Episodes

  • Running Wide Open with Brandy Von Holten

    Running Wide Open with Brandy Von Holten
    Nov 12 2024
    54 mins
  • Finding Shoes for the Journey with Shamayne Olivia

    Finding Shoes for the Journey with Shamayne Olivia
    Nov 5 2024

    Shamayne Olivia is an author, a motivational speaker and a difference maker Shamayne's authentic message guides women on a path towards personal and professional growth by fostering a renewed sense of passion, purpose, and confidence. Her workshop empowers women with the essential tools to get unstuck and move beyond the behaviors and patterns preventing them from realizing their full potential.

    Some of our fierce topics today:

    [00: 6;24;] I just one thing about that situation is after he and I did the divorce and we went on our separate paths and we found our, we found what was best for us. He was killed in an accident four years after that.

    [00:12:35] And I had a dream, Toby, it came to me in a dream. And, dreams are special to me, but I only have them occasionally where they speak to me. And this one spoke to me on a level that I had never had before. So I was dreaming that I was going for a walk with a coworker. I worked in corporate America, and we used to walk on our breaks and things like that.

    [00:14:02] And I was sitting there and I when I looked into the mirror, I felt a warmth wash over me and it said, I heard these words in my head, and it said you were going to teach women to find shoes for their journey. And I was I immediately knew that was going to be my mission, my calling.

    [00:25:17] And it was important for me to understand who my support group is and who are the people that I needed boundaries with. Because I had let a lot of people into my life that were not helping me. They were bringing me down or not encouraging. And, it was not good for my life.

    [00:32:43] Well, this is going to be something I when when I first thought about this question, because this was one that you had mentioned that you might ask me, I did some thinking on it and I was trying to think of all those words that inspire people. And the one that came to me just this morning because, that's how a lot of things come to me is right when I need them. My word is women.

    [guest bio] Shamayne’s transformational journey started with a simple question, “Who am I?” He decades-long quest to reclaim her identity led to profound insights and realizations that are the foundation of her business, Shoes that Fit Her Soul, LLC. Links mentioned in this episode:

    [guest]

    https://www.instagram.com/shamayneolivia/

    ____________________________________

    Toby Dorr:

    Books and Audiobook

    Website

    Patreon

    YouTube

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Or head to https://linktr.ee/fierceconversations for all things Fierce Conversations with Toby.

    Credits:

    Created by Toby Dorr.

    Produced by Number Three Productions, a division of GracePoint Publishing.

    Theme song:

    Lisa Plasse: Composer, arranger, and flutist

    Caroline Parody: Piano

    Tony Ventura: Bass

    For more information on these fabulous musicians, please go to https://tobydorr.com/theme-song/
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    38 mins
  • Being Brave and Vulnerable with Kristin Caruso

    Being Brave and Vulnerable with Kristin Caruso
    Oct 1 2024

    Kristin Caruso is a writer, editor, and researcher. She has a background in public relations and print journalism. Before Kristin joined Gaming Historian (hosted by her husband, Norman Caruso), she was an award-winning columnist and reporter. Kristin has a bachelor's degree in communications from Simmons College. Previously, she co-hosted the “Let's Go to Court” podcast. Currently, Kristin and Norm are co-hosts of An Ole Timey Podcast.

    Head to https://www.youtube.com/@fierceconversationswithtoby to find all video interviews!

    Transcripts available at https://tobydorr.com/podcast-schedule/

    Some of our fierce topics today:

    [00:07:11] Writers often struggle with giving up control of their work to others.

    [00:09:47] An email was sent asking to join the novel critique group with a memoir, and it was agreed that it was fine. The chapter shared was so gripping that it was hard to believe it was nonfiction.

    [00:23:40] learned the most about writing and interviewing from Kristin’s high school journalism teacher, Susan Massey.

    [00:25:21] People not from the Midwest often assume that everyone there knows each other, but it’s actually a big place.

