Episodes
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What if the secret to getting everything you want is simply having the nerve to ask for it? In episode 269 of Joy Found Here, Dr. Jen Fry shares how a career built on bold requests carried her from college volleyball coaching to becoming a sports geographer, tech founder, and conflict literacy expert. For Jen, success was never about having all the answers — it was about betting on herself with just 60% of the knowledge, and being okay with hearing no.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(00:12) Welcome to Joy Found Here & meeting Dr. Jen Fry
(03:56) The storytelling lesson of finding "where the bear's gonna attack"
(05:28) The hotel room decision that launched her coaching career at Washington State
(09:03) A winless season and getting fired from her first coaching job
(12:14) Emergency back surgery, a cross-country drive, and a national championship run at Illinois
(14:27) Walking away from coaching to leap into the unknown
(17:05) Getting fired again—and unexpectedly finding her person
(19:41) Earning her PhD and becoming a professional speaker
(24:19) Launching a tech company and betting on herself with only 60% of the knowledge
(35:19) Writing I Said No and honoring her late mother
Dr. Jen Fry is a Sports Geographer, tech founder, speaker, and conflict literacy expert who owns JenFryTalks, a firm focused on the intersection of conflict and culture. A former collegiate volleyball coach with a PhD from Michigan State University, she now runs Coordle, a tech company simplifying youth sports travel logistics, hosts the podcast Five with Fry, and is the author of I Said No: A No-BS Guide to Boundaries Without Guilt.
In this episode, Dr. Jen Fry traces her winding career path — from college volleyball coaching through a chaotic Washington State stint, a national championship run at Illinois, and a resignation driven by burnout — into higher ed administration, speaking, and eventually her PhD. She shares how boldly asking for what she wants has repeatedly opened doors, reflects on writing about her late mother in her book, and offers her core philosophies: make big decisions with only "60% of the knowledge," embrace "effrontery," and never fear hearing no.
Connect with Dr. Jen Fry:
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Book: Dr. Jen Fry - I Said No
Podcast: Five with Fry
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What happens when an architect's structured world collides with the freedom of art—and grief becomes the bridge between them? In episode 268, Ksenia Merck shares how illustrating Ghost Flower, the novel her late husband Bill left behind, turned heartbreak into a sweeping collaboration of love, art, and legacy. For Ksenia, the journey wasn't about letting go—it was about discovering that connection, like the cosmos she paints, simply continues.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(03:58) Ksenia's warm welcome and the story behind Ghost Flower
(04:19) How she balances two worlds: architecture and art
(05:29) The origin of Ghost Flower's cover and Bill's final days
(09:07) Sketching the cosmos: bringing the novel's imagery to life
(11:00) Creating The Ghost Flower Companion Journal
(12:43) Remembering Bill: her "twin flame" and exceptional soul
(17:51) Finding cosmic wonder in the night sky
(19:39) Art as liberation: healing through creative freedom
(22:38) Layered loss: navigating grief at her own pace
(24:52) A mini life review: recording Bill's books and writing her own
Ksenia J. Merck is an artist, architect, and creative storyteller whose work bridges structure, imagination, and spirit. After four decades managing airport capital programs, she turned to art after the unexpected passing of her husband, William F. Merck II, illustrating and posthumously publishing his science fiction novel, Ghost Flower, and later creating its companion journal. Drawing on her travels, marriage, and fascination with the cosmos, her work explores connection, resilience, and the continuum between life and loss. Originally from Arizona and now in Florida, she shares her story of grief, healing, and creative reinvention.
In this episode, Ksenia opens up about the dual nature of her life — decades in the structured world of architecture, set against the liberating world of art. She shares how illustrating Ghost Flower became both a tribute to Bill and a path through grief, describing the immersive process of sketching the novel's imagery and how those sketches led to The Ghost Flower Companion Journal. She speaks tenderly about Bill as her "twin flame" and a compassionate leader, and about layered loss — her mother, her father, and then Bill — admitting to "blowout" days while coming to believe grief isn't an ending but a continuum she still feels connected to. She closes by sharing she's recording audiobooks of Bill's books, writing her own story, and points listeners to her website and Instagram.
Connect with Ksenia J. Merck:
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Missing episodes?
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What happens when a cancer diagnosis turns out to be the beginning of a mission, not the end of a story? In episode 267 of Joy Found Here, Tim McDonald shares how a stage IV colorectal cancer diagnosis in 2020 led him through chemo, a search for a living liver donor, and ultimately a transplant that changed everything—and how that journey turned him into a research advocate, author, and podcast host fighting to make sure others don't face the same battle alone. For Tim, the story isn't about just surviving—it's about becoming his own best advocate and using that power to help others do the same.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
03:29) Tim's cancer journey begins: symptoms and a Thanksgiving breaking point
(08:48) Diagnosis day: "you have cancer" and the confirming colonoscopy
(09:48) Finding a liver transplant option after being ruled out for surgery
(14:07) Why colorectal cancer research funding is missing—and who it's costing
(14:55) Finding purpose within days: from "why me" to advocacy
(18:33) The mindfulness that shaped his calm response to diagnosis
(21:55) His wife's caregiving journey and the trip that tested their fear
(28:47) Writing From Patient to Advocate as a guidebook, not a memoir
(31:39) Becoming "coach" of his care team—and firing the wrong doctors
(42:14) Pushing for bipartisan funding and what's next for advocacy
Tim McDonald is a stage IV colorectal cancer survivor and liver transplant recipient who turned his 2020 diagnosis into a mission of patient advocacy. He's a Research Advocate with Fight Colorectal Cancer and Florida Chapter Leader for Man Up to Cancer, and serves on patient advisory councils with HOPA and the PAN Foundation. He hosts the Advocacy at Work podcast and Substack and is the author of From Patient to Advocate: Turning Survivorship into Impact. He lives in the Tampa Bay area with his wife.
