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Real Things Living

Real Things Living

Brigitte Cutshall 285 Episodes Aug 22, 2026

Real Things Living is a podcast about resilience and finding meaning in life. Host Brigitte Cutshall draws on her personal experience of surviving cancer twice and a rare brain tumor to explore how to navigate challenges. Each episode offers practical tips and inspiring conversations with guests to help listeners overcome adversity, build resilience, and focus on what truly matters.

Episodes

Rewiring Trauma from the Inside Out / Dr. Judith Swack
Rewiring Trauma from the Inside Out / Dr. Judith Swack Aug 22, 2026 00:47:30 A biochemist accidentally became a pioneer in trauma-clearing therapy—and it all started when she couldn't figure out her own dating life.Dr. Judith Swack was told repeatedly by mentors that she had a "research mind" and belonged in a lab, leading her to earn a PhD in biochemistry and neurochemistry. However, personal struggles in her dating life introduced her to Neurolinguistic Pro
NIL & Mental Health: The Real Cost of Winning / Jay Paterno
NIL & Mental Health: The Real Cost of Winning / Jay Paterno Aug 17, 2026 00:38:32 College sports used to be about the love of the game. Now the money, the betting, and the pressure are rewriting what it means to be a young athlete.Brigitte Cutshall sits down with author, coach, and commentator - Jay Paterno - for an eye-opening conversation on the shifting landscape of college athletics. From the financial pressures of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and rampant sports ga
The Guy With Stage 4 Breast Cancer / Jake Messier
The Guy With Stage 4 Breast Cancer / Jake Messier Aug 12, 2026 00:41:03 Less than 1% of breast cancer diagnoses belong to men—leaving Jake Messier on a mission to demand representation in a system that often forgets they exist.Jake Messier, a former Marine and marketer turned patient advocate living with stage IV male breast cancer, joins Brigitte Cutshall to talk about finding a lump while putting on deodorant, navigating the isolated reality of a traditionally femal
Just Keep Tri-ing: James Logan's Stage 4 Cancer Comeback
Just Keep Tri-ing: James Logan's Stage 4 Cancer Comeback Aug 8, 2026 00:43:55 He was given six months to live. Twenty-five months later, he's training for the Ironman World Championship.James Logan was 59, in the best shape of his life, and training for triathlons when a stage four cancer diagnosis gave him six months to two years to live. In this episode of Real Things Living, James opens up about the six-month mental shift from "worrying about dying to worrying a
Creativity is Survival / Antonio Michael Downing
Creativity is Survival / Antonio Michael Downing Aug 4, 2026 00:35:11 A cemetery at the end of a one-road village in Trinidad, a grandmother who couldn't read without help. This is where author, speaker, and musician Antonio Michael Downing learned that creativity isn't a talent, it's a survival tool.Antonio joins Real Things Living to share how his grandmother in Trinidad taught him to read and sing, not as hobbies, but as ways to cope with a hard life.
Embracing Non-Traditional Paths to Motherhood / Leslie Lopez
Embracing Non-Traditional Paths to Motherhood / Leslie Lopez Jul 30, 2026 00:32:29 Six years of uncertainty, navigating a high-stakes third-party journey, and finding the courage to redefine motherhood on her own terms. In this episode of Real Things Living, Brigitte Cutshall speaks with Leslie Lopez, founder and host of the Mothers in Arms podcast. Leslie opens up about her personal six-year journey navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, and the decision to leave her marriage
A Combat Marine's Faith-Driven Recovery / Keith Cole
A Combat Marine's Faith-Driven Recovery / Keith Cole Jul 27, 2026 00:39:02 Surviving mortar rounds in Vietnam was only half the battle. The deepest healing began when a Marine veteran finally confronted the invisible weight of lifelong trauma.Keith Cole, a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran wounded three times in combat, joins Brigitte to talk about the invisible wounds that outlast the battlefield. Keith shares his journey from enlisting after his father's sudden passing
Unsung Heroes and Final Redemption / Neil Adams
Unsung Heroes and Final Redemption / Neil Adams Jul 23, 2026 00:29:03 He wasn't a doctor, but he talked his way past the barricades on 9/11 anyway — and spent the next 24 hours saving strangers' eyes.Author, Neil Adams, joins Brigitte Cutshall to talk about his book "From the Pile", written to honor his late best friend Michael Dorian — a veterinary technician who posed as medical personnel to help injured firefighters at Ground Zero on 9/11.Neil s
He Almost Lost His Son — Then Found His Purpose / Drew Norton
He Almost Lost His Son — Then Found His Purpose / Drew Norton Jul 18, 2026 00:29:41 A standard check-in call, an ambulance, and a mother's quick instincts changed everything for Drew Norton's family in a matter of minutes. That terrifying crisis became the ultimate wake-up call, completely reshaping how he leads, loves, and shows up for the people who matter most. In this episode of Real Things Living, Brigitte Cutshall speaks with sales leader and founder of the Abundant
Living Beyond a Diagnosis / Nicholas Kelly
Living Beyond a Diagnosis / Nicholas Kelly Jul 12, 2026 00:24:36 Every obstacle is an open door for greatness, and staying in motion is exactly how you step through it.Nicholas Kelly is a registered dietitian, patient advocate, and TEDx speaker who has lived with cystic fibrosis for all of his 39 years. Nick shares how he turned his own health journey into a career helping others navigate chronic illness, why he calls passion his superpower, and the daily syste
Fueling the Human Machine / Axay Shah
Fueling the Human Machine / Axay Shah Jul 8, 2026 00:31:43 He turned 50, watched his energy crash, and instead of reaching for a pill, he threw out cooked food entirely — 16 years later he's run eight marathons and never taken a single medication.Axay Shah, author of "In Nature We Trust," joins Brigitte to explain why he ditched cooked food at 50 and hasn't looked back. His philosophy is simple: if Mother Nature didn't make it, it do
From Seizures to Self-Trust: Hannia Zanana's Journey
From Seizures to Self-Trust: Hannia Zanana's Journey Jul 3, 2026 00:28:16 Before she was a healer, she was numb—trapped under heavy medication for epilepsy and jumping out of airplanes just to feel a spark of life.Hannia Zanana, founder of Be HLTH, opens up about living with epilepsy and the six years she spent over-medicated and disconnected from her own body. She shares the turning point — a face-to-face encounter with a sperm whale — that cracked open her relationshi

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