On this thought-provoking episode of Dear Dr. Charryse, host Dr. Charryse Johnson sits down with Jordan A. Y. Smith, professor, poet, filmmaker, mental health advocate, and Executive Director of the Always Be Kind Way Foundation, for a powerful conversation about values, identity, relationships, and making choices that reflect who we truly want to be.

Jordan Smith brings a unique perspective shaped by his work in Asian Languages and Cultures at UCLA, poetry, film, psychology, mental health, and cross-cultural education. He shares how our values can move beyond abstract ideas and become practical guides for the decisions we make every day.

The conversation explores how making a decision forces us to confront what matters most. Jordan introduces a reflection exercise that encourages people to identify three qualities they want to embody, such as being patient, present, or positive, and then use those qualities as a compass for making calmer and more intentional choices.

Jordan also opens up about returning to Los Angeles with the hope of rebuilding his 25 year marriage. Although he and his wife ultimately chose to part ways amicably, he reflects on the experience without bitterness and shares how accepting life's unexpected turns can become part of living according to your values.

Rather than creating a rigid vision of the future, Jordan encourages listeners to see life as a process of co creation. Through his pottery wheel analogy, he illustrates how we continually balance our intentions with the realities of the world around us.

Coaching Session Highlights:

• The Values Check: Jordan encourages listeners to examine their options and identify which personal values each decision puts into practice, helping bring clarity to difficult choices.

• The Three Qualities Exercise: Choose three qualities you want to embody and use their deeper essence as a guide for responding to everyday situations with greater intention.

• From Fear to Possibility: Dr. Charryse explores how people can place themselves inside protective emotional boxes because of fear or the desire for safety, and encourages listeners to recognize when those self imposed limits are holding them back.

• Hope Over Envy: Instead of comparing ourselves to people who appear to be living the life we want, Dr. Charryse encourages a mindset of possibility by asking, “If they can have it, why not me?”

• Practicing Value Alignment: The conversation explores how repeatedly making choices that reflect our core values can help create new patterns and make those choices feel increasingly natural and secure.

Dr. Charryse closes the conversation by encouraging viewers to reflect on whether their daily choices truly align with the person they want to become. This episode is a reminder that purpose is not only found in major life decisions—it is built through the values we practice every day.

On this powerful episode of Dear Dr. Charryse, host Dr. Charryse Johnson sits down with Dr. Prudence Hall, a Los Angeles based gynecologist and leading authority on menopause and holistic hormonal health, for an eye opening conversation about hormones, aging, stress, and women's health.

Traditionally trained as a gynecologist and surgeon, Dr. Hall transitioned into integrative and regenerative medicine after seeing firsthand how conventional approaches to menopause were leaving many women struggling with depression, anxiety, weight gain, fatigue, and changes in sexuality. Her approach focuses on understanding the root causes behind symptoms and looking at the body as an interconnected system.

Dr. Hall shares how hormone therapy has evolved throughout her career, including the shift toward bioidentical and natural hormones. She explains why estrogen and other hormones can play an important role in healthy aging and discusses the relationship between hormonal health, cardiovascular health, diabetes, brain health, and overall well being.

The conversation also explores how chronic stress can trigger a domino effect throughout the body. Dr. Hall discusses the connection between adrenal health, thyroid function, blood sugar, and hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause.

Coaching Session Highlights:

• Understanding the Hormone Shift: Dr. Hall explains why perimenopause and menopause can affect everything from energy and mood to weight, sexuality, and overall quality of life.

• Looking Beyond One Hormone: Healthy aging requires looking at the body as a connected system. The conversation explores how stress, adrenal function, thyroid levels, blood sugar, and hormones can influence one another.

• Advocating for Your Health: Dr. Charryse encourages women to be honest about their symptoms and become active participants in their healthcare journey by asking questions and seeking appropriate professional guidance.

• Reframing Perimenopause: Dr. Charryse reminds women that perimenopause is a biological transition, not a personal expiration date, and encourages viewers to approach this stage of life with awareness rather than fear.

Dr. Hall also discusses her book Radiant Again and Forever, which shares patient stories and explores topics including PMS, perimenopause, thyroid health, and female sexuality. This episode offers an empowering look at what it means to age with vitality and why understanding your body can be the first step toward feeling like yourself again.

On this powerful episode of Dear Dr. Charryse, host Dr. Charryse Johnson sits down with entrepreneur, top-rated podcast host, and TEDx speaker Rachel Medina to unpack the hidden costs of success and what happens when achievement comes at the expense of peace.
Rachel shares her journey from scaling a remote marketing and media business to consistent six-figure months and generating millions in revenue—only to realize that the success she built had left her deeply unhappy and disconnected from the life she actually wanted.
After experiencing the devastating loss of her son and navigating the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachel made a profound decision to realign her life around peace, purpose, faith, and what truly mattered.
Together, Rachel and Dr. Charryse explore the pressure female entrepreneurs face to constantly hustle, scale, and pursue more, while questioning whether those definitions of success actually serve them.
The conversation dives into the neuroscience behind achievement, the addictive cycle of chasing the next milestone, and why sustainable success must include the health of your body, relationships, nervous system, and spirit.
Rachel also shares how she is now using her experience to support other women through her podcast, community, and programs designed to help women explore entrepreneurship without sacrificing themselves in the process.
During the episode, Dr. Charryse introduces a powerful framework for evaluating whether your version of success is actually creating the life you want.
Coaching Session Highlights:
• The Hustle Trap: Constant opportunity and comparison can keep entrepreneurs chasing growth without asking whether the lifestyle actually feels good.
• Success & Self-Abandonment: Building a successful business around someone else's definition of achievement can leave you disconnected from yourself.
• The Dopamine Cycle: Accomplishments can provide temporary motivation and excitement, but the feeling fades, encouraging people to immediately chase the next milestone.
• Redefining Success: Success doesn't have to mean doing more. Peace, sustainability, relationships, health, and purpose can also be measures of achievement.
• Faith Over the Flex: Rachel and Dr. Charryse explore how faith can reduce the pressure to prove yourself or project an image of success.
• Purpose After Loss: Rachel shares how profound loss changed her priorities and ultimately pushed her toward a more purpose-driven life.
• The "Peace Profit Audit": Dr. Charryse challenges listeners to ask:
– What does my current definition of success require from my body, relationships, and spiritual life?
– Which goal is truly mine, and which am I pursuing because I'm comparing myself to someone else?
– What would I choose differently if peace, stewardship, and sustainability were also measures of success?
This episode is a powerful reminder that you can be ambitious without abandoning yourself. True success isn't just about what you build—it’s about whether you can experience peace while living inside the life you've created.