The Life Shift | Conversations About Life Before and After

Some stories start with a loss so early that you don't even have the words for what happened. You just carry it. You carry it into every room, every relationship, every quiet moment where something feels off but you can't name why. That's where Wendy's story begins. She was seven years old when her father died, and nobody sat down to explain it. Nobody said you're allowed to be angry. Nobody said you can talk to him in the moon and the stars. The world just kept moving, and she learned to move with it.What Wendy didn't know until she was 62 is that her instinct of not quite belonging had an answer she hadn't even thought to look for. A DNA test. A buried secret. A biological father who had come to her house while her dad was at work, and a mother who had spent a lifetime protecting everyone except the one person who most needed the truth.This is a conversation about what it costs to grow up without language for your own grief. It's about the way a body holds on to what a family refuses to say out loud. And it's about what happens when the truth, as painful and as complicated as it is, finally lands. Wendy wrote her memoir, My Pretty Baby, as a call to action, not just a personal story. Because 64% of adults have experienced some form of adverse childhood experience, and most of them were never given permission to talk about it.What You'll Hear:What it felt like to lose a parent at seven when no one gave grief a nameThe moment in an acting class in her 20s when 20 years of buried anger finally surfacedHow growing up with an alcoholic stepfather shaped her sense of self and blameThe DNA discovery at 62 that reframed her entire life and answered the question she didn't know she'd been askingWhat it means to feel validated by the truth, even when the truth comes too late for some conversationsWhy she wrote My Pretty Baby as a call to action and what she hopes readers carry with themGuest Bio:Wendy B. Correa is a writer, yogi, speaker, and advocate for honest conversations about adverse childhood experiences. Her memoir, My Pretty Baby, traces her journey through childhood loss, family dysfunction, and the identity-shifting discovery that her biological father was not who she believed him to be. She is committed to breaking the silence around ACEs and helping others find language for the things they were never allowed to say. You can find her at www.wendybcorrea.com and on Instagram at @WendyBCorrea.Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

There are moments that don't give you any warning. You're living your life, things are working, and then something happens that makes you question every single thing you thought you knew. Including yourself.That's where Chris Magleby found himself in 2017. A small piece of a pot brownie triggered a full psychotic episode, one that landed him zip-tied in his front yard, fighting cops he didn't recognize, hearing sounds that weren't there. It was terrifying. And it was, in a strange and quiet way, the beginning of something.Chris spent the next two and a half years working through acute anxiety, a manic episode, and the slow, painful process of rebuilding a relationship with his own mind. What came out the other side was a man who understood the difference between controlling life and actually living it. Now he's channeling all of that into Mindless Labs, a mental health startup built for people who know what it feels like to be lost inside their own heads.What You'll Hear:How a childhood marked by his parents' divorce shaped his relationship with control and safetyThe night a psychotic episode cracked everything open, and what those terrifying hours felt like from the insideWhy the two and a half years after were, in some ways, harder than the episode itselfHow Chris found his way to mindfulness, meditation, and Eastern philosophy as tools for survivalThe difference between pushing through and actually feeling your way throughWhat it means to turn your hardest experience into something that might help someone else find the lightGuest Bio:Chris Magleby is the co-founder of Mindless Labs, a mental health startup with an apparel line that funds mental health resources and an app built around professional-led content for people navigating their own mental health journeys. He's been married for nearly 22 years, is a father, and brings to all of it a hard-earned understanding of what it means to fall apart and come back differently. You can find him and Mindless Labs at mindless.org or on Instagram at @mindlesslabs.Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Some of us spend years learning how to look okay when we are not. We get good at reading rooms, making ourselves small, keeping quiet. Not because we want to, but because it felt like the only way to stay safe. If that sounds familiar, this episode might feel like someone finally said the quiet part out loud.Eugene Z. Bertrand grew up navigating a home shaped by domestic violence. For most of his childhood and into early adulthood, survival meant masking. It meant saying he was fine when he was not. It meant watching and waiting and staying alert. And then, just days after graduating college, something happened that nearly took his life. And the most unsettling part was how calmly he described it afterward.In this conversation, Eugene talks about what it felt like to say it out loud for the first time, to sit with radical acceptance, to forgive not because the other person deserved it but because he did. He talks about EMDR therapy, about the friends who held space for him, about vulnerability as a superpower, and about the book he wrote, five to ten pages a day, just to keep moving forward.What You'll Hear:What it felt like to grow up in a home where uncertainty was the norm, and how that silence shaped who Eugene becameThe moment he almost lost his life, and why it took a friend's reaction to help him truly understand what had happenedHow radical acceptance and EMDR therapy helped him move through trauma without staying trapped in itWhat it actually felt like to choose forgiveness, including the morning after when he was not sure he had made the right callWhy Eugene believes vulnerability is your greatest superpower, and what happens when you finally stop hiding your storyHow writing a book became a form of healing, and what he hopes other survivors of domestic violence find when they read itGuest Bio:Eugene Z. Bertrand is a survivor, author, and social work student at Columbia University. He is the author of Resilience: Breaking the Chains, a fiction-based exploration of domestic violence and the long road toward healing. Eugene is a mentor, speaker, and passionate advocate for vulnerability as a form of strength and for creating spaces where survivors, especially men, feel safe enough to tell the truth.If Eugene's story moved you, send him a message at eugenezbertrand.com or pick up his book, Resilience: Breaking the Chains, on Amazon. And if you want more conversations like this one, subscribe to this newsletter and never miss an episode.Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

There is a version of grief that nobody warns you about. It is not the loud kind. It is the quiet kind, the one that creeps in slowly until one day you are walking your dogs on a trail you love and you realize you no longer feel connected to the ground beneath your feet. That moment, as small and ordinary as it sounds, was the one that changed everything for Dianette Wells.Dianette has lived her life reaching toward something higher. She grew up in flat Southern California, looking at snow-capped mountains from her backyard and knowing, in the way some people just know, that she was meant for something beyond what she had been handed. That instinct led her to Mount Whitney, to Kilimanjaro, to all seven summits, and eventually to ultramarathons across the world. Movement was not just her passion. It was her language, her therapy, her way of sorting through whatever life threw at her.And then her son Johnny died. He was 23. He was a wingsuit pilot and a base jumper and the kind of person who had climbed the seven summits before he was legally allowed to do most of the things he loved. His death stripped the sparkle from the world for a long time. And Dianette had to find her way back, not to who she was before, but to someone who could hold the grief and still choose to live.What You'll HearHow a girls' trip up Mount Whitney cracked open a hunger for adventure that Dianette had never known she hadThe quiet devastation of losing her son, Johnny, and how grief made the world feel physically differentWhy she believes year two of loss is harder than year one, and what finally shook her out of just existingHer honest take on grief without a roadmap, and why there is no right way to do any of itHow movement, travel, and even a plant medicine journey became her path back to herselfWhat it means to honor someone you lost without feeling obligated to perform that grief for the worldGuest BioDianette Wells is an adventurer, author, and mother who has spent decades pursuing the kinds of experiences that most people only dream about. She has climbed the Seven Summits, run ultramarathons around the globe, and lived in Malibu before relocating to Park City, Utah, where altitude and single-track trails became both her home and her healing. After losing her son Johnny Strange at age 23, Dianette channeled her grief into continued movement, memory-making, and writing. Her book, Another Step Up the Mountain, is available at dnatwells.com and is now moving to a new publisher, Flint Hills Publishing. Johnny's story is documented in the film American Daredevil on Peacock and Born to Fly, Johnny Strange on Tubi.https://dianettewells.com/Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

There is someone in your life whose story you have not asked about yet. Maybe you keep meaning to. Maybe you figure there is time. This episode is a quiet reminder that time is the one thing none of us actually have on hold.Cristian grew up in Paraguay, surrounded by family lunches that stretched into the afternoon, stories layered on top of stories, and a kind of closeness that most of us only read about. He carried all of that with him, through Stanford, through Google, through the blank whiteboard moment of figuring out what he was actually supposed to build. And then, a few weeks before a trip home to finally sit down with his grandmother and record her story, she had a stroke. The conversation he had been saving for later became one he would never have.What came out of that loss was not just a product. It was a reckoning. Cristian built Autograph, an AI-driven platform that interviews people about their lives, so that the stories we keep meaning to capture do not quietly disappear. This episode is about grief, yes. But it is also about what happens when you stop waiting and decide to become the author of your own life.What You'll Hear:Why the stories we never say out loud are the ones we lose foreverHow growing up in Paraguay shaped the way Cristian thinks about family, identity, and belongingThe moment his grandmother's stroke became the catalyst for everythingWhat it actually feels like to become the main character of your own storyHow grief and technology can hold hands without losing the human partWhy your story matters, even if you have never once believed that it doesGuest Bio: Cristian Cibils Bernardes is the founder of Autograph, a platform that uses AI to help people record, preserve, and share their life stories with the people who matter most. He grew up in Paraguay, studied symbolic systems at Stanford, and worked at Google before stepping back to figure out what he was actually building toward. The answer, it turned out, had been waiting in his own family all along. Learn more at autograph.ai.---Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

If you have ever loved someone so deeply that the thought of losing them rearranged everything, this conversation is for you. It is for the moments when you try to stay steady while the ground is already shifting beneath you. It is for the quiet questions that surface when life no longer follows the plan you thought you were living.Kathleen Quinn shares a story shaped by devotion, sudden illness, and the long unfolding of grief. She speaks about caring for her husband through a devastating diagnosis, about choosing presence over denial, and about the many small decisions that come with loving someone at the end of their life. This is not a story about moving on. It is a story about staying open. About learning how grief and joy can exist side by side. About discovering that the life you are living now may still hold meaning, tenderness, and purpose.This episode is a gentle reminder that there is no correct way to grieve. Only your way. And that honoring what was lost does not mean closing yourself off from what still remains.What You’ll HearLoving someone through a terminal diagnosis without turning them into a patientThe quiet weight of anticipatory grief and how it shows up unexpectedlyChoosing presence in moments that feel unbearableLetting go of rules about how grief is supposed to lookStaying open to life after loss without rushing yourselfHow grief reshaped her relationship with worth, joy, and purposeGuest BioKathleen Quinn is a mindset coach and former philanthropy leader at Stanford. After more than three decades working closely with high-achieving and high-net-worth individuals, she now helps people explore the deeper questions of worthiness, wealth, and fulfillment. Drawing from her professional experience and personal journey through loss, Kathleen guides clients through meaningful transitions rooted in self-trust, clarity, and impact.Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad-free and early-release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me after more than two hundred conversations on The Life Shift.Today I am talking about the small moments that end up changing everything. Not the dramatic events we can point to, but the quieter shifts. The split second where you choose something different. The small yes or no that later becomes a turning point. The thought you almost ignore until it finally lands.In this reflection, I talk about the tiny, almost invisible choices that shape who we become. The gentle nudges. The slow clarifying moments. The things that do not look important at the time but reveal themselves later as the start of a new chapter. Change is rarely loud. Healing is rarely obvious. Most of the time it happens underneath the surface, long before we can name it.If you are feeling stuck or wondering when your own shift will show up, I hope this episode helps you notice what is already happening inside you. Look for the little things. The small questions. The subtle pull toward something new. Those moments matter more than you think. They might be the beginning of your next life.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Some moments do not ask to be fixed. They ask to be felt. To be witnessed. To be held gently until something inside us loosens just enough to breathe again.In this conversation, I sit with someone who understands that grief is not something to get over. It is something to learn how to live with. Day shares what it was like to lose his father, lose a relationship, and find himself standing in a quiet in-between space where nothing felt stable. Instead of rushing through that season, he slowed down. He listened. He followed a small impulse into the woods. And in doing so, he discovered a way to turn pain into presence.This episode is about thresholds. About endings and beginnings that overlap. About how creativity, ritual, and attention can help us stay open when life changes shape. It is an invitation to soften your grip, trust what is unfolding, and remember that even in loss, something meaningful is still possible.What You’ll HearWhy grief is not just an emotion but a skill we can learnThe power of slowing down when life feels unrecognizableHow ritual and creativity can help metabolize lossLearning to hold endings without closing your heartThe quiet role of pleasure in times of deep heavinessFinding meaning in the space between goodbye and helloGuest BioDay Schildkret is an award-winning queer author, artist, ritualist, and teacher known for Morning Altars, a practice rooted in nature, art, and ritual. His work helps people navigate change, grief, and life transitions with intention and care. Day teaches internationally and creates spaces where people can slow down, remember what matters, and reconnect to themselves through creativity and presence.Sign up for Day’s Newsletter: https://www.morningaltars.com/Morning Altars Teacher Training: https://www.morningaltars.com/teachertrainingPurchase Hello, Goodbye: https://www.morningaltars.com/hellogoodbyePurchase Morning Altars https://www.morningaltars.com/morningaltarsbook/1Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningaltars/----Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morningaltarsListen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad free and early release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today, I am talking about starting over and the quiet moments when someone realizes life cannot keep going the way it has been. These beginnings rarely look dramatic. They show up as discomfort, restlessness, or a small truth that refuses to stay quiet. They arrive long before anything changes on the outside.In this reflection, I talk about how starting again is usually a slow noticing rather than a bold leap. It is the moment you finally pay attention to the shift happening beneath the surface. It is the small decision to move toward something more honest, even when your legs feel shaky. Beginning again asks for honesty, patience, and a willingness to let go of the version of you that no longer feels true.If you are standing in your own starting point, I hope this episode meets you gently. You do not need to rush, leap, or reinvent your entire life. You only need to listen to what is pulling you and honor the direction that feels right. Starting over is not a failure. It is a sign that you are paying attention. And that is enough.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

If you have ever looked at your life and thought, this is not what I imagined, this conversation is for you.If you have carried love and grief in the same breath, you will recognize yourself here.Sharon’s story moves through absence, devotion, and the quiet reshaping that happens when life asks more of you than you feel ready to give. From early experiences of not knowing where she belonged, to the long years of loving and caring for her son Michael, she shares what it means to live inside uncertainty without closing your heart. This is not a story about fixing what cannot be fixed. It is about learning how to stay present when the future feels fragile.This episode holds space for the kind of grief that does not follow a timeline. The kind that lives alongside laughter. The kind that changes your identity and slowly teaches you how to carry love forward. There is no rush here. Just permission to feel what you feel, and to trust that it all belongs.What You’ll HearWhat it feels like when the life you expected quietly disappearsThe difference between surviving grief and living alongside itHow love deepens when certainty is no longer availableNavigating identity after loss without forcing closureHolding joy and sorrow in the same momentLearning to feel seen after years of feeling unseenGuest BioDr. Sharon Spano works with high-impact leaders who appear successful on the outside but feel something is quietly missing inside. With a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems, she helps CEOs, consultants, and entrepreneurs understand what is actually holding them back, not just in their work, but in their relationships and sense of self.Much of Sharon’s work centers on what she calls the emptiness of success. The feeling that can linger even after you have done all the right things. Through a blend of science, developmental psychology, and deep personal insight, she guides leaders to uncover hidden barriers, including generational patterns and unresolved grief, so they can lead with more clarity, integrity, and wholeness.Sharon is the host of The Other Side of Potential, a podcast exploring leadership, growth, and what it means to live beyond pressure-driven success. She is also the author of The Pursuit of Time & Money. At the heart of her work is a simple belief. True success is not about doing more. It is about becoming more fully yourself.Website: https://sharonspano.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonspano/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharon.spano.902Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsharonspano/Blog: https://sharonspano.comPodcast: The Other Side of Potential: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-other-side-of-potential/id1397898049Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad-free and early release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today I am talking about the moment you finally say the thing you have been holding in. It is rarely dramatic. It is rarely loud. Most of the time it is a quiet shift in the air. A small release. A truth that has been waiting for you to stop hiding.In this reflection, I talk about the fear that comes before speaking the truth, the relief that follows, and the slow, steady undoing of shame that happens when you let yourself be seen. Many of us carry invisible weight. We carry the stories we were told to keep quiet. We carry the parts of ourselves we were sure would make people run. But the moment you let someone see the real you, everything changes. Even if it is small. Even if it is messy. Even if your voice shakes.If you feel yourself inching toward your own line in the sand, I hope this episode helps you feel less alone. You do not have to shout your truth. You do not have to reveal everything at once. You can take one small step. You can whisper the part of your story that wants to be heard. And when you do, you become a little more you.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Burnout does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like a successful career, a stable job, and a life that makes sense on paper. And still, your body knows something is wrong. If you have ever found yourself in the middle of a midlife career shift, questioning your work, or wondering why you feel exhausted even when everything seems fine, this conversation will meet you right where you are.In this episode, I talk with Ellen Whitlock Baker about the quiet unraveling that led to her line-in-the-sand moment. Years of people-pleasing, pushing through, and trying to belong in systems that were never built for her finally caught up with her in the most unexpected place. Sitting in a theater, watching the musical Beetlejuice, Ellen broke down. Not because the show was sad, but because her body had reached its limit. What followed was a brave decision to walk away from a very stable job and begin rebuilding a life and career rooted in alignment instead of obligation.This is a story about workplace burnout and listening to yourself before everything falls apart. About honoring the signals you have learned to ignore. And about trusting that even when the next step feels risky, there is another way to live and work that does not cost you yourself.What You’ll HearWhat burnout feels like before you have language for itHow belonging, or the lack of it, quietly shapes our career choicesThe moment Ellen’s body finally said enoughWhy leaving a stable job can feel terrifying and deeply right at the same timeWhat rebuilding looks like when you choose alignment over approvalA reminder that it is not you that is broken; sometimes it is the systemGuest BioEllen Whitlock Baker is the founder and CEO of EWB Coaching, where she helps professionals learn how to prioritize themselves in a world that often tells them not to. With empathy and honesty at the center of her work, Ellen supports leaders in understanding their strengths and building careers that feel sustainable, human, and aligned.With more than 20 years of workplace experience and certification through the International Coaching Federation, Ellen works with individuals and organizations through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and courses. After navigating her own experiences with burnout and self-doubt, she is on a mission to help others never reach that breaking point. Ellen is also the host of the Hard at Work podcast, which identifies what isn't working in today’s workplaces and explores how we might change them.Connect with EllenWebsite: https://ewbcoaching.comPodcast: https://hardatworkpodcast.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenwhitlockbaker/Instagram: @ellenwbcoaching------Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad-free and early release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today I am talking about the quiet ways people rebuild after loss. Not the dramatic versions we often hear about, but the slow work that happens in ordinary moments. The rebuilding that takes shape in private. The kind no one sees.In this reflection, I talk about how grief reshapes us, how healing does not mean going back to who we were, and how rebuilding often looks like small rituals, small connections, and small choices that eventually add up to something stronger. Loss creates a landscape we have to learn how to navigate. There are days we feel lost, days we find small paths forward, and days we simply sit with the weight of it all. None of it is wrong. None of it is failure. It is all part of the rebuilding.If you are walking through loss right now, I hope this episode gives you space to notice the gentle ways you are already putting yourself back together. Maybe it is the first laugh you did not expect. Maybe it is reaching out when you would rather withdraw. Maybe it is the moment you stop judging your grief and let it be what it is. There is no timeline here. There is only your way. And that is enough.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Maybe you’ve had that moment too. The one where burnout shows up quietly, and you sit in your car before work holding back tears, wondering how your life became so small. For anyone experiencing career burnout or questioning their sense of self, this conversation may feel familiar.For Lin Yuan-Su, that moment was a quiet breaking point. She had the job, the title, the security. But none of it felt like her. What began as a career built to please others became a life that asked her to finally listen to herself. That morning became a line in the sand moment where she realized success alone was not enough.Her story is about what happens when you stop performing and start trusting your own truth. It’s about learning to make peace with the child who only knew how to survive, and letting her grow into the woman who can finally breathe.What You’ll Hear:The hidden pressure of living up to other people’s expectationsThe breaking point that began in a silent parking lotHow cultural and familial stories shaped her sense of worthThe moment she chose to walk away from success that no longer fitReconnecting with her inner child after years of silenceBuilding a life that feels aligned instead of approvedGuest Bio:Lin Yuan-Su is a transformational success coach who helps high-achieving professionals simplify their path to success so they can create lives they love without burnout or hustle that no longer serves them. With a background in nutrition and healthcare, Lin once looked accomplished on paper but felt deeply unfulfilled. She works with leaders and entrepreneurs who look successful on the outside but feel disconnected on the inside. A spontaneous moment of truth set her on a path toward purpose, ease, and flow. Today, she guides others to align with their truth, quiet the noise, and live in a way that feels like freedom.Discover more about Lin at: www.enlightenedsuccess.comListen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad-free and early release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

The Life Shift Podcast is a long form interview podcast about the moments that turn our lives into before and after.Each episode centers on one defining life shift. A moment that changes how someone sees their life and what it takes to live differently after it.This is not a show to offer solutions or advice. These are thoughtful conversations about real experiences, shared by people navigating loss, burnout, identity, grief, and major life changes.Hosted by Matt Gilhooly.Listen to episodes and learn more athttps://thelifeshiftpodcast.com

