SHARING OUT LOUD

Welcome to SHARING OUT LOUD—the space where stories unfold, healing begins, and art meets the soul. Today, we’re diving into a conversation with someone whose journey is anything but ordinary.

Danya is an artist, photo journalist, filmmaker, spice creator, and recovery advocate (in recovery herself from alcohol abuse and domestic violence) whose work speaks to the raw, unfiltered beauty of being human. She's a seeker of truth, a lover of the universe, and a storyteller who weaves her experiences into visual and emotional landscapes that move hearts and minds alike.

Whether she's behind the lens, sitting in her car at the beach, creating delicious food with her mom's Everyday spice recipe, or holding space for healing, Danya shows up fully—vulnerable, honest, and endlessly curious.

So settle in, breathe deep, and join us for a conversation that’s equal parts soul medicine and creative fire. This is one you won't want to miss.

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I quietly exit 

Wherever I am and 

Take time to breathe 

Sometimes my head 

is filled with 

Nonsense 

No Urgent sense to fill the space 

I take A deep look at the 

Information my body speaks 

A call to just remember 

Let’s sit together 

In the 

silence 

And just Be 

Together 

Danya Katrina (November 11/11/2025)

Be sure to follow Dani on Instagram to learn more about her upcoming Art Exhibition, "The Yellow in Her," as well as her new documentary "Just Breathe". 

@danyakatrinayusep

In this empowering episode, I sit down (again) with Alexandra Bos, a true female badass. An author, a yoga teacher, and a chaser of knowledge, Alexandra is the epitome of not taking no for an answer.

In this episode, Alexandra shares her transformative journey from overcoming personal challenges to embracing sobriety, and how it has empowered her to push past glass ceilings. With her passion for wellness, she recently studied with Wim Hof, diving deep into breathwork and cold exposure, and using these practices to elevate her mind and body. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about resilience, empowerment, and the relentless pursuit of breaking through life's limitations. 

Crazy fact! Alex took her first drink (so many years ago) on the same day that marks my first day of sobriety, March 21 :), AND her first drink was in the Netherlands, where she called in for our conversation.  How kismet is that? And now of course, we are both living in sobriety.

If you have yet to read Alexandra's book, THE GAME (the THE GAME, Level two), run now and grab your copy(s) HERE. 

Also be on the lookout for her new book, SHEWOLF, set to launch in August. I CANNOT WAIT!

And of course, follow Alexandra on Instagram: @alex.bos.author

Six years ago today, I woke up after drinking once again—only this time was different. I knew I was done. I still had alcohol in my system, so I decided the next day, March 21, 2019, would be my first fully sober day. But today, March 20, was the day of my awakening.

Last night in the She Walks Canada coaching group, we talked about what it means to be sober and stay sober. For me, it has meant that every single day is hard work. Every day, I have to look deep within myself—not just to see what I can do better, but to do better. And every day, I wake up knowing that my life is a gift. That should be the way everyone feels, whether you’re recovering from addiction or not—because nothing in this life is guaranteed.

Things look different now. I don’t think about drinking much, but every so often, I glance at a wine glass and think, Wouldn’t it be nice?—and then reality slaps me back. I remember the depths of despair while I was in my heaviest drinking days, barely hanging on, drowning in trauma, and navigating what I now know was perimenopause. I was so hollow inside. I was contemplating suicide daily, convinced my family would be better off without me.

I’m so grateful for the people in my life who never stopped hoping I’d wake up one day and realize that my life did matter. That I mattered.

I still carry regrets. I still have days when shame and guilt creep in. But I have come so far. And if you’re struggling, please know that you can, too. Keep going. You are worth it.

Follow me @heathermdanby on Instagram

Visit www.shewalkscanada.com for weekly coaching calls (women only)

Follow @thedeliberateone on Instagram for sober help and motivation. Chelsea is a certified sober and life coach, specializing in breathwork. She has over 5 years of sobriety and offers private coaching as well as leading the She Walks Canada Platform. 

"Perseverance. We all deserve to be the best version of ourselves. Every day I try to do a little better or work a little harder".

-- Maddie Smith

Welcome MADDIE! Sober badass, mom, CrossFitter, military wife, and an incredible role model for anyone looking to remove alcohol from their life.

