Heart + Head Work

MAVEN Founders (Tessa Arneson & Rocky Donati)
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  • MENTAL HEALTH

Maven is a community that empowers women through the creation of safe spaces and intentional connections rooted in love and curiosity.Heart + Head Work honors the journey of becoming and how nurturing the pieces of our selves becomes the foundation for showing up for others. Hosted by Tessa & Rocky, co-founders of Maven, this podcast holds space for the intimate questions we carry and the lived moments that shape us. Through candid conversations and real stories, we explore how empowering our whole selves creates deeper connection, shared belonging, and brighter communities.

  1. On Choice, Grief, and the Right to Decide

    6D AGO

    On Choice, Grief, and the Right to Decide

    In this episode of Heart + Head Work, Rocky and Tessa sit down for a deeply personal and honest conversation about abortion, motherhood, and the complexity of choice. What begins as a reflection on a recent guest conversation opens into something much more intimate—Tessa shares her own experience with pregnancy loss and abortion, and the emotional, physical, and psychological realities that followed. Together, they explore what it means to make decisions in moments of uncertainty, the weight of grief, and the anger that can arise when choice is taken away. This conversation moves between the deeply personal and the collective, touching on systems, language, and the importance of compassion in moments that are anything but simple. At its core, this episode is about autonomy, healing, and the right to navigate our own lives and bodies with dignity. Together, we explore: - The lived experience of abortion and pregnancy loss - Grief, anger, and the emotional aftermath of difficult decisions - What it means to make a choice in moments of uncertainty - The impact of language and systems on personal experience - Why autonomy matters in both motherhood and identity - How we hold space for ourselves and others through complex experiences Resources mentioned in this episode: https://utabortionfund.org Disclaimer: This conversation reflects personal experiences and perspectives. Topics discussed may be sensitive for some listeners. We encourage you to take care of yourself while listening and to seek support if needed. Connect with us! 💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF  https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 📲 Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/maven.community ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. More at → mavenslc.com

    32 min
  2. Choosing How You Show Up

    APR 20

    Choosing How You Show Up

    In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we sit down with Ali, a journalist and community voice deeply embedded in the flow of information, culture, and change. Together, we explore what it means to stay engaged in a world that feels overwhelming—how to care deeply without burning out, and how to move from reactive outrage into something more grounded, sustained, and meaningful. Ali offers a powerful reframe: the difference between anger and outrage—and why one may be essential for long-term change, while the other keeps us stuck in cycles of reaction. This conversation moves from the personal to the collective, touching on media, responsibility, and the deeper systems shaping our lives. At the center of it all is a question many of us are quietly holding: How do we stay in the work—without losing ourselves? Together, we unpack: - The difference between anger and outrage—and why it matters - How outrage cycles can exhaust and distract us - What it means to cultivate sustainable emotional engagement - The idea that our “social contract” may be breaking down - Media consumption, information overload, and staying informed without burnout - Finding your role in the midst of complex societal issues - Why long-term change requires steadiness, not spikes - How community care and small actions still matter Resources mentioned in this episode Utah Abortion Fund A community-based organization providing financial support and access to abortion care in Utah. Hotline + support access: https://utabortionfund.org/ You can also support their work through monthly or one-time donations, helping ensure continued access to care for those who need it. Find Ali Vallarta at https://saltlake.citycast.fm/ Connect with us! 💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF  https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 📲 Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/maven.community ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. More at → mavenslc.com

    1h 14m
  3. Living What You Believe

    APR 6

    Living What You Believe

    In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we sit down with Blake Spalding and Jen Castle, executive chefs and founders of the iconic Hell’s Backbone Grill in Boulder, Utah. For more than 25 years, Blake and Jen have built far more than a restaurant—they’ve built a community rooted in hospitality, advocacy, and a deep commitment to the land and people around them. Their work has become a powerful example of how business can be used as a platform for values, courage, and collective care. What began as a shared love of food and partnership grew into a restaurant that feeds both the body and the spirit. Along the way, Blake and Jen have used their voices to advocate for environmental protection, community well-being, and the idea that success isn’t measured by profit alone. In this conversation, they share stories of building a values-driven business, navigating activism as business owners, and redefining what it means to lead with integrity in a complicated world. Together, we unpack: - The story behind Hell’s Backbone Grill and how Blake and Jen built their partnership - Using business as a platform for advocacy and environmental protection - The courage it takes to use your voice—even when it’s uncomfortable - Navigating criticism, community pressure, and standing by your values - How food and hospitality can become a space for connection and healing - Redefining success beyond money, status, or traditional metrics - Why small businesses can be powerful centers of culture and change This episode is thoughtful, bold, and deeply human—an exploration of what happens when people choose to lead with integrity, speak up for what matters, and build something that nourishes far beyond the plate. Where to find Hell’s Backbone Grill: Hell’s Backbone Grill https://www.hellsbackbonegrill.com Follow Blake & Jen Instagram: @hellsbackbonegrill Disclaimer This conversation reflects personal experiences and perspectives. Every business, community, and leadership journey is unique. We encourage listeners to reflect on what resonates and explore their own path toward meaningful work and impact. Connect with us! Continue the conversation with us inside the Maven Network, our private space on BFF: https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 Follow us on Instagram @mavenslc More at → https://www.mavenslc.com Connect with us! 💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF  https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 📲 Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/maven.community ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. More at → mavenslc.com

