Call Me Friend – Details, episodes & analysis

When life delivers unthinkable loss, what happens next can change everything. Cancer survival, grief and healing, a mother-daughter business, resilience after loss, and turning pain into purpose and connection are all discussed on this episode of Call Me Friend, featuring Laura Stachler and her daughter Susan Stachler.

This is an inside-out story of grief, resilience, and purpose. After losing Laura’s sister Susan to Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the family later faced the same diagnosis again when daughter Susan was in college. What followed was cancer treatment, uncertainty, and an unexpected idea that started in a garage and grew into a nationally loved business built on comfort, connection, and saying “I’m thinking of you.”

Together, they share how baking became therapy, how a single ginger snap helped ease chemo nausea, and how Susan Snaps grew into a way to support people during life’s hardest moments. This episode explores what it means to move through trauma, redefine success, and build community when you feel like an outsider.

If you believe small gestures matter, this conversation will stay with you.

✅ How grief can become a catalyst for purpose

✅ What it means to build a business after cancer

✅ Why baking became a form of healing

✅ How Susansnaps grew from a garage to a national brand

✅ Why perspective changes everything after loss

✅ How small acts of kindness create real community

00:00 An inside-out story of loss and resilience

04:10 Losing a sister to Hodgkin’s lymphoma

07:40 A shocking cancer diagnosis repeats generations later

11:00 Baking as therapy during chemo

12:45 The ginger snap that changed everything

15:20 Turning comfort into a business

18:00 Mother-daughter business dynamics

21:00 Perspective after surviving cancer

23:45 “Asking for a Friend” advice on belonging

27:50 Being told “you can’t” and proving otherwise

34:00 Why kindness matters more than perfection

🔹 Trauma changes perspective forever

🔹 Healing can start in unexpected places

🔹 Purpose often grows out of pain

🔹 Community is built through small, consistent kindness

🔹 You don’t have to fit in to make an impact

Laura Stachler and her daughter Susan Stachler are the founders of Susansnaps, a cookie company born out of cancer treatment, love, and the need to bring comfort to others. What began as homemade ginger snaps shared at a cancer center has grown into a nationally recognized brand known for connection, compassion, and showing up when words fall short.

1. Susansnaps: https://susansnaps.com/
2. Angel Flight Soars https://www.angelflightsoars.org/
3. Jack Black Lip Balm https://amzn.to/4sl1ntV

Reinvention after 70 is not about starting over, it’s about evolving with clarity and courage. On Call Me Friend, Daryn Kagan calls bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews for a raw, honest conversation about aging boldly, personal loss, career pivots, and finally saying what matters most.

Mary Kay shares how she transitioned from newspaper journalism to writing more than 30 bestselling novels, why losing her daughter changed how she shows up in the world, and what pushed her to become outspoken on social media later in life. Together, they explore why evolution matters more than reinvention, how grief and purpose can coexist, and why having fewer filters can actually bring more connection.

This episode also touches on health after 70, finding meaning through advocacy, and why pivoting is one of the most important life skills as we age.

If you are navigating change, grief, or wondering what’s next in midlife or beyond, this conversation will remind you that growth doesn’t have an expiration date.

✅ Why evolution matters more than reinvention as we age

✅ How Mary Kay Andrews left journalism to become a bestselling author

✅ How grief reshaped her priorities and sense of purpose

✅ Why she decided to speak out politically later in life

✅ How to pivot without a safety net

✅ Why aging can bring freedom instead of fear

(00:00) Reinvention after 70 and evolving without apology

(04:10) Health, aging, and changing habits later in life

(08:00) Leaving journalism and secretly writing fiction

(13:20) Getting published by breaking the rules

(18:40) Creating the Mary Kay Andrews pen name

(24:10) Losing her daughter and navigating grief

(28:30) Advocacy, purpose, and speaking out

(33:40) Social media, backlash, and finding your voice

(37:30) Why pivoting is the ultimate life skill

🔹 Reinvention doesn’t always mean starting over

🔹 Grief and purpose can exist at the same time

🔹 Aging brings clarity and courage

🔹 Pivoting is a skill that grows with time

Mary Kay Andrews is a New York Times bestselling author with more than 30 novels published. A former newspaper journalist, she built a second career writing beloved Southern fiction and mysteries. Today, she is also known for her outspoken advocacy, powerful storytelling, and fearless honesty about aging, loss, and purpose.

