Have you ever hit rock bottom? I know I have—not with drugs or alcohol, but through anxiety, over-mothering my kids, or letting my mind hijack my ability to feel gratitude and joy.

Today’s guest, Lara Love Hardin, is a powerful example of what it takes to rise from absolute rock bottom.

Lara’s journey is extraordinary: from suburban soccer mom to opioid addict, incarcerated felon, and now bestselling author and advocate. Her memoir, The Many Lives of Mama Love, is a 2024 Oprah Book Club pick and a New York Times bestseller.

In our conversation, Lara shares:

✨ How addiction and incarceration stripped away every identity she had built—and why that became her greatest gift.

✨ The unexpected transformation that came from being “just a number” in the system.

✨ How she rebuilt her life rooted in authenticity, forgiveness, and self-acceptance.

We also discuss her work today: advocating for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women through The Gemma Project, and how she helps others find redemption, even in life’s darkest moments.

This conversation offers profound hope to anyone who has experienced addiction, incarceration, or life-altering setbacks. Lara’s story demonstrates that our darkest moments can become the foundation for our greatest transformation, and that redemption is always possible when we’re willing to do the hard work of truly knowing and accepting ourselves.

Whether your rock bottom looks like addiction, mental health struggles, or losing yourself in the roles you play, Lara’s story proves that transformation is not only possible—it can become the greatest gift you never knew you needed.

If you’re ready to do the meaningful work of truly knowing and accepting yourself, I’m currently accepting new therapy clients. I specialize in helping people:

• Break stuck patterns in relationships or life decisions
• Develop coping strategies for anxiety and depression
• Navigate life transitions with clarity and purpose
• Create more joy, balance, and healthy habits

Learn more and schedule a session here: https://calendly.com/mollycarroll/coaching

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

With love,
Molly

A note from Molly

For three years, I’ve poured my heart into this podcast, creating 90 episodes. I’ve funded everything myself to focus on meaningful conversations—but to keep bringing you the quality content you deserve, I need your help.

Even $5 a month—less than a coffee—helps cover hosting, editing, and prep time. If this podcast has supported you, would you consider joining? Support here: https://www.patreon.com/14800380/join

Your support keeps these unrushed, transformative conversations coming.

Resources & Links

Read Lara’s memoir, The Many Lives of Mama Love: https://www.themanylivesofmamalove.com

Learn more about The Gemma Project: https://www.thegemmaproject.org

Follow Lara on Instagram: @laralovehardin

Work with Molly
https://molly-carroll.com

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This summer, I found myself slowing down—getting quieter on the trails, more present among the trees, and stepping away from my usual morning routine of “to-do” lists, three coffees, and hustling to get people into my coaching programs. I got quiet. I sat with the parts of myself that feel uncomfortable and need external validation to feel worthy.

I kept hearing the Zen Buddhist phrase: “chop wood, carry water". The wisdom is simple: do everyday tasks with mindfulness and presence.

For me, that meant canceling my coaching program that was supposed to start in August. It meant releasing the constant striving for speaking opportunities, letting go of outreach for podcast guests, and returning to my roots—deep, one-on-one conversations where space is dedicated to what truly matters. It meant going back to being a therapist.

For years, Sister Monica Clare heard a quiet call toward a quiet religious life. She first explored Hollywood, marriage, and conventional success before discovering that her heart was truly drawn to sisterhood.

Even if you’re not religious or spiritual, this conversation will likely resonate with you. Sister Monica Clare’s story is about learning to "gravitate towards joy versus chaos" and having the courage to follow your authentic calling—no matter how unconventional it may seem, and no matter what you have to release to honor it.

Her journey began in a Southern town marked by poverty, abuse, and violence, including witnessing her grandfather attempt to stab her father. Her mother’s encouragement to pursue a different life set her on a path through college in New York City, a career in Hollywood, marriage, heartbreak, and even performing in comedy clubs.

