The Beauty in the Mess

Grief doesn’t follow rules or timelines. It shows up quietly, loudly, and sometimes all at once. In this deeply human conversation, author and educator Jeaninne Escallier Kato shares how losing two close friends during the pandemic sent her into what’s known as critical grief, a season marked by anxiety, fear of being alone, and the feeling of losing herself.   What ultimately helped her find...

This episode is not about motivation. It’s about ownership. Rob McCarthy got tired of hating the person he saw in the mirror and decided to stop living a life that wasn’t his. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Rob breaks down how we inherit scripts from family, society, debt, and social media, and how those scripts quietly run our lives until we’re willing to confront them. We talk about small...

 This conversation with Tonya Peck is one of those episodes that hits you in the chest in the best way possible. Tonya grew up in chaos, carried shame that never belonged to her, and spent years trying to outrun the emotional imprint of feeling unwanted. Her turning point came when she discovered the power of the Primal Question; the single emotional need that shapes how we love, lead, react, and...

In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele sits down with Rachel Sachs , co-director of The Marriage School. Rachel and her husband Daniel went from newlywed chaos and emotional disconnect to rebuilding their marriage with tools that actually work, not theories, not quick fixes, real skills.   Rachel shares how they hit a breaking point after having kids, how their six-month program g...

In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with Alan Lazaros , speaker, coach, and co-host of the global top 100 podcast Next Level University. At 26, Alan survived a head-on collision that became the wake-up call he didn’t know he needed. It forced him to face the trauma, insecurity, and people-pleasing patterns that shaped his life and pushed him into a deeper, more meaningful kind...

In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess, Michele talks with Melissa Kramer , founder of Live UTI Free, a global patient-led initiative reshaping how urinary tract infections and pelvic health are understood and treated.   After years of chronic UTIs, misdiagnosis, and dismissal, Melissa transformed her pain into purpose. She built one of the world’s most respected patient advocacy and resea...

In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess, Michele talks with Doris Efford , a writer, speaker, and coach who helps women reclaim identity, self-worth, and emotional wholeness. Doris opens up about growing up disconnected from her true self, performing for approval, and the moment she realized she had to stop living for everyone else and start living honestly. She shares what identity healing actu...

In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with Dana Sherwin , a healthcare executive turned patient advocate, who brings over 35 years of experience in healthcare administration, and a deeply personal story of survival. After facing a life-threatening illness and undergoing a stem cell transplant, Dana gained a rare perspective: what it’s like to move from managing care systems to n...

In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with Nisha Srivastava , the Director of Pilates Manchester & Northwest Pilates & Yoga Centre , who brings over 30 years of experience in movement, mindfulness, and holistic health.   Nisha shares her story of how physical and emotional healing are deeply connected, and how true wellness begins when we stop ignoring the signals o...

In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with Chris Abdey , a procrastination coach who helps people stop beating themselves up and start getting things done with compassion and clarity. Chris shares how procrastination isn’t about laziness or lack of discipline, it’s often your brain’s way of protecting you from discomfort or fear.   Drawing from his own burnout story and yea...

In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess, Michele talks with David Lederman , a speaker, author, and executive coach, who helps high-achievers find real fulfillment without burning out.   After years leading in the tech world, David hit a breaking point trying to live up to all the advice about how to “do it all.” Be ambitious but stay calm. Lead selflessly but take care of yourself. It soun...

Arma Benoit has spent more than 25 years shaping stories in film, television, and now comedy. She started out producing iconic Atlanta rap videos for Outkast, Ludacris, and Goodie Mob, moved into eight seasons on The Vampire Diaries, and worked on projects like Genius: Aretha and Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Today, she’s also the owner of Atlanta Breakaway, the only female-owned rubber glas...

Trigger warning: This episode discusses addiction, mental health struggles, and suicide. International model, personal trainer, and wellness advocate Jonathan Niziol joins The Beauty In The Mess to share how he turned unimaginable loss into a mission to help others. After losing his mom the day before his 21st birthday, Jonathan spiraled into alcohol and drug addiction, depression, and anxiety, un...

