The Daring Well Podcast - Holistic Health & Wellness, Mindset, and Personal Growth

Are you running on empty? Do you ever feel emotionally exhausted before your day has even begun? Like you're constantly pouring into everyone else while your own emotional battery feels like it's completely drained. In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast , we're exploring what emotional capacity really is, why it matters, and how to recognize when your mind, body, and spirit are...

Did you know...how you begin your morning has the power to shape your mindset, influence your emotions, and set the tone for your entire day? In this replay episode, Rita Mercer guides you through a calming morning meditation designed to help you slow down, reconnect with yourself, and intentionally step into the day with hope, gratitude, confidence, and peace. Whether you're navigating stres...

What if true success isn’t about pushing harder, achieving more, or constantly striving for the next milestone? In this powerful conversation, Rita Mercer sits down with performance consultant, coach, and founder of The Inner Life of Sport, Benjamin Smith, to explore what it means to achieve sustainable success without sacrificing your well-being, identity, and sense of purpose. Together, they unp...

What happens when grief changes not only your heart, but also your brain, body, and sense of safety in the world? In this deeply moving episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita welcomes Sylvia Wolfer , a neuroscience-informed grief educator, writer, speaker, and advocate who combines personal experience with cutting-edge grief research to help others navigate loss with greater understanding and c...

What happens when success comes at the expense of your health, energy, and peace of mind? In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita Mercer sits down with veteran strength and conditioning coach Jim Laird , founder of Vitality Brotherhood and Vitality Sisterhood, to discuss how high achievers can recover from burnout, rebuild their health, and create lasting vitality. Drawing from...

Have you ever stayed in a relationship where you were pouring into someone who wasn't pouring back into you? In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita Mercer sits down with therapist, author, and storyteller Johnzelle Anderson to explore the hidden cost of unreciprocated relationships and the impact they have on our identity, peace, and emotional well-being. Johnzelle shares...

What if one powerful story could completely transform the way you lead, communicate, and connect with others? In this inspiring and high-energy episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita Mercer sits down with keynote speaker, story coach, and author Dr. Danny Brassell to explore the art and science of storytelling, leadership communication, and authentic connection. Dr. Brassell—co-founder of Well...

In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita Mercer sits down with Stephen McConnell — CEO, speaker, NLP coach, and author of the upcoming book The 7 Laws of Personal Mastery . Together, they explore how to redefine success, overcome limiting beliefs, and create sustainable growth without burnout. Stephen shares his deeply personal journey through addiction recovery, emotional healin...

In this heartfelt episode of The Daring Well Podcast, Rita Mercer dives into the powerful practice of creating “white space” in your life. If you’ve been feeling emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, overstimulated, or constantly pressured to keep going, this episode is your reminder that rest is productive too. Rita explores how creating intentional pauses in your daily life can improve emotional w...

In this heartfelt and deeply affirming episode, Rita Mercer explores the life moments that often go unseen, unacknowledged, and uncelebrated. Titled “There’s No Card for That,” this conversation shines a light on the silent wins, invisible strength, and unspoken grief we all carry at different points in our journey. From making responsible adult decisions and choosing healing, to navigating person...

Have you ever felt like you’re holding it all together on the outside… but quietly falling apart on the inside? In this powerful and honest conversation, Rita sits down with therapist and author Cherise Small to unpack what it really means to “perform strength.” Together, they explore how survival mode, people-pleasing, and silent suffering can disconnect us from our true selves—and how to begin t...

✨ If you’ve been struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, or feeling “stuck,” this conversation may open a door you didn’t know existed. In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita Mercer sits down with Gwen Bernardo, a myofascial release therapist, to explore the deep connection between the body, trauma, and healing. After a life-altering horseback riding accident that left her with...

 Cam Cordin - I wasn’t waiting to die, I was racing to live! In this raw and deeply honest conversation, Rita Mercer sits down with Cam Corden, founder of Savage Chill and author of Savage Chill: Die to Live , to explore what it really takes to go from being stuck in survival mode to living fully. Cam shares his personal journey through chronic pain, failed marriages, emotional collapse, and a piv...

