The Discomfort Practice

What happens after the brave thing? Not six months later. Not when the results are in. Immediately after. In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy reflects on what happened in the hours after launching the very first Embodied Leadership monthly Members' Lab in July 2026. The session itself was deeply moving, but not long after the room closed and her nervous system finally let go of months of holding, an old pattern came rushing in: the urge to burn it all down, disappear, and hide before anyone could reject something deeply personal. Something that truly matters to her. Rather than trying to fix or fight the thoughts, Betsy did what she teaches others to do: she observed them. Because sometimes we're not just teaching the work. We ARE the homework. And, as Betsy has found, in her work teaching embodied leadership, she most often IS the homework for things she passes on to others. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why old narratives often surface immediately after moments of courage The gap between what the body is experiencing and the story the mind creates How exhaustion can muddy the truth Why self-sabotage often arrives disguised as "being realistic" What it means to witness your patterns without becoming them A simple practice for noticing the story that appears after you do something brave If you've ever launched something, had a vulnerable conversation, taken a risk, or finally put yourself out into the world, only to immediately want to retreat, this episode is for you. Subscribe to The Discomfort Practice wherever you listen to podcasts. Work with Betsy Betsy is the founder of Embodied Leadership Lab, where she works with leaders, teams and organisations to develop embodied leadership, nervous system intelligence and capacity and more personally sustainable ways of leading in complexity. Check out Embodied Leadership Lab membership on Patreon Find out more about the work at www.embodiedleadershiplab.com  Subscribe to Betsy's Substack: @thebetsyreed

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy answers a comment a friend once made — "You never talk about having hobbies" — by unpacking why that's true, and what it reveals about how she actually relates to her own life. The answer isn't that she's hobby-less. It's that she doesn't experience her life as something to escape to something better. She experiences it as a craft — a container she's devoted to, refines, and is shaped by in return. And lately, that craft has had to make room for something she didn't choose: chemotherapy. This episode is about what happens when rest, receiving and doing less become the most demanding practice you've ever undertaken — and why a culture obsessed with visible effort has no real language for the mastery that looks like slowing down. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why she doesn't have 'hobbies' and what that has revealed to her about her relationship to her own life. The difference between a 'hobby' and 'craft' - and why it's not about doing more. How chemotherapy, rest and receiving have become part of her 'craft' of living, not interruptions to it. Why visible effort gets rewarded and invisible work, like healing, integrating and surrender, doesn't. Defining 'letting life carry you' as a different kind of strength. Plus a closing mantra / question to sit with: where are you treating something as an interruption when it can actually be part of making your life a 'craft'? The Discomfort Practice explores the uncomfortable edges where personal growth, leadership, embodiment and systems change intersect. Follow Betsy for more reflections on reinvention, craft, uncertainty and building a life that feels vividly alive. Follow Betsy on Instagram: @thebetsyreed Subscribe to The Discomfort Practice wherever you listen — and a five-star review always helps Join her on Substack, Voice Notes from the Edge: substack.com/@thebetsyreed Work with Betsy — coaching, the Embodied Leadership Lab membership, community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.embodiedleadershiplab.com

In this episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy is joined by Katherine Wela Bogen - scholar, activist, storyteller, and self-described "joyful little freak" - for a conversation that refuses to stay in its lane (in the best possible way). Katie, as she's known to her friends, is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology researching the intersections of bisexual identity, sexual trauma, sexual functioning, and kink. She has published more than 30 peer-reviewed papers, hosts the political podcast Superhumanizer, and has just released her debut novel Queering Him -  the first in the Avra and Kiran trilogy. They talk about the particular loneliness of being a multi-hyphenate; the tension of being a storyteller who is also a rigorous scientist and a justice activist; growing up queer and Jewish in rural Connecticut; the grassroots, intergenerational nature of rural queer organizing; purity culture in activist spaces (yes, that purity culture); and why the internet may be doing something genuinely sick to our capacity for human connection. Oh, and they coin a new term: queer-narc. You're welcome. This is a rich, wide-ranging, deeply honest conversation about sovereignty, disruption, and what it means to hold a fully realized identity in a world that keeps trying to flatten you. In This Episode The tension of being a scholar-activist-storyteller,  and why each community will always think you're betraying the others How the skills we sharpen to keep ourselves safe become our superpowers Signing a "closeting contract" at boarding school, and what that taught Katie about using intellectual excellence as a shield Growing up queer and Jewish in a majority-Christian rural Connecticut town, and the casual antisemitism that surrounded her Holocaust-survivor grandfather How rural queer activism works - whisper networks, safe parents, rainbow sidewalks painted in the dark, and the teachers whose doors you know are open Activist perfectionism and online purity culture: "Why are you being such a cop?" Impact vs intent,  and why a well-meaning neighbour is not your enemy Katie's debut novel Queering Him: two flawed, bisexual adolescents asking the hard questions about desire, kink, fetishization, and queerness,  and why readers who want to cancel fictional teenagers might want to look inward What the kink community models about accountability, community repair, and anti-carceral approaches to harm COVID, the digital age, and what we've lost by moving so much of human life onto a screen Final thought: Don't let the internet take your humanity from you. About Katherine Wela Bogen Katherine Wela Bogen (she/her) is a bisexual, Jewish scholar-activist and storyteller whose work sits at the intersections of consent, kink, pleasure politics, and self-advocacy. She is currently completing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology (NIH-funded research on bisexual identity, sexual trauma, sexual functioning, and kink). She has published more than 30 peer-reviewed papers and hosts the political podcast Superhumanizer. Her public-facing platform is k.w.bogen, where she reaches over 500,000 followers with millions of monthly views. Her debut novel Queering Him - the first in the Avra and Kiran trilogy - is out now. Books two and three follow in January 2027 and January 2028 respectively, with two spin-off novels to follow. Find Katie: Instagram / social: @k.w.bogen Podcast: Superhumanizer Novel: Queering Him (Avra and Kiran trilogy, Book 1) -  available wherever books are sold   Links Mentioned Queering Him by Katherine Wela Bogen (Avra and Kiran trilogy, Book 1) Podcast: Superhumanizer Katie mentioned sharing academic articles on queer rurality in shownotes; check her social platforms for those links   Connect With Betsy Follow Betsy on Instagram: @thebetsyreed Subscribe to the podcast and leave a five-star written review - it genuinely helps get The Discomfort Practice out into the world. Read Betsy's Substack, Voice Notes from the Edge: substack.com/@thebetsyreed Work with Betsy - coaching, the Embodied Leadership Lab membership, community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: embodiedleadershiplab.com  

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy reflects on the deeply inconvenient timing of becoming wildly, viscerally alive in the middle of grappling with mortality. A few months after a cancer diagnosis and before chemotherapy has even begun, she finds herself blindsided by something she genuinely did not expect: a crush. Not a sensible attraction. A full nervous-system hijack. The kind that turns a self-aware adult woman into a fluttery teenage disaster because someone walks into a room. But beneath the humour is something deeper. This episode explores what happens when the body you've suddenly begun relating to through fear, uncertainty and medical language unexpectedly remembers desire, curiosity, embodiment and aliveness. It's about eros as life force. About mortality sharpening beauty. About the absurdity and sacredness of still being emotionally movable in the middle of the unknown. It's definitely existential, ya'll. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why a crush feels strangely healing during a cancer diagnosis Mortality, identity and the fear of becoming untethered from yourself Erotic aliveness as animating life force The nervous system's refusal to become purely practical Why being deeply affected is sometimes evidence of being deeply alive The Discomfort Practice explores the uncomfortable edges where personal growth, leadership, embodiment and systems change intersect. Follow Betsy for more reflections on reinvention, eros, uncertainty and building a life that feels vividly alive. Follow Betsy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thebetsyreed Subscribe to The Discomfort Practice wherever you listen to podcasts Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: www.embodiedleadershiplab.com   

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy reflects on what happens when life blows apart the illusion of linearity, and why that rupture may be the beginning of something far more honest. A few weeks after unexpectedly being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing surgery, Betsy finds herself in a strange in-between space: giving keynote speeches and being invited into rooms of influence, while simultaneously asking for financial grace, facing chemotherapy and confronting the uncomfortable realities of building an unconventional life. This is an episode about the collision between external accomplishment and internal uncertainty. About the shame that emerges when you compare your real life to an imaginary timeline. And about what becomes possible when you stop treating your life like it's late. Betsy explores the myth of the "correct" life path - marriage, stability, financial security, certainty - and what it means to consciously choose freedom, creativity, reinvention, and impact instead. She speaks candidly about the sharper edges of that choice: ageing alone, financial precarity, mortality, identity and the fear that maybe none of it adds up the way you thought it would. But she also asks a different question: What if life is not a ladder, but a series of eras, chapters, and initiations? What if this moment is not failure, but intermission before the next becoming? In this episode, Betsy explores: Why cancer shattered the illusion of "later" The shame that comes from comparing human lives to linear timelines The difference between external achievement and internal alignment Choosing freedom over safety and the costs and gifts of that path What ageing, uncertainty, and mortality reveal about what actually matters Why this chapter may be less about proving herself and more about becoming fully herself Embodied Leadership Lab as work born from lived experience, not polished theory How to stop treating your life as though it's somehow behind schedule The Discomfort Practice explores the uncomfortable edges where personal growth, leadership, culture, and systems change intersect. If this episode landed for you, follow Betsy for more reflections on embodiment, reinvention, and building a life that is fully your own. Follow Betsy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thebetsyreed Subscribe to The Discomfort Practice wherever you listen to podcasts - and leave a five-star review (it genuinely helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy - coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, and Embodied Leadership Lab: www.betsy-reed.com

