Moments That Define Us Podcast

"Building a Better Future: Tech, Inclusion, and What Comes Next"

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 19:51:19 GMT

In this episode, we sit down with a software engineer and one of the participants of a documentary called "Building Better Future for Us", Demaceo Vincent Howard. He shares the journey behind the documentary , what it was like working in the tech industry during the uncertainty of a global pandemic, and how that experience deepened his conviction that technology must be built with everyone in mind.

This conversation is honest, inspiring, and deeply human. We spoke about why inclusive technology — whether AI or any other innovation — isn't just a nice idea, but a responsibility. Because when we design with all people in mind from the very beginning, we don't just build better technology — we build a better future.

This is a conversation about courage, purpose, and the defining moments that remind us why it matters who is in the room when the future is being built.

You can watch 2 parts documentary here:

Part 1: https://www.pbs.org/video/breaking-ba ...
Part 2: https://www.pbs.org/video/building-be ...

To connect with Demaceo and see his portfolio , visit https://www.demaceo.com/

"It's bigger than just us"

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:59:28 GMT

In this episode, Iryna and Bella take a look back at season's one defining moments, while taking a look ahead at season 2. There is so much in store for season 2. Amazing men and women will share their stories and defining moments. There is nothing better than a good , meaningful conversation with people who are changing our world to be a better place. So buckle up, this is going to be an amazing season!

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #seasontwo #momentsthatdefineus #amazingstories

Real Stories from Ukraine

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 05:54:22 GMT

Welcome to our very first episode. Today, our cohost Iryna tell us about growing up in Ukraine. She shares stories from her childhood and her perspective on the war in Ukraine.

The Reality of Social Media Filters

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 15:34:08 GMT

In today's episode we discuss our differences on social media filters use, astonishing research and how filters can impact our everyday life We leave our listeners with some advice that help us navigate the world of social media filters.

"Real Stories From Ukraine" -look back at the very beginning

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:40:00 GMT

This week we are taking a look back at our very first episode "Real Stories From Ukraine" We launched Moments That Define Us podcast in March of last year and will be rereleasing some of our favorite episodes this month. Enjoy our very first episode!!!

Welcome to our very first episode. Today, our cohost Iryna tell us about growing up in Ukraine. She shares stories from her childhood and her perspective on the war in Ukraine.

These Are The Lessons I've Learned

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 04:42:37 GMT

In this final episode our host Iryna is doing a recap of season 5 (the season of women) and of 2025 all together. She is talking about lessons she's learned from her guests in season 5, lessons she learned so far by doing her podcast , why it is important to stay consistent and what is is proud of. This episode is short but its full of gratitude! #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasthepowertoheal #momentsthatdfineuspodcast #finalepisodeofseason5

Navigating the World, featuring Roy Lee Barnett Jr.

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 22:07:10 GMT

In today episode we are talking to an amazing human, creator, educator, father and husband Roy Lee Barnett Jr. He talks to us about his experiences traveling the world, the state of education today and what it means for him to be creative. Roy also talks about the difference between north of the US and the south when it comes to racism and and some of his experiences with the police. There is also a love story of how he met his Ukrainian wife and what he experienced when he went to visit Ukraine. Roy is an amazing artist, he is a photographer and videographer. You can check out his website at https://www.royleeb.com/ and follow him on social media @royleebphoto

There is such power in being vulnerable-Sara's journey as an EMT part 2

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 12:01:53 GMT

This is the second part of 2 parts episode with the amazing Sara. In today's episode Sara talks about her journey as an EMT , why it is important to have trained mental health professionals on an ambulance, her dream job and so much more. Enjoy more defining moments from this beautiful human! #whatsyourdefiningmoment #EMT #mentalhealth #mentalhealthprofessional #sharingstorieswillhelpusheal

The Dark Goddess- featuring Assetou Xango

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:21:50 GMT

In today episode we are joined by an incredible human Assetou Xango. They are a poet, an author , a coach and so much more.. In this conversation we discussed variety of topics from election and the state of our country today to creativity , writing and how being creative can be beautiful but also make us face everything in ourself we are scared to face. When it comes to creativity Assetou said, "You have to listen when spirit is talking to you" This conversation was was real, authentic and vulnerable and it will make you think about the world, your contribution to it and creativity in whole new way.

Check out Assetou's work at https://assetouxango.com/

#whatsyourdefiningmoment

Good Immigrant

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 19:58:47 GMT

Welcome back to Moments That Define Us Podcast. This is the first episode of season 5. Our host Iryna is talking about what's happening in the county today when it comes to immigration, what it means to be an immigrant, and why its extremely important to treat everyone with kindness. She raised a question "What would you do if you had to flee your county and save your family, provide a better life for them?" Why its important to practice empathy and put yourself in somebody else's shoes and try to understand where people are coming from. #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasapowertoheal

Iryna's BIG 40

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 15:14:54 GMT

Todays episode is a special one! Bella sat down with Iryna to talk to her about turning 40. They covered topics from aging and beauty to becoming more mature and caring less about what other people think of you. Bella took Iryna on a journey though her life, from looking back to her 20 and 30 to what lies ahead for the next decade. Iryna gave some very good advice to young people and shared some of the defining moments that makes a person she is today! If you need wisdom and inspiration in your life, this episode is for you!

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #turning40 #wisdom #gettingolderisbeautiful

"We dated for a year and never had a fight"- Kiah Peterson story, part 1

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 02 Jul 2024 15:52:09 GMT

This is a part one of two parts story of an incredible woman name Kiah Peterson , who survived domestic violence, sexual abuse , racial discrimination in the justice system , homeless and so much more. She shared her story in greater details in hopes to help other survivors. The name of the abuser and a couple of other peoples were not real. Unfortunately Kiah's story is one of many. If any of our listeners are going through something similar, we hope this story will help you not only know you are not along but there is a way out. Tune in next week to listen to part 2. #whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #womensurvivers #sexualabuse #domesticviolence

Where Do I Belong

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 17:26:46 GMT

Do you ever feel like you don't belong? Are you trying to find your place in the world? The topic of today's episode is belonging. Its a sole episode without guests and without Bella, where Iryna is opening up about belonging as an immigrant living in the US. She tells a lot of stories from her life, living in US, being Ukrainian and how she found herself in the world. Today she is a confident and independent woman but it took her almost 20 years to find a place where she belong, where she can be her authentic self!

