Shelby Stanger is the host and creator of the hit podcast, Wild Ideas Worth Living, an REI Co-op Studios production and the author of the new book Will To Wild. Shelby started the Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast on her own though and it became SO popular and influential that REI purchased it in 2020. Like her adventurous podcast guests, Shelby is a…

Samantha Colicchio is a San Diego-based writer who focuses on feminism, sex, and mental health. She writes regularly for lifestyle and wellness blogs and she is currently working on a book of nonfiction. To me, she is Sam my sweet neighbor and friend that is apparently also humble and a VERY talented writer. I knew nothing of her phenomenal writing…

Enjoy: "To enjoy something is to take delight or pleasure in something." Upcycling: “The act of taking something no longer in use and giving it a second life and new function. In doing so, the finished product often becomes more practical, valuable and beautiful than what it previously was.” Ed Lewis started his first business in 1996 right out of …

Mary Cap is a sound healer based in Carlsbad, CA where she lives with her husband and son. After leaving a fast paced and high stress career in the hotel wedding & events industry to be a stay-at-home mom when her son was born, she found herself feeling lost in both identity and direction after about a year of being at home. Experiencing depression…

A couple of years ago I started following a social media account Salted Spirit because I was so drawn to the beautiful images of this cool waterwoman podcasting and serving tea at the beach from my ultimate dream recording studio - a vintage Westfalia named Salted Carmela. This beautiful salted spirit is Stacie Vanags and she was creating something…

One common tool in everyones wellness, healing and navigation toolbox and mentioned in every podcast episode is breath. Yes - we need breath to exist, but we also need it to live and thrive. Whether we feel stuck, paralyzed, escalated or ungrounded by the weight of the world or everyday challenges, breathing is our vehicle to navigate forward. Our …

Best selling author David Magee, formerly a columnist for Newsweek, a former daily newspaper and magazine publisher, and the author of many books about businesses and sports figures began to shift his focus when he wrote wrote an article for the front page of the local paper in 2016. This personal article ripped the bandage off a wound, to air out …

Tina Page is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of California. She has been creating and holding safe space for individuals for over 20 years. In both informal settings as well as in structured therapy settings she utilizes intuitive wisdom and best practice approaches that support each individual in their journey. For the past 3 years,…

On June 11, 2020 I recorded Episode 25: Healing Trauma Through Surf Therapy and Waves of Love With Natalie Small LMFT and Leanne Tibiatowski. Groundswell Community Project a sisterhood of inter-sectional womxn holding safe & brave space for individuals and communities to find their healing, power, and belonging in Mother Ocean’s Waves. Since our la…

Meet the Aqua Dolls The band is composed of a power trio Melissa / vocals & guitar Keilah / vocals & bass Jackie/ vocals & drums And... their amazing manager Jaysea Devoe who is always behind the scenes taking care of business! This was Jaysea's 3rd time on the podcast. In her 1st episode, a teenager's guide to balance, we discussed how valuable he…

John Abate is a returning guest from Episode 13. In Episode 13 John discussed how he integrated his mindfulness based stress reduction practice as a large part of his recovery from a horrible hit and run incident on his bicycle. He not only recovered but got back up stronger than ever and went on to win and crush cycling events. He also became comm…

Welcome to Grey Matters Now Episode 30! My last episode with Mary Judd, the director of SongwritingWith:Soldiers (SW:S), left such an huge impact on me that I have not been able to stop thinking about it really felt like I needed to know more - more about the ripple affects, collective and community healing and collaborations. I became really inter…

For years I have been a huge fan of the organization SongwritingWith:Soldiers / SW:S and the depth, power and beauty of what they produce. SongwritingWith:Soldiers holds weekend retreats across the U.S. for veterans from all conflicts. Since 2012, we have connected with hundreds of veterans and military families, creating a safe and inspiring envir…

When former collegiate athlete and competitive skydiver, Sydney Williams, unexpectedly found herself on the receiving end of a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, while grappling with unresolved trauma from a decades-old sexual assault, she set out on a mission: turn her pain into power. Two hikes across Catalina Island and 80 miles later, she founded Hikin…

