The HX Collective

The HX Collective
  • 5.0 (5)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE

The HX Collective explores the human experience through three main channels of life: work, relationships, and self. With raw, authentic conversations, the podcast investigates how challenges can become powerful teachers, leading to personal growth and deeper connections. Rooted in humanity-centered design, each episode reflects a commitment to doing good and doing well, featuring diverse voices and generational perspectives. Expect gripping stories of struggle and success, with thought-provoking discussions and concrete tools and tactics that encourage you to rethink your relationship with dis

  1. APR 6

    self - the courage to name what we carry

    In this episode, Deb sits down with Cat Miller, founder of This Way Up, to talk about what it really takes to make mental health feel accessible, without watering it down or turning it into a buzzword.  Deb’s conversation with Cat sits at the exact intersection where so many “wellness” conversations fall apart: we say we care about mental health, but we still treat it like a private failing rather than a shared human reality. Her work through This Way Up is rooted in a simple premise; if stigma drops, help-seeking rises and that shift can be the difference between someone silently enduring and someone actually reaching for support. What unfolds is less a tidy success story and more a truthful map of how struggle becomes service. What’s quietly radical here is the insistence on accessibility without dilution. Cat isn’t offering a shiny new framework or a one-size-fits-all protocol; she’s building a place where credible, science-backed resources live alongside lived experience, because people often need both to feel safe enough to begin. Underneath the entire episode is a challenge to the reflex many of us default to, talking ourselves (and others) out of pain, when what’s actually required is validation, presence, and community. Key Highlights The moment Cat realized it wasn’t “physical”… and why that realization can feel like an insult Why lowering stigma is one of the most practical mental health levers we have What This Way Up actually is and why the simplicity is the point The surprising part of the site people are clicking on most Deb’s “Shawshank tunnel” metaphor for getting through hard seasons without doing it alone Three daily practices Cat treats as non-negotiables for steadier well-being The 3-by-30 Takeaway Move your body consistently. Pick an exercise you’ll actually do and make it non-negotiable for 30 days (even short sessions count). Get outside daily. Pair sunlight + nature as a single habit, especially on days when motivation is low. Practice mindfulness in plain language. Choose one everyday moment (dishes, walking, driving) and narrate what you’re doing to bring your mind back to the present. About Our Guest Cat Miller is the founder of This Way Up, a community and resource hub built to make mental health support feel both credible and reachable. Her story holds an honest tension many high-achieving people recognize: a life that looks “fine” from the outside can still contain deep suffering and naming that reality can be the first step toward change. Cat’s approach blends science-backed guidance with the connective power of storytelling, creating a space where people can feel less alone and more resourced to seek help. Connect with Cat Miller Cat Miller on LinkedIn Visit This Way Up About The HX Collective The HX Collective explores the human experience through three lenses: work, relationships and self, through raw, authentic conversations rooted in human-centered design. Each episode offers gripping stories, thought-provoking discussion, and concrete tools that help you rethink your relationship with distress and strengthen your whole human experience.

