Unwrapped With Gift

What happens when addiction, grief, mental health struggles, professional failure, and unexpected challenges collide and you have to find your way back?

In this powerful episode of Unwrapped With Gift, I sit down with Troy Haslinger, TEDx speaker, medical sales professional, ultra-marathon runner, charity founder, and author of Beautifully Dysfunctional.

Troy opens up about some of the most difficult chapters of his life, including losing his sister Holly to cancer at just 39, his battle with alcohol addiction, mental health struggles, professional setbacks, being fired from his own charity, and a near-death experience that changed his perspective on life.

We also explore sobriety, resilience, faith, humility, purpose, and the surprising connection between ultra-running and recovery. Troy shares what it means to keep moving forward when life feels overwhelming—and why even the most dysfunctional parts of our stories can eventually become sources of strength and connection.

Most importantly, this conversation is a reminder that your darkest chapter does not have to be the end of your story.

If you or someone you know has ever struggled with addiction, grief, mental health, failure, or simply finding your way again, this episode is for you.

🎙️ Listen to the full conversation and discover why sometimes we can find beauty in the parts of our lives we once considered broken.

Guest: Troy Haslinger

Book: Beautifully Dysfunctional

Podcast: Unwrapped With Gift

#UnwrappedWithGift #TroyHaslinger #BeautifullyDysfunctional #AddictionRecovery #MentalHealth #Recovery #Resilience #Grief #Sobriety #PersonalGrowth #Faith #Healing

Call to Action

Link to send listeners to:

https://authortroyhaslinger.com

This is my website and explains in detail my story.

What if some of the things we've been taught about the Bible aren't exactly what the original texts intended?

In this thought-provoking episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with Dror Ben Ami, an author and biblical researcher whose work explores the deeper meanings, metaphors, language, and cultural context behind Scripture.

Dror takes us beyond traditional interpretations and invites us to examine the Bible through the lens of Hebrew language, Jewish traditions, biblical metaphors, and historical context. We explore his unconventional interpretation of Jesus as a plowman and sower of seeds, the symbolism of the Tree of Life, the significance of Hebrew in understanding biblical passages, and the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.

We also discuss the Samaritans, Paul of Tarsus and his Pharisaic background, and Dror's books The Vineyard and The Final Jubilee.

Most importantly, this conversation asks a powerful question:

What happens when we become willing to look beyond the surface and question the assumptions we've inherited?

Whether you're deeply religious, curious about biblical history, or simply interested in exploring ancient texts from a different perspective, this episode offers a fascinating invitation to think deeper, ask questions, and discover new layers of meaning.

🎙️ Guest: Dror Ben Ami

🎧 Podcast: Unwrapped With Gift

📖 Topics: Bible • Hebrew • Jesus • Judaism • Christianity • Biblical Metaphors • Scripture • Faith • History • Interpretation

Call to Action

Link to send listeners to:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1HA3f56zqb/

This link is to my FACEBOOK page where one can find articles dealing with subjects on the Old Testament and the Gospels in several different languages.

Sometimes the most powerful discoveries begin with a simple question.

What does it mean to remain human in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, technology, and digital communities?

In this episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with James Hodgson, founder of Humanise Live, host of Humanism Now, former tech-company CEO, and passionate advocate for compassion, curiosity, community, human flourishing, and the ethical use of emerging technologies.

James shares his perspective on what it truly means to build meaningful human connection in an increasingly digital world. Together, they explore humanism, community building, leadership, social media, artificial intelligence, the future of work, and the human qualities that may become even more valuable as technology continues to evolve.

They also discuss podcasting as a tool for building communities, spreading meaningful ideas, creating positive change, and turning purpose-driven work into sustainable opportunities.

From the opportunities and risks of AI to the importance of compassion and curiosity, this conversation asks a powerful question:

Can we build a future that is not only smarter and more connected, but also more human?

Join us for an insightful and thought-provoking conversation about technology, humanity, community, purpose, and the future we're creating together.

Listen, reflect, and keep unwrapping the stories behind the people around you.

#UnwrappedWithGift #JamesHodgson #HumaniseTheFuture #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Humanism #CommunityBuilding #Podcasting #FutureOfWork #Leadership #HumanConnection #Compassion #Technology #HumanFlourishing

Call to Action

Link to send listeners to:

Https://humanise.live

If you would like to get started in podcasting to grow a community, spread your message and create positive change. Contact James and the Team at Humanise Live

What happens when customers stop searching Google and start asking AI?

In this episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with Shanzila Ahmed, Co-Founder of ReachLLM and an expert in AI Search Visibility and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way people discover businesses online.

You may have great SEO, a beautiful website, and strong Google rankings but can ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity understand your brand well enough to recommend it?

Shanzila breaks down the difference between traditional SEO and GEO, how AI systems gather information about businesses, what influences AI recommendations, and why brand visibility in the age of AI requires a new approach.

We also explore practical strategies businesses especially small businesses can use to improve their visibility, the role of content and structured data, common AI-search mistakes, and what the future of online discovery could look like.

In this episode, we discuss:

- SEO vs. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

- How AI decides which businesses to recommend

- Where ChatGPT and other AI tools get brand information

- Why some businesses remain invisible in AI-generated answers

- How small businesses can improve AI visibility

- The role of websites, content, FAQs, schema, and structured data

- Measuring AI visibility and competitive share of voice

- How AI is changing customer discovery

- The future of SEO and search

- Building an AI-ready brand in 2026

If you're a business owner, entrepreneur, marketer, creator, or digital professional, this conversation will help you understand why being searchable is no longer enough you also need to be recommendable.

🎙️ Unwrapped With Gift Real stories. Honest conversations. Meaningful transformation.

Your customers are asking AI about businesses. The question is: Is AI talking about yours?

Call to Action

Link to send listeners to:

https://www.reachllm.com/

A free AI visibility report. Listeners enter their website and ReachLLM benchmarks how ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews currently describe their brand - visibility score, share of voice, which sources are being cited, and how they compare to competitors. It costs nothing and it is useful on its own, so it gives your audience something concrete to do the moment the episode ends rather than just a sales page.

What would you do if you arrived in a new country with just $20, no English, and no connections?

In this powerful episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with Ash Shukla—holistic business consultant, entrepreneur, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and founder of Financial CHAKRAS—to explore his extraordinary journey from financial uncertainty to building seven-figure success.

Ash shares the lessons he learned about mindset, money, purpose, business strategy, resilience, and personal transformation while helping more than 5,000 entrepreneurs navigate their own path to success.

We dive into the beliefs and emotional patterns that can influence our relationship with money, why working harder isn't always the answer, and how entrepreneurs can create wealth without sacrificing their well-being, identity, or purpose.

Ash also explains his Financial CHAKRAS approach and reveals how becoming financially successful is only one part of achieving true, holistic success.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, someone struggling financially, or simply trying to discover your purpose and unlock your potential, this conversation offers practical insights and powerful reminders about what is possible when mindset, strategy, purpose, and action come together.

In this episode, we explore:

Overcoming adversity and starting with almost nothing

The mindset behind financial success

Why hard work alone isn't enough

Financial and emotional blocks around money

Building wealth without burnout

Purpose and its role in sustainable success

Self-awareness and personal growth

The journey from survival to significance

Creating a healthier relationship with money

What true wealth means beyond finances

Sometimes, the biggest transformation begins when you have almost nothing—but refuse to give up.

🎙️ Unwrapped With Gift — Real stories. Honest conversations. Meaningful transformation.

Call to Action

If you're a purpose-driven entrepreneur, coach, or business owner struggling with inconsistent income, unpredictable sales, and lack of clarity in your business model—it's time to change that.

I help holistic-minded leaders like you align your energy, business strategy, and wealth-building principles so you can create consistent revenue, attract high-ticket clients, and establish yourself as an industry expert—without burnout.

Let’s build a scalable, aligned, and abundant business together.

Start your journey to 7-figure success!

Why do smart, capable business owners sometimes know exactly what needs to be done, but still struggle to execute consistently?

In this episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with Georges Hanna, Business Ascension Strategist, founder of Smart Income Lifestyle, and creator of the Certainty Install™ Framework, for a powerful conversation about Execution Drift—the gap between knowing, deciding, and actually taking action.

Georges shares the personal story behind his work, including losing everything in 2013 and rebuilding his life financially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Together, they explore why entrepreneurs become bottlenecks in their own businesses, how fear and control can affect decision-making, why being busy isn't always the same as making progress, and why AI and systems cannot fix problems that begin with leadership and identity.

