Your mitochondria are the tiny powerhouses inside every cell — generating the energy that powers your heart, muscles, brain, and immune system. When they’re thriving, you feel it. When they struggle, everything from fatigue and brain fog to chronic illness can follow.

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore the foundational role of mitochondrial function in human health: how stress, toxins, infections, nutrient deficiencies, and trauma impact cellular energy — and how integrative strategies like IV nutrient therapy, herbal medicine, and metabolic support can help restore vitality at the deepest physiological level.

We break down what your mitochondria need to run well… and what might be silently draining your system.

About Kara Dobelis, ARNP

Kara Dobelis is a highly experienced integrative family nurse practitioner and healthcare leader whose professional journey spans critical care nursing, healthcare administration, and founding an innovative patient-centered clinic. After beginning her career in critical care and surgical nursing, Kara transitioned into administration and served as a director at major healthcare organizations. It was in that role she became ethically conflicted with traditional care models—leading her to co-found Integrative Family Medicine in Des Moines, Iowa with a mission to prioritize patient care over profit.

Kara holds a master’s degree in Clinical Informatics and a second master’s in Nurse Practitioner practice. She serves patients across the lifespan—newborns to middle-age adults—focusing on those who have long been underserved or have labwork that “looks fine” but symptoms persist. Her specialties include chronic fatigue, Lyme disease, EBV, other lingering viral illnesses, and immune system dysfunction. Kara combines IV nutrient therapies including NAD+, oral supplements, herbal tinctures, and homeopathic medicine with trauma-informed care to help patients reclaim their health and nervous system regulation.

Her approach begins with a 30-minute trauma-informed intake, where history, physical exam, and diagnostic workup are completed in a respectful space. From there, she collaborates with the patient on integrative treatment plans that may include mental health therapy, IV infusions, chiropractic care, nutritional changes, and regular follow-up to monitor progress. Having personally navigated significant trauma and illness herself, Kara is driven by her own healing journey—applying the wisdom of experience to help others heal through holistic, science-based, and empathetic care.

Learn More: https://www.integrativemediowa.com/

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

Strategic intelligence is the ability to think ahead, make decisions with clarity, and lead with precision—especially in uncertainty. In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore how strategy becomes a learned intelligence: how leaders assess complexity, anticipate challenges, prioritize effectively, and align their actions with the outcomes they want to create. Cara-Lyn and David dig into practical tools for solving problems, eliminating chaos, and building the kind of foresight that strengthens both leadership and life outside of work.

About Cara-Lyn Giovanniello

Cara-Lyn Giovanniello is a coaching power-house out of San Francisco, CA, focusing on performance and emotional intelligence as foundations for leadership. Her mission is to empower individuals and teams to reach their full potential using training mastery, corporate experience, deep empathy, a touch of humor, and an unshakable belief in activating positive forward momentum.

As an ICF certified PCC and CPCC, Cara-Lyn has been providing value for the past 18+ years creating unique programming for managers in fintech, start-ups, non-profits, and academia. She’s worked with inspiring leaders from AWS, Square, Nike, Anthropic, WhatNot, Prime, Prismm, Cut+Dry, Google, CashApp, LinkedIn, Twitter, CUPA-HR, to name a few - and created custom content for teams at Block, UC Berkeley, Halperin Law, Stanford University, Getro, and Evolve Treatment Centers.

Career highlights include creation of the award winning Integral Lead Program at Square, which explores the “being and doing” of exceptional leadership, activating over 5,000 managers to date, as well as, hosting an intensive offsite for Jack Dorsey (Twitter) and his executive team deep diving into the collaborative power of providing real, hardcore feedback. Additionally, she sits on the Boards for Sidebar, a leadership program where small peer groups grow and evolve together, and Coaching for Everyone, providing development opportunities for minority and indigenous coaches.

Learn more about Cara-Lyn:
https://clgcoaching.com

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

Relational intelligence is the ability to understand, navigate, and strengthen the connections we build with others—at home, at work, and within our communities. In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore how relational intelligence shapes communication, trust, conflict resolution, and the quality of our relationships. We break down the skills that make relational intelligence a learnable asset: attunement, emotional safety, perspective-taking, boundaries, and the ability to stay present under pressure. Cara-Lyn and David discuss how these principles support healthier teams, more effective leadership, and more meaningful personal relationships.

About Cara-Lyn Giovanniello

Cara-Lyn Giovanniello is a coaching power-house out of San Francisco, CA, focusing on performance and emotional intelligence as foundations for leadership. Her mission is to empower individuals and teams to reach their full potential using training mastery, corporate experience, deep empathy, a touch of humor, and an unshakable belief in activating positive forward momentum.

As an ICF certified PCC and CPCC, Cara-Lyn has been providing value for the past 18+ years creating unique programming for managers in fintech, start-ups, non-profits, and academia. She’s worked with inspiring leaders from AWS, Square, Nike, Anthropic, WhatNot, Prime, Prismm, Cut+Dry, Google, CashApp, LinkedIn, Twitter, CUPA-HR, to name a few - and created custom content for teams at Block, UC Berkeley, Halperin Law, Stanford University, Getro, and Evolve Treatment Centers.

Career highlights include creation of the award winning Integral Lead Program at Square, which explores the “being and doing” of exceptional leadership, activating over 5,000 managers to date, as well as, hosting an intensive offsite for Jack Dorsey (Twitter) and his executive team deep diving into the collaborative power of providing real, hardcore feedback. Additionally, she sits on the Boards for Sidebar, a leadership program where small peer groups grow and evolve together, and Coaching for Everyone, providing development opportunities for minority and indigenous coaches.

Learn more about Cara-Lyn:
https://clgcoaching.com

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

Emotional intelligence isn’t just a soft skill—it’s the foundation of effective leadership, relational health, and sustainable performance. In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore what emotional intelligence really is, why it matters, and how it becomes a learned, trainable form of intelligence that directly shapes the way we communicate, lead, regulate, and adapt. We break down the components of EQ, the brain-body science behind emotional awareness, and how leaders can build environments where emotional literacy translates into clearer thinking, better decisions, and healthier teams.

About Cara-Lyn Giovanniello

Cara-Lyn Giovanniello is a coaching power-house out of San Francisco, CA, focusing on performance and emotional intelligence as foundations for leadership. Her mission is to empower individuals and teams to reach their full potential using training mastery, corporate experience, deep empathy, a touch of humor, and an unshakable belief in activating positive forward momentum.

As an ICF certified PCC and CPCC, Cara-Lyn has been providing value for the past 18+ years creating unique programming for managers in fintech, start-ups, non-profits, and academia. She’s worked with inspiring leaders from AWS, Square, Nike, Anthropic, WhatNot, Prime, Prismm, Cut+Dry, Google, CashApp, LinkedIn, Twitter, CUPA-HR, to name a few - and created custom content for teams at Block, UC Berkeley, Halperin Law, Stanford University, Getro, and Evolve Treatment Centers.

Career highlights include creation of the award winning Integral Lead Program at Square, which explores the “being and doing” of exceptional leadership, activating over 5,000 managers to date, as well as, hosting an intensive offsite for Jack Dorsey (Twitter) and his executive team deep diving into the collaborative power of providing real, hardcore feedback. Additionally, she sits on the Boards for Sidebar, a leadership program where small peer groups grow and evolve together, and Coaching for Everyone, providing development opportunities for minority and indigenous coaches.

Learn more about Cara-Lyn:
https://clgcoaching.com

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

Germ theory has shaped every major public health achievement of the last century—from clean water systems to infection control—but it’s also become one of the most misunderstood and debated topics in today’s health landscape. In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we clarify what germ theory actually means, why it remains foundational to modern medicine and public health, and how to engage constructively with people who doubt or distort it. We explore how microbes interact with human behavior, environment, and community systems—offering listeners a grounded, scientific, and accessible framework for understanding disease in the modern world.

About Jay K. Varma, MD

Jay K. Varma, MD is a physician, epidemiologist, and public health expert who has spent more than two decades working to prevent and control infectious diseases around the world. From combating Ebola in Africa to controlling HIV in Asia and the U.S., his career has focused on understanding how invisible forces—microbes, systems, and human behavior—shape our health and communities. Through his writing and health practice, he works to help people see how science and everyday life intersect: how our bodies, environments, and choices are constantly in conversation with one another and how the communities we create, the way we interact with animals and the environment, and the systems we build together determine our collective well-being.

Learn more about Dr. Jay K. Varma:

https://drjayvarma.com

https://www.youtube.com/@thermometerHQ

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fevered-mind

https://www.healthbeat.org/authors/dr-jay-k-varma/

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

What if the moments that feel like collapse are actually doorways into your deepest clarity? In this episode, I’m joined by Laurie Clemens, a Certified Life & Leadership Coach (ICF), Certified Meditation Instructor, Professional Clinical Herbalist (RH), Healer, Mother, Channeler, Super Creative, and unapologetic Corporate Renegade.

Laurie’s work is rooted in helping people spin “straw into gold” when life falls apart. She guides others to use everyday realities — even the messy, overwhelming, or painful ones — as catalysts for transformation, growth, renewal, and joy.

