Live Your Jam

Harm reduction means meeting people where they are, treating every person who uses drugs with dignity, and counting any positive change as progress. If you love someone in active addiction, or you've been shamed for not following an all-or-nothing path, you know how fast stigma pushes people away from help. Stigma kills, and the shame of addiction can keep people stuck in the spiral.

On Live Your Jam, life strategist Ellen McGinnis, founder of Live Your Jam and author of Living From The Inside Out, sits down with Luke Tomsha, founder of Perfectly Flawed Foundation in LaSalle, Illinois. Luke spent more than a decade in chaotic opioid addiction before finding his own way out in 2015, and he doesn't call himself in recovery or use the word sobriety. He walks you through the spectrum of substance use, why sober-first housing works for only about 5% to 10% of people, how his team uses an infrared spectrometer to check the drug supply for fentanyl, nitazenes, and medetomidine, and why the best way to help is to educate yourself and then educate others. When you stop asking what's wrong with someone and start asking what happened to them, everything changes.

You will learn:

• Harm reduction, defined: Luke Tomsha explains why it's an umbrella as familiar as seatbelts and sunscreen, and why someone asking for a clean syringe is already making a positive change.
• The spectrum of substance use: how experimentation, social, recreational, problematic, and chaotic use differ, and why Luke sees underlying unhappiness or trauma behind chaotic use rather than a lifelong disease.
• Why some people avoid the words recovery and sobriety: how all-or-nothing language can feel exclusionary, and why Perfectly Flawed still hosts weekly 12-step and SMART Recovery meetings.
• What happens when you flip abstinence first: why food, a shower, dry clothes, and a safe place to sleep have to come before asking anyone to stop using drugs.
• How the war on drugs made the supply more dangerous: Luke traces the shift from beer to spirits during Prohibition and from heroin to fentanyl today, and what criminalization costs communities.
• What harm reduction drug checking reveals: how an infrared spectrometer and the UNC Opioid Data Lab help Perfectly Flawed spot fentanyl, BTMPS, nitazenes, and medetomidine instead of waiting on toxicology reports.
• How to reduce addiction stigma: why asking what happened to someone, not what's wrong with them, and educating yourself and others is the most powerful way to help.

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Meet Luke Tomsha and Perfectly Flawed Foundation

02:10 When did drug use become chaotic addiction?

04:48 The 2015 turning point and the spectrum of use

09:30 Why Luke doesn't use recovery or sobriety

12:09 From a blog to a $102,500 first fundraiser

15:47 A day of harm reduction and overdose prevention

18:16 What happens when you flip abstinence first?

22:26 How the war on drugs made the supply deadlier

28:19 Drug checking and what's really in the supply

30:44 What is harm reduction, and does it enable?

37:20 Did his soul choose this path?

39:35 How to find and support Perfectly Flawed

Ready to navigate your own transition from the inside out? Work with Ellen at https://liveyourjam.com/11-coaching/

Connect with Luke

• Website: https://www.perfectlyflawed.org/
• Donate: https://www.perfectlyflawed.org/donate
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theperfectlyflawedfoundation
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theperfectlyflawedfoundation

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

#HarmReduction #MeetingPeopleWhereTheyAre #StigmaKills #EndTheStigma #AddictionStigma #AddictionRecovery #OverdosePrevention #OverdoseAwareness #DrugChecking #FentanylAwareness #WarOnDrugs #DrugPolicyReform #PeerSupport #MentalHealthMatters #Unhoused #RuralHealth #PerfectlyFlawed #InnerWisdom #LiveYourJam

A special needs empty nest is the transition nobody talks about: one child leaves for college, another may live at home for life, and your friends are planning the trips you once dreamed of too. If you're a caregiver parent, you know the awkward pause at the dinner table, the guilt of wanting a break, and the quiet grief of a life that looks different than you pictured. You're not alone, and you're still allowed to dream.

