Unspoken Lives Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever wondered why certain moments of rejection stay with you long after they've happened? In Part 1 of this conversation, Tayler Meade shares the personal experience that inspired her book, A Note to the One Left Walking in the Grass . What began with the pain of feeling left out eventually became a journey of discovering where true identity and belonging are found....

Send us Fan Mail As a child, Lonni Asher survived war, piracy, abuse, and trauma. But survival wasn't the end of her story. In Part 2 of this conversation, Lonni shares what happened after the crisis was over. She opens up about the years of emotional pain she carried, the multiple suicide attempts that nearly ended her life, and the difficult journey from survival to healing. She also shares...

Send us Fan Mail Born in Vietnam, Lonni Asher's story begins with a desperate escape. As a young child, Lonni and her family fled Vietnam on an overcrowded fishing boat in search of freedom. During their journey, they encountered pirate ships multiple times, endured extreme hunger and thirst, and faced moments that should have ended in tragedy. In Part 1 of this conversation, Lonni shares the...

Send us Fan Mail Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Lily Ricci's journey brought her from Iran to Germany and eventually to the United States, where cultural expectations and family circumstances led her into a marriage she never wanted. After years of manipulation, abuse, and hopelessness, Lily found herself searching for answers she could no longer find on her own. In Part 2 of this conversat...

Send us Fan Mail Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Lily Ricci grew up in a loving family surrounded by strong family bonds and cultural traditions. At the same time, she lived in a society where opportunities and expectations for women were very different than they were for men. When financial hardship forced her family to leave everything behind and start over in Germany, the life she had always k...

Send us Fan Mail In part two of this conversation, Kendall Mariah shares the deeply personal journey that eventually led to her autism diagnosis as an adult. Kendall opens up about growing up feeling different, struggling socially while excelling academically, and spending years masking parts of herself without fully understanding why. She speaks candidly about high-masking autism in women, ADHD,...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when faith no longer feels simple? In this conversation, Kendall Mariah opens up about the tension of deeply loving God while struggling with parts of Christian culture that often leave little room for honesty, grief, mental health struggles, or difficult questions. Kendall shares how infertility, anxiety, internal conflict, and years of wrestling quietly with her own...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of this conversation, Malaysia Harrell shares how her healing journey, faith, and spiritual growth inspired the work she does today helping other women step into alignment and purpose. Malaysia opens up about writing her book, God Has My Six , and the realization that her story was meant to encourage and impact others walking through their own difficult seasons. She also...

Send us Fan Mail Malaysia Harrell is a Board-Certified Psychotherapist, Spiritual Transformation Coach, Author of God Has My Six, Award-Winning Entrepreneur, Founder of the Align Success Academy, and Founder and President of the Malaysia Harrell Foundation. In Part 1 of this conversation, Malaysia shares the experiences that shaped her journey, including childhood adversity, military service, and...

Send us Fan Mail Content Note: This episode includes discussion of suicide. Part 2 continues Jacqueline’s story, moving into what came after the loss. She shares what those months really looked like, the anger, the grief, and the weight of unanswered questions. The parts people don’t always see or talk about. After months of carrying that weight, she reached a breaking point. Jacqueline opens up a...

Send us Fan Mail Content Note: This episode includes discussion of suicide. This is a heavy conversation. Jacqueline opens up about a topic that isn’t often talked about, but needs to be. She shares about her son, Erick, who she lost to suicide in 2017. Not just what happened, but who he was, what their relationship looked like, and what it’s like to live with the kind of loss that changes everyth...

Send us Fan Mail This is Part 2 of Gina Litvack’s story. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, I recommend starting there. After years of being told no while pursuing adoption as a single woman, Gina finally stepped into the life she had been hoping for. In this episode, Gina shares what happened next. From the moment everything shifted, to navigating those first few days as a new mom, to bringin...

