The Story Behind the Her Story Unscripted Rebrand

"We all have a story to tell. We all have journeys, we've all been through things — and some of us are worse than others. But we all have a story to tell." — Heather Nelson

There's something that happens when a woman decides to stop performing and just say it the way it actually is. No script. No polish. No waiting for permission. For Heather Nelson, that decision didn't arrive all at once — it built slowly over five years of sitting across from women who had the courage to share the messy, real, unfiltered truth of their lives.

In this very first episode of Her Story Unscripted, Heather pulls back the curtain on the rebrand — and everything that led to this moment. She shares the honest, unscripted story of why she podcasted for five years under a name she never fully loved, what finally pushed her to start fresh, and the mission that has been quietly driving her since the very beginning — creating a space where women can show up as they are and say what they actually mean.

If you've ever felt like you were performing a version of yourself instead of living as the real one — this is the conversation you didn't know you needed. Heather isn't here to give advice or hand you a roadmap. She's here to sit with you, ask the questions nobody else thinks to ask, and remind you that your story matters exactly as it is.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The lunch conversation five years ago that made me realize women needed a space to tell their real stories
• Why I never fully loved the name Life Conversations with a Twist — and what finally made me let it go
• The months-long rebrand process that pushed me to get clear on my mission, my values, and who I'm really doing this for
• How the name Her Story Unscripted came together — and the quiet, powerful reason the word "unscripted" felt so right
• Where I'm headed with this podcast, what you can expect going forward, and why I believe women sharing their true stories is one of the most powerful things we can do

Episode Highlights

• 0:00 – The moment that started it all — women and their unscripted stories
• 0:28 – Welcome to Her Story Unscripted — the new brand intro
• 0:55 – Heather kicks off the launch episode
• 1:19 – Introducing the rebrand from Life Conversations with a Twist
• 1:56 – Five years in hospitality and the conversations that wouldn't leave her
• 3:55 – Why women's stories needed a space — the heart behind the podcast
• 5:06 – How Life Conversations with a Twist was born
• 5:36 – 200+ episodes, 160 women, and what kept Heather going
• 7:14 – The Connection Hive, Set & Strike, and finding what truly fuels her soul
• 10:02 – The decision to rip the band-aid and start fresh
• 11:21 – Naming a podcast — why it had to be perfect
• 12:03 – The moment Her Story Unscripted clicked
• 13:09 – Why "unscripted" matters — women, silence, and permission to be real
• 15:01 – What's coming — new look, new energy, big goals
• 17:17 – Thank you, and what you can do to help this podcast grow
• 19:20 – Solo episodes, Heather's personal story, and what's ahead
• 22:09 – Final thoughts — see you next Thursday

Meet Your Host: 

Heather Nelson is the host of Her Story Unscripted and founder of The Connection Hive, a business strategy and community brand rooted in the belief that real connection changes everything. A connector by nature and a storyteller at heart, Heather has spent over 25 years in the hospitality industry — and more than five years creating a space for women to share honest, unscripted conversations about life, growth, and the experiences that have shaped who they are. She lives in Sonoma County, California, where she's raising a blended, biracial family, running two businesses, and podcasting with her whole heart.

Connect with Heather: 

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Youtube

Transcript

Us, as women, we feel like we have to show up and say things a certain way. We are told, and we've grown through life being quiet, that we can't speak our mind. That men always led first, and it was this like no-no of women being authentic and talking about their story. 

Heather Nelson: Welcome to Her Story Unscripted. I'm your host, Heather Nelson, a connector, business strategist, and someone who truly believes that the most powerful conversations happen when we stop performing and start being real. This podcast is a space for women to share honest, unscripted conversations about life, growth, and the experiences that have shaped who we are. No perfectly polished narratives, no pressure to have it all figured out, just real, authentic stories told exactly as they are. 

Hi everyone, welcome to Her Story Unscripted. My very first episode under the new brand, and I am so excited. I have so much to fill you in on. I have so much that I want to talk about, and so welcome. Buckle in, grab a cup of coffee, grab a water, go out on a walk, whatever it is, tune in. I'm just so excited. I am so full of joy, and I'm just gonna dive right in. 

So if you're new to the podcast, welcome. My name is Heather Nelson. Formally, my last podcast name was Life Conversations With a Twist, and we will talk about what that entails. But I just redid my whole entire podcast. The concept will stay the same. The name is different, the brand is different, and the goals are so much more different, and so I'm just so excited. This has been so much work, and I will dive into what that looked like. But again, if you're new, I have been podcasting for five years, so I don't even know where to start. 

