Don-ations

Text feedback to the show! A nine-to-five you’re not passionate about, back-to-back meetings, and old dreams that never played out. This episode shows how to flip everyday complaints into real, grounded affirmations that keep your bigger life vision alive, even when work and adulthood don’t look like you imagined. Music by DayFox Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baez...

Text feedback to the show! In this episode, I talk about what overthinking actually looks like in real life. I go from dating apps and work emails to friendships and late night spirals. I unpack how attachment, nervous system responses, and looping thoughts all feed into being “too in your head,” and share a few tools I’m using to come back to the present, take small actions, and stop letting ever...

Text feedback to the show! In this episode, Donavon explores what it really means to “know your truth” when you’re hurt and tempted to get even. He breaks down the difference between communicating and scorekeeping, why weaponized intimacy is so destructive, and how unspoken expectations turn into “you owe me” energy. You’ll get specific journal prompts to process rejection, ego bruises, and betray...

Text feedback to the show! In this milestone episode of Don-ations, Donavon reflects on what hitting 5,000 listens really means beyond the numbers: growth, self-awareness, and becoming someone who chooses peace over old patterns. Through powerful clips and honest storytelling, he unpacks how the podcast has evolved, how his guests have shaped him, and why this new season is about deeper alignment,...

Text feedback to the show! Donavon dives into a freezing garage gym, a chaotic treadmill fall, and the split-second moment where he realizes he has a choice: let one mistake define him, or let it refine him. In this episode, he unpacks how the stories you tell yourself after a “fall”... in love, work, goals, or everyday life... quietly shape who you become in the new year. Through honest reflectio...

Text feedback to the show! In this episode, Donavon unpacks what growing up gay really looks like — the hiding, the internalized shame, the fear of being “too much,” and the quiet survival instincts queer kids learn too early. Through honest storytelling and humor, he digs into how those patterns follow us into adulthood and how to finally untangle them. A grounding, relatable listen for anyone na...

Text feedback to the show! Ever feel like “I’m good” isn’t a good enough answer anymore? Like every check-in has to sound like a LinkedIn update or a PR statement? In this episode, Donavon unpacks the quiet pressure to make our lives sound better than they are... from family conversations and friendships to how we present ourselves online. He digs into how generations before us equated presentatio...

Text feedback to the show! For the ones who always hold it together: this one’s for you. We’re talking about what it costs to be the capable one, and how to find balance between being dependable and being human. Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be featured on the show! 

Text feedback to the show! We talk a lot about awareness but sometimes what we call awareness is just fear in disguise. This week, I explore the quiet difference between noticing your life and trying to control it, and how one small practice helped me find peace again in the mornings. Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be fea...

Text feedback to the show! Sometimes life gives you a fight you didn’t sign up for. Gloria and Clipper know that better than anyone. In this episode, we talk about waiting, strength, and what it means to keep living even when you don’t know what’s next. Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be featured on the show! 

Text feedback to the show! Why do we downplay the things we’re excited about, like it’s a crime to care too much? In this episode, I talk about where that shows up in everyday life, the weight it carries, and what it means to finally let yourself feel it fully. Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be featured on the show! 

Text feedback to the show! This week, I’m talking about the questions we don’t ask and how they shape the stories we never get to hear. It’s about family, memory, and the kind of legacy that is shared in unforgettable ways. Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be featured on the show! 

Text feedback to the show! I’m talking about the gifts and gaps that come from the people who raised us. The things they gave us out of love, and the things we’ve had to work through. I share some of my own stories and what stuck with me, what shaped me, and what I’m still unlearning. This episode is about how those gifts and gaps show up in our lives, and how we learn to carry them. Support the s...

Text feedback to the show! Feeling the absence of someone really helped me recognize where grief was in other parts of my life, and what emerged from reflecting on it is this idea that grief isn't solely about what we've lost, but about seeing what remains more clearly. Music by DayFox on Pixabay.  Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist...

Text feedback to the show! Not every move forward looks like an upgrade. Sometimes it’s about letting go of the heavy stuff so you can breathe again. Karissa joins me for this week's POV to share what downshifting looks like in her world, too. Music by DayFox on Pixabay. Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be featured on...

Text feedback to the show! Three years after our first conversation about people pleasing, Karissa and I reunite to explore the subtle evolution of our journey. We've both changed… not by eliminating our people-pleasing tendencies, but by creating space for ourselves within them. Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be fea...

Text feedback to the show! What started as reflection on a comfortable shirt has revealed something deeper: this struggle isn't really about weight at all. It's about the parts of us that seek comfort and hide when we've told ourselves we're not allowed to just live.  Whether your version of my red shirt is a hoodie, a hiding spot, or a familiar routine, know this: you're...

Text feedback to the show! In high school, I packed my days to the brim, thriving on the rush of being booked and busy . But looking back, I realize it wasn’t just about productivity—it was about avoiding stillness. Because when things got quiet, I had to sit with myself… and I didn’t know how to do that. In this episode, I dive into the addiction to stress, the fear of stillness, and the ways we...

Text feedback to the show! My girl Rue inspired this one; she basically ignores me unless food is involved. It's what motivates her to finally get out of bed in the morning... and it got me thinking about the things that motivate us, as people, to show up in life. More importantly, what gets us to show up for ourselves.  Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza He...

Text feedback to the show! This one’s for the time you look back on your younger years and cringe in embarrassment, or shy away in shame.  In this episode, we explore the importance of re-parenting your inner child and embracing those cringe-worthy moments from the past. Instead of beating ourselves up over old mistakes, we learn to see them as proof of growth.  Support the show Follow me on Insta...

Text feedback to the show! In this milestone 50th episode, we’re diving into the art of navigating tough conversations and distinguishing between healthy discomfort and toxicity in relationships. I share personal reflections on conflict, growth, and the power of leaning into uncomfortable moments as opportunities for deeper connection and self-discovery. Whether it’s with a partner, friend, or fam...

Text feedback to the show! The day doesn’t have to look pretty and peaceful just to say the broken parts of you are healing. Embrace the days of chaos and use them as a catalyst for breaking the cycles that have held you back for too long. Music by DayFox on Poxabay.  Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be featured on the show...

Text feedback to the show! If you've ever felt like someone's "sorry" wasn't enough after they've hurt you or done you wrong, than this is the episode for you. In it, I tackle the pitfalls of a victim mentality and stress the importance of setting boundaries when apologies lack sincerity, and how accountability is one of the cornerstones of relationships of any kind,...

Text feedback to the show! I think there's power in showing up the way a captain does, no matter whether the chips are up or down... and I think there's strength in showing up and embracing every opportunity for transformation. Music by DayFox on Pixabay.  Support the show Follow me on Instagram & Tiktok! @Donavon. Baeza Head over to fanlist.com/donations to be featured on the show! 

Text feedback to the show! What if stepping out of your comfort zone could unlock growth and deeper connections in your life? Join my good friend Mia, and I, as she shares her transformative experiences of embracing life and connection in Austin, Texas, and how much social media has caused us stress and anxiety - but how what we've learned because of it has helped us with our offline struggle...