The IWD406’s Podcast

MOTHERING IN MONTANA | Suzanne Sutton She was taught to find her way back to her homeland. Generations later, her daughter's story reveals what it means to raise a family, preserve values, and cultivate a legacy in Montana. The Gathering Table Talk | IWD406 Podcast What do we inherit from our mothers—and what do we intentionally carry forward when raising our own families? Some of the most important lessons about motherhood begin long before we become mothers ourselves. They are shaped by the women who came before us, the circumstances they endured, the beliefs they carried, and the choices they made along the way. In this episode of the IWD406 Podcast, host Julie Walz welcomes Suzanne Sutton for a Gathering Table conversation on Mothering in Montana—an exploration of family history, Indigenous heritage, faith, motherhood, marriage, land stewardship, and the responsibility of passing values from one generation to the next. Suzanne shares the extraordinary story of her mother, whose early life included being sent to Chemawa Indian Boarding School in Oregon, where she was trained for domestic service. She was later sent to San Francisco to work as a housemaid, navigating an unfamiliar city and a life shaped by circumstances beyond her choosing. She would not learn to drive until she was 65 years old. Yet throughout her life, she carried an important teaching from her Native community: Find your way back to your homeland. That homeland was St. Ignatius, Montana. Her mother's experiences, resilience, and relationship to her ancestral home became part of the foundation upon which Suzanne would eventually build her own understanding of family, belonging, and purpose. IN THIS EPISODE THE STORIES OUR MOTHERS CARRY Suzanne reflects on her mother's experiences at Chemawa, her journey to San Francisco, and the lasting influence of Indigenous heritage, cultural teachings, and returning to Montana. BECOMING A MOTHER. BUILDING A FAMILY. What is the difference between becoming a mother and intentionally raising a family? Suzanne discusses her upbringing, her transition into motherhood, and the values she wanted to cultivate within her home. We explore how the examples we inherit can shape our parenting—and how we decide what to preserve, reconsider, or do differently. FAITH, VALUES & DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES Rooted in Christian faith, Suzanne reflects on the perspectives she encountered throughout her life and how her beliefs helped guide her decisions, relationships, and responsibilities as a mother and wife. RETURNING TO THE LAND Suzanne shares her sense of being called to Montana and what it means to become a steward of the land. Through farming, cultivating the soil, and pursuing healthier ways of living, she discusses the relationship between what we grow, how we nourish ourselves, and the responsibility we have to future generations. MOTHERHOOD DOESN'T END WHEN CHILDREN GROW UP As a grandmother, Suzanne's understanding of mothering continues to evolve. Our conversation explores the changing role of a mother, the wisdom that comes through experience, and the opportunity to support younger generations without losing sight of their independence. WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN From offering counsel to new mothers and married couples to helping women feel healthier and more confident in their lives, Suzanne shares her philosophy of service, encouragement, and meaningful connection. THE BIGGER CONVERSATION Motherhood is often discussed through the responsibilities of raising children. But what about the responsibility of raising a family? What do we teach through our daily choices, our relationships, our faith, and our connection to the places we call home? And how do the experiences of our mothers and grandmothers continue to influence generations they may never meet? Suzanne's story invites us to consider motherhood not simply as a role, but as an evolving relationship between identity, heritage, responsibility, and legacy. Because

DRAWING THE WILD Observation, Artistic Purpose + Capturing the Spirit of Montana Wildlife What happens when an artist does more than simply look at an animal? What changes when she takes the time to observe its movement, understand its anatomy and experience its presence in the wild? In this episode of The IWD406 Podcast, we sit down with acclaimed Montana wildlife artist Dale Marie Muller for a conversation about art, observation and the life she built after following an undeniable call west. Dale’s story begins on the East Coast. At 19, she packed a duffle bag, boarded a Greyhound bus in Philadelphia and traveled to Livingston, Montana. She spent that summer working in the pantry at Yellowstone Lake Hotel and used her free time to explore Yellowstone National Park, observe wildlife and experience the landscape that would eventually change the direction of her life. What began as a summer adventure became something much more permanent. Dale