Finding Zen with Michael Pottern

Integration: The Conversation You’re Avoiding Is Costing You Everything

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t what you don’t know—but what you’re avoiding? In this episode, Michael Pottern sits down with executive coach Robert McNaughton to explore the hidden cost of inaction. From difficult conversations to leadership under pressure, Robert shares why the time between decision and action is the most expensive gap in business—and in life. They unpack the tension between “being” and “becoming,” how avoidance shows up in CEOs and teenagers alike, and why presence isn’t passive—it’s the foundation for real change. This conversation weaves together personal story, leadership insight, and a deeper look at how we confront (or avoid) what matters most. If there’s something you’ve been putting off… this episode might be your invitation. 7 Key Takeaways * The awareness–action gap is where most people get stuck Knowing what to do isn’t the problem—doing it is. * The most expensive mistake is delay Time between decision and action directly impacts outcomes. * Difficult conversations are unavoidable—and essential Avoidance compounds problems across relationships and systems. * Presence is not passive—it’s transformative Being fully present creates clarity, connection, and better decisions. * Leadership requires emotional courage Growth often means confronting discomfort, not bypassing it. * Attachment is foundational to healing Whether in CEOs or teenagers, connection drives change. * Integration matters more than insight Insight without action doesn’t create transformation. This conversation is an invitation. Not to do more, but to notice more. To recognize where you already know the next step, and gently move toward it. Presence isn’t an escape from action, it’s what makes action possible.

Resonance: Just One Word: The Courage to Be Who You Already Are

What if everything you’re searching for about yourself could be distilled into just one word? In this deeply reflective conversation, Michael Pottern sits down with Erin Weed to explore the process of uncovering your most authentic self. Not by adding more, but by remembering what’s already there. From personal loss to purpose-driven work, Erin shares how her journey led to creating The Dig, a method that reveals a single word that acts as your life’s operating system. Together, they explore resonance, truth, grief, and the subtle ways we drift from ourselves and how to return. This episode is about slowing down, listening deeper, and trusting the quiet signals that point you back home.

Curiosity: Play, Consciousness, and AI as a Mirror

Devon Kerns is an entrepreneur-turned-guide in conscious exploration, blending years of business-building with a deep commitment to inner work. After navigating the volatility of entrepreneurship from a young age, he shifted his path toward service and support for others through meditation, intuitive insight, and expansive dialogue. Through his work on Insight Timer and beyond, Devon explores the intersection of technology, consciousness, and human potential, inviting people to access deeper intelligence beyond the thinking mind.What if AI isn’t just a tool, but a mirror?In this episode, Michael sits down with Devon Kerns to explore how artificial intelligence can deepen self-awareness, unlock creativity, and expand consciousness—if approached with curiosity instead of control.They discuss:Why “play” is the most powerful way to engage with AIHow asking better questions matters more than getting answersThe difference between thinking and accessing deeper intelligenceUsing AI to create meaningful, emotional experiences (like music and storytelling)How technology might actually give us more presence, not lessThis conversation moves beyond productivity and into something more essential: how we relate to the unknown.If you’ve been curious about AI, but unsure how it fits into a meaningful life, this episode offers a grounded, human perspective.7 Key Takeaways• Curiosity is more powerful than certainty. The future belongs not to those with answers, but to those who ask potent questions.• AI works best when approached through play. Treating AI like a space to explore, not perform, reveals more about yourself than the tool itself.• You are not limited to your intellect. Insight often arises when you step out of “trying to be smart” and into presence.• Creativity is collaborative, even with technology. AI can help translate personal stories into meaningful expressions, expanding access to creative output.• Presence begins in the body, not the mind. The simplest question—“What do I need right now?”—is often the hardest to answer.• Fulfillment is deeper than happiness. Happiness is fleeting; fulfillment comes from fully engaging with what is. • Technology can return us to what matters if used consciously. By removing friction in “doing,” AI has the potential to create more space for being.This episode is less about understanding AI and more about understanding ourselves in relation to it. If there’s one invitation to carry forward, it’s this: slow down, ask better questions, and allow space for what you don’t yet understand. Because in that space, something deeper begins to speak.

