Magic Thread Media

A podcast network weaving conscious voices for a more connected world.

Latest Episodes:

Part 2 - The Toxic Workplace Dilemma. Help Fix It? or Leave It? with Nikki Lewallen Gregory Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

Join me, Amy Lynn Durham, with Nikki Lewallen Gregory, the head of the People Forward Network, where we dive deep into creating a healthier, more nurturing work environment. We're getting real about the challenges many face in toxic workspaces. Together, we'll explore the crucial role of self-awareness in leadership, the importance of unlearning toxic behaviors, and the challenging decisions leaders must make – should they stay to reform or redirect their energies elsewhere? So, whether you're leading a team or part of one, ready your minds for an episode that will empower you to engage with your work life in a meaningful and positive way. What To Anticipate:

Learn ways to tap into your unique skills & open new doors for yourself.
Hear personal experiences with toxic leadership and the new shift arising on how to confront toxic behaviors.
How to recognize innovation in chaos.
Additionally, tune in to hear a special message of support for those struggling in toxic environments and draw a card from the Create Magic At Work® journal prompt deck, for those seeking liberation from toxic workplaces.

If you love the episode, please leave a 5-star review on Apple podcast or Spotify, and don't forget to subscribe so you can stay up to date on any future episodes!

Quote"There are great leaders, there are leaders that can be changed and want to be different, and then there are terrible toxic leaders." - Nikki Lewallen Gregory Connect with Nikki Lewallen Gregory:

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Connect with Amy:

https://createmagicatwork.net/about-1

The Power and Paradox of Connection with Zoe Kalar, Founder and CEO of WeAre8 Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

In today’s episode, host Sandra Bargman dives deep into the concept of connection in our modern world, which is marred by disconnection from ourselves, each other, and our planet. Sandra explores these themes with special guest Zoe Kalar, founder and CEO of WeAre8, a revolutionary social media platform that aims to mend the fragmented state of digital communication by fostering genuine connections that benefit people and the planet. Throughout the conversation, they discuss how advancements in science and technology reveal our inherent interconnectedness and paradoxically, how technology can both isolate and unite us. The dialogue also touches on the transformative potential of addressing global challenges through collective action and safe, open conversations, embodying the podcast’s mission to confront and navigate the rough edges of human experience and societal boundaries. Sandra’s engaging discussion with Zoe not only highlights the urgent need for authentic connection in addressing global crises but also showcases innovative approaches to creating a more inclusive and supportive digital landscape.

Connect with Zoe Kalar:

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman:

Exploring Our Rough Edges Through Poetry + Art with Dixie Denman Junius Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Today we are #LIVEintheHIVE with our special guest, artist and author Dixie Denman Junius. Her new book, Circling the Start, features her asemic ART which celebrates the sacred space where poetry and artistic symbology merge, and explores the liminal space between language and unspoken meaning. Like poetry, hers is a language that transcends the mundane and speaks directly to our souls.

In this episode we explore how art and poetry serve us in exploring our rough edges, and in this case, our mental health issues, and in finding meaning in them.

What is ASEMIC writing? What is its relationship to poetry and language? How can mental health issues be explored through poetry, unspoken language and artistic symbology?

Dixie Denman Junius was raised in New York’s Catskill Mountains near the Woodstock art colony. Surrounded by nature’s beauty, she was immersed from an early age in a family and community of artists, artisans, musicians, and gifted educators. She studied art, art history and psychology at Hartwick College and Boston University, graduating with a degree in psychology.

Her career took her from Boston to Southern California, where in the early 90’s, she left her consulting practice to become a full-time artist. She studied papermaking at UCLA under Harriet Germain, becoming an accomplished papermaker, artist and teacher, showing and selling her work throughout Southern California.

These days, her eclectic work spans asemic writing/art, painting, drawing, papermaking, mono printing, mixed media, paper cutting, and photo- glitching.

Watch on YouTube: https://app.maximizeu.life/podcast/edgeofeveryday

Find Dixie:

www.DixieJunius.com

@dixie_junius_art

www.anhingapress.org

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman:

The Edge of Grief and Happiness with Emily Thiroux Threatt Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Today we are #LIVEintheHIVE with Emily Thiroux Threatt, author of Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief: A Comprehensive Guide to Reclaiming and Cultivating Joy and Carrying on in the Face of Loss.

Emily’s books and her body of work reassures us in knowing that the grief process is not “one size fits all”. How can we learn to reweave the death, dying, and loss process into our life understanding? How can we reclaim our deep wisdom in knowing that death and loss is a part of life and to embrace it with grace, curiosity and self-compassion?

