The Golden Child Effect: Breaking Free from Roles That Keep You Small

What happens when the "good daughter" wakes up to the truth? In this week's Surviving Roots episode, Cari Fund sits down with Lauren Smallcomb — certified mind-body practitioner, trauma survivor, and author of Golden Child: My Descent to Scapegoat and Rise to Freedom. Lauren shares her journey from being the adored "golden child" in a rigid, religious family to becoming the scapegoat when faith, politics, and identity collided. Together, Cari and Lauren explore what it means to break free from high-control systems, redefine forgiveness, and rebuild a life rooted in freedom, grief, and authenticity. You'll hear: ✨ The painful shift from golden child to scapegoat ✨ How patriarchy and religion shaped her silence ✨ Why acceptance (not forgiveness) is where healing begins ✨ What parenting looks like after breaking generational cycles Grab Golden Child wherever books are sold and follow Lauren's work at @flourish_therapy and @goldenchildbook. 🎧 Listen to Surviving Roots Podcast on all major platforms — and don't forget to leave a review and share this episode with someone who's healing from a family that couldn't hold their truth. Follow Cari Fund at @cari.fund on Istagram.  

What if setting boundaries isn't about pushing people away — but about finally choosing yourself? In this powerful and deeply relatable conversation, Harvard-trained clinical psychologist Dr. Sabrina Romanoff joins Surviving Roots host Cari Fund to unpack the hidden patterns that shape our relationships — from friendship breakups and people-pleasing to the repetition of childhood wounds in our adult lives. Together they explore: Why boundaries are acts of preservation, not rejection. How self-abandonment begins in childhood — and how to stop repeating it. The psychology behind friendship breakups and envy. What "getting comfortable in the uncomfortable" really looks like. How to know if someone is a battery or a generator in your life. Why guilt can actually be a sign of healing. Whether you're untangling toxic dynamics or learning to stand in your worth, this episode will help you reconnect with the version of yourself you've been betraying just to keep the peace. ✨ Connect with Dr. Sabrina Romanoff: @drsabrinaromanoff 🎧 Listen to more episodes of Surviving Roots — streaming now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms. 📘 Download The Bold Self-Healing Guide — your free resource for turning pain into potential, linked in Cari's bio at @cari.fund

In this raw and soul-stirring episode of Surviving Roots, Cari Fund sits down with Michelle Garside—co-founder of Soul Camp Creative, a sacred strategy house helping purpose-driven people and organizations tell their most authentic stories. Michelle has spent her career creating transformative spaces like Soul Camp, The Enchantment Experience, and The Connecticut Women's Club. But beneath all that success is a story of radical truth-telling, recovery, and what it really means to belong. Together, Cari and Michelle dive deep into the loneliness that hides beneath high achievement, the spiritual disconnection that fuels addiction, and the messy, beautiful process of coming home to yourself. Michelle opens up about her recovery from bulimia, addiction, and alcoholism—and how shame became the doorway to her power. She shares the story behind her upcoming 2027 book, Not Awakened, which challenges the illusion of "perfect enlightenment" and invites us to embrace our full, human messiness instead. ✨ Inside the episode: The loneliness that success can't fill Motherhood as a spiritual practice of imperfection Recovery and radical truth-telling The healing power of community and belonging "God comes through guys"—how love can become a mirror for awakening The anti-guru message behind Not Awakened 💬 "Loneliness is a spiritual hole." 💬 "We become the choices that we make." 💬 "Maybe we're not meant to be enlightened—maybe we're meant to be human." Follow @cari.fund and @survivingrootspod for more stories about truth, healing, and becoming who you were meant to be. 🌿 Get My Free Guide: Ready to start your own journey of self-discovery and healing? Download my free Bold Self-Growth Guide at www.cari.fund — your roadmap to reconnecting with yourself, setting boundaries, and creating the life you actually want.