    43 min

  2. APR 6

    work - staying human when the machine keeps moving

    In this episode, Deb sits down with Nehal Gandhi, founder of Parinamas, to talk about what the AI era is really asking of us, not as technologists, but as humans. Deb comes into the conversation naming what many people quietly feel: that this moment in technology is moving fast, and that the speed alone can make it feel intimidating. Nehal meets that fear without dismissing it, and gently turns the focus toward something more practical and more hopeful. Deb’s conversation with Nehal sits at the intersection where most AI conversations break down. We talk about artificial intelligence like it is either salvation or takeover, while skipping the more grounded reality that it is a tool shaped by the questions we bring to it. Nehal’s core premise is simple and clarifying: AI is a library, not a mind. If the human being does not know what to ask, nothing meaningful happens. What unfolds is less about hype and more about agency, the kind that comes from realizing the starting point of every AI interaction is still a person. What feels quietly radical here is the reframe around the mundane. Nehal argues that the real promise of AI is not replacing humans, but freeing them. When the busywork of coordination, scheduling, and repetitive tasks gets handled elsewhere, it creates space for what machines cannot replicate: creativity, judgment, connection, and the messy, relational work of being human. Underneath the entire episode is a challenge to a deeply ingrained belief many of us carry, that busyness is proof of value, when it may actually be the thing keeping us from flourishing. Key Highlights The moment Nehal explains why AI is only as useful as the question you bring to it. A surprisingly comforting comparison that puts today’s AI anxiety in the same lineage as email, calculators, and the internet. Why “democratizing knowledge” is not a slogan here, it is a shift in who gets access and who gets left behind. The idea of the mundane as the true target of automation, and what might become possible when it disappears. How change management succeeds or fails, and why the most important tool is not software, it is communication. Nehal’s story about presenting in Dubai and what it taught her about culture, power, and learning how to read a room. The nuanced truth about being a woman of color in tech, including the unexpected ways bias can work both for you and against you. Quote of the Episode “Without the human, AI means nothing.” – Nehal Gandhi The 3-by-30 Takeaway Spend 15 minutes a day trying one AI tool and let curiosity build the muscle, not pressure to be perfect. Pick one mundane task you do every week and look for a way to offload it, even partially, so you can reclaim attention. Practice asking better questions, because your results will only ever be as clear as your prompt. About Our Guest Nehal Gandhi is the founder of Parinamas, a technology firm based in Chicago, where she and her team help organizations navigate strategy, development, deployment, and the human side of change. With 25 years in the tech space and global experience across cultures and industries, Nehal brings a steady, deeply practical perspective to conversations that often become either overhyped or fear-driven. What makes her work distinctive is that she refuses to separate innovation from humanity, and she treats change not as a technical implementation, but as a lived experience. Connect with Nehal Gandhi Connect with Nehal on LinkedIn Learn more about Parinamas on their website About The HX Collective The HX Collective explores the human experience through three lenses: work, relationships and self, through raw, authentic conversations rooted in human-centered design. Each episode offers gripping stories, thought-provoking discussion, and concrete tools that help you rethink your relationship with distress and strengthen your whole human experience.

    37 min

  3. APR 6

    relationships - what we lose when we lose connection

    In this episode, Deb sits down with Liz Repking, founder of Cyber Safety Consulting, to examine what really happens when our digital lives go unchecked. Rather than framing online safety as a technical issue, Liz brings it back to something more human; how distraction, algorithms, and anonymity quietly shape our relationships, our mental health, and our sense of stability. What unfolds is less about fear and more about awareness. Liz names the subtle “theft” many of us feel of time, presence, even peace and connects it to larger risks, from sextortion targeting young boys to the emotional isolation that drives people toward bots and echo chambers. Underneath the conversation is a steady reminder: protection doesn’t begin with software. It begins with honest dialogue, relational trust, and a willingness to take inventory of how technology is shaping us. Key Highlights Why Liz calls social media “the thief”  and how time loss is only the most obvious cost. The subtle relational damage of “just checking” your phone: what it communicates without saying a word. The shift that matters most for parents: these aren’t primarily technical issues, they're social-emotional ones. Two deceptively simple protections that change the whole household dynamic: lifelines (non-shaming safety exits) and device-free sleep. What bot “companionship” reveals about modern isolation and why it’s designed to keep you coming back. Practical ways to “inoculate” yourself: inventory, boundaries, detox windows, and using tech to deepen connection instead of replacing it. A tool Liz is testing to reduce reflex scrolling: Brick and the power of adding friction back into your day.  Quote of the Episode “Stop what you’re doing. Go to an adult in your life and get some help.” – Liz Repking The 3-by-30 Takeaway Run a weekly inventory (10 minutes). Check your screen time and where you’re spending it then name one “thief behavior” you want to shrink. Create one household lifeline. A clear, non-punitive script your kids can use when something goes wrong online (and a promise you will stay calm and help). Do one detox window. Pick a day, a weekend, or even a nightly block where social apps are off-limits and notice what returns when you log off. About Our Guest Liz Repking is the founder of Cyber Safety Consulting, where she works with schools, families, and organizations to make online safety practical, human, and actionable. Her work lives at the intersection of cyber risk and emotional well-being; less about fear, more about helping people build the awareness, habits, and communication that keep them grounded in a digital world.  Connect with Liz Repking Liz Repking on LinkedIn @cybersafetyconsulting on Instagram Visit Cyber Safety Consulting About The HX Collective The HX Collective explores the human experience through three lenses: work, relationships and self, through raw, authentic conversations rooted in human-centered design. Each episode offers gripping stories, thought-provoking discussion, and concrete tools that help you rethink your relationship with distress and strengthen your whole human experience.

