The Mark Groves Podcast

Themes: Addiction, Comeback, Recovery, Healing, Sobriety, Personal Development, Transformation, Authenticity, Self-Love, Purpose, Grief

Summary: 

In this episode, I’m joined by my good buddy Donny Starkins! As a former Division I baseball player, Donny’s journey into Yoga, Personal Development, and Mindfulness began after seven operations on his left knee and an addiction to painkillers. Fast forward to today, Donny has a decade of sobriety under his belt and has become one of the most dynamic leaders in his industry. He is a professional speaker, teacher, podcast co-host of Comeback Stories, and a personal development coach leading classes, workshops, and seminars all across the world. He’s the creator of “The Shift” Transformational Coaching, a 90-Day Personal Development Private Coaching program, and works one-on-one with some of the top professional athletes in the world on mindset, yoga, life coaching, and mindfulness. 

Join me for a powerful conversation with Donny about his battle with addiction, his comeback journey, and how he uses his experiences to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. So much more than just an inspiring story about addiction and recovery—you'll be surprised at how many gems of wisdom are in here that you can apply to so many areas of your life!

Discover:

Donny’s 6-year battle with addiction and how he was able to take ownership of his pain, fear, and anxiety even after relapsing

The mind and body connection and how important it is in the recovery journey

The power of sharing and vulnerability in healing

00:00 Intro 

00:56 The power of making a positive impact

02:32 Donny’s comeback story

07:17 Overdosing and AA meetings

13:45 Surrendering to recovery

17:48 Loss of athletic identity

20:41 Taking ownership of pain and addiction

26:03 The hardest step in recovery

28:31 The power of sharing and vulnerability in healing

34:46 Mind-body connection

41:05 Relapse and Sobriety 2.0

48:13 Finding freedom in sacrifice

52:16 Creating safe spaces

55:34 Tech addiction

59:26 The power of honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness

Links:

Instagram: @donny_starkins

Website: donnystarkins.com 

Comeback Stories: comebackstories.com 

Sponsors:

Cymbiotika | Use code GROVES at checkout for 15% off your first purchase at cymbiotika.com. (Save up to 45% off when you buy a bundle!)

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Relationships, Attachment Theory, Dating, Emotions, Breakups

Summary: 

In relationships, we all crave connection and intimacy. But what happens when someone we’re dating suddenly becomes emotionally distant? Let’s talk about emotional distancing and how we can increase our ability to love and be loved.

Whether you're struggling with your own emotional availability or trying to connect with someone who is emotionally distant, this episode will leave you with a new perspective on the hot/cold dynamic.

 

Discover:

The connection between distancing tactics and attachment theory

How to stop the hot/cold dynamic from repeating in your relationships 

00:00 Intro 

01:51 Distancing tactics and attachment theory

05:38 Why do people distance themselves?

09:07 How to date emotionally avoidant people

16:33 How to increase your availability to love

 

Links:

Lexie Herod’s Tik Tok Video

Attachment Theory 101 with Silvy Khoucasian

All About Ghosting

The Nervous System Explained with Sarah Baldwin

The Attachment Theory & Nervous System Connection with Sarah Baldwin

Join me on Felt!

Sign up for my newsletter here

Follow me on Substack here

Create The Love Instagram | @createthelove

Mark Groves Instagram Instagram | @itsmarkgroves

Facebook | @createthelove

 

Sponsors:

Cozy Earth | Use code GROVES for 40% off sitewide at cozyearth.com

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Meditation, Mindfulness, Healing, Self-improvement, Empowerment, Beliefs, Health, Transformation

Summary: 

In this podcast episode, I had the privilege of talking with Dr Joe Dispenza, a New York Times best-selling author, researcher, lecturer, and corporate consultant, whose research has led him to develop a practical formula to help people transform their lives. Dr Joe’s passion can be found at the intersection of the latest findings from the fields of neuroscience, epigenetics, and quantum physics to explore the science behind spontaneous remissions. He integrates that knowledge to teach people how to heal their bodies of health conditions, make significant changes in their lives, and evolve their consciousness.

