The Discomfort Practice

What happens when you revisit something you once said with conviction… and realise you'd express it differently today? In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy reflects on the strange experience of discovering that one of her older episodes, The World Is Evolving. Are You?, has quietly become the most downloaded episode in the 5 years this podcast has been produced. So she went back and listened. And cringed. This episode is about the discomfort of encountering your past thinking in public, and the quiet, ongoing work of evolving how we speak about the world and our place in it. In this episode, Betsy explores: Revisiting past ideas and noticing what has changed The gap between what we believe and how we express it How privilege can show up subtly in tone and framing The tension between personal agency narratives and structural realities What it means to evolve in public rather than in private This is an episode for anyone who has ever revisited their own work and realised they might say things differently today. If this landed for you: Follow and message Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge — some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com

What if indifference isn't always apathy, but is sometimes rooted in discernment? In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy explores intentional indifference as a mature, regulated response to a world that constantly pulls for reaction, access, and emotional labour. Not the numb, checked-out kind, but the kind that comes from knowing where your energy actually belongs. This episode is about withdrawing attention without withdrawing integrity. About choosing not to engage - not because you can't, but because you won't. In this episode, Betsy explores: The difference between avoidance and intentional indifference Why over-responsiveness is often mistaken for care (and leadership) How indifference can be an act of self-respect, not dismissal What it means to stop being "available for extraction" Indifference as a nervous-system skill - not a mindset trick How leaders, creatives, and sensitives burn out by caring too broadly This is an episode for anyone who has been told they're "too much," "too intense," or "too available" and is ready to practice cleaner, quieter power. If this episode landed for you: Follow and message Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for (Voice) Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy speaks directly into the current moment: politically, socially and somatically. Recorded in February 2026, amid rising authoritarianism, surveillance and collective nervous system overload, this episode is a grounded, unsmoothed reflection on what it means to stay human, regulated and ethically awake when the world feels volatile. Anchored by a teaching from Thích Nhất Hạnh, Betsy explores the idea of war loops: the internal patterns of fear, urgency, compliance, reactivity and self-betrayal that quietly rehearse the very dynamics we say we want to resist. This is not a political analysis or a call to action. It's a nervous-system-level inquiry into freedom, leadership and choice, especially for those embedded in corporate or institutional systems who find themselves asking, "But what can I actually do?" In this episode, Betsy explores: What Thích Nhất Hạnh meant by "uprooting war from ourselves" How authoritarian dynamics are rehearsed internally through unregulated nervous systems The difference between response and reaction in moments of pressure Why smoothing, complying or "keeping things nice" is not neutrality How self-regulation becomes a form of ethical and political agency What it means to tolerate discomfort without outsourcing your values How leadership begins with interrupting internal war loops Mid-episode nervous system practice: A short, grounding regulation exercise designed to interrupt fear-based loops and restore choice before analysis or decision-making. Closing inquiry + practice: Betsy guides listeners through a reflective somatic inquiry: Where is the war within me? Exploring how internalised pressure, urgency, contempt or shutdown show up — and how to contain them without judgment. This episode is for listeners who are paying attention, feeling the cost of that attention in their bodies, and wanting to stay clear, calm and human without turning away. A gentle invitation after you listen: No fixing. No forcing. Just noticing: Where you feel pressure to comply Where you override your own signals Where you rehearse domination, contempt or self-erasure Where choice becomes possible again through regulation If this episode landed for you: Follow and message Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps) Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed for Voice Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only: substack.com/thebetsyreed Work with Betsy: coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com

