Surrendering to the Signs

Laura Gates
  • 5.0 (7)
  • SPIRITUALITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

This isn’t your typical interview podcast. Our guests aren’t gurus or spiritual teachers, they’re everyday people who’ve faced extraordinary challenges. From divorce and cancer diagnoses to death-defying accidents, their stories reveal how crisis can become a doorway to purpose. With music woven throughout each episode (one listener called it “a healing journey, not just information”), Laura and her co-producer Daniel share conversations that show how listening to inner guidance and following the signs can lead us back home to ourselves.

  1. 2D AGO

    16. Fifth Dimensional Leadership with Ginny Clarke

    In this deeply energising and wide-ranging conversation, Laura is joined by Ginny Clarke , conscious leadership expert, executive coach, former executive recruiter at Google and Spencer Stuart, and featured thought leader in Brené Brown’s book Strong Ground, to explore what it truly means to lead with consciousness, integrity, and soul. Ginny shares her personal and professional evolution, from navigating loss and spiritual awakening to observing firsthand how leadership impacts human wellbeing inside some of the world’s most influential organizations. She speaks candidly about the urgent need to bring humanity, truth, and self-awareness back into the workplace and why conscious leadership is no longer optional, but essential. Together, Laura and Ginny explore the deeper dimensions of leadership, not as a role or title, but as a way of being. This episode invites listeners to reconnect with their own agency, energy, and essence and to recognize that leadership begins not with managing others, but with remembering who you truly are. What You’ll Hear In This Episode Ginny’s journey from executive recruiter to conscious leadership pioneer How personal loss became a catalyst for spiritual awakening and purpose Why only a small percentage of leaders are truly effective, and what’s missing The difference between ego-based leadership and soul-based leadership Why energy awareness is one of a leader’s greatest superpowers The urgency of reclaiming humanity in modern workplaces Resources & LinksThe Five Dimensions of Conscious Leadership ™ Brené Brown’s Strong Ground - leadership and vulnerability research Gallup leadership engagement research Visit www.surrenderingtothesigns.com  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Easy to Love - Saggie - Instrumental  Seven Raindrops -Yonnie Dror Flower Duet Lakmé- Song by Hawkins Birds - J. G

    44 min

  2. FEB 27

    15. Creating a Legacy

    In this moving and energising episode, Laura is joined by Maria Medrano, CEO and Co-Founder of Inspirame, tech executive, mother, and first-generation pioneer, to explore how faith, education, and an unwavering belief in possibility can change not just one life, but generations. Maria shares her remarkable story, from growing up in a working-class immigrant family in California to becoming the first in her family to graduate high school and college, building a career in Silicon Valley, and ultimately dedicating her life’s work to ensuring others can see, and access, the paths available to them. This conversation weaves together themes of spirituality, grief, resilience, education as liberation, and the quiet ways our loved ones continue to guide us after they’re gone. It’s a powerful reminder that signs often arrive through people, through opportunity, and through a deep inner knowing that we are here to give back what we’ve been given. What You’ll Hear in This Episode Maria’s early life story and the influence of her parents’ strength and values Being the first in her family to go to college and what that really took How teachers became early “signs” and champions of possibility Navigating criticism, doubt, and being told she didn’t belong The loss of Maria’s mother and how her presence continues in a new form How grief sharpened Maria’s commitment to personal growth and purpose The creation of Inspirame as an embodiment of legacy and love Helping young people navigate education systems without shame or confusion Resources & Links Inspirame, a technology platform dedicated to simplifying access to education and career pathways for underserved communities Visit www.surrenderingtothesigns.com  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music This Is an Adventure _Song by Kyle Preston Living the Dream _Song by Rynn Passion _Song by Yestalgia El Río Fluye _Song by Reuven Bransburg Heart and Soul _Song by Dreams Are Here

    53 min

  3. FEB 13

    14. Being vs. Doing our Life

    In this expansive, philosophical, and deeply grounding conversation, Laura is joined by longtime mentor, friend, and executive coach Joel Kimmel to explore one of the most fundamental questions of our time: Who are we being  and how is that shaping the world we’re living in? Drawing from near-death experiences, decades of leadership work, and a lifetime of inquiry into language and awareness, Joel shares a radically compassionate way of seeing life, one that moves beyond right and wrong, success and failure, and into honor, contribution, and presence. Together, Laura and Joel explore how language doesn’t just describe our reality, it creates it. From the difference between “to-do lists” and “to-have-happen lists,” to listening beyond the thinking mind and into the quiet intelligence of being, this episode invites listeners to slow down, soften certainty, and discover new possibilities hiding in plain sight. This is not a conversation about fixing the world but about seeing it differently, and allowing what wants to happen to unfold. What You'll Hear In This Episode Joel’s near-death experience and the three truths that shaped his life Why who we are being matters more than what we are doing The difference between intuition and embodied awareness Why teams (and families) thrive when being is acknowledged Listening to the inner voice without letting it dominate Resources & Links Self: The Vast World Behind Our Words — Joel Kimmel & Judy Kimmel Visit www.surrenderingtothesigns.com  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Easy to Love - Instrumental Version _Song by Saggie  Night Patterns _Song by Florian Darklouds _Song by Out of Flux  Clarity_Song by Roie Shpigler  Butterfly_Song by Ian Post Dreamy_Song byYehezkel Raz - Creative Cut Highway - Song by Yarin Primak - - Instrumental version Never Die- Song by Noa Lembersky - - Alternative Version

