Raised by Women

Listening to the Body: Gut Health, Ancestral Wisdom, and Healing with Michelle Heberling

What happens when you’ve done everything right… and your body still breaks?In this episode, Michelle shares the turning point that changed her life from growing up on a farm with real food and homegrown meals, to city living and processed convenience, to eventually landing in San Francisco at the start of the modern food movement. But the real shift came when her health collapsed.After 10 years of severe bleeding and anemia, repeated ER visits and procedures, injuries, infections, and a season of depression that left her feeling stuck, Michelle finally hit a breaking point with the medical merry-go-round. That’s when she began rebuilding her health from the ground up starting with fermented foods, the microbiome, and the ancestral practices we’ve largely forgotten.Michelle explains:Why fermented foods can support gut health, mood, and resilienceHow “sterilized” modern food systems affect our bodies (and why diversity matters)What she learned hosting off-grid events where people reset—physically and emotionallyHow she created her two-week “Gutsy Reset” framework (7 simple steps added to your current diet)Why monitoring digestion (yes… poop) is real data your body is giving youThe wisdom she inherited from her grandfather: Who did you help? What did you create? What did you learn?This conversation is part wellness, part legacy, part truth-telling: get back to basics, stop outsourcing your health, and start listening to your body again.Michelles Links & ResourcesVisit The Guts of Fermentation and download the free Gutsy Two-Week Reset.Website: https://thegutsoffermentation.com/FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheGutsofFermentationIG: https://www.instagram.com/thegutsoffermentatioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heberling/If this conversation stirred something in you, join the Inner Circle a private space for listeners and guests to stay connected and continue the reflection beyond the showwww.willijahdawson.com/innercircle

When the System Shapes the Family and How to Break Free with Dr. Karolina James

What happens when you grow up in a system that never taught you freedom then spend your life reclaiming it?In this episode, Dr. James shares her journey from a post communist childhood in Europe to becoming a U.S. citizen, scholar, mother, and advocate for women healing from narcissistic abuse. After living in six countries and navigating generational trauma, rigid parenting, and coercive relationships, she reflects on identity, forgiveness, and the power of repair.We talk about:Growing up without emotional safety and how that shaped resilienceGenerational trauma without blame or shameLeaving academia to turn pain into purposeParenting with intention after traumaFaith as relationship, not religionWhy you are not your job, your past, or one single identityThis is a conversation about freedom, narcissist abuse, self-authorship, and choosing a different legacy for yourself and the next generation.To connect with Dr. James, visit her following sites:Website: https://echonomorecoaching.org/homeFB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579623976158IG: https://www.instagram.com/echonomorecoachingllcLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/echo-no-more-coachingIf this conversation stirred something in you, join the Inner Circle a private space for listeners and guests to stay connected and continue the reflection beyond the showwww.willijahdawson.com/innercircle

Becoming Unblocked: Doug Belkofer on Breaking Old Beliefs

In this episode of Raised by Women, Doug reflects on the frustration of doing the books, listening to the podcasts, and doing the “work”only to find the same patterns repeating.A pivotal moment led him to examine belief-based filters formed in childhood, and how they shape what feels possible, how we show up in relationships, and what we quietly expect will end. As Doug begins to untangle stories like “I don’t matter” and “people leave,” a new path starts to open personally and professionally.We also talk about his parents relationship and the legacy of his mother a Gold Star mom and lifelong community leader whose courage and service stand worthy of respect regardless of political viewpoints, including introducing Barack Obama at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and whose influence is woven into Doug’s life and work. Watch his mom’s speech here → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CThvYYuvHvAIf you’d like to connect with Doug you can find him via the following:FB: forgingtruthllcIG: forging_truthLinkedIn: forging-truth-llcWebsite: https://forgingtruth.com/If this conversation stirred something in you, join the Inner Circle a private space for listeners and guests to stay connected and continue the reflection beyond the showwww.willijahdawson.com/innercircle

Why This Podcast Exists (And Yes, the Name Changed Again)

If your life didn’t follow a straight line and you’re in a season of making sense of it, you’re in the right place. Raised by Women reflects a name change that brings clearer language to the same heart exploring emotional inheritance and the experiences that quietly shape how we lead, decide, and carry responsibility.Join the Inner Circle: If something stirred or feels like it’s shifting, you’re invited to join us www.willijahdawson.com/innercircleConnect hang out with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willijahdawson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@willijahdawson 

The Martyr Syndrome

Ever felt like everything would fall apart if you didn’t hold it all together? In this episode, I share my personal experience with martyr syndrome the silent burnout of being the one everyone counts on. The truth? People don’t need you as much as you think they do.