And Then Everything Changed

And Then Everything Changed is on hiatus for a bit while I work on two new limited series podcasts. I've enjoyed these last two years of creating this show and meeting so many guests who remind me that we can survive and learn and grow after contending with challenges we never thought we'd have to face.   My two new podcasts are The Body Myth and Let's Talk Memoir which do have similar themes to And Then Everything Changed. I'll be interviewing guests and getting to the heart of their personal experience and their creative work.   If you have struggled with feeling good in your body and wonder why after all these years you still can't find peace, you will like The Body Myth. And if you are a memoir lover, reader, or writer you will enjoy Let's talk memoir.    If the trailers for these shows sound intriguing to you please head over to your podcast platform, search for The Body Myth and Let's Talk Memoir and hit subscribe.    The first episodes drop in just a few weeks.   Thank you for being an And Then Everything Changed listener. I hope you'll join me for Let's Talk Memoir and The Body Myth podcasts, too!   Follow me on Instagram: @ronitplank Subscribe to Let's Talk Memoir: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-talk-memoir/id1612365112 Subscribe to The Body Myth: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-body-myth/id1613426285

Laura Formentini was in Ethiopia when her son Blaise died by suicide. An empath like her, he had difficulty connecting to the material world and day to day life often felt overwhelming for him. Though it took years and has been painful, she has come to accept and honor her son's choice to no longer be here. Humanitarian work and sponsoring more than 40 kids in 18 years enabled her to survive her grief and transform it into a healing force in the world. She truly believes it is possible to turn dark into light even while experiencing loss. Laura joins the last episode of And Then Everything Changed to tell Blaise's story and talk about her new book Twentyone Olive Trees: A Mother's Walk Through the Grief of Suicide.    About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/     Connect with Laura: Laura's Website: www.lauraformentini.com Laura's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlauraformentini Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlauraformentini/   Connect with Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/  

When Shelly Snow Pordea reached out to church leaders about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child she found no support, no advocacy; instead the process of telling her story to church elders revictimized her. She would come to discover her experience was all too common. In the Independent fundamental baptist movement her family was part of, patriarchy was in full force and misogyny ran rampant. There was a dress code, gender roles were rigid, and women had to be submissive. Shelly was taught that as a girl she was inherently dangerous, the sexualization of women and children was their own fault, and that she was responsible for the way men treated her. Without any education but the curriculum the church offered and isolation from the outside world, it took her and her siblings years to break away from the community in which she was raised. She has now made it her mission to speak out about the church's harmful practices. In this episode she shares her story and her advocacy work, her thoughts on the Josh Duggar case, and reflects on how being an artist helped save her.   About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/   Connect with Shelly: Shelly's Website: www.shellysnowpordea.com Shelly's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shellysnowpordea/ The Hug Who Had No Arms: https://www.amazon.com/Hug-Who-Had-No-Arms/dp/1735012017 Tracing Time: The Past Outlines A Legacy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1943526532   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/  

Keema and Tekla Waterfield were raised by a young single mother in Southeast Alaska after their father left the family. With very little money but a passion for music and art, their mother moved them frequently in pursuit of her education, gigs, and new relationships. “Music festival brats” from a young age, Keema and Tekla reveled in summer trips to watch their mother perform with her friends and also sing beside her; those gatherings would become the most stable facet of their childhoods.  As the sisters grew, art and their at-times traumatic childhood led each of the sisters on different paths. Keema wrote Inside Passage, a new memoir about her nomadic Alaskan childhood, the toll her upbringing took on her, and the effect it had on her relationship with her mother. Tekla became a singer-songwriter whose most recent release, "New Skies" landed in the NACC Top 30 Folk Album Charts in October of 2021. On this episode of And Then Everything Changed they share their perspective on their childhood, how each of them grappled with their father leaving, and why art has always been central in their lives.   About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/   Connect with Keema: Keema's Website: https://keemawaterfield.com Link to Keema's memoir Inside Passage: Ronit's review of Inside Passage: https://therumpus.net/2021/08/inside-passage-by-keema-waterfield/   Connect with Tekla: Tekla's Website: www.teklawaterfield.com Tekla's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teklawaterfieldmusic/   Connect with Ronit: Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/

Limi Marie Bauer was born into the cult where her parents met via an arranged marriage. They raised Limi in the Unification Church, known as the Moonies in popular culture, and Limi knew from a young age she would grow up and have an arranged marriage herself. As she got closer and closer to her wedding day she began to rebel and step away from church, but at 19 she married a man she'd met only three days before her wedding. It wasn't until she heard her children talking about being in the cult that she realized she could no longer stay. In this episode Limi shares her experience of the Unification Church's power dynamics, dogma, and how because of its many front organizations it is able to hide in plain sight. Today she's working on a memoir about growing up in and leaving the Moonies and active in the #IGotOut movement for cult survivors.   About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/   Connect with Limi: "The Champion" a short story for #igotout (high-demand group survivor stories) https://youtu.be/m1TP-ZMhfMg  Website: www.limimariebauer.com  Twitter: https://twitter.com/limibauer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writingwithlimi/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@writingwithlimi?   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/

Laura Davis, celebrated author and advocate, joins And Then Everything Changed for episode 100! When Laura's groundbreaking first book, The Courage to Heal was released decades ago it was the first of its kind to document hundreds of women's stories of sexual abuse. In it, Laura shared her own story of being sexually abused by her grandfather, showed women it was possible to heal from this trauma, and called out the patriarchy. As she helped hundreds of thousands of women and her star rose, a rupture began in her own family. Her mother refused to believe Laura about the abuse she'd suffered, and when Laura came out as lesbian her family rejected her.   Laura relocated across the country and found a supportive community, a loving relationship, became a mother, and wrote and published many more books. Then, toward the end of her mother's life, she told Laura she was moving to live near her and Laura faced the prospect of caring for and being in relationship again with her mother who had hurt her so many years before. In this episode Laura shares what it was like to write her new memoir, The Burning Light of Two Stars: A Mother-Daughter Story about how she reconciled with the mother who betrayed her and came to care for her in her final days.   Also in this episode: Laura's tips for writing about traumatic experiences, where the boundaries are when writing about family experiences, and what all memoir writing needs.   Connect with Laura: You can buy The Burning Light of Two Stars wherever books and audiobooks are sold.  You can also read the opening chapters of The Burning Light of Two Stars at: www.lauradavis.net/chapters If you're an aspiring writer or want to use writing as a tool for healing or self-discovery, you can learn about Laura's online writing workshops and in-person domestic and international retreats here: www.lauradavis.net Direct links to buy The Burning Light of Two Stars: Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/the-burning-light-of-two-stars-a-mother-daughter-story-9781954854161/9781954854161 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Light-Two-Stars-Mother-Daughter/dp/1954854218/ Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-burning-light-of-two-stars-laura-davis/1139198069 Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781954854161 Get Your Signed Copies Through Bookshop Santa Cruz: https://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/burning-light-two-stars-get-it-signed) Want a Discount When You Buy in Bulk for Your Book Club or Organization? For bulk sales: https://www.porchlightbooks.com/product/burning-light-of-two-stars-a-mother-daughter-story--laura-davis?variationCode=9781954854161#full-description   Other info can be found in her press kit: https://bit.ly/3illC9Y   Connect With Ronit: About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/ For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

This week is the 100th episode celebration for And Then Everything Changed! I started the podcast on Halloween of 2019 with my first guest, Paul who took a chance on a new show and a new host, and we created one of my favorite episodes to date. Since then, I've gotten to interview people in recovery, survivors, social justice leaders, and so many talented authors. On my website ATECpodcast.com you can go check out and listen to my previous episodes, each categorized by topic, so you can listen to what moves you first! Thank you for tuning in and for being a part of the ATEC community! Below are links to the 15 most listened-to episodes: 1. A Living Person Among the Dead featuring Paul Boardman  36. From Downward Spiral to the Other Side featuring Ashlee Brown  3. Everybody Knew featuring Christine McLean The COVID-19 Experience- Surviving Coronavirus, Bonus Episode 3 59. Living Through the Loss of a Spouse featuring Mark Schutter 61. A Family Survival Story: Prosthesis, Recovery, and Resilience featuring Rosalie 93. My Salinger Year and a Second Chance at Love featuring Joanna Rakoff 58. Mother to a Child Born with Differences: From Pain to Advocacy featuring Jaclyn Greenberg 60. The Power of Advocacy After Childhood Trauma featuring Johnny Crowder 23. The Duality of the Gift of Coming to America Baktash Ahadi 27. Unschooling OUrselves Akilah Richards 45. The Toll of Mental Illness and Finding A Path Forward featuring Debbie Lechtman  40. Hollywood Park Mikel Jollett 97. Becoming the Person You're Meant to Be After Childhood Violence, Drugs, and Neglect ft. Treveal Lynch 90. A life of Meaning After Profound Loss Jacqueline Genovese     About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

When Jen Kiaba was growing up in the Unification Church, known as the Moonies in popular culture, a main mantra was “absolute faith, absolute love, absolute obedience” which did not leave most people much room to question authority. Violence was not condoned but children were often hit, and as she came of age and noticed other contradictions, she didn't have a safe space to process her feelings or make decisions that were right for her. Finally, when she faced an arranged marriage like that of her parents, she knew she had to leave. And when she did, she lost everything: her community, her family, and the only structure she had ever known. Slowly, slowly, she rebuilt her life and today she is an artist and activist who educates others about cults, coercive control, and high control groups. Jen believes cult education is vital because people from a broad range of backgrounds and experiences are vulnerable and she sees similarities between cults and American workplaces, such as amazon, everywhere. In this episode she shares her story, helps identify cult tactics, and offers an inside look at how these groups take root.   Connect with Jen: https://jenkiaba.com https://instagram.com/jenkiaba https://facebook.com/jenkiaba https://twitter.com/jenkiaba   About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/ For books and information on cults visit Dr. Janja Lalich's site: http://cultresearch.org Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

Suzanne Najarian had been married for two decades when she realized the sexual desire between her and her husband had all but disappeared. From the outside their relationship they had no deeper sexual connection. She began to study the nature of desire and had what she describes as a cataclysmic awakening which altered her relationship, her sense of self, and how she wanted to live. Soon, she ended her marriage and dove deep into a spiritual, sacred, and sexual practice that transformed her. Today Suzanne is a sex, love, and relationship coach who helps women and men tap into the sacred, spiritual, and sexual life force within them and integrate that energy into all areas of their life.    Connect with Suzanne: Website: www.suzannenajariangoodson.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzanne.najarian.goodson/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholeselfessence/   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

When he was growing up, Traveal Lynch's father was out of the picture, his mom was addicted to drugs and he faced emotional trauma almost on a daily basis. As a teenager he began using drugs and alcohol too, unable to escape from the patterns he grew up around. It wasn't until he was arrested and found himself standing trial that he realized the way he was living no longer felt right. In this episode, Traveal shares the story of his childhood and how he came to the decision that he needed to change his life for the better. He is now a faith-based community leader, author of the new book "What Is Enough”, & founder of a self-development company built on his philosophy that we and our possibilities are one and the same; everything we hope to be tomorrow we already are today. Using his own story as guide, he helps individuals revive hope for their lives and reclaim their purpose.   Connect with Traveal: Traveal's Website www.iamthepossible.com  Traveal's Facebook https://www.facebook.com/treveal.lynch  Traveal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamthepossible/   Free Self-Worth/Self-Discovery Workbook https://www.myworthworkbook.com/free-download  What Is Enough: “How to lighten your load and find what makes you happy” https://bit.ly/mywhatisenoughbook   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

