Despite the tremendous hurdles of shame and pain Madeline Ruiz has faced, her passion for empathy has never faded.

In this conversation, we explore the magnitude of shame Madeline endured as a Bolivian/Honduran female throughout her childhood and young adulthood—both inside and outside her culture walls—stemming from her “wifery” grooming; a Mormon upbringing; in-school racism and bullying; and pressures and expectations placed on her as a first-generation Hispanic.

Then, we dive into her super painful, 12-year battle with two hormonal conditions, including endometriosis and PCOS; her tough experiences being undiagnosed and mis-treated for over a decade; the unsettling lack of care that’s given to female health conditions today, especially by male doctors; and her eventual, life-changing road to “recovery.”

And throughout, Madeline exemplifies how crucial it is to think for yourself and challenge “commonly just accepted” philosophies; the immense power therapy, especially culturally-competent therapy, can have on ridding shame; and her long-time love of creativity and commitment to empathy, and how she’s been able to marry these two together in her work as a designer.

** The name of this week's guest has been altered to protect privacy and preserve anonymity.

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov and Serge Quadrado. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.