Not The Way I Planned

The thought of losing your 7-year-old is unfathomable. Losing a child should simply never happen, but for reasons we don’t know now, it does. Nixon Whatcott bravely battled osteosarcoma for nearly a year and a half. A once very active little boy, he faced losing […]

Being a single parent is undoubtedly challenging. One of the most humbling aspects is getting by financially on one income. We live in a two-income household world and it’s increasingly difficult to make one income work. This is where “The Single Parent Project” comes to […]

I have always held my self worth in the same space as my riches. I thought my parents would love me more and I would love myself more if I was successful with money and in my career. I still struggle with these thoughts as […]

I’ll never forget the day that I met Carmen Parker. Our sons were in the same kindergarten class and we met up at a park to let the boys play. As a few years past by we both faced divorce. She was a bright light […]

Molly Bice Jackson has faced the unthinkable. She’s lost one of the most precious people in her life, her beautiful daughter Lucy. Molly’s tragic story has stuck with me for over a decade. I’ve found my heart aching for someone I’ve never met. I’ve found […]

I don’t think I’ve even met anyone who has more valiantly fought obsessive compulsive disorder, or “OCD” like 19-year-old, Luke Davenport. We’re not talking about you like things a little nice and tidy “OCD.” Obsessive Compulsive Disorder made it very difficult for Luke to finish […]

I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone that has faced more trials, miracles, love, or loss quite like Laura Dibble Watts. She’s had so many “Not the Way I Planned” moments that I feel like she could write multiple award-winning books, so I was […]

John Moug has faced some very unexpected moments in his life. Most recently he found himself suddenly out of work and uprooting his life to a new state. I didn’t know a lot about John’s past when I sat down with him. I was intrigued […]

Nancy Gifford has a story you won’t soon forget. After years of struggling as a single Mom, she lost the love of her life while battling stage 4 cancer. Since her tragic loss and heroic battle, Nancy has gone on to run marathons and inspire […]

I can’t even begin to adequately express how much I appreciate your bravery and vulnerability over the past year. My gratitude for every one of you that has shared your story of life not going the way you planned has changed my life for the […]

How precious are these two?! Simon and Louie were born in Hong Kong and mainland China respectively. The orphanage was their home until Katie and Taylor Davis came into their lives. Katie and Taylor always wanted a big family, but adopting two little boys from […]

I’ve had to embrace change a lot lately. From job loss to moving and divorce, change is tough! I even struggle with minor changes and setbacks, like burning dinner or in today’s instance, equipment not working and not being able to bring you the story […]

Sarah’s family life was altered forever when she lost her Dad to a terrible car accident when she was just 4-years-old. Since that tragic day, her family chooses to thrive in the midst of their loss. As naive teenagers, Sarah and I loved planning out […]

I’ve been divorced for 2 1/2 years. We don’t talk about divorce often around the house. It’s uncomfortable to conjure up those painful memories and the issues that are still difficult to navigate. After bribing my kids with $10 each (yes, I am that parent) […]

Val Cameron is one of the bravest people I have ever met. She is never afraid to be herself or stand up for herself. On second thought, maybe she is, but she pushes past the fear and does it anyway! At 40, Val has found […]

Alcohol addiction is something we always think will happen to someone else. We often picture alcoholics as disheveled members of our society drinking out of a bag. Functional alcoholism walks among us more often than we would ever suspect. Kate found herself drinking at home […]

Surviving the holiday season can be tough. Holidays aren’t magical for everyone. Through the years I’ve recognized how stressful and lonely holidays can be for many people. I’ve also learned huge lessons in learning what’s important when it comes to the holiday season.

Divorce can feel very much like diving off a cliff. It’s really scary, part of it is liberating, you lose your footing, you have to navigate new waters, and you always walk away a different person than you were before. This is my divorce story. […]

Batten Disease shows no mercy. It is one of the cruelest, gut-wrenching diseases I have ever seen. The fact that it happens to children makes Batten Disease one of the most bitter cups one can be handed in life. This is the story of the […]

Melinda Nelson has survived a 5 organ transplant. She was born with a condition called pseudo-obstruction syndrome that makes it nearly impossible for her body to digest food. This is Melinda’s journey. In 2015 she left her young children behind to go to Indiana to […]

I discovered Karla Cadeau 14 years ago through a YouTube video. I have no idea how I stumbled across it, but it impacted me deeply. My heart just broke for this beautiful couple that had so suddenly lost their full-term, beautiful baby girl. Karla had […]

Ashton and B.J. Hobbs made everyone feel loved and special. They were always together and lived life to the fullest. 16-years-ago the brothers went scuba diving and never came back home. This is their story as told by their sister Shannon. It’s a story of […]

