What if the wildest adventure isn’t in a faraway forest or on a mountaintop, but right outside your door?

In this episode, I talk with Susie Spikol, an award-winning naturalist, author, and environmental educator who has spent over thirty-five years helping people rediscover their sense of wonder. From exploring the sidewalks of Brooklyn to teaching families in rural New Hampshire, Susie reminds us that connection begins with curiosity.

Her book The Animal Adventurer’s Guide invites families to explore the world of “everyday animals” like ladybugs, crickets, worms, and frogs. She believes that holding a creature in your hand is a kind of “skin-to-skin connection” that deepens our bond with the natural world. In Forest Magic for Kids, she inspires children and adults to create fairy homes, secret forts, and tiny worlds using natural materials. Her upcoming Book of Fairies blends science and imagination, showing that nature can be both magical and real.

We talk about how unstructured play is disappearing from childhood and what happens when we reclaim it as adults, the beauty of imaginative play, and how domestic animals like backyard chickens can bring us closer to the wild. Susie also shares her passion for place-based education and how truly knowing where we live helps us feel rooted and alive.

Takeaways:

• Everyday nature can rekindle your curiosity
• Play matters for both kids and adults
• Domestic animals connect us to the wild
• Imagination deepens our bond with the Earth

Connect with Susie Spikol:

• Website: susiespikol.com
• Instagram: @susiespikol

Books:

• The Animal Adventurer’s Guide
• Forest Magic for Kids
• The Book of Fairies

Susie’s work reminds us that we don’t have to go far to find magic. The wild is already here, inviting us to look closer, play more, and remember that we are part of it all.

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...

Stop scrolling. Step outside. What if the adventure you’ve been seeking has been right beneath your feet all along?

In this mini episode, I share a playful and heartfelt conversation with Susie Spikol, a naturalist, author, and lifelong environmental educator who reminds us that wonder is waiting for us in the ordinary. From searching for spiders with schoolchildren to rescuing an owl from her chicken coop, Susie’s stories remind us that magic exists everywhere if we simply slow down enough to notice.

Sometimes, we forget how to play. We fill our days with structure, productivity, and screens, leaving little space for imagination. But play is not just for children, it is how we reconnect with curiosity, creativity, and joy. Susie invites us to rediscover that part of ourselves that still believes in fairy homes, tiny worlds, and the beauty of small things.

This is a reminder that the adventure is already here, unfolding in the simple moments we often overlook. Whether it’s the red flash of a cardinal, the hum of a chickadee, or the quiet joy of building something just for fun, nature is always calling us back home.

In this episode, I share:
• How play and imagination help us reconnect with nature and ourselves
• Why small, simple moments hold the greatest magic
• What children can teach us about curiosity and wonder
• A gentle reminder to slow down and find the wild where you are

The full episode with Susie will be released this Friday, where we go even deeper into the art of wonder, wildness, and remembering what’s real.

Resources and Links:

• Explore Susie’s books Forest Magic for Kids and The Animal Adventurer’s Guide at susiespikol.com
• Follow her on Instagram @susiespikol for daily inspiration to stay curious and connected.

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...

What if your current reality is just yesterday’s burrito, a reflection of the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs you digested long before today?

The good news: you get to choose what you’re cooking up next.

In this episode, I sat down with Iena SpiritWalker, a psychic healer, author, and spiritual business mentor who helps women turn their gifts into freedom and flow.

Iena’s story is both surprising and deeply human. From a moment of skepticism in a naming ceremony to legally becoming SpiritWalker, she shares how learning to trust her intuition changed her path and purpose.

Together, we explore:

• The sacred power of a name and what it means to truly claim who you are
• Why “manifestation” might not be the whole picture, and how to shift into intentional creation
• The energetic impact of authentic pricing and how the sphincter effect helps clients take themselves seriously
• How to find your soul mission using life’s highs and lows
• Why authenticity vibrates higher than love and how it draws in the people meant to find you

This conversation is raw, funny, and deeply encouraging. Iena reminds us that every challenge is an invitation to grow and that spiritual wealth begins with honesty, self-awareness, and courage.

If you have ever felt caught between what your soul knows and what the world expects, this episode will help you reconnect with your inner truth and walk it forward.

RESOURCES AND LINKS

• Free Quiz: What’s Blocking Your Sacred Success?
• Book: Badass Goal Planner: Make New Habits Your B!tch & Get Sh!t Done Available on Amazon.
• Connect with Iena SpiritWalker:
  Visit IenaSpiritWalker.com
  or follow her Instagram

You are not your thoughts. You are the creator of your own adventure, and the universe is already saying yes.

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...

Sometimes we take life a little too seriously. In this minisode, I invite you to play, to explore, and to try something new. I decided to put on a bright green wig today, and what began as a bit of fun turned into a deeper reflection about how we see ourselves and how the world sees us. It is amazing how quickly our energy can shift when we give ourselves permission to be curious, bold, and a little silly.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I started to think about the ways we all present ourselves. Are we showing up as our truest selves? Is there a gap between what we say and how we appear? Whether it is a color, a name, or a story we tell, every piece of who we are carries meaning. Sometimes, we have to try something different to remember who we have always been.

This episode is a reminder that transformation does not always require a grand gesture. It can be as simple as choosing a new look, shifting your words, or seeing yourself through a new lens. The adventure is happening right now, in this moment, in the ways you allow yourself to grow, experiment, and express your truth.

