Unmuted Education Podcast

Unmuted is where real conversations happen. Hosted by three friends with very different worldviews—one deeply religious, one spiritual, and one atheist—we explore the messy, meaningful topics that shape our lives. From parenting and education to leadership and personal growth, we talk openly and honestly about what matters. No filters, no echo chambers—just thoughtful dialogue, unexpected laughter, and a commitment to learning from one another. Whether you agree, disagree, or land somewhere in between, Unmuted is a space to listen, reflect, and be heard.

  1. 9h ago

    Episode 48 (Beyond the Diagnosis: Yesenia’s Personal Approach to Healing)

    After a cancer diagnosis, what comes next? In Part Two of Yesenia’s story, Coebie sits down with her again to talk about the changes she chose to make after surgery and the research that shaped her personal approach to health and recovery. Following her breast cancer diagnosis and lumpectomy, Yesenia began looking closely at nearly every part of her lifestyle — nutrition, exercise, stress, supplements, sleep, gut health, hormones, and complementary therapies. She shares the changes she made to her diet, including daily juicing, more plant-based foods, fermented foods, sprouts, and a renewed focus on whole-food nutrition. She also discusses adjusting her protein intake, learning how her body responded to different foods, and finding a balance that felt sustainable for her. The conversation also explores some of the complementary and alternative approaches Yesenia decided to investigate, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, vitamins and supplements, hormone support, and medications she chose to use after researching them and discussing some of those choices with healthcare providers. Coebie and Yesenia also talk about how dramatically her fitness routine changed. Before her diagnosis, Yesenia was preparing for a bodybuilding competition and spending hours in the gym. Today, her focus has shifted from aesthetics and competition toward strength, metabolic health, recovery, and listening more closely to what her body needs. Throughout the episode, one theme continues to surface: Become an active participant in your own health. Yesenia talks about researching widely, questioning information, paying attention to her own body, and taking responsibility for the decisions she makes. In this episode: How Yesenia changed her nutrition after surgery Daily juicing and whole-food nutrition Protein, plant-based eating, and finding balance Gut health and fermented foods Her experience with hyperbaric oxygen therapy Vitamins, supplements, and hormone support Why she changed her bodybuilding and workout routine Strength training and metabolic health Sorting through conflicting health information The importance of researching before making major decisions Learning to listen to your body Staying actively involved in your own healthcare This conversation shares Yesenia’s personal experience and the choices she has made during her cancer journey. It is not medical advice, and discussion of a therapy, supplement, diet, or medication does not establish that it is safe or effective for treating cancer. Anyone facing cancer should discuss treatment decisions — including complementary or alternative approaches — with a qualified oncology team and other licensed healthcare professionals.

    Episode 48 (Beyond the Diagnosis: Yesenia’s Personal Approach to Healing)
  2. Sep 28

    Episode 47 (Stand in Your Truth: One Woman’s Cancer Journey and the Power of Self-Advocacy)

    What happens when a cancer diagnosis suddenly puts you into a world of appointments, specialists, recommendations, decisions, and fear? In this episode, Coebie sits down with Yesenia to talk about her breast cancer diagnosis and the deeply personal journey that followed. Before her diagnosis, Yesenia had spent nearly 20 years working in health and wellness. At 44, she set a goal of getting into the best shape of her life and began training for her first bodybuilding competition. After becoming leaner than she had ever been, she stepped out of the shower one day and noticed something unexpected: a lump in her breast. What followed was a whirlwind of imaging, biopsies, consultations, surgery discussions, and difficult decisions. But Yesenia was determined not to become a passive participant in her own healthcare. She shares why she chose to slow the process down, give herself time to understand her diagnosis, research her options, record medical conversations, ask questions, and make decisions she felt comfortable taking responsibility for. Coebie and Yesenia also talk candidly about the emotional weight of medical language, the fear that can accompany a cancer diagnosis, and how difficult it can be to maintain your sense of agency when you're suddenly surrounded by experts, protocols, appointments, and opinions. This isn't a conversation about telling someone else what treatment they should choose. It's a conversation about remaining engaged in your own care. About asking questions. About getting informed. About understanding that you can seek professional expertise while still remembering that you are the person living in your body and living with the decisions being made. They also discuss Yesenia's life before cancer, her love of human connection, the health changes she noticed in the years leading up to her diagnosis, and why one phrase became increasingly important throughout her experience: Stand in your truth. In this episode: Discovering a breast lump while preparing for a bodybuilding competition The emotional impact of receiving a cancer diagnosis Giving yourself time to process major medical decisions Asking questions and advocating for yourself Navigating medical recommendations and standard treatment protocols The importance of informed consent and understanding your options Why the words used around serious illness matter Recording and revisiting important medical conversations Trusting yourself while still seeking qualified medical guidance Maintaining your identity when you suddenly become “the patient” Why connection continues to matter through illness This is Part One of Yesenia's story, with more of her health and wellness journey still to come. This conversation reflects one individual's personal experience and treatment decisions and is not medical advice. Anyone facing cancer or another serious diagnosis should discuss treatment options, risks, and benefits with qualified healthcare professionals.

