To close out this season, we’re shaking things up a bit. Writer and producer Rebekah Pahl is interviewing Isaac , and they discuss the starting point of identity, collaboration, evaluating old narratives, feeling for the space of aliveness, and Isaac’s musings on what’s going on here with this whole experiment of existence. As a Wonderer and the CEO of Lightward , Isaac gives careful attention and presence to the evolution of his own identity, as well as Lightward’s—and it’s a treat to hear him ...
Nov 09, 2021•1 hr 3 min
To close out season 1, we’re doing something a little different for our final two episodes. Writer and producer Rebekah Pahl is interviewing Abe this week, and then Isaac in the episode to follow. We’ll be reflecting on what this past season of conversations has meant to our own aliveness—and what we’re feeling drawn toward next. Abe and Rebekah discuss the origins of the podcast, what it’s felt like for Abe to uncover a new level of confidence, the liminal space before you know what’s next, dev...
Nov 02, 2021•58 min
Rebecca Fralick is a chef and the owner of Mara’s Cafe based in Wisconsin. She’s a powerhouse business owner and is crystal clear about her values—she’s only interested in opportunities that deeply align with her intuition. Alongside her business endeavors, she’s also a mom, wife, and lover of plants, sunshine, good coffee, and tacos. Rebecca thinks in flavor profiles and makes decisions with the inner compass of integrity. She’s made it her mission for her insides to match her outsides—and it’s...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr
During the first chapter of his career, Jim Jacoby built a successful, privately-owned agency pioneering user-centered design in finance, healthcare, tech, and manufacturing. Then, at the peak of his success, he took a step back and commissioned a world-renowned designer to build a revolutionary motorcycle. Jim studied the methods and behaviors behind the process, then codified his findings into a system that could be applied in any industry—giving a modern, 21st century twist to the idea of Cra...
Oct 19, 2021•56 min•Ep. 50
Today’s guest is someone who’s part of our daily life—our dear friend, and Lightward’s Wellness Advisor, Ian Day. We’ve known Ian for almost five years now and we’re so grateful to be doing life alongside him. Ian’s a whimsical blend of wellness knowledge and good-hearted fun—and as you’ll soon hear for yourself, the path to self-acceptance hasn’t been an easy one. He’s done the soul-work of getting quiet inside to discover who he is and to find his grounding in a self-love that’s not up for deb...
Oct 12, 2021•49 min•Ep. 49
Today’s guest is our dear friend Thorin Decatur— who also happens to be our barber. Whether through his profession or as a present father to his kids, Thorin stays energized by constantly learning. While the overarching societal trend tells us to stop exploring as we grow older, Thorin is actively choosing to stay open by way of compassion and curiosity. He’s a refreshing example of how the expansiveness of allowing ourselves to feel everything far outweighs the safety of remaining in old patter...
Oct 05, 2021•49 min•Ep. 48
Amanda Ewing is a Nashville-based luthier (violin-maker)—and is the first Black female luthier on record. She’s been apprenticing with her teacher since 2018, honing the intricacies of her craft—and there are many of them! On average, it takes about 250 hours and about 56 parts to make a violin. Amanda’s not only keeping a highly-detailed art form alive—she’s also changing the trajectory of a field that’s been strategically exclusive to white males for 500 years. Throughout this conversation we ...
Sep 28, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 47
Mladen Rangelov is a product leader and team builder at Shopify, and he self-describes as a life-learner who’s energized by building environments in which teams can thrive. Born in what was then Yugoslavia, and growing up in the middle of a war—Mladen holds a unique perspective on making the most of being alive and leaning into vulnerable and tough conversations, from a place of empathy and positive intent. Throughout this conversation we discuss prioritizing self-care in a leadership role, crea...
Sep 21, 2021•58 min•Ep. 46
Yumin Wong was born and raised in Singapore, then moved to the U.S. for college—and is now a staff software engineer at GitHub. She’s also the mother of a two-year old and is expecting baby #2 in just a few weeks. Yumin integrates her love for these co-existing parts of herself by exploring the parallels between parenting and engineering—or as she calls it, “parengineering”. Throughout this conversation we discuss growing into confidence, compartmentalizing your work life while still being genui...
Sep 14, 2021•54 min•Ep. 45
Christian Picciolini is an award-winning television producer, public speaker, author, peace advocate, and former violent extremist. After leaving the white-supremacist skinhead movement he was part of during the 1980s and 90s, Christian began the process of making amends and creating a new life. He went on to receive a degree in international relations from DePaul University and launched Goldmill Group, a counter-extremism consulting and digital media firm. In 2016, he won an Emmy for producing ...