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy shares the origin story of Embodied Leadership Lab, why the launch didn't go to plan and what it is. It was supposed to happen on April 7th. Instead, Betsy was in surgery. And she's here to tell you: that was the launch. Because here's the thing at the centre of everything she's building: Leadership is not what you say in the room. It's the state you are in when you enter the room. When you're in the room.  What happens when the body overrides the timeline you 'should' follow? When life says "not that way" - and you actually listen? When the plan falls apart and you're left with a choice: hustle through it, or live what you teach? Betsy chose to live it. To embody leadership 'in the wild.' Drawing on the ancient Sumerian myth of Inanna/Ishtar, queen of heaven and earth who descends into the underworld, stripped of everything at every gate, Betsy maps what it means to go down into the hard thing, rather than push past it. And why that descent is exactly where leadership capacity gets built. Not on the way up. On the way down. This episode is both origin story of Embodied Leadership Lab and embodiment in real time. It's what her work is actually about: the leadership development that most spaces skip entirely; the moment when the nervous system is telling you something strategy can't see or embody. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why leadership is not a cognitive skill; it's the state you bring into the room What a hard health diagnosis strips away, and what it leaves behind The myth of Inanna, and why descent is not failure; it's initiation A three-day post-surgery ritual for honouring the threshold between who she was and who she's becoming Why you don't build leadership capacity on the way up; you build it on the way down What it actually means to embody your work, in the most inconvenient and unscripted way possible The Discomfort Practice explores the uncomfortable edges where personal growth, leadership, culture, and systems change intersect. If this episode landed for you, follow Betsy for more reflections on integrity, embodiment, and the quiet courage it takes to lead from somewhere real: Follow Betsy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/thebetsyreed Subscribe to The Discomfort Practice wherever you listen to podcasts - and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy - coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, and the newly launched Embodied Leadership Lab: www.betsy-reed.com

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy explores a slightly amusing and powerful idea: What if blasphemy is exactly what we need right now? Drawing from the line "Every great idea starts out as a blasphemy," Betsy looks at the beliefs, systems, and assumptions we treat as sacred… and asks a simple but disruptive question: Does this actually serve? From workplace norms to wellness culture, politics to personal identity, many of the stories we defend most fiercely are simply habits we stopped questioning. When something becomes sacred, curiosity disappears… and systems can get stuck. This episode is an invitation to bring curiosity back. Not through rage or rebellion, but through a small, playful practice Betsy calls "writing blasphemy": noticing the things everyone treats as untouchable and daring to question them. Blasphemy, in this sense, isn't about disrespect. It's about interrupting the spell of stories that no longer serve - whether that looks like questioning a belief, leaving a job, redefining a relationship, or simply pausing long enough to reconsider something you once took for granted. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why sacred beliefs can quietly become barriers to change How certainty replaces curiosity in cultures, organisations, and identities The surprising power of writing "the sentence you're not supposed to write" Why questioning the sacred is often the first step in systemic or personal transformation A simple practice for spotting your own sacred cows The experiment for this week is simple: Notice something you treat as sacred - a belief, habit, identity, or system - and pause long enough to ask: Does this serve… or is it just sacred? If the answer surprises you, you may have just written your first line of blasphemy. And every great idea starts there. The Discomfort Practice explores the uncomfortable edges where personal growth, leadership, culture, and systems change intersect. If this episode landed for you, follow Betsy for more reflections on integrity, discomfort, and the quiet courage it takes to question what everyone else takes for granted: Follow Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe to The Discomfort Practice wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com

In this solo episode, Betsy explores a provocative idea for strange times: Joy might be a form of anarchy. We are living in an era saturated with catastrophe, outrage cycles, environmental grief, economic anxiety, and a constant sense that the world is tilting toward something darker. In that atmosphere, many of us quietly absorb an unspoken rule: if you care about the world, you should feel bad about it all the time. But what if that equation is wrong? What if joy is not denial or privilege or distraction, but a form of resistance? In this episode, Betsy explores how fear-driven systems rely on exhausted, anxious populations, and why choosing joy in the midst of uncertainty can be a deeply rebellious act. This conversation moves beyond superficial "positive thinking" to something much more embodied: joy as life force, sovereignty, and refusal. Because being fully alive - cooking beautiful food, laughing with friends, falling in love, creating, resting, noticing beauty - is not frivolous. It's a refusal to let the world shrink your life. And in a culture that increasingly demands despair as proof of moral seriousness, enjoying your life might be one of the most subversive things you can do. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why modern culture subtly equates misery with moral seriousness The "purity culture" that has crept into activism and social awareness Why systems of control benefit from populations that are fearful and exhausted Joy as embodied life force rather than denial or avoidance The small, everyday acts that quietly reclaim sovereignty over your inner life Why you can feel anxiety about the world and still insist on joy The invitation to become what Betsy calls a "Joy Anarchist" This episode is an invitation to protect your aliveness — even, and especially, in strange times. Because joy is not naïveté. Sometimes it's defiance. The Discomfort Practice explores the uncomfortable edges of being human - the places where growth, truth, and aliveness live. You can find the book Pleasure Activism, by Adrienne Maree Brown here on her website. It's a highly recommended read / approach that might very well change your approach to life. If this episode landed for you, consider sharing it with someone who might need the reminder. Follow Betsy for more reflections on integrity, discomfort, and the quiet courage it takes to question what everyone else takes for granted: Betsy's on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe to The Discomfort Practice wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com

What do you do when the people you most need to work with are the ones you most fundamentally disagree with? In this episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy sits down with renowned facilitator and systems thinker Adam Kahane, whose work has brought together politicians, activists, CEOs, guerrilla fighters  and community leaders in some of the most polarized environments in the world. From South Africa's transition out of apartheid to complex global conflicts today, Adam has spent decades working in the uncomfortable middle: helping people collaborate across profound differences without pretending those differences don't exist. This conversation explores what it actually takes to move forward together when trust is low, stakes are high, and nobody is getting exactly what they want. In this episode, Betsy and Adam explore: Why collaboration doesn't require agreement The difference between controlling systems and participating in them How conflict can become a generative force instead of a dead end What it means to act when outcomes are uncertain Why real change often emerges from experimentation rather than certainty This is not a conversation about neat solutions. It's about learning how to work inside the mess, with curiosity, humility, and courage. About Adam Kahane Adam Kahane is a director of Reos Partners and a leading facilitator of complex change processes around the world. He has worked with leaders from business, government, and civil society to address some of the toughest systemic challenges - from democratic transitions to climate change and economic inequality. He is the author of several influential books including Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems: The Catalytic Power of Radical Engagement and Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don't Agree with or Like or Trust). Learn more about Adam's work: https://www.reospartners.com https://www.adamkahane.com If this episode landed for you: Follow and message Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge — some public, some subscriber-only: https://substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: https://www.betsy-reed.com

"The world doesn't need us to be perfect; it just needs us to be present." Betsy has been a meditation teacher for 10 years, and in that time, her own practice has changed. Before leading a 'Senses Meditation,' she swears a bit, she quotes singer Billy Bragg and invites you to meditate. The answer to 'crunchy times' is not to escape them, to seek to 'ascend' and get away from the very real discomfort happening to you. The answer is sometimes to just be human in the midst of it, to realise that a regulated nervous system doesn't necessarily mean you're calm. So step into your body, set aside 10 minutes or so to do this meditation - whether walking, driving, in the gym or sitting in your bed - and enjoy being with yourself. Whatever that feels like right now. If you'd like more: Betsy records bespoke meditations, so if you'd like to commission some to accompany you through life right now, get in touch.  Follow and message Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed

What happens when you revisit something you once said with conviction… and realise you'd express it differently today? In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy reflects on the strange experience of discovering that one of her older episodes, The World Is Evolving. Are You?, has quietly become the most downloaded episode in the 5 years this podcast has been produced. So she went back and listened. And cringed. This episode is about the discomfort of encountering your past thinking in public, and the quiet, ongoing work of evolving how we speak about the world and our place in it. In this episode, Betsy explores: Revisiting past ideas and noticing what has changed The gap between what we believe and how we express it How privilege can show up subtly in tone and framing The tension between personal agency narratives and structural realities What it means to evolve in public rather than in private This is an episode for anyone who has ever revisited their own work and realised they might say things differently today. If this landed for you: Follow and message Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge — some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com

What if indifference isn't always apathy, but is sometimes rooted in discernment? In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy explores intentional indifference as a mature, regulated response to a world that constantly pulls for reaction, access, and emotional labour. Not the numb, checked-out kind, but the kind that comes from knowing where your energy actually belongs. This episode is about withdrawing attention without withdrawing integrity. About choosing not to engage - not because you can't, but because you won't. In this episode, Betsy explores: The difference between avoidance and intentional indifference Why over-responsiveness is often mistaken for care (and leadership) How indifference can be an act of self-respect, not dismissal What it means to stop being "available for extraction" Indifference as a nervous-system skill - not a mindset trick How leaders, creatives, and sensitives burn out by caring too broadly This is an episode for anyone who has been told they're "too much," "too intense," or "too available" and is ready to practice cleaner, quieter power. If this episode landed for you: Follow and message Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy speaks directly into the current moment: politically, socially and somatically. Recorded in February 2026, amid rising authoritarianism, surveillance and collective nervous system overload, this episode is a grounded, unsmoothed reflection on what it means to stay human, regulated and ethically awake when the world feels volatile. Anchored by a teaching from Thích Nhất Hạnh, Betsy explores the idea of war loops: the internal patterns of fear, urgency, compliance, reactivity and self-betrayal that quietly rehearse the very dynamics we say we want to resist. This is not a political analysis or a call to action. It's a nervous-system-level inquiry into freedom, leadership and choice, especially for those embedded in corporate or institutional systems who find themselves asking, "But what can I actually do?" In this episode, Betsy explores: What Thích Nhất Hạnh meant by "uprooting war from ourselves" How authoritarian dynamics are rehearsed internally through unregulated nervous systems The difference between response and reaction in moments of pressure Why smoothing, complying or "keeping things nice" is not neutrality How self-regulation becomes a form of ethical and political agency What it means to tolerate discomfort without outsourcing your values How leadership begins with interrupting internal war loops Mid-episode nervous system practice: A short, grounding regulation exercise designed to interrupt fear-based loops and restore choice before analysis or decision-making. Closing inquiry + practice: Betsy guides listeners through a reflective somatic inquiry: Where is the war within me? Exploring how internalised pressure, urgency, contempt or shutdown show up — and how to contain them without judgment. This episode is for listeners who are paying attention, feeling the cost of that attention in their bodies, and wanting to stay clear, calm and human without turning away. A gentle invitation after you listen: No fixing. No forcing. Just noticing: Where you feel pressure to comply Where you override your own signals Where you rehearse domination, contempt or self-erasure Where choice becomes possible again through regulation If this episode landed for you: Follow and message Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for Voice Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com

