This season explores the moments when life comes knocking, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, and asks what we’re willing to open… and what we’d rather keep sealed. Who’s There? is about answering the door to truth, growth, and the unexpected.

What happens when success looks perfect on the outside… but the real work is happening beneath the surface?

This week, we step into the story of Monica McKitterick, family nurse practitioner turned CEO, author, and bold entrepreneur. Monica didn’t just climb the healthcare ladder… she rebuilt it. From the ground up, she created Impact Family Wellness, a multi-million-dollar Direct Primary Care clinic in Texas, proving that grit and vision can rewrite the rules.

After winning a nationally televised business competition and appearing on The Blox Season 18, Monica doubled down on her mission, launching The DPC Formula to help other providers build thriving, independent clinics.

But this conversation goes deeper than business wins.

We start with the simple act of unboxing everyday items… and quickly discover the harder things we all carry: unworthiness, self-doubt, loneliness, heartbreak, and the quiet battle for joy. Monica brings honesty, clarity, and just enough Duke-grad confidence to keep things interesting inside the Shoe Shack.

Her story is about redefining success on your own terms… and learning which voices are actually worth listening to.

Why chasing recognition can lead you off course

Hard conversations around loneliness, pain, and heartbreak

How Monica is helping reshape Direct Primary Care

A mindset shift every high achiever needs to hear

Why being a Duke grad still gets mentioned in the Shoe Shack 😄

Key Quote: “Someone’s opinion of you is none of your business.”

Website: https://dpcformula.com

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🧩 Season Theme: Who’s There? 🚪
This season is all about the knock.
The moment you reach out.
The question we all ask at some point: Is anyone really there on the other side?

👣 Guest Introduction:
This week, I’m joined by Shane McKenna, the creator of LOQUI LISTENING a peer-to-peer listening app built around something that feels surprisingly rare these days: someone who will simply listen.

The episode title Hello… was inspired (slightly embarrassing confession included) by the song Hello by Adele. There’s a line in that song that’s always stuck with me:
“When I call, you never seem to be home.”

That lyric feels like the heartbeat of this season. So many of us have called. Knocked. Reached out. And felt like no one answered.
So the question becomes what do we do in those moments? And just as important… who’s there when we need someone right now?

Shane believes no one should have to face those moments alone.

💡 Episode Highlights:

Have we lost the art of actually listening and really talking?

Why LOQUI LISTENING focuses on presence, not advice or fixing

How peer-to-peer listening can meet people exactly where they are

Why availability matters: someone there 24/7, no matter the emotion

The surprising power of trust (and yes… even panda Dunk shoes 🐼👟)

🧠 What Is LOQUI LISTENING?
LOQUI LISTENING connects people with real humans who are willing to listen no therapy labels, no counseling language, no pressure to “solve” anything.

It’s about interaction, empathy, and being present in the moment whether you’re overwhelmed, joyful, anxious, or just need to say something out loud.

Pricing discussed in the episode:

$11 for 30 minutes

$19 for 60 minutes
(Note: one minute is deducted for each voice note or text message sent)

Even the name LOQUI comes from Latin loqui, meaning to talk or to speak.
In a world that’s constantly talking, Shane is asking a better question: Who’s actually listening?

🔗 Connect with LOQUI LISTENING:
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🤖 Google Play Store
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If this episode made you think about the last time you knocked… the last time you called… or the last time someone truly listened take a moment to leave a review. It helps more people find the show and reminds them they’re not alone when they ask, “Who’s there?”

Gift of Desperation

This season keeps asking one question:

Who’s there when life knocks, and how do we respond?

Sometimes the knock comes as an opportunity.
Sometimes as a disruption.
Sometimes, as a quiet voice we’d rather ignore.

This episode explores what happens when the knock doesn’t come from the outside but from God Himself.

My guest this week is Stephanie Rivard.

Stephanie spent 11 years serving as the Executive Director of a nonprofit. By every logical measure, she was exactly where she was supposed to be: stable, effective, and impactful.

