Elsplend Realities

What if the chapter we never planned could become the one that reveals a deeper purpose? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Janet Gesme shares a powerful journey through loss, recovery, faith, and unexpected transformation after a devastating accident interrupted her professional music career. Through translation, music, and her connection to Martin Schleske’s work, Janet discovered that heali...

What happens when the children who have shaped your life for decades finally leave home—and you're left asking, “Who are we now?” In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Rick and Clancy Denton share their honest, humorous, and deeply human journey through the empty nest season. From rediscovering their relationship to navigating grief, freedom, identity, and new possibilities, they reveal how major...

What if imagining the future is really a way of understanding ourselves? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, author Liam Begley explores the deeper ideas behind his science fiction novel Broken Interstellar, where space exploration becomes a backdrop for questions about community, individuality, power, belonging, and collective responsibility. Drawing from his experiences in Vancouver's film in...

What truly makes someone a leader? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Dr. Sharalyn Payne explores the deeper dimensions of leadership beyond titles, authority, and performance. Drawing from her experience advising organizations and developing leaders through complex moments of change, she reveals why credibility, character, self-awareness, and human connection are at the heart of meaningful le...

What happens when the person who spent years shaping other people's stories finally decides to tell one of his own? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, award-winning novelist and communications strategist John David takes us behind the creative journey that led to his debut mystery novel, The Bystander. We explore creativity, reinvention, human nature, storytelling, and the courage to pursue a...

What happens when success on the outside no longer feels like fulfillment on the inside? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Dr. Jonathan Locust Jr. shares his powerful journey through burnout, health challenges, self-discovery, and a deeper understanding of purpose, healing, and authentic leadership. Drawing from his experience in research, higher education, organizational development, and per...

What if the problem in today's workplaces isn't a lack of effort, but a lack of clarity? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, leadership strategist and retired Canadian Brigadier-General Julian Chapman explores what it truly means to lead people effectively in a world where constant activity is often mistaken for progress. Drawing from decades of military and corporate leadership experience, Jul...

Sometimes, a life-changing moment doesn't come from having the perfect answer—it comes from someone choosing to listen, ask a deeper question, or simply stay. In this episode of Elsplend Realities, author, filmmaker, and storyteller Paul Skidmore explores the power of friendship, storytelling, and genuine human connection. We talk about loneliness, hope, emotional vulnerability, and the role stori...

What if the next great business idea isn't something completely new—but a problem you've simply learned to overlook? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, entrepreneur Paul Shrater shares lessons from building and co-owning businesses across e-commerce, fulfillment, consumer products, food distribution, and the evolving world of creator commerce. We explore the mindset behind entrepreneurship, th...

What happens when personal trauma becomes the catalyst for meaningful innovation? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Tiffany Sharp shares her powerful journey from technology leadership and personal hardship to creating compassionate, trauma-informed solutions through Diamond AI and MAE. Together, we explore resilience, human-centered AI, healing, leadership, and the importance of designing sy...

The way we experience love early in life can shape how we understand ourselves and connect with others—but our past doesn't have to determine the love we give or receive. On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Paul Zolman, bestselling author of The Role of Love, shares how growing up in an abusive environment led him on a journey of healing, forgiveness, and discovering healthier ways to express l...

What happens when you achieve the success you once wanted, only to realize you're ready for something different? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Ammarah Ahmed shares her journey from leading high-performing teams across the MENA region to building her own consultancy on her own terms. We explore identity, neurodivergence, women in leadership, navigating uncertainty, ethical business, and th...

What happens when an experience you can't explain becomes the beginning of a much deeper search for truth? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Jason Ford shares a remarkable journey through unexplained experiences, addiction, uncertainty, faith, and personal transformation. Moving beyond the mystery itself, Jason explores what it means to remain curious without losing discernment, confront the...

What happens when the life you planned for your family suddenly looks completely different? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Paul Voss shares the deeply personal reality of parenting through autism, ADHD, exhaustion, uncertainty, and family change. Drawing from his experience as a father of eight, Paul opens up about the emotions parents don't always talk about, the challenge of protecting t...

Technology is evolving faster than ever, but are we prepared for the responsibilities that come with it? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Steven Wilson brings more than 35 years of experience in technology leadership, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence to a conversation about the human side of innovation. We explore the growing risks of AI and cyber threats, t...

What happens when the business you built for freedom begins to consume the life you wanted to create? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Peter S. Bergeron takes us beyond the traditional idea of entrepreneurial success and into the hidden realities of founder dependency, business burnout, identity, resilience, and legacy. Drawing from five decades of experience and his own journey through the...

What if our relationship with money is shaped by stories that began long before we ever earned our first paycheck? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Connie Davis, a payments and fintech professional and founder of Maiden Explorations, invites us to look at money and commerce through a deeply human lens. After 25 years in the payments industry and six years immersed in conversations around tra...

What if getting older isn't about losing possibilities, but discovering new ones? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Carolyn Hatton, Life Success Coach, speaker, and creator of Reclaim Your Second Act, shares her deeply personal journey of overcoming struggles with confidence, weight, and an eating disorder to create a life rooted in vitality, purpose, and joy. We explore aging, mindset, resil...

What if the business you built for freedom has quietly become the thing keeping you from it? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Peter Boolkah—business coach, bestselling author, international speaker, and creator of The Hamster Wheel Trap®️—challenges us to rethink what entrepreneurial success really means. With more than two decades of experience working with business owners across five conti...

What do we hold onto when life doesn't unfold the way we imagined? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Cheri Baugh Woods, faith-based speaker, cancer survivor, and author of Win-Win: Miracles Still Happen, shares a deeply moving story of resilience through cancer, major surgeries, grief, divorce, widowhood, and profound loss. Together, we explore faith, hope, resilience, grief, identity, healin...

Having the right qualifications doesn't always guarantee the right opportunity. In a rapidly changing job market, knowing how to communicate your value may be just as important as the experience on your résumé. On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Julie Gartell, CareerPREP Advisor and founder of CareerPREP Solutions, shares more than two decades of insight from both sides of the hiring table. We...

Sometimes the most meaningful solutions begin with a problem we experience ourselves. On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Dara Erck, global health strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of SAM+LEO, shares how her experience as a mother of two teenagers inspired her to create solutions focused on teen wellbeing. Drawing from more than two decades in global health, including her work with the Bill...

Financial hardship can affect far more than our bank accounts. It can influence our confidence, relationships, decisions, and even our ability to imagine a better future. On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Luke Homen, an experienced consumer bankruptcy attorney, brings clarity and compassion to the often-misunderstood world of debt, bankruptcy, financial stress, and student loan relief. He sha...

In a world filled with information, opinions, and competing voices, how do we learn to recognize truth without simply believing whoever sounds most convincing? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Jason C. Johnson Sr.—author, ordained minister, educator, speaker, and creator of the 4-Step Biblical Discernment Framework—shares the personal experience that shaped his passion for biblical literacy...

Who are we beneath the expectations, experiences, and identities we've learned to carry? On this episode of Elsplend Realities, Daniel Curtis—composer, creative producer, educator, and speaker—shares a journey shaped by music, creativity, service, and a deep understanding of human potential. From performing at iconic venues to creating powerful charitable projects supporting veterans, children, me...