The Brave Files

Speaking The Uncomfortable Truth

Andrew Moxon was just a guy who liked Twitter and speaking his mind. Then his thoughts turned him into a powerful force responsible for opening the eyes of people all over the world. He’s a writer who went viral on Twitter after comparing microaggressions of general violence towards women to being “kicked in the nuts.” He’s funny, upfront, and entertaining. And he’s a feminist – something we can surely get behind here at The Brave Files! Andrew chooses to bravely start intense conversations in order to create an atmosphere of change. Tune in to learn that we all have the ability to create powerful impact.Share your thoughts and feed back by calling 312-646-0205Support The Brave Files on Patreon.Check out our Charity of the Week: The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES)

Growing Grateful Together

When acknowledge and connect with gratitude, everything in our lives changes. That’s why we’ve created a special gratitude episode again this year. It’s through the simple routine of a gratitude practice that we begin to actually shift our mindset towards one of happiness and positivity. We’re working to build a community of people focused on gratitude, because we know we can’t do it alone. Tune in to hear our listeners, loved ones, and team share what they’re most grateful for over the past year. Let’s grow grateful together!Share your thoughts and feedback by calling 312-646-0205Get up to the minute details on Heather's new book, Grow Grateful: A Gratitude Journal for Kids and Families.Join the Grow Grateful Facebook Community.Support The Brave Files on Patreon - we truly cannot do it without you!Read show notes here. 

Community Leaders Create National Impact

Kina Collins is a nationally recognized gun violence prevention and health care advocate who’s running for congress. She’s not a career politician, she’s an involved and concerned citizen. Kina helped build a statewide coalition and co-authored landmark legislation that established the Illinois Council on Women and Girls and insisted they include transgender women in the bill that was signed by a Republican governor. She’s a young powerhouse working to initiate real change in our nation. Tune in to learn more about Kina’s plans for putting working family agendas first while demonstrating that real change happens when we push forward – together!Read more about Kina and her work here.Support The Brave Files on Patreon. We truly cannot do It without you!Share your thoughts on the episode, what you're celebrating and how you're choosing bravely by calling us at 312-646-0205.

: From Trauma To Empowerment

Growing up in an abusive household, Leah Carey was subjected to sexual trauma from an early age. Her father’s alcoholic and narcissistic behaviors created extremely confusing messages about . As a result, she was left without the tools necessary to build healthy and intimate relationships. She completely lacked the ability to advocate for her own pleasure and claim her own bodily autonomy. Tune in to hear about Leah’s transformative journey where she learned to heal old sexual issues, love her own body, and discover how to truly enjoy all sexual experiences.Tell us what you think! Call in at 312-646-0205Detailed Show notes hereSupport The Brave Files on Patreon 

America’s First Transgender Infantryman

Trish King redefines what it means to be a brave American. Trish spent her entire career in the U.S Army as an Infantryman and then she came out as transgender. This made Trish America's first transgender infantryman. Her story is one of overcoming, persistence, and dedication. Although she’s now retired, Trish continues to fight for the rights of transgender service people and those marginalized all across the country. She’s truly an inspiration to us all. Tune in to learn about what’s actually happening on the ground with the military’s ban on transgender service members, how this impacts our communities, and what we can do to make a difference. This is a battle we all must fight together. Let’s follow Trish in this journey towards change.Learn more and find detailed show notes here.Support The Brave Files on Patreon.Share your thoughts and comments by calling us at 312-646-0205.

Losing My Father, Finding Myself

Grief looks different for everyone. We all experience it in different ways and at different times. Grief is immediate or delayed. It’s deep and debilitating or it’s a slow roll of all-consuming waves. One thing is certain – we all encounter our own grief in our own ways. This week’s guest, Mike Burton, courageously joins us to talk about the loss of his father. At the young age of 19, Mike found himself grappling with his own grief process and learning to grow through it. Tune in as we discuss the power found in acknowledging when we’re wrong and the breakthrough that happens when we take off the armor and allow ourselves to experience real, raw emotions.Thoughts? We'd love to hear them. Call us at 312-646-0205. This is also the number to call and share your gratitude so we can feature YOU in our annual Gratitude Episode!! Hurry - - Deadline is November 4th!Support The Brave Files on Patreon! We cannot build our brave movement without your support!Find the detailed show notes on our website.

Learning to be Flexible

Imagine discovering, at the age of 12, that you were going blind. That’s what happened to this week’s guest, Maxwell Ivey. By his early twenties, he was completely blind. However, Max never stopped bravely pushing onward even through all of the challenges of living a life without eyesight. From working in the family business to writing multiple books and producing a blog, Maxwell, has created an entire brand for himself. Tune in to hear his story, learn how he became The Blind Blogger, and discover the power found in remaining flexible through all of life’s experiences.We love hearing from our listeners. Please share your thoughts and feed back by calling 312-646-0205.Detailed show notes here.Support The Brave Files on Patreon.  

Resilience in the Dark

Nataleen Henry is a survivor in every sense of the word. After overcoming years of domestic violence and abuse, she learned to use dance and the retelling of her story to heal and encourage others to do the same. Her story is both heartbreaking and empowering, and it demonstrates the power and beauty found in healing. Tune in to learn that even in the darkest moments, you can still be resilient, strong, and brave.To participate in the gratitude episode or share feedback call 312-646-0205Support us on Patreon today!Detailed Show Notes here.

Better Apart: When Divorce is the Healthy Option

Maybe you’re better apart? Gabrielle Hartley is a divorce lawyer, coach, and mediator who helps people navigate relationships, even failing ones, in a healthy manner. She’s is known for her unique, non-toxic approach to divorce; she even wrote the book on it! Tune in to learn about the power found through deeply engaging with what’s hard and how that internal awareness brings about change.Gabrielle’s parents divorced when she was a child. However, it wasn’t until she spent time working in family law that she realized their amicable separation was a true gift. After navigating hundreds and hundreds of families through their own divorces, Gabrielle felt called to contribute in a more impactful way. She knew she could help others reach reasonable, if not positive, resolutions through divorce. It’s no small action to not only tell people they’ll be okay, but to also show them how to be okay.Tell us what you think by calling 312-646-0205CALL IN AND SHARE WHAT YOUR MOST GRATEFUL FOR OUR ANNUAL GRATITUDE EPISODE!! 312-646-0205Read the detailed show notes here.Check out Gabrielle's "Better Apart" masterclass.Support The Brave Files on Patreon and help us grow our Brave Community!

Bullying: Breaking The Cycle

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. In an effort to support the cause, we had a special interview with Tracey Maxfield, author, speaker, and advocate for mental health awareness and anti-bullying. Her philosophy is to engage children and teenagers, educate them about mental illness and bullying, and empower them to develop the confidence and skills necessary to move ahead, successfully,  in their life journey. Her story is powerful and holds true value for everyone – especially those close to someone experiencing their own mental health struggles. Tune in to learn more about the ways in which you can support children facing their own struggle with mental illness and bullying.CALL IN TODAY AND TELL US WHAT YOU'RE MOST GRATEFUL FOR FROM THE PAST YEAR! WE WIL USE THESE MESSAGE TO BUILD OUR ANNUAL "GRATITUDE EPISODE" RELEASED ON THANKSGIVING (IN THE U.S.). HELP US SHARE GRATITUDE AND CELEBRATION TODAY BY CALLING 312-646-0205.Share your thoughts, feedback and how you're choosing bravely by calling 312-646-0205Support us on Patreon.Learn more about Vickery and Co.