I've Been Better

53: w/ Lauren Harris on becoming a bionic woman at 25

As we wrap up season 9 of IBB, join host Susan and her friend Lauren Harris as they hold space to discuss undergoing physical and medical trauma in your 20s, being an aunt to 10, and really resonating with Sia's hit song, Titanium. 
 
Lauren grew up split between Lynchburg, VA and Kernersville, NC. After high school, Lauren moved to Raleigh to attend NC State (go pack) and study business administration. After graduation, she started work at a local staffing organization focusing mainly on their technical side of recruiting. Lauren now works as a Managing Consultant at a software implementation company that focuses on Staffing Software. 
A fun fact about Lauren is she has never tried a PB&J! But she also had both of her hips replaced at once!
 
CW: medical truama, autoimmune conditions and diseases, hospital stay, surgery, mental health
 
Check out Magic Mind today! 
Be sure to go to:
https://www.magicmind.com/beenbetter
and get 20% off your first one-time purchase by using the code BEENBETTER20 at checkout. 

52: w/ Clare Kurdys on what it means to be radical: in life, in work, and in horny fan fiction

On this week’s episode of IBB, host Susan sits down with friend and gamer Clare Kurdys. The two begin the conversation talking about writing fan fiction, but then the story evolves into how Clare has embraced being radical in every aspect of her life. 
Clare is an independent legal researcher and drafter. She attended UNC Chapel Hill for both undergrad and Law School, and lives with her husband, Brian, and her dog, Clementine. Ever since 2020, Clare has become increasingly more radical in her understanding of the world and herself, and strongly advocating for the rights and welfare of those around her. 
CW: mental health, suicidal ideation, mental health, violent crime, sexually explicit conversations 
 
Check out Magic Mind today! 
Go to
https://www.magicmind.com/beenbetter
and get 20% off your first one-time purchase by using the code BEENBETTER20 at checkout. 

51: w/ Deanna Bullard on beers with dad even after he's gone

On this week's episode, join host Susan and friend/fellow DPC member, Deanna Bullard, as the two talk books, Alzheimer's disease, and caretaking for a parent with a terminal illness. 
 
Deanna works in higher education in North Carolina. She recently participated in her first Walk to End Alzheimer's with a team of supportive friends and raised money for the Alzheimer's Association. In her free time, Deanna enjoys reading and spending time with friends, family, and pets. She has also been doing things like making jewelry, cross-stitching, etc. Deanna loves going to the movies and tends to watch a lot of reality TV.
 
CW: death and dying, Alzheimer's disease, terminal illness, caretaking, mental health, hospice
 
Instagram: @djwiddled
Alzheimer's Association | Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Help
Bringing Light to Alzheimer's | Hilarity For Charity (wearehfc.org)
Check out Magic Mind today! 
For 20% off your first one-time purchase, go to magicmind.com and use the code BEENBETTER at checkout. 
 

50: w/ Harrison Luttman on what it means to become a father

On episode 50, join host Susan as she sits down with close friend, Harrison Luttman, to talk about becoming a dad, including all the things society forgets to warn you about. 
 
Harrison identifies as an energetic spontaneous dad of 2 kiddos trying not to drive my wonderful wife crazy. He is a fan of doing everything possible to help others, spending time on the Golf course, and fixing on cars. Harrison works as an engineer in North Carolina. 
 
CW: pregnancy, birth, postpartum, parenthood
 
Check out Magic Mind today! 
For 20% off your first one-time purchase, go to magicmind.com and use the code BEENBETTER at checkout. 
 

49: w/ Marisa Huffman on your ego influencing what is weakness and strength, in and out of the gym

On this week's episode of IBB, our host Susan sits down with co-owner of Raleigh's Glow Fitness, Marisa Huffman. The two discuss uprooting your life for a dream you didn't know you had, redefine weakness and strength, and finding community. 
 
Marisa’s love for athleticism began when she was just old enough to start playing soccer and continued to grow throughout the years with sports and dance. After a year of taking indoor cycling and HIIT classes as a young adult, Marisa was asked to transfer her energy as a participant, to that of an instructor. At the same time, she was struggling to find happiness with her career in public accounting and found being an instructor to be the perfect part-time getaway gig. She never would have guessed this would lead to her recruitment at a start-up studio, what we all know now as GLOW. Continually pursuing further education and certifications in her new field, Marisa finds fulfillment in sharing her knowledge and helping others with their fitness and health journeys. In her free time, Marisa can be found playing with her pup, rollerblading, or exploring local events.
 
