We talk a lot about the roles we hold—parent, partner, leader, creator—but how often do we ask if those roles actually feel fulfilling? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Katie chats with Professor Daiki Kato, who coined the term rolefulness: a practical, human way to experience meaning and harmony in everyday life by nurturing both our “big” roles and the small, easily overlooked ones. Katie and Professor Kato explore why modern life pulls us toward checklists and away from conne...

In this conversation, Dr. Katie sits down with Marina Ivanov, co-founder and CEO of Apex Transit Solutions, a transportation and logistics company. They explore what it really means to lead as yourself—especially when the room, the industry, and the playbook weren’t designed with you in mind. They talk about the inner work it takes to step into your own power, how to find purpose in an industry that doesn’t look “sexy” from the outside, and what it really means to be the only (or first) woman...

We live in a culture that worships busy, celebrates burnout, and treats worthiness like something you earn through overwork. In this beautiful, soulful conversation, Dr. Katie and Fabi Preslar gently challenge that narrative. Fabi is the founder and president of SPARK Publications and the author of Wilted and Worthy: Essays on Holding On, Letting Go, and Living Fully. She shares how a cancer diagnosis, a healing sabbatical, and a camera turned toward wilting flowers completely shifted her rel...

What does it really look like to surrender to the life you’re actually living—mess, mortification, miracles and all? In this raw, funny, and deeply human conversation, TEDx speaker-in-training and entrepreneur Cindy Ruzicka shares her story of “Welcome to the Sh!t Show.” It’s a journey from secrecy and shame to nervous-system healing, cold-water courage, and a new definition of strength: not the tidy “I’ve got it all together,” but the grounded “I can be with what is.” Content note: We use th...

In this conversation, Dr. Katie sits down with longtime friend and purpose-driven leader Dan Sahd, third-generation co-owner of Sahd Metal Recycling. Scrap metal isn’t an industry people typically associate with deep meaning and inspiration, but that’s exactly why Dan is on the show. His story proves that you don’t need a glamorous job or a “noble” profession to live—and lead—with deep purpose. Dan shares how he moved through several careers before realizing he could build a meaningful, integ...

Sometimes we don’t even realize we’re stuck — we just call it busy, fine, or being responsible. But what if that overwhelm is actually pointing to something deeper? In this week’s conversation, Kristy Kuhl — high-performance coach, keynote speaker, and energy catalyst for entrepreneurs and executives — joins Dr. Katie to unpack what “stuck” really means. She helps us see that "stuckness' is a signal of misalignment between who we are and how we’re showing up. Kristy and Katie talk about the t...

In a world pulsing with chaos, division, and the everyday hard stuff of being human, this conversation with author and entrepreneur Tamara Hill is a gentle and gutsy invitation to face what hurts—and grow because of it. On this episode, Dr. Katie and Tamara explore how to talk about the hard things, how sharing our stories creates connection, and why courage (not perfection) is the bridge to resilience. Tamara opens up about losing people she loves, navigating divorce and health challen...

What happens when you stop checking boxes and start asking why? On this episode, Dr. Katie sits down with Wende Whitus — keynote speaker, author, and founder of Personal Retreat Day — for a powerful conversation about breaking free from hustle culture and rediscovering what truly matters. Wende shares how a stress-induced health scare became her wake-up call to create space for rest, reflection, and reorientation — the foundation of her Personal Retreat Day framework. Together, Katie and Wend...

This episode will challenge everything you've come to believe about rest. Dr. Katie chats with physician, researcher, and bestselling author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith to explore what it really means to rest—and why most of us are getting it wrong. Dr. Saundra shares her groundbreaking framework of the Seven Types of Rest—physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social, sensory, and creative—and explains why sleep alone isn’t enough to truly restore us. Together, they unpack how our culture’s ob...

We’ve been sold the wrong version of positivity—the kind that tells us to “look on the bright side” while ignoring the messy, painful, real parts of life. But true positivity isn’t about denial; it’s about discipline. It’s about developing the mental, emotional, and physical strength to keep going when life hits hard. On this episode, Dr. Katie Sandoe sits down with Sara “Sass” Schaeffer, speaker, community builder, and founder of Practice Your Positive, to reimagine what it really means to “...

