The Within Podcast

In a world where we have endless information, products, opinions, and trends available at our fingertips… have we stopped asking ourselves what we actually need? In this episode of The Within Podcast, Nicky Wallace and Allie Sartain dive into the idea of becoming an “unconscious consumer”, not just with what we buy, but with what we allow into our bodies, minds, schedules, and lives. From beauty a...

The second annual Potential Within Summit may be over, but the conversations are just getting started. In this episode, Nicky and Allie reflect on one of the most meaningful days they've ever created—what surprised them, what inspired them, and why community continues to be at the center of everything they're building. They share pieces of their own health and personal growth journeys, discuss the...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace sits down with Andrea Irwin, owner of Empirical Sales & Marketing, to talk about resilience, advocacy, entrepreneurship, motherhood, and the unexpected challenges that can completely reshape your life.  Andrea shares her journey through business ownership, motherhood, and navigating complex medical experiences with her daughter—an experience that ultima...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttoph sit down with Amanda and Kristen, founders of Vivid Wellness & Aesthetics  in Des Moines, to talk about the growing world of functional medicine, integrative wellness, and personalized care. Amanda and Kristen share how their backgrounds in nursing and healthcare led them to create a space focused on root-cause healing, individualized...

In this special edition of Within: I Wish I Would Have Known, Ali Payne and Nicky Wallace sit down with Nikki Russell of Aptitude Fitness + Paws for an honest conversation about control, motherhood, business ownership, and learning to let go. As a mom of three and owner of two businesses, Nikki shares how life has taught her that trying to control everything often leads to more stress, overwhelm,...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne sit down with Nikki Russell, owner of Aptitude Fitness and Pause Studio, to talk about women’s wellness, cycle syncing, recovery, perimenopause, and learning how to better listen to your body. Nikki shares how her own experience as an endurance athlete led her to explore the connection between hormones, performance, recovery, energy levels, an...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne sit down with Katie Nyberg, founder of Iowa Baby Lady , to talk about the support many parents don’t realize exists during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery. Katie shares how her team of birth doulas and postpartum doulas helps families navigate everything from labor support and advocacy to overnight newborn care and postpartum recover...

What if the hardest season of your life… is actually pointing you toward something greater? In this Wish I Would Have Known episode, Heidi Valdez shares a powerful reflection from her own health journey—one that completely changed the direction of her life. During a personal health crisis, Heidi didn’t have answers. Like many people, she was navigating symptoms, stress, and uncertainty. But what s...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne sit down with Polly Loneman, VP of Marketing at NCMIC , to talk about workplace wellbeing, authentic leadership, advocacy, and the future of whole-person care. Polly shares her perspective on how organizations can better support employees—not just professionally, but personally—and why conversations around wellness, mental health, hormones, bu...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Ali Payne sit down with Melissa Poley and James of Serendipity Spa DSM  to explore conscious language, emotional patterns, personal transformation, and the connection between mind, body, and healing. Melissa shares how years in the wellness and esthetics space eventually led her deeper into transformational life coaching and personal development work af...

What if the hardest season of your life… is actually pointing you toward something greater? In this Wish I Would Have Known episode, Heidi Valdez shares a powerful reflection from her own health journey—one that completely changed the direction of her life. During a personal health crisis, Heidi didn’t have answers. Like many people, she was navigating symptoms, stress, and uncertainty. But what s...

In this episode of Within, Ali Payne sits down with Sheena Mahan for an honest conversation about ambition, burnout, and the pressure many women feel to constantly keep climbing. Together, they explore what happens when success starts to come at the expense of your wellbeing, your relationships, and your sense of self. From navigating leadership roles and career transitions to balancing motherhood...

What if the system you trust to take care of your health… isn’t actually designed to? In this Wish I Would Have Known episode, Dr. Steffany Mohan shares a powerful perspective from nearly 30 years in dentistry and a household deeply rooted in medicine. Her biggest realization? The moment healthcare providers partnered with insurance companies, the priorities shifted—and not in favor of the patient...

