Flip Your Script

Quintina Sonnie's difficult childhood included abandonment, sexual assault, abusive relationships and domestic sexual exploitation. She is a lived experience expert now living in Ghana, Africa, using her trauma and experiences to teach women how to heal so they can experience joy and love. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Quintina shares her personal story and the importance...

Faatemah Ampey is an award-winning hair stylist, salon owner and Bravo TV reality star who has found a new purpose. Following the murder of George Floyd, the streets near her salon were vandalized. With pain and destruction happening in Minneapolis, it became her mission to bring beauty back to the community. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Faatemah talks about the impact Ge...

Martha Rossini is the founder of one of the most iconic brands at the Minnesota State Fair: Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar. With three booths at the State Fair, her team bakes 3 million cookies each day. But baking cookies isn't Martha's only passion; she worked as an elementary school art teacher for years. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Martha shares how Sweet Martha's went fr...

Juliana Brandt is an author and kindergarten teacher with a passion for storytelling. After graduating from college, Juliana traveled the country before starting her teaching career in North Carolina. A car accident left her with a lot of time to start writing some stories. She dreamt about becoming an author for a decade and wrote 14 books before her debut book was published. In this episode of F...

Jasna Burza grew up in the middle of the Bosnian war. When she was nine years old, her family was split up; she went to a refugee camp and her father was sent to a concentration camp. Jasna and her family eventually left their country and came to Minnesota. In this episode of Flip Your Script with host Kristi Piehl, Jasna talks about growing up during a war, her experiences with loss and miscarria...

Stephen Stearman was laid off and fired from several jobs early in his career. Feeling like he didn't fit into the corporate world, Stephen found his place as an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry. He is now the CEO and Co-Founder of Elevate Holistics, a cannabis technology company focused on creating a better medical marijuana experience. In this episode of Flip Your Script, Stephen tells host...

Some artists use paint or clay to create, but award-winning artist Nathan Sawaya uses LEGO® bricks. Nathan began his career as a corporate lawyer on Wall Street. However, his desire to do something more creative led to a new career - one that includes clients like Lady Gaga and Tony Hawk. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Nathan shares how he gained the courage to take a leap,...

Jack Jablonski was checked from behind in a high school hockey game and went head first into the boards, fracturing two vertebrae and severing his spinal cord which left him paralyzed from the chest down. Ever since, Jack has set out to prove doctors wrong and started a foundation to fund research in paralysis recovery. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Jack talks about the li...

Randi Neal has overcome some of the most difficult challenges in life. Sexual abuse lead to drug addiction, physically abusive relationships, homelessness, alcoholism, rehab, suicide attempts and criminal charges. After years of working through her trauma, Randi was able to turn her life around. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Randi talks about her past and how sharing her s...

Kev Crane is a plumber in England who loves to sing while he works. He was crooning the right tune at the right time, landing a record deal after a client overheard him singing on the job. Now, Kev has signed a deal with a Hollywood filmmaker and sold the rights to his story to The Hunger Games writers Stacy Sherman and Billy Ray. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Kev shares w...

Running 100 marathons in 100 days. Kate Jayden shares how she accomplished this feat to raise money and awareness for refugees. Kate is facing surgery on a fractured femur and can't continue to run like she used to. However, running was never the main purpose of her challenge. Running gave her the opportunity to use her platform to impact others and raise money for charity. In the 100th episode of...

Growing up with two moms didn't seem out of the ordinary to Sidney Barnette. But in elementary school, she started noticing her family was different from the other kids. They told her she couldn't have two moms and that she had to have a dad. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Sidney shares her experiences growing up and what she hopes people will take away from her story. In h...

Jay Ernest loved the voice of Johnny Cash and baled hay to save money for his first guitar. While wanting to continue his idol's legacy, he formed the Church of Cash, a Johnny Cash tribute band. Jay brings Johnny Cash to life in the Folsom Prison Experience, an interactive musical and re-creation of one of the most important days in Johnny Cash's career. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kr...

Andy Buerger's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. Her courage and strength motivated Andy to turn his pain into a passion. He started a non-profit, Jodi's Climb for Hope, to raise money for cancer research by climbing mountains. When Andy's wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Climb for Hope expanded their efforts to include MS research. In this episode of Flip Your Script wit...

Phil Terrill totaled his car in a drunk driving accident in 2014. Instead of letting that moment define him, he listened to the wake-up call and turned his mistake into motivation. Phil is passionate about sneakers and began his entrepreneurial journey by founding SoleSafe, an asset management company for sneakerheads. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Phil explains it's never...

Katie Chonacas (aka Saint Kyriaki) is a Greek-American actor with over two decades of experience in Hollywood, including working with A-list actors like Morgan Freeman and Robert DeNiro. Katie is also a filmmaker, voice over actor, author, podcast host and the first NFT artist to release a love poem and a podcast on the blockchain. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Katie share...

When Roger Williams quit his job, he changed his title to Head Crosser Offer. After surviving two heart attacks, he's now taking what he calls an adult gap year to travel and cross items off his bucket list. Roger is the host of The Crossing It Off podcast where he interviews guests about their bucket lists and encourages others to live with intention. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kris...

From a college basketball player to hostage negotiator, Terry Tucker has reinvented himself frequently over his professional career. Along with most recently becoming an author and motivational speaker, Terry added cancer warrior to his list after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Acral Lentiginous Melanoma. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Terry shares his in...

From adoption and abandonment to abuse, death and suicides of loved ones, Sue Lundquist's life was filled with tragedy. An extremely traumatic childhood left Sue asking herself "why me?". Sue turned her pain into power with a successful business platform to help others live a more abundant life. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Sue shares her powerful story and explains how s...

Daniel Tolson faced countless setbacks when he was diagnosed with a linear sequential learning disability that led to years of mental and physical therapy. Daniel realized his passion for helping others and founded the Tolson Institute, specializing in emotional intelligence and resilience. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Daniel shares his journey of overcoming challenges, h...

Jeremy Grater and Zach Tucker have pushed themselves to learn more about their physical, emotional and mental health. They learned to manage depression and anxiety and lost nearly 200 pounds combined. They are now using their knowledge and sharing the challenges they have faced to help others through their podcast, The Fit Mess. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Jeremy and Zac...

From a young age, Mehdi Akbary has faced countless obstacles. He was unable to move his legs as a child, lost several family members while escaping the war in Afghanistan and was a refugee with no money. Despite a lack of support and resources, he traveled the world at 16 and settled in Toronto. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Mehdi shares the strength it took to overcome ma...

Elena Mellara reached her breaking point in 2019 when she experienced extreme corporate burnout. Elena followed her heart and started working with people instead of numbers. Today, she is an International Career Coach, working with professionals at a crossroads in their careers to help identify their superpowers. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Elena shares her journey and g...

With a mission to help homeless cats, Kanchan Singh founded Crumbs & Whiskers, the first cat cafe in the U.S. While her business was thriving, Kanchan was suffering from depression and anxiety. Through her struggles with mental health, Kanchan wrote a poetry book titled "Dear Me, I Love You: Healing Trauma and Finding Self-Love." In this powerful episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Kanc...

Jessica Malone had a successful corporate career before leaving her job at a Fortune 10 company and starting Nacho Average Fro, a company that helps people to declutter their spaces, habits and goals. After learning about decluttering and minimalism, Jessica decided to make a change. In this episode of Flip Your Script with Kristi Piehl, Jessica shares how she decluttered her life and how a minima...