Her Story Unscripted

Heather Nelson
  • 4.8 (23)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

Her Story Unscripted is a podcast where women share honest, unscripted conversations about life, growth, and the experiences that shape us — because the most powerful stories are the ones we stop trying to perfect. Hosted by Heather Nelson, this is a space for real conversations. Not rehearsed. Not polished into tidy narratives with clean endings. Just women showing up, telling their truth, and finding out they are far less alone than they thought. Each episode creates space for stories to unfold naturally — covering identity and personal growth, life transitions, relationships, resilience, and the beautiful complexity of everyday life. Whether you're in the middle of something hard, on the other side of it, or just trying to make sense of where you are right now, there is something here for you. Her Story Unscripted was born out of five years of authentic conversations — formerly known as Life Conversations with a Twist — and has evolved into a podcast with a clearer name and a deeper purpose: to make women feel seen, understood, and a little less alone in their own story. Hosted by Heather Nelson — connector, business strategist, community builder, and someone who genuinely believes that connection starts with being real. New episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms. Authentic stories. No script needed. Guest inquiries and collaborations: heather@theconnectionhive.co Website: theconnectionhive.co/podcast

  1. 3d ago

    Midlife Burnout, Hormones, and the Truth About Mineral Depletion — with Dori Martin

    "It's totally her minerals, it's not her."— Dori Martin There's a particular kind of tired that doesn't go away with sleep — the brain fog, the inflammation, the mood swings that make you feel like a stranger in your own body. For years, Dori Martin thought that was just what happens to women in midlife. It wasn't, and what she discovered instead is the heart of this conversation. Dori Martin is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner who uses Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis to help midlife women understand what's really going on beneath the surface. We talk about the decade of caretaking that led to her own burnout — from a divorce with two small children, to getting engaged to a man given a terminal diagnosis, to watching her own labs come back worse than his. Dori explains why mineral depletion is so often mistaken for a personality problem, and what it actually takes for a woman's body to feel safe enough to rest and recover. If you've ever felt exhausted, inflamed, or like your moods aren't quite your own — this one will feel like a mirror. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms. Connect with Heather:  Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Timestamps 00:00 Introduction — Heather welcomes Dori Martin. 03:25 Dori's 2006 divorce and the start of a decade of holding it all together. 03:25 Getting engaged to a man given a terminal diagnosis. 26:26 The mastermind, the flatline, and the shame of not keeping up. 14:08 What Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis actually shows. 16:11 Sodium, potassium, copper — the minerals behind mood and burnout. 38:13 Nervous system regulation, safety, and functional freeze. 46:54 Where to connect with Dori Martin.  About Dori Martin Dori Martin is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis specialist who helps midlife women understand the connection between mineral depletion, hormone imbalance, and burnout. After navigating her own years of unrecognized depletion — through single motherhood, caregiving, and building a business from the ground up — she now helps women read their own body's data so they can stop guessing and start healing. She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, three kids, and a whole lot of hard-won wisdom about rest. Website Instagram YouTube Facebook Support the show

    Midlife Burnout, Hormones, and the Truth About Mineral Depletion — with Dori Martin

  2. Jul 16

    Midlife Reinvention — Her Story of Grief, Grace and Laughter with Donna Johnsen

    “You are responsible for your own actions, your own behaviors, your own reactions. You cannot control the actions, reactions of others.” — Donna Johnsen Twenty-three years. That's how long Donna Johnsen was with her husband when an unplanned divorce rewrote everything she thought she knew about her own life. This week on Her Story Unscripted, she shares what happened when the identity she'd built inside a marriage suddenly wasn't there to stand on anymore. Donna Johnsen talks with me about the messy, real work of rebuilding — journaling her way through the rumination, reading a memoir that gave her permission to stop performing grace, and eventually finding her way to humor as a way to heal out loud instead of hide. We also get into what it's like helping teenagers navigate a divorce without projecting your own feelings onto theirs, and the almost-empty nest she's facing now that her kids are grown. If you've ever felt like you were standing at the edge of a cliff, unable to go back and scared to go forward, this conversation is for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms. Connect with Heather:  Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Timestamps 00:46 Introduction — Heather welcomes Donna Johnsen. 07:48 Donna opens up about the unplanned end of her 23-year relationship. 10:15 The memoir that gave her permission to move beyond society's expectations after divorce. 13:02 Why she started journaling in her Notes app to stop the constant rumination. 17:30 How humor became part of her healing journey. 31:19 Navigating teenagers through divorce and letting them have their own feelings. 40:33 The almost-empty nest, midlife reinvention, and becoming "Mama D." 42:22 Where to connect with Donna Johnsen.  About Donna Johnsen Donna Johnsen is the voice behind Laugh Lines and Life Goals, where she shares an honest, funny, and refreshingly unfiltered take on midlife, motherhood, and reinvention. After an unplanned divorce ended a 23-year relationship, Donna turned to journaling — and eventually to social media — as a way to process what she was going through, and has since built a community of women who find comfort in her humor and her honesty. She's the mom of two, with one child already away at college and the other headed there this fall. Pinterest  Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Support the show

