Make Life Less Difficult

My guest today is Jessica Vogt.Jess is a holistic leadership development coach who supports people with a foot in many worlds -- culturally, professionally, or personally.Jess is a returning guest and I highly recommend listening to our first conversation on Episode 233 where she shared pieces of her story growing up as a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults).Today Jess shares more about her passion for coming home to ourselves.  Finding who we really are, leading from this place of who we really are.  It's so much easier said than done.Jess has a new program, Lead As You Are (LAYA).  The program helps people who’ve lived between cultures or identities reconnect with their voice, confidence, and sense of direction — so they can lead their lives more authentically and feel at home in themselves.Jessica is currently having conversations with people who are curious to learn more about her and Lead As You Are, and to see whether it could be a fit.You can either reach her directly at jessica@talpaco.com, check out her website:  www.talpaco.com, or book a discovery call. Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Kelly Kienzle.Kelly is a returning guest and today we are talking about her book, Alchemy Workbook: Journey into Your Next.Alchemy Workbook blends art, journaling, and guided self-inquiry to help you chart a path from “what was” to “what’s becoming.” Inside, you’ll explore playful prompts, visual exercises, and intriguing practices that reveal patterns, possibilities, and a way forward. Designed for creators, dreamers, and anyone approaching a crossroads, Alchemy Workbookhelps you navigate change with curiosity by alchemizing what you already know into a clear path to your “next”.Author Kelly Kienzle is a leadership coach, writer, and facilitator who helps mission-driven leaders move from being overwhelmed and over-extended to being energized and confident so that they have the freedom to focus on their organization’s highest strategic priorities. She does this work as the founder and CEO of Open Circle Coaching.Kelly's website: https://opencirclecoaching.com/Purchase the book:https://opencirclecoaching.com/alchemy-workbook/Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guests today are Christopher Henze and Dominique Debroux, the Director and Producer team for the film, Wise Women: Humanity's Untold Origins.I'm thrilled to share this conversation with you and cannot recommend the film enough.  There's so much to be discovered about the role of older women in our societies and world.About the FilmWise Women – Humanity’s Untold Origins reframes human evolution through a revolutionary lens: the leadership of post-reproductive women. It challenges 10,000 years of patriarchal storytelling and restores women — especially mature, experienced women — to their rightful place as the architects of civilization.The film reveals that menopause was not a biological failure but a human superpower — the adaptation that made long-term cooperation, shared leadership, and empathy-driven survival possible.This is not just a film about biology; it’s a story about power, design, and who gets written out of the human narrative.Learn more about the film: https://wisewomenmovie.com/Rent the film: https://www.bingeable.net/wisewomenJoin the community: https://www.wisewomenforward.com/Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

 Our conversation today is hosted by Russ Watts. Russ, thanks so much for bringing this conversation to Make Life Less Difficult. Russ is talking with Conrad Coleman, and I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation. I listened to it and it will have you on the edge of your seat. As Conrad shares some of his sailing adventures, Conrad has circumnavigated the world multiple times on sailboats, including two solo voyages without using any fossil fuels, which is a cause close to his heart.Conrad, thanks so much for coming on the podcast, and as always, the only challenge I have with Russ hosting on the podcast is I'm jealous. I didn't get to speak directly to Conrad, but oh my gosh, this is such an amazing conversation. I, I, I don't know if you can hear it, but I have a huge smile on my face, even just recording this introduction.So without further ado with, enjoy this conversation with Russ and Conrad.Learn more about Conrad: https://conradcolman.com/enConrad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conradcolman/Conrad's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@colmanoceanracingSupport the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Guryan Tighe.Guryan is an experienced leadership coach, workshop facilitator, and communications strategist whose clients describe her as a “Fear Technician”. She founded her company, FOURAGE, on the belief that understanding and working with our fears, rather than trying to conquer them, yields more professional success and personal fulfillment. In her book, Unmasking Fear: How Fears are our Gateways to Freedom, Guryan  reframes the way we approach fear from the goal of conquering it to a goal of learning from it by providing readers three gateways to look at fear in a way that frees us: curiosity, gratitude, and purpose. She shows us how to interrupt our initial reaction, pause, check in with ourselves, and rewrite the patterns we use to respond to that which we fear. With this shift in thinking and how to engage it, readers will find new pathways forward as they shift from unintentional reactions to intentional responses.When we change our relationship to fear, we gain valuable insights that inform our growth and development, connecting us more deeply to our truth. This different approach to fear doesn’t just transform our relationship with ourselves but can also unite us with others through empathy and shared purpose. What has the power to separate us from ourselves and each other—fear—also has the power to unite us. Unmasking Fear shows us that fear is courage unrealized and understanding our fears frees us to pursue the life we want.Learn more about Guryan and her work: https://fourage.io/Unmasking Fear, the book: https://fourage.io/unmasking-fearSupport the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Mona Khan.Mona is a culture alchemist and joy cultivator who helps teams co-create with clarity, navigate conflict with care, and show up fully — no masks, no holding back.She helps teams embrace the joy of difference: thinking differently, acting differently, doing differently. She nurtures them to turn those differences into superpowers.Collaboration stops being exhausting and starts being energizing, even fun.Mona does this through coaching for leaders and teams, guiding organizations on culture-shift journeys, and hands-on skill-building like her Art of Conflict series. Mona is the co-founder of the Social Identity Coaching Lab.  Learn more at: https://www.socidlab.com/Connect with Mona on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mona-khan-b21a99a2/Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

Hello and welcome to the first officially released episode of 2026!  I’ve got a great conversation with Jennifer Berryhill to share with you today that I think is very timely with the new year.Before jumping into that conversation, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the start of this new year.  If you happened to listen to the last episode, you’ll know that there I reflected on the end of 2025.  While I am a full believer that every day, every moment, really, is a chance to begin again, I do find something special about the ending and beginning of years.  We mark a lot in our lives by years… birthdays, anniversaries, budgets, management cycles, zodiac signs!Back in 2014, I was introduced the idea of having a word for the year from my dear friend, Amy Cupic.  My word then was curiosity, as I knew it would serve as a great reminder for me to be curious as I experienced moving from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia.  This year, 2026, my word is Space.  For me it serves as a reminder to take up space in the world, to create and step into spaces that will bring me joy and fulfillment.  And to be intentional about the spaces in my life, both external and internal.  You'll hear more about my plans in the podcast (all the text wouldn't fit here!)So, that’s a little bit of what my 2026 is starting off focused on.  I hope that you take some time to reflect on what you want out of this year.  Maybe it’s not shaving your head, but what might you do in support of others you love?  Even if it’s a little uncomfortable, maybe it’s worth the effort of pushing through the fear.  And maybe it’s not camping and rock climbing for 50 days, but what might you do to celebrate life and living and loving.  Life is precious and it’s a gift.  I know too many whose lives have been cut short and so I recommit to living life with an awareness that it’s a gift and that each day I have is an opportunity to extend love to those around me, and to look for ways to make life less difficult for each other.Thank you so much for being part of my journey by listening to the Make Life Less Difficult podcast.  And now… my conversation with Jennifer.Connect with Jennifer Berryhill: https://www.jenniferberryhillwellness.com/Jennifer's IG: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_berryhill_wellness/LinkedInLisa's Fundraiser for St. Baldrick's Foundation: https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/1171198/2026Lisa's Red Rocks Adventure: https://red-rock-adventure.vercel.app/Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

This is the last episode of 2025 so I wanted to share a few reflections before jumping into the main conversation. 2025 has been a year with lots of change. Many friends have experienced their lives majorly disrupted in unexpected ways. Completely turned upside down. In my personal journey, I lost my dad which was a catalyst for lots of reflection and subsequent growth. My identity shifted significantly in the past few months as my husband changed jobs and I am no longer part of the Foreign Service Life—something that majorly influenced everything (no exaggeration) in my life for the past 15 years. I’m grateful for the amazing conversations that I’ve been able to have here on the podcast. I continue to meet people who inspire me, teach me, challenge me, and encourage me. These conversations woven into the challenges of life create a beautiful tapestry that I am incredibly grateful for!I’m more convinced than ever that every single human has amazing stories and I’m even more excited and honored than when I started, to host and share some of these stories here on the Make Life Less Difficult podcast. We’re 4.5 years into the journey, almost 260 episodes and I still have a long list of people who I want to have on the podcast and I’m continuing to meet wonderful people who I want to have on the podcast! What a beautiful gift and journey this is. Thank you SO much for being part of it. Whether you are a regular listener, an occasional listener, or a first time listener, whether you’ve been a guest, will be a future guest, or never care to be a guest, I’m deeply grateful for you! I’m grateful for Russ Watts who guest hosts and co-hosts and continues to be an amazing collaborator in the storytelling world!If you would like to support this endeavor, there’s a link in the show notes to a platform called “Buy me a coffee”. Click that and anything you share is greatly appreciated. As we approach 2026, I hope to expand and grow this podcast, so taking time to leave a review helps with that and also sharing an episode or two with a friend or three! I’m also looking to expand my speaking engagements, so please keep me in mind if you know of opportunities or needs for speakers and presenters. For those of you who find a word or theme for the year, I’ll share that my word for 2026 is Space. It’s a reminder and encourager for me to take up space in the world, be intentional about my external and internal spaces. And ironically (or maybe serendipitously) I currently have a palate expander that is making me talk with this different diction. So literally I’m creating more space in my mouth and head. And I just put that together with my word for the year as I was preparing these thoughts. Very cool! And now I’d like to invite you into a beautiful conversation with my guest, Craig Stanton. We explore transitions and forgotten words and much more. I’m delighted to share this as the final episode of 2025. Have a wonderful start to 2026! And if you need a goal for the new year, come be a guest with me here! And now… my conversation with Craig!Connect with Craig on LinkedInRead more about the Book of Forgotten Words on Craig's Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/forgottenwordsSupport the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Teresa Austrian.  And we are joined by Russ Watts as co-host!This is a fun conversation to share right at Christmas time.  We talk about traditions.  And as you'll hear, the conversation goes way beyond any particular holiday.  No matter what holidays are in your world, you're sure to find yourself smiling and nodding as we talk about the fun and challenges of holidays, family, and traditions.Connect with Teresa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresaaustrian/Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra

My guest today is Jon Rosemberg.Jon is the author of the book, A Guide to Thriving: The Science Behind Breaking Old Patterns, Reclaiming Your Agency, and Finding Meaning.With over two decades coaching Fortune 500 executives and global teams through deep transformations, Jon has learned firsthand that growth begins when we courageously reclaim our agency. His personal journey, forged by immigration, loss, and career reinvention, inspires him to blend hard-won business insight with cutting-edge research to guide others toward greater meaning.Driven by his belief in human potential, Jon co-founded Anther, a firm dedicated to transforming uncertainty into possibility. He previously led high-impact initiatives at Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Indigo, and GoBolt. Jon holds an MBA from Cornell University and a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. Originally from Caracas, Venezuela, he now lives in Toronto with his wife, Adriana, and their two sons. Connect with Jon:·      Website: https://www.jonrosemberg.com·      A Guide to Thriving by Jon Rosemberg·      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonrosemberg/ Support the showMake Life Less Difficult~ Support:buymeacoffee.com/lisatilstra