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What if January isn’t the starting line it’s made out to be? We open the door to a kinder New Year by tracing how we got here, from the Julian calendar to Pope Gregory’s fix and the symbolism of Janus, the two-faced guardian of beginnings and endings. That history reframes winter as a season for clarity and hibernation, so if your energy feels low right now, you’re not broken—you’re seasonal.

From there, we shift to the psychology of fresh starts. Temporal landmarks help us reset, but we don’t need to invent a “new you.” We talk about self-regulation as a practical skill—creating space between stimulus and response—and how easing off self-judgment restores choice. You’ll hear the red flags that signal you’re not ready to set goals yet—urgency spikes, over-planning, avoidance, chasing motivation—and how to turn that into information instead of shame.

We also get real about compassion versus comparison. January’s feeds get loud with productivity theater, but invisible wins like healing, boundaries, and recovery count just as much. We invite you to return to your lane and meet the year with honesty, not hustle. Then we pull back the curtain on the Fuzzy Furry Forest: a heartfelt team transition, a rising-star illustrator named Rica joining the series, and new plushie partners bringing characters to life. The next book anchors the world we’re building, and we couldn’t be more excited to share where it’s headed.

To close, we offer three prompts for gentle clarity: what did last year ask of you and how did you respond; what are you proud of that no one saw; what does enough feel like right now. If this conversation gave you a saner way to begin, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a softer start, and leave a review with your one gentle goal for January.

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The best leadership lesson we learned this year wasn’t about getting it right—it was about knowing when to pause, own the mess, and rebuild with care. On the next episode of Take the Elevator, Gen and Kory sit down with Tamara and Danya—early childhood educators, professors, and the duo behind Talk Early To Me and TD Growth Unboxed—to close the year with an honest conversation about rest, resilience, and continuing when the plan falls apart.

From 2 a.m. creativity vs. shower breakthroughs to imposter syndrome in classrooms, meetings, and living rooms, the laughs quickly give way to real talk. You’ll hear how stopping mid-course can become a master lesson, why “keep going” sometimes means baby steps back to joy, and how confidence can be something you quietly wear into any room.

They also share what they unboxed this year—launching a podcast, formalizing the business, aligning a shared vision—and name what’s next: a first book, deeper belonging, and finishing their PhDs. Saying it out loud matters.

You’ll walk away with practical tools for families before preschool—turning everyday moments into learning labs that build confidence, self-regulation, and executive function—plus an open invite for educators and teams ready to elevate with humor, presence, and purpose.

If this conversation sparks something, subscribe, share, and leave a review with your next baby step.

Look up—and let’s elevate.

To contact Tamara and Danya: 

IG: @tamara_danya_ece

https://talkearlytome.buzzsprout.com/

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What if your media diet shaped your mood, ethics, and generosity more than you think? We close the year by reexamining entertainment—what we watch, why we watch it, and how it quietly rewires our days. With a 16-day sabbatical as a backdrop, we unpack the pull of short-form video, the lure of shock-based virality, and the hidden costs of counterfeit products that undercut creators and confuse buyers.

Together, we explore media literacy in 2025: noticing how algorithms nudge, spotting AI-generated tricks, and pruning feeds. Hence, they reflect the life we want—not the outrage someone else profits from.

Then a real-world twist beats any reel. In a packed Costco line, a stranger waved us ahead and paid for our entire order. She showed us kindness.. That simple act shifted our perspective more than hours of scrolling—proof that the most meaningful “content” is often experienced offline, where gratitude expands and paying it forward becomes the obvious next step.

If you’re ready to curate a kinder, smarter feed—and trade empty noise for stories that teach, delight, and elevate—this conversation will help you set a fresh tone for the new year. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who needs a reset, and tell us: what will you cut from your feed and what will you add to elevate your days?

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The mics are back on and so are our hearts. After a brief pause, we’re catching you up on a season that blended creative momentum with honest conversations about grief, memory, and what it means to keep elevating when the holidays press on tender places. 

We sat with the complexity of the season. Gen reflects on training with grief educator David Kessler and how it reframed loss from something to close to something to integrate. We talk about the difference between moving on and moving forward, and how remembering becomes a daily practice that carries our people with us.

