Grit, Grace & Power of Play

Dare to Dream

In this episode, I sit down with Susan, founder of a national foster care nonprofit now operating 18 chapters across 13 states, serving over 3,000 kids every month. But we don't spend the episode talking statistics. Instead, we go deep on the woman behind the mission. Susan grew up in Corpus Christi in a 1,200-square-foot home that was always full of people — cousins, friends, neighbors — shaped by a mom with an open-door policy and a dad who worked two or three jobs and handed her a $100 bill at 18 and said, "Figure it out." She did exactly that — driving herself to Austin with a road map, working as a personal trainer and cocktail waitress, putting herself through school, and spending eight years in real estate chasing money that never quite filled the right hole. The turning point came at a foster care conference, where a judge told the story of two boys who moved through the system — one who aged out into hopelessness, one who found a family — and said the difference often comes down to one person choosing to show up. Susan left that room knowing her life was supposed to go a different direction. We talk about the massive leap of faith it took to leave her corporate career, the four-year battle to bring a foster care community center to life — complete with her own "almost quit" moment and the answered prayer that came just hours later — and her bold vision to reach every foster child and every foster family in the country by 2050. We also get into her faith, her favorite scriptures ("Be still and know that I am God" and Peter walking on water), what laughter means to her, and why getting older has made her more grateful, more present, and more willing to savor the moment. This one is rich. Don't miss it. Also: we're both Enneagram 8s, we both love the desert, and we've apparently already had half of this conversation at a baseball field. Come meet Susan. Link to Austin Angels [https://www.austinangels.com] Link to Walking On Sunshine [https://youtu.be/iPUmE-tne5U?si=HcijX0bC1qYMFGzL] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343720/fan_mail/new]

Grit, Grace & Power of Play

In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with Chrystal Smith, co-founder of Foster Village [https://www.fostervillageaustin.org/], right in the middle of Foster Care Awareness Month. Chrystal takes us back to her roots growing up in South Central Los Angeles — navigating poverty, domestic violence, and all during the time of the Rodney King riots — and how witnessing those stark realities as a child sparked a lifelong passion for vulnerable kids and families. Chrystal shares the powerful story of her oldest son's traumatic birth and the moment of surrender that shifted her faith and her outlook on control forever. We talk about the healing power of play and laughter — not just for kids in foster care, but for all of us — and Chrystal breaks down why meeting children in their world of play might be the most impactful parenting tool we have. We also dig into the heart of Foster Village [https://www.fostervillageaustin.org/]: the resource centers that feel like homes, the wishing tree that became a sanctuary for scared little ones, the eight-year-old who now serves as their unofficial ambassador, and the Lemonade Stand campaign happening this June. If you've ever wondered how a whole community can wrap its arms around a child — this episode shows you exactly what that looks like. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343720/fan_mail/new]

An UnEdited Life

What happens when the room you thought would fill with light… stays dark? And what if that disappointment was actually the beginning of something real? Welcome back to Laugh on and Levitate with Rachel El Shamy  This week I'm sitting down with someone I've known for over twenty years — and honestly, she was on my list from day one. Angie Day Peters is a mother of six, an author, a storyteller, and one of those rare people who carries joy like it's just who she is— not something she performs. But this conversation goes deep. We talk about growing up in a home split between religion and brokenness, what it felt like to be handed a note in the middle of a church service that said "you are out of control, thus sayeth the Lord" — and why that moment became a turning point. We talk about purity culture, about grief, about the decade of bliss and the season that nearly broke her. About writing books in a week during lockdown, and sending a manuscript off to a publisher with shaking hands just days ago. And we talk about laughter. Not the polished kind — the kind that makes you think you might wet your pants in front of your kids. The kind that comes back after a long winter. Angie has a way of saying the thing you didn't know you needed to hear. This one's going to stick with you. Link to Angie's Devotionals and Books - Explore Angie's writing [https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0F9X3TB18?ingress=0&visitId=92f07e3d-a1d3-4082-b9c5-2363b79acb88&ref_=aufs_ap_ahdr_dsk_ab&ccs_id=0d413222-deed-442d-afa6-fe17a913aa93] Link to Manhattan, Kansas - The Little Apple [https://www.manhattanks.gov/] Link to Unedited Life [https://www.uneditedlife.org/] - At Unedited Life, the "melody" rises through the work of our hands and the food we share. The Mercantile is a host for the "Children of Glory," providing physical nourishment alongside spiritual rest. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343720/fan_mail/new]

The land is your land: Laughter as resistance

In this debut episode, I sit down with Sam Grey Horse — Austin horseman, musician, and Mescalero Apache and friend — we hope you enjoy this deeply personal conversation, as we explore his indigenous identity, survival, spirituality, and what it means to live indigenously in a colonized city. The episode weaves together storytelling, songs, and Sam’s personal upbringing in a way that defies easy categorization.  I hope you find Grey Horse's personal healing journey and Indigenous wisdom offering a roadmap for rediscovering our humanity, our sense of wonder, and our capacity for lightheartedness - even amidst the challenges of the modern world. His stories have the power to inspire more laughter, levity and harmony. Sam shares his family history, growing up in East Austin in the 1960s, and his early experiences with horses and the rodeo culture.  He opens up about a serious horse accident in 2010 where he nearly lost his life, and in which Grey Horse had a transformative spiritual experience. This led him to reconnect with his indigenous roots and adopt his traditional name, Grey Horse. Sam emphasizes the importance of preserving Native American culture, traditions, and wisdom, which he feels are being erased. He wants to pass these teachings down to his grandchildren. Throughout, Grey Horse speaks passionately about the need for peace, harmony, and balance in the world, which he feels can be found by reconnecting with indigenous knowledge, ways of being and laughter. Quote: "One of the best ways to understand a people is to know what makes them laugh. Laughter encompasses the limits of the soul. In humor life is redefined and accepted."  ~ Vine Deloria Jr. (Standing Rock Sioux), from Custer Died for Your Sins Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343720/fan_mail/new]

It starts with a laugh!

You know that moment when the world feels impossibly heavy... and then something makes you laugh? Not the kind of laugh that ignores the pain, but the kind that somehow holds it while lifting you up at the same time? Welcome to “Laugh On & Levitate” a fresh podcast about laughter, levity and spirituality. This is a podcast for those of us curious about laughter, advocacy and what makes others laugh! We explore laughter as medicine, resilience, and a pure release of joy.  Finding lightness without losing sight of what matters. About how humor can be both a shield and a bridge. We hear stories from the people who've figured out how to carry joy and justice in the same breath. So if you've ever wondered how to stay buoyant without floating away... how to honor the struggle while not drowning in it... you're in the right place. Laugh On & Levitate. Because sometimes, rising up starts with a laugh. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. First episode drops March 19th, 2026 National Let's Laugh Day! So what makes you laugh? Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2343720/fan_mail/new]