Permission Slip-Ups

What do you do when you realize you're no longer quite yourself?

You're still functioning. Still handling responsibilities. Still moving forward.

But your energy is different. Your habits have slipped. The things that once grounded you have somehow disappeared from your life.

And eventually you have to acknowledge it:

I'm a little lost.

Our instinct may be to figure out what's next—to make a change, create a new plan, or find something different.

But what if the answer isn't something new?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David explore the idea of a personal reset and an unexpectedly simple way to begin: go back to the last place where you knew what worked.

Not to recreate your past.

Not to become who you used to be.

But to reconnect with the habits, behaviors, priorities and experiences that helped you feel grounded, energized and fully yourself.

Together, they explore:

• Why driven people often keep pushing even when they know they're off course
• How to recognize when life has slowly pulled you away from yourself
• Why a reset may require taking things away rather than adding more
• The power of asking, "How can I?" instead of immediately deciding something won't work
• How reconnecting with joy and energy can change the way you handle everything else
• Why being lost doesn't mean you need to reinvent yourself

Sometimes the first step forward isn't figuring out where you need to go.

It's remembering what you already know about yourself.

What has worked for you before that might be worth bringing back into your life now?

What happens when you realize something in your life no longer fits—but you're not in a position to leave it yet?

Maybe it's a job. A relationship. An organization. A community. You know something has changed. You're ready for what's next.

Except… what's next isn't available yet.

That in-between space can be dangerous.

Resentment builds. You disengage. You start rebelling against the very thing you still need to navigate.

Sometimes, in your urgency to get out, you damage relationships, opportunities—or even yourself—on the way.

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David explore how to navigate a system you've outgrown without surrendering yourself to it.

They discuss:

• Why resentment can become more damaging than the situation itself
• The difference between acceptance and settling
• How to find what is possible without pretending everything is positive
• Why boundaries, new skills, and small changes can help you regain energy
• How to stay connected to your own integrity when you're frustrated
• Why the goal may not be changing the system—but preparing yourself for what comes next

When you already know you're eventually leaving, the question becomes how you spend remaining time...angry or prepping for where you're going?

What do you want right now?

Right now...as in not next week, not after you reach the next milestone, not once you have figured everything out...but in this very moment?

We live in a culture that continually pulls our attention toward what comes next, to the point where it is almost impossible to be in the moment. Practicing presence sounds like another ideal we are supposed to achieve.

What if it is much simpler than that?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David explore presence as conscious engagement in the now—not escaping responsibility, ignoring the future, or finding perfect peace, but becoming aware of what is happening within and around us before racing ahead.

Together, they discuss:

• Why future-casting can quietly feed anxiety, stress, and dissatisfaction • How achievement can keep us from experiencing what we worked so hard to create • Why a pause can interrupt old patterns and help us respond rather than react • How stillness allows us to hear ourselves more clearly • Why we do not always have to figure everything out • Simple ways to practice presence—even for five seconds

Through stories involving a Route 66 bicycle ride, skydiving, motorcycles, major life decisions, and an ordinary walk without headphones, Kate and David explore what becomes possible when we stop trying to get somewhere else and begin appreciating what is already here.

You do not have to become perfectly present.

You only have to notice when you have left the moment—and give yourself permission to return.

There's a book none of us remembers reading, yet somehow we all seem to know the rules.

You should go to college. You should get married. You should have kids. You should stay busy. You should follow the process. You should play the game.

But who wrote the damn book?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David call BS on some of the societal norms, beliefs, and systems we've learned to accept without questioning them—from healthcare and hiring practices to career paths, credit scores, productivity, and the expectations we place on one another.

Along the way, David shares a deeply personal reflection about a conversation with his son and what can happen when we unknowingly turn our own beliefs into someone else's story.

Because maybe the real permission slip isn't about rejecting every rule.

Maybe it's simply giving ourselves—and each other—the space to choose our own path.

As David puts it: "It isn't about being right. It's about being who I am, which is right enough."

What are you putting off because it feels too uncomfortable, uncertain, or far away?

We often tell ourselves we are waiting for the right time, a clearer plan, or enough courage to finally begin. But sometimes the familiar weight of avoidance simply feels safer than taking a step into the unknown.

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David talk with entrepreneur and serial founder Jermaine Ee about intentional living, meaningful work, and what happens when we stop delaying the conversations and experiences that matter most.

Jermaine shares how his understanding of success and legacy has changed over time. In his twenties, he wanted to be admired for what he built. Today, after years of introspection and the unexpected loss of his mother, his definition of a meaningful life has become much simpler: he wants the people he loves to remember that when he was with them, he was fully present.

He also shares the moving story of taking his mother to Salzburg to experience the world of The Sound of Music—a dream she had never considered possible. Neither of them knew it would become her final trip.

Together, they explore:

• Why avoidance is often an understandable response to uncertainty, not a character flaw • How emotionally uncomfortable or abstract decisions keep us stuck • Why we wait for permission, courage, or the "right time" • What our calendars and spending habits reveal about what energizes us • How meaningful work connects purpose with what genuinely matters to us • Why the first step does not need to solve everything—it only needs to begin • How presence, relationships, and impact can become a more meaningful definition of legacy

This is a conversation about personal growth, purpose, loss, authenticity, and the courage to stop waiting for life to become urgent.

What is one meaningful thing you keep telling yourself you will do someday?

