Grey Matters Now Podcasts

GMN Episode 41
Shelby Stanger is the host and creator of the hit podcast, Wild Ideas Worth Living, an REI Co-op Studios production and the author of the new book Will To Wild. Shelby started the Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast on her own though and it became SO popular and influential that REI purchased it in 2020.  Like her adventurous podcast guests, Shelby is a true badass and trailblazer whose trails have led her to major wild outdoor adventures, writing a book, large speaking engagements and even most recently a Ted Talk.
GMN Episode 40
Samantha Colicchio is a San Diego-based writer who focuses on feminism, sex, and mental health. To me, she is Sam my sweet neighbor and friend that is apparently also humble and a VERY talented writer. I knew nothing of her phenomenal writing skills until she recently wrote an article that was featured in the Huffington Post. It is a brilliantly written, brave, very transparent and vulnerable account of her struggles with Relationship OCD, a relatively new subtype of the disorder.
GMN Episode 39
Ed Lewis started his first business in 1996 right out of college and since then his goals have shifted significantly. In the beginning work was all about self and making a living… admitting that in his twenties he couldn’t see too far past himself. In 2005 after experiencing the birth of his daughter, something shifted for him and he suddenly had a view of the world that was less about self and more about others. In 2010 he cofounded Enjoy Handplanes with the mission of making products from other peoples trash.
GMN Episode 38
Mary Cap is a sound healer based in Carlsbad, CA where she lives with her husband and son. After leaving a fast paced and high stress career in the hotel wedding & events industry to be a stay-at-home mom when her son was born, she found herself feeling lost in both identity and direction after about a year of being at home. Experiencing depression for the first time in her life, she began to unravel the layers of trauma and conditioning that she realized were affecting her everyday life, relationships and ability to live life to the fullest.
GMN Episode 37
A couple of years ago I started following a social media account Salted Spirit because I was so drawn to the beautiful images of this cool waterwoman podcasting and serving tea at the beach from my ultimate dream recording studio - a vintage Westfalia named Salted Carmela.  This beautiful salted spirit is Stacie Vanags and she was creating something way deeper and more comprehensive than just beautiful images. Her mission was to make her way around Southern California, hosting Salted Spirit podcasts, workshops and cultivating COMMUNITY for waterwomen. 
GMN Episode 36
As a surfer, husband, father of two young girls, and an owner of two start-up businesses, Reis Paluso found himself searching for a way to maintain balance in life. By making a mind-body connection through the Wim Hof Method and summiting mountains in sub-zero temperatures wearing only shorts he began on a journey of unlocking his true potential and found the capacity to dig in just that much deeper into the things he is passionate about.
GMN Episode 35
Best selling author David Magee, formerly a columnist for Newsweek, a former daily newspaper and magazine publisher, and the author of many books about businesses and sports figures began to shift his focus when he wrote wrote an article for the front page of the local paper in 2016. This personal article ripped the bandage off a wound, to air out and share for a greater good and healing all around.
GMN Episode 34
Tina Page is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of California. She has been creating and holding safe space for individuals for over 20 years. In both informal settings as well as in structured therapy settings she utilizes intuitive wisdom and best practice approaches that support each individual in their journey.
GMN Episode 33
On June 11, 2020 I recorded Episode 25: Healing Trauma Through Surf Therapy and Waves of Love With Natalie Small LMFT and Leanne Tibiatowski. Groundswell Community Project a sisterhood of inter-sectional womxn holding safe & brave space for individuals and communities to find their healing, power, and belonging in Mother Ocean’s Waves. Since our last podcast GSCP realized that the world was in need of a specific resource for processing grief.
GMN Episode 32
Historically and unfortunately women have always faced unique challenges in the music industry.  The Aqua Dolls eagerly joined me for some powerful conversation about how to maintain balance, respect and sanity in hopes of helping anyone being mistreated in the industry for being their true selves! The energy of music is undeniably healing on SO many levels.  Whether you're performing your own music, singing along, dancing, moshing, belting out songs in the car …it all feels SO GOOD!
GMN Episode 31
John Abate is a returning guest from Episode 13. In Episode 13 John discussed how he integrated his mindfulness based stress reduction practice as a large part of his recovery from a horrible hit and run incident on his bicycle. He not only recovered but got back up stronger than ever and went on to win and crush cycling events.  He also became committed to providing hope and support to other accident survivors...
GMN Episode 30
Welcome to Grey Matters Now Episode 30! My last episode with Mary Judd, the director of SongwritingWith:Soldiers (SW:S), left such an huge impact on me that I have not been able to stop thinking about it  really felt like I needed to know more - more about the ripple affects, collective and community healing and collaborations. I became really interested in the perspectives of the songwriters and what the experience and process is like for them. I have had numerous conversations with my friend Will Kimbrough, who is a musician and part of the SongwritingWith:Soldiers team...
