Imperfectly Human™

What if failure isn’t the thing holding you back, but the thing teaching you how to move forward? Rachel Blogg sits down with entrepreneur, mentor, and House of Bricks founder Adam House Sr. for a candid conversation about entrepreneurship, resilience, identity, and learning to keep moving when life and business don’t go according to plan. Adam shares lessons from building multiple companies, returning to basketball in his 30s to pursue his dream of playing professionally, and learning to see failure as information rather than an ending. He explains his approach of testing, failing, learning, and growing, why asking for help is a strength, and the importance of surrounding yourself with trusted advisors. Rachel and Adam also explore the identity shifts that come with leaving a business or sport behind, adapting when the original plan changes, and why meaningful progress often requires being willing to get things wrong along the way. Connect with Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamhousesr/ Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

When does discipline stop being healthy and start taking over your life? Rachel Blogg sits down with adaptive performance advisor Alyssa Spaw for an honest conversation about bodybuilding, body image, disordered eating, perfectionism, and the complicated relationship high performers can develop with exercise, nutrition, and their own expectations. Alyssa opens up about how fitness initially made her feel strong and empowered before competitive bodybuilding became tied to restriction, bingeing, over-exercising, and an identity she eventually knew she needed to leave behind. She and Rachel share their own experiences with extreme exercise and disordered eating while exploring what sustainable wellness actually looks like. They also talk about adapting health habits during difficult seasons, letting go of all-or-nothing thinking, and why sometimes five minutes of movement is exactly what your mind and body need. Connect with Alyssa: LinkedIn, Instagram, Website Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.  

What happens when the sport that shaped so much of your life is no longer the center of it? Rachel Blogg sits down with her son, Cole Whipple, for a personal conversation about growing up as an athlete, playing college basketball, and realizing that walking away from competition didn’t mean losing who he was. Instead, Cole found relief, rediscovered his love for basketball, and learned that the sport could remain part of his life without defining his identity. Now 22 and preparing to move across the country to begin a career working with UFC athletes, Cole reflects on transitioning from college basketball player to team manager, building meaningful relationships, and learning to embrace change without obsessing over the outcome. Rachel and Cole also get candid about what it was like growing up with a therapist and performance coach as a mom, what parents of athletes sometimes get wrong, and why moving forward doesn’t require having your entire future figured out. Connect with Cole: LinkedIn, Instagram Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.  

What happens when you finally reach the level you worked so hard for, only to realize the pressure is just beginning? Rachel Blogg sits down with NFL player Tyron Herring for an honest conversation about chasing a professional football career, getting cut, changing teams, managing expectations, and learning to separate who you are from how you perform. Tyron shares the mental pressure of knowing every practice could affect your future, the sacrifices people never see, and how faith, mantras, and a commitment to the process have helped him navigate the uncertainty of professional sports. He also opens up about writing his book after being cut, finding value beyond football, and why athletes need interests, relationships, and purpose outside their sport. Together, Rachel and Tyron explore an important truth for athletes at every level: you can want the dream with everything you have while still knowing you'll be okay if the dream changes. Connect with Tyron: Instagram, Tiktok Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

What happens when the thing you love most becomes inseparable from who you are? Rachel Blogg sits down with professional MMA fighter and former UFC fighter Charles Rosa for an honest conversation about athlete identity, pressure, mental health, trauma, and the complicated reality of imagining life after fighting. Charles opens up about losing his two older brothers, finding an outlet through MMA, battling depression when fighting is absent, and the devastating neck injury that doctors said gave him less than a 1% chance of returning to the cage. He shares how he fought his way back, what losses have taught him about separating performance from self-worth, and how becoming a father is changing the way he thinks about risk, family, and his future. As he prepares for his first bare-knuckle boxing fight at Fenway Park, Charles reflects on a question many athletes eventually face: Who am I when I can no longer do the thing that has defined me? Connect with Charles: https://www.instagram.com/charlesrosamma Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

What happens when the sport that shaped your identity is suddenly gone? In this deeply personal episode, Rachel Blogg shares why Imperfectly Human is entering a new chapter with a focused mission: helping athletes navigate life after sports. Drawing from her work as a therapist and mental performance coach, as well as her own experience recovering from a life-changing injury, Rachel opens up about the emotional challenges that come when competition ends and the next chapter begins. She explores the identity loss that can follow retirement, injury, graduation, being cut from a team, or simply aging out of a sport. Rachel reflects on her own journey through depression after an injury forced her away from endurance racing, and how she slowly rebuilt her life by redefining movement, purpose, and self-worth. She also shares what listeners can expect moving forward, including conversations with current and former athletes, coaches, sports psychologists, and other professionals who help athletes thrive beyond competition. This episode is a reminder that your greatest strength was never your sport—it has always been the person underneath the uniform. Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

