Your Odyssey Podcast

Tara Alexandra & Karen Novy
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Your Odyssey—the podcast where soul meets story and growth gets personal. Each episode is an invitation to come home to yourself—beyond the noise, the roles, and the shoulds. Hosted by Tara and Karen, Your Odyssey explores the real, raw, and redemptive parts of the human experience. From identity and healing to joy and self-trust, we’re holding space for honest conversations that meet you where you are—and gently call you forward. Whether you’re just beginning or already becoming, you belong here. This is your odyssey. Let’s walk it together.

  1. 20h ago

    Rediscovering the Courage to Create

    What if creativity isn't a talent reserved for a gifted few? What if it's part of what makes us human? In the final episode of our Joy & Aliveness series, Tara and Karen are joined by the founder of Stage & Spirit, Veronique MacRae, for a conversation about creativity, identity, and the courage to express what's already within us. Together, they explore how many adults slowly disconnect from creativity because they begin believing it belongs to someone else. They discuss the freedom that comes from redefining what it means to be an artist, the connection between creativity and emotional well-being, and why creating isn't about perfection or performance. In This Episode Why creativity belongs to everyone Releasing limiting definitions of "artist" Creativity as self-expression and healing The connection between play, joy, and expression Reclaiming imagination in adulthood Finding the courage to create without perfection Whether your canvas is a journal, a garden, a stage, a kitchen, a classroom, or simply the way you love people, this episode is an invitation to remember that you were created to create. Follow us on Instagram! Music:   Opening/Interlude/Outro: Love Is Waiting Featured Song: Renegades - X Ambassadors Playlists: Spotify - Volume 2 YouTube Music - Volume 2 Chapters (00:00:03) - The OVODA Podcast(00:00:53) - Celebrating the Creative Process(00:03:11) - In This Season: Celebrating the Arts(00:04:55) - How to Be an Artist(00:07:41) - Chris: The Boxes of Creativity(00:12:33) - What Do You See That Surprises People Most When They Connect With(00:16:01) - Reasons to Create: Renegades by Ex Ambassadors(00:19:41) - Where in Your Life Are You Being Invited to Create?(00:22:10) - Yo Podcast: The Desire to Create

    25 min

  2. Jun 23

    What Do You Want? Relearning Desire and Reconnecting with Yourself

    What brings you joy? For many people, that question is surprisingly difficult to answer. After years of responsibility, caregiving, achievement, and doing what needs to be done, it's easy to lose touch with what we actually enjoy, desire, or long for. We become experts at managing life while forgetting how to participate in it. In this episode, Tara and Karen explore the hidden cost of disconnecting from ourselves and why reclaiming joy often begins with a simple but powerful question: What do I want? Together, they discuss curiosity, desire, self-expression, and the small breadcrumbs that can guide us back to what makes us feel most alive. In This Episode Why many adults struggle to identify what brings them joy The hidden cost of suppressing who you are Relearning desire after years of responsibility Following curiosity as a compass Self-expression and emotional well-being Small ways to reconnect with yourself Follow us on Instagram! Music:   Opening/Interlude/Outro: Love Is Waiting Featured Song: Dancing in the Moonlight - King Harvest Playlists: Spotify - Volume 2 YouTube Music - Volume 2 Chapters (00:00:03) - The OVODA Podcast(00:00:53) - What Really Brings Me Joy?(00:05:11) - What Do You Want For Your Life?(00:11:02) - How to Find Joy in Life(00:13:39) - How to Find More Joy in Life(00:16:37) - Dancing in the Moonlight(00:17:44) - What Breadcrumb of Joy Are You Following This Week?(00:19:10) - What Makes You Come Alive?

    21 min

  3. Jun 16

    Joy - Your Birthright

    As part of our June series, Joy & Aliveness, we're revisiting one of the earliest conversations from the Your Odyssey archives. What if joy isn't something you have to earn? Many of us have been taught to treat joy as a reward—something that comes after the work is done, after the healing happens, or after life becomes easier. But what if joy was never meant to be a prize waiting at the finish line? In this conversation, Tara and Karen explore the idea that joy is a fundamental part of who we are. Not because life is always easy. Not because difficult emotions disappear. But because joy can exist alongside grief, uncertainty, challenge, and change. Together, they discuss the duality of joy, why we often lose touch with it, and simple ways to reconnect through gratitude, laughter, movement, presence, and wonder. In This Episode Why joy is more than a fleeting emotion The difference between happiness and joy How joy can coexist with difficult seasons Simple practices for reconnecting with delight Remembering what has always been available to you Why We're Revisiting This Episode Throughout this month's Joy & Aliveness series, we've been exploring the idea that joy isn't something we stumble upon after everything is fixed. It's something we return to. And this conversation reminds us that perhaps joy has been part of us all along. Whether you're hearing this episode for the first time or returning to it years later, we invite you to listen for what resonates now. Follow us on Instagram! Music:   Opening/Interlude/Outro: Love Is Waiting Featured Song: Walking on Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves

    27 min

  4. Jun 9

    Joy Isn't Frivolous

    What if joy isn't something you earn, but something you need? In this episode, Tara and Karen challenge the belief that joy is frivolous, unproductive, or something to be put off until everything else is finished. They explore why play, curiosity, wonder, and delight are not distractions from healing but part of the healing itself. Through a thought-provoking conversation about our most essential human needs, they invite listeners to reconsider what it means to truly care for themselves. What if joy belongs alongside oxygen and water? What if making space for laughter, creativity, connection, and awe isn't selfish, but necessary? In This Episode Why joy doesn't have to be earned The connection between play and well-being How curiosity helps us stay open to life Releasing the belief that rest and delight are frivolous Why surviving and living are not the same thing Making room for wonder in everyday life If you've been postponing what brings you life until a "better time," this episode offers permission to stop waiting. Follow us on Instagram! Music:   Opening/Interlude/Outro: Love Is Waiting Featured Song: Joy - Voices of Fire Playlists: Spotify - Volume 2 YouTube Music - Volume 2 Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcome to Your Odyssey(00:00:58) - The Way Back to Joy(00:01:20) - When Did Joy Need Justification?(00:02:25) - Following the Breadcrumbs of Play(00:03:50) - Joy Is Essential(00:05:11) - Giving Your Nervous System What It Needs(00:06:35) - The Gift of Presence(00:07:10) - What Brings You to Life?(00:09:03) - The Power of Small Moments(00:10:16) - Joy and Grief Can Sit at the Same Table(00:11:28) - Joy Has Been Waiting for You(00:13:02) - Choosing Joy, Again and Again(00:13:22) - Song of the Week(00:15:07) - Question of the Day(00:16:07) - Wisdom to Carry With You(00:16:48) - Until Next Time(00:17:40) - Thank You for Exploring with Us

    18 min

  5. Jun 2

    When Did You Stop Feeling Alive? Reconnecting with Joy, Presence & Yourself

    What if the reason you feel disconnected isn't that you've lost your purpose, but because you've lost touch with what makes you feel alive? In this episode of Your Odyssey Podcast, Tara and Karen explore the quiet ways we drift away from ourselves through responsibility, achievement, survival mode, and the endless pressure to keep doing more. Together, they unpack why joy doesn't live at the end of a completed to-do list, how aliveness often shows up in ordinary moments, and what it looks like to reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been waiting for your attention. In This Episode Why many women feel disconnected despite doing "everything right" The difference between functioning and feeling alive How achievement can quietly pull us away from ourselves Why joy isn't waiting at the finish line Small ways to reconnect with aliveness in everyday life If you've been functioning but not fully feeling, this conversation is an invitation to slow down, pay attention, and begin finding your way back. Follow us on Instagram! Music:   Opening/Interlude/Outro: Love Is Waiting Featured Song: Alive - Sia Playlists: Spotify - Volume 2 YouTube Music - Volume 2 Chapters (00:00:03) - The OVODA Podcast(00:00:53) - January Celebration: Joy(00:02:39) - What Comes First in Life?(00:08:22) - How to Find Joy in Your Life(00:11:59) - The Question of What Should I Do With My Life(00:15:54) - Thank You, Sia(00:16:56) - What is it about creativity that makes you most alive?(00:19:28) - Back to Joy(00:20:58) - Exploring Durham

    22 min

  6. May 26

    The Future of Leadership: Why We're Hopeful About Human Beings

    What if the future of leadership isn’t hopeless after all? In the final episode of this 3-part series, Tara and Karen continue their conversation with Merry about culture change, emotional intelligence, and the future of leadership, and why, despite the instability we see around us, she remains deeply hopeful about people. Together, they explore: Why most people are already doing the best they can with the tools they’ve been given The connection between education, emotional intelligence, and healthier cultures What leaders actually need to create sustainable transformation How small acts of courage ripple outward into organizations and communities Why culture change begins with human beings, not systems alone The future of leadership in a rapidly changing world This conversation is a hopeful reminder that transformation becomes possible when people are given the right support, resources, and environments to grow. If you’ve been longing for a different way forward, for leadership, relationships, or culture, this episode invites you to imagine what becomes possible when we stop leading through survival and start leading through awareness, courage, and care. Follow us on Instagram! Music:   Opening/Interlude/Outro: Love Is Waiting Featured Song: Glory - Common featuring John Legend Playlists: Spotify - Volume 2 YouTube Music - Volume 2 Chapters (00:00:03) - The OVODA Podcast(00:00:53) - Return to Leadership: The Third Part(00:02:03) - The need to let go(00:07:38) - On labels and the skills story(00:09:30) - The culture of the sports club(00:13:46) - Letting Go(00:17:47) - Wish for Yourself in the Rebuild(00:19:02) - What kind of culture do you want to lead?(00:24:15) - The Questions of Re-building the Community(00:27:40) - Coming soon: Finding Your Purpose(00:31:56) - The Balance of Leading and Being Seen(00:35:14) - Locking into the Joys(00:44:11) - What gives you hope about the future of leadership?(00:45:41) - Mary's VisionaryLeadership(00:50:54) - Exploring Durham

    53 min

  7. May 19

    Visionary Leadership Today: How We All Get Stuck

    Why does transformation feel so difficult, even when we know change is necessary? In Part 2 of this 3-part leadership series, Tara and Karen continue their conversation with Merry Graham, exploring why to explore why so many visionary leaders find themselves caught between outdated definitions of success and the need for deeper transformation. Together, they explore: Why transformation often feels uncomfortable and uncertain Emotional intelligence and self-regulation in times of instability How fear and reactivity keep leaders stuck The emotional climate leaders create around them What visionary leadership requires in today’s world The tension between who we were and who we’re becoming If you’ve been feeling caught between exhaustion and expansion, certainty and change, this conversation offers language for the in-between—and a reminder that transformation is rarely linear. Follow us on Instagram! Music:   Opening/Interlude/Outro: Love Is Waiting Featured Song: Hold On - Alabama Shakes Playlists: Spotify - Volume 2 YouTube Music - Volume 2 Chapters (00:00:03) - Your Odyssey Podcast Welcome(00:00:36) - Explorers: The History of Visionary Leadership(00:01:52) - The Challenges of Being a Visionary Leader(00:12:26) - What does wisdom look like in leadership?(00:18:05) - The 3 Voice Theory(00:22:54) - Finding our voice in the present crisis(00:29:54) - Mind Management, Exercise(00:31:04) - What is my soul yearning for?(00:34:04) - Critical Parent in the Driving Seat(00:37:06) - What did I Get Out of the Exercise?(00:40:54) - Self- Mastery: The Journey to Self-Confidence(00:44:54) - A Little Outro(00:48:05) - Beyond Visionary Leadership: A Week in the Life

    52 min

  8. May 12

    The Leadership Skills We Were Never Taught

    What if the biggest gap in leadership today isn’t strategy, but self-awareness? In Part 1 of this 3-part series, Tara and Karen sit down with Merry Graham, who has spent over 30 years working with leaders around the world to explore a powerful idea: that emotional and spiritual intelligence are missing from how we develop leaders. Together, they unpack what it means to lead as a whole human being and why individual dysregulation can ripple outward into teams, organizations, and even society. This conversation explores: What “whole-person leadership” actually means Why emotional intelligence (EQ) and self-regulation matter more than ever The hidden ways leaders become dysregulated How self-trust, not control, is the foundation of real leadership What visionary leaders understand that most systems overlook If you’ve ever felt like leadership requires more than what you were taught, this episode will help you begin to see what’s been missing and what becomes possible when you develop the skills to lead from within. Follow us on Instagram! Music:   Opening/Interlude/Outro: Love Is Waiting Featured Song: Saturn - Sleeping at Last Playlists: Spotify - Volume 2 YouTube Music - Volume 2 Chapters (00:00:03) - Your Odyssey Podcast(00:00:53) - The Human Skills of Leadership(00:01:36) - Meet Merry Graham(00:03:30) - The Missing Education in Leadership(00:09:07) - Wonders of the World: The Whole Person(00:12:40) - Culture and Communication(00:16:52) - Motivation and Fear(00:25:34) - Skills Not Slogans(00:26:31) - Relationship 6: Trust and Skills(00:34:26) - Accurate Skill Story

    46 min
See All (100)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to Your Odyssey—the podcast where soul meets story and growth gets personal. Each episode is an invitation to come home to yourself—beyond the noise, the roles, and the shoulds. Hosted by Tara and Karen, Your Odyssey explores the real, raw, and redemptive parts of the human experience. From identity and healing to joy and self-trust, we’re holding space for honest conversations that meet you where you are—and gently call you forward. Whether you’re just beginning or already becoming, you belong here. This is your odyssey. Let’s walk it together.

Information

  • Creator
    Tara Alexandra & Karen Novy
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 1023 Media
  • Show Website
    Your Odyssey Podcast