In this episode, I sit down with Hilary Momberger Powers, a womanwith an unbelievable story of transformation, recovery, and deep emotionalhealing. Hilary began her career at only five years old, landing the role of SallyBrown in the Charlie Brown cartoons and working alongside legends like CharlesSchulz. But early fame came with pressure, fear, and a painful realitybehind the scenes that shaped how she saw herself for years.

We talk about how people pleasing becomes survival, howoverachieving can become a form of pain management, and why addiction is oftenthe symptom of something deeper that has been avoided for too long. Hilaryshares what it truly means to hit rock bottom, why surrender can become thefoundation for a new life, and how healing requires more than motivation. Itrequires honesty, support, and a willingness to face what has been buried.

One of the most powerful moments in this conversation is Hilary’smetaphor of cleaning out the emotional refrigerator. That place whereold pain sits and rots in the dark until it affects everything else. Thisepisode is about opening that door, doing the work, and finally letting thepast release its grip.

We also talk about the power of service, the necessity of community,and why real recovery is not about chasing recognition. It is about findingfreedom.

If you’ve ever felt trapped in old patterns, stuck in self-doubt, orexhausted from trying to hold it together, this episode will hit home.

🔥 In this episode, we cover:

- Childhood fame and the cost of being a “meal ticket”

- Why fear creates a false version of who we are

- “Moving targets don’t get hit” and the overachiever trap

- Addiction, rock bottom, and what surrender really means

- Cleaning out the emotional refrigerator instead of buying a new one

- Service, gratitude, and recovery that actually lasts

- Why healing requires community and support

🔗 Connect with Hilary:

Hilary’s work, coaching, and resources:

Website:

www.hilarymombergerpowers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hilarymombergerpowers/

Email:

[email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/hilary.momberger

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilary-momberger-powers-078a604/

🔗 More from me:

🎧 Podcast hub: www.bradhhill.com/podcast

📘 Book: No One Is Normal on Amazon: https://a.co/d/ibq85NR

If this episode helped you, share it with someone who needs it and I’ll see you in the next one.

Relapse is one of those words people whisper, like it is a confession. It gets treated like proof you failed, like it cancels every ounce of progress you made. But the truth is, relapse is often not the end of the story. It is information. It is a warning light. It is a moment where something got heavier than the tools you had in your hands.

In this episode, I tell the truth about my own relapse while writing No One Is Normal. Not as a dramatic breakdown, but as the quiet kind that sneaks in through stress, fear, and isolation. One small decision that looked manageable, until it wasn’t. Because for me, alcohol is not something I can “control.” I don’t have a dimmer switch. I have an on and off switch.

We talk about how relapse really starts long before the bottle. It starts in the silence. It starts when I stop talking, stop admitting I’m scared, and start carrying everything alone like that is strength. This episode is about what it feels like to fall back into it, how fast the body remembers, how shame tries to take the wheel, and what it took to fight my way back out.

If relapse is part of your story, I want you to hear this clearly. You are not worthless. You are not hopeless. You are not alone. The story depends on what you do next.

No One Is Normal Book and Podcast Links:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠

Some changes start with urgency. Others begin with quiet resolve.

Stanley Bronstein’s story didn’t hinge on one dramatic moment. It unfolded through years of learning what works, what fades, and what it actually takes to build a life that stays healthy long after motivation disappears.

In this conversation, Stanley opens up about the cycle so many people know too well. You lock in for a while, you lose weight, you feel better, and then life hits. Old habits come back. The structure disappears. The progress slips away. Not because you are weak, but because temporary effort can’t compete with permanent systems.

We talk about what it means to stop chasing short bursts of discipline and start building routines that can actually be lived inside of. How walking became a foundation. How simplifying food choices created stability. How the mindset shift from “trying to get results” to “beating yesterday” makes real transformation possible.

This is not a story about perfection. It is about consistency. It is about progress without punishment. And it is about learning how to keep going even when the excitement wears off.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in the repeat cycle of starting over, this episode is for you.

How to find more about Stanley Bronstein:
Website is TheWayOfExcellence.com

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thewayofexcellence

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanleybronstein/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/wayofexcellence/?sorting_setting=CHRONOLOGICAL

More about Brad H. Hill and the No One is Normal book and podcast:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠

There’s an old saying that excuses are like assholes and everyone has one. I am not here to beat anyone up for having them. I am here to be honest about what it cost me when excuses stopped being occasional and started becoming my default setting.

For a long time, I did not just make excuses. I collected them. I polished them. I built whole stories around them. They were armor when I felt insecure, and a shield when I was afraid to try. The problem was not that I owed the world an explanation. The problem was that I had a built-in excuse for every failure before I even started.

