The Storytelling with Heart Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

At a young age, we’re asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” 

But what if your answer to that question doesn’t fit one of the usual “boxes” we’re offered? 

What if you want to leave your mark on the world in your own, unique way?

What if you want to design your own career and life path for yourself? And what if the crafting and designing… never really ends?

If you’ve ever wondered about how to design your own career (and life) for yourself, and leave your mark on your industry or field, Scott Livingston has some insight to share. 

Scott Livingston is an athletic therapist, master performance coach, and reconditioning professional. With 35+ years of practice in the human performance industry working in every conceivable performance environment, Scott has trained and reconditioned college, Olympic and professional athletes from just about every imaginable sport. 

(For the hockey fans: Scott’s career experience included eleven seasons in the NHL as an athletic therapist and strength and conditioning coach with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and New York Islanders.)

These days, Scott is co-founder of Reconditioning HQ, and host of the Leave Your Mark podcast, where he explores people’s life journeys.

Notably, Scott crafted his own career from the ground-up. He didn’t take a “regular” job, nor did he work his way up the ladder. At each career step, he thought about how he could craft a role that would allow him to contribute in his own unique way. 

In this conversation we explore how Scott (aka Scotty) got to where he is today, some of the ups and downs of his journey, and some of the things he’s learned through his travels.

Topics and ideas we explore:

- It is your picture to paint: The pros and cons of creating a new role or career path for yourself that doesn’t exist yet. 

- Getting comfortable with “slow painting”: Why making big industry changes can be possible, but it might take more time than you think. 

- How to do more of what brings you joy: How to identify the things you really love and start to do more of them (even when your current life is built around obligation and responsibility to others.)

- The power of inner storytelling: The ways our inner narratives can help or hinder us, and how to start to examine and expand them. 

- The value of self-reflection and introspection: Why it’s necessary to look inwards if you want to make an impact. 

- How to use neuroscience to your advantage in personal growth — and why you need an accountability practice to change.

- Why it’s worth asking people about their lives (not just their expertise): How Scotty fulfilled a lifelong dream of broadcasting through his podcast, and his approach to exploring real life stories on his podcast.

- The truth about career growth and arriving at your “destination”: Scotty’s biggest life revelation from looking back on his career.

When you’re done listening, learn more about Scott by visiting www.ReconditioningHQ.com

Imagine finding out that someone you loved lived a double life…keeping a secret the entire family knew nothing about until after they died.

Secrets, especially those born out of shame, can make us feel small and hidden. They can have dangerous consequences, not just personally, but also socially and culturally. 

On the other hand, bringing those secrets to light can be profoundly enlightening, powerful, and maybe even spark social change. 

On today’s episode of the Storytelling with Heart podcast, we explore both the impact of secret-keeping and the potential of storytelling, with journalist and debut novelist, Sasha Vasilyuk.

Sasha Vasilyuk is a journalist and author of the new novel, Your Presence is Mandatory, which spans between World War II and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Sasha has an MA in journalism from New York University and her nonfiction has been published in the New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, CNN, Time magazine and more. 

Sasha grew up between Ukraine and Russia before immigrating to the U.S. at the age of 13. In 2007, after her grandfather’s death, Sasha’s grandmother discovered in his papers a confession letter addressed to the KGB, revealing a history previously buried. Loosely inspired by her grandfather’s story, the novel explores the multi-generational impact of not only war and trauma, but also secrets and stigma. 

In this episode of the Storytelling with Heart podcast, we explore Sasha’s fascinating family story, as well as broader themes such as:

– The value of fiction writing and how it can be used to explore nuanced and difficult subjects.

– The personal and social risk of internalized shame – how storytelling, or the lack thereof, can shape cultural narratives as well as causing personal harm.

– How to navigate the muddy waters of sharing complicated stories with our children and young people.

– The challenge of sharing sensitive or vulnerable stories, and how to decide when it’s worth it to share the truth (or not).

– Why it’s worth exploring family histories, regardless of whether you want to publish them.

– Plus, tips for memoir and creative nonfiction writing!

When you’re done listening, check out Your Presence is Mandatory here: www.sashavasilyuk.com/your-presence-is-mandatory.

It’s easy to get stuck in the same-old, same-old. 

If you’re like many people these days, you might feel like you have to put your own creative, playful leanings aside for the sake of business or all the responsibilities of adult life. 

Maybe somewhere along the way, you put your passion projects on the shelf. Or you started playing within your comfort zone, just doing things you’re good at, rather than branching out and trying something new. 

