My friend Kristen was diagnosed with kidney disease as a baby. In this episode, she shares her experience, with a focus on her kidney transplant. Kristen's donor? Her husband!

Truly this is a topic I didn't know much about, and I think it's important that we share health struggles.

Thank you Kristen for sharing!

Trigger Warning: Suicide

Two years ago, Molly's son Drew died of suicide. Molly sat down with me to talk about Drew, his depression, and the grief that she has felt after his death. Molly is incredibly passionate about breaking the stigma of mental health and of suicide. Molly shares how to support someone who is depressed, and how to support family members who have lost someone to suicide. 

Resources:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsp.org

Melinda Doolittle finished third place on Season 6 of American Idol. Since then, she has released a full length album, and two EP's. Melinda has also written a memoir and appeared in two Post Modern Jukebox Videos. Melinda has toured across the country, in a show she calls The Great American Soulbook. Melinda and I discussed success, and how that can look different for everyone. Hint: It's not always about award shows and radio hits! 

 I am very lucky to call Melinda a friend and I'm so excited to bring this interview to you all. She shares some really great insight that can be applied in nearly every situation. PS: Fun fact, Tom and I chose Melinda's "If I'm Not In Love" as our first dance song at our wedding.

You can find Melinda on Instagram and Twitter (follow along while she live tweets award shows!) at @mdoolittle and on Facebook at @Melinda Doolittle. You can also check out her tour schedule at melindadoolittle.com . Trust me, if you get the opportunity to see Melinda live, you MUST! She is a powerhouse singer and performer.

I sat down with my friend and realtor, Tanya Biernat about changing careers. Tanya shares how she went from direct sales to fundraising to Lularoe to becoming a realtor, which was her true career goal. Tanya is such a warm, kind soul and it was so fun to chat with her. She will encourage you to be brave and chase your dream! 

You can follow Tanya on Instagram at @tanya_biernat_real_estate_one and on Facebook at Biernat Realty Group - Real Estate One Rochester. She shares great tips for both selling and buying homes!

PS: I should mention that since recording this episode, Tanya helped my husband Tom and I find our perfect first home :)

I sat down with my friend Abby to talk about marriage. It's not always easy, but we don't often share the hard parts. Abby shares how she has learned to look at marriage differently through her faith. Abby teaches us how to speak life into others and to drop expectations! I am super proud of Abby for sharing a vulnerable topic.

Abby's suggested resources include:

Abby has also really found her small group for Spiritually Mismatched couples at her church, Kensington Church to be very helpful.

Jasmine Kendrick lost her mom to lupus when she was just four years old.  Raised by her grandmother in Detroit, Jasmine went on to attend Wayne State University where she is now studying social work and pursuing a career where she can help kids who may be in similar situations.  Jasmine has some incredible insight to share.  She tells you to move forward, slowly but surely. We cried, we laughed, and we could have kept talking for hours! You can follow Jasmine on Instagram at @meaningofiman 

Jasmine's Suggested Resources:

Annie Calvaneso opens up about her eating disorder and body image challenges. Now, she is a health coach for others and specifically coaches fellow opera singers. Annie has some amazing insight and advice. She wants you to know that you are not alone and that you can find help and support! You can find Annie on Instagram at @AnnieCalvaneso

Annie's Recommendations:

This is my first minisode! I loved chatting with Ellery, age 6. I hope you enjoy this little minisode. I'd love to do more of these!

Theresa is a senior at the University Of Michigan and she wants to Shine a Light on faith as a young adult. Theresa has a lot of incredible insight to share about her faith journey, including her participation at the Catholic Church near campus and living in a house with 10 other women, all of whom are in different places when it comes to life, family, and faith.  Theresa speaks about finding hope and love, and says that anything other than love is not God. You can find Theresa on Twitter at @tmw015, but she also recommends you follow some #medianuns, @SrBethanyFSP, @pursuedbytruth and @CeciliaCicone.

Theresa has a lot of resources to share:

How To Catholic Podcast

A quick bonus episode in between interviews- I wanted to share the importance of therapy, and how to go about finding  a therapist.