Talk To Connect

After 30 years of working with families, teens, and leaders, I’ve seen one truth play out again and again: the conversations we avoid are often the ones that matter most. I've developed a framework for navigating tough conversations—with Heart and Appreciation, while being Real and Direct. Whether you're a parent, educator, coach, or team leader, this episode offers tools to help you show up with...

🎙️5.26.26 New Episode Alert! 🎧 Mood, Emotions and Mindset: What’s Your Mental Health Fitness Routine? We hit the gym for our bodies… but what about the workouts our mind needs? In this episode, I’m breaking down mental health in simple, everyday language: no stigma, no shame, just real talk about regulating your mood, emotions and mindset so you can show up grounded in your relationships, your wo...

🎙️5.1.26 New Episode Alert! 🎧 Vulnerability Over Fear: Creating a New Normal Let’s be honest… many of us grew up watching parents, partners, or bosses who never showed vulnerability. And somewhere along the way, we learned to hide our own. But what if we’ve had it backwards this whole time? In this episode, we explore why vulnerability feels so scary and why it’s actually one of the strongest, mo...

🎙️3.24.26 New Episode Alert! 🎧Healing Chronic Pain Through the Mind‑Body Connection with Yalda Mohammadi, M.A. What if your chronic pain isn’t just physical… but your body is trying to tell a deeper story? I sat down with Yalda Mohammadi, M.A. — certified life coach, mind‑body practitioner, and 14‑year fibromyalgia survivor — for a powerful, eye‑opening dialogue about how unprocessed emotions, st...

🎙️2.24.26 New Episode Alert! 🎧 Perfection is Performative: Embracing Authentic Leadership with Jacquie Marroquin 🗣️Transformative conversation sitting down with consultant, writer, and truth‑teller Jacquie Marroquin, a leader with over 20 years of experience in the domestic and sexual violence field. Drawing from her lived experience, Jacquie unpacks what it really means to lead with integrity in...

🎙️1.27.26 New Episode Alert! 🎧 Your Mood, Your Power: Connection, Calm, and Chemistry If 2026 has already been A LOT… this one’s for you. Today’s episode is all about something we ALL need right now: Taking back control of our mental well‑being using the natural wellness chemicals our body already produces. Yes — FREE mood boosters built right into YOU. https://talktoconnect.podbean.com 💛 Endorp...

🎙️12.30.25 New Episode Alert! 🎧 REFLECT & SELECT: Your Blueprint for Impact in 2026 As we close out the year, this final 2025 episode of Talk To Connect invites you into a powerful moment of reflection, intention, and personal growth. Instead of resolutions that fade, this episode helps you choose meaningful, actionable growth opportunities that will shape how you show up in 2026. https://tal...

🎙️12.16.25 New Episode Alert! 🎧 Superpower of Transformative Leadership starts in the C.A.V.E. Leadership isn’t just about managing for compliance—it’s about creating Transformative Engagement. Tune in to discover how Curiosity, Accountability, Vulnerability, and Empathy can reshape your leadership and strengthen your team culture. https://talktoconnect.podbean.com In this episode, I introduce my...

🎙️12.2.25 New Episode Alert! 🎧 Leadership with Transformative Engagement vs. Managing Compliance In this powerful episode, Michell dives into the difference between leadership that truly transforms engagement and leadership that merely manages compliance. Drawing from nearly 25 years of real‑world leadership experience, she shares how embodying—not just performing—key principles can shift team cu...

🎙️11.18.25 Episode 5 Alert! 🎧 Pt. 2 - A Teen’s Voice on Parenting, Trust & Fear – Unscripted In this powerful follow-up episode, I sit down again with my teenage son, Will, for a raw and revealing Q&A that dives deep into the emotional landscape of today’s teens. This isn’t about surface-level check-ins like “How was school?” — it’s about the kind of questions that build trust, spark conn...

🎙️11.4.25 Episode 4 Alert! 🎧 A Teen’s Voice on Parenting, Trust & Fear – Unscripted (Pt. 1) If you’ve ever wondered what your child might say if they felt truly safe, this episode is for you. In this powerful and unscripted episode, I sit down with my 15-year-old son, Will, for a raw and honest conversation that pulls back the curtain on what teens really think and feel—but often don’t say. T...

🎙️10.21.25 Episode 3 Alert! 🎧 Unmasking the People Pleaser - A Journey to Authenticity Why do people pleasers struggle with difficult conversations? In this heartfelt and revealing episode, host Michell Franklin pulls back the curtain on the emotional roots of people pleasing and its impact on authentic communication. Through personal stories—including the origin of her nickname “Hammer”—Michell...

🎙️10.7.25 New Episode Alert! Episode 2: Super Mom Syndrome - The H.A.R.D. Conversation We’re Afraid to Have 🗣️ In this deeply personal and powerfully relatable episode of Talk To Connect, host Michell Franklin opens up about the guilt, pressure, and emotional weight many mothers carry—especially those navigating single parenthood. https://TalkToConnect.podbean.com/e/super-mom-syndrome/   💡 Throug...

🎙️ New Podcast Episode Alert! Talk To Connect – Episode 1: Defining H.A.R.D. Conversations – The Foundation of Connection Are you ready to transform the way you communicate—with your teens, your partner, your team, or your colleagues? In this powerful first episode, host Michell Franklin lays the foundation for what it means to have a H.A.R.D. conversation—one that’s rooted in Heart, Appreciation,...