Welcome to Real Talk with Tina and Ann!

Season 3

November 25, 1975: 50 years after the loss of my Dad
Nov. 25, 2025

November 25, 1975: 50 years after the loss of my Dad

Send us a text The Tuesday before Thanksgiving can feel ordinary—until it isn’t. Fifty years ago, a dad kissed his child goodbye and didn’t come home, and that single day rewrote every holiday that followed. We open the door to that memory and walk through its rooms: the neighbor who showed up at s…
Guests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr_7t4UQhRI , My dad
Even Here, We Are Thankful
Nov. 25, 2025

Even Here, We Are Thankful

Send us a text A glossy holiday is easy to post, but the real story of Thanksgiving often lives in the places that ache. This year, our table looks different—empty chairs, fading memories, and traditions that no longer fit who we are now. Still, gratitude finds a seat beside grief. We talk about th…
Beyond Shame: The Freedom of Hearing “It’s Not Your Fault with RJ Formanek on Living with FASD part 2
Nov. 19, 2025

Beyond Shame: The Freedom of Hearing “It’s Not Your Fault with RJ Formanek on Living with FASD part 2

Send us a text We dig into life with FASD beyond labels: how shame warps identity, how routines protect mornings, and why late-blooming brains change everything. RJ shares the red shoes origin, practical language for kids, and a hopeful path from rage to self‑acceptance. • removing shame and naming…
What Happens When We Finally Hear It’s Not Your Fault: Rj Formanek's story
Nov. 12, 2025

What Happens When We Finally Hear It’s Not Your Fault: Rj Formanek's story

Send us a text We share real, lived experiences from someone navigating life with FASD: the diagnosis, the data, and the dignity that often get lost in the conversation. Together, we unpack the daily struggles and the deep relief that comes from hearing the words, “It’s not your fault.” What follow…
Guest: RJ Formanek
From Grief to Justice on Death Row: Sophia Laurenzi’s Journey
Nov. 5, 2025

From Grief to Justice on Death Row: Sophia Laurenzi’s Journey

Send us a text We share Sophia Lorenzi’s path from losing her father to suicide to investigating death row cases, tracing how grief, stigma, trauma, and systems shape lives. The heart of the talk: seeing people fully, not as problems to fix, and building care long before crisis. • how invisible cri…
Guest: Sophia Laurenzi
Hot Flashes, Cold Takes, And Why Trucker Hats Are Ageless: Aging OutLOUD with Angela Burk
Oct. 29, 2025

Hot Flashes, Cold Takes, And Why Trucker Hats Are Ageless: Aging OutLOUD with Angela Burk

Send us a text Midlife isn’t a slow fade; it’s a volume knob. We sit down with Angela, the force behind Real Girls Guide and RGG55, to rewrite the script on aging and claim midlife as a comeback. From the lost folder that sparked her book to the candid truths she shares about hormones, identity, an…
Guest: Angela Burk
How A Young Child Witnessed Exile And Turned Pain Into Power: Ana Hebra Flaster's Story Part 2
Oct. 22, 2025

How A Young Child Witnessed Exile And Turned Pain Into Power: Ana Hebra Flaster's Story Part 2

Send us a text An Interview with Author of Property of the Revolution! This is part 2! A Cuban family escapes with 48 hours’ notice and rebuilds a life defined by work, honor and love, seen through the eyes of a six-year-old who learns to turn pain into power. We trace culture, politics, and identi…
The Heart Remembers: A Young Cuban Immigrant’s Story of Escape, Family, and Finding Home
Oct. 15, 2025

The Heart Remembers: A Young Cuban Immigrant’s Story of Escape, Family, and Finding Home

Send us a text A motorcycle in the barrio. Forty‑eight hours to leave. A nearly six‑year‑old whose world narrows to the sound of an engine and the shape of fear—then widens again across an ocean. We welcome author Ana Hebra Flaster to explore her memoir, Property of the Revolution, and the intimate…
Guest: Ana Hebra Flaster
How trauma shaped us, how truth freed us, and how we learned to love differently.
Oct. 8, 2025

How trauma shaped us, how truth freed us, and how we learned to love differently.

Send us a text What if the love you learned was never love at all—but performance, peacekeeping, and fear dressed up as care? Ann sits down with Denise Bard to tell the truth about growing up inside conditional love, the survival roles that helped them get through, and the slow, stubborn work of bu…
Building Kids Who Can Stand on Their Own: A Recipe for Raising Today’s Youth
Oct. 1, 2025

Building Kids Who Can Stand on Their Own: A Recipe for Raising Today’s Youth

Send us a text Randi Crawford, certified life coach and TEDx speaker, joins us to share her “Pickleball Parenting” philosophy. It is a fresh, practical approach to raising resilient kids who can face challenges with confidence and independence. In this episode, Randi talks about the ways modern par…
What Happens When Everything You Know Is a Lie? An Interview with novelist Leslie Rasmussen
Sept. 24, 2025

What Happens When Everything You Know Is a Lie? An Interview with novelist Leslie Rasmussen

Send us a text What happens when everything you believe about your family turns out to be a lie? In this gripping conversation with novelist Leslie Rasmussen, we dive deep into her latest work, "When People Leave, Love Lies and Finding the Truth" – a story that will resonate with anyone who's ever …
Guest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSHwng3-9g0
Joy and Grief are Companions
Sept. 17, 2025

Joy and Grief are Companions

Send us a text Tina and Ann explore the complex relationship between joy and grief, examining how these seemingly opposite emotions often coexist and even strengthen each other. They share personal stories of experiencing both simultaneously and discuss strategies for allowing both emotions to brea…
Unmasking Brilliance: Living Boldly with ADHD in a Neurotypical World
Sept. 10, 2025

Unmasking Brilliance: Living Boldly with ADHD in a Neurotypical World

Send us a text Ron Souers joins us to explore how ADHD minds can transform perceived weaknesses into remarkable strengths through self-discovery, mindfulness, and acceptance. We examine the experience of navigating a neurotypical world with a neurodivergent brain and uncover practical strategies fo…
Guest: Ron Souers
MentalHappy: Tamar Blue’s Mission to Make Mental Health Available to All
Sept. 3, 2025

MentalHappy: Tamar Blue’s Mission to Make Mental Health Available to All

Send us a text Tamar Blue, founder and CEO of Mental Happy, shares how she transformed her personal struggles with anxiety into a groundbreaking digital platform for accessible mental health support. Her HIPAA-compliant service provides expert-led support groups where people of all backgrounds can …
Guest: Tamar Blue
When Love Changes Form: Staying Connected After Loss with Tony Stewart
Aug. 27, 2025

When Love Changes Form: Staying Connected After Loss with Tony Stewart

Send us a text What happens when love continues beyond goodbye? Tony Stewart's journey with his wife Lynn reveals a profound truth many of us fear facing: grief's deepest waters can hold unexpected beauty. Tony's memoir "Carrying the Tiger" chronicles their 30-year love story that evolved through c…
Blessed and highly favored: One lady’s story of growing programs for youth & transforming community
Aug. 20, 2025

Blessed and highly favored: One lady’s story of growing programs for youth & transforming community

Send us a text Miss Betty Smith shares her incredible journey from childhood poverty to creating a state-of-the-art arts education center that transforms young lives in Canton, Ohio. At 84, she dances in parades, leads drumlines, and builds programs that give children alternatives to gang recruitme…
Guest: Betty Smith
Chiseling through Trauma: The Jon Hair story part 2
Aug. 13, 2025

Chiseling through Trauma: The Jon Hair story part 2

Send us a text Sculptor Jon Hair’s life is a masterclass in perseverance and purpose. Abandoned by his mother and raised in poverty and an orphanage called The Home for the Friendless, Jon’s journey from hardship to hope is nothing short of extraordinary. In this episode, he shares how he transform…
Guest: Jon Hair
The Power of Positive Thinking: Redirecting Your Thoughts for Success
Aug. 8, 2025

The Power of Positive Thinking: Redirecting Your Thoughts for Success

Send us a text Ann explores the power of manifesting through intention and action rather than perfectionism, inspired by Halle Berry's insight about focusing on what we want instead of what we don't want. • Manifesting isn't about magic but about aligning thoughts, beliefs, and actions • You don't …
From Orphanage to Olympic Sculptor: Jon Hair's Remarkable Journey
Aug. 6, 2025

From Orphanage to Olympic Sculptor: Jon Hair's Remarkable Journey

Send us a text Jon Hair's journey from a one-room schoolhouse basement to becoming the official Olympic sculptor exemplifies resilience and determination against overwhelming odds. His inspiring story shows how talent combined with extraordinary persistence can overcome childhood trauma, family aba…
Guest: Jon Hair
The Weight of Silence: Family Secrets and Identity
July 30, 2025

The Weight of Silence: Family Secrets and Identity

Send us a text Ann and returning guest Denise Bard explore how family secrets shape our identity, relationships, and sense of self, inspired by the Mariska Hargitay documentary "My Mom, Jane." They share personal experiences with secrets kept from them that affected their core identities and discus…
Guest: Denise Bard
Let's Talk Self-Worth with the Founder of the Self-Worth Initiative
July 23, 2025

Let's Talk Self-Worth with the Founder of the Self-Worth Initiative

Deborah Weed, creator of The Luckiest Penny musical and founder of the Self-Worth Initiative, went from being bedridden and broken to becoming a fierce advocate for self-worth. After learning that a rare 1943 copper penny was worth over a million dollars, she had a powerful realization: even things…
Guest: Deborah Weed
From Breaking News to Inner Peace: Emmy Award-Winning Journalist George Noleff
July 16, 2025

From Breaking News to Inner Peace: Emmy Award-Winning Journalist George Noleff

Send us a text What makes George's story so compelling isn't just his professional evolution but the profound personal transformations that accompanied it. After reaching nearly 400 pounds and receiving a stark health warning, he underwent gastric bypass surgery, losing 140 pounds and regaining con…
Guest: George Noleff
ADHD in Women with Dr. Jennifer Dall: Diagnosed at 53
July 9, 2025

ADHD in Women with Dr. Jennifer Dall: Diagnosed at 53

Send us a text What happens when a neurodivergent specialist discovers she's been living with undiagnosed ADHD for over five decades? Dr. Jennifer Dall takes us through her extraordinary journey from confusion to clarity after receiving her ADHD diagnosis at age 53. Despite her doctorate in educati…
Guest: Dr. Jennifer Dall
Monsters with a Mission: How Sarah Sparks Is Helping Kids Tame Big Emotions
July 2, 2025

Monsters with a Mission: How Sarah Sparks Is Helping Kids Tame Big Emotions

Send us a text What happens when a devastating brain injury leads to an unexpected creative breakthrough? For Sarah Sparks, it meant birthing the "Monsters on Mill Street" series – vibrant, heartfelt stories that are transforming how children handle big emotions and life's challenges. Sarah's journ…
Guest: Sarah Sparks