KPHRED Work - Life Balance Radio

Jim Pehkonen, Dr. Natan Verkhovsky
Out On the Skinny Branches
In this episode of Out on the Skinny Branches, Jim Pehkonen sits down with Dr. Natan Verkhovsky to explore the power of men’s groups and what can happen when men have a place to show up without titles, judgment, or the need to perform. They talk about brotherhood, vulnerability, accountability, and the value of being surrounded by men who are willing to listen, ask meaningful questions, and support one another through both challenges and growth.

The conversation dives into what makes groups like The Freedom Forge different: men are not there because something is necessarily “wrong,” but because they want to keep growing. Jim and Natan discuss the value of reflection, perspective, and allowing the right question to stay with you long enough for your own answer to emerge. It is a conversation about connection, progress, accountability, and the surprising weight that can lift when a man realizes he does not have to carry everything alone.

To join the Freedom Forge:
A men's group on Thursday evening.
7:50 pm ET, 6:50 pm CT, 5:50 MT, 4:50 PT

Google form to register:
https://forms.gle/2d5ntUp7t3GkKYZk6

Jim Pehkonen
Out On the Skinny Branches
In this episode of Out on the Skinny Branches, Jim Pehkonen sits down with Curtis, the founder of a long-running men’s group in Park City, Utah, to explore what really happens when men gather in a confidential, judgment-free circle. Curtis shares how the group began, why healthy masculine connection matters, and how practices like listening, breathwork, meditation, and honest conversation can create a space where men feel safe enough to speak about relationships, work, childhood wounds, and the things they may have carried silently for years.

Jim and Curtis dive into the deeper value of brotherhood: being heard without being fixed, receiving thoughtful questions instead of unsolicited advice, and experiencing the relief that can come from finally bringing difficult things into the light. They also talk about confidentiality, vulnerability, accountability, and the unexpected gift of simply learning to listen better. For any man who has wondered what a men’s group is really like, this conversation offers a grounded look at why sitting in circle with other men can become such a powerful part of healing, growth, and connection.

Would you like to join an online mens group:
Freedom Forge … a men's group on Thursday evening.
7:50 pm ET, 6:50 pm CT, 5:50 MT, 4:50 PT

Google form to register:
https://forms.gle/2d5ntUp7t3GkKYZk6

Jim Pehkonen, Desi Bolin
Out On the Skinny Branches
What if the quality of your relationships is being shaped by patterns you do not even realize you are carrying? In this episode of Out on the Skinny Branches, Jim Pehkonen and Desi Bolin open the door to the Conscious Connection Collective, a co-ed experience created for people who want deeper, healthier, more authentic connection. Together, they explore how old beliefs, protective habits, unspoken needs, and automatic reactions can quietly affect the way we relate to ourselves and to the people who matter most. The journey begins within, because the relationship you have with yourself influences every other relationship you create.

This conversation is also an invitation to do relationships differently. Jim and Desi share how the Collective helps people move from awareness into real-life practice through relationship, integration, completion, creation, inspiration, and nurturing growth. This is not about becoming perfect or “fixing” yourself. It is about becoming more conscious, more honest, more present, and more intentional so you can stop repeating old patterns and begin creating relationships that feel more aligned, connected, and real. If you are ready to understand yourself more deeply and create a different experience in your relationships and your life, this episode is a powerful place to begin.

Check out the website at: www.ConsciousConnectionCollective.com

Michele Rempel, Karen McNamara - California Pulse

What does it take to bring a historic building back to life?

On this episode of The California Pulse, Michele Rempel talks with Karen McNamara about the effort to restore the Atascadero Printery. Once a major printing operation, the building was damaged in the 2003 earthquake and sat neglected for years. Karen and a small group of supporters are working to turn it into a community space for arts, education, performances, and gatherings.

Karen shares the personal story behind her commitment to the project, the progress made so far, and her hopes for what the Printery can become for Atascadero.

Learn more about the project or find out how to help: https://atascaderoprintery.org

Mary Farias & Dr. Diana James
Economy Creators

What if you stopped waiting for someone to give you the next opportunity—and started creating your own path?

In this episode of Economy Creators, Mary Reiss Farias sits down with Dr. Diana James, an executive leader turned entrepreneur, author, speaker, consultant and advocate for women in leadership.

After more than 30 years in executive leadership, Diana reached a pivotal moment when she expressed interest in moving into a presidency position—and was told those positions were reserved for men.

She left corporate America.

And started building something different.

At 47, Diana returned to college. At 58, she earned her PhD. She eventually launched The Secret Stairs, turning her decades of experience, research, knowledge and passion into an entire economy that now includes public speaking, corporate consulting, a book, coaching, a radio show, technology, and an upcoming anthology.

In other words, she became an Economy Creator.

In this conversation, Mary and Diana explore:

• Reinventing yourself at any age
• Making the leap from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship
• Overcoming imposter syndrome and changing your self-image
• Diana’s research into women advancing into senior leadership
• Why mentorship and sponsorship are different
• The importance of visibility and opportunity
• Creating your own position instead of waiting for one to appear
• Turning expertise into books, speaking, consulting and other assets
• Building an ecosystem around a central mission
• Having the courage to finally answer a calling you've carried for years

One of Diana’s most powerful findings can be summarized in three words:

Access over advice.

Diana explains the distinction this way:

A mentor talks to you. A sponsor talks about you.

A sponsor is advocating for you in rooms you aren't in, creating access, increasing visibility, and opening doors.

That idea connects powerfully with something we talk about frequently inside Economy Creators: we need other people talking about us.

Relationships, introductions, media, books, collaborations and visibility can all help put us into rooms we couldn't enter alone.

Diana also shares how she repeatedly created her own opportunities during her corporate career: identifying a problem, developing the solution, and positioning herself to implement it.

That's Economy Creator thinking—whether you're operating inside a corporation or building your own business.

Today, Diana is expanding that mission again through an anthology featuring women who left corporate careers and created new paths through entrepreneurship.

Her closing advice?

Walk past the ladder. Look for the secret stairs.

Your path may look more like a jungle gym than a ladder.

You may move sideways. You may move down. You may reinvent yourself completely.

But you can keep building.

🎙️ LISTEN TO ECONOMY CREATORS
https://kphred.com/playing-on-kphred/economy-creators-build-your-you-shaped-economy/

📚 CONNECT WITH DR. DIANA JAMES
https://www.secretstairs.com/

📘 THE SECRET STAIRS: Avoiding the Broken Corporate Ladder, An Alternative Path for Women in Leadership
https://a.co/d/0dH20czX

Continue Your Economy Creator Journey on Substack: https://economycreators.substack.com/

Join the Economy Creators Workshop

Discover where you are in your journey to Lead Yourself → Lead Your Economy → Lead Others, and identify your next steps toward building a YOU-shaped economy.

https://www.magnetminddevelopment.com/economy

Download The Economy Creators Framework

Learn how to build an economy around your unique interests, talents, experiences, and purpose.

https://www.economycreators.live/ec-framework-ebook

Take the Economy Creators Diagnostic Quiz

Identify the opportunities, strengths, and gaps in your personal economy.

https://www.economycreators.live/quiz

About Economy Creators™

Economy Creators™ is a podcast and radio show featuring entrepreneurs, authors, coaches, leaders, and visionari