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide and mental health struggles. In this deeply moving conversation, Rachel Zehden shares how profound loss became a calling to help others heal. A certified somatic attachment practitioner and life coach, Rachel opens up about losing her father suddenly and her mother to suicide while she was pregnant—then transforming that pain into purpos...

Three unexpected phone calls. A verse in James that would not let go. A cargo van full of winter boots. That’s how April Jurgensen knew she had been called to act. As founder and executive director of The Boaz Project, April has spent more than 25 years serving orphans by strengthening caregivers and supporting whole homes instead of individual sponsorships. In this conversation, she shares the or...

Dr. Mary Alice Mina, Harvard-trained, double board-certified dermatologist and dermatologic surgeon, says skincare is whole-body care. What you eat, how you sleep, and how you manage stress show up on your skin as much as any cream. Hydration is important for overall health, but water alone won’t moisturize skin. “Clean beauty” is mostly marketing, and preservatives are necessary to prevent mold a...

James and Claire Davis, The Midlife Mentors, reframe midlife as reinvention, not decline. They share how values shift in this season, why relationships become a catalyst for growth, and how coaching helps uncover the “script” that drives self-talk and habits. They break down behavior change into beliefs, identity, and environment, then layer in practical hormones, nutrition, movement, and mindset...

Caregiving is one of the toughest, most overlooked roles, often done in silence. In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess , Anna Edmonds shares her journey from journalist to founder of a caregiver-focused magazine and podcast. She opens up about “caregiver trauma,” the toll of caring for a loved one, and the broken systems that make the role even harder. We cover burnout, financial strain, isola...

In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess , intuitive healer and certified coach Roya Mattis shares how five pivotal turning points shaped her 25-year journey mentoring entrepreneurs. Roya explains how subconscious rewiring, energetic alignment, and body-mind-soul integration can unlock deep healing, success, and personal power. She dives into overcoming burnout, reframing failure, reclaiming femi...

In this soul-nourishing episode, Michele Simms welcomes holistic wellness coach and entrepreneur Sarina Helen, the powerhouse behind The Juice Parlor in Los Angeles. Sarina opens up about her decade-long struggle with burnout and how it ultimately led her to a deeper journey of self-connection, self-worth, and inner alignment. Her story is proof that we can’t pour into others until we start fillin...

In this powerful episode, Michele Simms sits down with Amy, a holistic healing advocate who turned her decades-long battle with chronic illness into a mission to help others align with their inner peace, self-worth, and true potential. Amy opens up about the journey from surviving to thriving and how healing the internal world impacts everything on the outside. She shares how self-awareness, holis...

In this powerful episode of The Beauty in the Mess , host Michele Simms talks with Blanca E. Rodriguez, Owner/CEO of Wounded Healer, LLC. Blanca shares how early trauma—including the murder of her father, sexual assault, and generational silence—led to years of darkness, but ultimately inspired a life of healing, service, and transformation. Blanca is a holistic life coach, licensed massage therap...

In this gripping and courageous episode, Michele talks with Mia Hanks , a survivor of 29 years of covert narcissistic abuse. Now an author and advocate, Mia opens up about the subtle manipulation, control, and emotional gaslighting that kept her trapped in an invisible prison for nearly three decades. Through her memoir Bride Made and her growing public platform, Mia is shining a light on what so...

In this episode of The Beauty in the Mess , Michele sits down with Dr. Mark A. Hicks , counselor, speaker, and author of Learning Love: Building a Life That Matters and Healthy Relationships That Last . With decades of experience in psychology, divinity, and human relationships, Dr. Hicks offers real, accessible guidance on how to truly love, starting with yourself. He shares his personal story of...

In this episode of The Beauty In The Mess , Michele talks with Erica Wiederlight, confidence coach, embodiment expert, and founder of We The Light, LLC . Erica helps women go from disconnected and burned out to fully present, joyful, and confident — not through pressure or perfection, but through presence and pleasure.   Erica shares how self-love can start in the middle of chaos, how pleasur...