Dr. Sarah Hart-Unger lives a double life. She’s a pediatric endocrinologist and also a podcaster, blogger, and author. Her podcasts are Best of Both Worlds with co-host Laura Vanderkam, and Best Laid Plans.

Her first book, BEST LAID PLANS, is now available with Sourcebooks.

We affirm during our conversation that not everything goes according to plan.

SARAH HART-UNGER

Website: The Shu Box

Podcast: Best Laid Plans

Podcast: Best of Both Worlds

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:01] Why pediatric endocrinology?

[04:31] A hybrid work life

[08:02] About the book, BEST LAID PLANS

[10:25] Being a runner and qualifying for the Boston Marathon

[12:30] Medical crisis: arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

[16:47] The loss of a lifestyle and adjusting to limitations

[22:11] Fitness, menopause, and aging

[24:19] Pilates and yoga as alternatives to running

[25:36] What is next?

Some decisions can be the easiest to acknowledge and the hardest to implement. Matt Bays’ first memoir, LEATHER & LACE: A GAY MAN, LOST LOVE, AND A ROAD TRIP WITH HIS DEAD SISTER, chronicles his coming out story.

His latest book utilizes his coaching expertise: HOW TO FIND AND KEEP A GAY MAN: 69 SPICY TIPS FOR LASTING LOVE (Sourcebooks, April 2026).

Matt shares his journey of becoming.

MATT BAYS

Website: https://mattbays.me/

Instagram

TikTok

YouTube

Podcast

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:10] Introduction - Matt Bays, author of HOW TO FIND AND KEEP A GAY MAN

[03:52] LEATHER AND LACE and getting a "do-over" after divorce

[08:03] Losing his sister and finding the courage to come out

[11:06] But wait, there's more!

[14:46] Helping others, working as a life coach

[15:55] Tips for coaching people to live fully

[18:44] What is next for you?

Kara talks with writer and narrative alchemist Robin Finn, MPH, MA, the author of HEART. SOUL. PEN.® She is also the creator of HeartiFacts,® a writing mentorship community.

Robin opens up about her unconventional path to becoming a writer, how spiritual psychology shaped her creative purpose, and why she believes women have “magic” in their words.

The conversation dives into the power of community, why women often doubt the value of their stories, and how consistency—not inspiration—is the real key to a writing practice.

With humor and vulnerability, Robin discusses motherhood, menopause, viral essays, and her passion for helping women finish their heartfelt writing projects.

ROBIN FINN, MPH, MA

Website: Robin Finn

@robinfinnauthor on IG and FB

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:06] Introduction - Robin Finn

[02:57] What was your journey into writing?

[04:34] What drew you to spiritual psychology?

[07:29] What's your advice for women who want to share their stories?

[08:41] Did you experience a writing community early on?

[10:26] Supportive writing environments and mentors

[11:28] Consistency and the motivation to write

[12:59] Managing comments and feedback

[14:14] Parenting a child with ADHD and hyperactivity

[16:11] Writing about menopause

[18:35] What else are you working on?

David L. Robbins is the best-selling author of The War of the Rats, The Last Citadel, and Liberation Road—all focused on WWII events. Both of David’s parents were WWII Veterans. His mother was a WAC and his father survived the attack on Pearl Harbor.

David is also the creator of The Mighty Pen Project, an intensive writing program for military veterans and their families, in partnership with the Virginia War Memorial.

DAVID L. ROBBINS

Wikipedia

The Mighty Pen Project

The Mighty Pen Podcast is available on YouTube, Apple, and other popular platforms.

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:10] Introduction - David L. Robbins

[01:36] A budding interest in World War II

[07:46] Enemy at the Gates (a love story)

[09:30] Mom, Dad, and Pearl Harbor

[14:02] A family of military service members

[15:12] A lawyer, a grad student, and a copywriter

[17:58] Pride, bragging, and understanding

[21:29] The Mighty Pen Project

[25:07] Veterans find catharsis while recording history

[28:13] The future of therapeutic writing

[29:19] Kara on healing through writing

Dheepa R. Maturi is an Indian-American writer who explores ecology, culture, identity, and how they intersect. Her essays, poetry, and fiction have appeared in a variety of literary journals and anthologies, including Literary Hub, PANK, The Fourth River, Writer’s Digest, Sequestrum, Tiferet, and How to Write a Form Poem. Her work has been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize, and she is the author of 108: AN ECO-THRILLER (GFB Press, 2025).

DHEEPA R. MATURI

Website: Dheepa R. Maturi

@DheepaRMaturi on FB, IG, LinkedIn, YouTube

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:05] Dheepa Maturi - writer and poet

[02:30] What sparked your interest in writing an eco-thriller?

[04:21] Personifying global climate change

[05:45] The meaning of characters' names

[08:48] How did you start writing poetry?

[09:51] How did you approach writing the novel?

[11:30] What was most surprising about putting your book out into the world?

[13:45] Do not despair over ecological grief, landscape loss, and species loss

On November 28, 2016, Michael Reed lost his wife and both of his daughters in the wildfire that consumed Gatlinburg, Tennessee. As he stumbled and crawled down this unstable, broken road of grief, he’s learned many lessons along the way. Michael is the author of THE MILLION STAGES OF GRIEF: A GUIDE TO FINDING PURPOSE FOR YOUR PAIN.

Michael believes there is a purpose for our pain, and his purpose is to share his story and experiences to help others going through similar loss, trauma, or grief.

SPECIAL THANKS

Garden & Gun. "Fire on the Mountain"

https://bit.ly/3WPTbnz

Knoxville News Sentinel. "Mountain firestorm: The story of the Gatlinburg wildfires"

https://bit.ly/4hT4p4d

News Channel 5 Nashville. "Top Stories Of 2016: Gatlinburg Fires Leave Historic Devastation"

https://bit.ly/3WL27uv

MICHAEL REED

Website: https://themillionstages.com/

Substack: https://substack.com/@themillionstagesofgrief

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alwaysreedstrong

Instagram: @reedstrong2020

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.reed.466666

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[00:42] Mountain Firestorm (Knoxville News Sentinel)

[01:57] Michael Reed: The face of the Gatlinburg wildfires of 2016

[03:57] More than five stages of grief

[05:10] Changing the world one person at a time

[06:41] Family, community, and Dolly Parton

[10:50] Top Stories of 2016 (News Channel 5 Nashville)

[11:57] Dealing with unimaginable circumstances

[13:00] Michael's book: THE MILLION STAGES OF GRIEF

[15:00] It's time to talk about it

[16:05] Kara on the healing power of storytelling

STAND author Kathryn Bertine returns to the podcast to share how she responded to the Record Scratch moment of losing her dad and the inspiration for her new book.

Kathryn is an author, athlete, activist, and documentary filmmaker. She finished what she and her father started: climbing the highest points in each state.

Before highpointing, Kathryn played an instrumental role in getting women into the Tour de France. Today’s eight-day Tour de France Femmes stems from her activism and you can read or listen to the wild, true story of what really happens when we fight for change in her book, STAND.

KATHRYN BERTINE

Website: https://www.kathrynbertine.com

Instagram: @kathryn_bertine

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

CHAPTERS

[01:09] Introduction - Kathryn Bertine

[01:48] Kathryn's 2nd climb of Mount Denali

[03:46] Highpointing with Dad

[05:07] Pike’s Peak this, Pike's Peak that

[06:20] A highpointing plan comes together

[09:14] Going solo with Hummingb'urn

[11:53] Discovering the Highpointer's Club

[13:12] Charles Mound, Illinois

[15:27] Next stop, Iowa. Stop!

[16:46] A journey bigger than highpointing

[19:12] The Land of the Midnight Sun

[20:59] Sexism and ageism on Mount Denali

[22:39] Top five states with the highest peaks

[24:22] The 2nd Denali climb - an all-female expedition

[26:56] Honoring Mom and Dad

[27:57] Female firsts on Mount Denali

[30:09] Finding inspiration in trailbreakers and social media

Licensed therapist and author Gina Moffa joins Kara Kavensky to talk about grief, trauma, and the modern landscape of healing. From how trauma lives in the body to practical ways to show up for others in pain, this episode unpacks the myths of “getting over it” and instead invites listeners to build compassion, safety, and self-understanding through loss.

Topics include:

• The difference between grief and trauma

• Somatic and holistic healing methods

• How to support friends through loss without platitudes

• The long tail of secondary and tertiary losses

• Building safety in trauma-informed therapy

Mentioned:

• MOVING ON DOESN'T MEAN LETTING GO by Gina Moffa

• Upcoming book WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR FRIENDSHIP?

• Kara Kavensky’s memoir, TELL ME ABOUT JOY (Sourcebooks, 2026)

• Sponsors: Remain Relevant – Humanize, Organize, Weaponize your corporate storytelling | Adam Gibson Design | Tell Me About Joy by Kara Kavensky

Gina is working on her next book about the silent grief of friendship loss, which is due to be published in February of 2027.

GINA MOFFA

Website: ginamoffa.com/

Instagram: @ginamoffalcsw

KARA KAVENSKY

Website: Kara Kavensky

@karakavensky on Substack, FB, IG, LinkedIn and Threads

Receive updates on Kara's new memoir release, TELL ME ABOUT JOY

Sponsored by: Adam Gibson Design and Remain Relevant, a corporate storytelling masterclass

Produced by: Marilou Marosz

Original music written and performed by: Adam W. Gibson

TIMESTAMPS

[01:10] Introduction - Gina Moffa

[01:35] ZARA'S BIG MESSY GOODBYE

[02:36] MOVING ON DOESN'T MEAN LETTING GO

[05:41] Healing modalities

[07:12] Grief's sister, trauma

[11:28] Helping others recognize trauma and identify needs

[16:06] Trauma-informed care

[19:41] Coping tendencies or rhythms

[22:27] Responding to coping styles

[23:54] Platitudes vs] compassionate consolation

[25:13] How to be present for someone who is grieving

[28:49] Secondary loss and tertiary loss

[31:59] Losing friendships