If any of this rings true for you — or if you simply want a dose of creative inspiration — check out today’s podcast episode. 

Fair warning, this episode is a bit unusual: rather than a traditional interview, it brings together a group of old friends who explore the lessons they learned from the ‘90s hardcore punk scene. 

What can a niche subculture (and a group of aging punks) teach us? Turns out, quite a bit. 

While also covering a bit of ‘90s nostalgia (big pants! Mix tapes!), Camille and her friends explore topics like:

• The power of community and collaboration, and why it’s often better to build something together rather than entirely solo.
• Why the “if you build it, they will come” approach is often true; you might be surprised who shows up to support you if you put yourself out there.
• Inclusivity, and how to make a community feel more inviting. (Including prompts to help newbies feel included.)
• A great mantra and approach for starting anything new. (And how one person used it to turn their attic crawl space into an actual B&B with virtually no resources… well before Airbnb was a thing.)
• Why centering your life and work around your values can give you motivation and purposefulness (and how to avoid “teenage aimlessness” at any age.)
• Why DIY and amateur culture are so powerful; why you should embrace the things you suck and why you shouldn’t feel pressure to monetize something you love if you don’t want to.
• The magic that can happen when you find “your people” and choose to spend your time with people you genuinely love.

(Plus, the proper length for any mixtape!)

In this episode, you’ll hear from host Camille DePutter, along with Colleen Burgess, Megan DePutter, Paul Hammond, Lukas Neville, Matt Nish-Lapidus, and Kim Walters. 

Do you ever wish you could wave a magic wand and get other people to change? 

Dr. Rachel Miller did. 

She initially got into medicine to help people, but wound up feeling frustrated by the lack of leadership training and skill development within the healthcare industry. 

One day, from within her bathroom with the shower running, Rachel had a realization: maybe she could be the change she was looking for. 

Today, Dr. Rachel Miller, a distinguished board-certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist, expertly combines her medical expertise with her passion for leadership development. 

As a Certified Executive Coach and author of “How to Succeed as a Healthcare Leader,” Dr. Miller is dedicated to empowering healthcare leaders to drive meaningful change within their organizations and their private practices. She offers transformative guidance to physician executives and front-line leaders through her company, Pocket Bridges. And, she has an award-nominated podcast, Life, Love, and Leadership for Physicians, where she shares her expertise and interviews experts, including myself. 

In this podcast, Rachel and I explore how you can positively channel your frustration into impact. We explore how you can positively influence and impact the people around you, including this nugget of wisdom: start with yourself.

In our discussion, Rachel comments on the American healthcare system, but there’s wide applicability here for anyone who wants to be a better leader or effect change around them.

We explore:

• Why “start with yourself” is always good advice when you want to create change – and why understanding *yourself* makes understanding *other people* easier
• Why personal development will also help you with professional development (and vice versa)
• The problem with “all or nothing” thinking and other common blindspots, plus how to shift your brain to explore more creative possibilities
• Why human connection and trust is at the heart of impactful leadership
• Tips for building stronger connections and trust in a virtual or hybrid work environment
• How thought leadership can help you channel your frustration into something positive and make a difference. (Hint: If you’re frustrated and want to foster change in your business or industry, this is a great place to start.)

^ This part of the interview is my favourite bit of the show, by the way! If you’re frustrated AF right now, tune in around 39:00 and you’ll get right to the part where we talk about how expressing yourself (through things like writing or podcasting) can help you turn your frustration into something productive and meaningful. 

When you’re done listening, check Rachel out at  wwwpocketbridges.com. You can also find her  on LinkedIn – Linkedin.com/in/rachelmillermd – and Instagram as @drrachelmillermd

Do you want to become a more impactful leader, while staying true to your values, your vision, and yourself?

Be sure to check out this interview with Jayson Krause.

Jayson Krause is a leadership strategist, executive coach, award-winning author, speaker, and the founder of Level 52. He works with leaders running billion-dollar businesses from Singapore to Silicon Valley, helping them to develop strong cultures of innovation and meaningful leadership. 

Before his career in leadership and coaching, Jayson won four national championships as a Canadian bobsleigh athlete. Much of what Jayson learned about growth and development as a high-performance athlete shapes the work and methodology of Level 52 today through an award-winning framework he developed called The Science Behind Success™.

In this episode, we unpack ALLLLLL the business and leadership buzzwords, examining topics like: 

•  Employee engagement (and why employees are becoming more disengaged even while companies are spending more money than ever on employee engagement.)
• Leadership coaching (and why we should use it as preventative medicine rather than a tool reserved for crises and disasters.)
• Authenticity (and why leaders need to earn the right to be authentic)
• Culture (and why it does matter how brilliant you and your people are if your culture sucks)
• Relationships (and why leaders need to actively engineer integrous relationships)
• Goal setting (including how to approach it in a way that is more inspiring and engaging
• Collaboration (and how to ask questions so you foster collaboration and input, rather than getting shut down)
• Empathy (and how to ‘get in the heads’ of your audience so they actually care about what you have to say)
• Feedback (and the value of 360 reviews, plus why negative feedback is probably the best, most useful feedback you’ll ever get.)

Plus, the everlasting question…

• If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? ← Yes, Jayson actually provides an answer to this… 😂 And it’s a really valuable message for leaders!

When you’re done listening, be sure to learn more about Jayson and Level52 at www.level52.ca

Have ever thought that if you just put your head down and do great work, eventually you’ll be recognized for your talents?

Have you ever felt squeamish about marketing, self-promotion, or talking about yourself?

Do you want to get more recognition, more opportunities, and more influence – but you don’t want to spend more time on social media or just “add to the noise”?

Enter Lisa Bragg. 

Lisa Bragg is an author, speaker and advisor who helps leaders navigate savvy self-promotion that is authentic and gets results. 

She helps high-achievers of all sorts be seen, heard, and share their value with the world. Lisa then takes it a step further to show leaders how to help less visible people on their teams to do the same.

Lisa’s book, Bragging Rights: How to Talk about Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion, launched as a best seller in May 2023. Bragging Rights is based on insights from Lisa’s career as an award-winning journalist, entrepreneur and consultant, as well as an extensive international research study on bragging and self-promotion.

In this episode, we explore how leaders can embrace purposeful self-promotion to make a bigger impact while staying true to themselves. 

Topics we cover:

• Why we all need to feel seen and heard, no matter who we are or what we do.
• Common myths (like, “if you’re good enough, people will eventually recognize / reward you”) and why these are false.
• The difference between purposeful self-promotion and narcissistic megaphone-ing.
• Why self promotion does not require social media!
• Easy, everyday, non-gross tips for getting more attention and promoting yourself.
• The importance of developing your own point of view, and what you want to be known for.
• Why you don’t need to keep re-inventing stories or making new content… and why you should re-tell your signature stories again and again
• The value of a professional brand – why you should have one, regardless of your role, and how to get started.
• Why you DO deserve credit for your work, even in a team situation, and a key phrase you can use to help other people see your value.
• How leaders can (and should!) help others advocate for themselves.

Don’t miss this energizing and inspiring episode!

And, when you’re done, check out this FREE tool Lisa offers exclusively for podcast listeners: https://www.lisabragg.com/listener-love 

Be sure to find Lisa at www.lisabragg.com, and follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

In “Coaching with Cam”, Camille takes a break from interviewing guests to share lessons, tips, tricks, and other communications guidance with listeners. 

In today’s Halloween-themed (but actually timeless) episode, Camille (aka Cam) tackles the scary side of storytelling. 

Cam explores how fear and vulnerability can stop us from telling our best, most impactful stories — but they don’t have to. 

She then walks listeners through some simple methods to move through the fear so you can build stronger connections with your audience, and actually enjoy the process.

This episode is geared towards Halloween but is relevant to any time of the year, offering some timeless principles for embracing fear and expressing yourself with bold authenticity. 

Have you ever wondered whether your personal story could help you professionally? 

Could sharing your own story help you differentiate yourself, stand out, connect better with people, overcome imposter syndrome, or simply grow as a person? 

Yes – all of the above, says  Coach Jon McLernon.

Jon is a nutrition coach who struggled with PTSD, depression, binge-eating, and poor health after a traumatic incident. After recovering and transforming his life, he went on to share his stories—and differentiate himself as a coach. 

Jon says his story became his biggest asset in business.

Since then, he went on to launch Between the Before & After, a podcast that shares inspiring real life stories of remarkable people overcoming significant adversity in their life. 

On his podcast, Jon has interviewed over 100 individuals about their stories, never shying away from the gritty and vulnerable details that make us messy and human.

In this episode, Jon opens up about his own story, how it’s helped him in business and life, and what he’s learned from other people’s stories. 

