Magic Thread Media

A podcast network weaving conscious voices for a more connected world.

  1. 2 days ago

    The Art of Influence with Trial Lawyer Jennifer Gardner

    What happens to your communication when someone pushes exactly the right button? Strategy can disappear quickly when the nervous system feels threatened. We become defensive, rush to prove our point, or get pulled into the emotional energy of the person across from us. The conversation may still be happening, but we are no longer fully present inside it. Amy and trial lawyer Jennifer Gardner explore what it takes to remain grounded when the stakes are high. Drawing from decades inside intense courtroom situations, Jennifer shares why self-regulation is not separate from effective communication. It is what makes clear thinking, presence, and persuasion possible in the first place. Their conversation moves from grounding through the body to the deeper work of humanizing the person on the other side. Jennifer also examines the line between ethical persuasion and manipulation, including how likability, empathy, and emotional connection can be used either in service of understanding or as tools for control. The goal is not to become impossible to trigger. It is to recognize the moment you are losing yourself, return to what matters, and choose how you want to respond before fear, ego, or defensiveness chooses for you. Moments That Create Momentum: Don’t Take the Bait – Explore why regulating yourself first can keep conflict from deciding how you communicate.Come Back to the Body – Learn how grounding and breath can help restore clarity when the pressure around you begins to escalate.Humanize Before You Persuade – Discover why understanding another person’s reality can make communication more compelling without abandoning your own position.Notice the Shadow of Persuasion – Recognize how likability and emotional connection can create influence, and when those same tools begin to feel manipulative.Hard Truths Still Need to Be Spoken – See how difficult conversations can create greater inner peace when your actions remain aligned with what you believe. About the Guest: Jennifer B. Gardner is a Los Angeles-based trial lawyer, speaker, and persuasion expert who helps high-performing leaders strengthen their executive presence, communication, and influence. She has operated her own litigation firm for more than 30 years and has handled complex business, real estate, and criminal matters through trial. Jennifer holds executive certifications from the Wharton School in leadership, influence and persuasion, and neuroscience for business. Through The Edge Education, she teaches leaders and lawyers how to communicate more effectively, navigate high-stakes situations, and achieve stronger results with less stress. https://jenniferbgardner.com/ About Amy: Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work. She’s a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality. Connect with Amy: https://createmagicatwork.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/create-magic-at-work https://www.facebook.com/112951637095427 https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatwork https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEm4h3fUgaq8qgvZpz6dGg Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

    The Art of Influence with Trial Lawyer Jennifer Gardner
  2. 2 days ago

    Healing Childhood Trauma: Harry Potter & Breaking Generational Patterns with Barbara Latinka

