Junk to Jewels Podcast with Georgette Beck

Chris Morris: God, You've Got 7 Days: A Suicidal Teen's Ultimatum — and What Happened Next

Episode Summary
What do you do when faith alone hasn't fixed it? In this powerful, deeply honest episode of the Junk to Jewels™ Podcast, host Georgette Beck sits down with Chris Morris — ministry leader, award-winning author of three books, internationally known TEDx speaker, and founder of a mental health ministry that launched with 70 people on its very first night.
 
Chris grew up in a home marked by fear and abuse. At 15, in the middle of a suicidal moment, he prayed a desperate prayer to a God he didn't yet believe in — and gave Him seven days to show up. What happened next changed everything. And yet, life didn't get easier. Chris wrestled with depression and suicide ideations throughout his entire adult life, ultimately reaching a crisis point in August of 2020 that landed him in a psychiatric ward.
 
But from that dark place, he heard a whisper that turned everything around: "Chris, I still love you."
 
Today, Chris brings together theology, neuroscience, and real talk to help the church become a safer place for the hurting. In this episode, he and Georgette talk openly about:
 
His childhood in an abusive home — and the mom who had the courage to break the cycle
The "7-day prayer" that led him to Christ at age 15
His suicide attempt in 2020 and the divine encounter that followed in the psych ward
Why medication, counseling, and mindfulness are NOT the enemy of faith
Launching a 70-person mental health ministry — and what it revealed about the church's unmet needs
His three books: By Faith, Resilient & Redeemed, and Trekking Toward Tenacity
What he wishes every pastor and church leader understood about mental health
A direct, heartfelt message to anyone silently struggling and wondering if God sees them
 
"God is good every day, all the time, no matter what — even when He feels absent. Believe that." — Chris Morris
 
Connect With Chris Morris
🌐 Website: chrismorriswrites.com
📖 Books: chrismorriswrites.com/shop
📩 Substack: refugefortheweary.substack.com
 
Books Mentioned in This Episode
By Faith: 40 Devotions from Hebrews 11 — Chris Morris
Resilient & Redeemed — Chris Morris
Trekking Toward Tenacity — Chris Morris (Psalm 139 for parents)
The Divine Conspiracy — Dallas Willard (Chris's foundational recommendation)
 
Connect With Georgette Beck & The Junk to Jewels™ Podcast
📚 Book: Junk to Jewels: A Journey from Brokenness & Despair to Beauty & Delight
📸 Instagram
👍 Facebook
💼 LinkedIn
🐦 Twitter/X
🎵 TikTok
▶️ YouTube
 
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From West Virginia Farm Girl to Pro-Life Warrior: Sue Chess’ Story of Courage & Calling

What does it look like when a little girl from the hills of West Virginia who couldn’t stand to see her grandmother step on an ant grows up to defend the most vulnerable among us? It looks exactly like Sue Chess — 24-year CEO of CareNet of the Treasure Coast.
 
In this deeply moving episode, Georgette sits down with Sue to talk about the life-saving work happening right here on Florida’s Treasure Coast — and the miracle stories that keep Sue showing up every single day. From an unlikely mobile unit that arrived when only ONE was left, to a nursing student who chose life and now works at Cleveland Clinic, to the son who considered abortion and whose daughter just turned 25 — this conversation will stir your heart.
 
In This Episode You’ll Hear:
Sue’s origin story: a sense of justice rooted in childhood, nursing training in 1975, and a pro-life debate that changed the trajectory of her life
How a personal family crisis — her son and his girlfriend facing an unplanned pregnancy at 17 — led Sue to eventually lead CareNet for 24 years
The full scope of CareNet’s ministry: pregnancy counseling, ultrasound, STI testing, parenting classes, a baby boutique, student outreach, fatherhood initiative, and abortion recovery healing
The miracle story of CareNet’s new Mobile Unit — equipped with ultrasound and a QR code, serving Martin and St. Lucie Counties
Why seeing the baby on ultrasound within 24 hours can be the most life-changing moment for a woman in crisis
The truth about the abortion pill: dangers, trauma, and the abortion pill reversal that has already saved 8,000 babies nationwide
How the Fatherhood Initiative increased life-saving outcomes by 61%
Sue’s life motto: “Just do the next right thing”
The peacekeeper vs. peacemaker distinction — and why Jesus was a peacemaker
Sue’s beautiful tribute to her mother, and the devotional she’s writing from her mom’s “Sips of Living Water” Facebook posts
Her favorite Bible: the WallBuilders Bible, weaving America’s founding history with Scripture
The woman she’d love to have coffee with: Priscilla Shirer
 
Sue’s Closing Word to Anyone in Crisis:
“Don’t try to take care of the whole thing today. Just do the next right thing. Make a call. Make an appointment. Don’t make an uninformed, rapid choice before you have looked at all your options.”
 
