Cool People Doing Cool Things

The Intersection of Psychology, Spirituality & the Brain with Dr. Karen Hansen

What happens when we stop treating the mind, body, and spirit like completely separate things?

In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, I sit down with my friend and colleague Dr. Karen Hansen, a PhD and Licensed Professional Counselor whose work brings together traditional mental health, neuroscience, nervous system regulation, spirituality, intuition, and alternative approaches to healing.

Karen's approach is all about looking at the whole person. We talk about anxiety and trauma, but we also get into sleep, nutrition, the gut-brain connection, meditation, somatic work, astrology, intuition, past lives, consciousness, and some of the fascinating developments happening in neurofeedback.

Karen had also just returned from a neurofeedback conference when we recorded this episode, so we dive into what neurofeedback actually is, how brainwave patterns work, and why she's so excited about the possibilities of helping people create greater regulation and optimize the way their brains function.

And, of course, because this is Cool People Doing Cool Things, we eventually make our way into some of my favorite rabbit holes: intuition, spirituality, past lives, energetic experiences, and what it means to become more connected to who you really are.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• What transpersonal therapy is and Karen's mind-body-spirit approach to mental health

• Why healing doesn't always have to happen through talking and deeply processing the past

• Somatic work, breathwork, meditation, and nervous system regulation

• Neurofeedback and what our brainwaves can tell us

• How neurofeedback works and why Karen is so excited about its potential

• Brainwave states including delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma

• The connection between brain regulation, meditation, and intuition

• ADHD, neurodivergence, and shifting the conversation from "fixing" ourselves to optimizing how our brains work

• Why sleep, nutrition, screen time, genetics, and other physical factors matter when we're talking about mental health

• Humanistic astrology as a tool for self-awareness rather than prediction

• Learning to recognize, develop, and trust your intuition

• The different ways intuitive information can come through

• Spirituality, consciousness, energy, and the experiences we can't always explain

• Past lives and past-life regression

• The idea that underneath the noise, patterns, and conditioning, there may be an essence of who we are that has always been there

• Finding more presence, purpose, curiosity, and connection in everyday life

One of my favorite things about this conversation is that it doesn't ask us to choose between science and spirituality. Instead, we explore what becomes possible when we're curious enough to look at the whole picture.

Karen works with people using a holistic mind-body-spirit approach and especially enjoys working with individuals interested in spiritual growth, purpose, intuition, and exploring different paths toward greater well-being.

Connect With Dr. Karen Hansen
transpersonaltherapy.com

Visit Karen's website to learn more about her work, neurofeedback, transpersonal therapy, and ways to work with her.

🎙️ Cool People Doing Cool Things

If you enjoyed this episode, follow or subscribe to Cool People Doing Cool Things and share it with someone who would love this conversation.

I'll see you in the next episode!

In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, Sarah Buehner sits down with intuitive channel, energy healer, psychic medium, and animal communicator Emilah DeToro for a conversation about intuition, soul-led living, spiritual awakening, and what it really means to trust yourself.

Rather than treating intuition as a mystical gift reserved for a select few, Sarah and Emilah explore it as a natural human capacity that can be developed with practice, discernment, and support. Together, they discuss why periods of uncertainty often signal profound transformation, how soul-guided decisions rarely follow logic, and why mentorship is so important during spiritual growth.

They also share the story behind their new year-long Intuitive Mentorship Mastermind, where they'll guide intuitive entrepreneurs through both psychic development and building a business that feels deeply aligned.

What Was Covered

• What it means to be a "midwife to the soul" and how Emilah helps people navigate life's biggest transitions.

• The difference between intuition, psychic abilities, and soul guidance.

• Why no ethical intuitive should make life decisions for you—and how empowering guidance is different from prediction.

• How free will continually reshapes the future, even after an intuitive reading.

• Why liminal seasons of life feel so uncomfortable—and why they're often where the greatest growth happens.

• Saturn Returns explained (without the astrology jargon) and why they often coincide with major life reinventions.

• The surprising ways both Sarah and Emilah have learned to trust intuitive nudges—even when they made absolutely no logical sense.

• How psychic gifts develop differently for every person, and why comparison can actually slow your own growth.

• Why generosity and collaboration are some of the highest expressions of intuitive leadership.

