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☀️⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Summer Sanctuary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is now open! Join me June 24-Aug 14 in a protected wildlife preserve for your Natural Self.Did you know I'm a twin?Growing up, we loved the TV show Sister, Sister. We always wished we could pull off the same twin-switch pranks as the characters on the show. Since we're fraternal twins, we could never fool anyone in person. But over the phone? That was another story. We tried and sometimes succeeded! We could trick some boys calling, at least for a little while, but the people closest to us could tell instantly who was who. Our unique voices gave us away.Press play hear:Why humans are naturally wired for vocal communicationWhat gets lost when communication becomes primarily text-basedThe surprising relationship between voice and nervous system regulationHow we can often tell someone isn't okay before they ever tell usWhy texting isn't always as efficient as we've been taught to believeHow much effort it takes to edit, filter, and manage written communicationHow technology is changing the way we relate to one anotherHow hearing another person's voice can help us feel seen, understood, and connectedThis episode is an invitation to remember that your voice carries so much more information than words. It carries emotion, relationship, history, presence, and medicine.And in a world where more and more of our lives are mediated through screens, perhaps one of the most healing and human things we can do is simply hear each other.Mentioned in this EpisodeBook: Do Nothing by Celeste HeadleeEp. 228 The 4 Feminine ArchetypesHow we can walk together:Join the next women's circle, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Summer Sanctuary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, June 24-Aug 14.More of a one-on-one person? I love that too! Learn more ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let's connect on⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!Grab any of my Free Resources ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠Sign up for a free curiosity call here.

In this message, “Loved Enough To Correct: Do You Revel In God's Rebuke?”, we explore a truth that many believers struggle to embrace: God's correction is not a sign of His rejection—it's evidence of His love.In a culture that often avoids conviction and resists correction, Scripture reveals that the Lord disciplines those He loves and rebukes those in whom He delights. His goal is never to shame us, but to transform us.In this sermon, you'll hear about:Why God lovingly rebukes His childrenHow correction reveals His delight and care for usWhy some people seem untouched by conviction while others experience God's disciplineThe role of repentance, humility, and godly sorrow in spiritual growthHow God's discipline produces holiness and a harvest of righteousnessThrough passages from Hebrews 12, Proverbs 3, Revelation 3, James 4, and Joel 2, this message reframes God's rebuke as one of His greatest acts of love.Because God doesn't correct us to push us away—He corrects us to draw us closer.If you've ever wrestled with conviction, discipline, or seasons where God seemed to be confronting areas of your life, this message will encourage you to see His correction through a different lens.The question isn't whether God corrects His children.The question is: Do you receive His rebuke as proof that you are deeply loved?

What if the reason self-care feels impossible isn't laziness, lack of time, or poor planning — but the invisible, never-ending mental load that mums carry every single day? In this episode of Mucked Up My Self Care, Linda and Jill get real about the weight of the mental load: the planning, scheduling, remembering, and organising that keeps the family ship afloat — and quietly drowns our capacity for self-care. From pregnancy brain to tea towels that seem to multiply on the bench, this conversation is warm, honest, and deeply relatable for any mum who has ever felt like her brain just won't switch off.In this episode, you'll learn:Why the mental load is a self-care crisis — and the research that backs it upHow mums carry the majority of household mental load tasks and what that actually costs usWhy awareness of the mental load isn't always enough to change it — and what the real gap isWhat it looks like to gently let go of mental load tasks, even just for a seasonHow to start sharing the load with a partner, your kids, or your wider support networkWhy passing off even one small task out loud can be a powerful first stepThe role society and systems play in keeping mums overwhelmed — and why it's not your faultHow to identify the one piece of your mental load you've been silently carrying aloneThe mental load doesn't take a day off — but you deserve a break from carrying it all alone. Whether you're deep in pregnancy, parenting solo, or navigating a household where the invisible work still somehow lands on your shoulders, this episode is your reminder: you are not failing. You are carrying too much. Jill and Linda invite you to start small — name the one thing you've been silently managing, and consider who else could hold a piece of it. That conversation? That's self-care too.Until next week, we hope you can unstuck your muck!

In this special co-broadcast episode, The Poison Lab joins forces with The Kratom Sobriety Podcast for a deeper conversation about kratom, regulation, addiction, recovery, and what poison center data can tell us about real-world harm.Kratom is a plant-derived substance that contains mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, compounds with opioid-like effects. It is sold in many forms, including powders, capsules, drinks, tonics, and concentrated extracts, often in gas stations, smoke shops, and online. For many people, kratom is encountered with little warning about its risks, including dependence, withdrawal, and toxicity.Study NewsThis episode grew out of our newly published study in Addiction, which examined kratom-related poison center calls across states with different legal approaches: states with bans, states with kratom consumer protection acts, and states with no specific regulation.The study began with a real policy question in Wisconsin: is the public better protected by prohibition, by regulated access, or by leaving kratom largely unregulated? As clinical toxicologists and poison center clinicians, our goal was not to write policy, but to add objective data to a debate that often moves faster than the evidence.Ryan discusses how that question led to a broader debate within medical toxicology and poison center circles: What are the harms of prohibition? What are the risks of unfettered access? Is regulation safer than a ban? And what can poison center data actually tell us about those questions?After the study was published, people reached out from several directions: journalists, policymakers, people concerned about the risks of prohibition, and people who had experienced harm from easy access to kratom. That included the team behind The Kratom Sobriety Podcast, who wanted to talk about the study and the lived experience of kratom dependence and recovery.The conversation highlights both the data and the human side of the issue: people who developed kratom dependence, struggled to stop, and found their way into recovery. The episode explores why policy decisions around kratom are so difficult, why easy access to opioid-like substances can be dangerous, and why lived experience matters alongside epidemiologic data.Topics covered include:What kratom is and why it is often called a “gas station drug”Mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and opioid-like effectsKratom dependence, withdrawal, and recoveryHow poison centers track emerging substancesDifferences between state bans, consumer protection acts, and unregulated accessWhat poison center data can and cannot tell usWhy kratom policy is more complicated than “ban it” versus “leave it alone”The importance of listening to people with lived experienceThis episode is a longer-form conversation about science, policy, toxicology, and recovery. It is not medical advice, and it is not meant to tell any individual person what they should do. But it is meant to bring more evidence, nuance, and humanity into a debate that needs all three.If you or someone you know is struggling with kratom or any substance use, help is available. In the United States, you can contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.ExtrasFree to read version of the study News articles about the studyUS Kratom Use Surges 65-Fold in 13 YearsCalls to poison centers over 'natural' supplement have skyrocketed by 6,500% since 2010Kratom Use Soars in US, Alters Lives Dramatically | Mirage NewsKratom use is surging in the US, with life-changing consequences, study revealsKratom use is surging in the US, with life-changing consequences | EurekAlert!

In this episode of Building Brand Advocacy, I sit down with Alice Ratcliffe, Head of Brand at TRIP — the wellness drinks brand rewriting the rules of brand positioning in one of the most crowded categories on the market.Alice pulls back the curtain on how TRIP went from scrappy challenger to a brand that commands culture, loyalty, and shelf space — and what it's really taken to scale that story into the US.In this episode, we cover:How to stand out in a saturated wellness & drinks marketTRIP's influencer strategy and why it's built differently to most other brandsIntegrating celebrities into your brand without losing authenticityThe real strategy for brand building in the USWhy employee advocacy is one of the most underrated tools in a marketer's arsenalHow to integrate AI for effective brand building in 2026The honest challenges of being the underdog and how to turn them into an advantageCHAPTERS00:00 The Polished Brand Problem02:03 Finding Branded White Space06:00 Regulation Into Advantage07:36 Always On Brand Building10:17 How To Earn Consumer Trust16:06 Creators Influencers Celebs23:25 US Expansion Playbook26:30 Approaching Employee Advocacy28:39 Scaling Without Gatekeeping29:51 Email List vs Community31:15 AI Vs IRL 33:36 Hosting Inclusive Brand Events35:50 Winning on TikTok Shop39:52 Global Growth and Accounts44:26 Powerful Founder Partnerships

What happens when AI becomes the storefront?In this episode of The Retail Tea Break, I'm joined by Tarek Müller, Co-Founder and MD of About You and SCAYLE, for a fascinating conversation on the future of commerce. From SCAYLE's expansion into the US market and its recent Levi Strauss & Co. partnership, to the growing role of AI and Large Language Models in retail discovery, Tarek shares why the industry is entering another major shift in consumer behaviour. We also explore how AI is changing operational efficiency, personalisation and even fashion photography through TAYLA, a platform already transforming digital content production at scale.If you want to understand where retail is heading next, this episode is essential listening.Key TopicsWhy LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini are becoming major traffic sources for retailersHow brands need to rethink visibility and discovery in an AI first worldThe significance of SCAYLE's partnership with Levi's and expansion into the USWhy retailers relying solely on product catalogues risk becoming commoditisedHow ABOUT YOU is using AI to reduce content production costs while improving conversion, introducing TAYLATarek's predictions for the future of e-commerce, AI transactions, and social commerceFor more information:AI fashion photo shoots at scale: Visit Tayla.aiBuilt for retailers, by retailers: Visit: www.scayle.comThis episode of the Retail Tea Break podcast is brought to you by SCAYLE, the enterprise commerce platform empowering B2C brands and retailers to easily create outstanding customer experiences with a seamless and flexible feature set that can be extended through APIs. Trusted by brands like Levi Strauss®️, Harrods, Manchester United and Deichmann, SCAYLE enables businesses to accelerate innovation and drive real growth.

Welcome to the first episode of RECESS, a new, more personal series from us, Juliet and Kelly Starrett. In these shorter, looser conversations, we're pulling back the curtain on what's going on in our lives, what we're learning, what's making us laugh, and what we're thinking about across health, movement, longevity, performance, parenting, and everything in between.In this episode, we talk about Kelly's experience coaching Cal Women's Water Polo at the NCAA championship and what it's like to compete at that level. We unpack the “bronze medal mindset” and some of the biggest lessons we've learned from elite sport. We also dive into the Dean Potter documentary and reflect on our own experiences in 90s extreme sports culture. Plus, we share why we're concerned about nicotine being normalized in wellness and what stood out to us at the Stanford Healthy Aging Conference.And of course, we get into some lighter moments—including Kelly's definitely-not-a-cat-group: the Meowfia.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy we're still debating whether Kelly is in a cat groupWhat Kelly learned from coaching at the NCAA championshipHow we think about loss, silver medals, and the bronze medal mindsetWhy the Dean Potter documentary hit close to home for usWhy we're concerned about nicotine products in wellness cultureWhat stood out to us at the Stanford Healthy Aging ConferenceHow we're processing our youngest daughter's senior-year milestonesKey Highlights: 00:00 — Why we're starting RECESS01:17 — The Meowfia, taco cat, and the funny-off03:15 — Bringing fun back into health and longevity03:58 — Kelly's reflections from the NCAA women's water polo championship09:03 — Losing gold, winning silver, and the bronze medal mindset13:51 — Red Vines, fat-free diets, and 90s athlete nutrition17:24 — Dean Potter, Dark Wizard, and extreme sports culture22:45 — Nicotine pouches, health washing, and wellness influence27:34 — Our biggest takeaways from Stanford Healthy Aging29:02 — Strength training, creatine, isometrics, and old cat syndrome32:28 — Parenting, graduation, and figuring out how to cook for two 

I'm bringing you inside the girls' chat with my three closest Miami friends, Sloane, Rebecca, and Arabella. With 4 successful businesses, we're getting into the pivots that felt like identity crises, the guilt of charging your worth, who you are when you strip the business away, and the "I made it" moments that looked nothing like we expected. And this is just Part 1 of the conversation, stay tuned for Part 2.We chat:Why none of us had a "real job" before this and what we actually did insteadWhy pivots feel like falling apart before they feel like clarityShowing up online when your personal life is a messThe identity crisis that comes when you outgrow the version of yourself that built your followingThe guilt of charging your worth and why it's almost exclusively a woman's problemThe "I made it" moments: from a Erewhon smoothie collab to a $100K launch to checking Stripe at UltraMoney mindset rewiring in the early days and what actually worked for usWhy having people in your life who aren't entrepreneurs is non-negotiable

What if the next breakthrough in mental health didn't start in a lab — but in nature?In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal speaks with Dr. Jacob Hooker, neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and CEO of Sensorium Therapeutics. Dr. Hooker shares how his journey from textile chemistry to molecular imaging led him to build a biotech company focused on nature-inspired treatments for anxiety and other neurological conditions.With nearly 20% of the U.S. population diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, the need for better treatments is urgent. Dr. Hooker explains why current psychiatric care often relies on trial-and-error prescribing — and how brain imaging, biomarkers, and computational tools may help match patients to the right treatment faster.This conversation explores the intersection of neuroscience, genetics, psychedelics, stigma, and precision medicine — and why solving even one patient's journey can create ripple effects for millions.