Upcoming CareNet Events:
Walk for Life — October 11 at MidFlorida Event Center (FREE: food, petting zoo, family fun)
CareNet Gala — March 5 & 6, 2026, with Dr. Lyle returning as Guest Speaker
 
Contact & Connect with Sue Chess / CareNet:
Client Website: www.carenettc.com
Supporter/Volunteer Website: www.carenettc.com
Port St. Lucie East Clinic • 6704 S US Highway 1, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952 • (772) 828-3168
Darwin Square Clinic • 3237 SW Port St. Lucie Blvd., Port St. Lucie, FL 34953 • (772) 208-3053
Connect with Georgette Beck & Junk to Jewels:
Book: https://a.co/d/0etqV85U
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgette-beck-7a659387/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/GeorgetteMBeck
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgette2038
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgettebeck9168
 
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Everything Changes Everything — A Conversation with Lauren Kessler on Love, Loss, and Walking Through Grief

What do you do when everything you knew changes overnight? When the people you love most are suddenly gone — and you're left standing in the middle of a life you didn't choose?
Award-winning author and immersion journalist Lauren Kessler joins Georgette on the Junk to Jewels Podcast for one of the most tender, honest, and profoundly moving conversations we've ever had. Lauren's memoir, Everything Changes Everything: Love, Loss, and a Really Long Walk, is a book that doesn't just tell a story — it holds your hand through the hardest ones.
Lauren shares the deeply personal journey of watching her husband Tom choose to legally end his life after a terminal cancer diagnosis — and then, while still in the shadow of that grief, losing her beloved daughter Lizzie to a drug overdose. Two losses. Two different kinds of goodbye. Both saturated in love.
Rather than breaking under the weight of it, Lauren did what her body and soul demanded — she moved. She laced up her boots and walked 500 miles alone across northern Spain on the ancient Camino de Santiago — a pilgrimage that became the path back to herself.
In this episode, we talk about:
What it truly means to love someone through their dying
The unique grief of losing a child to addiction — and the stigma no family should have to carry alone
Why movement can be medicine for a shattered heart
What the Camino teaches you that nothing else can
How grief and beauty can live inside the same breath
And the profound truth that everything changes everything — including us
Whether you are walking through loss right now, supporting someone who is, or simply hungry for a conversation that doesn't flinch from the hard and holy parts of life — this episode is for you.
Pull up a chair. This one goes deep.
 
🎧 Listen, share, and leave a review if this episode touched you. Every share puts this conversation in the hands of someone who needs it.
📖 Find Lauren's book Everything Changes Everything on Amazon (Link: https://a.co/d/0dmJwLAT) and wherever books are sold. 
🌐 Learn more about Lauren at www.laurenkessler.com
https://www.facebook.com/lauren.kessler.7oaks
https://www.instagram.com/laurenjkess/
laurenjkess.substack.com/
 
About Georgette Beck
Georgette Beck is the author of the award-winning memoir Junk to Jewels: A Journey from Brokenness & Despair to Beauty & Delight — winner of the International Impact Book Awards (Inspirational/Transformational category) and Semi-Finalist in the 2025 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition with the Florida Writers Association. She is a speaker, lay minister, mentor, podcast host, and founder of Bella Healing Hearts Foundation.
 
