Intent on Purpose

Jenny Chapman’s interview was part crochet masterclass, part comedy hour, and part heartfelt ode to creativity. From the moment she confessed that crochet was just the “100th craft” she’d picked up, Jenny’s personality unraveled faster than a badly counted stitch. What started as a calming hobby during a stressful job became a full-blown passion involving blankets, bath mats, “yarn chicken,” and enough acrylic yarn to survive the apocalypse.

Jenny spoke lovingly about learning crochet from her Grammy, who passed down both the skill and the creative spark that now fuels Jenny’s life as a teacher, theater lover, audiobook addict, and self-proclaimed “hooker” — in the crochet sense, of course. She explained how repetitive stitches can calm an overactive brain, why lockdown brought fiber arts roaring back into style, and how she once mailed handmade blankets to flight attendants who bribed her with airplane snacks.

Between stories about theater, teaching high school English, and intimidating lacework projects, Jenny’s real message was simple: make things, share them, and don’t hide what brings you joy. Whether she’s crafting blankets for graduating students, donating handmade gifts, or teaching teens to perform Antigone, Jenny stitches warmth into everything she touches — one row at a time.

More about Jenny:

Jenny has been crafting since the age of 5 and has hand made over 100 blankets as of today. She always has a craft in hand while traveling and can always recommend a great audiobook to listen to while crafting.

#ADD #ADHD. #Crochet

What if healing your trauma isn’t about finding the right method—but finding the right support for you?

In this powerful episode of Intent on Purpose, Laura Hansen Breksa sits down with somatic coach Victoria Duarte to break down the truth about trauma, anxiety, and emotional healing. Together, they explore why cookie-cutter solutions often fail, how even small childhood moments can shape your adult reactions, and what it really means to heal from the inside out.

You’ll learn how trauma lives in the body, why you might still feel triggered even when nothing is “wrong,” and how to begin creating safety, self-compassion, and real change in your life.

Whether you’ve tried therapy before, feel stuck in anxiety, or are just beginning your healing journey—this conversation will help you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.

Get to know Victoria:

Victoria is the co-founder of Healing Arts Center, a practice built around the healing modalities that supported her business partner Mark during his military retirement. With over 15 years of experience, Victoria works as a somatic and mindfulness coach helping military families and civilians find healthy ways to manage stress and anxiety. She is deeply committed to making healing accessible to the Hampton Roads community, believing there is no one size fits all approach. She tailors every session to the individual sitting in front of her and creates a space where people feel safe enough to have honest conversations with themselves.

https://www.healingartsvb.com/

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why trauma healing is not one-size-fits-all
• How to recognize hidden trauma responses
• The difference between coaching and therapy
• Why your body—not just your mind—needs to heal
• When it’s time to seek deeper support

🎧 If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, stuck, or unsure where to start—this episode is for you.

Story Time!

One way to tell a family story, or your own.

How do you handle tantrums? What do personality types reveal about family dynamics? And what can just 90 seconds teach us about behavior?

In my conversation with parenting coach Mindy Green, we unpack it all—and you might just leave with a new mantra: keep calm and parent on.

Get to know Mindy:

Mindy Green is a Parenting and Family Communication Coach, former school social worker, and author whose work grew from her own journey of raising four children. What began as a search for better ways to support her family became a passion for helping others understand emotions, personality, and the patterns that shape relationships. Through storytelling and practical tools, Mindy guides parents to break generational cycles and build deeper connection at home. She believes that living with purpose starts with how we show up for ourselves and for the people we love.

https://mindygreencoaching.com/

#Partenting #parentingtips #tantrums #mindfulparenting #parentingcoach #familydynamics

Mindy Green believes she has the answers. This short reels reveals a lot of Mindy Green's beliefs, which she talks more of in her complete conversation on Intent on Purpose with Laura Hansen Breksa.

How Being Authentically Aligned with Your Values Brings Clarity & Momentum (And How to Find Yours)

What if the reason you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or off-track… isn’t a lack of motivation—but a lack of alignment?

In this powerful conversation, Joey Chandler breaks down how clarifying your core values can transform the way you think, act, and navigate challenges. Instead of forcing productivity or focusing on weaknesses, he shares a surprisingly simple shift that creates real momentum: starting with celebration.

You’ll learn how to identify your values, why most people get them wrong, and how to actually use them in your daily life to build confidence, clarity, and forward progress.

