Former NYC sports anchor, speaker, and podcast host Laura Behnke joins Jess for a story that will stay with you long after you listen.

Laura’s path has been anything but ordinary. She didn’t have her first relationship until 35 and a half, finally met her person, and thought she was stepping into her happily ever after. But soon after getting married, she faced the death of her father-in-law, then her own father, followed by a long and emotional IVF journey, and eventually a stage III rectal cancer diagnosis while caring for her seven-month-old daughter.

Through it all, Laura has been honest, grounded, and even funny about what it means to keep showing up for life when it looks nothing like you imagined. Jess and Laura talk about what it looks like to find love later in life, the pressure of timelines, and how to make peace with change you never saw coming. Laura shares how cancer reshaped her relationship with time and how she learned to live with more presence, gratitude, and trust in where she is.

It’s an episode about resilience, truth, and choosing to live fully in the life you have — not the one you thought you’d have.

Learn more about Laura Behnke:

Substack: https://thelifeactually.substack.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurabbehnke/

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

In this episode, Jess sits down in-studio with Jason Lacayo — decorated police officer, endurance athlete, podcast host, and mental health advocate — for a candid conversation about what it takes to protect your mental health in a demanding career. Jason opens up about his role supporting first responders, how he helps others navigate mental health challenges, and why the “1% better” mindset guides his days. They talk about the changing culture around men’s mental health, creating safe spaces to be real, reexamining their relationship with alcohol, and the role faith and surrender play in building steadier ground. Jason also shares his own detours, the lessons they’ve taught him, and the life he’s creating beyond the badge.

At its heart, this episode is about men learning to show up differently, to lead with openness, break old patterns, and let vulnerability become a source of strength.

Learn more about Jason Lacayo:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealjumpmanjay/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@therealjumpmanjay

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

*Jess will be taking a short summer break, but she’ll be back this fall with all-new episodes.*

After two seasons of sharing other people’s detours, Jess is sharing her own.

In this bold and deeply personal season finale, Jess opens up about the life-altering decision she just made: quitting her corporate job without another one lined up. No safety net, no backup plan—just a deep inner knowing that it was time for something more. More purpose. More freedom. More alignment.

In true Great Detour fashion, this episode is raw, real, and filled with insight for anyone standing at a crossroads and wondering if they’re allowed to want something different.

In this solo episode, Jess shares:

• Why she left a stable corporate career—to explore what’s next
• What finally pushed her over the edge after years of ignoring the whispers
• The fears, the freedom, and the truth about leaving the default path
• What’s next—and why she’s not rushing to figure it all out

She also leaves you with 5 powerful lessons from this season of life:

• Your job, titles, and achievements are not your identity.
  You are not what you produce—you are who you are when all of that is stripped away. Getting in touch with that part of you will change everything.
• The pause is part of the process.
  It’s sacred. Growth doesn’t only happen in the doing—it also happens in the quiet in-between.
• Letting go is often how you find your way back to yourself.
  Shedding old roles or expectations can feel scary—but it’s also where freedom begins.
• Clarity doesn’t come from having it all figured out—it comes from trusting yourself enough to move anyway.
  When you take that first brave step, the path begins to unfold. One aligned step leads to the next.
• Your soul will speak in whispers and quiet nudges.
  It won’t beg for your attention—but it will keep coming back until you listen. Trust the pull.

This episode is more than a life update—it’s an invitation. To slow down. To tune in. To follow the nudge. And to trust that your detour might just be the beginning of something better.

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

What happens when you realize the life you’ve worked so hard to build doesn’t actually feel like yours? In this episode, Jess talks with Leah Brathwaite—soul advisor, founder of The Live Free Lifestyle, and author of A New Way of Life: A Guide for Transformation From Living a Lie to Freeing Your Soul—about the courage it takes to stop performing, start listening, and build a life rooted in truth.

Leah shares the moment everything shifted—a quiet afternoon in her dream kitchen, a voice that said “not for another second,” and the unraveling that followed. From leaving a marriage, religion, and career that looked perfect on paper, to slowly learning how to trust her intuition, Leah’s story is about reclaiming your power and remembering who you are beneath all the expectations.

In this episode Jess and Leah discuss:

• The subtle ways we abandon ourselves—and how to come back
• How to rebuild your identity after leaving behind the roles you’ve outgrown
• Why following your curiosity is the first step to living freely
• Learning to tell the difference between fear, anxiety, and true intuition
• What it really looks like to choose yourself after a major life transition
• The clarity that can only come from spending time alone
• How Leah built a soul-led business after walking away from the “safe” path

Leah also shares how her journey inspired The Live Free Lifestyle—a transformational coaching experience designed to help others reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel aligned from the inside out.

If you’ve been questioning your path, feeling disconnected, or longing for something more—this one’s for you.

About Leah Brathwaite:

Leah Brathwaite is a certified yoga and meditation teacher, writer, speaker and Soul Advisor. Her classes, workshops and retreats empower people to awaken their inner connection and confidence, and live aligned with purpose. Having studied with, and been mentored by, world renowned teachers and coaches, she radically transformed her own life from living in fear to living free, and has developed a unique program that offers clients the same opportunity for transformation in their own lives. Her first book A New Way of Life: A Guide for Transformation from Living a Lie to Freeing Your Soul is a memoir and guidebook to finding happiness and truth and offers readers the chance to explore their own potential by offering simple lessons and practices that helped shape Leah’s own journey. 

Website: https://leahbrathwaite.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leah.brathwaite/

The Live Free Lifestyle: https://www.thelivefreelifestyle.ca/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Leah.Brathwaite

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

This conversation is about what happens when life veers off course before it even begins.

In this episode, Jess sits down with her friend Nick Bragman to talk about living with Crohn’s disease and the unexpected detour that reshaped everything. Diagnosed at 12, Nick spent his teenage years pushing through discomfort, chasing achievement, and following the plan he believed would lead to success. But just six weeks into college, a surgery complication triggered a health crisis that nearly cost him his life — and forced him to start over.

Nick shares openly about the emotional weight of stepping away from the future he worked so hard for, what it was like to rebuild from such a vulnerable place, and how he slowly created a life that feels meaningful — even though it looks nothing like the one he imagined.

This conversation is about resilience, identity, and staying open when life takes you in a completely different direction. It’s about finding beauty in the ordinary, saying yes to what’s in front of you, and learning to trust the timing of your own unfolding.

You’ll hear about:

•  Growing up with Crohn’s disease
• Letting go of a carefully mapped-out future
• Surviving a near-fatal medical crisis
• Healing, adaptation, and self-trust
• Rebuilding a life that feels aligned — even if it wasn’t the plan
• Finding contentment in the everyday
• Staying open to small joys and new directions

If you’ve ever found yourself starting over — or learning to live inside a story you didn’t expect — this one will meet you right where you are.

About Nick Bragman:

Nick Bragman is an actuary, running coach, and member of Dubset Running Collective in New York. Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 12, Nick spent his teenage years pushing through pain in pursuit of a carefully mapped-out future — including a spot in a competitive BA-MD program at just 17. But a serious health crisis just weeks into college forced him to drop out and reimagine everything.

In the years since, Nick has rebuilt his life with a new sense of purpose — one rooted in stability, movement, and community. Today, he balances his work as an actuary with his love of running and coaching, showing up with quiet resilience and a deep understanding of what it means to keep going, even when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

If you’ve been feeling stuck, burnt out, or like you’re just going through the motions, this one’s for you.

In this episode, Jess is joined by Dr. Wendy O’Connor—a Stanford-trained clinical psychologist who now coaches women on how to create lives they truly love. After building a successful private practice and navigating life as a mother of three young children, Dr. Wendy realized she was running on autopilot. That turning point led her to positive psychology—the science of happiness—and a whole new chapter centered around alignment, self-trust, and purpose.

Together, they talk about what it really means to thrive—not just survive—and the small, intentional shifts that can help you reconnect with yourself.

They explore:

• What to do when your life looks “successful” but doesn’t feel fulfilling
• How to tell when you’re out of alignment—and how to get back on track
• The daily habits and mindset shifts that support long-term well-being
• How to stop outsourcing happiness and start building it from the inside out
• Finding “glimmers” in hard seasons—and why they matter
• Setting boundaries without guilt, and why they’re actually an act of love
• The three-part framework Wendy uses to help women design lives they love

This episode is full of grounded wisdom and practical tools—especially if you’re in the middle of a transition or figuring out what’s next. Dr. Wendy reminds us that creating a life you love isn’t about having it all together—it’s about knowing yourself, honoring what you need, and giving yourself permission to shift.

