Born without a choice

What if wellness was never meant to be something we figure out completely on our own?

In this episode of Born Without a Choice, Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten explores the connection between individual wellbeing and the communities around us. As a sociologist, community development practitioner, parent, and partner, Maria brings both professional insight and personal experience to the question of how we can create healthier, more supportive environments.

Maria discusses her upcoming book, Even Monks Meditate Together, and the idea of community-driven wellness—moving beyond the traditional idea of self-care as something we practice alone and recognizing the role that connection, support, and collective empowerment can play in our wellbeing.

We talk about the pressure to handle everything independently, the influence of our communities on who we become, protecting our wellbeing while managing real-life responsibilities, and what to do when the people around us don’t support our growth.

Ultimately, this conversation is a reminder that caring for ourselves doesn’t always mean standing alone. Sometimes, wellness begins with finding the right people to grow with—and becoming part of the kind of community that helps others thrive too.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Dr. Maria Van Der Maaten
• Roles: Sociologist | Community Development Practitioner | Parent | Partner | Author
• Website: https://www.rootswingswellness.com
• Upcoming Book: Even Monks Meditate Together
• Focus: Community-driven wellness, collective empowerment, personal development, self-care, wellbeing and community
• Expertise: Sociology, community development, holistic wellness, personal growth, empowerment and supportive communities
• Key Themes: Self-care, community, identity, wellness, connection, personal growth, collective empowerment and healthy support systems
• Perspective: Exploring how the environments and communities around us can influence our ability to grow, recharge and thrive
• Message: We don’t have to navigate wellness and personal growth completely alone; the right community can help us become stronger together.

What happens when you become so good at being who everyone expects you to be that you lose touch with who you actually are?

In this episode of Born Without a Choice, Julie Heaton shares her journey from more than 30 years in the corporate world to a deeper calling centered on transformation, self-compassion, healing, and authenticity. Her story is about stepping beyond achievement and external expectations to reconnect with her own voice.

Julie explores what it means to stop performing and start becoming, including the inherited beliefs, childhood stories, people-pleasing patterns, and expectations that can shape how we see ourselves. She also shares her perspective on forgiveness, self-love, manifestation, and navigating major life transitions.

This conversation is an invitation to question the roles we’ve learned to play and consider what might be possible when we stop trying to become who everyone else wants us to be—and start coming home to ourselves.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Julie Heaton
• Roles: Author | Transformational Mentor | Certified Health & Wellness Coach | Reiki Master
• Website: https://hellojulieheaton.com
• Book: ROAR: A Guided Journey to Reclaim Your Voice, Own Your Story, Align with Truth & Radiate From Within
• Other Books: The Manifester’s Playbook and The Manifester’s Workbook
• Children’s Series: The Adventures of the Fabulous Three
• Professional Background: More than 30 years as a corporate executive
• Expertise: Personal transformation, self-love, self-compassion, healing, identity, manifestation, authenticity, wellness, inherited beliefs and life transitions
• Key Themes: Reclaiming your voice, overcoming people-pleasing, healing old stories, forgiveness, self-worth, radical self-compassion, and authentic living
• Focus: Helping people reconnect with themselves, move beyond limiting stories and expectations, and create lives that feel more authentic and aligned

How do you keep living when someone you love is no longer there to live alongside you?

Mark Stackpole joins Born Without a Choice for a deeply personal conversation about grief, gratitude, family, resilience, and learning to move forward after unimaginable loss. Mark shares the story of his daughter, Corinne, who died at 22 following her battle with leukemia.

Rather than allowing her illness and death to become the defining story of her life, Mark has chosen to remember Corinne for the person she was, the memories she created, and the impact she continues to have on those who knew and loved her.

In this conversation, Mark reflects on being a parent through uncertainty, holding onto hope during difficult circumstances, finding moments of joy after loss, and allowing grief to transform you without allowing it to define your entire life.