If you have endometriosis and you're thinking about your fertility, this is one of those conversations I really want you to hear.In this episode, I sat down with Dr. Shirin Khanjani, Consultant Gynaecologist and accredited subspecialist in reproductive medicine and surgery, to properly unpack what's actually going on when endometriosis and fertility collide.This chat comes off the back of the government's Renewed Women's Health Strategy, which has once again highlighted just how many women are still being dismissed, delayed, or left without answers. And when it comes to endometriosis, the reality is still pretty shocking. On average, it takes seven to eight years to get a diagnosis.So this episode is about what happens next. Once you finally have that diagnosis, what do you actually need to know?We talk through everything, from how surgery can affect your egg reserve, to why IVF isn't a one-size-fits-all approach for endometriosis patients, to the emotional weight of trying to navigate all of this at the same time.What we cover in this episodeWhy endometriosis has been one of the biggest gaps in women's health and how that is slowly starting to shift The many different ways endometriosis can show up, from period pain to IBS, fatigue, back pain and infertility Why diagnosis still takes years and what you can do to advocate for yourself What to ask for at GP level and how to push for proper investigations The nuance around surgery and when it can help fertility or potentially reduce egg reserve What happens to ovarian reserve when chocolate cysts are removed Why fertility preservation, like egg or embryo freezing, should be considered before surgery in some cases How endometriosis changes IVF protocols and why specialist care matters The impact of fluid-filled tubes on implantation and when surgery becomes necessary The emotional and psychological toll of managing endometriosis alongside fertility treatment Why continuity of care makes such a difference to outcomes Common misconceptions around natural conception with endometriosis Why waiting too long without investigation can cost valuable reproductive time The impact of endometriosis in the workplace and why awareness still matters Why endometriosis and IVF is not one-size-fits-allOne of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that standard IVF pathways don't always apply if you have endometriosis.Dr. Khanjani explains that specialist protocols often need to include:Managing oestrogen levels carefully during stimulation Navigating more complex egg collections due to scar tissue or cysts Using antibiotics during egg collection to reduce inflammation risk Supporting the body after collection to keep endometriosis under control Her advice is simple but important. When you walk into a clinic, ask directly if they have specific protocols for endometriosis patients. If they don't, that tells you something.Misconceptions we really need to clear upThere are a few things Dr. Khanjani is very clear on:You can still fall pregnant naturally with endometriosis. The chances may be lower, but it's not impossible Egg quality is not automatically worse. IVF outcomes can be comparable once eggs are retrieved Surgery is not always the first step. In some cases, it can delay treatment or reduce egg reserve Being told to “just keep trying” without investigation can waste valuable time There isn't one perfect pathway. Everything needs to be individualised About Dr. Shirin KhanjaniDr. Shirin Khanjani is a Consultant Gynaecologist and accredited subspecialist in reproductive medicine and surgery.She holds a PhD from Imperial College London and is an Honorary Associate Professor at University College London. In her NHS role at UCLH, she focuses on low ovarian reserve, recurrent implantation failure and endometriosis.She is also a co-founder of Fitzrovia Fertility, a London clinic built around genuinely personalised, evidence-based care.Find out more: https://fitzroviafertility.co.uk https://fitzroviafertility.co.uk/about-usWhy this conversation mattersI hear from so many of you who've been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or passed from one specialist to another for years.By the time you get to a fertility clinic, you're often already exhausted, anxious, and unsure who to trust.This episode is about helping you feel more informed and more prepared. So when you walk into those conversations, you know what to ask and what to look out for.This episode is for you if you are:Newly diagnosed and trying to understand what this means for your fertility Considering surgery and want to understand the impact on your egg reserve About to start IVF and unsure whether your clinic has the specialist knowledge needed Trying to conceive and being told to wait without investigation Supporting someone navigating all of the above Support and resourcesThe Fertility Podcast is the official podcast for Fertility Action, a charity providing education, support and campaigning for fairer access to fertility treatment.Fertility Action runs free drop-in support sessions twice a week. No sign-up needed.This episode is sponsored by Wild NutritionNavigating supplements when you are trying to conceive can feel overwhelming.Wild Nutrition offers free one-to-one consultations with nutritional therapists so your support is tailored to your specific situation.Their supplements are formulated for optimal absorption, with 31 carefully selected nutrients including folate, zinc and B vitamins, and are trusted by over 50,000 couples.As a listener of The Fertility Podcast, you can get:50% off for 3 months A free personal consultation Visit: https://wildnutrition.com/fertilitypodcast Terms and conditions applySupport the podcastI'm climbing the Three Peaks this June to raise funds for Fertility Action. Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in 24 hours.If this podcast has helped you in any way, even a small donation would mean a lot and you'll get a shout-out on a future episode.Here's how you can donate: Everyone who donates will get a shout-out on a future episode , so listen out for your name!Stay connectedFollow me on Instagram: @fertilitypoddyIf you haven't already, please subscribe and leave a review. It really helps more people find the podcast.Thank you, as always, for your ear holes. Until next time.

This episode is a companion to the previous 3 episodes on Levels of Consciousness (173), Kindness (174) and Presence (175.) I share how what we pay attention to in our environment shapes our experience of reality and why we need tools to help us expand our awareness. This episode includes:How the brain is wired to focus on negative events in order to protect us from dangerHow to shift our attention to more positive occurrences around usWhy this is not the same as Toxic PositivityHow presence helps us stabilize our nervous system so we can notice more possibilitiesHow flexible attention allows to see more kindness in the worldHow kindness reinforces our regulated nervous systemMicro-practices for training our attention to hold both the negative and positive events of lifeLearn about my books hereCheck out End-of-Life University PodcastRead my latest Substack postMake a donation here

In this conversation, Ashanti sits down with Alexander Kopelman, founding president and CEO of the Children's Arts Guild, to explore authenticity, identity, creativity, and what it means to help children thrive as whole human beings. Together, they reflect on the masks adults wear, the stories we carry from childhood, and how our own fears, wounds, and expectations can shape the way we show up for young people. Alexander shares his journey as a refugee from the Soviet Union, the origins of the Children's Arts Guild, and the heart behind his book, For Real: Helping Children Remain Their Authentic Selves in a Limiting World.How identity gets shaped by what others assume about usWhy creativity can open doors to honesty, vulnerability, and emotional safetyHow the Children's Arts Guild began through work with boys and creative expressionA powerful moment from a kickball game that opened a conversation about crying and griefWhy adults in a child's ecosystem matter just as much as the child-focused program itselfWhy children need to be allowed to fully be the age they areHow post-pandemic expectations may still be out of step with where children really are00:02 Welcome to UnMASKing with Male Educators00:35 Meet Alexander Kopelman01:41 Alexander introduces the Children's Arts Guild and For Real02:09 Coming to the U.S. as a refugee and rebuilding identity03:13 Assumptions, religion, and being seen from the outside05:25 Choice, identity, and the masks we wear14:39 Creative mortification and the fear of drawing17:34 How Alexander's work with boys and adults began21:25 Kickball, crying, and the moment things shifted23:15 Why working with adults became essential25:09 Authenticity as a framework for educators and parents27:12 What games can reveal about fairness, emotion, and behavior29:17 Why adults need inner work and practice too31:45 Men's work, circles, and learning to trust the process35:31 Realizing there were no men in his life37:04 New Warrior training and recognizing inner voices40:20 Parenting, anxiety, and reacting from fear41:35 What For Real offers adults43:34 Letting children be the age they are44:19 Post-pandemic development and shifting expectations46:41 A final reminder for parents and educators47:28 How to connect with Alexander48:34 Closing invitationResources & Links MentionedChildren's Arts GuildFor Real: Helping Children Remain Their Authentic Selves in a Limiting WorldAuthenticity Works — Alexander's websitemillionmask.org — share your mask anonymouslyMankind ProjectGirls Inc.Connect with Alexander KopelmanWebsite: authenticityworks.orgBook website: forrealbook.orgJoin/Contribute to our Young Men's Conference: https://everforwardclub.orgJoin our Skool Community: https://www.skool.com/efc-young-mens-advocates-2345Submit Questions, Reflections, or Episode Ideas, Email us: totmpod100@gmail.comCreate your mask anonymously: https://millionmask.org/Connect with Ashanti BranchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksX: https://x.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/Support the Podcast & Ever Forward ClubHelp us continue creating spaces for young men to be seen, heard, and supported:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/supportConnect with Ever Forward ClubInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclubFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclubX: https://x.com/everforwardclubLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/#UnMASKingWithMaleEducators #AlexanderKopelman #Authenticity #CreativeExpression #EmotionalSafety #WholeChild #MaleEducators #Parenting #ChildDevelopment #Healing

Send us Fan MailWhen did you last actually rest? Not scroll. Not catch up on laundry. Actually rest.In this episode of Sweet Insights: The Invisible Mom, Alison and Amy get honest about the habit so many busy women share, filling every quiet moment with something else, and why doing nothing can feel more uncomfortable than doing everything.Amy just got back from Disney World and a solo work trip, and shares what she did differently this time that actually felt restful. Alison opens up about the moment she realized she was watching the news on her laptop while sitting in a bath with Epsom salts and essential oils, and why that was the wake-up call that changed how she approaches rest entirely.You will also hear the story of a mom who went to Costco on autopilot and filled her cart with her grown son's favourite foods, and why that moment says everything about how deeply we lose ourselves in being needed.In this conversation you will hear:Why being needed gives so many women their sense of identity and purposeWhat happens when the busyness stops and you do not know who you are without itHow multitasking became something we were praised for and why it is quietly draining usWhy rest does not have to look like meditation on a pillowThe simple daily nuggets that can help you find quiet without needing a weekend awayPlus Alison has a laughing fit that nearly ends the episode. You will want to watch this one on YouTube.We see you.Support the show@sweet_insights_Alison Willswellnesswithwisdom.com@alisonwillswisdomAmy Crowellthesweetestthings.ca@amy_crowell_@sweetestcandyboutique@trurorealtors

In this episode, Steve sits down with Samara Bay to unpack what it really means to be “ready” when the stakes are high. Together, they explore the connection between body, mind, and communication—and why so many high-performers flatten their presence by trying to hide fear instead of working with it.Samara explains how public speaking is really about power, permission, and presence. She shares why “readiness” is more of a body-based practice than a mental state, how love-based thinking can shift us out of fight-or-flight, and why the warm-up before any important conversation may be the real work.Key Takeaways:Why readiness is more physical than mentalThe role of body awareness in communicationPublic speaking as a reflection of power and self-trustHow fear creates a flattened version of usWhy naming what's happening in the room builds trustThe shift from fear-based thinking to love-based communicationSocial evaluative threat and the modern version of fight-or-flightWhy context matters in every communication momentThe importance of imagination, curiosity, and play in leadershipWhy warm-ups and rituals matter before big momentsMissed opportunity as the hidden cost of poor communicationLinks and Resources MentionedPermission Inc. — permissioninc.coPermissionaries newsletter — available via Samara's websitePermission to Speak by Samara BayUpcoming TEDx talk — Samara said it will be shared on her website once releasedSend us Fan MailSupport the showConnect with Steve MellorStay connected and keep growing with Steve:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReadyJoin the community and keep your growth journey going:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/----This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

