How To Be More Human

Join host @ashkilback for a solo episode as she shares reflections on how the global pandemic has given us an opportunity to pause, why taking a pause is so important, and how that relates to understanding and experiencing what it means to be and feel connected in a world that is constantly asking so much of us. Follow along on the How To Be More Human journey on social on Instagram @ashkilback.

Julia Buckingham-Besth is one half of the creative duo behind J&L Photo. As portrait and wedding photographers, Julia and Lucas bring to life some of the most intimate moments of a person's life while documenting their own love journey together. When Julia isn't traveling across the province or the world. she is spending time with her family, her dog Nelson, and finding new creative inspiration through hobbies like baking, drawing, and writing. In this conversation, Julia tells the story behind how her love for photography led her to the love of her life, what she admires most about photography as an art, and how she's taken her life's biggest failures into her biggest opportunities. Connect with Julia on Instagram @juuuliasview and follow her and Lucas's photography work @julialucasphoto. If you enjoyed this conversation with Julia and I, join in on the #howtobemorehuman journey on Instagram by following @ashkilback and share with me what you loved most about this episode.

Joe Alvarez is a kind, sensitive, and compassionate human being who spends his waking days connecting with people and getting curious about how they think, feel, and operate in their daily lives. This sense of curiosity along with his own life experiences led him down the path to becoming a mindset and performance coach. Joe is the founder of Joe Alvarez Coaching and High Powered Coaching Academy where he helps people awaken to their inner strengths and explore their infinite potential. In this conversation, Joe and I talk about his early understanding of his own potential, how getting a second chance at life helped him reclaim it and how we all have the power to reclaim our own by imagining what's possible. Connect with Joe on Instagram @joe_alvarez_coaching, on Facebook at High Powered Coaching Academy or visit his website at www.joealvarezcoaching.com. If you enjoyed this interview, join the #howtobemorehuman conversation on Instagram by following host @ashkilback.

Kim Zacaruk is an entrepreneur, athlete, business owner, wannabe artist, and a billion things in between. Her curious spirit and love for conversation often leads her into interesting stories about connection, particularly what happens when we allow ourselves to share honestly and openly with each other. And as the owner (or Chief Coffee Slinger as Kim calls it) of Stones Throw Coffee, Kim has the opportunity to connect with all kinds of people on a daily basis and she's genuinely interested in learning something about each and every one of them -- like where they're from, where they're going, what they think, what they're afraid of or what makes them happy. In this conversation, we talk about the importance of opening yourself up to others, age beyond numbers, transitioning from corporate life to an entrepreneurial one, and staying true to yourself. Connect with Kim on Instagram @jakkkim or follow her coffee adventures over at @stonesthrowcoffee and follow along on Ash Kilback's #howtobemorehuman journey @ashkilback.

Sundance Robson is a reiki practitioner, sound healer, and ceremonial alchemist. His holistic practice focuses on three principles behind which state our mind rests - the universal mind, universal consciousness, and universal thought. Sundance works primarily with men who are ready to walk through their pain towards the man they were always meant to become. This conversation was recorded live at Storytellers Night: In The Company of Good Men featuring stories from men who have found strength in vulnerability. Sundance shares his journey to becoming a better man by walking through his own pain, making peace with his past, and allowing himself to open up to love while offering his own insights on the current state of modern manhood. If you enjoyed this conversation and want to hear more stories from this show, they are available on The Storytellers Club YouTube Channel. Connect with Sundance and his work on Instagram @sundancerobson and follow along on Ash Kilback's #howtobemorehuman journey @ashkilback.

Raiha Shareef is the creator of the University of Regina Champions of Change Club, a social justice group on campus. Last year, the group initiated the "Period Movement" in Regina, Saskatchewan, seeking to break the stigma attached to menstruation and create real action against period poverty by creating videos, posts, and various community-led projects. Aside from her activism work, Raiha has spoken across Canada about her experiences being a second-generation immigrant in Canada, participated in a national debating seminar in Quebec as a bilingual delegate, and is a national title improvisor. In this episode, Raiha and I talk about the importance of continuing her grandmother's legacy as an activist, the power of media to globalize social issues, bringing awareness to period poverty, and how activism is something we can call be involved in. Learn more about Champions of Change on Instagram @uofrchampionsofchange. Stay in touch with the #howtobemorehuman podcast by following along @ashkilback. Want to share a story about being or human or submit a suggestion for the podcast? Send Ash an email at ashkilback@gmail.com.

In this week's solo episode, host Ash Kilback shares 3 ways to be more human in a conversation. If you're someone that wants to learn how to have more meaningful conversations in your life, this episode will help you get started by changing the way you start a conversation, how you show that you're engaged during it, and how you can take away a new learning experience from it. If you have a conversation tip or what to share a story about how a meaningful conversation made a difference in your life, send an email to ashkilback@gmail.com or send her a message on Instagram @ashkilback.

