Mostly Functional

We all live by rules. But how many of them did we actually choose? This week, we talk about the rules we inherit, the fears that keep us from doing things differently, and what can happen when we start questioning both. From travel and burnout to boundaries, grief, and the strange ways a change of scenery can introduce us to a different version of ourselves, this conversation goes in plenty of une...

There's no shortage of things to care about. But does caring mean we have to respond to everything, speak up about everything, or carry everything? This week, we talk about protecting your energy in a world that constantly asks for your attention, opinions, and outrage. From social media and public judgment to the emotional weight of caring for animals, we explore how to decide what deserves your...

Caring deeply doesn't mean we can prevent every bad thing from happening. This week, we (Julie and Derek) talk about what animals have taught us about aging, dignity, hard decisions, and the complicated line between caring and trying to control the outcome. We also explore what happens when animals forgive us more easily than we forgive ourselves, and how guilt, blame, and shame can add another la...

Sometimes change arrives slowly, and sometimes it blindsides you. This week, we talk about the moments that create new versions of us, from leaving home and losing people we love to getting fired, changing careers, betrayal, and choosing a different path. We also wonder whether we can feel the next version of ourselves coming before we're quite ready to become them. And because this is Mostly Func...

What are you bad at? And maybe more importantly, do you actually need to get better at it? This week, we talk about the things we're terrible at, the things we'd genuinely like to improve, and the things we've spent years trying to master before realizing we can simply let them go. Because sometimes growth isn't about getting better. It's about knowing what you're ready to stop working so hard at.

What happens when caregiving ends, but the hypervigilance, grief, and loss of identity remain? This week, we explore post-caregiver syndrome and the disorientation that can follow when someone no longer needs you. We also share the remarkable rescue of Winston, a pig who escaped a transport truck, and reflect on asking for what you need, protecting a tender heart, and learning who you are beyond t...

We're all looking for connection, even if we don't always realize it. This week, we dive into four ways we find meaning—in ourselves, with other people, through the natural world (animals!), and by connecting to something greater. The conversation meanders (as it always does) through stories, laughter, reflection, and a few unexpected detours, ending with a reminder that the richest life isn't bui...

We all want to feel appreciated. But where should that appreciation come from? In this episode, we explore one of life's most meaningful questions: Is appreciation an inside job, an outside job, or a little of both? We dive into why compliments sometimes don't land, why so many of us crave recognition, and how learning to appreciate ourselves changes the way we receive appreciation from others. If...

In this episode we talk about what life has taught us. Hard won lessons typically come from our most painful moments and animal work provides some of the deepest most meaningful lessons about life there is. This convo is rich, jump in.    To join Julie's weekly e-inspiration, click here. 

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...