I’m wading into this conversation anyway, not because I claim to be the expert with the magic pill you’ve been waiting for, but because what I’ve seen through neuro/somatic work across a wide variety of humans who presented with different persistent health challenges may offer some relief.

And because I don’t know what I’ll do if I see one more ad for a “supplement stack” or “reset protocol”.

What sparked this

Someone shared a video with me from Chris Williamson, host of the mega-popular Modern Wisdom podcast, who documented the behind-the-scenes of his severe health struggles while building his business. After just a few minutes, I immediately recognized the pattern I see repeatedly with the high-achievers I work with:

Going from expert to expert, solution to solution, searching for the magic pill to fix the health problem without rehabilitating the communication between the body and brain.

When we hop from one miracle solution to another, relentlessly searching for the answer out there without slowing down enough to tend to what’s in here... we’re ensuring it’s going to be a long, bewildering road.

And here’s what surprised me and led me to write this: the comments section under his video was actually full of the thing that often goes unsaid:

• “Calm down your nervous system. You are trying too hard to get better and doing too much. Your body won’t heal if you keep it stimulated.”

• “I am a pulmonary and critical care doc with 20+ years of experience... you have to keep peeling your way through the burning pain of disappointment, anger, anxiety, fear, and frank rage that is turned more inward than out.”

• “I finally feel my nervous system down-regulating for the first time in my life and my symptoms are getting better. This is after seeing more doctors and specialists than you could imagine and having every one of them shrug their shoulders.”

Why we keep chasing

Let me be clear: I’m not suggesting you turn away from medical expertise or ignore diagnostic data. That information is valuable.

But here’s what I want you to consider:

What if the problem isn’t that you haven’t found the right treatment?

When we’re stuck in chronic stress, fatigue, or pain, we default to our most practiced skill: problem-solving. We accumulate knowledge. We optimize. We create color-coded spreadsheets comparing modalities. We push and we push to find the answer.

This makes perfect sense — it’s how you’ve succeeded in your career. It’s probably how you’ve navigated most challenges in life.

But the body is limited in how it can respond to an intervention when it’s spent decades in anticipation of a tiger lurking just around the corner.

When your nervous system is in a chronic state of activation (sympathetic dominance), the body will limit the resources going towards healing.

Our autonomic nervous system has two primary branches: the sympathetic (mobilization, alertness, action) and the parasympathetic (rest, digest, heal). When we’re constantly in “search and fix” mode — even when we’re searching for solutions to help us rest — we’re reinforcing this dynamic.

It’s like trying to fall asleep by thinking really hard about falling asleep. Doesn’t work, makes you angry, 0/10 would not recommend.

Think of it like trying to have a conversation with someone who’s sprinting. They might hear fragments of what you’re saying, but they can’t process it deeply or respond thoughtfully. That’s what’s happening between your body and brain.

Your body is sending signals — through fatigue, through pain, through anxiety — but if your system is locked in high alert, you can’t receive that information clearly. We’re treating the alarm signals as the problem instead of recalibrating our alarm system.

There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

The missing ingredient (Not another $97/month supplement)

Supporting a more fluid conversation between body and brain means creating the conditions where your system can shift flexibly between states. Where you can reliably and consistently access the parasympathetic “rest and digest” mode that allows for healing, integration, and clarity.

This isn’t about adding another protocol to your stack. And, please hear me on this: it is not just about calming down. This is about recognizing that you can’t biohack or detox or plant medicine your way out of being disconnected from your own body. (Trust me, I’ve seen people, much like Chris, go all out.)

It’s about creating the foundation that then allows you to rebuild your capacity for change.

When you build this fluidity, a few things happen:

1. You start recognizing your body’s signals earlier (before you crash)
2. You discern what your body actually needs (vs. what you’re grasping at out of desperation)
3. You access more energy for the things you actually care about (not just surviving the day)

Here’s how this played out for one of my clients:

She’s a startup leader who came to me exhausted, anxious, and frustrated that she’d “tried everything” but still felt like she was running on empty. Like most of my clients, she spent her days staring at screens, locked in a fixed gaze for hours at a time. Her browser tabs had browser tabs.

