The Brave Files

Gayle Kabaker is living the dream. She’s an artist and illustrator whose work is featured in The New Yorker, Condé Nast, and even at the Kennedy Center. Still, there are times when her inner critic tries to sabotage her career. Gayle’s success doesn’t come from a lack of fear or self-doubt—It comes from her ability to push through, with a little help from her friends, family, and collaborators. Ta...

Cheryl Rausch says everyone is “a little bit psychic.” She joins host Heather Vickery, to talk about discovering her psychic ability, learning to trust ourselves and being your most vulnerable, authentic self! Takeaways: Our lives open up when we learn to trust ourselves. Energy never dies. We can’t ever fully suppress how we feel and who we truly are. Don’t prolong the inevitable—It only hurts yo...

Meet Kelly Gordon, entrepreneur, activist, LGBTQ community member, recovering alcoholic, abuse survivor and so much more. Getting an Autism diagnosis at 33 provided Kelly with a lot of answers, but it didn’t fundamentally change who she was and how she, successfully, navigated the world. Kelly learned many coping skills as a young child and she’s used them to communicate and connect in remarkable...

Matt Zinman never saw himself as an entrepreneur. But when he got a divorce, Matt decided to become his own boss so that he could be a present, hands-on father to his, then, young son. Taking that leap wasn’t easy, but Matt works through his fears by moving through the world with relentless positivity and earned confidence. TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Humans are incredibly adaptable. When we have to, we do. B...

Elise Brown thought she knew what she wanted from her life. But then her apartment complex burned down and she realized her life, up to that point, had never been about her! Today,  Elise's life looks wildly different than it did before the fire. That’s because Elise took the time to pause, reassess, and act on her intuition. TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Despite what history has told you, you have control and...

