Today’s guest is Francisco Ortega, who reflects on migration, identity, vulnerability, and the lost art of deep conversation. He shares how self-doubt and imposter syndrome can fuel humility and growth, and opens up about the shame that once led him to fabricate parts of his story in order to belong.

Francisco recounts immigrating from Jalisco, Mexico, living in Tijuana apart from his parents, and arriving in the U.S. in 1978 — experiences that shaped his sense of dual identity. He also discusses his men’s group, his work around dialogue, and how writing an autobiographical-fictional book led to deeper conversations with his family and daughters.

Together, we explore performativity, certainty, yoga, religion, impermanence, and what it truly means to “lean into love” through vulnerability, curiosity, and connection.

00:00 Why Conversation Matters

01:23 Imposter Syndrome Talk

02:42 Doubt as Fuel

04:04 Men’s Group and Honest Mirrors

06:20 Immigrant Roots and Identity

10:41 Shame and Reinventing Yourself

14:36 Authenticity and the Self

16:16 Happiness Culture and Isolation

19:28 Seeing Family with New Questions

23:59 Parenting Power and Indoctrination

27:58 Seminary Years and Service

33:41 Religion, Control, and Kindness

39:57 Living Beyond Binary Labels

41:58 Beyond Gender Binaries

45:43 Certainty as Violence

47:45 Living in the Gray

50:11 Rage and Hard Questions

52:20 Yoga Leadership Impermanence

54:43 Performative Culture Anger Economy

01:03:25 Eternal Return Gender Roles

01:08:52 Leaning Into Love

If this conversation resonated with you:

💛 Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that their pain—physical or emotional—is interconnected and worthy of care.

💛 Leave a review to help more listeners find conversations like this.

💛 Visit www.ginavelezwellness.com to begin working together! Therapy in CA, Coaching everywhere.

In this grounding and inspiring conversation, Gina sits down with Jade Gutierrez, founder of The Skin Lab, to talk about intuition, entrepreneurship, healing through touch, and building a life rooted in authenticity.

Jade shares her journey from juggling multiple jobs while raising two children to creating a thriving buccal massage business in Huntington Beach, CA — one built through intuition, consistency, and a powerful mindset shift: “Everything always works out for me.”

Together, Gina and Jade explore:

• What buccal massage actually is — and why it’s transforming people’s lives
• The healing power of touch and energetic connection
• Burnout, entrepreneurship, and learning sustainable growth
• Going viral on TikTok and building an authentic social media presence
• Why “crappy videos” are necessary for creativity and confidence
• The subtle ways intuition and energy show up during bodywork sessions
• Freedom, play, and learning to stop living from fear

Jade also opens up about sensing emotions and grief in clients during treatments, her curiosity around Reiki and energetic work, and the emotional process of finally building a career that truly feels aligned with who she is.

This conversation is equal parts practical, spiritual, emotional, and empowering — especially for creatives, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to build a life that feels more like themselves.

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.skinn.lab

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.skinn.lab/

Website: https://www.theskinnlab.com/

If this conversation resonated with you:

💛 Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that their pain—physical or emotional—is interconnected and worthy of care.

💛 Leave a review to help more listeners find conversations like this.

💛 Visit www.ginavelezwellness.com to begin working together! Therapy in CA, Coaching everywhere.

Episode Summary

In this heartfelt and wide-ranging conversation, Alicia Wagner Kaplan shares how her sister’s stroke at age 26 changed the trajectory of her life - and ultimately led her to become a physical therapist. Watching her sister relearn how to walk, talk, and reclaim her independence opened Alicia’s eyes to the transformative power of rehabilitation.

Now five years into her career, Alicia works in outpatient physical therapy, where she helps patients return not just to sport - but to life.

But this episode goes far beyond biomechanics.

Together, we explore:

• The interconnected nature of mind, body, and spirit
• Why pain often flares during stress (even when nothing “physical” changed)
• The concept of allostatic load and how chronic stress lowers our pain threshold
• Why society more easily validates physical pain than mental health struggles
• The overlap between occupational therapy and mental health care
• Whether trauma is “stored” in the body—and how to think about that question with nuance
• The role of healthcare professionals in advocacy and social justice
• Empathy, boundaries, and not taking your patients’ pain home with you
• Choosing love over fear in relationships, faith, and identity

If this conversation resonated with you:

💛 Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that their pain—physical or emotional—is interconnected and worthy of care.

💛 Leave a review to help more listeners find conversations like this.

💛 Visit www.ginavelezwellness.com to begin working together! Therapy in CA, Coaching everywhere.