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #storytellingpodcast #wheredoibelong #brenebrown #lupitaNyong'o #storiesthathealsus

Why We Need More Women Entrepreneurs

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:52:47 GMT

This mini episode is all about women's empowerment, conection and why we need more women entrepreneurs. Our host Iryna was part of an amazing event , Bloom and Brilliance, the event by women and for women. In this episode she talks about some of her takeaways from the event, why it is extremly important to support other women and inspire our next generation of young women. Enjoy this short episode and remember to always suppport and uplift women! #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstoriesishealing #businessowner #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #supportwomenentrepreneurs

"All About Love" , featuring China Borjas

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:31:15 GMT

"Self-love is the foundation of our loving practice. Without it our other efforts to love fail. Giving ourselves love we provide our inner being with the opportunity to have the unconditional love we may have always longed to received from someone else" , this beautiful passage is from the book by bell hooks-"All About Love". Today's episode is all about love, self-love, love for our communities, childhood love lessons, honest love and so many other acts of love that bell hooks talked about in her amazing book. To help our host Iryna discuss this book, China Borjas , our guest & therapist from season 5 returned to the podcast for the second time. She gave a perfective of a therapist when it comes to love, as well as her own personal take on what love means to her. If you truly want to understand love, read this book. It will help you see love in the whole new light! #whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #thebeststorytellingpodcast #allaboutlove #bellhooks

Break Free from Perfectionism and See Your Business Grow- discussion panel on the Outlier's Edge Podcast

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 12:30:16 GMT

Bella and Iryna were invited to be part of the discussion panel on the Outlier's Edge Podcast. We discussed what it means to be an entrepreneur, obstacles we had to overcome to get to the place we are today and why failure is necessary and perfection is the killer of all joy.

Visit https://niiamahashong.com/oepodcast/ to learn more about the ultimate Outlier behind the podcast and the outliers community Niiamah Ashong.

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #outlierscommunity #entrepreneur #lifelessons

Behind the mic with Bella and Iryna: Perfection, its not that great

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 06:05:10 GMT

WELCOME TO SEASON 3!!!!!! We are starting season 3 with our Behind the Mic series. Today Iryna and Bella opening up about pressures we have in our society to be perfect in everything we do. To have kids or not to have kids, to get married or not get married? Am I a good mother? Do I have enough date nights with my spouse? Why is my body not perfect? What IS perfect body? Do you ever ask yourself any of these questions? If so, this episode is for you. Join Gen Z (Bella) and Millennium (Iryna) to hear their take on some of the questions we all need answers to.

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #perfectionisnotthatgreat

Rest Is Resistance, featuring Lisa Sullivan

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 07:01:53 GMT

In today episode we sat down with Lisa Sullivan, who is an incredible human, business owner, a mother , a daughter , a sister and so much more. Lisa spoke to us about being raised in a household with an immigrant father and an American mother and how that environment shaped her who she is today! Lisa has a lot of experience in the non profit world and she opened up to us about racial inequality and burnout she experienced that led her to leave her last job and started her own business LS Ventures. Lisa talked about white saviorism in the non profit sector, especially on the money giving side. This conversation was open, uncomfortable, vulnerable and necessary. This episode will make you think. We recorded this episode in November of 2023 and in January of 2024 Lisa's mom Miss Lee passed away. This episode is dedicated to Miss Lee. May You Rest In Pease.

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #newepisode #whitesaviorism #nonprofitworld #businessowner

"There is such power in being vulnerable"- Sara's defining moments and her road to sobriety, part1

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:01:34 GMT

In today episode we are talking to a brilliant human being Sara . She is opening up to us about her childhood, what moving 19 times does to a kid and the advice her grandpa gave she still uses till this day. Big part of our conversation is her road to sobriety and what does being sober means to her. This is part 1 of Sara's story and her defining moments. Part 2 is coming next week! #whatsyourdefiningmoment #beingvulnerable #sobriety #sharingstorieswillhelpusheal

"Sometimes you have to shatter in order to rebuild yourself" featuring fashion designer Michael Sullivan

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 04 Feb 2025 16:29:03 GMT

In today's episode Iryna is joined by an incredible fashion designer Michael Sullivan. Michael went all the way back to his childhood and talked about little Michael, his hopes and dreams for the future and how he is living that dream right now. Michael's grandfather was a big inspiration for him because of his impeccable style and his wisdom. Michael has been honoring his grandfather in his recent clothing collection. Not only Michael is a great fashion designer, he is builds his community for people to feel seen and loved and most importantly be themselves. Michael is a founder of fashion house HAUS. HAUS is a black - queer owned design-haus that creates urban contemporary, gender & size inclusive, clothing with an eco-friendly, gender-affirming, and cruelty-free focus. To learn more about HAUS go to https://www.hausclothing.com/. You can also follow Michael on IG at michaelcsully #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #whatsyourdefiningmoment #nyfw #fashiondesigner #sharingourstoriesishealing

"You Have to Work Hard for What You Want", featuring Otisa Eads

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:28:34 GMT

The guest on the podcast today is Otisa Eads, the founder and owner of Otisa Eads,LLC https://www.otisaeads.com/about. Otisa has quite a story. Born is a very small town in Kentucky, she always dream of bigger things. She shared a big defining moment that happened after college that i think a lot of our younger listeners will relate. She was set to go to California with her then boyfriend but life had a different plan and she ended up in Denver, Colorado where is is currently living , thriving and building a life of her dreams. Otisa is a business owner and she shared her struggles, wins and defining moment in her entrepreneurial journey that changed everything.

This episode was recorded in March and we spoke a lot about women friendships and how important they are, why we need to support one another and what it means to be a true sister! #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstoriesishealing #businessowner #fromkentuckytocolorado

New Year, New Exciting Opportunities

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:40:30 GMT

Welcome to Season #4!!!!!! In the first episode of season 4, Iryna and Bella sat down for a beautiful conversation. They talked about why Bella has been MIA from the podcast, the loss she experienced last year that give her clarity on how to move forward and what's in store for the podcast this year. You don't want to miss this episode because there is big announcement on expansion within the podcast!!!!! #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #whatsyourdefiningmoment #bigannouncement #newyearnewopportunities

Grief & Loss, featuring Stephanie Tatum part 2

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:47:38 GMT

This is part 2 with Stephanie Tatum from Still I Rise Counseling Services. In this episode Stephanie dive into grief and loss, what is acceptable and unacceptable in our society when it comes to grief. She talks about education around grief and loss, how to be there for people that are grieving and what happens when we have unresolved grief. Stephanie also provides different resources for people that are going through grief. This episode a little heavy but needed for all of us.

Check out Stephanie's website to learn more about her and services she provides https://stillirise-counseling.com/ #mentalhealthmatters #grief #loss #theraphy #whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast

"We All Deserve Better", featuring the founder of GraceFull Home, EmilyJane Zahreddine

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 06:36:14 GMT

In today episode Iryna is joined by the founder of GraceFull Home, a Denver based furniture bank, EmilyJane Zahreddine. EmilyJane is a powerhouse, who saw a problem in her community and decided to create a solution. She launched her non profit in 2024 and already helped over 200 people in Denver metro area who are exiting homeless and need help furnishing their new home. EmilyJane spoke about how the idea of creating GraceFull Home came to her and why helping our community members is so important. To learn more about GraceFull Home , go to https://gracefullhome.org/

EmilyJane was graceful enough to let the listeners in to her personal life, like motherhood, being a business owner and she even gave her thoughts on today's political climate as she has 13 years of experience working in federal government.

As always, it is powerful conversation when a powerful woman speaks! #whatsyourdefiningmoment

Sharing Our Stories Has The Power To Heal, featuring Wafa Saeed

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:46:26 GMT

Today's conversation is the one for the soul. It will feel your heart with so much hope & love. Iryna sat down with Wafa Saeed, a brilliant woman, an immigrant an avid reader, humanitarian and a proud member of the Sudanese community. Iryna & Wafa talked about their stories about coming to America, what it means to be an immigrant and where do we really belong as immigrants. Wafa shared so many defining moments that shaped her, how her life changed after 9/11, how going back to Sudan for 2 years helped her understand her identity and what wearing hijab means to her.

Wafa also spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan and why it is so important for us to comer together . This conversation will make you think deeply about the world we live today.

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #sudan #humanitariancrisisinsudan #sharingourstorieshasthepowertoheal #immigrantsstories

Defining moments of motherhood

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 13:55:06 GMT

Today's episode is all about motherhood. Iryna opened up about her journey, her pregnancies, breastfeeding and why being a working mom makes her a better mom, why showing her kids there are different options out there is very important for her.

Do you want to be a stay-at-home mom or go back to work, should you breastfeed or give your baby formula? Why women still judge other women for choices they make as moms? Is it ok to touch a pregnant woman's belly? But why not? These and some many other questions were answered in this episode.

We all have an idea of what it means to be a mom but all of us have different journey, motherhood comes to us in all different forms and that what makes it beautiful.

Iryna opened up in a way she has never done in the past so press play and enjoy this episode. #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasapowertoheal #whatitmeanstobeamom #motherhood #stagesofmotherhood

Consumerism culture and the effects on our finances

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 15:24:12 GMT

In today's episode we sit down with Katye Edwards, the founder and owner of Guided Revision, LLC to talk about consumerism and the effects on our finances. Katye has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry and her wealth of knowledge is incredible. Today's episode will make you think not only how you spend your money, but what you spend it on. We dive deep in the culture of spending and unchecked consumerism. Katye also talked to us about being laid off , knowing in her heart that she wont go back to the corporate America again, and taking all her knowledge and starting her company Guided Revision, LLC. Make sure you listen to the end, because Katye shared 3 defining moments that make her who she is today and let me tell you, those moments are soul warming, beautiful and funny. #whatsyourdefiningmoment #newepisode #consumerism #financialeducation #uncheckedconsumerism #guidedrevision #money #smartspending #savingmoney

"The gym was perfect for the situation I was in", featuring Matthew Von Sprecken

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 20:28:13 GMT

In today's episode we sit down with an online fitness coach and owner of MATTVSTRAINING, LLC Matthew Von Sprecken. He talked to us about about growing up and his complicated relationship with his mother and how being raised by a single dad shaped him into who he is today. Matt opened up about losing his brother and how gym, fitness and working out helps him deal with the grief and get mentally better every day. Matt talked about why it is important to be consistent to see results not only in the gym but anywhere in life. This episode is about beautiful siblings relationship and how to put bad energy into something good.

You can check out Matt's website at https://www.mattvstraining.com/ and on social media platforms at @mattvonsprecken

Bella's Defining Moments

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 11:00:30 GMT

In today's episode our co host Isabella is sitting in the interviewee chair. We are diving deep into her story and exploring some of her defining moments in life. She tells us what it was like to grow next to one of the richest ski resorts in America and why moving away was the right choice. Isabella talks about her travelling experiences and what she learned by going to Africa (a couple of times) about herself and the world. Isabella speaks so highly of her parents who are both artists and how they influenced her and helped her shape who she is today! #momentsthatdefineus #whatsyourdefiningmoment

Does Everything Really Happen for a Reason?

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:47:48 GMT

In this solo episode, host Iryna gets personal — sharing the life events that led her to pause the podcast to care for her family and prioritize her own well-being. She opens up about a major project she's been working on, gives a sneak peek at what's coming in Season 7, and reflects on why creativity is so central to who she is.

This episode is also packed with wisdom for the Class of 2026 — from the value of travel and embracing creativity, to the power of staying open to wherever life takes you.

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasapowertoheal

Behind the mic with Bella & Iryna-deep questions from ChatGPT AKA Gloria

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 19:23:21 GMT

We are launching "Behind the mic with Bella and Iryna." In these types of episodes , we wont have guests, just our hosts discussing hot topics, things that are going on in their lives and around the world. Our mission is to build community around Moments That Define Us Podcast for people to have a safe space to be vulnerable and to share their stories. Today's episode is a fun one. Our hosts Iryna and Bella answered very serious questions from ChatGPT. Get to know our hosts on a deeper level and find out who is Gloria.....Get ready to find out what Iryna and Bella's deepest , darkest secrets are and their true opinion on ChatGPT . #whatsyourdefiningmoment #behindthemicwithbellaandiryna #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #buildingcommunity

Behind the Mic with Bella & Iryna: Self-Care

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 18:14:10 GMT

This is a new edition of Behind the Mic with Bella & Iryna, where our fabulous hosts talked about self care. In this lighthearted episode Iryna and Bella give unprofessional advice to the listeners on how to take care of yourself on a very little budget or completely free. They talk about things that has worked for them and things that didn't (Iryna doesn't like taking a bath.....what? is she crazy?). They talk about their love for books and how reading helps them relax, journaling and talking to yourself through writing (Bella shared her journal entry and it was deep and funny all at the same time. Iryna shared how she overcame fear she carried since childhood. Lots of laughs and funny stories in this episode! Enjoy!!!!! #whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #selfcaretipsandtricks #bekindtoyourself #behindthemicwithbellaandiryna

"I've reinvented myself a few times", featuring Celeste Moore, a certified Image Consultant, celebrity stylist, and keynote speaker

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 07:00:18 GMT

In today's episode Iryna had one of the most honest, open and vulnerable conversation with the a certified Image Consultant, celebrity stylist, and keynote speaker, Celeste Moore. Celeste shared some of the hardest moments that happened in her life to shape her to be the woman she is today. She shared the lessons she learned going through divorce at 22 and building her empire as a single mom. Celeste shared some of the defining moments that shaped her entrepreneurial journey and why its so important to stay true to who you are and not what everyone else wants you to be.

Today Celeste is a power house business woman, she speak on stages around the country and does exactly what she was meant to do , she helps high-achieving entrepreneurs and executives step into their full confidence and command every room they enter through her signature 4x4 color analysis and VIP styling experiences. Celeste also hosts her podcast called Moore Style- you can check out her podcast everywhere you get your podcast and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@CelesteMooreImage.

To learn more about Celeste Moore and hire her , visit her website at https://celestemoore.com/

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstoriesishealing #thebeststorytellingpodcast #momentsthatdefineuspodcast

"Giving Birth And Becoming A Mother Changed My Life", featuring the founder of She Birth Bravely, Suzzie Vehrs

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:00:14 GMT

It was such an honor to have Suzzie Vehrs, the founder and owner of She Births Bravely on our podcast. She is a certified doula, based in Seattle Washington, who has been part of almost 300 births. Suzzie also provides childbirth education and and abundance of resources on pre and post birth. Check out her resources here: https://shebirthsbravely.myclickfunnels.com/sbbbc

During our conversation with Suzzie we discussed her motherhood journey, the loss she experienced with her first pregnancy and dealing with grief. Suzzie opened up about struggles in her marriage, going though divorce and coparenting. There were a lot of defining moments that led Suzzie to become a person she is today, to make decision to become a doula and open her own business and support women in this wonderful journey of becoming a mother.

To lean more about Suzzie and her organization She Births Bravely, check out her website at https://shebirthsbravely.com/suzzie-vehrs-author-bio/ . You can also follow her on Instagram @shebirthsbravely #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasapowertoheal #motherhood #childbirthisbeautiful

"Redefining success after postpartum depression", featuring Eman Abdur-Rahman

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 15:29:09 GMT

Today's episode is a special one. Iryna is talking to Eman Abdur-Rahman, who is a mom and entrepreneur. Eman had quite a journey when it comes to motherhood. With her first child she had a very difficult birth followed by severe postpartum depression and in the midst of going through postpartum depression, she started her business. Eman tells a story of how starting her business while battling postpartum depression saved her life. This is the most honest and open conversation about postpartum depression.

In the second part of the episode Eman opened up about the pregnancy and birth of her second baby and she called that birth a "redemption birth" . She also talked about building her business while raising 2 kids under 6, hiring other moms to work with her and how important it is to have a strong community around.

Eman is a founder and CEO of Your Virtual Keeper, Accounting and Full Charge Bookkeeping Services for Mission-Driven Service Providers. To learn more about Eman's company and book her services, please go to https://www.yourvirtualkeeper.com/

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #motherhood #postpartumdepression #momprenuer #bossmom

Breaking barriers, featuring the CEO of Helios Worldwide, Yuki Bi

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 15:58:54 GMT

On today's episode Iryna had a great conversation with the CEO of Helios Worldwide, Yuki Bi. They spoke about leadership , specifically women leaders and how even in 2025 , even in industries that are targeting women as their primary customers, there are not enough women in the decision making positions. AI has been a big topic , especially in the past year and Yuki gave her take on positive and negative effects AI has. Yuki is from China originally. She spoke about her upbring and navigating life as a immigrant in Canada as well as in US. To learn more about Yuki Bi and her company Helios Worldwide, please visit https://heliosww.com/ #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstoriesishealing #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #thebeststorytellingpodcast #leadership #womenleaders #immigrants

Easy Equity, featuring Michael Sykes

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 07:35:49 GMT

Michael Sykes is the founder of the organization called Equitable Solutions and the director of culture, equity and leadership for Denver Public Schools. This conversation was deep, meaningful, vulnerable and we talked about variety of topics. Michael was open enough to talk about his life in a very profound way, things he had to learn and overcome to become a person he is today. Michael wrote a book "Easy Equity" and he dedicated this book to some of the strong , powerful and important women in his life and he talked about them with such love, gratitude and respect and how they helped shaped him into the person he is today and how instrument their love has been for me. Because both Iryna and Michael are parents they talked about how parenthood changes us forever and make us want to be a better person for ourselves and our children.

We also discussed topics around racism, black lives matter movement and why self love is so important when it comes to these and other issues .

To learn more about Michael Sykes, the work he does and to purchase his book visit https://equitablesolutions.net/. You can also follow Michael on Instagram @equitablesolutionscolorado

"We All Can Make a Change", featuring Sara Finesilver

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:00:38 GMT

We all spend money on a daily basis but do we really know what the organizations we support stand for? Who make those critical decisions for the company? Do they really represent community they serve and who they have on their board of directors and why that is so important to know for us as consumers ? In today's episode we sat down with Sara Finesilver , who is on of the founding partners of Board First Consulting, LLC , a women-owned board effectiveness consulting firm.

We often think boards of directors as bunch of middle-aged white men, which can be true but Sara and her partners through the work they do helping organizations, non profit and for profit have a board that really represent communities they serve.

In this episode, Sara helped us understand how we all can make a difference and change by finding organizations that do the work we truly care about and serving on a board.

You can learn more about Sara and the work she does at https://boardfirstconsulting.com/

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #sharingourstorieshasahealingpower #boardofdirectors #whatyourboardsaysboutyourorganization #weallcanmakeachange

Breaking the Stigma: Embracing the Menstrual Journey

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 14:29:15 GMT

In this episode we talk about embracing our menstrual journey. We share stories on birth control, lack of education on period and birth control we got at school and share some important research. We referenced the following books in our episode: Period Repair Manual: Natural Treatment for Better Hormones and Better Periods by Lara Briden Nd ⬇️https://www.amazon.com/Period-Repair-Manual-Second-Treatment-ebook/dp/B075NDJC2JHormone Intelligence: The Complete Guide to Calming Hormone Chaos and Restoring Your Body's Natural Blueprint for Well-Being by Aviva Romm M.D. ⬇️https://www.amazon.com/Hormone-Intelligence-Complete-Balanced-Hormones/dp/0062796216/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580626691617&hvdev=t&hvlocphy=9028789&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6037790279838318689&hvtargid=kwd-925502135221&hydadcr=4094_13193135&keywords=hormone+intelligence&qid=1690300417&sr=8-1We also talked about adding a non-profit organization for helping women in lower in come communities around the world with periods:https://www.daysforgirls.org/

Being Open-Minded in Today's Society, featuring Andrew Scott

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 19:06:16 GMT

In today's episode we have Andrew Scott who is the founder of The Open Mind Project, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that was founded on the principle that science and spirituality can be complementary. We talk about everything from religion , politics , science and everything in between. Andrew is a fascinating person who has travelled the world with his non profit. He tell us about growing up in a family where he saw divide, what led him to start his non profit and his defining moments that shape who he is today! If you want to learn more about his non profit , please visit https://openmindproject.com/ , where you can also donate if you choose to do so. Open Mind Project is also partnered with Healing Arts that was established by CULTURUNNERS and the WHO’s Arts & Health Program in 2020, under the auspices of the United Nations’ 75th Anniversary Programme (UN75), as a cultural call to action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on societal mental health. Please visit their website to learn more https://www.culturunners.com/projects/healing-arts-initiativeDon' forget to follow us on social media @momentsthatdefineus. You can also visit our website https://momentsthatdefineus.com/#whatsyourdefiningmoment #beingopenminded #science #politics #covid19pandemic #compasion

We Are All Connected, featuring the CEO of Judi's House Micki Burns part 1

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 07 May 2024 11:01:19 GMT

Another incredible human that we had a chance to sit down for a deep and meaningful conversation. On today's episode we have Micki Burns, the CEO of Judi's House. "Judi’s House is a community-based nonprofit bereavement center for children and families with the vision that no child should be alone in grief."

Micki has such a beautiful presence about her and having her on our podcast was an honor. This is part 1 of two parts episode. In part one Micki dives into her story, losses she experienced early in life and some of her defining moments and how she decided to do the work she does now. Sometimes it can be hard to talk about death, bereavement and loosing someone we love. In this conversation, Micki normalizes talking about hard thing and provides wonderful recourses that people can get at Judi's House.

This episode will provide you with understanding of bereavement, grief and loss and services you can get at Judi's House. To learn more about Judi's House, please visit their website at https://judishouse.org/

THE DEBATE

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 06:43:42 GMT

This week's episode is all about THE DEBATE! Bella & Iryna sprinkled this conversation with humor and laughter . They talked about a few quotes that resonated with them the most and what they agreed and disagreed with both candidates (oh should I say one candidate.......????). The conversation turned serious when they spoke about gun control, immigration and climate change. Let's all remember , we don't have to agree on everything but hopefully, as a country we can all agree that we all want to live and enjoy life, have roof over our heads, have food in our fridge and see our children grow and be safe. These our just the few basis things that EVERY HUMAN DESERVES. Below are the link where you can register to vote if you havent done so already.

https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote

https://www.sos.state.co.us/voter/pages/pub/home.xhtml

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #registertovote #thedebate

Solo Episode - Advice on relationships and marriage

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 17:48:34 GMT

Today's episode was recorded on April 27, which is Iryna and her husband's 11th wedding anniversary. This is a short solo episode where Iryna talks about her life as a mom, wife, friend and gives unsolicited life advice to anyone out there who needs it on marriage and relationships. She tells the story of how her and her husband met, why its ok to not like your partner sometimes, and how important it is to marry someone who love and support you no matter what. This episode is light and funny so enjoy it.

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #marriageadvice #relationships #sharingourstoriesishealing

Emails Can Wait, You Cant-how to manage corporate burnout, featuring Jamie McCollough

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 15:45:42 GMT

In today's episode we sat down with founder and owner of Kiwi Collective Jamie McCollough to discuss corporate burnout and how to manage it. Jamie shared with us quite an inspiring story of how you can love your job and work you do but still burnout. Answering emails after hours, not eating lunch, not even drinking water because you know you don't have time to go to the bathroom, trying your absolute best but still not being recognized, these are just a few things Jamie shares in this episode. She also shared with us a defining moment, a decision she had to make an age 11 that changed the trajectory of her life. Now Jamie is the founder and owner of Kiwe Collective, she a wellbeing consultant who helps individuals, teams and companies create wellbeing strategies and experiences. To learn more about Jamie's company and the work she does, please visit her website at https://www.kiwecollective.com/

#corporateburnout #wellbeingatwork #carreer #corporatewellbeing #whatsyourdefiningmoment

"Gun control, gun prevention and what happens after thoughts and prayers" with Angel Shabazz

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 06:26:30 GMT

Today's conversation is about a mom , who lost her son to a gun violence, and how through grief and with a help of a very strong community she created a foundation to keep her son legacy alive. Angel Shabazz is the founder of The DJ Armstrong Foundation. The mission of the Foundation is twofold: to empower young people and families through scholarships, mentorship, mental health support, and grief assistance, and to walk alongside grieving mothers through A Mother’s Love, a healing community rooted in faith, empathy, and shared understanding. Angel talked about her son Davarie and what an amazing young man he was, that tragic day in 2020 that charged her life forever, and how community have been showing up for her for the past 5 years. I talked to Angel about forgiveness, grief and what kind of gun laws and gun prevention she would like to see. To learn more about The DJ Armstrong Foundation, to donate and get involve , please visit https://www.djarmstrongfoundation.org/ . Folow them on Facebook and Instagram at dj.armstrong_foundation_ #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstoriesishealing #gunlaws #gunviolenceandprevention #thoughtsandprayersbutnoactions #djarmstrongfoundation

Takeover of "Moments That Define Us Podcast" by Two Sexiest Men Alive

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 23 Jul 2024 06:16:42 GMT

This is the last episode of season 2. Its called takeover of moments that define us podcast. Takeover happened when Roy (Iryna's husband) and Spencer (Bella's boyfriend) decided to be hosts for one episode and ask us, very deep and meaningful questions about the "why" behind the podcast and our vision for the future. We think you will learn different side of Bella and Iryna , why we stand what we stand for and why its important for us to be true to who we are. This episode is full of wisdom, laughter and deep philosophical thoughts. Bella, Roy and Spencer dove deep into 4th dimension for the last 8 minutes. Enjoy this fun and lighthearted episode and we will see you all in season 3. Love, Iryna&Bella

Finding your soul's calling with Ber-Henda Williams

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 07:46:33 GMT

In today's episode Iryna is in conversation with a Keynote Speaker and Feminine Leadership and Soul Coach , Ber-Henda Williams. She is a resident of Detroit and woman with many gifts and so much wisdom. Ber-Henda offered a very valuable lesson to our listens on how to find your your true calling in life or as she calls it "your soul's calling". She spoke about some of her defining moments that lead her to be the woman she is today and why its so important to be still and listen to what life is whispering to you. You can learn more about Ber-Henda at https://www.ber-hendawilliams.com/ and follow her on Instagram at berhenda. You can also listen to her podcast Soul of a Lead(Her) on spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1fJlneD ... or wherever you get your podcast. #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasapowertoheal #soulcoach #berhendawilliams #SoulofLead(Her)Podcast

Heart-led human, featuring Lisa Conway

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:52:20 GMT

In today episode Iryna is joined by Lisa Conway. She is a beautiful human, a heart-led human who opened up in such a vulnerable and authentic way. Today Lisa is a mom, wife, business owner of a hair salon called Vantage Salon in Arvada, CO, community member and so much more. Life hasn't always been easy for Lisa. She started living on her own at the age of 16 in NYC and had to grow up fast but there have been so many beautiful lessons in her journey. Lisa opened up about her experience being an entrepreneur and why she loves so much what she does, how becoming a mom changed her life and why it is important to be who you are and lead life with heart, compassion and gratitude.

To find out more about Lisa and her business , visit her website at https://www.vantagesalon.com/. You can also follow Lisa on Instagram at thedenverhairstylist

#whatsyourdefiningmoment

Small Acts of Kindness with Karen Olson

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:26:18 GMT

I had a pleasure of having a wonderful conversation with Karen Olson, the founder of national non profit organization call Family Promise. Karen joined me on the podcast to talk about her book "Mean For More" . In her book Karen captured her incredible journey from a single act of kindness to a lifetime of service. Karen wrote a beautiful story about her childhood and tragedy she experienced at a young age and how helping others helped her heal herself alone the way. To learn more about Family Promise, go to https://familypromise.org/ . You can find local affiliate in your state to volunteer and donate.

