A mindful, honest, and hopeful exploration of victimhood in medicine—what it is, how it shows up, and why so many of us feel trapped, powerless, and unseen within a deeply flawed system.

Today's episode shares the story of what becomes possible when we choose peace over control. 

Whether you're in perimenopause, menopause, or postmenopause—or supporting someone who is—this episode is full of gentle truths and nourishing permission to live this season with intention, softness, and spaciousness.

Dr. Susan Baumgaertel is our special guest. She is a profoundly thoughtful and creative physician who passionately reframes menopause around nourishment, pleasure, and presence at its center. With decades of experience in internal medicine and a unique blend of architectural and artistic insight, Susan offers a menu of supportive, holistic, and empowering approaches for midlife and beyond.

Susan shares her own personal and professional pivots, the birth of her book The Menopause Menu, and how she is using her voice and wisdom to help women navigate midlife on their own terms—without overwhelm, shame, or shoulds.

Pearls of Wisdom:

• Menopause can be a time of pleasure, choice, and curiosity—not just a list of things to fix. Think of it as a nourishing multi-course "menu", not a checklist.

• Small, thoughtful shifts, what Susan calls “micro-pivots,” can lead to meaningful transformation. You don’t have to throw it all out to create a new path.

• Rather than immediately reaching for a solution, take time to pause, reflect, and listen to your body. Sustainable nourishment comes from alignment, not urgency.

• Food, body image, and health can all be approached with compassion and joy. Sugar can be healing. A walk can be creative. Your body can be art.

• The system may be broken, but your experience doesn’t have to be. Personal time, presence, and honest conversations with yourself can make a profound difference.

Parenting doesn’t end when our children turn 18—it simply changes. Parenting young adult children encompasses a full spectrum of emotions, including joy, pride, longing, and grief. It requires a reevaluation of what it means to be a mother.

Women have the capacity to lift one another in ways that shift not just careers, but culture. In honor of Women in Medicine Month, we reflect on the ripple effect of referrals, recommendations, and authentic support, especially among women in medicine.

We haven’t always supported other women in medicine optimally. This episode serves as an encouragement to make a change. Whether you're a natural connector or a quiet introvert, there are practical ways to build deeper relationships, give generously, and receive with grace in the episode.

This week, we invite you into a mindful conversation about the powerful concept of graduating and outgrowing roles rather than quitting.

What if moving on didn’t mean giving up—but meant you’ve outgrown, evolved, and are ready for what’s next? Listen to learn how to recognize that moment, navigate it with grace, and honor the growth that brought you to this turning point.

Have you ever felt there had to be more to practicing medicine? That healing could happen beyond prescriptions and procedures? In this powerful and heartwarming episode, we welcome Dr. Amy Valasek, a Presidential Award winning pediatric sports medicine physician, group fitness instructor, and mom of two athletes, as she shares how she integrated movement and joy into her medical practice.

In this conversation, we explore the parallels between tending plants and tending ourselves. From planting seeds to harvesting fruit, every stage in the garden offers lessons about patience, presence, letting go of control, and trusting the natural rhythm of growth. Whether you’re an experienced gardener, a houseplant enthusiast, or simply plant-curious, you’ll hear insights, humor, and inspiration to deepen your connection to nature—and yourself.

We explore the countercultural truth that success doesn’t always mean scaling up—it can mean rooting down. Inspired by Bo Burlingham’s book Small Giants, we reflect on companies and people who intentionally choose depth, intimacy, and meaning over sheer size. 

A playful yet grounding episode, exploring the rise of artificial intelligence through a lens of mindful curiosity, wonder, and loving amusement. 

Rather than catastrophizing or glorifying AI, we explore how it might become a creative collaborator, a mirror for our own biases, and a surprising connector across generations.

In this episode, we explore what it means to grow up as the eldest daughter—and how the roles we took on early in life may have shaped how we show up as women, physicians, caretakers, and leaders. 

In this rich and heartfelt episode, we explore how both of us and the practice of yoga itself have evolved over the years. 

Our conversation is a journey through yoga, chronic pain, trauma, somatics, and the profound wisdom of the nervous system.

In this rich and heart-forward conversation, I join Dr. Erica Bove, my birthday twin, to explore what it means to see with the heart, especially in moments of uncertainty, grief, and growth.

Dr. Erica Bove is a reproductive endocrinologist and integrative fertility coach for women physicians. She is a beloved retreat participant who shares candid reflections about her experience at not one, but two of my retreats. 

Have you ever found yourself asking, Why can’t they just…? or Why are they doing this to me? These questions often swirl through our minds during frustrating moments on the road, at work, in our relationships, or even in response to news headlines and legislation. 

A real-time invitation to pause, reflect, and integrate.

In this special mid-year episode,  we offer you the spaciousness and tools to reconnect with your intentions, acknowledge your growth, and mindfully marinate in what matters most. 

This episode is a hopeful and grounded counterpoint.

Enjoy a rich and thoughtful conversation with Dr. Jed Wolpaw, an anesthesiologist, critical care physician, educator, and host of the beloved medical education podcast ACRAC (Anesthesia and Critical Care Reviews and Commentary) 

This episode is an invitation to allow joy, play, and fun to take their rightful place in your life—without guilt, resistance, or apology.

Beni Seballos, a family physician, mom, wife, daughter, and radiant soul shares how she went from overwhelmed and over-responsible to energized, creative, and genuinely happy. Beni transformed her from a life of self‑sacrifice and exhaustion to one of trust, fun, healing, and inspired leadership.

An intimate and courageous conversation with Dr. Jenny Kang, a neurosurgeon who shares her inspiring story of transformation—one that challenges traditional definitions of success and fulfillment in medicine, particularly for women in surgery. 

A heartfelt conversation with an ER physician, poet and author. 

From a Studio in Oakland, California: 108 Notes on Existence, is a must-read - whether you’re an ER physician, a young adult navigating the uncertainty of life, or someone simply seeking meaning and alignment.

This episode is an invitation to explore travel through a different lens—a mindful one. 

Whether you're traveling for work, visiting family, or taking a long-awaited vacation, we hope that this conversation helps you bring more intention, presence, and ease.