Practicing Connection

Send us Fan Mail Coming out of summer vacation? The Wheel of Life helps you find your focus and structure again, and sort through the to-do list! In this replay episode of Practicing Connection, originally published in January, 2025, hosts Coral Owen and Jessica Beckendorf introduce the Wheel of Life as a simple tool to help set priorities and find balance by identifying areas that need attention....

Send us Fan Mail The collaboration you'll hear about in this episode not only filled a critical gap for military families, but also strengthened the bonds between the base and the local community.  In this replay episode, originally published in July, 2024, co-hosts Bob Bertsch and Jessica Beckendorf talk with Lisa Sapp and James Yracheta about a collaboration between Malmstrom Air Force Base...

Send us Fan Mail Feedback, when it's done well, can energize, motivate and strengthen our relationships - whether at work, at home, or in our communities.  But it's not always easy. In this replay episode from early 2024, hosts Bob Bertsch and Jessica Beckendorf explore the nuances of giving and receiving feedback, to make feedback less stressful and more meaningful. They emphasize its r...

Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful way to build trust was also the simplest: showing genuine care for others’ concerns and interests?  This week, we’ll share two easy practices you can use right away to make care the foundation of every relationship. In this episode of Practicing Connection, Coral and Jessica explore the fourth distinction of trust - care - drawing on insights from Charles...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know that trust isn’t just about what you can do, but also about how honest you are about your limits?  This week, we’ll share a simple practice to help you build trust through clarity, confidence, and communication. In this episode of Practicing Connection, Jessica and Coral explore how competence, one of the four key distinctions of trust, lays the groundwork for strong,...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt let down by someone who didn’t follow through - or realized you misunderstood what was asked of you?  This episode reveals why reliability starts with clear requests, and how a few mindful tweaks to your communication can build trust and prevent frustration. In this episode of Practicing Connection, Coral and Jessica explore the crucial link between trust and re...

Send us Fan Mail Ever left a conversation wishing you’d said what you really meant?  This week, we’ll show you a simple practice to help you notice - and close - the gap between your true thoughts and your spoken words, so you can build trust through greater sincerity. In this episode of Practicing Connection, Jessica and Coral dive into one of the four key distinctions of trust: sincerity. Inspir...

Send us Fan Mail What if trust wasn’t just a feeling, but a set of skills you could build, repair, and strengthen - on purpose?  In this special episode of Practicing Connection, hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Coral Owen sit down with Charles Feltman, author of The Thin Book of Trust , and Ila Edgar, founder of Big Change Inc. and co-hosts of the Trust on Purpose podcast. Together, they explore what...

Send us Fan Mail What if every meeting you planned had a clear purpose, a focused outcome, and left everyone energized instead of drained? Today, we’ll show you a simple framework to make every gathering count. Tired of meetings that go nowhere?  In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Coral and Jessica reveal how the POP (Purpose, Outcome, Process-plus People and Preparation) framew...

Send us Fan Mail What if you could quiet the ‘what-ifs’ and help your team face tough decisions with clarity and confidence?  Today, we’re sharing a simple scenario planning practice that brings perspective to uncertainty-so you can plan for whatever comes next. Coral and Jessica introduce a practical scenario planning tool: Best, Worst, Most Likely Case. Learn how this perspective-shifting practi...

Send us Fan Mail Are you feeling stuck in an either/or mindset during challenging transitions? Discover how both/and thinking can help you lead with flexibility and compassion.  In today's practice, Coral guides us through a transformative action that can bring more connection and possibility into your daily life.  Co-hosts Jessica and Coral explore the concept of both/and thinking—a mindset...

Send us Fan Mail What if a single phrase could transform your team’s understanding and support for each other on tough days?  Discover how “Hippopotamus Days” can build connection, understanding, and trust - one inside joke at a time. Building team cohesion isn’t just about big events or trust falls - it’s about the small moments of understanding that bring people together.  In this episode of Pra...

