PODCAST · education
Built From Broken
by Madison Bell
Built From Broken is a space for anyone navigating healing, growth, and everything in between. I’m Madison, and my story hasn’t been easy, with experiences in foster care, family struggles, and a lot of unexpected turns along the way.Each episode shares a piece of my journey, along with honest reflections, mindset shifts, and the lessons that shaped who I am today.It’s not always pretty, but it’s real. And healing starts there.So come hang out, reflect a little, and as always, keep building.
Episodes
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I’ve Been Quiet, but I Haven’t Been Still
It has been almost two months since I last stepped behind the microphone. While I never intended to be away for this long, I have learned that being quiet does not mean I have been standing still. In this episode, I open up about feeling drained, operating with my battery in the red, and why I...
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A Mother's Tears, A Daughter's Grace
I wasn't planning to record tonight. It wasn't even a planned episode. After a conversation with my mom, I found myself crying, reflecting, and ultimately reaching for the microphone. In this deeply personal episode, I share what she said, what it stirred in me, and why I believe conversations…
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Conversation with Paige
In today's episode, I'm joined by my friend Paige for a conversation that has been a long time coming. Although we grew up in the same hometown and even rode the same school bus, we had no idea we were both carrying so much behind the smiles people saw every day. Looking back, it's a powerful...
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It's Okay to Be Human
A few weeks ago, I told listeners I would be releasing two episodes a week for the next three weeks. I meant every word of it. Then life happened. Between Mother's Day, birthdays, end-of-school celebrations, travel, work commitments, family responsibilities, and all of the normal demands of life…
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Why This Work Matters — Part One
This week’s episode is Part One of a special three-part series called Why This Work Matters, where I’ll be highlighting organizations that support children and families impacted by foster and kinship care and sharing why this work matters so deeply to me personally as a former foster youth. In…
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In Real Time — Part One
In this first episode of the new In Real Time mini series, I wanted to sit down and talk more casually about some of the conversations, moments, opportunities, and reflections that have been happening lately throughout Foster Care Awareness Month. I share my thoughts surrounding recent CMS...
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For Every Kind of Mother
Mother’s Day can bring so many different emotions depending on someone’s story. For some, it feels joyful. For others, it feels heavy. Sometimes it feels healing, complicated, grief-filled, or somewhere in between. In this episode, I wanted to create a space for every kind of mother and nurturing...
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One Year of Built From Broken
It has been one year of Built From Broken. In this episode, I reflect on what this past year has looked like, from starting this podcast during a time of uncertainty, to the growth, healing, and unexpected opportunities that followed. I share more about what was happening behind the scenes, how...
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Foster Care Awareness Starts Here
May is Foster Care Awareness Month, and this episode is where it begins. Most people don’t think about foster care unless it directly affects them. But what happens when we take a moment to really understand it? In this episode, I am opening the door to start the conversation for a deeper...
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5 Years Later, Dad — Part Two
In Part Two, we continue the conversation, moving into the more complex, emotional, and meaningful parts of my dad’s story. From the relationship we built later in life to the things I understand differently now, this episode is about perspective, growth, and the love that remains even after…
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5 Years Later, Dad — Part One
As we approach the five year anniversary of my dad’s passing this Wednesday, I’m sitting down to talk about him in a way I never have before. In this episode, I’m joined by my stepmom, Cindy, as we begin to unpack who he was, what shaped him, and the parts of his story I didn’t fully understand...
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The Next Chapter: Q&A Edition – Part Four
In the final part of this Q&A series, I’m sharing reflections on personal growth, healing, and what it looks like to move beyond survival and actually live differently. This episode touches on mindset shifts, breaking generational cycles, and parenting with intention, while also acknowledging…
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The Next Chapter: Q&A Edition – Part Three
In this Q&A episode of Built From Broken, I’m answering some of the most personal questions I’ve received about my relationship with my mom. We talk about what it’s like growing up with a parent who struggles with mental illness, the confusion it creates as a child, and the understanding that…
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The Next Chapter: Q&A Edition – Part Two
This week on Built From Broken, I’m continuing the Q&A series and answering some of the most personal questions that came in during Season One. We talk about what it feels like when people learn I was in foster care, how childhood triggers can carry into adulthood, how I truly feel when I look…
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The Next Chapter: Q&A Edition – Part One
Season 2 of Built From Broken begins with a listener Q&A, answering some of the most meaningful questions about my experience in foster care and the long term impact childhood trauma can have on our lives. After sharing my full foster care journey throughout Season 1, many listeners reached out...
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The Final Chapter: Aging Out — Part Two
Graduation was the visible milestone. Aging out was the quiet shift no one applauds. In this final chapter of my foster care story, I share what it felt like when the system stepped back and adulthood stepped in. No ceremony. No countdown. Just a case file closing and the realization that I was…
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The Final Chapter: Graduation — Part One
This episode begins the final chapter of my foster care story. Graduation week was more than a ceremony. It was the collision of everything that had shaped my adolescence. Family dynamics that were layered and complicated. Milestones that felt both earned and fragile. Independence that looked...