Send us Fan Mail Gina Litvack always knew she wanted to be a mom. What she didn’t expect was being told no seven different times while pursuing adoption as a single woman. Still, she refused to give up. In Part 1, Gina shares the years of rejection, waiting, and perseverance that came before her life changed forever. But beyond her story itself, Gina brings a perspective and joy that is impossible...

Send us Fan Mail This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, start there. After being told he was cancer-free, Nolan Thomas began planning what life would look like next. Everything changed again. His cancer returned and progressed to Stage 4. What followed was not just another round of treatment, but a complete shift in mindset, identity, and faith. In Part 2, No...

Send us Fan Mail At 21 years old, Nolan Thomas was active, healthy, and focused on his future. Cancer was not even a consideration. When symptoms started, he did what most people would do and went to the hospital. His age and overall appearance of good health led medical staff to turn him away more than once before he finally received answers.  Those answers changed everything. In Part 1, Nolan sh...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is part two of a two-part conversation. After recognizing the danger she and her son were facing, Natalie made the difficult decision to step away from an abusive situation and begin rebuilding. The path forward was not simple. Legal challenges, uncertainty, and fear were still very real parts of the journey. Natalie reflects on the moments where her faith carried her...

Send us Fan Mail This episode discusses domestic abuse. Listener discretion is advised. In this episode of Unspoken Lives , Natalie Mika shares a chapter of her life she kept hidden for years. From the outside, life looked normal. She was raising her son, working, and showing up every day like everything was fine. But behind closed doors, Natalie was living through an abusive relationship that slo...

Send us Fan Mail Content warning: This episode contains discussion of child loss and grief. After a medical crisis that began just minutes after her son’s birth, Susan and her husband faced months of uncertainty that would ultimately lead to profound loss. In this episode, we move beyond the hospital room and into the long and often unseen road of grief. Susan reflects on what it meant to return h...

Send us Fan Mail Content warning: This episode contains discussion of infant medical trauma and child loss. At 20 weeks pregnant, Susan and her husband learned their baby boy had a serious heart defect. They were given a plan and a path forward. Surgery would take place shortly after birth, and while the diagnosis was overwhelming, there was direction and preparation. What they could not foresee w...

Send us Fan Mail Content note: This episode includes discussion of infertility and miscarriage. Please listen with care if this topic is tender for you. In Part 2 of this conversation, Shelley shares what happened beneath the surface. The grief. The anger. The wrestling with faith. The questions she never imagined asking. After years of infertility and pregnancy loss, Shelley reached a point where...

Send us Fan Mail Gentle Content Note: This episode includes discussion of infertility, miscarriage, and pregnancy loss. If this topic is tender for you, please listen with care. Shelley never imagined infertility would become one of the defining chapters of her life. What began as hope for a growing family turned into years of trying to conceive, fertility treatments, miscarriage, and emotional he...

Send us Fan Mail In part two of Laura Thielemann’s story, the conversation continues into career, leadership, and the values that have guided her forward. Laura shares how she built a successful career in healthcare administration through determination, consistency, and a belief that if she committed fully, she would find a way forward. She reflects on how her mindset, rooted in perseverance and s...

Send us Fan Mail Laura Thielemann was born and raised in Lima, Peru, where she spent much of her childhood being raised by her grandparents while her mother worked in the United States to build a future for their family. It was a childhood rooted in love, tradition, and the steady presence of family who helped shape Laura’s sense of belonging. At twelve years old, Laura moved to the U.S. and reuni...

Send us Fan Mail In part two of Brandon’s story, he returns to share the pieces he wasn’t ready to say out loud the first time we talked. After living a fast, dangerous life shaped by drugs, violence, loyalty, and loss, Brandon reflects on the moments that followed. The realities of prison, the people he lost along the way, and what it looks like to rebuild life at a slower pace after everything h...

Send us Fan Mail Brandon grew up learning how to survive early, navigating life largely on his own. What followed was a fast, dangerous world shaped by anger, loyalty, money, and choices made long before he understood their weight. That path eventually led him to prison, a place Brandon now reflects on as the moment his life was forced to slow down and, in many ways, the reason he is still here to...