Breaking Curses with Excellence is the podcast for breaking free from childhood trauma, religious trauma, and self-sabotaging mindsets. Hosted by a dedicated life coach, this show helps listeners overcome limiting beliefs, embrace self-love, and build healthier relationships. Learn how to attract and accept the love and support you deserve while unlocking your full potential. Tune in for powerful conversations on healing from trauma, breaking generational curses, self-love journey, emotional healing, personal development, overcoming self-sabotage, relationship coaching, healthy love, inner healing, and growth mindset.
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In this episode of Breaking Curses With Excellence, Christina Russell-Strong sits down with Leah Marie Mazur, Certified Divorce Recovery Coach, speaker, and founder of Mindfully Ready, for an honest conversation about healing after divorce, rebuilding self-trust, regaining confidence, creating healthy boundaries, and becoming the woman you truly want to be.
As a three-time divorced mom, Leah brings both professional experience and lived experience to the conversation. She helps women move beyond simply surviving divorce and begin rebuilding their emotional stability, identity, confidence, and relationship with themselves. We talk about what happens when divorce leaves you questioning who you are, why women sometimes abandon themselves in relationships, and what it takes to begin trusting yourself again after a major life transition.
In this episode, we discuss divorce recovery, self-trust after divorce, rebuilding confidence, emotional regulation, boundaries, identity after divorce, personal transformation, starting over, and learning how to choose yourself again.
Whether you're newly divorced, years into your healing journey, navigating separation, or simply rebuilding after a difficult season of life, this conversation is a reminder that your next chapter can be intentionally created.
🎙️ Guest: Leah Marie Mazur Certified Divorce Recovery Coach | Speaker | Founder of Mindfully Ready
If this conversation speaks to you, like, comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who may need to hear it. What is one part of yourself you are learning to trust again? Tell us in the comments.
What if the life everyone thinks is beautiful actually feels like a cage? In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, host Christina Russell-Strong sits down with Crystal Peña—entrepreneur, domestic violence survivor and advocate, child-protection advocate, mother of four, first-generation American, business consultant, behavioral-health business owner, model, and Ms. Sublette County 2026.
Crystal opens up about a life that looked successful and secure from the outside while, behind closed doors, she was beginning to recognize patterns of coercive control and abuse. And that is where one of the most powerful ideas from this conversation comes from:
Sometimes the cage doesn’t look like a cage.
It can be the beautiful home. The marriage. The lifestyle. The business.
The life everyone else assumes you should be grateful to have. Crystal shares how her understanding of abuse changed when she realized that domestic violence does not always begin with physical violence. Emotional abuse, manipulation, financial control, coercive behavior, isolation, intimidation, and the gradual loss of personal freedom can be much harder to recognize—especially when the person experiencing it has normalized the behavior.
Christina and Crystal also have a deeply personal conversation about what happens after someone leaves. Leaving can be an incredibly important step toward safety, but it does not automatically mean every problem disappears. Crystal discusses rebuilding her life, navigating continued conflict, protecting her children, rediscovering her identity, and finding the strength to keep moving forward.
The conversation also explores breaking generational cycles. Crystal explains why one of the first steps toward changing a harmful pattern is simply being able to name it. When we recognize coercive control, manipulation, unhealthy relationship patterns, trauma responses, or behaviors that have been passed from one generation to another, we finally have an opportunity to change them.Faith is also woven throughout this conversation. Crystal shares a perspective on the story of Lot’s wife that changed the way she thought about moving forward: sometimes continuing to look backward is really about struggling to let go of the life, identity, comfort, or expectations we once had.
