Stepping In with Kara

In this episode, Kara is stepping in with True Joy Expert, Linda Shively. After healing from an abusive marriage and navigating the diagnosis and eventual death of her severely handicapped 3 year old daughter, Linda found her way to bounce back and reclaim joy in her life. Linda shares gripping moments from her daughter’s diagnosis to her last breath as well as recounting the years of despair and numbness to her new found purpose, triumph and joy in life. Her daughter’s joy and the joy that was between them keeps her going even to this day. Linda’s story of loss is tragic but the peace and presence she has cultivated are healing and inspiring. 

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Linda Shively has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, is a best-selling author, international award-winning speaker, and neuroscience and mindset expert.

Linda has been a multiple-time guest on ABC, CBS, and FOX television, featured in a feature film and even performed at the Rose Bowl.

After healing from an abusive marriage, and navigating the diagnosis and eventual death of her 3-year-old daughter, Linda found her way to bounce back and reclaim her joy in life. Today she helps successful women defeat the dragons in their life and elevate their joy to new levels.

Linda has studied brain and mind function for over 30 years, earning a psychobiology degree from UCLA, is a certified Master Life and Executive Coach, a Master Practitioner of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), a Master Hypnotherapist, and a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader.

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In this episode, Kara is stepping in with Maggie Kang, a board certified radiologist whose nine year old daughter had a very sudden diagnosis of an incurable and rare autoimmune disease. That moment in time and the weeks following completely changed Maggie's life, her daughter's life, and their whole family's way of being in the world. The two talk about the importance of processing pain and grieving in order to truly find acceptance and live in the reality of now after life-altering events. Maggie shares her journey with exploring new ways of thinking about the changes in order to let go of resistance, move through her pain, and find a way to move forward. This episode will leave you full of hope.

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Dr. Maggie Kang is a board-certified radiologist, mom of two kids, one with a rare disease. She was the radiologist who was the first to see her nine-year-old daughter’s horrifying brain MRI in the ER. Her daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease, neuromyelitis optica.

The ordeal motivated Maggie to shift her focus from radiology to mental well-being. Now a certified Life Coach, Maggie dedicates her time to supporting parents of kids in the rare and chronic disease communities. She also works with physician moms of kids with chronic needs one-on-one in her private coaching practice, MaggieKangMD LLC. 

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Series Description (4 Parts): 

Mine may be the most challenging story for me to hold space for… and yet in this 4 part episode series, I invite you into conversations with a few of the people who have been most present with me on my journey following a near death bicycle accident in May of 2018 that left me with a very broken body and a brain injury. For 6 years, the primary focus of my life has been healing, restoring and figuring out how to live in the now, AS IS. My own journey is very much the inspiration for launching this podcast as I deeply believe that being held and witnessed in our life stories is an important part of healing. It is why I step in with you and this time, I invite you to step in with me.

Episode Description:

In this episode, I am sharing a conversation with my myofascial release (MFR) therapist and dearest friend, Laurie Wheeler. I have often said, if there is no other silver lining to this event in my life, Laurie is it and that is enough. Next to my son, Laurie has been the most physically present in my journey of the last 6 years of healing and learning to live a very different life. She is a force of love like no other. Her presence has changed me, healed me. She is a gifted healer and has become one of the dearest friends I have ever known. In our conversation, we talk about everything recovery and healing, with much emphasis on the physical journey of my body through the hands on bodywork that she does (John Barnes MFR). Because she has also been such a presence in my life, we also talk about many other aspects of my life and healing in the past 6 years.

Warning:

This episode includes explicit descriptions of topics not suitable for children, specifically childhood sexual abuse. Keep this in mind if you are not in a place to listen about that topic today or have little people near you when you are listening. I believe talking about childhood sexual abuse is a very important part of healing the wounds and I also believe you get to choose what you consume and when it is best for you on your own journey to healing and wholeness.

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Series Description (4 Parts): 

Mine may be the most challenging story for me to hold space for… and yet in this 4 part episode series, I invite you into conversations with a few of the people who have been most present with me on my journey following a near death bicycle accident in May of 2018 that left me with a very broken body and a brain injury. For 6 years, the primary focus of my life has been healing, restoring and figuring out how to live in the now, AS IS. My own journey is very much the inspiration for launching this podcast as I deeply believe that being held and witnessed in our life stories is an important part of healing. It is why I step in with you and this time, I invite you to step in with me.

