Stories that Empower
Stories that provide hope, inspire and empower.
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456 Ali Horriyat
07/21/2025
456 Ali Horriyat
In 2022 Ali Horriyat founded Compassiviste after personally experiencing the detrimental social impact of unchecked capitalism, indifference, and unbridled greed. He believes that a world of compassion and harmony is attainable if each of us commits to love always, and always love. Ali shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: Ignite the masses with compassion for social progress Learn from historical account Elevate through life’s natural cycles Actively seek joy to reach social harmony tags: Ali Horriyat, Compassiviste, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/37750680
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455 Kelly James Clark
07/14/2025
455 Kelly James Clark
Kelly James Clark, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame), is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy. He is the author, editor, or co-author of more than thirty books. He writes broadly and speaks widely on compassion, tolerance and peace. Kelly strives to bring philosophy into the public life and uses the academic life to bring people together. He shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: the mutual pursuit of the truth create a space where we can feel honest about our feelings becoming a person of compassion and peace is a project of a lifetime we can do better tags: Kelly James Clark, Ph.D., philosopher, writer, author, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/37750355
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454 Anne Heinrich
07/07/2025
454 Anne Heinrich
Anne discusses her debut novel, God Bless the Child. It is the first in a three-book series, The Women of Paradise County. Nestled in the heart of America’s Midwest, the fictional Paradise County is where the wounded create spaces and places for themselves that simmer just beneath the surface. The dysfunction leaps off the first page. Anne shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: sometimes, the universe just says yes it's about how we can impact each other we deserve to have our own voice claim the piece of joy dwelling in possibilities tags: Anne Shaw Heinrich, writer, author, God Bless the Child, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/37653155
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453 Anna Monardo
06/30/2025
453 Anna Monardo
Anna always knew she wanted a child. She chose to adopt a child and raise him as a single mother. Anna shares the challenges and joys of adopting and becoming a mother. She considers her family of two to be a miracle of life. Anna shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: the importance of creating personal connections the higher the stakes, the more important it is to breathe, to be calm and to meditate we are where we are meant to be tags: Anna Monardo, writer, author, After Italy, A Family Memoir of Arranged Marriage, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/37652900
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452 Laine D'Souza
06/23/2025
452 Laine D'Souza
Laine began her career as an actress and athlete. She struggled to handle rejection and felt she wasn't good enough. Her trajectory of life changed. Laine started her own business. Today, she empowers others as a freelance trainer. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: the things that happen to us are for our growth we are the creators of our lives quiet the mind and get in touch put our attention on another person feel safe within nature speaks to us the divine only gives us what we can handle what happens to us is for our growth we train for life trust ourselves if we've touched one person, we've touched many we can train our thoughts tags: Laine D'Souza, writer, author, Confidence Unleashed, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/37568780
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451 Laurie Curtin
06/16/2025
451 Laurie Curtin
Many days in intensive care involving multiple Near Death Experiences brought Laurie a new mission. She heard God clearly tell her: learn energy work and become a hospice worker and something will come through you that will change something on the planet. She pursued those things, and then one Monday in 2016 while Laurie and her sister, Susan, did energy work on their friend Bryan, elev3n came into being: a concept allowing individuals to take their health and healthcare finally into their own hands, was born. Laurie shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: we need a foundation in this world heal through natural ways the body has a self healing mechanism strive to sing our song we matter nurture our spiritual/mind/food express our uniqueness we can always turn our life around how we show up everything we do is important tags: Laurie Curtin, elev3n, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/37105180
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450 DJ Green
06/09/2025
450 DJ Green
DJ's former husband, Norm, changed her for a lifetime and gave her a deeper understanding about giving and receiving love. He helped her change the way she viewed the world with fascination and joy. Norm opened her eyes and heart with joy, courage and curiosity for the world. DJ shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: embrace the lessons you don't get time back, don't waste it give and receive love put one foot in front of the other can't know how to do something, until we try it craft a life that we love strive to find it in nature everything we want is one step outside of our comfort zones try and be willing to fail Tags: D.J. Green, geologist, writer, sailor, adventurer, hiker, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/36903280
