The Difficulty: Creativity, Meaning & the Hard Work of a Life

This week we shine the Big Self spotlight on Jena Beise. Jena is a doctor of Physical Therapy and a women’s health specialist. She’s been a Physical Therapist for the better part of a decade now in outpatient orthopedics. She is also certified in Dry Needling, and is the cofounder of Heal at Home Moms.

Jena talks about trying to change the postpartum psychology, how to form good habits that combat stress and help heal the body in sustainable ways. She also talks about some of the challenges and emotions she’s experienced in launching her own business, and how the underlying purpose of educating women, and giving them another alternative outside of traditional medical practices keeps her going. Jena lives in Chattanooga with her husband, Brian, and their three young children.

TIME STAMPS

1:36 We ask Jena how she and her family are doing as they navigate their Covid-19 reality

6:35 Jena tells us how Heal at Home Moms was born

10:08 Jena describes some of the barriers she had to overcome in order to start her own business

13:42 We talk about the comparison game and Jena shares how she's able to push through that to keep going.

17:15 We ask Jena about the trends she's seen with women's health over her decade of practice and how they compare to the stress of Covid-19

22:44 Jena talks about the types of women she works with and the physical problems they're facing after childbirth, as well as how her program is helping women with their stress levels right now.

29:05 We talk about how Jena's approach with Heal at Home Moms differs from the standard that our culture has mandated for postpartum women.

35:07 Jena describes what she wants to hold on to from the Covid-19 experience, and what was lost that she wants to get back.

39:30 Jena tells us what book she's reading right now, what her morning routine looks like, and what 'Big Self' means to her.

Subscribe on Apple iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us at the Big Self Community on Facebook.

It's the weekend edition of the Big Self School, a segment we call the Learning Curve, where Shelley and Chad discuss the big and small questions they're having.

This week Shelley is thinking about the senseless killing of Ahmaud Arbery, and dealing with people's emotional responses on a number of different levels. She shares some aspirational ideas about how we can "grow ourselves up."

Chad is thinking about how to develop the "inner citadel" and not take things so personally, whether for good or bad. He's also been learning about other methods for achieving deeper calm than merely through meditation (as powerful as it is), and he asks the question: Should we aspire to completely let go of anger? Or does it really have a place in our higher level responses?

These are the questions we're hitting at the end of another long week of quarantine. Thanks for spending a few moments of your weekend with us.

Subscribe on Apple iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us at the Big Self Community on Facebook.

Kim Shumpert talks with us this week about a new model of female leadership. Kim was selected to serve as the Executive Director for Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute (CWLI) in May 2018. Kim twice served as an executive director working with underserved women and children. And she reminds us that when women thrive, everyone thrives.

There has been such a tremendous amount of suffering either directly or indirectly from this pandemic. So much fear and uncertainty, and so much loss. This is a time where we should be mindful of the unprecedented reality shaping so many people’s experiences in tragic ways. At the same time, there are opportunities from the trials themselves. Kim tells us what can we as a society be learning through this “great pause."

More about Kim:

As an adopted Arkansan, she worked with multiple foundations and nonprofits across the state serving on the Arkansas Community Foundation Board, the Craighead County Community Foundation Board, Rotary Club of Jonesboro Board and the Arkansas Nonprofit Alliance Board. She is a member of the recently convened Chattanooga Nonprofit Alliance and Covid19 Community Task Force focusing on recovery efforts for the nonprofit sector. She and her husband, Brad, are leaving a legacy of strong female leadership for her two daughters. They live on Signal Mountain. 

TIME STAMPS

1:26 We begin the podcast by talking about a recent Forbes article that highlights how female leaders in many countries are rising to the occasion.

6:42 Next we talk about the juxtaposition that Kim has observed in the male brain and how the leadership of men and women work together.

12:09 We shift the conversation and Kim tells us about her own personal leadership journey.

16:42 Kim talks about the ups and downs of being an Enneagram 3 in terms of her leadership journey and career.