    Where do Harry Potter and childhood trauma meet? For author Barbara Latinka, the connection is deeply personal. Growing up with Harry Potter, she saw more than a magical adventure. She saw a neglected, mistreated child discover that he had power—and that his beginnings did not have to determine his future. Years later, while working through her own childhood trauma in therapy, Barbara found a way to bring that possibility into her own storytelling. Her three-book series, Spells for Surviving a Haunted Childhood, tells her life story through magical realism. Darkness becomes a shape-shifting monster. Generational trauma becomes a curse she is determined to break. And each chapter ends with a “spell”—meditation, grounding, and mindfulness practices recast as invitations to discover a little magic within ourselves. In this moving conversation, Cari and Barbara explore how imagination can help us approach experiences we struggle to name—and how stories can offer more than escape. Sometimes, seeing ourselves in a character helps us feel less alone and imagine possibilities for our own lives. Barbara shares her journey through a childhood marked by addiction, neglect, and abuse, the enduring love of her grandfather, and the importance of finding a therapist who could truly understand her experience. Together, they explore what it means to be seen, to make room for difficult feelings, and to interrupt the patterns handed down through a family. Trauma can move through generations. But so can love. And sometimes the magic begins when we discover that the story we inherited is not the only story we can tell. The Treasures in the Trash: Stories can help us discover our own power – For Barbara, Harry Potter offered an image of a mistreated child whose future held belonging, courage, and possibility. Her books invite readers to imagine possibilities for themselves.Healing can have a language of its own – Shape-shifting monsters, generational curses, and grounding “spells” give Barbara a creative way to express experiences that once felt impossible to name.Trauma can be inherited, but so can love – Her grandfather’s love remained an inner source of support long after his death. The care we receive can become part of what we carry forward.Being seen matters—and finding the right support can take time – Barbara describes how a trusted friendship and a therapist who understood her childhood trauma helped her feel heard and supported.Difficult feelings deserve space without having to run the show – Barbara’s writing began with permission to feel anger and grief. Giving those emotions a place in her story helped her begin imagining what could come next. About the Guest: Barbara Latinka is a self-published indie author, homeschool mother, and full-time photographer. Her work has been recognized by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy as a mental health resource for trauma survivors and therapists. After keeping her story in silence for decades, Barbara finally released Spells for Surviving a Haunted Childhood into the world with the hope of helping others who have experienced similar traumatic upbringings feel seen, understood, and less alone. https://linktr.ee/hauntedchildhoodspells About Cari: Cari Jacobs-Crovetto is an executive and leadership coach and the founder of Brave Directions, where she works with senior leaders and C-suite executives to strengthen interpersonal and team relationships, navigate conflict skillfully, and deepen self-awareness, influence, and confidence. Before becoming a coach, Cari spent three decades in marketing and product leadership roles across Fortune 100 companies, media networks, consulting firms, and venture-backed startups. In 2019, she was named one of Forbes’ Top 50 Chief Marketing Officers. Cari brings together decades of operating experience with more than 45 years of Buddhist meditation study and practice, integrating deep inner work with practical leadership development. She facilitates the renowned Interpersonal Dynamics (“Touchy Feely”) course at Stanford Graduate School of Business where she also coaches grad school students, leads meditation classes and leadership workshops, and hosts the podcast Finding Treasures in the Trash. Her mantra: Fierce Heart — where compassion meets bold, badass leadership. https://www.bravedirections.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/carisf/ https://www.instagram.com/cari_bravedirections/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Mentioned in this episode: This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/

    Healing Childhood Trauma: Harry Potter & Breaking Generational Patterns with Barbara Latinka
  3. 3 days ago

    Why We’re Wired to Play with Mia Sundstrom, National Institute for Play

    What if play belongs in your day before the work is done? Mia Sundstrom, CEO of the National Institute for Play, joins Amy Lynn Durham, founder of Magic Thread Media, to explore why we’re wired to play and what happens when we keep pushing that impulse aside. Carrying forward the work of her grandfather, pioneering play researcher Dr. Stuart Brown, Mia brings a fresh perspective to productivity guilt, childhood curiosity, and the pressure to be good at everything we enjoy. Ahead of her TEDxClovis Play talk, Mia explores the connections between play, creativity, empathy, and human connection. She also raises a curious question for an AI-driven world: if we give machines room to experiment and learn through games, why are we leaving less room for people to do the same? From singing while getting ready to sharing a laugh at work, this conversation invites us to make a little space for play, even when there’s no score to keep or outcome to chase. Your Play Preview: A closer look at the science behind our instinct to play.A fresh perspective on the guilt that creeps in when we make time for fun.The surprising connection between play and how we relate to one another.An invitation to rethink what counts as play in a world full of screens.A curious parallel between how AI learns and the space we give ourselves to experiment. Learn more about the TedxClovisPlay: The Power of Play Event March 6, 2027 - https://tedxclovis.com/ About Mia: Mia Sundstrom is the CEO of the National Institute for Play, a non-profit founded by her grandfather and pioneering play scientist, Dr. Stuart Brown. Mia is an internationally recognized speaker, delivering presentations to help society better understand play as a public health necessity and pathway to human flourishing in an AI world. Prior to her time at NIFPlay, Mia was a division 1 student-athlete and then coach at the University of Denver. instagra IG: https://www.instagram.com/playinstitute/ LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-national-institute-for-play/ Site: https://nifplay.org/ About Amy: Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work. She’s a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality. Connect with Amy: https://createmagicatwork.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/create-magic-at-work https://www.facebook.com/112951637095427 https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatwork https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEm4h3fUgaq8qgvZpz6dGg Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

