most of us could never - and would n...

In this episode, Dan ‘Bear’ Cuddy joins me to share his experiences with the loss of his dear friend who died while serving in Iraq and his mother, who had battled multiple sclerosis for most of Dan’s life. We talk openly about life after loss and how there really is no such thing as getting over it. Our conversation explores: – What it’s like to experience the loss of a loved one – The stages of...

In this episode, Elena May Gruneberg joins me to talk about her decision to live a vegan lifestyle. During college, we spent a semester in Italy sharing many meat-based meals, so this was a raw and honest conversation about what made her decide she will never eat a meat product or byproduct again. Elena shares some great insight on the challenges of making the choice, while simultaneously destigma...

In this episode of the WhoTheF*ck? podcast, I speak with Gina Gold – comedian, author, eco-feminist, and all around awesome human. Gina and I discuss the concept of intersectionality and why it’s important, particularly for women, to understand how our interconnected identities entwine. We talk about racism, sexism, and the stigma against mental health. Gina shares stories about her past that made...

On this episode of the WhoTheF*ck? podcast, one of my closest friends from college, Paula Clancey, and I have a truly candid conversation about the decision she made to not have children and how her confidence about the decision continues to grow in spite of the critics. Tune in to hear our thoughts on the importance of choice, the stigma that remaining childless can carry, how to respond when peo...

For this episode, I reunite with Christina McKitish, a fellow Quinnipiac graduate, art-lover, and humanitarian as she shares the story of how her greatest challenges led her to practice yoga and ultimately started teaching yoga as a way to find her true self - and help others do the same. As a lifelong learner and educator, currently working as a middle-school social studies teacher, Christina&#39...

On this episode of the WhoTheF*ck? podcast, I speak to Rob Lawless , creator of Rob’s 10K Friends , as he explains what prompted his mission to meet 10,000 unique individuals and spend one hour, one-on-one with each of them – for absolutely no reason other than to create connections. Since Rob began his project in 2015, he has met over 3,300 people (I was 3,396!) and doesn’t plan to stop until he...

On this episode of the WhoTheF*ck? podcast, Daniela Modesto shares her journey that led her to create her blog, Calm Eats - Gluten & Dairy-Free Living Made Easy . When Daniela could no longer avoid the painful symptoms that accompanied her lifelong diet, she decided to change the game completely. Daniela opens up about how her physical and mental health have improved since making the decision...

This episode, I had the privilege of sharing the mic with Cara-Lyn Giovanniello, as she shares her passion and purpose as she explains why she became a professional coach, how she empowers her clients to set goals (and remain accountable to them), and advice on how to navigate feelings of anxiety surrounding the ambiguity of the future.  Interested in a consultation to lear how Cara-Lyn can help y...

In the latest episode, I speak with Laurie Brennan, RN at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, as shares her perspective as a nurse on the frontlines of an unprecedented pandemic that continues to sweep the globe. Laurie provides real-life insight about the challenges hospitals face, the risks medical professionals are taking to provide care, and how the surrounding ambiguity is bringing about...

In this episode, I speak with my colleague and friend, Kaitlyn Kim, as she shares her story of growing up in Los Angeles, as a first generation Korean-American. Kaitlyn explains the traditional Korean family dynamic and opens up about how her family's expectations led her to carve her own path and distance herself from Korean culture.  More episodes available at whothefck.com or visit your pre...

In the first episode of the soon to be recurring series RTF on WTF, I speak with my friend, Lauren Grinnell, as she shares her story as a survivor of domestic violence and how it led her to founding Runway to Freedom (runwaytofreedom.org). Runway to Freedom is a non-profit, now in its 10th year, focused on advocating for and providing resources to fellow survivors and their families. Runway to Fre...