Life Conversations with a Twist

Heather Nelson
  • 4.8 (21)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join me once a week for a new interview with a local, badass woman who has an amazing story to tell. Join me in conversation so you too can gain inspiration and empowerment from these stories! If you love hearing about leadership, relationships, families, motherhood and navigating hard times, then tune into my podcast and share with others. If you love what you hear, share and tag me on Instagram at @heathernelson.life. You can also visit my website at heathernelson.life.

  1. Wrapping Up 2025!

    MAR 5

    Wrapping Up 2025!

    “I really think sitting down and understanding where you want to go, and the things that make you happy and bring you joy, those are the things that you need to put more energy into. The things that are not benefiting you, you have the power to control that, to take that narrative and change it.” —Heather Nelson We reach a point where pushing harder stops working. The weight builds quietly through responsibility, ambition, and expectations until clarity becomes the only way forward. This conversation sits in that moment of reckoning and choice. In this episode, Heather reflects on a year that forced slower decisions, harder boundaries, and more honesty about what fuels our work and our lives. From podcasting and business shifts to mental health and surrogacy, the year reshaped how focus and care show up. Press play for a real-time reflection and step into what comes next, including: End-of-year reflection and clarity in 2025Rebranding the podcast and future visionLetting go of hustle cultureChoosing focus over doing everythingMental health, anxiety, and burnoutNavigating leadership while carrying family responsibilitySurrogacy journey updates and setbacksRedefining success heading into 2026 Connect with Heather:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  YouTube Episode Highlights: 06:32 Announcement! Podcast Rebranding– Why Now and What’s Next 10:55 Vision for the Future – Podcasting, Aspirations, & New Goals 14:08 Personal Growth, Self-Care & Mental Health Insights from 2025 17:40 Surrogacy Journey: Triumphs, Challenges, and Honest Updates 27:05 Professional Projects: Connection Hive, Coaching, and Set & Strike Goals 31:30 Building Community: Retreats, Masterminds, and Empowerment Events 33:52 Manifesting Success: Vision Boards, Intentional Living & 2026 Goals Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com  Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB  Support the show

    36 min
  2. Scalp Health Care That Goes Deeper Than “Good Hair Days” with Anne Marie

    FEB 26

    Scalp Health Care That Goes Deeper Than “Good Hair Days” with Anne Marie

    “Our scalp, hair, all these are meant to protect our most vital organ, which is our brain. The reason you get itchy, you can feel when you get oily, is because it's that sensitive to protect it. So we need to learn not to ignore those signs.” —Anne Marie We know that “successful” careers can quietly drain our bodies and energy. Many of us push through pain, burnout, and misalignment because it looks stable from the outside, while our health and purpose pay the price. This conversation sits at the intersection of career change, service, and the often-ignored world of scalp health and hair loss. Our guest, Anne Marie, is a stylist, head spa specialist, and head of community events at Dolce Vita Salon. Her path runs from nonprofit work and case management through chronic back pain, grief, and a move to Hawaii, to finally owning her gift with hair and healing-centered scalp care. Hit play to explore how aligned work and intentional beauty rituals can support real healing, not just surface-level change. How Annie went from nonprofit case manager to head spa specialistThe role of service, grief, and chronic pain in reshaping her purposeWhat a Japanese head spa actually is and how it supports scalp healthHow hormones, stress, and DHT drive hair loss in womenWhy scalp microbiome health matters more than trendy productsHow Dolce Vita Salon approaches education, community, and giving back Connect with Heather: Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:17 Meet Anne Marie 04:30 Chronic Back Pain, COVID, Burnout & Losing Her Dad – Hitting Rock Bottom 08:07 What’s Your One Gift? 10:05 Finding Purpose Young vs. Midlife: 15:49 Conditioner Mistakes, Scalp Microbiome & Why You Need a Scalp Serum 20:14 Postpartum Hair Loss, Hormones, Stress & How Scalp Treatments Help 26:58 Creating a Sacred, Grounded Space for Scalp Healing & Nervous System Calm 28:56 Intensive Training: Associate Program, Ongoing Education & Mastering Hair 32:01 Why Scalp Care Matters More Than You Think (Ages Faster Than Your Face) Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB Connect with Anne:  Anne Marie is a scalp and hair health specialist at Dolce Vita Salon in Santa Rosa, California, where she combines advanced Japanese-inspired head spa techniques with a deeply client-centered approach. With a degree in psychology and a background in nonprofit work and direct service, she brings a unique blend of technical expertise and emotional intelligence to her practice. After discovering her innate talent and passion for hair at a young age, she pursued advanced training at Dolce Vita. She now specializes in scalp spa treatments that reset the scalp’s microbiome, support healthy hair growth, and provide a restorative, meditative experience for her clients. Instagram Connect with Dolce Vita Salon Website Instagram Facebook Support the show