To start, we co-created a visual reset ritual. A simple practice to help prevent the overwhelm that comes from an inundated nervous system, which is typical in a high-demand life.

For her, it looked like this: After her post-lunch walk, she comes back inside, grabs a cooling gel eye mask, lies on the floor with her legs up the wall, rests her hands on her belly (the gentle weight provides a feeling of support), and spends a few minutes relaxing her face muscles, doing some audible sighs, and letting the snow globe in her head settle.

That’s it.

No complex protocol. No expensive equipment. No app that gamifies your parasympathetic activation. Just a few minutes of intentional, low-stim space for down-regulation built into the day, ideally before it’s desperately needed.

The result after one week of this daily practice? She reported having significantly more energy for everything she cares about — especially outside of work. More present, less reactive.

Wild, eh?

Why this matters for you (And why it can be so hard)

Here’s what I want you to notice this week:

Where are you looking outwardly for solutions instead of building inner fluidity?

Look: This outward searching serves you in some way. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be doing it. It gives you a sense of control. It feels productive. It’s familiar. You can put it on your to-do list and check it off. (”Research magnesium types” ✓ “Read 47 Reddit threads about sleep optimization” ✓)

And it can keep you stuck.

Both can be true.

The invitation isn’t to stop seeking expert input or medical care. It’s to make space for becoming the expert of your own dynamic, inner experience.

Which is hard because it’s not the way most people are living. And because coming back to the body in earnest — after feeling betrayed by it for so long — is no easy feat.

Your experiment (That will seem too simple to work)

Create a visual reset ritual that you actually enjoy.

Give that brain a break from constant stimulation by going straight to the visual system that takes up more of your brain real estate than any other.

Some options:

• The cooling eye mask + legs up the wall combo (like my client)

• A soft gaze out the window at the furthest point you can see for a minute

• Closing your eyes and gently pressing your palms against them for 30 seconds

• Looking at the sky, trees… allowing for peripheral vision activation

The neuroscience: When your gaze is fixed (as it is on screens), your sympathetic nervous system stays activated. When you allow your eyes to soften, move, or rest, you signal safety to your system. This is one of the fastest pathways to parasympathetic activation.

Try it daily for one week. Notice what happens.

That noticing is the beginning of fluidity.

Yeah, it might seem anticlimactic at first. But keep going for one week.

Neuroplasticity doesn’t work like a flip-of-a-switch, despite what those reels on instagram claim.

You got this.

Reply and let me know: Where have you been searching for answers outside yourself that might benefit from some inner attention?

If this resonates and you want support building more practices like this into your work life, reply here or message me. We have both group and 1:1 openings coming up for those who are ready to stop pushing through and start working with their nervous systems. No more “research” required.

And if you want to get into a bit more of the science behind this, listen to our most popular episode of the pod to-date (#11) where I speak with the founder of Neurosomatic Intelligence, Elisabeth Kristof.

An invitation to a rare intro workshop we’re hosting. Tomorrow, October 16.

(If you’re seeing this too late, just ask me for the recap.)

Adea and I will be hosting a 90-minute workshop for self-aware achievers who want to shift stress → clarity, and doubt → decisive action.

Sign up here or read on for more.

​​”If you’re looking to meet yourself and your nervous system more fully, be inspired by two brilliant, wise and present leaders and be held in authentic, robust community as you grow - this is for you. Highly recommend and would sign up to anything Adea and Oren lead.”

The Truth Few Talk About

It’s late at night. The emails are done, Slack is quiet.

And yet, you’re still replaying the meeting where you didn’t speak up. Or the feedback that hit harder than you want to admit.

​​On paper, you’re successful. Important role, big responsibility, people who look to you for guidance.

But inside? It can feel like your emotions are working against you - anxiety, self-doubt, even shame.

We’ve been taught to believe the problem is what we feel. But the real challenge is that no one ever taught us what to do with those feelings.

What we see time and time again with the leaders and brilliant achievers we work with is this: everything you want in life - any goal - is on the other side of a difficult emotion.

