It’s full-on summer… and there’s some FUNK in the air. Not the groovy, bass-heavy kind—but the kind that settles into your mood after something beautiful ends or when life’s demands hit hard. In this episode, we explore what “funk” really is, how to name it, sing it, own it, and move through it with humor, grace, and soulful tools.

Cat shares her own post-anniversary-trip funk story, complete with homemade blues lyrics, wisdom from Uncle Ned, and a fresh take on the Serenity Prayer. Whether you're coming down from a high or stuck in a low, this episode will give you permission to be real and tools to get back in your flow.

What You’ll Hear:

1. 💭 What “funk” really means (Cat’s personal definition)
2. 🎶 How singing the blues can help you process your feelings
3. 🧘🏽‍♀️ 4 tools to rise out of a funk:
4. SING it out
5. DANCE it out
6. STORYTELL it out
7. FALL STILL into silence
8. 🙏 A soulful reflection on the Serenity Prayer
9. 🌀 Why funks are a natural part of transformation—and how they might be your best teacher

Takeaways:

1. You are not alone in your funk.
2. Owning your funk is the first step to changing it.
3. Sometimes what you want to do (hike) is not what you need (rest).
4. Creative expression can transmute low energy into healing insight.
5. Stillness isn’t giving up—it’s tuning in.

Mentioned In This Episode:

1. Cat’s 13th wedding anniversary trip 💕
2. Blues shoutout to Uncle Ned 🎸
3. The power of the Serenity Prayer
4. Tips from Cat’s life coaching training

Loved this episode?

Share it with a friend who’s been in a funk lately—and remind them they’ve got what it takes to sing their way through it.

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There was a point in my journey when I realized the process I was following didn’t feel good anymore. It felt heavy and disconnected from the life I wanted. That’s when I came across Kimberly Severson’s message, and I knew her voice needed to be heard.

She is a mom, a coach, and the host of Weight Loss Doesn’t Have to Suck. After trying every diet under the sun and still feeling disconnected from her body, she found another path, one that centers around listening to your hunger, regulating your nervous system, feeling your emotions, and treating your body with care instead of punishment. Her approach is all about joyful eating, realistic tools, and finally making peace with food.

Topics We Cover

• Why diets feel like punishment and what actually works
• Emotional eating, especially for moms in burnout or overwhelm
• How nervous system regulation helps with food choices
• Joyful eating and what it really means
• Learning to start when you're hungry and stop when you're satisfied
• Letting go of perfection and choosing presence instead
• What it means to come home to your body, especially after motherhood

Key Takeaways

• You can lose weight without tracking calories or restricting food
• Emotional resilience is a key to long-term change
• Listening to your body builds trust, not shame
• Your body deserves kindness and attention, not judgment

Resources and Links

• Listen to Kimberly’s podcast: Weight Loss Doesn’t Have to Suck
• Join her 12-Day Challenge: https://www.kimberlyseversoncoaching.com/12-day-challenge-buy
• Get practical tools for body connection and food freedomkimberlyseversoncoaching.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberlyseversoncoaching/

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...

Sometimes the simplest shift in your daily rhythm can unlock the clarity and momentum you’ve been waiting for. In this energizing episode, I reconnect with book writing mentor Joshua Sprague, who joined us during the Speak Truth to Live Summit. Joshua has helped over 13,000 people start and finish their books, and his approach to creativity is as practical as it is powerful.

In this conversation, Joshua shares what it means to begin your day by creating instead of consuming, how he structures his business around deep focus, and why imposter syndrome is a sign that you're on the edge of something important. If you've ever dreamed of writing a book or building something meaningful with your voice, this episode offers a clear and motivating path forward.

Key Takeaways:

• Your voice already has value — share before you feel fully ready
• Focus is a skill that gets stronger with structure
• You don’t need to be perfect, you need to begin
• Writing a book is more doable than you think with the right support
• The creative process itself is part of your message
• Discipline creates freedom when rooted in intention

Resources and Links:

• Get Joshua’s free guide: Write It Right
• Explore more summit-inspired conversations at https://www.theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

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...

Some conversations open a door inside us that we didn’t even know was waiting. This episode is one of those sacred moments. I had the honor of speaking with Sandra Kobsar, a VIP guest from the Speak Truth to Live Summit, whose honest and emotional journey moved me deeply. Sandra is a licensed professional counselor and behavioral mental health specialist who supports children through resilience-building. But in this conversation, she allows herself to be seen. She shares her truth in real time and invites us into her process of reclaiming her voice and choosing her own authority.

Sandra is not broken. She is powerful, aware, and incredibly brave. You will hear her emotion. You will feel her truth. And you might see parts of your own story in hers. If you have ever felt stuck or silenced, I hope this conversation helps you remember that your voice is ready when you are.

Topics We Covered:

• Why your healing doesn’t need to be perfect to be powerful
• Reclaiming your voice and honoring your truth
• How childhood wounds shape our adult stories
• When a triggering moment becomes your awakening
• Giving yourself permission to create, speak, and lead
• Moving from therapy to soul work and coaching

Key Takeaways:

• You are your own authority — not your past, not others
• Even chaos can be the beginning of clarity
• Your truth doesn’t need a polished package — it needs your voice
• Sometimes, healing happens when we speak instead of stay silent
• Every step forward is a win, even if you’re still afraid
• Soul work starts with choosing to see yourself differently

Resources & Links:

• Explore the Speak Truth to Live Summit and join as a VIP:
  https://theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

Speak your truth.
To connect with Sandra, email her at: [email protected]

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A Tribute to Love, Marriage, and Growing Together

Thirteen years ago, I said “yes” to a life of adventure — not just in wild places, but in partnership. In this special anniversary minisode, I’m reflecting on what marriage has taught me: the beauty, the challenges, and the unexpected ways we grow into new versions of ourselves alongside the ones we love.

This is a love letter, a story of becoming not just a bride, but a wife, a mother, and a true partner in life. I share a few stories and memories that remind me why we chose each other and continue to choose each other every single day.

Inside this episode:

• A personal tribute to my husband on our 13th wedding anniversary
• What horses, marriage, and parenting have in common
• A reminder that we are always becoming — together
• Why love is more than a feeling, it’s a practice
• How we met (yes, literally in a prayer) and how that miracle still unfolds
• Reflections on blessing, presence, and showing up fully in relationship

If you’re curious about our love story, listen to the full episode on The Miracle of How We Met — it’s one of my favorite stories to tell.
 

And if you haven’t yet, check out Jackie Woodside’s powerful interview in the Speak Truth to Live Summit:
👉 www.theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

Wherever you are in your journey — newlywed, long-time partner, solo traveler — may you find ways to bless and be blessed. And if love feels hard, may you return to the truth of it. You’re not alone.

Thanks for listening and being part of this wild, beautiful ride.

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...

Sometimes the most profound teachers are the ones who never speak a word. Horses have a way of showing us what we most need to see in ourselves, if only we’re willing to listen.

In this episode, I welcome back the deeply gifted Kim McElroy, a visionary artist, author, and intuitive who has inspired me for years through her devotion to the soul of the horse. Kim has a unique ability to listen beyond words, to tune into the messages animals carry, and to translate their wisdom through her art and storytelling.

We revisit her connection with her beloved mare, Dharma, a post-traumatic ex-racehorse whose journey opened Kim's heart and path as an animal communicator. Kim shares the extraordinary moment she discovered Dharma’s reflection in her own eye, and how that image eventually became a key part of a bestselling oracle deck.

We explore powerful questions like whether horses choose their roles with us, and how we can better honor their spiritual presence. Kim also tells the story of receiving a vision of the Council of Horses, a sacred gathering that inspired her newest work and Oracle deck.

Whether you have horses in your life or simply feel called by their presence, this conversation will remind you of the magic that lives in deep connection and quiet listening.

In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

- The story behind the miracle of Dharma’s Reflection
- How Kim learned to listen to horses and herself through animal communication
- Reflections on healing, soul contracts, and the emotional lives of ex-racehorses
- The spiritual journey that led to the Council of Horses
- Insights into the evolving role of horses in therapy and human growth
- The art of creating sacred work with animals as your guides

Resources and Links:
Kim’s art and Oracle decks: www.spiritofhorse.com
Send one of Kim’s Spirit of Horse e-cards: www.spiritofhorsecards.com
Follow Kim on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpiritOfHorseGallery/

If you have ever felt moved by the gaze of a horse or longed for a deeper connection with the natural world, this episode is for you.

Tune in and let Kim’s story open yo

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...

What does it really mean to be the best parent you can be? For me, it’s not about perfection — it’s about presence, flexibility, and listening. In this minisode, I’m recording from our dream horse trailer after a beautiful weekend of horse camping, before heading off on a family vacation. Because showing up for my kids means giving them my full attention when it matters most — and carving out time beforehand to speak from the heart.

This episode is for the parents, the seekers, the ones who are walking (or riding) the path of doing things differently. I reflect on what it means to parent with intention, how horses continue to teach us about rhythm and rest, and why we all need to build in space for recovery — even in the middle of the adventure.

