Two Gals and a Mic

Taylor Thackston, owner of Frying Pan Anglers in Basalt, Colorado, shares her secrets for success, which are anchored in the premise that it's ok to not have a plan because, what is meant for you will find you.

Originally from Virginia, Taylor spent a great deal of her youth and most of college chasing trout around Appalachia and Tennessee. Despite spending more time on the water than she did in class, Taylor graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences.

When her post graduation plans, which included attending veterinarian school, did not come to fruition, a three-month gap summer in Basalt has grown into three years, and her greatest adventure yet. In this fun conversation, Taylor shares her love for fly fishing and how this passion has morphed not only into unexpected entrepreneurship, but also into an active role in helping women Veterans connect with hope and healing through her role on the Steering Committee of the Project Healing Waters Women on the Fly program. 

This week, I'm chatting with Dr. Hannah Wilson, an AASECT-certified sex therapist who has a passion for providing accurate sex and sexual health education through her practice at OH Hi Collective.

As an entrepreneur and foundress of both OH Hi Collective and Prickly Peach Sex Therapy, Hannah works as a holistic and systems therapist who is committed to reducing shame around sexual health through empowerment. While holding space for curiosity around various identities, Hannah and her team take the shame out of sex and sexuality so her clients feel supported to explore their world views while striving to align with authenticity.

To learn more about upcoming events, email Dr. Wilson, or follow the OH Hi Collective on Eventbright for additional details. 

In this week's episode, I'm sitting down with entrepreneur, Danielle Hendon, to talk money. As a Fractional CFO, and owner of 4 Corners CFO, Danielle helps small business owners understand their numbers so they can intentionally grow their profits and pay themselves what they are worth.

In this uplifting conversation, we navigate through what can often be a hard topic for many entrepreneurs, to better understand the importance of putting our masks on first so we have capacity and capability to create a masterful mindset around finances.

"When you put people first," Danielle reminds us, "there is no end to the return."

To learn more about Danielle, or to see how her team can help with the Four Corners of your business finances (Reliability, Profitability, Strategy and Execution), visit the 4 Corners CFO website. 

As the spouse of a combat-injured Marine, a mom of five, and the manager of the Warrior Week program at Camp Southern Ground, Megan Murphy is passionate about helping Veterans in their transformational and well-being journeys. 

In this week's conversation, Megan reminds us that we all need a reason to get out of bed in the morning, put our feet on the ground and smile. That "something to do" often emerges as Purpose, which can be identified through assessments such as Gallup's CliftonStrengths and the Enneagram test, so we can create - or recreate - who we are in the world.

Megan is on a mission to help develop people on better journeys for themselves and ensure purposeful connection. With the powerful reminder that telling our stories can often be the next page in someone else's survival guide, Megan has learned that we can't understand the mountaintop views, and the beauty of them, if we don't understand the deepest of valleys first. 

Click on these links to lean more about Warrior Week and the Warrior PATHH (Veterans) and Struggle Well Experience (First Responders), and have a listen to this previous podcast to hear, first-hand, how these programs are changing lives. 

In this impactful episode, I'm sitting down with Rachael Dunkel-Dodier, MS, LCPC, LAC, HCDC, NBCC, CDWF a certified high-conflict divorce coach, founder of Bridger Peaks Counseling and solopreneur, with her Resilience to Rise Coaching business. Rachael brings a unique combination of formal education and personal experience to help support women who are navigating divorces marked by addiction, abuse and narcissistic behaviors so they can get through one of the hardest experiences in life to be fully seen, honored and loved without shame or fear.  

In this candid, and honest conversation, Rachael shares her insights for ways to tackle the hard things, embrace the joyous things, and seek the healing salve that only community and connection can bring. 

To learn more about Rachael, and her body of work, visit the Bridger Peaks Counseling and the Resilience to Rise websites. 

Living on a small sustainable farm in Montana's mountains, Lorca Smetana, a resiliency expert who is no stranger to navigating crisis, trauma and grief, has created a body of work to inspire newfound purpose and strength to those who are coping with life’s difficult challenges.

In this episode of the Two Gals and a Mic podcast, Lorca reminds us that healing is iterative and filled with spirals of growth. As an expert in building holistic resiliency skills, she offers practical advice for embracing "Being With" in lieu of isolation or loneliness, and explains how that simple Radical Act of Revolution can create lasting resiliency which, ultimately, results in one's ability to live a vibrant, sustainable and creative life.

Lorca's resiliency journey began at the age of sixteen, when she unexpectedly found herself involved in the Mt. Hood climbing tragedy that took the lives of seven students and two teachers. Reported as the second deadliest alpine accident in North American history, this experience, coupled with the awareness of mortality and its impact on how we live our lives, are foundational to Lorca's resiliency work. 

To connect with Lorca, and find out more about building resilience through individual or group sessions, visit her website and then schedule a call.

In this powerful episode, I'm chatting with Kiley Poole, an Air Force Veteran, and mom, who is focusing her talents and energy to help heal those who served.

Despite being traumatized by toxic female leadership during her time in service, Kiley is committed to her own healing journey and leaning into being in community with women, with an open heart, and an open mind. Kiley's honest and raw perspective about tearing down walls and showing up authentically is allowing her to embrace her passion to help women Veterans understand that they are not alone.

Serving on Project Healing Waters' Women on the Fly Task Force, Kiley is focusing on fostering a safe space where women Veterans can find connection and flourish. With a mission to build something beautiful, Kiley reminds us that our stories are important and it's ok to feel a hug, feel a hand, and breathe. 

CLICK HERE to learn more about Project Healing Waters' Women on the Fly program, including how to get connected and ways to donate to this amazing initiative. 

This week, I sit down with U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Doreen Bender Johnson, to chat about her deep sense of compassion and love for others, which stems from the belief that we are all here for each other.

In this candid interview, Doreen shares her experiences about navigating racial animosity,  rebuilding post-divorce, the sense of joy that can be found when we take time to listen to others, and finding love again through the gift of dance.

When we follow our hearts and our passions, Doreen reminds us that that's where we find love. 

(Special shout-out to USMC Drill Sergeant Gripper...)

This week, I'm chatting with Alex Mufson, a CEO, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and serial entrepreneur who started her first business at three years old. She built Aspen Growth Coaching, a values-led company from zero to seven figures in three years with no seed money, no investors and no compromises and is now on a personal and professional mission, through her latest venture, Rêv, to redirect the flow of capital from those who do harm with it to those who heal with it.

In this enlightening conversation, we talk about how to harness the power of Human Design to understand our uniqueness, and in doing so, revolutionize our lives so we may contribute to the world in the most authentic and positive ways possible. 

(Headshot: Kale Chesney)