Stacked Keys Podcast

You can love writing and still want to quit every week. That tension sits at the center of this Stacked Keys Podcast panel, where we get real about writing and publishing when you’re already juggling a full life. Join a group of women with completely different genres and the same stubborn drive: Tori Stackhouse, a law enforcement officer drafting a fantasy escape as an outlet; Tori Applegate, building a fantasy horror series that unexpectedly holds her religious trauma; Ashley Wall, a children’s book author and publisher at Mom Bear Books creating imaginative adventures that empower kids; and Dr Samra Zafar, bestselling author of A Good Wife and Unconditional, blending lived experience with mental health science and healing tools.

We talk about the unglamorous parts of the author journey: rewriting chapters five times, switching point of view midstream, building believable characters, and learning to accept feedback without losing your voice. Samra shares what it takes to write about real people ethically, how publishers and legal teams handle fact-checking, and why “vulnerability requires boundaries.” Ashley brings the publisher perspective, including how editing can transform a manuscript and why you have to write for the readers who will love your book, not for everyone.

You’ll also hear practical, modern strategies for follow-through: managing creative energy, pacing a series, staying patient with a long publishing timeline, and even using AI tools to spot clunky sentences and continuity issues in complex worldbuilding. If you’re trying to figure out how to write a book, how to publish it, or how to keep going after rejection, this conversation is a steady push forward.

Subscribe for more conversations with women building bold lives, share this with a friend who’s stuck on page one, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show. What’s the one thing you need to finish your book?

Go listen to each of these women on their original guest spots on Stacked Keys Podcast. You are in for a treat!!!

Tori Stackhouse Episode 125 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stacked-keys-podcast/id1478690459?i=1000553276748

Tori Applegate Episode 103  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stacked-keys-podcast/id1478690459?i=1000525674762

Samar Zafar  52 Episode https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stacked-keys-podcast/id1478690459?i=1000477700491

Ashley Wall Episode 258 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stacked-keys-podcast/id1478690459?i=1000764159931

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Danielle Frank spent six years in entertainment publicity at Miramax — red carpets, film festivals, the New York media world. At 29, she left it, without another job lined up, because the work no longer felt right. That decision led her into the wine and spirits industry, where she's now spent 21 years, the last 12 with Moët Hennessy.

The conversation centers on a different turning point, though: the end of an engagement, and with it, the path to motherhood she'd expected to be on. Rather than treating that as a loss, she began writing — and thirteen years later, that writing became her book, A Wine Lover's Guide to Parenting, a rhyming, satirical guide that pairs parenting lessons with wine terminology.

The episode moves through her career shift, the long road to publishing the book, how she built a lasting network across coasts, and how she thinks about setbacks — not as unfair, but as pivots. She also talks about what's next: a second book pairing whiskey with dog breeds, and a children's book about cultural acceptance she's hoping to place with a publisher.

Connect with Danielle Frank:

• Book: A Wine Lover's Guide to Parenting — available on Amazon and BarnesAndNoble.com
• Website: DanielleFrankAuthor.com
• Instagram: @createagreatstory

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Your kid is brilliant, your schedule is chaos, and your old creative self feels like a distant memory, so what do you do with that gap? We sit down with Jamie McMahon, a realist artist known for soulful dog portraits, a former teacher and dance coach, and now a full-time stay-at-home mom of three, to get honest about identity, purpose, and making meaningful work in the margins of real life. 

We talk about the invisible labor of motherhood and why it can feel like you’ve worked all day with nothing to “show” for it, then shift into the tools that help Jamie stay grounded: trusting her gut, running decisions through faith, and learning discernment when parenting advice is coming at you from every angle. Jamie also shares what led her to homeschool her oldest, and how a flexible, curiosity-led approach can protect a bright child’s love of learning while strengthening the parent-child relationship. 

Then we go deeper on ambition and resilience. Jamie shares her own turning point between wishing and doing, the discipline that took her from struggling with health to dancing at the highest levels, and how she’s rebuilding healthy rhythms now with goalposts like dance reunions. Finally, she walks us through creating her children’s book Handy Pandas, from rhyming story concept to teaching herself digital illustration, and why creative problem solving is a life skill for kids and adults. If you’ve been craving community, creative momentum, or a way to feel like yourself again, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a parent or creative friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Why I've Been Missing

If you've noticed the quiet, I wanted to explain it myself instead of leaving it unsaid.

