Elsplend Realities

What happens when your life changes in ways that others cannot see—and there is no clear timeline for when things will return to normal? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the hidden realities of chronic pain, invisible disability, identity, and resilience with Davis K Bain—author, chronic condition advocate, neurofeedback specialist, and counseling student whose life changed after...

How do we make difficult decisions for the people we love when emotions, family dynamics, and responsibility all collide? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the human side of aging, caregiving, and senior living with Amy Friesen, whose work helps families navigate some of life’s most complicated transitions with greater clarity and compassion. Drawing from her professional experienc...

What happens when everything looks right on paper, but something inside you knows it isn’t? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the deeper meaning of alignment with Joe Arnao, an alignment strategist whose own journey through career success, relocation, a cancer diagnosis, and starting over led him to rethink identity, purpose, and what it truly means to move forward. Through his 4W...

What happens when a real human tragedy becomes a story we consume for entertainment? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the fascinating space between reality and narrative with Paul Drexler, author of Murder to Movies and Notorious San Francisco: True Tales of Crime, Passion and Murder. A true crime columnist for The San Francisco Examiner and an award-winning contributor to San Fra...

What if the story you’ve been afraid to tell is the very story that could help you understand yourself more deeply? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore storytelling as more than creative expression—with Nicolette Halladay, author, publishing guide, and founder of Inspired Hearts Publishing. Through her work helping entrepreneurs, creatives, and change-makers transform lived experienc...

What if the problem isn’t that people aren’t working hard enough—but that the system they’re working within is no longer working? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore a different way of thinking about leadership with Thom Dennis, leadership consultant, executive coach, and author of Rewilding the Corporate Mind. Drawing from more than 30 years of experience across the Royal Marines an...

What happens when fear changes the way you see your own body? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the journey from fear and uncertainty to safety, self-awareness, and deeper body trust with Shelli Galvan — a Master Transformation Coach and Hypnotherapist whose work helps women reconnect with their bodies during seasons of fear, stress, and uncertainty. Drawing from her own experience...

What if looking like you have it all together is actually part of what’s keeping you from healing? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the hidden realities behind anxiety, perfectionism, body image, alcohol use, and emotional overwhelm with Kendall Bierman — a licensed therapist, Certified DBT counselor, and Intuitive Eating specialist. Drawing from both her clinical experience and p...

What happens when being capable, productive, and strong becomes so normal that you stop noticing how exhausted you really are? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the deeper reality of stress, overwhelm, and sustainable wellness with Dr. Dawn Browning — a Ph. D. scientist, certified yoga therapist, and wellness educator who helps high-achieving women navigate stress and energy withou...

What does it take to keep rebuilding when life has forced you to start over more than once? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Jessie Tylre Williams—survivor, author, musician, advocate, and entrepreneur—shares an extraordinarily honest journey through addiction, trauma, abuse, recovery, and reinvention. With more than 17 years of sobriety, Jessie has transformed deeply painful experiences int...

What happens when the life that looks successful from the outside no longer feels right on the inside? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Mitesh Jani—a practicing dentist, writer, and founder of Selfworth.ca—shares the deeply personal journey behind his book, The Process: Six Mechanics of Achievement. After years of privately documenting his thoughts and navigating a difficult season in his pr...

What happens to the dreams we keep postponing while life demands that we simply survive? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, filmmaker, entrepreneur, producer, and founder of Ruby Street Productions Derrick Shaw shares his journey of building a creative vision while balancing work, responsibility, and the realities of everyday life. From independent filmmaking to entrepreneurship, Derrick refle...

What if the greatest challenge we face isn’t simply fixing broken systems, but questioning the way those systems were designed in the first place? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, David Gottfried—founder of the U.S. Green Building Council and World Green Building Council—shares a deeply personal and systems-focused perspective on sustainability, leadership, burnout, technology, and human flo...

What if taking care of your body isn’t really about looking better—but about being ready for the life you still want to live? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Stephan Alheim, founder of TA4 Fitness and a health and performance coach for adults over 40, shares how personal loss and a major career transition changed the way he thinks about time, health, and longevity. After two decades in IT,...

What happens when you realize the thing holding you back isn’t a lack of ability—but the habit of making yourself smaller? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Harriet Bratt, international speaker, leadership and speaking mentor, firewalk guide, and founder of Warriors Rising, explores what it means to step out of self-doubt and into visible, embodied leadership. Drawing from her experiences wit...

What happens when the hardest chapters of your life become the very experiences that shape your purpose? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Rachelle Conley—author, addiction counselor, mental health advocate, motivational speaker, and survivor—shares a deeply personal journey through trauma, incarceration, addiction, domestic violence, and profound adversity. Her story is not simply about what...

What if understanding a child could change not only how we support them, but how they learn to see themselves? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, Dr. Inyang Takon, Consultant Neurodevelopmental Paediatrician with more than 30 years of clinical experience across the UK and Africa, shares a compassionate perspective on neurodiversity, early intervention, and parenting. We explore ADHD, autism, d...

What if the moment everything seems to be falling apart is actually the moment you begin to hear yourself more clearly? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore resilience, self-trust, advocacy, identity, and the courage to question what no longer serves you with Jacqui Tillwick, survivor, advocate, and founder of Totally Hysterical. Drawing from her lived experience with PMDD and a chall...

What if the feeling that there’s more for you isn’t a sign that you’re failing—but an invitation to become more aligned with who you’re meant to be? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the space between achievement and fulfillment with Tim Kelly, whose journey from 15 years of service as a U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer to financial freedom through real estate has shaped his perspecti...

What if the exhaustion you feel isn’t because you’re not capable enough—but because you’ve spent years adapting to environments that were never designed for the way you experience the world? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore neurodivergence, leadership, workplace culture, burnout, identity, and belonging with Ron Sosa, a neuroinclusive leadership coach, international speaker, autho...

What happens when we stop viewing power, boundaries, intimacy, and identity as things to control—and begin exploring them with greater honesty and awareness? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we have a thoughtful conversation with Mistress Malisandre, an author, artist, and former professional dominatrix whose work is rooted in lived experience with power dynamics, consent, trust, and persona...

What happens when the way people discover, evaluate, and buy from businesses begins to change—and the shift happens faster than most of us realize? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the rapidly evolving relationship between artificial intelligence, business, and human adaptability with Mark Pearson, AI transformation partner and founder of Strativa-AI. Mark breaks down the emerging...

What if where you come from doesn’t have to determine where you’re going? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore generational poverty, identity, faith, education, resilience, and the choices that can quietly change the trajectory of an entire family with Donald Williams, author of Born of Nothing. Born and raised in a South Carolina mill village surrounded by generations of cotton mill...

What if the silence we keep avoiding is actually the place where clarity begins? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we explore the transformative power of stillness with Rich Lewis, an author, speaker, and coach who teaches centering prayer as a pathway to deeper self-awareness and inner transformation. Rich shares how his own discomfort with silence gradually became an invitation into presenc...

What happens when life changes so profoundly that the future no longer feels like a straight line? In this episode of Elsplend Realities, we enter the in-between spaces of grief, identity, creativity, and transformation with international writer, actor, and producer Niki J. Borger. After experiencing the loss of both parents and grandparents within a relatively short period, Niki transformed profo...