This is a VERY special episode…why? Because we just hit one year of the show! Episode 52, hallelujah! And I thought what better topic to dive into than the theme that has stretched me the most: Vulnerability - the real kind.

I share why I didn’t launch right away holding episodes and marketing for months, how safety and vulnerability actually work together, and the hard truth I had to face about hyper-independence and emotional availability.

And this episode isn’t without me taking off the mask and dropping the armor for a behind-the-scenes look at how I’m personally challenging myself to explore deeper vulnerability in my own life. Because we’re all just works in progress figuring it out together.

Stay tuned to the end for a special offer!

Highlights:

(04:35) – The real reason I froze on launching the podcast for eight months

(5:55) – The symbiotic relationship between vulnerability and safety

(9:11) – Revisiting a five-year relationship twelve years later and the shocking truth it revealed

(12:25) – Hyper-independence as a trauma response and how it quietly kills connection

(17:45) – What my new relationship taught me in real time about true vulnerability

(22:00) – Showing up before you’ve perfectly figured it out & closing the gap

(27:05) – A behind the scenes note from my producer; plus an invitation to explore vulnerability even deeper

Resources:

Join SJ’s Winter Writing Retreat: WRITE THE DAMN BOOK! 1/29-1/31 in Denver, CO (Discounted Room Rate ends 1/14/26)

• Follow SJ on Instagram
• Download the Free Identity Workbook
• Grab my SLAY YOUR STORY⚔🔥 Storytelling Masterclass here.
• Buy The Less Effect on Amazon
• Follow Landon Hail Press on Instagram
• Download the Free Writing Guide for Aspiring Authors
• Book A Free Consultation with Landon Hail Press

This Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio