The Ananda Podcast

Content note: This episode discusses suicide, self-harm, and medical trauma. Please listen with care. At 39, Susan Benoit had a stroke. Doctors found a tumour inside her heart and gave her eight months to live without open-heart surgery. She survived the surgery and then everything fell apart. The thing that finally pulled her out? Breathwork. Susan is a breathwork and contrast therapy facilitator...

On this episode we chat with Emma Terrell aka The Urban Botanist is a biologist, entrepreneur, and nature educator right here in Ottawa who's spent the last nine years helping people reconnect with the natural world. We get into her story - going from political science to biology, working as a flight attendant while finishing her degree, and building a business that exploded during the pandemic. W...

Before Sammi and Dylan ever officially met, they were eating at the same dinners, sitting at the same pool, and walking the same hallways at a resort in the Bahamas and neither had any idea. They only figured it out years later. And they're not alone. In this episode, Dylan and Sammi dig into the Invisible String Theory, the idea that the people who end up mattering most to you were somehow alread...

In this episode, Sammi and Dylan do something a little different, they read real comments, DMs, and reviews left on Ananda Elixirs page, and give their geniune reactions. From misconceptions about psychedelics to questions about stevia, from "it tastes like bar mat" to "are you guys even real?" this episode pulls back the curtain on what it's actually like to build a wellness brand in public. It's...

In this episode, we sit down with Sheena Brady, founder of Tease Wellness, to unpack what it really takes to build a successful business—from burnout and getting fired to scaling a global, 8-figure brand. Sheena shares her journey from working 60–70 hour weeks in luxury hospitality (fueled by 7 cups of coffee a day) to discovering the power of functional tea and building a company rooted in intent...

In this episode of the Ananda Podcast , Sammi sits down with entrepreneur and founder Lauren , the creator of North & Rose a luxury, non-toxic home goods brand. After discovering that mass-produced candles were triggering severe migraines, Lauren began experimenting with creating safer alternatives for her own home. What started as a small personal project quickly evolved into a thriving busin...

In this episode of the Ananda Podcast, Sammi and Dylan sit down with Darcy Boucher , founder of Bowda Creative Co. , creator of the Mother Founder Movement , and author of Mom’s Business Baby. Darcy shares her unconventional journey into entrepreneurship- from growing up in a military family and planning a career in the armed forces, to a life-altering accident that forced her to completely rethin...

In this episode, Sammi and Dylan sit down for a fun, honest blind reaction to an article on “7 Things You Can Do to Thrive in 2026” by Psychology Today... and they have thoughts. The conversation quickly goes beyond the list itself, turning into a real-talk exploration of what it actually means to thrive in today’s world. They unpack everything from reclaiming your attention in a hyper-digital age...

In this heartfelt episode of the Ananda Podcast, Sammi sits down with holistic esthetician Brittney Finch for a deeply honest conversation about beauty, self-love, and what it really means to care for yourself in today’s image-obsessed world. Together, they explore the pressures women face around aging, the rise of Botox and cosmetic treatments, and why so many of us feel the need to “fix” perfect...

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we dive into one of the most important, and often unspoken, challenges in relationships: staying emotionally connected, especially after becoming parents. Joined by our guest Zara Arshad, MSc, RP, CC-PMH, couples therapist, authour and @the.couples.couch on instagram, we unpack why so many couples struggle with communication, intimacy, and emotional regulation onc...

What actually happens when you go on Dragons' Den? And what happens after the cameras stop rolling? 🐉 In this episode, Sammi and Dylan take you behind the scenes of their Dragon’s Den experience: from finding out they’d be airing, to filming the pitch, to navigating the unexpected ripple effects that followed. They break down how the show really works, what it feels like to pitch under pressure,...

By your mid-20s or 30s, it can feel like there’s an invisible checklist you’re supposed to be following: the career, the relationship, the house, the kids, the success, all by a certain age. And if you’re not “there” yet, it’s easy to assume you’re behind. In this episode, Sammi and Dylan unpack where these timelines actually come from: family expectations, cultural conditioning, capitalism, and t...

