Molly was interviewed by Rachel Strong Smith on The Betrayal Trauma Recovery Bookshelf Podcast, and this week we’re bringing listeners part one of that interview – with part two arriving next week!

In this episode, Molly and Rachel explore boundaries through a wider, more spacious lens – one that moves beyond rules, ultimatums, or control and into meaning, symbolism, and self-honoring truth.

Inspired by Molly’s upcoming book, The Great All: A Parable of Hope, New Beginnings, and You, this conversation invites a zoomed-out perspective on boundaries. Rooted in compassion and dignity, the two explore what it means to truly honor yourself and others.

For those navigating betrayal trauma, boundaries often feel confusing, heavy, or weaponized and something you’re told to “set” without ever being taught how to feel your way into them. This episode offers a different entry point.

Molly and Rachel discuss:

• Boundaries as symbols of self-respect rather than defenses
• What it means to honor me / honor you without self-abandonment
• How parables and story can bypass shame and speak directly to the nervous system
• Why boundaries are not punishments, but expressions of truth
• The “compassionate revolution” and choosing integrity over control

This is a reflective, meaning-rich conversation, especially for those healing from betrayal who are tired of black-and-white rules and longing for something more humane, spacious, and soul-honoring.

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Today’s Guest:

Rachel Smith Strong understands betrayal trauma because she’s lived it. After experiencing the devastating impact of betrayal firsthand, Rachel found support that helped transform her life from constant trauma, isolation, and emotional suppression into authentic connection and boundaried living. She now helps guide others through their own healing process.

Rachel holds a Master of Science in Social Work (MSW), is a Board Certified Coach (BCC), and is an APSATS CPC-Candidate. In her work, Rachel focuses on boundary development, gaslighting recovery, addiction-related betrayal, emotional exploration, and mindfulness-based healing. The approach blends evidence-based techniques with deep empathy, guiding clients to reconnect with their authentic selves, create sustainable boundaries, and reclaim their voices. Rachel emphasizes that each healing journey is unique and offers both professional tools and heartfelt support to help individuals transform pain into purpose and trauma into authentic strength.

Find Rachel at The Betrayal Trauma Recovery Bookshelf Podcast, sign up for a free consultation with Rachel here, or join her on Instagram and Facebook.

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Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.

Pre-order Molly's new book, The Great All, and get an illustrated copy of the companion journal for free.

Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

What does it look like to lead… without losing yourself in the process? And what if real “leadership” isn’t about proving yourself, productivity, or power — but about awareness, wholeness, and self-trust?

In this episode, Molly sits down with Valeyne Grotrian, a former corporate leader, executive coach, and the founder of Agora Coaching, to talk about inner leadership — the kind of leadership that happens within you first before it radiates outward into your leadership practices.

Valeyne explains why so many compassionate, conscientious people often rise quickly into leadership roles… and then quietly burn out under the pressure of overworking and keeping-all-the-people-pleased. Together, they explore how hustle culture and “always-on” expectations can slowly erode our sense of self-trust — and how reclaiming your own wholeness can transform not only your inner world but also the culture around you.

This conversation is grounding, expansive, and deeply practical — a reminder that the most powerful leadership doesn’t start with doing more. It starts with coming home to yourself.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• What “inner leadership” really means — and why it has nothing to do with job titles
• Why so many compassionate people burn out in leadership roles — especially without boundaries
• How being “always on” can become a slow betrayal of your body, your needs, and your self-trust
• An example of inner leadership in action: how setting one simple boundary had ripple effects across an entire team
• Why Valeyne believes “leaders are healers” — and how leadership shapes culture through modeling
• The first step to inner leadership: awareness over effort — slowing down enough to hear yourself again
• The courage to be fully alive — even when the world pressures you to stay contained.

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Today’s Guest

Valeyne Grotrian is a former corporate leader, executive coach, and the founder of Agora Coaching. She supports value-driven leaders in reclaiming self-trust, reconnecting with their wholeness, and leading from a deeper place — inside workplaces, organizations, and everyday life.

Valeyne offers a 6-month one-on-one partnership called Awaken Your Inner Leader and works with organizations through workshops and speaking engagements.

You can find Valeyne at agoracoach.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

*****

Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.

Pre-order Molly's new book, The Great All, and get an illustrated copy of the companion journal for free.

Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!

What happens after you survive the unimaginable at a young age? How do you begin to face what happened and find a way toward healing?

In this episode, Molly sits down with her dear friend Jennifer Evridge, a survivor and truth-teller whose story is living proof that healing is possible — even after years of long-term abuse.

Jennifer shares her experience navigating repeated abuse by people in positions of authority, how fear and shame ended up running the show in her adult life, and what changed when she finally began to look directly at what happened — and step toward healing.

This conversation is tender, raw, and hopeful: a reminder that the parts of you that were buried for survival are often the very parts that can lead you home to self-worth, self-trust, and self-love.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• The fear so many survivors carry: “If I open up that box, I’ll never stop crying.”
• How shame and self-blame can keep people trapped for decades
• Why boundaries can become the first real crack of freedom for a survivor
• How meditation and inner listening can reconnect you to a loving presence within
• How healing can coexist alongside grief, anger, and complex relationships
• A powerful reminder: you have a voice inside you that knows the way

During their conversation, Jennifer mentions fawning and how Dr. Ingrid Clayton’s work impacted her. You can learn more in Episode 23, Ingrid Clayton: Fawning, Trauma, & the Healing Path Home to Self, where they unpack fawning as a trauma response and what healing can look like on the other side.

Today’s Guest: Jennifer Evridge

Jennifer describes herself as “spiritual being having a human experience.” She is a survivor and truth-teller with a background as a successful businesswoman, 911 dispatcher, and criminal defense investigator.

She is also the creator of Talk2MeAboutLove: Field Notes from a Spiritual Investigator. Through interviews and reflections, Jennifer travels the world talking with everyday people about their spiritual experiences, awakenings, and inner truths — exploring what it means to be human, to heal, and to live with honesty and love.

You can follow Jennifer and Talk2MeAboutLove on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

*****

Get the Boundaries Breakthrough Mini Course for FREE – and kickstart your boundaries journey.

Pre-order Molly's new book, The Great All, and get an illustrated copy of the companion journal for free.

Thanks for listening to We Are the Compassionate Revolution! If you love the show, please help support it (at no cost) so we can reach more compassionate souls: follow or subscribe wherever you listen, rate it five stars, or leave a review. Remember: Love is the way!