#15: She Found Her Voice. She Left. She Built. | Pina Colucci

This is one of the most personal episodes — because my guest is my mother, Pina Colucci.Pina is the oldest of five, first-generation American, and grew up in a close, traditional immigrant family. She married young — and after years of abuse, she made the decision to leave for her daughter, raising her as a single mom while she rebuilt everything from scratch. What followed was decades of rebuilding: beauty school, a small business that lasted 32 years, a whole generation of stylists she mentored along the way, and a life built on the relationships she never stopped prioritizing.We get into a few of the most pivotal chapters of her life — not everything, but the parts that shaped her, and me, the most. We talk about building a business from nothing, mentoring dozens of stylists over three decades, staying rooted in community,  and how surviving what she did gave her a deeper empathy for everyone who's sat in her chair since.This is a survivor story, an entrepreneur story, a mentorship story, and — above everything else — a love letter between a mother and daughter. If there's one thing Pina wants you to walk away with, it's this: find your voice.Pull up a chair. This is a conversation worth having.00:00:00  Meeting My Mother, Pina Colucci00:01:57  How She Got My Name & Growing Up in an Immigrant Family00:05:29  When the Marriage Turned Abusive00:07:59  Leaving — For Her Daughter00:19:22  Find Your Voice: Advice for Anyone in Her Shoes00:23:26  Building a 32-Year Business & Mentoring the Next Generation00:28:30  Community, Volunteering & Leadership Boise00:50:44  On Friendship, Family & What Lasts00:56:52  Closing: Grace, Strength & the Greatest GiftIf this conversation stayed with you — follow It Stays Here on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, and leave a review. It helps more people find their way to conversations worth having.Know someone who needs to hear this? Send it to them. Some conversations are meant to find the right people.