And then, last year, defying logic and comfort, she heard something unexpected.

Through prayer, Stephanie sensed God telling her to leave.

No roadmap.
No backup plan.
No safety net.

Just obedience.

This episode centers on prayer not as a formula, but as a relationship.

Stephanie shares how, over time, she has developed a deeper sensitivity to what she believes is God’s voice guiding and directing her steps. She’s honest and grounded about it.

She doesn’t claim perfection.
She doesn’t hear clearly every single time.

But she does say this: the more she listens, the more familiar that voice becomes.

And when the call came to walk away from a role she loved, she listened.

Stephanie does something rare in this conversation, something most guests haven’t yet done.

She asks me a question.

Not a casual one.
Not an easy one.

A question that stops me cold and forces real reflection in the moment.

It’s a reminder that when conversations are rooted in faith and honesty, they don’t always move in one direction. Sometimes the knock comes mid-conversation, and you have to decide how you’ll answer.

Stephanie’s story invites us to sit with an uncomfortable truth:

Sometimes following God means moving without clarity.
Without confirmation.
Without control.

This isn’t a story about recklessness; it’s about dependence.

Letting go of certainty.
Trusting provision.
Moving forward, when the next step hasn’t been revealed yet.

We call this episode G.O.D., short for Gift of Desperation.

Because desperation has a way of stripping away self-reliance and exposing what we truly trust.

This episode challenges listeners to ask themselves:

Do I have the gift of desperation?

Am I desperate enough for God to hear and to respond?

What would it take to become fully dependent on Him?

Not out of fear.
But out of trust.

This conversation doesn’t rush answers. It invites posture:

How do you know when God is speaking?

What happens when obedience costs you comfort?

Are you listening or waiting for certainty first?

What if dependence is actually the point?

Stephanie’s story isn’t meant to be copied; it’s meant to be considered.

You may not be called to leave your job.
But you may be called to listen differently.
To pray more honestly.
To loosen your grip on control.

And to ask whether desperation for God, not outcomes, might actually be a gift.

🌐 TeeMWORK – Stephanie Rivard
✨ The Clarity Advantage

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A Seven-Year Birthday Episode of Other People’s Shoes

This season asks a quiet but powerful question:

Who’s there when life knocks?

Sometimes it’s loud.
Sometimes it’s gentle.
Sometimes it’s barely noticeable.

Season 22 is about learning to listen, especially to the small nudges we’re tempted to ignore.

This episode marks seven years of Other People’s Shoes.

In the past, birthday episodes have looked like celebrations and countdowns.
This year felt different.

Instead of looking outward, this milestone called for reflection on growth, on listening, and on how this show has quietly shown up, week after week, like a steady presence.

So rather than a traditional birthday episode, I brought back a familiar voice from the past, echoing a line from the Season 22 intro itself.

My guest today is Cindy Ryan, who first joined the show on October 5, 2022.

Cindy’s work has always centered on reflection, listening inward to find healing and clarity. That way of listening didn’t just shape her work. It shaped her life.

In 2024, Cindy felt a nudge.
A quiet knock.
A sense that something needed attention.

She listened.

That nudge led to a cancer diagnosis.

Had Cindy ignored it, had she brushed it off, or stayed busy, she would not be here today recording this episode.

In the midst of Cindy’s journey, including a vulnerable, hairless Instagram post during treatment, I felt led to reach out.

I didn’t have the right words.
So I sent a song.

If You Heard It from a Friend.

That song became the bridge to the reconnection and ultimately, the reason Cindy is back on the show today.

Because sometimes what someone needs most isn’t advice…
It’s a reminder.

The heart of that song feels like the heart of this episode and, honestly, the heart of this show:

“Here I am holding up a mirror
Hoping you might see
Yourself a little clearer
Beyond a shadow of a doubt
From where I’m standing now
I see the light in you.”

In seasons when Cindy couldn’t always see herself clearly, the song spoke what a friend would say when words fall short.

And maybe in some small way Other People’s Shoes can be that too.

