Off-Balance Podcast | Faith, Family & Entrepreneurship

• 74 | Told She Couldn’t: But She Did with | Michelle Steiner

  The loudest voices told Michelle Steiner that college wasn’t an option and meaningful work wouldn’t be in reach. She proved them wrong, and then turned that hard-won confidence into a career helping students with disabilities claim their voice, their tools, and their future. We sit down with Michelle, writer, photographer, and paraeducator, to unpack how perseverance, accommodations, and everyday advocacy can transform doubt into durable progress.We explore the practical side of equity: using Vocational Rehabilitation to graduate debt-free, requesting extended time and note takers, and replacing shame with strategy. Michelle breaks down the myths around accommodations (“cheating” vs. leveling the playing field) and offers clear, repeatable scripts for disclosing needs at school and work without oversharing. For parents and caregivers, we map how to partner with teachers, IEP teams, and pediatricians, and why a strengths-first mindset builds accountability without crushing a child’s spirit.Michelle also shares how her hidden disability reshaped her creativity. Walking instead of driving became a pathway to photography; journaling became a way to process stigma and educate others. Inside the classroom, she teaches seventh graders the advocacy habits that fuel independence: ask early, be specific, and celebrate what you do well. If you’re navigating learning differences, supporting a neurodivergent student, or rethinking your own path, this conversation offers tools, hope, and a fresh definition of success that fits real life.If this resonated, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it, and leave aSend us a textAre you feeling stuck? No matter how hard you push, you’re not gaining momentum in your business or your life? That’s exactly why I created the R.I.S.E. Coaching Program.Over 8 weeks, I’ll guide you through a proven framework to help you:Get rooted in your purpose,Set and honor healthy boundaries,Strengthen your resilience when life hits hard,And execute with consistency so your goals stop collecting dust. Tiffany Brown DesignsTiffany Brown is a graphic and brand designer, film and video editor, and Generative AI Artist who hJ. Christine Beauty Innovative cosmetics that combine beauty and elegance. Brooks Demming Coaching Dr. Brooks empowers women to overcome adversity by developing resilience. She understands that life Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showDisclaimer: The Off-Balance podcast, including all audio, video, and written content, is produced and hosted by Dr. Brooks Demming. The views, opinions, and statements expressed by podcast guests are solely those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, or official positions of Dr. Brooks Demming, the Off-Balance brand, its affiliates, or partners. All content provided on this podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional guidance or spiritual counsel before making decisions based on the information presented. By accessing or listening to this podcast, you agree that Dr. Brooks Demming and the Off-Balance brand are not liable for any loss, harm, or damages resulting from the use of or reliance on information shared by guests or third parties.

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• 73 | Anchored in the Waiting with | Lisa Shaull

  What if the detour is the exact road to your destiny? That’s the question we wrestle with as minister and coach Lisa Shaull shares how infertility, fostering, and adopting three special needs children shaped a resilient, surrendered faith—and a calling to help women live anchored in truth. We explore the raw middle of waiting: the grief, the therapy, the church hurt, and the decision to keep showing up with Scripture on your tongue and hope in your hands. Lisa breaks down her anchored abiding and soul recalibration practices, showing how to catch lies, speak truth out loud, and journal until the Holy Spirit’s voice meets you on the page.You’ll hear how a “temporary” placement became a forever family, how radical obedience works when God’s instructions don’t make sense, and how to build resilience without pretending life isn’t messy. We dig into David’s prayers, Abraham’s long wait, and Paul’s battle plan in Ephesians as a framework for real-world spiritual warfare. If your faith feels tired, Lisa offers simple steps: choose a verse for your season, declare it daily, and embrace small, courageous acts of obedience that move you forward even when clarity lags behind.For those new to faith or ready to return, Lisa shares the ABCs of salvation and practical starting points in John and Ephesians. For parents, caregivers, and leaders, she casts a vision of legacy—doing your work as unto the Lord, modeling prayer in the “yucky,” and letting children see your faith hold when life shakes. Come for the story of adoption and resilience; stay for the tools that will reset your mind, strengthen your spirit, and reawaken your purpose. If this conversation encouraged you, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs courage for their next yes.Send us a textAre you feeling stuck? No matter how hard you push, you’re not gaining momentum in your business or your life? That’s exactly why I created the R.I.S.E. Coaching Program.Over 8 weeks, I’ll guide you through a proven framework to help you:Get rooted in your purpose,Set and honor healthy boundaries,Strengthen your resilience when life hits hard,And execute with consistency so your goals stop collecting dust. Tiffany Brown DesignsTiffany Brown is a graphic and brand designer, film and video editor, and Generative AI Artist who hSupport the showDisclaimer: The Off-Balance podcast, including all audio, video, and written content, is produced and hosted by Dr. Brooks Demming. The views, opinions, and statements expressed by podcast guests are solely those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, or official positions of Dr. Brooks Demming, the Off-Balance brand, its affiliates, or partners. All content provided on this podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional guidance or spiritual counsel before making decisions based on the information presented. By accessing or listening to this podcast, you agree that Dr. Brooks Demming and the Off-Balance brand are not liable for any loss, harm, or damages resulting from the use of or reliance on information shared by guests or third parties.

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• 72 | From Loss to Legacy with | Debbie Simmons

  What if the question that keeps you stuck is the very thing you need to surrender? This conversation with Debbie Simmons travels from the heartbreak of losing quadruplets to the hard-won hope of adopting nine children, welcoming 15 grandkids, and building a nonprofit that strengthens families at scale. Along the way, we explore identity beyond performance, the faith to move when the fog is thick, and the practical tools that make healing possible in real homes with real stress.We dig into the shift from “why” to “what’s my next best step” and how that simple practice fuels resilience for parents, founders, and leaders. Debbie shares the chaos and comedy of becoming a mom to five overnight, the systems that kept dinner and laundry from breaking the house, and the moment TBRI reframed meltdowns as signals instead of battles. If you’re raising kids from hard places, or leading people who carry invisible wounds, you’ll learn how high structure and high nurture work together to rewire the brain, replace maladaptive behaviors with language, and build a family culture where safety and accountability can coexist.We also unpack the origin of Anchor Point, complete with resistance, obedience, and doors opening at the last possible minute. From a medical clinic for pregnancy decisions to abortion recovery, trauma reboot groups, therapeutic family camps, and community parenting initiatives, Debbie shows what comprehensive family support looks like when compassion and competence meet. For entrepreneurs, there’s a throughline: systems that scale care, decisions under uncertainty, and the relentless courage to take the next best step until clarity returns.If you need a story that restores perspective and offers tools you can use tonight, this one’s for you. Listen, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find conversations like this. Then tell us: what next best step are you taking today?Send us a textAre you feeling stuck? No matter how hard you push, you’re not gaining momentum in your business or your life? That’s exactly why I created the R.I.S.E. Coaching Program.Over 8 weeks, I’ll guide you through a proven framework to help you:Get rooted in your purpose,Set and honor healthy boundaries,Strengthen your resilience when life hits hard,And execute with consistency so your goals stop collecting dust. Tiffany Brown DesignsTiffany Brown is a graphic and brand designer, film and video editor, and Generative AI Artist who hSupport the showDisclaimer: The Off-Balance podcast, including all audio, video, and written content, is produced and hosted by Dr. Brooks Demming. The views, opinions, and statements expressed by podcast guests are solely those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, or official positions of Dr. Brooks Demming, the Off-Balance brand, its affiliates, or partners. All content provided on this podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional guidance or spiritual counsel before making decisions based on the information presented. By accessing or listening to this podcast, you agree that Dr. Brooks Demming and the Off-Balance brand are not liable for any loss, harm, or damages resulting from the use of or reliance on information shared by guests or third parties.

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• 71 | Inside a Foster Mom’s Fight with | Khristina

