The Survivors Chair

Kim Russell
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

Welcome to the Survivors Chair! A space where we explore trauma and our personal stories and experiences and how they have impacted our career and life. I'm Kim, and adoptee, a former foster youth, hairstylist, salon owner, breast cancer and complex trauma survivor. Pull up a chair and join me in this no sugar-coating, no holding back, honest conversation about healing and success.

  1. Apr 27

    It’s Time to Pivot: The Final Episode of The Survivor’s Chair

    This is the final episode of The Survivor’s Chair Podcast. It’s not about quitting. it’s about choosing joy. After a year of powerful conversations around trauma, healing, survival mode, and personal growth, Kim shares why it’s time to close this chapter. Not because the work isn’t meaningful or important but because something deeper is calling: more laughter, more lightness, and more living. In this episode, Kim reflects on: The impact of sharing trauma and healing storiesListening to your body when something starts to feel heavyThe importance of honoring your own evolutionWhy choosing joy is part of the healing processWhat’s next: a brand new podcast, Somehow Still BestiesYou’ll also meet her best friend of 50 years, Karol (with a K), as they introduce a new direction, one that blends real life, hard conversations, and a whole lot of laughter. This isn’t goodbye, it’s a pivot. Thank you for being part of this journey. 🎧 Follow Kim’s next chapter: Somehow Still Besties Podcast YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/@somehowstillbesties https://www.instagram.com/somehowstillbestiespodcast?igsh=MXc1cGFrbTh4bTU0cA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr https://www.instagram.com/karolgrato?igsh=a3ptOTkxc3FqdWx6 https://linktr.ee/Kimrussellpro

    11 min
  2. Episode 32 - Profit Is Personal: Nina Tulio on Debt, Leadership & Salon Success

    Apr 18

    Episode 32 - Profit Is Personal: Nina Tulio on Debt, Leadership & Salon Success

    In this episode of The Survivor’s Chair, I sit down with Nina Tulio to talk about the side of business most people don’t share. Nina opens up about being over $90,000 in debt, the pressure of keeping her salon alive, and the moment she had to sell her home to save her business.  But what she learned along the way changed everything. We talk about: Money mindset and self-worthLeadership, burnout, and overgivingWhy profit is personalAccountability and growthBuilding a sustainable businessThis episode is for anyone who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or ready to do things differently—in business and in life. Find Nina- https://ninatulio.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ninatulio?igsh=ejRzOWV2djJxZmwz Website - https://www.kimrussellpro.com Facebook professional page - https://www.facebook.com/share/1CJpdMEnYF/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kimrussellpro?igsh=eHYydWpmZHpoaWZn&utm_source=qr TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@kimrussellpro?_t=ZT-8ulWGvHLaot&_r=1 LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimrussellpro/ YouTube link - https://youtube.com/@thesurvivorschair?si=AmadtItWM6ID_3Ok

    40 min
  3. Ep. 31 — The Struggle Bus Is Real: Clarity, Cancer & Finding My Way Back

