Anastasia Brown is one of the most influential women in the Nashville music industry. She discovered Keith Urban, worked with legends like Peter Frampton and Chet Atkins, and later became a pioneer in Hollywood as a music supervisor on Emmy-winning film and television projects, including Steven Spielberg’s miniseries Taken and the iconic music-driven film August Rush.

But this episode goes far beyond her career.

In a heartbreaking period of her life, Anastasia lost her son, her sister, and her father in rapid succession. The trauma and grief that followed didn’t just affect her emotionally — it changed how her brain functioned, impacting her memory, mood, and ability to think clearly.

In this conversation, Anastasia opens up about:

• Child loss and surviving the death of her only son
• Complicated grief, PTSD, and mental health after trauma
• Discovering Keith Urban and building a career in Nashville
• Her transition from the music industry to Hollywood music supervision
• Working on Steven Spielberg projects and August Rush
• Why therapy and medication weren’t enough
• How a brain scan finally revealed what was wrong
• Targeted TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) therapy and brain-based healing

She is also joined live from California by her doctor, Dr. Jabor, who explains how advanced MRI brain imaging and neuro-navigated TMS therapy work, what happens to the brain during extreme grief and trauma, and how the brain can be retrained to support healing from depression, anxiety, PTSD, and complicated grief.

This is a powerful story of resilience, science-backed mental health treatment, and rebuilding a life after unimaginable loss.

If you or someone you love is struggling with grief, trauma, depression, or PTSD, this episode offers honesty, hope, and a path forward.

Follow Anastasia Brown on Instagram: @anastasiabrown

Learn more about Dr. Jabour and his ground-breaking therapy: https://www.smartbrainandhealth.com/contents/about-us/our-doctors

Connect with Amanda on Instagram: @askamandaadams

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Lauren Ruth Martin thought she would be a radio deejay...not a therapist. But either way, she was clearly sent here to help us all manage burnout, perfectionism, and eldest-daughter energy. And those planners we all buy every year? It's time to stop because they're stressing us out! But don't worry -- Lauren has us covered with the BEST planner on the planet!

Lauren comes in with so much real-life advice on this episode! Whether you're tired of being called flaky, trying to figure out how to quit a job, or you want to stop worrying about what other people think, this episode is for you!

Real advice. Real tools. From a real therapist. And when it changes your life, you can tell your IRL therapist that you heard it on a podcast (Lauren says they really love that).

Start 2026 with new energy. It's time to look around and find the right doors for you!

Follow Lauren on Instagram: @laurenruthmartin

Follow Amanda on Instagram; @askamandaadams

Support the show

Don't forget: new episodes drop every Tuesday! Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you never miss a minute!

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

And don't forget...DRINK MORE WATER!

It takes more than luck to make it in the music business. It’s an industry that will knock you down far more than it will lift you up. But Barrett Baber isn’t one to stay down for long.

From surviving a plane crash, to having the courage to leave a job he hated — and then leaving a job he loved to bet on himself on The Voice — Barrett has built a career by doing one thing, over and over again: showing up.

Now a certified platinum songwriter, including co-writing “Nothing On You” for Cody Johnson, Barrett shares how he’s taken every curveball life has thrown his way, figured out how to keep moving forward, and trusted the process even when the outcome was anything but guaranteed.

What We Talk About in This Episode

• Life before The Voice — teaching, faith, responsibility, and early setbacks
• Why Barrett understood The Voice as an opportunity, not a shortcut
• Leaving stability (twice) and betting on himself
• What really happens after the spotlight fades
• The Nashville grind: writing rooms, rejection, and patience
• Using AI as a tool without losing the human heart behind the music
• Writing “Nothing On You” and reaching platinum success
• The mindset that’s carried him through it all: Keep showing up!

Follow Barrett on Instagram: @BarrettBaber

Follow Amanda & the show: @AskAmandaAdams and @DrinkMoreWaterPod

Support the show

Don't forget: new episodes drop every Tuesday! Like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to make sure you never miss a minute!

Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

And don't forget...DRINK MORE WATER!