We talk relationships, life, fostering healthy families and how complicated that life can be on the day to day. See things from a different lens and navigate through the bumps.Meet Marty Witzel. She’s spiritually led and someone who cares deeply about the relationships around her. Deciding to be really intentional in relationships and her job as a therapist is a natural mix. Her background was teaching in education and as a military family, they moved a good bit. She launched back into her education and found herself in the field of counseling.Marty says that she and Joel were always really intentional about their marriage and so from the beginning they established kids or no kids, that they were a family, and that having a really strong marriage was key to even having a family and then raising children.She wishes she had known more. “Oh, I just think there's lots of areas where mothering and parenting is so hard and so challenging, which is okay, because there are moments in my practice where I'm able to just say, hey, I didn't get it. All right? I really didn't. I missed the mark in some areas, which, yeah, probably just communication or sexuality and talking to my kids about sex probably could have done that better. Way better. Yeah, just navigating sort of the teenage years wasn't horrible, but it was hard. And I think to be in this season, too, now of adult parenting, which is its own unique part of the journey that I didn't anticipate. It's just really unique because we're all adults now, and so still being a mom and still caring for my kids, but they're in their own committed relationships.”We talk in this episode about work and life and how you find some balance. We discuss how therapy should not be the last resort. “The statistic is that couples don't come into therapy until, like, six years after their problem. Marty’s encouragement would be this — “that you don't have to be in a place kind of in crisis by the time you're in crisis. What happens is that patterns are so instilled in how we're communicating, where we're trying to resolve conflict and then hurts build up. And then the more hurts that I have to help process through and undo makes my work really complicated.” This isn't a quick this isn't going to be a quick fix. Like, I guess my advice would be, man, if you find yourself at all uncertain and you are either asking people around you or you've read a book or about communicating and you're still in some of that, like, we're not really still quite resolving it. My encouragement would be to see somebody, because then it could be just maybe we do four or five sessions together and we're able to fix it when it's a much smaller problem than years of hurt and people get pushed away and then betrayal.”This conversation has many elements that you will find hitting at different levels because of life experiences. We talk about peace and how to navigate that and at the end of the day you have to lay your head down at night. We talk about the hard stories and compassion fatigue and managing the tenderness and not taking too much emotionally on. Marty talks about her perfect day—what is your perfect day?Tune in!!!Marty can be reached at North Family Counseling, Colorado Springs, Colorado.Music used by permission from artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Be a Leader and Not A BossThis episode was suppose to be a panel, but it turned into a conversation with only Emi Miller and we talk all about women opportunities and so much more. This is a fabulous podcast with sensitive subjects revolving around loss and other aspects of this sport. This was recorded much earlier than the posting and Emi has experienced many milestones since we had this conversation.We talk about leadership and being one who walks the walk as well as talking the talk. Emi believes in not being a victim and she self examines constantly.She prioritizes her time and is looking to move to the next level in personal training. We talk of cutting weight and what training looks like. Seminars are something that jiu-jitsu people are involved in and Emi thinks they are like extra credit and key to what you can gain to be well rounded. When Emi answered the question of why jiu-jitsu, she had insight that jiu-jitsu is a tangible way to see transformation of yourself. Through work and repetition you can see this thing go from point A to point B. She says this is exactly the way she wants to live her life.In doing this art, Emi says she can look at a lot of life objectively. There are always moments in this sport that make you even more humble and that translate in your whole life. Emi shares some of her insight of her lifestyle of going back to square one. The advice she offered newbies is to figure out if this is what you want to do and keep showing up. Tune in!!The earlier podcast with Emi is episode 134 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3KZzJHnIneXPugd5C235Ed?si=a5ff40eb15dd4a0eMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artists Doncia Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

These guests for this panel have all been on the podcast and you’ll want to hear their stories. A theme that rang through this conversation is that within this sport you face the fight or flight instincts and face your fears— when you see you can push through and the techniques kick in, you develop. Everyone has their own journey. Join Tori Stackhouse 10th Planet Scottsdale, Blue Belt @torrance31 from Episode 125Laura Kent 10th Planet Bethlehem, 10th Planet Allentown, Purple Belt @lauralies10p from Episode 94Lindsey McCaghren 10th Planet Decatur, Black Belt @lindseymccaghren from Episode 121Destiney Word 10th Planet Austin, Brown Belt @prettylightsbjj from Episode 126Molly Rogers Port City JiuJitsu, Positive Balance, Emerald Coast JiuJitsu, Blue Belt @rogersjiujitsu_ from Episode 77Natasha Collazos @thenatashacollazos from Episode 118Six ladies. Six perspectives. Six personalities. Several different parts of the country.Key Topics:Topic 1 How does confidence come, when and what is it like with different training partners?Topic 2 Rolling with the guys.Topic 3 How do you know the trust level and what’s the approach you use? Go with faith!Topic 4 Trust in competition and the harsh reality.Topic 5 The most rewarding aspect of jiujutsu for these women ranges from fitness to mental wellness to travel to community.Topic 6 Mentoring was and can be difficultTopic 7 The statements about jiujitsu that these ladies share ranges from it is not as scary as it looks to giving yourself space to grow to how you feel in the sport.Topic 8 Do you find yourself a little judgey about other women?Topic 9 What about ego? Everybody’s got a little bit, but it is a humbling sport.Topic 10 Mindset and self talk factors can be a struggle and finding the encouragement and trying to tone it down Topic 11 What in the last year would these ladies change?Call To Action:You may waffle between confident and unconfident, yet the longer you stick with it, the more respect you get to grow and develop. When jujitsu is a part of your life then it is still there no matter what circumstances look like at the moment.Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

The Definition of GRITThis is the second panel podcast that we’ve hosted We introduce these four women focused on how jujitsu changed their lives and more.In this episode you meetSabrina Kelley @s_a_kelley - School psychologist, teacher and co-owner at The Vault and involved in the business end of her world. Find her @vault_bjj She's a host for Sub-out Domestic Violence Mandy Eakin @aklmandy co-owner of 10th Planet Perry gym in Perry, Georgia. Find her @10thPlanetPerry. She is involved in the gym operations as well as kids programs and camps.Maria Schweitzer @riiiiischweitzzz owner/artist of Rubber Bones rash guards @rubberbonesrashguards. Involved at 10th Planet Long Island.Lauren Sears @laurensears10p is a pediatric and generic physical therapy assistant and a jujitsu competitor @linktr.ee/Laurensears10p She works with women and encouraging them to join the sport. She trains at 10th Planet Austin.Four ladies. Four perspectives. Four personalities. Four different parts of the country.Key Topics:Topic 1 How does jujitsu impact your life?Topic 2 How does community come together?Topic 3 How do you bring out the best in your rolling partners?Topic 4 Relating jujitsu to real life.Topic 5 Do you have any mindset tricks?Topic 6 What subject in the gym is your pet peeve?Topic 7 Less is more applied to jujitsu Topic 8 How would you use jujitsu to impact the world?Call To Action: Don’t let anything hold you back to be your best self.Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Panel Discussion 1 — Jujitsu is a Microcosm of Life Brown Belt Tori Applegate is at 10th Planet Atlanta, owner of jujitsu clothing company for women, and realtor. Find her @torisellsgeorgia @10thplanetatlanta Black Belt Dawna Gonzales came up in 10th Planet with Eddie Bravo and is an instructor at 10th Planet South Bay, created a Women’s Self Defense Course and Coaching program Find her @dawnagonzales10p and @10PWSDBrown Belt Elizabeth Allen owns Red Wolf Marshall Arts Opelika, Alabama Find her @redwolfsma2019Anna Cononge is at 10th Planet Atlanta. Find her @10thplanetatlanta @annacononge @annabananabjjThese ladies say that you learn how powerful your body is and how it can be used in this sport to be a badass. Why jujitsu is a question we address right out of the gate and nothing is more empowering than jujitsu according to these ladies. Empowering and fun. The most thrilling aspect these ladies say they witness is that the next generation is going to have female coaches that you can look up to — that thrills these ladies. Through talk and laughter the women on this panel ultimately want Dawna’s secret to looking so amazing…and she tells us that “it is choking young dudes.” This panel drops so many gems from their life lessons and absolutely puts some challenges to create your own wins. Be friends with yourself is a golden piece of advice.Four ladies. Four perspectives. Four personalities. Several different parts of the country.Key Topics:Topic 1 Why do you enjoy and stay in jujitsu? Topic 2 Women’s stories bring them to martial arts?Topic 3 Some women feel like you’re rude if you say no…Topic 4 The responsibility of being a woman leader.Topic 5 Women creating businesses out of jujitsu…Topic 6 What frustrates and satisfies you in jujitsu?Topic 7 Taking control of a class.Topic 8 Inner dialogue and self talk.Topic 9 Life off the mat and outside of the gym—being accountableBe sure to hear the episodes with the featured ladies -- Tori Applegate (episode 103), Anna Cononge (episode 92), Elisabeth Allen (episode 30, & Dawna Gonzales (episode 119)Call To Action: You are worthy, you are capable, you are strong. Changing one mind at a time."STOMP" music used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