“I’ve done plenty of programs, but this one cut straight to something deeper. At the start I thought clarity meant just ‘knowing how I feel.’ By the end, I realized clarity is what it is to really live in alignment with my values.”

Why This Matters

For the longest time, emotions were seen as “soft”. But the truth is they’re the sharpest edge you can have as a leader, both at work and at home.

​​Most high-achievers aren’t struggling with skills or strategy.
We’re struggling with how to work with the intensity of what we feel.


What You’ll Learn

​​In this free workshop, we’ll walk you through the foundations of the MOVE Method - a simple yet powerful framework that has helped our executive coaching clients stop fighting their thoughts and emotions and start using them as fuel for clarity and confidence.

​​You’ll walk away with:

• A roadmap for how to process difficult emotions like stress and anxiety

• Tools for breaking out of self-defeating behavior patterns, like procrastination and overwhelm

• A new way of thinking about emotions that helps you work and live with more ease

• Deeper insights into yourself and your relationships

  
  

“This course is an absolute essential. I am a highly intellectual person, and it’s extremely refreshing to have the tools to go deeper into my body. I feel like I’ve learned a superpower.”

​​Who This Is For

You’ll love this workshop if you’re a high-achiever who know’s there’s a better way than ignoring what you feel to get ahead.

​​This work has changed our lives and relationships. It’s for those who know emotions are the key - and who are willing to go first: to turn inward, build real confidence, and lead in a way others can’t.

​​If you’re still reading - thank you for taking responsibility and ownership in the world. You’re our kind of person.

See you on the inside.

‘This really redefined everything for me. The constant tug-of-war between responsibilities and my own needs no longer feels like a zero-sum game. Instead of fighting myself, I feel pulled toward what actually matters. It’s given me a sense of agency, spaciousness, and aliveness that I honestly didn’t know was possible.”

Rachel proves that it is possible to lead in high-intensity environments without losing yourself. She’s worked across Fortune 100s, scrappy startups, and pre-IPO orgs, yet what makes her stand out to me goes beyond her resume: she integrates her somatic practice into how she leads, builds teams, and sustains her own well-being.

We talk about:

• The fallacy of control (and why “just take action” is a trap)

• What the nervous system actually needs to reset at work

• How she stopped equating worth with output

• Tiny, subversive ways to rehumanize fast-paced work cultures

• The weirdly transferable wisdom of toddler parenting

And maybe most importantly, Rachel gives language to what so many high-achieving professionals feel: It might not be the job itself that’s unsustainable. It’s the way we’ve been taught to push through it.

“Nobody’s thinking about you as much as you’re thinking about you—so you might as well use that to your advantage.”

🎧 Listen for real talk about success that doesn’t require self-sacrifice.

Follow Rachel on LinkedIn

Follow Oren on LinkedIn

Learn more about somatic work for leaders at Feeling School.

Learning something from the podcast? Leave a review, hit subscribe, and share this episode with one person who keep trying to optimize their way out of overwhelm. (We all know one.)

I'm in crunch time getting ready to host my first multi-week group program since peak pandemic. It’s been too much screen time, not enough body time. And in moments like these, my old pattern would usually kick in: the bumpy slide into isolation.

Growing up, I perceived depending on others to be an unsafe bet. (Ask me for the deets another time.) But suffice to say, my brain’s software programmed in some handy artificial safety through control and self-containment. "We're not doing that again. Let's just muscle through and develop a delightfully charming yet unapproachable demeanor instead."

As my brilliant co-lead Adea said so succinctly this morning: these patterns aren't logical — they're biological.

And they're culturally reinforced:

1. Overwork is virtuous, while rest is risky.

2. Fueling a career with coffee and trauma is celebrated.

3. It’s seen as normal to define our identity through our accomplishments.

No wonder we've got so many little lone wolves running around trying to run companies, homes, and healing... simultaneously... while dehydrated.

The truth we keep forgetting:

To develop as a human, I need people. And they need me.

Your nervous system extends into the world. It senses other people’s states. We learn how to work with feeling by connecting with others.