To learn more about Karen Olson and to purchase her book, head to https://www.karenolsonauthor.com/

#momentsthatdefineuspodcast #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstoriesishealing #meantformore #author

I AM A SURVIVOR, Kiah Peterson story, part 2

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 15:14:33 GMT

In today's episode we continue the conversation with the survivor of domestic violence and sexual abuse, Kiah Peterson. This is part two. If you want to understand the whole story, listen to part one that was released last week. Kiah shared with us what happened to her after police showed up and arrested her. She spoke about just how awful our justice system is and how at one point a mental health professional told her that she was too far gone and they cant help her. But today, Kiah Peterson is a survivor. Despite everything she went though and all the trauma that happened, today she is one of the kindest people and treats everyone around her with love and respect. #whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #survivor #survivorstory #racialdiscrimination #domesticviolencesurvivor

Ethical AI , featuring CEO of SkillSaige Sayre Blake

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 06:51:57 GMT

We are back with an incredible conversation with Sayre Blake, Technical Founder and CEO of SkillSaige — an AI-powered soft skills training platform. With over a decade of experience in the tech industry, Sayre is now building a women-led, Boulder-based app dedicated to soft skill development, helping people grow through their own defining moments.

Sayre shared the mission driving SkillSaige: that AI should uplift people, not replace them — and why building ethical AI isn't just important, it's essential. She also opened up about her experience as a woman in tech, why she's choosing to do things differently, and the power of surrounding yourself with people who truly understand your vision.

Sayre is a mother of two amazing children and she talked about building her business as a single mom , overcoming challenges and creating defining moments in the process.

To learn more about SkillSaige, visit https://skillsaige.com/

Sayre’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sayre-blake/

SkillSaige LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skillsaige

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #ethicalAI #softskills #sharingourstorieshasthepowertoheal #AI

Love and Art, featuring Ingrid Dee Magidson and Jay Magidson

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:43:35 GMT

Today's episode is a feel good one! We had a privilege to sit down with a world famous artist Ingrid Dee Magidson and her husband, writer Jay Magidson. They told us how they met and fall in love, what influence art has had in their lives, their struggles and successes being artists and so much more. Jay and Ingrid compliment each other in the best way possible, not only as a couple but the way they create art. Both of them have a very good sense of humor so there was a lot of laughter as well and as we know, laughter is the best medicine. Enjoy! To learn more about Ingrid Dee Magidson and to check out her work, visit https://ingridmagidson.com/. You can also follow Ingrid on social media at @ingridmagidsonartistTo learn more about Jay Magidson and to check out his work, visit https://jaymagidson.com . Jay is an incredible writer, you can purchase Jay's books here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=jay+magidson&crid=2ZPIC5USEAOG7&sprefix=jay+magidson%2Caps%2C126&ref=nb_sb_noss

"Allied Education" with Rachel Schopp

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 17:06:58 GMT

Today's episode is dedicated to all the teachers and educators everywhere. Teachers are there to help us raise our children and create defining moments that are fundamental in our children's lives.

Our guest today is Rachel Schopp, former classroom teacher with over a decade of experience and founder of Allied Education. Allied Education is dedicated to providing personalized guidance and support to families and students. Rachel understands the complexities of the education system and is committed to helping families make informed decisions for their child's academic journey.

On this episode Rachel talked about growing up in Louisiana and being the youngest of 6 children , how she found her own voice and why leaving Louisiana was the right choice.

Rachel takes listens on the journey of some of her defining moments that led her to become a teacher , her experience of teaching abroad and finally deciding to start her own business, helping families navigate education system in Colorado.

To learn more about Rachel and her organization Allied education to to https://www.youreducationally.com/. Also, follow her on Instagram at youreducationalally #whatsyourdefiningmoment #thebeststorytellingpodcast #alliededucation #sharingourstoriesishealing #teachersareourheros #

What Is Beauty, featuring makeup artist Kim Davis

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:02:26 GMT

Today's episode is all about beauty, confidence and uplifting women. We talk beauty that comes from within, how to achieve confidence and why it is so important to support and uplift other women. The guest on today's episode is Kim Davis. She is a makeup artist with over 20 years of experience in the makeup and beauty industry and she is the owner of Kim Clay Artistry, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Kim talked about her own experience with what it means to be beautiful , struggles she had growing up and how she eventually got into makeup and started her business. Kim spoke about enhancing women's natural beauty though makeup rather then covering it up. We also discussed why women chase perfection and get into relationship with wrong men who don't see their natural beauty. Thi8s episode is for women , by women! #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasapowertoheal #beautythatlieswithin #womenarepowerful

"You need to find calm in the noise", featuring author and culture critic Jo Davis

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:43:57 GMT

In today's episode Iryna is joined by an amazing woman, author, film and culture critic Jonita Davis. In this episode we only scratched the surface of the amazing life this creative woman has lived. We talked about her writing process and should you stay in "one lane " as a creative, why it is important to speak up against injustice, especially in the state of world today.

Jo was diagnosed with ADHD and she opened up about how getting diagnosed helped her navigate creativity, writing and her life better. Jo newest project is coloring books called Starseed Panic Pages. These coloring books offer structured coloring activities that soothe the mind and engage neurodivergent thinking. These unique pages and journal prompts are designed to help manage panic, anxiety, and overthinking. To lean more about these coloring books and purchase some for yourself, friends and family, head to https://panicpagescomdomainonly.wordpress.com/.

To lean more about Jonita Davis, her books, projects and publications go to https://jonitadavis.com/

#whatsyourdefiningmoment

Digital tool or digital addiction?

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 13 May 2025 23:40:05 GMT

Today is another solo episode. In recent weeks Iryna finished reading The Anxious Generation book by Jonathan Haidt and watched 2020 documentary " The Social Dilemma", two amazing and very informative pieces of work. In this episode Iryna discusses her take on the documentary an the book, growing up without technology ,the effect social media has on her life ,and why it is important to pay attention between using technology as tools and when those tools become addiction. If you have stories about positive or negative effects of technology, social media or ChatGPT on your life, submit them to momentsthatdefineus@gmail.com

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcats #socialdilemma #thenxiousgeneration

"Just Go After It"- life of an artist, featuring Ingrid Dee Magidson and Sybil Carter Hill

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 07:00:19 GMT

In today's episode we sit down with brilliant artists Ingrid Dee Magidson and Sybil Carter Hill to talk about their defining moments of becoming an artist. Ingrid and Sybil also happen to be twins so there are a lot of funny "twin" stories. They take us down memory lane and talk about what it was like growing up with very artistic parent , honoring their late father and the impact he had on their lives. This episode is definitely a feel good one that will make you cry and laugh all at the same time.

