Nine to Thrive: The Well-Being Podcast

It's never too late to change, pick up something new, or deepen a relationship. Ilene Berns-Zare — psychologist, coach, and author of You're Not Too Old and It's Not Too Late: Weekly Practices of Meaning, Mindfulness, and New Possibilities at Midlife and Beyond — joins Julie to talk about reimagining the second half of life with more curiosity, resilience, and possibility. We dig into what resilience actually means at m...

Expertise is supposed to make us better — until the moment it doesn't. In this episode, Julie explores beginner's mind: what it actually is, why it's not the same thing as knowing less, and why holding what you know a little more lightly might be one of the biggest advantages you can bring to work, relationships, and change.

WHAT WE COVER

•     Why expertise can backfire — the Einstellung effect and how ex...

We live in a culture that recognizes some griefs and quietly overlooks the rest. Nicole Collins — a former tech executive, twice-over caregiver, founder of Bea, and grief educator— joins Julie to talk about grief in all its forms and why processing it is essential to thriving

WHAT WE COVER

•     Caregiving for two while leading a team — and the self-abandonment that came with it
•     Grief...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Mary Oliver's famous question — what will you do with your one wild and precious life — is easy to admire and hard to answer honestly. In this episode, I explore why: not because we lack imagination, but because answering it means admitting how much we quietly trade away for safety. We talk about the neuroscience behind why safety wins by default, the real cost of the unlived life, and how to start t...

We're wired to be hard on ourselves. In this solo episode, Julie unpacks the neuroscience behind our negativity bias and self-criticism, then turns to Dr. Kristin Neff's groundbreaking research on self-compassion — what it actually is, the biggest myths that keep us from practicing it, and why it might be one of the most essential (and misunderstood) tools we have for showing up for our goals, ourselves, and the people we lov...

We all have blind spots. And if you’ve ever found yourself stuck, resentful, caught in the blame game, or struggling to take full responsibility for your life — there’s a good chance one of them is at play.

In this conversation, Julie is joined by Celi Arias, founder and CEO of ScalePilot and a strategic business coach who has advised over 500 businesses across 22 years. Together, they explore what blind spots act...

Can you believe that we are half-way through 2026? In this episode, Julie shares her mid-year ritual and the questions she asks herself to review, realign and reset. Reflecting on progress, celebrating wins and learning from our successes and setbacks is an essential part of our growth, along with staying open to new possibilities, and a willingness to adjust our goals if need be.

Here are the questions to explore:

Am I prioritizin...

What do you do when you are?

In this solo episode, Julie  makes a case for curiosity as the most reliable way through. Not pushing harder, not forcing clarity — but asking yourself better questions. The kind of questions that open doors instead of closing them.

Drawing on Barbara Fredrickson’s Broaden-and-Build theory and her own coaching practice, Julie walks you through 18 self-coaching questions organized around...

What does it really mean to flourish — not just survive, not just keep up, but genuinely thrive from the inside out? In a world of political polarization, chronic stress, loneliness, and uncertainty, that question feels more urgent than ever.

In this episode Julie sits down with Emiliya Zhivotovskaya — founder of The Flourishing Center, pioneer of the PERMA-V model, and one of the world's leading voices in the science o...

When was the last time something stopped you in your tracks — not in a stressful way, but in a “wonder” kind of way?

If you're struggling to remember, or want to create more moments like this in your life, this episode is for you.

One of the most powerful well-being practices available to you requires nothing more than slowing down and paying attention.

In this episode, Julie dives into the science (and practice) ...

The Art of Deep Rest — Rethinking Rest, Productivity, and What It Really Takes to Thrive

Episode Overview

What if rest isn't the obstacle to thriving — but actually the foundation? In this episode, Julie is joined by Maegan Megginson, a spiritual strategist and sabbatical coach for small business owners, to explore why so many of us struggle to rest, what real rest actually looks like, and how designing a sustainable re...

Spring is here — and she has something to teach us.

In this episode, Julie  invites you to step outside and experience one of the most powerful, most accessible, and most underrated well-being practices available to us: time in nature. As the season shifts and the world outside our windows begins to wake up again, this is your reminder that nature isn't a luxury — it's medicine. And spring is rolling out the welcom...

We have more information, more options, and more ways to connect than ever before — and yet so many of us feel adrift. In this episode, Julie explores one of the most essential questions of our time: how do we create meaning and live with purpose when the world feels chaotic and uncertain?

Drawing on the work of Viktor Frankl, the PERMA-V framework from positive psychology, and the concept of post-traumatic growth, Julie unpa...

In this re-shared episode, I have the privilege of having a profound conversation with Kathryn Goetzke, the Chief Hope Officer of the Shine Hope Company. We explore the delicate balance between despair and hope, discussing how individuals can navigate these emotions in a world filled with challenges. Kathryn shares her personal journey through mental health struggles and her mission to teach hope as a skill. Our conversation delves...

In this solo episode, Julie explores one of the most transformative ideas in positive psychology and in our ability to thrive: that our beliefs don't just reflect reality — they create it. Drawing on her own personal story about inherited beliefs around rest and worth, she walks listeners through the science of how beliefs wire the brain, and shares a simple four-step inquiry practice for identifying, questioning, and transfo...

We're living through a period of profound disconnection—from ourselves, from each other, and from any sense of peace. The pandemic, technology, political division, and the World Health Organization's reported rises in anxiety and depression have left many of us feeling fragmented and alone. AND there is a pathway forward.

In this episode, Julie sits down with Dr. Diane Dreher, positive psychology researcher, coach, and author...

Ever feel like you're constantly chasing the next achievement, the next milestone, the next thing—thinking that “happiness” lives there?  Like most of us at some time or another, you are on the hedonic treadmill. If you have ever felt like you are on this treadmill, this episode is for you. We explore why we adapt so quickly to the good things in our lives and how our culture keeps us “running in place&...

What if you approached your own life with the same strategy and intention as a major global exec or a brand launching a major campaign? In this conversation, Julie will sit down with reputation strategist and communications advisor Kate Haranis to explore how the principles of PR can be powerful tools for personal transformation.

Kate will share why narrative matters not just in business, but in how we show up for ourselves. Toget...

This is our final episode of 2025! We're taking a break over the holidays and will return mid-January with new episodes, guests, and conversations about thriving and flourishing.

In this episode, Julie shares her year-end practice for 2025—a powerful framework for looking back with awareness, taking stock of where you are, and looking ahead with intention to create the 2026 you want.

What You'll Explore:

Movement 1: Looking B...