UNTRAINED

In this episode of Untrained, we flip the script! Olympic gold medalist and performance coach Joe Jacobi joins Whitney and Iris from his home in Catalonia to be this episode’s host. Joe weaves in his expertise on a life worth living and then turns the tables on Whitney and Iris to ask the Untrained duo about Season 3; recapping highlights from 3 episodes. This conversation dives into: The Wave Min...

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” —Rumi Step inside the transformative world of Internal Family Systems (IFS) with Whitney and Iris on the "Untrained" podcast. Joined by IFS experts Barti Bourgault and Guthrie Sayen, co-founders of the Institute for Healing and Awakening, this episode unpacks Dr. Richar...

 Resurfacing: A Conversation on Life’s Biggest Transitions fwith Olympic Diver Cassidy Krug In this episode of "Untrained," hosts Iris and Whitney welcome Cassidy Krug, a former Olympic diver and author of "Resurface." Cassidy shares her journey from elite athlete to navigating life after sports, offering insights on the universal challenges of major life transitions. Key highlights include: Cassi...

In this episode of  The Untrained Podcast , we sit down with Amanda Smith—former NASA engineer turned coach for high-achieving women navigating chronic illness. We explore what it really means to  slow down to speed up healing , and Amanda shares both science-backed tools and deeply personal insights on how to rewire the brain-body connection.  Key Takeaways: Functional Neurology 101:  How Amanda...

What We Cover: What somatics is and how it's different from traditional approaches to behavior change How body-based practices help us build awareness, resilience, and alignment Redefining resilience: Not grit, but nourishment through nature, creativity, connection, and care Dr. J draws from decades of experience in education, athletics, and healing work to illuminate how somatic awareness can sha...

In this episode of The Untrained Podcast, hosts Whitney and Iris are joined by Travis Thomas, a renowned speaker, author, and coach. Together, they challenge the traditional belief that confidence is essential for success and explore why courage and action may be far more impactful. Episode Highlights: Reframing Confidence and Courage : Travis explains why courage often trumps confidence in high-s...

In this episode of the "Untrained" podcast, we welcome Dr. Lisa and Dr. Richard Orbe-Austin to discuss their insightful new book, "Your Child's Greatness: A Parent's Guide to Raising Children Without Imposter Syndrome."  The conversation is a treasure trove of strategies for nurturing confidence, resilience, and healthy self-esteem in children, tackling challenges like performance anxiety, perfect...

In this episode of  The Untrained Podcast , we dive into a conversation that every high performer can likely relate to:  Toxic Productivity . We sit down with  Israa Nasir , psychotherapist and author of  Toxic Productivity , to explore the pervasive mindset in which our  self-worth becomes tethered to achievement . We examine the cultural, familial, and emotional roots of this mindset, the reward...

Episode Summary: If the February blues are hitting hard, this episode might be just what you need. We’re talking about simple, meaningful ways to bring more goodness into our communities—because even small acts can create powerful ripple effects. Our guest this week is Bryan Driscoll, author of The goodness game and a passionate advocate for kindness. His journey of paying it forward began 20 year...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to not just survive, but thrive in a sport where a single mistake could cost you your life? BMX Athletes "have to have the explosive power of a 100-meter sprinter, the endurance of a 400-meter runner, the balance of a gymnast, and the mental fortitude of a boxer". In our latest Untrained episode, we explore the mind of an athlete who's experienced the full spec...

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Kathy Delaney-Smith, the winningest coach in Ivy League history, who transformed Harvard women's basketball through her innovative approach to leadership. Episode Highlights: Kathy shares her groundbreaking "act as if" principle and reveals how she helped hundreds of female athletes break free from perfectionism to reach their full potential. As an early...

Struggling to get quality sleep? You're not alone. This week on  The Untrained Podcast , we sit down with renowned sleep expert Dr. Meeta Singh, who has worked with elite athletes (think LA Lakers and Washington Nationals) and high-achieving professionals to optimize their rest for peak performance. Here's what we cover: Why sleep is a non-negotiable for health, performance, and emotional well-bei...

