00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Gary Sprouse and his background
01:10 – Why “less stress” is needed now more than ever
02:30 – Debunking good vs. bad stress and a musician’s anxiety story
05:00 – The podcast dance: matching rhythms with new guests
07:30 – Can science be entertaining? Gary's dream of singing seminars
09:00 – Helping people identify fear, not just anxiety
10:50 – Panic attacks vs. phobias explained
13:20 – Nikki shares her own agoraphobia experience
15:10 – What does it mean to feel safe? (Spoiler: it's not a feeling)
17:30 – You can’t eliminate uncertainty, but you can manage it
19:00 – Panic attacks = smoke alarms with faulty wiring
21:00 – Hypnosis and NLP as tools for reframing fear
23:45 – What’s in Highway to Your Happy Place and how to get there
26:00 – Human stress as side effects of our best traits
28:00 – Why boredom is more dangerous than we think
29:10 – Tech stress: subscriptions, software waste, and overwhelm
32:15 – Rocket Money, budgeting apps, and passive spending leaks
34:50 – Tools Nikki recommends for running a lean business tech stack
38:45 – Website mishaps and how to avoid sales vs. tech mismatch
42:00 – How to avoid getting stuck with the wrong software
45:10 – Free trials: friend or trap?
47:00 – Closing message: You don’t have to stay stuck in stress

00:00 - Meet Scottie G: What is functional aging?
01:30 - Mental, physical, and purpose-driven health explained
03:00 - Coaching a client from 79 to 91 and what it taught Scottie
05:00 - How physical and mental health fuel each other
06:30 - Why finding purpose is critical at every age
08:00 - Podcasting, parenting, and passing on values
11:00 - On joy, creative outlets, and doing it for passion
13:00 - What “filling your cup” really looks like in daily life
15:00 - Social media, authenticity, and purpose versus performance
17:30 - Trauma, touch, and working through boundaries
20:00 - Empathy, healing, and being safe in your own space
22:00 - Listener experiences and trauma-informed conversation
25:00 - Word-of-mouth referrals and building a business with trust
28:00 - Alignable, referrals, and the power of your unseen network
30:00 - Discovering who’s in your corner without realizing it
31:30 - Breaking down Scottie’s triangle: mind, body, purpose
34:00 - Creating time for physical and mental wellness
36:30 - Serving others in small, meaningful ways
39:00 - The importance of movement to sustain connection
41:00 - How service builds community and self-worth
44:00 - How Scottie coaches clients based on emotional state
47:00 - Story of a client who became a barber later in life
49:30 - Why service should never involve a camera
52:00 - Faith, energy, and being present while helping others
54:30 - The dream: A retreat space for aging and purpose
56:00 - What success really means in a purpose-driven business
59:00 - Anthony Bourdain, late bloomers, and timelines that inspire
1:01:00 - Podcasting as therapy and legacy
1:03:00 - Mental health breakdown: creating a personal energy budget
1:06:00 - Spoon theory, trauma recovery, and reclaiming daily life
1:09:00 - How gaming and reading helped escape the darkness
1:12:00 - Boundaries, burnout, and regaining control
1:15:00 - Practical advice for supporting people with depression
1:18:00 - How little things (like dinner settings) impact mental recovery
1:21:00 - Final reflections: showing love, building empathy, and real support
1:22:30 - Scottie’s gratitude, podcast info, and where to find him

00:00 – Guest Intro
Jasper shares his background in leadership development, team building, and why workplace culture matters.

01:00 – The Problem with “Company Love”
Nikki shares her Walmart experience and how corporate “love” often doesn’t include frontline employees.

03:00 – Say One Thing, Do Another
Jasper explains how misalignment between leadership’s words and actions breeds distrust and burnout.

04:00 – Culture ≠ Perks
They discuss why ping-pong tables and pizza parties don't fix broken culture — real communication does.

05:00 – Casual Friday Confusion
Nikki shares stories of unclear policies around dress codes and how it reflects poor leadership.

07:00 – Tips for New Leaders
Jasper offers actionable advice for first-time managers to earn trust and avoid ego traps.

09:00 – From Toxic to Thriving
Jasper shares how he turned a disengaged team into a collaborative and energized group.

11:00 – Clients, Boundaries, and Respect
Nikki discusses her process of onboarding new clients and how she handles unreasonable demands.

14:00 – Delegation Without Burnout
How leaders and business owners can delegate without dumping everything on one person.

17:00 – Scaling with Strategy
Nikki explains her methodical approach to taking on clients and scaling her business without chaos.

20:00 – Right People, Right Tasks
Jasper emphasizes the power of assigning work that aligns with someone’s skills and motivation.

24:00 – 7 Bosses, 7 Ways
Nikki relives a Walmart moment where too many managers gave conflicting directions — and no support.

27:00 – Fired Over “Woodwork”
After handling an aggressive customer professionally, Nikki shares how a petty grudge led to her firing.

30:00 – Grudges in Leadership
A discussion on how unethical people can abuse their power in corporate (and what usually happens to them).

32:00 – Karma Catches Up
The manager who targeted Nikki didn’t last long — a reminder that real leadership wins in the long run.

33:00 – Leadership Styles That Affect Mental Health
Nikki and Jasper break down five leadership types: transformational, servant, autocratic, laissez-faire, and transactional.

37:00 – The Good Ones: Transformational & Servant
Supportive, motivating, and growth-focused leadership makes work better for everyone.

42:00 – Autocratic Chaos & Office Food Wars
Jasper and Nikki talk about the stress caused by rigid rules and how bad leaders handle the smallest things poorly.

46:00 – Structure + Follow-Through = Trust
Transactional leadership can work if leaders follow through with fair rewards and expectations.

53:00 – Culture and Mental Health Are Linked
Toxic culture does more than demotivate — it damages mental well-being.

56:00 – Coming Back From the Dark
Nikki opens up about rebuilding her mental health and life after trauma and stress.

1:02:00 – Small Tasks, Big Impact
Start with one task. Build up slowly. It’s how real healing and progress happen.

1:06:00 – Volunteer Your Way Back to Yourself
Helping others creates purpose — a simple step when you’re stuck.

1:08:00 – Radical Responsibility
Growth requires effort — and owning your healing process is where it begins.

1:09:00 – Final Words from Jasper
Jasper closes with a reminder for leaders to listen, lead with clarity, and create space for growth.

• 00:00 – Meet Sheetal: A chiropractor from New Zealand passionate about the connection between physical pain and emotional history

• 01:00 – How posture reflects emotional states (sadness, confidence, trauma responses)

• 02:30 – Childhood experiences and the way our bodies learn to respond to stress

• 04:00 – The invisible link between family dynamics and chronic pain

• 06:45 – Nikki shares her own ongoing pain journey and regular chiropractic care

• 08:00 – Compensatory pain and why symptoms can show up opposite the source

• 09:00 – Brain hemispheres, body pain, and the masculine/feminine energy theory

• 10:00 – The “lizard brain,” PTSD, and how automatic fear responses affect the body

• 12:30 – How chronic fight-or-flight impacts inflammation and physical symptoms

• 15:00 – The emotional roots of pain and why some injuries show no symptoms

• 17:00 – Speaking your truth in business and educating clients without sounding “woo”

• 19:00 – Nikki describes the difference between stress from work vs. trauma triggers

• 21:00 – Sleep challenges, mind loops, and techniques Nikki uses to fall asleep

• 23:00 – The power of safe visualization and reprogramming anxious brain patterns

• 26:00 – Shifting thoughts through strategy, focus, and storytelling

• 29:00 – Personal stories of education gaps, intelligence, and money mindsets

• 33:00 – The importance of choice, boundaries, and teaching kids consent

• 36:00 – Being aware of safety, triggers, and reclaiming your space

• 38:00 – Sheetal explains how she uses breathwork and touch to regulate the nervous system

• 41:00 – Small habits that anchor safety into the body and mind

• 44:00 – The need for body awareness and how trauma hides in daily life

• 47:00 – Respecting personal space and the long-term effects of unwanted touch

• 50:00 – Listening to the people around you through their actions

• 53:00 – Creating work-life balance and protecting time with your family

• 56:00 – Redefining success: Why your job is just a piece of your life

• 59:00 – The burnout cycle and how rest boosts productivity

• 1:02:00 – Sheetal’s closing thoughts: You’re not a robot. You’re human.

• 1:05:00 – The importance of choosing joy, rest, and connection every day

00:00 - Meet Mark Steven Porro: Actor, Author, Unexpected Caregiver
01:00 - Taking care of a parent as a first-time caregiver
02:00 - Crisis moment: Mom gives up, hospice is called
03:00 - Love returns to the house and Mom rebounds
05:00 - “We’re going to have fun”: Gaining permission to lead as a caregiver
07:00 - How humor and storytelling helped during hard moments
08:30 - Lessons in unconditional love and empathy
10:00 - Dementia and forgetting her son’s name
11:00 - The story behind the book title: *A Cup of Tea on the Commode*
12:30 - Moving to the South of France after caregiving ends
14:00 - Wine, community, and slow living in France
15:30 - Language barriers and cultural surprises
17:00 - Acting career: Hill Street Blues, Walker Texas Ranger & Castaway
20:00 - Behind-the-scenes of working with Tom Hanks and Spielberg
23:00 - Transitioning into the mental health topic
24:00 - How caregiving impacts mental well-being and finding balance
26:00 - Holding boundaries with a demanding parent
27:00 - Stress explosions: A broken bowl and dinner in the dark
28:30 - Why caregivers need to put on their own oxygen mask first
30:00 - Mark’s emergency surgery – stress nearly killed him
32:00 - Nikki’s story: Caring for her mom with no support
33:00 - Mark’s support system: Siblings and shared responsibility
36:00 - Humor, perspective, and grace as coping mechanisms
38:00 - End-of-life signs, hospice, and saying goodbye with love
40:00 - A fast or slow death? Reflections on parents' final moments
42:00 - The shift in perspective: “Maybe my mom rescued me”
44:00 - Closing thoughts and keeping his mom's memory alive

Timestamped Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction & Questioning Job Descriptions' Impact

• Traditional vs. modern approaches
• Why job descriptions need renovation

06:33 - Data-Driven Change Justification

• Using metrics to support organizational change
• Building cases for transformation

12:29 - Application Frustrations & Unnecessary Barriers

• Modern hiring process challenges
• Streamlining application systems

19:29 - Embracing Failure: Learning and Growth

• Turning setbacks into opportunities
• Growth mindset in organization culture

26:03 - Redefining Self-Care in Culture

• Modern approaches to workplace wellness
• Integration of self-care into company policy

32:59 - Hybrid and Onsite Work Challenges

• Navigating new work models
• Creating effective hybrid environments

34:12 - Remote Work Challenges at Home

• Balancing work-life boundaries
• Creating productive home offices

44:05 - Rediscovering In-Person Connections

• Value of face-to-face interactions
• Building relationships in hybrid world

48:41 - Journey to Self-Employment and Networking

• Transition stories
• Building professional networks

52:12 - Accountability in Marketing Industry

• Industry standards and practices
• Maintaining ethical marketing

1:01:02 - Hearing New Information Reactions

• Adapting to change
• Processing new perspectives

1:06:04 - Gaming Miscommunication: Lunge vs. Luge

• Communication challenges
• Importance of clarity

1:11:08 - Language Learning: Challenging Yet Impressive

• Benefits of multilingual skills
• Learning process insights

1:15:37 - Shifting Pronunciations: A Personal Tale

• Language evolution
• Personal growth stories

1:18:02 - Language Respect and Immersion

• Cultural sensitivity
• Language learning approaches