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today, I am talking about identity and what happens when the life you have been holding together finally cracks open. Identity is not fixed. It shifts and bends. It breaks down and rebuilds. It grows through fear and through honesty. And most of us do not realize how much we have been holding until something inside us asks for change.In this reflection, I talk about the messy work of letting old selves fall away, the long, slow unwinding of perfection, and the courage it takes to face the parts of you that have been hiding for years. Growing into yourself is not clean or linear. Some days you feel brave. Some days you fall back into old patterns. The important part is noticing the opening. Noticing the small truth that something old is no longer working.If you are standing in that breaking open, I hope this episode meets you gently. You do not have to rush toward clarity. You do not need to fix everything at once. You can sit with the crack for a moment. You can let the rawness be real. Because inside that openness is the beginning of who you are becoming.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. Please listen with care.Sometimes the light we find is born in the darkest places.In this episode of The Life Shift, Suzanne Roberts shares what it was like to grow up in a home that looked perfect on the outside but felt unsafe within. After surviving childhood sexual abuse, she dissociated into something she did not yet have language for. A quiet presence. A sense of holiness. A light that never left her.This conversation holds grief and wonder side by side. It explores what it means to live after trauma, to slowly feel safe in your own body again, and to loosen the grip of self-hatred that never should have been there in the first place. Suzanne’s story is not about erasing the past. It is about remembering the part of you that stayed whole, even when everything else felt shattered.What You’ll HearThe early moments that shaped Suzanne’s sensitivity and sense of wonderThe line in the sand moment that changed everythingHow dissociation became a doorway to something life-givingRelearning how to trust her body and inner voiceThe slow shift from self-hatred to self worthWhy movement, nature, and connection played a role in her healingGuest BioSuzanne Roberts is the Founder of UnifyingSolutions and a transformational speaker, facilitator, and author with over four decades of experience guiding leaders and organizations toward sustainable, systemic change. She is the creator of Polarity System Design, a methodology that helps individuals and teams reclaim inner capacity, lead with clarity, and design cultures rooted in purpose, equity, and lasting impact. Suzanne creates spaces where people can thrive and contribute with clarity and purpose. Her book and documentary, It’s Deeper Than That: Pathway to a Vibrant, Purposeful Life, premiered in October 2025.Book a free coaching session with Suzanne:https://unifyingsolutions.com/schedule/Listen and follow:www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad-free and early-release episodes:www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter:https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me long after the conversations on The Life Shift.Today, I am talking about the way grief shows up differently for each of us. Grief is not a single feeling. It is not one path or one expression. It shifts. It breaks open. It softens. It surprises you. And sometimes it says the opposite of what you think it should.In this reflection, I talk about the pressure many of us feel to grieve a certain way, the fear of getting it wrong, and the quiet shame that comes from comparing our grief to someone else’s. Some days you may cry. Some days you may laugh. Some days you may be numb or angry or exhausted. All of it is real. All of it is allowed. Grief has no finish line and no proper form. It simply becomes part of who we are.If you are carrying grief in any shape, I hope this episode gives you space to be honest about what it looks like for you. You do not need to perform it. You do not need to justify it. You can name the feelings, even the unexpected ones, and let them belong. There is room for your version of grief. There always has been.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

In this episode of The Life Shift, we explore a pivotal life shift and the before and after moments that shaped Katie Grimes’ journey toward self-awareness, healing old patterns, and learning to trust herself again.There are moments in life when you look around and realize you have been carrying the weight of everyone else’s expectations. Maybe you know that feeling. The quiet pressure to keep it all together. The fear that if you slow down even for a second, everything you have been outrunning will finally catch up.Katie Grimes knows that place well. She grew up trying to earn belonging, trying to stay safe in a home shaped by addiction, fear, and silence. For years, she filled her life with noise and motion and relationships that echoed her earliest wounds. But somewhere inside the chaos, something steady began to rise. A small voice that said it was time to stop pretending and start healing. That voice became her line in the sand moment.This conversation holds all of that tenderness. The grief she carried. The patterns she had to unlearn. The deep self-awareness she fought for. And the peace she has found in finally listening to herself. I hope that as you hear Katie’s story, you feel a soft reminder that you are not alone in the places that feel messy or unfinished.What You’ll HearThe loneliness that follows a childhood shaped by addiction and fearHow early abandonment patterns echo in adult relationshipsThe breaking point that forced Katie to face her own truthThe long, slow climb into recovery and self-awarenessHow faith, stillness, and support helped her rebuildThe quiet strength she carries now as she chooses a different lifeGuest BioKatie Grimes is a business coach, podcast host, and entrepreneur who helps busy business owners build routines they can actually keep. After growing a relationship coaching business to $550,000, she shifted her focus to business coaching, guiding people as they learn to set boundaries, build confidence, and create work that supports a life they love. Through her podcast, Anything for Love, and her digital courses, Katie has helped more than 100,000 people feel their feelings, speak up for what they need, and step away from the constant pressure to do more.https://www.katiegrimes.com/Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad-free and early-release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that keep showing up after more than two hundred conversations on The Life Shift. Today I am talking about self trust and what it means to rebuild it after years of doubt, shame, or fear. Trusting yourself is not a single moment. It grows slowly through messy progress, small choices, and the courage to keep showing up even when you feel uncertain.In this reflection, I talk about the back-and-forth nature of healing, the quiet bravery it takes to listen to your own voice, and the way small wins can slowly rewrite the stories you once believed about yourself. Self trust is not perfect confidence. It is the willingness to face your own feelings, try something new, set a boundary, or simply stay with yourself when things feel hard.If you are in a season where trusting yourself feels out of reach, I hope this episode gives you some gentleness. You do not have to be fully healed to begin. You do not have to silence every doubt. You can start small. You can take one step. You can remember that the younger version of you deserved care, and the current version of you does too. You have always been enough.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Content note: This episode includes discussion of childhood sexual abuse, trauma, and healing. Please listen with care.Some moments reshape us before we even have words for them.In this episode of The Life Shift, we explore a pivotal life shift and the before and after moments that shaped Erin Snow’s journey toward reclaiming her voice, worth, and sense of self.Erin Snow carried one of those moments for most of her life. What began as a buried truth became a quiet weight she learned to navigate on her own. And somewhere along the way, that silence started to turn into something else. A nudge. A voice. A call to reclaim the parts of herself that had been taken.Her story is not only about what happened. It is about the slow return to her own strength, the tenderness of being heard at the right time, and the courage it takes to tell a truth that once felt impossible to say. Erin reminds us that healing is not tidy. It grows in seasons. It begins in small ways. And often it starts with listening.What You’ll Hear:The childhood moment that marked a clear before and afterHow silence shaped Erin’s sense of worthThe long path toward reclaiming her voiceWhy advocacy became a way to healHow listening became her life’s purposeThe freedom of saying something you once held aloneGuest Bio:Erin Snow is a transformative listening strategist who turns the art of hearing into a powerful tool for personal and professional empowerment. As the founder of Seacoast Listening Lounge, she has pioneered a revolutionary approach that creates a sanctuary where women can not just survive, but truly reclaim their narrative and inner strength.With sixteen years of frontline experience as a legal advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, Erin has witnessed firsthand the life changing power of authentic, compassionate listening. She made history as the first paralegal in New Hampshire to represent clients directly in family court, breaking barriers and reshaping traditional legal norms.Her work bridges trauma-informed advocacy with deep emotional intelligence, offering individuals, leaders, and organizations a pathway to genuine, transformative connection. Erin can be reached at seacoastlisteninglounge.com.Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad-free and early-release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that keep showing up in the conversations on The Life Shift. Today I am talking about the belief that you have to be fully healed before you can change your life. I do not think that is true. Healing is not a finish line. It is not a requirement you have to meet before you are allowed to grow or move forward.In this reflection, I talk about why healing and change often happen together, and why waiting to feel whole can keep you stuck for years. Change is messy. Healing is slow. Sometimes you start showing up for yourself long before you feel ready. Sometimes the shift begins in the middle of the grief or confusion or fear. You do not need to be perfect or certain to take a step toward the life you want.If you are sitting in a season where you feel broken, overwhelmed, or unsure, I hope this episode helps you breathe a little easier. You do not have to fix everything first. You do not have to have it all sorted out. You can start right where you are, even in the mess, even in the doubt. That small beginning counts.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