He also discusses honoring Corinne’s legacy through awareness of blood stem-cell and bone marrow donation, and the potential difference a donor can make for someone facing blood cancer.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Mark Stackpole
• Background: Educated professional with several advanced degrees; describes himself as a lifelong student
• Personal Story: Father of Corinne Stackpole, who died at age 22 following leukemia
• Key Themes: Grief, gratitude, resilience, family, loss, hope, remembrance, legacy and finding a way forward
• Focus: Choosing gratitude while acknowledging grief and remembering loved ones for the life they lived rather than only the circumstances of their death
• Advocacy: Raising awareness about blood stem-cell and bone marrow donation
• Donation Resource: NMDP — nmdp.org

What happens when we stop seeing people through labels and start seeing the person underneath?

Jody Zarn joins Born Without a Choice to share the unexpected friendship that changed her understanding of homelessness, mental health, trauma, empathy, and human connection. What began with something as simple as buying a man named Leroy a cup of coffee grew into a two-year journey of friendship, trust, healing, and transformation.

As Jody got to know Leroy, she discovered a person whose experiences, intelligence, accomplishments, and talents challenged many of the assumptions people can make about someone experiencing homelessness. Their relationship also brought Jody face-to-face with her own experiences of childhood bullying and the loss of her father to dementia.

Their story became the foundation for Jody’s book, Higher Power Betty and The Homeless Man Who Changed My Life, and a broader message about dignity, empathy, mental health, and learning to see the human being before the circumstances or label.

This conversation explores what it truly means to help without trying to fix, how trust is built, and how sometimes the person we think we’re helping can end up teaching us something about ourselves.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Jody Zarn
• Role: Author | Corporate Trainer | TEDx Speaker
• Website: jodyzarn.com
• Book: Higher Power Betty and The Homeless Man Who Changed My Life
• Key Story: A two-year friendship with Leroy, a man experiencing homelessness, that began with a simple cup of coffee
• Expertise: Empathy, human connection, mental health awareness, trauma, personal growth and storytelling
• Key Themes: Homelessness, dignity, trust, empathy, mental health, trauma, friendship, compassion and overcoming labels
• Focus: Encouraging people to look beyond circumstances and labels and recognize the humanity, experiences and individuality of every person

What happens when you become incredibly good at functioning—but forget how to simply be?

Katharine Chestnut joins Born Without a Choice to explore survival mode, self-trust, mindfulness, nervous-system awareness, and the journey of reconnecting with yourself beneath the expectations and pressures of everyday life. After nearly three decades as a successful corporate executive, Katharine experienced her own journey of rebuilding after emotional trauma, eventually leading her toward mindfulness and a different way of living.

Her approach, The Return, focuses on practical mindfulness, breathwork, awareness, self-trust, and learning to recognize when we have become disconnected from ourselves. Rather than constantly pushing harder, Katharine encourages people to pause, become aware, and reconnect with their own wisdom.

Together, we explore why high achievers can become trapped in survival mode, how chronic stress can affect our relationship with ourselves, and what it means to embrace her philosophy: “This Moment Is Right and Perfect.”

Ultimately, this conversation is an invitation to remember that sometimes we don’t need to become someone new—we simply need to return to who we already are.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Katharine Chestnut
• Role: Mindfulness Teacher | Author | Speaker
• Background: Nearly 30 years as a corporate executive
• Approach: The Return
• Website: katharinechestnut.com
• Free Resource: Mindfulness Quiz — katharinechestnut.com/mindfulness-quiz/
• Expertise: Mindfulness, self-trust, nervous-system awareness, breathwork, stress management, intentional awareness and personal growth
• Key Themes: Survival mode, chronic stress, high achievement, overwhelm, self-trust, mindfulness, authenticity and reconnecting with yourself
• Core Philosophy: “This Moment Is Right and Perfect.”
• Focus: Helping high achievers move out of survival mode and reconnect with themselves through practical mindfulness and intentional awareness

What if the story you were given was never the whole story?

