Circle This

In this anniversary episode, Dre & Em reflect on the lessons and breakthroughs from their first year of recording Circle This. From battling perfectionism and self-criticism to learning the art of "progress over perfection," they share the highs, lows, and unexpected gifts of the creative process. The conversation flows through gratitude for every listener, message, and share—the living proof of The Ripple Effect. Together, they unpack the myths around working with friends, how astrology helped them honor each other's creative blueprints, and why following curiosity is the truest compass. With inspiration from Rick Rubin's The Creative Act, this episode celebrates creativity as a miracle, failure as information, and community as fuel for generating. Along the way, they reveal how audio texts can function as "digital circles," how reframing words can shift energy ("up until now…"), and how falling in love with the present moment is the ultimate remedy for comparison, fear, and resistance. One year in, Dre & Em are still circling with the same hope that started it all: that every conversation reminds you that you are not alone. -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre circles with artist, intuitive coach, and spiritual midwife Anne Emerson to explore the power of re-patterning the beliefs that keep us stuck in old stories. For over five decades, Anne has guided people through Holographic Repatterning™, a therapeutic technology that uses applied kinesiology to trace issues and blockages that appear as problems in our present experience. These blocks can be emotional, mental and even physical, and seem impossible to unravel. The issues are anchored in our unconscious from past traumas, but appear in our present as goals that can't be met, issues that don't get resolved no matter how hard we try, negative patterns that occur again and again whenever there is stress in our lives. HR (Holographic Repatterning™) uses the technique of muscle checking to access the unconscious, and in a very accurate and non-dramatic way allows client and practitioner to trace the history of the present issue to its root in the past, and release it through the combination of awareness and vibrational healing techniques. By the end of a session, there is a noticeable release of tension around the issue(s) that are keeping the client stuck. The client can then move more easily in the direction of positive change, with more profound and permanent results. Together, Dre and Anne explore the ways our limiting beliefs show up as repeated patterns, how anger can actually be a sacred tool for transformation, and why our quirks often hold the keys to our superpowers. Anne invites us to meet the subtleties of our emotions—especially the ones we resist—and to embrace anger not as something to fear, but as a boundary-setting force that begins the process of transformation. They also circle around themes of astrology, human design, manifestation, and the myth of "purpose"—revealing how our true purpose isn't about doing, but about being. -- This conversation is a reminder that when we clear the stories keeping us small, we return to our authentic selves—whole, free, and connected. Follow: @anneemersonart Learn more: thepassionatejourney.com -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace Sponsorships: circlethispod@gmail.com

On this episode, Dre welcomes comedian and creator Manon Mathews to circle around the wild ride of new motherhood and the courage it takes to keep creating through it all. Together they unpack the loneliness that comparison creates, the surprising freedom in radical honesty, and the way pain can be our teacher. Manon reflects on her creative process — embracing spontaneity, catching inspiration before it dissipates and committing to share from wherever she is. This is a conversation about creative freedom, the power of laughter, and the connection between healing and humor. -- Follow: @manonmathews Learn More At: http://www.manonmathews.com/ Check out Manon's podcast: ManonFestation Order Manon's Book: FUNNY HOW IT WORKS OUT: Personal Stories & Lessons On How I Got My SH*T Together -- Circle This is proudly sponsored by Sow to Speak for the month of September. Listeners receive 20% off when you sign up with the code CIRCLE. Learn more here: UNmuted Program Details Highlighting UNmuted—a powerful resource designed to support high-achieving female leaders, especially moms in senior-level roles. UNmuted helps women navigate difficult conversations with confidence, courage, and grace. Or visit sowtospeak.com for more information on all their offerings and programs. -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre circles with teacher and facilitator Bex Urban on the mind-body connection and the practice of staying soft when life gets loud. Together they explore how our quirks can be our superpowers, why shadow work is a doorway to deeper self-acceptance, and how the most intimate relationship we'll ever have is with ourselves. From meeting old patterns in new ways, to updating our inner "operating system," to regulating the nervous system with the simple mantra Peace Begins With Me—this conversation is a reminder that we can change our minds, soften our hearts, and anchor in truth. Whether you're navigating shifting seasons, a changing body, or the noise of a distracted world, Bex offers grounded tools and timeless wisdom to help you return to center and live wholeheartedly—right here, right now. Follow: @BexUrban Learn more: bexurban.com & youtube.com/c/bexurban Circle This is proudly sponsored by Sow to Speak for the month of September. Listeners receive 20% off when you sign up with the code CIRCLE. Learn more here: UNmuted Program Details Highlighting UNmuted—a powerful resource designed to support high-achieving female leaders, especially moms in senior-level roles. UNmuted helps women navigate difficult conversations with confidence, courage, and grace. Or visit sowtospeak.com for more information on all their offerings and programs. -- Follow: @alldondre Learn More At: https://www.dondrewhitfield.com/ Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

Dondre Whitfield, an actor, author, and conscious leader, shares deep insights into connection and balance. He emphasizes listening as an act of love and the importance of recognizing the difference between males and men. Dondre discusses the power of empathy and storytelling in overcoming divides and fostering unity. The conversation also navigates the dynamics of masculine and feminine energies in relationships, encouraging vulnerability and emotional intelligence. Ultimately, he advocates for a world where everyone feels seen and heard, creating the potential for transformative change.