We explore:

• How a traumatic event sent Jon into a deep spiral of shame, binge eating, and depression—and how he turned his life around.
• Why forgiveness, self-compassion, and self care were at the heart of his journey (and his coaching practice.)
• How sharing his own story helped Jon grow personally AND professionally  — why his story has become his “biggest asset” in business.
• How Jon got over imposter syndrome and his fear of not looking like other “typical” fitness professionals.
• Why simple “before and after” narratives aren’t always useful, and why it’s worth exploring the “messy middle” of stories.
• Why Jon started a podcast instead of hustling on social media, and why he pivoted his podcast in a different direction.
• The value of listening to other people’s stories, including those who are very different from you.
• Why it’s worth letting go of your professional facade and opening yourself up to real, unscripted conversations. (And how to put your self consciousness aside.)
• Tips for both interviewing people and being interviewed. Hint: If you’re guesting on podcasts  or want to “give good interview”, there’s some really useful stuff here. 

Find Jon and Between The Before And After Podcast here: https://freedomnutritioncoach.com/between-the-before-and-after-podcast/

What does it mean to work (and live) in alignment with your true self?

What do the words “authentic” and “heart centered” look like in practice?

… And what happens if the things you’re doing, saying, or writing about no longer feel like you?

In this episode, I go deep into these concepts with Drima, aka Amir Ahmad Nasr, a multifaceted writer, musician, speaker, and coach. 

Drima is the founder and head coach at Assertive & Co., where he facilitates a values-based method for awakening creators, coaches and experts to their true voice, so they can grow and lead with more purpose, freedom and fulfillment.

Under his given name (Amir Ahmad Nasr), Drima’s writing has been featured and reviewed in over 13 languages including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Guardian, WIRED, and dozens more telling stories about faith, spirituality, human rights, and human flourishing.

Drima brings a human, heart-centered perspective to all of his work and storytelling. In this interview, I ask him to share his thoughts on concepts like authenticity, conviction, vulnerability, and heart-centered. We explore what these words mean in practice, and how to tell stories that deliver not only better results, but also greater satisfaction, meaning, and fulfillment. 

In this conversation, we explore: 

• What does “heart centered” actually mean, and why does it matter?
• Implications of AI and why words matter less these days (and what matters more.)
• Why you should be wary of “plastic vulnerability” and how you can be genuine and vulnerable, even when you’re following a script.
• Heartbreak as a portal into meaningful storytelling, and why your most heartbreaking moments can lead to your most powerful stories. (And how to navigate this without triggering past trauma.)
• Why veering away from controversial subjects like politics is in itself a political choice, and why you might want to engage in these kinds of topics. (Or why you should at least be deliberate about your choice.)
• What we can learn from musicians, songwriters, writers, actors, and other types of storytellers… including common traps and pitfalls to avoid.
• The importance of developing your marketing materials, communications, and product offers from a place of alignment with who you are. (And why you should be ready to adjust them if they are no longer are a good fit for you.)
• The importance of growing and evolving your personal brand, especially if it doesn’t feel like “you” anymore. 

If you want to challenge the status quo and work and communicate in a heartfelt way that feels true to you, this episode is a must-listen.

Learn more about Drima and Assertive and Co here: https://assertive.co

Want to become a recognized authority in your area of expertise?

Then you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode with Rochelle Moulton.

A leading voice in the independent consulting space, Rochelle Moulton helps soloists build vibrant authority businesses.  

Rochelle earned her consulting stripes by leading introverted brainiacs at two powerhouse consulting firms and turning around the failing consulting arm of a Fortune 500 company. She built three professional firms from scratch—including selling one to Arthur Andersen. 

Rochelle is a champion of independent professionals, aka soloists. She hosts “Soloist Women”, co-hosts “The Business of Authority” podcast, and wrote the book The Authority Code: How To Position, Monetize And Sell Your Expertise.

I am delighted to have Rochelle on the show since I’ve been reading and listening to her stuff for years!

In this episode we dive into what it means to build authority and reputation, along with authenticity and satisfaction. 

Topics we cover include:

• How to operate in your “zone of genius” (and what that actually means.)
• The importance of vision, and how to develop and refine your vision as a leader and business-owner.
• How to stay committed to your vision while also giving yourself room to grow and change.
• Why just doing what you’re good at and playing to your strengths isn’t always the path to success (or happiness).
• Potential pitfalls of getting too attached to your personal brand and how to avoid them.
• The value of publishing your ideas and publicly sharing your work, not just once but again and again.
• The importance of choosing projects and initiatives that align with you, your values, and your joy (and how to course correct when they don’t.)
• Why authority goes hand-in-hand with authenticity and humanity.
• How to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
• And so much more. 

And be sure to check out Rochelle Moulton at rochellemoulton.com.