20:41 Competition is a theme we're seeing lately in our conversations and we dive into that and how it affects women.

26:11 Kim talks about what women are fighting for, instead of against.

30:43 We discuss the challenges that women have in the workplace--getting promotions and having their leadership styles valued by the patriarchal institution.

35:19 Vulnerability in the workplace--a double-edged sword. How can we use vulnerability in a positive way as a leader?

42:45 We ask Kim how she and her family are surviving and thriving in this new normal.

45:05 We shift to the new normal. How will values shift? Who defines what these values should be?

49:37 We wrap up with our 3 questions. Kim tells us what book she's reading, about her morning routine, and what Big Self means to her.

Subscribe on Apple iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us at the Big Self Community on Facebook.

It's the weekend edition of the Big Self School, a segment we call the Learning Curve, where Shelley and Chad discuss the big and small questions they're having.

This week Shelley is thinking about the life skill of adaptability and how the happiest people she knows have developed their adaptive muscle well. She discusses an approach to bringing fears into consciousness, and how in times of stress "the only way out is through."

Chad has been researching and writing about the concept of calm, and how it is anything but a passive exercise. Developing a core inner calm is one of the keys to self-transformation.

These are the questions we're hitting at the end of another long week of quarantine. Thanks for spending a few moments of your weekend with us.

Subscribe on Apple iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us at the Big Self Community on Facebook.

What had at first started as just a big trip slowly -- drip by drip -- got bigger and bigger until it snowballed into a six-continent trip. 

How did that trip turn into all seven? Angela tells us how it works for them.

When you start to learn that people are pretty much the same wherever you go, then you’ve probably been a lot of places. You may come to the same conclusion by going nowhere, but it’s a completely different mindset when you’ve been to every continent and lived with people all over the planet. 

How did a couple without big personal wealth hold down their day jobs, armed with only curiosity and a desire to educate their boys first hand, crack the code and begin traveling the world? Angela Ballard tells us about her many adventures and her many day jobs, including how she visualized what she wanted in her life.  

She also touches on habits, vocational versatility, creative visualization, what it’s like guiding undergraduates to find some direction upon graduation, and how to live in a meaningful and routine way even while traveling. Traveling with a purpose helps. So, how do you find it?

TIME STAMPS

2:21 we open up the podcast with Angela sharing a little about her childhood and how her upbringing shaped her into the adventurous, lifelong learner she is today.

7:15 Angela talks about how wemarriedadventure.com got started.

10:08 We talk about the logistics of traveling around the world for a year as well as overcoming the psychological barriers that arise.

16:09 Angela talks about some of the lessons traveling has taught her.

20:52 We talk about the fear of the unknown that Angela experienced as well and getting over it as she stepped off the plane in Madrid.

29:38 Angela's advice for someone who is feeling the call to travel and adventure in order to pursue their Big Self.

34:42 Angela talks about the sacrifices that come along with making travel a priority.

40:32 We ask Angela about her work in creativity and learning, and if a theory of creativity has informed her thinking.

44:36 Angela gives some great actionable advice while talking about her work teaching students at the university level.

48:30 We wrap up by asking Angela what she's reading, what her morning routine looks like, and what Big Self means to her.

Subscribe on Apple iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us at the Big Self Community on Facebook.

It's the weekend edition of the Big Self School, a segment we call the Learning Curve, where Shelley and Chad discuss the big and small questions they're having.

This week Chad is seeing COVID-19 as nothing less than a plague--and is drawing parallels and conclusions between how we're responding now and how people have responded to epidemics in the past. Is there anything we can learn from the past, or are we doomed simply to repeat it?

Shelley has been struggling with the usage of the word "shame." Is shame a good thing when it comes to protecting each other? Or is that the wrong idea? How do we speak up for ourselves when others are doing things we either think or know is wrong?

These are the questions we're hitting at the end of another long week of quarantine. Thanks for spending a few moments of your weekend with us.

Subscribe on Apply iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us at the Big Self Community on Facebook.

