What's up y'all! This week, I’m joined by my friend Holly and we are fully everything-showered, moisturized, and ready to yap. I couldn't have picked a more perfect guest to break my hiatus.

We covered everything from One Direction/ Belieber days, Tumblr era, and what life is like post-service industry.

Holly shares an insane story about getting robbed at Ulta, and why even walking back into a restaurant makes her stomach sick.

It’s funny, it’s nostalgic, it’s chaotic in all the right ways — and there are moments where we get real about who we became after leaving that world behind. Plus, a cameo from Shea!!

Feels so good to be back <3

What's up yall! Welcome back to another episode of The Butterfly Effect Podcast!

In this episode, I am joined by my lifelong friend, KK, her younger sister, Janetta & their family friend, Victoria.

We sit down and gave some girly chitchat about dating, being cheated on, women knowing their worth. We talk about the Gen and millennial differences and more!

Hey yall!

Friendship breakups can hurt just as much—if not more—than romantic ones. In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend Pricilla to unpack the full story of our friendship: from meeting in high school, to becoming inseparable in college, to living together for seven years, and then hitting some of our lowest points. We open up about how our insecurities fed off each other, the toxic patterns we fell into, and what it was like to go through a painful friendship breakup.After a year of distance and healing separately, we’ve found our way back to each other, and we’re sharing what it looks like to rebuild trust and closeness in a healthier way.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes conversations about eating disorders, anxiety, and toxic relationship dynamics. Please listen with care.

If this episode resonates with you, don’t forget to subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to support the show. 💜

In this solo episode, I get real about my decision to take a tolerance break and what led me here. Weed has been a daily part of my life for a while—helping me cope, create, and sometimes just escape. But lately, I’ve had to ask myself some hard questions: Is it still serving me? Or am I hiding behind the high? Tune in as I unpack my personal journey with cannabis, what this break is teaching me so far, and how I’m navigating the cravings, clarity, and everything in between. Whether you’re on a similar path or just curious, this one’s for anyone questioning their own habits—and choosing themselves in the process.

In this episode, I sit down with my cousin Darian — the creative force behind my podcast cover — to talk about a story that goes way deeper than photography.We get into her journey of growing up creative, watching addiction up close, and eventually facing her own. From sneaking drinks at family events to hitting rock bottom and withdrawing in jail, Darian shares the raw truth about what it really took to choose a sober life.This one’s for the girls who grew up too fast, the creatives still carrying childhood wounds, and anyone who’s ever had to pull themselves out of the darkest place.We also talk about:Feeling like the “latchkey kids” raising an emotionally intelligent generationUsing photography to help women feel confident when she didn’t feel that way herselfThe shame of hiding addiction while trying to hold everything togetherWhat rock bottom looked like for her — and how it cracked her openChoosing recovery, choosing herself, and choosing a new storyTrigger Warnings: This episode includes sensitive content related to addiction, alcoholism, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, sexual assault, and drug withdrawal. Please listen with care.If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who might need to hear it. And don’t forget to tag us on socials:📱 @leaunahauser | @bflyeffectpodcast@darianmagnoliaimagery @dariandonovanLet’s keep breaking cycles and telling the truth out loud.#MentalHealthAwareness #SoberLife #AddictionRecovery #CycleBreakers #PhotographyAndHealing #EmotionalHealing #RockBottomToRecovery #StorytellingHeals #BlackSheepToButterfly #ButterflyEffectPodcast

Trigger Warning: This episode contains personal reflections and discussions around anxiety, depression, burnout, and disordered eating. Please take care while listening and skip any sections that feel too heavy for you right now.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m sharing my honest journey through mental health — from childhood anxiety and growing up with separated parents to how people pleasing and perfectionism led me straight into burnout.

I talk about what it was like to navigate different rules and routines between households, internalizing anxiety at a young age, and believing my struggles were character flaws I had to hide. I also open up about the therapy journey — the real one — where I cycled through different approaches and therapists before finally finding what worked for me.

In this episode, I get into:

• The emotional toll of switching homes and identities as a child

• How people pleasing turned into perfectionism

• What unmanaged anxiety looked like before I had language for it

• The overlap of mental health and disordered eating patterns

• How changing my self-talk changed my life

• Learning to sync my routines to my menstrual cycle

• How journaling helps me work through racing thoughts — even when I don’t feel like it

• Doing what works for you, not what works for TikTok

I close the episode with a journal prompt to support your own self-reflection and healing.

Mental health isn’t a trend — it’s a lifelong journey. This is my story.

Join the conversation on IG:
@leaunahauser + @bflyeffectpodcast
#MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #TriggerWarning #AnxietyHealing #DepressionSupport #PeoplePleasingRecovery #BurnoutRecovery #SplitHouseholdSurvival #PerfectionismTrap #DisorderedEatingAwareness #TherapyJourney #SelfTalkMatters #MenstrualCycleAwareness #MentalHealthPodcast #JournalingForHealing #TheButterflyEffectPodcast

Carlo moved to America with his family, sharing a rented basement with five people and one mattress. His older brother was the only one who could speak English. What followed was culture shock, snowstorms, and watching his parents walk to factory jobs just to keep food on the table.In this episode, we talk about what it really means to grow up fast, carry your family’s hopes, and find your own path through the pressure. From navigating life as a DACA recipient to working every corner of the hospitality industry — housekeeping, hotel front desks, banquets, and now bartending — Carlo opens up about the sacrifices, fears, and resilience behind it all.We also get into:-The mental weight of being an immigrant kid with adult responsibilities-Boundaries while dating in the service industry-Bartender icks, shooting your shot at the bar, and how he keeps it respectfulThis episode drops right before Cinco de Mayo — a time that’s often commercialized without honoring the people who’ve had to really survive in this country. Carlo’s story is the reminder we need.Follow @leaunahauser and @bflyeffectpodcast on Instagram to share your thoughts or send us a voice note. Let’s keep this conversation going.#ImmigrantStories #HospitalityIndustry #ServiceIndustryLife #DACAStory #FirstGenExperience #ImmigrantHustle #CincoDeMayo #RealConversations #TheButterflyEffectPodcast #LatinoVoices #SurvivalNotVictimhood #PodcastForThePeople

This week, I’m joined by a very special guest, my stepdad. We sat down for a random, cozy conversation about all things scary movies, real-life ghost encounters, and the paranormal stories that have stuck with him over the years.

From cult classic horror films to chilling experiences you won't believe, this episode is packed with laughs, spooky vibes, and lots of side tangents (because of course). Whether you’re a horror movie junkie or just here for the ghost stories, you’re going to love this one.

If you’ve ever had your own unexplainable ghost moment, DM me. I want to hear your stories too.

New episodes every week — don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review if you vibed with this episode.

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#GhostStories #ParanormalPodcast #ScaryMovies #HorrorMovieFan #TrueGhostStories #SpookySeason #PodcastEpisode #ParanormalExperiences #GhostEncounters #HauntedStories #FamilyConversations #HorrorPodcast #MovieTalk #SpookyVibes #TheButterflyEffectPodcast