Life Shift | True Stories of Healing, Grief & Loss

What happens when one choice alters the course of your life?

At 20 years old, Cheryl Wilder made a decision that led to a devastating accident and decades of shame, guilt, and self-questioning. For years, she carried the weight of what she now calls moral injury, unsure if she even deserved healing.

In this candid conversation, Cheryl opens up about the accident, the long and layered path toward forgiveness, and how poetry and storytelling became her lifelines.

This episode is about accountability, healing, and the courage it takes to finally believe you are worth good things.

Guest Bio

Cheryl Wilder is an author, coach, and motivational speaker. She helps clients connect their personal lives with their skills and knowledge to create a professional presence aligned with their values. A natural mediator and believer in the journey as a destination, Cheryl has an instinct to understand people, anticipate their needs, and listen to unvoiced questions. She’s passionate about helping clients see purpose and connections in everyday occurrences.

An advocate for the arts, Cheryl was the Burlington Writers Club president (2022–24) and is a co-chair of their Alamance County, NC Student Writing Contest. She’s co-leader of the For Alamance Arts & Culture Team, teaches writing workshops, and serves as a member-at-large for the North Carolina Poetry Society. As a poet, Cheryl could talk about line breaks all day. Other topics of proficiency are poetry and architecture, shame and forgiveness, the arts and community, and reinventing the self. Learn more at bornwilder.com.

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Have you ever felt the quiet pull to change everything you thought you were building?

For Marty Ross-Dolen, that moment came on September 11, 2001. She had devoted her entire life to psychiatry, but as she watched the towers fall with her children nearby, something in her said it was time to let go. That decision set her on a new course — one that led to motherhood, teaching, and eventually a memoir that uncovered the silence of multi-generational grief.

In this conversation, Marty shares what it means to step away from a lifelong identity and find a new one through writing and reflection.

Marty’s journey is both personal and universal, a reminder that it’s never too late to begin again.

👉 Listen to the full conversation and support more stories like this.

Marty Ross-Dolen is a graduate of Wellesley College and Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is a retired child and adolescent psychiatrist. She holds an MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her memoir, Always There, Always Gone: A Daughter’s Search for Truth, was released with She Writes Press in May 2025. She teaches writing and lives in Columbus, Ohio. Learn more at www.martyrossdolen.com.

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What happens when life forces you to stop fighting and finally let go?

For years, Isabelle Daikeler lived in pain and fear, holding tightly to identities that no longer fit. It all came to a breaking point on the floor of a bedroom in Hawaii, when surrender became her only option. What unfolded was not instant healing, but the start of a transformation that continues to this day.

In this episode of The Life Shift Podcast, Isabelle shares:

This is a story of patience, surrender, and learning that strength often shows up in ways we don’t expect.

👉 Listen now and feel less alone in your own process of change.

Guest Bio:

Isabelle Daikeler is a visionary holistic wellness expert committed to guiding you toward inner alignment and spiritual healing. In her one-on-one sessions, she creates a sacred space where clients can connect with higher wisdom and release what no longer serves them. Her work includes the Harmonic Egg, a sound-and-light modality designed to restore balance and deep calm, along with intuitive channeling and energy healing. Inspired by her own journey through pain and awakening, Isabelle empowers others to access their inner wisdom and embrace authentic living. Learn more at AuthenticityStressless.com.

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What happens when you realize you don’t actually believe you can heal?

Heidi Blackie spent a decade battling chronic illness, grief, and perfectionism until one raw moment in her kitchen changed everything. She asked herself a simple but life-altering question: What am I believing about my ability to heal?

In this conversation, Heidi shares how that vow to believe in herself shifted her relationship with her body, her perfectionism, and her sense of self. Her story will resonate with anyone who has felt trapped by patterns, weighed down by loss, or unsure how to move forward.

You’ll hear about:

Healing isn’t quick or easy, but it starts with belief.

Guest Bio:

Heidi Blackie is a speaker, consultant, and creator of UnshakableMe®, a science-meets-soul program helping women dismantle limiting beliefs and reclaim their inner power. After chronic illness brought her to rock bottom, she made a radical choice to believe in her body’s ability to heal — a turning point that reshaped her life from the inside out.

With 25 years as an Occupational Therapist and hard-won lived experience, she now guides others to meet adversity with clarity, connection, and self-trust. Her story is an invitation to anyone facing personal challenges, offering grounded hope, actionable tools, and a powerful reminder that we are far more capable than we think.

Connect with Heidi:

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What does it mean to live a life that is never dull?

For Chris Jordan, the answer has been unfolding since he was twelve years old, standing in front of his grandfather’s headstone. Etched into the stone were six words his grandmother chose: It was never dull. What started as a simple phrase became a mantra that shaped every risk, every leap, and every choice Chris has made since.

Chris shows us how even small words can carry us through fear and uncertainty, helping us choose the path that feels alive. His story is a reminder that our lives don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.

Listen now and consider what phrase you’d want etched on your own life.

Guest Bio:

Chris Jordan is a personal brand strategist who helps entrepreneurs establish their authority and grow their business through intentional storytelling and content. For more than five years, he worked alongside top thought leaders including Lewis Howes, Daymond John, and Dr. Benjamin Hardy on their podcast and content strategies. Today, Chris runs his own consulting business, supporting entrepreneurs who want to share their stories, connect authentically, and build lasting impact. https://www.linkedin.com/in/imchrisjordan/

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What happens when the life you built suddenly unravels?