From Invisible to Seen: Healing People-Pleasing, Reclaiming Joy & Making Every Breath Count with Kim Brunson
What happens when you’ve spent so much of your life taking care of everyone else, staying quiet, people-pleasing, and making yourself smaller that you no longer recognize the woman underneath it all? In this powerful and deeply relatable episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, Christina Russell Strong sits down with Kim Brunson, life coach and founder of Breath of Sunshine, for an honest conversation about what it means to go from feeling invisible to finally allowing yourself to be seen. Kim shares how growing up alongside a sister with significant medical needs shaped her tendency to stay quiet, minimize her own needs, and become the person who could handle everything. Years later, those survival patterns followed her into adulthood—until she began asking a life-changing question: Who am I underneath all of these roles? Together, Christina and Kim talk about people-pleasing, self-worth, emotional triggers, boundaries, the inner child, nervous-system awareness, grief, forgiveness, burnout, and the ways our bodies can signal that something needs our attention. They also explore what it looks like to reconnect with the playful, spontaneous, adventurous version of yourself that responsibilities, survival mode, and adulthood may have buried. In this episode, you’ll hear about: Why people-pleasing can begin as protection but eventually keep us small What feeling “invisible” can look like in adulthood Learning to pause instead of reacting when something triggers you Reconnecting with your inner child and the parts of yourself you left behind Why rest and numbing are not always the same thing Simple ways to move yourself out of emotional shutdown Creating healthier boundaries without over-explaining your “no” Why professional support can sometimes offer something loved ones cannot Listening to your body before it reaches the point of complete exhaustion Giving yourself permission to start again—right now One of the most powerful reminders from Kim: Every minute is a fresh start.You do not have to wait until tomorrow, next year, after the promotion, after the kids grow up, or until life becomes easier to begin choosing yourself.
From One Small Step to a Global Movement: Traci Kasper on Healing, Community & Resilience
What happens when one small step becomes a movement reaching people across the United States and beyond? In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, Christina Russell-Strong sits down with Traci Kasper, founder of One Small Step Walks, to talk about the personal journey behind the growing walking community she created—and the obstacles she had to overcome along the way. This conversation goes far beyond walking. Traci shares how her experiences helped shape a mission centered around movement, connection, wellness, belonging, and community. What started with a step has grown into something much bigger, bringing people together in cities across the country and even internationally. We talk about what it takes to turn an idea into a movement, keep going when the vision becomes bigger than you imagined, and build something that gives other people a place to connect. In this episode, we explore: Traci Kasper’s story and what led her to create One Small Step Walks The challenges and personal experiences she had to overcome How walking can support mental, emotional, and physical wellness Why community and human connection matter Growing a grassroots movement beyond one city Turning personal experiences into purpose Building momentum even when motivation changes Creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and included Entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience, and personal growth What it really takes to turn one small step into a global movement Whether you're building a business, rebuilding your life, searching for community, working on your wellness, or simply wondering whether your small idea could become something bigger, this conversation is a reminder: You don't have to see the entire path before taking the first step. 🎙️ Breaking Curses with Excellence is about real people, real conversations, breaking cycles, overcoming what tried to stop us, and creating a brighter tomorrow. If this episode speaks to you, subscribe, follow, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review. Your support helps more people discover these conversations.👟 CONNECT WITH TRACI KASPER + ONE SMALL STEP WALKSFounder: Traci KasperOrganization: One Small Step
In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, Christina Russell-Strong sits down with transformational speaker, emotional coach, healer, and cancer survivor Halisi Ali aka Wizdom for an honest conversation about emotional healing, generational trauma, vulnerability, parenting, cancer, and breaking cycles. Halisi shares her personal journey and introduces her Emotional Alchemy Framework, a seven-stage process for transforming pain into awareness, healing, empowerment, and legacy. Together, they explore the pressure to always be strong, especially for Black women, the importance of emotional regulation and honest communication, and how healing can change what we pass down to the next generation. This episode is for anyone working through trauma, rebuilding self-worth, breaking unhealthy family patterns, or learning how to turn pain into purpose.
What happens when you achieve the career, the title, the paycheck, and the success you thought would make you happy—but still feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or unfulfilled inside?
In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, host Christina Russell-Strong sits down with Angela Jamieson, former petroleum engineer, CEO, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and creator of the Relaxed Productivity Framework, for an honest conversation about burnout, high achievement, self-worth, perfectionism, overthinking, grief, work-life balance, and redefining success.
Angela shares how losing her father forced her to reevaluate the life she was building and recognize how deeply her identity had become connected to achievement and external validation. Her journey led her from the corporate world to helping high-achieving professionals become successful without sacrificing their mental and emotional well-being.
One of Angela's most powerful reminders is simple:
“Be where your feet are.”
If your mind is constantly racing—thinking about work while you're with your family, worrying about tomorrow while trying to enjoy today, replaying conversations, comparing yourself to others, or wondering whether you're doing enough—this episode is for you.