This guest is full of life, passion and energy. Meet Katelyn Nicdao who describes herself as a sweet person, but also one who’s aggressive in training her martial arts. She has a fire within that embraces the idea of self talk and being a winner. She loves what she does and tries to have a balance. She started out as a figure skater which is both independent and competitive and then she found herself in some instances where she was bullied which led her down the path to find a way to empower herself through joining the high school wrestling team. It wasn’t so much that she was looking for an outlet for aggression—but to find a team. She had a moment of feeling her world crashing in on her as she was involved in a situation that humiliated her and was her worse nightmare. Katelyn shares the dark moments and how she navigated.Through injuries and pushing to make herself better, Katelyn found ways to grow personally. She fights for those who can’t. According to Katelyn, when people don’t speak out when there is bullying and sexual harassment — it becomes confusing where one can turn when a situation arises. You’ll hear her recount her story and sort the details of her experiences. She was vulnerable and unsure of situations she found herself. Today Katelyn is on the path to excellence and becoming a winner. She pushing martial arts today because it helps one to read the room, how to defend to get out of a situation and adds emotional courage. The way Katelyn introduces discipline into her life gives her power.Encouraging words from Katelyn are throughout this episode as she finds her own grounding and her spiritual side and where she finds her own path. She would tell her 15 year old self that she is strong and resilient. Don’t be afraid of the unknown and understand that you won’t know if you like to do something if you never try. Tune in!Song “STOMP” is used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Kuline Wendling. She’s a take charge and go getter kind of person. Professionally, she’s a pharmacist and personally, she is a caring and giving person — the two blend beautifully. Her foundation is what enables her to handle the most difficult of days. Her perspective is that everything happens for a reason and the choice one has to make is whether you learn from it or not. Having faith in general and her family are her grounding points. Listen to her story of strong women in her life, including the women she meets on the jujitsu mat. She shares her heart, emotions and the struggles and expectations she set for her life.Music "STOMP" used by permission of song artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Michelle Lopez whose love for jiujitsu is evident as she sees it as a gift that she could give her kids, other women and offer empowerment. Today she finds herself managing a gym where her son instructs and she is a brown belt herself. She came in the early days and we talk about the level of commitment that it takes to lead the life she has chosen. Michelle is proud of the fact that she can participate in activities as she chooses, but she admits that there are days you just cry in the shower.We talk about her reset, which comes from nature and hiking and how she works to stay on the mat. Her life revolves around the gym and we talk about how you avoid burnout, but being surrounded by the passion that makes it a thrill. Michelle shares her career, her gym life and the hurdles that she faces. She pushes for more as a woman and to figure out her own individual goals. Personal growth, business growth and family growth are all pieces to her puzzle. When we talk about her sport of jiujitsu … she goes for a shoulder crunch and into an arm bar as her game move—the energy she brings into the gym is to bring in good energy and realize that it’s body dependent of how you feel and what is physically happening. We talk about how to stay in the game—picking who and how you roll.We chat about her life and the directions she took as a young parent and how she figured out some of the aspects to get where she has landed. There is vulnerability here that you will appreciate as she shares aspects that might help you if you feel like you are drowning often by putting family first. “Everyday is trying in our relationships with a spouse and raising kids —and if you can remember that you’re on the same team, it helps. You’ve got to have self confidence, but if your chosen person can build you up by reminding you that they chose you then you’re ahead of the game. Your kids see a united front and they follow.”We talk about women defense using jujitsu and Michelle got certified under Dawna Gonzales, Women’s Self Defense Coach from 10th Planet San Diego to help women be confident and to advocate for themselves. Being in a family driven community makes this important. She’s driven to bring that energy and fire to build women’s confidence and awareness. This process was empowering for Michelle and she talks about the strength and bond that happens as Dawna speaks to your soul.Tune in to hear Michelle’s method for learning of touching and doing and being in the mix of it to learn both on and off the mat. How lucky she feels to be doing what she is doing every single day.You can follow her on Instagram @10p_noginanaand @10psanantonio women’s squadSong “STOMP” used by permission of the artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Recorded this episode earlier this year so there have been updates and new accomplishments for this guest. Be sure to catch her social media to follow her @laurensears10p -- Meet this professional athlete in the world of jiujitsu and peek into her world of competing and her profession in physical therapy. Lauren Sears is a pleasure to get to know. Helping people is where Lauren knew she’d land as a corner stone in her life. She likes her athletics and she enjoys people in all aspects of life. She says she found her niche in pursuing her career as she had to recover her own body to fix her drive to compete. "Finding your community within the sport is what keeps you coming and finding that component is what keeps you going…it feels like family." Lauren has faced difficult situations and found herself both on and off the mat. She’s been working on what she does pre-competition and she’s discovered how she replenishes her energy levels. Lauren likes self expression and she talks about 10th Planet as a place where there is room for individuality. We discuss being a woman in this sport and her perception of how she gets her voice heard and what her coaching style is—the fundamental principles and concepts. She’s got years left in the sport and so she pushes to get as far up in the sport as she can.There is balance as Lauren works in physical therapy for her career and she has goals to get her deeper in that professional world, but for now she focuses on her jiujitsu competition and creates a schedule to give her the most preparation. Tune in!Music "STOMP" used by artist permission Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Emi Miller in studio today who’s one amazing lady. She works in the jiujitsu community and is an advocate for women in the sport. She dove in head first and made it a part of her life. Professionally she teaches and competes at a pro level. We talk about the differences of teaching and competing. “Those who teach, learn twice.” She is into teaching the what, when and why of the sport. She says that jiujitsu is a catalyst for transformation and she thinks that is up to you as to what that is in the discipline. We talk about time and how to be able to train and have money for that and create a balanced life.We talk about being a personal trainer and becoming certified to give her backing for her journey. Emi is accountable for her path and she believes there are many core pieces to show up and be responsible. She lives by a day planner to be organized and being accountable to herself and bringing in her best.Meditation is a grounding for her — family and her jiujitsu family and friends fill her life. She says that she’d tell her 18 year old self to get ready to face adversity. You will want to hear Emi talk about her most difficult moment of losing her fiancé and the devastation of that time, but yet what she demanded from herself. In honoring his memory, she got back out living and competing. His team at 10th Planet Bethlehem offered her great support. We talk what maybe we should do for people who are facing such a huge loss…it is showing up for that person. Emi also discusses her relationship and the sacrifices and joys of supporting one another.We slide right into what she is doing in her entrepreneur led world. You’ll her her discuss the various business opportunities from Twist and Tap to Mixed Martial Arts Mavins. Emi likes to create something out of nothing.Mentors have proved important for Emi and what she’s discovered through them as well as her preparedness to become a mentor.Ever thought of egos and their impact on you? We dive a little into those in a gym and how men train with you as a woman and how they work together on the mat. The second you stop listening and learning then you stop growing is how Emi keeps her own ego in check.We talk about relationships and the elements that she saw that made her relationship work…we talk communication to be understood, to voice your needs and to hear those of others. You will be fascinated by her insight to the self talk and applying positive framing.There is plenty in this episode for everyone. Tune in!Song “STOMP” used by permission of artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

