Welcome to the latest installment in my ongoing series of mind melds with my wife and in-house spiritual guru, the wise and ethereal Julie Piatt, aka SriMati.

Longtime listeners are well acquainted with my better half. For those newer to the show, Julie is very good at many things. In addition to being an accomplished yogi, healer, musician, and mom to four children, she's also the bestselling author of three vegan cookbooks. She hosts the For The Life of Me podcast. She lords over Water Tiger, her online spiritual community. And she's the founder and 'Mother Arc' of SriMu, her recently launched plant-based cheese start-up.

This conversation opens with an update on SriMu. How Julie manifested her vision to create the absolute best artisanal vegan cheese on the market. Start-up founder life behind-the scenes. The values she is building into her food and work culture. And the broader mission she holds for the future.

We discuss the hows and whys behind my decision to take my first ever extended work sabbatical (don't worry the podcast will continue as scheduled).

And we explore strategies for navigating the perilous emotional and financial land mines that accompany the holiday season.

Finally, we close with thoughts on weathering the judgment of others. Maintaining a growth mindset. Approaching others with humility. And the benefits of choosing to see the divinity in all things.

The visually inclined can watch it all go down on YouTube.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the divine offering.

Peace + Plants,

Rich