• Building businesses that follow soul guidance instead of fear.

• Why mentorship—not just courses—is often the missing piece in developing intuitive gifts.

• The inspiration behind Growing Your Gifts, Sarah and Emilah's year-long mentorship experience for intuitive entrepreneurs.

A Line That Will Stay With You

"We don't usually get the whole staircase. We get the first step."

Sometimes intuition doesn't hand us the entire roadmap—it simply offers the next aligned step. Learning to trust that first step is often what changes everything.

Learn More

Connect with Emilah DeToro

• https://emilah.com

• https://healingforpetsandtheirpeople.com

• https://www.instagram.com/emilahdawndetoro/

• https://linktr.ee/emilahdawndetoro?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=e08dfc20-03fb-46ef-ba53-e377191a7aa3

Growing Your Gifts Intuitive Mentorship Mastermind

• https://www.emilah.com/mentorship

Thinking about launching a podcast or elevating your content?

Whether you're just getting started or ready to create a full content ecosystem around your show, Sarah Buehner helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs transform conversations into strategic, high-impact marketing.

Learn more at https://sagittariusrisingmediaco.com/

In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, Sarah sits down with entrepreneur, podcast host, and creator of The Joy Experiment, Roberta Ravella, for a conversation that starts with career transitions and quickly becomes a deep exploration of self-trust, identity, success, and what it means to build a life that's actually aligned.

Roberta shares her journey from a successful 25-year career in the mortgage industry to leaving marketing behind after realizing she had drifted away from her own values.

Together, Sarah and Roberta unpack the hidden costs of hustle culture, why so many women have learned to distrust themselves, and how creating a joyful life often begins by questioning the stories we've always believed.

If you've ever felt like you're constantly rushing, forcing, or trying to prove your worth, this conversation is a reminder that there may be another way.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Roberta's journey from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., and eventually Florida

• Building a successful career while realizing success alone isn't enough

• The surprising freedom that comes from starting over where no one knows you

• Why urgency became a default—and how to intentionally step out of it

• The hidden cost of hustle culture and always feeling "behind"

• Learning to trust yourself instead of constantly looking outside yourself for answers

• Why shaming yourself has never been an effective path to growth

• Creating habits that support you instead of punish you

• The mindset shift from "I have to" to "I choose to"

• Letting go of performative marketing and building a business that feels authentic

• The story behind The Joy Experiment and why Roberta started the podcast

• Why credentials, titles, and external validation don't always create trust

• How intuition, alignment, and frequency play a bigger role than we often realize

• Building a business and life based on joy instead of obligation

• Why the coolest people are often the ones willing to rewrite the rules they've been handed

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who could use the reminder that success doesn't have to come at the expense of peace.

Subscribe to Cool People Doing Cool Things on your favorite podcast platform, and if you're enjoying these conversations, we'd be so grateful if you'd leave a rating or review.

Because sometimes the coolest thing you can do... is trust yourself enough to build a life that actually feels like yours.

Connect with Roberta Ravella:

🎙️ The Joy Experiment Podcast

Website: https://thejoyexperiment.live/

Social Media Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertaravella/

https://www.tiktok.com/@robertagravella

https://www.youtube.com/@TheJoyExperimentLIVE

Roberta's Book:

Open for Business: How to Build a Business You Love Without the Hustle and Grind

What if sustainable health had nothing to do with willpower?

In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, Sarah sits down with online fitness and mindset coach Roxi Robinson for a refreshingly honest conversation about why so many women stay stuck in cycles of dieting, shame, and self-sabotage—and what actually creates lasting transformation.

After years of trying every diet imaginable, experiencing bariatric surgery, navigating profound grief, and ultimately transforming her own life, Roxi discovered that the biggest change wasn't physical.

It was identity.

Together, Sarah and Roxi explore why health isn't about following more rules—it's about becoming someone you genuinely love taking care of.

If you've ever felt like you're constantly starting over on Monday, battling guilt around food, or wondering why motivation never lasts, this conversation will completely change how you think about health, fitness, and yourself.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why sustainable weight loss begins with identity—not discipline
• The hidden stories we tell ourselves after "messing up"
• Why one donut never ruins your progress—but your self-talk might
• The difference between living by principles instead of rigid rules
• How shame keeps women trapped in unhealthy cycles
• Why building muscle and metabolism matters far more than chasing the scale
• The surprising connection between entrepreneurship and self-worth
• How raising your "floor" creates more lasting change than chasing perfection
• Why women deserve to nourish themselves—not just everyone else

One of Sarah's favorite takeaways:

"It's not about becoming someone who never eats the donut. It's about becoming someone who knows one donut doesn't define who they are."

