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Take a deep dive into a featured guest’s personal history; the pivotal moments of their childhood and adulthood that defined them and the crucial and sometimes painful decisions they made that forever changed the course of their lives. Each episode of And Then Everything Changed is an intimate conversation; sometimes funny, sometimes profound. Hosted by Ronit Plank. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com More about WHEN SHE COMES BACK, a memoir: https://ronitplank.com/book/ More about HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE, a short story collection: https://ronitplank.com/home-is-a-made-up-place/ Sign up for monthly podcast and writing updates: https://bit.ly/33nyTKd Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/
Episodes
Tuesday Sep 14, 2021
Tuesday Sep 14, 2021
When Allison Hong Merrill was growing up in the slums of Taiwan her family was riddled with cycles of alcoholism and domestic violence. She couldn’t imagine a different life until she met Mormon missionaries, began attending church, and witnessed, for the first time, families who cared for one another. She became more and more active in the church and eventually fell in love, moving to the US to be with her American husband. But soon after, he abandoned Allison, took her money, and left her alone in her new country with no resources.
In this episode, Allison, whose new memoir Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops is out this month, shares how she found strength, created a new life for herself, and what her past has helped her understand.
Connect With Allison:
Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ninety-Nine-Fire-Hoops-Allison-Merrill/dp/1647421896
Allison's Website: www.allisonhongmerrill.com,
Allison's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allison.hong.merrill
Allison's Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/xieshou
Allison's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allisonhongmerrill
About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA
Thursday Sep 02, 2021
Thursday Sep 02, 2021
Sonia Frontera, a collaborative divorce lawyer and author of divorce and relationship-related books, survived a 7-year toxic marriage. She married at 24 and on the flight to her honeymoon right after the wedding, her husband became a whole new person. He went from a loving man to a violent controlling one. For years she suffered behind closed doors because of fear of judgement from her family and the Church but when she finally had enough, they divorced. She has now been happily married for 21 years and helps other women navigate divorce and regaining independence from their toxic relationships.
She is a domestic violence advocate and shares that domestic violence is not just physical violence. Her books include workbooks to follow along with, so the reader can find the answer themselves.
Domestic Violence Hotline: 1.800.799.SAFE
Connect with Sonia:
Website: www.soniafrontera.com
Sonia’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sistersguides/
Sonia’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/FronteraSonia
Author of Solve the Divorce Dilemma: Do You Keep Your Husband or Do You Post Him on Craigslist?
and Relationship Solutions: Effective Strategies to Heal Your Heart and Create the Happiness You Deserve
About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
Tuesday Aug 31, 2021
A few months after Myriam Steinberg turned forty, she decided she couldn’t wait any longer to become a mother. She made the difficult decision to begin the process of conceiving a child without a partner. With her family and friends to support her, she picked a sperm donor and was on her way.
But Myriam’s journey was far from straightforward. She experienced the soaring highs and devastating lows of becoming pregnant and then losing her babies. She grappled with the best decision to make when choosing donors or opting for a medical procedure. She experienced first-hand the silences, loneliness, and taboos that come with experiences of fetal loss. Unafraid to publicize her experiences, though, she found that, in return, friends and strangers alike started sharing their own fertility stories with her. Although the lack of understanding and language around fetal loss and grief often made it very hard to navigate everyday life, she nonetheless found solace in the community around her who rallied to support her through her journey.
In this episode Myriam shares her story, how her graphic memoir came to be and what her life is like now years after her fertility journey began.
Connect with Myriam:
Myriam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catalogue_baby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cataloguebaby
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@myriam_writes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myriam.steinberg
About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Calling all romantics, writers, and memoir lovers--this episode is for you! When Joanna Rakoff, best selling author of A Fortunate Age and My Salinger Year (now also a movie starring Sigourney Weaver and Margaret Qualley), took a job at a storied New York literary agency back in her twenties she had no idea her experience there answering letters addressed to J.D. Salinger about Catcher in the Rye and assisting the author himself would shape her life for decades to come. In this episode we dive deep into the book that would change everything for her career and Joanna tells the story of marrying the wrong man, reuniting with the right man, and how they found a life together long after she thought they had missed their chance.
Connect with Joanna:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joannarakoff/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannarakoff
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joanna.rakoff
Website: http://www.joannarakoff.com/
Watch My Salinger Year here: https://www.amazon.com/My-Salinger-Year-Margaret-Qualley/dp/B08XST93XK/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=My+Salinger+Year&qid=1629149640&s=instant-video&sr=1-1
About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here! https://andtheneverythingchangedpodcast.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlankCreative/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlSZFpcksgdHopmBLUXfLA
Thursday Aug 05, 2021
Thursday Aug 05, 2021
When Scott Medlin returned from his second deployment to Iraq he didn’t realize he was suffering from PTSD, but knew something was wrong. He experienced confusion and anger and struggled with alcohol and didn’t know how to get back to who he was before entering the marine corp. Though he never regretted his decision to serve his country he often felt he was on an emotional rollercoaster. As he began to work on himself he came to understand that humans are not machines and the brain is not built for the kind of stress that combat brings. His need to protect and give back led him to the police force where he has served since then but in January 2020 he learned the scope of mental health issues and the suicide rate among cops. In this episode Scott shares what he’s learned about trauma and its effect on law enforcement, and how in writing his new book and lecturing he has become an advocate for mandatory mental health support for officers.
Connect with Scott:
Scott's Book: 101 Health Tips For Police Officers: How To Be Physically, Mentally, Spiritually, and Socially Fit For Duty https://bit.ly/101HealthTipsForPoliceOfficers
Scott's Youtube: https://bit.ly/LawEnforcementMotivation
Scott's Book: Mental Health Fight Of The Heroes In Blue: How To Mentally Survive Working as a Police Officer https://bit.ly/MentalHealthHeroesBook
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
Tuesday Aug 03, 2021
When Danielle Simone Brand began researching cannabis years ago she had no idea she would become a full-fledged canna-mom and even write a book about how helpful weed can be to mental and physical health and to a sense of well-being so many mothers miss while raising their families. Her book Weed Mom, The Canna-Curious Woman's Guide to Healthier Relaxation, Happier Parenting, and Chilling TF Out, is made for busy moms and debunks the “lazy stoner” stereotype and details the health benefits of weed and how it can help with pain, sleep, anxiety and improve sex. The book also covers the types of cannabis products available, the status of legalization in the U.S. and the history of incarceration for marijuana possession and its impact on brown and Black communities. In this episode, Danielle joins me to share her story of quitting alcohol, diving into the world of cannabis, and becoming a full fledged weed mom.
Connect with Danielle:
Instagram @daniellesimonebrand
Facebook @WeedMomAuthor
About Ronit‘s book When She Comes Back: https://ronitplank.com/book/
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
Tuesday Jul 27, 2021
A quick message to say hi and thank you for tuning in to And Then Everything Changed which is nearing its second birthday and 100 episodes! It's been a privilege to interview guests of all ages, backgrounds, nationalities, and experiences and learn how they became the compassionate and resilient people they are today.
With my book When She Comes Back just published and my short story collection Home is A Made-Up Place due out this spring, plus some exciting projects in the works, the podcast will go to an every-two-week format. I have many episodes in the works including 2-part interviews with beloved authors, anniversary swag, and book giveaways coming soon!
-You can find more out about my latest articles, my memoir and even listen to a sample of the audiobook here: https://ronitplank.com/book/
-And you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter here: https://ronitplank.com/blog/
-And you can follow me on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/
Thank you so much for tuning in to And Then Everything Changed!
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
Tuesday Jul 20, 2021
When she least expected it writer and teacher Jacqueline Genovese became a mother after her older sister made her guardian of her two children before she lost the battle with cancer. Jacqueline built a life for her new son and daughter and soon, a third child, while managing her career and nurturing her marriage. Over the next few years she would lose another sister and then her mother to cancer and her marriage would end.
As her children grew she became fascinated with the toll a life of service can take, especially for those in medicine and the military. Today she is Executive Director of the Medicine & the Muse Program at Stanford and teaches War Literature & Writing class for military affiliated students where she focuses on the intersection of literature and medicine and the power of writing to lift and support military veterans and help them process what they have been through. In this episode Jacqueline shares the story of adopting her sister’s young children, holding space for the trauma doctors and veterans experience, and what she’s learned about loving through loss.
Connect with Jacqueline:
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
Tuesday Jul 13, 2021
In 2018 Artisha Bolding was working 50- to 60-hour weeks and becoming more and more unhappy. She was unsettled and frustrated in her marriage and thinking of leaving her husband and knew she wanted a different career path. As she worked more and more, her health began to suffer but though she became very sick she continued to put in long hours. Soon she was hospitalized with heart and lung complications and nearly lost her life. Through her hospitalization and long recovery her husband did not leave her side and she realized she wanted to save their marriage. Today they are still together and happier than ever, she’s left the job she hated behind, and now she helps other women find their passion and live more peacefully. In this episode we talk relationships, health, and what to do when change comes calling.
Connect with Artisha:
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Tuesday Jul 06, 2021
Gender equality advocate and author of the book I Took Her Name, Shu Matsuo Post grew up in a very patriarchal society. Through Japanese media and at school he grew to understand what was expected of him as a man. He didn’t learn about feminism and gender equality until he met his wife who helped him grasp what being a feminist meant. She didn’t want to take his last name so when they got married they combined their last names, but in Japan where they now live that isn’t recognized so, he decided to take her name. As his worldview became more and more feminist he noticed all the ways sexism affects life in Japan, from the language to the absence of paternity leave. In this episode Shu shares the story of becoming a full-fledged feminist, his views on toxic masculinity, and what changes he’s pushing for in Japan.
Connect with Shu Matsuo Post:
Amazon page:https://geni.us/ITookHerName
Website: shumatsuopost.com/en
Book website: itookhername.com
Instagram @shumatsuopost
Facebook @ITookHerName
YouTube @ITookHerName
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!