We have all heard the term "Life Coach" but what does it actually mean? What does a LIfe Coach do?

Trisha Gudka was at a dangerous point in her life. The joy was gone. As a mom of two young children the expectations and realities did not line up. This led to unhappiness and depression. She was at a critical moment.

Fortunately, Trisha was able to find resources, tools, and practices that brought her out of deperession and into happiness, joy, and love. Now, she spends her life helping other mums who want it do the same.

This interview is so relatable. We all know the moment of responding to our children in a way that is disconnected, not present, and even unkind. We wish we had done better.

This is where Trisha's work comes in. She helps busy mums who are looking for it find tools and resources to help them get connected to their life again. To help them do what might feel impossible... find joy in the every day.

I know it sounds grandiose or like a pipe dream. But a lot of people experience a major shift when they use the right tools and practices.

Trisha spends her days not only finding tools and resources but learning how to put them into practice. She runs group coaching programs so that mums can learn together and from each other. Trisha's work provides hope-- often times to those who need it the most; mums.

Listen in as Trisha shares her vulnerable story, what led her to this work, and how she does it.

Find Trisha by clicking here.

Yes, Cheryl Holling talks about what it was like to create a podcast out of thin air and bring it to a multiple award winning pocast. Yes, Cheryl talks about her exiting work as a voice talent.

This conversation veers deeper. In her incredible, love-filled voice, Cheryl offers us practical inspiration on how to offer kindness to those who are having a hard time. Her experience with her two pocasts; 19 Stories and The Voice Kitchen meld together beautifully to remind us why belonging matters, how kindness and love can positively shape a life, and the importance of staying flexible.

Listen in not only to Cheryl's unique experience but to her beautiful thoughts and words that can make each of our lives better!

Find Cheryl and her work by clicking here.

Not a sports fan? No worries—this episode is still absolutely for you.

Sasha Graham, former Walt Disney executive and Oregon farm kid turned award-winning podcaster, joins me to talk about what it really means to live a life that feels good, positive, and meaningful. Her podcast, Sports Will Save Us All, has earned multiple awards and now sits in the top 2% of podcasts globally.

I wasn't just curious about how she built all this as a fellow podcast host—I was curious as someone who's ambitious, but who sometimes lets self-doubt get in the way. So when our conversation quickly turned toward self-limiting beliefs, it felt perfectly on cue.

Yes, we talk about sports. But we also talk about the warm, vulnerable space Sports Will Save Us All creates in the world, and the unexpected real-time coaching Sasha gives on how to bring an idea not only to life, but beyond anywhere we imagined it could go.

Listen in as Sasha and I explore how sports—and storytelling—just might save us all.

Find Sasha here: Sports Will Save Us All Website

Sports Will Save Us All on Instagram

In this episode, I step back from interviewing and instead reflect on what I learned while hosting my three-part series on the Salem witch trials. These conversations left a mark on me—deeply, unexpectedly—and today I'm sharing the insights that stayed long after the microphones were turned off.

Rebecca Nurse hauntingly accepted her fate at the gallows with little objection. She was 71 years old — frail, devout, and undeserving of the cruelty that met her. Her story is one of the saddest and most human of all the Salem Witch Trials.

In this episode, we focus on one life lost amid the hysteria — and in doing so, the conversation goes somewhere I never expected. Yes, we talk about who Rebecca was, the circumstances surrounding her conviction, and how Kathryn Rutkowski, President of the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, works to preserve and share her story. But about twenty minutes in, the discussion takes a deeply moving turn.

By speaking about a woman she knows so well — someone who lived more than 300 years ago — Kathryn helps us touch something timeless. Through Rebecca's story, we explore not only what it means to be human, but what it would look like if we truly showed up for each other with compassion in real time, rather than centuries later.

This moment wasn't planned. It unfolded naturally, and I feel deeply honored to have been part of it.

