161 Freedom in the Dark: Scott Kelly on Rest, Resistance & the Intelligence of Life

What happens when you spend six days in complete darkness, no phone, no light, no distractions, and finally stop trying to hold it all together?In this profound and intimate conversation, Barb Patterson sits down with Scott Kelly, a transformative coach whose experience in a dark retreat revealed what it truly means to let go and trust life.Scott shares how exhaustion, striving, and a lifetime of “it’s all up to me” slowly gave way to deep rest, surrender, and freedom.Together, Barb and Scott explore:The power of darkness to illuminate what’s trueHow nervous system healing opens the door to deeper trustWhy letting go isn’t collapse — it’s alignment with the intelligence of lifeWhat happens when we stop living from survival and start letting life leadA conversation about surrender, aliveness, and the light that finds us when we stop searching for it.Thank you for listening to The Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast! To learn more about Barb visit her website.SHOW NOTES[00:00] - Introduction and Personal Transformations[03:51] - The Dark Retreat Experience[13:06] - Insights from the Dark[22:13] - Integration and Returning to the World[34:20] - Letting Go of Identity[42:25] - Trusting the Process of Change[50:35] - Final Thoughts and ReflectionsSHOW LINKSVisit Scott’s WebsiteConnect with Scott on LinkedinFollow Scott on Instagram

What if your okayness was never at risk, no matter the circumstances?In this episode, I’m joined by Board Certified Coach and Educator Davida Arnold for a conversation about what it means to discover that you’re okay - no matter what’s happening around you.Davida shares personal stories from parenting, teaching, and her own journey that reveal how easily we can get caught in the illusion that our happiness depends on others or our circumstances. Through the lens of the inside-out nature of life, she shows how clarity, grace, and well-being are always available within us.We explore the freedom that comes when we stop trying to control life and instead begin to trust the deeper intelligence behind it. From moments with her kids to insights in the classroom, Davida points us toward a truth that is both simple and profound: our okayness is never at risk.SHOW NOTES:[00:00] - Introduction and Background[02:22] - The Inner and Outer Worlds[04:40] - Personal Insights and Transformations[11:05] - Understanding Happiness and Relationships[12:01] - Impact on Education and Teaching[20:31] - Trusting the Process of Life[27:12] - Navigating Challenges in Education[36:48] - The Power of Perspective[38:56] - Final Thoughts and ReflectionsSHOW LINKS:Visit Davida’s WebsiteThank you for listening to this episode! If you are interested in learning more about Barb and Innerverse Academy, you can visit our website at https://barbarapatterson.com/.

We’ve all been told to chase “work-life balance.” Get the calendar right. Set better boundaries. Manage your time better. But what if balance has nothing to do with rearranging the outside?In this episode, Barb Patterson explores why the traditional idea of work-life balance keeps us on a hamster wheel, and a fresh perspective on where to find what you’re looking for. She shares the simple but profound shift that allows you to meet deadlines, demands, and relationships with more clarity, presence, and ease.You’ll hear stories, insights, and practical moves for:• Seeing how your inner climate shapes every outer experience• Letting go of the myth that circumstances dictate your state of mind• Releasing the pressure of “equal time” and instead honoring the season you’re in• Remembering that your worth has nothing to do with productivityIf you’ve ever felt behind, stretched thin, or caught between competing demands, this episode offers a fresh perspective, one that reveals balance is already available to you, right here, in any moment.SHOW NOTES[00:00] – The Myth of Work-Life Balance[05:00] – Understanding Our Inner Climate[09:59] – The Power of Internal Balance[16:20] – Challenging Common Myths[28:41] – Practical Steps to Inner BalanceSHOW LINKSSubscribe to the podcast on YouTube Follow Barb on LinkedinFollow Barb on Instagram

What happens when the very lens shaping your world is invisible to you?In this intimate conversation, coach and author Melissa Ford shares her journey of uncovering the deep, unconscious belief that “I don’t matter”, and how that hidden story colored her relationships, her work, and her sense of self.Melissa and I explore the shift from concealing who we are, managing our image, protecting ourselves, controlling how others see us, to the profound freedom that comes when we reveal what’s really true. Along the way, Melissa describes the wake-up calls, messy moments, and liberating insights that transformed her marriage, her coaching practice, and her ability to fully engage with life.If you’ve ever found yourself second-guessing, over-controlling, or living under the weight of old conditioning, this conversation is an invitation to see the invisible lens shaping your reality, and to experience the deeper love, connection, and creativity that comes when you reveal rather than conceal.Thank you for listening to The Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast! Don't forget to follow for new episodes every Thursday and visit Barb's website for more resources.SHOW NOTES:[00:00] - Transformation Through Coaching[07:58] - The Journey of Self-Discovery[17:25] - Unraveling Core Beliefs[25:10] - Shifting Perspectives in Relationships[36:48] - The Power of Revealing vs. ConcealingSHOW LINKS:Connect with Melissa on LinkedInVisit Melissa’s website

