The Big Silence - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

The Big Silence — Health & Fitness
The Big Silence

The Big Silence is a top-rated mental health and self-development podcast for anyone ready to build resilience, heal deeply, and grow with intention.

Welcome to The Big Silence podcast. This is a space for real, honest conversations about mental health, resilience, and the things we’re all navigating but don’t always say out loud. I’m your host, Karena Dawn—mental health advocate, wellness entrepreneur, and owner and co-founder of Tone It Up—and each week I’m sitting down with psychologists, wellness experts, and people I deeply admire to talk about what healing actually looks like in real life. You’ll hear personal stories, expert insight, and simple, powerful tools you can apply to your own life. My hope is that you leave every episode feeling supported, understood, and more confident in your ability to move through whatever season you’re in.

No more silence. Only healing.

—
A non-profit 501(c)3, The Big Silence Foundation provides resources and support to anyone directly or indirectly impacted by mental illness.

‘The Big Silence’ theme song was written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.
Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

Copyright: © Copyright 2022 The Big Silence Foundation

Latest Episodes:

24. Your Story is Your Power with Isa Watson Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

Isa Watson is the founder and creative powerhouse behind the Squad app, an upstart tech brand that promises to use the devices in our pockets for good – for deeper connection with others. She joins the show today to talk about her mental health experience as an entrepreneur in a male-dominated space, the app and its mission, and her traumatic wakeup call – a tragic accident in which she lost her father.

Isa, just like all of us working through trauma, still takes small steps each and every day to cope and learn from her experiences with loss and grief. Instead of allowing it to weigh her down, Isa celebrates her story, even explaining how she leans into it in business settings as a means to demonstrate her true and honest self.

It’s another important reminder that the work doesn’t end, but only grows in depth over time. Please enjoy this moving episode. And, thank you, Isa, for sharing such personal pieces of yourself for this audience to absorb and learn from.

Resources:

Connect with Isa on LinkedIn: Isa Watson
Follow Isa Watson on Twitter: @isadwatson
Squad app: withyoursquad.com
Website: isawatson.com
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

23. You Don’t Have to Suffer for Your Art with Lindsey Morgan Aug 03, 2022

Show notes

Lindsey Morgan was one of the lead actors on the TV show, The 100, and the reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger. In this episode, we discuss how success doesn’t always translate into happiness – and the dangers of expecting it to. So many people feel guilty when they hit their goals but still don’t feel happy or fulfilled.

We’re here to tell you that what you may be experiencing is normal, that it is okay, and that there is nothing wrong with you.

We unpack the ways Lindsey was pouring her trauma and pain into her acting instead of processing it, how she came to understand the stress that this was putting on her, and some of the resources she’s used to begin to heal. If you need help dealing with codependent people in your life, Lindsey recommends the organizations and resources below which can give you the support you need.

We discuss:

[00:07:18] Opening, and why Lindsey pulled her first episode on the podcast
[00:10:44] Lindsey’s career backstory
[00:22:49] Arriving to LA, and early days of her acting career
[00:30:05] Lindsey’s home life
[00:40:51] Depression during her career, and how that played into her role
[00:52:18] Body image, and weight expectations of actresses
[01:01:20] Next acting gig on CW’s ‘The 100’
[01:17:03] Lindsey’s mental health practices
[01:34:13] Stored trauma, identifying it, and how it manifests
[01:44:39] Takeaways from healing at the Hoffman Institute
[01:53:44] Lindsey’s meditation practice
[02:04:48] Next steps, and getting back to work

Resources:

Follow Lindsey on Instagram: @linzzmorgan
Follow Lindsey on IMDB: Lindsey Morgan
Follow Lindsey on Twitter: @linzzmorgan
Watch: Lindsey Morgan on exiting Walker
Watch: 21-Day Meditation Experience w/ Oprah & Deepak
Explore: The Hoffman Institute
Explore: The work of Dr. Joe Dispenza
Learn: National Alliance on Mental Illness
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced and published by Crate Media.

22. No More Shame & No More Blame with Emme Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

My guest today is the beaming and beautiful, Emme, a supermodel and body image advocate that’s broken down barriers in the modeling industry with her unique look and dedication to positive change. She was Revlon’s first full-figured model and is known as a, if not THE, pioneer in women’s body empowerment.

We learn that she stumbled into the modeling world by accident before finding herself as a sought-after talent by top brands and magazines in the nineties. We talk about the harsh mental and emotional environment in the modeling space, how she’s coached her daughter to operate within, and outside, of existing norms as a model herself, and of course – healthy body image.

