The PhD Journey Unplugged

In Episode 23, Dr. Sarah Gordon shares two poems she wrote in 2023 during her PhD journey and relates them to the importance of finding opportunities to play and enjoy life in adulthood. All informatoin in this podcast is for general informational purposes and should not be deemed professional advice.

Welcome to Episode 22. Dr. Sarah Gordon discusses how spending time in nature influenced her PhD journey. She also shares a moment of reading her poetry and explains how having a creative outlet during her doctoral studies helped her manage the academic workload. Dr. Gordon is grateful to have this platform to educate, motivate, and reflect through her personal experiences as a doctoral student an...

In Episode 21, “Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone,” Dr. Sarah Gordon and Dr. Marilyn Ward explore why stepping outside your comfort zone is important for growth. They discuss what science reveals about the benefits of working through challenges and offer practical strategies for fostering a growth mindset. Sometimes, the first step is the hardest to take. Starting with that small step forward, tr...

In Episode 20, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon discuss how using a technique called visualization can help individuals achieve their goals and enhance their performance. While there may be multiple definitions, Dr. Ward and Dr. Gordon use a definition that describes visualization as the deliberate use of mental imagery to simulate experiences, emotions, and scenarios (Pelz, 2025). Visualizat...

In this episode, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon invite Laura Rossetti onto the show to talk about her journey to the women's Ironman Championship in Kona, Hawaii, this October 2025. Laura Rossetti has shown the triathlon world what resilience, hard work, dedication, and passion look like with an over 40-year triathlon racing career. She will head to Kona at the age of 70, with her husba...

Welcome to Episode 18 – a conversation about how to “Thrive Beyond Burnout.” Dr. Sarah Gordon and Dr. Marilyn Ward welcome their guest, Dr. Gregory Gibbons, an ER physician with a doctorate in health and human performance. As former classmates of Dr. Gordon and Dr. Ward, these three health promotion leaders discuss the importance of managing lifestyle behaviors and habits to prevent emotional exha...

Join us as we celebrate Dr. Ward's 50th birthday on our 17th podcast episode. Together, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Ward talk about why the number 50 has so much power for people in reaching this milestone. They draw on their personal experiences and expertise as health promotion leaders, and talk about the importance of having a growth mindset, a positive outlook on life, aligning your life with like-...

In Episode 16, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon take time to talk about their own journeys in getting their doctoral degrees. They use the almost 45 minutes in this episode to offer insights from their experiences in helping other students learn how to stay focused, work towards achieving goals, and harness a "never give up" mentality. Dr. Ward and Dr. Gordon speak from their heart,...

How can you shift your mindset from a 'grinding the pavement' mentality to loving your hard work, discipline, and focus...enjoying the ride while achieving big dreams and goals? You don't become a pro triathlete without a lot of hard work, sweat, perhaps tears, and resilience. But if you can't smile along the way, then what is the point?    Pro-Triathlete Amy "VT" VanTass...

In Episode 14, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon welcome their guest, Joe Simonetta, the 2025 National Senior Games Triathlon Gold Medalist. Joe achieved this accomplishment at the age of 82. He completed his first triathlon at age 80. Through years of physical fitness and sports participation, he has entered into his older adult years physically fit and competitive, proving that you are never...

In this episode, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon discuss the importance of finding mental clarity and how that impacts focus. They delve into why mental clarity is important, how to define it, and the barriers to achieving clarity. Why is this topic important? Research suggests that having more control over your thinking impacts mental health, and having a positive mindset influences how we...

In Episode 12, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon welcome their guest, Dr. Rehan Tahir, to discuss perspectives on successful aging. Dr. Gordon, Dr. Ward, and Dr. Tahir were cohort classmates and recent graduates of Concordia University Chicago's doctoral program in Leadership in Health and Human Performance.  In this approximately 50-minute conversation, they share their insights based on...

In Episode 11, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Ward take time to talk about how to cultivate patience in your life. They bring their personal experiences to the discussion as they reflect on situations and circumstances that tested their patience. This discussion is framed within a health and wellness perspective in helping others through health promotion goals. Each week, The PhD Journey Unplugged offers hone...

In this episode, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon discuss change from a growth mindset, recognizing that while change is inevitable, it can also be viewed as enlightening.  Dr. Ward and Dr. Gordon consider various aspects of change, ranging from the physiological changes in aging to external influences through the environment, understanding that changes can occur involuntarily or voluntarily....

In this episode, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon discuss how focusing on the “gift of time” opens new perspectives on viewing time as a precious resource. Through their experiences as leaders in health promotion, they explore how living more intentionally can turn busynessinto purposeful living, enhancing meaningful productivity. They share an open and honest conversation about staying prese...

In Episode 8, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon welcome their first guest, Dr. Ezequiel Benavides, to their show. Dr. Benavides is a recent doctoral graduate of Concordia University Chicago and a cohort colleague of both Dr. Ward and Dr. Gordon. As the founder of Dr. Benavides Physical Education Services and a lecturer at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Dr. Benavides combines real-w...

In Episode 7, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon discuss "The Power of Learning" based on their experiences as doctoral students. In their reflections on the PhD journey, they discuss the power of overcoming fear in learning and the impact of having a growth mindset on learning. The information and opinions presented in this podcast are for general information only and should not be t...

In this episode, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon discuss what it means to thrive. They take time to share their experiences to help others make small changes that lead to lasting transformation of one's life from the inside out. Dr. Ward and Dr. Gordon talk about the importance of changing your mindset to find enjoyment and joy through passion and purpose. The information and opinions pr...

In this episode, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon talk about overcoming obstacles and share stories of perseverance and breakthroughs. In their reflections as doctoral students, they share real-life experiences and wisdom about how obstacles often present growth opportunities.

In this episode, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon discuss how finding balance helped them manage commitments as doctoral students. From their personal experiences, they discuss balancing work and life commitments while pursuing their PhDs. Dr. Ward and Dr. Gordon share strategies that helped them achieve a balance when managing multiple responsibilities, deadlines, and commitments.

In this episode, Dr. Marilyn Ward and Dr. Sarah Gordon discuss the physical toll burnout and stress took on their bodies during their PhD journeys. In this real conversation, they discuss the impact of long, sedentary work hours required by using a computer to complete assignments and how they integrated healthy behaviors into their lives to find balance in their health and well-being.

In this episode, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Ward talk about the mental toll of the PhD journey and the impact it had on their mental health. They explore their perspectives on how they managed stress, burnout, and anxiety. They also share coping mechanisms that helped them navigate the workload and expectations of the coursework. Based on their personal experiences, they share how they learned to set boun...

In this episode, Dr. Gordon and Dr. Ward talk about the trials and tribulations of the PhD journey and the mental and physical toll it can take. They explore their perspectives and reflections on why people pursue a PhD, the challenges that may arise from feelings of pressure, impostor syndrome, and adjusting to academic rigor, as well as personal reflections on navigating personal doubts and tran...