JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose

Cynthia Changyit Levin is the author of From Changing Diapers to Changing the World and Advocacy Made Easy: How to Turn Civic Frustration into Powerful Action. A nonpartisan activist and coach, she helps volunteers of all ages build productive, relationship-centered relationships with members of Congress. She serves on the board of CARE Action, has held leadership roles with the RESULTS Educational Fund, and volunteers with the ONE Campaign, Bread for the World, Moms Demand Action, MomsRising, and the Shot@Life campaign. In 2021 she received the Cameron Duncan Media Award from RESULTS Educational Fund for her activism and written media.

In This Episode:

How becoming a mom in her 30s — and a frightening first week of breastfeeding struggles — cracked Cynthia's world open and became her doorway into advocacy

Why her books are built to help readers see themselves in the work, not just follow her story

The difference between the inspiration-driven Changing Diapers and the step-by-step "manual," Advocacy Made Easy

Why every issue is connected — "when you tug on your own thread, you're helping to unravel the whole damn cloth"

The danger of activist burnout, and why leading with fear and anger isn't sustainable

How joy and gratitude — thanking a member of Congress, celebrating small wins — actually open doors that anger closes

Practical, no-excuses first steps: fivecalls.org, calling after hours if cold calls feel scary, and stacking advocacy into habits you already have (carpool line, coffee line, before girls' night)

Writing a "joy hook" letter to the editor instead of a rant

Curating a healthier news diet — including two recommended sources: Heather Cox Richardson and Ben Green's newsletter, Good Queer News

Why relational advocacy (finding common ground, even with people you disagree with) builds influence that lasts longer than a single election cycle

Key Quotes:

"You are not powerless." — the opening line of Advocacy Made Easy

"All these issues are related, and when you tug on your own thread, you're helping to unravel the whole damn cloth."

"Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." — Ruth Bader Ginsburg, quoted by Cynthia

"I come in like a wrecking ball of joy."

Try This: The One-Call Habit

Cynthia's simple entry point into advocacy, mapped to Rachel's habit-stacking philosophy:

Pick your moment — attach one phone call to something you already do daily (waiting in the pickup line, standing in a coffee line, five minutes before a Zoom call)

Use a script — go to fivecalls.org, find your issue, and personalize the script with your own story

Go after hours if you're nervous — call when offices are closed so you simply leave a message

Celebrate it — mark the small win (a sticker, a note, a mental high-five) since positive actions need reinforcing just as much as negative emotions stick

Resources & Links Mentioned:

Book: From Changing Diapers to Changing the World: Why Moms Make Great Advocates and How to Get Started

Book: Advocacy Made Easy: How to Turn Civic Frustration into Powerful Action

Website: advocacymadeasy.com (includes a directory of recommended nonpartisan advocacy organizations and a sign-up for Cynthia's monthly newsletter)

Tool: fivecalls.org

Newsletter: Good Queer News by Ben Green

Newsletter: Heather Cox Richardson

Organizations mentioned: RESULTS, CARE Action, Bread for the World, Citizens' Climate Lobby, FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation), Moms Demand Action, ONE Campaign, Shot@Life

Connect with Cynthia:

Website: advocacymadeasy.com

Autographed books available directly through her website; also available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and independent bookstores Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Katie McIntyre, founder and CEO of the Joyful Leadership Academy, speaker, author, coach, and leadership researcher. Katie's PhD research — literally titled "What Is Joyful Leadership?" — uncovered what happens when leaders bring warmth, lightheartedness, and calm consistency into how they lead, and why it's one of the most under-tapped strategies for building resilient, engaged, financially sustainable organizations.

Rachel and Katie nerd out on the research behind joyful leadership, why it's not "fluffy," and how any leader — in any industry — can start building it as a skill today.