A place you come back to.
A voice that reminds you who you are.
A steady presence that shows up, even when things aren’t pleasant or easy.

This episode isn’t about guarantees.

There was no promise that Cindy would “make it out.”
Only the choice to listen.
To respond.
To take the next step when the knock came.

As Cindy shares in this conversation:

Cancer changes your priorities.

Sometimes, listening to the smallest nudge changes everything.

This conversation doesn’t rush answers. It invites reflection:

How do you respond when you feel a nudge to reach out?

What reassurance do we really have?

Can the community carry us when we’re unsure?

What happens when a friend reminds you of what you can’t see?

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This birthday episode isn’t just about seven years of Other People’s Shoes.

It’s about listening to the knocks, the nudges, and the quiet reminders that we’re not alone.

Sometimes life knocks.
Sometimes a friend does.
And sometimes, you just need to hear it… from a friend.

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This season called "Who's There?" asks a simple but important question:

Who’s there when life knocks and do we listen?

Sometimes the knock is loud.
Sometimes it’s subtle.
Sometimes it comes in the form of a number on a lab report that feels easy to dismiss.

This episode is about paying attention even when the signal feels small.

A Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test is a blood test that measures a protein produced by the prostate gland. It’s commonly used to screen for prostate cancer.

Higher PSA levels can indicate prostate cancer — but they can also be caused by non-cancerous conditions like prostatitis or an enlarged prostate (BPH). What matters most isn’t just a single number… it’s the trend over time, the context, and the questions that follow.

This episode explores what happens when a knock is noticed — but not fully understood.

My guest today is Jason Stone, the creator and host of Prostate Cancer: The Road to Recovery.

Jason is living with stage 4 prostate cancer, and through his podcast and YouTube channel he shares his journey openly inviting survivors, fighters, and medical experts into honest conversations about treatment, stigma, resilience, and men’s health.

With a background in English and screenwriting, Jason brings clarity, precision, and humanity to conversations that are often rushed or avoided altogether.

Back in 2017, Jason had a PSA test that came back slightly elevated, but still below what was considered “high.”

He was sent for a scan without explanation.
No clear follow-up.
No guidance.
No monitoring plan.

The doctor didn’t express concern and didn’t recommend continued PSA testing. Jason walked away believing there was nothing wrong.

Looking back, Jason knows that moment mattered.

If he could return to that appointment, he would have:

Asked why the scan was ordered

Asked what his PSA number actually meant

Set up annual PSA monitoring to watch for changes over time

Because sometimes what feels “fine” is actually the first knock.

This conversation isn’t about blame it’s about awareness:

Why PSA trends matter more than a single result

The importance of asking questions, even when doctors seem unconcerned

How silence after testing can create false reassurance

Why self-advocacy matters especially in men’s health

Jason’s story reminds us that not all knocks announce themselves clearly.

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Hindsight is 20/20… but only after everything changes

Season 22 asks a simple but unsettling question:

What happens when life knocks… and you answer?
And just as powerfully  what happens when you don’t?

Some knocks are subtle.
Some are disruptive.
Some arrive without warning and change the direction of everything.

This season explores the moments when life crosses the threshold not always politely and asks us to respond.

We hear the phrase “hindsight is 20/20” all the time.

It means clarity only comes after the moment has passed.
After the decision.
After the accident.
After the door has already been opened or slammed shut.

You don’t see clearly in the moment.
You see clearly looking back.

This episode lives right there in the space between what we thought we knew and what life revealed later.

Today’s guest is Danielle Matthews and yes, we share the same last name, though we are not related. That coincidence opens the door to a deeper conversation about perspective, meaning, and how clarity often comes after impact.

Danielle talks about the importance of staying in your own lane focusing inward, doing your work, and not being pulled into chaos that isn’t yours.

And then she shares this:

At 23, a drunk driver crossed into her lane and hit her head-on.

Not because she wasn’t paying attention.
Not because she did anything wrong.
But because life doesn’t always respect our lanes.

Only later in hindsight did meaning begin to take shape.

