Mostly Functional

This week, we start with UFOs, government disclosure, and a mysterious metallic sphere — and end up somewhere much closer to home: our deep human longing to be rescued. Why are we so captivated by the idea that someone or something out there might come fix what feels broken here on Earth? From billionaires to extraterrestrials, they explore the stories we tell ourselves about power, hope, fear, an...

If you could have one wish granted for animals, what would it be? In this episode, we explore that question and all the unexpected places it leads. Along the way, we talk about snakes(again!), fear, lawnmowers, laundry piles, the things that help us cope with stress, and the small moments that remind us we're all just mostly functional. It's a conversation about compassion, perspective, and imagin...

What if, in just a few years, we could actually understand what animals are saying? In this episode, we dive into the fascinating future of animal communication, exploring emerging technology that may one day help humans translate animal language. From snakes and spiders to whales, dogs, and pigs, we imagine what animals might tell us if we could truly listen. The conversation takes some unexpecte...

One of the quickest ways to burn out is to have impossibly high standards around care for animals. We all want the best for them but not everything requires our A+ effort. Sometimes B- work is more than adequate and it's important to know where that line is so you're not constantly thriving for perfection in an imperfect world. Animals need our love, compassion and skill, they don't need us to be...

In this episode, Julie shares the winding path that took her from veterinary assistant to speaker and coach, and the complicated love story she still has with veterinary medicine. Through stories about burnout, leadership, emotional contagion, difficult workplaces, and the people who shape us, we explore what happens when caring deeply for animals slowly starts costing you yourself. Honest, funny,...

From difficult clients to compassion fatigue to the heartbreak of caring deeply, we explore why humans can be exhausting, why animals often feel safer, and what it takes to stay open-hearted in a world that doesn't always make it easy. Honest, funny, and a little cheeky…because if you've ever preferred the company of animals over humans, you're definitely not alone.

In this episode we explore the beliefs we inherit, the stories we cling to, and what happens when we finally start questioning them. From body image and social media validation to burnout, grief, and even burning old bedroom furniture in a bonfire, the conversation winds through the beautifully messy process of "unbelieving." It's funny, thoughtful, vulnerable, and a little existential in the way...

In this episode, we go beyond the surface of compassion and into the real experience of those who give it every day. We talk about the emotional toll of working with animals, the slow build of compassion fatigue, and why setting limits can feel so hard… even when it's necessary. Along the way, we uncover a powerful truth about the way we care for others.  This is a conversation about boundaries, b...

In this episode, we unpack the difference between caring deeply and carrying everything. We explore how easy it is to slip into over-responsibility, especially when the work matters so much. We talk about the pressure to do it all, the mental chatter that comes with it, and how to start separating what's actually yours from what's shared or not yours at all. This conversation is a reminder that yo...

Today we celebrate 25 episodes of Mostly Functional with Julie putting Derek in the hot seat by asking him 25 questions. Some softballs, some that stump him. All in the name of being mostly functional! 

Anyone who whose work exposes them repeatedly to secondary trauma and loss will find themselves sometimes feeling numb about the situations they're managing with those they care for. Today we explore whether it's normal (it is!), whether it's a way to be sustainable in the work (listen to find out!) and whether it's a way to also protect ourselves sometimes. As usual, it's a convo filled with deep...

In this episode, we talk about the kind of wisdom that only comes with living. The stuff you wish you could go back and tell your younger self, and what your future self might be trying to tell you now. It turns into a real conversation about trust, worry, connection, self-acceptance, and what it means to stop chasing and start noticing the life you're already in. Thoughtful, honest, funny, and ve...

Sometimes taking care of yourself isn't well-recieved by others. In this episode, we unpack boundaries, burnout, and the weird way people react when you stop being endlessly available. Because caring for others shouldn't require abandoning yourself.

In this episode, we explore what it really means to advocate with kindness. From the way we talk to others to the way we talk to ourselves, we unpack how compassion, not criticism, is what actually creates change. It's a real, thoughtful, and mostly functional conversation about choosing kindness without losing your conviction. 

In this episode, a new word enters the Mostly Functional vocabulary: apanthropy . As we try to figure out what it means (and how to say it), the conversation turns into something deeper about why animals feel easier to be around than people, and why so many of us are craving quiet these days. By the end, we land on the idea of seeking more anthropic moments … small pockets of calm, simplicity, and...

In this episode we talk about what it means to feel "too much" or "not enough" and how those stories shape the way we show up in the world. We explore performative coping, identity, and the surprising superpowers that can come from being sensitive and lived experience. The conversation lands on a grounding reminder for animal people and humans everywhere: discomfort is not danger, and learning to...

In this episode, we start with Olympic hockey and somehow end up talking about the decisions no one wants to make. The kind that sit heavy in your chest. Caregiving. Euthanasia. Financial limits. Terminal illness. The moments where there is no perfect option, only the most loving one available. It's an honest, sometimes messy conversation about doing the best you can with what you know and then no...

In this episode, Julie and Derek talk about what happens when caring becomes overgiving, and overgiving quietly turns into resentment. They unpack the caretaker's dilemma: saying yes to everyone else while sacrificing the restoration that keeps you steady, regulated, and able to show up with love. You'll hear practical boundary shifts (including the freedom of not replying right away), plus a remi...

In this episode Derek and Julie chat about self-care basics, their shared excitement for the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, and the pure joy of the Puppy Bowl as a wholesome distraction. They reflect on the powerful Super Bowl halftime message—"The only thing more powerful than hate is love"—and how it resonates amid discussions of rights, tolerance, and a tangled world. The episode closes with...

In this episode, we wander through winter life and what it asks of people who care for others, including pacing, limits, preparedness, and knowing when enough is enough. We talk about the animals who hate the cold (and the ones built for it), and the small sensory things that can make a long season feel extra long, like wet boots . Along the way, we explore non-attachment, rumination, and why wint...

In this episode, Julie and Derek talk about what it feels like to keep showing up for the animals you serve when the world feels chaotic, loud, and unsettling. We explore how constant news, doomscrolling, and uncertainty crank up our nervous systems, and why "safety" can feel hard to access right now. You'll hear practical, compassionate ideas for staying regulated without sliding into toxic posit...

In this episode of Mostly Functional , Julie and Derek talk about what it means to practice peace in a world that feels loud, divisive, and hard to disconnect from. Inspired by Tibetan monks walking thousands of miles to raise awareness for compassion and empathy, they explore the idea that peace is not something you wait for, it's something you create on purpose. They share simple, real-life "pea...

In this episode, we talk about what happens when you lose your joy at work, especially in animal-care roles where the suffering is real and the pace never lets up. We unpack how exhaustion, resentment, and "systems set up for you to fail" slowly erode your passion, and why the most functional move might be a break, a stop-doing list, and asking for help before you burn all the way out. 

In this year-end Mostly Functional check-in, we're giddy up-ing into 2026 with a clear plan: protect your peace. Derek and Julie unpack what it looks like to stay steady when your work with animals involves constant care, constant urgency, and constant opinions, and why "block, ban, delete" can be a loving boundary, not a personality flaw. Then we share what we're calling in for 2026: movement, mo...

In this episode we talk about what it really looks like to plan for grief during the holidays, especially when it is your first season without someone you love. Julie shares her "grief practice" of making space in small spurts so it doesn't swallow the whole season, plus simple permission slips like Plan B options, lowered expectations, and letting grief be a companion instead of an intruder. If y...