Cross Roads Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Grocery shopping shouldn’t feel like a full contact sport or a luxury purchase. We’re breaking down a practical path to eat well at any store—Costco to Aldi, Sprouts to Walmart—so you can fill your cart with real food, keep your budget intact, and skip the hype that turns snacks into “health” with a glossy label. Think of this as your no-fluff survival guide to the aisles. We star...

Send us Fan Mail Two people are dead after federal immigration operations in Minneapolis, and the nation can’t agree on what the videos, reports, and headlines actually show. We walk through the key facts known so far, the medical examiner’s ruling in Alex Pritti’s case, and the clips cited around Renee Good’s confrontation—then examine how liberal and conservative outlets construct competing narr...

Send us Fan Mail Perfection keeps a tight grip on our health goals—until one slip makes everything feel broken. We challenge that trap head-on and show a better path: turning a stumble into the start of your next step. This conversation blends mindset science, practical resets, and identity shifts to help you stop spiraling and start choosing again with confidence. We start by dismantling all-or-n...

Send us Fan Mail The calendar flips, the credit card bill lands, and most of us wonder where the money actually went. We’re bringing calm to that chaos with simple, practical moves that turn clutter into capital, goals into plans, and stress into breathing room. We also share big news: our rebrand to Elevate Life Wealth Management, a name that reflects our mission to align your money with the life...

Send us Fan Mail What if your health didn’t depend on feeling motivated? We dig into the quiet power of systems—tiny, consistent habits that ride on routines you already have—so progress becomes automatic instead of emotional. Think coffee brewing as your cue for a one-minute meditation, brushing your teeth as the trigger for a glass of water, or bedtime as the signal to read one page. Habit stack...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to start 2026 without a crash-and-burn resolution? We’re kicking off a three-part series by putting food first—no guilt, no kale ambushes, just practical choices you can stick with. We break down how to read past the front-of-package hype, spot the additives and sweeteners that hide in “healthy” snacks, and use a simple barcode app to compare products fast. If you’ve ever wo...

Send us Fan Mail Let’s trade the shopping list for a passport and tour Christmas across continents with Santa Steven and Mrs. Claus as our guides. We start where winter festivals first promised light in the dark, then follow those sparks into churches, kitchens, and town squares from Eastern Europe to the American suburbs. Along the way, we unpack why traditions diverge—how faith, folklore, and lo...

Send us Fan Mail The final stretch of the year can either be a financial drift or a decisive sprint. We chose the sprint. Steven and John share a sharp, good-humored guide to closing your books with confidence: practical tax moves you can still make before December 31 and a clear plan to dodge the holiday debt trap that ruins too many Januarys. We start with the why: deadlines lock your choices, n...

Send us Fan Mail Holiday gatherings shouldn’t come with a side of burnout and a dash of regret. We dive into a practical, good-humored guide to staying well through cold and flu season while still saying yes to the treats that make this time of year special. From proven immune habits to smart plate strategies, you’ll get a simple toolkit you can use at the next party, potluck, or family feast. We...

Send us Fan Mail What if gratitude could taste like butter tarts, sound like a kid’s thank-you card, and feel like a cool night under a handmade shelter? We take you on a warm, funny, and thoughtful journey through global gratitude traditions, comparing how Canada, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Israel, and Romania celebrate thankfulness through food, ritual, and community. From maple-kissed desserts an...

Send us Fan Mail What if the biggest barrier to connection is sitting in your pocket right now? We take a candid, funny, and honest look at how screens reshaped our conversations, why empathy lags when tone and timing vanish, and how to retrain the muscle of real talk without ditching technology entirely. From the awkward “call me back with a text” moment to the dinner table quartet of phones, we...

