The Daring Well Podcast - Holistic Health & Wellness, Mindset, and Personal Growth

What if one powerful story could completely transform the way you lead, communicate, and connect with others?

In this inspiring and high-energy episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer sits down with keynote speaker, story coach, and author Dr. Danny Brassell to explore the art and science of storytelling, leadership communication, and authentic connection.

Dr. Brassell—co-founder of Well Crafted Story and author of 20+ books—shares his extraordinary journey from journalist to educator to global speaking coach, revealing how life’s pivots, setbacks, and lessons shaped his mission to help others communicate with clarity, confidence, and impact.

Together, Rita and Danny dive into what separates good speakers from transformational communicators, why vulnerability builds trust, and how leaders can use storytelling to inspire action and drive meaningful change.

This conversation is packed with practical frameworks, powerful metaphors, and mindset shifts for anyone ready to elevate their voice and influence.

Key Takeaways

• How storytelling transforms leadership and communication
• Why sharing failure builds deeper audience connection
• The “Five C’s Framework” for powerful presentations
• How to turn perceived weaknesses into strengths
• The RAP Method to instantly connect with any audience
• Why clarity and emotional closings drive conversions

Connect with Dr. Danny Brassell:

Free Storytelling Blueprint:   http://freestoryguide.com/

Website:  https://dannybrassell.com/home

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/DannyBrassell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannybrassell/

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In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer sits down with Stephen McConnell — CEO, speaker, NLP coach, and author of the upcoming book The 7 Laws of Personal Mastery. Together, they explore how to redefine success, overcome limiting beliefs, and create sustainable growth without burnout.

Stephen shares his deeply personal journey through addiction recovery, emotional healing, and discovering purpose. He explains how neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and intentional habits can transform both personal and professional growth.

Listeners will learn practical strategies for reframing anxiety, developing healthier thought patterns, building empowering communities, and aligning decisions with core values. This conversation is filled with wisdom for leaders, high achievers, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking clarity, healing, and authentic success.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• What neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) really means
• Why identity matters more than goals alone
• Breaking free from limiting beliefs and burnout
• Stephen’s personal journey through alcoholism and healing
• The importance of emotional intelligence and self-awareness
• How to reframe anxiety into excitement
• The impact of community and mentorship on growth
• Aligning your decisions with your purpose and values
• Creating sustainable success without sacrificing peace

Memorable Quotes from the Episode

Connect with Stephen McConnell

• Website: https://www.myndsetgrowth.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenmcconnell1/

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In this heartfelt episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer dives into the powerful practice of creating “white space” in your life. If you’ve been feeling emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, overstimulated, or constantly pressured to keep going, this episode is your reminder that rest is productive too.

Rita explores how creating intentional pauses in your daily life can improve emotional well-being, reduce anxiety, increase mindfulness, and help you reconnect with yourself. Through practical self-care ideas, mindset shifts, and emotional wellness strategies, listeners are encouraged to protect their peace, establish healthier boundaries, and stop tying their self-worth to constant productivity.

This episode is packed with encouragement for anyone struggling with burnout, stress, emotional overload, or difficulty slowing down in today’s fast-paced world. You’ll walk away with practical coping skills, mindful awareness techniques, and simple ways to create more breathing room in your schedule and your mind.

Whether it’s through meditation, journaling, grounding techniques, nature walks, meal prepping, hobbies, or simply learning to say no, Rita reminds listeners that creating white space is an act of self-love and emotional resilience.

Top Episode Chapter Breakdowns

1. The Hidden Cost of Busyness

• Why modern life keeps us overwhelmed and overstimulated
• Recognizing the emotional and physical signs of stress and burnout
• How constant productivity impacts emotional well-being

2. What White Space Really Means

• Defining white space as intentional rest and breathing room
• The importance of mindfulness, stillness, and self-awareness
• Why your worth is not tied to what you produce

3. Identifying Your Energy Zappers

• Recognizing people, habits, thoughts, and environments that drain your energy
• Setting boundaries to protect your peace and emotional wellness
• How negative self-talk and shame keep us stuck in exhaustion

4. Self-Care as a Form of Emotional Resilience

• Practical self-care ideas that refill your emotional cup
• Why self-care is more than luxury—it’s emotional maintenance
• How hobbies, routines, nature, and rest help regulate stress

5. Simple Strategies to Create More White Space

• Meal prepping, reducing distractions, and intentional planning
• Learning to slow down without guilt
• Small daily habits that improve focus, clarity, sleep, and emotional balance

Key Takeaways From This Episode

• White space is essential for emotional wellness and stress management
• Rest is not laziness—it’s necessary for resilience and healing
• Your self-worth is rooted in who you are, not what you accomplish
• Protecting your energy requires boundaries and intentional choices
• Mindful self-care helps prevent burnout and emotional exhaustion
• Small changes can create major improvements in your mental and emotional health

Resources Mentioned

• Free Resources (Download)- Self-Care Journal & Holistic Wellness Guide https://www.daringwell.com/freebies

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In this heartfelt and deeply affirming episode, Rita Mercer explores the life moments that often go unseen, unacknowledged, and uncelebrated. Titled “There’s No Card for That,” this conversation shines a light on the silent wins, invisible strength, and unspoken grief we all carry at different points in our journey.

From making responsible adult decisions and choosing healing, to navigating personal loss and emotional transitions—this episode reminds listeners that just because something isn’t publicly recognized doesn’t mean it isn’t meaningful.

If you’ve ever felt overlooked in your growth or alone in your pain, this episode is your reminder: your experiences matter, and you are seen.

Reflection Questions

• What is one silent win you’re proud of?
• Where have you shown invisible strength recently?
• What loss or transition do you need to give yourself permission to grieve?

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Have you ever felt like you’re holding it all together on the outside… but quietly falling apart on the inside?

In this powerful and honest conversation, Rita sits down with therapist and author Cherise Small to unpack what it really means to “perform strength.” Together, they explore how survival mode, people-pleasing, and silent suffering can disconnect us from our true selves—and how to begin the journey back to alignment.

Cherise shares her personal turning point, practical tools for recognizing survival patterns, and how to set boundaries without guilt. This episode is a must-listen for anyone ready to stop over-functioning, release emotional burdens, and reclaim their voice.

You’ll walk away with empowering mindset shifts, reflection questions, and actionable strategies to help you move from surviving to truly living.

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What You’ll Learn

• How to recognize when you’re stuck in survival mode
• Why “performing strength” can lead to emotional disconnection
• The truth about guilt, shame, and boundary-setting
• What healthy boundaries actually look like in real life
• Simple ways to pause, reset, and reconnect with yourself
• How to shift from obligation to alignment

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Connect with Cherise Small

Website: www.release2heal.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/therapywithcherise

Book Waitlist: www.release2heal.com/book-waitlist

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For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills.
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✨ If you’ve been struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, or feeling “stuck,” this conversation may open a door you didn’t know existed.

In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer sits down with Gwen Bernardo, a myofascial release therapist, to explore the deep connection between the body, trauma, and healing.

After a life-altering horseback riding accident that left her with both physical injuries and unresolved emotional trauma, Gwen spent years searching for relief through traditional therapies—without lasting results. It wasn’t until she discovered myofascial release that everything changed.

Gwen shares how this gentle yet powerful modality helped her release stored emotional pain, dramatically reduce anxiety, and reconnect with her body in a way she never thought possible.

Together, Rita and Gwen unpack:

• What fascia is and why it plays a crucial role in chronic pain
• How trauma and emotions can become stored in the body
• Why traditional treatments may not always address the root cause
• The importance of the mind-body connection in true healing
• Practical ways to begin releasing tension and reconnecting with your body

This episode is an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and explore a new pathway to healing—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Chapters Breakdown

• From Trauma to Transformation 
• The Missing Piece in Healing
• What Is Fascia & Why It Matters
• Releasing Stored Emotions & Chronic Pain
• Practical Healing Tools & Next Steps 

Connect with Gwen

Gwen Bernardo, MFR Therapist, CMT

Website:  https://performancemfr.com/

Discount Code - Ask for "Jumpstart Program" for Daring Well Listeners (Save $500)

Find a local Myofascial Therapist in your state or country: https://mfrtherapists.com/

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For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills.
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 Cam Cordin - I wasn’t waiting to die, I was racing to live!

In this raw and deeply honest conversation, Rita Mercer sits down with Cam Corden, founder of Savage Chill and author of Savage Chill: Die to Live, to explore what it really takes to go from being stuck in survival mode to living fully.

Cam shares his personal journey through chronic pain, failed marriages, emotional collapse, and a pivotal “911-day contract” he created during one of the darkest seasons of his life. What followed was not a quick fix—but a complete identity transformation built on systems, discipline, and intentional discomfort.

This episode challenges the idea that motivation creates change—and instead reveals why structure, subtraction, and emotional regulation are the real keys to lasting transformation.

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Episode Highlights

• Why most people stay stuck waiting for motivation instead of taking action
• The “911-day contract” that became a turning point in Cam’s life
• How Savage Chill blends discipline with emotional regulation
• Why systems always outperform willpower
• The role of cold exposure and intentional discomfort in rewiring the nervous system
• How subtraction (not addition) creates clarity and focus
• The “No Panicking, No Whining” rule for emotional mastery
• Moving from victim mindset to becoming the “commander” of your life

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Connect with Cam - https://savagechillstyle.com/

Purchase the Book on Amazon -  Savage Chill: Die to Live

https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Chill-Live-Cam-Cordin/dp/B0GNPZY7K2

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@DaringWell

For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills.
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When was the last time you truly paused and asked yourself, “How am I really doing?”

