Episode Introduction: “From Junkie to Judge – A Journey of Resilience, Recovery, and Justice”

Welcome to another powerful edition of the Transforming Lives panel podcast. I’m your host, Sharmin Prince, joined by co‑host Mitzy Dadoun, and today we’ve got an extraordinary guest whose story embodies the very heart of our mission.

Meet Mary Beth O’Connor—a former IV meth addict who spent her teens and twenties battling severe trauma, PTSD, and anxiety. After 15 years of crushing addiction, she hit rock bottom in 1994, entered rehab, and began a gritty, honest recovery that included three relapses in the first five months—proof that sobriety is rarely a straight line.

But Mary Beth didn’t just stop there. Six years later, she reclaimed a lifelong dream, earned a seat at Berkeley Law, and rose to become a federal administrative law judge. Today she’s a director at She Recovers Foundation and Life Ring Secular Recovery, a prolific writer, and a passionate advocate who trains lawyers, judges, and professionals on the hidden intersections of trauma, mental health, and substance use.

In this episode we’ll explore:

• The early roots of her addiction—how childhood abuse set the stage for meth use at 16.
• The crucial role of integrated trauma therapy and comprehensive mental‑health evaluations in lasting sobriety.
• Why most people arrested for drug possession don’t have an addiction, and how that misconception fuels ineffective, punitive treatment.
• The concept of multiple pathways to healing—from 12‑step programs to secular peer support, yoga, meditation, and individualized recovery plans.
• Practical tools for families—CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) and the book Beyond Addiction—that replace “tough love” with evidence‑based, compassionate support.
• Real‑world solutions for the unhoused, emergency‑room interventions, and medication‑assisted treatment that can literally save lives.
• And Mary Beth’s message of hope: “Start where you are. Even if you’re not sure you can stay sober, you can begin the process.”

Stick around for a rapid‑fire round that reveals Mary Beth’s favorite book, her go‑to comfort song, and the one word she over‑uses (spoiler: she’s still figuring it out).

If you’re a survivor, a loved one, a professional in the legal or health fields, or simply someone seeking inspiration, this conversation will remind you that it’s never too late to start over—and that a brighter future is possible when we combine resilience, the right support, and a willingness to re‑imagine recovery.

Press play and let Mary Beth’s triumph transform your perspective.

**Episode Introduction – “Transforming Lives: Mastering Resilience & Burnout”**

Welcome to *Transforming Lives*, the podcast where we dive deep into the science of well‑being, the art of leadership, and the tools you need to thrive in today’s high‑stress world. In today’s episode, your hosts Sharmin Prince and Mitzy Dadoun guide you through a powerful, grounding breathing exercise before inviting a remarkable guest—Dr. Eva Selhub, an internationally recognized resilience expert, physician, former Harvard Medical School instructor, and author of six bestselling books, including *Resilience for Dummies* and *Your Health Destiny*.

Dr. Selhub unpacks the fundamental difference between **stress** and **burnout**, explaining how our bodies’ natural homeostatic balance (homeostasis) is constantly challenged by everyday imbalances—what she calls “entropy” and “neg‑entropy.” She shows how the brain’s built‑in alarm system (the stress response) can be either **manageable**—triggering adaptive coping like eating when hungry—or **unmanageable**, leading to chronic activation, allostatic load, and ultimately burnout.

Listeners will learn:

* Why our modern coping mechanisms—screen time, comfort food, and instant dopamine hits—are largely maladaptive, while nature, connection, and purposeful activity remain the true resilience boosters.
* A **five‑minute “Shield” meditation** (Slow‑down, Honor, Inhale, Explore, Listen, Decision) that instantly resets the nervous system and shifts you from a victim mindset to a co‑creator mindset.
* The **six pillars of resilience**—Physical vitality, Emotional intelligence, Mindset, Relationships, Spiritual connection, and Leadership responsibility—each with practical questions to assess and strengthen your foundation.
* How Dr. Selhub’s expertise translates into executive leadership, helping leaders cultivate self‑awareness, self‑compassion, and organizational coherence.
* A sneak peek at her new online program, *Foundations of Mastering Resilience*, which delivers lifelong access to videos, workbooks, and guided meditations.

We’ll also hear rapid‑fire answers that reveal Dr. Selhub’s favorite mood‑boosting song, the most overrated wellness advice, the biggest myth about burnout, and her go‑to recommendation—*The Power of Now*.

Whether you’re a busy professional, a budding leader, or anyone yearning for a healthier, more purposeful life, this episode equips you with science‑backed insights and actionable tools to transform stress into sustained resilience. Tune in, breathe deeply, and get ready to reclaim your vitality.

**Episode Intro: “Why You Can’t Find Love – and What to Do About It”**

In this episode we sit down with Ted — author of *Here’s Why You Can’t Find Love* and a self‑declared “relationship truth‑teller.” Ted returns for a second round to pull back the curtain on the hidden economics and biology that keep so many of us stuck in dead‑end romances.

We’ll hear Ted lay out the staggering numbers: more than half of marriages end in divorce, costing U.S. corporations $300 billion in lost productivity and another $30 billion in taxpayer‑funded social services. He argues that the problem isn’t a lack of love; it’s a lack of **relationship skills and competencies**—the same kind of expertise you’d expect from a CFO before you’d hand them a balance sheet.

From the chemistry of oxytocin and testosterone to the “radio‑station” metaphor that shows how the stories we inherit shape our expectations, Ted reveals the universal truths he uncovered while studying human behavior across continents. He challenges the old script of “searching for love first,” urging listeners instead to **look for compatibility in money, health, parenting, sexuality, conflict‑resolution, and more**, and to develop those qualities in themselves.

We’ll also explore the cultural history behind how society’s attitudes toward courtship have shifted—from 1700s England’s failed experiment with “women choosing their own men,” to the 20th‑century sexual revolutions that left many navigating a sea of mixed signals and “game.”

If you’ve ever felt caught in a cycle of relationships that go nowhere, or wondered why the “love‑language” talk feels hollow, this conversation offers a no‑fluff, data‑driven roadmap to building the kind of partnership that actually produces love as a **by‑product**, not a prerequisite.

Grab your notebook, take a deep breath, and get ready for an eye‑opening, empowering dive into the mechanics of modern romance. 🎧✨