In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente welcome Erin "Big" Diehl — Business Improv Edutainer, Failfluencer, Professional Zoombie, and founder of improve it!, an improv-infused talent development company.

Erin is the host of The Workday Playdate Podcast, a top 1% global podcast on experiential leadership, and the author of the Amazon bestseller I See You: A Leader's Guide to Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy. Her proudest achievement? Coercing over 56,000 professionals to do the chicken dance.

But today we go behind the accolades. Erin opens up about her dark night of the soul — IVF struggles, a pandemic, a cross-country move, and the physical pain that came from years of stuffing it all down — and how messages from spirit guided her through it and ultimately channeled her book into existence.

Settle in, trust the stumble, and leave with permission.

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente welcome Josh Phillips — athlete, bodybuilder, personal trainer, and manager at Pharos Athletic Club in Palm Springs and Idyllwild.

Josh built his life around physical strength and discipline. But that foundation was put to the ultimate test when he was caught in — and completely buried by — an avalanche. In seconds, someone whose entire identity was built on physical control had nowhere to go but inward.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Scarab: A live buzzing visitor, the symbolism of transformation, and what turning 40 actually feels like from the inside.
• The Surrender: How moving from panic to acceptance may have saved Josh's life.
• Response vs. Reaction: What physical conditioning teaches you about staying present when everything falls away.
• The Rewire: How surviving the mountain fundamentally shifted Josh's connection to his own intuition.

Settle in, trust the stillness, and leave with permission.

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente sit down with LA-based screenwriter and director Katie Wadsworth — writer on Velma, Animaniacs, Never Have I Ever, and AP Bio.

Katie is currently developing a scripted sports comedy with A Touch More and TOGETHXR, and directing her debut documentary, Whoever You Say I Am, due out summer 2027. It's a film about her year-long journey through twelve intuitive readings — and what she found along the way.

We also explore her personal connection to intuition, her experiences working with both a bruja and an evidential medium, and the fascinating practice of asking a photograph a direct question to get answers. In this episode, we cover: Balancing comedy writing with documentary filmmaking. Navigating insights from diverse spiritual mediums. How to ask a picture a question and tune into the response.

Katie Wadsworth — @katiewads
Evidential Medium Amy Kristine — @amykristinepsychicmedium
Anatomy of the Spirit by Caroline Myss — @carolinemyss

Listen in to find out why I can't hire Bente as my swim instructor—though she is definitely on the short list to be my Couch Coach!

We have a lovely conversation with our guest, Mark Vigeant. Mark is a comedian, writer, and one of the most inventive live performers working today. He brilliantly blends clowning, improv, and startling tech wizardry to create shows that are wildly unpredictable yet deeply personal. You know his comedy specials The Best Man Show on Dropout and Welcome to Bonnerstan on YouTube, and he is currently touring his latest masterpiece, OUT THERE, all around the world—including the Edinburgh Fringe. Mark shares his connection with David Bowie and talks about incorporating tools from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way.

Follow Mark Vigeant on IG @mark_vigeant

YouTube @MarkVigeant

And look out for his new show "WELCOME TO HELL" beginning in October 2027 at DSP STUDIOS dspstudio.la

What happens when a college linebacker ditches the gridiron for a cappella and comedy? You get Andrew Knox.

In this episode, we sit down with actor, writer, and improviser Andrew Knox to explore his journey from moody kid in Vermont, to college athlete, to comedy powerhouse. 

We talk about his time in Chicago—writing and performing in four original revues across The Second City’s Mainstage and ETC Stage—and making the leap out West to Los Angeles.

We also ask Andrew to share the inspiration behind his brilliant solo show, “Emotional Alpha”, which just finished a run as part of the Netflix is a Joke festival in Los Angeles. 

Andrew Knox Instagram  ⁨@SoftKnox⁩  

Book: BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity; AUTHOR Ruth Whippman

Hello and welcome to Season 2 of Reading The Room with Michael Frontier and Bente Engelstoft!

We’ve missed you! We are so excited to kick off Season 2 by catching up and sharing everything that’s been happening behind the scenes. We're diving into our latest adventures, fresh perspectives, and everything we've learned along the way.

Thank you for being here with us for another season.

We spent the season Reading The Room, but the real work began when we finally had the courage to look in the mirror. In this Season One bonus episode, Bente and I are dropping the "expert" mask to get raw about the parts of this journey we didn’t see coming—like the subtle pressure to perform for the mic and the trap of sprinting toward forgiveness before the heart has even had a chance to catch its breath. I’ve learned that while it’s a gift to sense the energy of a room, the ultimate mastery is found in the unvarnished honesty we offer ourselves when no one else is watching. We’re diving into the simple, quiet ritual that has completely shifted how we show up for our own lives: the power of the whisper. It’s about lowering the shield, quieting the noise, and building a true internal alliance one breath at a time. We’re taking a little time off so we"ll leave you this question: When was the last time you were truly honest with the person in the reflection—not the teacher, not the coach, but the soul beneath it all?  

The IG post I'm referring to on the podcast is ‪@ShayYourLoveDiva‬ . The post is from March 14, 2026. Thank you for a beautiful first season! We'll see you soon.

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente sit down with singer, songwriter, and musician Elise Burchard.

In her early twenties, Elise was struck in the throat by a hockey puck during a charity tournament — an accident that damaged her vocal cords and silenced her overnight. What followed was a years-long journey to reclaim not just her voice, but her truth. She's now turning that story into What the Puck, a one-woman musical.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Impact: What it feels like to lose your voice in an instant — and what it forces you to face.
• The Fifth Grade Silence: Why so many of us stopped raising our hands long before any puck ever hit us.
• The Recovery: From blowing bubbles into a water cup to performing at Chicago's House of Blues and New York's Sid Gold's Request Room.
• The Show: How Elise is writing her way back onto the stage — and inviting the audience to sing with her.

Settle in, find your frequency, and leave with permission.

In this episode of Reading the Room, Michael and Bente sit down with LA-based actress, writer, and clown Nalini Sharma — co-creator of the dark comedy Garbage and the international hit Until Death.

Nalini has toured her solo work from LA to the Edinburgh Fringe, but it's her work with clowning that truly hits home — choosing the flawless absurdity of being human over the constant audition for perfection.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Leap: From a sensible scientific path to the unpredictable life of an artist.
• The Clown: Why clowning is about humanity and vulnerability, not just making people laugh.
• The Reveal: How Michael's intuitive vision of Nalini hovering above her own performance unlocked something she already knew.
• The Signal: How to stay grounded and find presence in the messy middle of a creative career.

Settle in, trust the absurd, and leave with permission.

You asked, and we’re answering! In this episode of Reading The Room, co-host Bente Engelstoft is taking over the moderator seat. She’s curated the best, weirdest, and most relatable questions from our listeners and is putting Michael Frontier in the hot seat.

Think of this as a "group reading" for our entire community. Bente brings the questions, and Michael brings the intuitive hits. Whether you’re curious about a career pivot, a creative block, or just how to "unlearn" that one annoying habit, there’s a bit of magic in here for everyone.

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

• The Listener Lightning Round: Bente fires off your top questions on life, love, and "the work."
• Trusting the Gut: Michael breaks down how to tell the difference between a real intuitive hit and just plain old nerves.
• The Art of Allowing: Why sometimes the best way to get an answer is to stop looking for it so hard.
• Synchronicity in Action: How one person’s question might be exactly what you needed to hear today.