I remember my ex-husband telling me one day about 4 years ago that Cody was gay. I couldn’t believe it! To the outside world, this man had the perfect Mormon family. He had a successful career, four darling kids, a beautiful wife, and a nice […]

I’m in the radio biz. It sounds like a glamorous job and truthfully it can be very fun. Unfortunately, the business often means a very difficult balance between work and home life. Radio can mean sudden moves, pay cuts, and often times professional gains come […]

The first thing I ever heard about Jen is that she has seizures. Jen was my neighbor over a decade ago and I instantly thought she was the sweetest thing ever. Her seizures were scary though. I watched her have seizures in church a couple […]

This beautiful young woman, Madeline Duskey, was just 24-years-old when she was hit and killed by a drunk driver. Her Mother, Crystal Markum-Brown sat down with me to share her incredibly tragic story. After we talked she wrote me this message. “Maddie has always been […]

Pornography. It’s a topic we don’t want to talk about. Something we think will never happen to our children or in our relationships. So how can we stop pornography addiction before it starts? Dr. Tim Hollingshead has created a program called “Free in 13” that […]

No one ever plans to get pregnant as a teenager, but it happened to my cousin Meghann Brimhall. A mom at 17, divorced by 25, with two kids to raise. Meghann finally found true love after finding herself. Meghann says she never expected to have […]

This episode of “Not The Way I Planned,” is a story of finding happiness after infertility and betrayal. Boise mother, Theresa Mills shares her journey of trying to have a baby for 8 years. She opens up about her struggles along the often difficult path […]

Nathan Ogden has been paralyzed twice! Today he lives as a quadriplegic, but he hasn’t let his inability to move his body stop him from driving his truck, skydiving, or biking 1200 miles to raise money to buy wheelchairs for people in third-world countries through […]

When I first met Jenny Steinmetz, she was the type of person that I saw as “perfect.” Perfect marriage, perfect home, perfect kids, going to church kind of girl. As I got to know Jenny a little better I discovered that she had painful struggles […]

Spend 1 minute with this young woman and she is sure to brighten your day. I first met Sarah Patterson through an incredible program called “Miss Amazing” which gives women and girls with disabilities the opportunity to compete in a pageant. I was a judge […]

Sasha’s story is one that I wish no mother ever had to tell. I first met Sasha through a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She told me about her daughter Kandice. Even though I never got the chance to meet that little girl, […]

Becky and her husband Joe had just built their dream home when the unthinkable happened. No one ever expects they’ll hear the word cancer, but life can turn on a dime and it has left this beautiful couple fighting for Joe’s life. I hope this […]

I told myself with this episode of the “Not The Way I Planned” podcast that if my story helps one person it is worth sharing. My journey with body image and self-esteem has been a rough one. I’ve battled anorexia, bulimia, and scoliosis. It’s taken […]

Crystal Lowther is one of the most dedicated Mother’s I have ever met. She hasn’t had it easy, putting her dreams on hold while raising her two boys as a single Mom. Her children are incredible. Infectious smiles and personality for days, but her son […]

This woman is the epitome of a good co-parent. From the very beginning of my divorce journey, she was an example to me that everything can be okay if you proceed as mature adults and keep the kids your top priority. I’ve witnessed her ex […]

I first met Jennifer Claassen through an incredible program called “Miss Amazing.” The program gives women with special needs the opportunity to experience pageantry. Jennifer was the director and we connected over having son’s on the Autism Spectrum. Shortly after our first conversation, I learned […]

I’ve known Ammie for over thirty years. She’s been through a lot. She’s inspired and strengthened me in some of my darkest days and yet she’s just like so many of us in being overly critical and feeling inadequate. Trust me, she is one of […]

This is by far the most vulnerable interview I have ever conducted. I tried to bury my childhood for many years. Just so you know, that doesn’t work. It played a big role in me not having a successful marriage down the road and bled […]

When I worked with Nicole I thought she had the perfect family and the perfect life. It wasn’t until I ran into her in the bathroom one day that she stunned me with the news that her son was in a full-time treatment facility in […]

I first met Lindsay back in 2008. I had just given birth to my second child and was working as a traffic reporter for a local radio station. Lindsay was the morning show host on this station and I was envious of her career and […]

My friend Zizly was dumped just a few months before her wedding by a man she had been with for nine years. This is her story. I was supposed to be a married woman today. That’s not happening. Seven months ago I was dumped. It […]

Episode 1: Hello! I’m Carly and my life has gone anything but the way I thought it would. Can you relate? Join me each week for inspiring interviews, plus tips and tricks to living your best life, even if it’s not the life you planned.