In this episode, I share:

• How color and play can shift your energy and perspective
• What animals teach us about authenticity and presence
• Why our outer expression often mirrors our inner story
• The power of trying something new to reconnect with your true self
• A reflection on names, identity, and owning your next chapter

Resources and Links:

• Watch the Speak Truth to Live Summit featuring powerful conversations and teachings at theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth
• Connect with me on Instagram for more stories, inspiration, and behind-the-scenes adventures: https://www.instagram.com/theadventureparadox
• Grab a copy of Billy and Blaze: https://a.co/d/cZsBIi4
  
  

The adventure is right here, right now. Try something new, take off the old, and let yourself be seen.

Support the show

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...

I met Arwen Becker by accident in the Aspen airport. Her red hat caught my eye with a mysterious number, 29029, the height of Mount Everest in feet. That number captures something I believe deeply: we are capable of more than we think when we show up for the adventure that is seeking us right now.

Arwen is a six-time finisher of the 29029 x Aspen endurance challenge, where participants hike a mountain repeatedly for 36 hours to reach the vertical height of Everest. She's also spent 23 years as a financial advisor empowering women to take control of their retirement, written the book "She Handled It: Retirement, an Inspiring and Empowering Financial Guide for Women Over 40," hosts the She Handled It podcast, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology. Before finance, she ran a wildlife rehabilitation center, her childhood dream. This woman knows what it means to pivot, to prepare, and to show up even when it's hard.

If you've ever handed over responsibility for your money, your body, or your dreams to someone else because it felt too hard or too complicated, Arwen's story will shake you awake. We talk about why 80% of women die single while 80% of men die married and what that means for your financial security, the four phases of achieving meaningful goals, mandatory gear on mountains and in life, why good training makes recovery possible, and how the real transformation happens in the grind, not at the summit.

Takeaways:

• How small daily choices build strength and freedom
• Why financial and spiritual preparation matter
• The beauty of joy and pain coexisting in transformation

Connect with Arwen Becker:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arwenbecker/
• Website: https://arwenbecker.com/
• She Handled It on Amazon: https://a.co/d/2MZBPuH
• Short documentary of Arwen about her Aspen hike: https://youtu.be/ftfOGsZbnDE
  
  

Her story is a powerful reminder that the climb is where we grow, that community matters, and that the adventure is happening now, wherever you are.

Support the show

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...

Sometimes life invites us to climb mountains we never expected. Not to conquer them, but to discover who we become along the way.

Today’s episode is a sneak peek into my conversation with Arwen Becker, a woman whose journey reminds us that the adventure is happening right now, wherever our feet are planted. The full episode airs this Friday, and trust me, you’ll want to hear the rest of her incredible story.

Arwen spent 23 years running a thriving retirement planning firm where she helped women take charge of their financial futures. In 2022, she sold that business, embraced sobriety, and began a new chapter as a keynote speaker, endurance athlete, and author. She has completed the 29029 x Aspen challenge six times, written two books with another on the way, and cherishes her roles as a devoted wife and proud mom of three grown sons.

In this short conversation, Arwen and I talk about what it takes to commit to something that scares you, the beauty of small consistent steps, and the grace found in loving the process rather than chasing the peak. We explore how faith can steady us through transformation and how the climb itself becomes the most meaningful part of the journey.

Arwen’s story is a beautiful reminder that the real adventure is not somewhere out there. It is happening right now, in every breath, every choice, and every act of courage that brings us closer to who we are becoming.

Links and Resources:

• Arwen Becker’s book She Handled It: https://a.co/d/2MZBPuH
• Follow Arwen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arwenbecker/
• Learn more at https://arwenbecker.com/
• Short documentary of Arwen about her Aspen hike: https://youtu.be/ftfOGsZbnDE
  
  

Support the show

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...

Some conversations stay with you long after they end, and my talk with Michelle Kuei is one of them.

Michelle is a confidence coach, author, and international speaker who has an incredible story of resilience and transformation. After being involved in a car accident at the age of eleven, Michelle turned her pain into purpose and has made it her mission to empower others to rise above self-doubt and show up confidently as who they are.

This conversation was originally part of the Speak Truth to Live Summit, a 21-day event that brought together inspiring speakers who shared their truth and personal journeys to help others live with greater courage and authenticity. I’m so grateful to bring this episode back as we continue celebrating the summit and its ripple of empowerment.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How Michelle turned pain into purpose and found confidence after trauma
• The mindset shift that helps you embrace who you are right now
• Why self-compassion is key to transformation
• How to reframe your story and see challenges as opportunities

Resources and Links:

• Learn more about Michelle and her work at elevatelifecoaching.org
• Follow Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatelifecoach
• Free 20-Minute Workbook to Clarify What You Do, Who You Help, and Why It Matters—So Dream Clients Say “That’s Me!”: https://members.elevatelifecoaching.org/messageclarity
• Explore more inspiring conversations from the Speak Truth to Live Summit at https://www.theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

Take this as your reminder that your limitations do not define you, your courage does.

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...

Sometimes the smallest moments carry the biggest transformations. A smile at the post office, a kind word at the coffee shop, or even a pause to savor the beauty of right now can shift the way we experience life.

In this minisode I share a heartwarming conversation with Jackie Woodside, TEDx speaker, USA Today bestselling author, and host of the Conscious Living Podcast. Jackie’s favorite response when you ask her how she is doing is “happy and blessed” and she explains why those words matter so much. She also gives us a simple ten second practice that can help you turn fleeting moments into memories that last a lifetime.

This is just a taste of our full episode together where we dive deeper into conscious living, joy, and creating your unique money vibe. You can listen to the full conversation here:

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

So take this reminder into your day, my friends. Savor the moment, speak the words, and let yourself feel happy and blessed.

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...