Beyond the Draft

What happens when you've checked every external box of success, but your essence keeps quietly dimming anyway?

Baiba Wisse is the host of the Live In Technicolor podcast and creator of The Era of You™ method, mentoring women to activate their purpose and create their highest timeline. After 15 years in corporate, feeling drained, anxious, and stuck despite years of mindset and self-help work, she set out to find what would actually change her day-to-day experience, not just her thinking about it.

In this episode, Baiba shares the moment she realized checking boxes wasn't the same as feeling alive, how she began piecing together her own version of a fulfilling career, and what it actually takes to reconnect with your essence when life feels like it's slowly dimming. She also opens up about the mix of courage and "optimism and delusion" it took to trust she could build work that truly reflected who she was.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. Feeling drained despite doing all the "right" mindset work
2. The moment she knew corporate life wasn't sustainable
3. Piecing together a dream job, step by step
4. Reigniting connection with her own essence and energy
5. Building her podcast, community, and mentorship programs from that journey

CONNECT WITH BAIBA WISSE:

Podcast: Live In Technicolor

YouTube & Instagram: linked on her profile

What happens when you lose your sight in the middle of your career, and still find a way to help others see their own purpose more clearly?

Sara Freeman Smith is an inspirational speaker, author, and disability advocate who became blind during her mid-career. She's the author of Turning Stones into Gems: Finding Direction in Your Life & Career, now in its third edition, drawing on faith, personal experience, and decades of HR and recruiting knowledge to help readers grasp their unique value and goals.

In this episode, Sara shares what inspired her to become an author, publisher, and speaker 25 years ago, and why she chose to "reboot" now, how she stayed motivated and inspired after losing her sight mid-career, and the common mistakes people make when trying to determine their next career move. She also breaks down her philosophy of "see it, believe it, achieve it."

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. The meaning behind Turning Stones into Gems
2. Staying motivated after becoming blind mid-career
3. Common mistakes people make during career transitions
4. Balancing passion with practical considerations in a career change
5. Her "see it, believe it, achieve it" philosophy
6. What she hopes readers and audiences take away from her work

CONNECT WITH SARA FREEMAN SMITH:

Website: urgems.com

Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn & TikTok: linked on her profile

What does it feel like to realize you've finally become the thing you always wanted to be, decades into your career?

Alan Katz has written for movies and television, including HBO's iconic Tales From The Crypt. Entertainment Weekly named the first season of his show, The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast, the Best Film Podcast of 2022, a moment that made him realize he'd finally become a podcaster, the thing he'd wanted to be all along.

In this episode, Alan shares how his writing and producing career led him into podcasting, what he's learned about creating a conversation where everyone involved walks away glad they did it, and stories from decades spent in film, television, and entertainment.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. Writing for HBO's Tales From The Crypt
2. The moment he realized he'd become a podcaster
3. What makes a truly great interview, for both host and guest
4. Lessons from a career spanning film, TV, and podcasting

CONNECT WITH ALAN KATZ:

Website & podcast: thedonorpodcast.com

What does it take to relearn how to walk, think, and talk, and then find your way back to yourself through writing?

Jennifer White is a retired RN and brain tumor surgery survivor. After waking up from a coma in January 2024, she had to relearn some of life's most basic skills. As part of her recovery, she began writing, which slowly helped memories return and gave her a new sense of purpose. She now writes medical thrillers and children's books, drawing directly from her experience as both a nurse and a patient.

In this episode, Jennifer opens up about her turning point, the invisible challenges she still faces today, including depression, exhaustion, and difficulty finding words, and how writing became part of her healing and reinvention. She also shares how her medical background shaped the thrillers she now writes, and what she'd tell someone facing their own reinvention after crisis.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

Waking from a coma and relearning to walk, think, and talk

How writing helped bring memories back during recovery

The invisible, ongoing challenges of recovery

Reinventing herself as an author after a medical crisis

Weaving her nursing and patient experience into her medical thrillers

What drives her to keep going and give back

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER WHITE:

Website: linked on her profile

Book: The Triggering Scent, available on Amazon

What's really stopping most people from finally writing the book they've been carrying around for years?

Jennifer Bright has worked in publishing for more than three decades, informing and inspiring writers on her YouTube channel, The Traveling Publisher. Her publishing company, Bright Communications, publishes more than 40 books a year, spanning fiction, nonfiction, children's, and adult titles.

In this episode, Jennifer shares why she believes everyone has a book in them, how to compare different publishing paths and choose the right one, and why today, more than ever, is the best time to start writing. She also gets honest about how a book can become part of your business, not just a passionq project, and how to promote it once it's out in the world.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. Why everyone has a book inside them
2. Comparing traditional, self, and hybrid publishing
3. Why today is the best time to start your book
4. Turning your book into part of your business
5. Making the most of a small publishing budget
6. Funny and surprising stories from three decades in publishing

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER BRIGHT:

Website: brightcommunications.net

YouTube: The Traveling Publisher

Why do two people with the exact same injury, receiving the exact same treatment, end up with completely different outcomes?

Dr. Ya-Ling Liou is an evidence-based chiropractic physician, pain coping expert, and founder of Stop Everyday Pain®. With more than 30 years of clinical experience, she's the author of The Everyday Pain Guide book series, creator of the Pain Personality™ framework, and host of the Conversations About Everyday Pain podcast.

In this episode, Dr. Liou explains why lasting pain relief doesn't happen in the clinic, it happens at home, in the everyday moments most treatment plans never address. She unpacks what she calls "toxic pain denial," why the same treatment can produce wildly different outcomes in different people, and the Five S's of Pain Coping™ that can change how someone responds the moment pain strikes.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. Why lasting pain relief happens at home, not in the clinic
2. The hidden psychological layer behind physical pain
3. What Pain Personalities™ are and why they matter
4. Why "pushing through" pain can actually be harmful
5. The Five S's of Pain Coping™
6. The first thing to do differently when pain flares up

CONNECT WITH DR. YA-LING LIOU:

Website: ya-ling.com

Free quiz: ya-ling.com/quiz

Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads & Substack: linked on her profile

What if the men who seem the most "fine" are actually the ones quietly avoiding the life they're capable of building?

Alexander Osterman is a licensed psychotherapist, private practice owner, and author of Quit Evading: A Therapist's Field Manual for Men in Drift. After surviving cancer and rebuilding his own life from personal collapse through sobriety, discipline, and fatherhood, he now helps men confront the patterns that keep them passive and disconnected.

In this episode, Alexander explains what he means when he says men aren't broken, they're evading the life that's asking to be built, how surviving cancer and his own collapse shaped the way he works with men today, and why avoidance can often look responsible from the outside, hiding behind busyness, achievement, or having it all "under control." He also shares the signs a man is drifting instead of consciously building his life.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

Why men aren't broken, they're often evading

How surviving cancer and collapse shaped his clinical work

Why avoidance can disguise itself as responsibility

The difference between healthy responsibility and crushing shame

The role of fatherhood, sobriety, and discipline in rebuilding

Signs a man is drifting instead of building his life

CONNECT WITH ALEXANDER OSTERMAN:

Website: alexanderosterman.com

Instagram & Threads: linked on his profile

What can a five-year-old's letter to the tooth fairy teach us about trust, forgiveness, and connection?

Jennifer Ballow is a social worker and children's book author in Austin, Texas. Her picture book, Under My Pillow, follows five-year-old Sam as she investigates who really took her tooth, and learns to forgive along the way. The book was inspired by the real letters Jennifer's twin daughters once wrote to the tooth fairy.

In this episode, Jennifer shares how her decades of experience as a social worker shaped her belief that stories are one of the most powerful tools for social and emotional learning in children, why she chose to reimagine the tooth fairy as a woman of color for a more diverse main cast, and how Under My Pillow helps kids find language for their emotions. She also talks about the supplemental activities designed to help kids and caregivers connect more meaningfully.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. The real letters that inspired Under My Pillow
2. Why stories are central to healthy childhood development
3. Reimagining the tooth fairy to reflect a more diverse world
4. Helping kids build language for problem-solving and forgiveness
5. Bringing social work experience into children's book writing
6. Connecting kids and caregivers through shared stories

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER BALLOW:

Website: linked on her profile

Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn: linked on her profile

What if everything you've been told about stretching for pain relief is actually making things worse?

Butch Phelps is a functional massage therapist, award-winning author, and creator of the Stretch n' Release Technique. After surviving a head-on car accident at 18 that left him in a wheelchair, losing 135 pounds in his 30s, and overcoming debilitating back pain at 40, he spent more than two decades studying muscle mechanics to find what actually eliminates chronic pain.

In this episode, Butch explains why traditional stretching often makes chronic pain worse, why pain persists long after an injury has "healed," and how the brain, spine, and muscles work together in ways most pain treatments overlook. He also shares common misconceptions about aging and stretching, and who's the ideal candidate for the Stretch n' Release Technique.

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT:

1. Butch's personal journey through trauma, weight loss, and chronic pain
2. Why traditional stretching often fails, or worsens pain
3. How the brain, spine, and muscles work together to create tension
4. Common misconceptions about pain, aging, and mobility
5. The biggest mistake people make trying to solve their own pain
6. Who the Stretch n' Release Technique is really designed for

CONNECT WITH BUTCH PHELPS:

YouTube (200+ free videos): youtube.com/themusclerepairshop

Facebook, LinkedIn & Substack: linked on his profile

He spent twenty-five years following the money. And discovered that the most important truths in life are rarely found in a financial statement.

Albert Butler is a Forbes 2026 Best-In-State CPA, a father of four, and the author of LIFE: Truth, Love, Loss, Success and Failure. His conviction is simple and profound — build a life you can exit with peace, not regret.

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, Albert shares the story behind the book, why accounting is the heartbeat of business, the difference between achieving success and building legacy, and what he most wants the quietly unsettled high-achiever to finally hear.

🎙️ Host: Imma | 📚 Guest: Albert Butler CPA MBA — Author · Forbes Best-In-State CPA · Creator of the Legacy Alignment System

Beyond the Draft — Where the real story begins after the writing is done. Your words have power. Your story matters. Keep writing.