S2E12 Year In Review: What 2025 Meant to Me and Questions for Life's Reflection

The Pretzel Path: Adam Shapiro on Creativity and Entrepreneurship

📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@paigenolanlivewhatmatters?sub_confirmation=1] In this episode of I’ll Meet You There, host Paige Nolan sits down with actor and entrepreneur Adam Shapiro for a funny, heartfelt, and inspiring conversation about creativity, parenthood, reinvention, and the winding road that led to Shappy Pretzel. Adam shares how simple act of cooking with his son during Covid lockdowns soon became an obsession: recreating the perfect Philadelphia soft pretzel. After Ryan Seacrest mentioned the pretzels on-air, what started as a playful idea quickly grew into Shappy Pretzel, drawing local demand, press attention, and a wave of unexpected momentum. Paige and Adam talk about the realities of entrepreneurship, the nonstop problem-solving behind the scenes, and the many twists the business has taken through production partnerships, bakery moves, and community support. Adam also reflects on balancing acting, theater-company work, fatherhood, and business ownership, while staying connected to authenticity, nostalgia, and the creative community that keeps him grounded. WHAT WE EXPLORED THIS EPISODE 00:00 Before Times Setup 00:17 Morocco to Lockdown 01:42 Pregnancy and Isolation 03:35 Cooking with Albie 04:21 Philly Pretzel Quest 05:07 Seacrest Sparks Demand 06:57 Driveway Pickup Goes Viral 07:49 From Hobby to Business 09:31 Scaling with Bakeries 12:27 Finding a Stable Home 14:47 Branding Gets Authentic 22:40 Juggling Acting and Pretzels 25:49 Theater Company Origin Story 29:56 Mentorship and Gatekeepers 34:14 Family of Educators 35:39 Philly Roots and Fandom 36:07 Raising Kids in LA Sports 37:19 Best Soft Pretzel Debate 38:43 Pretzel Baker Road Trip 40:06 Pretzel Community on Set 42:14 Mentorship and Paying It Forward 46:19 Learning LA and Parenting 52:24 LA Creativity and Culture 54:40 Entrepreneurship Reality Check 59:05 Imposter Syndrome and Confidence 01:01:40 Acting and Pretzels Collide 01:03:44 Wrap Up and Next Bake RESOURCES MENTIONED Shappy Pretzel [https://shappypretzel.com/] CONNECT WITH ADAM Website - http://www.shappypretzel.com/ [http://www.shappypretzel.com/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shappypretzel/ [https://www.instagram.com/shappypretzel/] & https://www.instagram.com/shappyshaps/ [https://www.instagram.com/shappyshaps/] CONNECT WITH PAIGE Website - https://paigenolan.com/ [https://paigenolan.com/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite [https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite] Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter [https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/] 🎙️ Music by Boyd McDonnell [https://21southmusic.com/] Cover art photography by Innis Casey [https://www.inniscaseyphoto.com/] Podcast production & marketing by North Node Podcast Network [https://northnode.co/]

Finding Joy Through the Power of your Body

📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@paigenolanlivewhatmatters?sub_confirmation=1] In this episode of I’ll Meet You There, Paige explores growth and evolution through yoga with renowned Los Angeles instructor Alicia “ACE” Easter. In their conversation, Ace recalls an early childhood move from Baltimore to Atlanta that brought forth feelings of cultural and racial isolation while experiencing an escalation of physical abuse at home. It was during those days that Ace learned to use her smile as a defense and turned to sports as an outlet. After her mother’s death, Ace continued pushing forward without fully grieving until discovering yoga. She shares how yoga opened her to physical and emotional healing, including understanding trauma and grief in the body. After training as a yoga teacher and overcoming fear and perfectionism to find her authentic teaching voice, she began serving others through yoga and embodiment practices, culminating in her latest offering, “Peace in the Pause”, which combines yoga, meditation, breathwork, somatic practices and sound to support response over reaction. WHAT WE EXPLORED THIS EPISODE 00:00 Early Joy Origins 00:55 Move and Isolation 03:47 Smile as Armor 09:58 Sports and Mentors 13:15 Yoga Awakening 16:57 Grief and Purpose 21:30 Teaching and Voice 33:04 Spiritual Trust 37:32 Peace in the Pause 44:04 Yoga for Kids 50:13 Future Joy Vision MEMORABLE QUOTES "I'm gonna choose it. . . . this peace, being the ultimate goal of joy, and being peaceful with who I am, peace in my divine feminine, peace in every- in just the full embodiment of who I am." "But my favorite thing is when it comes to teaching, is witnessing the newness and the brightness and the compassion that people have for themselves in class." RESOURCES MENTIONED aceyogala.com [aceyogala.com] CONNECT WITH ALICIA "ACE" EASTER Website - aceyogala.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/aceyogala/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciaceaster/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aceyogala/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@joyforlifewithace CONNECT WITH PAIGE Website - https://paigenolan.com/ [https://paigenolan.com/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite [https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite] Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter [https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/] 🎙️ Music by Boyd McDonnell [https://21southmusic.com/] Cover art photography by Innis Casey [https://www.inniscaseyphoto.com/] Podcast production & marketing by North Node Podcast Network [https://northnode.co/]

From Near-Death to Numerology:  Will Amason’s Path of Service

📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@paigenolanlivewhatmatters?sub_confirmation=1] In this episode, host Paige Nolan explores the depth and breadth of healing with her guest Will Amason, whose near-fatal car incident shortly after college prompted deep questioning about why he survived and activated a new path of service for him. Will shares his evolution through modalities such as the Silva Method, Religious Science prayer work, becoming a Reiki master teacher and numerologist, all while building a decades-long career in fitness. They discuss how his healing and fitness worlds converged through understanding group energy fields, improvisational teaching, and moving people through brainwave states to achieve their desired outcomes. Will’s work in numerology has helped hundreds of people make better choices in work, health, and home life. Their conversation explores the basics of numerology using name and birthdate calculations, including the meanings of numbers 1-9 and master numbers like 11 as tools for self-understanding. WHAT WE EXPLORED THIS EPISODE 00:00 Miraculous Near Miss 01:13 Show Intro And Guest Setup 04:01 Will’s Origin Story 08:34 Silva Method To Reiki 13:21 Brainwaves And Meditation 18:02 Service Path And Reiki Lessons 20:16 Fitness Career Parallel Track 23:11 Group Energy And Protection 30:44 Numerology Basics Explained 34:51 Calculate Your Life Number 36:25 Meaning Of Number One 37:41 One Energy Action 38:03 Two Energy Diplomacy 39:20 Master Number Eleven 40:25 Three Creative Authenticity 42:24 Four Structure Foundations 45:15 Five Expansion Flow 47:49 Six Service Heart 50:42 Seven Inner Wisdom 52:48 Eight Manifesting Leadership 55:32 Nine Completion Humanitarian 58:30 How Numerology Helps 01:00:23 Reading People Quickly 01:04:20 Host Reading Takeaways 01:07:24 Closing Reflections Thanks RESOURCES MENTIONED The Silva Method of Mind Development [https://silvamethod.com/] Gregg Braden [https://greggbraden.com/] willamason.com [https://willamison.com/] CONNECT WITH WILL AMASON Website - www.willamason.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TransformWithWillAmason LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-amason-70124313/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/divine.will.i.am YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@WILLAMASON CONNECT WITH PAIGE Website - https://paigenolan.com/ [https://paigenolan.com/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite [https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite] Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter [https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/] 🎙️ Music by Boyd McDonnell [https://21southmusic.com/] Cover art photography by Innis Casey [https://www.inniscaseyphoto.com/] Podcast production & marketing by North Node Podcast Network [https://northnode.co/]

Between Worlds: Mediumship and End-Of-Life Transition with Amy Rush

📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@paigenolanlivewhatmatters?sub_confirmation=1] In this episode, guest Amy Rush delves into her early life experiences with spirituality and her profound mystical memories. Raised in a Catholic family in St. Louis, Amy recounts an early out-of-body experience during a childhood emergency. This event ignited her curiosity about metaphysical realms, leading her to explore self-help literature and spiritual teachings throughout her youth. As an adult, Amy faced the deaths of her father and grandmother, which served as transformative experiences that guided her towards becoming a death doula and medium. She sheds light on how she navigates grief, the ethics of her work, and the power of intentionality in mediumship. Through her unique approach, grounded in love and support, she aims to help individuals connect with their own divine nature and provide comfort in times of death and dying. WHAT WE EXPLORED THIS EPISODE 00:00 Introduction and Early Childhood Memories 01:12 First Mystical Experience 04:02 High School and Self-Help Exploration 09:08 College and Young Adulthood 17:22 Discovering the Role of a Death Doula 32:16 Early Days of Mediumship 33:58 Family Support and PowerPoint Presentation 36:17 Trusting the Process and Creative Work 38:04 Experiences with Mediumship 38:36 Validating Mediumship Through Personal Loss 42:01 Grandmother's Messages and Personal Growth 53:36 The Role of Symbols in Mediumship 58:27 Intentionality in Mediumship 01:04:15 The Power of Love and Connection 01:07:07 Hopes for the Future of Mediumship CONNECT WITH AMY RUSH Website - www.amy-rush.com Instagram - instagram.com/amyrushofficial CONNECT WITH PAIGE Website - https://paigenolan.com/ [https://paigenolan.com/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite [https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite] Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter [https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/] 🎙️ Music by Boyd McDonnell [https://21southmusic.com/] Cover art photography by Innis Casey [https://www.inniscaseyphoto.com/] Podcast production & marketing by North Node Podcast Network [https://northnode.co/]

Sex Magic: Creating Intensity, Intimacy, and Presence with Dr. Laura Berman

📺 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@paigenolanlivewhatmatters?sub_confirmation=1] In this episode, Paige sits down with Dr. Laura Berman, a renowned sex and couples therapist, to discuss the transformative power of 'Sex Magic,' a practice that elevates intimacy and connection in relationships. Laura shares her personal journey, driven by her childhood experiences and professional insights, to becoming a therapist focused on the intersection of love, sex, and spirituality. The conversation delves into quantum love, the impact of manifesting through sexual energy, and practical exercises for enhancing sexuality and intimacy. With engaging anecdotes and actionable advice, this episode offers listeners an eye-opening look into making profound emotional and physical connections with their partners and themselves. WHAT WE EXPLORED THIS EPISODE 00:00 Introduction and Personal Connection 00:37 Laura Berman's Journey to Becoming a Therapist 01:06 Challenges and Discoveries in Sex Therapy 04:52 Evolution of Couples Therapy 09:08 Impact of Personal Loss and Illness 12:05 Quantum Love and Energetic Coherence 23:17 Embodiment and Overcoming Trauma 27:29 The Evolution of Multitasking 28:05 Scheduling and Preparing for Intimacy 28:36 Understanding Male and Female Differences 29:11 The Importance of Embodiment 30:24 Introduction to Sex Magic 31:23 The Power of Full Body Orgasms 32:32 Spicing Up Long-Term Relationships 37:13 Techniques for Deepening Intimacy 45:17 The Science of Manifestation 50:51 Final Thoughts and Personal Reflections RESOURCES MENTIONED http://www.drlauraberman.com [https://drlaraberman.com/] Oprah Winfrey Network [https://www.oprah.com/app/own-tv.html] Oprah Radio [https://www.oprah.com/app/the-oprah-winfrey-show-podcast.html] CONNECT WITH DR. LAURA Website - www.drlauraberman.com Facebook - @griefhealingcollective Instagram - @griefhealingcollective Youtube - @drlaurabermanofficial CONNECT WITH PAIGE Website - https://paigenolan.com/ [https://paigenolan.com/] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite [https://www.instagram.com/paigenolanwrite] Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter [https://www.facebook.com/paigenolanwriter] LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/paige-nolan-0932751/] 🎙️ Music by Boyd McDonnell [https://21southmusic.com/] Cover art photography by Innis Casey [https://www.inniscaseyphoto.com/] Podcast production & marketing by North Node Podcast Network [https://northnode.co/]