PerfectWhelm with Eric Slivoskey: The Podcast That Helps Enhance Your Life

More to Know about Kyle:

Kyle was an evangelical mega-church pastor for 15 years until he was fired for being LGBTQ+ affirming. He has a masters degree and is writing the dissertation for the final stage of earning a doctorate in ministry.

After ministry, he owned a small business which grew 300% until his family sold it just last year. Kyle has two teenage sons and has been married to his best friend for 23 years.

Kyle currently serves as a substitute teacher and soccer coach while he simultaneously is developing a new business.

His Instagram with new content is @NotQuiteCompassion

What you will hear in this episode:

In part 2, Kyle and I dive into his experiences in the evangelical church and how his affirming stance towards the LGBTQ+ community impacted his standing in the church and ultimately his employment as a pastor. 

Kyle talks about the impactful loss of community and relationships that hit him so very hard after he was let go from his position with the church. He mentions friendships literally ending overnight. Kyle shared about feeling depressed and processing his grief.  He faced many challenging feelings that were related to the emails, texts, and phone calls stopping… and the isolation associated with not feeling needed anymore. 

He elaborates on moving on from active ministry in the church and how his capacity to love has expanded. He mentions being proud of himself and being the kind of dad that his boys can view as a positive role model and as a loving parent who his children can feel safe with. 

Kyle shares that the LGBTQ+ community has inspired him, especially their resiliency, their joy for life, and their collective abilities to set healthy boundaries. 

Near the end of our conversation, we chat about potential signs of hope that may be present in evangelical communities. He shares that things will get worse before they get better and that the qualities of individualism and consumerism will gradually filter out of evangelical culture. The hope is for things to be more communal and less focused on money and financial bottom lines. 

We close out the episode discussing entrepreneurial life and Kyle’s experiences in the business world after he left the ministry. He shares his view that ministry and business are both about serving and helping people. 

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

More to Know about Kyle: 

Kyle was an evangelical mega-church pastor for 15 years until he was fired for being LGBTQ+ affirming. He has a masters degree and is writing the dissertation for the final stage of earning a doctorate in ministry.

After ministry, he owned a small business which grew 300% until his family sold it just last year. Kyle has two teenage sons and has been married to his best friend for 23 years. 

Kyle currently serves as a substitute teacher and  soccer coach while he simultaneously is developing a new business. 

His Instagram with new content is @NotQuiteCompassion

What you will hear in this episode:

Kyle and I explore his early journey into Christianity and ultimately his decision to pursue the ministry and become a pastor.  He discusses his decision to follow Christ and his experience of becoming a Christian in his early teenage years. 

Kyle reflects on the idea that his religious faith provided a foundation in his teens that offered meaning, certainty, and comfort in the world.  Furthermore, he shares that his desire to help others and finding a sense of self-worth and identity through Christian service were impactful ideals that steered him into ministerial life and leadership.

He talks about the educational path he embarked upon to become a pastor. Along the way, he discovered improv, played sports, and worked various jobs to scrape up the funds to attend Bible college.

We shared about what it was like for him to be so young and suddenly placed in a position of authority in various ministry roles, and how that is so often a common practice in evangelical circles. 

We discussed the performative nature that is often associated with ministry and the pressures that can come with it. Specifically, there are the pressures to look like you have it all together when you are a leader and an expectation to have the answers to the challenging questions. 

The conversation also moved into deeper questions about spirituality and embodiment and what can happen when faith teaches us that we are bad and unworthy of God’s love. The underlying principle of the faith is to accept, believe, and confess certain truths, while simultaneously submitting and surrendering to God. When the doctrine teaches us that we are inherently sinful, our hearts are desperately wicked, and we are deserving of eternal conscious torment and suffering in hell from the moment we are born… it can lead to a deep mistrust of ourselves as well as the reality of disconnecting from our own feelings, bodies, and inner knowing. 

Kyle and I examine the idea of spiritual bypassing and the experience of living a spiritual life that can become increasingly dismissive of our own experiences. 

We also unpack what he actually believed at the core of his faith—including the belief that God is personal and desires relationship—and the formulas and practices that shaped his early understanding of Christianity.

Kyle’s curiosity, particularly during graduate school, opened the door to asking questions that would eventually challenge some of his most deeply held assumptions and beliefs. In part 2, we will get into more details about when the certainty began to crack and how his views relating to his LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters factored in to his faith shift. 