1. Mary Kay Andrews new book "Road Trip" https://amzn.to/3OebLVs
2. Friends and Fiction:https://friendsandfiction.com/
3. Helping Mamas: https://helpingmamas.org/
4. Department Q: https://www.netflix.com/title/81487660

CNN’s John King, famous for election night coverage at the Magic Wall, opens up about living with multiple sclerosis, how MS shapes his daily life, and why hope and healing keep him going.

CNN’s John King is known worldwide for guiding viewers through presidential elections on CNN with the Magic Wall. But behind the political maps and election coverage is a personal battle with multiple sclerosis (MS).

In this powerful Call Me Friend episode, host Daryn Kagan reconnects with her longtime CNN colleague to explore John’s journey of resilience. He reveals how MS impacts his health and career, how he balances hope with hard days, and why empathy and healing matter more than ever.

This is more than politics. It’s about family, faith in conversation, and finding optimism in the face of challenge.

What You Will Learn in This Episode

✅How John King discovered his multiple sclerosis diagnosis and what it means day-to-day

✅What it takes to stay steady while covering CNN’s election nights with the Magic Wall

✅Why empathy, patience, and resilience became his greatest lessons from living with MS

✅How John still finds hope and purpose in journalism, family, and everyday conversations

Powered by Ms Lou’s Cabin- https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

Sign up for our newsletter: https://darynkagan.substack.com/

Key Timestamps

• (00:00) John King On Hope, Healing, And What Keeps Him Going Through MS
• (0:53) Intro to Call Me Friend and setup of John King’s story
• (2:36) John is living with multiple sclerosis, why this conversation matters
• (3:00) Sponsor message  Ms Lou’s Cabin
• (4:08) John joins, quick catch up and location chat
• (10:02) Optimism that the next generation will fix our mistakes
• (17:51) The “All Over the Map” project, listening to voters across America
• (20:28) Polarization, why conversation works better than combat
• (29:03) MS diagnosis story, symptoms building to the 2008 Republican Convention
• (33:01) MS symptoms, fatigue, meds, costs, and how he adapts his day
• (43:46) Magic Wall origin story, who used it first, how John took it on
• (44:09) Behind the scenes on election coverage and the tech that powers it

🔹 John King’s candid story of resilience while living with multiple sclerosis

🔹 The behind-the-scenes reality of CNN election night coverage

🔹 Why optimism and healing fuel his work in journalism and life as a father

🔹 A reminder that empathy and patience can shift how we see each other

John King is CNN’s chief national correspondent and anchor, known for his groundbreaking use of the Magic Wall during U.S. election coverage. With nearly 30 years at CNN, he has reported on politics, presidents, and pivotal national moments. Today, he is also openly sharing his experience living with multiple sclerosis, offering a deeply human perspective on resilience, hope, and healing.

• John King https://www.instagram.com/johnkingcnn
• Firekeeper's Daughter https://amzn.to/4niDGiG
• Just One More Foundation: JustOneMoreFoundation.org 
• Daryn's book:

Bestselling author Kristin Harmel opens up about losing and rebuilding identity during breast cancer treatment, and the friendships that carried her through it. Daryn and Kristin chat about asking for help, receiving it without guilt, and letting friends hold your hope when you cannot. Kristin reflects on her comeback to writing, how community fuels creative recovery, and the small habits that kept her grounded as a parent and a writer. You will hear practical ways to support a friend in treatment, plus how to come back to yourself with patience and purpose. 

What You Will Learn in This Episode

✅ Practical ways to rebuild creative identity after a life shock like cancer

✅ Tiny habits to restart creativity post chemo brain

✅ How Friends and Fiction lifts authors, readers, and indie bookstores

✅ Why a vulnerable author’s note can hit harder than a plot twist

If you’re looking for inspiration, insight, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the most trusted voices in journalism, this conversation delivers.

Powered by Ms Lou’s Cabin- https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

Sign up for our newsletter: https://darynkagan.substack.com/

• 00:00 Kristin Harmel on losing identity, finding her voice again, and the life behind her latest bestseller
• 02:17 Ms Lou’s Cabin on Georgia’s coast
• 07:02 Why her books make us cry and the twist this time. Author’s note that hit different
• 08:16 Diagnosis in October 2022, chemo brain is real, and the fear of not finding the words again
• 10:10 Colette’s identity crisis mirrors Kristin’s. Who are you if you are not the thing you do
• 11:26 Parenting through treatment and protecting a 6 year old from adult fear
• 17:02 How the writing faucet turned back on. Confidence, groove, and the next novel arriving easier
• 21:20 How Kristin made the leap from People magazine to published novelist
• 24:01 The Paris outline method. Studying structure by outlining successful novels
• 29:24 Friends and Fiction origin during early COVID, lifting indie bookstores, and building a 300k reader community
• 33:29 Collaboration over competition. Why author friendships grow everyone’s reach
• 43:19 Kristin’s book recommendations and why early reads feel magical
• 45:00 Call with sister Kallan Kagan
• 52:01 TikTok Shop wall anchors and renter friendly hacks