In This Episode

The Harvard Business Review article that sparked Katie's PhD research into joyful leadership

Katie's definition of joyful leadership: warmth, lightheartedness, relationship-based, and calm consistency

The link between joy, emotional contagion, and resilience

Why joy is a practice and a skill — not a personality trait

The "attitude of gratitude" practice Katie used as a school leader

Reframing pushback like "that sounds fluffy" or "that's a feminine way to lead"

Why joyful leadership drives real business outcomes: lower turnover, less burnout, stronger retention

The generational shift toward purpose-driven, engaged workplaces

Bringing your whole, integrated self to work instead of a separate "work self"

Katie's validated tool for measuring joyful leadership in individuals, teams, and organizations

What it looks like to work with Katie — from individual coaching to full organizational development

Book and research recommendations for going deeper on joy and positive leadership

About Dr. Katie McIntyre

Katie is the founder and CEO of the Joyful Leadership Academy. A speaker, author, coach, and leadership researcher, she helps organizations build thriving workplace cultures through joyful leadership. She has held leadership roles including school principal and Chief Operating Officer of an aeromedical airline, has published multiple book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles, and regularly presents at national and international conferences.

Connect with Katie:

Website: www.joyfulleadershipacademy.com.au

Resources & Mentions

Brené Brown

Aunty (Aunt) Middleton, Zero Negativity

Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory

Shawn Achor

Kelly McGonigal, The Joy of Movement

Catherine Price, The Power of Fun Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Katie McIntyre, founder and CEO of the Joyful Leadership Academy, speaker, author, coach, and leadership researcher. Katie's PhD research — literally titled "What Is Joyful Leadership?" — uncovered what happens when leaders bring warmth, lightheartedness, and calm consistency into how they lead, and why it's one of the most under-tapped strategies for building resilient, engaged, financially sustainable organizations.

Rachel and Katie nerd out on the research behind joyful leadership, why it's not "fluffy," and how any leader — in any industry — can start building it as a skill today.

In This Episode

The Harvard Business Review article that sparked Katie's PhD research into joyful leadership

Katie's definition of joyful leadership: warmth, lightheartedness, relationship-based, and calm consistency

The link between joy, emotional contagion, and resilience

Why joy is a practice and a skill — not a personality trait

The "attitude of gratitude" practice Katie used as a school leader

Reframing pushback like "that sounds fluffy" or "that's a feminine way to lead"

Why joyful leadership drives real business outcomes: lower turnover, less burnout, stronger retention

The generational shift toward purpose-driven, engaged workplaces

Bringing your whole, integrated self to work instead of a separate "work self"

Katie's validated tool for measuring joyful leadership in individuals, teams, and organizations

What it looks like to work with Katie — from individual coaching to full organizational development

Book and research recommendations for going deeper on joy and positive leadership

About Dr. Katie McIntyre

Katie is the founder and CEO of the Joyful Leadership Academy. A speaker, author, coach, and leadership researcher, she helps organizations build thriving workplace cultures through joyful leadership. She has held leadership roles including school principal and Chief Operating Officer of an aeromedical airline, has published multiple book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles, and regularly presents at national and international conferences.

Connect with Katie:

Website: www.joyfulleadershipacademy.com.au

LinkedIn: [Add Katie's LinkedIn URL]

Resources & Mentions

Brené Brown

Aunty (Aunt) Middleton, Zero Negativity

Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory

Shawn Achor

Kelly McGonigal, The Joy of Movement

Catherine Price, The Power of Fun Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

for information about our collection and use of personal data for

advertising.

Regina Huber has lived and led across five continents — from Germany and Spain to Brazil, Argentina, the U.S., and most recently across Africa. Her path through Boston Consulting Group and her own businesses shaped her into a multicultural transformational leadership coach who built three signature frameworks: Powerful Leadership Transformation, New Paradigm Leadership, and Get Your Dream Salary. She's a conversational intelligence-enhanced skills practitioner, former TV host, and someone who insists joy, energy, and dance belong in the leadership conversation.

What We Cover in This Episode

Growing up the shyest kid on a farm in Bavaria — and the curiosity that pushed her out into the world

Why leadership style differs less by country than by the individual leader's level of self-awareness

Unique brilliance — what it is, why naming it removes the need to compete with anyone, and how it changes how you build a team

Why human design (and frameworks like it) aren't about boxing people in, but giving language to real differences

The four elements of Regina's New Paradigm Leadership framework: Mind, Heart, Message, Trust

The wild stat: it takes the brain just 0.07 seconds to decide whether it can trust someone — and why your energy speaks faster and louder than your words

A simple solar-plexus breathing technique to boost confidence and presence before any high-stakes moment

Why trust has to run both directions — leaders trusting their teams, not just the reverse

The role of vulnerability in building a team that actually shares its best ideas

The story behind her new book, Living My Freaking Amazing Life, and its "create the life that's perfect for you, anywhere in the world" philosophy

A wild, joy-filled story from Johannesburg: night bike rides, a long walk to the Drill Hall with a new friend, an impromptu Rasta rap performance, and a hidden pair of scissors

Dancing live on Cameroonian television with zero notice

Her newest framework, LIVE FULLY (the A LIFE Method), for successful people whose lives have started to feel flat despite the achievements

Key Concepts & Quotes

"Your energy speaks faster than your words, but it also speaks louder than your words."

