Builders of a Better World

In this episode of the Builders of a Better World podcast, Ashlieya sits down with educator, researcher, and author Dr. Whitney Hegseth to explore how school leaders can build environments where students feel capable, respected, and supported. Drawing from her book, Just Talk to Us Normally: A Leader’s Guide to Organizing Schools That Elevate Students , Dr. Hegseth shares lessons from her research...

How can school leaders build environments where students feel respected, represented, and capable of thriving? In this episode of the Build a Better World Podcast , Ashlieya speaks with Dr. Whitney Hegseth, assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of La Verne and author of Just Talk to Us Normally: A Leader’s Guide to Organizing Schools That Elevate Students. Dr. Hegseth sha...

What if time is not the enemy—but the story you have been telling yourself about it is? In “Time Is Killing Me: Rewriting the Story of Aging, Energy, and Possibility,” Ashlieya and Neff explore the relationship between time, perception, aging, energy, presence, and personal possibility. Together, they reflect on why time can feel like it flies in moments of flow and drags when we are uncomfortable...

In the final episode of Facing the Origin Story , Ashlieya and Neff explore healing meditation, collective intention, and the practice they call Operation Gift a Miracle . They reflect on a group healing session for Carl, the power of offering healing with permission and benevolent intention, and why “gifting miracles” may also transform the person offering them. The conversation moves into cohere...

In Part 1, Ashlieya shared how growing up in survival mode with a “monster” father shaped her sense of self, and how years of inner work and a profound meditation began to soften that story into forgiveness without denial. After nearly twenty years of no contact, she chose to answer a quiet inner calling: to sit down, face‑to‑face, with the man she once believed defined her own darkness. In Part 2...

In this opening episode of multi-part series on Builders of a Better World , Ashlieya shares the tender, raw story of growing up in survival mode with a father she once saw as a “monster,” and the long inner journey that followed. After nearly twenty years of estrangement, she begins to question the narratives she told herself as a child: Was her past really as dark as she remembers? Is she destin...

In this episode of the Builders of a Better World podcast, Ashlieya shares insights from a recent solo pilgrimage to Scotland and Ireland—and how returning to her ancestral homelands became a living lesson in using the body as an instrument for intuition, presence, and service. She and co‑host Neff unpack what it really means to treat your body as a vessel, a “ship” that carries you through life,...

In this episode of Builders of a Better World , Ashlieya and Neff explore what it really means to find the sweet spot between emotional extremes—where suffering, joy, and genuine emotional balance can actually coexist. They unpack why chasing constant “high vibes” is unrealistic, how duality and contrast are built into the human experience, and why learning to live closer to the middle of the spec...

In this conversation, Ashlieya and Neff unpack one of the powerful insights Ashlieya brought back from a recent trip to Scotland: how to use judgment as a tool without losing your peace. What begins as a reflection on a public reaction to an event quickly unfolds into a deeper exploration of mysticism, self-awareness, coherence, and the inner work required to build a better world from the inside o...

What if the parts of you that feel confusing, “too much,” or hard to define are actually your greatest gifts? In this episode of  Builders of a Better World , Ashlieya sits down with her dear friend Sophie, a human design guide and shadow work coach, to explore how human design and shadow work can help you understand who you really are—and finally feel at home in yourself. Together, they unpack wh...

In this episode of  Builders of a Better World , “Teaching the Starfish: Impact in Low-Income After-School Programs,” we sit down with consultant and curriculum writer Marisa Miller to explore what real impact looks like in under-resourced communities. With more than 20 years in public schools, museums, and after-school organizations, Marisa designs programs where kids don’t feel like they’re “sti...

In this episode of  Builders of a Better World , “How Solo Travel Builds Self-Trust and Leadership,” we explore how traveling alone becomes a living laboratory for nervous system regulation, identity evolution, and embodied confidence. Stepping away from your routines, social mirrors, and familiar environments reveals how your body actually responds to novelty, uncertainty, and subtle risk—turning...

What if emotional literacy felt less like a scripted “SEL lesson” and more like stepping into a dance studio, rehearsal room, or canvas—where kids and adults can safely explore who they really are? In this episode of  Builders of a Better World , Ashlieya and Neff dive into how the arts, nervous system mastery, and radical accountability work together to help both kids and adults truly thrive. You...

In this episode of Builders of a Better World, host Ashlieya interviews Marissa Merrill, founder of the  Mommune  movement, about community living for single moms and their kids. They dive into what a “mommune” is, how shared housing and co‑living support single mothers, and Marissa’s real experience with domestic abuse, the family court system, and building her first Mommune property in Oregon. I...

In this episode of  Builders of a Better World , Ashlieya sits down with long-time dance partner and instructor Neff to explore how a terrifying foot wound, a 300+ pound wake-up call, and a diabetes scare became the catalyst for radical change. Neff shares how his vow of authenticity, a powerful “why” of freedom, cutting processed sugar, and extended fasting helped him drop over 70 pounds, save hi...

What if your ex became family—in the most grounded, healthy way? In this episode, Ashlieya sits down with her ex-husband, Neff, to unpack how their relationship transformed from marriage to a deep, platonic partnership rooted in radical honesty, intentionality, and unconditional love. Together they explore choosing each other as family after divorce, practicing real forgiveness, honoring each othe...

In this episode, “Contribute Goodness Through Pure Intention,” host Ashlieya opens up about her journey of facing fear, redefining success, and choosing joy as a path to growth. She shares how time abundance, self-care, and disciplined creativity allow her to build multiple ventures while staying rooted in service, and invites listeners to join the Builders of a Better World movement by living fro...

Host Ashlieya introduces Builders of a Better World and her book  Audacious Authenticity: Building a Better World Is Building Inner Wealth , offering a potent overview of the movement’s core philosophy. She explores why there is no truly selfless act, how service and “selfish” self‑care are energetically reciprocal, and why building a better world must begin within. Listeners are invited into a sc...

You're invited to join us at the Builders of a Better World Podcast, where creativity meets emotional literacy, where we discuss all things building a better world, knowing that building a better world is an inward to outward process. Please feel free to join us and subscribe!