In this expansive and clear-eyed conversation, host Betsy Reed is joined by journalist and leading sustainability commentator James Murray, founding Editor-in-Chief of BusinessGreen. Together, they explore what it means to stay awake, human and oriented in the face of accelerating climate risk, AI and systemic uncertainty. Recorded at a moment when climate tipping points are no longer abstract projections but lived realities, their dialogue flows between science, politics, technology and psychology. Betsy and James examine how climate change has become a kind of "theory of everything", shaping economics, geopolitics, migration and everyday life, and what it takes to remain informed without tipping into paralysis, denial or performative optimism. With honesty and nuance, they discuss the real risks in the future, the breakthroughs already underway, and the inner work required to hold the tension of either a potentially catastrophic or a potentially bright future. Because, right now, we don't know which we are heading for. This is a conversation about choosing informed optimism as a practice not a posture, and about learning how to stay in relationship with complexity rather than turning away from it. In this episode: What climate tipping points really are and why they matter now Why climate change has become a "theory of everything" for modern life The emotional and psychological impact of watching seasons, systems and certainties shift within a single lifetime Where real hope lives: clean tech, adoption curves and the pace of innovation Carbon removal, regenerative approaches and what comes next The tension between democratic processes and the urgency of climate action Navigating the information Wild West without losing discernment What it means to practise informed optimism in dark and uncertain times   About James Murray James Murray is the founding editor-in-chief of BusinessGreen, the UK's leading publication covering the green economy, net-zero transition and sustainable business. He launched BusinessGreen in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades reporting on, analysing and challenging the evolution of climate policy, clean technology and corporate responsibility. In 2020, he was named Digital Editor of the Year at the AOP Awards. His work is widely read by policymakers, business leaders and sustainability practitioners navigating the transition to a low-carbon economy. Read James' piece  The Climate Theory of Everything Check out the Business Green website Connect with Betsy Instagram: @thebetsyreed Like, subscribe and leave a 5-star review wherever you listen to podcasts to help more people discover The Discomfort Practice Check out Betsy's new, more personal Substack, (Voice) Notes From the Edge, to get her 'hot takes,' deeper reflections and behind-the-scenes insights  

In this intimate solo episode, Betsy records from the threshold: posting unscripted, later than planned and exactly when it needed to be shared. Recorded in January 2026, after what she calls the personal "meat-grinder" year of 2025, this episode is a love letter to anyone doing something alone: building, healing, choosing integrity, setting boundaries or standing between versions of themselves in a quiet, liminal space. This is not a pep talk. It's a nervous system-level offering for those moments when life goes quiet and the stories about aloneness get loud. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why aloneness is not a failure, but often the felt experience of integrity How liminal spaces show up when we stop abandoning ourselves The difference between being alone and being unsupported Why quiet seasons often arrive right before a new chapter How support doesn't always look like people (and what else counts as support) Letting go of the macro stories we attach to those moments when we feel alone A simple nervous system practice: Betsy shares a gentle, grounding breath practice she calls "the you don't have to do anything breath", designed to bring you back from spirals of story into the present moment. You'll be guided to: Breathe in for four Pause gently Breathe out for six Repeat 4–6 times Along with a simple anchoring phrase: "You don't have to do anything right now. You are allowed to pause." Resources mentioned: Focusmate – quiet online coworking sessions with a stranger for gentle accountability and presence - https://app.focusmate.com/  Audiobooks and podcasts as regulating companions, including books by Brené Brown Routine as support: food, movement, breath, tidying, eye contact with yourself Co-regulation with animals (especially dogs or cats) A soft invitation: Listeners are invited (no pressure) to notice what support already exists and what could support them: One place that calms you One voice that steadies you One practice that brings you back One person (or future version of you) who has survived this before No forcing. No fixing. Just presence. If this episode landed for you: Betsy would love to hear what resonated, what didn't, and what you'd like more of. You can: Follow and message her on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps). Here's Apple and Spotify for easy access. Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed, where she shares Voice Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only - for those who want a closer seat to her thinking, practices and lived evolution thebetsyreed.substack.com Work with Betsy For coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and the People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com Check out Embodied Leadership Lab for monthly leadership circles and quarterly planning sessions (starting ahead of Q2 2026): www.embodiedleadershiplab.com (it'll take you to Betsy's website)

In this powerful solo episode, Betsy explores what it means to live, lead, and stay human in what philosopher Antonio Gramsci famously called "the time of monsters" - the in-between space where the old world is dying and the new world is still struggling to be born. Recorded at the close of 2025, this episode is an invitation for anyone standing at a threshold: the end of a year, a relationship, a job, an identity, or an old way of being. Betsy reframes overwhelm, grief, and exhaustion not as personal failure, but as signs of initiation - evidence that you are awake, feeling, and participating in the birth of something new. This is a reflection, a transmission, and a practice for those navigating collapse with consciousness. In this episode, Betsy explores: What "the time of monsters" really means, beyond politics or villains Why exhaustion, grief, anger, and sensitivity are appropriate responses right now How collapse acts as an initiation into embodied sovereignty What embodied leadership actually looks like (and why charisma isn't the point) Why boundaries, nervous system regulation, and saying no are revolutionary acts How initiations happen in ordinary moments - emails, conversations, rest The difference between being "nice" and being kind (especially to yourself) Why monsters are often teachers and how they accelerate your path How to practice the new world instead of talking about it A reflection exercise to take with you: Instead of measuring your life by achievement, try asking: Where did I meet monsters (and what did they teach me)? What parts of me am I letting die? What new world am I quietly embodying through my boundaries, voice, and presence? How am I practicing the future I want to live in? A gentle practice shared in the episode: Betsy introduces a version of the "Just Like Me," her favourite compassion practice, a simple but radical way to soften separation, regulate the nervous system and practice leadership through humanity. Links & Resources Subscribe to Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack For deeper access, weekly voice notes, behind-the-scenes sovereignty reflections and a front-row seat to Betsy's inner world: thebetsyreed.substack.com Subscribe and follow The Discomfort Practice Wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's Apple and Spotify for easy access. Work with Betsy For coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and the People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com Check out the brand spanking new Embodied Leadership Lab for monthly leadership circles and quarterly planning sessions (starting ahead of Q2 2026): www.embodiedleadershiplab.com (it'll take you to Betsy's website) If you enjoyed this episode Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review: it genuinely helps Share it with someone navigating their own edge Join Betsy on Substack for deeper, more intimate exploration  

This is a good one from the archives - back in January 2023, when memories of the COVID-19 pandemic (and the trauma) was still fresh. Betsy interviewed Pilar Garrido, who was Minister for Economic Development in Costa Rica during the pandemic and went to work every day determined to 'lead from love.'  This is posted toward the end of 2025, a year in which many of us have witnessed leadership and counter reactions that come from fear or ego, not love. It's a particularly poignant, beautiful episode to remind us that it IS possible to lead from love, and that each of us can choose to lead - whatever our sphere of influence - from love.  -- A recap of the original episode: In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, Betsy talks with political scientist and economist Pilar Garrido. They chat about her experience leading a sustainable economic development policy in Costa Rica for a green and inclusive economy, as well as designing projects to create public benefit. Pilar has long been a key figure, using her previous role as a Government Minister to steer Costa Rica's ambition to be one of the five countries piloting the Sustainable Development Goals. SDG's were launched by the United Nations in 2015. Their aim is to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030, all people enjoy peace and prosperity.  So, buckle yourself in for this episode and be inspired by a politician who governs with both heart and strength. She has served as Chief of Staff, Deputy Minister, Minister of Planning and Policy, Technical Secretary of the Sustainable Development Goals in Costa Rica and as Costa Rica's co-ordinator of the Economic cabinet.  Pilar has since moved on to become Director of Development Cooperation for the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), based in Paris; it's a role that allows her to bring her style of leadership-with-heart to her work on a global level. Key Points Discussed: The discomfort Pilar experienced whilst becoming a politician and minister at a young age, especially during the Pandemic, as she describes as being like on the front line (5:20) Choosing to work from a place of love (08:20)  Making difficult choices and creating policies to protect people during the Pandemic (12:20) Pilar's journey from political scientist to advisor to politician (14:50) Costa Rica's initiatives to put humanity and sustainability first, before economics (23:40) How to have a big impact in politics: where your job is not forever (27:00) Part of Pilar's legacy: diversifying an economy that has previously heavily relied just on tourism, so that it is healthy and robust (31:00) The IDG framework (that Costa Rica are one of the first countries to pilot), which aims towards eradicating hunger, poverty, sustainability and ensuring human rights. The IDG's (Inner Development Goals) consists of five dimensions: Being (relationship to self); Thinking (using your brain); Relating (and caring about others in the world); Collaborating (social skills and society) and Acting (driving change) (36:40)  How everyone can do something small, that will collectively make a big impact (46:00)  Pilar's optimism for the future (51:10)    If you want to get a front-row seat to Betsy's innermost thoughts as she evolves into a more embodied, sovereign human - her messiness, her breakthroughs, and her real-time reflections - subscribe to her Substack, Voice Notes from the Edge. It's where she shares the unfiltered pieces of her journey she can't share anywhere else. Links & Resources Subscribe to Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack For deeper access, weekly voice notes, behind-the-scenes sovereignty reflections, and a front-row seat to Betsy's inner world: thebetsyreed.substack.com Subscribe and follow The Discomfort Practice Wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's Apple and Spotify for easy access. Work with Betsy For coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and the People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com If you enjoyed this episode Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review: it genuinely helps Share it with someone navigating their own edge Join Betsy inside Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack for deeper, more intimate exploration

In this very personal 20-minute solo, Betsy steps into the uncomfortable, liberating terrain of boundaries as a pleasure practice - a theme that emerged from her 2025 words of the year: alignment and precision. This episode is a transmission on sovereignty, somatic truth, and what it means to teach the choreography of your life through your energy, not your explanations. She reflects on a year of deep pruning of relationships, dynamics, and energetic leaks, and how that pruning has become sensual, sovereign, and delicious. She shares what it has meant to listen to her body's YES and NO, to shed old versions of herself, and to step into a more coherent, embodied expression of leadership. And, unexpectedly, she reveals how a Mastín-Labrador mix named Casper became her clearest mentor in embodied leadership, clean energetic signaling, and learning that access is a currency. This episode is for anyone feeling the pull toward deeper clarity, deeper alignment, and deeper sovereignty in how they give (and withhold) access to their life. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why "alignment" and "precision" became her seeds for 2025 How somatic intelligence (and a feeling of full-body NO) has driven a year of pruning Why boundaries aren't protection, punishment, or games, but pleasure, rhythm and choreography What her dog Casper has taught her about leadership, energy, and clean signals Why access is a currency and why sovereign humans manage access, not people The archetypes she released this year, from spiritual narcissists to emotional toddlers The ancestral roots of fawning and the embodied roots of sovereignty How boundaries create intimacy, not distance An invitation to treat your next boundary as a pleasure practice And this episode comes with an invitation: If you want to get a front-row seat to Betsy's innermost thoughts as she evolves into a more embodied, sovereign human - her messiness, her breakthroughs, and her real-time reflections - subscribe to her Substack, Voice Notes from the Edge. It's where she shares the unfiltered pieces of her journey she can't share anywhere else. Links & Resources Subscribe to Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack For deeper access, weekly voice notes, behind-the-scenes sovereignty reflections, and a front-row seat to Betsy's inner world: thebetsyreed.substack.com Subscribe and follow The Discomfort Practice Wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's Apple and Spotify for easy access. Work with Betsy For coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and the People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com If you enjoyed this episode Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review: it genuinely helps Share it with someone navigating their own edge Join Betsy inside Voice Notes from the Edge for deeper, more intimate exploration

In this very personal 20-minute solo episode, Betsy steps into her own edge. She announces the launch of a new offering: Voice Notes from the Edge, her Substack home for the people who want deeper access to her world, her thoughts, her voice. This episode is a transmission - an intimate reflection on sovereignty, devotion, and the kind of people who choose to walk with you not because they "follow" you, but because they recognise themselves in your voice and work. She shares why she's creating a paid sanctuary, because she's ready to be witnessed more deeply in order to help others feel ready to be witnessed themselves, and what it means to build a community of companions. She invites you, if you feel the pull, to step inside and join her in her living room. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why she's launching Voice Notes from the Edge - and why now The real purpose of creating a paid sanctuary (and why it's not about money) How The Discomfort Practice has evolved into a more intimate ecosystem where she can share her inner world What it means to create a gang, a council, a gathering of people committed to their own sovereignty Her own edge in being more visible, more vulnerable, and more herself An invitation into her sanctuary, as equals choosing dept Links & Resources: Subscribe to Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack For bonus episodes of The Discomfort Practice + raw, behind-the-scenes sovereignty reflections thebetsyreed.substack.com Subscribe and like The Discomfort Practice podcast home wherever you listen to podcasts - here's Apple and Spotify Work with Betsy for coaching, consulting, speaking, upcoming community circles and People Like Us dinners in various European cities, check out her website www.betsy-reed.com  If you enjoyed this episode: Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review Share it with someone who is navigating their own edge Join Betsy inside Voice Notes from the Edge for deeper, more intimate explorations

In this deeply moving conversation, host Betsy Reed welcomes back longtime friend and activist Isa Noyola, Director of the Border Butterflies Project at the Transgender Law Center, to explore what it means to live, love, and lead on the frontlines of collective liberation. Recorded in October 2025, their conversation travels from shared memories of queer resistance and joy in the American South to the stark realities of immigrant detention and the rising tide of authoritarianism. Through it all, Isa reminds us that trans joy, softness, and connection are radical acts of resistance, and that redefining our relationship with "the monsters" is how we stay human. Together, Betsy and Isa revisit the beginning of their friendship and activism, after meeting at a conservative Christian university, reflect on the resilience of marginalized communities, and discuss how to sustain hope and energy when the world feels overwhelming. It's a powerful, vulnerable, and timely dialogue about courage, community, and the necessity of beauty and joy in dark times. In this episode: Queer resistance and trans liberation in a shifting political landscape The ongoing fight against ICE detention and criminalization of migrants How language, history, and cultural memory shape identity Pacing activism without martyrdom Trans joy and softness as political acts Redefining your relationship with "the monsters" — and finding freedom in that About Isa Noyola Isa Noyola is a first-generation Mexican trans Latina, cultural strategist, and movement visionary focused on collective liberation. She serves as Director of the Border Butterflies Project at the Transgender Law Center, advocating for the release of trans women in ICE detention and the abolition of systems that dehumanize migrant communities. A pioneering activist and national leader in the LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights movements, Issa's work blends fierce care, strategic imagination, and deep compassion to push for systemic change and collective love. Connect with Betsy Instagram: @thebetsyreed Subscribe and leave a review to help more people discover The Discomfort Practice Keep an eye out for Betsy's new Substack community to get her 'hot takes,' deeper reflections and behind-the-scenes insights (coming soon). Please do subscribe, share, and leave a 5-star review if this conversation stretched your comfort zone...  

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy reflects on what it means to live and prosper beyond capitalism's conditioning. She's been recently moving through a deep personal detox and life transition and explores how WildFit, a nutritional and emotional reset, has become a catalyst for examining - well, everything. Her relationship with productivity, prosperity, and self-worth as well as with why and what she eats. Betsy talks about how capitalist systems teach us to see ourselves and others as "human resources," valued only for what we produce,  and how unlearning that story requires reclaiming rest, coherence, and trust. She shares how seasonal rhythms where she lives in southern Spain have guided her to align more closely with her own natural cycles rather than external expectations of constant output. From re-writing internal scripts ("Time is cyclical and you are always in season") to stepping back from work that doesn't value her, Betsy invites listeners into a deeply human conversation about redefining abundance -  not as accumulation or achievement, but as reciprocity, alignment, and integrity. She speaks candidly about shame around financial safety, the myth of "adulthood = stability," and what it means to build true sovereignty as a single woman and creative professional. And she reminds us that the energy of abundance isn't about efforting or proving: it's about coherence, trust, and allowing life to hold you. This is a raw, tender, and deeply reflective episode about creating post-capitalist abundance in practice: relational, regenerative, and grounded in self-trust. -- If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share it with others who might need a little inspiration! Help us spread the word by leaving a five-star and written review, and use #BeTheChange #TheDiscomfortPractice on social media to share your journey. Follow Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed  

What does it mean to stay human in the age of AI? In this episode ,BetsyI welcomse back Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - psychologist, author, and provocateur - to explore how technology is reshaping not just what we do, but who we are becoming as humans. From dating-app algorithms to digital narcissism, Tomas explains how AI mirrors our worst tendencies—bias, impatience, distraction—and why true curiosity always involves discomfort. Together they look at how efficiency can be inhumane, what "realistic optimism" about AI sounds like, and how we can reclaim what makes us unique: connection, creativity, and care.  In this episode we explore AI as a mirror: Why our algorithms don't invent new flaws so much as magnify our existing ones — bias, impatience, distraction, and the cult of efficiency. The erosion of curiosity: How the "microwave for ideas" that is generative AI can dull our hunger for the unknown — and why true curiosity always involves discomfort. Efficiency vs empathy: Why speed and optimisation are, by definition, inhumane — and how slowing down may be the ultimate rebellion. A realistic optimism: The hopeful case for AI as a co-pilot that de-biases decisions, automates drudgery, and frees us to re-invest in what makes us uniquely human: connection, creativity, and care. Our responsibility: The uncomfortable truth that we're still driving the car. AI isn't ethical or unethical — we are. Learning to steer is the task of our time. Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is a Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Visiting Professor at Columbia University. He's an international authority on psychological profiling and talent management, author of I, Human and Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders (and How to Fix It), and a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review. Connect Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic — tomaschamorro.com | @drtcp Betsy Reed — @thebetsyreed | thebetsyreed.com Please subscribe, share, and leave a 5-star review if this conversation stretched your comfort zone...  

