Hard Knocks

August 25, 2020

Episode 88: Paul Sando – Rejection from Coming Out as Gay, Marrying a Woman, Adopting Two Kids, Marrying a Man, Divorce and Cancer

I was super excited about this episode! I chat with Paul, a gay man about his life. Get ready for some ups and downs and crazy twists and turns! So good! Paul talks about abandonment issues from his mom, coming out as gay to his dad and school, marrying a woman, adopting two kids with…

July 22, 2020

Episode 87 – Cathy McKinnon: Infertility, Cancer and Divorce

In this episode, I chat with Cathy about how she grew up with only brothers, which in turn made her a pretty private person when it came to big, hard things in her life.. Things like struggling with infertility for years and having miscarriage after miscarriage, as well as thyroid cancer and divorce.* Cathy’s story…

July 21, 2020

Episode 86: Tyler Christensen – Food Addiction, Unemployment and Major Weight Loss

In this episode, I chat with Tyler about being unemployed and not being able to find a job, even with several degrees, which led him to be a stay-at-home dad. He also has struggled with a food addiction and then lost 100 pounds!* Tyler says his childhood was great and awesome and nearly everything good.…

July 14, 2020

Episode 85: Corina Rowley – How an Abusive Childhood Affected Her Adult Life

In this episode, I talk with Corina about how the physical, sexual, emotional and mental abuse she endured for 13 years of her childhood affected her in adulthood. Namely in intimate settings.* When Corina was two years old, her mom married the man that became her step-dad. Corina never knew her biological father. She says…

June 11, 2020

Episode 84: Nancy Smith – Chronic Illness and How to Live Happier!

In this episode, Nancy share about the chronic illnesses that both her and her husband deal with on a daily basis. We also talk a lot about having anxiety and how to do with it, support someone who struggles with it and ultimately live happier!* Nancy said she grew up in home where there wasn’t…

June 9, 2020

Episode 83: Kristen Heath – A Walking Medical Hazard

In this episode, I chat with Kristen about a slew of medical issues she’s faced since she was just a teenager. From a car accident resulting in a pulled groin to a breast cancer scare to almost dying of MRSA to being diagnosed with MS and everything in between.* Kristen grew up with her dad…

June 2, 2020

Episode 82: SEASON 2 IS HERE! 2019 in Review

On April 21, 2019, I created the Hard Knocks Instagram page. A couple days before that, I had told my husband that I planned to start a podcast. He was supportive, but was surprised also because it came out of left field. I had never talked about doing this before! I didn’t (and still don’t)…

January 2, 2020

December’s Top 10

Each month, I will do a post just like this that will include the top 10 podcasts for the previous month. I may be biased and I think you should listen to all of them.. There really are so many lessons to learn in each episode, even if you think you won’t relate to their…

December 30, 2019

Episode 81: Tracy Balch – Her Daughter’s Suicide (Emilee’s Story)

In this episode, I chat with Tracy, a mother who shares her daughter’s story. Unfortunately, the story ended in a self-inflicted fatality. She shares how it all unfolded, as well as lots of great advice and things that we can learn from.* Emilee was born two weeks early in November of 1999, the youngest of…

December 23, 2019

Episode 80: Emily Harman – Verbally Abusive Marriage, Son with Addictions, Daughter with Invisible Illnesses

In this episode, I chat with Emily about a verbally abusive marriage, to which she admits she stayed in for too long. She also shares about her son’s addictions to drugs and alcohols, as well as the multiple invisible illnesses her daughter suffers from. On top of that, Emily is now helping take care of…