Welcome to Hard Beautiful Journey, where vulnerability is our strength and courage is our compass. Hosted by Tiff Carson, who has walked a difficult path of her own, this podcast is a beacon of healing and hope. My mission? To create a space where we can talk openly about life’s hardest moments and the incredible strength it takes to move through them. If you’ve seen my podcast cover, you’ll notice a heart that’s broken, covered in ashes—but also healing. That heart represents the journey we all face. It’s through the cracks that the light shines in, and it’s in that light we find our way out of the dark. On this journey, I share my 7 pillars that guide us through healing: 1. Use Your Voice – Speak your truth and break the silence. 2. Love Your Story – Embrace your past, your pain, and your power. 3. Ignite Your Gratitude – Find the light even in the darkest moments. 4. Honor Your Body – Care for the vessel that carries you through it all. 5. Awaken Your Joy – Seek out the moments of laughter and joy, even when it feels hard. 6. Find Your Tribe – Build your community and lean on others. 7. Nurture Your Soul – Feed your spirit with what heals and uplifts you. Here, we dig into stories of grief, trauma, addiction, resilience, and overcoming loss, as well as the beautiful parts of life—like discovering inner strength, finding joy, and connecting with others in deep, meaningful ways. You’ll hear from people who’ve faced incredible challenges and emerged stronger, as well as those who are still in the process of healing. Together, we’ll explore what it means to rebuild after life knocks you down, and how to rise again, more whole than ever before. This community is for anyone on their own hard and beautiful journey. It’s for those who want to learn, grow, and feel less alone in the process. The Hard Beautiful Journey isn’t just a podcast—it’s a shared experience, built on these 7 pillars, and I’m so grateful to have you along for the ride.
Episodes
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Tuesday May 18, 2021
There are two things I hope to come from this episode….the first is that you will get so much value from it for you and your family and the second is that you will SHARE it with as many people as humanly possible.
This episode is a “lighthouse” and I don’t know about you, but lighthouses have always signified safety and comfort….Gena Peth is back for the third instalment of our 3 part series to talk about the incredible program that she has developed to help families work together to set up social and emotional support systems, provide social technology training, and implement the right technology strategies that will help build a positive online experience and encourage open family communication.
She will also talk about an amazing collaboration that she has started with my friend and previous guest Craig Gustafson. You’ll want to hear about this!
Join Gena in her Facebook Group to learn more about Conversational Parenting. Her links are:
https://informationalimpact.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2699345530310116/
Thursday May 13, 2021
Thursday May 13, 2021
Today on the show I have Gena back to continue her story and she is joined by her step-son Bradly.
They are here to talk about the step-family dynamic they experienced including some very difficult circumstances. But they will also share some of the triumphs that have also come out of their journey.
I am so honored that they have chosen to share their Hard Beautiful Journey with me and my audience. It isn't easy to talk about some of these hard times but I know it brings so much healing when you do.
Join Gena in her Facebook Group to learn more about Conversational Parenting. Her links are:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2699345530310116/
Tuesday May 04, 2021
Tuesday May 04, 2021
I have been wanting to share this story with you for about 8 months!
My friend Gena is here - I first heard her story back in August 2020 and knew that it needed to be shared with the world. When she told me her story I was left speechless (and for me that’s hard)….but it also made me realize how having perseverance and a faith in God, you can survive and thrive in ways you didn’t believe was possible.
This story is about escaping something in your life that you thought defined you and coming out the other side stronger than ever.
Certain people are placed in your life at the exact moment that they are needed for your journey - and I thank God and the universe for putting this woman, this friend, in mine.
Join Gena in her Facebook Group to learn more about Conversational Parenting. Her links are:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2699345530310116/
Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
Today on the podcast I have my good friend Craig Gustafson on the show and I am so grateful that he is here to share his story and his message. I met Craig last year in the Made To Do This program and he was in the mini pod group that met on a weekly basis. He is such an amazing human, I can’t find words to adequately describe his spirit and the love he always shows for his friends and family.
Craig identifies as a social misfit and someone that grew up in an environment with high functioning autism, Aspergers and bi-polar. He has a beautiful message and mission and I can’t wait for more people to hear about it.
You can find Craig on Facebook here and at his website which is https://www.escapingsocialawkwardness.com/.
Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
It's Season 3 KICKOFF!! Thanks for being here for Episode 36!
A personal goal of mine for 2021 was to give a speech - so I enrolled in a program called Shine Bootcamp, which is an 8 week program that teaches you the skills to build and deliver a speech in front of real humans - however, due to Covid this took place over a Zoom screen.
You are given a speaking coach and put in pods to practice your talk and I absolutely loved meeting these other women and my coach Marie. The nerves were REALLLL….oh my gosh. The lead up to the day I gave my talk, I was a nervous wreck! But I knew I wasn’t alone in feeling like this and in some ways that comforted me!
My talk title was “Your Mess Is Your Message” and I am going to play a recording of it on today’s episode!
I hope to one day be able to be invited to speak on more stages and share my story and inspire others to share theirs….to Use their Voice.
Wednesday Mar 03, 2021
Wednesday Mar 03, 2021
Continuing on from last episode, I am excited to recap episodes 26 to 33 and talk about the lessons that I have learned from these guests!
First up is EP26….have you ever ugly snot cried when hearing someone’s story? Well, let’s just say my guest for this episode got to see a whole bunch of snot crying on our zoom call! My beautiful friend Alison joined me to talk about her love story with her late husband Chuck and the grief process since his death. Their love transcends this earth and I know that Chuck is with her while she now travels the country in her pink car and trailer, her Odyssey of Love…in Pink. Alison has an incredible Lovumentary coming out this spring that I am so incredibly excited to see…..I will be sure to spread the news when it is released….Alison reminded me how important love is, not just in a marriage but in everything that we do. Love is it…..when we have that in our lives, anything is possible.
On EP27 I had the honour and privilege to interview Theoren Fleury. One day I gathered allll the courage I could muster up and I made the decision to ask him if he’d be on my podcast to talk about his hard beautiful journey. And obviously he said yes and yes, I screamed OUT LOUD in the Starbucks drive through line when I got the news. And yes, it’s true I legit almost passed out right before hitting the Admit button on our Zoom call. But Theo is someone that makes you feel comfortable and is such an amazing person to talk to. His journey has been more than hard, he’s had immense trauma in his life. But what he has taught me is that even in your darkest times, there is a way out and there is a way to ask for help. He reminded us all that people with mental health challenges are not in the minority, we are the MAJORITY. And it’s time ta stand up for the 5 out of 5.
On EP28 my very dear friend Shawna was here to talk about her very difficult struggle with Anxiety and mental health and how she had to continually advocate for herself until she found the strategies that worked for her. Shawna shared so much great insight, please be sure and check out that full episode if you haven’t already. Shawna reminded me that not everyone has lived your experience so they may not know how to support you the way you expect them to. That hit me hard and made me rethink some relationships I have and I am so grateful for that reminder.
On EP29 I had the absolutely beautiful soul and musician Leah Campbell on the show to talk about her song “Won’t Let You Fall”. If you’ve been listening since the beginning of Season 2 you would have heard this song a few times. I needed to know how that song came to her and unfortunately it came from the death of her friend committing suicide. What Leah taught me is that even in the depths of grief and pain, God is there to show you the next best step and in Leah’s case, he put a pen in her hand and gave her the words to help heal so many people around the world.
On EP30 I had the privilege of interviewing Karen Simba of Livings Works. Living Works is the world leader in suicide prevention training solutions. She summarized the training programs that Living Works offers to train and prepare individuals like me and you, as well as organizations and communities to make a difference, to help save lives. Karen taught me that there are even more ways that one person can help save a person from taking their own life and every one of us can be that life preserver, they are here to help so please consider reaching out to them.
On EP31 my beautiful friend Tyler was here to talk about her journey to finding a mediation and wellness practice that fills her soul and gives her such profound peace, and her mission to help others discover this in their own lives. Tyler taught me a way of thinking about meditating that I hadn’t tried before our interview and since we’ve talked I have implemented and it’s made a huge difference in how long I can now meditate and the quality of my sessions has greatly improved, so thank you friend!
On EP32 my soul sister and beautiful friend Shannon was on the show and yeah, I have so much that I could say about this woman and our conversation. She radiates love and light and I couldn’t be more proud of the work that she is doing and preparing to do. Shannon has a beautiful gift of being able to truly SEE people, to their core and help them realize their full potential. Can you imagine a greater gift than having Shannon as your coach….
On EP33 the incredibly beautiful and joyful Jessica Janzen was on the podcast. Jess radiates PURE JOY and every time I am in the same space as Jessica you can FEEL how passionate she is about so many dang things but most importantly is wanting people to show up in their lives…..show up now, and don’t wait for the tradgedy or wake up call…..wake up now and live your life to the fullest. She also taught me that you can bring joy to other people’s lives by acting on nudges from your heart - you never know whose life you are impacting for the better when you follow those nudges.
When I return in mid April, I will have more great guests as well as episodes where it will just be little ole me giving you my thoughts on a variety of topics. I have a lifetime of stories and experiences that I’d love to share with you. I believe when you use your voice, you ignite your soul to your true purpose. I hope you will consider sharing your story with me and my listeners. If you are interested, please be sure and check out my website at www.mstiffvaughan.com/podcast to submit your story.
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 23, 2021
Tuesday Feb 16, 2021
Tuesday Feb 16, 2021
Have you ever met someone and you instantly felt Pure Joy radiating from them - like there was a giant ball of sunshine surrounding them and lighting everyone up who was in their presence? I have and wow, it’s pretty damn special when you get these opportunities. My opportunity came about 1.5 years ago when I attended a videography & photography workshop. There was this woman in the class with me who I just knew was pretty damn special….
This woman was Jessica Janzen. She came up to me and introduced herself and asked me a couple questions about myself, including about my family and she told me about her three kids, including one in Heaven…..and then she dropped a love bomb on me….She said she had been watching me doing the filming outside and that I had something special….I mean, I just met this person and she made me feel like a million bucks.
I learnt a valuable lesson that day from a complete stranger - you can bring joy to other people’s lives by acting on nudges from your heart to say something kind to someone, to give a smile to a stranger that may need it, to hold the door open for someone, or to just be there to listen when someone needs to talk.
There are so many ways to Bring The Joy and follow the nudges in your heart and Jess is here to talk with us about how she is doing this after experiencing the PROFOUND LOSS from the death of her son Lewiston at 6 months old.
You can follow Jessica on Instagram HERE. You can buy Jessica's book HERE! And don't forget to check out the amazing apparel line at Love For Lewiston and support an amazing foundation HERE
Your Title
This is the description area. You can write an introduction or add anything you want to tell your audience. This can help potential listeners better understand and become interested in your podcast. Think about what will motivate them to hit the play button. What is your podcast about? What makes it unique? This is your chance to introduce your podcast and grab their attention.