Tune in to hear Dr Joe speak to the power of the mind and how we can reframe our thoughts, beliefs, experiences, and feelings to change our reality. Whether you're looking to overcome limiting beliefs, increase your resilience, change your health, or create a different life for yourself, this episode has something for you. Tune in to this thought-provoking conversation and learn how you can harness the power of your mind to create the life you've always wanted!

Discover:

The transformative effects of meditation and intentional thinking on one's mental and physiological state

How we can shift our fear-based thinking, which is hardwired in us as a species that has lived in survival for thousands of years, to an elevated state of consciousness

The importance of thinking differently, making different choices, and creating different experiences to bring about positive changes in our biology

The amazing healing potential that humans possess when they connect with an invisible field of frequency or energy

00:00 Intro 

00:38 The power of reframing your reality

04:58 How positive thoughts affect your biology

11:57 We’re addicted to fear 

16:59 How your thoughts shape your health

21:24 Your nervous system is a pharmacy

27:49 Healing frequency and the healing potential of the human body

37:52 We’re changing the science

43:48 The brain thinks, but the heart knows

48:16 Changing your state of being to achieve lasting transformation

54:44 Meditation for physical and mental well-being

Links:

Dr Joe’s Meditation of the Month: Walking Meditation 4

Unlimited Website

YouTube: @drjoedispenza

TikTok: @official_drjoedispenza

Twitter: @drjoedispenza

Facebook: @DrJoeDispenzaOfficialNewsFanPage

Instagram: @drjoedispenza

Sponsors:

Organifi | Use code CREATETHELOVE for 20% off sitewide at organifi.com/createthelove

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Dating, Relationships, Communication, Vulnerability, Boundaries, Marriage and Family Therapy, Marriage, Premarital Counseling

Summary: 

Join in the conversation with Elizabeth Earnshaw, LMFT + Gottman therapist. What are the benefits of premarital counseling? How can we best deal with our partner's differences? What is the science behind flooding and its effects on emotional communication? Elizabeth shares how you can have a long-lasting relationship by consciously navigating the relationship obstacles we all experience. 

Elizabeth is a renowned Gottman therapist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Clinical Fellow of The American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy (MA), author, and influential Instagram therapist who has helped transform countless relationships. She is a co-founder and the Head of Relationship Health of OURS, a virtual premarital counseling service that provides accessible and destigmatized couples counseling for the young, modern couple. 

Grab your journals and soak up new skills that you can immediately implement to take your relationship to the next level!

Discover:

The benefits of premarital counseling

How to deal with your partner’s differences 

The science behind flooding and its effects on emotional communication

The Four Horsemen of conflict communication that most often destroy relationships and how to avoid them

00:00 Intro 

01:11 Redefining traditional premarital counseling with OURS

05:41 Navigating perpetual differences in relationships

09:19 Finding richness in our differences

12:49 Overcoming resistance to premarital conversations

18:22 Flooding and its effects on emotional communication

22:15 How to have difficult conversations

27:52 Criticism, Contempt, Defensiveness, and Stonewalling

51:21 The silent killer in relationships

55:35 Can a fractured relationship be healed?

1:01:47 The Imago Framework

Links:

OURS premarital counseling: https://www.withours.com

Website: https://elizabethearnshaw.com/

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

OURS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ours.wellness/

Sponsors:

Cymbiotika | Use code GROVES at checkout for 15% off your first purchase at cymbiotika.com. (Save up to 45% off when you buy a bundle!)

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Parenting, Relationships, Personal Development, Marriage, Interracial Relationships, Authenticity, Boundaries, Transformation, Purpose

Summary: 

Today I’m jamming with my long-time friend, Christine Chang, a serial entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. Her book "Show Up: Finding Love for Independent Women" has helped professional women all over the world create the relationship of their dreams.

