One Degree to Victory

A simple 5 a.m. DM changed everything. What looked like a random question about my parents turned into the most joyful reunion with my childhood friend after decades apart—and a living picture of how restoration finds us when we’re willing to search with an open heart.

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 In this heartfelt conversation, One Degree to Victory sits down with Natalie Bedard of Lift OneSelf to unpack the subtle ways trauma shapes our nervous systems and everyday behaviors. We explore how protection can disguise itself as avoidance, and how true healing begins when we create space to feel what was once too overwhelming.
If you’ve ever wondered why certain emotions feel unsafe or why quieting your mind feels impossible, this episode will help you reconnect, reframe, and return home to yourself. 

Connect with Natalie below:

Natalie Bedard (NatNat)'s Website

Some moments don’t just knock on the door—they fling it wide and ask who you’re willing to become. I share how an unexpected path—from classroom to 18-wheeler to the podcast mic—taught me to treat disruption as an invitation to alignment, innovation, and a life that actually fits. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s the real process of carrying your core values into new spaces, mapping meaning onto unfamiliar roads, and turning detours into directions.

We start by reframing disruption: not as punishment, but as a sacred summons to a truer version of you...

A ziplock bag of batter doesn’t look like a life lesson—until you watch it rise. We open with the humble ritual of friendship bread and use it as a map for personal growth: how inner strength ferments under warmth and time, how community multiplies courage, and why sharing your “starter” can nourish more than just you. 

If you’ve been waiting on perfect conditions, consider this your nudge. You’ve already survived 100% of your setbacks; that’s not luck, that’s proof. Feed your inner starter with small, purposeful actions, turn up the volume on voices that call...

When someone calls your name, what is awakened?

In this episode, I share two stories—one from a nightclub in my twenties and another from a heated professional moment—that taught me the unexpected power of names and titles. Beyond labels or status, the names we carry tether us back to integrity, responsibility, and purpose.

We live in a culture that says, “just be yourself.” But often, that phrase masks survival mode, compromise, or going along to get along. What I’ve learned is that integrity—and the vision of who you’re becoming—matters more than appear...

Have you ever wondered who you are beneath the roles, masks, and survival mode? In this episode, I take you on a journey from my own story—teaching, truck driving, and the thread of advocacy that ties it all together—into a conversation about vision, courage, and authentic purpose.

If you’ve ever felt stuck living paycheck to paycheck or wondered what life could look like beyond the trauma, this is your invitation to imagine more. We’ll talk about why a five-year plan isn’t just for students—it’s a lifeline for women who are ready to break...

This week on One Degree to Victory, I sit down with transformation guide Sue McCreadie for a heartfelt conversation about healing, identity shifts, and the courage it takes to create new iterations of ourselves. Together, we explore the power of aligning head and heart, the healing role of perspective shifts, and the importance of asking better questions on our journey forward.

From the “six human needs” framework to the simple yet powerful question What would love do?, this episode is packed with insights that will move you, encourage you, and remind you that healing and growth are poss...

When I packed one deep burgundy tote to drive my mom across states, I learned something powerful: baggage isn’t just heavy at the airport — it’s heavy on our souls. On the journey of becoming, it’s not about adding more; it’s about putting down what cannot come with you.

In this episode, I share a story from a truck stop where judgment, blame, and pride showed up — and how humility and compassion helped me release what would have weighed me down.

Constant Listener, this is your reminder:
 ✨ We keep the lessons, we leave the lu...

Constant Listener, trauma can’t destroy your gifts—it can only bury them. In this week’s episode, we explore how to reclaim the parts of yourself that trauma couldn’t touch, recognize the ways you’re growing into your post-trauma self, and intentionally decide who you want to become.

We dive deep into:

Sometimes trauma makes us forget who we are. Our sense of self shatters, our purpose feels lost, and our reflection in the mirror looks like a stranger. In this episode, I share my own story of losing—and finding—myself after pain and fear threatened to take over. From Maya Angelou’s timeless words to Tupac, to the courage it took for me to drive into New York alone, this episode is about reclaiming identity, breaking free from fear, and choosing who you want to become.

If you’ve ever found yourself signing up for every class, chasing...

 In this episode, I open up about the difference between silence and peace — and why learning to go into “silent mode” became essential to my healing after trauma. Sometimes self-care doesn’t look like spa days or journaling. Sometimes it looks like saying Do Not Disturb, withdrawing from noise, and choosing to be “unavailable” so you can protect your mental health, rebuild your spirit, and reclaim your peace. 

#OneDegreetoVictory #MentalHealthMatters #SilentMode   #HealingAfterTrauma  #BoundariesAreBeautiful 

Ask your questions, share your comments

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Links to all things One Degree to Victory:
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The butterfly doesn't simply heal its caterpillar body—it transforms completely into something new. This truth mirrors our own journey through trauma and healing, offering wisdom that transcends pretty metaphors to become actual survival strategies.

When trauma creates that distinct "before and after" in our lives, we often desperately try to return to who we were. But inside the messy middle—what scientists call the "imaginal disks" within a cocoon—lies the genetic code for complete metamorphosis. Your healing isn't about returning to your former self but allowing your future self to develop. That overwhelming void after trauma...

If I had to sum up my healing journey in two words, it would be this: let go.

In this episode, I share the story of an unexpected companion on my morning commute — a lone butterfly who clung to the hood of my car and taught me more about resilience, surrender, and balance than any motivational speech ever could. From Steve Harvey’s story about clearing out the junk to make room for something new, to a stranger at a rest stop who told me to release my worry, this butterfly leitmotif has been quietly guiding me towa...

Healing trauma doesn’t happen by accident — it’s intentional. In this episode, I share how a season I didn’t choose, driving a truck far from home, led me to build a daily introspection practice that changed how I heal. Lola, my butterfly leitmotif, showed me how to notice the signs and lessons in the midst of struggle.

I break down the five daily questions that guide me:

If you’ve heard When Resting Places Become Launchpads, then this is where it all began.

Transformation is the first story of One Degree to Victory, and it sets the stage for the journey ahead. Here, I share what it felt like to pause, to heal, and to prepare for flight—the moment the butterfly enters the cocoon. It’s about listening to the instinct that nudges you forward, even when the path is uncertain, and taking the first steps toward becoming who you were always meant to be.

I’m re-releasing this episode because the less...

The story continues.

This episode explores what happens when the places that once nourished you begin to run dry, and the quiet instinct tells you it’s time to move. We talk about resting seasons, transformation, the courage to follow nudges, and the discovery that purpose often begins where comfort ends.

If you’ve ever wrestled with leaving behind what’s familiar or wondered what it takes to step into the unknown, this episode is for you.

Because sometimes the very thing you’re resisting is the launchpad you’ve been waiting for.

 #One...

Some moments in life are small, almost invisible… until they change everything. In this episode of One Degree to Victory, I share a personal story about a butterfly, unexpected encounters, and the quiet catalysts that steer our lives. These are the people, signs, and moments that often go unnoticed—but they carry lessons that can redirect your path, awaken your purpose, and remind you that life is always speaking to you.

Listen in as we reflect on recognizing these subtle guides, honoring the threads of destiny woven into our stories, and finding meaning in the moments that shap...

In this moving episode of the One Degree to Victory Podcast, host Nelieta Hollis sits down with Jen Robb, author of Warrior Mom Rising. Together, they open the pages of Jen’s story—a journey through her daughter’s mental health battle, the paralyzing weight of fear and guilt, and the moment she surrendered it all to God.

From raw honesty on the bathroom floor to the powerful revelation that “kids don’t need perfect moms, they need present moms,” Jen’s testimony is a lifeline for women walking through trauma. She shares practical strategies for self-care, wisdom for adv...

 We all know what it feels like to carry the weight of life—the heaviness, the waiting, the uncertainty of not being where you want to be yet. But what if one simple shift could change how you carry it? Let me share this with you: No matter how real the pain or worry might be, nothing can stop you!

In this episode, I open up about what it takes to move forward when the road feels long and the season feels dry. You’ll hear how you can rise up in the middle of struggle, how persp...

Today's episode explores how to navigate the algorithmic silence between your past trauma and your future promise. 

Like the woman with the issue of blood—that nameless woman who represents all of us pressing against adversity—we can move with silent resolve even amid chaos and distractions. Her persistence formed a pattern, a divine algorithm that guided her to miraculous transformation. And so can yours.

Embracing this new way of being requires tremendous courage. The future will not look like the past because you're operating on different principles now—principles of promise, possibility, and progression rather...

Why do you keep encountering the same frustrating patterns in your life? That moment when you realize you're dealing with the same kind of difficult person or situation for the fifth time this year isn't bad luck—it's what I call "the algorithm of life" at work.

The universe keeps serving you the same lesson with increasing intensity until you finally pay attention. What's fascinating is that deep down, you already recognize these patterns. But we actively ignore these signals out of fear: fear of what changing might require, fear of confronting difficult truths, fear of stepping in...

Have you ever watched your robot vacuum glide across the floor and felt a strange sense of wonder? That's exactly where this journey begins – in the ordinary moments between dinner dishes and moonlit nights. 
Long before smart homes and synced calendars, there were heartbeats that continued without command, seasons that changed without instruction, and healing that happened without conscious effort. These are rhythms that continue regardless of whether we notice them or not.

This perspective becomes especially powerful when considering trauma's impact. The sun still rises, the earth still turns, and His command to live abundantly rem...

Ever clicked on something random online only to have your entire feed flooded with similar content? That's exactly what happened when I accidentally engaged with an AI-generated post offering zero value—no inspiration, no education, nothing soul-nourishing. Just empty digital calories. One curious click, and suddenly the algorithm decided I wanted more meaningless content.

This experience revealed a profound truth: what we engage with, we invite more of—both online and offline. Our minds operate remarkably like digital algorithms. The thoughts we entertain, conversations we participate in, and environments we frequent create our life's algorithm, determining what expe...

Have you ever started a simple household task only to discover profound life lessons hidden within? That's exactly what happened when I set out to tackle my children's laundry for what I thought would be a quick 15-minute organization session.

What began as folding clothes evolved into a full room transformation that perfectly mirrors our healing journeys. As I sorted through forgotten items and rearranged furniture, I realized how this physical decluttering parallels the emotional baggage we carry after trauma. The unnecessary items I discarded—just a single grocery bag full—represented the bitterness and pain I once...

Life can shatter in an instant. One moment you're grounded and thriving – the next, trauma hits and everything you know lies in fragments around you. This deeply personal episode takes you on a journey through my own dark night of the soul, where a gradually unfolding trauma created a whirlwind of compounding emotions that eventually became physically debilitating.

I share the raw, vulnerable moments of being unable to breathe or move in the dark hours of morning, dreading the unfolding day. The experience felt like floating in space, surrounded by the debris of my former life – dreams, rela...

Ever found yourself stuck in that painful middle ground between trauma and healing? You're not alone. Our natural instinct after devastation is to leap toward normalcy, but what if that messy middle is exactly where transformation happens?

This episode dives deep into the courage required to stand in your middle space—that uncomfortable terrain where grief meets growth. For single mothers especially, the pressure to "have it all together" while juggling financial stress, parenting, and personal healing can feel overwhelming. Yet rushing past this process robs us of the profound understanding that only comes when we get cl...

What emerges from the ashes of trauma? A powerful new identity waiting to be discovered through intentional rest and reflection. Trauma fundamentally changes us – there's no going back to who we were before. But in this transformative episode, we explore how that reality becomes an invitation to something greater: the emergence of your future self. 

First, we dive deep into the uncomfortable but liberating process of recognizing your changed identity. Next, we explore the concept of "raising your floor" – establishing new minimum standards that honor your future self. Finally, we unpack how creating simple daily syste...

Do you feel guilty taking a moment to breathe while rebuilding your life after trauma? That guilt stems from a profound misunderstanding about what true healing requires. 

I remember being so deep in my storm that every moment was survival, and the moments between were work, filling every minute with noise and distraction to avoid painful memories. Does that sound familiar? 

The turning point in my recovery wasn't when I pushed harder—it was when I became brave enough to sit with my memories instead of running from them. Yes, there was bitterness, shame, and...

What happens when a teen who calls herself "the spawn of Satan" finds someone who believes in her educational potential? Sharon Dunleavy, founder of Foster Care Training Today, shares this remarkable transformation story and many others as she opens our eyes to the critical importance of educational advocacy for children in foster care.

While trauma support dominates foster care training, Sharon explains why education cannot be relegated to secondary importance. 

For foster parents feeling overwhelmed by advocacy responsibilities, Sharon provides practical wisdom about building confidence, asking the right questions, and creating positive connections with schools o...

Money matters often take a backseat during grief, but financial awareness becomes crucial for rebuilding life after loss. Paula Harris, co-owner of WH Cornerstone Investments and fierce widow advocate, brings clarity to what many find overwhelming—managing finances while healing from the loss of a spouse.

The conversation cuts through common financial intimidation by focusing not on complex investments but on everyday decisions that create stability. Paula introduces the practical 50-30-20 budgeting framework, allocating 50% to necessities, 30% to reasonable wants, and 20% to future savings. This simple structure provides guardrails without feeling restrictive, especially important during emotional vulnerability. Duration: 00:24:29

What if your future self could send you a letter of encouragement right now? What would they tell you about the life you're building and the choices you're making today?

This episode opens with a powerful visualization—a letter from your five-year future self who's living in a home filled with light and love, enjoying financial stability, thriving relationships, and genuine peace. They want you to know that every hard choice you're making right now matters. Every boundary you're holding and every tear you're crying in silence is building that beautiful future. You are not failing; you ar...