Our guest in this episode is Susan Cottrell, who is one of the leading voices for parents of LGBTQ+ kids with a focus on deconstructing harmful, false religious teaching. Susan has been married 39 years and is the mother of 5 children including two transgender sons.

She is many things including:
- A public theologian with a Master of Arts in Theological Studies
- A devoted Christina who spent 20+ years in the non-affirming Evangelical church before

founding FreedHearts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Seatle
- author of 5 books including “Mom I’m Gay”
- the co-host of the popular FreedHearts Podcast
- a TED speaker (with 5+ million views)
- has appeared on ABC’s 20/20, Nightline, Good Morning America, and NBC News Out
- Their Mission is “Freeing hearts to love and be loved! Love. Inclusion. Affimation.” The
podcast is co-hosted by Susan and her husband Rob Cottrell.

In this Show you will hear us discuss:
a. Her transitioning into the LGBTQ World –
i. From long time member of the Evangelical Church to mother of two queer daughters / eventually transgender sons, who came out in 2011 and 2012
ii. Her decision to choose her daughters/sons and love over the church, fear, and rejecOon
iii. Why she feels there is so much fear around the LGBTQ community and people transiting
in gender and sexual identity?
b. Her own journey towards healing –
i. How the church & religion has impacted LGBTQ individuals and families’ trauma
ii. The power and need for deconstructing a world view and religious beliefs and the steps toward rebuilding
iii. identifying trauma/wounds (mental, emotional and those held in the body)
c. optimizing performance, her own, her family’s, and the lives of countless others -
i. The creation of Vibrant Community, and the Beloved Adventure courses (Freedhearts.com)
ii. Creating support through storytelling, sharing, needed resources, justice, inclusion, and love
iii. Her vision of the future and what people really want

This is an intriguing show with some very real life experiences and stories with a woman, mother, and theologian, who is well educated, well read, and extremely passionate. We hope you enjoy it.

Bruce

Website - https://www.freedhearts.org/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/freedhearts
Podcast - https://freedhearts.buzzsprout.com/

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If you're interested in any of the movement, meditation, or mindfulness practices discussed on the show, please join us on Hidden Pearls Studio for less than $0.30 / day. hiddenpearlsstudio.com

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CONNECT WITH US
Hidden Pearls Studio IG - @hiddenpearls.studio
Hidden Pearls Podcast IG - @hiddenpearlspodcast
Bruce Kittle IG - @coachkittle61
Emma Kittle Ponce IG - @emmakittleponce
Emma Kittle Ponce Youtube @EmmaKittlePonce
George Kittle IG - @gkittle


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I'm very proud and honored to offer this next podcast to our followers, friends, and family. The show was recorded back in October 2025 at George's workout facility, "The Barn," outside of Nashville. With Emma in South Korea having a baby, and me not being great with the technical side of things, it's been sitting around for a while. But it's a truly special episode because of the person who was gracious enough to sit down with me for a couple of hours.

Casey Beathard is father to CJ, who was George's quarterback at the University of Iowa. They were freshmen together, and in 2017 both were drafted by the San Francisco 49ers — that's how we first got to know CJ and his family, including Casey.

At the time, I had no idea he was a Hall of Fame songwriter with a list of number-one hits that anyone would envy. In the show, we cover the many awards he's won over the years. But even more impressive than the accolades is how he got his start in the business, his work ethic, his incredible resilience, and — most of all — his steadfast love in the face of very difficult and painful situations.

In this episode, we followed the three core elements of the work we do at Hidden Pearls Studio: (1) Navigating Transition, (2) Pathways to Healing, and (3) Pursuing Optimal Performance. Casey's stories around each of these topics are powerful, shared with grace, love, and a deep faith that grounds him in everything he does.

As you listen, you'll hear about the obstacles he faced and the sacrifices he and his family made navigating life's transitions. He speaks powerfully about loss and grief, and the role healing has played in his life. And of course, we talk about the success he's had, how he got there, and what it took to navigate it all with grace and love.

I encourage you to listen with an open heart — be ready to be moved, touched, and inspired. Thank you, Casey, from the bottom of my heart, for taking the time to be with us on this journey of life.

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If you're interested in any of the movement, meditation, or mindfulness practices discussed on the show, please join us on Hidden Pearls Studio for less than $0.30 / day. hiddenpearlsstudio.com

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CONNECT WITH US
Hidden Pearls Studio IG - @hiddenpearls.studio
Hidden Pearls Podcast IG - @hiddenpearlspodcast
Bruce Kittle IG - @coachkittle61
Emma Kittle Ponce IG - @emmakittleponce
Emma Kittle Ponce Youtube @EmmaKittlePonce
George Kittle IG - @gkittle


#hiddenpearls #hiddenpearlspodcast #hiddenpearlsstudio #hpp #hps #kittle #georgekittle #kittlefoundations #ponce #폰세

Welcome to another very special HPP edition, also recorded at The Barn — this one back in August 2025. Yes, it's also been a little delayed in getting pushed out, but I promise it's worth the wait.

In this show, we welcome Nick Lavery to the podcast. I first met Nick at our 2025 gathering of tight ends at TEU in June, where he addressed our group. Nick's energy and message were truly inspiring and offered all of us great insight on mindset and performance.

Nick's story and perspective on life are grounded in action and intention, built on hard-earned, lived-through lessons on success, resilience, and courage — all approached with a peak-performance mindset.

Nick's resume is extensive, and we cover it in the show, but some highlights are worth noting:

Nick is a Chief Warrant Officer 2 and an active-duty member of the United States Army Special Forces (The Green Berets). He is the first Special Forces operator to return to full active-duty combat deployment as an above-the-knee amputee. Injured in 2013, after two years of surgeries, prosthetic fittings, and grueling field training, he returned to his unit and back into full combat settings.

He is also the first amputee in military history to complete: (1) the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification course, (2) the Special Operations Combatives Program Instructor course, and (3) the Special Forces Combat Diver Qualification course.

Nick's awards include the Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, two Bronze Stars, and many others. He is a warrior's warrior, a proven leader, and the author of Objective Secure: The Battle-Tested Guide to Goal Achievement. He's also an inspiring speaker with a group of veterans doing leadership and mindset training known as Precision Components, a spokesperson for Pillars of Valor Coffee, and — above all — a husband and father to two boys.

This episode follows how Nick's life intersects with the three components of our work at HPS: (1) Navigating Transitions, (2) Finding Healing, and (3) Achieving Peak/Optimal Performance. His story across all three is a textbook study in mindset, resilience, courage, loyalty, and love.

He shares his transition from college football, growing to 6'5" and 250 lbs by the time he reported for service; his sense of wasting his life and making some poor decisions while working as a VIP security guard after college; and eventually seeking a higher calling with purpose and intention. And he found it.

He shares his stories of training for the Special Forces, his deployments, and the insider ambush attack on the U.S. military compound where he was stationed — which resulted in the deaths of U.S. service members and his own injuries, ultimately costing him his leg. This led to more transitions, more healing, and eventually more optimal performance. It's also a blueprint for developing your own mindset: how he accomplished the recovery and training that led to his approval and assignment back to full active duty — something no one with his injuries had ever done before.

Give this a listen and expect inspiration, challenge, shock and awe, and deep admiration for another hero in uniform with the Special Forces. Thank you, Nick, for sitting down with me.

https://mchn.co/

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If you're interested in any of the movement, meditation, or mindfulness practices discussed on the show, please join us on Hidden Pearls Studio for less than $0.30 / day. hiddenpearlsstudio.com

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CONNECT WITH US
Hidden Pearls Studio IG - @hiddenpearls.studio
Hidden Pearls Podcast IG - @hiddenpearlspodcast
Bruce Kittle IG - @coachkittle61
Emma Kittle Ponce IG - @emmakittleponce
Emma Kittle Ponce Youtube @EmmaKittlePonce
George Kittle IG - @gkittle


#hiddenpearls #hiddenpearlspodcast #hiddenpearlsstudio #hpp #hps #kittle #georgekittle #kittlefoundations #ponce #폰세