Life Conversations with a Twist

"The best in people always shines through, even during the darkest times." — Annette MullinThere's the version of a crisis you see on the news, and then there's the version lived by the people who show up for it — the officers, the first responders, the moms trying to keep their own kids steady while everything around them feels unsteady. Annette Mullin lived both.Annette spent 24 years as a Las Vegas police officer — patrol, homicide, internal affairs, and nine years as a crisis negotiator. In this episode, she shares what it was like being an officer during the mass shooting on the Strip, becoming the first woman ever put in a supervisor role in her department's homicide unit, and the humbling first hostage case that taught her everything she now teaches as an instructor with the Black Swan Group. This is a real life story about resilience, service, and what it actually means to make someone feel heard.If you've ever had to hold steady for everyone else while quietly falling apart yourself, this conversation is for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 Introduction — Heather welcomes Annette Mullin03:24 Annette's childhood dream of becoming a coroner and how it led her to policing07:32 Being an officer during the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip09:45 Bringing her kids to a candlelight vigil to process as a community19:42 Becoming the first woman supervisor in homicide21:36 Nine years as a crisis negotiator and what it taught her about being heard25:24 The transition to coaching with the Black Swan Group39:39 Where to connect with Annette Mullin About Annette MullinAnnette Mullin retired from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) in August 2021, closing out a 24-year career in law enforcement. She spent more than 20 years specializing in Violent Crimes Against Persons, working across Criminal Intelligence, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Abuse and Neglect, Internal Affairs, Force Investigations, and Homicide. Annette served as a Crisis Negotiator for nine years and led the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) for two of those years. In 2018, she was promoted to Director and built the Police Employee Assistance Program, providing health and wellness resources to LVMPD employees and their families. She has also taught Sexual Assault Prevention, Sex Trafficking Investigations, and Domestic Violence Prevention around the world, with engagements as far-reaching as Vietnam and Budapest. Today, Annette is a Negotiation Instructor and Coach with the Black Swan Group, translating those high-stakes experiences into practical tools for leaders, teams, and individuals navigating pressure, conflict, and growth.WebsiteLinkedInSupport the show

You think you have stability. You think you have your health. You think you have all these things. But in reality, they can be taken from you at any moment without warning — Jennifer PetersonThere's a version of strength that looks like showing up for everyone else while quietly falling apart underneath it. Jennifer Peterson spent 25 years in critical care and trauma medicine — and then found herself on the other side of the emergency, bleeding out after a routine surgery, unsure she'd make it home to her own kids.In this episode, Jennifer shares the honest, unscripted story of that near-fatal medical crisis, the EMDR work that helped her carry it, and the burnout that finally pushed her to leave inpatient medicine. She opens up about why she pivoted into perimenopause and menopause care, and why so many women are dismissed, misdiagnosed, or handed antidepressants when what they actually need is real hormone support and someone willing to listen.If you've ever felt unheard by a doctor or like you had to fight for basic answers about your own body, this is a real life story about women's health, self-advocacy, and finding your people. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 — Introduction — Heather welcomes Jennifer Peterson03:12 — 25 years in critical care — how she got into medicine09:41 — The 2017 surgery that nearly took her life12:59 — EMDR and processing medical trauma15:16 — Burnout, leaving inpatient medicine, and finding her real calling19:01 — Why women are dismissed in perimenopause and menopause care47:03 — Where to connect with Jennifer PetersonAbout Jennifer PetersonJennifer Peterson is a Board-Certified Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with more than 25 years of clinical experience. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Delaware in 2003 and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania in 2007, and spent the bulk of her career specializing in Critical Care Medicine and Transplant Hepatology. Now based in Rohnert Park, California, Jennifer draws on that deep clinical background to offer highly personalized care in perimenopause and menopause, medical weight management, and platelet-rich plasma therapy — blending evidence-based medicine with a more holistic, individualized approach to women's health.WebsiteFacebookInstagramSupport the show