If we want a meaningful life of impact, this inter-dependence isn't nice-to-have. It's a biological prerequisite.

So we’re building this program for ourselves as much as for our students.

Those of us who prioritize growth and impact need a space to re-learn the essential human exercise of experiencing the messy stuff together, and practicing working with the nervous system instead of overriding it.

Working with hundreds of high-performers has shown:

You can't have healthy relationships with a neglected nervous system. And you can't recover nervous system function without relationships.

This goes beyond being calm or managing emotions or building resilience.

This is about reclaiming your full sensory aliveness that's been impatiently waiting for you to remember that lasting transformation happens through connection.

This round of our five-week program starts May 29.

We meet weekly as a group for 75 minutes, plus practice pods for 30 minutes.

If you've read this far, set up time with me on Monday to learn more.

I want to trust my instincts, have deep confidence, and move through the world with the lightness that comes from knowing I don't have to carry it all.

And I want that for you, too.

We were never meant to figure it out solo.

In this conversation, I sit down with Tamás Hovanyecz — a leadership guide, facilitator, and highliner (yep, he willingly walks across ropes suspended hundreds of meters in the air) — to talk about how our nervous systems and relational patterns shape our capacity to lead, respond, and connect when it matters most.

We explore:

• Why most leadership development quietly collapses the moment pressure hits

• What “relational intelligence” looks like in a room full of Type-A world-changers

• The cost of staying in protection mode — for you, your team, and your nervous system

• How systems mirror survival states (yes, your org chart might be dissociating)

• What actually helps teams innovate during crisis (spoiler: it’s not grit)

• How a slackline can expose your fear and your healing in 10 seconds flat

Tamás also shares a story about what happens when you ask ambitious humans to slow down and just relate. (Spoiler: some tried to form a rebellion. Others had a breakthrough.)

💬 “Shifting how we interact and relate with each other is inherently changing the system.” — Tamás Hovanyecz

The real shift doesn’t happen in your head. It happens in the space between us. As always, this show is about coming back into relationship — with your body, your people, your work. Not in theory. In practice.

Mentioned in the episode:

• Inner Mastery Lab: innermasterylab.co

• WHO Cards: whocards.cc

• Find Tamas on LinkedIn

Find Oren on LinkedIn for the neuroscience of impact from the inside out

Access the Working with Feeling newsletter and show notes

Enjoy this episode? Leave a review, subscribe, and share the episode with one person you kinda like and want to have groundedness amidst the chaos of life.

In this rich conversation with Marissa Morrison, we explore what becomes possible when we disrupt that default. When we pause.

Marissa shares her journey from burnout to clarity, and the small-but-mighty practices she’s brought to herself and her teams—monthly prioritization check-ins, walk-and-talks, meeting resets, and making the phone call cool again. These are more than hacks. They are culture-shaping moves that remind us: we have agency.

And beneath it all, this question: Am I present in my own life?

Whether you’re a seasoned leader or early in your exploration of inner work, this episode offers both permission and practical ways to return to what matters.

We touch on:

• The cost of inherited urgency and what it takes to interrupt it

• Why simplification is a leadership superpower

• How to design your weeks around your natural energy rhythms

• Moving from “shoulds” to “what fills my cup”

• Life audits, seasonal practices, and evolving how we care for ourselves

Clarity isn’t just a strategy tool — it happens through your nervous system.

🔗 Connect with Marissa Morrison on LinkedIn

🌀 Practice mentioned: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

📝 Invitation: Try morning pages or a solo, tech-free walk this week.

• Find Oren on LinkedIn for the neuroscience of impact from the inside out

• Access the Working with Feeling newsletter and show notes

Enjoy this episode? Leave a review, subscribe, and share the episode with one person you kinda like and want to have groundedness amidst the chaos of life.

We’ll also get into the sneaky push/pull between cultural expectations and our biology, breaking down why high performers struggle with connection, and sharing two super simple practices to make social interactions feel less high-stakes.

What we cover

• The cultural myths that keep us stuck in isolation, despite our innate need for connection.

