Pockets of Knowledge

What happens when a tenured professor finally sleeps through the night for the first time in years—and wakes up with a clarity so unfamiliar it makes her angry? In this honest, wide-ranging conversation, host Desiree Stanley welcomes back Dr. Sarah L. Glasco—late-diagnosed ADHDer, author, publisher, activist, and co-host of the ADHD Peri Punks Podcast—who shares how one miraculous night of sleep a...

What would it feel like to finally hand off the tasks that are keeping you buried—and actually trust that they'll get done right? In this warm, energizing conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Renee Hastings—President and CEO of Executive Help Now and host of Renee Speaks—a woman whose mission is to help entrepreneurs, executives, and content creators reclaim their time so they can...

Most of us spend years trying to change our lives from the outside without ever realizing the program running the show is buried somewhere we've never thought to look. In this rich, eye-opening conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Melissa Deally and Billie Aadmi, co-founders of Amplify Impact Academy, who combine backgrounds in corporate leadership and law enforcement with two dec...

If AI has you feeling anxious, confused, or left behind, this conversation is exactly what you need to hear. Host Desiree Stanley sits down with Stephanie Sylvestre—CEO and co-founder of AvatarBuddy.ai and a barrier-breaking leader in technology and social impact—who has spent over a decade building AI solutions that amplify human potential rather than replace it. Stephanie's take is both prac...

In this rich, soulful conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Lauri Smith—speaker, author, coach, and host of the Untamed Leader Podcast—who helps wild-hearted leaders stop performing and start transforming the energy of the room when they speak. Drawing on decades in theater and coaching, Lauri's work is rooted in a simple but radical belief: the most charismatic, compelling version...

What if getting lost is exactly how you find yourself? In this warm, adventurous conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Tracy Smith—memoirist, solo traveler, and author of The Purpose of Getting Lost—who at 49, after divorce and decades of people-pleasing, booked a one-way ticket to Iceland and never really stopped. What began as an impulsive yes became a four-year journey across contin...

Most of us know we should be better prepared financially—but few of us know what "prepared" actually looks like until it's too late. In this warm, practical conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Paula Harris—co-founder of WH Cornerstone Investments, TEDx speaker, and author of Rise Up: A Widow's Journal—who brings both the financial expertise and the human compassion...

What if the work of finding the right relationship has nothing to do with finding the right person—and everything to do with becoming the right person for yourself?  In this candid, eye-opening conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Chaya Garcia—dating and relationship expert, CEO, and host of the 100% Podcast—who shares how a painful breakup at 26 became the catalyst for two decades of...

What if the exhaustion you're carrying isn't from doing too much—but from doing too much of the wrong things? In this lively, no-BS conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Anne Karber—entrepreneur, author of The Life Hack Playbook, and host of the Let's Get Naked Podcast—who shares how she went from living on autopilot, people-pleasing, and giving from an empty shell to build...

What if the version of success you're chasing is actually killing you? In this candid conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Dr. Amy Loden Tiffany—physician entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, author, and mom of five—who shares how she went from burnout and serious health crises to building a thriving concierge practice that helps ambitious women reclaim their health without losing their im...

CONTENT NOTE: This episode briefly mentions child abuse in the context for how one girl entered the foster system. What begins with one life can change entire generations. In this inspiring conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Ashley Trussell—founder of Butterfly Effect Foundation—who shares how a single relationship during COVID led to creating a nonprofit that now mentors teenage gi...

In this warm, practical conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Gail—speaker, author, and founder of Single Moms Empowered—who has spent nearly two decades turning her hardest season into lasting support for women navigating single motherhood. Gail shares how she returned to college with three little kids and started writing because she realized other women needed the same kind of storie...

What if that restless feeling inside you isn't a crisis—but an awakening? In this warm conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Sarah Andreas—artist, author, and reinvention guide—who helps women navigate the in-between space of who they've been and who they're becoming, especially in midlife and major life transitions.    Throughout the episode, Sarah explains how our bodies...

What if the answer to doing more good in the world isn't doing more—but strategically subtracting what drains you? In this thoughtful conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Nell 3D—keynote speaker and leadership advisor known for her "loving dagger of truth"—who helps high-performing, purpose-driven leaders reclaim their energy without abandoning their impact. Nell shares...

Sometimes the doors we think are closed are just leading us toward a bigger arena of possibilities we haven't seen yet. In this thoughtful conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Carlee Wolfe—strategist and coach with 20+ years leading talent and transformation at brands like Under Armour, Hyatt Hotels, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee—who helps people navigate career...

In this transformative conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Lynn M. Bunch, intuitive educator and founder of the Center for Intuitive Education, who has spent nearly 30 years demystifying intuition and teaching people how to trust their inner wisdom without apology. Lynn shares how she built her life's work around making intuition tangible and accessible—not woo-woo or untouchable...

In this empowering conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Kelly Schuknecht, founder of Two Mile High Marketing and host of Beyond the Bestseller podcast, who shares her journey from 17 years in publishing and marketing to building her own agency—and helping professional women do the same. Kelly opens up about the two and a half years she spent preparing for a job loss she could feel com...

In this brain-science-backed conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Dorota Kosiorek, AI startup leader, brain-based coach, and former management consultant who combines neuroscience and sport psychology to help high performers stop burning out and start winning sustainably. Dorota shares her journey from high-pressure consulting to discovering that working on her own terms unlocked both...

What if the distance you feel from others actually starts with the distance you feel from yourself? In this reflective conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Kristan Swan, M.Ed., a former business coach turned life and spiritual guide who helps people come home to themselves. Kristan shares her non-linear journey from business coach to spiritual guide, and how the pandemic's depleti...

What if the depression, anxiety, or feeling of "not enough" isn't who you are—but just your body trying to tell you something? In this transformative conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Dr. Anna Marie Frank, the “Mindset Doctor”, to explore how our thoughts literally shape our biology and why healing starts with listening to your body. Dr. Anna Marie shares her journey...

Getting fired two months into what was supposed to be your job until retirement sounds like a nightmare—but for Merry Korn, it became the catalyst for building one of the world's most successful for-profit social enterprises. In this powerful conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Merry, founder of Pearl Interactive Network, Inc., to talk about transformation, resilience, and what h...

What if you're not broken—just misaligned? In this conversation, host Desiree Stanley sits down with Stefanie Carlstedt, a Certified Human Design Business Coach who helps entrepreneurs and teams ditch one-size-fits-all strategies and build success that actually fits. After 13 years of entrepreneurial trial-and-error, Stef discovered Human Design and everything changed. Now she helps others bui...

In this expansive and energizing episode of Pockets of Knowledge, host Desiree Stanley sits down with award-winning author, speaker, and high-performance coach Cortney McDermott for a conversation that blends science, soul, and strategy. With a career that spans executive roles in global corporations, bestselling books, and appearances on stages like TEDx and Mindvalley, Cortney shares how real tr...

In this insightful and empowering episode of Pockets of Knowledge, host Desiree Stanley welcomes Dr. Robin Buckley—clinical psychologist, executive coach, TEDx speaker, and author of Marriage, Inc.: The Boardroom Blueprint to Lasting Love—for a thought-provoking conversation about applying business strategies to romantic relationships. With her background in cognitive behavioral psychology and exe...

In this empowering episode of Pockets of Knowledge, host Desiree Stanley welcomes career strategist and coach Rachel Spekman for a grounded and inspiring conversation about redefining work, purpose, and what it means to build a soul-aligned career. As the founder of Made For More Coaching—with a background in both startups and therapy—Rachel shares her unique approach to helping high-performing pr...