knew she did not want to return to the life she had left behind. Montana had awakened something in her and strengthened the connection between two things she had loved since childhood: animals and art. Today, Dale is a full-time wildlife artist known for her remarkably detailed and contemporary drawings and paintings. Her creative process begins long before she enters the studio. Dale goes into the park and spends time observing animals in their natural environments. She studies anatomy, movement, texture, behavior, light and the subtle gestures that reveal something about the individual animal. She does not simply recreate what an animal looks like. She works to preserve the energy of the encounter, the quality of the light and the mood of the animal in that particular moment. How do you capture the quiet warmth of a wolf resting in the sun? How do you communicate the strength of a bison without placing it in an elaborate landscape? How do you portray the innocence, vulnerability and spirit of an animal while allowing it to remain completely wild? Dale’s work invites us to look closer. Through the expressive quality of graphite, her attention to detail and her minimalist approach to composition, she removes visual distractions and creates room for the animal itself to become the story. But this conversation is also about what it takes to build a life around creative work. Dale shares the persistence required to become a full-time artist, the years of building her craft and the importance of remaining true to her own artistic voice, even when the traditional expectations of wildlife art suggested something different. This is a conversation about courage, curiosity, artistic identity and the Montana landscape that helped one woman understand what she was meant to create. Because sometimes finding your place begins with following what continues to call you. And sometimes the greatest stories in nature are revealed only when we become still enough to observe them. IN THIS EPISODE CHAPTER 1 | EAST COAST ROOTS + AN EARLY LOVE OF ANIMALS We begin with Dale’s childhood on the East Coast and the early experiences that shaped her connection to animals and art. Dale reflects on the creative interests that were present from an early age and how her love of animals became a lasting source of inspiration. CHAPTER 2 | A DUFFLE BAG, A BUS TICKET + THE CALL WEST At 19, Dale packed a duffle bag and boarded a Greyhound bus in Philadelphia for the long journey to Livingston, Montana. What gave her the courage to go? Dale shares what she remembers about making that decision, traveling west and arriving in a landscape unlike anything she had previously experienced. CHAPTER 3 | THE SUMMER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING Dale spent her first Montana summer working in the pantry at Yellowstone Lake Hotel. Outside of work, she explored Yellowstone National Park and observed the animals that would eventually become central to her artistic life. We discuss how that summer strengthened the connection between wil

Episode 70 | The Builders Table with Sarah Gould (Part 2) The Financial Climber Profiles™: How Your Relationship with Money Shapes the Way You Lead What if the way you manage money isn't just financial—what if it's behavioral? And what if those behaviors are influencing how you lead your team, make investments, respond to risk, pursue opportunities, and ultimately scale your business? In Part Two of our special Builders Table series, Julie Walz sits down again with Sarah Gould, Founder & CEO of Elevated Advisory & Accounting, to explore the Financial Climber Profiles™—four behavioral profiles that help business owners better understand their relationship with money and how it shows up in the way they lead. A Quick Recap of Part One In Episode 66, Julie and Sarah introduced the idea of financial agency—moving beyond simply knowing what's in your bank account to developing the financial confidence and understanding necessary to lead a business intentionally. They explored how our relationship with money can influence profitability, cash flow, decision-making, leadership, and growth. The message was simple but powerful: Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. And cash flow is queen. Part Two takes that conversation one step further. Because knowing your numbers matters—but understanding the behavior behind your numbers may tell you even more. Meet the Financial Climber Profiles™ Are you The Overpacker™? You carry the financial weight of everyone around you. You make sure your employees are taken care of—sometimes before you pay yourself. You may spend more on benefits, compensation, or resources because you don't want to disappoint your team, even when the business may need you to establish stronger financial boundaries. Are you The Trailblazer™? You see opportunity and you're ready to move. A new machine, new system, expansion, investment, or big idea can quickly become, "Let's make it happen." Your willingness to act