    Episode 47 (Stand in Your Truth: One Woman’s Cancer Journey and the Power of Self-Advocacy)
  3. Sep 21

    Episode 46 (Love Doesn’t Mean Rescue: Letting Kids Do Hard Things)

    What does it really mean to “have your kid’s back”? Does it mean stepping in every time something feels unfair? Calling the coach? Fighting the teacher? Fixing the problem? Or does love sometimes mean standing beside your child while they work through something difficult themselves? In this episode, Coebie and Derek continue their parenting series with a conversation about love, grace, competition, disappointment, and one of the hardest parts of parenting: knowing when to step in and when to let your child struggle. Both share personal stories from youth baseball. Derek reflects on watching his son navigate an All-Star tournament where confidence, playing time, competition, and disappointment all collided. Coebie shares a very different experience in which her son earned his place on an All-Star team but found himself dealing with a coach who wasn't giving him the guidance or opportunity he needed. The situations were different, but they raised the same parenting question: What does my child actually need to learn from this? Sometimes the answer is perseverance. Sometimes it's learning to advocate for yourself. Sometimes it's accepting that someone else performed better. And sometimes a parent really does need to step in and say, “Enough.” Coebie and Derek talk about the difference between supporting and rescuing, why coddling can stunt character development, and how parents can become so focused on protecting their children that they accidentally take away the very experiences that help them grow. They also explore how these lessons extend far beyond sports — into friendships, bullying, school, conflict, faith, responsibility, and eventually adulthood. Because love doesn't mean lowering expectations. Grace doesn't mean removing consequences. And having your child's back doesn't mean fighting every battle for them. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is stay beside them, help them think, ask the right questions, and remind them that they're capable of doing hard things. In this episode: The difference between supporting and rescuing your child Helping kids navigate competition and disappointment Knowing when a parent should step in Teaching children to advocate for themselves Why struggle can be an important part of growth How coddling can interfere with character development Helping kids reflect on their own role in conflict Parenting through bullying and social challenges Why love doesn't mean always taking your child's side Becoming a “consultant parent” instead of solving everything for them The goal isn't to make childhood free from hard things. It's to make sure our kids don't have to face those hard things alone.

    Episode 46 (Love Doesn’t Mean Rescue: Letting Kids Do Hard Things)
  4. Sep 14

    Episode 45 (Tell Me the Truth: Raising Kids Who Don’t Have to Hide)