We're back! After a brief sacred summer pause, Dre and Em return with fresh energy, big gratitude, and a reminder that the ripple effect is very real. In this conversation, they celebrate an unexpected milestone — Circle This was named the #1 podcast in the category of Spirituality on GoodPods for the month of August. Because the charts are based not just on listens, but on engagement, comments, and shares, this honor feels especially meaningful — it reflects the heart of the Circle This community. Together, Dre and Em reflect on the passing of Summer, the anticipation of fall, and the power of creating what you seek. They explore synchronicities, intuition versus fear, and what it means to listen for whispers — realizing that often we are the very signs someone else is waiting for. They also circle around the pressure of "making the right choice" and offer a reframe: there's no wrong way forward, only the practice of choosing what's in alignment. -- Circle This is proudly sponsored by Sow to Speak for the month of September. Listeners receive 20% off when you sign up with the code CIRCLE. Learn more here: UNmuted Program Details Highlighting UNmuted—a powerful resource designed to support high-achieving female leaders, especially moms in senior-level roles. UNmuted helps women navigate difficult conversations with confidence, courage, and grace. Or visit sowtospeak.com for more information on all their offerings and programs. -- This episode is a celebration of growth, flow, and the reminders that guide us back to ourselves. Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To sponsor Circle This, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this special episode we have curated a compilation of standout conversations from our first 38 episodes. Featuring wand drop moments from some of our many guests, from producer/screenwriter, Kristin Hahn, to astrologer/psychologist, Debra Silverman, to journalist Brooke Baldwin and many more. Stories that inspire us, lessons that stayed with us and voices that lit up the circle. Whether you're new here or have been circling with us from the start, this is a great place to explore, reflect and experience the power of connection. -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @tracenthomas To sponsor Circle This, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode of Circle This, Dre sits down with meditation teacher and author Megan Monahan to explore the question Do I want to be liked, or do I want to be loved? A layered conversation about the places where spirituality meets humanity and where our practices are tested not on the meditation cushion, but in the messy moments of real life. Megan and Dre share about the patterns of codependency, the subtle addiction to being liked, and the uncomfortable but necessary shift toward true self-connection and interdependence. They talk about emotional bandwidth, spiritual bypassing, and how to stop outsourcing your worth to others. This episode invites you to notice your triggers, to hold yourself in discomfort, and to honor the sacred practice of being, rather than constantly doing. They discuss what it means to embody the divine feminine, how to walk through resistance with integrity, and how to recognize the proof-of-concept moments that show you just how far you've come. Healing doesn't always look graceful and transformation rarely asks for your approval. -- Follow Megan: @megmonahan Learn more at: meganmonahan.com Check out her 21-day meditation series: Link Here! Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @tracenthomas To sponsor Circle This, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode Dre is joined by psychic medium Jonathan Mark—martial artist, lacrosse player , and lifelong skeptic—whose unexpected gift now helps families and detectives across the country solve cases and find connection after loss. He never set out to do this work. But the messages kept coming. Loud. Specific. Unshakable. And soon, so did the calls—from grieving loved ones and law enforcement agencies such as NYPD, DA's office, and FBI asking for extra insight no one else could provide. From scientific studies at MIT and Johns Hopkins that confirm unusual brain activity during readings, to the intuitive "screenshots" spirit sends him, Jonathan's work blends the mystical with the grounded—always with humility and deep care. Together, Dre and Jonathan explore what it means to hold space between worlds. They talk about the science behind his gift, the grief that opens us, and the symbols spirit uses to reach across the veil. And the sacred responsibility of listening to what sometimes is hard for people to hear. Johnathan illustrates just how connected we are and continue to be even when someone has crossed over, so much love remains. Follow Jonathan on IG & TikTok: @Jonathanmarkmedium Learn more at: https://jonathanmark.net/ -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @tracenthomas To sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre sits down with Stephanie Ferrario, founder of SheCan—a global movement and media platform amplifying women's voices through storytelling, education, and community. With over 3 million organic listeners, SheCan has become a living archive of transformation, visibility, and purpose. Together, Dre and Stephanie circle around the questions: What makes a mentor? Why is emotional wellbeing a collective issue? How do circles help us sit with discomfort, regulate our nervous systems, and remind us we're not alone? From sitting with women in Ethiopia to launching a digital movement, Stephanie shares how SheCan was born in circle, listening to women's lived experiences and inviting the world to be inspired by them. They explore how internalized patriarchy, ageism, and competition keep women from rising, up until now, and how storytelling dismantles those myths. This episode is both a love letter and a call to action: to gather, to witness, to build a new archive where her story matters—because when one woman rises, she lifts many. Follow Stephanie & SheCan: @stefferrario & @she.can.world Learn more: www.shecan.world Subscribe: YouTube - SheCan World -- Stay connected with us: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To sponsor this podcast, email: circlethispod@gmail.com