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A single afternoon changed everything. Lisa Regina—actor, filmmaker, and founder of A Right to Heal—was assaulted by her fiancé, then thrust into a tabloid cyclone that made recovery even harder. What followed wasn’t a rebrand; it was a rebuilding. With a legal pad and a pen, she wrote her way out of shock, turned fragments into a monologue, and found a voice that could lift others who felt alone.
We dive into Lisa’s creative roots, the grind of early set life, and the quiet lessons she learned watching James Gandolfini transform before a take. Then we sit with the hard part: the violence, the ER, the media’s appetite for “the shot,” and the slow, stubborn work of healing. From that crucible came a mission—to use storytelling and film as a path back to agency—and an unexpected bridge to veterans. When Retired Army Captain Leslie Nicole Smith stepped onto Lisa’s set, the room felt like a platoon: clear roles, mutual trust, mission focus. That shared DNA led to a bigger idea.
Enter drones. As a Part 107 pilot, Lisa saw how flight taps veterans’ strengths—systems, calm, precision—and created the Veterans Drone Training Program to deliver real credentials, not platitudes. We talk candidly about funding wins and gaps, why aerial skills open doors in film, real estate, inspection, agriculture, and search and rescue, and how disabled veterans can pilot from a chair and still build a business. You’ll hear stories of lives nudged back on course: an Air Force amputee trading Uber shifts for commercial flights, a Marine captain capturing stunning yacht footage to grow his brand.
All of this momentum feeds Heroic Episodes, Lisa’s scripted series executive produced by Joe Mantegna. Framed around a multigenerational military family’s neighborhood bar, the show adapts true veteran stories with heart and honesty, weaving in resource links and spotlighting veteran‑owned businesses. We discuss why independence matters—crowdfunding five dollars at a time to ensure veterans are hired on set and the storytelling stays authentic.
Listen for the practical takeaways on PTS language and support, for the blueprint that connects art to employment, and for the reminder that community is built one skill, one story, one person at a time.

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Visit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTER
Read my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/
Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.com
Watch episodes of my podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76