Rooted: A Podcast About Nature & Wellbeing

Susan Morgan Bailey
  • 5.0 (7)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

We ARE nature. Our disconnection from it leaves us feeling incomplete. Rooted explores how connecting with nature helps us feel whole again—without leaving the lives we're living. Host Susan Morgan Bailey, a former science teacher and transformational coach with 25 years in organizational wellbeing, brings her expertise in ecosystem thinking and culture transformation to peer-level conversations with practitioners, researchers, and people who've found their way back to wholeness through nature. Each episode explores different pathways to nature connection, the wisdom nature teaches us, and how to integrate this essential foundation for wellbeing into modern life. From forest guides to researchers studying nature's impact on mental health, from rewilding educators to transformation stories—these conversations address root causes of disconnection, not just symptoms. If you've tried every wellness approach and still feel exhausted, if you sense something fundamental is missing, if you feel more yourself outside—this podcast is for you. No wilderness required. No dramatic life changes needed. Just curiosity about what might happen when we remember we ARE nature. New episodes release Wednesdays

  1. 2D AGO

    Walk With Claudia Kraut: Start Where You Are - Small Steps Back to the Natural World

    What if you've never been a "nature person" - but nature is exactly what you need? Claudia Kraut spent decades in organizational health and wellbeing, just like Susan. She called herself an "interior gal" - someone who only went outside when she was made to. Then at 50, she tried something new: a trail run. It changed everything. In this conversation, Susan and Claudia explore how there are so many ways to connect with nature, and you can start exactly where you are. Maybe it's an app that helps you find trails nearby. Maybe it's a few minutes of fresh air on your lunch break. Maybe eventually it's a trail run, or a daily sit spot, or just noticing the seasons shifting outside your window. You don't have to become someone you're not. You just have to start where you can. Claudia shares her lived experience of bringing more nature into her life - how she does it, why it matters, what changed for her. Susan and Claudia talk about the research showing nature's impact on wellbeing, but more importantly, they explore the practical, accessible ways people can begin connecting with nature right now. They also discuss how technology can help rather than hinder our connection to what's real, how organizations can integrate nature into workplace wellbeing strategies, and why nature isn't just essential to wellbeing - it's foundational. If you've been curious about nature but weren't sure where to start, or if you think "I'm just not a nature person," this conversation is for you.

    48 min

  2. FEB 25

    SIT: Finding Steady Ground in an Changing World

    What if the steadiness you've been searching for isn't somewhere you need to go — it's something you already are? A lot is changing right now. For many of us, it feels like standing in a rushing river, the current pulling harder than we expected. The instinct is to move faster, do more, strategize harder. But what if the most powerful thing you could do is plant your feet? This is a SIT episode — something a little different from a typical podcast. No guest. No interview. Just host Susan Morgan Bailey guiding you through a short, grounding experience using breath, the senses, and whatever nature is available to you right now. Even if that's only a window. Susan is a former science teacher, current transformational coach, and 25-year veteran of organizational wellbeing. In this episode she introduces the sit spot — a simple practice of returning to the same place in nature each day to listen, observe, and arrive. It's one of the most accessible and quietly powerful tools she knows for finding what she calls peaceful steadiness: the place inside you that doesn't move the way the world is moving. In 20 minutes, you'll settle your breath, open your senses, and remember something that tends to get lost in the noise — that you are nature, not separate from it. And that belonging doesn't go anywhere, even when everything else seems to. No wilderness required. No special conditions. Just willingness and a place to be still. If you've been feeling the pull of everything that's changing and need somewhere to plant your feet — this episode is for you.

    29 min

  3. FEB 19

    Walk With Micah Mortali: RewildinWalk With Micah Mortali: Rewilding as Remembering as Remembering

    Micah Mortali, founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership, introduces the concept of rewilding—not as running off to live in the woods, but as reclaiming lost connections with our natural habitat. In this conversation, Micah shares the idea of nature as "the green mirror"—a counterbalance to the black mirrors of our phones. When we look into the green mirror, we see who we actually are, not a curated artificial version. Susan and Micah explore how rewilding addresses root causes of disconnection, why simply being outside shifts our nervous system in ways no app can replicate, and the accessible practices anyone can use to begin—no wilderness required. This conversation will help you see rewilding not as something extreme, but as remembering what's been there all along. Learn more about Micah's work at Kripalu.org and find his book "Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature."

    48 min

  4. FEB 18

    Walk With SMB: Remember You ARE Nature

    What if the deepest root cause of burnout isn't just stress or workload—but forgetting something essential about who we are? In this opening episode, Susan shares the Camino revelation that sparked this podcast: We ARE nature. Not separate from it. Not visitors to it. When we lose connection to the natural world, we feel incomplete—tired, lonely, half-present. This is the story of how patience, observation, and remembering changed everything. It's an invitation to explore what might shift when you stop trying to optimize your way to wellbeing and start reconnecting with the nature you already are. If you've tried all the wellness strategies and still feel exhausted, start here.