What happens when you stop hiding the hardest chapters of your life and start telling the truth? Rachel Blogg sits down with YouTube creator, storyteller, and fashion designer Mrs. Kane for a deeply honest conversation about pregnancy loss, domestic violence, healing, resilience, and finding purpose through vulnerability.   Mrs. Kane shares the unimaginable heartbreak of losing nine pregnancies before welcoming her miracle daughter, the emotional impact of surviving abusive relationships and stalking, and how moving to Florida became the beginning of a completely different life. She opens up about documenting her journey on YouTube, using storytelling to process trauma, finding humor in painful experiences, and building a community by showing up as her authentic self. Together, they explore why asking for help is a sign of strength, how healing isn't always linear, and why sharing your story can help someone else feel less alone. It's a powerful reminder that your past doesn't have to define your future—and that even the deepest pain can become a source of hope.   Connect with Mrs. Kane: Youtube, Instagram Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

What happens when you stop waiting for the perfect moment and simply decide to begin? Rachel Blogg sits down with endurance athlete, Harvard Business School graduate, engineer, and educator Anthony Simonetti for an inspiring conversation about resilience, purpose, adventure, and choosing experiences over fear. Anthony shares the journey that took him from a childhood shaped by family challenges and his sister's battle with cancer to running seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days, raising thousands of dollars for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and building a life centered on curiosity rather than comfort. Together, they explore how adversity shapes resilience, why mindset matters more than talent, the value of embracing uncertainty, and how meaningful experiences—not perfect plans—often lead to the greatest personal growth. It's an honest reminder that you don't have to wait until you feel ready to start living the life you want. Connect with Anthony: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildant/ Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

What happens when you stop hiding the hardest parts of your story? Rachel Blogg welcomes author, speaker, and content creator Rachel Sobel for a deeply honest conversation about surviving domestic violence, navigating breast cancer, raising resilient kids, and learning that vulnerability can become your greatest source of strength. Rachel shares how years in an abusive relationship slowly eroded her confidence before therapy helped her recognize herself as a survivor. She opens up about the shame that often keeps people silent, why leaving is rarely as simple as it seems, and the importance of creating safe spaces where difficult conversations can happen without judgment. The conversation also explores parenting in the age of social media, living with ADHD, finding humor during breast cancer treatment, and how embracing every chapter of her story ultimately led to the book she always dreamed of writing. It's an honest reminder that healing doesn't come from pretending life is perfect—it comes from telling the truth about who you are.   Connect with Rachel Sobel: Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.  

What happens when the dream you've spent your entire life chasing suddenly comes to an end? Rachel Blogg sits down with former NFL running back Montee Ball for an honest conversation about identity, performance pressure, addiction, recovery, and what it means to rebuild your life after everything changes. Montee shares the hidden struggles behind his success at the University of Wisconsin and in the NFL, the pressure to always appear strong, and how alcohol quietly became a way to cope with anxiety, burnout, and the expectations placed on him. He opens up about the mistakes that led to his arrest, the moment he realized he needed help, and why taking responsibility—not shame—became the foundation of his recovery. Together, they explore the mental health challenges athletes often face after sports, the importance of asking for help, and the work Montee is doing today to make sure the next generation of athletes knows it's okay to not be okay. Connect with Montee: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

What keeps so many of us from showing up as our authentic selves? Rachel Blogg sits down with holistic therapist and coach Corynne Carranza for a candid conversation about perfectionism, social media, motherhood, entrepreneurship, boundaries, and the quiet fears that often hold us back from being fully seen. Together they explore why even experienced therapists struggle with vulnerability online, how comparison steals confidence, the pressure to always be productive, and the importance of creating space for joy instead of constantly chasing achievement. They also reflect on the value of women's retreats, building meaningful community, protecting your time, and learning that growth often begins just outside your comfort zone. Honest, funny, and deeply relatable, this conversation is a reminder that being imperfectly human is exactly where real connection begins. Connect with Corynne: Instagram,  Linkedin, Website Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

What happens when recovery stops being about simply staying alive and starts becoming about fully living? Rachel Blogg sits down with comedian, entrepreneur, and recovery advocate Jill Pavlov for an honest conversation about eating disorders, addiction, perfectionism, and the long journey toward self-worth. Jill shares how years of believing she wasn't enough led to an eating disorder, substance abuse, and ultimately a life-changing stay at treatment. Together, she and Rachel explore the lingering voice of an eating disorder, the pressure of perfectionism, why confidence is something we practice rather than something we have, and how improv comedy unexpectedly became a powerful tool for quieting overthinking and learning to take up space. They also reflect on grief, honoring loved ones lost to addiction, and why kindness may be one of the most powerful forms of healing we can offer each other. Connect with Jill: Instagram,  Linkedin Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