In this expansive and clear-eyed conversation, host Betsy Reed is joined by journalist and leading sustainability commentator James Murray, founding Editor-in-Chief of BusinessGreen. Together, they explore what it means to stay awake, human and oriented in the face of accelerating climate risk, AI and systemic uncertainty. Recorded at a moment when climate tipping points are no longer abstract projections but lived realities, their dialogue flows between science, politics, technology and psychology. Betsy and James examine how climate change has become a kind of "theory of everything", shaping economics, geopolitics, migration and everyday life, and what it takes to remain informed without tipping into paralysis, denial or performative optimism. With honesty and nuance, they discuss the real risks in the future, the breakthroughs already underway, and the inner work required to hold the tension of either a potentially catastrophic or a potentially bright future. Because, right now, we don't know which we are heading for. This is a conversation about choosing informed optimism as a practice not a posture, and about learning how to stay in relationship with complexity rather than turning away from it. In this episode: What climate tipping points really are and why they matter now Why climate change has become a "theory of everything" for modern life The emotional and psychological impact of watching seasons, systems and certainties shift within a single lifetime Where real hope lives: clean tech, adoption curves and the pace of innovation Carbon removal, regenerative approaches and what comes next The tension between democratic processes and the urgency of climate action Navigating the information Wild West without losing discernment What it means to practise informed optimism in dark and uncertain times   About James Murray James Murray is the founding editor-in-chief of BusinessGreen, the UK's leading publication covering the green economy, net-zero transition and sustainable business. He launched BusinessGreen in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades reporting on, analysing and challenging the evolution of climate policy, clean technology and corporate responsibility. In 2020, he was named Digital Editor of the Year at the AOP Awards. His work is widely read by policymakers, business leaders and sustainability practitioners navigating the transition to a low-carbon economy. Read James' piece  The Climate Theory of Everything Check out the Business Green website Connect with Betsy Instagram: @thebetsyreed Like, subscribe and leave a 5-star review wherever you listen to podcasts to help more people discover The Discomfort Practice Check out Betsy's new, more personal Substack, (Voice) Notes From the Edge, to get her 'hot takes,' deeper reflections and behind-the-scenes insights  

In this intimate solo episode, Betsy records from the threshold: posting unscripted, later than planned and exactly when it needed to be shared. Recorded in January 2026, after what she calls the personal "meat-grinder" year of 2025, this episode is a love letter to anyone doing something alone: building, healing, choosing integrity, setting boundaries or standing between versions of themselves in a quiet, liminal space. This is not a pep talk. It's a nervous system-level offering for those moments when life goes quiet and the stories about aloneness get loud. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why aloneness is not a failure, but often the felt experience of integrity How liminal spaces show up when we stop abandoning ourselves The difference between being alone and being unsupported Why quiet seasons often arrive right before a new chapter How support doesn't always look like people (and what else counts as support) Letting go of the macro stories we attach to those moments when we feel alone A simple nervous system practice: Betsy shares a gentle, grounding breath practice she calls "the you don't have to do anything breath", designed to bring you back from spirals of story into the present moment. You'll be guided to: Breathe in for four Pause gently Breathe out for six Repeat 4–6 times Along with a simple anchoring phrase: "You don't have to do anything right now. You are allowed to pause." Resources mentioned: Focusmate – quiet online coworking sessions with a stranger for gentle accountability and presence - https://app.focusmate.com/  Audiobooks and podcasts as regulating companions, including books by Brené Brown Routine as support: food, movement, breath, tidying, eye contact with yourself Co-regulation with animals (especially dogs or cats) A soft invitation: Listeners are invited (no pressure) to notice what support already exists and what could support them: One place that calms you One voice that steadies you One practice that brings you back One person (or future version of you) who has survived this before No forcing. No fixing. Just presence. If this episode landed for you: Betsy would love to hear what resonated, what didn't, and what you'd like more of. You can: Follow and message her on Instagram @thebetsyreed Subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a five-star review (it truly helps). Here's Apple and Spotify for easy access. Join her on Substack at The Betsy Reed, where she shares Voice Notes from the Edge - some public, some subscriber-only - for those who want a closer seat to her thinking, practices and lived evolution thebetsyreed.substack.com Work with Betsy For coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and the People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com Check out Embodied Leadership Lab for monthly leadership circles and quarterly planning sessions (starting ahead of Q2 2026): www.embodiedleadershiplab.com (it'll take you to Betsy's website)