On Live Your Jam, life strategist Ellen McGinnis, founder of Live Your Jam and author of Living From The Inside Out, sits down with her dear friend of 15 years, Katie Moe, a working mom of three. Katie's twin daughters just turned 19 and took different paths: Hayden left for college, while Taylor, diagnosed with MECP2 duplication syndrome at age six, is in an adult transition program close to home. Katie shares how she holds chronic sorrow and deep joy at the same time, why a genuine question from a friend is an invitation to be seen, and how she's redefining caregiving without the guilt. You'll walk away with her simple tools: remove the word never, remove the word selfish, and keep a list of little things and bigger dreams you can reach for in every season. Your dreams don't shrink because your path looks different.

You will learn:

• Special needs empty nest grief is real: why watching friends plan travel and newfound freedom can stir up envy, awkwardness, and sorrow when your child will likely live at home long term.
• What to ask a parent on a different path: Katie Moe explains why genuine questions like "How is she liking her new program?" feel like an invitation to be seen, not an intrusion.
• Chronic sorrow, explained: how caregiver parents grieve the life they imagined for their child, for themselves, and for their other children, while still finding real joy in friendships and community.
• Caregiver guilt and the good mom script: why being tired of caregiving doesn't make you a bad parent, and how Katie is reframing her role to build her daughter's independence.
• The remove the word never reframe: how parents in a different kind of empty nest keep travel and big dreams alive through intentional planning, respite camps, and accepting a new timeline.
• The little things and bigger dreams list: a simple practice for naming what fills your cup right now, like an afternoon at the ocean, while keeping larger goals ready for later seasons.
• Remove the word selfish: why wanting more for yourself as a caregiver mom is healthy, and how seeing life in seasons helps you keep growing without guilt.

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 When one twin leaves and one stays home

02:38 Meet Katie Moe and her family of five

05:22 Getting a MECP2 duplication syndrome diagnosis at age six

11:55 What does a special needs empty nest feel like?

14:29 What should friends ask parents on a different path?

18:11 Chronic sorrow and grieving the life you imagined

20:31 The blessings Taylor brought and the village that showed up

24:21 Redefining the caregiver role as the nest changes

27:19 Caregiver guilt, desire, and the good mom script

32:10 Planning travel and big dreams with intentional support

35:20 Is it selfish to want more for yourself?

39:18 Giving yourself grace through every life transition

Ready to navigate your own transition from the inside out? Work with Ellen at https://liveyourjam.com/11-coaching/

Connect with Katie

• Website: https://www.katiemoerealtor.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiejunemoe
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiemoeconnectca/

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

#EmptyNest #EmptyNestMom #EmptyNestSyndrome #SpecialNeedsParenting #SpecialNeedsMom #CaregiverSupport #CaregiverGuilt #ChronicSorrow #MomGuilt #MECP2 #RareDisease #DisabilityParenting #LifeTransitions #WomenInTransition #MidlifeWomen #InnerWisdom #KeepDreaming #LiveYourJam

What is breathwork for emotional release, and what might change if you stopped trying to fix yourself?

Breathwork is the intentional practice of bringing awareness to your breathing. In this episode of Live Your Jam, Ellen McGinnis sits down with breathwork practitioner Zach Rehder to explore how conscious breathing can become a way to notice emotional resistance, reconnect with your body, and make room for uncomfortable feelings.

After nearly 30 years of exploring personal growth and spiritual practices, Zach shares why understanding more did not necessarily help him feel better. His approach invites a different question: what if the feelings you keep pushing away deserve your attention rather than another attempt to control them?

Ellen and Zach discuss the difference between everyday breath awareness and a deeper facilitated breathwork session, including the circular connected breathing lineage Zach works with. He introduces his “lower, slower, deeper, softer” practice and a body-awareness exercise that begins by noticing the part of your body you feel least connected to.

If you’re navigating a life transition, caught in overthinking, or tired of treating yourself like a project that needs fixing, this conversation offers an invitation to pause, get curious, and listen to what you feel.

You will learn:

• What breathwork means and how everyday breath awareness differs from facilitated sessions
• How Zach connects emotional resistance with held breath and physical tension
• Why more self-help knowledge does not always change how you feel
• How to approach emotional triggers with curiosity rather than immediate reaction
• What Zach means by breathing “lower, slower, deeper, softer”
• How a simple body-awareness practice can help you notice overlooked sensations
• Why unfamiliar or uncomfortable experiences are not always signs of danger
• How slowing down can create room for change, creativity, and a new direction

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Welcome to Live Your Jam

00:48 Why self-help knowledge wasn’t enough for Zach

03:53 Why breathwork became his central practice

05:00 Emotional resistance, held breath, and everyday triggers

09:31 What if you don’t need to be fixed?

11:06 What happens in a breathwork session?

16:52 Conscious breathing: lower, slower, deeper, softer

19:48 Discomfort, danger, and the stories we tell ourselves

26:26 A simple breath and body-awareness practice

29:09 Working with Zach and creating space for what’s next

Connect with Zach

• Website: https://www.zachrehder.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zrehder
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/zachrehder/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachrehder
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/zachrehder
• Course: http://22abundance.com

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

What happens when you stop moving at the speed of the world and begin walking at the speed of your soul?

In this episode of Live Your Jam, Ellen McGinnis sits down with Adam Peacocke, co-founder and guide of the Camino de Sonoma, a 75-mile pilgrimage stretching from Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma to the Russian Orthodox Chapel at Fort Ross.

Inspired by Spain’s Camino de Santiago, the Camino de Sonoma leads pilgrims across six stages of vineyards, redwood forests, fire-recovery landscapes, historic communities, and coastal headlands. But this is more than a beautiful hike. It is an intentional path where people can slow down, process grief, seek direction, reconnect with themselves, and experience the healing power of walking in community.

Adam shares how a period of personal transition, an unexpected trip to New Zealand, and a remarkable encounter with a street called Peacock Way planted the seed for the Camino. He also explains why the route was created as a volunteer-led, donation-based pilgrimage open to people of every faith and no faith.

Whether you are carrying a question, navigating a transition, mourning a loss, or simply longing to feel present again, the Camino de Sonoma offers a reminder: sometimes the path back to yourself begins by placing one foot in front of the other.

You will learn:

• What the Camino de Sonoma pilgrimage is and where the route leads
• How the Camino was inspired by Adam’s personal transition and journey to New Zealand
• The difference between an ordinary hike and an intentional pilgrimage
• Why walking at three miles per hour changes what you notice
• How distance and duration create space for reflection
• Why people walk pilgrimages while processing grief, questions, and life transitions
• How walking in nature can quiet the thinking mind and awaken the senses
• Why the Camino de Sonoma is open to people of all faiths and no faith
• How the route acknowledges the Indigenous history of Sonoma County
• Why the Camino was intentionally built as a volunteer-led organization
• How pilgrims can offer healing and connection even when they arrive feeling broken
• Why community can carry us when our own emotional or physical energy feels low
• What “deferred maintenance” can reveal about our relationships, health, and personal growth
• What first-time Camino walkers should bring and expect
• Why a familiar place can look entirely different when explored on foot

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Welcome to Live Your Jam

00:53 What is the 75-mile Camino de Sonoma?

03:00 From pastor to community organizer

06:43 How a journey to New Zealand inspired the Camino

10:09 Building the pilgrimage with Tony McCormick

11:36 The difference between hiking and pilgrimage

13:00 Walking with intention at three miles per hour

16:16 How walking changes the way we process life

18:00 Why the Camino is volunteer-led and free to walk

21:04 Six stages across Sonoma County

22:00 Ellen’s lesson in gratitude on the Camino

24:39 How pilgrimage creates space for grief and healing

27:12 The encounter that left a stranger skipping

32:29 Walking with history, meaning, and reverence

37:31 What “deferred maintenance” reveals about our lives

39:29 How to prepare for your first Camino stage

43:26 Seeing your own community with new eyes

Connect with Adam

• https://www.caminodesonoma.com/support-the-camino
• https://www.caminodesonoma.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/caminodesonoma
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/723389915303017

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

What are the six phases of spiritual awakening, and how can you recognize which phase you are moving through?

In this episode of Live Your Jam, Ellen McGinnis sits down with four-time author, keynote speaker, and spiritual guide JJ DiGeronimo to explore the framework behind her book, Illuminate Your Path: 6 Phases of Spiritual Awakening.

JJ shares how she moved from a successful career in Silicon Valley to a profound personal crossroads that challenged her identity, relationships, and understanding of success. Through mindfulness, energy work, and a growing willingness to trust her intuition, she began uncovering gifts that years of striving had kept quiet.

Together, Ellen and JJ explore why crossroads can become doorways, how self-doubt interrupts inner wisdom, and why awakening is not a linear journey. JJ also explains how the six phases mirror the cycles of the moon and offers a practical first step for anyone who senses there is something more calling them forward.

This conversation is an invitation to stop dismissing the whispers, follow your curiosity, and trust that the experiences behind you may be illuminating the path ahead.

You will learn:

• What the six phases of spiritual awakening represent
• How to recognize a spiritual or personal crossroads
• Why professional success does not always create inner fulfillment
• How busyness can disconnect you from your intuition
• Why mindfulness creates space for inner wisdom to emerge
• How self-doubt keeps women from acting on intuitive guidance
• Why the seeking phase can be especially difficult for women
• How life’s challenges may reveal gifts you already carry
• Why spiritual awakening is cyclical rather than linear
• How the cycles of the moon mirror the awakening journey
• Why investing time and energy in yourself is not selfish
• How to raise your frequency through what you consume and repeat
• Why curiosity is more important than knowing the entire plan
• How one small action can begin illuminating your next chapter

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Welcome to Live Your Jam

02:09 When success looks right but feels incomplete

03:34 JJ’s first spiritual retreat in Sedona

05:00 The personal crossroads that changed everything

06:20 Leaving corporate life and losing a familiar identity

09:44 Learning mindfulness after years of constant productivity

12:27 Why busyness blocks your inner wisdom

15:07 When self-doubt intercepts intuitive guidance

16:27 Introducing the six phases of spiritual awakening

18:33 Why crossroads can become spiritual doorways

22:55 The phase women often find most challenging

25:57 How the phases mirror the cycles of the moon

29:01 Finding your phase through JJ’s awakening quiz

31:26 Uncovering the gifts you already carry

33:37 Becoming a practical spiritual liaison

35:18 Using your gifts to illuminate the path for others

37:40 The first step when you feel there must be more

38:00 Why your frequency is your currency

39:08 Turning curiosity into meaningful action

40:09 Following the path without knowing exactly where it leads

Connect with JJ

• Free Quiz - Your Phase of Awakening: https://quiz.jjdigeronimo.com/ -
• Book Quiz: What Book Should You Read Next? https://links.jjdigeronimo.com/widget/quiz/u2CtvMjDflydvC6H2mr0
• Website: https://jjdigeronimo.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjdigeronimo
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjdigeronimo/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@togetherweseek

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

What if the secret to a more meaningful, aligned life is not adding another goal, habit, or strategy, but subtracting what no longer belongs?

In this episode of Live Your Jam, Ellen McGinnis sits down with Nell Derick Debevoise, also known as Nell 3D, a writer, thought leader, and self-described subtraction activist. Nell introduces the Subtract to Succeed Method, an approach that helps high-achieving, big-hearted people reclaim their energy, hear their intuition, and create space for what matters most.

After earning degrees from Harvard, Cambridge, Columbia, and London Business School, Nell built an impact-driven career that looked successful from the outside. But her relentless pursuit of purpose came at a profound personal cost. She missed her father’s funeral, watched her first marriage end, and later drove head-on into a 20-ton truck while caught in what she calls “ordinary overwhelm.”

Nell explains why personal growth can become another unstable Jenga tower of morning routines, wellness practices, professional goals, and expectations. Through her practical Stop, Drop, and Roll framework, she shows how to assess your true capacity, experiment with letting something go, and consciously reinvest the energy you recover.

Ellen and Nell also explore the relationship between subtraction, intuition, leadership, purpose, and the soul. This conversation is an invitation to stop optimizing yourself out of your own life and begin creating enough white space to hear what is quietly calling you forward.

