Today's guest is Antoinette Logan. She is an international author of "It Starts with I", a life coach, media professional, CEO, and all around amazingly strong. She talks to me about her childhood experiences with trauma, feeling unwanted, abused, and how she used those experiences to make her into the woman she is today. ABOUT ANTOINETTE:Antoinette Logan is a multi-faceted media professional and international author, based out of Atlanta and Chicago. She has worked her way up in the branding and marketing field, as a personal assistant and brand ambassador to being the CEO of the full service creative company, The Altered Image Agency (A.I.M.) and the founder of the non-profit, Bonded By Birth. She has found a way to make it happen, whatever "it" maybe in the moment. From pain to positivity and a dream of sharing her love with everyone she encounters, this woman has set out on a mission to serve. She is not one whom does a thing, she just does "her" thing which can be a number of "things."Don't put me in a box, I'll never fit in. Picture me as you would the universe, here to help in a number of ways, however the Most High guides me to.She is a life coach who teaches from experience and personal connections, to business consultant who can help you hit the ground running. With Ms.Logan, you can really HAVE IT ALL. Ms. Logan has had many accomplishments in branding, public relations, producing of digital media, events and much more. It's easy to see why anyone can ask Ms.Logan anything.She is your Information Highway to Destination Elevation. Support the show

**Trigger Warning: In this episode, we talk a great deal about childhood abuse, rape, and domestic violence**In this episode, I talk to Marie Neill. She is an amazingly strong woman who has been through some intense trauma. From being abused during childhood to being raped to being sold to a man 24 years older than her in a foreign country, she has gone  through just about every trauma you can imagine. We talk about her story and how she managed to find the good in the hard times. We discuss where she is now and how she is giving back to the world to help others, including by becoming a Mental Health Advocate, determined to help others with her strength and passion.  barkbox.com/judgingmeghanSupport the show

My guest today, Judy Van Niekerk, is an entrepreneur, a human behavioral specialist, and an iconic life mentor. She has learned through her own experiences that there is no challenge that we cannot thrive from. No challenge we are not greater than. Her story, which may be triggering, is one of bravery and hope.  She stresses that  what happened to it her as a young girl did not define her, but it did inspire her to thrive in the way she is living her life today. Being locked up during childhood and being abused in ways we cannot even imagine forced her to look deep inside to find the transcendent love she shares with others today.  I am beyond honored to speak to Judy. As she tells me there is nothing we can not beat or manifest for ourselves. Judy's BioJudy van Niekerk is a serial entrepreneur in the real sense having established businesses in many different industries from environmental agency and training, pioneering agricultural projects, high tech companies, marketing and advertising agency in which she has achieved international acclaim in many of them including International Woman Winemaker of the world, Bravest Woman UK to name a few. She has also been an international sports woman representing her adopted country South Africa at world championships scuba diving as well as a best selling author and international speaker.Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

Stroke survivor, Marcia Moran, is my guest today.  I have wanted to do an episode about this subject for a while, especially after I read her book, Stroke Forward. We talk about what a stroke isThe warning signs of a strokeEven healthy people can have a strokeThe importance of getting to the hospital as soon as possible and why BEFAST is so important. How to be your own healthcare advocateFrom her website, Stroke Forward...The morning my stroke occurred caught me off guard. I woke up and knew something was "off." I tried to text a friend to tell her that I wouldn't make coffee that morning. The text was gibberish. "Oh well," I thought. "I will text her later." I rolled over. Excruciating pain struck! Despite my throbbing headache, I drifted off to sleep. That was a mistake.​Later that day, I awoke to right-sided paralysis. I had a choice to make. Try to make it down the hall so my husband could find me… or give up right there. I fell to the floor and started dragging my way toward the door, using my left hand and the carpet pile to leverage me.  I am Marcia Moran. This is my story...barkbox.com/judgingmeghanSupport the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

