Around the Circle | An Enneagram Podcast

Latest Episodes:

"Sacred Frames" | Four Movies That Explain America Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

What four films best capture the story of America?

In this Fourth of July edition of Sacred Frames, Jeff Cook, Sean Palmer, and Mike Yager each build their own cinematic "Mount Rushmore," selecting four films they believe reveal the promises, contradictions, triumphs, and tragedies that have shaped the American experiment. From Far and Away, Do the Right Thing, Wall Street, and The Right Stuff to Lincoln, Killers of the Flower Moon, Saving Private Ryan, Malcolm X, and beyond, the conversation explores immigration, race, capitalism, war, religion, identity, and the enduring tension between America's highest ideals and its deepest failures.

Rather than asking which films are the greatest, this episode asks a different question: Which stories help us understand who America has been—and who it might still become?

Disappointment and Regret | "Atlas of the Heart" : Chapter 3 Jun 28, 2026

Show notes

In this week's Reading Room, we dive into Chapter 3 of Brené Brown's Atlas of the Heart : "The Places We Go When Things Don't Go as Planned."

Jeff explores boredom, disappointment, regret, discouragement, resignation, and frustration through the lens of the Enneagram, asking what these emotions reveal about desire, courage, vulnerability, and the stories we tell ourselves.

Why does disappointment occupy so much of our emotional lives? What does it mean to name what we truly want? And how can regret become a path toward wisdom instead of shame?

Join us Tuesday : HERE

Enneagram and Autism | An Interview with Christina Young Jun 25, 2026

Show notes

Parents of neurodivergent children often carry questions, grief, hope, and a fierce love all at once.

In this conversation with Christina Young, creator of The Autistic Enneagram and mother of three autistic children, we explore autism, parenting, the Enneagram, and what it looks like to create environments where children can truly flourish—not by changing who they are, but by understanding them more deeply.

Connect with Christina on Instagram : HERE

Or at her website : HERE

The video of this episode is up at www.aroundthecircle.org

Partners | Enneagram 3 & 9 * Braden & Lydia Jun 24, 2026

Show notes

We're traveling to Alaska this week! Braden & Lydia walk us through their relationship as a young 3 & 9; we chat about performance, rest, & meeting each other in the middle.

A quick disclaimer for this video - we had some audio issues around the 15 minute mark. They resolve themselves in ~5 minutes but Braden's comments were so good that I didn't want to cut them out! You might also notice some fluctuations in volume across the recording because of this.

Also - tune in next week for a big SURPRISE!!!!!!!!

Follow me on Instagram to keep up to date with new episodes and happenings

Comparison Continued | "The Atlas of the Heart" Study Jun 23, 2026

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JOIN US ON TUESDAYS : HERE

In this week’s Reading Room, Jeff explores Brené Brown’s discussion of comparison and the surprising emotions that can grow from it: admiration, reverence, envy, jealousy, resentment, schadenfreude, and freudenfreude.

Along the way, he reflects on why some comparisons inspire growth while others expose our wounds, how resentment may be rooted in hidden envy and unmet needs, and why celebrating the success of others might be one of the deepest forms of connection available to us.

From Enneagram insights to questions of justice, self-worth, and belonging, we're invited to pay closer attention to what our emotions are trying to teach us.

The Augie Cook Interview | Autism, Gender and Enneagram 8s Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

What happens when an Enneagram Eight is also autistic, non-binary, and willing to speak candidly about their inner world?

For Jeff’s 50th, he sits down with his oldest, Augie Cook, for a discussion about identity, neurodivergence, gender, family, and the Enneagram.

Together they explore what it feels like to move through the world as an autistic person, how sensory processing shapes daily life, why so many assumptions about Eights miss the mark, and how understanding motives can deepen relationships.

The conversation also explores the overlap between autism and online communities, the experience of being non-binary, the challenges autistic adults face around work and belonging, and the importance of allowing people the freedom to understand and express themselves on their own terms.

The Space Between Wings | 8↔9 and 9↔1 Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we continue our exploration of the spaces between the Enneagram types by examining the shared ground between Eights and Nines, and between Nines and Ones. While these pairings can appear very different on the surface, they often share deeper motivations, struggles, and strengths that reveal the logic of the Enneagram symbol itself.

Jeff and Katie discuss themes like guardedness, resistance, agency, self-control, confidence, team dynamics, conflict avoidance, and the unique relationship these body types have with anger. Along the way, they explore why Eights and Nines can seem so stubborn, why Nines often act with quiet certainty after long periods of reflection, and how Ones and Nines both wrestle with what is happening inside of themselves before it reaches the outside world.

The conversation also highlights the gifts these types bring to relationships, teams, and communities: stability, consensus-building, thoughtfulness, and a desire to create environments where people can thrive together. Whether you're an Eight, Nine, One, or simply curious about the dynamics between these types, this discussion offers a deeper look at the motivations that unite and distinguish them.

Siblings | Enneagram 1 & 9 * Veronica and Sara Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

Veronica is back, today with her younger sister Veronica! We talk about what it's like to share a common sense of justice, the difference (and similarities) between "harmony" and "order", and how a 1 and 9 offer each other a lot of balance.

"Inside Story" | The Work for Ones | Dani Cooper Enneagram Coach Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

Dani Cooper is a Certified Enneagram Teacher, Coach, and your biggest cheerleader on the road to self-discovery.

She helps individuals, couples, and teams identify the patterns keeping them stuck — and grow beyond them into who they were always meant to be. She’s the author of The Enneagram for Christian Couples (2022), and her life’s work is simple: helping people know themselves, love themselves, and live more freely.

IG: @deepwatersenneagram

website: deepwatersenneagram.com

"Atlas of the Heart" | Comparison Jun 14, 2026

Show notes

This week in The Reading Room, we continue our journey through Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart by exploring "comparison."

Join our Tuesday night discussion : HERE

As we elevate other topics in ths text, it seems good to sit on this experience for a moment. Drawing from Brown’s research, we examine how comparison shapes our relationships, self-worth, emotional life, and even our sense of the future.

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