S4 E13: Friendship, Healing, and Transformation: An Unspoken Conversation with April Klinter

In this heartfelt episode of Unspoken: Conversations with Candace, Candace is joined by her longtime friend and “Chica Bonita,” April Klinter. Together, they revisit their 20+ year friendship, the journey of supporting each other through motherhood, trauma, and growth, and how pivotal moments—like attending the Hope Shining Blue event—ignited Candace’s path as an author, podcast host, and advocate.

This episode is about the power of friendship, the courage to speak your truth, and how healing conversations can inspire transformation.

If you’ve ever needed a reminder that your voice matters and that you’re not alone in your healing journey—this episode is for you.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Welcome to Unspoken Conversations with Candace
 01:12 – Introducing my work bestie, April Klinter (“my Chica Bonita”)
 03:10 – How Candace and April first met at work in 2002
 07:45 – Building friendship through motherhood and shared struggles
 10:28 – Opening up about trauma and unhealthy relationships
 14:50 – The Hope Shining Blue event (2016) that planted the seed
 18:30 – How seeing other survivors inspired Candace’s healing journey
 22:15 – Writing the book Unspoken and finding purpose
26:05 – Pandemic challenges, publishing the book, and launching the podcast
30:20 – Becoming a life (Thrive) coach and advocate for survivors
33:45 – Receiving the Thrive Award and what it means
38:00 – Reflections on friendship, healing, and support
41:22 – Closing message: You’re not alone, and your story matters

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:10):
Welcome to Unspoken Conversations with Candace,
where we talk openly about tabootopics in order to spark
difficult and uncomfortableconversations, where we allow a
safe place for anyone who hashad trauma to be heard.
Unspoken Conversations withCandace is about speaking your

(00:31):
truth by using your voicebecause you matter.
Welcome to another episode ofUnspoken Conversations with
Candace.
Today I am so happy to have oneof my besties in the studio with

(00:53):
me, Miss April Clint.
I shouldn't say Miss, Mrs.
April Clinter, but my girl, myChica April.
I call her my Chica Bonita.

SPEAKER_01 (01:01):
You you do, and I love that.
I love that.
So welcome to my podcast.
Thank you so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 (01:06):
And you know, today I just wanted us to kind of talk
about, you know, the journeythat I think we've been on and
just the transformation that Iknow you you always remind me
of, April.
And I really appreciate that ofyou know having you as my friend
and support system all theseyears.
Um, it goes back to 2002, Ibelieve.

(01:26):
Yep, it sure does.
And so tell me a little bitabout when we first met and just
from your perspective, your lab.

SPEAKER_01 (01:35):
So when we first met was one of my first projects
that I had to do for Wheaton.
And I was coming down to yourlocation.
So I was based out of Glendale,but coming down by you and
Racine, and I wasn't really wellreceived because I was actually
down there to move everythingthat was down there back to
Glendale.
And most of the people who werethere did not want to move.
They didn't want to work fromGlendale, they didn't want to

(01:56):
have to have all their serversand everything that was come
that were coming back come back.
And you happened to be alongwith two others, very, very
friendly, very helpful.
And I gravitated towards youright away because you, well,
first of all, that smile.
You're looking at me with itright now.
So there's that beautiful,beautiful smile.
And then on top of that, itjust, you know, you were just
like, just tell me what youneed, tell me how I can help
you.

(02:16):
And I don't think you really atthat point wanted to move either
because you were living, youknow, closer to that location
than you were the one I wasmoving to you to, but you were
just so welcoming.
And there's just something aboutyou like I think you put people
at ease, you know, like when youfirst talk to people and you
start just your conversationsand how you greet people and
your smile.
That's why people open it up toyou.

(02:38):
Because I think you're just veryyou, you, you exude that.
Like you exude, like I am aperson you can trust, and and
you can come to me or we canhave conversations and feel
comfortable about it.

SPEAKER_00 (02:50):
Well, and I think that has a lot to do with like
my trauma, my story.
You know, I know I didn't trust,so I wanted others to be able to
trust me.
So yeah, so that was justsomething that I think I know I
had to work on, you know, toallow people in.
And I felt your energy.
I know when we first met, we hitit off right away.
We did, yeah.
So that was our workingrelationship.
And then outside of work, webecame great friends.

(03:12):
I mean, you knew I had kids atthat young age and you had
little ones.
And so we were both workingmoms, right?
Managing a household, managingour families.
And then I think we kind oftalked, I think I shared with
you.
I disclosed my trauma, my abuseas a child, what I had kind of
gone through and how I wasn't ina very healthy relationship with
the father of my children.
And and you know, Randy, we weboth acknowledged those types of

(03:36):
things that the trauma that we,you know, that I call it
dysfunction.
He doesn't like me using thatword, but that's really what I
felt we had for many years.
And you were always such asupport system.
And then we come to the HopeShiny Blue, like in 2026.
So all those years of workingtogether, building our
relationship, and then in 2016,you invited me to the Hope Shiny
Blue event.