Is there a story inside of you that you just know would help you heal if you let it out? Or perhaps it would help others heal? Here’s your inspiration to put it out there! Ronit Plank never planned to write a memoir. However, she realized that her story’s too good to keep to herself. This week, Heather talks with Ronit about her shockingly beautiful, recently-published memoir, When She Comes Back,...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  You have multiple chances to find what’s right for you. If something doesn’t work, you can always try something else. EVERYONE has the opportunity to become a better ally. Empathy is a superpower. It’s okay to be proud of yourself, even (and perhaps especially) when other people aren’t. Get additional details, show notes, links, and a full transcript of the episode  here. Get your...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Everyone has the power to make a positive impact.  Big, beautiful, amazing things can come from the seed of an idea. You will be stronger if you view your obstacles as opportunities. Just a little bit of intentional compassion can change your life.   We can speak our truths and support others without being harmful and hateful back. We have to be intentionally compassionate to ourse...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Our histories do not define us. We don’t have to be who everyone else expects us to be. We determine our future.  Sometimes, it’s from where we’re broken that our brightest light shines. We receive the energy we put into the world We are never truly alone. Get additional details, show notes, links, and a full transcript of the episode  here. Get your BRAVE on by joining our exclusi...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:   Our capacity for attention and awareness is magical. It’s an art we can hone. Self-love can be difficult work, but it’s also some of the most worthwhile work to do. We can’t help others if we don’t help ourselves. Growth can be painful, but suffering is part of life.  Honesty is courageous. Get additional details, show notes, links, and a full transcript of the episode  here. Get...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  We never really know what will be the next big thing in our life. Good decision-making is a learned skill. Our emotions are useful in the decision-making process. Listening to your gut will guide you to a place that’s best aligned with your values. The people in our lives inform our values. Putting words to what we believe in will help distinguish between our actual values and thos...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  It’s essential to do something that fills you up that isn’t work.  Momentum builds momentum. If you’re overwhelmed by a goal or project, split it up into bite-sized pieces. Doing something for five minutes is better than doing nothing at all. You are worth showing up for. Get additional details, show notes, links, and a full transcript of the episode  here. Get your BRAVE on by joi...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  The most badass thing we can be is who we are. Even though outside factors can help us realize the actions we need to take, it’s up to us to actually take action.  It’s natural to want to mimic people we admire, and it might even help your project get off the ground. But it’s important to reassess your plan of action. Ask yourself, “Is this true to who I am?”  Every day, it’s our j...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  True intelligence doesn’t come from books—It comes from how you allow life to educate you.  It takes a village to walk through this world. Caring for others can help you care for yourself, too. Empathy and compassion are the best assets we have.  It’s okay to let yourself fall apart sometimes.  Discomfort helps us grow. Get additional details, show notes, links, and a full transcri...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Growth isn’t always pretty—Any teenager can tell you that. But growing pains are temporary, and can be punctuated with moments of joy and celebration. Play to your strengths. If you do something you’re good at and you do it well, it’s still worthy of celebration. Being brave isn’t easy. It’s a conscious choice, not a permanent state of being.    Get additional details, show notes,...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  No single product or tool can magically make us happy forever—It takes time and effort to turn our lives into something we're proud of.  It’s important to look at our past. You can’t move through the next phase of your life without acknowledging everything you feel right now. Everything we want is on the other side of uncomfortable.  Our children learn how to live by watching the a...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Finding a way to laugh at pain takes away its power and gives you your power back.  Take some time to do nothing. It’s okay to just be.  If you embody your feelings, you will learn more about yourself than you could imagine. Sometimes, the best thing to do for a relationship is to generate clear emotional and spatial boundaries.  Get additional details, show notes, links, and a ful...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Nothing we do is completely selfless, and that’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve your life through service   Changing your mindset can change your life. The universe rewards those who go into an endeavor with the intention to serve.   Mentors are the heroes of the entrepreneurial world.  Get additional details, show notes, links, and a full transcript of the epi...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Bravery isn’t the absence of fear — It’s feeling afraid, making space for that fear, and doing the scary thing anyway. Storytelling is a vulnerable act. It’s okay to be afraid to do it. Make room for that fear, but still tell your story.   We can’t control the experiences that our children have. We could be the best parents in the world and our children will still go through hardsh...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  If we allowed people to show up for us more often, we would be regularly pleasantly surprised.  If you decide it’s you against the world, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Developing a company takes a team.  We often believe we can succeed because we’ve proved we can succeed. But if we’re doing something new, we don’t have a track record to back us up. That might be scary, and it...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Too often, people conflate celebration with self-indulgent bragging. In truth, celebration is the act of honestly and earnestly honoring your achievements. It’s an exercise that is entirely worthwhile. We can only achieve our goals one day at a time. The process can sometimes feel achingly slow, but if you trust yourself and trust the process, you will make progress.  We all have w...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Our bodies deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated. It is just as important to be connected to our bodies as it is to our minds. Your sexuality is not a disorder to be treated. No one can fix you because there is nothing to fix. Getting to know yourself is the most important project you will ever undertake. You are worthy of being explored and understood.  If you get straight to...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  The creative process itself is often more rewarding than the finished product. You can’t grow if you’re always the expert. We learn so much when we allow ourselves to be a student.  We do brave things every day whether we notice it or not. The way we think about something frames its significance in our lives. An inhaler is just an inhaler— It’s up to you whether you see it as a bur...

TOP TAKEAWAYS:  Bravery necessitates self-compassion. We can’t be brave unless we open our hearts up to receive happiness.  Life changes constantly, and the most authentic version of you may not be consistent. It’s okay if something feels right for a little while but then doesn’t anymore. Trust your gut. Authenticity lends to confidence because we know that what we’re doing is true. Big things don...

TOP TAKEAWAYS: No matter how stuck you might feel, it’s never too late to make a change.  We cannot begin to imagine someone else’s lived experience. Judgment doesn’t take us anywhere useful.  The scariest part of the “scary thing” is thinking about how scary it is.  We rise or fall to the level of the people we spend our time with. It would be nice if we could hold our own feet to the fire, but m...