Shift Happens: From Pain to Purpose
A weekly podcast hosted by Alexis Andra, a creative director and life coach, exploring the healing power of storytelling. Each episode features entrepreneurs and everyday heroes who share how their struggles became strengths. The show aims to inspire listeners to find their voice, own their journey, and turn pain into purpose. Through personal narratives, it highlights how sharing one's story can change someone else's life.
Episodes
What Happens When You Stop Asking for Permission to Be Seen with Katelyn Rhoades
Katelyn spent much of her life trying to stay quiet, unseen, and out of the way.
At 22 years old, she was selling her clothes to just to afford groceries. Today, she’s built a seven-figure personal brand from the ground up—using social media to create opportunities that changed the trajectory of her life. She’s worked with brands like Meta and Adobe, been featured in Forbes, and built a life she o
Why High-Achieving Women End Up Burnt Out with Laura Higgins
Today’s guest is Laura Higgins—entrepreneur, branding expert, and business owner who built a multi-million dollar company helping women grow their visibility, content, and personal brands online. From the outside, Laura had every marker of success: the business, the ambition, and the image of someone who had figured it all out.
But behind the scenes, the constant pressure to achieve, perform, a
Why Grieving a Relationship Doesn't Mean You Should've Stayed with Natalia Benson
Today’s guest is Natalia Benson—podcast host, and coach helping women step into abundance, financial empowerment, and deeper alignment within themselves. Through her work in astrology, spirituality, Natalia has built a platform centered around self-awareness, healing, and personal transformation.
But behind the wisdom she shares online is also a woman who has had to navigate profound change in h
How to Trust God's Timing When You're Tired of Waiting with Lida Benites
Today’s guest lida was born into physical adversity—before she even had the language to understand it. Surgeries, comparison, and learning how to navigate a body that didn’t move like everyone else shaped her early years in ways most people never see.
And while resilience may be easy to name now… back then, it felt like something else entirely.
As she stepped into adulthood, marriage, and the dr
From $19 to CEO: When Losing Everything Changes Everything with Samantha Harper
At just 16 years old, Samantha Harper was living on her own—no safety net, no roadmap—just figuring out how to survive.
Before she was a speaker… and Before she was a CEO She was a girl trying to understand what love, stability, and her future looked like.
In this episode, we talk about What survival actually felt like… The beliefs she formed about herself… How those stories showed up in her marri
Hidden to Seen: Why We Hide and How We Heal with Margot Miller
My guest today is Margot Miller, and her story is one of those stories.
From a young age, Margot faced things that forced her to wrestle with identity and pain in ways most people never have to. That path eventually led her into addiction at a young age, and later into a devastating neurological condition that left her bedridden for nearly a decade.
For ten years, life as she knew it stopped.
But
How to Know When Resistance Means To Press On Or If It’s a Warning Signal with Beatrice Rosu
Like the clarity fades, the momentum slows, and you’re left wondering—is this resistance because I’m growing… or because something’s off?
Today’s conversation is real-time.
I’m sitting down with my friend Beatrice—
and our paths look really similar.
We both started in creative fields, pivoted into coaching, started podcasts…
and we’re both in seasons of building something with purpose.
But we’re
How The Way You Dress is a Tool to Increase Confidence and Income with Stylist Chellie Carlson
Today’s guest, Chellie Carlson, is an LA-based stylist and creative entrepreneur who has built her brand around one powerful belief: when a woman feels confident and magnetic in how she presents herself, everything in her life begins to shift—including her income.
But Chellie’s path wasn’t conventional.
She started her business at 40 years old with less than $10,000—proving that it’s never too lat
Why High-Achieving Women Still Struggle with Belonging
If you answered yes to any of those questions today’s conversation is for you. On this episode of Shift Happens, I’m sitting down with Maeva — founder of Flying Cat Marketing, and a third culture kid who spent 15 years living abroad, and a woman navigating who she is as her business changes and as she prepares to be a mom.
We talk about what it means to grow up between cultures and how that shape
How Sobriety Gave Her the Life Addiction Could Never with Haelie Queen
Today, Haelie Queen is taking us inside her story. Growing up without her biological father, she met him at 18, only to face abuse.
