Find Your Spark

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Chad speaks about a chaotic grocery store trip that turned into an unexpected lesson in self-awareness, emotional check-ins, and the importance of listening when your SPARK says, "Slow Down!"

In this heartfelt episode, Ashley and Nicole dive into the impactful power of openness. They begin by reading a reflective passage that sets the tone for a rich conversation about how being open has shown up in their own lives—both personally and professionally. Together, they explore how easy it is to fall into knee-jerk thinking like, “I can’t do this,” “This is too hard,” or “I don’t like this,...

In this episode, Nicole highlights the importance of self-awareness and being able to recognize her state of mind, during a time where her and her family were personally impacted by the loss of a loved one. She shares the signals she experienced when her state of mind was at an all-time low and how self-awareness opened the door to the solutions she needed. 

April is Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness of the collateral consequences of incarceration. In this episode, Mari discusses the importance of providing services and opportunities to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, and calls listeners to question the assumptions they make about people, in order to combat recidivism and cultivate more compassion throughout communitie...

In this episode, Makayla reflects on the past year at SPARK. With her 1-Year "workiversary" approaching, Makayla discusses how her life looks completely different than it did the year prior and emphasizes how much can change in just a year's time. Listen as Makayla celebrates the opportunities and contentment that her role at SPARK has brought her and then wraps up with a hopeful message about her...

In this episode, Jena shares some personal insights and experiences that have allowed her to navigate relationships, conflicts and life with greater ease. Understanding separate realities gives us greater understanding and empathy towards others in that it opens our eyes to everyone's individual experiences. Listen as Jena shares stories about hamburgers and soap - two stories that otherwise may h...

In this episode, Stephanie reflects on a session she attended at SXSW EDU on humanity and AI. In her mind, there are two major differences between the capacity of human beings and that of AI: 1) original, new thought and 2) the capacity to feel. While AI is extremely useful for everyday life, it is reliant upon information that already exists in the form. Humans, on the other hand, have access to...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Chad discusses the subtle yet powerful ways our SPARK communicates with us in everyday situations. From that random urge to call an old friend to picking up on vibes in a room, he explains how our inner compass is constantly working to guide us.

This week on the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Mari discusses the importance of recognizing the important role we each play in the lives of others and how to cultivate positive relationships with the individuals we work with.

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Makayla sits down to reflect on what she’s learned so far during her time at SPARK. Through this intimate discussion, Makayla shares her understanding of thought through personal experiences and a story that puts into perspective how one thought can shift your entire experience.

In this episode, the entire SPARK team sits down together to reflect on 2024 and uncover what they are hopeful for in 2025. The rarity in which the team gets to be together in person is not lost on us during this episode as the laughs exchanged and genuine happiness in experiencing togetherness blossoms through the reflective conversation had. 2024 brought many highs and many lows while truly prov...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Jena reflects on her less-than-ideal start to 2025. Through her reflection, she shares a story about her son who recently tried out for the track team and despite making the team, had a lot of insecure thinking about his first meet. As the episode unfolds, Jena gives some advice to her son that she later discovers she can apply to her own mindset. At...

In this episode, Stephanie has the pleasure of speaking with our long-term partner in Norway, Elin Henriksen. Elin is a 4th grade teacher, coach, Certified SPARK Facilitator, and all around wonderful human being. In this conversation, she reflects upon a recent insight into trusting our inner wisdom, our SPARK. Through a range of metaphors including surfing, ski-lifts, and Indiana Jones, Elin’s pr...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Chad speaks about the fascinating concept of quantum leaping and how it connects to your intuition—also known as your SPARK. Learn how trusting your gut feeling can lead to bold changes and big opportunities in your life. If you’ve ever felt stuck or unsure of your next move, this episode will inspire you to take that leap and trust your inner guide.

In this week's episode of the Find Your SPARK podcast, Mari discusses her experience working with at-risk and institutionalized young people, including the need for positive and consistent relationships, the joy and importance of serving this population, and a special thank you the Foundation of Caring for selecting The SPARK Initiative as a grant recipient to serve juveniles in our local detentio...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Nicole reflects on her return to the middle school classrooms this year and discusses the importance of providing students at this age with a program like SPARK. She shares personal stories from her own classes, highlighting the impact it has on her students. Nicole also explains why she believes having access to such a program during her own middle...

This episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast falls on Giving Tuesday - A day that follows the Thanksgiving holiday and the madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, with the focus of giving. In this episode, Ashley highlights the level of appreciation organizations like ours have for the donations we receive. As a non-profit, we rely on these donations to continue implementing the programs that hav...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Makayla is joined by special guest, Gabriella Reece. In the spirit of Thanksgiving and the season of thankfulness, Makayla and Gabriella discuss all of the things they are thankful for within their own lives. The pair also dive into the tendency we have to spiral into a state of mind where thankfulness seems out of reach. Listen as their conversation...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, listen as Ashley is joined by special guests, the Rebels for Peace. Rebels for Peace is a youth-led initiative committed to improving mental health, uncovering resilience, and providing credible and sustainable Social Emotional Learning skills to the next generation. The Rebels made a trip from Chicago to Florida following the postponement of the Nat...

Join host Brooke Wheeldon-Reece and guest Lynne Robertson in this special episode of the Find Your Spark podcast as they reflect on the unexpected challenges brought by Hurricane Milton. In a year marked by unprecedented planning, the SPARK team faced the heart-wrenching decision to postpone their biggest events in a decade. In this episode, Brooke and Lynne share valuable lessons learned from nav...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Jena shares a simple yet transformative insight about creativity that has led her to uncover her creative potential. Creativity is often an attribute that many people feel they lack; however, what if creativity is so much simpler than some artistic ability? Listen as Jena explains how everyone has the potential to be creative. Then revel in the under...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Stephanie shares a simple yet profound insight she had while on a walk yesterday. She was pondering how she could support more parents deal with stress, given the Surgeon General’s advisory that found that 48% of parents report that most days their stress is completely overwhelming. While in a state of relaxed curiosity about this, she had an interac...

​​​​​In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Makayla references a famous quote by Erin Hanson that reads, "What if I fall? Oh but darling, what if you fly?" In this self-reflective episode, Makayla details personal narratives that illustrate the ways in which this quote has helped her state of mind. Listen as Makayla details a more optimistic approach to life, and the unhelpfulness of pess...

During this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, the entire SPARK team sits in to celebrate 200 episodes.   Veering off our typical style of podcast, Makayla hosts an interview-style session with the Spark team. Throughout the episode, team members reflect on the changes they've observed since their beginning at SPARK, key takeaways from our teachings, and what they hope to see SPARK become ove...

In this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Chad speaks about the importance of embracing your true self and breaking free from societal expectations. He delves into how often we feel pressured to conform to the standards and norms set by others, losing sight of who we truly are in the process. Through candid conversations and personal reflections, Chad encourages listeners to discover his uni...