When Allison Hong Merrill was growing up in the slums of Taiwan her family was riddled with cycles of alcoholism and domestic violence. She couldn't imagine a different life until she met Mormon missionaries, began attending church, and witnessed, for the first time, families who cared for one another. She became more and more active in the church and eventually fell in love, moving to the US to be with her American husband. But soon after, he abandoned Allison, took her money, and left her alone in her new country with no resources.   In this episode, Allison, whose new memoir Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops is out this month, shares how she found strength, created a new life for herself, and what her past has helped her understand.   Connect With Allison: Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ninety-Nine-Fire-Hoops-Allison-Merrill/dp/1647421896 Allison's Website: www.allisonhongmerrill.com, Allison's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allison.hong.merrill Allison's Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/xieshou Allison's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonhongmerrill   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

Sonia Frontera, a collaborative divorce lawyer and author of divorce and relationship-related books, survived a 7-year toxic marriage. She married at 24 and on the flight to her honeymoon right after the wedding, her husband became a whole new person. He went from a loving man to a violent controlling one. For years she suffered behind closed doors because of fear of judgement from her family and the Church but when she finally had enough, they divorced. She has now been happily married for 21 years and helps other women navigate divorce and regaining independence from their toxic relationships.   She is a domestic violence advocate and shares that domestic violence is not just physical violence. Her books include workbooks to follow along with, so the reader can find the answer themselves.   Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.SAFE Connect with Sonia: Website: www.soniafrontera.com Sonia's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sistersguides/ Sonia's Twitter: https://twitter.com/FronteraSonia   Author of Solve the Divorce Dilemma: Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist? and Relationship Solutions: Effective Strategies to Heal Your Heart and Create the Happiness You Deserve Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

A few months after Myriam Steinberg turned forty, she decided she couldn't wait any longer to become a mother. She made the difficult decision to begin the process of conceiving a child without a partner. With her family and friends to support her, she picked a sperm donor and was on her way.   But Myriam's journey was far from straightforward. She experienced the soaring highs and devastating lows of becoming pregnant and then losing her babies. She grappled with the best decision to make when choosing donors or opting for a medical procedure. She experienced first-hand the silences, loneliness, and taboos that come with experiences of fetal loss. Unafraid to publicize her experiences, though, she found that, in return, friends and strangers alike started sharing their own fertility stories with her. Although the lack of understanding and language around fetal loss and grief often made it very hard to navigate everyday life, she nonetheless found solace in the community around her who rallied to support her through her journey.   In this episode Myriam shares her story, how her graphic memoir came to be and what her life is like now years after her fertility journey began.   Connect with Myriam: www.cataloguebabynovel.com Myriam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catalogue_baby/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cataloguebaby TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@myriam_writes Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myriam.steinberg   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

Calling all romantics, writers, and memoir lovers--this episode is for you! When Joanna Rakoff, best selling author of  A Fortunate Age and My Salinger Year (now also a movie starring Sigourney Weaver and Margaret Qualley), took a job at a storied New York literary agency back in her twenties she had no idea her experience there answering letters addressed to J.D. Salinger about Catcher in the Rye and assisting the author himself would shape her life for decades to come. In this episode we dive deep into the book that would change everything for her career and Joanna tells the story of marrying the wrong man, reuniting with the right man, and how they found a life together long after she thought they had missed their chance.    Connect with Joanna: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannarakoff/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannarakoff Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joanna.rakoff Website: http://www.joannarakoff.com/ Watch My Salinger Year here: https://www.amazon.com/My-Salinger-Year-Margaret-Qualley/dp/B08XST93XK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=My+Salinger+Year&qid=1629149640&s=instant-video&sr=1-1   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA

When Scott Medlin returned from his second deployment to Iraq he didn't realize he was suffering from PTSD, but knew something was wrong. He experienced confusion and anger and struggled with alcohol and didn't know how to get back to who he was before entering the marine corp. Though he never regretted his decision to serve his country he often felt he was on an emotional rollercoaster. As he began to work on himself he came to understand that humans are not machines and the brain is not built for the kind of stress that combat brings. His need to protect and give back led him to the police force where he has served since then but in January 2020 he learned the scope of mental health issues and the suicide rate among cops. In this episode Scott shares what he's learned about trauma and its effect on law enforcement, and how in writing his new book and lecturing  he has become an advocate for mandatory mental health support for officers. Connect with Scott: Scott's Book: 101 Health Tips For Police Officers: How To Be Physically, Mentally, Spiritually, and Socially Fit For Duty  https://bit.ly/101HealthTipsForPoliceOfficers Scott's Youtube: https://bit.ly/LawEnforcementMotivation Scott's Book: Mental Health Fight Of The Heroes In Blue: How To Mentally Survive Working as a Police Officer https://bit.ly/MentalHealthHeroesBook   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook Youtube

When Danielle Simone Brand began researching cannabis years ago she had no idea she would become a full-fledged canna-mom and even write a book about how helpful weed can be to mental and physical health and to a sense of well-being so many mothers miss while raising their families. Her book Weed Mom, The Canna-Curious Woman's Guide to Healthier Relaxation, Happier Parenting, and Chilling TF Out, is made for busy moms and debunks the “lazy stoner” stereotype and details the health benefits of weed and how it can help with pain, sleep, anxiety and improve sex. The book also covers the types of cannabis products available, the status of legalization in the U.S. and the history of incarceration for marijuana possession and its impact on brown and Black communities. In this episode, Danielle joins me to share her story of quitting alcohol, diving into the world of cannabis, and becoming a full fledged weed mom.    Connect with Danielle: Instagram @daniellesimonebrand Facebook @WeedMomAuthor   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook Youtube

A quick message to say hi and thank you for tuning in to And Then Everything Changed which is nearing its second birthday and 100 episodes! It's been a privilege to interview guests of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities, and experiences and learn how they became the compassionate and resilient people they are today.     With my book When She Comes Back just published and my short story collection Home is A Made-Up Place due out this spring, plus some exciting projects in the works, the podcast will go to an every-two-week format. I have many episodes in the works including 2-part interviews with beloved authors, anniversary swag, and book giveaways coming soon!   -You can find more out about my latest articles, my memoir and even listen to a sample of the audiobook here: https://ronitplank.com/book/ -And you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter here: https://ronitplank.com/blog/ -And you can follow me on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ Thank you so much for tuning in to And Then Everything Changed!

