JOY Unfiltered: Joy is the strategy

Andrew Brummer is the COO of Industry Technologies, founder of My Story Told, and co-founder of Veridae. Known by many as "the business polygraph," he has a gift for helping leaders see what's real before small issues become big risks. His work sits at the intersection of leadership, AI, operational discipline, and human truth — using technology to extend disciplined thinking, never to replace it....

Cynthia Changyit Levin is the author of From Changing Diapers to Changing the World and Advocacy Made Easy: How to Turn Civic Frustration into Powerful Action. A nonpartisan activist and coach, she helps volunteers of all ages build productive, relationship-centered relationships with members of Congress. She serves on the board of CARE Action, has held leadership roles with the RESULTS Educationa...

In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Katie McIntyre, founder and CEO of the Joyful Leadership Academy, speaker, author, coach, and leadership researcher. Katie's PhD research — literally titled "What Is Joyful Leadership?" — uncovered what happens when leaders bring warmth, lightheartedness, and calm consistency into how they lead, and why it's one of the most under-tapped strategies for bui...

In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Katie McIntyre, founder and CEO of the Joyful Leadership Academy, speaker, author, coach, and leadership researcher. Katie's PhD research — literally titled "What Is Joyful Leadership?" — uncovered what happens when leaders bring warmth, lightheartedness, and calm consistency into how they lead, and why it's one of the most under-tapped strategies for bui...

Regina Huber has lived and led across five continents — from Germany and Spain to Brazil, Argentina, the U.S., and most recently across Africa. Her path through Boston Consulting Group and her own businesses shaped her into a multicultural transformational leadership coach who built three signature frameworks: Powerful Leadership Transformation, New Paradigm Leadership, and Get Your Dream Salary....

Savio P. Clemente helps leadership teams rebuild after disruption - when the crisis is over but performance hasn't fully recovered. After 2,000+ interviews with global leaders and his own experience surviving non-Hodgkin's lymphoma twice (2014, and a 2024 relapse), Savio developed his Adaptive Resilience Leadership framework, working at the intersection of healthcare, leadership, and human perform...

Albert Butler spent 25 years living hustle culture — until a 2 a.m. moment of joyless success finally broke him. Burned out, overweight, and disconnected from his family, he realized he'd been teaching his four kids how to hustle but not how to live. That reckoning forced him to rebuild with joy as the foundation, not the finish line. Today he blends financial expertise with deep life wisdom to he...

We've been sold a myth: that joy is something you're either born with or you're not. The "fun one." The "naturally happy one." The one with the sparklier nervous system. In this episode, I'm taking that myth apart piece by piece — and recorded just days into being a married woman, voice a little softer around the edges, thank-you notes still piled high. What we dig into: Why the research says roug...

Melanie Bonk is a wife of 27+ years, mama of four, and the founder of Bonk Better. Blending neuroscience, nervous system regulation, embodied communication, and tantric philosophy, Melanie helps individuals and couples cultivate presence, emotional intelligence, and deep relational safety — so success doesn't come at the expense of aliveness. Her last name really is Bonk, her birthday is Valentine...

What does a rescued dog teach you about leadership? More than you'd expect. In this episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. Andy Neillie — business coach, bestselling author, award-winning speaker, and owner of a $3M retail business — to talk about the thing most leadership conversations skip entirely: the inner game. We get into trust, transparency, authenticity, and why resolute joy is the foundation...

There are two versions of a lot of us. The one the world sees - capable, driven, always showing up. And the one that comes home at night, trying to hold it all together with whatever we can find to take the edge off. In this episode, I'm telling you the real version of my story. Not the polished bio. The actual truth - about drinking too much, being at war with my body, and genuinely believing joy...

What if the nervous system regulation tools you've been using are just band-aids? In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Alena Candova — chiropractor, neurocoach, and author of Grace Over Grit — for a rich, science-meets-soul conversation about what it actually takes to create lasting change in the body and mind. Dr. Alena's journey began with yoga in her twenties during a difficult season, ev...

Guest: Alena Candova — Chiropractor, Neurocoach, and Author of Grace Over Grit Episode Description What if the reason you can't sustain joy isn't a mindset problem — it's a nervous system problem? Alena Candova joins me to talk about the deeper wiring beneath our behaviors, why "nervous system regulation" is so much more than a buzzy breathing exercise, and how to finally stop repeating the patter...

What if the next version of you does not require more hustle? What if she requires more safety? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel sits down with Melissa Hoffman, holistic mindset coach and breathwork facilitator, to talk about nervous system regulation, subconscious belief work, identity alignment, and what it really means to feel safe being seen. Melissa shares her journey from corporate...

Send us Fan Mail What if the next level of leadership is not about pushing harder, doing more, or proving yourself again and again? What if it is about awareness? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered , Rachel sits down with Steve Barton , executive coach, author, and creator of Game of Ten , an awareness-based framework that helps leaders operate with greater clarity, confidence, peace of mind, and p...

Send us Fan Mail What if the first few minutes after waking could change the way you experience your entire day? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered , Rachel talks about the science of the waking brain, theta brain waves, nervous system regulation, priming, gratitude, and how to “brainwash” yourself for more joy. Not in a toxic positivity way. Not in a pretend-life-is-perfect way. In a grounded, pra...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Joy Unfiltered , Rachel sits down with Anni Eza , mental health expert, master healer, shadow priestess, teacher, and co-founder of Seeds of Bliss . Annie brings a powerful perspective on healing, nervous system resonance, shadow work, fear, grief, and what it means to expand your capacity to hold the life you actually want. This conversation explores why the ne...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually mean to be the change — not just talk about it? In this episode, Rachel sits down with Jaclyn Orent, cultural catalyst and CEO of the Cultural Catalyst Network, for a rich conversation about inner transformation, feminine leadership, and what it really takes to shift culture from the inside out. Jaclyn shares her remarkable journey — from a 36-day water fast...

Send us Fan Mail What if the goal was never to simply endure more? After starting with one of the hardest endurance races in the world, Rachel learned a truth that reaches far beyond athletics: just because you can endure something does not mean endurance should become your life strategy. This episode introduces Rachel’s Joy-Led Leadership framework and the four shifts at the heart of The JOY Coll...

Send us Fan Mail What if productivity wasn’t about doing more…  but about missing less of your life? In this insightful and refreshingly honest conversation, Rachel sits down with Angela Jamieson - former petroleum engineer turned author, speaker, and creator of Relaxed Productivity - to challenge everything you thought you knew about success. Angela shares how a deeply personal loss led her to re...

Send us Fan Mail What if joy isn’t something you wait for… but something you build? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered , Rachel breaks down the science and strategy behind joy—and how fun, variety, and happiness work together to create a life that actually feels good. Blending research from leading experts like Arthur Brooks, Catherine Price, Kelly McGonigal, Ross Gay, and Shawn Achor with her own...

Send us Fan Mail What if the life you’re building isn’t about perfection… but about curiosity? In this deeply honest and expansive conversation, Rachel sits down with author, traveler, and creative soul Luna Westish to explore identity, reinvention, and what it really means to become who you are—on your own terms. From leaving a high-control religion to navigating parenthood, neurodivergence, and...

Send us Fan Mail What actually happens in your brain under stress… and how does joy help you recover? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered , Rachel goes deep into the neuroscience of resilience, breaking down how chronic stress impacts the brain and why joy is not a luxury—but a biological strategy. You’ll learn:  How the amygdala becomes more reactive under chronic stress   Why your prefrontal corte...

Send us Fan Mail What if the thing holding you back… isn’t your strategy, your discipline, or your motivation? What if it’s your nervous system? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered , Rachel sits down with global expert Tiffany Toombs to unpack the real reason so many high-achieving women feel stuck, overwhelmed, or caught in cycles they can’t seem to break. This isn’t surface-level self-help. This i...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling overwhelmed, overbooked, and like there’s never enough time in the day? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered , Rachel sits down with time management expert Alyssa Wolf to unpack a refreshing, realistic approach to getting your time back—without doing more or pushing harder. Instead of productivity hacks that leave you exhausted, Alyssa shares a powerful three-part framework:...