In this rich and expansive episode of The Coached Podcast, I continue our Coaching Masters series with someone whose work and worldview bridge creativity, consciousness, and the courage to reinvent oneself again and again. I sit down with Nick Onken—celebrated creative entrepreneur, portrait photographer to icons (including my beloved Beebs), host of the NION Radio podcast, and author of The Philosophy of Identity Alchemy—to explore the deeper spiritual and psychological journey behind personal branding, creativity, and becoming who you truly are.

Book a call with Coach Keren: https://calendly.com/kereneldad/consultation?back=1

Nick’s story is a masterclass in individuation. Raised in a conservative religious environment and cultivated inside belief systems that never quite fit, he describes the slow, seven-year process of disentangling himself from inherited identities that had been embedded in the subconscious since childhood—something Carl Jung wrote about powerfully, and something so many high achievers, creators, and leaders will recognize in their own story. From that unraveling came a path into the arts, travel, photography, and eventually a profound internal collapse that forced him into what he now recognizes as multiple “dark nights of the soul”—those initiatory periods where everything you thought you were disintegrates so a truer self can emerge.

We talk about limiting beliefs, upper limits (thank you, Gay Hendricks), and the psychological fusion many of us experience between our identity and our work—especially in an era when industries are shifting overnight and reinvention is not a possibility but a mandate. We discuss the collapse of the commercial photography world, the arrival of social media, the shock of going from securing Nike-level campaigns to three years of crickets, and the ego death that followed.

Most importantly, we explore the philosophy that grew from those ashes: Identity Alchemy—Nick’s framework for consciously deconstructing who you were, curating who you want to become, and creating a personal brand and life expression that is intentionally crafted rather than unconsciously inherited. His premise is simple and extraordinarily potent: your identity is your greatest work of art.

We get into:

1. How early religious conditioning can embed subconscious fears that sabotage adult self-expression
2. The seven-year unraveling that led Nick out of inherited belief systems and into true creative agency
3. How burnout, imposter syndrome, and industry shifts catalyze reinvention
4. Why personal brands are more essential than ever in the age of AI
5. How to consciously design your identity, your space, your aesthetic, and your creative expression
6. Why reinvention is no longer optional—and how to pivot with enthusiasm
7. The magic thread that pulls all of us toward the next iteration of our becoming

If you are in a season of transition, reinvention, or re-evaluation—if you have ever wondered, “Who am I now?” or “What will I create next?”—this conversation will meet you exactly where you are.

Enjoy this masterful, soulful dialogue and prepare to walk away with an entirely new lens for seeing your life as your most powerful creative medium.

Links to Nick’s work:

https://photographedbyonken.com/

https://onkensworld.com/

https://www.instagram.com/nickonken/

Connect with Coach Keren:www.KerenEldad.com

If you love the Coaching Masters series, please subscribe, comment, and share.

1. Your support helps us bring you the world’s best teachers every single week.

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Coached Show Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Coach Keren or With Enthusiasm. Nothing shared should be taken as an endorsement of specific advice, teachings, or opinions. This series is intended to showcase a range of teaching styles and business methodologies for educational and informational purposes only.

Mentioned in this episode:

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In this profoundly intimate and masterfully instructive Coaching Masters episode, I welcome Dr. Kelly Brogan, holistic psychiatrist, New York Times bestselling author, and the creator of Reclamation Radio and The Relaxed Woman System. What unfolds is a sweeping conversation about the architecture of building a mission-centered empire, the psychology of reinvention, the spiritual rupture required to leave old paradigms behind, and the frameworks that have enabled Kelly to create, pivot, withstand critique, and build a platform with enduring global impact.

Kelly began her career on a traditional medical track—MIT, Cornell, NYU—a pedigree designed to meet the expectations of an immigrant family and the external markers of success. Yet beneath the accolades, a deeper fracture was waiting: the moment she realized she would not take the very medications she prescribed to pregnant women every day. What Jung would call the moment of rupture of empathy became the beginning of her individuation, her awakening from the inherited dogma of the system she had pledged loyalty to.

Her diagnosis of Hashimoto’s, the discovery that nutrition alone could reverse her condition, and the subsequent disillusionment with the medical establishment catalyzed her first great pivot: away from prescribing and into de-prescribing, a radical and deeply feminine act of rethinking the central question: What if we are not broken? What if we just need to come home to ourselves?