Episode Description:

In this episode, I am sharing a conversation with my big sister and best friend, Jen Bussinger. Despite many states between us, she was at my side in the ICU within 12 hours of my accident. Her support physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually has been the greatest gift of my life. I could never put into words what she means to me nor the depth of healing this conversation stirred in me. She helped me remember things from the beginning and the unfolding of time but we also talked about things each of us has experienced as a result of this event that we had never shared with each other previously. She is stepping in with me, I am with her. You see the layers of my story and the way her story of my experience is part of our conversation. We have worked very intentionally to live in the depth of love and relationship that we share and I am honored to share with you a small window into her love. She is so very special to me.

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Series Description (4 Parts): 

Mine may be the most challenging story for me to hold space for… and yet in this 4 part episode series, I invite you into conversations with a few of the people who have been most present with me on my journey following a near death bicycle accident in May of 2018 that left me with a very broken body and a brain injury. For 6 years, the primary focus of my life has been healing, restoring and figuring out how to live in the now, AS IS. My own journey is very much the inspiration for launching this podcast as I deeply believe that being held and witnessed in our life stories is an important part of healing. It is why I step in with you and this time, I invite you to step in with me.

Episode Description:

In this episode, I am sharing a conversation with Dr. Tyler Hurst. I met Tyler, who is a functional neurologist, about 8 weeks into my recovery and healing. Functional neurology was an unfamiliar modality to me and I quickly learned it was one of the greatest pathways to help my brain heal. Not only that, but Tyler is a phenomenal human and became like family as he walked with me, guiding me to higher ground in my brain healing. We talk a lot about the brain and how my brain was affected by my accident both physiologically and functionally. By listening, you get a glimpse into what it looks like to live with brain injury. You also get an insight into the emotional journey it is to lose function of the organ that allows you to be who you are in the human experience.  This one is filled with such deep insight into the invisible road to healing a person with brain injury walks. It is also such a testament to how important it is for patients to feel safe expressing what is happening for them on the journey BEYOND the physical. Being witnessed and validated in the wholeness of the experience is an important element for physical healing to occur. Tyler is a pro and I know that you are going to love him as much as I do!

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Dr. Hurst was born and raised in Ohio. He became interested in chiropractic following a high school basketball injury and began pursuing an education in the field. After high school he attended Kent State University and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology. He graduated from Palmer Florida in March of 2018. During his last two years at Palmer he completed the necessary hours to sit for the IACN Diplomate examination. He has been Board Certified in Neurology since May of 2018. He has been in private practice in Nashville, TN since graduation. In 2022, he and colleague, Dr. Dylan Saulsbery, founded The Brain Health Clinics. This clinic is dedicated to the treatment of neurological conditions such as TBI, stroke rehabilitation, dizziness and balance conditions, developmental disorders and chronic pain. Dr. Hurst is also dedicated to his family. His wife, Dr. Samantha Hurst, is also a Palmer Florida graduate. They are blessed with two children, Hudson and Otto, and are expecting their third child later this year.

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Series Description (4 Parts): 

Mine may be the most challenging story for me to hold space for… and yet in this 4 part episode series, I invite you into conversations with a few of the people who have been most present with me on my journey following a near death bicycle accident in May of 2018 that left me with a very broken body and a brain injury. For 6 years, the primary focus of my life has been healing, restoring and figuring out how to live in the now, AS IS. My own journey is very much the inspiration for launching this podcast as I deeply believe that being held and witnessed in our life stories is an important part of healing. It is why I step in with you and this time, I invite you to step in with me.

Episode Description:

In this episode, I am sharing a conversation with my son, Coleman. He is the only person who has been part of the day to day in the last 6 years. His adolescence into young adulthood has been marked by this journey and he is the reason I have been able to keep going through some of the darkest and most confusing stretches. He is my MVP, my little buddy and my lifelong friend. His perspective is so valuable to me and I know you will be amazed at his endurance as the only child of a single woman who faced death and has had to rebuild from the ground up. That is a lot to carry when you are 12. Though it pains me to know some of the things he took on under our circumstances (don’t we all want the easy road for our kids!?) I am also beyond proud of the way he has risen to be the brilliant and beautiful young man that he is in these times of turbulence and uncertainty. I hope you enjoy this candid conversation between a boy and his momma… reflecting on our journey as it relates to my accident, subsequent brain injury and how it affected him and our family as a unit. 

