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Empathy is a powerful connector—it allows us to lead, parent, and relate in ways that are authentic, supportive, and deeply human. But when empathy slips into over-identifying or carrying someone else’s pain as our own, it can quickly lead to overwhelm and burnout.

In this episode, Jenny explores how to practice empathy in ways that strengthen connection without draining your energy or sense of self. You’ll discover:

• The three types of empathy—and how each shapes your daily interactions
• The difference between healthy empathy and the kind that blurs your boundaries
• What neuroscience reveals about why empathy can feel exhausting (and how to shift this)
• Simple strategies to help you stay grounded while still deeply caring for others

Whether you’re leading a team, raising a family, or simply navigating relationships, this episode offers a fresh, practical lens on empathy—so you can show up with compassion and clarity without losing yourself along the way.

Additional Resources:

The Empathy-Compassion Gap – Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-backed-compassion/202504/the-empathy-compassion-gap

Empathy Is the Most Important Leadership Skill – Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/09/19/empathy-is-the-most-important-leadership-skill-according-to-research/

Leading with Empathy and Resilience: Keys to Positive Outcomes in the Workplace – BizJournals
https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/news/2024/10/07/leading-with-empathy-and-resilience-keys-to-positive-outcomes-in-the-workplace.html

4 Advantages of an Empathetic Leadership Style – Australian Institute of Business
https://www.aib.edu.au/blog/leadership/4-advantages-of-an-empathetic-leadership-style/

Healing Family Conflict With Empathy and a Calm Approach – Psychology Today
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/liking-the-child-you-love/202412/healing-family-conflict-with-empathy-and-a-calm-approach

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What if the beliefs holding you back didn’t even start with you? In this episode, we’re diving into the hidden influence of family generational patterns—the beliefs, behaviors, and roles that get passed down through families, often without us even noticing.

We’ll talk about what these patterns are (and why they’re so sneaky), how to spot when you’re living out an inherited script instead of your own story, and a few simple questions that can help you pause, notice, and choose a different way forward.

Whether you’re leading a team, raising a family, or simply wanting more freedom in your own life, this episode is here to remind you: the patterns you carry aren’t set in stone. You can recognize them, understand them, and choose the path forward.

Additional Resources:

Dashorst, R., Schulz, A., & Wagner, P. (2023). Children of Holocaust survivors: The experience of engaging with a traumatic family history. Genealogy, 7(1). https://www.mdpi.com/2313-5778/7/1/20

Yehuda, R., Daskalakis, N. P., Bierer, L. M., Bader, H. N., Klengel, T., Holsboer, F., & Binder, E. B. (2016). Holocaust exposure induced intergenerational effects on FKBP5 methylation. Biological Psychiatry, 80(5), 372–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.005

Wolynn, M. (2016). It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle. Viking.

Ancona, D. A., & Perkins, D. N. T. (2022, January). Family ghosts in the executive suite. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2022/01/family-ghosts-in-the-executive-suite

Barrett, L. F. (2017). How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 

Searce, T. (2024, June 14). The Holocaust and generational trauma. How did the Holocaust affect…? University of Arkansas. Retrieved from https://howdidtheholocaustaffect.uark.edu/2024/06/14/the-holocaust-and-generational-trauma

Ressler, K. J., & Dias, B. G. (2013). Mice can inherit learned sensitivity to smell. Emory University News Center. Retrieved from https://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/12/smell_epigenetics_ressler/index.html

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How do you get past “Fine,” “Good,” and “Okay” when talking with your kids? In this episode of Come Home to You, Jenny Swim answers a listener’s question about asking curiosity-based questions that feel natural—not like an interrogation. Building on Episode 23 (The Power of Questions), Jenny shares five practical techniques to create deeper, more engaging dialogue: making it fun, following your child’s interests, asking better questions, modeling the openness you seek, and respecting the natural rhythm of conversation.

Whether you’re parenting, partnering, or leading, these tools will help you move past surface-level exchanges and into authentic, connection-building dialogue.

Connect with Junto Coaching: https://www.juntocoaching.com/

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What if play isn't just for kids—but a powerful, untapped instinct that fuels emotional intelligence, creativity, and leadership? In this episode, Dr. Patricia Hohlbein joins us to challenge our cultural conditioning around productivity and "wasted time," revealing how play is actually essential to how we think, connect, and thrive.

We explore Patty’s fascinating doctoral research on the science and instinct of play, its ability to change your brain, and how adults can reconnect with play to unlock creativity and flow in both work and life. You’ll learn how a walk in nature, listening to music, or even a moment of daydreaming might be more productive than another hour at your desk.

💡 In this episode, we discuss:

• How play is an instinct—not just a pastime
• How play is trained out of us
• The neuroscience of how play resets the brain
• Easy ways to reintroduce play into your day
• The idea of a “play history” and what it reveals about you

Whether you’re a leader, a parent, a professional—or all three—this episode will help you rethink what it really means to be productive, healthy, and whole.

🎧 Tune in and rediscover the power of play.

To Connect with Dr. Hohlbein, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-patricia-hohlbein-edd-mba-9876664/

Additional Resources:
Hohlbein, Patricia J., "The power of play in developing emotional intelligence impacting leadership
success: a study of the leadership team in a Midwest private, liberal arts university" (2015). Theses and
Dissertations. 595.
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/595

Brown, S., & Vaughan, C. (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. Avery.

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In a world flooded with information, curated images, and competing voices, it’s easy to lose track of what’s real. How do you know what to trust—online, in conversation, or even within yourself?