So let's fast forward five years ago where the concept of me being a podcaster even came about. So if you don't know my journey, I have been in the hospitality space for over 25 years. I've worked in hotels, restaurants and rental companies. I've supported so many different people in our industry. And what kept happening is, every time I would show up to a meeting, I'd sit down, I'd meet someone for the first time, usually women, and we would get to talking and getting to know each other, and then they would tell me their whole entire life story. I mean, things that they might not have shared with other people, but I've created this energy to allow people to kind of tell me a lot. I've always been the sound reward for not even just women and what they've gone through, but just in life. I've built enough trust for people to rely on me to tell me things, or to have candid conversations around how they feel, or how they move forward. So I've always had this kind of coaching mentality. 

Actually. I remember specifically sitting in one lunch meeting, and I had a girlfriend friend through industry, but also became really close to tell me about her journey with her child who had autism and learning disabilities, and all the crazy things that her life had, that she had gone through. I just sat there thinking to myself, man, so hard. Especially coming from a place where I haven't experienced anything like that. But there was this moment in time where when she was telling me her story, I'm like, there's got to be other women that are going through the same thing. And not only in just the situation, but all the conversations I had over the years with all of these women about certain things that have come up in their life, whether it's losing their child to cancer, or a victim of sex trafficking, or divorce, or career changes, or hard times with their children, whatever it might be. 

Us, women, we go through a lot, and we're not alone. We're not the only ones dealing with this, so I'm like, how can I create a space where I have women who are ready to share their story, to talk about what they've learned, to talk about their journey. And also, I think the most important thing is how they've come out on the other side? Because sometimes when you're in the mess of a hard situation, it's really hard to see the other side, and how a positive thing could come out of something so horrible, or something so hard, or something so challenging. But there's this beautiful moment that happens on the other side where growth happens, and empowerment happens. And so, how can I create a space that we can have these conversations and be able to inspire and empower other women who might be going through the same thing? Or to create a space where, oh, my gosh, this lady has gone through this. I would love to connect with her. Maybe she has resources on how I can get through X, whatever the situation might be. So that is really the brainchild and the heart that I wanted to come to the table with these podcasts, and these interviews, and these guests. 

So five years ago, I was like, I had this idea. I want to be a podcaster, and how do I create conversation? So that's where the name Life Conversations With the Twist came about. The reason why it started that way is because ideally, what I had envisioned for the brand was come over to my house, let's sit down in my lounge with a glass of wine, and have these conversations. That's what I really wanted. That feeling to be, and that twist was that one hard thing that you had gone through. 

Fast forward five years, I've had over 200 episodes. So I've interviewed about 160 women all over the world. A lot of my guests have been here, local to Sonoma County, which is where I live. But then also, I've expanded all over the world, and it has been truly something so special to me. Because not only has it inspired me, but I get DMs all the time. Or I see people out and about, and they're like, your podcast is so inspiring. It's what I need. It makes me feel less alone. And so that is why I've continued to do it. So to be super transparent, I've never loved the name Live Conversations With a Twist, for some reason. When I say it, it was just too long. And when you hear it, you kind of understand maybe what it's about. But I really wanted the new brand name to be something that I can say one time, and you know exactly what you're going to show up, and what this podcast is all about. 

So this all started about a year ago. I had this idea, I really think I do a rebrand. I just want to elevate it again. After you've been podcasting for five years, every single week for five years, the consistency, I have that down. But where I really wanted to see growth is to make this podcast even bigger, even better, have even more crazier stories on. I want to broaden my reach. I want this podcast to go international and beyond. I really want it to be this thing that I'm known for. 

I've been battling with certain parts of my career. I still love leaning in. I also own a business called the Connection Hive, which is all about helping and supporting small businesses in the hospitality space, create some strategy, and know how to move their business forward creating relationships and collaborations. And so I've been doing a lot of work in that. But when I really sit with it, it's something that I'm passionate about, and I know I have so much experience and so much to share with the world, but there was still something missing in my heart. I also have an event labor company, which is called Set & Strike, and that is an event labor company here in Sonoma County, Napa County. We support people in our industry for labor needs. So we work with a lot of wineries, venues and festivals, and anybody who needs labor support. I love that business because it keeps my foot in the door in hospitality, and it allows me to be a business owner, learn, and do payroll, and kind of feed that entrepreneur soul that I have. And so that has been so fruitful, and I love it. 

It's been our biggest money maker in all of our businesses, so I'm continuing to lean into that. But I was struggling last year . What is next for me? The connection hive, I love, but it wasn't fueling the soul. Set & Strike is great, but it's again, not something that I'm super passionate about. So the podcast is something that I've always been passionate about. It's something that I truly love. It's something that, every time I interview a woman, I feel like she is on my podcast that day for a reason. Whatever it is that she is gonna pour out into my guests, she's like pouring into my heart, and it's exactly what I need in my life for that day. 

