Libsyn Directory

Turn Setbacks into Transformation w/Sammy Orelien - Ep. 99

Release Date: 08/21/2025

How to Lose Your Inner Critic & Experience a More Fulfilled Life ft. Sue Erhart - Ep. 100

Recounting Life Lessons

In this episode of Recounting Life Lessons, Sione and Alana sit down with Sue Erhart, author of Lose Your Critic for Good and the creator of Practical Spirituality, to uncover what it takes to quiet our inner critics and live a life that is full of more joy and empowerment. Sue is someone who shares practical tools and wisdom for creating your best life, and in this episode, she shares the experience that started the journey to finding out why she prioritized the expectations of others over her own inner needs, why reaching her goals left her unfulfilled, and what whe discovered along the way....

Turn Setbacks into Transformation w/Sammy Orelien - Ep. 99

Recounting Life Lessons

Setbacks are something we all face, but there are some people who just know how to use those setbacks to grow and become even better versions of themselves. One person who embodies this ability to turn setbacks into growth is Dr. Jean-Guilmond Orelien, also known as Sammy. Sammy is the author of Turning Water into Butter: Living the Power Within, and he has dedicated his life to advancing solutions that improve human well-being. In this episode of Recounting Life Lessons, Sione and Alana sit down with Sammy and talk about how his upbringing in Haiti and Guadalupe and moving...

Trust Yourself & Attract Success ft. Susi Kos - Ep. 98

Recounting Life Lessons

Most people don't get what they want because they are too attached to how they think it should happen. Letting go of the "how" doesn't mean giving up. What it does mean is finally getting out of your own way. In this episode, Alana talks with Susi Kos, entrepreneur and author of . In their discussion, Susi talks about how she turned self-doubt, rock-bottom moments, and "crazy" dreams into real success by learning to tune out the noise and trust herself. They get into how she built a 6-figure jewlery business with zero experience, "luck" twists that tossed the plan out the window but...

Trust But Verify: Lessons Learned after 9 Years in a Cult ft. Paul David Cooke - Ep. 97

Recounting Life Lessons

In this episode of Recounting Life Lessons, we’re sitting down with Paul Cooke—a writer, academic, and former cult member who spent nine years in the Children of God, a group he later recognized as dangerously manipulative and deceptive. After a 40-year journey of reflection, healing, and writing, Paul recently completed a memoir about his experience and now shares his story to help others recognize how easily any of us can be misled under the right conditions. This conversation isn’t just about cults—it’s about clarity, courage, and reclaiming trust in your own discernment. Whether...

Love, Forgiveness, Sobriety & Purpose: Sean Hemeon on Healing His Inner Child - Ep. 96

Recounting Life Lessons

What if your deepest regret could become the very thing that heals you—and helps someone else heal too? In this raw and unforgettable episode of Recounting Life Lessons, we sit down with actor, artist, and soon-to-be debt author Sean Hemeon, who just celebrated 20 years of sobriety. Sean's real-life story reads like a Hollywood script—complete with addiction, cartel connections, federal agents, and undercover work—but what makes it unforgettable isn't the drama, it's the emotional depth, spiritual transformation, and powerful healing that came after. Sean shares how his greatest...

Feel More Alive & Awaken Your Inner Voice ft. Bente Vosteen - Ep. 95

Recounting Life Lessons

Do you want to feel more alive? Are you comfortable with your own thoughts and feelings? When's the last time your really felt something? In this episode of Recounting LIife Lessons, Sione and Alana sit down with Bente Vosteen—a sensory coach, visionary educator, and founder of a movement bringing sensory-based learning into schools and leadership spaces. After a powerful spiritual awakening in 2019, Bente began helping overwhelmed achievers, CEOs, and even children reconnect with their inner voice, purpose, and creative energy through immersive, sensory-driven experiences. If you’ve been...

Mina Satori on Rewriting Your Story & Taking Bold Action -Ep. 94

Recounting Life Lessons

What if the life you're craving is just one bold step away—even if you don't have it all figured out yet? In this powerful episode of Recounting Life Lessons, we sit down with Mina Satori—a transformational business consultant, ontological coach, and advocate for visionary women looking to step into their true power and purpose. From a chaotic and unstable childhood, the impact of an elementary school teacher, losing her job in the mortgage industry during the housing market crash, and moving cross-country in an RV during the pandemic with no clear plan. Mina shares the lessons...

