“Pretty much every single day between now and January 2nd has an elevated emotion attached to it.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession digs into why the holidays can feel like so much more than twinkle lights and to-do lists. Through her snow globe metaphor and stories from her own life, she explains how our nervous systems get shaken up by memories, money stress, schedules, and family dynamics, and why that makes connection harder just when we need it most.

Rebecca blends neuroscience, scripture, and a very real family reunion story to show how temporal integration, sensory cues, and emotional memory shape our experience long before we walk into the room. Then she offers a different way in: daily stillness, breath, gratitude, and a conscious choice to bring love instead of fear into gatherings, so you become a calming, contagious presence rather than another spark in the chaos.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How your nervous system “predicts” holiday gatherings and why you feel activated before you even arrive
• Simple stillness and pre-game practices that keep you regulated, present, and connected during the season
• How choosing love over fear can shift the emotional atmosphere of your family or team, without changing anyone else

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:43) Holiday season emotions and mixed expectations

(02:10) Understanding how your body responds emotionally

(03:41) Daily stillness routines to stay grounded

(05:28) How your brain predicts and scans for safety

(06:24) The power of sensory memories during holidays

(08:59) Choosing love over fear in family gatherings

(13:13) Personal family reunion story and mindset shift

(20:45) Practical tips for navigating family gatherings

(27:14) Reflections, questions, and next steps

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“Reflection is not optional. We’re designed for it, and it’s how our brains and souls find meaning.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession invites listeners into what she calls “reflection season.” It’s the natural rhythm each winter when our nervous systems slow down and we shift from doing to meaning-making. Drawing from neuroscience, leadership coaching, and spiritual wisdom, Rebecca explains why this stillness isn’t just rest. It’s a design for renewal, clarity, and change.

She guides leaders and business owners to prepare intentionally, offering practical ways to connect with teams before year’s end, nurture safety, and spark loyalty through meaningful conversations. Through storytelling and grounded reflection, Rebecca reminds us that great leadership is stewardship, and that reflection precedes revelation, both personally and professionally.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to support your team through reflection season with empathy and connection
• Why genuine appreciation and alignment matter more than metrics or performance alone
• How your own reflection as a leader sets the tone for everyone you influence

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:27) Reflection season and its importance

(02:18) Preparing for reflection as a leader

(02:42) The neuroscience of reflection

(03:17) Monthly and weekly reflection practices

(04:50) Employee reflection and business impact

(09:32) Genuine appreciation and connection

(13:43) Leadership and personal reflection

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“Stories build trust faster than any strategy deck ever could.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession shares how she designed her signature event “Stand Tall in Your Story” to foster genuine human connection through neuroscience-backed storytelling. 

She explores why traditional business gatherings often miss the mark and how emotional, story-centered experiences can transform relationships between colleagues, clients, and communities. Rebecca offers practical takeaways for leaders looking to make meetings, events, and company retreats more meaningful by trading PowerPoints for purpose and conversation for connection.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How storytelling triggers trust-building chemicals like oxytocin and strengthens relationships faster than facts or data alone
• Why emotional shared experiences create psychological safety and lasting engagement within teams and client groups
• Practical ways to reimagine your next meeting or event, from TED-style storytelling formats to intentional conversation design

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(02:41) The importance of celebration and connection

(04:48) Emotional and social bonding at events

(06:39) The power of storytelling

(08:40) Creating meaningful conversations

(15:27) Practical tips for hosting effective events

(26:49) Virtual event strategies

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“Presence is the new economy. It’s the differentiator for leadership, parenting, and everything that truly matters.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession sits down with speaker and author Tommy Short about the power of presence in leadership, family, and faith.

After a year without a phone, Tommy learned how silence, stillness, and meaningful connection can transform how we live and lead. He challenges the myth of productivity, discusses the toll of constant distraction, and uncover how true success starts with defining what truly matters.

