Two Gals and a Mic

In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Lisa Vien, a first-generation American Chinese and Army combat veteran who lives by the Japanese Proverb - “Fall seven times, stand up eight.” Lisa shares her journey through the challenges of PTSD and domestic violence to a thriving career as an interior designer. Lisa opens up about her intense struggles that once left her homebound, hibernating and isolated, and the resilience she found to move forward with the support of her companion, Enzo the Dog. Lisa’s story is one of renewal and hope. Through her love for the outdoors and her mission to empower women, she now helps others break free from their own “hibernation” and reclaim their lives. When asked what message she wants to leave listeners with, Lisa shares these powerful words: “Remember, you are stronger than you think, than you know, more than you feel. When life knocks you down, get up and show that YOU are in control of your life—no matter how hard it is to look up, how tiring it feels proving your worth, or how lonely you feel. Because you are NOT alone.” Tune in for a deeply moving episode that reminds us all of our inner strength and resilience.

After years of adversity and deep soul-searching, Tammy Schafran chose to follow her intuition, moving from New York to Maine to rebuild her life in a simpler, more sustainable way. In this inspiring conversation, Tammy shares how she’s found a profound inner strength, along with an empathetic ability to create and maintain peace, by reconnecting with nature and staying true to herself. Juggling two careers, Tammy serves actively on the police force while also running Maple Pond Farm, where she raises baby goats and brings the wonders of the natural world to others. When asked for her Words of Wisdom, Tammy encourages: “Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something that scares you. You just might be surprised at the growth you’ll find on the other side.”

Katie Smith, known as the Queen of the Customer Journey, is a visionary marketer dedicated to transforming chaos and stagnation into strategic success. In this episode, we chat about her unique journey from outdoor guiding to entrepreneurship as the founder of Wild Path Consulting, where she is now empowering businesses to connect with consumers, promote shared values, and be a force for good in today’s world. Dedicated to providing the best experience for the customer, Katie crafts tailored marketing strategies that align with company goals, fosters strong teams, and drives sustainable growth.

Starting her career as a classically trained chef and working her way up to become the Executive Sous Chef for the Versace Mansion in South Beach, FL., Karla Gomez, MA, elected to take her life in a different direction and now serves as the Chief Clinical Officer at Aspen Growth Coaching.  With robust experience in residential treatment, Karla serves clients at every phase of their healing process and is on a mission to create a healthcare approach which considers the whole human beyond the traumas that confine them. By holding space for others to become vulnerable and accountable, Karla believes that this is where true growth takes place and generational trauma ceases.  As Karla points out in this enlightening conversation, "There are certain thoughts and certain opinions that aren't ours, and we tend to feel very disconnected by them. If we start listening...you can get to a point where you can hear what's truly yours, and what has nothing to do with what you expect out of yourself."

Did you know that sugar is as addictive as cocaine? Mind-blowing! In this insightful conversation, I'm chatting with holistic health and nurse coach, Tana Steiner, who is combining her extensive background in nursing with functional and lifestyle medicine training to bring a holistic approach to healing. As a holistic health coach, and a nurse coach, Tana looks at how lifestyle affects health with a focus on the mind, body and spirit connection.  To learn more about Tana, and her coaching offerings, visit www.tanasteinercoaching.com. And, you can find Tana's article about nurse coaching on the Montana Nurses Association website.

Hanna Finissi is on a mission to ignite inner wisdom through self-discovery and community connection. On this enlightening episode, we chat about her mission, as a creative healer and coach, to help others live their own version of an ignited life, from the inside out.   Meditation is the foundational element of her well-being coaching business, SoulTrustIgnite, which - as Hanna reminds us - does not need to "look" any particular way. It is simply a way to connect with your truest essence and a beneficial tool to live the life you desire and deserve. As Hanna points out in this inspired conversation, "Whatever you dream about is already in your conscious space to create. And it just takes some bold action to get there."

Taylor Thackston, owner of Frying Pan Anglers in Basalt, Colorado, shares her secrets for success, which are anchored in the premise that it's ok to not have a plan because, what is meant for you will find you. Originally from Virginia, Taylor spent a great deal of her youth and most of college chasing trout around Appalachia and Tennessee. Despite spending more time on the water than she did in class, Taylor graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences. When her post graduation plans, which included attending veterinarian school, did not come to fruition, a three-month gap summer in Basalt has grown into three years, and her greatest adventure yet. In this fun conversation, Taylor shares her love for fly fishing and how this passion has morphed not only into unexpected entrepreneurship, but also into an active role in helping women Veterans connect with hope and healing through her role on the Steering Committee of the Project Healing Waters Women on the Fly program.