What if your anxiety… wasn’t just in your head? In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttolph sit down with Heidi Valdez, owner of Mindful Counseling Des Moines, to unpack the powerful (and often overlooked) connection between chronic stress, gut health, and mental wellbeing. Heidi shares her personal journey from working as a school social worker to experiencing her own health crisi...

Starting a business looks exciting from the outside—but the reality? It’s a grind most people aren’t prepared for. In this Wish I Would Have Known episode, James Eaton, founder of Project Lean Nation, shares the honest truth about entrepreneurship—what he thought it would be like vs. what it actually takes. From wearing every hat in the business to realizing that even a health-focused brand doesn’...

In this special “I Wish I Would Have Known” episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttolph dive into a conversation that many people can relate to—but don’t always talk about. What happens when you’re still showing up, getting your work done, and “keeping the wheels on the bus moving”… but you’re not actually okay? Nicky shares a recent experience during her pregnancy where a colleague simply...

In a world full of diet trends, conflicting advice, and “quick fixes,” it’s easy to feel stuck when it comes to your health. In this episode of Within, Nicky sits down with James Eaton, owner of Project Lean Nation, to break down what actually works when it comes to weight loss, nutrition, and building sustainable habits. James shares his personal journey from pre-med student to entrepreneur after...

What if the way you’ve been thinking about your health… is incomplete? In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttoph sit down with Dr. Steffany Mohan—a Dentist with nearly 30 years of experience who has completely redefined what it means to practice healthcare. After struggling with her own health in her early 30s, Dr. Mohan began questioning the traditional medical model—and what she...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace is joined by Heidi Buttoph for a powerful “I Wish I Would Have Known” conversation focused on something most of us overlook—our everyday environment. From the air we breathe to the water we drink and the food we consume, Heidi shares how small, often unnoticed factors can have a significant impact on our overall health and wellbeing. What we were taught gro...

If you’ve been doing “all the right things” for your health, but still feel off, this episode might explain why. In this conversation, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttolph sit down with physical therapist Krysta Bryars, founder of Cryo Wellness Studio and Elm & Hearth, to unpack one of the most overlooked systems in the body: the lymphatic system. Krysta shares her journey from traditional physica...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Allie Sartain dive into a topic that impacts everyone—but is often misunderstood: stress. From fast-paced careers to everyday life demands, stress can become so normalized that we stop recognizing the signals our bodies are sending us. Nicky and Allie share personal experiences of living in a constant state of “go,” and how that chronic stress began to...

In this special “I Wish I Would Have Known” episode of Within, Ali Payne and Heidi Buttoph are joined by Courtney Buhrow for a conversation that spans two areas many people don’t fully understand until they’re in it—finances and parenting. Courtney shares a powerful reflection on student loans and interest rates, and how not fully understanding the long-term impact shaped her financial decisions e...

In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttoph tackle a challenge many organizations face as they grow: balancing process with people. As systems, structure, and technology evolve, it’s easy for organizations to become overly reliant on processes—sometimes at the expense of common sense, communication, and human connection. Nicky and Heidi share their experiences working in both high-g...

In this episode of Within, Ali Payne and Heidi Buttoph sit down with pelvic floor physical therapist Courtney Buhrow to uncover a topic that many women experience—but few truly understand. From pregnancy and postpartum recovery to back pain, incontinence, and overall body function, Courtney shares how the pelvic floor plays a critical role in women’s health across every stage of life. What many as...

What if changing your mind… isn’t failure? In this “I Wish I Would Have Known” episode, Nicky sits down with Nola to talk about the pressure to stick with one career path—and the freedom that comes from realizing you don’t have to. From pursuing law to stepping away and coming back with a new perspective, this conversation is a reminder that different seasons of life require different versions of...