Beyond the Draft

What if the most powerful educational tool isn't technology, standardized testing, or even textbooks?

What if it's a story?

In this inspiring episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma sits down with educator, author, poet, and founder of Wisdom Feast Ltd, Wahida Mohamed, to explore how storytelling can transform the way children learn, grow, and understand themselves.

Drawing from more than 30 years of experience in education, Wahida shares why stories are essential for building confidence, curiosity, compassion, and belonging in both classrooms and homes.

TOGETHER, THEY EXPLORE:

• Why storytelling is at the heart of meaningful education

• How stories shape identity and emotional wellbeing

• The importance of educating the whole child, mind, body, and family

• Why creativity and child-led learning matter more than ever

• How parents and teachers can use stories to build stronger connections with children

• The lasting impact one caring adult can have on a child's future

This conversation is a reminder that education isn't simply about preparing children for exams, it's about preparing them for life.

Learn more about Wahida Mohamed and her work at:

www.wahidamohamed.com

#BeyondTheDraft #WahidaMohamed #Storytelling #Education #Teaching #Parenting #ChildDevelopment #Montessori #Learning #Books #Writers #EducationPodcast

Lucinda Sage-Midgorden has been a lover of stories since she was a child, watching movies with her family and learning from her father how to find the deeper layers beneath every story. That love carried her through degrees in Religious Studies, Theatre, and Education, decades as a stage actor, director, and theatre instructor, and now, in retirement, into writing her own novel and hosting the podcast Story-Power.

In this episode, Lucinda opens up about the winding path that led her from the stage to the page, why she finally decided to write her novel The Space Between Time after a lifetime of helping others tell their stories, and how her understanding of spirituality has evolved since her college years as the only woman Religious Studies major in her program. She also shares what her students taught her over the years, and why classic movies still matter in a world full of constant new content.

What We Talked About:

- How Lucinda fell in love with stories as a child

- What finally inspired her to write her own novel after decades in theatre and education

- Her evolving relationship with spirituality

- A surprising lesson she learned from one of her students

- Why classic films still resonate with modern audiences

- Her new YouTube channel, Classic Cinema with the Sage Sisters

CONNECT WITH LUCINDA SAGE-MIDGORDEN:

Website, blog, podcast, and books: https://sagewoman.life

If today's episode reminded you why stories matter, subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a fellow story lover.

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, Butch Phelps spent more than two decades studying muscle mechanics to find what actually eliminates chronic pain, when nothing else worked. The result was the Stretch n' Release Technique, a method that connects the brain and muscles to release tension and help adults 45+ move better without medications, injections, or surgery.

In this episode, Butch challenges everything most of us have been taught about stretching and pain, explaining why traditional stretching often makes chronic pain worse, why pain persists long after an "injury" has healed, and how the brain-body connection is the missing link most pain treatments overlook.

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WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT

- Butch's personal journey through trauma, weight loss, and chronic pain

- Why traditional stretching often fails—and sometimes worsens pain

- How the brain, spine, and muscles work together to create (and release) tension

- Common misconceptions about pain, aging, and mobility

- The biggest mistake people make when trying to solve their own pain

- Who the Stretch n' Release Technique is really designed for

- Simple, practical steps listeners can start using today

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CONNECT WITH BUTCH PHELPS

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

Website, Facebook, LinkedIn & Substack: linked on his profile

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If today's episode gave you a new way to think about pain and mobility, subscribe to Butch's YouTube channel for free tutorials, live demos, and weekly Q&As to help you take control of your own body.

And if this episode helped you, share it with someone who's been told their pain is just "part of getting older."

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, Butch Phelps spent more than two decades studying muscle mechanics to find what actually eliminates chronic pain, when nothing else worked. The result was the Stretch n' Release Technique, a method that connects the brain and muscles to release tension and help adults 45+ move better without medications, injections, or surgery.

In this episode, Butch challenges everything most of us have been taught about stretching and pain, explaining why traditional stretching often makes chronic pain worse, why pain persists long after an "injury" has healed, and how the brain-body connection is the missing link most pain treatments overlook.

---

WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT

- Butch's personal journey through trauma, weight loss, and chronic pain

- Why traditional stretching often fails—and sometimes worsens pain

- How the brain, spine, and muscles work together to create (and release) tension

- Common misconceptions about pain, aging, and mobility

- The biggest mistake people make when trying to solve their own pain

- Who the Stretch n' Release Technique is really designed for

- Simple, practical steps listeners can start using today

---

CONNECT WITH BUTCH PHELPS

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

Website, Facebook, LinkedIn & Substack: linked on his profile

---

If today's episode gave you a new way to think about pain and mobility, subscribe to Butch's YouTube channel for free tutorials, live demos, and weekly Q&As to help you take control of your own body.

And if this episode helped you, share it with someone who's been told their pain is just "part of getting older."

What does it really take for every child to succeed in school, especially those with learning differences?

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, we sit down with Dr. Emily Levy, education expert, founder of EBL Coaching, and author of multiple research-based academic workbook series used in schools across the United States.

Drawing from decades of experience in education, special education, and academic coaching, Dr. Emily shares practical strategies that empower parents, educators, and students to navigate learning challenges with confidence. We explore how individualized support can unlock a child's potential, why advocacy matters, and the simple yet powerful techniques that help students build lasting academic success.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, student, or lifelong learner, this conversation is packed with valuable insights that can transform the way you think about education.

In This Episode

- Why every child learns differently, and why that matters

- How parents can become effective advocates for their children

- Understanding learning disabilities and special education

- What an IEP is and how families can make the most of it

- Practical strategies to improve reading comprehension, executive functioning, and study skills

- Best practices for helping students build confidence and academic independence

- Dr. Emily's vision for creating a more inclusive education system

About Dr. Emily Levy

Dr. Emily Levy is the founder and director of EBL Coaching, a specialized tutoring organization providing individualized instruction using research-based, multi-sensory teaching methods. She holds degrees from Brown University and Nova Southeastern University and has helped thousands of students strengthen their academic skills.

She is also the author of several widely used educational workbook series covering reading, writing, executive functioning, study skills, and multi-sensory mathematics.

Connect with Dr. Emily Levy

🌐 Website: EBLCoaching.com

Connect with Beyond the Draft

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow Beyond the Draft on Spotify, leave a rating, and share this conversation with someone who believes every child deserves the opportunity to thrive.

Because every great story begins long before the final draft.

What if the greatest threat to the future wasn't a weapon... but the past?

After more than 35 years in publishing and helping bring 500+ books into the world, John Bond finally stepped into the spotlight with his own story, a gripping speculative thriller that asks one chilling question:

What happens when history stops being debatable?

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, host Imma explores the journey behind To the End of Reckoning, a novel that blurs the line between fiction and possibility.

Together, they discuss:

🔸Why John waited decades to write his first novel

🔸The hidden truths about publishing that aspiring authors rarely hear

🔸How helping hundreds of writers shaped his own storytelling

🔸Why speculative fiction often reveals more about reality than history books

🔸The courage it takes to stop editing and finally become the storyteller

If you've ever dreamed of writing a book or wondered how stories shape the way we see truth, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends.

📖 John Bond's new novel, To the End of Reckoning, releases August 4.

Learn more:

Books: BooksByJohnBond.com

Leadership & Consulting: RiverwindsConsulting.com

Sometimes the most dangerous stories aren't the ones we imagine.

They're the ones that could actually happen.

#BeyondTheDraft #JohnBond #ToTheEndOfReckoning #SpeculativeFiction #Writing #Publishing #Storytelling #Thriller #Authors #Podcast

What happens when a Hollywood storyteller becomes a clinical psychologist?

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma sits down with former Hollywood creative and psychologist Fernando Alessandri to explore a remarkable journey from film sets to prisons, VA hospitals, forensic psychiatric units, and private practice.

Together they discuss:

🔸Why Fernando left Hollywood for psychology

🔸What years of working with trauma taught him about human nature

🔸The surprising connection between storytelling and therapy

🔸Why humor can reveal painful truths

🔸How writing fiction changed after understanding the human mind

🔸What healing really looks like beyond the diagnosis

This conversation is about identity, reinvention, resilience, and the stories that shape every human life.

Because sometimes the greatest story you'll ever understand is the one living inside another person.

#BeyondTheDraft #FernandoAlessandri #Psychology #Storytelling #MentalHealth #Healing #Trauma #Writing #Authors #Podcast

A book isn't the finish line.

It's the beginning.

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma sits down with bestselling ghostwriter, editor, and publishing strategist Danielle Hutchinson, who has helped more than 1,100 entrepreneurs transform their expertise into books that build credibility, attract opportunities, and grow businesses.

Together they discuss:

🔸Why books create authority, not just income

🔸The biggest reason experts never finish writing

🔸Ghostwriting and finding your authentic voice

🔸Visibility versus true authority

🔸Publishing in the age of AI

🔸How your book can become your greatest business asset

If you've been thinking about writing a book, this episode may completely change how you think about what happens after it's published.

Because the real opportunity begins beyond the draft.

Before publishing his debut novel, Richard H. Moon spent years learning storytelling from almost every angle imaginable—production assistant, screenwriter, producer, executive producer, development producer, and teacher.

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma explores Richard's remarkable creative journey and the release of his historical fantasy novel, To Conquer Death.

You'll discover:

🔸What Hollywood taught him about storytelling

🔸Why every creative path matters

🔸The leap from film to fiction

🔸The intersection of science and imagination

🔸Building worlds readers believe in

🔸Why it's never too late to tell your own story

This is a conversation about patience, creativity, and trusting that every chapter of life prepares you for the next one.

#BeyondTheDraft #RichardHMoon #ToConquerDeath #HistoricalFantasy #Writing #Hollywood #Storytelling #Authors #CreativeJourney #Podcast

What if belonging isn't something you find, but something you build?

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma welcomes novelist Sarah Marshall, whose extraordinary life has taken her from military service and engineering to global travel, Burning Man, and finally the pages of her debut novel, Playa Dust in My Soul.

Together they explore:

🔸Reinvention across multiple seasons of life

🔸The search for belonging and chosen family

🔸Why transformation is a lifelong practice

🔸Lessons from over twenty years in the Burning Man community

🔸Creativity, identity, and second chances

🔸Turning decades of life experience into fiction

If you've ever wondered whether it's too late to begin again, this conversation is for you.

Because the most meaningful stories are often the ones that take years to become.

#BeyondTheDraft #SarahMarshall #PlayaDustInMySoul #Belonging #Transformation #Writing #BurningMan #PersonalGrowth #Authors #Podcast