Your Daily Retreat

You’re building more than one thing right now. You’re trying to grow, stay consistent, and move your life forward. But on some days, it feels like the more you do, the less focused you actually feel. 

Tommy Ward is no stranger to this season.

An entrepreneur, podcast host, and real estate professional, Tommy is in a season of expansion, building across e-commerce, content, mentorship, and new business ventures. On the outside, it looks like momentum. But underneath it all, he’s had to learn what it actually takes to stay structured, protect his energy, and keep growing without losing clarity along the way. 

In this episode, Sam sits down with entrepreneur, podcast host, and real estate professional Tommy Ward for an alignment audit to break down what productivity actually looks like when your life starts scaling in multiple directions. From shifting priorities to time blocking to the reality of managing competing responsibilities, they unpack the hidden patterns that quietly create overwhelm, even when things are going well. 

Together, they explore how to work in a way that actually supports your growth instead of scattering it. Not by doing more, but by getting intentional about structure, focus, and how you choose to spend your energy each week.

If you’ve been trying to grow in multiple areas of your life, but feel like your attention is constantly divided, this conversation will help you step back into clarity, focus, and momentum.

In this episode:

(02:29) - Tommy’s sobriety and personal transformation journey

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

What happens when life doesn't go according to plan?

Maybe you've experienced heartbreak, loss, disappointment, or found yourself wondering how everything changed so quickly. Maybe you've been waiting for life to get easier before taking your next step.

In this heartfelt conversation, Sam sits down with Adena Gragosian, founder and CEO of Create & Celebrate, to share how she rebuilt her life after divorce, depression, and single motherhood. What began as a creative outlet to help her heal became a thriving children's party business, a renewed sense of purpose, and a life she never imagined possible.

Together, Sam and Adena explore what it really means to find the courage to save yourself. They discuss overcoming victim mentality, trusting yourself again, setting healthy boundaries, embracing the slow journey of healing, and why lasting transformation comes from the small decisions we make every day.

One of the most powerful moments of the conversation is Adena's reminder that no one is coming to save you, and that realization isn't discouraging. It's empowering. Because the moment you stop waiting for someone else to rescue you is the moment you begin creating the future you truly want.

If you've been feeling stuck or uncertain about what's next, this episode is a reminder that you don't need to have the whole path figured out. You simply need the courage to take the next step.

In this episode:

(01:29) - Meet Adena Gragosian

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

Everyone wants the next level.

A stronger relationship. A healthier body. A thriving business.

More freedom. More confidence. And a life that feels bigger than the one they’re living today. 

But the real question isn’t whether you want a different life.

It’s whether you’re willing to become the person that life requires. 

In this episode, Jeff explores one of the biggest mindset shifts behind lasting transformation: growth and comfort can never coexist. He explains why your current identity has created your current reality, how your habits and environment continue to reinforce the life you’re living today, and why real change begins with getting radically honest about where you are before deciding where you want to go. 

Through powerful personal stories and mindset strategies, Jeff shares how clarity, visualization, confidence, self-worth, and intentional action work together to help you step into the future you’re building. 

Because if you want something different, you can’t simply chase a new outcome. 

You have to become the version of yourself that’s capable of living it. 

In this episode:

(02:02) - The hidden cost of staying comfortable

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

Behind every business and every marriage are conversations most people never hear. They're the conversations that shape decisions, strengthen trust, navigate conflict, and ultimately determine whether you're building something that lasts. 

In this special Unfiltered episode, Your Daily Retreat producer Eliza St. John turns the tables and interviews hosts Jeff and Sam Hauser, giving listeners a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it's really like to grow multiple businesses while nurturing a marriage.

From working side by side every day to navigating leadership, communication, difficult seasons, and the constant balancing act between business and family, Jeff and Sam share the lessons that have strengthened both their partnership and their companies. They also answer questions they've never been asked on the podcast before, offering an honest look at the conversations, challenges, and values that continue to shape their journey.

Whether you're married, dating, building a business with someone you love, or simply striving to become a stronger leader, partner, or friend, this episode is a reminder that success is rarely built alone.

Because at the end of the day, the greatest things we build aren't measured by what we accomplish; they're measured by who we become and who we choose to build them with.

In this episode:

(00:01) - Eliza turns the tables on Sam and Jeff

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

Some brands sell products. Great brands create a feeling.

In this episode, Jeff sits down with his dear friend KC Clarke: a brand builder, storyteller, and marketing executive whose career has spanned some of the world’s most recognized brands, including Adidas, Vans, TravisMathew, and Chemical Guys.

Jeff and KC first met on the first day of their USC, MBA program while both were working full time. Since then, their friendship has grown through career changes, personal milestones, and countless conversations about ambition, identity, and what it takes to evolve.

Together, they explore what truly makes a brand unforgettable, the power of emotional connection, community, curiosity, and a clear point of view. KC shares insights from his journey in brand and marketing, the lessons he’s learned working with global companies and high-growth brands, and why understanding people is at the heart of building something meaningful.

This conversation goes beyond marketing. It’s about taking risks before you feel ready, overcoming fear and imposter syndrome, learning through failure, and trusting the process of building a career and a brand with purpose.

Because the brands that last, don’t just sell products, they create a connection and leave a lasting impact.

In this episode:

(02:11) - Jeff and KC’s friendship and how they met at USC

Connect with KC:

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

Most people hear the word “sales” and immediately feel uncomfortable.

They think of pressure, scripts, awkward conversations, or convincing someone to buy something they don’t need. 

But what if sales was never meant to feel that way?

In this episode, Samantha shares a practical masterclass on what it really means to become a great seller and why learning this one skill can completely change the way you build relationships, grow your business, lead people, and build the life you want. 

Drawing from more than 14 years in sales, building businesses, and leading high-performing teams, Sam shares the principles that have helped develop thousands of entrepreneurs sell with confidence while staying true to who they are. 

This isn’t about becoming more convincing. It’s about becoming more connected. It’s about asking better questions, building relationships, following up with intention, and learning how to serve people at a higher level. 

Because the people who make the greatest impact aren’t the ones who know all the right sales techniques. They’re the ones who genuinely care enough to help others win. 

In this episode:

(04:08) - The hidden reason you’re uncomfortable selling

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

Most people think branding begins with a logo, a website, or the perfect social media strategy.

But long before someone clicks “follow” or becomes a customer, they’ve already experienced someone more powerful: the person behind the brand. 

Because people don’t just connect with what someone creates. 

They connect with what that person carries, their values, their presence, their authenticity, and their alignment. 

In this episode, Sam welcomes branding strategist, executive mentor, and founder of Divine PR, Jackie Minsky, for a conversation that uncovers the foundation behind every meaningful brand. 

Drawing from her expertise in public relations, marketing strategy, and consumer psychology, Jackie reveals why conscious branding begins long before a marketing strategy. It begins with aligning who you are, what you believe in, and how you show up. Because the brands that leave the deepest impact aren’t built by chasing attention, but by living in alignment. 

Together, Sam and Jackie explore what conscious branding really means in a world obsessed with aesthetics and performance, and why branding is ultimately less about perception and more about embodiment. You’ll also hear why understanding your audience at an emotional level matters more than chasing trends, and how your beliefs and internal state quietly shape the success or failure of your brand.

Whether you’re building a business, growing a personal brand, or stepping into a new season of leadership, this episode will challenge you to look beyond your strategy and ask a deeper question:

Does your brand truly reflect the person you’re becoming?

In this episode:

(02:03) - Jackie’s journey to discovering conscious branding

Connect with Jackie:

http://thedivinepr.com

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

Before listening to this episode, we highly recommend going back and listening to Episode 3: “Can you be a present mom and still build something big?” Michelle Burr's Original Alignment Audit. 

An Alignment Audit is a coaching conversation designed to uncover what's keeping someone stuck, create clarity around their next steps, and identify the shifts that will create the greatest impact. Then, 90 days later, we revisit the conversation to see what changed, what breakthroughs occurred, and what became possible.

This episode is Michelle's 90-day follow-up, and hearing where she started will make the transformation you're about to hear even more powerful.

90 days ago, Michelle Burr was carrying a question so many women silently ask themselves:

Can I be fully present for my family and still build something meaningful?

Michelle has a beautiful life, a loving husband, two precious babies, and a thriving online business. But behind the scenes, she felt pulled in a hundred directions, carrying the weight of trying to be everything for everyone while slowly losing sight of herself.

So we slowed everything down.

We stripped away the pressure, the guilt, and the belief that she had to choose. Instead of chasing more, we focused on three simple things: her mindset, her time, and getting clear on what she was truly building in this season of life.

In this episode, Michelle shares the mindset shifts that helped her release the guilt of wanting more, the small changes that transformed her marriage and family rhythms, and why asking for support became the key to creating more freedom, peace, and growth.

Michelle has discovered that being present doesn't mean playing small, and that building something meaningful doesn't have to come at the expense of the people you love.

Because sometimes the biggest transformation doesn't come from changing your life. It comes from changing what you believe is possible within it.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Michelle returns 90 days later: what has changed?

Links and Resources:

Connect with Michelle:

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

Scaling a business is not just about growth.

It is about the energy behind the vision, the people carrying it forward, and the culture that makes others want to be part of it.

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Anthony Badalian, President and COO of STRIDE Fitness, for a conversation about leadership, scaling, fitness, community, and what it takes to build something that lasts.

Anthony has spent nearly two decades in the fitness industry, helping grow some of the most recognized brands in the space, including 24 Hour Fitness, Club Pilates, Rumble Boxing, and now STRIDE Fitness. But his story started in a very different place: an entry-level sales role he almost didn’t realize he was applying for.

From there, Anthony learned how to sell, lead, build teams, take risks, step outside his comfort zone, and grow into executive leadership.

In this conversation, Anthony shares the lessons he has learned from both large corporate environments and fast-moving startups, what separates companies that scale from companies that stall, and why the best brands are not built on product alone.

They are built on people, passion, process, culture, and community.

Jeff and Anthony also talk about the power of energy in leadership, why passion often matters more than credentials, how to create a place where people feel like they belong, and why STRIDE is focused on becoming more than a fitness studio.

Because the businesses that endure are not just selling something.

They are creating something people want to be part of.

(01:35) - Where Anthony’s energy and leadership style come from

Connect with Anthony:

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Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]

Sometimes life just feels… off.

Something shifts, something ends, or nothing makes sense.

Maybe you lost someone or something. Maybe a door closed.

And no matter how hard you try to move forward, you feel stuck in a place that’s uncomfortable, unclear, and impossible to explain. 

If you’ve ever been in a hard season, the kind where you’re not sure of how you’re going to get through it, or life just doesn’t look the way you thought it would — this is your moment to pause. 

In this raw and deeply moving episode, Samantha gently steps into that space with you to remind you of something simple and true: Everything’s going to be OK, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.

Through her own lived experiences of loss, rebuilding, and starting over, she speaks to the reality of seasons that stretch you beyond what you thought you could. She opens up about relationships that ended, identities that collapsed, and the shock of losing entire chapters of life overnight. From business breakdowns to starting over more than once, she shares what it really looks like to rebuild when nothing feels certain, and the ground beneath you no longer makes sense. 

Because growth doesn’t always feel like progress. Sometimes it feels like grief. Sometimes it feels like loss. Sometimes it feels like showing up one more day without clarity, but choosing to keep going anyway. 

And even in the middle of it all, one truth remains steady: You are still here. You are still becoming. And everything is still unfolding exactly as it’s meant to. 

In this episode:

(00:01) - When life feels off, and nothing makes sense anymore

Connect with us: 

Produced by Eliza St John | Email [email protected]