Staying Power

Episode 104: “The Spice of Life - Designing a Year That Feels Alive” New Year’s Eve often comes with pressure: resolutions, reinvention, and unrealistic expectations. But what if the new year wasn’t about fixing yourself — and instead about cultivating excitement, curiosity, and aliveness? In this New Year’s Eve episode of Staying Power, JDK and Ashley explore how to shape the coming year from a g...

Episode 103: “When Hope Helps — And When It Holds Us Back” It’s Christmas Eve — a night filled with symbolism, expectation, longing, and hope. But what is “hope” in real human terms? And how do we hold hope without drifting into passivity, denial, or waiting for someone else to rescue us? In this episode, JDK and Ashley gently explore hope’s emotional, spiritual, and psychological dimensions. They...

Episode 102: From ‘Should’ to ‘Want’: Creating Your Own Holiday Season The holidays can easily become a season of autopilot — traditions we never question, expectations we silently carry, and routines that leave little room for what we actually want. In this episode of Staying Power, JDK and Ashley explore the power of setting clear intentions — and actually following through on them — especially...

Episode 101: “Why Time With Our Elders Matters” We say we “should” spend more time with our aging parents and elders — but life gets busy, visits get delayed, and loneliness quietly grows. In this episode of Staying Power, JDK and Ashley explore why time with seniors is far more than a nice gesture. It’s medicine: for their bodies and brains, for our own mental health, and for a culture that often...

Episode 100: "One Hundred Episodes Strong!"  One hundred episodes. Countless lessons. Endless gratitude. In this milestone episode of Staying Power, JDK and Ashley look back on the show’s journey, reflecting on the people, stories, and moments that have shaped them — and the listeners who’ve made it all possible. Together they explore the real science of gratitude: how it strengthens resilien...

Episode 099: "Nine Lessons From Our Hardest Moments"  As we all enter the season of gratitude, the show takes a look back — not at achievements, but at adversity. In this special episode, JDK and Ashley each share three personal challenges they’ve overcome that have shaped them, revealing them to each other for the first time live on air. Through spontaneous reflection, they explore what thos...

Episode 098: "That Awkward Bridge Between Chapters" We all know that strange emotional space between life chapters — when something has ended or changed, but the next thing hasn’t quite begun. It’s awkward, disorienting, and often filled with doubt, waiting, and mixed feelings. In this episode of  Staying Power , JDK and Ashley explore what happens inside us — psychologically, neurologically,...

Episode 093: "Where Shall We Begin...Again!" This week, Ashley and JD grant the requests of listeners to play another round of “Where Shall We Begin”, the game created by famed relationship therapist, Esther Perel. They give on-the-spot answers to questions ranging from the deeply serious to downright silly, all revealing a great deal about the hosts as they build an even deeper connection! This c...

Episode 097: “The Space Between My Truth and Yours” Disagreement doesn’t have to mean disconnection. In an age of constant polarization, we’re quick to assume that difference equals danger — but it doesn’t have to. In this episode of Staying Power, JDK and Ashley explore how two people can both “be right” from their own lived experience, and still stay curious, compassionate, and connected. They u...

Episode 096: “Letting People Be Themselves (Without Losing Yourself)” Why is it so hard to stop trying to “fix” or “improve” other people — even when we know it rarely works? Whether it’s a partner, co-worker, or family member, most of us try to shape others to meet our comfort zones, beliefs, or needs for control. In this episode of  Staying Power , JDK and Ashley unpack the deep human...

Episode 095: “The Bright Side Has Clouds Too” We often think of “happy” people as immune to bad days — or that those who struggle with sadness or stress can’t genuinely embrace positivity. In this episode of  Staying Power , JDK and Ashley explore why both ideas miss the mark. True happiness isn’t about constant positivity; it’s about balance — the ability to hold space for hard emotions...

Episode 094: "When Inner Turmoil Hijacks Your Best Habits" We all know the feeling: endless tasks, heavy responsibilities, and the pressure to perform—while at the same time trying to honor our health with sleep, exercise, food, connection, and calm. In this episode, JD and Ashley explore what happens inside us when inner turmoil disrupts our routines, why our brains make bad trade-offs under stre...

