The Stories That Sparkle

Hella Rader
  • 5.0 (6)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

I’m Hella Rader—divorced, middle-aged, childless (no cat) lady, the first American of my family, the only daughter born to German immigrant parents, and a full-time writer. The Stories That Sparkle is the space I created for women you have never heard of and could easily pass on the street to share, in their own voices, the intricacies of their stories about starting over in life, building community, inhabiting their bodies and more. With a good sense of humor, open heart and open mind, I let my curiosity lead the way as I explore the very human complexity in others and, in the process, in myself. Because together, we bring light into dark places. New episodes drop every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. hellarader.substack.com

  1. You Deserve a Good Night's Rest with Katya Eckert, A Domani Sleep (Video Pod)

    APR 22

    You Deserve a Good Night's Rest with Katya Eckert, A Domani Sleep (Video Pod)

    In this (video pod) episode of The Stories That Sparkle Podcast, Katya Eckert (founder of A Domani Sleep) and I talk about her mission to help women get the rest they deserve while feeling good and sexy in their sleepwear—and their bodies. We also nerd out about textiles, sustainability, and supply chain—just in time for Earth Day 2026 and Mother’s Day (you can get a little A Domani Sleep for the mom in your life). And, because I now have new equipment to help me record video with better audio on the go, I was able to meet with Katya earlier this week in real life to record extra footage in her studio while sitting next to the Rack of Joy (samples of the A Domani sleepwear collection). Katya is a breath of fresh air—her enthusiasm for what she does and her willingness to support others is inspiring. You can watch the episode here on Substack or on my YouTube channel (in the Video Pod playlist), or listen to audio only wherever you get your podcasts. To watch the bonus clip of Katya and I meeting IRL, go to my YouTube.com@hellarader channel or click here: Katya Eckert BONUS CLIP. And now, I invite you sit back, get comfortable and watch (or listen in). LINKS All things Katya Eckert and A Domani Sleep: Follow on Instagram: @adomanisleep Visit on the Web: adomanisleep.com (use code HELLA20 at checkout to save 20% on your first order) All things Hella Rader: Every link in one place: linktr.ee/hellarader Have a story to share on the podcast? Is there a topic you want to discuss with me? Submit your idea using this form and I will be in touch with you about setting up a recording session. Contact me here: hellarader.com/contact Follow me on Instagram, subscribe to my channel on YouTube.com/@hellarader and learn more about me on my Website. To help me record more women’s stories, amplify more women’s voices and celebrate different women’s choices, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to my Substack, follow me on Instagram, and/or, if you prefer to keep it simple, buy me a cup of coffee. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every other Wednesday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hellarader.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 6m
  2. Sexual Assault Awareness Month SPECIAL EPISODE (Kayla, SA Coordinator, The Laurel Center)

    APR 15

    Sexual Assault Awareness Month SPECIAL EPISODE (Kayla, SA Coordinator, The Laurel Center)

    As a survivor of sexual assault, I know how difficult it was for to come forward and share with anyone—friends or family—about what happened to me. I suffered for many years alone and in silence until I felt safe enough to talk about it, heal from it, and get the support I did not know I deserved. Today, I do what I can to help raise awareness, and since April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I recorded this special episode with Kayla, SA Coordinator at The Laurel Center, a non-profit located in Winchester, VA which provides 24-7 emergency shelter and services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their dependent children. Kayla shares about the work she does, how survivors can find help, and how friends and family members can support someone they love who finds the courage to share with them what happened. Together, we can break the silence and cycle of violence. Please give it a listen, pass it on, and help raise awareness. Below is a list of upcoming events hosted by The Laurel Center. For more information (dates, times, and locations), visit: thelaurelcenter.org Breaking the silence is the first, and hardest step, in the healing journey. If you believe you are unsafe or abusive situation, you are not alone. Resources like The Laurel Center are available to you 24-7. Not sure if you are in danger? Use this Lethality Assessment to help you understand your threat level. To find help, The Laurel Center directly by phone: 540-667-6466 or on the web: thelaurelcenter.org ❤️ Want to support The Laurel Center? You can make a donation or become a volunteer. Other ways to support are listed on their website. For additional resources, visit my Resources page. LINKS All things Hella Rader: Have a story to share? Or a topic to discuss with me? Submit your idea using this form and I will be in touch. Every link in one place: linktr.ee/hellarader Contact me here: hellarader.com/contact Follow me on Instagram or check out my Website for more about me. To help me record more women’s stories, amplify more women’s voices and celebrate different women’s choices, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to my Substack, follow me on Instagram, and/or, if you prefer to keep it simple, buy me a cup of coffee. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Wednesday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hellarader.substack.com/subscribe