Book a call with Coach Keren https://calendly.com/kereneldad/consultation?back=1

From there, Kelly reveals:

1. How she developed her first flagship program, Vital Mind Reset, almost in a fever-dream of creative flow—what she calls a moment of true channeling
2. How the influence of her mentor, Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, shaped her protocol and her courage
3. The mechanics of “productizing” a method before she even knew she was building a product ladder
4. Her seven-figure book deal and the shock of industry blackout, including the New York Times refusing to cover her even as she hit its bestseller list
5. The emotional and psychological toll of criticism, the villain crown, and how she learned to hold her nervous system through public projection
6. How her work evolved from anti-pharma activism to embodied feminine leadership
7. Why safety—and not freedom—is the real gateway to expansion
8. How she built her digital empire years before the digital boom
9. Why group programs began outperforming her one-on-one psychiatric practice
10. The repeated lessons of hiring, letting go, and attracting the operational partner she finally could trust
11. The Relaxed Woman System and the essential insight that women expand only to the level that their nervous system can hold

This conversation is both tactical and vulnerable. We talk funnels, product ladders, and the infrastructure behind a multi-seven-figure brand. We also talk rupture, shame, shadow, projection, upper limits, relational healing, and how to meet the parts of ourselves we’ve spent a lifetime exiling.

If you are building your own flagship, your own mothership, your own mission—this episode is a blueprint and a blessing.

RESOURCE LINKS

Dr. Kelly Brogan- https://pages.kellybroganmd.com/consult

Coach Keren Calendly: https://calendly.com/kereneldad/consultation?back=1

The Reclaimed Woman - https://www.kellybroganmd.com/the-reclaimed-woman-book

Reclamation Radio https://open.spotify.com/show/1tKtHWE9MSsTOSQIcegeHM?si=96079f9bc6264668

Existential Kink by Carolyn Elliott https://www.amazon.com/Existential-Kink-audiobook/dp/B081QVG9LW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=321JCQGKO4SI7&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.mgh-1en67M0bGZqHHYaVNXflJ_ii_xVfkfbK464WrGck8VsYnPTMOw-lqFoBWNTxzr5GlQanI9N9nBiooMxmSo_-sii7M0y2urFFqoaicYNx41rn2tu9AM70g1hPO2dJkV3axa1ujD_2kLW-UJPDgQ.GMRJvZB98wkPWcP3iJyGNdXmrJ5oxmxlBfCFXO2bpsg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Existential+Kink+by+Carolyn+Elliott&qid=1770245133&sprefix=existential+kink+by+carolyn+elliott+%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-1

Coached Show Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Coach Keren or With Enthusiasm. Nothing shared should be taken as an endorsement of specific advice, teachings, or opinions. This series is intended to showcase a range of teaching styles and business methodologies for educational and informational purposes only.

Mentioned in this episode:

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In this Coaching Masters episode, we dive into one of my favorite intersections: teaching, mastery, and human connection, through the very specific lens of what your face is saying before you ever open your mouth.

My guest is Brian Galke, known as The Decoding Detective, founder of Subtle Skills: a company that teaches people how to read facial features and nonverbal cues so they can build instant rapport, communicate clearly, and create more powerful connections in business and in life.

If you’ve ever wished you could “read the room” faster, connect with clients more deeply, sell with integrity, or simply feel less awkward as an introvert in an extroverted world, this is your episode.

We talk about:

1. How Brian went from introverted help-desk tech to regional VP of sales managing a $40M portfolio — largely by decoding faces and adjusting his communication
2. Why many of the best teachers, speakers, and coaches are introverts or ambiverts, not “natural extroverts”
3. The link between facial features and how people process information (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
4. How eyebrows, lids, ears and even that little line under the lip offer clues into how someone thinks, decides, and feels loved
5. Why reading faces is not “profiling” or manipulation — but a tool for empathy and understanding
6. The alarming reality that younger generations are losing basic in-person communication skills (eye contact, presence, interviews)
7. How to stand out as AI and automation take over “good enough” communication — and why true presence and connection will only become more valuable
8. The deeper psychological and spiritual need we all share: to feel seen and heard, not just processed and replied to

