UpShift Podcast

In this episode, Angel Howard talks with retired attorney Wanda Sobieski about a life shaped by curiosity, persistence, and a drive to understand how laws and social expectations affect women. Wanda shares her path from growing up in a conservative Ozarks family to becoming an attorney and advocate for women’s rights. She also explores the long fight for women’s suffrage, Tennessee’s pivotal role in ratifying the 19th Amendment, and the sacrifices made by generations of women seeking the right to vote. The conversation concludes with Wanda’s work to create the Women’s Suffrage Museum in Knoxville, an interactive museum designed to preserve these stories and help future generations understand the history behind rights that can be easy to take for granted.

Takeaways

• Wanda developed a habit of questioning social expectations from an early age.
• Education became possible for her because of scholarships, work, persistence, and support from teachers who saw her potential.
• Her experiences with discrimination helped shape her interest in law and equal rights.
• Wanda entered law school in the 1970s and built a long legal career that included construction litigation and family law.
• Her involvement with the Equal Rights Amendment led her to study the history of the women’s suffrage movement.
• The fight for women’s suffrage lasted decades and involved organizing, protest, imprisonment, and personal sacrifice.
• Tennessee played a critical role in the final ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920.
• Harry Burn’s deciding vote, influenced by a letter from his mother, Febb Burn, became a defining moment in the Tennessee suffrage story.
• Wanda believes much of women’s history has not been taught with enough depth or context.
• Her work on the Women’s Suffrage Museum aims to preserve that history through artifacts, interactive exhibits, education, and storytelling.

Today's guest, Wanda Sobieski, can be found at:

Website: https://womenssuffragemuseum.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wanda-sobieski-894a9b13/

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

Women’s Suffrage, Women’s Rights, 19th Amendment, Equal Rights Amendment, Voting Rights, Women’s History, Suffrage Movement, Tennessee History, Women’s Suffrage Museum, Harry Burn, Febb Burn, Alice Paul, Susan B. Anthony, Gender Equality, American History

Dr. Christiaan Oranje explores why people can achieve outward success yet still feel empty, exhausted, or trapped in repeating patterns. He explains his concept of the “triple dynamic,” which connects suppressed emotions, unconscious conditioning, and the role life experiences can play in revealing unresolved issues. Christiaan also discusses the difference between the subconscious and unconscious mind, his use of sound-based practices to help clients explore deeper emotional patterns, and his belief that lasting change requires addressing root causes rather than only changing habits. The conversation also explores resilience, past-life beliefs, the higher self, emotional healing, and the importance of creating safe conditions for deeper personal transformation.

Takeaways

• Suppressing difficult emotions can affect both emotional well-being and a person's ability to experience positive feelings.
• Christiaan describes a “triple dynamic” involving emotional suppression, life experiences that expose unresolved issues, and deeper unconscious conditioning.
• Outward success and wealth do not always create fulfillment, especially when deeper emotional issues remain unresolved.
• Difficult people, situations, physical conditions, and emotional struggles can act as “mirrors” or catalysts that bring unresolved patterns into awareness.
• Christiaan distinguishes between subconscious habits and unconscious root causes that may continue driving those habits.
• His sound-based approach uses music, bodily sensations, imagery, shapes, textures, and guided reflection to help clients explore unconscious material.
• Lasting change may require addressing the root cause of a pattern rather than repeatedly trying to change the behavior it produces.
• Christiaan believes some personal struggles may involve spiritual lessons, life purpose, or patterns connected to past lives.
• Deeper transformational work should take place within conditions that create safety, preparation, self-care, and trust.
• Resilience involves learning how to move from fear or another non-resourceful state into a state that supports clarity, strength, and effective action.