    [00:25:35] Kansas City has a small-town feel where it seems like everyone knows everyone.

    About Kristin Caruso:

    Kristin Caruso co-hosts An Old Timey Podcast. The show allows Kristin to justify her late-night deep dives into art heists, royal drama and old timey mysteries. She is a writer, a mutt enthusiast, and is only occasionally inappropriate.

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    Kristin Caruso:

    An Ole Timey Podcast:

    https://linktr.ee/OldTimeyPodcast

    https://www.youtube.com/@GamingHistorian

    https://www.instagram.com/kristinpittscaruso/

    ____________________________________

    Toby Dorr:

    Books and Audiobook

    Website

    Patreon

    YouTube

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Or head to https://linktr.ee/fierceconversations for all things Fierce Conversations with Toby.

    Credits:

    Created by Toby Dorr.

    Produced by Number Three Productions, a division of GracePoint Publishing.

    Theme song:

    Lisa Plasse: Composer, arranger, and flutist

    Caroline Parody: Piano

    Tony Ventura: Bass

    For more information on these fabulous musicians, please go to https://tobydorr.com/theme-song/
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    43 mins
  • It Was God Who Heard My Cry with Jackie Stuckey

    It Was God Who Heard My Cry with Jackie Stuckey
    Sep 17 2024
    As a Reality existential therapist, Jacqueline Stuckey shares with her patients the "choices" they indeed have to improve their lives but may not realize it. She also helps patients assess how they understand their existence in this life. Jackie’s background is in drug and alcohol counseling. Sometimes all you might need is an ear to listen to your most intimate of moments. That’s where she comes in. Head to https://www.youtube.com/@fierceconversationswithtoby to find all video interviews! Transcripts available at https://tobydorr.com/podcast-schedule/ Some of our fierce topics today: [00:02:46] I wanted to stop (drinking), but I didn't know how because I was surrounded by people who drank and nobody was interested in stopping and I couldn't get advice. [00:05:26] I was in a domestic violence situation. So, I'm a survivor. That was hard to deal with. So, I was in two situations. I married two men who were know violent. And not only that, but they were also addicts. The second husband was an addict, and it kept setting me back. Every time he would use, you know, he would run away from the house. He would steal from the house, steal from me. I was working on my undergraduate at the time. And it's very difficult to go to school when you don't know where your husband is, or if he's dead or alive. [00:08:12] It was God who heard my cry when I was drinking and down. I didn't know how to stop; no earthly measures could help me. So I remember praying one night, uh, actually it was one day for God to take my life because I just couldn't continue on that way. [00:16:25] I wanted to be a counselor. I wanted to give back. And so, because she made the enrollment process so comfortable for me, it seems like God just opened the doors for me. [00:23:10] It hides in the dark and it tells you can't talk to anybody about these things. But you can. And once you start talking about shame, when you expose it, but of course you must have a safe space to do it. Then, as you said, the healing can begin. [00:29:35] People shouldn't be afraid to talk about tough, scary, unpleasant issues. About Jacqueline Stuckey: In her stunning memoir, Restoring the Southpaw: Abused Stalked Restored, Jacqueline Stuckey shares that regardless of a life dominated by parental and partner mental and physical abuse, teen pregnancies, addiction, phobias, and anxiety, she came back from the brink of desperation, renewed her strength, and reclaimed a positive productive life beyond her wildest dreams. She restored her life. Links mentioned in this episode: Jacqueline Stuckey: Jackie’s book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/7Zafn8i https://www.facebook.com/jackie.m.stuckey ____________________________________ Toby Dorr: Books and Audiobook Website Patreon YouTube Instagram Facebook Or head to https://linktr.ee/fierceconversations for all things Fierce Conversations with Toby. Credits: Created by Toby Dorr. Produced by Number Three Productions, a division of GracePoint Publishing. Theme song: Lisa Plasse: Composer, arranger, and flutist Caroline Parody: Piano Tony Ventura: Bass For more information on these fabulous musicians, please go to https://tobydorr.com/theme-song/
    Show more Show less
    45 mins
  • From a Life Sentence to Walking in Love with Katrina Butler