We even briefly touch on cultural ideas of irony, including Ironic, but what surfaces is something more honest than irony: the truth that wisdom doesn’t prevent life from knocking it shapes how we respond after.

Doctors told Danielle to accept permanent impairment as her new normal.
She refused.

What followed wasn’t just physical recovery it was an internal awakening.

Despite being told she would never heal, Danielle restored her physical health through redox signaling. That internal shift opened the door to Eastern philosophy, Yoga Nidra, and Yoga Therapy practices that helped her reset her nervous system, release stored trauma, and find calm no matter what was happening externally.

What happened to her didn’t make sense in the moment.
It only began to make sense looking back.

That’s hindsight.

These aren’t takeaways they’re reflections that come with time:

If you feel like a victim, what if life isn’t conspiring against you, but awakening you?

What is this challenge making possible?

Who can I be when I am complete as I am?

The best thing that ever happened to me was my accident.

It’s not out there it’s inside me.

When awareness shifts, you see fault differently.

There is a blue sky somewhere… even when you can’t see it yet.

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🧩 Season Theme: Who’s There? 🚪
This season asks one haunting question: Who’s knocking at your life’s door?
Some knocks invite healing. Others demand courage. And some… almost change everything.

This episode contains adult and mature subject matter.
Listener discretion is strongly advised.

This conversation includes honest discussions around addiction, recovery, suicide awareness, and life-altering trauma. These themes are shared with care and purpose, but they may be difficult for some listeners. Please take care of yourself and choose the right time and space before pressing play.

👣 Guest Introduction:
Some knocks don’t come gently.
Some arrive loud, chaotic, and terrifying.

This week’s guest, Tim Wessel, experienced an almost knock a moment so close to opening the door that it would have changed his life forever.

At one of the darkest points in his life, Tim was on his way out the door to end his life when someone else was already there, about to knock.

That interruption.
That presence.
That moment changed everything.

Tim is an ordained pastor and certified Peer Recovery Coach with a deep background in business leadership, ministry, and recovery. After earning his BBA in Accounting Information Systems from Eastern Michigan University, Tim spent 12 years working in public accounting, serving everyone from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies across the United States.

But Tim’s true calling has always been people.

For more than a decade, he served as an Outreach and Recovery Pastor, building relationships and walking with individuals through addiction, loss, and rebuilding a life rooted in passion, purpose, prosperity, and peace. Tim is a powerful communicator whose story has reached state capitals, conferences, and awareness events focused on addiction, alcohol abuse, and suicide prevention.

His testimony, known worldwide through The Tim Video, continues to deliver hope to those who feel stuck in survival mode—pointing the way toward thriving.

This episode isn’t easy.
It’s honest.
And it’s exactly the kind of story this season exists to tell.

💡 Episode Highlights:

The almost knock that nearly changed Tim’s life forever.

The moment someone showed up when Tim was ready to walk away.

How does Tim forgive? Could you forgive?

🔗 Connect with Tim Wessel:
🎥 The Tim Video-most watch

Learn more about Tim here

📣 Share this episode with someone who may need hope today.

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If this episode moved you, challenged you, or made you pause before answering the next knock don’t keep it to yourself.
Leave a review and let us know how stepping into Tim’s shoes impacted you.

As we step into Season 22, I’m asking one big question:

Who’s knocking at your life’s door?

👤 Is it a long-lost friend… a past mistake… or an opportunity you never saw coming?
💡 Is it joy, peace, and purpose… or fear, doubt, and bad habits?

Some doors we throw open 🔓
Some we keep locked 🔒
Some knocks change everything

This season is about the front-door moments the knock you can’t ignore.

Listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussion of abuse, physical assault, and gun violence.

What if someone invaded your home and your life through physical, emotional, and sexual violence?

Could you forgive them?
Would you ever want to?

My first guest of Season 22 is Kimberly Haar, a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and author of Healing from Life’s Deepest Hurts.

Kim doesn’t speak about forgiveness from theory she lives it. A survivor of domestic violence, she discovered firsthand what real healing looks like when faith meets trauma.