That trauma led her into addiction—Adderall, alcohol—and it nearly dismantled her life and marriage. But Haelie found a way out.
Now sober, she and her husband have rebuilt everything and are helping others do the same. Let’s dive into the truth of addiction, rock b
From Childhood Trauma to Dating After Divorce with Lauren
From being bullied by the same group of girls from middle school through high school… to surviving third-degree burns as a young child… Lauren knows what it feels like to walk through pain early in life and carry the weight of those experiences.
And like so many women, life didn’t stop throwing curveballs.
In this conversation, we talk about how those early wounds shape confidence, what it really
How to Stop Tying Your Worth to Productivity with Rich Wife co founder Kaylyn Noonan
So many of us have learned to measure our worth by how much we produce, how much we achieve, how much we can hold together. From the outside, it can look like everything is working. But internally… there’s a quiet tension. A lack of peace. A feeling that something is missing.
Today’s conversation is for the woman who’s doing everything “right”—
and still feels unfulfilled.
I’m sitting down with K
What Perfectionism Taught Me About Marketing with Savannah
On today’s episode of Shift Happens I sit down with Savannah — a pastor’s kid, the oldest daughter, and someone who learned early that being “good” often meant being exceptional. Excellence wasn’t just encouraged in her world — it was expected. And over time, that striving didn’t just shape who she was personally… it shaped how she showed up professionally.
That same drive for precision, performan
From Immigrant Pressure to Creative Freedom with Ada
Ada moved to America from China at just seven years old. She entered the second grade without speaking English and grew up in an immigrant household where success meant stability — a secure job, a predictable path, something safe. Creativity wasn’t part of the plan.
She was doing everything right but still felt felt completely disconnected from herself.
So, she took a risk. Bought a camera. And bu
When the Life Online Isn't the Life You're Living with Briana Williams
What happens when your highlight reel doesn’t match your real life? And somewhere along the way… you start to lose who you are?
Today’s guest is Briana Williams—a single mom of two who knows what it feels like to look like you have it all together while your real life is unraveling behind the scenes.
Briana has walked through abuse, broken relationships, and seasons where she lost herself just t
How Success Can Hide Unhealed Trauma with Amber Richards
What happens when the girl who holds everything together on the outside finally realizes she’s falling apart inside?
By nineteen Amber Richards had already sold her first home. By adulthood she had climbed to Vice President of Sales and Marketing in the homebuilding industry. But success has a way of hiding pain ; not healing it. At twenty-three, eight months pregnant, my friend lost her father su
Why the Hardest Parts of Autism Need to Be Talked About with Tiffany Sumner
What do you do when your perfectly healthy two-year-old stops responding as they typically do? Today on Shift Happens, we’re talking about the kind of shift that no mother prepares for. How do you learn how to do life with a child with profound autism? How do you grieve what you thought life would look like — while still fighting for the child right in front of you?Today, you’re going to hear from
Why Survivors Stay Silent — and What It Takes to Finally Speak | Cindy Arevalo
What does abuse actually look like — especially when it doesn’t feel like abuse at first? How does someone so young begin carrying shame that was never theirs to hold? And why do so many survivors spend years in silence?
Today’s conversation is with Cindy Arevalo — and her story asks us to sit with some uncomfortable but necessary questions about power, trust, grooming, and the quiet psychological
How Faith and Manifestation Actually Work Together with Jordan Cheyenne
What does the word manifestation stir up in you? On today’s episode of Shift Happen the way you think might be challenged.
If you are a person of faith , the word manifestation can feel… complicated. For some, it sounds empowering. For others, it sounds like we’re trying to play God. And for many of us, it just raises questions. So today, we’re having an honest conversation about what manifestatio
How to Steward Wealth Without Worshiping It with Mario and Franny Arrizon
How do you build wealth without worshiping it? How do you lead at a high level without losing humility? And how do you stay deeply connected in your marriage while building something that constantly demands more of you?