I used excuses in the big arenas that shape an actual life. Alcohol. Health. Career. Any time change felt hard or vulnerable, I reached for lines that sounded reasonable, but kept me circling the same drain for years.

Then I walk through the shift that finally started changing things. Quitting smoking was a turning point because I stopped treating change like a vague wish and started treating it like a project. A real quit date. Triggers. Environment. The unglamorous structure that makes follow-through possible when motivation dies.

We also zoom out into the psychology of excuses. Self-handicapping. Perfectionism. Procrastination. The way the brain tries to drag you back into what is familiar because “safe” matters more to it than “fulfilled.” And the truth that real change is usually boring up close. Small actions. Reps. Consistency. Not a dramatic overnight reinvention.

By the end, this is the bottom line. Excuses will always be an option, always within reach, ready to soften discomfort and give you a fast exit. The choice is who gets the final say.

Content note: addiction and habit change themes.

No One Is Normal Book and Podcast Links:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠

In this episode of No One Is Normal, Brad sits down with Peter Gunn — poet, author, musician, U.S. Air Force veteran, and lifelong creative — for a wide-ranging conversation about identity, discipline, creativity, and purpose.

Peter shares his life story through many roles he has lived over time, including military service, bodybuilding, fatherhood, poetry, and music. He reflects on a near-death experience at a young age that profoundly shaped how he views life, creativity, and meaning, and how that experience continues to influence his work today.

The conversation explores the realities of the creative industry and the challenges artists face when trying to stay authentic in a space that often rewards conformity over depth. Peter discusses The Amazons series and his approach to blending fact with fiction to create engaging, mythic stories for young readers, particularly young girls, inspired by his daughter and a desire to expand how heroism is represented in storytelling.

In many ways, Peter’s journey reflects what it truly means to find your tribe — not by chasing approval or fitting neatly into a category, but by staying grounded in who you are long enough for the right people to recognize you.

Brad and Peter also dive into poetry, music, and modern culture, including the evolution of songwriting, lyrical depth, and Peter’s concept of “Linked Lyrical Poetry,” which blends elements of poetry and music. They discuss the importance of discipline, meditation, and structure in creative work, as well as the role of spirituality, discernment, and personal drive in living with intention.

Throughout the episode, Peter shares insights into his current and upcoming projects, including books, music, and future plans for promoting his work, while emphasizing the value of perspective, perseverance, and creating with integrity.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Living across multiple identities and roles

• A near-death experience and its lasting impact

• Military discipline and personal structure

• Bodybuilding, fitness, and pushing past limits

• The realities of the creative industry

• Writing The Amazons and creating strong heroines

• Blending fact, fiction, and mythology

• Poetry, music, and the evolution of lyrics

• Creativity, spirituality, and discernment

• Finding alignment before belonging

Peter Gunn's Website:

 https://www.petergunn.net/

No One Is Normal Book and Podcast Links:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠

Belonging is one of those things I did not realize I was starving for until I finally got a taste of it. You can be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone, or you can be with one person who really gets you and feel entirely at home. This episode is about that difference.

In “Finding Your Tribe,” I talk about how easy it is to confuse a crowd for community, especially when addiction or numbing out is part of the culture. I had bar buddies, party crowds, and familiar faces everywhere, but being surrounded is not the same as being seen. Some of those connections were not friendships; they were shared escape routes. Any time I tried to pull back, the pressure came fast, and it became clear they did not want to see me climb out.

I also get into the harder side of this topic: the one-way friendships, the guilt, and the family dynamics where setting boundaries feels like betrayal. I had to pay attention to what my body was telling me. When certain people were close, my stress spiked and my sleep got worse. When I stepped back, my nervous system calmed down. That was not drama. That was information.

Then I zoom out into the psychology of belonging and why the people around us shape what feels normal. A circle can normalize heavy drinking, constant complaining, or staying stuck. A healthier circle can normalize therapy, recovery, creativity, growth, and taking action. It is not about being above anyone. It is about awareness and direction.

If you feel “in between” right now, the old crowd does not fit but the new people have not fully shown up yet, you are not broken. You might be in a rebuild phase. This episode is for that gap.

If you have been settling for noise because it feels better than being alone, I get it. But I also know this: peace is not loneliness, and a real tribe will never require you to destroy yourself just to belong.

No One Is Normal Book and Podcast Links:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠

Transition doesn’t always arrive as a breaking point. Sometimes it shows up quietly, in the space where old structure no longer fits and new meaning hasn’t fully formed yet.

In this episode, Brad sits down with Ryan Reichert, a former U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, coach, and speaker, to talk about sobriety, faith, discipline, and rebuilding a life after long-held systems fall away. Ryan shares his experience navigating addiction, family strain, and identity shifts following military retirement, and what it took to create sustainable routines rooted in honesty and intention.