1. Have you ever danced with Jesus in the middle of pain?
2. Can forgiveness be learned or is it a daily decision?
3. How do you draw close to God after trauma?
4. How do you find joy when the night has been long?

Kim’s work is a reminder that God can transform pain into joy. Her book offers:

A gentle guide through healing from grief, loss, and trauma

Compassionate biblical wisdom paired with practical mental-health tools

Insight from a survivor, counselor, and therapist with nearly two decades of experience

If you’ve struggled with shame, guilt, anger, unforgiveness, or felt abandoned by God, this book may be exactly what you need to move toward restoration.

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Atlas, the Titan condemned to hold up the sky, has become a symbol for anyone who feels responsible for keeping everything together relationships, expectations, appearances, success. Strength slowly turns into obligation. Responsibility becomes identity.

By the end of the Hungry season, the tension is clear: you can’t keep holding the world and still be fed.

This episode explores the invisible weight of approval, people-pleasing, and perfection and what happens when hunger finally forces you to put something down.

Megan Bunnell is a transformational coach, speaker, and founder of Megan Bunnell Coaching, a space dedicated to helping women stop surviving and start choosing themselves.

Her work is rooted in the idea of tantalum a rare, resilient metal known for its strength under extreme pressure. That metaphor runs deep here. Megan believes resilience isn’t something women need to find it’s something they need permission to trust.

Through practical tools, reflection, and honest conversation, Megan helps women navigate burnout, self-doubt, and over-functioning, guiding them back to who they are beneath the weight they’ve been carrying. Her clients describe her as grounding, clarifying, and steady someone who helps you trust your own voice again.

⚖️ How heavy is the burden of people-pleasing  really?
🤐 Is other people’s approval worth keeping secrets for?
🪨 What are you holding that was never yours to carry?
🧠 What is your algorithm feeding you and who does it benefit?
📝 What is a brain dump, and how can it clear internal noise?
⏰ What would a 4 a.m. wake-up do for you?
🎭 Not as hustle… but as space.
📝  Silence before the world speaks.
🧠 Stillness before expectations arrive.
📝  Could waking early help you hear yourself again?
🤝 Can you really trust yourself and what happens when you do?
💭 Is it actually okay to be you, without permission?

🌐 Website: Megan Bunnell Coaching
📸 Instagram: @meganbunnellcoaching

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🎁 

This season has been about appetite  not just for success or answers, but for meaning, honesty, and something real.
The Gift sits right in the middle of that hunger, asking a simple but unsettling question:
What does this world actually need right now?

For six years now, Christmas on Other People’s Shoes has looked a little different.
No polished bow. No scripted cheer.

Just Neil and Garrett sitting down together reflecting, laughing, asking harder questions than expected, and revisiting the journey they’ve been on together.

This year, the tradition continues with The Gift  a conversation about what we give, what we withhold, and what we’re still hungry for when the lights come down and the wrapping paper is gone.

What we say we want for Christmas vs. what the world actually needs

Why some gifts can’t be bought, wrapped, or returned

The danger of mistaking comfort for fulfillment

A lighthearted but telling moment around shoe sizes  including the reminder that Shaquille O’Neal famously wears a U.S. men’s size 22, proving once again that not everyone walks through life with the same footprint

Reflections on six years of Christmas episodes and how the meaning keeps changing

A reminder that hunger isn’t a flaw  it’s often an invitation

Forgiveness.
Time.
Attention.
Listening without fixing.
Showing up when it’s inconvenient.

These are the gifts that don’t trend, don’t sparkle, and don’t fit neatly under a tree but they’re the ones people remember.

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Leave a review and let us know what The Gift meant to you.

🎄
🎧 LISTEN, REFLECT, AND WALK WITH US

Thank you for spending another Christmas with us.
Thank you for walking in Other People’s Shoes.
And thank you for staying hungry for more compassion, more perspective, and more truth.

Merry Christmas from Other People’s Shoes. 👟🎄