We all say we want “better communication,” whether at work, at home, or in our closest relationships. But here’s the twist: most of us are looking in the wrong place. On this episode of Spark Something New, I sat down with the wise and compassionate Collette Revere to explore why communication is so notoriously difficult—and what to do about it. Instead of framing communication as something “out there” and wishing that other people would change, Collette invites us to turn inward. She explain...

What if the secret to a meaningful life isn’t found in success, but in the simple, joyful things that light you up? On this this episode, Dr. Katie sits down with neuroscientist, bestselling author, and broadcaster Ken Mogi to explore the fascinating connection between the brain and ikigai—the Japanese concept of “a life worth living.” Ken shows us how purpose literally rewires the brain—and why ikigai might be the missing piece to living with both success and serenity. He explain...

We talk a lot about men’s strength—their work, their leadership, their roles, their physical presence. But rarely do we talk about their souls (the essence of who they are as human beings). In this conversation with my friend Ray Taylor (aka “Raymond James” if you catch me slipping into his nickname), we get real about what men are actually hungry for in this season of life—and why so many don’t know how to ask for it. Ray brings the unique perspective of a pastor, a husband, a father, and so...

What do you do when you realize you’re out of alignment—with your work, your relationships, or even with yourself? Most of us can name the misalignment, but we freeze when it comes to what to actually do about it. In this conversation with Candice Van Dertholen, holistic practitioner and founder of Warrior Within Healing, we explore what she calls grounded spirituality—a practice of coming out of your head, back into your body, and reconnecting with who you really are (not just what you do). ...

This isn’t just a podcast anniversary — it’s an invitation to reimagine what anniversaries really mean. In this episode, Dr. Katie reflects on one year of the Spark Something New podcast series — nearly 50 conversations that have sparked insights, touched souls, and expanded what’s possible. But this isn’t just a celebration of the podcast. It’s a reframing of anniversaries themselves: not as endings, but as markers in time. Anniversaries can hold joy, grief, growth, or gratitude. T...

What if nature wasn’t just something on your “to-do” list—but a vital part of your sense of belonging? And y'all that means more than buying a few plants for your office, cutting some flowers for your dinner table, or keeping a manicured lawn. On this episode, Dr. Katie chats with environmental scientist, keynote speaker, and space sustainability strategist (yes, you read that correctly) Sheryl Barbosa, we explore a powerful shift in perspective: the role of nature in building not...

We’ve all heard the advice: Do what you love and the rest will follow. It’s on coffee mugs, wall art, and every #MondayMotivation post. But there's a truth that people ignore, this advice is half-baked at best and downright dangerous at worst. So in this episode, Emily Green and I unpack the three myths behind this mantra and explore what it really means to pour yourself into something that truly matters. Emily is a TEDx speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of Love Means Business — and she know...

What if the stress you're feeling isn't about your job, relationship, or "to do" list... but about your roles? Dr. Katie chats with her Aussie mate and ikigai sensei, Nick Kemp (entrepreneur, author, and ikigai expert) about the impact of roles in our lives. They chat about the concept of "rolefulness", a powerful idea rooted in Japanese wisdom that explores how the roles we occupy in life shape our sense of purpose, life satisfaction, and overall state of wellbeing. In this episode, you’ll f...

What if "happy birthday" could mean something more meaningful and impactful? Not the usual cake and presents, but something truly resonant and joyous. In this deeply relatable episode, Dr. Katie chats with Tamar Hurwitz-Fleming (entrepreneur, artist, and author of "How to Have a Happy Birthday") for a thoughtful conversation about what it means to celebrate the day you were born. After years of navigating birthdays that ranged from joyful to disappointing, Tamar began treating her birth...

In this episode, Dr. Katie welcomes transformational guide, author, and executive coach Dr. Ron Stotts, who brings over 45 years of wisdom to the conversation on conscious leadership. Ron invites us to think about what it really means to evolve beyond hustle, constantly striving, and left-brain thinking into a more integrated, intuitive, and purposeful way of leading and living. Ron draws from decades of experience working with leaders, creatives, and changemakers to introduce a different kin...