This week, I'm chatting with Dr. Hannah Wilson, an AASECT-certified sex therapist who has a passion for providing accurate sex and sexual health education through her practice at OH Hi Collective. As an entrepreneur and foundress of both OH Hi Collective and Prickly Peach Sex Therapy, Hannah works as a holistic and systems therapist who is committed to reducing shame around sexual health through empowerment. While holding space for curiosity around various identities, Hannah and her team take the shame out of sex and sexuality so her clients feel supported to explore their world views while striving to align with authenticity. To learn more about upcoming events, email Dr. Wilson, or follow the OH Hi Collective on Eventbright for additional details.

In this week's episode, I'm sitting down with entrepreneur, Danielle Hendon, to talk money. As a Fractional CFO, and owner of 4 Corners CFO, Danielle helps small business owners understand their numbers so they can intentionally grow their profits and pay themselves what they are worth. In this uplifting conversation, we navigate through what can often be a hard topic for many entrepreneurs, to better understand the importance of putting our masks on first so we have capacity and capability to create a masterful mindset around finances. "When you put people first," Danielle reminds us, "there is no end to the return." To learn more about Danielle, or to see how her team can help with the Four Corners of your business finances (Reliability, Profitability, Strategy and Execution), visit the 4 Corners CFO website.

As the spouse of a combat-injured Marine, a mom of five, and the manager of the Warrior Week program at Camp Southern Ground, Megan Murphy is passionate about helping Veterans in their transformational and well-being journeys.  In this week's conversation, Megan reminds us that we all need a reason to get out of bed in the morning, put our feet on the ground and smile. That "something to do" often emerges as Purpose, which can be identified through assessments such as Gallup's CliftonStrengths and the Enneagram test, so we can create - or recreate - who we are in the world. Megan is on a mission to help develop people on better journeys for themselves and ensure purposeful connection. With the powerful reminder that telling our stories can often be the next page in someone else's survival guide, Megan has learned that we can't understand the mountaintop views, and the beauty of them, if we don't understand the deepest of valleys first.  Click on these links to lean more about Warrior Week and the Warrior PATHH (Veterans) and Struggle Well Experience (First Responders), and have a listen to this previous podcast to hear, first-hand, how these programs are changing lives.

In this impactful episode, I'm sitting down with Rachael Dunkel-Dodier, MS, LCPC, LAC, HCDC, NBCC, CDWF a certified high-conflict divorce coach, founder of Bridger Peaks Counseling and solopreneur, with her Resilience to Rise Coaching business. Rachael brings a unique combination of formal education and personal experience to help support women who are navigating divorces marked by addiction, abuse and narcissistic behaviors so they can get through one of the hardest experiences in life to be fully seen, honored and loved without shame or fear.   In this candid, and honest conversation, Rachael shares her insights for ways to tackle the hard things, embrace the joyous things, and seek the healing salve that only community and connection can bring.  To learn more about Rachael, and her body of work, visit the Bridger Peaks Counseling and the Resilience to Rise websites.

Living on a small sustainable farm in Montana's mountains, Lorca Smetana, a resiliency expert who is no stranger to navigating crisis, trauma and grief, has created a body of work to inspire newfound purpose and strength to those who are coping with life’s difficult challenges. In this episode of the Two Gals and a Mic podcast, Lorca reminds us that healing is iterative and filled with spirals of growth. As an expert in building holistic resiliency skills, she offers practical advice for embracing "Being With" in lieu of isolation or loneliness, and explains how that simple Radical Act of Revolution can create lasting resiliency which, ultimately, results in one's ability to live a vibrant, sustainable and creative life. Lorca's resiliency journey began at the age of sixteen, when she unexpectedly found herself involved in the Mt. Hood climbing tragedy that took the lives of seven students and two teachers. Reported as the second deadliest alpine accident in North American history, this experience, coupled with the awareness of mortality and its impact on how we live our lives, are foundational to Lorca's resiliency work.  To connect with Lorca, and find out more about building resilience through individual or group sessions, visit her website and then schedule a call.

