Spark Something New

What if the stress you're feeling isn't about your job, relationship, or "to do" list... but about your roles?

Dr. Katie chats with her Aussie mate and ikigai sensei, Nick Kemp (entrepreneur, author, and ikigai expert) about the impact of roles in our lives. They chat about the concept of "rolefulness", a powerful idea rooted in Japanese wisdom that explores how the roles we occupy in life shape our sense of purpose, life satisfaction, and overall state of wellbeing.

In this episode, you’ll find:

🔍 The five types of role distress and how to recognize them

🔍 What happens when your values and roles don’t align

🔍 How to redefine or release roles that no longer serve you

🔍 How "Jibunrashii" can guide you back to your authentic self

🔍 The path from burnout to role synergy, and why it matters more than ever

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the demands of any role (leader, employee, parent, coach, spouse, sibling, etc.), this conversation is for you. It’s deep, honest, practical, and full of those “oh, that’s me” moments.

Grab a notebook (and maybe a cup of tea) and explore what it means to live with rolefulness.

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Connect with Nick on LinkedIn
• Nick’s Website https://ikigaitribe.com/
• Nick’s first episode on the show! https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398088/episodes/15834283-episode-2-exploring-ikigai-with-nick-kemp-find-meaning-and-joy-in-life

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

What if "happy birthday" could mean something more meaningful and impactful? Not the usual cake and presents, but something truly resonant and joyous.

In this deeply relatable episode, Dr. Katie chats with Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming (entrepreneur, artist, and author of "How to Have a Happy Birthday") for a thoughtful conversation about what it means to celebrate the day you were born. 

After years of navigating birthdays that ranged from joyful to disappointing, Tamar began treating her birthday as a personal ritual, a day to intentionally reflect on her past year and celebrate the goodness in herself, her life, and the people she loves. The result? A practice that has brought more fulfillment, presence, and meaning into her life. It's something you can embrace too.

In this episode, you’ll find:

🎉 What it means to celebrate beyond the commercialized birthday practices

🎉 How external expectations and past experiences shape birthday narratives

🎉 Ways to reclaim your personal agency around celebration and self-worth

🎉 The value of pausing, reflecting, and designing moments that feel authentic

🎉 Why honoring your life isn’t selfish, it’s essential

Whether you LOVE to celebrate or avoid it at all costs, this episode is a gentle reminder that you get to create something truly meaningful, year after year!

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Connect with Tamar on LinkedIn 
• Connect with Tamar on Instagram
• Visit Tamar’s Website
• Buy her book on Amazon

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

In this episode, Dr. Katie welcomes transformational guide, author, and executive coach Dr. Ron Stotts, who brings over 45 years of wisdom to the conversation on conscious leadership.

Ron invites us to think about what it really means to evolve beyond hustle, constantly striving, and left-brain thinking into a more integrated, intuitive, and purposeful way of leading and living. Ron draws from decades of experience working with leaders, creatives, and changemakers to introduce a different kind of leadership, one rooted not in control or constant problem-solving, but in presence, self-awareness, and what he calls “Big Mind”. 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

•  The difference between smart leadership and conscious leadership
•  Why the inner journey is essential for sustainable, expansive leadership
•  What changes when you lead from wholeness rather than fear
•  How conscious leaders empower teams and reshape culture
•  The real meaning of productivity (and why we might need to redefine it)

Ron’s story reminds us that leadership isn’t just about results, it’s about evolution. If you’re navigating change, feeling stretched thin, or ready for a more human approach to leading yourself and others, hit play now because this conversation is for you.

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Connect with Ron on LinkedIn
• Explore Ron's Website: https://ronstotts.com/
• Explore Ron’s Books: https://ronstotts.com/leadership-books/

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

In this episode, Dr. Katie sits down with the extraordinary Molly Barker, founder of Girls on the Run International, community builder, author, and lifelong seeker, for a deeply honest and illuminating conversation about what it means to move on from something significant and evolve.

Together, they explore how we know when it’s time to let go of a role, a title, an identity, and how we find our way back to ourselves in the process. With wisdom, warmth, and the clarity that only comes from lived experience, Molly shares her journey of leaving something deeply meaningful (and identity-shaping) to create space for what’s next.

Here you can find out about:

 ✨ The discomfort that signals it’s time to change
 ✨ Identity evolution, what it feels like, and how to move through it
 ✨ The tension between hustle culture and embodied living
 ✨ Coming back to yourself as an ongoing life practice
 ✨ The healing power of women's community and storytelling

Whether you're at a crossroads, feeling a quiet nudge for change, or simply craving a deeper connection with your purpose, this conversation will spark reflection, compassion, and maybe even clarity. So tune in to hear what it means to live a big, unapologetic life on your own terms.

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Connect with Molly on LinkedIn 
• Explore Molly's Website: MollyBarkerSpeaks.com

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Katie sits down with Anthony Abbagnano, founder of Alchemy of Breath and author of Outer Chaos, Inner Calm, for a soul-shifting conversation about reclaiming peace, power, and presence in a world that often feels like it’s spinning out of control.

From navigating trauma to cultivating emotional resilience, Anthony shares how breathwork is not just a wellness trend—it’s a path back home to yourself. Together, they explore why so many of us unconsciously hold our breath in moments of stress, how Western culture teaches us to seek answers outside ourselves, and what it truly means to live authentically.

