Sidewalk Talk

Yamini Naidu was an economist fully immersed in corporate life when she was introduced to the power of storytelling. Today, she's helping businesses and leaders around the globe to use business storytelling to create the kinds of heartfelt connections that produce lasting results. Joining Traci, Yamini shares why productivity and connection are better off when they’re working hand in hand. She div...

Atiaf Alwazair is many things. Hopeless isn't one of them.  Based in Brussels, Atiaf is an activist, researcher, writer and mother using joy and memory to protect, uplift and empower the people of Yemen. In this conversation with Traci, Atiaf opens up about the motivation behind her work and insights into the vibrant Yemen she knows. She shares her personal journey to achieving effective hopefulne...

Have you ever spoken to your inner child? Or just wondered what you might learn if you did? For Omar Davis— creating space for those conversations reshaped his life. A health educator and mental health advocate, Omar Davis’ work is centered around empowerment and creating meaningful conversations in communities. Today, listen in for Traci’s conversation with him on opening up to possibilities, lea...

Do we have depression all wrong? In times of decreased connection— out of necessity or not, how do we start moving in the right direction and reaching out for what we need from ourselves and each other? Today’s guest, San Francisco based therapist, Marty Cooper shares his insights on how depression can take root and why society at large may be looking at things wrong. He shares compelling insights...

Could heart, empowerment and conscious effectiveness be the pillars to aligning as society and making progress on the issues that matter to us most? Joan Blades, co-founder of Living Room Conversations—  a divide healing organization, thinks it's a great place to start.   As the founder of political groups like Moveon.org and MomsRising, Joan knows a thing or two about bridging political divides....

How do you speak truth from a place of love and compassion? Gift yourself the tools you need to bridge racial, economical and political gaps with today's episode, featuring John Wood of the Better Angels organization. The biracial son of two culturally and economically opposite parents, John Wood has spent the better part of his life connecting across categories. The former Vice-Chairman of the Re...

How do we ensure the structures and institutions within our lives reflect the values that we know to be true and good? What would it look like if we were to achieve a Golden Civilization devoid of the harmful tendencies we engage in daily? George Kinder, known well for his work in financial life planning and spiritual practice combines the two in his latest work, A Golden Civilization & The Map of...

The path to navigating loss and grief, became illuminated when David Kessler and Elisabeth Kubler-Ross wrote On Grief and Grieving , giving us the five stages of grief most of us are familiar with. Today, he expands and recenters this renowned concept with the release of his new work, Finding Meaning . David sits down with Traci and talks about his journey to the field of thanatology. He shares ho...

When it comes to privilege- knowing the difference between righteous and self-righteous speech can make all the difference when you’re communicating what's in your heart. Today, I’m joined by Parker Palmer— nationally recognized educator, author and social change activist. He shares his thoughts on white privilege and how it can inhibit our connections when left unconfessed. We discuss the work of...

With racism embedded throughout American history, policy, and systems- how do we connect and get started on the conversations that can bring us all closer? In this episode of the Sidewalk Talk podcast, I sat down with Dr. Howard C. Stevenson, renowned psychologist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, who is shining a guiding light on the importance of racial literacy. Dr. Stevenson and...

Can anger be productive? Is it possible that the moments where we feel the least in control may offer us the most opportunities for growth? In today’s episode, I’m joined by Dr. Christian Conte, author and licensed counselor. He’s spent over 20 years working in the jail and prison system, helping inmates to work through their anger and move towards transforming their lives. Dr. Conte shares the ma...

“All are welcome”— a warming phrase that is often implied, but rarely spoken aloud. In the new book A Fierce Heart, meditation and dharma teacher Spring Washam, shares her journey of sharing Buddhist philosophies of mindfulness, wisdom, loving-kindness and compassion in a radically inclusive way. In this episode of the Sidewalk Talk podcast, Spring sits down with me to talk about the vision behind...