About Dr. Wendy O'Connor:

Dr. Wendy O'Connor is a Stanford-trained clinical psychologist and positive psychology expert who helps women move from burnout and autopilot to living intentional, joy-filled lives. After running a successful private practice and becoming a mother to three daughters in just over a year, she experienced a profound personal shift that led her to embrace the science of happiness. Today, Dr. Wendy blends cognitive behavioral therapy with positive psychology to help women design lives they love—rooted in self-trust, purpose, and aligned action. Dr. Wendy offers virtual coaching and mentorship programs for women ready to thrive beyond the checklist.

Dr. Wendy O'Connnor's Website: https://www.drwendyoconnor.com/

Dr. Wendy O'Connor's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drwendyoconnor/

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

In this honest and deeply reflective episode, Jess is joined by Colleen Avis—integrative life coach, mindfulness mentor, and author of the Sacred Spaces: Subtle Shifts for Mind, Body, and Home Transformation series. Their conversation covers everything from identity, healing, and the quiet, powerful process of coming home to yourself.

At just 16, Colleen’s life was upended when her father suddenly disappeared—abandoning her, her younger brother, and their mother without warning or support. Thrust into survival mode, they found themselves navigating deep scarcity, even relying on dumpster diving for food. That rupture shaped the next several decades of Colleen’s life, leading to patterns of self-abandonment, overachieving, and disconnect as she tried to outrun her pain.

But eventually, the version of herself she had created to cope began to crack—and she couldn’t ignore the whispers from within any longer.

Jess and Colleen explore:

• How childhood trauma and scarcity can lead to self-abandonment
• The identities we build to survive—and how to slowly unravel them
• The power of asking “Who am I?” and honoring the answer
• Why healing isn’t always loud—it often starts with stillness
• What it looks like to return to yourself, one subtle shift at a time
  
  

This episode is a compassionate invitation to pause, soften, and remember who you were before the world told you who to be. If you’re in a season of transition or craving deeper alignment, this one’s for you.

About Colleen Avis

Colleen Avis supports personal transformation through a grounded and holistic approach. She helps individuals design lives and environments that reflect who they truly are—spaces where authenticity, confidence, and joy feel natural and sustainable. Drawing on over a decade of expertise and her personal healing journey, Colleen walks alongside clients as they move through change with clarity, self-trust, and renewed purpose. Her work helps untangle long-held beliefs, interrupt patterns that no longer serve, and uncover the quiet truths beneath the noise. As a certified integrative life coach, Ayurveda health and mindfulness mentor, and yoga instructor, Colleen helps clients reconnect with what’s essential—within themselves and in the environments that hold them.

Learn More about Colleen Avis and Sacred Spaces: 

Website: https://www.colleenaviscoaching.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colleen_avis_coaching/

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

What happens when your heart suddenly stops — and everything you’ve built your identity around no longer fits? In this episode of The Great Detour, Jess talks with Jeff Luther — a father, athlete, and host of the All Can, No Can’t podcast — whose life changed in an instant during a CrossFit workout with his teenage son. Jeff experienced sudden cardiac death, losing his pulse for eight minutes before being revived. He was later diagnosed with ARVC, a rare genetic heart condition that forced him to rethink how he moved through the world — physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Together, they talk about what came next: the fear, the grief, the ego unraveling, and the long process of rebuilding. Jeff shares how he found his footing again — 30 seconds at a time — and what it really means to move forward when the life you knew is no longer an option.

This is a raw, honest conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the space between who you were and who you're becoming.

In this episode, Jess and Jeff discuss:

• What it’s like to face death — and the perspective that follows
• How identity loss and fear can paralyze us after trauma
• Why grief and bitterness often show up before gratitude
• Redefining strength and purpose when everything changes
• How “30 seconds at a time” became a mindset for healing and action
• The importance of taking small steps — even when you're scared

About Jeff Luther

Jeff Luther is the founder of Home-Probe, a trusted home inspection company he has built over two decades with a focus on precision, trust, and empowerment. An EO leader, he serves as the incoming President of the Charleston Chapter and coaches through the Chapter Accelerator program. Jeff’s life took a profound turn after surviving sudden cardiac death—an experience that shaped his passion for resilience, deep conversations, and authentic connections. A dedicated father of three, he now speaks on mastering meaningful dialogue, active listening, and turning challenges into opportunities, helping others build stronger relationships and lasting success in business and life.