Whether you're in the middle of your own storm or simply craving more space, stillness, and clarity in your life, this conversation will feel like a deep exhale.

This soulful conversation is packed with wisdom, warmth, and breath-deepening insight. Tune in and exhale. 

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn
• Buy Anthony's book "Outer Chaos, Inner Calm"
• Learn more about Alchemy of Breath

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

In this powerful and soul-stirring episode, Dr. Katie welcomes the brilliant and grounded Dr. Cara Alexander—a psychotherapist, executive leader, and CEO—with 25 years of experience helping people navigate complexity, leadership, and self-discovery.

Together, they dive into what it really means to be an authentic and connected leader, especially when the world around you seems to pull you out of alignment. Dr. Cara introduces us to her signature Pivot Process—a deceptively simple (but deeply transformative) three-step tool for navigating moments when your environment or decisions feel in conflict with your values.

We explore:

• What authenticity really means (and how to find it beyond the buzzword)
• The difference between receiving, perceiving, and responding—and where most leaders get stuck
• Why disconnection from our core identity can lead to burnout or even moral drift
• The concept of “values creep” and how to avoid losing sight of what truly matters
• How standing in your truth as a leader not only protects your wellbeing, but transforms your team culture

This episode is packed with deep insight, hard-won wisdom, and lots of sparkle. Whether you lead a team, a community, or just your own wild life, this one’s for you.

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Connect with Cara on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to Cara's YouTube channel for more insights
• Learn more about Connected Leadership

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

In this soulful episode, we flip the script on rest. As many head into the July 4th holiday — a time often packed with plans, productivity, and pressure — Dr. Katie challenges the hustle-hard mindset with one radical question:

But not the kind of rest that collapses on the couch after a whirlwind day. This episode explores rest as spaciousness — mental, sensory, creative, spiritual — and unpacks why true rest is not stillness, but space from the noise, the proving, and the productivity myths that dominate our culture.

You’ll hear:

• Eye-opening stats on how little Americans truly rest
• Why we feel guilty for the rest our souls desperately need
• A breakdown of 4 transformative types of rest
• A fresh reframe: the opposite of productivity isn’t laziness — it’s presence
• Reflection questions to help you return to joy, imagination, and ease

This isn’t just a break — it’s a reset. An invitation. A soul spark.

So before you overbook your holiday… take 20 minutes to breathe. Your soul will thank you.

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

What if your biggest breakthrough didn’t come from sitting in a therapist’s chair—but from acting it out on a stage? In this eye-opening and refreshingly fun episode, Katie chats with Anna Bobikova to explore the transformative power of psychodrama—a therapeutic approach where roleplay becomes a tool for healing, insight, and connection.

Anna demystifies the concept of psychodrama (spoiler alert: it’s not as scary as it sounds) and walks us through how stepping into a role—even your future self—can help you shift patterns, resolve conflict, and deepen empathy.

Along the way, you’ll hear:

• Why roleplaying is more powerful (and more healing) than we give it credit for
• How watching yourself from the outside can lead to massive "aha" moments
• What your imagination has to do with emotional growth
• And yes… how a very real argument about making the bed turned into a breakthrough

You’ll also learn a simple, practical technique you can try at home to tap into your inner wisdom—even if the idea of roleplay makes your armpits sweat.

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Download the instruction worksheet for the psychodrama exercise Anna did with Katie during the episode
• Connect with Anna on LinkedIn
• Explore Anna's website: Action Explorations Education
• View more on Anna's YouTube channel

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

On this episode, we’re diving into one of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself: What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

 But we’re not talking about the kind of fear that protects you from danger—we’re talking about the kind that often disguises itself as “logic,” “safety,” or “being realistic,” and keeps you from taking the leap your soul is actually craving.

We explore the two types of fear—Pachad (the fear of imagined catastrophe) and Yirah (the awe-fear that arises in the presence of something vast and meaningful). These two feel the same in your body but come from very different sources. One keeps you small. The other invites you into expansion.

You'll hear how fear isn't always a red light—it’s a compass. 

We reflect on why most people don’t regret what they tried, they regret what they never dared to do. And you’ll get five powerful journaling prompts to help you discern your own leap and take one small, courageous step forward.

This episode is an invitation to stop waiting for fear to disappear—and to leap anyway.

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.

What if the thing you’re clinging to is the very thing holding you back?

In this episode, Katie invites you into an uncomfortable conversation—one that could radically shift how you think about growth, purpose, and your next evolution. Inspired by Dr. Henry Cloud’s Necessary Endings, together we explore the idea that sometimes, in order to thrive, we have to let go.

Whether it’s a role, a relationship, a routine, or a version of yourself that no longer fits, pruning your life is a soulful, reflective process. It’s not easy—but it is essential.

Katie shares her own journey with pruning, as she leans into her word of the year, SIMPLIFY, and how it’s led her to some hard but transformational endings. Because here’s the truth: living a life of wild abundance often starts with ending things that are no longer serving you.

In this episode:

• Why we’re great at starting things—and terrible at ending them
• The 3 types of pruning: healthy buds, sick branches, dead wood
• Why guilt, fear, and identity keep us stuck
• The difference between hurting and harming
• 3 journal prompts to guide your next necessary ending

💡 This isn’t about quitting—it’s about becoming.

EPISODE RESOURCES

• Book Recommendation: "Necessary Endings" by Dr. Henry Cloud

Connect with Katie on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get free resources to help you on your purpose journey at www.katiesandoe.com.