    Midlife Reinvention — Her Story of Grief, Grace and Laughter with Donna Johnsen

  3. Jul 9

    Keeping Your Shape — Kari Brunson Wright on Reinvention, Boundaries, and Coming Back to Self

    "The opposite is always the medicine. You people-please to others — so how do you people-please to you?" — Kari Brunson Wright There's a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from bending yourself into whatever shape a room needs you to be. Kari Brunson Wright knows it well — from a ballet stage, to a restaurant line, to running her own businesses. It took three full reinventions before she learned how to stop. In this episode, Kari shares the honest story of walking away from a decade-long career as a professional ballerina, building and eventually selling a cafe and an ice cream company, and becoming a Psycho-Spiritual Leadership Coach. This is real conversation and authentic storytelling about identity, boundaries, and the whispers that show up long before the big changes do — the kind of personal growth for women that doesn't come with a tidy bow. If you've ever bent yourself into a shape that wasn't really yours, this one's for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms. Connect with Heather:  Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction — Heather welcomes Kari Brunson Wright 6:02 — Kari's decade as a professional ballerina and the injury that led her to walk away 12:52 — From the ballet stage to the restaurant line — falling into food 16:20 — Building a cafe and an ice cream company, and the decision to finally sell her shares 19:43 — "I want to be you" — the moment coaching became the next chapter 29:48 — Boundaries, energy, and what it means to "keep your shape" About Kari Brunson Wright Kari Brunson Wright is a psycho-spiritual leadership coach and regenerative business consultant who works with founders, executives, and leaders navigating the gap between who they've become and how they're actually living. Her work centers on alignment, integrity, and self-trust — helping people make decisions they can actually stand behind. She brings fifteen years of experience working alongside people through growth, pressure, and change, plus her own background as a co-founder of multiple businesses. Kari writes the Substack newsletter The Recipe for Being Well, and lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband, their two kids, and a Great Pyrenees/Lab mix puppy named Bean. Connect with Kari Brunson Wright Instagram  Website  LinkedIn Substack  Support the show

    Keeping Your Shape — Kari Brunson Wright on Reinvention, Boundaries, and Coming Back to Self

  4. Jul 2

    She Spent 20 Years Climbing the Ladder — Then Found Her Voice, with Dr. Shola Sulaimon

    "Growth happens when you're uncomfortable, because you push yourself into things you wouldn't normally do." — Dr. Shola Sulaimon There's a kind of tiredness that comes from being everything to everyone — and never quite getting around to asking what fills your own cup. For Dr. Shola Sulaimon, that question sat quietly for almost 20 years before she finally let herself answer it. In this episode, Dr. Shola shares what it was like being the first Black woman PhD student in her program, the quiet weight of representing more than herself in corporate America, and the slow internal pull that eventually led her to step away from nearly two decades of corporate leadership. We talk about the difference between being nice and being kind, what it means to leave something on your own terms, and why finding an outlet outside of work and family might be the thing that saves you. If you've ever wondered whether it's safe to want something different than what you built, this one's for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms. Connect with Heather:  Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Highlights 00:00 Cold open — Dr. Shola on finding an outlet outside work and family  0:54 Heather welcomes listeners to Her Story Unscripted  1:20 Heather introduces Dr. Shola and the story of how they met  4:23 The phases of a woman's life — and what it feels like to hit “stuck”  9:24 Heather opens up about feeling stuck in her own routine  11:19 Leaving things on your own terms, and knowing who your tribe is  12:36 Kindness vs. niceness — and learning not to be a pushover  16:07 Where her boldness came from — her mother's influence  19:00 Being a woman of color in corporate, and the pressure of representation  23:05 What's within your influence vs. what's out of your control  25:57 The slow build toward finally leaving corporate after almost 20 years  31:50 Advice for moms re-entering the workforce after raising kids  37:39 Advice for women who feel stuck but are afraid to leave  47:15 What she's building now — ShoTune Medical Consulting Group and Voice to Value  51:28 Closing reflection — “you are not alone”  53:48 Outro About Dr. Shola Sulaimon Dr. Shola Sulaimon was born and raised in Nigeria, trained and practiced as a veterinarian, then moved to the United States to pursue her PhD at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — where she became the first Black woman to do so in her program. She spent close to 20 years in corporate leadership in clinical, regulatory, and quality roles before founding ShoTune Medical Consulting Group, where she advises medical device companies on regulatory, clinical quality, and commercialization risk. She's now building Voice to Value, a Sonoma County community and coaching space for professional women centered on leadership, mentorship, and helping women find the confidence to speak up in rooms where they once stayed quiet. Website LinkedIn Support the show

    She Spent 20 Years Climbing the Ladder — Then Found Her Voice, with Dr. Shola Sulaimon

  5. Jun 25

    From Single Mom to Top 2% — Darcey Elizabeth Unscripted Journey of Reinvention

    "You get back up and build better — it is going to be 10x more than you can believe." — Darcey Elizabeth  Four years ago, Darcey sat in what she now calls one of the darkest seasons of her life — a newly single mom who had just moved four hours from home, left corporate, and was trying to build something from scratch. She had no guarantee any of it would work. She just kept going. In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, Darcey is back to share the honest, unscripted version of what those four years actually held. She talks about the grief of losing her mom, the ego hit of going back to corporate in 2024, building a team of 33 women, and the night she missed a major business goal by $2,000 and had to decide who she wanted to be on the other side of it. It's a real conversation about personal growth, resilience, and what it looks like when belief finally catches up with your effort. If you're a woman in the middle of something hard — or on the other side of it trying to make sense of how you got there — this one is for you. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms. Connect with Heather:  Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Highlights 0:00 Introduction — Heather welcomes Darcey back, four years later 1:57  Where Darcey was when they first met — single mom, new city, uncertain chapter 4:35 The decision to go back to corporate and why it felt like failure 7:29 Jumping into Arbonne, pairing it with personal training, and growing fast 20:28 Missing the rank by $2,000 — the setback, the tears, and the comeback 24:14 Walking across the stage and watching her team do the same 27:22 Both shows rebranding — the conversation about what's next About Darcey Elizabeth  Darcey Elizabeth Burke is a Regional Vice President with Arbonne, certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, corporate finance professional, boy mom, and host of The Undeniable Expansion Podcast. She built her business to the Top 2% of Arbonne within just 13 months by focusing on authentic relationships, community, and helping women create real results in their health and lives. Through wellness, leadership, and entrepreneurship, Darcey is passionate about empowering women to expand beyond their current circumstances, build confidence, and create a life they truly love. Website YouTube Facebook Instagram Podcast Support the show

    From Single Mom to Top 2% — Darcey Elizabeth Unscripted Journey of Reinvention

  6. Jun 18

    What It Really Took to Build The SoCo Markets — and the Personal Story Mercedes Wasn't Ready to Tell