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449 Holly LaBarbera
06/02/2025
449 Holly LaBarbera
Holly teaches as an adjunct professor, runs her own psychotherapy practice and is the author of "All I Know". She spends her days exploring relationships—learning what brings people together, keeps them together, and pulls them apart. She witnesses brave journeys of self-discovery and sees the difficult choices people are called upon to make, all of which she hopes brings truth to the characters she writes and the journeys they undertake. Holly shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: knowing the importance of friendship don't give up, something will emerge keep trying the importance of friendships build a community give ourselves permission tags: Holly LaBarbera, writer, author, All I Know, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/36903010
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448 Kay A. Oliver
05/26/2025
448 Kay A. Oliver
When Kay was diagnosed with breast cancer, she lost her job and her medical insurance. She surrounded herself with supportive people. Kay took the leap, prepared and trusted herself to make the move to write novels. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: trust yourself believe in yourself surround ourselves with supportive people we get to choose who surrounds us go after our dreams to start being a writer or author, write a novela tags: Kay A. Oliver, award-winning author, Television Academy member, prominent figure in literature and entertainment, innate storyteller, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/36902850
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447 Dr. Shaan Patel
05/19/2025
447 Dr. Shaan Patel
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446 Glenn Hileman
05/12/2025
446 Glenn Hileman
Glenn shares the story of his parents, Lyle and Marylin Hileman. It's a story of overcoming adversity. His parents left a legacy never to be forgotten. Challenges come early and often, yet their determination and faith pushed them forward in pursuing their dreams. Glenn shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: we are all flawed there's power in writing there's inspiration in the universe tags: Glenn Hileman, A Yellow House in the Mountains; a story of love and refinement, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/36475235
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445 Candace Cahill
05/05/2025
445 Candace Cahill
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444 James & Bear Ray
04/28/2025
444 James & Bear Ray
Meet James and Bersabeh, the dynamic duo behind Harmonic Wealth Global, where grit met grace—and now, a legacy continues. James, a trailblazer who scaled life’s highest peaks and rebuilt from the ashes, sadly passed away in January 2025, leaving behind a powerful vision. Bersabeh, an intuitive powerhouse whose journey from hardship to healing inspires, now leads the charge, honoring James’ mission to help you break free from fear and align with your purpose. Together, they built a path to harmony and abundance; now, Bersabeh carries the torch, guiding you to transform struggles into strength. They share the following nuggets of life wisdom: we grow the most in challenges it's starts with us go in and clean up our emotional issues clean up our diets take responsibility for our lives take our power back there's greatness within us take a stand for what's right and wrong we have the potential to become completely whole tags: James, Bersabeh , Harmonic Wealth Global, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/36474415
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443 Susan Marrufo
04/21/2025
443 Susan Marrufo
Susan is the founder of Samarasa Center. She creates a space where people can cultivate intimacy internally. Susan shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: yoga is about self realization there is freedom in letting go move from form to formless don't believe everything you think it's not about the pose, it's about our relationship to it the stories we tell ourselves on the mat are the same ones that we tell ourselves off the mat tags: Susan Marrufo, Samarasa Center, yoga, meditation, intimacy, shadow work, Yoga, Sex + Death, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/36026780
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442 Dena Rueb Romero
04/14/2025
442 Dena Rueb Romero
Dena Rueb Romero is the daughter of a Lutheran mother and a Jewish father, both refugees from Nazi Germany. All for You is her first full-length book. Dena still lives in Hanover, where she sings in a women’s chorus, volunteers at a daycare center, and works with a recently arrived refugee family. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: have empathy for refugees strive to be generous and kind tags: Dena Rueb Romero, writer, author, All for You; a World War II family memoir of love, separation and loss, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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441 Tracy Mayo
04/07/2025
441 Tracy Mayo
