What if the special thing you’re waiting for… is today?

This solo episode is a loving, irreverent nudge to stop preserving your life for later and start using it now—messy, ordinary, sparkly, imperfect days included.

No pearl-clutching required.
Some side-eye encouraged.
Bring your favorite underwear.

In this episode:
🍽️ The china cabinet myth — why “special” dishes lose their magic when they never touch the table.
📓 The notebook you’re afraid to ruin — and what it’s costing you to keep it pristine.
🏷️ Sticker paralysis — when saving it actually means never enjoying it.
🩲 The good underwear theory — what if confidence comes first, not after?
⏱️ The 5-4-3-2-1 launch — how momentum beats motivation every time.
☕ Second cup energy — choosing small delights without waiting for permission.
🚲 A bicycle with quirks — and why perfection was never the point.
🥩 Ribs, recognition, and belonging — how being known somewhere changes the meal.
⚰️ The pristine-vessel lie — why a well-used life is the goal, not a flawless one.
🔥 Refusing to stay stuck — when “I want a solution” actually means “I want to change.”

This episode isn’t here to fix you.
It’s here to remind you that this life—your body, your joy, your tools, your time—was given to be used. Even loudly. Even imperfectly. Especially now. We’re really, really glad you’re here. 💛

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

What if the bravest thing we could do right now is slow down before our thoughts decide everything is already on fire?

A conversation that wanders on purpose — through parenting, anger, softness, and the quiet work of catching yourself before you spiral.

A few laughs.
A few realizations.
You can feel your shoulders drop.

💭 “Death in three steps” — how anxiety escalates faster than we realize, and the moment he learned to interrupt it.
🧠 Catastrophizing, clocked in real time — watching his own brain sprint toward worst-case scenarios.
🧸 Kids as emotional mirrors — the exact moment he recognized his own tone coming back at him.
🍞 The last piece of bread — when letting go of ceremony saved everyone’s nervous system.
🔥 Anger fatigue — why being mad about everything leaves nothing left for what actually matters.
🧊 Road rage revelations — realizing who’s really listening when you think no one is.
🛑 A well-timed pit stop — why rest isn’t quitting, it’s maintenance.
🌱 Masculinity without armor — softness, humor, and presence as an act of quiet rebellion.
🏠 Hygge in a small house — making warmth on purpose, even when the world feels loud and cold. T

his episode isn’t here to fix you.
It’s here to sit with you while things feel a little tangled, to slow the pace just enough that you can hear yourself think again. You don’t have to solve anything today. You’re allowed to notice. You’re allowed to rest in the middle of it.

We’re really, really glad you’re here. 💛

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

What if your birthday didn’t ask you to celebrate louder… but to listen closer?

This solo birthday episode is a quiet reckoning with turning fifty—choosing simplicity without apology, making peace with change, and learning to meet what’s next with curiosity instead of resistance. 
No fixing required.
No performance expected.
Just honesty, with a candle flicker.

In this episode:

🥩 The birthday plate that doesn’t negotiate — rare steak, obscene butter, no compromises.
🤫 Quiet over confetti — why solitude can be a love language.
🔄 The reset nobody announces — what birthdays surface whether you’re ready or not.
🪞 A truce with the mirror — loving the body that carried the story through.
🧠 The moment self-criticism lost its lease — and why it’s not moving back in.
🌪️ Change doesn’t knock politely — it shows up whether you RSVP or not.
👁️ Trying on the adventure lens — fear gets benched, just for the drive.
🚲 The crash that taught surrender — go limp, roll, live to tell it.
⚖️ Joy isn’t a reward for responsibility — it’s part of the job.
🌌 Asking for more without apology — even when life is already good.

This episode isn’t here to fix you.
It’s here to sit beside you—in the quiet, in the soft space between who you were and who you’re becoming.
Take what resonates. Leave what doesn’t. You’re allowed to arrive exactly as you are. We are really, really glad you’re here💛

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

What if the bravest thing you could do wasn’t pushing through… but calling the pause before everything breaks?

A conversation about theater, care, and the quiet power of choosing people over performance.

Take a breath.
You’re allowed to sit down here.
Nothing needs to be proven.

🌿 The conductor you never see — what it really means to hold the rhythm of a room together.
🎭 Creativity behind the clipboard — why stage management is an art form, not a side note.
🩸 The night the show stopped — when “the show must go on” finally met its limit.
🔥 Advocacy in the booth — choosing actor safety when money is yelling louder.
🧠 Musicianship, not machinery — calling a show like breathing with the cast.
💔 When professionalism turns toxic — how endurance culture disguises harm as devotion.
🌱 Teaching four-year-olds how to repair the world — curiosity-led learning and tikkun olam in action.
🪶 Standing on your business — what it costs, and why it matters, to say no.
🌙 Care as leadership — redefining success when the stakes are human.

This episode isn’t here to fix you.
It’s here to remind you that rest is not failure, that boundaries are part of the craft, and that sometimes the most radical joy is choosing to stop before the damage becomes permanent.

We’re really, really glad you’re here. 💛

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

Season Four, birthday energy, and a little Radical Joy magic coming your way ✨
Share this episode, tag @radicaljoypodcast, and every post gives you another chance to win.
Winner drawn January 23—let’s make it fun. 🎉

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

Don't forget to tag @radicaljoypodcast and share for entry to win the GOLDEN Birthday Prize.  You don't want to miss this! Every share is an entry winner will be announced January 26th.  

What if the most important work isn’t happening under the lights — but in the quiet decisions no one claps for?

In this episode, James sits down with Mike Brown to talk about children’s theater, nonprofit work, housing, and education — and what it looks like to keep showing up when the system isn’t built to help.

There’s tenderness here.
There’s frustration here.
And a kind of care that keeps showing up — even when it’s tired.

What we explore together:
🎭 Two schools. Same county. Different centuries — seeing abundance and neglect before the same lunch bell.
🧳 The touring job that changed everything without announcing itself — justice sneaking in through the stage door.
🛠️ When the spotlight lost its pull — and the backstage systems started to matter more.
👶 The moment service stopped being theoretical — and started sleeping down the hall.
🗺️ The country you see from a children’s theater van — stitched together by loading docks and gym floors.
🏛️ Teenagers practicing democracy with more care than most adults — one argument, one pause, one listen at a time.
💸 When “budget uncertainty” stops being abstract — and turns into unanswered phones and canceled programs.
🏠 The paper on the door that isn’t an eviction—yet — and how not knowing costs everything.
⚖️ Discrimination that sounds polite — until someone trains themselves to hear it clearly.
🧠 What happens when we hand kids teams instead of tools — and call it preparation.

This episode isn’t here to fix you.
It’s here to sit beside you while you notice what holds, what gives, and the ways care keeps showing up — tired, tender, quiet, imperfect, when no one’s watching.

We’re really, really glad you’re here. 💛

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

What if the bravest thing you could do wasn’t pushing through… but calling the pause before everything breaks?

A conversation about theater, care, and the quiet power of choosing people over performance.

Take a breath.
You’re allowed to sit down here.
Nothing needs to be proven.

🌿 The conductor you never see — what it really means to hold the rhythm of a room together.
🎭 Creativity behind the clipboard — why stage management is an art form, not a side note.
🩸 The night the show stopped — when “the show must go on” finally met its limit.
🔥 Advocacy in the booth — choosing actor safety when money is yelling louder.
🧠 Musicianship, not machinery — calling a show like breathing with the cast.
💔 When professionalism turns toxic — how endurance culture disguises harm as devotion.
🌱 Teaching four-year-olds how to repair the world — curiosity-led learning and tikkun olam in action.
🪶 Standing on your business — what it costs, and why it matters, to say no.
🌙 Care as leadership — redefining success when the stakes are human.

This episode isn’t here to fix you.
It’s here to remind you that rest is not failure, that boundaries are part of the craft, and that sometimes the most radical joy is choosing to stop before the damage becomes permanent.

We’re really, really glad you’re here. 💛

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

What if this year isn’t about pushing harder—but about paying attention, choosing better, and letting yourself be supported for once?

Season Four of Radical Joy opens with a real, unpolished, heart-forward conversation about growth, boundaries, community, and the quiet moments that change everything.
No hustle talk.
No toxic optimism.
Just honest reflection and a deep exhale.
Here’s what this episode dances around:
✨ Four years in, jazz hands fully deployed — celebrating Season 4 while telling the truth about how bumpy the road’s been.
🩹 “Failure is a fantastic teacher” — and why scraped knees might be doing more for you than smooth sailing ever could.
🚩 Red flags ≠ red lights — how to stay open-hearted and discerning at the same time.
🔄 Reciprocation is not selfish — showing up with love and expecting the relationship to feed you back.
🏦 The emotional bank account check — who’s depositing, who’s withdrawing, and why it matters now more than ever.
🛟 Help isn’t a handoff — the difference between sharing weight and quietly drowning together.
🚴 The sound of tires on different roads — a tiny sensory moment that cracked something wide open.
🎧 When your sensitivity comes back online — healing doesn’t scream, it hums.
🎂 A birthday, a giveaway, and a zero at the end — yes, it’s happening, and yes, you’re invited.