    31 min
  3. The Perfect Storm with Adele Wimsett, Harmonise You (Video Pod)

    APR 8

    The Perfect Storm with Adele Wimsett, Harmonise You (Video Pod)

    In this (video pod) episode of The Stories That Sparkle Podcast, I am joined by Adele Wimsett, women’s health practitioner based in the UK whose practice Harmonise You specializes in the intersection of ADHD, perimenopause and the female nervous system. Because there is too much information out there, I wanted to get good information to you straight from the source. Adele and I discuss her FREE study The Perfect Storm, hormones (the good, the bad, the truth), simple somatic practices to help you regulate, and more. You can watch here on Substack, on my YouTube channel, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And now, I invite you sit back, get comfortable and watch (or listen in). LINKS All things Adele Wimsett: Follow Adele on Instagram: @adele_wimsett Find Adele on Substack: Adele Wimsett Find out more and work with Adele: harmoniseyou.co.uk Download Adele’s FREE study, The Perfect Storm All things Hella Rader: Have a story to share on the podcast? Is there a topic you want to discuss with me? Submit your idea using this form and I will be in touch with you about setting up a recording session. Every link in one place: linktr.ee/hellarader Contact me here: hellarader.com/contact Follow me on Instagram, subscribe to my channel on YouTube.com/@hellarader and learn more about me on my Website. To help me record more women’s stories, amplify more women’s voices and celebrate different women’s choices, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to my Substack, follow me on Instagram, and/or, if you prefer to keep it simple, buy me a cup of coffee. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every other Wednesday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hellarader.substack.com/subscribe

    50 min
  4. Discoball Tour Review & What's Next (Video Pod)

    MAR 25

    Discoball Tour Review & What's Next (Video Pod)

    Howdy! My first ever VIDEO podcast episode of The Stories That Sparkle Podcast is now live—woohoo! To celebrate, I offer you my one-on-one look back on the Discoball Tour (including my key take-aways) and a look ahead for what’s next for the podcast (including a new regular release schedule and topics I want to explore further). Please note: this is not a docu-series episode or behind the scenes footage from the tour—just me, talking, about my experience. For now, this is a special video one-off but who knows, there could be more down the road. First, I need to sort out the details of the tech and audio quality. (Apologies in advance if the video is not on all platforms…you can watch here or on my YouTube channel and those only doing audio, sorry! I will work on that for the next time). To catch all the Discoball Tour podcast (and docu-series) episodes, you can go here, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. And now, without further ado, I invite you sit back, get comfortable and…watch! or listen in…whichever you prefer. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hellarader.substack.com/subscribe

    37 min
  5. Meet People Where They Are (Faith Power, The Laurel Center)

    MAR 18

    Meet People Where They Are (Faith Power, The Laurel Center)

    I am thrilled to participate in this year’s Podcasthon, the world’s largest charity podcast event during which podcasters worldwide release a special episode of their podcast between March 14-20, 2026 and shine a light on a non-profit of their choosing. This dedicated episode of The Stories That Sparkle podcast features The Laurel Center, a non-profit located in Winchester, VA which provides 24-7 emergency shelter and services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence and their dependent children. To learn more about the full range of services The Laurel Center offers to survivors, I sit down with Faith Power, Executive Director, and talk to her about the complexities of being a survivor, the complicated needs they have as they rebuild their lives, and the importance of meeting them where they are. As a survivor myself, this conversation was not only inspiring but also affirming and validating. It reminds me that my healing centers on reclaiming my voice—and the full team at The Laurel Center helps survivors do just that in big and small ways. Not sure if you are in danger? Use this Lethality Assessment to help you understand your threat level. If you believe you are unsafe or abusive situation, you are not alone. Resources like The Laurel Center are available to you 24-7. To find help, The Laurel Center directly by phone: 540-667-6466 or on the web: thelaurelcenter.org ❤️ Want to support The Laurel Center? You can make a donation or become a volunteer. Other ways to support are listed on their website.Now I invite you to get comfortable, sit back, and listen in. For additional resources, visit my Resources page. LINKS All things Hella Rader: Have a story to share? Or a topic to discuss with me? Submit your idea using this form and I will be in touch. Every link in one place: linktr.ee/hellarader Contact me here: hellarader.com/contact Follow me on Instagram or check out my Website for more about me. The Discoball Tour is a 30-day cross country drive I made to record eighteen women’s stories in ten different cities. Along with podcast episodes, I created a companion video blog, the Discoball Tour Docu-Series. New episodes release on Fridays (every other) so subscribe to my Substack or to my channel on YouTube.com/@hellarader for new releases. To help me record more women’s stories, amplify more women’s voices and celebrate different women’s choices, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to my Substack, follow me on Instagram, and/or, if you prefer to keep it simple, buy me a cup of coffee. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Wednesday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hellarader.substack.com/subscribe

    48 min
  6. Move Into More of Myself (Jenn's Story)

    MAR 11

    Move Into More of Myself (Jenn's Story)

    This episode of the Stories That Sparkle Podcast is the last one I recorded on the Discoball Tour and boy am I grateful that this, of all the episodes, is the one I recorded with Jenn. Curled up on the couch in her living room while a kid’s birthday party next door filled the air with sounds of joy, Jenn shares about her experience with postpartum depression, anxiety, and shame, and how, with the support of community, she moved into more of herself. It involved a desire to express more of themselves and explore more of their identity in all that word can include: parent, partner, child, adult, therapist, queer, creative, and Jewish. Jenn is an incredible example of someone willing to step out and say: “Here I am. I am here.” This is the eighteenth recording session of the Discoball Tour, the last one of the tour, and the only one I recorded in Cleveland. Jenn’s thoughtfulness and sweetness are a gift and I am beyond grateful that we reconnected through this and that of all the conversations I had over the four weeks I was on the road, this is the one that closed out the tour. Jenn touched on all the key themes of the tour (Be Ready, Get Ready & Rest. Joy, Delight & Pleasure. Unshame Your Wants & Desires. Risk Stepping Out as Who You Are. I am Home (in Myself). There will be more about all that in an upcoming episode. Now I invite you to get comfortable, sit back, and listen in. LINKS All things Hella Rader: Have a story to share? Or a topic to discuss with me? Submit your idea using this form and I will be in touch. Every link in one place: linktr.ee/hellarader Contact me here: hellarader.com/contact Follow me on Instagram or check out my Website for more about me. The Discoball Tour is a 30-day cross country drive I made to record eighteen women’s stories in ten different cities. Along with podcast episodes, I created a companion video blog, the Discoball Tour Docu-Series. New episodes release on Fridays (every other) so subscribe to my Substack or to my channel on YouTube.com/@hellarader for new releases. To help me record more women’s stories, amplify more women’s voices and celebrate different women’s choices, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to my Substack, follow me on Instagram, and/or, if you prefer to keep it simple, buy me a cup of coffee. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Wednesday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hellarader.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 14m
  7. Follow Your Inner Voice (A Chat with Shara Nova)

    MAR 4

    Follow Your Inner Voice (A Chat with Shara Nova)

    Part trip down memory lane, part real talk about being a woman in the music business (especially a female composer), and part artist-to-artist chit chat, this episode of the Stories That Sparkle Podcast is a wide-ranging conversation between me and Shara Nova, the woman in front of and behind My Brightest Diamond. So grateful my Discoball Tour dates matched up with her schedule so that I could spent two night with her in Detroit, watch her perform as her magical self at The Wasserman Projects fundraising evening, and have this chat about her experience coming up in the music business (we knew each other way back when…I once even tour managed for her in 2006), what it’s like now and where she sees it going from here (in a post-COVID, social media and now also AI world). And for those who know, Hella No Chords makes a cameo appearance at the end of this episode…so thrilling. This is the seventeenth recording session of the Discoball Tour, the second to last one of the tour, and the only one I recorded in Detroit (where I also got to meet up with a new friend, Scott Stabile). At the very tail end of my 30-day driving tour, I was delighted to reconnect with Shara as though no time had passed (the last time we had that kind of time together was at least 16 years ago). Listening back to it now, I am reinspired by all that we chatted about…and really proud of myself for referring to myself as an artist. Ya’ll, that has been the journey of my lifetime and having it come full-circle with such a dear friend is extra magical for me. Thank you Shara Nova for clearing the way for so many and for your generosity of hospitality, creativity and thoughtfulness. I love you! Now I invite you to get comfortable, sit back, and listen in. LINKS LINKS All things Shara Nova: Shara Nova Website: Shara-Nova.com My Brightest Diamond on Instagram: @mybrightestdiamond All things Hella Rader: Every link in one place: linktr.ee/hellarader Contact me here for writing or speaking engagements: hellarader.com/contact Follow me on Instagram or check out my Website for more about me. The Discoball Tour is a 30-day cross country drive I made to record eighteen women’s stories in ten different cities. Along with podcast episodes, I created a companion video blog, the Discoball Tour Docu-Series. New episodes release on Fridays (every other) so subscribe to my Substack or to my channel on YouTube.com/@hellarader for new releases. To help me record more women’s stories, amplify more women’s voices and celebrate different women’s choices, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to my Substack, follow me on Instagram, and/or, if you prefer to keep it simple, buy me a cup of coffee. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Wednesday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hellarader.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 9m
  8. Living the Woo-Woo (Regina's Story)

    FEB 25

    Living the Woo-Woo (Regina's Story)

    When I asked Regina to record an episode of the Stories That Sparkle Podcast with me (as part of the Discoball Tour), she took a risk when she told me she wanted to share about her concept of spirituality. A retired holistic psychotherapist and award-winning author (Courageous Gilbert), Regina talks about how the spiritual connectedness of all beings, how that connection shows up in her daily life, and how she lives the woo-woo. As someone who is quantum physics adjacent when it comes to all things spirituality, I was beyond thrilled to have this conversation with her. This is the sixteenth recording session of the Discoball Tour, and the second one I recorded outside of Chicago. With less than a week to go of my 30-day driving tour, I felt pretty fried when I got to Regina’s house and I am so grateful to her and her husband George for not only their hospitality but also for a safe, peaceful space to rest my heart and mind. So, I invite you to get comfortable, sit back, and listen in. LINKS All things Regina McCarthy: Regina’s award-winning book, Courageous Gilbert, is available for purchase here (signed copy!) Follow Regina on Instagram and hear about upcoming readings, new book releases and more: @courageous_gilbert All things Hella Rader: Every link in one place: linktr.ee/hellarader Contact me here for writing or speaking engagements: hellarader.com/contact Follow me on Instagram or check out my Website for more about me. The Discoball Tour is a 30-day cross country drive I made to record eighteen women’s stories in ten different cities. Along with podcast episodes, I created a companion video blog, the Discoball Tour Docu-Series. New episodes release on Fridays (every other) so subscribe to my Substack or to my channel on YouTube.com/@hellarader for new releases. To help me record more women’s stories, amplify more women’s voices and celebrate different women’s choices, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to my Substack, follow me on Instagram, and/or, if you prefer to keep it simple, buy me a cup of coffee. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Wednesday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hellarader.substack.com/subscribe

    59 min
See All (48)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

I’m Hella Rader—divorced, middle-aged, childless (no cat) lady, the first American of my family, the only daughter born to German immigrant parents, and a full-time writer. The Stories That Sparkle is the space I created for women you have never heard of and could easily pass on the street to share, in their own voices, the intricacies of their stories about starting over in life, building community, inhabiting their bodies and more. With a good sense of humor, open heart and open mind, I let my curiosity lead the way as I explore the very human complexity in others and, in the process, in myself. Because together, we bring light into dark places. New episodes drop every Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts. hellarader.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Hella Rader
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    48
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Rader Ventures
  • Show Website
    The Stories That Sparkle