Elsplend Realities

There’s a quiet kind of exhaustion that comes from doing everything “right” for everyone else—until you slowly lose touch with yourself in the process. In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore what happens when the person who always shows up for others reaches their own breaking point—and begins the process of coming home to themselves. Our guest, self-empowerment creative, singer, and ho...

Many emotionally intelligent people find themselves repeating the same relational patterns—shutting down, over-explaining, fawning, or becoming reactive—despite years of self-awareness and personal growth. In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore why those patterns are not simply communication issues, but nervous system responses shaped by perceived emotional safety. Our guest, creator of...

Many high-achieving women appear composed, capable, and in control—yet internally experience a constant undercurrent of pressure, overthinking, and emotional fatigue. In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore what it really means to feel calm on the inside while building success on the outside. Our guest, licensed clinical psychologist and international speaker Dr. Nafisa Sekandari, shares...

There’s a quiet pattern many capable women recognize: they are competent, trusted, and highly effective—yet still not fully seen in the rooms they occupy. In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore what it means to shift from quiet capability to grounded presence. Our guest, executive presence expert and founder of Copper + Rise, Joanna Lovering, unpacks the subtle barriers that hold high-a...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Susan Siravo, executive media advisor, former TV reporter, and communication strategist, to explore what really happens when expertise meets visibility. Susan brings a rare dual perspective — having been both on camera as a reporter and behind the scenes as a coach for executives and high-performing professionals. Her work reveals a consisten...

In this deeply grounding episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Julie Turner — dancer, trauma-informed movement specialist, and founder of The Movement Effect — to explore how healing can begin not in the mind, but in the body. Drawing from her own lived experience as a domestic abuse survivor, Julie shares how movement became a pathway out of trauma and into safety, agency, and reconnect...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Micah Logan, business growth and leadership expert, to explore what truly drives or drains a business beyond strategy alone. Micah’s journey began without mentors or formal guidance, shaped instead by early challenges, self-taught resilience, and learning through failure. Today, he helps entrepreneurs move from chaos and cash flow stress into...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Cory Chadwick, founder of Lyceum — a “mental gym” designed to help high-performers and growth-driven leaders strengthen their mindset with the same discipline used to train the body. Cory’s journey is shaped by personal loss and a lifelong exploration of how people think, adapt, and grow through adversity. His work reframes mental health and...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Dr. Emily Hensarling, audiologist and creator of Sound Shift, to explore a different way of understanding tinnitus — not just as a sound in the ear, but as an experience shaped by the brain and nervous system. With over 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Hensarling challenges the outdated belief that people must simply “learn to live with i...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Janet Dickey, professional mindset coach and creator of Built to Compete: A Mindset Blueprint for Coaches, to explore what truly separates good teams from great ones — confidence. With over 35 years as head Field Hockey Coach at Westbrook High School, Janet has transformed a small program into a consistent competitive force, earning multiple...

In this deeply moving episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Dr. Oluwole Babatunde—physician-scientist, psychiatrist, author, and servant-leader—to explore a life shaped by profound loss and sustained by unwavering purpose. Orphaned by the age of thirteen, Dr. Babatunde’s journey began in grief, uncertainty, and early responsibility. Yet rather than defining his limits, these experiences...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Michael Newmann, Branch Manager and Senior Loan Officer at CMG Home Loans, to explore the deeper psychology behind one of life’s biggest financial decisions — borrowing. With over 20 years of experience in mortgage leadership and a background in psychology, Michael brings a unique perspective to lending — one that blends financial strategy wi...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Fuquan Bilal, Founder and CEO of NNG Capital Fund, to explore what it truly takes to build sustainable wealth in real estate — beyond strategy, beyond numbers, and into the realm of mindset, discipline, and emotional intelligence. With over 25 years of experience and more than $50 million in capital raised, Fuquan shares insights from navigat...

In this profound episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Jay U. Jacobson to explore what leadership truly looks like when the stakes are real, the emotions are raw, and there is no room for performance. Drawing from experiences in funeral homes, disaster response zones, and high-trust business environments — as well as testimony before the United States Senate on funeral ethics — Jay bring...

In this powerful episode of Elsplend Realities, we are joined by Dr. Nancy Dome to explore what it truly means to stay present in conversations that feel uncomfortable, complex, or emotionally charged. Rather than focusing on what to say, Dr. Dome invites us to examine how we show up — internally and relationally — when navigating topics like identity, race, belonging, and deeply held beliefs. Thr...

In this deeply personal episode of Elsplend Realities, Daniel Faust — host of the Rhythm of Intimacy podcast — shares a powerful story of collapse, conviction, and the slow, intentional journey toward restoration. What began as a breaking point in 2014 — marked by internal pressure, identity loss, and a marriage on the brink — became the foundation for a new understanding of intimacy. Not as perfo...

In this insightful episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Lauren Zaslansky Conner, founder of ZAZ Business Solutions, to explore the often-unspoken phase of growth — the messy middle. This is the stage where businesses aren’t failing, but they’re no longer simple. Revenue is flowing, teams are active, and yet clarity feels just out of reach. Decisions carry more weight, urgency increases,...

In this introspective episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Rodney Phillips, author of Dissension, to explore how quiet moments of miscommunication can evolve into lasting conflict. What begins as a conversation about a novel becomes a deeper examination of human behavior — how trust fractures, how loyalty can both protect and distort, and how silence in the wrong moment can carry conseq...

In this illuminating episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Garrett Wood, clinical hypnotherapist and founder of Gnosis Therapy, to challenge one of the most ingrained beliefs about success: that pushing harder is always the answer. Drawing from nearly two decades of working with executives, founders, and high-performing professionals, Garrett introduces a nervous-system-first approach to...

In this deeply moving episode of Elsplend Realities, therapist, speaker, and author Harriet Cabelly joins us to explore what it truly means to live a meaningful life in the face of adversity. Drawing from decades of guiding others through grief and life transitions — as well as her own personal journey through non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — Harriet offers a grounded and compassionate perspective on navi...

In this heartfelt episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Chris Neilsen, Chief Marketing Officer at Kesem, to explore what leadership looks like when life becomes deeply personal. Blending over 25 years of brand leadership experience with the lived reality of supporting a spouse through cancer and raising a child within that journey, Chris offers a powerful perspective on empathy, resilien...

In this thought-provoking episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Jonathon Grantham, author of The Corporate Sociopath Handbook, to explore the hidden psychological dynamics shaping today’s workplaces. Beyond strategy and performance, this conversation dives into the realities many professionals quietly face — toxic leadership, unspoken power structures, and the emotional cost of staying p...

In this deeply reflective episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Valérie Demont, author of Being Is The New Doing, to explore a quieter, more sustainable path to success — one rooted not in constant output, but in self-awareness, emotional clarity, and inner alignment. Together, we unpack the hidden costs of overachievement, the emotional patterns behind burnout, and the power of what Val...

On this episode of Elsplend Realities, we speak with Dennis Mark Interdonato—Army veteran, realtor, entrepreneur, and advocate for mental health—about what real strength looks like. Dennis shares his journey navigating high-intensity worlds, from military service to construction to real estate, while managing bipolar depression. We explore discipline, loyalty, identity, and the tension between tou...

On this episode of Elsplend Realities, we speak with Kurt Ellenberger—performer, composer, educator, and scholar—about how music moves us. From jazz improvisation to minor chords that feel like a sigh, Kurt reveals the hidden patterns, symmetry, and mathematics underlying the sounds that shape our emotions. We explore how understanding music’s structure can deepen its emotional impact, why our bra...