As we close out 2024, we're taking a moment to reflect on the themes, conversations, and personal transformations that shaped this year on the podcast. In this special year-in-review episode, we explore the relationships that ground us—our relationship with ourselves, with one another, and with the larger community. Listen to hear us review episodes that explored… How mindset shifts and authentici...

In this powerful episode of  The Untrained Podcast , we're joined by Clara Bingham, award-winning journalist and author of  The Movement: How Women's Liberation Transformed America . Together, we delve into one of the most transformative decades in history—1963 to 1973—a period that reshaped women's possibilities in education, sports, and the workplace. Clara shares compelling stories from her int...

Elizabeth DeMaso currently serves as the president of an independent advertising agency and is the founder/host of the "More Everything" podcast. Her tagline: "For anyone thinking there must be more to life than this, there is more of everything." As a working mom who has faced health challenges and divorce in the last few years, she has had to learn new skills and let go of ones that weren’t serv...

In this episode of Untrained, hosts Iris and Whitney welcome Sarah Cusick, founder of Meeting House and expert in executive coaching with a DEI lens. Sarah brings her extensive experience from her roles at the Atlantic, the Obama Foundation, and Teach for America to discuss the nuances of belonging and bias in professional settings. We sat down with her to learn more about her work with corporate...

  Aquil Abdullah, OLY  is a trailblazing athlete and accomplished professional in the tech industry. As a member of the United States Rowing Team from 1999 to 2004, Aquil made history as the first African-American male to qualify for the Summer Olympics in rowing, competing in the 2004 Athens Games. His journey to the Olympics was marked by dedication and resilience, overcoming setbacks, including...

We are thrilled to be chatting with Megan Jo Wilson in today’s episode.  Megan Jo is a certified coach, leadership trainer, musician, and founder of Rockstar Camp for Women. Megan Jo shares her unique journey from being a musician, farmer, and chef to the development of her innovative leadership program that combines music and self-expression to empower women. We chat about Megan Jo's 20-year coac...

We were excited to chat with our friend and colleague, Inga Stasiulionytė about two important topics that are evolving in the corporate and athletic world: feedback and grit. As a performance and leadership coach and former Olympic javelin thrower, Inga has compelling perspectives on these topics.  For Inga, “grit” means “character-building.” She had a coach who taught her not only that she could...

We were excited to chat with our friend and colleague, Inga Stasiulionytė about two important topics that are evolving in the corporate and athletic world: feedback and grit. As a performance and leadership coach and former Olympic javelin thrower, Inga has compelling perspectives on these topics. In our episode about feedback, we examine the results-focused and fear-based feedback approach that m...

Kicking off Season 3!!!! Woohoo!  The first episode of the third season is a conversation between Iris and Whitney reflecting on the full circle moments they each had this summer (Iris went to Paris! Whitney finished writing a book!). Iris talks about her full-circle experience at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She reflects on the foundation she laid when she was an Olympic fencer and the idea that...

In this episode, we chat with former professional soccer player, keynote speaker, and performance coach Joanna Lohman. Bonus: we recorded on her birthday! Jo shares her journey from a college soccer star engaged to a man to a self-identified “celesbian” who travels the world inspiring global organizations. We discuss the value of stepping out of the boxes people put you in and giving others the sp...

In this episode, we get candid about confidence with Collin Henderson. One way to build confidence? Knowing your story and owning it. Collin opens up about his own struggles with speaking in public and how he evolved from an anxious adolescent with a stutter to a vibrantly successful public speaker who commands audiences all over the world. We dive into the definition of confidence. Collin shares...

Public speaking is an important skill to have but one we are rarely taught. Our guest today is Amanda Hennessey, an actor, writer, teacher, and public speaking coach. She is quick to point this out: There is an educational gap in the realm of public speaking! In this episode, we chat about all things public speaking. Amanda shares the process she takes her clients through when preparing, performin...

Welcome to the episode where (each season) we define what we mean by, “Untrained”! Our guest this week is “the definition of Untrained.” That is to say, it’s us (Iris and Whitney!) talking about what untraining has meant to us personally, where we are in our own “untraining process,” and where the podcast conversations are headed in the future. We’ve had a season full of powerful, insightful, and...