• How our neurobiology reacts to vulnerability, and why ignoring it makes connection harder.

• The SAD Cycle (Stress, Anxiety, and Depletion) and how it perpetuates disconnection.

• Moving from an orientation of control to an orientation of connection.

Key takeaways

✅ Connection is a biological necessity, not a luxury. Our nervous system depends on it.

✅ Hyper-individualism is a cultural lie. We cannot truly thrive alone.

✅ Vulnerability isn’t just emotional — it’s physiological. Understanding this helps us keep opening instead of avoiding.

✅ Somatic awareness is key. Noticing subtle shifts in the body allows us to catch protective patterns before they block connection.

✅ Small changes make a big difference. Two simple practices—deepening eye contact and resetting between interactions—can transform how we connect.

Action steps

🔹 Note attention quality. Notice not just what someone is saying, but the emotional resonance behind their words. Where is your attention when you’re looking at someone?

🔹 Reset before interactions. Before meetings or social situations, take a few seconds to let go of whatever emotional charge you’re carrying, so you can arrive more fully present.

Join the conversation

💬 What resonated most with you? What practice are you trying this week? DM Oren on LinkedIn or Substack.

📩 Need support in cultivating deeper connection and somatic awareness? Reach out to Oren for coaching, referrals, and practical resources.

Support this work!

✔ Subscribe to Working with Feeling for more insights on human connection, nervous system fluency, and leading with presence.

✔ Leave a review to help spread these conversations and shift our culture toward one of deeper connection.

Join me as I sit down with Jaclyn Pascocello, founder of Fabrik, a third space designed to combat loneliness and foster deeper human connection. We explore the systemic roots of disconnection, the neuroscience behind why casual interactions matter, and practical steps for reclaiming real-life community in an increasingly digital world.

What We Cover in This Episode

✅ The loneliness epidemic and its impact on mental & physical health

✅ The importance of second- and third-degree connections in our daily lives

✅ Why third spaces (beyond home and work) are essential for well-being

✅ The problem with corporate mental health initiatives that don’t address real human needs

✅ How organizations can rethink engagement & belonging in a way that actually works

✅ Small steps to cultivate more connection in your daily life

✅ Why re-learning social presence & interaction is key in a world of digital distraction

✅ Jaclyn’s personal somatic practices for grounding and presence

About Jaclyn Pascocello

Jaclyn is the founder of Fabrik, a unique third space in NYC designed to combat loneliness and foster meaningful connection. With a background in hospitality and startups, she has dedicated her career to creating spaces that bring people together in a disconnected world.

Links

• Connect with Jaclyn on LinkedIn

• Check out Fabrik’s website

• Find Oren on LinkedIn

• Working with Feeling newsletter and show notes

—

Enjoy this episode? *Please leave a review*, subscribe, and share the episode with one person you kinda like and want to have a happy nervous system!

So, what is the 'Big P' practice that transcends traditional compartmentalized approaches to personal growth? How does it look to continuously engage with our inner state to connect more fully with the people and activities we care about?

Being present in every moment is a worthy aspiration in a disconnected world where our attention is actively fragmented. Whatever your goals may be, coming back to a more whole presence facilitates them. And it starts now, in the body.

Key Moments

05:35 Understanding Big P Practice

09:59 Nervous System Regulation and Presence

12:55 The Continuous Journey of Practice

Links

• Ido Portal on Youtube

• Oren on LinkedIn

• Working with Feeling newsletter with detailed show notes and resources

Enjoy this episode? *Please leave a review*, subscribe, and share the episode with one person you kinda like and want to have a happy nervous system.

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Listen in to this conversation so you can find the signal through all that noise out there as somatics and nervous system work continues going mainstream.

Elisabeth Kristof’s work is unique and powerful, and stands out from the growing hype around somatics in several key ways we discuss.

One of those ways: by addressing the power of going beyond our nervous system *outputs* and tending to sensory *inputs* essential for neuroplasticity for personal growth. This is how we get to the root of increasing our capacity for change from the inside out.

