We made it to the end of Season One, and it still feels surreal. What started as “Danielle and Debbie yapping” turned into something much deeper. In this finale, we look back on eleven interviews filled with laughter, tears, and stories that changed us.

We share how “Worn but Worthy” got its name, the learning curve of recording in the Akron Public Library’s Tech Zone, and the moments with each guest that stayed with us long after the microphones turned off.

We talk about the courage, honesty, and faith we saw in every story, how much we’ve grown and what it has meant to walk through this together as a mother-daughter team.

We also take a minute to thank Nikola, our editor from Serbia, who has been such a gift, and we celebrate the numbers that amazed us this season: more than 1,050 streams, 60 Spotify followers, and listeners from Serbia, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Belgium, Australia, and across the US.

Thank you for listening, sharing, commenting, and showing up for these conversations. This community is such a blessing.

Season Two is coming, and we would love your feedback as we grow and expand the conversations, please take a look at our poll to help us plan.

Worn but Worthy. Brokenness isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning of something beautiful.

In this powerful episode, Karen Freeman shares how her childhood as a “church bus kid,” her battle with breast cancer, and her lifelong drive to serve others have shaped her unshakable faith and compassion.

From those early Sunday bus rides to her years leading urban youth outreach through First Glance, Karen’s story shows how God truly wastes nothing. What began as a simple desire to love students and teen moms has grown into a lifelong calling to create spaces where people find belonging, purpose, and the love of Christ in everyday moments.

Now serving in outreach at Cornerstone Church, Karen continues to live out that same heart for connection and restoration. Her life is a testament to dignity restored, hope rekindled, and grace lived out in the most tangible ways.

In this episode, we sit down with Mark Salchek, a respected voice in the Akron recovery community and one of the driving forces behind Summit Recovery Hub.

Mark Salchak’s story is one of resilience, faith, and redemption. After years in real estate, his life took a different path marked by both heartbreak and hope. A near-homeless encounter on church steps and the later loss of his son became defining moments that shaped his calling to walk alongside others inrecovery.

Mark went on to develop REACH, a peer support initiativethat became a foundation for much of Summit County’s recovery community. Today, through his work with the Summit Recovery Hub, he continues to advocate for people rebuilding their lives with dignity, compassion, and connection.

Mark’s story is one of grief turned to grace, pain transformed into purpose, and a man who refuses to give up on people, continually reminding others of their dignity and worth.

📩 To connect with Mark, email him at Mark.Salchak@summitrco.org

In this special episode of Worn but Worthy, Debbie and Danielle sit down with Elyse Etapa, owner of Thrive Counseling Services, to talk about navigating life in a divided world. Together, they explore how faith and mental health intersect, the power of mindful prayer, why journaling helps calm anxiety, and what healthy boundaries look like in relationships.

Elyse shares practical tools for self-regulation, staying grounded when conversations get heated, and finding unity without losing yourself. This episode is full of wisdom, vulnerability, and hope for anyone trying to walk through hard seasons with grace.

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Contact Elyse Etapa:

📞 330-703-6578

✉️ Email: elyse@thrivecounselingohio.com
🌐 Website: thrivecounselingohio.com

In this episode, we sit down with our friend Caleb Mason, a kind and humble man whose life has been shaped by faith, legacy, and one defining moment that changed everything.

At 25, Caleb was in a tragic car accident that claimed the life of a 16-year-old boy. Through grief and healing, he discovered the power of empathy, listening, and kindness.

In a time when division feels louder than unity, Caleb’s story reminds us that kindness costs something—but it’s always worth it. He shares how to walk with people in their pain, how to move past a victim mindset, and how empathy can open the door to truly seeing one another.

As his grandfather always said: “If you want to be great, be kind.”

Debbie shares one of the most defining seasons of her life as a single mom and the moment of surrender that forever changed her. Alongside her daughter Danielle, she reflects on miraculous provision, the courage to walk away from unhealthy patterns, and the discovery that true worth is found only in Jesus.

The conversation also dives into the unseen weight of walking with a spouse through depression—what it feels like to carry that as a wife, the misconceptions in the church, and the need for greater compassion and awareness around mental health. Together, Debbie and Danielle remind us that even in the hardest seasons, grace meets us right where we are.

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Referenced in this episode:

In the Midst of a Moment by Pastor Jacob Young of Cornerstone Church. This message unpacks how to recognize and faithfully respond to the moments God places before us.

The book Sacred Rhythms invites you into a spiritual journey that nurtures your soul while aligning your daily life with the presence of God.

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion ofsuicidal ideation and mental health crisis. Please listen with care.

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, Jesse Coontz—founder of Moms on Target—shares her story not from the other side of healing, but from the thick of the struggle. As a mom of four and a leader who has helped so many others, Jesse opens up about the dark moments when she believed her family might be better off without her—and what it means to keep waking up anyway.

From a childhood filled with instability and the quietkindness of church communities, Jesse reflects on how seeds of hope were planted early—and how they continue to carry her today. Her story is a testimony to the power of those small acts of love, the prayers of neighbors, and the truth that God wastes nothing. Even when we don’t see the fruit right away, the seeds matter.

Those early experiences also shaped her ability to recognize safe people as an adult—a gift that has helped her discern where to rest, where to open up, and where to protect her heart.

Jesse’s willingness to speak honestly from the middle of herpain is exactly what so many women need to hear. This isn’t a highlight reel. It’s the real, raw truth about the weight of motherhood, ministry, and mental health. And through it all, the quiet thread of hope remains: you are not alone, and you are worthy of love, help, and another day.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re at the end of your rope—this episode is for you.

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Visit Moms on Target

When everything fell apart — his marriage, his friendships, his sense of self — Tim Seeman thought there was no way forward.

In this episode of Worn but Worthy, Tim shares his raw journey from being a high-functioning alcoholic to finding freedom in faith and community. He opens up about the defining moment that led him to The Refuge, a men’s ministry in southern Ohio, and what it was like to rebuild his life after divorce and years of drinking. Through the darkest days of isolation and loss, Tim held onto a thread of hope — and discovered how faith, community, and “doing the uncomfortable” helped him become the husband, father, and leader he is today.

Tim’s story is both unflinchingly honest and deeply hopeful — a reminder that even in the most worn seasons, we are still worthy of redemption.