151. C Kimberly Toms: From Victimization to Voice—Changing the System

151. C Kimberly Toms: From Victimization to Voice—Changing the System C Kimberly Toms. She's a survivor of rape and attempted murder, a filmmaker, writer, and business consultant. In 2013, a hopeful job move to Milwaukee turned into a harrowing ordeal when she was raped and stalked by a U.S. Department of State special agent who eventually also attempted to murder her. For the last 12 years, Kimberly has endured relentless trauma, systemic failures, and intimidation. The absolutely worst experiences, however, inspired advocacy; Kimberly created her documentary Escaping Fed and founded Not Just One, an organization dedicated to empowering survivors and driving systemic change. In this episode, Kimberly bravely and openly shares her journey of rape, survival, resilience, and transformation, highlighting the challenges survivors face and the urgent need for justice system reform. Her story is both deeply personal and profoundly instructive—a testament to courage, advocacy, and the power of speaking out. Kimberly is truly one of us whose goal is to Normalize the Conversation!™ Kimberly encourages my listeners to reach out to her, for a couple of reasons: first, she is asking for feedback on her story and the opportunity to support each other, which is always welcome. Secondly, if you're a victim or survivor of rape or sexual assault and you want to share your story as part of Kimberly's support community, go to the Not Just One website, and contact her! The website URL is listed below. An important side note: if you're finding value in these episodes, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. AND, please send me a note of support! I can't tell you how much your emails mean to me—they fuel my passion to keep this podcast going. Here's my email address: dave@sasstories.com Thank you to all of you who have reached out to me already; and, if you're interested in guesting on the show, please mention that in your email or text, and provide me with a phone number where I can reach you. Please keep those emails and texts coming…I truly look forward to hearing from you! On another note: I am a strong advocate and supporter of Survivor School (SS), founded and directed by CEO Arci Grey (another former guest on SASS). In fact, Arci has made me a consultant to SS as she maneuvers the intricacies of directing and managing the content and growth of her amazing organization. I encourage you to strongly consider becoming a member of SS, and as an affiliate would appreciate it, if you do decide to become a member, to use this link: https://www.survivor-school.com/free?ref=SASS Thanks again for listening! As always, listed below are some additional important and meaningful websites I hope you'll take a look at and learn more about: https://notjustone.org https://kimberlytoms.com/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8841231/ https://sironahealing.com/ https://www.whattheydontsay.com https://www.survivor-school.com/?ref=DAVEMARKEL www.arcigrey.com https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invisible-no-more-lady-veterans-stories-of-military/id1754061590 https://startbybelieving.org https://evawintl.org/ https://safeinharmsway.org My email address: dave@sasstories.com As mentioned and emphasized, it's time to Normalize the Conversation.™ And please remember to Start by Believing…because we all know someone whose life has been impacted by rape or sexual assault. Thank you for tuning in.