Ashleyne Seitz wraps up the Obstacle Courses series with her observations and gives some important updates on the Living Box-Free Podcast and On the Rise Group!

Consistency is the key to making lasting changes in our lives - but it's so difficult! We get distracted, we forget our goals, we get worn out by life, and the next thing we know we've missed three weeks of something we were supposed to do every day! In this episode, Ashleyne Seitz sits down with Lauren Wagner to talk about the importance of consistency, why it's such a difficult obstacle to navigate, and some tips and tricks to becoming the person you want to be.

At some point in our lives, we all experience the obstacle of tragedy. We rarely expect it, and never know exactly how to deal with it, but it happens all the same. Sharing our stories and experiences can help us understand one another and feel seen, so Ashleyne sits down with Tiffany Jordan to talk about Tiffany's experience with motherhood, loss, pain, and healing.

Trigger warning: this episode includes a discussion of miscarriage and grief surrounding childbirth.

After a ridiculous failure involving the podcast, Ashleyne chats with Shilah Larison about the obstacle of failure - something we all do eventually. The two laugh over how terrible failure feels and how they each deal with it.

We can all struggle with low self-esteem at different points in our lives, but we don't always recognize it. Insecurity and low self-image can come out as jealousy, anger, meanness, or a wide variety of other reactions which are rarely welcome in our lives. So how do we pay attention to our self-esteem and encourage high self-esteem in those we love? In this episode, Ashleyne chats with recurring guest Tifani Goen about the way we view ourselves and the effect that has on our lives.

Becky Fouard returns to the mic to interview Ashleyne about the obstacle of creating. Ashleyne published her first e-book in 2022, Writing for Real: how to be authentic and vulnerable in your writing without destroying your life, and she digs into the things that held her back. From self-doubt to asking for help to others’ calendars, these common obstacles to creating and finishing a project can plague every creator! Ashleyne relates how she dealt with and navigated the obstacles to finally finish the project.

Our brains and bodies have limited energy, but we need energy to deal with every single thing that comes up in life! So how do we replenish our energy in order to accomplish our goals, process unexpected emotions, or just get out of bed in the morning? Ashleyne sits down with Michael Anderson to talk about our internal “Power Bank,” how we fill it, and what difference it makes!

Michael is a visionary adjunct professor, coach, and consultant who finds numerous ways to interact with people to help them find and forge their path to success. He has certifications in CoreClarity, Positive Intelligence, Action Learning, and Sherpa executive coaching, and has designed communication training that is used around the world. When you are looking for answers for your growth, Michael is ready to give you the resources you need. 

You can find Michael at AndersonLR.com

Ashleyne sits down with Sydney Dressler, a transgender male and an advocate for the queer community, to talk about the obstacles that have come up as he navigates a binary world. From finding hormone treatment to buying shoes that fit, transitioning has brought up a slew of unexpected things for Sydney to deal with, and he graciously shares his story with Ashleyne.

Sydney is a husband, foster parent, and School Coordinator for Indianapolis Public Schools. Sydney shares his personal journey and the obstacles he has faced coming out and openly transitioning in hopes of better educating the world around him to be a safer and more inclusive space for all.

Do you have a dream - maybe starting a small solo business, maybe launching something with a few employees - that’s been hanging around in the back of your head? Well Ashleyne and Amanda VanHorn are here to tell you that you can make that dream happen! You can do what you want to do and be happy at work! But - it’s not without obstacles, so plan ahead! Amanda talks about the obstacles that popped up when she started her own meal prep company and how’s she’s navigated and overcome those problems and unexpected elements of chasing her dream.

Amanda VanHorn is the owner and operator of the Lilac Kitchen in Indianapolis, Indiana. She lives in New Palestine with her husband Rodney and enjoys doing CrossFit and drinking coffee.

The question, "what if?" can be inspiring or frightening, and sometimes both simultaneously! In this episode, Ashleyne sits down with Kristin Glassburn to discuss risky business - change, development, growth, and a mindset that embraces challenges. Whether you love risk or hate it, there's something here for you!

In our complex modern world, how do we pursue wellness and authenticity within the workplace, especially in rural communities? And how do we create a safe place to discuss mental health when deadlines and budgets are on the line? During this episode, Ashleyne sits down with Meghan Mueseler, Kate Wheeldon, and Alex Wheedenhoff, employees at Cargill, where efficiency, finance, and food safety are all obstacles to navigate when it comes to helping employees pursue wellness in the workplace. Through personal stories and explanations of Cargill's innovation, Ashleyne, Kate, and Meghan talk about anxiety, facial piercings, human-grade pet food, their favorite wellness resources, and more.

What better way to launch our new Obstacle Courses series than with an episode about feelings and communication? Ashleyne sits down with Shilah Larison to talk about the "aha" moment where Shilah realized her family didn't talk about feelings, and how and why she learned to process that realization. If you have discovered unhealthy or difficult things in your family or upbringing that impact your life now (isn't that all of us?!) this episode is for you!

New year, new series! Guest co-host Ashley Pitkin Howard joins Ashleyne Seitz to introduce our new series: Obstacle Courses. We all encounter obstacles in life - unexpected things that pop up - whether positive or negative. How we respond to these obstacles can change the course of our lives and has a huge impact on our happiness! Ashley shares some of her unexpected life obstacles, and the two discuss the importance of sharing stories, accepting that the unexpected happens, and why we might want to have a strategy for the obstacles coming next.

Ashleyne pops in with a quick episode with updates, assurances, and an encouraging story to boost you through the January blues!

2022: what a year! This is a great time to ask ourselves questions like, "What have I learned?" and "What worked this year, and what didn't?" In this episode, Becky and Ashleyne reflect on lessons learned in 2022, both personally and professionally. As a bonus, Ashleyne and Becky celebrate Living Box-Free's top followers, and give a sneak peek into what's coming next for Living Box-Free and On the Rise Group in 2023!

Behold, the great return of co-host Becky Fouard! After almost an entire series apart, Becky and Ashleyne laugh about the chaos of the last few months and then dive right into a difficult topic - accepting others as they are! It's incredibly difficult to accept someone as is and to also leave room for them to grow and change, but we may find it beneficial for our own health to work through that balance! 

Accepting responsibility can feel depressing, offensive, and all kinds of complicated, but it's how we grow as people and gain the trust of others, so how can we approach it simply? Continuing our Acceptance Policies series, Ashleyne and guest co-host Shilah Larison dive into the difficulties and actions steps of facing up to our mistakes and discerning what we are NOT responsible for.

Stress, family problems, difficult circumstances and seasons - are just a few of the things that can distract us from seeing the good parts of life. As we enter into Thanksgiving week, it's a great time to take a look around and see what's positive, but that's still a difficult thing to do! Ashleyne and guest co-host Shilah Larison chat through why it's difficult to be grateful or see good things in life, and what we can do about it!

We like to make plans and we create expectations for everything from what we’ll have for dinner to how long we’ll live, but what do we do when the unexpected happens? Ashleyne and guest co-host Shilah Larison dive into the difficulties and benefits of going with the flow when something happens that you’re completely unprepared for.