The Next Perfect Step

Lori Tremblay - Canva

Candid conversations about spirituality, how to navigate in the world, channeled messages, guided meditations, book reviews and other topics.  We invite comments and questions as we look to connect with a community of similar interests.

  1. How Does Choosing Self Love Lead to Connection, Community and Fun?

    DEC 19

    How Does Choosing Self Love Lead to Connection, Community and Fun?

    The Next Perfect Step cohosts Kim McStay, Lori Tremblay and Laurie Mullen are energy healers and teachers with their own healing practices. They seek to provide a platform to those who are searching for guidance on how to navigate the shift in global consciousness. The podcast embraces spiritually awakened conversation and invites guests to share their healing gifts and knowledge.   Contact the hosts: thenextperfectstep@gmail.com. Ready to trade autopilot for intention? We sit down with certified life coach and community builder Cheryl Dillon to unpack what it really takes to “soar, not settle” in midlife. Cheryl’s path from corporate HR to divorce coaching to launching Funderful Experiences shows how reinvention grows from small, consistent choices—not magical makeovers. Think real talk on self-compassion, deeper friendships, and the courage to pursue joy without apology. Cheryl shares the moment she realized isolation and inertia were stealing her spark, and how she rebuilt community through local service, volunteering, and a members’ group designed for depth and play. We dig into the Uplift newsletter—a weekly blend of honest stories, reflection prompts, and tiny challenges—plus Connected Hearts, a monthly in-person circle that pairs meaningful conversations with light-hearted games to keep fun on the calendar. The result is a practical blueprint: decide what you want before you obsess over the how, schedule connections while you’re together, and look for reciprocity as a sign of healthy relationships. We also explore the natural evolution of friendships. As values shift, some bonds fade without drama—and that’s okay. By showing up as your real self, you become a magnet for the people who match your energy and intentions. If you’ve been questioning your path, craving community, or wondering how to bring more laughter into your week, this conversation offers clear steps you can use today. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others find the show—then tell us: what’s one small step you’ll take toward more joy this week?

    47 min
  2. Healing Beyond Words

    NOV 6

    Healing Beyond Words

    The Next Perfect Step cohosts Laurie Mullen, Lori Tremblay and Kim McStay are soul coaches, healers and teachers who embrace open conversations about living a full life,  from the guidance of your soul.  Contact the hosts: thenextperfectstep@gmail.com. You can find Laura: https://www.onelighthh.com/ Ever felt like you’ve talked a problem to death and still carry it in your body? We sat down with Reiki master and IET instructor Laura Edelman to explore what happens when healing moves beyond words. Laura traces a candid path through grief, IVF, and postpartum depression to the surprising practices that helped her release a stubborn heaviness: Integrated Energy Therapy, sound healing  and frequency work informed by Arcturian teachings. Laura explains how IET targets imprints in the energy field and cellular memory without requiring clients to relive trauma, and why that often shifts stuck patterns faster than story alone. We dig into the mechanics of her sound baths—gongs, bowls, chimes, and drum layered in a circular space that feels like a “cosmic womb”—and how vibration travels through tissues to calm the nervous system. She shares how calling in angels, ascended master–like Arcturian energies, and our higher selves creates a clear container, plus the simple ritual she uses to close and cleanse the room so people leave integrated, not overloaded. You’ll also hear how a pandemic-era yurt became a sanctuary for community, why round architecture changes acoustics and energy flow, and what it means to blend hands-on Reiki with no-touch quantum methods. Laura believes: practitioners facilitate, but clients do the healing. Her honesty about being labeled “weird,” then choosing to speak openly and attracting the right people, offers a practical lesson in alignment and authenticity. If you’re curious about energy healing, Integrated Energy Therapy, sound baths, or the Arcturian healing method—and you’re ready to feel lighter without rehearsing old pain—this conversation is your invitation. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs relief, and leave a review with one shift you want to call in next.

    38 min
  3. What Nature Teaches About Shedding Old Stories And Beginning Again

    OCT 31

    What Nature Teaches About Shedding Old Stories And Beginning Again

    The Next Perfect Step cohosts Laurie Mullen, Lori Tremblay and Kim McStay are soul coaches, healers and teachers who embrace open conversations about living a full life,  from the guidance of your soul.  Contact the hosts: thenextperfectstep@gmail.com. When the leaves turn, they aren’t changing so much as revealing what was always there. That simple truth became our map for a rich conversation about shedding old stories, finding clarity in quiet, and letting seasonal rhythms guide a more authentic life. We begin with a vivid moment—“The Stone Man Speaks”—where a face in the rock seems to awaken, offering reminders to seek silence, honor the elements, and remember our place in a larger dance. Whether you hear it as mystical or metaphor, the message is the same: the answers live in the stillness we avoid. From there we unpack why fall feels so crisp and clarifying, and how that supports a practice of release. We explore abundance beyond money—friendships, time, support, calm—and how focus changes what grows. We challenge the habit of rushing to label the new with old meanings, arguing for a clean slate approach that notices without forcing a story. That restraint leaves space for truth to emerge on its own timeline, which is often gentler and more reliable than our first take. Compassion shows up as steady presence rather than shared suffering. You cannot be sad enough to lift someone out of pain, but you can sit beside them while holding a quiet, grounded joy that invites them into a different frequency when they’re ready. We connect these personal shifts to the future of community—small, passion-led networks where people contribute what they love and share tools, food, and care. Some will thrive in traditional structures; others will co-create new ones. What matters is choosing authenticity and proximity over performance and isolation. If you’re ready to harvest what’s working, compost what’s not, and give winter the job of marinating your next chapter, this conversation offers practical questions and grounded inspiration. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a clean slate, and leave a review to tell us what story you’re shedding next.

