The Thought Atlas Podcast

What happens to your worldview when you stop experiencing the world through headlines and start experiencing it firsthand?

Craig D. Forrest has spent decades traveling the world as an award-winning TV director and documentary filmmaker, working across more than 160 countries and encountering cultures, conflict, faith, poverty, resilience, and everyday human life.

In this conversation, Craig shares how travel transformed his understanding of people and cultures, why firsthand experience can reveal what headlines cannot, and what he learned from witnessing both extraordinary kindness and profound human suffering.

We also explore the responsibility of documentary...

How much of the life you are living is actually yours—and how much was shaped by family, culture, relationships, expectations, and the identities you adopted along the way?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Samantha Kane, founder of Roots Wings Wellness and a certified holistic life coach, joins us for a conversation about authenticity, self-mastery, conscious living, and the process of reconnecting with what she describes as our “Higher Self.” Samantha shares how her varied professional experiences eventually led her into holistic life coaching and explains why she sees those experiences as lessons that helped shape who sh...

What if the behavior you’ve been judging is actually a brain difference you’ve never understood?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I’m joined by Judy R-M, a licensed marriage and family therapist, ADHD coach, parent coach, and speaker who has spent more than 14 years working with neurodiverse individuals, couples, parents, and families.

Judy’s understanding of ADHD is both professional and deeply personal. She is the parent of four neurodiverse children and the partner of a neurodiverse husband. Her own family’s experience ultimately led her from mechanical engineering into clinical work focused on...

What if the place where you were born doesn’t have to determine the limits of your future?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Yoli Chisholm explores the idea of the “borderless self” and what happens when we begin to see mobility not simply as relocation, but as a way of pursuing opportunity, career growth, freedom, and a better life.

Yoli shares her own story of growing up across borders. Born in Lusaka, Zambia, to South African parents who had been banned from South Africa during apartheid, she grew up in Kenya before emigrating to Canada...

What if creativity isn’t a special talent reserved for artists, but something already present in every human being?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Rick Sorenson—artist, educator, author, and lifelong student of creativity—explores what creativity means, where it comes from, and why so many adults eventually convince themselves that they aren’t creative.

Rick shares the story of discovering drawing in seventh grade, when an art teacher taught his class to study light by repeatedly drawing a simple white ball under a lamp. That experience began what he describes as a lifelong pursuit...

What happens to trust when technology begins handling transactions that once depended on centralized institutions?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Eric L. Guthrie, an attorney, blockchain educator, author, and speaker, explores blockchain technology through one of the oldest foundations of functioning societies: trust.

Eric shares how he discovered Bitcoin in 2016 and subsequently spent three days researching Bitcoin and Ethereum, eventually making blockchain part of his professional work. He discusses his books Diversify or Die, Blockchain or Die, and Blockchain or Die Harder, as well as his experience speaking, training, and working with clients in...

What happens when the life you were taught to want no longer feels like the life you want to live?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Vanita Prisha shares how growing up in Taiwan, living in Ghana, becoming a mother, building a business, and eventually closing that business shaped the way she thinks about choice, identity, failure, and personal growth.

Vanita describes herself as someone who enjoys challenging situations because she sees them as opportunities to develop resilience and learn. She talks about her experience building an import business in Ghana, which grew to four...

What happens when the life you were taught to want no longer feels like the life you want to live?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Vanita Prisha shares how growing up in Taiwan, living in Ghana, becoming a mother, building a business, and eventually closing that business shaped the way she thinks about choice, identity, failure, and personal growth.

Vanita describes herself as someone who enjoys challenging situations because she sees them as opportunities to develop resilience and learn. She talks about her experience building an import business in Ghana, which grew to four...

What if you are not broken, but simply becoming? When achievement, expectations, and other people’s definitions no longer answer the question “Who am I?”, a life transition can become an invitation to realignment.

Host **Blessed** speaks with **Randy Bishop**, author, speaker, life coach, and creator of the **RE Method**, about navigating identity, midlife change, purpose, and personal growth without losing yourself in the process. Randy shares how years of pressure from family, religion, work, relationships, and society can create a false identity that feels like your own.

You’ll disco...

What if you are not broken, but simply becoming? When achievement, expectations, and other people’s definitions no longer answer the question “Who am I?”, a life transition can become an invitation to realignment.

