Joy Found Here

stephanie martinez rivera
  • 5.0 (62)
  • RELATIONSHIPS

Welcome to the Joy Found Here podcast, hosted by Stephanie Martinez Rivera. Join us each week while we have real talk with inspiring women about life,balance, grace and permission to step off the ride. Listen in as we hear their stories, victories and fails and how to recognize and embrace the simple joy that life does offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 1D AGO

    Your Heart Knows More Than Your Brain: Puran & Susanna Bair on Living From the Heart

    What if the most powerful tool for healing and transformation has been beating inside your chest your whole life? In episode 260 of Joy Found Here, Puran and Susanna Bair, co-founders of iamHeart, reveal how Heart Rhythm Meditation uses the science of breath and the electromagnetic power of the heart to unlock emotional resilience and deepen connection. From Susanna's personal story of hitting rock bottom in a foreign country to Puran's research on how the heart knows things the brain doesn't — this episode will change the way you think about the organ keeping you alive. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (00:00) What Heart Rhythm Meditation is and why most meditations fall short (03:16) How syncing breath and heartbeat creates coherence in body, mind, and spirit  (06:02) Why the kind of breath you take matters  (13:20) The heart as an emotional archive — from womb memory to lived experience  (17:56) Susanna's breakdown in New York and the teacher who changed everything  (19:47) Why repressing painful emotions shrinks your capacity for joy  (26:05) A simple first step to reconnect with your heart right now  (38:48) How HRM builds emotional resilience through vagal tone  (40:04) The nine steps of the heart's journey — from dark nights to celebration  (54:03) How to access iamHeart's free classes, app, books, and courses Puran Khan Bair and Susanna Bair are the co-founders of iamHeart, a nonprofit school dedicated to Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM) — a heart-centered practice they have developed and taught for over 35 years. Puran, an American mystic with a background in electrical engineering and computer science, bridges mysticism with the science of the heart, co-authoring three foundational books — Living from the Heart, Energize Your Heart, and Follow Your Heart — and co-creating the Breath & Heart app. Susanna, a mystic and teacher with a Master's in Counseling Psychology and clinical training at the University of Vienna, has directed iamHeart's mentoring program for over three decades and is a passionate advocate for building a "Culture of the Heart." Together, they serve as successors to Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan of the Universal Sufi tradition and have trained thousands of practitioners worldwide. In this episode, Puran and Susanna Bair walk us through the foundations of Heart Rhythm Meditation, explaining how slow, intentional breathing synchronizes with the heartbeat to create coherence across body, mind, and spirit — with the heart serving as both anchor and emotional archive. Puran adds a scientific lens, sharing that the heart generates a measurable electromagnetic field and responds to distressing stimuli before the brain does. Susanna offers her personal story of arriving in New York, hitting emotional rock bottom, and finding their teacher — the turning point that led to iamHeart. Together they explore why grief and joy must coexist, how HRM builds resilience by strengthening vagal tone, and close on a deeply human note: the heart's deepest desire, they say, is simply to be remembered as having loved. Connect with Puran & Susanna Bair: Website YouTube Instagram LinkedIn Facebook Get Puran & Susanna’s books! Susanna’s personal Facebook Puran’s personal Facebook Susanna’s personal LinkedIn Puran’s personal LinkedIn Let's Connect: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min

