From Lab Tech to Bestselling Author: M.E. Torrey’s Powerful Story of Resilience & Justice

The Mike Litton Experience

Mike Litton

Careers, Kids & Family, Business, Parenting

5 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 27 November 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this inspiring episode of The Mike Litton Experience, Mike sits down with acclaimed author, humanitarian, and founder of Orphans Africa, M.E. Torrey (Michelle Torrey) — whose life reads like a novel itself.

From a childhood spent across Europe, to escaping an emotionally abusive marriage at 23 with three babies in diapers, to earning degrees, teaching science, launching a writing career, and founding an international nonprofit… M.E. Torrey’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

In this episode, viewers will discover:

How she overcame staggering adversity and rebuilt her life from scratch
What led her from microbiology labs to award-winning authorship
The emotional and historical journey behind “Fox Creek,” her deeply researched adult novel on slavery
Why she founded Orphans Africa, now supporting students across six campuses in Tanzania
Her fearless approach to justice, storytelling, and truth-seeking

This episode is a masterclass in courage, resilience, purpose, and the power of one voice to create global impact.

If you value meaningful conversations and transformative stories, hit SUBSCRIBE — it supports the channel and helps us bring you more inspiring guests like M.E. Torrey.
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Transcript

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0:00.0	I had three children by the age of 23.
0:04.1	They were just two and a half years apart from the oldest to the youngest.
0:08.1	And so at one point, they were all three in diapers.
0:11.7	And the marriage was not good.
0:15.4	And so I just was very, very trapped at the age of 23.
0:22.6	So what happens?
0:30.1	Eventually, I decided to leave him.
0:35.1	There was some, it wasn't physical abuse, but definite emotional abuse. And I just felt little, I commuted from a federal way, which is about
0:42.7	an hour's drive south, but during heavy traffic, which was all the time, it could take me two hours
0:50.9	and 40 minutes to go one way. And so, you know, add that with a full schedule of
0:57.6	sometimes up to 30 class hours per week of class and lab and then commuting and homework and
1:07.2	children. And it was, it was overwhelming. We made it to the summit we did it but while I was in
1:15.0	Tanzania I thought okay well I'm going to volunteer for something while I'm there because I
1:19.3	don't want to just like come into this poor country climb their mountains say
1:23.6	think thank you very much and leave I thought you know there's something wrong with I have to do something. Did you know there's a technology that's actually an app on your phone that uses sound waves to tell your brain what you want your brain to do? We had a young man that was a guest on our podcast, the Michael Litton experience, who had a traumatic brain injury, he was sleeping three hours a night.
1:44.9	He's using Newcom now and he's sleeping more.
1:47.1	Go to Newcom.com, Mike 15 promo code.
1:50.7	Newcom promo code Mike 15 for an extra 15% off.
1:54.4	Go today.
1:55.7	Welcome to the Mike Litton Experience Podcast.
1:59.7	Everyone has a story and our passion is to help them tell it.
2:04.4	Mike is passionate about being a father, a teacher, a realtor, an investor, and a leader.
	...

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