When she least expected it writer and teacher Jacqueline Genovese became a mother after her older sister made her guardian of her two children before she lost the battle with cancer. Jacqueline built a life for her new son and daughter and soon, a third child, while managing her career and nurturing her marriage. Over the next few years she would lose another sister and then her mother to cancer and her marriage would end.  As her children grew she became fascinated with the toll a life of service can take, especially for those in medicine and the military. Today she is Executive Director of the Medicine & the Muse Program at Stanford and teaches War Literature & Writing class for military affiliated students where she focuses on the intersection of literature and medicine and the power of writing to lift and support military veterans and help them process what they have been through. In this episode Jacqueline shares the story of adopting her sister's young children, holding space for the trauma doctors and veterans experience, and what she's learned about loving through loss.   Connect with Jacqueline: LinkedIn Stanford Profile Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook Youtube

In 2018 Artisha Bolding was working 50- to 60-hour weeks and becoming more and more unhappy. She was unsettled and frustrated in her marriage and thinking of leaving her husband and knew she wanted a different career path. As she worked more and more, her health began to suffer but though she became very sick she continued to put in long hours. Soon she was hospitalized with heart and lung complications and nearly lost her life. Through her hospitalization and long recovery her husband did not leave her side and she realized she wanted to save their marriage. Today they are still together and happier than ever, she's left the job she hated behind, and now she helps other women find their passion and live more peacefully. In this episode we talk relationships, health, and what to do when change comes calling. Connect with Artisha: ArtishaBolding.com  Instagram Facebook Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook Youtube

Gender equality advocate and author of the book I Took Her Name, Shu Matsuo Post grew up in a very patriarchal society. Through Japanese media and at school he grew to understand what was expected of him as a man. He didn't learn about feminism and gender equality until he met his wife who helped him grasp what being a feminist meant. She didn't want to take his last name so when they got married they combined their last names, but in Japan where they now live that isn't recognized so, he decided to take her name. As his worldview became more and more feminist he noticed all the ways sexism affects life in Japan, from the language to the absence of paternity leave. In this episode Shu shares the story of becoming a full-fledged feminist, his views on toxic masculinity, and what changes he's pushing for in Japan.    Connect with Shu Matsuo Post: Amazon page:https://geni.us/ITookHerName Website: shumatsuopost.com/en Book website: itookhername.com Instagram @shumatsuopost Facebook @ITookHerName YouTube @ITookHerName Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

On a summer night in 1969, Judy Temes' mother and a father, both physicians, packed their car for what was supposed to be a family vacation. Only this was no vacation. They were escaping Hungary's totalitarian regime. The tourist visas that gave them safe passage across the East-West divide came at a high price. To ensure their return, one of their two children would have to be left behind and that was Judy. For five years she lived with her grandmother in a tiny village in Hungary wondering why her parents had gone without her and if she would ever see them or her brother again. In this episode, Judy discusses her new book Girl Left Behind, what finally arriving in America to a family irrevocably changed was like, and how her life has become one rich with all that she dreamed of during those many years she was left waiting and alone. Connect with Judy: My author website is: https://judytemes.wixsite.com/judy-temes Facebook: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judytemes/ Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Stephanie Bonastia was about 15 years old when her eating disorder began. She was a shy, creative girl with anger she wasn't aware of and wanted to gain a measure of control over her life. What began as anorexia became bulimia and later purging through exercise. She struggled mostly in secret but eventually left college and sought in-patient help. Her eating disorder ultimately spanned 25 years and she felt her relationship with food was so broken that she would never have normal hunger and satiety cues, never be able to feel sane around food. But she discovered it is possible to heal your relationship with food even after years of failed attempts.IIn this episode she shares her story, how she made peace with her body, and the work she does to help others find that same health and peace. Connect with Stefanie: www.iamstefaniemichele.com To download free diet culture recovery guide Follow on FB/IG: @iamstefaniemichele   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

For decades and decades, Robert Miller had a dream he didn't pursue. Though he'd played music in his early twenties he left the industry to get his law degree and start a family. He often thought about playing in a band again but he didn't act on that until he was seriously injured by a car while riding his bike. He needed 8 hours of surgery to repair his broken neck and arm but, in a huge stroke of luck, his spinal cord was intact. For Robert that was a sign. At the age of 60 he put together a band, began playing festivals and concerts, and now, 9 albums and over 4 million video views later, he is living the life he feels was gifted to him when his world changed the day of his accident. In this episode, Robert shares his story, his perspective on his life before reuniting with music and after, and offers advice for making a dream come true. Connect with Robert: Website: www.projectgrandslam.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/projectgrandslam YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/PGSjazz Instagram: www.instagram.com/projectgrndslam Store: www.thePGSstore.com Spotify: Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Most of Leah Carey's memories growing up are black spots. Her dad was an alcoholic and he was abusive to her and her mom. He would tell her how unhappy he was with her mother and that Leah should at all costs avoid growing up to be like her. He discussed his sex life with Leah, talked about her body in a sexual way, and exposed her to sexual content in the home. Even when she moved out of the house their relationship remained very strained and Leah increasingly felt like she was shrinking inside and that she needed to disappear. As an adult she took a trip that would mark the beginning of her sexual awakening. She had her first experience with a woman, learned about tantric sex, and began to heal from the trauma that had marked most of her life. Today Leah is a sex and intimacy coach and host of the podcast Good Girls Talk About Sex whose mission it is  to empower women into being equal co-creators of their sexual experience.   Connect with Leah: Website - www.LeahCarey.com Podcast - www.GoodGirlsTalk.com Instagram - www.Instagram.com/GoodGirlsTalk Facebook private group - www.Facebook.com/groups/GoodGirlsTalk YouTube - Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

