Author, fitness instructor, world traveler and yogi, Laine D'Souza embarked on a new journey after covid. From growing up in Hong Kong to meeting her husband in the Villages of Central Floridia, they knew they wanted more from life then what they were experiencing. They moved to Laurel Hill, in the Fl panhandle, on 140 acres of land to build a cattle ranch from the ground up. Laine tells us how it all came to be, how it's going and her hopes for the future. Be sure to follow her on Social at WagyuMama Ranch & WagyuMama Schoolhouse and check out her book just published last year on Amazon called Confidence Unleashed.

Mary, who's been teaching for us at Grateful Hearts Yoga since January 2025, shares her story! From growing up in catholic school and first learning of yoga there, to dipping a toe in and then fully immersing in yogic teaching and philosophy in the 70's, Mary shares her passion for and credits yin yoga and all forms of movement as the keys to aging well and continuing to be able to do the things she loves, like caring for her horses.

Learn more and catch her in a class by checking out our schedule at www.gratefulheartsyoga.net

From battling depression, anxiety and addiction most of her life to thriving as a single mom and business owner, Staci is living proof of endurance, mindset and belief in what one can accomplish. Her ongoing health struggles have only added fuel to her fire for living despite what she's been dealt and she tells us how it all came to be. She tells us how her relationship with God strengthened during Covid when the world shut down and she was able to go inward to realize God was with her always. Staci talks about gaining confidence despite ending a long marriage and her RA diagnosis, to pursue her career as a massage therapist and how her business has now evolved to include energy work. Learn more and connect with Staci by visiting www.myfavoriteplacespa.com

Part 2; we dive into Robin's year of struggles and joys, how she overcame the dark cloud of depression she was under as well as rehabilitated her self after her 13th foot surgery. She shares about her "year of yoga with no poses" and how leaning on her deeper understanding of yogic philosophy helped her elevate her practice when she finally did start coming back to the studio. Join us for this journey of self-discovery, embracing change and finding joy in everyday life.

A year of chaos, and no podcast recordings, but we're back to tell about it! In this episode Gracie shares her story of 2024 and all that happened and didn't happen.. nearly losing her youngest daughter, Angel, who had gastric complications from her former gastroschisis disgnosis at birth and current Prader-Willi Syndrome struggles, Gracie tells how she and her husband have refused to stay in a victim mindset, how their relationships have strengthened as well as their boundaries and what they've learned from Angel as her parents. It's a lengthy listen and can be trauma triggering especially if you have a child with either disease or have experienced extended traumatic intensive care. But we pray you take away peace in knowing you are not alone in whatever you are experiencing and that there is always hope in the journey. Stay tuned for part 2, Robin's year!

Have you taken the time to read our beloved City's Mission Statement? It is as follows: To Improve the quality of life by providing exceptional municipal services. Vision: To be known as a forward-thinking, hospitable and growing community that embraces diversity with a family-centric culture.

Tim shares with us his family history and how he lived and worked for the City of Fort Walton for many years before becoming

the first City Manager of Crestview five years ago. He explains to us the responsibilities of this position and that it was an appointed not elected government position. We've learned that Tim has extensive life experience and education to contribute to the task of City Manager. Tim emphasizes with his team the importance of leadership through "trusting, training and empowering people" as well as treating the "source not the symptoms".

We learned about multiple upcoming projects within this vision to help improve our community's quality of life. Things such as more daycares, a multi million dollar sports complex and of course better infrastructure. What about a Target in Crestview? Listen on to find out!

You may have seen him cracking jokes and "stirring the pot" in the infamous Crestview Word of Mouth Facebook group but here is a look behind the screens of Brannon's gigantic heart for people. He's owned Atlas Martial Arts gym in South Crestview since 2010 he says: to fill a void our community was lacking for kids and adults to practice martial arts. In this episode we learn about Brannon's childhood, adulthood and background in Psychology which eventually led to his desire to create a community centered gym to help people of all ages improve themselves and come together as a second family. Brannon discusses his parenting ideals and how owning the business comes second to being a husband and a father. He gives his opinions and advice on how men in general should act/live to make our town, community and world a better place. To learn more about Brannon's gym you can visit www.Atlasma.com or contact him on social media. Be careful though...don't say we didn't warn you about his snarky sense of humor. =)

Randy and Dana from Earth Farm 9, just North of Crestview Fl in Laurel Hill, tell us all about their life and what they offer at their community driven farm environment. Randy began early on in life working in the food industry as a chef and eventually owning his own juicing company and then his own restaurant. He began to face challenges in life with his health that drove him to think about the impact food was having on him. Dana, having faced her own set of struggles with health and stress, was aligning with the lifestyle Randy was creating by growing his own food and starting farms. They moved together from Maryland, to Jacksonville, to South Florida and now here in the panhandle, creating sustainable farms along the way. Not only are they creating farms, but they are providing a place of community and a space for healing through nature, music, meditation, yoga classes and organic/vegan meals. They also provide help with creating your own sustainable landscape, doing the best you can with what you have. Their mission is to see all humans have an abundance of nutrient dense foods, sustainable living environments and empowering educational systems. You can learn more and contact them directly at www.earthfarm9.com, on social @earthfarm9 and quick informational videos at YouTube.com/earthfarm9.