Tune in to hear Christine share her experiences growing up as an Asian American and how she handles comments about her interracial marriage, how she has navigated healing from generational trauma and finding her voice, and the importance of listening to your soul’s desires to figure out how you want to show up in this world. As an entrepreneur having explored different paths (professional photographer, dating mentor, and branding specialist to name a few!), Christine drops her tips for branding and rebranding without relying on social media.

Discover:

How Christine went from being a celebrity wedding photographer to helping inspire women all over the world

The importance of adding joy into your life and only doing the things that light you up

Finding your own voice and identity without buckling in the face of codependency

00:00 Intro 

01:35 The impact of negative online conversations

06:20 Finding your identity

10:19 From certainty to uncertainty

18:23 Importance of adding humor in parenting

21:54 Allowing kids to learn resilience on their own

26:51 Confronting stereotypes in interracial relationships

30:20 Having a voice through media representation

34:49 Start something new & be ok with sucking at it

39:02 Healing from generational trauma

42:22 The responsibilities that come with marriage

47:37 Negotiating boundaries in relationships

49:37 Effect of news and social media on your mental health

53:55 Bridging the divide

56:42 Disagreements and differences in relationships

58:53 When extroverts need introverts

1:00:32 Creating boundaries around technology

1:05:11 How to rebrand without relying on social media

1:12:43 What’s next and trying out new things

Links:

Instagram: @cchangandco

Website 1: www.christinechangphoto.com

Website 2: www.christinechang.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyv2WHLUch8m66QoKT2lZ0w

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Show-Up-Finding-Independent-Women-ebook/dp/B08BBB446J/

Sponsors:

Cymbiotika | Use code GROVES at checkout for 15% off your first purchase at cymbiotika.com. (Save up to 45% off when you buy a bundle!)

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Parenting, Coaching, Therapy, Personal Growth, Healing,, Authenticity, Belonging, Transformation, Career, Mental Health 

Summary: 

Today I have the pleasure of hosting coaching OG and powerhouse Christine Hassler on the pod! Christine is a master coach, facilitator, and speaker with over 20 years of experience. 

In this episode, Christine and I jam on everything from becoming a new parent, to the evolution of the coaching industry and the rise of young influencers, to the collective trauma we currently face and the need to deconstruct broken systems. We also dive into the importance of nervous system regulation (especially for educators), the power of somatic and talk therapy when combined, and Christine’s recommendations for daily regulation, integration, and empowerment. A fascinating talk you’ll gain so many insights from!

Discover:

Christine’s story on how she transitioned from a career-focused woman to a new mother and how she dealt with the overwhelming change of caring for a child

The season of early parenthood and why parents shouldn’t put so much pressure on themselves

The evolution of the personal growth industry, including its expansion into mainstream media and the corporate world and the acceptance of therapy and coaching

The impact of social media, on young influencers

How we’re living in a time where nearly everyone’s nervous system is dysregulated and why it’s so important for us to recognize that, plus tools you can use for regulation

00:00 Intro 

01:09 Transitioning from working woman to new mother

09:02 The season of early parenthood

12:15 What makes happy and well-adjusted humans 

19:31 The evolution of the coaching industry

27:38 Rise of young influencers (“iGen”)

37:18 Importance of nervous system regulation for educators

43:59 Somatic and talk therapy

46:42 Collective & individual trauma and deconstructing broken systems

51:03 Tools to help regulate your nervous system and feel more integrated and empowered

Links:

Website: www.christinehassler.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinehasslerpage/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/christinehassler/

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/over-it-and-on-with-it/id1050321415?mt=2

Sponsors:

Open | Try Open for 30 days free! Go to withopen.com/createthelove and use code CREATETHELOVE to sign up.

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Intuition, Spirituality, Trust, Alignment, Relationships, Authenticity, Self-Worth, Self-Love, Dating, Transformation 

Summary: 

Today I'm excited to have founder, creative, podcaster, writer, entrepreneur, all the things… Matt Gottesman. Matt soulfully aligns culture, creativity, spirituality, and entrepreneurship to help people live with intention and step into greater soul alignment.

