Known Through Connection with Jess Collicott

Jess Collicott
  • 4.3 (6)
  • Society & Culture

Known Through Connection is a presence-first podcast where guests aren’t just interviewed - they’re seen. Hosted by Jess Collicott, this space invites thoughtful conversations with real people whose stories, leadership, and presence resonate. It’s not about performance. It’s about connection: between host and guest, listener and story, and sometimes, with someone you’ll want to reach out to. Come as you are. Be met with dignity. Leave a little more known.

  1. 1d ago

    19: The Heart Behind the Cup | Traci Dowd Page, Karma Koffee Omaha

    More than a decade ago, Traci Dowd Page sat on a folding chair in an empty storefront in Omaha's Pepperwood Village, dreaming with her business partner about what a local coffee shop could become. Today she owns Karma Koffee, and she'll tell you it's in the business of people and just happens to serve coffee. When the pandemic closed the gyms, she retired after twenty-five years of personal training and found her purpose behind the register, where she has come over the counter to hold a grieving regular. It's a conversation about faith, small business, and the difference one kind word can make in someone's day. Connect with Traci on Instagram: @tracidowdpageKarma Koffee: https://www.karmakoffee.com/

    19: The Heart Behind the Cup | Traci Dowd Page, Karma Koffee Omaha

  2. Jun 11

    18: A Future of Hope, Not Harm | Julie Finley's Story of Survival and Faith

    Julie Finley spent years believing the weight she carried in her marriage was hers to hold, until clarity came from a place she didn't expect. As the founder of Revelation Coaching in Omaha and an NPC Bikini competitor, Julie rebuilt her strength in the gym first, then found the wholeness that finally gave her the courage to walk away and start over for herself and her two daughters. This is a conversation about trusting your gut, knowing it was never your fault, and believing there's a future of hope on the other side of what feels impossible. Connect with Julie Finley:Instagram: instagram.com/j.finley_fitRevelation Coaching: instagram.com/revelation_coachingWebsite: revelationcoachingomaha.com If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence:National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or text START to 88788

    18: A Future of Hope, Not Harm | Julie Finley's Story of Survival and Faith

  3. Mar 29

    17: Cancer, a Business, and the People Who Kept Me Going with Jason Hamer

    Jason Hamer was three years into building Hamer Business Toolbox with his wife Katie when a multiple myeloma diagnosis arrived on top of everything else he was already carrying. He kept doing client calls from his hospital bed, showed up for his daughters one small moment at a time, and leaned on the people who refused to let him face it alone. This is a conversation about the values of authenticity and understanding that held him through all of it, and what he would say to anyone who feels like the hard things just keep coming.

    17: Cancer, a Business, and the People Who Kept Me Going with Jason Hamer

  4. Mar 24

    16: Leave Nothing to the Grave with Deion Wells-Ross

    Deion Wells-Ross grew up in the inner city of Omaha navigating environments shaped by gun violence, gang activity, and limited horizons. Nobody sat him down and told him he could build a different life. He had to figure that out himself. What followed is a story about pattern recognition, unlearning, and the kind of choosing that does not happen once but over and over again across years. It includes walking into a coach's office as a complete stranger days before the school year started, earning a spot on a team that would go on to win a national championship at Nebraska Wesleyan, and eventually building a career at the intersection of human development and technology. Then, on January 1st, 2024, life dropped a different kind of adversity on him. A multiple sclerosis diagnosis. And Deion made a decision: he was not taking anything to the grave. In this conversation, Deion and host Jess Collicott talk about what it actually takes to walk away from the life your environment scripted for you, the painful and often unspoken process of unlearning, what made a national championship team great, and how the adversity equation, E plus P equals R, has shaped the way Deion approaches everything, including MS. This is Episode 16 of Known Through Connection. Leave Nothing to the Grave. Real People. Worth Connecting.

    16: Leave Nothing to the Grave with Deion Wells-Ross

  5. Mar 19

    15: Christy Johnston | Love Your People. Watch Them Win.

