Welcome to a very special episode of How to Stay Human — the first to feature guests! Tori Gordon and Kyle are joined by two soul family members and vibrant spirits: Leah Free, a vocal liberation artist known for her soulful sound and expressive presence, and Pedro Jerez, an entrepreneur and devoted man embodying integrity and divine masculine energy.

Together, they unpack what it means to live fully alive in a world flooded with noise and technology. Leah shares her origin story of finding safety and freedom in nature and voice, cultivating a unique soundscape that connects deeply with self and others. Pedro reflects on his journey from childhood dreams of success to embracing spiritual surrender and generosity as the foundation for transformation.

The conversation flows through themes of courage, self-mastery, and the power of “throwing darts” — taking messy, imperfect steps toward authentic expression. They explore how technology, especially AI, challenges and expands human creativity and connection, emphasizing the need to come back to the body, community, and nature.

Leah and Pedro also reveal the tender dynamics of their relationship — how respect, autonomy, and love create a spacious container for growth, play, and vulnerability. They discuss boundaries, the dance between work and presence, and the importance of nurturing intimacy in a high-demand world.

This episode is a heartfelt invitation to embrace your unique voice, lean into your edges, and cultivate connection in an era of rapid change. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for your creative journey, relationship, or personal growth, Leah and Pedro’s wisdom will leave you feeling seen, supported, and ready to stay human.

Guest Introductions:

•Leah Free is a vocal liberation artist and experiential guide who helps people connect to their soul through sound and self-expression. Known for her vibrant spirit and soulful presence, Leah blends nature, improvisation, and play to inspire authentic living. Find her at @leahlivefree.

•Pedro Jerez is an entrepreneur and founder dedicated to walking the path of integrity and divine masculine energy. With a background in business and a deep commitment to personal growth, Pedro is pioneering new ways to accelerate breakthroughs in people’s lives through his platform Kochi. Discover more at kochi.coach.

Sponsor Spotlight: Anywhere ClinicThis episode is brought to you by Anywhere Clinic.In our journey to stay human, taking care of our mental health is paramount. Anywhere Clinic provides accessible, high-quality psychiatric care and therapy from the comfort of your own home. Whether you're navigating the pressures of perfectionism, dealing with anxiety, or simply looking for a supportive space to grow, their team of dedicated professionals is here to help you build a regulated and resilient nervous system. Visit www.anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon to learn more and take the first step towards a healthier, more balanced you.

Timestamped Chapters:

•00:00 – Welcome to How to Stay Human and the first guest episode

•00:29 – Meet Leah Free and Pedro Jerez

•01:46 – Pedro’s introduction, partnership energy, and soul-family connection

•04:34 – Pedro’s origin story: entrepreneurship, ambition, and early self-belief

•08:09 – Curiosity, creativity, faith, and learning to nurture what has always been there

•12:01 – Leah Free’s origin story: voice, nature, and becoming herself

•17:51 – Roots over symptoms: regulation, happiness, and deep self-work

•22:09 – Self-expression in a noisy world and the strange gift of feeling known through technology

•24:47 – Practicing expression: reps, flops, edges, and creative courage

•29:20 – Comedy, performance, and stepping into the ultimate creative edge

•34:17 – How Leah expands Pedro’s play, movement, and embodied expression

•40:08 – Founders, high performance, AI, and the new era of achievement

•43:28 – Partnership as a supportive container for success and humanity

•49:33 – Transitioning from work mode into presence, intimacy, and connection

•54:38 – Trust, surrender, vulnerability, and being guided through partnership

•59:51 – Brain-heavy culture, overdrive, and the need for nervous-system regulation

•64:55 – High performance, boundaries, and coming back to the body

•69:48 – Technology, AI, and a hopeful future where people do the work

•74:50 – “Touch grass”: nature, play, dancing, and community as balance

•76:08 – Where to find Leah and Pedro

•80:01 – Closing reminder: stay hopeful and stay human

Key Takeaways:

•Authentic self-expression requires courage, generosity, and willingness to be messy and imperfect.

•Technology and AI can amplify human creativity but also demand conscious boundaries and presence.

•Partnerships rooted in respect, autonomy, and love create space for vulnerability and growth.

•Returning to nature, the body, and community is essential for staying grounded in a hyper-digital world.

•Embracing emotional masculine vulnerability deepens intimacy and connection.

•Setting “bare-ass minimums” (BAMs) and healthy boundaries supports sustainable success and wellbeing.

•The future holds unprecedented opportunities for self-work and purpose-driven living as technology evolves.

Resources Mentioned:

•The Untethered Soul (Book referenced by Pedro)

•Kochi Platform for real-time coaching and breakthrough acceleration: kochi.coach

Guest Links Mentioned:

•Leah Free Instagram: @leahlivefree

•Pedro Jerez’s platform Kochi: kochi.coach

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you sacrificing your humanity in the pursuit of perfection? In this episode of How to Stay Human, Tori and Kyle explore the profound impact that our defense mechanisms—whether that’s extreme rigidity or complete avoidance—have on our relationships, our success, and our overall well-being. They dive deep into the differences between type A and type B personalities, how our nervous systems adapt to create safety, and why embracing the "mess" is essential for true intimacy and abundance.

From discussing the true cost of overworking to examining the role of AI in stripping away our humanity, Tori and Kyle challenge listeners to make the unconscious conscious. Discover how to build a life that accommodates life's inevitable uncertainties without losing your connection to yourself and those you love.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• [00:00 - 05:00] Welcome back: What we've been growing through and the desire for real, raw authenticity in a curated world.

• [05:00 - 11:30] The cost of success: Examining the toll of extreme productivity and the realization that perfectionism can be a trauma response.

• [11:30 - 18:00] Navigating different nervous systems: How Tori and Kyle's differing approaches to structure and messiness impact their relationship.

• [18:00 - 25:00] The illusion of certainty: Why we crave control in an inherently uncertain world and the power of remaining open to life's surprises.

• [25:00 - 32:00] AI and the loss of humanity: The danger of optimizing our lives to the point of losing genuine human connection.

• [32:00 - 40:00] Breaking the cycle: Practical steps for perfectionists to let go of rigid routines and for messy individuals to embrace helpful structure.

• [40:00 - 45:13] Making the unconscious conscious: How to stop letting your patterns control your life and start living intentionally.

Sponsor Spotlight: Anywhere Clinic

This episode is brought to you by Anywhere Clinic. In our journey to stay human, taking care of our mental health is paramount. Anywhere Clinic provides accessible, high-quality psychiatric care and therapy from the comfort of your own home. Whether you're navigating the pressures of perfectionism, dealing with anxiety, or simply looking for a supportive space to grow, their team of dedicated professionals is here to help you build a regulated and resilient nervous system.

Visit www.anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon to learn more and take the first step towards a healthier, more balanced you.

Join the Community

Are you ready to do the deep work and build a solid foundation for your life and leadership? Join Tori inside GROUNDWORK. GROUNDWORK is a transformative space designed for high-performing leaders, founders, and creators who are ready to regulate their nervous systems, heal past patterns, and step into their most authentic power.

Join us today at:  www.torigordon.com/groundwork

Connect with Tori

Stay connected and continue the conversation:

• Instagram: @thetorigordon / @howtostayhumanpod

• Website: www.torigordon.com

• Book: ALTAR by Tori Gordon

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of How to Stay Human, Tori Gordon and Kyle Herron explore why so many people feel overwhelmed, anxious, and unsettled in today’s world—and what’s actually happening beneath the surface.

From constant information overload to global uncertainty, we’re living in a time where the pace of change is faster than our nervous systems can process. The result is chronic stress, emotional fatigue, and a deep sense that something isn’t quite right.

This conversation breaks down the real issue: not just what’s happening in the world, but how your body is responding to it.

Tori shares how nervous system dysregulation shows up in high performers, why awareness alone isn’t enough to create change, and what it actually takes to feel safe, grounded, and in control again.

Kyle offers a perspective on how to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed, and how to engage with the world in a way that creates impact instead of burnout.

If you’ve been feeling off, stuck, or constantly on edge, this episode will help you understand why—and what to do about it.

Anywhere Clinic offers a modern, holistic approach to mental health, including psychiatry, therapy, ketamine treatment, TMS, and performance optimization. If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or burnout, their personalized care model is designed to support real, lasting change.

Visit www.anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon to book a consultation. 

If this episode resonated, this is your next step.

GROUNDWORK is Tori’s 6-week nervous system mastery program designed to help you:

👉 Join here:
www.torigordon.com/groundwork

Follow along for more:

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this very special edition of How to Stay Human, Tori Gordon sits down with co-host Kyle to discuss the release of her highly anticipated debut book, ALTAR: Modern Psalms for a New Earth. This episode explores the profound vulnerability of taking 34 years of private journaling, spiritual seeking, and internal processing, and placing it into the public sphere. Tori shares why she turned down a major book deal years ago, the necessity of honoring divine timing, and why the spiritual path is less about learning something new and more about unlearning what is false. They dive deep into the framework of the book—breaking down the ALTAR acronym (Abundance, Love, Truth, Awakening, and Remembrance)—and discuss how to navigate the thresholds of initiation required to drop our masks. 