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

A Few Things To Know About My Guests:

Tanner and SaraLi Twigg are the owners of TPT Fitness in Ellendale, North Dakota, where they are passionate about helping people build strength, confidence, and lasting health.

Tanner is a personal trainer, USTAF-certified distance coach, and part-time video game streamer who enjoys empowering others to reach their fitness goals both inside and outside the gym.

SaraLi specializes in helping women find peaceful, natural healing by supporting healthy skin, balanced hormones, and mindset through a holistic approach.

Together, they believe true health extends beyond the gym and is built through intentional habits. They love encouraging others to pursue growth in every area of life. They also prioritize creating memorable experiences together through travel, especially visits to their favorite place-Disney World.

Tanner and SaraLi are grateful for every opportunity to share their journey and inspire others to pursue a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Tanner's Programs:
 - Online Personal Training Coaching
 - Online Run Coaching
 - eBooks workouts

 SaraLi's Programs:
 - Open to connect with women needing support and guidance in natural healing

What You Will Find In This Episode:

In this conversation, we talk more in depth about mindsets and core life values. We also go into more detail on the power of stacking habits and the benefits this consistent practice can provide you with. 

Tanner and SaraLi share their perspectives on the lessons they have learned from their respective pasts and also the importance of not putting limits on themselves regarding the possibilities of their future. 

We also dive into the impact that sports coaching has had on their lives and worldviews. Specifically, we discuss the challenges and adversity that athletes experience and how a growth mindset can be cultivated in the presence of working through the obstacles. The significance of building relationships is a key component of coaching and offering encouragement to those we work with goes a long way in supporting the athletes we serve. The idea of bringing curiosity and asking the deeper questions of those we spend time with is a powerful way to enhance our understanding of one another. 

Where you can connect with Tanner & SaraLi:

 SaraLi Instagram handle:
 @saralitwigg
 https://www.instagram.com/saralitwigg/

 Tanner Instagram handle:
 @twiggpt
 https://www.instagram.com/twiggpt/

 Tanner Facebook: Twigg Personal Training https://www.facebook.com/lwiggTraining

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

A few things to know about my guests:

Tanner and SaraLi Twigg are the owners of TPT Fitness in Ellendale, North Dakota, where they are passionate about helping people build strength, confidence, and lasting health.

Tanner is a personal trainer, USTAF-certified distance coach, and part-time video game streamer who enjoys empowering others to reach their fitness goals both inside and outside the gym.

SaraLi specializes in helping women find peaceful, natural healing by supporting healthy skin, balanced hormones, and mindset through a holistic approach.

Together, they believe true health extends beyond the gym and is built through intentional habits. They love encouraging others to pursue growth in every area of life. They also prioritize creating memorable experiences together through travel, especially visits to their favorite place-Disney World.

Tanner and SaraLi are grateful for every opportunity to share their journey and inspire others to pursue a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Tanner's Programs:
- Online Personal Training Coaching
- Online Run Coaching
- eBooks workouts

SaraLi's Work:
- Open to connect with women needing support and guidance in natural healing

What You Will Find In This Episode:

In part 2 of our interview, we talk about the impact that travel has had on their lives, including more details about their favorite travel destinations and experiences. 

We discuss how travel has had an effect on their life perspectives, and how they incorporate the lessons they’ve learned on the road into their everyday life experiences back at home. 

My guests also share in depth about their lives as entrepreneurs and what they are learning in their respective businesses as well as their experiences with running their newly acquired fitness business. They talk about the challenges and benefits of business ownership. 

Tanner and SaraLi also discuss the importance of being authentic as it relates to creating content, business, and in everyday life situations. 

Where you can connect with Tanner & SaraLi:

SaraLi Instagram handle: 

@saralitwigg
https://www.instagram.com/saralitwigg/

Tanner Instagram handle: 

@twiggpt

https://www.instagram.com/twiggpt/

Tanner Facebook: Twigg Personal Training
https://www.facebook.com/IwiggTraining.

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

A few things to know about my guests:

Tanner and SaraLi Twigg are the owners of TPT Fitness in Ellendale, North Dakota, where they are passionate about helping people build strength,confidence, and lasting health. 