We don’t talk enough about the tension between faith and success.We celebrate the blessing, but we wrestle quietly with the weight of it.
On this episode of Shift Happens I sit do
How God Sustained A Single Mom Through 570 Days Without Income w/ Deirdre Edwards
On this episode of Shift Happens, we’re stepping into the tension between survival and surrender.
Deirdre Edwards lost both of her parents by the age of 25. She later found herself in a loveless marriage, raising two kids, and ultimately rebuilding her life from a one-bedroom apartment — only to walk into work one morning and be told her position was eliminated.
Ninety days of severance. No savin
You Are Not Your Trauma: How to Break Patterns & Reclaim Your Worth w/ Sumaya Cifor
Season two is starting with a story that’s not polished, pretty, or wrapped in a bow. It’s raw and real and it’s exactly what many of us need to hear. Today I’m sitting down with Sumaya Cifor. She’s a single mom to her daughter Skylar, a real estate agent in so cal, my own bestie and a woman who has carried parts of her story in silence for years… until now.
This conversation is about a little gir
Ep. 35 Why Owning Your Story Changes Everything with Thais Eliasen
If you’ve ever wondered, ‘Does my story even matter?’—this episode is going to remind you that it absolutely does.Today on Shift Happens, I’m joined again by Thais Eliasen. She is someone who deeply understands the power of sharing your story.We’re diving into what happens when you stop hiding behind your pain and start using it as purpose. Because here’s the truth—your story carries healing, not
Ep. 34 Addiction Destroyed My Life — But I Rebuilt It: Katherine Sorensen on the Road to Recovery
Have you ever felt like the very thing you turned to for comfort ended up destroying your life?Have you ever watched addiction steal friendships, family, and years of your life — or the life of someone you love?What does it really take to stop using, to face the pain sober, and to start rebuilding from nothing?Today’s guest knows that journey intimately. Katherine Sorensen once battled alcohol and
Ep. 33 Why Inclusion Starts with What Our Kids Wear — with Benny Bee Founder Elicen Renz
As a parent, have you ever looked at your child and wished the world would see them for who they are — especially if they have a disability or delay? Have you ever felt the ache of wanting them to feel fully included, only to realize the simplest things, like clothing, can make them feel different?Imagine a world where every child is celebrated exactly as they are — where even what they wear gives
Ep. 32 Why Repeating the Same Painful Pattern Isn’t Your Fault—But Breaking It Is Your Responsibility with Raena ONeil.
What happens when life keeps handing you the same painful lesson until you finally decide to stop repeating it? Today’s guest, Raena O’Neil, knows what it means to start over—with nothing but a suitcase and a son to care for. From getting swept into Vegas’ nightlife scene… from becoming a young mom and walking away from multiple toxic relationships… to holding her mother’s hand as she passed, and
Ep. 31 When Life Won’t Let Up: Jeremy Swanson’s Fight Through Grief, Loss, and Starting Again
What do you do when your parent is tragically taken from you? How do you keep going after life keeps hitting you again and again?In this gripping episode, Jeremy Swanson shares the story he’s held onto for nearly a decade—starting with the day his father was suddenly and violently taken from him. What followed was a spiral of unimaginable loss, heartbreak, and rock bottom moments that tested ever
Ep. 30 - When Pain Becomes a Song: Carol Grando’s Soulful Journey into Music
What do you do when the person who shaped your world is suddenly gone?In this vulnerable and soul-stirring episode, Brazilian pop artist Carol Grando opens up about the devastating loss of her mother at just 16 years old—and how that grief became the catalyst for her musical journey. She shares how music became more than just an art form—it became her lifeline.Carol talks about what it means to ca
Ep. 29 - From Prison to Purpose: Turning a 11.5-Year Sentence Into a Life of Impact with Brett Booker
What would you do if one decision changed the course of your entire life? Have you ever felt like your past disqualified you from a better future? Or wondered if it’s really possible to start over after you’ve hit rock bottom? At just 20 years old, Brett Booker was sentenced to 11.5 years in prison. But his story isn’t about staying stuck in a system—it’s about defying the odds, reclaiming identit
