She spent 15 years becoming a doctor. And then she quit.

Dr. Zarya Rubin did what most people only fantasize about: she stepped off the treadmill before it broke her completely. After chasing the dream of medicine all the way to Columbia and beyond, she hit a wall – the kind you don’t bounce back from with a vacation or a green juice. It took a literal wake-up call (a phone call, actually) to snap her out of the “I’m fine” trance and into a radically new life.

In this conversation, Zarya shares what no one tells you about burnout, why your check engine light is blinking for a reason, and how “do one thing less” became her mantra for healing. She also drops knowledge on stress, breathwork, and how opera (yes, opera) can help regulate your nervous system.

If you’ve been pushing too hard for too long, this one’s your permission slip to stop.

Quote:

“I went into medicine to help people. I didn’t realize I’d have to abandon myself to do it.”

Guest Links:

Website + Burnout Toolkit: drzarya.com

Instagram: @drzaryarubin

Podcast: Outsmart Burnout

She tried to be the perfect picture of Zen – silent retreat, serene vibes, inner peace, and all that. But it only made her more anxious.

Turns out, healing didn’t come from silence. It came from dance floors, karaoke nights, and finally listening to her body.

Hannah Talbot was the last person you'd expect to become a meditation teacher. Too loud. Too busy. Too movement-obsessed. But when a traditional 10-day silent retreat left her more anxious than enlightened, she realized something big:
Stillness isn’t safe for everyone.

In this conversation, Hannah shares how she went from running restaurants and drinking martinis to founding Anamkara, a healing center rooted in somatic movement, mindfulness, and trauma-informed energy work. We talk about the difference between joy and fun, why being “bad at meditating” isn’t a thing, and how to stop outsourcing your healing to everyone but yourself.

Also, we talk about toast. You'll see.

Quote:

“Meditation doesn’t have to be silent. It can sound like music. It can look like movement.”

Guest Links:

Website: anamcarahealing.center
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hannah-talbot-7b8ab1279

What happens when a “painfully shy” woman loses her job, sells her house, packs up her family (and two dogs), and starts a business from a 300-square-foot RV?

Turns out, she finds her voice — and helps hundreds of speakers find theirs, too.

Nona Prather used to be the quiet one. The behind-the-scenes girl. The “don’t call on me” kid who hated public speaking and avoided the spotlight like it was contagious. But then 2020 hit like a wrecking ball. Nona and her husband both lost their jobs. Instead of spiraling, they sold everything, moved into an RV with their daughter and two fluffy-but-not-so-small dogs, and started over.

From campground Wi-Fi and seven-minute showers to running a successful speaker booking agency and getting up on stage herself, Nona's story is a masterclass in midlife reinvention — the kind that starts with “why not?” and ends with “watch me.”

Quotes

“I was the only one telling myself I couldn’t do it. And then I thought — what if I’m wrong?”

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nona-prather-b5663010a/

Website: https://speakerelevation.com/