Tanner is a personal trainer, USTAF-certified distance coach, and part-time video game streamer who enjoys empowering others to reach their fitness goals both inside and outside the gym. 

SaraLi specializes in helping women find peaceful, natural healing by supporting healthy skin, balanced hormones, and mindset through a holistic approach. 

Together, they believe true health extends beyond the gym and is built through intentional habits. They love encouraging others to pursue growth in every area of life. They also prioritize creating memorable experiences together through travel, especially visits to their favorite place—Disney World. 

Tanner and SaraLi are grateful for every opportunity to share their journey and inspire others to pursue a healthier, more fulfilling life.

Tanner’s Programs:

- Online Personal Training Coaching

- Online Run Coaching

- eBooks workouts

SaraLi’s Programs:

- Open to connect with women needing support and guidance in natural healing

What You Will Find In This Episode: 

In this conversation, my guests Tanner and SaraLi discuss how they met, their early relationship, and how important it is to invest  time getting to know your partner, and how that so often involves asking tough questions.

We talk about the impact that travel has had on their lives, even the lessons to be learned when trips don’t go smoothly. Tanner and SaraLi do a deep dive into how adversity can truly test our commitments of trust, teamwork, and communication when things don’t go as planned. 

They share specific details about a really challenging travel experience they endured while traveling from the Midwest to Georgia for a wedding last year. 

There are many insightful takeaways from this conversation, and one that stands out to me is when they elaborate on the importance of being intentional with your mindset when encountering obstacles as well as the reminder that we are free to choose how we respond to the negative events that impact our lives. 

Where you can connect with Tanner & SaraLi: 

SaraLi Instagram handle: @saralitwigg

https://www.instagram.com/saralitwigg/

Tanner Instagram handle: @twiggpt

https://www.instagram.com/twiggpt/

Tanner Facebook: Twigg Personal Training

https://www.facebook.com/TwiggTraining

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

 Email: [email protected]

 I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

Before I get into describing part 3, here is a little bit more to know about Ben & Jonna

Benjamin Jones-
Retired 6 year professional football player who played RB / QB
Founder and creator of the LionFactory, personal development company
World Traveling Adventurer.
Travelled all over the world with his family, including 40 + countries, and lived in 6 different countries
Early crypto adaptor, bought his first bitcoin at $200
Husband, father, leader of men
Follower of Christ

Jonna Jones-
Originally from Finland
Mother of 3
Ex-model, co-ran a modeling agency in Europe
Director of operations for the Jones family- aka Chaos Coordinator
Travel fanatic
Follower of Christ
"It's not one more day it's one less. Go be someone"

What You Will Find Inside Of This Episode: 

In this conversation, Ben and I talk about his early start in the business world and how he became inspired by the intangibles that it takes to break out of the rat race.

Ben and Jonna are the founders and the driving force behind the Lion Factory, their personal development company that provides training, support, and community in an environment that encourages exploring creativity, exercising courage, practicing discipline, and taking intentional action in the pursuit of one’s personal and professional goals.

Ben shares about the importance of having a supportive community behind you that also holds you accountable. Ben talks about the necessity of action and how it serves as both a path and bridge to positive change. Specifically, Ben elaborates on how action cures fear and when fear dies… it returns as confidence.

We also discussed how in leadership it is our consistency that leads to credibility. Being an entrepreneur is challenging and it requires a lot of swimming upstream against the current. We both agree that courage can be the fuel of our actions and it’s the implementation that greases the wheel and ultimately leads to progress and transformative growth. 

Ben also expands on the idea that starting out as a new business developer or owner is hard and how network marketing can often provide a great benefit of guidance and also offers space for leverage too.

To summarize the mission that Ben and Jonna are on, they want you to know that their businesses are based on the foundational principles of gratitude, growth, and giving.

To learn more about Ben & Jonna’s work and the projects and business ventures they are passionate about, then connect with them online. You can find them on Facebook 

@thelionfactory

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

-I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

First, A Little Bit More About Ben & Jonna:

Benjamin Jones- 

Retired 6 year professional football player. RB / QB

Founder and creator of the LionFactory, personal development company

World Traveling Adventurer.

