Content note: This episode discusses suicide, self-harm, and medical trauma. Please listen with care.

At 39, Susan Benoit had a stroke. Doctors found a tumour inside her heart and gave her eight months to live without open-heart surgery. She survived the surgery and then everything fell apart.

The thing that finally pulled her out? Breathwork.

Susan is a breathwork and contrast therapy facilitator who now works with women, kids, and anyone navigating anxiety, panic attacks, and trauma. In this conversation she gets real about:

• Why 80%+ of open-heart surgery patients fall into depression — and why no one warns them
• The difference between "anxiety" and actually naming the emotion underneath it
• Why your exhale matters more than your inhale (and what carbon dioxide has to do with brain function)
• The moment your breath changes before you even know you're triggered
• Why "small t" vs "big T" trauma is nonsense
• Forgiving yourself instead of waiting for closure from someone else

  
  This episode is an honest, sometimes heavy, ultimately hopeful conversation about what it actually looks like to heal.
  
  Find Susan at @susanbenoit on Instagram and https://www.submergewellness.ca/
  
  Join us on the journey to finding your bliss. ✨
  

  Follow along on socials @anandaelixirs
  

  Discover Shroom Soda® at anandaelixirs.com
  
  
  
  

On this episode we chat with Emma Terrell aka The Urban Botanist is a biologist, entrepreneur, and nature educator right here in Ottawa who's spent the last nine years helping people reconnect with the natural world.

We get into her story - going from political science to biology, working as a flight attendant while finishing her degree, and building a business that exploded during the pandemic.

We talk about what it actually means to run a business that works with nature instead of against it, why most "eco-friendly" branding is surface level, and what real sustainability looks like when you're scaling.

We also get into why we're all so disconnected from nature, what it's doing to our health, the case for growing your own food, and how something as simple as one houseplant can start to shift things. Plus Dylan and Emma discover they're both obsessed with salamanders and it kind of derails everything in the best way.

Join us on the journey to finding your bliss. ✨

Follow along on socials @anandaelixirs

Discover Shroom Soda® at anandaelixirs.com

Find Emma at @theurbanbotanist and https://theurbanbotanist.ca/

Before Sammi and Dylan ever officially met, they were eating at the same dinners, sitting at the same pool, and walking the same hallways at a resort in the Bahamas and neither had any idea.

They only figured it out years later. And they're not alone.

In this episode, Dylan and Sammi dig into the Invisible String Theory, the idea that the people who end up mattering most to you were somehow already in your orbit long before you found each other.

They share their own story, read through listener submissions and Reddit threads full of jaw-dropping coincidences, and get into the bigger question: how much of life is really as random as it seems?

Join us on the journey to finding your bliss. ✨

Follow along on socials @anandaelixirs

Discover Shroom Soda® at anandaelixirs.com

In this episode, Sammi and Dylan do something a little different, they read real comments, DMs, and reviews left on Ananda Elixirs page, and give their geniune reactions.

From misconceptions about psychedelics to questions about stevia, from "it tastes like bar mat" to "are you guys even real?" this episode pulls back the curtain on what it's actually like to build a wellness brand in public.

It's silly. It's real. And somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, there's a genuine conversation about why Ananda Elixirs exists, what goes into the product, and why following your bliss sometimes means reading comments you didn't ask for. 😂

Join us on the journey to finding your bliss. ✨

Follow along on socials @anandaelixirs

Discover Shroom Soda® at anandaelixirs.com

In this episode, we sit down with Sheena Brady, founder of Tease Wellness, to unpack what it really takes to build a successful business—from burnout and getting fired to scaling a global, 8-figure brand.

Sheena shares her journey from working 60–70 hour weeks in luxury hospitality (fueled by 7 cups of coffee a day) to discovering the power of functional tea and building a company rooted in intentional living and self-care.

We dive into:

• The moment getting fired changed everything
• Why “just keep moving” is her core business philosophy
• The reality of scaling a product-based business (pandemic, retail, logistics & more)
• Bootstrapping vs. raising capital—and why she chose control over hype
• The importance of community and building with purpose
• How her Founders Fund has supported women entrepreneurs with $300K+ in funding

From navigating chaos to scaling intentionally, this episode is a must-listen for anyone building through uncertainty or anyone curious about what actually goes into building a business.

Join us on the journey to finding your bliss. ✨

Follow along on socials @anandaelixirs

Discover Shroom Soda® at anandaelixirs.com

FInd Sheena at @sheenabradyy and explore Tease at @teasewellness and https://teasetea.com

In this episode of the Ananda Podcast, Sammi sits down with entrepreneur and founder Lauren, the creator of North & Rose a luxury, non-toxic home goods brand.

After discovering that mass-produced candles were triggering severe migraines, Lauren began experimenting with creating safer alternatives for her own home. What started as a small personal project quickly evolved into a thriving business known for its beautifully curated candles and vintage home pieces.

Sammi and Lauren talk about the real journey behind building a product brand while raising young kids — from pouring candles in her home and selling at markets, to leaving a corporate career and opening her first retail space and café.

They also dive into:
✨ The truth about toxins in home fragrance
✨ Building a brand with intention and strong aesthetics
✨ Navigating motherhood while growing a business
✨ Learning to trust yourself (even when you feel unprepared)
✨ Why community is the heart of great brands

This episode is an honest conversation about entrepreneurship, creativity, and figuring it out as you go.

Join us on the journey to finding your bliss. ✨

Follow along on socials @anandaelixirs

Discover Shroom Soda® at anandaelixirs.com

Find Lauren and North + Rose at https://www.northandrose.ca/ and @northandroseco

In this episode of the Ananda Podcast, Sammi and Dylan sit down with Darcy Boucher, founder of Bowda Creative Co., creator of the Mother Founder Movement, and author of Mom’s Business Baby.

Darcy shares her unconventional journey into entrepreneurship- from growing up in a military family and planning a career in the armed forces, to a life-altering accident that forced her to completely rethink her future.

What began as a setback eventually led Darcy to build her own agency and create a platform dedicated to supporting mothers who are building businesses while raising families.

Together they talk about:

• The unexpected moments that push us toward our true path
• Why motherhood and entrepreneurship are both acts of creation
• The realities of running a business while raising young kids
• Breaking out of traditional gender roles in business
• The growing movement of women redefining leadership

This conversation is an honest look at ambition, resilience, motherhood, and building a life aligned with your values.

Join us on the journey to finding your bliss. ✨

Follow along on socials @anandaelixirs

Discover Shroom Soda® at anandaelixirs.com

Find Darcy Boucher at https://www.bowdacreative.com/ @bowda.creative @darcyboucher www.motherfoundermvmt @motherfoundermvmt

In this episode, Sammi and Dylan sit down for a fun, honest blind reaction to an article on “7 Things You Can Do to Thrive in 2026” by Psychology Today... and they have thoughts.

The conversation quickly goes beyond the list itself, turning into a real-talk exploration of what it actually means to thrive in today’s world. They unpack everything from reclaiming your attention in a hyper-digital age, setting boundaries that protect your peace, and navigating the constant pressure to keep up, especially for women.

Along the way, they get personal about family dynamics, generational patterns, and the tug-of-war between external validation and genuine human connection. They also dive into why embracing contradictions can actually fuel growth, how technology impacts our ability to stay present, and why reconnecting with nature, purpose, and simple joy matters more than ever.

This episode is light, reflective, and full of candid moments for a reminder that thriving isn’t about having everything figured out. It’s about choosing optimism, protecting your energy, and creating small, meaningful moments that make life feel good right now.

If you’re heading into a new season of life wondering how to reset, refocus, or just feel a little more grounded, this conversation is for you. ✨

Join us on the journey to finding your bliss. ✨

Follow along on socials @anandaelixirs

Discover Shroom Soda® at anandaelixirs.com