Episode 092: "The Advice Filter: Friends, Pros, and the Internet"  When life gets messy, who should we turn to - and who should we avoid? This episode breaks down how to pick trustworthy advice-givers (and why that's harder than it sounds), the psychology of why we sometimes chase the wrong voices, and a nuanced look at what online forums like Reddit get right and wrong. Hear about research-b...

Episode 091: Values in Action: How to Align Our Lives with What Truly Matters | Staying Power In this week's episode, JD and Ashley dive into the importance of learning and knowing our values in building a better life. They introduce the VIA Strengths and Values Assessment, discussing their own results in depth. Join them as they reveal their top and bottom-ranked values, the introspection these r...

Episode 090: “The Courage to Act (When You’d Really Rather Not)” Big decisions aren’t just choices – they are also actions. This week, JDK and Ashley unpack why moving from intention to action with difficult decisions can feel so hard, biologically and socially, and how we can make courageous follow through more reliable. They explore the brain’s “freeze” response, why uncertainty always feels so...

Episode 089: “Healing is Hard, Healing is Worth It” First responders see and experience trauma daily — and often carry those wounds long after the sirens fade. In this episode of Staying Power, JD Wyneken and Ashley Knebel talk with trauma psychologist Dr. Denise Haselwood about how trauma rewires the brain, why it changes thoughts and behavior, and most importantly, how it can be healed. Denise s...

Episode 088: “Learner-Driven Kids, Life-Ready Adults” Branching off of last week’s episode, JDK and Ashley are joined by  Chris Wolf , co-founder of  Pathfinders , a learner-driven school in Sammamish, WA that is part of the Acton Academy network. In a wide-ranging conversation, they explore why  structured ,  Socratic-focused learning  helps kids become resilient problem-...

Episode 087 -  Fail Better: The Case for Small Stumbles Failure gets a bad rap. But what if failure — especially small, everyday stumbles — is one of the best tools we have for building strength and confidence? In this episode, JD Wyneken and Ashley Knebel explore why our brains are wired to avoid mistakes at all costs, why that avoidance often holds us back, and how embracing “micro-fails” c...

Episode 086: “Holding the ‘Old Me’ Hostage” We’ve all done it — holding on to the old “version” of someone we know… or of ourselves. Maybe it’s your cousin who you still picture as the awkward teen, or the way you define yourself by that job you left 10 years ago. In this episode, JDK and Ashley explain why our brains are wired to cling to outdated stories about people (including ourselves), how t...

Episode 085: "Reclaiming Real: How to Keep Tech from Replacing Human Connection" In a world that’s more connected than ever, why do so many of us feel… disconnected? This week on  Staying Power , JDK and Ashley explore how the convenience of technology—while incredibly helpful—can quietly erode our most vital human connections. From texting instead of talking to letting screens fill the sile...

Episode 084: “Hiring a Coach Isn’t Weak - It’s a Power Move” So… you’re thinking about hiring a coach—but a little voice in your head whispers,  “Shouldn’t I already have this figured out?”  This week on  Staying Power , JDK and Ashley unpack the myth that coaching is for the broken. From business to life, leadership to health, they explore how modern coaching builds emotional...

Episode 083: “The Power of Asking, ‘How Are You?’” Every day, we ask (or are asked) “How are you?” How often, though, are we willing or ready to hear or share the REAL answer in that moment? If you’re like most people, it’s not as often as we think or want to believe. This week, JDK and Ashley explore the potential power in asking and answering this key human question - and discuss how we can inte...

Episode 082: “Holding Space For Growth” When our most important relationships hit instability or time periods of imbalance / inequality, we can often freeze or overreact with concern. Instead, how can we find and cultivate our ability to “hold space” for others to move towards growth and re-connection with us? And what is it about ourselves that might be in order for us to address, too? This week,...

Episode 081: “More Life Lessons from Unrequited Love”  After a great deal of positive responses to last week’s episode, JD and Ashley continue to discuss the challenges AND the profound gifts we can experience in an unrequited love situation. If we make it less about what we are not getting from someone else and more about what we can learn about our own need, desires, perceptions, and assump...

Episode 080: “Loving At Arm’s Length” Loving people as best we can is a goal most humans shoot for, but in many cases this can be tougher than we want due to various circumstances. This week, Ashley and JD wade into the challenges involved in navigating love we have for others when it is not reciprocated as we’d prefer. While challenging, such situations actually offer a perhaps unparalleled oppor...