04/08/2026
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-a-chiropractor/id1747980768?i=1000760246544
In this episode of Conversations with a Chiropractor, Dr. Stephanie Wautier sits down with her mother-in-law, Alice Bradley, for a conversation that feels like stepping into an older version of America through somebody who actually lived it. Alice was born in Chicago in 1942, and what unfolds here is not just a life story, but a chain of memories about family closeness, responsibility, work, food, resilience, and the strange way ordinary details become priceless later.
Alice talks about growing up on the north side of Chicago in a multigenerational household, being the oldest of three, and carrying responsibility early. She remembers streetcars, ether anesthesia, walking her younger sister home for lunch from school, and a childhood where her mother always worked and family members lived together because that's just what families did.
From there, the episode opens into a wider story. Alice reflects on her early working years in downtown Chicago, her time in modeling and promotional work, and the surreal contrast between a glamorous paycheck and the rough streets she had to walk through to get there. She also talks about food and heritage in a way that says more than a family tree ever could, from learning Italian cooking through family connections to remembering homemade ravioli drying all over the house at Christmas.
What really gives this episode its backbone, though, is Alice's worldview. Near the end, she distills a lifetime into a few plainspoken truths: work hard for what matters, keep setting goals, look for the good in people first, and if you love someone, tell them, then back it up with action.
In This Episode, Discover
What it was like growing up on the north side of Chicago in the 1940s and 1950s
Alice's memories of streetcars, old-school hospital care, and early city life
How being the oldest child shaped her sense of responsibility from a very young age
The multigenerational family structure she grew up in, and what that meant day to day
Her parents' work lives, including her mother's long years working outside the home
Alice's early jobs in downtown Chicago, including beauty work and modeling
The danger, glamour, and strange normalcy of commuting into the city for high-paying gigs
How Italian cooking became part of her family life even without Italian ancestry
Holiday traditions that defined her childhood, from lamb cakes to homemade ravioli
The traditions she carried into her own home and passed down to her children
Her reflections on work ethic, character, love, and saying what you mean
Stay Connected & Explore
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Follow Dr. Stephanie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wautierwellness
Email for show-related inquiries and sponsorships: drstephaniewautier@yahoo.com
Credits
Podcast production by Brand|Sound. Start your podcast journey by emailing brandsoundpodcasts@gmail.com.
Podcast Episode · Conversations with a Chiropractor · April 8 · 29m