    45 min
  4. From hard-edged sales to sacred ceremony: how Lee McStay found purpose through unity, story, and energy healing

    OCT 10

    From hard-edged sales to sacred ceremony: how Lee McStay found purpose through unity, story, and energy healing

    Ever wonder how a life comes together when you stop waiting for purpose and start following curiosity? We sit down with intuitive healer and ordained celebrant Leigh McStay of Unity 8 Energy Healing to trace a path that winds from a hard-edged sales career to deeply personal weddings, equinox rituals by the fire, and a grounded approach to Reiki that resists dogma and celebrates life force energy. Leigh  grew up in Christian Science, studying philosophy, and raising a daughter as a single mom while quietly training in Usui and Shamballa Reiki. The theme of unity shows up everywhere: in her infinity-inspired brand, in the balance of practical work with soulful service, and in the way she listens for story to craft ceremonies couples actually recognize as their own. You’ll hear how a scuba-diving proposal became the heart of a wedding script, why seasonal gatherings matter in a chaotic world, and how simple tools—sage, a Lemurian crystal, a shared reading of the directions—turn intention into embodied practice. We dig into the history of celebrancy beyond the church, the weaving of ancient and modern traditions, and the evolution of Reiki lineages from Usui to Holy Fire. Lee shares a clear, inclusive lens: beneath every style is the same current—life force energy—made accessible through presence, touch, symbol, and heart. Whether you’re choosing a Reiki teacher, planning vows, or seeking a ritual to release and receive, you’ll find practical wisdom, gentle encouragement, and a reminder that joy is service. Pursue what sparks your interest and let the path reveal itself—one honest step at a time. If this conversation resonates, follow and share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. What small ritual will you try this week?

    48 min
  5. Spiritual Awakening Through Life's Darkest Moments

    SEP 16

    Spiritual Awakening Through Life's Darkest Moments

    Dr. Susanna Calvert takes us on a profound journey from academic achievement to spiritual awakening, revealing how her darkest moments became catalysts for transformation. After spending 26 years in higher education and achieving everything society told her would bring happiness, she found herself deeply unfulfilled. The turning point came with her husband's cancer diagnosis, which sparked an unexpected spiritual awakening in someone who had been a lifelong atheist. With raw honesty, Susanna shares how she navigated grief, loss, and radical life changes to discover her authentic purpose and unexpected spiritual gifts. This conversation explores the "arrival fallacy" that keeps so many of us trapped in perpetual dissatisfaction - the belief that happiness awaits us after we achieve just one more goal. Instead, Susanna offers a more profound path to fulfillment through presence, inner work, and reclaiming our power from external circumstances. Drawing from both Eastern philosophical traditions and modern psychological understanding, Susanna explains how rock bottom experiences can become powerful invitations for growth. Her work through two nonprofits - The Foundation of Family and Community Healing and Sanctuary of Earth - now helps others develop essential life skills and spiritual understanding that our educational systems often neglect. Whether you're facing your own dark night of the soul or simply feeling the disconnect between external success and inner fulfillment, this conversation offers practical wisdom for creating stillness, addressing limiting beliefs, and discovering the whispers of guidance that can lead you through challenging times. Susanna's journey reminds us that our deepest wounds often contain the seeds of our greatest gifts to the world. Contact & Media Email: Susanna@HealingEdu.org Phone: 804-223-5255 Website: HealingEdu.org | SanctuaryOfEarth.org | SusannaCalvert.com Location: Based in Virginia | Available for virtual and in-person interviews