Tommy shares the lessons behind his upcoming book The Call I Almost Missed, revealing how one radical act of disconnection became a spiritual and emotional awakening. From navigating parenting without screens to finding God in the quiet, this conversation invites listeners to pause, reflect, and reclaim their attention in a world that never stops buzzing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How stillness helps you reconnect with your purpose, relationships, and creativity
• How vulnerability, not hustle, leads to sustainable success
• Why “things that don’t matter, don’t matter” and how to discern what truly does

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(01:55) The impact of phone usage

(08:22) A year without a phone

(14:54) The revelation and spiritual journey

(24:05) Reflecting on presence and small habits

(25:29) The journey of writing a book

(27:36) Defining success and taking action

(30:52) The power of presence and depth

(39:03) Anticipation and emotions of the book launch

Connect with Tommy:

Website: https://tommyshort.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommyshort86/ 

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

"There's a lesson in everything that we go through, whether it's good or bad, but the bad teaches us more than anything else."

In this episode of the Business is Human podcast, host Rebecca Fleetwood Hession sits down with Lori Hodges, a veteran first responder, emergency manager, and author of Shaking in the Forest: Finding Light in the Darkness. Lori shares her incredible journey from a pivotal moment at a Grateful Dead concert to a 30-year career helping people navigate emergencies and disasters.

Lori’s perspective on leadership, trauma, and resilience is grounded in real-life experiences managing chaos and overcoming her own challenges. She and Rebecca discuss the importance of calm leadership, the transformative power of vulnerability, and how to find beauty in life’s most difficult moments.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why slowing down in high-stress situations leads to better outcomes
• How to build a culture where leaders and teams look out for one another
• The importance of finding lessons in both personal and professional challenges

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro  

(01:18) Career roots and the Grateful Dead concert  

(04:00) Choosing a path in emergency services  

(06:21) Writing the book ‘Shaking in the Forest’

(08:45) Lessons from emergency services: No running, no yelling  

(10:17) Commanding presence and confidence  

(14:26) Developing leadership skills  

(18:20) Early mistakes and learning to stay calm  

(20:34) Tools for slowing down and overcoming trauma  

(27:13) Balancing productivity and self-care  

(29:17) Finding beauty in chaos  

(34:16) Building supportive leadership and team culture  

(42:14) Chaos theory and future projects  

Connect with Lori:

Website: https://lorihodges.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-hodges-ma-ccp-pmp-319b2a18

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThrivingThroughChaos/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysticblue222

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“I looked around and thought, this is good. It is a beautiful day. I am healthy, I am happy. I am a child of God.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession reflects on the swirl of uncertainty in the world today, and why the answer isn’t in endless scrolling or chasing headlines but in anchoring ourselves in truth, joy, and God’s promises. Through personal stories and wisdom from three impactful books, she shows how our memory and imagination can either trap us in fear or unlock faith, contentment, and creativity.

Rebecca invites listeners to reframe how they see their lives, their work, and their emotions. From spotting joy in everyday moments to shifting from rehearsing failures to celebrating successes, this episode is both grounding and freeing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why chasing clarity in the news or on social media often leaves us more unsettled, and how to redirect your attention to what truly matters
• Ways to build habits of joy, like creating a “success journal” or using reflection questions to rewire your mindset
• How to use prayer and imagination as tools for faith, not fear

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(01:23) Spiritual awakening and social media

(02:31) Navigating uncertainty with faith

(03:57) Context and clarity in business

(05:14) Embracing differences for unity

(07:36) Book Recommendation: Living Fearless

(09:41) Book Recommendation: Victorious Emotions

(16:21) Book Recommendation: Living from the Unseen

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“We don’t want to put all of our safety eggs in one basket called work.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession traces how workplace expectations ballooned from pay and safety to culture fit, values alignment, and even mental health, blurring identity and fueling burnout. She recounts the historical moments that nudged business into roles it was never designed to carry and explains why offloading our identity to work creates dependency and fear. Rebecca offers a reset: reclaim intrinsic motivation, diversify your sources of safety and belonging, and lead in ways that are deeply human without trying to be everything.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How decades of “scope creep” (from the 1900s to the 2020s’ COVID) turned work into an identity stand-in, and why that drives burnout
• Ways to rebuild from the inside out: intrinsic motivation, self-respect, and non-work sources of safety, belonging, and meaning
• Practical language and boundary shifts for leaders and teams (e.g. “great team” vs. “family”)