Kristi Angevine, MD is an Ob/Gyn and Physician Life Coach. She specializes helping physicians change unhelpful habits into intentional ones. Whether it’s overdrinking, overeating, overworking, excess screen time, procrastinating or simply chronically feeling overwhelmed and like there’s always something to fix, she targets unpacking old or compulsive habits to create permanent transformation. Kristi decided to become a life coach after her initial skepticism evaporated when she experienced coaching first hand. Getting coached and becoming a coach changed her life: her marriage, how she parents, her engagement at work, her own stress relieving habits, and most of all, her well being. “I believe no one can coach a physician like a physician. This is my way to give back to my colleagues who give so much of themselves.” She is a certified Life and Weight Loss coach through The Life Coach School.

She can be found at www.HabitsOnPurpose.com, in the physician only Better Habits Physician Group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2531244060443558/?ref=share or at [email protected]

Kristi and her husband have two children, and she makes time for things like being on as a podcast guest by waking up very early. 

On today’s episode she discusses 

When is the end in sight for the current pandemic? How uncertainty can be a good place to be when it comes to lifelong struggling between faith and doubt, but uncertainty between what emergency room you run to is different, and how there are different responses to feeling lost. She also has some powerful thoughts on mindful drinking, habits, and just how far willpower can get you.

Time Stamps

2:26 Kristi talks about the Covid-19 climate in her region and practice as an OB-Gyn

7:41 Kristi shares her journey to becoming a Physician

11:13 We ask Kristi about her personal experience with burnout and how she found her way through it

14:41 The stressors that followed Kristi on her move to Bend, Oregon and how she stumbled into life coaching

18:55 Kristi tells us how she's integrated life coaching into her practice 

22:31 What Kristi would tell someone who is struggling with their drinking right now

26:29 We can be aware of a habit that we aren't happy with, but how do we translate that awareness to behavior change? Kristi gives us her take on this.

31:24 Kristi share a really interesting perspective on sitting with and actually recognizing what it feels like to want something and choose not to give in to that urge

34:36 When we're unwinding ourselves from one habit should we always replace it with another? Kristi gives some great advice around this adage

39:43 Kristi shares some advice about how to develop some structure and good habits during Covid-19

46:09 We wrap up this podcast by asking Kristi what she's reading, what her morning routine looks like, and what "big self" means to her

Subscribe on Apply iTunes.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chadprevost.substack.com

How do people find purpose? What is Counsel Creative all about? What’s it like to start a business with your spouse? Was it a calling? What was the leap that started building something from nothing? We have questions. Kenny Morgan has some of the answers. At least for how it’s worked for him so far.

From falling in with the cool kids in the music industry to pivoting to marketing and design and branding and development, Kenny didn’t know where he was headed when he started off. His first big trip was on the road on the Vans Warped Tour. All he knew was the internship was a cool opportunity.

So how did he get into visual design? He had an interest in visual design, but never thought it would be a path to making a living. Even when he got his first job at a printing company, at first he feared they’d realize he had no real background in visual design. But the opposite happened: they kept promoting him, and he kept figuring out how to evolve and adapt into the challenges and expectations around him.

Along the journey he had some good mentors and corporate and agency experiences, but he had also done something else. Unlike a lot of his creative friends who also went to college, and majored in design and other creative approaches, Kenny went the business and marketing route. 

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We discuss self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits -- and wherever the conversation leads!

TIME STAMPS

1:01 We kick off the podcast with Kenny telling us about his start in the music industry with the Warped Tour
4:09 Kenny tells us about a phone call that changed the course of his career
7:21 The interesting, non-traditional route that Kenny took to owning his design agency
11:17 We discuss why Kenny encountered imposter syndrome and how he overcame it.
13:35 Kenny tells us about how he was able to discern his calling and take that leap into building it from the ground up
19:28 How a trip to the Smoky Mountains put everything into perspective for Kenny and his wife and Counsel Creative was born.
21:43 How Kenny uses his gift of discernment at Counsel Creative to determine whom to team up with.
27:08 Counsel Creative has some great company values. Kenny talks about each one and why they're important in his business
33:54 We discuss an inevitable part of business--failure. Kenny tells us how they deal with it at Counsel Creative.
37:42 Kenny talks about the importance of knowing what you can actually give to a company by niching
40:20 Kenny answers our 3 Big Self questions

Subscribe on Apply iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us on Twitter @big_self and at the Big Self Community on Facebook. 

