Think Your Way to an Epic Life

Can childhood trauma affect your physical health decades later? And what role does your identity play in healing?

In this episode of Think Your Way to an Epic Life, host Kara Schug welcomes Bradley McDevitt, executive coach, leadership developer, and depth psychologist, to explore the fascinating connections between childhood trauma, identity, the brain, and physical health.

Together, they dive into Chapter 9 of Cured by Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, examining how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may influence long-term health, how our sense of identity develops, and what research into spontaneous remission can teach us about the mind-body connection.

In this episode, you'll discover:
- How adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with chronic illness and long-term health outcomes
- What the Default Mode Network reveals about the brain and our sense of identity
- How childhood trauma can influence the nervous system, stress responses, and biological processes
- The fascinating research behind spontaneous remission and unexplained recoveries
- Why changing deeply rooted beliefs and patterns may be an important part of personal healing
- How Bradley's 20+ years in professional theater shaped his approach to identity and leadership
- The powerful question that could change how you see yourself

About Bradley McDevitt

Bradley McDevitt is the founder of IACULUS Coaching & Consulting, an executive coach, and a leadership development professional. He serves on the coaching team at the Center for Creative Leadership and teaches at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Combining depth psychology, creativity, and leadership development, Bradley helps individuals explore identity, reclaim personal agency, and create meaningful transformation.

Learn more about Bradley: https://iaculus.org

Special Offer: Listeners can receive 20% off Bradley's upcoming fall/winter workshops. Visit his website for more information.

Resources Mentioned:

📖 Cured by Dr. Jeffrey Rediger — Available on Amazon and Audible

🧠 Take the Original ACE Questionnaire: https://omlumi.com/tests/ace-test

🔬 CDC — Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html

🌐 Bradley McDevitt / IACULUS: https://iaculus.org

🎙️ Bradley's Podcast Appearance: https://zeno.fm/podcast/a-world-of-difference/episodes/your-body-knows-before-your-brain-does-building-trust-through-somatic-leadership-with-bradley-mcdevitt/

🔗 Connect with Bradley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleymcdevitt/

About Think Your Way to an Epic Life

Join Kara Schug as she explores personal growth, mindset, self-awareness, and the tools that help us create more fulfilling lives. Through meaningful conversations with experts and thought leaders, discover new perspectives on how you think, live, and grow.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to Think Your Way to an Epic Life for more episodes about personal development, mindset, emotional well-being, and transformation.

This episode is for educational purposes and does not replace professional medical or mental health advice. ACE scores describe population-level risk, not an individual's medical destiny. Spontaneous remission stories do not establish that identity work can cure disease.

#ChildhoodTrauma #MindBodyConnection #HealingYourIdentity #ACEs #PersonalGrowth 

Why are you so hard on yourself? In this solo episode, life coach Kara Schug shares the inner critic she lived with for decades ("Way to go, genius… Can't you do anything right?") and the moment it switched sides and became her cheerleader.

You'll learn where your inner critic comes from, what it's really costing you and your relationships, and four simple, research-backed steps to turn it down: Notice, Laugh, Reword, Breathe. Kara closes with a short guided breathwork and sentence-completion exercise. Please don't do it while driving.

Free resource:✨ Destiny — a free guided experience to discover your superpower, your biggest internal block, and what you truly want: https://destiny-production-2619.up.railway.app/ 

Research mentioned:
Li, Luyten & Midgley (2020), Childhood emotional abuse and depression: a systematic review
Zalta et al. (2014), Change in negative cognitions in prolonged exposure therapy
Masuda et al. (2004), Cognitive defusion and self-relevant negative thoughts
Hatzigeorgiadis et al. (2011), Self-talk and sports performance: a meta-analysis
Kross et al. (2014), Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism
Balban et al. (2023), Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood
Gilovich, Medvec & Savitsky (2000), The spotlight effect 

#InnerCritic #SelfTalk #SelfCompassion 

Are you a people pleaser, or just a kind person?

In this solo episode, recovering people pleaser and life coach Kara Schug breaks down how to tell the difference between genuine kindness and people pleasing — and why the difference matters.

