From Ironman Athlete to Brain Tumor Survivor: Risa August’s Road to Resilience

Don’t Miss What’s Meant for You (& Season 4 Coming Soon)—Solo

*Jess is taking a short break, but Season 4 is coming soon* In this solo “snack” episode, Jess reflects on the one year anniversary of The Great Detour™ and shares the story of how the podcast came to life. What began as a recurring intuitive nudge eventually unfolded into a project that became a meaningful part of her own growth and healing journey. Jess explores the idea that you cannot miss what is meant for you, as long as you stay connected to yourself and are willing to take action when the time feels right. She shares how listening to inner nudges and speaking her idea out loud helped bring the show into existence and opened the door to new connections, growth, and alignment. If you have been carrying a recurring thought or feeling pulled toward something new, this episode is an invitation to listen more closely and honor what keeps calling you. Season 3 of The Great Detour is officially wrapped, and Season 4 is coming soon. Learn more about The Great Detour™ Website: www.thegreatdetour.com [https://www.thegreatdetour.com/] Instagram: @thegreatdetour [https://www.instagram.com/thegreatdetour/]

Heartbreak, Growth, & Modern Masculinity with Amadeus Heimann

In this episode, Jess sits down with Amadeus Heimann for an honest conversation about heartbreak, masculinity, and what can unfold when a relationship ending becomes a catalyst for deep inner work. Amadeus shares his experience leaving an emotionally abusive relationship, the loss of identity that followed, and how that rupture pushed him to rebuild himself from the inside out. Together, they explore what it means to be a man in today’s world, why so many men feel disconnected from themselves and from others, and how doing personal healing and growth work changes the way we show up in relationships, dating, and life. In this episode, we explore * Heartbreak through the male lens and why it is so rarely talked about * Losing yourself in a relationship and rebuilding identity afterward * The idea of “male vacancy” and how the absence of mentorship and belonging is leaving many men disconnected * Redefining masculinity in a world where old models no longer fit * The role of inner work in confidence, boundaries, and self trust * Dating after heartbreak, emotional unavailability, and learned patterns * Why connection, community, and brotherhood are essential for growth About Amadeus Heimann: Amadeus Heimann is a strength coach specializing in injury management, with a background rooted in helping people rebuild trust in their bodies. Currently in massage school, he is in the midst of a purposeful pivot toward more holistic, hands-on healing work. Alongside his professional work in fitness, Amadeus is deeply committed to men’s mental health and personal growth. He is a published author, an active member of the men’s work community in the Northern Virginia and DC area, and a passionate advocate for integrated masculinity in the modern world. He is also the host of the Male Vacancy Project podcast, where he explores masculinity, emotional depth, and the importance of community, mentorship, and connection for men today. *  Amadeus’ Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/amadeus_heimann/] * Male Vacancy Project Podcast Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/themalevacancyprojectpodcast/] * Sacred Spaces Volume 3 [https://a.co/d/3U0c7mZ] Learn more about The Great Detour™ Website: www.thegreatdetour.com [https://www.thegreatdetour.com/] Instagram: @thegreatdetour [https://www.instagram.com/thegreatdetour/]

When Your Life Stops Working with Psychotherapist Casey Stevens

In this episode of The Great Detour™, Jess sits down with spiritual psychotherapist Casey Stevens for a conversation about divorce, identity loss, intuition, and rebuilding after life falls apart. Casey shares her own detour, from meeting her husband at 17 to navigating divorce, deep grief, and a spiritual awakening that reshaped how she understands healing, self trust, and alignment. Together, Jess and Casey explore what it means to live in the in-between, listen to intuition over fear, and begin reclaiming yourself when the life you knew no longer fits. In this episode, they discuss: * Divorce as loss, grief, and self reclamation * Letting go of codependency and overfunctioning * Liminal chapters and the discomfort of the in between * How intuition actually speaks versus fear * Rebuilding identity after a major life transition * Common blocks that keep people stuck * Healing through a more intuitive and energetic lens This episode is for anyone navigating a detour, whether it is a divorce, career shift, loss, or spiritual awakening, and learning how to trust themselves again. About Casey Stevens With over a decade of clinical practice, Casey Stevens is a Licensed Psychotherapist, Master Certified Coach, and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. Her work integrates clinical expertise with deep intuition, allowing her to attune to each person’s unique energy and adapt tools and techniques to the specific needs of every individual she supports. Website: https://shrinkbigger.com/ [https://shrinkbigger.com/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shrinkbigger/ [https://www.instagram.com/shrinkbigger/] Learn more about The Great Detour™ Website: www.thegreatdetour.com [https://www.thegreatdetour.com/] Instagram: @thegreatdetour [https://www.instagram.com/thegreatdetour/]

