Two Gals and a Mic

On this week's episode, I sit down with Jennifer Parscal, a self-proclaimed organized chaos expert, who shares her insights and inspiration as the spouse of a now-retired Green Beret, who served for almost two decades as a Special Forces Operator in the U.S. Army Special Forces. 

While supporting her household and husband through multiple combat deployments, Jen found her footing and employed creativity to juggle the needs of her family with her personal health and fitness goals, including qualifying for the Boston Marathon five times.

In 2022, her husband retired from the Army and Jen and her family relocated to Bozeman, Montana, where she now runs a professional cleaning and organizing company and continues to be a positive role model for her three kids, who are now 16, 14, and 11 years old. 

Jen firmly believes that you CAN have it all if you approach life with the mindset that, "There's no I anymore. It's a WE thing. You put the WE before the ME."  And that's how she finds success. 

Have you ever considered going on a fly fishing adventure - even as a SOLO angler? On this week's episode, I chat with Steph Albano, the founder and owner of Finatical Flyfishing, which focuses on flyfishing travel for women, by women. 

Steph has enjoyed flyfishing travel most of her life and built these experiences around knowledgeable, skilled, high quality guide operations and amazing locations.

Steph's best piece of life advice? "Just do it. Stepping out of your comfort zone is hard and sometimes does require a leap of faith. One step does lead to another opportunity. Once you leap, you'll experience more than you imagined and enjoy a life you might not have thought possible."

Ready to take the leap? Book your bucket list adventure here: www.finaticalflyfishing.com

In this first episode of 2024, I chat with Carrie Fuller, a first responder, yoga instructor and paramedic. As a 23-year professional in the fire service, Carrie says that it took her a long time to accept standing out and making waves...even if it was for the right reasons. Now this mother of two is on a mission to leave a legacy which provides first responders with the tools and practices they need to turn resilience into more than just a buzz word.

Carrie is a role model to her families at home and at the firehouse by proving that we are all stronger than we think and have the power to work through whatever stressors life throws our way.

As we head full-throttle into a new year, she offers these Words of Wisdom to help us all find our gifts and, with purpose, give them away: "Self-awareness doesn't stop you from making mistakes - it allows you to learn from them. Follow the spark inside of you because life is too short to not be living and doing what fills you up."

As we close out 2023, I speak with Kim Thompson, a hospice nurse and woman of faith who pours out her compassion and love to help people - and their loved ones - navigate their last days on earth. 

With death comes rebirth and, now that the New Year is on the horizon, Kim and I talk about change, intentionality and what it means to be brave.

Kim's advice on being brave? "Never give up. Setbacks happen but you have to keep working hard to realize your dreams."

As she notes, life is so precious and it's about forgiving, moving on, getting past the hurts and showing love. Anything worth having is a lot of work. But, it's worth it. 

On this week's episode of Two Gals and a Mic, I'm chatting with Shannon Stroup, a U.S. Air Force Veteran with 3 combat tours under her belt, about growing through the tough stuff so you can get to the good stuff! 

As she shares her journey of hope and healing, Shannon offers her wisdom and nuggets of knowledge about wellness practices and self-care methods which have been proven to help people from all walks of life navigate through trauma so they may lead beautiful, purposeful and meaningful lives. 

Shannon currently works in the non-profit sector, teaching the concept of Post Traumatic Growth (#ptg) to Veterans and First Responders. When she isn't on the road teaching #ptg, Shannon is busy gearing up for motherhood as she and her wife prepare to welcome their first child! 

Shannon's best advice? "Always show yourself a little grace and lead, in all scenarios, with love. This life is short, make it count."

If you are interested in finding out more about the science and study of Post Traumatic Growth, visit the American Psychological Association's website for more information.

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing an acute mental health crisis, please reach out for help. You may contact the National Crisis and Suicide Hotline at 988 for immediate assistance. 

Join me this week as I talk to Army Veteran Stacy McKinney, who shares her struggles and sacrifices about trying to become an adoptive parent while managing multiple deployments, including three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.

After years of trying and finding her efforts thwarted due to her deployment status, Stacy finally succeeded with her longtime dream of becoming a mom. 

Now, retired from the Army, Stacy uses her gifts to work with a variety of special education children in the middle school setting while happily juggling home life as a single mom of two. 

Stacy's best piece of advice for anyone who is seeking a little EXTRA?

"If you have a dream don’t stop trying to achieve it. I always wanted to be a mom and I was 39 when i was able to achieve that dream."

Join me this week as I speak to the first African American female Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer, Cheri' Ben-Iesau, from BIG BRANCH APIARY - her blueberry farm on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, LA. 

After duty stations in San Diego, Louisville, Baton Rouge, Houston, and New Orleans she retired, nearly 25 years later and wrote the book, The Long September, which chronicles her experience inside City Hall as a first responder during Hurricane Katrina.   

Now Cheri' is applying her talents and passions to run a U-Pick farm complete with honey, eggs, chickens, flowers and blueberries along the Tammany Trace bike trail.  

Cheri' is also a renowned artist whose artwork has been in the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, numerous gallery exhibits, and her work is routinely featured at Ariodante Gallery in New Orleans.

On this week's episode, registered nurse and clinical instructor, Shannon Phelan, shares her insights, practical advice and ideas for implementing wellness and self-care practices to be able to struggle well through life's ebbs and flows so we all may do better today than we did yesterday. 

Shannon has a passion for training the upcoming generation of health care providers and addressing the need for mental health support for both new and seasoned health care professionals. With a background in ICU nursing and social work, Shannon is on a mission to navigate a complex medical system so providers may receive mental health care access and navigate the traumas that are often associated with the profession.  

Shannon's Reading List:

The Last House Guest

A Little Life

Struggle Well 

and an extra...

Man's Search for Meaning 

Donna Andreassi is an Air Force Veteran and Montana and Louisiana powerlifting champion, who has a passion for mentoring others, spending time with her grandkids and following her dreams. 

Join us as we discuss Spartan Racing, therapy dog training, and what it takes to work towards achieving your goals - even when that means reworking the plan time and time again. 

Want to know more? You can connect with Donna through LinkedIn.