It's the week of the spring equinox and I have three feet of snow in my yard. This episode is my reflection on what it means to embrace the season I'm actually in, even when it looks nothing like the one I'm longing for.I also share a vivid (and surprisingly instructive) dream involving a carjacking, a Danny DeVito lookalike, and a 1964 Eagle Apache — and what unpacking it in my morning pages revealed about apathy, momentum, and the work of showing up for the life I want.In this episode:The strange joy of being snowed in and what it unlocks in usWhy my envy of other people's spring gardens is actually useful informationThe dream, decoded — and what it has to say about reaction time and limboMorning pages as a tool for inner clarityThe difference between fighting the current and simply doing the workBring spring energy into your life even when your lawn chairs are buried under three feet of snowResources mentioned:Cosmic/moon sign horoscope website Morning pages practiceEmbodied Joy monthly audio — new moon, seasonal rhythms, guided meditation, journaling prompts

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what old-fashioned living might look like for me in the coming year and beyond. I've been considering which skills and rhythms I want to embrace, and which ones I need to release.In this podcast episode, I'm sharing that thought process with you. My hope is that it helps you take stock of your own life and figure out which parts of the old-fashioned lifestyle you truly love, and which parts you may be holding onto simply because you think you should.Podcast Episode Highlights:Current homesteading issues & how it affects usWhy 'all or nothing' is ridiculousTool vs. cageFiguring out what drives youFilter #1: does this skill give me agency?Filter #2: does this skill give me peace or cost me peace?Filter #3: is this a keystone skill?Filter #4: what season am I in?Filter #5: is this thing rooted in fear or love?Motive #1: does this skill bring me joy?Motive #2: does this feel obligatory?Motive #3: are you doing this out of comparison?The three buckets for figuring things outFinal thoughts Resources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:Find my Old-Fashioned on Purpose planner here: https://www.prairieplanner.com/Learn more about Azure Standard here: https://www.azurestandard.com/?a_aid=ANnu0O8ySUOTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD: Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/ Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application Did you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!

Something is Coming: Partial Panel Recording | Conscious Life Expo 2026 (sorry for the poor audio quality, it gets better at 8m:30s)What happens when leading voices in consciousness, ET contact, and ancient wisdom converge to discuss humanity's approaching threshold?Recorded live at Conscious Life Expo in Los Angeles, this two-hour panel moderated by Emmy Award-winning producer Sid Goldberg brings together Robert Edward Grant, Darryl Anka (Bashar), Billy Carson, Sarah Breskman Cosme, and Linda Moulton Howe for a groundbreaking conversation on what's unfolding between now and 2030.Topics explored:Robert Edward Grant's direct ET contact experiences from Rendlesham Forest (1980) to the Great Pyramid — and what the Arcturians told him about 2029The role of hybrid children already living among usWhy 2030 may be remembered as "Year One" for thousands of yearsTimelines as frequencies, and how raising consciousness literally changes realityThe Great Pyramid as a consciousness projection deviceMandela effects and new pyramids appearing worldwideHow to prepare for open contact and the coming shiftHow spiritual communities can invest in each other to build the new earthWhether you're a StarSeed, researcher, or simply feel that something profound is approaching, this conversation offers both preparation and permission to trust what you're sensing.

If you've ever hidden in the back of a family photo, skipped a headshot session, or cringed when you saw a candid picture of yourself, this episode is for you.I sat down with Kristen Vallejo, a portrait and branding photographer based in upstate New York, who has made it her mission to help women feel comfortable and confident being seen. In this conversation, we unpack why so many of us (especially women navigating midlife) have such a complicated relationship with being photographed. We talk about the role social media has played in making us feel like every picture has to be perfect, why menopause can make it even harder to recognize yourself in photos, and how we can start to shift that.One of the most powerful reframes Kristen shares is this: visibility is generosity. When you hide from the camera, you're also withholding yourself ( your gifts, your presence, your relatability) from the people who need to see you. That hit me in a deep way, and I think it will for you too.We also talk about body diversity and representation, why photographers aren't looking at you with the critical lens you're using on yourself, and some practical tips to make any photo session feel less like a pressure cooker.Kristen's missing ingredient in midlife? Novelty. And I love that answer.In this episode, we cover:Why so many women approach the camera with terror, and what's underneath itHow social media has raised the bar for "acceptable" photos and what that costs usWhy going through menopause can make seeing yourself in photos feel particularly confrontingWhat body neutrality looks like in practice, even in a portrait sessionThe power of representation and why your visible presence matters more than you thinkPractical tips for preparing for a photo session without the overwhelmAbout Kristen Vallejo: Kristen Vallejo is a portrait and branding photographer based in upstate New York, specializing in entrepreneurs, small business owners, and those with animals in their work. She's passionate about capturing the real person behind the lens — not just a polished pose. You can find her at kristenvallejo.com and on Instagram at @kristenvallejophotography.Related Episodes:Is Feeling Seen the Missing Part of Your Midlife Story? with Dr. Jody Carrington — a beautiful conversation about connection, storytelling, and why being seen matters so deeply in midlife.How to Turn Your Body Image Inside Out in Midlife with Deb Shatker & Whitney Otto — practical frameworks for getting unstuck from the patterns that keep us at war with how we look.Ageism and Body Image in MidlWhat did you think of this episode? Click here and let me know!The wait list for The Midlife Body Image Lab program opens soon! Join my newsletter community to be the first to hear. 

On finding your band, becoming an instrument for the more, and the roadmap to reconnection in an age of loneliness.Welcome to Resonance.After five years of writing and thirty years of research, I'm beginning to share what has become a magnum opus on human connection: how we call in and build the right relationships in our lives, how we become instruments for the music that wants to live in the space between people.In this episode, I explore:The concept of "the more" — the unique song that wants to live through each of usWhy we need to tune our instruments in an age of noise and competing signalsHow to distinguish between resonance and dissonance in relationshipsThe loneliness pandemic: why we're more disconnected than at any point in history, despite being more "connected" than everWhy the quality of our relationships is the single greatest predictor of our long-term health and happinessThe roadmap to reconnection we desperately needKey Quote: "We are so besieged by erroneous signals telling us that a Rolex or a nice car is success. But any billionaire in their 80s would give up everything they have to have what you have now: time. That's our true wealth. So the question becomes: how do you spend your precious time? And there's no more noble way than understanding who you are, the song you're meant to sing, and who you're meant to sing it with."#Resonance #HumanConnection #Loneliness #Relationships #PersonalGrowth #Meaning #Purpose #Community #LonelinessEpidemic #SocialConnection #MichaelTrainer Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube

In this eye-opening episode of the 247 Real Talk Podcast, your host takes on a hard truth: just because something has been accepted for generations does not mean it has to be your destiny. From trauma and silence to poverty, broken relationships, and limiting beliefs, many of us were handed a “normal” that was never healthy in the first place.We'll dig into:How generational acceptance quietly teaches us what to tolerate, even when it hurts usWhy “that's just how it's always been” is one of the most dangerous sentences we can believePractical steps to recognize unhealthy cycles, challenge them, and start writing a different story for yourself—and those who come after youIf you've ever felt the tension between where you come from and who you know you could be, this conversation is for you. You are not disloyal for healing. You are not arrogant for dreaming bigger. You are not trapped in patterns just because you were born into them.Watch, share this with someone trying to break their own generational cycles, and drop a comment about one belief, habit, or “normal” you refuse to pass on.Subscribe to 247 Real Talk Podcast for more raw, honest conversations about identity, healing, courage, and building a future that's chosen—not inherited.

Are you training too hard—or not hard enough? In this episode of the Find Your Edge podcast, Coach Chris Newport breaks down heart rate training zones, why common formulas like “220 minus age” miss the mark, and how VO₂ max and lactate testing can dramatically improve your performance, fat burning, and longevity.You'll learn:Why Zone 2 training is so powerfulHow VO₂ max and ventilatory thresholds workWhat lactate testing actually tells usWhy heart rate zones change by sportHow proper testing saves time and boosts resultsWhether you're an endurance athlete or simply want to train smarter, this episode will help you unlock more effective and enjoyable workouts.Book your metabolic testing here: https://www.theenduranceedge.com/sweat-metabolic-vo2-testing/ Read the blog here: https://www.theenduranceedge.com/heart-rate-training-zones/ Support the show

Prepare. To. Be. Happy.Returning to Hospitality Meets, Klaudia Mitura - work psychologist, L&D leader at the Science Museum Group, host of The Happiness Challenge podcast, author of The Alphabet of Happiness, and an actual Certified Chief Happiness Officer (yes, really) delivers one of the most uplifting, honest, and quietly powerful conversations we've ever recorded.This episode is not about toxic positivity, pretending everything's fine, or slapping a smile on life's messier moments.It's about science backed happiness, micro habits, curiosity, resilience, and learning how to live with the noise in your head - not silence it.It's warm.It's funny.It's deeply human.And it might just change how you think about happiness altogether.In This EpisodeKlaudia's return to the podcast nearly four years on, and how life has unfolded sinceLosing a job, being separated from family, rescheduling a wedding four times, a family cancer diagnosis… and why happiness still matteredWhy Klaudia decided to treat her life like a scientific experimentWhat the science of happiness actually tells usWhy happiness isn't a destination - it's a starting pointThe power of micro-habits and why 1% changes beat life overhaulsWhy happiness fuels kindness, generosity, optimism and impactThe danger of “I'll be happy when…” thinkingWhy curiosity might be the most underrated life skill of allHappiness, But Not the Cringey KindKlaudia is very clear on one thing:This is not about toxic positivity.It's not about ignoring grief, stress, uncertainty, or the very real challenges of life and work.It's about acknowledging them and giving yourself the tools to cope, recover, and move forward.As Klaudia explains, happiness:Helps us regulate our nervous systemMakes us more resilient under pressureIncreases kindness, generosity and problem solvingGives us the energy to face hard things, not avoid themOr put simply:Happiness doesn't deny reality.It helps you deal with it.Stand-Out Quotes“Happiness is not a destination. It's a starting point”“We regret not allowing ourselves to be happier”“You can be going through something hard and still experience joy”“Happiness fuels kindness. Without it, we can't change anything”“You don't need a life overhaul - you need small habits, done consistently”Why ListenThis episode is for you if:You're tired of overcomplicating happiness

The Rise of the "Nones" and the Politics Driving People Out of Church   In this episode of the Good Faith Podcast, Ryan Burge joins Curtis Chang to explore The Vanishing Church and the decline of moderate American congregations, using hard data and his lived experience as a longtime pastor, political scientist, and statistician. Ryan and Curtis explore how evangelicals, mainline Protestants, Catholics, and the religious "nones" are changing—and what that means for polarization, social cohesion, and democracy in America. Burge offers a practical challenge for the lonely or spiritually curious—show up to church even if you don't believe—and makes a case for gratitude and community in an anxious age.   06:25 - Evangelicals: Political Shift and Homogeneity 13:59 - Mainline Protestants: Decline and Diversity 19:06 - Aging and Future of Mainline Churches 23:05 - American Catholics: Stability and Rightward Shift 28:31 - Priest Shortages and Cultural Challenges 30:36 - The Rise of the Nones 31:25 - Political Drivers of Religious Disaffiliation 40:17 - Polarization: Politics and Economics 47:54 - Addressing Polarization: Individual Responsibility 50:23 - Advice for Pastors: Preaching Beyond Politics 52:31 - Signs of Hope and Gratitude   Register for the Illuminate Arts + Faith Conference Sign up for the Good Faith Newsletter   Mentioned In This Episode: Ryan Burge's The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us (Why the Culture Wars Led to Polarization and What We Can Do About It) Read Ephesians 3:10 (ESV) Read Colossians 1:16-18 (ESV) Danforth Center on Religion and Politics Ryan Burge, Michael Graham, and Jim Davis' The Great Dechurching: Who's Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? More about Dorothy Day   More from Ryan Burge: Substack: Graphs About Religion  Follow Ryan on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/ryanburge More about  Ryan Burge's work   Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.  

