Welcome to Season Two of Surrendering to the Signs. In this opening episode, host Laura Gates reflects on the deeper meaning behind signs, synchronicities, and, most powerfully, the people who show up on our path at exactly the right moment.

Laura explores how encounters often carry lessons, invitations, and turning points we can only understand in hindsight. From unexpected reunions and uncomfortable interactions to chance meetings on trains and long-term relationships born from unlikely moments, this episode invites listeners to look beyond first impressions and trust that the universe is constantly conspiring on our behalf.

As we step into a new season, Laura offers a gentle reminder that growth doesn’t always come through dramatic awakenings. Sometimes it comes through coffee meetings, missed deadlines, difficult conversations, quiet inner nudges, and moments where listening to the body becomes the most profound act of self-trust.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Why making it to Season Two is a meaningful milestone
• The many forms signs can take, goosebumps, intuition, inner voices, and people
• How first impressions can block meaningful connection if we let them
• A powerful story of a chance meeting on a train to Glastonbury
• Reflections on meeting soul-aligned collaborators, clients, and lifelong partners
• How surrendering control opens space for guidance and support
• Honoring winter, rest, and seasonal cycles as part of the soul’s rhythm

Resources & Links

Triggers by Marshall Goldsmith

Visit: surrenderingtothesigns.com

Music Featured

The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured.

List of Music

Beauregard feat Ryvr - 101

Saggie - Easy to Love

Risian - Undertow

Roie Shpigler- Clarity

Wav Two - Sakura

Family Kush- Heavy Summer

In this reflective season finale, Laura looks back on the conversations and transformations that shaped Season One of Surrendering to the Signs.

She shares what she has learned from her guests, from her own life, and from the unexpected signs that have continued to appear along the way, including the story of a small alleyway in Glastonbury that offered a message from her sister, three years after her passing.

This episode speaks to the journey we are all on: learning to trust our intuition, listening for the messages that guide us, and finding the courage to walk the path, even when we can’t yet see the ending.

If you’ve ever wondered: Why am I here? What is my purpose? How do I follow the signs in my life?

This closing reflection offers comfort, clarity, and companionship for that journey.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Laura’s gratitude for the people who helped bring Season One to life

• Honoring the guests whose stories opened the season’s conversation

• The evolving identity of the podcast and why naming the “mystery” matters

• Why so many of us hesitate to talk about spirituality or intuition openly

• How signs, synchronicities, and subtle nudges guide us toward alignment

• A moving story of Laura’s sister Janice and a message that arrived in Glastonbury

• Dreams, symbols, and the quiet language of the unconscious

• Seeing relationships through the lens of soul contracts and karmic lessons

• Reflections on not having children and the unexpected ways motherhood showed up

• What Season Two will explore: deeper conversations, more seekers, practical guidance, and spacious truth-telling

Resources & Links

Spirit Babies, Walter Makichen

The Surrender Experiment, Michael Singer

The Untethered Soul, Michael Singer

The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

The Awakened Mind, Dr. Lisa Miller

Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav

 The Art of Infinity, The spiritual journey of Albert Einstein by Kieran Fox.

Mind Magic, Dr. James Doty

Music Featured

The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured.

List of Music

Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love

101 feat Ryvr - Beauregard

Risian - Undertow

Roie Shpigler - Sakura

Family Kush - Heavy Summer

In this profoundly moving and life-affirming conversation, Laura sits down with Ruud Hopstaken, former healthcare executive, cancer survivor, and now coach, to explore what it truly means to wake up to life.

Ruud shares his extraordinary story: from a high-powered career as vice chair of a major Dutch medical university, to a sudden cancer diagnosis that brought everything to a halt. What followed was not just a physical healing journey, but a spiritual awakening invited him to redefine success, surrender control, and listen deeply to his body and soul.

Together, Laura and Ruud unpack themes of identity, loss, courage, and freedom. This episode is a powerful testament to how even the darkest moments can hold sacred invitations and how surrender can lead to the most profound kind of healing.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• The pivotal moment when Ruud’s life changed overnight
• How illness became a messenger and teacher, not an enemy
• The experience of losing his stomach and finding wholeness instead
• Why he cried tears of loss, not just joy, after being declared cancer-free
• How the need for identity and achievement can keep us from truly feeling
• The long process of learning to listen to his body’s voice
• Stories of transformation: marathons, illness, healing, swimming with the dolphins,and walking with the Maasai
• Why he believes cancer was his greatest gift and how it led him to guide others

Bio

Ruud Hopstaken is a coach, mentor, and former senior healthcare executive based in the Netherlands. After decades of high-intensity work in leadership and academia, his life took an unexpected turn with a diagnosis of stomach cancer, a journey that transformed how he saw himself, his work, and the world.

Resources & Links

The Work by Byron Katie

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Teachings on somatic wisdom and Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Ruuds website https://www.ruudhopstaken.com/

Or follow his journey across Europe https://www.berlin-to-brussels.com/

Music Featured

The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured.

List of Music

Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love

Tamuz Dekel - Evanescent

Sig Howler - A Trip

Oliver Michael - Runaway

Kyle Preston - Cafe de Philosophie

Jozeque - Seal

Adi Goldstein - Ocean Voyage

In this deeply inspiring episode, Laura speaks with Allison Sagraves, data and AI strategist, educator, and lifelong learner whose unconventional journey led her from corporate burnout to a cabin in the woods and to an entirely new way of living.

What began as a quiet yearning for space became a full transformation: from feeling claustrophobic in her career to creating a wild sanctuary rooted in nature, community, and creative purpose. Allison shares how buying a tiny cabin led her into beekeeping, rewilding her land, and reconnecting with the rhythms of the natural world, all while continuing to teach and consult at the highest levels of data and AI leadership.

This conversation beautifully bridges the practical and the spiritual, the technological and the natural. It’s a story of listening deeply, following intuition, and allowing life to unfold in its own time, an act of applied serendipity in every sense.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Allison’s yearning for space sparked a life-changing journey

• The healing connection between grief, land, and freedom

• From corporate claustrophobia to cabin life: what happens when you listen to intuition

• How one small cabin turned into a compound of creativity, connection, and care

• The surprising intersections between AI, data science, and citizen science

• What nature can teach us about systems, resilience, and balance

• The future of community: family, tribe, and shared spaces of belonging

• Healing through simplicity, rest, and reconnection

• Allison’s reflections on risk, resilience, and reclaiming her own narrative

Bio

Allison Sagraves is a data strategist, AI advisor, and educator who helps organizations around the world design intelligent data systems with integrity and insight. She serves on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University in the Chief Data and AI Officer Program and is the founder of Applied Serendipity, where she blends technology, strategy, and soulful leadership.

Resources & Links

Connect with Alison on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsagraves/ or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/appliedserenity

Or visit her website https://www.allisonsagraves.com/

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

Pete Oudolf and native plant design

Music Featured

The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured.

List of Music

Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love

Ben Winwood - Intimacy

Louis Island - Forest Fire - Instrumental

Michael Drake - Milk Honey

Lior Soltz - Glistening Ripples Lullaby

Elad Perez - Only This

Southern Call - Cactus Flower

In this expansive and heartfelt conversation, Laura reconnects with her dear friend and fellow guide, Tesse Akpeki, to explore how we cultivate resilience in times of chaos, grief, and transformation. Tesse shares her deeply personal journey, shaped by global roots, professional pivots, and profound loss and how a serendipitous solo trip to Ghana became a turning point in her healing.

Together, Laura and Tesse reflect on how disruption can become a doorway to presence, purpose, and inner strength. They talk about the power of self-compassion, the need to honor our own timeline for grieving, and how unexpected change can become the very ground of growth.