    Why We’re Wired to Play with Mia Sundstrom, National Institute for Play
  4. 3 days ago

    Autism Expert Dr. Kerry Magro on Defeating the Bully & Embracing Play

    What happens to play when we feel pressured to fit in? Dr. Kerry Magro joins Amy Lynn Durham, founder of Magic Thread Media, to explore how making room for our differences can open up more opportunities for joy, creativity, and connection. An autistic speaker, best-selling author, and autism consultant for Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, Kerry shares how his childhood love of basketball and theater helped him engage with the world and discover possibilities that went far beyond other people’s expectations. Ahead of his TEDxClovis Power of Play talk, Kerry brings that conversation into our schools and workplaces, exploring bullying, belonging, and the assumptions that can leave people feeling excluded. From creating sensory-friendly Santa experiences to trying stand-up comedy, he offers a personal look at what play can make possible when people feel welcome to participate. It’s an invitation to get curious about our own ideas of playfulness, including whether the fun we’re creating makes room for everyone. Your Play Preview: Rethink how the pressure to fit in can quiet our playful side.Explore how childhood interests can open unexpected doors.Discover where allyship and belonging enter the conversation about play.Meet the sensory-friendly Santa making room for more holiday magic.Consider when humor brings people together and when it leaves someone out. Learn more about the TedxClovisPlay: The Power of Play Event March 6, 2027 - https://tedxclovis.com/ About Kerry: Dr. Kerry Magro, Ed.D., is an award-winning autistic professional speaker, best-selling author, and autism consultant for Netflix’s Emmy-winning Love on the Spectrum U.S. and HBO’s Mrs. Fletcher. He has also worked as a writer for PBS KIDS’ Carl the Collector, featuring the network’s first autistic lead character. Nonspeaking until age two and a half and diagnosed with autism at four, Kerry discovered a love of theater that helped develop his communication skills and inspired a speaking career spanning more than 1,400 events, including TEDx talks and a Talks at Google presentation. As CEO and president of KFM Making a Difference, Kerry champions inclusion through college scholarships for autistic students, grants for businesses that hire people with disabilities, and sensory-friendly Santa events. His books and online storytelling amplify autistic voices and challenge stereotypes, while his presentations help schools and workplaces address bullying, embrace neurodiversity, and create a stronger sense of belonging. https://kfmmakingadifference.org/ About Amy: Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work. She’s a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality. Connect with Amy: https://createmagicatwork.net/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/create-magic-at-work https://www.facebook.com/112951637095427 https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatwork https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEm4h3fUgaq8qgvZpz6dGg Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!

    Autism Expert Dr. Kerry Magro on Defeating the Bully & Embracing Play
  5. 4 days ago

    05: What Happens When a Kid Doesn't Hear "I Love You"

    What happens when pulling away becomes the way you learned to stay safe? After Kristien names the possibility that she may not be able to stay in the relationship if alcohol remains such a powerful presence, Stijn is left confronting something he has not fully considered before: his own choices have an impact on whether the relationship survives. As Dr. Pavini turns the focus toward him, Stijn begins tracing a familiar pattern of withdrawal. Years ago, he retreated into a tiny boat cabin with bottles of wine and slowly stopped participating in life. Looking further back, he recognizes that leaving has been one of his oldest survival strategies, shaped by childhood abandonment and a father who offered criticism instead of connection. Then the conversation takes an unexpected turn toward Stijn’s teenage son. Suddenly, the work is no longer only about his relationship with Kristien. It becomes about what gets passed down, what can still be interrupted, and whether Stijn can offer his son something he never received himself. In one of the most tender moments of the season, Dr. Pavini asks what he would have wanted to hear from a loving father at 15. His answer is simple: “I love you would be nice.” What Begins to SurfaceHow withdrawal can become a lifelong survival strategyThe difference between physically staying and emotionally leavingWhat happens when shame and secrecy begin to loosenBreaking family patterns before they reach the next generationThe love a child needed, and the love a parent can still choose to give This podcast focuses on relationship dynamics and is not intended to provide addiction treatment. If you or someone you love is struggling from the impact of untreated substance abuse, please seek support from qualified professionals who specialize in addiction. If something major in your relationship needs to shift, Book a Free Clarity Call with Dr. Pavini at https://pavini.as.me/ to find out what's possible. On our call, we'll get clear on: What's actually happening right nowWhat you're longing for insteadWhether working together is the right fitOne or two things you can start doing differently right now You'll leave with clarity and a concrete next step. About the Host: Dr. Pavini Moray is a somatic coach and Relational Life Therapy practitioner with a PhD in Somatic Psychology. For more than 15 years, Pavini has worked with couples navigating relationship crisis, intimacy challenges, rupture, and repair. Their approach blends Relational Life Therapy, somatic work, and trauma-informed care to help couples understand the deeper patterns shaping how they connect, communicate, and love. https://www.pavinimoray.com/ Musical Attribution: Original podcast music composed by Luke Djordjevic Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

    05: What Happens When a Kid Doesn't Hear "I Love You"
  6. 5 days ago

    More Myself Than Ever: Insights from Peru

    What happens when you step away from your everyday life long enough to see it differently? After two weeks in Peru, I returned home changed—but not in the way I expected. I didn’t feel like a stranger to myself. I felt more myself. In this solo episode of The Edge of Everyday, I reflect on what my time in Peru awakened in me, the extremes I encountered, and how encountering a different landscape, culture, and rhythm of life shifted the way I see myself and the world around me. Sometimes, transformation isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about shedding the layers of expectation, habit, and familiarity that have kept us from fully experiencing who we already are. Peru left me with questions, new perspectives, and a deeper appreciation for the moments we often overlook in everyday life. What is our relationship to time? What do we discover when we loosen our grip on what is familiar? And how do we bring the person we become while traveling back into the life waiting for us at home? Join me for a personal reflection on travel, transformation, and the unexpected ways we find our way back to ourselves. In this episode, I share: A quick recap of my two-week journey through Peru and the places that made the biggest impression on meThe brutal reality of hiking at altitude—and my experience with altitude sicknessThe place that became my absolute favorite, and what made it so unforgettableThe moments that challenged me physically, emotionally, and perhaps even spirituallyWhat surprised me most about Peru and what I brought home with me beyond the memoriesWhy I returned feeling not like a stranger to myself, but more myself than everSomewhere between brutal hikes, ceremony, unexpected healings, and moments I still can't fully explain, something began to shift.In this solo episode, I share what I went looking for in Peru, what I encountered along the way, and the question I'm bringing home. About Sandra Bargman Sandra Bargman is The Sacred Disruptor—an actor, inter-spiritual minister, and voice, presence, and storytelling expert who helps people bridge the inner and outer worlds. She helps leaders and professionals find the voice to express what is true, the presence to embody it, and the story to make it matter. Drawing on her background in performance, spirituality, and storytelling, Sandra challenges the assumptions, habits, and invisible scripts that shape how we communicate, connect, and lead. She helps people move beyond autopilot, speak with greater authority and authenticity, command a room without losing their humanity, and tell stories that resonate and inspire meaningful connection. Blending practical communication tools with a deeper exploration of identity, truth, and human connection, Sandra brings an unconventional edge to professional development. Through her teaching, speaking, and podcast, The Edge of Everyday, she invites people to question the familiar, disrupt the expected, and discover new possibilities in how they show up in the world. SandraBargman.com MagicThreadMedia.com @SandraBargman Mentioned in this episode: This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/

    More Myself Than Ever: Insights from Peru

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