  2. MAY 5

    Mind Over Mayhem: Life Coach Rebecca Olson on Why Working Moms Have It Backwards

    What if work-life balance feels impossible not because of your schedule, but because of what's happening inside your head? In episode 259 of Joy Found Here, international life coach Rebecca Olson unpacks why so many ambitious working moms are stuck — and it starts with asking better questions. From her own motherhood identity crisis to coaching thousands of parents through theirs, she makes the case that balance isn't a dream. It's a skill set. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (04:50) The motherhood identity crisis that made Rebecca a coach  (07:46) When ambition and new motherhood feel like an impossible battle  (10:36) Why the guiltiest generation is also the most present  (13:05) The workplace bias against working moms that won't quit  (16:02) The two conversations working moms keep conflating  (21:34) The one question Rebecca asks to cut through the noise  (25:42) Work-life balance is a feeling state, not a calendar fix  (28:03) Clarity, Confidence, and Control — Rebecca's 3 C's unpacked  (39:20) Why you never think in fact — and the flashlight vs. floodlight shift  (43:44) Retraining your thoughts with Rebecca's Daily Kickstart Rebecca Olson is a Certified Professional Life Coach, international keynote speaker, and host of the podcast Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms. A member of the International Coaching Federation, she has spent seven years helping career-focused parents stop feeling overwhelmed and "not enough" — so they can be present at home without sacrificing their ambitions. Her passion was ignited by her own motherhood identity crisis, which led her to leave a successful corporate career and go all-in on coaching. Through her signature group program and weekly podcast, she has helped thousands of working parents redefine success on their own terms and build the skillset for real work-life balance. In this episode, Rebecca shares her framework for helping working moms untangle two conversations that constantly get conflated: what do I actually want from my career, and how do I manage the chaos of my current life? She introduces her 3 C's — Clarity, Confidence, and Control — making the case that lasting balance starts from the inside out: get clear on what success means to you, build an internal voice that supports your decisions, then develop the emotional regulation to follow through. She reframes work-life balance not as a calendar problem but as a feeling state driven by thought — illustrated by her flashlight-vs.-floodlight metaphor — and closes by sharing her free Daily Kickstart, a 10-minute daily practice designed to retrain thought patterns and build the mindset muscle working moms actually need. Connect with Rebecca Olson: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Podcast: Ambitious and Balanced Working Moms The Working Mom’s Daily Kickstart: A simple morning practice to stay ahead of stress and overwhelm – so you feel in control of your time, your mindset, and your priorities. Let's Connect: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min

  3. APR 28

    What Your Mother Always Said Was Right: Amy Goober on Living Boldly at Any Age

    What if the most powerful life lessons you carry were handed down by the woman who raised you — and it took 40 years to realize it? In episode 258 of Joy Found Here, serial entrepreneur and action coach Amy Goober shares how a lifetime of her mother's wisdom became a book and a blueprint for women ready to stop waiting and start living. Amy is living proof that the best chapters don't always come first — and that the words we grow up hearing might just be the ones that change everything. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (04:44) How a Cornell grad became a secretary — and then a cake baker (06:14) Opening The Icing on the Cake at 26 with zero business experience (08:09) Reinventing herself from stay-at-home mom to action coach at 60 (10:44) Why Amy's mother believes successful parenting is successful separation (12:05) The story behind My Mother Always Says and Gwen's 94 years of wisdom (13:31) The 25 lessons — including why you can only tell your adult children something once (23:48) The go-go, slow-go, no-go framework for living fully while you can (28:17) The real trigger behind Amy's coaching pivot — and the loss that shaped her (32:35) Why women need permission to put themselves first — and how Amy gives it (42:08) The loneliness epidemic and why real, in-person connection changes everything Amy Goober is an action coach, serial entrepreneur, and author who has spent four decades proving that reinvention has no expiration date — from opening a custom cake bakery at 26, to launching her own coaching practice at 60. Based in Boston, she helps women reconnect with what they want through 1:1 coaching, community events, and her women's travel brand Wandering Women. She is also the co-author of My Mother Always Says: 25 Lessons for Finding the Silver Lining, written with her 94-year-old mother, Gwen Borden. In this episode, Amy Goober shares the story behind her book, co-written with her mother Gwen, whose life lessons — shaped by WWII and decades of resilience — form the heart of the collection. She reflects on how the mother-daughter dynamic shifts as children become adults, and unpacks the idea that successful parenting is ultimately successful separation. Amy also opens up about founding her action coaching practice after observing that too many women were talking about things they weren't doing — offering practical tools like her "go-go, slow-go, no-go" framework and her "toe dipper" approach for women hesitant to take that first step. Connect with Amy Goober: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Book: Amy Goober & Gwen Borden - My Mother Always Says Let's Connect: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min

