Today on Vulnerable, I get to chat with Nikki DeLoach. You may remember her from MTV’s Awkward, many Hallmark movies, and as a member of the popular 90’s cult classic show “The Mickey Mouse Club” alongside Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera, to name a few of the iconic cast. I had the pleasure of meeting her at 90's Con.In this episode, Nikki and I reconnect over parenting, caregiving, the healthcare system, and her advocacy efforts with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Mind What Matters, and The Alzheimer’s Association. Nikki has been in the business for decades, from her early days in The Mickey Mouse Club to her girl group Innosense to now being a Hallmark leading lady. She is taking her experience and now writing and producing her own movies with Hallmark. Nikki is part of the new era Hallmark is creating. They are telling more stories that represent their diverse audience. The throughline for Nikki is to tell authentic stories.Nikki also shares her experience grieving her father's passing while working and how that has pushed her to a greater depth of authenticity in her work. She recently starred in A Gift of Peace, exclusively on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, which highlights grief in the midst of the holiday season. Nikki is SO REAL, and I am so appreciative of Nikki sharing her story and life experiences. I know it will encourage anyone to be more honest with themselves and with others.Follow Nikki @nikdeloach on Instagram and @nikkideloach on Twitter. Check out her website here - welcometowhatweare.com.Follow me, Christy Carlson Romano on Instagram @thechristycarlsonromano and TikTok @christcarlsonromano, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and follow Brendan Rooney on  Instagram @thebrendanrooney and TikTok @brendanrooney.Be sure to follow Vulnerable @thevulnerablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok. You can watch the video version on my YouTube channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.