The Brave Files

This Twitter thread (and subsequent interview) happened many years ago and, sadly, it is as important - perhaps even more so - now as it was then. In a country that seems to be barreling backward at warped speed, these conversations are more important than ever.  Andrew Moxon was just a guy who liked Twitter and speaking his mind. Then his thoughts turned him into a powerful force responsible for...

Tom Mitchell is a man of astounding commitment. After losing his teenage daughter, Shalya, to Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he has dedicated his life to supporting other children and families fighting the daily battle of pediatric cancer through his non-profit Stillbrave.  This story is both heartbreaking and uplifting. Tom and the team at Stillbrave have changed the lives of countless families suffering fr...

The last couple of years we’ve all been in this strange space where the stress levels are outrageous and yet, our lives have slowed down (at least during stay-at-home orders due to the pandemic). During this time, many of us have learned that “rest” is not all created equal and that each of us requires something different to be our happiest, healthiest self. Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith is a medical p...

Belief • Magic • Adventure Harry Sherwood is a Holistic Health and Conscious Lifestyle Coach . He dedicates his life to helping others create conscious lives. After traveling the world, living with Yogis, monks, and martial arts masters, Harry teaches people how to create lasting health and powerful change in their lives. Tune in this week as Harry shows us the power in getting to know ourselves a...

Persistent. Lucky. Listening. Progress is progress, no matter how much time it takes. Brian Johnson, CEO of Equality Illinois , was the very first guest featured on The Brave Files. This episode is an oldie but a goodie! Brian joined us to talk about his journey towards fighting for a better and more equal America. Sit down, turn it up, and get inspired to tackle the world! Follow us on Instagram...

Stef (formerly Steve as referenced in the interview) Garvin's fellow MBA colleagues thought xe'd won the career lottery. What they didn't know was Stef cried Sunday afternoons dreading going to work the next day. Stef felt stuck inside someone else's story until xe discovered the ability to rewrite the script. After years on a journey to recreate xeir story, Stef now loves Monday mornings and help...

Empowered • Independence • Passionate There’s nothing quite like a TikTok creator crush and are host, Heather, has a big one on today’s guest … Amy, the brilliant mind behind WEMAD - Women Making All Decisions. Her TikTok videos take on intense and powerful topics related to women's rights and equality but in the most hilarious and approachable way possible. After unexpectedly going viral in March...

Belated •  Transformational • Unapologetic Have you ever thought “If I do this, will I still be lovable?”  Well, that question get’s even more complicated when the “this” is coming out as Gender . This week's guest is a dear friend of our host, Heather Vickery. Stevie Manns had a moment of clarity where they, finally, realized that they no longer had to accept what was unacceptable to them! After...

Imagine a curated App dedicated to sharing music and podcasts SPECIFICALLY from and for BIPOC and QTPOC … Well, Anna DeShawn has imagined it, then she hustled for it, raised the money for it and it’s now a REAL LIVE THING - Like a effing Super Hero Magician Anna and her team have released The QUBE because they are determined to ride media into its next era by utilizing digital media streams to tel...

HAPPY PRIDE 2022!! This month The Brave Files Podcast is dedicated to amplifying and sharing voices and to kick the month off we’ve turned the tables on our host, Heather Vickery! This week fellow podcaster and friend, Pamela Stamper, interviews Heather about how she lives brave in action, how she actually practices what she preaches, and does all of the things that she coaches others to do. Hopef...

Junaid Ahmed likes to take things apart and learn how they work from the inside out. This desire has led him to have many fascinating hobbies and even led to a brand new career and a thriving podcast called Hacks and Hobbies. This UX designer turned storyteller has been a passionate technologist for three decades and loves to tinker with tech software and woodworking, beekeeping and so much more. ...

Should • Rebirth • Feminist True allyship and activism means living your values unapologetically and out loud. It means standing up to the haters and the trolls, being willing to be called in (and called out) when you make your own mistakes along the way, and centering the voices of those more marginalized than you.  Becky Mollenkamp isn’t afraid to put her values first in her business. Becky shar...

Get additional details, show notes, links, and a full transcript of the episode  here. Follow us on Instagram and connect with our host, Heather Vickery here. ORDER YOUR COPY OF F*CK FEARLESS - MAKING THE BRAVE LEAP TODAY, Click Here! Order your Create Brave Manifestation Card Decks here. Check out The Brave Files Book Collection here!  Get your BRAVE on by joining our exclusive (and FREE) Faceboo...