🔹 Friendship is a lifeline. Let people carry hope when you cannot

🔹 Identity is bigger than work. Build anchors in values, relationships, and daily rituals

🔹 Recovery is not linear. Track tiny wins and stack them until momentum returns

🔹 Structure unlocks flow. Simple outlines make room for surprise on the page

Kristin Harmel is a New York Times bestselling author of World War II historical fiction, including The Book of Lost Names, The Forest of Vanishing Stars, The Paris Daughter, and The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau She co founded Friends and Fiction and champions readers, bookstores, and resilient creativity.

• The Sea Stone Sisters https://amzn.to/46WWi1M
• Friends and Fiction Facebook Group:

Addiction recovery and second chances aren’t easy, but Scottie Bowman proves they’re possible. In this episode of Call Me Friend, Daryn Kagan calls her friend Scottie to share how she went from a 12-day drug and alcohol binge on the streets of Atlanta to 24 years of sobriety. Today, Scottie is not only a successful restaurant owner in Chattanooga, but also the founder of The Launchpad, a nonprofit creating sober living houses for women in recovery. Her journey shows the power of resilience, second chances, and what’s possible when recovery takes root.

Scottie opens up about her darkest moments, the turning point that led her to treatment, and the 24 years of sobriety that followed. Her journey shows how second chances can ripple outward, first saving yourself, then lifting others.

If you’re searching for real-life addiction recovery stories, insights into sobriety and second chances, or inspiration from women overcoming trauma and addiction, this conversation is packed with hope, honesty, and healing.

What You Will Learn in This Episode

✅ How Scottie Bowman survived a 12-day drug and alcohol binge that nearly killed her

✅ The role of treatment, 12-step programs, and sober living in her long-term sobriety

✅ Why she chose to stay in the restaurant and bar business while maintaining recovery

✅ How she turned personal success into The Launchpad, a community of sober living houses serving 55 women at a time

If you’re looking for inspiration, insight, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the most trusted voices in journalism, this conversation delivers.

Powered by Ms Lou’s Cabin- https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

Sign up for our newsletter: https://darynkagan.substack.com/

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 Sobriety & Second Chances: Scottie Bowman’s Amazing Secon Chance & Recovery Story
• 1:03 Introduction to Scottie Bowman’s addiction story
• 5:15 Early struggles and family trauma that fueled addiction
• 7:14  The New Year’s Eve binge that spiraled into 12 days of nonstop use
• 13:04  Moment of clarity: realizing she didn’t want to die
• 14:07  Treatment at Cornerstone and the start of sobriety
• 18:05  Building her first sober living house, The Launchpad
• 20:34  Growth into five houses serving women in recovery
• 24:02  Why work and accountability are key to sobriety
• 31:02  Coping with relapse and loss in the recovery community
• 36:10  The friend who changed everything: Jack Lupton and his life-changing support
• 40:50  Scottie’s message on boundaries, grace, and hope for those still struggling
• 41:40 Daryn calls sister Kallan Kagan to talk about the call with Scottie Bowman

Key Takeaways

🔹 Recovery is possible—even after decades of addiction and near-death experiences.

🔹 Community and structure matter—sober living, work, and accountability provide lasting stability.

🔹 Second chances multiply—when one person recovers, they create opportunities for others.

🔹 Boundaries are love—learning to say no is essential for both sobriety and relationships.

About Scottie Bowman

Scottie Bowman is a Chattanooga-based entrepreneur, restaurant owner, and founder of The Launchpad, a nonprofit creating sober living homes for women. With over 24 years of sobriety, Scottie’s mission is to break the stigma of addiction and help women rebuild their lives through accountability, community, and...

What does it take to rise from childhood bullying, Tourette syndrome, and the fear of never making it to national television, to becoming one of the most beloved Contributor in America? In this episode of Call Me Friend, host Daryn Kagan sits down with CBS News contributor David Begnaud to explore his extraordinary journey of resilience, authenticity, and second chances.

