Beautiful Shifts

Blessed By Three Children with Down Syndrome, Adoption, Twins, Lots of Love and Chaos with KECIA COX

Today we are joined by Kecia who is a mother of seven children including three with Down Syndrome. Kecia shares what it was like to become a special needs parent, how adoption comes into their story, having twins, and much more. Kecia shares what this journey has been like and beautifully explains the shifts and adjustments she has made along the way both in life and in the way she views the transitions she's been through. We discuss the value of inclusion and having special needs individuals as part of our schools and communities, and the joy the bring into the lives they touch.
 
We are so grateful for Kecia's vulnerability and willingness to share her story - we loved every minute of this conversation and learned so much! We are excited and honored to share Kecia's perspectives with you. Thanks again, Kecia, for graciously sharing your Beautiful Shifts with us! 
 
Find Kecia and her personal blog where she shares her family and experiences on Instagram @lovemakesmiracles_. 
 
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We hope you enjoyed this conversation! We'd love if you'd subscribe and follow along. 
 
You can find us on Instagram @beautiful_shifts and on Facebook where you can find more details on the show, guests, book club details, and more.
 
Thank you for listening! 

Finding Love at Any Age, Learning to Love Yourself, and Relationship Tips with KATIE BYRNE

It's our Valentine's Day episode, and it's such a fun one! Today we get to talk with Katie Byrne who is a wife, mother of three young children, and our first guest from the UK, living just outside London. Katie shares about finding love later in life and what led her to becoming a coach helping women, primarily over 35, transform their relationship with themselves and find love. Katie shares about traveling to India for several months in her early 30s to intensively practice yoga, how that eventually led to finding her husband, and about helpful perspectives and tips for relationships at any stage.
 
We really loved getting to know Katie - she is a delightful person with great insights and an interesting story. Thanks so much, Katie, for coming on Beautiful Shifts!
 
Find Katie on Instagram @katiebyrne_ where you can find her videos and tips on love and relationships, and more on what she does in her virtual coaching practice helping women all around the world. 
 
Happy Valentine's Day! 
 
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We hope you enjoyed this conversation! We'd love if you'd subscribe and follow along. 
 
You can also find us on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook where you can find more details on the show, guests, book club details, and more.
 
Thank you for listening! 

Growing Up In and Leaving Polygamy, and Building a New Life Together with SAM & MELISSA

Sam and Melissa have been married nine years, have two young children, and are the creators and hosts of the popular YouTube Channel Growing Up In Polygamy (GUIP). Today Sam shares his experiences growing up FLDS in Southern Utah including being raised in a loving family with four mothers and 36 children. We hear what it was like being in the sect with Warren Jeffs as the prophet including his imprisonment, what led Sam to leaving, and how he and Melissa (who grew up outside polygamy) met and were married. Their story includes a transition out of the mainstream LDS church to where they are today, sharing their story and helping others. We explore topics such as spiritual experiences in and outside of religion, the complexities of belief, and following your moral compass. 
 
Sam and Melissa are well-spoken, thoughtful, and such a great couple. We feel so lucky they took the time to share their fascinating, inspiring story with us. 
 
Find them in the following places:
YouTube: @growingupinpolygamy
Instagram: @growing_up_in_polygamy
Website: growingupinpolygamy.com
Email: growingupinpolygamy@gmail.com
 
If you or someone you love has left polygamy and needs assistance, please reach out to Holding Out HELP at 801-548-3492 or visit their website at www.holdingouthelp.org. 
 
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We hope you enjoyed this conversation! We'd love if you'd subscribe and follow along.
You can also find us on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook here where you can find more details on the show, guests, book club details, and more. 
Thank you for listening! 
 

