The Friend Who Stayed and Taught Me to Breathe (with Alicia Botyrius)

In this profoundly personal episode, host Kris Saim sits down with one of his closest friends, Alicia Botyrius. Their friendship was forged at work , but it was cemented during one of the darkest times in Kris's life: a difficult divorce that left him "spiraling out of control". While others might have stepped away, Alicia "stayed close" and "sat in the mess" with him. More than just listening, she gave him tangible life skills—including meditation, tapping, and the art of intentional breathing—that became the tools he used to rebuild his life. The conversation takes an emotional turn when Alicia asks Kris a question she's held for years: "Where do you get your bravery from?". Kris shares a raw, honest answer tracing his resilience back to his childhood surviving as a gay kid in a small Kansas town. This is a moving testament to the friends who become our anchors and a reminder to "always assume the best" in those you love.