Find Your Voice, Change Your Life Podcast

Today, I interview Suzannah Baum. Suzannah grew up in a household where the order of things was for women to be quiet and not disrupt the status quo. She looked up to her mother and thought it was completely normal to keep her comments to herself, pushing personal opinions and emotional reactions down and bottling them up. She followed in those footsteps from a very young age.

Today, I interview James Guzzetta. From the very beginning of his life, James had an intimate connection with nature and music. At age 1, James remembers being captivated by the light streaming down on him through tree branches. At age 4, he began playing music, and his experience heightened his awareness that he was having a divine connection to the deepest parts of himself.

Today, I interview Jami Carlacio whose mother died when Jami was an infant. An older sibling cared for her for a few months, and then her grandmother took over for a while. When Jami was five, the family was gathered in Spokane and her grandmother suddenly died while they were there. An already precarious little life had just gotten infinitely more difficult.

Today, I interview Lorraine Segal. Lorraine grew up in southern California. She tells us about her struggle to feel the same love she saw elsewhere around her. Her own parents never showed unconditional love, so Lorraine lacked the support and affection she craved. She felt she could never measure up and that everything had to be perfect, and in response to this, she often procrastinated.

Today, I interview Hrideep Barot. Growing up in India, Hrideep says he thinks his lack of confidence began at a very young age when he was struggling with night terrors. He couldn’t sleep without having nightmares, so he ended up in therapy and began suffering from crippling social anxiety. He finally started to have some relief from the night terrors in middle school, but this is also when he noticed that he lacked confidence.

Today, I interview Gail Kraft, who fought for her life from the very beginning after her mother made an attempt to abort her. Although Gail lived, she never got to form a strong relationship with her mother, because her mom died when Gail was just three years old. From that point, her father treated her like she was a burden, an inconvenient barrier keeping him from winning women over on dates.

Today, I interview Sheldon R.S. Crocker who grew up in a very, very small town in North Carolina. He was born with Arthrogryposis, which causes muscle atrophy and contractions at most joints. From birth he was challenged with not being able to walk. In order to become the inspiring speaker he is today, he has a story of abuse but also one of resilience and strength.

Today, I interview Melahni Ake who was born in Florida, but shortly afterwards her family moved to their hometown of Indianapolis where her grandparents had established a thriving church ministry. When her father suffered a sudden illness the family went back to Florida for his treatment, but he died quickly and they then returned to Indiana. Through all of these moves, Melahni had to learn to adapt quickly.

Today I interview Leanne Dorish, who says that people have always paid attention to her because of her height. She learned very early on that people were always watching. When she spoke, her stature sometimes led to people seeing her voice as too strong. She pulled back a bit and became a skilled listener.

Today, I interview Linda Bello-Ruiz who grew up in Redwood Valley, California, in a family of six children. Linda was blessed with great parents, but with a crowded household, she wanted to find her own way to stand out. She craved attention, so she often used her height and bright red hair to turn heads.