Heartful Wonders – Details, episodes & analysis

I knew Robert Hartline as a savvy businessman and someone who'd been a big Marco Polo fan for years. Then I read his LinkedIn post about love. I had to have this conversation.Robert spent 22 years building something extraordinary — 78 stores, 450 people, the fastest-growing business in middle Tennessee two years running. And slowly, quietly, he was going numb.Then T-Mobile acquired Sprint overnight. Everything collapsed in months. He was lost, using weed, and writing in his journal every day about fear. Until one day, what came out wasn't just fear. He told a friend. The friend said: come to Costa Rica. That yes changed everything.There's a moment in this conversation that was particularly meaningful to me. A breathwork facilitator asked him what he does. He said: "I sell cell phones." She said: "You help people connect with each other. You connect people." He got emotional just retelling it. So did I. Like he'd fallen asleep and suddenly remembered who he was.Nine years sober. A breathwork facilitator. A leader helping entrepreneurs stop running from themselves and start leading from their hearts. A man whose whole philosophy — and last name — is Heartline.▶️ Watch the full episode now.👤 Robert can be found:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roberthartlinejrLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyhartline/Website: https://roberthartline.com/Website: www.scalingsober.com ✨Vlada can be found:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlada/Substack: https://heartfulwonders.substack.com/Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/vladabortnik/📎 Resources mentioned:Traction: https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction-bookThree Marriages: https://www.davidwhyte.com/three-marriages10x Is Easier Than 2x: https://www.10xeasierbook.com/EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System): https://www.eosworldwide.com/Strategic Coach: https://www.strategiccoach.com/Evolution of Dave (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/@EvolutionofDaveEnvision Festival: https://www.envisionfestival.com/Power vs. Force – David R. Hawkins: https://veritaspub.com/product/power-vs-force/

What does it feel like when your heart is calling you toward something that makes no sense to anyone else? Rachel Zurer has left "good enough" (at least) twice in her life—first, an established magazine career for a tiny startup, and years later, her marriage and job within months of each other. She shares the practice of recognizing truth in your body, starting small to build trust, and what becomes possible when you stop pretending you don't already know.

Episode is brought to you by:

Marco Polo, the most magical way to stay close to your loved ones. There are no ads, no endless feeds, just authentic, face to face connection on your own time. The app is completely free. You can download it on App Store or Google Play or by going to www.marcopolo.me

In this episode, we explore:

• The physical sensation of "whole body yes"—and how to recognize truth in your body
• Why stillness and embodiment practices are the doorway to clarity→ Choosing between an established magazine (300,000 readers) and a startup (1,500 readers)—and how the decision came in Shavasana
• The caterpillar and cocoon metaphor: when people who love you get scared of your transformation
• Why her mom asked if she could "get back in the box"—and what happened when Rachel said no
• The practice of starting small: choosing produce, meeting times, and menu items based on what feels true
• The "if I did know" reframe that cuts through confusion and self-doubt
• Why you can't think your way to the right decision when your heart already knows→ Breaking the norm of "pushing through" and learning to honor what your body needs
• The messiness of transformation: giving herself a D on her marriage and an A on leaving her next job
• What becomes possible after a decade of practice: abundant time, work you love, and deep trust in yourself

Rachel opens up about how the big leaps are built on a thousand small acts of listening. She shares why following your heart sometimes means breaking the very norms that kept you safe, and how community reflection helps quiet the voices that say "you're not enough."

This conversation is for anyone who's ever sensed something calling them toward change but dismissed it as impractical, or who's tired of optimizing for what looks good rather than what feels true.

About Rachel Zurer:

Rachel Zurer is a business coach and former magazine editor based in Boulder, Colorado. After leaving her established magazine career and navigating major life transitions, Rachel now helps conscious entrepreneurs and service providers follow their heart's calling while building sustainable, aligned businesses. She's known for her weekly newsletter that explores words and phrases that bring more sparkle to your life and business.

Rachel can be found:

• Website: https://wildgenius.com
• Instagram: @rachelzurer

Vlada can be found:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlada/
• Substack: https://heartfulwonders.substack.com/
• Instagram: @vladabortnik

Resources mentioned:

• Diana Chapman https://www.dianachapman.com/
• Conscious Leadership Group https://conscious.is
• Gay and Katie Hendricks https://hendricks.com
• Resources from CLG about Whole Body Yes (including the meditation mentioned): https://wholebodyyes.com
• Headspace meditation app: https://www.headspace.com
• The Way meditation app https://www.thewayapp.com
• 15 Questions to Ask As Your Soul Business Gestates (free journal prompts) https://wildgenius.com

What happens when following your heart means choosing yourself over family expectations? Energy healer Jessica Lyda shares her journey from social media manager to healer—and the moment she had to break a lifetime pattern of pushing through to honor what her body needed.Episode is brought to you by: Marco Polo, the most magical way to stay close to your loved ones. There are no ads, no endless feeds, just authentic, face to face connection on your own time. The app is completely free. You can download it on App Store or Google Play or by going to www.marcopolo.meIn this episode, we explore:→ Why following your heart right now looks like softening instead of explosive action→ Breaking the norm of "pushing through" that led to a thyroid condition→ The fear of disappointing family—and choosing to skip Christmas while healing from surgery→ How catching flack from family members tested her commitment to herself→ The moment other women at a leadership retreat saw Jessica as a healer before she could claim it→ Why slowing down and operating under capacity is actually the goal (not a failure)→ The norm-breaking truth: you can't create justice in the world through unjust treatment of your own body→ Learning to trust the magic works—even when facing fear with celebrity clients who give zero feedback→ Having one person ask the right questions: "Has anything changed in that environment since you grew up?"→ The question underneath it all: can you honor what's true even when it breaks expectations?Jessica opens up about why breaking the norm of constant achievement required more courage than any big leap she'd ever taken. She shares how community reflection helps quiet the voices that say "you're not enough," and why she now practices what she preaches—even when it scares her.This conversation is for anyone who's spent their life meeting expectations, proving their worth, and pushing past limits—and is now learning that following your heart sometimes means breaking the very norms that kept you safe.About Jessica Lyda:Jessica Lyda is an energy healer and cacao ceremony facilitator based in San Diego. After years working as a social media manager while managing chronic illness, Jessica broke the norm of "acceptable career paths" to follow her heart into full-time healing work. She now holds space for individual sessions, cacao ceremonies, and works with both private clients and social justice organizations on embodied approaches to change.Jessica can be found:https://genuineconversationsmedia.com/aboutVlada can be found:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlada/Substack: https://heartfulwonders.substack.com/Episode is produced by: Mun Yee Kelly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mun-yee-kelly-769868/Resources mentioned:Energy healing and bodywork https://genuineconversationsmedia.com/oneononesessionsCacao ceremonies https://genuineconversationsmedia.com/cacao-ceremoniesWomen's leadership retreats https://genuineconversationsmedia.com/mini-retreats

What happens when you spend your whole life in your head—and finally learn to trust your body? Nancy Yu and I sit down for an honest conversation about the journey from "head mode only" to embodied living. We both grew up with immigrant parents who taught us that achievement and academics were everything. The body? Not part of the equation.

Episode is brought to you by Marco Polo, the most magical way to stay close to your loved ones. There are no ads, no endless feeds, just authentic, face to face connection on your own time. The app is completely free. You can download it on App Store or Google Play or by going to www.marcopolo.me

In this episode, we explore:

• Why it took heartbreak and difficulty to finally crack us open
• Anger as the emotion we both struggle with most—and why we metabolize it alone instead of feeling it
• The practice of noticing without intellectualizing everything
• How personal growth work can become a weapon against ourselves
• What "surrendering" actually looks like (spoiler: it's harder than it sounds)
• Five rhythms dance, warm baths, and other practices for getting out of our heads
• Intergenerational patterns around food, safety, and scarcity
• Learning to accept emotional support, not just tactical help
• The question underneath it all: can we just be with our feelings instead of fixing them?

Nancy talks about her journey through conscious leadership training and what it took to finally feel something below her neck. I share my experience at an emotional release retreat where I discovered just how much anger I'd been suppressing. This conversation is for anyone who's been the "good student," the achiever, the one who has it all figured out—and is now learning that the body knows things the mind hasn't caught up to yet.

About Nancy Yu:Nancy Yu is an entrepreneur currently emerging from a season of sabbatical and new motherhood. Her work now centers on women's circles, feminine leadership, and motherhood—creating grounded spaces for connection, depth, and presence. She also teaches yoga in San Francisco. Previously, Nancy was the CEO and cofounder of AllStripes, a patient-centered healthtech company partnering with biopharma and families with rare diseases. The company supported over 4,000 families, raised over $65 million, and was acquired by PicnicHealth. Earlier in her career, Nancy led corporate development at 23andMe and worked in private equity and investment banking on Wall Street.

Nancy can be found:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yunancy/

Vlada can be found:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlada/Substack: https://heartfulwonders.substack.com/

Episode is produced by Mun Yee Kelly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mun-yee-kelly-769868/

Resources mentioned:

• Conscious Leadership Group (CLG): https://conscious.is
• Five Rhythms Dance: https://www.5rhythms.com
• Art of Accomplishment: https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/

"I have all this greatness in my life—how do I help the long tail of people who don't have that?"

Nancy Yu reflects on the responsibility that comes with privilege and what she's learned about herself: she's driven by the mission of bridging the gap between big money and the have-nots. Making sure we all stick together.

This is a preview from my new podcast, Heartful Wonders, where I sit down with people exploring what it means to follow your heart in business and life.

Full conversation with Nancy dropping soon.

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