After her son Jimmy died of a cancer rarely found in children, Margo Fowkes found that what helped her through her profound grief the most was other people leaving space in the world for him. She discovered support in loved ones talking about Jimmy and sharing their experience of losing him. She founded the Salt Water community to help people heal and live after their own devastating loss--a child, a sibling, a spouse, a parent, a close friend-- and to provide a safe harbor where those grieving can find comfort, support and tools to survive their loss and rebuild their life. In this episode Margo shares Jimmy’s story and talks about how she’s navigated a grief that she has come to understand will forever come in waves.   Connect With Margo: Website Twitter Facebook Instagram   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Michael Arterberry grew up in a home ravaged by the violence and mood swings of his alcoholic father. In order to protect Michael, his mother signed him up for as many sports as she could and he excelled. His coaches became like his dads, his teammates, his siblings, and the accolades he got for his performance prevented him from abusing alcohol, drugs, and people.  The trauma he and his siblings experienced altered their lives forever and each of them learned to cope differently: some with alcohol, some with denial. In this episode Michael shares the story of how he survived his childhood while protecting his mother as best he could, when he truly understood the severity of what his whole family had endured, and the clarity and strength that enables him to help support young people who have also survived difficult homes.     Connect With Michael: Website Youth Voices Center Shake The Dirt Facebook   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

For years Laurel Anne Stark put her mental health aside and focused only on work. She drove herself to exhaustion the way so many self-employed women do: never cutting herself slack, never asking for help, yet determined to focus only on work and being productive. Then one day she began digging into research about the wellbeing of the self-employed. She found that 3 out of 4 entrepreneurs suffer from a mental health issue which is further compounded for women in business because of the wage gap, sexual harassment, and the lack of gender parity. Because of these inequities, many women avoid or leave the workforce which further reduces women’s representation and influence. Laurel changed the way she lives and works and is now on a mission to help create better mental health infrastructure for women in the workplace and build a new culture that supports and lifts them. In this episode: Laurel's Story Why she founded Resurgo.Co How she helps female entrepreneurs through her business   Connect With Laurel: Laurel's LinkedIn Resurgo.Co Facebook Resurgo.Co Instagram Resurgo.Co Twitter Resurgo.Co   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Phoebe Pilaro spent her early childhood on a commune in the Redwood forest in the Santa Cruz mountains with very little adult supervision. Her parents had an unstable relationship and her father, likely bipolar and manic, was kicked out of the commune. Phoebe and her mother soon set off to other places and though her mother was a social and happy woman, she never set up boundaries during Phoebe’s childhood, gave her advice on growing up, or taught her about sex and protection. During her teenage years Phoebe did anything she wanted-- drinking, smoking weed and having sex. She was about to turn 16 when she found out she was pregnant and had 2 STDs and she became suicidal. She couldn't see a way forward and decided that ending her life was the only option for her. But then, something shifted and she decided she wanted to become a new person.    In this episode: Phoebe story How she dealt with the anger she discovered she had with her parents  How she came to forgive them both What parenting is like for her now that she’s a mom of two teenagers   Connect With Phoebe: Instagram   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Dhyana Levey, creator of the podcast Generation Cult, knew she was growing up on a kind of commune in California but didn’t realize it was a cult until she was much older. Though her memories of childhood are often difficult, her curiosity about what her family was involved in spurred her to investigate. Soon after, she began pursuing interviews with other cult survivors gathering information, and attending the International Cultic Studies conference. Dhyana joins me to share what she’s learned about cult mentality, abuse, and the heavy burden of fear and alienation many cult survivors experience.   Connect With Dhyana: Instagram Generation Cult Spotify Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Author Lily Dunn’s father joined Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s movement about the same time that And Then Everything Changed host Ronit Plank’s mother followed him to India. They both grew up in the shadow of Bhagwan (also known at Osho, the guru at the center of Netflix’s docuseries Wild Wild Country), each with a parent more devoted to his teachings and the lifestyle he extolled than to them. Lily shares some of what she witnessed at the Rajneeshee house she visited on weekends and she and Ronit discuss how their relationships with their father and mother respectively irrevocably changed when they chose freedom over parenting. In this special episode to mark the release of Ronit's memoir When She Comes Back and Lily's forthcoming memoir, the authors discuss their books, writing about family, and how watching Wild Wild Country which became a media sensation affected them.  Connect With Lily: Website A Wild and Precious Life Twitter   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Diana Kupershmit and her husband had no warning that their first baby Emma would be born with a rare genetic disorder that would leave her profoundly physically and intellectually disabled. A young couple who had been high school sweethearts, they tried to grapple with the  devastating news. When a social worker familiar with their case suggested they give Emma up for adoption, they decided she  would be better off. But soon, pregnant with her second child and wracked by regret and concern over news of Emma’s declining health, Diana realized she needed to get her daughter back.    In this episode Diana shares the story of emigrating to the US from Soviet Ukraine in 1979 along with millions of other Jews escaping systemic discrimination, meeting her true love, and how first their profound sorrow about Emma and then their profound love for her shaped their life.    Connect With Diana: Website Facebook Instagram Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Sabrina Osso describes her childhood as stolen. Her father was abusive to her mother and she witnessed violence and endured trauma for 15 years. She was an extremely quiet child, was bullied in school, and her fear of both home and school created almost incapacitating difficulty for her. By high school she was suicidal but wouldn’t get help until college when a friend urged her to seek therapy.    Through years of hard emotional work she began to heal, finally realized her dream of becoming a dancer, and founded a company whose mission it is to certify homes and establish procedures to facilitate eviction in the event of domestic abuse. Violence stole so many years from her when she was too young to escape, but Sabrina has created a passionate life of advocacy, courage, and the confidence that she is worthy of love, contentment, and peace.    Connect With Sabrina: Osso Safe   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Kelly McMenamin and Katie McMenamin are sisters and organizational specialists dedicated to helping others organize according to personality. After years of disagreeing with one another on how to declutter and whether to file or pile, they co-founders PixiesDidIt! After 10+ years of field research, they discovered that how you organize is hardwired in your brain and organization isn’t about making it perfect. It's about finding stuff when you need it. They created an assessment that calculates personality and harnesses individual strengths and preferences to transform living spaces into ideal places. On this episode Kelly and Katie help usher in spring and share some of their best tips for smoothing out the edges in pandemic-weary people and homes.    Connect With Kelly: PixieDidIt! Website Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Andrea Wilson Woods was barely an adult herself when she got legal guardianship over her 8-year old sister Adrienne after their mother called to say she no longer wanted to be a mother. An actress trying to make it in LA, Andrea worked hard to make ends meet while they navigated their new relationship in which Andrea became Adrienne’s mother first, her sister second, and her friend third.    Then, when Adrienne was 15 and experiencing profound pain she was diagnosed with stage IV liver cancer. Andrea focused on giving her sister who was now her daughter the best 147 days she could in the time she had left. From meeting Jay Leno to spending the day with Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, Adrienne made every moment count. As she lay dying, Adrienne taught Andrea how to live and Andrea found the strength to change her own life. This episode of And Then Everything Changed is a story of motherhood, adulthood, sisterhood, and discovering who you are meant to be.   Connect With Andrea: Website Instagram Better Off Bald - A Life in 147 Days book Blue Faery Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Association Cancer U Online Membership Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

For years, even as Laila Tarraf continued to feel disconnected from others, her belief that any vulnerability would make her soft dictated her personal life and her work as an HR leader. The firstborn child of Lebanese parents, she was encouraged to step up and take care of the family from a young age. She sometimes resented that role but then she met and married her husband and became a mother and began a new life. A year into their marriage he had a serious motorcycle accident, was prescribed pain pills, and never stopped taking them. Over the next six years they never discussed the topic of his drug and alcohol abuse; his dependence and their marital disconnect went unsaid. Their marriage began to collapse and soon after he overdosed on opioids. It wasn't until her mother was dying that Laila was able to better understand her history with co-dependent relationships, deal with the death of her husband, and be at her mom's bedside as her life ended. Her experience informed her leadership, her mothering, and her approach to the unexpected. Her new book Strong Like Water is out now. Connect With Laila: Purchase Strong Like Water via Laila’s Website or on Amazon  Instagram LinkedIn Facebook Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Kenneth Scott’s mother had lupus while he was growing up and though they were living off of food stamps and SSI in section 8 and she was facing great hardship as a single parent she never let the rest of the family see her struggle. When she remarried, Kenneth gained siblings but his stepdad and he went head-to-head and he witnessed his new father emotionally and physically abuse his mom throughout their relationship. Sports became Kenneth’s escape, a way to cope with the trouble he saw at home and he soon excelled at football. He became #34 in the nation and had a plan to do 3 years of college football and then go to the NFL. But when he got to college the abuse he’d witnessed and the frustration he’d felt as a child surfaced and threatened the life he was building. With the support of his football program and coach he went to therapy to work on his anger issues and live the life he wanted for himself.    He gave back to the community, fell in love, and was so close to making his NFL dream come true. But after suffering two serious injuries he realized he would need to make a tough decision; he would need to set a new course for his life. Connect With Kenneth: Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Even from an early age Dr. Lynette Louise knew she would grow up and have heaps of children. The victim of domestic abuse she understood all too well that what she experienced growing up was not okay and that she would protect her own children at all costs. But as a young mother she faced unreliable and unsafe partners and the challenge of navigating the foster care system and securing adequate schooling for her autistic and neuro-atypical brood. And even more painfully still, she had to confront her own shortcomings and bad relationship patterns. In her desire to keep her promise to her kids she did the hard emotional work she needed to, went back to school and got her doctorate in psychophysiology, and developed a powerful system to help retrain the brain to help the most neuro-atypical children reach breakthroughs. Connect With Dr. Lynette Louise:  Website Brain & Body Website Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Before Kim Hooper endured pregnancy loss herself she wondered if women experiencing miscarriages might have had a part to play in their loss—maybe they didn’t eat the right things or didn’t manage stress well, maybe it was their fault. As her own losses began accumulating and she understood the randomness of miscarriage, the unpredictability of pregnancy overwhelmed her and fear took over. As her sense of control over her body and her future seemed to spin out she grappled with questions of whether or not she was cut out to be a mother, if she deserved a baby at all.  Years passed and as she began to understand her grief better and let go of blame, she saw that she wasn’t ready to give up on having a baby and tried again. She is the co-author of the new book All the Love: Healing Your Heart and Finding Meaning After Pregnancy Loss and joins And Then Everything Changed on the eve of her book release to share her story, discuss the harmful clinical language around pregnancy loss, and how to best support grieving parents. Connect With Kim:  All The Love Book Instagram Twitter Kim’s Website Kim’s Instagram   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

