Michael Jackson, Celebrity Culture and Abuse Prevention
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
The renewed attention surrounding Michael Jackson through film and media portrayals including the recent Netflix docuseries Michael Jackson: The Verdict, provides an important opportunity to discuss how fame, power, and public admiration can influence the way we respond to allegations of abuse. As we examine key takeaways of this case and questions to ask, our hope is that this conversation leads to better practices that prioritize child safety, healthy boundaries, and accountability over reputation, influence, or celebrity. Are there any topics you think we should cover on the...
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Recognizing Human Trafficking in Campgrounds & RV Parks
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
As many of us plan for summer getaways, we may never contemplate the reality that our plans could intersect with human trafficking. In this episode, we sit down with Mike Kaether, Executive Director for Domestic Freedom, to discuss an often-overlooked area of trafficking identification: campgrounds and RV parks. Mike shares why he felt compelled to develop specialized training to help campground staff, travelers, and communities recognize the warning signs of exploitation happening in these environments. Mike also discusses what surprised him most as he learned more about trafficking, how...
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Reaching Into the Cracks of the Foster Care System
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
It has been estimated that 60-90% of all child sex trafficking victims have histories in the child welfare system. So what happens when the very systems designed to protect children fall short? In this powerful episode, we sit down with Margie Barilla — advocate, speaker, and CEO of Barilla Consulting — to discuss the urgent realities facing vulnerable youth in the United States foster care system and the critical connection between system involvement and child human trafficking risk. In this important conversation, we take a deeper look at the realities many vulnerable youth face within...
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Supporting Survivors Through Art, Awareness & Advocacy
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
In this episode we’re joined by two guests from The Bridge to Hope in Menomonie, WI. Angie McIlquham, Director of Sexual Assault Victim Services and Kat Brogan, Sexual Assault Advocate & UW-Stout Campus Advocate. Together, they'll talk about their work supporting survivors in the Chippewa Valley. Both Angie and Kat also share how they got involved in advocacy, the realities of underreporting, and how trauma-informed care helps survivors navigate complex systems while maintaining dignity and self-efficacy. In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, The Bridge to Hope is hosting...
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Breaking the Silence and Reclaiming Power
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
In this powerful episode, we talked with JoDee Neil - former crimes-against-children prosecutor, civil litigator, and fierce advocate for survivors - to explore the realities of sexual abuse, disclosure, and healing. JoDee brings a rare and critical perspective shaped by both her legal career and her own lived experience as a sexual assault survivor. Now the author of Outcry Witness: A Former Prosecutor's Guide to Healing and Justice After Sexual Violence - she sheds light on what it truly means to speak up - and why disclosure is not a single moment, but a complex and...
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Camille’s Story: Part 2
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
In Part 2, Camille shares her journey of rebuilding after a life threatening experience of attempted trafficking and grooming, and how she began to untangle her faith and reclaim her voice. She also reflects on what healthy, boundaried “neighboring” looks like and how she now instigates a grace-paced movement rooted in dignity, agency, and justice — equipping communities to recognize red flags and walk alongside survivors with wisdom and care.
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Camille’s Story: Part 1
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
In Part 1 of this episode, Camille LaLond — trauma-informed mentor — shares how her vulnerabilities were exploited and culminated into a situation of grooming and attempted trafficking cloaked in spiritual authority. Camille provides valuable insight on how abusers in faith settings operate in plain sight and utilize tools of manipulation, coercion, and spiritual abuse.
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Intercepting Trafficking Before it Happens
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
In today's episode, Hannah Munn shares about her work with Love Justice International, which trains and places monitors at strategic transit points—like borders and bus stations—to identify and intercept potential victims before they are exploited. To date, they have intercepted over 100,000 individuals, in 17 countries, and facilitated the arrests of over 2,000 traffickers - stopping trafficking before it starts. Hannah shares powerful stories of impact from the field, offering a glimpse into the lives that have been changed through courageous intervention and plugs how future...
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Kelsey's Story
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
To honor Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we are highlighting a real story of one survivor who found herself in a situation that ultimately led to sex trafficking. Kelsey shares how early vulnerabilities contributed to an unhealthy relationship with an older man that both jeopardized her physical safety and deeply impacted her mental health. Kelsey also talks about navigating her healing journey, and reclaiming her voice as a survivor. Today, one of her greatest passions is to use her story to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and help prevent future harm, reduce stigma, and to encourage...
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How a Cup of Coffee Can Create Lasting Freedom
The Fierce Freedom Podcast
In this episode, find out how your coffee buying choices can create a culture of freedom versus exploitation- and how to score a free bag of delicious coffee through the link below! We sat down with Jenny Barber, Founder and Brand & Impact Manager for Talitha Coffee Roasters, a mission-driven company creating pathways towards freedom for survivors of trafficking and exploitation. Jenny shares the heart behind Talitha’s work and how providing dignified, trauma-informed jobs allows survivors to rebuild confidence, stability, and independence one step at a time. Jenny also explains how...
info_outlineHow do we dismantle an enterprise that generates $5.7 billion every year? Our guest Tomas Perez shares how his organization Epik Project is addressing sex trafficking by going to the root of it, by engaging with buyers who are driving demand.
Tomas shares why he believes these men are purchasing sex and how Epik Project's approach uses a non-traditional accountability model to reach these individuals.
If you want to learn more about Epik Project or support the work Tomas is doing, you can head to their website: epikproject.org