The Open Exploration Podcast

Lily talks with Eric Rooney about how he transitioned from his days of briefcase carrying and corporate living in San Francisco to...well…what he does today. Which is a little tough to pin down really - he’s a farmer and a florist and a landscaper, but he also works in death and dying, in service to the elderly and terminally ill, in grief support, in advocacy and education regarding greener options after death, and in advocacy for...

Lily talks with author Heather Mateus Sappenfield about how she followed her life-long dream to be a professional writer. 

Heather shares about the inspiration for her characters, how she has dug deep in herself to learn how to stay in a scene beyond the point when it is tidy and comfortable, and the ways that her pursuits as an adventure athlete, including her experience cycling across america with a relay team, have prep...

Lily talks with CC Haug about her journey to founding Good Judy Garage, a mechanic shop that promises excellent service and a safe space to customers.

CC is a mechanical engineer and master mechanic with over 25 years of experience. She feared that coming out as trans would threaten her livelihood and her place in the industry, so she built the kind of workplace and the kind of business she wished existed.

Fundr...

Lily continues her conversation with Cat James about the many twists and turns, adventures, and surprises that have marked her path towards becoming a tattoo artist. Cat shares about a sudden moment of clarity that led her to painful realizations and challenging conversations, but also to an honest and life-affirming path forward.

You can see Cat's work at www.oldsolnewtricks.com or on social media @oldsolnewtricks. 

Lily talks with lifestyle and nutrition coach, activist, community builder,  and all around delightful human, Carolyn Taylor-Harris about her path the wellness and the teaching she has to offer.

To find out more about Carolyn's work, visit www.sanitasoulwellness.com or follow on Social Media @sanitasoul

Mentioned in this conversation, weight loss, healing, wellness, Abraham Hicks, Adrienne Maree Brown and he...

Lily connects with TJ Rivers, founder and owner of Venturhaus, a design studio focused on off-grid and mobile living. 

Their conversation spans climbing, van life, gender, sexual orientation, relationship structures, communal living, skateboarding, learning differences, the narrow measures of the public school system, overcoming major obstacles and setbacks, entrepreneurship, and paving our own way. 


Find out...

Lily connects with Autumn and Ike in their home in Del Norte, Colorado. Autumn is in graduate school to be a counselor and shares about how she decided to take this path and what it means to her, AND how she balances her work and studies with adventure and creativity. Ike manages a small organic farm in the Foothills of the San Luis Valley with his two partners, does landscaping work, and helps to put on tons of community events li...

Lily talks with her dear Aunt, Wendy Berger, about the winding path that led Wendy to her career as a therapist.

Wendy shares about the deep pain she experienced in her adolescence, her time spent in a cult and how she got out and began to make sense of that season of her life,  and how she began to recognize her profound intuition and build a career around that gift. 

This conversation centers on our spiritual relationship...

Lily talks with Principal Scott Bain of the Jefferson County Open School about their non-traditional approach to education that centers student-led learning and education through travel, adventure, and the pursuit of big goals.

Scott also shares about the path that led him from discontentment as a student, to years spent working as a river guide and ski instructor, to becoming an educator himself and finding a home and a ...

Lily talks with acrobat and performer Bethel Lindsley about her experiences in the circus community around the world and her choice to set down roots and create Circus Foundry with her partner, Anthony. 

Bethel shares about her childhood trauma and how she began to recognize and heal its long-term impacts in her life. With Circus Foundry, she now tells stories  of humanity, healing, and compassion through contemporary circ...

Lily talks with her dear friend, Sophie Feffer (better known as Feff), about her decision to leave a job that was crushing her in search of greener pastures. From her experience in harm reduction and safe needle-exchange, Feff offers insight into the drug problem in the United States and the impacts of policy on real people, and shares about the heartbreak of becoming disillusioned and burned out from working in a system ill-equipp...

Lily talks with Kelissa Hieber, owner and head brewer of Goldspot Brewing in Denver, Co, about how she has connected her love of craft brewing with her passion for social justice and community. Kelissa shares about the dangerous and intense parts of the brewing process, her experience as a queer female in a male dominated industry, and how she is using her position to change the industry and give back. 

Find out more about...

Lily talks with Mary Greenwood, a Chaplain who has supported hundreds of families through death and grief. Mary shares about her initial urge to resist the call towards this work,  her constantly-expanding sense of spirituality, and how  awe can be a guide. 

See Mary's work at www.shanti-spiritual.com

Books mentioned in the episode: Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, Dan Harris; Meditation for the Love of It, Sally Kempt...