Sep 07, 2021•56 min•Ep. 44
Today’s guest is the intuitive, the powerful, Antonia Coffelt. We first met Antonia in Chicago a few years ago—and the soul kindredness felt electric from the start. With a master’s in Communications from Northwestern University and a passion for human truth, Antonia engages her work as a host, creative director, and founder from a place of inner expansiveness. Through her practice as an experiential marketing and communications consultant, Antonia guides teams to successfully actualize their id...
Aug 31, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 43
Jedidiah Jenkins is the New York Times bestselling author of two books, To Shake The Sleeping Self —which chronicles his bike trip from Oregon to Patagonia, and his newest release, Like Streams To The Ocean , a collection of essays on ego, love, and the things that make us who we are. Throughout this conversation we discuss letting go of certainty, shifting belief systems, the journey of embracing his sexuality, writing as an exercise to understand the self, and what it means to live with both m...
Aug 24, 2021•56 min
The truth-teller and legend Melissa Urban is here, dropping her wisdom—so buckle up. Melissa is the co-founder, CEO, and spark behind the Whole30 program. She’s a six-time New York Times bestselling author, host of the podcast Do The Thing , and is also a prominent keynote speaker on social media and branding, health trends, and entrepreneurship. Melissa is a beacon of light in the world of wellness, and ranks #19 on Greatist’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness. Throughout th...
Aug 17, 2021•57 min•Ep. 41
Linnea Gits is the creative director at Uusi , a design studio based on the idea that life is worth the meaningful effort, and its reward is one of discovery. Both Linnea and her creative partner Peter have a love of traditional craftsmanship, material exploration, and a search for the essential beauty in everyday objects. We first came across Linnea’s work through a project titled “ Materia Prima” —a tarot deck inspired by the periodic table and recently picked up by CB2. After two decades in C...
Aug 10, 2021•57 min•Ep. 40
Today’s guest is our Denver neighbor, friend, and the owner of Park Hill Yoga, Deborah Baker. As an Iyengar Yoga certified instructor with 30 years of experience, Deborah is sharing her passion for mindfulness and movement through her studio that she’s been running for 25 years now. Alongside her love for yoga, Deborah also has a love for language. She has her Masters in Linguistics, and is fluent in both German and Spanish—basically, Deborah has a love for life and is deeply in love with her ow...
Aug 03, 2021•56 min•Ep. 39
David Malki ! is the cartoonist and creator behind Wondermark , the inventively playful and poignant comic that we’ve linked below—so do yourself a huge favor and check it out right after listening to the episode. In addition to his creative endeavors with Wondermark , David was also co-editor of the Machine of Death series of fiction anthologies and is presently the director of games development at Cut.com. Throughout this conversation we discuss developing artistic taste, finding your audience...
Jul 27, 2021•53 min•Ep. 38
Today’s guest is someone who’s very dear to us—a frequent collaborator who’s filmed the anniversary videos that we make every year. We’ve shared some beautiful moments in some beautiful places over the years, and today’s episode feels like an extension of one of our many heart-expanding conversations—Joshua Tree, the Rocky Mountains, the California redwoods, and now here, with you. Orion Pahl identifies as an artist, space-holder, and healer. As a documentary filmmaker, Orion is currently explor...
Jul 20, 2021•54 min•Ep. 37
Jennifer Detrich Smith is in the business of making something beautiful. She’s both the mother of two as well as the owner of Birdseye Rule, a magical store located in the heart of Logan Square—and it’s one of our favorite shops in Chicago. We first met Jen at an Enneagram panel she hosted in her space and we’ve kept in touch and kept ordering things from her thoughtfully-curated collection ever since. As you’ll soon hear for yourself, Jen is an expansive soul who’s thought a lot about what she ...
Jul 13, 2021•47 min•Ep. 36
Jake Nickell is the CEO and founder of Threadless, the nexus of a diverse and expansive artist community that partners with those artists to promote and produce their art. In 2000, Threadless began as a t-shirt design company based in Chicago. Since then, Threadless has grown into a fully remote company with a marketplace of full apparel, accessories, and home decor powered by their artist community. In lifting up the creative expression of their artists, Threadless was an early innovator in the...
Jul 06, 2021•54 min•Ep. 35
Today’s guest is the effervescent, resilient, and powerful Agnes Igoye. Agnes is Uganda’s Deputy National Coordinator for the prevention of human trafficking and is a Labour Migration Expert at the Intergovernmental Authority on Development. She’s also a Senior New Voices Fellow at the Aspen Institute and teaches an online child protection course at Harvard University. Agnes has both lived through tremendous hardship and lives with contagious joy. At age 14, Agnes fled from the Lord’s Resistance...
