OnTopic with Empathia

OnTopic with Empathia

Welcome to OnTopic by Empathia, a podcast dedicated to overcoming challenges in times of uncertainty. We’ll be talking to industry experts from a wide variety of fields to explore the issues of the day and steps individuals and organizations can take to become more resilient. Whether it is delivering a high-value employee assistance program or responding to a crisis in your organization or community, Empathia brings competence, compassion and commitment to those who need it most. Find out more about Empathia at www.empathia.com.

Episodes

Episode 72: The Hail Mary Pregnancy: Faith, Cancer, and a Surrogacy Miracle with Jess & Paige, Part One

March 11, 2026 • 36 mins
Life rarely follows the script we’ve written for ourselves. In this moving episode of OnTopic with Empathia, host Kelly Parbs sits down with Jess and Paige, two women whose lives became inextricably linked through an extraordinary surrogacy journey born out of resilience and faith. Following Jess' stage four triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis, the odds of giving her daughter a sibling were astronomically small - until she met ...
Mark as Played

Episode 71: Second Chances in Prison Reform with Dr. Buck Blodgett, Part Two

December 10, 2025 • 28 mins
Forgiveness isn't just a choice - it's a daily exercise. That's how Dr. Buck Blodgett sees it anyway - the founder of the LOVE>hate project, Dr. Buck and his team have been working in prisons all over the country to offer inmates a new lease on life. In Part Two of their conversation, Buck reveals a few key stories from real inmates inside the program, and how just two simple steps in practicing true forgiveness can rewire the w...
Mark as Played

Episode 70: Second Chances in Prison Reform with Dr. Buck Blodgett, Part One

November 26, 2025 • 39 mins
Everybody deserves a second chance... right? It's easy to say mistakes happen when it comes to the little things, but some times events transpire that can often feel unforgivable. Just take it from Dr. Buck Blodgett - keen listeners may recall his last appearance on OnTopic when he and Kelly talked about the tragic events that led to him starting The LOVE>hate Project, an organization dedicated ending interpersonal violence and ...
Mark as Played

Episode 69: How Should We Care? Navigating Elder Care with Carrie Crawley, Part Two

October 8, 2025 • 39 mins
How do you take care of an aging parent? What about your own future? As we age our bodies tend to break down, unless we start to take the steps necessary to keep us going. In Part Two of their conversation on aging and elder care, Kelly and Carrie Crawley reveal a few key methods to ensuring you can take care of your loved ones in an affordable, accommodating manner regardless of their situation, and how you can start to implement ...
Mark as Played

Episode 68: How Should We Care? Navigating Elder Care with Carrie Crawley, Part One

September 24, 2025 • 40 mins
Caring for aging loved ones is one of the most meaningful, and often one of the most challenging roles any of us will take on. It raises questions about health, independence, finances, and how to balance caregiving with the rest of life. And while every family's journey looks different, the need for support and good information is universal. Just take it from Carrie Crawley, an elder care and aging life specialist who's dedicated h...
Mark as Played

Episode 67: What's the Point? Finding Your Purpose with Alan Mikolaj, Part Two

September 10, 2025 • 35 mins
Are you a born leader? Alan Mikolaj isn't sure anybody is. In fact, he's got the research to prove that NOBODY is born to be a leader, because leadership isn't a genetic trait - it's a learned skill that anybody can manage, if taught under the right conditions. Alan returns to the podcast to talk about what leadership researchers James Kouzes and Barry Posner discovered in their findings to help develop the Leadership Practices Inv...
Mark as Played

Episode 66: What's the Point? Finding Your Purpose with Alan Mikolaj, Part One

August 27, 2025 • 30 mins
Being a leader is harder than it looks. It's a demanding and isolating job, with immense pressure and a constant need to adapt. Just take it from Alan Mikolaj - he's a leadership and organizational development consultant, executive coach and the author of “Stress Management for the Emergency Care Provider” and “The Change: Insights into Self-Empowerment," who works with people in high impact roles, helping build awareness, lead wit...
Mark as Played

