The Connected Life

Every person is different and because of this we all have a different capacity. Sometimes it seems like everyone is conquering the world, while all we're doing is dropping the ball. For others it seems like we're running on a hamster wheel, while everyone else is relaxing and enjoying life. In this episode Justin and Abi talk about the "Do'ers" and the "Be'ers"; those that are hard at work and those that are hard at play. They discuss the value of both personalities and the value for understanding your capacity in every season of life. This episode will help you gain compassion for where you're at in life, feel successful, break your judgments towards others, and challenge you to live a more balanced life.

How does a man win a woman's heart? What does a woman really want in a man? Does he have to be the smartest? Maybe the richest? A Zach Efron lookalike? An Alpha Dog? Often times men feel like the answer to this question is an unsolvable mystery. In this episode Justin and Abi are joined by Abi's lifelong best friend, Pietze, as they demystify the basic desires of a woman's heart. If you're a man looking for a road map to win over a love interest, your girlfriend, or your wife, get ready to take some serious notes because after this she's going to be putty in your hands!

Fun is a messy art form meant to be the color in an otherwise gray life. For most people fun doesn't seem conducive to being a productive adult. In reality, often times the missing spice in friendships, dating relationships, marriages, and families is fun! Join Justin and Abi as they playfully explore the power of adding fun into their lives and their relationship. Discover ways to connect to fun in your own life so you can start living in color! And if you don't want more color, nobody enjoys a grumpy pants, so do the world a favor and check this episode out! Oh, and for those of you whose only word in their vocabulary is fun, get ready to be readjusted as they dive into conversation about becoming present with yourself, instead of always burying your head in a bucket of full of play.

Parenting is simple, right? Just follow the instruction manual that comes with your kid and you're good to go. Yours didn't come with a manual? Surprise! None of them do. In this episode Pietze Duffield, Abi's best friend and a mother of two, shares her unique experiences and lessons that she's learned raising a special needs child. Through unique circumstances, Pietze has redefined parenting as she explores the uncharted waters that few parents have to brave. Join us as we take a look at parenting through a lens that may change your view of raising kids, give you compassion for yourself, empathy for your children, and a deeper gratitude for the life right in front of you.

Have you ever "Hulked out"? Have you ever seen someone "Hulk out"? Somewhere inside all of us is a little person with the potential to become a big scary green monster. Anger is one the most commonly expressed human emotions. It is socially seen as both acceptable and shameful. Whether we know it or not we all have strong beliefs about anger that govern how we express ourselves and how we relate to the most intimate relationships in our lives. In this episode Justin and Abi expose the ugliness of uncontrolled anger and it's ramifications in their lives and their relationship. They dive into the pain it created, how they found healing from its destruction, and discuss healthy expressions of anger.

Candid talk about an aggressive and angry mini-explosion between Justin and Abi? Sounds like a dose of reality TV drama to me! What do you do when assumptions, judgments, and misunderstandings lead to an all out war? We've all thrown grenades and stepped on landmines In our most intimate relationships. Where do the grenades and landmines come from that leave so much pain in lives of those we love? Who is our war really with? How do we clean up the trail of bloody messes we've made? In this episode Abi and Justin vulnerably share ideas on how to clean up the messes and give wisdom on how to clear the path to healthy connections in the future. This juicy story is a MUST listen to!

What do you do when your world feels like it has fallen apart and nothing in life is what you imagined it would be? How do you still trust that everything will work out when the circumstances unfolding before you tell you a different story. Come join the conversation as we talk with Abi's long time best friend, Pietze, about the hidden nuggets of goodness she found on the other side of discovering her daughter was autistic. You'll laugh and cry as you hear about the miraculous in the midst of the mundane.

Hop back into bed with us as we continue our two part conversation about Sex! Sex is a beautiful and important connection point within relationships! So what happens when disconnection and shame are present? What do we do when our beliefs and emotions prohibit us from experiencing the beauty of what sexuality can be? Why is it that sometimes our bodies just won't cooperate? In this episode, we break down some of the most common things we've seen ruin sex for couples, as well as give you tips for creating a connected and intimate sex life. Whether you're single or married this episode is a must listen to!

Have you ever wondered how to have a good sex life? Good, us too. Culture bombardes us with a lot about sex, unfortunately it's full of conflicting viewpoints, unrealistic expectations, and a heavy dose of fake examples portrayed on screen. Join us as we share all about our first year of sex! You'll hear how we learned to communicate in the bedroom, why we chose connection above orgasms, and how leaving pride at the door was the first step to a life of mind blowing sex! Better put your headphones in for this one!

Success is seemingly defined by culture as doing a lot, and doing it well. Because of this, so many of us feel the pressure to be going somewhere or doing something "important" with our lives. But what happens when life hits the brakes and we're faced with doing "nothing" at all? Come join us as we share how we chose to face pain, learned to be powerful people, and discovered how to find the hidden gift in every season.

Road Trip!!! Get ready as we begin to explore the first year of Justin and Abi's marriage! Beginning with the first two stops of a completely unorganized road trip, we learn all about how this was the year of Justin having meltdowns, how a potty stop at a tree farm reignited connection, and how the "don't go to bed angry" advice was more damaging than helpful. Join us for some real talk about a few of our first fights as a married couple and how we began to learn to navigate expectations, gain courage to face our fears, and pursue connection through laughter and play.

In this second part of a two part series, Abi and Justin are joined by Abi's childhood best friend Pietze Duffield as they dive deeper into the poverty mindset and many of the other roots that drive an unhealthy relationship with our bodies. As a bonus, Pietze shares her insights on creating environments to set your children up for success when it comes to a relationship with food and their bodies. If you're looking for a way to conquer the mountain of having a healthy and fit body, this two part series is foundational for you!

For many of us, one of the biggest battles in our lives is with the person in the mirror. As a culture we are in a never-ending war with our looks and our weight. In this two part series, Justin and Abi start a dialogue with Abi's long time childhood best friend, Pietze, about the tumultuous body battle they've all had to overcome. Justin and Pietze bond over being "fatties", discuss some of the secrets as to why we are over weight, and they all discuss tangible steps to practically ending this war within ourselves. Come join us for Part 1 of a vulnerable and unashamed two part conversation as we attempt to find solutions to one of humanities most difficult struggles…self hatred.

From eight months of "Fading" to three weeks of Dating, and then "BAM" engaged! Tune in as we share the wild ride of how we learned to listen to our intuition and let surrender, wisdom, and trust guide us in the timing that was the best for both of us.

How does "Never ever will I date you.", turn into Justin officially asking Abi out? Tune in to this juicy episode where we learn how to manipulate people into choosing and loving you… Wait, no…never do that. But what we will tell you is how to let go of people, respect someone's "no" without taking a hit to your self-worth, and trust that what is meant for you will come to you because you are worthy of good things. Welcome to part two of the Stumvoll's messy, epic, love story!

Pull up a chair for the first half of an epic love story! No, not a storybook fairytale, but a real-life, full of messy ups and downs story of how two people (after a looong process) ended up together. Full of laughter, practical nuggets of wisdom for any relationship, and a major twist you won't see coming - this episode will challenge your mindsets and beliefs about love and connection!

In this vision casting Connected Life episode, Justin and Abi openly share about the disconnecting meltdown they experienced while gearing up to record the first episodes of The Connected Life. Come join in to hear about "why" The Connected Life came about and what you can expect from it. Get ready to be inspired, laugh, and relate to the messiness of connecting to the life right in front of you. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the show!