This episode dives into the growing challenge of discernment in both our personal and professional lives. From algorithm-fed narratives to the quiet undercurrents of self-doubt, we explore how distortion—both external and internal—can cloud your clarity.

Through personal stories, metaphors, and practical tools, we’ll explore:

• How to recognize when something feels “off,” even if it looks fine on the surface
• How external and internal distortion might be showing up
• Three practical tools to strengthen discernment: triangulating data, listening with your whole self, and practicing stillness

Whether you’re making leadership decisions, navigating relationships, or simply trying to stay grounded in the noise, this episode offers calm, thoughtful guidance to help you come home to yourself—and move through the world with more clarity, confidence, and wisdom.

🎧 Plus: You can now watch the podcast on YouTube! Just search Come Home to You Podcast and join the conversation in a whole new way.

Connect with Junto Coaching: https://www.juntocoaching.com/

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In this episode, we explore the underestimated power of asking better questions—not just of others, but of ourselves. Whether you're leading a team, navigating a tough conversation, or sitting with your own inner conflict, the way you question matters. We'll explore:

• How to shift from judgment to genuine curiosity, 
• Why simple, open-ended questions can be powerful connection tools,
• And what it looks like to tune into the right kind of question for the moment at hand.

This isn’t about having the right answers. It’s about becoming someone who asks the right questions—and in doing so, unlocks insight, connection, and possibility.

Perfect for leaders, coaches, creatives, and anyone ready to bring more intention to how they show up in conversation—with others and within.

Additional Resources:

🎧 Episode 6: Tuning Inward: Unlocking the Answers You Already Have

Listen Here or find it on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

Huang, K., Yeomans, M., Brooks, A. W., Minson, J., & Gino, F. (2017). It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: Question-Asking Increases Liking. Harvard Business School.
Read the study (PDF)

Robson, D. (2018). The Science of Having a Great Conversation. WIRED.
Read the article

Layne, R. (2017, October 30). Asking Questions Can Get You a Better Job or a Second Date. Featuring Alison Wood Brooks. Harvard Business School Working Knowledge.
Read the article

Leimbach, C. (n.d.). Why Master Open-Ended Questions. Agon Leadership.
Read the article

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What does it really mean to be in the driver’s seat of your own life—aware, engaged, and choosing your next move without white-knuckling the wheel?

We often find ourselves caught between what we can’t control and the pressure to manage everything else. On one side is the urge to over-function; on the other, the sense that life is just happening to us. This episode explores that in-between space—the grounded middle where you acknowledge circumstances AND recognize your agency as the leading actor in your own life story.

We’ll explore:

• How a growth mindset can turn every experience into meaningful progress
• Why anchoring to your deeper purpose brings strength—especially when you’re walking into the dark or standing alone
• How small, purposeful actions help ease overwhelm and restore momentum

This conversation invites you to redefine what it means to take action—and reconnect with your power to choose from a place of self leadership, not control.

Additional Resources:

From Doubt to Purpose: Standing Without Applause, Adriano Pianesihttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-doubt-purpose-standing-without-applause-adriano-pianesi-mba-ggsqe/

Mindset, Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

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In this episode of Come Home to You, we explore a kind of confidence that doesn’t rely on performance, perfection, or praise. This is character-based confidence—a grounded trust, rooted in who you are, not just what you can do.

We’ll look at how to build confidence anchored in an internal reference point—your inherent worth. You’ll learn how courageous authenticity and integrity align you with your inner guide, and why showing up from a place of coherence—not just competence—is the foundation of effective leadership, both within and beyond.

We’ll also explore the role of courageous action—how doing the things that stretch or scare you expands your capacity for deeper self-trust.

Whether you’re navigating self-doubt, stepping into greater leadership, or craving a steadier relationship with yourself, this episode invites you to build confidence that lasts.

Resources:

https://longevity.stanford.edu/self-efficacy-toward-a-unifying-theory-of-behavior-change/

*If you liked this episode, consider checking out podcast episodes: 5, 16 and 19 

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In this episode, we dive into “the gap”—the often overlooked but deeply fertile space between where you are now and where you want to be. This in-between can feel uncertain, even disorienting—but it’s also where clarity forms, creativity stirs, and transformation takes place.

We’ll explore the gift within this space by examining three core elements: discomfort, control, and awareness. You’ll learn practical tools to help you navigate these dynamics with greater clarity and ease. Whether you’re in transition, seeking change, or feeling stuck, this conversation will help you reframe the in-between as a place not to fear—but to trust.

Additional Resources:

The Pit of Success, by Dave Jennings and Amy Leishman

Aaronde Seckou Creighton https://www.linkedin.com/in/onlyoneaaronde/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/here-vuca-we-need-see-from-leaders-during-pandemic-creighton-pcc/?trackingId=z2aDJbooLIPACKPQ3ry5LA%3D%3D

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Feeling torn between what you should do and what you truly want?
In this guest episode, Carrie Dowling introduces The Four Factors—her grounded, values-based tool that brings clarity and confidence to your decision-making.

Carrie unpacks how roles and expectations can cloud your judgment, how core growth-oriented values help reveal who you are and what you really want, and how to move forward when you're feeling stuck.

Bring a real decision you’re wrestling with—we’ll walk through it together using the Four Factors. I'm so glad you joined us!

Connect with Carrie: [email protected] or The4factors.com

Additional Resources: 

Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck

Culture Code by Dan Coyle

*All client experiences shared in this episode were done so with permission.

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