Gentle parenting gets talked about a lot online… but what does it actually look like in real life? In this episode, Sammi and Dylan share their honest take on gentle parenting and how they’re raising their kids right now — without pretending to have it all figured out. They talk about what parts of gentle parenting resonate with them, what feels challenging on hard days, and how they’re finding a...

In this episode of The Ananda Podcast , Sammi and Dylan sit down with Genna Woolston , Co-Founder of Silver Swallow , to talk about what it really looks like to rethink our relationship with alcohol without pressure, labels, or extremes. Genna shares how cutting back on alcohol to support her mental health eventually led her (and her partner Andrew) to create Silver Swallow: beautifully crafted, n...

New year energy can feel exciting… and overwhelming. In this episode, Sammi and Dylan sit down for an honest conversation about what actually helps us grow and why traditional New Year’s resolutions so often fall apart. They talk about moving away from all-or-nothing thinking and perfection, and instead choosing small, intentional shifts that add up over time. Together, they explore the difference...

In this holiday episode, Sammi and Dylan explore the stress and challenges associated with the holiday season, focusing on family dynamics, setting boundaries, and managing expectations. They dive into personal growth and navigating relationships during the holidays and topics such as setting boundaries, overcoming people-pleasing tendencies, healing past traumas, and creating positive family dyna...

We’re so excited to be back! There’s a lot to catch up on... In this first episode back, Sammi and Dylan sit down for an honest conversation about the real journey behind creating Ananda Elixirs, and the moments that shifted the direction of their business and lives. They open up about the emotional side of entrepreneurship — the pressure, the uncertainty, the tough decisions, and what it’s like b...

In this episode, Dylan and Sammi sit down with Ian Blessing, co-founder of All The Bitter , a non-alcoholic bitters company making serious waves in the NA beverage world. Ian shares the real, unfiltered story of how he and his wife Carly started their brand — from Googling "how to make bitters" in their kitchen to now being stocked in over 100 Total Wine stores and opening their own tasting room....

In this profoundly moving episode, we sit down with Emmy-winning peace activist, producer, and men's coach Adam Baca to explore his extraordinary journey—from co-founding the global "Day Without Hate" movement in high school to creating transformative spaces for modern men. Adam shares how a tragic school shooting catalyzed a movement for kindness and connection that's now reached hundreds of thou...

In this transformative episode, we sit down with Kim Rogers—affectionately known as The Worm Queen —to uncover the powerful story behind her healing and mission. After years of battling chronic illness and getting nowhere with conventional medicine, Kim turned to functional mushrooms and parasite cleansing. What she discovered not only saved her life, but ignited a calling to help others reclaim t...

In this episode, Sammi dives deep into the transformative journey from 3D to 5D consciousness. We explore the idea that Earth is splitting into two timelines—one rooted in the familiar chaos and division, and another blossoming into a harmonious utopia where humanity, nature, and the cosmos exist in perfect alignment. Imagine an Earth woven with harmony, where countries, communities, and ecosystem...

Join us for another insightful episode with author Kim Michaels! Kim Michaels is a Danish-born author and spiritual teacher who has dedicated his life to exploring and sharing profound spiritual insights. Born on December 16, 1957, in Horsens, Denmark, he graduated from Arkitektskolen i Aarhus as an architect in 1987. Transitioning from architecture, Kim pursued a path in spiritual writing and tea...

Ryan Today is a visionary thinker and passionate researcher exploring the science of the human experience, which he calls "The Mechanics of Life, from the atomic level up to the consciousness that shapes it." A recognized expert in Biohacking, with 27 years of professional experience in the healing arts, his latest work, the "Life Energy Cycle," is a groundbreaking discovery of how the body genera...

This episode features a heartfelt and insightful conversation between host Samantha Dreiling and guest Samantha Piercynski, a clinical therapist with over 25 years of experience specializing in trauma, grief, and narcissistic abuse recovery. The discussion focuses on understanding the complexities of grief, which can be more than just the loss of a loved one, encompassing life transitions like mov...

Hey guys! We're back! After moving to a new country, we are here with new insights, new stories, and a new vision for what we are creating! Join us!