This week, I’m chatting with Jordan Watkins, who is a clinical social worker for the VA as part of the Suicide Prevention team, and has a heart for Veterans and a propensity for surfing.   As the owner of a private counseling practice, Jordan focuses on helping people through the trials and messy parts of adulthood and leans on her experiences as a fitness coach and a Title Boxing trainer to remind us that setbacks are not disasters and delays are not denials.    In this impactful conversation, we chat about ways to get unstuck, move forward and bet on ourselves.    Want to know more? Connect with Jordan through her LinkedIn profile.

In this powerful episode, I'm chatting with Kiley Poole, an Air Force Veteran, and mom, who is focusing her talents and energy to help heal those who served. Despite being traumatized by toxic female leadership during her time in service, Kiley is committed to her own healing journey and leaning into being in community with women, with an open heart, and an open mind. Kiley's honest and raw perspective about tearing down walls and showing up authentically is allowing her to embrace her passion to help women Veterans understand that they are not alone. Serving on Project Healing Waters' Women on the Fly Task Force, Kiley is focusing on fostering a safe space where women Veterans can find connection and flourish. With a mission to build something beautiful, Kiley reminds us that our stories are important and it's ok to feel a hug, feel a hand, and breathe.  CLICK HERE to learn more about Project Healing Waters' Women on the Fly program, including how to get connected and ways to donate to this amazing initiative.

This week, I sit down with U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Doreen Bender Johnson, to chat about her deep sense of compassion and love for others, which stems from the belief that we are all here for each other. In this candid interview, Doreen shares her experiences about navigating racial animosity,  rebuilding post-divorce, the sense of joy that can be found when we take time to listen to others, and finding love again through the gift of dance. When we follow our hearts and our passions, Doreen reminds us that that's where we find love.  (Special shout-out to USMC Drill Sergeant Gripper...)

This week, I'm chatting with Alex Mufson, a CEO, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and serial entrepreneur who started her first business at three years old. She built Aspen Growth Coaching, a values-led company from zero to seven figures in three years with no seed money, no investors and no compromises and is now on a personal and professional mission, through her latest venture, Rêv, to redirect the flow of capital from those who do harm with it to those who heal with it. In this enlightening conversation, we talk about how to harness the power of Human Design to understand our uniqueness, and in doing so, revolutionize our lives so we may contribute to the world in the most authentic and positive ways possible.    (Headshot: Kale Chesney)

From runways to rooftops, Jessye Archer is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and expert homebuilder who has dedicated her professional career to building homes, neighborhoods, and relationships with homeowners and building professionals. In this week's episode, Jessye shares her wisdom for dealing with fear, imposter syndrome and limiting beliefs to excel as an entrepreneur and, in her executive role, as the co-founder of South Haven Builders, a thriving luxury custom home building company in the Atlanta area.  Jessye combines her passion for operations, engineering, and great design to lead teams and build relationships with families who can, because of her life's work, enjoy time at home on front porches, gathered at kitchen tables, and celebrating life's achievements.

Seven years ago, in her early 40's, artisan Dakota Meeks stepped away from her professional career in conservation, without much of a plan, but with a deep knowingness that she had to follow her purpose. In this week's episode, we chat about Dakota's journey from an office space to her own place, where now, as a self-taught artisan, she uses wood, metal fabrication and epoxy to create functional art. Giving great advice about squaring up to fear, and eliminating limiting beliefs, Dakota is focusing on changing forward to believe bigger and continue her chosen path, on her terms.  Visit www.coreelementsstudio.com to learn more about Dakota and her creative elements which, in her words, are "A Physical Manifestation of Who We Are & Who We Want to Be".

(Trigger Warning: Episode contains conversations related to Military Sexual Trauma) On this week's episode, Wendy Dumke, an Army Veteran and mom of two, shares her candid story of the 25-year secret she kept after surviving being raped during her time in service. During this heartfelt conversation, Wendy shares her passion for helping other Military Sexual Trauma (MST) survivors move from negative spaces to positions of empowerment as they find hope and courage during their healing journeys. To learn more about the work Wendy is doing through Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, visit: https://projecthealingwaters.org/phw-women-on-the-fly/

Rachel Andras is a seasoned fly fishing guide and instructor, a busy mom of two, and a certified health coach. As a person who lives with intentionality, and with a spirit of no regrets, Rachel is using her many talents to help people thrive.  In this engaging conversation, we chat about Rachel's journey in the fly fishing industry and the importance of perseverance. We also discuss her transition to becoming a health and wellness coach, experiences with aging and friendships, and the importance of leaning into the idea that it really is now or never. To learn more about Rachel, visit her fishing website or follow her on Instagram @flyfishing4health.