Ep. 28 - How to Date Without Settling: The Truth About Standards, Attachment, and Self-Worth with Emily Freeman
Have you’ve ever wondered, “Am I asking for too much in my relationship?” or “Why do I keep attracting the wrong people?”—if so this episode is for you. Today, I’m joined by Emily Freeman, a sought-after dating coach who helps women break free from toxic patterns and start dating from a place of alignment and healing, not fear. In this conversation, Emily shares how her own story led her to this w
Ep. 26 - How Dr. Laleh Mehrrafiee Created Her Own Opportunities: The Untold Story Beyond the Veneers
What happens when you grow up with little but dream of building a lot? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Laleh—cosmetic dentist, business owner, wife, and mother—to unpack how her early experiences of financial instability and her parents’ sacrifices lit a fire to succeed. From finishing dental school before 24 to carving a name for herself in a male-dominated industry, Dr. Laleh shares the be
Ep. 25 - Mirco-Shift Business Q&A
Today Alexis speaks with YOU, while answering your burning questions. From how to start a business to pivoting and more she shares all the insights from how she built her company The Shift Creative. RESOURCESAre you looking for a coach that will help you process, uncover, and potentially USE your story? I'd love to help! Click HERE so i can get to know more about your personal and professional go
Ep. 24 -Why Community Is the Secret to Women Winning in Business—with Autumn Ceniza
Have you ever felt like you building a business all by yourself? Or maybe you have felt like no one really understands why you are going after your dreams as hard as you are...From topping the real estate charts in Southern California to launching Coterie, a premier women’s networking community, Autumn Ceniza is on a mission: help women in business succeed without feeling alone. In this episode, A
Ep. 23 - How Obeying God Leads to True Wealth: A New Vision for Success with Jenna Peterson
How Obeying God Leads to True Wealth: A New Vision for Success with Jenna Peterson What happens when you treat showing up online like it’s your job—and trust God’s call to move, even when it’s uncomfortable? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Jenna Peterson, digital sales educator, multi-millionaire entrepreneur, devoted mom, and woman of faith who retired her husband through scaling her on
Ep. 22 - Why Choosing Discomfort is the Doorway to Growth with Jasmine Star
Have you ever wondered what possibilitiesmight unfold if you dared to choose the uncomfortable path? Or why expanding into new chapters of life and business so often comes with tension and fear? In this powerful episode, I sit down with Jasmine Star—entrepreneur, international speaker & top podcast host —for a raw and inspiring conversation about what it really takes to pivot with purpose. Togethe
Ep. 21 -Divorced But Not Disqualified: Worthy After It Falls Apart w/ Thais Eliasen
Can faith coincide with the decision to divorce?What does life look like as a single mom trying to navigate it all? What if the parts of your story you’re most tempted to hide… are the ones God wants to use the most?On this episode of Shift Happens, I’m joined with Thais Eliasen—founder and CEO of T PR, a powerhouse in the world of public relations, a single mom of four, and a woman whose story ch
Ep. 20 -Gold in the Ashes: How the Bible Redeems Our Pain
In this deeply moving and faith-filled episode, I sit down with my right-hand girl Brooklynn to unpack the power of perspective in our pain. Pain is something we all face—it doesn’t discriminate by age, race, background, or bank account. But while we can’t always control what happens to us, we can control how we respond.Together, we reflect on the story of Job—who, despite unimaginable loss and su
Ep. 19 -Why the Stories We Tell Ourselves Hold Us Back—And How Monica Linda Rewrote Hers
In this raw and powerful episode of Shift Happens, I sit down with Monica Linda—founder of Girl Squad Media, a thriving photography and videography company built on creativity, resilience, and heart. Monica opens up about the traumatic events of her childhood and how those experiences, while painful, shaped her into the woman and business owner she is today.We dive into her healing journey, how un
Ep. 18 - Your Brain is a Filthy Liar: How to Rewire Self-Destruction with Bizzie Gold
