Human trafficking survivor and Treasures founder Harmony Dust joins the Team Protectors Podcast for one of the most honest and important conversations we’ve had about trauma, healing, exploitation, and the dangerous myths surrounding the commercial sex industry.

For more than 27 years, Harmony has worked directly with women impacted by trafficking and exploitation. In this episode, she shares how survivor stories can unintentionally become re-exploitative when the focus stays on trauma instead of healing, resilience, and restoration.

Together, Brittany Dunn, Kristi Wells, and Harmony unpack the reality behind “choice” in the commercial sex industry, the connection between pornography and trafficking, the dangers of OnlyFans culture, online grooming, legalization efforts, trauma bonds, and why survivors need long-term support long after the moment of “rescue.”

This conversation is thoughtful, deeply personal, and absolutely essential for parents, leaders, advocates, and anyone wanting to better understand the realities of exploitation in America today.

What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why survivor stories must be shared ethically
The difference between trauma and testimony
How traffickers strip victims of identity
Why many survivors return to exploitative situations
The reality behind “choice” in the commercial sex industry
The connection between pornography, trafficking, and exploitation
Why legalization increases trafficking demand
How technology and OnlyFans are reshaping exploitation
What parents need to know about online grooming
How communities can step in to support survivors

Key moments:
00:00 Harmony Dust on storytelling and survivor dignity
01:58 Why trauma should not define survivor identity
04:00 Ethical storytelling and trauma-informed interviews
08:00 Rebuilding identity after exploitation
10:00 Why “rescue” is often misunderstood
14:00 How Treasures began with handwritten postcards
18:00 The reality behind “choice” in the sex industry
20:00 Harmony explains why legalization increases trafficking
21:00 The TEDx talk that was banned
26:00 The need for holistic survivor services
28:00 How technology and OnlyFans changed trafficking
33:00 What parents need to know about online grooming
36:00 Practical ways anyone can help
40:00 Why pornography is not victimless
41:00 Harmony’s message to anyone feeling overwhelmed by the issue
About Harmony Dust:
Harmony Dust is the founder and executive director of Treasures, a survivor-led outreach and support organization serving women impacted by trafficking and exploitation. For over two decades, Treasures has equipped organizations worldwide to provide trauma-informed support and outreach in strip clubs and related venues.

About Safe House Project:
Safe House Project exists to end child trafficking and restore hope for survivors through prevention, survivor care, and strategic partnerships.

Learn more:
https://safehouseproject.org

Take Action Today:
Download the Simply Report app to help identify suspected trafficking in your community

Learn how to support local survivor-led organizations
Share this episode to help educate parents, leaders, and communities
Become part of the movement to eradicate human trafficking

#HumanTrafficking #TeamProtectors #SafeHouseProject #HarmonyDust #TraumaInformed #SurvivorLeadership #HumanTraffickingAwareness #OnlineSafety #Exploitation #ChildSafety #Parenting #TraumaHealing #EthicalStorytelling #EndTrafficking #SurvivorSupport #AntiTrafficking #TraumaRecovery #ProtectChildren

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What happens when business success no longer fills the void?

In this powerful episode of the Team Protectors Podcast, Brittany Dunn and Kristi Wells sit down with entrepreneur and speaker Stephen Scoggins for a raw conversation about trauma, identity, leadership, faith, and purpose.

Stephen shares his journey from homelessness, childhood instability, and deep personal pain to building businesses that scaled beyond $100 million. But this conversation goes far beyond entrepreneurship.

Together, they unpack the hidden wounds that shape people, the identity crisis affecting society, why leaders struggle to engage with hard issues like human trafficking, and how healing begins with presence, trust, and purpose.

This episode is honest, deeply personal, and full of practical wisdom for leaders, parents, survivors, and anyone trying to build a life that truly matters.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How childhood trauma impacts leadership and identity
• Why so many leaders struggle with purpose despite success
• The connection between vulnerability and exploitation
• How faith and presence helped Stephen survive homelessness and despair
• Why “you cannot scale dysfunction”
• The role business leaders should play in solving major social issues
• How distraction and social media are fueling an identity crisis
• Why trust is the opposite of fear
• The importance of serving “the one” instead of chasing scale

Key moments:
00:00 Stephen Scoggins on business, purpose, and impact
01:48 Growing up in poverty and instability
04:00 Stephen shares a deeply personal experience publicly for the first time
07:00 The power of surrogate parents and “Mama Wama”
11:00 Why presence changes lives
15:00 Identity, self-worth, and social media
18:00 “Be still and know that I am God” as a state of being
21:00 Created worth and serving the person you used to be
24:00 Why leaders sabotage themselves
26:00 Why businesses must make the world better
27:00 The shocking gap between resources and impact
30:00 Why intimidation only exists in isolation
33:00 “Do not despise small beginnings”
38:00 Trust is the opposite of fear
40:00 “You cannot scale dysfunction”

About Stephen Scoggins:
Stephen Scoggins is an entrepreneur, speaker, and business strategist who built and scaled companies beyond $100 million after starting from homelessness and extreme adversity. Today, he mentors leaders on identity, stewardship, presence, and building businesses that create meaningful impact.

About Safe House Project:
Safe House Project exists to end child trafficking and restore hope for survivors through prevention, survivor care, and strategic partnerships.

Learn more:
https://safehouseproject.org

#HumanTrafficking #SafeHouseProject #TeamProtectors #StephenScoggins #Leadership #FaithAndBusiness #PurposeDrivenLeadership #Entrepreneurship #Identity #TraumaHealing #BusinessLeadership #NonprofitLeadership #ChristianLeadership #MentalHealth #HumanTraffickingAwareness #SurvivorSupport #Purpose #Trust #Faith #LeadershipDevelopment

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Most people think human trafficking looks like a kidnapping. It doesn’t.

In this episode of the Team Protectors Podcast, Brittany Dunn and Kristi Wells sit down with survivor and advocate Sonny Von Cleveland to break down the reality of trafficking in America and why so many people are getting it wrong.

Sonny shares his story of abuse, prison, and ultimately transformation, revealing how trauma shaped his life and how one moment changed everything. He explains why trafficking is not about strangers in vans, but about trust, proximity, and access, often involving people victims already know.

This conversation dives into the overlooked victims, especially young boys, and the cultural silence that keeps them from being identified or speaking out. It also explores how technology has become one of the biggest tools predators use today, and why parents need to be paying closer attention.

The discussion goes beyond awareness and into responsibility. From failures in funding to the role of everyday people in identifying trafficking, this episode makes one thing clear: doing nothing is not neutral.

If you’ve ever thought “this doesn’t happen in my community,” this episode will challenge that belief.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why the biggest trafficking myth is putting people at risk
• How predators actually target victims today
• Why boys and men are often overlooked in trafficking conversations
• The role technology plays in modern exploitation
• What real freedom looks like after trafficking
• Why awareness alone is not enough

Download the Simply Report app and be part of the solution. You don’t have to be certain—just concerned.

Like, subscribe, and share this episode to help bring this issue into the light.

#TeamProtectors #HumanTraffickingAwareness #EndHumanTrafficking #SafeHouseProject #StopTrafficking #BeTheChange #ProtectChildren #AwarenessToAction #SimplyReport #TraffickingPrevention

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