You will learn:

• What the Subtract to Succeed Method is and why it works
• How “ordinary overwhelm” can quietly compromise your health and safety
• Why meaningful work can still lead to burnout and self-abandonment
• How the Me, We, and World model creates a more integrated life
• Why adding more wellness practices may actually increase your stress
• How to evaluate your emotional, energetic, and practical capacity
• How Nell’s Stop, Drop, and Roll framework works
• Why letting go can be treated as an experiment instead of a permanent decision
• How white space helps you access intuition and inner wisdom
• Why subtraction can become a competitive advantage in life and leadership

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Welcome to Live Your Jam

00:49 Why an aligned life may require subtraction

01:40 Meet Nell 3D, writer and subtraction activist

03:17 Missing her father’s funeral and the cost of impact-driven ambition

05:00 Living in 3D through Me, We, and World

07:05 The accident caused by “ordinary overwhelm”

08:08 How external expectations make us optimize ourselves out of life

10:01 Why human lives cannot be managed like linear production systems

13:40 When more becomes the enemy of better

16:11 What systematic subtraction really means

18:33 The Stop, Drop, and Roll framework

22:02 Nell’s monthly review for creating an aligned life

26:14 What to do when you are terrified to let go

28:20 Doing your part without carrying everyone else’s

32:05 How subtraction creates space to hear your soul

39:24 Why our brains default to adding instead of subtracting

Connect with Nell 3D

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nell3d/
• Website: https://www.nell3d.com/
• Guest Pass to Substack https://nell3d.substack.com/subscribe?coupon=376f87b3

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

What are the benefits of forest bathing, and can slowing down in nature really regulate your nervous system, reduce stress, and help you reconnect with yourself?

In this episode of Live Your Jam, Ellen McGinnis sits down with Jenny Harrow-Keeler, founder of Ecowisdom Wellness and a certified nature and forest therapy guide, to explore the science and spirit of forest bathing, also known as the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku.

Jenny’s path into this work began after a near-death scooter accident left her with significant physical injuries and an entirely different inner landscape. While recovering, she found herself instinctively returning to the forest. Unable to take the fast, demanding hikes she once enjoyed, Jenny was forced to move slowly. In that stillness, the answers she had been searching for began to emerge.

That personal experience eventually led her to study integrative health, ecotherapy, ecopsychology, and the growing research behind forest bathing benefits. Today, Jenny guides others through sensory experiences in nature that shift the body from stress and vigilance into rest, restoration, and deeper connection.

Jenny explains that forest bathing is not about exercise, reaching a destination, or accomplishing another task. It is the practice of becoming fully present through sight, sound, touch, smell, curiosity, and wonder. By moving at nature’s pace, we create room for our thoughts to quiet and our inner wisdom to rise.

Ellen and Jenny also explore the research behind nature and nervous system regulation, including how compounds released by trees may support cortisol reduction, blood pressure, and immune function. They discuss why awe changes our state of being, how the cycles of nature challenge our culture’s obsession with constant productivity, and why periods of rest are essential to healing and growth.

This conversation is an invitation to step away from the noise, notice the living world around you, and remember that you are not separate from nature. You are part of it.

You will learn:

• What forest bathing is and how shinrin-yoku works
• The difference between forest bathing and hiking for exercise
• How nature supports nervous system regulation and stress reduction
• What phytoncides are and how the body may respond to them
• Why slowing down can feel uncomfortable in a productivity-driven culture
• How sensory awareness brings the body into the present moment
• Why awe and wonder can shift your emotional and physical state
• How nature can help you access clarity, intuition, and inner wisdom
• What seasonal cycles teach us about rest, burnout, and sustainable growth
• How forest bathing can create space for grief and emotional release
• Why forests can remind us that we are supported and never truly alone
• Simple forest bathing practices you can use anywhere, including in a city

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Intro

00:53 What if slowing down is the medicine you need?