    48 min
  6. Mindfulness and the Path to Inner Peace: Paula Vital's Journey

    SEP 12

    Mindfulness and the Path to Inner Peace: Paula Vital's Journey

    What happens when you achieve everything you thought would make you happy, only to find yourself empty and wondering "what's next?" Paula Vital's transformative journey from striving lawyer to mindfulness advocate offers a roadmap for anyone caught in the exhausting cycle of achievement without fulfillment. Growing up in an immigrant family of high achievers, Paula internalized the message that her worth came from accomplishments. This drive propelled her to success as a lawyer in a prestigious firm (literally in a "golden tower"), yet sitting in her corner office, she found herself depressed and disconnected from joy. "To be depressed is the need for deep rest from the person you're trying so hard to be," she shares, quoting Jim Carrey. Paula's awakening began with a simple yet profound realization: "You are more than just your thoughts." This concept, encountered in Jon Kabat-Zinn's book "Wherever You Go, There You Are," shattered her identity and opened a path to self-discovery beyond the thinking mind. Through mindfulness practices, she learned to observe her thoughts rather than be controlled by them, recognizing they "are not always true and not always helpful and certainly not always kind." Rather than abandoning her legal career, Paula gradually integrated mindfulness into her professional life, eventually developing programs that reach over 60,000 government employees. Her approach demonstrates that we don't need dramatic life changes to follow our passion—sometimes it's about bringing authenticity into existing structures. The heart of Paula's message lies in the shift from "achieve to receive"—recognizing that we're already whole, already loved, already enough. "You're the gift," she explains, "and anything else is bonus. You make the world better just by your presence, not by your doing." Join us for this deeply moving conversation that includes a beautiful guided meditation and practical wisdom for finding peace in a culture obsessed with productivity. If you've ever felt the emptiness of achievement without fulfillment, this episode offers a gentle reminder that another way is possible.

    47 min
  7. Creating Sacred Space: The Journey of Apollo Sunrise Center

    AUG 19

    Creating Sacred Space: The Journey of Apollo Sunrise Center

    What happens when you hold onto a vision for over a decade with unwavering faith? Leah Hill's remarkable journey proves that persistence and divine timing can transform meditation-inspired dreams into tangible reality. As founder of Apollo Sunrise Center in Merrimack, Massachusetts, Leah shares how a powerful vision she received during meditation in 2009 took eleven years to manifest. Despite lacking resources, connections, and confidence, she kept this vision alive until the universe finally aligned to present the perfect 20-acre property—complete with forests, walking trails, and horses—that mirrored what she had seen in her mind's eye. Her story beautifully demonstrates the principle that sometimes the universe isn't saying "no" to our dreams, but rather "not yet." Even before securing a physical location, Leah took concrete steps toward manifestation by creating an LLC and speaking about her vision as if it already existed. This practice of embodying dreams before their physical manifestation offers powerful lessons in co-creation. Now thriving as a health, wellness, and spiritual retreat center, Apollo Sunrise offers transformational energy healing, intuitive readings, sacred geometry classes, hypnotherapy, yoga, and various other modalities. The center hosts both structured workshops and free community gatherings designed to create safe spaces for spiritual exploration. What makes Leah's approach particularly refreshing is her emphasis on practical spirituality. She believes our spiritual nature isn't "woo-woo" but our natural state of being—we are "naturally spiritual, naturally aware, naturally expansive." By grounding spiritual concepts in everyday life, Apollo Sunrise Center welcomes individuals at all stages of their spiritual journey. Ready to explore your own inner wisdom in a supportive community? Visit apollosunrise.com to discover upcoming events, book sessions with practitioners, or join their monthly Spiritual Exploration Meetup where curiosity is celebrated and questions are welcomed.

    35 min
  8. The Magic of Channeling: Music, Writing, and Finding Your True Path

    JUL 23

    The Magic of Channeling: Music, Writing, and Finding Your True Path

    Scott Dineen's creative journey defies conventional boundaries. From winning a national songwriting contest at age 10 to performing with professional circuses as a teen, he's constantly reinvented himself while staying true to his artistic impulses. His appearance on our podcast reveals the fascinating trajectory of someone who refuses to be limited by a single creative identity. "On stage, all my uneasiness melts away," Scott explains, describing the transformative power of performance. As lead vocalist for one of America's premier Bob Dylan tribute bands, he's memorized over 90 of Dylan's lengthy, complex songs—not to imitate, but to channel their essence through his own artistic lens.  The conversation takes an unexpected turn as Scott discusses his five-year journey writing "Circus Orpheus," a novel blending magical realism with his circus experiences. The story follows Finn, a musician with supernatural abilities who joins a mysterious circus, confronting themes of guilt, redemption, and human potential. Scott's description of the writing process echoes his approach to music—allowing intuition to guide creation in moments that feel magical and transcendent. Perhaps most compelling is Scott's philosophy on pursuing multiple passions. During the pandemic, he made repeated trips to Paris, studied French, and connected with his literary agent while maintaining his music career. This follows a pattern established earlier in life when he spent nearly five years living in Slovakia, becoming fluent in the language and fully immersing himself in the culture. "The limits are the ones we put on ourselves," Scott reflects, encouraging listeners to follow joy as their guiding star. His story demonstrates how remaining open to new experiences at any age can unlock unexpected potential and lead to a more fulfilled life—even when those choices require bravery and might disappoint others. Ready to explore your own creative possibilities? Listen now and discover how channeling your passions across multiple disciplines might reveal the magic hiding within your ordinary life.

    45 min

About

Candid conversations about spirituality, how to navigate in the world, channeled messages, guided meditations, book reviews and other topics.  We invite comments and questions as we look to connect with a community of similar interests.