Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! 🎙️ Season 2 closes with a heartfelt look back at the stories that shaped Hidden Chapters. This finale brings together powerful moments from Seasons 1 and 2: highlight clips of guests, reflections, and stories that continue to resonate. 🎙️ Highlights include: Jay Smith Pinned but Not Out Season 1 Ep.6 Jillian Delgado The Summit of Strength Season 1 Ep. 3 José Raymundo From Immigrant to Sergeant Major Season 2 Ep.4 Jessica...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! In this episode of Hidden Chapters, I sit down with Simona Pappalardo, a global executive turned leadership coach, speaker, and author of Authentically Yours. Born in Milan and having lived in Scotland, Malaysia, and the U.S., Simona shares how every life transition holds hidden chapters waiting to be written. We talk about navigating male-dominated industries, leading with empathy, and learning to trust herself despite doubt. Simona opens up about a...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! There is so much to be grateful for this year! ❤️ A season to reflect on gratitude and encouragement, shared by voices from Hidden Chapters. As I look back on the past months, I’m filled with appreciation for every story, every conversation, and every person who has joined me, whether as a guest on the mic or as a listener tuning in from across the U.S. and around the world. In this special Hidden Chapters Thanksgiving episode, I share my heartfelt...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! What if the cracks in your life could become your most beautiful part? Inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold, I share how heartbreak, disappointment, and loss can be transformed into strength, light, and beauty. In this solo episode, I reflect on my own hidden chapters, stories from past guests, and what it truly means to be “mended with gold.” If you’ve ever felt broken or unfinished, this episode is for you, a...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! I’ve realized that some chapters aren’t hidden because we’re afraid to share them. They’re hidden because we’re still living in them. In this solo episode, I talk about what it’s been like to navigate healing without having everything figured out yet. I share reflections on forgiveness, emotional expression, and why strength without honesty can quietly wear us down. 💭 Reflection prompts: • What chapter in your life is still unfolding? • Which emotion...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! Some losses change everything. Other's pile up quietly until you realize you've been carrying more than anyone ever knew. In this episode, Christin shares her story of losing both parents in high school, navigating her brother's addiction and incarceration and learning how to build a life rooted in faith, boundaries, and hope. What looks steady from the outside was shaped by grief, hard decisions, and a deep trust that God could h...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! I told people I was fine for years. The truth was, pretending came at a cost I didn’t understand yet. In this solo episode, I share a season I don’t talk about often. The years I spent teaching while quietly questioning my purpose, failing my Praxis exams (8 times), and believing the lie that I wasn’t enough. I wore the mask well, but underneath it, I was exhausted and unsure of who I really was. This episode is about what it felt like to keep that m...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! Note✨: This episode is a live stage recording and may sound different than studio episodes. What happens when the story you’ve been carrying quietly finally asks to be spoken out loud? In this special episode of Hidden Chapters, I’m sharing my very first live stage talk from the Military Influencer Conference. This is the raw, unfiltered version of my story. No studio. No edits. Just truth. I talk openly about life as a retired military spouse, navi...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! What do you do when the life you thought you knew is turned upside down? In this deeply personal conversation, Jennifer Blankenship joins me to share her journey navigating betrayal after discovering her husband’s long-term affair and hidden family. As a retired, divorced military spouse, Jennifer opens up about the complexities of narcissistic trauma bonds, and the courage it takes to reclaim her identity while protecting her family. Faith became he...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! From arriving in the U.S. without speaking a word of English to rising through the ranks to become a Sergeant Major, Jose Raymundo’s journey is a remarkable story of resilience, courage, and transformation. In this episode, Jose, author of Brave New Horizons, shares the hidden chapters behind his military career, the quiet struggles few ever saw, and the courage it took to tell his story. He opens up about the challenges of being an immigrant in the ...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! What do you do when everything that once defined you begins to shift? In this heartfelt conversation, Lindsay Swoboda joins me to share her journey navigating life after her husband’s military retirement. From launching her first book to balancing her identity as a writer, wife, and woman in transition, Lindsay opens up about the hidden challenges behind reinventing yourself. Together, we explore the tension between holding on and letting go an...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! Who we are isn’t something we figure out once, it’s something we keep discovering. In this episode, Laura Lyn Donahue joins me to talk about authenticity, identity, and growth through life's changing seasons. Drawing from her book and personal experiences, Who Do You Think You Are?, Laura Lyn discusses how our sense of self shifts with time, how to embrace uncertainty instead of fearing it, and why change can be one of our greatest teachers. This ...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! Kicking off Season 2 🎉 In this first episode of Hidden Chapters Season 2, my husband, Chris joins me to share his journey from Army life to author. We explore the highs and lows of deployments, the challenges of reintegrating into civilian life, and the emotional impact of the Afghanistan withdrawal on veterans. We explore the hidden struggles that service members face: deployments, mental health challenges, and the transition to civilian life.&nbs...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! 🎉 YOU all did it!! 1,000 downloads worldwide! 🌍 In this special behind-the-mic update, I’m celebrating this milestone and sharing a heartfelt thank you to listeners from the U.S., Canada, Singapore, Trinidad & Tobago, Nigeria, Germany, and beyond. 💛 Every download, share, and moment of connection has helped Hidden Chapters grow, and I'm so grateful for each of you. This episode is all about gratitude, connection, and celebrating community.&...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! 🎉 Season 1 Finale: Behind the Mic of Hidden Chapters In this recap, I’m sharing the lessons, surprises, and hidden moments from Season 1. From behind-the-scenes insights to the stories that moved me the most, we reflect on why Hidden Chapters matters and what comes next in Season 2. Stick around until the end for a special hidden blooper moment! What You’ll Learn from This Season 1 Recap: • Starting a podcast takes patience, creativity, and behind-t...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, start here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2463085/episodes/17433468 In Part 2 of Mollie’s journey, we explore what comes after survival. After the heartbreak of losing her first husband, Mollie shares how she slowly rebuilt her life, rediscovered love, and leaned on faith to guide her through deep change. From step-parenting to honoring the past while embracing the future, Mollie’s story is a powerful example of s...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! *Note: You might notice a little echo in parts of this conversation. Podcasting isn't always perfect, and while I did my very best in post editing, some audio echos and quicks couldn't be fully fixed. Thanks for your grace and for sticking with it. Mollie's story is truly worth hearing! In this Part 1 conversation, Mollie shares the heartbreaking story of losing her first husband, Ashley, and the shockwave of grief that followed. S...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! In this heartfelt episode of Hidden Chapters, Melissa shares her journey through grief after losing her twin brother, Grant, and the unexpected way his loss transformed her life. Grant was the bubbly one, the encourager, the light in every room. Melissa often called herself “the mean one,” the twin who got them into trouble. But when Grant passed, something shifted. His joy became her legacy. Melissa opens up about their unbreakable twin bond, the de...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! What happens when the life you built starts to slowly unravel not with a crash, but with quiet, unseen shifts? In this episode, Liz Davis opens up about her journey as a military spouse navigating the emotional weight of constant change, the slow realization that her marriage was coming apart, and the courageous choice to put herself first and start fresh. Liz shares the hidden realities of military family life, the sacrifices, silent struggles, and ...

Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! In this powerful episode of Hidden Chapters, Meg opens up about the unexpected journey of early motherhood. From birth trauma and postpartum depression to parenting a neurodivergent child, she shares the chapters she never saw coming. Meg reflects on how her own childhood shaped the way she parents today and the healing that’s come through therapy, honesty, and doing the hard inner work. We talk openly about unmet expectations, isolation, resentment,...