"Our brains are wired for survival. They are not wired for success." — Gina MundyThere's a specific kind of courage it takes to walk out of your own life with nothing but a suitcase and $50 in your pocket. For Gina Mundy, that night came the day after Christmas, after 24 years of marriage, after she'd quietly stopped caring about the version of her life that looked perfect from the outside.Gina is a childbirth attorney with over 23 years of experience investigating what goes wrong in labor and delivery, and bestselling author of A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth. In this real life story about women navigating change, we talk about pitocin, doulas, and the racial disparities in birth outcomes she's still trying to understand — and then we talk about the night she left her marriage, and the brain science behind why staying somewhere unsafe can feel safer than leaving.This is an honest conversation about advocacy, identity, and starting over more than once in the same year. If you've ever felt your brain talk you out of a decision your heart had already made, listen in. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 — Introduction — Heather welcomes Gina Mundy03:15 — How Gina became a birth injury attorney by accident12:00 — The realities of pitocin, induction, and advocating for yourself in labor29:01 — The unanswered question about race and birth complications36:03 — The night she left her marriage with $50 in her pocket44:32 — Brains wired for survival, not success — and starting over twice in one year48:08 — Where to connect with Gina Mundy About Gina MundyGina Mundy is a childbirth attorney, bestselling author, speaker, podcaster, and mother of three based in the Detroit, Michigan area. For over 23 years she's specialized in childbirth cases and birth trauma litigation — traveling the country, analyzing medical records, and cross-examining the nation's top experts to understand why the most joyful day of a family's life sometimes goes wrong. She's the bestselling author of A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth, founder of the Safer Childbirth Community, and host of The Childbirth Attorney Podcast. She recently became a grandmother for the first time.WebsiteInstagramYouTubeFacebookLinkedInTikTokBook: A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth: Expecting the Best by child-birthSupport the show

"Fun is an energy that people are magnetized to." —  Jillian MurphyThere's a version of starting over that doesn't look like a five-year plan. For Jillian Murphy, it looked like losing her corporate job on a Tuesday, giving herself one day to feel bad about it, and hiring a business coach 48 hours later because she didn't have time to figure it out alone.In this episode, Jillian Murphy joins Heather to talk about building a seven-figure sales coaching business after being the first woman hired at her company since 1963 and then losing that job during the pandemic. They get into why Jillian calls her lead list her "love list," the moment she realized her old podcast brand no longer fit who she'd become, and why she still refuses to outsource her DMs or her content even with a thriving business. It's an honest conversation about women's identity, self-discovery, and what it really takes to rebuild on your own terms.If you've ever felt boxed in by a version of yourself you've outgrown, this conversation is for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 — Introduction — Heather welcomes Jillian Murphy02:06 — Being the first woman hired since 1963, and dropping out of the police academy04:42 — Losing her corporate job on a Tuesday, hiring a coach 48 hours later21:16 — Why she renamed her lead list her "love list"41:29 — The moment she realized her podcast brand no longer fit her14:26 — Why she'll never outsource her DMs or her content44:20 — Where to connect with Jillian MurphyAbout Jillian MurphyJillian Murphy is a Sales and Marketing Specialist with over 25 years of experience helping entrepreneurs master sales, messaging, and business growth.WebsiteInstagramLinkedInSupport the show

"Behind every craving for alcohol is some unmet need. Alcohol is like a sticking plaster." — Kate BeeThere's a kind of struggling with alcohol that never makes it into the movies. No crash, no rock bottom — just years of feeling like something's a little off every time you reach for a glass of wine.Kate Bee knows that feeling well. She spent her twenties and most of her adult life before thirty in what she calls the gray area, before finally stopping — for good — thirteen years ago. Since then, she's built The Sober School and helped more than 4,000 women rethink their relationship with alcohol without shame or a lifelong label. Kate and I talk about mommy wine culture, the 100-day mindset shift that finally worked for her, and the confidence that showed up once she stopped numbing it.If you've ever wondered whether you need permission to question your relationship with alcohol, this conversation might be exactly what you need to hear. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 — Introduction — Heather welcomes Kate Bee03:12 — Kate's early drinking years and life without a "rock bottom"13:05 — Mommy wine culture and how alcohol gets marketed to women18:33 — The 100-day mindset shift that finally worked20:30 — What changed in Kate's body, career, and confidence23:34 — Heather's own honest reflection on her relationship with wine40:24 — Where to connect with Kate Bee and The Sober School About Kate BeeKate Bee is the founder of The Sober School, a coaching platform that helps women stop drinking and start living — without shame, labels, or deprivation. A former BBC journalist and certified life coach, Kate now empowers women across the globe to navigate alcohol-free living with confidence and joy. Her flagship program, Getting Unstuck, has supported more than 4,000 women in transforming their relationship with alcohol. Kate lives near Manchester, UK.WebsiteInstagramFacebookXSupport the show

