Chrisi Hammer: Success Didn't Heal the Pain—This Did

Chrisi Hammer: Success Didn't Heal the Pain—This Did

Success stories usually begin with the moment everything worked. This one begins with rejection, identity, divorce, and learning how to rebuild. In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with entrepreneur Chrisi Hammer, Co-Founder and CEO of Sunshine Buns, to explore the deeply personal experiences that shaped the resilient leader she is today. Known for building one of the fastest-growing emerging brands in the baked goods industry, Chrisi reveals that her greatest lessons didn't come from fundraising, product launches, or retail expansion. They came from navigating adoption, becoming a single mother after divorce, and learning to embrace difficult conversations that previous generations often avoided. With remarkable honesty, Chrisi explains how being adopted as a newborn left her wrestling with questions of identity and belonging for decades. She shares how meeting her birth mother transformed her understanding of herself, while also bringing healing to every branch of her family tree. Along the way, she discusses why resilience isn't something you're born with—it's something you build by choosing to face life's hardest moments instead of running from them. In This Episode • How adoption shapes identity long after childhood • The emotional journey of reconnecting with a birth parent • Why previous generations rarely talked about mental health • How divorce and single parenthood can become catalysts for growth • The relationship between resilience and entrepreneurship • Why doing hard things changes who you become • Building confidence after rejection and uncertainty • How difficult experiences can become your greatest competitive advantage Whether you're an entrepreneur, parent, adopted child, or someone navigating your own search for identity, this conversation is a reminder that our greatest challenges often become the foundation for our greatest purpose.

Ronda Davis: You Don't Have to Be ‘Broken’ to Need Healing

What if the anxiety, burnout, or self-doubt you've carried for years isn't who you are but the result of experiences your nervous system never had the chance to process? In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan welcomes licensed clinical social worker, trauma therapist, speaker, and Healing Feathers founder Ronda Davis to discuss her unique journey trauma, resilience, grief, and the science of healing. Drawing from both her early personal experiences and now her professional expertise, Ronda understands that trauma isn't limited to catastrophic events. Sometimes it's growing up in chaos, being bullied, losing someone you love, navigating divorce, or living with years of chronic stress.  David and Ronda share how these experiences shape our nervous systems, influence our relationships, and quietly affect how we perform at work and show up in everyday life. Losing her father became the catalyst for Ronda to open her own practice and help others move beyond survival mode. Together, she and David break down common misconceptions about trauma, discuss why therapy isn't a life sentence, and offer hope that healing is possible for anyone willing to begin the work. In This Episode • Why trauma isn't always one catastrophic event • How childhood experiences shape adult relationships and behavior • The connection between trauma, anxiety, burnout, and workplace performance • Why your nervous system matters more than you realize • The misconceptions that keep people from seeking therapy • Why healing is about moving beyond survival—not becoming someone new • How businesses can create healthier, more resilient workplaces • Why your story deserves to be told, no matter how "big" or "small" it feels Whether you're navigating grief, anxiety, burnout, childhood adversity, or simply trying to better understand yourself, this conversation offers practical insight and compassionate encouragement that healing is never out of reach.

Chris Yadon: The Childhood Survival Skill That's Destroying Adult Relationships

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Chris Yadon, Managing Director of the nonprofit organization Saprea [https://saprea.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com] and author of the forthcoming book Numb: Learning How to Feel in a Disconnected World. Chris shares a personal story of growing up amid family instability, emotional pain, and uncertainty and how those experiences taught him to disconnect from his feelings in order to survive.  For years, emotional numbing helped him cope. But when he found himself unable to grieve the loss of his beloved grandfather, he realized the protective wall he had built had become a prison. Together, Chris and Dr. Morgan explore: * Why emotional numbing is often an adaptive response to childhood trauma * How emotional disconnection impacts relationships, leadership, and mental health * The hidden costs of "feeling fine" * Why loneliness and disconnection are rising despite unprecedented digital connectivity * Practical ways to reconnect with your emotions and build deeper relationships * Lessons from Chris's work helping survivors of child sexual abuse heal and recover * The surprising connection between emotional awareness and effective leadership * And much more.  Chris also shares how his career evolved from managing tech startups to leading Saprea, a global nonprofit dedicated to helping survivors heal and preventing child sexual abuse. Along the way, he discovered that his personal journey and professional mission were more connected than he ever imagined. Whether you're a leader, parent, entrepreneur, mental health advocate, or someone trying to better understand yourself, this conversation offers research-backed insights and heartfelt wisdom on what it means to truly feel again.

Cierra Clayson: What Nobody Tells You About Rebuilding Your Life After Tragedy

What happens when life falls apart, and you have to rebuild it from scratch? In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, Dr. David Morgan sits down with Cierra Clayson, Brand Manager at Minky Couture, Utah Valley BusinessQ 40 Under 40 honoree, and a mother whose journey has been shaped by profound loss, resilience, and reinvention. After spending a decade as a stay-at-home mom, Cierra unexpectedly found herself navigating divorce, re-entering the workforce, and rebuilding her identity. What followed was a remarkable career transformation that helped grow Minky Couture into a nationally recognized brand through partnerships with organizations including the NBA, Paramount Pictures, Crumbl, BYU, UVU, and more. But behind the professional success is a deeply personal story. Cierra opens up about losing her five-day-old son, Jack, and the lasting impact that grief has had on her life. She shares how she spent years trying to stay strong for everyone around her, only to discover that true healing comes from allowing yourself to sit with pain rather than avoiding it. Together, Dr. Morgan and Cierra discuss grief, divorce, motherhood, social media, comparison culture, resilience, and why some of life's hardest experiences become the foundation for our greatest growth. In This Episode * Re-entering the workforce after 10 years as a stay-at-home mom * Building a successful career after divorce * The loss of Cierra's infant son, Jack * Why grief never completely disappears * The importance of sitting with difficult emotions * Raising resilient children through life's challenges * How service can help us heal * Social media's impact on mental health * Comparison culture and women in leadership * Finding joy and purpose after devastating setbacks This conversation is candid, hopeful, and ultimately a reminder that healing doesn't mean avoiding hardship; it means learning how to move through it.

Nicole Davis: Why a Top Marketing Executive Wants Everyone Off Social Media

In this episode of Mental Health Momentum, host Dr. David Morgan sits down with Nicole Davis, founder of Inland Sea and one of Utah's most respected brand strategists, for a candid conversation about mental health, identity, work, social media, and the importance of personal agency. Nicole talks about her first experience with therapy as a young teenager struggling through high school. Rather than viewing herself as broken, she began questioning whether the environment around her was contributing to her distress. That realization sparked a lifelong curiosity about resilience, self-awareness, and finding solutions that actually work. This discussion explores the challenges many people face when they feel trapped by expectations, whether in school, the workplace, or society at large. Nicole and David discuss how empowerment, purpose, and meaningful contribution can have a profound impact on mental well-being. They also tackle one of the most pressing issues of modern life: social media. Drawing from her decades of experience in branding and communications, Nicole offers an honest perspective on both the benefits and dangers of digital platforms, including the ways algorithms shape perception, fuel division, and influence self-worth. In This Episode * Nicole's first experience with therapy at age 13 * Why high school felt "diminishing and hostile" * The surprising lesson she learned about personal agency * How empowerment impacts mental health outcomes * What workplaces can do to help employees thrive * The hidden mental health costs of social media * Why marketers have a complicated relationship with digital platforms * The role AI is playing in communication, branding, and human connection * How to stay grounded in an increasingly digital world If you've ever questioned whether the systems around you are helping you thrive—or simply teaching you how to survive—this episode will challenge you to think differently.