This episode contains a candid conversation about personal wellness practices, including some that may not be right for everyone. Nothing shared here is medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions about your own health and wellness journey.

He went to a wellness retreat at one of the darkest points of his life. He walked a hundred steps. And by the time he reached the top, he had the only answer he needed. This one will stay with you.

In this episode of the TrueIcon Podcast, Jen sits down with Eugene O'Neill, muralist, art educator, and founder of Made In Truth. Eugene has spent his career transforming communities and classrooms through art and wellness. But in this conversation, he opens up about his own journey: the grief that broke him open, the retreat that changed everything, and what peace, love, and joy actually look like when you stop performing and start living them.

Eugene and Jen go deep on what it means to heal the healers, how art became his path to personal wellness, and why reconnecting with your inner child is not soft, it is essential. He shares the story of the Hundred Steps of Life, a meditation that helped him stop over-planning and trust the frequency he wanted to live in.

If you have ever felt like you were showing up for everyone else while quietly falling apart, this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

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In this episode:

• Who heals the healers: Eugene spent years supporting others through grief and loss. This episode is about what happened when he finally turned that care toward himself.
• The Hundred Steps: a meditation that helped him stop over-planning and trust that peace, love, and joy are enough of a compass.
• Your shadow side is not the enemy: forming a relationship with the parts of yourself you have been hiding, not fixing them, but understanding them.
• The inner child is expansive: the inner parent refines and reduces. The inner child expands. You need both to grow.
• Forgiveness is where it starts: you cannot move out of the past without forgiving the version of yourself that did not yet have the tools you have now.

Episode chapters:
00:00 Welcome and intro
05:56 Art, community, and where it all started
18:01 Breaking free from external expectations and the retreat that changed everything
30:31 The Hundred Steps of Life
39:21 The journey to finding your true self
49:08 Living with peace, love, and joy
01:06:21 Forgiveness, the inner child, and lasting impact

Connect with Eugene:
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn: @madeintruthinc
Website: www.madeintruthinc.com

Connect with TrueIcon:
Instagram: @beatrueicon

About Eugene O'Neill:
Eugene O'Neill is a muralist, art educator, and founder of Made In Truth. He has spent his career using art and wellness to transform communities and classrooms. His work sits at the intersection of creativity, healing, and human connection.

About the TrueIcon Podcast:
Hosted by Jennifer DeGroff, the TrueIcon Podcast is an interview show about authenticity, growth, and redefining success on your own terms. We celebrate uniqueness, normalize imperfection, and lift people up. Whether you are navigating a career change, building a business, or trying to find your voice, this is your space to feel empowered to step into your greatness.

#beatrueicon #staytrueandboldlygrow #mentalhealth #personalgrowth