The Kelley Kitley Podcast

Nicolle Hallman is a teacher, mother, and debut author of ‘Love, Katie.’ We’re so lucky her daughter Katie joins us, a Manasquan, NJ legend! In this special Valentine episode, we discuss compassion, community & joy! Nicolle shares her journey as a mom raising three kids with her husband David, one with special needs and their determination to learn her communication style, fears, and anxieties. They discuss the endless victories of how far Katie has come and the incredible friendships she’s developed over the years, making her an all time community favorite!

Katie shares her experience with exposure therapy, the importance of checking in on each other, and her close relationships with her siblings, who are also her best friends. She supports her siblings as much as they support her whether it’s cheering her younger sister Ellie on at a track meet or singing and dancing with her brother, Cole.

Katie was featured on American Idol with her brother when he was auditioning and they sang The Rolling Stones, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Your heart will be filled with love and gratitude from the joy Katie radiates. Her energy is contagious and this story is a true reminder to to never give up hope!

This family of generational educators have certainly put their passion for learning into practice. Katie is currently a client at an adult day program which she loves, her sister Ellie is in her final year of college, David retired as a principal/superintendent and works at the local library, and Nicolle and Cole are teachers at the same school.

Purchase Nicolle’s new book ‘Love, Katie’: A Mother’s Journey with Twizzlers, Words and Joy”A deeply personal and emotionally rich memoir that follows author Nicolle Hallman’s journey of raising her daughter Katie, who was born with special needs and is now twenty-three. With unflinching honesty and warmth, she shares the everyday realities of their life together—the struggles, the small victories, the heartbreak, and the deep joy that comes from unconditional love.More than just a story of motherhood, Love, Katie is a tribute to the power of community. Through vivid storytelling and reflective insight, the author shows how their small town and tight-knit circle of support became an essential part of Katie’s life—and how one extraordinary child left a lasting impact on everyone around her.This book offers comfort, connection, and inspiration to parents on similar paths, as well as a compelling glimpse for anyone seeking to understand the beauty and complexity of raising a child with special needs.”

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

Dr. Desi Bartlett is a leading women’s health expert, internationally published author, and creator of The BodyMind Workout™, a trademarked system that unites yoga, fitness, and meditation. With 30 years of experience, she was honored as the 2025 IDEA™ Fitness Leader of the Year and was recently named #1 in MSN’s Top 10 Health Voices Helping People Feel Better. In this episode Kelley and Desiree discuss their career path with a combined 50 + years helping women become the best version of themselves from the inside out. Both Chicago natives who met over twenty years ago in Santa Monica, California when Bartlett hired Kitley to teach 6am spin classes at the local health club. They share some similar life experiences and discuss how they’ve transformed their pain into a life long passion and aren’t stopping any time soon.

Known for her signature message of strength from the inside out, Desi’s mission is to empower women through all of life’s impactful transitions, including pregnancy, new motherhood, and perimenopause.She combines ancient technologies such as yoga, meditation, and breathwork with modern science from the fields of kinesiology, fitness, and women’s health to create accessible, effective practices that meet women exactly where they are.She’s the author of ‘Your Strong Sexy Pregnancy’ and co-author of ‘Total Body Beautiful’ and upcoming release, ‘Inspire the World to Fitness.’

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

Rachel Goldman, Ph.D., FTOS, FASMBS-IH (widely known as Dr. Rachel) is a nationally recognized licensed psychologist, speaker, author, and media contributor specializing in the mind-body connection. With expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and a holistic approach to health, she focuses on stress management, eating behaviors, obesity treatment, and health behavior change.

In this episode Rachel and Kelley discuss CBT, how to practice cognitive restructuring and behavior changes to ultimately shift feelings, goal setting, body image in middle age, and her upcoming book release. You can pre-order her book, launching April 7, 2006. When Life Happens: The Mindset Shift You Need to Manage Stress, Build Confidence, and Break Free.

Goldman delivers an inspiring, approachable, and practical strategy guide to helping women reclaim their confidence, reshape how they see themselves - inside and out, and build resilience before stress knocks at their door. Dr. Rachel explains how to eliminate feeling “stuck” and how you can gain greater control over your life.

Dr. Rachel is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and a trusted expert frequently featured in the media—including on-camera segments and appearances alongside Oprah. She has served as a consultant for the film The Whale and is regularly quoted in major publications such as The New York Times, TIME, CNN, USA Today, and Women’s Health. She is also a member of the Wellness Board for Verywell and a peer reviewer for academic journals.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

Nadine Machkovech helps communities talk about the things that actually save lives.

​​​​​​​​​Too often, people walk around with good intentions but no place to process the real stuff — burnout, shame, identity loss, survival mode, disconnection. My work cuts through performance and inspiration to help people feel lighter, think more clearly, and live more whole lives. Her approach blends lived experience rooted in long-term recovery, evidence-based prevention frameworks, honest storytelling that creates connection, practical tools people can use after they walk out of the room.

In this episode Nadine and Kelley discuss how to have conversations with young people around drugs and alcohol, sobriety and recovery as a young person, the multitude of resources available today for support, the importance of community, the launch of her new book as a first time author, being a step-mom, (and losing her 17 year old step-son) and mom to their 2 year old son, Aidyn. She shares immense gratitude for her life in recovery and her family’s recent relocation from Wisconsin to Florida.

Nadine and her partner Anthony Alvarado, podcast guest #4 Co-Founded Rise Together, innovative programs that spark conversations, foster leadership, and provide life-saving resources:that builds connection, reduces stigma, and lifts youth voices through peer-led storytelling — so young people feel supported long before crisis. They help young people feel seen, supported, and connected — so they ask for help, support one another, and grow.