In this heartfelt and grounding episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita offers a moment of stillness in the middle of life’s busyness. This episode is a gentle invitation to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with your emotional well-being.

Life can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and unpredictable—but instead of pushing through or ignoring what you feel, this episode encourages you to pause and check in with yourself. Through reflection, encouragement, and a simple yet powerful emotional awareness tool, you’ll learn how to better understand your feelings and prioritize your self-care.

If you’ve been feeling stressed, disconnected, or stretched too thin, this episode will remind you that you are worthy of rest, balance, and care—just as you are.

Take this moment for yourself. You deserve it.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why it’s important to pause and check in with yourself
• How to normalize and validate your emotional experiences
• The power of stillness in finding clarity and peace
• Why you don’t need to earn rest, love, or self-care
• A simple 0–10 emotional check-in tool (SUD scale) to build awareness

💛 Key Takeaway

You don’t have to keep pushing through without pause.
Your feelings matter. Your well-being matters.
And most importantly—you are worthy of care, rest, and balance.

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Let's Connect & Continue the Conversation

If this episode resonated with you, share your thoughts and let me know:
How are you feeling today—really?

Connect with me @DaringWell on YouTube, TikTok, Substack, and LinkedIn.

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In this final episode of the Healing Attachment Wounds series, Rita Mercer, podcast host, holistic wellness & mindset coach, and licensed counselor, explores what it truly means to experience secure attachment—the foundation of healthy, balanced, and emotionally safe relationships.

If trust has ever felt difficult…
If vulnerability has felt unsafe…
Or if you’ve found yourself stuck in patterns of overthinking, emotional distance, or fear of abandonment…

This episode is for you.

Secure attachment is not something you either have or don’t have—it’s something you can learn, practice, and embody. Through self-awareness, nervous system regulation, and intentional relationship choices, you can rewire old patterns and create deeper, more fulfilling connections.

In this episode, I walks you through how secure attachment forms, how it feels in your mind and body, and how you can begin cultivating it in your everyday life.

Because healing isn’t about perfection—
it’s about creating safety within yourself.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• What secure attachment really looks like in healthy relationships
• How past attachment styles (anxious, avoidant, fearful avoidant) impact your patterns
• The core beliefs that support emotional safety and trust
• How secure attachment feels in your body and nervous system
• Practical steps to build self-trust and healthier relationship dynamics

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Let’s Stay Connected

If this episode supported you on your healing journey, share it with someone who needs encouragement in their relationships.

For coaching, nervous system regulation tools, and self-care strategies, connect with Rita for 1:1 support.

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For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills.
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In this insightful episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer sits down with Jo Stewart, Yoga Teacher & the Founder of Garden of Yoga, Cohost of the Flow Artists Podcast, and author of Eight Limbs of Aerial Yoga.  Together in this episode we explore how gentle movement and aerial yoga can provide relief and support healing from anxiety, trauma, and chronic stress.

Jo shares her 20+ years of experience teaching yoga and introduces a compassionate, body-centered approach to movement that prioritizes safety, autonomy of choice, and nervous system regulation. Rita & Jo, unpack how the body holds onto tension, the role of fascia, and why traditional “stillness” doesn’t work for everyone—especially those navigating trauma or heightened stress.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that healing doesn’t have to be intense. It can be soft, supportive, and intuitive—meeting you exactly where you are.

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Key Takeaways

• Healing begins with creating safety in the body
• Movement can regulate the nervous system more effectively than forced stillness
• Fascia plays a key role in storing and releasing tension
• Gentle, supported movement can be more impactful than intense workouts
• There is no “right way” to move—your body’s needs are your guide

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Connect with Jo Stewart

• Website & Online Classes: Garden of Yoga https://gardenofyoga.com.au/
• Podcast: The Flow Artist Podcast https://podcast.flowartists.com/
• Book: Eight Limbs of Aerial Yoga (available for pre-order) https://gardenofyoga.com.au/learn/eight-limbs-of-aerial-yoga/
• FREE Super Deluxe Shoulder Self-Massage Guide https://www.gardenofyoga.com.au/free-shoulders-guide/

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

Follow us on YouTube & TikTok:
@DaringWell

For free wellness resources. Click the link to tap into new ways to reset with mindfulness, holistic wellness tips, and coping skills.
https://www.daringwell.com/freebies