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 alive?
 
Cierra Madill grew up believing she didn't belong anywhere, battling a profound sense of isolation as she was shuttled back and forth between divorced parents. After being abandoned by her mother due to a severe drug addiction, she spent her formative years navigating instability and searching for a safe home. Forced to be resilient long before she should have had to be, Cierra fought through a maze of mental health crises, including a five-week stay in a psych ward, just to survive a chaotic world.
 
Seeking the love and connection she was denied early on, Cierra often found herself navigating dangerous situations, eventually falling into a deeply abusive and controlling polyamorous relationship. Despite enduring severe physical and emotional violence at the hands of a narcissistic partner, she fought fiercely to escape in order to protect herself and her children. She successfully rebuilt her life, gaining financial stability and full custody of her son, but her most difficult and heart-wrenching battle was still waiting for her.
 
In a devastating turn of events, the court system stripped Cierra of her custody rights to her young son, penalizing her for having an OnlyFans account while turning a blind eye to her ex-partner's documented history of domestic violence. In this unflinchingly raw episode, Cierra opens up about the crushing, agonizing grief of losing her boy, her subsequent spiral into deep depression and alcoholism, and the brutal reality of hitting rock bottom. This is not a neatly packaged story with a perfect ending—it is a gritty, courageous look at survival, accountability, and the painful process of putting one foot in front of the other when your heart is shattered.
 
Chapters:
00:00 Journey of Belonging and Self-Discovery
02:59 The Impact of Childhood Experiences
05:49 Navigating Family Dynamics and Relationships
09:11 The Struggles of Adolescence and Identity
12:02 The Role of Resilience in Overcoming Trauma
14:52 The Transition to Young Adulthood
17:56 Confronting Addiction and Family Challenges
20:53 The Search for Independence and Self-Expression
23:48 The Complexity of Relationships and Personal Growth
27:06 Finding Strength in Vulnerability
39:38 Navigating Early Adulthood and Relationships
48:41 The Impact of Parental Guidance
51:35 Dreams, Goals, and Unexpected Turns
01:01:22 Overcoming Toxic Relationships and Personal Growth
01:18:17 Recognizing Red Flags in Relationships
01:21:28 The Impact of Narcissistic Relationships
01:24:53 Lessons Learned from Heartbreak
01:27:42 Navigating Life as a Single Parent
01:30:31 The Struggles of Custody and Control
01:34:12 The Emotional Toll of Losing a Child
01:39:50 Financial Struggles and Consequences
01:45:33 Finding Strength Amidst Adversity
01:56:13 Taking Responsibility for Our Actions
 
FOLLOW CIERRA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlethingsphotoandvideo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cierra.madill
website: https://littlethingsphotographyutah.mypixieset.com/
 
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#IntrepidStorytelling #CierraMadill #TrueStory #SurvivorStory #NarcissisticAbuse #CustodyBattle #MentalHealthPodcast #PodcastYouTube #FacebookWatch #StorytellingPodcast

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 Powell welcomes Kendall Patterson, a holistic success mentor and "multi-passionate entrepreneur" who has navigated a life defined by radical shifts and remarkable survival. Kendall opens up about a childhood she describes as "colorful," which included being raised by a single father after being removed from her mother's care due to physical abuse. She shares the harrowing details of a mother she lost twice: first to the cycles of addiction and trauma, and later to a seven-month coma caused by a brutal assault that left her mother physically alive but mentally a stranger.
 
Today, Kendall has transmuted her pain into a mission to help others. By integrating tools like human design, astrology, and radical self-acknowledgment, she mentors women on how to break generational cycles and find their "holistic success." This conversation isn't just a recount of obstacles; it is a profound exploration of the belief that life happens for us, not to us. Kendall reminds us that while we cannot change our beginnings, we are fully capable of rewiring our future and becoming the person our "younger self" always needed.
 
