What does forgiveness really mean when the person who hurt you caused deep and lasting pain?

In this powerful and deeply moving episode, I sit down with Kevin Hughes—Amazon bestselling author, mental health advocate, veteran, and speaker—to explore his remarkable story of surviving childhood abuse, healing from trauma, and ultimately discovering that forgiveness is not about excusing what happened—it’s about freeing yourself.

Kevin opens up about growing up in poverty and abuse, dissociating for decades due to the impact of being raised by a sociopathic mother, and the long road toward healing and reclaiming his life. Through profound personal reflection, faith, resilience, and inner work, Kevin shares how he moved from surviving to thriving.

Together, we explore the complicated emotions surrounding forgiveness, what healing actually looks like after deep emotional wounds, and why freedom often begins when we stop allowing our pain to define us.

This episode is honest, hopeful, and deeply validating for anyone navigating difficult family dynamics, unresolved hurt, or the complicated journey of healing from the past.

• Kevin’s experience growing up with abuse and emotional trauma
• What dissociation can look like and how trauma impacts identity
• The complicated relationship between healing and forgiveness
• Why forgiveness is about your freedom—not excusing harmful behavior
• Breaking cycles of pain and reclaiming your life story

Connect With Kevin

Kevin Hughes Website
Instagram @kevinhughes_books
Facebook – Sociomom Book
LinkedIn – Kevin Hughes

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What if burnout isn’t a sign that you need to quit what egnal that something deeper needs your attention?

In this empowering and practical conversation, I sit down with Elisha Meek—author, speaker, burnout coach, and corporate professional—to talk about what burnout really looks like and how to break free from it without walking away from your paycheck.

After navigating her own experience with burnout, Elisha turned her struggle into a mission to help busy women reclaim their identity, joy, and purpose while still managing the demands of everyday life. We explore the myth that escaping burnout requires a dramatic life overhaul and instead discuss how small, intentional shifts can create meaningful change.

Together, we dive into the importance of joy, mindset, and rediscovering the parts of yourself that may have been buried beneath responsibilities, stress, and overwhelm. Elisha shares practical tools to help listeners refill their cup, reconnect with themselves, and stop waiting for life to feel better someday.

If you’ve been feeling exhausted, disconnected from yourself, or wondering if this constant overwhelm is just “normal,” this episode is a reminder that burnout doesn’t have to be your forever.

• What burnout really looks like (and why it’s not just about work)
• Why quitting your job isn’t always the answer to feeling stuck
• The brain-body-soul approach to reclaiming your energy and joy
• How small daily habits can create big shifts in well-being
• Rediscovering purpose, identity, and fulfillment outside of productivity
• The power of gratitude, mindset shifts, and intentional focus
• How to identify what genuinely brings you joy—without shame

Connect With Elisha

Elisha Meek Website
Instagram @elisha.meek
LinkedIn – Elisha Meek

Email: [email protected]

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What happens when life unravels faster than you can hold it together?

In this deeply honest and expansive conversation, I sit down with Lisa Taylor to explore her journey through unexpected motherhood, divorce, and personal upheaval—and how those experiences became the doorway to profound healing and self-discovery.

Lisa shares how she moved from simply surviving to truly reconnecting with herself, blending spiritual practices with grounded, everyday tools. We talk about what it really means to slow down (especially when life feels chaotic), how to access your inner wisdom, and why true healing doesn’t come from fixing your external world—but from turning inward.

This episode is both comforting and activating. If you’ve ever felt disconnected from yourself or unsure how to move forward after a life shift, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: everything begins with you.

Connect With Lisa

Website: lisataylorholistic.com/book

Instagram: @thelisataylor

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lisataylor111

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In this episode of the Live Free Podcast, I sit down with Laura G. Patac—entrepreneur, former corporate executive, mathematician turned poet, and master storyteller. With more than two decades of global leadership experience across five continents, Laura has lived and led in culturally diverse environments, and today she uses her voice to help others uncover the power in their own stories.

Our conversation is all about the ways our stories shape who we are, how we show up, and the lives we create. Laura shares her personal journey from a shy child in Romania to a confident leader and entrepreneur, and how storytelling became the thread connecting art, poetry, leadership, and personal transformation.

