Here Be Dragons

Dragonhood
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Careers
  • Monthly

Ready to awaken your inner dragon? Here Be Dragons is the podcast from Dragonhood where we explore the whole map of who we are — even the uncharted territory. Through candid conversations with Dragonhood team members and special guests, we dive into career empowerment, leadership, identity, workplace culture, and what it means to grow as a whole human being. This is a space for anyone navigating change, seeking clarity, building confidence, or learning how to take up more space in their work and life. We talk about the messy middle of becoming: the career pivots, the confidence wobbles, the cultural expectations, the leadership lessons, the boundaries, the breakthroughs, and the small moments that help us reconnect with our authentic power. Rooted in curiosity, connection, and growth, Here Be Dragons invites you to rethink what success looks like, challenge the stories that keep you small, and explore new ways to lead, work, and live with more intention. Learn more about us at https://www.dragonhood.world/ Follow us: Instagram: @the_dragonhood TikTok: @thedragonhood YouTube: @thedragonhood LinkedIn: @dragonhood

  1. Oct 27

    Halloween: Permission to Play

    Halloween may be the best holiday (don’t @ us!) but this conversation goes beyond costumes, candy, and spooky decorations. Rachel and Clair explore Halloween as a “wonderful disruption” of ordinary adult life: a night when being playful, theatrical, creative, extra, and unapologetically enthusiastic is not merely accepted but encouraged. They discuss the invisible rulebook of adulthood, why so many of us stop experimenting, and how costumes can give us a lower-stakes way to explore confidence, glamour, humor, courage, and other qualities we may suppress in everyday life. They also reflect on childhood holiday experiences, the freedom to choose new traditions as adults, the creative community of cosplay, and the unexpected way Halloween brings neighbors together. Ultimately, the episode asks a larger question: Why should we reserve this much joy, imagination, and permission for one day a year? Come for the costumes and candy. Stay for the reminder that play isn’t childish, joy doesn’t have to be earned, and you don’t have to wait until October 31 to find your thing, share your enthusiasm, or let another version of yourself come out to play. Action Item: Choose one activity you would ordinarily dismiss as unnecessary, frivolous, embarrassing, or something you are “not good at.” Then do it anyway. Do it for the joy and the experience! Signature Takeaway Please consider this podcast your permission slip to do fun things. Listener Call What is your “thing”—the interest, activity, character, craft, or delight that makes you light up? Tell us about it at askthedragons@dragonhood.world, or tag Dragonhood in the playful thing you decide to try. Keep Soaring with Additional Resources: Playful by Cas HolmanPlay: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown M.D. with Christopher Vaughan Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchel ResnickThe Art of Cosplay and Creative Makeup by Chris Peck and RainbowskinzThe Power of Fun: How To Feel Alive Again by Catherine PriceOur Sunday Serenity seriesSign up for Dragonhood Coaching or any of our other services! https://www.dragonhood.world

  2. Oct 13

    From the Vault: Wicked Witches

    Enjoy a Halloween re-release of our Wicked Witches episode, originally aired October 28, 2025! Double, double, toil and trouble… or just powerful women being themselves? Join Clair and Rachel as we reimagine the wicked witch and uncover why her story still casts such a long spell. Why are so many powerful women in our stories cast as villains? From fairy-tale stepmothers and cartoon witches to Baba Yaga herself, we dig into how culture punishes female autonomy, why the “ugly = evil” trope is so sticky, and what modern re-tellings are doing to complicate the narrative. We talk about how these stories shaped us, why witches remain magnetic figures of independence and rule-breaking, and what it means to rewrite the endings. This week’s takeaway: notice the shorthand, expand your bookshelf, and let characters—and people—be more than two boxes. Action Item: We’d love to hear the witch stories you grew up with—and which characters you were most drawn to. Share your reflections with us at askthedragons@dragonhood.world or in the comments. Keep Soaring with Additional Resources: The Thursday Murder Club series by Richard OsmanIn Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona CholletFrom Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life by Arthur C. BrooksMaleficent movie (2014)

