Brainwaves Unplugged: Real Talk on Mental Health

In this episode, we sit down with Marc Hodulich, co-founder of 29029 Everesting, an endurance experience that challenges participants to climb the vertical equivalent of Mount Everest: 29,029 feet. But this conversation isn't really about climbing a mountain. It's about what happens when we push beyond the familiar, quiet the voice telling us we can't, and allow ourselves to lean on others along the way.

Some of the most meaningful stories aren't told from the stage—they're lived behind the scenes. Join us for a beautiful conversation with longtime team member and now Executive Director, Tara Lantz, as she shares what it's been like to witness courage, healing, and hope through countless conversations and thousands of people crossing the SpeakUp5k finish line. It's a story about impact, purpose, and the privilege of walking alongside others.

In this inspiring conversation, we sit down with a young entrepreneur who transformed one of the darkest chapters of his life into a mission of hope. Together, we explore the freedom found in letting go of the relentless pursuit of perfection, quieting the inner voice that says "you're not enough," and discovering that our greatest strength comes not from flawless performance, but from living with purpose.

In this episode, I step away from a conversation with a guest to talk about something much more personal- what it really means to check in with yourself. Not the quick "I'm fine" we offer others, but the honest pause that asks, How am I really doing?

In this episode, we explore why mental health literacy is the missing piece in today’s education system. Through both frontline experience and research, our guest shares how early intervention can change not just individual lives, but entire communities. If we taught mental health alongside math and reading, what kind of future could we create?

About Our Guest:

Currently a Nursing Instructor at the University of Virginia, Sherrie Page Guyer has been a registered nurse for over thirty years with experience in inpatient, outpatient, and community/school settings. 15 of those years were at a K-12 independent school where she worked as a school nurse, high school health teacher, and Health and Wellness Coordinator. Her doctoral project, "Frontline School-Based Stakeholders and the Mental Health Literacy Needs of Adolescents" focused on teen mental health literacy programs in Richmond area high schools. 

Sherrie also works as a freelance writer where her articles often focus on healthcare topics, with a special interest in the school nursing profession and teen mental health concerns. She has published in multiple national outlets including TIME Magazine, Newsweek, CNN, HuffPost, STAT, American Nurse Journal (ANJ), Inside Higher Ed, and more. She holds a BSN from UNC Chapel Hill, an MSN in psychiatric nursing from Yale University, and a DNP from the University of Virginia. Also a reviewer for The Journal of School Nursing (JOSN), Sherrie is a member of the National Association of School Nurses, the American Nurses Association, and Sigma International Honor Society of Nurses. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dog, reading memoirs, and practicing Yoga. 

Explore how the brain, body, and personal story work together in healing. From Brainspotting and hypnotherapy to creative writing, discover the hidden ways therapy transforms emotions and everyday life.

Meet Our Guest:

Dr. Adina Silvestri, EdD, LPC is an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, hypnotherapist, and facilitator based in Richmond, Virginia. She specializes in working with high-functioning individuals who feel stuck despite years of therapy. She helps clients move beyond surface-level coping and address the root causes of anxiety, depression, trauma, and self-doubt. Through IFS, hypnotherapy, and expressive writing, she guides people in building a more compassionate and honest relationship with their inner world — because lasting change begins when we stop performing and start listening. Adina is the founder of Life Cycles Counseling and the creator of Unmask, a men’s group focused on emotional courage, and Writing Bravely, a therapeutic writing circle that helps people process loss, identity, and personal transformation. 

If you’re raising a teenager, you know emotions can feel overwhelming — for everyone. In this conversation, we discuss why teens experience such intense feelings, why regulation takes longer, and how validation can transform emotional moments. You’ll learn how to name emotions, stop trying to “fix” them, and gently return responsibility to your teen — helping build confidence, awareness, and resilience.

March Madness is here—and not just on the court! Join us for a chance to notice what’s happening in your head and reset amidst the noise. Come curious and discover how small moments of awareness can reset the noise we choose to listen to.

In this episode, we sit down with the founders behind Maunda, an online mental health app and therapy platform to explore the why that started it all. Grounded in lived experience and guided by innovation with intention, this conversation goes beyond technology to focus on access, humanity, and care. We talk about building mental health support in a digital world, the challenges along the way, and the hope that comes from making help feel more reachable for those who need it most.

What does it mean to really win? In this episode we talk about the mindset of excellence. How to strive, grow and push forward while staying rooted in self-compassion.  We talk about handling pressure and building inner strength. We learn how reframing success as resilience, clarity, and learning can lead to winning bigger than ever!