Today's guest, Christiaan Oranje, can be found at:

Website: https://www.thesoulmattersmentor.com/, https://walkingtheredcarpet.co.uk/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiaanoranje/

Contact E-mail: [email protected]

Free Gift: https://walkingtheredcarpet.co.uk/1/freebie-5-steps-to-transform/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

Emotional Healing, Personal Transformation, Spiritual Wellness, Suppressed Emotions, Unconscious Mind, Subconscious Mind, Trauma, Burnout, Fulfillment, Resilience, Sound Healing, Limiting Beliefs, Emotional Patterns, Self-Awareness, Higher Self, Past Lives, Karmic Patterns, Life Purpose, Emotional Regulation, Mind Body Connection

In this conversation, Mary Guerdoux-Harries discusses her approach to understanding and managing energy through four key sources: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Drawing from athletic performance principles, coaching methodologies, and her own personal journey, she explains how recognizing what boosts and drains each area can help people improve performance, prevent burnout, and make more intentional decisions. The conversation explores the limits of pushing through challenges with discipline alone, the importance of self-compassion, the role of personal values, and how small, sustainable changes can create meaningful progress. Mary also shares practical ways to navigate procrastination, perfectionism, workplace frustration, cultural expectations, and situations where other people's pace or priorities differ from your own.

Takeaways

• Energy can be understood through four key sources: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
• Sustainable performance requires understanding what personally boosts and drains each area of your energy.
• Discipline and pushing through discomfort can produce short-term results, but they are not always sustainable over time.
• Self-compassion and curiosity can be more effective than criticizing yourself when motivation or discipline disappears.
• Procrastination can be connected to perfectionism, especially when expectations are set so high that taking action feels overwhelming.
• Breaking large goals into small, achievable actions can create positive emotional momentum and encourage continued progress.
• Recognizing what you can control and influence can reduce stress when working with people, teams, or organizations that operate differently from you.
• Personal values play an important role in spiritual energy and can help determine whether your daily actions are aligned with what truly matters to you.
• Repeatedly pushing through situations that drain your energy can be an early warning sign of burnout.
• Building awareness through regular observation and reflection can help you identify energy patterns, make better choices, and create sustainable change.

Today's guest, Mary Guerdoux-Harries, can be found at:

Website: https://www.resonance.coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-guerdoux-harries/

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

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

energy management, four pillars of energy, physical energy, mental energy, emotional energy, spiritual energy, burnout prevention, self-awareness, personal values, sustainable performance, discipline, self-compassion, motivation, procrastination, perfectionism, leadership, coaching, personal growth, resilience, work-life balance

In this conversation, mental health practitioner Kelly Nenezian discusses bioenergetics and the role of the body in processing trauma and emotions. Drawing from her own childhood experiences and years of somatic work, she explains how trauma can create lasting patterns of muscular tension, emotional suppression, and physical bracing that cannot always be resolved through cognitive approaches alone. The discussion explores the connection between the mind and body, the importance of safely expressing emotions such as fear, sadness, and anger, and how somatic therapy can help people recognize patterns that influence their relationships, careers, health, and sense of self. Kelly also discusses intergenerational trauma, the importance of human connection during healing, her book Raised to Be a Soldier, and Healing For All, her nonprofit focused on expanding access to mental health care.

Takeaways

• Bioenergetics is a body-based approach to therapy that addresses trauma and emotions through physical awareness and somatic techniques.
• Trauma can create unconscious patterns of muscular tension, restricted breathing, physical bracing, and emotional suppression.
• Cognitive therapies can provide valuable coping strategies, while somatic work aims to address deeper physical and emotional patterns.
• People may intellectually understand their trauma but still experience automatic physical and emotional reactions that cannot simply be thought away.
• Suppressing emotions such as sadness, fear, and anger can create internal pressure, making safe emotional expression an important part of healing.
• Somatic therapy can help people become more aware of what feels authentic in their relationships, careers, and daily lives.
• Healing can require confronting beliefs and life patterns that were formed around trauma, shame, obligation, or the expectations of others.
• Trauma patterns can be intergenerational, with unresolved experiences and behaviors repeating across families and relationships.
• Human connection is an important part of deep emotional processing, and people are not necessarily meant to work through their most difficult experiences alone.
• Kelly's work extends beyond individual therapy through her book Raised to Be a Soldier and Healing For All, a nonprofit that helps underserved people in Florida access therapists of their choice.