Loving Someone Who Has An Addiction with Craig Williamson - Ep. 93

Recounting Life Lessons

How do you stay grounded when someone you love is unraveling? In this powerful episode, Sione and Alana are joined again by Craig Williamson, author of , who shares what he learned during a 17-year-long journey supporting and loving his son through addiction—a journey that ended with his son's passing at age 29. In this raw and deeply personal conversation, Craig opens up about the emotional toll of loving someone through addiction, and the life-changing lessons he learned about control, setting boundaries, practicing radical self-care, and how to love without losing yourself in the...

The Path to Inner Freedom & Happiness with Gilbert Mane - Ep. 92

Recounting Life Lessons

What if true freedom isn't about changing your life circumstances—but transforming how you experience them? In this episode, Sione and Alana sit down with Gilbert Mane, a former headmaster, philosopher, and author of 7 Steps to Freedom—to explore how inner freedom can be cultivated through mindful responses, intentional speech, and creative presence. Whether you're an overwhelmed achiever or someone seeking clarity and peace, Gilbert's insights will help you reclaim your power from within. What You'll Learn: Why real freedom begins with how you respond to life's...

Discern, Serve, and Succeed Better: Life & Business Lessons with Trish Saemann - Ep. 91

Recounting Life Lessons

Mistakes can end up being our greatest catalysts for growth. In this episode of Recounting Life Lessons, Alana sits down with Trish Saemann—truth-teller, no-fluff marketer, founder of GoBeyondSEO.com, co-host of the Break Even Better podcast, and author of Get More Clients You Love. With a refreshing mix of transparency and hard-won wisdom, Trish shares some of the behind-the-scenes experiences that helped her grow both as a business owner and a person. She opens up about hard-earned lessons from business and life—like what happens when we ignore red flags, the importance of...

More Episodes

Sammy is the author of Turning Water into Butter: Living the Power Within, and he has dedicated his life to advancing solutions that improve human well-being.

In this episode of Recounting Life Lessons, Sione and Alana sit down with Sammy and talk about how his upbringing in Haiti and Guadalupe and moving to the United States shaped his perspective on what it really means to thrive despite challenges. They also talk about how to pursue what you want without limitations and how to build resilience along the way.

His story takes us beyond the idea of "making the best of what you've got" into what he calls the ultimate alchemy: transforming not just your stuff and circumstances, but the person you are becoming along the way.

Listen now if you're ready to transform your life and who you are becoming despite your circumstances.

IN THIS EPISODE:

Why true transformation is about who you become, not just changing what's around you.
Lessons from Sammy after revisiting Haiti after the 2010 earthquake
How to reframe setbacks as essential training grounds for resilience and growth
Why limiting beliefs are often "be-lies" that hold us back, and how to replace them with empowering truths.
What to do when your physical environment doesn't support your dreams.
Why gratitude, imagination, and faith can open doors
How to shift from fear and control to freedom and courage when facing uncertainty

A FEW GOLDEN NUGGETS:

Ultimate Alchemy isn't about stuff, it's about the transformation of ourselves.
Give yourself permission to laugh and have fun even when things are stressful and dire
Be careful not to limit your perspective of what's possible
When you fight something, it's more likely to stay
Many of our most significant examples of transformation occur internally, and it takes time for that transformation to manifest in our circumstances and physical possessions.
The benefits of some beliefs may expire and turn into stories we continue to tell ourselves that are holding us back and limiting our growth.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Sammy's Book: Get Turning Water into Butter: Living the Power Within at https://amzn.to/4moZQjC to support this show at no extra cost to you
Sammy's Website: https://watertobutter.com/
Join our free Insider Email List for updates + early access to our upcoming Backstage Pass Membership: https://www.recountinglifelessons.com/insider

-------------------------------------------------------------------

For our latest insights and things we don't share with the public, become a Sione and Alana Insider. It's free and easy to join: https://www.recountinglifelessons.com/insider

-------------------------------------------------------------------

FOLLOW US:
► Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sioneandalana
► Our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sioneandalana
► Alana's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alanauyema
► Sione's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sioneuyema

Want to connect with Sione & Alana?

►Website: https://www.recountinglifelessons.com
►Email: [email protected]

Have a life lesson to share? Interested in being a guest?

We'd love to connect: click here to schedule a time to connect

TOPICS