We talk about the role of self-expression in discovering our unique value, the resilience built through adversity, and how reframing our inner dialogue can open new doors. Laura also introduces frameworks for self-discovery, showing us how to find the threads in our own experiences and weave them into a narrative of strength, authenticity, and purpose.

This conversation is rich with insights on resilience, empowerment, and the power of storytelling—not just as a way to share who we are, but as a way to create mirrors for others to see their own gifts. Laura reminds us that our stories are not something to hide, but something to honor, embrace, and ultimately share, because in them we find both healing and connection.

Chapters

00:00 Journey of Self-Discovery and Expression

02:38 The Power of Storytelling in Art and Life

05:45 Corporate Life: The Art of Storytelling in Leadership

08:31 Embracing Diversity and Cultural Learning

11:21 Transitioning to Entrepreneurship: Finding Purpose

14:37 Empowerment Through Unique Value Proposition

17:17 Frameworks for Personal Growth and Storytelling

20:17 The Importance of Self-Talk and Positive Affirmations

22:49 Books and Resources for Personal Development

25:43 Future Aspirations and Legacy Building

Connect With Laura:

LinkedIn

Link We Promised: HERE

• What's Included: As promised, here’s your free download of Stories with Purpose in PDF format. And that’s not all—when you grab your copy, you’ll also receive a bonus digital workbook to help you apply the STORY framework to your own journey.

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In this episode of the Live Free Podcast, I sit down with Diana, a cancer thriver and executive leader whose journey will inspire you to see challenges through a new lens. Diana opens up about the day everything changed—just 30 days into 2014, the year she had planned to thrive as a single mom, excel as a leader, and go on a missions trip. Instead, she got the call no one wants to hear: she had cancer near her left eye.

Over the next nine years, her mission shifted from traveling overseas to showing up with faith, kindness, and purpose inside hospital walls. She shares how she saved her eye for nearly a decade, then faced a life-saving surgery that removed her eye and sinus areas—followed by radiation, MRIs, and a new chapter of resilience.

Through it all, Diana embraced a profound mindset shift—from asking “Why me?” to declaring “Since it’s me…” She’s learned that adversity can refine us, not define us, and that our hardships can uniquely qualify us to serve and uplift others. Her story is a beautiful reminder that we can all choose to shine, even in the darkest places.

Connect With Diana

Website - Get The Book!

LinkedIn

Facebook

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In this high-energy, joy-infused episode of The Live Free Podcast, I sit down with Happiness Expert and author Deborah Mallow to explore how we can all create fewer days that suck—by making joy a daily, doable choice.

Deborah’s journey from the high-stress world of corporate sales and design to becoming a cheerleader for positivity (minus the pom-poms) is both inspiring and hilarious. Her book, 6 Steps to Fewer Days That Suck, offers a refreshing, no-fluff guide to building resilience, shifting perspective, and actually enjoying life—even when it’s hard.

We talk about how mindset shapes everything, why self-care is really about self-worth, and how small steps can lead to huge shifts over time. Deborah also shares how her Daily Decisions toolkit helps people stop waiting for life to get easier—and start dancing through the mess with more joy and confidence.

If you’ve been craving more lightness, less guilt, and permission to celebrate yourself unapologetically, this one’s for you.

Connect With Deb:

thedailydecisions.com

IG @daily.decisions

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In this deeply inspiring episode of The Live Free Podcast, I sit down with Tammy—a highly sought-after international psychotherapist, speaker, and podcast guest with over 25 years of experience in trauma recovery. Tammy has helped countless individuals transform the lingering effects of trauma, guiding them on a powerful journey from pain to peace.

As the creator of the Transformation Solution™—a cutting-edge blend of EMDR, Internal Family Systems, and other evidence-based therapies—Tammy offers an approach that accelerates and deepens healing far beyond what traditional methods often achieve. Her work isn’t just professional; it’s personal. Having used these very modalities in her own life, she brings both clinical expertise and lived understanding to her clients and audiences.

In our conversation, Tammy opens up about her own story of overcoming adversity, the importance of listening to your inner knowing, and why practices that promote self-connection and flow are essential for healing. We explore how trauma impacts the body, the unique power of EMDR therapy, and the role of helping professionals in walking alongside you—not in front of you—on the healing path.