Website: www.jeffluther.com
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdluther2.0/
Podcast Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/allcan_nocant/ 

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

In this episode of The Great Detour™, Jess is joined by Kera Sanchez, a high school dean, mother of two, Navy wife, and the founder and editor-in-chief of Get Griefy Magazine. Together, they explore the complex terrain of grief — not just the heaviness, but also the creativity, community, and surprising ways we can carry loss without being consumed by it. 

Kera shares her deeply personal story of navigating profound grief after the sudden loss of her mother while in the midst of new motherhood, and how that experience inspired her to create a platform that helps others feel seen, supported, and a little less alone.

They talk about the realities of sudden loss, how grief reshapes our priorities, why joy and sorrow can coexist, and how creativity can become a lifeline in the healing process. Kera also shares practical insights for finding your footing when you're feeling stuck.

Known for her lighthearted and honest approach to grief, Kera talks about blending sorrow and joy, building community, and how we find our way forward when life gets a little griefy.

About Kera Sanchez

Kera Sanchez is a High School Dean of Students in the Chicagoland area, a mom of two, and the wife of a Naval Officer. In June 2022, just days after the birth of her youngest child, her mom unexpectedly passed away while on vacation in Italy. Navigating grief and postpartum at the same time reshaped Kera’s outlook on life and inspired her to create the Legacy Letters Guided Journal — a way for people to leave handwritten messages of love and advice for their families. She later published a Spanish edition, as well as a second journal, No Legacy Lost, for honoring loved ones who have passed.

As she documented her grief journey online, Kera found healing through connection with others who had turned loss into resilience and creativity. Moved by the power of these stories, she founded Get Griefy Magazine in November 2023, creating a platform that celebrates the many ways we carry loss and still choose joy. She now serves as Editor-in-Chief and is the face behind the brand.

Learn More about Kera Sanchez, Get Griefy Magazine, & Legacy Letters Guided Journals:

Get Griefy Magazine Website: https://www.getgriefymagazine.com/

Legacy Letters Journals: https://www.legacylettersjournal.com/

Get Griefy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getgriefymagazine/

Lemons to Legacies Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lemonstolegacies/

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour

In this episode of The Great Detour™, Jess speaks with Ray Martin—entrepreneur, award-winning business leader, and author of Life Without a Tie. At the height of his career, Ray experienced a profound unraveling: the end of his marriage, the loss of his father, and a decision to step away from the company he co-founded with his partner. What began as a six-month sabbatical turned into a 14-year journey across 28 countries and four continents.

Ray shares how he slowly rebuilt his life from the inside out—shifting from structure to surrender, and redefining success through intuition, service, and inner peace. He and Jess explore the unraveling of identity, the discomfort of letting go, and how sometimes the path forward isn’t something you plan—it’s something you feel your way through.

They also talk about Ray’s ten guiding principles for navigating uncertainty, how he found clarity through mindfulness, and what it means to live from a place of alignment rather than expectation.

This episode is especially for anyone sitting in the in-between—questioning what’s next or wondering who they are without the old titles and ties.

About Ray Martin:

Ray Martin, aka The Daily Explorer, is an entrepreneur and award-winning business leader. As a coach, mentor, facilitator, speaker, writer, and mindfulness teacher, he is a torchbearer for greater human consciousness.

He courageously explores both his external and internal world daily in pursuit of greater insight and wisdom about life, for himself and others.

He created the Calling All Angels Foundation and runs marathons to raise money for causes he believes in, which have included an orphanage in Nepal and an elephant sanctuary in Thailand..

Whatever he does, his mission is to bring more joy and happiness into the world.

Learn more about Ray Martin and Life Without a Tie:

Website: https://lifewithoutatie.com

Learn more about The Great Detour™

Website: www.thegreatdetour.com
Instagram: @thegreatdetour