Helping Heal Through Storytelling

Highlands Resident Kim Marshall Launches “#L.A. Rising: Stories of Healing, Help & Hope” Podcast

By AUDREY SMITH | Intern

In the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Kim Marshall, a 30-year resident of the Highlands, wanted to help her community heal through storytelling.

A veteran podcaster and wellness advocate, Marshall launched “#L.A. Rising: Stories of Healing, Help & Hope” just two weeks after the fires began.

“As a communications expert for my entire career and a podcast host and producer for the past five years, telling stories is my skill and wellness is my specialty,” she told the Palisadian-Post. “This podcast about healing, help and hope is something meaningful that I can offer to help find the light in a very dark situation.”

Marshall donates 20% of the podcast’s proceeds to The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, a nonprofit that provides peer counseling and mental health support for students.

Marshall’s roots in the Palisades are deep: She and her husband, Laz Bello, were married on the bluffs off Marquez Avenue. She launched her business in the Palisades in 1995, and her son attended both Marquez Charter Elementary and Palisades Charter High schools.

Though her home in the Highlands survived the fire, she explained it is currently uninhabitable. She is temporarily living in Marina del Rey.

Since its launch, “#L.A. Rising” has featured a diverse range of guests, including Honorary Town Sheriff Sam Laganà, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Altadena Poet Laureate Lester Graves Lennon and Malibu-based author and filmmaker Kathy Eldon, founder of the Creative Visions Foundation. Marshall has also hosted Kehillat Israel Senior Rabbi Amy Bernstein and Master Registered and Consulting Arborist Carl Mellinger.

One of her most recent guests was U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Eric Swenson, who led the government-run debris removal program, at the conclusion of his mission. He spoke on “the rarely heard, deeply human side of disaster recovery,” read the episode description, “building trust with survivors, walking them through their darkest hours and leading teams that not only cleared debris but helped recover priceless memories from the ashes.”

In the first episode of the podcast, “Fires, Fears and Finding Hope: The Birth of #L.A. Rising,” published January 24, Marshall detailed a “deeply personal and emotional journey” through the fires. She spoke on her personal escape story, “highlighting the quick decisions and moments of grace that define such crises.”

“Every episode is an act of witnessing and of service,” Marshall said. “It’s not just about telling stories. It’s about making people feel seen, giving them resources and offering hope.”

Each episode includes a “Wellness Lift”—a segment drawing on Marshall’s background in holistic health. Experts share tools for navigating trauma, including breathwork to reduce stress and anxiety, contrast bathing for smoke exposure, and guidance on processing grief.

“I wanted each episode to not just inform, but also help listeners feel a little better,” Marshall explained.

While the podcast highlights stories of loss, its true focus is on resilience, recovery and the power of community. Looking ahead, Marshall said she hopes “#L.A. Rising” can serve as a model for other impacted communities.

“The only way we survive this is by helping each other,” she said. “If this podcast helps even one person feel better, then I’ve done my job.”

For more information, including a link to steam the episodes, visit larisingpodcast.org.