    1h 20m

  4. JAN 30

    13. Practices for Navigating Change

    In this spacious, and deeply nourishing conversation, Laura is joined by leadership coach Nancy Larocca Hedley to explore the subtle art of completion, discernment, and listening to the body as a source of truth. Nancy brings wisdom from the world's spiritual traditions to her work with leaders, team facilitation, and leading in her community. Together they reflect on how endings are not failures, but sacred thresholds, portals into the next chapter of becoming. From leaving long-held roles and relationships, to closing chapters at work, to making space for creativity, rest, and truth, Nancy shares how honorable closure has become one of her most powerful spiritual and leadership practices. They talk about discomfort as a doorway, the difference between mental resistance and bodily knowing, the courage to have crucial conversations, and why our lives so often unfold through the unexpected rather than the planned. This episode is a gentle invitation to slow down, notice what is complete, and trust what is quietly asking to be born. What You’ll Hear in This EpisodeHow Nancy learned to trust her body as her primary compassA powerful story of leaving Yahoo after a series of life signsThe subtle signals that tell us when something is no longer ours to doThe Enneagram as a tool for liberation rather than identityLaura and Nancy’s reflections on the “helper” archetype and self-careWhy discomfort is often the doorway to freedomLetting go of caffeine, alcohol, and habits that no longer serve the bodyThe difference between being busy and being available Resources & Links The Yamas (particularly non-stealing / right use of energy)The Enneagram (as a tool for ego awareness and freedom)Yoga philosophy and Kriya Yoga lineage (Yogananda, Roy Eugene Davis, Ellen Grace O’Brien) Visit www.surrenderingtothesigns.com  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Easy to Love - Instrumental Version _Song by Saggie Fold _Song by nuer self Echoes of the Forest _Song by Thomas Ben Tov Wakening_Song by Shai-li Paldi Were Looking Up_Song by Chris Mason Almanac_Song by Seth Parson Same Side - No Lead Vocals_Song by Lemon J

    1h 1m

  5. JAN 16

    12. From Rock Bottom to Freedom

    In this deeply human conversation, Laura sits down with her longtime friend Tim Winters to explore the winding, painful, and ultimately transformative journey of addiction, surrender, and recovery. Tim shares his story with remarkable openness, from a teenage sense of not quite belonging, to decades of alcohol and drug use that slowly narrowed his world, to the quiet, devastating moment when he realized he could no longer save himself. He recounts the unforgettable car ride when his daughter-in-law drove him, without telling him where they were going, straight to rehab. A moment of fear, resistance, and finally surrender that would change the trajectory of his life. What unfolds is not just a story about addiction, but about identity, worthiness, masculinity, grief, spirituality, and what happens when we finally stop running and let ourselves be helped. What You’ll Hear in This Episode This episode is a powerful reminder that healing rarely arrives the way we expect but often exactly when we are ready.How early shame and identity struggles shaped Tim’s inner worldWhy alcohol and drugs became a way to feel connected, confident, and safeThe slow progression from “social” use to silent dependencyWhy “just don’t drink today” became a life-saving reframeHow anxiety and depression lifted only after sobriety beganThe power of routine, community, and spiritual practice in recoveryHow meditation and prayer became unexpected anchorsWhat Tim wishes people understood about addiction, recovery, and compassionHow small signs and nudges now guide his life in ways they never could beforeResources & Links Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Father Martin’s Ashleigh House treatment center Visit: surrenderingtothesigns.com Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music March the Machine -  One Day - Creative Cut James Forest - Emergency Ben Winwood  - Intimacy Wav Two - Sakura