  3. Sep 29

    Being Really Seen

    What does it actually mean to feel seen? In this episode, Rachel and Clair explore the difference between attention, recognition, and true understanding, and why being noticed is not always the same as feeling known. Sometimes we want recognition. Sometimes we want privacy. And sometimes the urge to say “Please do not perceive me right now” has less to do with avoiding connection and more to do with being exhausted from explaining, translating, or performing a version of ourselves that other people can easily understand. Together, Rachel and Clair look at how our desire for visibility changes depending on our capacity, trust, stakes, and desire for connection. They also explore what being accurately seen can look like in friendship, leadership, and virtual spaces—and why curiosity can be more powerful than confidently assuming we already understand someone. Because being really seen doesn’t require being completely exposed. It means having enough room to remain complex. Action Item: Notice the difference between being looked at and being understood. Pay attention to where you feel free to be complex, where you find yourself performing, and where you may be making assumptions about someone else based on only part of their story. Then try one small shift: Trade certainty for curiosity. What do you wish people understood about you without requiring you to explain it perfectly? We’d love to hear your reflections. Email us at askthedragons@dragonhood.world or share your thoughts using #HereBeDragons. Keep Soaring with Additional Resources: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David BrooksHappy Place by Emily HenryQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan CainTo view our webinar on Virtual Networking and other exclusive webinar videos, become a member!Sign up for Dragonhood Coaching or any of our other services! https://www.dragonhood.world Related Here Be Dragons episodes: Better Ways to Say Yes and No Dragonhood GraduateThe Power of Small Questions Be authentic. Be curious. Be accepting. Take up space. Awaken your inner dragon.

  4. Sep 15

    Dolly the Dragon: Two Things Can Be True - PART TWO

    This is the continuation of Dolly the Dragon, Part One. Listen now to catch up before diving in. What if becoming more fully yourself isn’t about resolving your contradictions, but making room for all of them? In the Season 3 premiere of Here Be Dragons, Rachel and Clair honor Dolly Parton by looking beyond the milestones of her extraordinary career and toward the lessons found in how she lived. Through stories about her early self-belief, her departure from The Porter Wagoner Show, the publishing rights to “I Will Always Love You,” Dollywood, the Imagination Library, and her deeply practical generosity, they return to one of Dragonhood’s central reframes: two things can be true. You can be confident and nervous. Grateful and ready to leave. Kind and boundaried. Ambitious and generous. Rooted in where you came from and determined to build something new. Whether you’re learning to trust yourself before the world catches up, protect the value of what you’ve created, or use your own success to create opportunity for others, this episode is an invitation to replace either/or with and—and to keep becoming more fully yourself. Action Item: Where could your skills and compassion come together to create meaningful action? Where are you treating two parts of yourself as contradictions when they might both be true? Share your thoughts with us at askthedragons@dragonhood.world or join the conversation using #HereBeDragons. Keep Soaring with Additional Resources: Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019)Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute (2021)Steel Magnolias9 to 5 (1980)Dolly Parton's Imagination LibraryBuy the book! Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You by Dolly PartonBuy the book! Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson Related Here Be Dragons episodes: The Power of AND Make Room: The Practice of Letting Go Second Acts: The Art of Becoming Better Ways to Say Yes and No

  5. Aug 31

    Dolly the Dragon: Two Things Can Be True - PART ONE

    What if becoming more fully yourself isn’t about resolving your contradictions, but making room for all of them? In the Season 3 premiere of Here Be Dragons, Rachel and Clair honor Dolly Parton by looking beyond the milestones of her extraordinary career and toward the lessons found in how she lived. Through stories about her early self-belief, her departure from The Porter Wagoner Show, the publishing rights to “I Will Always Love You,” Dollywood, the Imagination Library, and her deeply practical generosity, they return to one of Dragonhood’s central reframes: two things can be true. You can be confident and nervous. Grateful and ready to leave. Kind and boundaried. Ambitious and generous. Rooted in where you came from and determined to build something new. Whether you’re learning to trust yourself before the world catches up, protect the value of what you’ve created, or use your own success to create opportunity for others, this episode is an invitation to replace either/or with and—and to keep becoming more fully yourself. Stay tuned for Part Two! Action Item: Where could your skills and compassion come together to create meaningful action? Where are you treating two parts of yourself as contradictions when they might both be true? Share your thoughts with us at askthedragons@dragonhood.world or join the conversation using #HereBeDragons. Keep Soaring with Additional Resources: Dolly Parton: Here I Am (2019)Dolly Parton: A MusiCares Tribute (2021) Steel Magnolias9 to 5 (1980)Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Buy the book! Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You by Dolly Parton Buy the book! Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson Related Here Be Dragons episodes: The Power of AND Make Room: The Practice of Letting Go Second Acts: The Art of Becoming Better Ways to Say Yes and No

  6. Jul 28

    From the Vault: The Power of AND

    Originally released June 28, 2024. Clair and Rachel discuss the power of the word “AND” - and how that means we open ourselves up to more possibilities. We grant ourselves the capacity to acknowledge all of the incredible things we’re already doing while avoiding toxic positivity. Action Item: Is there something that is currently an “or” that can be an “and” for you? Keep Soaring with Additional Resources: Buy the book! Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry I. PorrasBuy the book! The Lightmaker's Manifesto: How to Work for Change without Losing Your Joy by Karen WalrondBuy the book! Radiant Rebellion: Reclaim Aging, Practice Joy, and Raise a Little Hell by Karen WalrondConcept of “And” credited to Jim Collins: https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/genius-of-the-and.htmlDawna MacLean, Conscious Living Coach and Founder of Agents of Way: https://www.agentsofway.comJack Gilbert, “A Brief for the Defense:” https://wordsfortheyear.com/2016/02/18/a-brief-for-the-defense-by-jack-gilbert/

  7. Jun 30

    Gentle Systems and Tiny Supports: For Brains That Carry A Lot (aka Neurodivergence, Perimenopause & Practical Magic)

    In this deeply validating and practical episode, Rachel Inabinet and Clair Poletti explore the quiet, often invisible work of navigating the world with a brain that’s carrying a lot. Whether it’s neurodivergence, hormonal shifts, stress, or simply modern life, they unpack the power of tiny supports and gentle systems that make daily functioning more possible and more humane. The conversation highlights: Why traditional productivity systems fail and who they leave outGentle systems vs. rigid structures: designing support that works with your brain, not against itTiny supports as “practical magic:” cues, rituals, and micro-adjustments that reduce frictionShame vs. support: moving from self-judgment to self-compassionLeadership implications: how teams and organizations can better support diverse brains This episode is both a permission slip and a toolkit: you don’t need more discipline, rather, you need better support. Reflection Prompts: Where are you still using shame in places where support might work better?What’s one small system or cue that genuinely helps your brain function better?What’s one thing you could make easier instead of harder this week?What support have you resisted because you thought you “shouldn’t need it?” Keep Soaring with Additional Resources: Buy the book! ADHD, Unpacked by Alex Connor & James BrownBuy the book! How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis LPCBuy the book! How to ADHD by Jessica McCabeSign up for Dragonhood Coaching or any of our other services! https://www.dragonhood.world

  8. May 26

    Storm Mode: Knowing When To Stand Down

    What if the storm has already passed — but you’re still bracing for it? In this episode, Rachel and Clair explore what they call “storm mode” — that state of heightened awareness where we’re scanning, preparing, anticipating, and holding everything together. It’s an intelligent, necessary response to uncertainty and change… but one that isn’t meant to last forever. Together, they unpack what storm mode looks like in our thoughts, bodies, and behaviors, why it can quietly become our baseline, and how to recognize when it’s time to stand down. From the subtle cost of prolonged vigilance to the practice of recalibrating your energy, this conversation offers a more sustainable way to care without carrying everything at full intensity. Whether you’re navigating personal stress, leadership demands, or the constant hum of the world around you, this episode is an invitation to soften your stance, release the brace, and return to steadier ground. Action Item: What would it look like to care deeply without staying in constant vigilance? Keep Soaring with Additional Resources: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der KolkBurnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia NagoskiFour Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mere Mortals by Oliver BurkemanSign up for Dragonhood Coaching or any of our other services! https://www.dragonhood.world Listener Call We’d love to hear your reflections: askthedragons@dragonhood.world #HereBeDragons

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Ready to awaken your inner dragon? Here Be Dragons is the podcast from Dragonhood where we explore the whole map of who we are — even the uncharted territory. Through candid conversations with Dragonhood team members and special guests, we dive into career empowerment, leadership, identity, workplace culture, and what it means to grow as a whole human being. This is a space for anyone navigating change, seeking clarity, building confidence, or learning how to take up more space in their work and life. We talk about the messy middle of becoming: the career pivots, the confidence wobbles, the cultural expectations, the leadership lessons, the boundaries, the breakthroughs, and the small moments that help us reconnect with our authentic power. Rooted in curiosity, connection, and growth, Here Be Dragons invites you to rethink what success looks like, challenge the stories that keep you small, and explore new ways to lead, work, and live with more intention. Learn more about us at https://www.dragonhood.world/ Follow us: Instagram: @the_dragonhood TikTok: @thedragonhood YouTube: @thedragonhood LinkedIn: @dragonhood

Information

  • Creator
    Dragonhood
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dragonhood
  • Show Website
    Here Be Dragons