Writer, mother, and reluctant socialite Asha Elias joins Cari to talk about reinvention, resilience, and the real story behind her rapid rise as a novelist. From launching Pink Glass Houses to celebrating the release of The Namaste Club, Asha opens up about writing, grief, raising two kids post-divorce, and how dating a younger man has taught her about love and softness in relationships. Asha has contributed to Cosmopolitan magazine and is a regular columnist for Miami New Times. She lives in Miami Beach. This conversation is honest, inspiring, hilarious, and packed with reminders that you can start over at any time — and do it loudly. This episode explores: Writing books faster than people have babies Reclaiming your voice after family childhood dysfunction Dating younger and being loved how you've always wanted Grieving a complicated relationship with her late mother Letting go of shame and the power of trying again If you're standing at the edge of reinvention, this one's your permission slip to leap. Books discussed: Pink Glass Houses & The Namaste Club Connect with Asha on Instagram @asha.sue.elias Connect with Cari on Instagram @cari.fund Listen to Surviving Roots wherever you get your podcasts.

What if parenthood came with a delegation plan, a support team, and a mission statement? In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Christine Landis—former CEO turned intentional parenting strategist and founder of Peacock Parent—to unpack how executive-level planning, outsourcing, and mindset shifts can radically reduce burnout and bring joy back to motherhood. We explore: The hidden mental load modern parents carry How to apply "time is money" thinking to family life Why delegating isn't selfish—it's self-preservation How Christine's new membership platform Proxy is helping busy families reclaim joy and rest Christine Landis is a former CEO who sold her global company and retired at 36. She now helps parents stop glorifying burnout and start parenting with presence, purpose, and peace through her revolutionary platform Proxy—a delegation toolkit designed for modern families. 🎁 EXCLUSIVE GIFT FOR SURVIVING ROOTS LISTENERS: Get $100 off your annual Proxy membership and start outsourcing the overwhelm today. Use code: CARIFUNDGIFT at checkout. 🦚 Learn more at peacockparent.com 💻 Hire help with Proxy: peacockparent.com/hire-help 📲 Follow Christine: @peacockparent 🌱 Follow me: @cari.fund

In this soulful episode of Surviving Roots, host Cari Fund welcomes Haitian-born artist and yoga teacher Anick Vorbe, author of the spiritual memoir My Drumbeats. Together, they explore how grief can become a sacred portal of awakening. Anick shares her healing journey through the sudden loss of her brother, her experiences with ayahuasca, and how writing this book became a way to reconnect with her voice, her culture, and her purpose.  We discuss plant medicine, raising conscious children, and what it means to write for the collective. This conversation is a heart-opening reminder that healing isn't about avoiding pain—it's about moving through it. We talked about: How losing her brother launched her into awakening Her journey with ayahuasca and natural healing Raising a son while breaking generational cycles What it means to create from pain, not in spite of it Listen in and rediscover your own rhythm. If you're grieving, growing, or searching for meaning—you'll feel seen in this episode.   Grab Anique's book My Drumbeats on Amazon.  Download my free guide to Bold Self-Growth and Living Visit my website www.cari.fund for more info.  Anick is happy to be part of Rythmia's  Life Enhancement Center's  program. This is her place of choice for ayahuasca.  Interested to learn more about ayahuasca, you can go directly to www.anickvorbe.com or her instagram profile  @anickvorbe. Just select the link and schedule a phone session with a Rythmia Life Enhancement Center representative.    