In this episode, Betsy reflects on the question she's been pondering deeply: "The world is changing fast. Are you changing with it? Are you being the change you want to see in the world?" She explores how we can shift from being stuck in the narratives of fear and decline to consciously creating our own story and living a life that reflects joy, love, and curiosity. Betsy shares her own experiences with metaphysical study and coaching, offering both inspiration and relief for anyone struggling with the idea of "purpose." Instead of worrying about finding your one purpose, she encourages you to follow curiosity and love as your guides to becoming the change. This episode is an invitation to step back, reframe your perspective, and recognize the everyday power you hold to shape the world around you. Key Moments: [00:00:32] – Betsy introduces the guiding question: The world is changing fast — are you changing with it? [00:02:15] – Exploring the trap of collective narratives about decline and how to step outside of them. [00:04:40] – Betsy shares her journey with metaphysical study and working with coaches to consciously design a life she loves. [00:08:12] – Reframing the stress around "finding your purpose" — why curiosity and love may be your truest compass. [00:11:05] – Betsy reflects on her daily practice of choosing joy and love to shape the kind of world she wants to live in. [00:13:48] – The closing reminder: your thoughts, feelings, and actions ripple outward — ask yourself, "Am I acting from love or from fear?"   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Discomfort Practice on your favorite podcast platform, and don't forget to leave a 5-star rating and a written review. Your support helps Betsy grow this community and reach more people who are ready to embrace the growth that discomfort can prompt. Follow her on Instagram @thebetsyreed. Let's get uncomfortable – together…

In this episode, Betsy dives deep into the transformative power of small, everyday actions. Drawing on personal experiences, she talks about how individual action can actually drive collective impact. What's your role in creating change? From environmental stewardship to social justice, the episode explores the interconnectedness of personal responsibility and bigger collective change. Betsy shares her own experience of leading change, on a personal and on a bigger level.  The episode concludes with a powerful call to action, encouraging you to take a step toward 'being the change you wish to see in the world.' Betsy shares actionable tips for incorporating positive habits into daily life - because consistency is truly key. We hope you're left inspired to take action to co-create a better future. It IS possible. [00:00] - Betsy introduces 'be the change' and talks about her own experience [03:45] - She explores what 'change' means in our quickly-changing world [06:30] - She touches on real-life examples of changemakers [09:15] - Betsy offers some practical advice for creating change personally [13:30] - Final thoughts and a call to action If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share it with others who might need a little inspiration! Help us spread the word by leaving a review, and use #BeTheChange #TheDiscomfortPractice on social media to share your journey. 

Welcome to Season 5 of The Discomfort Practice! In this first interview of the new season, Betsy Reed is joined by Thea May, a communication coach for 'Edgewalkers and soul-led leaders.' Together, they explore the theme of 'edginess' and dive deep into the discomfort of breaking away from outdated communication norms to create a world where we can all thrive.  Thea shares her journey, the power of embodying discomfort, and how to 'scale ourselves to meet the messages that move through us.' This episode is packed with insights that will inspire you to embrace your own edges and communicate more authentically, but we're betting you'll feel like you were sitting at a kitchen table, just listening to friends. Key Moments: [00:01:05] - Betsy reflects on over three years of podcasting and introduces the theme of Season 5: Edginess. [00:01:54] - Introduction to Thea May, her work as a communication coach, and her unique approach to soul-led leadership. [00:06:06] - Thea shares a pivotal uncomfortable moment that shaped her journey as an Edgewalker. [00:13:49] - Thea discusses her name change from Dolly to Thea, representing a significant shift in her identity and work. [00:21:04] - Diving into the edges of communication, poetry, and identity as core elements of Thea's life and work. [00:30:06] - Thea introduces her three-part communication process: Tuning in, Hooking in, and Opening out. [00:32:15] - The power of confident introverts and the shift from power-over to power-with communication. [00:45:34] - The importance of scaling yourself to meet the size of your message. [00:51:03] - Betsy shares a personal story about receiving (the other) Betsy Reed's hate mail and what it taught her about resilience. [00:52:07] - Thea emphasises the importance of building confidence through low-risk discomfort practices. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Discomfort Practice on your favorite podcast platform, and don't forget to leave a 5-star rating and a written review. Your support helps us grow our community and reach more people who are ready to embrace the discomfort of growth. Follow us on Instagram @thebetsyreed for more behind-the-scenes content and updates. Let's get uncomfortable together…

She's baaaack. Well, I'm back. If you don't know me yet, I'm Betsy Reed, and I'm obsessed with the value of discomfort. The juicy, hot, cold, annoying, uncomfortable feeling of being outside of our comfort zones... and pushed to expand. Pushed to perhaps discover things about ourselves that are getting in our way. Or forced to innovate, to forge new pathways, to walk away from the things we thought were forever and create a new reality. Over the past four seasons, I've talked to some truly inspiring guests about the value of discomfort in shaping them and what they do in the world. And I've gotten a lot less uncomfortable doing solo episodes, where I just waffle on about myself and my life. (Apparently those are a lot of listeners' favourite episodes, so there you go - the subjective nature of discomfort!) Season 5 will be launching fully in early September 2024 so please subscribe, like and leave me 5 stars and written reviews wherever you listen to podcasts. I record this podcast out of love, rather than any fancy-pants ambitions to make money from it, so you sharing it really does help it reach new ears and I need your help. Settle yourself in, have a good listen, and let's get uncomfortable together. xx

In this final episode of Season 4 of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy looks back at some themes that arose over the course of the year+ it has spanned, before taking a brief hiatus to prep the launch of Season 5 in March 2024. What she found in looking back was some striking themes - the greatest of which was love. This has woven its way into many episodes, including: Episode #76 with Kim Polman, founder of Reboot the Future, whose ethos is based on the Golden Rule Episode #84 with Daze Aghaji, who talked about creating change from a place of love Episode #86 with Pilar Garrido, Minister for the Economy in Costa Rica during the Covid-19 pandemic Episode #110 with Dr. Terence Lester, a public policy advocate for people experiencing homelessness Betsy's own solos have focused a lot on love, with a couple of favourites linked below: Episode #82 On loving all parts of yourself Episode #98 A love letter to introverted moments Betsy would love to hear from you. Get in touch via any of the platforms listed below to let her know what you have found helpful, uplifting or positively challenging, as well as what you'd like to hear more about or hear an interview with in Season 5. Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on email Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice! If you enjoyed this episode, please drop us a five star and written review, follow and share how it has benefited you. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favorite ones on social media! Be sure to come back for Season 5, launching in March 2024.  

In this solo episode, Betsy journeys her way through a personal question at the moment: 'What am I meant to be a channel for on this earth? What is meant to come through me?' It's a very personal question, and there are no wrong answers. She talks about experimenting with being a channel for love, and how that has transformed her life in just a short span of a few months. As with most of Betsy's solo episodes, she leads listeners through practical steps to uncover their own answer to the question she's pondering. What 'special sauce' are you meant to bring to whatever is meant to flow through you? And what is that 'thing' you already probably channel into this collective existence? Settle yourself in and prepare to enjoy this brief, meaty episode. Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Betsy's website Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop her a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.

In this episode, Betsy speaks to Dr. Terence Lester, an activist and scholar who focuses on bringing justice to those suffering from poverty and racism. The founder of LoveBeyondWalls.org and The Dignity Museum, he is also the author of three books: 'I See You: How Love Opens Our Eyes to Invisible People,' 'When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together' and 'All God's Children: How Confronting Buried History Can Build Racial Solidarity.' Three ideals drive Terence: (1) anyone can make a difference, (2) we don't live forever, (3), and it's worth dedicating one's life to ensuring no one feels invisible. This explains his life and work. Betsy and Terence chat about Terence's own life path, from highschool dropout who himself experienced homelessness and spent time in jail, to accomplished scholar, public policy PhD and an advocate for those experiencing homelessness who has received numerous awards for his work. They discuss the impact being un-seen and excluded from community has on a human soul experiencing homelessness and dive into the concept of dignity as something every human intrinsically deserves.  Settle yourself in to listen and prepare to be inspired (and possibly challenged) by this interview.  Connect with Dr. Terence Lester: Website: terencelester.org The Dignity Museum and Love Beyond Walls Twitter / X: twitter.com/imTerenceLester Instagram: @imterencelester / @lovebeyondwalls / @dignitymuseum Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Betsy's website Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop her a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.

Looking back at your life, at some of the things that have been difficult or even traumatic, how have those things actually been part of your path to becoming who you needed to become? And how have some of the most difficult things you might have gone through actually been divinely chosen training to create the 'architecture' of your life, or gain skills you needed to deliver your mission in the world?   Betsy thinks out loud while asking these questions and shares how she has come to appreciate how she now appreciates her own Fundamentalist Christian upbringing for the spiritual practices and discipline it provided. Because those are the practices that helped her to become who she now is. Give yourself space and a bit of time to dive inside and apply the questions Betsy asks to your own life and background, then feel free to get in touch! Let Betsy know how this episode lands for you, and what gems emerge as you ask the questions she poses. Settle yourself in, and let's get uncomfortable… Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebetsyreed/ Betsy on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebetsyreed/ Betsy's Website: https://www.betsy-reed.com/   Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop her a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.  

We're trying a new thing over here and have dug out a great episode from our archives. This is a revisit of Episode 55, which is a juicy, insightful interview with Paul William Davis, an intuitive personal advisor, an entrepreneur, a best-selling author, an award-winning business growth consultant, speaker with the best Irish accent you're likely to hear all day, lol. Betsy and Paul deep dive into how you go about figuring out what your personal purpose is and how important intuition - your 'knowings' - are (and you'll get an idea of why Betsy includes it in the coaching framework she has developed and uses with her own clients). Tune in for some beautiful insight into how you can 'tune into' your intuition and create the life you truly want because you've taken the time to listen to signs you might be being sent by the Universe. Rushing through life and missing them could be causing you immense frustration or struggle, but that doesn't need to be the case. So if you're struggling or know someone who is, or might even be encountering some mental health challenges, Betsy and Paul cover that. They talk about how not knowing your purpose in life can be the greatest trigger for depression (and how to address that). So whether you're listening to this toward the end of the year in 2023 or another time of year, take some time to consider your own purpose and how you might live it more deeply, more powerfully, and more easily and happily in the coming year or months. Connect with Paul William Davis: Paul's Website: www.paulwilliamdavis.com/ Paul on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldavisdublin/ Listen to his Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-executive-code-personal-mastery-insights-with/id1509268157?uo=4 Connect with Betsy Reed: Betsy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebetsyreed/ Betsy on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebetsyreed/ Betsy's Website: https://www.betsy-reed.com/ Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop her a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.

