What happens when you're labeled "not smart enough" as a child and spend years trying to prove everyone wrong?

In this episode of Shedding the Shame, I sit down with business strategist, certified Imposter Syndrome Coach, and founder of Creative Dynamics Virtual Services, Brittney Ashley, for an honest conversation about growing up with dyslexia, navigating ADHD, and learning to challenge the stories we tell ourselves about our worth.

Brittney shares how being labeled "dumb" by teachers shaped her confidence, why imposter syndrome still shows up despite her success, and how she built a thriving business while raising two young children. Together, we explore the realities of motherhood, postpartum struggles, people-pleasing, burnout, perfectionism, and the pressure women face to be everything to everyone.

This conversation is a reminder that you don't have to earn your worth through achievement, productivity, or perfection. You are already enough.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Growing up with dyslexia and the lasting impact of being labeled "dumb"
• How imposter syndrome shows up for high-achieving women and entrepreneurs
• ADHD, neurodivergence, and creating systems that work with your brain
• Postpartum depression, anxiety, and asking for support
• The pressure of motherhood and why so many women feel like they're failing
• Setting boundaries, protecting your energy, and letting go of perfectionism
• Why success doesn't have to look like hustle culture
• What it really means to shed shame and step into your own power

If you've ever felt behind, not enough, or like you're carrying the weight of impossible expectations, this episode is for you.

Money is one of the most emotionally loaded topics for so many women, yet it’s something we’re rarely taught to talk about openly.

In this episode of Shedding the Shame, Tami sits down with financial planner, coach, and financial literacy advocate Krista Lee Hynes for a powerful conversation about money stories, financial shame, and why so many women struggle with fear, guilt, scarcity, and feeling “behind.”

Krista shares how our childhood experiences, family dynamics, culture, and societal conditioning shape the way we think about money, often without us even realizing it. We talk about the emotional side of finances, the connection between trauma and money habits, and why financial literacy is deeply tied to confidence, freedom, and self-worth.

We also discuss:

• What a “money story” actually is
• How childhood experiences shape financial behaviors
• Why women often feel shame, fear, or guilt around money
• The connection between perfectionism, scarcity, and financial anxiety
• Why financial literacy was historically kept from women
• How to begin rewriting unhealthy money beliefs
• Journaling prompts to uncover your own money story
• Budgeting tips and practical first steps toward financial clarity
• Why financial independence matters in relationships and life transitions
• The importance of wills, insurance, emergency planning, and transparency
• How social media and constant economic fear impact our mindset
• Why money itself isn’t bad, and how it can become a tool for freedom, care, and choice

Krista also shares practical tools women can start using today to feel more confident and empowered financially, while reminding us that being “behind” financially is often a harmful myth rooted in unrealistic societal expectations.

This conversation is honest, validating, educational, and incredibly important. If money has ever felt overwhelming, shameful, confusing, or emotionally heavy for you, this episode will make you feel far less alone.

Financial confidence isn’t about perfection. It’s about clarity, choice, and learning that you deserve to feel safe, informed, and empowered.

Find Krista Lee on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/kristaleehynes/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-lee-4709b232a/

Krista's article in By The North: https://www.bythenorth.ca/articles/5-smart-financial-moves

Financial Planning Pyramid: https://www.sunlife.ca/en/tools-and-resources/money-and-finances/saving-for-retirement/what-is-a-financial-plan-and-do-i-really-need-one/

In this deeply personal bonus solo episode of Shedding the Shame, host Tami Wong opens up about her current experience with EMDR therapy, living with CPTSD, and what it really looks like to heal from abandonment wounds, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and years of staying small to keep others comfortable.

She shares why she finally decided to start EMDR, what the process has actually been like emotionally, and how therapy continues to challenge and transform her after years of doing inner work. From difficult dreams and grief, to learning how to let herself be silly again, this episode is an honest conversation about mental health, resilience, and reclaiming the parts of ourselves we were taught to hide.

Tami also talks about:

• The emotional exhaustion and breakthroughs that can come with trauma therapy
• How childhood experiences shape perfectionism and fear of abandonment
• Why people-pleasing no longer serves her
• Grieving relationships, loss, and the pressure to appear “okay”
• Learning to trust herself and take up space unapologetically
• The importance of safe relationships, therapy, and emotional honesty
• Why her motto for 45 is: give less f*cks and have more fun

If you’ve ever struggled with feeling “too much,” not enough, or afraid to fully be yourself, let this episode remind you that healing is possible and you are not alone.

In this episode of Shedding the Shame, Tami sits down with her friend and former coworker, Jenna Van Dusen, for an honest conversation about living with Type 1 Diabetes.

