Fun & Bliss Show

What if the secret to lasting change isn’t pushing harder, but creating enough joy, connection, and belonging that people want to keep showing up?In this moving episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer sit down with John Watson, founder of Bloom Fitness, a nonprofit creating accessible fitness experiences for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.John never planned to build a movement. After retiring from a 32-year career in mortgage banking, his daughter Emma led him into a world where he saw a profound need: once adults with IDD age out of school, opportunities for movement, community, accomplishment, and connection can become much harder to find.Bloom Fitness began with a few stationary bikes and no grand plan. What happened next taught John something that now shapes everything Bloom does: when you don’t have a plan, you have to listen.John shares how listening to the athletes themselves led to a radically human approach to fitness, one built around safety, fun, community, encouragement, and emotional connection before performance or results.In this conversation, you’ll hear:Why Bloom calls its participants athletes, and why language, dignity, and respect matterThe simple gold-star experiment that revealed how powerful recognition can beWhy John told a frustrated yoga instructor, “Don’t worry about how they respond. Just show up and love them.”How fun and belonging can inspire people to push themselves more than pressure ever couldThe story of an athlete who once resisted exercise and is now approaching 1,000 classesWhy people often improve on their schedule, not oursHow Emma became the unexpected gift that changed John’s life and ultimately helped change thousands of othersWhy John believes we often have transformation backward: connect with joy first, and behavior followsThis episode is about much more than fitness. It’s about what becomes possible when people feel seen, celebrated, welcomed, and valued exactly as they are.Because sometimes the most powerful way to help someone grow isn’t to demand more from them.It’s to lead with heart and let everything else follow.

What happens when pleasure stops being something you earn and becomes something you allow?In this deeply thoughtful and refreshingly playful conversation, Monick and Moneeka sit down with Andrea, a couples and sex therapist, pleasure advocate, and founder of Peak Couples and Sex Therapy, to explore what it really means to feel alive, connected, and fully yourself.Andrea shares how her fascination with relationships began in high school, why pleasure is essential to mental and emotional well-being, and how high-achieving women can become disconnected from their bodies, desires, and sense of play while managing careers, families, relationships, and endless responsibilities.Together, they explore why pleasure can feel frivolous or unproductive, how guilt keeps women from choosing themselves, and why there is often more time available for pleasure than we realize. Andrea also explains how shame begins to soften through empathy, vulnerability, and safe connection, and why couples do not need to wait until their relationship is in crisis to seek support.The conversation also dives into playfulness in relationships, the connection between life inside and outside the bedroom, the power of novelty and savoring, and the importance of paying attention to the beauty, pleasure, and aliveness already present in everyday life.You’ll discover:Why pleasure is not frivolous, but deeply restorativeHow performance and productivity can disconnect women from themselvesWhy playfulness can reduce pressure and deepen intimacyHow vulnerability becomes an invitation into your partner’s inner worldWhy shame cannot thrive in the presence of empathy and careHow everyday novelty, movement, beauty, and connection can create more alivenessA simple way to begin noticing more pleasure in the life you already haveThis episode is an invitation to slow down, soften the pressure, become curious about what feels good, and give yourself permission to experience more pleasure, play, connection, and bliss.

What if fun is not a distraction from meaningful work, but part of the medicine?In this episode of The Fun & Bliss Podcast, Monick sits down with singer, songwriter, music and podcast producer, music supervisor, and “overall cosmic troublemaker” Kathleen Smith for a joyful, honest conversation about pleasure, creativity, music, and the deeply subversive power of having fun.Kathleen believes that fun is medicine—and that the revolution will be rooted in pleasure, creativity, and feminine energy. Her music has been featured across MTV, VH1, NBC, KCRW, radio stations around the country, and award-winning independent films. As a music supervisor, she has managed and placed millions of dollars’ worth of music and intellectual property for organizations and clients including The Kennedy Center, the National Endowment for the Arts, Hulu, Netflix, ESPN, Showtime, Amazon, and many more.Her work has been described as emotionally charged, fearlessly vulnerable, and powered by a “voice made of sunshine.”In this conversation, Kathleen shares how pleasure and play shaped the making of her record Medicine, why fun can be a form of resistance, and what becomes possible when we stop treating joy as something we have to earn.Together, Monick and Kathleen explore creativity without performance, the courage to follow what feels alive, and why becoming a disruptive force of nature might simply mean refusing to live disconnected from your own delight.

What if the path to more joy is not about doing more, but learning to pause, listen, and reconnect with who you truly are?In this heartfelt conversation, Monick sits down with author, educator, and transformational teacher Shajen Joy Aziz to explore how our gifts, passions, and lived experiences can guide us toward a life filled with greater joy, fulfillment, and aliveness.Shajen shares how profound loss and adversity shaped her deep empathy and lifelong commitment to helping others feel seen, safe, and supported. She reveals how serving children became part of her own healing journey and why some of our greatest gifts can emerge from the hardest chapters of our lives.Together, Monick and Shajen discuss how to recognize the gifts that already live within you, especially the quiet ones that do not need to be monetized or turned into another achievement. They explore why joy can coexist with grief, pain, and uncertainty, and how simple practices like dancing, spending time in nature, creating space for stillness, and honoring your truth can bring you back to yourself.Shajen also shares the inspiration behind her new book and journal, Discovering the Gift of Joy, along with a powerful reminder for high-achieving women: your work in the world may not be to do more. It may be to learn how to do less.In this episode, you will discover:• How adversity can reveal unexpected gifts• Why your greatest gift may simply be who you are• How to identify the activities that naturally bring you into flow• Why rest and quiet are essential for creativity and joy• How children model presence, authenticity, and play• Why joy does not disappear during difficult seasons• How focused action can turn inspiration into transformation• A simple inner-child experiment to help you reconnect with funYour Fun Spark for the week: Ask your inner child, “What brings you joy?” Listen to the first answer without editing it, and then go do it.Because joy is not something you have to earn. It is already within you, waiting for space to emerge.

What happens when a dream feels deeply meaningful, wildly exciting, and completely outside your comfort zone?In this episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Moneeka Sawyer steps out of the co-host chair and into the guest seat to share the behind-the-scenes story of creating her first feature film, A Christmas Rescue.Moneeka opens up about the courage it took to move forward as a complete beginner, the challenge of trusting people and a process she could not control, and the daily decision to choose the dream over the fear. She also shares the deeply personal inspiration behind the film, including her experience with infertility and miscarriage, the healing love of her dog, and her desire to help break the silence around stories so many women carry privately.This conversation explores what it really looks like to bring a vision to life when you do not have all the answers. It is a story about learning, surrender, leadership, purpose, and creating something meaningful without losing the joy along the way.In this episode, we talk about:Why Moneeka decided to create A Christmas RescueHow a “practice movie” became a powerful missionMoving forward even when you feel like the least experienced person in the roomWhy courage is often a series of small daily choicesThe three values that guided the production: commitment, joy, and graceCreating a set where everyone felt better because they were part of itBreaking the silence around infertility and miscarriageThe healing connection between people and rescue animalsWhy something can be one of the hardest and most fun experiences of your life at the same timeThis episode is for anyone carrying a dream that feels bigger than their current experience. You do not need to know exactly how it will happen. Sometimes, you simply need to keep choosing the dream over the fear.