Host **Blessed** speaks with **Randy Bishop**, author, speaker, life coach, and creator of the **RE Method**, about navigating identity, midlife change, purpose, and personal growth without losing yourself in the process. Randy shares how years of pressure from family, religion, work, relationships, and society can create a false identity that feels like your own.

You’ll disco...

What if better energy, mood, and mental clarity begin with something most people never think to track: their gut? Michelle Heberling explains why modern diets may be starving the microbes that help your body and mind function at their best.

A farm girl turned gut health educator, Michelle shares how illness, depression, processed food, and over-sterilization led her to rediscover fermentation as a path back to health. She unpacks the gut-brain connection, the difference between “dead” preserved food and live fermented food, and why the health of your gut may depend on the health of t...

What if better energy, mood, and mental clarity begin with something most people never think to track: their gut? Michelle Heberling explains why modern diets may be starving the microbes that help your body and mind function at their best.

A farm girl turned gut health educator, Michelle shares how illness, depression, processed food, and over-sterilization led her to rediscover fermentation as a path back to health. She unpacks the gut-brain connection, the difference between “dead” preserved food and live fermented food, and why the health of your gut may depend on the health of t...

What if better energy, mood, and mental clarity begin with something most people never think to track: their gut? Michelle Heberling explains why modern diets may be starving the microbes that help your body and mind function at their best.

A farm girl turned gut health educator, Michelle shares how illness, depression, processed food, and over-sterilization led her to rediscover fermentation as a path back to health. She unpacks the gut-brain connection, the difference between “dead” preserved food and live fermented food, and why the health of your gut may depend on the health of t...

What separates people who keep moving forward from those who stop when things become difficult?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Dr. Tommy Rhee shares a wide-ranging perspective shaped by his experiences in the military, sports medicine, business, entrepreneurship, and regenerative medicine.

Rhee describes leadership as something developed through action rather than simply claimed. In his view, people become leaders by first learning to lead themselves—setting tasks, completing them, and demonstrating through their own actions what they encourage others to do.

He also reflects on his time in the Navy, where he se...

What separates people who keep moving forward from those who stop when things become difficult?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Dr. Tommy Rhee shares a wide-ranging perspective shaped by his experiences in the military, sports medicine, business, entrepreneurship, and regenerative medicine.

Rhee describes leadership as something developed through action rather than simply claimed. In his view, people become leaders by first learning to lead themselves—setting tasks, completing them, and demonstrating through their own actions what they encourage others to do.

He also reflects on his time in the Navy, where he se...

What happens when a life that looks successful from the outside no longer feels sustainable on the inside?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Stephen McConnell reflects on more than three decades in high-pressure corporate environments, including around 20 years in manufacturing, and the personal struggles that eventually forced him to look more closely at his identity, behavior, and emotional life.

Stephen openly discusses alcohol addiction, internal burnout, overworking, seeking approval, and the pressure he placed on himself, his family, and his teams. He describes a “moment of truth” when he realized that he had contributed to s...

What happens when a life that looks successful from the outside no longer feels sustainable on the inside?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Stephen McConnell reflects on more than three decades in high-pressure corporate environments, including around 20 years in manufacturing, and the personal struggles that eventually forced him to look more closely at his identity, behavior, and emotional life.

Stephen openly discusses alcohol addiction, internal burnout, overworking, seeking approval, and the pressure he placed on himself, his family, and his teams. He describes a “moment of truth” when he realized that he had contributed to s...

How much of who we are is truly our own, and how much comes from the culture, society, and expectations we grow up with?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Damien Dubose explores individuality, psychology, emotional intelligence, purpose, fear, and the process of becoming more intentional about how we live.

Damien describes himself as a financial professional whose interest in psychology and philosophy grew from a desire to understand people and the questions of the world. He considers himself a lifelong learner and says he wants to share the insights he develops, particularly with younger...

How much of who we are is truly our own, and how much comes from the culture, society, and expectations we grow up with?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Damien Dubose explores individuality, psychology, emotional intelligence, purpose, fear, and the process of becoming more intentional about how we live.

Damien describes himself as a financial professional whose interest in psychology and philosophy grew from a desire to understand people and the questions of the world. He considers himself a lifelong learner and says he wants to share the insights he develops, particularly with younger...

What if the way we understand health changes when we stop looking only at symptoms?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Dr. Dean Howell, a naturopathic doctor and developer of Neurocranial Restructuring (NCR), discusses his decades of clinical experience and his approach to what he describes as structural foundations of health.

Howell shares his personal history with chronic illness, his decision to pursue medicine after initially studying mathematics, and how his work gradually shifted toward what he calls chronic healing rather than chronic treatment.

A major part of the conversation focuses on NCR...

What if the way we understand health changes when we stop looking only at symptoms?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Dr. Dean Howell, a naturopathic doctor and developer of Neurocranial Restructuring (NCR), discusses his decades of clinical experience and his approach to what he describes as structural foundations of health.

Howell shares his personal history with chronic illness, his decision to pursue medicine after initially studying mathematics, and how his work gradually shifted toward what he calls chronic healing rather than chronic treatment.

A major part of the conversation focuses on NCR...

What if the way we understand health changes when we stop looking only at symptoms?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Dr. Dean Howell, a naturopathic doctor and developer of Neurocranial Restructuring (NCR), discusses his decades of clinical experience and his approach to what he describes as structural foundations of health.

Howell shares his personal history with chronic illness, his decision to pursue medicine after initially studying mathematics, and how his work gradually shifted toward what he calls chronic healing rather than chronic treatment.

...

What if the way we understand health changes when we stop looking only at symptoms?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Dr. Dean Howell, a naturopathic doctor and developer of Neurocranial Restructuring (NCR), discusses his decades of clinical experience and his approach to what he describes as structural foundations of health.

Howell shares his personal history with chronic illness, his decision to pursue medicine after initially studying mathematics, and how his work gradually shifted toward what he calls chronic healing rather than chronic treatment.

A major part of the conversation focuses on NCR...

What does it take to rebuild a life after addiction?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, Dr. Larry Smith shares his personal journey through 30 years of alcohol and drug use and nearly 27 years of recovery. He reflects on the voice he experienced during his addiction, which he eventually named “Johnny,” and why personifying that voice became a way of understanding the internal battle of addiction.

The conversation explores a deeper dimension of recovery: purpose. For Smith, sobriety became about more than avoiding alcohol and drugs. He wanted to return to his career as a chiropractor, repa...

What happens when someone who once struggled with English in high school eventually becomes a university writing instructor, author, poet, and mentor to aspiring writers?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, H. A. Callum shares how a lifelong love of reading and writing eventually led him from a career in the legal field into literature and education.

We explore the connection between law and storytelling, and how working on major legal cases taught Callum to think in terms of narrative, evidence, credibility, and perspective. He also explains why he encourages his students to write in...

Who are you when the titles, achievements, expectations, and identities you’ve built around yourself fall away?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Michael N. Fineman, an author, speaker, leadership strategist, and father whose work centers on identity, authenticity, communication, leadership, and purpose.

Michael introduces the idea of “Authority Drift”—the gradual process of making small compromises that move us away from what we genuinely believe. He explains how decisions made to satisfy expectations, increase revenue, grow a customer base, or respond to external pressures can slowly create a feeling that somethin...

What does it really mean to find your voice?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Alison Love David, a professional singer of 32 years, coach, writer, speaker, and vocal guide whose work centers on helping people connect with their authentic selves through voice and self-expression.

Alison explains that finding your voice isn’t necessarily about singing or speaking. Sometimes, it’s about daring to be yourself. She describes how people can spend their lives performing roles they believe others expect from them—changing how they behave depending on who they’re with, suppress...

What if the fictional worlds we escape into can actually help us understand the world we live in?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Terrence L. Rotering, a retired U.S. Air Force officer, author, and storyteller whose massive fiction project brings together fantasy, science fiction, and spiritual warfare.

Terrence grew up in Wisconsin and attended the United States Air Force Academy before spending 20 years in the Air Force as a weapon systems officer. He later spent another 15 years serving at NORAD and Northcom. After retiring to Colorado with his wife...

What if forgiveness isn’t about excusing someone else’s actions, reconciling with them, or pretending the past never happened—but simply getting them out of your head?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Katharine Giovanni, an author, speaker, and practical forgiveness educator who has spent decades teaching people how to approach forgiveness in a practical way.

Katharine’s perspective comes from a deeply personal place. She describes growing up in a dysfunctional household with two alcoholic parents, attempting suicide in eighth grade, overcoming breast cancer, and maintaining more than three decades...

What if healing doesn’t mean erasing the past, but changing our relationship with it?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Jacob Modak, a holistic health practitioner, trauma recovery coach, and founder of the Trauma Healed Online Coaching Program. Jacob’s work grew out of his own long healing journey and his desire to help people work through what he describes as unresolved trauma patterns in a holistic way.