In this episode, we dive into the powerful journey of sobriety from a woman’s perspective. We discuss the societal pressures and expectations placed on women from a young age and how they influence our lives, especially motherhood. We explore the "mommy wine culture" and how it can often lead new mothers to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism. Maddie shares her personal path to sobriety, how embracing fitness played a major role in reclaiming her health, and how it empowered her to become the best version of herself.

This honest and uplifting conversation sheds light on breaking free from societal norms, finding balance, and discovering healthier ways to navigate the challenges of everyday life.

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You can find Maddie on Instagram @swolesober. Follow her for inspiration and to cheer her on as she competes in a fitness competition in hopes of winning $20K which she will donate to Shields and Stripes, an organization committed to Restoring the lives of veterans and first responders. 

More about S&S:

Did you know that our nation’s Military Veterans and First Responders have a 5 x higher risk of experiencing mental health problems due to constant exposure to death and destruction.

Sadly, the current mental health system in America was unprepared for this reality, and today, those brave men and women need help to survive life.

Did you know that between 17 and 44 veterans die by suicide daily?

The previous report of 17.2 a day reporting doesn’t account for accidents, undetermined, reported self-harm, or overdoses, resulting in undercounting errors.

The $20K Maddie will give to S&S when she wins🥰, will go towards a three-week in-person experience. This program is designed to restore the lives of our nation’s Veterans and First Responders through a team-based, holistic approach to healing with our 3-week in-person and 9-week telehealth program.

Therapies and modalities include individual and group mental health, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nutrition, strength and conditioning, yoga, mentor support with our athlete advocates, and peer support.

Xoxo,

Heather

Hey everyone! It's been a minute since I last checked in, but definitely not for lack of wanting to be here! Life has just… well, life has gotten in the way. Over the past little while, I’ve been navigating the challenges of helping my parents move out of their home of 51 years, and transitioning my mom into assisted living to better manage her Alzheimer’s symptoms. It’s been a lot, but I’m still here, and I’m so grateful to have you all with me. I’ve got more content coming your way, so stay tuned—exciting things are on the horizon!

In this episode, three influential women—Alexandra Bos (author, yoga teacher, tech expert), Becky Parker (mindset coach/certified hypnotherapist, author), Tiffany Lee Gaston (women's fitness expert/model, author, athlete), share their journeys with aesthetic enhancements. From boosting confidence to embracing self-expression, we dive into the stigma surrounding beauty enhancements and discuss how these decisions can be empowering, transformative, and life-affirming. While some women may choose treatments for the wrong reasons, or take things to the "extreme", this conversation is an example that not all stories end up on an episode of "Botched."

We took to Instagram LIVE for this candid conversation, where each of us opens up about why we’ve chosen specific procedures and how making those decisions is deeply personal. We also emphasize that there should be no judgment from anyone else when it comes to our bodies and choices.

Thank you for listening and please follow all of these women on Instagram!

@beckparkerrr and https://relationshipsuccess4life.com/ to explore her coaching services. Click here to buy her book, Inner Revolution: Embracing Change to Achieve Greatness

@tiffanylessgaston and www.tiffanyleegaston.com to explore more about Tiff and to grab her book, From Broken To Badass.

@alexandra_bos. Click here to grab her novel, The Game

Interested in sharing your empowerment story "OUT LOUD?" Email me at [email protected] or message me via Instagram @heathermdanby.

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk to blossom." -- Anais Nin

Bronwyn Schweigerdt is a licensed psychotherapist and host of the Angry at the Right Things podcast. In her work, she emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and processing emotions, particularly anger, which is often repressed or disowned. She believes that emotions such as hatred and betrayal, if left unaddressed, can manifest as mental health issues like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or even psychosis.

Rather than focusing on fixing others’ problems, Bronwyn's approach encourages people to confront and verbalize their most difficult feelings. She asserts that these emotions don't disappear—they stay within the body and, if ignored, can cause long-term psychological distress. By helping individuals externalize their anger and reconnect with it, she helps them break free from harmful cycles and heal their relationships with both their anger and themselves.

Bronwyn holds two master's degrees—one in counseling and another in nutrition—and is a well-rounded professional who also serves as a public speaker and author. Through her therapeutic work, she has helped many people achieve lasting relief from mental health struggles by addressing the root causes of their emotions.

You can find Brownwyn on FB, on Instagram @schweigerdtbronwyn, and of course, on the various podcasts apps with her show, "Angry At The Right Things." You can also watch/listen here: https://angryattherightthings.com/

Thank you Bronwyn for this insightful and thought-provoking conversation. It was truly illuminating!