David opens up about growing up in Louisiana with Tourette syndrome, navigating the challenges of being gay in a conservative environment, and the teachers, mentors, and friends who changed his life. From his career-defining coverage in Puerto Rico to creating “Beg Knows America”– segments that spotlight everyday heroes, David shares how he turned past pain into purpose and why storytelling remains his ultimate calling.

✅ How David Begnaud overcame bullying, Tourette syndrome, and self-doubt to build a national journalism career

✅ The pivotal role of friendship, mentorship, and second chances in shaping his life

✅ Why redefining success helped him shift from hard news to uplifting storytelling

✅ The surprising lessons he learned about resilience, authenticity, and living without attachment to past pain

If you’re looking for inspiration, insight, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse into one of the most trusted voices in journalism, this conversation delivers.

Powered by Ms Lou’s Cabin- https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

Sign up for our newsletter: https://darynkagan.substack.com/

Key Timestamps

• 00:00  Childhood trauma, Tourette syndrome, bullying, and survival
• 05:02  How Daryn and David first connected: a DM that sparked friendship
• 08:04  The “news bug” story: how a 7-year-old became obsessed with TV news
• 11:11  Living with Tourette syndrome and learning to turn trauma into resilience
• 19:02  Facing doubt at CBS: from rejection to respect
• 23:31  Puerto Rico coverage: breaking point, burnout, and finding a new purpose
• 28:28  The dog trainer revealed as a convicted murderer, a lesson in second chances
• 34:11  The teacher who changed David’s life and launched his career
• 37:50  Book and documentary recommendations that inspire his work
• 39:11  A call for stories: how you can share everyday heroes with David

4 Key Takeaways

💎Resilience often comes from the deepest pain, we can turn trauma into testimony.

💎Authentic storytelling creates connection far beyond headlines.

💎Mentors and friends can change the course of a life forever.

💎Redefining success sometimes means stepping away from what once defined you.

Guest Bio: David Begnaud

David Begnaud is an Emmy-winning journalist and contributor for CBS News, known for his authentic storytelling and uplifting series “Beg Knows America”. From his acclaimed coverage of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico to his deeply human stories of resilience, Begnaud has become one of the most trusted voices in broadcast journalism. Living with Tourette syndrome and embracing his identity as a gay man, David’s journey is one of triumph over adversity, a celebration of authenticity, and proof that second chances can change everything.

Resource Links

• David's...

Two dads share raw stories of grief, single fatherhood, and healing while building friendship and hope after loss. In this episode of Call Me Friend, host Daryn Kagan connects with David McClain and Jamal Jones, two fathers who each lost their wives to cancer and her husband Trent, who walked a similar path. Together, they open up about parenting through grief, rediscovering love, and starting their podcast Getting Back Up. Their conversation highlights resilience, fatherhood, and the importance of honest dialogue about loss and healing.

What You’ll Learn

• ✅ How two single dads turned tragedy into friendship and healing.
• ✅ The challenges of parenting after losing a spouse.
• ✅ Why men’s conversations about grief and mental health matter.
• ✅ How shared stories can inspire resilience and hope.

Powered by Ms Lou’s Cabin- https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

Subscribe & Connect

Subscribe for more powerful, purpose-filled conversations on second chances and real-life impact

Sign up for our newsletter: https://darynkagan.substack.com/

Follow @CallMeFriendPodcast on all platforms

Email Daryn@DarynKagan.com 

Timestamps

• 00:00 Jamal introduces the journey of becoming a single dad
• 04:40 Jamal’s story of love, loss, and raising three kids
• 07:12 David shares his marriage, diagnosis, and raising two daughters
• 10:47 How their daughters brought them together at a bowling alley
• 16:21 The idea for their podcast Getting Back Up
• 22:31 Trent shares his own story of grief and fatherhood
• 26:19 Balancing fatherhood, dating, and honoring legacy
• 33:33 The realities of “dad-mom” parenting moments
• 38:44 A powerful connection through their daughters’ names
• 42:00 Final recommendations: vinegar, stretching, and credit health

Key Takeaways

• 💎 Grief can become a bridge that connects people in unexpected ways.
• 💎 Parenting after loss requires resilience, humor, and community.
• 💎 Men need more spaces to openly share feelings and struggles.
• 💎 Healing doesn’t erase the past, it honors it while building forward.