Send us Fan Mail When change is the only constant, how do you keep yourself - and your team - grounded and connected? In this episode, we explore simple, powerful check-in practices that help leaders and teams navigate uncertainty with empathy, awareness, and trust. Transitions and uncertainty are part of every leader’s journey.  In this episode of Practicing Connection, Coral introduces "Tem...

Send us Fan Mail Are you leading your team the way you truly want to? Or just reacting to the pressures of the moment?  Discover how a simple reflection can help you align your intentions with your actions and become the emotionally intelligent leader your team needs. How we show up as leaders shapes our team’s experience, trust, and success.  In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast,...

Send us Fan Mail Looking for a way to empower military families while fostering resilience and connection?  Join us as we explore the transformative Military Teen Adventure Camps, where service member parents and teens bond through adrenaline-pumping activities like ziplining, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing.  Discover how these camps are creating lifelong memories and strengthening family t...

Send us Fan Mail Today's practice is such a simple reflection, but is also really powerful and eye-opening when you notice those areas where you are feeling fatigue, and can identify what to do about it.  Coral joins Jessica in this episode to conclude our three-part series on compassion resilience, by discussing the Compass Model for Wellness. Jessica shares her experience with this model, a...

Send us Fan Mail How can policymakers and frontline providers collaborate to transform mental health care for service members and veterans?  Dr. Keita Franklin is here to share 25 years of insights - from data-driven policy to personal resilience practices. National policy leader Dr. Keita Franklin joins host Jessica Beckendorf and special guest co-host Kalin Goble Mathis to discuss the evolving l...

Send us Fan Mail Struggling to balance caring for others with caring for yourself? In this episode of Practicing Connection , we explore how setting compassionate boundaries can help you maintain your well-being while supporting military families effectively. In the second installment of our compassion resilience series, Jessica delves into the art of setting compassionate boundaries.  Learn about...

Send us Fan Mail Do you sometimes feel drained by the emotional demands of your work?  In this episode of Practicing Connection , we explore compassion resilience - the ability to care deeply while protecting your own well-being. Learn what it is, why it matters, and a simple practice to start building it today. Service providers often face emotionally demanding work, which can lead to compassion...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever wonder how a kitchen can become a hub for resilience and connection?  In this episode of Practicing Connection , Jessica is joined by special co-host Bethany Daugherty, who both sit down with Chef Mary Long, a culinary expert and instructor at the U.S. Army North Vogel Resiliency Center in San Antonio, Texas. Discover how her innovative cooking classes are transforming...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever struggle to stick to your goals? Discover the WOOP method, a powerful tool that uses obstacles as stepping stones to success. Discover WOOP, a science-backed goal-setting practice that helps you overcome obstacles and achieve your goals.  Learn how to apply this simple yet powerful tool to transform your habits and improve your well-being. Practical links from this epi...

Send us Fan Mail This episode was the second in a series of three practicasts from 2024 centered around "holding space," a concept we learned from Heather Plett, author of "The Art of Holding Space."  Our co-creator for this series was our OneOp colleague, Kristen Jowers. In this episode, Kristen shares two practices to help us prepare to hold space for someone experiencing gri...

Send us Fan Mail **Leveraging Forgiveness as a Strength** Forgiveness is a powerful character strength and skill that can appear deceptively difficult to master. When we feel hurt by someone, or upset at ourselves, how do we move past the emotions of the moment to understand what is really happening in that situation? In this episode of *Practicing Connection*, Jessica Beckendorf shares with co-ho...

Send us Fan Mail **Reframing Mistakes for Growth** In this episode of *Practicing Connection*, Coral Owen provides co-host Jessica Beckendorf and listeners with a practical guide to reframing your mindset when you make a mistake. Drawing inspiration from her two-year-old toddler's ability to move past errors effortlessly, Coral contrasts this with the adult tendency to analyze mistakes deeply...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, hosts Coral and Jessica explore the 10-10-10 Rule, a simple yet powerful technique for gaining perspective on mistakes and decision-making.  Jessica explains how this tool can be used to reflect on and move through errors without spiraling into panic.  Tune in to learn how asking three simple questions can help you and your team navigate challenges with a clearer...