Peter Gunn joins Born Without a Choice to explore service, transformation, mythology, creativity, and the stories we inherit before we ever have the chance to choose them. A 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, bodybuilder, guitarist, poet, and creative storyteller, Peter has spent his life moving between discipline, service, art, and personal transformation.

His journey includes overcoming childhood obesity, serving two decades in the military, becoming a father, and eventually turning toward epic poetry, mythology, music, and storytelling. After his daughter was born, Peter began questioning the traditional hero’s journey and exploring what he believed was missing from the stories we pass down.

Through projects such as The Amazons, The Sigma Squad, and his Linked-Lyrical Poetry approach, Peter is creating modern mythological worlds through poetry, graphic storytelling, and music. The conversation explores purpose, identity, ancient stories, creativity, and the possibility of rewriting the narrative we were handed.

Ultimately, Peter asks a powerful question: If we were born into a story we didn’t choose, what story will we choose to write next?

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Peter Gunn
• Role: U.S. Air Force Veteran | Poet | Bodybuilder | Guitarist | Creative Storyteller
• Military Service: 20 years in the U.S. Air Force
• Website: petergunn.net
• Creative Work: The Amazons, The Sigma Squad, Linked-Lyrical Poetry (LLP)
• Music: Guitarist with The AngellicS
• Expertise: Epic poetry, mythology, philosophy, storytelling, creativity, personal transformation, service and purpose
• Key Themes: The hero’s journey, identity, discipline, mythology, fatherhood, creativity, service, transformation and rewriting inherited stories
• Focus: Bringing epic storytelling into the modern world while exploring how ancient myths can help people understand identity, purpose, power and human nature
• Music: Peter’s work is also expressed through music, including collaborations with international musicians

Margaretrose Cox joins Born Without a Choice for a conversation about identity, confidence, decision-making, communication, and finding direction when you don’t yet know what comes next.

A certified DISC and emotional intelligence trainer, author, and upcoming TEDx speaker, Margaretrose helps teens, parents, coaches, and athletic directors better understand how people are wired and how that understanding can translate into practical action.

Her work with teenagers focuses on helping them understand their communication styles, emotional patterns, strengths, and responses to pressure so they can create a realistic plan for their future. That plan doesn’t have to mean college—trade school, military service, work, or a gap year can all be valid paths.

Margaretrose also works with athletic coaches and directors, helping them understand how individual athletes respond differently to feedback, pressure, correction, and leadership. The goal is to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and create communication that actually connects.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Margaretrose Cox
• Roles: Certified DISC & Emotional Intelligence Trainer | Author | Upcoming TEDx Speaker
• Website: yourjoymatters.com
• Focus: Teens, parents, coaches, athletic directors, personal development
• Specialties: DISC assessments, emotional intelligence, communication, self-awareness, decision-making, goal-setting, leadership
• Teen Focus: Helping young people understand themselves and explore future paths including college, trade school, military service, work, and gap years
• Athletics Focus: Helping coaches understand individual athletes and adapt communication to different personalities and responses to pressure
• Core Message: Every path deserves a plan

Norbert Heuser joins Born Without a Choice for a thought-provoking conversation about addiction, health habits, technology, curiosity, and the hidden influences that can shape our everyday lives.

A German-born inventor, entrepreneur, public speaker, life and health coach, management consultant, philosopher, and author, Norbert’s journey into health began with a serious personal health crisis decades ago. That experience led him to question conventional assumptions, research lifestyle and health, and explore connections between habits, technology, environmental influences, and human wellbeing.

The conversation also explores modern technology and the amount of time children and young people spend around cell phones, Wi-Fi, and other connected devices. Norbert shares his concerns about electromagnetic radiation and discusses inventions he says he developed to help address exposure to electromagnetic influences. Some of these health claims are debated, making the conversation an opportunity to explore how we can remain curious while also distinguishing personal experience, proposed solutions, and established scientific evidence.

