The Yes Collective Private Podcast with Audra & Justin: Recent Episodes
Audra and Justin Wilford
We're parents who have dedicated our lives to helping other families in crisis thrive. After years of working with families facing the tallest odds, we’re bringing the knowledge, tools, and experts we’ve gathered to all families, everywhere. The Yes Collective is an online community where you and your family can get the tools you need to thrive—wherever you find yourself. This podcast is our space to bring parents the experts behind these tools. Episodes will include conversations with doctors, psychologists, dietitians, and a bunch of other experts who are in the trenches helping parents and children live their best lives. In each episode, we promise to bring you authentic, cutting-edge, and actionable conversations on the topics that will help you and your family thrive.
EPISODE #33 - Welcome to our new monthly series, Yes Collective On the Go, where we bring members the audio version of a Yes Collective expert team article. This is for all of us parents who are too busy or — let’s face it — too worn out at the end of the day to read. But we still want the mental and emotional wellness tools the Yes Collective expert team serves up. Before we dive in, just a quick note: in the future all Yes Collective on the go episodes will be available exclusively on our members-only feed, so if you’re not a member of Yes Collective head on over to yescollective.co and sign up today! This episode of Yes Collective on the go is an audio version of our expert team’s article for 5 Things Friday, entitled five tips for a super dope date night. This and tons of other amazing mental and emotional wellness content is available in the Yes Collective app.
EPISODE #32 - Welcome to the Yes Collective Therapist's Circle, a space where we bring on our expert psychologists, therapists, and coaches to answer parents' mental health questions, talk about the mental health theme of the month, and give us some practical emotional fitness tools to bring in to our daily lives. This week, we have the always amazing, wise, and wonderful Jenny Walters, licensed marriage and family therapist, founder & clinical director of Highland Park Holistic Psychotherapy, and creator at www.jennywalters.com. Jenny answer parents questions about the balance they have to make between caring about their children's health and falling into anxious, over-controlling behavior; parent sleep and insomnia; how working parents can bring more energy home at the end of the day; and what to do when two parents have an irresolvable difference. So many amazing practices, tips, and nuggets of wisdom were dropped! Starting next month, these sessions will be available exclusively on our members-only podcast feed. If you're a member in the Yes Collective app and want the private podcast feed, head into the app and message us at "Audra & Justin at the Yes Collective." If you're not a member yet, then sign up today and we'll send you a link when our private feed goes live!
EPISODE #31 - On this In-between-isode of the Yes Collective Podcast, Audra and Justin breakdown the Jayson Gaddis episode on relationships, conflict, love, and repair. They talk about their own relationship, how they used to argue, how they argue now, and how doing deep inner work is the key to truly healthy relationships.
EPISODE #30 - We've known for quite some time about Jayson and the amazing work he does at The Relationship School and we couldn't wait to have him come on the podcast and help us kick off relationship month here at Yes Collective. We dove into Jayson's journey to becoming a relationship expert (a title that he rejects, but we're giving it him anyway!), how his relationships with his partner and kids have blossomed because of his work, how conflict in any relationship is inevitable, and how repair and growth are always possible. We also get some amazing tools and strategies from his new book Getting to Zero: How to Work Through Conflict in Your High Stakes Relationships. We talk about practices that can help anyone repair relationships and achieve deep connection amidst any conflict. If you have a high-stakes relationship in your life, whether it's your marriage, your kids, at work, or a friendship, then you'll absolutely want to tune in. So without further ado, here's our conversation with the wise and amazing Jayson Gaddis.
EPISODE #29 - We're back! We're returning from hiatus with a new name and look, a refined mission, and ground-breaking mental wellness & coaching programs just for parents. In this episode we catch you up on what’s new, what’s changed, and what’s gonna keep being awesome.
EPISODE #28 - Greetings friends! We’re taking a break from our normal podcasting schedule to bring you a big update on The Family Thrive and the podcast. Listen in to get the big scoop, and stick around for the most relaxing holiday meditation for parents you'll ever hear.
EPISODE #27 - If you’re old enough to be a parent, then you most likely grew up with Melissa Joan Hart on your TV. From Clarissa Explains it All to Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Melissa seemed like she was mainstay on television in 1990s. All these years later, she continues to have an amazing career not just as an actor but as a director and producer as well. More importantly, she’s a mom of 3 and an amazing human being. We met Melissa several years ago after our son Max went on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, which is a whole story in itself. It led to Melissa’s oldest son rainbow looming for Max and them supporting a fundraiser for our nonprofit, MaxLove Project. Melissa has stayed in touch over the years, continuing to support Maxlove Project, and now The Family Thrive. We had an absolute blast talking with Melissa. We dug into her childhood, her upbringing, her career, but most of all we talked about real parenting issues: The shock of finally becoming a mother, the struggle to raise authentic, caring kids in this age of smart phones and social media, getting kids to do chores, coping with the last tooth lost, the last kindergarten graduation, and who would her kids choose to save in a burning car: her or her husband, Mark?
This was a super fun episode, so buckle up!
EPISODE #26 - You know today’s guest from dozens of roles in television and movies, starting as one of Will Smith’s crushes in the iconic Fresh Prince of Bel Air to her most recent role as Elise Torres in Netflix’s hilarious and endearing comedy, Never Have I Ever. Along the way she lived her best life, working as an actress in Hollywood, falling in love with and marrying Saro, a Sicilian chef, coping with his later cancer diagnosis, adopting a daughter, and then eventually caring for Saro and their daughter as he passed away in 2012. Her journey then turned toward understanding and living through grief, the lessons of which she turned into a 2019 memoir called From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home. The book has been adapted into a series by Netflix, produced by Reese Witherspoon, coming out next year. We met Tembi way back when she started doing work around grief and caregiving after her husband passed away. Our work with childhood cancer families in MaxLove Project provided a lot for us to connect over. Now all these years later we get to connect over parenting, growing through grief, finding resilience in the face of tragedy, and planting roots and choosing love no matter what life throws our way.
EPISODE #25 - What is there to say about our amazing friend and licensed marriage and family therapist Jenny Walters? We've had her on the podcast in episode two. We also published an AMA with her, and now we have her back to talk about maybe one of the hardest topics of all marriage or life partnerships, whatever you want to call that relationship where you're committed to another person for the long haul. We get deep and vulnerable in this episode. Jenny shares some really intense and amazingly healing stuff about her own marriage, and Audra and I do the same, and we basically just lay it all out there. We talk about a saying that goes something like, "If you don't face your deep childhood emotional wounds, then your marriage will force you to." And there's another saying we discuss, "Our wounds happen in relationships, but we are also healed in relationships." If you're ready to dig deep with us and get real about the pain and frustration of marriage, but also the joyful connection that comes from doing the hard work, then buckle up. This episode is for you.
EPISODE #24 - Justin first met Busy Philipps when they both went to the same high school in Scottsdale, Arizona. He knew her as a totally unique and artsy kid who danced to her own beat. They hung out in similar circles, and so I got to know her well enough that when she broke into the entertainment industry with a major role in the iconic “Freaks and Geeks,” it was absolutely no surprise to me. In her book, This Will Only Hurt a Little, Busy describes herself as a sparkly person and not in a self-important way. It's actually unassuming in matter of fact, when she describes it, and the thing is, it's a perfect description. She's always had that sparkle, even back in high school, and now we get the chance to bring that sparkle on The Family Thrive Podcast. We cannot express to you how much we loved talking with Busy. We covered childhood trauma, becoming a better parent, doing the deep inner work of healing our emotional wounds, showing up as an authentic, connected parent and human in the world, and we covered way more than that. We'll just stop this intro now so you can hear our conversation with the wise and talented and truly sparkly, Busy Philipps.
EPISODE #23 - If you could only focus on one health behavior and had to let all the others slide, what would it be for you? Here at the family thrive, it’s sleep without a doubt. If you’re not well rested, then you don’t have the energy, attention, or motivation to do much of anything else. So we take sleep pretty seriously, which is why we couldn’t wait to have on this week’s guest, Kate Simon, a sleep scientist and a mom who studies how sleep affects kids of all ages. In this episode we get all the latest science and wisdom on optimal sleep not only for kids but for adults as well. If you care about the health benefits of good sleep as much as we do, then you’re going to love this episode. So, get a cozy blanket and some chamomile tea, and settle in for a conversation that will change the way you think about your family's sleep. Kate Simon is a postdoctoral fellow at University of California, Irvine who studies sleep — specifically how it can affect people of all ages, including kids. She’s been a part of multiple sleep studies, so be sure to check those out!
EPISODE #22 - This was one of the funnest conversations we've had so far! Christina Furnival is a mom of two, a licensed mental health therapist, and a children’s book author who blogs under the handle “Real Life Mama.” She and her family live in San Diego, California and despite the beautiful weather of her home town, parenthood hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. We invited her on the show this week to talk about the real stuff: what happens when motherhood isn’t the cakewalk we dream it to be, how Christina realized she was experiencing postpartum mood disorder after her first baby was born, what tools have helped her most in flourishing, and how we can help our kids (and ourselves) set healthy boundaries in life. At the end we talk about Christina’s newest work around anxiety, positive self-talk, and growth mindset. So, you’ll want to stick around for the entire episode!
EPISODE #21 - For many parents, the teen years are like a terrible storm they just have to weather and get through. But today’s guests are here to show us that it doesn’t have to be that way. Jena Curtis is an expert in sexuality and gender, and a professor of health at SUNY Cortland, and Vanessa Baker is professional parent-teen relationship coach who specializes in helping parents and teens reconnect and actually strengthen their relationship during those rocky adolescent years. They’re just two of eight amazing experts we’ve collected at The Family Thrive to create a groundbreaking workshop called Thriving Through the Teen Years: Building and Keeping a Deep, Loving Relationship With Your Teenager. In this episode we talk about Jena and Vanessa’s experience as parents of teenagers - they have parented 7 teens between them! - we talk about their experience as professionals working with teens and young adults, we cover some common problems that parents run into with teens, and we finish by discussing how parenting a teenager is an amazing opportunity for personal growth for parents. Your’re going to love this conversation, we guarantee it. So, without further ado, here’s the always wise and insightful Jena Curtis and Vanessa Baker.
EPISODE #20 - Kristin is a unique and powerful voice in the parenting space. Her blog, Rage Against the Minivan, continues to be as funny and wise as ever, she has a hilarious yet authentic Instagram account, she’s an International speaker, and she just published a truly amazing book called Rage Against the Minivan: Learning to Parent Without Perfection. Oh and she’s also a licensed marriage and family therapist! Kristen grew up in a conservative Christian home in Florida and went off to a bible college where she fell in love with a boy who was destined to become a pastor. Next thing you know he’s a new pastor in Orange County, California and she’s trying to live the life of a pastor’s wife. After several heart-breaking miscarriages, she and her then husband were able to adopt two boys, one from Los Angeles, and one from Haiti, and quickly learned about the challenges facing two white parents raising two black sons in America. She then went on to naturally give birth to two girls. So if you’re counting that’s 4 kids in all. And today they’re all in their teens. Along the way there is a harrowing trip to adopt their second son in Haiti right when the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the island in 2010, a transition in her faith, a divorce, and a truly inspiring journey to discover what it means to parent with love and authenticity. This one's a must-listen. So, buckle-up!
EPISODE #19 -SPECIAL EPISODE! We love bringing on amazing experts each week who teach us about family thriving through the lens of their expertise. But this week, the experts are us! We talked about childhood cancer awareness month, our own journey toward thriving in the face of childhood cancer, how thriving for us meant creating MaxLove Project and now The Family Thrive, and what we have in store over the next few months in The Family Thrive. In this episode, we also keep it super real. Audra shares how hard things have been this year with our big MaxLove Project Farm to Fork fundraiser and how sometimes even super meaningful work can feel exhausting and overwhelming. Justin shares his uncertainties and insecurities around starting a new company and leaving academia as well. But we also tap into and share the core vision that inspires us both to get up everyday and join forces with an amazing team of experts to help families, just like ours, thrive against the odds.
EPISODE #18 - You ever wonder about what exactly is in those supposedly healthy snacks you buy at the grocery store? Sure, it says all-natural, organic, you know, grass-fed on the package. But is it actually good for you and your kids? In this episode, we get to talk to a food industry insider, Josh Field, who has worked in test kitchens for some pretty big food companies. The guy knows his stuff. We asked Josh to come on to answer all our questions about what goes into supposedly healthy packaged food products. We talk proteins, fats, fibers, and artificial sweeteners, and we get to find out how all this stuff gets made and what we as parents should be looking out for. There's a lot of information in this episode, and so you'll definitely want to check out the show notes where we'll provide links, definitions, and a whole lot more. All right. Buckle up, here we go with food industry insider Josh Field.
EPISODE #17 - We have an amazing power couple on this episode. Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis are the husband and wife duo behind the Grammy Award winning Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band. The Emmy Award-winning PBS kids show “Lishy Lou and Lucky Too,” several records and books which we'll link to in the show notes and several more awards. They are also the parents to two amazing kids. We met Lucky and Alisha way back after our son Max was first diagnosed. They were the real deal from the get-go: loving, honest, kind, and amazingly creative. Through MaxLove Project, we were able to get them into children's hospitals to perform for the kids and they just lit up the place. We've stayed in touch and followed them over the years as they won award after award and branched out to write books, TV shows, and movies. In this interview, we dive deep into what it means to be creative parents and partners, how they take care of themselves so they can show up as their best selves with their kids and in their work, how their art affects their parenting, and parenting affects their art and so much more. You're not going to want to miss a second of this episode, so grab some tea or if you're listening to this on a walk or in your car, settle in for the wonderful Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis.
EPISODE #16 - For Alexandra Tataryn, parenting isn't about tips, tricks, and hacks. It's about doing the hard inner work of understanding, processing, and expressing our deepest emotions so that we can become more present and connected to our family. Alexandra is a bio-emotive coach, a mother, and a movement artist. She works 1 on 1 with clients, and leads in-person and online classes in emotional health, healing movement, and a relationship practice called circling. In this episode, we learn what emotions really are, why they’re so important, how we can use them for healing and connection, the unique emotional experiences of mothers and fathers, and so much more.
If you want to learn more about your own emotions and the emotions of your kids and your partner, then buckle up—you’re definitely going to want to hear this!
EPISODE #15 - Bridget Cross is quite literally helping to save the world. She’s doing this as a perinatal psychotherapist who helps moms and dads grow through the mental and emotional challenges that naturally come with pregnancy, childbirth, and raising a newborn. We wish to god we had a Bridget when our kids were born 14 and 11 years ago. Bringing a new life into this world is a joyous moment and we all see the pictures on social media of a happy but tired mom and dad with the brand new baby. But what we don’t see is the numbness, anxiety, marital conflict, rage, and overwhelm that is also a very real part of the parenting journey. In this episode, Bridget talks with us about the mental and emotional challenges new parents face, the role of shame in motherhood, the role of avoidance in fatherhood, the stress of this new school year and sooo much more. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who is a new parent, an old parent, maybe a parent someday, or has a parent in their life—so basically, everyone!
EPISODE #14 - This conversation is mind-blowing! Justin is joined by good friend and parent and teen relationship coach, Vanessa Baker. They dive straight into the raging river of teenagehood and talked about all the hard things parents come up against. Vanessa breaks it all down and lays out a plan for parents to reconnect and rebuild a deep, loving relationship with their teens. You won’t want to miss this!
During this week’s AMA, we had Jena Curtis, EdD, who is THE EXPERT when it comes to talking with your kids about sex, sexual health, gender, identity, and intimate relationships. She is a professor of gender and sexuality at SUNY Cortland. After years of being on the main stage for HIV/AIDS advocacy, Jena turned to academia, where she teaches classes on public health, health education, and gender & sexuality. We had an amazing AMA, where parents asked questions about how to repair relationships when "the talk" doesn't go well, where to find the best resources for sexuality and gender for yourself and your kids, and how to communicate honestly, lovingly, and clearly when the topic might be super uncomfortable.
EPISODE #13 - In this episode Justin chats with Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE about what low-carb diets can do for overall health. She’ll discuss different types of low-carb diets, talk about some popular diets and debunk myths that revolve around the low-carb lifestyle. Franziska also offers stress-free tips on how to adjust your family’s diet and lower your carb intake.
ABOUT OUR GUEST - Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE, known online as the Low Carb Dietitian, is focused on using low-carb nutrition for blood sugar control, healthy weight management and increased vitality. A former court reporter, Franziska became a dietitian in 2008 in order to “help people improve their health through good nutrition.” Her work promotes low-carb and whole foods to help people manage or beat a number of ailments, including diabetes, hormonal disorders, obesity, and more. Although she no longer consults patients, she continues her work through content creation and research. To read Franziska’s work, head to Diet Doctor or take a look at her book, The Low Carb Dietitian's Guide to Health and Beauty!
EPISODE #12 - Ryel Kestano, CEO and cofounder of ART International joins Audra and Justin to share how the practice of Authentic Relating (AR) can help strengthen and nourish family relationships. Ryel shares how he got started with AR, the impact it’s had on him, and how he’s sharing the practice around the world and within his own home.
EPISODE #11 - Justin and Audra are joined by Tiffani Ghere, RD, CSP, CLEC to talk about some serious food for thought: neonatal and pediatric nutrition. Tiffani discusses formula versus breastfeeding, how to transition babies to solid foods, how to feed kids as they grow up, and much more.
EPISODE #10 - This week, licensed pediatric acupuncturist Maria Barrera joins Audra and Justin on The Family Thrive Podcast. We hear some amazing stories about how Maria’s childhood led her into a life of service and healing, how she went from political organizing to traditional Chinese medicine, how her cultural heritage influences her approach to healing, and we get her recommendations for how parents can bring more health, healing, and thriving into their daily practices. Check out this awesome episode at the link in bio. Enjoyed the podcast? Let us know by rating and subscribing in your preferred podcast app!
EPISODE #9 - Justin and Audra are joined by the founders of the Metabolic Health Summit, Angela Poff, PhD and Victoria Field, to talk all about metabolic health and what it means for families. From the in-depth discussion on the connection between metabolism and overall health to some simple tips on how to start making healthier choices today, this episode is definitely serving up some food for thought.
EPISODE #8 - Audra and Justin are joined by Sofia Pertuz, PhD to talk about the difference between race and ethnicity, how Sofia learned that difference, getting bullied as a child, and how White parents can start talking to their kids about racism. Then they dig into Sofia's work and teen mental health and suicide prevention. You can also check out Sofia’s Cheat Sheet for common terms!
EPISODE #7 - In this episode, Justin talks to Dr. Nadia Torres-Eaton, PsyD about her calling to the psychological field, exploring emotional trauma, and how to show compassion to others and ourselves. They dive deep in this podcast talking about childhood trauma, how parents can keep from passing their own childhood emotional wounds onto their kids, and how parents can start taking care of their own stress.
EPISODE #6 - Justin and Audra discuss culinary medicine and making empowered food choices with The Family Thrive’s lead dietitian Lexi Hall, RDN. Lexi tells shares why she’s passionate about the idea that the right foods can be healing to our bodies and how making even the smallest adjustments in our family’s diets can make a huge difference. She’s also going to bust a few popular food myths for us—you’re definitely going to want to hear this!
EPISODE #5 - Audra and Justin reconnect with dear friend, partner in healing, and highly accomplished practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dr. Ruth McCarty. Ruth discusses her beginnings as a healer, finding her calling for helping others, and the importance of using both Western and Eastern modalities to achieve holistic healing. Audra, Justin, and Ruth also talk about how true thriving happens when healthcare providers focus on the family as a whole, rather than an isolated individual.
BONUS EPISODE: Welcome to a subscribers-only recording of The Family Thrive’s weekly expert Ask My Anything. Each week in The Family Thrive app, we bring back an expert for parents to ask them questions live and on the spot. This week, we brought back Jenny Walters, licensed marriage & family therapist, to answer parents' questions on communication skills, relationships, caring for highly-sensitive children, re-emerging from pandemic lockdown, and more! If you like what you hear, be sure to sign up for our email list at www.thefamilythrive.com to be notified when the app subscription goes live. Thanks for joining us!
EPISODE #4 - Dr. Colin Champ is a physician and researcher who walks the talk. He not only conducts research on diet and exercise, and works with his patients to improve their lifestyle, but he’s also passionate about finding the evidence-based practices that will help him, his wife, and daughter thrive as well. In addition to his clinical work, Colin has a massively popular and totally free newsletter where he keeps his patients and the general public up to date on the latest health science. On top of all this, he’s also the Chair of The Family Thrive’s Scientific Advisory Board. You’re going to want to tune into this one as Justin connects with Colin (FKA the Caveman Doctor) to discuss fatherhood, medical research, and ancestral approaches to health and wellness.
EPISODE #3 - Are you ready to have “the talk”? In this episode, Audra and Justin are joined by Jena Curtis, EdD, professor of gender and sexuality at SUNY Cortland, to learn how and when to talk to our kids about everything from gender identity to sexuality to romantic love. Not only will Jena go over how to have healthy discussions about sex, but she’ll also touch on what parents should know about biological sex, gender identity, gender expression, and sexuality. So get comfy and get ready to have THE TALK!
EPISODE #2 - Today on The Family Thrive Podcast, licensed marriage family therapist Jenny Walters joins Justin and Audra to discuss Highly Sensitive People, living with pain and trauma, expectations, and the inner critic. Jenny recounts her life-altering journey to become a psychotherapist after working as an artist, Justin shares a story on how a moment of parent impatience revealed room for exploring his innermost emotions, and Audra discusses what she can do as a parent to stand by her kids and help them process pain, discomfort, and negativity rather than try to block them from those experiences.
EPISODE #1 - Welcome to The Family Thrive Podcast! In this inaugural episode, The Family Thrive cofounders Audra DiPadova and Justin Wilford tell listeners about who they are, what they do, and what people can expect from future conversations. The husband and wife duo discuss how their son’s terrifying brain cancer diagnosis changed their lives and led them to start their first organization, MaxLove Project. Through MaxLove Project they’ve empowered thousands of families like theirs, and now they're on a mission to reach all families through their newest project, The Family Thrive. The couple then offers a sneak peek of what amazing content awaits parents in The Family Thrive community: on the website, in the app, and—of course—on this podcast.