Hidden Chapters: Real Stories that Bring Light to the Hidden Parts of Life

Genevieve Kruger- Host of Hidden Chapters Podcast
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Behind every put-together exterior is a chapter most people never see. Not the version that made it onto a stage. Not the keynote-ready lesson, the LinkedIn post, or the corporate soundbite about resilience. Those stories have a place, but that's not where Hidden Chapters lives. Hidden Chapters goes back further. To the part that happened before the story got a title. The grief that didn't come with a lesson yet. The identity crisis in the middle of the night. The fear, the silence, the in-between, the raw, unresolved, deeply human moments that existed before anyone knew how the story would end. This is a storytelling podcast hosted by Genevieve Kruger, now in its third season. Each episode invites guests everyday people and public voices alike to share the chapter they've rarely, if ever, told out loud. Not because overcoming isn't real, but because what happened before the overcoming is the part most of us are still living in, and it deserves its own space. This is a show about all of it, the messy, complicated, tender, and terrifying parts of being human that rarely get airtime because they don't fit neatly into the story we present to the world. Hidden Chapters. The story before the story you know.

  1. 9H AGO

    Breast Cancer Couldn’t Stop Her: Rebuilding at 50 and Thriving at 60

    Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! 🎙️ Episode Summary At 42, Zulma walked into a classroom with determination and a clear sense of who she was. At 46, just two months after graduation, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At 50, she chose to pursue her master’s degree and begin again. At 60, she chose her mind, body, and soul and moved to Panama to build a life aligned with freedom. But between those milestones lies a hidden chapter. In this episode, Zulma shares what it was like to face a breast cancer diagnosis in midlife while remaining grounded in her strength. She takes us into the quiet reality of treatment, the hard days when strength did not feel strong, and the decision to return to Argentina to focus on healing before rebuilding her life. We talk about what it means to start over after breast cancer, to listen to your body instead of pushing through, and to believe in another dream when most people would have slowed down. This is a story about rebuilding your life in midlife. Not because you lost who you were. But because you chose to grow again. What We Talk About in This Episode:  • The emotional weight of a breast cancer diagnosis at 46  • The day strength did not feel strong  • Letting go of plans to prioritize healing  • Listening to your body after survival mode  • Becoming a therapist shaped by lived experience  • Grief and freedom in a move to Panama  • Honoring your internal hero in ordinary life The Hidden Chapter Moment Zulma’s hidden chapter was not just the breast cancer diagnosis. It was the season where she had to stop. Where achievement paused. Where plans unraveled. Where her body asked for attention instead of ambition. That moment could have defined her by loss. Instead, it became the turning point where she rebuilt her life in midlife. Rather than rushing back into productivity, she chose healing. Rather than seeing herself as a victim of what she survived, she began to see herself as someone becoming again. Resources and Mentions: 🦋 Dragonfly Therapy Services www.dragonflytherapyservices.net 🎙️  Host of Keeping It Real with Zulma The Swearing Therapist Podcast 📩 Email: dragonflytslv@gmail.com 🔗 🎙️🎧 Zulma and I met from Podmatch.com https://www.joinpodmatch.com/genevievekruger Support the show ❤️I would love to hear from you! 💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters ☕️ Want to support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/hiddenchapters Let's stay connected: 🔗 📷 Instagram: @hiddenchapterspodcast 📘 Facebook: Hidden Chapters Got a story to share or want to be a guest? 💌 Email me: chapters@hiddenchapterspodcast.com 🎙️ Be a guest? Apply here Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

    52 min

  2. FEB 20 · BONUS

    How I Started My Podcast | My Equipment, Platforms, and the Ripple Effect of Storytelling

    Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! 🎙️  Episode Summary: This week’s bonus episode is a behind-the-scenes look at how I started Hidden Chapters. From the equipment I use to the platforms that keep everything running, I walk you through my real setup and what works for me. But this episode is not just about microphones and software. It’s about connection. I share how honest conversations have created unexpected reconnections with former students, old friends, and new guests. I talk about the ripple effect of storytelling and how one shared story can quietly inspire someone else to speak up. If you’re curious about starting a podcast or you simply want a behind the mic look at how stories create connection, this episode is for you. 💡 In this episode you’ll hear about: My podcast setup from recording to hostingPlatforms I rely on like Buzzsprout, Riverside, and PodMatchThe equipment I personally use including my MacBook Air, Samson Q2U, Focusrite 2i2, and Sony headphonesWhy podcasting is more than just a micThe unexpected ripple effect of sharing your storyThis podcast is not just me talking. It’s a conversation. If this episode sparked something in you, I would love to hear from you. Your story might be the ripple someone else needs.  🔗 Links & Tools I Use (Affiliate Links Where Applicable): Buzzsprout –  https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=2406015Riverside –  https://riverside.com/PodMatch – https://www.joinpodmatch.com/genevievekrugerSamson Q2U Microphone – (on Amazon) https://a.co/d/0iXj6kwvFocusrite 2i2 Audio Interface – (on Amazon) https://a.co/d/09ssoNA2Sony Headphones – (on Amazon) https://a.co/d/0ipiyQqvThese are tools I personally use and recommend. If you use these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Support the show ❤️I would love to hear from you! 💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters ☕️ Want to support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/hiddenchapters Let's stay connected: 🔗 📷 Instagram: @hiddenchapterspodcast 📘 Facebook: Hidden Chapters Got a story to share or want to be a guest? 💌 Email me: chapters@hiddenchapterspodcast.com 🎙️ Be a guest? Apply here Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

    7 min

  3. FEB 13

    Kindergarten Behind the Screen. What Children Lost and Learned During COVID with Teacher Karin Tramm

    Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! Episode Summary: When schools shut down during COVID, learning didn’t just move online. Childhood did too. In this episode of Hidden Chapters, I sits down with Karin Tramm, a retired Department of Defense Education Activity kindergarten teacher and author of 100 Days Smart. Karin shares what it was really like inside a kindergarten classroom when the pandemic hit an American military school in Italy. From teaching five year olds through screens to preserving routine, connection, and emotional safety, Karin offers a rare and honest perspective from the front lines of early childhood education during a global crisis. This conversation explores how children adapted, how parents became co-teachers overnight, and how teachers carried far more than lesson plans. They carried fear, resilience, and the responsibility of helping children feel safe in a world that no longer made sense. What We Talked About in This Episode • What kindergarten classrooms looked like before COVID and why physical connection mattered  • How teachers tried to preserve routine, predictability, and emotional safety through screens  • The “hidden curriculum” of social skills, community, and emotional regulation  • The unique challenges and strengths of military connected families during the pandemic The Hidden Chapter Moment Karin’s hidden chapter is not just about teaching kindergarten during a pandemic. It’s about what children carried quietly behind screens. The loss of routine. The absence of touch. The confusion of learning emotions without faces, carpets, or closeness. While adults focused on lesson plans and logistics, teachers and parents were holding something much heavier. Fear, grief, adaptability, and hope. This episode reminds us that resilience was being built long before anyone could name it. Resources & Mentions:  🔗 Karin's Website:   https://karintramm.com/ 🔗  FB: https://www.facebook.com/KarinTramm.author/ 🔗  IG: @karintramm.author 🔗  LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-tramm-23086925a 📖 Amazon to purchase her book “100 Days Smart”:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BTS9SR34 Museum of the American Military Family and Podcast:  https://militaryfamilymuseum.org Support the show ❤️I would love to hear from you! 💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters ☕️ Want to support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/hiddenchapters Let's stay connected: 🔗 📷 Instagram: @hiddenchapterspodcast 📘 Facebook: Hidden Chapters Got a story to share or want to be a guest? 💌 Email me: chapters@hiddenchapterspodcast.com 🎙️ Be a guest? Apply here Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

    47 min

  4. FEB 6

    Stuck in the Waiting. Finding Growth, Faith, and Identity During Separation

    Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! Privacy Note: Due to the sensitivity of the immigration process, some personal details are intentionally kept private in this conversation, including specific names and circumstances. This was a thoughtful choice made to honor both legal boundaries and personal dignity. Episode Summary: In this episode of Hidden Chapters, I sit down with Rasmus, whose life took an unexpected turn after a decision made years earlier resurfaced during the immigration process. Newly married and now separated from his wife due to circumstances beyond his control, Rasmus shares what it looks like to grow, heal, and stay grounded while living in the waiting. We talk about identity, values, faith, emotional tools, and the importance of not standing still when life feels paused. Rasmus opens up about examining his beliefs, letting go of what he cannot control, and choosing intentional growth even in isolation and uncertainty. This conversation is an honest look at resilience, self-awareness, and how seasons of waiting can quietly shape who we become, while respecting the parts of his story that remain sensitive. What we talked about in this episode:   • How a past decision resurfaced years later and changed the course of his life  • Navigating marriage while being physically separated  • Examining personal values and learning to live in alignment with them  • Tools for growth. Journaling, gratitude, prayer, box breathing, and thought      reframing The Hidden Chapter Moment : The hidden chapter in Rasmus’s story is not the separation itself. It is what happened internally while everything externally was on hold. Instead of numbing, avoiding, or staying stuck, he chose to look inward. He examined his values, questioned his reactions, leaned into faith, and committed to growth. This season did not define him by what he lost, but by who he was becoming. 🔗  Resources and Mentions :  • Military Spouse Advocacy Network: https://www.militaryspouseadvocacynetwork.org/ • Foreign Born Military Spouse Network : FMSN LinkTree • Military Spouse Leadership Development Program: https://www.leadershipinstituteformilitaryspouses.org/  📩 Rasmus email:  ralle.skov@gmail.com Support the show ❤️I would love to hear from you! 💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters ☕️ Want to support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/hiddenchapters Let's stay connected: 🔗 📷 Instagram: @hiddenchapterspodcast 📘 Facebook: Hidden Chapters Got a story to share or want to be a guest? 💌 Email me: chapters@hiddenchapterspodcast.com 🎙️ Be a guest? Apply here Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

    52 min

  5. JAN 30

    When Strength Meant Silence. How Early Loss Shaped Identity, Relationships, and Healing

    Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! Episode Summary:  This conversation with Alex explores how early, unspoken family trauma shaped her identity, coping patterns, and relationships. A sudden financial collapse during her late teens created instability, emotional suppression, and a belief that strength meant independence and silence. In her twenties, that unprocessed grief showed up as self-sabotage, addiction, unstable relationships, and repeated rock bottoms. Healing began when Alex stopped looking for external fixes and instead faced her internal patterns, especially in romantic relationships. Through therapy, community, and a secure partnership, she learned boundaries, emotional honesty, and the power of connection. Today, she channels her lived experience into advocacy and leadership within military and foreign-born spouse communities, helping others navigate transitions, identity, and belonging. What We Talked About in This Episode:  • Unspoken family trauma and emotional suppression • Repeating cycles of self-sabotage • Healing through boundaries and relationships • Why asking for help changes everything • Finding identity through community   Alex’s Core Hidden Chapter Moment:  The hidden chapter moment was not the financial collapse itself. It was the belief she formed afterward. That she had to be emotionally self-sufficient, unbreakable, and worthy only through achievement. This belief quietly shaped her addictions, relationships, and self-worth for years until she faced it directly. Resources and Mentions:  FMSN Foreign Born Military Spouse Network: FMSN Linktree 🔗 Alex's FMSN email address is atomaso@fbmnetwork.org. 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-pop-apt/ 📩 Email: alexxandra.pop@gmail.com Resources: Military Spouse Advocacy Network: https://www.militaryspouseadvocacynetwork.org/  Who This Episode Is For This episode is for anyone navigating unprocessed trauma, repeated self-sabotage, or major life transitions, especially those learning how emotional healing happens in connection rather than isolation. Support the show ❤️I would love to hear from you! 💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters ☕️ Want to support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/hiddenchapters Let's stay connected: 🔗 📷 Instagram: @hiddenchapterspodcast 📘 Facebook: Hidden Chapters Got a story to share or want to be a guest? 💌 Email me: chapters@hiddenchapterspodcast.com 🎙️ Be a guest? Apply here Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

    47 min

  6. JAN 23 · BONUS

    Hidden Chapters Season 3 Pre Launch Update

    Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! Hidden Chapters is back for Season 3!! 🎉 In this short pre launch episode, I sharing whats coming this season, and reflecting on the quiet, untold stories behind the smiles, the hidden parts of life that shape us, inspire us, and sometimes stop us in our tracks.  I talk about why this season feels different, the exciting lineup of guests ahead, and what listeners can expect from these honest, real life conversations.  A little introduction to our first guest, Alex, and a little invitation to join me on Substack for extra reflection and connection.   If you're ever wondered what's behind someone's hidden chapter, this episode is the perfect way to step back in, settle into the season, and get ready for stories that hopefully stay with you.  Support the show ❤️I would love to hear from you! 💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters ☕️ Want to support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/hiddenchapters Let's stay connected: 🔗 📷 Instagram: @hiddenchapterspodcast 📘 Facebook: Hidden Chapters Got a story to share or want to be a guest? 💌 Email me: chapters@hiddenchapterspodcast.com 🎙️ Be a guest? Apply here Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

    4 min

  7. 12/12/2025

    Season 2 Finale: Relive the Hidden Chapters That Will Inspire, Heal, and Encourage You

    Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! 🎙️ Season 2 closes with a heartfelt look back at the stories that shaped Hidden Chapters. This finale brings together powerful moments from Seasons 1 and 2: highlight clips of guests, reflections, and stories that continue to resonate.  🎙️ Highlights include:  Jay Smith Pinned but Not Out Season 1 Ep.6 Jillian Delgado The Summit of Strength Season 1 Ep. 3 José Raymundo From Immigrant to Sergeant Major Season 2 Ep.4 Jessica Wright Living through it, Leading from It Season 1 Ep. 7 Laura Lyn Donahue Who Do You Think You Are? Season 2 Ep.2 Christin James Raising Hope after Loss  Season 2 Ep.8Justin Mitchell The Power of Music and Mentorship Season 1 Ep.4Genevieve's  Why Sharing Your Story Matters   Season 2 Ep. 6Jennifer Blankenship When Trust is Broken Season 2 Ep. 5Meg McGlynn What She Didn't Expect Season 1 Ep.8Chris Kruger Walking Away from the Ledge Season 2 Ep.1Lindsay Swoboda Holding on and Letting Go Season 2 Ep.3 ✨ Why listen? This episode is your opportunity to relive the stories that moved us, reflect on lessons learned, and gain inspiration from voices that have walked through courage, grief, resilience, and hope. Support the show ❤️I would love to hear from you! 💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters ☕️ Want to support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/hiddenchapters Let's stay connected: 🔗 📷 Instagram: @hiddenchapterspodcast 📘 Facebook: Hidden Chapters Got a story to share or want to be a guest? 💌 Email me: chapters@hiddenchapterspodcast.com 🎙️ Be a guest? Apply here Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

    49 min

  8. 12/05/2025

    From Engineer to Author & Coach: Simona Pappalardo on Courage, Change, and Authentic Leadership

    Leave me a note-I'd love to hear from you! In this episode of Hidden Chapters, I sit down with Simona Pappalardo, a global executive turned leadership coach, speaker, and author of Authentically Yours. Born in Milan and having lived in Scotland, Malaysia, and the U.S., Simona shares how every life transition holds hidden chapters waiting to be written. We talk about navigating male-dominated industries, leading with empathy, and learning to trust herself despite doubt. Simona opens up about advocating for others, guiding multicultural teams, and embracing imperfect action in her career and personal life. We also dive into her shift from engineering to coaching, blending cultural traditions, and her deeply personal IVF journey. Her story is a testament to courage, authenticity, and giving yourself permission to shift. This conversation is for anyone looking to embrace change, lead with purpose, and find their authentic voice in every season of life. Fun full circle moment: I met Simona through her editor, Brunella Costagliola, who also worked with past guests Jose Raymundo and Chris Kruger. Her book Authentically Yours launched December 1st, and she once dreamed of it under a Christmas tree, now ready to inspire readers to live authentically. Connect with Simona: 📧  simona@coachingwithsimona.com 🌎  https://coachingwithsimona.com/ 📖 Purchase "Authentically Yours" on Amazon:   https://a.co/d/3AGB7oc Support the show ❤️I would love to hear from you! 💬 Leave me a voice message on: https://www.speakpipe.com/HiddenChapters ☕️ Want to support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/hiddenchapters Let's stay connected: 🔗 📷 Instagram: @hiddenchapterspodcast 📘 Facebook: Hidden Chapters Got a story to share or want to be a guest? 💌 Email me: chapters@hiddenchapterspodcast.com 🎙️ Be a guest? Apply here Background Music: "In Time" by Folk_acoustic from Pixabay

    1h 2m
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About

Behind every put-together exterior is a chapter most people never see. Not the version that made it onto a stage. Not the keynote-ready lesson, the LinkedIn post, or the corporate soundbite about resilience. Those stories have a place, but that's not where Hidden Chapters lives. Hidden Chapters goes back further. To the part that happened before the story got a title. The grief that didn't come with a lesson yet. The identity crisis in the middle of the night. The fear, the silence, the in-between, the raw, unresolved, deeply human moments that existed before anyone knew how the story would end. This is a storytelling podcast hosted by Genevieve Kruger, now in its third season. Each episode invites guests everyday people and public voices alike to share the chapter they've rarely, if ever, told out loud. Not because overcoming isn't real, but because what happened before the overcoming is the part most of us are still living in, and it deserves its own space. This is a show about all of it, the messy, complicated, tender, and terrifying parts of being human that rarely get airtime because they don't fit neatly into the story we present to the world. Hidden Chapters. The story before the story you know.

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