We're Only Human

Claire Sellers and I have something in common: we're always chasing the next thing. She calls it More, Better, Faster Syndrome. And she feels it's one of the greatest thieves of true joy and peace in our lives. Claire's dream was to make six figures and live in a nice apartment with a dishwasher. But once she achieved that dream, she realized she didn't feel fulfilled. Chasing after more, better, faster hadn't helped her find joy and peace in her life. Instead, the joy and peace were ripped away. Claire Sellers is a life and leadership coach who helps people go from where they are now to where they want to be in their careers, relationships, and other parts of life. In this episode, Claire and I chat about: Techniques for overcoming More, Better, Faster Syndrome The 2 key questions Claire asks herself every day How Claire's entrepreneurial parents inspired her When and how she realized she was a great leader What fulfills Claire about being a great leader The power of enneagrams Why she was excited to celebrate her birthday this year for the first time, when she has dreaded it in past years Her first time eating alone while traveling Where she finds the strength to intentionally face discomfort head on Follow Claire on Instagram at @claire_penelope or visit her website for more info on her coaching programs.

When Nicole Sachs was diagnosed with an abnormality of the spine called spondylolisthesis at age 19, she was told she'd never children. She would also need surgery and be on medication for the rest of her life. Nicole was determined to change all of that. Through her work with Dr. John Sarno, she began to understand that you can't just think your way out of chronic pain: you need to act your way there. Today, Nicole has three children, hasn't had any surgeries, and isn't on any medication. In this episode, Nicole Sachs and I chat about: The many reasons why our bodies physically hurt How so many conditions don’t have an obvious origin What are you willing to be curious about if you no longer want to suffer? The ways that desperation leads to surrender and surrender leads to truth How Nicole came to work with Dr. John Sarno How our brain perceives repressed emotions as a greater threat than physical pain What JournalSpeak is and how to use it to surface repressed emotions You can learn more about Nicole Sachs and the many resources she offers at her website The Cure For Chronic Pain.

Kari Jo Kelso was living 1,000 miles away when her mom fell ill back in her home state. She needed $600 to cover the plane ticket home every month and that was starting to add up. What began as an online t-shirt side hustle to pay for those plane tickets has grown into a massively popular clothing brand called Rosebud's Tees. Success today looks different for Kari Jo than back when she first started the business. It's less about the financials and more about intentionally creating the life she truly wants for herself. In this episode, Kari Jo Kelso and I discuss: Where she got the drive to be an entrepreneur The 3 questions her dad had her ask herself before buying something at the store How being challenge driven has benefited her How training to be a veterinarian prepared her to start her own business Her first side hustle selling jewelry at cattle shows and Etsy How she connects personally with her customers The amazing feeling as a creator when somebody buys your creation and appreciates it What her legacy will be and what her impact will be

Do you know what your life purpose is? Why you are on this planet? Hannah Michelotti has found hers. She’s the founder of Articulate, where she helps people gain the confidence to be a successful public speaker. Her road to finding her life purpose meant sitting in discomfort at times. She believes we don’t grow if we’re not uncomfortable. In this episode, Hannah Michelotti and I discuss: Hannah’s tips for preparing yourself to sit in discomfort The windy road to how she discovered her life purpose Her moms life changing advice that we should “consider the source” The reasons she was taking advice from anyone early on in her life The major life event that became a lightbulb moment for her after she quit her corporate job Why corporate life demands we construct a facade of ourselves to use at work How Hannah yearned to be in her 30s when she was in middle school How the speaking event The Moth changed it all for her Why she didn’t become a school teacher Why she is a sucker for a good suffer fest

I admire how Liz McQuiston consistently reshapes her life to create happiness for herself and those she loves. She's the owner of the Seattle based lifestyle store Willa and founder of QA Marketplace, a collaborative retail space for women owned businesses. In the time we’ve known each other, she’s shown me how it’s possible to change our course in life when we’re not happy with the direction we’re going. She's shown how to successfully emerge on the other side, not just surviving, but thriving. I'm so inspired by her story of being a single mom, meeting the love of her life, and him adopting her son. She's never felt the need to apologize for redefining what her family and life look like. In this episode, Liz McQuiston and I chat about: Her journey as a single mother How she met the love of her life Why her husband adopted her son before marrying Liz The golden life advice her grandmother gave her The reasons why she felt she was unfixable How to redefine what family is and how we should celebrate it How she doesn’t believe that there’s “the one” for each of us and that we make choices every day to make each other be the one Why therapy needs to be championed more among men

Sure, Jeff Harry may have tried to unionize the flagship Toys R Us store in Times Square after stuffing a Jerry Maguire style manifesto in everyone’s mailbox. Jeff is passionate about toys and play. He’s been yearning to work for a toy company since the fifth grade, when he began writing letters to toy companies begging them to hire him. But he could never have guessed how he'd feel when he finally achieved his dream job at Toys R Us. Until he followed the whisper of his curiosity. Jeff Harry is a speaker and coach at Rediscover Your Play where he helps individuals and companies rediscover themselves through play. In this episode, Jeff and I discuss: How the movie Big started it all for Jeff The importance of following your curiosity The letter Jeff wrote to Toys R Us that landed him an interview for his dream job His manifesto trying to unionize the flagship Toys R Us store in Times Square How his mom and dad inspired him to always push for what he wanted The concept of red thread work and finding what motivates you each day What Jeff calls affluent deadness and how he's trying to eradicate it

In 1995, Alan Williams wrote and recorded a heartfelt album of songs to process the loss of his record deal and the dissolution of his marriage. When the album was randomly chosen for critique at a South by Southwest panel, the response was bad. Alan's dreams were crushed. He put away his guitar and shelved the album. Now 25 years later, Alan is finally releasing the album. Not much has changed about the album. But maybe there's something about him that has changed? In this episode, Alan and I chat about: Why he lost all faith in the album (and in everything really) when his CD was chosen for critique at South by Southwest Why he carries hundreds of CDs of his failed album with him to this day How he fell into teaching at a university and realized he was meant to be a teacher How the core of who we are might have be there all along and remain within us no matter how much we change The closure he feels now that the album is finally out If Alan was truly ready to release the album, even if the review at South by Southwest had been positive Why it’s important to be in the moment, even if the moment appears very bleak

Dr. Darria Long was in the middle of her residency when the swine flu epidemic completely upended her career. She had just gotten her MBA with plans to work in healthcare finance or digital services.Every day she was comforting and reassuring her...

On an average Saturday night, you’ll find Aubyn Casady on stage performing the perfect soundtrack to the biggest night of a couple’s life: their wedding. She’s the leader and singer of the Chicago wedding band Rush Street Rhythm. What started as a side hustle is now Aubyn’s endgame. And you only need to hear her belt out a bar from a classic pop punk song to understand why: she’s a top notch singer. Aubyn spent her 20s touring the midwest with her pop punk band Farraday. She was never in it to get famous though. In this episode, we chat about: How Aubyn and her husband intentionally worked to prioritize their marriage when they had twins Why she didn’t become a teacher, despite earning a masters in education The ways she has surrounded herself with family without going too Everybody Loves Raymond How her experience with the American education system has changed her perspective on her daughter’s future education Why she loves recording her music in the studio even more than live performances How nervous she was auditioning at her first wedding The big lessons she's learned so far from having twins How a new part of your brain awakens when you become a parent What exactly enneagram is and what it means to Aubyn

For 15 years, Todd Carey has been grinding away at his music career, building a community of fans, topping the Billboard and iTunes charts, and performing with Fallout Boy, Train, John Mayer, and Andy Grammer, to name just a few. He's been foot on the...