Diagnosed at just two and a half years old, Jenna shares what it was like growing up constantly managing a life-threatening chronic illness while also carrying the emotional weight, stigma, and shame that often comes with it. From childhood memories of blood sugar crashes at school to navigating work, relationships, burnout, and the pressure to appear “low maintenance,” Jenna opens up about the realities most people never see.

Together, Tami and Jenna discuss:

• The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
• The mental and emotional toll of chronic illness
• Shame, stigma, and harmful cultural jokes about diabetes
• The pressure to over-perform professionally while managing illness
• How wearable medical devices changed Jenna’s life
• The fear of being perceived as “different”
• The invisible emotional weight of chronic disease
• Learning to ask for help and let go of perfectionism
• Why speaking openly about chronic illness matters

This episode is a powerful reminder that many people are carrying battles we cannot see and that empathy matters more than judgment.

If you’ve ever struggled with shame, chronic illness, feeling different, or trying to hold it all together while appearing “fine,” this conversation will resonate deeply.

You are not alone.

You can connect with Jenna on LinkedIn here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-l-van-dusen/

Penny’s story doesn’t start with an eating disorder.

It starts with a little girl who felt different: clumsy, quiet, and out of place.She didn't understand body image, shame had already taken root.

In this episode, Penny shares how early experiences- feeling uncoordinated, misunderstood, and later undiagnosed ADHD- shaped the way she saw herself. By 13, she turned to food restriction and over-exercise as a way to cope, long before she had the language to understand what was happening.

We talk about:

• How body shame can start before we even recognize it
• The link between ADHD, rejection sensitivity, and self-worth
• The dangerous praise of “looking healthy”
• Bodybuilding, control, and the illusion of perfection
• Why eating disorders are often missed—especially in kids
• What it actually takes to start healing

Penny also shares how becoming a mother shifted everything, and how she’s now using her experience to help parents recognize the early signs of eating disorders through her non-profit, ReFrame Voices.

This is a conversation about what we carry in our bodies, what we were never taught to understand, and how we begin to let it go.

⚠️ Content warning: Eating disorders, body shame, mental health

Resources:

Reframe Voices website: https://www.reframevoices.ca/

Reframe Voices IG: https://www.instagram.com/reframevoices/

Canada

• National Eating Disorder Information Centre- https://nedic.ca/
  Helpline: 1-866-NEDIC-20 (1-866-633-4220)
  Offers live chat, referrals, and educational resources.
• Canadian Mental Health Association- https://cmha.ca/
  General mental health support, including body image and BDD-related resources.

U.S.

• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)- https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
  Helpline: (800) 931-2237
  Offers screening tools, treatment referrals, and support resources.
• National Alliance for Eating Disorders- https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/
  Provides free support groups, referrals, and education.

UK

• Beat Eating Disorders- https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/
  Helpline: 0808 801 0677
  Youthline: 0808 801 0711
  Offers support for individuals and families, plus online chat.

Australia

• Butterfly Foundation- https://butterfly.org.au/
  Helpline: 1800 33 4673
  National support for eating disorders and body image issues.
• National Eating Disorders Collaboration- https://nedc.com.au/
  Provides education, research, and treatment pathways.

Ruth’s story starts at five years old; watching her father abuse her mother.

Years later, she found herself in a relationship that looked painfully familiar.

In this episode, Ruth shares her journey through domestic violence, the reality of being a young bride and mother, and the moment everything changed; the moment she knew she had to run.

We talk about the parts people don’t always understand:

• The fear
• The manipulation
• The moments of “good” that keep you holding on
• The strength it takes to finally leave

Ruth also shares what came after: raising her daughters on her own, healing from deep trauma, and learning how to take her power back.

This is a conversation about survival, resilience, and what it means to choose yourself, even when it’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do.

⚠️ Content warning: Domestic violence, abuse.

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, support is available. You are not alone. Leaving isn’t simple. It isn’t quick, and it can be dangerous.

Support exists. Safe people exist. Options exist.

You deserve safety. You deserve peace. You deserve a life that isn’t built around fear.

Support Resoures

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
  Call: 1-800-799-7233
  Text: START to 88788
  Live chat available online (24/7, confidential)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
  Call or text: 988 (24/7 support for emotional distress)
• Love Is Respect (for teens & young adults)
  Call: 1-866-331-9474
  Text: LOVEIS to 22522

• VictimLink BC (if you’re in British Columbia)
  Call or text: 1-800-563-0808 (24/7, multilingual)
• ShelterSafe Canada
  Online directory to find shelters across the country
• Kids Help Phone (youth & young adults)
  Call: 1-800-668-6868
  Text: CONNECT to 686868
• 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline (Canada-wide)
  Call or text: 988

• National Domestic Abuse Helpline
  Call: 0808 2000 247 (24/7, free & confidential)
• Samaritans (emotional support)
  Call: 116 123 (24/7)

In this solo episode of Shedding the Shame, Tami shares her deeply personal 30-year journey with alopecia.