If you want to understand more about the Salem Witch Trials, I encourage you to listen to the full episode — it offers rich context, even if you're not already drawn to the subject. But if you want to hear one of the most powerful and heartfelt conversations I've ever had, start around the 18-minute mark.

Rebecca Nurse hauntingly accepted her fate at the gallows with little objection. She was 71 years old — frail, devout, and undeserving of the cruelty that met her. Her story is one of the saddest and most human of all the Salem Witch Trials.

In this episode, we focus on one life lost amid the hysteria — and in doing so, the conversation goes somewhere I never expected. Yes, we talk about who Rebecca was, the circumstances surrounding her conviction, and how Kathryn Rutkowski, President of the Rebecca Nurse Homestead, works to preserve and share her story. But about twenty minutes in, the discussion takes a deeply moving turn.

By speaking about a woman she knows so well — someone who lived more than 300 years ago — Kathryn helps us touch something timeless. Through Rebecca’s story, we explore not only what it means to be human, but what it would look like if we truly showed up for each other with compassion in real time, rather than centuries later.

This moment wasn’t planned. It unfolded naturally, and I feel deeply honored to have been part of it.

If you want to understand more about the Salem Witch Trials, I encourage you to listen to the full episode — it offers rich context, even if you’re not already drawn to the subject. But if you want to hear one of the most powerful and heartfelt conversations I’ve ever had, start around the 18-minute mark.

Deep down, I think we all know that history matters. Yet for many of us, the way we learned it in school made it feel distant and inaccessible. It was out of context — abstract, detached from real people and real lives.

But when we recall a story from the past centered on an individual, something shifts. Suddenly, we're interested. The details stop feeling like a "history lesson" and become a human story — something that happened to someone. We lean in, curious, engaged, wanting to know more.

Paula Richter, curator of the Salem Witch Trials 1692 exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum, brings that human element to life. She not only personalizes the experiences of both the accusers and the accused, but also models a powerful way of thinking: that learning new perspectives matters. Evaluating information through a fresh lens can broaden our understanding and reshape our views. Recognizing that every story is influenced by countless factors — circumstances, relationships, and individual choices — helps us feel more connected to one another and to reality itself.

By exploring the Salem Witch Trials more deeply, I've come to realize that we're learning about far more than the late 1600s in what would become the United States. Gaining a clearer sense of what life was like then, how events unfolded, and how people responded in the aftermath reminds me that nothing is ever purely black and white. Living in the gray gives me more space for compassion, curiosity, and acceptance.

Make no mistake: this episode focuses on the facts of the Salem Witch Trials as they're currently understood. There was no intention to make it about anything else. Yet what I took away from this conversation — and from this entire series — has truly shaped me into a better version of myself.

Listen in as Paula helps us uncover more about the individuals at the heart of the Salem Witch Trials — the accused, the accusers, the murdered, their neighbors, ministers, and government officials. They were all real people, and we talk about all of them. We also explore how we know so much about this period, and how our understanding of history continues to evolve as historians discover more and technology advances.

Listen in now!

There is so much about the Salem With Trials that I had wrong. The more I dug in, the more I saw that all who were involved were real actual humans. They had famlies and jobs and homes and neighbors. Yet, so often when I thought of the Salem Witch Trials it was with an almost dark entertainment fascination- as though the people involved were not human at all. Rather, they were some kind of mutant variation stupid enough to let this happen around them.

The more I learned, the more that time period became alive to me. I started to know the people by name. Know some of their background. Understand some of the relationships and circumstances. I learned the broader picture that included the European witch panic.

Before I knew it, there was a reverence and deep sadness that came over me every time I thougth of the Salem Witch Trials. As I got to better know the people who were invovled I started to feel upset when people made jokes about them or when misunderstandings were perpetuated.

This is what made me want to do this series. I wanted experts to not only help me learn more, but help anyone else who wanted to learn, too.

Because now I know that history really does repeat itself and that if we removed "Salem Witch Trials" from this episode, listeners might wonder which event --historical or current-- we were actually talking about.

This episode is about a set of circumstances several hundred years ago whose characteristics are so universal they can be applied to many, many situations between then and now. It is about real women, history, its role in our lives, and how it even changes with time!

Rachel Christ-Doane is incredible. She is articulate, insightful, patient, knowlegeable, and oh so passionate about sharing her knowledge about the Salem Witch Trials. Her role as the Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum gives her a breadth of experience that is valuable to all of us.

Listen in. Share the episode. Tell your friends. This is another awesome woman doing Real Women's Work!

If you've ever been to the Portsmouth Halloween Parade, you know — it's one of the most connected nights in Portsmouth. People are a little kinder to each other, more curious, quicker to laugh and accommodate. It's so, so special. And this is just the beginning.

From Monster Troupe to Thriller dancers, Mrs. Ropers, and countless imaginative costumes in between, creativity shines everywhere — inspiring even those who didn't expect to feel it. The night takes on a magical energy, a collective spirit we all help create, drawing us together in the most beautiful way.

For years, I've wondered how this happens — how a volunteer-run, community-driven event flows so smoothly and joyfully. Why do even those of us who simply come to watch feel so deeply invested in its success?

Amanda Giles gives her time each year to help make this incredible night come to life. In this episode, she shares her thoughts on where this energy comes from — and what it really takes to make the parade happen year after year.

They say it's small groups of people who create real, meaningful change. To me, there's no better example of that than the Portsmouth Halloween Parade — a night filled with connection, creativity, love, joy, and community that truly changes the world, one October evening at a time.

Listen in — and if you haven't been, come join us this year!

Here is the website for the Portsmouth Halloween Parade!

What if dieting actually makes you gain weight? Not because you lack discipline or self control but because it's the basic mechanics of your body?  What if you could eat anything you wanted -literally anything- and enjoy it guilt free? What if you never, ever had to think about calories or carbs or had to check your watch to see if it was a time of day when you are "allowed" to eat? What if you could stop obsessing about food? Whether it's ogling the ice cream instead of eating it, berating yourself for bingeing on cookies, or promising yourself that tomorrow you will go the whole 16 hours without eating- what if you never, ever had to think about those things again? Not just pretending or masking it, but eating whatever you want whenever you want it? What if food were just a normal part of your life? Just like driving to get the kids, reading a book, or watching your favorite show? Do you believe that's possible? It is. Would you like to know how? First, we have to understand Diet Culture. You might think it sounds like a goofy philosophy that doesn't apply to you but I promise it does. How do I know? It permeates every part of our culture. It tells us we are only worthy if our bodies are a certain size and if we look a certain size. It keeps us focused on what we look like instead of moving forward. It causes us to miss out on important medical care. It makes us believe that if we eat certain things -or at certain times- our bodies will look a certain way and our health will improve. This is a lie. It's not a miscommuncation. it's not a misunderstanding. It is a lie. And the more of us who understand it, the less Diet Culture is able to keep us down. If you've ever tried Noom, Atkins, WW, Intermittent Fasting, or any other "program" the promises a particular body shape by restricting/regimenting food with the promise of any kind of weight loss, "shape shifting", or anything else body altering, this episode is for you. If you've ever refused to buy the size clothes that fit you because you are ashamed, this episode is for you. If you've ever skipped going to the doctor because you know they are going to prescribe weight loss, this episode is for you. If you have ever gone to the gym to burn off the dessert you had last night, this episode is for you. Give it a chance. I know it's hard to believe. But if you open yourself up to understanding, your whole life might change. And it's all thank to people like Debbie Lesko who puts on her cape of bravery every single day to spread this message and empower women in droves. Debbie has found recovery from over sixty years with an eating disorder. Now she devotes much of her life to educating others about Diet Culture so they can find joy, happiness and freedom.

You can find Debbies Facebook page, Diets Don't Work, by clicking here. 

You can access the book Debbie references, by clicking here.