    Every kid lies. The bigger question is: What do we do when they do? In this episode, Coebie and Derek continue their parenting series with a conversation about truth, trust, consequences, and why holding kids accountable to reality is an important part of helping them feel safe. Drawing from their experiences as parents and former school administrators, they talk about watching children test boundaries, manipulate situations, hide mistakes, and sometimes tell adults exactly what they think those adults want to hear. They also explore why parents can become afraid to question their own children — and how avoiding the truth can ultimately damage trust rather than protect it. The conversation gets personal, from a toddler insisting he doesn't need to use the potty, to a teenager quietly hoping nobody notices the tire tracks leading straight into a damaged fence. But underneath those stories is a much bigger principle: Teaching children to live in truth starts with the adults around them. Coebie and Derek discuss how our reactions matter, why screaming and shame can make kids more likely to hide things, and why consequences don't have to come with anger. They also wrestle with the balance between truth and grace — because honesty without compassion can become cruelty, while compassion without truth can become enabling. And, as has become a recurring theme in this parenting series, it all comes back to modeling. Are we honest with our kids? Are we honest with our spouses? And maybe most importantly — are we honest with ourselves? In this episode: Why every child will test the truth How lying can begin surprisingly early Why parents sometimes choose to believe obvious lies Creating safety without removing accountability The difference between healthy consequences and fear Why yelling can distract from the actual lesson How lying and manipulation affect future relationships Teaching kids to repair what they've damaged Balancing truth with grace and compassion Why raising honest kids starts with modeling honesty ourselves Because the goal isn't to raise children who never make mistakes. It's to raise children who know they can tell the truth when they do.

    Episode 45 (Tell Me the Truth: Raising Kids Who Don’t Have to Hide)
  5. Sep 8

    Episode 44 (Parenting With Humility: Letting Your Kids See You Be Wrong)

    What happens when your kid is right… and you’re the one who needs to own it? In this episode, Coebie and Derek continue their conversation about parenting by tackling something that can be incredibly difficult for parents: humility. They share personal stories about losing patience, holding onto frustration, criticizing the people we love, and realizing that sometimes our kids are seeing our behavior more clearly than we are. From learning to say “I was wrong” to recognizing the difference between correction and criticism, the conversation comes back to one powerful idea: our kids are always watching what we model. Humility doesn’t mean being passive, weak, or letting your kids get away with everything. It means being honest enough to recognize your own mistakes, listen when your children speak, apologize when necessary, and show them what growth actually looks like. Because if we want to raise kids who are responsible, self-aware, respectful, and willing to admit when they’re wrong, they need to see us do it first. In this episode: Why admitting you’re wrong matters to your kids Correcting behavior without destroying connection How unresolved frustration turns into explosions Modeling healthy conflict between spouses Teaching kids responsibility and contribution at home The difference between humility and weakness Why parenting may be less about what we tell our kids and more about what we show them If this conversation hits home, we’d love to hear what humility has looked like in your own parenting journey.

    Episode 44 (Parenting With Humility: Letting Your Kids See You Be Wrong)
  6. Aug 11 ·  Bonus

    Bonus Episode: Christopher Driesang on Education, Local Control and Representing House District 35

    House District 35 Republican candidate Christopher Driesang joins the Unmuted crew for a wide-ranging conversation about education, local control and the future of representation in Natrona County. Drawing from his experience as an educator and Director of Student Support Services for Natrona County Schools, Christopher discusses how decisions made by the Wyoming Legislature affect teachers, students and local school districts. The conversation covers school funding recalibration, teacher raises, literacy mandates, charter schools and the challenges of applying statewide policies to communities with very different needs. The discussion also explores: The balance between state authority and local controlProperty taxes and protecting longtime Wyoming homeownersCampaign spending and whether average citizens can still afford to run for officeGovernment transparency and misinformationHow elected officials should communicate with their constituentsThe role of nonprofits in supporting Wyoming youthWhy young people may feel disconnected from the political processWhat being a Republican means to ChristopherChristopher also explains how he would approach disagreement, listen to both the majority and minority, and remain accessible to the people of House District 35. Unmuted does not endorse candidates. These conversations are intended to give voters an opportunity to hear directly from the people seeking to represent them.

    Bonus Episode: Christopher Driesang on Education, Local Control and Representing House District 35
4.4
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About

Unmuted is where real conversations happen. Hosted by three friends with very different worldviews—one deeply religious, one spiritual, and one atheist—we explore the messy, meaningful topics that shape our lives. From parenting and education to leadership and personal growth, we talk openly and honestly about what matters. No filters, no echo chambers—just thoughtful dialogue, unexpected laughter, and a commitment to learning from one another. Whether you agree, disagree, or land somewhere in between, Unmuted is a space to listen, reflect, and be heard.

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