Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Her Audacity Podcast

In this episode of Her Audacity, we sit down with Donia Jessop, Mayor of Hildale, Utah, to talk about leadership, faith transitions, and rebuilding a community after deep hurt.

Donia shares what it took to step into public leadership, challenge long-standing systems, and move her town forward—often in the face of criticism and resistance. She reflects on motherhood, vulnerability, accountability, and the strength it takes to keep choosing progress when going backward would be easier.

This conversation is about standing firm, leading with humanity, and remembering one essential truth: you are enough.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of high-control religion and emotional harm. Listener discretion advised.

Hosted by Nikki and Ceci, this episode of Her Audacity welcomes their first male guest, Dubby. In an honest and deeply personal conversation, Dubby shares his experience growing up in the FLDS, losing his father at a young age, being pulled out of school to work, and eventually leaving the church in the middle of the night with nothing but his tools and a bag of clothes.

Together, Nikki, Ceci, and Dubby talk through co-parenting, fatherhood, marriage, work ethic, and the long process of unlearning survival patterns while building a steady, loving family. This episode offers a rare male perspective on leaving high-control religion, navigating relationships without a roadmap, and choosing peace, responsibility, and presence in everyday life.

Raw, grounded, and unexpectedly tender, this conversation is for anyone rebuilding after control, loss, or starting over — and proof that healing doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.

In this episode, Ceci and Nikki sit down with Kelly, a sports nutritionist, dentist, and fitness model—to explore her journey from growing up without religion, to joining the LDS church as a teenager, to surviving a five-year abusive relationship, and ultimately rebuilding a life rooted in confidence and autonomy. Together, they examine the parallels between domestic violence and high-control religion, the way manipulation and isolation take hold, and how leaving a belief system can feel just as destabilizing as leaving a partner. Kelly shares how education, community, and reconnecting with her intuition changed the trajectory of her life, eventually leading her into dentistry, motherhood, and a new understanding of faith and identity. This conversation dives into healing, resilience, and the moment a woman decides she will no longer make herself small.

What if the way you bring up hurt is the very thing keeping you from real repair? In this episode, Ceci and Nikki unpack a simple line that hit like a freight train: “Shame and accountability can’t coexist.” They talk about learning to correct “spicy” kids without shaming them, apologizing to their own children for past patterns, and why some friendships don’t survive when accountability is met with blame instead of forgiveness.

They also open up about what it looks like to forgive a parent who may never be able to own the harm they caused, all while trying to raise their kids differently than how they were raised in high-control religion. This conversation is for anyone who’s ready to communicate hurt without attacking character, make room for real apologies, and slowly rebuild trust with the people they love—starting with themselves.

In this episode, Layla shares her experience of being placed with Warren Jeffs at seventeen and what life inside his home was truly like. She opens up about the culture shock of entering his family, the manipulation she witnessed, and the emotional weight of his expectations. Layla also reflects on the loss of her baby sister and Warren’s chilling reaction — a moment that revealed far more about who he really was. This conversation offers an unfiltered look at the FLDS world, the dynamics within Warren’s household, and the journey that led to her eventual departure in 2013.

A craving for a road trip to Moab sparks a deeper reflection on independence, motherhood, and the kind of community that helps people rebuild. Ceci and Nikki share what it was like to live under control disguised as order inside the FLDS, from food restrictions to parenting expectations, and how life after has been about learning to trust, nurture, and provide in new ways.

Through stories of the storehouse system, raising children, and finding humor in the chaos, this episode offers an honest look at resilience, self discovery, and the small ways healing happens every day.

Karli Lyman shares her story of walking away from the Mormon church and the emotional, spiritual, and financial unraveling that followed. She opens up about her husband’s mental health struggles, the rejection they faced from family, and the moment everything shifted—the day he finally acknowledged the pain between them. Through prayer, deliverance, and forgiveness, Karli found healing in places she didn’t think possible. Her story is a raw reminder that freedom starts when you forgive

Ceci and Nikki dives into the roots of perfectionism, where it starts, how it shows up, and what it costs. Ceci opens up about growing up in an environment built on constant correction and unreachable standards, and how that shaped the pressure she still feels to do everything just right before allowing herself to rest or connect.

Nikki shares how being misdiagnosed with advanced lung cancer forced her to release control and see how easily life moves on, even when you stop holding it all together.

Together, they talk about unlearning the belief that our worth is tied to productivity, redefining what it means to be “enough,” and creating homes and lives where peace matters more than perfection.

When Katie lost custody of her daughter in 2023, the world around her assumed she’d failed as a mother. What few understood is how often the system fails women who are simply trying to protect their children.

In this powerful conversation, Katie opens up to Ceci and Nikki about the moment everything changed, how the court system stripped her of custody, how she fought to get her daughter back, and what it’s like to grieve a child who’s still alive.

Through heartbreak, Katie found purpose. She built Mom’s Guide to Survive, a nonprofit helping mothers find stability, resources, and support through impossible circumstances. Together, they talk about the broken family court system, the courage it takes to keep showing up, and how one woman’s audacity can spark real change.