Welcome Julie Kirschke! Thank you so much for being on Sharing Out Loud AND being a part of my own recovery journey through the She Walks Canada FREE WEEKLY Coaching calls.

From Julie:

Addiction is in the face of the girl next door, it can be in the computer lab with a tech specialist, it can be in the Principal's office, it can be at your Dentist, or in my case ..….. it was in the mirror.

I didn’t want to be an alcoholic, drinking was my favorite thing! 

It relieved my stress after a long day of mommin’, it was my reward when I did something right, it was in all the celebrations I made up so we could have a party. Alcohol Abuse Disorder had me.

The thing is, alcohol is an addictive substance. If you drink it enough you can (and most likely will) become addicted. It didn’t matter how many 30-day cleanses I did to prove I wasn’t an alcoholic, on day 30 I was loaded.

Eventually, I couldn’t stop. I would need a drink in the morning to relieve the shakes and help me function. My brain was wired to believe the only thing that would help pain was alcohol. It wasn’t until I decided to get help that I learned all the other issues behind my addiction. 

In treatment, I got to know my traumas very well and work through them. I also got to understand how I am the way I am. Perfectionism and people-pleasing were crippling effects of childhood trauma. Because of that, I believed I wasn’t worthy, good enough, or even loveable. In adulthood, I put so much pressure on myself to prove how great I was that I lost my most valuable thing…........me.

What I have uncovered in my years of sobriety is something I will never give away again. 

MY SOBER SELF is wise, honest, loving, loveable, funny, courageous and resilient. If I were to wager a guess, I bet yours is too.

If you are looking for individual help Julie is your person! You can find her on Instagram @julzkirschke, or you can go to her website: https://www.mysoberself.ca/

​Julie also does intermittent coaching in the She Walks Canada FREE weekly calls.

Thank you again, my friend. You are a true gem of a human and a bright light in the sober community.

XXX,
Heather

Rebecca! Where have you been all my life? If we had met in high school or college, we would have been fast friends, there is no doubt in my mind. And it might not have been a stretch seeing that Rebecca grew up in MI, summered "Up North" at family cabins/cottages (as I did and still do), and went to Michigan State, where several of my family members and friends have gone.

About Rebecca:
Rebecca's career is in real estate and home remodeling/construction, but her passion is people; how can she change the lives of her clients? How can she help them get the most out of the sale of their home so that they walk away with the money they need to purchase another property, retire with a little more ease, or send their children to college...

Like many people in real estate, this was not what she thought she would ever be doing. She thought she was going to be a lawyer but then switched her major to geography/topography (after a professor suggested she had some talent). And what did she do with that? She was a teacher for a while but was also a filmmaker, which ultimately is what took her to California.

Rebecca does something most people in this world don't. She listens and then takes action. If someone she trusts and respects suggests she should do something (job, career, life "stuff"), she does it! She JUMPS and then guess what happens? She SOARS. This doesn't mean her life is all roses all the time, we all have our fair share of troubles, but she lives life to the fullest and she gives to others because that is what makes her truly happy.

In addition to investing, remodeling and selling houses, Rebecca is the most enthusiastic DETROIT LIONS fan I have ever met! She has spent her whole life cheering them on, waiting for the team to have an opportunity to play in the Super Bowl and this might just be the year!

Rebecca, you are one of the most kind and generous humans I have ever met. Thank you so much for talking to me! I look forward to our follow-up conversation very soon.

You can find Rebecca on Instagram @houseofsekulich

And for any real estate needs you can visit her here: https://www.sekulichhomes.com/

She's back! Ok, she never left! Our conversation went from menopause to sobriety all in one session so I decided to split it into 2 episodes. However, there is a big  connection between drinking and perimenopause (hint: they don't mix!).

Sober stories never get old because anyone struggling needs to know they are not alone, and the more stories we hear, the more we can confirm that there is power in the community.

If you are in the middle of a bad divorce or have gone through a bad divorce, this might be something you can relate to. Too many women go down the path of alcohol abuse when their marriages break up because let's face it, divorce can be downright ugly. But Patti's story does have a happy ending so for anyone struggling, there is hope. And there is always hope when it comes to recovery as well. We just have to be ready and willing to ask for help.

xxx,
Heather