Today's guest, Kelly Nenezian, can be found at:

Website: https://www.gainesvillehealinghouse.com/

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

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

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

bioenergetics, somatic therapy, somatic healing, mental health, trauma, childhood trauma, trauma recovery, mind-body connection, emotional healing, emotional suppression, nervous system, body awareness, muscular tension, physical bracing, cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT, coping mechanisms, emotional expression, anger, fear, grief, sadness, stress, cortisol, inflammation, intergenerational trauma, generational trauma, epigenetics, relationships, self-awareness, authenticity, shame, healing, therapy, body-based therapy, emotional regulation, Gainesville Healing House, Healing For All, mental health disparities, nonprofit, telehealth, trauma patterns

In this episode, Angel Howard speaks with dyslexia educator Russell Van Brocklen about his personal experience with severe reading and writing challenges and the teaching methods he developed from that experience. Russell explains how he uses a student’s area of strong interest, specific-to-general questioning, repetition, and a process he calls word analysis followed by articulation to build reading and writing skills. He shares examples of students who improved their literacy levels through parent-led instruction and discusses his goal of helping families and schools use these methods at a lower cost. The conversation also explores student motivation, ADHD, dysgraphia, research writing, and the role of artificial intelligence in preparing young people for future work.

Takeaways

• Russell’s work grew from his own experience with severe dyslexia and discrimination in higher education.
• He says dyslexic students often rely more on the front part of the brain when processing language.
• His method uses word analysis followed by articulation to help students form and correct sentences.
• Students begin with topics they like or dislike so they can practice with familiar ideas.
• Reading written work aloud helps students notice grammar and sentence structure problems.
• Repetition plays a major role in his approach to spelling, writing, and sentence development.
• Russell encourages parents to find each child’s specialty, or strongest area of interest and ability.
• He teaches students through specific questions before moving toward broader ideas.
• Parents can use the method at home with guidance, according to the examples shared in the episode.
• Russell’s long-term goal is to help dyslexic students move beyond grade-level work and develop advanced research and AI skills.

Today's guest, Russell Von Brocklen, can be found at:

Website: https://dyslexiaclasses.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-van-brocklen-2007ab87/

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

Dyslexia, dysgraphia, ADHD, ADD, literacy, reading, writing, education, special education, homeschooling, parent-led learning, student motivation, learning disabilities, neurodiversity, brain activity, word analysis, articulation, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, repetition, specific-to-general learning, student interests, academic intervention, research writing, critical thinking, artificial intelligence, AI skills, prompt engineering, Orton-Gillingham, reading support, writing support

In this episode, Angel Howard speaks with Jenna Udenberg, a disability activist, educator, and author, about redefining how society understands disability and accessibility. Jenna shares her personal journey from being diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at a young age to becoming a leader in accessibility education and nonprofit work. The conversation explores the importance of language, the role of curiosity and respect in building inclusive relationships, and how environmental design often creates barriers rather than individual conditions. Jenna also discusses her nonprofit’s mission to improve accessibility through education, consulting, and advocacy, while emphasizing that meaningful inclusion begins with listening to lived experiences and involving disabled individuals in decision making from the start.

Takeaways

• Disability is not a negative term, it is a natural part of human diversity and should be acknowledged without stigma.
• Environmental design, not individual conditions, is often the primary source of disability barriers.
• Language matters, and person-first language is generally preferred, but individual preferences should always be respected.
• Curiosity and respectful questions are essential for building understanding and reducing discomfort around disability.
• Accessibility should be integrated from the beginning of any design or planning process, not added afterward.
• Inclusive design benefits a wider population, not just people with disabilities.
• There is no single correct term or approach, preferences vary across individuals and communities.
• Lived experience is critical, decisions about accessibility should involve those directly impacted.
• Assumptions about ability or struggle can be misleading, always ask before offering help.
• Creating psychological safety in communication fosters better relationships and more inclusive environments.