When was the last time you truly paused and asked yourself, “How am I really doing?” In this heartfelt and grounding episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita offers a moment of stillness in the middle of life’s busyness. This episode is a gentle invitation to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with your emotional well-being. Life can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and unpredictable—but instead of...

In this final episode of the Healing Attachment Wounds series, Rita Mercer, podcast host, holistic wellness & mindset coach, and licensed counselor, explores what it truly means to experience secure attachment —the foundation of healthy, balanced, and emotionally safe relationships. If trust has ever felt difficult… If vulnerability has felt unsafe… Or if you’ve found yourself stuck in pattern...

In this insightful episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita Mercer sits down with Jo Stewart, Yoga Teacher & the Founder of Garden of Yoga, Cohost of the Flow Artists Podcast, and author of Eight Limbs of Aerial Yoga.  Together in this episode we explore how gentle movement and aerial yoga can provide relief and support healing from anxiety, trauma, and chronic stress. Jo shares her 20+ years...

Have you ever found yourself reacting in ways you later regret or feeling overwhelmed despite “doing everything right,” or constantly seeking validation from others?  If you answered yes, you might be struggling with emotional safety and I hope that this episode will speak directly to you and give you the tools to Dare to Be Well. In this powerful and insightful episode of The Daring Well Podcast...

Anxious Attachment: Calming the Fear of Abandonment (Healing Attachment Wounds – Part 3) Relationships can bring us deep joy and connection—but they can also awaken some of our deepest fears. Have you ever found yourself worrying that someone might leave, questioning whether you’re “too much,” or feeling anxious when a message goes unanswered? In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast , we contin...

This week on The Daring Well Podcast , we’re pausing our attachment styles series for something deeply needed — a reminder and permission slip to embrace softness. This message is not just for women. It’s for men too! In a world that glorifies hustle culture, grinding, and constant productivity, we often forget that we are human beings — not machines. You do not have to be strong and hardcore all...

In this powerful and eye-opening episode, Rita sits down with Herman Petrick , an internationally renowned energy healer with over 15 years of experience helping individuals and families clear energetic attachments. Herman shares how his intuitive journey began unexpectedly—and how he now works remotely with clients around the world to address sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression, fearful attac...

In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita Mercer welcomes Rachel Korb, a somatic leadership coach specializing in supporting high-achieving women, leaders, and startup professionals. Rachel shares her journey from repeated burnout in high-pressure roles to discovering sustainable ways to regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and thrive in all areas of life. This conversation dives de...

In Part 2 of our Healing Attachment Wounds series, we gently explore the dismissive–avoidant attachment style — the pattern of emotional independence that once served as protection but may now be limiting deeper connection. Have you ever said, “I’m fine” when you really weren’t? Told yourself, “I don’t need anyone” — even while feeling lonely inside? This episode is not about labeling you as cold...

Healing Attachment Wounds – From Survival to Secure Connection (Part 1) In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast , we begin a powerful four-part series on attachment styles and how early experiences shape the way we connect in relationships, leadership, and life. Part one focuses on the Fearful–Avoidant (Disorganized) Attachment Style —a pattern marked by a deep desire for intimacy paired with a...

In this powerful episode of The Daring Well Podcast , Rita Mercer is joined by Sophia Torrini , certified clinical EFT practitioner and nervous system regulation expert. Together, they explore how chronic stress, trauma, and burnout keep so many people stuck in survival mode—and how Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT tapping) can help restore safety, wholeness, and healing in the body. Sophia share...

In today’s fast-paced, always-connected world, burnout is becoming the norm rather than the exception. In this episode of The Daring Well Podcast , I sat down with Colin Corby , a technologist turned Digital Detox Coach, to explore how our relationship with technology impacts our mental health, stress management, connection in relationships, productivity on our jobs, and overall well-being. Colin...