In this powerful solo episode, Betsy explores what it means to live, lead, and stay human in what philosopher Antonio Gramsci famously called "the time of monsters" - the in-between space where the old world is dying and the new world is still struggling to be born. Recorded at the close of 2025, this episode is an invitation for anyone standing at a threshold: the end of a year, a relationship, a job, an identity, or an old way of being. Betsy reframes overwhelm, grief, and exhaustion not as personal failure, but as signs of initiation - evidence that you are awake, feeling, and participating in the birth of something new. This is a reflection, a transmission, and a practice for those navigating collapse with consciousness. In this episode, Betsy explores: What "the time of monsters" really means, beyond politics or villains Why exhaustion, grief, anger, and sensitivity are appropriate responses right now How collapse acts as an initiation into embodied sovereignty What embodied leadership actually looks like (and why charisma isn't the point) Why boundaries, nervous system regulation, and saying no are revolutionary acts How initiations happen in ordinary moments - emails, conversations, rest The difference between being "nice" and being kind (especially to yourself) Why monsters are often teachers and how they accelerate your path How to practice the new world instead of talking about it A reflection exercise to take with you: Instead of measuring your life by achievement, try asking: Where did I meet monsters (and what did they teach me)? What parts of me am I letting die? What new world am I quietly embodying through my boundaries, voice, and presence? How am I practicing the future I want to live in? A gentle practice shared in the episode: Betsy introduces a version of the "Just Like Me," her favourite compassion practice, a simple but radical way to soften separation, regulate the nervous system and practice leadership through humanity. Links & Resources Subscribe to Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack For deeper access, weekly voice notes, behind-the-scenes sovereignty reflections and a front-row seat to Betsy's inner world: thebetsyreed.substack.com Subscribe and follow The Discomfort Practice Wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's Apple and Spotify for easy access. Work with Betsy For coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and the People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com Check out the brand spanking new Embodied Leadership Lab for monthly leadership circles and quarterly planning sessions (starting ahead of Q2 2026): www.embodiedleadershiplab.com (it'll take you to Betsy's website) If you enjoyed this episode Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review: it genuinely helps Share it with someone navigating their own edge Join Betsy on Substack for deeper, more intimate exploration  

This is a good one from the archives - back in January 2023, when memories of the COVID-19 pandemic (and the trauma) was still fresh. Betsy interviewed Pilar Garrido, who was Minister for Economic Development in Costa Rica during the pandemic and went to work every day determined to 'lead from love.'  This is posted toward the end of 2025, a year in which many of us have witnessed leadership and counter reactions that come from fear or ego, not love. It's a particularly poignant, beautiful episode to remind us that it IS possible to lead from love, and that each of us can choose to lead - whatever our sphere of influence - from love.  -- A recap of the original episode: In this episode of the Discomfort Practice, Betsy talks with political scientist and economist Pilar Garrido. They chat about her experience leading a sustainable economic development policy in Costa Rica for a green and inclusive economy, as well as designing projects to create public benefit. Pilar has long been a key figure, using her previous role as a Government Minister to steer Costa Rica's ambition to be one of the five countries piloting the Sustainable Development Goals. SDG's were launched by the United Nations in 2015. Their aim is to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030, all people enjoy peace and prosperity.  So, buckle yourself in for this episode and be inspired by a politician who governs with both heart and strength. She has served as Chief of Staff, Deputy Minister, Minister of Planning and Policy, Technical Secretary of the Sustainable Development Goals in Costa Rica and as Costa Rica's co-ordinator of the Economic cabinet.  Pilar has since moved on to become Director of Development Cooperation for the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), based in Paris; it's a role that allows her to bring her style of leadership-with-heart to her work on a global level. Key Points Discussed: The discomfort Pilar experienced whilst becoming a politician and minister at a young age, especially during the Pandemic, as she describes as being like on the front line (5:20) Choosing to work from a place of love (08:20)  Making difficult choices and creating policies to protect people during the Pandemic (12:20) Pilar's journey from political scientist to advisor to politician (14:50) Costa Rica's initiatives to put humanity and sustainability first, before economics (23:40) How to have a big impact in politics: where your job is not forever (27:00) Part of Pilar's legacy: diversifying an economy that has previously heavily relied just on tourism, so that it is healthy and robust (31:00) The IDG framework (that Costa Rica are one of the first countries to pilot), which aims towards eradicating hunger, poverty, sustainability and ensuring human rights. The IDG's (Inner Development Goals) consists of five dimensions: Being (relationship to self); Thinking (using your brain); Relating (and caring about others in the world); Collaborating (social skills and society) and Acting (driving change) (36:40)  How everyone can do something small, that will collectively make a big impact (46:00)  Pilar's optimism for the future (51:10)    If you want to get a front-row seat to Betsy's innermost thoughts as she evolves into a more embodied, sovereign human - her messiness, her breakthroughs, and her real-time reflections - subscribe to her Substack, Voice Notes from the Edge. It's where she shares the unfiltered pieces of her journey she can't share anywhere else. Links & Resources Subscribe to Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack For deeper access, weekly voice notes, behind-the-scenes sovereignty reflections, and a front-row seat to Betsy's inner world: thebetsyreed.substack.com Subscribe and follow The Discomfort Practice Wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's Apple and Spotify for easy access. Work with Betsy For coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and the People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com If you enjoyed this episode Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review: it genuinely helps Share it with someone navigating their own edge Join Betsy inside Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack for deeper, more intimate exploration