Connect with Georgette
📖 Book: https://a.co/d/0etqV85U
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgette-beck-7a659387/
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/GeorgetteMBeck
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgette2038
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgettebeck9168
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At the Intersection of Creativity, Spirituality & Life with Terry Glaspey

What if the greatest art ever created was actually a love letter written directly to your soul? In this rich, soul-stirring conversation, Georgette Beck sits down with acclaimed author and theology professor Terry Glaspey — a man who has devoted his life to exploring what he beautifully calls the intersection of creativity, spirituality, and life.
Terry is the author of over a dozen books, including the beloved 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know, Discovering God Through the Arts, and Not a Tame Lion: A Life of C.S. Lewis. He teaches Inklings studies at Northwind Theological Seminary and is a two-time Christianity Today Book of the Year award recipient.
In this episode, Terry and Georgette explore:
✦  How God — revealed first in Genesis as the Creator — wired us to encounter Him through beauty
✦  Why Jesus taught in parables and metaphors, and what that means for how we take in art
✦  The life-changing power of art, music, literature, and film to reach the places words can't
✦  How Rembrandt's Prodigal Son and a grief-soaked symphony brought tears — and healing — to broken hearts
✦  Why the church must embrace its creative people, and what "Creativity Sunday" looks like in practice
✦  How beauty can reunite a fragmented culture — and why shared art matters more than ever
✦  Terry's favorite books (Mere Christianity & T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets), his anchor verse (Revelation 21:5), and the one person from history he'd most love to meet
Whether you're an artist, a book lover, someone who's been touched by a song in a dark season, or simply someone longing to encounter God more deeply — this episode is for you.
About Terry Glaspey
Terry Glaspey is the author of over a dozen books and a professor at Northwind Theological Seminary specializing in Inklings studies — C.S. Lewis and his circle — and the intersection of the arts and spiritual formation. He has won two Christianity Today Book of the Year awards and has received honors from the Gospel Coalition and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. His forthcoming title, The Faith of Jane Austen, continues his lifelong work of guiding readers to encounter God through literature, music, visual art, and cinema. Find Terry at: TerryGlaspey.com
About Georgette Beck
Georgette Beck is the author of the award-winning memoir Junk to Jewels: A Journey from Brokenness & Despair to Beauty & Delight — winner of the International Impact Book Awards (Inspirational/Transformational category) and Semi-Finalist in the 2025 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition with the Florida Writers Association. She is a speaker, lay minister, mentor, podcast host, and founder of Bella Healing Hearts Foundation.
 
Connect with Georgette
📖 Book: https://a.co/d/0etqV85U
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgette-beck-7a659387/
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/GeorgetteMBeck
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgette2038
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgettebeck9168
Subscribe, share, and leave a review — it means the world!

One in a Million: A Rare Diagnosis, a 14-Hour Surgery, and the Miracle That Changed Everything with Kerry Santucci

What do a rare tumor, 150 job rejections, a 14-and-a-half-hour surgery, and a baby named Jehovah Heals have in common? They're all chapters in the remarkable story of today's guest, Kerry Santucci.
 
Kerry Santucci is a healthcare operations professional and values-driven problem solver with over 15 years of experience in healthcare management. Holding a Master of Health Administration from Florida Atlantic University, Kerry has spent her career bringing clarity to chaos — partnering with physicians, executives, and hospital teams to strengthen both systems and people.
 
But Kerry's most defining lessons didn't come from a boardroom or a classroom. They came from the patient side of the hospital bed.
 
At just 23 years old — only nine months into her marriage — Kerry was diagnosed with an extraordinarily rare tumor: one that occurs in only one in a million patients, typically in women who are pregnant or post-C-section. Kerry was neither. And the tumor wasn't where it was supposed to be. It had wrapped around to her spine.
 
In this deeply personal and powerful conversation, Kerry shares:
 
How becoming a patient inside the very healthcare system she served reshaped her compassion, her calling, and her faith
The 14-and-a-half-hour surgery her neurosurgeon performed against the advice of every colleague — and the miracle that followed six months later
How she and her husband waited two years before attempting to have a child, and the extraordinary meaning behind her son Josiah's name (Jehovah Heals)
Her experience pursuing a master's degree at 40+ — and the painful surprise of delay, rejection, and over 150 job applications with no breakthrough
What God taught her in the quiet, unseen seasons: about humility, faithfulness, serving without applause, and trusting the timing
Why she and her husband are now stepping into a brand-new chapter with a cross-state move to the Augusta, Georgia/South Carolina area
The mentor who changed her life with six simple words: 'You're smart, and you're going places'
Her life-anchoring quote from John C. Maxwell and what it means to choose growth when change finds you
 
Kerry closes with words she wishes someone had said to her sooner — and they may be exactly what you need to hear today:
 
"You're not behind. Your value is not tied to a title. Your strength is not proven through exhaustion. And the delay you're frustrated with may be the very thing that's protecting you. Stay faithful in the small things."
 
Whether you're in a waiting room right now — literal or metaphorical — this episode is for you. Pull up a chair, open your heart, and let Kerry's journey remind you: what feels like junk can become the very place where God does His finest work.
 
Connect with Kerry Santucci:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerrysantucci
 
Connect with Georgette Beck & Junk to Jewels:
📖 Book — Junk to Jewels on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0etqV85U
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgette-beck-7a659387/
🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/GeorgetteMBeck
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgette2038
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgettebeck9168
 
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Don't Miss the Bus: Doug Halper on Living a Creative Life, 33 Jobs & Turning Passion into Purpose

What do a hammered dulcimer, aluminum wire sculptures, 33 jobs, and a hilarious collection of short stories have in common? They're all chapters in the wonderfully creative life of Doug Halper. In this episode, Georgette sits down with the multi-talented musician, visual artist, and author she met at the Sunshine State Book Festival — and the conversation is as entertaining as his book.
Doug, who also writes under the pen name Benjamin Douglas, is the author of Don't Miss the Bus and Other Tales from the Road — a very funny, sometimes poignant collection of short stories about making a career of being creative, the adventures of life on the road, and the beautiful mess of simply being human.
 
In this episode, you'll hear:
How Doug discovered his calling at age 5 and has never stopped creating — even when it meant starting over 33 times
The accidental discovery of wire sculpture that became his most successful (and wildest) career chapter
Why staying open and being stubborn are two of the most underrated tools for a creative life
The T.N.K. filter — a powerful and simple tool for deciding when to speak and when to stay quiet
What an unplanned electric car adventure taught him about adapting on the fly
Why Doug would sit down with Jesus if he could talk to anyone — and what questions he'd bring to the table
His philosophy that keeps him grounded no matter what happens: "It's all part of the gig"
The book that has changed his life more than any other: Illusions by Richard Bach
Why he encourages everyone — especially young people — to start putting away even $200/month right now
 
This episode is a reminder that your calling doesn't have to look like anyone else's, creativity comes in countless forms, and a little stubbornness paired with an open heart might just be the recipe for a life well-lived.
 
🎧 Grab Doug's book, Don't Miss the Bus, and explore his music and wire art at www.DougHalper.com — and if you search his name online, he promises you'll find him easily (as long as you spell it right).
 
GUEST CONTACT INFORMATION
Name: Doug Halper (pen name: Benjamin Douglas)
Book: Don't Miss the Bus and Other Tales from the Road
Website: www.DougHalper.com
Social Media: Search "Doug Halper" on all platforms — he's the only one who shows up (if you spell it right!)
https://www.facebook.com/DougsWireWriting/
https://www.youtube.com/doughalper
https://www.linkedin.com/company/doug-halper---entertainer/
https://www.tiktok.com/@dougs_wire_writing
 
Note: Doug's website features his wire sculpture art, hammered dulcimer music, and writing. All booking and connection goes through his website.
 
HOST CONTACT & LINKS — GEORGETTE BECK
Book: Junk to Jewels: A Journey from Brokenness & Despair to Beauty & Delight
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgette-beck-7a659387/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/GeorgetteMBeck
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgette2038
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgettebeck9168
 
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The Fractures That Made Me: Amber Jackson on Trauma, Silence, and Finding Whole

⚠️ LISTENER DISCLAIMER: This episode touches on sensitive topics including childhood trauma, abuse, and domestic violence. If children are nearby, please listen privately.
 
Episode Summary
In this deeply moving episode of the Junk to Jewels Podcast, host Georgette Beck sits down with Amber Jackson — Fort Pierce native, author, and survivor — for a raw and redemptive conversation about what it means to carry pain quietly and finally let it speak.
 
Amber is the author of The Fracture Years: Surviving Trauma, Losing Everything, and Discovering the Woman I Was Meant to Be — a memoir that takes readers straight into the silent fractures of a childhood marked by abuse, instability, and unmet needs for love and protection. Through honest, poetic storytelling, Amber invites us into moments most people never speak aloud, offering hope to every reader who has ever felt invisible, unworthy, or alone.
 
Amber and Georgette explore the long shadow of childhood silence — what it means when the adults who should protect you do not — and how growing up feeling "unseen" can follow a person into adulthood, relationships, and the search for validation. Amber shares how her healing has unfolded slowly and imperfectly, and how her husband Justin became not just a life partner but her greatest hero.
 
This is a conversation about fractures. About the stories we carry for years before we finally write them down. And about the truth that your trauma does not define you — it gives you strength to persevere.
What You'll Hear in This Episode
Growing up on a small farm in Fort Pierce, FL — and the childhood wounds hidden behind barefoot summers
The earliest signs of trauma that went unnoticed and unnamed
What it felt like to finally speak up — and be met with silence
Living with unspoken shame and how it shaped her self-worth as a teenager
The domestic dynamics she witnessed at home and their lifelong impact
Her dyslexia diagnosis — and how it went unshared for years
How she found validation in small acts of service — and the moment she realized she was doing it out of fear
Her hero: husband Justin and the love that taught her she deserved to be loved
What she would say to every young girl who feels invisible: "I see you"
Her upcoming memoir, Ashes and Rainbows, and her June publication goal
Her role as Managing Director at Go Getter Girls — empowering women professionally
Amber's Closing Wisdom
"Your trauma does not define you but gives you strength to persevere." ~ Amber Jackson
 
"Never give up hope. You deserve to be wanted. You deserve to be loved. I see you. Our trauma will not define who we are. Healing is allowed, but we will need to learn to accept love and hope when the time comes."
About Amber Jackson
Amber Jackson is the author of The Fracture Years and a Fort Pierce, Florida native. She serves as Executive Assistant and Director of Marketing at Owen Insurance Group and as Managing Director at Go Getter Girls. She is currently completing her second memoir, Ashes and Rainbows, which continues her journey through grief, faith, and healing. Her writing is honest, courageous, and emotionally immersive — proof that your fractures don't disqualify you from the life and love you deserve.
Amber's Book & Social Links
Book: The Fracture Years on Amazon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amber.jackson422/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@just_amber_jackson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-jackson-a69b4798/
Connect With Georgette Beck & The Junk to Jewels Podcast
Book: https://a.co/d/0etqV85U
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgette-beck-7a659387/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/GeorgetteMBeck
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgette2038
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgettebeck9168
 
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Why I Survived: Jennifer Lee on Armed Robbery, Abduction, and the Healing Power of Sharing Your Story

What if the very act of sharing your story could be the thing that saves you — and someone else?
In this powerful episode of the Junk to Jewels Podcast, Georgette Beck sits down with Jennifer Lee — author, podcast host, and survivor — for a deeply moving conversation about resilience, faith, and the transformative power of telling your truth.
Jennifer grew up in a small town in northern Michigan, a middle child with a perfectionist streak and an entrepreneurial spirit that launched her into retail management by age 17. Her life took unexpected turns — marriage, motherhood (she is a proud Marine mom and new grandmother!), divorce, and a career that built her into a natural leader. But nothing could have prepared her for April 28, 2012.
On an early Saturday morning at the women's clothing store where she worked, Jennifer and her colleagues became victims of an armed robbery and abduction. With calm, courageous presence of mind, she called 911 and helped an elderly woman through a medical emergency — all while the situation unfolded around her. Law enforcement arrived and the ordeal ended, but Jennifer's healing journey was just beginning.
She also opens up about surviving dating abuse — a story she kept hidden for years until the courage of her own podcast guests inspired her to finally speak her truth. Two years after launching the I Need Blue podcast, Jennifer published her memoir, Why I Survived, and has since become a keynote speaker and advocate for first responders, survivors of domestic violence, and anyone navigating life after trauma.
In This Episode You'll Hear:
Jennifer's small-town Michigan upbringing and how ambition took her from Kmart cashier to store manager at 17
The harrowing details of the 2012 armed robbery and abduction — and Jennifer's extraordinary calm under pressure
How dispatchers and first responders changed her life and deepened her passion for honoring those who serve
Her experience with dating abuse and why it took years (and other survivors' stories) before she felt ready to share it
How the I Need Blue podcast became a full circle of healing — covering trauma survivors, first responders, military, and nonprofits
Her memoir Why I Survived and the four interwoven stories of love, danger, betrayal, and spiritual courage
A beautiful exchange about the shared heart behind both podcasts — and the divine appointments that connect them
Her favorite book (The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn!), who she'd have coffee with (Oprah!), and wisdom for those stepping into something new and uncomfortable
This episode is for you if:
You or someone you love has survived trauma, abuse, or violence
You want to understand how sharing your story can be the beginning of healing — not just for you, but for others
You have a heart for first responders, law enforcement, military, and dispatchers
You've been sitting on a story, a calling, or a book — waiting for permission to begin
You believe that nothing in life is accidental and that God uses every season
Connect with Jennifer Lee
Website:  https://ineedblue.net/
Book (Why I Survived):  https://whyisurvived.com/
The Healing In Sharing:  https://thehealinginsharing.com/
Instagram (I Need Blue):  https://www.instagram.com/ineedbluepodcast/
YouTube (I Need Blue):  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp1q8SfA_hEXRJ4EaizlW8Q
YouTube (The Healing In Sharing):  https://www.youtube.com/@TheHealingInSharing11
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567221068683
Apple Podcasts (I Need Blue):  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-need-blue/id1567450935
About Your Host — Georgette Beck
Georgette Beck is an author, speaker, heart healer, and the host of the Jun
k to Jewels Podcast. Her award-winning memoir Junk to Jewels: A Journey from Brokenness & Despair to Beauty & Delight is available on Amazon. Georgette is a recipient of the International Impact Book Award in the Inspirational/Transformational category and a Semi-Finalist in the 2025 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition with the Florida Writers Association. She is also the founder of Bella Healing Hearts Foundation, a nonprofit supporting single-parent families.
 
Connect With Georgette:
 
Website:  https://www.georgettebeck.com/
Bella Healing Hearts Foundation:  https://www.bellahealinghearts.org/
Get Junk to Jewels on Amazon:  https://a.co/d/0etqV85U
Social Media:
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgette-beck-7a659387/
Subscribe, share, and leave a review — it means the world!
Twitter:  https://x.com/GeorgetteMBeck
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgette2038?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgettebeck9168
 
Loved this episode? Please subscribe, leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and share with someone who needs to hear this message. Your review helps more hearts find their way here. 💛

Julie LaVan - From Courtroom to Calm: Finding Peaceful Resolutions

What if conflict didn’t have to destroy your family, your business, or your peace of mind? In this powerful episode of the Junk to Jewels Podcast, host Georgette Beck sits down with Julie LaVan — attorney turned Certified Professional Mediator — whose own journey through a high-conflict divorce with a narcissist transformed her understanding of conflict, resolution, and healing.
 
Julie shares her remarkable story: from growing up in small-town New York to building a thriving law firm in Philadelphia, raising two children, surviving a 15-year marriage to a narcissist, and ultimately stepping away from litigation to offer a better path forward for others. Her vulnerability, wisdom, and professional expertise make this a conversation you won’t want to miss.
 
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
Why Julie left a successful legal career to become a mediator — and what her own divorce taught her about the court system
What mediation really is, and why it’s often the wiser, more loving approach before calling a lawyer
How to navigate conflict with a narcissist or high-conflict personality with strategy and calm
The power of listening — as a life skill, a leadership tool, and a spiritual practice
Julie’s insights on business mediation, family mediation, and closely held business disputes
Her current favorite book: Slay the Bully by Rebecca Zung — and why it’s a game-changer
Her life scripture: Psalm 34:14 — “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it”
 
About the Junk to Jewels Podcast
The Junk to Jewels Podcast is hosted by Georgette Beck — author, speaker, lay minister, mentor, and founder of Bella Healing Hearts Foundation. Each episode features conversations with extraordinary women and change-makers who have turned pain into purpose and brokenness into beauty. From faith and resilience to entrepreneurship, relationships, and transformation — this show is for anyone on the journey from who they were to who they’re becoming.
 
