Circle This

Dre sits down with writer, teacher, and embodiment leader Natalie Kuhn, founder of Make the Sun and former Co-CEO of The Class. Natalie shares how her early experiences with conditional love shaped her sense of self, and how her current work in seminary and Al-Anon is revealing a different understanding of belonging and internal safety.       They explore the pressures of spiritual overload, the tendency to turn healing into constant self-improvement, and the impact this has on the nervous system. Natalie breaks down how breath and sound support emotional release, why the body often holds the breath under stress, and what happens physiologically and energetically during breath work ceremonies.       The conversation moves into the difference between loneliness and aloneness, the role of sound and voice for women who have been conditioned to stay quiet, and the relationship between energy, attention, and presence. Natalie also discusses the practice of listening beyond language and the effects of mirroring in group spaces, classrooms, and circles.       Dre reflects on her own experience in one of Natalie's ceremonies and the lasting shifts it created, as well as the parallels she has found between Al-Anon, circling, and her own facilitation work.       Follow: @thisisnatalie
Learn more: https://youmakethesun.com/
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 @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace 
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In this episode, beloved friend of the show, entrepreneur and founder, Nyakio "Kio" Grieco returns for a hard-won conversation about resilience, faith, and what adversity can reveal.  After being named in a lawsuit nine months ago—and recently cleared with a full retraction—Kio shares publicly for the first time, what it was like to sit in the unknown, navigate loneliness, and how she managed to maintain her role as a leader throughout it all.           Together they explore gangster gratitude, shadow work, and how gossip or cross-talk create toxic intimacy. They dive into projection, reputation, and the illusory nature of other people's perceptions.  Kio shares substantial takeaways from this testing experience:  how challenges reveal who your people are, how success doesn't require partnership with a man, and that spiritual leadership belongs in the boardroom.         This conversation reminds us pain is universal, that witnessing is one of the most powerful forms of love, and that circling can accelerate healing in ways nothing else can.  it's about becoming—even through adversity—the most self-aware, spiritually aligned, and unshakably grounded version of ourselves.         Follow:  @nyakio & @thirteenlune Learn More: www.thirteenlune.com         --         Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this special episode, Dre sits down with her 16-year-old son, the one and only Strummer James Rouse, for a tender, funny, and surprisingly profound look into the emotional world, entrepreneurial drive, and connection language of Gen Z.         Later, they're joined by Strummer's friend and collaborator, 19-year-old entrepreneur Jack Jiang, for an eye-opening second chapter on credibility, reputation, and the real cost of building a brand at a young age.       Sitting together in Tribeca, Dre and Strummer talk about everything from change-of-scenery magic ("even the rain lights me up") to why his generation is struggling with loneliness, and how ego, emotional fear, and screen culture all play a role.  For Strummer, texting has become a kind of safe frequency, a channel where vulnerability is easier, and where emotional truth feels less risky.       Raised in circles and supported by a charter school that prioritized emotional intelligence over grades, Strummer shares the early trainings that shaped him: learning to listen, to sit in presence, to share from the heart. He reflects on Covid as a turning point, the blessing and complexity of screen-based connection, and how fashion, and the stories behind what we wear create belonging.       Dre also takes us inside Strummer's entrepreneurial world: Selling his first shoe at nine. Landing his first job at thirteen by boldly walking in and saying, "What's it going to take for me to work here?"     Understanding that people aren't just buying clothes, they're buying the story, the experience, the connection.       Then Jack joins, sharp, vulnerable, and wise beyond his years. He talks about the pressure of growing up online, why reputation is everything, the art of paying attention to details, and how social credibility can make or break a business. He shares the story of opening his first appointment-only showroom at nineteen and explains the trend-based heartbeat of the fashion world.       This episode is a window into Gen Z's emotional landscape,  their honesty, their hustle, their heart, and a reminder that connection really is the currency that never loses value.                         Follow: @strummer.rouse @saturdayservicepodcast @legossssssssss     --     Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre welcomes storyteller and community-builder Tylah Jordan for full circle conversation about the unexpected pregnancy that changed the entire trajectory of her life.       Tylah opens up about discovering she was pregnant just one month into a new relationship, while navigating the weight of secrecy, shame, and a religious upbringing where she had never known anyone who became a mother outside of marriage. What could have been an isolating chapter instead became the doorway into a new identity, a deeper spiritual maturity, and the beginnings of Unfiltered Motherhood, the platform she now uses to support and anchor mothers in a world that often leaves them feeling alone.       Dre and Tylah circle around the real initiation of motherhood, the profound beauty, the need for connection and the parts rarely posted about, up until now.       Tylah shares effortlessly about her earlier experiences that shaped her, moving to LA at 18, financial separation from family, surviving sexual assault, toxic overload, and a period of being stalked that rewired her sense of safety.        These chapters became the soil of her spiritual awakening and the reason she felt drawn to women's circles years before she became a mother herself.       In one of the most beautiful full-circle moments, Tylah reveals how a meditation class she found on Instagram led her back to Dre,  the same woman who facilitated her first-ever circle at The Den Meditation six years earlier, the circle that sparked her entire spiritual path.  You couldn't script a more FULL circle moment!       This episode is a reminder that motherhood is not just about raising a child, it's about meeting the woman you're becoming. And that when one mother is supported, an entire family and the next generation is positively effected.     ---       Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre sits down with influencer, speaker, and sober-living advocate Abby Calabrese to explore what happens when we stop numbing and start feeling.         What began as a 100-day challenge for Abby became a life-changing journey back to her truest self. Together, she and Dre unpack how our culture glorifies alcohol as a social glue, how "performing vulnerability" has replaced true emotional honesty, and how radical self-truth can set us free.         This episode invites listeners to look at their own attachments, whether to substances, screens, or stories and consider what might open up when we stop outsourcing our confidence and joy.         Tune in for a connected conversation about reclaiming authenticity, presence, and your power from the inside out. Follow Abby: @alcoholfreeabby Learn More At: https://www.abbycalabrese.com/       --         Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace
 For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

Recorded in New York City where it all began, Dre and Em reflect on how everything in life unfolds in systems, patterns, seasons, and cycles.        They circle around their love–hate relationship with social media, exploring the irony of creating a podcast about connection while spending so much time in virtual spaces and what happens to our nervous systems, creativity, and sense of belonging when we finally gather in person.       They also touch on the rise of "outsourced intimacy" from dating apps to digital wellness and how we're losing the art of being with one another.  Together, they reframe what's "hard," remind us that giving and receiving are two sides of the same gift, and share stories that reveal how mindset creates reality.       They end with a call to connection: step away from the screen, gather your people, and create an opportunity to engage with one another in real life.  Because luck and love aren't random. We create them.     --     Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace
 For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre welcomes actor, writer, director and all around creator, Alicia Coppola, a woman whose artistry and honesty are inseparable from her healing.  They reflect on meeting and circling in countless audition rooms, and how they intuitively unsubscribed from the narrative of competition and scarcity.         Alicia opens up about grief, loss, and how creating art has always been her way to understand and alchemize pain.  She shares about her latest chapter: relocating her family to support her child's athletic dreams, giving away nearly everything she owned, and finding expansion in letting go. Together, Dre and Alicia explore what it means to parent with presence, how to let your children show you who they are and to truly listen.       We learn about Transmission Moms, a movement born from Alicia's desire to help families and the medical community better understand and support children navigating gender identity. Her mission is simple: to make sure every child feels heard, seen, and safe enough to live their authentic truth.       From The I'm Sorry Monologues to her work as a storyteller and advocate, Alicia reminds us that art is both medicine and message — a way to transform pain into purpose, and isolation into connection.       Follow: @Alicia_Coppola        --       Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace
 For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre is joined by two beloved friends and returning guests: producer and screenwriter Kristin Hahn and acting coach Leigh Kilton Smith. Together, they circle around how they've navigated decades of friendship—through grief, distance, conflict, and reconciliation—and what it really takes to sustain intimacy over time. They speak to the discipline of giving one another space and grace, the courage of telling hard truths, and the sacred act of creating magic with and for one another.         Beyond friendship, this conversation dives into the realities of aging, existential malaise, and even the call to become death doulas. They share what it's like to face the shifting way the world sees women as they grow, and how talking about death can actually enrich the way we live. Kristin, Leigh, and Dre remind us that friendship is an art form, and as sacred and precious as any marriage.           Follow Leigh: @respectfulleigh Follow Kristin: @Kristin.Hahn1       --     Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace
 For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this powerful episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar Singh welcomes Dre, to explain the profound impact of women's circles on healing and connection, drawn from her two decades of facilitating these communal story-sharing experiences. Dre shares how this ancient practice is making a modern-day comeback, and why it's more essential than ever.        The conversation explores the science behind communal experiences, such as the role of mirror neurons and the release of oxytocin, often called the "bonding hormone," which is released during emotionally safe, connected interactions. They describe how simply being in a circle can reduce stress and support emotional regulation, just through listening. Dre describes participating in her first women's circle as a "chemical shift," that ultimately inspired her to share the practice with others.        Dre also explains how Circling differs from therapy, the guidelines and structure that make a circle feel safe and sacred, and how this kind of presence can function as a powerful form of re-parenting, offering the emotional attunement and validation many of us missed growing up.       If you're curious about joining a circle, this episode is a powerful reminder that healing happens in community, and that listening itself can be medicine.       The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.     Order Dr. Avanti's books:  The Longevity Formula, The Health Catalyst Energy Fix Quiz: avantikumarsingh.com/quiz Explore more at avantikumarsingh.com     --     Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace
 For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this anniversary episode, Dre & Em reflect on the lessons and breakthroughs from their first year of recording Circle This. From battling perfectionism and self-criticism to learning the art of "progress over perfection," they share the highs, lows, and unexpected gifts of the creative process.     The conversation flows through gratitude for every listener, message, and share—the living proof of The Ripple Effect. Together, they unpack the myths around working with friends, how astrology helped them honor each other's creative blueprints, and why following curiosity is the truest compass.     With inspiration from Rick Rubin's The Creative Act, this episode celebrates creativity as a miracle, failure as information, and community as fuel for generating. Along the way, they reveal how audio texts can function as "digital circles," how reframing words can shift energy ("up until now…"), and how falling in love with the present moment is the ultimate remedy for comparison, fear, and resistance.     One year in, Dre & Em are still circling with the same hope that started it all: that every conversation reminds you that you are not alone.   --   Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace
 For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre circles with artist, intuitive coach, and spiritual midwife Anne Emerson to explore the power of re-patterning the beliefs that keep us stuck in old stories.     For over five decades, Anne has guided people through Holographic Repatterning™, a therapeutic technology that uses applied kinesiology to trace issues and blockages that appear as problems in our present experience. These blocks can be emotional, mental and even physical, and seem impossible to unravel.  The issues are anchored in our unconscious from past traumas, but appear in our present as goals that can't be met, issues that don't get resolved no matter how hard we try, negative patterns that occur again and again whenever there is stress in our lives.     HR (Holographic Repatterning™) uses the technique of muscle checking to access the unconscious, and in a very accurate and non-dramatic way allows client and practitioner to trace the history of the present issue to its root in the past, and release it through the combination of awareness and vibrational healing techniques.  By the end of a session, there is a noticeable release of tension around the issue(s) that are keeping the client stuck. The client can then move more easily in the direction of positive change, with more profound and permanent results. Together, Dre and Anne explore the ways our limiting beliefs show up as repeated patterns, how anger can actually be a sacred tool for transformation, and why our quirks often hold the keys to our superpowers.   Anne invites us to meet the subtleties of our emotions—especially the ones we resist—and to embrace anger not as something to fear, but as a boundary-setting force that begins the process of transformation. They also circle around themes of astrology, human design, manifestation, and the myth of "purpose"—revealing how our true purpose isn't about doing, but about being.   --     This conversation is a reminder that when we clear the stories keeping us small, we return to our authentic selves—whole, free, and connected.   Follow: @anneemersonart Learn more: thepassionatejourney.com     --   Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace Sponsorships: circlethispod@gmail.com

On this episode, Dre welcomes comedian and creator Manon Mathews to circle around the wild ride of new motherhood and the courage it takes to keep creating through it all.      Together they unpack the loneliness that comparison creates, the surprising freedom in radical honesty, and the way pain can be our teacher.  Manon reflects on her creative process — embracing spontaneity, catching inspiration before it dissipates and committing to share from wherever she is.      This is a conversation about creative freedom, the power of laughter, and the connection between healing and humor.     --   Follow: @manonmathews Learn More At: http://www.manonmathews.com/ Check out Manon's podcast: ManonFestation      Order Manon's Book: FUNNY HOW IT WORKS OUT: Personal Stories & Lessons On How I Got My SH*T Together     --     Circle This is proudly sponsored by Sow to Speak for the month of September. Listeners receive 20% off when you sign up with the code CIRCLE.  Learn more here: UNmuted Program Details Highlighting UNmuted—a powerful resource designed to support high-achieving female leaders, especially moms in senior-level roles. UNmuted helps women navigate difficult conversations with confidence, courage, and grace. Or visit sowtospeak.com for more information on all their offerings and programs.      --       Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre circles with teacher and facilitator Bex Urban on the mind-body connection and the practice of staying soft when life gets loud.     Together they explore how our quirks can be our superpowers, why shadow work is a doorway to deeper self-acceptance, and how the most intimate relationship we'll ever have is with ourselves. From meeting old patterns in new ways, to updating our inner "operating system," to regulating the nervous system with the simple mantra Peace Begins With Me—this conversation is a reminder that we can change our minds, soften our hearts, and anchor in truth.     Whether you're navigating shifting seasons, a changing body, or the noise of a distracted world, Bex offers grounded tools and timeless wisdom to help you return to center and live wholeheartedly—right here, right now.     Follow: @BexUrban Learn more: bexurban.com & youtube.com/c/bexurban     Circle This is proudly sponsored by Sow to Speak for the month of September. Listeners receive 20% off when you sign up with the code CIRCLE.  Learn more here: UNmuted Program Details Highlighting UNmuted—a powerful resource designed to support high-achieving female leaders, especially moms in senior-level roles. UNmuted helps women navigate difficult conversations with confidence, courage, and grace. Or visit sowtospeak.com for more information on all their offerings and programs.      --     Follow: @alldondre Learn More At: https://www.dondrewhitfield.com/   Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com  

On this episode, Dre sits down with actor, author, conscious leader and soul brother, Dondre Whitfield to circle around listening as an act of love, the dance between divine feminine and masculine energies, and the distinction between male vs. man.       Despite their opposing appearances and backgrounds, Dre and Dondre first recognized each other as "tribe" when they met at the High School of Performing Arts. It was here where empathy was learned and forged through listening to one another's struggles, discovering the universality of pain.  They reflect on how those lessons in emotional intelligence still guide them today.     Together, they explore why affirmation is one of the most activating gifts we can give to each other, and how we need to feel seen and heard to survive.  Dondre shares insights on partnership, parenting, and the importance of being a model for what we wish others to mirror.       From redefining what it means to be a man of service, to embracing both divine feminine and masculine energies, this conversation invites us to consider what true balance looks like—not perfection, but enough to create alignment with our divine assignment.      Dondre shares the way he walks through the world,  seeing everyone as necessary to our shared ecosystem, and remembering that when we listen with love, we have the power to change the world.     --   Circle This is proudly sponsored by Sow to Speak for the month of September. Listeners receive 20% off when you sign up with the code CIRCLE.  Learn more here: UNmuted Program Details Highlighting UNmuted—a powerful resource designed to support high-achieving female leaders, especially moms in senior-level roles. UNmuted helps women navigate difficult conversations with confidence, courage, and grace. Or visit sowtospeak.com for more information on all their offerings and programs.      --     Follow: @alldondre Learn More At: https://www.dondrewhitfield.com/   Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace For sponsorship inquiries, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

We're back! After a brief sacred summer pause, Dre and Em return with fresh energy, big gratitude, and a reminder that the ripple effect is very real. In this conversation, they celebrate an unexpected milestone — Circle This was named the #1 podcast in the category of Spirituality on GoodPods for the month of August. Because the charts are based not just on listens, but on engagement, comments, and shares, this honor feels especially meaningful — it reflects the heart of the Circle This community.     Together, Dre and Em reflect on the passing of Summer, the anticipation of fall, and the power of creating what you seek. They explore synchronicities, intuition versus fear, and what it means to listen for whispers — realizing that often we are the very signs someone else is waiting for. They also circle around the pressure of "making the right choice" and offer a reframe: there's no wrong way forward, only the practice of choosing what's in alignment.     --     Circle This is proudly sponsored by Sow to Speak for the month of September. Listeners receive 20% off when you sign up with the code CIRCLE.  Learn more here: UNmuted Program Details Highlighting UNmuted—a powerful resource designed to support high-achieving female leaders, especially moms in senior-level roles. UNmuted helps women navigate difficult conversations with confidence, courage, and grace. Or visit sowtospeak.com for more information on all their offerings and programs.      --   This episode is a celebration of growth, flow, and the reminders that guide us back to ourselves.  Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To sponsor Circle This, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this special episode we have curated a compilation of standout conversations from our first 38 episodes.  Featuring wand drop moments from some of our many guests, from producer/screenwriter, Kristin Hahn, to astrologer/psychologist, Debra Silverman, to journalist Brooke Baldwin and many more. Stories that inspire us, lessons that stayed with us and voices that lit up the circle.  Whether you're new here or have been circling with us from the start, this is a great place to explore, reflect and experience the power of connection.    --   Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @tracenthomas To sponsor Circle This, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode of Circle This, Dre sits down with meditation teacher and author Megan Monahan to explore the question Do I want to be liked, or do I want to be loved? A layered conversation about the places where spirituality meets humanity and where our practices are tested not on the meditation cushion, but in the messy moments of real life.   Megan and Dre share about the patterns of codependency, the subtle addiction to being liked, and the uncomfortable but necessary shift toward true self-connection and interdependence. They talk about emotional bandwidth, spiritual bypassing, and how to stop outsourcing your worth to others. This episode invites you to notice your triggers, to hold yourself in discomfort, and to honor the sacred practice of being, rather than constantly doing.   They discuss what it means to embody the divine feminine, how to walk through resistance with integrity, and how to recognize the proof-of-concept moments that show you just how far you've come. Healing doesn't always look graceful and transformation rarely asks for your approval.   --   Follow Megan: @megmonahan Learn more at: meganmonahan.com Check out her 21-day meditation series: Link Here! Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @tracenthomas To sponsor Circle This, email: circlethispod@gmail.com  

In this episode Dre is joined by psychic medium Jonathan Mark—martial artist, lacrosse player , and lifelong skeptic—whose unexpected gift now helps families and detectives across the country solve cases and find connection after loss.   He never set out to do this work. But the messages kept coming. Loud. Specific. Unshakable. And soon, so did the calls—from grieving loved ones and law enforcement agencies such as NYPD, DA's office, and FBI asking for extra insight no one else could provide.   From scientific studies at MIT and Johns Hopkins that confirm unusual brain activity during readings, to the intuitive "screenshots" spirit sends him, Jonathan's work blends the mystical with the grounded—always with humility and deep care.   Together, Dre and Jonathan explore what it means to hold space between worlds. They talk about the science behind his gift, the grief that opens us, and the symbols spirit uses to reach across the veil. And the sacred responsibility of listening to what sometimes is hard for people to hear.   Johnathan illustrates just how connected we are and continue to be even when someone has crossed over, so much love remains.   Follow Jonathan on IG & TikTok: @Jonathanmarkmedium Learn more at: https://jonathanmark.net/   -- Stay connected with the Circle This team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @tracenthomas   To sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com

In this episode, Dre sits down with Stephanie Ferrario, founder of SheCan—a global movement and media platform amplifying women's voices through storytelling, education, and community. With over 3 million organic listeners, SheCan has become a living archive of transformation, visibility, and purpose.   Together, Dre and Stephanie circle around the questions: What makes a mentor? Why is emotional wellbeing a collective issue? How do circles help us sit with discomfort, regulate our nervous systems, and remind us we're not alone? From sitting with women in Ethiopia to launching a digital movement, Stephanie shares how SheCan was born in circle, listening to women's lived experiences and inviting the world to be inspired by them. They explore how internalized patriarchy, ageism, and competition keep women from rising, up until now, and how storytelling dismantles those myths.   This episode is both a love letter and a call to action: to gather, to witness, to build a new archive where her story matters—because when one woman rises, she lifts many. Follow Stephanie & SheCan: @stefferrario & @she.can.world Learn more: www.shecan.world Subscribe: YouTube - SheCan World -- Stay connected with us: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To sponsor this podcast, email: circlethispod@gmail.com

Most birthday celebrations are filled with gifts, cake, and casual conversation. But what if the real gift was presence—the kind that invites everyone to connect in a deep, meaningful way?   In this episode, Dre and Em are joined by Emily's best friend, David Perlman, who shares what it was like to celebrate his birthday in a completely different way: by sitting in circle. Instead of the usual dinner and side conversations, the group dropped into something sacred—an intentional space for reflection, vulnerability, and connection.   David reflects on how simply creating space for a shared experience, guided by Dre's facilitation, allowed everyone to be seen, heard, and moved—to laughter, to tears, and to something unforgettable.   Whether you're curious about circling or already hold space for others, this conversation is a beautiful reminder: we don't need a special occasion to create sacred connection. We just need the intention. This episode is an invitation to rethink how we gather—not just for birthdays, but for life. -- Stay connected with the Circle This Team: @andreabendewald @circlethispodcast @emkratter @goodmessmedia @talkwithtrace To Sponsor Circle This Podcast, email circlethispod@gmail.com