This interview was so entertaining to host because I felt like I was back in college for an hour and had the most interesting guest teacher who made me laugh, play games, and have fun - all while learning.

Duncan Wardle, the former head of innovation and creativity at Disney, is on a mission to teach people how to access their natural creative abilities, to be innovative, explore curiosity, connect through empathy and tap into one’s intuition.

As soon as I saw Duncan in the online recording room, he just jumped straight into teaching and you’ll notice that the first few minutes of our conversation were missing because I hadn’t yet hit the record button.

After a few minutes I thought, hit the dang record button, which I did. Next time, I’ll hit it sooner.

In this episode, you may wonder - who is leading the show? LOL

At one point, my husband overheard us in the distance and said, “it sounded pretty negative when you kept on saying No… what was up with that?” I guess you’ll just have to listen in to figure out what that was about.

https://duncanwardle.com/

https://theimaginationemporium.com/

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

https://www.instagram.com/duncanjwardle/

https://www.facebook.com/DuncanJWardle

https://x.com/duncanjwardle

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Today we’re diving into the world of publishing with Jackie Ashton—literary agent, journalist, and founder of Bookmark, a boutique agency helping thought leaders bring impactful books to life.

Before launching The Bookmark Agency, Jackie was an agent at Lucinda Literary, where she landed major publishing deals for authors like Dave Pell (Please Scream Inside Your Heart) and Scott Shigeoka (Seek). With a deep understanding of the publishing industry, she specializes in helping authors craft books that don’t just share expertise but resonate with readers, disrupt industries, and fill market gaps with empathy over ego.

She also shares her knowledge in The Big Idea, her free newsletter packed with insights on writing books that matter. And as a journalist and essayist, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Salon.

https://www.jackieashton.com/

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Today’s episode is part of Podcasthon, a global effort bringing thousands of podcasts together to raise awareness for charitable causes.

My guest today is Christopher Helfrich, President and CEO of Eat. Learn. Play., the foundation he co-founded with Stephen and Ayesha Curry to tackle childhood hunger, early literacy, and active lifestyles for kids in Oakland.

Since launching in 2019, Eat. Learn. Play. has raised and invested over $32 million—directly impacting underserved children and families. Under Christopher’s leadership, the foundation has grown into a force for change, helping Oakland kids get the nutrition, education, and movement they need to thrive.

Before this, Christopher led the Starlight Children’s Foundation and served as Head of the Nothing But Nets campaign for the UN Foundation, working to combat malaria globally.

And in 2024, he and Stephen Curry landed on the cover of Inc. Magazine for their work in fostering equity, access, and opportunity for all.

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Laura Wachtel talks about how improv can make life—and work—better.

The principles of improv—like saying ‘yes, and,’ thinking on your feet, and embracing the unexpected—can transform how you communicate, lead, and handle challenges.

Laura is the owner of Zipline Improv, where she’s bringing improv out of the theater and into the real world—helping individuals, businesses, schools, and communities use play to sharpen listening, build connection, and get out of their heads.

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Ru Hill is the founder of Surf Simply, a globally renowned boutique coaching resort in Costa Rica that has transformed the way people learn to surf. Unlike traditional surf schools, Surf Simply takes a science-based, technique-driven approach, breaking down the complexities of surfing into teachable, measurable skills. This method has attracted everyone from complete beginners to seasoned surfers looking to refine their craft.

Beyond the waves, Ru is a deep thinker on business, leadership, and intentional growth. His grassroots journey—from coaching out of the back of a car to running a world-class surf resort—offers invaluable lessons on entrepreneurship, scaling with purpose, and building a high-performing team without sacrificing company culture.

His resort has been featured more than once in the New York Times and if you want to check out what you’re missing, just watch any of the inspiring weekly videos you can find on the Surf Simply You Tube channel.

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Today, Dr. Alexa D’Agostino is coming on the show to share insights on how to build a company from six to seven figures or seven to eight.

Alexa founded her first official company at 18 and went on to build and then exit multiple businesses achieving over nine figures in exits by the age of 30.

As a part of her journey, she has raised over $100m for charities worldwide.

As the CEO of Thynk Consulting Group, Alexa specializes in scaling businesses through strategic marketing, sales, and leadership development. Her expertise has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal.

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In today’s episode, Hayes Hitchens talks with us about his journey starting and building Moondance Adventures.

Moondance is a teen adventure travel program that sends over 2000 teenagers each summer on trips across five continents and over twenty countries with a commitment to foster personal growth, leadership skills, problem solving, decision making and a love for the outdoors.

For some backstory, Hayes was the dean of students and director of summer programs at my school and I remember him talking about starting Moondance Adventures when I was in the 7th grade.

So, this is a super meaningful reconnection and WOW - to see what he has accomplished is just so inspiring and heart-warming.

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Today we have Dr. Megan Lyons on the show to talk about recognizing early symptoms of burnout, ways to optimize your health, and fix the root causes of illness.

Megan is a Harvard graduate with two Master’s degrees, two Board Certifications, and a Doctorate of Clinical Nutrition. She is a passionate health and wellness expert, inspiring others to feel their healthiest and happiest. 

In 2014, Megan pivoted from the management consulting business world to follow her passion for wellness by opening The Lyons' Share Wellness.

Since then, Megan and her team have amassed over 15,000 hours of 1-to-1 nutrition consulting with clients internationally, providing personalized guidance to help individuals achieve their health goals.

Megan is the hosts of a top podcast on health and wellness, “Wellness Your Way with Dr. Megan Lyons,” where she shares insights and tips for living a healthier life, and publishes informational articles on The Lyons’ Share website weekly.

She speaks widely at conferences, corporations, and organizations.

Check-out Megan's free download file, where you can take a short quiz designed to give you a head start at figuring out if your symptoms are suggestive of any common pattern that Megan sees at The Lyons' Share Wellness!

• Dr. Megan's Website: https://www.thelyonsshare.org/
• The Revitalize Health Accelerator: https://www.thelyonsshare.org/revitalize/
• Podcast: https://www.thelyonsshare.org/wellness-your-way-podcast/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelyonsshare/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheLyonsShareWellness/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganoharelyons

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Andy Hunter is the founder CEO of bookshop.Org 
In todday's episode, he talks about his innovative solution to save indie bookstore.

Quoting the New York Times, “The rapid rise of Bookshop.org during the shutdown has been hailed as a boon for independent stores.” B-Labs announced the company as one of the “best for the world,” and in the top 5% of all B-Corps.

The business model is brilliant on so many levels, and I can’t wait for you to hear what he has to share.

Andy is also the co-creator of the websites: Literary Hub, Electric Literature, Crime Reads, and BookMarks - combined annual readership of about 30 million people. And, worked as an independent publisher at Catapult, Counterpoint and Soft Skull Press.

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Today we’re joined by Alexandra Janelli, a leading hypnotherapist and founder of ModrnSanctuary, an alternative beauty and wellness spa and winner of Philadelphia Magazine’s 2024 “Best of Philly.”

She is also the founder of My Burble, a transformative app designed to help users overcome stress, anxiety, sleep issues, and other personal challenges through tailored guided visualizations and meditations.

As one of New York City’s premier hypnotherapists, Alexandra has guided Academy Award-nominated actors, renowned photographers, singers, and executives toward meaningful transformation. Her work has been featured in top publications like The New York Times, Elle, Oprah Magazine, Men’s Fitness, and Forbes.

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