The Small Victories Podcast

What if the greatest freedom isn't found in being free from hardship, but in refusing to let hardship define your worth?

In this inspiring conversation, Pauline Victoria sits down with disability advocate, nonprofit founder, and Matter of Time Netflix documentary featured guest Hodges Caldwell Jr. Born with the rare skin condition Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), Hodges was told he wouldn't live past the age of two. Today, he is changing lives by helping people with disabilities regain something many take for granted: mobility.

As the founder of EB Lifestyle Inc., Hodges has helped provide lightweight mobility chairs and scooters to individuals whose insurance companies have denied them access to the equipment they need. Together, Pauline and Hodges explore resilience, advocacy, identity, disability, and the powerful truth that no one is a burden.

Whether you're living with a disability, supporting someone who is, or simply facing obstacles of your own, this episode will challenge you to rethink what it means to live with purpose and to recognize that your greatest challenges can become your greatest contribution.

Key Takeaways

• Your greatest challenge can become your greatest platform for serving others.

• Being different is not a weakness—it can become your greatest strength.

• Mobility is more than transportation; it creates freedom, dignity, independence, and opportunity.

• Sometimes the biggest barriers aren't our disabilities—they're the systems that fail to support us.

• You don't have to accept labels that tell you you're a burden or "in the way."

• Advocacy begins when you decide your story can help someone else.

• Resilience isn't pretending life is easy; it's choosing to keep showing up anyway.

• Living victoriously means refusing to let your circumstances determine your worth or limit your impact.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life have you believed you were "a burden" or "in the way," and what would change if you no longer accepted that belief?

2. How could your own life experiences—especially your struggles—become a source of hope, advocacy, or service for someone else?

Connect with Hodges Caldwell Jr.

Website: http://eblifestyles.org

Instagram: @eblifestyles_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hodges-caldwell-jr-081388222?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios

Learn more about EB Lifestyle Inc., support its mission, and help provide life-changing mobility equipment to people living with disabilities.

Mentioned in this Episode

• Matter of Time (Netflix Documentary)

• Speaking on Scars (Co-authored with Jake "The Snake" Roberts and other contributors)

What if a trip to the doctor or hospital didn't have to feel scary?

In this episode of the Small Victories Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Benjamin Nelson, a general surgeon from Maine and author of The Junior Surgeons Club: Letters From Your Body. Inspired by his own children and their anxiety when he was called away to perform surgery, Dr. Ben created a fun and educational way to help kids understand their bodies, health, and medicine.

Through lovable characters like Appy the Appendix, Art the Artery, and many others, Dr. Ben transforms anatomy into engaging stories that make learning about the human body approachable, empowering, and even fun.

This conversation explores how education can reduce fear, why curiosity is one of the greatest tools for overcoming anxiety, and how both children and adults can become more informed participants in their healthcare journey.

Key Takeaways

• Fear often grows in the absence of understanding. Education creates confidence and helps replace anxiety with curiosity.

• Learning how your body works empowers you to become a better advocate for your own health and medical decisions.

• Medicine is most effective when patients and healthcare providers work together through communication and shared decision-making.

• Understanding the purpose of medical procedures can make healthcare experiences less intimidating for both children and adults.

• Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to teach complex concepts because stories make information relatable, memorable, and engaging.

• The human body is an incredible team. Every organ, vessel, and cell works together toward a common goal—keeping you healthy and alive.

• Curiosity creates courage. When we ask questions and seek understanding, we become less overwhelmed by uncertainty.

• Helping children understand health at an early age can build lifelong habits of wellness, confidence, and self-awareness.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life might greater understanding replace fear or anxiety, and what questions could you begin asking to gain that understanding?

2. How might becoming more curious about your body, health, or medical care help you feel more empowered in your own life?

