Friends from Wild Places

Your outdoor space can be more than a strip of plants and a patio set. We sit down with Marisa, a self described plant nerd and garden designer, to talk about creating “garden rooms” that make a yard feel like an extension of the home: places to cook, gather, rest, and breathe. Along the way, we dig into what great garden design and landscape design really require, from hardscape and furniture to irrigation planning and...

A garden can look perfect and still feel wrong to live in and fixing that is where design becomes personal. We’re joined by Marisa K. Bradley of Marisa K. Bradley Garden Design, who creates outdoor spaces that support the way you actually move through your day. Starting with Audrey Hepburn’s line, “To plant a garden is to dream of tomorrow,” we dig into why gardening is the opposite of instant gratification ...

Money fear can freeze the biggest dreams. We talk candidly about what it looks like to want a solopreneur life while still needing stability, and how to move forward without blowing up your finances. Our guiding idea is simple and doable: don’t force a dramatic “quit and pray” moment. Instead, build in a straddle season where you keep your current income, carve out focused time, and stack small wins until the next...

You can feel successful on paper and still crave something truer. Allison joins us to share how she went from being born and raised in Toronto to building a new life in the San Francisco Bay Area, following community, coastline, and the creative pulse of innovation. Along the way we talk about what it really takes to restart in a new place, especially when you do not arrive with a ready made network, just a suitcase, a plan, and th...

We’re Shireen and Tanya, and we start by challenging the old assumption that bookkeeping has to be local to be legitimate. Secure remote access, US-based training, and tight processes can deliver the same precision while giving business owners a more flexible, modern partner. If you’re searching for QuickBooks support, virtual bookkeeping, or a practical way to get your monthly close under control, you’ll feel see...

A canceled workshop can feel like a punch to the gut, but it can also be the cleanest data you will ever get. We sit down with Jennifer Lares of Mulling Mortition to talk honestly about the unglamorous side of building a funeral service business: ideas that do not land, the sunk cost trap, and the mental work of making cuts without losing your confidence. Along the way, we keep it real and even get into the unexpectedly practical q...

Death care looks “quiet” from the outside, but the work is technical, emotional, and relentless and the biggest challenge is often the one nobody admits: not having access to the training you need when a real case demands it. We sit down with Jennifer, the educator and business owner behind Mulling Mortician, to talk about how funeral service professionals actually learn, where skill gaps come from, and what it takes to...

A rainy high school track meet. A crowded tent. One shove that turns into one stab and a teenager sentenced to 35 years. We step into the gray area most headlines skip and ask the uncomfortable question: what does “proportional force” really mean when fear and adrenaline hit faster than thought? We walk through the Texas case involving Karmelo Anthony and Austin Metcalfe, then weigh the arguments that split the public, ...

We dig into what reform can look like on the ground: showing respect to every person who walks through the door, holding boundaries, and refusing to let cynicism turn you into the kind of officer the public fears. Nancy shares how she teaches students to make change the slow way, like turning a battleship, by holding the line on ethics and professional conduct. Then we shift into the human side of heavy work: how to “recharge...

People love to ask the million-dollar question: what causes someone to commit a crime? We go deeper than a single motive and talk through the messy truth that criminal behavior is multifactorial. Greed, jealousy, revenge, ideology, and plain old stress can all play a role, but the most useful framework is what protects people when temptation or pressure hits. We break down self-control alongside protective factors like family, comm...

A CEO is killed on a New York sidewalk, a suspect is arrested after a multi-day manhunt, and the public reaction splits in a way that should worry anyone who cares about justice. Some people see a cold-blooded murder. Others see payback for a broken, for-profit healthcare system. We sit with that discomfort and ask the question that would hang over any courtroom: if you were on the jury, could you separate your own insurance anger ...

Albania isn’t just a place on a map, it’s a feeling, and once you hear how Albanians treat guests, you understand why travelers come back changed. We sit down with Anila Nicklos to unpack Albanian culture in a way that’s practical and vivid: what hospitality looks like in real life, why the food matters so much, what makes the Albanian language unique, and how a small country can hold mountains, rivers, lakes, and...

Checkbox diversity is easy. Building a culture where people feel seen, trusted, and excited to do great work is the real challenge, and it starts with something surprisingly simple: getting to know each other as humans. We sit down with Anila, a diversity strategist and community advocate, to unpack what leaders can do right now to create high-performance teams rooted in shared purpose. We talk about the practical habits that make ...

If you had no witnesses and only your word to offer, what would convince a jury you’re telling the truth? We start with that uncomfortable question while unpacking a high profile attempted murder trial in Hawaii, then follow the thread where it really leads: integrity, consistency, and what your life says about you when the stakes are high.

Anila Nicklos

• Tel: +1 216-870-1054
• Email: anila@icaremm.com
• LinkedIn: http://www.linke...

The hardest part of growth is not moving countries, changing careers, or chasing bigger goals. It’s learning how to be yourself without letting comparison steal your confidence. Franklin joins us to talk candidly about that inner fight, what it feels like to live between cultures, and how self-belief becomes a daily practice rather than a personality trait you either have or don’t. 

Franklin Moya

• Website: https:/...

COVID didn’t just disrupt Franklin’s career, it cracked his life open and forced a choice: sink into the loss or finally write the book he’d been carrying since he was 19. He chose the page. What follows is a candid, human story about reinvention, rejection, and how creative work can become a lifeline when your “stable plan” disappears overnight.

Franklin Moya

• Website: https://jfranklin.eu/
• Email: j.f...

Then we shift from crime to courage. Our guest, Franklin Moyle, known artistically as Jay Franklin, joins us for his first-ever podcast and does it in his second language. He opens up about the quote that shaped his life: “Feel the fear and do it anyway” from Susan Jeffers. We talk about self-confidence, imposter syndrome, and the uncomfortable truth that many people who look fearless are simply better at hiding their f...

What if the closed doors in your life are actually signposts? We sit down with Michael Perie—mortuary educator, industry pro, and calming presence—to unpack how faith, timing, and real rest can shape a career that serves people at their most tender moments. Michael shares why he waits for clarity before moving, how doing “nothing” on purpose refills his tank, and why a steady voice can change the temperature...

What if the fastest way to lead better is to talk less and listen more? Michael of MP Educates joins us to share how intentional listening, humble feedback, and clear boundaries helped him grow as a father, pastor, mortuary professional, and educator—without burning out. His story begins with a hard truth: answering before someone finishes speaking isn’t leadership, it’s fear. By slowing down and watching for nonv...