After a decades-long career leading marketing and branding for Fortune 500+ companies, Laurie shifted her entire life. She traded corporate life for a deeper calling: helping humans reconnect to the innate wisdom of their own hearts. Through her coaching and spiritual guidance, she provides empowering tools, grounded practices, and intuitive insight to help people thrive more easily in a complicated world.

Laurie works with individuals who want to move beyond stress, negativity, anxiety, and confusion, and instead step into inspired ways forward — creating positive habits, aligned success strategies, meaningful goals, action, and agency. She sees every situation as workable, and her presence invites insight, steadiness, and possibility.

This episode explores how to turn chaos into clarity, how to trust the alchemy within your own experiences, and how transformation becomes inevitable when you choose to meet life with openness and courage.

Connect with Laurie:

www.soulessent.com

https://linktr.ee/laurieclemans

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

In this session, you’re invited to journey beyond the surface of male identity into the realms of initiation, purpose and belonging. We’ll investigate how men who haven’t been initiated—who haven’t been guided through ritual, rite of passage or meaningful community—can leave significant voids not only within their own lives, but within families, workplaces and societies at large. We’ll ask questions like: What happens when a man never meets his deeper calling? How does that then shape the culture around him? And how might we — individually and collectively — facilitate a shift toward conscious masculine leadership and healthy contribution?

This talk is both diagnosis and invitation: we’ll identify the signs and consequences of uninitiated masculinity, and then step through the possibilities of what emerges when men embrace initiation, ritual, purpose and alignment with something larger than themselves. Our aim: to help ignite a new architecture of mature, embodied masculine presence that supports society, rather than erodes it.

About Mikaal Bates

Mikaal has dedicated his life to the conscious evolution of men, supporting them in stepping into the fullness of their potential and reclaiming healthy masculine presence.

His mission is two-fold:

• To ignite, celebrate and accelerate the conscious evolution of men and healthy masculinity across our planet.
  
  
• To help heal the divide between men and women by re-animating the lost arts of “Sacred Union” and the technology of tribe.
  
  

Mikaal draws from diverse embodied leadership traditions: ritual theatre, rites of passage, dialogic coaching methodologies and initiation frameworks.

Beyond his professional work, he lives out his message: lifting heavy objects, swimming with sharks, dancing, playing piano, talking to animals and curating ecstatic experiences in service to “Something Greater.”

In his coaching and facilitation practice, Mikaal serves men (and groups of men) through 1-on-1 services, group programs (such as THE KING’S CODE and KINGDOM), men’s circles and retreats.

Why You’ll Want to Listen:
Because if we’re honest, the absence of initiation in many men today shows up in systemic ways — in leadership vacuums, ungrounded drive, emotional detachment, relational breakdown, and a culture of disconnection. Mikaal helps us see the deeper architecture behind these patterns, and more importantly, offers a path forward: one marked by initiation, service, alignment and maturity.

What You’ll Gain:

• A clear understanding of what it means to be uninitiated and how that condition impacts individuals, families and systems.
• Insight into the key milestones of initiation — how a man is called, how he moves into purpose, how he operates within tribe and service.
• Practical frameworks to support men (and their loved ones) in shifting from uninitiated to initiated—so that the whole of society benefits.

Learn More: https://www.mikaalbates.com/

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

Many women in midlife find their energy, drive and sense of connection shifting in ways they weren’t expecting. On this episode of Rooted & Wild, I sit down with Eva Angeloff — the founder of Women’s Lib — to unpack what’s really happening, both physically and emotionally, when our vitality and desire begin to fade.

Eva conceived of Women’s Lib in the summer of 2022 when she recognized that her low energy was clashing with her daily life demands. What she initially thought might just be “how it is” turned out to reflect a much broader reality: countless women were quietly wrestling with decreased energy, diminished desire, and feeling disconnected from their bodies, minds and partners.

Women’s Lib exists to support women in reconnecting with their bodies, minds and partners.

Women's Lib makes science-first, plant-based supplements designed to enhance vitality, energy and desire. Each ingredient serves a clear purpose and is delivered with advanced nano-technology for superior bioavailability.

In our conversation we explore:

• What’s behind the drop in energy and desire — when it’s more than “just aging” and how societal stigma and lack of education contribute.
• How limitations in emotional health and physical vitality can ripple into intimacy, confidence, relationships and overall wellbeing.
• The holistic approach that Women’s Lib has taken: embracing strength, authenticity and the connection between body, mind and partner.
• What it looks like to reclaim your vitality in midlife: feeling more like yourself again, connecting more deeply (with yourself and with others), and living unapologetically.

Whether you’re noticing a shift in your libido, wondering where your spark went, or simply craving more connection — this episode meets you exactly where you are.

Learn More: https://womens-lib.com/

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.