In this episode, Tim McDonald shares his journey from a 2020 stage IV diagnosis with liver metastases through chemo and a liver transplant from an altruistic living donor after a 14-month search. He reflects on integrating mind and body in his treatment, the toll and growth in his wife's caregiving role, and his shift to becoming the "coach" of his own care team — switching oncologists and pursuing options doctors initially dismissed. He also discusses his advocacy work pushing for dedicated colorectal cancer research funding in DC, his podcast and Substack spotlighting other patient advocates, and his new book.
Connect with Tim McDonald:
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Facebook
Book: Tim McDonald - From Patient to Advocate
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What if the quiet feeling that you're not enough isn't a character flaw — but something your nervous system learned long ago just to keep you safe? In episode 266 of Joy Found Here, psychotherapist and author Kristine B. Jensen unpacks one of the most misunderstood and under-named emotions we carry: shame — and how the stories we've been telling ourselves for decades may finally be ready to be set free.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(4:45) Kristine's decades as a psychotherapist couldn't shake her own unnamed inner struggle
(6:27) Retiring forced her to face herself — and what that revealed
(9:53) The moment she named her feeling as shame for the first time
(13:00) Shame as a survival instinct — and why we never choose it
(15:42) Where "shame speak" comes from and why it once protected us
(19:33) How childhood emotional nourishment shapes our nervous system and self-worth
(29:23) The client who sparked a book that almost didn't get written
(32:55) Compassion for our younger selves and seeing our parents differently
(35:23) Forgiveness as an inside job — and the freedom it brings
(44:48) First steps: self-talk awareness, journaling, and breaking the cycle of old stories
Kristine B. Jensen is a speaker, author, and licensed psychotherapist with over four decades of experience helping people understand the hidden roots of self-doubt. She reframes shame not as a personal flaw but as a survival response — and knows this territory from the inside out. She is the author of Bruised Not Broken: Healing the Shame of a Troubled Childhood.
In this episode, Kristine shares how — despite decades as a successful psychotherapist — she carried a feeling she couldn't name until retirement forced her to sit with herself and she finally identified it as shame. She explains that shame is not a character flaw but a survival instinct the nervous system triggers automatically, often rooted in childhoods where feelings didn't matter or approval had to be earned. Healing, she offers, means speaking to our younger selves with compassion, doing the work of forgiveness as an inside job, and noticing our self-talk — because what's waiting on the other side is freedom.
Connect with Kristine B. Jensen:
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Book: Kristine B. Jensen - Bruised Not Broken
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What happens when a woman who spent decades holding everyone else together finally has no choice but to let go? In episode 265 of Joy Found Here, Florence Acosta — former Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, healthcare executive, and the person everyone leaned on — shares how a stroke at 50 became the moment that shattered her old identity and cracked her wide open. Her story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the body says stop long before we ever will.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(3:46) How Florence went from holding everything together to having a stroke at 50
(6:05) Why chronic givers struggle to receive — and the mindset keeping them stuck
(7:43) The sisterhood circle that cracked open her awareness around control and letting go
(11:51) The childhood moment at age three that silently took her voice for decades
(13:17) How writing on Substack became an unexpected act of reclaiming her voice
(20:54) How the Miracle Morning helps Florence create space and stay grounded in recovery
(23:04) The "Question of the Day" ritual she runs for her Substack subscribers
(24:15) Florence's new business venture with her sister — and why she broke her own rule
(26:41) Her "C-cubed" self-care approach: cooking, crocheting, and creative writing
(31:03) Why people want to help — and how telling them how changes everything
Florence Acosta spent nearly 30 years in healthcare — first as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, then as executive director of a surgical center — carrying the weight of patients, teams, and everyone around her without ever pausing to fill her own cup. At 50, a stroke caused by an undetected arteriovenous malformation forced her to stop, and through the slow road of recovery, a women's sisterhood circle, and the discovery of writing, she found the voice she had quietly lost decades before. Today she writes about intentional living, mindset, and personal development through her Substack publication Becoming You with Florence Acosta.
In this episode, Florence shares how decades of over-giving as both a healthcare professional and the person everyone leaned on ultimately led to her stroke — and how that rupture became the catalyst for rebuilding on her own terms. She traces her lifelong silence back to a childhood moment at age three, and how Substack became the unexpected place where she finally reclaimed her voice. Florence also opens up about her Miracle Morning practice, a new business venture with her sister, and her "C-cubed" self-care approach — cooking, crocheting, and creative writing — while delivering a powerful message to fellow chronic givers: open your hands and let people in before life forces you to.
Connect with Florence Acosta:
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Let's Connect:
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What if burnout isn't a sign you're doing too much — but a sign you've forgotten who you are? In episode 264 of Joy Found Here, Dr. Rebecca Hubbard, licensed clinical psychologist and TEDx speaker, brings her own hard-won burnout story to the table — from a thyroid diagnosis to burning out again despite doing all the "right" things — and reveals why the real fix isn't another self-care routine. It's an identity shift.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(03:15) How a basketball scholarship brought Rebecca from Berlin to the U.S. — and planted the seeds of burnout
(05:30) The thyroid diagnosis that forced her first real recalibration
(07:03) Why self-care alone wasn't enough — and burning out again during the pandemic
(08:46) The identity shift at the heart of burnout recovery
(10:48) How social, cultural, and professional identities intersect to fuel over-functioning
(13:15) Why slowing down is medicine — and what comedic yoga taught her about it
(22:32) Micro self-care in action: three practical strategies for overwhelmed moms
(26:00) The real definition of burnout — and why interrupting chronic stress is the key
(38:01) Why reading for pleasure (not self-improvement) is a radical act against hustle culture
(42:38) The shift from proving to choosing — and what that looks like in real life
Dr. Rebecca Hubbard is a licensed clinical psychologist, burnout prevention specialist, and TEDx speaker based in Chicago, Illinois. With over a decade of clinical practice, she works with high-responsibility professionals navigating chronic stress, identity pressure, and performance expectations, drawing on research in race and resilience and a mindfulness-integrated approach. She is also an award-winning comedic yoga instructor who offers individual therapy, virtual workshops, and small-group sessions to help people break burnout cycles for good.
In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Hubbard reframes burnout not as a self-care or time management problem, but as an identity issue rooted in the stories we've absorbed about our worth — from family, culture, and profession. Drawing on her own burnout journey (including a thyroid diagnosis and burning out again during the pandemic despite having all the "right" boundaries in place), she introduces the concept of micro self-care: mindful everyday tasks, maximizing actual breaks, and reducing stress in daily transitions. She and Stephanie also explore motherhood, perfectionism, and the systemic barriers that make rest harder to access — closing with a powerful reminder to move from proving to choosing who you want to become.
Connect with Dr Rebecca Hubbard:
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Medium
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What if the reason you can't stick to diets has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with how your brain is wired? In episode 263 of Joy Found Here, Lizzie Merritt, bestselling author and certified weight loss coach, reveals how a daily 4:37 PM snack spiral became her wake-up call. From middle school science teacher to coach, Lizzie shows that weight loss isn't about food or willpower. It's about teaching your brain to feel safe enough to change. Through her books "You Are a Miracle" and "LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss," she cracks the code on why traditional diets fail and why her brain-based method actually works.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(5:31) How a daily 4:37 PM snack habit turned into a binge cycle, even though she knew exactly what to do
(7:07) The 2:33 AM moment in Guam when loneliness and overwhelm forced her to choose between the hamster wheel or finding the missing piece
(10:53) Why diets literally work against the way women's brains are wired, no matter how smart or capable they are
(15:20) How deleting tracking apps and asking "Am I hungry?" started to shift her relationship with food
(20:12) Why feeling safe around food and stress is the actual foundation, not discipline or willpower
(29:37) The L.I.G.H.T. Method: how teaching your body to feel safe makes change feel possible instead of threatening
(47:25) Why reframing food as a choice instead of a moral judgment changes the entire dynamic
(48:07) How the Confident Body Podcast became her platform for reaching women who are tired of starting over every Monday
Lizzie Merritt is a former middle school science teacher turned certified weight loss coach and bestselling author. She helps smart, capable women break free from rule-following diet cycles. Through her L.I.G.H.T. Method, she teaches a brain-based approach that works with your brain instead of against it. She reminds women that the life you want to lose weight for is waiting on the other side of safety, not suffering.
Lizzie takes you back to the 2:33 AM moment that changed everything. On a tiny island, she discovered through neuroscience that our brains seek comfort when they don't feel safe. Strict rules create a threat, nervous systems shut down, and shame becomes constant. As she learned to feel safe around food and change, mental real estate freed up. She opens up about why rule-following backfires in diets and how her podcast became an act of courage. By the end, Stephanie and Lizzie map out why Monday resets are symptoms, not solutions, and why breakthroughs happen when you stop waiting to lose weight and start living the life you want.
Connect with Lizzie:
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Listen to The Confident Body podcast
Books:
You Are A Miracle : How to Lose Weight and Love Your Body Too
LIGHT: The New Psychology of Weight Loss
Let's Connect:
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What if the life you were always meant to live was hiding inside the one you were already living? In episode 262 of Joy Found Here, Katie DeBonville — writer, musician, and first-time memoirist at 53 — shares how a pandemic-era MFA, a lifelong love of music, and the quiet courage to finally call herself a writer converged into her debut memoir, Grace Notes: A Musical Memoir. For Katie, the story wasn't about starting over — it was about finally letting every part of herself show up on the page at once.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(04:54) How a blank book from her dad sparked a lifelong love of writing — and why flute nearly won
(07:17) The crisis of confidence that redirected Katie from music to arts fundraising
(10:01) Why the pandemic and a low-residency MFA at Lesley University changed everything
(11:28) The friend's book launch that led her to Sibylline Press — and an acceptance email in three days
(12:27) Getting the life-changing news on a bus in Scotland
(14:33) The three mentors who transformed a seven-page draft into a full memoir chapter
(24:38) Why she resisted the "memoir" label — and what finally made her embrace it
(36:50) Why the world's shrinking expectations became her greatest creative freedom
Katie DeBonville is a writer, musician, and arts fundraising professional whose debut memoir, Grace Notes: A Musical Memoir, is published by Sibylline Press — a house dedicated to women 50 and over. A lifelong flutist who once dreamed of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, she spent 30 years in arts development before the pandemic gave her the push she needed to pursue her MFA in creative writing at Lesley University, where her thesis became the memoir she was always meant to write.