In this very personal 20-minute solo, Betsy steps into the uncomfortable, liberating terrain of boundaries as a pleasure practice - a theme that emerged from her 2025 words of the year: alignment and precision. This episode is a transmission on sovereignty, somatic truth, and what it means to teach the choreography of your life through your energy, not your explanations. She reflects on a year of deep pruning of relationships, dynamics, and energetic leaks, and how that pruning has become sensual, sovereign, and delicious. She shares what it has meant to listen to her body's YES and NO, to shed old versions of herself, and to step into a more coherent, embodied expression of leadership. And, unexpectedly, she reveals how a Mastín-Labrador mix named Casper became her clearest mentor in embodied leadership, clean energetic signaling, and learning that access is a currency. This episode is for anyone feeling the pull toward deeper clarity, deeper alignment, and deeper sovereignty in how they give (and withhold) access to their life. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why "alignment" and "precision" became her seeds for 2025 How somatic intelligence (and a feeling of full-body NO) has driven a year of pruning Why boundaries aren't protection, punishment, or games, but pleasure, rhythm and choreography What her dog Casper has taught her about leadership, energy, and clean signals Why access is a currency and why sovereign humans manage access, not people The archetypes she released this year, from spiritual narcissists to emotional toddlers The ancestral roots of fawning and the embodied roots of sovereignty How boundaries create intimacy, not distance An invitation to treat your next boundary as a pleasure practice And this episode comes with an invitation: If you want to get a front-row seat to Betsy's innermost thoughts as she evolves into a more embodied, sovereign human - her messiness, her breakthroughs, and her real-time reflections - subscribe to her Substack, Voice Notes from the Edge. It's where she shares the unfiltered pieces of her journey she can't share anywhere else. Links & Resources Subscribe to Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack For deeper access, weekly voice notes, behind-the-scenes sovereignty reflections, and a front-row seat to Betsy's inner world: thebetsyreed.substack.com Subscribe and follow The Discomfort Practice Wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's Apple and Spotify for easy access. Work with Betsy For coaching, consulting, speaking, embodied leadership sessions, upcoming community circles, and the People Like Us dinners across Europe: www.betsy-reed.com If you enjoyed this episode Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review: it genuinely helps Share it with someone navigating their own edge Join Betsy inside Voice Notes from the Edge for deeper, more intimate exploration

