A Journey From Fear To Freedom. Lauren Wellbank is a courageous survivor who has successfully turned her harrowing near-death experience at the hands of a violent partner into a mission of hope and empowerment for others. After escaping her abusive relationship, Lauren realized the importance of sharing her story, knowing that 1 out of 4 women face…

Sandy Phillips Kirkham shares her harrowing yet inspiring journey of overcoming abuse in a religious setting. Her book, "Let Me Prey Upon You: Breaking Free From A Minister's Sexual Abuse," sheds light on the devastating impact of clergy abuse and serves as a resource for education and support for others. Sandy's journey is a poignant testament to …

Jamie Louise Madigan's book, "Lipstick Stains and Coffee Cups," is more than a collection of heart-wrenching poetry; it helped her exorcise painful memories of abuse and brings hope to women still lost or entangled in abusive relationships. For Jamie, writing was the transformative process that allowed her to confront the stark realities of being a…

As part of our annual commitment in support of the UN’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, VBB continues to share personal stories that reveal the harsh realities of abuse but also the strength that comes from survivors. This week, we hear the inspiring and sobering narrative of special guest Sophia Diaz. Sophia is an indomitable sp…

Lois Hollis is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist known for her work in the field of shame and guilt counseling. She specializes in helping individuals overcome the debilitating effects of shame and guilt, which often stem from childhood experiences, trauma, or societal expectations. Hollis’s approach to counseling emphasizes the…

Rissa Miller is a fearless advocate for the term 'witch' and the longstanding stigma and fear around the word. We get into what qualifies a woman as a witch, and even though perceptions of a witch have evolved from the days when the Church condemned women for communing with devils to present-day pop culture where witches like Melisandre from "Game …

Is Self-Care Just Women Being Selfish? Christina Marlett, BKin, BMT, believes you have the power to change the world, but first, you must address the fact that you need to take charge of your own life, starting with self-care that goes beyond bubble baths, chocolate, and wine. Christina is an International Speaker who has shared the stage with Mich…

We learn very young about beauty as a commodity, how beauty has become women’s gilded cage in society, how beauty is a weapon women use to compete with one another for economic or professional status, and how young women feel pushed to manipulate beauty to win love or affection. We learn how beauty is fleeting and cruel, especially to women, and th…

I Felt Like An Alien! Beth Hildbrand is a US Army veteran, cancer survivor, and founder of Resilient Stars Marketing. Beth's passion is to share her personal journey to help others. An important chapter in her journey includes recovering her identity as a woman after the loss of her hair to chemotherapy. Through her YouTube channel, "BethHildbrandT…

Barbara McBean knows, she once competed in the glamorous Miss Universe Pageant. She did not win that crown, but today, Barbara is the founder and president of Eternal Beauty Institutes Clinical Esthetics Colleges, which features multiple schools and beauty brands across North America. Barbara's passion for all things beauty, once combined with her …

The Evolution of Beauty is Part One in a VBB Four-Part series on our podcast middle name: Beauty. The Evolution of Beauty is also a specialty of Richard Prum. He's not a beautician, far from it; he's an expert on birds, a Professor of Ornithology, Ecology, and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University, as well as head curator of vertebrate zoology at…

Who Do You Think You Are? Teresa Ford is a certified mental health and trauma recovery life coach who believes you shouldn't hire any coach who hasn't successfully done what you are trying to do. So, if you have any experience with anxiety, depression, grief, loss, ADHD, emotional abandonment, parentification, or debilitating people-pleasing, Teres…

Ever find yourself thinking, "I'll be happy when"… [add job, money, relationship, or shiny object here.] Why do we struggle with our seemingly endless quest for happiness based on external things or circumstances? Even when we reach our big happiness goal, why does the joy feel shallow or fleeting? Aura Martinez speaks candidly about obstacles she …

Beauty has been assigned, by man, the dominion of woman, but is Beauty her paradise or her prison? September 22, Christopher and Heather host 4 Conversations on VBB with female authors, researchers, and topic experts to answer questions about the Myth of Beauty. Questions women are shamed into not asking even themselves.…

From Betrayal To Abundance is Annie Izmirliyan’s story. She's been heralded as a financial maverick who leverages over 20 years of education and hands-on experience in wealth management, financial planning, and sales leadership to guide individuals and organizations toward their financial goals and aspirations. However, what makes Annie unique and …

Janice Selbie on Divorcing Religion! Janice Selbie lived 40 years of her life as a devout Christian. Living a reality reminiscent of a Margaret Atwood character in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Janice became the quintessential Renaissance woman, complete with Mennonite-inspired shapeless clothing and modest head-coverings. She rejected all the creature co…

After 20+ years working in the beauty and fashion industries, Jen Auh, founder of Style Konsult & STYiLES, designed over 360 creative campaigns for major beauty and fashion retailers, including Bliss, Macy's, Too Faced Cosmetics, and Silver Jeans. As a beauty and fashion expert, she knows how looks influence people's confidence. That is where her j…