Connect with our guest: 🤍 Katie, Founder of @amomsguidetosurvive 📊 Participate in the National Family Court Survey to support policy reform: Take the Survey

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Ceci and Nikki open up about separating spirituality from the systems that once dictated it and how leaving the FLDS changed their view of God, why they no longer believe anyone should stand between a person and their Creator, and what it means to rediscover prayer, peace, and discernment on their own terms.

They share personal stories about unlearning fear-based faith, healing their relationship with God through nature, motherhood, and marriage, and learning to follow intuition instead of outside approval. From deconstructing religion to redefining submission and leadership, this conversation is both raw and redemptive. A reminder that faith and freedom can coexist.

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Heather Nelson is a mother of four, business owner, retreat host, and podcast co-host who has built a life rooted in authenticity and growth. In this episode, she opens up about co-parenting, running a labor company and consulting business, and the journey of surrogacy, having delivered one surrogacy child in 2020 and now embarking on her second.

Heather shares what it means to balance ambition and motherhood while staying true to who you are. From empowering women through her retreats to creating a blended family dynamic built on communication and grace, she reminds us that fulfillment comes from living life on your own terms.

Connect with Heather Nelson

Instagram: @heathernelson.life @the.connection.hive Website: theconnectionhive.co

Connect with Ceci + Nikki Instagram: @heraudacitypod  TikTok: @heraudacitypod For partnerships & inquiries: heraudacitypod@gmail.com

In this episode, Ceci and Nikki reflect on the families that shaped them, the realities of motherhood, and the journeys of building their businesses. Ceci shares her experience growing up with 17 brothers and 16 sisters and raising a blended family of six, while Nikki talks about her own family and raising two children. The conversation takes a tender turn as Nikki opens up about losing her dad suddenly earlier this year and walking through her younger brother’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis and survival. Together, they talk about the ache of grief, the relief of survival, and how family, in all its heartbreak and beauty continues to shape the way they live and lead.

In this episode, Ceci and Nikki open up about the big moves they’ve each made and how those changes have shaped their lives. Ceci shares her journey from Utah to Montana and then to Wyoming for her husband’s job, while Nikki reflects on her transition from RV life and homeschooling her son to settling. Together, they talk through the joys and challenges of moving, building new friendships, and finding balance between work and family.

They also dive into their marriages, how trust, support, and love have helped them overcome past traumas and stay connected through change. From business ventures to family rhythms, Ceci and Nikki reflect on how having healthy marriages have been the foundation for everything they’re building and what’s next in their journeys.

In this episode of Her Audacity, Nikki and Ceci open up about the challenges of communication, forgiveness, and keeping relationships alive when it feels easier to walk away. From their experiences leaving the FLDS to navigating family, friendship, and marriage today, they explore what it means to truly listen, create safe spaces, and hold onto the people who matter. Together, they share personal stories, lessons learned, and the belief that while disagreements are inevitable, love and connection should never be treated as disposable.

For Nikki and Ceci, leaving the FLDS meant stepping into a world that was both freeing and overwhelming. In this episode, they share what it was like to make their very first choices, from watching movies to navigating jobs, relationships, and independence.

They open up about the gaps in sex education, the ways they coped through parties and drinking, and the struggles of working for others after a lifetime of strict rules. Along the way, therapy, parenting, and self employment became turning points in building a new life.

Listener questions guide the conversation as Nikki and Ceci reflect on the messy, beautiful, and ongoing process of healing, rebuilding, and learning to trust again after heartbreak.

Nikki shares what it feels like to tell her story knowing it may reflect on her family, and why speaking her truth matters anyway. Ceci recounts her difficult journey of leaving the FLDS, facing homelessness, and starting over in Colorado. From sleeping in her car while nine months pregnant to working in life insurance sales, her story is one of loss, grit, and resilience. Against the odds, she reunited with her children and built a stable life. This conversation is about honesty, survival, and the lessons that come from rebuilding when everything has fallen apart.

In this episode of Her Audacity, we share what it was like to be pushed out of the FLDS community, breaking rules, resisting control, or not measuring up to impossible standards. From the pressure of the United Order, repeated baptisms, custody battles, and the heartbreak of being disowned by our fathers, we open up about the weight of shame and the resilience it took to keep going. Together, we talk about accountability, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to own your story and build a life beyond the walls of the FLDS.

Ceci and Nikki reflect on growing up in the FLDS, where strict rules made normal childhood experiences impossible and fear shaped daily life. From punishments for whistling to the absence of education, they share how events like the Texas raid shaped their views on authority and why they now choose openness, communication, and normalcy in raising their own children.

Ceci and Nikki share what it was like growing up in the FLDS, reflecting on their very different family dynamics, one as the daughter of an Apostle, the other as the oldest of 19 children. They talk about the responsibilities placed on older siblings, the loneliness of questioning or leaving, and the resilience and skills they carried forward.

In this first episode, Ceci and Nikki, both survivors of the FLDS cult share why they created Her Audacity and what they hope it becomes. From reconnecting after leaving the church to choosing to speak out in different ways, they talk about the courage to tell their stories, the healing they've found, and why community matters as they rebuild, heal, and create a beautiful life after leaving.

This pilot gives context to the FLDS: how the group broke from mainstream Mormonism, the rules that governed daily life, and the rise of Warren Jeffs. It covers the control, devotion, and fractures that shaped the community and sets the stage for the conversations to come.