Ceci and Nikki open up about separating spirituality from the systems that once dictated it and how leaving the FLDS changed their view of God, why they no longer believe anyone should stand between a person and their Creator, and what it means to rediscover prayer, peace, and discernment on their own terms.

They share personal stories about unlearning fear-based faith, healing their relationship with God through nature, motherhood, and marriage, and learning to follow intuition instead of outside approval. From deconstructing religion to redefining submission and leadership, this conversation is both raw and redemptive. A reminder that faith and freedom can coexist.

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Heather Nelson is a mother of four, business owner, retreat host, and podcast co-host who has built a life rooted in authenticity and growth. In this episode, she opens up about co-parenting, running a labor company and consulting business, and the journey of surrogacy, having delivered one surrogacy child in 2020 and now embarking on her second.

Heather shares what it means to balance ambition and motherhood while staying true to who you are. From empowering women through her retreats to creating a blended family dynamic built on communication and grace, she reminds us that fulfillment comes from living life on your own terms.

Connect with Heather Nelson

Instagram: @heathernelson.life @the.connection.hive Website: theconnectionhive.co

Connect with Ceci + Nikki

In this episode, Ceci and Nikki reflect on the families that shaped them, the realities of motherhood, and the journeys of building their businesses. Ceci shares her experience growing up with 17 brothers and 16 sisters and raising a blended family of six, while Nikki talks about her own family and raising two children. The conversation takes a tender turn as Nikki opens up about losing her dad suddenly earlier this year and walking through her younger brother’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis and survival. Together, they talk about the ache of grief, the relief of survival, and how family, in all its heartbreak and beauty continues to shape the way they live and lead.

In this episode, Ceci and Nikki open up about the big moves they’ve each made and how those changes have shaped their lives. Ceci shares her journey from Utah to Montana and then to Wyoming for her husband’s job, while Nikki reflects on her transition from RV life and homeschooling her son to settling. Together, they talk through the joys and challenges of moving, building new friendships, and finding balance between work and family.

They also dive into their marriages, how trust, support, and love have helped them overcome past traumas and stay connected through change. From business ventures to family rhythms, Ceci and Nikki reflect on how having healthy marriages have been the foundation for everything they’re building and what’s next in their journeys.

In this episode of Her Audacity, Nikki and Ceci open up about the challenges of communication, forgiveness, and keeping relationships alive when it feels easier to walk away. From their experiences leaving the FLDS to navigating family, friendship, and marriage today, they explore what it means to truly listen, create safe spaces, and hold onto the people who matter. Together, they share personal stories, lessons learned, and the belief that while disagreements are inevitable, love and connection should never be treated as disposable.

For Nikki and Ceci, leaving the FLDS meant stepping into a world that was both freeing and overwhelming. In this episode, they share what it was like to make their very first choices, from watching movies to navigating jobs, relationships, and independence.

They open up about the gaps in sex education, the ways they coped through parties and drinking, and the struggles of working for others after a lifetime of strict rules. Along the way, therapy, parenting, and self employment became turning points in building a new life.

Listener questions guide the conversation as Nikki and Ceci reflect on the messy, beautiful, and ongoing process of healing, rebuilding, and learning to trust again after heartbreak.

Nikki shares what it feels like to tell her story knowing it may reflect on her family, and why speaking her truth matters anyway. Ceci recounts her difficult journey of leaving the FLDS, facing homelessness, and starting over in Colorado. From sleeping in her car while nine months pregnant to working in life insurance sales, her story is one of loss, grit, and resilience. Against the odds, she reunited with her children and built a stable life. This conversation is about honesty, survival, and the lessons that come from rebuilding when everything has fallen apart.

In this episode of Her Audacity, we share what it was like to be pushed out of the FLDS community, breaking rules, resisting control, or not measuring up to impossible standards. From the pressure of the United Order, repeated baptisms, custody battles, and the heartbreak of being disowned by our fathers, we open up about the weight of shame and the resilience it took to keep going. Together, we talk about accountability, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to own your story and build a life beyond the walls of the FLDS.

Ceci and Nikki reflect on growing up in the FLDS, where strict rules made normal childhood experiences impossible and fear shaped daily life. From punishments for whistling to the absence of education, they share how events like the Texas raid shaped their views on authority and why they now choose openness, communication, and normalcy in raising their own children.

Ceci and Nikki share what it was like growing up in the FLDS, reflecting on their very different family dynamics, one as the daughter of an Apostle, the other as the oldest of 19 children. They talk about the responsibilities placed on older siblings, the loneliness of questioning or leaving, and the resilience and skills they carried forward.