Contact us:

Jermaine Ee

Kate Turner

David Cooke

Who are you when the role that helped define you no longer fits?

For years, Oscar Chacon's identity was shaped by structure, service, teamwork, and the uniform he wore as an officer in the United States Air Force and Space Force. But when he transitioned into civilian life, he found himself confronting a much more personal question:

Who am I beneath the role?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Oscar joins Kate and David for an honest conversation about identity, masculinity, leadership, vulnerability, and the uncertainty that often accompanies major life transitions.

Together, they explore:

• Why our careers, responsibilities, and accomplishments can quietly become our identity • What happens when the "why" that once guided us begins to change • Why so many men feel pressure to become the lone wolf and figure everything out alone • How vulnerability creates trust, connection, and more authentic leadership • What it means to become whole rather than perform an image of perfection • How community, curiosity, and personal agency can help us move through uncertainty • Why fear asks, "What if?" while faith responds, "Even if"

Oscar reminds us that we do not need to have a grand philosophical answer for where our lives are going. Sometimes the next honest answer is enough:

"I just want to wake up happier."

This conversation is for anyone moving through change, questioning who they have become, or searching for a life that feels more authentic, meaningful, and aligned.

Does your calendar reflect what matters most to you—or the person you believe you are supposed to be?

When life gets busy, most of us assume we need to manage our time better. We rearrange our schedules, squeeze more into the day, and promise ourselves that we will make time for what matters when things finally slow down.

But what if the real problem isn't time?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David explore what our priorities reveal about our identity, values, capacity, and the expectations we carry.

Sometimes the roles we have worked so hard to fulfill—the responsible parent, successful professional, reliable friend, committed partner, or person who always says yes—quietly begin determining how we spend our lives.

Together, they discuss:

• Why we may not have a priority problem, but an identity problem • How busy seasons can reveal what truly matters • Why the structure that once served us may no longer fit who we are today • How obligation and guilt keep us committed to things we no longer want • A practical three-question framework for evaluating new commitments • Why being at your best is not about performance—it is about how aligned and whole you feel • How clarity can give us permission to pause, trust ourselves, and say no

If you have built a successful life but feel pulled in too many directions, this conversation offers an opportunity to slow things down, reconnect with what matters, and create more room for a life that feels authentic, meaningful, and aligned.

What might change if you stopped asking, "How do I fit everything in?" and started asking, "What actually deserves my best?"

Most of us have a belief about how we show up.

We believe we are being helpful, confident, direct, authentic, curious, or honest.

But our intentions are only part of the story.

Truth is the people around us may experience our energy, words, and behavior very differently.

What happens when the way we intend to show up does not match the way we are received?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David explore the gap between intention and impact—and what that gap can teach us about self-awareness, personal growth, leadership, and connection.

Together, they discuss:

• Why another person's experience can be true even when it does not match our intention • How defensiveness prevents us from receiving useful feedback • Why acknowledging someone's experience does not require agreeing with everything they say • The difference between being authentic and using authenticity as an excuse • How to smooth out our rough edges without changing who we are • Why commitment matters when we are trying to improve or repair a relationship • How curiosity can help us understand what others need from us

Authenticity does not mean walking into every situation at full volume and expecting everyone else to adjust.

Sometimes it means understanding who we are, recognizing the environment we are in, and becoming more intentional about how we bring ourselves into the room.

Because the greatest gift we can offer others may be the freedom to be ourselves—while giving them the freedom to be themselves, too.

Listen now and ask yourself:

Am I being experienced the way I intend to be?

What happens when life interrupts the identity you built… and invites you into something deeper?

In this episode of Permission Slip-ups, Kate and David sit down with artist and storyteller Mark Jamnik to explore the powerful pivot that transformed his life during COVID. What began as a season of isolation became, in Mark's words, "not a quarantine, but a chrysalis."

Through creativity, curiosity, and deep introspection, Mark reconnected with a part of himself that had been buried for years — the artist within. As he shares the evolution of his "Subliminal Story Art," Mark opens up about letting go of external identities, releasing the need for approval, and trusting the quiet inner voice calling him toward a more aligned life.

This conversation explores: • Creativity as healing and reconnection • Letting go of identities tied to success • The power of curiosity and community • Listening to your inner voice • Trusting life's pivots and transitions • Why authenticity often requires surrender

Mark's story is a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful transformations begin when we stop trying to "get it right" and start listening to what feels true.

Connect with Mark

Contact us:

KateTurner*@gmail.com

David Cooke

How do you know when it's time to stop pushing... and start paying attention?

Most of us don't wake up one morning burned out or disconnected. The signs appear long before that. We feel our energy fading. We question whether the life we've worked so hard to build still feels like our own. Something inside quietly asks us to slow down.

The question is...

Why do we keep moving anyway?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David explore the quiet moments that often become the beginning of meaningful change.

Together they discuss:

• Why we override our intuition in the name of responsibility and success
• The difference between resilience and simply enduring
• How external expectations can pull us away from ourselves
• Why asking "How can I?" creates possibilities that "I can't" immediately closes
• How a simple pause can reconnect us with who we really are

If you've been navigating a life transition, questioning what's next, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, this conversation offers an invitation to slow down—not to stop moving, but to move with greater intention.

Sometimes growth doesn't begin with action.

Sometimes it begins with attention.