Over the last 30 years, the number of Americans who say they highly value patriotism, religion, community, and family has dropped dramatically. At the same time, the number of Americans who care about making more money has gone up. Phil, Kaitlyn, and Skye discuss David Brooks' new article about the culture's shift toward autonomy and away from loving attachments, and how Christians can begin rebuilding their social muscles. Sociologist and former pastor, Ryan Burge, is back to discuss why the political polarization of Christianity is hurting both the church and democracy. Also this week, why small houses are better for your soul, and monkeys are missing in St. Louis—or are they?   Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this Episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/148707266/   Bonus Interview with Ryan Burge: https://www.patreon.com/posts/148694023/   0:00 - Show Starts   3:38 - Theme Song   4:45 - Sponsor - Poncho - If you've been looking for the perfect shirt—something breathable, fits great, feels even better, and stands out in a good way—give Poncho a try. Get $10 off your first order by using this link: https://www.ponchooutdoors.com/holypost   5:12 - Sponsor - Tyndale - The Life Application Study Bible is here to give you resources to help you understand why scripture matters and how it applies today! Check it out now at: https://www.tyndale.com/sites/lasb/?utm_campaign=Bibles%20-%20NLT%20Life%20Applicati[…]ource=Holy%20Post%20Podcast&utm_medium=Microsite%20Nov%202025   7:00 - The Monkeys are Loose in St. Louis!   15:24 - David Brooks on Love   38:00 - Are You Socially Muscular?   50:33 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month!   51:30 -  Sponsor - PolicyGenius - Secure your family's tomorrow so you have peace of mind today. Go to https://www.policygenius.com/HOLYPOST to find the right life insurance for you   52:34 - Interview   55:34 - Number of Christians Holding Steady   1:00:23 - Do Revivals Need to be Inside the Church?   1:09:38 - What is a Moderate Congregation?   1:17:50 - Evangelicalism Became Fundamentalism   1:24:00 - End Credits   Links Mentioned in News Segment: Monkeys! On the Loose! https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/us/monkeys-loose-st-louis.html   We're Living Through the Great Detachment: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/opinion/americans-marriage-loneliness-love.html   Elizabeth Oldfield on Social Muscles: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/24/opinion/community-housing-friendship.html   Other Resources: The Vanishing Church: How the Hollowing Out of Moderate Congregations Is Hurting Democracy, Faith, and Us (Why the Culture War Led to Polarization and What We Can Do About it) by Ryan Burge: https://amzn.to/4r1rbKL   Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/   Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus   Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost   Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  

Send us a textFertility tests can look perfect on paper—and pregnancy still doesn't happen.In this episode of Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday, Dr. Mark Amols breaks down why many fertility treatments, especially IUI, are built on assumptions rather than certainty. Tests like the HSG can confirm that fallopian tubes are open, but they cannot prove that the tubes are functional. Semen analysis can look normal, but it cannot confirm that sperm can reach the egg or successfully fertilize it.This gap between testing and reality is why IUI often requires a leap of faith—and why it works well for some patients but not for others.In this episode, Dr. Amols covers:What fertility tests can—and cannot—tell usWhy “normal results” don't guarantee pregnancyWhy IUI is assumption-based by designWho is more likely to succeed with IUIWhy patients with long-standing infertility face harder decisionsThe difference between assumption-based treatment (IUI) and information-based treatment (IVF)Why IVF often provides answers even when it doesn't lead to pregnancyIf you've ever wondered why IUIs fail despite normal testing—or whether it's time to move on to IVF—this episode explains the logic behind those decisions without pressure or judgment.Thanks for tuning in to another episode of 'Taco Bout Fertility Tuesday' with Dr. Mark Amols. If you found this episode insightful, please share it with friends and family who might benefit from our discussion. Remember, your feedback is invaluable to us – leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred listening platform. Stay connected with us for updates and fertility tips – follow us on Facebook. For more resources and information, visit our website at www.NewDirectionFertility.com. Have a question or a topic you'd like us to cover? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us at TBFT@NewDirectionFertility.com. Join us next Tuesday for more discussions on fertility, where we blend medical expertise with a touch of humor to make complex topics accessible and engaging. Until then, keep the conversation going and remember: understanding your fertility is a journey we're on together.

The Breakdown Before the BreakthroughThere are moments in history that change everything. We're living in one right now.In this solo episode of Raw & Unscripted, Christopher Rausch speaks straight from the heart — no script, no polish, no filters — about the massive global shift humanity is experiencing and what it means for each of us personally.Just like the world-shaking moment of Covid, we're once again in uncertain territory. And here's the truth most only see in hindsight: The seasons that feel the hardest often become the ones that change us for the better.Catch the Videocast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBNp5ZHULRQYet mental health is at an all-time low. Medication is at an all-time high. Loneliness is rising. Division is everywhere. Something is off — and it's time we talk about it honestly.This isn't about fear. - It's about awareness. - Connection. - And remembering that we were never meant to do life alone.What you'll hear in this episode:Why painful seasons often become our greatest turning pointsHow global uncertainty can either divide or unite usWhy reaching out matters more now than everHow curiosity replaces fear in times of changeSimple ways to lift others when you feel stretched yourselfIf you've been feeling unsettled… disconnected… or quietly asking, “What is happening to the world?”This conversation is for you.Because now — we rise together.Are you subscribed to the podcast? Catch up on previous episodes at https://bit.ly/2Njtvf9 and get the audio podcast at Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3RHpNe8 or wherever you get your podcasts! We're on all platforms!!!#Legacy #PersonalGrowth #MasteringLife #Confidence #Results #NoRegrets #Beliefs #NoExcusesCoach For More Information please check out:www.NoExcusesCoach.comwww.Youtube.com/TheChristopherRausch