Anxiety, OCD, & Raising a Child with a Heart Condition with Sarah Michelle Boes

Jess sits down with Sarah Michelle Boes for an honest conversation about anxiety, OCD, and navigating motherhood when your child is diagnosed with a complex medical condition. Sarah built and sold a multi-million-dollar nurse practitioner exam prep company after struggling with severe test anxiety herself. While eight and a half months pregnant and shortly after selling her business, she learned her daughter, Meadow, would be born with a complex heart condition. Not long after, Sarah received an OCD diagnosis that finally put language to the anxiety she had carried for most of her life. In this episode Jess and Sarah talk about what OCD actually looks like beyond stereotypes, how anxiety shows up when control is no longer possible, and how Sarah learned to relate to herself with more compassion while caring for a child with ongoing medical needs. Sarah also shares how she’s turned her lived experience into advocacy, supporting others navigating anxiety and congenital heart disease. This episode is for anyone learning how to live alongside anxiety, uncertainty, and the parts of life you didn’t plan for. About Sarah Michelle Boes: * Website: https://sarahmichelleboes.com/ [https://sarahmichelleboes.com/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmichelleboes/ [https://www.instagram.com/sarahmichelleboes/] Learn more about The Great Detour™ Website: www.thegreatdetour.com [https://www.thegreatdetour.com/] Instagram: @thegreatdetour [https://www.instagram.com/thegreatdetour/]

From Ironman Athlete to Brain Tumor Survivor: Risa August’s Road to Resilience

In this episode of The Great Detour™, Jess sits down with Risa August, an award-winning speaker, author, Gestalt practitioner, and patient advocate. For the past decade, she has been navigating a brain tumor and a rare medical condition that dramatically changed her life. Risa shares how she went from being a high-performing Ironman athlete and self-proclaimed perfectionist to facing a life-altering diagnosis that forced her to slow down, listen to her body, and grieve the loss of who she used to be. She opens up about the years of being dismissed by doctors, the power of trusting her intuition, and the identity shift that came with no longer being able to perform at the level she once did. Risa also talks about the day she sat on the couch in her tattered gray sweatpants, pulled out her bucket list, and asked herself a new question: “What can I do?” That shift eventually led her back onto her bike and ultimately to riding more than 1,800 miles from Canada to Mexico. This conversation explores perfectionism, resilience, self-advocacy, and what it really means to live fully, find joy in the small things, and stay open to what is possible even when life does not go to plan. Learn More about Risa August: * Website: https://www.risaaugust.com/ [https://www.risaaugust.com/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risaunleashed/ [https://www.instagram.com/risaunleashed/] * TEDx Talk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK9SITnpvcA [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK9SITnpvcA] * Book: The Road Unpaved  [https://www.amazon.com/Road-Unpaved-Border-Brain-Tumor-ebook/dp/B0CLZ19WHX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VBEZB3PUI24A&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.htYx1NWLezcYFTYIeC03un9XCrFYlOtOGMRC8lLUWoSeZjDvwiwz5CdB2niVbMAzcIXT1MDqR_SZvXLf6V-soQ0slmIi5HMzu6ndssmgYb4F_VIgGJUH_oLremOG9Np5ZuxK0zMMxBspugUylVYNvAJVvQElqbNBzkY1cyys-OVSxfJxjp8C9bO0AKGM5or11VpEs0U0c3dFPRkpvqY-XIwSa-kDepV-lXkzPZT5t2w.WmTYimVgINOOlUy_8WcgVNIWLzFsig6VZl1PlA05qO8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+road+unpaved&qid=1763584378&sprefix=the+road+unpav%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1] Learn more about The Great Detour™ Website: www.thegreatdetour.com [https://www.thegreatdetour.com/] Instagram: @thegreatdetour [https://www.instagram.com/thegreatdetour/]