"I was just really in a dark place, and that's when I started Organized 365." — Lisa WoodruffThere's a stack of papers somewhere in your house you've been meaning to deal with. Maybe it's in a drawer, maybe it's a basket by the door. For Lisa Woodruff, that stack of overwhelm became the thing that changed the whole direction of her life.In this episode, Lisa Woodruff — founder of Organize 365 — joins Heather to share the honest, unscripted story of the recession, the family loss, and the years of invisible overwhelm that led her to build a company around one radical idea: your home is a business, and you're the CEO. They talk about the five levels of work happening in every household, why paper is the hardest thing to let go of, and the Sunday Basket system that's changed how thousands of women run their weeks.If you've ever felt like the mental load of running a home is quietly running you, this real life story about women, order, and starting over is for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 — Introduction — Heather welcomes Lisa Woodruff.02:17 — Lisa's path from stay-at-home mom to founding Organize 365.08:42 — The recession, her parents' divorce, and losing her dad — all at once.15:32 — The five levels of work happening in every home.24:11 — Why paper is the hardest thing to organize, and what to actually keep.31:46 — What the Sunday Basket is and how it changes your week.44:18 — Where to connect with Lisa Woodruff.About Lisa WoodruffLisa Woodruff is a productivity specialist, home organization expert, and founder and CEO of Organize 365®. After spending a decade as a stay-at-home mom, she built a company that helps women organize their homes and their paper with functional systems that actually work — including her bestselling Sunday Basket® system. Her top-rated Organize 365® Podcast has surpassed 25 million downloads, and she's the author of several Amazon bestselling books, including The Paper Solution. Lisa is in the final stages of a PhD in Psychology, where her research focuses on operationalizing the definition of housework and testing real interventions for homeowners. Her mission is to free every woman to pursue her unique passion and gift with the world.InstagramWebsite Facebook EmailSupport the show

"If you're the caretaker of someone in any way, it will also take a toll on you. And it's okay to then say, I need someone else to help me while I help this person."— Amelia CastilloThere's a version of self-care we've all been sold — bubble baths, candles, a glass of wine we didn't even want. And then there's the real thing, the kind that shows up quietly in your skin when nobody's watching.Amelia Castillo is a Sonoma County esthetician with 17 years of experience, and in this episode she shares the honest story of what happened to her own skin when her best friend was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. We talk about the nervous system, perimenopause and hormones, why women carry so much guilt around self-care, and what it really costs to hold someone else's hand through the hardest moment of their life.If you've ever felt like your body was trying to tell you something, or you've been the strong one for someone else while quietly falling apart, this conversation is for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 — Introduction — Heather welcomes Amelia Castillo.01:49 — Amelia's 17 years as an esthetician and how her approach has evolved.04:05 — The nervous system, the skin, and why it gets overlooked.08:17 — Redefining self-care beyond bubble baths and wine.23:29 — Caring for her best friend through stage four breast cancer.19:41 — Perimenopause, sleep, and the evening routine that changes everything.47:26 — Where to connect with Amelia. About Amelia CastilloAmelia Castillo is a wife, mom, esthetician, and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach with nearly two decades of experience. As the owner of Bare Skin Beauty, she is passionate about helping women feel confident in their skin through a blend of science, wellness, and real life sustainability.WebsiteInstagramYouTubeFacebookSupport the show