This conversation explores the difference between appearance and alignment, the unglamorous middle of recovery, and how growth often comes not from dramatic moments, but from small, consistent choices made when no one is watching.

This episode is for anyone navigating transition, questioning habits that no longer serve them, or learning how to build structure that supports who they are becoming, not just who they were.

No One Is Normal is a podcast about the human experience beneath the surface. Real stories. Real transitions. No performance required.

Reach Ryan on the following Socials:

Website: www.OurProtectorDevelopment.com and www.RyanTReichert.com

Podcast: Our Healer Our Protector (located on YouTube, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music, Deezer, and Spotify)

Social Media:

Instagram: @ryan.t.reichert,

Facebook: @armyrt1978,

LinkedIn: @RyanReichert78,

X: @RyanTReichert,

TikTok: @armyrt1978,

YouTube Channel: @OurHealerOurProtector

No One Is Normal Book and Podcast Links:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠

This is not a lecture about drugs. This is about patterns.

In this episode, I go underneath my chapter Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes. I grew up in survival mode, watching my mom grind to keep us afloat. That shaped how I saw myself and left that quiet question on loop: Am I ever going to measure up.

That gap did not stay empty. I tried to fill it with curiosity, bravado, and bad decisions. I share two psychedelic nights that drove the lesson home: acid as a teenager, then years later a “hero dose” of mushrooms stacked on top of way too much alcohol. Panic. Shame. The scary beauty of losing control and realizing I was not invincible.

Then I zoom out, because the point is bigger than substances. When you grow up without much emotional safety, your nervous system learns to stay on high alert. You start scanning for danger, judgment, and proof that you do not belong. Eventually, you look for a button that gives instant relief. For some people, that button is drugs. For others it is alcohol, food, sex, shopping, gambling, or work. The buttons change, but the pattern does not.

If you have ever felt yourself chasing a feeling while the cost keeps going up, this will land.

Content note: substance use stories, panic, and mental health themes.

No One Is Normal Book and Podcast Links:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠

In this episode of No One Is Normal, I sit down with Karen Peters for a raw and deeply human conversation about what happens when a life that looks perfect from the outside collapses in full public view.

Karen shares her experience navigating a public scandal involving her ex-husband’s SA accusations, an event that shattered her family’s sense of safety and identity overnight. She talks openly about the shock, numbness, and isolation that followed as her community turned, her children faced harassment, and she was forced to confront a future she never planned for as a single mom with one income.

We explore the emotional toll of living through a criminal case, the long-term impact it had on her children’s mental health and social lives, and the reality of trying to hold everything together while quietly unraveling inside. Karen reflects on the years she spent maintaining a facade of strength and perfection, staying busy to avoid her own healing, and the cost that came with delaying grief.

Karen also speaks candidly about surviving emotional abuse, navigating divorce, and the complicated decisions she made in the name of stability and survival, especially during COVID when tensions intensified. Through it all, she describes the slow, uneven process of unlearning survival mode and learning how to actually heal.

This conversation moves beyond crisis into rebuilding. Karen shares how prioritizing self-care, setting boundaries, finding community, and reclaiming her identity allowed her to rediscover authentic happiness after years of simply getting through the day. She reflects on what it means to start over later in life, to stop performing for others, and to choose a life rooted in honesty rather than appearances.

This episode is about grief, resilience, parenting through trauma, and the courage it takes to stop pretending you’re okay and start asking what you actually need.

If you’ve ever felt defined by something that wasn’t your fault, or stuck carrying a version of yourself that no longer fits, this conversation will resonate.

No One Is Normal is a space for real stories, honest reflection, and the reminder that healing doesn’t happen all at once — but it does happen when you finally give yourself permission to begin.

Karen Peters Socials:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@karensimperfectperfectlife/shorts

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karensimperfectperfectlife/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@myimperfectperfectlife

No One Is Normal Book and Podcast Links:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠

Relationships look simple on paper. Love someone, build a life, roll credits. Real life is two flawed people with old wounds, busy schedules, stress, and the daily grind of dishes, work, and emotional labor. In this episode, I get honest about what happens after the honeymoon phase, when effort stops being mutual and appreciation turns into expectation. I share what I learned from my own relationships, including a breakup that forced me to face a hard truth. Sometimes two people want different futures, and no amount of effort can fix misalignment. I also talk about watching a friend get pulled into a destructive relationship marked by addiction and violence, and the moment I realized that love without boundaries becomes self-abandonment. From attachment and codependency to communication and self-worth, this episode is about learning the difference between the kind of hard that builds something and the kind of hard that slowly erases me.

No One Is Normal Book and Podcast Links:

🎧 Podcast Episodes: ⁠⁠https://www.bradhhill.com/podcast⁠⁠

📘 Get the Book (Amazon): ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/ibq85NR⁠