There are things we live through that change us.

Things we survive.
Things we choose.
Things we lose.
Things we outgrow.
Things we accomplish that cost more than we expected.
And things we're still learning how to carry.

Some of those experiences become stories we tell.

Others become stories we keep to ourselves.

But somewhere, somebody is living through something you've already lived through.

And sometimes they don't need another expert telling them what to do.

Sometimes they need to hear another person say:

That's why I created 12 Truths.

12 people.
12 lived experiences.
12 truths that deserve to be told.

Because your story may be the truth someone else needs to hear.

Every person has a story.

But not every story comes with a perfect ending.

Not every lesson comes after everything has healed.

And you don't have to have every part of your life figured out before what you've lived becomes valuable to somebody else.

That's not what this is about.

12 Truths brings together twelve individuals willing to speak honestly about the chapters of life that changed them.

The marriage that ended.

The friendship that changed.

The family you love but needed distance from.

The loneliness nobody saw.

The success that came with a cost.

The grief that somehow existed right alongside celebration.

The moment you realized you made it through something, but you didn't make it through unchanged.

These aren't stories being told for sympathy.

And this isn't about who has survived the worst thing.

Because somewhere, somebody needs to know:

I'm not the only one.

There is something powerful that happens when somebody is brave enough to say out loud what another person has only been able to say to themselves.

A story creates recognition.

Recognition creates connection.

And sometimes connection creates enough hope for somebody to keep going, start again, make a different decision, establish a boundary, forgive themselves, or simply realize:

That's the heart of 12 Truths.

Your truth doesn't have to fix anybody.

Your story doesn't have to give someone a five-step plan.

Sometimes telling the truth is enough.

For years, I've stood on stages and shared pieces of my own life.

Not the polished version.

The real version.

I've talked about things I survived, things I got wrong, things that hurt, things that changed me and things I'm still learning from.

And over and over again, I've watched the same thing happen.

Someone would come to me afterward and say:

“Me too.”

That's when I understood something that has stayed with me:

When one person tells the truth, somebody else realizes they can tell theirs.

Permission to acknowledge what happened.

Permission to stop pretending.

Permission to forgive.

Permission to grow.

Permission to begin again.

Permission to admit that maybe they're still figuring some of it out.

That's why I created 12 Truths.

Not to reopen wounds.

Not to package pain.

Not to create twelve perfectly polished stories with perfectly happy endings.

I created it to document what happens when real people tell the truth about what life actually looked like.

Because sometimes your truth becomes somebody else's:

“Me too.”

And sometimes it becomes:

Because beginning again doesn't erase everything that came before it.

Because loving someone and being healthy together are not always the same thing.

Because sometimes loneliness has nothing to do with being physically alone.

Because growth sometimes requires questioning what we were taught.

Because raising children without the partnership you expected changes the journey.

Because divorce can end a marriage without ending a man's commitment to being a father.

Because sometimes maintaining peace for everyone else costs you your own.

Because not every ending needs a villain.

Because joy and grief can exist in the same moment.

Because achieving what you prayed and worked for doesn't mean it came without sacrifice.

Because loving people doesn't always mean unlimited access.

Because survival doesn't always return you to the person you were before.

Maybe you immediately knew which one was yours.

Maybe one made you uncomfortable.

Maybe one made you think about a chapter of your life you haven't talked about in a long time.

Or maybe you thought:

“Whew. I could talk about THAT.”

That's what I'm looking for.

Not perfection.

Truth.

12 Truths is being created as both a documentary and companion book.

Each selected participant becomes part of a body of work designed to preserve these lived experiences and allow them to reach people beyond the original conversation.

Selected participants receive:

Professionally Filmed Documentary Interview
Your story told in your own voice.

Feature in the Official 12 Truths Companion Book
Your truth preserved in print as part of the complete project.

Professional Photography
Images created specifically for the project and publication.

Professional Makeup
Camera-ready preparation for production.

Behind-the-Scenes Production Experience
Participation in the creation of the documentary and book.

Red Carpet Premiere Invitation
An opportunity to experience the completed documentary alongside the other participants and invited guests.

Official Book Signing Experience
A celebration of the stories becoming something tangible that others can hold, read and share.

Most importantly:

The documentary allows people to hear you.

The book allows people to carry your story with them.

You don't have to be famous.

You don't need thousands of followers.

You don't need a degree.

You don't need to be a professional speaker.

You don't have to call yourself an influencer.

And you absolutely do not need to have everything figured out.

I'm looking for people who are willing to speak honestly about something they've lived and understand that their willingness to tell the truth may help another person feel seen, understood or less alone.

Your story doesn't need to be dramatic.

Your life doesn't need to look extraordinary.

And that's okay.

Sharing your story publicly is personal.

12 Truths requires vulnerability, honesty and a willingness to allow part of your lived experience to exist beyond you.

So I don't want someone applying simply because being in a documentary sounds exciting.

I want the person who reads one of these truths and knows:

And now you're ready to talk about it.

There are twelve seats in this project for twelve lived experiences.

Not twelve perfect people.

Not twelve celebrities.

Not twelve experts.

Your story may make someone cry.

It may make someone laugh.

It may make somebody uncomfortable.

It may make someone rethink something they've believed for years.

And it may simply make one person sitting somewhere say:

“Finally. Somebody understands.”

That one person is enough reason for the story to exist.

You've lived it.

You've learned from it.

Maybe you've healed from it.

Maybe you're still learning from it.

But something about your experience could help another person understand their own.

If one of these truths feels like yours, I invite you to apply for 12 Truths.