The Brave Files

“Art brings people together. That is entirely the point.” - Erin Stephens-North For Erin Stephens-North, art transcends physical creations. Art is a bridge to understanding. As someone who deals with the hallucinations, manic episodes and depression that often accompany Schizoaffective Disorder, Erin uses art to ground herself and to share her unique perspective with others. In this episode of The...

After starting a business, Shelly Bell missed community and connection. As a minority founder, she was also frustrated with the lack of access to capital for women of color. Despite her fears, she decided to solve both problems by creating Black Girl Ventures and hosting pitch competitions with a crowdfunding twist. Shelly is changing the way black and brown women get funding and launch businesses...

David Jensen was raised to be polite and respectful. But mental health issues taught him the importance of using his voice. This week on The Brave Files, David tells the story of how he found that voice through art and design. Today, David shares his lessons and art through Practice Daily , where he creates iconic designs with simple slogans to inspire personal growth. Tune in to learn more about...

At a young age, Sarah Rose Humes learned the hard way how to survive in the harsh conditions of poverty. Today, she is channeling those life experiences to help others overcome their own challenges and fears through her coaching business and her writing. In this week’s episode of The Brave Files, find out more about Sarah’s inspiring story, and learn why one of her proudest moments in life was pet...

Positive. Unexpected. Invigorating. After raising three boys, Jen Grosshandler thought she was ready for anything. But when her fourth child came out as transgender, she and her husband quickly realized they had a lot to learn. In this week’s episode of The Brave Files, Heather talks to Jen about her personal journey as a mother and advocate, and the search that led The GenderCool Project , a posi...

What happens when a crucial part of your identity slowly starts to slip away? In this episode of The Brave Files, Heather interviews Emily Ann Peterson, author of “Bare Naked Bravery,” about the medical condition that changed her career as a musician, her four favorite ways to build bravery, and the power of storytelling and creative expression.   Detailed Show Notes Here .

What could transform a quiet, solitary and mistreated child into a woman who travels the world to speak up on behalf of others? Kendra DeLarge’s own difficult path led her to a life of service to other girls and women halfway around the world. Learn about the mission of International Kendra, and how to help Kendra to support and empower the women of West Africa, in this episode of The Brave Files....

Who needs a genie in a bottle when there’s one right inside you? That’s the message Silva Mirzoian wants everyone to hear. On this episode of The Brave Files, Heather talks to Silva about being the black sheep of her traditional Armenian family; how she “failed forward” and transformed hardship into opportunity; and what it’s like to be a foreign-born female general contractor in a room full of me...

For most of her life, Casee Marie Clow’s anxiety was the elephant in the room that she never acknowledged. As a child, anxiety left her short of breath and full of nervous habits. As she grew older, anxiety began to stand in the way of her ability to do the things she wanted to do until she reached a point where she was scared to even leave the house. But when Casee, herself a writer, heard the wo...

When Chad Husar and Ernie Berlin saw people freezing on the streets of their home city of Chicago, the two friends founded Lost Format Apparel, a clothing company that helps the homeless through donations of clothing and personal care items. In this week’s episode of The Brave Files, you’ll find out what keeps Chad and Ernie going, and you’ll also be challenged to find a way to make a difference i...

What do you do when you’re faced with a hopeful unknown or a certain tragedy? Cassandra Bumpus chose the hopeful unknown, and it changed her life forever. On this week’s episode of The Brave Files, hear the story of how Cassandra’s diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis at a young age has shaped her life, and how a double lung transplant brought her new hope and possibilities. As a young entrepreneur and ne...

THE BRAVE FILES | Real Stories of People Living Courageously | Hosted by Life, Business and Success Coach Heather Vickery Welcome to season two of The Brave Files. We will continue talking with everyday people who are stepping out of fear and into bravery. Everything we want in life is just on the other side of uncomfortable, says award-winning entrepreneur and coach Heather Vickery. Each week Hea...

From helping people in his community through the nonprofit Suburban Unity Alliance to the students he teaches in his classroom and running for U.S. Congress, Anthony Clark has built a life around giving back to create positive change. In this week’s episode of The Brave Files, learn why Anthony keeps his focus local, how he keeps moving forward and speaking out, even when what he has to say may be...