Travelled all over the world with his family, 40 + countries, lived in 6 different  countries

Early crypto adaptor, bought his first bitcoin at $200

Husband, father, leader of men

Follower of Christ

Jonna Jones-

Originally from Finland

Mother of 3

Ex-model, co-ran a modeling agency in Europe

Director of operations for the Jones family aka Chaos Coordinator

Travel fanatic

Follower of Christ

"It's not one more day it's one less. Go be someone"

What You Can Find Inside This Episode:

- A Discussion on Personal Values like Curiosity, Courage, Variety, Adventure, and Appreciation for our partners and the ways those behaviors produce goodness and abundance in our lives

- We talk about the impact of travel and how seeing and experiencing the world both impacts our lives and influences our behaviors and world 

- Ben & Jonna share more about the 1 year trip they took a few years ago with their 3 young children. This around the globe adventure was primarily focused on visiting Asia and exploring different places that involved both elements of risk and reward

- Jonna shares about the importance of learning to regulate our nervous systems and the benefits of better understanding how to be more in charge of our emotions matters, so that we might deal with challenges that we encounter in healthier ways. 

- They both dive into many of the obstacles they faced during their year on the road in Asia and how much of that trip was not planned beforehand. In particular, they share one heartwarming story best described as the best of times and the worst of times, where total exhaustion, no place to stay, a  KFC experience and fireworks in Malaysia in the midst of torrential rains are characterized by the kids as… “the best day of our lives.”

- Ben talks about the importance of being aware of your physiological state and how energy is life, energy creates energy, and the importance of movement and staying active.

- We also discussed the realities of responding to naysayers and dealing with people who attempt to write scripts for our lives, and how that often springs from fear and the unknown.

-There is a brief chat about submission and the negative consequences of living out of alignment with one’s values and goals and we briefly touch on the issue of religious faith and questioning traditional systems. 

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

-I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

In this short form episode I discuss the three elements of my professional life. I talk about the creation piece, which involves the writing and podcasting content that I design. 

I also share about my stand-up comedy work in clubs, at festivals, and at corporate events. I elaborate about my Infotainment programming where I pair a talk/lecture/engaging presentation/workshop on an educational or personal development topic like communication, leadership, resilience, etc… with a stand-up comedy set to follow as part of the presentation. I talk about how learning can be enhanced when matched with the joy and laughter associated with comedy. 

Towards the end of the conversation, I chat about my personal development coaching business, and how my life experiences, education, research, and coaching training has prepared me to help people. I talked about my specific programs and who I help. Coaching is such a powerful tool and a great way to transform your life, accelerate your growth, and essentially help build a better version of yourself. 

I also listed my pricing options in my coaching business and reminded everyone that a 30 minute discovery call with me is absolutely free! It enables us to learn more about one another, offers a place to ask and answer questions, a chance for me to better understand your goals and the change(s) you are seeking, and help determine if we are a good fit to work together. 

Consider reaching out to me if you have any questions about my coaching services or if you’d like to explore the possibilities of setting up your free discovery call and beginning to work with me. 

My rates are as follows:

- $300 For a package of 6 (1 hour sessions) via face to face, phone, or zoom meetings… and this will also include email support

- For pre-purchased packages of more than 6 sessions, meetings are priced at a lesser rate of $45 per 1 hour sessions 

- Non-package hourly rates are $55 per hour

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

-I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

First, A Little Bit More About Ben & Jonna:

Benjamin Jones - 

Retired 6 year professional football player. RB / QB

Founder and creator of the LionFactory, personal development company

World Traveling Adventurer.

Travelled all over the world with his family, 40 + countries, lived in 6 different countries

Early crypto adaptor, bought his first bitcoin at $200 

Husband, father, leader of men, follower of Christ

Jonna Jones- 

Originally from Finland

Mother of 3

Ex-model, co-ran a modeling agency in Europe

Director of operations for the Jones family aka Chaos Coordinator 

Travel fanatic

Follower of Christ  

"It's not one more day it's one less. Go be someone"

 What You Can Find Inside This Episode:

- How 2 people from opposite ends of the globe and very different upbringings crossed paths in Finland and joined together to begin building a beautiful life

- A Discussion on Personal Values like Curiosity, Courage, Variety, Adventure, and Appreciation for our partners and the ways those behaviors produce goodness and abundance in our lives

- We talk about the impact of travel and how seeing and experiencing the world both impacts our lives and influences our behaviors and world view 

- We chat about how Ben and Jonna view “growth and giving” as northstars and the transformation that occurs when we seek to create and contribute 

- Towards the end of the conversation, we begin to get into the 1 year trip that Ben & Jonna took a few years ago with their 3 young children. This around the globe adventure was primarily focused on visiting Asia and exploring different places that involved both elements of risk and reward

- A general theme of this first episode can best be summed up with a quote that Jonna shared during this interview.   “Travel is the only thing that you can buy that can make you richer.”

