The Within Podcast

In this episode of Within, Ali Payne sits down with Sheena Mahan for an honest conversation about ambition, burnout, and the pressure many women feel to constantly keep climbing.

Together, they explore what happens when success starts to come at the expense of your wellbeing, your relationships, and your sense of self. From navigating leadership roles and career transitions to balancing motherhood, expectations, and identity, this episode dives into the realities so many high-performing women quietly carry.

Sheena shares her personal experience with burnout, the moment she realized she could no longer keep operating the way she had been, and the importance of setting boundaries before work begins to consume your identity. The conversation also touches on generational shifts in the workplace, the pressure women often place on themselves, and why it’s okay to stop chasing the next rung on the ladder if it no longer aligns with the life you want.

This episode is a reminder that success is not one-size-fits-all—and that adding value does not always require sacrificing yourself in the process.

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What if the system you trust to take care of your health… isn’t actually designed to?

In this Wish I Would Have Known episode, Dr. Steffany Mohan shares a powerful perspective from nearly 30 years in dentistry and a household deeply rooted in medicine.

Her biggest realization?

This conversation pulls back the curtain on how insurance models actually work, why they often conflict with quality care, and what that means for both providers and patients.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated navigating healthcare costs, coverage, or care decisions—this episode will give you a new lens.

About Dr. Steffany Mohan:

She also leads a sleep center focused on identifying and treating sleep apnea through non-invasive, patient-centered solutions.

Sleep Better DSM: https://sleepbetterdsm.com/

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For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com

What if your anxiety… wasn’t just in your head?

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttolph sit down with Heidi Valdez, owner of Mindful Counseling Des Moines, to unpack the powerful (and often overlooked) connection between chronic stress, gut health, and mental wellbeing.

Heidi shares her personal journey from working as a school social worker to experiencing her own health crisis—one that forced her to rethink everything she knew about stress, anxiety, and healing. What started as daily walks and a gut instinct led her into acupuncture, functional medicine, and ultimately, a completely new way of supporting both herself and her clients.

Now, she blends traditional therapy with holistic practices like breathwork, movement, and nervous system regulation—helping people move beyond just “coping” and into actually feeling better.

This conversation is a reminder that:

Stress isn’t just mental—it’s physical

About Heidi Valdez:

She also works with the Iowa Cubs as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, supporting both players and staff with mental health services.

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For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com

Starting a business looks exciting from the outside—but the reality? It’s a grind most people aren’t prepared for.

In this Wish I Would Have Known episode, James Eaton, founder of Project Lean Nation, shares the honest truth about entrepreneurship—what he thought it would be like vs. what it actually takes.

From wearing every hat in the business to realizing that even a health-focused brand doesn’t automatically attract customers, James opens up about the challenges of building something from the ground up.

But this conversation goes deeper than business.

It dives into human behavior—why people struggle to make healthy choices, how mindset impacts results, and what it really takes to help people change.

If you’re an entrepreneur—or someone trying to build better habits—this one will hit.

About our guest, James Eaton:

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

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For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com

In this special “I Wish I Would Have Known” episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttolph dive into a conversation that many people can relate to—but don’t always talk about.

What happens when you’re still showing up, getting your work done, and “keeping the wheels on the bus moving”… but you’re not actually okay?

Nicky shares a recent experience during her pregnancy where a colleague simply acknowledged that her energy felt different. That small moment sparked a much bigger reflection—how often do we show up to work not feeling like ourselves, but push through without saying anything?

The conversation explores the tension between professionalism and vulnerability, especially for leaders. From past experiences navigating stress, health challenges, and high-performance environments, both Nicky and Heidi reflect on the cost of “gutting it out” and the impact it can have on individuals, teams, and culture.

This episode is a reminder that while we don’t have to share everything, there’s power in awareness, communication, and creating environments where people feel seen—not just for their performance, but for who they are

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For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com

In a world full of diet trends, conflicting advice, and “quick fixes,” it’s easy to feel stuck when it comes to your health.

In this episode of Within, Nicky sits down with James Eaton, owner of Project Lean Nation, to break down what actually works when it comes to weight loss, nutrition, and building sustainable habits.

James shares his personal journey from pre-med student to entrepreneur after experiencing burnout, weight gain, and a complete lifestyle reset that changed everything. What started as a small coaching setup in his basement turned into a mission-driven business helping people simplify nutrition and finally see results.

This conversation cuts through the noise—no fads, no extremes—just real talk about food, data, and accountabilit

About our guest, James Eaton:

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

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For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com

What if the way you’ve been thinking about your health… is incomplete?

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttoph sit down with Dr. Steffany Mohan—a Dentist with nearly 30 years of experience who has completely redefined what it means to practice healthcare.

After struggling with her own health in her early 30s, Dr. Mohan began questioning the traditional medical model—and what she discovered changed everything. From root-cause healing to holistic dentistry, sleep apnea, and the impact of toxins in the body, this conversation dives deep into the gaps in our current system—and what you can do about it.

This episode will challenge how you think about:

Your body’s ability to heal

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, unheard, or like something is “off” despite being told everything is fine—this one is for you.

About Dr. Steffany Mohan:

She also leads a sleep center focused on identifying and treating sleep apnea through non-invasive, patient-centered solutions.

Sleep Better DSM: https://sleepbetterdsm.com/

Connect with hosts & guests:

For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace is joined by Heidi Buttoph for a powerful “I Wish I Would Have Known” conversation focused on something most of us overlook—our everyday environment.

If you’ve been doing “all the right things” for your health, but still feel off, this episode might explain why.

In this conversation, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttolph sit down with physical therapist Krysta Bryars, founder of Cryo Wellness Studio and Elm & Hearth, to unpack one of the most overlooked systems in the body: the lymphatic system.

Krysta shares her journey from traditional physical therapy into a more holistic, preventative approach to health—sparked by her experience working with complex patients, COVID recovery cases, and individuals navigating chronic conditions.

What she discovered?

This episode breaks down:

What the lymphatic system actually does

If you’ve ever felt stuck in your health journey, this conversation will open your eyes to a missing piece.

About Our Guest, Krysta Bryars:

She is also the creator of Elm & Hearth, a wellness-focused retreat space designed to help people disconnect, reset, and reconnect with their health in a more intentional way.

Connect with Krysta :

Instagram: @cryowellness.studio

About the show: 

Potential Within website: thepeopleco-com/potentialwithin

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For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Allie Sartain dive into a topic that impacts everyone—but is often misunderstood: stress.

From fast-paced careers to everyday life demands, stress can become so normalized that we stop recognizing the signals our bodies are sending us. Nicky and Allie share personal experiences of living in a constant state of “go,” and how that chronic stress began to show up physically—through posture, pain, and overall health challenges.

The conversation explores how the body processes stress, why it doesn’t distinguish between everyday pressures and real danger, and how that can lead to long-term effects when left unaddressed. They also unpack the connection between stress, posture, fascia, and movement—and how small, intentional changes can begin to shift how your body responds.

This episode is a reminder that your body is always communicating with you—and learning to listen may be one of the most important steps in your wellbeing journey.

About Our Guest

Allie Sartain is an Integrative Trichologist and women’s health advocate. She helps women stop guessing and start understanding their bodies. By blending scalp science, nervous system regulation, and conscious living, Allie teaches that beauty is a reflection of internal balance — and that hair is often just the beginning of the conversation.

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For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com