You’ll learn:

5 signs you might be a people pleaser
The difference between kindness and people pleasing
Where people pleasing starts and why it can become a survival strategy
What people pleasing is costing you — and the people around you
Why people may push back when you stop saying yes
An 8-step “retraining manual” for setting boundaries without guilt
Simple ways to say no without over-explaining
A guided breathwork and sentence-completion exercise to help you practice

Free resources:

📧 Full people-pleasing sentence-completion set: email [email protected] with “people pleasing” in the subject line

✨ Destiny — a free guided experience to discover your superpower, your biggest internal block, and what you truly want: https://destiny-production-2619.up.railway.app/

Research mentioned:

Butler, Gross et al. (2003), The Social Consequences of Expressive Suppression
Lebowitz et al. (2020), SPACE parent-based treatment for childhood anxiety
Wood, Quinn & Kashy (2002), Habits in Everyday Life
MacBeth & Gumley (2012), Self-compassion meta-analysis
Neff & Beretvas (2013), Self-compassion in romantic relationships 

In this episode, we sit down with Brigitta Dau, a Certified Life Coach, Reiki Master, Author, and Pilates Instructor, to talk about self-sabotage, breaking bad habits, personal growth, and creating a more meaningful life.

Brigitta shares her unique journey from professional actress in Canada and Los Angeles to Pilates instructor, life coach, and Reiki Master. We discuss why people often get in their own way, how negative habits develop, and what we can do to create lasting change.

We also talk about:

Why we self-sabotage and how to recognize it
Breaking negative habits and creating empowering ones
The connection between physical and personal well-being
Brigitta's experience giving up alcohol
Body image and personal growth
Meditation and mindfulness
Reiki and energy healing
The importance of creativity, play, and crafting
Finding purpose and living a meaningful life
Brigitta's journey from acting to coaching

Brigitta has written two books and works with clients through virtual one-on-one coaching sessions and online workshops.

Learn more about Brigitta:
Website: BrigittaDau.com
Instagram: @BrigittaDauCoaching
Facebook: Brigitta Dau Coaching

🎁 FREE OFFER:
Mention this podcast episode when reaching out to Brigitta and receive a free distance Reiki transmission with her Reiki Transmission Group.

Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share the podcast with someone who might benefit from the conversation.

Destiny, the app we built to help people self-discover their biggest superpower, their biggest internal block, and what they really want.

Destiny App:
https://destiny-production-2619.up.railway.app/ 

In this episode, we sit down with Veronica Castro-Albano, a Certified Women’s Transformational Life Coach, author, and speaker who helps women stop comparing themselves, love who they are, and live a more meaningful life.

Veronica shares the personal story that led her to create Souls Tide Women’s Life Coaching and discusses her journey through clinical depression and anxiety, becoming a mother, writing and publishing books, and ultimately becoming a transformational life coach.

We talk about why so many women lose touch with their own dreams and goals while taking care of their families, careers, and everyone around them—and how to reconnect with yourself, stop comparing yourself to others, and find more meaning and joy in your own life.

Veronica's message is simple: you don't want to wake up one day and realize you missed your own life.

In this conversation:
- Why we constantly compare ourselves to others
- Learning to love and accept who you are
- Finding yourself again when you've become disconnected from your own goals
- How to stop living according to other people's expectations
- Finding more meaning, purpose, and joy in everyday life
- Veronica's personal journey with depression and anxiety
- Becoming a transformational life coach and entrepreneur
- Why it's never too late to pursue your dreams
- How to become more intentional with the life you're living right now

Connect with Veronica Castro-Albano:
Instagram: @soulstide
Facebook: @soulstide
YouTube: @SOULSTIDE
LinkedIn: Veronica Castro-Albano
Website: soulstide.com

FREE GUIDE: Veronica offers a free "Check In With Yourself" reflection guide to help you pause, reconnect with yourself, and recognize what you may need in this season of your life.

#SelfLove #PersonalGrowth #LifeCoaching 

Why does personal growth sometimes stall—even when you've read the books, done the inner work, and tried to become a better version of yourself?

