The Rising with Janel Gonzalez

What if the thing holding you back isn't a lack of motivation — it's the shadow side of the very principles you're trying to live by?

This October, Janel goes dark. In this special episode she walks through each of the four RISE principles and explores their shadow — what it looks like when reflection turns into rumination, intention turns into sleepwalking, simplicity turns into overconsumption, and enjoyment turns into...

Nobody asks how the caregiver is doing. It's time to change that.

When journalist Juana Libedinsky's husband suffered a traumatic brain injury during a family ski trip in the Patagonia Andes, she didn't fall apart — she became a machine. In this powerful episode, Juana shares the story behind her book Downhill, what really happens to the person doing the caregiving, and why the caregiver's journey is just as important as the p...

We were never meant to find meaning in our stuff — and deep down, we all know it.

Joshua Becker — bestselling author, pastor, and the man behind Becoming Minimalist — joins Janel for a powerful conversation about why we keep accumulating, what we're really chasing, and how his newest book Uncluttered Faith is helping people make space for the things that matter most. From human nature to faith to the RISE principle...

Back-to-school season can bring new routines, packed schedules, overstimulation, and plenty of unexpected changes—but the energy we bring into our homes can make a difference.

In this episode, Janel explores what it means to raise your vibe as a parent and as a family. Inspired by Vibrate Higher Daily by Lalah Delia, she shares practical ways to create a calmer, more positive home where both parents and kids have space to rese...

Your calendar should reflect your values — not everyone else's expectations.

Janel is back with another back to school essential, and this one is for every parent who said yes to too much last year and paid for it by December. In this episode she breaks down how to approach the school year calendar with intention, protect your family's rest, and stop letting the schedule run your life.

Because the calendar cannot be your family...

What do you do when your child comes home and tells you another kid has been mean to them?

In this episode, Janel continues her Back to School series with a practical conversation about bullies, mean kids, and difficult situations at school. Inspired by Jefferson Fisher’s book The Next Conversation, she shares tools parents can teach their children to help them respond with greater confidence, self-control, and resilie...

What does it really mean to raise a teenager well — and what does success actually look like?

In this special episode, Janel sits down with her son Alex Gonzalez for a freshman year recap that every parent and teenager needs to hear. From drumming with Tommy Lee to navigating a new school, building discipline, and figuring out what actually matters — this conversation is honest, funny, and full of heart.

Spoiler: it's not...

Back-to-school preparation is about more than school supplies, new clothes, and getting back into a routine. It’s also an opportunity to prepare kids with the social skills, manners, and character they need to navigate the school year with confidence.

In this episode, Janel sits down with world-renowned etiquette expert Carla Shellis for a much-needed Back-to-School Manners 101 refresh. Carla shares practical etiquette tips ev...

Why is it so hard to put your phone down?

In this episode, Janel dives into the science of dopamine and how our constant search for stimulation is affecting our focus, creativity, relationships, and overall well-being. Drawing inspiration from Dopamine Nation by Dr. Anna Lembke, she shares practical ways to slow down, embrace boredom, reconnect with nature, and restore balance to your brain.

Topics discussed:
• Dop...

Does summer always seem to come with pressure to spend more money?

From expensive vacations and concert tickets to dining out and keeping up with everyone else's plans, summer can quickly become one of the most expensive seasons of the year. But what if you could create a memorable, joyful summer without draining your bank account?

In this episode, Janel shares practical mindset shifts inspired by Morgan Housel's The ...

Why do so many moms feel like they have to do it all?

In this heartfelt conversation, Janel sits down with children's author Emily Busby to discuss modern motherhood, mom guilt, overwhelm, asking for help, postpartum struggles, social media pressure, perfectionism, and the importance of building real support systems.

Emily shares the story behind her new children's book, Mommy Is Not an Octopus, and why mothers need permission to sto...

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t other people—but the stories you keep telling yourself?

In this powerful conversation, psychotherapist and author Chad Taylor joins Janel to discuss addiction, recovery, ego, self-awareness, personal responsibility, emotional healing, and why lasting transformation begins when we stop blaming others and start looking inward.

Drawing from his own recovery journey, Chad share...

What are you using to escape your reality?

In this episode, Janel explores the ways we numb, distract, and disconnect from our lives through unhealthy escapism—whether it’s overworking, staying busy, alcohol, devices, fantasy thinking, or avoiding our emotions altogether. This honest conversation is about learning how to stop running from discomfort and start reconnecting with the life that’s actually in front of y...

Are you steering your own life—or letting everyone else choose the direction for you?

In this episode, Janel explores what it really means to become the captain of your own life. Through the metaphor of navigating a ship at sea, she shares a powerful conversation about personal responsibility, emotional resilience, boundaries, rest, peace, and learning how to reconnect with your own internal compass.

This episod...

What if this season isn't asking you to do more—but to release what no longer fits?

In this episode, Janel explores the concept of identity evolution and why shedding old versions of yourself isn't a crisis—it's a calling. Through the lens of the RISE principles—reflection, intention, simplicity, and enjoyment—this episode is an open invitation to audit who you are now, reconnect with your authentic s...

Motherhood can be beautiful, overwhelming, joyful, exhausting—and all of those things can exist at the same time.

In this special Mother’s Day episode, Janel opens up about the duality of motherhood, navigating overstimulation, mom guilt, burnout, emotional exhaustion, and learning to find joy in the messy, imperfect seasons of raising children. This honest conversation explores how the RISE principles—refl...

In this episode, we explore what it really means to experience joy—even in the middle of anxiety, grief, and life’s most challenging seasons. Joy isn’t about everything being perfect. It’s about finding moments of light, even when life feels heavy.

Janel is joined by Yanina Oyarzo as they talk through navigating stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm while still choosing joy in everyday life. From s...

Janel returns with a powerful conversation alongside Yanina Oyarzo on healing, identity, and showing up authentically.

This conversation explores what it looks like to navigate personal growth, emotional healing, and becoming more aligned with who you truly are. Together, they unpack the tension between who we’ve been and who we’re becoming—and how to move forward with clarity, honesty, and intention.

Do you have to wait for life to feel perfect before you experience joy? In this episode of The Rising, Janel closes out the Back to Basics series by exploring the fourth RISE principle: Enjoyment — and why joy is not something reserved for easy seasons of life.

Janel shares how joy and pain can coexist, why joy is actually a birthright, and how learning to notice small “micro moments” can transform your emo...