    From a Life Sentence to Walking in Love with Katrina Butler
    Sep 3 2024
    Katrina Butler is a certified social impact consultant and a restorative justice facilitator. She is also the author of a book written for children of incarcerated parents. Katrina is a resilient woman who transforms life’s adversities into opportunities that inspire others. She believes in paying it forward by advocating for second chances, trauma-informed care, alternative sentencing and giving voice to those individuals let down by society. Head to https://www.youtube.com/@fierceconversationswithtoby to find all video interviews! Transcripts available at https://tobydorr.com/podcast-schedule/ Some of our fierce topics today: [02:30] I was one (incarcerated parent) that was not lucky enough to have regular visits from my children, or even regular phone calls from my children because they had to take care of themselves. When I left, my 18-year-old daughter got custody of my three younger underage children and they were just trying to make it through life the same way I was on the inside. [05:58] (My book) I took it from my lived experience, but it was just put in my heart to make the character a little boy and him losing his father. So it's about the initial shock of a child losing their parent. The mother is upset. He's saying how his house is just so quiet now, void of the father's presence. He doesn't want to play with his friends. And then in talking to one of his close friends, he finds she has a secret too. [09:13] I left them at a very important part of their life. I missed my youngest daughter's graduation and that hurt me. Especially when I heard her during a phone conversation. She says, Mom, I never thought my graduation would be this way… And yeah, they are incarcerated in their own prison as well with dealing with their own emotions trying to figure things out without the parent there. [00:10:32] trauma comes out in bits and pieces here and there as things happen or things are triggered. [00:12:32] I took my very last check and incorporated my business, Different Souls of One Accord. I got the website, the logo, and it's been existing since. And I am a social impact, project consultant company where I collaborate with different nonprofits and I help build programs that focus on things that I believe will be instrumental to the successful re-entry for individuals. I also provide legal services for men on the inside as well. [00:13:26] I use my lived experience to build programs, the infrastructure for programs that I know will communicate and speak the same language and support those coming home. [00:19:54] It's okay to stand up and say, you know what, this doesn't feel good. This doesn't work for me. And you don't have to be ugly or rude about it. About Katrina Butler: Katrina Butler’s unwavering commitment to advocacy is deeply rooted in her strong spiritual beliefs. With the support of her network, family and close friends, she continues to uphold and promote her principles with integrity, compassion, and determination. Katrina firmly believes in the power of truth and the importance of acknowledging one’s roots. She is known to live by the words, “Never forget where you came from and stand on your truth no matter what.” It is only when we stand on our truth that we can foster personal growth and work toward the betterment of humanity. Links mentioned in this episode: Katrina Butler: https://www.differentsouls1accord.com/ www.sofarsoclose.org So far, So close: Children Coping with the Incarceration of their Loved Ones by Katrina McCutchen Butler ____________________________________ Toby Dorr: Books and Audiobook Website Patreon YouTube Instagram Facebook Or head to https://linktr.ee/fierceconversations for all things Fierce Conversations with Toby. Credits: Created by Toby Dorr. Produced by Number Three Productions, a division of GracePoint Publishing. Theme song: Lisa Plasse: Composer, arranger, and flutist Caroline Parody: Piano Tony Ventura: Bass For more information on these fabulous musicians, please go to https://tobydorr.com/theme-song/
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    44 mins
  • From Safe to Fierce: Fierce Conversations with Toby Podcast Trailer

    From Safe to Fierce: Fierce Conversations with Toby Podcast Trailer
    Aug 31 2024

    Welcome to Fierce Conversations with Toby—where stories of struggle, strength, and transformation take center stage. I’m Toby Dorr, and I believe that every conversation has the power to change lives. Here, we dive deep into the raw, unfiltered moments that shape us, challenge us, and ultimately, set us free. From personal reflections to compelling interviews, join me on a journey of fierce honesty, courageous healing, and bold transformations. Let’s turn pain into power and conversations into catalysts for change.