1970, pre-Choice America. After their eighth move in her thirteen short years, the lonely only child of a high-ranking naval officer and a socially ambitious mother, Tracy Mayo longed for a normal adolescence – to have friends, to feel rooted. What she got was a pregnancy at fourteen and exile to a maternity home. There, she bore not only a child but also the weight of the culture’s shame. She was required to surrender her baby boy at birth and pretend it never happened. Twenty-two years later, her longing undiminished, Tracy set out to find him – and perhaps, through her search, to reclaim her self. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: we are greater than our pains strive to have thoughts without judgement the search is for the 'self' the quest can be liberating we can feel empowered, when we belong to a community tags: Tracy Mayo, writer, author, Childless Mother; a search for son and self, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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440 Mimi Zieman
03/31/2025
440 Mimi Zieman
Mimi battled self-doubt to serve as the doctor and only woman on a remote Everest climb in Tibet. This journey of curiosity, self-discovery and vulnerability enabled her to face down childhood messages to stay small and safe and to venture into the unknown. Mimi shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: it's ok to feel afraid and to move through them listen to our bodies be present, be curious and open to the world it's ok when we're not really in control and to make ourself vulnerable be passionately curious stretch beyond our comfort zone we can do more than we think we can connect to our inner voices it's great to let our bodies lead tags: Mimi Zieman, Tap Dancing on Everest, A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/35817605
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439 Anastasia Zadeik
03/24/2025
439 Anastasia Zadeik
Anastasia is a writer, editor, and storyteller. She shares her second novel, The Other Side of Nothing. Anastasia talks about mental health and approaching it with grace and compassion. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: be willing to be vulnerable and raw tell your story from a place of truth and authenticity look for the signs of mental health ask "how are you feeling today?" what's on the surface may not be what's going on give people some grace tags: Anastasia Zadeik, writer, editor, storyteller, The Other Side of Nothing, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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438 Claudia Marseille
03/17/2025
438 Claudia Marseille
At age four, Claudia Marseille was diagnosed with a severe hearing loss. With determination and the help of powerful hearing aids, she learned to hear, speak and lipread. Claudia realized she needed to find a profession more compatible with severe hearing loss. So, she turned to her early love, the visual arts. Claudia promotes compassion and understanding for those with hearing loss and those with differences. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: promote compassion and understanding for those with hearing loss tell others if we have a hearing loss wear the hearing aids all of the time hearing aids needs adjustments and programming value of close one on one connections tags: Claudia Marseille, writer, author, But You Look So Normal: Lost and Found in a Hearing World, photographer, painter, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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437 Chrissy Holm
03/10/2025
437 Chrissy Holm
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436 Bryon Ehlmann
03/03/2025
436 Bryon Ehlmann
Bryon worked in industry doing computer systems research and development and in academia. Retiring early, he has applied his computer science mentality—an analytical, logical, and, ideally, open mind—to psychology, dreams, near-death experiences, philosophy, and religion, focusing on the Big Questions about life and reality. This effort has, so far, culminated in his book, titled "A Natural Afterlife Discovered". Bryon shares this nugget of wisdom: if you have an idea, stick with it and don't give up. tags: Bryon Ehlmann, author, A Natural Afterlife Discovered, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/35496095
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435 Debra Borchert
02/24/2025
435 Debra Borchert
Debra shares how, through determination and persistence, she enabled her career to transition from modeling, acting, marketing, company spokesperson to present day, where she is passionate to be a writer. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: celebrate everything take a risk be persistent celebrate our feelings, like sorry or despair allow yourself to have a meltdown tags: Debra Borchert, author of historical fiction, Chateau de Verzat series, Her Own War, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/35354470
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434 Sophia Kouidou-Giles
02/17/2025
434 Sophia Kouidou-Giles
In the process of digging and sorting, she uncovered a deeper understanding of adult relationships and found resolution. Today, Sophia feels accepted and feels like she belongs. She is proud to be back home in Greece with family and friends. we can make peace and let go when we harbor a question that is personal, we should get persistent about identifying the underlying reason persistence and questioning is a good thing tags: Sophia Kouidou-Giles, award winning author, child welfare, practitioner, educator, researcher and administrator, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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433 Becky Whetstone
02/10/2025
433 Becky Whetstone
Having experienced a challenging marriage, Becky turned to a marriage therapist. However, this does not meet her needs. She felt there was a void, so Becky embarked on a journey to become a marriage and family therapist herself. By practicing compassion and authenticity, she helps couples or families that seek therapy. Becky shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: give ourselves permission be true to ourselves if you feel hopeless, don't stop looking for information knowledge can change everything tags: Becky Whetstone, PhD, Marriage and Family Therapist and Life Coach specializing in marriage crisis counseling, I (Think) I Want Out: What To Do When One Of You Wants To End Your Marriage, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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432 Wen Peetes
02/03/2025
432 Wen Peetes
Wen is a survivor of trauma and abuse. She talks about how she felt divine energy. This enabled Wen to experience joy that delivered her from the darkest of times. She bloomed into the courageous being that she is today, where she is able to help other souls. Wen shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: everything about our story makes sense be curious to ask questions our brains enable us to stay in a protective space until we are ready to handle it we are worthy regardless of our beginnings listen in to ourselves we can focus and be deliberate about what we think practice loving yourself receive your full story ease up the judgement that we put on ourselves we are gloriously made from love everything we feel is worthy come home to the acceptance of our greatness come back and trust your intuition tags: Wen Peetes, Transformational Speaker, Rebel For A Spell, Intuitive Healing, Inner Child Healing, Heal Your Wounds, Train Your Mind, Create a New You, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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431 Mark David Gerson
01/27/2025
431 Mark David Gerson
After experiencing some bumps initially in his career, Mark David found his soul work in writing. He found himself back in the flow and his life began to have purpose again. Mark David shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: there's always a chance for good news tomorrow strive to live from a place of intuition and higher wisdom find our own way trust in the infinite the miracles always show up trust and follow the voice tags: Mark David Gerson School of Writing, award-winning author, accomplished screenwriter, coach, counselor, mentor, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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430 Joan Koster
01/20/2025
430 Joan Koster
Growing up as a shy child, Joan found comfort in reading and books. Today, she brings light to and writes about amazing/forgotten women. Joan shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: the importance of reading reading is a way to travel and to walk in others' shoes reading teaches us tags: Joan Koster, writer, author, historical fiction about forgotten women, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/34826955
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429 Megan Edge
01/13/2025
429 Megan Edge
Megan was curious about source of her pain(s). She knew there had to be a better state of wellness. So, Megan embarked on a journey of self-discovery, healing and health. She shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: connect to nature the human body is intended to be in a state of grace , health and wellness we can heal trust ourselves journey back to ourselves tags: Megan Edge Healing, herbal enthusiast, holistic health, master healer, foraging expert, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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428 Kimberly Behre Kenna
01/06/2025
428 Kimberly Behre Kenna
As a shy and timid child, Kimberly escaped into nature and books, where she found solace. Therapy and journaling enabled Kimberly to heal from memories of childhood sexual abuse. Today, she is passionate about writing stories about kids overcoming challenges, finding their voices and telling their stories. Kimberly shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: find solace in nature find our voice nature is a healer build empathy embrace our own voice ask for help strive to deal with heavy feelings let it be and it will pass tags: Kimberly Behre Kenna, celebrating brace girl voices, children's book author, Jett Jamison & the Secret Storm, Artemis Sparke and the Sound Seekers Brigade, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
/episode/index/show/storiesthatempower/id/34746205
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427 Robert W. Norris
12/30/2024
427 Robert W. Norris
As a young man, Robert felt he was lost and was in search of direction. So, he embarked on a journey of traveling and hitch hiking across US and Europe. This experience gave him a sense of purpose and direction. Robert pursued a desire and passion to live, work and study in a foreign country. He shares the following nuggets of life wisdom: the importance of the power of language don't fear the unknown, embrace it trust our intention and be open people are the same everywhere seek the road less traveled be an empathetic listener tags: Robert W. Norris, Author of Expatriate and Antiwar Fiction, college and university teacher, The Good Lord Willing and the Creek Don't Rise: Pentimento Memories of Mom and Me, story, stories, that, empower, empowering, empowerment, inspire, inspiring, inspiration, encourage, encouraging, encouragement, hope, light, podcast, Sean,
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