SPEAKER_01 (03:57):
Yeah, so it was it was interesting because it was
just kind of a thing that thatpopped up.
So one of the our coworkerssaid, Hey, my husband has a
table, we have room.
Would you we we were talking forsome other reason?
Would you want to come?
And I said yes, and I said, Youknow, we should bring Candace.
I said, This would be a greatevent for her to come and see
the other survivors and kind of,you know, get an idea of what

(04:17):
people are doing in this spaceand how maybe she could add to
it.
And so that's where thatstarted.
And we got there and it was thethe event space, you know, it
was at Turner Hall.
It was really well set up, itwas it was inviting.
We walked in, we felt like itwas just a good place to be for
people who wanted to talk abouttrauma or wanted to, you know,

(04:37):
help others who had been throughit.
So I feel like that was kind ofthe catalyst for for the
beginning of your journey as apodcast host and a book author.

SPEAKER_00 (04:46):
So yes, and I think at that event it was more just
you planted the seed.
And then I think it was so and Ihadn't even started writing the
book at that time.
I didn't start writing the bookuntil July of 2017.
Right.
Then we go to Hope Shining Bluein 2018.
I was already a year into mybook, and I had seen the Thrive
Award winner at that point wasErica.
And I went to church with her,didn't know who she was, and

(05:08):
then all of a sudden I'm seeingher being celebrated, and her
story was so much like my story.
Yeah.
And that's where my tears and myvulnerability, and I'm like, oh
my God, what I'm doing isexactly what I need to be doing.
Right.
Telling my story to make animpact.

SPEAKER_01 (05:24):
You were definitely in a you were in an empathetic
space.
I mean, you definitely felt her,what she was talking about, but
it also brought you some joy,like to see somebody who had
been through it, and you couldsee it, like you could see in
your face that you were, youwere, you were watching somebody
who had been through something,and now they were getting an
award for what they had gone anddone.
And and I know it probably atthat point lit that little fire

(05:45):
that you needed because you wereear into your book, kind of
thinking, you know, where am Igoing with this?
How am I going to end it?
And then you I think it was thecatalyst you needed to really
get yourself back on track andmoving with the book and to see
other things that were possible.

SPEAKER_00 (05:57):
Right.
And I think from the author thenbeing published, you know, then
the pandemic hit, right?
And then it's basically whereyou're in your home doing
absolutely nothing.
You're not engaging with, and wewere extra, I mean, I was an
extrovert.
I kind of think I'm a little bitof an introvert now because now
I love just being at home andnot going.
But the funny thing was isNovember 2020, when I finally
published the book, was duringCOVID, during that pandemic

(06:18):
state, I was able to reallyfocus on the book and finish it.
And even during the year theyear prior to that, working on
the podcast, recording andgetting episodes recorded, and
finding the right guest tolaunch season one, you know, and
so between the book and thepodcast and then doing some
speaking engagements, becoming alife coach, like just the and
then again, now with the HopeShiny Louie event coming up in

(06:39):
two weeks, having being honored.
I'm I'm so humbled to get thisaward as the Thrive Award
because now I feel like this I'man advocate.
And that word, I was I neverreally saw myself as an advocate
two years ago, right?
Now it's like I feel thispersonal responsibility.
Everyone kept telling me thebook's gonna have an impact.
And I'm like, and it's like whenyou're in it, you just you're

(07:01):
just going through the motions.
But now that like I know denimday is gonna be that big
celebration, and I'm I'm like,oh my goodness, this is this
pinch me.
Somebody just pinch me.
Is this really happening?
So I'm just excited that you'regonna be there cheering me on.

SPEAKER_02 (07:14):
And if I could pop in, yes, okay.
So I'll keep you here if youguys are good to go.
So uh got to hear a little bitabout you guys here and just a
little bit of background, whichis awesome.
And if you is that okay, can Ihit record?

SPEAKER_00 (07:26):
Okay, cool.
Thank you so much for listeningto this conversation about
healing, encouragement, andsupport.
Trust that there is power inspeaking your truth and sharing
your experience with othersbecause you can have an impact
or even save someone's life.
Follow me on Facebook andInstagram to stay engaged in our

(07:48):
unspoken conversations withCandace.
And if you have been impacted bytrauma and need tools to heal,
consider purchasing a copy of mybook titled Unspoken available
on Amazon.
Thanks again, and remember,you're not alone.