 Resources & Links

• Getting Back Up Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5se2NarmSX9wRPlMP2CgYc?si=244006d26a8f4394
• Getting Back Up Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getbackuppodcast?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
• Ms Lou’s Cabin Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

Jamal Jones is a father of three navigating life after the loss of his wife to cancer. He co-hosts Getting Back Up, a podcast helping men face grief with honesty and resilience.

David McClain is a devoted dad raising two daughters after losing his wife to uterine sarcoma. His mission is to create open conversations about fatherhood, loss, and rebuilding.

Trent Swanson is husband to host Daryn Kagan and father who also experienced...

From CNBC to Money Rehab, Nicole Lapin brings a powerful story of financial resilience, personal finance mastery, and rebuilding after loss. In this episode of the Call Me Friend podcast, host Daryn Kagan sits down with Nicole to explore her journey from becoming the youngest anchor at CNBC to privately battling debt, making financial literacy accessible to all, and starting over after the devastating Palisades fire destroyed her home just two weeks after becoming a mom.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How Nicole Lapin transitioned from CNBC anchor to Money Rehab host and financial educator

✅ The financial literacy mistakes even experts make and how to avoid them

✅ Disaster preparedness tips that can protect your personal finances and peace of mind

✅ The emotional and financial lessons of losing everything in the Palisades fire

✅ Why resilience, reinvention, and chosen family are just as important as money in recovery

Nicole shares how she used her financial literacy skills to navigate a crisis, what she wishes she had done differently, and why taking action before disaster strikes is key. Daryn Kagan guides this heartfelt Call Me Friend podcast conversation, filled with personal stories, actionable tips, and a reminder that even in the toughest seasons, personal finance knowledge and strong relationships can help you rebuild.

Powered by Ms Lous Cabin- https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

📢 Subscribe & Connect

Subscribe for more powerful, purpose-filled conversations on second chances and real-life impact

Sign up for our newsletter: https://darynkagan.substack.com/

Follow @CallMeFriendPodcast on all platforms

Email Daryn@DarynKagan.com 

• 0:00 Daryn introduces Nicole’s journey: motherhood, partnership, and sudden loss in the Palisades fire
• 2:00 Nicole opens up about debt while being a CNBC financial anchor
• 7:02 How one email from Daryn changed Nicole’s career path
• 10:00 Early career struggles: layoffs at CNN’s digital network and pivoting to CNBC
• 13:30 Financial “imposter syndrome”  teaching money while in personal debt
• 15:03 Nicole’s journey to get out of credit card debt and build her own financial literacy system
• 16:00 Leaving CNBC mid-contract to build her own brand against traditional advice
• 19:00 Writing Rich Bitch and taking risks with bold branding
• 21:33 Launching The Money School and addressing the financial literacy gap
• 23:00 Reflecting on her career shift and what she truly wanted to be: a writer
• 24:00 The Palisades fire, losing everything two weeks after her daughter’s birth
• 28:00 What Nicole wishes she had done differently (insurance, documentation, preparedness)
• 31:00 Rebuilding life, turning her garage into a studio, finding stability
• 32:12 Friendship through crisis: who showed up and who didn’t
• 35:24 Motherhood through loss: how priorities shift to the basics
• 37:18 Rethinking her relationship with “stuff” after losing it all
• 39:36 Money, happiness, and the threshold where wealth stops increasing joy
• 43:00 Nicole’s interview with Ray Dalio and the reality that money can’t buy immunity from loss
• 44:18 Nicole’s recommendation to friends: therapy, even when life feels fine
• 45:06 Tribute to her chosen sister Tracy, a friend who showed up in life-changing ways
• 47:48 Closing thoughts: why financial self-care belongs alongside other forms of self-care

💎 Financial literacy is an essential life skill to start before you’re in...

Second chances, lightning strike survival, and overcoming adversity take center stage in this powerful episode of the Call Me Friend Podcast. Host Daryn Kagan welcomes Richard Rogers, a lightning strike survivor who faced death and lived to share his inspiring second chance story. Joined by Alberto, founder of West Texas Barber Academy, they share how second chances change lives and fuel missions of giving back. Just One More Foundation, founded by Richard Rogers, provides critical support to individuals like Alberto, helping him take his barber school to the next level through accreditation, barber school expansion.

