The Junel Popp Podcast

Junel Popp
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

A weekly podcast for anyone navigating life's bigger questions. Hosted by me, Junel Popp — explorer, storyteller, and eternal optimist — each episode draws from 15+ years of living across five countries to bring you honest conversations about personal growth, self-belief, burnout, identity, and what it really means to find yourself. Come for the positivity. Stay for the real talk. 💛 New episodes every Sunday. If you have any feedback, any questions or would like me to talk about a specific theme, DM me on instagram: junel_popp Sending love and light.

  1. 5d ago

    Ep.19 Healing Family Relationships and Difficult Dynamics

    I moved in with my mom two weeks ago. After years of distance, difficult conversations, and a relationship I genuinely didn't know how to navigate. And it's been the best decision I've made in 2026. In this deeply personal episode I talk about family relationships, the complicated ones, the ones we walk away from, the guilt that follows, and what happens when we finally decide to try a different approach. I share why taking distance from a family member is sometimes the most loving thing you can do for yourself, how we unconsciously block people from changing by projecting our past experiences onto them, and what happened when I stopped using the same old tools on the same old wall — and tried something completely different with my mom. Because here's what I've come to believe: every difficult relationship is a teacher. And when you can get to a point of thanking the people who hurt you — not for what they did, but for what they taught you — everything shifts. This episode is for anyone navigating a complicated family dynamic, carrying guilt about distance they've created, or wondering whether some relationships can ever really change.

  2. Jul 12

    Ep.18 You're not lazy, you just don't know how to actually rest

    You took the afternoon off. You had a nap. You scrolled. You read a bit. You did some yoga. And somehow — you still don't feel rested. Sound familiar? In this episode I talk about what rest actually means — and why most of us have never truly experienced it. Because real rest isn't about doing nothing with your body. It's about silencing your mind. I grew up in a family where rest was considered laziness and productivity was everything. And so I spent decades never truly switching off — even on holidays, even on weekends, even on my days off. What I've learned recently is that your body cannot fully rest when your mind is still running. Still worrying. Still planning. Still scrolling. Still seeking answers outside of itself. In this episode I talk about why stillness is the most underrated tool we have, why the answers we're desperately searching for outside of ourselves were always within us, and how to finally start accessing them. This one might change how you spend your Rest days. Thank you for being here, I hope this helps, I cannot wait to hear what you think of this one. I love you, Happy Sunday, and don't forget to rest !

  3. Jul 5

    Ep.17 Rebuilding faith in life

    What if the reason so many of us feel lost, anxious, and exhausted is because we stopped having faith — not in God necessarily, but in life itself? In this deeply personal episode I talk about my long and winding journey with faith. From growing up Mormon and Protestant, to leaving religion behind and letting my mind take complete control, to slowly realising something was missing and what happened when I finally started to surrender. I share how I began rebuilding a relationship with something bigger than my own thoughts. Not through church. Not through rules. But through silence, prayer, meditation, manifestation, and the work of teachers like Gabby Bernstein and Joe Dispenza. And I share the most beautiful metaphor I've ever heard about life from my hiking friend Andre, our own hiker Buddha and what happens when you finally put your paddle down. This episode is for anyone who has been paddling frantically upstream and wondering why they're so exhausted. Happy Sunday and week, I love you. Thank you for being here.

  4. Jun 28

    Ep.16 When your resume makes no sense

    Hotel receptionist. Sales rep. Bouncer. Makeup artist. Cafe runner at Freddie Mercury's old favourite Munich bar. Video game communications manager. House cleaner. Family business operations manager. If you looked at my CV, you'd probably wonder what on earth I've actually been doing with my life. In this episode I walk through my entire winding career path — every weird job, every industry switch, every "illegal" gig I took just to stay somewhere I loved — and why I've stopped being ashamed of any of it. If you're feeling stuck in a linear career path that doesn't feel like you, scared to make a change, or staring at your CV wondering how any of it makes sense — this episode is for you. Because here's the truth: every experience, every random job, every detour teaches you something about who you are and what you're actually good at. None of it is wasted. And if you want help reshaping your own CV to finally tell the right story? I'm offering my time to do exactly that. Details in the episode. Happy Sunday and week. I love you.

