One Whole Life with Shawn Francis

Getting real with my wife Karie after the kids go to bed. Is podcasting a good way to schedule time together?We'll see

In this episode, I reflect on the loss of someone who meant more to me than just a coach—my high school pole vault coach, Mark Haesly. His passing made me realize how deeply one person can shape the direction of a life without ever knowing it.Coach Haesly created something special for us as kids. The pole vault pit wasn’t just a place to train—it was a place where we could be ourselves. Loud, competitive, weird, emotional… it didn’t matter. It was a safe environment where we felt accepted, supported, and encouraged to grow.Looking back now, I realize that what I’ve tried to build with Team Hoot comes directly from that experience. Without Coach Haesly, there probably wouldn’t be a Team Hoot. The sense of belonging, play, and authenticity I try to create today is rooted in what he gave us back then.In this episode, I talk about grief, mentorship, coaching, and the powerful ripple effect one person can have on young people. Sometimes the communities we build as adults are really just our way of recreating the spaces that once made us feel safe and alive.This episode is a tribute to Coach Haesly and the legacy he left behind.Topics in this episode:Grief and lossThe impact of great coaches and mentorsCreating safe spaces for young peopleThe origins and inspiration behind Team HootHow one person’s influence can shape an entire community

In this episode, I explore how cognitive bias shapes what we think is real—and how quickly perception can turn into emotion. A wild moment at Costco almost triggered full “mama bear mode,” and it got me thinking about rage, protection, and the stories our brains tell us. I wrap it up by diving into why leaning into play might be one of the most grounding things we can do in a biased, chaotic world.

In this episode, I talk about how brutally hard it is to parent when you’re sick—and your kids are sick too. When your body is exhausted and your nervous system is overloaded, the thing you want most is solitude, quiet, and space to regulate. But parenting doesn’t pause.I explore the tension between needing solitude to heal and still showing up for your kids, even when you feel emotionally and physically depleted. I also revisit something I keep coming back to: repair matters more than perfection. You don’t have to be a flawless parent—you just have to be a present, repairing one.And because this episode drops on Valentine’s Day, I end with a reminder of love—not just romantic love, but the messy, tired, human love that exists in families every day.Happy Valentine’s Day. 💙

What is play, really—and why does it seem to disappear as we get older?In this episode, I explore where play comes from, why it feels so essential when we’re young, and what happens when adulthood slowly pushes it aside. We look at how play shapes curiosity, creativity, connection, and even identity—and why so many of us feel disconnected from it later in life.But play isn’t automatically good. So we also ask the harder questions:Is play always healthy? Is it truly natural? Can play become escapism, avoidance, or even destructive?This is a reflective conversation about joy, seriousness, culture, and what we lose—and maybe can reclaim—when we stop playing.

What if your mind is its own universe?In this episode, I explore the idea that we all carry vast inner worlds within us—inspired by The Life of Chuck, Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself, and the concept that we “contain multitudes.” This is a conversation about consciousness, identity, and the unseen inner landscapes that shape how we move through the world.I reflect on watching my kids’ universes grow—how their awareness, imagination, and sense of self are forming—and what it teaches me about being human. I also dive into those powerful moments in life when it feels like something larger is guiding you, nudging you toward a specific path. What is that feeling? Intuition? Fate? Alignment? Or the voice of your inner universe finally speaking clearly?This episode blends philosophy, poetry, parenting, and personal experience to explore meaning, direction, and the mystery of existence.Perfect for listeners interested in:Philosophy of mind and consciousnessWalt Whitman and poetic meaningParenting reflectionsIntuition and life purposeExistential questions and mindfulnessA quiet, thoughtful exploration of what it means to live inside—and alongside—the universe within.

In this episode, I reflect on getting back into meditation, the unexpected wisdom of Bluey, and how online negativity has pushed me to step back from social media. I explain why negative comments come from a specific sample of people—not reality—drawing from lessons I learned in grad school research classes.I also talk about parenting stress, the statistic that 20% of couples split within the first year after having a child, why betraying a child’s safety is the deepest form of betrayal, and why so many of us are afraid to die.We wrap it up with a challenge: maybe growth doesn’t come from comfort—but from learning to embrace struggle bubbles.

