In this episode, we sit with Mars Hendrik, a musician and coach whose journey from Costa Rica to international stages is really a story about learning to climb — not just toward success, but toward the fullest expression of who you're meant to be.

Mars grew up immersed in a rich blend of musical influences, from Santana's guitar mastery to Sublime's laid-back rebellion, and these early sounds became the foundation for a career that spans over a decade of inspiring audiences across continents. But what makes Mars's story unique isn't just his musical evolution — it's his understanding that true performance is about more than entertainment. It's about transformation.

We explore how Mars has learned to be both artist and guide, helping others find their own voices while continuing to develop his own. His approach to music and coaching reveals someone who understands that potential isn't just waiting to be discovered — it's waiting to be claimed, one courageous step at a time.

What We Talk About:

• Growing up in Costa Rica and the musical influences that shaped his artistic foundation
• The evolution from passionate musician to international performer
• How cultural diversity influences creative expression and artistic identity
• The intersection of music and personal development
• Learning to guide others while continuing your own growth journey
• The role of music in helping people connect with their potential
• Building confidence through creative expression and performance

Resources:

• Connect with Mars Hendrik's music: HERE
• Support the show: Not Today Media

A Note from J.D.: Mars's conversation reminded me that some of the most powerful artists are those who understand that their gift isn't just about what they can create — it's about what they can awaken in others. His approach to music as both personal expression and collective inspiration feels especially relevant in a world hungry for authentic connection and guided growth.

If you're on your own creative climb, whether that's musical, professional, or personal, I hope Mars's story offers you both inspiration and practical wisdom. The summit you're reaching for isn't just about arriving somewhere new — it's about becoming someone new in the process.

Come Back To Earth exists to explore these intersections between creativity, personal growth, and the ongoing work of becoming who we're meant to be. If these conversations resonate with you, consider supporting the show on Substack, where we continue diving deep into the stories that shape us.

Keep climbing. Keep creating. Keep trusting the path.

Theme music by: Lincoln Parish

In this episode, we sit with Lepani, an artist whose journey through the music industry reads like a map of what it costs to lose yourself — and what it takes to find your way back.

Lepani's story begins in the bedroom studio, creating the kind of honest, experimental music that emerges when no one is watching and nothing is at stake except the pure joy of making something beautiful. But as his career progressed and industry pressures mounted, that creative freedom began to erode. What started as artistic guidance slowly became artistic control, until the music he was making felt more like performance than expression.

The toll was real: mental health struggles, creative burnout, and the particular kind of loss that happens when the thing you love most becomes the source of your pain. But this isn't just a story about what the industry can take from artists — it's about what happens when an artist decides to take it back.

Now independent and based in the UK, Lepani is rebuilding his relationship with music on his own terms. He's sharing his story openly, knowing that artistic authenticity and mental health are deeply connected, and that someone else might need to hear they're not alone in the struggle.

What We Talk About:

* The evolution from bedroom pop experiments to industry pressures

* How creative control can be slowly and subtly eroded

* The mental health impact of losing artistic authenticity

* The decision to go independent and what that means

* Rebuilding a sustainable relationship with music and creativity

* The importance of speaking honestly about industry struggles

* Finding freedom in creating for yourself rather than for approval

Resources:

* Listen to Lepani's independent work: HERE

* Support the show: Not Today Media

A Note from J.D.: Lepani's conversation struck me deeply because it illuminates something we don't talk about enough: how the pursuit of musical success can sometimes distance us from the very thing that made us want to make music in the first place. His story isn't unique, but his willingness to speak about it honestly is both brave and necessary.

If you're an artist struggling with similar questions about authenticity, independence, or finding your way back to the joy of creating, I hope this episode offers you both company and courage. The path back to yourself isn't always linear, but it's always worth taking.

Come Back To Earth exists to hold space for these kinds of honest conversations about creativity, mental health, and the ongoing work of staying true to yourself in a world that profits from your compliance. If these stories resonate with you, consider supporting the show on Substack, where we continue exploring these themes with the depth and care they deserve.

Keep creating. Keep questioning. Keep coming back to what's real.

Theme music by: Lincoln Parish

Leave a comment on the episode HERE

Some love stories begin with fireworks.

This one began with a railroad conductor, a circus artist, and a song.

When Michael and Kayo met online, they were each carrying a lifetime of stories—some beautiful, some heavy, and all still echoing in how they showed up in love. Instead of running from their pasts, they did something brave: they wrote through them.

Together, they left the familiar behind and started over in Dixon, New Mexico, where the landscape is wide and the healing feels just a little more possible. Through songwriting, they began to name their traumas, rebuild trust, and give voice to the versions of themselves they were still learning how to love.

This episode is a window into that process—honest, unfiltered, and full of hope.

Whether you’re partnered or on your own path, Michael and Kayo’s story reminds us that healing doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be true.

🔗 Follow Box Canyon Barbies: Website

Theme music by: Lincoln Parish

Leave a comment on the episode HERE

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