This week, I sit down with James and Michael Gallagher—brothers from the Midwest who spent years on different career paths before choosing to create something together. James built a career in design, while Michael worked in recruiting. Their journeys eventually came together in this new chapter with Rituil, a brand and community devoted to the rituals that keep us grounded in daily life.

What I love about this conversation is the idea that creation is born out of stillness. For James and Michael, that stillness took shape in an unexpected way—when James called his brother to join him on a trip to Portugal, and Michael said yes. That “yes” became a doorway: an opportunity to rediscover themselves and each other, and the seed of what would become Rituil. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most important paths reveal themselves not through control, but through surrender and openness.

We talk about loosening our grip on our preconceived expectations for how life “should” unfold, and in return, what the concept of “vertical timing” can reveal to us. In their work as founders, James and Michael see themselves as stewards—listening, and building something co-created with their community. It’s a very different model than the one most of us grow up with around success and building—where we’re taught to plan, push, and control. Here, they offer another option: trust, presence, and allowing.

At its core, this is a conversation about how truth reveals itself when we stop forcing and start listening.

We Talk About

• What it's like to say yes to something unexpected (like a brother asking you to come to Portugal less than a week out) and where it can lead
• The concept of vertical timing vs. our linear expectations for our lives–and how it offers us a sense of grace and groundedness
• Rituals as simple, everyday anchors—gardening, cooking, and golfing barefoot
• Creation as something born out of stillness and alignment
• Acting as stewards: listening, surrendering, and letting the community shape what unfolds

Links & Resources

Explore Rituil (& sign up for their newsletter!) → rituil.com

Follow Rituil on Instagram → @dailyrituil

Use code THETRUTHIS for 10% off your first order from Rituil

Mentioned in this episode

The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer

Eckhart Tolle: Essential Teachings Podcast

Connect with The Truth Is

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Credits

Hosted by Kathryn Flaschner
Edited by Dan Croll
Music by Will Savino → wsavino.com
Visual Identity by Sarah Gainer & Jonathan Bush
Advised by Natalie Tulloch