Christina and Angela explore how to:
• Stop tying your self-worth to productivity and achievement • Recognize the connection between perfectionism, burnout, and emotional exhaustion • Manage racing thoughts and overthinking • Become more present instead of constantly living in the past or future • Create a “to-be list” alongside your to-do list • Use emotions as information instead of suppressing them • Break generational cycles of overworking, people-pleasing, and self-sacrifice • Reframe rejection, criticism, and negative self-talk • Navigate grief and loss while rediscovering purpose • Develop healthier ambition and a more sustainable definition of success• Create better work-life balance, self-compassion, emotional wellness, and personal growthAngela also introduces the idea of Relaxed Productivity—a practical approach that combines logic, mindset, emotional awareness, and intentional living to help busy professionals accomplish what matters without allowing productivity to consume their lives.Whether you're a high achiever experiencing burnout, a busy professional struggling with work-life balance, a perfectionist who never feels good enough, someone rebuilding self-worth, or simply a person whose brain never seems to turn off, this conversation offers practical tools you can begin using immediately.Success isn't only about what you accomplish.It's also about whether you're present enough to experience the life you're working so hard to create.Be where your feet are.🎙️ Guest: Angela JamiesonFormer Petroleum Engineer | Best-Selling Author | Keynote Speaker | Creator of the Relaxed Productivity FrameworkLearn more about Angela and her work at AngelaJamieson.com.📖 Angela is also the author of Using Number Two to Get to Number One: The Shockingly Insightful Self-Help Book.🎧 Breaking Curses with Excellence with Christina Russell-Strong explores healing, mindset, self-worth, relationships, personal growth, breaking generational cycles, and the real stories that help us become healthier, happier, and more whole.
From Scarcity to Abundance: Healing Your Money Mindset & Building Wealth from the Inside Out with Dr. Billina Shaw
What if the biggest thing standing between you and financial freedom isn’t your income—but the story you’ve learned to believe about money, success, and your own worth?
In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, Christina Russell sits down with Dr. Billina Shaw, a triple board-certified psychiatrist, public health physician and financial wellness strategist, for a conversation that goes far beyond budgeting and debt.
After unexpectedly losing a federal government position she deeply loved, Dr. Billina was forced to confront something many high-achieving people experience: Who are you when the title, paycheck, position, or achievement you built your identity around suddenly disappears?
That experience led her to recognize something surprising. Although she was financially secure and had already built significant wealth, her mind was still operating from scarcity.
Together, Christina and Dr. Billina explore how childhood experiences, generational trauma, career pressure, faith, family expectations and cultural messages can shape the way we think about money—and why financial wellness often requires emotional healing too.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- How to recognize a scarcity mindset in your finances, relationships and career - Why your net worth and self-worth are not the same thing - How childhood and generational experiences can shape your relationship with money - Why shame around debt can actually keep you financially stuck - The difference between chasing credentials and creating genuine value - Why comparing yourself to others can reinforce scarcity - How to pursue excellence without depending on titles or outside validation - The connection between mental health and financial stress - Why building assets and wealth can matter alongside paying down debt - How faith and financial abundance can coexist - Why boundaries—especially financial boundaries—can be a wealth-building strategy- How to stop over-giving from guilt and start giving from purpose- Why investing in yourself can create an impact far beyond moneyDr. Billina also walks listeners through her four-part framework for creating change:1. Align with PurposeGet clear about the life you're actually trying to build—not simply the title, job or financial number you're chasing.2. Identify with AbundanceLearn to recognize what you already have while becoming the person capable of moving toward what you desire.3. Abolish Limiting BeliefsChallenge inherited beliefs about money, morality, success, worthiness and what you're "allowed" to have.4. Act with AuthorityMake decisions, establish boundaries and take actions that match the person you're becoming.One of the most powerful reminders from this conversation:Your past can inform your present without dictating your future.Whether you're rebuilding after a job loss, trying to escape generational financial patterns, carrying shame about debt, questioning your purpose, struggling to set boundaries, or simply wondering why financial success still doesn't make you feel financially safe—this conversation is for you.This isn't only about having more money.It's about becoming healthier, freer and more intentional in the way you think about money, purpose, identity and your future.