Georges also shares practical insights for business owners who want to move from an owner-dependent company toward a business that can truly operate, grow, and create freedom.

If everything in your business depends on you, this conversation is for you.

Ask yourself: Where am I the bottleneck and what would my business look like if it could succeed without everything depending on me?

Call to Action

Link to send listeners to:

https://smartincomelifestyle.com/welcome

This link takes listeners to Georges' welcome page, where they can learn more about the Certainty Install™ framework and how to identify where 'Execution Drift' may be costing them in their own business. It's a free first step for any business owner who wants more clarity, stronger execution, and less dependency on themselves for everything to run.

What happens when you discover that the people in your family history aren't exactly who you thought they were?

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with Steve Jensen, former Texas trial attorney, public speaker, blogger, and author of Healing White History, for an honest conversation about race, family history, truth, responsibility, and healing.

Steve spent more than two decades in the courtroom questioning evidence, challenging narratives, and demanding the truth. But eventually, he turned those same skills toward his own family tree.

What he discovered forced him to confront uncomfortable truths about ancestors connected to slavery, Confederate ideology, racial oppression, and the suppression of Black political power.

Rather than hide from that history, Steve chose to investigate it.

In this conversation, he explains his unusual approach of "cross-examining" his ancestors—imagining conversations with them and confronting the beliefs and choices they made. He also explores the difference between inherited guilt and personal responsibility, the power of learning your own history, and how confronting uncomfortable truths can become a pathway toward healing.

Together, Gift and Steve explore questions such as:

What happens when family history challenges our identity?

How can we acknowledge ancestral wrongdoing without being consumed by guilt?

Why does learning our history affect us differently from simply learning history?

Can understanding the past help us create a different future?

What does it mean to take responsibility for the legacy we inherit?

How can families tell the truth while still acknowledging love and complexity?

What can we teach the next generation about difficult family histories?

This isn't simply a conversation about the past.

It's about what we choose to do with the truth once we discover it.

Because sometimes healing begins when we stop protecting the story we inherited and become brave enough to examine it.

🎙️ Guest: Steve Jensen

Former Texas Trial Attorney | Speaker | Blogger | Author of Healing White History

🎧 Tune in to Unwrapped With Gift for a conversation about confronting history, challenging inherited narratives, and choosing what kind of legacy we leave for the generations that come after us.

Call to Action

Come to Healing White History on Substack. It's free. And when you get there, download the Framework for Healing Your Own White History — seven steps for finding your own ancestors and confronting them yourself. This isn't a spectator sport. I did this work on my own family, and I'll help you do it on yours.

What happens when the healthcare professional becomes the caregiver?

In this deeply personal episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with Tiffany Auvil, a Registered Nurse, Functional Medicine Health Coach, Caregiver Coach, speaker, and author, to explore the realities of caregiving, healthcare advocacy, burnout, grief, and resilience.

After spending more than 20 years working inside the healthcare system, Tiffany suddenly found herself on the other side of the bed when her husband, Dave, was diagnosed with cancer. Her experience navigating his treatment, insurance challenges, misdiagnosis, and ultimately caring for him at home transformed the way she understood the healthcare system and inspired her book, The No BS Guide for Caregivers: How to Survive the Healthcare Maze.

In this honest conversation, Tiffany shares what caregivers need to know but aren't always told: how to ask better questions, recognize when something doesn't feel right, advocate for a loved one without becoming confrontational, navigate insurance and medical decisions, and care for yourself while caring for someone else.

We also talk about the emotional reality of caregiving, the grief that follows loss, and what happens when the role you've spent so much of your life fulfilling suddenly disappears.

In this episode, you'll discover:

What caregivers should do after a serious diagnosis

How to become a stronger healthcare advocate

Questions caregivers should ask medical professionals

How to recognize and respond when something doesn't seem right

How to navigate insurance and administrative challenges

Why caregivers shouldn't simply be told to “stay positive”

How to avoid losing yourself while caring for someone else

The importance of self-care and rebuilding after caregiving

What grief can look like after the caregiving journey ends

How one woman's personal loss became a mission to help other caregivers

Whether you're currently caring for a loved one, supporting someone through illness, or preparing for a journey you never expected to take, this conversation offers practical wisdom, compassion, and reassurance.

