Stepping In with Kara

In this raw and honest episode, Kara sits down with ordained minister, Kate Riffel, to explore her deeply personal journey from a seemingly perfect life to the depths of alcohol addiction, and ultimately, to a place of deep self-discovery. Kate opens up about the years of people-pleasing and overachieving that led her to seek solace in alcohol, and the difficult road she traveled to break free from its grip. This conversation delves into the shame, the struggles, and the eventual triumphs, offering hope and inspiration to anyone who has felt lost or trapped in a cycle of self-destruction. Kate's story is a powerful reminder that healing is possible, and that even after a significant fall, you can rise again, stronger and more authentic than before. Not to mention, she has a way of humor and lightheartedness that bring brilliant perspectives and insights into a heavy topic.

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In this episode, Kara sits down with Jason and Rhonda Halbert, the husband-and-wife team behind the novel Caretaker and a new hybrid publishing company. After reading Caretaker, Kara knew she had to talk with them about their deeply personal journey. This isn't just a story about writing a book; it's a story about navigating immense loss, trauma, and ongoing challenges, including the loss of loved ones and their forever home. Jason and Rhonda share how writing Caretaker became a lifeline, a way to process their pain and find meaning amidst the chaos. They also open up about their vision for their publishing company, a space where authors can tell their authentic stories without compromise. This raw and honest conversation will leave you reflecting on your own experiences with grief, the power of creativity, and the enduring nature of hope.

Highlights:

• The Halberts' background in the music industry and how it shaped their approach to the publishing world.
• The challenges and compromises of traditional publishing, and what inspired them to create their own hybrid model.
• The concept of "weariness of hope" and the importance of community and connection during difficult times.
• How the Cereset treatment has helped Jason and Rhonda navigate trauma and access their creativity.
• The blending of the mysterious and the supernatural with the physical world in Caretaker, and how it reflects their own search for meaning.

Quotes:

• Practical and heartfelt advice for aspiring authors: "Don't worry about it being perfect. Just worry about getting it down."

• "We are not in the victory and we are not the hero's arc. We're still in the middle of it all plus more."

• “You can’t end a book on a cliff hanger.” “But our lives are on a cliff hanger!”

• “We often pray for a clear path, but sometimes the greatest blessings come from the detours.”

In this deeply personal episode, Kara explores the transformative power of vulnerability and how sharing our most difficult life experiences can lead to profound healing. Expressing her journey of healing from childhood trauma and a near-death experience in the first four episodes of this season, Kara reflects on how being vulnerable in sharing her story not only helped her process pain but strengthened her connection with others. Kara talks about the ongoing work of integrating her inner child and how it’s deepened her sense of purpose and empowerment. She also highlights the importance of sharing your story with loved ones and how this kind of reflection can foster deeper healing and relationships. She reflects on the power of creative expression—whether through writing, art, or simply speaking your truth—as a means of processing trauma and healing.

Looking ahead to Season 3, she invites listeners to continue the journey of vulnerability with her, offering support, hope, and deep connection. Sharing our stories is not just a way to heal ourselves, but it’s also a powerful tool for helping others on their own paths toward healing.

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Kara is an international best-selling author, teacher, spiritual guide and mentor. Her caring, gentle, and humble spirit quickly draws us into a safe space.  Her desire to see humans embrace and achieve physical and emotional healing is the guiding principle of her life's work.  She is a master teacher and an intuitive mentor.

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In this episode, Kara is stepping in with ICU nurse, Shelby Colette as she takes us with her to reflect on her adventures aboard the “Mercy Ship.” She has served as a volunteer twice on the ship, giving surgical care to people who would not otherwise receive it. Shelby shares that her journey with Mercy ships started even as a child. Her parents' travel taught her that the world was much bigger than her backyard. The dream took form in college when she saw a flier hanging in her nursing school hall that sparked a deep desire in her to one day be on that ship. Despite the dream, after nursing school she got a job, and was in a very serious relationship. Her life was settling down and she could see it written out for the next 30 years. But she felt a little part of her dying, knowing she was made for more. When Mercy ships reappeared, she knew it was her time to go. Even though it felt like she was exploding her own life and stopping everything she had been working for up to that point, she made the brave decision to break off her relationship and let go of everything she knew. Shelby shares her perspectives on how sometimes other people’s stories have a great impact on our own. She doesn’t claim to tell her patient’s stories, but rather honors them as she offers the great treasures she stored up from watching them hope against devastating circumstances, find joy amidst deep pain and have peace when there was no answer. Listen in to gain a valuable lens into a part of the world and a topic that we aren’t generally tuned into. 

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Shelby Colette, RN, BSN has been a nurse for sixteen years.  She's traveled the world, but found her true passion in volunteering aboard Mercy Ships and serving the world's forgotten poor through the love of Jesus.  That's where Shelby discovered her true love of serving those the world has overlooked and a continuing deep faith in Christ.  Shelby loves reading, writing, and being a mom to her three beautifully wild children.  She lives in Oregon with her husband and kids.

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In this episode, Kara is joined by Colby Coash, a childhood friend and author of the newly released book, Running Naked: Surviving the legacy of family in rural Nebraska. After reading his book, set primarily in their childhood hometown of Bassett, in three sittings, Kara was thrilled to get the opportunity to go a little deeper into Colby's story. The two talk about their reflections on growing up in a small rural Nebraska town, which they both hold dear. They share heartfelt conversations about hometown roots, themes of hard work, family expectations and growing up in true community. Kara and Colby also go into difficult conversation about the confusion he had as a boy of only 13 when his mom abandoned their family to create a new life for herself in a faraway state and eventually another country. Colby shares how the lonely process of writing his midlife memoir helped him make sense of and find purpose in his life thus far. He invites his readers to reflect with him through his childhood memories while offering his adult reflective perspective as he takes us on a journey through the stories he shares. The book and conversation will have you laughing and crying, reflecting and thinking about how your own stories shape your life and if you have children, your parenting.

Connect with Colby:

Colby Coash is the Associate Executive Director for the Nebraska Association of School Boards, providing leadership and government relations work on behalf of elected leaders across Nebraska. This work gives him an opportunity to engage with policymakers and elected leaders using his experience as a former two-term State Senator. During his tenure in the Nebraska Unicameral Coash championed various causes, including child welfare, tourism, criminal justice reform, and support for people with disabilities.

Prior to his public service, Colby worked many years in the field of developmental disabilities while operating group homes and emergency shelters for kids with disabilities. It was here he learned the value of advocacy and inclusion in all settings while working with the most vulnerable citizens of his State.  He has spoken regionally about his passion for advocacy and taking a simple approach to leadership.  

His work has taken him from group homes to the Capitol. His training as an actor allows him to use storytelling as a medium for sharing his passion for advocacy and taking a simple approach to leadership. Colby speaks nationally in the areas of advocacy, employee engagement, performance coaching, communication, and leadership.  Colby holds a Masters Degree in Leadership Education and is an adjunct faculty member at Doane University and the Bryan College of Health Sciences. 

He is married with one son and enjoys movie making, having appeared in dozens of short and feature films. 

His debut memoir, Running Naked, Surviving the Legacy of Family in Rural Nebraska was released in 2024.

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In this episode, Kara is stepping into the important topic of postpartum depression with Holly Fisher. The two have an honest conversation about how moms aren't really given the space to acknowledge or grieve that a part of them is changing after the birth of their child. Holly shares feelings of guilt and repressed emotions around the thoughts she was having. It felt shameful to share them, so she suffered in silence to uphold society’s expectation of how she “should” be doing as a new mom. Holly emphasizes that her identity isn’t in being a mom or in her work or in her experience of postpartum depression and gives us all useful strategies to really check in on the moms we love. Postpartum depression isn’t a failure, it is a medical imbalance in a mom’s body after giving birth.

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Holly Fisher is the owner of Fisher Creative Marketing and a StoryBrand Certified Guide. She’s helped dozens of organizations clarify their marketing message and develop an effective sales funnel that generates more leads and boosts their bottom line. A long-time professional writer and former full-time journalist, Holly believes in the power of story to inform and engage. She has worked with clients around the globe and in a variety of industries. Holly lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband and teenage daughter. She enjoys hiking, doing CrossFit, reading and driving her Dodge Challenger on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

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In the episode, Kara is Stepping In with a woman who basically raised herself as well as often functioning as the caretaker to her alcoholic mom. Jennifer Royal grew up as an only child with a single mom who struggled with alcoholism and ultimately took her own life. Jen shares stories of resilience and survival as a young girl who had to figure out how to get what she needed to survive. Her mom did get sober for a time and Jennifer experienced much positive benefit from attending AA meeting with her but unfortunately her mom never did the full work to heal addictive tendencies. There were good times and high points but there was always a thread of manipulation running through, she was never really standing in her power to take care of herself. Kara and Jen talk about the grief and sadness related to not having a childhood which came up as she had her own children as well as Jen’s journey to neurofeedback and igniting her “healer energy” inspired by her mom’s untapped potential. This unthinkable story of trauma and resilience will take your breath away.

Connect with Jennifer:

Jennifer is a Certified IASIS Technician in Nashville, TN.  She has extensive experience in the field of functional medicine and nutrition. Her husband is a holistically trained chiropractic physician and together they work in serving our Nashville clients with a unique approach to brain health and wellness.

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In this episode Kara steps in with Sue Peters who found herself on a profound journey creating a new life and identity after the heartbreaking loss of her husband and best friend, John.  Sue shares inspiring perspectives and stories of certainty that convinced her she was never alone in this journey. The two explore how she moved from survival to wanting to be alive again. They share thoughts on difficult anniversary days, duality of emotions and finding ways to stay connected with someone you have lost. They highlight the depth of love that comes from processing grief of a loved one. If you have lost someone you love, you will find validation and hope in this episode.

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Susan Peters is a writer, grief facilitator, mother, and grandmother from Indiana. She has been on a profound soul journey discovering her newfound identity and cultivating self-love after the heartbreaking loss of her husband and best friend, John. She is forging a path toward renewed life, authentic purpose, and genuine love by stepping forward to share her story to create profound connections with others facing loss and adversity. Susan aims to foster hope, understanding, and a fresh perspective of love, gratitude, and joy through the intertwining of our

sacred stories to build relationships as we learn to navigate the challenging road of life together. She is in the process of authoring her first book, The Miracle of Marrying My Heart: One Woman's Journey To Discovering New Dreams After Loss, which will be available in Spring 2024.

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In this episode, Kara is stepping in with Renee Browning who recounts a long journey of grief and loss as she navigated 4 miscarriages amidst the births of her 2 sons and eventual adoption of their 3rd daughter. Renee shares that after pushing through, stuffing the pain and distracting herself, she eventually hit a wall and realized she needed help processing the deep grief she was feeling. The two talk about how miscarriage is a very lonely and isolating road. Renee shares that doing something to tangibly bring you peace, help you process and remember the lives of miscarried babies is an important part of healing. Her journey and perspectives will touch you deeply.

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Renee Thornton Browning is a busy Mom who strives to love her family well and spend each day living life to the fullest. She loves the Lord with all her heart and this love pours out into everything she does. She loves to travel and help people in any way she can. She helps manage her son Elijah and recently kicked breast cancer. She is the only women I know to go undefeated in chemo sessions with a 16 and 0 record making even Tom Brady jealous! Renee is the most loving person I have ever met. She pours everything she has into seeing the people around her succeed. She has been through so much in her life and has learned so much that she loves to share with other people.

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In this episode, Kara is stepping in with author and coach, Dr. Gemma Sampson. Australian by birth, Gemma grew up in a very rural town in Zambia, Africa in a missionary family. Returning to Australia her senior year, she quickly stopped telling the stories that were normal for her in order to assimilate into the teen experience of her peers, thus beginning the lifelong quest to find belonging. Throughout her life, Gemma has moved over 50 times living about 18 months in each place. Listen in to hear how Gemma found home within by learning to listen to the still small voice of her own intuition and not respond to other’s desires for her life.

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Dr. Gemma Sampson is an Australian adult third culture kid who grew up in Zambia, lived in England for 7 years, Girona, Spain for 6 and… stopped counting at 50 something houses. Searching for something. She currently calls home in Mallorca, Spain. 

Dr. Gemma Sampson is an Advanced Sports Dietitian with over 12 years experience working with amateur and elite cyclists and corporate clients. She aims to optimize health and performance be that in training, competition or in the boardroom.

Every athlete is unique. Your training program, races, lifestyle and personal ambitions are exclusive to you – which is why a cookie-cutter approach doesn’t work when it comes to sports nutrition. Her individualized and holistic approach to sports nutrition is tailored around specific training and performance goals.

She is a passionate cyclist who loves working with motivated high performing endurance athletes and seeing them get results and achieve their goals. When I’m not talking about sports nutrition, you’ll find her practicing what she preaches and putting nutrition science into practice on the bike herself.

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