    Christy Johnston spent years as a Chief People Officer at one of the fastest-growing companies in her industry and never lost her humanity. In this conversation, we talk about what it actually looks like to love your people well through hard seasons, including layoffs, and why the leaders doing it right today are about to pull away from everyone else. Connect with Christy Johnston on LinkedIn or at magneticcultures.com.

    15: Christy Johnston | Love Your People. Watch Them Win.

  6. Feb 4

    14: Give Yourself Grace (with Erin Clark + Angie Hanson)

    In this episode, I’m joined by Erin Clark and Angie Hanson, two returning guests who have also become friends behind the scenes. This conversation is honest and grounding, grief, strength, and giving yourself grace when life feels heavy. Angie and Erin share about the “both and,” how people can be strong and still feel fragile, and why giving yourself grace is not a cliché, it’s a practice. If you are carrying loss, supporting someone who is, or simply navigating a hard season, this episode is a steady reminder: you are allowed to be human. In this episode, we talk about: The unexpected way Angie and Erin connected through the show “Strong” and “fragile” living in the same person Why grief changes you, but does not erase you How to hold space for yourself and for others Giving yourself grace, especially when you feel behind Links Erin Clark, How’s the Weather: https://www.hows-the-weather.com/ Angie Hanson, Butterflies and Halos: https://butterfliesandhalos.com/

    14: Give Yourself Grace (with Erin Clark + Angie Hanson)

  7. 12/03/2025

    13: Stronger in Every Way with Creighton Clewis

    In this episode, Creighton Clewis shares a story of strength that reaches far beyond the gym. Her journey started in a season marked by loss, grief, and questions about identity and worth. Through faith, community, and a commitment to healing, Creighton has become stronger in every part of her life. We talk about the connection between inner transformation and outer change, how to build healthy relationships, and what it looks like to reframe negative thoughts and rebuild your sense of self. Creighton opens up about grief, mental health, community support, and the role her faith is playing as she moves forward with clarity and purpose. This conversation is for anyone who feels stuck, anyone navigating a hard season, or anyone searching for the higher version of themselves. Creighton’s honesty and strength offer a grounded reminder that healing is possible and that you do not have to walk your journey alone. Special thank you to Tim Rexius, Brittney Rexius, and Nick Langer for welcoming us into Iron Heaven Gym and allowing us to record this episode there. Their gym community has been an important part of Creighton’s journey. Connect with Iron Heaven: https://ironheavenomaha.com/ Connect with Creighton on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myy__sunshine__/ Thank you for listening to Known Through Connection. Subscribe or follow for more conversations about presence, identity, and the relationships that help us grow.

    13: Stronger in Every Way with Creighton Clewis

  8. 11/27/2025

    12: How’s the Weather? Erin Clark on a Kinder Way to Ask How We’re Really Doing

    In this episode, Jess sits with Erin Clark, who adopted How’s the Weather? as a gentler way to stay connected after the loss of her husband Greg. In the months following his passing, Erin found herself unable to answer even the kindest questions. She needed a way to be honest without having to explain everything she was holding. So she turned to weather words. Stormy. Foggy. Sunny with clouds. Clear for the moment. Simple language that gave her room to breathe and helped others understand her without pressure. Their conversation reflects Erin’s warmth, her humor, her faith, and the deep love she shared with Greg. It also explores how this softer check-in has begun helping kids, teens, and adults name what they’re carrying in a way that feels safe and manageable. If you’ve ever wanted a kinder way to ask how someone is really doing, or you’ve struggled to find words in a hard season, this episode offers language, compassion, and steady hope.

    12: How’s the Weather? Erin Clark on a Kinder Way to Ask How We’re Really Doing
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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Known Through Connection is a presence-first podcast where guests aren’t just interviewed - they’re seen. Hosted by Jess Collicott, this space invites thoughtful conversations with real people whose stories, leadership, and presence resonate. It’s not about performance. It’s about connection: between host and guest, listener and story, and sometimes, with someone you’ll want to reach out to. Come as you are. Be met with dignity. Leave a little more known.

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