Dancing in the Discomfort Zone with Anne Bonney

What if your pain, physical, emotional, even traumatic, wasn’t a life sentence, but an invitation?

In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, I talk with Amazing Soul (www.themindfckco.com), Army veteran, mentor, and founder of The MindFCK Co., about what it really takes to heal. After years of chronic back pain, trauma, and suicidal thoughts, her turning point came when a mentor bluntly told her she was “full of it” until s...

What happens when life throws you the hardest challenge—and you choose to turn grief into growth? In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, I sit down with Gretchen Schott, (https://www.gretchenschott.com/) speaker, author, and leadership powerhouse, to talk about her new book Joy at Work When Women Lead and what it really means to bring authentic joy to the workplace.

Spoiler: joy at work isn’t about plastering on a grin. ...

What if getting happier wasn’t about buying more, doing more, or being “fearless”, but about learning a few smart survival moves for modern life? In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, survivalist-professor-midwife Ruth Ann Colby Martin (https://RACMedge.com) turns a year in the wild into a practical framework you can use at work, at home, and anywhere stress tries to hijack your joy. From “shelter, water, fire, food” t...

After last week's conversation with Sarena Diamond, I started to think about Letting Go, and whether my perspective was right.  (My perspective: Letting go is good...most of the time!)  I do this a lot.  "Am I wrong?  I could be wrong!  Let's investigate."

So I invited my friend and consummate Change Hater, Lisa Demmi (https://LisaDemmi.com) over for an argument!  The question: Is Letting Go actually the right ap...

What do you do when life hands you a layoff, single parenthood, and a house full of 28 years’ worth of memories… all at once?

In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, I sit down with organizational change powerhouse Serena Diamond (www.diamondsolutionsgroupllc.com) —former IBM exec turned entrepreneur—who shares how she navigated a major life and career pivot by betting on the one person she could trust: herself.

From leade...

It’s a milestone, y’all! In this solo episode, I’m throwing a little party in your ears to celebrate the 350th episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone! But don’t worry—it’s not just a victory lap. It’s a powerful reminder of one of the most overlooked confidence-building tools we’ve got: looking back.

If you’re stuck in “I’m not there yet” mode, this is your loving nudge to pause, reflect, and realize—you’ve already come a hell of...

 In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, we’re busting the myth that confidence is something you either have or don’t. (Spoiler: that’s garbage.)

Speaker, coach, and talent optimization strategist Diana Rogers Jaeger (https://www.dianarogersjaeger.com/) joins me to break down confidence into something way more approachable—and buildable. From whitewater rafting as a tiny but mighty kid to coaching leaders and Girl Scouts ...

You’ve met them—Two-Face Timmy, Micromanaging Maria, and Pessimistic Pete—and no, they’re not cartoon villains. They’re your coworkers… and they’re draining your soul.

In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, I sit down with Rich Salon (aka “The HR Guy” https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-salon-sphr-shrm-scp/) to talk about how to handle jerky workplace behavior without losing your cool—or your job. Author of The One Minute J...

What do rolling your ankle, pulling coins from thin air, and publishing a book have in common? They all show up in this refreshingly honest and hilarious conversation about the messy middle of personal growth.

In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, we’re talking to Ben Whiting (benwhiting.com) about Imposter Syndrome, rejection sensitivity dysphoria (say that five times fast), and how the secret to showing up confidently...

Wait… you don’t need glitter glue to be creative?  Surprise! In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, I chat with Dr. Amy Climer —facilitator, speaker, and author of Deliberate Creative Teams—who’s on a mission to bust the myth that creativity is reserved for “artsy” people.

Amy drops some serious (and seriously fun) wisdom about how to build team creativity on purpose—not just cross your fingers and hope for an idea to ma...

Ever said “Screw it, I’ll figure it out” and leapt into something you had "no business" (according to some) doing? GOOD. That’s what we’re talking about in this fiery solo episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone—the bold, beautiful magic of naive arrogance.

It’s that irrational confidence that gets things moving when logic, fear, and perfectionism are trying to slam on the brakes. You don’t need a perfect plan. You need ...

In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, I sit down with the one and only Vaibhav Nahata, a.k.a. “Happy” (www.speakervideos.com)—a joy-fueled video marketing pro, teen speaker, and TV show producer from Nepal who has turned discomfort into his superpower.

Once the bullied kid at school, now a bold entrepreneur interviewing CEOs and inspiring youth around the world, Happy’s story is a wild ride of risk, resilience, and sayi...

Running on Empty? Let’s Talk Emotional Energy (and Why You Keep Snapping at People).

Ever find yourself saying, “I know better, but I still lost it…” or “I had every intention of staying calm… until I didn’t”? Yeah. That’s emotional energy at work—or more accurately, at low battery.

In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, Anne Bonney dives into the unsung hero of emotional intelligence: emotional energy. It’s the fuel that...

Think de-escalation is just for law enforcement? Think again.

In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, Anne Bonney chats with Drew Moldenhauer (https://drewthespeaker.com/)—former police officer, emotional intelligence advocate, and founder of Blue Ethos (https://blue-ethos.com/) —about the surprising science and strategy behind de-escalation, communication, and psychological safety at work.

With over a decade of high-stake...

Ever been in a conversation where the heat rises... fast? 🥵 In this episode of Dancing in the Discomfort Zone, Anne Bonney (https://YourChangeSpeaker.com) breaks down the power of taking a strategic timeout when emotions start to hijack a productive dialogue.

Whether it’s a tense team meeting, a tough feedback session, or a workplace conflict headed off the rails, knowing when (and how) to hit pause can be the difference between a ...

What do you do when 175 acres of your beloved land go up in flames? If you’re HeatherAsh Amara (www.warriorgoddess.com), you don’t just rebuild—you listen.

In this powerful and earthy episode, author of Warrior Goddess Training and all-around badass HeatherAsh Amara shares how losing nearly everything in a wildfire became an unexpected invitation to slow down, tune in, and completely reimagine what the next chapter really looks like...

Overwhelm.  Burnout.  So much is changing these days, and it's really easy to feel like you're being knocked around in the endless barrage of change!  If you want to feel a little better about your situation, especially when things get hairy, do what we talk about in this episode.  Focus on what you can CONTROL!

Thanks for listening.  

Anne Bonney, CSP®, is an electrifying keynote speaker, energizing emcee, a fun interactiv...

In this profound and deeply human episode, Anne Bonney sits down with speaker and mental wellness advocate Ryan Gallik to explore a life shaped by trauma—and transformed by healing, purpose, and leadership.

As a witness to and survivor of a middle school school shooting, Ryan’s journey through grief and trauma led him to a life of service—as a firefighter, paramedic, and now the founder of the Mental Hygiene Project  (www.mentalhygi...

What if the expiration date on your current life isn’t a dead end—but an invitation to reinvent yourself? 

In this inspiring, high-energy episode, Anne Bonney chats with Ken Hartley www.kenhartley.com  award-winning speaker, singer, and corporate magician, about his wild and courageous career pivot at 50 years old. After 36 years leading music ministries, Ken walked away from everything stable and familiar to chase a completely diff...