What happens when the world sees your success—but never sees the struggles happening behind the scenes?In this powerful episode of Bent Not Broken, Coach Deborah sits down with singer, songwriter, author, and educator Machan Taylor, whose extraordinary career has included performing with legendary artists including Pink Floyd, Sting, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, and Aretha Franklin.But behind the applause was a woman struggling to understand where she belonged.Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and American military father, Machan moved to the United States at just four and a half years old. Growing up in New Jersey in the years following World War II, she experienced discrimination and struggled with identity, belonging, and the emotional impact of leaving her extended family and culture behind.Those early experiences were only one layer of what Machan calls her “layer cake of trauma.”She later grew up in a dysfunctional home with an alcoholic father and carried many of those childhood wounds into adulthood—even while building a successful career and performing in front of enormous audiences.Machan shares something particularly powerful: you can appear confident and successful on the outside while questioning your worth on the inside.At the height of her career, she sometimes stood in front of hundreds of thousands of people while battling imposter syndrome and wondering whether she truly belonged.Her personal life eventually brought another painful chapter. Machan opens up about leaving an abusive and controlling marriage, hitting what she describes as rock bottom, and spending years rebuilding her life and rediscovering herself.Today, at 70, Machan's perspective couldn't be more different.Rather than believing her best years are behind her, she's writing, creating, exploring speaking opportunities, working on a possible screenplay, and looking forward to what's next.Her message is simple and powerful:Whatever your goals are, whatever your dreams are—go after them. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.In This Episode, You'll Hear About:Moving from Japan to America as a young child and struggling to belongThe lasting effects of childhood trauma and family dysfunctionBuilding an extraordinary music career despite deep insecurityPerforming with Pink Floyd and other legendary artistsExperiencing imposter syndrome even at the height of successHow our childhood experiences can influence our adult relationshipsLeaving an abusive and controlling marriageHitting rock bottom and rebuilding your lifeBreaking unhealthy relationship patternsThe role of forgiveness and acceptance in healingWhy writing her memoir, Naked Out Loud, became part of Machan's healing journeyFinding your voice personally—not just professionallyReinventing yourself and starting over later in lifeWhy turning 70 has left Machan feeling energi

Naked Out Loud: Machan Taylor on Healing Trauma, Finding Her Voice & Starting Over

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