03:08 Jenny’s near-death accident and unexpected path to healing

05:04 Discovering ecotherapy, integrative health, and forest bathing

07:20 Turning a personal healing practice into Ecowisdom Wellness

09:08 What forest bathing is and how a guided session works

12:00 How nature activates the body’s rest-and-digest response

16:13 Why slowing down can initially feel difficult or annoying

18:22 Using the senses, movement, awe, and wonder to become present

22:15 The Japanese origins of shinrin-yoku and forest therapy

23:45 Forest bathing benefits for cortisol, blood pressure, and immunity

28:20 How nature helps us hear our inner wisdom

30:01 What wildfire regeneration can teach us about healing

34:24 The breakthroughs people experience during forest bathing

37:57 Why humans cannot live in “summer energy” all year

41:43 Simple forest bathing practices you can use every day

46:32 How trees communicate through roots and mycelial networks

50:02 Plant intelligence, consciousness, and The Telepathy Tapes

53:21 Jenny’s work with Ecowisdom Wellness

Connect with Linda

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ecowisdom
• Substack: https://substack.com/@ecowisdom
• Website: https://www.ecowisdomwellness.com
• Experiences: https://www.ecowisdomwellness.com/experiences
• Book and Podcast we recommend: https://www.peterwohllebenbooks.com/the-hidden-life-of-trees

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

What happens during a mediumship reading, and how can you tell whether the person delivering the message is genuine?

In this episode of Live Your Jam, Ellen McGinnis sits down with psychic medium, initiated Wiccan priestess, tarot teacher, healer, and bestselling author Linda Rauch to explore how mediumship works and what four decades of studying the unseen have taught her about life, death, grief, and the soul.

Linda began seeing spirits as a young child in 1960s England, long before she had the language to understand her experiences. As a teenager, those encounters developed into precognitive dreams. Her search for answers eventually led her through mediumship, tarot, Wicca, counseling, homeopathy, energy work, and years supporting people facing terminal illness.

Linda explains what she sees, hears, and feels when communicating with spirit, including the physical confirmation she calls a “spirit shower.” She also shares why evidence is only the beginning of a meaningful reading. The deeper purpose is healing, helping people receive the message they may not yet be able to see for themselves.

Together, Ellen and Linda explore how grief can become an invitation to grow, why authentic spirit communication should always feel rooted in unconditional love, and how mediumship may challenge our understanding of consciousness and what happens after death.

You will learn:

• How mediumship works from the medium’s perspective
• What psychic mediums see, hear, and physically experience
• How childhood spirit encounters can develop into mediumistic abilities
• Why grief can make communication with the spirit world feel especially meaningful
• How to recognize an ethical, authentic medium
• Why evidence supports a reading, but the message creates healing
• How tarot’s Major Arcana reflects the soul’s journey
• Why spiritual awareness does not remove the messy parts of being human
• What mediumship can teach us about accountability, purpose, and living a soul-led life

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Intro

00:53 Why more people are becoming curious about mediumship

05:04 Linda’s first spirit encounters as a child

08:15 Precognitive dreams and learning to feel safe with spirit

10:17 Overcoming her fear of developing mediumistic abilities

13:09 The lifelong search to understand consciousness and the unseen

15:34 Becoming an initiated Wiccan priestess

19:26 What actually happens during a mediumship reading

21:54 Deathbed visions and loved ones welcoming us to the other side

23:39 Psychic phenomena among people living close to death

27:24 The extraordinary story of Raven and the three pomegranates

33:43 How mediumship can support people navigating grief

37:00 The greater purpose of mediumship for humanity

41:04 The Psychic’s Way and the soul’s journey through tarot

46:32 How to recognize a genuine, ethical medium

50:15 What living your jam means to Linda

Connect with Linda

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lindarauchmedium
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindarauchmedium
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lindarauch451
• The Psychic's Way: At the Threshold between the Seen and the Unseen Worlds: https://a.co/d/0gSJIY51
• Witchcraft & Magick Masterclass: https://www.lindarauchtraining.com/witchcraft-masterclass-usd
• Psychic & Mediumship Masterclass, starts Tuesday 8 September: https://www.lindarauchtraining.com/psychic-masterclass-usd
• Tarot Masterclass, starts Wednesday 16 September: https://www.lindarauchtraining.com/tarot-masterclass-usd

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

Why are so many successful teenagers anxious, overwhelmed, and disconnected from themselves?

In this episode of Live Your Jam, Ellen McGinnis sits down with educator, coach, and House of Rise founder Dr. Carla Caturia to unpack the growing teen motivation crisis affecting high-achieving students and their families. Together they explore why good grades, packed schedules, and impressive resumes don't always translate into confidence, resilience, or genuine fulfillment.