Have you ever felt like you were doing all the right things but still hitting the same walls? Do you feel like you keep repeating the same destructive patterns? Today on Shift Happens, I’m joined by Bizzie Gold — entrepreneur, thought leader, and founder of BREAK Method.After years of working with high-performing clients and noticing patterns in human behavior, Bizzie set out on a mission to inves
Ep. 17 -From Shelter to Selling the OC: Kayla Cardona’s Story of Redemption and Faith
What do you do when life feels like it’s stacked against you? How do you rebuild when you’re a single mom with no clear path forward?What happens when the hustle finally collides with radical purpose?In this deeply moving episode, I sit down with Kayla Cardona, of Netflix’s Selling the OC, to talk about her incredible transformation—from a rough childhood and struggling as a young single mom, to w
Ep. 16 - Embracing Cancer: Learning to Live Not Just Survive with Laura Stewart
What do you do when your life changes with a single diagnosis? How do you explain cancer to your children—when you're still processing it yourself? What happens to your creativity, your identity, your faith, when everything is stripped down to survival?In this powerful and deeply personal episode, I sit down with artist and creative force Laura Stewart of Unseen Forces Creative to explore the raw,
Ep. 15 - When Life Feels Like Too Much: A Conversation About Suicide, Mental Health, & Healing with Ashley Dirksen
Have you ever felt like life was too much to carry? Do you or someone you love struggle with suicidal thoughts or self harm? How do you keep going when the weight of grief or depression feels unbearable?In this powerful and raw conversation, I sit down with Ashley Dirksen - someone I have had the honor of pouring into and walking alongside through some stormy seasons. She opens up about her journe
Ep. 14 - Addiction, Earning Love & Breaking Generational Cycles with Rilee Acrey
Have you or a close family member struggled with addiction? Have you seen first hand the effects it has on the people closest to you? Perhaps, it has created in yourself the desire to earn love or be "good enough" so that person will quite their addictive behavior. If you can resonate- this is for you. In this raw and heartfelt episode of Shift Happens, I sit down with my friend Rilee, the powerh
Ep. 13 -When Infertility Alters the Path to Parenthood: Cristina O’Connell on Miscarriages, Grief, & Family Beyond Biology
2x author Cristina O’Connell is immersed in the dance world owning 2 dance studios, and most recently led her dance team in Disneyland parade. But not everything can be as magical as a day at Disney. Despite her many achievements, her personal life has been marked by tragedy. Cristina shares her raw and powerful story of navigating infertility, enduring multiple miscarriages, and grappling with g
Ep. 12- How to Balance Motherhood and Ambition Without Losing Yourself with Lindye Galloway
Do you find it difficult to balance work and family life? Are you passionate about building your dreams AND investing in your marriage, relationships, and faith but doing it all seems... impossible?In this episode of Shift Happens, I sit down with renowned luxury interior designer Lindye Galloway—founder of Lindye Galloway Studio and LeMaé Home to discuss the reality of owning a successful busines
Ep. 11 - Why Not Settling Is One of The Hardest (and Holiest) Things You Can Do with Beatrice Rosu
Are you in a season of waiting? Have you struggled with waiting on God's timing especially when it comes to romantic relationships?In this thought-provoking episode of Shift Happens, I sit down with my dear friend Beatrice to explore her story of faith, culture, and courage. She opens up about the cultural expectations she faced around dating and relationships as a Romanian—and why she chose a dif
Ep. 10 - From Foster Care to Ph.D - How Dr. Danisha Keating Turned Her Pain into Purpose
From surviving a childhood filled with trauma, neglect, and emotional abandonment, to stepping into foster care only to find more instability and heartbreak—Dr. Danisha Keating’s story is one of unrelenting resilience. She was living in a small apartment, raising her siblings, juggling multiple jobs, and barely surviving. But survival wasn't her final destination.In this powerful episode, Danisha
Ep. 9 - How to Live Life to the Fullest in the Midst of Grief and Beyond with Ceative Entrepreneur Jesi Haack
Have you ever walked alongside a loved one battling a terminal illness? Have you faced the unbearable grief of losing someone close to you? Or maybe you’re trying to figure out how to keep moving forward—finding joy, building a business, and truly living—even in the midst of deep sorrow. In this episode, I sit down with Jesi Haack to talk about the raw realities of grief, from navigating the diagn