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The Dayridge House: Back Again – Part Eight
In this episode, I pick back up at the end of my senior year, a season filled with anticipation, transition, and decisions that quietly shaped what came next. I reflect on being accepted to college, competing at BPA Nationals, prom, and senior skip day, all while navigating the uncertainty of...
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The Dayridge House: Back Again – Part Seven
As senior year continues, I am still a few months away from graduation and focused on staying grounded while navigating a season of transition. In this episode, I share what life looked like during this stretch of senior year, including changes in my living situation, a health-related scare, and...
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The Dayridge House: Back Again — Part Six
By the time Christmas came around, I had already mentally checked out. In this episode, I share what it looked like to quietly prepare for freedom long before I physically left. As graduation approached, my focus shifted to survival, independence, and getting out. This chapter reflects the slow...
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The Dayridge House: Back Again — Part Five
In this episode of Built From Broken, I continue sharing what life looked like during my final stretch at the Dayridge House, a chapter marked by sharp contrasts. Before everything unraveled, there was a moment that almost changed my entire future. A safe adult. A stable home. An offer rooted...
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2026: Building With Intention
As we step into 2026, I’m taking a moment to pause and reflect on what’s been built so far and what I’m intentionally carrying forward. In this episode, I share reflections on the first eight months of Built From Broken, the unexpected growth this space has experienced, and what it means to…
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The Dayridge House: Back Again – Part Four
In this episode, I share a moment from this week that felt like a turning point. I spoke at my first foster care related event, and a high school student even asked if I had a podcast. Both moments reminded me why this journey matters and how purpose can show up in the smallest places. We also…
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The Dayridge House: Back Again — Part Three
This chapter begins with vulnerability. I talk about why starting this section of my story was difficult, not from confusion, but from clarity. I remembered everything too clearly, and stepping into this version of me meant facing the girl who wanted to belong, to be older, and to survive in her...
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The Grief No One Talks About
This week’s episode is one I hadn’t planned to record, but it was placed on my heart after my mom’s birthday brought up emotions I couldn’t ignore. In this tender, honest reflection, I open up about the complicated grief that comes with loving someone who is still here, but not the same person…
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Conversation with Gracie — Part Four
In this final part, we wrap up our time with Gracie and reflect on how far we’ve both come since our early years in foster care. She shares her gratitude for being able to tell pieces of her story here and talks about hoping to come back on the podcast again soon. Gracie leads us through this...
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Conversation with Gracie — Part Three
In Part 3, we open up about the habits and reactions we’ve carried into adulthood that may not seem “normal,” and how many of them are rooted in trauma. We talk about trauma bonding, over-apologizing, and the ways our bodies can tire more quickly after living so long in fight-or-flight mode. We...
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Conversation with Gracie — Part Two
We kick off this episode with a funny little blooper, just a reminder that we’re real, human, and far from perfect. Hopefully it gives you a smile. In Part 2, Gracie and I talk about who we are today, who we’ve grown into, and how childhood trauma shapes the adults we become. We share honestly...
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Conversation with Gracie — Part One
The next four episodes will look a little different. I have a special guest joining me, Gracie. You may remember her being mentioned during my time with Monica and Steve at the Cedarwood House. In this first part, we talk about why she chose to keep her real name private, how she became “Gracie”…
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The Pause That Had Purpose
The last couple of weeks were quiet here, and that pause had purpose. This was my first real pause since starting the podcast. I also want to acknowledge my absence and say thank you for your patience these last couple of weeks. In this episode, I share why I stepped back, what’s been unfolding...
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The Dayridge House: Back Again — Part Two
This episode continues my story during junior year, a season where life felt both fast and blurry. I talk about reconnecting with old friends, working to support myself while in foster care, and the sting of being treated differently from a biological child. Those differences felt especially…
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The Dayridge House: Back Again — Part One
In this episode, I return to The Dayridge House — the place that, for a while, felt like home again. This chapter is about coming back to familiar walls, old friendships, and the quiet moments that offered me a sense of belonging after so much chaos. It’s about the hope I held onto at 17… even…
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Before We Go Back Again
Before I return to the Dayridge House in the next chapter of my foster care story, I wanted to pause and reflect with you. In this episode, I share what it means to be in the final stretch of my story, some incredible milestones this podcast has reached, and what is coming next: Q&A episodes with...
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The Cedarwood House — Part Four
⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains discussion of self-harm and assault. In this episode, I close the chapter on my time at the Cedarwood House — a group home that tested me in ways I never expected. I share the story of meeting Paul, the turmoil of living with a new roommate who targeted…
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The Cedarwood House – Part Three
This episode continues with my time at the group home, where I became tangled up in relationships with two boys while also forming a new friendship that brought some light into a heavy season. Not long after, I was able to bring more of my belongings from Monica and Steve’s, small pieces of...
