Episódios

  • Transforming Anxiety, OCD, and Fear into Courage and Connection with Renee Zukin

    Transforming Anxiety, OCD, and Fear into Courage and Connection with Renee Zukin
    Aug 21 2025
    In a candid and inspiring conversation, Dr. Dan talks to author and educator Renee Zukin to explore her transformative journey through anxiety, OCD, panic disorder, and agoraphobia—and the powerful mindset shifts that helped her reclaim her life. Today’s episode is about courage, compassion, and connection—a reminder that we are never alone, and that bravery can be found in the smallest, most personal victories. Dr. Dan and Renee discuss what it means to be “beyond brave” on this deeply inspiring episode. Renee shares the origin of her mantra Every Day I’m Brave and how redefining bravery freed her from the trap of comparison. She opens up about her path toward self-compassion, the lessons learned from both Western therapy and Eastern mindfulness practices, and the role of courage in facing fear without letting it dictate her life. Together, Dr. Dan and Renee explore the duality of fear and love, the significance of curiosity in self-reflection, and how to embrace the aspects of ourselves that carry shame and guilt. This episode is a guide to showing up authentically, asking for help, and believing another path is possible—even when you can’t yet see it. For more information, visit everydayimbrave.com and follow Renee on Instagram @reneezukin. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 2 minutos
  • From Ally to Co-Conspirator: Leading with Courage, Compassion, and Purpose with Elise Carter

    From Ally to Co-Conspirator: Leading with Courage, Compassion, and Purpose with Elise Carter
    Aug 14 2025
    Dr. Dan is joined by Elise Carter, an award-winning educator, advocate, Executive Director of NICE (Northern Kentucky Inclusive Students in Education), and DEI trailblazer. Elise shares her transformative journey from being the first Black teacher at her high school to co-founding a nonprofit dedicated to inclusion and equity. During the moving interview, Elise opens up about the pivotal moment when her proposed elective on diversity was shut down after a leaked syllabus triggered community outrage—and how that moment of heartbreak became the spark for something even greater. Through resilience, creativity, and community, Elise helped build NICE, a student-centered nonprofit that empowers marginalized voices and fosters inclusive leadership. On this episode, Dr. Dan and Elise explore how resilience, curiosity, and authentic leadership can transform trauma into meaningful change. From growing up in a military family to teaching kids how to advocate for themselves, Elise’s story is a masterclass in living with courage, compassion, and purpose. For more information, visit www.nisenky.org and on Instagram: @nice_nky. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 3 minutos
  • Hope Comes to Visit: Rising from Grief, Addiction, and the Will to Live with Danielle Elliott Smith

    Hope Comes to Visit: Rising from Grief, Addiction, and the Will to Live with Danielle Elliott Smith
    Aug 7 2025
    Trigger warning: discussion of suicide In this emotionally powerful conversation, Dr. Dan speaks with Danielle Elliott Smith — author, advocate, coach, and host of the Hope Comes to Visit podcast. Danielle opens up about her raw and personal journey through addiction, sobriety, loss, and transformation. With unflinching honesty and grace, she shares the story behind her sobriety, the grief of losing a partner to relapse, and how choosing to ask for help saved her life. This is a story of what happens when we stop hiding, embrace vulnerability, and choose to live fully — even when life feels impossible. Dr. Dan and Danielle talk about the thin line between “I don’t want to live” and “I don’t want to live like this” as well as how grief rearranges every relationship in your life and what it means to be an empath.Today’s episode is for anyone feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or on the verge of giving up. Danielle’s story reminds us that no matter how lost we feel, hope is never out of reach. For more information visit DanielleElliottSmith.com and Hope Comes To Visit. Please follow @danielleelliottsmith on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 7 minutos
  • Flip the Box: From Belonging to Becoming with Shari Leid

    Flip the Box: From Belonging to Becoming with Shari Leid
    Jul 31 2025
    In this powerful and heart-opening episode, Dr. Dan interviews author, speaker, and life coach Shari Leid, founder of An Imperfectly Perfect Life and author of Table for 51: Lessons Learned from Sharing Meals Across America. Together, they explore the transformative journey from living someone else’s story to fully stepping into your authentic self. Shari shares her personal “flip the box” origin story—being found in a cardboard box in South Korea and how that symbolic box followed her for years, representing disconnection and lack of belonging. But through a courageous project to have meals with 50 women across all 50 states, she turned that box into a table of connection, compassion, purpose, and the book Table for 51. In this episode listeners will learn: how to move from a “good life” to a great life, how small acts of connection—like smiling or sharing a meal—can shift lives, and how adversity can unlock deep inner wisdom. Dr. Dan and Shari also discuss disconnection, connection, self-reflection, and more. Whether you're feeling stuck, searching for meaning, or you need a reminder that you matter, this episode will meet you where you are—and invite you to take the next bold step toward your version of great. For more information visit animperfectlyperfectlife.com and follow @an_imperfectly_perfect_life on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 3 minutos
  • Fear, Flow, and the Courage to Begin Again: What Horses Teach Us About Relationships and Life with Tik Maynard

    Fear, Flow, and the Courage to Begin Again: What Horses Teach Us About Relationships and Life with Tik Maynard
    Jul 24 2025
    In this powerful episode, Dr. Dan sits down with horseman and author Tik Maynard to answer the question “What does it mean to truly live with purpose?” and to explore what starting a colt, facing fear, and leaning into the unknown can teach us about self-awareness, resilience, and the courage to live authentically. On today’s episode and in his memoir Starting in the Middle: How Horses, Those Who Study Them, and 265 Minutes with One Colt Helped Me Find Myself at Midlife, Tik shares his journey from elite equestrian competitor to beginner again—accepting the call to enter one of the most intense horse competitions in the world at midlife. What followed was not only a test of horsemanship but a deep personal transformation. Highlights of Dr. Dan and Tik’s riveting conversation include: why the scariest decisions are often the most necessary, how "high involvement, low attachment" is the secret to performance and peace, why authenticity and self-reflection are the foundation of effective leadership, and what horses can teach us about presence, trust, and how to truly listen Tik's story is a powerful metaphor for every human seeking to live more intentionally, lead more compassionately, and grow through discomfort. Whether you're a horse person or not, this conversation offers rich insight into the human experience. Tik Maynard is a two-time winner of the Road to the Horse World Championship, author of In the Middle Are the Horsemen and Starting in the Middle, and an international clinician. Alongside his wife, top-level eventer Sinead Halpin, he runs Copperline Farm in Florida and teaches horsemanship with compassion and authenticity at the core. For more information about Tik go to: Copperline Equestrian. On Instagram follow @copperline_equestrian and @tikmaynardcompany Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 13 minutos
  • Choosing Wholeness: Embracing the Shadow and Rewriting Your Story with Elise Loehnen

    Choosing Wholeness: Embracing the Shadow and Rewriting Your Story with Elise Loehnen
    Jul 17 2025
    In this profoundly insightful episode, Dr. Dan welcomes back New York Times bestselling author and cultural thought leader Elise Loehnen to explore the power and necessity of shadow work. Together, they dive into Jungian psychology, the cost of cultural conditioning, and the stories we unconsciously carry that shape who we believe we must be. Elise talks to Dr. Dan about the journey that led to her latest project, Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness—a transformational guidebook co-written with coach Courtney Smith. From the drama triangle to internal family systems to working with the “eight sins,” this conversation is packed with tools and reflections to help you move from ego to soul, knowledge to wisdom, and fear to empowerment. Key Topics on this new episode include: what lives in our shadow—and why it matters; the cultural cost of being “good” vs. becoming whole; using anger, fear, and envy as tools for healing and growth; and the shadow’s role in leadership, parenting, and cultural change. Listeners will walk away with practical insights on identifying their unconscious stories, tools to integrate repressed parts of themselves, and a new lens through which to see themselves—and others—with compassion and clarity. For more information eliselunen.substack.com and follow @eliselunen on Instagram. Check out Elise’s podcast Pulling the Thread and her book On Our Best Behavior. Listen to Dan’s previous conversation with Elise On our Best Behavior. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 8 minutos
  • Proof of Life: Stop Waiting for Permission to Live with Jennifer Pastiloff

    Proof of Life: Stop Waiting for Permission to Live with Jennifer Pastiloff
    Jul 10 2025
    Dr. Dan interviews Jennifer Pastiloff, bestselling author of On Being Human and the newly released Proof of Life: Let Go, Let Love, and Stop Looking for Permission to Live Your Life. In this powerful and heart-opening conversation, Dr. Dan welcomes back the raw, real, and radiant Jennifer Pastiloff for a deep dive into what it means to live with authenticity, courage, and compassion. Jen shares the story behind her new book Proof of Life, her journey through sobriety and self-honesty, and the pivotal moment when her young son told her, “Nothing you do is wrong.” Together, they unpack the healing power of creativity, the importance of staying open to possibility, and how grief, trauma, and synchronicity shape our growth. This episode is an invitation to stop hiding, let go of shame, and remember who you say you are. If you’ve ever felt like you needed permission to live your life fully, this episode is your sign that you are your own proof of life. For more information visit JenniferPastiloff.com and follow @jenpastiloff on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 13 minutos
  • Designing a Life of Purpose: Creativity, Courage, and Compassion with Debbie Millman

    Designing a Life of Purpose: Creativity, Courage, and Compassion with Debbie Millman
    Jul 3 2025
    Dr. Dan sits down with the incomparable Debbie Millman – acclaimed designer, illustrator, author of Love Letter to a Garden (foreword by Roxane Gay), and host of the groundbreaking podcast Design Matters. This moving episode is a conversation about creativity and a profound reflection on resilience, self-awareness, and the courage to heal and grow. Debbie shares the story of her nonlinear journey into design, the trauma that shaped her early years, and how creativity and advocacy became paths to her empowerment. From working alongside Mariska Hargitay at the Joyful Heart Foundation to exploring the intersections of art, activism, and authenticity, Debbie opens up to Dr. Dan and listeners with vulnerability and wisdom. Dr. Dan and Debbie also discuss the healing power of purpose and design; gardening as a metaphor for creativity, resilience, and existence; and embracing imperfection and aging. Whether you're a creative, a leader, or someone on a path of growth and healing, this conversation offers insight, inspiration, and hope. For more information debbiemillman.com and designmattersmedia.com, and follow @debbiemillman on Instagram. Please listen, follow, rate, and review Make It a Great One on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow @drdanpeters on social media. Visit www.drdanpeters.com and send your questions or guest pitches to podcast@drdanpeters.com. We have this moment, this day, and this life—let’s make it a great one. – Dr. Dan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hora e 1 minuto