What if the key to thriving isn’t managing your circumstances perfectly—but rooting yourself in the connections that matter most? In this heartfelt conversation, Michael and Megan talk with Elizabeth Oldfield, author of Fully Alive, about reclaiming depth, community, and soul-level steadiness in a culture addicted to speed and distraction. Elizabeth draws on ancient wisdom, modern insight, and her own experience living in intentional community to offer a hopeful path forward.

Memorable Quotes

1. “You need to put your roots down deep into love and work out how to find some steadiness.”

2. “When we are honest about our full humanity, we give other people permission to do that, and that's a necessary starting point for actually growing up our souls rather than pretending that we all know what we’re doing and we’re holding it all together.”

3. “Where we put our attention is essentially who we become.”
   “I have this sense that fully aliveness is in connection, deep connection, horizontally and vertically.”

4. “Hurrying and destruction are not how we flourish, and we’re constantly being encouraged to do those things. So we need to provide some counter pressure towards slowness and steadiness and presence.”

Key Takeaways

1. Connection Is the Core of Flourishing. Relationships—messy, costly, inconvenient—are where we become more fully human.
2. Attention Shapes Who You Become. Distraction isn’t just a nuisance; it’s a soul-shaping force. Guard your focus.
3. Structure Time Around Your Values. A “rule of life” puts what matters most in place first, so the rest fits around it.
4. Commitment Fuels Depth. Vulnerability without commitment fizzles; together they form lasting community.
5. Ancient Practices Still Work. Sabbath, liturgy, and shared rhythms anchor us in what endures.

Resources

• Fully Alive by Elizabeth Oldfield
• The Sacred podcast by Elizabeth Oldfield

Watch on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/-anckhHSdHM

This episode was produced by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound

After experiencing burnout and adrenal fatigue, author and entrepreneur Chris Ducker realized hustling harder wasn’t the answer. He gets candid about burnout, recovery, and why joy-filled practices are essential for leaders who want to last. Two of his favorites: bonsai gardening and birdwatching. He also makes a compelling case for getting outside. It’s a refreshing invitation back to an embodied, sustainable way of life.

Memorable Quotes

1. “I hadn't necessarily been burning the candle on both ends. But what I had been doing was a little too much of pretty much everything.”
2. “You don't need to break in order to take a break.”
3. “Self-care actually is a strategy, and it's a strategy that you can use to your advantage, particularly from a business owner standpoint.”
4. “Ultimately you're the engine, you're the spark, you're the difference maker. But even engines need a little maintenance.”
5. “Hobbies, particularly creative hobbies, if you spend a minimum of two hours a week on your hobby, you will be as much as 30% more productive in your work.”
6. “Any kind of success that costs you your health or your family or your joy isn't really actually success.”
7. “We want that big win, that big roar. And you only get that by being really consistent and the real game here is patience. It's consistency, it's showing up when it's not sexy, when it's not flashy, it's doing the unsexy work.”

Key Takeaways

1. Burnout Isn’t Just Overwork. Stress from life, context, and even unsustainable pace can take you down. Your body always keeps the score.
2. Self-Care Is Strategy. Leaders last when they guard their health and energy—because even engines need maintenance.
3. Hobbies Heal. Joyful pastimes don’t just prevent burnout; they restore creativity and can boost productivity by up to 30%.
4. Step Outside. Just 15 minutes in nature can reset your mind and body. Make it nonnegotiable.
5. Small Shifts, Big Change. Consistent micro moves compound into lasting transformation.

Resources

• The Long Haul Leader by Chris Ducker
• Youpreneur community

Watch on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/GOLw7Vz4kRA

This episode was produced by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound