#101 Fear

What if love isn't something you have to earn? In this Wildspire Spark, Steph reflects on a middle-of-the-night conversation that leads to a simple but profound realization: love is not a reward for being good, useful, desirable, or pleasing. Love is the baseline. The ocean we're already swimming in. She explores the strange gap between what the soul knows and what the human body seems to believe, and wonders what might happen if we brought our awareness to the truth of love for long enough to actually feel it. This is a short, intimate meditation on unconditional love, self-love, spiritual awakening, and the possibility that what we spend our lives seeking has never actually been missing. Listen to "LoveDance" for a few minutes of reflection on love, presence, connection, and remembering what was never really gone. Subscribe for future Wildspire Sparks, podcast conversations, and reflections from Steph's spiritual and business journey here: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire

What happens when you wake up and realize you've built a business that no longer feels like yours? In this conversation, Dr. Eboni Truss shares her journey from following expert advice and industry formulas to rediscovering her authentic voice, purpose, and leadership. Together, we explore what it means to "unbecome" the layers of conditioning, expectations, and performance that can quietly pull entrepreneurs away from themselves. Eboni reflects on business alignment, authentic leadership, purpose-driven work, abundance, freedom, and the courage to trust your own wisdom over the noise of the marketplace. Whether you're navigating a business transition, questioning your direction, or simply sensing that something feels off, this conversation offers a powerful reminder that sometimes the path forward isn't about becoming more. It's about returning to who you've always been. In this episode: • How success can quietly pull entrepreneurs away from their authentic purpose • Why business misalignment often feels like a personal problem rather than a strategy problem • The surprising business "detox" that helped Eboni hear her own voice again • What authentic leadership looks like when you stop performing and start trusting yourself • How "unbecoming" became the foundation of Eboni's work and message • A fresh perspective on abundance, freedom, and meaningful success Connect with Dr. Eboni Truss: Free Guide: https://eboniltruss.com/visible Website: https://eboniltruss.com/

For most of her life, Steph built her world around getting things done. Work harder. Push forward. Be productive. But recently she's noticed something unexpected: a growing desire for more space, more reflection, and more "nothing." Surprisingly, it hasn't made her less effective. It has changed where her actions come from. In this reflective Wildspire Sparks episode, Steph explores the relationship between insight, productivity, and the quiet wisdom that emerges when we stop filling every moment. She shares a powerful realization sparked by a conversation with one of her mentors and reflects on how creating space can open the door to fresh thinking, deeper clarity, and a more easeful way of living and working. If you've been feeling overwhelmed, over-scheduled, or caught in constant doing, this episode offers a different possibility. In this episode: • Why reflection may be more productive than constant action • How creating space invites fresh insights and creative thinking • The surprising connection between thought and experience • What changes when work comes from wisdom instead of pressure • A gentler approach to personal growth, business, and everyday life Subscribe for future Wildspire Sparks reflections and conversations about conscious business, spiritual growth, creativity, and living with greater ease. https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire  

What happens when the work that once felt like your purpose no longer feels alive? In this episode of Wildspire, Stephanie Benedetto sits down with Jacqueline Hollows, known for her transformational work bringing insight and healing into UK prisons. After years of expanding her prison programs and training facilitators, Jacqueline found herself facing an unexpected turning point when COVID disrupted the work and something inside her began to shift. Even though the work was meaningful, she could feel the energy behind it fading. Letting go of a project that had defined her identity was not easy—but stepping away ultimately opened the door to something new. In this conversation, Jacqueline shares how she navigated the transition from one purpose-driven business to another, what it means to trust the unknown, and why inspired action is essential when bringing meaningful work into the world. For coaches, spiritual entrepreneurs, and changemakers, this episode offers insight into how business transitions unfold—and how clarity often appears only after we're willing to release what no longer fits. In this episode, we explore: • How Jacqueline built and expanded a transformational prison program in the UK • What led her to close a nonprofit that had become a central part of her identity • Why clarity about the next business often appears only after the old one ends • The role of inspired action in turning personal transformation into meaningful work • A fresh perspective on purpose, calling, and spiritual entrepreneurship • How trusting the unknown can lead to unexpected opportunities If you're navigating a business pivot, spiritual business transition, or a moment of uncertainty in your work, Jacqueline's story offers both practical insight and encouragement. Connect with MamaJ and Download her free Crash Course https://jbhollows.kit.com/impacttoincome Subscribe for new podcast updates and daily emails: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire

In this episode of the Wildspire podcast, I explore fear vs love and the subtle ways anxiety shapes our lives through thought. Fear doesn't always look dramatic. Sometimes it hides in what we call "being realistic." Sometimes it quietly builds the structure of our world. This is a reflective conversation on anxiety and mindset, how contraction feels in the body, and what shifts when we begin choosing love instead. A gentle exploration of awareness, emotional wellbeing, and personal growth — and what happens when fear stops driving. Subscribe for podcast updates & daily inspiration: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire

What happens when life cracks open your heart — and the business you've built is no longer held up by willpower, effort, or your ability to handle everything yourself? In this intimate conversation, yoga teacher and wellness guide Sherryl Perry shares how grief reshaped her relationship with her spiritual business, her community, and her sense of what's possible. Instead of pushing harder, Sherryl began to ask for help, soften into support, and lead with love — and what followed was nothing short of extraordinary. Unexpected financial backing. Community care. New forms of work. Creative solutions that felt like miracles in business. This is a conversation for heart-centered entrepreneurs who want to build and grow their work without abandoning themselves. For yoga and massage practitioners navigating purpose, livelihood, and generosity. For spiritual business owners learning to trust what moves through them instead of trying to control it. In this episode you'll hear: The moment grief became the doorway to creating what once felt impossible How Sherryl shifted from self-reliance to receiving (without guilt or collapse) The loving "ask" that changed everything — and restructured her entire wellness business Why compassion is a strategy — not a sentiment — in heart-centered entrepreneurship How support, money, and opportunities appeared once she stopped forcing outcomes Sherryl's story is a reminder: When you stop trying to do it alone, life comes rushing in. This is how business becomes a lifelong practice of love. Subscribe for new weekly episodes: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire Connect with Sherryl Website: https://www.shoreside.yoga/ Email

In this quiet reflection, Steph revisits a passage from Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse — a book she carried across the ocean to Portugal. In it, Siddhartha describes the effortless way he moves toward what he desires: not through striving, but by allowing himself to be drawn. This episode is a meditation on simplicity, desire, and the natural way we create. Steph explores how, like Siddhartha, we can return to the childlike ease of being guided by what we love — letting the current carry us, instead of forcing the flow. A reminder that creation doesn't have to be complicated. It can be as simple and graceful as a stone dropping through water. Resources & Links: → Subscribe for podcast updates & daily emails: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire

When grief feels overwhelming, what might happen if you trusted the small, alive nudges in your heart? In this episode, I sit with Day Schildkret — author, artist, teacher behind Morning Altars — as he shares how loss, nature, ritual, and impermanence guided him into creating art, books, and a global movement rooted in meaning. In this episode you'll learn: How Day used morning altars and impermanent art in nature to metabolize grief and invite beauty back into his life. Why rituals and marking time are essential for healing, rest, and creative flow. What it took to transform an improbable idea into Morning Altars — bestselling books, practitioner trainings, and meaningful community. How to maintain integrity, spirit, and boundaries in business when the external pressure to hustle is constant. Ways to cultivate daily, weekly, even seasonal practices that help you return — to your inspiration, your values, and your truest self. Resources & Links: → Author website: https://dayschildkret.com → Morning Altars: https://morningaltars.com → Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morningaltars → Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morningaltars → Subscribe for podcast updates & daily emails: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire If this episode resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear that grief can become a doorway, and that following what feels alive (even if it seems impractical) can lead you to something beautiful.

What if every moment of beauty, pain, love, and wonder in your life comes from one source? In this episode, Steph Benedetto explores the mysterious force of thought—the creative energy of the universe that shapes every experience we have as humans. This intimate reflection traces the shift from being consumed by personal thinking to glimpsing the deeper power beneath it. Thought is both the grand illusion and the miracle that makes our lives possible. In this episode you'll hear: How thought creates the sparkle in a baby's eyes, the warmth of love, and even our darkest moments. The dizzying recognition that every emotion and sensation arises through thought. Why the content of thought matters less than the sheer force and aliveness of it. The hidden nourishment and depth available beneath the illusion of thought. A tender reminder that even painful experiences are full of vibrancy and life. Resources & Links: → Subscribe for podcast updates & daily emails: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire The illusion of thought may never release us—and perhaps it's not meant to. Because within its vibrancy lies the astonishing gift of being alive.

What if every act in your business could be an act of love? This gentle yet radical conversation with Mark Silver, Sufi teacher, healer, and founder of Heart of Business, invites us to reimagine business as a sacred practice, rather than a grind. We explore what it means to bring love to business, not as a buzzword, but as a living, breathing force of integrity, honesty, and kindness. Here's some of what we explore: Why "ethical marketing" might not go far enough. How to sell without shaming or triggering trauma in your audience. What a Sufi healer in business can teach you about pricing, offers, and being real. The surprising spiritual gift inside business (and how to recognize it.) Connect with Mark Heart of Business Website - https://www.heartofbusiness.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063768211071 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@MarkSilverHoB Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/heart_of_biz/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/heart-of-business/ Heart-Centered Business: Healing from toxic business culture so your small business can thrive Download a free chapter of the book: https://heartcenteredbusinessbook.com/     Subscribe for new podcast updates: https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/wildspire