Can Therapists Start a Union? The Antitrust Trap, the Shadow Committee, and the Economic Strangulation of American Psychotherapy Analyzing America's Healthcare Regulations and Their Effect on Us: Why the Law Prevents Therapists from Organizing While Allowing a Private Committee to Fix Prices for the Entire Medical System https://gettherapybirmingham.com/can-therapists-start-a-union-spoiler-alert-they-cant/ The Monthly Rage Thread If you hang around therapist forums long enough, you will see it happen. It operates with the regularity of the tides. Someone posts a thread, usually after receiving a contract from an insurance company offering 1998 rates for 2025 work, and asks the obvious question: “We are the ones providing the care. The system collapses without us. Why don't we just all go on strike? Why don't we form a union and demand fair pay?” It is a logical question. In almost every other sector of the economy, workers who feel exploited band together to negotiate better terms. Screenwriters shut down Hollywood to get paid for streaming residuals. Auto workers walk off the line. Teachers fill the state capitol. Nurses at major hospital systems have successfully unionized and won significant concessions. So why, in the midst of a national mental health crisis, does the mental health workforce remain so politically impotent? The answer is not that we lack will. It is not that we lack organization. The answer is that for private practice therapists, forming a union is a federal crime. This is not a political manifesto. It is an analysis of the bizarre regulatory environment that governs American healthcare, a system of antitrust laws, shadow committees, and bureaucratic classifications that effectively strips clinicians of their bargaining power while empowering the corporations that pay them. If you want to understand why corporate tech monopolies are ruining therapy, or why the corporatization of healthcare feels so suffocating, you have to understand the legal straitjacket we are all wearing. And you have to understand the one group that is allowed to set prices, the one group exempt from the rules that bind the rest of us. Part I: You Are Not a Worker, You Are a Standard Oil Tycoon The primary reason therapists cannot unionize dates back to the era of oil barons and railroad tycoons. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 was designed to prevent massive corporations like Standard Oil from colluding to fix prices and destroy the free market. It prohibits “every contract, combination… or conspiracy, in restraint of trade.” The law was a response to genuine abuses: companies buying up competitors, dividing territories, and coordinating prices to gouge consumers who had no alternatives. Here is the catch: In the eyes of the federal government, a private practice therapist is not a “worker.” You are a business entity. Even if you are a solo practitioner struggling to pay rent in a subleased office, seeing clients between crying in your car and eating lunch at your desk, the law views you as the CEO of a micro-corporation. You are classified as a 1099 independent contractor, not a W-2 employee, and that distinction makes all the difference in the world. If two workers at Starbucks talk about their wages and agree to ask for a raise, that is “collective bargaining,” which is protected by the National Labor Relations Act. But if two private practice therapists talk about their reimbursement rates and agree to ask Blue Cross for a raise, that is “price-fixing.” It is legally indistinguishable, in the eyes of the Federal Trade Commission, from gas stations conspiring to raise the price of unleaded. It sounds absurd, but the FTC takes it deadly seriously. When independent contractors organize to demand higher rates, when they share information about what they are being paid and coordinate their responses, they are engaging in horizontal price-fixing, one of the most serious violations of antitrust law. The Sherman Act provides for criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment. The law that was meant to break up monopolies is now used to prevent social workers from asking for a cost-of-living adjustment. The irony is crushing. The same regulatory framework that prevents two therapists from discussing their rates allows massive insurance conglomerates to merge repeatedly, concentrating buyer power in fewer and fewer hands. UnitedHealth Group, for example, has acquired dozens of companies over the past two decades, becoming the largest healthcare company in the United States. When they offer a “take it or leave it” contract to providers, they do so with the full knowledge that fragmented, legally prohibited from organizing therapists have no counter-leverage. The antitrust laws, designed to prevent monopoly power, have created a system where sellers are atomized and buyers are consolidated. Economists call this “monopsony,” and it is precisely the market distortion the Sherman Act was supposed to prevent. Part II: The Day the “Learned Profession” Died For a long time, doctors and lawyers thought they were exempt from these laws. They argued that they were “learned professions,” not mere tradespeople, and therefore above the grubby laws of commerce. They believed that their ethical obligations to patients and clients set them apart from the rules that governed steel mills and meatpacking plants. Medicine was a calling, not a business, and surely the government would not regulate the sacred doctor-patient relationship as if it were a commercial transaction. That illusion was shattered in 1975 by the Supreme Court case Goldfarb v. Virginia State Bar. The case involved lawyers, not doctors, but its implications cascaded through every licensed profession in America. The Goldfarbs were purchasing a home and needed a title examination. The Virginia State Bar had established a minimum fee schedule for such services, and every lawyer they contacted quoted the exact same price. They sued, arguing that this fee schedule was illegal price-fixing. The Supreme Court agreed. In a unanimous decision, the Court ruled that professional services, including legal and medical advice, are “trade or commerce” subject to antitrust laws. The “learned profession” exemption, which had been assumed but never explicitly established in law, was declared a myth. “The nature of an occupation, standing alone,” the Court wrote, “does not provide sanctuary from the Sherman Act.” This ruling was intended to lower prices for consumers by preventing lawyers from setting minimum fees, and in that narrow sense it was a good thing. But in healthcare, it had a catastrophic side effect: it made it illegal for doctors and therapists to band together to resist the pricing power of insurance companies. The “learned profession” exemption is dead. We are now just businesses, and businesses are not allowed to hold hands. This creates the illusion of progress: we have “free market” competition among providers, but monopsony power among payers. It is a market where the sellers are forbidden from organizing, but the buyers are allowed to merge until they are too big to fail. The result is not a free market at all. It is a market designed to transfer wealth from one class (providers) to another (insurers and administrators), with the law itself serving as the enforcement mechanism. Part III: The Cartel in the Basement If therapists cannot collude to set prices, surely nobody else can, right? Wrong. There is one group in American healthcare that is allowed to meet in a room, decide what every doctor's time is worth, and set prices for the entire industry. It is called the RUC, the AMA/Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee. And understanding the RUC is the key to understanding why talk therapy is dying in the medical model, why psychiatrists abandoned the couch for the prescription pad, and why your insurance company offers you a ghost network of providers who never answer the phone. The Birth of a Shadow Government To comprehend the current crisis in mental health economics, one must excavate the foundations of the physician payment system. Prior to 1992, Medicare reimbursed physicians based on a system known as “Customary, Prevailing, and Reasonable” charges. Under this system, physicians were paid based on their historical billing charges. It was inherently inflationary; it rewarded those who raised their fees most aggressively and created wide geographic disparities for identical services. In response to spiraling costs, Congress passed the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, mandating a transition to a fee schedule based on the resources required to provide a service. This birthed the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale. The intellectual architecture for this system was developed by a team of economists at Harvard University, led by William Hsiao. Hsiao's team sought to create a “unified theory” of medical value, attempting to quantify the “work” involved in disparate medical acts, comparing the cognitive intensity of a psychiatric evaluation with the technical skill of a hernia repair. The Harvard study was revolutionary. It promised to level the playing field, suggesting that cognitive services, the thinking and talking that comprises primary care and mental health, were vastly undervalued relative to surgical procedures. Had Hsiao's original recommendations been implemented purely, the income gap between generalists and specialists might have narrowed significantly. But the administrative complexity of assigning values to over 7,000 Current Procedural Terminology codes overwhelmed the Health Care Financing Administration. Into this administrative vacuum stepped the American Medical Association. The AMA, fearing that the government would unilaterally set prices, proposed a “partnership.” They would convene a committee of experts to maintain and update the relative values, providing this labor-intensive service to the government at no cost. The government accepted. Thus, in 1991, the RUC was born, not as a government agency, but as a private advisory body with unparalleled influence over public funds. The Architecture of Control The RUC's claim to legitimacy rests on its status as an “expert panel.” But a structural analysis of its composition reveals a profound bias that mimics the governance of a cartel designed to protect incumbent interests. The committee consists of 32 members, but power is concentrated in the 29 voting seats. Of these, 21 seats are appointed by major national medical specialty societies. The distribution is not proportional to the volume of services provided to Medicare beneficiaries, nor is it proportional to the physician workforce. Instead, it is frozen in a historical moment that favored high-technology specialties. Primary care physicians, who perform roughly 45 to 50 percent of Medicare work, hold approximately 4 to 5 seats, giving them about 17 percent of the vote. Procedural and surgical specialties, including surgery, radiology, and anesthesiology, hold 15 to 18 seats, giving them roughly 60 percent of the vote despite performing only 35 to 40 percent of Medicare work. The American Psychiatric Association holds a single seat. One seat. This lone representative must negotiate with a supermajority of specialists, neurosurgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons, radiologists, and ophthalmologists, whose financial interests are often diametrically opposed to the valuation of cognitive work. The cartel dynamic is enforced by a statutory requirement of budget neutrality. The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is a zero-sum game. If the total relative value units projected for a given year exceed the budget, a “scaler” is applied to reduce the conversion factor, effectively cutting everyone's pay. Therefore, any proposal to increase the value of psychotherapy, which would increase the total RVU spend, effectively asks every surgeon in the room to take a pay cut to fund the raise for psychiatrists. Given that a two-thirds majority is required to pass a recommendation, the procedural bloc holds absolute veto power over any redistribution of wealth. The Secret Chamber A hallmark of cartel behavior is the restriction of information. For nearly two decades, the RUC operated in near-total secrecy. While recent years have seen minor concessions to transparency, such as the publication of vote totals, the core deliberative process remains opaque. RUC meetings are private. The public, the press, and even non-RUC physicians are largely barred from attending the deliberations where billions of tax dollars are allocated. Participants, including the specialty advisors who present data, must sign strict non-disclosure agreements. These agreements prevent them from discussing the specific tradeoffs, deals, or arguments made within the chamber. A former RUC participant described these agreements as “draconian,” designed to insulate the committee from public accountability. The Government Accountability Office and the Center for American Progress have noted the inherent conflict of interest. The individuals setting the prices are the same individuals who receive the payments. Unlike a regulatory agency, where officials are salaried and divested of industry assets, RUC members are practicing physicians whose personal incomes are directly tied to the decisions they make. This secrecy serves a functional purpose: it allows for “logrolling.” A representative from Orthopedics might support an inflated value for a Cardiology code in exchange for Cardiology's support on a Knee Replacement code. This “I'll scratch your back” dynamic creates an upward pressure on procedural values that excludes those outside the dominant coalition, specifically primary care and mental health. The Antitrust Shield Why has the Department of Justice not broken up this cartel? The legal shield is the Noerr-Pennington Doctrine. This Supreme Court doctrine establishes that private entities are immune from antitrust liability when they are petitioning the government. Because the RUC technically only “recommends” values to CMS (that is petitioning), and CMS “decides” (that is government action), the RUC is protected by the First Amendment right to petition. This legal loophole allows the RUC to operate with monopolistic characteristics without fear of prosecution, provided CMS continues to go through the motions of “reviewing” the recommendations. And CMS accepts those recommendations over 90 percent of the time. Because private insurance companies generally base their rates on Medicare, this private committee effectively sets the price of healthcare for the entire country. If independent therapists did this, if they gathered in a room and agreed on what their services should cost, they would face criminal prosecution. But because the RUC operates under the fiction of “advising” the government, it is protected. The same regulatory framework that criminalizes therapist solidarity provides cover for industry-wide price coordination by the most powerful medical specialties. Part IV: The Mechanics of Suppression To control a market, one must control its currency. In American medicine, that currency is the Relative Value Unit. Every medical service, from a 15-minute therapy session to a heart transplant, is assigned a total RVU value. This value is the sum of three components: the Work RVU, which accounts for physician time, technical skill, mental effort, and judgment; the Practice Expense RVU, which covers overhead costs like rent, staff, and equipment; and the Malpractice RVU, which reflects professional liability insurance costs. The Work RVU, which comprises roughly 50 to 55 percent of the total value, is determined by RUC surveys. When a code is flagged for review, the relevant specialty society distributes a survey to a sample of its members. These respondents are asked to estimate the time and intensity of the service compared to a “reference service.” This methodology violates several principles of statistical validity. The surveys are voluntary and distributed by the specialty societies themselves. The respondents are typically those most active in the society and most invested in maximizing reimbursement, advocates rather than neutral observers. The sample sizes are often shockingly small; RUC surveys frequently rely on fewer than 50 or 70 respondents to set the price for services performed millions of times annually. A sample of 30 orthopedic surgeons might determine the value of a procedure costing Medicare billions. The Time Arbitrage The most critical variable in the RUC equation is time. The Work RVU is conceptually derived from the formula: Work equals Time multiplied by Intensity. Therefore, inflating the time estimate is the most direct route to inflating the price. Independent studies by RAND and the Urban Institute, often using objective data like Operating Room logs, have consistently shown that the RUC overestimates the time required for surgical procedures. A procedure valued by the RUC as taking 60 minutes may, in reality, take 30 minutes. This creates an arbitrage opportunity. If a gastroenterologist can perform a “60-minute” colonoscopy in 20 minutes, they can effectively perform three procedures in the time allotted for one. They bill for three hours of work in one hour of real time. This “efficiency gain” is captured entirely by the physician as profit. Psychotherapy cannot utilize this arbitrage. CPT codes for psychotherapy are explicitly time-based in their definition. Code 90832 requires 16 to 37 minutes. Code 90834 requires 38 to 52 minutes. Code 90837 requires 53 minutes or more. A psychiatrist cannot perform a 60-minute therapy session in 20 minutes; doing so constitutes fraud. Therefore, the revenue of a psychotherapist is capped by the linear passage of time. They can sell, at maximum, roughly 8 to 10 units of labor per day. A proceduralist, aided by RUC-inflated time assumptions, can sell 20 or 30 units of “RUC time” in the same day. This structural discrepancy creates a widening income gap that no amount of “hard work” by the therapist can close. It is not a market failure. It is market design. The “Thinking” Penalty The RUC's bias is not merely structural; it is philosophical. The committee, dominated by surgeons and proceduralists, consistently values “doing things to people,” cutting, scanning, injecting, far more highly than “talking to people,” diagnosing, counseling, managing complex chronic conditions. This creates a regulatory environment that functions as a de facto wealth transfer from cognitive care to procedural care. In 2013, a major revision of psychiatry codes exposed this bias in stark relief. Previously, psychiatrists used codes that bundled the medical evaluation with the psychotherapy. The new system required psychiatrists to bill an E/M code for the medical management plus an “add-on” code for psychotherapy. While intended to improve transparency, this change exposed psychotherapy to the raw mechanics of the RUC's valuation bias. By isolating the “therapy” component, the committee could subject it to rigorous cross-specialty comparison. And the committee, dominated by surgeons, views “talking to a patient” as low-intensity work compared to “operating on a patient.” The economic signal was clear. This created the 15-minute med check culture not because psychiatrists stopped caring, but because the regulatory environment made relational care financial suicide. It effectively “illegalized” the practice of deep, slow psychiatry for anyone who wanted to take insurance. Part V: The “Messenger Model” and Other Legal Fictions When therapists ask about collective bargaining, lawyers will often point them to the only legal loophole available: the “Messenger Model.” In this model, a third party (the messenger) acts as an intermediary between a group of providers and an insurance company. The messenger takes the insurance company's offer and conveys it to each therapist individually. Each therapist must then make a unilateral, independent decision to accept or reject it. The messenger is strictly forbidden from negotiating. They cannot say, “The group rejects this.” They cannot say, “We want 10% more.” They cannot advise the therapists on what to do. They can only carry messages. This is why “Independent Practice Associations” are often toothless. In the 2008 case North Texas Specialty Physicians v. FTC, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals made clear that if an IPA actually tries to leverage its numbers to demand better rates, it violates antitrust laws. If it follows the messenger model, it has no leverage. It is a “heads I win, tails you lose” regulatory structure designed to protect payers, not providers. The only exception is “clinical integration,” where providers genuinely merge their practices, share infrastructure, and accept joint financial risk. But this requires substantial capital investment and essentially means ceasing to be an independent practitioner. It is a legal pathway available mainly to large physician groups and hospital systems, not to solo therapists working out of rented offices. Part VI: Market Distortions and the Flight to Cash When a cartel sets a price below the market equilibrium, suppliers exit the formal market. This is precisely what has happened in psychotherapy. Mental health providers generally have lower overhead than surgeons. They do not need MRI machines or sterile surgical suites. And they face high consumer demand; the national mental health crisis ensures a steady stream of people seeking services. This gives them an “exit option” that proceduralists do not have. They can refuse to accept insurance and operate as cash-only businesses. The statistics are stark. Nearly 50 percent of psychiatrists do not accept commercial insurance, compared to less than 10 percent of other specialists. A 2023 survey indicated that 64 percent of private practice therapists planned to increase their cash-pay rates. Research published in Health Affairs Scholar found that patients are 10.6 times more likely to go out-of-network for mental health care than for medical/surgical care. This mass exodus is a rational economic response to RUC-suppressed rates. If the RUC says an hour of therapy is worth $100 via the RVU-to-dollar conversion, but the market demand is willing to pay $250, the provider will leave the RUC-controlled sector. They are not abandoning their profession; they are abandoning a pricing regime that values their work at less than half its market rate. Ghost Networks The RUC's pricing failure creates “Ghost Networks,” directories filled with providers who are ostensibly “in-network” but are functionally inaccessible. They are either full, not accepting new patients, retired, have moved, or simply do not respond to inquiries from insurance-based patients because the administrative burden of prior authorizations and clawbacks outweighs the suppressed fee. This is not a “shortage” of providers in the absolute sense. There is no shortage of therapists in private practice. There is a shortage of therapists willing to work at the RUC-determined price point. The insurance directories are graveyards of phantom availability, creating the illusion of access where none exists. The Cost Paradox The central thesis of the RUC's defenders is that they “control costs.” By strictly managing RVUs, they claim to save taxpayer money. In psychotherapy, this logic backfires catastrophically. By suppressing reimbursement rates to a level that drives providers out of the network, the RUC forces patients into the cash market. The theoretical in-network cost might be a $20 copay with the insurer paying $100. The actual out-of-network cost is $250 cash out-of-pocket, paid in full by the patient. Thus, the “cost of therapy” for the consumer skyrockets. Therapy becomes a luxury good, accessible only to those with disposable income. For the poor and middle class, the “cost” is effectively infinite, because the service becomes inaccessible. The RUC's cost-control measure for the system becomes a cost-multiplier for the patient. It shifts the financial burden from the risk pool, where it belongs, to the individual, where it causes maximum harm. The Signal to Students The RUC sends powerful economic signals to medical students making career decisions. When a student observes that a dermatologist or radiologist can earn $500,000 working regular hours, while a psychiatrist earns $240,000 handling emotional trauma and on-call emergencies, while a primary care doctor earns even less, the choice is clear for those motivated by financial security. The undervaluation of cognitive codes discourages the best and brightest from entering mental health and primary care. The cartel's pricing structure creates a perpetual labor shortage in the fields most needed for public health, while creating a surplus in high-margin procedural specialties. We then wonder why there are not enough psychiatrists, why primary care is in crisis, why mental health access is collapsing. The answer is in the price signal, and the price signal is set by a committee of proceduralists meeting behind closed doors. The Hands Are Tied The question “Why can't therapists start a union?” is not just a labor question. It is a window into the broken soul of American healthcare. We have built a system where a secret committee of proceduralists can legally fix prices to favor surgery over therapy, but a group of social workers cannot band together to ask for a living wage. We have utilized laws meant to break up Standard Oil to break up the solidarity of caregivers. The same regulatory framework that criminalizes therapist coordination provides legal cover for industry-wide price coordination by the most powerful medical specialties. The result is a regulatory environment that drives doctors crazy, burns out therapists, and leaves patients navigating a fragmented, assembly-line system that was never designed to heal them. It was designed to process them. Until we confront the legal architecture of this system, the RUC, the Sherman Act, the 1099 trap, we will remain powerless to change it. And the reality of therapy is that quick fixes, whether in treatment or in policy, usually end up costing us more in the end. Some states are beginning to push back. New York and California have implemented strict network adequacy standards requiring mental health appointments within 10 business days. These regulations force insurers to expand their networks, which means they must attract providers, which means they must raise reimbursement rates above the RUC/Medicare floor. It is effectively a state-level override of the RUC cartel, forcing capital back into the mental health labor market. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has long advocated for stripping the RUC of its power, proposing the use of empirical data, tax returns, payroll records, practice invoices, to set values automatically. But these are patchwork solutions to a systemic problem. The fundamental issue remains: we have created a healthcare system that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. We have engineered a system where the only way to survive is to stop acting like a healer and start acting like a factory. And we have wrapped this system in a legal framework that criminalizes resistance while protecting the status quo. The hands are tied. But at least now we can see the ropes. Bibliography For those interested in the primary sources and legal texts that underpin this analysis, the following external resources provide high-trust verification of the claims made above: Goldfarb v. Virginia State Bar, 421 U.S. 773 (1975): The Supreme Court decision that ended the “learned profession” exemption from antitrust laws. Read the Oyez Summary. The Sherman Antitrust Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 1–7): The foundational text of US antitrust law prohibiting restraint of trade. Read the Document at the National Archives. North Texas Specialty Physicians v. Federal Trade Commission (5th Cir. 2008): A key ruling establishing that independent physicians cannot collectively bargain on fees without financial integration. Read the Court Opinion. FTC/DOJ Statements of Antitrust Enforcement Policy in Health Care (1996): The federal guidelines explaining the “Messenger Model” and the narrow exceptions for clinical integration. Read the Guidelines (PDF). The RUC (AMA/Specialty Society RVS Update Committee): The AMA's own description of the committee structure and its role in valuing physician work. Visit the AMA RUC Page. “Special Deal” by Haley Sweetland Edwards (Washington Monthly, 2013): An investigative deep-dive into how the RUC operates and its impact on primary care vs. specialty pay. Read the Investigation. The National Labor Relations Act (NLRA): The law governing the right to unionize, which specifically excludes independent contractors. Read the NLRA. Laugesen, Miriam J. Fixing Medical Prices: How Physicians Are Paid. Harvard University Press, 2016. The definitive scholarly analysis of the RUC's history, structure, and influence on American healthcare pricing. Government Accountability Office. “Medicare Physician Payment Rates: Better Data and Greater Transparency Could Improve Accuracy.” 2015. GAO's critical analysis of RUC methodology and conflicts of interest. Center for American Progress. “Rethinking the RUC.” 2015. Policy analysis of the RUC's structural bias against primary care and cognitive services. Health Affairs Scholar. “Insurance Acceptance and Cash Pay Rates for Psychotherapy in the US.” 2023. Empirical research on out-of-network utilization in mental health care. Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). “Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System.” 2024. Annual policy recommendations including proposals for reforming physician fee schedule methodology. Joel Blackstock, LICSW-S, is the Clinical Director of Taproot Therapy Collective in Hoover, Alabama. He specializes in complex trauma treatment and writes at GetTherapyBirmingham.com.  