Emotional Bravery, True Influence, and the Freedom to Be Seen with Joanna Horton McPhersonWhat if true influence is not about being more polished, more impressive, or more confident?What if it starts with emotional bravery?In this episode of The Fun & Bliss Podcast, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer sit down with Joanna Horton McPherson, a Harvard-trained six-time founder, private advisor, master coach, and creator of the True Influence Method.Joanna shares her personal story and opens up about what it really means to become visible without abandoning yourself in the process.Together, we explore the pressure so many high-achieving women feel to perform, perfect, and present the “right” version of themselves. Joanna offers a different path: one rooted in truth, presence, emotional bravery, and grounded influence.Because it is hard to have fun when you are constantly editing yourself.And it is hard to experience bliss when you are managing how everyone sees you.This conversation is an invitation to stop performing your life and start becoming more fully present inside it.In This Episode, We Talk AboutJoanna’s personal journey and what led her to the work she does todayWhat emotional bravery really meansWhy emotional bravery is different from simply appearing confidentWhat high-achieving women often misunderstand about visibilityHow to tell the truth without feeling like you have to overshareThe difference between a powerful story and a polished storyHow to grow your influence without losing yourselfWhat grounded visibility looks and feels likeWhy fun and bliss become more available when we stop performingThe rituals and Blissciplines that help Joanna return to herselfHow to lead, create, and be seen while staying connected to joyYour Fun SparkChoose one place in your life where you may be performing instead of being fully present.It could be in a meeting, on social media, in your business, in a relationship, or even in the way you answer the question, “How are you?”Then practice one small moment of emotional bravery.Say one honest sentence.“Here is what I really want.”“Here is what matters to me.”“Here is what feels true right now.”You do not need to make a dramatic declaration. You simply need to stop editing yourself for one moment and notice what happens.Do you breathe more deeply?Do you feel lighter?Do you feel more like yourself?Sometimes fun begins with one brave sentence.And sometimes bliss begins the moment you stop trying so hard to be who you think everyone needs you to be.Bonus Content Inside the Fun & Bliss CollectiveJoanna also joined us for a special bonus video inside the Fun & Bliss Collective.This conversation is super fun, juicy, and expansive. We take a deeper dive into the divine feminine, our respective missions, and what it means to lead, create, and be visible from a place of truth, softness, joy, and personal power.Join the Fun & Bliss Collective to watch the full bonus conversation and connect with a community of women who are choosing more joy, permission, play, and aliveness in their everyday lives.Connect with JoannaLearn more about Joanna Horton McPherson and the True Influence Method at:https://trueinfluencemethod.com/

What if food were about so much more than what’s on the plate?In this deliciously wide-ranging episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick and Moneeka sit down with David Page, two-time Emmy Award-winning executive producer, creator of the Food Network phenomenon Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, host of Culinary Characters Unlocked, and author of Food Americana.David shares his remarkable journey from covering major world events, including the opening of the Berlin Wall, to becoming one of the most influential storytellers in food television. He reveals how a spontaneous pitch became Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, why the show was never really just about food, and how curiosity, timing, and a little luck helped shape his extraordinary career.Together, they explore how food carries memory, culture, identity, comfort, and belonging. They talk about the importance of gathering around the dinner table, the immigrant and Indigenous influences that shaped American cuisine, and why even the most familiar dishes have fascinating stories behind them.David also shares the simple pleasures that bring him joy, from learning something new and experiencing art that moves his soul to classic rock, his wife of 33 years, and an Uncrustable straight from the freezer.This episode is a joyful reminder to stay curious, savor the stories behind what you eat, and find work and interests that make life feel like an adventure.And your Fun Spark for the week?Eat the cannoli.

What keeps love alive after 20, 30, or even 33 years together?In this candid and playful episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick and Moneeka share the stories of how they met their husbands, what made dating more joyful, and the practices that continue to keep their marriages connected, passionate, and fun.They talk about appreciating the person in front of you, staying unattached to the outcome, setting loving boundaries, showing up authentically, and making your relationship a priority—even when life gets busy or difficult. From weekly date nights to daily intimacy, they reveal the personal “blisciplines” that have helped them move through rocky seasons and keep choosing one another.Whether you are dating, deeply in love, or trying to rediscover the spark in a long-term relationship, this conversation is an invitation to bring more playfulness, pleasure, honesty, and connection into your love life.

What if play wasn’t just something children do, but one of the most powerful ways we connect, heal, communicate, and come back to life?In this heart-opening episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick and Moneeka sit down with DinaLyn Rosenbusch, speech-language pathologist, parent coach, consultant, speaker, and host of The Language of Play podcast.With more than 30 years of experience helping children and families navigate communication challenges, DinaLyn brings a warm, practical, and deeply human perspective to speech, parenting, and connection. She reminds us that communication is not just about words. It is about curiosity, safety, belonging, and helping the people we love feel seen and understood.DinaLyn also shares her powerful personal story of losing touch with laughter during hard seasons of life, including divorce, single motherhood, illness, and recovery. After a serious health collapse, she began to understand fun not as a luxury, but as nourishment, medicine, and a pathway back to joy.Together, we explore how play can transform parenting, deepen relationships, soften stress, and help us reconnect with the parts of ourselves that life may have buried under responsibility.In this episode, we talk about:Why play is essential for communication and connectionHow children’s behavior can be understood as communicationThe power of curiosity in parenting and relationshipsWhy fun is not extra, especially during difficult seasonsHow guilt can block joy, especially for mothers and caregiversDinaLyn’s healing journey and how laughter became part of her recoveryHow to bring more play, ease, and aliveness into everyday lifeThis conversation is a beautiful reminder that fun is not frivolous. Play helps us listen better, love better, parent better, and live more fully.Fun is the practice. Bliss is the lifestyle.

