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In this honest, high-energy, and deeply moving episode of Her Truth Revealed: Unraveling Our Midlife Era, host Wonderful Morrison sits down with Alicia Tappan—nonprofit founder, survivor leader, speaker, and author of Innocence Interrupted—to explore what it really means to move from survival mode into purpose-driven leadership.

Alicia’s story traces a powerful arc:
 from being trafficked in high school by a trusted coach…
 to years of addiction, homelessness, and self-exploitation…
 to becoming the founder and president of Survivor Led Solutions, a nationwide anti–human trafficking organization focused on leadership development and entrepreneurship for survivors.

What began as private journal entries and late-night writing sessions turned into a professional memoir and healing framework now being used in jails, recovery programs, and women’s groups. Alicia blends her lived experience with research, trauma education, and practical tools so survivors aren’t just rescued for a year and then left to “figure it out”—they’re equipped to rebuild a life, a voice, and a future.

Drawing from her nonprofit work and doctoral studies, Alicia unpacks:

• Why trafficking is less about “strangers and white vans” and more about hidden exploitation in plain sight
• How childhood wounds, attachment, and family dynamics shape our vulnerability to abuse
• What long-term healing really looks like beyond the safe house
• The emotional cost of writing her story—and why she paused to go back to therapy mid-book
• The “glass ceiling” of success so many women and survivors hit when life finally gets good
• How to turn resilience from “what kept you alive” into “what builds your legacy”

This conversation names the unspoken questions many women quietly carry:

“Who am I without my trauma?”
 “Can I be safe and successful?”
“Do I even know what I want beyond survival?”

Alicia reminds us that we’re not here just to make it—we’re here to matter.
 And our story is not just what happened to us—it’s what we choose to create from it.

Today’s Guest: Alicia Tappan

Founder & President, Survivor Led Solutions | Survivor Leader | Speaker | Author of Innocence Interrupted

Alicia leads Survivor Led Solutions, an anti–human trafficking nonprofit that supports survivors through leadership development, professional skills, and practical resources—from laptops and desks to professional clothing, scrubs, and full cosmetology kits—so they can move out of survival and into stability, calling, and impact.

Her book, Innocence Interrupted, is a professional memoir that weaves together her personal story, trauma science, reflection exercises, and prevention tools—created for survivors, advocates, service providers, and anyone who wants to better understand exploitation, healing, and resilience.

Learn more about Alicia & Survivor Led Solutions:
Website: survivorledsolutions.org
Book: Innocence Interrupted (available on Amazon & major retailers)

“The same resilience that kept you alive can become the power that builds your legacy.”

Want to explore more powerful insights? Don’t miss the wisdom shared by all the authors in She Leads From Within: Intuitive Thought Leadership Is Changing the Way Women Do Business—grab your copy today!

Get in Touch with all things Wonderful at wonderful@leadheracademy.com.