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

 Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

 Email: [email protected]

 -I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.

A Little Bit More About Today’s Guest:

Dr. Julie Merriman is a PhD, licensed counselor, professor, author, and nationally recognized nervous system expert- In fact her work is grounded in a nervous system first framework

• Julie has 30+ years of experience helping high-achieving women move out of burnout, emotional exhaustion, and disconnection
• Creator of The Radiance MethodM, a neuro-somatic framework for reclaiming energy, desire, and aliveness
• Specializes in women over 50 who feel depleted, numb, or disconnected from their bodies and relationships
•  Author of In Pursuit of Soul Joy and Are We Gonna Have Sex or What? Which was released recently in the spring of 2026
• Julie serves as the host of 2 podcasts where she goes deeper into conversations about the clinical frameworks and issues related to her mission
• Host of Compassion Fatigue Cure: From Burnout to Radiance for Women Healers 50+
•  Host of Sexy After 50: Improve Sex and Intimacy by Healing Your Nervous System
• Known for her core message: You are not broken, you are operating past capacity. And, Welcome to your Homecoming!

Julie offers a variety of programs including: 

• 7-Day Radiance IntensiveTM - 
• Which is A 7-Day Somatic
   Intervention for the Woman Who is the "Strong One" for Everyone Else and is Secretly Drowning in the Silence.
•   Somatic Signature Quiz - Freebie
•   Reignite Your Fire & Desire - Freebie
•   And as I previously mentioned her Books:
•   In Pursuit of Soul Joy
•   Are We Gonna Have Sex or What? (available now)

What’s Inside This Episode:

• I chat with author, professor, podcaster, counselor, speaker, and coach about an array of topics centered on women’s emotional and mental health including burnout, compassion fatigue, and how to begin to understand the signs and devastating impacts of a depleted nervous system. There is hope, and we also talk about somatic and cognitive approaches where healing and restoration can begin to take place. 
• Specifically, we chat about how so many women are deeply committed to caring for others and how that devotion can often start to turn into nervous system depletion or burnout.
• We discuss how women can begin to lose access to themselves, what that actually look like in day-to-day life, and how can someone recognize it early.
• Julie shares about the concept of compassion fatigue as well as how  chronic burnout or nervous system dysregulation can impact intimacy and relationships, especially for women in long-term partnerships.
• She shares about how women take on the role of “the helper” or “the one who holds everything together.” and touches on how women can begin to untangle who they are beyond that role.
• We get into some of the common misconceptions about self-care that might actually be keeping women stuck in cycles of depletion.
• Julie talks about body-based tools and how they are such an important component for fostering restoration and why working with the body is so essential compared to just talking through stress or burnout.
• We chat about what it can start to look like when women begin reconnecting with their bodies and reclaiming their energy, and the changes that can occur like more clarity in their sense of purpose and enhanced vitality.
• My guest also offers some great insights for someone who feels completely exhausted and disconnected, including a small practical step they can take today to begin restoring their energy. 

How You Can Connect With Julie and Her Work:

You can learn more about her work and projects and connect with her through her website and various social media links listed below. 

juliemerrimanphd.com

• Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dr.juliemerriman/
•   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjuliemerriman
•   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?
  id=61564870628821
•   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-julie-merriman/
•   Blog: https://www.juliemerrimanphd.com/blog
•   Podcasts:
•   Compassion Fatigue Cure -
   https://www.juliemerrimanphd.com/compassion-
  fatigue-cure-1
•   Sexy After 50 -
   https://www.juliemerrimanphd.com/sexy-after-50

PerfectWhelm Podcast Links & Resources:

Schedule a free discovery call with me to learn more about my coaching programs and services.

Email: [email protected]

-I hope you will follow, subscribe, rate, and/or share the podcast with someone you think might benefit from it.