I Feel You, A Fortify Wellness Production

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Dr. Russ Irwin to talk about trauma, grief, and the moment you realize you cannot “get over it” but you can get through it. We break down complex PTSD, why triggers hijack the nervous system, and what real healing looks like when faith and skilled therapy support the process. • Russ’s personal story of trauma, loss, and finding purpose in helping others  • The dif...

Send us Fan Mail Your life can look successful—and still feel like survival mode. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tabatha Barber, a triple board-certified physician turned functional medicine leader, to talk about surrender, shame, and what real healing actually looks like. We unpack her journey—from teenage mother to physician—and the prayer that changed the course of her life. We also dive...

Send us Fan Mail Healing doesn’t click into place one morning—it’s a loop. Old triggers, new tools, and a little more self-trust each time. In this episode, I sit down with Brooklyn-based creator and mental health advocate Andrea Tamasi for a candid conversation about rebuilding self-worth after growing up with body shame and carrying the quiet belief that love is conditional. We get into the real...

Send us Fan Mail Burnout doesn’t always look like a breakdown. Sometimes it’s waking up, opening your email, and feeling your entire body flood with stress. This is Bettina’s Mini Burnout Series —and today, I’m sharing what founder burnout looks like for me in real time as an early-stage female founder balancing product, content, a team, and the start of a VC raise. When things move slower than yo...

Send us Fan Mail We trace the path from Y2K nostalgia to a new mental health literacy, naming how public healing, EMDR therapy, and community care can turn pain into purpose. We share what inspires us about women reclaiming their stories and how Fortify aims to make support practical and real. • why burnout demands structural solutions not quick fixes • generational shifts from secrecy to emotiona...

Send us Fan Mail We trace how real wellness takes shape when personal grit meets local policy. From insurance pitfalls and hospital strain to community design, we focus on practical steps that move access from talk to action. • identity beyond titles and grounding rituals • early experiences with bias shaping a legal path • from talk to action on functional and holistic care • where access fails s...

Send us Fan Mail Burnout can look like a 2 pm crash, a shorter fuse with people you love, and a slow loss of passion that you can’t quite explain. Our guest, Dr. Rozina—psychiatrist and integrative medicine clinician—opens up about the car accident that exposed her own limits and the gratitude practice that helped her rebuild from the inside out. We trace her path from early academic setbacks to a...

Send us Fan Mail A flashing light, a broken mug, and a hard truth: when your body whispers, listen before it screams. That’s where we start as Bettina opens up about a recent grand mal seizure, the foggy postictal hours, and the surprising sadness that trailed the medical drama. No hype, no hustle—just a real-time reset that turned “push through it” into “pause for it,” and a practical path to hea...

Send us Fan Mail SOLO Episode – Filmed in October 2025 during our BETA launch. Getting ready for the January 2026 college tour! Start here if you need proof that you’re not alone. Bettina takes us from “3-2-1 get out of bed” mornings to prepping a nationwide app launch, unpacking the messy middle where imposter syndrome, anxiety, and comparison culture try to call the shots. The stories are raw, t...

Send us Fan Mail We trade shallow advice for usable tools that build intuition, safety, and stronger relationships. Arnold shares law enforcement lessons, Bettina maps them to daily life, and together we offer simple drills to read rooms, reduce risk, and speak across behavior styles. • Arnold's path from business to ATF after a pivotal family moment • Undercover story and the cost of stress...

Send us Fan Mail We trade highlight reels for real life with D1 tennis champion and marketer Scarlett Hutchinson, unpacking how grief reshaped her mindset, why team culture saved her game, and how authenticity beats algorithms. Tools for boundaries, calm nights, and sustainable joy tie it together. • redefining happiness after loss and burnout • mental toughness from individual sport to team suppo...

Send us Fan Mail We trade grind culture for grounded care, talk honestly about pregnancy and founder energy, and spotlight the BUMMED mission to destigmatize anorectal health with real solutions.  Here are the highlights: • pregnancy reshaping fitness, sleep, and nutrition • making “listen to your body” concrete • designing founder time around energy peaks • rejecting late-night hustle and burnout...

Send us Fan Mail We share the messy path from dorm room despair to building a holistic wellness platform and the daily tools that keep imposter syndrome in check. Naming emotions, auditing friendships, and celebrating small wins become practical ways to reclaim power and momentum. • Defining imposter syndrome as doubt despite evidence • Tagging emotions to reduce shame and spark action • Healing a...

Send us Fan Mail US Figure Skating Champion Amber Glad opens up about her journey from identity struggles to self-acceptance, revealing how mental health challenges shaped her approach both on and off the ice. • Finding identity beyond skating after 20 years in the sport • Mental health crisis at age 16 leading to hospitalization  • Battling body image issues and perfectionism in a demanding envir...

Send us Fan Mail Kelsey Darragh is a content creator, filmmaker, and writer with over 2M followers on social media and 50k+ copies sold of her bestselling book, Don't F*cking Panic . With experience as a development executive at BuzzFeed , and as the creator of her podcast and video series Confidently Insecure , Kelsey crafts authentic content that resonates with diverse audiences while break...

Send us Fan Mail Alex Wong shares his journey from classical ballet training to viral content creator, revealing how his "negatively positive" personality and immigrant work ethic shaped his remarkable career across multiple entertainment fields. • Born in Canada and classically trained in ballet, Alex made history as the first Canadian to win the Prix de Lausanne • Despite a career-thre...

Send us Fan Mail Ava Hoffman, a psychology major at Kenyon College, trained mediator, and social media intern at Fortify Wellness, shares insights about campus wellness resources and what today's college students need for sustainable mental health.  • Small colleges offer valuable one-on-one interactions with professors and discussion-based learning environments • Campus mental health service...

Send us Fan Mail Andrew shares his journey of self-discovery through asking difficult questions and finding authentic connections in a world full of superficial relationships. • Explorer and tinkerer at heart who has always loved building and understanding how things work • Grew up as a middle child among nine siblings and as a pastor's kid with high expectations • Started building computers...

Send us Fan Mail Jillian Miranda shares how her personal experience with chronic illness shaped her career as an ecosystem builder and thought leader in digital health, driving her passion for leveraging technology to transform care and champion health equity. • Living with seizures and how her service dog can predict episodes before they happen • How chronic illness provides unique problem-solvin...

Send us Fan Mail In this bonus episode, our founder Bettina says what most people won’t: sometimes depression hits like a truck—and all you can do is let it. But then? You get up. You go outside. And somehow, the weight starts to lift. This is a no-filter convo about mental health, shame, and the tiny things that bring us back to life. It doesn’t last forever. Support the show Follow Fortify Welln...

Send us Fan Mail Angela reveals the surprising personal identity behind her professional achievements as an academic, entrepreneur, and investor who has evaluated over 20,000 startups throughout her career. She shares intimate insights about battling imposter syndrome, healing from childhood trauma, and finding balance while building businesses. • Cooking represents both learning and nurturing for...

Send us Fan Mail Maddi Holman , co-founder and general partner at Daring Ventures, shares her unconventional journey from pre-med student to venture capitalist—and how she’s built a career championing overlooked founders and untapped opportunities. • Entering uncharted territory as the only person with a biology background working on telecom deals • Embracing “I don’t know” as a sign of strength,...

Send us Fan Mail Serial entrepreneur Dmitry Koltunov shares his journey from Soviet refugee to tech founder, exploring how embracing both his technical and creative identities fueled his success building multiple companies and a Broadway musical. • Coming to America as a refugee at age 9 shaped Dmitry ’s unique relationship with risk-taking • How limiting beliefs about "what a founder looks l...

Send us Fan Mail Alisia Gill, executive coach and creator of "The Era of Enough," shares her journey from corporate leadership to helping Gen X women make career decisions aligned with their authentic selves rather than societal expectations. • Finding comfort in thinking about her mother, who gave her a sense of possibility by saying, "you can be whoever you want" • Describing...

Send us Fan Mail Magic happens in person. Tori Hanson shares her founder journey from corporate safety at the New York Times to building vibrant communities in NYC through the Knowledge Shop and Meet in 10. • From staring at pigeons during the pandemic to creating founder communities • Why entrepreneurship is "incredibly humbling" and requires deep self-awareness • Creating personal syst...