    36 min
  3. Weight Loss Drug Reality Check: Not the “Easy Way Out” with Aja Beckett

    FEB 19

    Weight Loss Drug Reality Check: Not the “Easy Way Out” with Aja Beckett

    “That's the thing that's maybe getting lost in some of the fear mongering around it is that, it's not the easy way out. It doesn't mean that you don't have to do the work. It means that when you do the work, the work actually makes the difference.” —Aja Beckett Food noise can sit in the back of the mind all day, from planning the next meal at breakfast to carrying quiet shame after every snack. In a culture that moralizes weight and labels bodies as failures, real medical treatment for obesity often gets buried under hot takes about shortcuts and cheating. This conversation brings the lived reality of GLP-1 medication into the light, with honesty about both relief and responsibility. Aja Beckett shares decades of struggling with obesity, endless diets, and that constant mental hum around food, then walks through how starting a GLP-1 weight loss drug shifted cravings, energy, and hope. Her experience led to building Shotsy, a companion app that tracks doses, side effects, and progress for people on GLP-1 medications. Press play to hear how this new class of medications is reshaping daily life, mindset, and digital tools around obesity care, including: What GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy actually do in the bodyThe difference between “food noise” and genuine hungerWhy weight loss drugs are not a lazy shortcut or moral failureHow mental health, cravings, and compulsive behaviors often change on GLP-1sThe cost, access, and safety concerns around weight loss injections and pillsHow a GLP-1 tracking app grew from one person’s spreadsheet into a fast-growing productWhat long-term obesity treatment and maintenance can realistically look like Connect with Heather: Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:11 Meet Aja Beckett: Founder of Shotsy & GLP‑1 Success Story 04:43 Discovering Ozempic & a Difficult Doctor’s Visit 07:35 Beyond Weight Loss: GLP‑1, Mental Health & Addictive Behaviors 10:43 Losing 90 Pounds: From Obesity to Healthy BMI 13:30 Do You Still Have to Eat Healthy & Work Out on GLP‑1? 16:21 When the Food Noise Stops: First Days on GLP‑1 19:37 Super Bowl Snacks, Portion Control & Balanced Indulgence 22:12 Body Dysmorphia in Bigger & Smaller Bodies 26:00 Safety vs Affordability: Regulation, Shortages & DIY Risks 32:09 Introducing Shotsy: The GLP‑1 Companion App Idea 39:50 Why Tools Like Shotsy Matter for Accountability & Tracking 42:21 GLP‑1 Isn’t the “Easy Way Out”: Doing the Work & Seeing Results Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB Connect with Aja:   Aja is an iOS engineer and GLP-1 user turned founder, combining personal experience with top-tier tech expertise. She has worked with major organizations like Apple, CNN, TED, and The Athletic / The New York Times. She previously built Civil, a platform recognized by WIRED, The Guardian, and TechCrunch. Today, she leads Shotsy, using community-driven design and data insights to help people manage their GLP-1 treatment journey.  Website Shotsy App Support the show

    46 min
  4. When Your Gut Knows First: Health, Loss, And Big Decisions with Jenessa Wyatt