In this very personal 20-minute solo episode, Betsy steps into her own edge. She announces the launch of a new offering: Voice Notes from the Edge, her Substack home for the people who want deeper access to her world, her thoughts, her voice. This episode is a transmission - an intimate reflection on sovereignty, devotion, and the kind of people who choose to walk with you not because they "follow" you, but because they recognise themselves in your voice and work. She shares why she's creating a paid sanctuary, because she's ready to be witnessed more deeply in order to help others feel ready to be witnessed themselves, and what it means to build a community of companions. She invites you, if you feel the pull, to step inside and join her in her living room. In this episode, Betsy explores: Why she's launching Voice Notes from the Edge - and why now The real purpose of creating a paid sanctuary (and why it's not about money) How The Discomfort Practice has evolved into a more intimate ecosystem where she can share her inner world What it means to create a gang, a council, a gathering of people committed to their own sovereignty Her own edge in being more visible, more vulnerable, and more herself An invitation into her sanctuary, as equals choosing dept Links & Resources: Subscribe to Voice Notes from the Edge on Substack For bonus episodes of The Discomfort Practice + raw, behind-the-scenes sovereignty reflections thebetsyreed.substack.com Subscribe and like The Discomfort Practice podcast home wherever you listen to podcasts - here's Apple and Spotify Work with Betsy for coaching, consulting, speaking, upcoming community circles and People Like Us dinners in various European cities, check out her website www.betsy-reed.com  If you enjoyed this episode: Subscribe, rate, and leave a written review Share it with someone who is navigating their own edge Join Betsy inside Voice Notes from the Edge for deeper, more intimate explorations

In this deeply moving conversation, host Betsy Reed welcomes back longtime friend and activist Isa Noyola, Director of the Border Butterflies Project at the Transgender Law Center, to explore what it means to live, love, and lead on the frontlines of collective liberation. Recorded in October 2025, their conversation travels from shared memories of queer resistance and joy in the American South to the stark realities of immigrant detention and the rising tide of authoritarianism. Through it all, Isa reminds us that trans joy, softness, and connection are radical acts of resistance, and that redefining our relationship with "the monsters" is how we stay human. Together, Betsy and Isa revisit the beginning of their friendship and activism, after meeting at a conservative Christian university, reflect on the resilience of marginalized communities, and discuss how to sustain hope and energy when the world feels overwhelming. It's a powerful, vulnerable, and timely dialogue about courage, community, and the necessity of beauty and joy in dark times. In this episode: Queer resistance and trans liberation in a shifting political landscape The ongoing fight against ICE detention and criminalization of migrants How language, history, and cultural memory shape identity Pacing activism without martyrdom Trans joy and softness as political acts Redefining your relationship with "the monsters" — and finding freedom in that About Isa Noyola Isa Noyola is a first-generation Mexican trans Latina, cultural strategist, and movement visionary focused on collective liberation. She serves as Director of the Border Butterflies Project at the Transgender Law Center, advocating for the release of trans women in ICE detention and the abolition of systems that dehumanize migrant communities. A pioneering activist and national leader in the LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights movements, Issa's work blends fierce care, strategic imagination, and deep compassion to push for systemic change and collective love. Connect with Betsy Instagram: @thebetsyreed Subscribe and leave a review to help more people discover The Discomfort Practice Keep an eye out for Betsy's new Substack community to get her 'hot takes,' deeper reflections and behind-the-scenes insights (coming soon). Please do subscribe, share, and leave a 5-star review if this conversation stretched your comfort zone...  

In this solo episode of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy reflects on what it means to live and prosper beyond capitalism's conditioning. She's been recently moving through a deep personal detox and life transition and explores how WildFit, a nutritional and emotional reset, has become a catalyst for examining - well, everything. Her relationship with productivity, prosperity, and self-worth as well as with why and what she eats. Betsy talks about how capitalist systems teach us to see ourselves and others as "human resources," valued only for what we produce,  and how unlearning that story requires reclaiming rest, coherence, and trust. She shares how seasonal rhythms where she lives in southern Spain have guided her to align more closely with her own natural cycles rather than external expectations of constant output. From re-writing internal scripts ("Time is cyclical and you are always in season") to stepping back from work that doesn't value her, Betsy invites listeners into a deeply human conversation about redefining abundance -  not as accumulation or achievement, but as reciprocity, alignment, and integrity. She speaks candidly about shame around financial safety, the myth of "adulthood = stability," and what it means to build true sovereignty as a single woman and creative professional. And she reminds us that the energy of abundance isn't about efforting or proving: it's about coherence, trust, and allowing life to hold you. This is a raw, tender, and deeply reflective episode about creating post-capitalist abundance in practice: relational, regenerative, and grounded in self-trust. -- If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share it with others who might need a little inspiration! Help us spread the word by leaving a five-star and written review, and use #BeTheChange #TheDiscomfortPractice on social media to share your journey. Follow Betsy on Instagram @thebetsyreed  

