The Essence of You Podcast

In this episode of The Essence of You Podcast, host Steph Lokelani sits down with her friend Celia Espinoza, a finance officer at Idaho Housing and Finance Association, for a heartfelt conversation about culture, identity, and the winding paths that lead us home to ourselves. Steph and Celia first connected through the Boise Metro Chamber's b|Wise mentorship program, and their friendship has only...

In this timely conversation,  Steph Lokelani sits down with her dear friend Adrienne Evans, Executive Director of United Vision for Idaho (UVI), for a raw, wide-ranging conversation about political division, authoritarianism, and how everyday people can rebuild community across difference. From growing up in rural Idaho to a life-changing visit to Auschwitz, Adrienne shares hard-won wisdom from 17...

Jamie Lange has spent her career sitting in two different rooms - the therapy chair and the yoga mat - and on this episode of The Essence of You, she brings the wisdom from both into one of the most layered, tender, and unexpectedly funny conversations of the series yet. Jamie is a licensed therapist, owner of Front Street Yoga, and founder of the nonprofit Girls on the Mat. She joins Steph for a...

In this episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with Jen Potcher - an actor, singer, and karaoke host based in Boise - for a wide-ranging conversation about the many lives of a working actor and the power of women supporting women. Jen pulls back the curtain on her work as a "standardized patient" and role player: an actor who steps into realistic scenarios for nursing schools...

In this heartfelt episode, host Steph Lokelani sits down with her close friend, elementary school computer teacher, and yoga teacher trainee Mallory Wirz for a conversation that is equal parts raw, funny, and deeply moving. Steph and Mallory met through a two-year women's healing retreat. Their shared story of growing up as the oldest siblings, navigating trauma, and choosing the hard work of heal...

What if the behaviors holding you back aren't flaws to fix, but patterns to understand? In this episode of The Essence of You Podcast, host Steph Lokelani sits down with Karolee Lovan, behavior life coach and behavioral interventionist, and founder of Social Graces. Karolee brings a rare blend of behavioral psychology, real-world intervention experience, and deeply personal transformation to a con...

What does it mean to truly see someone? In this episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with Shannon White-Deane, a Certified Gallup Strengths Coach, leadership and disability consultant, and "certified single mom" based in Boise, Idaho. Shannon brings warmth, honesty, and hard-won wisdom to a wide-ranging conversation that touches on identity, community, change, and what it r...

In this special live episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani hands the mic to executive coach and mental performance strategist Mike Krause for a full podcast takeover recorded in front of over 50 leaders at the Hemingway Building on Boise State University campus as part of the Leadership Boise program through the Boise Metro Chamber. Mike leads a rich, wide-ranging conversation on lead...

Steph Lokelani sits down with her friend and self-described "creative human," Tiffany Eller, for a warm, wide-ranging, and deep conversation that covers theater debuts, dream interpretation, personal mission statements, soul contracts, and a compelling theory about AI-generated misinformation that is quietly dividing Americans on Facebook. Together, Steph and Tiffany talk about what it means to fo...

In this episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with her friend Adrienne Esposito, Vice President and Branch Manager at WaFd Bank, 2025 Boise Chamber Connector of the Year, and one of the Treasure Valley's most passionate community advocates. What starts as a warm conversation about shared history quickly becomes a deeply personal exploration of purpose, dignity, faith, and wh...

What if the thing that saved you as a kid is now the thing you're building for the next generation? In this episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with two of her closest friends - Allison Terenzio-Moody, Executive Director of Treasure Valley Children's Theater (TVCT), and her husband Noah Moody, playwright, director, and educator - for a warm, funny, and unexpectedly moving...

What does it mean to look like you fit in everywhere but feel like you belong nowhere? Angela Reish knows that feeling well. In our third episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with her longtime friend Angela, a woman she first met through the belly dancing community years ago, who describes herself as "espresso in a sea of milk." On the surface, Angela looks like she checks...

What does it take to stop just surviving and start truly living? In this episode of The Essence of You, host Steph Lokelani sits down with Mindy Love - entrepreneur, community builder, and single mother of seven - for a deeply honest and joyful conversation about life after hardship, the power of thinking differently, and what it really means to know yourself. Mindy shares the near-drowning experi...

Welcome to the very first episode of The Essence of You Podcast, recorded live on Pi Day (March 14th) in front of a real audience in Boise, Idaho! Host Steph Lokelani sits down with three incredible guests: Karma Metzler Fitzgerald (Community Leader), Reham Aarti (Arab American Mosaic Artist), and Mike Krause (Executive Coach & Mental Performance Strategist). Together, they dive deep into what...