If you’ve ever wondered whether deep healing is truly possible—or how to begin that journey—this episode will leave you with hope, clarity, and practical ways to take your next step toward peace.

Takeaways

• Inner knowing is accessible to everyone, despite external noise.

• Practices like meditation and nature can help access inner knowing.

• Turning towards discomfort can lead to greater clarity and flow.

• EMDR therapy is effective in processing trauma stored in the body.

• Symptoms of trauma are invitations to explore deeper issues.

Connect With Tammy

Website

Email

Instagram

LinkedIn

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In this uplifting episode of The Live Free Podcast, Christine sits down with Lori Rogers—mindset expert, speaker, and co-founder of a multimillion-dollar woman-owned business—to talk about how burnout, fear, and anxiety led her to an unexpected breakthrough.

Laurie’s story is one of radical reinvention—from high-pressure hustle to deep inner peace. Along the way, she created Positive Activity™, a mindset-based approach that helps people build resilience, shift their thinking, and create powerful daily habits rooted in joy, compassion, and clarity.

She opens up about her personal experience raising a child with special needs, how it reshaped her perspective on gratitude and self-worth, and the specific practices—like meditation, appreciation, and kindness—that helped her transform anxiety into peace. Laurie also shares the books that changed her life, including You Can Heal Your Life, and offers grounded advice for anyone struggling to believe that change is possible.

This episode is full of real tools, real talk, and a reminder that you don’t need a perfect plan to heal—you just need the willingness to start.

Connect with Lori"

Positive Activity Website

Instagram

Instagram 2

Facebook

LinkedIn

YouTube

TikTok

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In this enlightening episode of The Live Free Podcast, Christine sits down with world-renowned physician, researcher, and Psychology Today contributor Dr. Laura Gabayan to explore one of life’s most powerful resources: wisdom.

Through her groundbreaking Wisdom Research Project, Dr. Gabayan interviewed 60 individuals across North America—people widely considered wise by those who knew them best. What she discovered became the foundation for her new book, Common Wisdom: 8 Scientific Elements of a Meaningful Life. From resilience and kindness to emotional regulation and spirituality, she outlines the eight key traits that help people navigate life’s hardest moments with grace and clarity.

Together, Christine and Dr. Gabayan discuss what wisdom really is, how we cultivate it, and why patience plays such a vital role in our growth. Whether you’re facing a major life shift or simply longing for deeper understanding, this episode offers science-backed insight—and a powerful reminder that wisdom isn’t reserved for the elderly or enlightened. It’s a skill we can all build.

Plus, hear about Dr. Gabayan’s Wisdom IQ Test, a unique tool for self-discovery that helps you reflect on your own path toward a more meaningful life.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:45 The Journey to Understanding Wisdom

06:41 The Eight Elements of Wisdom

09:56 The Role of Adversity in Wisdom

12:47 Cultivating Wisdom and Personal Growth

16:02 The Wisdom IQ Test and Its Importance

18:53 Final Thoughts and Resources

20:56 Podcast Outro.m4a

Connect With Dr. G:

Facebook

LinkedIn

X

Instagram

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In this empowering episode of The Live Free Podcast, Christine is joined by Leadership and Life Coach Gary Montalvo, whose grounded, compassionate approach to personal growth has helped people transform pain into purpose for nearly two decades.

Gary shares his powerful journey from working as an art director to stepping into his calling as a coach—and what it really means to lead yourself through change. Together, they explore themes of personal leadership, emotional resilience, and why vulnerability isn’t weakness, but wisdom in motion.

This conversation dives into what happens when we stop avoiding discomfort and instead learn to navigate it with clarity, courage, and practical tools. Gary reminds us that true leadership begins within—and that asking for help is one of the strongest moves we can make.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure of how to move forward, this episode will leave you feeling seen, inspired, and ready to take aligned action—on your own terms.

Chapters

00:00 Journey to Leadership: A Personal Story

10:16 Tools for Navigating Stressful Situations

16:56 The Power of Vulnerability in Leadership

24:04 Embracing Pain and Growth

31:59 Redefining Leadership: Authenticity and Community

Connect With Gary

Website: https://www.garymontalvo.com/

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

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