    FEB 12

    When Your Gut Knows First: Health, Loss, And Big Decisions with Jenessa Wyatt

    "It gives people from grief to relief. It gives them a little bit of a lightened load when it comes to their emotional state, and they can not move on, but utilize it better." —Jenessa Wyatt This episode explores how grief, fear, and uncertainty can be faced without losing grounding in real life. Psychic medium Jenessa Wyatt shares how her work blends evidence, intuition, and spiritual connection to help people find healing, protection, and clarity. Through stories of health warnings, house clearings, and personal lessons, she offers a practical, no-fluff perspective on how spirituality and everyday life can coexist.  Tune into this episode and explore how grief, intuition, and spiritual protection can sit side by side with everyday life, not outside it. How Jenessa describes being a psychic medium and why comedy is part of her workTurning “grief to relief” through evidence-based mediumshipSpecific stories of medical warnings, early cancer flags, and ICU “downloads”Daily spiritual protection rituals with white light and candlesA dark entity attachment, poltergeist-like activity, and what finally cleared itHow she protects survivors of abuse during readingsWorking with spirits in homes, from gentle presences to unsafe entitiesSage, rituals, and practical house cleansing stepsChildren as sensitives, signs to watch, and when spirit contact becomes a concernPolitical energy, staged-looking events, and how fear is used to controlCorporations, pharma, food systems, and the economics of fearManaging intuitive downloads without losing mental and emotional stabilityJenessa’s vision for a reality show that normalizes spirituality without scriptsA live mini reading for Heather: her friend’s sudden passing, family health, and career shift Connect with Heather: Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:31 Meet Jenessa: From Grief to Relief  09:00 Carrying Heavy Topics: Death, Cancer, & Emotional Boundaries 13:02 How Forgetting a Candle Opened the Door to a Dark Attachment 17:00 Protecting Trauma Survivors  30:48 When to Take It Seriously 37:09 Who Really Runs Things  47:06 Validating Energy and Personality Traits  53:33 For the Family Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB Connect with Jenessa: Jenessa Wyatt is a Santa Rosa–based psychic medium who helps people move from grief to healing through evidence-based, compassionate readings. She offers private and small-group sessions (in person and on Zoom), engaging stage shows that blend mediumship with humor, and monthly online classes that teach others to develop their intuitive abilities—all with a strong emphasis on validation, protection, and emotional safety. Website Instagram Facebook Support the show

    58 min
  5. Healing After Hell: The Real Truth About Starting Over with Jenica Leonard

    FEB 5

    Healing After Hell: The Real Truth About Starting Over with Jenica Leonard

    “As a person who did not have anything to do but to keep moving forward, I did.” —Jenica Leonard Some lives do not fall apart all at once. They crack slowly under cancer scares, caregiving, impossible workloads, quiet drinking, and the pressure to hold everything together. This conversation sits in that place where careers, bodies, and identities stop cooperating, and starting over is no longer optional. We meet Jenica Leonard, a second‑generation attorney, breast cancer survivor, and sober mom who went from “for the people” prosecutor to criminal defense, from mommy wine culture to DUI, from breakdown to a different kind of service. Her story shows how tables turn when health, addiction, and the justice system collide, and how recovery can reshape the way our work and values line up. Press play to explore how our hardest chapters can become a blueprint for starting again, on our own terms, with our whole lives in the room. Growing up with a pioneering female lawyer and choosing public serviceWhat it really means to be a prosecutor versus a criminal defense attorneyMulti‑generational cancer, BRCA, and a breast cancer diagnosis at 37Double mastectomy, complications, and life in long‑term treatmentThe quiet slide from “normal drinking” into addiction and DUIGetting sober in the same community served as a prosecutorMental health collapse, PTSD, and leaving a stable government jobMidlife, menopause, and building a new legal practice around real valuesFinding support in recovery, women’s circles, and local serviceBoundaries, protecting our energy, and not abandoning ourselves again Connect with Heather:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:42 Meet Jenica— A Life-Changing Career Transition  09:41 Jenica's Family Influence and Career Choices 15:13 Encounters with Former Defendants and The Power of Respect 18:53 A Family of Cancer Survivors  24:28 Surgical Complications, Expanders, and Multiple Surgeries 30:25 Tubbs Fire, Evacuation, and Running the PTA While on Chemo 36:21 Surgical Menopause, Meds, and Long-Term Side Effects 41:44 Pain, Mastectomy, Recovery, & Online Support 48:11 The DUI Arrest that Changed Everything  53:39 Getting Sober in the Same Community You Prosecuted 01:02:22 Grace, Self-Compassion, and Doing Your Best in a Hard World Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB Connect with Jenica:  Jenica Leonard is a Sonoma County–based criminal defense attorney with over 15 years of experience, including a career as a former prosecutor in the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. A second-generation attorney, she now advocates for individuals in the criminal justice system, focusing on protecting constitutional rights. She is deeply engaged in community service and women’s empowerment, serving on the Board of Women’s Recovery Services. A breast cancer survivor and woman in long-term sobriety, Jenica brings lived experience into her work, using it to uplift other women and contribute meaningfully to her community. LinkedIn Support the show