Ep. 8 - From Hollywood’s Spotlight to Life’s Fires: How Faith Led Michelle McCoy Through Rising Fame, Marriage, and Trials
Can you really be a Christian in Hollywood? What if you thought you married for all the wrong reasons? How does a marriage survive when both people have different goals?I sit down with actress, model, and devoted follower of Jesus, Michelle McCoy, to dive into her incredible story of faith, healing, and perseverance. Michelle opens up about her upbringing, her journey in the entertainment industry
BONUS! These 4 Steps Will Help YOU Boldly Tell Your Story, Find Healing, Be Seen + Inspire Others To Share Their Own
Do you have a story that you know should be shared, but have kept it hidden? Do you struggle with wanting to be known, but parts of your story hold you back from being fully YOU? This mini-shift explores what it means to have the responsibility of using your story and the weight you feel when you stay silent! I go over 4 ways to powerfully own your story so you can be released from strongholds of
Ep. 7- Learn The Value of Waiting for Marriage in Hookup Culture + How to Use Your Struggles to Transform Lives with Dani Bailor
Have you struggled with the way you look - whether it's your weight, your skin, or overall confidence? Do you feel the tension between your faith and instant gratification? Maybe, you are building a business and struggle to show the REAL you... because 'who would care anyway'... If you are looking for encouragement to stay strong in your faith and grow in your confidence, this conversation is for
Ep. 6 - From High School Dropout to Million Dollar Freedom with Becca Luna
Debt. Uncertainty. And Desperate to go from struggling to thriving - I sit down with web designer and entrepreneur Becca Luna, where her story starts being raised on a hippie commune, dropping out of high school, and eventually in debt. Yet, instead of staying stuck in a life she didn't want, she bet on herself, learning web design from scratch and creating Website in a Day - a genius offer that
Ep. 5 Healing, Hustle, and Building an Empire with Jeni Castro founder of Coffee Dose
What if your childhood struggles were also the key to your growth and success? In this episode, I sit down with Jeni Castro—founder of the popular Orange County cafe - Coffee Dose - to talk about the challenges that shaped her -from her parents divorce and strained relationships to healing after loss. If you’ve ever struggled with family dynamics and grief, or you've used humor to cope and build a
Ep. 4 - Happy in the Unfair. From Infertility, Loss, & Alcohol Abuse to Being Vulnerably FREE with Christina Smallwood
Feeling hopeless? Battling infertility? Grieving the death of a loved one? This episode is for you. Maybe you've wondered if you could ever overcome repeated heartache and still make something of yourself. This episode serves as a reminder that you can turn stories of struggle into stories of strength. I sit down with Christina Smallwood - celebrity hairstylist turned top earner for Monat - as sh
Ep.3 Feeling Stuck? Learn How to Rebuild, Reinvent, and RISE with Lori Harder
In this episode of Shift Happens, Lori Harder shares her incredible journey of transformation, resilience, and reinvention. From growing up in a restrictive religious environment to struggling with body image, and then rising to success in multiple industries, Lori has faced and overcome countless challenges. She opens up about rebuilding her life and business, navigating the fears that come with
Ep.2 My Untold Story Pt.2
HIGHLIGHTS8:28 A devastating phone call leaves alexis stunned. She brings us into a loss that made her question everything.12:14 Alexis describes feeling a tension between not fitting into her new Christian circle or fitting in with her old friends.17:27 She explains her counseling background and the start of the shift creative, her creative studio.21:30 Alexis explains the battle between being a
Burned, Broken, & Searching for Love- My Untold Story PT. 1
HIGHLIGHTS1:08 Alexis explains the why behind the podcast. She details how she wanted to turn her pain into purpose2:30 Alexis shares a life altering experience that forever changed her life.7:13 How Alexis coped emotionally after her accident and realizing she was different.10:50 Seeking love and affection from her step mom and the eventual end of the toxic parental relationship.13:39 Breast canc
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