  When Adriana Marchione released, When The Fall Comes, she opened our eyes to how dance, poetry and performance could guide us through enormous grief. Today, she sits down with me to talk about the things that came first; what happened before her short film and the birth of her thriving therapy practice—  her own story of recovering from addiction. The motivation and inspiration for her upcoming...

Storytelling. An oldie, but a goodie. So good in fact, that Antonio Sacre— author-in-residence at the UCLA Lab School— has used it to connect children and adults alike to their cultures, identities and possibly most importantly, to each other. Antonio Sacre’s approach to life is one with an emphasis on creating memories and remaining present. In sharing his own personal narratives and invented sto...

What do your opinions have to do with spirituality?  Turns out when we enter a conversation only looking to share what we know, we miss out on the mystical potential that comes from opening up to what we do not know in dialogue.  An editor of Evolve Magazine in Germany and Cultural Anthropologist, Dr. Nadja Rosmann shares how connection and dialogue liberate the human spirit into possibility.   Bi...

Stand Out Quotes People are sold a false god of money, opportunity, or progression and some people achieve wealth and power but then realize that doesn’t bring me fulfillment. Life always throws adversity at you.  The challenge is how you adapt to that. Ninety percent of our health has to do with the systems within which we are living, not something inside of us.   Biography:  Dr. Charlie Easmon i...

Standout Quotes: I used to believe effective communication was me finding exactly the right words to express what I needed to say but have learned it is about co-creating shared meaning with others. I do not believe anyone is broken and believe in the inherent wisdom inside of people. I had to unlearn anxiety to learn to become more relational.  About our guest, Nina Horne: Nina Horne is founder a...

Standout Quotes: All of us have something to give to the world.  There is greatness in you.  Our attention is so divided and that hurts me. I believe each and every one of us have greatness but sometimes we need others to remind us to help bring it out in us. Biography: An influential voice in today's culture, she is regularly invited to inspire and motivate various women groups and conferences in...

Standout Quotes: They see my whole mess and they love me anyway. (Traci Ruble) My heart is never wrong.  It's just getting in there that is the challenge. (Traci Ruble) Boundaries are about finding that balance between connection and protection. (Rebecca Wong) Rebecca Wong's spirit and her way of being are so audible in the way she speaks, breaths, takes long pauses to take in an interaction fully...

Stand Out Quotes: We, as adults, have to take responsibility for teaching kids emotional skills. Children who know how to use their feelings wisely are healthier, happier and they are better learners. We have to give the people we care about permission to feel and express all of their emotions.  Emotions are data to help us make better choices in life. We all overestimate our ability to read anoth...

Standout Quotes: We need to sit out and listen for four hours in Katmandu because we get a long queue of people waiting to talk and we want to make sure everyone gets heard. Nepal is a very welcoming and friendly society but we still suffer from the same mental illness rates as much of the world.  Sidewalk Talk is helping make therapists visible in the community. Traci, Sidewalk Talk has become so...

Stand Out Quotes: Mindfulness in the west has been reduced to mind training to help us to be more efficient but mindfulness was designed to reduce suffering in the world. Altruism and social stress only shift if you do relation based practices. Fear of not being good enough is ingrained in our culture now so if we can increase care motivation and judge ourselves and others less we could potentiall...

Stand out quotes: I am not doing things to hurt my students when  I am firm with them… I am loving them by being firm with them. When we are in a mentor-led circle…I want to let the wisdom of the circle come forward.  I am here to listen.  When my kids are not being saved  then I am going to feel like something is wrong with me or something is wrong with you for not being willing to be saved.  I h...

Stand Out Quotes From This Episode We can become more than who we are through our connection with others. Being in connection with people who were very different than me was almost safer than with people like me because I didn't have to be like them. At the root of the climate crisis is the growth economy which at its roots are the need to be seen.  Heather Monro is a leadership coach, a former at...

Stand Out Quotes I think therapists need to be more visible outside their offices and be seen as accessible warm people. We forget how important belonging is to almost every aspect of our wellness. Part of how we define who we are in the world is through our connection to other people. Esther Boykin was the very first city leader outside of California to bring listening to her community. Sidewalk...