Send us Fan Mail Ready to swap guesswork for a game plan that actually compounds? We break down three strategic investments every solo entrepreneur and freelancer can make today: learning from mentors who’ve already walked the path, building simple processes that buy back time, and using the right retirement accounts to keep more of what you earn. No fluff—just stories, examples, and tools you can...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling wrung out by that 3 p.m. crash? We dig into a clear, practical way to steady your energy without banning your favorite foods. Shannon Hagel’s Thrive Formula centers on three moves—nourish, move, and measure—and we pair it with the Stello continuous glucose monitor to turn guesswork into clarity. Instead of rigid rules, you get small, repeatable actions: build balanced plat...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wonder how a single story can quiet a crowded room and make it glow? We sit down with Santa Stephen to unpack the craft behind holiday magic—from the way he builds a living North Pole in a child’s imagination to how he turns chaotic photo ops into keepsakes that radiate warmth. He shares the heart of his favorite tale, the little bell that could, and why small gestures like a...

Send us Fan Mail Want the trip, the car, and a peaceful December without feeding your credit card? We walk through a simple, numbers-first plan to turn big goals into daily actions you can actually keep. It starts with clarity—naming a target and a date—then breaking it into monthly and even daily amounts so progress feels tangible. You’ll hear the real math behind a $3,000 vacation, why $8.22 a d...

Send us Fan Mail Ever looked at a dental bill and wondered how a routine cleaning turned into a tangle of codes and surprise charges? We dig into the hidden world of dental insurance fraud—upcoding, unbundling, phantom billing, and double charging—and explain how these tactics quietly raise your costs and erode trust. Drawing from a first-hand story about a $26 “gingival rinse” that was just tap w...

Send us Fan Mail Government pauses; life doesn’t. We open the mic on the shutdown standoff and follow the impact from Capitol Hill straight to kitchen tables: furloughed paychecks, closed parks, longer TSA lines, and the hidden costs that ripple through small towns and local businesses. With clear, no-spin commentary, we trace the last fifteen years of policy swings—health care mandates, stimulus...

Send us Fan Mail Sleep - that elusive reset button for our bodies and brains that many of us struggle to press properly. With 50-70 million Americans suffering from sleep deprivation or disorders, understanding how to improve sleep quality isn't just about feeling rested—it's about protecting your long-term health. Magnesium and melatonin often get mentioned in the same breath when discu...

Send us Fan Mail Drowning in debt? You're not alone. This eye-opening conversation with financial expert John Ezell cuts through the confusion to reveal why so many of us struggle with debt—and exactly how to break free. The shocking truth? Most people have no idea where their money actually goes. One friend of John's discovered he was spending $2,200 monthly just on fast food lunches wi...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you get a traffic ticket in a rural area, need to evict a non-paying tenant, or find yourself in a dispute over a home renovation gone wrong? The Justice of the Peace court might be your destination, yet many residents don't understand this crucial part of our legal system. In this revealing conversation, Steven Killfoil sits down with Vince Handler, candida...

Send us Fan Mail Nobody brags at a dinner party about buying life insurance, but when life takes an unexpected turn, it's the safety net your family will be grateful you had in place. In this illuminating conversation, host Steven Killfoil and financial expert John Ezell strip away the complexity and confusion surrounding life insurance to reveal why it deserves your attention. The journey be...

Send us Fan Mail The dreaded pink slip – that moment when your professional world suddenly turns upside down. In this compelling episode of Money Moves, host Steven Killfoil shares his personal layoff story from 2015, revealing how what initially felt like a career disaster ultimately became his greatest blessing. Guest Foster Williams, a career transition expert with over 26 years of experience h...

Send us Fan Mail Those seemingly healthy granola bars and yogurts you're reaching for? They might be delivering more sugar than a candy bar. The refreshing fruit sorbet you chose over ice cream? It could be packing twice the sugar. We're pulling back the curtain on the hidden sugar epidemic that's hijacking our health one "nutritious" bite at a time. The numbers are stagge...

Send us Fan Mail Money moves beyond theory into action in this deep dive on strategic saving for retirement. Financial strategist John Ezell returns to break down how everyday decisions transform into lasting wealth—no matter your current income or debt situation. "Savings isn't just about large amounts. It's more important to be consistent," Ezell emphasizes, challenging the c...

Send us Fan Mail Chrome isn't just shining in Pilot Point this August—it's serving a higher purpose.  Beneath the gleaming hoods and polished fenders of the vehicles at ChromeFest lies a powerful story of community connection. My conversation with Cindy Ferris, affectionately known around town as "Mama C," reveals how a grassroots car show that began in 2016 has transformed int...