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In this episode, Kara steps in with Lynette Molina, a woman whose gratitude and joy for life have literally saved her life. The two are talking about the very unexpected, recent loss of Lynette’s little sister. She shares her journey of grief and her gratitude for having loved another so deeply. Because of her childhood trauma which has wiped away many memories, losing her sister was like losing part of her memory. She was the one person who knew Lynette’s entire life journey, as they walked it together. From homeless in LA to PTA member in her daughter’s private school in Scottsdale, AZ Lynette has a great appreciation for every blessing in her life. To this day, every time Lynette leaves the grocery store, she sits in her car and cries because she is so grateful that she can buy anything she wants. Listen in for jewels of wisdom from a woman who has cultivated healing through gratitude in her defining moments, especially when life is hard.

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“I’m a wife, mom, a Grammy, a friend, a survivor & a lifetime healer of my soul! I’m a city girl living my dream in the desert with dogs & donkeys! I had a very traumatic childhood & I have spent my entire life healing and helping others heal too. Life is hard and beautiful! Gratitude is my secret weapon!”

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In this episode, Kara steps in with Courage Coach and riveting story teller, Britt Ivy to talk about her very tender experience of having an abortion. Their conversation is not about whether it is right or wrong. It is not a political conversation. It is the story of an 18-year-old Britt who made the choice to have an abortion and later in life unpacked the many ways in which it showed up as self-sabotaging behavior, eating disorder, patterns of choosing abusing partners, numbing her feelings, and addiction until she found help, hope and healing years later. It is her life’s work to help other women heal.

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Founder of Heartlife Foundation, Britt Ivy, “The Courage Coach”, empowers women who have ended a pregnancy to bravely live with hope and purpose. As an Award-Winning Television Talk Show Host, speaker and philanthropist, Britt’s passionate faith propels women in transforming broken pasts into thriving futures.

PATH2Thrive Course - Mission Statement - "I empower Christian heart-centered loving women of faith who have begun their post-abortion healing journey to overcome self defeating thoughts, patterns, and behaviors so they can thrive in a more confident, satisfying, peace filled life and be a blessing to those around them."

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In this episode, Kara steps in with sought after motivational speaker and international teacher, Nyke Latrice.  Kara and Nyke talk about her single mom life, providing for her 3 kids (2 of her own and an added nephew who was also under her parental care) through numerous hustles while volunteering her heart to serve and volunteer in various ways in the community. Giving back, Nyke emphasizes empowerment by creating programs that give single moms a “hand up” instead of a “hand out”. The two also talk about the devastating murder of the nephew she raised and what it has been for her family to find healing. Listen in to this episode to be encouraged as a mom and inspired by Nyke’s advocacy for women and children trying to figure life out.

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Nyke Latrice is a lifestyle coach, licensed aesthetician, makeup and skincare specialist, motivational speaker and advocate for women and children. HeR mission in life is helping women evolve through life’s lessons by learning HeR first, empowering HeR and finding HeR self love.

Through her numerous endeavors, Nyke has established herself as a leader in the beauty industry and in the Middle Tennessee communities. As a mother, Nyke believes that family is top priority in the balance of her life. She draws upon her own emotional life experiences to encourage others with her message of hope, empowerment, and success. An energetic and positive-speaking life coach, Nyke has the ability to edify her students and followers, and help them discover their true potential.

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In this episode, Kara steps in with genius mentor and beautiful soul, Tania Blanco. Tania shares the painful journey of losing her true self through her involvement in a religious organization and through her marriage. Kara and Tania talk about how she was not allowed to have a voice, but rather as a woman had to comply. You will hear how this emotional suffering showed up as physical problems in her body. Tania shares what it took to reclaim her power, create boundaries and dance her way back into loving her life. 

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Tania is a Communicator as well as a Genius & Self-Leadership mentor who works with committed individuals, entrepreneurs, and entrepreneurs to be who are eager to live in flow, with joy and fulfillment. On purpose. As a nature's empath, she's constantly learning from Mother’s Nature Wisdom and rhythms (and sharing her findings).

Originally from Mexico and based in Switzerland, she’s passionate about Positive Psychology, the Science of Gratitude and Purpose, as well as everything related to Emotional and Spiritual Intelligence. 

She's on a mission to inspire inner change for personal and collective well-being while guiding committed Souls to Shine their Genius, communicate with purpose, and strengthen their EQ muscle, so they can be fulfilled, and LEAD from the essence of their BEING.

Note: She works in English, Spanish, and sometimes in French.

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