In this episode, I sit down with Carolyn Brouillard, author of Your Untamed Truths: Reclaiming Self-Sovereignty, to talk about the gap between knowing what you want and actually living it.

Carolyn has taken a fascinating path through life—from riding freight trains as a teenage punk, to building a corporate career, to retiring in her early 40s to pursue her dreams. Along the way, she discovered that even significant personal growth doesn't necessarily mean we've stopped getting in our own way.

We talk about why personal growth can plateau, how old stories and patterns quietly influence our decisions, and what it means to live with greater self-sovereignty.

Carolyn also shares practical ways to recognize when your actions aren't aligned with what you truly want, including two simple questions she uses to cut through the noise:

Is it mine?
Does it align?

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why personal growth stalls even when you're doing the work
• The difference between insight and actually changing your life
• Self-sabotage and the patterns that keep us stuck
• What self-sovereignty really means
• How to leave behind careers, relationships, and identities that no longer fit
• Spiritual bypassing and the importance of telling yourself the truth
• How to recognize when your choices aren't aligned with who you are
• Setting boundaries and dealing with resistance from people around you
• How to make more coherent decisions in everyday life
• Finding your "life intention" and what you're here to master and share
• The powerful question: "How good can it get?"

Carolyn's book, Your Untamed Truths: Reclaiming Self-Sovereignty, is available through major book retailers.

Learn more about Carolyn and Untamed Truths:
https://www.youruntamedtruths.com/

Substack:
https://untamedtruths.substack.com/

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

If you enjoyed the conversation, be sure to subscribe for more conversations about personal growth, mindset, purpose, performance, and building a better life.

#PersonalGrowth #SelfImprovement #SelfSovereignty 

 Are you living intentionally—or simply going through the motions?

In this episode, we sit down with entrepreneur, author, speaker, and real estate investor Marty Hofmann, author of Kill Complacency, to talk about one of the biggest obstacles standing between where you are and where you want to be: complacency.

Marty shares how to break free from autopilot living, develop greater discipline, build powerful habits, and start becoming your future self now.

With more than a decade of experience in real estate investing, 80+ transactions, and a $13 million portfolio, Marty has built businesses and wealth—but his message goes far beyond financial success. He believes that showing up consistently, making intentional choices, and refusing to settle for mediocrity can transform every area of your life.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why complacency can quietly keep you stuck
• How to stop living on autopilot and start living intentionally
• Becoming your future self now
• Building discipline when motivation disappears
• How your daily habits shape your future
• Breaking self-sabotaging patterns
• The importance of consistency over intensity
• Balancing business, marriage, family, faith, and personal growth
• Why “good enough” can become one of the biggest obstacles to growth
• How to take control of your mindset and create lasting change

If you've been feeling stuck, comfortable, unmotivated, or like you're capable of more, this conversation is for you.

📖 Get Marty’s book, Kill Complacency: https://a.co/d/05bRZYPV

🎯 Take the free Kill Complacency assessment: killcomplacency.life

Learn more about Marty and his work: https://www.killcomplacency.com/about-marty-hofmann/

If you enjoyed the episode, like the video, subscribe, and leave a comment with one area of your life where you're refusing to settle for complacency. 

Life Transition Coach Ellen Rothstein joins Think Your Way to an Epic Life to explain how to navigate major life changes, overcome limiting beliefs, and move forward when you don't know what comes next.

Whether you're facing a career change, layoff, retirement, divorce, empty nest, relationship change, or another unexpected transition, uncertainty can make you feel like you need to figure out your entire future before taking action.

Ellen shares her own experience of reinventing herself after being laid off and introduces her I-P-I method: Identify, Prioritize, Implement — a practical approach for turning an overwhelming transition into manageable next steps.

In this conversation, you'll discover why capable people get stuck during change, how limiting beliefs can influence your decisions, why waiting for complete certainty can keep you frozen, and how taking one small action can begin creating clarity.

If you're standing between the life you've known and whatever comes next, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Ellen Rothstein through Ellen Rothstein Coaching and LinkedIn. 

