Joystarters with Rachel Baribeau: Nurturing Faith, Finding Purpose, and Pursuing Joyful Living

Poet, author, and teacher Joseph Fasano joins Rachel Joy Baribeau for a conversation about what it means to be human in a world that increasingly measures us by what we produce. A story about something his four-year-old son said opens the door to questions about empathy, the way we raise and educate children, and what artificial intelligence can never experience for us.

Joseph shares the ideas behind his forthcoming book, How We Survive: A Guide to Being Human in a Time of AI. He and Rachel also talk about leading through service, the value of an unhurried morning, and why listening deserves as much practice as speaking. The episode closes with Joseph reading a poem whose final line may stay with you long after it ends.

Join us next week for Part Two of this episode.

CONNECT WITH RACHEL AND I'M CHANGING THE NARRATIVE:

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CONNECT WITH JOSEPH:

BOOKS BY JOSEPH FASANO:

- Pre-orders for How We Survive: https://www.aftershockreview.com/product-page/how-we-survive-a-guide-to-being-human-in-a-time-of-ai

- The Magic Words (poetry prompts): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/744300/the-magic-words-by-joseph-fasano/
 

- The Teacher (a novel and spiritual guide): https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-teacher-joseph-fasano/96c14415c4f73f2d
 

- The Last Song of the World (poems): https://boaeditions.org/book/the-last-song-of-the-world/?srsltid=AU7gw4Xg1NM8L_JgY8lfI8b6HezUD9fD07aS4PMhCFdYz_uNa6T1JsxD

INSTAGRAM: @joseph.fasano 

THREADS: @joseph.fasano 

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Life is precious, life is short, and too many of us live as if we will always have more time to handle the things that matter.
In this raw and personal episode, Rachel shares the heartbreaking experiences that helped inspire her new book and the wake-up call she cannot stop thinking about. She also talks about preparing for difficult possibilities, preserving the stories behind the things we treasure, receiving feedback without reacting, and having the courage to make an audacious ask.

This episode is an invitation to stop postponing the conversations, decisions and practical details that deserve your attention. Some of them may feel uncomfortable, but taking care of them now is one of the most loving things you can do for yourself and the people you love.

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What if the thing that feels like it’s falling apart is actually making room for something better?

On the day Rachel turns in her new book, she shares a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to get there, including the plans that changed, the moments that tested her, and the unexpected turns that ultimately led to something better.

This episode is about doing your best to plan ahead while accepting that you cannot control everything, speaking honestly with grace, recognizing when disappointment may actually be redirection, and remembering the deeper purpose beneath the goals, numbers, and titles.

Sometimes clarity does not come while everything is unraveling. Sometimes it comes later, after the tears, the deep breath, and enough distance to finally see that what felt like a setback may have been a blessing all along.

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What do you do when it feels like one thing after another keeps going wrong?

In this episode of Joy Starters, Rachel gets real about a season that has required what she calls “fingernail faith”: those moments when you’re hanging on, life feels heavy, and your nose is barely above water.

She shares an update from the final days of writing her new book, the unexpected setbacks that threw her carefully planned timeline out the window, and what she’s learning about trusting her gut, receiving correction, and asking for help.

Rachel also talks about something we don’t discuss enough: being thoughtful about the emotional weight we ask other people to carry. From giving trigger warnings to asking, “Do you have the headspace for this?” she shares simple ways we can care for the people who are caring for us.

If you’re walking through a heavy season, this episode is a reminder that joy doesn’t require everything to be going well. Sometimes joy looks like holding grief in one hand, gratitude in the other, and finding enough faith to keep going.

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Rachel recently spoke to nearly 100 football players at Moravian University, creating a space for them to talk honestly about mental health, family struggles, trauma, loss and the pressure so many men feel to protect, provide and perform.

In this episode, she reflects on why she no longer sees herself simply as a speaker, but as a sacred space holder. Her work is about helping people take off the mask, put down some of what they have been carrying, and feel safe enough to be real.

She also shares why soul care matters after pouring so much into others, and why, even after 10 years of I’m Changing the Narrative, this work still leaves her in awe.

