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In this episode, Jackie hosts a dear old friend from law school, Amber Gustafson. Amber just happens to be a former lawyer turned judge, mother of three, Iraq veteran, and avid walker. She also happens to be a young widow. In 2021, on what started as a routine Tuesday morning for their family of five, Lieutenant Adam Gustafson suffered a massive heart attack and completed his end of watch. Amber and her children lost their husband, father, and the States of North Dakota and Minnesota lost a devoted veteran, patriot, and emergency services officer. Adam also left Amber a vast whiskey collection, which led her to begin "The Whiskey Widow," blog.

You can now find Amber praying, walking, working, taxiing kiddos to all the sports, blogging, and guesting on a regional radio station. Amber and her family are also the founders of the Lieutenant Adam Gustafson Memorial Fund whose mission is to provide scholarships and other donations to law enforcement students and emergency services personnel.

Join Jackie and Amber as they discuss how to move forward when it feels like life lied to you.

You can find Amber's blog @ thewhiskeywidow.com ~ "Pour yourself a sip. Stay for the stories."

You can also find Amber on Instagram @ thewhiskeywidow

You can find and donate to Adam's Memorial Fund @ adamgustafsongive.com

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Jackie has often heard of autoimmune encephalitis survivors unlocking hidden creativity after their diagnosis. And while she turned to writing in her days of survival and recovery, she still believes her creativity knows a lot of bounds. But what does it really mean to be a creative? What happens when you bring your creativity back "home?" What does it mean to sing your heart out through cancer in your airways? How can our creativity help us heal? In this episode, Jackie brings in a new friend, Jessie Veeder, a REAL cowgirl, author, and musician, to talk about her creative life, surviving cancer, walking among the wildflowers, and raising daughters. Jackie knew she was her kind of people when she met Jessie at a writer's panel last year, and Jessie doesn't disappoint in this conversation!

Check out Jessie's work at https://jessieveedermusic.com/home

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In this episode, Jackie is joined by guest Mariah Botha of Dickinson, North Dakota. Mariah is the director of a rural healthcare foundation and is as smart as she is lovely. Upon reading Unwillable, Mariah had a lot of questions and Jackie (doubtfully) had the answers. So the pair decided to turn the tables and have Mariah host Jackie. In this unscripted conversation, Mariah and Jackie explore childhood anxiety, parenting children who may have anxiety, some of Jackie's biases towards mental health while she was writing her memoir, and Mariah's cats (Mariah is also the cofounder of Meowsers, a cat rescue). If you've ever wondered how to openly speak about your anxiety or how to talk to your children about theirs, this one's for you!