What if your story isn’t something to fix—but something to listen to?

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore transformational story-work as a living, embodied practice for healing, leadership, and reconnection. My guest, Michael Kass, invites us beyond surface-level narrative and into the deeper currents of meaning, identity, and the Sacred that move beneath our stories.

Michael Kass is the founder of Story & Spirit and a convening designer, facilitator, consultant, and embodied leadership coach who has spent over 25 years helping individuals and organizations navigate profound transitions. His work spans touring an award-winning solo storytelling show across the United States, guiding teams through moments of rupture and growth, offering breathwork rituals to groups around the world, and coaching founders and multinational CEOs through deep inner and outer shifts.

In this conversation, we unpack:

• What transformational story-work actually is—and how it differs from traditional storytelling
• How story lives in the body, the nervous system, and the relational field
• The role of ritual, breathwork, and embodiment in personal and collective healing
• Why reclaiming story is essential for humane leadership and meaningful work

Michael is an ICF-Certified Executive Coach, Certified Breathwork Facilitator, author of Story Maps: Wayfinding Tools for the Modern Seeker, and serves on the Board of Directors for Wild Gift. However the work shows up, his devotion remains the same: restoring connection—to self, to one another, and to what is sacred.

You’ll also learn why he has a well-known weakness for chocolate and puppies (though, admittedly, not at the same time).

Connect with Michael Kass:
Website: https://www.storyandspirit.org

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5PEqbjjjA6gkwnMvQiz2bq?si=74c2aaf18f6a4ecb

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkass1

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.

Rewiring Fear Into Flow is a conversation about what happens when we stop trying to outrun fear—and instead learn how to work with it.

In this episode, we connect with Laurie Clemans, a Certified Life & Leadership Coach (ICF), Certified Meditation Instructor, Professional Clinical Herbalist (RH), healer, channeler, and former corporate branding executive, to explore how fear lives in the body, the nervous system, and our decision-making—and how it can be rewired into clarity, momentum, and flow.

Laurie shares how decades in high-level corporate marketing eventually led her to a deeper calling: guiding humans back to the innate wisdom of their own hearts. Together, they unpack practical tools and spiritual perspectives for moving beyond stress, anxiety, self-doubt, and mental overload—without bypassing or forcing positivity. This is about cultivating agency, creating habits that actually stick, and choosing goals that are worth playing for.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between knowing what you want and feeling frozen about how to move forward, this episode offers a grounded, compassionate roadmap. Laurie reminds us that every situation is workable—and that fear doesn’t have to be the thing in the driver’s seat.

Learn more about Laurie and her work at:
👉 https://www.soulessent.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.

What if unresolved health issues weren’t random—but part of a deeper energetic pattern you were born with?

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by Leslie McGuirk, an internationally acclaimed astrologer, author, and illustrator whose work is helping restore astrology to its original role as a diagnostic and healing tool.

With nearly four decades of experience, Leslie has guided thousands of clients—including creatives, thought leaders, and medical professionals—through what she calls astrological imprinting: a system that reveals the energetic blueprint each person is born with, like a personal owner’s manual. Rather than predicting the future, this approach illuminates patterns in the body, mind, and emotional landscape that can point directly to unresolved or chronic health issues.

In our conversation, we explore how astrology can offer insight into physical symptoms, emotional patterns, and long-standing health challenges—especially when conventional approaches fall short. Leslie shares how she translates complex birth charts into clear, practical insights, and why her work is increasingly valued in medical and psychological circles as a complementary lens for deeper healing.

We also discuss her book The Power of Mercury (HarperCollins), where she explores how communication style, mental wiring, and nervous system patterns are shaped by Mercury’s placement at birth—and how misunderstanding these patterns can lead to stress, burnout, and imbalance in the body.

Leslie’s work bridges ancient wisdom with modern science, blending visual storytelling, intuition, and pattern recognition. As the founder of the Astrology Wisdom Academy and the creator of The Quest for Inspiration—a corporate creativity program taught at five-star spas and global companies—she brings a refreshingly grounded, accessible approach to astrology.

From her TEDx Hollywood talk The Importance of Being Wrong to her frequent appearances on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, Leslie’s mission remains the same: to awaken the intelligence of the heart through the language of astrology—and to remind each of us of the brilliance we were born with.

🔗 Learn more about Leslie McGuirk and her work:
https://www.lesliemcguirk.com

This episode invites you to rethink astrology not as belief, but as information—and to consider what your body may already be trying to tell you.

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 pain relief didn’t have to come in the form of pills, dependency, or lifelong side effects?

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore reflexology as a powerful, evidence-informed alternative to medication-based pain management with Njideka N. Olatunde, a globally respected naturopath, master reflexologist, and pain relief educator.

Dr. Olatunde is the visionary force behind Focus On Healing Wellness Institute and a leading authority on integrating traditional healing practices with conventional medicine for whole-person wellness—mind, body, and emotional health. Her work sits at the intersection of science, culture, and compassionate care.

In this conversation, we dive into:

• How reflexology works through the nervous system to interrupt pain signals
• Why touch-based therapies are being reconsidered amid the opioid crisis
• The cultural and historical roots of reflexology and traditional pain care
• How reflexology supports chronic pain sufferers without addiction or medication dependency
• What pain may be communicating beneath the surface—and how the body can be taught to listen differently

Having helped thousands of chronic pain sufferers find relief through medication-free, addiction-free methods, Dr. Olatunde offers both clinical insight and a deeply human perspective on healing. This episode is especially relevant for anyone seeking alternatives to pharmaceuticals, practitioners interested in integrative care, or listeners curious about the future of pain management.

Learn more about Dr. Olatunde and her work:
🔗 https://focusonhealing.com

🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/njidekanolatunde

This is a conversation about reclaiming agency, restoring trust in the body, and remembering that healing doesn’t always require numbing—it often requires connection.

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.

Burnout doesn’t begin in the mind — it begins in the body.

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore what it really means to set boundaries that don’t come from force, guilt, or intellectual resolve, but from embodied awareness. My guest, Hollie Rottman, invites us into a deeper conversation about how the body signals “enough” long before burnout takes hold — and how learning to listen can radically transform the way we work, lead, and relate.

Together, we explore:

• Why high-achieving people struggle to set and hold boundaries
• The hidden cost of saying yes when the body is already saying no
• How the nervous system communicates limits before the mind catches up
• What shifts when boundaries are embodied rather than enforced
• Somatic practices for saying no with clarity, compassion, and grounded authority

This conversation goes beyond mindset work and productivity culture, offering a nervous-system-informed, somatic approach to leadership, self-trust, and sustainable aliveness.

If you’ve ever felt exhausted, resentful, or disconnected while doing “all the right things,” this episode is an invitation to come back into relationship with your body — and let it lead.

Hollie Rottman is an Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant specializing in burnout prevention, embodied boundaries, and transformative leadership during high-stakes life and career transitions. She supports executives and high-achieving women in reconnecting with their bodies, emotions, and inner wisdom so they can lead and live with clarity, grounded authority, and aliveness.

Hollie brings over 20 years of experience designing leadership programs, shaping culture, and building markets across global financial firms, national health initiatives, and nonprofit boards. Her work integrates somatic intelligence with deep organizational insight, helping leaders move beyond reactivity into sustainable, values-aligned leadership.

She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation, a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), and holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. Hollie is also Strozzi Somatics® certified, completed her Internal Family Systems (IFS) training, and is certified in The Leadership Circle Profile. She additionally facilitates healing breathwork through the School of Prana in Lisbon.

Through Rottman Consulting, Hollie co-leads pioneering work on generative conflict with her partner, Jim Rottman, combining somatics, leadership development, and relational intelligence to help individuals and teams cultivate trust, resilience, and meaningful impact.

Website: https://hollierottman.com

Podcast: Feminine Warrior Mindset
Instagram & LinkedIn: @hollierottman

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 happens when you stop numbing… and choose to stay present in the hardest moments?

In this deeply honest and compassionate conversation, we explore what Anneka Reece calls the Valley of Despair—that tender, uncomfortable space where growth asks us to feel rather than flee. Together, we unpack how sobriety becomes not just the absence of alcohol, but a profound act of trust in yourself, your emotions, and the unfolding of your life.

