This is a conversation about identity, family rejection, foster care, faith, transition, dating, politics, difficult questions, and the determination to live as yourself even when the people closest to you refuse to understand.

Chelsea grew up in a Missouri town of roughly 350 people, where everyone knew everyone and being different could come at a steep price.

After a childhood shaped by addiction, violence, and religious expectations, Chelsea discovered what it meant to be transgender through an unlikely source: Jerry Springer. She began transitioning at 15, entered foster care when her family would not take her in, and eventually built a life on her own terms. Today, she speaks candidly about her experiences, from gender-affirming surgery and dating to the disagreements she has with parts of the trans community. Her grandparents, who once rejected her, now proudly call her their granddaughter.

But Chelsea’s story is not just about transitioning.

It is about what it costs to be yourself, why people can change, and what becomes possible when we are willing to have uncomfortable conversations.

In This Episode:

Growing up transgender in a tiny Missouri town
Addiction, incarceration, and a difficult childhood
Being punished for acting like herself
The Jerry Springer moment that changed everything
Starting hormone treatment at 15
Coming out to her Southern Baptist grandparents
Being rejected by family and entering foster care
Finding stability and support through foster care
Becoming the big sister she needed
Learning womanhood without a guide
Dating before, during, and after transition
The difference between attraction and being accepted
Her experience of bottom surgery and recovery
Why she speaks openly about difficult medical realities
Her perspective on transition and detransition
Why she challenges ideas within her own community
Rebuilding trust after childhood rejection
How her grandparents eventually embraced her
Dating conservative men and crossing political divides
Why she wants people to ask uncomfortable questions
Living as a person first, not just a label

ABOUT CHELSEA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tarnishedgf
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tarnishedgf
Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarnishedgf

ABOUT MISFITS AMONG US

Misfits Among Us is a conversation-driven podcast exploring how people develop their beliefs, identities, and worldviews through life experiences.

Every episode dives into real conversations about identity, reinvention, trauma, success, personal growth, belief, risk, and transformation.

No talking points. No safe lanes. No topics off limits.

Because the misfits aren’t rare.

They’re among us.

If you know someone who has a great story and lived a great life, reach out to Misfits Among Us at:

misfitsamonguspodcast@gmail.com

Find Misfits Among Us everywhere:
YouTube: @MisfitsAmongUsPodcast
Apple Podcasts: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/show/3pn5swLh...
TikTok: @misfitsamonguspodcast
Instagram: @misfitsamonguspodcast

This is a conversation about kink, shame, fantasy, relationships, desire, communication, safety, identity, and what happens when someone stops hiding the part of themselves they thought made them strange.

Amanda Dames spent years believing something was wrong with her.

As a child, she knew she was drawn to spanking before she had the language to understand why. As a teenager, she discovered BDSM through late-night television and realized, for the first time, that maybe she was not alone. Years later, she would live a double life: corporate media professional by day, professional dominatrix by night.

But Amanda’s story is not just about kink.

It is about what happens when a hidden part of you becomes impossible to ignore.

In This Episode:

Amanda Dames realizing she was kinky from a young age
Growing up with shame around taboo desires
The difference between a kink and a fetish
Why spanking became central to Amanda’s sexuality
Discovering BDSM through late-night television
Trying to be “normal” in relationships
Marriage, sexual incompatibility, and divorce
Why hidden desires can become overwhelming
Wall Street by day, dominatrix by night
Working inside a New York dungeon
The difference between fantasy and real life
Safe words, role play, and dungeon etiquette
Medical fetishes, spanking parties, and kink conventions
What people misunderstand about BDSM
Why kink is often more innocent than people think
The danger of hiding fantasies for too long
Consent, safety, and hard limits
Why communication matters in relationships
How to bring up kink with a partner
Becoming The Kink Consultant
Helping people remove shame around desire
Finding love with someone who truly understands her
Why being seen matters more than being “normal”

ABOUT AMANDA DAMES
Website: https://www.amandadames.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thekinkconsultant
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thekinkconsultant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_kinkconsultant

ABOUT MISFITS AMONG US

Misfits Among Us is a conversation-driven podcast exploring how people develop their beliefs, identities, and worldviews through life experiences.

Every episode dives into real conversations about identity, reinvention, trauma, success, personal growth, belief, risk, and transformation.

No talking points. No safe lanes. No topics off limits.

Because the misfits aren’t rare.

They’re among us.

If you know someone who has a great story and lived a great life, reach out to Misfits Among Us at:

misfitsamonguspodcast@gmail.com

Find Misfits Among Us everywhere:
YouTube: @MisfitsAmongUsPodcast
Apple Podcasts: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/show/3pn5swLh...
TikTok: @misfitsamonguspodcast
Instagram: @misfitsamonguspodcast

If this story challenged your perspective, subscribe, share the episode, and join the conversation.

This is a conversation about sex, shame, confidence, motherhood, business, intimacy, judgment, freedom, and what happens when someone refuses to apologize for who they are.

Whether you understand Michelena’s life, judge it, admire it, or completely disagree with it, her story raises a difficult question:

What happens when someone stops hiding and starts living completely out loud?

In This Episode:

• Michelena Rose’s childhood on a 400-acre farm in Pennsylvania
• Growing up between strict Italian Catholics and wild biker energy
• Family, acceptance, and open conversations about sex
• Becoming comfortable in her own skin
• Divorce, motherhood, and rebuilding her life
• Entering the adult industry
• Making money through Snapchat before OnlyFans exploded
• Turning confidence into a business
• Becoming a Playboy model
• The business behind OnlyFans
• Fan relationships, attention, and emotional labor
• Sex coaching, massage, and personal boundaries
• The difference between fantasy and real life
• Going viral and being discussed on major podcasts
• Why people are uncomfortable with women who own their sexuality
• Motherhood while working in adult entertainment
• The human being behind the porn star label
• Confidence, shame, freedom, and self-expression
• Building a future beyond adult content
• Never apologizing for her lifestyle

ABOUT MICHELENA ROSE

Personal Website: https://itsmichelenarose.com/

TikTok: @itsmichelenarose

Instagram: @itsmichelenarose

X: https://x.com/michelenarose7

ABOUT MISFITS AMONG US

Misfits Among Us is a conversation-driven podcast exploring how people develop their beliefs, identities, and worldviews through life experiences.

Every episode dives into real conversations about identity, reinvention, trauma, success, personal growth, belief, risk, and transformation.

No talking points. No safe lanes. No topics off limits.

Because the misfits aren’t rare.

They’re among us.

If you know someone who has a great story and lived a great life, reach out to Misfits Among Us at:

misfitsamonguspodcast@gmail.com

Find Misfits Among Us everywhere:
YouTube: @MisfitsAmongUsPodcast
Apple Podcasts: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/...
Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/show/3pn5swLh...
TikTok: @misfitsamonguspodcast
Instagram: @misfitsamonguspodcast