Real Talk with Tina and Ann

Ann Kagarise
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Tina and Ann met as journalists covering a capital murder trial, 15 years ago. Tina has been a tv and radio personality and has three children. Ann has a master's in counseling and has worked in the jail system, was a director of a battered woman's shelter/rape crisis center, worked as an assistant director at a school for children with autism, worked with abused kids and is currently raising her three children who have autism. She also is autistic and was told would not graduate high school, but as you can see, she has accomplished so much more. The duo share their stories of overcoming and interview people who are making it, despite what has happened. This is more than just two moms sharing their lives. This is two women who have overcome some of life's hardest obstacles. Join us every Wednesday as we go through life's journey together. There is purpose in the pain and hope in the journey. 

  1. What If We Stopped Making Children adapt to a One-Size-Fits-All School and Started Building the System Around Them?

    1d ago

    What If We Stopped Making Children adapt to a One-Size-Fits-All School and Started Building the System Around Them?

    Send us Fan Mail  Erin Simpson on Trauma-Informed Education, Mental Health, Autism, ADHD, and Helping Every Child Thrive  A child melts down in class and the adult response is almost automatic: calm down, make a better choice, try harder. We want better outcomes, but those words often land on a nervous system that’s already in fight, flight, or freeze. Today we’re joined by Erin Simpson, principal of Grizzly Academy in the Wadsworth City School District in Ohio, to talk about what changes when a school stops forcing kids to fit the system and starts building the system around the child. Erin shares the real story behind Grizzly Academy, a relationship-based, trauma-informed public school program created for students who struggle in traditional settings. We dig into what the day actually looks like: a calmer start with dedicated transportation, fewer transitions, consistent routines, multi-age groupings, small class sizes, and intentional staffing that keeps learning going even when a student needs support. We also talk academics, including flexible skill-based grouping and Orton-Gillingham literacy instruction, plus what it takes to help older students stay on track for graduation. The conversation goes deeper into student mental health and the gaps families face when they need resources fast. Erin breaks down co-regulation and the Three Rs framework: regulate, relate, reason, along with why behavior is communication and how tools like functional behavior assessment can replace guesswork with clarity. We also name the human side of the work, including staff burnout, triggers, and the power of a team that checks in and taps out when needed. If you care about supporting kids with anxiety, trauma, autism, ADHD, and big emotions, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a parent or educator, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway. Support the show

    1h 1m
  2. The Longer You Hold onto Things, the Heavier They Get: What can you put down?

    3d ago

    The Longer You Hold onto Things, the Heavier They Get: What can you put down?

    Send us Fan Mail A single quote sparks a hard truth: the longer we hold on to pain, the heavier it becomes. We talk through emotional weight, how survival and masking become habits, and why healing starts when we decide some things no longer belong on our shoulders.  • the quote that frames the whole message: holding on makes things heavier  • emotional weight we carry: shame, fear, resentment, disappointment, pressure to perform  • how trauma and grief become “normal” when we adapt for years  • what writing Loving Differently reveals about carrying responsibilities, secrets, and shame  • living with diagnoses like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, fetal alcohol and the cost of masking  • choosing to stop adapting to survive and start living  • lessons from my children: needs are not weakness, vulnerability can be safe, love can look different  • perfectionism as an extra burden that blocks real connection  • why we cling to anger, guilt, and shame and what we fear letting go means  • letting go without erasing the past and carrying pain in a healthier way  If today's episode spoke to you, I hope that you'll share it with someone who may be caring more than they realize.  Support the show

    10 min
  3. The Things We Carry After We Leave: Part 2 with Anna Hebra Flaster

    Jun 24

    The Things We Carry After We Leave: Part 2 with Anna Hebra Flaster

    Send us Fan Mail A family gets 48 hours to leave Cuba and suddenly everything becomes a decision made under fear. We sit down with author and journalist Anna Hebra Flaster for Part 2 of her story, and what unfolds is equal parts heartbreaking and darkly funny, from translating “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to realizing how quickly a new country can turn “difference” into a test you have to pass. We talk about the powerhouse women who carried the family forward, including the unforgettable moment Anna’s aunt smuggles her educational credentials out of Cuba so she can rebuild a career in the United States. We also dig into the loud, loving chaos of a home where politics divide people and still don’t break the bond. Along the way, Anna gives us a real portrait of her father, a tough, hardworking man shaped by scarcity, racism, and an honor code that doesn’t always translate to American life, yet still full of tenderness and devotion. The conversation doesn’t stop at survival. We go into identity and shame, the sting of being reminded you’re “not from here,” and what it takes to reclaim pride in your language and culture. Anna also opens up about motherhood, postpartum depression, and the moment a psychiatrist names what she couldn’t: losing your home, world, and voice overnight is trauma, and it can echo decades later. We close by looking at Cuba today, ongoing repression, and why migration stories deserve more humanity than politics. If this moved you, subscribe, share it with someone who cares about immigration and freedom, and leave a review so more listeners find these stories. What part of Anna’s journey hit you the hardest? Support the show

    1h 5m
  4. Beside Every Struggle is a Gift: The Art of Neurodivergence

    Jun 18

    Beside Every Struggle is a Gift: The Art of Neurodivergence

    Send us Fan Mail What if the very things we've been taught to hide are actually our greatest strengths? For so long, neurodivergence has been viewed through the lens of deficits, delays, and difficulties. But what if we looked at it differently? What if, beside every struggle, there was also a gift? In this solo episode, Ann explores the beauty, complexity, and strengths that often accompany neurodivergence. From autism and ADHD to FASD and learning differences, this conversation challenges the idea that being different means being less than. Drawing from her own experiences as a neurodivergent woman, adoptee, and mother of neurodivergent children, Ann shares how she learned that our differences are not something to overcome but something to understand. This episode is about seeing beyond labels and behaviors and recognizing the incredible gifts that often live right beside the struggles. It's about shifting from asking, "What's wrong?" to asking, "What strengths are we overlooking?" Because neurodivergence is not a flaw to fix. It is a different way of experiencing the world. And sometimes, the very thing that makes life harder is also the thing that makes life more beautiful. 🎙️ Join us as we celebrate the art of neurodivergence and discover why our differences may be our greatest gifts. Support the show

    16 min
  5. The Sound of Freedom: A Family's Escape

    Jun 17

    The Sound of Freedom: A Family's Escape

    Send us Fan Mail A single sound can carry a whole country inside it. When author Anna Hebra Flaster talks about hearing a motorcycle, she’s not being poetic, she’s describing a trauma stamp from childhood, the moment her family learned they had permission to leave Cuba and only hours to surrender their life and disappear. Ann sits down with Anna to unpack what exile really costs and what it demands from a family that refuses to fall apart. We go back to post-revolutionary Cuba, when hope in a restored democracy collapses into censorship, informants, and fear. Anna explains how the right to leave was controlled by the government, how applying to depart could turn you into a public enemy, and why refugees often carry a different kind of lifelong vigilance than immigrants who move for opportunity. We also dig into language that gets weaponized today, immigrant vs refugee vs migrant, and why accurate words change how we understand human journeys. Then the story comes forward into the United States, where freedom is visible in everyday life, protests, criticism of leaders, and choices that are not policed by ideology. But safety doesn’t erase what happened: Anna shares the childhood triggers, the terror of uniforms, the house-fire fear that fed insomnia, and the years it took to name PTSD without losing pride. We close with sharp cultural insight, family resilience, and a jaw-dropping detail about how one woman protected her education when even documents were treated like contraband. Subscribe for Part Two, share this with someone who cares about freedom and refugee stories, and leave a review if the conversation moved you. What’s one word you use to define freedom, and why? Support the show

    59 min
  6. One of the Greatest Tragedies in Life Is Not Failure. It's Quitting Before We Get to the Other Side.

    Jun 10

    One of the Greatest Tragedies in Life Is Not Failure. It's Quitting Before We Get to the Other Side.

