Elsplend Realities

Many women are taught, quietly and consistently, that strength has an expiration date — that confidence fades with age, and that fitness is something to fear, manage, or earn. In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we challenge that narrative with Melanie Levy, founder of Melanie Levy Fitness and creator of the EmpowHER Method — a strength-based approach to fitness designed specifically for women...

What does it really take to rebuild a life when the old version of you no longer fits? In this deeply personal episode of Elsplend Realities, we welcome Tara Wiskow, an intuitive healer, energy coach, and reinvention mentor who guides women through emotional healing, identity shifts, and inner transformation. Tara shares her powerful journey through profound loss, suicidal ideation, a major life t...

Money is rarely just about numbers—it is about identity, safety, relationships, and the emotional stories we carry about worth and control. In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we welcome Amanda Cassar, a highly respected financial adviser, educator, and global advocate for financial wellbeing and protection. With specialist expertise in aged care, self-managed superannuation, estate planning, a...

What does it take to build an artistic world where creativity, fairness, and humanity are not in conflict—but fully aligned? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Ben Zingos, multidisciplinary theatre artist and Executive Director of Space Pirates Theatre Collective, a Los Angeles–based nonprofit redefining what theatre can be and who it serves. Ben shares how immersive theatre—c...

What if healing doesn't require revisiting every painful memory? In this insightful episode of Elsplend Realities, we welcome Steven Hoskinson, Founder of Organic Intelligence®️ and a pioneer in the field of Post-Trauma Growth. Drawing from decades of work in psychology, neuroscience, and human development, Steven challenges traditional assumptions about trauma recovery and offers a gentler, scien...

Why is it so easy to care for everyone else, yet so difficult to care for ourselves? In this empowering episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Barb Nangle, boundaries coach, speaker, author, and host of the podcast Fragmented to Whole: Life Lessons from 12 Step Recovery. After decades of searching for healing through therapy and self-help, Barb discovered a path that transformed her relat...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Suzanne Leydecker — fierce love architect, author, and spiritual psychology practitioner — to explore what it truly means to reclaim self-worth and live in alignment with your values. Drawing from her memoir A Woman On Top: My Journey of Self-Discovery Through Love and Money, Suzanne shares her deeply personal journey through inheritance, ide...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Rani Dabrai, serial entrepreneur and certified EOS®️ Implementer, to explore the emotional reality behind building and scaling successful businesses. Rani brings a rare blend of business strategy and emotional intelligence, drawing from her experience across fashion, beauty, virtual assistance, and leadership consulting. Together, we unpack w...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Naomi Asher, leadership expert, burnout-prevention strategist, and founder of The Maven Consulting, to explore what it truly takes to build healthy, sustainable workplace cultures. Together, we unpack the emotional realities of leadership — from burnout and retention challenges to the unseen pressures employees carry into work every day. Naom...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Rick Tracewell, small business owner and author of The Uncomfortable Comfort Zone, to explore the hidden patterns that keep us stuck in cycles of busyness without meaningful progress. Together, we unpack why so many people equate activity with achievement, and how this mindset can quietly block clarity, momentum, and real growth. Rick shares...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Allie Grack, nationally recognized marketing executive and founder of Workhorse Marketing, for a deeply honest conversation about resilience, identity, and leadership shaped by lived experience. From a childhood marked by instability, foster care, and early motherhood to leading a thriving agency in a competitive industry, Allie’s journey cha...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Nandita Brahmbhatt, certified business coach and entrepreneur, to explore what it truly takes to build a business without losing yourself in the process. Drawing from her background in pharmaceutical sales and her transition into entrepreneurship, Nandita shares powerful insights on overcoming overwhelm, building sustainable systems, and lead...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the profound connection between the subconscious mind and personal transformation with Dr. Karoline Fischer, MD turned RTT Hypnotherapist and Emotional Healer. From her journey in traditional medicine to deep work in hypnotherapy and inner child healing, Karoline brings a unique perspective on how lasting change truly happens. Together, we dive int...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, to explore how simple awareness can grow into global impact. What began as a single act of service in a small farming community has evolved into a worldwide movement ensuring that no child sleeps on the floor. Together, we unpack the philosophy of “Humans Helping Humans,” the emotional and p...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Anthony Weaver, host of the About That Wallet podcast and a trusted voice on financial wellness for the Sandwich Generation. Together, we explore the emotional and practical realities of managing money while caring for both children and aging parents — a space where responsibility often meets overwhelm. This conversation goes beyond budgeting...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Michael Leung, CEO and Founder of The Flo Group, to explore how personal adversity can become the foundation for meaningful innovation and social impact. From navigating immigration, trauma, and mental health challenges to building a mission-driven company focused on hearing accessibility, Michael shares a powerful story of resilience, reinve...

In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Ilene Marcus — leadership expert, author of Managing Annoying People, and inventor of the iLean-Pan — to explore the real foundation of influence: self-mastery. With over 25 years of leadership experience across government, nonprofit, and corporate sectors, Ilene shares practical insights on how people react under pressure, why emotional regu...

Financial anxiety rarely begins at retirement — it builds quietly over time, shaped by uncertainty, avoidance, and the pressure of not knowing whether we’re truly prepared for the future. In this grounded and insightful episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Lance A. Mays, seasoned financial strategist, educator, and author of Zero Is Your Hero, to explore a new way of thinking about reti...

Failure has a way of revealing what success often hides. It exposes the pressure behind the momentum, the exhaustion beneath ambition, and the difference between building a life that looks successful… and one that actually feels sustainable. In this powerful episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Ari Rastegar — real estate investor, entrepreneur, and author of The Gift of Failure — to exp...

Some of the most lasting lessons we ever learn begin with a story. Long before we fully understand the world, stories teach us about courage, kindness, friendship, curiosity, and the emotions that shape how we connect with others. And often, the simplest stories leave the deepest imprint. In this heartwarming episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with award-winning children’s author Linda Har...

Change rarely arrives with complete clarity. Sometimes it enters quietly — through shifting roles, unexpected endings, uncertain beginnings, or the slow realization that the version of life we once understood no longer fits the person we’re becoming. In this reflective episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Dr. Khutso Madubanya — change strategist, speaker, and creator of the P.I.V.O.T.™️...

Sometimes the struggles we experience in adulthood didn’t begin in adulthood at all. They began in the subtle emotional patterns we learned early — the need to keep the peace, the fear of disappointing others, the habit of overexplaining, overthinking, or carrying responsibility for everyone else’s emotions. In this deeply reflective episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Emily Harris, Li...

Long before someone listens to what we say… they’ve already decided how they feel about us. In a world where everyone is competing for attention, visibility has become easy to chase — but trust remains far more difficult to earn. In this compelling episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Andrew Colsky — founder of Be-Picked, creator of the Credibility Generator, and author of Left of Trust...

Some truths are not meant to be consumed quickly. They ask us to slow down, to question, to confront the contradictions we carry beneath the surface. In this thought-provoking episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Gerome Mauricio — known as The Highway Cipher — a brevity artist and poet whose work challenges readers to actively engage with language, identity, masculinity, and meaning its...

Leadership is often presented as confidence, certainty, and control. But behind the titles, meetings, and expectations… many leaders are quietly carrying pressure they were never prepared for. In this insightful episode of Elsplend Realities, we sit down with Marta Simeonova — former global HR transformation leader and leadership coach — to unpack the emotional and psychological realities of leade...