HIListically Speaking with Hilary Russo

What happens when your safe place becomes a battlefield for your beliefs, your body and your cultural identity?  In this truth-telling episode, author and Stamford University interpersonal dynamics educator Chanchal Gang shares her escape from spiritual and sexual abuse and what she did to reclaim her voice and set boundaries. Chanchal shares how she broke free from cultural ...

It’s OK to start over. In fact, it’s encouraged. In this empowering episode, Cameo Elyse Braun, entrepreneur, musician, former professional bodybuilder, and author of The Reset Button, shares her remarkable journey of hitting reset on her life. From embracing sobriety to navigating motherhood, therapy, and major life transitions, Cameo reveals how she found balance, authenticity, and the courage to prioritize what tru...

What happens when a life rooted in faith and tradition collides with family scandal? In this powerful episode, renowned author and therapist Rachel Krentzman opens up about her father’s arrest, an Orthodox rabbi once respected in the community, and the emotional turmoil that followed. Through her new memoir, As Is, Rachel shares her journey of healing generational trauma with the help of yoga, somatic therapy, and wri...

What happens when the dream of motherhood doesn’t come true? After seven years of fertility treatments that ended without a child, Lana Manikowski found herself facing grief, isolation, and the painful question: So now what?  Instead of following a path that didn’t feel right, like donor eggs or adoption, Lana built the support system she longed for but couldn’t...

As we launch Season Six of HIListically Speaking, Host Hilary Russo shares how intentional reflection and quiet moments can unlock creativity, clarity, and personal growth. Alongside fresh insights, the new “Where Are They Now?” series revisits past guests, from bestselling authors to everyday changemakers, while diving deeper into the HUG It Out Method®, the expanding Book Nook, and stories rooted in neuroscience, st...

Celebrate 5 years of HIListically Speaking® with host Hilary Russo as she reflects on the transformative journey of nearly 200 episodes, each one a master class in healing, personal growth, and mental wellness. In this milestone episode, Hilary unveils The HIListically Speaking® Book Nook, a curated collection of books by the inspiring and bestselling authors who have graced the show. Every title is paired with a corr...

How addicted are you to your devices and is your brain paying the price? Cognitive neuroscientist and brain performance coach Dr. Trish Leigh joins Hilary Russo on HIListically Speaking to explore how online habits especially pornography and constant screen time rewire the brain.  Based on her book Mind Over Explicit Matter, Dr. Leigh unpacks dopamine dependency, supernormal stimuli, and the link between digital overs...

Are we finally ready to talk about mental health and menopause in the same sentence?  Dr. Juliana Hauser joins us for a bold, unfiltered conversation that challenges the stigma surrounding women's mental health, especially during perimenopause and menopause. This episode explores why it's time to move beyond silence and make mental well-being a headline issue. From the inter...

Diet failed again? Don’t beat yourself up!  We’ve all been there. Even author and health coach Connie Bennett has slipped up a few times. During this inspiring, entertaining, and humorous conversation with Hilary, Connie shares her own story of overcoming sugar addiction, what led her down the “carbage” food path, and the techniques she used to pick herself up and heal on a road to healthy habits and clean eating. Dis...

What happens when awareness isn’t enough to save lives? In this powerful episode of HIListically Speaking, Hilary sits down with Adam Bird. Adam is not only military veteran, he’s an entrepreneur, CEO of Heroes Media Group and has a passion for amplifying the voices of Veterans, First Responders, and Community Heroes. We dig into the silent struggles facing our military veterans, from PTSD and suicide to the battle fo...

What if seven simple words could change the way we connect with others on the path to peace? In this powerful episode of HIListically Speaking, Hilary Russo sits down with James Twyman, a New York Times Best-Selling Author (The Moses Code), spiritual teacher, and the “Peace Troubadour” to explore how one profound phrase.  “I Don’t Know, Maybe, I Love You.” Now the title of h...

What if healing your body image started with connection—not correction? In this episode of HIListically Speaking, Hilary Russo and therapist Deb Schachter, co-author of Body Image Inside Out, explore how our early relationships, emotional patterns, and self-talk shape the way we see ourselves. From personal stories to powerful metaphors like the rotary, they unpack how emotions live in the body and how curiosity, comp...

It’s not often you meet a 96-year-old who is still working hard to make the world a better place. But for Ben Lesser, a Holocaust survivor who lived through the atrocities of the Krakow ghettos and concentration camps, silence is not an option. As Ben puts it, he has a responsibility to share his story “to keep this world from acquiring amnesia.”⁣

What if I took better care of my pet? Would they have lived longer, healthier, or happier?  If you’ve ever asked yourself that question as one of more than 500 million pet parents around the world, you’re not alone. April 1st marks one year since my spicy, 19-year-old cat, Miss Eliza Doolittle crossed the Rainbow Bridge. To honor her, I decided to share what helped her live ...

Julie Barth turned personal loss and adversity into a mission of hope. After losing her first husband to cancer and surviving an abusive second marriage, she founded Colin James Barth Outreach to support women-led households in crisis. In collaboration with Podcasthon, a global charity podcast event, we spotlight how CJB Outreach provides legal aid, financial support, and resources for women navigating divorce, custod...

Imagine having more energy, less pain, and no inflammation.  Sounds too good to be true but Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that’s been helping people live optimally for thousands of years. The trouble is not everyone understands the principles and benefits. Until now. On this episode of HIListically speaking, Dr. Shivani Gupta, an expert in integrating Eastern and ...

It was a recipe for disaster. In 2023, Stacey Grant was rushed to the hospital with a MRSA infection. It was in her bloodstream, in her lungs, and most likely around her heart. To say she dodged a bullet is an understatement. Because many do not. Cardiovascular disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined and yet only 44% of women recognize that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat. On ...

It’s that time of year again. New Year’s resolutions go down the drain and that can impact your mental and physical health. Or maybe, you’re just getting started on your fitness journey and don’t know where to begin.  No matter where you are on the road to wellness, we’re about to nip all that negativity in the bud with celebrity trainer and group fitness instructor Cheri Pa...

Planning any event can be stressful! But a wedding is next level!  On this episode of HIListically Speaking, Hilary brings on her best friend for over 40 years to answer your questions. But this isn’t just any BFF, Jenny Orsini happens to be a celebrity wedding and event planner with over 25 years in the business and she’s heard everything!  If you’re ready to say "yes" to the dress and "no" to...