Shows / Intrepid Storytelling
Intrepid Storytelling
Intrepid Storytelling Podcast with Deanna Powell — Real Stories. Raw Truth. Unbreakable Spirit.The Intrepid Storytelling Podcast is a powerful, truth-driven space where host Deanna Powell dives deep into the human experience through real, unfiltered, and transformational stories. Each episode features courageous individuals who have faced adversity, trauma, resilience, healing, reinvention, and personal breakthroughs. From survival and recovery to empowerment and purpose, this podcast uncovers…
Episodes
- Intrepid Storytelling
64|Surviving Corporate Scapegoating & Teen Addiction: Laurie Thibert's Story
In this episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Laurie Thibert to explore the CATR Theory of relationships, navigating…
- Intrepid Storytelling
63|Adopting Alone After Losing Everything: Laurie Thibert's Story
In this episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Laurie Thibert to explore international adoption, intuitive guidance…
- Intrepid Storytelling
62|My Narcissistic Husband Abused My Daughter: Nancy Kohne's Story
In this full episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Nancy Kohne to explore narcissistic abuse, surviving childhood…
- Intrepid Storytelling
61|I Befriended A Serial Killer And Didn't Know It: Ginine Emily Smith's Story
In this full episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Ginine Emily Smith to explore surviving extreme trauma, escaping a…
- Intrepid Storytelling
60|The Terrifying Reality of Trauma Psychosis: Brittney Lorenz's Story
In this full episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Brittney Lorenz to explore trauma-induced psychosis, surviving…
- Intrepid Storytelling
59|The Dark Secret The LDS Church Hides: Ted Novak's Story
In this full episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Ted Novak to explore leaving Mormonism, biblical contradictions…
- Intrepid Storytelling
58|What The Animal Testing Industry Hides From You: Alexandria Keating-Sofiakis' Story
In this full episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Alexandria Keating-Sofiakis to explore the Ridglan Farms beagle…
- Intrepid Storytelling
57|Surviving My Husband's Methamphetamine Psychosis: Allison Fine's Story
In this full episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Allison Fine to explore surviving severe domestic violence…
- Intrepid Storytelling
56|The Double Murder My Family Kept A Secret: Kevin P. Henry's Story
In this full episode of the Intrepid Storytelling podcast, host Deanna Powell sits down with Kevin P. Henry to explore surviving childhood trauma, true crime…
- Intrepid Storytelling
55|Surviving Cult Trauma and Protecting My Daughter from a Monster: Ruvyn Windsor’s Story
How do you keep living when the person you trusted to co-parent your child turns out to be a monster hiding in plain sight? Ruvyn grew up isolated in a strict…
- Intrepid Storytelling
54|From Inner-City Trauma to Saving Lives: Tony Charity’s Story
How do you build a life of service and compassion when your own childhood was defined by poverty, severe abuse, and the harsh realities of the streets? In this…
- Intrepid Storytelling
53|From Army Medic to Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer: Wil Johnson’s Story
How do you go from earning $10.94 an hour as a substitute paraeducator to becoming the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of an entire county? Wil…
- Intrepid Storytelling
52|Surviving Childhood Trauma and Breaking the Generational Cycle: Janus Valeo’s Story
How do you break a generational cycle of severe trauma when you were raised in the darkest of environments? Janus Vallejo grew up enduring severe trauma and…
- Intrepid Storytelling
51|Fighting for Motherhood: Nicole Orr’s Story
What happens when your timeline for finding "the one" runs out, but your dream of becoming a mother is stronger than ever? Nicole Orr knew she wanted to be a…
- Intrepid Storytelling
50|My Dad Escaped The Nazis: Jason Prokowiew's Story
What happens when you sit down with your abuser to ask them about their own horrific childhood trauma? In this raw and powerful episode of Intrepid…
- Intrepid Storytelling
49|From Prison Cell Journals to Published Author: David Boggs’s Story
Can someone truly change after spending 23 years deeply embedded in the criminal underworld? David Boggs spent over two decades living a high-stakes life…
- Intrepid Storytelling
48|Surviving the Streets, Trafficking, and Addiction: Madyson Elisabeth’s Story
How do you find your way back to life when you're sleeping in a freezing tent in a trap house backyard, and the drugs make you forget you are even a mother?…
- Intrepid Storytelling
47|Finding My Voice After My Husband Left Me for a Man: Laurie Hardie’s Story
Have you ever felt like your life was suddenly interrupted, forcing you to rewrite your entire future from scratch? Laurie Hardie stepped away from a…
- Intrepid Storytelling
46|Escaping A S*x-Trafficking AA Cult: Mandi Pagliarini's Story
What happens when the group that promises to save you turns into a trap designed to control your entire life? Adopted at birth and struggling to navigate the…
- Intrepid Storytelling
45|Escaping The 4-Million-Member WMSCOG Cult: Mitch Cunico's Story