This week on Surviving Roots, wellness expert and digital fitness mentor Tracy Campoli joins us for an empowering conversation about redefining strength, beauty, and health — especially for women over 40. With over 300,000 YouTube subscribers and a thriving program called Total Body Transformation, Tracy shares her real-life journey from insecure dancer to thriving entrepreneur, wife, and mom.  We explore what movement really means, the myths she's ditching (yes, even cold plunges), and how confidence gets better with age — not worse. Tracy opens up about motherhood, hormones, body image, skincare, HRT, and how to build a consistent life rooted in joy. If you've ever felt disconnected from your body or unsure how to show up in this next chapter — this episode is for you. Tracy has been featured in major media outlets like Good Morning America, The Today Show, ABC7, USA Today, The Daily Mail, and The Sun, and her work has inspired hundreds of thousands of women to reclaim their bodies, confidence, and energy—especially through the unique challenges of perimenopause and life after 40. Follow Cari on Instagram: instagram.com/cari.fund Download Cari's free guide to bold self-growth & living intentionally: https://mailchi.mp/cari.fund/download-resource tracycampoli.com: tracycampoli.com Start TBT! tracycampolimembers.com Follow Tracy on Instagram: instagram.com/tracycampoli

This week on Surviving Roots, I sit down with spiritual healer and author Lauren Courtney to explore what it really looks like to heal from the inside out. Lauren shares her journey from being a medicated teen in New York to becoming a Miami-based energy healer, sound therapist, and author of Glow Up Your Chakras. Together, we unpack the truth about healing highs, spiritual awakenings, reconnecting with your authentic self, and how grief can crack you open to your life's purpose. If you've ever wondered whether you're truly healing or just performing a new version of self-improvement — this episode is for you. We discuss: Chakras, trauma, and self-remembrance The dark side of awakening (and what comes after the "healing high") Why you don't need crystals, ayahuasca, or a guru to start healing Moving from chaos to clarity — one choice at a time Tune in and walk away with inspiration, insight, and the reminder that your power lives in your truth. Listen on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube + more. Connect with Cari Fund on Instagram: @cari.fund Connect with Lauren on Instagram: @iamlaurencourtney Download my free bold self-growth guide at www.cari.fund    

This week on Surviving Roots, I'm joined by Dr. Gertrude Lyons—master coach, podcast host, and author of Rewrite the Mother Code: From Sacrifice to Stardust. Her work is a deep call to reclaim the way we mother—not just our children, but ourselves. With features in The Guardian, Motherly, Thrive Global, Business Insider, and beyond, Dr. Lyons is leading a movement to challenge generational norms, uncover inherited beliefs, and help women rewrite the internal code we've been conditioned to live by. We talk about: The quieter symptoms of the mother wound. How generational trauma shows up in motherhood. Why "doing it all" doesn't equal doing it right. And how to reclaim joy, intuition, and enoughness in your own story. This is a powerful conversation about honesty, boundaries, identity, and breaking free from outdated definitions of caregiving. Whether you're a mother, mothering something, or reparenting yourself—you'll find a piece of yourself in this episode. 🌀 Grab her book Rewrite the Mother Code 🌀 Listen to her podcast Rewrite the Mother Code 🌀 Follow Dr. Lyons on Instagram: @drgertrudelyons 🌀 Follow me on Instagram: @cari.fund 🌀 Download my free healing guide: Free Guide  

This week on Surviving Roots, I'm joined by the one and only Valeria Lipovetsky—a content creator, entrepreneur, podcast host, and mother of three whose grace and grit have built more than just a brand—they've sparked a movement. In this deeply honest conversation, Valeria and I talk about what it means to mother ourselves while mothering others, the silent pressure of perfectionism, and the generational healing it takes to raise kids differently than we were raised. We explore cultural legacies, family dynamics, reconnecting with biological roots, and the emotional journey of writing your truth. This episode is for anyone unpacking their upbringing, redefining strength, and learning to feel joy again. 💫 It's not just about being the perfect mother—it's about becoming the whole woman underneath it all. 🔗 Connect with Valeria Lipovetsky: Website: notalonepod.com Instagram: @valerialipovetsky 🎧 Follow the show + more from me: Instagram: @cari.fund Podcast Site: www.cari.fund/podcastWatch the Episode on YouTube: Cari Fund on YouTube 📥 Free Guide: Download "Bold Self-Growth in 5 Minutes a Day"