Taking Back Your Health, Founding a Fitness Gym & Becoming a Business Owner with LAREE SCHUENMAN

LaRee is a wife, mother of five, and founder/owner of StayFitt Training. Today LaRee shares her story of making changes toward a healthy lifestyle which led to pursuing nutrition and fitness education, starting a fitness group in her home, and eventually founding her own business and opening a community fitness gym, all during and soon after Covid hit! LaRee shares what it's like to be a business owner, balancing it all with family, and deciding to follow your passions. She also shares simple, doable tips we can make toward improving health and wellness. 
 
LaRee is our neighbor and friend and we've been so impressed with how she started this business, all she's done with it, and her passion behind what she does. Thanks so much LaRee for taking the time to share your story with us! 
 
Find LaRee on Instagram @laree_shu
Find StayFitt Training @stayfitt_training
 
If you're local in Utah, StayFitt is located in Riverton and is having a three year anniversary celebration coming up February 10th. Check out their page for more details on free seminars, training, and food that will be offered at the event! 
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We hope you enjoyed this conversation! We'd love if you subscribe and follow along. 
 
You can also find Beautiful Shifts on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook where you can find more details on the show, guests, book club details, and more. 
 
Thank you for listening! 

The Commodity of Connection with Molly Bice-Jackson (aka smallyspice)

Molly is a wife, mother, and woman of many talents including singer/dancer/actress, emcee, copywriter, author, founder of the nationally recognized non-profit "A Good Grief," and keynote speaker on the Commodity of Connection. Today Molly shares about the journey she's been on since the loss of her firstborn daughter 15 years ago, thoughts on various life experiences and shifts, and how connection has emerged as a defining value in her life and story. Molly is such a fun, engaging, and inspiring person, and we know you'll love her and this conversation! 
 
Molly and her husband Vic have lived in Park City, Utah, for 19 years where you can find them hiking, biking, and skiing. She is the mother to three wonderful humans.
 
All the fun can be found on Molly's Instagram page @smallyspice.
 
Thanks so much to Molly for taking the time to come on the podcast!
 
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We hope you enjoyed this conversation! We'd love if you subscribe and follow along.
 
You can also find Beautiful Shifts on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook here where you can find more details on the show, upcoming guests, book club reads, etc.
 
Thank you for listening! 
 
 

Hella Transitions (Into College and Adulthood!) with WHITNEY GARN

Thanks to Whitney herself for helping us out with this title! Whitney is a 19-year-old college student, plays soccer for Salt Lake Community College, and is Shantil's daughter! Today Whitney shares several big life shifts she's been through in the past year including adjusting to a challenging first semester of college, deciding to play soccer at the collegiate level leading to a school transfer, and a study abroad to Spain. Whitney shares on getting through difficult transitions, pursuing passions, and the benefits of stepping out of our comfort zones. We had such a fun time chatting with Whitney and love her sense of humor, perspectives, and zest for life. 
 
This is a great conversation to listen to if you're a high school student or college age, and for parents to kids of any age as we hear what it's like for young adults going through these types of transitions. We also get to hear Shantil's perspective as the parent and lessons she's learned along the way.
 
We had Whitney on the podcast previously in Nov 2022 (Episode 9) where she shared about training for and running the New York City Marathon - another fun, great conversation. Make sure to check it out!
 
Find Whitney on Instagram @whitneygarn and her Photography & Videography account @whitneyjaefilmz. She does beautiful work - keep her in mind for your photography/videography needs!
 
Thanks so much Whitney for coming on the podcast!
 
We hope you enjoyed this conversation! We'd love if you'd subscribe and follow along.
You can also find Beautiful Shifts on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook here where you can find more details on the show, upcoming guests, book club details, etc.
Thank you for listening!   

Living Into Your Values for the New Year with Our Friends Tasha and Stephanie

Today is a special episode with our friends Tasha and Stephanie on living into our values. First, we chat about the Beautiful Shifts Bookclub we are starting for 2024 (listen in for more details). Then we are joined by Tasha and Stephanie and, using Brene Brown's exercise/worksheet on identifying values, we each discuss which values stand out to us and how we can refocus on them for the New Year. Tasha and Stephanie are both thoughtful, fun, and wise and we know you'll love them as much as we do! We're excited for you to join in this discussion on values and hope it sparks excitement for you on this topic as it did for us. 
 