   
   

Connect with Dr. Benjamin Nelson

📘 Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589536506295

📖 Book: The Junior Surgeons Club: Letters From Your Bodyhttps://www.amazon.com/Junior-Surgeons-Club-Letters-Educational-ebook/dp/B0GY2QX9SJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2AIGJVEAQ86XC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.r92pNNAyvUkF9qM7dme8IHjOsuavoutUjxBK8NLwQEkcmVMzZMmAj1JBSNzJ9RB_oLc_CdMbOwi79zwqNw2YqcKZjSN0bspnCUsQ4VYPY152O9CpzJ95bJJiwdGwj69XpueMSTd4IXs_XCzH1sRM2IJJkPP-TNzL70B4ry3GmVd0cCmM4yT3F4eSrqouyF9z.sXPWvLkIF9q78FHvNR8wxoCDBbinbCtqG2S4hLNaJP0&dib_tag=se&keywords=The+Junior+Surgeons+Club%3A+Letters+From+Your+Body&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1783546411&sprefix=the+junior+surgeons+club+letters+from+your+body%2Caps%2C238&sr=8-1 

About Dr. Benjamin Nelson

Ben Nelson is a general surgeon living in Maine. Ben spends his time at the hospital performing surgery during the day—and sometimes in the middle of the night. To help his children understand his job and why he gets called away to care for patients, he created The Junior Surgeons Club.

His mission is to help children become excited about anatomy, surgery, health, and the incredible way their bodies work. Through engaging characters representing organs, cells, and vessels, Ben helps young readers develop curiosity, confidence, and a greater understanding of their own bodies so that medical experiences feel less frightening and more empowering.

What if the key to greater abundance, sustainability, and success wasn’t about pushing harder—but about listening more closely to how nature actually works?

In this episode of The Small Victories Podcast, host Pauline Victoria sits down with Matthieu Mehuys, an award-winning author and landscape architect who helps landowners, gardeners, farms, and large developments unlock the full potential of their land by working with nature instead of against it.

Matthieu’s journey began on his family farm in Belgium, where his childhood curiosity about how a tiny seed becomes a thriving plant eventually led him to travel the world studying regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and ecological design. Today, he works with clients across six continents designing biodiverse landscapes and sustainable developments that restore ecosystems while creating beautiful, low-maintenance spaces.

In this conversation, Matthieu shares how understanding the natural laws that govern ecosystems can transform not only our land—but also our mindset, our businesses, and our lives. From soil health to entrepreneurship, this episode reveals how aligning with nature’s principles leads to resilience, abundance, and lasting success.

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from nature—or wondered how to create more harmony between your environment and your life—this conversation will inspire you to see the world through a completely new lens.

Key Takeaways

• Nature is designed to move toward abundance and balance, and when we understand its patterns, we can harness its power instead of constantly fighting against it.

• Bare soil is nature’s signal for restoration, which is why weeds appear—they are not enemies but part of the ecosystem’s healing process.

• Healthy soil is the foundation of healthy ecosystems, and the microorganisms beneath our feet play a critical role in plant vitality, food quality, and even human health.

• Regenerative design focuses on restoring ecosystems, using natural processes to create productive, beautiful, and sustainable landscapes.

• Small actions—like improving soil health or planting the right plants—can dramatically reduce maintenance while increasing biodiversity and resilience.

• Entrepreneurship, like gardening, is about planting seeds consistently, trusting that the work you do today will grow and produce results in the future.

• Abundance is a natural law, and when we align our work, pricing, and purpose with the value we create, both people and ecosystems can thrive.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life might you be “fighting against nature” instead of aligning with how things naturally grow and evolve?

2. What small seed could you plant today—personally, professionally, or environmentally—that could create long-term growth and abundance?

About Matthieu Mehuys

Matthieu Mehuys is an award-winning author and landscape architect on a mission to create a greener, healthier world. Raised on a family farm in Belgium, his passion for plants began at just three years old when he became fascinated by the miracle of seeds turning into thriving plants.

After earning a Master of Engineering in Landscape Architecture, Matthieu left a traditional career path to travel the world exploring innovative ecological projects and regenerative farming systems. Today, he leads an international landscape architecture and consulting business that designs biodiverse, regenerative gardens, farms, and developments across the globe.