In this episode, we explore the beautiful yet challenging path of what it means to walk your soul’s path with honesty, integrity, and trust at the forefront. Learn how to identify when your intuition is speaking, where it’s leading you, and how to get out of your own way so that your relationship with yourself and your relationships with others can expand in greater clarity and with less friction. Join us for this spiritual, relational jam session with mind-blowing AHA moments! 

Discover:

How to tell the difference between intuition and fear

The life-changing practice of being radically honest with yourself and others

Why we can have whatever we want when we play with clarity, consistency, leadership, honesty, integrity, and knowing who we are

How being in alignment with one's true self leads to healing and growth, both internally and externally

The importance of running your own race and letting your relationship expand you by stepping out of the way of your partner’s greatest alignment

00:00 Intro 

01:20 Your soul is your GPS

06:18 Honesty is a form of unconditional love

12:23 Honesty is like foreplay

16:42 The sacred tension between biology and soul

21:42 The power of living in alignment with your soul’s truth

26:11 Overcoming distractions and honouring your calling

31:00 The dopamine of the journey vs the outcome

37:56 The nuance of discourse creating connection

45:43 Trusting in oneself, the universe, and God

53:00 Finding yourself through marriage and divorce

58:38 Running your own race 

1:05:26 Can we love each other without needing each other to be the one?

Links:

Writing: mattgottesman.substack.com

Podcast: The Niche Is You

Community: https://community.build1thing.com 

Website: mattgottesman.com

Instagram: @mattgottesman

Sponsors:

Organifi | Use code CREATETHELOVE for 20% off sitewide at organifi.com/createthelove

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Health, Mindset, Transformation, Growth, Wellness, Self-care, Self-discovery, Gratitude

Summary: 

Today's guest, Ben Azadi, is a force to be reckoned with in the health and wellness world. Ben is on a mission to help 1 billion people live healthier lives after having gone through a personal health transformation and losing 80 pounds. Ben is the author of four best-selling books, Keto Flex, The Perfect Health Booklet, The Intermittent Fasting Cheat Sheet, and The Power of Sleep. Known as 'The Health Detective,' he investigates dysfunction and educates to bring the body back to normal function. 

In this episode, Ben and I jam on what it means to be truly healthy and why modern-day health advice is so misleading and ineffective. Ben takes us through his easy-to-implement steps to instantly improve our health, the top 8 highly most inflammatory foods we should avoid, and how intermittent fasting, ketosis, and protein intake can help us achieve optimal health when done right. If you’re like me and are constantly looking for ways to improve your health and need practical, no-BS guidelines to do it, this episode is for you! 

Discover:

How small changes can lead to big results that transform the quality of your health and your life

The top inflammatory foods that lead to poor health and why

How you can minimize toxin intake and damaging your health when eating at restaurants

The incredible benefits of the ketogenic diet, lowering glucose levels and increasing ketone production

The immense power of your mind when it comes to improving your overall well-being

00:00 Intro 

00:43 From victim to victor

04:46 From pain to purpose

06:09 The power of small changes

08:18 Importance of eating whole food

14:14 Eight highly inflammatory foods people should avoid

17:50 Start communicating your needs in restaurants

19:48 Three easy steps to instantly improving your health

24:58 Intermittent feasting

29:45 Ben's guidelines for protein intake

35:05 Benefits of ketones and the keto diet

39:49 Our body is a miracle

44:07 The cholesterol myth

48:25 The best ways to monitor your metabolic functions

53:43 The power of mindset on healing

58:00 The most important vitamin

Links:

Instagram: @thebenazadi 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/benazadi/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebenazadi

YouTube: www.youtube.com/ketokamp

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

Podcast: The Keto Kamp Podcast

Website: www.benazadi.com 

Sponsors:

Cymbiotika | Use code GROVES at checkout for 15% off your first purchase at cymbiotika.com. (Save up to 45% off when you buy a bundle!