On January 7th, an ICE-related shooting in Minnesota shook communities across the state. In this episode, I process what it feels like to live just an hour away from where it happened—and how proximity makes events like this hit differently. When something violent and politically charged happens so close to home, it’s no longer just a headline. It’s personal, unsettling, and deeply confusing.I talk about the difficulty of knowing what’s true when social media is flooded with opinions, partial information, and emotionally charged narratives. How do we decipher what’s really happening when every platform seems designed to divide us further? And how do we hold compassion for people on both sides of an issue when fear, anger, and grief are running so high?This episode explores what it’s like living in a place where communities feel fractured, trust feels fragile, and uncertainty feels constant—while still trying to stay human, empathetic, and grounded.I also shift gears and share a personal moment of light in the middle of all this heaviness: my recent trip to Key West and attending my first pole vault event in two years. After being away from the sport for so long, I was genuinely surprised to be welcomed back with open arms. That experience reminded me how powerful community can be—even when the world feels divided.This episode is about proximity, perspective, truth, compassion, and finding moments of connection when things feel unstable.Topics include:The January 7th ICE shooting in MinnesotaLiving close to a traumatic, divisive eventSorting truth from noise on social mediaPolitical and social division in local communitiesFear, empathy, and compassion for multiple perspectivesReturning to pole vault after two years awayFinding belonging and connection again

This episode is a mix of reflection, discomfort, and honesty.I talk about how Christmas isn’t entirely as Christian as we think , why I don’t like people touching my kids in public, and a run-in I had at Costco that raised serious questions about boundaries and protection. I also reflect on turning 40—and a realization about an old pattern of trying to fix other people’s stress so I don’t have to feel my own anxiety.Faith, parenting, aging, and self-awareness—all colliding in one episode.

Why are toddlers afraid of the dark? Why do they think there are monsters under the bed? In this episode, I break down the brain science behind toddler fear, including how the amygdala “coming online” triggers imagination, anxiety, and nighttime panic.I also explore the surprising connection between toddler tantrums and adult emotional meltdowns, and why both come back to the same neurological systems.Then we dive into what Inside Out 2 teaches us about emotional regulation, identity, and the idea that we are not our emotions—a concept that matters for kids and adults.Finally, I ask a question so many people avoid: Are “thoughts and prayers” actually meaningless, or is there real psychological impact behind offering support?Perfect for listeners interested in parenting, psychology, childhood development, emotional intelligence, and how the brain shapes behavior at every age.

In this episode, I dive into the messy, beautiful question of how we decide what’s right and wrong—and why sometimes the hero is the villain of their own story. I talk about my love-hate relationship with Christmas—how obligation can drain the magic out of it, but somehow Christmas movies, my kids, and love always bring it back. It’s a conversation about morality, meaning, and finding light in the tension between what we should do and what we feel.

In this episode, I explore the question, “What day would I want to relive forever?” — inspired by Groundhog Day. While on a 5-day trip with one of my best friends, we talked about the meaning of moments that matter most. I share what it was like coming home to two sick kids and a sick wife, navigating that chaos as a parent for the first time, and the heartbreak of hearing my 2-year-old say, “No want Daddy.” I also dive into a deeper question: If a witch could show you how you die, would you look? A mix of reflection, humor, and vulnerability about parenthood, meaning, and being present.

Six-time national pole vault masters champion Lynn Larsen shares how she started vaulting at 50, became a national champion with both hands, and how the sport transformed her body, mind, and community.We talk about how doctors told her to quit, what kept her going, and how pole vault became a form of therapy and belonging. Lynn also opens up about her life as a special education professor, and for the first time, I share my own story of being in special needs classes because of depression.A conversation about resilience, growth, and the power of sport at any age.

A year after losing my dad, I’ve been reflecting on grief, loss, fatherhood, and the strange ways healing shows up. During my stay in a mental health hospital, I finally saw how much of our pain came from generational trauma — patterns passed down with love but carried with hurt. When we finally talked about it, we became closer than ever.This episode is about running through grief, finding connection after loss, and learning how vulnerability can turn pain into peace. It’s a story about sunsets, forgiveness, and realizing that even when someone’s gone, the love doesn’t leave.full video of my dad herehttps://youtu.be/6sQ2Rm1r1dk?si=ZkWlPrl2_yJUFZsl

In this episode, we sit down with Glenn Colivas — a self-taught pole vaulter who trained his way from high school to the Olympic level, only to have his chance to compete taken away by a boycott. Glenn shares his journey through the highs and heartbreaks of chasing an Olympic dream, how he turned that loss into purpose, and what led him to build BAPVA — one of the best pole vault clubs in the world.We also talk about the Robert Platt Memorial Meet, an event Glenn runs to honor one of his beloved athletes, Robert Platt, who passed away. The meet raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, continuing Robert’s passion for helping others and giving back through the sport he loved.A story of resilience, legacy, and the power of community through pole vaulting.Check out the meet and club https://bayareapolevaultacademy.com/

In this episode, I dive into how ChatGPT has unexpectedly played a role in improving my mental health — not by giving advice, but by recognizing patterns in my thoughts and questions over time. Through countless conversations, it picked up on something I hadn’t consciously realized: that I lean more toward absurdism than nihilism.I talk about how I put it to the test — using personality frameworks and psychological prompts — just to see how accurately it could understand me. The results were fascinating, even a little eerie.This episode explores where this kind of self-reflective AI interaction can be genuinely helpful — and where it starts to feel unsettling. Can AI help us understand ourselves better, or does it blur the line between self-awareness and algorithmic prediction?If you’ve ever found yourself using AI to process your thoughts, explore philosophy, or question your own mind, this conversation will hit close to home.

Lately, I’ve been thinking again about how strange religion really is. No matter how deep the question goes, it always seems to end with “you just have to believe.” For someone who lives on reason and fact, that’s a hard pill to swallow.In this episode, I talk about my struggle with faith and how I tend to bounce between nihilism and absurdism — one moment feeling like nothing matters, and the next trying to find peace in the chaos of it all.But I also see the beauty in religion — the way it brings people together, gives them purpose, and inspires them to be better for themselves and their communities.If you’ve ever questioned what you believe, wrestled with meaning, or just enjoy open conversations about faith, reason, philosophy, and spirituality, this one’s for you.religion, faith, belief, reason, nihilism, absurdism, spirituality, philosophy podcast, existentialism, meaning of life

What can a 2-year-old dancing to the national anthem teach us about parenting, mindfulness, and meaning? In this episode, I reflect on how children see the world without expectations, what meditation reveals about the mind’s stories, and how my wife and I reconnected on our first real date as parents. A mix of family, love, and self-awareness.

In this episode, I share personal stories about how remembering what it’s like to be a child has helped me become a more patient and empathetic parent. I also dive into insights from Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart and why naming our feelings is such a powerful tool for connection. This conversation is all about seeing the world through a child’s eyes, building emotional awareness, and growing as both a parent and a person.

Parenting is tough—and sometimes it feels like no one is talking about it. This week, I had a couple breakdowns, a few good laughs, and moments of realizing what truly fills my bucket. The hardest part? Not feeling like I’m good enough for my kids.In this episode, we get real about:The stress of parenting and why it builds upWhat’s causing the most pressure right nowHow to reset, recharge, and keep showing up for your kidsFinding small wins and laughter even in the chaosIf you’ve ever felt like you’re not measuring up as a parent—you’re not alone. This is a space for real talk, honest struggles, and encouragement for moms, dads, and anyone raising kids. Parenting podcast, parenting struggles, parenting stress, parenting burnout, not feeling good enough, raising kids, parenthood honesty, family life podcast, parenting challenges, mental health and parenting, parenting support, real talk parenting.