Join Andi Hektor, CEO & Co-founder of mu-ray.tech and serial deeptech founder, in a fascinating conversation with Gary Fowler as they explore what it really takes to build hardware deeptech companies—and whether AI is accelerating or complicating that journey. From Europe's evolving deeptech ecosystem to the impact of defense innovation and shifting US geopolitics, this episode offers a rare look into the future of industrial-scale science startups.

Yuval Golan joins this week's episode to discuss the foreign buyer market and how agents can make the most of working with international buyers.Full Description / Show NotesYuval's history and career backgroundFounding Waltz and what the company doesCurrent state of foreign investing in the USWhy the US is a safe haven for global investorsHow foreigners view interest ratesTax benefits to investor clientsCities and states where international clients are investingHow agents can best work with foreign buyersTrends for 2026

Part 2 goes from definitions to implications.Bottom-up pain does not mean “it's in the tissues.”This episode is a recording of a live interview with pain researcher and clinician Asaf Weissman. If you haven't watched Part 1, start there—we laid the foundation: why pain semantics matter, how mixed messages harm patients, and why “nothing is wrong with your body” is an overreach.In Part 2, we dig into:What “always bottom up” actually means (and what it doesn't)Structural paradigm vs pathophysiology: why imaging often fails usWhy stress, fear, and emotions are usually modulators, not causesThreshold models: when trajectories may (and may not) be changeableThe case for neuroimmune mechanisms in chronic pain statesWhere diagnostics and biologics may take chronic pain care nextWhat role physios may play as case managers and guidesThis is the second half of a two-part series. Part 1 builds the framework. Part 2 challenges how we interpret evidence, scope, and clinical uncertainty—while staying anchored to what helps the patient in front of you.*********************************************************************

In part 3 of this series on Boundaries with Connection, Juliane Taylor Shore talks us through how boundaries work in relationships with our children - relationships where we have to show up every day - and why it is so important for us to have good psychological boundaries when our children are verbally aggressive. In this episode, you'll learn:What are psychological boundariesHow do psychological boundaries help usWhy good psychological boundaries are important when a child is verbally aggressiveHow to create space between your mind and another's mindResources mentioned in this podcast:Juliane Taylor Shore's website: https://www.cleariskind.com/Juliane's boundaries course: ​​https://therapywisdom.com/neurobiology-of-feeling-safe/Jules' Relationship Podcast : https://whydoesmypartner.com/FREEOne-page PDF infographic on Boundaries with Connection!CLICK HERE to get the download sent to your inboxRead a summary or the full transcript at: RobynGobbel.com/boundaries3We're kicking off 2026 with a LIVE webinar- Creating Felt Safety! Attend live and watch the recording- PLUS get a huge folder of digital resources including a workbook all about how to impact YOUR felt safety!Register at -----> RobynGobbel.com/FeltSafetyWebinar Get access to over 25+ free resources in our brand, new Free Resource Hub! RobynGobbel.com/FreeResourceHub :::Grab a copy of USA Today Best Selling book Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors robyngobbel.com/bookJoin us in The Club for more support! robyngobbel.com/TheClubSign up on the waiting list for the 2027 Cohorts of the Baffling Behavior Training Institute's Immersion Program for Professionals robyngobbel.com/ImmersionFollow Me On:FacebookInstagram Over on my website you can find:Webinar and eBook on Focus on the Nervous System to Change Behavior (FREE)eBook on The Brilliance of Attachment (FREE)LOTS & LOTS of FREE ResourcesOngoing support, connection, and co-regulation for struggling parents: The ClubYear-Long Immersive & Holistic Training Program for Parenting Professionals: The Baffling Behavior Training Institute's (BBTI) Professional Immersion Program (formerly Being With)

In Week Five of our Advent to Epiphany series, we focus on Saint Joseph, Head of the Holy Family, and the reality of responding to God when life feels anything but calm. Using the story of the Flight into Egypt, this episode explores what it looks like to hear God's voice in the middle of fear, disruption, and uncertainty—and still move forward.We talk honestly about the tension between wanting peace and feeling overwhelmed, the discomfort of prayer, and the challenge of trusting God when we don't feel ready or capable. Saint Joseph doesn't say much in Scripture, but his actions show us how to lead, protect, and surrender—one faithful step at a time.If you've ever felt like you're not enough, unsure of the next move, or stretched beyond your comfort zone, this conversation is for you.Scripture Focus Matthew 2:13–15, 19–23HighlightsResponding to God instead of the noise around usWhy discomfort might be a sign we're actually listeningTrusting God with what He's placed in front of us—family, faith, and daily responsibilities..............................

As we wrap up 2025, we're looking at the conversations that truly landed with small churches - the episodes and quotes that sparked response, resonance, and even pushback. Topics like decline, pressure, money, conflict, and culture change weren't just popular; they named real life. In this episode, we explore what that tells us. And why honesty mattered more than neat solutions.You'll hear:What this year's most-downloaded episodes and most-shared posts reveal for all of usWhy honest conversations drew people in, even when they were uncomfortableThe unexpected hope running through some tough topicsA grounded way to close the year and look ahead with more peace and hope than everGet $20 off your first month of the Small Church Network! (Hit the monthly payment option to redeem): www.clc.thrivecart.com/small-church-networkJoin our free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministryRate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!"

✨ Happy Holidays, friends!This extra segment comes from Season 6, Episode 2 with the award-winning Mada & Hugh Piano Duo. Our conversation ran longer than expected, and while this part didn't make it into the final episode, I couldn't keep it from you — it's just too good.In this excerpt, Mada & Hugh open up about creativity in its purest form:How hobbies and play can recharge usWhy music connects us beyond perfectionWhat it means to reclaim our humanity in an age of technology and AIThe joy of making music without judgment or pressureTheir reflections feel like the perfect reminder for this season: creativity is not about perfection, but about presence, freedom, and connection.

In this episode we'll talk about:Why blessings often arrive before we “feel ready”How God uses responsibility, not rehearsal, to strengthen usWhy growth inside the blessing looks different from preparation before itThe emotional and spiritual stretch that comes with answered prayersLearning to sustain what you once only hoped forWhy capacity is formed through practice, not projectionsand more. CONNECT WITH ME…→ Instagram — @mattgottesman→ My Substack — mattgottesman.substack.com → Apparel — thenicheisyou.comRESOURCES…→ Recommended Book List — CLICK HERE→ Masterclass — CLICK HEREWORKSHOPS + MASTERCLASS:→ Need MORE clarity? - Here's the FREE… 6 Days to Clarity Workshop - clarity for your time, energy, money, creativity, work & play→ Write, Design, Build: Content Creator Studio & OS - Growing the niche of you, your audience, reach, voice, passion & incomeOTHER RELATED EPISODES:Answered Prayers Are Often Disguised As Uncomfortable BlessingsApple: https://apple.co/3HTDsjGSpotify: https://bit.ly/3JYc4l7

For so many women, sexuality and intimacy feel like the missing piece in living a fully embodied life, especially as we age. Our culture rarely teaches us how to move past the superficial and toward deeper pleasure, healing, and connection. In this episode, longtime teachers and practitioners of tantric and somatic healing, Leah Piper and Dr. Willow Brown, join us to demystify tantra, explore its potential for personal transformation and show how it can help us gently release even the oldest wounds we've been carrying. We'll unpack:What tantra actually is, beyond buzzwords, and how it turns sex into soul-to-soul connection and prayerSimple, practical ways to shift from goal-oriented sex to intentional intimacyWhy so many women hold emotional weight in their bodies and how to begin clearing grief, numbness, and old stories to make room for pleasureWhy women carry so much in their bodies and how to begin to release old wounds, grief, and numbness to make space for pleasureThe science behind the nervous system's role in pleasure and healing, and how ritualized practices can help us release what's no longer serving usWhy giving your own sexuality permission and curiosity is the gateway to up-leveling every relationship in your lifeOUR GUESTS: Dr. Willow Brown and Leah Piper are leaders in tantric, somatic, and holistic sexual healing whose combined decades of experience have helped individuals reclaim deeper pleasure, embodiment, and emotional freedom. Dr. Willow Brown, a Doctor of Chinese Medicine, weaves ancient Taoist philosophy with sexual and spiritual practices to open the body's innate pleasure pathways and facilitate profound cellular and somatic transformation. Leah, co-founder of the Sex Reimagined podcast and founder of More Love Works, brings expertise in Tantra Yoga, Positive Psychology, and Somatic Therapies, drawing from her own healing journey to guide individuals and couples toward conscious intimacy and awakened pleasure. Together, they offer a deeply integrative approach, bridging science, spirituality, and embodied practice, to help people release old wounds, reconnect with their true selves, and experience sexuality as a pathway to joy, vitality, and profound love.Want more Leah and Dr. Willown? Visit sexreimagine.com/adventure for resources, featuring audio trainings to support your journey with sexual, intimacy, and communication obstacles.Learn more about Sex Reimagined and follow their work on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sexreimagined YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SexReimagined TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sxreimagined Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexreimaginedpodcast/ Find episode transcripts at www.hotterthaneverpod.com Follow us on:Instagram: @hotterthaneverpod TikTok: @hotterthaneverpod Youtube:

Why is English always changing—and why does that change so often make us uneasy? In this fascinating conversation, we're joined by linguist, author, and University of Michigan Dean Professor Anne Curzan to explore how English evolves, who influences that change, and what our reactions to new words and usages reveal about culture, identity, and power.Anne shares insights from her latest book Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words, and unpacks everything from the rise of pronouns and slang to the hidden rules behind texting, emojis, and intensifiers like “super.” Along the way, Anne explains why dictionaries don't tell us how to use language—they reflect how we already use it.Whether you're a dedicated word-lover, a reformed “grammando,” or simply curious about how English works, this episode offers a lively, accessible look at the stories behind the way we speak today.In This EpisodeWhy language change can feel unsettling—and why it shouldn'tThe origins of words like grammando and wordieAmericanisms in the UK and Britishisms making their way into the USWhy prescriptive grammar rules (like not ending sentences with prepositions) often don't reflect how English actually worksHow kids naturally acquire grammar—and what their “mistakes” teach usWhat dictionaries really do (and don't do)How texting, punctuation, and emojis function as a new kind of tone and gestureThe evolution of singular they—and why it's not a modern inventionWhy language is more like fashion than we thinkHow technological change and global contact influence the pace of language evolutionAbout Anne CurzanProfessor Anne Curzan is  the Geneva Smitherman Collegiate Professor of English, Linguistics, and Education at the University of Michigan, where she also served as the dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts from 2019 - 2024. Her most recent book is Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words (2024). Resources & LinksBook: Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About WordsAnne's website: (https://annecurzan.com/)Question or comment? Send us a text message.www.undercurrentstories.com

Send us a textBerry Good MedicineEnding Physician Overwhelm – Episode 205This week we're diving into one of the easiest, most delicious ways to lower stress and protect your health as a women physician: berries. Yes… berries. No, they won't fix the existential dread of your overflowing inbox, but they will equip your brain and body to handle the demands of physician life with more ease, more resilience, and more energy.In Week 6 of our 10-Week Recharge Challenge we're focusing on how berries help reduce oxidative stress, improve endothelial function, support cognitive performance, lower LDL, reduce inflammation, and literally protect your telomeres. (Translation: they help you age well despite the dumpster fire of modern medicine.)Inside this episode we explore:Why berries outperform apples, bananas, and mangoes on anti-inflammatory scales (by a landslide)The surprisingly robust research on berries and heart health, cognition, joint inflammation, and blood pressureHow berries can support metabolic health when chronic stress, cortisol, and irregular schedules work against usWhy separating dairy from your antioxidants helps you get the full benefit (no shame—just physiology)Easy ways to get more berries into your day, no perfectionism requiredHow this week fits into the broader arc of yoga nidra → greens → breath → sleep → laughter → berriesWe're not aiming for perfect. We're aiming for better—one small intentional practice at a time. You deserve a body and brain that feel supported, not just squeezed for output.✨ Browse the books mentioned in this challenge: How Not to Age and The Telomere Effect on my Bookshop page: 

What do you do when God calls you into something you never expected—and asks you to trust Him in the process?In this episode, Tom sits down with Phill Tague—husband, dad, pastor, and author of the new book Jesus, Be the Centerfold: Choosing Covenant Faith over Airbrushed Christianity—for a vulnerable conversation about calling, obedience, and faithfulness.Together they talk about:How God redirected Phill's life and ministry in surprising waysThe heart behind his new book and what “airbrushed Christianity” is costing usWhy covenant faith invites us into deeper formation, not polished performanceThe tension between leading a church and leading a familyHow to follow God when you can't see the whole mapPhill's honesty and grounded wisdom offer hope for anyone wrestling with direction, identity, or what faithful discipleship really looks like today.The Giving Life Podcast: Conversations about being a man whose life in Christ gives life to others.Watch the video version on YouTube - https://youtu.be/dXoCSuUCoZo

In this wide-ranging and deeply honest conversation, Matt Russell sits down with The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, the ninth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, to explore what it means to live faithfully in an age marked by polarization, digital noise, and spiritual disconnection.Drawing from his background as an artist, pastor, author, and public theologian, Bishop Doyle reflects on:How technology forms—and often malforms—our imaginationsWhy embodied community, nature, and real relationships matter more than everThe difference between charity and justiceThe church's calling to offer a different imagination than the culture around usWhy leaning into community, mercy, and service changes usHow discipleship must evolve in a world facing inequality, climate pressures, and isolationHe also shares stories from his newest book Unabashed Faith, reflects on reconciliation, creativity, and public theology, and even talks Jeeps, camping, and the spirituality of being outdoors.This episode is a hopeful, challenging, and grounding invitation to imagine a new way forward—one rooted in mercy, dignity, justice, and the presence of Christ in the everyday.Learn more about Bishop Doyle:https://www.epicenter.org/about/the-diocese/bishops/the-rt-rev-c-andrew-doyle-ix-bishop-of-texas/

Learn how to reframe self-doubt, regulate your nervous system, and unlock the breakthrough that's been waiting for you.Do you hear that voice telling you, “You're not enough”? What if that inner critic is actually a signal you're on the verge of breakthrough, not failure? This episode will help you reframe resistance, turn self-doubt into fuel, and step into your power.We dive deep into how those negative inner voices don't mean you're unworthy—they mean you're challenging old limits. Together we explore how to engage with your inner critic, reframe ego, and move toward transformation through emotional regulation and nervous system support.Why resistance doesn't mean “stop,” but often signals a ceiling you're ready to breakHow to dialogue with your ego instead of suppressing itA powerful story of my daughter confronting fear and what that teaches usWhy supportive community and aligned friendships magnify your growthPractical next steps to shift fear, reclaim confidence, and make forward movesThis episode is for you if you've ever felt internal conflict, shame over wanting more, or stuck in your next big step. Let's re-parent the voice inside, expand your confidence, and lean into the truth that you are capable.What you'll learn:Why resistance doesn't mean “stop,” but often signals a ceiling you're ready to breakHow to dialogue with your ego instead of suppressing itA powerful story of my daughter confronting fear and what that teaches usWhy supportive community and aligned friendships magnify your growthPractical next steps to shift fear, reclaim confidence, and make forward movesThis episode is for you if you've ever felt internal conflict, shame over wanting more, or stuck in your next big step. Let's re-parent the voice inside, expand your confidence, and lean into the truth that you are capable.Resources•Preorder my book ‘The Connection Code': https://beehive.drmelissasonners.com/the-connection-code•Join our amazing community of women growing through books: https://beehive.drmelissasonners.com/book-nook‌#SelfDoubt #InnerVoiceHealing #WomenEmpowerment #MindsetShift #EgoHealing #BreakthroughMindset #EmotionalRegulation #NervousSystem

Send Katie a Text Message!! Hey designers, it's Katie Decker Erickson, and today I'm giving you something totally different — no fluff, no hype, and no sugarcoating. This is your five-minute State of the Industry for interior designers, and a heart-to-heart about what's really going on behind the pretty photos and Pinterest boards.Because let's be honest — the economy isn't doing us any favors right now. Margins are tight, clients want miracles for pennies, and too many designers are drowning in ideas instead of action. So today, I'm breaking down what's actually happening, why inspiration alone won't save your business, and what it's going to take to not just survive, but win in this season. IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK ABOUT:The real numbers behind the 2025 design economy (spoiler: it's not great)What the data from Barron's, the Wall Street Journal, and the NFIB optimism index really means for usWhy “attitude + affirmation” isn't a business strategyThe biggest traps I'm seeing designers fall into right now — undercharging, over-consuming, and constant pivotingHow I'm shifting my own business to adapt (and how you can too)A preview of my upcoming 3-part series and live workshop to help you implement — not just learn — strategies that work in this market We don't need more motivation. We need clarity, accountability, and a plan that actually makes money. This industry is at a crossroads — and if you're ready to stop waiting for things to “get better” and start taking control, this is where it starts.Connect with Katie LinkedInBusiness Strategy Sessions for Interior Designers Free Resources for scaling your interior design firmWebsite

Ever had one of those moments in ministry where you just wanted to crawl under a pew? Same. In this episode, we're laughing our way through the awkward, embarrassing, and just plain ridiculous moments that come with church life. Haley kicks things off with a hilarious story from her campus ministry days (spoiler: it's wild), and the laughs don't stop there. From worship whoopsies to relationship real talk, we're keeping it honest, light-hearted, and full of grace... and giggles.In This Episode:Haley's campus ministry chaosWorship fails that still haunt usWhy your ministry partner deserves a gold medalLaughing through the madness of church lifeReal talk: church staff life is a whole thingFinding joy (and Jesus) in the mess Quick Takeaways:Embarrassment = good story laterMinistry isn't boring. Ever.Humor keeps us saneYou're not alone in the crazyGet all the info about our next pastors' wives retreat and apply here:https://www.pastorswivestellall.com/attendaretreatTo purchase the BOOK, head here: ⁠https://pastorswivestellall.com/book⁠⁠To shop our MERCH, head here: ⁠https://pastorswivestellall.com/shop⁠⁠Want to support the Pastors' Wives Tell All podcast ministry? Become a patron: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/pastorswivestellall ⁠⁠SUBSCRIBE: ⁠Sign up⁠ for our email list and receive updates on new episodes, free gifts, and all the fun! Email sign up ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠!CONTACT US: ⁠hello@pastorswivestellall.com⁠⁠FOLLOW US:Website: ⁠⁠pastorswivestellall.com⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠@pastorswivestellall⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠@pastorswivestellall⁠⁠JESSICA:Instagram: ⁠⁠@jessica_taylor_83⁠⁠, ⁠⁠@come_away_missions⁠⁠, ⁠⁠@do_good_project__⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠Come Away Missions⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Do Good Project⁠⁠Websites: ⁠⁠Do Good Project⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Come Away Missions⁠⁠JENNA:Instagram: ⁠⁠@jennaallen⁠⁠, ⁠⁠@jennaallendesign⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠@JennaAllenDesign⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠Jenna Allen Design⁠⁠STEPHANIE:Instagram: ⁠⁠@msstephaniegilbert⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠I Literally LOL⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠Stephanie Gilbert⁠

Faith in a World That Feels Like It's BurningWhen another person is killed over words... when it feels like the world is tearing itself apart... and when your own storm is raging inside, where does faith go?In this raw episode, recorded on September 11th, I open up about the grief, the anger, and the calling to not give up on each other.We talk about:The storm inside our culture and how it's shaping usWhy compassion takes more strength than outrageHow God doesn't send storms to destroy but to reshape usWhy we need real conversations now more than everIf you're tired of the noise, the division, the hate, and you're still trying to stay grounded in faith… this one's for you.Let's get real. Let's rebuild. From the inside out.