Tom Heffner consults with businesses and organizations across many different industries, including consulting, banking, education, product development, law firms, Dept of Defense (DoD), and the military. He specializes in helping them to build their own innovation capabilities and to solve complex and multidisciplinary problems. 

If you or your organization is struggling to think creatively, to build an innovation capability, or just to improve the way you solve problems, Tom is a master. This week's episode is stacked with specific, actionable and practical advice on how to make small but powerful changes right now.

Timestamps
2:08 "Change your questions and you'll change your life" Tom explains what that means to him and how he uses this strategy with his clients.
5:15 How curiosity can help us view these uncertain times through a lens of opportunity versus a lens of fear.
6:48 Tom shares a fantastic resource to help you recognize your strengths and find more happiness and well-being in your life.
10:02 How did Tom go from engineering Combat Systems that protect soldiers at war to the world of strength-based and positive psychology?
14:28 Tom talks about the background of Master Resiliency Training in the military and helping soldiers be more resilient, as well as how the average, everyday person can use these tools to be more resilient.
19:12 How "thinking traps" work for us and against us
21:29 A deeper look at the ABC method, a tool used to help people see how they form their beliefs about a situation
27:26 Habits, motivation, willpower, processes...we talk about how all these pieces to the puzzle fit together
33:07 What about bad habits? We discuss the driving force behind them and what you need to get really clear on to break them.
38:45 Tom describes how design thinking and positive psychology overlap
46:27 Tom gives some really valuable, tangible advice on the questions and we should be asking in a post-Coronavirus world
57:11 We wrap up this episode by asking Tom about his podcast and what 'Big Self' means to him.

Subscribe on Apply iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us on Twitter @big_self and at the Big Self Community on Facebook. 

Making the mind body connection helps us literally connect with ourselves, but what does that mean? 

Yoga leader Allison Foster tells us how connecting breathing with your thinking and feeling can be like an incarnate experience, being fully present in the person that you are in the present moment.

It may be one thing to slow your body -- like going to sleep or taking a nap -- but there isn’t as clear of a way to slow your mind. 

Your mind need’s a job. Let it do what it’s good at, what it’s designed to do. Harness your mind.

Allison also openly discusses her transition through a divorce, figuring out how to really embrace developing a Yoga community, plus the real challenges of going through the process of believing in abundance as opposed to living in fear.

What do we need to get unstuck? Allison explains her personal experience and isn’t afraid to be open and vulnerable and let it all out.

Thanks for tuning in to the Big Self Podcast. We are a learning community for people at a career crossroads ready to rejoin their soul and their role. We discuss self-awareness, relationships, tapping into your inner genius, and building sustainable habits -- and wherever the conversation leads!

Timestamps:

2:43 Allison wastes no time dishing out the wisdom about connecting mind and body
7:07 Allison shares some tangible advice on how to harness your thinking as you connect to your breath.
11:21 We talk about accepting what is and dealing with the paradox of doing something and doing nothing during our social isolation
15:12 How a simple thought of gratitude allows Allison to be a little more okay with the unknown
17:31 Allison shares about some transitions she's going through right now and how she overcomes limiting beliefs
26:53 Allison shares a really beautiful story about how she became whole again after moving through some difficult transitions.
30:08 Our conversation shifts to how men's acceptance of yoga has changed over the years
33:34 You've heard the adage that the first step is the hardest, but Allison shares a cool perspective that differs from that
36:05 Allison shares what her favorite poet, David White, has taught her about what being grounded means
42:14 Allison answers our three Big Self Questions

Subscribe on Apply iTunes.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Find us on Twitter @big_self and at the Big Self Community on Facebook.