It’s an honor to share this time and space with such an icon in the women’s empowerment world. As a kid in the nineties – and I’m sure many listeners will agree – it was so important to see strong confident women like Emme in the most sparkling and celebrated places, and it still is.

Resources:

Website: emmestyle.com
Follow Emme on Instagram: @theofficialemme
Follow Emme on Twitter: @SupermodelEmme
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced and published by Crate Media.

21. Putting in the Work: How The Fitness Marshall Manages ADHD with Caleb Marshall Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

YouTube and social media fitness star, Caleb Marshall, AKA, The Fitness Marshall, joins The Big Silence today to talk about his life long experience with ADHD and how he manages it with regard to both his career and his personal relationships.

We connect over our shared Indiana roots and celebrate his recent engagement before going deep on his inspiring journey turning a college hobby into a wildly popular content stream that empowers people to move and have fun all over the world. His story begins, like mine, with going back to what made him truly happy – moving his body!

A huge advocate for therapy, we hear about the impact that finding a therapist with a similar life experience has had on him – and how he went about finding one in his area (it wasn’t easy).

Caleb teaches us that acceptance is the most powerful tool we have, that only once we can come to terms with a truth, in his case, a liberating adulthood diagnosis of ADHD, we can truly move forward and leverage it as an advantage.

Resources:

Subscribe to Caleb’s YouTube channel: Caleb Marshall
Sign up for Booty Army Membership to Join Livestream Workouts!
Follow Caleb on Instagram: @thefitnessmarshall
Follow Caleb on Twitter: @thefitmarshall
Website: The Fitness Marshall
Find a therapist in your area: psychologytoday.com
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced and published by Crate Media.

20. Moving On: Facing My Childhood with The Body Coach, Joe Wicks Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

My guest for today’s episode is the energetic and optimistic Joe Wicks. He's a global fitness star with more than 4.5 million followers on Instagram and 100 million views on YouTube, but he has recently started sharing a very new element of his life publicly – his strained childhood living with parents suffering from mental illness and addiction.

Joe gets intimate with his early experiences, reckoning with his father’s repeated relapses and mother’s dual-fronted battle with OCD and eating disorders. We swap stories on this front, in a shared effort to normalize the pain, and more importantly, the growth and recovery we’ve both experienced since.

We also talk about exercise’s link to mental health, the power of forgiveness, and how he is committed to staying in the moment as a father to his own kids. A fellow fitness innovator, we don’t miss the opportunity to touch on some of the latest trends in the space: ice baths, saunas, the Wim Hof method, meditation, and more.

Joe is another impressive individual who’s faced extreme challenges with their parents only to reach the height of their industry – giving a shining positive example to so many kids out there living though similar circumstances. I’m so happy for him that he’s opened up about this part of his life, and proud that he’s shared it with us here today. Enjoy!

Resources:

Follow Joe Wicks on Instagram: @thebodycoach
Follow Joe Wicks on Twitter: @thebodycoach
Subscribe: The Body Coach TV YouTube Channel
Subscribe: The Joe Wicks Podcast BBC
Download: The Body Coach Fitness Plans App
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

19. What Does Your Soul Choose? with Almost 30 Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

Fresh off a night in the org’s tour bus, Krista Williams and Lindsey Simcik join the show, live and in-studio, for a very special conversation about coming into your truth and getting comfortable there. I’ve known this dynamic duo since the very beginning and I’m excited to share this heart-filled conversation with you all.

We talk about codependency (with a shout out to Terri Cole), therapy, relationships, anxiety, and the similarities in their shared journey launching a business while building a community and how it, in many ways, mirrors that of mine and Kat with Tone It Up. More than the grind, we make sure to highlight how important it was and always will be to continue to nurture our friendships as well.

Resources:

Almost 30: Podcast & Global Community for Women
Follow Almost 30 on Instagram: @almost30podcast
Follow Lindsey Simcik on Instagram: @lindseysimcik
Follow Krista Williams on Instagram: @itskrista
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

18. Practicing the Spectrum of Advocacy & Acceptance with Rafael De La Fuente Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

Rafael De La Fuente, known for his role as Sammy Jo on Dynasty, joins the show for this very special Pride Month episode where he takes us through his experience, as a gay Latino immigrant, rising as a young actor, dealing with the stress and pressures of the business, and growing into an advocate for kids he hopes to inspire.

His journey begins at about five-years old, in 1990, when he notices that he’s different. With the AIDS epidemic providing a stark background to his early years, he gets honest about the shame and confusion he grappled with through school and while breaking into television.