GMN Episode 29
For years I have been a huge fan of the organization SongwritingWith:Soldiers / SW:S and the depth, power and beauty of what they produce. SongwritingWith:Soldiers holds weekend retreats across the U.S. for veterans from all conflicts. Since 2012, we have connected with hundreds of veterans and military families, creating a safe and inspiring environment to share their experiences and write songs with professional songwriters...
GMN Episode 28
When former collegiate athlete and competitive skydiver, Sydney Williams, unexpectedly found herself on the receiving end of a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, while grappling with unresolved trauma from a decades-old sexual assault, she set out on a mission: turn her pain into power. She founded Hiking My Feelings to help others tap into the mind-body connection and healing power of nature that helped kick her self-limiting beliefs and disease into remission.
GMN Episode 27
Gabaccia Moreno is a first-generation Mexican-American multi-disciplinary creator, consultant, and passionate outdoor advocate #exploringresponsibly wherever life takes her. She holds a B.A. in Theater and Anthropology from SUNY College at Buffalo and an M.A. in Performance Studies from New York University. Growing up in Veracruz, Mexico to a family of hunters and ranchers gave her an appreciation for the land and its wildlife at an early age...
GMN Episode 26
Chef Mic True is an award winning international chef that has committed himself to feeding and introducing his community to healthy food rooted from the earth. He is an incredibly humble and holistic chef and peace warrior that feeds the mind body and soul of his community. As a Violence interrupter with Gideon's Army, he nurtures and protects the roots of his community...
GMN Episode 25
Groundswell Community Project offers surf therapy for self-identifying women overcoming various forms of trauma and it’s effects. They are a transformational community of surfsisters who provide intersectional, brave, and safe spaces for all self-identifying women to find their unique healing, community, and power in the waves of Mother Ocean.
GMN episode 24
Captain Liz Clark traveled over 20,000 miles Sailing to Surf and explore and wrote a book called Swell – a sailing surfer’s voyage of awakening. She is an incredibly gifted writer, a legit waterwoman, her first mate was a rescued Cat Amelia the Tropicat, and she absolutely rips as a surfer!
GMN episode 23
Inocente the documentary won an Academy Award in 2013, among many other awards, and should be a required watch for everyone! It is an incredibly important film and just as relevant now as it was when it was filmed as we are still struggling with a serious homeless crisis and lack of funding for after school programs and the arts.
GMN episode 22
Through her work in Nicaragua and Mexico, Becky has realized her calling to help others around the world, which is where the idea for Changing Tides Foundation was born. Her goals are to inspire others to help while they’re on their adventures, because there is no better way to show your appreciation to the places you visit than to give back to its people.
GMN episode 21
Bridgit Corbin Fried had a successful career in public relations and marketing before taking time to raise her four children. Bridgit recently combined her passion for travel and adventure with her sales and marketing skills and joined Epic Private Journeys. An experienced mountaineer, Bridgit has climbed to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Whitney, several 14,000 ft peaks in Colorado as well as Everest Base Camp.
GMN episode 20
Does what we consume for our beloved pets really have an impact on not only their comprehensive wellness but the planet as well? The answer is yes! I found this out first hand after desperately figuring out how to keep my sweet dog Daisy Mae well in her advanced years. I dug deep, read everything and integrated eastern and western medicine. I basically started cooking for her and learned everything about pet nutrition from a local small business pet supply store called Pupologie.
GMN episode 19
Oct 1, 2017, Dr. Ghaed’s love of country music took her to Route 91 on the night of the shooting in Las Vegas and she, along with many others, witnessed the horror of that night as people around her were shot and killed. She found purpose and meaning in surviving the massacre, and made it her mission to give back to her community and help guide other Route 91 survivors in their healing. One week following the shooting, Dr. Ghaed launched a free weekly support group for survivors and their family and friends.
GMN episode 18
Brittany Catton Kirk is the Founder and Executive Director of the Social Enterprise Sunlight Retreats for Survivors, an accelerator for healing for survivors of rape.After being attacked overseas in 2012, she struggled in her career, relationships and gained 60 pounds as she tried to recover from her attack and Post Traumatic Stress. She looked for a safe place to go and heal but found nothing so she created Sunlight Retreats for Survivors.
GMN episode 17
Designed and developed from decades of applied learning, observation, and client feedback, Katy Bray and Zeb Severson have created an efficient and effective system that integrates the wisdom of Ayurveda with transformational coaching and skill-based practices that increase self-awareness and drive performance, innovation, and success.
GMN episode 16
This is a story about how Ian’s family channeled his spirit into healing energy for the LARGE community of people he touched also grieving the loss of a friend and special soul. This is a story that is infinite and very much ALIVE. This light from Ian’s heart center, that has been stoked and kept alive by his family and community, has lit and fueled the Rollin’ From The Heart Foundation. It is all summed up in their mission statement:
GMN episode 15
Keane Webre-Hayes sustained traumatic wounds to his upper body, lost half his blood, underwent at least five hours of surgery, and received 1,000 stitches to repair his torn upper back, shoulder, torso and face, after he was attacked by a shark on Sept. 29 while diving for lobsters. His mother Ellie was on the bluff as the incident was happening.
GMN episode 14
Join Cheryl, Kenn and I for a conversation about the dynamics of death and dying. It is interesting that we are taught, as soon as we are born, to navigate through all general passages of life and development. The one passage that is not part of our developmental education and, that we are all going to experience, is death.
GMN episode 13
Meet John Abate a true beacon of light and hope. John is also a huge advocate for safer roads, believes and practices wellness through nutrition and MSBR (UCSD trained) and….if that is not enough…is the Co-Founder and CEO of JoJe Bars. He is an avid cyclist, outdoorsman and all around super cool and positive guy.
GMN episode 12, part 2
The ocean has really inspired me — it's always moving and changing; going and flowing. I just think that's so awesome. It's always different than it was the day before. – Jaysea Devoe Individually, we are one drop but together, we are an ocean…
GMN episode 12, part 1
Two years ago I recorded this Episode with Jaysea Devoe who had just turned 15 years old. Jaysea at 12 years old became the youngest certified yoga instructor, youngest S.U.P. yoga instructor, an entrepreneur, a clothing designer and a business owner. These titles are not what are important to her – they just happened to grow from a strong organic passion that happened to come to her at an early age.
GMN episode 11
According to Psychology Today, the definition of mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you carefully observe your thoughts and feelings without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to your current experience, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future.
GMN episode 10
Dr. Bronner’s was founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, a third- generation master soapmaker from a German-Jewish soapmaking family. He used the labels on his superb ecological soaps to spread his message that we must realize our unity across religious & ethnic divides or perish: “We are All-One or None!” Still family-owned and run, Dr. Bronner’s honors its founder’s vision by continuing to make socially & environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating our profits to help make a better world. All-One!
GMN episode 9
Are we really what we eat? Does what we consume really have an impact on not only us but the planet and society? The answer is yes - what we consume becomes the ingredients that create overall and comprehensive wellness. This is one person’s story of self-discovery and a holistic health journey. Everyone has their unique path they are on but it may help to hear what is in someone else’s tool box.
GMN episode 8 Part 2
Emma’s View of Her Journey/ Coping with Emotional and Physical Pain This is a follow up to Episode 8 Part 1: Am I The Only One? My Child Is Self-Harming. Make sure you listen to part 1 before part 2
GMN episode 8
Am I the only one, am I a bad parent, should I have seen this coming, who can I share this with, who can I talk to that won’t judge us, how do I handle this, where can we go for help…? These seem to be a common theme of questions parents ask when they discover their child is self-harming and or struggling with mental health issues.
GMN episode 7
Last year I had the honor of speaking with Nilima Bhat about her new book, workshop and lecture series Shakti Leadership : Embracing Feminine and Masculine Power in Business. Nilima is a world renowned author, speaker, facilitator and visionary and may be one of the most insightful, bright, and balanced souls I have ever met.
GMN episode 6
At Risk Youth – Who are they really? William’s Story Join me, David Magee, Michael Julian, and Katy Bray for an open and honest round table discussion connected in 3 parts of the country and a variety of perspectives.
GMN episode 5
How and why Grey Matters Now? The birth and journey to Grey Matters Now.  This is the story of the birth of Grey Matters Now and the journey that shaped who I am today and my evolving life purpose and mission.
GMN episode 4
Have the latest massacres and disasters left you feeling stunned, fearful, angry, saddened, or polarized? This free-flowing conversation with my friend, colleague and fellow Social worker Kenn just happened to be a month after The Pulse Night Club shooting and the day of the massacre in the South of France – Bastille Day.
GMN episode 3
Do you ever wonder why cat videos are so popular? What is it about animals that makes us feel so good? There’s a bond between animals and humans that is so powerful without even speaking a word. It was an honor to have Robin Cohen, the director of the Pet Encounter Therapy program at the Helen Woodward Animal Center as our guest to explore and learn more about the unique and powerful human /animal relationship.
GMN episode 2
What exactly is a life coach? Someone who guides you to your own intuition and intrinsic ability to reach your goals. Rich says he likes to be like a mirror, reflecting back to his clients the best version of themselves.
GMN episode 1
Ready to talk trash with folk artist and holistic health practitioner Rodrigo? A unique and deep character who’s collected wisdom along his organic journey living amongst many different cultures.
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