Through his work, Matthieu helps clients create stunning outdoor spaces that restore ecosystems, support biodiversity, and maximize the potential of their land.

Connect with Matthieu

Website:https://matthieumehuys.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthieu-mehuys-64b0b5111/

What if the very struggles you’ve tried to hide… were actually preparing you for the life you’re meant to lead?

In this powerful episode of The Small Victories Podcast, I sit down with David Price, founder and CEO of The Price Group, an insurance marketing organization that has generated over $60 million in production since 2018.

David’s journey is anything but conventional. Growing up in government housing projects, moving more than 20 times as a child, battling a 20-year drug addiction, and experiencing homelessness, his life could have easily taken a very different path. But a turning point in 2013 led him to sobriety—and eventually to building a thriving business that now mentors thousands of agents nationwide.

In this conversation, David shares the truth behind success: the mindset shifts, daily discipline, uncomfortable growth, and relentless commitment required to build something meaningful.

This episode is not just about business or entrepreneurship. It’s about hope. It’s about responsibility. And it’s about understanding that transformation often begins with the smallest decisions made consistently over time.

If you’ve ever felt behind, disqualified, or unsure whether your past can lead to something greater—this conversation will remind you that your story might be the very thing that prepares you to win.

Key Takeaways

• Your past doesn’t disqualify you—it can become your greatest advantage. The struggles you’ve endured can build resilience, empathy, and a higher pain tolerance for the challenges of entrepreneurship.

• Ego often prevents transformation. True growth begins when you admit you don’t have all the answers and become willing to learn from others.

• Consistency in small habits creates massive change over time. Success rarely comes from dramatic actions but from simple disciplines repeated daily.

• Most people don’t fail because the opportunity doesn’t work—they fail because they underestimate the activity required.

• Mindset is often the true variable in success. When external circumstances look the same for everyone, the difference is usually attitude and persistence.

• Entrepreneurship requires embracing uncertainty. Unlike a traditional job, you don’t know when success will arrive—but persistence keeps you in the race long enough to find it.

• Business ultimately comes down to conversations. Whether through networking, marketing, or sales, growth happens when you consistently connect with people.

Reflection Questions

1. Where might your past struggles actually be preparing you for something greater instead of holding you back?

2. What small habit could you commit to daily that, over time, could completely transform your life or business?

Connect with David Price

Website:https://www.thepricegroupimo.com/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/davidpriceofficial

What if trauma isn’t something to eliminate—but something to understand?

In this deeply reflective episode of The Small Victories Podcast, Pauline Victoria sits down with Michael Stone, author of Traumatized: A Love Story, for a profound conversation about trauma, healing, and the path back to wholeness.

Michael’s life story is one marked by unimaginable adversity—from discovering his mother after her suicide as a young child to living for over 40 years under the shadow of being falsely accused of his wife’s murder before DNA evidence finally revealed the truth. Yet rather than allowing trauma to define him, Michael has spent decades transforming his experiences into wisdom and healing work that supports others.

Together, Pauline and Michael explore a powerful perspective: trauma is not evidence that we are broken—it is a protective intelligence within the nervous system that once helped us survive. The real healing begins when we stop trying to outrun pain and instead learn to meet it with presence, curiosity, and compassion.

This conversation moves beyond traditional self-help ideas and into a deeper understanding of trauma as something that lives in the body, shapes our relationships, and connects us not only to our personal history but also to ancestral and collective experiences.

If you’ve ever wondered how to move from survival to true connection—with yourself, with others, and with life itself—this episode offers insights that may shift the way you see healing forever.

Key Takeaways

• Trauma isn’t what happened to you—it’s what happened inside you when the event occurred. Understanding this distinction gives you access to healing rather than feeling trapped by the past.

• Trauma is not a sign of brokenness—it is a protective intelligence within the nervous system designed to help us survive overwhelming experiences.

• Healing trauma requires feeling it in the body, not just understanding it intellectually. Awareness and somatic presence allow previously suppressed experiences to integrate.

• Many of our life paths, careers, and identities are shaped by how we adapted to early trauma. Recognizing these patterns can transform unconscious survival strategies into conscious choices.

• Healing is not only personal—it is ancestral and collective. When we integrate our trauma, we help heal family patterns, future generations, and the wider human community.

• True healing happens in relationship. Because many wounds were formed in connection with others, they are often best healed within supportive and safe relationships.

• Increasing our capacity to “hold life” is the real measure of healing. Integration allows us to respond to life with greater presence, compassion, and freedom rather than reacting from old wounds.

Reflection Questions

1. What sensations, emotions, or tensions in your body might be asking for your attention rather than your avoidance?

2. How might your personal healing ripple outward—to your relationships, your family, and the communities you’re part of?

About the Guest

Michael Stone is a spiritual author, mentor, shamanic practitioner, radio host, producer, and trauma integration facilitator who co-creates individual and group environments and experiences that support people in transcending the myth of separation to experience deep interconnection with others and all of life.

Through his work, Michael helps people integrate trauma, reconnect with their bodies, and rediscover the deeper intelligence within their experiences—supporting personal, ancestral, and collective healing.

Connect with Michael Stone

Website:http://www.WellofLight.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstone-quantumconsultinggroup/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585558712181

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/welloflight/

What if grief isn't something you have to "get over," but something you can learn to carry with hope?

In this deeply moving episode of The Small Victories Podcast, Pauline Victoria sits down with Marcia Earhart, a certified life, trauma, grief, brain, and mental health coach whose life was forever changed by the loss of two sons—one in a tragic accident and another through an act of violence. Rather than allowing grief to define her, Marcia chose to let it refine her.

Through raw vulnerability, profound faith, and hard-earned wisdom, Marcia shares how she navigated unimaginable loss, supported her family through different grieving styles, and discovered that healing isn't about letting go of those we love—it's about learning how to carry them forward in new ways.

Together, Pauline and Marcia explore grief, forgiveness, faith, boundaries, trauma, and the powerful truth that even in our darkest valleys, hope is still available.

Whether your loss is recent or decades old, this conversation offers compassion, perspective, and practical insights for anyone seeking to breathe again, move again, and live again. This episode is based on Marcia's powerful story and teachings shared throughout the conversation.

Key Takeaways

• Grief doesn't have to define your life—it can refine and redefine who you become.

• Healing begins when you stop trying to "move on" and start learning how to carry your loved one forward in meaningful ways.

• Every person grieves differently. Honoring different grieving styles can strengthen relationships instead of fracturing them.

• Healthy boundaries are not selfish; they create the space needed for healing, rest, and emotional resilience.

• The question "Where are you on a scale of 1-5 today?" often creates deeper connection than simply asking, "How are you?"

• Pain doesn't mean you're broken. Sometimes life breaks us open so growth, healing, and transformation can emerge.

• Forgiveness is not excusing what happened—it is choosing not to allow bitterness to consume your future.

• Grief often exposes the beliefs we hold about God, suffering, and control. Healing can begin when we examine those beliefs honestly.

• You are not responsible for outcomes you could never control. Releasing "should have," "could have," and "would have" thinking creates freedom.

• Hope is not the absence of grief. Hope is choosing to keep breathing, moving, and living while grief remains part of your story.

Reflection Questions

1. What loss, pain, or grief might you still be carrying alone that could benefit from support, community, or a safe space to heal?

2. What would change in your life if you viewed grief not as something to overcome, but as something that could refine and reshape you into who you're becoming?

About Marcia Earhart

Marcia Earhart is a certified life, trauma, grief, brain, and mental health coach, mediator, author, and HeartSync minister. Having navigated the deaths of two sons within the last eleven years—one tragically murdered—she now helps others find healing, hope, and restoration in the midst of profound loss.

She is the co-founder of the Sterling Rose Sanctuary, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals and families release trauma and pain so they can breathe again, move again, and live again.

Connect with Marcia

🌐 Website: www.thesterlingrosesanctuary.us

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSRS21

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesterlingrosesanctuary/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcia-earhart-the-sterling-rose-sanctuary-943a8410b/

📖 Book: Gripping Grace in the Garden of Grief: A Place for the Hearthttps://a.co/d/3Gy550K

Listener Invitation

If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who may be carrying grief and needs a reminder that healing is possible. Remember: you are not broken—you are becoming. One small victory at a time, hope can return, life can move forward, and victory can begin again. 

What if one of the most overlooked solutions to addiction recovery was also one of the most meaningful ways to build a purpose-driven business?

In this episode of The Small Victories Podcast, Pauline Victoria sits down with Jim Boad, co-founder of Group Home Accelerator, to explore the powerful intersection of impact and entrepreneurship through sober living homes.

Jim shares how growing up around alcoholism and nearly losing everything during the COVID pandemic led him to discover a model that helps people rebuild their lives while creating sustainable income. Today, he has helped launch more than 14 sober living homes—with many more on the way—providing structured, supportive environments for people committed to staying sober.

This conversation sheds light on the critical role sober living homes play in the recovery journey, the realities of running these homes responsibly, and how mission-driven entrepreneurs can create both financial stability and life-changing impact.

If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to combine purpose, compassion, and entrepreneurship, this episode will challenge how you think about opportunity.

Key Takeaways

• Recovery doesn’t end when treatment does—many people need structured environments to help them stay sober after rehab.

• Purpose-driven businesses thrive when mission comes before money; the impact you create often fuels sustainable success.

• Fear of starting something new often comes down to simple actions we avoid—sometimes the most powerful step is just picking up the phone.

• Structure, accountability, and clear boundaries can be acts of compassion that protect the well-being of everyone involved.

• The most meaningful businesses are built when purpose and practical systems work together.

• Setbacks and crises—like the financial uncertainty many experienced during COVID—can become the doorway to discovering a deeper calling.

• Communities are more likely to support recovery homes when they see professionalism, clear rules, and genuine care for both residents and neighbors.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life might purpose and practicality be waiting to come together in a new way?

2. What fear might be holding you back from taking the first simple step toward something meaningful?

   
   

Connect with Jim Boad

Learn more about Jim’s work and the Group Home Accelerator program:

🌐 https://grouphomeaccelerator.com/

🌐 http://www.jimboad.com/

What if the popular mantra “I am enough” is actually setting the bar too low?

In this powerful conversation, Pauline Victoria sits down with Clarissa Burt, internationally recognized media personality and author of The Self-Esteem Regime, to unpack what real self-esteem actually requires — and why it’s built through daily choices, not feel-good slogans.

Clarissa shares why comparison is one of the biggest confidence killers, how to recognize the hidden signs of low self-esteem, and what it really means to live with integrity, loyalty, and authentic human connection in today’s digital world.

If you’ve ever caught yourself shrinking, apologizing for your existence, or feeling disconnected despite being constantly online, this episode offers both perspective and practical next steps.

Her book The Self-Esteem Regime provides a concrete, step-by-step framework designed to help readers build lasting confidence and self-awareness.

This is your invitation to stop comparing… start doing the work… and step more fully into the person you’re becoming.

Key Takeaways

• “I am enough” may be too small a target. Expanding your identity beyond “enough” shifts you from survival thinking into growth and possibility.

• Comparison distorts reality. What you see online is often curated perception — tending your own “lawn” creates more progress than watching someone else’s.

• Self-esteem is built through practice, not positive thinking alone. Real confidence grows from consistent inner work, reflection, and aligned action.

• Your value system is your personal blueprint. When you clearly define your core values, decisions and relationships become easier to navigate.

• Low self-esteem often hides in everyday behaviors. Chronic apologizing, gossip, or needing to diminish others can signal deeper self-worth work to be done.

• Genuine human connection is an antidote to digital isolation. Getting off devices and into real-world interaction helps regulate confidence and belonging.

• Courage comes before confidence. Trust in yourself grows each time you take brave action — even when it feels awkward at first.

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life might you be settling for “enough” instead of stepping into who you’re truly capable of becoming?

2. What is one small action you can take this week to strengthen real-world connection instead of staying in digital comparison?

Connect with Clarissa Burt

Website: http://www.clarissaburt.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ClarissaBurtOfficial, https://www.facebook.com/ClarissaBurtInternational

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/clarissaburt

X: https://www.twitter.com/clarissaburt

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/clarissaburt

Instagram: http://instagram.com/clarissaburt

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clarissaburtofficial

What if the only permission you’ve been waiting for… is your own?

In this empowering episode of The Small Victories Podcast, Pauline Victoria sits down with Patty Aubery — powerhouse coach, best-selling author, speaker, and the visionary behind helping thousands of women stop playing small and start showing up boldly. From helping build the billion-dollar Chicken Soup for the Soul brand to creating her transformational Permission Granted movement, Patty shares the truth about confidence, visibility, and stepping into the life you know you’re meant for. 

Together, Pauline and Patty unpack the fears that keep people hidden, why success often requires discomfort, and how to stop waiting for invitations and start creating your own opportunities. If you’ve ever doubted your voice, hesitated to share your message, or felt called to something bigger, this conversation is your wake-up call.

Key Takeaways

• Confidence is not something you wait for — it is built through courageous action.

• Many people hide behind busyness, service, or perfectionism instead of taking the next brave step.

• The fear of being seen is often ego trying to keep you safe, not truth trying to guide you.

• Your network, community, and cheerleaders can become the “bumpers” that keep you moving forward.

• Visibility grows when you integrate all parts of yourself instead of separating your personal and professional life.

• You don’t need someone else to choose you — you can choose yourself today.

• It’s never too late to reinvent yourself, grow, heal, and become the fullest version of who you are.

  
  

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life are you waiting for someone else’s permission instead of granting it to yourself?

2. What brave action could you take this week that would help you become more visible in your purpose?

Connect with Patty Aubery

🌐 Website: http://pattyaubery.com

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pattyaubery/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patty-aubery-a19869b/

In this episode of Small Victories, host Pauline Victoria sits down with Angie Lion, author of Emerge: Rise From the Depths, Realign Your Soul, Reclaim What Matters, to explore how we can meet life’s transitions with strength, wisdom, and grace. Angie pulls from her own journey—raised amidst trauma, walking through deep loss, divorce, and the unraveling of identity—to show us what it looks like to emerge from the mud stronger, more aligned, and more resilient.

Key Takeaways

• Transitions refine you more than they break you. The endings we detest often become the soil in which a new life grows.

• Transitional Intelligence can be cultivated. Just like emotional intelligence, navigating change skillfully is a learnable capacity rooted in awareness, adaptability, and resilience.

• You already are enough—even while becoming. Growth doesn’t begin from lack; it begins from remembering your inherent worth and meeting your fears with curiosity.

• Obstacles are invitations, not punishments. When we turn toward challenge rather than resist it, we surface purpose, creativity, and hidden capacity.

• Stagnation signals an invitation, not a verdict. Feeling stuck is not proof of failure—it’s evidence that something deeper is trying to be born.

• You don’t heal in isolation. Asking for help, naming your fears, and connecting with guides or community is how you move from survival to mastery.
  

Whether you're in the middle of a painful transition or bracing yourself for one ahead, this conversation offers you a map and a companion to walk with you as you emerge.

Reflection Questions

1. Which transition in your life has felt most “stuck,” and what is one internal shift (e.g. reframing, asking for help, releasing a script) you can begin today to move through it?
   

2. When you look back on a difficult season you survived, what strengths or wisdom were born out of it that you now carry—and how could you intentionally lean into those as you move forward?
   

Angie Lion – Contact & Follow

• LinkedIn: Angie Lion https://www.linkedin.com/in/angielion?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

• Website: https://www.angielion.com/podcast-1?utm_source=chatgpt.com (for her book, coaching, speaking)