What does it mean to stay human in the age of AI? In this episode ,BetsyI welcomse back Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - psychologist, author, and provocateur - to explore how technology is reshaping not just what we do, but who we are becoming as humans. From dating-app algorithms to digital narcissism, Tomas explains how AI mirrors our worst tendencies—bias, impatience, distraction—and why true curiosity always involves discomfort. Together they look at how efficiency can be inhumane, what "realistic optimism" about AI sounds like, and how we can reclaim what makes us unique: connection, creativity, and care.  In this episode we explore AI as a mirror: Why our algorithms don't invent new flaws so much as magnify our existing ones — bias, impatience, distraction, and the cult of efficiency. The erosion of curiosity: How the "microwave for ideas" that is generative AI can dull our hunger for the unknown — and why true curiosity always involves discomfort. Efficiency vs empathy: Why speed and optimisation are, by definition, inhumane — and how slowing down may be the ultimate rebellion. A realistic optimism: The hopeful case for AI as a co-pilot that de-biases decisions, automates drudgery, and frees us to re-invest in what makes us uniquely human: connection, creativity, and care. Our responsibility: The uncomfortable truth that we're still driving the car. AI isn't ethical or unethical — we are. Learning to steer is the task of our time. Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is a Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Visiting Professor at Columbia University. He's an international authority on psychological profiling and talent management, author of I, Human and Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders (and How to Fix It), and a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review. Connect Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic — tomaschamorro.com | @drtcp Betsy Reed — @thebetsyreed | thebetsyreed.com Please subscribe, share, and leave a 5-star review if this conversation stretched your comfort zone...  

In this episode, Betsy reflects on the question she's been pondering deeply: "The world is changing fast. Are you changing with it? Are you being the change you want to see in the world?" She explores how we can shift from being stuck in the narratives of fear and decline to consciously creating our own story and living a life that reflects joy, love, and curiosity. Betsy shares her own experiences with metaphysical study and coaching, offering both inspiration and relief for anyone struggling with the idea of "purpose." Instead of worrying about finding your one purpose, she encourages you to follow curiosity and love as your guides to becoming the change. This episode is an invitation to step back, reframe your perspective, and recognize the everyday power you hold to shape the world around you. Key Moments: [00:00:32] – Betsy introduces the guiding question: The world is changing fast — are you changing with it? [00:02:15] – Exploring the trap of collective narratives about decline and how to step outside of them. [00:04:40] – Betsy shares her journey with metaphysical study and working with coaches to consciously design a life she loves. [00:08:12] – Reframing the stress around "finding your purpose" — why curiosity and love may be your truest compass. [00:11:05] – Betsy reflects on her daily practice of choosing joy and love to shape the kind of world she wants to live in. [00:13:48] – The closing reminder: your thoughts, feelings, and actions ripple outward — ask yourself, "Am I acting from love or from fear?"   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Discomfort Practice on your favorite podcast platform, and don't forget to leave a 5-star rating and a written review. Your support helps Betsy grow this community and reach more people who are ready to embrace the growth that discomfort can prompt. Follow her on Instagram @thebetsyreed. Let's get uncomfortable – together…