    1h 6m
  6. How to Strengthen Trauma Resilience in Real Time with Emma Churchman

    JAN 29

    How to Strengthen Trauma Resilience in Real Time with Emma Churchman

    “You have to, at some point, make a decision about how you're going to show up in the world. I had to make that decision that I am going to be the person that moves towards more life, that moves towards more possibility.” —Emma Churchman Disaster does not arrive politely, and grief does not wait for permission. We are living in a season where trauma is stacking faster than we can process it, & most of us are still expected to keep functioning. This conversation meets that tension head-on, without fixing or softening it. We sit with Emma Churchman, a trauma chaplain and resilience consultant whose life and work were reshaped by Hurricane Helene, compounded loss, and decades of personal trauma. Her lived experience informs how she helps communities, leaders, and organizations navigate crises in real time. Listen with us, then stay with the work. Trauma resilience in the age of constant crisisWhat actually helps in the first days after a disasterCompound grief and how it impacts the nervous systemWhy recovery takes longer than anyone expectsLeadership during natural disasters and uncertaintySupporting others without trying to fix themReal-time trauma tools for everyday life Connect with Heather:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube Episode Highlights: 02:27 The Impact of Hurricane Helene and Personal Loss 05:22 Trauma Chaplaincy and Leadership Consulting 10:02 Trauma Recovery Techniques and Business Support 15:30 “Unshattered”  21:27 Advice for Trauma Survivors and Support for Friends and Family 26:47 Normalizing the Experience Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB  📖Books by Emma **The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene: 40 Days and Nights of Survival and Transformation **Unshattered: Surviving My Mother’s 123 Personalities and Transforming a Legacy of Abuse ✍🏻Sign Up for Free:  Trauma Recovery Program Connect with Emma:  Emma is a speaker, bestselling author, mentor, and spiritual advisor with over 25 years of experience guiding individuals through trauma toward resilience & hope. Drawing from her own experience of childhood adversity, her work spans roles as a Quaker minister, nationally certified trauma chaplain, and creator of a Trauma Recovery Certification Program. Her book, The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene, explores spiritual resilience amid disaster. As a PhD candidate in Conscious Business Ethics, Emma integrates soulful leadership with practical trauma-recovery strategies, inspiring individuals and organizations to navigate life’s challenges with strength and purpose. Website Instagram Facebook YouTube  Support the show

    30 min
  7. Why Women Leaders Are Done Hustling—and What Comes Next with Allie Stark

    JAN 22

    Why Women Leaders Are Done Hustling—and What Comes Next with Allie Stark

    “The ultimate success story is choosing yourself above anything else.” —Allie Stark We are living in a season where working harder is no longer the answer, yet the pressure to keep pushing has not slowed down. Many women are holding careers, leadership roles, businesses, and families while quietly questioning how much longer this pace is possible. This conversation meets that tension head-on and names what so many of us are carrying. Allie Stark shares her path from holistic health and yoga to executive leadership coaching, shaped by chronic illness, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and years of deep inner work. Her approach blends strategy with nervous system regulation, showing how leadership becomes more sustainable when it is rooted in alignment rather than hustle. Listen in, then pause and notice what resonates before rushing to fix anything. Leadership in seasons of transitionWhy non-linear careers are now the normLetting go of hustle culture and overproductionNervous system regulation for women leadersMotherhood, ambition, and identity shiftBuilding sustainable, values-led businessesThe power of community over doing it aloneRedefining success beyond visibility and scale Connect with Heather:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:11 Meet Allie Stark: Health, Life, Motherhood, and Leadership 04:43 Balancing Business and Transition  09:16 Mindfulness in Schools and the Power of Yoga 13:30 The Power of Word-of-Mouth & Authentic Marketing 17:44 Social Media Presence vs. Real-Life Connection 21:18 Daily Routines for Wellbeing: Email Boundaries, Exercise, Sleep 26:56 How Allie Coaches: The Unlearn-Awaken-Align Framework 31:39 Challenges Women Leaders Face in Today’s World 36:41 Empowering Female Entrepreneurs: From Side Hustle to Full-Time 38:53 Success Story: Courage to Pivot & Life Beyond Entrepreneurship Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com  Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB  Connect with Allie:  Founder of Allie Stark Wellness and co-founder of Noria, Allie has over 20 years of experience in the health and wellness industry. Allie co-created a board-certified health coaching program for One Medical and taught a graduate-level class in wellness entrepreneurship at the California Institute of Integral Studies.  She guides wellness entrepreneurs and small business owners in launching and running successful businesses, trains coaches in her unique methodology, and facilitates workshops for some of the world’s biggest brands. Allie has an insatiable appetite to deepen her understanding of herself, others, and the world. Her commitment to her own personal development is ongoing and ever-changing. She holds herself in alignment with her unique core values: community, beauty, adventure, humor, and the endless pursuit of freedom. Website (Allie Stark Wellness) Website (Noria) Support the show

    47 min
  8. Entrepreneurial Trauma: Burnout Recovery for High-Achieving Women with Carmell Clark

    JAN 15

    Entrepreneurial Trauma: Burnout Recovery for High-Achieving Women with Carmell Clark

    “There is nothing wrong with you or any of us. We are absolutely beautiful, whole beings, just as we are, and we do not need to prove anything to anybody. You are everything already inside. You're the whole world.” —Carmell Clark Life can look successful on the outside and still feel heavy, confusing, and isolating on the inside. Many women are carrying full lives while quietly questioning their direction, energy, and sense of self. This conversation names that tension without trying to rush it away. In this episode, Transformational Coach Carmell Clark shares her journey through entrepreneurship, loss, reinvention, and entrepreneurial trauma. Her work with women leaders is shaped by decades of experience helping others reconnect with confidence, clarity, and inner stability when life no longer fits. Listen when clarity feels distant and the pressure to hold it all together feels loud. Why women feel isolated even when surrounded by peopleThe difference between work life balance and balancing life and workHow confidence erodes despite competenceRadical self acceptance as the foundation of real confidenceEntrepreneurial trauma and loss of intrinsic motivationRewriting the stories that keep us stuckNon negotiables as a tool for alignmentWhy nothing is wrong with us Connect with Heather:  Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook  YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:33 From Wellness Center Founder to Global Coach 06:52 Women Leaving Corporate  12:59 Common Challenges Women Face— Isolation, Balance, and Confidence 20:36 Introducing Yourself Beyond Resumes 26:21 The Secret to Finding Balance: Understanding Non-Negotiables 33:10 Permission to Rest— Letting Go of Guilt   38:32 Managing Anxiety  43:22 Pandemic Business Impact— Loss, Reinvention & Grief 49:13 Healing the Entrepreneurial Spirit  53:23 International Retreats— Unlocking Transformation for Women 58:44 The Challenge of Taking Time for Yourself   1:02:26 Encouraging Women to Embrace Growth & Retreats Resources: 💲Discount CLEARSTEM Get a 15% discount when you shop at: clearstem.com  Use Heather’s Code: SFVXPHXB 🔗Link: https://clearstem.com/SFVXPHXB  Connect with Carmell:   Carmell Clark is a master transformational coach and founder of the Center for Transformational Influence, with over 20 years of experience training leaders worldwide. She works with executives, entrepreneurs, and influencers to align vision, resolve conflict, and create meaningful personal and professional change. A serial entrepreneur and author, Carmell leads group programs, international retreats, and private coaching rooted in consciousness, human behavior, and power dynamics—helping clients make bold, sustainable shifts in how they lead and live.  Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook X YouTube Support the show

    1h 5m
See All (199)

4.8
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

Join me once a week for a new interview with a local, badass woman who has an amazing story to tell. Join me in conversation so you too can gain inspiration and empowerment from these stories! If you love hearing about leadership, relationships, families, motherhood and navigating hard times, then tune into my podcast and share with others. If you love what you hear, share and tag me on Instagram at @heathernelson.life. You can also visit my website at heathernelson.life.

Information

  • Creator
    Heather Nelson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    199
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Life Conversations with a Twist
  • Show Website
    Life Conversations with a Twist