    1h 17m
  4. How Speaking Up Creates Change

    MAR 23

    How Speaking Up Creates Change

    In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore what it means to advocate — not just in big public moments, but in the quieter, everyday ways we use our voice to influence change. Rocky Donati and Tessa Arneson sit down with business leader and advocate Natalie Caddis and communications strategist Jenna Smith for a conversation about leadership, storytelling, and the surprising ways small moments of courage can ripple outward. Through personal stories and lived experience, Natalie shares what it was like to step into leadership of her family’s manufacturing company during a time of uncertainty — navigating real financial pressure while learning how resilience, creativity, and persistence can reshape what’s possible. Jenna brings a communications lens to the conversation, offering insight into how stories, relationships, and follow-up can open unexpected doors — even leading to moments that feel almost impossible. Together, this episode explores the ways advocacy shows up in business, leadership, and daily life. From navigating crises to pitching ideas, connecting with media, and building relationships that matter, the conversation reveals how influence is often built through consistency, curiosity, and the willingness to keep showing up. Rather than presenting advocacy as something reserved for activists or public figures, this episode reframes it as a practice — something we can all cultivate in our work, communities, and relationships. Together, we unpack: - What advocacy really looks like in everyday leadership - How storytelling can shape influence and open unexpected opportunities - The role of persistence and follow-up in building meaningful connections - Why relationships often matter more than credentials or authority - How moments of pressure can reveal the leaders we’re becoming - The small actions that can create surprising ripple effects This episode is an invitation to reflect on the ways your own voice — and your willingness to use it — might shape the conversations, opportunities, and communities around you. Connect with us Continue the conversation with us inside the Maven Network, our private space on BFF Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mavenslc More at → https://www.mavenslc.com ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. Connect with us! 💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF  https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 📲 Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/maven.community ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. More at → mavenslc.com

    49 min
  5. Listen and Leap | Jennifer Mulholland

    MAR 9

    Listen and Leap | Jennifer Mulholland

    In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore what it means to listen — really listen — to the quiet intelligence within. Rocky Donati and Tessa Stuckey sit down with Jennifer Mulholland for a deeply embodied conversation about soul knowing, presence, and the moments in life when we’re called to leap before we have all the answers. Through story, reflection, and lived experience, Jennifer shares how learning to trust the body’s wisdom has shaped her path — from athletics and corporate leadership to healing work, entrepreneurship, and guiding others back to themselves. This conversation weaves together themes of integrity, intuition, and the courage it takes to slow down in a world that rewards speed and strategy. Jennifer opens up about listening through the body, navigating major life transitions, and learning to distinguish between the voice of fear and the quiet clarity of soul speak. Rather than offering formulas or fixes, this episode is an invitation — to soften, to notice, and to experiment with presence in small, accessible ways. Together, we unpack: - What it means to listen to the body as an inner compass - The difference between strategy-driven decisions and soul-led ones - How slowing down creates access to clarity, healing, and alignment - Why sensation, expansion, and contraction can be powerful guides - The role of space, silence, and attention in meaningful change - How trusting the next step — without knowing the whole path — can transform a life This episode is an invitation to remember your wholeness and reconnect with the wisdom that’s already within you. Resources Mentioned: Jennifer Mulholland Embodiment guide, speaker, and coach Website: https://jennifermulholland.com/ Disclaimer: This conversation reflects personal experience and perspective, not medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Everyone’s body, nervous system, and healing journey is unique. We encourage you to consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your physical or emotional health. Connect with us! 💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF  https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 📲 Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/maven.community ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. More at → mavenslc.com

    1h 3m
  6. The Cost of Saying Yes to the Wrong Thing

    FEB 23

    The Cost of Saying Yes to the Wrong Thing

    In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore the moment you realize something in your life isn’t aligned — and you can no longer pretend it is. Rocky Donati and Tessa Arneson share a candid, behind-the-scenes look at a season when momentum, opportunity, and growth began to pull them away from alignment. What looked exciting and expansive at first slowly became heavy, complicated, and unsustainable — not because the idea was wrong, but because it wasn’t right for them. Through the story of launching a boutique hotel alongside building Maven, Rocky opens up about the emotional and relational cost of saying yes to something that didn’t fit, the tension of recognizing it in real time, and the courage it took to finally admit the truth. This conversation moves through overwhelm, avoidance, grief, partnership, and ultimately relief — a return to integrity that reshaped how they make decisions today. Rather than offering productivity formulas or growth hacks, this episode asks a deeper question: How do you know when something is truly aligned? Together, we unpack: - The subtle ways misalignment can hide inside “good opportunities” - What happens to the body and relationships when we override inner knowing - Why external success doesn’t equal internal clarity - How honest conversations can restore connection and direction - The difference between what works and what’s right - A simple framework Rocky used to recognize where her energy truly belonged This episode is an invitation to listen more carefully to yourself, even when the answer requires a hard change. Disclaimer This conversation reflects personal experience and perspective, not financial, legal, or therapeutic advice. Every business, partnership, and life circumstance is unique. We encourage you to consult appropriate professionals before making major decisions. Connect with us! 💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF  https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 📲 Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/maven.community ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. More at → mavenslc.com