Her story began at just 15 years old after taking Accutane, when she first noticed changes in her hair that would continue for decades. What followed was a long and often isolating experience of thinning hair, shame, and trying to hide something she didn’t understand and felt she couldn’t talk about.

In this episode, Tami opens up about the emotional and psychological impact of hair loss in women, including how it affected her confidence, identity, and relationships.

She shares:

• What it was like experiencing hair loss as a teenager
• The reality of living with androgenic alopecia (AGA)
• The mental toll of hiding hair loss and feeling “less than”
• Dating with hair loss and the fear of rejection
• Her experience with wigs, hair fibers, and alternative hair solutions
• Finding a supportive partner and navigating vulnerability in relationships
• Why true acceptance had to come from within, not from others
• The impact of societal beauty standards on women with hair loss

Tami also discusses the lack of emotional support and resources available for women with hair loss, and how that led her to create Hair Loss Pride— a community focused on support, education, and empowerment.

This episode is for any woman struggling with hair loss who feels alone, ashamed, or unsure of how to move forward.

Through honesty and lived experience, this conversation highlights an important truth: hair loss does not define a woman’s beauty or worth.

You are not alone, and there is support, community, and confidence waiting on the other side of shame.

In this episode of Shedding the Shame, I sit down with Tina Warren, who joins us all the way from Sydney, Australia, to share her deeply personal journey with alopecia, dating, and self-worth.

Tina opens up about experiencing hair loss as a teenager and how it impacted her confidence, relationships, and sense of identity. From navigating cruel comments and rejection to enduring toxic relationships and heartbreak, her story is raw, emotional, and incredibly relatable.

We talk about:

• The reality of dating with hair loss
• How past trauma and insecurity can shape relationships
• The pressure women feel around appearance and motherhood
• Finding a partner who truly accepts you exactly as you are
• Letting go of shame and learning to embrace alternative hair

Tina also shares her experience with hair systems, the transition into wearing wigs, and the surprising empowerment she’s found along the way.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that you are not your hair, and the right person will see your worth beyond anything physical.

If you’ve ever felt like your hair loss makes you “less than” or worried you won’t be loved because of it, this episode will hit home in the best way.

You are not alone; and once you start talking about it, you begin to take your power back.

You can find Tina on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/myhairwasoncethere/

This is one of the most layered and vulnerable conversations on Shedding the Shame.

In this episode, Tami sits down with a guest who has chosen to remain anonymous to share her story of divorce, a seven-year relationship with a married man, and the emotional complexity that comes with it. This isn’t a conversation about blame or scandal. It’s about what happens when a woman realizes she’s been leaving herself out of her own life.

Together, they unpack the shame, guilt, and isolation that can come with choices others don’t understand. They talk about people-pleasing, losing your voice in relationships, and the slow, often painful process of learning to include yourself in your own decisions.

This episode explores:

• What it really feels like to stay in a relationship that isn’t fully choosing you
• The internal shift from self-abandonment to self-respect
• Why leaving isn’t always as simple as it seems
• The role of support systems, coaching, and somatic work in healing
• How to hold both heartbreak and empowerment at the same time

At its core, this conversation is about reclaiming your worth, setting boundaries, and finding the courage to choose yourself, even when it costs you something.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between who you are and who you’re expected to be… this one will hit.

The coach mentioned in this episode is Freya Kennedy, and you can find more information about her here: https://www.freyakennedy.com/

In this deeply personal solo episode of Shedding the Shame, Tami shares her raw and unfiltered story of estrangement from both of her parents.

What began as years of emotional pain, unmet needs, and repeated hurt ultimately led Tami to make one of the hardest decisions of her life, walking away from her family to protect her peace, her marriage, and her children.

She opens up about the complex layers of grief, guilt, and shame that come with estrangement, the pressure from family to “make it work,” and the emotional toll of growing up without the love and validation every child deserves.

Tami also shares what happened when she reconnected with her father after seven years, the hope it gave her, and the heartbreak that followed.

This episode is not about blame. It is about truth. It is about choosing yourself. And it is about healing from the kind of pain that isn’t often talked about out loud.

If you have ever felt alone in complicated family dynamics, questioned your decision to walk away, or carried shame around your story, this conversation is for you.

You are not alone, and you are worthy of love that feels safe.