Richard Rogers’ lightning strike survivor story is not just about survival. It is about transformation, service, and living with purpose. His second chance became the inspiration for Just One More Foundation, where he helps others like Alberto turn personal adversity into empowerment. Alberto’s Barber School offers affordable education, barber school accreditation, and training for aspiring barbers from underserved communities. Together, Richard and Alberto show how second chances ripple through lives and communities.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How a lightning strike survivor turned adversity into a mission of giving back
• The journey of West Texas Barber Academy toward accreditation and community impact
• Why vocational education and trade school entrepreneurship are life-changing
• The power of nonprofit support and second chance stories in underserved communities

If you’re looking for second chance stories, lightning strike survivor interviews, giving back inspiration, or insights into barber school accreditation and overcoming adversity, this episode is for you. Join us on the Call Me Friend Podcast for a conversation filled with heart, hope, and the power of giving back.

Powered by Ms Lous Cabin- https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

Key Timestamps:

• (00:00) Richard Rogers survival story: “It killed me. I was laying in the bed on fire dead.”
• (01:00) Daryn introduces the episode and her unforgettable on air blooper
• (05:18) Richard recounts the 1995 lightning strike that ended and restarted  his life
• (08:45) A 14 year-old boy performs CPR and brings Richard back from death
• (12:20) Richard’s hospital moment: “If I get another chance, I won’t live for me”
• (16:10) The birth of the Just One More Foundation: turning a second chance into service
• (20:30) Meet Alberto: raised without his father, finds purpose through barbering
• (25:01) Surprise grant moment: Alberto reacts as Just One More gifts $6,823
• (30:45) Alberto shares how the funds will help him get accredited and expand his school
• (35:40) Richard and Daryn reflect on what makes someone worth betting on

Key Takeaways:

• Second chances can transform lives far beyond the individual, as seen in Richard Rogers’ lightning strike survivor story.
• The Just One More Foundation helps individuals like Alberto pursue their dreams by supporting his barber school accreditation and make education accessible.
• Giving back creates a ripple effect that multiplies opportunities for entire communities.
• Overcoming adversity requires resilience, faith, and a commitment to helping others rise.

About the Guest:

Richard Rogers is a lightning strike survivor who turned his miraculous second chance into a lifelong mission of service. As founder of the Just One More Foundation, Richard helps others overcome adversity and strike launch careers, including supporting Alberto’s Barber School in Lubbock, Texas. His...

Deborah Norville reveals the real reason she left Inside Edition after 30 years and what sparked her most unexpected career transition yet. In her most in depth and revealing conversation to date, Deborah sits down with longtime friend and fellow broadcaster Daryn Kagan to share what really happened behind the scenes. Was it truly her choice? What condition did her bosses refuse to meet? And what joyful surprise came just days after she walked away from her dream job?

In this exclusive episode of Call Me Friend, Deborah opens up about what it means to truly start over, not from failure, but from strength. She reflects on the pressure of proving herself for nearly five decades, the emotional moment that brought her career full circle, and why it takes more courage to walk away from “good enough” than to rebuild after a setback. From being publicly let go during maternity leave at NBC’s Today Show to becoming the longest-running anchor in American television history, Deborah’s story is a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and self-trust.

Just days after announcing her departure from Inside Edition, Deborah received life changing personal news, she’s about to become a grandmother for the first time. Now, she’s turning to listeners for help: What should her grandma name be? She’s collecting suggestions, and yours could be the one that sticks.

1. The surprising reason Deborah Norville really left Inside Edition after 30 year
2. How to navigate a career transition with confidence, even when it’s unexpected
3. The mindset shift Deborah used to redefine her identity beyond a job title
4. What it takes to reinvent yourself at any stage of life or career
5. How gratitude became Deborah’s secret weapon for resilience and reinvention
6. Why walking away from “good enough” can be harder than recovering from failure
7. How her sudden departure led to the joyful surprise of becoming a first-time grandma
8. The behind-the-scenes truth about her Today Show exit and how it shaped everything after

Whether you’re navigating a career transition, redefining your identity, or wondering what’s next, this episode is packed with wisdom, vulnerability, and the kind of inspiration only a real conversation between friends can bring.

Powered by Ms Lous Cabin- https://www.airbnb.com/h/mslouscabin

1. (00:00) Deborah’s early moment of doubt: "You don’t belong here"
2. (01:00) The power of proving someone wrong
3. (02:00) Daryn’s story of being let go from CNN
4. (03:40) Different kinds of starting over: forced vs. chosen
5. (05:30) Why Deborah chose to leave Inside Edition
6. (08:00) Reflecting on her career in broadcast journalism
7. (11:30) How the Today Show exit...