Shift Happens: From Pain to Purpose

Alexis Andra
  • 4.9 (30)
  • Self-Improvement

Welcome to Shift Happens: From Pain to Purpose, the podcast where we explore the power of sharing your story. Each week, you’ll learn from entrepreneurs and everyday heroes to uncover how their stories of struggle became stories of strength. I’m your host, Alexis Andra—creative director, life coach, and lover of a great comeback story. Together, we’ll explore the healing power of storytelling and inspire you to find your voice, own your journey, and shift your pain into purpose. Let’s dive in—because your story just might change someone else’s.

  1. 3d ago

    How Your Past Shapes the Way You Love with Bobby Jacobs

    At some point in your life, you’ve probably reflected on how the men and women who raised you shaped the way you love. What happens when one parent is more absent? Or when one of the people you feel safest with passes away? How do those experiences follow you into adulthood—into the kind of woman or man you become, the romantic partners you choose, and the way you handle trust, conflict, and ultimately, love? Today’s guest is Bobby Jacobs. On paper, Bobby has built an impressive life. He was a professional volleyball player and is now the owner of Fit 3 Six Five Meals, a meal-prep company here in Orange County.But today, I’m much more interested in the man behind all of that. Bobby was raised by a single mom while his father spent much of his life in prison. He grew up watching firsthand what it looked like for a woman to carry the weight of a family. And while he did have a father figure in his stepdad and a deep bond with his grandma, he experienced deep loss when both were taken from him. When you’ve experienced abandonment and loss early in life, does part of you always prepare for the people you love to eventually leave? And what does that do to the man you become—and the way you show up in love?Today, we’re talking about the experiences that shaped Bobby’s view of masculinity, the relationships that taught him what it meant to be a man, and what he believes men and women may fundamentally misunderstand about each other. We’re also getting into the stuff we don't always say out loud when it comes to modern dating: standards, non-negotiables, traditional roles, heartbreak and what happens when the person you love isn't the one you end up with. I wonder ... maybe the bigger question isn’t  what kind of love do you want?It’s when so much of what you learned about love came through absence and loss, how do you learn to believe that love can actually stay? This is Bobby's story. @bobbyjacobs RESOURCES FREE STORY METHOD GUIDE- to help you process, own and share your story FOLLOW @alexisnandra @shifthappensthepod

  2. Sep 8

    Dating Apps, Doubt, and Marriage with Emily Freeman and Mike Liguori

    Have you ever downloaded a dating app and immediately thought… What am I doing here? Or wondered if you can actually find something real in a world of swipes, DMs, endless options, and people who always seem to be looking for the next best thing? Today’s guests are actually  the second couple I’ve ever interviewed together on Shift Happens, and I wanted to bring them on because they didn’t just find love—they found each other online. Emily Freeman is a dating coach, and alongside her husband, Mike, they have a unique perspective on what it looks like to go from navigating online dating—with all the doubts, reservations, and uncertainty that come with it—to building an actual marriage. And I don’t just want to hear the highlight-reel version of their love story. I want to know what almost made them count each other out. What doubts came up. What made them realize this relationship was different. And maybe more importantly… what happens after you find the person? Because finding someone is one thing. Learning how to love them well is another. How do you handle conflict when you both think you’re right? How do you repair instead of keeping score? What do you do when jealousy or insecurity shows up? And how do you build enough trust that your relationship doesn’t require control to feel safe? And because Emily spends her career helping people navigate dating, I also want to know: Does knowing all the “right” things actually make relationships easier or  does it make it harder in its own way So whether you’re single, dating, married, completely over the apps, or still holding out hope that your person might somehow be one swipe away—this conversation is about what it actually takes to not just find and choose love but how to  keep love  once the dating story becomes real life. This is Emily and Mike's story.@emilyfreemancoaching @mike.liguori RESOURCES FREE STORY METHOD GUIDE- to help you process, own and share your story FOLLOW @alexisnandra @shifthappensthepod

  3. Sep 1

    How Faith Gave Him a Different Standard for Dating with Brad Ledford

    What happens when following Jesus means walking away from the person you’re attracted to? Saying no when the world tells you it’s normal to say yes? Holding a boundary when no one would blame you for crossing it? Or choosing obedience when compromise would be easier and honestly, more convenient? Faith is easy to talk about when it isn’t costing you anything. Dating in today’s culture is already complicated. But dating as a man of faith brings another question entirely: My guest today is Brad Ledford. Brad is a California cowboy but online he’s become a voice for something that feels increasingly countercultural: what it looks like to lead well, pursue relationships intentionally, and be a man whose private choices actually match the faith he professes publicly. But Brad’s faith isn’t a highlight reel. He’s walked through seasons that challenged what he believed and forced him to decide what was truly non-negotiable. Those convictions have shaped the way he dates, the boundaries he sets, the kind of husband he hopes to become—and even his experience being cast for last seasons The Bachelorette that ultimately never aired. it’s one thing to say you have standards when they’ve never been tested. It's another thing to keep them when there’s an opportunity in front of you, when you’re lonely, or when culture tells you you’re being too rigid.  Because we live in a world that tells us to follow our feelings, keep our options open, avoid labels, sleep together before commitment, and leave the second something becomes uncomfortable. So where does conviction fit into modern dating? Can you date with standards without becoming judgmental? Can you desire sex and still choose purity? Can you be intentional without rushing? Will you stay devoted to Jesus when obedience costs you the relationship or the opportunity you wanted? And for the men listening: What does it actually mean to lead a relationship instead of simply saying you’re a “man of God”? This is Brad’s story. RESOURCES FREE STORY METHOD GUIDE- to help you process, own and share your story FOLLOW @alexisnandra @shifthappensthepod

  4. Aug 25

    From Unthinkable Loss to Unshakable Strength with Erica Tyson

    My friend Erica Tyson has buried a child after unthinkable tragedy. Shes raising a daughter with severe disabilities. She’s walking through divorce. And now she’s doing it all as a single mom. But that’s not her whole story. On this episode of Shift Happens, we’re asking the hard question: who do you become when everything falls apart? we’re talking about relationship patterns, trauma, control, faith, and what happens when everything you thought would save you… doesn’t. We’re asking the hard questions: Why do we choose the love we choose? What happens to your faith when tragedy hits your front yard? And what does resilience actually look like when no one’s watching? This is one of the most raw conversations we’ve ever had on the podcast. This is Erica's story.  @erica___tyson RESOURCES FREE STORY METHOD GUIDE- to help you process, own and share your story FOLLOW @alexisnandra @shifthappensthepod

  5. Aug 18

    What Happens When You Stop Asking for Permission to Be Seen with Katelyn Rhoades

    Katelyn spent much of her life trying to stay quiet, unseen, and out of the way. At 22 years old, she was selling her clothes to just to afford groceries. Today, she’s built a seven-figure personal brand from the ground up—using social media to create opportunities that changed the trajectory of her life. She’s worked with brands like Meta and Adobe, been featured in Forbes, and built a life she once couldn’t even imagine. Katelyn didn’t just change her circumstances—she changed the story she believed about herself. Not because she suddenly became confident not because She learned that confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build every time you stop hiding. this conversation isn’t about followers, brand deals, or business strategies. It’s about what happens when you stop letting your circumstances write your story. It’s about healing the parts of yourself that learned to stay small. It’s about becoming visible after a lifetime of hiding. This is Katelyn’s story. @thekatelynrhoades @callhercreator RESOURCES FREE STORY METHOD GUIDE- to help you process, own and share your story FOLLOW @alexisnandra @shifthappensthepod

  6. Aug 11

    Why High-Achieving Women End Up Burnt Out with Laura Higgins

    Today’s guest is Laura Higgins—entrepreneur, branding expert, and business owner who built a multi-million dollar company helping women grow their visibility, content, and personal brands online. From the outside, Laura had every marker of success: the business, the ambition, and the image of someone who had figured it all out.   But behind the scenes, the constant pressure to achieve, perform, and keep pushing eventually caught up with her   In this episode, we’re talking about burnout—but not just the trendy version we see online. We’re talking about the deeper layers underneath it: the identity built around overworking, the fear of slowing down, the pressure high-achieving women place on themselves to hold everything together, and the childhood patterns that can quietly shape our relationship with success.   Laura opens up about what burnout actually looked like in real time, the moment she realized the life she built was no longer sustainable, and how she’s had to redefine ambition, leadership, and worth outside of productivity. This is Laura’s story. @laurahiggins RESOURCES FREE STORY METHOD GUIDE- to help you process, own and share your story FOLLOW @alexisnandra @shifthappensthepod

  7. Aug 4

    Why Grieving a Relationship Doesn't Mean You Should've Stayed with Natalia Benson

    Today’s guest is Natalia Benson—podcast host, and coach helping women step into abundance, financial empowerment, and deeper alignment within themselves. Through her work in astrology, spirituality, Natalia has built a platform centered around self-awareness, healing, and personal transformation.   But behind the wisdom she shares online is also a woman who has had to navigate profound change in her own life.   In this episode, we’re talking about divorce—not from the lens of bitterness, but from the complicated reality of grief, identity loss, self-trust, and choosing yourself even when it hurts.   Because sometimes the hardest thing isn’t leaving. It’s accepting that you can deeply love someone, grieve them, and still know the relationship was no longer aligned for who you were becoming.   Natalia opens up about the identity death that can happen after heartbreak, the patterns from childhood that quietly follow us into adult relationships, and the fear of self-abandonment many women experience in dating and love.   We also talk about what it feels like to navigate pain publicly. The pressure to appear healed online. The temptation to hide the messy parts. And what happens when you choose to be seen while you’re still in the middle of becoming.   This conversation is soft, honest, wise, and deeply human. And if you’ve ever questioned whether choosing yourself was worth the loss… I think this episode is going to meet you exactly where you are. This is Natalia’s story.natalia_benson RESOURCES FREE STORY METHOD GUIDE- to help you process, own and share your story FOLLOW @alexisnandra @shifthappensthepod

  8. Jul 28

    How to Trust God's Timing When You're Tired of Waiting with Lida Benites

    Today’s guest lida was born into physical adversity—before she even had the language to understand it. Surgeries, comparison, and learning how to navigate a body that didn’t move like everyone else shaped her early years in ways most people never see. And while resilience may be easy to name now… back then, it felt like something else entirely. As she stepped into adulthood, marriage, and the dream of becoming a mother, life didn’t unfold the way she expected. Miscarriage after miscarriage began to rewrite what she thought her story would be. At the same time, everything around her seemed to be falling apart—financial pressure, instability, and questions that didn’t have easy answers. But somewhere in the middle of the pain… something shifted. In this episode, we’re talking about what it really looks like to wrestle with your faith, to question everything you thought you believed, and to keep showing up when life doesn’t make sense. This is Lida’s story.@lida_benites RESOURCES FREE STORY METHOD GUIDE- to help you process, own and share your story FOLLOW @alexisnandra @shifthappensthepod

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4.9
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

Welcome to Shift Happens: From Pain to Purpose, the podcast where we explore the power of sharing your story. Each week, you’ll learn from entrepreneurs and everyday heroes to uncover how their stories of struggle became stories of strength. I’m your host, Alexis Andra—creative director, life coach, and lover of a great comeback story. Together, we’ll explore the healing power of storytelling and inspire you to find your voice, own your journey, and shift your pain into purpose. Let’s dive in—because your story just might change someone else’s.

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