As promised, Ashley recorded a companion audio for those who wanted to go beyond the conversation and see what arises to the surface through the practices of journaling and/ or contemplation. 

We recommend you find a quiet place where you can be comfortable, curious, and courageous. 

If you're journaling, bring a pen and paper along. (Yes, old school analog!) 

If you're choosing to listen and reflect, just bring yourself. 

Listen with headphones for the best experience, and send us a note on how it went!

With Courage, 

Ash & Mark 

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.

Manifestation isn’t about begging the universe for a better car. And it definitely isn’t about blaming yourself for every hard thing you go through. It’s about authorship, alignment, and the courage to build a life that actually feels like yours.

In this episode of Conversations in Courage, Ashley and Mark rethink manifestation through the lenses of neuroscience, social sciences, and spirituality.

They explore:

• The tension between manifestation culture and actual brain science
• Why attention and intention reshape what we notice, believe, and act on
• How identity and habits (“I’m not a smoker” vs “I’m trying to quit”) change our lives
• What it means to stay in your integrity
• The role of journaling, visualization, and being fed up with playing small 
• Why winter might be the best season for intention-setting

Books & people we mention:

• Mind Magic – Dr. James Doty
• Collective Illusions – Todd Rose
• Wayne Dyer (spiritual teacher)
• Atomic Habits – James Clear
• Charles Duhigg’s work on habits

Send us a DM @couragepod with how you think about manifestation, intention-setting, or goal-setting!

If this episode resonated, leave a 5-star rating and a short review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more people find these conversations.

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.

You’ve probably heard the buzzwords: longevity, metabolic health, stress, recovery, and cold plunging-
But what does the science actually say? And more importantly, how do we make it meaningful?

In this episode, Mark & Ashley sit down with Dr. Rachele Pojednic- scientist, researcher, educator, and creator of Strong Process. Together, they explore the sweet spot where evidence meets embodiment, breaking down what we think we know about health and wellness, and revealing the physiology of resilience, courage, and living well.

We discuss muscle as medicine, the benefits of cold exposure, GLP-1 drugs, stress physiology, and why becoming strong from the inside out is less about perfection and more about the process.

This is science with a heartbeat — and permission to build a life that feels good in your body.

Dr. Rachele Pojednic is the Chief Science Officer at RestoreLabs, Restore Hyperwellness. She holds a faculty appointment at Stanford University in the Program in Human Biology and is the Director of Education at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine. She received her PhD in nutritional biochemistry and exercise physiology from Tufts University and completed her postdoctoral
fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Her current research examines nutrition,
supplementation and physical activity interventions on muscle physiology, human performance, and longevity, with a particular focus on women’s health. She has a passion for science communication and is featured regularly in the popular press including: NPR, NYTimes, Time, Popular Science, Oprah Daily, Sirius Doctors Radio, and the Wall Street Journal.

Website: www.rachelepojednic.com
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ydllcjAAAAAJ
Instagram: @rachelepojednic
Threads: @rachelepojednic
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelepojednic/
Substack: https://rachelepojednic.substack.com/

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.

Content Warning: This conversation includes descriptions of child abuse and institutional failure. Please take care while listening.

Ashley and Mark sit down with advocate and mom Jennifer Baptista, whose son Nathan was harmed at school. After investigations stalled and accountability faltered, Jennifer began pushing legislation to require cameras in Massachusetts' sub-separate/special-education classrooms. We talk about what happened, why cameras are controversial, how families can document concerns, and what listeners can do to help.

Jennifer Baptista is a realtor, wife, mother, & special needs advocate. After her son's abuse in 2020-2021, she’s been fighting for the safety of the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable.

Key takeaways

• Trust your instincts; sudden behavioral shifts or phrases may be signs of disclosure.
• Document everything: follow every phone call with an email summary.
• Cameras in sub- separate classrooms can protect students and staff by adding context and verifiable records.
• There's opposition is around privacy, union concerns, and funding, yet many spaces in public schools already use cameras.
• Advocacy is a marathon: bills need stories, coalitions, and persistent constituent pressure.

How to support Jennifer’s bill 

• If you’re in Massachusetts, contact your State Rep/Senator and the Joint Committee on Education; voice support for classroom cameras in sub-separate classrooms.
• Share your story: Caregivers willing to testify or submit letters of support can email Jennifer (contact below). Lived experience moves votes.
• Coalition help: If you’re with an autism or disability-rights org, consider grants/pilot funding, legal review, or testimony.
• Educators: If you see something, say something. Know your mandated-reporting obligations and your options to report directly.

Connect with Jennifer

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @jen_bap_spiritualrealtor

Disclaimer
This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice.

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.

We all say we want to be informed—but what if the constant feed is quietly wrecking our nervous systems?
 

Ashley and Mark unpack the cycle of outrage diets and dopamine loops: why we can’t stop scrolling, how to build healthier media habits, and what it means to keep yourself well enough to still give a damn. It’s part wellness, part sociology, part marriage banter—and a reminder that attention is a resource worth protecting.

We cover:

• Why “attention is the currency right now” and how algorithms hook us
• A reminder: we can choose where and how we consume
• Learning styles: topic depth, counterpoints, and drawing intersections
• Synthesizing → action (from pause to practice, from values to voice)
• Parenting, modeling, and finding your way back to community
• The 4 challenges we’re trying ourselves:
  1. Engage with the news outside of social media  + read a credible counter-source
  2. Do happy, non-controversial consumption on purpose
  3. Remember you’re not powerless—some change is slow
  4. Find local community 

If something here sparks you (or bristles), add to the conversation: DM @couragepod on IG or email us. 

If this episode helped you, please rate, review, and share. It truly helps new folks find the show.

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.

In this two-part conversation, Ashley and Mark sit down with Eliza Nimon- Pilates teacher, holistic wellness professional, and founder of The Unfold Method, as she shares her journey from athlete to teacher- weaving together anatomy, spirituality, health, and lived experience.

Across both episodes, we talk about:

• Eliza’s unexpected path into Pilates and why it chose her as much as she chose it 
• How life’s friction shaped Eliza’s teaching philosophy
• Why inclusivity in Pilates (and fitness more broadly) requires intentionality
• The psoas muscle as the “brain of the belly” and its link to stress, breath, and regulation
• The Unfold Method: fascia-informed assessment, strategic stretching, and Pilates-based strength for the long game
• Why balance—not burnout—is the real marker of excellence
• What Eliza has learned to unlearn with age… and how authentic self-care becomes its own kind of magic
• The paradoxes of wellness culture: self-care vs. selfishness, rest vs. laziness, intensity vs. longevity
• Joy as a practice, not a luxury—and how self-nourishment fuels service, activism, and social justice

Mentions & Resources
Ask and It Is Given by Esther & Jerry Hicks
Let’s Get Physical by Danielle Friedman
Gait Happens- Dr. Courtney Conley & Jen Perez
Return to Life by Joseph Pilates

Connect with Eliza
Website: unfoldwitheliza.com 
Instagram: @unfoldwitheliza 
LinkedIn: Eliza Nimon

Support the Show
If this conversation resonated, share it with a friend who’s navigating their own unfolding. 

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.

In this two-part conversation, Ashley and Mark sit down with Eliza Nimon- Pilates teacher, holistic wellness professional, and founder of The Unfold Method, as she shares her journey from athlete to teacher- weaving together anatomy, spirituality, health, and lived experience.

Across both episodes, we talk about:

• Eliza’s unexpected path into Pilates and why it chose her as much as she chose it 
• How life’s friction shaped Eliza’s teaching philosophy
• Why inclusivity in Pilates (and fitness more broadly) requires intentionality
• The psoas muscle as the “brain of the belly” and its link to stress, breath, and regulation
• The Unfold Method: fascia-informed assessment, strategic stretching, and Pilates-based strength for the long game
• Why balance—not burnout—is the real marker of excellence
• What Eliza has learned to unlearn with age… and how authentic self-care becomes its own kind of magic
• The paradoxes of wellness culture: self-care vs. selfishness, rest vs. laziness, intensity vs. longevity
• Joy as a practice, not a luxury—and how self-nourishment fuels service, activism, and social justice

Mentions & Resources
Ask and It Is Given by Esther & Jerry Hicks
Let’s Get Physical by Danielle Friedman
Gait Happens- Dr. Courtney Conley & Jen Perez
Return to Life by Joseph Pilates

Connect with Eliza
Website: unfoldwitheliza.com 
Instagram: @unfoldwitheliza 
LinkedIn: Eliza Nimon

Support the Show
If this conversation resonated, share it with a friend who’s navigating their own unfolding. 

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.

After a year away, Conversations in Courage is back. In this relaunch episode, Ashley and Mark reflect on what’s changed since the podcast began five years ago, and what it means to return with deeper clarity and purpose.

They talk about:

• The tension between desire and infrastructure (and why we almost didn’t come back)
• Mark’s new Substack, Leaders Are Human and why he’s challenging performance-driven leadership
• Ashley’s own year of friction, growth, and the launch of her solo podcast Further Forward
• Why nuance, empathy, and difficult conversations matter more than ever in a polarized world

This episode is about returning, recommitting, and finding the courage to keep asking hard questions — about ourselves, each other, and the communities we’re building.

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.

What are the pitfalls of looking for shortcuts on the journey to achievement? 

Ashley and Mark talk about creating your own path, listening to the "whispers", manifesting, and the universe having your back. 

This episode is about seeking joy, and living a life that feels liberating and truthful. 

Enjoy!

Support the show

Don't forget to rate and leave a review!

Questions? Comments? Curiosities? Reach out!

Via Instagram:
Ash @blackgirlmagicmama
Mark @bushidoandbourbon

Via Email:
[email protected]

Interested in The Courage Campaign? Visit here:
www.thecouragecampaign.com
@the.courage.campaign

Donations
https://www.pledge.to/the-courage-campaign

In this inspiring episode Ashley and Mark welcome Jessie Alegría, a dynamic entrepreneur, dancer, fitness professional and community builder, to share her powerful story of reinvention and creating brave spaces. Jessie believes that movement (and especially dance) is not just fitness, but a path to reclaim identity and purpose.

To connect with Jessie - 
Instagram: @jessie_alegria and @hiphoppopup
Website: www.jessiealegria.com

Conversations in Courage is where we lean into transformation, leadership, and social justice. If this episode moved you, share it with a friend and leave a review so more people can join us.

For more reflections, join us on Substack!

https://substack.com/@mindandmotion

https://substack.com/@leadersarehuman

Until next time—be well, be courageous.