Jun 29, 2021•56 min•Ep. 34
If you follow @abelopez on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me post about my #abeminus100 journey. Four years ago, I set a goal to lose 100 pounds, and it set me on a path that has changed my life forever. And in any journey that involves venturing beyond what you’ve known, you’ll meet guides along the way. Today we’re in conversation with one of my guides, Taryn Van Brennan, the registered dietician I’ve worked with for over three years and who has supported me as I’ve shifted into a new way of ...
Jun 22, 2021•57 min•Ep. 33
April Gustafson is a data engineer at Spotify and is opening doors to better worlds through math and science. After working as a science teacher for both middle and high school students, April went to grad school for computer science and has kept the throughline of her purpose clear even as she’s pivoted careers. Fueled by the desire to make science accessible to those who have typically been shut out of the equation, April is holding the door open for a more diverse range of perspectives. Throu...
Jun 08, 2021•52 min•Ep. 32
Today we’re diving into all the feelings with our guest—the artist, writer, and singer known as Trace. Based in LA, Trace has been releasing songs since 2016 when she brought her first project, the Low EP, to life through a Kickstarter campaign. Low garnered over 20 million streams and opened the door to her first record deal with Ultra Records. Now shifting into releasing music independently, Trace continues to evolve with each new release, lending her voice to raise awareness for anxiety in th...
May 25, 2021•57 min•Ep. 31
Introducing our very first BONUS EPISODE of a series we've titled "On AIR w/ Abe, Isaac, & Rebekah" (hence the acronym). After each week's Empowered Human Academy interview, join us here for an even deeper dive for reflection, integration, and fun with Abe, Isaac, and Rebekah (EHA writer/producer). In these bonus episodes we'll share how we're digesting this week's conversation and also swap art recommendations. These weekly bonus episodes will soon be available only with a paid subscription...
May 20, 2021•26 min
Jing Gao is the founder and CEO of Fly By Jing , a modern Asian food brand that’s on a mission to bring diversity to the natural food space. After being featured in the New York Times right as quarantine began last year, Fly By Jing skyrocketed and has been growing at a rapid pace—and it’s the kind of growth that feels so grounded that we couldn’t help but feel curious about the soul behind the magic. And that’s just what this conversation is: an exploration of the relationship between soul and ...
May 18, 2021•53 min•Ep. 30
Today’s guest is Creative and Science Communicator, Myeashea Alexander. Abe first met Myeashea a few years ago through his work with the Clinton Foundation and has been consistently inspired by her power, perspective, and personhood ever since. Currently based in New York, Myeashea manages the Clinton Global Initiative University Commitment Mentor program. She holds a Bachelor’s in Culture & Media from The New School and a Master’s in Anthropology. Throughout this conversation we discuss psy...
May 11, 2021•54 min•Ep. 29
Today’s guest is an immensely talented visual artist and designer, and our friend, Frances Macleod. Both dynamic and delightful, Frances is an artist who’s continually following her curiosity—and it’s taken her to some rad places so far. With a background in art direction and graphic design, Frances has worked with a wide range of brands and agencies including Barnes & Noble, Coors Light, Chipotle, and even spent time being the designer in residence for Facebook New York’s Analog Research La...
May 04, 2021•52 min•Ep. 28
Today’s guest is our dear friend and writer for the Lightward team, Rebekah Pahl. Rebekah typically writes these intros, but we’re taking over this week so she can get the Full Guest Treatment. We’ve known Rebekah for almost eight years now—our paths first crossed while we were living in California, and we’ve witnessed up close her artistic evolution as a songwriter, musician, and writer. We wrote our wedding vows to her song “Canyons” and have hosted a couple of her living room concerts over th...
Apr 06, 2021•58 min•Ep. 27
Today’s guest is our dear friend Rich Holton, who self-describes first and foremost as a listener. As an actor, he harnesses that ability of listening to the world around him—staying close to what life brings to the surface. Based in Chicago, Rich has appeared on Chicago PD and renowned theatres like Steppenwolf, Goodman, and Second City. Rich was our personal trainer for two years while we were living in Chicago, so we got to experience his resilience and dedication to his craft up close. That ...
Mar 30, 2021•57 min•Ep. 26
In celebration of our 25th episode, we’re trying something new this week—interviewing our first couple! We invited two of our dearest friends, Jonny Mendez and Aimée Mazzenga, for one intimate and lively conversation. Jonny and Aimée have been together for nine years and married for almost five. As artists, they’re both extremely talented in their creative fields. Aimée’s an interior photographer, and Jonny a musician. (Fun fact: Jonny composed the intro music you hear at the beginning of this p...
Mar 23, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 25