1. Masterclass Registration - "The Hidden Cost of Success"
A live conversation with Dr. Ron Stotts & Kara Schug on how high achievers finally learn to enjoy what they've built instead of just chasing the next milestone.

Date & Time: Sep 2, 2026, 11:00 AM Mountain Time
Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8EIiux2lQiq4UOyEXb2wCQ#/registration

2. Destiny App
Attendees get free access to Destiny, the app we built to help people self-discover their biggest superpower, their biggest internal block, and what they really want.

Destiny App:
https://destiny-production-2619.up.railway.app/

What if the qualities that make you a great leader are actually holding your company back?

In this episode, Troy sits down with Bill Flynn—author, entrepreneur, speaker, multi-certified growth coach, and member of Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches community—to unpack The Hero Trap and why so many successful leaders become the biggest bottleneck in their own organizations.

Bill has spent more than 30 years working across 10 startups, 2 IPOs, and 7 acquisitions, giving him a unique perspective on leadership, entrepreneurship, company growth, and organizational performance.

The problem? Many leaders become so good at solving problems, making decisions, driving strategy, and getting things done that their organizations become dependent on them.

Bill argues that the best leaders don't build organizations that need them to do everything—they build systems, teams, and cultures that can thrive without them.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The Hero Trap and how successful leaders fall into it
• Why great individual contributors can struggle as leaders
• How leaders can stop becoming the bottleneck
• Why most companies struggle with change, vision, strategy, and decision-making
• The biggest mistakes leaders make when building teams
• How to create organizations that don't depend on one person
• Why feedback, hiring, meetings, and innovation often go wrong
• The difference between being a great leader and being a great organizational architect
• How CEOs and entrepreneurs can scale themselves and their businesses
• What Bill learned from 30+ years of startups, IPOs, and acquisitions
• Why leadership development often fails to create lasting behavior change

Bill Flynn is the author of The Hero Trap, the first book in his Performance Operating System series, and has worked with hundreds of CEOs and senior leaders through organizations including Vistage, EO, and YPO.

If you're a CEO, entrepreneur, business owner, executive, or aspiring leader, this conversation offers practical ideas for becoming a better leader while building an organization that can actually operate without you.

Amazon link to The Hero Trap: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGMSNG9C?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Subscribe for more conversations on leadership, business, personal growth, and building an epic life.

#Leadership #Business #Entrepreneurship #CEO #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #TheHeroTrap 

What happens when you spend your life trying to meet everyone else's expectations?

In this episode, we sit down with entrepreneur, author, speaker, and identity and leadership strategist Kamini Wood to talk about one of the biggest obstacles to living an authentic and fulfilling life: outsourcing your self-worth.

Kamini shares how people-pleasing, external validation, guilt, shame, and unhealthy relationship patterns can cause us to lose touch with who we really are. We also explore how to break those patterns, establish healthier boundaries, rebuild confidence, and become the leader of your own life.

Kamini brings a deeply personal perspective to the conversation, including her experience leaving an abusive marriage, helping her children heal, and transforming her own relationship with herself.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why we become dependent on external validation
• The difference between people-pleasing and genuinely caring for others
• Codependency vs. healthy interdependence
• How toxic relationships can affect our identity
• Why setting boundaries can trigger guilt and shame
• How self-compassion builds resilience and confidence
• Breaking limiting beliefs and destructive behavior patterns
• How to stop living according to other people's expectations
• What it means to become your own “self-leader”
• How to rebuild your relationship with yourself

Kamini Wood is the author of OM: Life's Gentle Reminders, a speaker and the host of the RiseUp - Live Joy Your Way podcast. She studied positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and works with high achievers on confidence, imposter syndrome, boundaries, relationships, resilience, and authentic self-leadership.

If you've ever struggled with people-pleasing, needing approval, setting boundaries, or feeling like you're responsible for everyone else's happiness, this conversation is for you.

Learn more about Kamini and access her free ebook on limiting beliefs: kaminiwood.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/itsauthenticme

#SelfWorth #PeoplePleasing #PersonalGrowth #SelfLeadership #Confidence