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The Cedarwood House – Part Two
This episode continues my story at the group home, a time when so many changes hit all at once. I share about starting at a new school, trying to find my place, and even making changes to my hair as I searched for a sense of identity. I open up about losing my virginity during a season when I was...
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The Cedarwood House – Part One
In this episode of Built From Broken, I begin sharing one of the hardest chapters of my story, not because of what others did to me, but because of the choices I made and the way I lost sight of myself. At sixteen, I was placed at Cedarwood House, a group home that would become the setting for…
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The Hillcrest House — Part Three
This episode marks the final chapter of my time with Monica and Steve. It lasted less than a year but left a lifetime of impact. I share the realities of those final months: the way Monica pushed to have me diagnosed with something I didn’t have, the humiliation of my sixteenth birthday, the loss...
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The Hillcrest House — Part Two
In this episode of Built From Broken, I continue my story at the Hillcrest House during my 9th grade year. This chapter covers my very first job at McDonald’s, the lessons and small joys that came with it, and the growing control and isolation I faced at home with Steve and Monica. I share the...
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The Hillcrest House – Part One
After leaving the Dayridge House during winter break of my ninth-grade year, I found myself starting over once again. Steve picked me up in a U-Haul, and before heading to my new home, we stopped at a storage unit filled with my mom’s things. Not long after arriving at Monica and Steve’s, I...
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The Dayridge House — Part Five
At the start of ninth grade, things felt steady. My friendships were consistent, the routine at the Dayridge House remained familiar, and nothing seemed out of place. Then everything changed. In this episode, I share the moment that shifted the course of that year. It was an experience that…
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The Dayridge House — Part Four
Eighth grade at the Dayridge House held a mix of comfort, confusion, and change. In this episode, I share more memories from that time, including morning coffee in the Florida room, movie nights with my foster family, visits with my mom, new friendships, and meaningful moments with my dad that...
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The Dayridge House — Part Three
This is the first episode where I begin sharing my experiences from eighth grade, a year that brought both new beginnings and emotional turning points. In this chapter, I talk about how my dad initiated contact for the first time, the moment I officially became a ward of the state, and how it…
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The Dayridge House — Part Two
Life at the Dayridge House looked stable from the outside, but behind the routines and family dinners were emotions I didn’t fully understand yet. In this episode, I share more of what seventh grade looked like from inside foster care: the supervised visits, the quiet moments that stuck with me,...
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The Dayridge House — Part One
New school. New routine. Same foster home… but this time, everything felt different. In this episode, I begin seventh grade while continuing life at the Dayridge House — the foster home where I was placed after my grandparents returned me. I share what it was like adjusting to a new school...
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Returning Back
After a brief return to familiarity, I found myself right back where it all started — the same foster home, the same once-unfamiliar faces, and a slightly different perspective. In this episode, I reflect on the summer that followed… the quiet distractions, the small comforts, and what it felt…
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When Your Mind Plays Tricks On You
This episode wasn’t part of the original plan — but life has a way of calling for a pause when the weight gets heavy. Instead of continuing the next chapter of my story, I’m opening up about the emotional space I’ve found myself in lately. When the noise gets loud and the doubts creep in…
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What They Saw vs. What I Was Carrying
Why do kids act out? Why did I act out? And what happens when no one asks that question until years later? In this episode, I’m not just telling you that I was labeled difficult — I’m unpacking the reasons behind the behavior people judged so harshly. I talk about the silent pain, the chaos I...
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The Setback I Never Saw Coming
After spending over a week in my first foster home, my grandparents picked me up — just before my 13th birthday. I thought maybe this was it. Maybe I was home for good. But just a few weeks later, everything shifted again… and I was sent back. In this episode, I’m sharing what it felt like to go...
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Their Version of You Is Not Your Truth
Have you ever felt misjudged or misunderstood? Like someone took pieces of your story and twisted them into something unrecognizable? In this episode, I open up about what it feels like to be painted in a false light — and how to rise above the narratives others create about you. We explore the...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Built From Broken is a space for anyone navigating healing, growth, and everything in between. I’m Madison, and my story hasn’t been easy, with experiences in foster care, family struggles, and a lot of unexpected turns along the way.Each episode shares a piece of my journey, along with honest reflections, mindset shifts, and the lessons that shaped who I am today.It’s not always pretty, but it’s real. And healing starts there.So come hang out, reflect a little, and as always, keep building.
HOSTED BY
Madison Bell
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Built From Broken have?
Built From Broken currently has 56 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Built From Broken about?
Built From Broken is a space for anyone navigating healing, growth, and everything in between. I’m Madison, and my story hasn’t been easy, with experiences in foster care, family struggles, and a lot of unexpected turns along the way.Each episode shares a piece of my journey, along with honest...
How often does Built From Broken release new episodes?
Built From Broken has 56 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Built From Broken?
You can listen to Built From Broken on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Built From Broken?
Built From Broken is created and hosted by Madison Bell.
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