Go Coach Yourself!

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In the latest Go Coach Yourself! Summer Short, Vic and Ryan dive into the transformative concept of the 90-year life. Taking a blog written by Tim Urban from 2014, Vic and Ryan discuss how to make the most of the time we have with loved ones. They talk about how staying present in each moment can not only change perspectives but enrich our lives exponentially. They also offer practical tips on grounding yourself and appreciating the time you have.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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What if “I’m not that kind of person anymore” is just a story you’ve been telling yourself?

This week, Ryan shares how a delightfully unexpected reading recommendation helped him rediscover a childhood love of books—and go from reading only a few each year to finishing one every week.

Ryan and Vic explore four ways to reconnect with an old passion or rebuild a habit that has fallen away:

• Practice until the muscle comes back
• Start with something you genuinely enjoy
• Share the experience with other people
• Track and celebrate your progress

They also talk about identity, guilt-free reading, digital gold stars, the joy of a happy ending, and why the right place to begin might just be hockey smut.

What’s something you once loved that you’re ready to reclaim?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Join Vic and Ryan as they talk through a few questions you can use to determine if the juice is worth the squeeze. You know those moments when you are not sure if the effort is worth it, where you don't know whether to invest the time and want a way to think about it differently? This Summer Short is for you.

Listen as Vic talk through the three questions that help her to understand if the juice is worth the squeeze:

1. What is important to me?

2. How do I want to feel?

3. Where do I want to spend my time?

If you like this episode check out the following episodes:

How do you want to feel? 

Why is 'What do you want?' such a tough question?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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It's Go Coach Yourself's second birthday (launched July 10, 2024!), and Ryan and Vic are celebrating with a Summer Short — the shorter, bite-sized episodes designed for busy summer schedules.

Ryan kicks things off by asking Vic a simple question: what's your favorite smell? That leads into the real story — six years Ryan spent in the wine business training his nose to catch nuance most people walk right past. That  meant smelling fruits in the produce section, rocks, the smell right after it rains — even intentionally sniffing bandaids to become familiar with a wine fault!

Three takeaways:

1. Don't be afraid to be a little weird — especially in service of a passion or something that helps you learn and grow.
2. Nuance is everywhere once you look for it. The same apple smells different at every stage; the same is true of people, ideas, and problems we tend to lump into one category.
3. Use all five senses as data. Smell is Ryan's strongest signal — for someone else it might be touch, sound, or sight. Whichever one resonates most, lean into it.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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In this 2026 Summer Short, Ryan and Vic unpack the phrase “a change is as good as a rest,” shared by Phil’s British nana, and discuss how change can sometimes be as restorative as taking time off (without ignoring real burnout). 

Vic shares a career story from early retail management: after repeatedly turning around failing stores, she felt disengaged and considered quitting. Instead of doing this she redirected her energy and found meaning and inspiration in a different place.

Ryan and Vic also share small everyday versions of “change,” like switching tasks, taking a walk, or changing scenery, and offer reflection questions for listeners to go deeper.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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When was the last time life completely ignored your carefully crafted plan?

In the first Summer Short of 2026, Ryan and Vic return to the podcast with a story about one of life’s most frustrating realities: things don’t always go the way we expect.

Ryan shares the story of relocating from the United States to Spain, a move that took months of planning, paperwork, and preparation. With visas approved, flights booked, and a new life waiting on the other side of the Atlantic, everything seemed to be falling into place.

What followed was a whirlwind of airport navigation, pharmacies in a new language, unexpected setbacks, and the realization that even the best plans can unravel in an instant.

Together, Ryan and Vic explore:

• Why setbacks are often a normal part of any meaningful change
• The difference between planning for uncertainty and preparing for support
• How human connection helps us navigate difficult moments
• Why reaching out can be more powerful than solving the problem
• The small and large ways we lean on our people when life gets messy

Reflection Questions

• When things go off the rails, who is the person in your life that’s always just a text away?
• What helps you recognize that it’s time to reach out for support?

Mentioned in this Episode

• Go Coach Yourself: Understanding Who Your People Are

Summer Shorts are bite-sized episodes featuring a story, a lesson, and a few questions to help you reflect on your own life.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

Let us know what you think about this episode or send us an idea!

What does it actually mean to live a good life? Not an impressive one, or a productive one — but a genuinely good one?

In this episode, Ryan and Vic revisit a framework that sits at the heart of Ryan's Ignite the Spark program: three research-backed foundations that consistently predict deep, lasting life satisfaction. They're not what most people expect. And chances are, at least one of them has been getting less attention than it deserves.

Together, Ryan and Vic walk through what the research says — drawing on the Harvard Study of Adult Development, Self-Determination Theory, and the work of researchers like Emily Esfahani Smith and Dacher Keltner — and then guide listeners through a structured reflection exercise to assess where they actually stand across all three foundations right now.

This is the episode to return to whenever life feels a little off but you can't quite name why.

Resources Mentioned

• The Good Life Check-in
• The Power of Meaning by Emily Esfahani Smith
• Dacher Keltner's research on awe
• The Harvard Study of Adult Development 
• Self-Determination Theory
• Ignite the Spark — Ryan's 8-week life design cohort program — [link]

Referenced Episodes

• Purpose: Define, Discover and Live Your Why

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

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Go Coach Yourself! welcomes Andy Storch! Andy discusses his mission is to get the most out of life and inspire others to do the same. 

This episode is for anyone looking to powerfully align their work with personal strengths and values. From battling imposter syndrome to building a personal brand, Andy's insights will challenge and motivate you.

Andy is an author, speaker, consultant, coach, connector, and facilitator specializing in helping organizations improve engagement and retention by teaching employees to own their careers and achieve their goals.

Andy is also the author of the book Own Your Career Own Your Life and the host of two podcasts, including The Talent Development Hot Seat and the Own Your Career Show as well as the founder and host of the Talent Development Think Tank Conference and Community. 

Don't miss out on becoming proactive and intentional in crafting the future you deserve!

Learn more about Andy:

https://andystorch.com/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andystorch/

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

Let us know what you think about this episode or send us an idea!

What helps people feel more connected over time?

In this episode, Ryan and Vic revisit a theme from season two and take it deeper. Inspired by the Gottmans’ questions for emotional intimacy, they explore what it looks like to keep getting to know someone, even when you already know them well.

Together, they reflect on trust, vulnerability, shared dreams, personal values, love, and relationship fears. What unfolds is an honest conversation about being seen, feeling enough, remembering the small things, and why deeper connection is something we practice, not something we arrive at once.

This one is a real-time model of what it can look like to ask better questions and stay curious with the people you care about most.

In this episode, Ryan and Vic talk about:

• Why emotional intimacy needs ongoing attention
• The difference between surface conversation and deeper connection
• How trust is built through curiosity, care, and positive intent
• The values they learned from family and still carry forward
• What quality time actually means in different relationships
• Small gestures that make people feel seen and cared for
• Their biggest fears in close relationships
• Why these kinds of questions matter in friendships, not just romantic partnerships

Referenced in this episode:

• Season 2 episode: You Don’t Know Me Yet: Questions to Build Real Connection with Someone Else
• 75 Insightful Questions to Deepen Emotional Intimacy

Listener reflection:

• Who in your life would you like to know more deeply right now?
• Pick one question and ask it.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

Let us know what you think about this episode or send us an idea!

Most of us are taught to chase things—roles, milestones, achievements—without ever naming the experience we’re actually trying to have.

An emotional goal flips that script.

When you know how you want to feel, it becomes easier to:

• make decisions
• adapt when things change
• release outcomes that don’t fully materialize
• and still feel fulfilled

Because the feeling—not the thing—is what you were after all along.

Join Vic and Ryan as they talk about how to find and lock in an emotional goal. they share personal stories, a framework to get you started and practical tips to bring it to life.

Resources:

The Emotional Wheel

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk