What happens when your body panics, your brain spirals, and your self-talk turns unkind?

In this Summer Short, Vic shares a vulnerable (and yes, a little traumatic) story about a failed MRI attempt that led to an unexpected but powerful reflection on the stories we tell ourselves when things don’t go as planned. What begins as a medical mishap turns into a conversation about shame, self-advocacy, and reframing hard moments with compassion.

Together, Vic and Ryan unpack:

• Why our default narrative in a tough moment is often self-blame
• What might shift when we slow down and question that story
• How reframing gives us back our power—without pretending things didn’t hurt

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

This episode is part of Vic and Ryan's Go Coach Yourself! Summer Shorts Series: shorter episodes with off the cuff conversations, where they share a personal story, unpack it and then share their learnings.

In this Summer Short episode Ryan shares how going through Ignite The Spark created an opportunity for him to think bigger: about his goals, his career, and ultimately, his life.

Spend the next 12 minutes with Ryan and Vic to get a summer dose of Go Coach Yourself!

Want to take part in Ignite the Spark? Ryan runs the program for indivudals looking to understand themselves more deeply and uncover what they want. Find out more here.

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

This episode is part of Vic and Ryan's Go Coach Yourself! Summer Shorts Series: shorter episodes with off the cuff conversations, where they share a personal story, unpack it and then share their learnings.

In this Summer Short episode Ryan shares how his progression from bird watching to bird noticing sparked a ripple effect involving $624 of peanuts, a board game and more meaningful moments.

Spend the next 13 minutes with them to get a summer dose of Go Coach Yourself!

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, hosts Vic and Ryan discuss the concept of the emotional bank account, coined by Stephen Covey in 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' and further explored by John and Julie Gottman.

The metaphor illustrates how trust in relationships is built through positive interactions (deposits) and can be diminished by negative ones (withdrawals). They emphasize the importance of everyday small acts of kindness and caution against behaviors that erode trust. The episode offers practical advice on maintaining healthy emotional bank accounts and the significance of sincere apologies in mending broken trust.

Trust: A Conversation about Connection Episode

The Loneliness Epidemic: Who Americans Spend Time With

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

Leaving a toxic job is hard. But leaving a great job? That’s a whole different kind of hard.

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, Vic and Ryan unpack the uncomfortable truth that sometimes, even good jobs aren’t right jobs. They share their own experiences of walking away from solid roles at Nike—not because of burnout, but because of quiet misalignment.

From the subtle signals your body sends, to the deeper questions about values, purpose, and authorship, this conversation dives into what it means to honor your evolving needs—especially when no one else sees the problem.

They also share powerful coaching questions, research-backed insights, and three practical tools to help you decide if it’s time to stay, shift, or move on.

In this episode:

• Why misalignment is harder to spot than burnout
• The six signs it might be time to leave (without a crisis)
• A reframe of loyalty and identity at work
• Why “fine” is dangerous
• Practical coaching questions to find clarity

References:

• Harvard Business Review: Six Signs It’s Time to Leave Your Job
• BetterUp: Meaning and Purpose at Work
• Psychology Today: Become the Author of Yourself

This links to the following episodes:

• Go Coach Yourself! - What if Quitting Isn’t Failure?
• Go Coach Yourself! - From Autopilot to Agency, Dorothy Chang on Living with Intention
• Go Coach Yourself! - What If You Had More Agency Than You Thought?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

How much agency do you have - and how are you using it?

In this episode of 'Go Coach Yourself,' certified coaches Ryan and Vic explore the concept of reclaiming your agency to create the life you desire.

They delve into the definitions of autonomy and agency, discuss the psychological theories that emphasize the importance of choice, and share personal stories and examples. They offer actionable tips like reframing your thoughts and practicing small acts of defiance. Listen in as they encourage you to recognize your choices and reclaim control in your lives.

Ask yourself - Where do I want to reclaim my agency this week?

References:

Deci and Ryan - Self-Determination Theory

Martin Seiligmen - Learned Helplessness

Harvard Business Review - The Power of Small Wins

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

This Episode Is About Quitting. Stay With Us.

We've all heard it: "Keep calm and carry on." But what if pushing through isn’t always the brave choice?

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, Ryan and Vic explore the cultural obsession with grit—and why staying isn’t always strength. They unpack the psychology of sunk cost fallacy, the fear of regret, and the identity crisis that quitting can spark. Then, they share personal stories of walking away from big dreams and how those decisions led to the lives they actually wanted.

You’ll hear about:

• Why we romanticize perseverance—and why that can hurt us
• The difference between quitting and choosing again
• Real-life examples of bold pivots that paid off
• Coaching tools to help you decide when it’s time to let go

Reflection prompts + journal questions included.

—

References:

• Psychology Today: Recognizing the sunk cost fallacy may help you cut your losses
• HBR: How Susceptible Are You to the Sunk Cost Fallacy?

This links to the following episodes:

• Go Coach Yourself: Why is "What Do You Want?" Such a Tough Question?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

In this episode of 'Go Coach Yourself,' hosts Vic and Ryan discuss the power of believing that No is a complete sentence. Through personal stories and anecdotes, they delve into the reasons why we find it hard to say no without guilt or justification. The episode includes a discussion on the societal inclination to people-please, and gives practical tips on prioritizing yourself. At the end it concludes with a challenge to practice saying 'no' for seven days to foster self-care and intentional living.

Podcast Episodes Mentioned

Values

Why is 'What do you want?' so Hard to Answer?

Let's Talk About Our Boundaries

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk