Elsplend Realities

Having the right qualifications doesn't always guarantee the right opportunity. In a rapidly changing job market, knowing how to communicate your value may be just as important as the experience on your résumé. On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Julie Gartell, CareerPREP Advisor and founder of CareerPREP Solutions, shares more than two decades of insight from both sides of the hiring table. We...

Sometimes the most meaningful solutions begin with a problem we experience ourselves. On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Dara Erck, global health strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of SAM+LEO, shares how her experience as a mother of two teenagers inspired her to create solutions focused on teen wellbeing. Drawing from more than two decades in global health, including her work with the Bill...

Financial hardship can affect far more than our bank accounts. It can influence our confidence, relationships, decisions, and even our ability to imagine a better future. On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Luke Homen, an experienced consumer bankruptcy attorney, brings clarity and compassion to the often-misunderstood world of debt, bankruptcy, financial stress, and student loan relief. He sha...

In a world filled with information, opinions, and competing voices, how do we learn to recognize truth without simply believing whoever sounds most convincing? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Jason C. Johnson Sr.—author, ordained minister, educator, speaker, and creator of the 4-Step Biblical Discernment Framework—shares the personal experience that shaped his passion for biblical literacy...

Who are we beneath the expectations, experiences, and identities we've learned to carry? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Daniel Curtis—composer, creative producer, educator, and speaker—shares a journey shaped by music, creativity, service, and a deep understanding of human potential. From performing at iconic venues to creating powerful charitable projects supporting veterans, children, me...

What happens when we stop allowing our past to define us and begin transforming our pain into purpose? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Oscar Luna—podcast host, children's book author, and advocate for emotional healing—shares a deeply personal journey from childhood trauma and years of silence to healing, vulnerability, fatherhood, and service to others. We explore trauma recovery, vulnerab...

What if your greatest advantage isn't what you know, but the story only you can tell? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Sabine Kvenberg—communication coach, keynote speaker, bestselling author, and founder of Impact Communication Coaching—shares her remarkable journey of reinvention, from moving from Germany to the United States with four suitcases to building a career helping others find the...

Technology is changing faster than ever, but the principles that guide a meaningful life and sustainable business remain timeless. On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Elias Curtis, founder and CEO of Transformed Design Inc., shares his perspective on AI, business growth, digital transformation, leadership, faith, and intentional living. With nearly two decades of experience helping businesses n...

What makes an experience stay with us long after it's over? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Richard Emmanuel, founder of DMA Events, takes us behind the scenes of creating experiences that go beyond attention and become memorable moments. With more than 1,500 events and brand activations across the world, Richard shares lessons from working with global brands and navigating the intersection...

What if a meaningful life isn't measured by how much we achieve, but by how many lives we choose to serve and impact along the way? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Gary Janzen, Christian minister, missions leader, and nonprofit executive, shares insights from more than four decades of pastoral ministry, international missions, youth leadership, and service across cultures and communities. W...

What happens when the relationship everyone else sees as healthy feels completely different behind closed doors? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Laura Richards, podcaster, speaker, author, and founder of the Nice Guy Recovery Community, shares her deeply personal journey of recognizing emotional manipulation, rebuilding self-trust, and finding her voice after decades of silence. We explore...

What happens when someone tells you that your story isn't worth telling? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, award-winning author, filmmaker, producer, director, and storyteller Kay A. Oliver shares a powerful journey of resilience, creativity, and refusing to let rejection define her path. From being told that female-led stories weren't marketable to building a remarkable career across Hollywo...

As artificial intelligence becomes better at creating images, writing, videos, and even digital personalities, one question is becoming harder to ignore: How do we know what—and who—is real? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Ross Thorpe, entrepreneur, CEO of Rooverse, and founding member of the AI Trust Council, challenges us to rethink what social media should be. We explore authenticity, di...

What does a marriage proposal reveal about love, readiness, and the choices we make in life? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Ash Fox, founder of Ash Fox Proposal, takes us behind the scenes of thousands of proposals and the deeply human moments that surround them. From photography to building one of the world's first proposal planning companies, Ash has witnessed excitement, uncertainty, vu...

What if the path to an extraordinary life doesn't begin with certainty, but with curiosity? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Irene Chan shares the story of her journey from growing up in East Los Angeles to becoming a Flight Planning Engineer supporting NASA's International Space Station and Artemis programs. Her path wasn't perfect—academic setbacks, career disappointments, and uncertainty...

Have you ever walked away from a conversation wondering, “How could they possibly have understood it that way?” In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Jeremy Doran, leadership coach, keynote speaker, and author of NeuroConversant Leadership, for a thoughtful conversation about communication, cognitive diversity, leadership, and the different ways people experience and interpret th...

What if the pain you've been trying to understand could eventually become part of the purpose you're called to live? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Cecily Lachapelle, host of The Higher Pursuit Podcast, Bible teacher, speaker, and author of Repurpose Your Pain, for a deeply faith-centered conversation about healing, identity, purpose, and trusting God through difficult sea...

What if a meaningful life isn't found only in the big milestones, but in the small moments we often overlook? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Jon Francois, host and producer of The Delicious Culture, for a warm and refreshing conversation about curiosity, connection, humor, storytelling, and finding joy in everyday life. Jon has spent more than two decades working across th...

What if success isn't about doing more—but about creating a life you actually have time and space to enjoy? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Katharina Huang—indie author, former machine learning data scientist, and creator of the Vegout Voyage travel adventure puzzle book series—for a refreshing conversation about burnout, reinvention, creativity, travel, and redefining what...

What happens when life doesn't unfold the way we prayed it would? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Cathy Colver Garland—author, speaker, mentor, business strategist, and co-author of Revelationship: Transformative Intimacy With Christ for a deeply personal conversation about faith, surrender, heartbreak, waiting, and discovering hope in the middle of uncertainty. Cathy's jou...

What really makes a team thrive? Is it talent, technology, or something far more human? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with David Lengyel, founder of Venture Up and a leadership consultant with more than four decades of experience helping organizations understand what makes people work better together. Having worked with more than 400,000 participants across 8,000+ organization...

What if the things you've spent years trying to fix about yourself were never really flaws—but simply differences you didn't yet understand? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Phil Summers and his daughter, Ellie, co-hosts of A Dad and His Daughter, for a deeply personal and uplifting conversation about late ADHD discovery, identity, family, and learning to see ourselves with...

What happens when people who were once prepared to fight each other are asked to build something extraordinary together? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with James Van Laak, a former Cold War fighter pilot who went from preparing for conflict with the Soviet Union to helping lead one of the most ambitious examples of international cooperation in history—the International Space S...

What if the key to becoming a better leader isn't learning how to fit in—but learning how to lead from who you truly are? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Kai Stowers, an executive coach who helps leaders with ADHD and AuDHD move beyond masking, shame, and self-doubt to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and authenticity. Kai's own journey from research chemistry into co...

What if growing older doesn't have to mean simply accepting decline? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Karl Sterling—NASM Master Trainer, neurological wellness specialist, founder of NeuroMotor Training, and author of Brain, Body, Bones: The Science of Living Stronger, Longer—for an inspiring conversation about aging, movement, brain health, resilience, and living with greate...