  4. APR 21

    The Nonprofit Executive Holding the Line on Mental Health — One Client at a Time

    What happens when the mental health system is quietly crumbling — and the woman holding it together has been doing so for 25 years? In episode 257 of Joy Found Here, Janelle Miller Moravek, Executive Director of Youth & Family Counseling, pulls back the curtain on America's behavioral health crisis — from a shrinking workforce and impossible pay rates to the hidden toll social media is taking on our kids. Hopeful yet eye-opening, this conversation is a reminder that access to mental health care is not a luxury. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (3:54) How a French major stumbled into 25 years of nonprofit leadership (7:49) Why loving your work makes it harder to switch off (10:39) What nonprofit fundraising really looks like (17:47) Why the mental health crisis didn't start with COVID (20:05) The workforce shortage driving therapists out of behavioral healthcare (22:57) How social media is rewiring kids' tolerance for discomfort (30:16) The wrestling mat conversation that led to her son's ADHD diagnosis (36:48) The "atlas" project helping people navigate to the right care (38:22) Why one person getting help creates a community ripple effect (39:30) What Medicaid rollbacks mean for mental health nonprofits in 2026 Janelle Miller Moravek is the Executive Director of Youth & Family Counseling (YFC), a nonprofit mental health organization serving Lake County in the Chicagoland area. A Wesleyan University graduate, she joined YFC in 2000 as its first-ever development director and has spent over two decades building it into a leading provider of affordable, accessible mental health services — including bilingual care and Medicaid-covered options — for children, teens, adults, and families.  In this episode, Janelle Miller Moravek brings 25 years of nonprofit leadership to a candid conversation about the growing gap between mental health need and workforce capacity — tracing the roots to chronically low reimbursement rates, a lengthy therapist training pipeline, and COVID-era burnout. She connects social media's rise to a surge in adolescent mental health struggles, shares a personal story about parenting a son with ADHD that deepened her advocacy, and makes the case for treating behavioral health literacy as common knowledge. She also introduces YFC's "atlas" project — a navigation tool to help people find the right care — while sounding an honest alarm about what Medicaid rollbacks could mean for organizations like hers in 2026. Connect with Janelle Miller Moravek: LinkedIn Youth & Family Counseling website Let's Connect: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min

  5. APR 14

    The Permission Slip You Needed: Hypnotherapy, Intuition & Breaking Free With Lynnsey Robinson

    What if the key to unlocking your biggest goals isn't willpower or grinding harder — but learning to speak the language of your own subconscious? In episode 256 of Joy Found Here, certified hypnotherapist and intuitive guide Lynnsey Robinson pulls back the curtain on why so many of us stay stuck despite wanting change, and what it actually takes to get your mind working for you. From demystifying hypnosis to explaining why your "I am" affirmations might be misfiring, Lynnsey makes the science of transformation feel genuinely exciting. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (04:38) Lynnsey's unconventional childhood and what drew her to the human mind (07:45) The book that sparked her journey into hypnotherapy (13:18) Her Human Design type and why it's a permission slip to be yourself (16:02) The two suggestibility types and why they matter (20:59) Why "I am" affirmations don't work for everyone — and what to say instead (25:04) How Lynnsey discovered and claimed her intuitive gifts (30:40) What spirits are really like and why you don't need to fear them (33:34) Why we self-sabotage and what the subconscious is actually doing (35:00) How hypnotherapy works and what happens in a trance-like state (42:16) What a session with Lynnsey looks like and how to work with her Lynnsey Robinson is a certified hypnotherapist, intuitive guide, and mindset coach who helps women rewire their subconscious minds to manifest with ease and align with their highest selves. Drawing on her background in behavioral science, EFT, human design, past life regression, and spiritual hypnosis, she works with clients exclusively online and is also the co-host of High Vibin' It, a weekly spiritual podcast.  In this episode, Lynnsey takes us from her unconventional childhood — growing up between a religious mother and an empathic, hippie father — to her winding path to becoming a hypnotherapist, sharing the pivotal "signs" that kept pointing her back to her calling. She demystifies hypnotherapy by breaking down the conscious vs. subconscious mind, explaining why we self-sabotage even our most wanted goals, and why cookie-cutter "I am" affirmations don't work for everyone — offering practical reframes that actually stick. She also opens up about claiming her intuitive gifts after years of fear, and closes with a synchronistic oracle card pull that ties the whole conversation together beautifully. Connect with Lynnsey Robinson: Website Instagram TikTok Podcast: High Vibin' It App: Align Your Mind Let's Connect: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min