Emily Thiroux Threatt is an author, podcast host, speaker and founder and facilitator of The Greif and Happiness Alliance.

Her books include:

Loving and Living Your Way Through Grief: A Comprehensive Guide to Reclaiming and Cultivating Joy and Carrying on in the Face of Loss, The Grief and Happiness Handbook: A Supportive guide to Help you Reclaim your Life While Grieving and The Grief and Happiness Cards: Gentle Support for Dealing with Grief and Finding Happiness.

She is winner of the Book authority Best New Grief Book and the Silver Medal for the Living Now Book Awards and the Bronze Global Book Award. She is the Founder and facilitator of the Grief and Happiness Alliance Emily is the host of the Grief and Happiness weekly podcast. And she is a Happy For No Reason certified trainer.

We discussed her early life work that connected her the the death and dying process. We heard the stories of the transition of both of her husbands and how her these experiences, combined with her writing skills, led her to writing her exceptional books. She gives tips and ideas for coping with loss of any kind. Listen in to this depth-filled conversation.

Watch on YouTube: https://app.maximizeu.life/podcast/edgeofeveryday

Find Emily:

www.LivingandLovingYourWayThroughGrief.com

@Emily_Thiroux_Threatt

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman:

The Dominatrix: A Special Part 2 Conversation on Power, Myth, + Healing with Dana Pharant Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Today we are #LiveInTheHive with our special guest, Mistress Dana Pharant, for our follow up interview, a part II to our episode from a couple months ago, The Inner Dominatrix: The Edge of Power, Pain, Pleasure and Possibility.

I absolutely loved that conversation – Dana shared about her childhood trauma, her extremely unique healing journey, and how her discovery of “kink” contributed to her healing process. We touched on how she has come to serve her clients on their healing journey, using the wisdom work of Sacred Sexuality and Surrender, how the Inner Dominatrix work translates seamlessly in Leadership, business, and entrepreneurialism. We heard stories, and Dana shared one nugget of wisdom after another. And we touched upon her upcoming SIXTH book!

"Dana Pharant is a Woo Woo master with the power to see people's core issues. She has a strong penchant for personal development, is a borderline crazy cat lady and she helps Alpha men and women face their shit so they can feel more alive, have more sex and make more money". Dana is a Dominatrix, Sexual High Priestess, 5x Best-selling Author (stay tuned for #6) and 7-figure CEO.”

Unfortunately that conversation felt FAR too short - while we touched on many powerful points we knew we wanted to dig down deeper into the Dungeon to meet the Dominatrix Archetype and dispel some of the shadowy myths around her Power and Service. Much like the Witch Archetype, the Dominatrix Archetype is misunderstood and maligned in our Patriarchal world.

And deeper into the dungeon we went. Dana...

Dispels the myths of the world of the Domme.
Shares wisdom around the powerful psychological and somatic healing work of “kink”.
Shares more deeply around her childhood trauma and subsequent healing journey and opening the door of her shadow work.

Watch on YouTube: https://app.maximizeu.life/podcast/edgeofeveryday

Find Dana:

www.DanaPharant. com

@DanaPharant

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman:

The Edge of Artistry, Aegism, and Activism: No Malarkey! with Joanna Rush Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Today we are #LIVEintheHIVE with actor and playwright, Joanna Rush, who has a new performance piece, No Malarkey! headed to The United Solo Theatre Festival on March 16, 2024.

She and I have so much to talk about, so many parallels to our journeys, but in particular, the theme to which I return again and again… the artist as healer. In this episode, we explore the edges where storytelling and trauma, activism and healing all meet.

Joanna Rush is a playwright, actor, dancer, Interfaith minister, and author. Originally from New Jersey, she moved to NYC to dance with the famed ROCKETTES, and went on to work as a dancer, choreographer, and actor on both coasts, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatres across the country, as well as in film and television. Her Broadway credits include A Chorus Line, Shirley McClaine at The Palace and Pousse-Café, and Off-Broadway credits include Daughters, Inside Out, Grandma Sylvia's Funeral, Broadway Scandals of 1928 among others.

Joanna is a seminary trained Interfaith/Inter-spiritual minister and counselor and received ordination through One Spirit Interfaith Learning Alliance.

As a playwright, she wrote KICK – It’s not how high. It’s how strong! (Formerly titled Asking For It) and has performed it Off Broadway and at All For One Theater Festival, 2013: NY Society for Ethical Culture, The Kirk Theater, Stocker Arts Center, Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Gloucester Stage, and in colleges and theaters across the US. She was chosen to perform sections of the play for “International Women’s Day” sponsored by the United Nations Counsel on the Empowerment of Women” and the Hunger Project. She was nominated for the Off-Broadway Alliance OBA Award for best performance in a solo play.

In this episode, we focus on her powerful one-woman No Malarkey!

“Joanna Rush is Joe Biden’s karmic twin and proud of it. Their careers have been parallel — maybe with a few exceptions. Ex-Rockette, Joanna Rush still does huge fan kicks and Joe did recently fall off his bike, but what they share are tumultuous Catholic upbringings, near death experiences, astrological signs, and a “no malarky” approach to life and the Supreme Court.”

Joanna is masterful at mining both the trauma and the comedy from her life to explore the themes of rape, abortion, religion, feminism, ageism, climate change, and voting rights to uplift, educate and empower her audiences! Listen in to this compelling conversation!

Watch on Youtube: https://app.maximizeu.life/podcast/edgeofeveryday

Find Joanna:

www.JoannaRush. com

@Rush_Joanna

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman:

The Edge of Deep Change: SQ21 with Cindy Wigglesworth Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Today we are #LiveInTheHive with my guest, Cindy Wigglesworth, author of SQ21: The TwentyOne Skills of Spiritual Intelligence.

What is spiritual intelligence, and how can it unlock the door to discovering deeper meaning, purpose, and presence in these challenging times? How can we begin to live the highest versions of ourselves in both our personal and work lives in a fast changing and increasingly complex world?

Cindy Wigglesworth is the bestselling author of SQ21: The Twenty-One Skills of Spiritual Intelligence. Her SQ21 spiritual intelligence self-assessment has created a validated and diversity-appropriate way of having spiritual conversations in the workplace. John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, calls SQ “the next frontier in leadership.”

Cindy has twenty years of experience in Human Resources management at ExxonMobil.

She has appeared on Oprah, PBS, TEDxLowerEastSide, TEDxSonomaCounty and numerous radio programs and conferences. She is an organizational consultant, keynote speaker, training designer and executive coach and is the founder and President of Deep Change, a company dedicated to helping individuals and organizations integrate and access their DEEP INTELLIGENCE.

In this episode, we touch on…

* What is Spiritual Intelligence? Cindy shares a short but powerful presentation on what deep intelligence is, and why it’s necessary in our emerging Leadership landscape.

* What identity does Cindy lead with and what worlds does she walk between?

* What is Deep Change and how can we engage in it?

Watch on YouTube: https://app.maximizeu.life/podcast/edgeofeveryday

Find Cindy:

www.DeepChange.com

@CindySQ21

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman:

The Ragged Edge of Hope: Climate Peril + Presence with Lynne Sedgmore Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

Climate Change, Climate Peril is demanding our attention and dramatically reconfiguring our relationship with Nature.

So…how do we navigate the edges between crippling climate anxiety and informed activism? What is the edge between hope and denial? My guest today can help us to explore those questions.

Dr. Lynne Sedgemore is a certified coach, founder of the Goddess Luminary Wheel teachings, Poet, Interfaith Minister, Priestess, healer, non executive, thought leader and Enneagram teacher.

Lynne is Chair of the Glastonbury Town Deal, leading an investment of nearly £25 million for the town. She is a certified coach and organizational/community consultant working freelance with CEOs, Chairs, senior leaders and teams from the education, faith, charity, health, community, sport and private sectors. Her organizations have won numerous national and international awards including the International Spirit at Work Award, and the British Diversity Award. She was awarded the CBE in 2004 for services to Further Education.

Her new book is Presence Activism: A Profound Antidote to Climate Anxiety.

Listen in on this fascinating conversation, in which we take our conversation about reweaving our relationship with Nature into the depths of Climate Peril.

What is Presence? And to ask Dr Lynne, what are the many types of Presence with which we can engage to maintain our Hope in the face of anxiety and despair and possible extinction and continue to move us into action and creative solutions to inevitable collapse?