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(00:43) How workplace expectations have changed

(03:32) Work’s influence on personal identity

(05:55) Consequences of relying too much on work

(08:21) Reclaiming our lives and identities

(11:47) Questions to ask yourself when  expectations are too much

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“Develop your capacity to navigate the uncertainty, the unplanned, because the uncertainty and the unplanned is going to happen whether you like it or not.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession explores the pitfalls of overplanning and the illusion of control that keeps us in a constant state of stress. She shares her personal journey from being a chronic overplanner to embracing adaptability, and explains how our nervous systems, cultural expectations, and even our beliefs can keep us stuck in cycles of anxiety and exhaustion. Rebecca offers practical wisdom from neuroscience, business, and faith to help listeners build confidence in navigating uncertainty and reclaim joy in both work and life.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why overplanning drains your energy and limits your creativity
• How to train your brain and nervous system to handle uncertainty in real time
• Practical questions and mindset shifts to help you trust yourself (and the process) more, while letting go of the need for total control

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(01:20) The problem with overplanning

(03:57) The neuroscience of overplanning

(05:51) Training yourself to handle uncertainty

(07:24) How overplanning impacts business and personal life

(09:06) A Biblical perspective on planning

(10:11) Preparing in a reasonable way

(11:56) Questions to ask when you’re planning

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“Fear might look like control, but it’s actually a counterfeit that limits creativity, burns people out, and keeps us small.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession exposes how fear shows up in today’s workplace and why it’s sabotaging both people and performance. Rebecca explains why the antidote to fear isn’t waiting for organizations to change, but cultivating self-respect. She shares five pillars of self-respect: identity, boundaries, alignment, humility, and abundance. These pillars show how each one counters the counterfeit beliefs that fear plants in our work and lives. 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why fear-based leadership looks powerful but actually undermines productivity and creativity
• How self-respect stabilizes your nervous system and unlocks innovation, clarity, and collaboration
• The five pillars of self-respect and how they counter fear in practical, everyday ways

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(00:43) The antidote for fear in the workplace

(03:24) The science behind fear and productivity

(06:36) Defining self-respect

(10:22) The five pillars of self-respect

(10:46) Identity and boundaries

(11:34) Alignment and humility

(12:34) Abundance and overcoming fear

(14:24) Real-life examples of self-respect

(17:02) Rooting out fear in the workplace

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

“Beliefs run our lives. Every habit, reaction, and emotion is rooted in what we believe—and if those beliefs don’t change, our behaviors won’t either.”

In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession unpacks why organizational change and personal growth so often fail: we focus on new processes or goals without addressing the beliefs driving current behavior. She shares stories from her coaching practice, including how frontline employees equated new technology with job loss, and why leaders must recognize these deeply held beliefs before expecting adoption. Rebecca also explores how personal beliefs about work, money, or even self-worth, shape our daily choices, and how shifting them can unlock new opportunities for joy, peace, and success.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why lasting change requires shifting beliefs, not just implementing new strategies
• How emotions, identity, and past experiences reinforce the patterns we follow
• Practical ways to examine your own beliefs and reframe them for growth and alignment

Things to listen for:

(00:00) Intro

(00:45) How beliefs impact business success

(01:50) Common hurdles when driving change

(04:01) How to handle employee concerns

(07:14) Emotions and identity in workplace change

(11:48) Shifting personal beliefs and life direction

(14:56) Connecting beliefs with spiritual faith

Connect with Rebecca:

https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/