Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen

Million Dollar Advice is a work and career advice podcast hosted by friends and colleagues Kim Lessing and Kate Arend. Together Kim and Kate run Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions and are very cool and good at their jobs. Each week, they help live callers with their work-related dilemmas. Whether you have a question or you just like listening to other people’s problems, this show will change your life. If you have a problem at work or a career question big or small, write in to milliondollaradvicepod@gmail.com or leave a message on the Million Dollar Advice Hotline (888) 799-6327. Kim and Kate can’t wait to give you some Million Dollar Advice! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bestselling author Anne Lamott discusses giving from a place of abundance, healing codependency, and the transformative power of enduring love. The podcast explores vulnerability, acts of kindness without expectations, and the importance of genuine connections in overcoming fear and insecurity.

“From my perspective, one of the reasons we tell stories is it helps give us a sense of who we are, we use stories to affirm our identity. And that's part of the reason why we don't actually like to call them stories, because if we call them stories, and we begin to see that the self is actually rooted in construction, made up interpreted reality, it can be very threatening to us and to our sense of who would I be without this story. And so that's one of the things that I really love about this is you can begin to see that my sense of self has to change, if I'm willing to look at my stories, what is going to happen is my sense of who I am is going to change.”So says Courtney Smith, a coach, facilitator, and dear friend who is schooled and trained in many different modalities: Conscious Leadership Group, Byron Katie’s work, the Alexander Technique, and the Enneagram. She is one of my favorite thought partners because of the range of her intelligence and the structure of her mind: She was a math econ major who happens to have a J.D. from Yale and a masters in public health from NYU. Before taking a turn toward the mystical, she was a McKinsey consultant. So in short, she’s a multi-hyphenate Renaissance woman whose bookshelf looks much like mine. You might remember Courtney from our conversation on Pulling the Thread about the Enneagram—if you missed it, there’s a link in the show notes—but today, we’re going to talk about Stephen Karpman’s Drama Triangle: What it is, how to know when you’re in it, and how to move past it…while recognizing that you’ll be in another one soon enough. We also do a little bit of live coaching and role-playing, so you all will really get a sense of how this powerful tool works. Meanwhile, if you want to work with me and Courtney, together, we’re hosting a workshop from May 17-19 at the Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, North Carolina. It’s called “Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness” and will be a combination of On Our Best Behavior and Courtney’s techniques. Honestly, I can’t wait—I hope you’ll all join us. The link to sign up is also in the episode page, or the link in bio on my Instagram account, @ eliseloehnen. MORE FROM COURTNEY SMITH:My Workshop with Courtney at AOLRC: “Choosing Wholeness Over Goodness”First Pulling the Thread episode: “The Practical Magic of the Enneagram”Courtney’s WebsiteALSO MENTIONED:The 15 Commitments of Conscious LeadersElise’s Substack Newsletters:Ending the ManelThe Perception (and Reality) of ScarcityWho Gets to Be an Expert? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Journalist and writer Mattie Kahn discusses the importance of intergenerational partnership in movements. They explore why girls are central to social change, challenges faced by young girls in activism, and the untold story of Claudette Colvin in the civil rights movement.

Therapist Vienna Pharaon discusses breaking family patterns, core wounds, and personal growth. The podcast explores generational perspectives on therapy, childhood traumas, and conditional love. Additional topics include health products, meal planning services, and parenting dynamics.

Neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi, PhD, discusses menopause as a natural phase similar to puberty, challenging misconceptions. She emphasizes accurate information and positive perspectives on hormonal shifts and brain function. Insights on cognitive health, hormone therapy, and controversial HRT benefits are explored. Embracing menopause as a renewal phase and societal conditioning differences are highlighted with gratitude to sponsors.

Jeffrey Kripal discusses the convergence of science and spirituality, highlighting the importance of reconciling the split between the two fields. The conversation emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between religion and science to understand the mysteries inherent in human understanding.

In this podcast, Elise Loehnen discusses topics like pricing creative work, the importance of rest, and the left vs. right brain hemispheres. She also explores managing pressure, intuition vs. discernment, societal judgment, and finding sanity. The conversation shifts to valuing diverse perspectives, transcending 'should,' and changing the menopause narrative.

Exploring Spiral Dynamics, the podcast delves into communal living, holistic solutions, and cultural dilemmas. The conversation covers the evolution of consciousness, New Year's resolutions, leadership styles, and the importance of therapy. It also highlights the shift from green to yellow in Spiral Dynamics and the significance of embracing diversity in culture and business.

Kate Kennedy, writer and podcaster, discusses the influence of a homogeneous writer's room on perpetuating stereotypes in TV shows and how it shaped their consciousness. They reflect on being basic, celebrate ordinary existence, and challenge generational stereotypes. They also explore the impact of male authority on women's interests and discuss the challenges and dangers of being an influencer.