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Wisdom Without The Guru
Behind every pivot, loss, career shift, trauma or reinvention is a story. Wisdom Without the Guru grew from my belief that growth is something we live, not something we’re taught from a pedestal. Through grounded, real-world conversations, I explore how people rebuild, adapt, and rediscover purpose after trauma, change and conflict — in work, health, relationships, and identity. My guests are coaches, authors, healers, social workers, therapists and everyday people who’ve turned lived experience into practical insight. Together, we look at what awareness, authenticity, and being human really mean when life gets complex.
Episodes
55 episodes
Culture, Identity, Loss & Redefining Success with Angela Jamieson
Author and creator of Relaxed Productivity, Angela Jamieson, joins me to speak about identity, culture, ambition, family history, grief, creativity, and what it means to redefine success.Born in Canada to Chinese immigrant parents, Angel...
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Grief Beyond the Funeral: A New Path with Megan Malick
In this special episode, I welcome back Megan Malick to discuss her book A New Path — a workbook and planner created to support people navigating grief while also managing the practical realities that follow the death of a loved one.&n...
Grief, Trauma & Evolving Faith | Megan Malick
What do we actually mean when we talk about grief—and what happens when the beliefs that once grounded us begin to shift?Megan Malick shares experiences from across her life that connect to different forms of grief—some recognised at the...
Exploring The Call of the Sacred Rebel | Debi Barr
In this episode, Debi Barr joins me to discuss her book The Call of the Sacred Rebel and the path that led her to write it.We talk about how the book evolved over time—from early ideas during her corporate career to a l...
From Redundancy to Reiki: Finding Her Way Back | Debi Barr
Debi Barr describes herself as “feral at 50” — but that phrase only makes sense when you understand the path that led her there.Raised in Northern Ireland in a strict religious environment, Debi learned early how to be the “good girl”: q...
Faith, Identity & Spiritual Path: Dr. Chris Nirvelorron
In this compelling interview, Dr. Chris Nirvelorron shares their extraordinary journey from a strict Southern Baptist upbringing, academic struggles, and military service to discovering their spiritual calling and healing abilities.
Chakras, Intuition & Psychic Senses Explained with Tammie Vecchiarelli
A follow-up conversation with Tammie Vecchiarelli on her two guidebooks exploring chakras and psychic senses.Tammie shares how the books were created, what they cover, and how they are designed to help people understand energy, intuition...
Childhood Loss, Career Change, and Teaching Abroad with Tammie Vecchiarelli
Tammie Vecchiarelli shares her experience of growing up through loss, family change, and career shifts, and how those experiences shaped her later decisions.She talks about losing her grandmother at a young age, followed by her parents’ ...
Chronic Bloating and Gut Issues: What Actually Helps with Karlee Close
Certified Gut Health Coach Karlee Close shares how her ongoing gut issues developed despite following common health advice — and why years of restrictive diets, supplements, and testing didn’t resolve the problem.After growing up with co...
Learning to Feel Safe and Trust Your Body with Cori Myka
What if fear isn’t something to push through—but something to understand?Cori Myka shares how her early experiences with mistrust, fear, and childhood trauma shaped not only her relationship with water but also her understanding of how t...
From Shame and Self-Destruction to Faith with Samantha Stewartz
Samantha Stewartz’s story doesn’t follow a simple arc of struggle and recovery. It unfolds through years of internal conflict, self-destructive patterns, and moments that forced her to question everything she believed about herself.Growi...
Growing Up With Family Conflict with Tenya Eickenberg
What happens when the environment you grow up in leaves emotional patterns that follow you well into adulthood?Tenya Eickenberg shares the story of growing up in a military family where frequent moves, family conflict, and a mother strug...
Addiction, Identity, and Recovery - The Disease of Me with Michael Bugary
Michael Bugary, a former elite baseball player whose life shifted after injury, addiction, and serious illness changed his direction, reflects on growing up in a military family, finding structure and recognition through baseball, and progressi...
Childhood Trauma, Healing, and Intuition with Natasha Randolph
Natasha Randolph shares her experience of growing up with instability, neglect, and abuse, alongside the early emergence in childhood of an intuitive and sensory awareness she didn’t yet have language for.Much of Natasha’s childhood was ...
Inside The Way Through Chronic Pain: A Conversation with Author Elizabeth Kipp
Elizabeth Kipp returns for a focused conversation on her book The Way Through Chronic Pain: Tools to Reclaim Your Healing Power.In this special episode, Elizabeth explains why she chose to write the book after being told ...
Rethinking Chronic Pain: Stress, Trauma & Nervous System Recovery with Elizabeth Kipp
What if chronic pain isn’t only physical?In this episode, Elizabeth Kipp shares how she lived with chronic pain, anxiety, and panic attacks for over 40 years — including 32 years on prescription medication and multiple spinal surgeries —...
Childhood Trauma, Policing, and PTSD: Breaking the Silence as a First Responder with Laverne Friesen
What happens when the environment that raises you is also the source of harm?In this episode I speak with Laverne Friesen, a former Canadian law enforcement officer who grew up in an ultra-conservative, closed religious community ...
Grief Without Timelines: Caregiving, Loss, and Holding Love After Death with Maria Belanic
What does grief look like when it doesn’t follow the timeline people expect? In this episode I speak with Maria Belanic, a certified grief educator whose life has been shaped by cultural identity, caregiving, and profound loss....
Faith, Trauma & Mental Health: Breaking Silence and Redefining Healing with Mylira Green
In this episode, I speak with Mylira Green, a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, Reiki master, and advocate who bridges faith-based traditions with trauma-informed healing. This is a layered interview about faith, trauma, and he...
Pain to Purpose: The Healing Oracle Born from Poetry and Intuition with Antoinette Thompson
In this special mini-episode, I'm joined again by Antoinette Thompson to explore the creation of her Pain to Purpose Healing Oracle.Born from lived experience rather than theory, the deck emerged through poetry, intuitive a...
Childhood Trauma, Chronic Illness & the Long Work of Healing with Antoinette Thompson
Childhood trauma and chronic illness can shape a life in ways that are rarely visible. In this episode, Antoinette Thompson shares how early sexual abuse, years of silence, and a diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis led her into survival mode — ...
Growing Up in Ukraine, Fleeing War, and Starting Again in America with Kateryna Bikir
In this episode, Ukrainian psychologist Kateryna Bikir shares the moments that shaped her before and after the 2022 Russian invasion — growing up with limited resources, the generations of trauma from war and conflicts, the realities she...
Self-Compassion Meditation with Mindfulness Coach Carolina Gonzalez
In this special episode, we are guided through a 20-minute meditation with returning guest Mindfulness Coach Carolina Gonzalez.During this episode, Carolina will gently lead listeners through a self-compassion meditation designed to soot...
From Faith to Freedom – Leaving Evangelicalism & Reclaiming Self-Trust with Stephanie Ann Webb
Stephanie Ann Webb grew up in conservative evangelical culture, surrounded by fear, control, and purity teachings that silenced curiosity. In this candid episode, I speak with Stephanie about the lifelong effects of religious trauma, binge eati...
Evolution Into Inner Stillness: Migration, Career, Motherhood, Divorce & Loss with Carolina Gonzalez
Carolina Gonzalez’s journey crosses continents. In this conversation, we examine themes of inner strength, grief, motherhood, and personal growth. Carolina recounts her journey from a nurturing childhood in Venezuela to facing life's challenges...