    Send us Fan Mail What if the hard isn't a sign to quit? What if the resistance, the setbacks, the waiting, and the closed doors are actually preparing you for the very thing you've been praying for? After reading Adassa's memoir, Love Keeps Showing Up, and hearing her incredible story of perseverance, Ann couldn't stop thinking about one powerful truth: Don't let the hard stop what God started in you. In this solo episode, Ann shares how important it is to not quit before the dream is reached. This short episode is inspired by Adassa's journey to becoming the voice of Dolores in Disney's Encanto, a dream she pursued for more than 20 years. Together, we'll explore why waiting seasons often shape us more than success, why growth rarely feels comfortable, and why one of the greatest tragedies in life isn't failure. It's quitting before we get to the other side. Ann also opens up about her own journey of writing a memoir through chaos, parenting children with autism and FASD, navigating adoption, advocating through systems that said "no," and learning that just because you don't know what to do doesn't mean you can't do it. If you're feeling discouraged, exhausted, stuck, or wondering if your dream is still worth pursuing, this episode is for you. Your breakthrough may be closer than you think. 🎙️ Listen now and take the next step.  Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the part that hit you hardest. Support the show

    25 min
  7. Adassa the Voice of Encanto: What if the Detour is the Path

    Jun 3

    Adassa the Voice of Encanto: What if the Detour is the Path

    Send us Fan Mail Disney magic rarely shows you the part where the dream takes an unplanned detour. Our guest, Adassa, the Golden Globe, Oscar, and Grammy-winning artist who voiced Dolores in Disney’s Encanto, tells the full behind-the-scenes story: the 20-plus years of sacrifice, the moves and setbacks, and the mindset that kept her working like the promise was still real even when life said otherwise.   We talk about what it felt like to watch The Little Mermaid and suddenly see a future, how generational dreams shaped her own drive, and why representation matters when kids are trying to name their gifts. Then the Encanto moment hits with a twist: a YouTube video with roughly 300 views sparks Disney’s interest, her audition lands in spam, and one bold phone call keeps the opportunity alive. If you’ve ever wondered how casting, timing, and preparation really collide, you’ll love this part.   The heart of the conversation is far deeper than fame. Adassa opens up about battling paralysis during COVID, confronting the terrifying loss of her voice and mobility, and relearning a core truth: our value is not our output. We also get into faith and grace, protecting your principles when the industry offers money and visibility, “stepping into purpose” when the future feels like a blind box, and why being willing matters more than being perfect.   Love Keeps Showing Up and her album, Drink It Up are a must. Listen to her music while reading her memoir and be inspired.  Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s in a hard season, and leave a review to help more people find the show. What detour are you trying to make sense of right now? Support the show

    1h 9m
  8. When Systems Fail

    May 27

    When Systems Fail

    Send us Fan Mail A Mother’s Day drive turns into a hit-and-run with a drunk driver, and we walk through the shock of trying to keep our kids calm while the help we expect never arrives. We connect that crash to a separate crisis where mental health funding collapses without warning, and we ask what families are supposed to do when broken systems hold the power. • a rear-end collision that flips a normal day into survival mode • the trauma of being dismissed by 911 and left waiting with injured kids • documenting evidence and pushing a police department to take action • the emotional whiplash of gratitude alongside anger and heartbreak • a mental health safety issue triggered by sudden funding cuts • special needs services and why families keep getting denied support • insurance fights, medication delays, and the cost of healthcare barriers • accountability, advocacy, and staying functional when you are depleted • kindness from strangers and why compassion changes outcomes Feel free to send us your stories Support the show

    58 min
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5
out of 5
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About

Tina and Ann met as journalists covering a capital murder trial, 15 years ago. Tina has been a tv and radio personality and has three children. Ann has a master's in counseling and has worked in the jail system, was a director of a battered woman's shelter/rape crisis center, worked as an assistant director at a school for children with autism, worked with abused kids and is currently raising her three children who have autism. She also is autistic and was told would not graduate high school, but as you can see, she has accomplished so much more. The duo share their stories of overcoming and interview people who are making it, despite what has happened. This is more than just two moms sharing their lives. This is two women who have overcome some of life's hardest obstacles. Join us every Wednesday as we go through life's journey together. There is purpose in the pain and hope in the journey. 

Information

  • Creator
    Ann Kagarise
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    189
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Real Talk with Tina and Ann
  • Show Website
    Real Talk with Tina and Ann