"If you want to lay in bed, lay in bed. Just don't stay there." — Tara Storch.

There are moments that split a life into before and after. For Tara Storch, it came on the last run of a family spring break, when her 13-year-old daughter Taylor lost her footing on the mountain. In a hospital room far from home, a nurse knelt beside her and asked a question her family had never once discussed. Their answer would go on to save five lives.

In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, a women's podcast built on real life stories, Tara shares what grief actually felt like in her body, why she and her husband grieved so differently, and the simple advice that brought them back to each other. She talks about the neighbor who showed up without the right words, meeting the people Taylor saved, and building Taylor's Gift Foundation, which now offers free grief support to donor families across the country. It's an honest conversation with a woman who has learned to hold grief and gratitude at the same time.

If you're grieving, or you love someone who is, this one is for you. Listen, and then share it with a woman who needs it. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Cold open: the neighbor who rang the doorbell
01:10 Introduction: Heather welcomes Tara Storch
02:12 Meet Tara: her family, her kids, and becoming a grandma
04:51 The last run of the day in Beaver Creek
06:55 The easiest yes in the hardest week: saying yes to donation
10:19 Grieving alongside two young children
14:43 Giving each other grace to grieve differently
16:24 For the mama who just wants to stay in bed
18:30 How to show up for a friend who is grieving
21:05 Meeting the people Taylor's gift saved
22:21 The messy beginning of Taylor's Gift and "Outlive Yourself"
26:41 Free grief support for donor families
29:06 How listeners can support Taylor's Gift
30:24 Registering as a donor, and why to tell your family
33:01 What Tara wants every listener to hold onto
35:20 Where to connect with Tara Storch

About Tara Storch

Tara Storch is the co-founder of Taylor's Gift, an organization dedicated to supporting families who have lost a loved one who became an organ, eye, or tissue donor. But most importantly, she is a proud mom of three and a grandmother of two sweet little girls. Tara has shared her family's story on national media, including the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and People Magazine. She loves connecting with people, having meaningful conversations, and using her own experiences to help others. When she isn't doing that, you'll find her cheering on the Texas A&M Aggies or playing Mahjong, her newest hobby, with friends. Tara lives in Texas with her husband, Todd, and they recently celebrated 33 years of marriage.

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This episode is sponsored by:

• Organize 365

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“Why would you want to skip the in-between chapters? Then the book isn’t interesting, and then your life isn’t interesting.” — Romi Menegoni

Romi Menegoni has worn a lot of hats, and a crown is only one of them. She came to the U.S. from Sarajevo at eight years old, booked her first modeling job in third grade, and has spent fourteen years caring for patients as a dental hygienist. This year, she carried all of it onto the Miss California stage as Miss Sonoma County USA.

In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, a women’s podcast built on real life stories, Romi opens up about the sisterhood that happens backstage at pageants, the women’s and children’s health clinics she’s championing here in Sonoma County, and why safety is the first conversation she has with any family thinking about modeling. She shares the daily meditation that keeps her grounded between patients, the pinch-me moment she had backstage at New York Fashion Week, and what she’d tell any girl with a dream she’s afraid to chase.

If you’re in the long, unglamorous middle of something you want, this honest conversation is a reminder that the in-between chapters are the story. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.

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Timestamp
00:00 Cold open — Romi on core values, self-respect, and self-confidence
00:45 Welcome to Her Story Unscripted
01:11 Heather welcomes Romi, recording from her car before work
02:44 Fourteen years as a dental hygienist, and training new grads
03:20 Restorative yoga, Miss California, and a big campaign in Malibu
04:47 Why pageants aren’t a beauty contest — and the cause she carried
07:22 Her first modeling ads in third grade, walking set cards door to door
08:44 Album art, band tees, and why her mom pointed her toward pageants
10:58 The sisterhood backstage — “take my earring, take my shoe”
13:15 Six pageants in, and an invitation to Miss International
14:41 Four days of 4 a.m. call times
15:50 Born in Sarajevo, arriving at eight, becoming a California girl
18:59 Advocating for yourself in your own healthcare
21:17 Blending Eastern and Western medicine, and her first yoga class at 16
24:48 Meditating on a yoga mat behind the office every lunch break
27:22 How you actually become Miss Sonoma County USA
31:21 Showing up for Sonoma County, and the need people don’t see
35:48 Why safety comes first for girls entering modeling and pageants
41:00 The sisterhood that shows up long after the pageant ends
43:08 Her pinch-me moment backstage at New York Fashion Week
45:52 What she’d tell a girl with a dream on her heart
49:54 Finish what you started — and keep watering the garden
51:25 Thank-yous from a Starbucks parking lot in Santa Rosa

About Romi Menegoni

Romana “Romi” Menegoni is a Bosnian-Italian editorial fashion model, philanthropist, clinical health professional, and pageant girl. She has been featured in magazines internationally since the early ’90s and models for beauty ads, fashion campaigns, and beauty commercials. A former Miss California USA contestant, Romi currently holds the title of Miss Sonoma County USA and plans to keep competing for the Miss USA and Miss Universe titles.

When she isn’t modeling, Romi works full time as a Registered Dental Hygienist, serving patients in her community and taking her role as a healer to heart. She also teaches restorative yoga to private groups, creating safe spaces for teenagers and women to heal through movement and meditation. A supporter of A21, Romi believes you can create sunshine in your community no matter the circumstances, and her heart is with women and children wherever life takes her.

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"It's a moment in time. It's not your whole life." — Liz Benditt

The first time, it was a mole her mom wouldn't stop nagging her about. Liz Benditt finally went to the dermatologist just to get some peace, and a few days later she got the call: melanoma. Over the next fourteen years, she would hear the words "you have cancer" five more times.

In this episode of Her Story Unscripted, a women's podcast built on honest conversations with women, Liz shares her real life story with warmth, humor, and zero sugarcoating. She talks about the people who showed up for her, the second opinion that gave her a voice in her own care, the well-meaning gifts that missed the mark, and the friend who told her she didn't have to be strong. She also opens up about founding The Balm Box in her 40s, the pivot that made it work, and why trusting her own instincts became the lesson of this chapter of her life.

Whether you love someone in treatment or you're the one everyone expects to stay positive, Liz's story will make you feel a little more understood. New episodes every Thursday on all major podcast platforms.

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Timestamp
00:00 Cold open — "Trust your judgment, trust your insight"
00:41 Welcome to Her Story Unscripted
01:07 Heather welcomes Liz
02:26 Six cancers, one survey, and the gap she set out to close
03:34 Heather's best friend, and not knowing what to give
05:42 Cancer #1: the mole her mom wouldn't stop nagging her about
06:45 The phone call, and the mom who got off the plane
09:57 Why she never skips her yearly skin check
12:07 Cancer #2: thyroid, and the unexpected gift of time
13:45 Jello shots, and acknowledging the yuck
14:28 Cancer #3 and why a second opinion changed everything
18:39 Two breast cancers, and becoming her friends' go-to
20:50 Radiation, pink stuffed animals, and the great deodorant hunt
22:09 Taking her own comfort into her own hands
26:08 "You don't have to be strong"
26:32 Why cancer isn't a "journey"
28:44 Starting a business in her 40s
31:21 The pivot: from subscriptions to gifts
34:53 From the guest room to a warehouse
35:59 Inside the boxes, and the nonprofits behind them
40:12 Manufacturing, and Andy, her "best friend"
42:32 20,000 boxes and counting
43:53 Trust your instincts, use your network
46:30 Where to find Liz
46:52 Wrap-up

About Liz Benditt

Liz Benditt is a senior marketing executive with more than 25 years of professional experience and the President and CEO of The Balm Box. After facing six different cancers over the past 15 years, Liz brought together her expertise as a marketer and her experience as a patient to launch TheBalmBox.com, offering functional self-care and gift packages for people going through cancer treatment. She also teaches undergraduate marketing courses at the University of Kansas School of Business, and is a public education and nonpartisan political advocate who serves on the board of directors of the Mainstream Coalition. Liz lives in the Kansas City metro with her husband, their two kids, and one terrible dog.

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