This conversation is full of practical wisdom, mindset shifts, and compassionate truths that every woman needs to hear.

Connect with Roxi Here:

Instagram: @my.friends.call.me.extra

Instagram: @roxi.robinson.fitness

Facebook: @roxishayne

Connect with Sarah Here:

http://sagittariusrisingmediaco.com

Instagram: @sarah.buehner @the.cool.people.podcast

Facebook: @heysarahbuehner

What happens when you stop climbing someone else's ladder and start building your own path?

In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, Sarah sits down with entrepreneur and CEO of The Goode Path Group, Kelly Goode, to talk about her journey from corporate finance burnout to building a thriving accounting, bookkeeping, tax, and CFO advisory firm.

Kelly shares the realities of leaving a stable corporate career, navigating the fear of entrepreneurship, and creating a business that aligns with her values instead of recreating the toxic environments she left behind.

Together, Sarah and Kelly explore what it means to build a business that supports your life—not one that consumes it.

In This Episode, Sarah and Kelly Discuss:

• Why Kelly ultimately walked away from corporate finance

• The mindset shifts that helped her take the leap into entrepreneurship

• Building confidence before the results arrive

• Letting go of perfectionism and corporate conditioning

• Creating a company culture that prioritizes people over burnout

• Why urgency is often a recipe for exhaustion

• The challenges of hiring and leading a growing team

• How Kelly scaled from one client to a thriving agency model

• The difference between bookkeeping and CFO advisory services

• Why so many business owners need support beyond the numbers

• The emotional side of money, spending, and business decisions

• Breaking free from shame-based financial advice

• Building a business around your life instead of building your life around work

• What Kelly wishes more entrepreneurs understood about growth, hiring, and scaling

Memorable Moments

"Nothing we do is an emergency. We're not surgeons. We're not the ER."

"Stop listening to the so-called experts and start taking the steps you already know you need to take."

"I don't have to work my life around the work. It's actually okay."

"We can literally create the business we want instead of recreating the systems that burned us out."

About Kelly:

Kelly Goode is the founder and CEO of The Goode Path Group, a modern accounting and advisory firm helping business owners gain clarity, confidence, and control over their finances.

Through bookkeeping, tax support, payroll services, and CFO advisory, Kelly helps entrepreneurs understand the story behind their numbers so they can make better decisions, grow sustainably, and build businesses that support the lives they actually want.

Connect with Kelly:

Website: https://thegoodepathgroup.com

Instagram: @thegoodepathgroup

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/goodepathgroup

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow entrepreneur who needs the reminder that success doesn't have to come at the expense of your life.

In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, Sarah sits down with educator, wellness advocate, and founder of Happy While Teaching, Stephanie Belleville, for an honest conversation about teacher burnout, self-care, purpose, and what it really means to stay connected to yourself while serving others.

Stephanie shares her journey from social work into education, what inspired her to create the Happy While Teaching movement, and the powerful wake-up call that changed the way she approached wellness forever. Together, Sarah and Stephanie explore the hidden emotional weight teachers carry, how the education system has changed post-COVID, and why self-care is not selfish — it’s essential.

In this episode, Sarah and Stephanie discuss:

• The reality of teacher burnout and why it has reached epidemic levels
• How COVID changed classrooms, student behavior, and educator stress
• Why caring professionals are especially vulnerable to burnout
• The connection between teacher wellness and student success
• The importance of reflection, awareness, and intentional self-care
• Moving from “reacting” to “creating” in your life
• Why self-care is a necessity, not a luxury
• Small daily wellness rituals that make a massive impact
• Perfectionism, pressure, and redefining what “good enough” looks like
• How yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and boundaries support emotional resilience
• Building a healthier future for education from the inside out

Stephanie also shares details about:

• The Happy While Teaching Podcast
• Her Happy While Teaching Workbook
• Her upcoming teacher wellness courses and support community launching Fall 2026

Connect with Stephanie Belleville:

Instagram: instagram.com/happywhileteachingWebsite: happywhileteaching.comThe Happy While Teaching Podcast: open.spotify.com/show/3BnXVh0SpDgrQWjBaobh0C

If this episode resonated with you, be sure to subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Because taking care of yourself doesn’t just change your life — it changes every life you touch.

