In this short and honest episode, Steph shares her decision to step away from podcasting and social media for 65 days a move that feels both scary and exciting after consistently showing up and pushing toward big milestones like reaching 1,000 episodes. After a challenging start to the year with canceled guests, illness, and being spread across five different shows, she’s choosing to reset and refocus her energy on a bigger goal: creating courses to help women learn how to DIY their podcasts and use ads to grow them. Inspired by the idea that you have to “raise your floor” to reach higher goals, this break is about saying no to certain things so she can go all in on what matters most. Steph shares that she’s already booking guests for her return and will be back on May 31st with renewed creativity and excitement, and in the meantime, encourages listeners to check out her other shows while continuing to put on their shoes, do their best, and believe in the impossible.

What would you do if everything changed in an instant your memory, your health, your future? In this powerful episode of Notable Peeps, Dr. Deitra C. Payne shares how the loss of her father, followed by a sudden hospitalization that left her without speech or memory, completely shifted her perspective on life. Faced with uncertainty, she chose to stop putting off her “big bold dreams” and began a new path of inspiring others to do the same. From academia to entrepreneurship, from grief to gratitude, her story is a reminder that tomorrow isn’t promised and the dreams you’re waiting on might be the very ones you’re meant to chase right now.

Contact Info for Dr. Deitra C. Payne

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-deitra-c-payne

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ignite_fabulous

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/deitra.payne.1

What if the life that looks perfect on the outside is hiding a battle no one can see? Julie Miller shares how a quiet struggle with alcohol led her to a breaking point and ultimately to a 200-mile solo hike through the Colorado wilderness. What she discovered along the way wasn’t just strength, it was the realization that discomfort won’t break you, honesty creates connection, and honoring yourself can completely change your life. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re the only one carrying something heavy, this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone and that a different path is possible.

Connect with Julie:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/create.a.life.so.full/

Podcast: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cfac2381-ef6c-42a3-94ea-49668f271d59

Grief doesn’t follow a timeline, a rulebook, or a finish line. In this deeply moving episode of Notable Peeps, Jason Tuttle of Atlanta, Georgia, is honest about loss, healing, and learning how to live alongside grief. Jason is the founder of Letters to Zachary, a grief-support platform that began after the loss of his son, Zachary. Through raw storytelling and lived experience, Jason shares how writing became a way to survive the hardest days, why grief is often misunderstood, and how small, intentional steps can help people move forward even when life feels impossible.Learn more and connect with Jason here:
Website: https://letterstozachary.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tuttlepatriarch/

What happens when life forces you to slow down? In this episode of Notable Peeps, Thomas “Tommy” Carchidi shares what life has looked like after being diagnosed with stage four lymphoma cancer. He opens up about the years of unexplained pain that led to his diagnosis, the realities of treatment, and what it truly means to be in remission while still carrying lingering physical and emotional effects. While undergoing treatment, Tommy was already attending law school, continuing his studies alongside hospital stays and recovery, after years working in law enforcement in places like Baltimore, Brooklyn, and Montgomery County. He also reflects on faith, identity, and why he chose to write and self-publish his memoir, A Life in Law Enforcement: A Police Memoir, The Good, The Bad, The Corrupt, as he continues moving forward with discipline, faith, and purpose.Buy Tommy's Book: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52044525.Thomas_Carchidi

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-carchidi-653345331

Email: tcarchidi@hotmail.com

If life is starting to feel a little too predictable, Melissa Rodway is your reminder that you can choose a new challenge on purpose. In this episode, Melissa shares why she signed up for a stand-up comedy class just for fun (and how much work it really takes to earn a laugh), plus what it was like to self-publish her travel memoir built from the weekly emails she wrote during a four-month trip through Southeast Asia. She also talks about why the best part of doing hard things is the people you meet along the way, and what she’s going after in 2026.

You don’t hear this side of military life very often: it’s the everyday whiplash of going from a world where everything is decided for you (even your socks) to a civilian life where every tiny choice suddenly feels huge.

Tanya Lakins shares how growing up in a small town as a preacher’s daughter led her to join the Marine Corps, serve for 11 years, and then hit a wall when civilian life felt strangely harder than military life. She opens up about decision fatigue, losing built-in purpose and community, why so many veterans feel “lost” after separation, and how getting support through the VA helped start her recovery. You’ll also hear how she went from struggling to hold a job to building a wellness business that serves others (including veterans), and why she’s stepping into Missouri politics next to push for better veteran support where it’s needed most.

Most people believe success belongs to the smartest, most talented, or most confident people in the room, but this conversation challenges that idea completely. In this episode, Troy Butterfield shares that his life has been shaped not by natural ability, but by resilience, integrity, and the willingness to keep going when quitting would have been easier. He opens up about feeling average in school and sports, taking terrifying financial risks with a young family, navigating commission-only income, unexpected debt, and later facing one of the most devastating challenges an entrepreneur can experience: employee embezzlement that wiped out savings and retirement. Rather than walking away, Troy and his wife chose to rebuild with honesty and faith, eventually creating businesses strong enough to sell. At its core, this conversation is about redefining excellence, learning to value peace, joy, freedom, and contentment over titles or recognition, and recognizing that ordinary people can create extraordinary lives through consistent, intentional choices.

Book: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Troy-Butterfield/dp/1965401805
Website: https://excelexponentially.com/