Create Magic At Work®

Time may not be as fixed as we experience it, and the way we relate to it shapes how we heal, remember, and move forward. In this second part of a two-part conversation, Amy continues with returning guest Dr. Aaron Tabacco to explore quantum presence, a perspective that expands awareness beyond the present moment into a more interconnected experience of past, present, and future. Together, they examine how emotionally charged moments become what Aaron describes as quantum anchors, experiences that remain accessible across time through the energy that created them.As the conversation unfolds, memory, trauma, and emotional awareness are reframed through a more expansive lens, offering a new way to understand both the weight of the past and the possibility of healing. What emerges is a grounded yet powerful insight: we are not as bound to linear time as we believe. With greater awareness, we can intentionally anchor meaningful moments, revisit them, and even allow a future version of ourselves to bring comfort to the present. The result is a deeper sense of agency, connection, and trust in our own unfolding experience.Moments That Create Momentum:1. Rethinking What Time Really Is – Explore the idea that time may not be linear and how that shifts perception and awareness.2. The Concept Of Quantum Presence – Understand how presence can expand beyond the current moment into a broader field of experience.3. What Quantum Anchors Reveal About Memory – Discover how emotionally charged moments create lasting connections across time.4. Trauma And The Body’s Experience Of Time – See how PTSD reflects a deeply embodied form of nonlinear time awareness.5. Emotional Energy As A Bridge Across Time – Learn how emotion activates memory and shapes how moments are accessed and revisited.6. Creating Intentional Moments Of Meaning – Recognize how awareness allows you to consciously hold onto meaningful experiences.About the Guest:Aaron Tabacco, PhD, has spent more than thirty years guiding people through growth and change, often in complex and high-stakes environments. He currently serves as the Director of Staff Experience at a major academic health sciences university. With a background spanning nursing, neuroscience, education, coaching, and mediation, his work centers on helping individuals and organizations navigate identity, connection, and transformation with greater clarity and care.Known for his grounded presence and compassionate communication, Aaron works with students, clinicians, faculty, executives, and senior leaders across healthcare and other industries. His approach integrates relational depth, reflective practice, and a commitment to creating more humane, integrated ways of working and living. He works in San Francisco, California, and lives in Vancouver, Washington, where he continues a lifelong engagement with writing, music, and the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest alongside his husband and three adult sons.https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-tabacco-phd-83359b9/https://lucusgroup.com/homehttps://substack.com/@aarontabacco?r=b5ap9&utm_medium=ioshttps://www.youtube.com/@CirclesEdgesAbout Amy:Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work.She’s a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality.Connect with Amy:https://createmagicatwork.net/https://www.linkedin.com/company/create-magic-at-workhttps://www.facebook.com/112951637095427https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatworkhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEm4h3fUgaq8qgvZpz6dGgThanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.Mentioned in this episode:This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/

There is a tension beneath helping others that most people never question. What feels like empathy can sometimes be driven by something deeper, a need to resolve our own discomfort, stabilize our identity, or feel whole through someone else’s experience. In this first part of a two-part conversation, Amy reconnects with returning guest Dr. Aaron Tabacco to explore empathic distress, the hidden patterns of fixing, and the concept of “leaky identity.” Together, they unpack how even our most well-intentioned actions can unintentionally center ourselves, reshaping how we understand empathy, leadership, and emotional responsibility. The conversation invites a more grounded, sustainable way of showing up for others without losing ourselves in the process, creating space for clarity, awareness, and a more honest form of connection.Moments That Create Momentum:1. The Hidden Cost Of Fixing Others – See how the instinct to help can unintentionally disrupt growth and silence others’ experiences.2. Understanding Empathic Distress – Learn how emotional overwhelm often reflects internal discomfort rather than external responsibility.3. What “Leaky Identity” Really Means – Explore how identity becomes dependent on others’ responses and why that creates instability.4. The Shadow Side Of Being An Empath – Uncover how empathy can become self-serving when it is tied to validation and worth.5. Why Compassion Is Not The Same As Empathy – Gain clarity on the distinction that allows for presence without depletion.6. Social Conditioning And The Role Of Caretaking – Recognize how cultural and gender dynamics shape patterns of over-responsibility.About the Guest:Aaron Tabacco, PhD, has spent more than thirty years guiding people through growth and change, often in complex and high-stakes environments. He currently serves as the Director of Staff Experience at a major academic health sciences university. With a background spanning nursing, neuroscience, education, coaching, and mediation, his work centers on helping individuals and organizations navigate identity, connection, and transformation with greater clarity and care.Known for his grounded presence and compassionate communication, Aaron works with students, clinicians, faculty, executives, and senior leaders across healthcare and other industries. His approach integrates relational depth, reflective practice, and a commitment to creating more humane, integrated ways of working and living. He works in San Francisco, California, and lives in Vancouver, Washington, where he continues a lifelong engagement with writing, music, and the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest alongside his husband and three adult sons.https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-tabacco-phd-83359b9/https://lucusgroup.com/home https://substack.com/@aarontabacco?r=b5ap9&utm_medium=ios https://www.youtube.com/@CirclesEdges About Amy:Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work.She’s a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality.Connect with Amy:https://createmagicatwork.net/https://www.linkedin.com/company/create-magic-at-work https://www.facebook.com/112951637095427 https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatwork https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEm4h3fUgaq8qgvZpz6dGg Thanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Mentioned in this episode:This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/

Creativity is not a talent reserved for a few, it is a resource that determines how fully we engage with our work, our ideas, and our lives. Amy is joined by songwriter, producer, and creativity coach Rachel Efron to explore a powerful shift from seeing creativity as something you either have or lack to understanding it as a relationship that must be resourced and tended. Through the lens of five essential elements—inspiration, courage, discipline, rest, and connection—a new framework unfolds for navigating burnout, problem-solving, and leadership. When one of these resources is depleted, creativity stalls, but when restored, clarity and momentum return naturally. The result is a grounded, actionable way to access innovation that feels less like effort and more like alignment.Moments That Create Momentum:1. Creativity as a Root Cause – Reframe common workplace struggles as symptoms of a deeper disconnection from creative energy.2. The Five Creative Resources – Discover the essential elements that sustain creative flow and where depletion disrupts momentum.3. Why Rest Fuels Innovation – Understand how lack of rest limits vision and why recovery is a direct path to clarity.4. Discipline Reimagined – See how creative discipline differs from traditional productivity and requires responsiveness, not rigidity.5. Courage Over Confidence – Learn why creating despite doubt is more powerful than waiting to feel ready.6. Solving Problems Through Resourcing – Shift from forcing solutions to identifying what internal resource is missing.About the Guest:Rachel Efron is an Oakland-based songwriter/producer. She’s released four full length albums of original songs in her signature jazz-tinged art pop style, and toured extensively on both coasts. She produces song-centered albums for artists ranging from pop to jazz to folk to rock, and has a particular affinity for working with developing artists. She has written songs for artists as diverse as R&B legend Narada Michael Walden and stadium rock band Journey.In 2011 Rachel became obsessed with helping other artists write songs. She taught Songwriting at The Berkeley Jazzschool for ten years, gave countless talks and workshops for various arts organizations, started Songwriting Salon, an incubator for committed songwriters, and is a premier songwriting coach for artists around the world. In 2022 Rachel recognized the more extraordinary calling of helping artists — and others — access greater creativity in their lives. She developed a comprehensive methodology for creative development and launched the iPhone creativity app, Muzi.https://www.rachelefron.com/creativityAbout Amy:Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work.She’s a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality.Connect with Amy:https://createmagicatwork.net/https://www.linkedin.com/company/create-magic-at-workhttps://www.facebook.com/112951637095427https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatworkhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEm4h3fUgaq8qgvZpz6dGgThanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.Mentioned in this episode:This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/

Recently I had the pleasure of joining Sandra Bargman on The Edge of Everyday for a conversation about voice, vision, and the courage it takes to bring ideas into reality.We explored the path that led from corporate leadership to founding Create Magic at Work and launching Magic Thread Media, a curated network created to support conscious voices and meaningful dialogue. Along the way we talked about spiritual intelligence in the workplace, the role of edge walkers as bridge builders during times of change, and the shift that happens when leaders stop waiting for perfect conditions and begin moving forward with what they know to be true. At its heart, the conversation is about trusting your voice, honoring the ideas that keep calling you forward, and creating spaces where those ideas can grow into something real.Moments That Create Momentum:The Moment Vision Becomes Action – The internal shift that happens when leaders stop waiting for perfect conditions and decide to bring an idea fully into reality.Spiritual Intelligence in the Workplace – Explore how conversations about purpose, awareness, and inner knowing are beginning to reshape how leadership shows up in modern organizations.Edgewalkers and the Courage to Navigate Change – Discover how bridge builders help individuals and organizations sense what is emerging and respond creatively during times of uncertainty.Moving Forward Without Perfect Conditions – See how the pursuit of perfection can delay powerful ideas and what happens when leaders choose momentum instead.The Power of Finding Your Authentic Voice – Learn how storytelling, podcasting, and meaningful dialogue sharpen a leader’s message and strengthen their clarity.Building Communities Around Meaningful Work – Hear the deeper vision behind Magic Thread Media and the importance of creating spaces where conscious voices can grow and be heard.About the Guest Host:Sandra Bargman is an interspiritual minister, spiritual counselor, leadership coach, actor, and host of the podcast The Edge of Everyday. Seminary trained and ordained through The New Seminary for Interfaith Studies in New York City, she works with clients around the world through coaching, counseling, and workshops that explore voice, presence, spirituality, and personal transformation.With more than three decades of experience as a professional performer, Sandra holds a BFA in drama and music from Carnegie Mellon University and has appeared in national tours, Off-Broadway productions, and regional theater across the United States. She is also the founder of Sacred Stages, a creative practice that blends storytelling, ritual, and performance to help people explore courage, connection, and the deeper questions that shape everyday life.https://www.sandrabargman.com/https://www.instagram.com/sandrabargmanhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrabargman/About Amy:Amy Lynn Durham, known by her clients as the Corporate Mystic, is the founder of the Executive Coaching Firm, Create Magic At Work®, where they help leaders build workplaces rooted in creativity, collaboration, and fulfillment. A former corporate executive turned Executive Coach, Amy blends practical leadership strategies with spiritual intelligence to unlock human potential at work.She’s a certified Executive Coach through UC Berkeley & the International Coaching Federation (ICF) In addition, Amy holds coaching certifications in Spiritual Intelligence (SQ21), the Edgewalker Profile, and the Archetypes of Change . In addition to being the host of the Create Magic At Work® podcast, Amy is the author of Create Magic At Work®, Creating Career Magic: A Daily Prompt Journal and the founder of Magic Thread Media™. Through her work, she inspires intentional leadership for thriving workplaces and lives where “magic” becomes reality.Connect with Amy:https://createmagicatwork.net/https://www.linkedin.com/company/create-magic-at-workhttps://www.facebook.com/112951637095427https://www.instagram.com/createmagicatworkhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEm4h3fUgaq8qgvZpz6dGgThanks for listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the podcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.Leave us an Apple Podcasts reviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.Mentioned in this episode:This show was brought to you in part by the Magic Thread Media Network. To learn more visit: https://magicthreadmedia.com/

A quiet question sits beneath the noise of modern life. When did inspiration give way to exhaustion? When did courage soften into silence?In this opening invitation, Dr. Mark Rittenberg reflects on the moment people stop singing, stop gathering, and stop standing up for one another. The Ballet of Empathy begins as a call back to human connection and a reminder that leadership lives in presence, dialogue, forgiveness, and the courage to repair what has been broken. Through stories of heartbreak, community, and renewal, this podcast explores a rising movement of people choosing love, communication, and responsibility for the world they share.