This guest is strong in her faith in God and the center of her story is that she is a believer who has God involved in every aspect of her life and the opportunities she embraces. She grew up moving quite a bit and that impacted so much of who she became. Meet Leisa Lee. She is a wife, mom, grandmother and an educator. One of her phrases to her kids is “don’t get too wrapped up in your disappointments.” There is power in that statement. She got interested in education, specifically special education and began to prepare for her future. We talk about her life teaching where her children went to school where she taught and then came the day that they graduated--truly leaving her with a gap. We talk about empty nest and her struggle of processing what was next for her and the advice she can pass on to those who might be feeling similar feelings as the milestones are celebrated. Leisa went into special education—she says it is the sweetest punctuation to her career. She works with young adults to become more independent and be life ready as she helps connect them to their high school population.We talk about the timing when she decided to go back to work and how the transition and how to let some of the perfection go as everybody pulls together. Her husband Scott, helped her let her superwoman tendencies go and set a good example at the sae time. She talks about real parenting and discipline and the being a parent who was very much involved in her kid's school life too. Young parents are going to want to hear about some of the choices her family made to eliminate some of the drama. Kids are living without margins and that is something she felt that she could provide. "You can’t discipline or motivate multiple kids the same way." As Leisa experienced empty nest, she says that looking for grateful and thankful for what she sees their kids doing solves much of the longing because that is exactly what she prayed for as a young parent. Her advice is to find the good and find the chances to be together and celebrate.Listening to Leisa talk about her youngest daughter going to school in New York and stepping back and letting her 22 year old daughter leave Alabama and go to school so far away drops some jewels. It is a step of letting go and to live in faith and not hold her child back. We discuss living in margins in this episode. To find the space to do what you need and find rest along the path.Leisa is extremely compassionate and that permeates her existence daily. You’ll hear the framework she functioned in within her job. She paused the standards and looked at what needed to come out of her students and looked at how she satisfies the state and teaches the people in her room. They worked on a continuum and made a list of what the special education students need. She spends precious time teaching money skills, laundry skills, shopping skills, cooking skills and so much more. Leisa was met with great success and you will hear fabulous stories of the systems she’s created with variety, movement and adult interaction. You’ll be so impressed by the examples of what is happening through programming and extra efforts in the self contained classrooms. It is encouraging to hear the abilities of these students who are trained properly.In this episode we talk about burnout when it is hard to be passionate and fully invested in a career that involves so much service and one on one people interaction. In times of burnout, Leisa says that it is key to rest. The song “STOMP” is used by permission of artist Donica Knight and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Live Life to be HappyThis is an exciting episode where we get to introduce you to Becca Stackhouse Morson. Becca serves as the scheduler for Stacked Keys Podcast and she does a spectacular job building the relationships with our guests. Becca says she is blunt, honest and upfront—which means that you know what you are getting —every time with her. In her professional world she is an educator and introduces us to the world of Extension services. She works as a Family and Consumer Science Agent in Georgia. Her skills and talents plug into the community partners to serve her community in a friendly environment. We talk about the projects that are close to her heart and those include relationship programming where she gets to begin with middle school kids and talk about ways to handle themselves and be successful in relationships. She works in chronic disease with a program to work toward preventing diabetes and she’s thrilled to watch how people can change their lives through more healthy eating and exercise. Another program Becca works with is financial education and she zeros in on learning and understanding your paycheck stub and knowing how it impacts. She works with teens to learn to budget and create solid financial skills. You can catch her teaching lifeguarding, CPR, ServSafe programing, processing tax returns through VITA and so much more. Her education and childhood played a key role in how she prepared for her life in general. We talk about chronic diseases and in particular Crohns — Becca was diagnosed with this invisible disease after a couple of years searching for answers when she was 18 years old. She gives great insight and over the years and she has learned a thing or two. She speaks up for herself and prepares for herself — a skill she says one has to grow and develop. Having a close friend helped her forge the changes she had to make while in college, away from home.Our conversation goes into discipline and where Becca started her own path to self discipline. From being a young athlete to handling her equipment, to managing her education plan through home schooling, Becca learned how to put the life together how she wanted it. An interesting path of conversation is that of being handed the short end of the stick and figuring out how to handle the rough days. Becca talks about her Jiu Jitsu journey and when she decided this was a sport she wanted to embark on—her brother Isaac was a major influence. She also talks about some of the life smacks that put her on this journey. People from all kinds of places were on the mats in Vegas and she saw women involved in ground work and that sold her. She began her journey. She has found this outlet to be exactly what she needs and is found in the 10th Planet system. She’s heading for certification in self defense Jiu Jitsu and will incorporate that into her regime.The conversation includes talk of relationships and how she knew she found “the one” and connected and leaned into how to become a couple. There are turning points and she talks from her perspective of deciding how she lives.Becca has always been an entrepreneur and started her own business with Pampered Chef at age 14. From that moment, she forged ahead to earn her way. She talks about challenges and successes. Becca has passions that include travel, photography and lighthouses. You’ll hear her talk about those stories and be inspired. She likes looking through a camera lens and catch what is happening because she can see it. She says that her Jiu Jitsu was easier to learn because she photographs tournaments and sees where the hand is going and where the next move is coming. Tune In!Contact professionally for programming etc to [email protected] andd her personal instagram is becca_stack_morsonTune In!The song “STOMP” is used by permission of artist Donica Knight and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Animals don’t punch a time clock and that is one of the aspects that make working in this field a calling and not just a job. Meet Terry Peacock who is a refuge manager with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and she’s been in management most of her career years. As an 8 year old she wanted to run a place for animals and that is exactly what she grew up to focus her career. Over time, women have asserted themselves and stood their ground in this particular field because they were capable and educated and can do their jobs protecting wild places and wildlife for the future.Terry is involved in everything that happens on the refuge. She has a passion for what she does. She shares her leadership style methods which are to never ask her employees to do something that she is not willing to do herself.When we talk about a typical day — there is no such thing as typical. Her fire officers are in the field, her biology crews are working with salamanders, the turtle projects need attention and the wolf relocation project has workers on it as well. Many plates spin in this office. Terry sees her job is to get the resources so that her people can meet the demands of their jobs and complete tasks. It is a decision making job ranging from taking care of buildings and may spin straight into working with the plans to save an endangered species. The amount of knowledge she has to hold is incredible.Be sure you tune in to hear her favorite projects. She says the salamander and the wolf programs are close to her heart. A lot of endangered species are important because they have human consequences. Everything in our world ties back to nature.We talk about fire and habitats. She explains some of the mindset of southeast prescribed fires over the thoughts out west where there are not controlled burns. The habitat gets too thick and impacts the animals negatively.There is plenty of education that goes into a day in the life — educating other professionals , educating students, educating the public and industries and providing information to impact policy.When we discuss work ethic, her upbringing influenced who she is today. She believes in working and getting the job done and done well. Terry was raised on a farm as an only child which meant the chores fell to her everyday. In her career, her problem isn’t motivating her staff, but telling them to slow down. She’s figured out that it is a passion— a lot of free time is spent doing exactly what you are getting paid for. She finds work life balance because her family enjoys the outdoors. Her church family and leadership opportunities take precedence over anything in Terry’s life and that keeps her grounded.Tune in!!“STOMP” used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Growing up in an entrepreneur business life with her parents, she learned early on to smile, be happy and bring in a ray of sunshine. Today this guest is running a women’s program at Tect Center in Eastman, Georgia— which is a gym focusing on MMA and jujitsu through Jimmy Barnett— Taylor Windley found her group of people and she loves her job and life.Meet Taylor. You’ll immediately hear her encouragement and confidence. We talk about having a voice on the mat and loosing the intimidation one can have when going in to train in jujitsu. She got advice while in the jiujitsu community to overcome her insecurities, become a good leader and increase her own game. She realized that how she felt would spill over into her students and she wanted to bring the best forward. Taylor has a heart for women who have experienced domestic violence to give them power that she too found — with personal connection— that leads her to be comfortable in her own skin and presents opportunities to share her skills. According to Taylor, jujitsu is empowering in that you can use skills you learn that can protect you—you don’t have to worry or look over your shoulder, it can make you be more comfortable in day to day living.We talk about relationships and working together with your partner like she and Jimmy do every day. Learning to put away on the shelf some issue while they work -- yet sometimes they take it to the mat. She jokingly says that it is terrific couples therapy.When we talk of their specific gym feel, Taylor says that it is “slow is steady, steady is smooth, smooth is fast” as people just try to blast through life. She says they focus on technique. You will find sayings to encourage on the walls throughout the gym. Life lessons are sprinkled throughout the programs they hold on every level.Taylor is fascinating as she talks about the benefits of the stable and steady aspect of gym life. Team building and coordination are elements that translate off of the mats.You’ll hear Taylor talk about challenges that affected her that she thinks of as learning experiences which landed her in places to share or give to others. She would tell her younger self that "she is worth more than the situations you put yourself in." Great advice and encouragement.Taylor is a reader and can recommend both serious business reading and reading for pleasure. On the business side she and partner Jimmy are reading like Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark Winters that explores the visionary and the integrator in business and the roles they play. You then might see Taylor pick up a mystery and lose herself in some fiction writing. Tune in!Music “STOMP” used by permission of artist Donica Knight Hoidman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Two questions she constantly has is what will they catch and what might break next. That means the work day brings challenges from every direction. This career requires a lot of thinking on your feet.She is in and out ports going out sea for research. This episode is a fantastic look into the life of a lady who’s career actually impacts most of us. Meet Katy McGinnis who is a marine biologist and is involved in fish studies and so much more — plankton tours, mammals tours, bird sightings as they come in to eat a catch, and so much that creates so much excitement in her current job, It’s hard being gone 180 days, but you figure out how to cope and loving her job makes it all much more bearable. Can’t wait for you to meet Katy McGinnis. In this episode you’ll hear about how she builds community and the most fun adventures and the most terrifying! You will catch her enthusiasm.Katy has learned the skill set to fix things herself. She has lots of responsibilities and her career can seem like the dream job. There are moments where she has worked harder than others. She’s seen the sun rise in amazing settings and lightning storms that are a light show up close.She has a great relationship with her family and enjoys spending time with them. The opportunities on a ship give her variety frorm day to day.We talk about professionalism and how you react and what it is like to hold your own as a female. Katy shares her passion and how she has her career planned and how she loves to travel, but at the same time settled.She’s grounded with family, her dogs and she has a great day in general. Katy’s hobbies often include what she is doing in her work too. She makes earrings, fish prints and works out. When on the ship, she has to do the elliptical or she can’t get in the 10,000 steps.Her advice is that you should find a job that you are passionate about and that science is fun. Get involved in projects that are in your local area. Tune in!Song "STOMP" is used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Mary Barron. She is passionate about life and she’s involved bringing on a competitive nature. She is down-to-earth, welcoming and loves connecting with people.Her career as an occupational therapist can be difficult to bring enough comfort and confidence to truly impact, but she brings herself to the job as she works in home health and special needs. There are many opportunities where she can connect. There are some things she can’t fix and those situations can keep her up at night and make her cry in the shower. She wants to advocate and be their hero, but at the same time it has taught her to find boundaries.We talk about being a person who can set boundaries and where Mary wants to be sure that she doesn’t over-correct and become icy and jaded. In her overall life she’s found that she gets comfortable fast and fails to see warning signs…a work in progress, she calls it. Listening to her explain how she functions in life and in her chosen career, sport, and life with so much blending and working together one could say that everything combines to make her the person she is today.We talk about her jiujitsu path that began in 2018…a month before she turned 30. She says that the sports brought her back to who she was in organized sports. She is a life long athlete and the aspects she was missing included the need to compete. Experiencing competition in a new way brings joy and satisfaction…Mary use to punish herself in a very unhealthy ways, sometimes physically hurting herself and with a mindset of intensity of perfectionism. She tells us some of those instances. Mary has always demanded from herself and appreciated pats on the back, but her own expectations were higher than anyone else could possibly set for her. That approach was across the board in her life and not just athletics. Now, she competes and is controlling how it affects her and applies tools she’s learned from the mat and in therapy — like giving grace and learning to accept defeat and not let it define her person. You will lean into this episode because Mary is open and vulnerable in her conversation as we talk about the process of the sport and how it applies to her life and how she talks to herself. She realizes her limitations and where she actively manages her thought patterns — that in itself is newfound strength.We talk about her process to compete and manage her energy levels. She is in tuned to herself and has done a lot of work to get there. We zero in on a discussion about therapy and the idea to embrace mental wellbeing and growing in areas to improve from the talking points to not drop the ball. Mary talks so easily about the process of the idea to have freedom and we talk about simply observing thoughts that gave her freedom to reach a goal and to apply what she has learned to excite and fuel what she can apply to her sport and to her life. It is refreshing to hear Mary’s openness and to know that she is willing to share so much of who she is and address what so many may indeed be feeling. "If you don’t set goals, then you can’t meet them and that can be a pattern of self sabotage. Accept and revel in your accomplishments." Tune in!Music "STOMP" used by persmission of Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Having to answer a lot of the questions that I ask guests can be difficult, but I did it! We meant to air this actually on my birthday, but life happened and I stopped podcasting for a minute. With Becca and Seth’s wedding pending and my 97 year old mother passing away four days prior to the wedding, I stopped. I celebrated and I mourned and tried to reset.So here we are back! I am thrilled that Seth is now officially a part of the family and the wedding was over the top in what the two kids wanted, but seeing their friends come together makes me want to explore more of the dynamics that make it happen. I have some fantastic friends in Teresa, Lyn, Jennifer and Dawn. A sister I treasure in Margaret. Children who make my world work through Isaac, Becca and Tori. Kids who joined our family through marriage in Kim and Seth who quickly become us. and my spouse, Tom who carries more than he should have to as I sort out this crazy life. and all of the kids who have come into our lives making it so much better!THEY ALL THREW A 60th birthday party right in the middle of this wedding!This was fun. March 24th is my birthday and I get to share with you an interview conducted by my future son-in-law, Seth Morson. I am a roll up the sleeve kind of worker and person. We sat down and chatted a bit as he set out to introduce me to you. We talk family structure and what we did within our family.Seth noted how different our kids are from one another and how we support each one as an individual. We talk about our family and who we present ourselves to be as we add to our framework. Seth says that we soak in people and we gather people as we meet them. We love people and love helping them figure out who they are meant to be.We talk about change and Covid and the emotions and responsibilities and how to deal with internet, family, work and careers. We explore how we live intentionally.We talk about parenting, what it was like to juggle a career and relying on friends and parenting together in community-- building your own community and what you need at different times.There is a chance to dive into career and the advertising industry and talking about the mediums that we operate in and having Isaac work with me. Being an asset in the industry is a fascinating part of our conversation. We dive into relationships and how that affects personally and professionally. We talk about the Stackhouse work ethic and what it is like to accept love, care and the giving process.Know who you host is…Amy Stackhouse and the Stackhouse family gives light according to Seth and for that we are very grateful. As a people connector, the common denominator is that people are not alone. People need to feel loved and that they are contributing. We impact the world as we live life with honesty and straight forwardness.Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

This guest sits in her head a lot and looks at her perspective on the world around her and how she interacts with it. In the headspace to work on herself and grow, she finds she can keep climbing and celebrate the wins and continue forward. She wouldn’t describe herself as extraverted, but she has learned that she loves good energy and surrounds herself with people who are fuse lighters. Meet Destiney Word. She went to college to be a high school Ag teacher, but she found that traditional path is not what she expected out of life. She wanted to connect with people and change their lifestyles, so she went into the fitness and the exercise community.When we talk about how she was introduced to martial arts —she showed up to get a make up credit in PE Class in college and it took off from there. She didn’t want to dabble in jujitsu and the more committed she’s become, the more she’s fallen in love with it. For Destiney it is a physical and mental challenge and a lifestyle.Teaching has made her a better student. When you teach she says, “you have to know it well enough to look at it backwards to know what they are doing right and wrong.”We talk about methods and techniques and the detail orientation of jujitsu and how one can notice the detail.Her move? She loves arm bars and reverse ranges…and biceps slicers. One move is more drawing because of style and size. She trusts her own abilities. You build your confidence because when you train with bigger guys, you are having to rely on technique. We talk about the level of respect that you see in the ranking. There is more knowledge and trying to understand how to connect the dots to make a big picture.You learn to struggle with yourself and your own abilities. As you keep coming back— then you end up learning. There is a mutual level of respect for all players but only you can make yourself better. How much you consistently train is a direct reflection.We talk about injuries of the sport and you see that you might not have the strength or dexterity to do something the typical or traditional ways. So find a way. That appears to be Destiney’s way—to look deep within and evaluate all of the pieces to create her pathway.It’s not if you get hurt in her sport, it’s when and how bad. We talk about the responsibility, limitations and ego. We talk about the amount of confidence that goes into this sport and the maturing process and being around the game long enough to be very sportsman. The table can shift and you will be forcefully humbled.Speaking about women in the sport and what it is like to train consistently is also a topic in this episode. Guys can train with you and make you better and there is a range of how the guys do interact. Destiney says “bring it on.” There can be a toxic vibe at times, but there are “mat enforcers” that will keep the environment in check. She tells her ladies not to avoid training with the big dude because from a self defense standpoint, that is what the reality will be in a defending situation. Destiney says there is a lot of self defense in the jujitsu. As an instructor she likes to see the ladies grow their confidence and opinions of themselves. Those who are grown women and are fearful and have had a traumatic incident and start training and then you see the light come back in their eyes is rewarding. Having the opportunity to see kids in her program is also rewarding as she is watching kids grow and transform within the sport and in their lives in general. There is an uplifting of female fighters. We talk about cage fighting and Destiney says there is nothing more intense and satisfying for her to know she did that and survived it.When asked what does she think of as unfair—her response is gender inequality. She works hard and wants to work in creating the dreams and goals for herself and others.Tune in!Song “STOMP” used by permission of artist Donica Knight HoMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