And as I've been transitioning into this new brand, I haven't been interviewing as much. I just started this last week of interviewing again, and my heart and energy is so different. I didn't interview for like three months, and I was like, God, something's missing. There's not that drive there anymore. There's not that passion there. I'm like, what is it? And I realized that it's all about not having my people, my interviews. I didn't have anybody here to feel my cup, and so that's when I really knew that podcasting is where I want to be. I am such a curious person by nature. I love having conversations with women. I love having hard conversations. I love learning. I love asking questions to peel back the onions to understand a little bit more about their story, where they come from, and what they've learned from it. I think that's something that naturally comes to me, which is why I think podcasting is exactly where I want to be. 

So as I sat here last year, I was like, I need to do something different. I was like, I just want to rip the band aid off and start fresh. I mean, I have so much content. I have so many amazing interviews that people will still have access to, but how do I elevate it? And so I was fortunate to get into this small mastermind class that I use to grow The Connection Hive and kind of build out that business. And they also offer a rebranding package. I've been working with them since, oh, I think it's been since like November when we started the process. And what I loved about this process is it really made me sit down and understand what my mission is. What are my values? What do I need to lean into? Where do I want to put my energy? Who are the guests that I want to have on? What is the story that I want to tell? Who are my competitors? Who is somebody that I look up to? I want to not do the same thing, but use it as a foundation. So we did all this work, it was like pages, and pages, and pages of research, and really exploring everything. And so it was such a cool process to be a part of. And so once that's done, which takes a while, it goes into the branding world. 

And let me tell you, naming a podcast, naming a business is like naming your child. It had to be the perfect name. And I knew once I heard it, it was going to be like, yes, that's exactly what it is. And I knew I wanted something with authentic and women's stories. And again, how does the name of the podcast, as soon as I say it, people know exactly what it is? And so I think we had hundreds of different words, and one of the words that stuck with me was unscripted. So when I got my first list of names, I would go through and say, yay, nay. And the word unscripted kind of just sat with me. 

I had lunch with one of my best friends, and she was with me when we got the first list. There were so many versions of authentic unscripted or something with her story, and so it was kind of her idea and us talking together to be like, ooh, her story unscripted. And I was down to a few others. I had them listed on my whiteboard for weeks, had it on my whiteboard in my kitchen because I wanted to keep looking at them, and I wanted to see which one resonated with me, and I landed on her story unscripted> And the reason I did that is because there's lots of reasons. But I think the main reason was us as women, we feel like we have to show up and say things a certain way. We are told, and we've grown through life being quiet, that we can't speak our mind. That men always kind of led first, and it was this like no-no of women being authentic and talking about their story. 

I think back to all the shows that I've watched, like Queen Elizabeth, and they were so miserable, and they were so unhappy. So many horrible things happened to them. And you think about all these things that are coming out with the Epstein files, and women have been told to be quiet. Or whatever story they tell has to be a lie, or has to be made up. It can't be the real truth. And so what I loved about the word unscripted is that it allows women to show up unscripted. And even when I interview a guest, I don't give them a list of questions. I'm like, I might give them a topic that I want to lean into based on what I know about them, or what they've told me about them. But I really want it to be these organic, authentic conversations about their life. And I want them to show up unscripted. I don't want them to show up and say, well, I have to say this because X, Y, Z. No, I want you to show up and be truthful, and authentic, and the real you, and so that is where the unscripted kind of came in. 

And I, for years since I've been doing podcasting, every time I meet somebody and they talk about themselves and their stories, I'm like, you have a story to tell. We all have stories to tell. We all have journeys, we've all been through things, and some of us are worse than others. Some are really traumatic, or grieving, or a lot of messiness in between. But we all have a story to tell. And so that is where Her Story Unscripted came because I want a woman to show up and tell their story unscripted, authentic. Let's be like, no bullshit. Let's just lay it all out there, have those hard conversations and talk about the things that people don't necessarily talk about or ask. And I am so willing to ask those questions. I feel like over the years, I've gotten better about how I asked them to make them feel comfortable. So that is the new name, Her Story Unscripted, welcome. 

So again, still a similar concept to what I've done over the past five years. But really just a new name, a new look, a new feel, new fresh. You'll start to see on my social media. I went through old graphics that I used or old old ways of doing things, and so it was kind of cool to explore the journey of where I was when I first started to where I am today. And I truly believe that us women can lead the world in a different place. And I think that there is something super special about women showing up and being their true selves to inspire and empower others. I think the more we do that, and the more we feel comfortable doing that, the more powerful we are together, and the more change can happen in this world. So that is my mission, and that is what I want to continue to do. 

I keep putting out there in the world, I want to be like the next Mel Robbins. Not necessarily what her podcast is or what it's about, but how she is known for. That's what she's known for. I want to be known as a podcaster. I have so many big goals in this podcasting space. I want to be the number one podcaster here in Sonoma County. I want to be a top podcaster. I want to be asked to interview people. I truly love this work, and I want to continue to do it, and so it's been such a process. 

Once we came up with the name, that was one of the things I fed the branding team is my colors, my feel, my looks, as you can see by my background, this is me. I love black and white. If you don't know me, I love leopard print. I love green plants. So you'll see a lot of that in my branding, and it truly feels like me. I can't wait to get it out in the world. I can't wait to continue to have these powerful women coming on the podcast to tell their story. There's so much I see for this podcast. And taking a break from The Connection Hive and really leaning into the podcast, I know that it can be so much more. So you're going to see more social media from me, you're going to see more emails from me. This will be my focus. This is what I'm set out to do. This is the work that I want to continue to do. 

I just want to say thank you. If you've been a listener through my last five years, thank you. Thank you for consistently showing up each week. What I really would hope from everybody here is that if you listen to an episode or you think some of these stories resonate with someone in your life, please share it with them. This is how the podcast grows, right? I think that my growth has been great, but I think I have room for so much more, and I'm on a mission to get there. So again, please subscribe to this, and share it on social media. Again, if there's a story that resonates with you, put it out on social, get it out there, leave a review, do all the things to support. Because again, that's how I'm able to grow. That's how I can get even more amazing guests on this podcast, and so much more. So that is kind of what you're gonna expect from me. 

In my last podcast, I also did some solo episodes. Obviously, this is a solo episode, but this is my launch episode so I wanted to give everybody a little taste of what is to come, and what has gone on behind the scenes. So please continue to show up and support this. And there was a reason why I said that, and it will come back to me. But I'm just so excited. I'm just so excited. This has been such a process between the branding, and then the look and feel. 

And then I got a photo shoot done. I got to work with my amazing friend Alicia Park, shout out to her, who's done all of my branding photos. She came into my home because my home is a beautiful place, and it feels just like me. And so it was really fun to do a photo shoot here in my office and in my living room, and so I just am really thankful for her. And the vision she sees it is super exciting. So you'll see more of that. I know what I was getting at. 

I wanted to talk about the solo episodes versus the regular episodes. My mind is all over the place because I'm so excited. So it was Life Conversations With a Twist. I obviously interviewed mostly people, but I would pop in from time to time to do a little check-in. Or if there was something that happened in my life that I felt the need to talk about, I haven't decided if I want to do that or not because most of my downloads and the listeners like the interview style. But I do think that there is some power in me talking through some of my own personal things. 

If you, again, are new here, or just kind of tuning in, or haven't listened to a lot of podcasts, I'm rooted here in Sonoma County. I have four children, a blended family. I have a stepdaughter who's out in college. I have a daughter who's in high school. A son in middle school. And a little four year old who's in TK. I've been through divorce. I remarried. I'm working through a blended family. I have a biracial family husband. Our family is biracial. I've been through a surrogacy journey and about to go down my second. I'm an entrepreneur. I have two businesses. I'm a podcaster. I'm very connected to the community. So that's just a little bit about me. I think there's a lot of things that I've done that I think others can get a lot of value from, and so I still might pop on from time to time to do a little solo episode, maybe it's like a check-in. I still haven't figured out what that is. 

I also have played around with maybe doing a little surrogacy season when I get through what we're going through. That's again another podcast. But I do think there's a lot of value in having other people in the surrogacy space, whether they are a surrogate, or an attended parent, or somebody that's in the health system, or an agency talking about what that is, because I think that's another topic that needs to be talked about more. So those are all kind of in the works at the moment, but I'm here for this podcast. I cannot wait to see it grow again. 

I am just so thankful for everybody who's shown up and supported me. And if you're new, welcome. I hope you enjoy what you hear. Again, reviews are super important. If there's a guest in your world, or somebody in your world that you think their story needs to be heard, please have them reach out to me. I'm definitely open to any and all guests. I've been very lucky enough that I get reached out to on a daily basis with guests from all over the world, but I do find value, and there's certain topics that I think resonate more. I have my pulse on what's going on in the world. I have a pulse about what's going on in our communities. I have a pulse on what women need right now. And so when I am finding guests, I really want to lean into what I know people want to hear, and then ask the questions that we want to know, so that is my focus on how I interview people. 

So thank you again. I know I rambled. I hope I made sense again. There's just so much excitement behind this new brand, and I already have so many episodes recorded that are coming at you. They will still be released on Thursdays. You're gonna get so much social media and emails from me. Sorry, not sorry, but I just want to get the word out there and share these beautiful stories, so thank you again. I can't wait to see you next week. 

That's a wrap on today's episode of Her Story Unscripted. Is something you heard today made you feel a little more seen, a little less alone, or just got you thinking that's exactly why we're here? If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to share it with another woman in your life who needs to hear it. And if you haven't already, make sure you subscribe wherever you listen, or catch us on YouTube so you never miss a conversation. I'm Heather Nelson. Thank you for being here, for listening, and for showing up for real stories. I'll see you next week.