We also address the very real challenges of modern life that often go unnamed, the dangers of those tempting cathartic experiences that center intense emotional release, and practical tools for healthy emotional expression and regulation. (Spoiler alert: you probably can’t “heal” your nervous system on one retreat in a Tulum jungle or Costa Rican beach.)

What does a more holistic approach to nervous system health look like? And how do we move toward a personal growth paradigm for true, sustainable change which considers the unique history and physiology of the individual?

Explore these questions with us so you can continue developing your personal practice and experiencing the aliveness you’ve known is possible.

About Elisabeth

Elisabeth Kristof, MA, is an Applied Neurology & Somatic Practitioner, and co-host of the Apple Top 100 podcast, Trauma Rewired.

Elisabeth has been involved in neuro- and movement-based therapies since 2007, with a focus on the intersection of complex trauma and nervous system regulation for the past five years. Her expertise has positioned her as a leading voice in the field of trauma-informed neurology.

Elisabeth is the founder of the Neurosomatic Intelligence (NSI) coaching certification program, an ICF-accredited course that trains practitioners, therapists, and coaches to harness the power of the nervous system for resilience, behavior change, and performance.

She is also the founder of BrainBased.com an online community that uses applied neurology and somatics for nervous system health, emotional expression and resilience.

Key Moments

00:00 Understanding the Nervous System and Emotional Processing

05:55 The Importance of Sensory Inputs in Behavior Change

11:55 Rehabilitation of the Nervous System in Modern Life

18:05 The Role of Neuroplasticity in Personal Growth

24:12 Navigating Emotional Experiences and Regulation

30:11 The Dangers of Cathartic Experiences

35:52 Practical Tools for Emotional Expression and Regulation

Takeaways

• Minimum effective dosing is crucial for emotional processing.

• The nervous system's health is linked to physical movement.

• Inputs from our body significantly influence our behavior.

• Cognitive thoughts alone cannot create sustainable change.

• Emotions are physiological experiences, not just thoughts.

• Understanding our sensory input systems is essential for change.

• Nervous system rehabilitation is necessary in modern life.

• Neuroplasticity allows for both positive and negative adaptations.

• Emotional expression is vital for physical and mental health.

• Daily practices can significantly improve nervous system function.

Links

• Elisabeth on Instagram

• Neurosomatic Intelligence

• BrainBased

• Trauma Rewired Podcast

• Oren on LinkedIn

• Working with Feeling newsletter and show notes

—

Enjoy this episode? *Please leave a review*, subscribe, and share the episode with one person you kinda like and want to have a happy nervous system!

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Following our last chat with Rachel Hamlin, we break down why downregulation can be so tricky in modern life, and cover practical somatic tools to have in your back pocket. If you’ve ever found yourself on the thought carousel at night and struggling to step off, this one’s for you.

Key Ideas

[01:00] Why It’s So Hard to Switch Off

Oren explains why our ancient survival wiring clashes with our modern environment, making relaxation something we have to re-learn.

[02:30] The Science of Downregulation

Discover what downregulation is, why “just relaxing” doesn’t work, and how the autonomic nervous system responds to constant, low-grade stressors.

[04:30] The Window of Tolerance: Finding Your Center

An intro to Dan Siegel’s Window of Tolerance, a framework that helps you get a sense of your arousal level so you can determine what you need.

[06:30] Practical Tools for Unwinding

Accessible techniques to based on the “Clearing” and “Caring” pathways.

[09:30] Clearing vs. Caring: Choosing the Right Practice

Two distinct approaches to managing arousal — one to release excess energy, the other to gently soothe.

Somatic practices are not one-size-fits-all. Learn how to personalize these practices, tune into your body’s unique signals, and adjust based on what feels right for you.

—

View the full show notes with any accompanying visuals.

Connect with Oren on LinkedIn

—

Enjoy this episode? *Please leave a review*, subscribe, and share the episode with one person who could benefit from shifting from control to connection in life and leadership.

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

I think you’ll hear how much I loved nerding out with Rachel around the profound impact that reconnecting with the body has on leadership, the art and science of somatic work, and what it really means to feel emotions fully rather than intellectualizing them.

This is a must-listen for leaders and teams who want to navigate uncertainty with greater ease and resilience.

Listen in to learn about:

• Somatic healing and why it’s more than just a mindset shift.

• How being present in the body helps in setting healthier boundaries and breaking free from the cycle of chronic stress.

• The link between emotional regulation and effective leadership.

• Why somatic awareness is crucial for creating lasting change in work culture and beyond.

• Practical tips for starting a somatic practice, even amidst a busy schedule.

Whether you’re an executive seeking better stress management strategies or simply curious about somatic work, this episode offers valuable insights on how embracing the body-mind connection can lead to greater personal and professional well-being.

Links

• Rachel on LinkedIn / Rachel’s Website

• Oren on LinkedIn

• The Tapping Solution app

• Brad Yates tapping on YouTube

• Carol Dweck research

• Thom Knowles: What is Evolution?

—

Enjoy this episode? *Please leave a review*, subscribe, and share the episode with one person who could benefit from Rachel’s wisdom on embodying calm, connection, and leadership.

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Here’s a little 90 second reminder before we get to the updates.

This Month’s Updates

1. New pod name, who dis?

2. Strategic alignment for startups

3. Pro bono coaching slot opening

1️⃣ Podcast rebrand to… Working with Feeling! (How’d you guess?!)

This change (from “Whole-Human Work”) better represents the true focus of this podcast/newsletter: applied neuroscience to support you and those you work with to be better equipped to work with feeling (emotion) so you can work with feeling (aliveness). Let me know what you think?

The new season starts next week!

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Podcasts

2️⃣ Startup leadership teams: Avoid misalignment mishaps in 2025!

I’m partnering with my friend, and reformed management consultant, Sara Powell to offer a program specifically geared toward startup execs who are done done done with the miscommunication, duplicative efforts, and sheer frustration that result from a lack of strategic alignment.

Strategy derailment (and the associated discombobulation) is a challenge for most orgs I work with. It’s time it got addressed holistically, human-ly.

So we’re combining the strategic with the somatic.

Know someone whose team is fed up with finger pointing and ready to do the uncomfy, deeper work at the root of developing true, strategic alignment?

Reply here or DM me on Linkedin if you know someone who has a distributed/remote team and would value being guided through this process which has emerged from my work with dozens of teams.

Your referrals get first dibs and pilot pricing.

3️⃣ 1:1 Somatic Leadership Development coaching on da house

I dedicate one slot in my coaching practice for no-cost development for:

• Impact startup founders not yet taking a salary

• Leaders doing cool shit but facing financial hardship

This slot is opening beginning Jan 2025.

Have someone in mind? Have them to reply here or DM me on Linkedin.

Must be ready and willing to make a 3 month commitment to deep dish work that will leave you with nowhere to hide from yourself so you can show up fully and authentically for the impact that is yours to make! ;)

Reminder: not therapy, not provided by nor under the supervision of a healthcare professional.

+ Reading rec for this month

As soon as I find the courage to reconnect with my body, to bring my feelings back online, it always turns on again, and I have my voice back.

Psychosomatic illness. You’ve heard about it and likely know someone who has been to doctor after doctor with no helpful diagnosis or relief. If so, I highly recommend reading Tiago’s story of learning to bring feeling back online and how it changed his life.

And, in other news, Leo turned 2 whole años old. Feliz cumple, cangurito!

He says hi to your dog, btw.

But there are some very accessible practices to help us give our nervous system a break from the noise and an opportunity to recalibrate to our humanity. Today, we explore some of the new science that offers a renewed lens on the thing we've been doing for as long as we've been up on two feet: walking.

We'll cover three ways to approach walking with more awareness:

1. Intervals

2. Visualization

3. Sensory engagement

I hope you'll give these a try. If we want to show up in a more human way in the world -- to bring more creativity and instigate more positive change -- we gotta be less stressed to do it!

--

To support this podcast and contribute to making work more human, please subscribe and share the pod with a friend.

I hope you'll also share your experiences, ask questions, and offer suggestions for future episodes.

Connect with Oren on LinkedIn

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Today's conversation delves into the heart of leadership itself, exploring how self-awareness and inclusivity can drive change and innovation in any field. Despite the growing attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion, work culture is still stuck in incremental change mode. This is a call to action for leaders at all levels to challenge that, starting within themselves.

(0:11:17) - What is boldly inclusive leadership?

(0:21:15) - The role of embracing the unknown

(0:26:32) - Being a leader is being real

(0:40:12) - The essential step of taking care of your inner state

Today's Guest

Minette Norman is an author, speaker, and leadership consultant who previously spent decades leading global technical teams in the software industry. Minette has extensive experience leading internationally distributed teams and believes that when groups embrace diversity in all its forms, breakthroughs emerge, and innovation accelerates.

Minette is a keynote speaker on topics of inclusive leadership, psychological safety, collaborative teams, and empathy and the co-author of The Psychological Safety Playbook: Lead More Powerfully by Being More Human. Her second book, The Boldly Inclusive Leader was released this month.

Connect with Minette: https://www.minettenorman.com/

Read Minette's excellent new book, The Boldly Inclusive Leader: boldlyinclusiveleader.com

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Connect with Oren on LinkedIn

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

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Episode keywords: Inclusive Leadership, Self-Awareness, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Neuroscience, People Management, Adaptation, Resilience, Change and Innovation, Representation of Women, Marginalized Groups, Tech Leadership, Creativity, Leadership Style

In this Somatic Side we delve into how rituals help you tap into your self-efficacy so you can move toward your goals with relaxed presence instead of autopilot-driven pressure.

Whether it's a pause and prayer as you hold your morning coffee or a moment of gratitude for your body before your workout, find you intentional moment to help you ground into your capacity.

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Please get in touch to share your experiences, ask questions, and offer suggestions for future episodes!

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Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Our guest today is Ezra Bookman, a nationally recognized ritual designer, artist, and facilitator, with work featured in the NYTimes, The Atlantic, VICE, and ABC News. Ezra is founder of Ritualist, a creative studio helping leaders cultivate more conscious companies and connected communities.

“The right rituals in the right places will help you build your culture, cohere your team, and achieve your goals. Building your own rituals is as important as building your product.” ⏤ Reid Hoffman, Co-founder LinkedIn

Timestamps

00:03:29 Designing intentional, symbolic rituals. 

00:06:28 How rituals help us break out of autopilot.

00:15:02 The value of rituals in organizations. 

00:31:40 Rituals that help embody and reinforce values. 

00:35:49 Rituals that reflect values and identity. 

00:47:04 The power of ritualizing life.

Connect with Ezra

Ritualist

LinkedIn

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Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

By tuning into the sensations within our bodies during interactions, we can create deeper, more meaningful relationships.

In this episode we'll cover two helpful practices: inserting space into conversations to notice sensation, and yoga nidra (NSDR / non-sleep deep rest) to help us get better at creating that space.

Please get in touch to share your experiences, ask questions, and offer suggestions for future episodes!

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Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

In this episode, entrepreneur, researcher, and strategist Laure Cast shares about the role of community in work and life, and the paradigm shift needed to create spaces which facilitate true belonging. This conversation will challenge your view of community and inspire you to experiment with creating real connection at work.

Timestamps

[00:01:14] Community 101

[00:04:07] Individualism vs community

[00:09:41] Is community building at odds with business goals?

[00:16:22] Community-oriented business models

[00:25:49] The responsibility of getting uncomfortable

[00:42:58] Possible future directions for community

Find Laure on LinkedIn

Visit fractals.community

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Connect with Oren on LinkedIn

Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.

Keywords: community, emergence, organizational structures, self-awareness, complexity

Contrary to popular belief, relaxation isn't only an outcome of meditation. It's actually something we need to practice in order to cultivate a consistent meditation practice.

But in a work culture that values being busy and stressed few of us know how to truly relax. To experience the benefits of meditation, we need to recognize and release tension in our bodies and experience our inner sensations more fully.

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Intro/outro music by Youssouf Karembe (licensed). Listen to the full track here.