The Smith & Savage Podcast

In this episode, Levi sits down with longtime friend and therapist/coach Christy Hey for a wide ranging conversation about freedom, grief, creativity, coaching vs. therapy, and what it means to live with intention. Christy shares her personal journey through work, play– and why real growth often begins in discomfort.

Listen

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube

Connect

Instagram | Coachmate Collective

Resources

Films & Television

• One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

  Referenced in relation to Christy's work at Oregon State Hospital, where the film was set.

  Watch Here: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

• The White Lotus

  Discussed for its exploration of men in crisis, identity, wealth, despair, and suicide.

  Watch Here: The White Lotus

• It's A Wonderful Life

  Referenced as a meditation on gratitude, perspective, and the value of life. Also depicts exploration of men and crisis.

  Watch Here: It's A Wonderful Life

Therapy & Coaching Platforms

• Better Help

  Website: betterhelp.com

• CoachMate Collective

  Non-profit co-founded by Christy to provide coaching for individuals impacted by incarceration.

  Website: coachmatecollective.org

• Academy of Coaching Excellence

  The training organization behind the coaching model used in CoachMate collective.

  Website: acecoachtraining.com

Books

• The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist

  Explores the relationship between the brain's hemispheres, arguing that the creative holistic mind should lead, with logic serving it – a central theme in Christy's reflections on balance, creativity, and meaning.

• The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm

  A foundational work on mature love, individuality, and connection. Christy reads this quote from the book" "

Quotes From Christy Hey

• "Therapy helps us heal to a baseline. Coaching helps us move beyond it into what's possible." – Christy Hey
• "Grief is actually a really beautiful thing, but only if we let it move through us." – Christy Hey
• "When identity is based only on achievement, we lose connection to ourselves." – Christy Hey
• "Stories are essential to our humanity." – Christy Hey

A conversation with professional drummer Mark Danger Powers on the unseen work behind mastery, the discipline of listening, and why curiosity is the engine of a creative life.

Listen

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube

Connect 

You can find Mark Powers here 

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Resources

Master Class

Books

Slammin' Simon

Quotes From Mark

“These instruments will tell you the truth immediately. You can’t fake it.”

“The work is mostly invisible. That’s where everything actually happens.”

“Sometimes the most important thing you can play is nothing at all.”

Bobby Hooper is the owner of Afterlife Bar in Portland Oregon. He is also a musician, an artist, and if you know Bobby, you know he is a main hub that connects so many wonderful people from every corner of the world. In this deeply human conversation, Bobby reflects on love, grief, the Maui wildfires, and the ways suffering can either harden or deepen us. The episode balances tragedy with grace, presence, and hope.

Sponsored by

Going to the Sun Gallery 

Website | Instagram | Google

Listen

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Youtube

Connect 

You can find Bobby Hooper at Afterlife in Portland, Oregon 

Afterlife | Website | Instagram | Facebook

Resources

Lahaina Strong

👉 Website

This is a community-led effort rooted right in Lahaina — run by people from the island who are focused not just on relief but on rebuilding a resilient, sustainable, and just future for the town and surrounding communities. Donations help with local initiatives, advocacy for equitable support, and long-term recovery efforts that put Lahaina residents first.

GoFundMe Maui Wildfire Relief Fund

👉 Website

Every fundraiser on this page has been verified by GoFundMe’s Trust & Safety experts — donors can give to the general fund or browse individual/ community fundraisers they trust.

Maui Strong Fund (Hawai‘i Community Foundation)

👉 Website

This fund was created by the Hawai‘i Community Foundation to support both immediate relief and long-term recovery needs for people and places affected by the wildfires.

Headspace

Visit Website

Books

Your Forces and How to Use Them

The Artist's Way (Morning Pages)