Episodes

  • Warrior Women Merge Worldwide | Desiree Cruz on Finding Her Voice

    Warrior Women Merge Worldwide | Desiree Cruz on Finding Her Voice
    Apr 17 2026
    Ep. 243 Desiree Cruz, CEO of Merge Worldwide and author of "Warrior Women," shares how personal trauma and loss inspired her to create a movement that empowers women to share their stories without shame. The episode explores themes of healing, legacy, and the importance of community. Desiree touches on how her daughter's passing fueled her mission to honor legacy and help women find their voices. This conversation offers insights into turning pain into purpose and creating lasting impact. "I want women to start leaning into their stories. I want them to be openly sharing their stories without shame and without guilt and without rebuttal." – Desiree Cruz Website: Home - Merge Worldwide LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desire-cruz-2a884334a/ Desire Cruz is the daughter of the most High, wife of Jesse Cruz, and mother of 3 beautiful daughters Haleigh, Mariah, and Faith. She is the Co-CEO OF MERGE WORLDWIDE AND LEADING AUTHOR OF WARRIOR WOMEN. Desire also is an international world traveler, event planner, transformation coach, and keynote speaker. She loves all things women empowerment, and enjoys nature in her spare time. Resources Mentioned: Join our next anthology project! Coauthor | The Liberated Woman's Movement The 200N1 Project - Ebony Nicole Smith Consulting⁠ ⁠Cristo's Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta ⁠ 1308 Buffalo Road, Rochester NY 👉 Maryann’s Website👉 Instagram👉 Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 mins
  • Clearing the Chaos Around AI and Life Transitions with Stacey Shaw

    Clearing the Chaos Around AI and Life Transitions with Stacey Shaw
    Apr 10 2026
    What if your next level isn’t about doing more but fixing what’s quietly breaking behind the scenes? Ep. 242 Healing Her Within welcomes Stacey D.M. Shaw to unpack what it really takes to build a business that is both structured and purpose-driven. From creating systems that actually support your growth to turning your pain into impact, Stacey shares how she transformed her own experiences into initiatives that uplift other women. This conversation goes deeper than strategy. It’s about healing the parts of you that once felt unseen and building a life that reflects who you’ve become. AI Tools Stacey Recommends 💻 ChatGPT (OpenAI) → Everyday business support, content creation, brainstorming → Pro tip: Turn OFF data sharing + turn ON multi-factor authentication 🧠 Claude (Anthropic) → Deep thinking, coaching-style questions, business planning → Best for: sharpening your strategy and challenging your thinking 📊 Manus → Research, presentations, and building simple websites/landing pages → Best for: turning ideas into polished visuals quickly 🌐 Gemini (Google) → Image generation and creative assets → Best for: visual content and quick integrations with Google tools Guest Bio: Stacey D.M. Shaw is a Chief Administrative Strategist, widely known as The Administrative Architect, with more than 30 years of C-suite-level experience in administrative and operational leadership. As the Founder of Your Brilliant Transitions (YBT), she helps entrepreneurs and organizations eliminate operational breakdowns, build strong systems, and create back-office structures that support sustainable growth. Her expertise spans operations restructuring, SOP development, executive alignment, and decision-support frameworks that drive accountability and execution. 🌐 Website: https://yourbrillianttransitions.com/ 📱 Instagram & Facebook: @YourBrilliantTransitions 💼 LinkedIn: Stacey DMS 🗓️ Her Chosen Legacy Summit: June 5,6 2026 Resources: Join our next anthology project! Coauthor | The Liberated Woman's Movement The 200N1 Project - Ebony Nicole Smith Consulting⁠ ⁠Cristo's Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta ⁠ 1308 Buffalo Road, Rochester NY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • From Paramedic to PhD: Arlene Hamblin-Paul’s Inspiring Story

