Connections In Flight

Our lives are full of unexpected twists that force us to re-evaluate what is important to us. But why is it so hard sometimes to come to terms with it?

In this episode, Erika and Sarah sit down with multi Emmy Award-winner Shannon Cogan. Shannon is a highly successful and awarded news anchor at WAVE News Sunrise and WAVE News Midday. She is proud of her life and achievements in her home of Louisville, Kentucky - but her original plan and path for her career could have been a lot different.

Just as her career took off, Shannon became pregnant with twins. But once she gave birth, the unthinkable happened. Shannon's son Colt was born with a medical complication that required life-saving open heart surgery, followed by a cardiac arrest that subsequently impacted his life. Forced to re-evaluate what mattered to her, Shannon quit her job in Miami, and moved back to her husband's hometown of Louisville to give her son Colt a better life. Listen as we discuss her powerful story, coming to terms with a new reality and the importance of constant reflection and re-evaluating what matters most.

What is 'Re-evaluate'?
To re-evaluate is to judge or calculate the quality, importance and value of something a second, third or more time.

Discussed in this episode:

• • The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
  • Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
  • Canine Companions. Read and listen to Colt and Shannon’s story here, and Colt’s beautiful companion dog Wink
  • Heuser Hearing and Language Institute
  • Wave 3 News
  • Indiana University

For more techniques, tips, and behind the scenes on Connections in Flight:
Instagram: @connectionsinflight;
Facebook: Connections In Flight
TikTok: @connectionsinflight;
Connect with us: [email protected]

This podcast is proudly produced by the team at Ampel. Ampel is an audio content agency specializing in podcast, radio, and audio content creation. For more information, head to www.ampel.com.au or reach out to us at [email protected]
Executive Producer: Josh Butt
Head of Strategy: Michelle Lomas

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We know we can live a fulfilled life when we find our Purpose. So why is it so hard to find it?

In this beautiful and inspiring episode, Erika and Sarah sit with Victor Strecher to discuss Purpose. Vic is a visionary leader and expert in behavior change, digital communication, and well-being. He's the Founder & CEO of Kumanu, a next-generation wellbeing company, a Professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and a renowned researcher, educator, speaker, and author. His work has touched and helped thousands of people find Purpose in their lives.

But the road to finding and understanding Purpose, and ultimately helping others hasn't been easy for Vic. After tragically losing his daughter at a young age, Vic's search for Purpose became a lifeline as he worked through his grief. In this episode, he shares his learnings and research for the formula for finding what matters, how to identify and live a life of Purpose.

What is 'Purpose'?

Purpose is an abiding intention to achieve a long-term goal that is personally meaningful and makes a positive mark on the world. A personal experience usually drives it; its outcome is beyond the self.

Discussed in this episode:

• Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes Everything, By Victor J Strecher
• On Purpose, Lessons in Life and Health from the Frog, Dung Beetle, and Julia, By Victor K Strecher
• Victor Strecher TedTalk: Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Changes Everything
• Man’s Search for Meaning By Victor E Frankl
• Chatter: The Voice in Your Head, Why It Matters, and How To Action It By Ethan Kross

For more techniques, tips, and behind the scenes on Connections in Flight:
Instagram: @connectionsinflight;
Facebook: Connections In Flight
TikTok: @connectionsinflight;
Connect with us: [email protected]

This podcast is proudly produced by the team at Ampel. Ampel is an audio content agency specializing in podcast, radio, and audio content creation. For more information, head to www.ampel.com.au or reach out to us at [email protected]

Executive Producer: Josh Butt
Head of Strategy: Michelle Lomas

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is it that some people seem to thrive through adversity while others barely make it off the ground?

This week, we sat down with the inspiring serial entrepreneur Lauren Chitwood, about how she harnesses her own personal grit to work through adversity and set-backs to create thriving businesses. Lauren is one of the co-founders of Spiritless, a company that creates alcohol-free distilled spirits. She has built multiple businesses in her time, is an award-winning brand evangelist and balances building her business while doing her most important job - being a Mom of three. Not content to rest on her laurels - or to rest, period - her combination of head-in-the-clouds creativity and boots-on-the-ground guts have earned Lauren a reputation for being nimble, innovative, and, above all else, gritty.

Join us as we explore the term Grit and what it means, how it helps entrepreneurs thrive and how we can identify Grit in ourselves and others.

What is 'Grit'?

Grit is a construct made famous by psychologist Angela Duckworth. She determined that Grit is a better predictor of achievement than intellectual talent (IQ), as Grit serves as the overriding factor that provides the stamina required to "stay the course" amid challenges and setbacks. Grit summons both passion and perseverance to achieve a long-term goal.

Grit is a relatively new concept, and while it is considered a positive attribute, there is still debate on the effects of Grit. While Grit can be a positive, conscientious trait and help individuals achieve important goals, it is also considered a key contributor to burnout and fatigue. Therefore it is essential to be aware of the impact of Grit and ensure there is no overbalance in one's daily life.

Discussed in this episode:

• Spiritless: Distilled non-Alcoholic Spirits
• Grit: The Power and Passion of Perseverance by Angela Duckworth
• Angela Duckworth TEDTalk: Grit. The Power and Passion of Perseverance
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie TEDTalk: We Should All Be Feminists
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

For more techniques, tips, and behind the scenes on Connections in Flight:

Instagram: @connectionsinflight;
Facebook: Connections In Flight
TikTok: @connectionsinflight;

Connect with us: [email protected]

This podcast is proudly produced by the team at Ampel. Ampel is an audio content agency specializing in podcast, radio, and audio content creation. For more information, head to www.ampel.com.au or reach out to us at [email protected]

Executive Producer: Josh Butt
Head of Strategy: Michelle Lomas
Audio Editor: Grace Rouvray

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is it that the age group with highest reported incidence of burnout are in their 30’s? Is burnout a symptom of our surroundings? And is it something we can heal ourselves?

In our most moving episode yet, co-host Sarah Mizuguchi jumps back into the therapy chair to open up to co-host Erika Paramore about her experience with Burnout. The impact of Burnout on Sarah’s life came on slowly but was profound. She is a talented and successful physician who loves her job and gains immense satisfaction from helping others. But then Covid hit, and something changed. Suddenly the work slowed down, there were fewer patients to support, and Sarah just lost her drive. It wasn't that she didn't care about her job anymore. It was just that she didn't feel the same energy she did getting up in the morning.

In this emotional episode, Sarah opens up on the great impact Burnout has had, and continues to have, on her life - inspiring her to quit her job and also start this podcast.

What is 'Burnout’'?

Burnout is a syndrome often attributed to stress and frustration that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion of both physical and emotional strength; increased mental distance from a situation, job or relationship, or feelings of negativism or cynicism.

Tips & Techniques discussed in this episode:

• The 3 stages of Burnout: 1. Alarm; 2. Resistance; 3. Exhaustion. For more information please head to our social - link below.
• The 6 steps to the stress cycle: Physical activity, creativity, laughter, crying, deep slow breathing, physical affection. For more information head to our social below, and for a deeper understanding of the stress cycle view ‘Burnout’ below.
• Breathwrk: this app customizes to you and makes it fun and easy to breathe and build good habits.
• Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
• Burnout: The secret to solving the stress cycle by Emily and Amelia Nagoski
• The Puzzle of Motivation with Dan Pink: TEDTalk

For more techniques, tips, and behind the scenes on Connections in Flight: Instagram: @connectionsinflight;
Facebook: Connections In Flight
TikTok: @connectionsinflight;

Connect with us: [email protected]

This podcast is proudly produced by the team at Ampel. Ampel is an audio content agency specializing in podcast, radio, and audio content creation. For more information, head to www.ampel.com.au or reach out to us at [email protected]

Executive Producer: Josh Butt
Head of Strategy: Michelle Lomas
Audio Editor: Grace Rouvray

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does our body seem to break down when our mind is in peril? How do we start to make sense of our pain and its connection to our experiences and surroundings to begin to heal?

In this raw and honest episode, Olympic medallist, passionate advocate for mental health and wellness, and founder of Rise Athletes, Caroline Burckle, jumps into the therapy chair with Erika and Sarah to talk about her struggles with mental health and its manifestation on her body.

Caroline is an accomplished American swimmer and Olympic medalist who began her swimming career at seven. She had a successful college career at the University of Florida, ultimately qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team and competing in the Beijing Olympics in 2008, winning a bronze medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

But it was when she retired from the sport that the real inner work began. Without swimming and training to fall back on, she relied on her powerful drive towards new career accomplishments, until she experienced debilitating bodily symptoms. And it took one terrifying moment for her to realize that her body was telling her that her physical pain and mental struggles needed to be acknowledged.

What is 'Pain'?

Pain is not just a physical sensation; it's a complex experience that includes thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It's a psychological condition that can be hard to understand because it’s an integration of the mind and the body. Suffering is often used to describe the intense and unpleasant feelings that come with pain, regardless of whether it stems from physical or emotional factors.

Tips & Techniques discussed in this episode:

• Somatic therapy to release trauma from the body as part of the healing process;
• Breathing exercises and techniques to improve mental, physical, and spiritual well-being;
• The benefits of walking and other sources of bilateral stimulation;
• 'Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma' by Dr. Peter Levine;
• 'The Body Keeps The Score: Mind, Brain, and Body in the Transformation of Trauma' by Dr. Bessel Vanderbilt Kolk;
• 'The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture' by Dr. Gabor Mate with Daniel Mate.

For more techniques, tips, and behind the scenes on Connections in Flight:

Instagram: @connectionsinflight;
Facebook: Connections In Flight
TikTok: @connectionsinflight;
Connect with us: [email protected]

This podcast is proudly produced by Ampel. Ampel is an audio content agency specializing in podcast, radio, and audio content creation. For more information, www.ampel.com.au or reach out to us at [email protected]

Executive Producer: Josh Butt
Head of Strategy: Michelle Lomas
Audio Editor: Grace Rouvray

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.