Podcast appearances and mentions of brene brown

In this revisited episode of The Observatory, while our hosts are globetrotting, Scott and LaRae share the transformative power of creativity, a fundamental aspect of human nature that enables self-discovery, emotional fulfillment, and the pursuit of meaning in life. Creativity is a universal capacity that allows us to express our authentic selves, connect with others, and find joy. Hear Brené Brown's perspective on creativity, how you can start to be creative, and how a bigger imagination prompts beautiful experiences.Timestamps[05:40] Brene Brown's perspective of creativity[07:00] Why are many humans not creative?[16:19] Having a bigger imagination that prompts beautiful experiences[18:34] The book: Mary Jane Wild by Brooke[22:43] Creating the internal landscape of you[23:21] Starting the journey to being creative[29:02] Where is your creativity showing up?[33:00] Allowing things to unfold naturally[39:34] The real meaning of abracadabra[44:51] Keep dreamingNotable quotes:“There is no such thing as creative people and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don't.” - Brene Brown [05:40]“The unused creativity stays inside of us because we are creating a life.” - LaRae Wright [21:48]“If you don't feel creative, this is a good place to start. Go into nature and observe.” - Scott Wright [22:54]“Open yourself up to the possibility that you don't have to know what you will do when you begin to do it. You are opening a space to allow yourself to create.” - Scott Wright [31:26]Relevant links:The book: The Gifts of ImperfectionThe book: Mary Jane WildSubscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcast

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Lou Pizzichillo, Lead Pastor of Community Church on Long Island. Community Church launched in January 2020—just ten weeks before the world shut down—then relaunched after 52 weeks online. Now averaging around 1,200 people across Thursday and Sunday services, Community is known as “a church for people who don't go to church.” In a region where skepticism toward organized religion runs deep, Lou and his team are building trust by creating space for honest questions, lived-out faith, and tangible community impact. Is your church serving in a skeptical environment? Are you trying to reach people who already think they know—and don't like—what church is about? Lou shares practical wisdom on posture, transparency, and earning trust one decision at a time. Starting where people really are. // On Long Island, while some residents may identify culturally with faith traditions, most see church as judgmental, hypocritical, or irrelevant to everyday life. Lou quickly realized that the biggest obstacle wasn't apathy—it was reputation. Rather than fighting skepticism, Community Church chose to acknowledge it. The church repeatedly communicates three cultural values: You can belong before you believe. You have permission to be in progress. And there's no pretending. These aren't slogans—they shape how the church operates. Permission to be in progress. // One of the most resonant phrases at Community is “permission to be in progress.” Many people assume that following Jesus requires instant agreement with every doctrine and behavior expectation. Instead, Community encourages people to wrestle honestly with the claims of Christ first. Secondary issues and sanctification come later. This posture doesn't mean watering down truth—it means sequencing it wisely. By focusing on who Jesus says he is, rather than debating every peripheral topic, the church keeps the main thing central. No pretending—and real transparency. // Transparency builds credibility in skeptical contexts. Stories of real life—parenting mistakes, marriage tensions, leadership missteps—often resonate more than polished success stories. At the same time, Lou draws a boundary between “scars and wounds.” He shares what he has processed, not what he is still unraveling. This authenticity signals that faith isn't about perfection but transformation. For many in the congregation, seeing a pastor admit imperfection dismantles years of distrust toward church leaders. Becoming an asset to the community. // Community Church doesn't just talk about loving Babylon—it demonstrates it. Early on, Lou realized trust would not come through marketing but through partnership. Before launch, the church created “12 Days of Christmas,” giving away gifts purchased from local businesses. In year one, stores hesitated to participate; by year seven, businesses were reaching out to collaborate. What began as skepticism has shifted to partnership because trust was earned gradually. Serving instead of competing. // A defining moment came during the annual Argyle Fair, a 30,000-person event held across the street from the church—on a Sunday. Rather than fight the inconvenience, Community canceled services and mobilized volunteers to serve the fair, providing parking and manpower. When the event was rescheduled due to rain, the church canceled services a second week to honor its commitment. Lou describes this as a defining cultural moment: demonstrating that service isn't convenient—it's convictional. Earning trust through inconvenience. // Lou recounts being called to the mayor's office days after launch to address parking concerns. Instead of pushing back, the church chose to rent additional parking space—even when legally unnecessary—to honor neighbors' concerns. In another instance, Community canceled a planned Christmas light show after Village neighbors expressed concern about traffic. Though disappointing internally, the decision earned significant community goodwill. Lou believes canceling the event built more trust than hosting it would have. Posture over persecution. // Lou cautions leaders against defaulting to a persecution narrative when facing resistance. Most pushback, he says, comes from practical concerns—not hostility toward Jesus. By listening humbly and responding thoughtfully, churches can win trust among the large percentage of community members who are neither strongly for nor against them. To learn more about Community Church, visit communitychurch.net or follow @communitychurch.li on social media. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: TouchPoint As your church reaches more people, one of the biggest challenges is making sure no one slips through the cracks along the way.TouchPoint Church Management Software is an all-in-one ecosystem built for churches that want to elevate discipleship by providing clear data, strong engagement tools, and dependable workflows that scale as you grow. TouchPoint is trusted by some of the fastest-growing and largest churches in the country because it helps teams stay aligned, understand who they're reaching, and make confident ministry decisions week after week. If you've been wondering whether your current system can carry your next season of growth, it may be time to explore what TouchPoint can do for you. You can evaluate TouchPoint during a free, no-pressure one-hour demo at TouchPointSoftware.com/demo. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, thanks so much for listening in, tuning in into today’s episode. I’m really looking forward to today’s conversation. We’re talking with a leader leading a prevailing church in frankly a part of the country that is not known for tons of prevailing churches. And so it’s an opportunity for all of us to lean in and to learn.Rich Birch — Super excited to have Lou Pizzichillo with us from Community Church. They’re in Babylon, New York on Long Island. They’re known as a church for people who don’t go to church. They’re big on being real, bringing real questions, struggles, hangups, doubts, disappointments, and failures. Lou, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here today.Lou Pizzichillo — Thanks so much. Yeah, it’s a privilege to be here.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s an honor that you would take some time to be with us today. Why don’t you kind of tell us a bit of the Community story, kind of give us a flavor of the church, help us kind of imagine if we were to arrive this weekend, what what would we experience?Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. So we have an interesting history. We launched in January of 2020. And so we were open for 10 weeks.Rich Birch — Great time.Lou Pizzichillo — I know it was perfect. And then we closed down for 52 weeks, and we relaunched. But because of that, what’s been really cool is, you know, when you’re launching a church, the launch team is a big deal. And to launch twice, we’ve had really like two two launch teams. And so team culture has always been a real big part of our church.Lou Pizzichillo — But yeah, we like to say that we’re a church for people who don’t go to church. and So we try to keep things pretty casual. We try not to assume that there’s any interest or experience with the people who are showing up on a Sunday. And yeah.Rich Birch — Nice. Give us a sense of, so like size and like your, you know, the ministry style, that sort of thing. Like what would you help us kind of place what the, what the church is like if I was to arrive, arrive on a weekend?Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah, we’re a pretty contemporary attractional church. We’ve got services on Thursday night and on Sunday morning. So we say the weekend starts on Thursday. Rich Birch — Love it. Lou Pizzichillo — We call Thursday night thurch, which is… Rich Birch — Oh, that’s funny. Thurch. Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah, it was a joke at first, but then it kind of like, I don’t know, just kind of gained a life of its own.Rich Birch — Yes.Lou Pizzichillo — So yeah, so the church over the course of the weekend, right now we’re at about 1,200. And it’s exciting. There are a lot of new people. And things are constantly change changing. Change is that really the only constant for us.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, that’s so good. Well, you’re on Long Island, and I can say as somebody who I ministered for years in New Jersey, I’m from Canada, I I get that people don’t wake up on Long Island on Sunday morning and think, hey, I should go to church today. Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah, yeah.Rich Birch — You’re serving a community that is is more unchurched than other parts of the country, which is a challenge for planting. So help us understand, you know, help us just kind of get into the mindset or the um perspective of people who are outside of the church. What do they view on, you know, Christianity? Tell us, give us a sense of of kind of what you’ve learned, you know, planting in that kind of context.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. So one thing that was really helpful right off the bat was somebody mentioned to me, they were like, you know, I’m not a gym person. And so when a new gym opens up in town, I don’t even really notice it.Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And they’re like, I think it’s the same thing for church people.Rich Birch — Right. Lou Pizzichillo — It’s like, if you’re not a church person, then you don’t really notice when churches are doing things. And so that’s like, really, it’s a big reason why we’re so vocal about saying it we’re a church for people who don’t go to church, you know?Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — Um, and yeah, from there, honestly, we found that the biggest obstacle with people here is the existing reputation of church, of what church is like and what church people are like.Rich Birch — Yes.Lou Pizzichillo — This church is seen as very judgmental, hypocritical, fake, exclusive, impractical, you know, it’s something you just do to kind of check the boxes and then you go on with your life. I’ve spoken to even a lot of, um, like devout Catholics here who have, have said like, they don’t, they do their church thing because, because it’s what they think that they’re supposed to do, but they’re, what they are doing in church does not translate to everyday life.Lou Pizzichillo — And so church is seen as kind of an impractical thing. And, that’s kind of the starting point for a lot of people who we’re trying to connect with.Rich Birch — Yeah, I’ve heard it said in other contexts, it’s like, not that people don’t know the church. It’s like, it’s what they know that they don’t like.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah, yeah.Rich Birch — It’s like, they have a sense of, you know, that that reputation. Are there any, maybe even stories or engagement you know conversations or engagements you’ve had with folks that have kind of brought that reputation to the fore. That obviously has led you to say, hey, we’re going position ourselves as a church where people don’t go into churches. Was there something that kind of influenced that as you were having, you know, even in these early years as you’ve been kind of get the ball rolling?Lou Pizzichillo — A big part of it honestly is a lot of my extended family. Like they’re, most of them are not church people. You know, they have a lot of respect for God. Like most people on Long Island, uh, especially, you know, most kind of nominal Catholics, like they would say they’re Italian or Irish. They say, oh, of course, Jesus is my savior. You know, like they, they know the right things to say, but in terms of what it actually means on a regular basis, it’s like kind of a totally different thing. So, so yeah, I mean, that’s kind of, kind of where we’re starting.Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, people have criticisms about the church and they have criticisms of of their experience with the church. How do you discern between criticisms that maybe you either need to be challenged, like, hey, that’s actually just not true, or like, oh, that’s a critique that is actually fair, and we’re going to try to steer in a different direction, ah you know, than that. Help us think about those, you know, when we think about skepticism towards the church.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah, I think, honestly, the best thing for us has just been to have a posture of listening.Rich Birch — That’s good.Lou Pizzichillo — Because even even if their claims aren’t valid, a lot of their experiences are. And so, you know, they’re like, there’s somebody who’s been going to the church for a while now, and somebody that was very close to them has like a pretty intense story of church hurt, like real damage. And so to know that he’s walking in with all of this baggage and that there are a lot of other people walking in with that baggage that don’t let you know that they have that baggage… Rich Birch — Right. Lou Pizzichillo — …just kind of giving them the space to, to be hurt and for it to be real. That’s been huge for us just having that kind of posture of humility. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. So that obviously has led to the way you’ve developed either the way you talk about ministry or the values that are underlining, you know, the ministry.Rich Birch — What has been important for helping communicate or articulate to people like, hey, this is a place that you can show up, you know, before you, you know, you’ve kind of bought it all. It’s like, Hey, you there’s a place to explore that sort of thing. Help us think through how do you communicate and then how do those, whether they’re phrases or yeah that sort of thing, how does that translate then into the values of how you actually operate?Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. So big thing is for us, it’s training the team, like getting those values into the team and helping them to understand what that looks like in a concrete way. So we say, like a lot of churches say, you can belong before you believe. And the the illustration I give almost every single time, I’m like, if somebody walks in with a church, with a shirt that says, I hate God, we are glad that person is here, right? Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — Like we’re not assuming that they are walking in with interest or experience. And they might have a story that’s a lot more complicated than we know. So um so yes, we try to celebrate that.Lou Pizzichillo — When somebody walks in and they’re very open about their beliefs and their views not lining up with us, that’s something that we celebrate, right? Like because these are the people that we want here.Lou Pizzichillo — The other value that’s been really helpful for us is to say that people have permission to be in progress. And that has to do with their actions, the choices that they make, but also the things that they believe. And so you can be on board with some of our beliefs and not be on board with all of our beliefs. And we’re okay with that, right?Lou Pizzichillo — Like rather than just saying, okay, I accept all of it at one time. And now I completely agree that everything in the Bible is true. And, you know, I endorse it. Like we just kind of give people space to say, okay, like let’s maybe let’s start with the claims of Jesus, like right to this guy really rise from the dead. And now let’s look at what he says about things like the Old Testament, you know?Lou Pizzichillo — And so that’s that’s been a huge thing. We go back to that over and over and over again. It started as kind of like a main point in a sermon where I was like, you’ve got permission to be in progress. And so many people repeated it back to me that I was like, okay, this needs to be woven into our culture because it needs to be articulated…Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — …or people just assume, okay, if I’m going to say I believe, I got to say I believe it all. And there’s no room for disagreement.Lou Pizzichillo — And then from there, we say like, you got you can belong before you believe, you got permission to be in progress. And if both of those things are actually true for us as a church, then we can also say like our third value is no pretending.Lou Pizzichillo — Like you don’t have to pretend to be on board with certain things if you’re not there yet. And I think if we create an environment where people can be real and dialogue and be open about the things that they’re, you know, that they disagree with, I think that’s where there’s real hope for ultimately ending in a place of alignment.Rich Birch — Yeah, permission to be in progress to me feels very like a very Jesus value It feels like, oh, that to me, that’s like when I read the New Testament, that feels like the way he oriented himself to the people around him, right? There were clearly people that were like the rich young ruler came to him and was like, you know, asked a pointed question. Jesus gave a clear answer, and he didn’t, you know, Jesus didn’t, even though he said harsh words to or clear words, I would say, all was it always done in an environment of trying to say, hey, we I want you to be a part of this conversation. I’m really trying to be on the same side of the table. How do I bring you along?Rich Birch — Can you, like, let’s double click on permission to be in progress. Talk us through what that looks like. Because I think, I think so many churches draw very strong lines on like, you got to believe these 15 things to be a part here. Even if we wouldn’t explicitly set that say that, it’s like implicit in our cultures.Rich Birch — How does your culture look different when you say, hey, you’ve got permission to be in progress? What would be some of the things that might stand out to us as like, that’s a little bit different than how maybe some other churches handle this?Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. So we have like we have values, but then we also just have sayings, right? Like it it is too hard for me to define what the most important values are. Like I get too obsessed with the wording and how we’re going to phrase things. And so in our our conference room, we have a big whiteboard and we write down little sayings. We actually write them in permanent marker on the whiteboard, which is wasteful, but at least we have something to reference.Lou Pizzichillo — So when somebody says something and we’re like, hey, that’s a culture thing, it gets written on the board. One of the things that came up that’s really helped us with this idea of permission to be in progress is that the goal is to get people to Jesus and everything else is secondary. Everything else comes after that.Rich Birch — That's good. Yep, that’s good.Lou Pizzichillo — And so I’m not going to like get into it with someone over a secondary issue or really something that’s an issue of sanctification, when we believe sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit, right? Maybe your view on that will change after you understand who Jesus is and begin to follow him.Lou Pizzichillo — And so in a lot of ways, I feel like when we when we get too into the issues, we’re putting the cart before the horse, right? Rich Birch — Yes.Lou Pizzichillo — And so we’re trying to bring people to Jesus and show him show them what he’s like. And ah that that has been clarifying when it comes to permission to be in progress.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. And I think in heavily church context, when we kind of assume, oh, basically everyone here has some level of faith, those secondary issues can become like a really big deal. It’s like we spend a lot of time talking about those things.Rich Birch — But when the majority of people we’re interacting with you know, they haven’t, they haven’t really, really wrestled with what they think about Jesus and the difference he can make in this life. And we got to keep that, that really clear. Rich Birch — So no pretending is an interesting value as a communicator. How do you live that out in the way you show transparency? There’s this interesting thing years ago, I had one of the ah preacher that I love or communicator. I just think the world of, you know, he talked about how there’s this tension when we’re, communicating that, you know, we’re we’re trying to be transparent, but up into a point and how, where is that point? And how do we do that in a way that’s not, that brings people along? So ah what what does that look like for you even as a as ah as a leader to say, hey, it’s not my job to pretend. I’m going to just be honest and transparent, authentic to where we are? Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. Well, I mean, I can definitely say that every time I tell a story that has me screwing up, it is it is the thing that people come to tell me about. Rich Birch — Yes.Lou Pizzichillo — Like, oh, thank you so much for telling me about you know the way you spoke to your kids… Rich Birch — Yes. Lou Pizzichillo — …or the thing that you said to your wife. Or it is just by far the thing that people love to hear. And that’s been encouraging. Now, I have had people like throw it back at me and that that comes with the territory. But I think that the stories of how that’s been helpful for people um like dramatically outweigh the people that are going to you know weaponize that stuff against you.Lou Pizzichillo — Something else I heard, um I think Brene Brown said this in one of her books. She said she doesn’t share things she hasn’t processed through yet.Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And that for me is a really helpful thing. Like If I’m in the middle of something and just in the thick of it, it’s not the time for me to like bring that to the congregation. I think that could be really unhealthy for a lot of reasons.Lou Pizzichillo — So that’s, that’s kind of something that, and it doesn’t mean I can’t share something that just happened. You know sometimes I’ll explain an issue that just happened with my kids. That’s different than something I’m still processing and haven’t resolved yet.Rich Birch — Right. I think she said it’s the difference between scars and wounds, right? You can talk about your scars. That’s like, that’s an area that has, has had some level of healing to it versus an open wound, right? Like this is a part that’s, that’s still gaping.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah.Rich Birch — And, uh, you know, we don’t necessarily want to to share that. And that, you know, uh, that is a change. So I’m, you know, I’m of a certain age, been in this game a long time. And I remember when we first started, when I first started, that generation that came before me, people wanted like the superhuman religious leader. They wanted the like pastor to be, to have their stuff a hundred percent sewed up. Like, don’t tell me that you’re a real human. They didn’t want that.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah.Rich Birch — You know, and that has completely reversed.Rich Birch — People are like, no no, like you said, we, we need to be transparent, open, authentic. People know that we’re not perfect. Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. Rich Birch — They know that we don’t have it all together. Lou Pizzichillo — Right.Rich Birch — And when we try to hide that, when we try to, in your language, pretend that actually is repulsive, it pushes them away. Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah.Rich Birch — One of the things that stood out to me just by reputation, kind of seeing your church is it appears that you guys have a conviction around getting out and serving the community, actually making a difference in the community. You know, it strikes me as very ah a very James-approach, faith in action – it’s it should make a difference in our community. What how do talk to me about what that looks like for Community. How does that, even your name, Community, you know, Church, reflects that. Talk talk to talk to me about what that looks like.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah, so we’re pretty clear. Like we we tell people we want to be an asset to the community. We want people to be glad we’re here, whether they attend our church or not. And so that started really early. Actually, before we launched, we did this thing called the 12 Days of Christmas where, so our church is in a village, right? So there are a lot of local businesses around us. What we did is during the 12 days leading up to Christmas, we went to shops and we gave away gifts from those shops. There was a different shop every day for the 12 days leading up to Christmas. So we planned this out ahead of time. But we would post on social media and be like, Hey, today the, you know, the shop is Bunger surf shop. The first 25 people there are going to get beanies from Bunger surf shop.Lou Pizzichillo — And we paid for them. We sent the, Bunger agreed to hand them out. And people went to go get them. And what was, so it was a win, win, win, really. Like the people who participated got free beanies, the surf shop are like all the different shops in the village. They got people to go, they got traffic to their business, right?Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah.Lou Pizzichillo — Because people went in then bought other stuff. And it helped us communicate that we we say we want something for you, not from you, right? We want to be an asset to the community. And so it helped us communicate that message. And the response to that has been great.Lou Pizzichillo — Now, what’s interesting, if this doesn’t tell you something about the church’s reputation, on year one, before we launched, it was very hard to get 12 shops to agree to do this with us. Like they were like, you’re a church? I’m sorry. No, we’re not doing it.Rich Birch — Forget it. Yeah.Lou Pizzichillo — Now it’s year seven. Right now we’re in the middle of our our seventh year and there are shops lining up to do it. There are shops reaching out to us, asking us to collaborate.Rich Birch — Wow.Lou Pizzichillo — They’re helping to pay for the stuff. So it’s actually in some ways getting a little bit cheaper.Rich Birch — Huh.Lou Pizzichillo — And it’s just cool. It’s shown like this posture of partnership with what’s going on… Rich Birch — Yes. Lou Pizzichillo — …rather than, okay, there are the shops and then there’s the church. Rich Birch — Yes.Lou Pizzichillo — And yeah, we actually have a someone on staff now who first heard about the church on year one during the 12 days of Christmas. She started coming to the church. she eventually got baptized and now she’s on staff. And it’s just like, it has been so, so cool.Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. That’s what a cool, you know, even just a cool tactic, kind of an expression of that. Is there other ways, other kind of activities like that, that you’re engaged with throughout the year that would could illustrate this idea of being for the community, being an asset to the community? What would be another example of that that that’s happened?Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. So there is this fair that happens right across the street from the church. It’s called the Argyle Fair. It’s it’s around a lake. There are about 30,000 people that come to this fair. And the fair is on a Sunday during church.Lou Pizzichillo — The first year that we were here and had services during that Sunday, it was a mess. There were people you know like parking all over the place. It was hard to have services. Traffic was crazy. And we left church and my wife and I walked to the fair and just felt like something didn’t feel right. Like there’s some, here’s something everybody’s doing and we’re fighting against it.Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — So we went to the people who ran the fair and we were like, is there any way we can help? Like, is there, what do you guys need? And right away she was like, we need volunteers and we need parking. And as a church, we are uniquely equipped with volunteers and parking. Rich Birch — Yes.Lou Pizzichillo —And so really it was there, like that almost right away, we were like, okay, next year, ah we’re going to be on board with what you’re doing.Rich Birch — Wow. Wow.Lou Pizzichillo — And so we decided to cancel services. And in the weeks leading up to that, we teach about the importance of serving the community. It’s kind of like the grand finale to whatever, you know…Rich Birch — Yes.Lou Pizzichillo — …outreach series or message is being given.Rich Birch — Yeah.Lou Pizzichillo — And um yeah, so we teach on that. And then we’re like, hey, you know, two weeks from now, we’re not going to have services. Instead, we’re going to go out instead of staying in here talking about serving, we’re going to go out there and serve. And, you know, we’ve said like… Rich Birch — Love that. Lou Pizzichillo — …yeah, what’s what’s happening out there is not more spiritual than what’s happening in here. It’s a different way to express and grow in our faith. So we did that. And the response has just been unbelievable. Like the community has loved it. The the fair has had the help that they need. The people in our church have loved it. But this year we actually it got rained out on the first week. And so they postponed it to the next week.Rich Birch — Oh, wow.Lou Pizzichillo — And that made it tough for us because now we were like, okay, are we going to cancel church two weeks in a row? Rich Birch — Right. Lou Pizzichillo — And we had a meeting about it and like looked at our values, looked at what we were talking about. We were like, you know what, this is actually an opportunity for us to really double down and say, we’re not doing this out of convenience. We’re doing this because it’s a value. And so I called up the guy who was running the fair and he was like, I get it. If you can’t do it, I get it. And it felt, it was, it was amazing to be able to say on the phone, like, Hey, we’re with you, uh, no matter what. So, uh, so we did and it was, it was awesome.Rich Birch — That’s incredible. Like ah that, again, that what a vivid example, because I think there’s a lot of church leaders, if we’re honest, we’ve been engaged in the conversation that’s literally on the opposite side of that, where we’re like, man, how do we, these people, they’re, you know, they’re cramping our style or whatever. It’s like we naturally default towards that rather than to serve. Rich Birch — Take us back early in the discussions because I think a lot of us have not done a good job in building trust bridges in our communities. And you know trust isn’t built with just you know, one conversation. It takes time, right? It takes, like you said, those those first 12 days of Christmas, you couldn’t get anybody. And now here’s seven years later. We want we want to get to the seven years later part really quickly.Rich Birch — But ah those early conversations, how are you handling yourself, interacting with the like other people, you know, approaching them, having those conversations. What did you learn in the early dialogue that could help us if we’re trying to build, you know, deeper community trust in a place that just is so skeptical of that we’re coming with, just looking to take from our people.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. I mean, you have to be willing to be inconvenienced. I think that’s been a big part of it.Lou Pizzichillo — On week one, so we we launched literally on the first day and launch day was bigger than we thought it was going to be. And on that Monday, I was called to the mayor’s office, the mayor of the village.Lou Pizzichillo — And I was like, okay, thought I was going to go have a conversation. And when I got there, it was the it was him, it was the head of code enforcement and the fire chief all in a room waiting for me Rich Birch — Oh, gosh. Lou Pizzichillo — And they had pictures of cars parked all over the street. And I I realized there, like, there was a real concern about what this church was going to be in the community.Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And so from there, we’ve just been looking for opportunities to earn trust. The neighbors have made it very clear that they don’t like cars parking on the street. And so we, we began paying for a lot so that we could take the cars off of the street. We don’t have to, they can legally park in the street, but we rent the lot. We told the owner of the property why we’re doing it. And he got on board with what we’re doing. We’re now in a place, kind of a long story, but we now don’t have to pay for that lot.Rich Birch — Wow.Lou Pizzichillo — We also, like the trust has been earned one decision at a time. We were going to do this big thing in the parking lot. We did a parking lot renovation that took the whole summer. After the summer, we were like, hey, in our new parking lot, let’s put on a Christmas show. We’ll run it throughout two weeks in December.Lou Pizzichillo — We had an animator who goes to the church. He like had this great idea for a show. He’s like, we’ll project it on the building. People will drive in. We’ll run it multiple times a night, do it for a few weeks throughout December. We were calling it Christmas in Lights.Lou Pizzichillo — So we put this whole plan together. He’s making the thing. We start advertising it and the village comes to us and they’re like, you’re in violation of the code. You can’t do this. And and they’re giving us all these reasons that I felt like didn’t really hold that much weight, you know.Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — But in thinking about it, I do understand the inconvenience it would have been. We just had a major parking lot renovation. There were huge trucks making tons of noise for months. Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And now that’s finally over. And we’re going to ask the village to deal with the traffic of a show happening every single night, you know, for a few weeks in December.Rich Birch — Right Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And so I went to the mayor and I was like, hey, ah it’s a new mayor at this point. But I just sat down with her and I was like, hey, listen, if you have concerns about this, I want you to feel the freedom to just come to me and say, this is a lot for the neighbors. Like, what do you think about pulling this in?Lou Pizzichillo —And it was cool. It was an opportunity for the two of us to kind of bond, like there was some trust earned there and we canceled the show. We decided not to do it. And I released a video explaining why we weren’t doing it.Rich Birch — Wow.Lou Pizzichillo — And the amazing thing is that I think canceling the show accomplished more than we would have accomplished if we actually did the show.Rich Birch — Interesting.Lou Pizzichillo — Like it earned, it was so well received when people found out that we weren’t going to do it. They were like, and even the people that attend the church, they were like, I want to be part of a church that supports their community like this.Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And so it went really well, and it was a lot less work, and so it was it was kind of a win all around. Rich Birch — What did the animators say? I feel but feel bad for that person who started doing that work. Did they understand. Obviously, they’re bummed or concerned.Lou Pizzichillo — He was bummed out, but he’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, and so he he totally got it. And he’s on board with what we’re trying to do, and when he knew the reason why, he was totally, totally supportive of it.Rich Birch — Interesting. So where have you seen churches kind of get this wrong as we’ve tried to engage with the community? Maybe a common a pothole that we fall into or a way that we stub our toes, you know, a thing maybe you’ve you’ve you’ve seen that we just, we you know, kind of consistently make the same mistake.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. You know, one of my mentors told me a while ago, he was like, when you’re thinking about the church in the community, he’s like, there’s a small percentage of people that are for you. He said, there’s, there’s also a small percentage of people that are anti-church and they always will be, and you’re not going to change their minds.Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And he’s like, but then there’s this large percentage that’s just kind of going to go one way or the other. And he’s like, that’s the percentage that you really have to be intentional about connecting with.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And so I think, you know, it is very easy to tell the story like, hey, they don’t want us to do our Christmas show. This is persecution… Rich Birch — Yes. Lou Pizzichillo — …you know, and we got to fight and suffer for the name of Jesus. And ah we’ve just found that that’s not always the case. Rich Birch — Right. Lou Pizzichillo — You know, it’s people that don’t want to be inconvenienced and they may love church, but there’s there’s all this stuff going in the community. Maybe they maybe they have you know other reasons why. So i think I think it’s just the posture.Lou Pizzichillo — Like a lot of, most people, most people aren’t unreasonable. And I think if we give them the chance to really articulate what’s going on, I’ve been surprised at how understandable a lot of the feelings have been, a lot of the resistance to church comes from real stories, real experiences.Rich Birch — Right, right.Lou Pizzichillo — And so, yeah, I think it’s the you know the whole like persecution thing or suffering or that is real and people do really experience that. But a lot of times I think we’re a little too quick to say, oh, this is what that is when really it may not be.Rich Birch — Well, and it it’s, ah in some ways, it’s like a low form of, well, it’s a leadership shortcut for sure to like demonize, to like, oh, there, those people are come out to get us. You know, any leader that’s led before realizes, oh, that’s like a that’s a tool that actually works. People respond to that, but, but we don’t want to do that. Like that isn’t, these are the people we’re trying to love and care. These are people we’re trying to see point towards Jesus. They’re not our enemies.Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. Yeah.Rich Birch — They’re not, you know, they’re, they’re not, they might just not like parking, like you at the end of the day.Lou Pizzichillo — Right. Right.Rich Birch — And so let’s not, let’s not get over-revved, ah you know, on that. And unfortunately there are, I know, you know, way too many churches that have got themselves on the wrong side of this. And it’s very hard to backwards engineer out of that. Once you go down that road of like, we’re going to try to go negative with our community. That just isn’t, it’s just, it’s, it’s very difficult to to step back from that.Rich Birch — If you think about a church leader that’s listening in today and they’re, they’re saying, Hey, They’re thinking we want to do a better job being trusted more locally, trusted by local leaders, trusted by other you know businesses in town, that sort of thing. What would be a couple first steps you think they could take? A couple things where they could start to try to build that kind of trust with the community around them?Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. You know, I think I’m a big believer in praying for those opportunities. And also just giving things a second look, you know. When you’re in a situation that may seem like a challenge or something that may seem like it’s getting in the way, to just stop and think, okay, is, is there an opportunity here to build trust with the community?Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Lou Pizzichillo — Because we, and when we say the community, we’re not just talking about this nebulous, you know, idea of Babylon village. There are people there.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And if those people see this church as trustworthy, they may come here, you know, when their relationships are falling apart or when they’re looking for answers.Rich Birch — Yep.Lou Pizzichillo — Um, and so it’s really just been… We have great people here who have bought into what we’re doing, who have really helped us to see like, this is an opportunity to win with the community. And yeah, you gotta, you have to look outside the box and, and also be willing to, there, there are moments like with Church Has Left the Building—with the fair—and with the Christmas and light show, there are moments where they’ll see, okay, do you really care? Do you really care?Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Lou Pizzichillo — Like are how how much will you inconvenience yourself? And I mean, the payoff from that has just been huge, even though it’s been an inconvenience and our giving goes down that week and it throws off the series and we got to restructure the calendar.Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — It has gone, there’s there’s never been a time where we’ve regretted it.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s good. And, you know, there’s no doubt one of the things I think we can in our our little world of kind of church leadership, I think we can forget often that people in the communities that we’re serving, they really don’t have any frame of reference for a church of 1,200 people. Like they that that isn’t people’s normal perception of what a church is. Like a church is 25 people or 50 people in a room somewhere super small.Rich Birch — And, and their perception can be, they just don’t, they just don’t have any idea. What is that? What’s that look like? And some of that can skew negative because it’s busy and blah, blah, blah, all those things. And so we’ve, we, we have to take it on ourselves when our church gets to the size that you’re at or larger to try to help them understand and see though this is like really positive for the community and actually point towards that.Lou Pizzichillo — Yes.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s good.Lou Pizzichillo — Yes. And, and like along those lines, ah it’s also perceived as a source of power, right? Like if, if there, if you have 1500 people that all believe the same thing and you’re trying to run a village or a community, there is this, this sense of like, okay, well, are they going to be for us or against us? Like, are all these people going to be anti-village?Rich Birch — Right.Lou Pizzichillo — And so there is like that, that instinct to kind of protect from this group of people that make, make things really hard for us. But over time, as they begin to see like all these people are, are behind us, they’re here to support us and they want to make this place better.Rich Birch — Yes.Lou Pizzichillo — It’s, it really is a beautiful thing. And we’re not there yet as a church, but we’re getting there. And, uh, we’ve just seen a lot of, lot of positive signs and, uh, Yeah, think it’s paid off.Rich Birch — So good, Lou. That’s, that’s great. Just as we wrap up today’s conversation, any kind of final words you’d have to, ah you know, to leaders that are listening in thinking about these issues today?Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah. I mean, I think I would just say it’s worth it. It's it’s messy. It does make things difficult. It can be inconvenient. And when you have people who don’t go to church coming to church and you give them permission to be in progress, you get a lot of hairy situations. And we have a lot of conversations where we’re trying to figure out which way to go.Rich Birch — Yeah, 100%.Lou Pizzichillo — But it’s in those conversations that we cant kind of stop and remind ourselves like, Hey, we’re, we’re glad that these people are here and we’re glad that these are the problems that we’re having. And, the end of the day, this is what we feel like it’s all about. So.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. I just want to encourage you as you’re leading, you’re doing a great job and and it’s been fun to get a chance to get a little window into what’s going on at Community. Want to encourage you and your your team, just you’re doing the right thing. If people want to track with the church or with you online, where do we want to send them to connect with you guys?Lou Pizzichillo — Yeah, so communitychurch.net is our website. On Instagram, we’re communitychurchli, we’re @communitychurchli, and we try to keep that handle throughout all the platforms. So YouTube, same thing. But yeah, that’s it.Rich Birch — Great. Thanks for for being here today, Lou.Lou Pizzichillo — Thanks for having me, Rich. It’s an honor to be here, and I love what you guys are doing for the church.

