Elsplend Realities

What happens when parts of your own story are missing?

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Karen Uslin, cultural historian, consultant, and Director of Research for the Defiant Requiem Foundation, for a deeply thoughtful conversation about identity, heritage, cultural memory, adoption, and the stories that shape who we become.

Karen brings both professional expertise and personal experience to the conversation. As an adoptee, her understanding of identity has been shaped not only by what she discovered about her past, but also by the questions, gaps, and uncertainties that remained along the way.

Together, we explore what happens when the story of where we come from isn't straightforward—how people reconnect with their roots, make meaning from fragmented histories, and create a sense of belonging even when some answers remain out of reach.

We also look at the relationship between personal history and collective memory, and how storytelling can help us understand experiences shaped by adoption, migration, war, and displacement.

Because identity isn't always a complete story handed down to us.

Sometimes, it's something we slowly reconstruct—piece by piece.

Elsplend Realities explores the deeper stories behind who we are, what shapes us, and how we make meaning of the experiences we carry.

What happens when you’re capable, qualified, and successful—but still find yourself wondering, “Do I really belong here?”

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Virginia Hitch, an ICF Associate and Group Academy accredited coach with more than 30 years of experience managing technology change in the corporate world.

Virginia shares her personal journey of navigating environments where she was often one of very few women, adapting to expectations, learning when to adjust and when to stand her ground, and finding the courage to pursue opportunities even when she didn't feel completely ready.

Together, we explore the subtle ways people can lose touch with themselves while trying to fit into demanding environments—and what it takes to reconnect with your voice, recognize your strengths, build meaningful support systems, and develop greater trust in yourself.

This is a conversation about more than career growth.

It’s about belonging without losing yourself, confidence without perfection, and learning to show up as the person you truly are.

Because sometimes, the goal isn't to become someone who fits the room.

It's to become comfortable enough with yourself to enter the room as you are.

Elsplend Realities explores the inner journeys, experiences, and perspectives that shape how we show up in our work, relationships, and lives.

AI is moving faster than ever—but are we actually ready for what it requires of us?

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Clive Moore, founder of GPT Studio and Agency in a Box, to explore what really drives successful AI adoption, business growth, and meaningful change.

With more than 25 years of experience across graphic design, branding, digital agencies, and technology, Clive brings a perspective shaped by building, testing, failing, adapting, and learning in the real world.

We go beyond the usual conversation about AI tools and ask a deeper question: Is technology really the bottleneck, or is it the way we think, lead, and make decisions?

From leadership bottlenecks and organizational growth to navigating AI hype, building effective teams, and staying grounded in a rapidly changing environment, Clive shares practical insights from his experience at the intersection of technology and human decision-making.

We also explore an unexpected part of his journey—building a grassroots concert series in a rural community—and what starting from almost nothing can teach us about creativity, leadership, and making things happen.

Because the future may not belong to those with access to the most tools.

It may belong to those who know how to think, adapt, and lead with them.

Elsplend Realities explores the ideas, experiences, and human realities behind the changes shaping how we live, work, build, and lead.

What happens when you’ve spent too long feeling unheard—and finally decide to reclaim your voice?

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with global independent artist, storyteller, and developmental psychology graduate student Kneet for a deeply personal conversation about identity, expression, resilience, and finding the courage to speak from a place of lived truth.

Through her music, storytelling, and advocacy work with ProtectChildrenNY, Kneet explores the intersection of art, personal experience, and the realities of navigating systems where people can sometimes feel unseen or unheard.

Together, we talk about what it means to reclaim your voice, protect your sense of self, transform difficult experiences into creative expression, and continue pursuing purpose when the journey isn't easy.

Because sometimes, finding your voice isn't about becoming louder.

It's about becoming honest enough to finally hear yourself.

Elsplend Realities explores the stories, struggles, and inner journeys behind the people who continue to show up, evolve, and create meaningful change.

What does it take to rebuild when life has already changed everything?

In this deeply personal episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with author and speaker Milica Vogt, whose extraordinary journey from war-torn Croatia and years in refugee camps to a new life in the United States offers a profound perspective on resilience, loss, identity, and hope.

Drawing from her memoir, Under a Whistling Sky, Milica reflects on what it means to carry the past while learning to move forward — and why resilience isn't always about being strong, having answers, or simply “moving on.”

Together, we explore the realities of displacement, rebuilding, grief, healing, and finding meaning after experiences that change the course of your life.

This is a conversation about the parts of transformation we don't always see — the uncertainty, the quiet moments, the difficult questions, and the courage it takes to begin again.

Elsplend Realities brings these stories to the surface, creating space for honest conversations about the experiences that shape who we become.

What happens when leadership goes beyond strategy, performance, and decision-making?

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with executive coach and trusted advisor Eric Nitzberg for a candid conversation about the internal realities of leadership.

From navigating uncertainty and pressure to separating identity from professional success, Eric shares insights from more than two decades of working with CEOs and senior leaders in complex, high-stakes environments.

Together, we explore what it really means to lead with confidence while remaining self-aware, recognize when old patterns no longer serve us, make difficult decisions without having all the answers, and pursue growth without sacrificing sustainability.

Because behind every title, achievement, and leadership role is a person still learning, evolving, and asking important questions.

Elsplend Realities brings those conversations to the surface — exploring the people, perspectives, and experiences behind success.

What happens when the version of yourself you present to the world no longer matches what’s happening inside?

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we’re joined by Wesley Farnsworth, storyteller, speaker, author, and host of Unmasked with Wesley Farnsworth, for a deeply honest conversation about identity, shame, addiction, faith, failure, and transformation.

Wesley shares what it was like to live with the tension between appearing to have things together and privately struggling with patterns that left him feeling disconnected from who he really was.

We explore the power of honesty, what happens when shame keeps us trapped, the difference between changing behavior and transforming identity, and what it can look like to finally remove the masks we’ve learned to wear.

This conversation isn’t about having everything figured out.

It’s about what becomes possible when we stop performing, face what’s real, and begin rebuilding from a place of truth.

Because sometimes the first step toward becoming more fully ourselves is simply having the courage to admit where we really are.

This is Elsplend Realities—where we step into the conversations most people avoid and explore what begins to shift when honesty replaces performance.

What happens when love begins to look different?

Caring for someone with dementia can change the relationship, the roles we carry, and the way we understand both love and loss. It can bring uncertainty, grief, exhaustion, and difficult decisions—often while life continues demanding everything else from us.

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we’re joined by Amy Shaw, dementia clinician, educator, and founder of Better Dementia™, for an honest conversation about the human side of caregiving.

Drawing from more than a decade of working with families across geriatrics, hospice, and cognitive care, Amy shares insights into the realities caregivers often face—from navigating changing relationships and communication challenges to managing grief, uncertainty, and the pressure of balancing caregiving with everyday life.

Together, we explore what it means to care for someone without losing connection with yourself, how understanding dementia can create greater confidence, and why caregivers deserve compassion and support too.

This conversation is for anyone caring for a loved one, supporting a caregiver, or simply trying to understand the emotional reality of dementia beyond the clinical diagnosis.

Because caregiving isn’t only about what we do for someone else. It’s also about how we learn to remain human while doing it.

This is Elsplend Realities—exploring self-awareness, emotional clarity, and the deeper truths behind the experiences that shape how we love, care, and live.

Some experiences are difficult to explain.

The memories, losses, emotions, and invisible wounds we carry don’t always arrive with the words needed to describe them. Sometimes, they find another way out—through imagination, creativity, and story.

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we’re joined by Justin Anderson, also known as J. Vaelorin, a dark fantasy author and creator of the VaelorinVerse, for a deeply reflective conversation about storytelling, personal experience, creativity, and the things we carry beneath the surface.

Justin shares how his experiences with depression, loss, and personal struggle became woven into the fictional worlds he creates—not as direct explanations, but as characters, conflicts, wounds, and journeys that give shape to experiences that can be difficult to express otherwise.

Together, we explore why fiction can sometimes create a safer space for difficult emotions, how creative expression can help us understand ourselves differently, and what happens when the stories we create begin to reflect parts of ourselves we haven’t fully understood.

This conversation is about more than fantasy.

It’s about the human need to be understood—and the many ways we find expression when ordinary words aren’t enough.

Because not everything we carry needs to be explained immediately. Sometimes, it first needs a place to exist.

This is Elsplend Realities—exploring self-awareness, emotional clarity, and the deeper truths hidden within the stories we tell and the experiences we carry.

What happens when people begin to feel disconnected from the systems that shape their everyday lives?

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we’re joined by Tom Joseph, founder of Bookminders and an innovator interested in rethinking how organizations and civic systems can engage the people they serve.

Drawing from his experience building new approaches to work and exploring ideas around civic participation, Tom shares his perspective on how systems influence our sense of voice, connection, and agency.

Together, we explore why people can become disengaged, what makes participation