Victoria Cuore has endured more pain than one can even imagine in one lifetime. She was raised  by narcissistic parents that sent her off to her grandmother at a young age.  After a horrible break up with what she was her true love. She met a man that on paper was everything a girl could ask for. Her boyfriend began Love Bombing her early on in the relationship. He insisted on a quick marriage and quickly after they were married and pregnant, the relentless abuse began.  Victoria was beaten so badly that she has had over 100 surgeries. Thankfully, she  got away, and rescued her young daughter.  Victoria has  used this pain and trauma to help others. Her book, Who Kicked First: A Memoir, tells some of her story of being abused and the later affects upon her special needs daughter. Her website has some amazing resources for people living in an abusive relationship. There is always a way out. https://www.acontagioussmile.com/Barbox.com/judgingmeghanSupport the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Braun. He is an internationally renowned medium, lecturer, author. I wanted  to have him on to talk about his career as a medium with over 17,000 sittings under his belt. I have personally sat with Tim numerous times. The information he has shared with me brought me peace and healing. Tim is currently practicing in Newport California. He does readings all over the world. You can follow him @timbraunmedium on Instagram and his website, https://www.timbraunmedium.com/Enjoy!Check out his  book at https://www.amazon.com/Life-Death-Mediums-Messages-Overcome/dp/B09TZM844V/Check out Barkbox for your favorite furry friend at https://barkbox.com/judgingmeghan. Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

Todays episode is one I will never forget. Will Jimeno recounts his story of 911. If you were old enough you will never forget where you were on that horrific day.  Will tells the story of walking into the towers knowing that a plane had hit the building.  He says he and his fellow Port Authority Officers knew what they needed to do. It is nothing but a miracle that Will is still alive. He lives his life in service to others. It was an honor to talk to Will a true hero. ABOUT WILL:At the time of the attacks, Will Jimeno was a rookie cop assigned to the Port Authority Bus Terminal. He saw the shadow of American Airlines Flight 11, the airplane that seconds later hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He rode to the WTC site with 20 other Port Authority police officers in a commandeered bus.The collapse of the South Tower trapped Jimeno and two other Port Authority officers, led by Sgt. McLoughlin, under the Concourse between the twin towers. Only Jimeno and McLoughlin survived. Dominick Pezzulo survived the initial collapse but was killed by the collapse of the North Tower while he was trying to free Jimeno.A USA Today account observed:Sometimes they yelled for help. But mostly the 48-year-old sergeant, a 21-year veteran, and the 33-year-old rookie talked intimately, sometimes revealing personal things — about kids, families, feelings — that they had never shared with anyone. Jimeno asked the Sergeant to deliver a message over the radio to his wife, Allison, who was seven months pregnant. They had received no response earlier, but he thought maybe their radio call would be picked up on a police tape recording. "Attention," Sgt. McLoughlin announced, "Officer Jimeno requests that his baby girl be named Olivia." His wife had liked the name. He hadn't been so sure. Now, as he prepared to die, he wanted to think of his baby girl, Olivia.[The two men were located and extricated after former U.S. Marines Sergeant Jason Thomas and Staff Sergeant Dave Karnes heard their cries for help. Both survivors, especially McLoughlin, were severely injured. They required several surgeries and months of hospitalization for recovery and rehabilitation. On June 11, 2002, McLoughlin (with a walker) and Jimeno (with a limp) walked across a stage at Madison Square Garden to receive the Port Authority's Medal of Honor.https://barkbox.com/judgingmeghanSupport the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

I am honored today to have Dr. Kevin Payne on the podcast. He is a social psychologist, a speaker, a podcaster, author,  and skydiver - currently with under 600 jumps under his belt.Kevin talks about his misdiagnosis living with chronic pain. After years of struggling he was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which is what truly spurred his mission. You can find Kevin under his podcast, “Your Life Lived Well”and at yourlifelivedwell.co. Kevin is in a mission to help others and never defined by what he can’t do in life due to his diagnosis. ABOUT KEVIN:Kevin is a social psychologist, entrepreneur, author, podcast host, speaker, teacher, and frequent guest interview or panelist. He shares the results of his extensive research concerning how to live a quality life with chronic distress, pain, and illness. He also shares his personal exploits as a collector of experiences — even while battling Multiple Sclerosis for decades. Life is too remarkable to sit on the sidelines, even when we’ve got to get more creative about how we get in the game!He was born and raised in the Kansas City Metro area. He can’t have too many books, is a lifelong tech geek, devoted to his animals, pretty fond of his kids, and sometimes appears as a pirate.He also never misses a chance to jump from a perfectly good airplane.Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

Today is probably the most important episode I have ever recorded. Michelle Leopold was mom living her normal life until the most horrifying thing happened to her family - the death of her son, Trevor. She tells the story of this handsome, outgoing, loved teenager who started out by smoking pot. This didn't alarm her until she realized that the pot we smoked when we were younger is much different than what is sold today.  This was his gateway drug to what ultimately killed him. We learn about how fentanyl is added to street pills to get a bigger high. The CDC estimates that 2 out of 5 street pills include fentanyl that the user doesn't even realize is there. Michelle shares the story of Trevor’s passing at just 19. She is determined to educate every parent of the dangers of how easily these pills can be accessed. One pill taken and his life was over. Michelle says that she keeps going determined to live in Trevor’s memory and help others. To connect with Michelle: https://www.facebook.com/MichelleLeopold.NorCalSupport the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