We refer to a podcast episode on Brene Brown's podcast Unlocking Us with her sister Barrett which gives a great background/framework for this exercise if you're interested in listening: Brene and Barrett On Living Into Our Values. 
 
Also, here is the link to the exercise/worksheet Living Into Our Values that goes along with the episode to help identify your values. We highly recommend doing this and found it very helpful and fun!
 
Thanks so much for listening! 
 
Find Beautiful Shifts on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook here. 

Words for the New Year & Re-release with Holly Wever: Impermanence, Equanimity & Letting the Light In

Today we share some thoughts on the New Year and fun things we have coming this year for the podcast. We then explain a few meaningful words to consider going into the New Year shared by Holly Wever in our conversation with her last year, which we are resharing today.
 
Holly shares what she learned through the major life transition of losing her sister to an accidental overdose including acceptance and healing, and the concepts of impermanence, equanimity, and thoughts on letting the light into our lives. Holly is a yoga teacher and mother of four. She is thoughtful, wise, and sets a great tone going into the new year. This conversation with Holly has really stuck with us and we know you'll love what she has to share. Thank you so much, Holly, for letting us re-share your amazing thoughts and perspective today! 
 
Find Holly on Instagram @hollywyoga.
 
Thank you for listening!
 
Find and follow Beautiful Shifts on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook here. 

Holiday Episode - Traditions, Giving & Listener Submissions!

This week we asked for listener submissions of holiday traditions and stories of kindness/giving during this time of year to share. We read these and share some of our own, and about guests we've had on the podcast with charities to support. It was fun hearing what people had to share and chatting about holiday things! We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas week and a Happy New Year! 
 
Previous guests we've had on the podcast with charities we mention in today's episode:
NixonStrong Foundation - Non-Profit Kids Cancer, Childhood Cancer and on Instagram @nixonstrong
Non-Profit | The Giving Grinch | United States & on Facebook The Giving Grinch
Christmas for Cancer Families & on Instagram @christmasforcancerfamilies
Home - WARD Foundation (donwardfoundation.org) & on Facebook The Ward Foundation
 
Thank you for listening! 
 
Follow Beautiful Shifts on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook Beautiful Shifts

Lifelong Teacher Dedicates Retirement to Serving Refugees, and Ways to Help Refugee Community with DON WARD

Today we get to talk with the amazing Don Ward, a lifelong teacher who is now 82-years-old and has been serving the refugee community in Utah for over 15 years. Mr. Ward is everyone's favorite teacher! He taught AP U.S. History and Student Government at Jordan and Alta High Schools in Sandy, Utah, for 35 years (and was a teacher of Lindsay's!). He shares some background growing up in Texas, moving to Utah and becoming a teacher, retiring and being diagnosed with cancer, and while in remission 15 years ago becoming involved in helping Utah refugees. His involvement grew with the help of many former students and contacts, and eventually, the Ward Foundation was founded - a non-profit providing welcome, aid, relief and development for Utah's refugee community. Don shares what the Ward Foundation's efforts at Christmas and year-round entail, as well as some personal stories of refugees he has gotten to know and how his work with refugees has impacted his life.
 
We're so grateful Don made the time to come on our podcast and are so impressed with his desire to serve the community and all he has done and continues to do. Thank you so much Mr. Ward for sharing your experiences and for inspiring all of us! 
 
Find the Ward Foundation online at donwardfoundation.org where you can find ways to get involved with helping refugees. 
 
Find the Ward Foundation on Facebook here.
 
If you would like to get in contact with Don, find his personal Facebook page here where he coordinates many of the refugee efforts. 
 
Thank you for listening! 
 
Find & Follow Beautiful Shifts on Instagram @beautifulshifts_podcast and on Facebook here for updates on the show, guests, and more.