Today's guest, Jenna Udenberg, can be found at:

Website: https://www.aboveandbeyondwithu.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenna-udenberg-801517196/

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

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

disability awareness, accessibility, inclusive design, disability advocacy, person-first language, mobility disabilities, universal design, communication, empathy, nonprofit leadership, accessibility education, disability culture, social inclusion, adaptive environments

In this conversation, Angel Howard welcomes Kate McKay, keynote speaker, author, athlete, and entrepreneur, for a deep discussion on grief, grace, healing, and the strength it takes to live after loss. Kate shares the story behind her upcoming book, Grief and Grace, including the loss of her son to suicide and the earlier murder of her brother, and explains how these experiences shaped her work, faith, and purpose. The episode explores how grief lives in the body, why self-forgiveness matters, how peace requires active choice, and why strength training, presence, and compassion can help people return to themselves after pain.

Takeaways

• Kate McKay’s upcoming book, Grief and Grace, grew from her personal experience with deep loss.
• Kate lost her son to suicide in 2017, a tragedy that reshaped her life and work.
• Her brother was murdered decades earlier, creating a layered experience of grief across generations.
• Grief can affect entire families and often reveals wounds that were never fully healed.
• Kate believes loved ones who have passed can leave behind qualities we can choose to carry forward.
• The conversation explores the difference between forgiveness and compassion as paths toward peace.
• Both speakers discuss how bitterness can damage the person who holds it.
• Kate emphasizes that self-forgiveness is often harder than forgiving others.
• Grief is described as a physical and somatic experience that can live in the body.
• Strength training, movement, presence, and inner work are presented as ways to support healing and resilience.

Today's guest, Kate McKay, can be found at:

Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/katemckay

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@iamkatemckay

Podcast: https://kate-mckay.com/podcast/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@katesmckay

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

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

Grief, Grace, Healing, Loss, Suicide, Family Trauma, Faith, Compassion, Forgiveness, Self-Forgiveness, Peace, Somatic Healing, Body Awareness, Strength Training, Resilience, Personal Growth, Spirituality, Trauma, Presence, Inner Child, Mitochondria, Muscle Mass, Purpose, Brokenness, Recovery, Emotional Healing, Authenticity

In this conversation, Dr. Jodi Vandenberg-Daves, coach, consultant, former professor, and author of Leading with Courage: A Career-Long Guide for Idealistic Women, discusses how women can lead with more confidence, clarity, and purpose across every stage of their careers. She explores the pressure many women feel to overcommit, stay likable, and respond to workplace urgency, while also naming the leadership skills often shaped by motherhood, caregiving, and emotional agility. The discussion covers boundaries, delegation, confidence, intergenerational mentorship, AI, workplace change, and the need for deeper relationships that help women stay grounded in their values and build meaningful careers.

Takeaways

• High-achieving women need habits that help them pace themselves, stay self-aware, and remain grounded in their values.
• Overcommitment often comes from a mix of visibility pressure, people pleasing, and gendered workplace expectations.
• Workplace urgency can lead to burnout when leaders fail to set clear priorities and healthy communication norms.
• Women are often expected to be both competent and nice, while men are more often judged on competence alone.
• Skills linked to motherhood and caregiving, such as listening, emotional agility, conflict management, and flexible thinking, are true leadership skills.
• Strong boundaries help leaders listen well without taking on everyone else’s stress or energy.
• Delegation can empower team members when leaders match tasks to people’s strengths and energy.
• Confidence is not fixed. It grows through practice, support, reflection, and a clear sense of one’s own value.
• Intergenerational mentorship helps younger and older women learn from each other, challenge age-based bias, and share wisdom.
• Meaningful leadership grows through deep relationships, not only broad visibility or public platforms.

Today's guest, Dr. Jodi Vandenberg-Daves, can be found at:

Website: https://www.jodivandenberg-daves.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-vandenberg-daves-2b459116/

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

Women’s leadership, workplace culture, emotional agility, boundaries, delegation, caregiving, motherhood, confidence, mentorship, intergenerational learning, workplace urgency, burnout, values, career development, leadership coaching, diversity, equity, inclusion, AI, change management, work life balance, resilience, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, professional growth

In this conversation, Meeky Hwang, CEO and co-founder of Ndevr, discusses her journey from navigating different cultures as a young person to leading a technical development agency that helps companies build, maintain, and strengthen digital platforms. She explains how Ndevr supports clients through audience experience, creator experience, and developer experience, with a focus on secure, scalable, and reliable websites and platforms. The discussion also explores communication between technical and business teams, the role of curiosity and transparency in leadership, the practical use of AI in development work, online security risks, entrepreneurship, and the value of quiet confidence in a male-dominated industry.