Today's episode is with the founder of the National Single Parent Resource Center, Judy Romanoff, also known as Coach Judy. Her personal experiences with her own daughter and a prolonged custody battle inspired her to change the whole direction of her life and career. The knowledge she took from her own pain and the pain she heard from other women helped her turn this time into a positive thing where she could give back to parents who needed help and guide them through a family court situation. About Coach Judy:Judy Romanoff or “Coach Judy” is the M-POWERMENT Coach to CEO’s, corporations, celebrities, and families. Coach Judy is an exclusive motivational expert who provides high powered coaching information and resources from A to Z with quality, simplicity and fabulous positive energy. She is the host of the Coach Judy Talk Show and founder of About FYI for anyone seeking important guidance on how to handle divorce and custody issues.In 1995, former Boca Raton City Mayer Carol Hansen presented Coach Judy with a “Key to the City” for sponsoring Single Parents Family Day. Coach Judy is a National Phoenix Award Recipient, Founder of National Single Parents Resource Center, President of FYI 101 Inc. & Wrote, Hosted and co-produced a unique M-POWERMENT training kit for learning the inside scoop to divorce and single parenting who now offers M-Powerment Fashions for single parent families.Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

This week I sat down with Danielle Cobo.  We discussed her battle with Postpartum depression after the birth of her twin boys.  I learned 1 and 7 women experience postpartum depression. We have been taught as a culture to keep it quiet. I also experienced postpartum with my first born, and I remember feeling guilty because we went through so much to have her.  This episode is just a reminder to be real with others. Talk about your feelings and get help if you need it. There should be no shame! Women have so much pressure to be perfect, perfect looking, perfect mom, perfect wife. It doesn’t exist! Keep Going!Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

From living with parents who had a toxic marriage to being bullied and scared of trusting anyone. My guest today, Gill Tietz has been through so much pain. The pain left her angry and looking for happiness, which she found through her coping mechanism of drinking alcohol.  Today we talk about her journey to finding her power in being sober and how she combatted the anger she was left with due to her childhood. Gill is a biochemist and podcaster. Her weekly podcast, “Sober Powered,” helps others each week who struggle with addiction. Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

Today, I am talking again to the most amazing therapist on the planet. Dr. Nadine Macaluso has put up with me for many years and all of my issues, and I credit her for helping save me. In this episode,  we  talk about several topics including. the tragic passing of Chelsea Christ. Chelsea took her own life at just 30 years of age. She was Miss USA 2019, an Attorney and Reporter with “Extra.” We discuss how many people suffer from depression and suffer silently. We also discuss the new A&E docu series, “The Secrets of Playboy.” Many women were lured into this flashy life, only to find themselves victims of the alleged monster, Hugh Hefner.   Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

I met Chloe through my sister, who was her teacher. When my sister read her book, Perf: The Unspoken Flaws in a “Perfect” Culture, she said I had to interview her. Chloe is an author, as well as an assistant for a talent agency for a scripted comedy series.  Chloe wrote the book for those who keep comparing themselves to others and beating themselves up with the “You Should Be”s. This can be paralyzing to moving forward and Chloe wanted to break free from the perfectionism that was holding her back.  Enjoy this conversation with Chloe Cullen!  Buy her book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1636764819/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_5VTW9P1MKRXT66WXAX6K Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

My guest, Fred Rutman, started intermittent fasting after several health scares to heal his body. The research he had found dealt with metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance, which is when you have too much insulin floating in your system. Once that gets out of whack, so many of your other hormones get out of whack, including your leptin and your ghrelin, which is your satiety and hunger signals, your estrogen, your testosterone, your adrenaline,  your growth hormones, and more. It's a domino effect. When you begin fasting, you give your digestive system a chance to calm down and get rid of some inflammation, which leads to a lot of your other hormones falling into place. He has seen people who IF get rid of their thyroid problems, get rid of their type two diabetes, get rid of sleep apnea, get rid of asthma, and the list goes on and on and on. We discuss the basics of intermittent fasting and how it can be implemented in most anyone's life. You can follow Fred here: https://www.instagram.com/repeatedlydf/Don't forget to use the coupon code MEGHAN15 for 15% off their wellness shots. https://dosedaily.co/Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

Do you believe in gut feelings? In this episode, I talk to licensed clinical social worker, BZ (Elizabeth) Tebo. **Trigger Warning - We talk about many things, including suicide, so if this is a trigger for you, you will want to skip this episode. - We learn all about BZ Tebo and how she came to the point she is at now- We discuss whether you should listen to your gut- How life experiences can inspire your calling and profession- All about her new children's book, The Elephant on Aaron's Chest- The importance of helping kids express their feelings and emotionsBZ Tebo didn't always dream of becoming an author. When she was younger she wanted to be an astronaut, a lawyer and a choreographer. After earning a Master of Social Work degree at The University of Michigan, she traded the Midwest winters for the California sunshine. She works as a licensed clinical social worker in San Diego, California.Buy her book here: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/The-Elephant-on-Aarons-Chest1Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

In this episode, Meghan interviews author, Mark Schutter. He is the author of Cowboys Are Not Supposed to Cry, a memoir. He tells his story of living a life with grief that began in his midtwenties. The death of his young wife left him alone, and although life was tough, he vowed to show the world that he was tougher.Remarrying and having a daughter, to onlookers, from the outside, life seemed happy again, until in an anguished night of prayer, Mark heard the words that to be the husband and father he wanted to be, he must:reconcile the pastembrace the presentredeem the futureWe talk about:How men have a hard time talking about mental healthHis story of grief and lossHis impetus to share his storyAbout Mark:As a much younger man, Mark stood helplessly at the edge of the dark abyss of pain, death and grief. The experience of watching his first wife die at age 26 from breast cancer forced him to question the meaning of life in his search for answers that impact his writings to this day.He has lived his entire life in the Pacific Northwest where the land, nature and people both inspire and fuel his writing. His poetry has been featured in several print and online publications as he works on his first full-length book of his poetry that explores the pain that we all face during our lives and the hope that can rise.He is happily remarried to a wonderful woman who he claims is the most beautiful and strongest woman he has ever known. He has been blessed with a beautiful daughter who keeps him young in this second chapter of life that he has been granted. He enjoys horses and mountain biking when not writing. He believes in the ‘ripple effect,’ touch one life and you may touch the world, for to share the journey, however brief, is a wonderful gift. His wish is to share the joys, the sorrows, the hope and healing to inspire others to live despite the grief we all carry because there is “life after…”https://markschutter.com/Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

In this episode, Meghan talks to Denise Klein, Addiction Specialist  and Executive Director of Milestones Ranch Malibu, one of the nation’s premiere dual diagnosis treatment centers. Denise discusses her new upcoming book in which she co wrote, “Truth about Rehab.”The two discuss everything related to addiction, including the prevalence of dishonest treatment centers.Some of the questions they cover are: - What are some red flags for a bad treatment center?- How to choose a treatment center that is right for you or your family member?- What questions should you ask a treatment center before enrolling?- What are the factors that lead to relapse?- What’s the biggest difference between 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day in-patient treatment?- What are the underlying issues that lead to addiction?About DeniseDenise E. Klein, MSW, is the Executive Director of Milestones Ranch Malibu, one of the nation’s premier dual diagnosis treatment centers. Denise has been committed to helping families for over 30 years and is very passionate about helping families find the right treatment center.Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

In this week's episode, Meghan speaks from her heart, sharing her own story without sparing any details, starting with the story of why her new year has started rougher than expected.For the audience of Judging Meghan, this week's episode is a must-listen and gives context for so many other moments from past episodes. We hope you listen and that this episode inspires you to tell your truth and your own story to someone you know.National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-8255Support the showSupport the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)

In this episode of Judging Meghan, Meghan talks to motivational speak Wayne Forrest, who became paralyzed from the chest down at the age of 25."I made a terrible mistake and put myself in a position which caused me to dislocate my neck." While Wayne had to relearn how to live after this terrible accident, he shares his story about how he moved on. "One step at a time," Wayne says, "you have to go through the motions."Wayne tells Meghan the story of how he became a life coach and motivational speaker. When doing extreme sports for disabled people, he found a new reality he had never considered before."I was doing these activities, and what happened was really strange. I was the one with the disability, but there were people without physical disabilities on these courses who were scared of heights or being underwater, and it really leveled the playing field." Wayne has lived his life helping others and never letting his condition deter him from living his life to the fullest.Support the show (https://judgingmeghan.com/support/)