Use Your Fear

What happens when the way your brain works finally has a name — and that name is ADHD … but getting there comes with missteps and harm ? In Episode 15 of Use Your Fear , hosts Michelle & Whitney sit down with Rylan for a raw and honest conversation about late ADHD diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and the emotional toll of being overlooked because you “looked fine on paper.” Rylan shares how she wasn’t...

This “Side Quest” episode hits different. No script. No agenda. Just two best friends talking in real time. Michelle shares that she was recently diagnosed with Level 1 Autism (and ADHD inattentive), along with generalized anxiety disorder and chronic depression. This conversation was recorded just days after that diagnosis, while everything still felt brand new, a little awkward and validating. W...

Part 2: Turning Fear Into (Autism) Advocacy In Part 2 of Turning Fear Into (Autism) Advocacy , Meredith Williams returns to share the next chapter of her journey — one that took her all the way to the Texas Capitol to speak directly with legislators about House Bill 6 (HB 6) and the rights of students with disabilities. Meredith opens up about: What it was really like walking into the Capitol to a...

What happens when a mother’s fear becomes her fuel? 💙 In Part 1 of Turning Fear Into (Autism) Advocacy, we talk with Meredith — a mom who went from navigating her son’s autism and epilepsy diagnoses to standing up for change at the state level. Meredith opens up about: • The early fears after hearing her son’s diagnosis • The struggle of getting only 25 days of therapy a year • Facing “mom guilt”...

UYF Episode 12: The Texas Tasty Doctor Is In: Creativity, Courage & Care with Dr. Owais Durrani From building a viral food brand in college to saving lives in the ER — Dr. Owais Durrani’s story is one of creativity, balance, and purpose. We talk about how he created Texas Tasty as a student, grew it into a statewide food and culture platform, and later used those storytelling skills to build a...

UYF: Side Quest 1: The Art of Doing Too Much Life has been lifing, and your favorite fear explorers have been caught in the crossfire of busy schedules, creative overload, and trying to do all the things. In this mini “Side Quest,” Michelle and Whitney get real about what’s been going on behind the scenes, why it’s been hard to keep up, and how they’re learning to slow down without giving up. We’r...

UYF Episode 011: Am I Doing Enough? Fear, Joy, and Justice with DJ Rosez Join us on Use Your Fear as we sit down with DJ Rosez, a Houston-based queer Latina DJ whose music is a heartfelt celebration of identity, joy, and resistance. What began as a creative escape during the COVID-19 pandemic blossomed into a mission: using “Latin vibes” to uplift queer and immigrant communities and carve out spac...

“The Warrior’s Voice: Living Authentically Through Fear” In Part Two of our conversation with Kris (they/them), we move from the early stages of self-discovery into the realities of life after transition has begun. Kris opens up about the challenges they face today—daily dysphoria, the complexities of binding, and the constant hyper-awareness required to navigate safety as a nonbinary person livin...

Episode 9: The Warrior’s Voice: Fear, Identity & Transitioning in Texas - Part 1 In Part One of our two-part conversation, we sit down with Kris (they/them) to explore the earliest chapters of their journey toward living authentically. Kris opens up about childhood, family dynamics, and the deep inner knowing that their gender identity didn’t align with what the world expected. While beginning...

Episode 8: When Your Body Says Stop: Chris’s Story of a Health Scare and Healing What happens when your body forces you to slow down—whether you’re ready or not? In this episode of Use Your Fear , Michelle and Whitney sit down with Chris to talk about the day everything changed: a sudden health scare that left him in the back of an ambulance, confronting fears of losing control, public vulnerabili...

Episode 7: When Staying Meant Losing Myself: Sarah's Divorce Story What happens when the fear of staying in a marriage becomes louder than the fear of leaving it? In this deeply vulnerable episode, we sit down with Sarah, a mother who made the life-altering decision to end her marriage in order to reclaim herself and protect her son’s future. From the outside, her life looked picture-perfect — but...

Episode 6: The Fear We Wear Series - The Fear of Not Being Enough - and Learning to Trust Yourself This week on Use Your Fear, we continue The Fear We Wear series by sitting down with Adriel Thurston — an artist, creative, and deep feeler who grew up believing they were never quite enough. Not smart enough. Not lovable enough. Not anything enough. We talk about where that belief came from, how it...

Episode 5: The Fear We Wear Series - The Fear of Being Found Out Imposter syndrome is a fear that lurks in the shadows of success. It’s that quiet voice that says, “You don’t belong here,” even when all signs point to the opposite. In this episode, the first in our new mini-series The Fear We Wear , we’re joined by our very first guest, Rachel. Rachel opens up about what it’s like to live with the...

Episode 4: Am I Enough? Falling Short and Letting Go 🎙️ The final episode of the Am I Enough? Series ✨ Real growth starts when we stop pretending we’re not afraid. In this final chapter of our Am I Enough? series, we’re sitting with the ache of what didn’t happen—friendships that faded, expectations we couldn’t meet, and dreams that didn’t unfold the way we hoped. But this isn’t a story of failur...

Episode 3: Am I Enough? Running on Empty: Burnout, Sobriety, and being 'too much' What happens when proving you’re “enough” means pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion? In this episode of Use Your Fear, Michelle and Whitney dig into the burnout that comes from constantly overdoing — and the fear of being “too much” for others to handle. We talk about emotional fatigue, using alcohol or busyn...

Episode 2: Am I Enough? When Validation Becomes Survival: Imposter Syndrome, Rejection, and Codependency What happens when being “enough” starts to depend on being useful, needed, or perfect? In this episode of Use Your Fear , Michelle and Whitney unpack how imposter syndrome, fear of rejection, and codependency can twist our sense of self-worth. We talk about the pressure to prove our value, the...

Episode 1: Am I Enough? Wanting to Make a Difference - and Doubting Ourselves Welcome to the very first episode of Use Your Fear ! In this premiere, hosts Michelle and Whitney sit down to dive deep into one of the most universal and paralyzing fears: the fear of not being enough. Through honest conversation, personal stories, and thoughtful reflection, we explore where this fear comes from, how it...