    Watch the video here!

    Transcripts available at https://tobydorr.com/podcast-schedule/

    Some of our fierce topics today:

    [00:42] - choose the second definition (of fierce) showing a heartfelt and powerful intensity.

    [1:25] - The average person can make a difference and be part of righting a wrong.

    [2:05] - I am not a small talk kind of woman.

    [2:35] - My life's mission is to empower women, leading them to embrace the hard things in their lives and break free from whatever prison confines them.

    About Your Host, Toby Dorr:

    Toby Dorr is a transformational speaker, best-selling author, and the courageous voice behind Fierce Conversations with Toby. Known for her powerful journey from incarceration to inspiration, Toby’s story is one of radical redemption and fierce determination. Through her memoir, Living with Conviction, her poetry collection, and her transformative workbooks in The Unleashed Series, Toby guides others on a path of deep introspection and personal change. She brings her lived experience and fierce grace to every episode, creating a space for honest, impactful conversations that challenge, heal, and inspire. Toby’s mission is to help women break free from their past and reclaim their lives, one fierce conversation at a time.

    Learn more about Toby:

    Books and Audiobook

    Website

    Patreon

    YouTube

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Or head to https://linktr.ee/fierceconversations for all things Fierce Conversations with Toby.

    Credits:

    Created by Toby Dorr.

    Produced by Number Three Productions, a division of GracePoint Publishing.

    Theme song:

    Lisa Plasse: Composer, arranger, and flutist

    Caroline Parody: Piano

    Tony Ventura: Bass

    For more information on these fabulous musicians, please go to https://tobydorr.com/theme-song/
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    3 mins
  • Deciding Who Gets to Be Human with Bex Gunn

    Deciding Who Gets to Be Human with Bex Gunn
    Aug 20 2024

    Bex Gunn considers herself a nomad. She’s lived in 8 different states and seems to be able to find herself at home in just about any social circle. Music, tattooing, and poetry are the hobbies she’s most passionate about. But her biggest purpose is helping people through the human experience, with love and kindness.

    Head to https://www.youtube.com/@fierceconversationswithtoby to find all video interviews!

    Transcripts available at https://tobydorr.com/podcast-schedule/

    Some of our fierce topics today:

    [02:45] The hardest decision that I ever had to make was leaving my kids behind because I was in active addiction and I had to leave the state because I couldn't stop using.

    [14:45] Therapy is what helped me. And the reason I think that is because everybody that I know who has a form of addiction has an underlying mental illness that's not being treated. And I think that's, where we're failing as a society is because we're looking at mental illness and addiction as two separate things.

    [20:38] People who are incarcerated need some sort of advocate for their basic human rights - to be treated like human beings.

    [00:25:52] They're breeding recidivism just to make money. And, I don't think they're doing it just inside the correctional system. I think it's inside the judicial system too, because every time you take an inmate from El Paso County jail, (yeah, I'm calling them out) - every time they take an inmate from El Paso County Jail over to the courthouse, they get $100.

    [00:29:50] I mean, honestly, it's like our country has gotten so big and full of itself that we've decided who gets to be human beings and who doesn't. And that's really disappointing.

    [00:35:30] Accountability is super important, and it took a long time for me to get to that point where I was like, oh, I did this. I'm responsible for that because the only thing I can control, the only emotions and behaviors I can control is me. And so, I need to make sure that I control that because, like you said, if I'm putting out like anger and negative energy and vibrations, that actually attracts those kind of vibrations towards you.

    [00:40:45] And you're really only living half of a life. You're not unlocked because you're still holding stuff in for yourself and you gotta get rid of that. You gotta shed that part of your life so you can build a new one. I've lived like eight lives in this lifetime.

    About Bex Gunn

    Bex Gunn is a unique individual, rich with wisdom from life’s lessons. A conversation with her will open your eyes. Here’s one of my favorite Bex quotes, “music is what feelings sound like.”

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    Bex Gunn:

    https://www.facebook.com/florasunshine

    ____________________________________

    Toby Dorr:

    Books and Audiobook

    Website

    Patreon

    YouTube

    Instagram

    Facebook

    Or head to https://linktr.ee/fierceconversations for all things Fierce Conversations with Toby.

    Credits:

    Created by Toby Dorr.

    Produced by Number Three Productions, a division of GracePoint Publishing.

    Theme song:

    Lisa Plasse: Composer, arranger, and flutist

    Caroline Parody: Piano

    Tony Ventura: Bass

    For more information on these fabulous musicians, please go to https://tobydorr.com/theme-song/

    Show more Show less
    50 mins
  • Life's Turning Points with Alexa Bigwarfe

    Life's Turning Points with Alexa Bigwarfe
    Aug 6 2024
    Head to https://www.youtube.com/@fierceconversationswithtoby to find all video interviews! Transcripts available at https://tobydorr.com/podcast-schedule/ Alexa Bigwarfe is a USA Today best-selling author and the founder and CEO of Write|Publish|Sell, a company dedicated to helping authors professionally self-publish and market their books. Her courses and training focus on author platform growth and creative ways to market books, especially for those who know nothing about marketing. She is also the founder and host of the Women in Publishing Summit and owns two publishing houses. In her spare time, she writes RomComs, usually set in Paris, France. Some of our fierce topics today: [09:48] You can't run from it. I mean, trust me, I tried and one of my scenarios was I just kept myself as busy as I didn't realize that I was doing it, but until years of therapy showed me this, but I just kept myself so busy and just adding more and more and more. And, you know, stuffing it all down. [12:58] When the event is super, super traumatic, it's really hard to find gratitude. [16:59] But one of the things that it's ironic, God places people in your life that you just need to know, about a year and a half before she transferred and, became the commander of our organization, her 20 year old was killed in an accident. And, she had also lost a baby at birth. Even though I had left the military by this point in time, we stayed in touch. She was just a beacon of light for me. [00:18:16] I have been very rich when it comes to finding people who have mentored me and helped me through different pieces of this journey, and I'm just, I'm so grateful to them, and so I try to also give that back to other people whenever the opportunity arises. [00:24:05] I chose to not stay stuck where I was. And that was really scary because when you've lost a child, it's very hard to stop grieving because you feel like you're afraid that you may forget them or that you're doing a disservice. I named my first company after her Kat Biggie Press and it's kept her very, very present in everything that I do. About Alexa Bigwarfe: Alexa Bigwarfe is the founder of Kat Biggie Press, Write-Publish-Sell, and the Women In Publishing annual Summit. Over the last decade she’s helped thousands of authors through webinars, conferences, coaching, and services. Her team learns from and improves, honing skills as experts in the publishing and book marketing world, with every project they touch. Alexa is passionate about her role as an author advocate. Links mentioned in this episode: Alexa Bigwarfe: https://writepublishsell.com/ https://womeninpublishingsummit.com/ https://katbiggiepress.com/ ____________________________________ Toby Dorr: Books and Audiobook Website Patreon YouTube Instagram Facebook Or head to https://linktr.ee/fierceconversations for all things Fierce Conversations with Toby. Credits: Created by Toby Dorr. Produced by Number Three Productions, a division of GracePoint Publishing. Theme song: Lisa Plasse: Composer, arranger, and flutist Caroline Parody: Piano Tony Ventura: Bass For more information on these fabulous musicians, please go to https://tobydorr.com/theme-song/
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    36 mins