What happens when the work that once gave your life meaning suddenly disappears?

In this powerful return conversation, leadership coach, mindfulness practitioner, yoga teacher, and host of the ThriveMind Podcast, Courtney Finstad, joins us to explore the deep connection between purpose, identity, grief, and healing. Over the past year, Courtney has supported individuals impacted by the dismantling of humanitarian and mission-driven organizations, helping people navigate career loss, identity disruption, and the search for meaning during uncertain times.

Together, we discuss why losing purpose-driven work can feel like losing a part of yourself, how hope can become an anchor during periods of transition, and why genuine healing begins not with fixing ourselves, but with creating space for rest, reflection, and connection.

Courtney also shares insights from her work with communities like My Career Pivot, her growing ThriveMind Podcast, and The Soft Rebellion, a movement encouraging people to push back against hustle culture, constant productivity, and the pressure to optimize every moment.

In a world increasingly driven by AI, speed, and achievement, this conversation is a reminder that our humanity, presence, creativity, and capacity for connection may be our greatest strengths.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why purpose and identity are so deeply connected
• How to navigate grief after major life or career disruptions
• The role of rest, nervous system regulation, and community in healing
• Why presence may be more valuable than productivity
• How to trust intuition, ease, and the "wise agent within"
• Simple ways to reconnect with meaning right where you are

Whether you're facing a career transition, questioning what's next, or simply craving a slower, more intentional way of living, this episode offers wisdom, hope, and practical reminders for the journey.

Connect with Courtney:
Host of the ThriveMind Podcast, leadership coach, mindfulness practitioner, and advocate for creating spaces where people can feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.

In this episode of Better Understanding, Sarah and Marcy sit down with Dr. Sherry Deckman, Professor of Education at Lehman College, Executive Officer of the PhD Program in Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate Center, author, researcher, and lifelong educator.

Sherry shares her deeply personal and mission-driven journey, reflecting on how her multiracial upbringing, early conversations about racism and social justice, and teaching experiences around the globe have shaped her worldview and career path.

Together, they explore:
• What students and adults alike truly need in order to grow and thrive
• Why integrity, humility, and listening are essential qualities in leadership
• How leadership becomes more meaningful when it is relational and reciprocal
• How mindfulness, compassion, and curiosity help her navigate difficult conversations and systemic challenges

This episode is an honest, grounding, and hopeful conversation about education, leadership, identity, kindness, and the power of making people feel seen, valued, and heard.

Whether you’re an educator, leader, parent, student, or simply someone trying to navigate the world with more intention and humanity, this conversation offers wisdom that will stay with you long after listening.

What if the thing you’re most afraid to share… is the very thing someone else needs to hear?

In this raw and powerful episode, Drew Sullivan opens up about his 17-year battle with addiction—and the unexpected mindset shift that finally helped him choose a different path.

But this isn’t just a story about recovery.

It’s about identity. Honesty. And what happens when you stop hiding and start showing up fully as yourself.

Drew shares the moment that changed everything, how going public with his journey became a turning point, and why he now sees his story as a responsibility not just a reflection of his past.

We also dive into:

• Why “small steps” are more powerful than big overhauls
• The surprising role attention and accountability played in his sobriety
• How community can form in the most unexpected ways
• Why addiction isn’t always what we think it is
• And how to know when it’s time to make a change

Today, Drew helps bring some of the world’s most impactful voices to stages around the world, but in this conversation, he reminds us that our own voice might be the one that matters most.

If you’ve ever struggled, felt stuck, or wondered whether change is really possible, then this episode is for you.