🎧 Listen, take notes, and ask yourself:What would change if I stopped making financial decisions from fear and started making them from purpose?Connect with Dr. Billina ShawDr. Billina ShawTriple Board-Certified Psychiatrist | Financial Wellness Strategist | Public Health PhysicianBoard Certified in:- Child & Adolescent Psychiatry- General Adult Psychiatry- Addiction MedicineDr. Billina also holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) and previously served as a Senior Medical Advisor with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), where her work included supporting the nation’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline infrastructure.Today, she combines her background in psychiatry, public health, strategic planning and behavioral science to help individuals transform their relationship with money, overcome scarcity thinking, strengthen their financial identity and build wealth from the inside out.🌐 Financial Wellness: 📱 Text: Text GROW to 55444📸 Instagram: 💼 LinkedIn: Click for Dr. Billina offers financial wellness strategy coaching for individuals and business owners, as well as strategic planning and consulting support for organizations.---Breaking Curses with Excellence explores healing, self-worth, mindset, relationships, personal growth and the work of breaking generational patterns so we can build healthier lives from the inside out.If this episode speaks to you, follow the podcast, share it with someone who needs this conversation, and leave a review. Your support helps these conversations reach more people who are ready to heal, grow and break cycles with excellence.Stay connected with The RusMix Insider — your monthly dose of growth, mindset, wellness, and community, created to help you keep breaking cycles, building self-worth, and growing into the healthiest version of yourself. To join, email: info@therusmix.com
You Are Enough: Healing Trauma, Breaking Survival Mode & Reclaiming Your Purpose | Dr. Mylira Cary
What if the patterns affecting your relationships, confidence, parenting, faith, and sense of self didn’t begin with who you are today—but with what you learned to do to survive?
In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, Christina Russell Strong sits down with Dr. Mylira Cary, PhD, LCSW, CCTP-II, CAIMHP, CEO/Founder of M. Green Enterprises LLC and The Metamorphosis Healing Experience, for an honest conversation about healing trauma, childhood wounds, survival mode, self-worth, emotional triggers, generational patterns, mental health, faith, and discovering who you are beneath what happened to you.
Dr. Cary shares her own deeply personal journey through trauma, depression, suicidal thoughts, sexual assault, struggles with feeling “enough,” and the experiences that ultimately helped shape her calling to help others heal.
Together, Christina and Dr. Cary explore what unresolved trauma can actually look like in everyday life—from people-pleasing, over-functioning and seeking validation to relationship conflict, isolation, defensiveness and repeatedly finding ourselves in the same painful patterns.
They also unpack the difference between therapy and transformational coaching, how childhood experiences can follow us into adulthood, why so many people are surviving instead of truly thriving, and how becoming aware of our behaviors and emotional responses can help us uncover wounds that still need attention. One of the biggest reminders from this conversation:
You are enough. Your trauma may be part of your story, but it does not have to control the rest of your story. If you've ever wondered: Why do I keep repeating the same patterns? Why am I always in survival mode? How do I heal childhood trauma? Why do I need so much validation? How do I stop allowing my past to affect my relationships? How do I rebuild my self-worth? How do I break generational cycles?
This episode is for you.Listen, reflect, heal—and keep Breaking Curses with Excellence.
Faith, Finances and Freedom Breaking Financial Cyles in Marriage
In this powerful episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, Christina sits down with Dr. Shonda Allen Hill PHD for an honest conversation about money tension in marriage, financial disagreements between spouses, and what women can do when repeated money conversations only create more conflict.
Dr. Shonda shares how financial stress once brought her marriage to a breaking point—and how she changed her mindset, eliminated more than $80,000 of personal debt, and eventually retired debt-free at age 51.
You’ll learn:
How to stop repeating unproductive money arguments
Why your first budget may need to be a “mouth budget”
The difference between financial disagreement and financial abuse
How to use goals, gains, and gratitude to reduce marital tension
How the debt snowball method can create momentum
What women of faith should understand about money and stewardship
How to move forward financially even when your spouse is not ready
Dr. Shonda is also sharing her FREE Solo Financial Plan worksheet to help women organize their finances, stabilize shared obligations, and begin creating a personal path out of debt.
