Was Heather Always This Strong? The Backstory of an Unlikely Advocate

TAKEOVER EPISODE with Guest Host Jackie Bartell.Have you ever looked at someone and assumed they were just born strong, that they have “always done the hard thing,” and were simply made for advocacy?In this special takeover episode, retired special education teacher and longtime friend Jackie Bartell slides into the guest host chair and turns the mic on Heather, asking the questions most people never hear. Heather goes back to the years when she was painfully shy, stuck in “fix it” mode, and living in a home where hostility was breaking more than the furniture.You will hear the moment embarrassment became fuel, the night she changed the locks and chose her daughters over the life she thought she was supposed to fix, and how saying yes to help, and fundraising for Devyn’s 120-pound service dog Hannah, became the turning point. Along the way, Jackie and Heather revisit the little girl with the big dog, the preschool classroom where Devyn and Hannah became rock stars, and the shift from trying to “fix” problems to building relationships and changing systems.This episode also offers an early peek into the advocacy framework Heather and Steve are shaping in an upcoming book, the mindset shift that moves people from feeling frozen and inadequate to finding their voice, building unlikely coalitions, and holding systems accountable without losing their humanity.If you have ever wondered whether you “have what it takes” to speak up, let this conversation be your reminder. Strength is built, not assigned, and sometimes you become an advocate the day you decide you just cannot stay quiet anymore.Learn more and join the movement at www.FCGadvocacy.orgBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/finding-common-ground--6199849/support.Recorded at ROC Vox Recording & Production Studios in Rochester, NY. Learn more at rocvox.com.