What if the hardest thing you’ve ever faced became the reason you kept going?In this episode of The Life Shift, we explore a pivotal life shift and the before-and-after moments that shaped John Ulsh’s journey through trauma, recovery, and the rebuilding of a life with purpose.After surviving a horrific car accident that left him with a three percent chance of survival, John Ulsh spent years relearning how to live, move, and believe in the life ahead of him. Across 45 surgeries and 17 years of recovery, he found that healing wasn’t about getting “back” to normal. It was about building something new — one intentional day at a time.In this conversation, we talk about:How John reframed pain into purpose and found strength in progress, not perfectionThe role of patience, humility, and self-compassion in long-term recoveryWhy falling in love with the process can matter more than the goal itselfJohn’s story reminds us that survival can be just the starting line — and that even the hardest chapters can fuel something good.John Ulsh knows what it means to rebuild. In 2007, he, his wife, and their two young children were in a catastrophic head-on collision. While his family suffered serious injuries, John took the brunt of the impact and was given less than a three percent chance of survival. After enduring over 45 surgeries and years of relentless recovery, he discovered that true resilience isn’t about avoiding hardship — it’s about learning to rise from it. Now, as the author of The Upside of Down, a speaker, and a coach, John helps others overcome adversity and turn setbacks into success. Learn more at www.johnulsh.com.Listen to this episode and more at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com.Get ad-free and early access on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast.Subscribe to The Life Shift newsletter for behind-the-scenes reflections: thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com.Follow along on social: @thelifeshiftpodcastMentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today I am talking about those quiet or sudden moments when everything in your life shifts. The ground moves. The story you thought you were living no longer fits. And you find yourself standing in a new version of your life without knowing how you got there. In this reflection, I talk about the before and after moments we do not always see coming. The times when you feel stuck in fear, or pulled toward something new, or caught between the life you built and the life you want. Change rarely happens in one dramatic sweep. It shows up in small choices, in discomfort you can no longer ignore, in the quiet recognition that something has to give. If you have felt that internal shake or noticed a line in the sand you cannot uncross, I hope this episode meets you gently. You do not have to understand the whole shift. You only have to name the moment and keep moving with curiosity. These turning points shape who we are becoming, one small step at a time. Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

What if your greatest teacher had four legs and an endless capacity for love?When licensed therapist Brianna Laricchia lost her dog Molly, the grief cracked her heart wide open. It wasn’t just about losing a pet — it was about losing a constant, unconditional presence that had shaped who she was. In this conversation, Brianna shares how that loss transformed her both personally and professionally, leading her to specialize in grief counseling for others walking the same tender path.You’ll hear:How loving and losing Molly reshaped Brianna’s understanding of empathy and connectionWhat she’s learned about the unique grief of losing a petHow she built Omnia Psychotherapy Group to help others heal through compassion, presence, and shared humanityIf you’ve ever loved an animal like family, this episode will feel like a gentle hand on your shoulder.Listen and subscribe to The Life Shift Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.Get ad-free, early access episodes and behind-the-scenes reflections on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastJoin the newsletter for honest reflections and updates: thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.comFollow The Life Shift on social @thelifeshiftpodcastGuest BioBrianna Laricchia is a licensed mental health counselor and the founder of Omnia Psychotherapy Group, a private practice based in New York. She specializes in grief counseling, focusing on pet loss and the emotional bonds we form with our animals. After losing her beloved dog, Molly, Brianna found her calling in helping others navigate the often-overlooked pain of pet loss. Through her work, she bridges professional expertise with deep empathy, creating safe spaces for healing and remembrance.www.omniapsychotherapygroup.comMentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me long after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today I am talking about those disorienting moments when the life you have been living suddenly feels unfamiliar. The pieces stop fitting together. The story you have been telling yourself begins to crack. And you find yourself standing in the in between, unsure of what comes next. In this reflection, I talk about confusion as part of the process, not a sign that something is wrong. Change is rarely neat or straightforward. It often begins in the fog, in the exhaustion, in the quiet moments when you realize you cannot keep pretending everything is fine. Sometimes clarity arrives only after the breaking open. Sometimes it comes through rest, or release, or the small permission to stop holding everything together. If you are in a season where nothing feels clear, I hope this episode gives you a softer place to stand. You do not need a full map. You do not need to rush the unfolding. It is enough to notice what is shifting inside you and trust that clarity often grows from confusion, one moment at a time. Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

If you have ever been curious about what actually happens behind the scenes of a meaningful conversation, this livestream is an open door. Not polished. Not rehearsed. Just two hosts sitting together in real time, talking honestly about why we keep doing this work and how it keeps changing us. This special co-hosted livestream on Riverside brought me together with Angela Hollowell to reflect on podcasting, storytelling, and the quiet evolution that happens when you keep showing up. We talked about how our shows began, how different our approaches are, and how both are rooted in care and intention. We explored the learning curve of hosting, creating safety without scripting everything, and letting conversations breathe. Somewhere in the middle of it all, I said something out loud that surprised even me. That podcasting has softened me. That it has made me more forgiving of myself. And that it might be the best thing I have ever done for me. This conversation is less about tactics and more about trust. About curiosity. About giving yourself permission to do it your own way. If you joined us live, thank you for being part of that moment. If you are listening now, I hope this reminds you that there is more than one right way to tell a story and you do not have to do it perfectly for it to matter. What You’ll Hear Different podcasting styles grounded in care Creating safety without controlling the outcome The hosting learning curve and releasing perfection How storytelling changes the people holding the space Why continuing to show up can quietly change you Co-Host Bio Angela Hollowell is the creator of the Please Hustle Responsibly newsletter and the host of the Honey and Hustle podcast. Through both, she highlights North Carolina founders, creators, and nonprofit leaders with care, specificity, and deep respect for the full human story. Her work centers on thoughtful storytelling, community, and creating access to conversations that help people feel less alone in their work and lives. Please Hustle Responsibly: https://www.pleasehustleresponsibly.com/ Honey and Hustle Podcast: https://www.honeyandhustle.co/ Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow Support the show for ad-free and early-release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast Subscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/ Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

What if the lowest point in your life was actually your turning point?Dr. Robb Kelly knows what it means to lose everything, family, home, and even the will to live, and still find a way forward. From playing music at Abbey Road to living on the streets of Manchester, Robb’s story is a raw reminder of what happens when pain becomes purpose. Through science, faith, and relentless honesty, he rebuilt his life and devoted it to helping others recover from addiction and reclaim their worth.In this conversation, we talk about:How childhood trauma quietly shapes the way we cope, connect, and self-destructWhat it really takes to rebuild a life after addiction and find a new identityWhy embracing our perfectly imperfect selves is key to healing and helping othersThis episode is a powerful reflection on redemption, resilience, and the small moments that can change everything.Listen to The Life Shift Podcast: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show for ad-free and early access episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.comConnect on socials: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTubeGuest BioDr. Robb Kelly, PhD, is a sought-after recovery expert who believes in treating the causes of addiction and not the symptoms. Dr. Kelly has appeared on shows such as The Doctors, Eye Opener, Good Morning Texas, and KENS 5 Morning News. A frequent contributor to radio and print interviews, including The Jim Bohannon show, Miracles in Recovery, USA Today, and participated in McLean Hospital’s (Harvard Medical School) study on the stigma associated with mental illness. Dr. Kelly hosted the Sober Celebs show on KLIF radio in Dallas, and currently hosts the Breaking Through Addiction podcast featuring special guests discussing a variety of mental health issues.Dr. Kelly created Let’s Get Back to 98% Recovery DVDs, used in prisons and recovery treatment centers throughout the US. He has lectured on addiction and trauma at high-profile universities, national conferences, treatment facilities, public schools, churches, business organizations, and hospitals. Dr Kelly is currently the CEO of the Robb Kelly Recovery Group, an addiction and mental illness recovery coaching company he founded based on extensive research and behavioural studies he conducted over the past 20 years. Dr. Kelly shares his personal highs and lows as he struggled and overcame crippling alcoholism in the November 2019 release of the book “Daddy, Daddy Please Stop Drinking”.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today I am talking about how hard we can be on ourselves and what it means to slowly learn gentleness. So many of us move through life with old shame, perfectionism, or fear tucked inside. We push ourselves to be better, to get everything right, or to carry more than we were ever meant to hold. In this reflection, I talk about the critical voice we learn as kids, the pressure to be perfect, and the way self-compassion feels like a muscle we have to practice again and again. Healing is not a straight line. Some days you feel softer. Some days you slip back into old patterns. The important part is noticing the shift and remembering that you deserve the same care you give to everyone else. If you have been carrying shame, harshness, or impossible expectations, I hope this episode helps you take one gentler breath. You do not have to earn kindness. You are allowed to give it to yourself, right here, exactly as you are. Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

What happens when the spotlight fades, and you’re left with silence?Seth Stewart spent years performing on the world’s biggest stages — from Hamilton and In the Heights to touring with Madonna. But at the height of success, something inside him started calling for more. That quiet pull led him away from bright lights and applause, and into the wilderness where he began listening to his own spirit for the first time.In this conversation, Seth opens up about what it takes to walk away from a dream, why stillness can be louder than any stage, and how rediscovering our connection to nature can help us find our way back to ourselves.You’ll hear about:How leaving Broadway became Seth’s most honest act of creationWhat living off-grid taught him about trust, unity, and peaceWhy listening to your inner voice might be the bravest thing you ever doIf you’ve ever felt called to change direction, this episode is a reminder that there’s life beyond what others expect — and that following your vision is a form of truth.For ad-free and early access to episodes, join the community at www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast.Subscribe to the newsletter for behind-the-scenes stories and reflections: thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.comFollow on social media: @thelifeshiftpodcastGuest BioFrom the stages of Broadway to the depths of the jungle, Seth Stewart is a bridge between worlds. As a performer and creator, he’s played major roles in the Tony Award-winning productions of In the Heights and Hamilton, and performed with artists like Madonna, Jay-Z, and Jennifer Lopez.After leaving the entertainment industry, Seth followed a deep spiritual calling that led him into the forest — a journey that reshaped his entire sense of purpose. He spent years immersed in nature, ceremony, and self-inquiry, learning from shamans and ancient wisdom keepers.Today, Seth guides others toward clarity, embodiment, and unity through True Kings Academy, a transformative space for men’s wellness and leadership. He also mentors young performers through Performer’s Edge, combining artistry and mindfulness. His upcoming memoir, Follow Your Vision. Live Your Truth., released August 8, 2025. https://www.iamsethstewart.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a solo series built around the themes that stay with me after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today, I am talking about grief and the way it takes shape inside a life. Grief is not something you finish. It is something living and moving, something that changes as you change. Losing my mom, my grandmother, and Mikey shaped the way I understand grief long before I ever sat with a guest and heard their story. In this reflection, I talk about how grief shifts from sharp to distant, how it can still surprise you years later, and how it never follows a straight line. Grief is not linear or predictable. It moves like waves, shadows, seasons. Sometimes it takes up the whole room. Sometimes it sits quietly in the corner. It is still a part of you either way. If you are carrying a loss, I hope this episode gives you a softer place to land. You do not need to rush your way through it or pretend you are fine. Grief is not a problem to fix. It is part of who you are and part of being human. You are allowed to feel it, honor it, and keep moving with one small step at a time. Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Sometimes grief arrives before we are old enough to understand it. It lands in the middle of everything familiar and quietly rewrites the map of who we become. Years can pass before we realize how much of ourselves is still standing in that same frozen place.In this conversation, Kristina Amelong shares what it means to finally face what she could not name as a teenager. After losing her younger brother in a sudden accident, she spent decades searching for ways to numb the ache. What began as survival slowly became a lifelong practice of returning to herself — through healing, sobriety, and the simple act of telling the truth.This is a story about finding connection after silence. About discovering that grief can open doors as easily as it closes them. And about the power of one question to bring the past back into the light.What You’ll Hear:The day everything changed and the silence that followedHow addiction became both a shield and a signal for helpThe stranger’s question that opened the path to healingWhat it means to reconnect with people frozen in the same griefThe sacredness of tears and the wisdom they holdFinding peace through storytelling and self-acceptance Guest BioKristina Amelong is the author of Ten Days to Optimal Health: A Guide to Nutritional Therapy and Colon Cleansing and the newly released memoir What My Brother Knew (She Writes Press, May 27). She is the founder and owner of Optimal Health Network, a holistic health business, and serves as a senior board member for the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, a nonprofit dedicated to reweaving the human story through spirituality and global healing. Kristina is passionate about photography, gardening, and pickleball, and she lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her three dogs and a brood of chickens.Book / Author Website: https://www.kristinaamelong.comHealing Work / Company Website: https://www.optimalhealthnetwork.com🔗 Listen to The Life Shift Podcast: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow🌟 Support ad-free and early access on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for reflections and new episode updatesMentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