Top Takeaways:

• Start with celebration → it fuels energy and belief
• Your values create the thread that connects your life and decisions
• Misalignment leads to stress and stagnation—alignment creates momentum
• Keep it simple: 3 core values, including one “spark” (like fun or creativity)
• Use a daily process: Celebrate → Reflect → Set a goal → Face fears → Take action

Joey also shares a practical 3-question method to uncover your values and explains how to apply them—even on your hardest days.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, burned out, or unsure of your next step, this episode will give you a clear and actionable way forward.

Get to know Joey

Joey Chandler is the founder of Certain Growth Solutions where he helps owners and entrepreneurs grow their businesses by creating alignment between their values, goals, plans and Actions. He lives in Reno Nevada, and his 2026 resolutions include to always be training for an event and read at least one book a month.

https://www.joeychandler.net/

How can families support a child learning English when private tutoring isn't an option? In this episode of Intent on Purpose, host Laura Hansen Breksa speaks with Catherine Wilkinson, a qualified teacher with over 10 years of experience. Catherine discusses the transition from 1-on-1 tutoring to creating The Online English Teacher (OETI), a project where she develops affordable resources for young learners.

Catherine shares her philosophy of steering away from traditional textbooks in favor of play-based learning for children aged 3–8. She explains how she uses digital tools to create printable games and crafts, and why she provides free videos on YouTube to ensure English learning is available to families regardless of their financial situation.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Reframing language learning as a bonding experience between parent and child.
• Practical ways to use simple games like Tic-Tac-Toe for vocabulary building.
• Catherine’s outreach to small nonprofit refugee schools.
• Overcoming the internal fear of "failing" when you aren't a native speaker yourself.

If you found Catherine’s mission inspiring, Subscribe to Intent on Purpose for more stories of people putting time, engery and talent into what they believe! 

Get to know Catherine:

Catherine is a qualified teacher, home-educating mum, and online ESL educator with 10+ years’ experience. She advocates for accessible, affordable learning, supporting families teaching English at home and mums building flexible work-from-home careers through online ESL teaching.

00:00 – Meeting Catherine Wilkinson and the start of OETI

01:19 – Transitioning from 1-on-1 tutoring to printable resources

04:10 – Managing OETI as a "one-man band" with digital tools

07:43 – The philosophy of play-based learning vs. traditional textbooks

09:40 – Using simple games like Tic-Tac-Toe to teach

12:31 – Advice for parents who are not fluent in English

16:40 – Reaching refugee schools through nonprofit outreach

22:54 – Why the only true failure is giving up on your passion

Explore Catherine’s Resources:

https://theoet.com/

#ESL #LanguageLearning #IntentOnPurpose #CatherineWilkinson #EarlyEducation

LAUGH! Don't wait to be entertained, use your own gifts to be the entertainer, with Jerry Caruso. A reminder by Jerry Caruso, founder of Comics for a Cure, to use our gifs!

Full episode to air at a future date!

Get to know Jerry:

Comedian, Co-founder of "comics for a cure", Actor, Cable TV Talk Show host & Motivational Speaker. Jerry has brought laughter to audiences since 1993. He has shared the stage with Larry-the cable guy & Lisa Lampinelli. His proudest accomplishments include entertaining cancer patients @ Hope Lodge-Boston (2012-present), veterans at Veterans INC and Veterans Inn (2017-present) & Brain Injury Communities.

Laura takes a moment during her conversation with Paula Johnson to share her experience with harsh criticism from a high school teacher and her developing understanding and perspective.

#teaching #highschoolteachers

Susie McAlister, AKA Susie Bloom, sat down with Laura Hansen Breksa and shared her Blooming Together movement, how we can use gratitude to find peace and abundance... and so much more about blooming where we are! If you are feeling overwhelmed and troubled by your circumstances, listen to some great counsel on what to do to bring a bit of joy to your troubles. You can't get rid of them, but you can bring a bit of sunshine and find beauty in the possibilities.

Get to know Susie:

Susan is a bloomer! An optimist who won't give up, even when she really wants to. She believes in growing through life, not just going through life, and strives to bloom wherever she's planted, no matter how difficult. She is passionate about learning and loves so many things, including (but certainly not limited to), curling up with a good book, swinging on swings, leisurely bike rides, road trips, inspirational movies, music and singing, taking pictures, sketching, painting, writing, and creating in general. She likes to get up early, get outside, go for walks, explore new places, and spend time with friends and family, making them delicious goodies often. She thoroughly enjoys connecting with others, especially as host of the Blooming Together podcast. She is grateful for God's constant love, guidance, and forgiveness, and for the hope that in the end, all things will work out somehow. She lives with her wonderful husband on the central coast of California. They have three marvelous children and a fabulous son-in-law and love spending time with them as much as possible.

https://www.susiebloom.com/