Tori also provides a live, grounded reading of Psalm 17, “For the One Who Seeks,” offering a powerful transmission for anyone who has outgrown traditional boxes but still hungers for something sacred. If you are a seeker carrying more questions than answers, this episode is your reminder that your restlessness is a sign of aliveness, your humanity is part of your divine design, and you are already on sacred ground. 

Key Topics & Timestamps: 

[00:00] Introduction & the story behind turning down a book deal to honor divine timing. 

[05:00] Tori’s relationship with writing as the safest space for honest selfexpression. 

[08:00] The vulnerability of sharing 34 years of private seeking with the world. 

[11:00] Why the spiritual path is about unlearning falsehoods rather than acquiring new information. 

[13:00] Breaking down the ALTAR acronym: Abundance, Love, Truth, Awakening, and Remembrance. 

[16:00] Writing for those who have outgrown traditional dogma but still seek the sacred. 

[19:00] How to engage with the book depending on where you are in your healing journey. 

[25:00] A live, somatic reading of Psalm 17: “For the One Who Seeks.” 

[30:00] How to access the ALTAR companion app for daily practices, AI reflections, and live sacred ceremonies. 

[33:00] Closing thoughts: Why your humanity is not a block to your divinity, but the path to it. 

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Anywhere Clinic. Take control of your mental and physical well-being today. Visit www.anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon to learn more and get started. 

Pre-order Tori’s new book, ALTAR: Modern Psalms for a New Earth, available NOW! Get your copy here: torigordon.com/book 

Connect with Tori: Website: www.torigordon.com 

Instagram: @thetorigordon 

Podcast: How to Stay Human 

Substack: How to Stay Human on Substack 

The ALTAR App: altar.torigordon.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We’re feeling awfully human in this episode.

Tori shares the heart behind her Substack piece “What I Wish Men Knew” — a love letter to men from a woman who loves men deeply — and opens up a raw conversation about what’s unfolding in our culture right now, including the way patriarchal conditioning has harmed women, men, and children.

Kyle reflects on the paradox of our time: we live in a world historically dominated by men, and yet men are deeply struggling. We talk about why emotional suppression, isolation, and imbalance have become normalized, how numbness kills empathy, and why unregulated power is dangerous — not because men are bad, but because the system has trained men to equate masculinity with dominance, productivity, and disconnection from the heart.

This isn’t a takedown of men. It’s a call forward.

We explore what healthy masculinity looks like in 2026: integrity, accountability, emotional literacy, repair, devotion, and embodied leadership. We also name something many people feel but rarely say out loud: women are not only afraid of men’s anger — they’re afraid of men’s numbness, because numbness is where empathy goes to die.

If you’ve felt overwhelmed by what’s coming to light in the world, or if you’ve felt the hunger for a new model of leadership, love, and partnership — this episode is for you.

Why Tori wrote “What I Wish Men Knew” as a love letter to men

The patriarchy as a system, not a villain

The three primary wounds men carry: emotional suppression, loneliness, imbalance

Why numbness is more dangerous than anger

Why repair is the missing ingredient in so many relationships

The difference between anger and boundaries

What integrity looks like when no one is watching

Why “success” without fulfillment collapses

How men can rebuild: emotional literacy, men’s community, regulation, shadow integration

How partners can support men without mothering them

The future we believe is possible: men with strong spines and soft hearts

“What I Wish Men Knew” (a letter to men)
https://torigordon.substack.com/p/what-i-wish-men-knew?r=5suqhm

Instagram: @howtostayhumanpod

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-stay-human/id1475408897

Explore Groundwork (nervous system literacy + regulation + emotional intelligence):
www.torigordon.com/groundwork

If this episode hit something in you, share it with a man you love — or a woman who’s tired of carrying the emotional weight alone.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Anywhere Clinic — a mental health clinic offering a holistic approach to wellbeing, including psychiatric care, medication management, ketamine therapy, TMS, talk therapy, and peak performance coaching. Anywhere Clinic supports individuals and families navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, insomnia, and more, with personalized care plans designed to help you find mental clarity, inner peace, and real momentum.

To learn more, book a consultation or explore care options, visit www.Anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon 

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The world feels intense right now.

From political shakeups to cultural instability, rapid AI acceleration to social unrest, many of us are asking the same question:

How do we stay informed without becoming overwhelmed?

In this episode of How to Stay Human, Tori Gordon and Kyle Herron explore the intersection of nervous system regulation, emotional intelligence, leadership, and sovereignty in a rapidly changing world.

This is a conversation about nervous system mastery, high performance without burnout, and why the next generation of leaders must be regulated leaders.

Tori shares the framework behind her 6-week transformational container, Groundwork, and explains why nervous system literacy is the foundation of sustainable success, emotional safety, intuitive leadership, and deep presence.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck in survival mode, constantly scanning for threat, or exhausted from pushing your way through life, this episode is for you.

Virtual psychiatric care from licensed providers, including medication management and ketamine therapy options (where eligible).

Learn more: anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon

Comprehensive lab testing that gives you real data on your health so you can make informed decisions about longevity, energy, and performance.

Explore your biomarkers with Function Health. Use code TORIG25 for $25 off your membership  www.functionhealth.com/torigordon

If this episode resonated, it may be time to build your internal foundation.

Groundwork is Tori Gordon’s 6-week nervous system mastery and emotional intelligence program designed for high performers, leaders, and impact-driven humans who are ready to move from survival to sovereignty.

Start with the free Nervous System Defense Patterns Quiz:

👉 www.torigordon.com/groundwork

Enrollment details and program information available at the same link.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everyone says they want community.

But most people don’t have it.

In this episode of How to Stay Human, Tori Gordon and Kyle Herron pick up where last week left off and break down why the word community has been diluted—and what it actually takes to build something real.

Community is not a follower count.
It’s not a group chat.
It’s not “good vibes.”

Real community is embodied, relational, and reciprocal. It requires participation, structure, boundaries, and repair. If it doesn’t ask anything from you, it’s not community—it’s proximity with branding.

Kyle shares a practical framework for building communities that last (paid or unpaid), including mission/vision, agreements, member selection, leadership, feedback loops, and the containers that create trust over time. Tori breaks down the biggest myths that cause people to crave community while resenting the effort it requires.

Because the future doesn’t need more online audiences.
It needs villages.

• Why “community” has been watered down in the digital age
• The truth: community is inconvenient by design
• Why aligned communities still cost energy (and why that’s normal)
• The myth that a community should meet all your needs
• What makes communities fragile—and how to protect them
• A step-by-step framework to build a real community where you live

Anywhere Clinic
Virtual psychiatric care from the comfort of your home. Support includes medication management and ketamine therapy options (where eligible). Appointments can start as low as $120. Check if your insurance covers it.
Visit: anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon

Function Health
Get clear, comprehensive lab testing and real data on what’s happening inside your body so you can make smarter decisions with your health. USE CODE: TORIG25 for $25 off your membership. 
Learn more: FunctionHealth.com/torigordon

If this episode hit, follow the show and share it with one person you want to go deeper with this year.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5CW60wbPxLzr5zOBRAB0jR?si=c1b37dab534a4704
YouTube: https://youtu.be/jber8KlebnU?si=HKmU-nUFX_X9vLad
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-stay-human/id1475408897?i=1000747092963

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the most connected generation in human history, why are so many people quietly falling apart in isolation?

In this episode of How to Stay Human, Kyle and Tori unpack the loneliness epidemic—and why it’s not just a “sad feeling,” but a real threat to our physical health, mental wellbeing, and long-term resilience. If you’ve ever had a lot of people around you but still felt alone, this conversation is for you.

Kyle shares a shocking insight from a health longevity conversation: loneliness is one of the most lethal forces impacting human health today. Together, they explore how our culture has traded depth for breadth, why adult friendships often dissolve into “surface-level proximity,” and how social media can create a false sense of closeness that leaves us even more disconnected.

You’ll also learn a practical framework for rebuilding real connection: the Four Circles of Relationship—a way to map the people in your life so you know who is truly core, who is inner circle, who is outer circle, and who is simply an acquaintance. This episode invites you to stop taking friendship for granted and start treating your most important relationships with the same intention you give to your career, goals, and romantic partnerships.

Because real friendship isn’t something you “luck into.” It’s something you build—through consistency, vulnerability, reciprocity, and care.

• Why loneliness impacts physical health (stress, cortisol, heart disease, and more)
• The difference between being “connected” online and being known in real life
• Why adult life makes friendship harder (survival mode, busyness, and the dopamine scroll)
• A story that reveals how much we’ve confused audience for friendship
• Why closeness isn’t history, proximity, blood, or nostalgia—it’s access + truth

The Four Circles of Relationship framework:

• Acquaintances
• Outer Circle
• Inner Circle
• Core (chosen family)

The real test of friendship: who answers when life falls apart

A powerful exercise to audit your relationships and name where dissonance exists

Why vulnerability is leadership—and why you can’t be loved if you can’t be seen

How deeper relationships become a form of resistance in a dividing world

Who do I call when I’m not okay?

Who thinks they’re close to me… but doesn’t actually have access to my real life?

Which relationships am I maintaining out of habit, history, or image?

Who is on the edge of my outer/inner circle—and do I want to deepen it?

This episode is sponsored by Anywhere Clinic, a virtual mental health provider offering expert support from the comfort of your home. Whether you’re exploring ketamine therapy, need medication management, or want a supportive psychiatric guide, you can prioritize your mental health today.
Book an appointment for as low as $120 or check whether your insurance covers it at www.anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon

In the next episode, we go deeper into the how: how to build real community, what it means to be a good friend, and what sustainable connection actually requires.

If this episode hit home, share it with someone you love—and take one small step toward connection this week.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you’ve been feeling behind, stuck, or like your goals keep slipping through your fingers, this episode will reframe everything.

Tori shares her original framework, The 7 Seasons of Becoming Human, to help you identify where you are right now and stop forcing strategies that don’t match your current season. Because growth isn’t linear. You don’t “graduate” into constant momentum. You cycle. You rebuild. You reorient. And when you learn to work with your season instead of fighting it, your life gets clearer and more easeful.

Kyle joins as a student in the conversation, sharing real examples of moving through disruption, liminality, experimentation, devotion, and founding, and how seasons shape our ability to create goals that actually stick.

At the end, Tori shares how to take the 7 Seasons quiz and where to go deeper with the Substack series.

- Why “linear growth” is a myth (and what’s actually true)

- How to identify the season of life you’re in right now

- Why you can be in different seasons across different areas (business, health, relationships, faith)

The 7 Seasons breakdown:

• Comfort (belonging, structure, conformity)
• Disruption (initiation, rupture, awakening)
• Liminality (the in-between, surrender, identity dissolving)
• Discovery (curiosity, experimentation, aliveness)
• Decision/Devotion (choice, integrity, cutting off other paths)
• Founding (systems, discipline, sustainability)
• Stewardship (legacy, service, wisdom)

- The question each season asks you (so you stop shaming yourself and start listening)

- How to stop “swimming upstream” with your goals

- Why your friends’ advice might be wrong for you (they’re often in a different season)

- How to communicate your season to your partner, friends, and team for better support

Take the 7 Seasons of Becoming Human Quiz: https://torigordon.com/seven-seasons

Read the 7 Seasons Substack series: https://torigordon.substack.com

Contact: [email protected] or [email protected]

Today’s episode is sponsored by Anywhere Clinic — a mental health clinic offering a holistic approach to well-being with psychiatric care, medication management, ketamine therapy, TMS, talk therapy, and peak performance coaching. Anywhere Clinic supports anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, insomnia, and more, with personalized care plans across multiple U.S. states.

If you’re looking for support that blends modern clinical care with a whole-human approach, check out Anywhere Clinic and explore their services.

Visit www.anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon

If this episode helped you, subscribe for new weekly episodes of How to Stay Human.
Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch the full episode on YouTube.
And if you take the quiz, share what season you’re in — it changes how you set goals in 2026.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As 2025 comes to a close, Kyle and Tori invite you into a more human way to plan your next chapter—one that honors your energy, your nervous system, and the natural rhythm of life.

We reflect on the state of humanity in 2025—polarization, system breakdowns, and the quiet revolution of people choosing a more conscious path. Then we shift into a practical framework for 2026: why New Year’s resolutions often fail, how winter is meant for reflection, and how to create goals that are simple, measurable, meaningful, and aligned with your inner authority.

Kyle shares the SMART goal framework, breaks goal-setting into personal vs. professional, and maps personal goals through the seven energetic bodies (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, primal, social, financial) plus life logistics. Tori grounds the conversation with the core reminder: don’t follow the crowd—follow your truth, your body, and your season of life.

If you’ve been forcing goals that don’t stick, this episode will give you a new map.

• How to reflect on 2025 using themes (integration, not pressure)
• Why winter is for slowness, stillness, and intention-setting
• How to create SMART goals that you can actually sustain
• The seven energetic bodies goal framework (plus life logistics)
• How to balance maintenance and experimentation
• Why inner authority matters more than dogma
• How to stop chasing someone else’s life and build your own

This episode is sponsored by Anywhere Clinic, a mental health clinic with a holistic approach to care, including psychiatric care, medication management, ketamine therapy, TMS, talk therapy, and family counseling.
Learn more / book a consult:  www.anywhereclinic.com/tori-gordon

Substack: torigordon.substack.com

Instagram: @howtostayhumanpod @thetorigordon @kyleaherron

Website: torigordon.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.