This episode is part of The Things We Carry, a short solo series shaped by the themes that stay with me after the conversations on The Life Shift. Today I am talking about burnout and the deeper exhaustion that grows slowly over time. The kind that shows up when you have spent years pushing through life, trying to be enough, and holding more than you were ever meant to carry alone. In this reflection, I explore what burnout really feels like, why so many of us miss the early signs, and how your body eventually tells the truth, no matter how hard you try to keep going. Burnout is not a personal failure. It is a signal. A quiet invitation to look closely at your life, your pace, and the patterns you have been living inside without even noticing. If you are overwhelmed, drained, or moving through a season where rest feels impossible, this episode offers a softer place to land. You do not need to have it all figured out. You only need to notice what is shifting inside you and take one small step toward something gentler. That can be enough for today. Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Have you ever reached a point where the answers you’re given simply stop feeling right? Where you realize that trusting your own instincts might be the only way forward. For Piper, that moment came in a doctor’s office when she was told her son just needed a spanking. Something inside her knew that wasn’t true.What followed was a full transformation born from love and determination. She went back to school, relearned what she thought she knew about health, and built a life that would help not only her son but hundreds of other families, too. Along the way, she found her own healing in the process.This conversation is about listening to that quiet voice inside you. It’s about the courage to question what you’ve been told and the hope that grows when you refuse to give up. Take your time with this one. It is gentle and full of heart.What You’ll HearA mother’s turning point after harmful medical adviceHow childhood trauma shaped a life built on self-relianceDiscovering purpose in the middle of fear and uncertaintyThe surprising ways healing her son led to her own transformationThe strength found in trusting intuition over authorityHow sharing one story can light the way for othersGuest BioDr. Piper Gibson founded the Tic Disorder Institute: Regenerating Health and Elite Gene Labs, where she empowers families and healthcare professionals to address tic disorders and optimize wellness. She is a Doctor of Functional Medicine, Advanced Holistic Nutrition, and a Board-Certified Doctor of Natural Medicine. She is also the author of Tic Talk: Common Misconceptions, Natural Approaches, and Real Conversations about Tic Disorders.Connect with Piper:Website: https://regenerating.health/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/regeneratinghealth/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RegeneratingHealthSubscribe for new episodes, early access, and ad-free listening at www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast. Join the newsletter and community at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Sometimes we don’t get to choose when life asks us to begin again. One moment you’re following a dream, and the next you’re rebuilding from the pieces of what used to be. It’s a strange kind of starting over – the kind you never asked for but somehow learn to live inside.Ava Jones knows that space well. At seventeen, she survived a devastating car accident that took her father’s life and changed everything she knew about herself. Two years later, she was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Through it all, she’s learning what it means to keep moving, to ask for help, and to find gratitude even in the hardest chapters.This conversation isn’t about silver linings. It’s about choosing to live when the story doesn’t go the way you planned. Ava’s honesty reminds us that starting over doesn’t mean you’ve failed – it means you’re still here.What You’ll HearThe day Ava’s life changed foreverLearning to walk, talk, and feel again after traumaGrieving her father while navigating recoveryLetting go of the basketball dream that once defined herFacing cancer with honesty and faith in her support systemRediscovering joy in small, ordinary momentsListen to the full episode and more conversations like this at:👉 www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow🎧 Early access and ad-free episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast📰 Join the newsletter for behind-the-scenes reflections and upcoming guests: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Guest BioAva Jones is a 20-year-old former college basketball player from Kansas who survived a catastrophic car accident in 2022 that claimed her father’s life and left her and her mother critically injured. After years of recovery, including relearning to walk and speak, Ava faced a stage four Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis in 2025. She recently completed 12 rounds of chemotherapy and is in remission. Today, she shares her story to give others hope and remind them that it’s okay to ask for help.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Some moments stay with us long after they end. The choice we made. The thing we wish we had said. The image that still lingers when the room goes quiet. Cyra’s story begins with one of those moments, the kind that changes everything and asks who we will become after it.At sixteen, she lost her brother to suicide and carried the guilt of that day for years. Her healing came slowly, through forgiveness and the power of words. Poetry became a place to lay down her pain and listen to something deeper, something that kept whispering that love was still possible.What You’ll HearHow grief can hold both love and regret at onceThe quiet guidance of a voice that spoke when she needed it mostWhy poetry became her way to understand pain and healingWhat it means to forgive a younger version of yourselfThe long, patient work of turning loss into meaningHow creativity can become medicine when nothing else fitsGuest BioCyra Sweet Dumitru (www.cyrasweetdumitru.com) is an accomplished poet, instructor of poetry writing, and one of four certified practitioners of poetic medicine in Texas. Her poems have appeared on a wall in San Antonio's City Hall and on city buses, been spoken on national radio and in museums, published in newspapers, and featured in anthologies and literary journals. She has four collections of poetry and a memoir, Words Make a Way Through Fire: Healing After My Brother's Suicide, which is told through prose and poetry and was published by She Writes Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster. Cyra leads therapeutic writing circles for people from all walks of life.Listen to this episode and more at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show on Patreon for ad-free, early releases: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastStay connected through the newsletter and social links at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.comMentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Have you ever been doing everything right and still felt something was missing? Clay Garrett thought he had built the life he was supposed to have. A stable career, a loving family, all the boxes checked. But when life suddenly stopped, he was invited to see what really mattered.Clay’s story unfolds in the quiet that followed a layoff just before the pandemic. What began as fear became clarity. In that unexpected pause, he found what a good life feels like when presence becomes the priority. This conversation is about slowing down, choosing intention, and discovering that sometimes the hardest endings lead us home to ourselves.What You’ll Hear:The moment a layoff became an unexpected giftHow time with family reshaped his understanding of successLearning to be truly present as a husband and fatherThe power of reflection and self-awareness in daily lifeBuilding a meaningful life through purpose and simplicityWhat it means to live by choice instead of habitGuest Bio:Clay Garrett is the founder of Campfire Gentleman, a personal development project that helps men build meaningful lives centered on purpose, family, and personal growth. After 25 years in design and advertising, a COVID-era layoff led Clay to reevaluate his definition of success, ultimately inspiring a new path centered on presence, purpose, and simplicity. Through writing, resources, and honest conversation, he’s creating a space for husbands and fathers who want to slow down and live with intention.Connect with Clay and his work: https://campfiregentleman.beehiiv.com/Listen to more episodes and support the show:Subscribe and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followJoin Patreon for ad-free and early release: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastConnect on socials and newsletter: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.comMentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Have you ever realized you were living the life someone else imagined for you?Andrew Mitch did everything right on paper. He followed the rules, earned the degrees, and chased approval until the weight of it all became too heavy to carry. When he finally walked away from the life others expected, he found the beginning of his own.What unfolded next was unexpected. A stranger at a restaurant table looked at him through tears and said, “Whatever you have, the world needs to hear it now.” That moment shifted everything. It was the reminder that his voice mattered, and that he no longer needed permission to use it.This is a story about leaving certainty for something more alive. About learning to be seen, to create honestly, and to trust that your real self is enough.Take your time with this one. It is tender and real.What You’ll HearThe quiet pressure of chasing someone else’s version of successHow leaving a PhD program became an act of self-trustThe beauty of being seen by a stranger who changed everythingThe tension between faith, identity, and authenticityLearning to stop asking for permission to createWhat it means to live unapologetically yourselfGuest BioFrom small-town Ohio to Nashville, Andrew Mitch is making waves in country-pop with raw emotion, personal truth, and storytelling. His breakout single “all in my head” went viral, crowdfunded his debut album, and earned features from CMA, CMT, GLAAD, and more. With millions of views, 30K+ followers, and praise from artists like Carly Pearce and Ingrid Andress, Andrew has since released songs like "back home boy" (featured on Nashville's very own WSMV4) and "unapologetic." He continues to prove there’s power in being unapologetically yourself.Connect with Andrew: https://www.andrewmitchmusic.com/Listen at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow.Support the show on Patreon for ad-free and early release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast.Subscribe to the newsletter and follow along on socials for more.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Have you ever built a life that looked good from the outside but left you exhausted on the inside? Brooks Bell knows that feeling. At 38, she was the driven CEO who could carry it all until her body told her something wasn’t right. What followed was not only a colon cancer diagnosis but a reckoning with how she had been living.This story isn’t just about surviving illness. It is about letting go of perfection, rediscovering joy, and realizing that fun is a form of healing, too. Brooks learned to trade achievement for presence and to see connection as the real measure of success.Take your time with this one. It is tender and full of light.What You’ll HearHow ignoring small signs can change everythingThe moment Brooks finally let herself feelWhy fun and play became her new measure of joyWhat happens when identity is no longer tied to successThe power of turning pain into purpose through connectionGuest BioBrooks Bell is a cancer survivor, entrepreneur, and co-founder of World Class Clothing, a nonprofit brand raising awareness about colonoscopies and funding screenings for underinsured communities. After being diagnosed with colon cancer at 38, Brooks turned her experience into a mission to normalize conversations about prevention while also creating more space for fun, connection, and joy.Connect with BrooksWebsite: www.worldclassclothing.comInstagram: @worldclass_clothingListen to The Life Shift Podcast wherever you get your podcasts: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport the show on Patreon for ad-free, early-release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastStay connected through the newsletter and socials at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.comMentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

I’ve never been great at journaling.I’d start strong, buy the nice notebook, write for a few days – then stop. But through The Life Shift Podcast, I learned how powerful reflection can be when it’s real, not forced. So I created something I’d actually use. It’s called The Life Shift Journal.A 12-week guided reflection with one simple prompt each day – designed to help you slow down, pay attention, and see how you’re changing along the way. The rhythm repeats every four weeks – awareness, letting go, connection, becoming – three full cycles that help you notice how your answers evolve with you. You can find all the versions here:👉 thelifeshiftpodcast.com/p/journal Available in: Physical edition (Amazon) Digital edition (iPad + computer) If you’ve ever wanted to start journaling but never stuck with it, this one was made for you. Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Sometimes the story we never wanted becomes the one that shapes who we are. When the people we love disappear too soon, we begin to understand how fragile and precious it all is.Ricardo was only ten when his mother dropped him and his brother at the bowling alley and promised she would be right back. She never came back. That moment changed the way he saw the world. Through grief, silence, and eventually cancer, he learned that joy is not something that just arrives. It is something we build through intention, practice, and the quiet decision to keep living.This conversation holds space for grief that never fully leaves but grows lighter with care. It is about learning to carry what is heavy without losing sight of what is still beautiful.Take your time with this one. It is tender and real.What You’ll Hear:The moment that changed everything for a ten-year-old boyHow two brothers carried the same loss in completely different waysThe lessons Ricardo learned about speaking grief instead of burying itWhat cancer taught him about time, fear, and perspectiveThe daily practice of building joy after lossHow choosing presence can soften even the hardest memoriesGuest BioRicardo Viso is a global entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster, and former executive who’s turned life’s toughest moments into powerful lessons on joy and resilience—and he’s got the scars (and stories) to prove it. Born in Denver, raised in Mexico City, and now calling Austin home, he’s been through it all—losing his mother to suicide at 10, overcoming a stint of incarceration, and even battling cancer. But instead of letting life break him, he used these experiences to build something incredible.Now, he’s on a mission to help others break free from autopilot, shift their mindset, and create real joy in their lives and daily activities—without waiting for a life-altering wake-up call. As the founder of Joyful Living Lounge, Viso created a space where people can unwind, laugh, and soak up all the good vibes. No pressure, no perfection—just real people sharing stories, tips, and moments of joy.As developer of the RIC Method, Viso has created a game-changing approach that helps individuals and teams rediscover passion and purpose in their work and lives. Imagine a workplace where people actually love what they do—engaged, thriving, and delivering incredible results. That’s the magic Viso brings.His journey from tragedy to joy has been featured in International Business Times, proving that long-term fulfillment isn’t just possible—it’s something you can create, starting now. For those ready to unlock more joy, Viso offers practical strategies and a fresh perspective, inviting audiences to discover the roadmap to a more fulfilling life—inside and outside of the workplace. Read more here.Listen to more episodes of The Life Shift Podcast at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com. For ad-free early releases, visit Patreon. Sign up for the newsletter and connect with me on social media for more stories that remind us we are not alone.Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

Have you ever looked back on your childhood and realized how much you learned to keep inside? How the silence around you became something you carried, long after you left the place that taught it to you.Shigeko Ito grew up in a home that looked perfect from the outside but felt empty inside. Years later, after a moment of betrayal that changed everything, she began the long work of finding her way back to herself. Her story moves from isolation to understanding, from blame to compassion, and from surviving to healing.This conversation is about what it means to stop a generational pattern of silence and choose honesty instead. It is about finding language for pain that never had words. Take your time with this one. It is tender and real.What You’ll Hear:How emotional neglect can shape a child’s sense of safetyA moment of awakening that changed everythingThe long journey toward naming trauma and reclaiming self compassionThe quiet power of writing as a tool for healingWhat it means to end generational silenceFinding freedom through vulnerability and truthListen, share, and subscribe at www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/follow.For ad-free early access, join me on Patreon at www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast.Sign up for the newsletter and connect with me on social media for more stories that remind us we are not alone.Guest BioShigeko Ito is an educator, mental health advocate, and debut author of the memoir The Pond Beyond the Forest: Reflections on Childhood Trauma and Motherhood (She Writes Press). She grew up in Japan and immigrated to the United States in her twenties to pursue higher education, earning a PhD in Education from Stanford University. Drawing on her cross cultural experiences and academic expertise, she explores themes of trauma, resilience, and healing, with a particular focus on childhood emotional neglect. Shigeko lives in Seattle with her husband of thirty years. Learn more at shigekoito.comMentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.

If you grew up carrying things no one else could see, you may feel yourself in this story. Maria Gallucci was a bridge from the very beginning. As a child of deaf adults, she learned early how to interpret not just words, but emotion, context, and belonging. She understood how small acts of inclusion can change the way someone feels in a room. And later, she found herself interpreting the hardest words a person can hear when she had to tell her mom she was dying.In this conversation, Maria reflects on growing up between worlds, the weight and beauty of being the one who explains life to others, and how grief continues to shape us long after the moment of loss. She also shares how parenting through grief deepened her sense of compassion and clarified her commitment to building a more inclusive world. This is a story about love, responsibility, and learning how to stay soft while carrying so much.Take your time with this one. It is tender and real.What you’ll hear in this episodeWhat it feels like to grow up as the bridge in your familyThe moment Maria had to interpret her mother’s terminal diagnosisHow grief reshapes identity and relationshipsParenting while grievingWhy small acts of inclusion matterA reminder that your story matters tooGuest BioMaria Gallucci is a multi-award-winning real estate agent and proud CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). Growing up as one of six hearing children raised by Deaf parents, she learned ASL before English and helped her parents buy a home at just 12 years old. This experience shaped her passion for inclusive communication and helping those who are often overlooked.For over 30 years, Maria has supported homebuyers from all walks of life, with special focus on the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and LGBTQ+ communities. She’s the founder of Uptown Realty Group, Gallucci Homes, ASL @ Compass Affinity Group, and ASL Realty, a national platform connecting Deaf & Hard of Hearing clients with signing agents. She ranks in the top 1% of agents in Colorado and top 1.5% nationwide.Maria also serves on boards for Rocky Mountain Deaf School, DOVE, and Colorado Association of the Deaf. Her motto, "just try," reflects her belief that meaningful connection starts with one small step. Her debut book, Raised in Silence, is both a love letter to the Deaf & Hard of Hearing community and a guide for bridging communication gaps.Connect with Maria:Website: aslrealty.comWebsite: galluccihomes.comIf this conversation moved you, please share it and consider supporting the show:Listen and follow: www.thelifeshiftpodcast.com/followSupport on Patreon for ad-free and early-release episodes: www.patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcastSubscribe to the newsletter and join the conversation: https://thelifeshiftpodcast.beehiiv.com/Mentioned in this episode:Available Now: "still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything"This episode is brought to you by *still HERE: True Stories of the Moments That Changed Everything* by Matt Gilhooly. Matt is the creator and host of The Life Shift Podcast. Over four years and more than 240 episodes, he has sat with strangers and asked them about the moments that changed everything. *still HERE* is what he found. Over 100 true stories. Eight sections. One listener making sense of what it all means for the rest of us. Available now in Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Still-Here-Stories-Moments-Everything/dp/1639011854/ If you read it and it moves you, an honest review on Amazon helps more people find it.