    1h 19m

  6. JAN 2

    11. Listening to Your Body's Wisdom

    In this deeply resonant and wide-ranging conversation, Laura is joined by Jana Hendrickson, executive coach, researcher, and global citizen, to explore what it truly means to follow the signs even when fear, uncertainty, and practical logic are present. Jana shares her extraordinary life journey, from growing up in East Germany with no spiritual framework, to a life shaped by intuition, somatic wisdom, faith, and profound trust in the unseen. Through vivid stories, turning away from Paris at the last moment, leaving a marriage she loved but had outgrown, years of nomadic living, and ultimately finding home. Jana illustrates how the body often knows the truth long before the mind catches up. Together, Laura and Jana reflect on the discomfort of the “in-between,” the myth of instant clarity, the role of fear as a compass, and the difference between spirituality and religion. They also explore how social media, synchronicity, and shared stories can act as catalysts for courage and how our own brave choices quietly give others permission to make theirs. This episode is a powerful reminder that surrender is not passive, it’s an active, embodied practice of listening, trusting, and moving forward one honest step at a time. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: Jana’s first profound experience of listening to her body’s wisdomHow “the pull” feels in the body and how to recognize it’The difference between clarity and certainty and why clarity often takes timeJana’s journey through divorce, grief, and radical self-trustNomadic living, synchronicity, and saying yes without a roadmapHow social media can act as a modern conduit for signs and connectionWhy our stories matter and how sharing them gives others courageFind Jana on Instagram at @iamjanahendrickson or connect with her on LinkedIn. She is currently completing her doctoral research in professional coaching and human development and is passionate about integrating spirituality, philosophy, neuroscience, and somatic intelligence into leadership practice. Jana’s work invites leaders to move beyond performance alone and into alignment, depth, and wholeness. Resources & Links World Domination Summit (Chris Guillebeau) Brené Brown (early speaking work) Nancy Duarte – The Arc of Storytelling Marie Forleo’s B-School The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss Tony Robbins coaching methodology David Deida’s work on polarity Visit: surrenderingtothesigns.com Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Maya Pacziga - Winter in Paris ANBR - Mon Amour Nuer Self - Indigo Kyle Preston - Cafe de Philosophie Jozeque - Seal Saggie - Easy to Love - Instrumental Version

    1 hr

  7. 12/19/2025

    10. Why Every Encounter Matters

    Welcome to Season Two of Surrendering to the Signs. In this opening episode, host Laura Gates reflects on the deeper meaning behind signs, synchronicities, and, most powerfully, the people who show up on our path at exactly the right moment. Laura explores how encounters often carry lessons, invitations, and turning points we can only understand in hindsight. From unexpected reunions and uncomfortable interactions to chance meetings on trains and long-term relationships born from unlikely moments, this episode invites listeners to look beyond first impressions and trust that the universe is constantly conspiring on our behalf. As we step into a new season, Laura offers a gentle reminder that growth doesn’t always come through dramatic awakenings. Sometimes it comes through coffee meetings, missed deadlines, difficult conversations, quiet inner nudges, and moments where listening to the body becomes the most profound act of self-trust. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: Why making it to Season Two is a meaningful milestoneThe many forms signs can take, goosebumps, intuition, inner voices, and peopleHow first impressions can block meaningful connection if we let themA powerful story of a chance meeting on a train to GlastonburyReflections on meeting soul-aligned collaborators, clients, and lifelong partnersHow surrendering control opens space for guidance and supportHonoring winter, rest, and seasonal cycles as part of the soul’s rhythmResources & Links Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith Visit: surrenderingtothesigns.com Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Beauregard feat Ryvr - 101 Saggie - Easy to Love Risian - Undertow Roie Shpigler- Clarity Wav Two - Sakura Family Kush- Heavy Summer

    19 min

  8. 12/05/2025

    9. Series 1 Round Up

    In this reflective season finale, Laura looks back on the conversations and transformations that shaped Season One of Surrendering to the Signs. She shares what she has learned from her guests, from her own life, and from the unexpected signs that have continued to appear along the way, including the story of a small alleyway in Glastonbury that offered a message from her sister, three years after her passing. This episode speaks to the journey we are all on: learning to trust our intuition, listening for the messages that guide us, and finding the courage to walk the path, even when we can’t yet see the ending. If you’ve ever wondered: Why am I here? What is my purpose? How do I follow the signs in my life? This closing reflection offers comfort, clarity, and companionship for that journey. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: Laura’s gratitude for the people who helped bring Season One to life Honoring the guests whose stories opened the season’s conversation The evolving identity of the podcast and why naming the “mystery” matters Why so many of us hesitate to talk about spirituality or intuition openly How signs, synchronicities, and subtle nudges guide us toward alignment A moving story of Laura’s sister Janice and a message that arrived in Glastonbury Dreams, symbols, and the quiet language of the unconscious Seeing relationships through the lens of soul contracts and karmic lessons Reflections on not having children and the unexpected ways motherhood showed up What Season Two will explore: deeper conversations, more seekers, practical guidance, and spacious truth-telling Resources & Links Spirit Babies, Walter Makichen  The Surrender Experiment, Michael Singer The Untethered Soul, Michael Singer  The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho The Awakened Mind, Dr. Lisa Miller Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav   The Art of Infinity, The spiritual journey of Albert Einstein by Kieran Fox. Mind Magic, Dr. James Doty  Music Featured The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured. List of Music Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love 101 feat Ryvr -  Beauregard Risian - Undertow Roie Shpigler - Sakura Family Kush - Heavy Summer

    36 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

This isn’t your typical interview podcast. Our guests aren’t gurus or spiritual teachers, they’re everyday people who’ve faced extraordinary challenges. From divorce and cancer diagnoses to death-defying accidents, their stories reveal how crisis can become a doorway to purpose. With music woven throughout each episode (one listener called it “a healing journey, not just information”), Laura and her co-producer Daniel share conversations that show how listening to inner guidance and following the signs can lead us back home to ourselves.

Information

  • Creator
    Laura Gates
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Laura Gates
  • Show Website
    Surrendering to the Signs