  5. Jun 21

    Ep15. Relationships are our greatest teachers

    We love to say relationships are complicated. But what if they're not — what if we're the ones making them that way? In this episode I talk about why I've stopped projecting my past onto new people who enter my life — partners, friends, colleagues, even strangers. I share the moment an ex-partner called me out for comparing him to someone from my past, and how that completely changed the way I show up in every relationship since. I believe every person who enters your life is a teacher. Not a coincidence. Not a repeat of someone who hurt you before. A clean slate, here to teach you something — about boundaries, communication, or yourself. This episode is about giving people the benefit of the doubt, trusting your first instinct when someone shows you who they are, and understanding that the most important relationship you'll ever work on is the one with yourself. Because once you decomplexify that one — everything else gets easier. Happy Sunday, thank you for being here, I love you!

  6. Jun 14

    Ep 14. Life Is Hard. Life Is Beautiful. It's Both, Always.

    Last week I met with one of my dearest friends — a woman who was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in 2023 and walked through hell and back. And she stood in front of me. Smiling. Shining. This episode is inspired by her, and by a question I've been sitting with: why is it so easy to share our happiness — and so hard to share our suffering? I talk about toxic positivity, the danger of pushing difficult emotions aside in the name of strength, and why half-living — whether through forced positivity or staying stuck in pain — robs us of the full experience of being alive. Life is not linear. It is hard and beautiful. Painful and full of joy. And we don't have to choose between the two. As my friend Charline reminded me — tutto passa. This too shall pass. The bad and the good. All of it. This episode is for anyone going through something really hard right now. You are not alone. 💛

  7. Jun 7

    Ep 13. Why we are tired

    What if the thing that brings you the most joy is also the thing you were meant to do for a living? This week I'm talking about purpose — what it really means, why most of us were never taught to find it, and why we keep waiting to pursue what actually makes us happy. From watching the Rafa Nadal documentary and seeing the cost of pushing your body beyond its limits, to a conversation with a friend about how to raise kids who actually know themselves — this episode is a reminder that knowing thyself is the greatest gift you can give yourself and everyone around you. I talk about why so many C-level I've met were completely miserable despite the salary and the title, why tired people are usually just people not doing what makes them happy, and why I truly believe you can pay your bills and love what you do. You are worthy of it. And time here is not unlimited.

  8. May 31

    Ep 12. Let's stop dimming our lights

    This one's the most honest episode yet. I've spent most of my life putting a lampshade over my light. Dimming my spiritual side whenever I started a new job, met someone new, or moved to a new place. Adapting, observing, surviving — and slowly forgetting who I actually am in the process. In this episode I talk about what it means to be deeply spiritual in a world that doesn't always have space for it. About the constant push and pull between shining fully and worrying you've gone too far. About the woo-woo gifts I've always known I have — and the years I spent pretending I didn't. I don't have it all figured out. But I'm tired of wearing the hat. This episode is for everyone out there dimming their light for the wrong audience. 💛 Happy Sunday everyone, I love you. Thank you for being here.

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About

A weekly podcast for anyone navigating life's bigger questions. Hosted by me, Junel Popp — explorer, storyteller, and eternal optimist — each episode draws from 15+ years of living across five countries to bring you honest conversations about personal growth, self-belief, burnout, identity, and what it really means to find yourself. Come for the positivity. Stay for the real talk. 💛 New episodes every Sunday. If you have any feedback, any questions or would like me to talk about a specific theme, DM me on instagram: junel_popp Sending love and light.

Information

  • Creator
    Junel Popp
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Junel Popp
  • Show Website
    The Junel Popp Podcast