"Once we gain self-awareness, we become clear on what our unique brilliance is — and that alone takes the need for competition away."

"Fear is in the mind, but courage is in the heart."

"We live life as if we were on autopilot, and it's not really what we want. That's when it all starts feeling off."

Regina's Confidence & Presence Tool

Sit or stand upright, close your eyes if you can

Breathe into your solar plexus (stomach area) — this is where most people access their personal power energy

Imagine that energy expanding through your body and into a bubble surrounding you

Hold for a few seconds to a few minutes

Step into your meeting, conversation, or moment with that expanded presence

The New Paradigm Leadership Framework

Mind — mindset, vision, drive

Heart — courage, intuition, the human center of any organization

Message — communication, including the energy underneath your words

Trust — built both ways, leader to team and team to leader

Connect with Regina

Website: transformyourperformance.com

Free resource: transformyourperformance.com/success-now-what

Books: Speak Up, Stand Out and Shine and Living My Freaking Amazing Life (available on Amazon in English and Brazilian Portuguese) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Savio P. Clemente helps leadership teams rebuild after disruption - when the crisis is over but performance hasn't fully recovered. After 2,000+ interviews with global leaders and his own experience surviving non-Hodgkin's lymphoma twice (2014, and a 2024 relapse), Savio developed his Adaptive Resilience Leadership framework, working at the intersection of healthcare, leadership, and human performance.

What We Cover in This Episode

Savio's roots in Goa, India, growing up Catholic outside NYC, and the identity questions that came with it

The 2014 stage three non-Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis and reframing chemo as an "elixir" instead of poison

The 2024 relapse: stem cell transplant, 29 days in the hospital, and getting a literal second "birth date"

Psychological distancing — creating a buffer from the problem without disconnecting from it

Metacognition — the thinking about the thinking

Reframing resilience into adaptive resilience: staying flexible in the mess, not just bouncing back

Giving himself permission to just sleep — and why rest isn't the opposite of progress

The Aloha Reboot framework from his TEDx talk: Acknowledge, Listen, Open, Harness, Act

Why action is the missing ingredient in most healing and manifestation work

What being a patient inside healthcare — twice — taught him about leader burnout and "armor"

The $935 billion medical waste stat, and why AI can't optimize human performance

A story from the Oscars red carpet about leaders "still acting" — and what real humanity looks like instead

Key Quotes

"I reframed the chemotherapy not as poison. I reframed it as an elixir."

"To know thyself is to heal thyself."

"Healing is not linear. The truth... requires action."

"Nature doesn't need us. We need nature. It will always exist. We are the ones who wither away."

The Aloha Reboot — Savio's 7-Minute Framework

Acknowledge → Listen → Open → Harness → Act (with courage). No time? Start with one letter, one minute a day.

Connect with Savio

Website: saviopclemente.com · Substack: The Human Resolve · Social: @thehumanresolve

From my heart to yours, I am celebrating you today and every day. Have fun. Live well. ENJOY. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Albert Butler spent 25 years living hustle culture — until a 2 a.m. moment of joyless success finally broke him. Burned out, overweight, and disconnected from his family, he realized he'd been teaching his four kids how to hustle but not how to live. That reckoning forced him to rebuild with joy as the foundation, not the finish line. Today he blends financial expertise with deep life wisdom to help individuals and organizations move from legacy over ledgers to lives of genuine meaning, connection, and purpose.

What We Cover in This Episode

What the "2 a.m. moment" really is — and why it doesn't only happen at 2 a.m.