This episode isn’t here to fix you.
It’s here to offer you some room—room to listen more closely, to choose with intention, and to trust yourself enough to follow what feels steady, kind, and quietly brave.

Welcome to Season Four.
We’re really, really glad you’re here. 💛  

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

Ever wonder what it looks like when parenting is actually a team sport?
Mike Brown and Jocelyn Thompson don’t just co-parent—they co-everything. From Shakespeare to shipping breast milk across the country, this episode is full of heart, humor, and real talk about raising kids, loving loud, and managing chaos with grace.
✨ What’s inside:
🎭 Not your typical meet-cute: Arizona Tea, Shakespeare, a stage manager who broke the stereotype.
💍 “Either you marry me or give me a baby”—Jocelyn’s cruise ultimatum 
❄️The wild system they built to keep a baby fed across time zones - a breast milk operation that involved cross-country coolers and a freezer of frozen gold.
🍼 The two words they use that shift the entire parenting dynamic
🧒 A tiny queen, a carpet picnic, “You can’t join my picnic”—the toddler boundary that stopped everyone in their tracks
🍵 Their simple (and surprisingly effective) ritual for handling big emotions
🎒 What happens when your 9-year-old starts asking why—and you're actually ready to answer
🧠 The magical mayhem of two kids, one castle, and an entire kingdom made from couch cushions and the question that changes everything
🛠️ The parenting superpower that makes gender roles completely irrelevant —how they parent without pink-and-blue job descriptions
😴 A midday mystery, two sleepy kids, and a bear in a nightcap

Whether you're deep in the parenting trenches, figuring out how to balance love and logistics, or just need a reminder that partnership can be powerful (and playful), this convo with Mike and Jocelyn will leave you feeling seen, supported, and maybe even inspired to rethink the way you “divide” the work.

🎧 Tap play to hear what it really sounds like when parenting is shared, stage-managed, and full of radical joy.

💬 Loved it? Leave us a 5-star review and share this episode with someone who needs to know they’re not doing it wrong—they’re just doing it differently.

Get your Milk Stork Magic

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios

Ever feel like you're doing all the things — and still not getting better?

What if the missing piece isn’t more effort... but making space to slow down?In this episode, we talk about the lost art of tarrying — and why pressing pause might be exactly what your growth needs.

🌀 Tarry, don’t hustle — reclaiming an old church word as your new go-to for mental health
🔊 Why the gym told me to chill — and why I’m actually grateful
🍰 Cheese cake diplomacy — how talking kunefe at Tal Cafe helped me connect in Dutch
🧠 Diminishing returns are real — and your brain needs time to file things away
🔥 Envy and spite... as motivation? — hear me out
🎭 Comparison is forever — but here’s how I’m making peace with it
🎮 Gamify it or forget it — why play makes everything stick better
🥴 Duolingo is driving me wild — but I keep showing up anyway
💪 Growth happens during rest — in the gym and in life
📌 You’re not behind — you’re just marinating in your own magic

Slowing down isn’t lazy—it’s smart. Hit play and give yourself permission to tarry a little.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/radical-joy-with-james-bullard--5644728/support.

🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  ❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕
Take care of yourself, take care of each other, and breathe!  
❤️🍊🟨💚💙💜🟤🖤❕❕  🌹🧡🟡🌳🔷🟪🤎🖤❔  
Got something on your mind? James never runs out of things to say, so tell us what you want to discuss!   

Remember there is no shame in joy or for asking for what you need.  

Leave a review, send us a screenshot, and we’ll mail you a sticker! See you next FRIDAY for another dose of Radical Joy.  

James is not a therapist, but you’re not alone. If you're in crisis, call 988 for professional help.  

For non-emergencies, Psychology Today can connect you with support and therapists who fit your needs.  

This podcast and CLW Studios content are not therapy or a substitute for it. Guest opinions are their own.  

We're here for insight and encouragement but always seek professional support when needed.  

This episode was Produced and edited by Kerri J of CLW Studios