Through it all, she never abandoned the power of prayer—even when the call to religious life felt “complicated and baffling, completely out of step with her fame-adjacent life in Los Angeles”. She tried everything to silence it: therapy sessions, ignoring it, secrecy, and even asking friends and mentors, “What do you think about me being a nun?”

Sister Monica Clare’s story becomes a compass for anyone struggling to find their truth. Authentic calling rarely makes logical sense—but it always leads to deeper fulfillment.

Today, at 59, she has found her unique path to serve:

• Launched @NunsenseForthePeople on TikTok in 2020
• Wrote the bestselling memoir A Change of Habit
• Uses social media to raise awareness about progressive religious orders like the Community of St. John Baptist
• Offers spiritual counseling specializing in religious trauma, mental illness, and addiction

Sister Monica Clare is the Mother Superior at the Community of St. John Baptist, an Episcopal convent in New Jersey. Before taking her vows in 2012, she worked as a photo editor in L.A. and performed in an acoustic rock duo and improv comedy troupe.

In our conversation, she shares how prayer became her sanctuary throughout Hollywood rejections and personal heartbreaks. She reveals the guiding messages she received from God during life’s challenges—like when she discovered her husband was cheating and heard, “Get up and get your house in order.” She opens up about overcoming the fear that people wouldn’t want her around and finding peace as a socially awkward introvert in a tight-knit community.

This episode is an invitation to listen to your own quiet callings and consider what authentic joy could look like in your life—and what you might need to release in order to honor it.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

Love,

Molly

Resources & Links:

Read Sr. Monica Clare's memoir, A Change of Habit

Have you ever had a moment where time seemed to slow, the noise of the world softened, and you felt something ancient stir inside you? That’s exactly what happened when I sat down with Jeff Scult—founder, designer, and visionary behind One Golden Thread.

Jeff’s mission is nothing short of revolutionary: to create a regenerative container where humanity can come alive from the inside out. He believes that the “gold” within each of us is the thread that connects us all. And in both life and business, he is walking that talk.

A five-time entrepreneur with a background in advertising and storytelling, Jeff spent years amplifying the voices of others before finally tuning into his own. In 2016, he followed an inner calling to birth One Golden Thread, a fashion company that’s as much about soulful expression as it is about sustainability. As Forbes put it:

In today’s conversation, Jeff shares openly about his childhood as a people pleaser and shapeshifter—empathetic to everyone’s journey but his own. Beneath the surface, he carried deep emotional sensitivity, a gift that revealed itself through poetic insight and a mystic awareness that often moved people to tears. Even as a child, he knew how to see the soul beneath the mask.

Jeff’s story is a profound reminder that our wounds can become portals to purpose. His superpower? Helping others follow their “one golden thread”—the unique inner path that leads each of us home to ourselves.

Throughout the episode, Jeff brings his full presence: pausing to light incense, reciting his brand’s founding manifesto, and answering questions with poetic honesty that seems to flow from another realm. What began as an interview became a transmission—a remembering.

We explore the steps he took to manifest his vision, the intentionality behind his nature-sourced clothing line, and the deeper ethos guiding his work: wholeness, unity, reverence for self and planet.

Whether you’re seeking inspiration to pursue your own dream, curious about conscious entrepreneurship, or simply in need of a breath of truth in a noisy world—this episode is for you.

Listen with your heart.
Follow your golden thread.
Remember the brilliance that’s always been within you.

🎧 Tune in now to listen.

Love,

Molly

Resources & Links

Explore One Golden Thread: onegoldenthread.com
Plant-sourced essentials designed to root you in comfort, purpose, and planetary love.

Listen to Drops of Gold: jeffscult.com/dropsofgold
Jeff’s poetic, heart-forward podcast offers reflections and conversations for soul expansion.

Work with Jeff: jeffscult.com
Discover Jeff’s soulful consulting for personal and professional brand alchemy.

Special Offer: Use the code dropsofGold at checkout on onegoldenthread.com to receive a gift with your first purchase.

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https://molly-carroll.com

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