What happens when you dedicate your life to a church, only to realize you’re trapped in a highly manipulative organization that controls your marriage, your…
- Intrepid Storytelling
44|Single Motherhood by Choice, Infertility, & The Open Road: Shae Beaudoin’s Story
Do you have to wait for the "perfect partner" to start the family of your dreams? For Shae Beaudoin, the answer was a resounding no. Realizing early on that…
- Intrepid Storytelling
43|Hiding in Plain Sight: Kate French’s Story
How do you keep a devastating secret while running a business and raising a child completely on your own? Kate French’s life looked perfectly fine from the…
- Intrepid Storytelling
42|Immigrating to America with $6 to Flipping a Senate Seat: Mona Das' Story
What happens when you achieve your wildest dream, only to discover the system was designed to keep you out? Mona Das immigrated to the U.S. from India at eight…
- Intrepid Storytelling
41|Surviving Heroin, Hell, and Holy Trauma: Derek Lambert’s Story
What happens when the religion meant to save you becomes a prison, and the drugs you use to escape become a death sentence? Derek Lambert, host of the…
- Intrepid Storytelling
40|Groomed, Abandoned, and Broken: How Forrest Lang Survived Abuse, Found Brotherhood, and Rebuilt His Life
What happens when the people meant to protect you become the ones who cause the deepest wounds? In this raw and deeply moving episode of Intrepid Storytelling…
- Intrepid Storytelling
39|Arrested for Rescuing Beagles from Ridglan Farms Testing Lab: Amanda Olejarz’s Story
What if you were treated like a terrorist simply for saving a tortured puppy from a testing lab? Growing up, Amanda Olejarz was relentlessly bullied for her…
- Intrepid Storytelling
38|Breaking the Cycle of Trauma: Jessica Decker’s Story
How do you build a beautiful, stable life when your early years were defined by chaos? Jessica Decker spent her early childhood trying to survive, stepping in…
- Intrepid Storytelling
37|Breaking Generational Cycles: Angelina Mojica’s Story
How do you find your voice when you were taught your entire childhood to stay silent? Angelina Mojica grew up in a traditional household where she learned…
- Intrepid Storytelling
36|Uncovering Hidden Secrets & Finding Vulnerability: Michael Fornerette’s Story
How do you keep leading others when your foundation is shaken by hidden family secrets and unimaginable loss? Michael Fornerette is known for his intense…
- Intrepid Storytelling
35|"Before I Die": Michel Pinard’s Honest Story About Living with Terminal Cancer
How do you react when life hands you a terminal diagnosis? For Michel "Mitch" Pinard, the answer was simple: you keep going. After being diagnosed with Stage 4…
- Intrepid Storytelling
34|From Bank Robberies to Prison Reform: Jacob Ivan Schmitt's Story
"I didn't stop being afraid in life until other people became afraid of me." ⛓️ How does a six-year-old child, conditioned by solitary confinement and physical…
- Intrepid Storytelling
33|34 Years Sober & Building Boundaries: Erin Alexander’s Story
What happens when you realize that no one is coming to save you, and you must become your own greatest protector? Erin Alexander, founder of the marketing…
- Intrepid Storytelling
32|Finding Tico: Jay Barbanel's Story of Adoption From Costa Rica & Reuniting With Biological Family
What happens when your "rock," your protector, and your only link to your biological past suddenly turns into your greatest threat? At just 6 years old, Jay…
- Intrepid Storytelling
31|"I Am The Storm": Michelle Bruto da Costa’s Story
What do you do when the life you built with your soulmate is suddenly shattered by the unimaginable? Michelle Bruto da Costa achieved the American dream…
- Intrepid Storytelling
30|You're Not Broken, Sobriety Is Possible: Sebrina Shovan's Story
What happens when the only way to survive your childhood is to numb the pain, until the numbing becomes its own nightmare? Sebrina grew up in a constant state…
- Intrepid Storytelling
29|PART 4 - Leaving My Religion & Tackling Racism: Lacey Gallear's Story
What is the cost of leaving everything you've ever known? When the rug is pulled out from under you, losing your community, your faith, and your financial…
- Intrepid Storytelling
28|PART 3 - Escaping The Cult of Amway, & the Religious Abuse of Mars Hill: Lacey Gallear's Story
What do you do when the institutions that promise to protect you demand the complete erasure of your identity instead? In Part 3 of her harrowing journey…
- Intrepid Storytelling
27|PART 2 - The Church, The Cult, & The Celebrity: Lacey Gallear’s Story
What happens when the "righteous" community you trust becomes the source of your deepest rejection? In this intense and revealing Part 2, Deanna Powell…
- Intrepid Storytelling
26|PART 1 - Parentified At A Young Age, Surviving Abuse & Alcoholic Parents: Lacey Gallear's Story
What happens when the people meant to protect you are the ones you have to survive? In this gripping episode of Intrepid Storytåelling, host Deanna Powell sits…
- Intrepid Storytelling
25|From Dealing Dr**s & Overdose to Stand-Up Comedy: Jimmy Shin's Story
Can the most destructive moments of your life actually become the foundation for your greatest success? Jimmy Shin grew up in a turbulent home, navigating life…
- Intrepid Storytelling
24|Helicopter Flight Nurse Burnout: Saving Lives While Losing Himself | First Responder Mental Health Story