    49 min

  4. APR 6

    self - what flourishing looks like inside the hard seasons

    In this episode, Deb sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Sharon P. Khurana to explore a question that feels almost contradictory at first glance: what if suffering is not the opposite of flourishing, but one of its entry points? Drawing from nearly thirty years in the field of trauma and grief, Sharon invites us to reconsider the experiences we would rather avoid and to see them as signals from a nervous system that longs for acknowledgment, not suppression. What unfolds is not a dramatic story of transformation, but a grounded conversation about agency. Sharon reframes trauma as something that becomes lodged in the body when it happens without an empathic witness. When pain goes unnamed, it hardens. When it is gently noticed, it begins to move. The shift is subtle, but it is profound. Rather than promising a breakthrough, Sharon makes the case for something slower and more durable. Healing is incremental. Flourishing does not require erasing the past. It requires curiosity, regulation, and the courage to stay present with what arises. Key Highlights Why trauma is less about the event itself and more about what happens in the nervous system when there is no empathic witness The overlooked freeze response and how immobilization can quietly shape a life What changes physiologically when we name an emotion without judgment Why fast healing often backfires and what sustainable nervous system repair actually looks like How curiosity restores access to agency and opens the “shutters” to a wider world Quote of the Episode “It’s when we don’t name it that we become immobilized.” – Dr. Sharon P. Khurana The 3-by-30 Takeaway Each day, name one emotion that feels heavy and one that feels life-giving, and notice both without judgment. Track where an emotion shows up in your body and observe the physical response with curiosity instead of critique. Create a small daily ritual of orienting toward something restorative, whether that is a walk, a quiet moment, or a meaningful conversation, and pay attention to how your nervous system responds. About Our Guest Dr. Sharon P. Khurana is a clinical psychologist in private practice specializing in trauma and grief. Her career spans nearly three decades and includes extensive work in community mental health, where she witnessed firsthand the intersection of personal suffering and systemic stress. Now trained in somatic experiencing, she integrates a nervous system informed approach into her practice, helping clients rebuild agency through embodied awareness. She describes herself as an advocate practitioner, bringing both clinical expertise and a commitment to access and equity into the therapeutic space. Connect with Dr. Sharon P. Khurana View Dr. Khurana’s profile on Psychology Today Connect with Dr. Khurana on LinkedIn About The HX Collective The HX Collective explores the human experience through three lenses: work, relationships and self, through raw, authentic conversations rooted in human-centered design. Each episode offers gripping stories, thought-provoking discussion, and concrete tools that help you rethink your relationship with distress and strengthen your whole human experience.