“Life is hard and sometimes you got to sweet talk it or sometimes you have to just buck up and do.” Meet Tori Stackhouse who introduces herself as a hard worker who works tasks to the best of her ability. She’s an adrenaline junky and finds ways to challenge herself. She is an outdoors person and always has been.Repelling off of a cliff, diving or anything to get her blood flowing. She scuba dives, hikes, repels and travels all while meeting nature and wildlife. She is a preparer and puts those key elements she learned from hanging out with scouts— learning to be prepared.We talk about her most exhilarating experiences and that was in Alaska for her to meet an amazing bear. We talk about her most heart stopping experience and that was when her sister had a close call when she missed a jump over a waterfall drop. The people Tori hands out with on trails and such are very trained and certified in medical rescue calls—knowing what to do and knowing something going wrong can always happen.We go down the road of why Tori is certified in so many ways from lifeguarding, scuba diving, stress and rescue. She has the theme to her life that she wants to be able to help herself and others. She wants to be overly prepared and she went to get her EMT so she could—once again— help people.This podcast peeks into a young adult as she went to Auburn and got into her passion of Wildlife and Forestry at Auburn University. She learned out in the field so much because she paid attention and stepped up for opportunities. She fell in love with bats and studies that centered on them. The internships Tori experienced are fascinating and she shares some stories. With a need to protect wildlife, she went on to get her masters in homeland security and she started working in intelligence combining law enforcement and wildlife.We talk about the sacrifices she makes and quickly she says it is time. The experiences are great but she was studying or working when others were playing. That continues to be the case. You hear about her move to Arizonia and what life is like as a young adult making it all work. There are tips of money management, getting hobbies underway and figuring out life on your own. Tori embraces where she is —she finds comfort in her stepping stones and focusing on herself.There are many aspects to Tori’s life and she shares some of her strategy. One commitment she made was to find mentors and she learned at a very young age to learn to communicate with people in positions. She believes that you look to people who are in the fields or jobs that she had an interest. Those people invest in her and push her.She has insight into athletics and why she has that as an outlet today. There was a tough spot she found herself in with a knee injury and having to have surgery. She’d say that nothing in life is handed to you and working hard is part of the thrill.Tune in for this episode!The song “STOMP” is used by permission of song artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff.Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Focus on the SeasonLawren Johnson is conflicted because she wears many hats… but as she has gotten older, she has stopped trying to fulfill the roles that are not who and what she wants to be. She is a wife, a mom, a dancer and entrepreneur. She loves aging and getting into the aspects of personal and mental growth. Stripping off other’s opinions and finding her own way is the most freeing feeling.We talk about relationships and how she communicates everyday, all day walking through life with her partner. There are methods to creating the life that you want and she has a few techniques to share.We venture into church, faith and how Lawren had to review and change what faith and who she is and what God has to say in untraditional ways. As a new mom, she was trying to figure out how to start a career that involves some of her talents she’d developed over the years. She started a preschool dance class and she saw how many sniffles and colds the kids experienced. Having a need for childcare and being in her family remained a stop priority.You’ll get to hear about her business of YoungLiving and she approached and became one who used them herself. Her story of a gradual change within herself and her family made her dive right in to find the science behind them. It is a lifestyle for her family. We talk about seeing what is truly in the product and how others use it. It is a very real discussion of the process.Children are each different and you’ll hear her heart as she talks about her children’s needs and how she seeks to figure out what each personality needs and wants to grow. Making huge decisions and advocating for them. We talk of dance as an art and what it’s like to grow up with that gift and how you can use that to benefit the world. As Lawren shares her story, we get to hear of her education process and the foundation laid for her. With firm thoughts on social media, we discuss unplugging. Raising children and goals toward being who she wants to be.As a planner, it is sometimes difficult to enjoy each step of the way. Our conversation centers around genuine life and Lawren attracts people who live that exact same way.Lawren’s contact information is [email protected] "STOMP" used by persmission of song writer artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

A stay at home mom, full time student in environmental management—also holding a degree in safety— and a veteran are a few of the labels this guest sports. Meet Janette Snedecor. She’s a gym junkie and body building competitor. If you’ve ever wondered what a day in the life may look like then this is a fabulous conversation you’ll love. There can be some mind games that can happen in her sport and we talk of those and about body image. She says you get “prep googles" and you can’t see what other people see as it becomes a constant pursuit. “You know you spent time cutting weight that isn’t healthy and you have to watch for eating disorders.” But the satisfaction is huge. Janette gives us a look into the bodybuilding world and competition.Nutrition is a huge aspect of her life and she is a baking enthusiast, so we talk about the sweet spot of balance. Finding time for what Janette calls her nerdy side— to play video games —actually played a dual role in her life to connect her to her boyfriend, now husband, while they were stationed in different locations. Once you start talking to Janette you find that all of her activities serve a purpose in her life. For instance the lifting weights was an activity that she and her husband started together and she found a passion that led her into the competition world where she competes in bikini.We talk about what it’s like to be overseas with your kids with the aspects and lifestyle you have adjust to. Navigating the school system and figuring out the options can bring tremendous anxiety. Moving and restarting allows you to both recreate and to have new experiences. Janette’s philosophy is that you live once and she wants to enjoy what she is doing. In one place too long creates an itch so trying new experiences allows that change or new feeling to surface and she does focus on herself some. Making a long distance relationship was what kept her running to the gym. It has become a me time and one that avoided conflict.Being a body builder takes a lot of time and you have to be congnesent of your priorities and if you are capable to separate the responsibilities of family and the draw to work on yourself— she says “you’re golden”. She loves old school gyms and her goals include opening a gym when they retireWe talk relationship and how you figure out how not to stress the relationship or the family. Most parents instill specific characteristics in their children that set their values and life tone—Janette says that confidence, nutrition, and the idea to look at mommy and understand that it’s okay to be scared and still do or perform is important as she raises her daughters.Finding a balance comes through being scheduled and disciplined, as well as listening to your partner for cues when you need to change how you present or react.You’ll hear how she is intentional in approaching life. We discuss how she’s grounded and that Janette turns to her mom for advice and mentoring and her spouse. You can follow her instagram @janettesnedecorTune in!Music “STOMP” is used by permission from the artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

When you want to do something, you have to make sacrifices. Jiujitsu Is a huge part of her life where she learned confidence that no one can take away. She is in the gym to work. Work and gym are her priorities. Meet Daya Smith who is a part of 10th Planet Decatur in Decatur, Alabama.In this episode we talk about the aspects of her life that she is passionate about and a time where she found herself in a relationship that caused her to step away from much of her identity. Ever think about the boulders you continue to find in your own pathway? We dive into that topic and come up with a discussion which Daya explains as a panic and difficult on the mat. When she gets in a tough situation, she finds that she gets worn out and holds her breath which makes her next moves impossible. We talk about how she is working to control and overcome panic and where Daya returns to regain her grounding. We talk about relationships —those that are toxic and those that are healthy. Daya talks of her relationship where communications is key and the different elements she and her partner bring to their relationship as individuals. This is a podcast episode that explores jujitsu from one who is talented and is going through the ranks. We explore the mental and physical aspects of her sport. It is astounding that bullying is as prevalent as it appears to be and being bullied is what walked Daya into the gym for the first time. Her parents wanted her to be able to take care of herself—she learned that words don’t matter and through jiujitsu her confidence was boosted.This young lady is giving and compassionate, but can be extremely competitive and focused.Daya wants to be known for being “Daya” not someone’s girlfriend or daughter and to be known for being great at her sport. Having the community and the family feeling of the gym are truly important to her.Daya has plans and believes in herself and what she is doing day in and day out.Tune in! Song “STOMP” is used by the permission of the artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

She can come across strong and can be all business, but is unapologetic to run a tight ship. Meet Lindsey McCaghren who owns 10th Planet Decatur with husband Brandon in Decatur, Alabama. There is a community within the gym and she wants their members to feel comfortable and cared for and to have open communication. As a math teacher Lindsey picked up a lot of her teaching skills from the classroom that she translates on the mat. She figured out that there are foundations to lay down before you begin teaching any kind of concept. You have to be assertive if you want to get anything across to others. Lindsey is amongst an elite class…the third black belt woman in Alabama and the 5th in the 10th Planet System. It is not easy to land there without a lot of dedication and tenacity. Lindsey possess both.She started in MMA years ago to find something to incorporate getting healthy and working as a couple. As the couple conquered one aspect and sets of goals, they sought out more.We talk about her journey and what she felt like she had to prove. It’s interesting to hear her perspective and what she felt like she needed and what she must do in order to make her love it. Lindsey didn’t want to walk around scared and had the desire to provide her children with real tools and ability to know that they could take care of themselves confidently in any situation where they felt threatened.There is continual learning, but not being completely immersed through living, breathing, reading, watching informational and training like Brandon was, they grow at a different pace. With that said she notes the years let her take to the leadership and respect for Brandon to be her coach. There’s balance between being spouse and working together. In this episode of the podcast we talk about the difficulty to figure out where she stands as a woman in this sport because the measuring stick in practice is hard to have a true gauge. So for Lindsey, she has a constant conversation with herself to evaluate her own game and as well as feeling her true age and how she functions on the mat. But then there is a new day and her satisfaction is just being better than the day before.Lindsey discusses her experiences of teaching and how she learns best. Her method is —“show me how to do, then as the teacher she watches and makes sure parts and pressure are in place, then answers questions and then let the student go to learn through practice. “ There’s a bit of mind games you have to play because grappling is fast and people are good at different parts of it and so in her head she can handle other black belts in her class and not be overly intimidated—“surely they can learn one thing from me,” she says.As Lindsey looks back at her father’s parenting particularly, she sees that he was leading her to be independent. She wants her kids to have the same skills to be on that path as well. You’ll hear Lindsey’s take on parenting in this sport and her philosophy to allow her kids to learn enough to be able to defend themselves and have exposure to the sport that occupies both she and her husband. We talk about business and how the roles work. Tune In!!Song “STOMP” used by the artist’s permission Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff.Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

She’s a free spirit and wasn’t made to work in a cubicle. Meet entrepreneur Taegan Crimwho started a company that provides a space for entertainment via a converted school bus. Her company is called BoHo Bus Events out of Birmingham, Alabama. Her slogan is that “We Bring the arty to You.” You will find her tenacity impressive and you get to walk through some of the process of their bus renovation and how she forged her career path out of college. The BoHo is her style and she’s ready to share.Coming back to Alabama from California Taegan brought her marketing background and launched her business. She found her market by putting the concept out there and the parties range from kids to senior adults. The coolest aspect about the whole idea is that she’s not stuck in one group or one style. She drives the bus some, but has the help of family to get her there. Her drive and mission statement is to be able to have an event for anyone so they can feel special and celebrated and have an event that is tailored to them.We talk about what it’s like to spend money and how to be organized. She says her personality is to be organized but she learned as she was growing up and watching her dad. She has a good support group around her. Learning from others and knowing when to ask for help is key. She has grown in the way to learn to work together.Taegan shares stories of how they roll and she shares one of the panic moments that happened in the first events and setting up. You will enjoy her energy and be inspired to follow your own dreams. We do talk about obstacles in life—nerves— and how she recognizes and deals with judgement. Watching people do amazing things with their life and not comparing yourself is a struggle and being an entrepreneur can make you question. For now she is growing and being consistent.We also talk about her personal life and dating an athlete who has his own limelight. They’ve dated long distance and have learned a bit how to balance. Her advice to young women is to follow who you are and take leaps of faith and within reason take risks. DOn’t define success by a monetary number.Tune in!!Song “STOMP” is used by permission of the artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Her alter ego is Wonder Woman. The strong and amazing persona that this warrior woman brings is a benefit. Women self defense and empowerment is the main focus for the guest today and that is her pathway into what her mission is today. She holds space for women who are in a vulnerable spot in their lives and she becomes the energy to help them though whatever they are experiencing.Meet Dawna Gonzales. She is a coach and a black belt in the jujitsu world. She explains that this sport reflects what you are going through.This is an outlet for her. She believes if everyone would find something that would feed their soul and make them be present, it would change the world.Her story of how she got into the sport through the door of boxing is one of just saying yes and being ready to challenge herself to the next level. We talk about Dawna’s path and it takes its own life. She says grappling comes in handy and she encourages you to get punched in the face at least once and realize that you aren’t made of porcelain and to realize that you can do so much more than you can imagine. She plants seeds to show you what you’re capable of…this is a language and you have to take classes and become fluent.She certifies coaches under her who can facilitate women self defense seminars and teaches the coaches her style and her seminar formats and how she markets herself—and teaches them how to teach. She works with gyms and domestic violence shelters. Follow along and you may find a place for you to get involved.We talk about all the aspects of Dawna’s life and how she balances her career and that of her husband to keep a great vibe within their marriage. She’s passionate to do her job and that fills her with love and energy. Tune in for a dip into her life and you are guaranteed to think about your own life.Tune In!Song "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Creativity, movement, singing and dancing are ingrained in this guest and such attributes feel as if they have always been a part of her. Natasha Collazos is our guest for the first episode of 2022. We talked when she was in the midst of some international travel and what an indepth conversation we had together! You’ll be drawn in to the exciting life she leads and the travel she’s incorporated into her life. We talk about Covid and how that impacted her thought process…but she says the best perspective is being with those you care about the most. She teaches Thai massage and Thai yoga and her partner, Charles Harriott teaches Jujitsu … much international and with BJJ Globetrotters. They get to travel together and launch a life they love. She’s a risk taker. You don’t have to be confined in a box and she says fear should not stop people from living. We learn about Thai massage—energy lines and marma points -- to help sustain the flow of energy throughout your body. She compares it to a subway system of the body with the choices and junctures. We get to dive into how her career shaped and the opportunities opened. She sees purpose in what she does. Helping others acheive body awareness can truly help connect body and one’s emotional self and that can lead to making impactful life decisions. We talk about coming into jiujitsu with a partner who is a black belt. How that feels on and off the mat. She never saw it as an intimidation factor, but Natasha puts more pressure on herself to forget she is new and learning. She says the journey is like a phoenix …where you break it down and build it back—time and time again. She started this path as her own journey and not for anyone else. The belts and her own journey make her tear up because of all the work she puts in as a whole. Natasha is a believer in self care. She focuses on the person in front of her in massage business, but that isn’t focusing on herself and that is important too to check in with herself—from water intake, to rest, exercise, tea time to journaling. She takes stock and has a list of what she wants in life and is doing it for herself. We talk about gym loyalty and learning from across the board and the opportunities involved in travel. You bring something naturally to the table and there is an exchange with those with whom you train.A constant that Natasha deals with is having boundaries both to respectfully honor them and to set them. She’s a giver and checking in with herself realizing how to set those boundaries takes extra work. Defining softness and being able to offer when appropriate and being mindful is okay to depend on one another. Tune in!Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

She loves the outdoors and essentially lives outside. Meet Winter Thorington who is a senior at Auburn University and is at the Forestry Wildlife Management school. She talks about her education and the way Covid has impacted some of her experiences. As she looked at her education, she needed to decide her direction to be one that would encompass her love to be outside and be able to have access to her horses. We talk about the challenges and the opportunities and even the aspects and considerations of going into a male dominated career. Winter is the only girl in the Forestry program and was the only female in her internship, but she says if you love doing the hard work, then what’s to be intimidated by? If you love it, then you will do it—no problem.Winter tells us about her love of horses starting in childhood and she got hooked from there and never got rid of the bug. The life lessons you can gain from that type of responsibility are priceless. She tells us about the humility that working with a horse can bring when you have to make tough decisions to put your horse over winning a show. The no days off are huge and involves early rise and feeding and checking and training the horse daily. Winter is on an equestrian team at school and we get a little insight into that discipline. Knowing how expensive horses can be and making a living with them is not the easiest life and that helped Winter decide that her career won’t be horses—they remain her hobby.Winter teaches lessons to offset her expenses and you have to work hard to keep it going.Tune in for this fantastic podcast episode!“STOMP” Music is used by permission from the artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Maria Schweitzer is a graphic artist, designer, storyteller and martial artist. She has a masters in fine art and she found herself into comics where she eventually landed in the genre of visual narratives. Today she draws comics and started a business called Rubber Bones— which is where she can display her amazing art, on rash-guards. We talk about that thrill of seeing her art on display on the mat in significant tournaments and on talented athletes. She develops stories and pulled drawing and writing together to find her career. Maria says that sometimes you don’t have to say much, you can show it. Her masters in fine art project took her down a road of a developing a character in who Maria saw herself…with two paths and learning to know how to own it. Her life was pulling together an artist and an athlete. She also explores the idea of life moving and changing. Just because you miss one opportunity, the dream itself is not gone, it may be just a different path. We explore the labels and social validation and how you can become who you are and accept that.We talk about how life cycles and how she gets into the creative zone and what projects she faces. Initially, Maria did an undergraduate degree project that focused on drawing movement and that is where she first took an interest in jujitsu. She started training the sport because in her opinion, her drawing was falling flat. As she got deeper into jujitsu she developed the idea to start a business she calls Rubber Bones that allows her to integrate her personality with loud and bright colors and fun designs on clothing used in the sport. It began by illustrating a horror comic for a friend who was putting on a tournament. With that idea, Maria saw she could create her own line and sell it. She saw she could bring other parts of herself to her world of jujitsu. It’s interesting to hear her talk about her decision process in working with her product functionally. You can trust her because she wears her product and competes in it too. You’ll hear discussion about her navigating and figuring out what can and can’t be controlled— which leads her toward trust. Giving people the information and not assuming saves time and money in her work. We talk about some mistakes and successes and lessons learned. As far as her future, she envisions what she wants and then tries to make that happen. Sports helped her learn that the outcome is determined by the work you’ve put in and she applies that principle today to put the little rungs in the ladder.We talk jujitsu and what it’s like to be female—as well as the in the art of jujitsu and the intimidation factors that one may face.This conversation is one that opens up the dreams and possibilities as one grows and follows her dreams. Tune in!STOMP is used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Strength and conditioning coach, as well as jiujitsu athlete describes this guest’s daily professional life, but she encompasses those same passions into her personal world. Meet Kiaya Jackson who can easily be described as a go getter and goal setter. After her school days she started looking for a fit that offered a mix of organized sports and personal athleticism where you push yourself to meet personal standards. She wanted to participate as a team and have comradery. She found jiujitsu but at first was not impressed. Time, money and the gym atmosphere were stumbling blocks she experienced as she began her search. However, it was an instant fit when she walked into 10th Planet Decatur. The big family atmosphere and connecting with athletes who were there for the same reasons makes the time spent at the gym fulfilling on many levels.We talk about intimidation and how that can be a part of the athlete’s mindset, but she was the girl playing with the guys in her childhood days— so she really never felt that or paid attention to it much. Kiaya recalls the big hair and bows tossed about and perhaps torn tights when she came in from playing rough—so she’s always held her own.A big topic for her is that of trust and who you trust— from those you train with to trusting the coaches and the whole environment. You’ll hear what it’s like on the mat and her moves and how she handles the "punch choke” from Coach Brandon Mccaghren and how he brings on signature moves. This line of conversation leads us to talk about the fun and respect the athletes have on the mat.Kiaya’s pathway in her career that changed from engineering to where she is today is enlightening and encouraging to young women following their dreams.Living your passions and not knowing what is coming next is part of her appeal. You’ll hear us as we talk about her strong confidence and where it comes from and that she wasn’t always so sure of herself. She talks about her daily routines and the discipline she implements to keep her anxiety at a distance and her determination focused. “When you decide to do something the nontraditional way and navigate your own set path, you have to stay on your course.”As far as her work, she is a believer that strength and conditioning is the way to prevent injury and Kiaya’s knowledge is up there with being able to help and create a balance.She always believed that she needed a purpose and that has evolved into serving other people. Kiaya found what she loves in athletics and is able to make it her career while having impact. Success has much to do with being satisfied and she is a much happier person with goals to be the best in her competition and in gathering knowledge to relate to others. She had to figure out what success meant. She wants to dominate at the highest level. She’s a performer and she puts on a show.Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Maegan Schwindling joins the podcast and describes herself simply as a Jesus follower, wife, mom and she finds herself in business seats along the way. Having the alignment of who she is allows her to find balance. She knows the world of parenting hard core with three kids and making some decisions that are not necessarily where all of her peers find themselves. When she and husband TC find their family flow, it means that they have to embrace the natural movements and get through periods of time knowing that rest and reset is coming. We talk about stress and how you look at the day. We talk about family and adoption and how you create a loving and equal evironment for everyone under one roof...a lot of that attitude comes through allowing each individual to be an individual.It’s a fabulous conversation and talk about how to manage the day and the activities that drive the kids. As women, we may try to fit into a box and it took her 10-plus years to figure out what her family’s boundaries needed to be in order for her to lay her head down at night and say…"it’s okay." Accepting how you are wired and not sitting idle is a great place to be and we certainly discuss how the pandemic impacts that dynamic. We talk about career and that everyday for her is completely different—which is how she thrives. She’s a problem solver and for her that gives her the thrill and she opened her world beyond her hometown to incorporate travel and a job with a start-up company. By stopping her need to set specific goals to crack by every age and time slot, she was open to the opportunities as life changes.Maegan talks about mommy guilt and how badly she didn’t want to stress her kids out by her talking as a working mother-- how she worked so hard to not let her kids feel like she worked. She is committed to be available for their events and activities and to all and grow them, but now letting them see her work and both appreciate and pattern her work ethic is important and it shifted for her—though she still tries not to let them feel her stress. Her family now see the working mom and the healthy spot as well as the opportunities that come with her position. You’ll pick up gems from Maegan from how she parents and the dynamics of raising three--even chat about the carpool pickup conversations that she entertains even if they throw her off from a schedule she’d previously set. Do you have a group of women around you or couples? Maegan talks about the vulnerability to find friends and how that can change everything. It is work and risk, but getting deep relationships is worth the intentional work that it takes to find friends who can go through life’s seasons.In this episode we discuss adoption and her first tip is to be sure that you and your spouse are on the same page. There are practical observations that she shares that are useful for all to hear. She talks about the self work and how beautiful the journey is when you do the hard work. Tune In!!Music “STOMP” is used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

This 4th year educator is in high school teaching science. Meet Jessica Young from Georgia who teaches forensic science to seniors and environmental science to 9th graders. This professional balances being a wife and mom to include a life of teaching in the classroom. She takes all of her roles seriously and looks for methods to make the real world meet the academics. She has the scope of learners and that requires her switching gears a bit during the day. We talk about what exactly she teaches and how her courses can launch career choices for the seniors she is teaching. She feels satisfaction when something introduced to them begins to open doors for opportunity. TV shows create a CSI affect Jessica explains and that has impact on how someone looks at crime and therefor can create how they may function on a jury in a courtroom one day. That could affect us all.Educators are able to create excitement and Jessica realizes that her students who are picking electives are choosing to be in her class and she meets their expectations to learn beyond the book. She’s learning as she goes and looks to her veteran teachers to help her solve some of the obstacles in the classroom.We talk about her last year during covid in teaching an anatomy class and she was able to implement something she learned at a conference about introducing technology in the classroom. Off she went to work a 3-d printer into her classroom—which she found that her school actually already had and were waiting for someone too take hold and learn it. Jessica stepped up. e-Nable the Future is what lit her fire — The e-NABLE Community is an amazing group of individuals from all over the world who are using their 3D printers to create free 3D printed hands and arms for those in need of an upper limb assistive device. According to their website, “The e-NABLE Community is made up of  teachers, students, engineers, scientists, medical professionals, tinkerers, designers, parents, children, scout troops, artists, philanthropists, dreamers, coders, makers and every day people who just want to make a difference and help to “Give The World A Helping Hand.”Jessica started the process and she walks us through it on this episode. Two of her students stepped up to get involved and see the project through. You’ll hear about the delivery of the hand to the child selected. Her students were a part of the project from the beginning and delivered the final product to a local child. We talk about the future, the cost and what all is required. They have continued to be able to be of service and are getting the community involved. She also got the chance to get a group of students in the Extended Learning in Crisp County to join in learning for future projects.Coffee, prayers and having a great support system at home and having mentors all make up how she can handle all that is on her plate. Jessica's compassion comes partly from how she’s growing herself and it spills over to her students. The methods it takes to get material into the minds of her students she has changed up some of how she handles how she hands out work—a lot of students are working after school sometimes to put food on the table at home. Jessica is a super influence and when we talk about how to protect her own heart, she says that’s a tough one. She’s seen some of the greatest things and sometimes the worst. Tune in!Music "STOMP" used by artist permission Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Episode 112 What MotivatesThis episode features a mom and business owner who implements business lessons in every aspect of her life. Meet Mandy Eakin. She and husband Stephen have regularly worked together to make life happen and help them both rise to the top and reach their goals. They opened 10th Planet Perry in Perry, Georgia — a martial arts gym — which is Stephen’s passion and is a major part of both of their lives. They have switched roles along the way of who makes the most money and who is stepping up supporting the children at home. They have a nice ying to yang she says and have respect for what each partner needs to get where they want to ultimately land.Mandy learned the ins and outs of martial arts as a spouse and she knows that drive where fighters and martial arts practitioners across the board who find that passion may let everything else go to meet that need. It too is a balance they have found. If you don’t have a real passion or outlet of your own, you might not realize the commitment one is willing to make. Mandy gets it and has also trained in jiujitsu with Stephen and had to look hard to find her own time. Their son is on the mat too as he tries other sports activities as well. They get the pulls of parenting.In balancing daily and owning a gym she says with a laugh that they are still looking for that perfect balance. Working for yourself and starting a business from scratch can be tough and demanding to create your own drive to accomplish tasks. We talk some of those challenges, but Mandy says that they have to carve out time for themselves specifically and to be structured with the use of a calendar. Including the kids in that process to where they even ask about the calendar — making it core to the family. She says it is like step goals that you can measure and the rewards are great.Mandy grew up on a farm and much of her work ethic started there. There was little time to travel and the thought of the business came first. She has a love for travel and they incorporate that into their lives today. Sometimes it includes taking the kids, even on business, and sometimes it is a focus on just she and her husband.You’ll hear how they intentionally grow a sense and spirit of giving and sharing with others. She says a principle for both of their lives is to share from their overflowing cup. In being open and honest with their kids, when there are teaching moments she takes advantage of to teach lessons within society and daily living. Their parenting style is to give as much information as their kids can process and that helps grow compassion. In the program of their gym they have kids classes and they use a buddy system to be sure no one is left behind or confused—this gives the kids a chance to learn those small extra social cues to help someone else. In this episode we talk about the idea of introducing experiences to your children. Slowing down and just experiencing life going nowhere fast can give tremendous depth to parenting. Choosing to turn off technology and experiencing different. There is a lot to cover in this episode that you will treasure.Tune in!!!!Music “STOMP” is used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Get ready to feel deeply listening to this episode as our guest definitely stomps to her own drum. Meet Madeline Schulle who opens her life up on this episode and shares some of her most vulnerable self with you. This wife, mom, birth educator and birth doula, professional nanny and a gestational surrogate is amazing in her life direction and how she handles balancing it all. Madeline and her husband got married and within five months they found themselves pregnant and getting ready to be parents sooner than they had planned. Pregnant and not finished with her college education created a massive shift in their thinking. While they loved it and wouldn’t change it today, there was a bit of panic. They found marriage counseling early in their years because they pretty quickly decided they didn’t know what they were doing in marriage so they found fabulous counseling that gave them practical skills for communication. She talks about the Gottman Institute which utilizes research to provide resources of what is helpful in a marriage and to point out some of the ineffective tools that might be pulled in any relationship. This laid groundwork for their marriage, their parenting and then of how they would cope for a health condition called alopecia areata that Madeline found herself diagnosed to deal with day in and day out. This condition has resulted in total hair loss for Madeline. We discuss how you go through conflict and knowing how to get support and how to communicate through vulnerability. You will be changed to hear her story of compassion and love.Madeline’s perspective on family is that you take care of one another—that comes from her being raised in a military family often finding themselves far away from extended family and they learned how to enjoy each other’s company well. They learned how to pull up roots and move efficiently and how to make friends quickly. She credits that time of learning as where and how she began to care deeply for people and she translates that today into her career choices. Becoming a doula, which is a professional labor partner who helps to provide physical and emotional support to the birthing parents, set in as a passion after her first child was born in a natural birthing process. Today she educates, leads and provides emotional and physical support in the birthing process during that monumental event for families. To become a surrogate seemed like a natural progression for Madeline as she looks to care for a couple to help them to have a baby. This life changing decision is an amazing gift that we discuss both the process and how she feels in her heart for the parents and the child. This process requires strength, selflessness and commitment of monumental proportions.Her journey through her hair loss and seeing the things she has mourned—but didn’t realize that she would — like the wind blowing through her hair or even running a brush through her hair create a message for her to vocalize. Through her tears her story is moving and makes opening this world to understand for others compelling. Madeline takes what she’s dealt with and creates a path for growing compassion for others and opening a world for connecting.Saying that she is incredibly blessed and in all of the unique situations she encounters give her a way to normalize some of the topics and issues that hold stigma. Madeline tells her story because she wants people to know that hair loss is not a reflection of anything on you—morally or in any other way.Another message we cover rather completely is that Madeline believes that loving your job makes you a better spouse and a better mom. Not waiting on one part fo life to fill up so you can embrace the next is a theme woven through for this lady. Madeline says she is a whole person made of many pieces and that is where she continues to grow and have purpose. Tune in!Music “STOMP” used by Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

If you are a young mom, listen to this podcast—and if you are not in that category, listen because it can shed light on how someone may feel that is right in front of you. This guest is a mom who handles life a day at the time. Meet Brittany Jones. We talk about being a mom and all of the differences and methods to raising her girls that she has figured out on her own. You’ll hear us discuss intuitive parenting and what that looks like on a day to day basis in helping and showing a child how to try again and again in how to communicate. Her career in social work and then becoming a stay at home mom showed her that communication is the biggest foundation in finding a middle ground with a child and navigating with appropriate responses. Leaning into the feelings and experiences make it possible to be calm and make progress. Mom guilt can be a drowning feeling and overcoming that takes huge and consistent steps.Mental health is where Brittany’s heart is as she has dealt with situations in her own family and with aspects of her own of depression and anxiety. Our conversation is very open and Brittany tells us some of what shaped her and contributed to her experiences. She talks about “mom guilt” and the devastating affects, but how she did turn to therapy and work through that period of her life. Being a new mom…making a family of four work and then the pandemic hit made matters worse for her trying to make goals for the day and stay out of the funks.As young parents, Brittany and husband Taylor have had to figure out how to parent together and how to coordinate life. Parenthood has made the two of them more selfless. The spontaneous aspects of life have taken a back seat but yet they have ended up with a better life than she could have imagined. When Brittany struggled with postpartum, she was encouraged to seek professional help and she felt fortunate to have her spouse as a huge supporter. In this episode you’ll hear her perspective of what a spouse should do to help or how to look for warning signs when extra help might be needed.We talk about covid and how that impacted being at home with young children and the stressors of little ones being out of routine and not being able to burn out their energy. Many listeners can relate to what it is like to try to do the best you can being completely out of your element. The fear and being focused on home altered normal and the effects can be longer lasting and for Brittany having an active lifestyle with a routine can prove helpful. This episode speaks into mental health…to speak up and speak out. Find someone in your corner that provides a safe space and don’t be afraid to take the first step.Music “STOMP” is used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

The Whole World Is Like A Small TownThere are two — and maybe more— sides to this guest. Her desire to be a writer came long before she says that she had skill. This episode introduces you to Minnie Lamberth. She is a talented copy writer who recalls a clear path of how she got where she is professionally. Writing puns and oddities laid the groundwork for her to be an advertising copywriter and then she moved through communications in professional settings. Her community of people created the network for her to boldly go out on her own.We talk about what Minnie does when she hits fatigue or a wall where she can’t get her work done. With much practice she created tricks in her trade to give her tools to get her along the path to produce and she says that one should take small steps to help overcome procrastination or resistance. Her work in the advertising and marketing world is where she works for others and her personal agenda doesn’t come into play in that arena. Her job is to listen and produce a written piece that meets the requirements of her client. Personally, she brings everything she believes in and her energies go toward novel writing. You’ll be fascinated to hear her describe her characters and some of the issues of the town and its people.There was no map for Minnie to follow to go where she wanted to go, so she tried different formats to get her ideas out and finally she poured everything she’s learned through life and put it into stories that resonate with her readers and followers. You’ll settle in to learn so much about Minnie and how she grew up in a small town in Alabama—there was an identity of having a reputation that precedes you in a community.Minnie is a published author and has had book signing events where it's fun to read selections and figure out how she wants to talk about her work. We discuss her ups and downs and what it’s like as an entrepreneur as she’s learned to go with the flow a bit better. She draws on her christian faith and has a community of people who are on her side who pull for her. Minnie is encouraging as she talks about her calling for the career of being a writer and what it is like to be vulnerable to other’s opinions. Being in a creative field it is important to be able to tolerate some people not liking what you do.As you listen to this podcast, you will capture the sense that Minnie is a giver and one who pays attention to those around her— she encourages that trait to build your community. She can say in her life and world that she has gotten where she wanted to be and writing the stories of what comes next is where she loves finding a different kind of magic. Minnie says “Even disappointments can lead somewhere good.” Tune in!Music “STOMP” is used by permission from artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

She’s a mom, wife and boss. She is an entrepreneur and family is her number one. Joining the podcast is Jen Roberts. She and husband Andy run a few businesses from martial arts to a moving company. We talk about what it is like to open a business in completely different categories and work together as a husband/wife team. She says Andy is the field guy and she handles the inside, but if you know them…you know that they are in it together. They jumped without hesitation and learned as they went — without looking back. Working as a team is not hard for the two of them. Being a mom of three brought challenges and Jen is very open with her struggles and her own anxieties—her philosophy and theme is to say how it is and move forward. Martial arts is a natural for them and they’ve plugged into the community in Auburn to teach in preschools, camps, and special programming. They are teaching martial arts on their own terms with Andy as a black belt and Jen with her experience makes them quite suited. We talk about working with kids and why martial arts matters with a format of love and respect and learning good manners. They teach some self defense moves that are good for any age.Exercise has always been a part of Jen’s life as she grew up in the world of dancing but when she turned 21, she got a cancer diagnosis and that turned her to looking seriously as a deep need to take care of herself through a journey to be fit and nutritionally balanced. She planned all the activities she wanted to try after giving birth to her oldest child—and checked them off. Jen felt empowered learning kickboxing and being in a gym. She began to teach dancing and where she is today is exactly where she wants to be—teaching kids to love what she loves. Jen is an encourager for moms as she teaches because being a good mom is not about perfection or that it is easy and though she doesn’t ever want to lose her patience, it is all about love. So she wants parents to get it that kids in these programs aren’t there to be a professional athlete—take a step back and realize that your kid doesn’t have to be the best. “Set boundaries and ground rules but let your child have fun and learn how to integrate into programs and learn the social cues.”We talk about pregnancy and exercise and listening to your body to do what your body allows you to do. This lady models her health behavior for her children and includes them in her workouts where they can come and go in her home gym for kickboxing and weight training. Jen can go back to how she was raised and remember her mother doing similar patterns and she thinks that impact can be important. Jen is intentional in her day to day. She expresses how precious time can be through sharing the story of her sister suffering a stroke. That event makes her even more intentional today. Tune in!Music “STOMP” used by permission of artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

She’s a confessed nutrition geek. Meet Hannah Wilson and you instantly want to absorb some of the information she has gathered and processed to apply to food and people. As a child she watched her dad as he wrestled with Type II Diabetes and she herself struggled with eating disorders, but she knew in Jr. High School that she wanted to help people and to do that on the platform of nutrition. We talk about how you meet people where they are and the aspects of nutritional eating to be healthy and find something sustainable. We talk about the tendencies of type A personalities and how difficult that can make the process of caring for your body in a kind way.She’s headed to Minnesota to teach graduates and undergraduates in the field of nutrition— this inspires and makes Hannah excited to help students figure out their pathway in the field so close to her heart. There’s a blend of old school and new thought that she is ready to approach. Her leadership style is to listen to the room, gather input and meet the challenges. Have you ever thought about how our understanding of nutrition has changed? There is a trend toward the anti-diet movement and coping with the constant threat of not enjoying life and having an unhealthy approach to food. The fad diets are not new, nor are the “deprive thyself” for a while approaches. Hannah is interested in how health can be achieved while weight loss and nutrition work together. As Hannah is watching research and how dietitians address the changes of being traditionally trained to the ideas that weight matters BUT there may be other factors that are beneficial and incorporate a balanced approach to realistic diet changes. Her goal is to be a part of that bridge to bringing balance. The biggest love for Hannah outside of her work is for dogs and the connection she gets with them. You also might spot Hannah skydiving when she finds time and money…that’s her daring side. We talk about what confidence levels she has as a foundation to work hard and enjoy life to the fullest. With a strong work ethic, she sees a spring board into being independent and finding healthy relationships with food and with people. Sky diving, getting her PHD and moving across the country come naturally as opportunities because she embraces a confidence to achieve.This podcast is a fabulous conversation that gives chance to talk to a young professional who came through the homeschool movement and landed in upper academics. Hannah’s perspective is that she is able to figure out what she wants and needs as she digs into her career choice of study. She was prepared as she waded through the waters of undergraduate and graduate programs.Being a young adult is hard and Hannah discusses some of the loneliness and being true to herself. Working through being by yourself can take you back to the roots and foundation set early on — Hannah leans into her faith and believes in the plan that changes can ultimately make you recognize who you are as your own person. A key topic that Hannah talks of is that of perfectionism and how she deals with it a situation at a time and how she works through that a bit. Tune in!Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Jenna Rosenzweig who is an average mom and wife who tries to be her most authentic self all of the time. Her typical day is filled with a normal work day in an office with typical hours and then she is a part of her husband’s gym. 10th Planet Savannah. We talk about her role in the gym and what it’s like to support a spouse who’s a professional athlete. They have the philosophy that they will get through whatever together. A lot of communication. Jenna also practices jiujitsu and sees it as a part of her life that has affect on other aspects of her life—she talks of how the sport has grown with more women joining in and having a voice on the mat to be sure your needs are met. We discuss who would like the sport and some of the many resins people join. She dives in about life and getting ready for a baby to join their family. Her desire is to be the decision maker (with husband Quentin) of how they both birth and parent their daughter and not gather too much outside advice and fall prey to all the social media pressures. They work together as a team and work to keep balance as they go from moving to a new area of Georgia and opening a new business and figuring out the process of parenthood.Jenna credits her husband, Quentin of how she can handle life and bring herself grace and level out in how she approaches life. They balance. Quentin is their planner and Jenna is wanting to continue how she was raised with the idea to let their daughter experience finding her own interests and have parental encouragement. We talk about being a part of groups and making the choice of who you circle around you for support. You will learn a bit about gym life, opening a business and relationships.Tune in!Music “STOMP” is used by permission of artists Donica Knight and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Ruth Ann Taylor Long. She knew early in her teen years that she was headed toward the design world—she just didn’t know where she’d land. Owner of Taylored Spaces, a Raleigh, NC, based kitchen and bath design build studio, specializing in creating cabinetry-filled spaces. She say any space you can imagine filled with cabinetry is how she serves her clients. Ruth Ann is able to trace her work ethic right back to her father and grandfather both through their examples and what they required of her and that serves her well in business. Becoming an entrepreneur was not too much of a stretch in the hours you have to put in because she often found herself working nights when she was working for someone else because she treated the work as she would want to be treated. Ruth Ann has travelled some difficult days in the health aspects of her life. She’s been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and sought treatments to improve function and slow the progression of the disease. We talk about MS and how it affects Ruth Ann and her choice of stem cell transplant and how she went about getting help. She’s candid and open, so listeners have a chance to truly learn her experience. She got real lessons from the boulders in the road that she had to figure out what to do with and keep going. She has been quite proactive addressing her issues and has not missed a beat in her day to day. To listen to Ruth Ann, you hear a woman who takes control of her life.Tune in!Song used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Kat Paraskevopoulos who encompasses both energy and direction. She began Kat Health Fittness and Eyiar Retreats, which curates remarkable retreats in Greece that leave you in an unforgettable state of bliss.Though she says she’s a bit on a rollercoaster as she has stepped out on her own, life is meant to be enjoyed and you can find and maintain that in how you treat your body holistically. She practices what she preaches to cope with stress and getting control of the various aspects of life. We talk of the missteps and the good and the bad in identifying the counter balance of negative and positive—letting the negative emotions flow through and not get stuck. Whether you are looking at a physical, soul or medical journey, all start within. In this episode we dive into conversation to explore the idea that we believe we are capable to find the answers.Professionally Kat recently entered the world of entrepreneurs with her company and no longer does the 9 to 5. Holistic wellness and ditch the mindset that food controls everything, she leads her clients to live life in the here and now. She’s always been a science girl and interested in health and nutrition and helping people. Her wellness journey led her to create the retreats in Greece and foster work life balance and wellness in the work place.As a water baby, she loves the sea and is connected to the ocean air. She can conjure up a vision of that pure, clean ocean breeze. Kat can be summed up as one of the most authentic people you will meet. Her direction for her company is to be connected to what she wants to do and be for herself. She dreamed of becoming a business owner and yet she kept putting it off and then the pandemic hit. That time created moments where she felt lonely and yet experienced reflective time and so she decided to take control of how to do her work and when that work would happen. Being in wellness was in line with how people needed to be supported. She’s experienced the fears and self doubt and her moment came to be decisive. We talk about the coping of change and how to balance kids, home life, commuting and all the multi layers to find coping tools and the ability to build in how to encourage self care. We talk about childhood and what elements we bring from that stage right into adulthood and see what serves us. Ever think about perfectionism not being the best practice? We dive into how you find grace for yourself and Kat says that having a therapist or coach is a great way to start and have someone hold the space for you to work on yourself and mindset. Also she subscribes to routine that allows her to connect with nature and realize that there is a lot that is bigger than her and to work for the internal voice that connects mind, body and spirit.Kat’s clients are varied in their needs, for example she may work two to three months to help with accountability and setting goals and habits to get mental freedom around food and exercise or she may work in a professional setting with mindset tools. You can expect to feel somewhat side by side to establish the foundation to identify the pillars that set life and the behaviors that are lived out. Get ready to pack your bags to go to Greece with Kat to retreat on location in community for different experiences like yoga, journaling, adventure, play— all for a cultural authentic and immersive experience. She is about pulling you from the go, go, go mentality and help you truly relax and focus on self.Find Kat at eyiaretreats.comMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

This episode features Tori Applegate and without a doubt she is inspirational. Uncover the secrets to how she has gotten to the place where she is today. Throughout this conversation you’ll discover that she continues working and growing her life plan. We talk business entrepreneur mindset, jiujutsu as a woman and a competitor, marriage as a young adult and the give and take in that aspect of life and so much more. She doesn’t like labeling herself or putting herself in a box— an obvious understatement — as she has multiple projects going on simultaneously. Her career and life in general is a nod for women because Tori takes moments and goes directly into the middle to progress the path. Tori doesn’t see life as a sprint, but rather lifelong learning. As a hairstylist in a salon in the Atlanta area she talks about wanting that career as a teenager and how she sees daily interaction with her clients on a deep level. “You see and deal with people’s fragility and during the pandemic that surfaced more because as you care about your clients, it’s hard to watch the people shift and have some miserable moments.” She sees that post-pandemic is finding that individuals are putting more into their self care and finding ways to make life improvements. Herself included.One passion for Tori and her husband is jiujitsu — they train out of 10th Planet Atlanta. Starting more than 8 years ago Tori began to train and compete. She’s now a brown belt. Women have come into the sport strong and we talk of some of her competition experiences and of the obstacles for women. It’s especially interesting to hear her “work” philosophy combine in her “gym” philosophy and how the two can use similar lessons. Because you hear this often if you are ever on the mats for martial arts, one can badly suck in a jiujitsu move and finally two years later, perfect it. So it is the never giving up that sharpens you. You’ll get the chance to hear us discuss her reason to start an apparel company and her passion to support other young women who are working out their own dreams. Athletic gear has been an open market and the designs Tori saw available didn’t meet how she wanted to feel while wearing it — like the quality, colors or how it functioned for female needs— so she started Everlegendary, This apparel company is her online baby. Tori pours some of her philosophy into this brand and she says it is nice to see women striving to get what they want in life.We talk about ‘learning” mistakes and how they apply in how one needs to be patient and to the approach to business. “Being successful fast can be as tough to deal with as slow success.” Keep tuning in as we talk about her approach in learning in everything you do as you look at and embrace life as a journey. Tori tries to fill every space and we talk about her quarantine time and what she does to future plan. We zero in on mental breaks and her thoughts on lifting up and not grinding down—bringing more positivity. This goes into deeper parts of how we think in our approach religion, mindset, reactions and interacting with people. Tune in on all the podcast platforms.Song "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Meet Siri Hoffman. The practice of self reflection and self care started as a teenager for Siri. She’s always been sensitive and takes everything to heart. Having a sense of body awareness as an athlete is important and she continues that today. Siri noticed early on that the mind and body connection was tremendous and as a teenager she got an "aha moment" to appreciate the integration of mind, body and soul. We talk about the natural reflexes of breathing and how fear, and stress enter in and create that shallow breathing of fight or flight. Incorporating yoga into younger age groups is powerful. Siri defines herself in so many ways that you'll be intrigued throughout the podcast and want to know more.In conversation, we hear about life as a competitive Alpine Ski racer—-there is not a day that she can recall that skiing was not a part of her life. She started skiing at the age of 2! With a healthy respect for the individual sport and the team aspect. “I competed against my best friends, and we loved each other fiercely.” There are so many lessons to sports from ownership and accountability and communication and understanding the human body and what it meant to the care of it.Siri pulls many qualities into her life that started in sports with the grit, tenacity, communication and what it felt like to dream and compete. Setting the bar can be a blessing and a curse. She wants to challenge those she’s in business with or talking to about parenting to challenge themselves to put forth their absolute best and to be empowered.Siri went to a boarding school and she shares insights of that culture and the deep rooted friendships and the relationships of coaches and other formative relationships.Siri is a loyal person and the expectations she has on herself are those she has on others—relationships grow and change and are seasons. There are so many nuggets of wisdom she brings in talking about the fluid nature and dynamics of relationships. Expectations, integrity and empathy because sometimes you have to look at the ego and the heart and the beautiful dance and awareness of friendship. We asked how Siri protects her heart she replies that she honors and is her own best advocate. It is easy to confuse that others are responsible for our own happiness. So what’s in your toolkit? Empower yourself. We discuss intuitive parenting and circling back to awareness and a deep listen. To give a moment before pausing and reacting. The word “pause” is one of Siri’s favorites.Tune in! Song "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

This episode covers some ground about work, family, health and how you approach it all. Meet Deborah Rogers and listen to how she navigates. She had seen diabetes in her mom and did not want to walk down that same road. She took her life in her hands and has worked to be a fit competitor. She makes a powerful statement in that her food problem is not her family’s problem and she made the switch from “I can’t have a particular food” to “I don’t want it.” She says that many people take heredity and use that as their destiny, but really it is our culture. She says it’s how we grew up in celebrating through food. She talks about goals and her role in the family. We talk about raising kids and how they see how we are living and the choices we make and the good, You have to find your tribe who live and have the same mindset as you—to treasure the friendship and the support. Finding the small group that support your goals is part of self care and sometimes it is way underrated for wives and moms.Everyone has a rockbottom moment and everyone has a lightbulb moment. When you realize that it is not your destiny and that you can do anything you want—you are responsible for you. Learn and do. Deborah realized this, self care is very unselfish. Being a 32 year old obese mom doesn’t give the best to her family and when she realized that, her life changed and she focused on balance to be better for herself and her family. Time management is a huge factor in how you can have everything you want in your life.We also touch on miscarriage and the hurt and devastation of that life event. Deborah lost an unexpected pregnancy and we talk about the hurt and grief of the couple as they experience that roller coaster of emotion. As women we do what we have to do and the realty is we need conversation of some of the devastating situations we live through.This fabulous woman is driven and passionate about what she believes and knows is right. She’s loyal and sticks by family and friends no matter what. Deborah Rogers has been on a journey for a very long time and we dive in deep from weight loss to talk about life working from home, how you juggle being a mom and finding time to do the things that you personally need to do to get through life. We talk about Deborah’s life changing decisions to live her best life. Get excited— you’ll learn so much and fall in love with this lady! Tune in!!!Music “STOMP” used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Can you imagine leaving where you are raised and blaze a completely new trail? Meet Emily Kazungu. She is a fabulously interesting person and you are in for a treat as she immediately resonates her passion to make a difference in this world. Emily is from Kenya and came to America as an international student. We talk about the process and how she managed—as well as a little insight into the VISA process. We talk of some of the culture shocks she experienced from Southern accents and what she knew from TV shows. Every day for her is a new discovery. We get into where Emily is today and what her plans are for the future. It will open your eyes— As a young adult woman, Emily is in Kenya right now and she is continuing to grow herself personally and professionally. This episode stretches what we know and what we are familiar with day in and day out. I didn’t edit some of my own heartbreak that Emily and I talk about her leaving the US and her disappointment and the difficult period. She prepared herself for anything to happen as she knew the opportunities would not be the same. She never approached her life as being braze—she is curious and has a need and desire to learn.There are life lessons and characteristics that Emily gained in her family. Her advice to international students is to embrace the unknown and the experiences that are coming your way. This young professional is a true believer in herself and says that not worrying about what others think of her allows her to go forward and embrace the moments right in front of her with trust. Emily has videos on her YouTube Channel which she created for a space of information and laughs. Go follow her there. Tune in for this episode!Music “STOMP” is used by permission of the artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

This episode is a special Mother’s Day conversation with me the host, Amy Stackhouse and my three kids Isaac, Becca and Tori. This goes all through being a mom and having kids. We talk about the opportunities on both sides and the impact. Being a mom is not the easiest job, but it is fulfilling. There is grace and there is growth. I hope you enjoy and get insight on who we are and even more, look at who you are. Moms are essential. Moms are involved in way more than they get credit for each and every day. This was fun for me and a bit insightful. My goal as a mom was and is to be present.Tune in!Music “STOMP” is used by permission of artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Jen Garrett is in the studio for this episode and you will hear of her transformation from the corporate world being a leader in that domain and now she’s transitioned into — a life of an entrepreneur. Her experience brings so many levels and people groups. She brands athletes and she definitely works with an array of people that includes professional athletes and she is an acclaimed author. Jen wrote a book called Move the Ball and she parallels the world of how and athlete works and how those skills translate. You can also hear her podcast called Move the Ball. The notion of constant development and the team aspect to come together for a common objective is true on and off of the field. There are important insights she offers on the subject to beat out the competition. You are in for a treat to glean her direct steps that you can actually implement today making yourself better than you were before. We talk about the specifics of managing your own brand because of all of the available platforms. If you want to know more about the process of becoming an author, Jen shares some of that effort she put forth and how she as a first time book writer listened to the input of her editor. As you settle in for this episode, you will hear the truly involved path that Jen took — she holds seven academic degrees! Her advice is to take advantage of opportunities that you may have presented to you. She loves learning and with this she becomes a more valuable resource.Jen addresses mindset and how that can dictate your day — “make sure you show up, suit up and move the ball.”We dive into why she’s doing what she’s doing and how it happened that she stopped and assessed where she was heading in this life and decided to jump toward her career. There are a few pillars that Jen sites that set the foundation for her path. Learning, pushing, being a bit stubborn, plus having a personal drive have all created the mix for her success. One more topic that we covered was a bit of parenting and her philosophy of how to put a recipe together for kids to thrive. Jen creates a balance by planning her priorities and being intentional.Tune in!Song “STOMP” used by permission of the artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Valerie Oliver is an educator and she is a part of Oliver Farms. Family makes her tick. We learn about what it was like for her to jump into a business world and she’s become a person who is passionate about all things local and investing into people and she's extremely community oriented. We will learn what Oliver Farms is and how the business evolved into what you see today bith on location and online. We even get a bit of insight of the oil press process. They started at Oliver Farms with Sunflowers and cold press oils. Fresh out of the ground. They seem to press every seed they can get their hands on and maintan super strick rules to keep the process and consumers safe. At first it was an education for themselves and then teaching others. Today there are over 100 acres of sunflowers -- and yes you can go take photos there. They work with local sources to get their seeds and maintain a very homegrown feel.Valerie talks about her biggest challenge being — time— and taking on the new opportunities. Time gets her spread thin to keep it all going. You’ll hear about business, education, family, being a wife and mom. Her days start early every day.In this episode we talk about work ethic and how she learned in her childhood to what she pushes everyday. One word of encouragement is that each day is a new beginning and you can’t worry about what doesn’t work one day. There is a new start tomorrow. Don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed. This discussion will make you want to up your oil game and appreciate the beautiful flavors.Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff

Having a core that is separate from your career gives you an agility that allows you to take chances with confidence. Meet Dr. Amber Paulk in this episode who is a young professional in the academic world. She is a first generation college graduate and she says she had a great deal on her shoulders to show she could do and that she could pay her way. That gave her the grit and focus to take on every single task—she says she never felt like she could take her foot off of the gas. Her world was filled with mentors and opportunities to stay focused and not squander. People believed, encouraged and supported her along the way. Meeting a challenge for Amber was fun. She fell in love with teaching and that is a significant part of her career.We talk about what it was like to be a first generation college student and the idea that she didn’t have time to whine and be frustrated and disappointed. That level of resilience enabled her to figure life out—she called it her secret weapon that allowed her not to get stuck.Amber speaks to how you focus on your own unique and individual talents and zero in on your strengths and how you level those on your life. What are you doing right? What are you doing well? You’ll glean a look into positive side of life and how she mentors using that tactic. You’ll hear Amber talk about her passion project to help STEM to get into rural high schools to give a lift for STEM to get into these schools and help these graduates to find their path to college—she wants to be a part of the solution to get these students to college and help guide them through a system of support to help them persist and give a feeling of belonging. She touches on healthy boundaries and how important that is in helping provide the tools.Tune in for this episode to hear parenting and family skills that she and her husband implement to create their family dynamics and the process to see how they spend their time. There is a balance and sometimes in life you have to do things you don’t want to do—her advice comes naturally because it is incorporated in how she actually lives. She recommends a book called 365 Conversations which gives them intentional conversations for 3 years in their family. Connect daily. Join us.The music “STOMP” is used by permission of the artists Donica Knight Holdman and Jim HuffMusic "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff