Creativity With Purpose

What happens when your carefully crafted life plan shatters? My guest today, Fiona Bayliss, found out at 23, and she's spent the years since rebuilding, again and again.

In How to Thrive When Life Doesn't Go As Planned, Fiona shares her deeply personal journey through chronic illness, career upheaval, single parenthood, trauma, and resilience. Diagnosed with epilepsy at 23, her life quickly diverged from the future she imagined, fo...

What does it actually take to reach a student who refuses to open up? Nancy Regas spent 22 years as a school counselor, working with teenagers who were struggling, shut down, or invisible to everyone around them. She learned that connection comes before guidance — and that without trust, nothing else works. In this conversation, Nancy shares what she learned across two decades in public education: how she protected her time w...

Can a white noise machine impact baby hearing loss? We examine the potential risks of using white noise for babies after a personal experience. White noise machines are in millions of nurseries right now. Pediatricians mention them. Baby product sites recommend them. Exhausted parents buy them without a second thought. But what does the science actually say? Beverly Hansen, R.N., M.B.A. — registered nurse with 40 years of cli...

What happens when the life you worked so hard to build suddenly disappears? In this episode, Ann M. Mracek welcomes author and financial freedom educator Paris Woods for a powerful conversation about money, identity, resilience, and what it really takes to create security in an unpredictable world. Paris shares her personal journey from growing up in a working-class family in St. Louis, to attending Harvard, to building a career in...

Your life is not random noise. It is a symphony waiting to be conducted. Welcome to the Symphony of Self Podcast, hosted by author, composer, and transformational guide Ann M. Mracek. In these podcasts, Ann explores how creativity, healing, and personal growth come together to form the unique composition of a human life. Every experience becomes a note. Every challenge becomes a key change. And every act of courage becomes a new mo...

How do leaders build resilience in a volatile and uncertain world? In this episode of Creativity with Purpose, we talk with Dr. Lisa Patierne, leadership expert and coach with more than 30 years of experience helping individuals and organizations overcome limiting beliefs, build resilience, and lead with confidence. Dr. Patierne works with leaders, first responders, healthcare professionals, educators, and teams to strengthen leade...

What happens when a biomedical anthropologist leaves academia and becomes a global pharmaceutical strategist… then writes a medical thriller? In this episode of Creativity with Purpose, Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Aden shares her remarkable journey from hepatitis B research in the South Pacific to Senior Vice President of Global Strategy for a major Swiss pharmaceutical company. Her work spans epidemiology, immunology,...

Perimenopause symptoms explained. Author Karen A. Herrera joins Creativity with Purpose to discuss hormonal changes, emotional shifts, and how women can navigate this stage of life with clarity. Our guest today is Karen A. Herrera the author of Perimenopause Clarity and a writer who believes that laughter is medicine, honesty is power, and that sharing our stories, especially the messy middle parts, can help others feel less alone....

What happens when a Microbiologist/Historian and a high-level CEO decide to see the world together? You get a masterclass in living an exhilarating life. In this episode of Creativity With Purpose, we are joined by the incredible mother-daughter duo, Evelyn Kelly, PhD, and Natalie Kelly, MS. Together, they have trekked across all seven continents, visited 88 countries, and explored every single US state. They aren’t just tour...

Hi, Or guest to day is Dr. Amelia Scott Barrett, MD — a Stanford-trained neurologist, founder of Migraine Relief Code, and a lifelong advocate for true, root-cause healing.

During her years in private practice treating headaches and migraines, patients kept asking a question that mainstream medicine couldn’t fully answer:

“Why am I having these headaches in the first place?”

Dr Barrett was taught to talk abo...

In this heartfelt episode of Creativity with Purpose, we welcome journalist, award-winning writer, and passionate storyteller Carol Patton.

Carol’s labor of love, The Adventures of Mo, is more than a children’s book series—it’s a bridge between storytelling, global awareness, and compassion. Inspired by her beloved family dog, Mozart, an American Eskimo with a big personality (and an even bigger love of ice ...

Our guest author Virginia Taft believes that memories connect us to the past, bring us to who we are and help define what we want to become. Those unique individuals with all their quirks and events that shaped us were opportunities to learn life lessons. Virginia is available to guest on your podcast, video or article discussing how helping people capture their life stories, or those of loved ones, provides greater depth and meani...

Our guest today is Ruth Manthei Wilkey who lives with her Alaskan mountain-man husband and their furry dog friends in a cozy cottage in the woods of northern Michigan. Ruth’s degree in Education equipped her to teach English, Spanish, Drama and Music before she embarked on a lengthy career of teaching piano from her in-home studio. She has enjoyed the pleasure of working with many fascinating children, developing young musici...

Luke Mickelson grew up a hardworking farm kid in the small town of Kimberly, Idaho, where community, character, and service were simply a way of life. An avid athlete and lifelong competitor, he poured his energy into youth programs, coaching, and mentoring—developing both a passion for people and a natural talent for leadership.     That same drive carried into his professional career in business, but something was...

He never expected this diagnosis. Dr. Kadar was accustomed to caring for patients—not becoming one. Just as he began a new marriage, a few episodes of minor chest pain led to a shocking diagnosis: severe heart disease requiring immediate open-heart surgery.

In Getting Better, he candidly chronicles his unexpected descent from excellent health into life-threatening illness, blending medical expertise with the raw experience of...

Todd J. Griffee grew up in Niles, Michigan, in the shadow of Notre Dame’s Golden Dome. Inspired at age ten to pursue a life of service, he combined his love of history, military tradition, and Notre Dame athletics into a focused plan that led him to become a two-time All-American fencer and Army ROTC graduate.

Todd went on to serve as an Army Reserve officer, Indiana State Trooper, St. Joseph County Deputy, and later as a Fed...

Teach Your Family to Love Our guest is Nick Sevens from his teens, he made a hobby of fatherhood and family. When  he lost a daughter to an avalanche in 2008, he realized his knowledge and  experiences needed to be shared with other men. For over eighteen years  now, he has led men’s ministries and spoken about fatherhood. He loves  guiding fathers and grandfathers into how to build spiritual and emotional...

No Degree Required - The human face of tecnology in an AI world. Today with are speaking with Phil Jaderborg. Phil's perspective, shaped by his unique experiences and outlook on Life, highlights that qualities like persistence, patience, a positive attitude, and strong client management skills are paramount for success in this career field, viewing the profession as a continuous journey toward excellence and self-fulfillment. He co...

Creativity With Purpose - Author Douglas L. Schmidt is a dynamic leader and educator, passionately inspiring others to reach their full potential. With an MBA and a strong educational background, he blends academic insight with real-world experience to provide actionable leadership, learning, and personal growth strategies. His approach highlights the power of connections, fostering collaboration and mentorship to propel individual...