Change Happened, Then What? | Real Stories After Life Changes

Sandy’s Story — Love, Loss, and Learning to Live Without Him

Sandy didn’t just lose her partner—she lost the life they were building together.
When Brian’s brain disease took him, it left behind a kind of grief that doesn’t follow rules or timelines.
 
In this deeply emotional episode, Sandy shares the story of their love, the reality of caregiving, and what it means to keep living after losing the person you thought you’d grow old with.
 
This is a story about enduring love, unimaginable loss, and the quiet strength it takes to move forward.
Resources Mentioned:
Learn more about Autoimmune Encephalitis
Support and tools via AE Alliance
For grief resources: whatsyourgrief.com
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

Season One Reflections & A Small Ask

In this heartfelt bonus episode, host Heather Holt pauses the storytelling to say THANK YOU. With Season One nearing its final three episodes, Heather reflects on what this journey has meant—2,000+ downloads, listeners in 25 countries, and a growing community of beautiful humans who keep showing up.
This episode is short, sweet, and straight from the heart—with cameos from her black labs, Waylon and Dalton 🐾, and a fun listener survey giveaway (spoiler: it involves a soft trucker hat and zero credit checks).
🎙️ What’s inside:
Season One gratitude and reflections
A sneak peek into what’s coming for Season Two
A short listener survey to help shape the future of the podcast
Lab-powered antics and a whole lot of love
💬 Want to help?👉 Take the listener survey at changehappenedpodcast.com🎩 Enter to win a cozy Change Happened trucker hat
✨ Follow, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform so you don’t miss the final 3 episodes—or the amazing surprises in Season Two!
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

God Winks, Gut Feelings & Letting Go: Lalaneya’s Journey to Trust

What happens when you let go of everything you thought you needed—and trust the quiet whisper inside instead?
In this episode of Change Happened, Then What?, meet Lalaneya, a woman who followed her intuition—not just once, but again and again—through seasons of love, loss, and letting go. From “God winks” and gut feelings to closing her business, moving states, and embracing a new way of living, Lalaneya’s journey is a powerful reminder of what can happen when you trust yourself completely.
We’ll talk about claircognizance (the gift of simply knowing without proof), the courage it takes to start over, and how healing the heart can lead to life-changing transformation. Whether you’re facing a big decision or feeling the pull toward something new, this conversation will inspire you to listen to your inner compass—and follow where it leads.
Links & Resources:🔗 Visit Lalaneya’s Website: courageouseheartspace.com🔗 Visit Candace Silvers Website: Candace Silvers Studios
👉Enter to WIN Super soft trucker hat! 
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

Season two Sneak Peek

New season begins this fall. Hit follow and catch up on Season 1 now.
I didn’t start this podcast because I had the answers. I started it because I had questions. After brain surgery, after loss, after life unraveled—I found myself wondering: When change hits hard and fast… then what?
That question became the heart of this show.
Season 1 shared powerful stories from 13 people who changed my life. Now, in Season 2, the circle gets wider. You’ll hear real, unfiltered stories of heartbreak, healing, and reinvention from people like:
Michael Bugary, brain cancer survivor and former pro athlete
Morgan Scafe, who rebuilt her life with radical self-love
Rob Baugh, who finds humor and hope after traumatic brain injury
These stories aren’t polished. They’re human. And they might just help you breathe a little easier in your own season of change.
🎙 Follow now so you don't miss what comes next.💛 Because when change comes—and it always does—what follows might just change you.
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

The Story Her Canvas Couldn't Tell - Deb's Journey

When Deb’s husband survived a traumatic motorcycle accident, their life changed in an instant. Diagnosed with CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome), he faced excruciating chronic pain, and Deb became his full-time caregiver. But behind the caregiving, the doctor’s visits, and the search for non-narcotic relief—there was a woman holding onto love, creativity, and hope.
In this moving episode, we explore Deb’s journey through trauma, caregiving, and the healing power of art. Her paintbrush became her voice. Her canvas, a way to process what words could never fully capture.
-Watch her art video and full guest bio at: changehappenedpodcast.com-This is a story of quiet resilience, CRPS awareness, and the kind of love that endures through every season.
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