We offer practical language for supporting someone who’s grieving—less fixing, more listening—and a reminder to give and receive freely. Come for the creative behind-the-scenes, stay for the honest, hopeful tools to navigate holidays, legacy, and everyday courage with a little more light.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more people find our community. Look up, and let's elevate!

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What if the “difficult” child isn’t difficult at all—but unseen, unheard, or simply in need of glasses? We sit down with Tamara and Dania of TD Training and Growth Unboxed to unpack how playful teaching, trauma-aware practice, and better language can transform early learning into a place where every child belongs. They don’t just work with kids; they teach the teachers and lift up the parents, creating a circle of support that starts with relationship and grows into real results.

Tamara and Dania lay out a practical triage mindset for classrooms—offer connection first, then assess needs, and bring in targeted services without shame. 

If you’re a parent, you’ll feel seen—and equipped. If you’re a teacher, you’ll get usable strategies to include, not exclude, even on hard days. And if you’re a leader, you’ll learn how thoughtful words, playful PD, and strong family partnerships change outcomes. 

Listen to feel hopeful about early childhood education again, and to pick up simple steps that make a big difference at home and at school. If this conversation resonates, you can subscribe, share it with a fellow educator or parent, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

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Author, speaker, and founder Karla Chinen, a Latina powerhouse, invites us into a life shaped by resilience: parenting two autistic kids, discovering her own late diagnosis, and building Empathy for Autism California so families aren’t reduced to numbers or left out by language and culture.

We talk about the moments that matter: a mother demanding a same-day diagnostic letter so early intervention could start within weeks; how autistic girls often mask and get overlooked; and why empathy isn’t a personality trait, it’s a teachable skill. Karla breaks down practical systems—sensory-informed outings, meltdown playbooks, and one-on-one time for siblings—that protect joy and strengthen marriages under stress. She’s frank about leaving a slow, political 9–5 to create a mission-led nonprofit with bilingual resources, sensory-friendly events, and trainings that rehumanize organizational practice.

You’ll hear a blueprint for action: push for timely evaluations, ask for services you’re eligible for, and partner with professionals who learn your child’s name before their case number. We also spotlight Karla’s podcast, Voices Beyond the Spectrum, where families and experts share travel tips, education advocacy, and underused supports many don’t know to request. 

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with someone.

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Feeling stretched thin by the news cycle? We took a breath together and mapped the moments that still shine. 

If you’re craving a reset, you’ll find practical ideas here: micro‑gratitudes you can name today, ways to support water access advocacy, and simple rituals that bring joy back into the calendar. Listen, then tell us the one small thing you’re grateful for right now. Subscribe, share with someone who needs a lift, and leave a review to help more people find the show.

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Creative stamina isn’t built by pushing harder; it’s built by choosing the right kind of pause. A

If you’re craving momentum without burnout, this is your map: rest, gratitude, uplift, brave rooms, and steady community. Hit follow, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

 What’s one small change you’ll make to refuel this week?

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What if the spark you want isn’t missing—it’s just waiting for a better container? We  zoom into the heart of our series on relationships: how creativity sustains love and trust across seasons. For parents, it’s not about elaborate plans; it’s about small acts that make a child feel uniquely seen—voices in bedtime stories, joint kitchen experiments, and rituals that turn chores into connection. For friendships, we share the power of custom traditions like a traveling birthday bag or quick voice memos that cut through distance. And for marriage, we open up about co writing children’s books, blending styles, and designing dates that resist autopilot—because novelty with meaning changes everything.

We also offer practical prompts to turn chaos into clarity and show why willingness beats talent. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed by your own script, or unsure how to keep the spark alive, this conversation will give you tools you can use tonight: reframe friction as data, partner with real needs, and create rituals that scale love. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a gentle pivot, and leave a review with your A, B, and C for thriving relationships—we’ll read our favorites on the show.

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Boldness gets mislabeled as being loud, forceful, or always “on.” We take it somewhere more genuine—courage guided by compassion, presence over performance, and the steady choices that bring peace into love, friendship, and family. From Kory’s childhood story about standing up for a new friend to GentheBuilder’s journey of unlearning cultural performance, we map the moments when boldness means speaking up, stepping back, or simply holding stillness together.

If this conversation helps you breathe a little easier, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so more people can find these tools for loving boldly.

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