    18 min

  5. FEB 11

    Rooted: Why We're Here and Where We're Going

    Welcome to Rooted: A Podcast About Nature & Wellbeing. If you've been following along, you might notice something's different—we have a new name. What started as The Growth Collective has evolved into Rooted. In this episode: Why the shift from Growth Collective to Rooted happened The Camino revelation: we ARE nature, not separate from it What "rooted" actually means and why it matters now Where the podcast is headed and what's staying the same This isn't just a rebrand. It's a deepening—a recognition that this work is about remembering our essential connection to the natural world and reclaiming wholeness, grounding, and renewal. The conversations aren't changing. We're still exploring nature connection, wellbeing, and what it means to thrive as natural beings in an increasingly artificial world. Same curiosity, same peer-level dialogues, same commitment to root causes over surface solutions. If you've been here from the beginning—thank you for walking with me. If you're just discovering this podcast—welcome. Next episode: I'll share the full foundation of what Rooted is about—the frameworks, the invitation, and why this work matters now.

    7 min
  6. HR Transformation @ Grand Valley State University: A conversation with Mychal Coleman and Lindsey DesArmo

    06/27/2023

    HR Transformation @ Grand Valley State University: A conversation with Mychal Coleman and Lindsey DesArmo

    This episode features an organization that is truly doing the deep work necessary to evolve culture.   My guests, Mychal Coleman Associate Vice President of Human Resources at Grand Valley State University and Lindsey DesArmo, Interim Director of Talent Management at GVSU, began the journey of culture evolution when they realized a few years ago, they were losing what had made their organization great for so many years and it was time to review and reset with a goal to reach higher by 2025.   In this episode, Lindsay and Mychal walk through the steps their team took to evolve their approach to HR and strategy resulting in evolution of the role of HR within the organization and further establishing wellness into the employee experience.  What I love about this episode is how it brings the beginning of culture evolution to life.  From the need to have senior leadership on board and involved in the conversation to the reality that change takes time and can be uncomfortable for some, yet when worked through intentionally it delivers a reward worth investing in… a culture that supports thriving humans and organizational sustainability. Connect with Mychal Coleman Email:  colemamy@gvsu.edu Website: https://www.gvsu.edu/hro/hr-transformation-timeline-1118.htm LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mychal-coleman/ Connect with Lindsey DesArmo Email: desarmli@gvsu.edu Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desarmli/ Connect with Susan Morgan Bailey Email: Susan.Bailey@marshmma.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmbailey/

    54 min
  7. For the Culture: A conversation with people-mover Marcus Collins

    04/30/2023

    For the Culture: A conversation with people-mover Marcus Collins

    Dr. Marcus Collins is back on the podcast to talk about his new book For the Culture: the power behind what we buy, what we do, and who we want to be. Listen in a Marcus highlights why it's essential to be clear on what you stand for as an organization and the importance of being intentional about building culture;  why we buy the things including why we buy including the idea that showing up to a job every day is a worthwhile endeavor beyond a paycheck; and, the power of the too often neglected role of storytelling in the workplace to motivate.   Connect with Marcus Collins Email:  marcus@marctothec.com Website: www.marctothec.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marctothec/ Connect with Susan Morgan Bailey Email: Susan.Bailey@marshmma.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmbailey/

    49 min
  8. Become a Better Business Citizen: A conversation with Victor Cho

    03/21/2023

    Become a Better Business Citizen: A conversation with Victor Cho

    My guest for this episode is Victor Cho.  A passionate consumer advocate, Victor was most recently the CEO at Evite where he led the company successfully through COVID-19 and returned it to growth, financial health, and a successful corporate buy-out. He is also the creator of the 4th Stakeholder Framework on improving stakeholder capitalism. Victor believes for society to thrive, we must shed what he calls the Mercenary Business approach and embrace a more balanced stakeholder model. Unfortunately, many organizations find it hard to balance even just the first three primary stakeholders (Shareholders, customers, and employees).  When you add Society (the 4th stakeholder) to the mix, that balancing act becomes even more challenging.   Gratefully, Victor has developed a framework to help organizations maximize impact and overcome the challenges that stand in the way of achieving balance between all the stakeholders. Listen in as we discuss a bit about the history of business and capitalism, the power of listening to stakeholders and the idea that considering the relative impact of various actions in combination with thinking about the broader whole can equal more than the sum of its parts.   Connect with Victor Cho LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-cho-/ www.victorcho.com - Free leadership frameworks and courses www.4thstakeholder.com - A practical framework to help businesses become better citizens Connect with Susan Morgan Bailey Email: Susan.Bailey@marshmma.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanmbailey/

    44 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

We ARE nature. Our disconnection from it leaves us feeling incomplete. Rooted explores how connecting with nature helps us feel whole again—without leaving the lives we're living. Host Susan Morgan Bailey, a former science teacher and transformational coach with 25 years in organizational wellbeing, brings her expertise in ecosystem thinking and culture transformation to peer-level conversations with practitioners, researchers, and people who've found their way back to wholeness through nature. Each episode explores different pathways to nature connection, the wisdom nature teaches us, and how to integrate this essential foundation for wellbeing into modern life. From forest guides to researchers studying nature's impact on mental health, from rewilding educators to transformation stories—these conversations address root causes of disconnection, not just symptoms. If you've tried every wellness approach and still feel exhausted, if you sense something fundamental is missing, if you feel more yourself outside—this podcast is for you. No wilderness required. No dramatic life changes needed. Just curiosity about what might happen when we remember we ARE nature. New episodes release Wednesdays

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