This is not an episode about tricks or gimmicks. It is an episode about attention as a superpower, and the kind of subtle mastery that separates the top 1–2% of teachers, leaders, and salespeople from everyone else.

https://subtleskills.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Subtle-Skills-4-Page-Cheat-Sheet-Eyebrows-Eyelids-Eye-Angles.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOoqVfHMbkAPxXhfgqjuW4dhS4LeRQdqTqlLw-lV--jUxZrhW6k1x

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

1. How Brian “accidentally” discovered face decoding over dinner and had his own personality read back to him
2. Why introverts often make the best observers, teachers and coaches — and how to use that to your advantage
3. How to use facial features to quickly adapt your communication (for clients, partners, teams, and yes, dates)
4. Why he calls his company Subtle Skills — and how these micro-skills quietly transform your results
5. How door-to-door sales teams, hiring managers, and even people dating online use his system in real life
6. A simple way to make people feel truly seen in a world of distraction (and why this alone can change someone’s day)

About Brian Galke

Brian Galke is a speaker, trainer, and founder of Subtle Skills, specializing in decoding facial features to improve communication, sales, and relationships. He has trained sales teams, leaders, and entrepreneurs across multiple industries, helping them create instant rapport and deeper trust by actually understanding the person in front of them.

He’s taken his own journey from introverted help-desk support, to regional VP of sales, to full-time speaker and teacher — building a hyper-focused niche around one big idea: your face is talking long before you speak.

Learn more about Brian & Subtle Skills:

Website:

https://subtleskills.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorqul78Yoekppy7160G6a__byVFcIdtmNYxQAuzDPuXXZsL7rpn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briangalke/?hl=en

If you loved this episode, please subscribe, rate, and share it with someone who cares about mastery, teaching, and the art of truly seeing people.

To learn more about Coach Keren Eldad and With Enthusiasm Coaching, go to: www.KerenEldad.com

Mentioned in this episode:

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What happens when the very thing that built your success starts to suffocate you?

In this powerful New Year’s episode of COACHED, I sit down with David Harris, founder of one of the top personal injury law firms in the country, and one of my all-time favorite coaching clients.

By every traditional measure, David had made it: the firm, the money, the house, the reputation, the “perfect” family. But beneath the surface, he was overwhelmed, over-functioning, and quietly drowning in the very life he had built.

Six months into coaching, after I told him,

“You can stop… or life will stop you,”… and that was when life did exactly that.

David contracted a severe case of COVID, spent six months in the hospital, and came terrifyingly close to dying - more than once. His family was called in to say goodbye. And then… something shifted.

This is the story of what happens when you get a second chance - and actually use it.

It’s also the story behind GILDED: the book is dedicated to David’s rise. If you’ve ever wondered what coaching can really do in a life that looks “successful” on the outside but feels unsustainable inside, this episode is your glimpse behind the curtain.

In this episode, we explore:

1. The Overachiever’s Paradox in real time
2. How David built enormous external success while feeling increasingly hollow, pressured, and cut off from his own life.
3. The first “mirror moment” in coaching
4. What it was like for a life-long people pleaser and high achiever to finally turn the attention inward — and admit the cost.
5. Six months in the hospital & multiple near-death moments
6. What David remembers, what his family went through, and how close it really got.
7. The brutal and beautiful realization:

“I was gone… and the world still turned.”

How that single insight changed his relationship to work, control, and self-importance.

1. From gilded cage to real freedom
2. How the metaphor of the gilded cage landed for him, and how he began stepping out of the cage without burning his whole life down.
3. Ambition after a brush with death
4. David is still ambitious, still high-performing, still in the courtroom. But the way he moves through the world is entirely different.
5. Leadership, culture & trust
6. How his leadership style has transformed — from “I have to do it all” to delegating, trusting, and watching his team and culture rise.
7. The impact at home
8. How his wife and four kids experience “New David,” and the tiny moments (like laughing when something breaks) that signal massive inner change.
9. Redefining success
10. Moving from a financial scorecard to a life scorecard: impact, faith, freedom, and relationships.
11. Advice to founders who’ve “made it” but feel stuck or overwhelmed
12. David’s honest counsel for anyone hearing the internal nudge and ignoring it: don’t wait.

Resources

1. Order the book GILDED
2. GILDED: Break Free From the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More
3. Schedule a Call with Coach Keren: www.KerenEldad.com

If this episode resonates…

1. Share it with the overachiever in your life who looks “perfect” on the outside but is quietly exhausted inside.
2. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps this work reach the people who need it.
3. Screenshot the episode, tag @coachkeren and let us know your biggest takeaway.

May this conversation be the wake-up call you choose — so life doesn’t have to choose it for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

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In this luminous episode of COACHED: Coaching Masters, I sit down with one of my own great teachers, Nayaswami Asha, a senior teacher in the Ananda Sangha worldwide movement and a direct disciple of Swami Kriyananda, in the lineage of Paramhansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi.

We talk about what it really means to live as a soul in human form during “strange times,” why the universe is made of energy, not matter, and how our longing for meaning, joy, and relief from suffering is not a defect, but a compass pointing us back to the truth of who we are.

From her early days as an 18-year-old “truth seeker” in California, to the fateful moment she heard Swami Kriyananda speak at Stanford in 1969, to 16 years living at Ananda Village in simple, communal, spiritually charged conditions, Asha traces how her path unfolded – not as a neat, linear ascent, but as a series of inner recognitions, breakdowns, and choices to align ever more sincerely with love, service, and higher consciousness.

We also dive into the role of the spiritual teacher and guru, the power of lineage and “magnetism” (why real transmission is much more than information), and how to stay grounded and joyful even as the world feels more polarized, fearful, and chaotic.

If you have ever wondered why you are here, why life sometimes feels like a shiny, gilded cage, and how to find a safe place inside yourself that no turbulence can touch – this conversation is for you.

In this episode, we explore:

• The early life of a truth seeker
• Growing up in an intelligent but non-spiritual, socially conscious family
• The paradox of being “basically happy” but burning with questions about suffering and happiness
• Discovering Swami Vivekananda’s writings and immediately recognizing a deeper truth
• The moment the teacher appears
• The “fateful day” at Stanford in 1969 when Nayaswami Asha first heard Swami Kriyananda speak
• Why his presence felt like an embodied answer to a question she had carried her whole life
• How she knew “he has what I want” and what it means to recognize your teacher
• Ananda Village and a new way of life
• Moving into a young spiritual community in the 1970s: goat milk, gardens, trailers, no electricity
• Living extremely simply, yet feeling overwhelmingly rich in joy and purpose
• Becoming Swami Kriyananda’s assistant and hostess, and learning by attunement, not just study
• Energy, magnetism, and the real role of a teacher
• Why Asha insists that the real transmission is not content, but magnetism
• How a true teacher is like an “open window,” letting more of the divine light flow through
• Why genuine masters never claim the power as their own and always “pass it up the line”
• Self-forgetfulness vs. perfection of the ego
• The difference between self-realization and personal-development perfectionism
• Why our greatest moments of joy are usually the moments we forget ourselves
• How trying to perfect the small self creates anxiety and “gilded cages” of external validation
• Karma, reincarnation, and why this wild planet is not a mistake
• A clear, grounded explanation of reincarnation as a compassionate, logical design
• How our unresolved lessons live in our energy and draw us to the exact right circumstances
• Why we “chose this planet” in this time: both to serve and to face our fears
• Yes, it really might get worse – and that can be good news
• What it means to be in a transition from an age of matter to an age of energy
• The rise of super-charged ego and technological power, and the equal rise of light “underground”
• How turbulence forces us to seek a real inner safety, and higher levels of happiness
• Sincerity as the heart of spiritual practice
• Why “sincerity, not perfection” is the real fuel for discipline and devotion
• How to know whether you’re truly ready for transformation: what happens when things get hard
• The one question to ask in any situation: “What is this activating in me?”
• Love as the ultimate purpose
• Why we are ultimately here “to learn to love” – and why love is not always “nice”
• How perfect love casts out fear and leads to joy
• Practical examples of choosing to serve rather than freeze in fear, even on a random flight from Mexico

Mentioned in this episode

• Nayaswami Asha – teacher, author, and spiritual director with Ananda Sangha: https://www.instagram.com/innerlifewith_asha/
• Paramhansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi (link: https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Reprint-Philosophical-library-First/dp/1565892127/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?adgrpid=188921505000&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JWkEsunxvQv4ZLblIUyE31QZkPq3-x4S3sNyv4w7K0LsfbUmh6llSE06bn7uptcwET_p3b_FwT9CW0H6w16SG6DF6fTo27KEP_8VQwuqm0c8IEVsuv1b-fIkn4BZmW9xI1J2Qcjx-snQASYFHZAvQeu2QoL2f7zkkm_kn_Z6UyD6o8F4vz-HiZAvRinI73DsHjmtiE-7qJbQFlJZ9d-8QB8sA4XVPuG-eUL9LTyRVO4.TJNbPFXbJlNkwD0M6v2nSUf71mW8wKOyghsEswi_hAw&dib_tag=se&hvadid=779572530853&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9060225&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=6930145912084542343--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6930145912084542343&hvtargid=kwd-378389948097&hydadcr=22591_13821178_9241&keywords=autobiography+of+a+yogi+amazon&mcid=a50e8358fa48389f8e9700dd28bab775&qid=1764007427&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1)
• Asha’s talks on the current world situation: “Yes, It Will Get Worse” (parts 1 & 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKkKveJ2hLs, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy9XW5nXRvM
• GILDED: Break Free From the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More – by Coach Keren Eldad: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=gilded+keren+eldad&adgrpid=189531211907&hvadid=779513894136&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9060225&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=3389580693659355576--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=3389580693659355576&hvtargid=kwd-2388726978615&hydadcr=22537_13730727_8187&mcid=38855ac2f5e03c58b1696bec8b166ac2&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_79tpfm02cc_e

Connect

• Listen to more COACHED: Coaching Masters episodes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coached-with-coach-keren/id1467079024
• Follow Nayaswami Asha: https://www.ashajoy.org/, https://www.instagram.com/innerlifewith_asha/

Connect with Coach Keren: www.KerenEldad.com, https://www.instagram.com/coachkeren/?hl=en

Coached Show Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Coach Keren or With Enthusiasm. Nothing shared should be taken as an endorsement of specific advice, teachings, or opinions. This series is intended to showcase a range of teaching styles and business methodologies for educational and informational purposes only.

Mentioned in this episode:

Book a Call

If you’ve ever held a dream so big it scared you - if you’ve ever wanted to start something new, scale something meaningful, or finally become visible in a world that rewards the brave - this conversation is your blueprint.

In this Coaching Masters episode of COACHED, I sit down with Jasmine Star, CEO of Social Curator, multi–seven-figure founder, globally recognized strategist, and one of the clearest, most courageous voices in modern entrepreneurship.

Jasmine’s rise is nothing short of remarkable: a first-generation daughter of immigrants, a law-school dropout who walked away from the “right” path, a photographer who built a business from scratch, and a founder who transformed a $19 PDF into a multimillion-dollar empire. Her story is discipline, resilience, reinvention — and unshakeable self-belief.

Together, we explore what it really takes to build a life, a business, and a brand in the new era of entrepreneurship — and why visibility, consistency, and courage matter more than ever.

This is not a typical business interview. It’s a masterclass in identity, faith, grit, and execution.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Why your first step is the most important one you’ll ever take
• (and how to take it without waiting to “feel ready.”)
• The new laws of visibility in the age of AI
• Why hiding is now the most expensive decision you can make.
• How Jasmine built a multimillion-dollar empire from a $19 digital product
• A real-time lesson in starting where you are with what you have.
• The energetic difference between aspiration and action
• How to make your behavior finally match your dreams.
• The psychology of criticism, comparison, and being seen
• And why the internet does not get to decide your destiny.
• The role of partnership and support
• The way Jasmine and her husband work together as a team — and what that means for ambition, leadership, and family.
• Why iteration beats perfection 100% of the time
• How Jasmine uses testing, failing, learning, and trying again as a strategy for exponential growth.
• Why your brand must reflect your truest identity
• And why people don’t buy “perfect” — they buy presence.
• The future of business in 2026 and beyond
• And the specific skills every entrepreneur, creator, consultant, and coach must develop now.

Key Ideas & Quotes

• “Your actions must map your aspirations.”
• “You can’t scale what you never start.”
• Visibility is no longer optional - it is currency.
• Discipline creates confidence; confidence creates opportunity.
• AI won’t replace you — but it will expose those who refuse to evolve.

Connect with Jasmine Star:

Website: https://jasminestar.com/

Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/jasminestar/?hl=en

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jasmine-star-show/id1479619320

Connect with Coach Keren:

Website: www.KerenEldad.com

Instagram: @coachKeren

Listen & Subscribe

🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-courage-to-begin-jasmine-star-on-visibility/id1467079024?i=1000741808574

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/72bcby702Y2gJO0AdSMUN2?si=f6e3c3c4abbb43c4

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/lHgnx-pLdpU?si=YDE1oPMy9RnJIQrS

If this episode inspires you, please share it with a friend, tag @coachkeren, and leave a review. It helps this work reach the people who need it most.

Listen to related episodes: 

Jessica Gill https://open.spotify.com/episode/1MstAvnHtnt3X5f9YnAKJa?si=790d2ea1b2cf4ef1

Jessica Zweig https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Nn9jnbnaW6kxjGWgODgbe?si=8f6e80621c1f4229

Coached Show Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Coach Keren or With Enthusiasm. Nothing shared should be taken as an endorsement of specific advice, teachings, or opinions. This series is intended to showcase a range of teaching styles and business methodologies for educational and informational purposes only.

Mentioned in this episode:

Book a Call

In this Coaching Masters episode of COACHED, I, Coach Keren Eldad (PCC), sit down with one of my true heroes: Dr. Gay Hendricks – psychologist, teacher, and author of classics like The Big Leap, Conscious Loving, Five Wishes, Conscious Luck, and his new memoir, Loving Life.

For over 50 years, Gay has helped millions of people (myself included) break free from hidden limits on their happiness and success, step into their Zone of Genius, and create relationships where honesty, responsibility, and creativity replace blame and hiding.

In this conversation, Gay takes us behind the scenes of his life: from his spectacularly dysfunctional Southern family and 300-pound, chain-smoking twenties… to the fall on the ice that dropped him into pure consciousness… to meeting Ram Dass, starting a daily meditation practice in 1972, and building a body of work that has changed how we think about success, love, and luck.

We talk about what really blocks our happiness (hello, Upper Limit Problem), what it actually takes to live in your genius zone, and how he and his wife Kathlyn have sustained 44+ years of conscious partnership.

If you’re ready to stop self-sabotaging, claim your genius, and love more fully from wherever you are – this episode is a masterclass.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Gay’s origin story & the fall that changed everything

• Growing up in Leesburg, Florida, in a loud, opinionated, “perfect for a future therapist” family
• His mother’s “on a dare” run for mayor, and the grandparents who barely spoke for decades
• Being the only obese kid in a skinny family, diet pills in 9th grade, and toxic early relationships
• The ice fall at 24 that opened a window into pure consciousness – and why he committed to finding his way back there

Meditation, happiness, and a hotel room in rotten-egg spa town

• How a Ram Dass lecture and a paperback in a grocery store doorway gave him a path
• Starting a daily meditation practice in 1972 (and never missing a day since)
• The New Zealand flu story: being desperately ill, reeking sulfur, and discovering a layer of happiness that circumstances couldn’t touch
• Why he says our “true home” is not ecstasy or achievement, but the quiet field of pure being

The Upper Limit Problem & Zone of Genius

• The moment he noticed himself sabotaging weight-loss progress with a giant sundae in Harvard Square
• How we unconsciously cap our happiness and success because we’re “allergic” to feeling too good
• The four classic ways we upper-limit: worry, criticism, accidents/illness, and conflict
• The Zone of Genius: the sweet spot where what you most love to do is what most serves the world
• Moving from 10% genius time to 100% – and why Gay hasn’t done anything outside his Zone of Genius in 25 years

Conscious Loving & creating relationships where no one has to hide

• Realizing the problem wasn’t “out there”: “It’s an inside job. My job is to figure out who I am and what I want in love.”
• The three foundations he committed to before meeting Kathlyn: radical honesty, ownership instead of blame, and shared respect for creativity
• How Conscious Loving went from living-room groups to a major book deal and an Oprah appearance
• Why “nobody ever blames their way to happiness or enlightenment”

Luck, intention, and what’s next

• The ninth-grade decision to “be one of the lucky ones” – and the coin-collector story that followed
• Why he says if you’re still stuck, you likely haven’t made a deep enough commitment yet
• His original birthday wish – “eternal happiness for everyone, including me” – and why it still stands
• Gay’s newest project: an AI-powered coaching portal to support coaches and clients in real time

Resources & Links

📚 Explore Gay’s work:

• Website: https://hendricks.com/?v=0b3b97fa6688
• Loving Life (memoir)
• The Big Leap
• Conscious Loving
• The Big Leap Podcast: https://bigleappodcast.com/

📘 Read GILDED by Coach Keren Eldad: https://www.amazon.com/Gilded-Breaking-Ambition-Perfectionism-Relentless/dp/B0DXRK5FLL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OPCX1FARYF63&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.njD5L0Nd6doDLQVmo_4wtVKk_-HS5-aTOZ4Oq3LQXIfLe_2B_B22PN1Jz1vUr3hsQGkARRYSBSM38bgnhX_woQ.4cDO6ga9zTbytHLae6dqqbmCUB7zBWQN3Vujzi4uQ1Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=gilded+keren&qid=1764085054&sprefix=gilded+keren%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1

Mentioned in this episode:

• Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Connect with Coach Keren:

• Website: www.KerenEldad.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/KerenEldad
• GILDED: Break Free From the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More: https://www.amazon.com/Gilded-Breaking-Ambition-Perfectionism-Relentless/dp/B0DXRK5FLL/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OPCX1FARYF63&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.njD5L0Nd6doDLQVmo_4wtVKk_-HS5-aTOZ4Oq3LQXIfLe_2B_B22PN1Jz1vUr3hsQGkARRYSBSM38bgnhX_woQ.4cDO6ga9zTbytHLae6dqqbmCUB7zBWQN3Vujzi4uQ1Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=gilded+keren&qid=1764085054&sprefix=gilded+keren%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1

🎧 Listen to COACHED on:

• Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-gay-hendricks-the-big-leap-into-your-genius-zone/id1467079024?i=1000740814844

• Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/episode/0KTTsqkF9vtdQAQezmjLjb?si=6d0821d325714915

📺 Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Zdsi6Dq4s3A

Mentioned in this episode:

Book a Call

In this electrifying and deeply grounding installment of Coached: Coaching Masters, Coach Keren sits down with someone whose work has shaped her own growth in profound ways: Jessica Gill, Chief Content Officer at To Be Magnetic and co-host of the internationally beloved Expanded podcast.

If you are even remotely adjacent to the worlds of manifestation, energetics, inner child work, subconscious reprogramming, somatics, Human Design, or Abraham Hicks, you already know that Jessica is the real deal — and this conversation reveals exactly why her work has become a lighthouse for millions who are ready to step into their worth.

Together, Keren and Jessica explore the real mechanics of becoming magnetic, stripping away the mystical glitter and the popular-but-shallow “think it and it shall be” rhetoric, and instead offering a grounded, psychology-backed, deeply human conversation about what it actually takes to manifest a life that is worthy of you.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Jessica’s early career in Hollywood casting, the hidden misalignment she felt, and the precise moment she knew she had to walk away
• The Tony Robbins seminar visualization that blew her life wide open and changed her path forever
• How to identify your pings, your expanders, and your tests — and why so many people pass the first two and fail the last
• The truth about the Law of Attraction, and why so many people “practice” manifestation for decades without actually manifesting a thing
• Why your subconscious self-worth, not your conscious desires, is what the universe responds to
• How TBM integrates modalities like EMDR, IFS, somatics, psychology, and human design into a method that works
• The discipline required to unblock the parts of you that still don’t believe you are enough
• How authentic code, intuition, aligned action, and personal authority combine to create your next chapter
• Where Jessica is headed next — in love, marriage, purpose, and the evolution of TBM in 2026

This is a conversation about the real work — the kind that rearranges your internal architecture, clears out everything that keeps you playing small, and invites you to operate from the powerful, grounded, self-led place inside you that already knows you are worthy.

Listen to the episode:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-manifestation-episode-youve-been-waiting-for/id1467079024?i=1000739647068

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1MstAvnHtnt3X5f9YnAKJa?si=257f3365815f4188

📺 Watch the episode on YouTube (highly recommended): https://youtu.be/GuVPYG9DD5g?si=4N7kOBnFziserDR9

Connect with Jessica:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaashleygill/?hl=en

Website: https://tobemagnetic.com/

For the Challenge – use Code: JESSICA

Podcast: https://tobemagnetic.com/expanded-podcast/2021/339

Get the Book:

How to Manifest



Coached Show Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Coach Keren or With Enthusiasm. Nothing shared should be taken as an endorsement of specific advice, teachings, or opinions. This series is intended to showcase a range of teaching styles and business methodologies for educational and informational purposes only.

Mentioned in this episode:

Book a Call

What if “miracles” weren’t random, but a frequency you could live in?

In this powerful and heart-opening conversation, Coach K sits down with The Bachelorette alum and transformational coach Eric Bigger, whose signature mantra “It’s Miracle Season” was born from heartbreak, ego death, and deep spiritual awakening.

From Baltimore to Hollywood to Machu Picchu, Eric shares how his journey through fame, loss, and plant medicine led him to redefine success, embody love, and create Spiritual Fitness,  a practice that keeps the soul as strong as the body.

Together, they unpack:

• The true meaning behind It’s Miracle Season, and how to activate that frequency.
• Why heartbreak and ego death are portals, not punishments.
• How authenticity and vulnerability are the new visibility in the AI age.
• The birth of Eric’s Spiritual Fitness movement, and why staying spiritually fit is as essential as staying physically fit.
• The courage to stop performing, surrender control, and live from soul.

This episode is a transmission of healing, humility, and higher consciousness: a reminder that the miracle isn’t out there; it’s you.

Guest: Eric Bigger, motivational speaker, author, TV personality, podcast host, and creator of The Miracle Season movement.

Host: Coach Keren Eldad

Key Quotes“In order to be a king, you have to receive.” – Eric Bigger

“Purpose is a side effect of surrender.” – Coach Keren Eldad

“Miracle Season is a healing frequency that ends all suffering.” – Eric Bigger

Mentioned in This Episode

• A Hundred Days of Wisdom and Transformation by Eric Bigger
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• Power vs. Force by David Hawkins
• The Work (“Loving What Is”) by Byron Katie
• Spiritual Fitness Podcast by Eric Bigger

Connect with Eric Bigger

• Instagram: @EricBigger
• Website: ericbigger.com
• Listen to Spiritual Fitness wherever you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-fitness-with-eric-bigger/id1346342753

Connect with Coach Keren

• Website: www.coachkeren.com
• Book a Clarity Call: calendly.com/kereneldad
• Follow on Instagram: @coachkeren

Coached Show Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by guests on this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Coach Keren or With Enthusiasm. Nothing shared should be taken as an endorsement of specific advice, teachings, or opinions. This series is intended to showcase a range of teaching styles and business methodologies for educational and informational purposes only.

Mentioned in this episode:

Book a Call

Guest: Lyndsay Dowd, Speaker, Author of Top-Down Culture, Host of Heartbeat for Hire

In this powerful episode, Coach K sits down with the extraordinary Lyndsay Dowd, a former IBM executive turned cultural architect, to talk about what real leadership looks like in a post-corporate world.

After 23 years at IBM, Lyndsay was fired from what she thought was her “dream role.” Instead of collapsing, she asked herself three questions that changed everything:

1️⃣ What am I really good at?

2️⃣ What do I love to do?

3️⃣ How can I help people the most?

From those answers, she built an empire of service: founding her company, writing her bestselling book Top-Down Culture, and launching Heartbeat for Hire, a podcast championing authentic leadership and human-centered culture.

Together, Keren and Lyndsay go deep on:

• Why great leadership starts with humility and service
• The power of listening to your heart, even when your parents (and the world) don’t get it
• How to lead people through uncertainty with trust, empathy, and integrity
• The truth about speaking and podcasting as serious professional businesses
• Why the best question any leader can ask is: “How can I be the best leader for you?”
• How marriage, partnership, and safety at home expand your courage in business

Favorite Quote:

“You’ll never look bad lifting others up.” - Lyndsay Dowd

Connect with Lyndsay:

• Book: Top-Down Culture
• Podcast: Heartbeat for Hire
• Website: www.lyndsaydowd.com

Connect with Coach Keren:

• Book: GILDED: Break Free from the Cage of Ambition, Perfectionism, and the Relentless Pursuit of More
• Coaching + Speaking: www.KerenEldad.com
• Book a Clarity Call: calendly.com/kereneldad

Mentioned in this episode:

Book a Call