Play: What happens when joy becomes a practice instead of a byproduct?

What if singing isn’t about performance, but about regulation, connection, and coming back to yourself? In this episode, Orange Peel explores how voice, play, and novelty can shift our nervous systems and open access to joy in ways that feel both simple and profound. Through singing and shared experience, we begin to move out of rigid patterns and into something more alive, responsive, and connected. The conversation moves through the science and felt experience of emotional memory, the role of novelty in breaking predictive loops, and how collective singing creates a sense of belonging that many people are quietly craving. It’s not about becoming a better singer—it’s about remembering how to feel. If you’ve been stuck in routine, disconnected from joy, or curious about how creativity and the body intersect, this episode offers a grounded and refreshing way back. 7 Key Takeaways * Singing is a form of nervous system regulation. It engages the body in ways that promote safety, calm, and connection. * Play isn’t optional—it’s biological. It supports neuroplasticity and helps us break out of rigid, repetitive patterns. * Novelty interrupts prediction. When we introduce new experiences, we create space for change and new emotional pathways. * Emotionally charged experiences become lasting memories. The more we feel, the more deeply something stays with us. * Collective singing creates belonging. Shared voice synchronizes people, building trust and connection quickly. * Joy can be practiced, not just experienced. It’s something we can access through intentional engagement, not just circumstance. * Your voice is not about performance. It’s a tool for expression, regulation, and coming back into a relationship with yourself. There’s something quietly radical about choosing play in a world that rewards control. This episode doesn’t ask you to become someone new—it invites you to remember what’s already available. Through voice, presence, and shared experience, joy stops being something distant and becomes something you can return to, again and again.

Connection: Attachment, Somatic Wisdom, and Modern Zen with Bu Nan Brown

In this episode of Finding Zen, Michael sits down with relational coach and tea ceremony practitioner Bu Nan Brown to explore the deeper art of connection in an increasingly distracted and disconnected world. Together, they discuss how modern life often pulls us away from genuine relational presence and why many of our struggles stem not from a lack of knowledge, but from a lack of attunement to ourselves and the people around us. Through reflections on emotional safety, vulnerability, ritual, grief, and relational intelligence, Bu Nan shares how slowing down and listening more deeply can open the doorway to real transformation. From tea ceremony and nervous system awareness to the courage required for authentic relationships, this conversation reveals how connection isn’t something we manufacture or force, but something that naturally emerges when we create the conditions for presence. A thoughtful and grounding exploration for anyone seeking deeper relationships, emotional clarity, and a more human way of living in a fast-moving world. 7 Key Takeaways 1. Connection begins with presence. When we slow down enough to truly listen, relationships naturally deepen. 2. Many struggles in modern life stem from disconnection rather than lack of knowledge or self-improvement. 3. Emotional safety is the foundation for vulnerability, and vulnerability is the doorway to authentic connection. 4. Rituals like tea ceremony help create environments where presence and relational awareness can emerge. 5. Real connection requires courage because it asks us to show up without the armor of performance or control. 6. Grief and life transitions often reveal how deeply we rely on relationships for meaning and support. 7. Healing and growth often begin not by fixing ourselves, but by rediscovering our capacity to be fully present with others. This episode is not about improving your relationships through better strategies or communication techniques. It’s about remembering that connection begins with presence. When we slow down enough to listen, to feel, and to be seen without armor, the conditions for real relationship naturally appear. Connect with Bu Nan Brown: Website: ⁠bunanbrown.com⁠ [https://www.bunanbrown.com] Instagram: @bunanbrown Connect with Michael Pottern: Website: ⁠denverzenden.com [https://www.denverzenden.com/] Instagram: @denverzenden