Dan Boettcher had the degrees, the career path, and the promise of a future in diplomacy. On paper, it looked perfect. But inside, he was falling apart – and one surreal moment in an airport lounge sent his world in an entirely different direction.

In this conversation, Dan shares what it means to start over when the future you planned is no longer possible. His story is not just about survival but about transformation, and how meaning can show up in unexpected places.

This is a conversation about breaking open, rediscovering purpose, and finding beauty in places you never thought to look.

Guest Bio

Daniel Boettcher is the founder of The Intrepid Wendell and a Graduate Gemologist (GIA) with academic degrees from Yale, Georgetown, and American Universities. He began his career in law while preparing for a future in diplomacy, but a serious mental health crisis ultimately altered that path. Unable to pursue government work due to clearance restrictions, Daniel set out on a journey to rediscover meaning and passion – leading him back to a childhood love of gems and minerals. Today, he travels the globe sourcing rare gemstones and precious metals to craft custom jewelry that reflects the personal stories of his clients. A digital nomad, seasoned world traveler, and polyglot, he has visited over 100 countries and finds inspiration in every culture he encounters.

Sure on this shining night

Of star made shadows round,

Kindness must watch for me

This side the ground.

The late year lies down the north.

All is healed, all is health.

High summer holds the earth.

Hearts all whole.

Sure on this shining night

I weep for wonder wand'ring faralone

Of shadows on the stars.

The poem comes from a book by James Agee entitled "Permit Me Voyage," published in 1934 by Yale University Press

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What happens when your world is shattered in an instant?

When Sally McQuillen lost her 21-year-old son Christopher in a tragic accident, her life split in two. In this conversation, she shares what it means to keep living with love and purpose while carrying unimaginable loss. Her story reminds us that grief and gratitude can sit side by side, and that choosing to keep your heart open is an act of profound courage.

Three things you’ll hear in this episode:

Listen to this episode to hear Sally’s raw and beautiful reflections on love, loss, and the choice to keep going.

Guest Bio:

Sally McQuillen, LCSW, CADC, is a psychotherapist in private practice specializing in addiction recovery, grief, and trauma healing. An avid reader with a background in writing and dance criticism, she began her career in public relations and marketing before pursuing her master’s degree in social work. Sally is the author of Reaching for Beautiful, a memoir about love, loss, and carrying her son Christopher’s spirit forward. She and her husband live on the north shore of Chicago, where they raised their three children.

https://www.sallymcquillen.com/

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I wanted to share the new trailer for Grief and Light, hosted by my friend and former Life Shift guest, Nina Rodriguez.

Nina created this show after the sudden loss of her only sibling, and it has become a beautiful space for honest reflections and conversations about life after loss. She explores grief as a lifelong companion, something that shapes us, teaches us, and walks beside us, rather than something to move on from.

Grief and Light is about living in the "and," where sorrow and joy, darkness and light, loss and love all belong. If you have found comfort in the stories shared here on The Life Shift, I think you will connect deeply with Nina's approach and the community she is building.

Follow Grief and Light on your favorite podcast platform, and visit griefandlight.com or @griefandlight to learn more.

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At 28, Dan MacQueen was thriving in London with career momentum, global travel, and Friday night pints. Then one morning on the tube, his vision went black. Days later, he was in emergency brain surgery. That should have been the turning point. But it was only the beginning. A massive brain hemorrhage, four weeks in a coma, and months of painful rehab left him having to relearn how to walk, talk, and even smile.

But Dan didn’t just come back. He chose to build a life richer than the one he had before.

What we talk about in this episode:

Dan’s story isn’t sugarcoated. It’s real, raw, and full of fight. And it’s a reminder that no matter the setback, the next right step still counts.

Start with the next step. Listen now and hear how Dan redefined progress, purpose, and possibility.

Dan MacQueen is a brain hemorrhage survivor, speaker, and resilience advocate. At 28, his world stopped after an emergency surgery left him in a coma. With no roadmap for recovery, Dan rebuilt his life from the ground up by learning to walk, talk, and function again. Today, he helps others navigate change, build grit, and shift their perspective with practical life tools. He has shared his story with organizations like Hootsuite, Spendesk, and Headway West London, leaving audiences empowered to become better than yesterday.

https://www.macqueendan.com/

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This episode originally aired in 2024 and is replayed for aHUS Awareness Day to raise awareness of atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome.

What happens when survival meets the unexpected reality of a rare disease?

In September 2024, Taylor Coffman first shared her powerful story on The Life Shift. After giving birth to her daughter, she experienced a life-threatening emergency that revealed a rare disease called atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Her survival came against all odds, and her journey from patient to advocate continues to inspire.

To honor aHUS Awareness Day, this replay brings Taylor’s story back to the forefront:

Replay this conversation and share it to help raise awareness for aHUS and rare diseases that often go unseen.

After a career in acting and media, everything in Taylor Coffman’s life stopped during the birth of her daughter. Her delivery triggered atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, leaving her near death with multiple organ failure. Defying the odds, her survival inspired her to become a patient advocate, empowering others facing rare or life-altering diagnoses. Taylor’s Huffington Post article about her medical crisis became Apple News’ top story, reaching nearly 1 million readers in 48 hours. She now writes Rare Disease Girl on Substack and is working on a book that blends advocacy, light, and humor with the hard truths of navigating chronic illness. Connect with Taylor at Rare Disease Girl on Substack or on Instagram @taylorcoffmanmade.

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