What would it mean to heal the soul of a nation?

In this episode, we sit down with facilitator, author, and purpose expert Brandon Peele to explore a bold experiment in civic imagination: a National Pilgrimage across the United States culminating in a Mother’s Constitutional Convention.

Brandon describes the inspiration behind a cross-country pilgrimage visiting historic sites connected to American freedom struggles—from civil rights landmarks in the South to Indigenous sites in the West. The journey will culminate in a gathering designed to imagine a renewed constitutional framework rooted in maternal wisdom and care for future generations.

• Why Brandon believes the United States has a beautiful purpose it has not yet fulfilled
• How culture often precedes political change
• How inherited life scripts shape our decisions about careers, marriage, and success
• The role of spiritual and moral development in sustaining democracy
• Brandon’s metaphor of the bison as a symbol of regenerative leadership

Brandon Peele is a facilitator, ceremony leader, best-selling author, and expert in purpose, leadership, and culture change. He is trusted as a keynote speaker, facilitator, and program leader by organizations such as LinkedIn, Harvard Business School, Johnson & Johnson, Stanford University, and the U.S. Marine Corps.

He is the author of Planet on Purpose (2018), Purpose Work Nation (2022), and Bison Medicine (2025). Brandon’s work has been featured by outlets including USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, the US Business Journal, and Forbes.

Learn more about the National Pilgrimage

Brandon Peele’s book Bison Medicine

Find Brandon on Social Media:

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

Substack

Future updates about supporting the National Pilgrimage and Mother’s Constitutional Convention will be available through the project website and upcoming crowdfunding campaign.

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In this episode of Braver New Worlds, we sit down with Dr. Arezou Ghane, to explore what it means to stay human in an increasingly artificial world.

Arezou shares her vision for a more intentional, relational, and value-aligned future — one rooted in connection, civility, tenderness, and generativity. Together, we unpack the tension between personal well-being and professional necessity, especially in a culture shaped by hustle, hyperconnectivity, and algorithmic performance. What does it take to reclaim attention, preserve human-to-human connection, and navigate the blurred lines between authenticity and being seen?

Arezou reminds us that while we may not control the circumstances we inherit, we hold power in how we make meaning and choose to show up. Meaningful change is relational and does not occur in a vacuum.

• When we feel most — and least — human
• The psychological cost of hustle culture
• Authenticity vs. performance in public life
• Purpose, capitalism, and the modern workforce
• AI, creativity, and the standardization of thought

Dr. Arezou Ghane is a Doctor of Health Psychology, an National Science Foundation fellow, a certified wellness coach, a college lecturer, and a yoga and meditation instructor. Her research has appeared in respected journals including Health Psychology Review, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

Through her coaching and consulting work, she helps leaders and individuals bridge the gap between the science of well-being and the lived experience of it. Her work centers on creating more intentional lives and workplaces — spaces that cultivate connection, mutual care, authenticity, and alignment with deeply held values.

Website: www.auteurhealthandwellness.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arezou-ghane-ph-d-333970111/
Instagram: @auteurhealthandwellness
Substack: @rehumanizing

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In this episode, we sit down with attorney, advocate, and entrepreneur, Sam Mazzeo for a wide-ranging conversation about privilege, power, and the systems we’re living in.

Sam reflects on his own evolution from law school and “hunt for money and power” conditioning to a more values-driven approach to business, politics, and community leadership.

He shares how shame, growth, and unlearning shaped his perspective—and why he now sees privilege not as guilt, but as something to be leveraged in service of others.

The conversation moves from personal responsibility to generational change, and the idea that we may be living through a crisis chapter in American history (ya think??).

Rather than spiraling into cynicism, Sam argues that crisis is often the precursor to renewal and that what comes next depends on who shows up to build it.

Most people like to think of Sam as an approachable renaissance man. Here are some things he can help you better understand: B Corp certification, trademark, business formation & securities, contracts, Halloween party planning, how to do a standing backflip, and the proper pronunciation of the word “GIF.”

When Sam isn’t providing legal advice and empowering his clients, he’s either outdoors adventuring or working on local policy and social justice initiatives, often through his volunteer positions with Business For Good San Diego, B Local San Diego, and the San Diego Made Factory. He leads with both heart and smarts.

Sam is the founder of Better APC, a law firm focused on impact-driven businesses, and also runs Fervor & Zeal, a giveback clothing company that matches artists with nonprofits and shares profits between them.

Connect with Sam:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• YouTube (Better APC)

Businesses:

• Better APC
• Fervor & Zeal
  

Communities:

• Business For Good San Diego
• B Local San Diego
• The (Doing) Business For Good Summit

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In this episode we’re talking about something most of us need more of yet don’t know how to ask for: safe, platonic touch.

My guest is Michelle Renee, a human connection coach, certified cuddle therapist, and co-owner and Director of Training at Cuddlist.com. She helps individuals reconnect with their bodies and rewire the stories they’ve been told about intimacy, touch, and self-worth.

This conversation is honest, tender, funny, and deeply human. If you’ve ever struggled with touch, consent, vulnerability, or connection — this one’s for you.

Michelle Renee (she/her) is a human connection coach based in San Diego. Through cuddle therapy and consent-based coaching, she helps individuals — especially trauma survivors — build emotional safety, reconnect with their bodies, and explore new ways of being in relationship. She’s the co-owner of Cuddlist, host of The Intimacy Lab podcast, and founder of Soft Cock Appreciation Week, a virtual event redefining narratives around male sexuality and pleasure.

• Website: https://meetmichellerenee.com
• Newsletter: bit.ly/mmrnewsletter
• Instagram: @meetmichellerenee
• Cuddlist Training Info: Cuddlist.com
• Soft Cock Appreciation Week: softcockweek.com
• The Intimacy Lab Podcast: intimacylabpodcast.com
• Nathan’s episode on Intimacy Labs

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Blue Sky

In our inaugural episode, we sit down with Sara Schairer, compassion educator, speaker, and founder of the nonprofit Compassion It.

We explore what compassion really means, how to practice it in everyday life, and what it takes to bring compassion into workplaces, systems, and even our political conversations.

Sara shares how her own personal crisis led her to launch a global movement, what she’s learned from training thousands of people, and how she builds connection even in rooms full of skeptics.

• The neuroscience and psychology of compassion as a practice
• Systemic compassion: what it looks like when compassion is built into policies, HR, and culture
• The limits of compassion under capitalism and inequality
• Bridging political divides with curiosity instead of judgment
• Practicing compassion toward public figures (even when it’s hard)
• Self-compassion and community support as survival tools

Sara is a compassion educator, speaker, and founder of Compassion It, a nonprofit organization and global movement inspiring daily compassionate actions. She’s a Stanford-trained instructor of Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) and the author of A Case for Compassion: What Happens When We Prioritize People and the Planet.

Sara has led workshops and trainings around the world for Fortune 500 companies, universities, nonprofits, and government agencies, helping people strengthen relationships, reduce burnout, and foster more humane organizations.

📚 Book: A Case for Compassion on Amazon
🌍 Website: https://compassionit.com
🔗 LinkedIn: Sara Schairer
🔗 Compassion It on Instagram & YouTube

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Our introductory episode.