At The Spot

My girl Aubrey is BACK this week! She is picking my brain on how life looked once the divorce happened. How did we co-parent? How did dating go? How was it to see your ex AND your child with a new partner? We get into it all.... well, as much as we had time for. As we enter into 2021 and close the heavy chapter of 2020, I hope that this will be an encouragement for you. Maybe something you hear on this episode will serve as a slight mind-shift that may result in a little less burden to carry in the new year. Maybe it will just be pure entertainment for you and provide you with some giggles. Either way, it makes me happy. Happy New Year! xoxo

I took the last couple of weeks "off" from the podcast so I could truly process all that has happened this year, and what all I had to be thankful for. While this was a challenge, I realized that most of the curveballs this year had some kind of silver lining in them. I have always struggled with the curveballs of my upbringing and typically just saw the negativity surrounding them. I struggled with the feeling of not knowing where I belonged. I struggled with being abandoned. I struggled with feeling like a mistake. I struggled with the failures. Through some counseling, soul searching, and aging, I recognize that I still have these struggles, but I see the silver linings in them now. As a parent myself, I feel like I am a more present mother to my son. I try to be vocal with my words and my actions to express my deep love and devotion to him and those close to me. I try to be less judgmental and more empathetic towards others. As I continued chatting this week with my wonderful friend, Aubrey, I was reminded of all the many chapters of my life. They were not simple or traditional. They were not ideal. BUT, they did shape me to be the person I am today. I hope that listening to this story will bring you some hope, clarity, and/or reassurance. You are not defined by your past. It is part of you, but not your label. I hope that you enjoy it! xo

This week, I am blessed to have Houston Rogers of Digital Deadbeats podcast hop on. He shares a unique story of growing up as an only child in a blended family situation full of twists and turns. Fast forward to current times when Houston is thrown the biggest curveball of them all... his parents' reconciliation. This one shocked even me. How do you process the same emotions a second time around, but for the opposite reason? Take a listen to hear how Houston is navigating this awkward and unusual season. Follow Houston on his Digital Deadbeats podcast at https://anchor.fm/digitaldeadbeats I hope that you enjoy this episode and gain some comfort and peace. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it and/or leave a review. This helps me spread the word tremendously and be able to reach individuals at a great distance that may need this more than ever right now. Thank you! xo

This week, we entirely mixed it up. We are about to begin the holiday season of such a UNIQUE year. I sat down with my own child, Aidan, and we totally shut the world out for a bit. No phones, no TV, no one else in the room, no game systems. It was just him and me and it was so incredibly special. I was honored to have a real and candid conversation with him on his perspective of being a child of divorce and especially what it is like being a child of divorce during the holidays. I was, admittedly, super nervous about having this conversation with him. Adding a very public platform on top of it didn't help either! But, I am SO happy I did. Parents, if you're ever questioning how you're doing in your role in your child's life, I encourage you to take a listen to this episode and have your own "interview" with your own children. I am confident that regardless if you are a parent in a blended family situation or a first family situation, you will walk away with the reassurance that you're doing way better than you may think! I hope that you enjoy this episode and gain some comfort and peace. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it and/or leave a review! This helps me spread the word tremendously and be able to reach individuals at a great distance that may need this more than ever right now. Thank you! xo

This week I was blessed to have Dustin Joves, creator of The Kingdom Podcast, hop on and chat with me about his story. It was fascinating to not only hear his story and how the cultural differences made an impact on how his story unfolds but to realize some parallels to my own. Healing can really reach a new level when you realize that you're not alone, right? Check out Dustin's podcast at anchor.fm/thekingdompodph

This was probably one of my favorite episodes to record thus far. My friend, Jamie Lee Rudenos, hops on the podcast to have an intimate conversation about her story of second chances. This story has so many plot twists and even has a part where yours truly becomes one of the main characters. This conversation was so real and raw that I completely forgot we were recording for a bit! Ya might wanna buckle up for this one! Enjoy! If you do, please don't forget to give it a review.

Michelle Williard is BACK for Part TWO! Michelle Williard, author of the Soaring Series: Soaring Minds Workbook and Journal, The ABC's of Narcissism: Soaring Past Toxic Partners, Soaring with Gratitude, Soaring with Forgiveness, Soaring with Goal Achievement, is back for Part TWO to share her courageous story. She dives a bit deeper into getting into the minds of narcissists and how to see past all the smoke in the mirrors in order to begin the process of breaking FREE of the chains. "Listen to your intuitions. That is what will save you. NOT the cover-up voice. NOT the easier voice." https://www.soaringminds.me/

I am so humbled, honored, and thrilled to have Michelle Williard, author of the Soaring series: Soaring Minds Workbook and Journal, The ABC's of Narcissism: Soaring Past Toxic Partners, Soaring with Gratitude, Soaring with Forgiveness, Soaring with Goal Achievement. Michelle often found it difficult to find true joy in her life, despite the gifts of beautiful jewelry, clothes, and trips. What was hiding beneath those gifts that sparkled were physical, mental, and emotional bruises that ran deep. The pattern of conditioning, controlling, and abusing played on repeat during their 30-year marriage. Michelle walks us through her incredible journey and how someone she had committed her life to strategically and intentionally broke her down, piece by piece. She bravely shares how she was able to find the strength and the courage to break free, piece together those broken pieces, and SOAR! Soaring Minds Workbook & Journal via Amazon The ABC's of Narcissism via Amazon Soaring Minds Facebook Page https://www.soaringminds.me/

Meet my ROCKIN' friend, Nickie Madilia as she talks about her journey of transitioning from divorcee to wife #2 of The Dog Fence Guy. Not only is their marriage one that we all swoon over, but they blended their two very different families seamlessly. Stay tuned for Part 2 in the future so Nickie and Joe can give us their tips on communicating effectively in a second marriage. For more information, visit: https://www.invpetfencing.com https://www.instagram.com/dog_fence_guy/?hl=en

Meet the creator of At The Spot Podcast, Crystal Hipps. Hear about her journey of being in multiple blended families from birth. This is no ordinary story and you don't want to miss it! https://ladybug-cymbals-tk7f.squarespace.com/

This week, I am joined by Brittney Long, a sweet friend of mine. We dive into her journey of being a part of a blended and biracial family from the time that she was a toddler. Fast forward to the present and now she has her own blended, beautiful and biracial family. We talk about the blessings and the challenges and the lessons she has learned on the way. 

This bonus episode is with Allison DeArment, M. Ed, school counselor. We are talking about how to help your kids handle all the stress that came and continues to come along with COVID-19. Allison shares some great insight and resources to help our kids have a healthy school year and tackle those challenges with confidence. For more information, visit: www.childmind.org