Chapters here:
00:00 Navigating Childhood Trauma
05:45 The Journey of a Multi-Passionate Entrepreneur
12:00 The Impact of Maternal Relationships
18:02 Adolescence and Shifting Family Dynamics
24:14 Breaking Free from Toxic Relationships
30:05 Lessons Learned from Heartbreak and Healing
40:32 Understanding Boundaries and Solitude
46:17 Navigating Relationships and Personal Growth
51:43 The Impact of Trauma and Healing
01:00:41 Lessons Learned and Life Messages
 
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#IntrepidStorytelling #KendallPatterson #TraumaHealing #HumanDesign #SuccessMentor #GenerationalWealth #StorytellingPodcast #PodcastYouTube #FacebookWatch

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 pet-lover match app taking over phones everywhere. This is a raw conversation about loss, ambition, legacy, and why sometimes the biggest ideas come from the hardest seasons.
Terry's success story is one of family, loss, and grit—and leads to real estate wealth, mortgage mastery, and founding the viral pet match app Off Leash’d. We break down entrepreneurship, startup mindset, tech innovation, and how turning personal pain into purpose can build a brand, a business, and a movement pet lovers can’t get enough of.
CONTACT TERRY JAMES: OffLeash'd
 
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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 Storytelling, Deanna Powell sits down with former pastor Ryan Meeks and his wife, Michelle. Ryan shares the raw reality of what happened when his evangelical church, Eastlake Community Church, imploded after he announced they would fully affirm the LGBTQIA+ community. The fallout was immediate and devastating—a wave of backlash, the loss of his livelihood, and the painful unraveling of a faith system that no longer felt like home.
Just as Ryan was beginning to navigate the debris of his deconstruction, life delivered another blow: a lymphoma cancer diagnosis. Facing his own mortality while still healing from spiritual trauma forced Ryan to look past religious doctrine and search for a deeper meaning. Together, Ryan and Michelle discuss the difficult journey of spiritual reconstruction, moving from the rigid certainty of the church to a more inclusive, fragile, and beautiful understanding of what it means to be alive.
This conversation is a powerful exploration of church hurt, LGBTQIA+ affirmation, and the search for hope after a religious "death." Ryan’s journey proves that even when the buildings fall and the old beliefs fade, love can remain the steady foundation for a new life. Whether you are questioning your own faith or facing an unexpected life crisis, this story is a reminder that while certainty may disappear, love is the point.
PURCHASE RYAN'S BOOK HERE: https://amzn.to/40d50FT
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction and Early Doubts About Faith
01:22 - Formative Years: Faith, Youth Group, and Purity Culture
02:22 - The Growing 'Doubt Basket' and Questioning Core Beliefs
03:35 - Building East Lake Community Church: Growth and Radical Inclusion
05:22 - Personal Crisis: Cancer, Burnout, and Final Deconstruction
06:17 - Embracing Embodiment, Nature, and a Life Message of Love
Your support helps us keep telling meaningful stories. Donate here: https://buymeacoffee.com/intrepidstorytelling
🎧 Watch and listen on your favorite podcast app: YouTube | Facebook | PodBean | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeartRadio | Amazon Music
Your story matters. If you’d like to share it with us, email IntrepidStorytelling@gmail.com
#IntrepidStorytelling #RyanMeeks #FaithDeconstruction #LGBTQIAAffirmation #ReligiousTrauma #InclusiveChristianity #CancerSurvivor #PodcastYouTube #FacebookWatch #StorytellingPodcast

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, ghostly encounters, and haunting experiences that turned everyday life into a constant state of unease. If you love real haunted house stories, Pacific Northwest paranormal activity, and true ghost encounters—this episode will stay with you long after the final word.
PURCHASE KEITH'S BOOK HERE: https://amzn.to/4rxmI2O
 
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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 transition and deconstruction from LDS Mormonism. Raised in a devout Mormon household and immersed in the cultural expectations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Shelise spent years following rules, suppressing doubts, and striving to be the “perfect” member.
But beneath the surface, questions were growing—questions about doctrine, identity, purity culture, patriarchy, and the pressure to conform within a high-demand religious system. Shelise shares what it was really like to confront her faith crisis, unlearn fear-based teachings, navigate relationships during deconstruction, and rediscover her authentic self outside the LDS church.
This conversation dives into:
Religious trauma and recovery
Purity culture in Mormonism
Undoing indoctrination and reclaiming identity
Life after leaving high-control religion
Healing, empowerment, and conscious living
If you’re navigating your own faith transition, curious about the realities of Mormon deconstruction, or simply love powerful stories of courage and awakening, this episode is for you.
Follow Cults To Consciousness on YouTube: PLEASE SUBSCRIBE! https://www.youtube.com/@CultstoConsciousness
 
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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 Salvation Army—then did the work to completely transform her life. In this episode, we explore addiction recovery, life after prison, and how she defied the odds to become one of the most successful real estate agents in Seattle. If you believe in second chances, personal growth, and unstoppable resilience, this episode is for you.
 
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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 aneurysm and stroke during surgery stole her ability to speak, write, spell, and function. In this powerful episode of Intrepid Storytelling, Alicia opens up about the month she spent in the hospital relearning the basics of life, from opening her left eye to taking her first steps toward independence again. Through pain, humility, and isolation, she discovered an unshakable resilience and a will to fight she never knew existed.
Join us as Alicia shares her inspirational recovery story—a testament to courage, hope, and the power of perseverance in the face of unimaginable loss.
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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 Mother's True Story Of Betrayal, Abuse, Fentanyl Loss, the Courage to Heal and Take Action. If you haven't listened to those episodes yet, head there first and come here for Part 3, Cash Nimmer-Culberson's True Story.
For years, one man controlled the story.And for years, everyone believed him.
Behind closed doors, he was sexually abusing his children — a father exploiting power, silence, and fear. In public, he was spinning lies, manipulating perception, and rewriting history while his victims were left unheard and unprotected.
Until now.
In this episode, a teenage survivor speaks publicly for the first time about childhood sexual abuse, family betrayal, and the devastating impact of gaslighting when the abuser is believed and the children are not. He shares what it was like growing up in a home where truth was punished, silence was enforced, and manipulation masked itself as authority.
This is not a polished story.It is not easy to hear.And it is not meant to be comfortable.
It is the reality of what happens when abuse goes unchecked — and what it takes to reclaim your voice after years of being erased.
This episode is about:
Childhood sexual, physical & emotional abuse by a parent
The psychological damage of manipulation and gaslighting
The courage it takes to speak when the world already chose a side
Breaking generational cycles of abuse
Telling the truth when it costs you everything
This is not his father’s story anymore.This is the truth — told by the person who lived it.

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 an ex-husband who went on to murder his next victim.
In this inspiring episode, Michelle Troll shares her courageous journey through years of unexplained symptoms, medical confusion, and the emotional fight to finally receive an accurate diagnosis: multiple sclerosis (MS). Michelle opens up about the frustration of not being believed, the fear of not knowing what was happening inside her body, and the life-changing moment everything finally made sense.
But Michelle’s story didn’t end with a diagnosis — it ignited a new purpose.
With fierce determination, she rebuilt her life through nutrition, strength training, and a commitment to pushing her body in healthy, empowering ways. What began as a fight for answers transformed into a passion for weightlifting, eventually leading her to compete in fitness competitions and inspire others living with chronic illness.
Listeners will learn about:
The challenges of seeking a diagnosis for invisible and unexplained symptoms
What it’s like to finally hear “you have multiple sclerosis”
How mindset, nutrition, and strength training became Michelle’s turning point
The journey from patient to MS warrior and competitive fitness athlete
Finding meaning, empowerment, and community after an MS diagnosis
This episode is perfect for those navigating chronic illness, searching for hope, or looking for a powerful reminder that a diagnosis doesn’t define you — but what you do next can change everything.
Email Michelle at fitgirlguide@gmail.com
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