How Life Shapes Us

For Hannah Rood, becoming a surrogate wasn't an unexpected decision. It was a dream she had carried in her heart for decades. 

In this episode of How Life Shapes Us, Tesla Mitchell sits down with longtime friend Hannah Rood, who turned a dream she'd carried since she was 16 into something extraordinary: becoming a gestational surrogate.

After watching her brother and his wife go through fertility struggles, Hannah knew she wanted to help impact someone’s life by giving the gift of parenthood. But getting there was anything but simple. She navigated an intensive approval process, unexpected medical hurdles, legal contracts, weeks of hormone injections, and patience while waiting for the right match.

Eventually, Hannah was matched with Jorge, an intended father from Spain, and became pregnant with his baby through embryo transfer. She opens up about the mindset required to carry a baby that wasn't hers, the importance of trusting her body, and how she learned to stay determined without letting unexpected challenges derail her.

Then came the moment that made it all worth it: giving birth and watching Jorge meet his son.

Hannah shares what surrogacy taught her about determination, trust, letting go, and staying calm when life doesn't go according to plan.

At its heart, this is a story about generosity, resilience, and the extraordinary impact one person can have on another person's life.

Hannah chose to give something deeply personal to help make someone else's dream possible. If more people approached life with that kind of generosity, there’s no telling what the world could be like.

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Note: Descriptions are written with the help of AI so Tesla can spend more time finding amazing guests and having meaningful interviews with them. Tesla edits these descriptions to make sure they are authentic to the guest’s story and aren’t using clickbait techniques to draw listeners in. Thanks for listening and supporting this one-person-run podcast! 

How do you know the difference between a risk worth taking – and one you'll regret forever?

In this special episode of How Life Shapes Us, host Tesla Mitchell switches seats as her daughter, Shina, helps interview her about one of the most defining moments of her own life.

At 18 years old, what began as a summer day floating down the river with friends quickly turned into a life-threatening accident. After jumping from a bridge into flood-swollen water, Tesla landed on a hidden rock, suffering devastating injuries that would lead to emergency surgery, a severe staph infection, and the possibility of losing her leg.

Looking back years later, Tesla reflects on the split-second decisions that led to that moment and the lessons she's carried ever since.

Together, Tesla and Shina explore:

• Why peer pressure can be harder to recognize than we think
• The difference between fear that limits us and instincts that protect us
• How alcohol can cloud our judgment and change our willingness to take risks
• Why changing your mind is a sign of wisdom, not weakness
• What it means to take calculated risks while still embracing adventure

More than a story about a near-tragedy, this conversation is about learning to trust yourself, speak up when something doesn't feel right, and understanding that one choice can change the course of your life.

Whether you're raising kids, finding your own voice, or learning to trust your instincts, this episode is a reminder that courage isn't about saying yes to every challenge, it's about knowing when to walk away.

Note: This description was written with the help of AI so that Tesla can spend more time finding amazing guests and having meaningful interviews with them. Tesla edits these descriptions to make sure they are authentic to the guest’s story and aren’t using clickbait techniques to draw listeners in. Thanks for listening and supporting this one-person-run podcast!

What would you hold onto if you lost almost everything?

In this episode of How Life Shapes Us, Tesla Mitchell sits down with one of the people who shaped her own life: longtime professor, mentor, and educator Judi Becker.

For decades, Judi has helped students discover their voices, embrace imperfection, and believe that their best is enough. But behind that steady encouragement is a story of remarkable resilience.

Within just a few years, Judi experienced what she calls a "trifecta" of loss – a marriage ending because of addiction, the devastating 2007 Rushford, Minnesota flood that destroyed nearly everything she owned, and the death of her former husband. Through each chapter, she was forced to ask what truly lasts when the things you depend on disappear.

In this conversation, Judi shares:

• How life’s hardest seasons reshaped her priorities
• Why accepting help is one of the greatest gifts we can give others
• The lesson behind taking "heart pictures" instead of relying only on photographs
• How faith, community, and hope carried her through unimaginable loss
• Her advice for learning to love yourself with the same compassion you'd offer a child or your closest friend

This conversation is a reminder that while we can't control what life takes from us, we can choose what we carry forward.

If you've ever experienced loss, questioned your purpose, or needed a reminder that hope can survive heartbreak, this episode will stay with you long after it ends.

Note: This description was written with the help of AI so that Tesla can spend more time finding amazing guests and having meaningful interviews with them. Tesla edits these descriptions to make sure they are authentic to the guest’s story and aren’t using clickbait techniques to draw listeners in. Thanks for listening and supporting this one-person-run podcast! 

One morning, Mazin AbdelMagid left home to take a college quiz. By the end of the day, his city and country were at war.

In this episode of How Life Shapes Us, host Tesla Mitchell sits down with Mazin AbdelMagid, a Sudanese international student and junior studying mass communication at Winona State University, to share the story of how a normal day turned into a fight for survival.

When conflict erupted in Sudan in 2023, Mazin and his family found themselves navigating gunfire, extreme heat, and the need to his childhood home immediately. What followed was a journey of difficult decisions, family separation, and an escape that took Mazin across deserts, borders, and eventually continents.