This solo was recorded in November 2023, off the back of a 5-day spiritual retreat with teacher Sabrina Lynn in Ibiza, in which 22 wild souls went deep into their shadows. And healed themselves, their ancestral line and things they didn't even know they were healing for the collective. Shadow work is a term that many know and some of you might not. They are the part of us we haven't yet owned. The things we're ashamed of, don't want to deal with, won't look at, don't want to acknowledge are part of us. We stuff them in the basements of our souls, convinced that dealing with those things will kill us. But what they actually need is love - to be escorted into the light of consciousness and integrated, so we can decide what role they should (or shouldn't) play in our lives. Because if you look around you in the world out there at conflict, at the painful things we do to each other as humans, you can bet at the root of all of it is unhealed personal and collective shadows. Betsy talks about her own path into shadow work, of healing her inner child so she can step more fully into herself as a mature adult. So settle yourselves in and prepare to get uncomfortable. See if any part of this episode speaks to you. And if it does, feel free to reach out. DM Betsy on Instagram or contact her through her website. She always loves to hear from you.   Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Betsy's website Check out Betsy's teacher Sabrina Lynn talking about shadow work on her podcast, Rewilding with Sabrina Lynn here. Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop her a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.

In this episode Betsy is joined by Carlos 'Charlie' Zimbrón, Co-Founder and CEO of Fuckup Nights, as well as The Failure Institute. Betsy and Charlie say the word 'fuck' a lot cuz... clue's in the name, really. So if you enjoy 'swear words' as occasional punctuation and appreciate a free-flowing, un-edited conversation, you're gonna LOVE this one. Fuckup Nights has become a global movement driven by community of people who share professional failure stories on a monthly basis in 200+ cities in 62+ countries. It's a link I often share with the execs who take the online course I lead for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). Because, as Charlie talks about in this episode, failure, resilience, innovation and creativity are all inextricably linked - and necessary.  Few things are more uncomfortable than failure, but feeling safe enough to share and celebrate fucking up as part of the process of innovation (and of being human) is an important aspect of creating a better world. Charlie shares the story of how a good old carne asada with mezcal among a diverse group of friends in Mexico City, mixed with a desire to be able to 'see behind the curtain' and hear the REAL story behind the speeches we've all heard at confererences, led to the birth of Fuckup Nights. Settle yourself in, grab a mezcal, check out the link to Fuckup Nights and prepare to enjoy this episode. Connect with Charlie and Fuckup NIghts: Fuckup Nights on Instagram Fuckup Nights on YouTube Fuckup NIghts Website Carlos Zimbrón on Instagram Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Be sure to subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop Betsy a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. And please do tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media. 

In this episode, Betsy talks about a subject that is near and dear to her heart (and her life): living magically. She talks about her own experience of having created a life that is full of synchronicity, support, ease, alignment and, well, MAGIC. As is her way, she encourages others to 'let things be magical' and talks about how she has learned to stop getting in the way of letting life and the good things that are meant for each of us flow. She also talks about the importance of trusting the timing of things you might want to happen - or to manifest. Listen to Betsy's insights on the ways she has found greater flow in her life, by creating practices and consistency over the years so that she can trust her intuition, know what she truly wants and trust that what is meant to come to her will and what is not meant for her will leave. So get yourself a cup of tea or take a walk, press play and hear all about Betsy's 'Mariah Carey Approach to Manifesting,' and why the phrase 'HOW is not my problem' is part of unlocking the greatest gifts life has sent to her lately.  Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop me a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.

In this solo episode Betsy revisits a topic she loves to talk about: how her changed relationship with ease - and having greater ease with being at ease - has positively impacted her work, her productivity and her understanding of the world. She shares why she's become evangelical about helping others to create more ease in their lives, stepping away from the conditioning that 'the grind is the thing' and examining their own relationship with NOT choosing ease.  Maybe you can relate to this: Is hardship, struggle, feeling like you've worked really hard perhaps an 'existential kink' for you? Do you feel you don't deserve magic, or abundance, or pleasure in your life unless you've worked for it? Betsy walks you through how to create a 'Week of Ease' for yourself, as an experiment and as a way to step back and observe your relationship with ease. She shares how scheduling naps and weekly date nights by herself has helped her to recalibrate her natural un-ease with ease, and helped her to build it into her life as a habit. So settle yourself in, get comfortable to get uncomfortable, and step on The Discomfort Practice train with Betsy. We promise this one's a good one... Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop me a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow the audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk to the mighty Oyinkansola 'Oyin' Adebayo, the Founder and CEO of Niyo Enterprises, which is an ecosystem of brands that exists to economically empower Black women to be builders of high-impact ecosystems. Oyin's personal purpose is to empower Black women globally to upskill, transform their careers and create a world-class black female ecosystem of entrepreneurs. Niyo Bootcamps has trained over 500 black women to be upskilled in various tech roles through the "Black CodHer" Bootcamp & Black Disruptor bootcamps, several of whom have gone on to create their own tech businesses or work for big-name companies. Oyin arrived in the UK at the age of 12 from Lagos, Nigeria and struggled to fit into a culture in which she was suddenly an immigrant. That, combined with her awareness of the poverty she saw in her native Nigeria, led her to start focusing on social-impact work even while still in school.  Fast-forward to now and she's still working to make life better for young women, their families and wider communities. We talk about why and how the world doesn't work for the majority of people, how focusing on race and racial justice must be more than just philanthropy and how leaders need to be having more uncomfortable conversations in order to truly make the world work. It's a zesty conversation with some great soundbites for your brain to grab onto and chew over as you go about your day. Please do enjoy it! As mentioned in this episode - Nik Govier's episode on The Discomfort Practice Connect with Oyin: Niyo Enterprises Oyin's LinkedIn Oyin on Twitter Oyin on Instagram Niyo on Instagram  Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop me a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow the audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.  

This one is a bit of a chuckle, friends. I recorded it in August 2023, on the day I was marking seven years of living in Spain. I reflect on seven year cycles and who I've become over the past seven years. Who I've rediscovered I am, as I've let go of conditioning that kept me from being my truest, most powerful version of myself. In that seven years, the UK left the European Union in the most ill-conceived divorce in a while. I got married and left my marriage, in one of the best-conceived ideas in a while. As I wade into the discomfort of getting more personal on this podcast, this one felt like it hit a sweet spot. I danced on the edge of my own discomfort, as I shared from the heart, no filter, about myself. But it also felt freeing. So may you find some 'moments' for yourself as you listen. Some messages that resonate in your soul. Some moments that make you smirk or laugh out loud. Some truth about yourself as I share my truths about myself and who I'm re-becoming in this time of rapid change and change in consciousness. Some will step up to a higher consciousness and some will not. But if you're here listening to this, you're with me. We're stepping up... Listen, subscribe, rate and share. More heartfelt requests on that below. Connect with me: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn, and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice! If you enjoyed this episode, please drop me a five-star and written review, follow, and share. Get in touch! And don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favorite ones on social media.

In this episode of The Discomfort Practice, I speak to Isidra Mencos, who was born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, about her journey through life as a young woman who grew up under Franco, a repressive dictator, and came of age as Spain was massively changing after his death. We talk about what happens when a young woman who grew up in a place where kissing in public was illegal finds herself suddenly free to explore whatever she wants. Speaking to Isidra was something of a bridge between my US past and my Spanish present. There are definite parallels in our backgrounds. Isidra moved to the US in 1992 to complete a PhD at UC Berkeley in California. Following that, she established herself as a teacher at Berkeley, a writer and editor, and a corporate executive. In 2016 she quit her plush corporate job to finally focus on her lifelong dream of being a creative writer. She has been widely published in literary journals and general interest magazines, but what drew me to Isidra was the recent publication of her memoir, Promenade of Desire, which narrates the journey of the shy María Isidra as she experiments and evolves.  We talk about the beauty of desire and the freedom that exploration - sexual and otherwise - can give all of us to become who we truly are and to love our full selves. Our conversation took us to some uncomfortable yet juicy and important topics. So come get uncomfortable with us… and find pleasure in the episode if you can! Connect with Isidra: Isidra's Website Buy and read Isidra's book, Promenade of Desire  Isidra on Instagram Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn, and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice! If you enjoyed this episode, please drop us a five-star and written review, follow, and share how it has benefited you. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favorite ones on social media. And buy Isidra's book, Promenade of Desire :-)

This is episode 100 of The Discomfort Practice! I reflect back on how focusing on discomfort as a path to wisdom and finding my own superpowers has reshaped my perspective since launching the podcast in October 2020. Join me for a guided exercise in which you have the opportunity to reflect on what uncomfortable circumstances you've experienced over the past few years and gain a perspective of gratitude for them. As a 'birthday gift' for episode 100, I ask you to please subscribe, like, leave me a 5-star and written review and SHARE an episode with someone to help me reach new ears. Thank you for listening and I look forward to having you join me for the next 100 episodes. Get in touch: Betsy on Instagram Betsy's website Betsy on Linkedin

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I'm talking with Charles D. McCarrick, entrepreneur, inventor, lead visionary (or 'Chief Comedian') and lead scientist of Micro-Ant. With more than 10 patents to his name, he pioneers and supplies unique equipment to the communications industry. Charles' most defining characteristic is enthusiasm—for new ideas, for the people who work with him, and for continuous improvement. By cultivating people's confidence and creativity, Charles has forged a top-notch team that delivers new technologies into the hands of customers and value to investors.  In this episode, we'll talk about his own life lessons and how they have transformed him, as he talks about his book "Lessons My Brothers Taught Me" that was published in 2022. It's built on the idea that you are your own business - your own brand. One review describes it as 'the funniest business book I've ever read,' which in my estimation is high praise indeed.  We dig in deep to the process Charles has developed called the 4S Transform - Saleability + Sensibility + Sustainability + Scalability = Success. The crux of Charles approach is that the quality of one's character plays a dominant role in the success of any transaction, personal or professional. Settle yourself in for this inspiring episode. Enjoy! Key Points Discussed: Making the difficult decision of having to let go of an employee (and also friend) in business. How it was a life-defining moment in his life and changed Charles' perspective in business. (4:00) How the impact that character has in your success in life and business. (8:00) Defining your motivation for going into business and how that affects your success. (10:20) How Charles became an inventor: with 10 patents under his belt. (19:30) Charles believes the key to his success is the ability to do mathematics in 3-dimensional images. (20:10) The 4S Transform process that is essential to success: saleability, sensibility, sustainability and scalability. (25:30) Understanding what motivates you is critical, built from your character, that drives you in business. (39:38) Connect with Charles: Charles' Website Charles on Twitter Charles on Linkedin "Lessons My Brothers Taught me" on Goodreads "Lessons My Brothers Taught me" on Bookshop "Lessons My Brothers Taught me" on Amazon Tim Collings Episode (Tim introduced me to Charles) Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop us a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media!  

