storytelling

433 Taking Steps To Take Better Care Of Yourself

In today’s episode, Sarah Elkins discusses the importance of taking your time to enjoy the world, to enjoy being you, to take time to make sure You, Dear Listener, are healthy in mind, body, emotion, and spirit. 

432: The Power of Kindness featuring Joe Emery

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Joe Emery discuss the importance of dispelling misconceptions, serving our communities, and  elevating voices of kindness and positivity.

431 The Art of Aging - Featuring Diane Place

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Diane Place discuss the art and beauty in aging and how it allows us to collect amazing stories, learn new things about ourselves, and how we can use these experiences to help others. 

427: Eat Your Feelings - A Cooking Show Demonstrating True Connection, Featuring Sam Nathews

427: Eat Your Feelings - A Cooking Show Demonstrating True Connection, Featuring Sam Nathews

Technically, this is a sequel to episode 423 featuring Cory Brown. Sam Nathews is the cohost for their YouTube cooking show, Eat Your Feelings.

 

Highlights from the show:

  • Sam initially wasn't sure about cohosting the show with Cory! He can be shy about performing or entertaining people he just met. It didn't take long to realize how grateful he was that Cory was persistant in starting the project and about Sam joining the show.

  • Sam shared how the show helped him process his grief over losing his mother, and how being able to talk openly about his emotions has been healing for him. He emphasized the importance of normalizing vulnerability, especially for men.

  • The Eat Your Feelings show's format of transitioning between lighthearted cooking and deeper emotional discussions resonates with Sam because he sees it as reflective of the ups and downs of real life.

  • Sam has been touched by the feedback from viewers (and the show's crew!) who say the show has helped them feel less alone in their own struggles and given them permission to be open about their feelings.

  • Sam hopes the show can continue to provide a model for men to be vulnerable and support each other, especially in smaller, rural communities where that may not come as naturally. He sees it as an important service the show provides.

Quotes:

"...especially when you're in the midst of raw, sudden, super traumatic grief, a lot of the feelings and thoughts that come up can make you feel like this is not normal."

"...we've all cried together. We've all laughed together, we've all burnt the skin off the roof of our mouth together, and it's really, it's just been a really fulfilling thing because of the relationships that we've gotten out of that and the personal growth I've seen ... with the crew on the show..."

"...the tagline of our show is 'everybody's got to eat and everybody's got sh*t to go through."

"...I think the feedback that I've gotten ...is 'thank you guys for talking about this stuff and just showing that it's okay for two guys to talk about hard things and what you're feeling and making it normal that it's okay to feel these things.'"

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About Sam:

Sam Nathews is a brand strategist and storyteller, and the co-creator of Eat Your Feelings, a conversation series that blends food, humor, and emotional honesty. With a background in building brands and campaigns, Sam is interested in what happens when we drop polish and talk about the stuff we’re usually taught to hide. He lives in Virginia with his wife, son, and golden retriever and believes some of the best conversations happen in the kitchen.

Be sure to check out Sam's Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. As well as Eat Your Feelings on Youtube and Instagram.

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About Sarah

Sarah is a Montana based workplace communication trainer, TEDx speaker, DisruptHR speaker, public speaking coach, professional storyteller, musician, and podcast host. Her workshops and coaching packages with teams and their leaders are known to address and reduce miscommunication – the most common cause of tension and stress in the workplace. Using the team’s results from the StrengthsFinder assessment, she guides teams in learning to speak each other’s “language”, learning to value each other’s strengths and connecting with each other through enhanced self-reflection and effective listening. 

Sarah’s nearly 20 years working in government agencies inspired her to complete her MBA and to achieve her StrengthsFinder certification to improve work environments for others, guiding teams toward increased satisfaction, productivity, and happiness.

Visit her website to purchase her book, Your Stories Don't Define You in paperback or audiobook.

423 We Need Each Other

In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Cory Brown discuss their ideas and the influences in their lives that they have had that gave them the push to act on their ideas or to think them through, as well as the importance of putting something into the world that will make a genuine authentic change.

410 Holding Space For Grief

What can one say when faced with tragedy? Do you reach for a simple “I’m sorry” to let another know you sympathize with their pain? Do you offer an anecdote to show you empathize with what they are going through? Regardless, it is important that whatever you do you also hold space for your grief as well as those who need to know they are not alone in their grief.

405 A Love Letter To My Future Self

Throughout life there will come times where we must take up our skills and talents as a knight would a sword and shield, wielding our innate and powerful gifts to further our lives for the better. By facing these moments, refusing to make excuses, and instead put in the hard work, we are bound to succeed. 

In this episode, Sarah Elkins contemplates the events that lead up to her presence on the TEDX stage, how the encouragement of her closest confidants, the peacefulness of nature on her hikes, and her own self reflection has brought her to this pivotal moment in her life.