— Change is one of the few certainties of life. Sometimes we choose it, sometimes it arrives unexpectedly, and sometimes it completely changes the direction we believe our lives are taking.

Today, J. Reed Durand joins me for a conversation about self-mastery, resilience, personal responsibility, and our ability to navigate change with greater awareness and intention.

We explore the idea that adaptability is not simply something we are born with—it is a skill we can develop and strengthen. We look at how we recognize our patterns and blind spots, remain grounded under pressure, question the beliefs and biases that influence our decisions, and become clearer about our values, purpose, and intentions.

We also explore the important difference between trying to control what happens around us and learning to master how we respond to it. True self-mastery isn't about having all the answers or eliminating uncertainty. It's about knowing ourselves deeply enough to remain centered when life changes the plan.

Ultimately, we ask: Can learning to accept, navigate, and grow through change become a pathway to greater freedom, meaning, resilience—and joy?

Valeria sits with J. Reed Durand — He is the author of "Train to Change: Phase One: Self-Mastery."

From Private to Chief Information Officer, J. Reed Durand is a realist and change practitioner with 40 years of frontline leadership experience in one of the world's largest and most complex institutions—the U.S. Army.

Throughout his dual military and civilian careers, he led personal, team, and enterprise-level transformations while refining practical, field-tested approaches to navigating change in high-stakes environments.

After retiring twice and reflecting on the patterns behind continuous change, he created the Train to Change series—blending leadership, psychology, philosophy, and organizational behavior into grounded, immediately usable strategies for personal and professional growth.

His first book, Train to Change: Phase One – Self-Mastery, is available worldwide, and his follow-on Kindle eBook, Train to Change: Realism, continues the series into Phase Two.

Reed's work bridges theory and lived experience, offering audiences a disciplined, deeply human approach to self-mastery.

His core belief is simple: lasting transformation begins with taking ownership of your own development. He helps others understand change, prepare for it, and use it as a catalyst for growth in an increasingly complex world.

To learn more about J. Reed Durand and his work, please visit:

https://managingchange.xyz/ and https://jreeddurand.com/

Some battles leave visible scars. Others unfold quietly within us—in fear, uncertainty, grief, anger, or the struggle to keep believing when life becomes painfully difficult.

Valerie Sullivan, author of ZAY: Put on the Whole Armor of God, knows something about walking through those battles. Her journey has taken her from homelessness in Baltimore, where she arrived with a backpack and two young children, through profound challenges involving each of her three sons. Through it all, Valerie says her faith became the armor that helped her family keep moving forward.

Inspired by her youngest son, Isaiah—Zay—the book transforms that message into the story of a young spiritual warrior who encounters forces of fear, confusion, and envy. Along his journey, family members equip him with the biblical armor of God: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit.

Our conversation explores what that armor can mean beyond the pages of a book. How do we choose faith when fear feels stronger? How can prayer change the way we respond to adversity? And how do we teach children that courage is not always about fighting back, but sometimes about finding the spiritual strength to remain grounded in love, truth, and hope?

Valerie's story reminds us that even when we cannot choose the battles that come into our lives, we can choose what we carry into them.

ZAY is a faith-centered children's book inspired by Valerie's three sons, Curtis, O'shawn, and Zay. Through Zay's journey as a spiritual superhero, Valerie teaches children that life's challenges can be met not only with physical strength, but through faith, prayer, God's Word, and the support of family.

Her message is deeply rooted in her own experiences of hardship and resilience—from homelessness with her young children to seeing her sons overcome a shooting, serious mental-health struggles, and other life challenges. Through it all, Valerie credits her faith with carrying and protecting her family.

Her journey from arriving in Baltimore with little more than a backpack to later appearing on a Times Square billboard reflects her central belief: our circumstances do not have to determine our future. Valerie's work is ultimately a message of faith, perseverance, hope, family, and choosing spiritual strength in the face of life's battles.

To learn more about Valerie Sullivan and her work, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/@valeriesullivan-l7u6i

— Today, we're exploring a fascinating question: What if healing involves more than the conscious mind—and more than the stories we're able to put into words?

Howard brings together the worlds of Western psychotherapy, energy psychology, and shamanic healing through an approach called Dynamic Energetic Healing, or DEH. It's a model that invites us to look beyond traditional talk therapy and consider the deeper emotional, energetic, and spiritual dimensions of our experiences.

We'll explore how unresolved trauma may continue to influence our lives, what it means to carry energetic imprints, and why healthy energetic boundaries may be important to our well-being. We'll also talk about behavioral muscle testing, shamanic journeying, the healing potential of imagination, and how ancient spiritual practices can be thoughtfully integrated with contemporary psychotherapy.

Along the way, we'll ask some bigger questions: What does the body know that the conscious mind may not? How do we distinguish intuition from imagination? And can healing sometimes require us to explore parts of ourselves that cannot easily be explained through words alone?

This is a conversation about expanding our understanding of what healing can look like—moving beyond what keeps us stuck and opening ourselves to greater awareness, connection, wholeness, and joy.

Howard is also a psychotherapist, energy psychology practitioner, and teacher dedicated to bridging the worlds of psychotherapy and energy-based healing. With over 44-years of experience in trauma-informed care, Brockman integrates traditional therapeutic models with shamanic practices such as soul retrieval, extraction of psychotoxic energies and spirit-guided interventions.

As the developer of Dynamic Energetic HealingÔ, Brockman helps clients and practitioners alike explore the deep connections between the body, mind, and spirit. His work is rooted in both academic training and lived spiritual experience, offering a truly integrative approach to emotional and energy-based healing.

When he is not writing, Brockman offers private sessions, workshops and practitioner trainings, helping others access the transformative power of blending Western psychotherapy, energy healing and shamanic practices in their personal and professional lives.

To learn more about Howard Brockman and his work, please visit: https://www.dynamicenergetichealing.com/

— Today, we're exploring a question that many of us eventually encounter: What if creating a meaningful and successful life doesn't require us to constantly push, strive, and force our way forward?

My guest, Sam Kukathas, is the founder of Soul Purpose Leaders and creator of Resonance OS. His work explores the relationship between the nervous system, sound and resonance, emotional patterns, purpose, and human potential, particularly among high-performing founders and leaders.

Together, we'll explore why achievement doesn't necessarily bring fulfillment, how unconscious patterns can keep even highly successful people caught in cycles of pressure and resistance, and what may become possible when we begin creating from a place of greater coherence rather than force.

We'll also dive into Sam's fascinating work with the human voice and sound frequencies, his understanding of nervous-system regulation, and some bigger questions around conscious leadership, spirituality, identity, and purpose.

And perhaps most importantly, we'll ask: What happens when we stop measuring our lives only by what we accomplish—and begin paying attention to who we are becoming along the way?

This is a conversation about moving from striving to resonance, from resistance to flow, and ultimately, toward a more joyful and authentic way of being.

Using his voice, he transmits specific sound frequencies that work directly on the nervous system to dissolve the stored emotional patterns keeping high performers stuck in cycles of force and resistance. He's also the creator of Resonance OS, a platform that makes this work accessible in daily 9-to-15-minute sessions. Described by Michael Beckwith as "a great addition to one's spiritual growth and spiritual path," Sam has appeared on 20+ podcasts sharing this work.

To learn more about Sam Kukathas and his work, please visit: https://soulpurposeleaders.com/

Today we're exploring an intriguing and often controversial topic at the intersection of innovation, energy, and wellness: Brown's Gas technology and its potential applications for health and everyday well-being.

We'll discuss what Brown's Gas is, how it differs from traditional hydrogen technologies, the science and engineering behind it, and the thinking that led to the development of the AquaCure system. We'll also explore why so many people are interested in this technology, the questions it raises, and how innovation can inspire us to think differently about supporting health and vitality.

Valeria sits with George Wiseman — He is an inventor, engineer, and founder of Eagle-Research, best known for his decades of work developing Brown's Gas technology for both energy and emerging wellness applications.

Raised as a rancher's son in a remote, off-grid environment, George learned early how to build, repair, and survive with limited resources, which influenced his lifelong commitment to practical and reliable innovation.

After leaving the ranch in the late 1970s, he pursued a path in alternative energy and automotive systems, eventually specializing in fuel efficiency and combustion technologies. In the 1980s, he began developing Brown's Gas systems that could significantly improve fuel economy and even replace traditional torch gases at a fraction of the cost.

Over time, George's work took an unexpected turn as customers began reporting potential health-related effects from the technology—something he initially dismissed.

Years later, after personally experimenting with the applications and witnessing growing anecdotal results, he shifted his focus toward exploring its broader potential and developed his at-home device, AquaCure.

This mission became deeply personal following the loss of his wife after a long battle with Lupus, which intensified his commitment to sharing what he had learned. Today, George is driven by a singular goal: to make his technology accessible to as many people as possible.

To learn more about George Wiseman and his work, please visit: https://eagle-research.com/ and https://www.aquacure.life/

— What does it mean to truly heal—not only mentally, but physically, emotionally, and spiritually?

Today, we explore healing as an inner pilgrimage, bringing together ancient spiritual wisdom and modern psychology to understand what helps us become whole again.

At the heart of our conversation is Hildegard of Bingen's beautiful concept of viriditas—the "greening power" within us—and Alfred Adler's teachings on belonging, courage, purpose, and our deeply relational nature.

We'll explore what happens when we feel disconnected from that inner vitality, how our struggles may be pointing us toward something that needs attention, and why healing is about more than simply eliminating symptoms.

Danae talks about pilgrimage, creativity, spirituality, belonging, surrender, and the mind-body connection—and how each can become part of our journey back to ourselves. Perhaps healing isn't only about repairing what has been wounded. Perhaps it is about allowing something within us to come alive again—to feel our sap rising and rediscover our natural capacity for growth, meaning, and joy.

Valeria sits with Danae Ashley — She is the author of "My Sap is Rising: A Pilgrimage of Holistic Mental Health Healing with Hildegard of Bingen and Alfred Adler."

The Rev. Danae Ashley is an Episcopal priest, Adlerian psychotherapist, international speaker, and voiceover actress in the Pacific Northwest. Danae uses art, music, drama, poetry, and movement in counseling, spiritual direction, and creation of ritual. She has written for various online publications, as well as being a contributor to podcasts, books, and producing a play about fertility struggle. Danae's book, My Sap is Rising debuted in March 2026. When not reading, writing, or speaking about Hildegard, you may find her traveling with her husband, making sure their rescue dog is living his best life, dancing with wild abandon to Celtic music, and singing serious karaoke.

To learn more Danae Ashley about and her work, please visit: https://www.danaeashley.com/

— Today's conversation explores a powerful question: What if the most difficult moment of your life became the beginning of your most meaningful work?

At the heart of this episode is From Patient to Advocate: Turning Survivorship into Impact, a book about what can happen after the shock of a life-changing diagnosis—when fear, uncertainty, and survival begin to transform into purpose, service, and hope.

This is not simply a cancer story. It is a roadmap for anyone who has ever wondered what to do with the wisdom gained through adversity. We'll explore how lived experience can become a form of expertise, why our stories matter, and how people can move from feeling powerless to becoming active participants in their own healing and in the systems that shape their lives.

We'll also talk about the emotional realities of serious illness, the role of mindfulness, therapy, community, and resilience, and the surprising ways advocacy itself can become part of the healing process.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about turning pain into purpose, finding meaning in what we never would have chosen, and discovering that even our hardest chapters can become a source of contribution, connection, and hope.

Valeria sits with Tim McDonald — He is the author of "From Patient to Advocate: Turning Survivorship into Impact: A Healthcare Advocate's Guide."

Tim is also a healthcare advocate, speaker, and community builder who turned his stage IV colorectal cancer diagnosis into a mission for change. He translates patient experience into meaningful action for researchers, policymakers, and healthcare organizations through leadership roles with Fight Colorectal Cancer, Man Up To Cancer, HOPA, and the PAN Foundation. Now host of Advocacy at Work, Tim uses storytelling and advocacy to raise awareness and drive impact. He is the author of the brand-new book, From Patient to Advocate.

To learn more about Tim McDonald and his work, please visit: https://www.timmcdonaldadvocate.com/

— There are moments in life that change us forever—moments when everything we thought defined us suddenly falls away. The loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, the collapse of a career, or an unexpected life transition can leave us asking one profound question: Who am I now?

While these experiences can feel like the end of our story, they can also become the beginning of something entirely new. Sometimes our greatest breakdowns become the doorway to our deepest healing. Sometimes the very challenges we spend years trying to avoid become the teachers that lead us back to ourselves.

Today, we're exploring what it means to transform pain into purpose, rebuild our identity after loss, and discover the resilience we never knew we possessed. We'll talk about why true healing isn't about returning to who we once were, but about becoming who we were always meant to be. And we'll explore how even life's darkest seasons can reveal unexpected gifts, deeper meaning, and a renewed sense of hope. Joining us today is Richard Lobo, bestselling author of The Trifecta Code, whose personal journey reminds us that our greatest crises don't have to define us—they can become the catalyst for profound transformation.

Valeria sits with Richard Lobo — He is the bestselling author of "The Trifecta Code: When Crisis Becomes the Catalyst for Profound Change."

The Trifecta Code is a powerful exploration of rebuilding life after profound personal loss. Following the collapse of his family, marriage, and career within the span of a year, Richard transformed his greatest challenges into the foundation of his life's work. With more than 15 years of experience as a senior creative film editor for the NFL, he understands what it takes to perform under pressure and has developed a practical framework to help others navigate adversity with resilience. Through his writing and speaking, Richard inspires people to embrace life's most difficult moments as opportunities for healing, transformation, and lasting personal growth.

To learn more about Richard Lobo and his work, please visit: https://ricklobo.com/