    From Paramedic to PhD: Arlene Hamblin-Paul’s Inspiring Story
    Apr 3 2026
    Ep. 241 Mrs. Arlene Hamblin-Paul is an Educator with over 30 years experience. She has earned certifications and qualifications in both the EMS profession as well as the Social Sciences. ​In 1993 Mrs. Hamblin Paul began her professional development journey as a Nursing Auxiliary. Her journey continued as she assumed the position of teacher’s assistant. ​In 1995 her professional development journey took a sharp turn when she enlisted in the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force where she served till 2000. ​In 2000 Mrs. Paul pursued her EMT certification followed by her paramedic certification in 2004 at La Guardia Community College. ​Upon her return to Trinidad and Tobago, she became the first female Trinbagonian paramedic to serve in Trinidad and Tobago. Connect with Arlena: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arlenehamblinpaulFacebook - FacebookLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arlenehamblinpaul 🌐 Resources Mentioned: The 200N1 Project - Ebony Nicole Smith Consulting Cristo's Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta 1308 Buffalo Road, Rochester NY Join our next anthology project! Coauthor | The Liberated Woman's Movement Connect with Maryann 👉 Maryann’s Website👉 Instagram👉 Facebook📖 New book: The Liberated Woman’s Voice: 365 Affirmations 📖 Book: From Limitation to Liberation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    29 mins
  • Speech Therapy and Empowered Parenting with Samantha Taylor

    Speech Therapy and Empowered Parenting with Samantha Taylor
    Mar 27 2026
    Ep.240 You’re advocating for your child every day… but who’s advocating for you? When your child is navigating hearing loss or developmental challenges, it’s easy to lose yourself in appointments, IEPs, and constant decision-making. This week on HealingHer Within, Maryann Rivera-Dannert sits down with Samantha Taylor—a speech-language pathologist, entrepreneur, and mother whose world shifted when her son was diagnosed as profoundly deaf. What started as heartbreak turned into a calling. Samantha shares how she went from journalism to building a speech therapy practice and launching the Empowered Parent Network—all while learning how to advocate for her child and herself. Key Takeaways: How one diagnosis can redirect your entire life path The emotional reality of raising children with hearing loss or ADHD What advocacy actually looks like inside schools and systems Why boundaries and self-care aren’t optional—they’re survival How to find purpose beyond being a caregiver Connect with Samantha Website Speech Therapy | Olive Speech Therapy | VictorInstagram https://www.instagram.com/olive_speech_or_languageEmpowered Parent Network https://www.empoweredparentnetwork.org Connect with Maryann 👉 Maryann’s Website👉 Instagram👉 Facebook📖 New book: The Liberated Woman’s Voice: 365 Affirmations for the Mind, Body, & Soul 📖 Book: From Limitation to Liberation Chapters: 00:00:00 — Unplanned Single Parent Hood 00:07:51 — From People Pleasing to Purpose-Driven Practice00:13:01 — Don’t Lose Yourself in Motherhood00:19:29 — Speech & Hearing Red Flags Parents Miss00:22:07 — Empowered Parenting = Healing You First Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    28 mins
  • From Security to Sovereignty: Reclaiming Your Power in Your 2nd Act

    From Security to Sovereignty: Reclaiming Your Power in Your 2nd Act
    Mar 20 2026
    Ep. 239 There comes a moment in your life where “security” no longer feels safe… it feels suffocating. In my talk from the Second Act Virtual Business Summit hosted by Leslie A.M. Smith—From Security to Sovereignty—I invite you to gently question the roles, identities, and expectations you’ve been holding onto… and ask yourself: Is this truly aligned with who I am becoming? So many of us were taught to choose stability over truth. To stay where it’s comfortable… even when it costs us our peace. But your second act? It’s about expanding into your sovereignty. 💫 Reclaiming your voice 💫 Honoring your inner knowing 💫 Choosing yourself—without guilt About the Speakers: Maryann Rivera-Dannert is the founder of the Liberated Women's Movement, a coaching business devoted to empowering women from the inside out. As host of HealingHer Within podcast, Maryann focuses on transforming the mindset, tackling issues like self-doubt and imposter syndrome, and guiding women toward healing their inner selves. With a rich background in HR and coaching, Maryann has dedicated her efforts to helping others lead liberated lives. 👉 Maryann’s Website👉 Instagram👉 Facebook📖 Book: From Limitation to Liberation Leslie A.M. Smith is the host of the Second Act Business Summit, which offers a platform for experienced professionals to explore new career ventures. Leslie facilitates insightful discussions with various experts, offering rich resources and practical advice for those looking to redefine or reboot their professional lives. To learn more about Leslie and her work, visit - McCormickLA.com | Chapters: 00:00:00 Stepping Into Your Second Act 00:03:41 Entrepreneurship Truths: Passion, Freedom & Challenges 00:06:15 Resilience & Mindset: What It Really Takes 00:09:07 From Corporate Comfort to Entrepreneurial Freedom 00:12:02 Networking & Knowledge: Building the Right Rooms 00:14:37 Finding Your Why & Staying Committed 00:19:41 Facing Fear & Embracing the Unknown 00:23:29 Preparing Financially for Your Career Transition 00:27:14 From Security to Sovereignty: Reclaiming Your Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • Healthy Boundaries: Protecting Your Peace on the Return to Self Journey Part 6

    Healthy Boundaries: Protecting Your Peace on the Return to Self Journey Part 6
    Mar 13 2026
    Ep. 238 Returning to yourself isn’t a one-time moment. It’s a lifelong practice. In the final installment of the Return to Self series, Maryann Rivera-Dannert explores one of the most important tools for protecting your healing: healthy boundaries. Many women are conditioned to equate love with self-sacrifice, but boundaries are not about controlling others—they are about protecting your peace, energy, and authenticity. In this episode, Maryann shares how boundaries reveal the health of our relationships, prevent resentment, and help us stay aligned with the woman we are becoming. Key Takeaways: • Boundaries protect your emotional well-being and healing • Resentment grows where boundaries are missing • Societal conditioning often teaches women to abandon themselves • Boundaries help you manage your emotional energy • Internal boundaries are just as important as the ones we set with others 🌐 Resources: Return to Self Private Coaching 👉 Maryann’s Website👉 Instagram👉 Facebook👉 TikTok📖 Book: The Liberated Woman’s Voice: 365 Affirmations for the Mind, Body, & Soul 📖 Book: From Limitation to Liberation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    19 mins
  • Three Pillars of Spiritual Healing: Mind, Body, Soul part 5

    Three Pillars of Spiritual Healing: Mind, Body, Soul part 5
    Mar 6 2026
    Ep. 237 You can be successful, accomplished, and still feel like something inside you is out of alignment. In Part 5 of the Return to Self series, Maryann explores the deeper layer of healing many women overlook—spiritual alignment. This episode is not about religion or perfection. It’s about slowing down long enough to reconnect your mind, body, and soul so you can experience real inner peace. Maryann shares how spiritual disconnection often shows up as constant overthinking, chronic tension in the body, or feeling successful but strangely unfulfilled. 🌐 Resources: 👉 Maryann’s Website👉 Instagram👉 Facebook📖 New book: The Liberated Woman’s Voice: 365 Affirmations for the Mind, Body, & Soul 📖 Book: From Limitation to Liberation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    15 mins
  • Rebuilding Safety After Trauma- Part 4

    Rebuilding Safety After Trauma- Part 4
    Feb 27 2026
    Ep. 236 What if your trauma isn’t a flaw, but proof that your body was trying to protect you? In Part Four of the Return to Self series, Maryann gently guides you through one of the most sacred phases of healing: rebuilding safety, reclaiming your strength, and learning to trust yourself again. This episode is a reminder that healing doesn’t come from forcing your way through old pain. It comes from teaching your body that the danger has passed. Key Takeaways;✨ How to create emotional, physical, and internal safety✨ What it means to move beyond survival mode✨ How to restore self-trust by listening to your body without judgment✨ Daily safety rituals and body-based practices that help you return to calm 🌐 Resources: 👉 Maryann’s Website👉 Instagram👉 Facebook📖 New book: The Liberated Woman’s Voice: 365 Affirmations 📖 Book: From Limitation to Liberation Episode Chapters: 00:00 Topic Teaser: Understanding Trauma Recovery02:02 Defining Trauma and Its Impact03:27 Building Emotional and Physical Safety4:52 Reclaiming Strength Beyond Survival Mode6:59 Restoring Self-Trust and Intuition8:51 Action Steps for Healing and Self-Care Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    12 mins