    "I woke up one day and I started to feel. And what I felt, it wasn't pretty. I was like, I'm not happy. And that was the very first time I put myself first." — Mercedes Hernandez Mercedes Hernandez built The SoCo Markets from scratch — 11 vendors on a closed-off side street, a vision, and no guarantee it would work. Six years later, it's one of Sonoma County's most beloved community events, drawing vendors from across the Bay Area and bringing thousands of people together every year. But this episode isn't really a business story. It's a story about what happens when you finally stop building for everyone else and start building for yourself. In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, Mercedes shares her full journey — from a 15-year-old retail worker discovering a passion, to opening her first brick-and-mortar at 20, to creating experiences like Fork'n Good Food Festival and Roast & Rhythm. Then she gets real about the personal chapter she's been walking through: ending a 15-year relationship, living completely alone for the first time in her life, sitting with the loneliness instead of running from it, and slowly coming back to herself through counseling and a whole lot of self-honesty. This is an authentic storytelling conversation about identity, codependency, personal growth for women, and what freedom actually feels like when you finally choose it. If you've ever lost yourself in a role — a relationship, a business, a version of who you thought you were supposed to be — this conversation will meet you right where you are. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms. Connect with Heather:  Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Highlights 0:00 Opening quote — Mercedes on identity 0:39 Heather's intro + welcome to Her Story Unscripted 1:05 Welcome, Mercedes — how Heather found her 3:31 How Mercedes started in retail and discovered her passion 4:21 Opening Bow & Arrow Clothing at 20, the JC entrepreneurship program 6:07 SoCo Markets is born — from 11 vendors to 90 8:53 Growing the market calendar: Fork'n Good, Roast & Rhythm, Closet Clean Outs 10:50 What it really takes to run a successful community market 18:30 The personal pivot — ending her marriage and stepping into the unknown 21:40 Codependency, people-pleasing, and going numb 27:48 Living alone for the first time — and what she found there 32:39 Identity, worth, and what she'd leave listeners with About Mercedes Hernandez Mercedes Hernandez is a serial entrepreneur and community builder based in Sonoma County, California. She opened her first retail store, Bow & Arrow Clothing, at 20 years old, and went on to build SoCo Markets — a thriving platform for small businesses and local vendors that now hosts events across the Bay Area. From the Fork'n Good Food Festival to Roast & Rhythm to monthly Closet Clean Out pop-ups, Mercedes has become one of the most creative event minds in Northern California. She's passionate about giving small businesses a platform, and about building the kinds of experiences that bring communities together in real, meaningful ways. Website Facebook Instagram Email Support the show

    What It Really Took to Build The SoCo Markets — and the Personal Story Mercedes Wasn't Ready to Tell

  7. Jun 11

    When Life Changes in a Weekend — A Real Conversation About Love, Loss, and the Invisible Clock with Christina Alonzo

    "We only get one life, and we don't know when that invisible clock is gonna run out. So you have to make time for people and for things that are important to you." — Christina Alonzo It started as a normal weekend. By Tuesday, Christina Alonzo was sitting in an ER telling the doctor everything she had been quietly noticing for days. By Wednesday, the diagnosis was in: glioblastoma — an aggressive, inoperable brain cancer. Her husband Kurtis was 44 years old and had never even had a cold. From the date of diagnosis to the date of his death was four months. In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, Christina Alonzo returns to the podcast three years after her first appearance to share the story of the year that changed everything. She opens up about becoming Kurtis's full-time caregiver while raising a toddler, navigating impossible medical decisions, and the termination email from his employer that arrived the very night he died. She also shares the story of her 200-pound weight loss journey — and how losing the weight became something far more significant than she ever expected when Kurtis got sick. This is an honest conversation about grief, love, and what it actually looks like to keep living when someone you love is gone. For any woman who has ever taken time for granted, avoided a hard conversation, or wondered how anyone survives something this big — this episode is an unscripted reminder that life is shorter and more sacred than we let ourselves believe. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms. Connect with Heather:  Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Highlights: 00:00 Cold open — Christina on the invisible clock 00:49 Heather introduces Her Story Unscripted 01:15 Welcoming Christina back — three years and a lot of life later 02:21 The normal weekend that wasn't — Curtis gets sick 5:28 The ER visit and the diagnosis — glioblastoma 7:15 Choosing chemo and radiation — a hail mary for a 44-year-old in perfect health 12:18 How quickly he declined, and what caregiving looked like at home 14:18 Curtis's death in March 2025 — four months after diagnosis 18:55 What helped Christina survive this season 22:13 The termination email the night he died 27:22 200 pounds lost — and how the GLP-1 journey intersected with Curtis's care 25:10 How to actually show up for someone in grief 36:10 Life now — Addie, memory-keeping, and saying yes 38:03 Christina's one takeaway for the listener  About Christina Alonzo Christina Alonzo is a mother, content creator, and Sonoma County local who has walked through more grief in the last few years than most people face in a lifetime. From losing babies to navigating a sudden and devastating brain cancer diagnosis in her husband Curtis, she has shown up with remarkable honesty and grace at every turn. In the past year and a half, she has also completed a transformative 200-pound weight loss journey that changed not just her body, but the way she moves through the world. She is raising her daughter Addie with Curtis's love still at the center of their home Instagram Support the show

    When Life Changes in a Weekend — A Real Conversation About Love, Loss, and the Invisible Clock with Christina Alonzo

  8. Jun 4

    The Story Behind the Her Story Unscripted Rebrand

    "We all have a story to tell. We all have journeys, we've all been through things — and some of us are worse than others. But we all have a story to tell." — Heather Nelson There's something that happens when a woman decides to stop performing and just say it the way it actually is. No script. No polish. No waiting for permission. For Heather Nelson, that decision didn't arrive all at once — it built slowly over five years of sitting across from women who had the courage to share the messy, real, unfiltered truth of their lives. In this very first episode of Her Story Unscripted, Heather pulls back the curtain on the rebrand — and everything that led to this moment. She shares the honest, unscripted story of why she podcasted for five years under a name she never fully loved, what finally pushed her to start fresh, and the mission that has been quietly driving her since the very beginning — creating a space where women can show up as they are and say what they actually mean. If you've ever felt like you were performing a version of yourself instead of living as the real one — this is the conversation you didn't know you needed. Heather isn't here to give advice or hand you a roadmap. She's here to sit with you, ask the questions nobody else thinks to ask, and remind you that your story matters exactly as it is. In this episode, you will learn: The lunch conversation five years ago that made me realize women needed a space to tell their real storiesWhy I never fully loved the name Life Conversations with a Twist — and what finally made me let it goThe months-long rebrand process that pushed me to get clear on my mission, my values, and who I'm really doing this forHow the name Her Story Unscripted came together — and the quiet, powerful reason the word "unscripted" felt so rightWhere I'm headed with this podcast, what you can expect going forward, and why I believe women sharing their true stories is one of the most powerful things we can do Episode Highlights • 0:00 – The moment that started it all — women and their unscripted stories • 0:28 – Welcome to Her Story Unscripted — the new brand intro • 0:55 – Heather kicks off the launch episode • 1:19 – Introducing the rebrand from Life Conversations with a Twist • 1:56 – Five years in hospitality and the conversations that wouldn't leave her • 3:55 – Why women's stories needed a space — the heart behind the podcast • 5:06 – How Life Conversations with a Twist was born • 5:36 – 200+ episodes, 160 women, and what kept Heather going • 7:14 – The Connection Hive, Set & Strike, and finding what truly fuels her soul • 10:02 – The decision to rip the band-aid and start fresh • 11:21 – Naming a podcast — why it had to be perfect • 12:03 – The moment Her Story Unscripted clicked • 13:09 – Why "unscripted" matters — women, silence, and permission to be real • 15:01 – What's coming — new look, new energy, big goals • 17:17 – Thank you, and what you can do to help this podcast grow • 19:20 – Solo episodes, Heather's personal story, and what's ahead • 22:09 – Final thoughts — see you next Thursday Meet Your Host:  Heather Nelson is the host of Her Story Unscripted and founder of The Connection Hive, a business strategy and community brand rooted in the belief that real connection changes everything. A connector by nature and a storyteller at heart, Heather has spent over 25 years in the hospitality industry — and more than five years creating a space for women to share honest, unscripted conversations about life, growth, and the experiences that have shaped who they are. She lives in Sonoma County, California, where she's raising a blended, biracial family, running two businesses, and podcasting with her whole heart. Connect with Heather:  Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Support the show

    The Story Behind the Her Story Unscripted Rebrand
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4.8
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

Her Story Unscripted is a podcast where women share honest, unscripted conversations about life, growth, and the experiences that shape us — because the most powerful stories are the ones we stop trying to perfect. Hosted by Heather Nelson, this is a space for real conversations. Not rehearsed. Not polished into tidy narratives with clean endings. Just women showing up, telling their truth, and finding out they are far less alone than they thought. Each episode creates space for stories to unfold naturally — covering identity and personal growth, life transitions, relationships, resilience, and the beautiful complexity of everyday life. Whether you're in the middle of something hard, on the other side of it, or just trying to make sense of where you are right now, there is something here for you. Her Story Unscripted was born out of five years of authentic conversations — formerly known as Life Conversations with a Twist — and has evolved into a podcast with a clearer name and a deeper purpose: to make women feel seen, understood, and a little less alone in their own story. Hosted by Heather Nelson — connector, business strategist, community builder, and someone who genuinely believes that connection starts with being real. New episodes available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms. Authentic stories. No script needed. Guest inquiries and collaborations: heather@theconnectionhive.co Website: theconnectionhive.co/podcast

Information

  • Creator
    Heather Nelson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    207
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Her Story Unscripted
  • Show Website
    Her Story Unscripted

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