In this episode, Betsy dives deep into the transformative power of small, everyday actions. Drawing on personal experiences, she talks about how individual action can actually drive collective impact. What's your role in creating change? From environmental stewardship to social justice, the episode explores the interconnectedness of personal responsibility and bigger collective change. Betsy shares her own experience of leading change, on a personal and on a bigger level.  The episode concludes with a powerful call to action, encouraging you to take a step toward 'being the change you wish to see in the world.' Betsy shares actionable tips for incorporating positive habits into daily life - because consistency is truly key. We hope you're left inspired to take action to co-create a better future. It IS possible. [00:00] - Betsy introduces 'be the change' and talks about her own experience [03:45] - She explores what 'change' means in our quickly-changing world [06:30] - She touches on real-life examples of changemakers [09:15] - Betsy offers some practical advice for creating change personally [13:30] - Final thoughts and a call to action If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share it with others who might need a little inspiration! Help us spread the word by leaving a review, and use #BeTheChange #TheDiscomfortPractice on social media to share your journey. 

Welcome to Season 5 of The Discomfort Practice! In this first interview of the new season, Betsy Reed is joined by Thea May, a communication coach for 'Edgewalkers and soul-led leaders.' Together, they explore the theme of 'edginess' and dive deep into the discomfort of breaking away from outdated communication norms to create a world where we can all thrive.  Thea shares her journey, the power of embodying discomfort, and how to 'scale ourselves to meet the messages that move through us.' This episode is packed with insights that will inspire you to embrace your own edges and communicate more authentically, but we're betting you'll feel like you were sitting at a kitchen table, just listening to friends. Key Moments: [00:01:05] - Betsy reflects on over three years of podcasting and introduces the theme of Season 5: Edginess. [00:01:54] - Introduction to Thea May, her work as a communication coach, and her unique approach to soul-led leadership. [00:06:06] - Thea shares a pivotal uncomfortable moment that shaped her journey as an Edgewalker. [00:13:49] - Thea discusses her name change from Dolly to Thea, representing a significant shift in her identity and work. [00:21:04] - Diving into the edges of communication, poetry, and identity as core elements of Thea's life and work. [00:30:06] - Thea introduces her three-part communication process: Tuning in, Hooking in, and Opening out. [00:32:15] - The power of confident introverts and the shift from power-over to power-with communication. [00:45:34] - The importance of scaling yourself to meet the size of your message. [00:51:03] - Betsy shares a personal story about receiving (the other) Betsy Reed's hate mail and what it taught her about resilience. [00:52:07] - Thea emphasises the importance of building confidence through low-risk discomfort practices. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to The Discomfort Practice on your favorite podcast platform, and don't forget to leave a 5-star rating and a written review. Your support helps us grow our community and reach more people who are ready to embrace the discomfort of growth. Follow us on Instagram @thebetsyreed for more behind-the-scenes content and updates. Let's get uncomfortable together…

She's baaaack. Well, I'm back. If you don't know me yet, I'm Betsy Reed, and I'm obsessed with the value of discomfort. The juicy, hot, cold, annoying, uncomfortable feeling of being outside of our comfort zones... and pushed to expand. Pushed to perhaps discover things about ourselves that are getting in our way. Or forced to innovate, to forge new pathways, to walk away from the things we thought were forever and create a new reality. Over the past four seasons, I've talked to some truly inspiring guests about the value of discomfort in shaping them and what they do in the world. And I've gotten a lot less uncomfortable doing solo episodes, where I just waffle on about myself and my life. (Apparently those are a lot of listeners' favourite episodes, so there you go - the subjective nature of discomfort!) Season 5 will be launching fully in early September 2024 so please subscribe, like and leave me 5 stars and written reviews wherever you listen to podcasts. I record this podcast out of love, rather than any fancy-pants ambitions to make money from it, so you sharing it really does help it reach new ears and I need your help. Settle yourself in, have a good listen, and let's get uncomfortable together. xx

In this final episode of Season 4 of The Discomfort Practice, Betsy looks back at some themes that arose over the course of the year+ it has spanned, before taking a brief hiatus to prep the launch of Season 5 in March 2024. What she found in looking back was some striking themes - the greatest of which was love. This has woven its way into many episodes, including: Episode #76 with Kim Polman, founder of Reboot the Future, whose ethos is based on the Golden Rule Episode #84 with Daze Aghaji, who talked about creating change from a place of love Episode #86 with Pilar Garrido, Minister for the Economy in Costa Rica during the Covid-19 pandemic Episode #110 with Dr. Terence Lester, a public policy advocate for people experiencing homelessness Betsy's own solos have focused a lot on love, with a couple of favourites linked below: Episode #82 On loving all parts of yourself Episode #98 A love letter to introverted moments Betsy would love to hear from you. Get in touch via any of the platforms listed below to let her know what you have found helpful, uplifting or positively challenging, as well as what you'd like to hear more about or hear an interview with in Season 5. Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on email Betsy on Linkedin Rate, Review, Learn and Share Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice! If you enjoyed this episode, please drop us a five star and written review, follow and share how it has benefited you. Don't forget to tune into our other episodes and share your favorite ones on social media! Be sure to come back for Season 5, launching in March 2024.  

In this solo episode, Betsy journeys her way through a personal question at the moment: 'What am I meant to be a channel for on this earth? What is meant to come through me?' It's a very personal question, and there are no wrong answers. She talks about experimenting with being a channel for love, and how that has transformed her life in just a short span of a few months. As with most of Betsy's solo episodes, she leads listeners through practical steps to uncover their own answer to the question she's pondering. What 'special sauce' are you meant to bring to whatever is meant to flow through you? And what is that 'thing' you already probably channel into this collective existence? Settle yourself in and prepare to enjoy this brief, meaty episode. Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Betsy's website Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop her a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.

In this episode, Betsy speaks to Dr. Terence Lester, an activist and scholar who focuses on bringing justice to those suffering from poverty and racism. The founder of LoveBeyondWalls.org and The Dignity Museum, he is also the author of three books: 'I See You: How Love Opens Our Eyes to Invisible People,' 'When We Stand: The Power of Seeking Justice Together' and 'All God's Children: How Confronting Buried History Can Build Racial Solidarity.' Three ideals drive Terence: (1) anyone can make a difference, (2) we don't live forever, (3), and it's worth dedicating one's life to ensuring no one feels invisible. This explains his life and work. Betsy and Terence chat about Terence's own life path, from highschool dropout who himself experienced homelessness and spent time in jail, to accomplished scholar, public policy PhD and an advocate for those experiencing homelessness who has received numerous awards for his work. They discuss the impact being un-seen and excluded from community has on a human soul experiencing homelessness and dive into the concept of dignity as something every human intrinsically deserves.  Settle yourself in to listen and prepare to be inspired (and possibly challenged) by this interview.  Connect with Dr. Terence Lester: Website: terencelester.org The Dignity Museum and Love Beyond Walls Twitter / X: twitter.com/imTerenceLester Instagram: @imterencelester / @lovebeyondwalls / @dignitymuseum Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram Betsy on Linkedin Betsy's website Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop her a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.

Looking back at your life, at some of the things that have been difficult or even traumatic, how have those things actually been part of your path to becoming who you needed to become? And how have some of the most difficult things you might have gone through actually been divinely chosen training to create the 'architecture' of your life, or gain skills you needed to deliver your mission in the world?   Betsy thinks out loud while asking these questions and shares how she has come to appreciate how she now appreciates her own Fundamentalist Christian upbringing for the spiritual practices and discipline it provided. Because those are the practices that helped her to become who she now is. Give yourself space and a bit of time to dive inside and apply the questions Betsy asks to your own life and background, then feel free to get in touch! Let Betsy know how this episode lands for you, and what gems emerge as you ask the questions she poses. Settle yourself in, and let's get uncomfortable… Connect with Betsy: Betsy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebetsyreed/ Betsy on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebetsyreed/ Betsy's Website: https://www.betsy-reed.com/   Rate, Review and Share. Thanks for tuning into The Discomfort Practice. Please subscribe, follow, like, and/or drop her a five star and written review. Share this episode with others and help spread the word and grow our audience. Don't forget to tune into Betsy's other episodes and share your favourite ones on social media.