When Illness and Perfectionism Collide For more than a decade, Heidi Blackie lived in the grip of chronic illness. On top of that came layers of grief, trauma, and perfectionism that pushed her to keep doing more even as her body was shutting down.…
The Power of Six Words Sometimes the biggest shifts in our lives come from the smallest details. For Chris Jordan, it was six simple words carved into his grandfather’s headstone: It was never dull. He first saw the phrase as a kid, tagging …
The Unraveling No One Expected I often say that The Life Shift Podcast is about the line-in-the-sand moments we never see coming. For Dan Boettcher, that line appeared in an airport lounge. On the outside, everything looked perfect. Ivy League degr…
When Life Splits in Two Some moments divide life into a before and after. For psychotherapist and author Sally McQuillen, that moment came when her 21-year-old son Christopher died in a tragic accident. In our conversation, she described the way he…
The Morning Everything Changed Dan MacQueen was living the kind of life most twenty-somethings dream about. He had a fast-paced tech job in London, traveled often, and kept a full social calendar. Then one morning on the tube, his vision went black…
When Joy Collides With Crisis Childbirth is supposed to be one of the most joyful moments in life. For Taylor Coffman, it was also the most terrifying. Moments after delivering her daughter, her body began shutting down. What looked like exhaustion…
The crash that forced a new beginning Most of us move through life following a script. Get the degree. Land the job. Check the boxes that look like success. But what happens when you realize the life you've built doesn't actually feel like yours? …
When Grief Becomes a Turning Point Most of us don't plan for the moments that change everything. Britt Michaelian sure didn’t. She was living in San Francisco, raising her daughters, working in expressive arts therapy, and creating vibrant, R…
Chasing Success but Feeling Empty I recently had the chance to sit down with Kevin Palmieri, founder and co-host of Next Level University, to talk about a part of success that doesn’t get enough attention – what happens when achieving y…
Redefining Grief and Rewriting the Story When Marie Alessi’s husband, Rob, died suddenly from a brain aneurysm, everything changed in an instant. He was away on a business trip. She had just kissed him goodbye at the train station, their kids…
Learning to Trust Her Voice Again When Kaila Yu joined me on The Life Shift, I knew it was going to be a powerful conversation. But I didn’t expect it to sit in my bones the way it has. Kaila shared a story that most people would never speak …
Grief has a way of rearranging everything. For Dr. Devin DeGreif, it didn’t knock politely. It shattered her world in an instant. Her story is not just about surviving the unimaginable. It is about what happens when you choose to stay, when yo…
Rethinking What Courage Looks Like I used to think bravery was about doing big things. Running toward danger. Standing in front of a crowd. Making massive, life-altering decisions. But after nearly 200 conversations on The Life Shift Podcast, I&rsq…
The Moment That Shattered Everything I’ve talked to a lot of people about the moment their life changed. That “before and after” they never saw coming. But when Ash Perrow told me about holding his stillborn daughter in his arms, …
We talk a lot about resilience. About pushing through. About staying strong when life throws you into chaos. But we don’t always talk about what happens after the storm calms down. When the world goes quiet and you finally have space to feel i…
The weight of silence What struck me most about my conversation with Michael Allison was how much he had carried without ever being asked how he was really doing. From childhood abuse to a VBIED explosion in Iraq, Michael didn’t just survive …
Living with Half the Story When Lisa Sugarman was ten years old, she was told her father died of a heart attack. It was a painful truth to carry, but one that allowed her to grieve and eventually move forward. For 35 years, that version of her stor…
When Parenthood Doesn’t Go as Planned I’ve talked to a lot of people about the moments that reshape everything. Those forks in the road when life suddenly feels unfamiliar. Talking with Jennifer Celeste Briggs reminded me that sometimes…
What Happens When You Finally Choose Yourself? Ryan Hennessey didn’t set out to leave teaching. Like a lot of us, he was doing what he thought he was supposed to do. Showing up. Caring deeply. Pouring himself into a career that once felt like…
When Life Splits in Two Some moments change everything. Donna Kendrick’s life-altering shift came the day she lost her husband to suicide. One minute, she was preparing for a casual night out. The next, she was standing in a new house, realiz…
When the Future Disappears in an Instant It wasn’t a shouting match. It wasn’t a courtroom. It was sushi. A quiet moment at a familiar restaurant. And a handshake. That was the moment Mikelann Valterra’s marriage ended. Not with …
When a Dream Doesn’t Fit Anymore There’s this idea we all grow up with – that if we start something early enough and push hard enough, we’ll end up exactly where we’re supposed to be. But what happens when that place n…
Seeing People Isn't Always Easy — But It's Always Worth It When Adam Erwin boarded a plane shortly after 9/11, he was filled with the kind of fear many of us still remember from that time. It was his first flight since the attacks, and every …
When Life Splits Into “Before” and “After” There’s a moment Tony Stewart will never forget. His wife picked up the phone, listened quietly, and then looked up and said, “I have tumors in my lungs and spine.&rdquo…