In this episode, Katie DeBonville shares the winding road from childhood writer and aspiring musician to first-time published memoirist at 53 — a journey shaped by crises of confidence, a pandemic-era MFA, and mentors who refused to let her call a seven-page draft "done." She opens up about the writing community she found at Lesley, her composer grandfather whose work appears on a Nina Simone record, and why it took another woman calling her a writer before she could claim the title herself. She also drops a line Stephanie immediately flagged for a mug: "The world has fewer expectations of me, so I can have more expectations of myself."
Connect with Katie DeBonville:
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Book: Katie DeBonville - Grace Notes
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What if the psychologist sitting across from you has faced the very same darkness she's spent 40 years helping others through? In episode 261 of Joy Found Here, Dr. Celeste Birkhofer — Stanford faculty member and author of the forthcoming Beyond Quick Fixes — opens up about her own mental health struggles and the devastating loss of her son to bipolar disorder, and why she believes mental health isn't a luxury — it's a lifeline.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(3:14) How Dr. Celeste's own struggles with depression and disordered eating led her to psychology
(5:00) The loss of her son to bipolar disorder and how it deepened her mission
(7:47) The "false self" — why high-achievers often struggle most beneath the surface
(11:20) How social media is fueling the mental health crisis in young people
(13:15) Three strategies for navigating comparison: inspiration, self-compassion, and gratitude
(33:21) A practical framework of self-awareness, curiosity, and compassion for when you're struggling
(37:32) What emotional intelligence is — and why it matters as much as raw brain power
(43:11) Why grief comes in waves and the danger of avoiding hard feelings
(46:54) Why resilience must be earned through difficulty — it can't be given
Dr. Celeste Birkhofer (PhD, PsyD) is a licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 40 years of experience helping individuals and couples navigate depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, and addiction. She serves as Adjunct Clinical Faculty at Stanford Medical School's Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, sits on the Clinical Advisory Board for the JED Foundation, and is an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine. She is also the author of the upcoming Beyond Quick Fixes: Essential Inner Resources for Good Mental Health and a Fulfilling Life (September 1, 2026).
In this episode, Dr. Celeste Birkhofer draws on both clinical expertise and personal experience — including her own struggles with depression and disordered eating, and the loss of her son to bipolar disorder — to explore what it truly takes to prioritize mental health. She unpacks the "false self" syndrome driven by social media, shares three strategies for handling comparison (inspiration, self-compassion, and gratitude), and offers a practical framework of self-awareness, curiosity, and compassion for anyone in a tough place. She also breaks down emotional intelligence, explains why resilience must be built through difficulty rather than avoided, and closes with a powerful reminder that the brain is neuroplastic — growth is always possible.
Connect with Dr. Celeste Birkhofer:
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What if the most powerful tool for healing and transformation has been beating inside your chest your whole life? In episode 260 of Joy Found Here, Puran and Susanna Bair, co-founders of iamHeart, reveal how Heart Rhythm Meditation uses the science of breath and the electromagnetic power of the heart to unlock emotional resilience and deepen connection. From Susanna's personal story of hitting rock bottom in a foreign country to Puran's research on how the heart knows things the brain doesn't — this episode will change the way you think about the organ keeping you alive.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(00:00) What Heart Rhythm Meditation is and why most meditations fall short
(03:16) How syncing breath and heartbeat creates coherence in body, mind, and spirit
(06:02) Why the kind of breath you take matters
(13:20) The heart as an emotional archive — from womb memory to lived experience
(17:56) Susanna's breakdown in New York and the teacher who changed everything
(19:47) Why repressing painful emotions shrinks your capacity for joy
(26:05) A simple first step to reconnect with your heart right now
(38:48) How HRM builds emotional resilience through vagal tone
(40:04) The nine steps of the heart's journey — from dark nights to celebration
(54:03) How to access iamHeart's free classes, app, books, and courses
Puran Khan Bair and Susanna Bair are the co-founders of iamHeart, a nonprofit school dedicated to Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM) — a heart-centered practice they have developed and taught for over 35 years. Puran, an American mystic with a background in electrical engineering and computer science, bridges mysticism with the science of the heart, co-authoring three foundational books — Living from the Heart, Energize Your Heart, and Follow Your Heart — and co-creating the Breath & Heart app. Susanna, a mystic and teacher with a Master's in Counseling Psychology and clinical training at the University of Vienna, has directed iamHeart's mentoring program for over three decades and is a passionate advocate for building a "Culture of the Heart." Together, they serve as successors to Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan of the Universal Sufi tradition and have trained thousands of practitioners worldwide.
In this episode, Puran and Susanna Bair walk us through the foundations of Heart Rhythm Meditation, explaining how slow, intentional breathing synchronizes with the heartbeat to create coherence across body, mind, and spirit — with the heart serving as both anchor and emotional archive. Puran adds a scientific lens, sharing that the heart generates a measurable electromagnetic field and responds to distressing stimuli before the brain does. Susanna offers her personal story of arriving in New York, hitting emotional rock bottom, and finding their teacher — the turning point that led to iamHeart. Together they explore why grief and joy must coexist, how HRM builds resilience by strengthening vagal tone, and close on a deeply human note: the heart's deepest desire, they say, is simply to be remembered as having loved.
Connect with Puran & Susanna Bair:
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Get Puran & Susanna’s books!