Norbert also discusses addiction and habits—from coffee and caffeine to our increasingly connected relationship with smartphones. We explore why some habits become difficult to recognize as choices, how technology can influence the way we live, and why questioning what we consider “normal” can be an important part of thinking independently.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Norbert Heuser
• Roles: Inventor | Entrepreneur | Public Speaker | Life & Health Coach | Management Consultant | Philosopher | Author
• Website: improveyourlifewithnorbert.com
• Book: Every Coffee Drinker is a Drug Addict
• Experience: More than four decades of research and exploration into health, lifestyle, technology, and environmental influences
• Work: Proprietary technologies and products developed in Germany
• Key Themes: Addiction, health habits, caffeine, technology, electromagnetic radiation, cell phones, Wi-Fi, frequencies, water, lifestyle, curiosity, independent thinking
• Technology Focus: Norbert discusses inventions he says are designed to address electromagnetic influences from technologies such as cell phones and Wi-Fi
• Perspective: Encouraging people to question everyday habits, investigate ideas, and think beyond obvious explanations

Kathryn Riordan joins Born Without a Choice for a conversation about neurodiversity, burnout, executive dysfunction, time blindness, nourishment, and learning to work with yourself instead of constantly fighting against yourself.

A National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach and founder of For The Sensitive, Kathryn supports neurodivergent women, including those with ADHD, Autism, AuDHD, and those who identify as Highly Sensitive People. Her work focuses on creating sustainable approaches to wellness, habits, goals, and daily life that account for how an individual’s brain and nervous system actually function.

Kathryn also brings lived experience to her work. After years of navigating health challenges and searching for answers through different approaches and specialists, she eventually needed medical leave from Corporate America. That experience led her toward a more integrated approach involving nervous-system awareness, somatics, behavior change, and nutrition.

In this episode, Kathryn explains why executive dysfunction isn’t simply a matter of discipline, how to approach time differently, what burnout can teach us, and how people can build healthier definitions of success without constantly measuring themselves against systems that may not fit them.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Kathryn Riordan
• Role: National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach
• Founder: For The Sensitive
• Website: forthe-sensitive.com
• Focus: Neurodiversity, ADHD, Autism, AuDHD, Highly Sensitive People, executive dysfunction, time blindness, burnout, nervous-system awareness, somatics, nourishment
• Framework: FUEL Framework
• Specialties: Sustainable wellness, behavior change, habit building, executive-function challenges, sensory needs, nourishment, burnout prevention
• Approach: Helping neurodivergent women work with their brains and bodies rather than relying on rigid routines, willpower, or restrictive approaches

Kirana Sidin joins Born Without a Choice for a thoughtful conversation about philosophy, purpose, intentional living, and the everyday choices that shape the lives we create.

An author and strategic life coach based in Jakarta, Kirana explores one deceptively simple question: What does it really mean to build a good life? Her debut book, Cheers for a Good Life, became an Amazon #1 New Release in Philosophy, Ethics & Morality and an Amazon #1 Best Seller in Interpersonal Relations.

Kirana’s own journey began with a simple moment of reflection after her youngest child called her “jobless.” What started as quiet mornings with coffee and a stack of books eventually became hundreds of reflections, a book, and the foundation of her A Good Life framework.

In this conversation, Kirana explores how small everyday decisions can shape an entire life, how philosophy can help us navigate ordinary challenges, and how we can separate the life we genuinely want from the life we feel we’re supposed to want.

📬 Guest Details

• Name: Kirana Sidin
• Roles: Author | Strategic Life Coach | Speaker
• Book: Cheers for a Good Life
• Website: cheersforagoodlife.com
• Framework: A Good Life
• Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
• Key Themes: Philosophy, purpose, intentional living, personal growth, decision-making, relationships, meaning, everyday choices
• Focus: Helping people gain clarity, make intentional decisions, and build lives that genuinely reflect what matters to them