  Start with a neighbor’s knock and a teenage girl who says yes to helping, then fast‑forward to a woman who has turned that yes into a life shaped by care. We sit down with Khristina, a certified clinical medical assistant and devoted foster mom, to trace her path from bedside empathy to courtroom endurance, and why she chose “fostering to keep” even when the process became invasive, expensive, and emotionally heavy.Khristina opens up about welcoming a newborn whose cries signaled unmet needs long before the medical chart did. She walks us through the years of seeking answers, the shift from a suspected Duchenne muscular dystrophy diagnosis to Becker, and the daily work of protecting mobility and dignity: transfers, stretching, cardiology check‑ins, and a home adapted for independence. Along the way, she unpacks what most people never see, referee rulings that can be appealed, an appeal window that resets everything, and more than $35,000 in legal fees to secure stability for three boys who call her mom. We talk about behavior triggers after mandated visits, the weekly “reset” back to baseline, and how school counselors, behavioral specialists, and the church keep the family grounded.If you’ve wondered what it truly takes to foster, this conversation is your field guide, covering documentation, boundaries, patience, and a community that shows up. Khristina’s hard-won advice is practical and human: pace your expectations, guard your “me time,” seek outside counsel early, and prepare to learn more about the law and disability care than you ever expected. The payoff is measured in ordinary moments that once felt impossible: a high school graduation for a son who wasn’t expected to live past five, a house full of laughter, and a parent who still chooses love on the hardest days.If this story moved you, follow the show, share it with someone considering foster care, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. Your support helps more families hear the truth and the hope behind fostering.gofundme: https://gofund.me/b2f325724Send us a textAre you feeling stuck? No matter how hard you push, you’re not gaining momentum in your business or your life? That’s exactly why I created the R.I.S.E. Coaching Program.Over 8 weeks, I’ll guide you through a proven framework to help you:Get rooted in your purpose,Set and honor healthy boundaries,Strengthen your resilience when life hits hard,And execute with consistency so your goals stop collecting dust. Tiffany Brown DesignsTiffany Brown is a graphic and brand designer, film and video editor, and Generative AI Artist who hSupport the showDisclaimer: The Off-Balance podcast, including all audio, video, and written content, is produced and hosted by Dr. Brooks Demming. The views, opinions, and statements expressed by podcast guests are solely those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, or official positions of Dr. Brooks Demming, the Off-Balance brand, its affiliates, or partners. All content provided on this podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional guidance or spiritual counsel before making decisions based on the information presented. By accessing or listening to this podcast, you agree that Dr. Brooks Demming and the Off-Balance brand are not liable for any loss, harm, or damages resulting from the use of or reliance on information shared by guests or third parties.

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• 70 | Design Your Life, On Purpose with | Morgan Gutierrez

  Ever feel like you’re checking every box and still missing the point? We sit down with performance and mindset engineer Morgan Gutierrez to rebuild success from the inside out, starting with the thoughts that quietly script your days. Instead of running your life on default settings, Morgan shows how to design a blueprint that aligns with what you actually want across four core areas: health, relationships, vocation, and time and money. The shift begins with a deceptively simple question, what would you love? And expands into practical tools that change your energy, your actions, and your results.Morgan shares her reluctant pivot from real estate to purpose-driven work, revealing how resistance shows up as clever self-talk and how to tell the truth faster. We dig into her results formula, thoughts create feelings, feelings drive actions, actions produce results, and explore how high achievers can replace chronic grind with two powerful levers: breath and fun. We also challenge the myth that success is only a number, reframing it as a felt sense of integrity, impact, and joy. From cold-calling with service-led energy to scheduling five minutes of joy that rewires your nervous system, the conversation is packed with tools you can use today.If you’re curious where to start, Morgan lays out accessible first steps and explains the role of structure, accountability, and discipline when motivation fades. Expect a warm, candid dive into designing work that supports life, not the other way around, and a reminder that you’re worthy of loving your life right now, not someday. If this resonates, tap 'follow,' share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review to share your new definition of success.Send us a textAre you feeling stuck? No matter how hard you push, you’re not gaining momentum in your business or your life? That’s exactly why I created the R.I.S.E. Coaching Program.Over 8 weeks, I’ll guide you through a proven framework to help you:Get rooted in your purpose,Set and honor healthy boundaries,Strengthen your resilience when life hits hard,And execute with consistency so your goals stop collecting dust. Tiffany Brown DesignsTiffany Brown is a graphic and brand designer, film and video editor, and Generative AI Artist who hSupport the showDisclaimer: The Off-Balance podcast, including all audio, video, and written content, is produced and hosted by Dr. Brooks Demming. The views, opinions, and statements expressed by podcast guests are solely those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, or official positions of Dr. Brooks Demming, the Off-Balance brand, its affiliates, or partners. All content provided on this podcast is for informational and inspirational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. Listeners are encouraged to seek appropriate professional guidance or spiritual counsel before making decisions based on the information presented. By accessing or listening to this podcast, you agree that Dr. Brooks Demming and the Off-Balance brand are not liable for any loss, harm, or damages resulting from the use of or reliance on information shared by guests or third parties.

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