International • Inspirational • Joy-Magnet Helen Krug von Nidda abandoned her dream to pursue a comfortable life. And then, 15 years later, she got a second chance and jumped in with her whole heart. Learning from failure and walking away from a highly successful career at the United Nations, Helen share’s her story of resilience and perseverance. Once you see your heart’s desire - one must move m...

Bold • Risk • Perseverance In a world hyperfocused on quick fixes and prescription medications, Dr. Erin Moore breaks the status quo by sharing the most effective medicine: Self-love and self-compassion. These are the cornerstones of healing yourself, your community, and the world. Erin is Stumbling Awkwardly Through Fear And Failure. The ParticipAid founder shares her with host, Heather Vickery....

Embrace • Inspire • Change In America at least, The experience of the immigrant is vastly different depending on where you are immigrating from and, we all come from somewhere… Forgetting that is doing a disservice to us as a country. This week Heather Vickery talks with Tahmina Watson the Daughter of immigrants in the UK who unexpectedly became an Immigrant herself in the United States. Tahmina k...

Clarity • Reach • Zest From the world of psychotherapy to the world of coaching, Diann Wingert knew she was destined to help others achieve their goals. A late-in-life career change forced Diann to take a second look at herself and step into her authenticity. Today she helps entrepreneurs who aren’t crushing their goals achieve their dreams. From treating failure as an experiment to embracing  for...

 Vulnerability • Unleashes • Leadership Society constantly tells us how we should behave. Charles Matheus joins Heather Vickery to talk about his is a mission to change this narrative. Charles is determined to remain vulnerable, honest, authentic, and freely admit when he steps back into what he calls “the man box.” By leveraging our privilege and connecting with other human beings we’re able to b...

Intense • Personal • Empowered Spirituality is as personal as sexuality. From abusive relation to relationship coach Nechama Robinson is one of a kind Brave. After years of failed relationships, Nechama was well equipped to create a personality-based conflict resolution platform. UnConflict helps people all around the world discover who they are and how they fit into the world. Nechama shares her...

Activated visceral whimsical Would consider yourself a “people pleaser!?” Ahdri Kent, Author of The Whimsical Rebel, shares how to stop being a people pleaser without being an . Ahdri shares her story of breaking through generational trauma to live her most authentic life as an out and proud member of the LGBTQ community who is constantly in “people pleasing recovery.” Top Takeaways There are diff...

Grateful • Love • Courage So often we dream of just packing up and leaving everything behind to start fresh in a new place. Turns out Burhaan Pattel knew exactly what was needed to do just that; 100 days. 100 days was all it took for Burhaan to get his affairs in order and leave his past life behind to travel the world and check things off his bucket list. In this amazing story of resilience and b...

Creative • Authentic • Resilient Faithful Mormon, stay-at-home mother of two turned author. While this may sound like a setup for a movie, Chris Davis is anything but acting. After her youngest child comes out as trans she must make the toughest decision of her life - To live her most authentic life. Top Takeaways: The [Mormon] church is like Santa Claus, it's not real. Sometimes the places that w...

Nomadic • Strength • Resilient Beth Hughes has seen more heartache than most. She is a Sexual Assault survivor, a former member of the military, and has experienced the tragic, death of a child. Yet her ability to connect with spirit, embrace forgiveness and be resilient has been her life support. She shares the stories of her nomadic lifestyle, her strength, and her resilience on TikTok  and now...

Reflection • Relationship • Return Author and host of the Mother’s Quest, Julie Neale lives her E.P.I.C. life every day. After years of infertility treatment, Julie is faced with another challenge when her first child is born. Dealing with early intervention with her son she finally gets an answer, and a path towards a diagnosis for herself. Top Takeaways: Two things can be true at the same time....

Unexpected • Ongoing • WTF Opportunity comes in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes you have to make it yourself. Alan Seales, global lead for Talks at Google, co-founder of The Broadway Podcast Network and co-host of Was it Chance Podcast continues to create opportunities for himself and everybody around him. Alan says that every unexpected turn has led straight to a life-changing opportunity. To...