  6. APR 7

    Trusting the Call: How a Military Officer Became a Psychic Guide in Paradise

    What does it take to trade a military uniform for a spiritual calling — and finally trust the gift you've carried your whole life? In episode 255 of Joy Found Here, psychic guide and intuitive channel Kathleen Davenport traces the beautifully chaotic path that led her from active duty to the sacred shores of Hawaiʻi — and why every detour, closed door, and sign from the universe was quietly pointing her home all along. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (03:46) From Kansas to Hawaiʻi: military life to spiritual calling  (07:09) Why her failed political run was a perfect redirection  (08:20) Competitive golf — and the hamstring that made her listen  (11:40) The intuitive gift she couldn't keep ignoring  (13:02) How she prepares her vessel before a reading  (15:28) How Hawaiʻi shaped the way she receives guidance  (20:17) The Jack Canfield vision that led her to podcasting  (30:14) The near-fatal health scare after childbirth  (32:29) From private readings to her 60-day mentorship  (34:03) Seven signs the universe is speaking to you Kathleen Davenport is a military officer turned psychic guide and spiritual channel based on the shores of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. After a career spanning the military, corporate life, city government, and professional photography, she stepped fully into her lifelong gift of intuitive guidance — helping others find clarity through life's biggest transitions via one-on-one spiritual readings, intuitive mentorship, and her podcast, Finding Focus with Kathleen Davenport. In this episode, Kathleen shares how she recognized her intuitive gifts early — channeling entire motivational talks with no script — and how Hawaii's spiritual culture deepened her ability to receive guidance. She reframes career detours, a failed political run, and even a hamstring injury as divine redirections, and reflects on a near-death health scare after childbirth as the wake-up call that taught her to slow down and listen. She walks listeners through her grounding rituals before readings, her private sessions and 60-day mentorship program, and a free downloadable guide on seven signs the universe is speaking to you — closing with a powerful reminder that your gifts, and your guides, are already there. Connect with Kathleen Davenport: Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Free guide: 7 Signs The Universe is Speaking to You…. & How to Listen Podcast: Finding Focus with Kathleen Davenport Let's Connect: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min

  7. MAR 31

    Rising From the Ashes: Melanie Rhora on Burnout, Boundaries, and The Phoenix Path