This week, Jen and Pete noodle on a mental framework in which they revisit and recommit, or revise, or replace, or remove the goals they've set for themselves this year (which leaves them feeling re-invigorated, re-energized, and re-inspired).  Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about: How might we add and consider the context surrounding our goals? How might we reframe a pivot away from a certain goal as not a failure but a learning? What are some tactics to give ourselves more grace in the journey towards our goals? To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/. You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on.  To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com. Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

This week, Pete shares with Jen some wisdom from his physio, and together, they noodle on how their leadership may be more simple, practical, and elegant.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:When might it be best to give direction versus ask a question?What are some practical ways to simplify the learnings we are trying to give to our clients or colleagues?In what ways can we practice being more efficient and elegant?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Throwing back to an idea from Episode One, Jen reminds Pete of the question: Is your fear keeping you safe, or is it keeping you stuck?Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:How might we notice and call out our own fears?Why might it be helpful to hear about other people's fears?What are some tactics we can use to confront and push through the fear that is keeping us stuck?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Podcast about Brene Brown's idea about vulnerability in leadership

Host Mike Petrusky reflects on his decade-long journey of podcasting and the evolution of the facility management industry in this solo episode of the Workplace Innovator Podcast. He explores lessons learned about leadership, technology, and innovation in the workplace with a mix of personal anecdotes, inspirational quotes, and discussions on the future of work. Mike shares his excitement for the next ten years and the potential impact of AI on the built environment as he emphasizes the importance of empathetic leadership and understanding human behavior in the future workplace. With quotes from C.S. Lewis, Brene Brown, and Seth Godin, Mike encourages listeners to get out of their comfort zone and embark on their own hero's journey, as he offers the inspiration you will need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/ Watch the podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/  

 Welcome to another episode of Women Petpreneurs Podcast's Book Club! In this special book club edition, hosts Mary Oquendo, Sacheen Mobley, and Denise Herouxre  for an honest, insightful chat on self-help reads that have made a real impact on their lives. While the world gears up for Super Bowl Sunday, the conversation here is all about managing anxiety, understanding emotions, and finding practical tools to improve both our personal and professional lives. This episode dives into three standout books: "The Anxiety Solution" by Sacheen Mobley, a practical guide for anyone looking to face their anxiety head-on; "Life Unlocked" by Dr. Pillai, a deeper, science-backed look at fear, dread, and the psychology behind what holds us back; and Brené Brown's "Atlas of the Heart," which takes listeners on a journey through 88 different emotions, helping us all to better define and process what we feel. Whether you're a fellow groomer or just someone looking for inspiration and real-world strategies for self-growth, you'll find honest book reviews, insightful personal stories, and lots of practical advice in this episode. Grab your favorite beverage, cozy up, and get ready to add a few new titles to your reading list—because Book Club is in session!

A hot market does not guarantee hot bookings. In this coaching session, John works with tech and emerging-tech speaker Cortney Harding to diagnose the real reasons her calendar is not matching her credibility. They unpack why prestige signals and “busy content” do not automatically create demand, how to position around an expensive problem, and why simplifying outreach beats “post and pray” when you want reliable bookings.You will also hear a strong warning for speakers who chase whatever topic is trending. It looks strategic until you realise you are rebuilding your positioning every six months and still not becoming the obvious choice.What you will learnWhy high-demand topics can still leave you with a cold inboxThe difference between credibility signals and buyer demandHow to turn a framework into a clear “we need this” messageWhy your prospecting should start with a simple response-getting questionWhat to prioritise if you feel permanently stuck in launch modeWhy social media is often a nice-to-have, not the main lever for bookingsHow to reframe sales as relationships so it stops feeling grimWho this is forProfessional speakers who want more paid bookings, clearer positioning, and a simpler plan that does not rely on going viral.Chapters00:00 Hot market, cold inbox00:52 Why chasing hot topics is a terrible long-term strategy01:35 What this coaching session will help you fix01:57 Cortney's goal: speaking as real revenue, not “biz dev”03:05 Fee goals and gig targets04:05 The “last mile” problem: credibility without a flywheel05:00 The crowded hot-topic trap and the pivot to differentiation07:00 The key diagnostic: what expensive problem do you solve?07:30 Tech last, problem first: Cortney's framework09:05 Why this matters: wasted spend, weak ROI, failed projects10:05 Sharpening the one-sentence positioning12:55 Why the “how” matters less than the “what” at first13:20 Content output vs conversion, and the danger of mimicry14:10 Permanently in launch mode and “throwing Italy at the wall”16:00 What is actually driving bookings right now?16:25 Strategic pitching and why it is not converting17:05 Simplifying outreach to one question that gets responses18:00 Why conferences rarely pay non-celebrity speakers19:05 The CRM follow-up game: not one-and-done21:55 The numbers game and finding a different hunting niche23:35 Calling people who respond: become a voice, not an email24:55 Targeting the right company bracket and event reality26:20 Book orders as a fee lever27:15 The Power Hour strategy: prospecting over busywork28:05 Do prestige names matter? Less than you think29:05 Big idea vs problem solving and what buyers actually purchase30:20 The Brene Brown example and becoming known for one thing32:40 Networking and feedback loops to improve the “buzz”37:05 Social media as a slower, less reliable path to bookings38:05 The relief of simplification: one hour a day39:10 Hope is not a business strategy40:05 Sales is relationships41:05 Spotify rating, free coaching application, and the audit quiz42:00 Closing lineLinks and resources

In THE ART OF SELF, we turn the gaze inward toward self-love, vulnerability, and appreciation.So often, we care deeply for others, hold space, listen, and give, while quietly placing ourselves last. This episode invites to question what becomes possible when that same tenderness is finally offered to the self.Rooted in the understanding of Brene Brown that “vulnerability is not weakness, it's our greatest measure of courage,” we explore how allowing ourselves to be seen, can open the door to deeper self-love. Through sensory actions, reflective moments, and creative exploration, we share tools that encourage slowing down and increasing self-consciousness. From meeting your own gaze in the mirror to creating art where imperfection softens into intimacy, this episode traces the movement from awareness to reflection — from negative loops turned into nourishing cycles of care.Photo credit Ivana Dostálová, Traces of The Unseen, 2025Music credit Andy Gallery@bellavalentinaart @studio.rb_mindful.artswww.safespaces.art@safespaces.artArt Connect Society z.s.Support the show

If your body and mind are the engine of your leadership, what fuel are you putting into it? In this episode of The Fitness Business Podcast, Justin Tamsett sits down with Heather Wise Soubra, founder and CEO of Wiser Way Coaching and Director of the George Washington Leadership Institute at Mount Vernon. Heather shares powerful, practical insights on self-leadership—exploring how clarity, presence, values, habits, and alignment shape not just how we lead others, but how we lead ourselves first. This conversation is especially relevant for fitness business owners and leaders navigating pressure, chaos, and constant decision-making. Heather offers grounded strategies for responding instead of reacting, setting boundaries with integrity, and building daily practices that support sustainable leadership performance.   Key highlights from the episode: ✔ Why self-leadership is the foundation of effective leadership ✔ How to build the "well" so you're resourced before pressure hits ✔ The importance of identifying and living by your personal leadership values ✔ How morning routines shape decision-making, communication, and energy ✔ Practical tools for boundary setting without guilt or conflict ✔ Why alignment—not hustle—is the key to long-term leadership impact   Curious about the future host of Fitness Business Podcast? That's Zoe, the host JT's daughter!   Got value from today's episode? ✔ Leave us a review on your favorite podcast app ✔ Send us a voicemail at fitnessbusinesspodcast.com/leaveusavoicemail ✔ Share this episode with a colleague who wants to build a stronger team   Ready for more: ✔ Become an FBP Insider and get 7 days FREE to start! Learn more on Patreon: https://patreon.com/FitnessBusinessPodcast ✔ Our FREE LIVE online events created specifically for fitness business owners, managers, and coaches who want to sharpen their skills and grow their business - Learn More: https://fitnessbusinesspodcast.com/onlineevents ✔ Call in and let JT know if you think this has been the best season: https://fitnessbusinesspodcast.com/leave-us-a-voicemail/ ✔ Leave a rating on Spotify or Apple Podcasts: https://fitnessbusinesspodcast.com/review/ Resources: ✔ Become an FBP Insider on Patreon: https://patreon.com/FitnessBusinessPodcast ✔ Fitness Business Podcast's LinkedIn Community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9878228/ ✔ Mystery Shopping for Fitness Businesses: https://mysteryshoppingforfitnessbusinesses.com.au/    Recommended Books: ✔ Walk the Talk by Carolyn Taylor ✔ The 4‑Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss ✔ The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck ✔ PDF of Brene Brown's value exercises - https://fitnessbusinesspodcast.com/prod/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/22_0120-Values-Document-BBbrandedUU.pdf   Our Guest: Heather Wiser Soubra, Founder, Wiser Way Coaching and Director, George Washington Leadership Institute, Leadership Coach and Executive Facilitator ✔ Website: https://wiserwaycoaching.com/ ✔ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherwisersoubra/ ✔ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathersoubra/    Merch Sponsor: Mystery Shopping for Fitness Businesses (Australia exclusive) Be a Merch Sponsor - https://fitnessbusinesspodcast.com/merch/   REX Roundtables: Website: www.REXRoundtables.comEmail: Eddie@REXRoundtables.com   A heartfelt thank you to the partners who support The Fitness Business Podcast: ✔ BeBalanced Centers: Provides natural hormone balancing for weight loss and symptom relief. https://www.bebalancedcenters.com/ ✔ Instinctive Insights: Provides profit-driven marketing and data science services to increase customer acquisition. https://www.instinctiveinsights.com/ ✔ Eleiko: Manufactures and sells premium strength and weightlifting equipment. https://eleiko.com/en-us✔ NetGym: Provides automated staff operations and sub-request management for fitness studios. https://www.netgym.com✔ EGYM: Provides smart, connected fitness technology and equipment for gyms. https://egym.com/us   About Our Guest: Heather Wiser Soubra is Founder and CEO of Wiser Way Coaching and Director of The George Washington Leadership Institute at Mount Vernon. An ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), she empowers leaders and teams to reach their fullest potential by tapping into inner wisdom and building on strengths. Previously Senior Vice President at the International Dairy Foods Association, Heather holds degrees from George Mason University in intercultural communication and coaching, plus an Executive Certificate in Facilitation from Georgetown University. About Your Host: Justin "JT" Tamsett is a fitness industry veteran with over 30 years of experience who aims to reduce global healthcare costs by promoting physical activity. Through his company Active Management, he provides business coaching to fitness entrepreneurs, leads 8 REX Roundtables in the US and Australia, and has spoken at over 40 conferences across 23 countries. His ultimate goal is to create a world of opportunity for his daughter Zoe by helping more people move and stay healthy, while empowering gym owners to build successful businesses that contribute to a healthier society Please note: We only recommend products we care about (affiliate links support our free content). Thank you for your support!