For Kacee Hoffer, finding a new identity was not easy. After stepping away from almost 12 years of diving she found it hard to find other passions, fill her time, and treat her body with compassion.   She started diving at nine years old and had been a high performing division 1 athlete at Boise State, and that's all she knew. Everything she did was connected to diving and her social life outside of the sport was almost non-existent. But during her sophomore year of college she was assigned a new coach who had no compassion for the athletes and pushed them to perform while injured and past what they could take.She began feeling depressed, anxious, and even experiencing black outs. She knew her career as a diver needed to end.    She now coaches children and encourages their parents to enjoy the sport for what it should be: fun. Her book, “From Athlete to Human Being” tells the story of athletes that transitioned out of sports. She also coaches transitioning athletes on how to close that chapter of their life.  Connect With Kacee:  Website Instagram Podcast   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Katherine was in second grade when her mother called attention to her weight, a moment that impacted the rest of her life. From that day on her insecurities about her size and an endless cycle of shame about her body took over. She learned that a thin body was ideal and began to believe that the smaller you could get, the more valuable you would become. She chased down diet after diet and felt that she had to apologize for being ‘fat’, doing everything she could to get skinny. But when she did lose the most weight she ever had before she found she was the unhappiest that she had ever been in her life. It was this pivotal moment that she realized that body weight and her happiness did not depend on each other.    Her journey of self-acceptance began in 2020, after she was laid off and had time to reflect on her deep-rooted beliefs and find clarity on her path. She decided that she did not want to hate herself forever and needed to break away from the behavior that was now second nature. She became active in the Body Positivity movement, launched the podcast “It’s Okay to Love Yourself”, and is now a leadership development coach who encourages women of all sizes to love themselves.    Connect With Katherine:  Podcast Instagram Website   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

Award-winning international travel and culture journalist, author, speaker, playwright, screenwriter, movie and theatre critic, opera librettist, and theatre director Judie Fein believes everyone has a mission in life even if they don’t know what it is and part of that mission is to become whole, as whole as they were at birth. Her own experience overcoming a trauma in childhood and her interest in story has moved her to dig into her family history, visit her ancestral homeland, and create a life rooted in expression, accountability, and curiosity.    In this episode she shares what she’s learned about the nature of family through emotional genealogy and relationship epigenetics, the elements essential to writing memoir, and what her life is like now in a post-family world.   Connect With Judie: Facebook Instagram Website   Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook   Episode Resources: Deep Travel Ted Talk Transformative Travel Blog

After suffering a massive stroke caused by a previously undiagnosed vascular malformation, Lafiro A. Gomez III became parayzed and utterly dependent on his family for care. He entered rehabilitation and worked on recovering some of his strength but was unable to carry out many basic functions on his own. Facing infections, deteriorating kidney function, and amputations he grew weary and depression shaped his days. Until loved ones encouraged him to begin writing again and he did. Using his thumb and an iPhone he created new worlds with characters that came alive and reminded him that nothing is impossible. Now the author of the novels Parachute Island and The Variants he joins And Then Everything Changed to tell his story, share his writing process, and reflect on what he’s learned about himself through the challenges he’s faced.   Connect With Lafiro: Facebook Twitter Instagram Website Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

At a young age, Alli Spotts-De Lazzer learned about the connection between food and body weight and was only 9 years old when she started dieting. For most of her life, she equated weight with purpose and worth and fought to overpower her body’s instinct to get the nutrition it needed to keep her healthy. After battling anorexia nervosa and avoiding treatment for years she finally reached the point where she wanted to be held accountable for her actions. She decided to share her experience with a therapist and begin to heal her relationship with weight and food. And when she did she was able to see her body and all bodies as a vessel to carry our mind, organs, and everything else that makes people who they are.    Now, Alli is a licensed professional clinical counselor, LMFT, and a certified eating disorder specialist. She helps others overcome their battle around eating disorders and hopes that her new book, MeaningFULL: 23 Life-Changing Stories of Conquering Dieting, Weight, & Body Image Issues which tells not only her own story of recovery, but also the stories of others. It’s Alli’s hope that these accounts will encourage body acceptance and positivity and create a new dialogue about what good health means. Connect With Alli: Twitter Facebook Instagram MeaningFULLread Website Therapy & Counseling Connect With Ronit: For more about this episode click here! Instagram Facebook

The first time Natajia Miller, who grew up in the Bahamas, was stopped by police for Driving While Black she was en route to graduate school in Georgia, her mother in the passenger seat right beside her. After being pulled over, confronted by and racist and threatening language and police dogs, she and her mother were taken to the police station. There she was told that without paying a hefty bail she would not be released. The next time she was pulled over the arresting officer did so for a minor incident the arresting officer brought her into the station, put her in shackles, and she spent a night in jail.  Not only did she feel ashamed, her life irrevocably changed that day. She knew that she would never be viewed or treated as equal in America because of the color of her skin. In this episode Natajia, who is now a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant, shares her story, offers actionable steps on how to be an authentic-ally rather than a performative-ally, and weighs in on how much work there is to do. Connect With Natajia Miller:LinkedInFacebookInstagramWebsiteYoutubeConnect With Ronit:For more about this episode click here!InstagramFacebook

When Annamarie Saarinen’s newborn daughter Eve was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect she didn’t know that 1 in 100 babies are born with similar conditions and 40% of those are serious and require intervention in early stages of life. What’s more Eve, like so many babies, almost missed getting diagnosed in time because there was no regular congenital heart defect screening for newborns on the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel for newborns. Weeks and then months unfolded with Eve in the NICU until she was old enough to have the heart surgery that would save her life. Annamarie’s experience set her on a life-changing course to transform the way the medical community approaches heart defects in babies. She co-founded The Newborn Foundation to develop policies, programs and technologies to improve early diagnosis, health outcomes and access to care for mothers and babies and has drafted more than 40 pieces of health legislation, authored more than 200 policy briefings and co-authored numerous published manuscripts on the importance of technology in advancing early detection and treatment of neonatal and pediatric health conditions. In celebration of Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week, Annamarie shares Eve’s story, the work she’s doing through the pandemic to help get care to babies in resource poor settings, and her belief that those of us that have the means and the ability have to do all we can to make sure that the dreams and wishes other families have aren’t out of reach.  Connect With Annamarie:InstagramLinkedInNewborn Foundation InstagramThe Bloom StandardNewborn Foundation WebsiteEmail - annamarie@newbornfoundation.orgConnect With Ronit:For more about this episode click here!InstagramFacebook