Today, he has a wildly successful career in show business and millions of fans around the world. Rafael’s struggles, and especially his triumphs, are important to highlight, this month and every month, as our society continues to grapple with the idea of personhood and privacy. We are so glad he was able to join the show and we’re excited to present his story to our community.

Resources:

Follow Rafael De La Fuente on Instagram: @rafaeldlf
Follow Rafael De La Fuente on Twitter: @rafaeldlf
Every.org: Your trusted network for doing good
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

17. Moving in a New Season: From Hollywood to Healing with Alyson Stoner Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Alyson Stoner has been in the limelight since she was seven years old, where you’ll remember them as the scene-stealing pigtailed dancer from the famous Missy Elliott: Work It (2002) music video. Just prior, she was plucked from their life in Toledo and placed into an environment that would challenge them in ways that, as we learn, were unfair to a child their age.

In this episode, she’s gracious enough to share their mental health journey as she appeared in hundreds of movies, battled an eating disorder, and came out the other side as an empowered and inspiring role model to young girls everywhere.

She was named President of their own personal brand, employing forty people, before turning ten. Now, she’s the co-founder of Movement Genius, a mindful movement subscription program that helps people relieve stress and unlock a lighter, more enjoyable existence through movement techniques designed to bring the body and mind into alignment.

This one is packed with bravery, doing the hard work, strength, and centeredness – Alyson sounds, and their presence feels, like she’s learned so much from this world, and still has so much left to give. You’re going to love them even more after listening.

Resources:

Movement Genius
Read: Mind Body Pride
Check out Alyson’s Website: alysonstoner.com
Follow Alyson Stoner on TikTok: @alysonstoner
Follow Alyson Stoner on Instagram: @alysonstoner
Follow Alyson Stoner on Twitter: @alysonstoner
Subscribe to Alyson Stoner’s YouTube Channel
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

16. The Big Silence LIVE: New York City with Terri Cole & Dale Moss Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

The Big Silence book launch is in the Big Apple! We’re joined by brilliant author and psychotherapist, Terri Cole, and the always thoughtful, former NFL player, Dale Moss, who you might also remember from the sixteenth season of The Bachelorette.

This lively panel discussion retells stories from the book, highlights the mission of our brand new foundation, and explores other important parental and relational themes as they relate to mental wellbeing. Creating healthy boundaries, recounting family traumas, finding (and losing) love – we cover it all. Don’t miss a special guest performance by James Nicholas Kinney!

I want to thank James, Terri, and Dale for making time to join us on this special evening in New York City. We all know how, in years and decades past, discussions on mental health were ignored, even shamed. With the help of influential voices like these – and the other guests we’ve had the pleasure of chatting with on this podcast – the message becomes louder, the energy grows, and our impact deepens. Thanks for listening.

Resources:

Website: terricole.com
Read: Boundary Boss
Follow Terri Cole on Instagram: @terricole
Get a free guide on boundaries and codependency at boundaryboss.me/bigsilence
Follow Dale Moss on Instagram: @dalemoss13
Follow Dale Moss on Twitter: @DaleMoss
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

15. The Big Silence LIVE: Indianapolis with Leslie Bailey of Indy Maven & Maven Space Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

We’re home! Rachel and I were so excited to get together in our hometown of Indianapolis for this special leg of The Big Silence book launch tour. For this extra family-centric episode, Rachel kicks us off with a reading of some of her beautiful poetry from the book.

We’re joined by the uber-prepared Leslie Bailey, who’s building something fantastic of her own in Indianapolis as the co-founder and CEO of Indy Maven and the brand new venue where we recorded this interview, Maven Space, a coworking and social club for women.

We start with my childhood here in Indiana, where the bad influences (and bad behavior) first surfaced, before detailing my journey to California, rock-bottom inspiration for Tone It Up, and five-year writing process.

Special guest: my dad! My loving father also steps up to the stage to add a professional therapist’s perspective on a few brave audience questions – and to add poignant personal comments to a few stark themes and stories from the book.

Resources:

Website: Indy Maven
Venue: Maven Space
Leslie Bailey: LinkedIn
Read: The Big Silence: A Daughter's Memoir of Mental Illness and Healing
Follow Karena Dawn on Instagram: @karenadawn
Follow The Big Silence on Instagram: @The.Big.Silence
Subscribe: The Big Silence YouTube Channel

Donate to The Big Silence thebigsilence.com/donate to be a part of the movement to break the silence and make noise with us!

“The Big Silence” theme song written and performed by James Nicholas Kinney.

Executive Handyman, Bobby Goldstein.

The Big Silence is produced by Crate Media.

Related Podcasts