After listening to James Clear talk on the habit of writing, Pete talks with Jen about their writing practices, and how he might investigate new and old ways of writing and thinking.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:How might the act of writing help us change up our patterns of thinking?How might we give up the idea of having to be perfect on our first try?What is Pete's writing practice? And Jen's?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Hello! On today's show, Karen and Katie chat about shame. What a topic! Lots to discuss. Thanks for listening!*Check out Brene Brown's groundbreaking Ted Talk: The Power of Vulnerability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

Podcast Description: In Part 2 of this two-part episode of Whiskey, Jazz & Leadership, host Galen Bingham continues his inspiring conversation with Annie Meehan, motivational speaker, author, and resilience expert. Annie dives deeper into her P3 Purpose Formula, a transformative approach to discovering your purpose by turning pain into passion and ultimately into purpose.   This episode is packed with actionable insights on how to live intentionally, lead authentically, and make decisions that align with your values. Annie shares how her invisible board of directors, including names like Oprah Winfrey, Brene Brown, and Simon Sinek, guides her in making tough decisions. She also opens up about her faith, her journey to earning the prestigious CSP designation, and how she uses her story to inspire others to live by choice, not by chance or circumstance.   What You'll Learn in This Episode: The P3 Purpose Formula: How to turn pain into passion and purpose. Living Intentionally: Why every day is a choice to be amazing. The Invisible Board of Directors: How mentors like Oprah Winfrey and Simon Sinek inspire her decision-making. Faith and Authenticity: How Annie's faith shapes her leadership and connection with others. Earning the CSP Designation: What it means to achieve the highest distinction in professional speaking.   What you drinking? Galen pours a glass of Ridgemont 1792 Small Batch Bourbon (93 proof), a smooth and foundational whiskey that perfectly complements the depth of this conversation. Meanwhile, Annie sips on honey and ginger kombucha, a refreshing and healthy choice that reflects her commitment to living with intention and balance.   Want more? For four dollars a month, you can become a Patreon VIP. You'll get early access to every Part Two episode. A deep archive of exclusive conversations. Insight into who's coming next. And direct access to Galen himself. Join the VIP circle today Click Here. Cheers to leadership that matters!

As Pete prepares to have his tonsils removed, he asks Jen for mental frameworks he can use during his two-week recovery.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:How might we use our internal google translator to switch negative language into positive action?How might we switch the words "have to" to "get to"?When life throws us a curveball, how might we embrace this unexpected path?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

This week, it’s all about implementation. After weeks of exploring community, culture, values, and visibility, Stacey brings everything together with a simple challenge: what’s the one thing you’re actually going to do? In this wrap-up episode of the Turning Culture Into Capital series, Stacey shares three practical, powerful steps you can take right now to bring your culture to life and make a real impact—without feeling overwhelmed. You’ll learn: ✨ How to define your mission, vision, and values—and why they matter✨ How to create action statements that guide hiring, leadership, and decision-making✨ The difference between visibility and impact—and how to choose a strategy that suits your current season✨ Why you don’t need a big budget (or a full team) to make a big difference✨ How to delegate, get creative, and take just one small step towards community connection Plus, Stacey shares real examples from her own early business journey (hello, sausage sizzles and walking laps while pregnant!)—reminding us that what matters most is starting where you are.

The queen is the most powerful player on a chessboard – a queen can move anywhere - just like HR. Ewen shares why HR practitioners need to stop staying in their square and start thinking like a queen on a chessboard.   He explores how meaningful change comes through sustained commitment to human-centred approaches and shares the example of The Havas Platform, demonstrating how HR can create impact both within organisations and society.   Ewen champions transparency as foundational to trust and equity and discusses his approach to reward, including opportunities to personalise pay and benefits according to need. Framing reward as an opportunity to target support, he emphasises that social impact isn't only external and reminds us that employees may be experiencing the same issues that we see in society.  Encouraging you to "be a queen", Ewen's wish is for everyone in HR to appreciate how powerful your position is, and use that power to drive positive change.    How is AI really playing out? Slalom's new research Thank you to Slalom for sponsoring this week's podcast episode.  If you're an HR leader navigating AI and wondering how to move from ambition to adoption, Slalom's latest research offers practical insights you can use right away. Slalom surveyed more than 2,000 global executives to understand how AI is really playing out, where investment is translating into value, where it isn't and, what that means for leadership, skills and cross functional alignment.  Download your free summary here: Get Slalom's latest AI research   

Welcome back to Restoring the Soul with Michael John Cusick. In today's episode, Michael sits down with Christine Wolf Hoover, a licensed professional counselor from Texas and author of "Soul Adventuring: Your Guide to Living with Bravery and Joy." Together, they explore the idea that our faith journey is an invitation into risk, bravery, and joy, not just a checklist of spiritual practices.Through honest conversation and stories drawn from her clinical experience and personal life, Christine breaks down the barriers of toxic positivity, sharing how embracing vulnerability and facing the hard places in life can lead to real transformation. You'll hear practical wisdom on navigating trauma, setting boundaries, and improving emotional health, along with fresh perspectives on classic ideas like "doing the work," regulating your brain, and cultivating joy.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

TRANSCRIPT Gissele: [00:00:00] Hello and welcome to the Love and Compassion Podcast with Gissele. We believe that love and compassion have the power to heal our lives and our world. Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more amazing content. Gissele: Today we’ll be chatting with Deidre Harris, who is a national leadership in highly effective teams development trainer and coach. She supports educational programs looking to enhance their administrative staff’s leadership skills and their teaching teams levels of effectiveness. Gissele: Please join me in welcoming Deidre. Deidre: Hi. Gissele: Hi. Hello. Welcome to the show. Oh, Deidre: thank you for inviting me. Gissele: Oh, thank you so much for being here. This is definitely a topic of interest for me. I was wondering if you could tell the audience a little bit about how you got into this work. Deidre: Oh my gosh. To make a long story, very short that I’ve just been working in the education field for over 35 years [00:01:00] and through all of my very. Deidre: Various different positions. You know, leadership has just been coming up over and over and over again. And, and what does that look like? As a teacher working with children or as an assistant supporting that teacher or as a director or principal supporting staff. And so no matter what position I was in or what I was doing, leadership was just always, at the foundation of everything we did. So as I stepped out to do my own work, it just kept coming up more and more, and so I said, okay, there’s a need. Let me get out there and help to address it. Gissele: Wonderful. Wonderful. And what were some of the biggest leadership challenges you saw in the education system? Deidre: Well, gosh, I have to start with myself, Gissele right? So how did leadership show up in me? And a lot of times we kind of think about it and put it under the category of professionalism, but leadership. Actually goes [00:02:00] beyond professionalism to to be professional, to to show up with that hat, to do the work that you are hired to do in a manner that you know, that gives great outcomes for everybody. Deidre: That’s just one piece of it. When I go in and I talk about leadership, it’s really about mindset. And so I actually had to work on my own set. Who am I as a leader? And how do I get to show up in that leadership to, you know, to actually, again, get those outcomes that I’m looking for. And so, as I was, you know, as I started doing this work among myself, like I mentioned earlier, I started seeing it. Deidre: Elsewhere. And what I notice is that again, well, the biggest challenge, or the thing that I notice the most is everybody attributes leadership to a title. Gissele: Mm. Right? Mm-hmm. So yeah, you’re Deidre: either your administrator or like I said before. You’re a director or a principal or, you know, sit [00:03:00] somewhere where leadership is part of your, your title in the sense of authority. Deidre: And so that’s, I would say one of my, my biggest challenges and, and what I noticed and again, what’s, you know, motivated me to do this work because leadership, we’re all leaders. You know, regardless of our title, regardless of what we do, and because I have that belief, then going out there and helping people to see their leadership and then to start standing in their leadership, that’s, that’s been my ongoing challenge in work. Gissele: Hmm. Deidre: Yeah. Gissele: Thank you for that. Thank you. and I really appreciate that you said that you know, everyone or anyone is a leader, right? Including the children. And so as teachers who, step up into their own leadership can then model that for the kids themselves. But the school system isn’t always sort of designed that way. Gissele: Where leadership [00:04:00] can come from anywhere. It is at times designed in a very hierarchical, as many other systems that we have. How has the structure been sort of a little bit of a hindrance or help, around leadership? Deidre: Well, you know, I would say it’s definitely a hindrance or, a challenge, a barrier, and again, you nailed it. Deidre: The education field is very hierarchy driven. It’s very top down. We see that in our struggles with, being a teacher or wanting to be a teacher and having things. Put upon you that you have little to no control over and and hence some of the impact in terms of the severe teacher shortage that we’re in right now. Deidre: I mean, who wants to work under those demands. So absolutely. Going in and again, helping people to understand that when you take on and think about personal leadership, it takes you out of this space of feel, what I call victimhood [00:05:00] of feeling like, oh. I have no control, I have no influence. Deidre: I have no power. And really showing people just how much power they actually have, even when things are being put upon them. So how they address the situation, how do they stand up and use their voice? How do they actually go through and develop their skillsets? Those are things we all have Personal power. Deidre: Over and agency. And so therefore, we can stand in our leadership regardless of what’s going on around us. And in fact, when we’re truly grounded in our leadership, the outside world tends to impact us less. Meaning it’s not like things don’t happen, but our response, we tend to be more responsive and less reactive. Deidre: Yeah. Right. And, and ultimately that’s the goal. Gissele: And what you said is so, so important because I think you’re right. There’s times when we feel [00:06:00] helpless and so if you, if we really can reflect on where’s my power in this moment, even if it’s just in how I react to this particular experience, then we’ll feel more powerful then we feel like we’ll have more leadership Gissele: I just wanted to go back to your point about this this sort of shortage for teachers. Do you think that sort of the lack of funding or the lack of like, the amount of money that teachers are getting paid, it might be contributing? Because right now the cost of living seems to be not necessarily reflecting what people’s salaries are. Deidre: Absolutely Deidre: So wages and salaries are certainly part of that. And also, I mean, there’s a disparity even within the education field. So if you’re if you are part of a school district, then your salary tends to be higher. You have access to more resources. Including additional education that, you know, can be subsidized as well as benefits.[00:07:00] Deidre: But if you’re in early childhood, which is where I spend a lot of my time, where we’re working with teachers who are with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, many of them are in community schools and don’t have the same system set up. So their wages, their benefits, their resources are even less. And yet the expectations for their education are the same and we know how ex. Deidre: Expensive it is for college, right. To get that degree. And so even in early education, you need to have a degree. So now we’re asking people to take on a lot of debt, right? Yeah. Because most of us, how many of us can afford paying for it outright? So we’re taking on a lot of debt and coming out with very low wages. Deidre: Which means that, I mean, just the cost of living, but those dreams like owning a house, right? Or you know, things like that, providing for your family get whittled way down because of the amount of debt that you’re already coming out with. [00:08:00] And so, absolutely, that has a lot to do with the field. And as I mentioned earlier, again, because a lot of things are so top down driven, they’re, a lot of things, again, I use the word put upon because it is directed by people sometimes outside of the field who Have little understanding or have an expectation of an outcome and say, this is what you know we want you to do and this is how you, we want you to do it. All of that decreases the, motivation for becoming a teacher because they actually have taken the art away from it, and I don’t think people see, you know, realize that teaching is both the science. Deidre: And in art. Mm-hmm. And so we can go in and deliver a curriculum and the curriculum is the science part, but how we do it when we do it to, you know, to what degree we do it, what strategies are we doing when that’s the art piece. And many times things are so [00:09:00] structured that the art goes away. It, it’s no longer fun. Gissele: Yeah. I completely agree Absolutely. Yeah. sometimes I think to myself, we kind of live in a topsy-turvy world, right? Like, think about the people that make millions of dollars. Not that we should take anything away from people to play, football and movie stars Gissele: Wonderful. You know, you’re allowed your abundance, but important roles such as teaching and nursing they’re paid such, such a base level and it just doesn’t work. And we’re kind of in an interesting time. Gissele: I see it because we kind of have this gap. there was the baby boomers and people of my generation and even younger that kind of got sold a bag of goods, right? and it sort of worked for us during our time you could go to a good school, graduate, get a good job, get all the things that you thought you were going to get, but the new generation. Gissele: Even if they graduate, they come out with huge debt. They don’t have jobs that are going to pay them because some of these companies now are just wanting to not pay [00:10:00] benefits, not just give what people deserve. Mm-hmm. And so then you see this new generation that is like, I’m out. Gissele: Yes. I’m gonna live off grid. I’m gonna make money on social media. I’m just not gonna do those things. Yes. And so something’s gonna have to change, right? Like, I think we’re gonna have to prioritize. These sorts of positions and go back to the art and go back to the acknowledging the value that is being offered by these positions it doesn’t have to be one or the other. Gissele: I mean, these people can still say in their abundance, but the abundance of teachers and nurses should be elevated from my perspective. Deidre: Yes. I totally agree. I mean, and you know, we could spend weeks here on this topic alone. Right. just thinking about, you know, what are our priorities? Deidre: And when I go back and, and we know this because, [00:11:00] I mean, the research has come out over and over and over again, the return on investment, so. So I’m gonna bring it back to education because the return on investment, when we invest in our children, it’s something like 16 to 18% or times what the initial investment was. Deidre: So if we were to say to someone, Hey, if you invest, you know so much, you know, a hundred dollars and you’re gonna get a eight, 16 to 18% return, everyone would flock to that. Right? Yeah. Everyone would be buying shares in that company. So it’s really interesting how we look at it, the investment in that way. Deidre: Yet we don’t see the same type of investment in our children. And yet, look at our role today. Right. I mean, yeah. Yes. There’s great things happening and yes, there are, things happening. that we’ve never seen before in our lifetime. Yeah. And to go back to what you were saying, Gissele [00:12:00] this generation is the first generation that has done not as well as their parents’ generation. Deidre: So when you’re talking about they’re coming out with debt, that we have so many students coming out and having to live with their families because the jobs just aren’t out there paying what they would need to survive with inflation, or they have this huge mountain of debt that, you know, that they have to get up underneath of, and all of these other things. Deidre: So we get to. To look at that because what are we setting up for the generations who are, coming after us? what are we leaving them? Gissele: Yeah. and I totally agree with that, but, I have to reflect and I do believe that we’ve accepted certain things over time. Like one of the things I would hear often again and again is that, people. Gissele: Believe that like doing good, you don’t have to accept that much pay. Right? It should be free or it should be low. So I feel like there’s an element well, we’ve done this to ourselves, [00:13:00] and I feel like now is the time that we’re like no more. Because Gissele: that really allows you to then do more of that important work. there doesn’t have to be a trade off between you doing good and allowing your abundance to come into you. But I feel like we have, ’cause that was the one thing that I always heard, like people that are doing good and helping people, oh, it can’t cost that much. Gissele: It has to be free. And it’s like, okay, so this is why we’re in the situation we’re in. But like you said, we have power. We just have to say, well, we are not willing to take this low pay anymore. It’s done. So either pay us what we’re worth, or you’re gonna have systems shut down. Mm-hmm. Gissele: Because they’re not gonna have anyone to do the job. What are your thoughts? Deidre: so Gissele you take us right into the leadership mindset, and that’s why I’ve started doing that work. For just that reason is because you even said it. Deidre: It not that I wanna move into blaming or shaming, and yet we do get to [00:14:00] own that. When whoever we are in the helping field, whether it’s coaching in whatever area, or education or health, whatever that field is, it’s this idea of our money mindset. Right. Like, you know, money is the, the root of all evil or whatever. Deidre: We grew up with that somehow, and you said it, that somehow that when we attach money to helping others, now we’re wrong or we’re greedy, or we should do it from the love of our heart. And basically what we’re being asked to do is to subsidize. Other people’s wellbeing. And I think we have to really understand that, that really we’re being asked to subsidize, you know? Deidre: Somebody else’s health or somebody’s else is fitness or somebody else’s, you know, whatever that is. And so, like you said, when when we step into that leadership mindset and say, this is who [00:15:00] I am and this is how I wanna show up in the world, as soon as we fully own that, then the money doesn’t quite become an issue. Deidre: Or we start moving out of that and we start charging what we’re worth. Mm-hmm. And so that right there is, is just really huge. And again, as I bring it back to the education field, it not that you’re gonna go out and and demand a salary increase, but as you show up and, and we start advocating for ourselves and say. Deidre: Look, the, this is what we’re talking about. here’s your return on the investment. It FARs outweigh what, what you’re paying me. We get to start equalizing or leveling things up. Gissele: Yeah. Yeah. I’m gonna disagree, Deidre. I do think that people should go out and ask for an increase the cost of living is so far above, and somebody did the numbers, I think it was on TikTok. Gissele: People are now spending almost like. 75% on their salary on living, [00:16:00] which doesn’t leave a lot to save. Whereas, you know, like many moons ago, it’s only about half. And so people were able to save for a house. We’re able to do all of these things. But let’s talk about worth. And I think that’s the thing. Gissele: Historically, we have not really valued our worth. I heard these two people talking about, how, they expect people to work nine to five, but they said come in for an eight o’clock meeting. Yes. and the person said, no, sorry, I’ve got this going on. Gissele: I can’t make it. And it was a huge deal. and they were, criticizing them and ostracizing them for doing stuff outside of work hours. And I think for many, many years we accepted that we thought it made us valuable and that somehow there’ll be a return on investment and it has not. Gissele: All it’s done is, oh look, we get a praise. And just praise is just not gonna cut it anymore. Which is why I think this younger generation is keep your praise. Yep. I’m gonna keep my money or I’m gonna keep my time. Right. And so I do [00:17:00] think it’s the time now to truly say, okay, what am I worth? And this is what I desire in terms of income. Gissele: What are your thoughts? Deidre: and I agree with that. So let me just go back and clarify. Deidre: ’cause I’m not saying don’t go out and advocate for yourself and financially, it’s just one way to do it. Mm-hmm. When you’re talking about stepping into your self worth. And again, the key is to own it. Yeah. So when you’re in your leadership, right and you’re owning your worth, that’s when the advocacy really happens. Deidre: And here’s what often happens is, is people will say I want you to do for me what I won’t even do for myself. Deidre: Fair Gissele: enough. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Deidre: So, when we’re grounded, when we’re in our leadership and we’re presenting ourselves as leaders, then that’s what I mean by that. The advocacy comes and absolutely, we still get to have those discussions and fight for [00:18:00] equal pay by all means, and not just as a group, but in. Deidre: Individuals, because not every person is equal. Right? Yeah. And what value we have is going to be different based on the work that we’re doing and who we’re doing that work with. So we get to be really clear about our value, and many of us aren’t. Yeah. So it’s really hard to go out and say, you know, I think I should have more money and not be able to answer the question of, well, what are you bringing to the table? Deidre: Hmm. And that’s where many of us are, as opposed to, you know, coming in and say, wow, when I come in, I’m able to do this, this, this, this, and this, and the benefits of this is this, this, this, this, and this. Now we have something to talk about and negotiate and discuss with. That’s us being in our leadership. Gissele: Mm, I understand. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, Deidre: yeah. Gissele: [00:19:00] Thank you for that. And speaking of different values, Let’s talk about compassion in the education system and the challenges that may present themselves in terms of managing behavior problems and then where leadership would fit in those circumstances. Deidre: Yeah, this is me sighing Gissele becauseyou know, I’m a little speechless and the reason for that is because you would think of all fields. All fields, or at least like you said, one of the helping fields that compassion would be embedded. And I have to say it’s not now there’s gonna be, you know, listeners out there that are gonna disagree with me, you’re probably gonna get a flood. Deidre: What is she talking about? That’s okay. You know, where I work, there’s, you know, compassion, but I just mean generally speaking that. Again, if we’re talking about, say, teachers with children, it’s not that teachers don’t have compassion for children, but they’re fried. Yeah. They’re [00:20:00] burnt out because of the, the workload and what they’re asked to do. Deidre: Now you take workload and then you bring in children who have lots of challenges on a lot of different areas, whether it’s just, you know learning. Disabilities that they have. And so it, you know, it puts additional workload on the teacher to figure out how to support them, especially if they’re not able to receive services around that. Deidre: You have children coming in who definitely are coming from circumstances that are traumatic or neglectful. So now you have a lot of mental health that teachers are having to deal with and trying to support children in order for them to learn. And then in addition to that, now you have teachers being attacked both verbally and physically. Deidre: Yeah. By very young children all the way through you know, into our high schools and our colleges. So much to the point where, where we’re talking about, you know, teachers carrying [00:21:00] guns in school in order to protect themselves Wow. Or be in a position to. To protect children if somebody comes in. Deidre: Wow. So, so when you’re thinking about all of these pressures mm-hmm. That are there, it’s really hard to be compassionate. So it’s not that our teachers, our directors, our principals don’t want to be compassionate. It’s really hard when we have all of these external pressures. It, it just truly is now. Deidre: And then on top of that, think about again, just having compassion for ourselves, and that’s where that leadership comes in. So I always talk a lot about practicing grace. Gissele: Yeah. Deidre: So the practicing grace is for ourselves. And, and that gets to be embedded as part of our leadership. So, I mean, there’s great websites out there like I think it was one called self-compassion dot org. Deidre: So if anybody, you [00:22:00] know, wants to check that. That out. A wonderful woman who’s been in the field for a very long time provides lots of free resources on there. I tell everybody about it all the time because it’s something that we do get to practice. It’s a muscle. Having grace for oneself is a muscle that we get to build and we get to pour into to keep that muscle strong because we are typically our own worst enemies. Deidre: Right. You’ve heard that, right? that inner critic or that self critic, that voice in your head that comes up when you do something and they might say, you know, or You made a mistake. Well, that was stupid. Well, how dumb was that? Or that voice that comes up and says you know, who do you think you are? Deidre: You can’t do this. Keep your mouth shut. You don’t have anything to offer. That’s the voice that we’re talking about that we get to actually look at and say thank you. But no thank you. [00:23:00] I don’t need that advice today. I am practicing grace. Practicing grace means that we are owning, that we are fully human. Deidre: And so I say that as a as a recovering perfectionist. Mm-hmm. So I own that. I have to practice every single day to not get things to such a high degree. And then, you know, where I’m not getting things done or driving myself crazy. Instead, I get to practice grace and say, I’m human. It’s okay if I make a mistake. Deidre: Now, if I’m making that same mistake repeatedly, that’s. great feedback that I wanna go in and, and look at that. So I’m not saying, you know, go out and just be a hot mess all of the time, but just owning, you know, it’s not gonna be an if, it’s gonna be a when we’re gonna, we’re gonna make mistakes and if we’re going to learn and grow and practice that self-compassion, we need to practice grace. Deidre: Giving ourselves grace. [00:24:00] Yeah. And as soon as we’re able to really be compassionate. Then we become really genuine in stepping into compassion for others. Gissele: Mm-hmm. Absolutely, absolutely. I don’t think people realize that that critical voice, like internally is how they talk to other people as well. Some of the most critical people that I have met, that’s how they talk to themselves as well. Gissele: And so, here we talk about, when you. Fill up your bucket, right, and you give to love and compassion towards yourself, then you can give to others from your overflow, right? Yes. Then you have more than enough and when you give yourself love and compassion. You give yourself what you’re looking for externally. Gissele: You don’t need people to be different. You don’t need them to be a specific way. And so you can have that grace for yourself and other people. Mm-hmm. One of the things that I found, I was thinking about what you were saying around, you know, teachers carrying gun and so on is the role of fear [00:25:00] and the lack of. Gissele: Emotional regulation that has been taught, and I think that’s what compassion helps us do is regulate those difficult feelings. Mm-hmm. how has fear really impacted teachers’ abilities to really be in their leadership in those moments? Deidre: Well, fear shows up in a lot of different ways, and we know that, you know, fear is actually a secondary emotion, meaning something else is Happening and the result or the symptom is fear. So one of the things we get to look at is, what am I afraid of? So if I think about myself and me, as a perfectionist am I afraid of, of failing? Am I afraid of what people might think of me? I mean, it’s gonna look a little different for everyone, and that’s part of the self-discovery process is it’s what am I afraid of? Deidre: Because that’s really what I wanted. To look at. If I’m just saying, you know, I’m afraid, then [00:26:00] that’s, an outcome, that’s a symptom that’s telling us. Right? Yeah. And that kind of goes back to what you were saying about our emotions is that our emotions is our body’s feedback to us that something is going on. Deidre: And so listening to that feedback is critical to help us figure out What is it that’s going on? And you also said that earlier when you said that this isn’t something that’s taught. And so while we’re starting to do that, you know, we call it, you know, social emotional learning or development. We do that, you know, in our schools. Deidre: And that’s becoming prevalent again, especially after COVID. What people don’t realize is that our corporations are actually spending billions of dollars on training their people in emotional intelligence, which basically is social emotional development for grownups, right? So how do we manage those big emotions? Deidre: Right. [00:27:00] Anger, frustration, fear, resentment, jealousy. I mean, we can go on and on and on. How do we manage them? How do we regulate and how do we look at it in relationship to those people around me? So when I’m having. These emotions. Who else is it impacting? Because I, I get to look at that. And so one of the quotes that I absolutely love out there is live in the impact, not the intention. Gissele: Mm-hmm. Deidre: Yeah. And that’s huge, right? Because often we say, oh, well I didn’t mean to, or I intended to. and my question is, well, how did that turn out? And if we’re talking about something that, you know, didn’t turn out the way we expected to, that’s great feedback for us. That we get to go back and change or shift something and try it again to get closer to the outcome that we were wanting. Gissele: Yeah. Yeah, and I love how you frame that, and even this in what you had [00:28:00] said before, because there’s such an element of acceptance and not judgment. Even when you said, you know, I keep making the same mistake. If you keep doing the same behavior, you might not be aware that it’s serving you somehow. Gissele: Sometimes we may not like our behavior but it’s serving us ’cause otherwise we wouldn’t keep doing it. So maybe there’s a subconscious thing that we need to look at. So I love how you frame that in terms of, you know what, so these are just messages that we need to understand then, that are reflecting or mirroring back to us. Gissele: What we may need to heal, what we might need to address, which I think is so, so pivotal because we get stuck behind the shame, the criticism, the guilt, all of those difficult emotions and can’t get past them in order to be able to then to really understand the lesson. And I think that’s one of the reasons why we’re kind of in a little bit of a cancel culture because we can’t deal with just a little, those difficult feelings. Gissele: That was my nice way of saying like, what’s going [00:29:00] on? Because we can’t deal with those feelings of being triggered, of being in conversation when we disagree. Yes. And so how do we lean into those difficult feelings so that then we could lean into each other and not away from one another? What are your thoughts? Deidre: Yes. So I call that I have a problem and I want you to fix it. That’s, that’s exactly what it is. Right? Right. Because when I’m triggered, that’s my problem. But we’re so used to saying things like you make me so mad. Yeah. Right. And attributing our emotions to somebody else. and as soon as we do that, then we place right blame and shame and guilt and all of that judgment on somebody else as opposed to, and this is, it’s a radical thought, but yet it’s also a very freeing thought as opposed to owning it. Deidre: Our totally ourselves. Again, taking this back into our leadership when [00:30:00] I fully own my emotions. I am mad now that you know Gissele, you said something or you did something. And first thought is it made me mad, as opposed to, and I got mad. Yeah. So that’s feedback for me that there’s work that I get to do. Deidre: ’cause I am the one that’s mad. It’s crazy for me to say, Gissele you gotta change what you said or change what you did. So I don’t get mad anymore. Right. And what people don’t. Absolutely. Yeah. But, but we’ve been trained to do that. Yeah. And what people don’t realize is that as soon as you do that, you actually give all your power away to somebody. Deidre: Correct. ’cause now they have the power to, do this and make you do this, or do this and make you do this. And, and as soon as you see that and realize that’s where the freeing part comes in, because now, okay, if I’m fully owning my emotions, my feelings, my my [00:31:00] triggers, then. I now have the ability to change and shift it. Deidre: Yeah. And it’s doesn’t rely on anyone else. Gissele: Absolutely. And as soon Deidre: as that happens, like you said, that, you know, the, the cancel culture will start going away. It’s like, oh my gosh. Nobody can make mistakes anymore. Yeah. Nobody can make human or your whole life will be wiped out. Gissele: Yeah,I completely agree with what you said because I truly. Gissele: I truly believe that if something triggers me, I immediately think, okay, what’s what’s going on for me? Like what’s, because if somebody says something that is hurtful, I’m like, oh, that’s where they’re, but if I get triggered by it, that’s an immediate sign that there’s something going on within me because why am I giving that thought? Gissele: The power. Deidre: Yes. Gissele: but. We don’t wanna accept responsibility because then we are responsible for what we have created and therefore, and it expands that we’re responsible for everything we’ve created. [00:32:00] Yes. And then sometimes that’s hard to admit but like you said, it’s the first step towards making a change and stepping up into our leadership. Gissele: Right. Deidre: Yes. and you’re absolutely right about that. And that is part of that, that is really scary. ’cause like you said, as soon as I realize, okay, I’m being triggered, there’s something going on, I get to do some some work around that. So I always advocate for network. Right. Develop your network, develop your inner circle so that there are people around to help support you so that, you know, you can see and kind of process through this in whatever way, shape, or form that looks like. Deidre: But going in and, and understanding that you’re triggered and owning it is kind of like okay, I have work to do here and as soon as. You recognize It. It’s like, oh, okay, okay, I can do something around it. And then you look around and you’re [00:33:00] like, oh crap, I got a whole bunch of stuff I gotta clean up. Deidre: That’s where the work begins. It’s like now I gotta go in and and clean up. Right? So if I haven’t set boundaries right, really good boundaries. ’cause you talked about that a little bit earlier. And now I have all of these appointments and I’m overwhelmed. Okay. To stay in integrity, I’m gonna follow through, and that’s me cleaning up. Deidre: And how can I make sure that I don’t continue to do that for myself? But meanwhile, I’ve gotta, I’ve gotta clean that up, right? Yeah. Gissele: That we got in the shed that we don’t wanna see, or in the basement that we’re like, I’m gonna check that out later. In order for you to change your life, you have to look at that. Gissele: and I do think that what’s happening in the world is kind of like all of those boxes coming out and being like, hello, remember me? Deidre: Oh Gissele: yeah. But they’re coming up to be healed. Right? They’re coming up to be seen and then reone. Deidre: [00:34:00] Yes. Gissele: So, it’s a good thing. But like you said, it’s a scary thing. Gissele: because then nobody else is at fault, right? Then we can’t say, hey, it’s their fault. Right? And that causes us shame and guilt and all these difficult emotions, which we of course are, you know, managing with compassion. Let’s talk about the importance of boundaries in terms of having more compassion for oneself. Gissele: How does, how does having boundaries really reinforce that love for ourselves? Deidre: Yes, and you know, Brene Brown, who, many of us know and love, does a lot of work in this area, so you can check out some of her resources around it. But when we’re talking about, true self-compassion. It goes hand in hand with boundaries. Deidre: You can’t be self-compassionate and have no boundaries. Yeah, because basically what you’re doing is you’re literally giving all of yourself away, right? Yeah. Well, if you’re giving all yourself away, where’s the self in that? And [00:35:00] this is hard for many, many of us. And you know, myself included, and it’s going to always be ongoing work. Deidre: So when we talk about, you know, boundaries, and again, in having that self-compassion, you said it earlier, we wanna give from our overflow, right? So whether you think of it as a bucket or whether you think of it as a well, or however you think about it, you wanna. But pour into yourself so much that, like you said, you were giving from your overflow. Deidre: Not the bucket itself. The bucket is you. Yeah. And so it goes back to what they always keep telling us on the plane. And there’s a really, really important reason they tell. Yeah. Was on the plane. Yeah. Is you right? If you’re sitting with somebody, you know that you need to help you give the oxygen mask first because if you don’t, you’re gonna end up passing out and both of you or all of you are dead. Deidre: Yeah. Andwe don’t think about that in our day-to-day lives, [00:36:00] and we keep. Pulling from our internal wells, right? Or our internal bucket. And we wonder why we’re overwhelmed or burnt down and fried. So when we’re self-compassionate, self-compassion is really about saying no, right? and it’s not no to everybody and no to everything, but it’s being discerning. Deidre: So let’s set up some criteria And if you’re not comfortable with saying no, then I suggest setting up criteria for what you’re gonna say yes to. ’cause some of us aren’t quite in that place where we can, oh, I don’t like to say no, we don’t feel good. just. Means we get to do work there. And in the meantime, let’s work on criteria for saying yes. Deidre: What does yes feel like for you? And let’s be really clear so that when things come in, you take it through this framework of your yes. Yes. Gissele: Yes. I love that. I actually have a reframe what I say sometimes when I say it, I say, mentally says, [00:37:00] A no to you is a yes to myself. Yes. Because I’m like, okay, so I’m saying no to you because I can’t, it’s either not aligning with my values or I’m trying to scrape things for me. Gissele: Nevermind giving it. You. And so a no to you is a yes for me. but for those of you who might not be comfortable with that, I like. The thinking about, what are the things that I can say yes to? What are the things that really align with my highest joy and my values and everything else that I want to do? Deidre: Yes. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yes. And, and again, just thinking about that, right? It’s kind of like this idea of you know, who do I wanna be? And let’s face it when you’re showing up because you said yes when you really wanted to say no. That’s where the resentment comes in. Yeah. In fact, that’s one of the characteristics that there’s a boundary crossing. Deidre: Whether somebody crossed it or you, you gave that boundary away or you weren’t consistent in it, is when [00:38:00] you’re feeling resentful. That’s typically means, oh, boundary issue here. So, you know, just a thought out there for your listeners, but you know, you’re going to show up all cranked or, resentful Deidre: So is that who you want to be when you show up and you’re around people and, you’re precious again, it goes back to, Deidre: Self-worth. you’re just so absolutely precious. And because you are so precious, you get to again, be really discerning who you get to share yourself with. Gissele: Yeah. Gissele: Yeah. Thank you for saying that, that was so good. I I was thinking about, I’m in my general life, I’m very good at saying no when I don’t mean no, except for my kids. Gissele: but you’re right. when I say yes, and I mean, no, I do it in a resentful manner. Like I’ll say yes, but I’m like, I’ll cough and puff, and I’m like, okay, this is not how I wanted to do this. So that’s one of the areas that I’m working on is really saying no with my [00:39:00] kids. Gissele: Right? Yeah. Because I just have this. Desire to give them everything. And, I just love them so much but at the same time, I’m not teaching them to honor their boundaries when I don’t honor my boundaries. Deidre: Yes. Gissele: And so, and I Deidre: say that all the time, Yeah. No, I, I’m just agreeing with you. Right. Just raising my, own kids. Deidre: It’s like, you know, what do we want from them? And just remember we’re modeling 24 7. Yeah. So if we’re not, you know, honoring our boundaries and sharing with them And saying, no, I can’t do this, and this is why. Right. to help our children understand the why. Deidre: Because, you know, because I just have a really, hard week this week and I just don’t have, the energy. And if I go, I’m just gonna be really cranky and nasty and that’s not how I wanna be with you. I wanna go and just. Really enjoy myself. Can we make a rain check? [00:40:00] Yeah, I’m just making stuff up about No, no, this is, people need to write Gissele: this down, but Deidre: great. Deidre: What’s a great thing about a podcast, right? It’s recorded. You can go back and And listen to it. Exactly. You can go back Gissele: and listen to it. Yeah. Deidre: Yes, Gissele: absolutely. Absolutely. Deidre: But add the, the why there so that we’re helping our children to understand why we do what we’re doing, so that as they. Grow up and learn, they can start using again that same level of discernment and decision making and thought process for themselves. Gissele: Agreed. Agreed. And for me, I think it goes back to being socialized to think what makes a good mother. Being a good mother is an important thing for me, like making sure that my kids are, happy, healthy, provided for you know, it’s one of my dreams I guess, that my kids are, well, that they’re supported, that they feel loved, that they feel accepted, that they feel like they belong, that they have a safe space and that they have [00:41:00] what they need. Gissele: but I’ve had some misconceptions as to what that means. It doesn’t mean I deplete myself to give to them. It means that I, again, give from their overflow and show them how to fill their own cups, right? Mm-hmm. But I’ve had to unlearn that. I’ve had to unlearn that and. Gissele: Realize that they weren’t the problem. It was me like in the words of Taylor Swift, I’m the problem. It’s me. But in a compassionate way, obviously. Deidre: Yes. Gissele: Well, Deidre: well, and you’re talking about feedback, right? When you’re talking about that compassionate, it’s not blame or shame. Yeah. It’s, oh, this is feedback for me. Deidre: Yeah. So it gives me the opportunity to shift and change how I show up in the future. That’s self-compassion. Gissele: Yeah. Agree. Agree. So we’re coming up to the end. I have two more questions for you. The first one is, what is your definition of unconditional love? Deidre: I’m just gonna pick up right on self-compassion. Deidre: When we’re [00:42:00] truly grounded in it, then our love for ourselves and then for others becomes unconditional beautiful. So Im gonna pair those two together. Gissele: Beautiful. Where can people find you? Where can they come work with you? Where can they just reach out to you? So just let people know where they can. Gissele: Sure, find yourself. Deidre: So they can find me up on my website, which is www.teamagreements.com. Literally you spell it how it says team agreements.com or if you wanna reach out to me by email, it would be Deidre, D-E-I-D-R-E dot Harris, H-A-R-R-I-S at. Team agreements.com. Nice. Beautiful. And I’d love to hear from your listeners. Gissele: Oh yeah, definitely. Thank you so much, for this amazing conversation, I mean we could speak for weeks. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and I hope people do reach out to you. And join us once again for another episode of The Love and Compassion Podcast with Gissele. Deidre: Thank you. [00:43:00] Bye.