You don't have to be a healthcare professional to be a powerful advocate for someone you love.

🎙️ Guest: Tiffany Auvil

Registered Nurse | Functional Medicine Health Coach | Caregiver Coach | Author

🎧 Listen to this episode of Unwrapped With Gift and discover why sometimes the most important thing a caregiver can do is simply ask questions, speak up, and remember that their voice matters too.

Call to Action

Link to send listeners to:

HTTPS://tiffanyauvil.com

Listeners can grab a free resource and learn about working with Tiffany through her caregiver coaching practice. She works with family caregivers who are burned out, overwhelmed, and trying to make sense of a healthcare system that wasn’t designed to help them. The opt-in leads to a discovery call where she helps caregivers figure out exactly what they need.

What if courage isn’t about getting rid of fear, but learning how to move forward with it?

In this powerful episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with Bernice McDonald, Courage Architect, author, speaker, and creator of the Tiny Brave Steps Methodology, for an honest conversation about fear, self-doubt, people-pleasing, self-trust, and the courage to choose yourself.

Bernice shares her personal journey of rebuilding her life, leaving an intimidating marriage, confronting deeply rooted fears, and discovering that bravery doesn’t have to begin with a giant leap. Sometimes, it starts with one small step.

Together, they explore why so many women struggle with feeling “not enough,” how fear can disguise itself as logic, and how taking small courageous actions can create evidence that we are more capable than we believe.

Bernice also introduces her unique concept of “Fred”—the protective voice in our minds that tries to keep us safe but doesn’t have to be the one driving our decisions.

From people-pleasing and self-abandonment to midlife reinvention, setting boundaries, rebuilding self-trust, and becoming the person we were meant to be, this conversation offers practical encouragement for anyone who feels stuck or afraid to begin again.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why courage doesn't require the absence of fear

How to recognize when fear is making your decisions

What “Tiny Brave Steps” really means

How small actions can rebuild self-trust

When kindness and people-pleasing become self-abandonment

How to stop apologizing for who you are

Why midlife can be an opportunity for reinvention

How to move forward when you don't feel ready

How to turn “I’m not enough” into “I’m brave enough”

If you've been waiting until you feel confident, ready, or fearless before taking the next step, this episode is your reminder:

You don't have to feel brave before you move. Sometimes, you become brave by moving.

🎙️ Guest: Bernice McDonald

Courage Architect | Author | Speaker | Creator of the Tiny Brave Steps Methodology

🎧 Listen, reflect, and ask yourself: What is my next Tiny Brave

Call to Action

Link to send listeners to:

https://www.tinybravesteps.com

Creative Spaces:

For women leaders who learn to refuse to let fear tell them who they are. A 90-minute bi-monthly Zoom space where they learn what "Brave Enough" looks like and then complete their own project, working side by side with other women.

Get your next Tiny Brave Steps (free):

The Tiny Brave Steps Generator is an AI trained by Bernice to help anyone find a simple, doable next step.

What happens when you become a manager without ever being taught how to lead?

In this powerful episode of Unwrapped With Gift, Gift sits down with Dr. Valerie Tackling, founder of Breakthrough & Rise Global, leadership expert, and creator of the S.T.A.Y. Framework™ and Lead From Day One program.

With more than 25 years of leadership experience and doctoral research focused on workplace social capital, Dr. Valerie reveals why being great at your job doesn't automatically prepare you to lead people.

Together, they explore the "Promotion Trap," the importance of trust and belonging, managing former peers, navigating workplace conflict, and the hidden relationship issues that can cause great employees to leave.

Dr. Valerie also shares practical advice for new managers navigating their first 90 days, including what to prioritize, what mistakes to avoid, and how to create a team where people don't simply stay because they have to—but because they genuinely want to.

Whether you're a first-time manager, an experienced leader, or someone preparing for your next leadership role, this conversation offers practical insights to help you lead with greater confidence, connection, and purpose.

🎧 Listen now and discover how to lead from day one—and build teams people want to stay on.

Guest: Dr. Valerie Tackling

Founder: Breakthrough & Rise Global

Framework: S.T.A.Y. Framework™

Resource: Free New Manager Survival Guide

https://briseglobal.com/survival-guide

Unwrapped With Gift — honest conversations about life, growth, leadership, business, and the experiences that shape who we become.