    43 min
  7. The Sex Talk You Never Had

    FEB 9

    The Sex Talk You Never Had

    In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore sex, fantasy, and desire through the lens of presence, safety, and self-trust. Rocky Donati and Tessa Arneson are joined by Dr. Stormy Hill, a mental health occupational therapist and intimacy coach, and Courtney Stookey, founder of Lovebound Library—Utah’s first romance-only bookstore—for an honest, playful, and deeply grounding conversation about what desire is really trying to tell us. Together, they explore why sex is one of the most talked about—and most repressed—topics in our culture, how shame and performance disconnect us from our bodies, and what becomes possible when curiosity replaces judgment. From romance novels and fantasy as tools for exploration, to nervous system safety and sexual sovereignty, this episode invites listeners to slow down and listen inward. Rather than offering answers or prescriptions, this conversation centers presence: learning to notice what’s alive in the body, what feels safe, and what we’re genuinely drawn toward—without pressure to act or perform. Together, we unpack: - Why sex is culturally obsessed over and simultaneously suppressed - What it means to ask, “What actually turns me on?” for the first time - How fantasy and romance can offer information—not instruction - The role of safety, the nervous system, and the body in desire - Reclaiming sexuality as something personal, not performative - Why curiosity and imagination can be powerful tools for self-connection This episode is thoughtful, warm, and unexpectedly fun—an invitation to approach desire with more honesty, softness, and trust. Resources Mentioned: Dr. Stormy Hill Intimacy Coach & Mental Health Occupational Therapist https://lovedeeplab.com/  Courtney Stookey Owner of Lovebound Library Utah’s first romance-only bookstore https://www.loveboundlibrary.com Rocky and Tessa's book picks from Lovebound Library: Heather's Pick: A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston Rocky's Pick: Black Rose and Blood Orange by Karina Halle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveboundlibrary Disclaimer: This conversation reflects personal experience and perspective, not medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Everyone’s body, nervous system, and healing journey is different. We encourage you to consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your physical or emotional health. Connect with us! 💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF  https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 📲 Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/maven.community ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. More at → mavenslc.com

    1h 17m
  8. How 10 Days of Silence Changed My Life

    JAN 26

    How 10 Days of Silence Changed My Life

    In this episode of Heart + Head Work, we explore what happens when everything goes quiet. Rocky Donati shares her experience attending a 10-day Vipassana silent retreat—a meditation practice centered on awareness, equanimity, and learning to see reality exactly as it is. With no phone, no speaking, no reading, and more than 11 hours of meditation per day, the retreat created an environment designed to strip away distraction and invite a direct encounter with the self. What unfolded wasn’t bliss—it was pain. Intense, sustained physical pain that became the gateway to something far more transformative: a deep reconnection to the body, an understanding of sensation versus reaction, and the realization that presence isn’t about feeling good—it’s about being fully with what is. Rocky opens up about what it means to sit with discomfort instead of trying to escape it, how chronic pain and dissociation can disconnect us from ourselves, and why learning to observe without reacting can change how we move through every part of life. Together, we unpack What a 10-day Vipassana silent retreat actually looks like (schedule, structure, and expectations)Why Rocky experienced intense physical pain while others did notThe difference between sensation, reaction, and equanimityHow chronic pain, dissociation, and healing are deeply connectedWhat it means to witness yourself without trying to fix or change anythingWhy presence creates now benefits—not just future onesHow this practice continues beyond meditation and into daily lifeThis episode is honest, embodied, and deeply human—an invitation to explore presence in whatever way meets you where you are. Resources Mentioned Vipassana Meditation (as taught by S.N. Goenka):  https://www.dhamma.org https://www.pasava.dhamma.org/ Disclaimer This conversation reflects personal experience and perspective, not medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. Everyone’s body, nervous system, and healing journey is different. We encourage you to consult a qualified medical or mental health professional before making decisions related to your physical or emotional health. Connect with us! 💬 Join the conversation in our private network on BFF  https://links.geneva.com/invite/af6ecd07-9070-43b7-9629-7aaa166aa131 📲 Follow us on Instagram instagram.com/maven.community ✨ And if this episode moved you, sharing it with a friend helps more women find us. More at → mavenslc.com

    1h 6m
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About

Maven is a community that empowers women through the creation of safe spaces and intentional connections rooted in love and curiosity.Heart + Head Work honors the journey of becoming and how nurturing the pieces of our selves becomes the foundation for showing up for others. Hosted by Tessa & Rocky, co-founders of Maven, this podcast holds space for the intimate questions we carry and the lived moments that shape us. Through candid conversations and real stories, we explore how empowering our whole selves creates deeper connection, shared belonging, and brighter communities.

Information

  • Creator
    MAVEN Founders (Tessa Arneson & Rocky Donati)
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Heart + Head Work
  • Show Website
    Heart + Head Work