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Ten straight years of walking into the University of Minnesota football program and being trusted to have real conversations with young men about mental health, identity, purpose, forgiveness, family, and life beyond the game.

In this episode, Rachel takes you behind the scenes of her tenth year speaking to Coach PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers. But this year, she had a surprise of her own.

Rachel invited former players to share what Coach Fleck's commitment to mental health has meant in their lives, then honored him as a Mental Health Warrior for creating a culture where athletes are encouraged to take off the mask, speak honestly, and ask for help. Their stories are a reminder that the impact of a coach cannot simply be measured in wins, losses, draft picks, or championships. Sometimes the greatest legacy is found in the men who leave the program knowing they don't have to carry everything alone. 

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In this Sunday Soul vault episode, Rachel’s sits down  with six-time Grammy-nominated musician Robert Randolph, they dig into the remarkable instrument behind his signature sound, the sacred steel guitar. This is Part Two of the conversation; be sure to catch Part One as well!

Robert shares how he learned to play in church, the generations of family and faith that shaped his music, and how a young musician from New Jersey went from playing in the pews to touring the world. He also talks about studying artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan, discovering rock legends later in life, and the physical and mental challenge of playing an instrument that requires both hands, both feet, knee levers, finger picks, and a willingness to keep learning.

The conversation expands beyond music as Robert and Rachel talk about caring for the body, protecting your mental health, and keeping life in perspective.  This episode is a reminder that purpose is not only about what you create but also about who you serve, what you pass along, and how you use what you have been given.

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In this Sunday Soul vault episode, Rachel sits down with legendary guitarist Robert Randolph for a powerful conversation about music, purpose, faith, and the responsibility we all have to keep doing the work.

Robert reflects on slowing down, appreciating the people in his life, and rethinking the things that once felt urgent. He also shares the deep roots of gospel and blues music, why music has always been a force for change, and how artists can use their platforms to bring people together instead of adding to the noise.

Together, Rachel and Robert talk about racism, social media, the danger of becoming too comfortable, and the importance of using your gifts to help others. Robert also shares what he learned from watching musicians like B.B. King and Gregg Allman continue performing through illness, and why playing live music remains one of the greatest joys of his life.

This is a moving conversation about connection, courage, and the healing power of music.

This week, we're bringing you Part One. Tune in next week for Part Two!

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We are going back to the vault this summer of 2026. Rachel is headed to work with the Minnesota Gophers for the 10th year in a row this week, so we are sharing this episode from August of 2025 where she reflects before speaking to the team. This episode contains thoughts from NFL meeting notes to God-given middle-of-the-night inspiration, and she shares the importance of caring for yourself before you pour into others, discovering your “soul’s superpower,” and never dying with your flowers. You’ll hear stories of small acts that lit up strangers, miracles that defy explanation, and why being a person of your word can change lives—including your own. This episode is part pep talk, part heart check, and 100% encouragement to use your gifts right where you are.

Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our new episodes this fall!

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While Rachel is finishing her next book, we’re reaching into the Joystarters archives to create a few special compilation episodes featuring meaningful messages, reflections, and moments you may have missed.

In this episode, you’ll hear recordings from Rachel’s ministry work inside correctional facilities and recovery communities. The episode begins with a video she recorded before entering a men’s maximum-security prison, where she explains why speaking to incarcerated men feels every bit as significant as speaking to professional athletes, major companies, and packed auditoriums.

You’ll then hear Rachel’s emotional reflection after a later prison visit that almost did not happen. Problems at check-in, severe weather, and repeated delays threatened to cancel the gathering, but Rachel kept believing there was a reason she had been sent there. That reason became clear after she spoke. 

The final portion of this compilation takes us to the Lovelady Center in Birmingham, Alabama, where Rachel speaks to women rebuilding their lives. She reminds them that their addiction, mistakes, shame, and past decisions do not get to name them. 

Although these recordings were captured at different times and in different places, one message connects them all: God does not reduce people to their worst decision. No heart is too hardened, no past is too complicated, and no life is beyond redemption. If you are still breathing, there is still time.

Please note that this compilation episode includes frank discussion of addiction, incarceration, substance use, and recovery.

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