What happens when we stop resisting and start leading with “yes energy”?In this conversation, Barbara sits down with Sarah Richardson Mehler, Founder & CEO of Left Field Labs, to explore the inner shifts that have shaped her leadership and life.Sarah shares how embracing ambidexterity, blending imagination, and intuition with pragmatic execution, and empathy with strategy, opened space for her to bring her whole self to leadership. She reflects on why better together and collective intelligence is a strength in creativity and innovation, how a trip to the Amazon rainforest awakened new ways of listening and seeing, and why “thinking with the heart” is essential in both business and life.Together they explore the power of yes over resistance, the value of iteration over perfection, and the grace that emerges when we lead from curiosity, connection, and wholeness.If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to integrate ancient wisdom with modern work, or how to expand your leadership without losing your humanity, this episode will inspire and guide you.Thank you for listening to The Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast! Don't forget to follow for new episodes every Thursday and visit Barb's website for more resources.SHOW NOTES[00:00] - Welcome to the Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast[00:56] - Meet Sarah Mehler[02:27] - The Journey Begins: From Personal to Professional[04:26] - Creating a Supportive Work Environment[07:37] - Embracing Challenges and Aha Moments[10:27] - The Power of Yes Energy[13:20] - Balancing Imagination and Pragmatic Execution[16:32] - Iterative Growth and Grace in Leadership[19:28] - Collective Wisdom: Lessons from the Amazon[22:40] - Integrating Human and Machine Intelligence[25:29] - The Collective Intelligence of Collaboration[28:34] - Empathy as a Strength in Business[31:40] - The Importance of Whole Self in Leadership[34:27] - Going to a Bigger Place TogetherSHOW LINKSConnect with Sarah on LinkedInLearn more about Left Field Labs

Have you ever felt like you’re a project in need of fixing? Like if you could just conquer that flaw, stick to that habit, or find the right formula, you’d finally arrive? For years, Barb lived inside that story, and it left her with a constant hum of dissatisfaction and self-doubt.In this solo episode, Barb shares how the self-improvement path opened incredible doors, yet also kept her locked in a cycle of striving. What began to shift everything was the realization that she was never broken to begin with, that our true starting point is whole and complete.Through personal stories and real-life examples, she explores how this fix-it mentality sneaks into business, creativity, and leadership, and what changes when we begin to relate to ourselves from wholeness instead of lack.If you’ve been caught in endless self-analysis or always trying to “get better,” this conversation is an invitation to stop repairing and start creating, to inhabit your life and business fully, quirks and all, from the wholeness that’s already within you.Thank you for listening! Visit my website to learn more about The Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast and don't forget to follow for new episodes every Thursday.SHOW NOTES[00:00] – Introduction to The Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast[00:54] – The Illusion of Self-Improvement[03:54] – Breaking Free from the Fix-It Mentality[06:22] – Discovering Wholeness Beyond Fixing[09:27] – Embracing Our Essential Nature[12:17] – The Power of the Unknown[15:11] – Shifting Perspectives on Growth[18:15] – Living from Wholeness, Not Brokenness[21:40] – Thank you for listening!SHOW LINKSExplore Barb's WebsiteSubscribe to the podcast on YouTube Follow Barb on LinkedinFollow Barb on InstagramThe Innerverse Sessions – RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!

What if money was never the problem, but our relationship to creativity and possibility?In this conversation, coach and author Aila Coats joins Barb to explore money, abundance, and the deeper source behind both. From her earliest entrepreneurial sparks as a child, to navigating pregnancy while reimagining her business model, Aila has continually discovered that wealth isn’t about formulas, it’s about creativity, resilience, and trust in the infinite source of life.Together they talk about:How scarcity is often just anxious thinking, not truthWhat it takes to stay open, curious, and willing when plans don’t go as expectedPractical and surprising ways to create money and resourcesThe deeper joy that comes from aligning with abundance rather than chasing formulasThis episode is an invitation to reimagine money, not as something scarce, but as energy flowing through creativity, service, and possibility.SHOW NOTES[00:00] – Introduction to Money Conversations[05:37] – Aila’s Early Entrepreneurial Spirit[08:38] – The Role of Creativity in Financial Success[11:36] – Navigating Life Changes and Business Adaptation[14:35] – Innovative Solutions During Challenges[17:45] – The Power of Mindset in Business[20:32] – Exploring Possibilities and Taking Action[23:37] – Encouraging Resilience in Entrepreneurship[26:25] – Overcoming Limiting Beliefs[29:33] – Staying Open to Opportunities[30:37] – Navigating Disappointment in Business[34:14] – The Art of Serving Through Enrollment[39:11] – Staying Open to New Possibilities[43:13] – Embracing Uncertainty and Abundance[49:02] – The Power of Gratitude in ExchangeSHOW LINKSExplore Aila’s websiteLearn more about Barbara Patterson and The Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast: https://barbarapatterson.com/money-creativity-the-infinite-source-a-conversation-with-aila-coats/

What if true leadership isn’t about pushing harder or overriding your limits, but about listening more deeply to your body and your wisdom?In this conversation, Barb sits down with Julie Chazotte, transformational coach and co-founder of Simple SHIFT, to explore what it really means to embody leadership. Julie shares her own journey from overwhelm and pressure to discovering the transformative role of the nervous system, somatic awareness, and embodied presence.Together they dive into the hidden costs of ignoring our limits, how to recognize the signals of the body, and why befriending our humanity is the key to accessing greater clarity, resilience, and creativity. Julie offers real-life examples of working with leaders navigating overwhelm, people-pleasing, and high-pressure environments, and shows how honoring our inner cues can shift everything from the quality of our decisions to the depth of our relationships.If you’ve ever felt stuck in your head, caught in self-doubt, or disconnected from your own clarity, this episode will give you a new way to see, and a new way to lead.Thank you for listening to the episode! Follow Barb for new episodes of The Innerverse of Business and Life podcast every Thursday.SHOW NOTES[00:00] - Introduction to Embodied Leadership[02:07] - Julie Chazotte's Journey and Transformation[07:17] - Understanding Limits and Overwhelm[10:25] - The Role of the Nervous System in Leadership[17:56] - Practical Applications for Leaders[20:59] - Navigating Stress and Pressure[26:46] - The Importance of Trusting Inner Wisdom[31:25] - Embracing Change and Uncertainty[37:11] - The Call to Step into Leadership[44:34] - Closing Thoughts and ReflectionsSHOW LINKSVisit Julie's website.Interested in learning more about the podcast? Visit Barb's website.

We tell ourselves we’re waiting for the right moment, more information or better conditions. But often, those delays are just fear in disguise.In this solo episode, Barb unpacks how business has a way of shining a light on the patterns that keep us holding back, second-guessing, overthinking, playing it safe. She shares a personal story of a missed opportunity, and why real growth happens when we choose to engage with life and our businesses even when it's uncomfortable.Life, business, and creativity respond to our presence, our willingness to step in, and our willingness to make the first move.Thank you for listening! To learn more about the Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast visit my website BarbaraPatterson.com.SHOW NOTES[00:00] - Introduction to The Innerverse of Business and Life Podcast[00:55] - Life is Waiting for You to Engage[05:41] - The Fear of Taking Action[10:29] - Interactive Nature of Life and Business[14:37] - Invitation to Make the First Move[15:16] - Thank you for listening!SHOW LINKSExplore the WebsiteFollow Barb on LinkedinThe Innerverse Sessions - RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!

What happens when the body refuses to play along with your plans—when the old drive, hustle, and push simply stop working?In this candid and inspiring conversation, BarB sits down with branding and marketing expert Lee Bjarnason to explore the unexpected “no” that changed the course of her career. Lee shares how a season of resistance and burnout revealed deeper wisdom, reignited her creativity through an unlikely side project about the Beatles, and ultimately transformed how she approaches her work and life.They talk about trusting your inner signals, reclaiming your voice after years in corporate environments, and helping brands tap into their own authentic story and soul. Whether you’re navigating a pivot, searching for renewed creativity, or trying to align your business with what feels true, this episode offers insight, encouragement, and permission to listen when your body says “no.”SHOW NOTES[00:00] - Navigating Career Fractures and Burnout[08:10] - Embracing Creativity and Finding Voice[14:34] - The Power of Authenticity in Business[21:52] - Trusting the Creative Process[27:35] - Identifying Blind Spots and Building Brands[36:19] - Exploring New Growth OpportunitiesSHOW LINKSConnect with Lee on LinkedInLearn more about The Innerverse of Being and Life Podcast: https://barbarapatterson.com/the-innerverse-of-business-and-life-podcast/