Six years before George Floyd's death triggered national reaction to brutality and racism in policing, Phillipe Holland was shot 14 times by officers in Philadelphia.Phillipe never thought he would go public with the details but after the deaths of Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice and George Floyd he no longer felt he had a choice. While Phillipe has had nonviolent interactions with police chants of Blue Lives Matter and All Lives Matter don’t sit well with him and hopes that by telling his story more people will understand the danger and inequality Black people face.  In this episode he shares what his life was like in 2014 as a twenty-year-old student working several jobs just before he got shot, how the violent assault unfolded, and its aftermath. Connect with Phillipe:Instagram Connect With Ronit:For more about this episode click here!InstagramFacebook

When Hunter became an amputee at just 4 years old his parents, Rosalie and Michael Mastaler, had to negotiate a host of feelings including guilt, grief, and worry for how their son would adapt. The loss of his lower leg altered their lives and how they cared for him but Rosalie and Michael soon realized that the most powerful tool they could offer Hunter was resilience. They understood that they had to avoid feeling sorry for Hunter so he wouldn’t in turn feel sorry for himself.  Hunter is now 10, is a competitive swimmer, and has been able to connect with other amputees and differently-abled children, as well as travel across the country to attend various conventions and events. Though losing his limb was a painful experience, one that has forever changed his and his family’s life, they have been able to learn more about their strengths, cope with their differences, and become closer as a family than ever before. Connect with Rosalie:InstagramFacebookWebsite  Connect With Ronit:For more about this episode click here!InstagramFacebook

For 18 years, Johnny Crowder did not speak about the struggles he was enduring at home, partially because when he was young, he believed that abuse was normal, and partly because he wasn’t ready to break away from the patterns of self-harm he’d used for years to negotiate his trauma. But in 2011 he started advocating for mental health and sobriety and began working with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. By the time he graduated from high school Johnny was diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and OCD. Because he was unhappy with other mental health resources available, he created Cope Notes in 2018 with the goal of offering daily text messages that provide mental and emotional health support as a first step to recovery.  Today he’s a 28-year-old suicide and abuse survivor, touring musician, TedX speaker, host of The Cope Notes Podcast. He has fully embraced his role of mental health advocate and though he wishes he didn’t have to endure what he experienced growing up, is grateful he can use his story to help others get the support they need.  Connect with Johnny:InstagramFacebookLinkedInWebsite Episode Resources:National Alliance on Mental Illness InstagramNational Alliance on Mental Illness Website Connect With Ronit:For more about this episode click here!InstagramFacebook 

The hardest moment in Mark Schutter’s life was when he had to walk out of the hospital room where his wife had just died, knowing he would go back to their empty house alone. Mark and his wife met in college and were married for five years over which time she was diagnosed with cancer twice. Mark was her main anchor; in charge of her state of mind and health through her battle. His 20s were full of sleepless nights, fear of loss, and the weight of being the sole care provider, yet he had few resources to support him. Though he felt broken he also believed that men were not supposed to express their feelings and he tried to carry on without help. Several years later Mark remarried and with his wife’s encouragement and insight began to acknowledge the pain he’d experienced. He’s worked with a therapist—something he never would have done years ago—and has just completed a memoir, Cowboys Are Not Supposed To Cry, for people who have loved and lost, and need help moving on, especially men, who like Mark, may not always know how to allow themselves to be vulnerable.   Connect with Mark:InstagramWebsite Connect With Ronit:For more about this episode click here!InstagramFacebook

Jaclyn Greenberg did not know she had contracted Cytomegalovirus (CMV) during her second pregnancy until her 34-week check-up when doctors discovered her baby was not growing correctly, had fluid in his brain, and had an enlarged heart. Jaclyn was rushed to the hospital to have an emergency C-Section and after she delivered Henry spent that whole summer practically living in the NICU.  Because Henry’s brain stopped developing between 30 and 32 weeks his medical team didn’t know what he would ultimately be capable of, or even if he would live. Jaclyn’s sense of guilt overwhelmed her and she entered a deep depression. She stopped visiting the hospital as often and when she was at work or with her other child, relied on others to take care of Henry in ways that she felt unable to.  Then, one day she began to feel better and she realized she wanted to enjoy the life she had with her family life and stop trying to fix what could not be fixed. Jaclyn became an advocate for her son and began insisting on getting medical care with doctors who see beyond Henry’s disabilities and treat him like a whole person. Jaclyn is now a mother of three and has made it her mission to battle the stigma the differently-abled face, educate others, and spend quality time with her husband and her children, all of whom look out for each other unconditionally and remind her every day how far they have come as a family.  Connect with Jaclyn:Instagram Connect With Ronit:For more about this episode click here!InstagramFacebook

For Diane Windsor and her son, the anti-vaxx movement represents the difference between life and death. In June 2018, he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and needed immediate treatment. He and Diane had had a strained relationship because of his ongoing battle with addiction, but they found common ground as they battled for his survival.He endured multiple rounds of Chemo, a round of Car-T Cell Therapy, and full-body radiation, which wiped out all the childhood vaccinations he once had and left him extraordinarily immunocompromised and vulnerable to diseases to which he had previously been immune. Diane had never entirely understood the anti-vaxx movement, but with her son’s health now under threat, her anger grew. He went into remission, and Diane wrote the YA novel Stuck, which tells the story of two best friends, Angie, who is immuno-compromised due to leukemia, and Cassidy, who is unvaccinated. Now two years later, Diane and her family are still fighting to keep her son healthy and mend their relationship. She hopes that writing Stuck and sharing her family's story helps others realize the truth about how crucial vaccines are to the immuno-compromised. Connect with Diane:WebsiteInstagram Connect With Ronit:For more about this episode click here!InstagramFacebook