CW: COVID-19, isolation, mental health, therapy, medication, disordered eating
 
Instagram: @glow.with.ris
GLOW Fitness: @glow_raleigh
 
Check out Magic Mind today! 
For 56% off your first subscription OR 20% off your first one-time purchase, go to https://www.magicmind.com/JANbeenbetter and use the code BEENBETTER20 at checkout. 

48: w/ Trent Stanforth on teeing up again after an unexpected loss

Welcome back to I've Been Better, Season 9! 
To kick things off, IBB host Susan sits down with friend and fellow DPC member, Trent Stanforth, to hold space as Trent shares about the unexpected and tragic death of his father. We explore feelings of possible disappointment, engineering and golf, and the power of the universe. 
 
Trent works as a STEM Outreach Coordinator for BioNetwork, a community college initiative that promotes life science careers and industries in North Carolina. His core passion is outdoor and informal education. He is a NC State graduate with a B.S. in Natural Resources and a NC certified environmental educator. He and his wife Amanda have been married for almost 4 years and happily own a house in east Raleigh with 2 incredible cats, Arya and Tyrion. He enjoyes being outside, seeing friends, traveling, and Nintendo video games (especially Legend of Zelda ☺️).
 
CW: death, loss, drowning, grief, funeral planning
Instagram: @tmstanforth
Check out Magic Mind today! 
For 56% off your first subscription OR 20% off your first one-time purchase, go to https://www.magicmind.com/JANbeenbetter and use the code BEENBETTER20 at checkout. 
 

47: w/ Kendall Phillips on putting yourself and your interests first during a worldwide pandemic

On our final episode of season 8, IBB host Susan sits down with colleague turned friend, Kendall Phillips, to talk about her role as the pandemic began, and learning how to prioritize yourself when the burnout hits.
 
Kendall Phillips is a public health professional who is currently finishing her graduate degree. She has primarily worked in health education and health communication on a variety of public health topics, but her favorites are maternal child health, reproductive health, child injury prevention and harm reduction. After moving to Raleigh, she picked up a side gig that utilizes her love of all things pop culture and is now a music bingo and trivia host. She loves roller skating, making charcuterie boards, and watching reality competition shows. She also has 4 chickens and is looking for coop name suggestions! 
CW: COVID-19, pandemic response, mental health, burnout, therapy 
 
Instagram: @heyk_shae
 
Trivia: Hammered Trivia

46: w/ Erin Kelly on learning that tears are just water from your eyes

On this week’s episode of IBB, join our host Susan as she talks with esthetician turned friend, Erin Kelly, about the transition to motherhood and rediscovering your passions. 
Erin Kelly is a licensed Esthetician and makeup artist. She has been in the beauty industry for 10 years and specializes in event makeup. Her style of makeup is about enhancing someone's features, not covering up what makes someone unique. She is a creative at heart. Erin’s biggest focus right now is spending time with her son and raising a kind, compassionate human being. She also has 2 dogs that keep the family pretty busy. A fun fact about Erin is, she used to paint the Travelocity gnome! 
CW: postpartum depression, childbirth, suicidal ideation, mental health
 
Instagram: @erinkellymakeup
website: www.erinkellymakeup.com

45: w/ Tony Templeton on knowing why he’s still standing

On episode 45, IBB host Susan talks with friend Tony Templeton about his life experiences, including the many traumas and trials he’s encountered along the way. 
Tony is just a regular millennial trying to make it in society. He has two bachelors degrees, Sports Medicine & Sports Management from Indiana University. his greatest  accomplishment is still being here and trying to figure out life. Tony enjoys reading, hiking with his dog, ceramics, and the driving range. Fun fact, Tony was in the Macys thanksgiving day parade his senior year of high school. 
CW: adoption and foster care, neglect, trauma, rape, sexual assault, substance abuse, PTSD, anxiety, panic, terminal illness, Alzheimer’s disease, death 
 
Resources: 
National Sexual Assault Hotline 
NAMI 
Local Sexual Assault Support - NCCASA

44: w/ Fiona Cordova Paul on the tragedy of losing your mother when becoming a mother

On this week’s episode, Susan talks with friend and fellow DPC member, Fiona Cordova Paul, about coming to the US as a child, having a parent with a terminal illness, and how her plans for a baby were delayed due to caring for her ailing mother. Fiona is a licensed structural engineer and lead bridge inspector at HDR. She was born in Bolivia, is a citizen of Ireland, and naturalized American citizen as of 2018. Fiona immigrated here with her family when she was 5. She is married to her wonderful high school sweetheart with the cutest 7 month old baby boy, has the best dog, the funnest cat, and a handful of chickens. She likes to read, binge Kdramas, go for walks and hikes, travel, video games, and garden. CW: death, death of a parent, terminal illness, cancer, hospitalization, surgery, loss, grief 
 
Instagram: @finona_grace