    What happens when everything burns down — literally — and the woman left standing in the ashes decides she's done rebuilding the same life twice? In episode 254 of Joy Found Here, Melanie Rhora, author of The Phoenix Path, shares how losing her home and 15-year business to a fire on the same day became the brutal turning point she didn't know she'd been asking for — and how it led her to finally ask the one question she'd been avoiding: what do I actually need? In This Episode, You Will Learn: 03:42) When the house fire finally matched what was already burning inside  (07:11) Why she sat in the mess before rebuilding  (09:38) The shift from doing for everyone to asking what do I need?  (11:50) Walking away from a $200M career to follow an unexplainable idea  (14:07) What happened when Melanie finally stopped confusing control with strength  (15:57) Why women's circles feel nothing like a networking room  (19:23) How The Phoenix Path went from circle program to poolside in Costa Rica  (24:36) The mean girl dynamic — why their projection is never about you (27:11) Self-trust as the quiet fire that brings you back to yourself  (35:55) The book, 12-week program, and Costa Rica retreats explained Melanie Rhora is the author of The Phoenix Path: A Woman's Guide to Healing, Rebuilding, and Rising Stronger and founder of Phoenix Path Transformations. After losing her home and 15-year digital marketing business to a fire on the same day, she rebuilt her life from the ground up — this time on her own terms. Now a trauma-informed facilitator and CEO of Ascend Empower Group Inc., she leads women's circles, online programs, and Costa Rica retreats built around her four-step framework: recognize, release, reclaim, and rise. In this episode, Melanie shares how her house fire became the catalyst that forced her to stop asking how do I fix this? and start asking what do I actually need? — a shift she credits with changing everything. She unpacks the power of women's circles, including her no-feedback model where women "beam" love instead of offering advice, creating rare space for women to hear their own inner voice. She also reframes the "mean girl" dynamic as a reflection of unhealed wounds, explores why self-trust is the quiet fire that reignites a woman's sense of self, and shares a practical gem she lives by: committing to three fun things a day to stay, as she puts it, a sparkly unicorn. Connect with Melanie Rhora: Website Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Book: Melanie Rhora - The Phoenix Path Let's Connect: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min

  8. MAR 24

    The Regenerative Medicine Doctor Who Reversed a 93-Year-Old's Aging — Starting With Your Gut

    What if the stranger staring back at you in the mirror isn't a sign of decline — but an invitation to take back control? In episode 253 of Joy Found Here, Dr. Prudence Hall, founder of The Hall Center and pioneer in regenerative medicine, makes a compelling case that biological age is not a sentence — it's a choice. From the gut-hormone connection to why it's never too late to rebalance your body, this conversation is equal parts eye-opening and deeply hopeful. In This Episode, You Will Learn: (4:25) How France sparked Dr. Hall's calling to champion women's health  (7:20) Why biological age matters more than chronological — and how to reverse it  (10:41) Building an anti-inflammatory plate from the ground up  (14:52) Where to find fiber and why your gut depends on it  (17:09) The link between menopause, gut inflammation, and estrogen  (19:32) Sugar, smarter swaps, and hidden inflammatory triggers  (24:22) The hard truth about alcohol and women's hormones  (27:05) Perimenopause decoded: symptoms, timing, and missed diagnoses  (35:24) The thyroid-estrogen connection most doctors overlook  (39:46) Why it's never too late to rebalance your hormones Dr. Prudence Hall is a board-certified physician, founder and medical director of The Hall Center in Santa Monica, and a leading voice in regenerative and integrative medicine. After training as a traditional gynecological surgeon, she pivoted to address the root causes of women's hormonal health through a whole-body, individualized approach. She is the author of Radiant Again & Forever (free download at drprudencehall.com) and has treated over 40,000 patients worldwide through her practice, Menopause Breakthrough Program, and virtual consultations. In this episode, Dr. Prudence Hall reframes aging as something largely within our control, introducing the concept of biological vs. chronological age — and making the case that biological age can genuinely be reversed. She covers the foundational pillars: a plant-forward, low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet; gut health supported by fiber and clean oils; and eliminating hidden inflammatory triggers like gluten and dairy. The conversation's core lands on hormones — Dr. Hall demystifies perimenopause (which can begin as early as the late 30s), champions bioidentical hormone therapy for symptom relief and long-term brain health, and unpacks the underappreciated thyroid-estrogen connection. Her closing message: it is never too late, pointing to a 93-year-old patient whose cognitive clarity was restored through hormone rebalancing. Connect with Dr. Prudence Hall: Website Instagram YouTube TikTok Facebook Book: Prudence Hall M.D. - Radiant Again & Forever Let's Connect: Website Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
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5
out of 5
62 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Joy Found Here podcast, hosted by Stephanie Martinez Rivera. Join us each week while we have real talk with inspiring women about life,balance, grace and permission to step off the ride. Listen in as we hear their stories, victories and fails and how to recognize and embrace the simple joy that life does offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    stephanie martinez rivera
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    260
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © stephanie martinez rivera
  • Show Website
    Joy Found Here