Faith Hits Different When the Bank Account's EmptyThis is what it feels like to wait on God… when your bills are due, the storm won't lift, and your prayers feel like whispers into silence.In this raw episode, I share what Deuteronomy 8 taught me this week while I'm still in the storm—financially strapped, faith stretched, and unsure how it's all going to work out.You'll hear:What I've learned when God delays provisionWhy this storm might be protecting—not punishing—youHow tithing, patience, and obedience are changing meThe truth about modern idols and what they cost usWhy peace during the storm is more powerful than the breakthroughIf you're a believer struggling with money, trust, or purpose right now… this episode is for you. I see you. I am you.Let's walk this out together.

What will it take to get humanoid robots out of the experimental phase and into our daily lives? A lot of us always dreamed of having our own C-3PO at the ready, but how close are we really?Well, it's a little more complicated than simply getting them on a production line. If we want robots to make an appearance not just in the manufacturing space, but also in healthcare, construction, public spaces, and even at home, there's a whole lot more work to do.In this episode, we bring you a two-part conversation, recorded live at the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston. First up, Aaron Prather, Director of Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM, sits down with Jake Hall, the Manufacturing Millennial, to talk about the number one important thing shaping robotics – safety standards. We talk about how safety standards have a long way to go and will need to look a bit different in different industries.Next, we speak to Spencer Krause, the President and CEO of SKA Robotics, about the best use cases for robots right now and where they could end up in the future. We look at healthcare and hospitals, mining and construction, and break down what will need to happen to increase robotics use and make it a buyer's market one day.In this episode, find out:Aaron explains his work at ASTM and the importance of pairing standards with new technologyThe biggest hurdles to improving standards for humanoid robotsWhy we'll need different standards for different scenarios if we want robots in the home, in healthcare, and industryThe most exciting use cases for humanoids and why there's still a lot of work to do to make it feasible How interest in robotics is growing, as shown by increased talk outside of technical fields in social science, law, and moreSpencer explains his work at SKA Robotics and how robotics is evolvingWhere the biggest current use cases for robotics are nowHow robotics is branching out into industries like mining and constructionWhat will it take to push robot use in areas like healthcare from the current 3% in the USWhy safety, use, and productivity are the keys to making robotics a buyer's marketEnjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It's feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!Tweetable Quotes:“More people will embrace the idea of robotics and look for those solutions, and ultimately that's what we need. We need more problem solvers at the table because not all of these are technical.” – Aaron Prather“In the last five years, what we've been able to see with the ability to run perception on the edge and some of these AI algorithms has been incredible.” – Spencer Krause”We're going to see more and more different types of niche surgical robots coming out in the hospital logistics space. That's a market that's only penetrated 3% of hospitals so far in the US. I think we'll see more of that.” – Spencer KrauseLinks & mentions:Robotics Summit & Expo, robotics convention that brings together over 5,000 developers focused on building robots for various industries including aerospace, defense, healthcare, and logisticsSKA Robotics, robotics hardware, software, and systems engineering developer

What does it mean to truly belong? In this message, Pastor Aaron McRae teaches from Acts 2 and other key scriptures to help us rediscover the power of biblical community. When we commit to relationships centered on Jesus—marked by prayer, scripture, vulnerability, and compassion—we experience spiritual growth that can't happen in isolation.We're not called to walk alone. The early church devoted themselves—to each other, to teaching, to breaking bread, and to prayer. What if that same devotion became our rhythm today?Whether you're new to church, rebuilding after hurt, or seeking deeper connection, this message invites you to experience the beauty and challenge of life together.

Could the healing power of flower consciousness be the key to unlocking your true potential? Josh Trent welcomes Katie Hess, Flower Alchemist and Founder of Lotuswei, to the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast, episode 761, to explore how flower essences can help us heal emotional wounds, transcend our generational patterns, and tap into our divine power, the difference between flower essences and aromatherapy, and how flower consciousness works from a deep, cellular level to shift your frequency. Get 10% Off Lotuswei Flower Essences Flower essences are liquid infusions of wildflowers that contain the bioenergetic imprint of the flowers' life force and they instantly impact your state of mind and enhance your energy. Different from aromatherapy, flower essences don't have a scent; whereas essential oils are distilled or extracted from the plant into a highly aromatic oil. Taken consistently over time, flower essences accelerate our personal growth. LOTUSWEI integrates ancient wisdom with modern practices, using flowers' vibrational qualities to bring about personal transformation. The essence blends are designed to support different aspects of emotional balance, mental clarity, and personal growth. Save 10% with code JOSH In This Episode, Katie Hess Uncovers: [01:05] Pay Attention to Which Plants Grow Around You How the dandelion is sprouting everywhere because we need its healing. Why the plants that grow in our backyard grow to heal us. How herbalists receive information about each plant from the plants. Why we forget how to communicate with nature as we get older. Resources: Katie Hess Lotuswei - Get 10% off with code JOSH [06:45] Receiving Divine Guidance How Katie started talking to plants. How animals showed her which plants she should collect to help humans heal. Why they put yarrow in every floral essence. How dissolving the ego allows us to receive divine guidance. [11:00] What Are Flower Essences? The difference between essences and aromatherapy. How flower essences extract the consciousness of the plants. Why flowers impact our meridians. The process of essence extraction. How the flower essences get more powerful the more diluted they are. The weight of the human spirit can be measured. Why we don't have any tension in our body when we die. [16:35] New Ways of Healing If only 3% of people used flower essences, it could change the world. Why transformation can happen very fast. How we store information in our cellular and energetic memory. Why we're impacted by our ancestors, the collective, and everything we've been through in our life. [20:50] How to Speed Up Your Growth How flower essences can help us speed up self-development. Why Katie feels responsible for her products. How experiencing intense grief made her want to help others. Why the 'Sacred Awareness' essence helps us say what needs to be said. [27:00] The Impact of Thoughts + Emotions on The Physical Body Why thinking doesn't solve anything. How overthinking tightens our body. What causes people to get kyphosis. Why physical constrictions are caused by mental, emotional, and spiritual constrictions. How humans have no neutral. Why we need to put our attention to being a better person every day. How flower essences can opens us up to our blindspots. [31:55] Healing The Lineage Why all of us at our core are good people. How transcending our patterns helps us liberate our lineage. Why we are walking crystals. Resources: 754 Dr. Steven Young | How to Use Your Mind to Change Reality Beyond Limitations [35:50] Tools for Liberation How our bodies create light. Why the intelligence of our body magnifies energy. How Katie is committed to reaching 120 million people before she dies. Why her goal is to give people the tools to liberate themselves. [39:50] Flower Essences for Trauma Healing How what we focus on grows. The role of flower essences in trauma healing. How Katie used the essences to help a war veteran reveal his trauma. Why we may not be aware of our trauma, even though it's running our system. What Katie's healing in herself right now. Why doing what's more fun is what can help us and our businesses grow. [46:00] Spiritual Commodification How Katie receives connection and understanding through public speaking. Why humanity is waking up to see through people's facade. How we don't become an embodied expert after a one-week workshop. The importance of asking ourselves whether the people we're learning from have what we want for ourselves. Resources: 361 Luke Storey: Relationships, Consciousness, & Coming Home To Yourself [50:35] Honoring The Mystery How we're still meeting new parts of ourselves. Why we might not know our hidden gifts until much later on in life. How Josh knew as a kid that he wanted to be a radio host. Why Katie's father left when she was a baby gave her the gift of being an achiever. [55:25] How to Access + Heal Different Parts of Us Why we need more critical thinking. How choosing our flower essence can activate a curious child within us. Why flower essence blend can calm down the scared parts of us. How Katie combines flowers intuitively. Why every person is drawn to the Japanese Camellia. Resources: Richard C. Schwarz [59:30] The Power of Flower Essences How flower essences can create healing from many different angles. The benefits of using the Banana Blossom essence. Why Josh organizes his entire life in a calendar to not miss any opportunities. Why many people fear being successful. Resources: 756 Alison Armstrong | Top Secrets Women Have Never Known About Men (Until Now) [01:07:05] What Is True Vulnerability? How researchers found that our happiness brings our friends more happiness than money. Why we misunderstand vulnerability. How true vulnerability is about ourselves, not other people. Resources: Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study Brene Brown [01:11:15] The Wisdom of Nature The meaning of the name 'Lotuswei.' How vulnerability makes us stronger through us being truthful. How we all have the potential to make the planet better. What it takes to make our responsibilities and inconveniences more playful and fun. How flower essences help us connect with the divine power inside of us. Resources: 668 Evolve Your Consciousness: The True Healing Work To BE An Adult, Learn How To Love + Live A Thriving Life | Margo Running Leave Wellness + Wisdom a Review on Apple Podcasts All Resources From This Episode Katie Hess Lotuswei - Get 10% off with code JOSH 754 Dr. Steven Young | How to Use Your Mind to Change Reality Beyond Limitations 361 Luke Storey: Relationships, Consciousness, & Coming Home To Yourself Richard C. Schwarz 756 Alison Armstrong | Top Secrets Women Have Never Known About Men (Until Now) Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study Brene Brown 668 Evolve Your Consciousness: The True Healing Work To BE An Adult, Learn How To Love + Live A Thriving Life | Margo Running Power Quotes From Katie Hess "A flower essence is the consciousness of a plant that is then operating on our consciousness. It helps us reconnect with the divine power inside of us. It's penetrating deeply into what makes us a human." — Katie Hess "Flower essences will speed up and accelerate our personal and spiritual growth process so that we fully realize our true nature a little bit faster. The normal amount of personal growth people go through in about six months gets sped up into one month." — Katie Hess "Look in your backyard and see what flowers pop up naturally. 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With over 25 years of independent research in flower and plant-based healing, she has hand-collected more than 300 flower remedies from around the world, including sacred sites in India, Costa Rica, and Iceland. Katie's work integrates ancient wisdom with modern wellness practices, offering products that promote clarity, focus, and personal growth. She also founded the Self-Arising Nature (SAN) Center in Phoenix, Arizona, which serves as a destination for flower essence education, experiences, and practitioner training. Through her work, Katie Hess continues to inspire individuals worldwide to reconnect with their true nature and embrace the transformative power of flowers Website Instagram - Katie Instagram - Lotuswei Facebook YouTube X

In this episode, I'm challenging the fear-based narrative around high cholesterol and unpacking what your labs are really telling you. Spoiler: high cholesterol isn't a diagnosis—it's a data point that needs context.We dive into why dietary cholesterol (hello, eggs and beef) isn't the cause of clogged arteries, why inflammation and metabolic health matter way more, and how to read your cholesterol panel in a more informed and less fear-driven way.Here's what we cover:

There are the stories we tell out loud, and then there are the ones we keep tucked away—the ones that ache the most, because we've carried them in silence.On this episode of On Health, we're breaking the silence—and the stigma—around some of the most vulnerable, hidden experiences women carry: miscarriage, illness, identity loss, perfectionism, aging, and the loneliness so many of us feel but rarely name.I'm joined by the phenomenal Dr. Jessica Zucker, clinical psychologist and author of the groundbreaking memoir I Had a Miscarriage, and her latest book, Normalize It, which is just what we need: an invitation to stop apologizing for what we're going through—and start talking about it.Together, we explore:How grief grows in silence—and thrives in stigmaWhat it means when you don't feel like yourselfWhy midlife isn't a decline—it's a reckoningWhat being a “good girl” has cost usWhy loneliness is a serious health issueWhy we are more than what we doHow perfectionism is stealing our joyThis one's for all the women tired of pretending they're fine.Who are aching to be seen.Who are ready to stop carrying the weight alone.Looking for supplements for yourself and your family, including some of those I talk about in episodes? You can find those - and your 15% discount on every order here: avivaromm.com/supplementsMentioned in this episode:Looking for supplements for yourself and your family, including some of those I talk about in episodes? You can find those - and your 15% discount on every order here: avivaromm.com/supplements