In this very special episode of The Zev Project, we got a group of friends together and recorded a conversation I had with my dear friend and spiritual warrior, Tracy Brown (you'll remember her from Season 1). Tracy shares here some tender words around vulnerability and believing in goodness even in the hardest circumstances, and about coming together as a community to share and hold one another's stories. We also have special guest Aaron Wardle playing two original songs of his. It's an incredible gift to bring this live episode to the airwaves, and we hope you enjoy it!

If you'd like to hear more of Tracy's story, listen and subscribe to her podcast The Wild Goose. It will absolutely blow your mind and heart.

Also, please check out our nonprofit 4those that brings hope, healing and possibility to other former micropreemies and their families at www.4those.org

Happy listening, and welcome to The Zev Project!

We have a very special guest on this episode of The Zev Project - Dr. James Barry, Medical Director of the NICU at UC Health, where Zev (and we) spent his first five months of life. Dr. Barry provides key insights that speak to why building relationships with families and supporting his staff are some of the most critical components of care for the hospital's smallest patients, plus so much more. We hope you enjoy the episode!

And be sure to check out our nonprofit, 4those, to see how we're bringing hope, healing and possibility to micropreemies and their families and learn how you can participate: https://www.4those.org

This week on The Zev Project, we welcome Courtney Cozzitorto, a wife, a stepmom, an aunt, an avid hiker, and an aerospace professional. She's a powerhouse of a woman who occupies some of the most non-traditional spaces, and has carved out a place at some very unlikely tables. In her early 30s, Courtney was diagnosed with unexplained Premature Ovarian Failure, better known as early menopause. It was a long road, as you'll hear, for Courtney, and today, she shares her story openly both here and on her Instagram page, @resculpting_a_woman, to help others work through their grief and navigate their own paths of infertility.

Thank you so much for being here and listening!

To learn more about The Zev Project, visit us at www.thezevproject.com

To learn more about how we are bringing hope, healing and possibility to former micropreemies and their families through our nonprofit 4those, visit us here: www.4those.org

In this episode of The Zev Project, Steph interviews Lindsey Cannon, an absolute force of a human. A number of years ago on the day before Thanksgiving, which happened to also be the day after her daughter's first birthday, Lindsey had a seizure, and what followed changed the trajectory of her life as she knew it.

What you hear in this discussion is a vulnerable and honest look at living out your story, whatever it looks like, in remarkable ways, and Lindsey gets to the heart of it through sharing anecdotes that touch, relate to, and inspire us all.

Thanks for listening!

For more information on First Descents, visit them here: www.firstdescents.org

For more information about our new nonprofit 4those, visit us here: www.4those.org

This week, our very special guest is Jessica Birmingham, owner of Happy Day Plants (www.happydayplants.com) - a plant and gift shop in Longmont, CO, and a place where Jess bridges her business and her passion to provide meaningful life and job opportunities for adults with disabilities, inspired by her oldest daughter who happens to have Down Syndrome.

Listen to Jessica share her incredible story here about the intersection of motherhood, advocacy, and building a full and meaningful life no matter what the road looks like.

We're back from a long hiatus! After releasing the first 2 episodes of Season 3, our plans for the year got a bit redirected - lots of loving on and celebrating former micropreemies like Zev and their families and lots (and lots and lots) of running. But here we are! Ready to release and finish up the final season of The Zev Project. We have some incredible guests and interviews ahead. We can't wait to share them with you!

If you'd like to check out our nonprofit 4those, find us online at www.4those.org where we are writing a new story for micropreemie families, or visit us on Instagram @4thoseorg to stay up-to-date with all of our awesome happenings!

This week's episode features Ben LeRoy, the founder and former publisher of two successful publishing houses, and one of the founding team members of Collaborist, a group and company dedicated to bringing people together and helping them tell their stories in a variety of ways. At Collaborist, Ben works to help people feel heard, create community, and forge meaningful relationships with nonprofits. He and his co-founder also host a weekly podcast called Collaborcast, where they talk shop bout all things writing, share personal and helpful anectdotes, and come up with incredible metal band names by way of talking about their local weather.

Ben comes to the storytelling table with both knowledge and heart. In 2014, he set out to do volunteer work in all 50 states as part of the Be Local Everywhere project. Ben is an inspiring human, an incredible storyteller, and a wonderful friend, and we can't wait for you to hear what he has to say as we set the stage for why we tell our stories and what's ahead this season.

Welcome to Season 3 of The Zev Project.

We're back with Season 3! About a year after Zev came home, we asked people who were there with us during the Zev season to share some of their memories and recollections about that time. Each recording opens up the gates to new ways of looking at our bigger story. In these shares, you will hear narratives of hope, faith, fear, grief, love, community, connection, and humanity. There are so many seeds of wisdom that speak to the impact sharing one story can have in the world at large. I hope you find peace and love in these words. And if you are in your own valley, please know that our community is your community, and we are all with you as you go forward living out your own big, narrative-shifting stories in the world. Happy listening!

For more information about our nonprofit, 4those, please visit us at www.4those.org, on Instagram @4thoseorg, or find the link through The Zev Project website at www.thezevproject.com.

The Zev Project is coming back with its third season installment where we dive into other experiences of hardship and hope. Steph also gives some big updates about what has been going on behind the scenes of The Zev Project, including the launch of their new nonprofit 4those, an adaptive retreat space that provides healing, hope, and possibility for families who have experienced the journey of extreme prematurity.

In the final episode of Season 2, we review the concept of Tell Me What's Good and how this simple strategy can radically transform the way we posture in our most difficult circumstances. We also talk about what's coming up for Season 3, and how you can participate in the incredible narratives of hope in the world.