Recounting Life Lessons

What if illness isn't just something to fight—but a message from our body calling you to heal? In this episode of Recounting Life Lessons, we sit down with Ayla Shepherd, trauma-informed therapist, midlife transformation coach, and author of The Truth Trip. After receiving a shocking cancer diagnosis, Ayla had to make a life-changing decision: follow the conventional medical path alone or uncover...

Are your own psychological biases secretly working against you when it comes to money? In this episode of  Recounting Life Lessons,  we sit down with John Joseph De Goey—a portfolio manager, author, and financial expert—to uncover the hidden forces shaping our financial decisions. In this episode, we'll explore how our biases shape our money decisions, why awareness of these psychological quirks i...

This conversation with Craig Williamson goes beyond surface-level discussions about addiction. It's a deeply human exploration of what it means to navigate life's hardest challenges while finding ways to grow and inspire others. Whether you've been personally affected by addiction or are seeking actionable insights for personal development, this episode is packed with wisdom you won't want to miss...

In this episode, Sione and Alana sit down with Brian Curtis, entrepreneur and author of  There Is Only One Heart , to explore the profound lessons he's learned from over 25 years of white-water rafting. Brian shares the harrowing story of a near-death experience when he was anchored to the riverbank and stuck underwater, a moment that taught him the importance of surrender and going with the flow....

Sometimes the things we are reluctant to participate in end up laying a foundation for our success in the future.  In this episode, Sione and Alana sit down with Julie Cropp Gareleck, the author of Dare to Become and CEO and founder of Junction Creative.  They discuss leadership, motherhood, the pros and cons of having a family business, the benefits of journaling, entrepreneurship, and more. If y...

One of the most beautiful aspects of life and human connection is the fact that no two people are alike. We are all unique and come with our own perspetives through which we see the world. And while it can variety and art and diversity to our experiences, it is also at the root of division, frustration, hurt feelings, assumptions, and misunderstandings. In this episode, Sione and Alana sit down wi...

In this episode, Sione and Alana delve into the concept of sunk cost bias and determining when it's time to move on and stop investing in a project, goal, or environment that is no longer serving you. Why it can be so challenging to leave environments that no longer empower us? One of the greatest challenges may be the people we'll be leaving behind or impacted by our deciosion to go. What about o...

In this episode Alana explores the profound connection between our focus and the joy we experience in our lives.  Inspired by a quote from Russell M. Nelson, she delves into a heartwarming and insightful story from a recent experience teaching young children about forgiveness.  Listen as she talks about how holding onto anger and frustration can prevent us from embracing the joy that surrounds us....

The environment we place ourselves in impact our frame of mind. We can use willpower, energy, and discipline to control what we think about and how we think, but we can make things easier on ourselves. All we have to do is put ourselves in environments that align with the frame of mind we want to be in. In this episode, Alana shares an experience that helped her realize the different ways that the...

When does the pursuit for excellence become disempowering and disabling? Expecting perfection from ourselves and others can seem like a worthy pursuit, but it doesn't always yield the best results. Listen and learn about the 4 things you can focus on to get unstuck and feel empowered when perfectionism is preventing you from making progress. In this episode, Sione and Alana discuss the myths and m...

This one is for any perfectionists out there who often find themselves stuck in inaction... especially when you actually know what needs to be done. In this episode, Alana shares a mindset shift that was inspired by an ultra-marathon runner and the word "imperfect". This little shift allowed her to move into a place of more confidence and empowerment. It can do the same for you. Are you feeling st...

It's one thing to have a "Why"; it's another thing to make time for your "why". In this episode, Sione and Alana sit down with Matt DeHart of Highline Financial Coaching. Matt had always said that his why for doing things was his family. But after receiving some unexpected bad news, he realized that his real why wasn't just to provide for his family, it was to spend time with them as well. The new...