Gabaccia Moreno is a first-generation Mexican-American multi-disciplinary creator, consultant, and passionate outdoor advocate #exploringresponsibly wherever life takes her. She holds a B.A. in Theater and Anthropology from SUNY College at Buffalo and an M.A. in Performance Studies from New York University. Growing up in Veracruz, Mexico to a famil…

Chef Mic True is an award winning international chef that has committed himself to feeding and introducing his community to healthy food rooted from the earth. He is an incredibly humble and holistic chef and peace warrior that feeds the mind body and soul of his community. As a Violence interrupter with Gideon's Army, he nurtures and protects the …

Natalie Small is a LMFT and the founder and CEO of a unique surf therapy program called Groundswell Community Project. Groundswell Community Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that offers surf therapy for self-identifying women overcoming various forms of trauma and it’s effects. With their home roots in San Diego, California and branch…

Captain Liz Clark traveled over 20,000 miles Sailing to Surf and explore and wrote a book called Swell – a sailing surfer’s voyage of awakening. She is an incredibly gifted writer, a legit waterwoman, her first mate was a rescued Cat Amelia the Tropicat, and she absolutely rips as a surfer! She also has the most sweet and gentle energy and is a gen…

Becky Mendoza was born and raised in Miami, Florida to parents who emigrated from Cuba, it wasn’t until she graduated from the University of Florida and backpacked through Europe, that her desire for an education through travel and adventure, was born. With a Law Degree and Masters in Sports Administration in-hand, she moved to Encinitas, CA and be…

Bridgit Corbin Fried had a successful career in public relations and marketing before taking time to raise her four children. Bridgit recently combined her passion for travel and adventure with her sales and marketing skills and joined Epic Private Journeys. An experienced mountaineer, Bridgit has climbed to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Whitn…

Does what we consume for our beloved pets really have an impact on not only their comprehensive wellness but the planet as well? The answer is yes! I found this out first hand after desperately figuring out how to keep my sweet dog Daisy Mae well in her advanced years. I dug deep, read everything and integrated eastern and western medicine. I basic…

Dr. Shiva Ghaed is a California-licensed Clinical Psychologist, currently working for the Department of Mental Health in the Naval Medical Center San Diego healthcare system (Marine Corps Recruit Depot). Dr. Ghaed provides group and individual therapy to active duty patients in the catchment area, maintains ongoing involvement in academia and resea…

Brittany Catton Kirk is the Founder and Executive Director of the Social Enterprise Sunlight Retreats for Survivors, an accelerator for healing for survivors of rape. After being attacked overseas in 2012, she struggled in her career, relationships and gained 60 pounds as she tried to recover from her attack and Post Traumatic Stress. She looked fo…

Every individual is unique. Every organizational ecosystem is unique. Building trust and mutual understanding through the understanding of our unique temperaments: Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest medical systems, originating in India over 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda translates to “wisdom of life,” combining the Sanskrit words ayur (lif…

Ian Barry, better known as Poods to his friends, was an extremely gifted athlete that found meditation in movement, an unconditionally kind and creative soul that lived by his words “keep doing your thing and keep being who you are”. On September 27 2012, Ian passed away at 22 years old when he accidentally fell from a bluff. Although it is importa…

Ocean photo of Keane by Ellie Hayes Portrait photo of Ellie and Keane by Corey Vilicana. Keane Webre-Hayes sustained traumatic wounds to his upper body, lost half his blood, underwent at least five hours of surgery, and received 1,000 stitches to repair his torn upper back, shoulder, torso and face, after he was attacked by a shark on Sept. 29 whil…

I love that this episode coincides with the release of my friend and fellow Hospice Social Worker, Cheryl Dienes’ book The Final Dance / What The Dying Teach Us About…EMBRACING LIFE!! Join Cheryl, Kenn and I for a conversation about the dynamics of death and dying. It is interesting that we are taught, as soon as we are born, to navigate through al…

Happy New Year everyone! Meet John Abate a true beacon of light and hope. John is also a huge advocate for safer roads, believes and practices wellness through nutrition and MSBR (UCSD trained) and….if that is not enough…is the Co-Founder and CEO of JoJe Bars. If you have not tried JoJe Bars, you are missing out – they are SO delicious that it is h…

The ocean has really inspired me — it's always moving and changing; going and flowing. I just think that's so awesome. It's always different than it was the day before. – Jaysea Devoe Individually, we are one drop but together, we are an ocean… Two years later, to the date, I sat down and recorded a second part to Jaysea’s story. A LOT changes, gro…

Two years ago I recorded this Episode with Jaysea Devoe who had just turned 15 years old. Jaysea at 12 years old became the youngest certified yoga instructor, youngest S.U.P. yoga instructor, an entrepreneur, a clothing designer and a business owner. These titles are not what are important to her – they just happened to grow from a strong organic …

According to Psychology Today, the definition of mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you carefully observe your thoughts and feelings without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to your current experience, rather th…

Episode 10: We’re All One or None! All One! With Dr. Bronner’s CEO David Bronner 150 years and 5 generations of family soapmaking Dr. Bronner’s was founded in 1948 by Emanuel Bronner, a third- generation master soapmaker from a German-Jewish soapmaking family. He used the labels on his superb ecological soaps to spread his message that we must real…

Grey Matters Now Episode 9 : Ingredients to fuel our wellness with Erica Fowler Are we really what we eat? Does what we consume really have an impact on not only us but the planet and society? The answer is yes - what we consume becomes the ingredients that create overall and comprehensive wellness. This is one person’s story of self-discovery and …

Emma’s View of Her Journey/ Coping with Emotional and Physical Pain This is a follow up to Episode 8 Part 1: Am I The Only One? My Child Is Self-Harming. Make sure you listen to part 1 before part 2 Listen to mom- Jessica’s journey in episode one and Daughter Emma’s perspective of their journey and coping mechanisms in part 2. Listen and learn abou…

Am I the only one, am I a bad parent, should I have seen this coming, who can I share this with, who can I talk to that won’t judge us, how do I handle this, where can we go for help…? These seem to be a common theme of questions parents ask when they discover their child is self-harming and or struggling with mental health issues. Although every f…

Last year I had the honor of speaking with Nilima Bhat about her new book, workshop and lecture series Shakti Leadership : Embracing Feminine and Masculine Power in Business. Nilima is a world renowned author, speaker, facilitator and visionary and may be one of the most insightful, bright, and balanced souls I have ever met. The principles of Shak…

At Risk Youth – Who are they really? William’s Story Join me, David Magee, Michael Julian, and Katy Bray for an open and honest round table discussion connected in 3 parts of the country and a variety of perspectives. This topic about the dangers of substance abuse is SO big it was difficult for me personally to start facilitating the conversation.…

How and why Grey Matters Now? The birth and journey to Grey Matters Now. This is the story of the birth of Grey Matters Now and the journey that shaped who I am today and my evolving life purpose and mission. About Katy: Katy Bray is the Owner and Founder of Lead With The Lights On. I met Katy at a certification class I was attending. She was a spe…

Have the latest massacres and disasters left you feeling stunned, fearful, angry, saddened, or polarized? This free-flowing conversation with my friend, colleague and fellow Social worker Kenn just happened to be a month after The Pulse Night Club shooting and the day of the massacre in the South of France – Bastille Day. Are you ready to explore t…

Do you ever wonder why cat videos are so popular? What is it about animals that makes us feel so good? There’s a bond between animals and humans that is so powerful without even speaking a word. It was an honor to have Robin Cohen, the director of the Pet Encounter Therapy program at the Helen Woodward Animal Center as our guest to explore and lear…

What exactly is a life coach? Someone who guides you to your own intuition and intrinsic ability to reach your goals. Rich says he likes to be like a mirror, reflecting back to his clients the best version of themselves. In this episode Grey Matters Now explores the resources and compelling journey of a Life Coach. Meet and connect with Richard - a…

Ready to talk trash with folk artist and holistic health practitioner Rodrigo? A unique and deep character who’s collected wisdom along his organic journey living amongst many different cultures. Environmental steward and surfer meets Sanford and Son – we invite you to step into the “fun zone”. This is the first of a series of podcasts about the en…