Inside this minisode:

• Why I pre-recorded this episode with my kids in mind
• Listening to our children (and their need for rest)
• A glimpse into our upcoming trip to BreyerFest — horse-lover heaven
• Greek mythology, horse evolution, and the wisdom they carry
• A sweet moment with a handwritten note for my daughters
• How parenting, like riding, is all about presence and the long ride

Whether you’re traveling this summer, building a life on your own terms, or simply trying to be present with your kids, I hope this conversation brings you some light, laughter, and a little room to breathe.

Come find more reflections, updates, and stories at
 www.theadventureparadox.com

Thanks for listening, and may you enjoy the ride.

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...

Some conversations remind you why you do the work, and this is one of them. Wendy Snyder is a parenting educator, family life coach, and founder of Fresh Start Family. She’s also a mom of two teens and someone I’ve long admired for her honesty, grace, and commitment to helping families break generational cycles with compassion. Wendy teaches parents how to go from stressed and reactive to peaceful and empowered using a firm and kind, connection-based model. Her work is rooted in powerful parenting, not permissive, not authoritarian, but grounded in dignity, respect, and real tools for real life.

In this conversation, we go deep into what it means to raise strong-willed kids (and why it’s a gift), how to respond instead of react (even in the car), and why humility, not perfection, is the parenting superpower we all need. Whether you're navigating toddler meltdowns, teen pushback, or just trying to stay calm at the gas station after a long day, there is something here for you.

Topics We Covered:

• What positive or powerful parenting really means
• Why strong-willed kids are future leaders
• How to stop using shame, bribes, or threats and what to do instead
• Supporting your child by healing your own inner child
• What to do when you're triggered and exhausted
• How to “pull over” emotionally and physically in tough moments

Key Takeaways:

• Strong-willed children invite us into growth; they’re not problems to fix
• Slowing down gives you space to respond with wisdom, not reactivity
• You don’t need to force apologies; you need to teach peaceful resolution
• Modeling calm and compassion teaches more than any rulebook ever will
• You’re not a bad parent; you’re just healing in real time, alongside your kids

Links & Resources:

• Website: https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/
• Podcast: The Fresh Start Family Show
• Instagram: @freshstartwendy / https://www.instagram.com/freshstartwendy/
• YouTube:

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...

Some moments stick with you — not because you planned for them, but because they show up right when your soul is ready.

In this minisode, I share a story from the trail that caught me by surprise. I came across a photo of a Navajo woman named Effie, riding her white horse, Rhythm, against the red canyon walls of Monument Valley. What started as admiration for a beautiful image turned into something much deeper after I met her in person and heard about the nonprofit work she’s part of — and the realities of life on the reservation.

She spoke about what it meant to finally have a roof that didn’t leak and the hope of one day having a bathroom in her home. Her words grounded me in gratitude and reminded me how often we overlook the basics.

I also read a handwritten letter from my great grandmother in 1919, during a time when horses and cars were both part of everyday life. It brought me back to the role horses have played across generations — not just in our history, but in our healing.

This episode is a mix of memory, meaning, and movement — and a little sneak peek into the TEDx talk I’m working on. It’s about horses, of course. And about how much they still belong in our lives.

Thanks for riding along with me.

Want to stay connected and see what’s next? You can find updates, stories, and more over at theadventureparadox.com. I’d love to have you along for the ride.

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...

Sometimes, it’s not the biggest accomplishments that change us the most, but the quiet moments in the barn, the breath of a horse on your hand, the deep knowing that we’re here to serve and be served by the animals who walk this life with us.

In this episode, I’m so excited to welcome back MJ Evans, also known as Margi. MJ is a bestselling author, lifelong horsewoman, and someone I deeply admire for her wisdom, grace, and heart-led stories. Her love for horses runs deep and so does her passion for sharing their healing power through her writing.

We talk about her 24th book, Coal, Dust and Dreams, part of her “Horses in History” series. This one takes us underground into the coal mines of 1930s South Wales and introduces us to the brave horses and humans who lived and worked in unthinkable conditions. It’s a powerful story about courage, healing, and the quiet strength that comes from caring for another living being.

MJ also shares about her work with PATH Int’l, her own journey from horse-crazy girl to award-winning author, and how her dreams have shifted and grown over time. She just completed her 25th book, which is incredible.

Inside this episode:

• What it means to become the person you’re meant to be through your love of horses
• The history behind Coal, Dust and Dreams and the story of the pit ponies
• The healing power of animals and MJ’s years working with therapeutic riding programs
• How caregiving gives us purpose and perspective
• Why staying teachable is part of every great rider and writer’s path

This is a conversation filled with heart, history, and so much love for the horse-human bond. Whether you’ve had horses in your life or just feel called to be near them, I think this episode will move you.

Resources and links:

• MJ’s website: www.dancinghorsepress.com
• Coal, Dust and Dreams on Amazon: Click here
• Learn more about PATH Int’l

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...