In this episode, we sit down with Maray, a marriage and family therapist and founder of Evolve Healing House, to talk about trauma, boundaries, and building emotionally safe families. We discuss how childhood experiences shape our relationships, how to set healthy standards with family and co-parents, and simple ways couples can reconnect through honest emotional check-ins. Maray shares practical insight for anyone working to heal old patterns and create healthier relationships moving forward.

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Nikki and Ceci welcome Ceci's husband, Aaron onto the podcast for the first time.

Aaron shares what it was like stepping into a relationship with a woman who had five children, navigating blended family dynamics, and building trust after both had experienced difficult past relationships. He opens up about his military background, the structure and discipline that shaped him, and the personal growth required to become the kind of husband and father he always wanted to be.

This episode is honest, grounded, and deeply human. It’s about choosing commitment when things get hard, building a family on stability instead of chaos, and becoming the kind of person your children can feel safe with.

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like for a man to grow into leadership, vulnerability, and devotion, this conversation is for you.

Nikki and Ceci catch up on the chaos of post-move life, packed schedules, and the real need for “off days” in a world that expects us to be constantly on. They talk about what it looks like to reshape work around creative bursts and recovery, instead of a never-ending daily grind.

The conversation shifts to the emotional weight of being online, how heavy news and dark stories can follow you from scroll to scroll, and why survivors especially have to protect their nervous system without dismissing what others have lived through. From there, they unpack what it means to build a truly safe home for your kids: a place where they can come back, tell the truth, and know they’re loved through mistakes.

They also explore the longing for real community, being a “villager,” creating spaces where people can gather, and why in-person connection matters more than ever after years of isolation. The episode closes with encouragement to set one simple goal for the month, and an invitation for listeners to share theirs so the Her Audacity community can cheer them on.

In this episode of Her Audacity, we’re catching up in the most real way, from travel resets and winter heaviness to what it feels like when a new home changes everything. We talk about how environment impacts mental health, creativity, and the ability to actually show up for the life you’re building, plus the tenderness of moving back to Utah for family, kids, and a new season of growth.

We also go deep on the pressure to be “the strong one,” especially after leaving the FLDS, and the hard-earned realization that you can care deeply without carrying everyone. Nikki opens up about the kind of friendship heartbreak that knocks the wind out of you, what it taught her about self-worth, and how stepping back helped her find herself again. Along the way, we share the moments that kept us going, the “God winks” that felt like confirmation, and the truth that joy really does come back around.

It’s laughter, tears, nervous system truth, and the reminder that you’re allowed to rebuild gently, love fully, and still choose yourself. New episodes drop every Thursday.

In this powerful episode, Janice shares her story of growing up in the aftermath of leaving the FLDS, where parents were trying to survive, children were left unprotected, and generational trauma quietly took root. She speaks openly about sexual assault, emotional abandonment, and the long road toward safety, stability, and self-forgiveness.

Together, we explore what real accountability looks like, why acknowledging harm doesn’t erase love, and how healing begins when we stop protecting systems and start protecting children. This episode is about breaking cycles, not through blame, but through truth.

⚠️ Trigger warning: Sexual violence, abuse, and trauma are discussed.

In this episode, Ceci and Nikki return for Episode 21, their first episode of 2026 and their first conversation back with just the two of them.

They reflect on the start of a new year, how goal-setting has changed over time, and why January often feels more like a reset than a push. The conversation weaves through business growth, creative alignment, and what it means to build community after growing up in environments where vulnerability wasn’t safe.

Ceci and Nikki discuss friendship, discomfort, and the responsibility of staying present instead of walking away. Episode 21 sets the tone for 2026: choosing connection, allowing support, and building a village with intention.

In this episode of Her Audacity, we sit down with Donia Jessop, Mayor of Hildale, Utah, to talk about leadership, faith transitions, and rebuilding a community after deep hurt.

Donia shares what it took to step into public leadership, challenge long-standing systems, and move her town forward—often in the face of criticism and resistance. She reflects on motherhood, vulnerability, accountability, and the strength it takes to keep choosing progress when going backward would be easier.

This conversation is about standing firm, leading with humanity, and remembering one essential truth: you are enough.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of high-control religion and emotional harm. Listener discretion advised.

Hosted by Nikki and Ceci, this episode of Her Audacity welcomes their first male guest, Dubby. In an honest and deeply personal conversation, Dubby shares his experience growing up in the FLDS, losing his father at a young age, being pulled out of school to work, and eventually leaving the church in the middle of the night with nothing but his tools and a bag of clothes.

Together, Nikki, Ceci, and Dubby talk through co-parenting, fatherhood, marriage, work ethic, and the long process of unlearning survival patterns while building a steady, loving family. This episode offers a rare male perspective on leaving high-control religion, navigating relationships without a roadmap, and choosing peace, responsibility, and presence in everyday life.

Raw, grounded, and unexpectedly tender, this conversation is for anyone rebuilding after control, loss, or starting over — and proof that healing doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.

In this episode, Ceci and Nikki sit down with Kelly, a sports nutritionist, dentist, and fitness model—to explore her journey from growing up without religion, to joining the LDS church as a teenager, to surviving a five-year abusive relationship, and ultimately rebuilding a life rooted in confidence and autonomy. Together, they examine the parallels between domestic violence and high-control religion, the way manipulation and isolation take hold, and how leaving a belief system can feel just as destabilizing as leaving a partner. Kelly shares how education, community, and reconnecting with her intuition changed the trajectory of her life, eventually leading her into dentistry, motherhood, and a new understanding of faith and identity. This conversation dives into healing, resilience, and the moment a woman decides she will no longer make herself small.

What if the way you bring up hurt is the very thing keeping you from real repair? In this episode, Ceci and Nikki unpack a simple line that hit like a freight train: “Shame and accountability can’t coexist.” They talk about learning to correct “spicy” kids without shaming them, apologizing to their own children for past patterns, and why some friendships don’t survive when accountability is met with blame instead of forgiveness.

They also open up about what it looks like to forgive a parent who may never be able to own the harm they caused, all while trying to raise their kids differently than how they were raised in high-control religion. This conversation is for anyone who’s ready to communicate hurt without attacking character, make room for real apologies, and slowly rebuild trust with the people they love—starting with themselves.