Episode 65: Stuck at the Top? Coaching Executives with Ken Jenkins, Part Two

August 13, 2025 • 28 mins
Walk the talk! It's a simple phrase, but what does it really mean? And more importantly, does it apply to you or the leadership at your organization? This idea of aligning your actions with your words is one that executive Coach Ken Jenkins was introduced to early in his career, and it's a principle he's lived by ever since. Today, we continue our conversation with Ken, diving deeper into what it truly means to be a leader. We expl...
Mark as Played

Episode 64: Stuck at the Top? Coaching Executives with Ken Jenkins, Part One

July 30, 2025 • 24 mins
Think back on your career. Have you ever worked under a leader who struggled to communicate clearly? Maybe you found it difficult to follow their direction because the direction itself wasn't clear. Or perhaps you are the leader facing a major organizational change, feeling uncertain about how to guide your team through it. If any of this sounds familiar, it might be time to consider working with an executive coach. Today we're tal...
Mark as Played

Episode 63: How Your Phone (and Social Media) Are Tricking You with Heather Dreske, Part Two

July 16, 2025 • 36 mins
Social Media companies have all but perfected the art of the infinite scroll. On average, every time you pick up your phone you'll end up spending upwards of 20 minutes, mindlessly sacrificing your time - and your sense of accomplishment - with just a single tap. Natural Empathic doctor Heather Dreske returns to the podcast to reveal a few key ways you can ground your senses, plant your feet, and stop the doomscrolling without losi...
Mark as Played

Episode 62: How Your Phone (and Social Media) Are Tricking You with Heather Dreske, Part One

July 2, 2025 • 40 mins
A recent Harvard study found that 73% of Americans experience loneliness. What's got everybody down? Heather Dreske might just have the answer - she's a natural, empathic doctor with expertise in family medicine, psychology, and holistic wellness. Heather and Kelly dig into the number one source of loneliness, anxiety, and depression in America - technology, and more importantly, our phones and the social media that drives them - t...
Mark as Played

Episode 61: Understanding The Language of Loss with Natalie Sanchez, Part Two

June 11, 2025 • 30 mins
Grief isn't something you just 'get over', and it's not something you can expect people to move past. It's an emotion that deserves understanding - one that lies under nearly every aspect of our world today. For some it can be more affecting than others. Just take it from Natalie Sanchez - picking up where they left off last week, Natalie and Kelly dig into the support systems Natalie's built into her life since losing her father i...
Mark as Played

Episode 60: Understanding The Language of Loss with Natalie Sanchez, Part One

May 28, 2025 • 28 mins
Grief is an intense and complex emotional response to loss, but its impact extends far beyond mental and emotional distress. Just take it from Natalie Sanchez - the author of 'The Language Of Loss' and 'Becoming Human', Natalie developed a deep relationship with grief after losing her father in 2018. Kelly and Natalie dig into that relationship - and how Natalie managed to find joy in her journey - in Part One of their two-part con...
Mark as Played

Episode 59: Laughter: The Best Medicine? with Kody Green, Part Two

May 14, 2025 • 28 mins
Laughter isn't just a reaction - it's a resource; one that can go a long way, especially when life feels heavy. And the best part is, we can choose it. Just ask Kody Green - known online as the Schizophrenic Hippie, Kody's amassed over a million followers on TikTok and Instagram by sharing his story and advocating for just a little more lightheartedness when times are tough. Kody and Kelly pick up where their conversation left off ...
Mark as Played

Episode 58: Laughter: The Best Medicine? with Kody Green, Part One

April 30, 2025 • 30 mins
It's a phrase we've all heard before - "Laughter is the best medicine" - but how does one go about finding the humor when tragedy strikes? Kody Green might have the answer - having been diagnosed with undifferentiated schizophrenia at 21, Kody's built a platform on apps like TikTok and YouTube by sharing his experiences through a comedy lens. He's also the author of "Minds Over Meetings: A Personal Perspective on Wellness in the Wo...
Mark as Played

Episode 57: Scared of School with Baylor CARE Team Director Meghan Becker, Part Two

April 16, 2025 • 13 mins
Getting a college degree has always been difficult, but in the age of COVID, smart-phones, and bubble-wrap parenting, some might say it's harder now than ever before. Just take it from Meghan Becker - she's the Director of Student Care and Well-Being at Baylor University, where she heads up the Care Team, Baylor's unique departmental solution to providing mental health resources to over 20,000 college students across it's in-person...
Mark as Played

Episode 56: Scared of School with Baylor CARE Team Director Meghan Becker, Part One

April 2, 2025 • 27 mins
It can't be easy to go to school nowadays. Just take it from Meghan Becker - she's the Director of Student Care and Well-Being at Baylor University where she heads up the Care Team, Baylor's unique departmental solution to providing mental health resources to over 20,000 college students across it's in-person and virtual campuses. To hear Meghan tell it, Baylor's students struggle with anxiety, depression, loneliness, excessive sub...
Mark as Played

Episode 55: Finding Joy After Tragedy with Tom Farley, Part Two

March 19, 2025 • 28 mins
The path to recovery isn't always obvious and straightforward, and finding the right resources for your situation can be difficult when you're already at your lowest. Returning is our guest, Tom Farley, who works with Recovery.com, a website dedicated to finding treatment and guiding those in need - be it Mental Health issues, Addiction, or struggling loved ones. Tom uses his own experience recovering from addiction to help others ...
Mark as Played

Episode 54: Finding Joy After Tragedy with Tom Farley, Part One

March 5, 2025 • 37 mins
Losing a loved one to addiction is tragic and often leaves a family in shambles. Some develop or lean on poor coping mechanisms, others self reflect and attempt to improve themselves. Just take it from Tom Farley - brother of famous Saturday Night Live alum Chris Farley, Tom knows all too well about the pains of an unexpected loss. Join us as we talk through Tom's journey of processing the grief of losing his brother and how he app...
Mark as Played

Episode 53: Crisis Communications with Chris McCloud, Part Two

February 19, 2025 • 33 mins
Addressing a crisis as a company is a complicated and challenging task - that's why Chris McCloud is back with us to share the importance of preparing for such an event. Chris draws on his experience in public relations to share vital tips on how to keep consistent messaging and avoid common pitfalls when managing bad news.

Whether it's delivering a high-value employee assistance program, student support, or responding to a crisis i...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman

    Math & Magic: Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing with Bob Pittman

    How do the smartest marketers and business entrepreneurs cut through the noise? And how do they manage to do it again and again? It's a combination of math—the strategy and analytics—and magic, the creative spark. Join iHeartMedia Chairman and CEO Bob Pittman as he analyzes the Math and Magic of marketing—sitting down with today's most gifted disruptors and compelling storytellers.

    Eye On College Basketball

    Eye On College Basketball

    CBS Sports’ official college basketball podcast is the most entertaining and informative of its kind. Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander bring the sport into your ears at least three times per week with commentary, reporting, insider information and statistical analysis throughout college basketball all year long.

    The Questlove Show

    The Questlove Show

    The Questlove Show builds on the award-winning Questlove Supreme podcast, bringing listeners into intimate, one-on-one conversations with peers, influences, and friends. Hosted by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, each episode uncovers the unexpected — from morning rituals and hidden talents to the art and experiences that shaped a guest’s journey. Sometimes playful, sometimes profound, always curious, QLS offers rare insight into leaders in music, film, television, comedy, literature, mental health, and beyond. It’s a fresh, unpredictable spin from a trusted source — a place where randomness is encouraged, tangents are welcomed, and conversations are anything but ordinary.

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Dan Bongino Show

    The Dan Bongino Show

    The Dan Bongino Show delivers no-nonsense analysis of the day’s most important political and cultural stories. Hosted by the former Deputy Director of the FBI, former Secret Service agent, NYPD officer, and bestselling author Dan Bongino, the show cuts through media spin with facts, accountability, and unapologetic conviction. Whether it’s exposing government overreach, defending constitutional freedoms, or connecting the dots the mainstream media ignores, The Dan Bongino Show provides in-depth analysis of the issues shaping America today. Each episode features sharp commentary, deep dives into breaking news, and behind-the-scenes insight you won’t hear anywhere else. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dan-bongino-show/id965293227?mt=2 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sftHO603JaFqpuQBEZReL?si=PBlx46DyS5KxCuCXMOrQvw Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/bongino?e9s=src_v1_sa%2Csrc_v4_sa_o

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Wearables

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.