This episode offers a powerful reminder: we can navigate even the most unpredictable storms with courage, curiosity, and care for ourselves and for one another.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• Tesse’s multicultural background and journey from Nigeria to the UK
• The impact of sudden loss and the complexity of traumatic grief
• How a leadership retreat that didn’t happen became a soul pilgrimage
• What it means to be a “global citizen” shaped by many cultures
• Tesse’s evolving work in resilience, wellbeing, and leadership in academia
• The story behind her Future Focused Wellbeing & Resilience initiative
• The culture shock of returning home to find peace in Ghana’s pace and presence
• A powerful hospital story that demonstrates how loving culture can transform care
• The difference between anticipatory grief and traumatic grief
• The practice of intentional noticing and writing down daily moments of gratitude

Bio

Tesse Akpeki is a governance professional, lawyer, coach, and podcast host who has dedicated her life to helping individuals and organizations thrive in complex times. A true global citizen, Tesse blends legal expertise, leadership training, and deep spiritual insight to guide others through transformation. She is the host of Tesse Talks and Tesse Leads.

Resources & Links

Tesse’s podcasts: Tesse Talks and Tesse Leads

Man’s Search for Meaning and Hope by Viktor Franklin

Music Featured

The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured.

List of Music

Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love

Jimit - Forever Instrumental Version

Hans Johnson - Maasai

Ran Raiten - Pain Management

Seth Parson - Lekki

CTRL S - Colours of Your Heart Instrumental Version

Soft Sand - MEOD

The Ladyproducer - Born Chic

LUMINAR - As We Go

In this powerful and soul-bearing episode, Laura welcomes her longtime friend and fellow seeker, Sherold Barr. What unfolds is a profound exploration of trauma, trust, resilience, and spiritual awakening. Sherold opens up about the life-altering events that have shaped her journey, her brother’s unsolved murder, her son’s near-death illness, and her own harrowing accident that led to a near-death experience.

Through it all, Sherold shares how she learned to question her thoughts, trust her intuition, and surrender to what she calls “the high road to healing.” Her journey has been anything but easy but her willingness to face pain with consciousness, compassion, and radical honesty is deeply inspiring.

This conversation is a testament to the power of inner work, the grace of synchronicity, and the wisdom that comes when we stop resisting life and start listening.

What You'll Hear In This Episode

• How Sherold’s brother’s unsolved murder became the catalyst for deep inner healing

• Discovering Byron Katie’s work and realizing how our minds can imprison us

• The painful yet transformational experience of her son’s rare illness and recovery

• Insights into the “mother archetype” and how to mother ourselves and others

• A near-death experience in Mexico that changed everything—physically, emotionally, and spiritually

• The extraordinary synchronicities that appeared during and after her accident

• Learning to listen to intuition and the consequences of not trusting it

• The long journey from trauma to trust, and how writing helped uncover deeper truths

• Healing generational patterns, family dynamics, and coming home to herself

• Living now from a place of spiritual clarity, sobriety, and sacred service

Sherold Barr is a writer, coach, and spiritual guide whose life has been marked by profound adversity and even more profound transformation. A former PR executive turned seeker she now brings her lived wisdom to others through coaching and writing. Sherold is currently working on her memoir, High Road to Healing, and a program to help others navigate health crises with grace and intention.

Resources & Links

The Work by Byron Katie

Map of Consciousness by David R. Hawkins

Seth Godin’s work on creative and conscious entrepreneurship

Sherold’s website https://www.sheroldbarr.com/

Music Featured

The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured.

List of Music

Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love

Amick Cutler - Heartache (instrumental version)

Adrián Berenguer - Aware

Ilan Bar-Lavi - Cielito Lindo (instrumental version)

Rob Matheson - Spring

Roie Shpigler - Into the Light (instrumental version)

Salt of the Sound - Surrender

Dream of Eden - Speak without words

Steven Beddall - Never gonna let you go

Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love (instrumental version)

In this heartfelt reunion, Laura reconnects with Geri Esposito, her former manager at Citibank and one of the earliest catalysts on her spiritual path. What begins as a conversation about their shared professional history evolves into a profound exploration of intuition, spiritual awakening, and life-altering choices.

Geri shares how a spontaneous yoga class in the 1960s set her on a lifelong journey of meditation, healing, and inner work, long before such practices were mainstream. Laura reflects on how Geri’s invitation to a retreat became a turning point in her own life, even before she understood its full significance.

Together, they explore how quiet nudges and synchronicities shape our paths, how identity evolves through career transitions, and what it means to surrender to signs, even when the road ahead is unclear. This episode is a beautiful reminder that the right teachers appear when we’re ready, and their impact can last a lifetime.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Geri’s spiritual path began with a yoga class in 1960s NYC

• The unexpected healing experience that shifted Laura’s direction

• A powerful story of retreat, spiritual teachers, and not knowing what it meant at the time

• Why you don’t need a plan—just openness and willingness to say yes

• How both Geri and Laura followed intuitive signs to leave their careers and relocate

• The challenge of identity loss when shifting from corporate to spiritual work
• Creating a new path through trust, discomfort, and small steps forward
• How yoga, body wisdom, and heart-centered decisions continue to guide Geri today

• What Geri learned from working in senior communities and starting over with humility

• Reflections on purpose, aging, and making peace with the unknown

Geri Esposito is a lifelong seeker and spiritual practitioner whose journey began in the yoga studios of 1960s New York. A former Vice President at Citibank, Geri left behind her corporate identity to become a massage therapist, reflexologist, and teacher of yoga and SoulCollage® for seniors. She brings a wealth of embodied wisdom, humor, and heart to her story, illustrating what it means to live a life guided by inner knowing and spiritual integrity.

Resources & Links

The Spiritual Dimension of Therapeutic Touch by Dora Kunz and Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N.

Spiritual Healing by Dora ven Gelder Kunz, featuring Larry Dossey, M.D., Bernie Siegel, M.D.

Therapeutic Touch the work of Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N.

Integral Yoga Institute https://iyiny.org/

Music Featured

The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured.

List of Music

Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love

Onyx Music - Parallel Dimension

Maya Belsitzman & Matan Ephrat - Scene 3 - Want to Dance

Leroy Wild feat Blythe Cas - Around The World

James Forest - Beautiful Day for the Road

Tamuz Dekel - Tamuz Dekel Evanescent

Saggie, Steven Beddall & Jenny Penkin - Easy to Love Instrumental

In this intimate and heart-led conversation, Laura reconnects with long-time friend, collaborator, and fellow seeker Sarah Nicotra to explore the magic of “surrendering to the signs.” From hawks circling overhead to a lone sparrow nesting above her shoulder, Sarah shares how nature’s messengers have guided her through seasons of creativity, rest, and personal healing.

Together, they reflect on the importance of noticing subtle signs, honoring life’s natural cycles, and allowing quiet periods to be part of the spiritual journey. This episode is a gentle reminder that guidance doesn’t always arrive as a dramatic burning bush—it can be a whisper, a nudge, or a bird’s song at just the right moment.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How Sarah first connected with Laura through a shared hawk encounter

• The personal meaning hawks and other birds hold in Sarah’s spiritual practice

• A touching story of a “rare bird” that became a companion

• Why periods of silence can be as meaningful as obvious signs

• The healing power of listening to birdsong and attuning to nature’s rhythm

• Letting go of constant productivity to embrace rest, trust, and natural flow

• Reflections on co-creating past projects like Be Your Own Guru and Wintering Well

About Sarah

Sarah Nicotra is a long-time collaborator with Laura Gates and Gates Group Consulting, where she has worked behind the scenes organizing, strategizing, and executing projects. She brings experience in corporate, government and the healthcare industry as a project manager, UX designer, executive and wellness coach, legal assistant and spiritual Care Coordinator. Sarah holds two Master’s degrees in Transpersonal Psychology and Organization Management. Her mission is to help businesses transform their visions with impact, using innovative approaches, including AI, to deliver value.

Resources & Links

Connect with Laura on instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/surrenderingtothesigns/ ⁠

and the shows website at ⁠https://surrenderingtothesigns.com/

Music Featured

The music in each episode of Surrendering to the Signs has been carefully curated to enhance the episode, below is a list of all tracks featured.

Assaf Ayalon - Lullaby

Eldar Kedem - I See

James Forest - Endless Song

Luc Allieres - LA BELLA CAFE

LUMINAR - Circle

Maya Pacziga - August 16th

Saggie - Easy to Love - Instrumental version

Saggie - Easy to Love

Shahead Mostafafar - Golden Diamond