can create tremendous momentum—but moving before the financial strategy, cash flow, or infrastructure is ready can also create risk. Are you The Pacer™? You want one more certification. One more spreadsheet. One more analysis. One more set of numbers before you're willing to make the decision. Being thoughtful is a strength—until careful analysis becomes analysis paralysis, leaving you and your team waiting at a financial or operational roadblock. Or are you The Fogwalker™? You'd rather not look too closely. You may spend without completely understanding what's available, operate without a clear budget, or make decisions based on what you hope is coming rather than what the numbers are actually telling you. These aren't labels designed to put business owners into boxes. They're a financial mirror. Sarah and Julie explore the strengths, vulnerabilities, and leadership tendencies within each profile and discuss how greater awareness can help business owners make more intentional financial decisions. Because your relationship with money doesn't stay in your bank account. It shows up in the way you lead. In This Episode • A recap of financial agency and the lessons from Episode 66• Understanding the four Financial Climber Profiles™• The Overpacker™ and financial self-sacrifice• The Trailblazer™ and the drive to pursue opportunity• The Pacer™ and the cost of analysis paralysis• The Fogwalker™ and financial avoidance• How money behaviors influence leadership and management• How financial patterns affect employees and team culture• Recognizing the difference between calculated risk and financial fear• Understanding how your financial behavior can influence growth and scalability• Identifying strengths and blind spots within your own profile• Developing greater awareness around the financial decisions you make Which Financial Climber Profile™ sounds most like you? About Sarah Gould Sarah Gould is the Founder & CEO of Elevated Advisory & Accounting, a women-owned advisory and accounting firm helpin

WHAT THE BODY HOLDS Healing, Awareness + the Power of Releasing What We Carry What if the place where you feel pain isn’t actually where the problem begins? And what if your body has been communicating with you long before you ever stopped to listen? In this episode of The IWD406 Podcast, we sit down with PJ McCracken, founder of The Body Mechanic, for a conversation that goes far beyond what most of us think of as bodywork. PJ has built her practice around understanding the individual body—looking beyond the obvious location of pain to explore movement, tension, compensation patterns, stress and the experiences we may be carrying physically and emotionally. Her story also begins right here in Montana. Growing up around the Pin & Cue, PJ was surrounded by family, community and people gathering exactly as they were. Those early experiences helped shape how she observes people today and ultimately how she approaches the individuals who walk through her door. But this conversation isn't only about relieving pain. It's about awareness. How does stress show up physically? What happens when we spend years pushing through discomfort instead of becoming curious about it? Can emotional experiences influence how we hold tension? Why can two people experiencing similar pain require completely different approaches? And what happens when someone finally begins to release something their body may have been carrying for years? PJ shares what she has learned from working closely with individual bodies and why healing cannot always be approached with a one-size-fits-all mentality. We also explore something particularly relevant to life in Montana: our culture of independence, resilience and simply pushing through. When does resilience serve us—and when does it keep us from asking for help or addressing what is underneath? This is a conversation about learning to pay attention to the body rather than simply trying to silence what hurts. Because sometimes the area of pain isn't the root of the problem. And sometimes the body has been trying to tell us something all along. IN THIS EPISODE CHAPTER 1 | ROOTS, COMMUNITY + EARLY IDENTITY We begin with PJ's Montana upbringing and the experiences that shaped her early understanding of people. PJ reflects on growing up around the Pin & Cue, watching people gather, connect and show up as themselves—and how those observations influenced the way she connects with clients today. CHAPTER 2 | FROM COMMUNITY TO CALLING How does someone discover the work they're meant to do? PJ takes us through her path into bodywork, what initially drew her toward working with the body and how that interest eventually developed into The Body Mechanic. CHAPTER 3 | LOOKING BEYOND THE LOCATION OF PAIN Pain tells us something—but does it always tell us where the problem actually is? We explore PJ's approach to looking beyond surface symptoms and understanding the body as an interconnected system. The conversation challenges the assumption that the place that hurts must automatically be the source of the problem. CHAPTER 4 | STRESS, TRAUMA + WHAT THE BODY CARRIES PJ shares what she has observed about the relationship between physical tension, emotional stress and lived experiences. How can stress or emotional weight present physically? What might someone be carrying without consciously realizing it? And what can happen when the body finally begins to let some of that tension go? CHAPTER 5 | THERE IS NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL BODY Every body brings its own history. PJ discusses what working with many different people has taught her about individuality and why the same approach doesn't necessarily work for everyone. We also explore how she observes—or “reads”—what an individual body may need. CHAPTER 6 | THE EXPERIENCE OF RELEASE PJ has watched people walk into her practice feeling one way and leave feeling noticeably different. We talk about what may be happening during that process, what release can look and feel li

EPISODE 68 | THE GATHERING TABLE Mothering in Montana with Angela Willey What happens when becoming a mother also means becoming an advocate before your baby is even born? In Episode 68 of the IWD406 Podcast, Julie Walz welcomes Montana mother and children’s book author Angela Willey to The Gathering Table for a deeply personal conversation about motherhood, medical uncertainty, and learning during pregnancy that her first child would be born with a congenital heart defect and other medical challenges. Angela entered motherhood facing questions most new parents never expect to ask. What would her daughter need? Where would she receive specialized care? How would their family navigate appointments, procedures, travel, fear, and the uncertainty surrounding a medically complex child? Living in Montana added another layer to that experience. When highly specialized pediatric and congenital heart care is not readily available close to home, families may find themselves navigating care far beyond their own communities. For Angela, the experience became about much more than a diagnosis. It was about learning how to advocate for her daughter, processing the expectations she once had for motherhood, finding resilience inside uncertainty, and creating language that could help a child understand why her experience might look different from everyone else’s. Eventually, Angela turned part of that journey into storytelling. Her debut children’s book, Little Louise and Her Special Heart, was inspired by her daughter and their family’s experience navigating congenital heart disease and medical challenges. Through the book, Angela creates a story rooted in resilience, kindness, imagination, and helping children understand that being different does not make their story any less beautiful. This episode of The Gathering Table creates space for a conversation many mothers carry privately: what happens when the motherhood you imagined changes before it has even begun? WHY LISTEN? This episode is for mothers, caregivers, families navigating childhood medical diagnoses, and anyone who has had to adjust to a life they never expected. Angela’s story offers an intimate look at the emotional realities of receiving difficult news during pregnancy, raising a child with medical needs, advocating for care while living in Montana, and eventually transforming a deeply personal experience into something that could help another family feel understood. It is also a conversation about the worries mothers rarely say out loud—and what happens when some of those worries become reality. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How Angela learned during pregnancy that her daughter would be born with a congenital heart defect What it felt like to receive a life-changing diagnosis while preparing to become a first-time mother How expectations surrounding pregnancy and motherhood changed after the diagnosis What Angela learned about advocating for a medically complex child The challenges Montana families can face when specialized pediatric care is not available close to home How travel and access to specialty care can affect the entire family The emotional weight parents carry while navigating medical uncertainty How Angela learned to balance fear with hope Why parents of children with medical needs often become experts in their child’s care How Angela’s daughter inspired Little Louise and Her Special Heart Why Angela chose a children’s book to tell part of their story How storytelling can help children understand medical differences Why representation matters for children whose childhood includes hospitals, specialists, procedures, and medical uncertainty How difficult experiences can eventually become resources for other families What Angela hopes another mother facing a prenatal diagnosis takes from her story EPISODE CHAPTERS Meet Angela WilleyBecoming a First-Time MomLearning Something Was DifferentReceiving the Congenital Heart Defect Diagnosis Processing Fear During P