Season 2 Trailer - Change brought them here

This podcast didn’t start with answers—it started with questions. After brain surgery, loss, and life-altering change, host Heather Holt asked: What do we do with the pieces when life falls apart? Season 1 explored those pieces through 13 powerful conversations that resonated around the world.
Now, Season 2 is here—and the circle is expanding.
From a brain cancer survivor turned motivational speaker, to a mother reclaiming her identity after trauma, to a brain injury survivor healing through humor—this season is about heartbreak, healing, and everything in between.
These stories aren’t polished. They’re not tied up in bows. But they are real. And they matter.
Follow Change Happened, Then What? for Season 2—where honest storytelling meets radical resilience.
New season launches this fall.Catch up on Season 1 now.
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

Smile Drop: Reflections, and the stories that changed me

In this Smile Drops episode, I reflect on Season 1 of Change Happened, Then What?—how sharing stories helped me rediscover my voice, my purpose, and my smile. From grace and grief to dogs and quiet family support, this is a love letter to storytelling, growth, and finding light in our reflections.
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

How Cliff Jumping Changed Everything – Moments with Melinda

How does a life of loss become a life of purpose? Join us for How Cliff Jumping Changed Everything – Moments with Melinda. Starting from an 8-year‐old watching her parents' divorce while cliff divers leapt off a cliff in Acapulco, Melinda’s story weaves through loss, courage, and transformation.
She lost her mother at 12. She faced eating disorders. She built a stone house by hand. She helped transform Burlington’s waterfront with sustainable vision. And after 55 years with Rick, she still wakes up each day with love, purpose, and a drive to push for social change.
If you believe in the beauty of stepping into the unknown and want to see how someone built more than just walls — she built legacy — then this is for you.
Visit melindamoulton.com to watch her Moments with Melinda videos, find her reflections, and read more about the power of naiveté. If her story speaks to you, leave a review so others can find it too
Lake Champlain Chocolates official site: https://www.lakechamplainchocolates.com
The Good Life: Helen and Scott Nearing’s Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living (includes Living the Good Life): Livingthegoodlife.com
www.mainstreetlanding.com
 
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

Smile Drop: Coffee Talk

We’ve basically built society on coffee. Offices, schools, marriages… none of them would survive without that first sip. But let’s be honest — coffee commercials don’t show the real side: bedhead, mismatched socks, and the “don’t talk to me yet” grumble.
In this Smile Drop, I’m breaking down the big three: Starbucks (the Broadway show of coffee), Dunkin’ (the ride-or-die bestie), and Home Brew (the champion of mornings and tight budgets). Seven dollars, four dollars, or cents on the dollar — no judgment here. Because the best coffee is always the one in your hand, right when you need it.
Pour yourself a cup and join me for a laugh — it’s good to the last drop.
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.

The Spark That Started It All | Embers & Echoes Mini-Series Part 1

What sparks a podcast into life? For me, it wasn’t a polished plan — it was change. After loss, divorce, brain surgery, and learning to smile again, I wanted to listen, to hold space, and to tell stories that were felt, not just told.
In this first episode of Embers & Echoes — a three-part mini-series to close out Season 1 of Change Happened, Then What? — I rewind to the very beginning: how this podcast was born, the 13 friends who trusted me with their stories, and the unexpected ways Season 1 unfolded.
You’ll hear about Jeannie’s grief and spiritual resilience, Tim & Candy’s humor through chaos, Natalie’s courage to heal her brain, Jen’s unfiltered honesty, Julie’s story of adoption and chosen family — and so much more. These weren’t just interviews. They were blueprints of human truth.
Along the way, I share what I’ve learned about storytelling, silence, connection, and community. And how, with your messages and support, this podcast became more than just mine — it became ours.
Season 2 launches October 14th with new stories, new friendships, and new beginnings. But first, let’s return to the spark that started it all.
If you'd like to support the show, just click the link | Be a part of the Change Happened communityEnter to win the "What Changed Me Community Challenge" | Enter to Win! To join our mailing list and learn more our guests visit | Changehappenedpodcast.comReady to get your discount on Pure Energy Apothecary products Click the link below | 20% off PURE ENERGY NOWLooking for your customized Dear Sweet One lullaby find them here | Shop Now Dear Sweet One Follow along on Instagram @Change Happened for behind-the-scenes moments and updates. Got a story to share or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you! Drop me a line at Changepodcast@yahoo.comand maybe your "Change Happened" moment will be next.