This past season has been full of the sweetest joy — becoming a Granny, soaking up every giggle and new discovery. I'm still right in the middle of it, and I wouldn't trade a minute. And then, in almost the same breath, life shifted. My husband was diagnosed with cancer, and everything overnight started changing. What had been a season of joy became a season that also held appointments, decisions, and a trip to MD Anderson. Walking through that with him became the center of my world, and everything else, including this space, had to wait.

I'm happy to say he's on the road to recovery now, and I don't take that lightly.

What I didn't expect was how much I'd realize the stories of other women — their strength, their honesty, and their wisdom is crucial to be heard . All I've experienced reminded me why these conversations matter so much to me in the first place. So I'm back, with interviews I recorded before everything shifted, ready to share them with you over the next few weeks.

Thank you for your patience. Thank you for still being here.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Fifteen kids in the blended-family mix, a cross-country move, a second marriage, and a mission that refuses to stay quiet. I’m talking with author, speaker, and coach Eileen Noyes about what it actually takes to rebuild your life when faith has been used to control, when your home feels heavy, and when you know you cannot stay stuck on the sidelines of your own calling. 

Eileen shares her path from the pro-athlete world and life as an NFL wife to the painful turn of a first marriage shaped by harmful beliefs that stripped women of voice and value. We talk about what grit looks like at rock bottom, how isolation keeps you trapped, and why letting trusted people in can be the first real step toward healing. If you’ve been searching for hope around spiritual abuse recovery, Christian women’s identity, or how to protect your kids while you’re falling apart inside, this conversation offers both honesty and direction. 

We also dig into a surprisingly practical framework she calls “cleaning house” that applies to your physical space, your body, your relationships, and your spiritual life: address the mess, create order and function, then maintain. We get into early-morning routines, rewiring your mind toward gratitude, resisting comparison, and building a life and business that fits your family instead of crushing it. 

If something here encourages you, subscribe, share this with a friend who needs steady hope, and leave a review so more women can find the show.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

A lot of people say they want to write a children’s book. Ashley Wall actually did it and then kept going until it became a business. She joins us to talk about the surprising path from middle school math teacher to stay-at-home mom to children’s book author and co-founder of Mama Bear Books, and what it takes to build a real author brand without losing yourself in the process. 

We get practical about self-publishing and indie publishing: the learning curve, the mistakes that cost money, and the mindset shift that saved her time and stress. Ashley shares one rule we keep coming back to: “invest, don’t spend.” We talk about choosing quality over shortcuts, why long-term thinking matters if you want your books in print in 20 years, and how mentorship and reputable partners protect your standards. 

Then we move into confidence, leadership, and parenting. Ashley explains how specific praise and purpose build confidence, how she learned to delegate instead of burning out, and how boundaries turn a dream into a sustainable work life balance. We also dig into screen time, social media, and the daily choices that shape kids’ attention spans and imagination, especially when you’re around other families who do it differently. 

If you care about raising curious, confident kids and building a creative business with integrity, this conversation will give you both encouragement and concrete next steps. Subscribe, share this with a parent or aspiring author, and leave us a review so more people can find Stacked Keys.

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A kid can go from “safe” to “silent emergency” in seconds and Sarah Quillen has seen enough pools, parties, and parenting blind spots to say it out loud. Sarah is a beloved local swim teacher known as “Miss Sarah”, and she joins me to explain how she teaches real swimming skills fast, why she makes kids go under early, and what her two-week swim boot camp looks like when the goal is confidence plus safety. If you’ve been searching for swim lessons for toddlers, water safety for kids, or drowning prevention advice that doesn’t sugar-coat reality, you’ll get practical takeaways you can use right away. 

We also go beyond the pool. Sarah shares why social media makes her brain hurt, how even “safe” apps can feed kids toxic messaging through targeted ads, and what a training-wheels approach looks like when you know your child will eventually be online. We talk about honest parenting conversations, including an age-appropriate sex talk story that is both hilarious and deeply useful, plus how to build trust so kids come to you instead of hiding things. 