To check out Ingrid and Sybil's work , learn more about their stories and purchase their art, please visit their website at https://www.gallery101basalt.com/

#momentsthatdefineus #whatsyourdefiningmoment #artistlife #twinsisters

"Are You OK", featuring crisis specialist Erik Jacobsen

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 05:24:20 GMT

Today's episode is a powerful one! We sat down with Erik Jacobsen, who is a crisis specialist at Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners https://rmcrisispartners.org/. Erik spoke to us about suicide prevention and how to help someone who comes to you and letting you know they are not doing well. He also shared his experience answering crisis line during COVID and how the conversation about mental health has changed post pandemic. Erik has an abundance of knowledge about mental health and we are so grateful he shared some of it with us and our listeners. #momentsthatdefineus #whatsyourdefiningmoment #mentalhealth #suicidepreventation #rockymountaincrisispartners #weareallinthistogether #powerfulconversation

How ayahuasca changed my life, featuring clinical hypnotherapist & author Lani Gonzales

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 06:34:25 GMT

Our guest on the podcast today is Lani Gonzales. She is a clinical hypnotherapist, author, and keynote speaker . Lani shared many defining moments , some that include childhood trauma, rape, sexual abuse and story of family member who committed suicide. This episode is heavy and enlightened all at the same time. Lani spoke very openly and beautifully about her life story, being an immigrant , experiencing trauma, achieving more but feeling more empty and unfulfilled the higher she climbed and what led her to changing her life and creating from a space of love. She had a lifechanging experience with ayahuasca and hypnotherapy and now she is helping others. Lani wrote two incredible books, "Rebirth of a Sage"- and "METANOIA" that you can purchase by going on Lani's website at https://lanigonzales.com/. There are quite a few free resources to you to check out, learn more about Lani's story and her work. #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasapowertoheal #momentsthatdefineusodcast #thebeststorytellingpodcast

"Empathy is my storytelling superpower", featuring novelist Leigh Shalloway

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:03:01 GMT

Welcome to season 6!!! Our first guest is a novelist, Leigh Shalloway. She wrote an incredible book called "Journey back to you". In today's episode Leigh shared her experience with mental health, being diagnosed with clinical depression at 30 , and how that deepen he writing. She opened up about experiencing emotional extremes and how it allowed her to write characters who feel real and complex. Leigh took us into her writing process, research that went into this book, personal stories, past relationships that helped her built Kathleen, Jase and Richard. Journey back to you is the first novel in the Hilltown Trilogy for the author. Its a romantic novel, with complex interpersonal relationships, heartbreak, once thriving small town , turned to addiction and drugs because of greed but there is hope, there is love and there is survival.

To learn more about Leigh Shalloway and to order your copy of the book, visit https://www.hilltownseries.com/ #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasapowertoheal #thebeststorytellingpodcast #mentalhealthmatters

Mental Health & the Benefits of Therapy, featuring Stephanie Tatum part 1

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:53:54 GMT

Today's episode is all about mental health and how to take care of it. We had an incredible conversation with the licensed therapist and founder of Still I Rise Counseling Services Stephanie Tatum. Stephanie shared with us her her story and some of her defining moment. We dive deep into why therapy is important and necessary for one's mental well being. Stephanie's also gave advice on how to pick the right therapist. We also spoke about cultural differences when it comer to therapy, especially in black and brown communities and stigma around therapy. This episode is very educational.

Check out Stephanie's website at https://stillirise-counseling.com/about/

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #mentalhealth #mentalwellbeing #therapy #healing #therapyandstigma

The importance of rest with Ali Duncan

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 05 May 2026 06:53:47 GMT

In this episode , Iryna sits down with Ali Duncan who is the founder, creator, and visionary of Urban Sanctuary, the only black owned studio in Denver and in Colorado. This conversation is full of defining moments, from Ali's upbringing in Fort Collins, Colorado to opening a yoga studio in a historic neighborhood of Denver call Five Points or "Harlem of the West", in a historic, the Douglass Undertaking Building. They talk about the importance of preserving Black History , the importance of rest, especially for black and brown men and women to heal from systemic oppresion. Rest, slow down and take care of your body and mind in the world that tells you to never stop. Check out Urban Sanctuary's website to learn more about Ali and the history of the amazing space Ali and her team have created: https://urbansanctuary.love/about #sharingourstoriesishealing #whatsyourdefiningmoment #restisresistance

"I was aways proud of who I am", featuring the founder and host of Blacadian Podcast Denise Izso

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 14:53:58 GMT

In today's episode Iryna is joined by Denise Izso, the founder and host of Blacadian podcast. Through social media , Iryna and Denise became listeners of each other's podcast and finally decided to sit down for a conversation on Moments That Define Us Podcast. Denise was born and raised in Canada but both of her parents are from Barbados. She spoke about growing up in Canada , in a predominantly white neighborhood and how she navigated her childhood, friendships and the world around her mixing her two cultures.

Denise talked about Canada and answered the question we all want to know - "Are Canadians really that nice". She also spoke about racism in Canada and the comparison to the United States.

Denise has had to navigate life as a woman of color her whole life so she decided to share her experiences through storytelling and that's when Blacadian podcast was born (she is black and canadian so blacadian, get it?

Check out Denise podcast here https://open.spotify.com/show/2yLBboXfmlaVRZjxPlYTmo

#whatsyourdefiningmoment

I am Kenough

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:21:04 GMT

In todays episode we are diving in the world of Barbie and Ken and discussing topics the movies brought up. Our guests today are two hunky men, Spencer and Alek who gave us a very interesting perspective on what feminist means to them, what it means to be a real man in today's society and issues this movies showed them that they didn't see before. We also feature reviews from two very talented artists, Cristina Del Hoyo and Ingrid Dee Magidson.

You can check out Cristina art on her website cristinadelhoyo.com and Ingrid's website is ingridmagidson.com

You can always reach us at momentsthatdefineus@gmail.com or on social media with the handle @momentsthatdefineus #whatsyourdefiningmoment

Therapist's corner, featuring licensed therapist China Borjas

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:00:14 GMT

On today's episode we have a licensed therapist China Borjas, she is the Founder of Ubuntu Wellness LLC - https://www.ubuntuwellness.me/

Therapist corner is a new segment on Moments That Define Us Podcast and you can write in your questions for our therapist to momentsthstdefineus@gmail.com.

Today, we got to know China and her defining moments that led her to become a therapist, from her family business to her own journey with therapy. China talked about overcoming stigma around therapy and understanding the benefits of it, becoming a trauma therapist and how important it is to be honest with ourselves.

China also answered some of the questions our listeners wrote in. If you are thinking about starting therapy or you've been in therapy for years, this episode is for you. To learn more about China and her practice visit her website https://www.ubuntuwellness.me/ #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstorieshasahealingpower #therapy #benefitsoftherapy #mentalhealth

"Second Chance" , featuring the CEO & co-founder of Rebel Nell, Amy Peterson

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 27 May 2025 06:08:46 GMT

A few weeks ago, Iryna had a chance to have a wonderful conversation with the CEO and co-founder of a Detroit based social enterprise Rebel Nell, Amy Paterson. Rebel Nell is a women owned and mission driven jewelry company. Not only each piece of their jewelry has a unique story but they use reproposed graffiti in their jewelries.

"Rebel Nell is a social enterprise that provides employment, equitable access, and holistic support to women navigating barriers to work—whether due to housing insecurity, incarceration, displacement, disability, or other systemic obstacles".

Amy and Iryna spoke about how Rebel Nell came to be and what is the mission behind it. Amy opened up about hardships and great successes of being an entrepreneur, what motivates her to do this every single day and why building community is not only important but necessary.

To learn more about Rebel Nell and purchases their beautiful jewelry pieces, please visit https://www.rebelnell.com/. You can also follow them on social media at @rebelnell

Beautiful Story Of An Empowered Woman, featuring Emily Mara

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 05:42:26 GMT

In today's episode Iryna is joined by Emily Mara, who is a personal trainer, accountability coach and the founder and owner of EMpower by Emily Mara https://www.empowerbyem.com/. This conversation is extra special for many reasons. One of the reasons is in this episode Emily and Iryna talked about the beauty and challenges of motherhood. Emily lost her mom over 10 years and she spoke about lessons she learned from her mom, her grieving process and her approach to her journey as a mother of two girls.

Emily started dancing at a very young age and the love for dance provide her with great opportunities of travelling around the world and performing in front of amazing audience. As Emily said, "movement has always been medicinal to me". Today, Emily owns her own business EMpower by EM, she is empowering women to look and feel their best though her coaching and personal training. This episode is good for the soul and the heart!

You can learn more about Emily and her business at https://www.empowerbyem.com/ and follow her on social media @emilychristinemara #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstoriesishealing #thebeststorytellingpodcast #empowerbyem

Stories We Tell Ourselves About Money, featuring Meera Shireen Meyer

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:10:45 GMT

Todya's epoiside is about money, but not just how to make money but how to help build better, healhier, happier world, planet, community with money we have. Today's guest is certified financial planer and money guru, Meera Shireem Meyer, whos mission is to help women build wealth , feel good about it and make a great impact. Meera is a first generation American, both parents immigrated to the United States from India. She shared many defining moments , growing up indian american, relationship she had with money and how she went from hating finances to building a business in the financial indistry. Meera is not a "dry money person", she bring humanity and community to the topics of money, finances and buiding wealth. This episode might be about money but there is soul in this conversation , there is education and there is an understanding that depending on how we look at money and what we can do with it, it doesnt always have to be evil and all of us can use money for good.

To learn more about Meera and her business and book an appointment with her, please visit https://www.fullbodyfinance.com/

We Are All Connected, featuring the CEO of Judi's House Micki Burns, part 2

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 14 May 2024 14:47:14 GMT

This is part two of two part episode with the CEO of Judi's House Micki Burns. We continued talking about grief and bereavement. Micki talked about recourses Judi's House provides to families when explaining death to children. She emphasized how important it is to use correct language so kids can understand death. We also spoke about death by suicide and again using the correct language so kids can understand why someone made that choice and how to support families who experienced this kind of loss. Again , the education piece of different types of losses that Micki provided was so valuable. But, If this is something that might be hard for anyone to hear, please skip this part 2:48 to 12:29. Micki spoke how pandemic effected us and and results of it we still experiencing today. This episode was heavy and some of the statistics Micki shared was absolutely heartbreaking. We hope this conversation will help people who are going through grief and loss, people who wants to understand more about this topic to be able to help a bereaved friend or a loved one or simple have more knowledge and understanding around grief, loss, bereavement and death. #whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #importantconversation #grief #bereavement

"My addiction was love"- featuring Tennisia Littleton-Broberg.

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 14:36:06 GMT

Our guest today is Tennisia Littleton-Broberg. Tennisia is a survivor of many things but she is warrior. She love unconditionally and her family is everything to her. She opened her heart and soul on this episode and shared some of her defining moments. Tennisia has been surrounded by very powerful women in her family which is why she is a POWERHOUSE herself.

Tennisia grew up with parents who were addicts and she talked in great details how that effected her growing up. She opened up about her own addictions and explained that addiction is not always drugs and alcohol but so many other things, like love, work caretaking and more.

Tennisia opened up about some of her relationships with partners who were or are addicts and how she was was able to navigate those relationships , be there for her partners but also create boundaries to protect herself. we are so grateful for Tennisia openness and trusting us to share her story!

#whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineusodcast #survivor #trauma #warrior #sharingourstoriesishealing #beststorytvellingpodcast

Making home buying possible , featuring real estate agent Jessica Argo

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 16:59:47 GMT

In today's episode we are talking about real estate and the process of buying a home but doing it in the right way We sat down with the amazing real estate agent Jessica Argo who spoke about her passion for real estate, especially helping first time home buyers and women own their first home. She shared with us how having teaching background helped her become a better real estate agent. Jessica has been in real estate for almost 9 years and she has so many stories, some good and heartwarming and some crazy ones. Jessica also talked about the time when women could not own a home on their own and when that has changed. Who will be surprised because its was not that long ago. If you are thinking of buying your first home and have questions, this episode is for you. You can reach Jessica at https://www.coloradohomerealty.com/agents/jessica-argo/ #whatsyourdefiningmoment #momentsthatdefineuspodcast #homebuyingprocess #womeninhomebuying #firsttimehomebuyer

Black Swan Event, featuring author Helen Hynson Vettori

Iryna Barnett-storyteller — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 07:12:35 GMT

How you ever heard of a black swan event? Do you know what a black swan event is? A black swan is a catastrophic incident or event that no one could have foreseen or imagined because of its unprecedented impact. On today episode we have an international author Helen Hynson Vettori. What a privilege it was to speak to this amazing author. She currently has 2 books out from her trilogy, "Black Sawn Impact" & "Black Swan Shock".

This is how Helen describes her books, "Black Sawn Impact": "Black Swan Impact is a sci-fi political thriller that takes place in 2113. Having recovered from the devastation of World War III and reaching new scientific advancements, people believe only prosperity lies ahead until an emerging deadly pandemic threatens all of humanity. Dr. Syia (sī-yuh) Case, National Institutes of Health Director of Epidemiology, is invited to advise US President Daniel Piper and the White House Crisis Action Team to try to mitigate the threat. Actions required to protect US citizens from the lethal virus become increasingly challenging. However, when Piper steers the country toward questionable courses, Dr. Case and the strident voices on the task force find there is more than a virulent virus to fight."

"Black Swan Shock" picks up about two and one half decades after Black Swan Impact ends. Y However, readers do not have to read Black Swan Impact before Black Swan Shock because each book can stand alone.

Marla Case, an elite Olympic-bound athlete, finds her devotion to competition fading and chooses to step away. She considers becoming a medical responder and learns about the profession from a paramedic friend. Before committing to the rescue service, Marla accompanies her mother on an academic tour that ends abruptly when a massive earthquake strikes. The athlete reacts to save victims with her physical skills and newly acquired understanding of some emergency medical actions. She becomes a beacon of hope for the citizens of St. Louis, Missouri. However, personal tragedy affects Marla, as well, and she struggles to find catharsis herself."

To learn more about the author, visit her website at https://www.helenhynsonvettori.com/ #whatsyourdefiningmoment #sharingourstoriesishealing #readmorebooks #blackswanevent