They also recently launched Salt + Soil, the experiential expression of their work — a grounding space for restoration, reflection, and honest presence. These gatherings invite people to step out of survival mode and into connection with their body, their voice, and the people around them. Each experience is shaped with intention, simplicity, and care. It’s about remembering what’s already true.

Watch Nadine’s TEDx talk: The Secret to Being Enough

Purchase her new book, Enough Already: A Journey from Hiding to Healing

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

As an end of life resource guide, doula, ceremonialist, willow casket weaver and founder of We Too Shall Pass, Tiffany Johnson fosters tenderness, grace, and expertise in addressing end of life needs. With a core belief in dignity, her mission is to empower individuals to craft their unique end-of-life journey and to offer solace for the dying and their loved ones. She is passionate about staying informed on trends and sharing a spectrum of end-of-life care and planning options. She collaborates with clients to articulate and honor their wishes and legacy. Her history set the foundation for her passion to serve those navigating life’s twilight with compassion.

Not everyone is lucky enough to hold space with a dying family member or friend. But we all need to talk about death because it’s inevitable that “We Too Shall Pass.” Being prepared for (the best we can) and planning our death, gives us dignity and autonomy.

In this episode, Kelley and Tiffany discuss their experience of the death of their dad’s and the importance of ceremony and rituals, her love for art, gardening, casket weaving, and her plans to open the first Illinois social model hospice home, ‘Wally’s Hearth’ named after her dad. Tiffany recently helped pass “Deb’s Law” authorizing a qualified patient with a terminal disease to request that a physician prescribe aid-in-dying medication that will allow the patient to end the patient's life in a peaceful manner.

Johnson was recently featured in the Chicago Sun-Times: ‘Death doula’ provides comfort and support to the terminally ill on their final journey by Stefano Esposito.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

Scilla Andreen is the Founder and CEO of Impactful Networks. She blends brain science, storytelling, and prevention to help people understand what’s happening in their minds and bodies and learn how to self-regulate before a crisis hits.

*This episode covers sensitive topics such as loss, death by suicide and death by cancer. Scilla is the mother of 6 adult children and shares her grieving journey after losing two children and how this has tenderly impacted her work and worldview. She offers comfort to grieving mothers as well as trying to make sense of complicated parental relationships.*

In 2024, I highlighted Scilla’s work on NBC Chicago when I was a weekly Wellness Wednesday Contributor. She’s the author of The Creative Coping Toolkit: Simple Activities That Gamify Talking About Our Feelings and created the Creative Coping Toolkit, a science-based, film-driven program used in schools, workplaces, and communities worldwide. Her award-winning films including Angst, LIKE, The Upstanders, and Race to Be Human have reached millions and are widely used in education and corporate settings to build empathy, emotional literacy, and resilience. She’s the founder of the Impactful Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to making mental health education free and accessible for schools.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

Sarah Spain is an an award winning sports journalist who’s been with ESPN for over 15 years. She’s also the host of the first and only women’s daily podcast about women’s sports, Good Game with Sarah Spain. She co-authored (with Deland McCullough, RB coach for the Raiders) Runs in the Family: An incredible true story of football, fatherhood, and belonging. Spain is also a TV Personality, Activist, Speaker, and Overall Bad A**.

In this episode we discuss the Chicago Bears, how to help support and navigate sports for our kids-what works, what gets in the way, the importance of failing, being a college athlete at Cornell, injury, mental health privilege, cognitive restructuring, and going to the winter Olympics!

To learn more about Sarah Spain, visit her website!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

Kicking off season 2, episode #25 with Kevin Boehm the legendary restauranteur and one of the world’s foremost hospitality visionaries! Kevin is the Co-CEO + Co-Founder of BOKA Restaurant Group, Co-Founder of BIÂN Wellness and Social Club, and Author of ‘The Bottomless Cup.’ An autobiography about the highs and lows of opening numerous (50!) restaurants, earning James Beard awards, and navigating personal struggles.In this episode, Kelley and Kevin discuss ambition rooted in scrappiness, searching for happiness, mental health, sobriety, parenting, and forgiveness.

Stay tuned for his TODAY show appearance on January 27th!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

This episode will help families who have been impacted by addiction, approach the holidays from a different lens. Tom Farley is breaking generational traumas by sharing his experience, strength, and hope through his recovery and advocacy work. He’s the New York Times best -selling author of “The Chris Farley Show,” older brother of the late Chris Farley (SNL cast member, comedian, actor) and the Community Outreach Director for Recovery.com.Tom and Kelley discuss the family disease of addiction, sobriety vs recovery, leaving a legacy, and the importance of humor as it was a common thread in his family of origin and continues to be, as a motivational speaker.

Tom Farley LinkedIn:

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com

WBEZ Chicago reported this week, “Alcohol consumption in the U.S. is at a 90-year low. That trend has resulted in an explosion of tasty local options for alcohol-free imbibing.” In this bonus holiday episode, we invited one of the leading experts of non-alcoholic drinks on the podcast to take a deeper dive into this growing trend!

Ryan Foley is the publisher of Bartender Magazine (following in the footsteps of his late legendary father, Ray Foley, author of “Bartending for Dummies.”) who wrote “Non-Alcoholic Drinks for Dummies” for the evolving sober and sober curious movement.

As you prepare for the holiday festivities, whether at a bar or restaurant, hosting, or as a guest, there are so many delicious non-alcoholic options in this book. It’s a gift to explore what might wet your palate and add some festive fun!

In this episode Ryan shares the history of the magazine and original books his father wrote, his role in taking over the family business after his father passed away two years ago, and recommends some of the top non-alcoholic favorites.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kelleykitley.substack.com