This solo definitely builds on past solos about transitions and life processes because, surprise surprise, I'm still in a big life transition. This is a love letter to other secret introverts and to quiet moments. It's to those of you out there who crave quiet and alone time and to just be left alone for a while - regularly or from time to time. Right now I need and crave a lot of solitude, a lot of quiet time, because I'm going through a big internal process and building the architecture of my life for the coming years. It's about running a business, but it's also about becoming. Being who I need to be to deliver what I feel is my mission in the world. I'm currently spending a lot of time letting things flow, letting things drop into place and letting things 'occur' to me. And to do that I've created a quiet little bubble of beauty and solitude and I am loving it. Because it allows me to hear my intuition. To guide myself. To not get tangled in the noise of 'shoulds' or 'shouldn'ts' or simply the thoughts of others.  I encourage you to challenge any narratives you have around allowing yourself to take time to be quiet, to be introverted, introspective. Because this is what a lot of us need right now and it's what the world needs us to choose to do. It's in that space that you can connect with who you ARE and what your instincts tell you. It's also space that we all need to change our narratives and thinking that really won't serve us as we move into a new stage of human history, and a new stage of your individual life. Please do reach out to me if this episode resonates and you'd like to reflect on your own 'knowings' and thoughts around some of the things I talk about and your life right now. I'm here to support you and I would love to connect. Enjoy and big love to all of you listening. If you'd like to learn more about Human Design, as mentioned in the episode: Find out what type you are and download your chart at My Human Design Read about what Human Design is in this Goop article. Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Betsy's website Rate, Review, Learn and Share Don't forget to like, subscribe and leave a 5-star and written review on this podcast, wherever you listen to podcasts. It helps me to reach new listeners and, hopefully, to reach someone on exactly the right day with exactly what they needed to hear. Let me know what you think of this episode and others!  

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I'm excited to bring back a past guest: cultural consultant, performance producer and content creator Matisse Dupont. Matisse has spent the last decade facilitating interactive lectures and workshops on gender, sexuality, culture and identity. I enjoyed witnessing their evolution on social media - from being a TikTok-er famous for educating others about gender to showcasing their talents as a multi-disciplinary artist to founder of volunteer-run LGBTQIA+ community theatre company, The Queer Theatre Project. Matisse and I explore their life changes and public persona.  In this episode, we focus on that and explore how Matisse has realigned and reconfigured who they are publicly to reflect where they are personally. They've recently navigated burnout as a content creator and dealt with a concussion, which stopped them using technology at the height of their TikTok fame. Matisse shares how time away from what they had become known for opened up space to re-assess and enjoy other aspects of themselves and their talents. We talk about how creating a mindfully artistic practice can open up space to explore - and how you don't ever have to stick to just one thing for the rest of your life.  Matisse is an inspirational example of how you can completely change your life, realign with your purpose and not get caught up, staying in the constraints of what people already know you for (or your comfort zone). Settle yourself in for this refreshing and motivating episode. Enjoy!  Key Points Discussed: Shaking up the Discomfort Practice, having Matisse introduce themselves. (1:30) The discomfort of changing trajectory: from having a successful career and being known as an expert in a field to then starting something completely new. (3:30)   How dealing with a severe health issue affected Matisse as a successful content creator and gender educator. But how this time out, gave Matisse perspective. (5:50) How the social media algorithm was dictating the way to unauthenticity and interacting on social media in a combative way, as well as leading to burnout. (13:00) How Matisse's love of art came out of this period of discomfort in their life. (18:20) Meditative quality to painting as a creative outlet. (22:00) The transformative practice of not feeling stuck to one job or creative outlet, and being able to constantly evolve and transition. (31:00) Matisse's leaving message: "Change takes time, but not as much time as you think it'll take." (40:00)   Connect with Matisse: Matisse Website Matisse on Instagram Matisse on TikTok Matisse on Youtube Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop us a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media!  

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with Michael Youngblood, co-founder and CEO of Unsettled, an award-winning travel community for those who embrace the unknown and value meaningful human connection. He has worked in more than 60 countries, collaborated with the White House on entrepreneurship and global development, advised Fortune 100 companies on remote work, and has taught courses on entrepreneurship and globalisation on behalf of the U.S. State Department. Previously, he was the Managing Editor of Innovations journal, a publication about entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges that is jointly hosted by MIT, Harvard, and George Mason University. Michael is a member of the inaugural TED Residency, a member of Sandbox, and an avid sailor, mountain biker, and global explorer.  Michael and I discuss Unsettled's manifesto as a process and a guiding philosophy for how to live, through embracing the uncomfortable and the unknown. MIchael shares his own thoughts on navigating anxiety and depression in work and life, and the importance of taking time for self-reflection. We explore some 'beautiful questions,' and hopefully help those listening to discover something themselves with those questions (or discover their own questions to help them explore and find their way of being, living and doing in this rapidly changing world). Many of us know that we can't do things the way they've always been done, so this is a timely conversation. Just know that you're not alone. Enjoy! Key Points Discussed: The uncomfortable childhood experience of holding hands with his adoptive black sister and being the target of hate speech, showed Michael early on the levels of prejudice and inequalities existing in the world. And how that led to him studying social sciences, as the pathway he saw to change social structures. (5:40) Michael views all questions as beautiful, as they open you up to possibilities, whilst seeking new answers. (13:00) What is your dream underachiever job? (17:20) Getting clear on what is important to Michael, with time and space for self-reflection. Opening yourself up to new opportunities, that reflect your desired lifestyle and pace of work/life balance. (27:20) Unsettled manifesto: being more than a travel company. It's a process and philosophy for living: embracing the unknown and the uncomfortable. (32:30) How Michael has dealt with and found tools to overcome anxiety. (42:40) 70% of people quit a job within 18 months of an Unsettled travel experience. (47:40) How to create your own reality. (57:30) Michael's affirmation that he comes back to at the end of every day: "Despite everything, today was a great day." He has choice and agency to see today as a great day, despite what might have happened in it. (1:00:00) Connect with Michael: Unsettled Manifesto Michael's TED Talk "Discovering Your True North" Michael's Blog on "Becoming CEO Of Unsettled" Michael on Linkedin   Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin   What is a Beautiful Question?   Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop us a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media!  

A few months back, when I was sitting in a mushroom ceremony, I got the message loud and clear 'It's safe now to be powerful.' And it was a message that I knew was for me, but also one that I had been given to share with others. And, so, in this episode, I talk about what the world needs from you. How it needs you to be able to un-block those parts of you that you've censored, shut down, inherited shame around because your ancestors shut that part of their power down to be safe.  I ask a few questions in this short, unscripted, completely spontaneously-recorded episode. I know this is meant for someone, so if you've found this episode and something has really 'landed,' I'd love to hear from you. Some of the questions I ask in this episode: What of your own power are you denying or rejecting? What parts of you are you afraid to bring to the world? What parts of you are you keeping out of the limelight, out of your work, out of your consciousness because they're so dangerous you're scared to bring them to the world? What would the impact be if you allowed yourself to bring yourself fully to the world, in all of your power? What would change? If you ever find yourself thinking 'I wish I could…' 'I CAN'T do that…' it's pointing you toward something that you probably need to bring to the world. That's part of being fully powerful in the world. 'It's safe now to be powerful.' This message is important as we go through this particularly wild time in human history. Because what the world needs from you, what a lot of us need from you, is for you to be fully powerful. . Listen to this episode, chew it over, enjoy, and let Betsy know how you found it. Please pass it around like a good book. Like it, leave The Discomfort Practice 5 stars and a written review wherever you listen. As always, thank you for your time. Stay uncomfortable...

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with Nik Govier, the Founder & CEO of Blurred - a fast growing global management, sustainability and communications consultancy based in London. She is a regular feature in PR Week's Top 10 Power List and was named PR Communicator of the Year in 2021. But the last five years have been a whirlwind of personal challenges and change, from leaving her previous business with nothing after building it for 12 years to facing a cancer scare during the pandemic.Nik is proudly neurodiverse (dyslexic and ADHD) and, having decided to be very public about having had six miscarriages, she is an outspoken advocate for a 'charter for female health' in the PR sector, which is predominantly female.   How did Nik not only survive, but thrive, with a new business and sense of mission? In this episode, we'll talk about how she has navigated a loss of identity, the importance of no agenda meetings with people you don't know and the profound power of a coach - for you and your team - among many juicy topics we dive into. Nik most certainly chooses guts over fear. She shares how she went from being the mindfulness class sceptic to its greatest advocate and what strengths she finds in neurodiversity (and why she hires neurodiverse people). Nik really leads the way by showcasing the benefits of having a diverse team force and creating policies and approaches which not only support, but protect her team's health. She's created a business that can hold the future, because it has the perspectives needed to create diverse solutions to tricky problems. So get comfy and tune in. Enjoy! Key Points Discussed: How the discomfort of Nik's childhood with undiagnosed Dyslexic and ADHD and having school reports unfairly categorizing her as lazy and careless has led her to spending her entire professional career proving people wrong. (6:20) Neuro-diversity is a superpower for Nik, but she recognises that is the case, because she comes from a middle class supportive background. (8:10) The motivation behind having a diverse workforce, and what that looks like. (11:30) How having a workforce that is diverse is fundamentally about bringing different skill sets, ways of thinking and perspectives that enrich the workplace and the team working there. (19:20) Dealing with complex issues with systems that support her diverse team-force. Supports her team with a grief policy (including issues such as miscarriage, menopause, transition, fertility, etc). Providing coaching, support, financial support, time-off and flexible working. (22:05) Blurred is built on a foundation of principals surrounding diversity and supporting your workforce, which lead them to instantly receiving a high rating from B Corp (certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency regarding inclusivity, policies, etc). (29:50) Nik's own discomfort practice: meeting strangers, which has led her to the House of Lords to meeting fashion photographer Rankin. (42:30)  How a mindfulness body scan is the only form of meditation that works for Nik, for an ADHD or easily distracted brain. (45:10) Lasting message: even if you are neurodiverse, introverted, dyslexic or from a disadvantaged background: you have everything you need. Find a place and space that can accept you, and if you can't, build one. (53:30) Connect with Nik: Article on how Nik made it Blurred Website Nik on Instagram Nik on Twitter Nik on Linkedin Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop us a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media!

In this solo episode, I reflect on the chaos, the confusion and the landing back in Spain after 3.5 happy months in Mexico. I wonder 'Did I do the right thing in coming back here?' muse aloud about 'Why am I here?' and navigate through my own process of feeling like I've landed in chaos... and I'm not sure why. I share a reading from the School of Metaphysics, where each Module I study as I go through training to become a certified Metaphysical Therapist, is completely aligned with whatever is going on in my life.  Every time we expand, every time we unblock a part of our lives that needed to be unblocked, every time we get closer to fully remembering who we are and how powerful we are... we will experience discomfort. Chaos is what shows us what we really want to stop doing or who we want to stop dragging with us.  I talk about how 'taking my hands off the wheel' is something I'm trying out - because my ability to steer my life is limited by my own imagination and experience. So for some Betsy Musing Out Loud, as well as some hopefully helpful thoughts on how to navigate the unknown and appreciate chaos, give it a listen. And reach out if it's landed for you. Email me at [email protected] / IG me @thebetsyreed and spread the word. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop me a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help me grow the reach of this podcast. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media!

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with entrepreneur, author and someone I'm rather a big fan of, Margaret Heffernan. We chat about Margaret's sixth book Uncharted, which lays out an inspiring picture of what can lie on the other side of uncertainty - which is a discomfort we as humans naturally avoid. We also dive into her own practice of surrendering to experiencing discomfort, by which she has not only learned new things, but grown as a person. Margaret's TED talks have been seen by over 15 million people. You read that right! 15 million people. She's also written six books (so far). Her third book Wilful Blindness is one that I picked up last year and found more incredibly relevant now, during a pandemic, than ever - even though it was published in 2014. It was a finalist for the Financial Times Goldman Sachs Best book award and the Financial Times named it as one of its "Best business books of the decade". Margaret has done a lot of things and done them all well. She worked in BBC Radio for five years where she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned dozens of documentaries and dramas. But just to add to her cool points, she then also produced music videos with Virgin Records. She was once described by the Financial Times as the most formidable lobbying organization in England, which is high praise indeed. She bought and sold leading Internet businesses as a chief executive and was named one of the Internet's top 100 by Silicon Alley reporter in 1999. She's won many, many awards.  Margaret really is a leading thinker and her now-or-never attitude is so inspiring, so tune in and enjoy! Key Points Discussed: Taking the experience from discomfort to euphoria: being encouraged by her father as a teenager to ask for forgiveness rather than permission (6:00) That experience has helped support her in her speaking engagements now: she speaks freely. Saying what others are thinking, but are too afraid to say (8:00)  How writing a BBC play, opened up Margaret to looking at where abusive attitudes to nature come from (16:18) How important it is to do something, however small. Margaret became part of her local Parish Council and hosted events to help people reduce their energy consumption, carbon footprint and enhance biodiversity (23:38)  How positivity is contagious: you can be the catalyst for change (26:30) Surrendering to the practice of experiencing discomfort in many different parts of her life, has helped Margaret not only learn new things, but grow as a person in so many different ways (33:02)   How ethical decisions being made by economists are a disaster waiting to happen (42:58) How reframing the way you view uncertainty in your mind, can actually open you up to new exciting possibilities (49:54) How the early death of Margaret's first husband when she was 30 gave her a really visceral experience that it's always now or never time. That is how she lives her life (56:46) Connect with Margaret: Margaret's Website Margaret on Twitter Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop us a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media!  

I sat down to intentionally record this episode without any notes and with minimal preparation, because I felt strongly this was a message that needed to come through me. It's one I needed to articulate and it's something someone out there needs to hear. The message is this: turn off the external noise so you can hear yourself and tap into your own wisdom. I've been given wise counsel and channeled messages from intuitives three times in the past month to 'cut out the external influences for a while in order to gain clarity and confidence in your inner knowing, to set loose your creativity to do what you need to do in the world.' And one of those intuitives (@lisaintuitiveguide on Instagram), without knowing anything about me, told me what it is I am meant to do in the world. And it is EXACTLY what I do in the world, though you might not know it from the official wording of my website. So I've done a cull - of emails I'm subscribed to, of social media accounts I follow - and am still circling what this 'diet' from external influences is meant to look like. But in having to un-subscribe / unfollow those external influences that flow to me every day, I began to realise a) how many there are and b) how much I want to rely on them for confidence in my own intuition. My own 'knowings.' So this episode is me planting a flag at the beginning of a process of creating quiet - of turning off all of the radio noise - so I can hear my own voice. My own intuition. My own knowings. And if that lands for you, I invite you to do the same. Reach out and let me know if you're going to do the same. I'd love to hear your process and share mine. Feel free to connect and to share this episode with others.

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with Dan Schnur. We chat about the discomfort of his career trajectory: going from being one of the top Republican political strategists and campaign officials in the US to leaving and not affiliating with any political party. (In a bi-partisan political system where you've been a big player, that's a big move.) Dan gives an elegant master class in how to leave your comfort zone, forge your own path and stay true to yourself when everything shifts… and shifts again. Because that's just life. Dan's resume is impressive. He previously worked on four Presidential and three Gubernatorial campaigns, as one of California's leading political strategists. He served as the national director of Communications for the 2000 Presidential Campaign of US Senator John McCain, and was the chief media spokesman for California Governor Pete Wilson. He's been an advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He's the founder of the leading University of Southern California (USC) LA Times state-wide political pol and currently teaches courses in politics, communications and leadership at UC Berkeley.The list could go on… Join us for Dan's remarkable, humble and thoroughly enjoyable style and story about the process of going through discomfort to create your own freedom on the other side. Enjoy! Key Points Discussed: As a college undergraduate, Dan was not particularly academically motivated and he was asked to leave. Even though it was uncomfortable moment, Dan was able to see this as an opportunity to move to Washington to pursue his interest in Politics (6:30) One of Dan's favourite quotes: "If you don't take risks, nothing good will happen." And how taking risks has played out in his life (11:20) The risk Dan took from having a successful career the Republican Party to leaving to become an Independent Politician (16:10)  The generation that leads society out of a crisis, is one that is exceptional (Gen Z)  (31:50) The News by definition is going to look for conflict and controversy. It's easy to sucked into that narrative, as all the acts of kindness aren't reported on (42:20) How interacting with others with different views is uncomfortable, but is needed in order to grow and learn (52:20) How helping others energises Dan: when you do something that puts someone else in a better mood, it boosts your mood too (57:40) Dan quote: "For every decision I ask myself: What's the best thing that can happen? What's the worst thing that can happen? The overwhelming majority of the time, the worst thing that can happen, isn't that bad. So it's worth a try." (1:04:18)  Connect with Dan: Dan on Twitter Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop us a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media!   --  

In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, I talk with my former client, friend and general badass Selina Donald. Selina has done so much already in her life, so prepare yourself to be inspired to think differently. She has worked on large-scale events, such as the Olympic and Para-Olympic opening and closing ceremonies and Vivian Westwood's climate revolution. She worked on England's 2018 World Cup bid for the Rio Olympics and has been part of the senior management team for ITV events. She co-founded the sustainable events agency The Bulb, which helps companies produce sustainable, creative and meaningful events.  She also often passionately speaks on issues of women's empowerment, female entrepreneurship and gender equality.  We chat about the current unsustainable practices of the creative and events industry, and how Selina has been proving through her own work that it's possible to be creative, exciting and environmentally responsible. We will get into what sustainable brands can do when their events don't reflect their company values (because, spoiler alert, they often don't). We also dive into how Selina structures her day to allow the time and space to make conscious, sustainable choices in her own life and business.  This is a super fun episode full of laughs, so tune in for Selina's inspiring story and so much more. Enjoy! Key Points Discussed: How Selina being a vegetarian as a child triggered her to how sustainability could be applied to her career (3:40)  The discomfort but also movement that has come in the events industry, because of the Pandemic, which has ended up working to Selina's advantage (10:40)  How the discomfort of the failure of her first business Bulb 101, made her take a step back and come back with knowledge from the failures and resurrected into a sustainability consultancy for event organisers (12:55) Being burnt out and moving back in with parents at age 35, with no savings and no pension (17:00) How learning to put a value on her time made Selina charge for her worth and say no to things that don't reflect that. Protecting both her energy and her time (21:15) The power of saying No (24:50) The environmental and sustainability issues that the Event industry faces (29:40) Making the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies the most sustainable events possible. As well as bringing sustainability to the forefront (36:35) Working on Lush's naked packaging and other brands/artists on recycled materials (38:05) How Selina's hatred for her legal career took her through another story of failure to an exciting career (48:25)  How composting at events is not actually a viable sustainable option (54:10) Connect with Selina: Selina on The Bulb website Selina on Twitter Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Twitter Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop us a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media! --