“We are in climate peril, and time is not on our side. Presence Activism, by Lynne Sedgmore, is the book we all need right now - in this Present moment, Lynne Sedgmore herself walks the delicate balance of powerful mystic and magic maker, with her rich and depth-filled Presence Wisdom, that edges up with her fierce, informed activist warrior – dramatically mirroring both the poignantly regenerative and the ragingly ferocious edges of Mother Earth right now. Rich with resources to motivate and mobilize the reader, Sedgmore gives us a map (a high-octane GPS!) to deepen and expand our presence to move beyond our overwhelming anxiety and crippling fear – into activating our courage, putting the climate and ecological crisis on everyone’s lips, and to taking action. Both a clarion call and a prayerful practice, Presence Activism supports all of us in our greater understanding of our interconnectedness with All beings, and how to move that Kincentric mindset out into doing the work of Rebalancing Life on Mother Earth.” – Sandra Bargman

Watch on Youtube: https://app.maximizeu.life/podcast/edgeofeveryday

Find Lynne:

www.LynneSedgmore.co.uk

@LynneSedgy

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman:

Reweaving the Ragged Edges of Our Relationship with Nature With Anita Adams + Alex Strauss Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

When did Humans become disconnected from Nature? Was it in the Industrial Age when we fell in love with technology? Did it begin with organized religion that came with the notion of dominion over nature? How can we heal this relationship, reconnect with Nature and understand her importance to our well-being?

Listen in on this fascinating conversation, in which my guests, Anita Adams and Alex Strauss share the story of how they left high-powered jobs, chose to walk in Nature for solace, resulting in a renewed relationship with her. This ultimately deepened and expanded their relationship with themselves and their sense of spirit.

In this episode, we touch on…

How they assist others on this journey
What some of the challenges of this path can be
The great rewards for mental health, creativity, and the climate crisis awareness.
In these challenging times, this is a must listen. #TheEdgeofEverydayPodcast

Anita Adams is a life & leadership coach, podcaster, speaker and author. After spending nearly two decades leading a national non-profit, she courageously decided to listen to her inner wisdom and pivot to something more soul-nourishing.

Today, Anita is on a mission to help others find their true joy, raise the collective consciousness, and design a life bursting with meaning, impact, and well-being. When she's not coaching, recording, or penning her next book, you'll find Anita exploring the world with her husband, best friend, and partner-in-crime of 36 years. Her new book, Whispers of the Soul, Your Guide to Clarity of Purpose, Well-Being and Joy, will be released in January 2024.

Alex Strauss is an writer, speaker, and coach. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and holds an MA in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University. A former television journalist, Alex has taught public speaking and composition at the college level and has published an award-winning regional business magazine for medical professionals since 2000. She is the author of the Amazon bestseller, The Mindful Walker, published in 2016, and has been featured on numerous podcasts and blogs for women including Escape the 9 to 5, WildChild.live, The Crazy Dog Lady podcast, Women Developing Brilliance, Finding Calm in Chaos and Life on Purpose.

Watch on YouTube: https://app.maximizeu.life/podcast/edgeofeveryday

Find Anita:

www.JoyfulInspiredLiving.com

@anitaadams604

Find Alex:

www.TheMindfulWalker.com

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman:

The Inner Dominatrix: The Edge of Power, Pain, and Possibility with Dana Pharant Apr 11, 2024

Show notes

This is the bio Dana sent me. I adore her fierce irreverence, despite her extraordinary accomplishments.

Dana is a Dominatrix, Sexual High Priestess, 5x Best-selling Author (stay tuned for #6) and 7-figure CEO. Dana brings 25 years of experience in guiding clients to big shifts. She draws on tools that are proven to work and field-tested with a range of people and organizations. As a former registered massage therapist, she’s extensively studied the human body, as well as human behavior and energy psychotherapy. She is a #1 best-selling author of Beyond Fear, and an award-winning speaker (eWomen International and national organization H.U.B. Inc). Dana’s commitment to living life in command of her feminine power and helping others connect with their Inner Dominatrix has made her a sought-after speaker and gained her recognition and respect.

I absolutely loved this conversation - I am all about opening up the door to taboo topics. Dana shared about her harsh childhood and her extremely unique healing journey, and how she discovered "kink".

Dana shared about her Presence Identity and the worlds in which she walks between, for she is a natural Edgealker.

In this episode, we touched on…

How she has come to serve her clients on their healing journey, using the wisdom work of Sacred Sexuality and Surrender
How the Inner Dominatrix work translates seamlessly in Leadership, business, and entrepreneurialism.
We heard stories, and Dana shared one nugget of wisdom after another.
And we touched upon her upcoming SIXTH book!

Unfortunately, it was FAR too short, with a buffet sensibility - we touched on many powerful points - however we want to dive down deeper into the Dungeon to meet the Dominatrix Archetype and dispel the shadowy myths around her Power and Service. Much like the Witch Archetype, the Dominatrix Archetype is viciously maligned in our Patriarchal world. More on that in 2024.

Watch on YouTube: https://app.maximizeu.life/podcast/edgeofeveryday

Find Dana:

www.DanaPharant

@tdanapharant

www.InnerDominatrix.com

Connect with your host Sandra Bargman: