Lead to Gold

Most of us are craving a deeper sense of meaning, and one of the best ways to achieve that is to experience an "altered state" where we feel more present, more aware, and more appreciative of our surroundings. But in a culture where we are spiritually illiterate, it's easy to assume we can only get there through drugs or intense meditation. Not true. We can experience this stone-col...

Paul Lagerstedt has always been drawn to fixing things and understanding how systems work. When he began to notice his own adverse reaction to alcohol without an explanation, he got curious: what’s actually in alcoholic beverages beyond ethanol, and why do people respond so differently? He began researching the trace compounds that can be present in wine, beer, spirits, and cocktails, and whether...

I'm going through a little bit of a hard time right now. So to be very candid, I needed a little bit of my own cheering up. I hope it helps you through whatever stuckness you're experiencing right now, too. In today's episode, I'm outlining five reminders or mantras that have helped me through difficult periods of my life, from lacking motivation to perpetuating negative self-t...

Jealousy gets a bad reputation, but what if it's actually trying to tell you something?  In this episode, I'm making the case for sitting with your jealousy instead of rushing to shame yourself out of it. We'll dig into why the current discourse around jealousy flattens a genuinely complicated feeling into either a character flaw or a feeling to normalize, and why neither of those i...

Sigh...this was a big one. So big, in fact, I had to split it into two parts. Please listen to part one first if you haven't already! Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with trading Spotify for a record collection - I think it's a big step in the right direction. But if we've ironed out the true problems of the internet, the analogue movement isn't addressing or so...

Sigh...this is gonna be a big one. So big, in fact, I had to split it into two parts. In the opening chapter of our dive into the modern digital landscape, we move past the surface-level complaints of "too much screen time" to examine the structural rot making our online lives feel so hollow. We'll explore the transition from the internet as a creative "Third Space" to a m...

You GUYS...I'm so psyched about this episode. Hydroxide has been one of my longest and best friends, and it's been such a joy to watch her career grow. In this conversation, of course we discuss the current standings of the food and food safety industries, but we also talk unemployment, going viral, comment sections, and how to discern disinformation from truth.  As a bit of a skeptic, I...

Your screenshots folder is full of old horoscope wisdom from your astrology app, advice pieces from Reddit, and stills of videos from TikTok wellness influencers. You meant well by saving them. You still want to incorporate them. But you'll never have time to look at those screenshots, much less utilize them. Today we're discussing the plague of overwhelm that comes from the internet of...

It really feels like nothing anyone says matters anymore. Companies aren't transparent, friends flake, leaders promise things they can't deliver. This leads to an overall degradation of language and trust, or what I like to call "linguistic inflation." The slight bright spot in this problem is that it isn't new, at all. Join in on the conversation today as we unpack what l...

You know the feeling when after being so constantly booked and busy, your body  literally starts to give out? Or you have to start last-minute cancelling plans you were actually excited for? Orrrrr the plans start to feel more like obligations than events you're looking forward to? If you're nodding along to any of these, this is the episode for you. Join in as we discuss the frustrating...

You're feeling a desperate itch for a thing you know, deep down, you'll never fully possess. This is the kind of craving that comes from a core wound. And spoiler alert: It's not going to go away unless you start tending to it. In today's episode, we're speaking to that part of ourselves - the uncomfortable reality that our most intense yearning is likely directly connecte...

Everyone online seems to be sharing their fondest memories of a year that marks the last time a lot of us felt uninhibited from life's greatest stressors: adulthood, the economy, the government, unprecedented events...you name it. It makes sense that everyone wants to bask in the nostalgia. The funny thing is, 2016 was the worst year of my life. But this isn't just about me. In this epis...

One of the biggest questions I've had stirring around in my head this past year was what a woman's role really is in our current age - where fascists are abundant, young people have endless access to influence (for better or worse), and so many people seem so excited to throw inclusivity and equity out the window. Where are we? How did we get here? And who are the voices we need to be li...

History won't remember 2025 fondly, but I think I will. There was a lot of upset, a lot of rage, a lot of worry and wallowing, but I'm thanking my lucky stars that all of it was met with unrelenting love and support. If anything, this year taught me just how many people have my back, and how easy it actually is to seek help when it's needed. Don't believe me? Then this is the p...

Welcome to the Season 1 finale of Lead to Gold. It's been a joyride, and I'm so grateful for your part in it. I couldn’t possibly think of a better duo to bring on for such a vast topic, especially for one that means so much to me personally and is a massive need for the collective right now. As two fantastic co-facilitators of psychedelic retreats, Nick and Clare walk us through the oft...

As much as I talk 💩 about the internet and social media on this podcast, I have to  admit to the few nuggets of gold to be found among the dumpster fire. In today's episode, we're gonna take some advice from a classic r/AskReddit thread and see what has helped other people make their lives better, most importantly, in very realistic ways. I hope you can take a lil nugget with you from t...

Is everyone going through it right now? The answer is a resounding "yes," especially if you are chronically online. With the constant news cycles, more difficulty in parsing through falsities and disinformation, overwhelming tragedy, violence, and outrage being forced down our throats, it's no wonder we feel so scared and overwhelmed.  Let's talk about what to do about it. Show...

Is money an energetic tool, or is it the root of all evil? Let's *attempt* to get to the bottom of all the mixed messaging we receive about how to relate to our finances. In this episode, we’ll give context to our varying cultural attitudes toward money and how they impact our external lives. From societal conditioning to personal beliefs, let's settle this debate and develop a healthier...

As someone who felt the pressure of turning off all outward-facing emotions in my youth, and now struggle to authentically share those still deeply felt emotions with my loved ones, I wanted to chat about our societal norming around being sensitive. We've all heard the clichés by now: it's okay to cry, sensitivity is a gift, men have feelings too, etc...but embodying our pain, anger, and...

Madelyn Moon is a leading voice in the world of feminine-masculine relationships, devoted to serving women in liberating their expressive, artistic hearts with themselves, with partners, and with the world. Today, she's teaching ALL of us how to get out of our minds and into our bodies - finally, a place where we can safely unleash the emotions we may not always want to look at.  Let's g...

I hear you...but let's talk about why this is actually a really great problem to have. In today's conversation, we'll ground into the feeling of overwhelm that so many of us meet when trying (and failing) to devote enough time to the activities we love. We'll also touch on the cultural reasons for why that overwhelm arises and how to combat it. Remember: your leisure time is me...

The word "reciprocity" came to me like a cool, shady breeze in the middle of an intensely hot summer day. Largely inspired by the book Braiding Sweetgrass , we're talking today about what reciprocity means and what the world could look like when we all start to understand and practice it in our daily lives. This conversation is SO important to me right now - hoping you find some wis...

Megan is a bestie for life (if you listened my Friendsgiving special, episode 25, you'll remember her 😎), and she is also my first bestie to give birth! Join us for a super candid conversation about her first year of motherhood and how she stays sane through all the expectations, duties, lack of alone time, childhood wounds, relationship changes, and much more. I am so in awe of how she has...

It’s no question that we’re experiencing a shifting landscape of fame and celebrity culture, but are we actually moving away from idolizing celebrities and their brands? Let’s explore how celebrity has shapeshifted over the centuries, how their current lack of advocacy for world issues is changing public attitudes, and the growing emphasis on authenticity and relatability from people we may not......

Ever been in a relationship that your heart knows is right, but your brain SCREAMS is wrong? Well, you've come to the right place. Today's amazing conversation is from Chelsea Horton of Healing Embodied, experts in helping those with anxiety move beyond their relationship fears and into wholehearted love. I've been waiting for this one. 💕 Show notes: Follow Healing Embodied on Inst...