An important step in achieving our goals, making an impact that matters, and enjoying what we want is learning to love ourselves.  This can be especially difficult if we've gone through trauma or were taught to believe things that limit our self-worth. Karishma Gautam helps women who have dealt with things like abuse or rape learn to love themselves and let go of the limiting beliefs that keep the...

Feelings of subjective inferiority can prevent us from acknowledging the value we can add to various situations throughout my life. These feelings can convince us to play small, keep quiet, and miss out on opportunities to empower others. They kept us from living up to our potential and there will always be collateral damage for NOT using our gifts, voice, and light.   Where do feelings of inferio...

Life doesn't always go as we plan. It can be hard to find fulfillment when we expect to be married, have children, own a home, or be at a specific stage in our vocations by a certain age, and despite our greatest efforts, it doesn't happen. In this episode, Sione and Alana sit down with Shelby Delgado, the author of Single and Fulfilled: a Practical Guide to Finding Joy and Contentment in the Pres...

If you could send a message to your past and future selves what would they be? In this impromptu episode, Alana sits down to share a message with her past and future selves that pretty much anyone could benefit from. This is especially true for those going through some growing pains, stepping outside of their comfort zone, and letting go of what once was so they can embrace what could be. It's a g...

"Life doesn't have to be so hard." That's what Kathy Mou learned after struggling with infertility. In this episode, Sione and Alana sit down with life coach and the creator of The B.S. Life aka The Bliss Soft Life, Kathy Mou. Where she recounts the experiences in her life and her identity as an Asian twin, working in her family's restaurant, and struggling with infertility led her to discover pri...

Communication is one of the most essential soft skills to develop if we want to be effective in our leadership, teaching, coaching, parenting, selling, and relationships. We speak to influence and to be understood, but if we aren't good at listening before we speak the things we say may seem to go unheard or misunderstood. In this episode, Alana shares the 7 Ps of listening and ways that you can u...

When is the best time to start taking action on our goals? When is it too late?  Alana sat down with Sharon Takamori, who at 76 years old, decided to start a YouTube channel, even though she had little to no knowledge about how to get it done. They talk about how she dealt with setbacks and negativity and the driving force behind her desire to jump into a new entrepreneur journey at such a late st...

Making decisions use up energy and bandwidth. And it's the most urgent decisions that end up using up most of our energy. When our energy is low and the time for making those desicions arrives, it is likely that we will end up making a decision we later regret. Not only that, the bandwidth required to make those decisions also rob us of the energy and time to do more of what we actually love and a...

If we want to avoid wandering aimlessly in our lives and in pursuit of our goals we need 3 things: We need a map or a plan to follow We need to know where we currently are We need to know what our desired destination is or where we want to go One of the best ways to do identify those first two is by tracking our stats, habits, numbers, and data. It's by keeping good records. As we do this we'll al...

If you don't know where you are, in relation to where you want to be, it's difficult to make progress on purpose. In this episode, Sione and Alana discuss the various fears and reasons we often avoid getting clear about where we are. They also discuss what we can do to manage those fears and courageously push past them. Fears like: fear of failure false comfort in the ambiguity fear of change fear...

As leaders, there is always more to do than we have the capacity for at any given moment. We face the endless pull of projects, responsibilities, and obligations for our attention. As a result, it's easy to feel like there is never enough time to do more of the things we love and feel called to do. In this episode, Alana shares 3 things that can help you and those you lead, increase your capacity...

A few years ago Sione and Alana sat down with Jess and she shared with them a wonderful story about an experience she had while giving donkeys some water during a hot summer day and what it taught her. The lesson was that the Lord knows what we need and what's best for our growth and ability to reach our potential. Sometimes we get exactly what we need, but we get frustrated and complain because i...

Powerful questions can direct our focus and attention. They can increase our awareness and help us to recognize the value of our experiences. They can also motivate us and increase our abilities to take empowered actions to improve ourselves, our lives, and our circumstances. In this episode, Alana shares several questions to help you reflect on the value of this past year as she recounts some of...