What if fun was more than entertainment? What if it was a pathway back to your confidence, authenticity, joy, and even healing?In this episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer sit down with Kim Somers Egelsee, author, speaker, intuitive, life and business coach, and founder of Publishing Joy. Kim shares how her lifelong passion for helping people step into their authenticity grew into a powerful body of work centered around confidence, happiness, positive power, and joy.Together, they explore why women often need permission to have fun, how letting go reconnects us with our inner child, and why embracing imperfection can be one of the most freeing paths to confidence. Kim also opens up about her own healing journey, including breast implant illness, sobriety, and the life experiences that made her more compassionate, brave, and nonjudgmental.This conversation is warm, uplifting, and deeply human. It is an invitation to stop performing, start playing, and remember that your joy is not extra. It is part of who you are.In this episode, we explore:Why fun helps us reconnect with our inner childHow joy can support healing during hard seasonsThe difference between confidence and performanceWhy authenticity feels lighter than egoHow women can rebuild confidence after shrinking or second-guessingWhy embracing imperfection helps us love ourselves moreSimple ways to bring more fun, bliss, and self-acceptance into everyday life

What if money didn’t have to feel heavy, stressful, or intimidating? What if creating wealth, investing in women, and expanding your impact could actually feel fun?In this powerful and energizing episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer sit down with Catherine Gray, executive producer of Show Her the Money, venture capitalist, author, keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, host of the Invest in Her podcast, founder and CEO of She Angels Investors, and co-founder of the She Angels Foundation.Catherine shares how her passion for film, storytelling, and women’s empowerment led her to create Show Her the Money, a documentary and movement revealing how dramatically underfunded women founders still are and why that needs to change. She breaks down venture capital in simple, accessible terms, explains why women often make powerful investors, and invites listeners to think differently about money, risk, wealth, and impact.This conversation is equal parts inspiring, educational, and fun. From making money while skiing, to investing in women-led companies, to changing culture through media, Catherine reminds us that money can be a tool for joy, freedom, power, and positive change.In this episode, we explore:Why money gets to feel lighter, more joyful, and more expansiveWhat venture capital actually is and why women need to understand itWhy women founders are still underfundedHow investing in women creates both impact and profitThe cultural power of film, television, and storytellingHow women can become more confident, conscious investorsWhy fun, wealth, and purpose can absolutely belong togetherIf you’re ready to feel more empowered around money and more inspired about the role women can play in shaping the future, this episode is for you.

In this heartfelt and joy-filled episode, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer share the deeper “why” behind the Fun & Bliss Collective, a community for women who look like they have it all together on the outside but are craving more aliveness, connection, play, and belonging on the inside. They explore loneliness, the power of practicing fun daily, and why joy is not something to postpone until life is perfect. They also introduce the idea of the “dark playground,” a space where women can bring their grief, rage, sadness, fear, and messy emotions, not to bypass them, but to play with them, express them, and alchemize them into something healing. This episode is an invitation to stop doing life alone and start remembering that fun is not frivolous. It is foundational.

In this joyful and energizing episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer sit down with business transformation coach, speaker, author, and podcast host Caterina Rando for a conversation about what it really means to “bliss” in your life and business. Katerina shares how one powerful moment in her café helped her realize she was not in the “business business,” but in the empowerment business, and how that insight shaped decades of helping women thrive as entrepreneurs. Together, they explore freedom, money, authentic work, beauty, travel, rituals, and why your business is supposed to be your bliss. This episode is a beautiful reminder that joy, impact, and success do not have to be separate. They can become the same path.

In this episode, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer sit down with Gerald Rogers for a powerful and expansive conversation about what it really takes to live a blissful, aligned life. Gerald shares how most people are unknowingly running subconscious programs that shape their results, and why true transformation begins with an identity shift, not just changing habits or strategies.They explore how the words we speak to ourselves create our reality, how to recognize what is energy-rich versus energy-draining, and why so many successful people still feel unfulfilled. Gerald also dives into the power of immersive experiences and community, and how being in the right environment can unlock entirely new versions of yourself.This episode is an invitation to stop trying to fix yourself and start consciously choosing who you become, so you can create a life filled with purpose, aliveness, and genuine joy.

In this episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer sit down with Lady Jen Du Plessis for a grounded, honest conversation about success, hustle, and the quiet moment many high-achieving women reach but rarely name.Jen shares how working “eight days a week” and watching her life through a window became the wake-up call that changed everything. Together, they explore what it actually takes to step out of inherited definitions of success, loosen the grip of hustle, and give yourself permission to want something different.This is not a “do more” episode.No fixing. No grinding. No checklist.It’s a conversation about boundaries, choice, leadership, and the subtle ways joy and fun slip away when life becomes all output and no presence. It’s also about how to bring them back in small, human ways — without burning it all down.

What if happiness isn’t the goal? In this honest and grounding conversation, Moneeka Sawyer unpacks the difference between chasing happiness and building a foundation of bliss. She shares why bliss is not an emotion but a way of being, how emotional resilience allows you to handle anything life brings, and why pretending to be positive all the time can actually disconnect you from yourself and others. From hard seasons to everyday habits, this episode explores how to stop pursuing fleeting highs and instead cultivate a steady, empowered inner home you can always return to.

In this episode of The Fun & Bliss Show, Monick and Moneeka sit down with Linda Shively, bestselling author, award-winning speaker, mindset expert, and joy mentor, for a tender and powerful conversation about what it really means to choose joy when life has broken your heart.Linda shares her deeply personal story of loss, survival, and finding her way back to the joy that had never fully left her. Together, they explore the difference between forced happiness and true joy, the kind that can live underneath grief, change, courage, and healing.From laughter yoga and dancing to gratitude, nature walks, releasing complaint, and letting life feel lighter again, this episode is a beautiful reminder that fun and bliss are not extras. They are part of how we survive, soften, reconnect, and come alive again.

In this special role-reversal episode of The Fun & Bliss Podcast, Moneeka interviews her co-host Monick Halm about her lived relationship with fun—not as a reward, but as a daily practice that brings more aliveness, clarity, and ease.They explore fun as a “blisscipline,” why play is essential for adult well-being, and how small, intentional moments of delight can shift energy, creativity, and resilience. This is a real, sisterly conversation about choosing joy in the midst of real life—without pressure, perfection, or bypassing.A grounding, permission-giving listen for anyone ready to feel more alive right where they are.

In this conversation, Joeaux Robey shares her insights on living a blissful life, emphasizing the importance of gratitude, joy, and fun. She discusses her journey from a perfectionist mindset to embracing a more joyful and present way of living. The concept of 'plurk'—play plus work—is introduced as a way to integrate fun into daily life. Joeaux also highlights the significance of self-awareness and responsibility in creating a fulfilling life, especially in leadership roles. The discussion concludes with practical tips for cultivating joy and awareness in everyday moments.

In this engaging conversation, Monick Halm and Moneeka Sawyer explore the importance of fun and joy in our lives, featuring an insightful interview with Dr. Mike Rucker, author of 'The Fun Habit.' They discuss the science behind fun, the concept of microjoys, and how to overcome common barriers to experiencing joy. The episode emphasizes that fun is not just a luxury but a vital part of well-being, encouraging listeners to redefine their understanding of fun and incorporate it into their daily lives.

In this episode of the Fun and Bliss Show, hosts Monick and Moneeka explore the transformative power of fun and joy in our lives. They introduce the Fun and Bliss Manifesto, emphasizing that fun is foundational and bliss is a birthright. The conversation delves into the importance of integrating fun into daily life, using joy as a compass for clarity, and the ripple effect of joy on personal and communal well-being. They advocate for a revolution that normalizes fun and joy as essential components of life, especially for women in midlife.