Georgette’s Book: Junk to Jewels: A Journey from Brokenness & Despair to Beauty & Delight — Winner, International Impact Book Awards (Inspirational/Transformational) | Semi-Finalist, 2025 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition, Florida Writers Association
Connect With Georgette:
Website: www.georgettebeck.com
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgette-beck-7a659387/
Subscribe, share, and leave a review — it means the world!
Twitter:  https://x.com/GeorgetteMBeck
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@georgette2038?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@georgettebeck9168
About Julie LaVan
Julie LaVan is the founder of Useful Mediation and a Certified Professional Mediator, certified through Cornell University’s School of Industrial Labor and Relations (ILR). A prior litigator, attorney, and business owner, Julie managed LaVan Law as a shareholder, general counsel, and partner across various business entities.
 
After experiencing firsthand the traumatic, costly, and often unresolved effects of the court system — both personally and professionally — Julie shifted her life’s work toward a better way. She founded Useful Mediation to advocate for neutral, cost-effective, peaceful, and advantageous resolutions for individuals, families, and businesses, outside the interference of the legal and court system.
 
Julie’s mediator philosophy is simple and powerful: litigation is a lose-lose for all parties. Mediation offers a collaborative, confidential, and empathetic path to resolving important matters — from divorce and co-parenting to business breakups, workplace conflicts, employment disputes, and will and estate matters.
 
Her tagline says it all: “Your Experienced and Empathetic Guide to a Peaceful Resolution.”
Connect With Julie LaVan:
Website: usefulmediation.com
 
 

The Whole Beautiful Story: Melanie Ladouceur on Love, Community, Courage & Coming Home to Yourself

In this final and deeply personal chapter of a three-part conversation, Georgette Beck welcomes back Melanie Ladouceur — entrepreneur, community leader, and owner of Bootlegger Event Services on Florida’s Treasure Coast — to wrap up her remarkable story with warmth, laughter, and real-talk wisdom.
 
After surviving six years of sex trafficking and escaping two toxic relationships, Melanie made a decision: she was done with love. But God had other plans.
 
In Part 3, Melanie shares the childhood-sweetheart love story she never expected — reconnecting with her husband Nick, her brother’s best friend whom she’d known since age three. She talks about the healing she had to do before love was even possible, the faith moment that told her she wouldn’t be serving God alone, and what it means to be built for romance when you’ve lived through the very worst of it.
 
She also opens up about her journey as an entrepreneur — how she bought Bootlegger Mobile Bar with no direction, no certainty, and 30 days before she had to leave the country, and how that one crazy leap of faith grew into a five-bar operation with a full team. And she talks about the community that changed everything: the Port St. Lucie Business Club, the IRSC Leadership Board, Go Getter Girls, and what it means to finally find your people.
 
This episode is a celebration. Of courage. Of community. Of love that comes back around when you’ve done the work to deserve it.
 
In This Episode:
Why Melanie declared she was “done with love” — and what changed everything
Her Hallmark-movie love story: the childhood crush, the hockey game, and the reconnection that became her marriage
Her faith moment on the balcony — the prayer, the couple collection, and God saying “yes”
You attract what you are: the wisdom of waiting until you’re healed
How Bootlegger Mobile Bar was born over lunch at Second Street Bistro with her best friend Tasha
From one bar cart to five bars and a full team — and why she’s not just a bartender
The vision journal: how writing down dreams shapes your future
Her kids: a 16-year-old daughter going into nursing and a hockey-obsessed 10-year-old son
The Treasure Coast community that became her foundation: PSL Business Club, IRSC, Go Getter Girls, Dogs & Cats Forever
Why your “quirks” are actually your calling — and her message to anyone being underestimated
 
Connect with Melanie:
Website: bootlegger-events.com
Instagram: @mel.florida
Facebook: Melanie Rustin Ladouceur
Melanie Ladouceur is the owner of Bootlegger Event Services, LLC and Marketing Manager for Bar Code Depot. She is a Community Connector for the Port St. Lucie Business Club, serves on the Leadership Board for IRSC’s Promise Program, and volunteers with Dogs & Cats Forever. She previously served as a speaker and trainer for the Laval Police Department, educating law enforcement on sex trafficking identification and victim support.
 
If this is your first time here, don’t miss Parts 1 and 2 of Melanie’s story — one of the most powerful and courageous conversations in the Junk to Jewels Podcast library.
 
Connect with Georgette:
Website: https://www.georgettebeck.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GeorgetteBeckWriter
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/georgette.beck/
 
📘 Grab Georgette's book, Junk to Jewels, on Amazon - https://a.co/d/0bx3ggnO
 
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