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Politics, COVID, Individualism, Fear, Health, Government, Accountability, Truth, News & Media, Misinformation, Authenticity, Belonging, Transformation, Conflict, Mental Health

Summary: 

In this solo episode, I share my thoughts and grief on what has occurred over these last few years as a result of the pandemic. I believe in having open and honest discourse and avoiding inflammatory language that only pushes us further apart. I want to invite curiosity back into our experiences and encourage us to hold manipulative and dishonest individuals and groups accountable while keeping in mind that love and truth always win in the end! Let’s come together to change this world.

Discover:

Alternative viewpoints on how information as delivered to us during the pandemic

The usage of “misinformation” labels, nudge tactics, divisiveness, gaslighting, narcissism, and other abusive tactics

Why we must stand up as a village to hold the media and governing bodies accountable and demand truth and change

00:00 Intro 

00:53 Nudge tactics

02:45 Misinformation

03:56 You’re not free to choose if your freedom is at stake

07:22 There wasn’t enough data

10:16 They turned us against each other

13:34 Divisiveness, gaslighting, and narcissism

16:30 The importance of discourse without inflammatory language

21:52 We need to come together to make change

Links:

Emails referenced - The Virality Project: Twitter Files revealed that the US government and major social media companies worked hand-in-hand with Stanford University to censor or limit true information about Covid-19, suppress “true vaccine side effects” and “true posts which could fuel [vaccine] hesitancy.” The emails and documents were provided to Matt Taibbi by Twitter CEO Elon Musk. The documents, dubbed the "Twitter Files" and retweeted by Musk, were selected from "thousands of internal documents obtained by sources at Twitter." Matt Taibbi is an award winning author, journalist, and contributing editor for Rolling Stone. (Sources: New York Post, The Maine Wire, TRT World)

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Instagram | @createthelove

Facebook | @createthelove

Sponsors:

Create the Love Cards | Use code CTLCARDS15 for 15% off at createthelove.com/cards

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Themes: Psychology, Relationships, Anxiety, Resilience, Attachment Theory, Transformation, Conflict

Summary: 

Join me in a fascinating exploration of psychology and relationships with Jillian Turecki, a certified relationship coach, teacher and writer who for 20 years has taught others how to transform their relationships with themselves. Under the tutelage of Tony Robbins and world-renowned family therapist Cloe Madanes and fueled by an insatiable curiosity about what makes a relationship thrive, Jillian has helped thousands through her teaching and writing revolutionize their relationship with themselves so that they transform their relationships with others. 

 

In this episode, we explore the fascinating experiences in relationships that are often overlooked or labeled with pop-psychology terms like anxious and avoidant. Listen in to hear Jillian’s perspective on what women and men need most, how to be more objective to understand your partner better, and more of her greatest learnings from being in a relationship.

Discover:

Why attachment theory only scratches the surface of understanding each other

The biggest reasons why relationships fail

What men and women want and need most in relationship and how to understand each other better

00:00 Intro 

00:54 Jillian’s journey from yoga to relationship coach

10:36 Yoga and the mind

14:15 Somatic awareness

18:03 The loneliness of not being with yourself

19:52 The toxic dance of push-pull

26:43 How much anxiety in a relationship is too much?

28:25 We over-pathologize others as anxious or avoidant 

38:24 Asking for your needs to be met

40:28 Greatest learnings in relationship

44:13 Men and their needs in a relationship

49:31 The importance of being appreciated and understood

54:01 The complexity we hold due to familial dynamics

Links:

Website: www.jillianturecki.com

Podcast: https://listen.qcodemedia.com/jillianonlove

IG: @jillianturecki

Tik Tok: @jillian.turecki

Twitter: @JillianTurecki

Sponsors:

Open | Try Open for 30 days free! Go to withopen.com/createthelove and use code CREATETHELOVE to sign up.

WeWork | Get 50% off your first workspace booking with WeWork On Demand! Go to we.co/mark and use code WORKWITHMARK.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands