Growth Now Movement with Justin Schenck

What if the parts of your story you're most tempted to hide are actually the parts that could help someone else? In this episode of The Growth Now Movement, I sit down with Cristina P. Simmons, a mom of three adopted children, wife of 27 years, author, and founder of her own publishing company, to talk about the power of storytelling, healing, faith, and designing a life with more freedom. Cristina's journey began with writing her trauma-heavy memoir, Eat Your Feelings. What started as a deeply personal process of putting her experiences on paper eventually turned into something much bigger. After hearing Amberly Lago on Ed Mylett's podcast, Christina joined a mastermind, wrote and released her book, and discovered that she didn't just want to tell her own story. She wanted to help other women tell theirs. We talk about how Cristina's experiences with childhood abuse contributed to emotional eating and how becoming more self-aware helped her recognize the connection between what she was feeling and how she was responding. Her son's autism diagnosis and her studies in occupational therapy also played a major role in helping Christina better understand herself, her patterns, and the tools she could use to respond differently. Instead of simply trying to eliminate the urge to eat, Cristina talks about learning to redirect it through movement, walking, breathing, prayer, workouts, and community. We also dive into the process of writing a memoir and one of the biggest questions many people face when telling their story: What actually belongs in the book? Cristina explains why every story matters, how to identify the moments that shaped you, and what it means to become ready to share those experiences with the world. At the heart of this conversation is a powerful idea: your story doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful. Cristina now helps women navigate the emotional process of bringing their stories to life through publishing, while continuing to build a life centered around faith, freedom, family, and intentionality. We talk about healing, emotional eating, storytelling, entrepreneurship, motherhood, faith, resilience, publishing, masterminds, and what it really means to create a life by design. If you've ever thought, "My story isn't important enough," this episode is for you. In this episode, we talk about: Cristina's journey from memoir writer to publishing company founder Writing Eat Your Feelings How childhood experiences can influence emotional eating Recognizing emotional patterns and learning new responses The impact of her son's autism diagnosis on her self-awareness How a mastermind helped Cristina take action on her book Why every person's story matters How to identify the moments that belong in your story Knowing when you're ready to share your story Tools for redirecting emotional urges The role of exercise, walking, breathing, prayer, and community Faith and resilience Building a life around freedom and intentionality Daily habits that support success Turning your personal experiences into purpose If this episode resonates with you, make sure you subscribe to The Growth Now Movement, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who needs to hear it.

What happens to human relationships when more and more of our lives are run by algorithms? In this episode of The Growth Now Movement, I sit down with Zvi Band to talk about something that I think every entrepreneur, leader, and high performer needs to think about: relationship equity. Zvi and I start with a little Lego building and some serious '90s nostalgia before getting into his bigger mission: helping people build and maintain meaningful human connections. Zvi shares how some of his biggest career opportunities came through introductions and relationships, even though he personally struggled with staying in touch with people. That tension eventually led him to create Contactually, a relationship-focused CRM, and later Relatable, a platform designed to help people be more intentional about the relationships in their lives. We talk about the idea of treating relationships like an asset. Not in a transactional "what can this person do for me?" way, but in the sense that meaningful relationships require attention, investment, systems, and consistency. And as AI continues to automate more of our work and interactions, Zvi believes there's going to be an even greater premium placed on being human. We break down how Relatable works, including how it aggregates communications, creates AI-powered dossiers, and helps surface relationships that may be slipping through the cracks. But Zvi also warns against one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to improve their network: attempting to reconnect with everyone at once. He shares practical frameworks for deciding who deserves your time, including the "grocery store test," A/B relationship tiers, and his FAT rubric: fun, ambitious, and talented. But underneath all of the technology and relationship systems is a much deeper conversation about connection. Because if you don't have a strong relationship with yourself, it's difficult to build truly meaningful relationships with other people. Zvi and I talk about self-love, loneliness, intentionality, success, legacy, and why the network you're looking for might actually start with the relationship you have with yourself. If you're an entrepreneur who knows your network matters but struggles to stay connected, this episode is packed with practical ideas you can actually use. In this episode, we talk about: Why relationships can become one of your greatest assets How introductions can change the trajectory of your career The concept of relationship equity Why human connection may become more valuable as AI grows Building systems for staying in touch with people How Relatable uses AI to help manage relationships Why trying to reconnect with everyone is a mistake The "grocery store test" for prioritizing relationships A/B relationship tiers The FAT relationship rubric: fun, ambitious, talented How to become more intentional about your network Why self-love is foundational to connection Defining success beyond money and achievement The importance of doing inspiring work with great people What legacy and "no regrets" really look like If this episode resonates with you, make sure you subscribe to The Growth Now Movement, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who needs to hear it.

What if becoming a better leader has less to do with learning another leadership strategy and more to do with learning how to regulate yourself? In this episode of The Growth Now Movement, I sit down with Sam Willing, an executive coach, fractional Chief People Officer, culture strategist, author, and entrepreneur who spent 29 years in HR before making the leap into full-time entrepreneurship. Sam and I talk about what happens when years of corporate experience meet entrepreneurship, and why so many high-performing leaders know what they should do but still find themselves reverting to old patterns when stress hits. Sam shares the story behind The Compassionate Collective, where she creates imperfect handmade wooden hearts as reminders that meaning doesn't require perfection. What started as a creative and therapeutic outlet during high-stress seasons eventually became something much bigger. We also dive into the incredibly personal experience that changed the way Sam understood leadership, stress, and regulation. While her biotech company was struggling, Sam was also losing her terminally ill mother. That combination forced her into a much deeper exploration of the nervous system and ultimately led to her book, Regulate to Rise. Sam explains why nervous system regulation is the foundation for sustainable leadership, why leaders often revert to old behaviors when they're under pressure, and how to actually get high-performing people to buy into regulation when they think they don't have time for it. She also shares simple tools you can use in the moment, including breathwork, subtle movement, sour candy, and rhythmic drawing, along with a bigger reminder that regulation isn't something you master once. It's a lifelong practice. We talk about success, daily rituals, leadership, entrepreneurship, perfectionism, culture, and the kind of impact we ultimately leave on the people around us. If you're a leader, entrepreneur, or high performer who is constantly operating at 100 miles an hour, this conversation might make you rethink what sustainable success actually looks like. In this episode, we talk about: Leaving a 29-year HR career to become an entrepreneur Executive coaching for women leaders Fractional Chief People Officer work Building healthier workplace cultures The Compassionate Collective and the power of imperfection Why creativity can become a powerful therapeutic outlet Losing a parent while navigating a struggling business Nervous system regulation and sustainable leadership Why high-performing leaders revert to old patterns under stress Getting leaders to actually buy into regulation Simple tools for regulating yourself in the moment Rewiring stress responses over time Defining success through the impact you have on others The growth that can come from life's hardest moments If this episode resonates with you, make sure you subscribe to The Growth Now Movement, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who needs to hear it.

What happens when you stop performing for everyone else and finally start living as yourself? In this episode of The Growth Now Movement, I sit down with Chad Petersen, creator of The Story Catcher, for a conversation about identity, authenticity, personal transformation, divorce, travel, finding your inner compass, and what it really means to reclaim your life. Chad opens up about a major transition in his own life that forced him to confront how much of his identity had been built around validation, achievement, and performing for other people. After going through a divorce, he left Texas and began traveling around the United States, intentionally stepping away from the labels and expectations that had defined so much of his life. Instead of immediately trying to figure out what was next, Chad started learning, getting certified, exploring new experiences, and asking a much deeper question: Who am I when I stop performing? That question eventually led him into coaching, storytelling, retreats, and eventually an unexpected new chapter in Ecuador. After being invited to teach at a retreat, Chad got his first passport and traveled internationally for the first time. In July 2024, he arrived in Ecuador and eventually made his way to Baños de Agua Santa. When he took his suitcase off the van and decided to stay, everything changed. Chad describes the experience of living in Ecuador as "magical" and shares how creating space, slowing down, and following his intuition helped him reconnect with himself in a way he hadn't experienced before. We also dive into The Story Catcher and how Chad's work evolved from helping businesses tell better stories into something much deeper: helping people recognize the stories they've been living inside—and decide whether those stories are actually theirs. Chad walks me through his Origin framework and four powerful archetypes—the serpent, jaguar, hummingbird, and condor—and how they can help people understand where they are in their own transformation. We talk about the difference between goals that genuinely come from you versus goals you've inherited from family, society, relationships, or the desire to prove yourself. Because sometimes the goal isn't actually the goal. Sometimes it's the identity you think achieving that goal will finally give you. Chad also shares how his 90-day program and retreats help people step away from the noise, reconnect with themselves, and begin building a life that feels authentic rather than performative. This conversation is ultimately about letting go of who you think you're supposed to be and becoming more of who you actually are. If you've ever felt like you're performing a version of yourself for your career, family, relationships, social media, or the people around you, this episode will give you plenty to think about. In this episode, we talk about: What happens when you stop living for external validation Chad's divorce and decision to leave Texas Traveling nomadically and shedding old identities The difference between performing and actually being yourself Finding your inner compass after a major life transition Why Chad moved to Ecuador and chose to stay What life in Baños de Agua Santa taught him The evolution of The Story Catcher How storytelling can help us understand our identity Chad's Origin framework The Serpent, Jaguar, Hummingbird, and Condor archetypes How to recognize goals that aren't actually yours Breaking free from expectations and inherited identities Creating a life based on authenticity rather than validation The power of retreats and intentional space Chad's 90-day transformation program Daily practices for success, peace, and joy Kindness, legacy, and how we want to be remembered The Bigger Question Who would you become if you no longer needed anyone else to validate who you are? That's really the question underneath this entire conversation. Because growth isn't always about becoming more. Sometimes it's about letting go of everything that was never really you in the first place. Connect with Chad Learn more about Chad, The Story Catcher, his Origin framework, 90-day programs, and upcoming retreats at storycatcher.com. If this episode resonates with you, make sure you subscribe to The Growth Now Movement, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who may be ready to stop performing and start living.

What if the success you've been chasing is actually costing you your peace? In this episode of The Growth Now Movement, I sit down with human performance specialist and coach Jennifer Watson to talk about what happens when outward success looks great on paper, but internally you're exhausted, disconnected, and stuck in survival mode. Jennifer opens up about a major breaking point during the 2008 financial crash while she was building her physical therapy practice. From the outside, she was successful and earning six figures—but internally, she was miserable. That experience forced her to question what she was really chasing and ultimately led her back to something she had lost along the way: joy. We talk about why so many high performers struggle to slow down, receive, and actually enjoy the life they've worked so hard to create. Jennifer explains how childhood programming, trauma responses, and deeply ingrained beliefs like "I'm not worthy" or "I'm not enough" can quietly drive the behaviors that lead to self-sabotage, burnout, and chronic stress. One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that self-sabotage often isn't some huge, obvious decision. It can show up through tiny behaviors and micro-decisions that happen throughout the day—often without us even realizing what's driving them. Jennifer also shares practical tools for becoming more aware of those patterns, including somatic check-ins, grounding, movement, gratitude, service, and learning how to listen to your body instead of constantly overriding it. We dive into a powerful exercise Jennifer uses to help people think about their legacy: asking yourself what you would want written on your epitaph. It's a simple question, but it can completely change the way you look at your priorities, relationships, work, and the life you're building. We also talk about her concept of looking at what's "over the mountain"—the possibility that exists on the other side of the challenges we're currently facing—and why having the right coaches and community around you can help expose patterns you simply can't see on your own. Jennifer defines success differently than most high achievers. For her, success isn't about eliminating the highs and lows of life. It's about developing the ability to regulate your emotions, stay grounded, and move through whatever life throws at you without losing yourself in the process. And perhaps most importantly, Jennifer reminds us that the goal isn't simply to become more productive, more successful, or more accomplished. It's to actually enjoy the life we're building. If you've been feeling burned out, stuck in your head, disconnected from your body, or like you're constantly chasing the next level without ever feeling fulfilled, this conversation is for you. In this episode, we discuss: Why outward success can still leave you feeling miserable Jennifer's breaking point during the 2008 financial crash The moment she realized she needed to bring fun and joy back into her life How childhood programming can influence adult behavior The connection between trauma, beliefs, and self-sabotage Why high performers struggle with feeling "not enough" How micro-behaviors can reveal deeper patterns The importance of coaches and community The "epitaph" exercise for discovering your legacy What it means to focus on what's "over the mountain" How to use hourly somatic check-ins Grounding, movement, service, receiving, and gratitude Emotional regulation as a definition of success Why learning to receive can be just as important as learning to achieve How to create more peace, joy, and fulfillment without abandoning ambition If this episode resonates with you, subscribe to The Growth Now Movement, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.