    Mar 2

    Ep. 31 — The Struggle Bus Is Real: Clarity, Cancer & Finding My Way Back

    If you've ever felt completely lost , not broken, just unclear then this episode is for you. Kim comes back after almost a month away and does what she always does speaks the truth. Recording during a blizzard, sorting through the mess in real time, she unpacks what's really been going on and her struggle with consistency. She talks about something she calls the 75% Syndrome ( when you get close to a breakthrough and pull back), and what life looks like when your mind and body aren't on the same page after cancer. In this episode: the difference between taking a break and avoidance, why the fear of success is more dangerous than the fear of failure, what it takes to put yourself first when you never have, cancer screening updates (Signetera test results are in), and the weed analogy for trauma that might just change how you think about healing. Kim doesn't have it all figured out. She's finding her way back, one honest conversation at a time. The struggle bus is real. IN THIS EPISODE:- Why Kim has been MIA — and replacing 'have to' with 'I choose'- The 75% Syndrome: building momentum, gaining traction, then pulling back- Consistency after cancer when your mind says Ironman and your body says stretch- The difference between a break and avoidance - Putting yourself first for the first time in your life- Cancer screening update: the Signetera test results- Trusting the process when you don't have clarity- The trauma weed analogy roots that keep growing back- Why being 100% healed isn't the goal, growth is- Book update and the story behind The Survivors Chair NOTABLE QUOTE:"Trauma is like a weed you can't get rid of. You dig it up, but you left a little seed there and it just grows back. It pokes its little head up and says: just so you know, I'm still here." Kim Russell CONNECT WITH KIM: Podcast: Spotify & Apple -search The Survivors Chair YouTube:https://youtube.com/@thesurvivorschair?si=AmadtItWM6ID_3Ok⁠ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/share/1CJpdMEnYF/?mibextid=wwXIfr LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimrussellpro/ TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@kimrussellpro?_t=ZT-8ulWGvHLaot&_r=1 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/kimrussellpro?igsh=eHYydWpmZHpoaWZn&utm_source=qr Speaking & Workshops: https://www.kimrussellpro.com/ Email Sign Up - https://kimrussellpro.myflodesk.com/podcast 📚 Book: Coming soon

    35 min
  4. Ep.30 -You Can't Care More Than They Do

    Jan 26

    Ep.30 -You Can't Care More Than They Do

    In this episode of The Survivor’s Chair Podcast, I’m talking directly to the people pleasers, caregivers, helpers, overachievers, and anyone who has a hard time knowing when to say when. Even when we’ve done the work… even when we’re aware… we can still fall back into old patterns of over-helping, over-caring, and sacrificing ourselves for others. I share a very real example of how I slipped back into those patterns and how it showed up not just emotionally, but physically in my body through stress, exhaustion, and disrupted health. We’ll talk about why you can’t want more for someone than they want for themselves, how helping can quietly turn into self-abandonment, and how relational trauma wires us to equate caregiving with safety and belonging. I also break down what it looks like to recognize when helping becomes harmful, how to set boundaries without guilt, and why slipping back into old behaviors doesn’t mean you’ve failed it just means you’re human. This episode is a reminder that healing isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness, self-trust, and learning to choose yourself. #TheSurvivorsChairPodcast #PeoplePleasing #RelationalTrauma #HealingJourney #TraumaInformed #BurnoutRecovery #NervousSystemHealing More about Kim - https://linktr.ee/Kimrussellpro Email Sign up - https://kimrussellpro.myflodesk.com/podcast Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kimrussellpro?igsh=eHYydWpmZHpoaWZn&utm_source=qr

    24 min

  5. Jan 17

    Episode 29 - Color Healing for Trauma & Chronic Pain: Julie Schindler on the Feargiveness Frequency

    In this episode of The Survivor’s Chair, Kim sits down with her friend Julie Schindler — an Intuitive Akashic Reiki Master and creator of the Feargiveness Frequency, a healing-in-color system that helps transform trauma into treasure through energy work, color wisdom, and soul guidance. Julie shares her powerful story of living with a life-altering spinal injury, navigating years of chronic pain, and the moment everything shifted when “pops of color” began guiding her back to life, one small step at a time. We talk about coloring pain, self-forgiveness, nervous system healing, sobriety, and why practices like barefoot grounding (earthing)can be a game-changer for chronic pain and inflammation. Julie also shares the heart behind SPEAKUp in COLOR, her mission to build a School of Color for orphaned children in Zambia, helping kids learn emotional expression and healing through color art and creativity. This one is raw, hopeful, spiritual, and the kind of conversation that reminds you that healing is possible, and sometimes it starts with one color. Topics: chronic pain, spinal injury, trauma healing, Reiki, Akashic field, grounding/earthing, somatics, self-forgiveness, nervous system regulation, healing through color, sacred service More about Julie - 📩Email: julie.schindler@80nsunny.com
🌐Website: www.80nsunny.com 🔗Linktree: https://linktr.ee/julie.schindler🌈YouTube: @FeargivenessFrequency UCVKb6jgugdnn6y7Pt1PHKMw
 💞Charity: SPEAKUp in COLOR🌈GOFUNDME https://gofund.me/ab29a757 More about Kim - Website - https://www.kimrussellpro.com Linktree- https://linktr.ee/Kimrussellpro Email Sign up - https://kimrussellpro.myflodesk.com/podcast Facebook professional page - https://www.facebook.com/share/1CJpdMEnYF/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kimrussellpro?igsh=eHYydWpmZHpoaWZn&utm_source=qr TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@kimrussellpro?_t=ZT-8ulWGvHLaot&_r=1 YouTube link - https://youtube.com/@thesurvivorschair?si=AmadtItWM6ID_3Ok Books mentioned in the podcast ( paid link) - https://amzn.to/42i0yap

    1h 6m

  6. 12/29/2025

    Episode 28- No Highlight Reel, No Pressure - Just Real Life

    In this episode of The Survivor’s Chair, Kim Russell explores end-of-year pressure, social media comparison, and what it really means to live outside the highlight reel. This conversation touches on survival mode, burnout recovery, and trauma-informed healing, especially for women navigating major life transitions. This episode is a reminder that surviving, resting, and listening to your body count as progress. If you’re feeling behind, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself, this conversation offers permission to release pressure and enter the new year gently. You don’t need to have it all figured out, you’re allowed to be exactly where you are. Kim Russell is a trauma-informed mentor, educator, and host with over 40 years in the beauty industry and decades of leadership experience. As a breast cancer survivor, former foster youth, and salon owner of 30 years, Kim brings lived experience, honesty, and compassion to conversations about healing, boundaries, and redefining success. Connect with Kim Website: https://www.kimrussellpro.com/ Iinktree - https://linktr.ee/Kimrussellpro

    23 min

  7. 12/15/2025

    Episode 27 - When Survival Becomes Healing: A Story of Hope, Motherhood & Self-Worth - With Sandra Aussem

    In this episode of The Survivor’s Chair Podcast, Kim Russell sits down with personal stylist and closet editor Sandra Aussem, founder of Aussemista Style, for a raw and honest conversation about trauma, healing, forgiveness, and self-worth. Sandra shares her powerful life story from adoption, childhood abuse, foster care, addiction, and loss, to sobriety, motherhood, grief, and ultimately becoming the guardian and mother figure her stepdaughter needed. Through profound moments of reckoning, including the loss of her husband and complex relationships with both her adoptive and biological parents, Sandra reveals how gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion became the foundation of her healing. This episode explores what it truly means to feel worthy. Sandra shares how her work helping women simplify their closets and personal style is deeply connected to helping them reclaim confidence, ease, and self-trust during times of transition. This conversation is for anyone who has lived in survival mode, struggled with feeling “too much” or “not enough,” or is learning how to love themselves and their story fully. Forgiveness is not about excusing harm — it’s about freeing yourself from it Childhood trauma often lives in the body long before it can be named Addiction and self-destructive behaviors are often attempts to soothe deep pain Healing happens in layers — there is no single “lightbulb moment” Parenting can be a powerful path to healing our own abandonment wounds Grief and loss can coexist with joy, purpose, and meaning Identity can be reclaimed at any stage of life Feeling worthy is an inside job — but support and reflection help Style and self-expression can be tools for grounding and confidence Loving your inner child is essential to long-term healing Kim Russell is a hairstylist, writer, speaker, host of The Survivors Chair Podcast and a trauma-informed mentor with over 40 years in the beauty industry and three decades as a successful salon owner.   As a breast cancer survivor, former foster youth and an adoptee, Kim has faced and overcome profound challenges. These lived experiences have shaped her work as a leader, mentor, and educator, offering a powerful lens into how trauma can impact our personal lives, relationships and careers. Kim is certified in Traumatic Research Studies through the Trauma Foundation in Boston and actively participates in training programs, panels and mentorship for youth in foster care. Her work emphasizes the importance of healing, self-trust, and rewriting the behaviors and subconscious beliefs around our story that keep us from achieving happiness and success. Get in touch with Sandra - https://www.aussemistastyle.com/ https://www.instagram.com/aussemista?igsh=ZnJpcnFnN3lqeGZi Get in touch with Kim - Website - https://www.kimrussellpro.com Email sign up link - https://kimrussellpro.myflodesk.com/podcast Facebook professional page - https://www.facebook.com/share/1CJpdMEnYF/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kimrussellpro?igsh=eHYydWpmZHpoaWZn&utm_source=qr TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@kimrussellpro?_t=ZT-8ulWGvHLaot&_r=1 TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@kimrussellpro?_t=ZT-8ulWGvHLaot&_r=1 LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimrussellpro/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@thesurvivorschair?si=AmadtItWM6ID_3Ok

    1h 20m

  8. 12/02/2025

    Episode 26 - You Didn't Fail - You Outgrew Survival Mode

    In this episode of The Survivor’s Chair, Kimgets honest about a phase no one really prepares us for; what happens when you start to outgrow survival mode. After decades of running on adrenaline, owning a salon, caring for everyone else, drinking to take the edge off, and wearing exhaustion like a badge of honor she’s now sitting in a veryunfamiliar place, rest, quiet, and not wanting to live the way she did before. Kim talks about the confusing in-between,the unmotivated, “lazy,” or stuck feeling when you’re actually just done with a life thatran on overgiving, people-pleasing, and trying to be everyone's savior. She shares how cancerforced her to stop, why she chose to quit drinking, how her relationships andpriorities have shifted, and what it really looks like to start getting to knowyourself for the first time without the busyness, the wine, and the constantcaretaking. This episode is for every woman who thinks she “should” be doing more, or doesn't know how to get off the hamster wheel and start over. outgrowing survival mode,life after survival mode, women in midlife feeling stuck,healing from overachievement and burnout,recovering people pleaser, quitting alcohol for breast cancer survivors,choosing sobriety after cancer,trauma, survival, women’s health,learning to rest after burnout, how to set boundaries without guilt,women over 45 starting over,life after closing a business,emotional healing after breast cancer, somatic healing and trapped trauma,getting to know yourself in midlife Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Survival Mode 02:51 Outgrowing Survival Mode 05:46 The Challenge of Slowing Down 08:41 The Importance of Connection 11:42 Letting Go of the Savior Mentality 14:42 Navigating Boundaries 17:33 Prioritizing Self-Care 20:29 The Impact of Alcohol on Life 23:31 Shifting Perspectives on Life 26:06 Learning to Know Yourself 29:20 The Journey of Self-Discovery 32:03 Embracing Imperfection 35:02 Conclusion and Reflection Website - https://www.kimrussellpro.com Email sign up link - https://kimrussellpro.myflodesk.com/podcast Facebook professional page - https://www.facebook.com/share/1CJpdMEnYF/?mibextid=wwXIfr Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kimrussellpro?igsh=eHYydWpmZHpoaWZn&utm_source=qr TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@kimrussellpro?_t=ZT-8ulWGvHLaot&_r=1 LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimrussellpro/ Books that changed my life ( Paid Link) - https://amzn.to/42i0yap outgrowing survival mode life after survival mode women in midlife feeling stuck healing from overachievement and burnout recovering people pleaser quitting alcohol for breast cancer survivors choosing sobriety after cancer trauma, survival, and women’s health learning to rest after burnout how to set boundaries without guilt       women over 45starting over life after closing a business emotional healing after breast cancer somatic healing and trapped trauma getting to know yourself in midlife

    36 min
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About

Welcome to the Survivors Chair! A space where we explore trauma and our personal stories and experiences and how they have impacted our career and life. I'm Kim, and adoptee, a former foster youth, hairstylist, salon owner, breast cancer and complex trauma survivor. Pull up a chair and join me in this no sugar-coating, no holding back, honest conversation about healing and success.

Information

  • Creator
    Kim Russell
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kim Russell
  • Show Website
    The Survivors Chair