Episode #27
Epidsode #27 A Husband in Federal Prison: Healing, Single Parenting & Choosing Yourself with Guest Kathy Love
My guest, Kathy Love, was living a dream life in Connecticut. A beautiful home, three kids, a strong community. A husband she loved. And then, one summer afternoon, an FBI card on her front door changed everything. For four years, she lived in uncertainty. Job loss. Financial devastation. Her husband in federal prison. A marriage that crumbled under the weight of it all. But this episode isn't just about surviving that. It's about what she had to unlearn to actually live after it. We talk about codependency and self-erasure, the ways women disappear themselves trying to hold everyone else together. About a therapist who gave her permission to leave. She talks about crying in aisle 11 at the grocery store over the cost of paper towels. About keeping secrets that nearly broke her family, and then choosing radical honesty instead. About swimming for the first time as an adult, finishing a triathlon with barely a breath left, and realizing she could do hard things.And about the power of slowing down, of noticing when you're not in a race, even when your whole life feels like one. Kathy built an entirely new life after that four-year storm. She became a speaker, a coach, an author. She helps people, especially veterans, recognize the codependency patterns that keep them small. And the one thing she wants everyone to know: "Slow down and breathe. It'll change your life." ____ Kathy Love is a two-time TEDx speaker, leadership and self-care coach, author, and Chief Community Officer of The Outlier Project, a global community of high-performing leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers. Known for her candid, relatable approach, Kathy speaks about authentic leadership, self-trust, boundaries, and the courage to show up as who you really are, especially in environments where it can feel easier to play it safe. Her work is shaped by both professional leadership experience and a deeply personal understanding of what happens when caring, achieving, and being there for everyone else come at the expense of yourself. Kathy challenges audiences to rethink what self-care and authenticity actually look like at work, moving beyond buzzwords to practical choices that build trust, resilience, and stronger human connection. Kathy is also the host of the My Self Care Sh*t podcast, a certified coach and yoga instructor, and the author of My Self Care Sh*t: The Workbook. Her style blends humor, vulnerability, practical tools, and the occasional uncomfortable question, the kind that makes you think differently long after you leave the room. Ways to connect with Kathy Love: Website: https://www.MySelfCareShit.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathylove111 00:00 Episode Roadmap 01:03 Meet Kathy Love 02:30 Dream Life Shattered 04:14 Year One Upheaval 05:23 Charges And Sentencing 07:11 Single Parent Survival15:51 Coping And Healing 19:19 Time Versus Priorities21:05 No More Secrets25:48 Learning To Swim 27:20 Triathlon Breath Control30:48 Living Apart After Release 32:37 Why Connecticut Won35:20 Finding Work and Stability 36:57 Codependency and Culture37:56 Bookstore Wake Up Call 41:03 Gratitude and Taking Control 43:04 Life After Divorce 43:27 Books TED Talks and Coaching 47:53 Building Your Dream Life 50:50 Slow Down and Breathe