In this inspiring episode of Breaking Curses with Excellence, Christina sits down with independent artist, mentor, and Boys & Girls Club manager Enaka Betech (NOC) to explore a journey of identity, healing, resilience, and purpose. After moving from Cameroon to the United States as a child, Enaka struggled to find his voice while balancing family expectations, cultural differences, and the pressure to measure up academically. Those experiences led to years of self-doubt and depression before he rediscovered his purpose through music. This conversation goes far beyond music. It's about learning to believe in yourself, embracing your unique story, and understanding that your greatest purpose often grows from your deepest pain. Whether you're a music lover, creative, parent, mentor, or someone searching for purpose, this episode offers encouragement to stop chasing other people's expectations and start living authentically.
One of the most powerful moments of this conversation is our discussion about web usage—how intentionally using the web and the content we consume can shape our mindset, broaden our perspective, and influence the way we think, feel, and heal. The information, stories, and voices we choose to engage with can either keep us stuck or help us grow into who we're meant to become. In this episode, we discuss:
🎵 Finding purpose through music
🌍 Growing up between two cultures
🧠 Overcoming depression and self-doubt
💜 Healing from childhood wounds
🎤 Using creativity to inspire and uplift others
✨ Why authenticity is more powerful than popularity
🌱 How changing what you consume—including your web usage—can transform your perspective and personal growthConnect with Enaka Betech (NOC)
Christina and Crystal discuss what it means to trust that there can still be something meaningful ahead of you—even when what you are leaving behind once meant everything to you. And parents, this conversation is especially important.
One of Crystal’s strongest messages is that we have to do more than simply ask our children:
“How was your day?”
Ask deeper questions.
What happened today? Who were you with? What did you talk about? How did that make you feel? Did anything make you uncomfortable?
What kinds of behaviors are you seeing from other children or adults? We cannot control every environment our children enter, but we can create a home where they know they can talk about what they experience.
Those conversations can help children develop emotional awareness, empathy, boundaries, discernment, and resilience—and they may also give parents an opportunity to recognize something important before it becomes a much larger problem. Christina and Crystal also discuss how to support someone who may be experiencing abuse without embarrassing, shaming, or pushing them away. Sometimes the person you love will not recognize what is happening immediately. Staying compassionate, maintaining connection, asking thoughtful questions, and remaining a safe person for them to call can matter more than we realize.
They also dive into accountability, boundaries, healing, restoration, and second chances—including Crystal’s advocacy surrounding DUI and child-protection laws in Wyoming and her belief that changing laws and expectations can eventually help change culture.
Crystal is also working on telling more of her own story through writing, including her upcoming book, which explores her experiences with domestic violence, survival, rebuilding, and what can happen after someone makes
If you’ve ever felt unseen, unheard, overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, or exhausted from being everything for everyone, this conversation is for you. You are seen. You are valuable. And you deserve to take up space.
Host of Breaking Curses with Excellence Speaker • Coach • Author • Entrepreneur 🌐 The RusMix: https://therusmix.com
Follow, subscribe, and join me for more conversations about breaking cycles, building self-worth, healing, mindset, entrepreneurship, resilience, and leading with purpose.
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If this episode speaks to you, follow the podcast, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a rating or review. Your support helps these conversations reach more people who are ready to break cycles, rebuild their self-worth, and create a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside.
Disclaimer: This episode is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, mental health, investment, tax, or individualized financial advice. Coaching is not a substitute for therapy or treatment from a licensed healthcare professional.
💜 CONNECT WITH DR. MYLIRA CARY YOUR Favorite Therapist Dr. Mylira Cary, PhD, LCSW, CCTP-II, CAIMHP CEO/Founder of M. Green Enterprises LLC and The Metamorphosis Healing Experience 📞 Phone: 757-609-0694 📧 Email: info@myliratransforms.com 🌐 Website: MyliraTransforms.com
🎙️ CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA Christina Russell Strong Host of Breaking Curses with Excellence Founder of RusMix 📧 Email: info@therusmix.com 🌐 Website: TheRusMix.com 💜 Breaking Cycles. Building Self-Worth. Leading with Purpose.
Important note: This conversation addresses financial disagreements in otherwise safe relationships. Financial abuse, coercive control, or destructive behavior requires specialized support and should not be treated as a simple communication problem.