In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, Sarah sits down with business therapist, entrepreneur, and founder of The Uncensored Self, Ryann Gillen.

Ryann shares her powerful journey from a 15-year corporate career to building a million-dollar business — and why success didn’t feel the way she thought it would.

From burnout and misalignment to divorce, financial reset, and deep personal transformation, this conversation dives into what it really takes to rebuild your life and business from the inside out.

Together, Sarah and Ryann explore identity, energy, intuition, and the truth about success — and why creating a life that feels good matters more than chasing outcomes.

🔥 What We Talk About

• Ryann’s journey from corporate to entrepreneurship to seven figures
• Why hitting big financial goals didn’t bring fulfillment
• Rebuilding life after burnout, divorce, and financial challenges
• The difference between chasing success vs. creating it

• How most entrepreneurs unknowingly recreate corporate burnout
• The shift from “getting clients” → becoming a magnet

• Why content creation is art (not just marketing)
• The concept of the “energy game” vs. the “mind game”
• Letting go of timelines and trusting outcomes
• Identity work, self-trust, and becoming your “uncensored self”
• Why money should be the least interesting thing in your life
• The truth about alignment, intuition, and creating a business that feels good

💡 Key Takeaways

• You can achieve everything you thought you wanted… and still feel unfulfilled
• Success doesn’t come from doing more — it comes from becoming more aligned
• Your external reality is a reflection of your internal state
• You don’t need to chase clients — you can create demand through energy and authenticity
• The more you trust yourself, the simpler business becomes
• Outcomes are inevitable — how you feel while creating them is what matters

🧠 Quotes from the Episode

“Who are you when you're not being who the world taught you to be?”

“It’s not about getting clients anymore — it’s about creating.”

“Living my life makes me money.”

“Money should be the least interesting thing on the list.”

🔗 Connect with Ryann Gillen

TikTok: @ryanngillenofficial

Instagram: @ryanngillen

Facebook: ryanngillen

YouTube: @RyannGillenofficial

💬 Final Thought

If you’ve ever felt like you “did everything right” but something still feels off… this episode is your permission slip to do it differently.

Sarah sits down with her dear friend and intuitive, Kip Trout, for a conversation that will completely shift how you think about your home, your land, your belongings, and even your past relationships.

Kip is an energetic assessor of homes and land, a restorer of mid-century modern houses, and someone who blends intuitive gifts with grounded, practical application.

This one goes deep — in the best way.

🌾 Land, Ancestors & Stewardship
Kip shares a powerful story about working with land that held a strong Osage presence — and what happens when we ignore the energy already there. This is about learning to co-exist, not control.

🧚 Elementals, Fairies & Nature Energy
From glowing orbs to “sparkly commas,” Sarah and Kip share their personal experiences with elementals. If you’ve ever felt something in nature you couldn’t explain, this will click.

🏠 Your Home Is Alive
Kip explains how he forms energetic agreements with homes — and how your home can communicate with you (yes, really). It starts with awareness and gratitude.

⚡ Energy in Objects & Clutter
Everything holds energy. Kip breaks down why clutter feels heavy, how objects carry emotional residue, and how clearing energetic cords changes everything — especially with past relationships.

🔮 Raising Your Vibration (Fast)
Kip’s go-to tools:

• 528 Hz frequency
• Fresh flowers
• Incense
• Crystals (cleansed properly)
• Open windows + airflow
• Epsom salt baths
• Movement + shaking to reset your nervous system

🕯️ Clearing Energy + Mediumship
From homes that won’t sell to spirits that haven’t moved on, Kip shares real stories from his work helping properties clear stuck energy.

✨ Intuition Is a Skill
This isn’t just for “gifted” people. Intuition can be developed — and most of us are far more aware than we’ve been taught to recognize.

