Melissa Lewis spent 25 years teaching middle school, raising her family, and pouring herself into other people's kids. Then, at 51, she did something most people in her season of life wouldn't dare — she went back to school, earned her master's in marriage and family therapy, and opened her own counseling practice in Franklin, Tennessee.

But the story underneath that story is the one worth hearing.

In this conversation, Melissa and Laura Lyn — friends of 25+ years who raised their kids side by side — talk about what it actually costs to reinvent yourself, the voices that tell you not to, and the grief that can arrive right alongside your greatest new beginning. Melissa shares what she's learning in the counseling room, why she hands every new client a snail, and what she wants anyone in the middle of a hard season to know: change is always possible, and hope starts right now.

Topics covered: second acts and reinvention | self-care across generations | going back to school at 51 | loss, grief, and "brutally beautiful" moments | Brainspotting for trauma | loneliness as a universal theme | the courage to stop people-pleasing | finding hope in the last third

Guest contact: melissalewiscounseling.com | melissa@melissalewiscounseling.com | Franklin, TN | 615.210.7724

Musician, songwriter, producer, and now author — Brent Bourgeois has lived many lives inside one remarkable journey.

In this conversation, Laura Lyn sits down with her longtime friend to talk about his memoir, The Real Things: An Intimate Journey of a Working Musician from Bill Graham to Billy Graham to Instagram. Brent traces a 50-year path through New Orleans, New Jersey, Dallas, California, Nashville, and back again — playing bars at 14, chasing record deals in the Bay Area, producing Point of Grace in Nashville, sharing a stage (and a piano) with Billy Graham, and eventually building the music library at Meta.

Along the way: addiction, sobriety, faith, family, loss, reinvention, and the hard-won wisdom of a man who finally stopped hurrying to get somewhere. His memoir is available now on Amazon in print, e-book, and audiobook —which is something special.

About Brent Bourgeois

Brent Bourgeois is a musician, songwriter, producer, and author based in California. He was one half of the 1980s duo Bourgeois Tagg (Island Records), a Nashville-era producer whose credits include Point of Grace, and the architect of Meta's music library — a catalog of over 16,000 original tracks. His memoir, The Real Things: An Intimate Journey of a Working Musician from Bill Graham to Billy Graham to Instagram, is available now on Amazon. Find Brent and his book community on Facebook: search "Brent Bourgeois and The Real Things."

Resources & Links

• The Real Things by Brent Bourgeois — available on Amazon (print, e-book with color photos and music links, and audiobook)

• Brent's Facebook book community: search "Brent Bourgeois and The Real Things"

• StorySessions™ the Podcast: www.storysessionsthepodcast.riverside.com

• Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and iHeart Radio

Connect with StorySessions™

Instagram: @storysessions_thepodcast

W Brand Publishing: @wbrandpub

Producer: @donahuecreates

Website: www.storysessionsthepodcast.riverside.com

What happens when a 15-year music industry roadie trades the tour bus for a laptop and a blank page? Philip J. Kriz—sound tech for Paul Simon, Green Day, Queen + Adam Lambert, and Kiss—found himself at a career crossroads when the pandemic stopped the world, and chose to write the story he'd always been carrying.

The Roadie Cartel is a fictional dive into the music industry's shadowy underbelly, built from years of backstage access and one unforgettable question: what if it was all run by a cartel?

In this episode, Philip talks about the courage it takes to tell your story, why fiction might just be the safest and most powerful creative tool you have, and how writing gave him something touring never could: himself.

Resources & Links:

• For more info on Phillip, visit https://www.phillipjkriz.com

• Follow Philip on Instagram: @philipjkriz

• The Roadie Cartel — Paperback and Kindle

• Learn more about StorySessions™: StorySessions.live