Circle This

Most birthday celebrations are filled with gifts, cake, and casual conversation. But what if the real gift was presence—the kind that invites everyone to connect in a deep, meaningful way? In this episode, Dre and Em are joined by Emily's best friend, David Perlman, who shares what it was like to celebrate his birthday in a completely different way: by sitting in circle. Instead of the usual dinner and side conversations, the group dropped into something sacred—an intentional space for reflection, vulnerability, and connection. David reflects on how simply creating space for a shared experience, guided by Dre's facilitation, allowed everyone to be seen, heard, and moved—to laughter, to tears, and to something unforgettable. Whether you're curious about circling or already hold space for others, this conversation is a beautiful reminder: we don't need a special occasion to create sacred connection. We just need the intention. This episode is an invitation to rethink how we gather—not just for birthdays, but for life. -- Stay connected with the Circle This Team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To Sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre welcomes love coach and author Francesca Hogi (How to Find True Love) for a conversation about self-worth, connection, and what it really means to flirt with life. Francesca redefines flirting as a way of engaging with the world—not rooted in romance, but in presence. At its core, flirting is about making others feel seen and acknowledged, creating space for possibility, chemistry, and soul-level connection. They explore how dating can become a practice of self-love, how emotional resilience opens the door to intimacy, and how we can begin to shift from "being chosen" to choosing ourselves. This episode touches on patterns, boundaries, AI dating agents, serendipity, the myth of scarcity in love, and the narratives we've inherited around beauty and worth. Together, Dre and Francesca offer reflections, questions, and gentle permission to approach love—not as a game to win, but as a mirror, a teacher, and a human experience worth showing up for. -- Stay connected with the Circle This Team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To Sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode of Circle This, Dre sits down with writer, speaker, and "shame loss" advocate Jen Pastiloff to explore embodiment, bravery, and becoming the most unapologetic version of yourself. Living with hearing loss since childhood, Jen learned to listen with her whole body—a practice that's become her superpower in helping others feel truly seen. Together, she and Dre unpack the art of the apology, the radical act of claiming joy without reason, and the healing that happens when we stop minimizing our worth. From giving yourself a medal for the smallest wins to speaking your desires out loud—especially when they scare you—this episode is a call to stop performing, stop apologizing, and start living like you mean it. Jen shares the vulnerable story behind her new book, how rejection still echoes old wounds, and why she believes transparency is a sacred act of sisterhood. With humor, heart, and holy honesty, she reminds us: self-acceptance is a practice. And showing up—messy, honest, and whole—is more than enough. Follow Jen: @jenpastiloff Pre-order her new book: Proof of Life: Let Go, Let Love, and Stop Looking for Permission to Live Your Life -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre welcomes the luminous Debra Silverman—astrologer, therapist, and author of I Don't Believe in Astrology—for a conversation that spans lifetimes. What begins as an exploration of Dre's chart (a double Capricorn with a Pisces sun, a powerful Saturn-Pluto imprint, and a rare Yod of destiny) unfolds into something deeper: a soul-mirroring dialogue about purpose, pain, and the poetry of being understood. Because sometimes the most sacred love language isn't touch—it's resonance. Together, Dre and Debra explore astrology not as prediction, but as ancient medicine for modern healing. They touch on childhood wounds, spiritual assignments, and how the stars reveal what we already know deep within: there is nothing random about who we are. This episode is for the astrology-curious and the cosmically fluent alike. It's an invitation to slow down, decode your chart, and remember the mission your soul signed up for. As Deb says, your soul is madly in love with you—and it's time you saw yourself through its eyes. Follow: @debrasilverman_astrology Learn more at: https://debrasilvermanastrology.com/andreabendewald -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia To sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com

What if asking for help was actually a sacred act of intimacy? In this episode, Dre and Em circle around the quiet bravery it takes to receive. From post-surgery support to spilled soup and "airport asks," they explore the deep discomfort so many of us feel when we're not the helper—but the one in need. Dre shares her journey as a recovering over-giver who once wore independence like armor, until she realized that saying "I'm fine" was costing her connection. Together, they unpack the hidden wounds behind hyper-independence, the epidemic of loneliness it feeds, and why learning to receive is a practice of trust, surrender, and letting love in. This is a conversation about softening. About asking. About remembering that we don't have to carry it all alone. -- Stay connected with our Circle This Team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace Contact us for sponsorship opportunities. We appreciate you.

In this episode, Dre sits down with Jennifer Fisher—writer, healer, and ceremony facilitator—for a powerful conversation about creative reinvention and the transformative wisdom of plant medicine. With over 30 years in the television industry, Jen shares how her identity as a writer became entangled with external pressure and survival-mode success—until plant medicine helped her reconnect with creativity as a sacred expression of spirit. She and Dre reflect on their parallel paths from the entertainment world to the healing arts, and the freedom found in embracing all parts of the self. Jen opens up about the life-shifting power of empathogens, which quiet the mind's default network—loosening the grip of ego, old stories, and defenses—and offer a direct experience of connection, compassion, and belonging. Together, they explore how healing is not about fixing, but about remembering. Remembering who we were before the protective narratives. Before the roles. Before the ache. They speak of ego death, the beauty of intention, and the liberation that comes from allowing both light and shadow to belong. Follow: @TheJenFish Learn More At: jenniferfisher.me -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To sponsor the podcast, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre sits down with Alicia "ACE" Easter—yoga teacher, retreat leader, and founder of ACE Enterprises—to circle around mother energy, discernment, and belonging. At 42, ACE shares what it feels like to be both fully arrived and newly beginning. She opens up about healing the shadow of the mother wound, learning to ask for help, and practicing high-quality no's in the name of self-preservation. Together, they explore what it means to truly "solar power up," stop chasing what isn't meant for us, and mother our lives—not just children—through creative, intentional presence. From energy deficits to reclaiming abundance, this episode is a loving reminder: you belong wherever you are. Follow: @AceYogaLA on IG and Substack Learn more: aceyogala.com -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com

In this special Mother's Day episode, Dre and Em open a heartfelt, honest conversation about what it means to mother—not just as a parent, but as a presence. Together they explore the idea of mothering as a verb—a way of loving, nurturing, guiding, and holding space that lives in many forms and many people. This episode invites us to expand the definition of motherhood to honor all the ways we've been mothered—by our friends, our mentors, our sisters, and Mother Earth herself. Whether you've birthed a child, held a friend through heartbreak, or simply offered unwavering care, this one's for you. It is a call to celebrate the feminine force that keeps us all connected. Topics include: — Reframing Mother's Day to include more stories — How women mother each other across friendship, work, and ritual — Letting go of the "parenthood prerequisite" for wisdom and love — Honoring Mother Earth as our shared ancestral thread — Expanding what it means to be whole, loving, and enough Join us as we celebrate all the mothers, and all who mother. -- Stay connected with the Circle This Team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia To sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com

This impromptu episode happened organically, and I'm so grateful it did. After listening to a deeply personal recording between Emily and I, my producer Tracey had an emotional reaction—and an epiphany. She realized that in her 40 + years of life, she had never told her friends she wasn't okay. She had never asked for help. Always the cheerleader. Always the strong one. So I invited her to drop in and let the circle hold her for a change. This is what we mean when we say the circle continues. When one brave voice ripples into another. When the one holding space is invited to receive.

In this episode, Dre is joined by actress, writer, and sacred space-holder Jane Sibbett, for a powerful conversation on goddess circles, grief rituals, and the unexpected ways our gifts awaken. Jane shares the story of how she was first called to host a goddess circle as a new mom, with no idea what it meant but an undeniable "yes" in her bones. That night changed her life. Since then, she's been devoted to circling, witnessing, and channeling healing through what she now calls "Dancing Hands"—a divine energy transmission that flows through her hands like a prayer in motion. Together, Dre and Jane explore the witch wound, the healing power of women's voices, and what happens when we stop performing and start simply being. They talk about grief, ego, trust, miracles, and the moment Jane was lovingly told: "Drop the script." Whether you're curious about the origins of circling, walking through loss, or wondering how your gifts want to be used—this episode will stir something deep in your spirit. Follow: @janesibbett | @noonmiracle More: janesibbett.com | noonmiracle.com -- Stay connected with our Circle This Team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia *If your company or brand wants to sponsor Circle This Podcast, DM or email circlethispod@gmail.com. We appreciate you.