Susanna’s personal Facebook
Puran’s personal Facebook
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Puran’s personal LinkedIn
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What if work-life balance feels impossible not because of your schedule, but because of what's happening inside your head? In episode 259 of Joy Found Here, international life coach Rebecca Olson unpacks why so many ambitious working moms are stuck — and it starts with asking better questions. From her own motherhood identity crisis to coaching thousands of parents through theirs, she makes the case that balance isn't a dream. It's a skill set.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(04:50) The motherhood identity crisis that made Rebecca a coach
(07:46) When ambition and new motherhood feel like an impossible battle
(10:36) Why the guiltiest generation is also the most present
(13:05) The workplace bias against working moms that won't quit
(16:02) The two conversations working moms keep conflating
(21:34) The one question Rebecca asks to cut through the noise
(25:42) Work-life balance is a feeling state, not a calendar fix
(28:03) Clarity, Confidence, and Control — Rebecca's 3 C's unpacked
(39:20) Why you never think in fact — and the flashlight vs. floodlight shift
(43:44) Retraining your thoughts with Rebecca's Daily Kickstart
Rebecca Olson is a Certified Professional Life Coach, international keynote speaker, and host of the podcast Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms. A member of the International Coaching Federation, she has spent seven years helping career-focused parents stop feeling overwhelmed and "not enough" — so they can be present at home without sacrificing their ambitions. Her passion was ignited by her own motherhood identity crisis, which led her to leave a successful corporate career and go all-in on coaching. Through her signature group program and weekly podcast, she has helped thousands of working parents redefine success on their own terms and build the skillset for real work-life balance.
In this episode, Rebecca shares her framework for helping working moms untangle two conversations that constantly get conflated: what do I actually want from my career, and how do I manage the chaos of my current life? She introduces her 3 C's — Clarity, Confidence, and Control — making the case that lasting balance starts from the inside out: get clear on what success means to you, build an internal voice that supports your decisions, then develop the emotional regulation to follow through. She reframes work-life balance not as a calendar problem but as a feeling state driven by thought — illustrated by her flashlight-vs.-floodlight metaphor — and closes by sharing her free Daily Kickstart, a 10-minute daily practice designed to retrain thought patterns and build the mindset muscle working moms actually need.
Connect with Rebecca Olson:
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Facebook
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LinkedIn
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Podcast: Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms
The Working Mom’s Daily Kickstart: A simple morning practice to stay ahead of stress and overwhelm – so you feel in control of your time, your mindset, and your priorities.
Let's Connect:
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What if the most powerful life lessons you carry were handed down by the woman who raised you — and it took 40 years to realize it? In episode 258 of Joy Found Here, serial entrepreneur and action coach Amy Goober shares how a lifetime of her mother's wisdom became a book and a blueprint for women ready to stop waiting and start living. Amy is living proof that the best chapters don't always come first — and that the words we grow up hearing might just be the ones that change everything.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(04:44) How a Cornell grad became a secretary — and then a cake baker
(06:14) Opening The Icing on the Cake at 26 with zero business experience
(08:09) Reinventing herself from stay-at-home mom to action coach at 60
(10:44) Why Amy's mother believes successful parenting is successful separation
(12:05) The story behind My Mother Always Says and Gwen's 94 years of wisdom
(13:31) The 25 lessons — including why you can only tell your adult children something once
(23:48) The go-go, slow-go, no-go framework for living fully while you can
(28:17) The real trigger behind Amy's coaching pivot — and the loss that shaped her
(32:35) Why women need permission to put themselves first — and how Amy gives it
(42:08) The loneliness epidemic and why real, in-person connection changes everything
Amy Goober is an action coach, serial entrepreneur, and author who has spent four decades proving that reinvention has no expiration date — from opening a custom cake bakery at 26, to launching her own coaching practice at 60. Based in Boston, she helps women reconnect with what they want through 1:1 coaching, community events, and her women's travel brand Wandering Women. She is also the co-author of My Mother Always Says: 25 Lessons for Finding the Silver Lining, written with her 94-year-old mother, Gwen Borden.
In this episode, Amy Goober shares the story behind her book, co-written with her mother Gwen, whose life lessons — shaped by WWII and decades of resilience — form the heart of the collection. She reflects on how the mother-daughter dynamic shifts as children become adults, and unpacks the idea that successful parenting is ultimately successful separation. Amy also opens up about founding her action coaching practice after observing that too many women were talking about things they weren't doing — offering practical tools like her "go-go, slow-go, no-go" framework and her "toe dipper" approach for women hesitant to take that first step.
Connect with Amy Goober:
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Book: Amy Goober & Gwen Borden - My Mother Always Says
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What happens when the mental health system is quietly crumbling — and the woman holding it together has been doing so for 25 years? In episode 257 of Joy Found Here, Janelle Miller Moravek, Executive Director of Youth & Family Counseling, pulls back the curtain on America's behavioral health crisis — from a shrinking workforce and impossible pay rates to the hidden toll social media is taking on our kids. Hopeful yet eye-opening, this conversation is a reminder that access to mental health care is not a luxury.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(3:54) How a French major stumbled into 25 years of nonprofit leadership
(7:49) Why loving your work makes it harder to switch off
(10:39) What nonprofit fundraising really looks like
(17:47) Why the mental health crisis didn't start with COVID
(20:05) The workforce shortage driving therapists out of behavioral healthcare
(22:57) How social media is rewiring kids' tolerance for discomfort
(30:16) The wrestling mat conversation that led to her son's ADHD diagnosis
(36:48) The "atlas" project helping people navigate to the right care
(38:22) Why one person getting help creates a community ripple effect
(39:30) What Medicaid rollbacks mean for mental health nonprofits in 2026
Janelle Miller Moravek is the Executive Director of Youth & Family Counseling (YFC), a nonprofit mental health organization serving Lake County in the Chicagoland area. A Wesleyan University graduate, she joined YFC in 2000 as its first-ever development director and has spent over two decades building it into a leading provider of affordable, accessible mental health services — including bilingual care and Medicaid-covered options — for children, teens, adults, and families.
In this episode, Janelle Miller Moravek brings 25 years of nonprofit leadership to a candid conversation about the growing gap between mental health need and workforce capacity — tracing the roots to chronically low reimbursement rates, a lengthy therapist training pipeline, and COVID-era burnout. She connects social media's rise to a surge in adolescent mental health struggles, shares a personal story about parenting a son with ADHD that deepened her advocacy, and makes the case for treating behavioral health literacy as common knowledge. She also introduces YFC's "atlas" project — a navigation tool to help people find the right care — while sounding an honest alarm about what Medicaid rollbacks could mean for organizations like hers in 2026.
Connect with Janelle Miller Moravek:
LinkedIn
Youth & Family Counseling website
Let's Connect:
Website
Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What if the key to unlocking your biggest goals isn't willpower or grinding harder — but learning to speak the language of your own subconscious? In episode 256 of Joy Found Here, certified hypnotherapist and intuitive guide Lynnsey Robinson pulls back the curtain on why so many of us stay stuck despite wanting change, and what it actually takes to get your mind working for you. From demystifying hypnosis to explaining why your "I am" affirmations might be misfiring, Lynnsey makes the science of transformation feel genuinely exciting.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(04:38) Lynnsey's unconventional childhood and what drew her to the human mind
(07:45) The book that sparked her journey into hypnotherapy
(13:18) Her Human Design type and why it's a permission slip to be yourself
(16:02) The two suggestibility types and why they matter
(20:59) Why "I am" affirmations don't work for everyone — and what to say instead
(25:04) How Lynnsey discovered and claimed her intuitive gifts
(30:40) What spirits are really like and why you don't need to fear them
(33:34) Why we self-sabotage and what the subconscious is actually doing
(35:00) How hypnotherapy works and what happens in a trance-like state
(42:16) What a session with Lynnsey looks like and how to work with her
Lynnsey Robinson is a certified hypnotherapist, intuitive guide, and mindset coach who helps women rewire their subconscious minds to manifest with ease and align with their highest selves. Drawing on her background in behavioral science, EFT, human design, past life regression, and spiritual hypnosis, she works with clients exclusively online and is also the co-host of High Vibin' It, a weekly spiritual podcast.
In this episode, Lynnsey takes us from her unconventional childhood — growing up between a religious mother and an empathic, hippie father — to her winding path to becoming a hypnotherapist, sharing the pivotal "signs" that kept pointing her back to her calling. She demystifies hypnotherapy by breaking down the conscious vs. subconscious mind, explaining why we self-sabotage even our most wanted goals, and why cookie-cutter "I am" affirmations don't work for everyone — offering practical reframes that actually stick. She also opens up about claiming her intuitive gifts after years of fear, and closes with a synchronistic oracle card pull that ties the whole conversation together beautifully.
Connect with Lynnsey Robinson:
Website
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast: High Vibin' It
App: Align Your Mind
Let's Connect:
Website
Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What does it take to trade a military uniform for a spiritual calling — and finally trust the gift you've carried your whole life? In episode 255 of Joy Found Here, psychic guide and intuitive channel Kathleen Davenport traces the beautifully chaotic path that led her from active duty to the sacred shores of Hawaiʻi — and why every detour, closed door, and sign from the universe was quietly pointing her home all along.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(03:46) From Kansas to Hawaiʻi: military life to spiritual calling
(07:09) Why her failed political run was a perfect redirection
(08:20) Competitive golf — and the hamstring that made her listen
(11:40) The intuitive gift she couldn't keep ignoring
(13:02) How she prepares her vessel before a reading
(15:28) How Hawaiʻi shaped the way she receives guidance
(20:17) The Jack Canfield vision that led her to podcasting
(30:14) The near-fatal health scare after childbirth
(32:29) From private readings to her 60-day mentorship
(34:03) Seven signs the universe is speaking to you
Kathleen Davenport is a military officer turned psychic guide and spiritual channel based on the shores of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. After a career spanning the military, corporate life, city government, and professional photography, she stepped fully into her lifelong gift of intuitive guidance — helping others find clarity through life's biggest transitions via one-on-one spiritual readings, intuitive mentorship, and her podcast, Finding Focus with Kathleen Davenport.
In this episode, Kathleen shares how she recognized her intuitive gifts early — channeling entire motivational talks with no script — and how Hawaii's spiritual culture deepened her ability to receive guidance. She reframes career detours, a failed political run, and even a hamstring injury as divine redirections, and reflects on a near-death health scare after childbirth as the wake-up call that taught her to slow down and listen. She walks listeners through her grounding rituals before readings, her private sessions and 60-day mentorship program, and a free downloadable guide on seven signs the universe is speaking to you — closing with a powerful reminder that your gifts, and your guides, are already there.
Connect with Kathleen Davenport:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Free guide: 7 Signs The Universe is Speaking to You…. & How to Listen
Podcast: Finding Focus with Kathleen Davenport
Let's Connect:
Website
Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What happens when everything burns down — literally — and the woman left standing in the ashes decides she's done rebuilding the same life twice? In episode 254 of Joy Found Here, Melanie Rhora, author of The Phoenix Path, shares how losing her home and 15-year business to a fire on the same day became the brutal turning point she didn't know she'd been asking for — and how it led her to finally ask the one question she'd been avoiding: what do I actually need?
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
03:42) When the house fire finally matched what was already burning inside
(07:11) Why she sat in the mess before rebuilding
(09:38) The shift from doing for everyone to asking what do I need?
(11:50) Walking away from a $200M career to follow an unexplainable idea
(14:07) What happened when Melanie finally stopped confusing control with strength
(15:57) Why women's circles feel nothing like a networking room
(19:23) How The Phoenix Path went from circle program to poolside in Costa Rica
(24:36) The mean girl dynamic — why their projection is never about you
(27:11) Self-trust as the quiet fire that brings you back to yourself
(35:55) The book, 12-week program, and Costa Rica retreats explained
Melanie Rhora is the author of The Phoenix Path: A Woman's Guide to Healing, Rebuilding, and Rising Stronger and founder of Phoenix Path Transformations. After losing her home and 15-year digital marketing business to a fire on the same day, she rebuilt her life from the ground up — this time on her own terms. Now a trauma-informed facilitator and CEO of Ascend Empower Group Inc., she leads women's circles, online programs, and Costa Rica retreats built around her four-step framework: recognize, release, reclaim, and rise.
In this episode, Melanie shares how her house fire became the catalyst that forced her to stop asking how do I fix this? and start asking what do I actually need? — a shift she credits with changing everything. She unpacks the power of women's circles, including her no-feedback model where women "beam" love instead of offering advice, creating rare space for women to hear their own inner voice. She also reframes the "mean girl" dynamic as a reflection of unhealed wounds, explores why self-trust is the quiet fire that reignites a woman's sense of self, and shares a practical gem she lives by: committing to three fun things a day to stay, as she puts it, a sparkly unicorn.
Connect with Melanie Rhora:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Book: Melanie Rhora - The Phoenix Path
Let's Connect:
Website
Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What if the stranger staring back at you in the mirror isn't a sign of decline — but an invitation to take back control? In episode 253 of Joy Found Here, Dr. Prudence Hall, founder of The Hall Center and pioneer in regenerative medicine, makes a compelling case that biological age is not a sentence — it's a choice. From the gut-hormone connection to why it's never too late to rebalance your body, this conversation is equal parts eye-opening and deeply hopeful.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(4:25) How France sparked Dr. Hall's calling to champion women's health
(7:20) Why biological age matters more than chronological — and how to reverse it
(10:41) Building an anti-inflammatory plate from the ground up
(14:52) Where to find fiber and why your gut depends on it
(17:09) The link between menopause, gut inflammation, and estrogen
(19:32) Sugar, smarter swaps, and hidden inflammatory triggers
(24:22) The hard truth about alcohol and women's hormones
(27:05) Perimenopause decoded: symptoms, timing, and missed diagnoses
(35:24) The thyroid-estrogen connection most doctors overlook
(39:46) Why it's never too late to rebalance your hormones
Dr. Prudence Hall is a board-certified physician, founder and medical director of The Hall Center in Santa Monica, and a leading voice in regenerative and integrative medicine. After training as a traditional gynecological surgeon, she pivoted to address the root causes of women's hormonal health through a whole-body, individualized approach. She is the author of Radiant Again & Forever (free download at drprudencehall.com) and has treated over 40,000 patients worldwide through her practice, Menopause Breakthrough Program, and virtual consultations.
In this episode, Dr. Prudence Hall reframes aging as something largely within our control, introducing the concept of biological vs. chronological age — and making the case that biological age can genuinely be reversed. She covers the foundational pillars: a plant-forward, low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet; gut health supported by fiber and clean oils; and eliminating hidden inflammatory triggers like gluten and dairy. The conversation's core lands on hormones — Dr. Hall demystifies perimenopause (which can begin as early as the late 30s), champions bioidentical hormone therapy for symptom relief and long-term brain health, and unpacks the underappreciated thyroid-estrogen connection. Her closing message: it is never too late, pointing to a 93-year-old patient whose cognitive clarity was restored through hormone rebalancing.
Connect with Dr. Prudence Hall:
Website
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok
Facebook
Book: Prudence Hall M.D. - Radiant Again & Forever
Let's Connect:
Website
Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What happens when a high-achieving woman checks every box society handed her — only to realize none of it was truly hers? In episode 252 of Joy Found Here, Recalibrate Coaching founder Hema Crockett shares the deeply personal moment that cracked everything open and led her to ask, for the very first time: what do I actually want?
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(01:52) Meet Hema: coach and "recovered HR executive"
(04:45) Growing up between East and West
(06:09) Nearly 20 years in the corporate grind
(07:03) The turning point: living in Kathmandu, Nepal
(10:14) The IVF journey that changed everything
(13:00) How "what do I want?" became Recalibrate Coaching
(18:10) Introducing the Disrupting Default podcast
(21:51) Why awareness, once gained, can't be undone
(27:10) Inside the Recalibrate process: digging, the void, building
(33:23) Recalibration as a lifelong practice
Hema Crockett grew up as the daughter of Indian immigrants in Arizona, straddling Eastern traditions and Western culture — conditioning she didn't recognize until much later. After nearly 20 years as a corporate HR executive in tech and biotech startups, she had the corner office, the stock options, and the title, but felt completely disconnected. The breaking point came during IVF, when she realized mid-transfer that she didn't want children — and her husband, waiting in the car, felt exactly the same. That moment of radical honesty sent her on a years-long journey of unraveling everything she'd been told to want.
