Intrepid Storytelling

What do you do when the institutions that promise to protect you demand the complete erasure of your identity instead?   In Part 3 of her harrowing journey, Lacey Gallear pulls back the curtain on the crushing reality of religious and organizational abuse. After enduring the mind-altering culture of Amway and a devastating first marriage, Lacey hoped her second marriage to a charismatic Christian...

What happens when the "righteous" community you trust becomes the source of your deepest rejection?   In this intense and revealing Part 2, Deanna Powell continues the deep dive into her cousin Lacey Gallear’s life, a journey that moves from the rigid confines of a small-town California church to the high-stakes world of international "business" cults in Seattle. Lacey shares the heartbreaking mom...

What happens when the people meant to protect you are the ones you have to survive?   In this gripping episode of Intrepid Storytåelling, host Deanna Powell sits down with her cousin, Lacey Gallear, to uncover a childhood defined by high-stakes family drama and rigid religious structures. Lacey shares the shocking reality of her earliest years, a "double kidnapping" between parents that landed her...

Can the most destructive moments of your life actually become the foundation for your greatest success?   Jimmy Shin grew up in a turbulent home, navigating life as the child of immigrants while dealing with his father's alcoholism and physical abuse. Desperate to fit in and escape the intense pressure of his father's demand that he become a lawyer, Jimmy started stealing and selling alcohol in ju...

How do you save everyone else when you’re quietly drowning yourself?   Sergio Cardenas grew up navigating the challenges of a strict upbringing, childhood poverty, and moving across borders to escape the 1992 LA riots. Despite early academic struggles and a denied dream of becoming a doctor, he eventually found his true calling in emergency medicine. For years, Sergio served as a dedicated firefig...

Is success a result of the "bootstrap" mentality, or is it simply the grace of being lucky?   In this heartwarming and insightful episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Deanna Powell sits down with Jose Moreno, a high-level Public Relations executive who has navigated the high-stakes worlds of sports and politics. Jose pulls back the curtain on his "all-American" childhood in Anaheim, California, marke...

What if the brick wall you just hit isn't an end, but a beginning?   In this deeply insightful episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Deanna Powell reconnects with her longtime friend and colleague, Michelle Valley. Michelle pulls back the curtain on a life defined by "Superwoman" tendencies—the habit of taking care of everyone else at the expense of herself. She shares the fascinating details of a chi...

What if your greatest pain became your greatest purpose? In this powerful episode of Intrepid Storytelling, host Deanna Powell sits down with TEDx speaker, public speaking coach, and storytelling expert Erin Loman Jeck to share her deeply moving true story of resilience, grief, and transformation. From growing up in a small town in Idaho to training dolphins, Erin’s life took a heartbreaking turn...

What do you do when the rug is pulled out from under you and you lose everything you’ve ever worked for, including your freedom and your name? In this powerhouse episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Deanna Powell sits down with Dr. Angelo Reynolds, a man whose life journey reads like a masterclass in resilience. Dr. Reynolds shares the harrowing details of how his thriving mental health practice was...

(Part 2) What do you do when you’ve lost almost everything, and the only person left to save you is yourself?   In this visceral and deeply moving episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Deanna Powell sits down with Cierra Madill to pull back the curtain on a journey defined by both profound loss and radical self-honesty. Cierra opens up about the "messy" middle of recovery, the part of the story that i...

(Part 1) What happens when the people who are supposed to love you the most leave you behind, and the justice system strips away the one thing keeping you alive?   Cierra Madill grew up believing she didn't belong anywhere, battling a profound sense of isolation as she was shuttled back and forth between divorced parents. After being abandoned by her mother due to a severe drug addiction, she spen...

What if the hardest seasons of your life were actually the blueprints for your greatest success?   In this deep-dive episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Deanna Powell welcomes Kendall Patterson, a holistic success mentor and "multi-passionate entrepreneur" who has navigated a life defined by radical shifts and remarkable survival. Kendall opens up about a childhood she describes as "colorful," which...

In this episode, a successful entrepreneur shares how losing his father fueled a journey from real estate and mortgage success to launching Off Leash’d, the pet-lover match app taking over phones everywhere. This is a raw conversation about loss, ambition, legacy, and why sometimes the biggest ideas come from the hardest seasons. Terry's success story is one of family, loss, and grit—and leads to...

What is left of your life when the community you built and the faith you preached both disappear in an instant? In this deeply honest episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Deanna Powell sits down with former pastor Ryan Meeks and his wife, Michelle. Ryan shares the raw reality of what happened when his evangelical church, Eastlake Community Church, imploded after he announced they would fully affirm t...

They bought a house in Bothell, Washington… and something else came with it. In this true paranormal podcast episode, a couple reveals the unexplained events, ghostly encounters, and haunting experiences that turned everyday life into a constant state of unease. If you love real haunted house stories, Pacific Northwest paranormal activity, and true ghost encounters—this episode will stay with you...

In this transformative episode, Shelise Ann Sola, host of the popular podcast and YouTube show Cults to Consciousness, opens up about her deeply personal faith transition and deconstruction from LDS Mormonism. Raised in a devout Mormon household and immersed in the cultural expectations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Shelise spent years following rules, suppressing doubts, and...

This is a real-life comeback story you won’t forget. Once trapped in addiction and felony convictions, she hit rock bottom and checked herself into the Salvation Army—then did the work to completely transform her life. In this episode, we explore addiction recovery, life after prison, and how she defied the odds to become one of the most successful real estate agents in Seattle. If you believe in...

This is a shorter episode from the Intrepid Storytelling live event. On February 6, 2023, Alicia Brown’s life was forever transformed when a ruptured brain aneurysm and stroke during surgery stole her ability to speak, write, spell, and function. In this powerful episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Alicia opens up about the month she spent in the hospital relearning the basics of life, from opening...

This gripping episode is Part 3 of a series that was started by Leila Culberson, who's story was told in Part 1 and Part 2 - Surviving The Unthinkable: A Mother's True Story Of Betrayal, Abuse, Fentanyl Loss, the Courage to Heal and Take Action. If you haven't listened to those episodes yet, head there first and come here for Part 3, Cash Nimmer-Culberson's True Story. For years, one man controlle...

This is PART 2 of a 2 part series with Michelle Troll. Don't miss hearing her first episode where she talks about her experience escaping domestic violence and an ex-husband who went on to murder his next victim. In this inspiring episode, Michelle Troll shares her courageous journey through years of unexplained symptoms, medical confusion, and the emotional fight to finally receive an accurate di...

This is PART 1 of a 2 part series with Michelle Troll. Stay tuned for PART 2 where she talks about a shocking health diagnosis and her determination to overcome multiple sclerosis (MS)! In this powerful episode, we sit down with survivor and advocate Michelle Troll as she courageously recounts her escape from domestic violence at the hands of James Joseph Cain — a man who would later go on to murd...

In this powerful episode, author, humanitarian, and community advocate Larry J Snyder opens up about one of the most challenging chapters of his life—caring for his aging parents as they battled dementia. Known as a “hope dealer,” Larry has spent his life uplifting others, but nothing prepared him for the emotional, physical, and spiritual weight of watching the two people who shaped him slowly sl...

This is a shorter episode from the Intrepid Storytelling live event. In this inspiring episode of Intrepid Storytelling, we meet Denise, a former elementary and middle school educator who transformed her life and career after surviving a near-fatal automobile accident in 2009. Her path from teaching to thriving in the mortgage industry is a powerful story of resilience, determination, and personal...

In this inspiring episode of Intrepid Storytelling, I sit down with Sherilynn Hemphill, a true warrior who has faced and overcome unimaginable challenges. From battling cancer to enduring more than ten surgeries and living through two ileostomies, Sher’s journey is one of courage, faith, and unshakable resilience. Today, as a cancer survivor and proud ileostomy warrior, she shares her story with n...

In this powerful episode of Intrepid Storytelling, we follow the inspiring journey of Joanie Elisabeth who transformed deep childhood neglect into unshakable strength. Drawn for years to men with narcissistic traits, she found herself trapped in cycles of emotional manipulation, gaslighting, and self-doubt. But through courage, therapy, and radical self-awareness, she learned to recognize the red...