Anneka shares how alcohol often becomes the biggest—and most overlooked—block to manifestation, intuition, and authentic change. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, and energetic principles, she explains why avoiding discomfort delays transformation, and how staying with it can radically reshape your relationship with yourself.

This episode is for anyone who:

• Feels stuck between who they’ve been and who they’re becoming
• Is questioning their relationship with alcohol
• Wants to manifest a more aligned, fulfilling life—without bypassing the hard parts
• Is learning how to sit with discomfort without self-abandonment

About Anneka Reece
Anneka is an Executive Health and Mindset Coach specialising in alcohol-free living and manifestation. With over five years of experience, she supports clients in releasing alcohol as a coping mechanism and reconnecting to their clarity, power, and purpose. Her work bridges psychology, neuroscience, and energetics to help people create sustainable, embodied change.

🔗 Learn more about Anneka’s work:
https://coachingbyanneka.co.uk

🎧 Listen to Anneka’s podcast, The Alcohol-Free Vibes Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-alcohol-free-vibes-podcast/id1606704134

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s possible to walk through despair without numbing—and come out more whole on the other side—this conversation is for you.

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.

The Wolf Moon rises tonight.

This January full moon—also a supermoon—has long been known as the Wolf Moon, named for the deep winter nights when wolves were heard howling across frozen land, calling to their pack in a season where survival depended on connection, restraint, and listening.

In this episode, we explore the history and meaning of the Wolf Moon: who named it, what it signaled for our ancestors, and how it served as a guide through the harshest stretch of winter. This was not a moon of manifestation or momentum—it was a moon of honesty, conservation, and endurance.

Together, we reflect on hunger—not just for food, but for rest, truth, belonging, and rhythm in a modern world that rarely slows down. The Wolf Moon reminds us that hunger is not a weakness; it is information. And howling, at its core, is not aggression—it is communication.

This episode also includes a guided listening practice, inviting you to pause, tune into your body, and ask what you are truly hungry for right now, where you may need to call out for support, and who belongs in your pack as you move through winter.

This is a conversation with the night itself.
A moment to stop pushing.
A reminder that even in the deepest winter, life is still awake.

Release this episode under the Wolf Moon.
Listen slowly.
And let the dark teach you something ancient.

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.

Silent Bridges: Men, Intimacy, and Emotional Isolation is a raw and thoughtful conversation with Mark Grayson, exploring the quiet distances many men carry within themselves—and the bridges required to cross them.

Mark’s life journey spans small-town Ohio, remote stretches of Central Texas, Ivy League halls at Harvard College and Columbia Business School, and a career at the intersection of media, education, spirituality, and civic life. Beginning in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, he helped launch and scale impactful organizations including Rabbit Ears, All Kinds of Minds, and Rocket21—initiatives designed to help children imagine meaningful futures.

As the Founding Director of Trinity Spiritual Center, Mark has curated deeply human conversations with cultural and spiritual thought leaders—drawing comparisons to Krista Tippett’s On Being. Under his leadership, the Center received two prestigious Constable Grants in its first three years and earned national media attention for its work fostering dialogue, reflection, and connection.

Beyond spirituality, Mark is an engaged citizen and advocate. In 2023, he successfully worked with Members of Congress to secure $2.3 million in federal funding for the Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative at the Library of Congress—an innovative, music-driven educational program designed to help teach American history and civics as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026.

As a Featured Columnist for The Good Men Project, Mark has published over 50 essays examining masculinity, vulnerability, democracy, purpose, and the emotional lives of men. His work resonated so deeply that it culminated in Getting Naked—a powerful framework for expanding traditional notions of masculinity and inviting men into deeper honesty, intimacy, and connection. This philosophy also lives through his work with The Naked Man Collective:
https://www.nakedmancollective.com/

In this episode, we explore:

• Why emotional isolation is so common among men—even those who appear successful and connected
• How vulnerability becomes an act of courage rather than weakness
• What it truly means for men to be seen, held, and known by other men
• The quiet bridges that allow intimacy to re-enter our lives

Mark lives in Greenfield Hill, Connecticut with his wife, former actress Sarah Houghton, their two sons Parker and Philip, and their very rambunctious Havanese, Phoebe.

This is a conversation for men—and those who love them—ready to cross the silence and build something real.

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.