In this episode, Hema walks Stephanie through the philosophy behind her coaching practice, Recalibrate, where she works one-on-one with high-achieving women in midlife who have "made it" by every measure but feel unfulfilled. She shares her process of guiding clients from discovery to a conscious "choice point," then into intentionally building a life rooted in desire rather than expectation — no quitting required, just micro-shifts in awareness. She also introduces her new podcast, Disrupting Default, co-hosted with her retired Marine husband, which challenges the everyday autopilot habits we never stop to question.
Connect with Hema Crockett:
Website
Instagram
YouTube
LinkedIn
Podcast: Disrupting Default
Let's Connect:
Website
Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What if the most powerful weapon against a toxic boss isn't quitting — it's understanding exactly how they think? In episode 251 of Joy Found Here, CEO coach and venture capitalist Kate Lowry reveals why fear-based leadership is making a sweeping comeback, and why so many high-achievers are blindsided by it. Drawing on her own journey from a controlling household to the corridors of Silicon Valley, Kate brings her book Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders to life with a toolkit that turns powerlessness into strategy.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(03:59) How a Silicon Valley sea change sparked Unbreakable
(06:32) Why Kate's childhood became her greatest career advantage
(08:39) Why top-down leadership is suddenly back in vogue
(11:36) Inside the mind of a fear-based leader
(15:17) What to do when your new boss isn't who showed up to the interview
(18:30) Red flags, buzzwords, and questions that make a toxic culture hard to hide
(21:47) Why fear chokes innovation — and the hidden cost to companies
(28:50) How to protect your energy, predict their moves, and run circles around them
(33:30) Why identity is your greatest armour — and how to build it
(36:59) The decade outlook — and why attention and availability are your greatest leverage
Kate Lowry is a Silicon Valley-based CEO coach, venture capitalist, and author with over 15 years of experience across startups, private equity, and big tech — including stints at McKinsey, Meta, and Insight Partners. Founder of coaching firm Scaleheart Co., she specialises in empowering mission-driven founders and has become one of the leading voices on fear-based leadership in the modern workplace. Her expertise was forged first-hand — navigating a controlling household, then eight fear-based bosses across some of the world's most high-pressure industries — and is now distilled into her book, Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders. When she's not coaching CEOs, you'll find her writing comedy, making music, and cuddling her service dog, Annie.
Kate unpacks why fear-based leadership — top-down, my-way-or-the-highway management — is surging back into vogue and why it's hitting today's workforce particularly hard. She reveals that these leaders are fundamentally driven by deep insecurity, and because of that, far more predictable than they appear. Kate offers listeners a practical toolkit for navigating these environments: build a diverse sense of identity so no job title can topple your self-worth; protect your energy; control what information you share; and use your attention and availability as quiet forms of leverage. She also shares sharp red-flag advice for spotting a toxic culture before you even accept the role — and closes with a sobering outlook: this trend isn't going anywhere for the next five to ten years, making these skills not just helpful, but essential.
Connect with Kate Lowry:
Website
Instagram
Substack
Get coaching/advising from Kate!
Book: Kate Lowry - Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders
Let's Connect:
Website
Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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What if the secret to a happier life wasn't about doing more — but paying closer attention to what's already pulling you forward? In episode 250 of Joy Found Here, author and entrepreneur Emily Florence returns to share why choosing joy is less about grand gestures and more about small, intentional daily decisions. From dropping out of law school after four days to building a life entirely on her own terms, her story is a masterclass in trusting yourself — and Even Better: Easier Ways to a Happier Life is the roadmap she wishes she'd had all along.
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
(04:38) The four-day law school exit that changed everything
(09:20) Why "safe" choices aren't always the right ones
(10:33) From gallery walls to Beverly Hills: journalism, PR, and American Idol
(13:19) Learning to trust intuition even when the path isn't clear
(15:44) Why happiness is a decision, not a feeling
(20:08) Letting go of heavy thoughts — and what to replace them with
(24:28) Staying grounded when the world feels overwhelming
(28:31) The story behind Even Better's 101 bite-sized lessons
(35:32) Social media, dopamine, and why boundaries are non-negotiable
(40:18) The simple five-thing evening ritual that builds lasting joy
Emily Florence is a bestselling author, award-winning writer, and entrepreneur who believes life gets better when we stop being so hard on ourselves and start choosing joy with intention. A former Beverly Hills PR strategist who worked on American Idol and Gilmore Girls, she holds a Master's in Broadcast Journalism from Emerson College, is a certified life purpose and career coach, and founder of Everyday Happy — honoured as a Forbes Top 100 Website for Women. Her book Even Better: Easier Ways to a Happier Life was named the Feel-Good Book of 2024 by Yahoo Finance.
Emily opens with the moment that shaped everything: dropping out of law school after just four days at 22, choosing how she felt over what people thought — the seed of all she now teaches. She unpacks why happiness isn't a destination but a series of daily micro-choices, and introduces the practice of "paying attention to your attention" — noticing what leaves you feeling better or worse and deliberately choosing more of what lifts you. She also speaks to staying grounded in a noisy world through mindful media consumption, daily meditation, and a simple evening ritual of writing down five things you're grateful for or accomplished. The episode closes with exciting news: the audiobook for Even Better drops February 26, 2026.
Connect with Emily Florence:
Website
Substack
Instagram
Book: Emily Florence - Even Better
Get Emily’s free workshop & guide!
Let's Connect:
Website
Instagram
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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