Mariska Reinerink is a global Money Wellness and Business Coach, International Workshop Facilitator, Speaker, and Best-Selling Author with over 20 years of experience as a Holistic Financial Advisor. Her professional journey began as a physiotherapist, where she witnessed the profound impact of pain, stress, and money worries on people's overall we…

Who's at fault when male chivalry is interpreted as chauvinism or a sincere compliment is taken as a cheap come-on? True, some men's attitudes and actions have created these reservations in many women. So, what is an ideal man, or what do modern women really want from the men in their lives? Christopher and Heather share eleven qualities that women…

Temi Ajibewa is a powerful and inspiring woman. She is a Personal Brand Strategist and Coach, Author of several Amazon-bestselling books, Mentor to women and men worldwide, and an electric Transformational Speaker, but beyond the titles lies a story of personal reinvention. Raised by a single mom in a dysfunctional social environment and as a young…

Debbie Peterson, former mayor of Grover Beach, California, remains passionate about women's representation in public office. She's a first-hand witness to the troubling trend of women being discouraged from running due to the increase in online and in-person attacks. It's also true that many women don't want to work in a culture of confrontation or…

Vicki Larson is an award-winning journalist, author, writer, columnist, editor, and freelancer who writes about lifestyles and human relations but with a modern twist. Vicki shares highlights of living and loving outside conventional models of marriage and the nuclear family. Strong evidence is in the title of her latest book — LATitude: How You Ca…

Kelly Etter is more than a Pilates teacher and trainer, more than a mom, and more than a former member of the famous Music City Rockettes dance troupe. Kelly is all that and a compassionate advocate for self-discovery and personal growth. Kelly empathizes with women who dutifully struggle to juggle the roles of motherhood, partnership, or career, a…

Darlene Lancer is a Marriage and Family Therapist and author with over 30 years of experience working with clients through the complex web of codependency. If relationships, self-worth, and personal growth are important to you, this is what you need to hear. Darlene is a renowned expert in codependency and the author of several books, including Cod…

How many people, instead of trading time for money or feeling trapped in a seemingly endless cycle of reacting to life's responsibilities, would love to be living their life purpose? But what would you trade to live such a privilege? Tara Sheahan remembers when she was once a world-class Olympic athlete, mother of two, and wife of a CEO with global…

Rahti Gorfien is the Founder of Creative Calling Coaching, LLC, and has been recognized three times by Expertise.com as one of the 15 Best Life Coaches in NYC. However, in a former life, she graduated from a prestigious NYU Acting Program. "Acting broke my heart," she laments, but her career on stage still spanned thirty years. During that time, sh…

Feminism, in any phase, era, or iteration, is a complex and sensitive conversation that much of society avoids as taboo. The latest iteration, known as “woke feminism,” is no different. What is ‘Woke Feminism” and how does it impact society or you as an individual woman or man is a compelling conversation we welcome with a YouTube content creator k…

Dr. Annmarie Waite is a nurse with a Ph.D; she is also a wellness coach with a unique approach to supporting her clients, most notably women, on their health and self-care journeys. For one, she has never adopted the theory that medication is what you need to get better. Her distinctive style comes from the foundational experiences in her life, whe…

Virgin and virginity have long been a source of taboo thoughts and moral fixation. How did the virgin come to mean so much and have so much power in our individual lives, especially the lives of women? How can one intimate heterosexual encounter change a woman forever? Why is losing it, giving it away, or having it taken against a woman’s consent h…

As a historian and author, Hanne Blank Boyd literally wrote the book on Virginity. Her seminal work, Virgin: The Untouched History, is a provocative exploration of the complex concept of Virginity throughout human history. Also enriching this conversation is Kim Hudson, author of The Virgin’s Promise, which talks about women’s path to finding their…

What can a grown-up, experienced woman possibly learn from any talk about virginity? Well, when so many women go through life being made to feel dirty, deviant, shameful, and even sinful about sex and their own sexuality, we wonder, where do those beliefs originate? Is it too far-fetched to look for seeds in a belief that insists women renounce the…

Welcome to episode two of our four-part conversation on Virginity and its lasting impact on women's lives. This week, we shift from what's between a woman's legs determining Virginity to what's placed between her ears that impacts her virtue and self-image. A seminal work on the topic is Virginity Lost, written by Laura Carpenter. She joined us fro…

Do words define us, or do we define words? VBB Podcast is built on the belief that — we, the people — ultimately determine how words define us. Putting that belief into action is why we chose to name our Podcast using words that have terrorized or demonized women for centuries. VIRGIN is such a word. It has been used to regulate female sexual expre…

Amanda is an internationally published journalist writing stories about relationships, travel, and wellness. In 2013, she wrote an essay that changed my life entitled “Does My Virginity Have a Shelf Life?” It caused a flood of retorts when it debuted in The New York Times. Ironically, feminists and misogynists attacked Amana’s decision to remain ab…

Lisa Marchiano hosts the popular podcast This Jungian Life, which tops the health and fitness category in the US. She’s a certified Jungian analyst, a sought-after speaker who lectures widely in the US and abroad, and a sought-after workshop facilitator. But Lisa is also an award-winning author who writes books to help women connect more deeply wit…

Misty Rae is one of a kind. She announces herself to Medium readers as a former legal eagle, a wife, mother, nature lover, chef, writer, and all-around free spirit. She makes no excuses about being brutally honest, or sweet as pie or being a great big bitch. It all depends on how people approach her, she says. Now in her 50s, Misty is committed to …

February, we honor Black History Month by welcoming the voices of Black women to share their lived experiences. We continue that tradition this year, but on a theme that sheds a different light on racism and the black experience. This month's guests are women born into black heritage through black families, but all present to the world as white. Ke…

Laura Cathcart Robbins is a best-selling author and host of the popular podcast The Only One In The Room; she's also a speaker and school trustee credited for creating The Buckley School's nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Laura is a prolific contributor to the Huffington Post with highly personal article…

If you were to meet Miriam Zinter on the street, you would see blond hair, blue eyes, and white skin and draw the most obvious conclusion that she is what she appears to be — a white woman. But looks can be deceiving. Miriam says as much in her Huffington Post article — I'm Black But Look White. Here Are The Horrible Things White People Feel Safe T…

Lauren Abrams is a Podcaster, Writer, and Speaker, and mom, but also the founding member and managing partner of Employee Rights Law, helping employees fight discrimination in the workplace for the past two-plus decades. What is not on Laura's resume are the years she spent drugged out and living on the streets of LA. Lauren walks us through her in…

Kyomi O'Connor's story is a profound testament to resilience, the power of self-discovery, and the magic of love. Kyomi, the author of "A Sky of Infinite Blue: A Japanese Immigrant's Search for Home and Self," shared her journey from a difficult childhood in Japan to finding her true self in the United States. Kyomi is candid about the verbal abuse…

VBB 273: A Remarkable Woman, Dr. Anne Arvizu Shares the Transformative Power of Self-Discovery for Women, Even Those Over 50. Dr. Anne Arvizu, PharmD, FASCP, PCC, is the first guest in our REMARKABLE WOMEN Series. Ann is a pharmacist, entrepreneur, and former global Fortune 500 executive. She's also the founder of the Corelife Coach Institute and c…

Kathi Sohn and her husband David created principles and techniques that became the Body Memory Process. After David's passing in 2019, Kathi continued creating courses, articles, and seminars to help individuals heal. As children, out of strong, sometimes traumatic emotions, we all develop core beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world. We car…

Hope springs eternal in the human breast: Man never is, but always to be blest. The soul, uneasy and confined from home, Rests and expatiates in a life to come. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) Translation: people will always be optimistic and think that something better is coming, and with the New Year comes Hope. The proof is in a 34-country Ipsos surv…

Rev. Stephanie Clarke is a Metaphysical Minister, speaker, author, sacred ceremony facilitator, and Law of Attraction life coach. She shares her spiritual convictions and insights on the fascinating interplay between religion and gender and the shadow history behind our most cherished holiday rituals. She challenges women and men to rethink masculi…

Here we are at the end of another turn around the sun — the end of the year 2023. For some, it’s a time for family and friends, for celebration and worship; for others, it’s a time to party and forget; while for others, it’s time to reflect. For reflection, we offer two questions for your contemplation, and you can answer from a personal, professio…

Dr. Avrum Weiss is a seasoned psychologist and author of four books, including the provocatively titled Hidden in Plain Sight: How Men's Fears of Women Shape Their Intimate Relationships. That book is the subject of a conversation you can hear on VBB epi XXX. This time around, we explore even more provocative topics, including Dr. Weiss's insightfu…

Annemarie du LeBohn, AKA The Iron Butterfly, thanks to her exploits as a successful triathlon competitor, is also a TEDx star admired for her profoundly moving and vulnerable conversations that reveal her darkest days as a rape victim. Annemarie shares her transformation journey from victim to victor and highlights an often neglected concept - Post…

Teresa L'Heureux is an intelligent, bright, competent woman; she's an outgoing, positive, encouraging, loving individual and a beautiful human being inside out. We know so because we asked her. We asked her because we couldn’t understand how such a proud and strong woman fell victim to one man who convinced her she was less than loveable and turned…

Sarah Tunstall is a survivor and advocate against human trafficking. Her journey began at the age of 15 when she was recruited into the sex trade by a friend. Already distanced from her family, Sarah found herself trapped in a tumultuous cycle for the next two and a half years, as two different traffickers controlling her life. Having been cut off …