"It's totally her minerals, it's not her."— Dori MartinThere's a particular kind of tired that doesn't go away with sleep — the brain fog, the inflammation, the mood swings that make you feel like a stranger in your own body. For years, Dori Martin thought that was just what happens to women in midlife. It wasn't, and what she discovered instead is the heart of this conversation.Dori Martin is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who uses Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis to help midlife women understand what's really going on beneath the surface. We talk about the decade of caretaking that led to her own burnout — from a divorce with two small children, to getting engaged to a man given a terminal diagnosis, to watching her own labs come back worse than his. Dori explains why mineral depletion is so often mistaken for a personality problem, and what it actually takes for a woman's body to feel safe enough to rest and recover.If you've ever felt exhausted, inflamed, or like your moods aren't quite your own — this one will feel like a mirror. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 Introduction — Heather welcomes Dori Martin.03:25 Dori's 2006 divorce and the start of a decade of holding it all together.03:25 Getting engaged to a man given a terminal diagnosis.26:26 The mastermind, the flatline, and the shame of not keeping up.14:08 What Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis actually shows.16:11 Sodium, potassium, copper — the minerals behind mood and burnout.38:13 Nervous system regulation, safety, and functional freeze.46:54 Where to connect with Dori Martin. About Dori MartinDori Martin is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis specialist who helps midlife women understand the connection between mineral depletion, hormone imbalance, and burnout. After navigating her own years of unrecognized depletion — through single motherhood, caregiving, and building a business from the ground up — she now helps women read their own body's data so they can stop guessing and start healing. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, three kids, and a whole lot of hard-won wisdom about rest.WebsiteInstagramYouTubeFacebookSupport the show

“You are responsible for your own actions, your own behaviors, your own reactions. You cannot control the actions, reactions of others.” — Donna JohnsenTwenty-three years. That's how long Donna Johnsen was with her husband when an unplanned divorce rewrote everything she thought she knew about her own life. This week on Her Story Unscripted, she shares what happened when the identity she'd built inside a marriage suddenly wasn't there to stand on anymore.Donna Johnsen talks with me about the messy, real work of rebuilding — journaling her way through the rumination, reading a memoir that gave her permission to stop performing grace, and eventually finding her way to humor as a way to heal out loud instead of hide. We also get into what it's like helping teenagers navigate a divorce without projecting your own feelings onto theirs, and the almost-empty nest she's facing now that her kids are grown.If you've ever felt like you were standing at the edge of a cliff, unable to go back and scared to go forward, this conversation is for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:46 Introduction — Heather welcomes Donna Johnsen.07:48 Donna opens up about the unplanned end of her 23-year relationship.10:15 The memoir that gave her permission to move beyond society's expectations after divorce.13:02 Why she started journaling in her Notes app to stop the constant rumination.17:30 How humor became part of her healing journey.31:19 Navigating teenagers through divorce and letting them have their own feelings.40:33 The almost-empty nest, midlife reinvention, and becoming "Mama D."42:22 Where to connect with Donna Johnsen. About Donna JohnsenDonna Johnsen is the voice behind Laugh Lines and Life Goals, where she shares an honest, funny, and refreshingly unfiltered take on midlife, motherhood, and reinvention. After an unplanned divorce ended a 23-year relationship, Donna turned to journaling — and eventually to social media — as a way to process what she was going through, and has since built a community of women who find comfort in her humor and her honesty. She's the mom of two, with one child already away at college and the other headed there this fall.Pinterest Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Support the show

"The opposite is always the medicine. You people-please to others — so how do you people-please to you?" — Kari Brunson WrightThere's a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from bending yourself into whatever shape a room needs you to be. Kari Brunson Wright knows it well — from a ballet stage, to a restaurant line, to running her own businesses. It took three full reinventions before she learned how to stop.In this episode, Kari shares the honest story of walking away from a decade-long career as a professional ballerina, building and eventually selling a cafe and an ice cream company, and becoming a Psycho-Spiritual Leadership Coach. This is real conversation and authentic storytelling about identity, boundaries, and the whispers that show up long before the big changes do — the kind of personal growth for women that doesn't come with a tidy bow.If you've ever bent yourself into a shape that wasn't really yours, this one's for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeTimestamps00:00 — Introduction — Heather welcomes Kari Brunson Wright6:02 — Kari's decade as a professional ballerina and the injury that led her to walk away12:52 — From the ballet stage to the restaurant line — falling into food16:20 — Building a cafe and an ice cream company, and the decision to finally sell her shares19:43 — "I want to be you" — the moment coaching became the next chapter29:48 — Boundaries, energy, and what it means to "keep your shape"About Kari Brunson WrightKari Brunson Wright is a psycho-spiritual leadership coach and regenerative business consultant who works with founders, executives, and leaders navigating the gap between who they've become and how they're actually living. Her work centers on alignment, integrity, and self-trust — helping people make decisions they can actually stand behind. She brings fifteen years of experience working alongside people through growth, pressure, and change, plus her own background as a co-founder of multiple businesses. Kari writes the Substack newsletter The Recipe for Being Well, and lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, their two kids, and a Great Pyrenees/Lab mix puppy named Bean.Connect with Kari Brunson WrightInstagram Website LinkedInSubstack Support the show

"Growth happens when you're uncomfortable, because you push yourself into things you wouldn't normally do." — Dr. Shola SulaimonThere's a kind of tiredness that comes from being everything to everyone — and never quite getting around to asking what fills your own cup. For Dr. Shola Sulaimon, that question sat quietly for almost 20 years before she finally let herself answer it.In this episode, Dr. Shola shares what it was like being the first Black woman PhD student in her program, the quiet weight of representing more than herself in corporate America, and the slow internal pull that eventually led her to step away from nearly two decades of corporate leadership. We talk about the difference between being nice and being kind, what it means to leave something on your own terms, and why finding an outlet outside of work and family might be the thing that saves you.If you've ever wondered whether it's safe to want something different than what you built, this one's for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeHighlights00:00 Cold open — Dr. Shola on finding an outlet outside work and family 0:54 Heather welcomes listeners to Her Story Unscripted 1:20 Heather introduces Dr. Shola and the story of how they met 4:23 The phases of a woman's life — and what it feels like to hit “stuck” 9:24 Heather opens up about feeling stuck in her own routine 11:19 Leaving things on your own terms, and knowing who your tribe is 12:36 Kindness vs. niceness — and learning not to be a pushover 16:07 Where her boldness came from — her mother's influence 19:00 Being a woman of color in corporate, and the pressure of representation 23:05 What's within your influence vs. what's out of your control 25:57 The slow build toward finally leaving corporate after almost 20 years 31:50 Advice for moms re-entering the workforce after raising kids 37:39 Advice for women who feel stuck but are afraid to leave 47:15 What she's building now — ShoTune Medical Consulting Group and Voice to Value 51:28 Closing reflection — “you are not alone” 53:48 OutroAbout Dr. Shola SulaimonDr. Shola Sulaimon was born and raised in Nigeria, trained and practiced as a veterinarian, then moved to the United States to pursue her PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — where she became the first Black woman to do so in her program. She spent close to 20 years in corporate leadership in clinical, regulatory, and quality roles before founding ShoTune Medical Consulting Group, where she advises medical device companies on regulatory, clinical quality, and commercialization risk. She's now building Voice to Value, a Sonoma County community and coaching space for professional women centered on leadership, mentorship, and helping women find the confidence to speak up in rooms where they once stayed quiet.WebsiteLinkedInSupport the show

"You get back up and build better — it is going to be 10x more than you can believe." — Darcey Elizabeth Four years ago, Darcey sat in what she now calls one of the darkest seasons of her life — a newly single mom who had just moved four hours from home, left corporate, and was trying to build something from scratch. She had no guarantee any of it would work. She just kept going.In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, Darcey is back to share the honest, unscripted version of what those four years actually held. She talks about the grief of losing her mom, the ego hit of going back to corporate in 2024, building a team of 33 women, and the night she missed a major business goal by $2,000 and had to decide who she wanted to be on the other side of it. It's a real conversation about personal growth, resilience, and what it looks like when belief finally catches up with your effort.If you're a woman in the middle of something hard — or on the other side of it trying to make sense of how you got there — this one is for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYoutubeHighlights0:00 Introduction — Heather welcomes Darcey back, four years later1:57  Where Darcey was when they first met — single mom, new city, uncertain chapter4:35 The decision to go back to corporate and why it felt like failure7:29 Jumping into Arbonne, pairing it with personal training, and growing fast20:28 Missing the rank by $2,000 — the setback, the tears, and the comeback24:14 Walking across the stage and watching her team do the same27:22 Both shows rebranding — the conversation about what's nextAbout Darcey Elizabeth Darcey Elizabeth Burke is a Regional Vice President with Arbonne, certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, corporate finance professional, boy mom, and host of The Undeniable Expansion Podcast. She built her business to the Top 2% of Arbonne within just 13 months by focusing on authentic relationships, community, and helping women create real results in their health and lives. Through wellness, leadership, and entrepreneurship, Darcey is passionate about empowering women to expand beyond their current circumstances, build confidence, and create a life they truly love.WebsiteYouTubeFacebookInstagramPodcastSupport the show