Mazin recounts:

• The moment he realized war had arrived in his hometown
• How his family navigated evacuation amid chaos and uncertainty
• The challenges of being separated from loved ones due to visa restrictions
• His solo journey through the desert and eventual path to the United States
• How faith, courage, and gratitude helped him through the unknown
• What living independently in America has taught him about responsibility, resilience, and adulthood

If you've ever wondered how ordinary people survive extraordinary circumstances, this episode offers a powerful and deeply human perspective.

In an upcoming episode set for June 23, international student Mazin AbdelMagid shares his perilous journey alone from the war-torn country of Sudan to Egypt and later to the United States as he looks to finish his college education. 

With resilience and fortitude, Mazin's story is full of perspective, wisdom, and gratitude -- and will leave your heart full as you listen to his path toward graduation. 

Tune in on June 23 (when we aren't having technical difficulties) to listen in!  

Some teenagers discover a piece of their true self while in sports, in the pages of a book, or even during summer camp. And some, like Tsubasa Hidaka, find a piece of their true self by living in another country. 

In this episode of How Life Shapes Us, Tesla Mitchell sits down with Winona State University coworker and friend Tsubasa Hidaka, a Japanese international student whose journey from Japan to rural Iowa (and eventually Winona, Minnesota) reshaped the way he sees identity, family, success, and even mental health.

Tsubasa opens up about growing up with a complicated relationship with his father, where judgment, pressure, and limited “mental freedom” often made it hard to speak openly. He reflects on how those experiences shaped the way he communicates, sets boundaries, and sometimes shuts down when emotions run high.

But living in the United States changed something for him.

Through friendships, cultural differences, and life as an international student, Tsubasa began learning how to speak more openly, trust his own opinions, and embrace the idea of being good enough instead of perfect. And that shift, he said, deeply impacted his perspective on mental health and his outlook on life.

Together, Tesla and Tsubasa explore:

• How family dynamics shape the way we communicate and handle conflict
• The emotional toll of perfectionism and pressure in Japanese culture
• The surprising strengths and challenges of both American and Japanese culture
• What the U.S. might learn from Japan (and what Japan might learn from the U.S.)
• Big questions about freedom, healthcare, diversity, money, and what truly makes a fulfilling life

From quiet trains and indirect communication to mental health and personal identity, this conversation offers a thoughtful, honest look at what happens when you step outside your own culture and begin seeing yourself more clearly.

If you’ve ever wrestled with family expectations, perfectionism, or figuring out who you are apart from where you came from, this episode will stay with you.

What if the habit of running isn’t about restlessness, but rather survival? And what happens when you finally decide to stay?

In this episode of How Life Shapes Us, Tesla Mitchell sits down with Cat Breet, an HR leader and public speaker for more than 200,000 people, and one of those people you instantly gravitate toward. As she prepares to leave Winona, Minnesota for a new chapter in Hawaii, Cat reflects on the patterns that shaped her – and the tools that helped her change them.

Growing up in an alcoholic home shaped Cat into what she calls a “runner” in her twenties, moving between jobs, states, and relationships, rarely staying long enough to feel rooted. But eventually, a combination of financial pressure, meaningful work, and a relationship worth fighting for forced her to pause, reflect, and choose differently.

What makes this conversation especially powerful is Cat’s deep commitment to knowing herself and the practical ways she’s learned to make decisions that honor both logic and emotion.

In this episode, Cat shares:

• How childhood instability can create a lifelong pattern of running
• The turning point that helped her stop running and start building stability
• Practical ways to understand yourself using tools like DISC and StrengthsFinder
• A step-by-step approach to decision-making that balances logic and emotion
• Why naming the worst-case scenario can reduce fear and create clarity
• How learning to ask for help can change both your personal and professional life

Cat’s message is simple, but deeply earned: Yes, you can.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between running and staying, logic and emotion, or fear and possibility, this episode offers both inspiration and real tools to help you move forward with confidence.

When you grow up afraid your stepdad will hurt you or your mom, how do you become a parent that doesn’t do the same?

Host Tesla Mitchell sits down with her husband, Justin, to talk about how fatherhood forced him to confront his own past and choose to heal.

Justin shares what it was like growing up with a violent, fear-driven stepfather and how those experiences shaped the man he became. Now a father himself, he reflects on the daily work of breaking generational cycles, learning to lead with patience instead of fear, and giving his kids resilience without trauma.

This episode is about accountability, healing, and the quiet courage it takes to become the parent you never had.

If you've ever wondered whether cycles can truly be broken, this story is proof that change starts with intention.

Ending Season 1 of How Life Shapes Us, host Tesla Mitchell shares a quick update on what to expect in Season 2, reflects on the moments that struck her most from the first 14 episodes, and offers heartfelt gratitude for every listener who has tuned in so far.

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 31, when the first episode of Season 2 drops—featuring Justin Mitchell, a former truck driver, Jiu-Jitsu athlete, avid weightlifter, father, and, most importantly, Tesla’s husband—as they talk through a moment in time that shaped Justin’s life.

What happens when a 10-year-old “investigator” sits down to talk about friendship, confidence, and the world around her?

In this heartfelt season finale, host Tesla Mitchell welcomes her daughter Shina, a thoughtful middle‑schooler who’s listened to nearly every episode -- multiple times. Together, they explore shifting friendships, feeling like a “second choice,” the courage it takes to compete in jiu‑jitsu, and how kids make sense of political tension today. 

A warm, wise, and thoughtfully deep season finale, it gives a preview to what’s coming next in How Life Shapes Us.