Conversations with Caroline

On today's episode I wrap up season two by sharing my word of the year for 2022, Hope!

I look back on my 2021 WOTY Authentic and the lessons I learned as well as the true meaning of hope for me.

On today's episode, I sit down with Santo Militello, a scholar of all things theology, a business owner and lover of baseball (well, sports in general). I met Santo years ago at church and was amazed by his understanding and knowledge of the bible. Fast forward to today, Santo has become my go to friend when I want to dive deeper into the meaning and implementation of God's word in our lives. Listen in as we answer:

Why God

How does Jesus call us to respond to the brokenness in the world

Why your purpose isn't as hard to find as people want you to believe

On today's episode I catch up with marathon runner, world traveler and my college friend, Adrian Amaral.

Adrian is a Bay Area native. From a young age, Adrian has been a sports and adventure enthusiast. After swearing off marathons as a waste of money, he found himself in the middle of a break up, signed up for a marathon in Mexico. After completing in a respectable time, he admitted there might be something to this endurance racing. Listen in as he shares his journey to the Boston and Chicago Marathon and why running like life, can teach us to work on our weaknesses and trust the process.

Follow Adrian's racing adventure on Instagram. 

On today's episode I sit down with Thomas Vo. 

Thomas Vo is Brand Director and Brewmaster of Calicraft.  Vo is a marketing and product professional - developing meaningful products and brands targeting emerging categories. With nine years of industry experience, he focuses on the intersection between art, business, and craft. He holds an MBA from Saint Mary's College and currently resides in Concord.

Listen as we reminisce on our time at St. Mary's and for some exclusive updates on the future of Calicraft.

To learn more about Thomas follow along on instagram. 

On today's episode, we sit down with Liz Despins. A wife, mom of three and fellow Property Manager :) Liz invites us into her family's story and shares with us the journey they have been on over the last few years. 

When Liz's middle daughter Alexa got a fever during a soccer game in 2019 they went home and thought it would pass in a few days. Three weeks later when the fever was still there, the Despins Family received news no family is prepared to hear, Alexa was diagnosed diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Over the next 11 months, Alexa would go in and out of the hospital six times, passing away on July 7, 2020. 

Listen in as Liz shares what life inside the hospital during a worldwide health pandemic was like and how their family is healing, one day at a time. 

To learn more about Alexa's story visit the Caring Bridge page, which has over 157K visits. 

To donate to the Despins family, visit their Gofundme page. 

On todays episode I sit down with CEO and Founder of The Yes Girls, Heather Vaughn. 

The Yes Girls is the world’s first marriage proposal planning company and has been featured on the Today Show, Travel Channel, LA Times, and ABC News. Heather has continued to lead The Yes Girls, a creative female team, for over a decade later. She has launched products such as Box Sock and Schedule Me In – The Couples Planner because her passion continues to be rooted in creative ways to help “proposers” and relationships thrive beyond the proposal.

Heather lives in San Clemente, CA with her husband Kyle, who was formerly an Air Force pilot which required her to come up with a business that was transportable. They have three little energetic kids, two boys (Currently going into 1st grade and preschool) and a little girl who will turn 1 in September.  Heather’s most recent favorite memory was getting to be in the room when her adopted daughter was born.  2020 was quite the year in many ways.

Our conversation will focus on expectations, why validation matters and how to show up for one another in the trying times.

Heather has generously offered a discount on the Schedule Me In - Couples Planner for CWC listener. Use the code: CWClove Link to planner.

On today's episode I sit down with Derek Hellender who is sharing for the first time publicly about his struggle with alcohol. Derek shares that from the outside looking in his life looked successful, he had a career, a great social life and faced the typical issues that most twenty somethings did. On the inside he was miserable. Drinking to cope with anxiety and depression led to increased consumption and the feeling of living a double life. Derek shares why the stigma of asking for help kept him in the dark for so long. Listen in as he walks us through the agony of hitting rock bottom and the joy and hope he lives with today. 

Derek is the manager for a portfolio of homeowners' associations throughout the East Bay.  He loves cooking, plays a number of instruments and loves recording music alone or with friends, is an avid golfer, and enjoys running.  He is a dedicated "dog dad," and is engaged to an amazing woman he is ecstatic to be marrying in September.

https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

AMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.