The thread through it all is being real: modelling empathy, owning your mistakes, apologising to your kids, and following through on boundaries even when it is hard. Sarah’s blunt motto about kindness lands because it is not performative, it shows up in how she lives, how she helps people, and how she tries to break old patterns in her own home. If you want a conversation that feels like a friend telling the truth while still giving you tools, press play. 

If this resonates, subscribe, share it with a parent who needs encouragement, and leave us a review on iTunes so more people can find Stacked Keys Podcast.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

A kid falls in the pool and can’t find the wall, that’s when “swim skills” stop being a hobby and become a safety plan. We’re joined by Sarah Quillen, the swim teacher known as “Miss Sarah,” and she explains what she teaches first, why most programs move too slowly, and how a focused two-week swim boot camp can turn panic into real competence. We get into breath control, going underwater, climbing out, and practicing the kind of disorienting falls kids actually experience at parties, lakes, and water parks. 

Then the conversation shifts from water safety to modern parenting safety. Sarah opens up about why she stepped away from social media, what it’s like raising a 13-year-old with a first phone, and the moment Pinterest ads targeted her child with diet culture. We talk about media literacy, how to teach kids what an ad is, and why “training wheels” involvement beats strict bans that push kids to hide things. 

From there, we go deeper into the real stuff: apologising after a parenting meltdown, breaking fear-based discipline cycles, and holding boundaries with toxic family dynamics after loss and grief. The through-line is simple and hard: be real, be kind, and protect your peace without pretending life is neat. If you care about swim lessons, drowning prevention, parenting boundaries, and raising kids who can do hard things, this one will stick with you. 

If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a parent friend, and leave a review so more families can find it.

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Tea can be a beverage, sure. It can also be a doorway back to yourself. I’m joined by Sunny Dillard, a watercolor teacher, poet, and tea curator whose work blends Persian tea culture, slow living, and creative practice into something that feels both grounded and brave.

We talk about how her love of tea began in childhood with a grandmother who used herbal blends as medicine and as a way to offer real attention. From there, Sunny shares the story behind her name, the symbolism of the sun in Persian mythology and Sufi tradition, and why identity can be a living choice rather than a label you inherit. We also get into her definition of strength, shaped by Iranian women and the daily practice of resilience, hope, and kindness even when the world feels chaotic.

A big theme is intuition as “witnessing what you know” a decision-making tool that joins reasoning with the heart. Sunny connects that to creativity as survival: watercolor painting, literature, poetry, journaling, music, and tea rituals as practical tools for mental health, community, and self-expression. If you’ve ever thought art is “only for talented people,” or you’ve felt fear and self-doubt freeze you in place, you’ll love how she teaches students to show up, stay with the discomfort, and leave surprised by what they made.

If you want watercolor classes, tea blending workshops, or a gentler approach to mindfulness and slow living, this conversation will give you a clear starting point. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review to help more listeners find the show.

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A jiu jitsu hobby can change your fitness, your confidence, and your friend group, but buying a pro grappling franchise is a different level of commitment. We’re sitting down with Lauren Barone, the force behind the Philadelphia Phenoms and the first female franchise owner in the Pro Grappling Federation (PGF), to talk about what it really looks like to build a team inside a fast-growing submission grappling league.

Lauren takes us from her early love of martial arts to finding Brazilian jiu jitsu as an adult, then jumping into the deep end of combat sports entrepreneurship. We get into why the PGF rule set pushes constant action, how the league is expanding, and what “success” means when you’re building something season by season instead of chasing overnight wins. She also shares the part most people never see: wearing nine or ten hats across marketing, contracts, sponsorships, budgeting, and athlete communication while still showing up calm on camera.

We also talk athlete support and leadership in practical terms, from covering six weeks of Airbnb housing and rental cars to team meals, uniforms, gym access, and recovery perks. And because this is combat sports, we don’t skip the hard stuff: fear, uncertainty, injuries, and how you protect your heart while still caring deeply about the people you’re backing.

If you’ve been curious about the PGF, women in sports leadership, or the business side of jiu jitsu, hit play and come hang with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves grappling, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff