In this heartfelt episode of The Stroke It Podcast, host Jenny Townsend records from the coast of Croatia and shares how a simple concept — filling your bucket — can transform the way you approach kindness, self-care, and connection. Inspired by her volunteer work with Embracing Our Differences and time spent reading to children, Jenny reflects on the importance of nurturing yourself so you can pour into others.

She opens up about what it means to refill your own cup daily through gratitude, positive self-talk, and mindful routines, before exploring how these habits ripple out into stronger relationships, happier workplaces, and more compassionate communities.

From small gestures of appreciation with her husband to uplifting her team at Music Compound through encouragement and recognition, Jenny offers relatable examples of how kindness fuels personal and professional growth. She closes with a reminder to dream big, live fully, and create your own bucket list — because joy expands when you give yourself permission to pursue it.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode

✅ The real meaning behind “filling your bucket” and how it applies to daily life
✅ Why self-kindness and gratitude set the tone for everything else
✅ Simple ways to strengthen your relationships and team culture
✅ How small acts of encouragement can transform the workplace
✅ Tips for creating and living your personal bucket list
✅ Reflections from Croatia on connection, gratitude, and living with intention

Resources & Links

Volunteer with Embracing Our Differences
Subscribe to Jenny’s newsletter for updates, downloads, and inspiration
Share the podcast with a friend who could use a little encouragement this week

Chapters

00:00 Recording from Croatia: Inspiration Behind the Episode
02:47 The Bucket-Filling Concept and Volunteering with Kids
05:10 Filling Your Own Bucket Through Self-Care
08:08 Strengthening Relationships and Connection
10:22 Building a Culture of Kindness at Work
20:15 Creating Your Own Bucket List and Living Fully

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Did you know there are free downloads available on my website? Go to All Products | Jenny Alday Townsend and snag the 4 Ground Rules to Elevate your life. Planning your future? Develop your 1-3-5 and change your life path!

In this powerful episode of The Stroke It Podcast, host Jenny Townsend welcomes Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, an experienced clinical psychologist, speaker, and author, who brings decades of wisdom on parenting, relationships, and emotional healing.

Dr. Gloria takes a deep dive into how cultural norms have shaped boys to suppress emotions, teaching them to be tough instead of tender. While once seen as survival skills, these outdated expectations are now harming marriages, fatherhood, and children’s development. 💔

Drawing from her impactful books “Read, Reflect, Respond: The Three R’s of Growth and Change” and “How Not to F-Up Being a Father”, she shares practical tools for parents and partners to:
✅ Encourage boys to express the full range of emotions
✅ Replace “stop crying” with validation and compassion
✅ Strengthen marriages through emotional intimacy and self-awareness
✅ Use journaling and creative methods as healing practices
✅ Break harmful generational cycles of emotional suppression

Listeners will hear thought-provoking insights on how fathers influence emotional growth, why emotional intelligence starts in infancy, and how men can reclaim the tenderness that society has denied them. Dr. Gloria also introduces the “empty chair” method, a therapeutic practice to process unresolved emotions, and explains why teaching children early to feel safe expressing themselves is essential for lifelong mental health.

✨ Whether you’re a parent, leader, or spouse, this episode is packed with life-changing lessons to help you build stronger families, healthier relationships, and a more emotionally aware future.

Chapters

0:00: Introduction to Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst
2:15: Why boys are taught to suppress emotions
5:40: Stress, commitment, and the weight of relationships
9:05: Journaling as a tool for growth and healing
12:18: “Show me” vs. “Tell me” in teaching kids emotional awareness
15:42: Cultural shame around crying and tenderness in boys
19:10: Emotional suppression as survival in the past—why it’s harmful now
22:33: Fathers’ influence on emotional growth in early childhood
26:15: Replacing “stop crying” with validation and presence
30:02: Love languages, intimacy, and emotional connection in marriage
33:28: Healing father-son relationships with awareness and openness
37:10: The “empty chair” method for processing unresolved pain
40:45: Mothers’ role in modeling and encouraging emotional expression
43:58: Emotional safety from infancy to adolescence
47:15: Insights from How Not to F-Up Being a Father
50:10: Final reflections on family, faith, and emotional growth

Connect with Dr. Vanderhorst:

Website: https://drvanderhorst.com/
Facebook: @drvanderhorst

Order Stroke It now at jennyaldaytownsend.com/book. Your order includes a signed copy, shipping and handling, and great Bonus items!

Follow the Stroke It Guide on socials to stay connected and to get tips on how you too can get your STROKE on'!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyaldaytownsend/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestrokeitguide

Check out more about Jenny Alday Townsend by visiting http://www.jennyaldaytownsend.com

Did you know there are free downloads available on my website? Go to All Products | Jenny Alday Townsend and snag the 4 Ground Rules to Elevate your life. Planning your future? Develop your 1-3-5 and change your life path!

In this special quickie episode of The Stroke It Podcast, host Jenny Townsend records from the stunning red rocks of Sedona as she wraps up Season Three of the podcast. She shares stories from her annual mother-daughter trip, filled with hiking adventures, spiritual healing, and moments of reflection. From long treks on Sedona’s scenic trails to massages, crystals, and vortex visits, Jenny dives into how nature and travel create space for connection and clarity.

Jenny also looks back on Season Three—highlighting favorite guest conversations, relaunches of past episodes, and the powerful themes of leadership, self-awareness, and personal growth. She then offers a glimpse of what’s ahead in Season Four, including new in-person interviews, fresh storytelling formats, and a lineup of inspiring women leaders.

Beyond the podcast, Jenny opens up about the highs and lows of running her music school, rebuilding systems, and celebrating her team’s resilience at their annual retreat. She closes with encouragement to plan your own adventures—whether it’s a bucket-list trip, a family getaway, or simply more time outdoors—and to believe that anything is possible when you start mapping it out.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

✅ Jenny’s annual Sedona trip with her mom and their love for hiking
✅ Spiritual healing experiences and wellness practices in Sedona
✅ Season Three recap: favorite guests and relaunches
✅ Exciting changes and lineup for Season Four
✅ Behind the scenes of running Music Compound and rebuilding after challenges
✅ The importance of visioning, planning, and booking the trips that inspire you

Resources & Links:

✨ Subscribe to Jenny’s newsletter for weekly highlights and downloads
✨ Share the podcast with a friend to help us reach 7,500 downloads by December 15
✨ Connect with Jenny on social media for updates and inspiration

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Sedona: A Personal Journey
06:41 Season Three Recap and Future Plans
16:41 Travel Inspirations and Future Adventures

Order Stroke It now at jennyaldaytownsend.com/book. Your order includes a signed copy, shipping and handling, and great Bonus items!

Follow the Stroke It Guide on socials to stay connected and to get tips on how you too can get your STROKE on'!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennyaldaytownsend/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestrokeitguide

Check out more about Jenny Alday Townsend by visiting http://www.jennyaldaytownsend.com

Did you know there are free downloads available on my website? Go to All Products | Jenny Alday Townsend and snag the 4 Ground Rules to Elevate your life. Planning your future? Develop your 1-3-5 and change your life path!