Judging Meghan

This is a revisited episode with Penny Hawkins Smith, a compassionate hospice nurse, influencer, and author of Influencing Death: Reframing Dying for Better Living. With over 2 million followers, Penny uses her platform to educate, inspire, and bring light to the often-taboo topic of death.

Together, we delve into the emotional and spiritual depths of end-of-life care, from Penny’s personal journey of overcoming death anxiety to the remarkable, love-filled moments she’s witnessed at the bedside of her patients. We share stories of redemption, forgiveness, and the surprising ways people find peace and purpose in their final days. Penny opens up about the challenges of caregiving, the unkindness of online criticism, and the resilience it takes to continue helping others in the face of negativity.

We discuss the cultural taboos surrounding death and the importance of breaking the silence—not just to reduce fear, but to foster deeper connections with those we love. From deathbed visions to spiritual encounters with lost loved ones, this episode shines a light on the beauty, meaning, and energy that emerge when we embrace life’s final chapter.

This is an inspiring conversation about vulnerability, compassion, and the lessons we can all learn from the fragility of life. Whether you’ve experienced loss, are supporting a loved one, or are simply curious about what lies beyond, this episode will leave you reflecting on the enduring bonds that transcend life and death. Tune in for a journey of healing, hope, and the reminder that even in life’s darkest moments, there is light.

Find out more about Penny through her site: https://www.hospicenursepenny.com/

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #resilience #traumahealing #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #podcasts #WellnessJourney #FindingMeaningInLoss #Influencer #Author #Caregiving #LivingFully #Mortality #HospiceNurse #GriefAndLoss #HealingThroughDeath #PennyHawkinsSmith #trauma #DeathAnxiety #EndOfLifeCare
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In this episode, I’m joined by former actor, author, and holistic life and business coach Randy Spelling for an honest conversation about growing up in one of Hollywood’s most famous families. As the son of legendary television producer Aaron Spelling and brother of Tori Spelling, Randy shares what life was really like behind the scenes, the unique challenges of growing up in the spotlight, and how fame shaped both his family and the relationships around him.

Randy opens up about his acting career, his experience filming Sons of Hollywood while privately coping with his father’s declining health and passing, and how grief and addiction became deeply intertwined. He candidly shares his journey to sobriety, the lessons he learned after hitting rock bottom, and why leaving Hollywood gave him the fresh start he needed to build a more meaningful life.

Today, Randy helps others create lasting change as a holistic life and business coach. We discuss breaking unhealthy patterns, finding confidence and purpose, redefining success beyond money and fame, and why true fulfillment comes from living authentically. It’s an inspiring conversation about resilience, healing, personal growth, and the courage to create a life that aligns with who you truly are.

Learn more about Randy’s coaching here: https://randyspelling.com/

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #RandySpelling #AaronSpelling #ToriSpelling #Hollywood #HollywoodLife #AddictionRecovery #SobrietyJourney #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Healing #PersonalGrowth #SelfDiscovery #TraumaHealing #Grief #Resilience #LifeCoach #HolisticHealth #Purpose #Confidence #Mindset #Transformation #Authenticity #Recovery #Podcast #MentalHealthPodcast #SelfImprovement #GrowthJourney #HealingJourney #Inspiration
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In this episode, I’m joined by grief coach, author, speaker, and Penny’s Flight founder Kate Doerge for a heartfelt conversation about loss, healing, and finding purpose after unimaginable tragedy. We begin by talking about the importance of supporting other women, overcoming jealousy, and choosing to lift one another up instead of competing. Kate shares her extraordinary story of losing her father to heart failure, her mother in a tragic car accident, and, most devastatingly, her daughter Penny, who passed away at just 16 years old after years of battling neurofibromatosis, multiple surgeries, and glioblastoma.

Kate opens up about the inspiration behind her book, Reimagining Grief, and explains how we can create a greater sense of agency in our healing through five powerful steps: connection, celebration, remaining open to signs from our loved ones, movement, and turning pain into purpose. She shares the meaningful signs she's received from Penny, the beautiful ways families can honor and celebrate those they've lost, and how Penny's legacy lives on through Penny's Flight, an incredible organization that has raised more than $6.4 million and launched over 120 chapters to help fund research for a cure for neurofibromatosis.

I also share my own experiences with grief, the signs I've felt from loved ones I've lost, and why faith, hope, and spirituality have become such important parts of my healing journey. This is an emotional and uplifting conversation about navigating life's hardest moments, finding light after loss, and discovering that even in our deepest grief, love never truly leaves us. If you've experienced loss or are supporting someone who has, I hope this episode reminds you that healing is possible, purpose can grow from pain, and you never have to walk through grief alone.

Learn more here:https://www.katedoerge.com/

Want to keep up to date with Kate? Follow her here: https://www.instagram.com/doergek/?hl=en

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #KateDoerge #ReimaginingGrief #Grief #GriefSupport #GriefJourney #HealingAfterLoss #HopeAfterLoss #MentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #MentalHealthMatters #Loss #Bereavement #Widowed #ChildLoss #Neurofibromatosis #Glioblastoma #PennysFlight #TraumaHealing #Resilience #PurposeAfterPain #SignsFromLovedOnes #FaithAndHealing #HealingJourney #ChooseHope #Podcast #PodcastLife #LifeJourney #Survivor #Hope #Courage #Empowerment #Education #WomenInLeadership
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In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Joy Kong, a triple board-certified physician, educator, stem cell expert, and author of Tiger of Beijing. Dr. Kong shares her incredible journey growing up on a university campus in Beijing during a time of major economic change in China. Although her family had very little money, she was surrounded by education and developed an early fascination with America and the opportunities she believed it could offer.

Dr. Kong opens up about the many obstacles she faced while trying to build a new life in the United States, including having her visa denied despite earning a scholarship. Determined not to give up, she found creative ways to move forward, from cold-calling hotels for work to becoming a tour guide in Tibet before eventually making it to America. She also shares the painful reality of surviving an abusive and controlling relationship, making the courageous decision to leave with nothing, and rebuilding her life from a shelter with the help of compassionate mentors, an attorney, and supportive professors. Her story is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to start over and fight for the life you know you're meant to live. It truly inspired me and reinforced the importance of never giving up on your dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem.

We also explore her journey from training in psychiatry to becoming a leader in holistic medicine and stem cell therapy. Dr. Kong explains how regenerative medicine works, the exciting potential stem cells hold for healing, and why it's so important for patients to be informed and cautious in an industry where misinformation and low-quality treatments still exist. It's an inspiring conversation about resilience, reinvention, hope, and the incredible things that can happen when you refuse to let your circumstances define your future.

Learn more here: https://joykongmd.com/

Get her book ‘Tiger of Beijing’ here: https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Beijing-Inspirational-Regenerative-Physician/dp/1647139740?_ga=2.57404205.664597299.1784342086-2044211131.1784342086

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #DrJoyKong #TigerOfBeijing #StemCellTherapy #RegenerativeMedicine #StemCells #HolisticHealth #IntegrativeMedicine #Longevity #HealthyAging #MedicalInnovation #Healthcare #Wellness #FunctionalMedicine #MentalHealthMatters #Psychiatry #Healing #HealthPodcast #AmericanDream #Inspiration #PersonalGrowth #NeverGiveUp #LifeJourney #Survivor #Hope #Courage #Empowerment #Education #WomenInLeadership
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In this episode, I’m sharing why melanoma awareness has become so important to me. Between recently losing an old family friend to melanoma, having my own skin cancer scare when a spot on my leg thankfully turned out to be benign, and my mom’s history with melanoma, it was a real wake-up call. Those experiences made me realize how important it is to have this conversation and remind everyone that early detection saves lives. I hope this episode encourages you to protect your skin, schedule regular skin checks, and never ignore changes you notice, because it truly could make all the difference.

I’m joined by Leah Adams, a melanoma survivor, long-distance runner, and mental health advocate from Cleveland, who shares her incredible story of being diagnosed with stage 1A malignant melanoma at just 26 years old. Leah opens up about years of tanning bed use, skipping sunscreen, and the surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy that ultimately confirmed her cancer had not spread. Together, we discuss the dangers of tanning culture, the alarming rise in melanoma among younger adults, the trend of "tan maxxing," and the misinformation circulating online about UV exposure and sunscreen.

Leah also shares her family's ongoing journey after her father was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma that had spread to his brain and lungs, and how advances in treatment have helped keep his disease stable. We talk about practical sun safety, including choosing broad-spectrum sunscreen, understanding SPF, the differences between mineral and chemical sunscreens, the limitations of SPF in makeup, wearing UPF clothing, and protecting yourself while staying active outdoors. This is an important conversation about prevention, awareness, hope, and why regular skin checks could save your life—or the life of someone you love.

Learn more here: https://www.curemelanoma.org/blog/from-melanoma-patient-to-caregiver

I’d love to hear from you. If you have questions for me, topics you’d like discussed, or stories you want to share, please reach out through my website at judgingmeghan.com or send me a message on Instagram at @judgingmeghan. Your questions may be featured and answered in an upcoming episode. And if you’re enjoying the podcast, leaving a review really helps support the show and helps more people find these conversations.

This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor MelanomaAwareness #SkinCancerAwareness #Melanoma #SkinCancer #SPF #BroadSpectrumSPF #MineralSunscreen #SkinHealth #HealthAwareness #CancerAwareness #LeahAdams #MelanomaSurvivor #CancerSurvivor #Stage4Melanoma #PublicHealth #HealthEducation #RunningCommunity #RunnerLife #OutdoorSafety #BeProactive #EarlyDetection #HealthTips #SelfCare
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