"I woke up one day and I started to feel. And what I felt, it wasn't pretty. I was like, I'm not happy. And that was the very first time I put myself first." — Mercedes HernandezMercedes Hernandez built The SoCo Markets from scratch — 11 vendors on a closed-off side street, a vision, and no guarantee it would work. Six years later, it's one of Sonoma County's most beloved community events, drawing vendors from across the Bay Area and bringing thousands of people together every year. But this episode isn't really a business story. It's a story about what happens when you finally stop building for everyone else and start building for yourself.In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, Mercedes shares her full journey — from a 15-year-old retail worker discovering a passion, to opening her first brick-and-mortar at 20, to creating experiences like Fork'n Good Food Festival and Roast & Rhythm. Then she gets real about the personal chapter she's been walking through: ending a 15-year relationship, living completely alone for the first time in her life, sitting with the loneliness instead of running from it, and slowly coming back to herself through counseling and a whole lot of self-honesty. This is an authentic storytelling conversation about identity, codependency, personal growth for women, and what freedom actually feels like when you finally choose it.If you've ever lost yourself in a role — a relationship, a business, a version of who you thought you were supposed to be — this conversation will meet you right where you are. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYoutubeHighlights0:00 Opening quote — Mercedes on identity0:39 Heather's intro + welcome to Her Story Unscripted1:05 Welcome, Mercedes — how Heather found her3:31 How Mercedes started in retail and discovered her passion4:21 Opening Bow & Arrow Clothing at 20, the JC entrepreneurship program6:07 SoCo Markets is born — from 11 vendors to 908:53 Growing the market calendar: Fork'n Good, Roast & Rhythm, Closet Clean Outs10:50 What it really takes to run a successful community market18:30 The personal pivot — ending her marriage and stepping into the unknown21:40 Codependency, people-pleasing, and going numb27:48 Living alone for the first time — and what she found there32:39 Identity, worth, and what she'd leave listeners withAbout Mercedes HernandezMercedes Hernandez is a serial entrepreneur and community builder based in Sonoma County, California. She opened her first retail store, Bow & Arrow Clothing, at 20 years old, and went on to build SoCo Markets — a thriving platform for small businesses and local vendors that now hosts events across the Bay Area. From the Fork'n Good Food Festival to Roast & Rhythm to monthly Closet Clean Out pop-ups, Mercedes has become one of the most creative event minds in Northern California. She's passionate about giving small businesses a platform, and about building the kinds of experiences that bring communities together in real, meaningful ways.WebsiteFacebookInstagramEmailSupport the show

"We only get one life, and we don't know when that invisible clock is gonna run out. So you have to make time for people and for things that are important to you." — Christina AlonzoIt started as a normal weekend. By Tuesday, Christina Alonzo was sitting in an ER telling the doctor everything she had been quietly noticing for days. By Wednesday, the diagnosis was in: glioblastoma — an aggressive, inoperable brain cancer. Her husband Kurtis was 44 years old and had never even had a cold. From the date of diagnosis to the date of his death was four months.In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, Christina Alonzo returns to the podcast three years after her first appearance to share the story of the year that changed everything. She opens up about becoming Kurtis's full-time caregiver while raising a toddler, navigating impossible medical decisions, and the termination email from his employer that arrived the very night he died. She also shares the story of her 200-pound weight loss journey — and how losing the weight became something far more significant than she ever expected when Kurtis got sick. This is an honest conversation about grief, love, and what it actually looks like to keep living when someone you love is gone.For any woman who has ever taken time for granted, avoided a hard conversation, or wondered how anyone survives something this big — this episode is an unscripted reminder that life is shorter and more sacred than we let ourselves believe. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYoutubeHighlights:00:00 Cold open — Christina on the invisible clock00:49 Heather introduces Her Story Unscripted01:15 Welcoming Christina back — three years and a lot of life later02:21 The normal weekend that wasn't — Curtis gets sick5:28 The ER visit and the diagnosis — glioblastoma7:15 Choosing chemo and radiation — a hail mary for a 44-year-old in perfect health12:18 How quickly he declined, and what caregiving looked like at home14:18 Curtis's death in March 2025 — four months after diagnosis18:55 What helped Christina survive this season22:13 The termination email the night he died27:22 200 pounds lost — and how the GLP-1 journey intersected with Curtis's care25:10 How to actually show up for someone in grief36:10 Life now — Addie, memory-keeping, and saying yes38:03 Christina's one takeaway for the listener About Christina AlonzoChristina Alonzo is a mother, content creator, and Sonoma County local who has walked through more grief in the last few years than most people face in a lifetime. From losing babies to navigating a sudden and devastating brain cancer diagnosis in her husband Curtis, she has shown up with remarkable honesty and grace at every turn. In the past year and a half, she has also completed a transformative 200-pound weight loss journey that changed not just her body, but the way she moves through the world. She is raising her daughter Addie with Curtis's love still at the center of their homeInstagramSupport the show

"We all have a story to tell. We all have journeys, we've all been through things — and some of us are worse than others. But we all have a story to tell." — Heather NelsonThere's something that happens when a woman decides to stop performing and just say it the way it actually is. No script. No polish. No waiting for permission. For Heather Nelson, that decision didn't arrive all at once — it built slowly over five years of sitting across from women who had the courage to share the messy, real, unfiltered truth of their lives.In this very first episode of Her Story Unscripted, Heather pulls back the curtain on the rebrand — and everything that led to this moment. She shares the honest, unscripted story of why she podcasted for five years under a name she never fully loved, what finally pushed her to start fresh, and the mission that has been quietly driving her since the very beginning — creating a space where women can show up as they are and say what they actually mean.If you've ever felt like you were performing a version of yourself instead of living as the real one — this is the conversation you didn't know you needed. Heather isn't here to give advice or hand you a roadmap. She's here to sit with you, ask the questions nobody else thinks to ask, and remind you that your story matters exactly as it is.In this episode, you will learn:The lunch conversation five years ago that made me realize women needed a space to tell their real storiesWhy I never fully loved the name Life Conversations with a Twist — and what finally made me let it goThe months-long rebrand process that pushed me to get clear on my mission, my values, and who I'm really doing this forHow the name Her Story Unscripted came together — and the quiet, powerful reason the word "unscripted" felt so rightWhere I'm headed with this podcast, what you can expect going forward, and why I believe women sharing their true stories is one of the most powerful things we can doEpisode Highlights• 0:00 – The moment that started it all — women and their unscripted stories• 0:28 – Welcome to Her Story Unscripted — the new brand intro• 0:55 – Heather kicks off the launch episode• 1:19 – Introducing the rebrand from Life Conversations with a Twist• 1:56 – Five years in hospitality and the conversations that wouldn't leave her• 3:55 – Why women's stories needed a space — the heart behind the podcast• 5:06 – How Life Conversations with a Twist was born• 5:36 – 200+ episodes, 160 women, and what kept Heather going• 7:14 – The Connection Hive, Set & Strike, and finding what truly fuels her soul• 10:02 – The decision to rip the band-aid and start fresh• 11:21 – Naming a podcast — why it had to be perfect• 12:03 – The moment Her Story Unscripted clicked• 13:09 – Why "unscripted" matters — women, silence, and permission to be real• 15:01 – What's coming — new look, new energy, big goals• 17:17 – Thank you, and what you can do to help this podcast grow• 19:20 – Solo episodes, Heather's personal story, and what's ahead• 22:09 – Final thoughts — see you next ThursdayMeet Your Host: Heather Nelson is the host of Her Story Unscripted and founder of The Connection Hive, a business strategy and community brand rooted in the belief that real connection changes everything. A connector by nature and a storyteller at heart, Heather has spent over 25 years in the hospitality industry — and more than five years creating a space for women to share honest, unscripted conversations about life, growth, and the experiences that have shaped who they are. She lives in Sonoma County, California, where she's raising a blended, biracial family, running two businesses, and podcasting with her whole heart.Connect with Heather: WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYoutubeSupport the show