When she was in high school, Kirsten Palladino seemed like just another cheerful student. No one suspected that she was being repeatedly sexually assaulted by her classmates for months on end. In this week’s episode of The Brave Files, Kirsten tells the story of how a confrontation turned into her salvation. Listen now to hear how Kirsten emerged from the world of abuse to become a successful busi...

Dana Gerrits isn’t just a nomadic, homeschooling, working mother of five. She’s doing all of that while managing a chronic illness. Dana has faced many fears — from feeling like she was at war with her own body, to the uncertainty of the life she and her family have chosen. Through it all, her bravery and trust in herself has kept her going. Learn more about Dana’s life-altering illness, and how h...

Becoming a mom at age 14 wasn’t part of Kimberly Carson-Richards’ plan. But this week’s Brave Files guest is living proof of how life’s challenges can help us focus on the things that really matter. Now a successful entrepreneur and mother of two, Kimberly shares her inspiring story, talks about her “best mistake,” and explains why being in her 40s is fantastic. FULL SHOW NOTES HERE.

When an accident in the 1980s left Dale Spencer paralyzed from the waist down, the 20-year-old college student quickly saw that his motto of "I'll do it myself" wasn't going to work anymore. Dale's experiences overcoming his own fears motivated him to help others do the same. Learn more about the split-second decision that changed Dale's life, and the new path he made for himself, in this episode....

In this episode, Alexa Bigwarfe describes how she has channeled two life-changing moments — a brush with gun violence, and the loss of her infant daughter — into a commitment to helping moms and families. This week Heather and Alexa talk about how to find ways to celebrate every moment, the importance of finding a support network, and what happens when soul-searching leads you to new beliefs and c...

How does one go from being a severely depressed, homophobic, suicidal teen to being an empowered and passionate leader in the LGBTQ community? Tune in to this week’s episode of The brave Files to meet Mason Aid, who has done just this! In this episode, Mason shares their story of being a troubled teen with suicidal tendencies, living in a deeply conservative and religious small town and hiding who...

Two years ago, Morgaine Trine had plans to become a curator of ancient Mediterranean history. Those plans, however, kept hitting a brick wall no matter how hard she tried! Feeling utterly defeated, Morgaine realized that what she really wanted was to travel and simply be near this history that she loved so much. Not one for half-steps, Morgaine decided she would begin to travel, set a deadline for...

In part two of this interview, we continue to explore Omar’s story and how our country’s criminal justice system failed him and thousands more who are and have been imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. He shares his personal experience of living inside prison and how much extreme mental effort it took to not to become inhuman or broken. Omar constantly improved himself in preparation for his...

Part 1 of Omar Yamini's Interview Imagine being arrested, charged and sentenced to prison for a murder you didn’t commit. This week’s guest, Omar Yamini, experienced just that and he breaks all of the stereotypes of someone who has a murder conviction and served 15 years in prison. Omar reinvented himself after his release, graduated from college, become an education consultant, built a non-profit...

Alex Foley is a force and an inspiration. Life presented challenges to her from a very young age when she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 9 years old, At the time, treatment for Diabetes was difficult and dangerous with tremendous side effects. Alex went through countless treatments and surgeries that lead to her loss of vision at 27. Despite all this, Alex has had more adventure than most a...

The Brave Files returns this week with an inspiring story of friendship, surrogacy, and jumping into a familiar unknown. Heather sits down with longtime friend, Karen Kitto, this week to talk about her brave and selfless decision to be a surrogate for friends who were unable to carry their own children. One day about 10 years ago Karen had a random thought that simply wouldn’t go away. She thought...

This week, Heather talks with Khim Baggett who shares her incredible story of facing both death and life at the same time. At the age of 35, and completely out of the blue, Khim was diagnosed with breast cancer. Shortly thereafter, she also found out she was pregnant with her 3rd child. Prior to finding out she was pregnant, Khim felt sure cancer would be the end of her. Something about seeing her...