Why your bank statement and your YouTube feed tell more about your values than you do

How to use curiosity (not shame) as your starting point when the numbers don't match your values

Why Albert parks the paperwork and talks about you before he ever looks at a spreadsheet

The difference between winning at life and winning in life

Why you have to scale yourself before you can scale anything else

What legacy actually means — and why it has nothing to do with money

The story behind Life — a book written over 17 years, born on a flight over the Pacific Ocean, given to his son as a graduation gift

Why transparency about family health history is an act of love

How to find your spiritual anchor when you're tired and can't keep going

Why nobody can beat you but you — and why that's actually the most empowering thing you can hear

Key Concepts & Quotes

"Joy came after achievement, after the partnership, after the revenue goals, after proving myself. That belief nearly destroyed me."

"Your bank statement will tell everybody about you. What are your numbers saying?"

"We have to scale you before we can scale anything else."

"Legacy is not about money. It is what you have to pass. Are you leaving prosperity or chaos? Transparency or clutter?"

"You don't fail until you stop."

"Life is 10% what happens and 90% how you deal with it."

"I can because I will. I will because I can. I don't say can't because I can."

"Accounting is the heartbeat of business — and the key to personal finance success."

Practical Takeaways

The Bank Statement Exercise — pull up your statement and ask: does this reflect what I say my values are? Curiosity, not judgment, is where you start.

The Why Questions — When you're tired, ask: Why am I doing this? Who am I doing it for? What do I actually have to pass?

Find your spiritual anchor — whatever that looks like for you, get quiet enough to hear clarity.

Define your legacy culture — what does your family do consistently? What are you passing down beyond money?

Albert's Book

Life: Truth, Love, Loss, Success, and Failure — available on Amazon in ebook (99¢), paperback, hardcover, and audiobook. No excuses to not grab a copy.

Connect with Albert

Website: albertbutler.com

Search: Albert Butler CPA — published in Forbes, Yahoo Finance, AccessWire, and more Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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We've been sold a myth: that joy is something you're either born with or you're not. The "fun one." The "naturally happy one." The one with the sparklier nervous system. In this episode, I'm taking that myth apart piece by piece — and recorded just days into being a married woman, voice a little softer around the edges, thank-you notes still piled high.

What we dig into:

Why the research says roughly 40% of happiness is within our control through intentional activity — not genetics, not circumstances, but the stuff we actually choose to do.

Why joy is trainable, the same way strength and endurance are. (And what three Ironmans taught me about reps, plans, and showing up on the days you don't feel like it.)

A full walkthrough of the ENJOY Method — Engage in Wellness, Nurture Connection, Join in Giving, Open to Something Greater, Yes to Joy — broken down the same way I used to break down a training block.

The Joy Macros: Notice. Allow. Share. A ten-second practice you can run standing in a grocery line, in the middle of a hard meeting, or at the end of a day that didn't go anywhere close to plan.

The honest part — what it actually feels like when the big milestone happens (a wedding, a finish line, the thing you circled on the calendar for months) and life just... continues. Why joy can't only live at the summit, or it's temporary by design.

The line of the episode: "Joy is not who you are. Joy is what you do again and again and again until it starts to feel like who you are."

This week's practice: Pick one moment a day. Notice it. Allow yourself to feel it for a few extra seconds. Share it with someone.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little more joy in their life today.

From my heart to yours, I am celebrating you today and every day. Have fun. Live well. ENJOY. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Melanie Bonk is a wife of 27+ years, mama of four, and the founder of Bonk Better. Blending neuroscience, nervous system regulation, embodied communication, and tantric philosophy, Melanie helps individuals and couples cultivate presence, emotional intelligence, and deep relational safety — so success doesn't come at the expense of aliveness. Her last name really is Bonk, her birthday is Valentine's Day, and she is truly here to help you bonk better.

What We Cover in This Episode

How Melanie's childhood and family history set her on a path to build something different — a grounded, alive, long-term love

What it actually means to feel safe in your body, your relationship, and yourself

The difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system — and why it matters for pleasure

What somatic work is (and why talk therapy alone often isn't enough)

How we can build new neural pathways not just in our brains, but throughout our entire bodies

The research-backed truth: love is the fastest route to transformation

Why pleasure isn't optional — it's medicine

How to start a self-love practice when "I love you" feels too far away (hint: start with gratitude)

The inner critic as a nervous system protector — and how to meet it with love instead of resistance

Practical ways to begin a pleasure practice, with or without a partner

The power of awakening all five senses to create safety and presence

How pleasure can be used for manifestation, business clarity, and energetic magnetism

The emotional release that becomes possible when your body finally feels safe enough to surrender

Key Concepts & Quotes

"The quickest, fastest route to transformation out of any other self-help tool is love." — Melanie Bonk

"Pleasure isn't optional. It's medicine. It's how the body recalibrates into aliveness."