    37 min

  5. APR 6

    relationships - the courage to truly see one another

    In this episode, Deb Knupp sits down with Megan O’Malley, a two-decades-deep friend and one of the most respected plaintiff-side employment attorneys in Chicago, to talk about justice, kindness, and the kind of character that actually holds up under pressure. The conversation lands at an intersection most of us feel but rarely name. We say we value human dignity, yet we live inside systems that routinely strip it away, especially at work, where identity and livelihood get tangled together. What unfolds feels less like a formal interview and more like a candid kitchen-table reckoning with a simple truth: when people are dehumanized, community either shows up, or cynicism takes the wheel. What’s quietly bracing here is Megan’s insistence that justice is not only a legal outcome, it is a human restoration. When someone is fired unjustly and told they are failing, the wound is not just financial. It is existential. Megan talks about what it looks like to give someone their worth back, and why vindication often matters more than money. Underneath the entire episode is a challenge to the way we normalize cruelty, excuse indifference, and accept “dog eat dog” as if it is maturity, when it is often just resignation dressed up as realism. Key Highlights The moment Deb changes the topic on Megan with 24 hours’ notice, and why that curveball reveals the real heart of the episode. The surprisingly intimate link between work and identity, and why losing a job can feel like losing yourself. Megan’s take on “collective defeatism,” what it does to a society, and how community becomes the antidote. A reframing of kindness that has teeth, including the idea that it can mean the absence of harm, not just “being nice.” What civility looks like when the stakes are real, including how to fight hard without turning the other person into a villain. Quote of the Episode “When people feel like the system is rigged against them, that it is unjust, that you can’t get ahead, you just give up and you feel desperate and hopeless.” – Megan O’Malley The 3-by-30 Takeaway Take one daily interaction and practice full personhood. Use someone’s name, make eye contact, and treat them like they matter, even if you will never see them again. Before a decision that affects others, pause and ask one question: Will this choice exclude, diminish, or harm someone, even if it benefits me. If yes, revise it. When you feel comparison or cynicism rising, replace it with a quick inventory. Name three specific blessings, then do one small act of kindness that requires effort, not performance. About Our Guest Megan O’Malley is an employment civil rights attorney who represents employees and workers in some of the most destabilizing moments of their lives. Her work is rooted in the belief that injustice is not abstract. It lands in bodies, families, finances, and identity. In this conversation, Megan brings a rare combination of fierce advocacy and grounded humanity, making the case that kindness and justice are not separate virtues. They are the same practice, expressed at different scales. Connect with Megan O’Malley Megan O’Malley on LinkedIn Learn more about Megan’s work on her firm’s website About The HX Collective The HX Collective explores the human experience through three lenses: work, relationships and self, through raw, authentic conversations rooted in human-centered design. Each episode offers gripping stories, thought-provoking discussion, and concrete tools that help you rethink your relationship with distress and strengthen your whole human experience.

    42 min

  6. APR 6

    self - when beauty and confidence finally align

    In this episode, Deb sits down with Shay Moinuddin, aesthetic nurse and clinic director at The Few Institute, to explore a subject that often lives in whispers: beauty. Not beauty as spectacle or excess, but beauty as it relates to identity, confidence, and the deeply human desire to feel at home in one’s own skin. The conversation unfolds at the precise intersection where many wellness dialogues quietly fracture. We champion therapy, fitness, and inner work, yet we hesitate when care turns outward. What emerges is not a defense of the aesthetics industry, nor a celebration of endless optimization. Instead, it is a reframing. Shay’s work is rooted in a simple but provocative premise: when how we feel inside aligns with what we see reflected back, something steadies. Confidence is not manufactured. It is uncovered. That shift, subtle but profound, can alter how someone moves through rooms, relationships, and seasons of aging. Underlying the entire episode is a challenge to the reflexive shame that still clings to cosmetic care. We readily applaud breathwork and meditation as responsible self-investments, yet aesthetic treatments are often labeled indulgent or vain. Shay invites a more integrated view, one where self-care is not divided into acceptable and suspect categories, but understood as a holistic pursuit of congruence. Key Highlights Why the assumption that cosmetic procedures are rooted in vanity misses the more complex psychological reality. The quiet rise of men, particularly senior leaders, seeking aesthetic care as part of professional longevity. What actually changes for patients after treatment, and what remains fundamentally the same. How social media filters are reshaping self-perception in ways few people fully acknowledge. The cultural shift that is gradually repositioning aesthetic care as part of overall well-being. Quote of the Episode “When people feel like they look their best, it’s the same person, but their confidence changes everything.” – Shay The 3-by-30 Takeaway Examine whether your desire for aesthetic care is rooted in comparison or in self-alignment the motivation matters. If you explore treatments, research providers thoroughly and prioritize credentials over convenience. Hold social media imagery lightly; filters distort reality and erode self-perception. About Our Guest Shay Moinuddin is a registered aesthetic nurse and clinic director at The Few Institute in Chicago, where she has worked for nearly two decades. With additional licensure in Los Angeles and national media contributions across major news networks, she sits at the intersection of clinical expertise and public conversation. What distinguishes her work, however, is not simply technical skill, but the long-term relationships she has built with patients often caring for multiple generations of the same family. Her perspective reflects both medical rigor and a deep understanding of how identity, aging, and confidence intersect. Connect with Shay Moinuddin @shay_aestheticnurse on Instagram Visit The Few Institute Watch Shay on Daytime Chicago About The HX Collective The HX Collective explores the human experience through three lenses: work, relationships and self, through raw, authentic conversations rooted in human-centered design. Each episode offers gripping stories, thought-provoking discussion, and concrete tools that help you rethink your relationship with distress and strengthen your whole human experience.

    24 min

  7. APR 6

    work - what flourishing actually asks of us

    In this episode, Deb sits down with Jen Marr, CEO of Showing Up and author of Lifting Up: The Transforming Power of Supportive Leadership, to talk about what it really takes to lead people well when life is messy, work is relentless, and uncertainty is no longer the exception. Deb’s conversation with Jen sits at the exact intersection where modern leadership tends to fall apart: we say we value empathy, but we often confuse feeling it with knowing how to act on it. Jen’s work is rooted in a hard truth that most workplaces still resist. Support is not a “soft skill,” and human flourishing is not a perk. In a world shaped by burnout, fragmentation, and rising loneliness, leaders are often the closest thing people have to a functioning support system, and that reality changes what leadership is responsible for. What’s quietly radical here is Jen’s insistence on support without rescuing and care without lowered standards. She names the awkward zone that keeps well intentioned leaders stuck, then offers a practical way through it, from micro-moment skills to fast, frequent check ins that build trust and accountability at the same time. Underneath the entire episode is a challenge to the reflex many leaders default to. Outsource the human part to HR, push through, stay “professional,” and hope it all works out. Jen makes the case that this is exactly how cultures drift, and how people quietly break. Key Highlights The difference between feeling empathy and doing something useful with it. Jen draws a sharp line that changes how you lead the next hard conversation. The awkward zone framework that explains why support so often misses the mark, even when intentions are good. The “barbell of care” and why self-care plus clinical care still fails if the everyday human support piece is missing. A statistic that lands like a warning sign: for some employees, work is their only real support system. Why supportive leadership raises the bar instead of lowering it, and how accountability actually becomes easier when trust is real. Quote of the Episode“Empathy and compassion are nouns. They are feelings. And so in order to help someone, you need an action, you need a verb.” – Jen Marr The 3-by-30 Takeaway Once a week, ask one person you lead a question that has nothing to do with work, then remember the answer and follow up later. Practice Jen’s “2–10” behaviors: put the screen down, make eye contact, say the person’s name, and assume there’s a “10” of potential behind whatever you’re seeing today. Replace the monthly agenda-heavy 1:1 with fast, frequent check-ins. Short enough to be sustainable, consistent enough to build trust. About Our GuestJen Marr works at the intersection of leadership, disruption, and the real human cost of uncertainty. Her perspective is shaped not only by research, but by proximity to crisis; both as someone in need of support and as someone responsible for helping others find it. Through her work with Showing Up and her writing in Lifting Up, Jen makes a practical case for something many workplaces still treat as optional: leaders must know how to guide humans through hard moments without freezing, fixing, or disappearing. Connect with Jen Marr Learn more about Jen Marr on her website Jen Marr on LinkedIn Learn more about Showing Up on their website Purchase Jen’s book, Lifting Up  About The HX CollectiveThe HX Collective explores the human experience through three lenses: work, relationships and self, through raw, authentic conversations rooted in human-centered design. Each episode offers gripping stories, thought-provoking discussion, and concrete tools that help you rethink your relationship with distress and strengthen your whole human experience.

    49 min

  8. APR 6

    work - when leadership asks you to let go

    In this episode, Deb sits down with Armond D’Inverno, former co-founder of Balasa Dinverno Foltz, to talk about what it really takes to build a business that can outlast its founder. Not just in terms of valuation or scale, but in terms of culture, people, and the kind of leadership that creates room for others to grow. Their conversation moves beneath the surface of entrepreneurship and into the tension many founders quietly carry. We celebrate vision and drive, yet rarely talk about the moment when that same drive begins to crowd out the very people we are trying to empower. Armond’s story traces the evolution from technician to builder, from player to coach to owner, and ultimately to someone willing to make himself smaller so the firm could become larger than him. What unfolds is not a tidy growth narrative but a candid reflection on trial, error, ego, and the discipline of choosing people over personal importance. What feels quietly countercultural here is the order of priorities. Instead of placing profits at the center, Armond describes a deliberate decision to put people first, trusting that cared-for employees would care for clients, and that clients would sustain the firm. Underneath the entire episode is a deeper challenge to how we measure success. Not by how indispensable we become, but by how effectively we build something that can thrive without us. Key Highlights The unlikely origin story behind the firm and the early realization that being a jack of all trades was limiting long term growth. The leadership moment when Armond recognized he did not have every skill the business needed and chose partnership over control. The discipline of scheduling time to walk the floor, listen, and feel culture before problems surfaced. The decision to put people first, ahead of profits, and how that choice quietly fueled retention, client loyalty, and sustainable growth. The hard but necessary shift from being the quarterback to stepping back so the next generation could lead and ultimately carry the firm forward. The 3-by-30 Takeaway Get outside your four walls. Schedule dedicated time this month to step away from daily execution and think about what your business will require three years from now. Attach resources to priorities. If something is truly strategic, allocate people and budget to it otherwise, it’s just aspiration. Assess your impact honestly. Ask where you may be taking up too much space and where shrinking could allow others to lead. About Our Guest Armond D’Inverno is the former co-founder and co-president of Bellas & D’Inverno Foltz (BDF), a private wealth management firm he helped grow from a small startup into a nationally recognized advisory practice. After leading the firm through a thoughtful succession process and strategic exit, he now reflects on leadership, culture, and the long arc of building something that lasts. His perspective blends entrepreneurial courage with a deep belief that flourishing in business and family comes from helping others become strong in their own right. Connect with Armond D’Inverno Armond Dinverno on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adinverno/) About The HX Collective The HX Collective explores the human experience through three lenses: work, relationships and self, through raw, authentic conversations rooted in human-centered design. Each episode offers gripping stories, thought-provoking discussion, and concrete tools that help you rethink your relationship with distress and strengthen your whole human experience.

    51 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

The HX Collective explores the human experience through three main channels of life: work, relationships, and self. With raw, authentic conversations, the podcast investigates how challenges can become powerful teachers, leading to personal growth and deeper connections. Rooted in humanity-centered design, each episode reflects a commitment to doing good and doing well, featuring diverse voices and generational perspectives. Expect gripping stories of struggle and success, with thought-provoking discussions and concrete tools and tactics that encourage you to rethink your relationship with dis

Information

  • Creator
    The HX Collective
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The HX Collective
  • Show Website
    The HX Collective