In this inspiring episode of Imperfectly Human, Rachel sits down with former NFL player, bestselling author, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker Marques Ogden to explore what it really means to rebuild your life after everything falls apart. Marques shares his journey from professional football to becoming a successful business owner, only to lose nearly everything after a devastating business failure. Faced with financial ruin, addiction, and a complete loss of identity, he found himself at rock bottom and forced to make a choice: remain a victim of his circumstances or take radical accountability for his future. Together, Rachel and Marques discuss the challenges of identity beyond achievement, the mental health struggles many athletes and high performers face, and why focusing on the process rather than the outcome can lead to greater success. Marques opens up about the lessons he learned through bankruptcy, personal setbacks, and starting over, while sharing the mindset shifts that helped him rebuild both his career and his life. This conversation is a powerful reminder that adversity does not define us. Through resilience, personal responsibility, and a willingness to keep moving forward, even our most difficult setbacks can become the foundation for growth, purpose, and a meaningful comeback.   Connect with Marques: Instagram,  Linkedin Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Rachel Blogg sits down with Alicia Michelle, founder of The Koi Collective, for a conversation that took a completely unexpected turn. What starts as a business chat quickly becomes one of the most raw and honest conversations about surviving a childhood defined by poverty, abuse, and chaos, leaving home at 17 with nothing, and slowly, painstakingly building something different. Alicia opens up about growing up the oldest of 13 siblings in Section 8 housing, discovering in her mid-twenties that her siblings shared a different father, navigating a physically abusive marriage with no financial safety net, and walking away from it all with zero support and zero dollars. She talks about what it actually takes to rebuild not just a business, but a sense of self, over 13 years of showing up imperfectly and refusing to stay stuck. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like the odds were stacked against them before they even started. Alicia's story is not about one big breakthrough moment. It is about consistency, boundaries, and deciding that your past does not get to write the rest of your story. Connect with Alicia: LinkedIn, Instagram Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Rachel Blogg sits down with Malcolm, founder and CEO of Langdon Park Capital, whose paths crossed in the most unexpected way — through a TikTok video Rachel posted after helping his college-aged son get home safely following a March Madness game. What started as a simple act of concern from one parent to another became a moment that restored faith in humanity for nearly half a million people. In this conversation, they unpack how that moment happened, what it meant to both families, and why kindness like that feels rare when it really shouldn't. Malcolm opens up about his journey from NFL player to Wall Street banker to mission-driven real estate investor, and how each chapter was shaped less by ambition and more by a deep sense of responsibility to the communities he grew up in. He shares how a single question from his wife while he was recovering from knee surgery — "will you figure it out?" — became the quiet turning point that launched everything that followed. The conversation also goes deep on mental health in athletics, the pressure young student athletes face around NIL money, and Rachel's own courageous shift toward performance coaching after nearly three decades as a licensed clinical social worker. Together they explore what it really means to build a life around purpose, not just profit, and why the people who do that well make all of us a little better. Connect with Malcolm: LinkedIn, Instagram Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

In this episode of Imperfectly Human, Rachel sits down with Garrison Carter for a powerful conversation about identity, discipline, leadership, and resilience. As a senior student-athlete at Illinois Institute of Technology, Garrison shares the realities behind competing at a high level while balancing academics, personal growth, and life beyond basketball. Together, they discuss overcoming injury, losing 40 pounds during COVID, handling pressure as a college athlete, and learning how faith and family helped shape his mindset. Garrison opens up about mental toughness, the fear of failure, and how he learned that success is not just about performance on the court, but about growth, consistency, and staying true to yourself. This episode is an inspiring reminder that we are all more than the titles, achievements, or expectations placed upon us. Meet my Guest Garrison Carter is a senior at Illinois Institute of Technology from Island Lake and a four-year captain of the men’s basketball team. A Dean’s List student and one of the top scorers in program history with more than 1,000 career points, Garrison has earned First Team All-Conference honors along with multiple all-conference selections throughout his college career. Outside of basketball, Garrison serves as President of the Black Student Athlete Association and has previously served as President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. He is also a Resident Advisor and mentor who is passionate about leadership, community, and helping others grow both on and off the court. Through his experiences as an athlete and leader, Garrison continues to inspire others with his humility, discipline, and commitment to personal development. Connect with Garrison: Instagram, Linkedin  Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.

Rachel Blogg sits down with Meghan Brooks, a recovery advocate and treatment professional with 15 years of sobriety, who shares the honest, unglamorous truth about what it actually took to get sober and stay that way. Meghan opens up about growing up with addiction in her family, bouncing between cities trying to outrun her disease, and the moment she got kicked out of her own IOP group, which turned out to be the day everything changed. This conversation goes deep on the early struggles of sobriety that nobody talks about, including why the first two years felt awful, how Meghan intentionally surrounded herself with women who had decades of time, and why doing the steps more than once can completely shift your perspective. They also touch on the misconceptions around AA, higher power, and what it really means to protect your recovery without guilt. If you or someone you love is waiting for the "right moment" to ask for help, this episode is a reminder that the window of willingness is real and worth walking through. Connect with Meghan on Instagram Stay connected with Rachel: LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok   ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.