Amanda Perrot is an award-winning speaker, entrepreneur, and author. She created her company, Grounded Goodness, in 2015. The company's mission is simple: Spread goodness. In just a few years, that mission has led Amanda and Grounded Goodness to create inspirational (and feisty) products, build community, and spend seven weeks road tripping around Saskatchewan in 2018. Since that trip, she’s written a bestselling book (“47 Days: A Journey Back Home”). Amanda's love of connection and good people also shows up in her speaking engagements. She's hosted over 25 “Sisterhood” events around the province, was awarded the 2017 Toastmaster of the Year Award for District 99, and has delivered keynote presentations and workshops on self-awareness, sisterhood, and community to many different audiences. She was nominated for a 2019 YWCA of Saskatoon Women of Distinction Award in the “Saskatchewan Spirit” category, for her work in creating spaces for women to connect, with an emphasis on vulnerability and honesty. Amanda truly believes that we as women are better together, and continually works to create supportive networks for women of Saskatchewan and beyond. In addition to her speaking and entrepreneurship, she owns a small rural Saskatchewan printing business that employs 8 women. In her spare time, she volunteers to speak for numerous non-profit organizations, to inspire and connect their employees and communities. Moving forward, she is continuing to help women use their voices after experiencing the importance of using her own. You can find her on Instagram (@groundedgoodness) and on the Grounded Goodness website (groundedgoodness.com). In this episode, Amanda and I reflect on her 47-day journey across Saskatchewan, what she learned about herself and other women along the way and the importance of trust in a time where women are feeling called to gather and rise. Follow along on The How To Be More Human with Ash Kilback on Instagram @ashkilback.

Robin Hilton is a Life + Sex Coach, Desire Map Facilitator and a yoga studio owner. Her lifelong passion is helping women to let their guard down so they can shine brightly and confidently in all areas of their lives but most importantly in their capacity to experience the deep joy of embodiment and sexual pleasure. She is married to the love of my life, has three beautiful, quietly confident daughters, and lives in a small town in Saskatchewan. Robin enjoys the simple pleasures of life like walks on the prairie, hot cacao, wild and uninhibited sex, and foot rubs from my husband. In this conversation, Robin and I talk about her early sexual experiences that led her to believe that she was broken, having a sexual awakening at the age of 40, and discovering the truth about intimacy, pleasure, and our own desire. Her top 3 book recommendations for connecting deeper to your own sexual practice are: Vagina by Naomi Wolf, Women's Anatomy of Arousal by Sheri Winston, and Come as you Are by Emily Nagoski. Follow Robin's work on Instagram or check out her website at www.robinjoy.ca

Jesse Boldt is a professional MMA fighter, kickboxing coach, and host of the Nomadic Ninja Podcast. During his 20's, Jesse was going through the motions of early adult life the same way most of us do, with the constant pressure of checking all the boxes that seem to be required to live a fulfilled life from landing the dream job, buying a brand new house or car, to getting married and having kids. Jesse felt like he couldn't get ahead and the bills were piling up so he decided to do something that most people wouldn't. He sold all of his belongings and moved into a van with his dog Layla. Since then, he has become known as the Nomadic Ninja on Instagram documenting his #vanlife journey. In this episode, Jesse and I talk about how living with less has helped him see life as a long-game, find more gratitude in the little things, and enjoy an unconventional yet enjoyable leisurely life. Follow Jesse on Instagram and tune into his podcast Nomadic Ninja.

Jean Huang is an arts and science hybrid. She studied pharmacy at the University of Saskatchewan and is studying Visual Arts at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Jean credits the fusion of these two fields as fuel for her curiosity in asking "Why?" while simultaneously appreciating things for what they are. She feels most at home when she is outdoors. Her sketches, paintings, photography, and prose are inspired by the lessons learned and feelings experienced while exploring nature. Jean hopes her artwork will transport people to the places that inspire her and encourage them to care more for our interconnected ecosystems. She also enjoys wandering her urban playground of Vancouver and capturing our shared humanity through street photography. In this conversation, Jean and I talk a lot about reconnecting. Reconnecting to childhood, familial roots, art, creativity, and mother nature. Follow Jean's multiple creative endeavors @j3anhuang.art, @j3anhuang.st, and @j3anhuang.

This week's episode was recorded live earlier this year at Storytellers Night: Voices of the LGBTQ Community. Storytellers Night is live storytelling event series that brings people together to listen to stories about the human experience. Joining me is Jonathon Lythgoe. Jonathon is an actor, writer, activist and most recently the Director of Global Operations for Under Armour. Growing up gay in a conservative Christian family in a small(ish) town there were three truths that were imprinted in his mind from an early age: (1) Love God. (2) Love your neighbor. (3) Reject Yourself. His story is a 35-year journey to reconcile these conflicting truths, the cost of which was incredibly steep. His message is about the power of love and the need to suspend judgment to make enough room in the world for one another. In this conversation, Jonathon shares the story behind a single decision that changed the course of his life and how stepping into his true self helped him recognize the profound power of love and his ability to open people's hearts and minds to it. Follow Jonathon on Instagram or learn more about him at www.jonathonlythgoe.com Are you interested in experiencing the next Storytellers Night? Tickets are now on sale for Storytellers Night: In The Company of Good Men featuring stories from men who have found strength in vulnerability. Purchase your tickets here.

Jame Woytiuk is a documentary photographer that captures the complexity, chaos, and beauty of the human spirit. Her striking black and white imagery invites us into some of the most intimate moments of a person's life evoking powerful emotions that linger between life and death. Jamie's love for this style of photography came to life when began documenting her mother's journey with MS. From this experience, she felt as though she was given permission to continue telling stories of those who don't feel seen, heard, or understood. It was the telling of these stories that led her down the path of searching for truth. In today's conversation, Jamie and I explore the art of human connection, curiosity, love, and truth as she offers us a glimpse into her life and how the people she has encountered along the way have awakened her to profound truths about the human experience. This November, Jamie will be traveling to Vietnam for a photography assignment with Photographers Without Borders. She is currently accepting donations to help cover the costs of the trip and provide additional support for AEPD, a non-profit organization that works with children & families affected by the Vietnam War. To learn more and donate, visit: https://www.photographerswithoutborders.org/fundraisers/support-jamie-woytiuk Follow Jamie's work on Instagram @jlwphotography1

Host, Ash Kilback, is on a quest to discover what it means to be more human. Will you join her?