Drawing from more than 20 years working with over 10,000 teens and families, Dr. Carla explains why many young people are trapped in what she calls the "success without self" cycle, where external achievement replaces internal trust.

The conversation explores how parents can encourage motivation without creating pressure, why praising effort matters more than praising intelligence, how family dynamics shape teen confidence, and why helping young people discover purpose is more valuable than pushing them toward someone else's definition of success.

You will learn:

• Why high-achieving teens often struggle despite looking successful
• The hidden signs of perfectionism, anxiety, and people pleasing
• How to build intrinsic motivation instead of relying on external validation
• Why praising effort creates more confident and resilient teens
• How family dynamics influence confidence and emotional wellbeing
• Practical ways to help teens manage negative self-talk and build self-trust
• Why college isn't the only path to success, and how to have better conversations about the future
• Questions every parent can ask to help their teen discover purpose and direction

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Why successful teens are feeling more pressure than ever

03:35 The "success without self" cycle

09:00 Hidden signs your teenager is struggling

12:15 Parenting strategies that build confidence, not pressure

19:25 Flow, motivation, and overcoming negative self-talk

26:45 Is college the right path for every teen?

35:00 Better conversations about careers, purpose, and the future

39:30 Raising emotionally resilient young adults

Connect with Dr. Carla

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcarlacaturia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carlacaturia
• YouTube: https://youtube.com/@drcarlacaturia
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-carla-caturia
• Website :www.thehouseofrise.com

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/

How do you navigate life's biggest transitions without losing yourself? Whether you're facing a career change, divorce, becoming an empty nester, moving to a new city, or simply questioning what's next, this episode explores how life's biggest changes can become the foundation for your greatest personal growth.

In this solo episode of Live Your Jam, Ellen McGinnis shares the research, personal stories, and practical tools that have helped her navigate divorce, international relocation, career reinvention, and motherhood through seasons of profound change.

Drawing on the Bridges Transition Model, Ellen explains why change and transition are not the same thing, why every new beginning starts with an ending, and how the uncomfortable "neutral zone" often becomes the birthplace of clarity, resilience, creativity, and self-discovery.

If you're feeling uncertain about your next chapter, this conversation will help you approach life's biggest transitions with greater confidence, compassion, and intention.

You will learn:

• Why change and transition are two completely different experiences
• How the Bridges Transition Model explains every major life change
• Why endings are necessary before meaningful new beginnings can happen
• What the "neutral zone" is and why it's often the most transformative stage of growth
• How exercise, sleep, mindfulness, and healthy routines improve resilience during difficult seasons
• Why alcohol and emotional avoidance can delay healing during major transitions
• How self-compassion creates stronger emotional resilience than self-criticism
• Why empty nest can become an opportunity to rediscover your identity
• How career changes become easier when they're rooted in your values instead of fear
• Lessons learned from moving internationally and embracing uncertainty
• How divorce became a catalyst for personal growth rather than personal defeat
• Why reflection is essential if you want your transitions to create lasting transformation
• Practical strategies for making better decisions during uncertain seasons
• How to stop repeating old patterns and begin creating a more intentional future

👉 Watch the full conversation and subscribe for more stories about intuition, purpose, and living your jam.

We talk about:

00:00 Why life's biggest transitions create friction, and why that's a sign of growth

03:38 The Bridges Transition Model and the difference between change and transition

07:00 Six evidence-based self-care practices for navigating major life changes

14:54 Empty nest, redefining motherhood, and rediscovering your identity

20:03 Career changes, values, and making decisions with confidence

22:18 Moving abroad, embracing uncertainty, and the lessons of starting over

26:24 Divorce, resilience, and rebuilding your life with intention

29:58 Practical tools for navigating any life transition

34:22 The deeper truth about change and becoming a new version of yourself

38:28 Why rushing into the next chapter keeps us repeating old patterns

41:24 Final reflections: Why transitions happen for you, not to you

Connect with Ellen

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyourjam
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/optimalleader/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liveyourjam
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnj7_LS2kaxfyPsAd1Hne8g
• Website: https://liveyourjam.com/