Stop Wasting Your Life

In the final episode of the anxiety series, Ava shares a vulnerable story from her trip to Florence where panic attacks, sickness, and the urge to run home threatened to take over. But at the center of it all wasn’t fear. It was love.

This episode is about the friend who stayed. The one who sat on the stair, closed the laptop when it was time to stop spiraling, and reminded her, “You’ve done it before, and you’ll do it again.”

Ava re...

In part two of our anxiety series, Ava shares the story of the Paris trip that didn’t go as planned.

What was supposed to be a dream vacation quickly turned into panic attacks, overwhelming triggers, and the difficult decision to go home. Through it all, she learned a powerful truth: you cannot always control when anxiety shows up, but you can choose how you respond to it.

This episode is about self advocacy, listening to you...

In this episode of Stop Wasting Your Life, Ava explores anxiety through her “ledge” metaphor. She describes anxiety as standing on the edge of a terrifying drop, where panic feels inevitable and overwhelming.

But after a conversation with her therapist, she begins to see that not every ledge is meant for falling. Some are like the breathtaking “woah ledge” she’s experienced on the Nepali Coast, exhausting and scary to reach, but wor...

In this episode of Stop Wasting Your Life, Ava sits down with Rick Mumford to talk about finding hope with God after devastating loss. Rick shares the story of losing his son, Mac, and how grief challenged his faith yet ultimately drew him closer to God instead of pushing him away.

Together, they explore grief, doubt, suffering, and the hard questions that arise when life feels shattered. This conversation offers honesty, compassion...

In this episode of Stop Wasting Your Life, Ava Heinbach speaks with author Bryan Welch about how grief can become a powerful teacher. After losing his son, Bryan reflects on how profound loss reshaped his understanding of love, compassion, joy, and what it means to be human.

Rather than closing him off, grief opened Bryan to deeper empathy, unconditional care, and a greater awareness of life’s inherent sadness and beauty. This conve...

In this episode, Ava Heinbach speaks with Nate Larkin, a former pastor and founder of the Samson Society, about his decades-long struggle with porn and sex addiction, the shame that kept it hidden, and the recovery that transformed his life and marriage.

Nate shares how early exposure to pornography, emotional vulnerability, and strict religious expectations led him to live a double life in ministry. He explains how shame fueled...

In this episode, Ava sits down with the legendary Mama Meg to unravel the story of her biggest heartbreak, the quiet warnings she ignored, and the inner compass that eventually pushed her toward a better life. Together they explore gut instincts, red flags, post-breakup grief, and finding clarity after chaos. It’s a conversation filled with honesty, humor, and the kind of lived-in wisdom you can only learn from Mama Meg.

Perfect for...

In this episode of Stop Wasting Your Life, Ava sits down with her producer, Kate Kruse, to talk about how volunteering can help you find purpose, community, and connection. Kate shares how moving to Kansas City with almost no friends led her to volunteering, and also tells the unforgettable story of Halo, an eight-year-old rescue dog she once found on the side of the highway and who is now looking for her forever home. Together, Av...

In this solo episode, Ava opens up about her favorite grounding exercises — the simple, practical tools she’s used since childhood to calm anxiety, soften overwhelming emotions, and reconnect with the present moment. She breaks down what grounding really means, the different types (physical, sensory, mental, and emotional), and shares her personal go-to techniques for each one.

Whether you’re looking for quick ways to soothe yoursel...

In this episode of Stop Wasting Your Life, host Ava Heinbach talks with Brooklynn Sumonja — a single mother, military member, and woman of faith — about finding strength, purpose, and grace through motherhood.

Brooklynn opens up about facing an unexpected pregnancy, walking through shame and fear, and learning to rely fully on God. She shares how becoming a mom transformed her faith, healed her heart, and gave her life new meaning.

I...

In this heartwarming and entertaining episode, Ava sits down with Mimi — her lifelong friend, honorary grandmother, and former TWA flight attendant — to talk about what it was really like to work the skies during the golden age of flying. From meeting celebrities like Maria von Trapp and Jimmy Dean (yes, the sausage man) to navigating beauty standards, cigarette-filled cabins, and unexpected turbulence, Mimi shares hilarious and he...

In this powerful episode, Ava talks with Danny Crawford, who shares his journey from addiction and rock bottom to redemption through faith. After years of partying, drug abuse, and a near-fatal psychosis, Danny found healing in recovery and a renewed purpose through Jesus. Now sober and helping at-risk youth in Kauai, his story is a powerful reminder of hope, surrender, and the freedom that comes from trusting God.

Follow us on ...

In this heartfelt episode of Stop Wasting Your Life, Ava welcomes back her close friend and roommate Hannah Jarrah for an open conversation about big emotions — how they show up, how they feel in her body, and how she moves through them with more compassion.

Hannah shares her personal journey with anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation, emphasizing that emotions aren’t problems to be “fixed” but messengers that offer insight ...

In this heartfelt solo episode, host Ava Heinbach returns after a short break to open up about where she’s been, what she’s been going through, and how she’s been learning to navigate her big emotions.

Ava vulnerably shares that she stepped away from the podcast to prioritize her mental health after a difficult personal situation that resurfaced emotions from a past relationship. She describes how grief, heartbreak, and anxiety resu...

In this episode of Stop Wasting Your Life, Ava sits down with her longtime friend, Kanak Michael Masten. Kanak opens up about being adopted from India at age five, growing up in the U.S. with white parents, and the incredible experience of reconnecting with his birth family years later. Along the way, Ava and Kanak share hilarious memories from their friendship — from sneaking around strict college dorms, to nearly losing a passpor...

What would make someone walk away from a six-figure career to start over from scratch? In this episode of Stop Wasting Your Life, host Ava Heinbach sits down with entrepreneur and father of three, Mitch Case, to unpack the bold decision he made to leave behind his stable engineering and sales career in pursuit of a more meaningful life. Mitch opens up about the turning points that shifted his priorities—from becoming a dad, to weat...

In this episode, host Ava Heinbach and her mentor and “second mom,” LeeAnn Shaw, continue their conversation on cultivating a growth mindset. Building on last week’s discussion, they introduce 10 practical strategies—“the 10 Ps”—that help shift from a fixed mindset to a growth-oriented one.

The 10 Ps they unpack are:

1. Pain – facing it head-on and using it as purpose.

2. Perspective – shifting your filter and outlook.

3. Preparation – ...

In this wisdom-filled and practical conversation, host Ava Heinbach sits down with her longtime mentor and “second mom” LeeAnn Shaw to unpack what it means to have a growth mindset. From personal stories and life’s unexpected valleys to strategies for building resilience, Ava and LeeAnn explore what it means to pivot, move forward, grow, and create a purposeful life. They talk about the difference between trying and training, the i...

This episode of Stop Wasting Your Life features Ava and her energy healer, Jamelle, diving deep into energy cords and how they shape relationships, especially with our partners. They explore what energy cords are, how they create lingering attachments after breakups, and why cutting these cords is key to emotional freedom. Ava shares her own struggle with still feeling tied to her ex-boyfriend, and Jamelle breaks down the spiritual...