How do you save everyone else when you’re quietly drowning yourself? Sergio Cardenas grew up navigating the challenges of a strict upbringing, childhood…
- Intrepid Storytelling
23|It’s Okay to Be Lucky: Jose Moreno’s Story
Is success a result of the "bootstrap" mentality, or is it simply the grace of being lucky? In this heartwarming and insightful episode of Intrepid…
- Intrepid Storytelling
22|Traumatic Brain Injury & Unlocking True Happiness: Michelle Valley’s Story
What if the brick wall you just hit isn't an end, but a beginning? In this deeply insightful episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Deanna Powell reconnects with…
- Intrepid Storytelling
21|From Dolphin Training to TEDx Stage: Erin Loman Jeck’s Story
What if your greatest pain became your greatest purpose? In this powerful episode of Intrepid Storytelling, host Deanna Powell sits down with TEDx speaker…
- Intrepid Storytelling
20|From Convicted Felon to PhD: Dr. Angelo Reynolds’s Story
What do you do when the rug is pulled out from under you and you lose everything you’ve ever worked for, including your freedom and your name? In this…
- Intrepid Storytelling
19|Surviving BPD, Alcoholism, and the Choice to Stay: Cierra Madill’s Story (Part 2)
(Part 2) What do you do when you’ve lost almost everything, and the only person left to save you is yourself? In this visceral and deeply moving episode of…
- Intrepid Storytelling
18|Losing My Son & Fighting for Survival: Cierra Madill’s Story (Part 1)
(Part 1) What happens when the people who are supposed to love you the most leave you behind, and the justice system strips away the one thing keeping you…
- Intrepid Storytelling
17|Unlocking Success Through the Trenches: Kendall Patterson’s Story
What if the hardest seasons of your life were actually the blueprints for your greatest success? In this deep-dive episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Deanna…
- Intrepid Storytelling
16|Grief didn’t break him—it built him: This is a raw conversation about loss, ambition, legacy, and why sometimes the biggest ideas come from the hardest seasons.
In this episode, a successful entrepreneur shares how losing his father fueled a journey from real estate and mortgage success to launching Off Leash’d, the…
- Intrepid Storytelling
15|Life Is A Gift & Love Is The Point: Ryan & Michelle Meeks' Story
What is left of your life when the community you built and the faith you preached both disappear in an instant? In this deeply honest episode of Intrepid…
- Intrepid Storytelling
14|Haunted in Bothell, Washington: A Couple’s Real-Life Paranormal Experience Inside Their Family Home
They bought a house in Bothell, Washington… and something else came with it. In this true paranormal podcast episode, a couple reveals the unexplained events…
- Intrepid Storytelling
13|Breaking Free From Cults To Consciousness: Shelise Ann Sola’s Powerful Deconstruction from LDS Mormonism
In this transformative episode, Shelise Ann Sola, host of the popular podcast and YouTube show Cults to Consciousness, opens up about her deeply personal faith…
- Intrepid Storytelling
12|From Rock Bottom to Real Estate Royalty: A Seattle Success Story of Addiction Recovery, Redemption, and Reinvention
This is a real-life comeback story you won’t forget. Once trapped in addiction and felony convictions, she hit rock bottom and checked herself into the…
- Intrepid Storytelling
11|The Day Everything Changed: Alicia Brown’s Journey from Brain Aneurysm & Stroke to Brave Recovery
This is a shorter episode from the Intrepid Storytelling live event. On February 6, 2023, Alicia Brown’s life was forever transformed when a ruptured brain…
- Intrepid Storytelling
10|Breaking the Silence: A Teen Survivor Exposes Childhood Sexual Abuse, Parental Manipulation, and the Cost of Believing the Wrong Story
This gripping episode is Part 3 of a series that was started by Leila Culberson, who's story was told in Part 1 and Part 2 - Surviving The Unthinkable: A…
- Intrepid Storytelling
9|From Mystery Symptoms to MS Warrior: Michelle Troll’s Transformation Through Fitness - Part 2
This is PART 2 of a 2 part series with Michelle Troll. Don't miss hearing her first episode where she talks about her experience escaping domestic violence and…
- Intrepid Storytelling
8|Escaping a Killer: Michelle Troll’s Survival Story Beyond Domestic Violence - Part 1
This is PART 1 of a 2 part series with Michelle Troll. Stay tuned for PART 2 where she talks about a shocking health diagnosis and her determination to…
- Intrepid Storytelling
7|The Heart of a Hope Dealer: Larry J Snyder on Love, Loss, and Caring for Aging Parents
In this powerful episode, author, humanitarian, and community advocate Larry J Snyder opens up about one of the most challenging chapters of his life—caring…
- Intrepid Storytelling
6|Rising Strong: Denise’s Journey from Classroom to Comeback After a Near-Fatal Crash
This is a shorter episode from the Intrepid Storytelling live event. In this inspiring episode of Intrepid Storytelling, we meet Denise, a former elementary…
- Intrepid Storytelling
5|Rising Through the Storm — A Cancer Survivor’s Journey of Resilience, Hope, and Purpose
In this inspiring episode of Intrepid Storytelling, I sit down with Sherilynn Hemphill, a true warrior who has faced and overcome unimaginable challenges. From…