"Choosing courage over comfort is not always easy, but it's always worth it. Clear is kind. Unclear is unkind." —Brené BrownSHOW NOTESEPISODE HIGHLIGHTS Identify the "Poop": Recognize where boundaries are being crossed in your most intimate relationships. Stand Your Sacred Ground: Learn to stay rooted in your identity without shrinking or becoming aggressive. Separate Person from Pattern: Use 2 Corinthians 5:16 to see people according to their Spirit-given DNA, not their fleshly mistakes. Embrace the "Orange Fence": Realize that clear boundaries are the highest form of kindness and protection for a covenant. Protect the Private Vision: Trust the vision Jesus gave you, even if no one else supports it yet. You're tired of "cleaning up the mess": If you feel like you are constantly managing the emotional fallout of others' behaviors, this "Peahen Parable" will give you the practical tools to stop the cycle.

As Jen confronts an upcoming change, she asks Pete for advice and questions to help shift the framework of her status quo.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:What does success look like?How might we reframe a problem as the best possible thing that could happen?Where might we be able to challenge our own assumptions and rules?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Ready to take your community connection to the next level? This episode is for you if you've got a bit more budget, a bit more bandwidth, and you're looking for bold ways to make a big impact. In this final instalment of the Turning Culture Into Capital series, Stacey explores the high-time, high-investment strategies that build lasting visibility, loyalty, and brand momentum. From gala dinners to major fundraisers and sponsorships, these ideas are all about turning generosity into genuine growth—for your business and your community. You’ll learn: ✨ Why big events can pay off in big ways—when they align with your values and capacity✨ Real-life stories of Stacey’s $25K fundraising journey (and the ribs, rugby, and face paint that made it magic)✨ How to choose causes that matter to your team and your customers✨ The value of sponsoring vs. hosting—and why both can elevate your brand✨ How to avoid burnout by finding the right rhythm and capacity for your business✨ Why strategic community investment isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a powerful business driver

Fabiola explores how real change often comes from small, human moments - conversations, deep listening and creating spaces where people can bring their whole selves. Drawing on her international career and psychotherapy studies, she shows how engaging with people relationally forms the foundation for sustainable organisational transformation.   Fabiola also highlights the power of human-centred design in organisations. By fostering improvisation and curiosity, and giving employees a voice, teams build resilience, creativity and stronger connections. Concepts such as 'the fertile void' create space for insight and innovation to emerge.   Looking ahead, Fabiola urges HR leaders to see human-centred ways of working as essential, not optional. Her wish for HR is for leaders to recognise that the health and wellbeing of their people is at the heart of everything they do.   How is AI really playing out? Slalom's new research Thank you to Slalom for sponsoring this week's podcast episode.  If you're an HR leader navigating AI and wondering how to move from ambition to adoption, Slalom's latest research offers practical insights you can use right away. Slalom surveyed more than 2,000 global executives to understand how AI is really playing out, where investment is translating into value, where it isn't and, what that means for leadership, skills and cross functional alignment.  Download your free summary here: Get Slalom's latest AI research   