“Time is a manmade construct. Everything is happening at once.” — Kip

“You’re made to read energy. We’re just not taught how.” — Kip

“I make a contract with the house. I tell the house I will be its caretaker.” — Kip

“The minute you bring light into darkness, the dark can’t exist.” — Sarah

• 528 Hz frequency (Spotify/YouTube)
• Ashaka Incense
• 4096 Hz tuning fork
• Palo Santo + White Sage
• The Telepathy Tapes podcast
• Marie Kondo (home greeting practice)
• Andrew Huberman (light + nervous system)

Connect with Kip Here:
📧 [email protected]🌐 www.dandiforrigroup.com

Here's the updated show notes with her links added!

What does it look like when a former classroom teacher takes everything she knows, follows her military family across the world, and builds something that no one else is doing quite like this? Meet Jessica Bradley, founder of The Learning Room — an online academic intervention program that has helped hundreds of struggling students make real, measurable growth. Jess didn't just build a tutoring business. She built a lifeline for families who had been told to wait and see, for kids who had hit a wall, and for parents who knew something was wrong but couldn't get anyone to listen.

In this episode, Jess and Sarah dig into the real state of education in America right now, why so many kids are falling through the cracks, and what parents can actually do about it — starting today. If you have a kid in school, this one's for you.

Guest: Jessica Bradley, Founder of The Learning Room

🌐 the-learning-room.com📸 Instagram: @the_learning_room👍 Facebook: @the_learning_room

What We Cover:

• How Jess went from classroom teacher → military spouse abroad → fully booked academic interventionist — all within a year
• The eye-opening stats on where American students are right now (spoiler: 1 in 8 kids entering college need remedial math)
• Why Jess refuses to play the blame game — and what she says is actually driving the education gap
• The red flag most parents miss: the 8–12 month window between "I had a gut feeling" and "we have a real problem"
• Why the school's assessment tells you where a kid is, but Jess's assessment tells you why — and why that changes everything
• The IQ workaround: how smart kids can mask gaps for years until they hit a wall in 3rd–5th grade
• What "mastery" actually means vs. just getting through the material
• Why Jess built her program to be fully virtual — not because of COVID, but because her military families were moving and refused to lose their progress
• How The Learning Room's approach is fundamentally different from franchise tutoring centers (hint: it's not worksheets and iPads in a group)
• "Max's" story: a middle schooler at a 3rd grade math level who is now independently working through 6th grade curriculum — in 7 months
• What's coming next: small group sessions designed to keep the customization without the cost
• Free resources, state education grants, and how to find out if your child qualifies

Free Resources Mentioned:

• 📋 Free Reading & Math Checklists — [link]
• 📞 Free Consultation Call with Jess — [link]
• 🔍 How to find your state's sample end-of-year test: Google "[Your State] end of grade state testing sample test"

Grants That May Cover Services:Florida Step Up Scholarship, South Carolina, Arkansas, West Virginia, Arizona — and Virginia coming soon. Check your state for current ESA or education grant availability.

Connect with Jess & The Learning Room:🌐 the-learning-room.com📸 Instagram: @the_learning_room👍 Facebook: @the_learning_room⭐ Leave or Read Google Reviews

Spiritual Healing, Christ Consciousness & Living in Divine Alignment | ft. Barbara Dubis

Are you searching for spiritual healing, deeper connection with God, or a way to reduce anxiety and find peace? In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, I sit down with spiritual healer and mentor Barbara Dubis to talk about Christ Consciousness, energy healing, and how to build a life rooted in love, faith, and divine alignment.

Barbara explains what Christ Consciousness really means — beyond religion — and how anyone can access this powerful frequency of unconditional love. We cover channeling, Reiki, theta healing, Creator energy, and what it looks like to make daily prayer and spiritual practice a non-negotiable part of your life.

In this episode we cover:

• What is Christ Consciousness and how does it relate to spirituality vs. religion?
• How to channel divine energy and open your heart to healing
• Why anxiety is a loss of spiritual safety — and how to restore it
• The connection between energy healing and physical health
• How to stay heart-centered in a world full of noise and fear
• Divine timing, aligned action, and trusting God's plan
• Group energy healing and the power of sacred community

Whether you're exploring spiritual healing for the first time, recovering from trauma, dealing with anxiety, or deepening your faith journey, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

Connect with Barbara Dubis:🌐 healinghandsoflightstl.com📱 @healinghandsoflight on Instagram, Facebook & TikTok