Jacob explains that his awareness of his own struggles began around the age of 14, when he became conscious of the chaos around him...

What enables someone to keep moving forward after experiencing unimaginable loss?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Andy Campbell, an author, speaker, cancer survivor, and resilience advocate who has endured profound hardship and now works to help others build resilience through difficult and tragic circumstances.

Andy shares how his understanding of resilience has evolved through the challenges he has experienced. Rather than seeing resilience as something that suddenly appears when tragedy strikes, he believes it can be built through the smaller setbacks and difficulties we encounter throughout life. Each challenge, he...

What if you don’t have to become someone completely new to transform your life? What if the deeper work is remembering who you already are?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Dr. Victoria Rader, a transformational teacher, author, and founder of YU2SHINE. Her work brings together spirituality, personal development, and what she calls quantum personal development, with a strong emphasis on faith, surrender, love, and discovering our highest potential.

Victoria shares how growing up in the former Soviet Union shaped her understanding of inner freedom. Although she lived in an...

What if the products we use every day were designed around the realities of human life—not an imaginary “ideal” user?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Douglas Katz, a West Point graduate, disabled Army veteran, inventor, and entrepreneur whose journey has taken him from the U.S. Army and the private sector into adaptive product design.

Douglas grew up in Michigan, attended West Point from 1989 to 1993, and was commissioned into the U.S. Army as an artillery officer. After leaving the Army as a captain in 1998, he worked across several indust...

What gives a human voice the power to make us feel something—even when we can’t see the person behind it?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Kris Keppeler, an actor, voice artist, audiobook narrator, writer, and storyteller whose career has taken her through singing, acting, narration, podcasting, and writing. She has narrated more than 50 audiobooks and continues to coach authors who want to narrate their own work.

Kris’s creative journey began with singing. After being told when she was young that she would never learn to sing, she chose...

What if the stories we tell aren’t simply entertainment, but tools for understanding who we are?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Darlene Franklin Campbell, an author, artist, educator, and award-winning poet whose work is deeply influenced by mythology, philosophy, psychology, history, and her fascination with languages and cultures around the world.

Darlene grew up in Kentucky, surrounded by storytelling. She remembers listening to her grandmother and mother as a young child and later gathering around the kitchen table while her father told stories. She says those stories helped her de...

What if your relationship with money is really a relationship with life?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Morgana Rae, an author and wealth coach who has spent more than three decades exploring the psychology of money, abundance, and personal transformation.

Morgana’s journey into money coaching wasn’t intentional. She says it began with her own financial struggle. Despite having coaching skills, clients, public recognition, and what seemed like all the ingredients for a successful business, she found herself struggling to make even $100 a month in Los Angeles in 2003. She was...

Why do we sometimes know exactly what we should do—and still don’t do it?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Billy Seol, a Buddhist life coach and former software engineer who has worked at companies including Apple, Disney, and Foursquare. After studying computer science at Cornell and spending years working in software, Billy began exploring a very different kind of engineering: understanding the patterns that shape human behavior.

Billy describes his own transformation as moving from being a very sad, angry, and judgmental person to someone who still experiences diff...

What happens to the American Dream when artificial intelligence begins changing the way we work, build businesses, and create wealth?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Bradley Aman, an entrepreneur, author, business strategist, and veteran whose journey through business, technology, and entrepreneurship has shaped the way he thinks about opportunity.

Bradley shares lessons from his childhood, his time in the Air Force, his years in sales, and his experience building businesses during the rise of the internet. He reflects on the values he learned growing...

What if building a healthier society has less to do with hospitals than we think?

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Dr. Nicholas Freudenberg, a public health researcher, teacher, and longtime activist whose work has spanned more than five decades across health and social justice issues.

Nicholas argues that health is profoundly influenced by the conditions in which people live, work, learn, and participate in society. We explore what public health looks like when we move beyond medical care and consider factors such as food, housing, work, healthcare, clean air, and...

AI is becoming increasingly capable—but the harder question may not be what AI can do. It may be what we should allow it to do.

In this episode of Thought Atlas, I sit down with Latha Karthigaa, an AI governance expert and technology leader who serves as Head of AI Governance at the Global AI Certification Council. Latha began her career as a software engineer, completed a PhD in software engineering, worked for a software company, and later started a digital marketing company, which she says she has been running for around eight years.

He...