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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 Dec 22, 2020
Tuesday Dec 15, 2020
Tuesday Dec 15, 2020
Just 8 hours after giving birth, Crystal Webster had to say goodbye to her newborn daughter, Madelyn Elizabeth who she had unknowingly passed a genetic disorder on to. The next five years of Crystal’s life were consumed by a debilitating sense of loss. Doctors told her that the only way that she would get pregnant again was through IVF treatments, but after three failed rounds, she realized she needed to find a way to start living again even if she would never realize her dream of a biological child.
When she was finally ready to move on with her life, putting all of the baby toys and blankets in a closet, out of sight, felt wrong to her: they were not meant to be hidden away like that. It was then that Crystal had the idea to create a community and launched Sharing Solace whose mission is to help grievers feel less alone through their healing process. The gifts from Sharing Solace are meant to be sent from one person to another when it no longer serves them. Each necklace and keychain comes with an inner token to be worn as long as one needs, and then passed on to someone else who needs support.
Madelyn is still an only child, and although Crystal and her husband may never start a family, Crystal now lives her life in a way that brings her joy and has written a book to help others recover from their traumas and losses.
Connect with Crystal:
Website
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
One morning David Richman woke up and realized how unhappy he truly was. While he loved his twin children, his great job in the financial industry, and his friends, he spent most of his time behind his desk, was out of shape and a smoker, and was in a very abusive relationship with an alcoholic partner.
He decided he wanted to live his life for himself and no longer please other people and he embarked on what he describes as a self-empowerment journey. He took his two young children, left his toxic marriage, set goals for himself, and nine months later had stopped smoking, started running, and completed his first Ironman Triathlon.
During this new stage of his life, he received a call from his sister June who told him that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer. Not long afterward, June lost her fight again cancer. Three days after she passed away, he ran for 24 hours straight at the American Cancer Society 24-hour Relay For Life and brought his 9-year old children along who each ran 31 miles that day.
To work through his trauma from his sister’s passing David decided to write his book Cycle Of Lives: 15 stories, 5000 miles, and A Journey Through The Emotional Chaos of Cancer about how people talk about and process cancer. He found that the loss around cancer seems to be a unique kind of grief and that people who believe their stories are nothing more than ordinary are actually the most extraordinary.
Connect with David:
David’s Website
Cycle of Lives
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
Tuesday Dec 01, 2020
By the time Sofia Husnain moved to America at age 11 she’d already been through more than most children her age. She was born in Pakistan and raised by a single mother in a male-dominant society, and because women were not treated as equals, Sofia’s mom had to work hard to keep them safe. They lived most of their life in extreme poverty and fear and Sofia and her sister had no male influence which impacted their relationships as they grew older.
Although life in the US was easier in many ways, Sofia hit her first rock-bottom at the age of 20 when she was diagnosed with an incurable autoimmune disease. Her second rock-bottom came just two years later when her father with whom she’d had limited contact told her that she was not his daughter. After years of searching for herself and being wrapped up in the wrong crowd, Sofia decided to alter her trajectory and opted for an arranged marriage to a man who represented the tradition and comfort she was missing.
In September 2020 she launched the platform Woman Disrupted to support women who have been shaken to the core by adversity and abuse but despite their challenges, have survived. In this episode Sofia shares her story and her vision for helping women who have been hurt change their lives.
Connect With Sofia:
Facebook
Woman Disrupted 2021 Event
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Nov 24, 2020
Tuesday Nov 24, 2020
And Then Everything Changed is taking this week off for the holiday. I hope you have a good holiday and here's what's coming up in December!
Tuesday Nov 17, 2020
Tuesday Nov 17, 2020
At just 24 weeks of gestation, Mike and Gaby Grinberg unexpectedly welcomed their 11-ounce baby, Lana Rose into the world. Gaby hadn’t encountered red flags throughout her early pregnancy but severe severe preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome struck halfway through and caused Lana to be born a micro-preemie –at the time the second smallest micro preemie ever born at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.
Lana spent 6 months in the hospital in the NICU unit and when Gaby and Mike were finally able to bring her home she needed an array of medical equipment and round-the-clock care to keep her healthy and improving. In addition to the stress of new parenthood and a child in need of special care, Gaby lost her job. She and Mike felt the strain in their marriage but knew they would stay together and resolved to do whatever it took to help their family thrive.
Together, in 2017, they started a fully digital marketing company, Proofpoint, so they could stay home to raise Lana who has grown stronger and healthier every day, and build a company with commitment to the values they hold dear. In this episode Gaby and Mike who have a new podcast Mixing Business With Pleasure share their experience of learning how to advocate for themselves and Lana and what life is like for their family five years later.
Connect With Gaby and Mike Grinberg:
Mixing Business With Pleasure Podcast Instagram
Proofpoint Marketing Facebook Page
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
The strongest person Samuel Burwell knew was his father who was his sole parent after Samuel’s mother passed away when he was just 6 years old. Raised by his father and a community of family and friends Samuel learned that hard work and taking care of one another were what help people survive and endure even what seem to be the most hopeless of times.
Throughout his life and up until his death Samuel’s father strove to make a name for himself, create a way forward for his children, and leave a legacy for his family. Even in his last year of life when he was sick from diabetes and suffering from liver damage he refused to slow down and continued building a way forward for his children. When he died in July 2019 Samuel, now a father himself, grieved in isolation, without words for his loss. A year passed and then Samuel admitted his sadness was profound and that he needed to accept help. And when he did he was able to honor his father, continue his legacy, and show up as a parent himself.
Connect With Samuel:
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
After hitting emotional rock bottoms several years ago sisters Dana and Sharon Sberro realized that they no longer wanted to give in to the societal pressure to be perfect they’d felt for years. Facing a darkness they had not known before, they decided to dig deeper and embrace their flaws instead of trying to cover them up. And when they did they discovered their mission.
Together, they formed We Are Suzelle a platform focused on self-love and self-discovery and dedicated to sharing vulnerable content that they believe the world needs right now. In this episode, Dana and Sharon join Ronit from The Netherlands and Israel to talk about their lowest point, how they reclaimed themselves, the truth about social media, and what everyone should know before entering significant relationships.
Connect With Dana and Sharon:
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
This week will be And Then Everything Changed's podcast anniversary! What's in store for episode 50, thank yous, where to find the podcast on social media, and info on reaching out about your story!
Tuesday Oct 20, 2020
Tuesday Oct 20, 2020
Emily Davis knew from a very young age that she saw and felt heard things others didn’t. Throughout the day and even more so at bedtime she had a sense of spirits and magic around her and beings trying to communicate with her. Then, in senior year of high school Emily got into a dangerous relationship with a man that would last for nearly 5 years. During this time his abuse became worse and her intuition and spiritual gifts seemed to disappear. It wasn’t until after they’d married and had 2 children that she was ready to accept help and finally allowed a family member to call the cops.
Once Emily escaped and had a true chance to rebuild her life the way she wanted to, she started to tap into her dormant spirituality and dive deeper into her clairsentience. Emily created a new life for herself and is now a spiritual empowerment coach who focuses on helping people discover their purpose through unblocking and accessing their own intuition and magic. She’s the host of the podcast Perceptionists Anonymous, where she dives into metaphysical concepts and is author of the book Damsel No More, which is designed to help anyone who has been through a traumatic relationship to help break free from old patterns and anxiety and live an empowered life.
Connect With Emily:
Connect With Ronit:
For more about this episode click here!