"You don't need to fix your life or your body. You simply need to help your body feel safe enough to enjoy it."

"The magic, the wisdom, the intuition — it lives in your body. I'm just guiding you back to what's already there."

Practical Tools Melanie Shares

The Love Gym — meeting yourself with compassion is a practice, not a decision. Do the reps.

Inner Critic Reframe — when the inner critic speaks, try: "I hear you. I love you. Thank you for keeping me safe."

Micro Moments of Pleasure — holding a warm cup of coffee, feeling fabric on your skin, breathing into your body. Small moments make macro changes.

The Five Senses Practice — intentionally awakening smell, sight, touch, taste, and sound to create an environment of safety and presence

The Mirror Practice — a foundational (and sometimes uncomfortable) step in building a relationship with your own body

Breathwork for the Body — breath as a tool to awaken sensation, increase blood flow, and begin creating new neural pathways

Connect with Melanie

Website & Free Resources: melaniebonk.com (free meditations, self-love practices, couples connection practices, and more)

Social Media: @BonkBetter

Podcast: Love Under Construction Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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What does a rescued dog teach you about leadership? More than you'd expect.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. Andy Neillie — business coach, bestselling author, award-winning speaker, and owner of a $3M retail business — to talk about the thing most leadership conversations skip entirely: the inner game. We get into trust, transparency, authenticity, and why resolute joy is the foundation every high-performing leader is missing.

This one is quotable from start to finish.

What we dig into:

Dr. Andy's first chapter in The Golden Principles isn't about strategy — it's about why trust takes time, and what a puppy mill rescue dog taught him about leading people who've been burned before.

We unpack the difference between delegation and abdication (yes, there's a massive difference), and why "I'm giving you the keys" without a safety net isn't leadership — it's escape.

Dr. Andy drops what might be the line of the episode: "Grow from your people, not just grow your people." Read that again.

We talk about the loneliness epidemic, why social media has confused influencers with leaders, and what it actually looks like to be authentically transparent without emotion-dumping on your team.

Dr. Andy introduces the Leader's Hour — the morning practice that separates reactive leaders from intentional ones. Not a perfect routine, but a powerful one. Hydration, movement, spiritual grounding, and getting in front of your day before it gets in front of you.

And we close on this: the best leaders aren't at the top of the pyramid. They're at the bottom. And the ones who get that? They're the ones people actually want to follow.

Connect with Dr. Andy Neillie:

LinkedIn.com/in/AndyNeillieLinkedIn.com/in/AndyNeillie

https://neillieleadershipgroup.com/

Enjoyed this episode? Hit subscribe and share it with the leader in your life who's ready to stop managing and start leading.

From my heart to yours, I am celebrating you today and every day. Have fun. Live well. ENJOY. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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There are two versions of a lot of us. The one the world sees - capable, driven, always showing up.

And the one that comes home at night, trying to hold it all together with whatever we can find to take the edge off.

In this episode, I'm telling you the real version of my story. Not the polished bio. The actual truth - about drinking too much, being at war with my body, and genuinely believing joy was something that existed for other people but not for me.

And then I'm going to tell you why your story - however messy, however non-linear, however unfinished - is the most powerful strategic asset you have.

In this episode:

The two versions of me I lived for years (and what finally cracked that open)

My honest, non-linear journey to sobriety and what I wish someone had told me about recovery

How reconnecting with faith changed everything and what "spirit guides" means to me

Why my body didn't change until my inside changed (and the order actually matters)

The Before / Turning Point / Now framework for finding your strategic story thread

Why specificity is not a liability - it's the strategy

What to do with your story this week

Your homework: Write three sentences. Before. Turning point. Now. Don't make it perfect. Make it true.

Then share it in The Joy Project on Skool, in my DMs, or wherever feels right. Your story doesn't just belong to you. It belongs to the woman who hasn't found her words yet.

📲 Join The Joy Project on Skool https://www.skool.com/thejoyproject/about

📖 Joy Is the Strategy https://a.co/d/0gslUbmc

🌐 www.enjoymyeveryday.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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