Takeaways

• Cultural agility helped shape Meeky Hwang’s patience, awareness, and ability to work across different backgrounds.
• Ndevr builds and maintains custom websites and digital platforms for companies that need strong technical support.
• A strong platform must serve three groups: the audience, the content creators, and the developers behind the system.
• Audience experience includes site speed, ease of use, clear navigation, and smooth customer interaction.
• Creator experience helps teams publish content, manage updates, and stay competitive.
• Developer experience supports security, monitoring, checkout flows, data tracking, and platform stability.
• Accurate data collection matters because poor setup can lead to double counting, missed users, or flawed business decisions.
• Meeky values open, curious clients who are willing to learn, adapt, and consider new technology.
• Clear communication between technical and business teams can reduce conflict and keep projects moving.
• AI is useful for prototyping and tedious pattern-based tasks, but expert human review is still needed for quality, security, and strategy.

Today's guest, Meeky Hwang, can be found at:

Website: https://www.meekyhwang.com/, https://www.ndevr.io/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meekyhwang/

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

Technical development, digital platforms, website maintenance, website security, scalability, audience experience, creator experience, developer experience, e-commerce, analytics, customer behavior, data accuracy, communication, cultural agility, curiosity, transparency, entrepreneurship, AI, prototyping, coding, cybersecurity, passwords, online security, leadership, quiet confidence, business technology

In this episode of The UpShift, Angel Howard speaks with Dr. Amanda Adkins, a board-certified internal medicine physician and certified lifestyle medicine specialist, about the power of plant-based nutrition and holistic health. Dr. Adkins shares her personal journey from being an overweight teenager in Indiana to becoming a physician focused on preventing and reversing chronic disease through lifestyle changes. The conversation explores the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, including nutrition, movement, stress reduction, restorative sleep, social connection, and reducing toxic substances. Dr. Adkins explains why nutrition is often overlooked in traditional medical training, discusses the role of inflammation in chronic illness, and offers practical advice for busy people trying to improve their health without extreme diets or perfection. The episode also covers weight loss medications, heart health, smoking cessation, and how small sustainable habits can create long-term change.

Takeaways

• Dr. Amanda Adkins became interested in health and nutrition through her own experience as an overweight teenager.
• She chose lifestyle medicine to help prevent and reverse chronic illnesses through sustainable habits.
• Traditional medical education often provides very little training in nutrition.
• One of the most important lessons she learned was that you cannot out exercise a bad diet.
• The six pillars of lifestyle medicine are plant-predominant nutrition, movement, stress reduction, restorative sleep, social connection, and reducing toxic substances.
• Social connection became even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic and plays a major role in overall health.
• Dr. Adkins encourages patients to make small changes first rather than trying to change everything at once.
• Adding more leafy greens and vegetables is one of the easiest ways to reduce inflammation and improve health.
• Weight loss medications can be useful tools, but they are not replacements for lifestyle changes.
• Sustainable health improvements come from consistent habits, not quick fixes or extreme restrictions.

Today's guest, Dr. Amanda Adkins , can be found at:

Website: https://www.dramandamd.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-amanda-adkins-28071a39/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj7HwQ88Xn1FhK5eKtoOIkw

Your host, Angel Howard, can be found online at:

Website: https://angelhoward.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-angel/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@angelhowardissuescoach

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

Get Angel's book: https://amzn.to/4o4UcEi

Keywords

plant-based medicine, lifestyle medicine, nutrition, chronic illness, inflammation, leafy greens, holistic health, wellness, preventive medicine, diabetes, blood pressure, heart health, stress reduction, restorative sleep, social connection, exercise, movement, smoking cessation, whole foods, obesity, vegetarian, plant-predominant diet, healthy lifestyle, wellness journey, healthcare, internal medicine, lifestyle changes, chronic disease prevention, food as medicine, sustainable health, hormones, inflammation reduction, fiber, healthy eating, mindfulness, self-care, weight loss, bariatric surgery, blood sugar, functional medicine, integrative medicine