The healing power of fitness goes far beyond physical benefits—for today’s guest, it’s a form of self-expression and a celebration of what the body can do. In this episode, host Nora McInerny sits down with fitness personality Ivylis Rivera, who shares her deeply personal journey of navigating life with Chronic Migraine while holding onto her passion for movement. Ivylis opens up about the struggle of staying active while facing the fear of triggering a headache or migraine attack and the resilience it takes to keep pushing forward—a resilience that carried her through the challenging journey of finding a Chronic Migraine treatment plan that worked for her.

Join Nora and Ivylis as they explore the concept of “soft living,” a philosophy Ivylis embraces—staying active, listening to your body, and building trust in oneself.

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It’s one thing, as a parent, to deal with your own struggles, but to watch your kid go through it - to see them face obstacles and struggles can be excruciating. It often feels like the parent’s job is to shield their child from hardships. In this episode, Nora shares the story of Angel and Xavier, a mother and son who are no strangers to Chronic Migraine, supporting each other through their respective journeys. They shine a light on their shared burden and how it may impact different generations. They push back on the pressure for parents to hide their struggles from their children, instead choosing to create a dynamic where it is ok to ask for help and need rest.

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Oftentimes the standard “I’m good!” response isn’t rooted in the truth. We often act our way through our struggles, so we don’t burden someone else with our problems. In this episode, Nora delves into how Aaron Matthew Atkisson balances the art of acting both on set and as the primary caregiver for his family. When a migraine attack hits, he can’t simply ask his family to wait, or call cut on set. Reflecting on his approach to boundaries and fatherhood, Aaron sheds light on the stigmas surrounding men with Chronic Migraine and shares how he adapts his many roles and responsibilities.

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Navigating parenthood can be overwhelming all on its own, but Danielle Mandoza takes it a step further teaching young children at work, too. In this episode, Nora explores Danielle’s struggle to balance her roles as a parent and teacher with the ever-lingering threat of a migraine attack. Thanks to the experiences of her mother and grandmother who both lived with migraine, Danielle continues to face her own Chronic Migraine diagnosis head-on and confidently explores treatment options with her neurologist that might work for her. With the help of Dr. Rhyne, Nora debunks some common migraine treatment myths and takes a closer look at Danielle’s unrelenting juggling act.

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“Knowledge is Power” may be an old cliche, but it is never more true than when talking about

living with a chronic illness, like Chronic Migraine. In this episode, Nora explores how writer and advocate Jaime Sanders found the right words to describe her migraine symptoms earlier than most, thanks to her access to healthcare education. Her community and support provided a springboard for her empowerment while navigating her Chronic Migraine journey. Otherwise known as The Migraine Diva, Jaime uses her story and experience to drive fierce advocacy and education for the Chronic Migraine community.

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Most of us have probably heard “Suck it up!” or “Get over it!” at some point. But when you’re living with Chronic Migraine, these phrases are far from helpful. In this episode, Nora talks to Air Force veteran Ivan Perry who is pushing back on a culture that measures strength by silence and a lack of struggle. He channels the resilience he developed while living with Chronic Migraine by founding Operation Aspire Group, guiding companies to build and create more inclusive environments. Ivan emphasizes the importance of recognizing diverse experiences and meeting people where they are in their journey.

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The pressures of hustle culture can be nonstop. In this episode, Nora and guest, Lauren Browning, get vulnerable about navigating Chronic Migraine in the unforgiving and unrelenting world of entrepreneurship. Building a working environment that fits her life, Lauren shares what drove her to create the sustainable swimwear brand, Ricki Beach Club. She talks about bringing your authentic self to your work, even on the most challenging days, and managing her Chronic Migraine from the drawing board to the boardroom.

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Nora McInerny returns with all-new conversations exploring personal stories of people living with Chronic Migraine. If you’re new to the series, there are eight episodes of our first season worth binging. Let’s learn a little more about Chronic Migraine together.

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In this episode of The Head Start: Embracing the Journey, Nora explores the impact and importance of storytelling and advocacy in people's lives and how it can help people feel seen and heard. She speaks with Paula Dumas about how her advocacy work in the migraine community is about more than just changing perception and policy. It's about connecting people living with migraine worldwide through their shared experiences. Being the producer and co-host of the Migraine World Summit and a former board member of the American Migraine Foundation, Paula has been able to see how sharing her own story has created a space to connect with hundreds of other people living with this disease. Nora shares how her own journey of storytelling as a writer and host has opened her eyes and changed her perspective on the importance of her work, and she learns from Paula the best ways to support someone living with Chronic Migraine.

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