Community has been a defining thread throughout my life.

From growing up in a rural community… to the people who showed up when my father died… to the colleagues who helped me survive my first years of teaching… I’ve seen again and again that we were never meant to carry life alone.

In this episode, I reflect on the power of community—both the people down the hall and the people across the country who become part of our professional village.

Teaching can leave the stress cycle open day after day. The expectations, the meetings, the pressure to cover curriculum… sometimes our bodies respond like we’ve just seen a lion in the wild. Drawing on insights from the book Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski, we talk about how community helps us close that stress cycle.

Because sometimes the most important thing we can do for each other is simple: laugh together, walk together, cry together, and remind each other we’re not alone.

If you’re feeling the weight of the work right now, this episode is an invitation to find—or become—someone’s village.

In this episode of 3 with Bri, I’m speaking directly to educators—and to mothers, because many of us are both.

After spending time with a room full of passionate teachers—from student teachers to 20-year veterans—I was reminded of the heavy load educators are carrying right now. The weight is real. The expectations are high. And too often, when teachers ask for help, it’s not for themselves—it’s for their students.

This episode explores what engagement actually requires.

Engagement is not glitter on a worksheet. It isn’t clipart or “making it more fun.”
Engagement happens when a student decides: I can enter this without being exposed.

We unpack three essential conditions that must be present for true engagement to emerge:

• Cognitive Safety – Students can attempt thinking without fear of being penalized for imperfection.

• Emotional Safety – Students are protected from humiliation, comparison, and social harm.

• Intellectual Dignity – Students’ ideas are taken seriously, and they are given meaningful work worthy of their minds.

If a student is disengaged, the question isn’t “How do I make this more entertaining?”
It’s:

• Is the task worthy?

• Is the thinking safe?

• Is the student protected from humiliation?

• Is their mind being respected?

Engagement isn’t something we add.
It’s something we make possible.

If you’re teaching, parenting, or simply caring for kids in today’s world, this episode will challenge and encourage you.

This is the final episode in our three-part conversation with Dr. Siri Erickson, certified menopause doula and founder of The Compassion Way.

In Part 3, we move beyond symptoms and into meaning.

What does it really mean when a woman says, “I feel like I’m losing myself”?

For one woman, it’s brain fog affecting her work.
For another, it’s sleep collapse.
For another, it’s athletic performance shifting.

And each one deserves different care.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why “losing yourself” isn’t one-size-fits-all

• How symptoms can be invitations to protect long-term health

• The powerful connection between sleep, hormones, and longevity

• Why ovulation — not your period — is the true “main event” of the cycle

• How to talk to doctors about real-life impact

• The liberation and confidence many women experience post-menopause

• Why we need menopause rituals and celebrations

Menopause is not a punchline.It’s not a burden to endure.It’s a biological transition — and a rite of passage.

If this series resonated, share it with a sister, friend, coworker, or daughter. Let’s pass down literacy instead of silence.

In Part 2 of our series with certified menopause doula Dr. Siri Erickson, we move from awareness to advocacy.

Why are we still whispering about menopause? Why does it feel loud in our algorithms but quiet in real life? And how do you walk into a doctor’s office prepared instead of dismissed?

Together, Bri and Dr. Erickson unpack:

• The cultural shame around aging and why menopause still feels taboo

• Why so many women feel “unmoored” in early perimenopause

• What symptoms to track (beyond hot flashes)

• How to use simple math to understand your timeline

• What to say in a doctor’s appointment

• Red flags in online menopause advice

• Why stress reduction — not extreme dieting — is often the real starting point

They also discuss the importance of keeping a medical journal, understanding your family history (including hysterectomies), and taking small, sustainable steps — like starting with protein at breakfast — instead of overhauling your entire life.

If Part 1 named the brain remodel, Part 2 helps you navigate it with clarity and confidence.

You are not behind.You are not dramatic.And you deserve informed, individualized care.

This is Part 2 of our ongoing conversation about leading your life — and your body — with wisdom in midlife.

What if the changes you’re feeling aren’t a sign that something is wrong — but evidence that your body is moving through a powerful transition?

In this first episode of our special series, Bri sits down with certified menopause doula Dr. Siri Erickson to begin an honest, illuminating conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and the support women deserve but often don’t receive.

With a doctorate in contemplative leadership and years of experience guiding high-performing women, Dr. Erickson explains what a menopause doula actually does, why so many women reach a breaking point before seeking help, and how hormonal shifts impact nearly every system in the body — especially the brain.

Together, Bri and Dr. Erickson explore:

• Why perimenopause can feel disorienting

• The “brain remodel” analogy that helps explain cognitive changes

• How to communicate your needs to a partner

• The cultural gaps in menopause education

• Permission to build support and stop coming last

If you’ve ever wondered, “What is happening to me?” — this conversation is a place to begin.

This is Part 1 of an important series designed to bring clarity, compassion, and language to a season many women navigate in silence.

In seasons when the world feels unsettled, many of us are carrying more than we can name. The headlines are heavy. The work of mothering, partnering, and showing up doesn’t slow down—it presses closer.

In today’s episode of 3 with Bri, I offer a story instead of solutions. The story of Miep Gies, an ordinary working woman who lived through extraordinary danger during World War II—and whose quiet, faithful choices helped preserve a story that would change the world.

This episode is a reminder that we are not the first women to live this way. That strength doesn’t require numbness. That hope often looks like doing the next right, caring thing.

If you’re feeling tired, tender, or overwhelmed, this episode is an invitation to breathe, to soften, and to remember: the small, human work you do matters—more than you know.

January has a way of feeling like five days packed into one—and 2026 is already asking more of us than we can hold. In this episode of 3 with Bri, I’m sharing three grounding reflections for the married, working mom who feels stretched thin and overloaded.

We talk about:

• ​Asking the simple but powerful question: How am I taking care of myself?
• ​Letting go of “everything” and choosing the something you can do today
• ​Reconnecting through the unexpected gift of reading a story together—at any age

This episode is a pause. A breath. A reminder that small, meaningful moments still matter when life feels loud. Grab your coffee, fold the laundry, and let’s reset together.

Note: This episode was recorded before the January 24, 2026, killing of Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident, by border control and federal immigration agents—a tragic event that has deeply affected many in our community.

Some lessons don’t come from lectures—they come from lived moments.

In this episode, Bri shares a family story that instantly became part of their “story catalogue”: a real-life moment that reminded them why dignity, humanity, and good customer service still matter. What began as a simple Christmas errand turned into a powerful contrast between being dismissed and being respected—all witnessed through the eyes of an 11-year-old.

Set against the backdrop of current conversations around judgment, assumptions, and immigration, this episode explores how quickly people are sized up—and how meaningful it is when someone chooses curiosity, professionalism, and kindness instead.

Bri reflects on grace, accountability, and the everyday parables we pass on to our kids. Because parenting isn’t just what we say—it’s how we help our children make sense of the moments life hands us.

This one’s about stories we keep, lessons we live, and the hope that we all do better next time.

A new year often brings fresh hope—blank calendars, a little more daylight, and the feeling that maybe this season can be lighter. But for married working moms, teachers, and students alike, the work doesn’t pause just because the calendar flips.

In this episode, Bri reflects on the realities of midyear school life—as a mom of three active kids, a teacher of preservice educators, and a partner juggling full family calendars. She explores a simple but powerful truth we often forget: learning is work. And work—whether at school, at home, or in our careers—isn’t always joyful, even when it’s meaningful.

Bri invites parents and educators to lean into empathy, to honor that everyone gets to have their hard, and to consider how play, joy, and connection can coexist with perseverance. This episode is a reminder that we don’t remove the hard—we help our kids (and ourselves) grow through it.

If you’re stepping into 2026 hopeful but realistic, tired but still committed, this one’s for you.

In Episode 21 of 3 with Bri, Bri reflects on how grief never truly ends—it ebbs, flows, and sometimes arrives unexpectedly, especially during the holidays. Christmas, with its deep roots in tradition, can bring both warmth and heartbreak as memories of loved ones and long-held rituals resurface.

Bri shares vivid memories of her childhood Christmas Eve traditions—multi-generational gatherings, Swedish foods, caroling in four-part harmony, and her grandfather’s steady voice reading the Christmas story. She explores what it means to grieve not only people, but the traditions that disappeared with them.

As a married, working mom of three, Bri turns toward the present—creating meaning with her own family while holding space for both joy and sadness. Drawing on the metaphor of music and harmony (and a nod to Inside Out), she reminds listeners that holidays aren’t meant to be felt in a single emotion. Grief and joy can coexist, creating a richer, more honest season.

This episode is an invitation to acknowledge the full scale of feelings the holidays bring—and to trust that even on the darkest nights, beautiful music can still be made.

Happy Holidays! This podcast will resume in 2026!