Looking at his reading list for the year ahead, Pete asks Jen about her processes for selecting and reading books.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:How might we enable ourselves to quit reading a book that isn't exciting to us?Where might we look for the next book to read?How might we examine the list of books we've already read, and use that to guide the future of our reading selections?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Have you ever wondered why, in the moments you crave connection the most, you suddenly find yourself pulling back or feeling unworthy of love? It's a confusing cycle—wanting deep intimacy yet stumbling over old shame and protective patterns that keep you at arm's length from those who matter most. The echoes of our early relationships can linger, quietly shaping the way we trust, open up, and even interpret simple gestures of kindness. Left unspoken and unexplored, these internal beliefs can create barriers to the very closeness we long for. In this episode, listeners are invited to take a compassionate look at how shame and childhood experiences impact our sense of self and our present-day relationships. Through real-life examples and insights from trauma and nervous system work, you'll discover why you might struggle with receiving care, how protective behaviors like people-pleasing or withdrawal develop, and, most importantly, how healing and repair are possible within intimate partnerships. The conversation offers practical tools for recognizing these patterns, slowing down your reactions, and using curiosity and acceptance to gently shift toward deeper connection—with yourself and with others. Dr. Arielle Schwartz is a licensed psychologist and a leading voice in the healing of trauma. She is an internationally sought-after teacher and award winning author of eight books including The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook, Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma, and Applied Polyvagal Theory in Yoga. As the founder of the Center for Resilience Informed Therapy, she offers a mind-body approach to therapy for trauma and informational mental health and wellness updates through her writing, public speaking, social media presence, and blog. She believes that the journey of trauma recovery is an awakening of the spiritual heart.   Episode Highlights 06:17 Uncovering attachment wounds and realizing childhood patterns in adulthood. 08:41 How shame and unworthiness show up in everyday relationship gestures. 10:59 The deep impact of relational trauma on trust and receiving love. 13:44 Cycles of childhood rejection and their lasting influence in relationships. 17:04 Understanding neuroception: Faulty safety cues and couple dynamics. 23:04 Common protective behaviors that mask shame and hinder true connection. 26:02 How longing to be authentically seen often leads to frustration and anger. 27:46 Facing shame: The role of curiosity, acceptance, and turning toward pain. 34:33 How slowing down and identifying underlying feelings in moments of reactivity allows for more vulnerable communication and understanding between partners. 37:03 Accessing and soothing shame through parts work and somatic awareness. 41:04 The power of presence: Attending to shame somatically and non-judgmentally. 42:57 Supporting partners in their activation: Invitations, patience, and repair.   Your Check List of Actions to Take Start noticing moments when you feel unworthy or defensive in relationships, and pause to reflect on what's being activated inside you. Practice slowing down your reactions, even if just for a few seconds, to bring curiosity rather than judgment to your responses. When you notice shame or discomfort, try labeling it as just one part of yourself—remind yourself it doesn't define your entire being. Invite more acceptance for uncomfortable feelings by turning toward them with compassion instead of pushing them away. If you're in a reactive moment with a loved one, communicate with phrases like, "Can I run something by you?" or "The story I'm telling myself is…" to clarify your experience. Focus on building body awareness—notice where you feel tension, contraction, or the urge to hide, and gently stay present with it. When you notice a protective behavior like people-pleasing or withdrawing, ask yourself what underlying need or emotion might be driving it. In heated moments with your partner, offer supportive choices like, "How can I best support you right now?" instead of jumping into problem-solving or fixing.   Mentioned The Polyvagal Theory Workbook for Trauma (*Amazon Affiliate link) (book) The Complex PTSD Workbook (*Amazon Affiliate link) (book) The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook (*Amazon Affiliate link) (book) The Post-Traumatic Growth Deck (*Amazon Affiliate link) (book) Therapeutic Yoga for Trauma Recovery (*Amazon Affiliate link) (book) Brene Brown (website) Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) (*Psychology Today) (link) Polyvagal Theory (website) 12 Relationship Principles to Strengthen Your Love (free guide)   Connect with Dr. Arielle Schwartz Websites: drarielleschwartz.com | resilienceinformedtherapy.com Facebook: facebook.com/drarielleschwartz X: twitter.com/DrAschwartz YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UC5LUxnXbReV7I5cEzvb46sQ Instagram: instagram.com/arielleschwartzboulder LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/arielle-schwartz-0756b62a  

You don’t need a massive marketing budget or a whole team to make a meaningful impact in your community. You just need intention, alignment, and a few smart strategies. In this episode, Stacey continues the Turning Culture Into Capital series by breaking down low-budget, high-impact ways to get visible, build relationships, and contribute to your community—without burning yourself out (or breaking the bank). You’ll learn: ✨ The best low-budget, low-time ideas (hint: T-shirt sponsorships and raffle donations still go a long way)✨ Creative low-budget, high-time opportunities to grow your presence and influence—from joining a local board to hosting networking events✨ Why your contributions don’t always need to be flashy—they just need to be intentional✨ Real talk on choosing opportunities that align with your strengths (not your nightmares)✨ How awards, volunteering, and showing up locally can skyrocket your brand credibility Whether you’ve got $20 or two hours to spare, this episode will help you find a starting point that feels aligned and sustainable—so you can start building real community capital your way.

Samantha cuts through the AI hype to discuss what businesses are really experiencing, including thoughts on why investment in AI is high, yet value remains elusive - highlighting challenges with legacy technology, data, governance and workforce readiness.   Emphasising the crucial role of HR in shaping the future of work, working alongside tech and data leaders and the importance of cross-functional collaboration, Samantha highlights a striking insight from Slalom's research: empathy and communication are being deprioritised, even as these human skills become more important for trust, adoption and sustainable change.   Introducing the concept of AQ and the SHIFT framework, Samantha shows how organisations can build human and cultural foundations adept at dealing with continuous change, including AI adoption.   Her practical call to action for HR leaders: connect with your CTOs and CDOs, learn from each other, and help lead a future of work that balances technology with human needs.   How is AI really playing out? Slalom's new research Thank you to Slalom for sponsoring this week's podcast episode. Slalom is a business and technology consulting firm that believes meaningful change starts with people, helping organisations turn change into outcomes that actually last. If you're an HR leader navigating AI and wondering how to move from ambition to adoption, Slalom's latest research offers practical insights you can use right away. Slalom surveyed more than 2,000 global executives to understand how AI is really playing out, where investment is translating into value, where it isn't and, what that means for leadership, skills and cross functional alignment. Download your free summary here: Get Slalom's latest AI research Thanks again to Slalom for supporting the podcast, and thank you for being a brilliant HR Changemaker, we're excited to create more positive change together this year.

This week, Jen and Pete go through their intentions, phrases, and things they are thinking about in preparing for the year ahead.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:How do Jen and Pete reflect on the past year, in order to look ahead?How is an unexpected unknown shaping Jen's year?What intention is Pete going to set for his upcoming year?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

You’re already doing great things in your business—but are people seeing it? In this episode, Stacey continues the Turning Culture Into Capital series with a strategic (and deeply encouraging) look at how to make your community engagement visible—so your investment of time, money, and energy doesn’t go unnoticed. Because giving back isn’t just a feel-good bonus. When done well, it’s a business growth strategy that attracts loyal customers, dream team members, and powerful brand awareness. You’ll learn: ✨ How to make sure your community contributions are seen, celebrated, and shared✨ The ROI of visibility—why your fruit shop loyalty might be all about more than just apples✨ Smart ways to build brand awareness through sponsorships, local media, and partnerships✨ How to delegate visibility (hint: promote your most outgoing team member!)✨ Why alignment, not obligation, should drive your community involvement✨ What to avoid when choosing where and how to give back (including that 3am regret shift!) Plus, Stacey shares real stories from her own business and clients—reminding you that when you're strategic and values-aligned, your community investment won’t just feel good… it’ll pay off.

Kicking off the new year Nigel reflects on the human impact of HR, sharing his working principles: focus on what is within your control, particularly the 'how' of decision-making, and approach people with empathy and care.   Looking to the future, Nigel explores the opportunities and challenges HR faces in a world shaped by AI. He highlights the importance of human skills - relationships, empathy, connection - and shares how HR can unite purpose, people and performance to positively impact work and society.   Nigel challenges HR leaders to move from people operations to 'purpose operations', contributing to a fairer society and fostering kindness, curiosity and compassion.     Thank you to Slalom for sponsoring this episode      Slalom is a business and technology consulting firm that believes meaningful change starts with people, helping organisations turn change into outcomes that actually last.  They partner closely with leaders across HR, technology, and the business to move beyond experimentation and ensure real adoption, building the skills, data foundations, and ways of working that make change stick.  What makes Slalom different is their approach: they lead with context rather than tools or hype. By taking the time to understand what truly matters in your organisation, they connect strategy to delivery in ways that people can trust, use, and scale effectively.   To ground this work, Slalom surveyed more than 2,000 global executives to explore how AI is really playing out, where investment is translating into value, and what this means for leadership, skills, and cross-functional alignment. HR leaders navigating AI can draw on this research for practical insights to move from ambition to adoption today.   Find out more and download Slalom's AI Research Outlook 2026: https://www.slalom.com/gb/en/insights/ai-research-outlook-2026    

When new people find the Nutritional Therapy and Wellness Podcast, they ask, "Where do I start?" While we'd love for you to go back to the beginning and take them all in, this is for those who need a quick catch-up. We're doing a Rapid Replay Series of condensed episodes, including the most popular episodes according to streams and downloads, and a few of our team's personal favorites.  Episodes 76, 77, and 78 are all complementary in helping you structure and organize so you can roll confidently ahead with a solid plan.  On this replay of Episode 24 of the Nutritional Therapy and Wellness Podcast, host Jamie Belz talks with Miles Welch, Founder and CEO of North Star Training Solutions, about the importance and difficulties of being a good leader - for ourselves. Miles is a leadership expert who is passionate about helping business owners build their leadership bench and develop their leadership potential. He has impacted thousands of executives, entrepreneurs, and business owners through his speaking and coaching, as well as the industry-leading developmental programming he has designed. Miles's varied leadership assignments include serving as a Platoon Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, pastoring one of the largest churches in the United States, serving as the Executive Director of the John Maxwell Leadership Center, and launching two successful businesses. Miles and his family live in the Atlanta area. During their conversation, Jamie and Miles cover many topics in relation to building resilience and having the discipline to level-up and ultimately succeed in all areas of life. Topics Discussed: Entropy Busyness Resilience and the difference between pressure and stress The shame of not "succeeding" The key to high performance Midlife Crisis Doing a life audit and recalibration Tips on resilience and holding yourself accountable Staying up late versus getting up early Stream of consciousness writing Television detox Journaling, reading (growing/learning) and Miles's morning routine The reshaping of friendships as life gets busy - kids' activities and youth sports Miles's evening routing Quit eating earlier in the evening - the blood sugar rollercoaster - craving carbs at night - blood sugar's impact on sleep - waking up in the night The upward or downward spiral of wellness and healthy versus unhealthy habits Having accountability partners Miles's primary core values #1 Hiding things in life - vulnerability - talking with others - working with a counselor Life hack for "receiving counseling from Brene Brown and other high-level professionals" The three-pronged system for working through being "stuck" in life Wisdom and the benefit of having mentors Miles's primary core values #2 Miles's primary core values #3 Having a life that is integrated - having a surrendered relationship with the truth Miles's primary core values #4 The hardest challenge in leading yourself The lie we tell ourselves about "the season coming" when everything will be different or easier - not living in the now Don't squander another minute, hour, day, week, month, year, decade… The upward spiral or the downward spiral The best pre-workout Being kind to yourself Getting better at failing Bounce-back rate - falling off the wagon - small vices Miles's favorite self-improvement resources ___________________ Email Miles Welch: Miles@northstartraining.com Website: https://northstartraining.com/ Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themileswelch/ https://www.instagram.com/themileswelch/ Books mentioned: Developing the Leader Within You - John Maxwell The Endurance: Legendary Antarctic Expedition - Caroline Alexander The Greatest Generation - Tom Brokaw ________________________________________ Thanks for listening! If you like what you're hearing, please don't forget to subscribe and give us those five-star ratings!    

In the final days of 2025, Jen and Pete noodle on what should be the top priority to have prepared as we move in to 2026.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:Why is it important to have an idea of what success looks like for you?What is an outcome goal? What is a process goal?How might we measure and take an audit of our existing assets?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Are you chasing every gold star, climbing every ladder, and nailing every "right" mark—only to find yourself missing out on real fulfillment and meaningful connection? The relentless pursuit of achievement can sometimes leave us feeling lonely, disconnected from ourselves, and trapped in relationships that don't truly nourish our hearts. When ambition runs amok, the cost may be far greater than just burnout or missed vacation days—it can lead to self-abandonment and relationships that feel more like a cage than a home. In this episode, you'll discover how overachievement and perfectionism can sabotage our capacity for genuine connection—and what it takes to turn things around. Through honest storytelling and practical insight, the conversation explores the hidden costs of self-abandonment and the steps toward reclaiming self-worth, authenticity, and aligned love. Whether you're feeling the grind of burnout or yearning for more realness in your relationships, you'll gain tools for slowing down, getting honest with yourself, and opening up to relationships that feel like home. Coach Keren Eldad is an Executive Coach, Speaker, podcast host and the Author of the new book: GILDED - Breaking Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism and the Relentless Pursuit of More.   Episode Highlights 06:18 The roots of self-abandonment: Overachievement and relationship choices. 09:12 Societal pressure and the pursuit of external validation in partner selection. 10:27 Personal story: From self-betrayal to reconstructing identity and worth. 16:07 Building healthy love: The learning curve toward self-connection in relationships. 20:39 Embracing uncertainty: Letting go of control and playing to win in relationships. 26:56 Yellow flags in relationships: Burnout, overfunctioning, and sexless marriages. 31:29 Radical honesty and initiating difficult conversations. 35:51 Centering yourself before addressing relationship issues. 39:54 Tools, coaching, and the path to authentic relationships.   Your Check List of Actions to Take Pause and self-reflect: Practice taking a mindful pause before reacting in relationships to better understand your true feelings and needs. Identify your patterns: Bring awareness to tendencies like overachieving or people-pleasing that may be impacting your connections. Prioritize self-worth: Work on recognizing and affirming your own worth, rather than relying on external validation or achievement. Start small conversations: When something feels off in your relationship, gently broach the subject with curiosity rather than jumping into confrontation. Read for growth: Incorporate reading transformational books by thought leaders to cultivate self-awareness. Seek support: Consider working with a coach or therapist to dig deeper into your personal growth and relationship patterns. Practice radical honesty: Begin being radically honest with yourself about what you want and how you feel, as self-abandonment only perpetuates dissatisfaction. Accept uncertainty: Learn to embrace the unknown in relationships, allowing space for vulnerability and authentic connection rather than controlling outcomes.   Mentioned Gilded: Breaking Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More (*Amazon Affiliate link) (book) Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence (*Amazon Affiliate link) (book) The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self *Amazon link (book) Dare to Lead (*Amazon link) (book) Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough (*Amazon link) (book) The Work of Byron Katie (website) Brene Brown (website) Eckhart Tolle (website) Ram Dass (website) Louise Hay (website) ERP 494: Designing Love That Lasts: 6 Principles for Lasting Connection — An Interview with Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh ERP 174: How to Experience More Love in Your Relationship with Byron Katie 12 Relationship Principles to Strengthen Your Love (free guide)   Connect with Keren Elded Websites: KerenEldad.com Facebook: facebook.com/LiveWithEnthusiasm?_rdc=1&_rdr# YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCgGViwGVn_yrHkq3PQ9R_-Q Instagram: instagram.com/coachkeren/?hl=en LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keren-eldad Podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coached-with-coach-keren/id1467079024  

In this heartfelt and reflective episode, Julie Beem and Ginger Healy return to a profound conversation from Season 1 with the late Cissy White—trauma survivor, fierce advocate, and the originator of the term Joy Stalking.As the world faces rising despair and isolation, Julie and Ginger explore what it means to stalk, savor, and sustain joy—especially in the face of pain, trauma, and fear. Drawing from Cissy's wisdom, Brene Brown's research, theological insights, and their own personal journeys, they unpack how joy can be a radical act of healing and resistance.You'll discover why joy is not the same as happiness, how trauma can block joy, and why cultivating even the tiniest moments of joy might just be one of the most important things we can do—for ourselves, our children, and our communities.“Joy stalking is always healing and useful. It's about savoring life through sensing, using my body, absorbing, feeling all the good stuff.” — Cissy White“Joy isn't the opposite of sadness. It's the opposite of fear.” — Anne Robertson via Brené Brown“Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism… joy is a fine initial act of insurrection.” — Rebecca Solnit“We can't experience joy when we're scanning for danger. Trauma blocks joy—but healing invites it back in.” — Julie & Ginger

Think you're doing it all alone? You're missing the Mentorship Multiplier. Coaches Jason and Matt discuss how to stop being a passive observer and start actively seeking guidance. Learn how their own growth accelerated when they sought indirect mentors (authors like Brene Brown, podcasters) and then found direct coaches to unlock their potential. This episode is about recognizing that your transformation is an evolution, you must abandon the fixed mindset about your worth, embrace being coachable, and let trusted guides accelerate you to the best version of yourself.   Download my FREE guide: The Alcohol Freedom Formula For Over 30s Entrepreneurs & High Performers: https://social.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/podcast ★ - Learn more about Project 90: www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/Project90 ★ - (Accountability & Support) Speak verbally to a certified Alcohol-Free Lifestyle coach to see if, or how, we could support you having a better relationship with alcohol: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/schedule ★ - The wait is over – My new book "CLEAR" is now available. Get your copy here: https://www.alcoholfreelifestyle.com/clear

Forget motivation — it's not your problem.In this episode, Amy Lang reveals the surprising missing ingredient behind habit success: trust. If your brain feels stuck, overwhelmed, or skeptical about new habits, this one's for you. Amy unpacks how rebuilding self-trust "one marble at a time" can create unstoppable momentum — even when life is busy and chaotic.

In their annual tradition, Jen and Pete list their very favo(u)rite things of 2025.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about their favo(u)rite:Fiction book.Non-fiction book.Podcast.TLATSOI episode.Thing they watched.Motto.Thing they discovered about themselves.To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

This isn’t a regular episode—it’s a heartfelt thank you from Stacey to YOU. As we wrap up 2025 and head into a well-earned break, Stacey jumps in with a quick message of love, gratitude, and encouragement. Because running your own business is bold. Investing in your growth is brave. And you deserve a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate how far you’ve come. Inside this short and sweet episode: ✨ A huge thank you for being part of our podcast, coaching, and event community✨ A reminder to stop, breathe, and give yourself credit for all you’ve created this year✨ Reflection prompts to help you wrap 2025 and dream boldly for 2026✨ A gentle nudge to rest, delegate, and not try to do it all (yes, even during the holidays) Stacey also shares her love and appreciation for everyone who showed up this year—at Summit, the Roar Awards, ADEAs, in coaching, or right here on the podcast. You are what makes this community so special.

We're now covering the third and fourth guideposts to wholehearted living – cultivating resilience, and cultivating gratitude and joy. I hope you enjoy this episode. Please subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts, and share this episode widely. If you have questions or comments, please send them to me at meanderingswithtrudy@gmail.com. I will address them in the next episode.Episode links:The 2010 TedTalk that started Brené's rise to international helperBiographyBrené Brown podcast “Dare To Lead” with Adam Grant on her new book As always, this podcast is sponsored by the guests who give of their time, and by my company, Chapman Coaching Inc.Royalty free music is gratefully received and is called Sunday Stroll – by Huma-HumaLive life joyfully, and always let kindness guide you.

Coining a new term, Jen introduces Pete to the idea of, while working on a project, considering the relative effort of both the creator and the receiver.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:What is relative effort? What is relative risk?How might we ship things without the pressure of absolute perfection?Why might we think about the worst case scenario or fear, in order to move a project along?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and publisher, Todd Sattersten to unpack his brand-new book The 100 Best Books for Work & Life. After spending thousands of hours studying the world's top ideas, Todd distilled them into three massive themes: the core beliefs that shape how we grow, the foundational skills we all need, and the proven strategies for implementation. Together, we explore why purpose matters more than you think, why progress—not perfection—is what keeps us motivated, and how the strongest relationships (both personal and professional) can radically improve your success. We also break down lessons from books on goals, growth, habits, vulnerability, and the surprising science behind becoming your best self. This conversation skims across decades of research, the best thinkers in the world, and hundreds of lessons that can transform your trajectory. If you've ever wondered what to prioritize, where to focus, or how to build a career and life you actually love, you'll hear ideas you can implement today—along with the stories, examples, and science that make them stick. Topics We Cover in This Episode:    The surprising way Todd chose the "100 best" books—and why categories came after the insights The core belief every high performer needs before any real growth can happen A mindset shift from one of the world's most famous researchers that proves anyone can improve The daily and weekly habits scientifically shown to increase happiness, productivity, and clarity Why three layers of your social network influence you far more than you realize The uncomfortable—but essential—truth Brene Brown uncovered about connection and professional success A story of how following intuitive energy (instead of logic) can redirect an entire career The one type of progress that dramatically increases motivation—and how to track it in under 15 minutes   If this episode sparks something in you—an idea, a curiosity, or even the sense that it's time for a shift—I'd love for you to dive into Part 2 where we continue the conversation with generosity, influence, habits, and implementation. And if Todd's insights resonated, check out The 100 Best Books for Work & Life and start building your own roadmap for growth. Your next breakthrough might be waiting in the pages of a single book—or a single idea you hear today.   Resources Mentioned: Order your copy of Give to Grow Get the Supplemental materials for Give to Grow Get a copy of your GrowBIG Playbook today! Bard Press 100 Best Books for Work and Life: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You

In this episode, I sit down with my friend and publisher, Todd Sattersten to unpack his brand-new book The 100 Best Books for Work & Life. After spending thousands of hours studying the world's top ideas, Todd distilled them into three massive themes: the core beliefs that shape how we grow, the foundational skills we all need, and the proven strategies for implementation. Together, we explore why purpose matters more than you think, why progress—not perfection—is what keeps us motivated, and how the strongest relationships (both personal and professional) can radically improve your success. We also break down lessons from books on goals, growth, habits, vulnerability, and the surprising science behind becoming your best self. This conversation skims across decades of research, the best thinkers in the world, and hundreds of lessons that can transform your trajectory. If you've ever wondered what to prioritize, where to focus, or how to build a career and life you actually love, you'll hear ideas you can implement today—along with the stories, examples, and science that make them stick. Topics We Cover in This Episode:  The surprising way Todd chose the "100 best" books—and why categories came after the insights The core belief every high performer needs before any real growth can happen A mindset shift from one of the world's most famous researchers that proves anyone can improve The daily and weekly habits scientifically shown to increase happiness, productivity, and clarity Why three layers of your social network influence you far more than you realize The uncomfortable—but essential—truth Brene Brown uncovered about connection and professional success A story of how following intuitive energy (instead of logic) can redirect an entire career The one type of progress that dramatically increases motivation—and how to track it in under 15 minutes   If this episode sparks something in you—an idea, a curiosity, or even the sense that it's time for a shift—I'd love for you to dive into Part 2 where we continue the conversation with generosity, influence, habits, and implementation. And if Todd's insights resonated, check out The 100 Best Books for Work & Life and start building your own roadmap for growth. Your next breakthrough might be waiting in the pages of a single book—or a single idea you hear today.   Resources Mentioned: Order your copy of Give to Grow Get the Supplemental materials for Give to Grow Get a copy of your GrowBIG Playbook today! Bard Press 100 Best Books for Work and Life: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You

Your culture isn’t just a poster on the wall—it’s your most powerful tool for attracting the right people, making confident decisions, and building a business that lasts. In this episode, Stacey continues the Community Capital series by exploring the power of identifying, communicating, and living your core values. From improving staff retention to making tough calls with clarity and confidence, she shares how culture can be your ultimate competitive advantage. You’ll learn: ✨ How aligning on values can reduce staff turnover by up to 28%✨ The difference between having values written down vs. lived out✨ Why empowering your team (even when it’s messy) leads to growth✨ How culture clarity simplifies decision-making, hiring, and customer alignment✨ Real-life examples of values-based leadership in action at Port Macquarie Performing Arts Plus, Stacey shares why giving your team ownership of your culture is just as important as creating it—and how doing so transforms jobs into careers with purpose.

In Pete's version of an episode about running, he noodles with Jen about the idea of cadence, and how to break our routines projects into smaller steps.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:What does "cadence" mean, and how might we apply the idea to our everyday lives?Why is it better to not rush to the finish line, either while running or working? How might we return to the basics in our work and creative processes?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

In this episode of Asking For A Friend with TalkDoc, co-hosts Dr. Pamela Kreiser, Meredith Edwards Nagel, and Teighlor Polendo share real, honest, and practical ways to improve communication and relationships, especially during holiday gatherings. They recount personal anecdotes about family holiday experiences, discuss how to manage expectations, and tackle hard conversations around politics, religion, and personal life choices. The hosts emphasize emotional boundaries, curiosity, and connection. Key concepts from Brene Brown's “Rising Strong” and “Braving the Wilderness” are explored, focusing on managing emotions, handling conflict, and maintaining authentic interactions. The episode wraps up with practical tips and the importance of focusing on the bigger picture to enjoy a peaceful and meaningful holiday season. Music by epidemic sound. SHOW NOTES: Experts :  Dr. Brene Brown, Dr. Marc Brackett, Dr. Chandra Resources :  Rising Strong by Dr. Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/book/rising-strong/ Braving Wilderness  by Dr. Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/book/braving-the-wilderness/ Permission to Feel by Dr. Marc Brackett: https://marcbrackett.com/permission-to-feel/ Navigating Difficult People and Opinions During the Holiday by Dr. Chandra: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pacific-heart/201711/navigating-difficult-people-and-opinions-during-the-holidays

The Search for Fulfillment is a new short series released each Friday where we uncover lessons of the greatest minds to help you live with purpose, passion, and peace. In today's episode, Brian asks, "What is one area of your life where you can embrace progress over perfection, and how might that shift lead to a deeper sense of fulfillment?" Enjoy Episode 47 of The Search for Fulfillment. #BeNEXT

Fear is part of being human, but when it drives us, it limits our courage, creativity, and connection. On this episode, I talk about how we can notice and work with fear more effectively using Brené Brown's "above and below the line" framework. I explore what it looks like to lead from awareness rather than reactivity, and how we can move from fear and control toward curiosity and courage in our work, relationships, and life.   Resources: We're All in This Together (book), by Mike Robbins Mike Robbins Website Mike Robbins Blog Mike Robbins Podcast Mike Robbins on LinkedIn Mike Robbins on Instagram Mike Robbins on Facebook Mike Robbins YouTube Channel Mike Robbins on TikTok Mike Robbins on X Mike Robbins on BlueSky Strong Ground (book), by Brene Brown Dare to Lead podcast episode by Brene Brown  

Jen shares a framework with Pete for thinking about many different perspectives at once, as opposed to sticking with the first perspective you might think up.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:How might you choose to believe in a perspective that is most beneficial to yourself?Why is considering many different perspectives a version of sonder?How might we broaden our idea of multiple perspectives in order to increase our level of empathy for others?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).

Send me a DM here (it doesn't let me respond), OR email me: imagineabetterworld2020@gmail.comToday I'm honored to have back on the show for another amazing show: survivor and child abuse advocate, podcaster, woman of God, independent researcher, investigative journalist and educator, and one of my dear friends: Jaymee Jay!Jaymee's journey, forged in the fires of a challenging upbringing of traditional family dysfunction, has uniquely shaped her into a beacon of brilliance and compassion, lighting up and inspiring the paths of countless lives with her remarkable achievements. With a world of possibilities at her fingertips, she could have chosen any pursuit to invest her boundless energy, intellect, and voice. Yet, in an act of unparalleled selflessness, Jaymee has devoted herself to unraveling the complexities of SRA, mind control, and organized abuse, serving as a tireless advocate for survivors and whistleblowers of these heinous crimes against humanity. I stand in absolute awe of her unwavering resolve to step onto this war - a battle she could have easily observed from a safe distance, never uttering a word. To me, Jaymee is nothing short of a hero, fearlessly raising her voice as an ally, fully aware of the risks, the targets it paints on her back, and the absence of any material reward. In today's podcast episode, Jaymee turns her compassionate gaze to one of the most insidious threads woven into every abuse survivor's journey: the suffocating weight of shame and the weaponization of shame. This silent saboteur shadows journeys from the first whisper of violation to the fragile steps toward freedom, binding survivors in chains of self-doubt and isolation. During the abuse itself, perpetrators wield shame as their cruelest weapon, gaslighting victims into believing they invited the harm or somehow deserved it - instilling a toxic narrative that the survivor's very essence is flawed and unworthy. It lingers like a venomous fog, compelling many to bury their truths deep within, where silence becomes both prison and protector. Studies show that over 75% of female sexual abuse survivors grapple with this trauma-related shame, often delaying disclosure for years or even decades. And when survivors finally summon the insurmountable courage to speak out - as they must, to reclaim their lives and to be set free - the world too often recoils with its own arsenal of shame, demanding irrefutable "proof," branding them as fabricators, or layering on victim-blaming that twists the knife deeper, fostering feelings of worthlessness, self-blame, and a haunting fear of judgment. Without intervention, shame spirals into isolation, depression, self-harm, and even barriers to essential healthcare, as the dread of exposure keeps survivors hidden from the very support that could set them free.BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS ON SHAME FROM JAYMEE: 1. "Sanctification in Reverse" - https://a.co/d/f9kwdde2. "Secret Survivors" - https://www.amazon.ca/Secret-Survivors-Sue-Blume/dp/03453697933. "The Shame that Binds You" - https://www.amazon.ca/Healing-Shame-that-Binds-You/dp/07573032344. "Complex PTSD (emotional flashbacks) - https://www.amazon.ca/Complex-PTSD-Surviving-RECOVERING-CHILDHOOD/dp/14928718425 "Emotional Frequency Scale" - https://neurolaunch.com/hawkins-emotional-scale/6. Brene Brown shame research - Support the show

After a small existential crisis, Pete asks Jen how he might tell the difference between being competent or complacent.Specifically, in this episode Jen and Pete talk about:What is the relationship between boredom, competency, and complacency?How might the repetition of a workshop, keynote, or show create an illusion of complacency?Why is having a coach, mentor, or trusted friend important in the viewing of your own work?To hear all episodes and read full transcripts, visit The Long and The Short Of It website: https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/.You can subscribe to our Box O' Goodies here (https://thelongandtheshortpodcast.com/) and receive a weekly email full of book and podcast recommendations, quotes, videos, and other interesting things that Jen and Pete are noodling on. To get in touch, send an email to: hello@thelongandtheshortpodcast.com.Learn more about Pete's work here (https://humanperiscope.com/) and Jen's work here (https://jenwaldman.com/).