Elsplend Realities

What if the reason your business isn't growing isn't a lack of talent, effort, or ambition—but a lack of clarity? Many entrepreneurs spend countless hours creating content, chasing visibility, and trying every new marketing tactic, only to feel frustrated when results don't follow. The problem often isn't that they're doing too little. It's that they're communicating without a clear message, a def...

What if the greatest challenge of modern life isn't that we're too busy—but that we're rarely fully present for the lives we're living? In a world of constant notifications, endless demands, and perpetual distraction, many people find themselves feeling strangely disconnected despite being more connected than ever before. We stay busy, productive, and responsive, yet often lose touch with somethin...

What if the greatest obstacle to the life you want isn't your circumstances—but the story you've been living by? Every one of us carries narratives about who we are, what we're capable of, and what our future can hold. Some of those stories empower us. Others quietly limit us. The challenge is that many of these narratives were never consciously chosen—they were inherited from experiences, environ...

What do you do when the path you've worked hard to build suddenly falls apart? For many entrepreneurs, success isn't a straight line—it's a series of pivots, setbacks, hard decisions, and unexpected opportunities hidden inside difficult circumstances. The difference often isn't talent or timing. It's the willingness to rebuild when things go wrong. In this inspiring episode of Elsplend Realities,...

What if the biggest difference between feeling stuck and moving forward isn't your circumstances—but your awareness of them? Many of life's most transformative moments don't arrive with certainty or a clear roadmap. They emerge through disruption, loss, unexpected change, and the difficult decisions that follow. In those moments, we're faced with a choice: continue living on autopilot or begin liv...

What if your most valuable years aren't behind you—but still ahead of you? In a culture that often celebrates youth, speed, and constant disruption, many experienced professionals find themselves facing an uncomfortable reality: decades of knowledge, leadership, and expertise can suddenly feel overlooked. But what if experience isn't a limitation? What if it's a competitive advantage? In this insp...

What happens when a life that looks successful no longer feels fully aligned? In this thought-provoking episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with John Salzwedel—coach, speaker, and author of STOP Leaving Life on the Table—to explore the quiet moments of awareness that often precede meaningful change. After spending nearly three decades in the insurance industry, John began asking deeper ques...

What happens behind the scenes of the sports world often shapes far more than what happens on the field. While fans see the highlights, championships, and headline-making moments, an entirely different game is being played behind closed doors—one involving leadership, negotiation, strategy, ethics, and decisions that can impact careers, communities, and cultures for years to come. In this thought-...

What if the next great business opportunity isn't hidden in a breakthrough technology or a fast-growing trend—but in a problem people have learned to tolerate? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with entrepreneur, investor, CFO, and business operator Aleks Krylov to explore how innovation often begins with noticing what others ignore. After spending years on Wall Street, working wi...

What if the thing holding you back isn't a lack of effort—but a lack of clarity? Many people assume that when growth slows, visibility drops, or opportunities feel harder to reach, the solution is to work harder, market more, or push further. But what if the real issue isn't action at all? What if it's alignment? In this insightful episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Julie Stroud, bran...

What if the struggles you experience every day aren’t signs that something is wrong with you—but clues about patterns your brain has learned over time? In this fascinating episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Dr. Tiff Thompson, clinical neuroscientist, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, neurotherapy expert, and founder of a rapidly growing neurotherapy clinic and training school. Tog...

How do you stay spiritually grounded when work feels overwhelming, life feels heavy, and joy seems harder to find? In this heartfelt episode of Elsplend Realities, we welcome Wanda Marie Thibodeaux—Christian author, ghostwriter, podcast host, and advocate for emotional and spiritual well-being—for a conversation about faith, healing, purpose, and the grace that sustains us through life's daily dem...

Why do some students seem capable of so much more than what they're consistently able to do? For many parents, educators, and caregivers, one of the most frustrating experiences is watching a young person struggle with organization, follow-through, emotional regulation, or time management while knowing they're intelligent, capable, and trying their best. The challenge isn't always effort. Often, i...

What if the symptoms you're struggling with aren't the problem—but a signal pointing toward something deeper? In this powerful episode of Elsplend Realities, we welcome Dr. Stephan Neff, a retired anaesthetist, Functional Medicine Doctor, author, and advocate for holistic healing whose personal journey through trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and alcohol addiction transformed not only his life but also the...

What does it take to rise from extreme adversity and build a life defined not by your circumstances, but by your choices? In this powerful episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with entrepreneur, business builder, and leadership mentor Jerry Brazie, whose story is a masterclass in resilience, grit, and relentless determination. Growing up as the seventh of nine children in poverty, Jerry face...

What if the reason you feel overwhelmed, distracted, exhausted, or unsettled has less to do with who you are—and more to do with where you are? In this thought-provoking episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Stephanie Lee Jackson, artist, healer, entrepreneur, and founder of Practical Sanctuary, to explore the powerful connection between our environments and our emotional well-being. Dra...

What if losing your job became the catalyst for discovering your life's greatest purpose? In this inspiring episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with entrepreneur, social impact leader, and author Merry Korn, whose journey proves that life's most painful detours can lead to extraordinary destinations. After being unexpectedly fired from a position she believed would carry her into retirement...

What if the most powerful chapter of your life begins after everything falls apart? In this deeply moving episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Hilary Powers—former child actress, recovery mentor, speaker, and author—to explore a remarkable journey of healing, self-discovery, and transformation. Best known as the voice of Sally Brown in the beloved Peanuts cartoons, Hilary's greatest rol...

What if discovering your purpose isn't about chasing success, but about cultivating the right fruit within? In this uplifting episode of Elsplend Realities, we welcome award-winning author, illustrator, speaker, and publisher Dawn Stephens, whose life’s work centers on helping people—both young and old—understand their identity, purpose, and calling through the lens of the fruit of the Spirit. Kno...

What happens when the pain of your past follows you into your present—and how do you find the courage to let it go? In this deeply personal episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Noah May, host of The Lethal Venom podcast and a journalism graduate from Auburn University, to explore a journey marked by mental health struggles, emotional wounds, self-discovery, and healing. Noah opens up ab...

What if the pain you've carried for years is no longer yours to hold? In this heartfelt episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Katharine Giovanni—three-time award-winning bestselling author, international speaker, and forgiveness expert—to explore the transformative journey of emotional healing, self-awareness, and letting go of the past. Together, we unpack why unresolved hurt can quietl...

What if the health of a nation begins with the healing of its people? In this deeply reflective episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Phyllis E. Leavitt, a psychotherapist with over 34 years of experience working with children, families, couples, and individuals. She is the author of America in Therapy: A New Approach to Hope and Healing for a Nation in Crisis, where she explores the pow...

What if the biggest barrier to success isn’t lack of skill—but misunderstanding what people actually need? In this insightful episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Bill Shander, an author, educator, keynote speaker, and information designer with over 30 years of experience helping individuals and organizations turn complexity into clarity. His work has reached millions through LinkedIn L...

What if productivity wasn’t about doing more—but about doing what matters with more clarity, energy, and intention? In this empowering episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Kristen Edwards, a leading productivity strategist and host of the Ambitious Time Management Podcast. With a background in talent management and years of experience supporting high-achieving working mothers, Kristen h...

What if changing the world didn’t begin with a grand plan, but with a simple act of kindness? In this heartwarming episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Nicholas Adkins, founder of the global Pinksocks Life movement and author of PINKSOCKS: How a Pair of Socks Became a Symbol of Love and Connection. What began as a simple gesture has grown into a worldwide community of hundreds of thousa...