Beauty in the Break

Cesar Cardona & Foster Wilson

Beauty in the Break is a new podcast that explores the powerful moments when life shatters—and the unexpected beauty that follows.  Hosted by public speaker Cesar Cardona & filmmaker and poet Foster Wilson, each episode dives into conversations of healing, transformation and resilience through self-awareness, storytelling and mindfulness. Whether you’re navigating change or seeking inspiration, this series uncovers the common threads that connect us all, to help you achieve personal or professional growth. 

  1. 16H AGO

    How to Keep Your Light in Dark Times with Lesley Fera

    How do you stay authentic and maintain hope in uncertain times? Actress and writer Lesley Fera (Pretty Little Liars) joins Foster and Cesar to discuss finding play and creativity in adulthood, trusting the universe when life feels chaotic, and how grief transformed her relationship with writing. Lesley shares her journey of peeling back layers to return to her authentic self, the power of surrendering control, and how activism and joy can coexist.  In this episode they explore:  Why returning to authenticity feels like returning to childhoodThe grief that pushed Lesley Fera back to writing after drifting awayHow to maintain hope and light when the world feels bleakWhy trusting "the greatest good" changes everythingLesley Fera:  IG: @mslesleyferaLesley’s short film Grace on IG: @gracetheshortfilmCrowdfunding info for Grace The sexy Pandora station that became famous in this episode: Native American Flute RadioIf this episode spoke to you, you will love How to Be a Rebel with Dr. Reid Wilson where Foster’s dad shares how he turned his urge to be a troublemaker into a force for good. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps! Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok.  Cesar Cardona: Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson: Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson Executive Producer: Glenn Milley This episode is brought to you by Arlene Thornton & Associates Send a text Libro.FM - Get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 with code BEAUTYGo to Libro.FM or use code BEAUTY at checkout

    42 min
  2. MAR 10

    'Everything Happens for a Reason' & Other Unhelpful Things People Say

    Ask Us Anything! Foster and Cesar answer listener questions about working together as romantic partners on a podcast, the worst advice people give during hard times, and the intentional choice of the word "partner" instead of "girlfriend”. They share the pros and cons of creative collaboration in relationships, why the podcast has become their creative "baby," and reveal the well-meaning advice that actually hurts. In this episode they explore:  The grief advice Foster finds unhelpful (even though she believes it herself)How working together revealed their unexpected strengths as a coupleWhat their podcast has in common with having a baby togetherHow they avoid ego battles while collaborating on creative projectsWhy relationships are mirrors, not hierarchies (and what that means for advice)If this episode spoke to you, you will love Say More! Vol. 2: Hustle Culture Sucks & Other Dangerously Fun Confessions. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps! Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok.  Cesar Cardona: Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson: Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson Executive Producer: Glenn Milley This episode is brought to you by Jamaal Pittman. You can donate to his scholarship at WheelerScholarship.com, supporting college enrollment. Send a text

    26 min
  3. MAR 3

    Breaking Through: When Your Uniqueness Becomes Your Career

    How do you build a successful career path by just being yourself? Foster shares her unexpected journey from actor to film director after the death of her son, while Cesar reveals how he built a successful business without spending a dollar on marketing. They explore the paradox of being a female director in Hollywood and why being yourself is your greatest advantage in any career. If you’re pivoting careers, breaking into a new industry, or building from scratch, this conversation talks practical wisdom about leveraging your uniqueness and creating meaningful connections because truthfully...  success comes from being irreplaceable.  In this episode they explore:  Why grief became the catalyst for a complete career pivotThe Hollywood catch-22: When diversity programs help and hurt at the same timeHow one person built a 10-year training business without spending a dollar on adsThe security guard at NYU who remembered every student's name (and what that teaches us)Why your unique fingerprint on your work is your only real competitive advantageAlso mentioned:  The loss of Foster’s son Wilde: Foster’s Loss: Sunflowers and the Choice to Feel PainMade Public (14 min short film)Waffles (4 min short film)Platypus (9 min short film)Brick & Mopsie (5 min short film)You can also watch the episodes on YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps! Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok.  Cesar Cardona: Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson: Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson Executive Producer: Glenn Milley This episode is brought to you by Arlene Thornton & Associates Send a text Libro.FM - Get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 with code BEAUTYGo to Libro.FM or use code BEAUTY at checkout

    42 min
  4. FEB 24

    Should You Break Your Own Rules? (And When)

    Foster and Cesar sit down for a lighthearted, intimate episode about a surprising parenting breakthrough. Together, they discuss how children actually understand more than we give them credit for, why the question "why?" exhausts parents (and what to do instead), and how treating kids like brilliant humans rather than irrational beings changes the entire dynamic. This episode offers a refreshing perspective on parenting fatigue, the power of contrary actions, and finding those small moments of beauty in the daily grind of raising children.  In this episode they explore:  What happens when you make yourself the "common enemy" in parentingThe real reason parents hate when kids keep asking "why"How one contrary action created an entire day of sibling peaceThe small answer vs. the big answer: What kids actually want to knowWhy siblings don't actually have to be best friends (and that's okay)If this episode spoke to you, you will love Giving Yourself Flowers where we explore the truth about real self-care. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps! Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok.  Cesar Cardona: Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson: Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson Executive Producer: Glenn Milley This episode is brought to you by Jamaal Pittman. You can donate to his scholarship at Wheelerscholarship.com, supporting college enrollment. Send a text

    27 min
  5. FEB 17

    How to Stop People-Pleasing Without Losing Love

    In this episode of Beauty in the Break, Foster and Cesar share their real-time struggles with breaking through personal barriers in relationships and self-awareness. Foster reveals her pattern of people-pleasing and difficulty knowing what she wants, especially in romantic relationships, while Cesar confronts unexpected impatience that's surfaced as he's achieved more success in his speaking and meditation career. Through vulnerable conversation, they explore how women's intuition gets buried beneath societal conditioning, why men struggle when women can't articulate their needs, and how personal growth requires constantly meeting your partner (and yourself) in new versions as you evolve. In this episode they explore:  Why successful women still struggle to say what they want in relationshipsMen opening doors for women: patronizing or respectful?The Buddhist story about success that humbled a meditation teacherThe difference between releasing your demons and working with themWhy growth requires meeting your partner again and again in new versionsThe iPhone update theory of human transformationEpisodes referenced:  Episode 23: Our Most Uncomfortable Conversation Yet: Money - where we explored the “messy middle” of healing our money issuesEpisode 33: How Psychedelics Changed Our Lives If this episode spoke to you, you will love Why It’s Never Equal where we explore gender roles and invisible labor. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps! Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok.  Cesar Cardona: Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson: Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson Executive Producer: Glenn Milley This episode is brought to you by Arlene Thornton & Associates Send a text Libro.FM - Get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 with code BEAUTYGo to Libro.FM or use code BEAUTY at checkout

    50 min
  6. FEB 10

    What Happens When You Get Better and They Don't

    Today’s episode of Beauty in the Break explores a personal and harrowing story from Cesar’s life, where he recently encountered a past version of himself. Through an intimate storytelling conversation, Cesar reflects on reconnecting with a friend still struggling with addiction, sparking a powerful discussion about survivor’s guilt, transformation, boundaries, compassion, and what it means to move forward without leaving empathy behind. This episode offers honest insight into recovery, self-awareness, emotional responsibility, and navigating relationships after profound personal change. In this episode they explore: Survivor’s guilt after personal healing and growthWhen old friendships mirror past versions of ourselvesWhy healing can feel isolating instead of liberatingBoundaries without abandoning compassionSeeing addiction through the lens of compassion and illnessFor more stories like this and good companies you can support, sign up for Cesar’s weekly newsletter Insights That Matter.  If this episode spoke to you, you will love How to Be a Rebel with Dr. Reid Wilson. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps! Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok.  Cesar Cardona: Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson: Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson Executive Producer: Glenn Milley This episode is brought to you by Jamaal Pittman. You can donate to his scholarship at Wheelerscholarship.com, supporting college enrollment. Send a text

    22 min
  7. FEB 3

    How Psychedelics Changed Our Lives

    In this episode of Beauty and the Break, Foster and Cesar explore psychedelics (in particular psilocybin mushrooms) as tools for healing, consciousness, and perspective shifts, weaving together personal stories, neuroscience, ancient spiritual texts, and modern research. Through storytelling and reflection, they discuss ego death, non-duality, mindfulness, meditation, and the science of psychedelics, revealing how these experiences can expand compassion, soften fear, and help us break through our own barriers. This episode offers an honest, nuanced look at psychedelics, not as an escape, but as a doorway into presence, meaning, and embodied understanding. In this episode they explore:  The first mushroom experience that changed everythingEgo death and why it softens fearPsychedelics and the brain: what science actually showsMushrooms vs meditation: the “leaf blower” metaphorSeeing the world like a child againADHD, overwhelm, and embodied knowingAlso mentioned:  Cesar’s online meditation class at DEN MeditationCesar’s Growth Mindfulness meditation practiceBeauty in the Break episode What is Healthy Screen Time? (dopamine/serotonin)Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness ResearchPsychedelics vs. Placebo brain map imageYou can also watch the episodes on YouTube. If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps! Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok.  Cesar Cardona: Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson: Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson Executive Producer: Glenn Milley This episode is brought to you by Arlene Thornton & Associates Send a text Libro.FM - Get 3 audiobooks for the price of 1 with code BEAUTYGo to Libro.FM or use code BEAUTY at checkout

    51 min
  8. JAN 27

    A New Chapter for Beauty in the Break

    This short Season 2 preview of Beauty in the Break is a gentle reintroduction and a small but intentional shift. Foster and Cesar reflect on what the first year of the podcast made possible, what they’ve learned along the way, and how the show is evolving. This season moves beyond finding beauty in broken moments to also exploring the beauty of breaking barriers, both inside ourselves and out in the world. Starting Feb 3rd, Beauty in the Break will be a weekly podcast, with new episodes every Tuesday. Expect deeper conversations, more guests, and stories that expand what feels possible, shared with more ease, honesty, and room to breathe. Lots more to come, beloved. Thank you for being here. You can also watch the episodes on YouTube. If you are enjoying this show, take a moment to follow Beauty in the Break on your favorite podcast app and leave a review—it really helps! Reach out to the show—send an email or voice note to beautyinthebreakpod@gmail.com and be sure to follow on Instagram and TikTok. Cesar Cardona: Receive his newsletter Insights That MatterGet guided meditation from Cesar on his website Listen to music from Cesar + The Clew on Apple Music and SpotifyFoster Wilson: Buy her poetry book Afternoon AbundanceLearn about her postpartum servicesReceive her newsletter Foster’s VillageCreated & Hosted by: Cesar Cardona and Foster Wilson Executive Producer: Glenn Milley This episode is brought to you by Jamaal Pittman. You can donate to his scholarship at wheelerscholarship.com, supporting college enrollment. Send a text

    9 min
5
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Beauty in the Break is a new podcast that explores the powerful moments when life shatters—and the unexpected beauty that follows.  Hosted by public speaker Cesar Cardona & filmmaker and poet Foster Wilson, each episode dives into conversations of healing, transformation and resilience through self-awareness, storytelling and mindfulness. Whether you’re navigating change or seeking inspiration, this series uncovers the common threads that connect us all, to help you achieve personal or professional growth. 

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