What if changing your life was as simple as changing your habits?

In this powerful episode, host Holly McNeill sits down with Dr. Tamsin Astor—Chief Habit Scientist, neuroscientist, yoga teacher, and Ayurvedic coach—to explore how Eastern wisdom and Western neuroscience converge to help us take back control of our minds, our behaviors, and ultimately, our lives. Tamsin shares her journey from academic burnout and caregiving exhaustion to personal transformation through intentional daily rituals.

Key takeaways include:

• Why habits—not willpower—shape your destiny
• How to create space between thought and reaction
• Tools to rewire your brain through repetition and mindfulness
• The power of community in building lasting change

If you're tired of feeling stuck and ready to reclaim your freedom, this conversation is the reset you’ve been waiting for.

Follow Dr. Tamsin Astor:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamsin-astor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamsinastor/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTHI3qRvXap3I8HjAzPnfjw

Follow Holly McNeill:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollymcneill/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hollymcneillofficial/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hollymcneillofficial/

Step into a space where the noise quiets and presence takes center stage. 🎙️ Pay Attention is a weekly podcast (Wednesdays at 10am PST / 1pm EST) hosted by Holly McNeill — an architect turned teacher and spiritual guide who has spent decades weaving together neuroscience 🧠, psychology 📚, Buddhism 🪷, and spirituality 🌌.

This is more than a podcast — it’s a guide to living with awareness, compassion, and freedom. Inside each episode, you’ll discover:
✨ Practical insights into how the mind works
✨ Tools to break free from patterns that keep you stuck
✨ Practices to create space for real transformation
✨ Deep wisdom from special guests and kindred spirits

Holly’s journey — balancing career, single motherhood, and inner exploration — has led her to the heart of what it means to live with clarity and purpose. Now she’s sharing that wisdom with you.

🌟 Join us each week to slow down, breathe deeply, and uncover what lies beyond the chaos. It’s time to truly Pay Attention. 🌿

What if the key to solving global poverty starts with truly listening?

In this powerful episode, Holly McNeill sits down with Gretchen Villegas, a global development executive and “social impact architect,” whose journey began as a Peace Corps volunteer in South America and led to decades of transformative work across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Gretchen shares what it means to build trust, empower communities, and design solutions that actually work—by paying attention to what people truly need.

Key takeaways:

• Why empowerment begins with listening, not assuming
• The overlooked power of community in the world’s poorest regions
• The current state of global aid and why new approaches are urgently needed
• How corporations, nonprofits, and individuals can meaningfully raise impact
• What each of us can do—through intention, choices, and small actions—to be catalysts for change

This conversation is a heartfelt reminder that we’re all connected—and that hope, compassion, and intention can lead us toward a more equitable world.

Connect with Gretchen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchenvillegassocialimpact/

Connect with host Holly McNeill:
Instagram: @hollymcneillofficial
Website: https://www.hollymcneill.com