SHI(F)T HAPPENS Pod Devan Shepherd, Natasha Holbrook, & Jessica Johnson

Everybody, meet Alice! 
Alice Hu is the founder of Woo Woo Company, a guide to all things woo, spiritual, and holistic health. She loves explaining concepts like crystals, astrology, manifestation, and more in grounded and practical ways to help people discover their truth and purpose. Alice is also the host of the Into the Woo podcast.
We had such a blast getting to know Alice! We loved hearing her journey from the corporate marketing world to wellness entrepreneurship. She launched Woo Woo Company as a practical gateway to discover your personal spiritual and holistic wellness path. We appreciate this approach because we know how overwhelming this space and practices can be! In this episode we take a deep dive into sound bath meditations: what they are, how they work, and why they are so amazingly nourishing, healing + wonderful. Alice also gave us a sound bath meditation to share with you all! So take a listen and allow yourself a relaxing and grounding moment to get you through the rest of your day. 
We also chat about:
Saturn returns!  Alice's daily routine Her "Discover your truth and purpose" program Resources:
Instagram: @woowooco  Website: https://www.woowoocompany.com Her truth and purpose program 
Sound bath time code: 57:47 Mentioned (in intro): The Health Code Podcast, Scam Goddess, Down the Hill: the Delphi Murders

We are so honored to have Joanna on the pod! 
Joanna is a registered yoga teacher and the owner of Embody YOGA. She first developed an interest in yoga as a teenager. Over the years, she experimented with various forms of physical fitness and dance before returning to the practice in 2011. Joanna started Embody YOGA, on a mission to share the practice of yoga with people of color by offering classes that were accessible, affordable and culturally relevant. Since its founding in 2015, Embody YOGA has served over 400 students, the majority of whom identify as people of color. Nothing brings Joanna more joy than to witness her students develop a personal relationship and connection to the practice of yoga. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Community Counseling (with an emphasis in child and adolescent counseling) from Marquette University and has a deep commitment to promoting holistic wellness in communities of color.
In this episode, Joanna dives into her yoga journey, the formation of EMBODY YOGA and it's powerful purpose in sharing yoga for people of color. She explains ways in which studios can be unintentionally exclusive, the harm that this causes BIPOC trying to join in the practice and the positive impact that happens when students see themselves and their culture reflected in the space. We also discuss the emotional and mental benefits of yoga, the importance of allowing yourself rest, and she reminds us to seek out moments that bring joy.  
We also chat about:
The Aspiring Black Yoga Teachers' Education Fund  Her personal experience in YTT Yoga in the park!  Resources:
Instagram: @embodyyogamke  Website:  embodyyogamke.com  The Aspiring Black Yoga Teachers' Education Fund page 
Mentioned: Yoga One Studio, The Nap Ministry

Hi there Jack!
Jack Lam (They/Them, He/Him) is a passionate about queer/trans advocacy and mental health. Jack has experience with crisis intervention and suicide prevention work, education around gender identities and experiences, and intergroup dialogue facilitation. Through their Instagram, they also commonly share helpful, easy-to-digest guides and reflections to help us all be better advocates and allies. Jack's work is informed by their identity as a queer, non-binary Malaysian Chinese person. They aim to help shape a society that is more willing to embrace and celebrate the queerness in us all. Currently, they are a Clinical Social Work graduate student and Trauma Fellow at the University of Houston.
 
In this episode, we have an authentic conversation revolving around identity and allyship. Jack shares their journey to finding their passion in trauma therapy, their preconceived notions about the states growing up in Malaysia, and the actualizations they had once moving here. We share with them our frustration that arises when trying to converse with friends and family who may have differing opinions and Jack gives us tips to instead create a constructive dialogue rooted in empathy and patience. We also discuss the harmful impact of societal gender norms and why it is imperative we work to dismantle them so that space can be created for everybody to be valued. Jack's instagram has been such a helpful resource for the three of us as we educate ourselves in anti-racism work and navigate authentic, sustainable allyship. We encourage everybody to check out their account after listening to this episode!
We also chat about:
The importance of local elections Learning vs. unlearning Understanding the range of coping mechanisms Resources:
Instagram: @jacklamlj (www.instagram.com/jacklamlj) Mentioned: The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez

We are so happy to have Dr. Ellen on the pod!
As a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr. Ellen C. Hayes is dedicated to assisting patients experiencing infertility issues. For over 15 years, she has been providing compassionate, individualized care to her patients with access to the most advanced, state-of-the-art treatment options available. Dr. Hayes is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. While she is experienced in diagnosis of and treatment of all types of infertility, she has a special interest in diminished ovarian reserve, recurrent pregnancy loss, and fertility preservation. She is also a renowned expert in in vitro fertilization (IVF) and hysteroscopic surgery.
We have some serious baby fever going on at SHI(F)T HAPPENS with many, many questions about reproductive health, so Dr. Ellen was the perfect guest! She explained potential causes for fertility issues, the tests taken to identify these and solutions available. She shared that women's reproductive timelines are unique and should be treated as such. We knew very little about in vitro fertilization, so she walked us through the entire process in detail. We also got into the topic of egg freezing! This is an increasingly popular procedure elected by women who may not be ready to have a baby just yet, giving them the freedom to create their own schedule. As the three of us head into this family planning chapter of our lives, we found this interview to be very informative, reassuring and inspiring to hear how she works so hard to help her clients become parents. Plus, listen to the intro for a BIG surprise with lots and lots of tears!!
We also chat about:
The myths about birth control  IVF support groups Vios pulse fertility wellness check up Dr. Ellen's blog Resources:
Instagram: @healthyfertilitymd, @viosfertilitymke, @viosfertility Website: healthyfertilitymd.com, viosfertility.com Mentioned: Fertilcalm + Fertistrong apps

Hiyaaaaa Laura Markz!
As a former online strategy executive in the corporate world for over a decade, Laura Markz developed 6-7 figure online marketing strategies for big brands and global businesses. Now, she runs her own online education and consulting business, where her mission is to simplify and accelerate the path of small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs as they start, grow and scale their own businesses. She does this through a weekly video series and podcast called Biz & Booze (www.bizandbooze.com: Where biz school meets happy hour), free online resources and trainings, as well as her online university: MyBizU.
We whipped up some cocktails, took a big gulp and dove right into the nitty gritty of personal branding. Laura is the queen of online marketing and absolutely schooled us in the best way possible. During the interview, she laid out the blueprint to create an authentic online presence guaranteed to help you reach success! She was full of tips and tricks to grow your business, and honestly...we were embarrassed we haven't utilized some of them sooner. We discussed the importance of cross-promotion, defining your brand characteristics and living by the 80/20 rule: 80% promotion, 20% creation. Laura gave us so many fresh ideas to revamp OUR brand, and we are giddy that our listeners get to do the same! This episode was a great reminder that your business can be fun while also making an impact, and that is something we will definitely cheers to. 
Also...major bonus! To help our listeners get started, she created a helpful free workbook: The Brand Building Workbook. You can access this at lauramarkz.com/brand.

 
We also chat about:
Our hilarious dad jokes  Newsletter or no? Her fave productivity apps! 
Resources:
Instagram: @lauramarkz  Website: lauramarkz.com Podcast: Biz & Booze with Laura Markz  Mentioned:  Buffer, Edgar, Asana, Tailwind, Slack, Evernote, Leadpages, Convertkit, Manychat, @skinnyconfidential, @amyporterfield, @jennakutcher 

Welcome, Nathan Harris! 
Nathan is a technology founder and restaurateur with over 10 years of experience in building timeless and award-winning brands. His AI-assisted company, Ease, improves organizational efficiency by providing a predictive talent management system that gives organizations access to a tailored and screened pool of on-demand remote talent. As CEO, he has led the company through the nationally ranked accelerator program gener8tor, the world's largest corporate innovation accelerator Plug and Play Tech Center, and becoming backed by CSA Partners Venture fund. Nate also owns Red Star and Uncle Buck's, two popular bars located right outside the Milwaukee Bucks new Fiserv Forum.
In this episode, we highlight his new non-profit #HOWTOBEHEARD, which aims to provide lasting change in Milwaukee through education and awareness. This movement conducts events focused on mobilizing the community for good and giving back. Nate also shares his life journey, from impoverished beginnings to becoming a highly successful businessman. We discuss some of the many inequities in our system and how they made life incredibly difficult growing up Black in America. He describes the chance connections he has made and how, along with hard work, they've given him the boost he needed for success. Nate was clear that his situation is the exception and not the rule, outlining how we desperately need to level the playing field. We were so happy to have Nate on the pod and appreciative of his honesty, vulnerability, and openness to create dialogue with us!
We also chat about:
Racial inequities in the tech industry His experiences as a bar owner in MKE  Everything about Ease! 
Resources:
Instagram: @nathandharris, @redstarmke, @unclebucksonthird  Website: www.itsease.com Podcast: The #LIFEWITHEASE Podcast  Mentioned:  The Kimpton Journeyman Hotel, Birch + Butcher, Bryant's Cocktail Lounge, Carnevor