Making Sense of Ourselves

What happens when life doesn’t match your values — and what does it take to course-correct? In this reflective episode of *Making Sense of Ourselves*, host Abby Covert is joined by Sensemakers Club members Mike and Jessica for an intimate conversation about values—where they come from, how they show up, and the moments we realize something in our life is no longer aligned. We talk about: - Leaving a job that made you physically ill — and the courage to start again - How people-pleasing and over-functioning can mask misalignment - The subtle ways we overvalue or undervalue what we care about most - Why it's okay to hold values you don’t live up to all the time Then Abby is joined by co-host Alfi Oloo for a debrief, unpacking the gut-check moments that signal change, the real-life constraints that complicate values-based choices, and the freedom that comes with clarity. 💬 Join the conversation: This season we’re recording live with our community. Want to be part of a future episode? [Join The Sensemakers Club](http://www.thesensemakersclub.com/) and pull up a chair. Themes we heard: 📌 Living your values isn’t about perfection—it’s about noticing when something feels *off* and being brave enough to name it. 📌 Overalignment can be just as dangerous as misalignment—especially when it leads to martyrdom, burnout, or feeling “invaluable.” 📌 Most of us are holding multiple roles and responsibilities that shape what’s even possible in the moment. Context matters. “I knew what we were doing wasn’t right. I physically couldn’t do it.” – Mike Creech “If I’m hiding my work, I know something’s out of alignment.” – Abby Covert

Season 2, Episode 1 — Support Systems: The Right People at the Right Time What does it really mean to be supported — and how do we build the kind of community that shows up when it counts? In this first-ever live episode of *Making Sense of Ourselves*, host Abby Covert is joined by members of The Sensemakers Club for an open discussion about support systems — the people we lean on (and the ones who surprise us), how friendships evolve in adulthood, and what it takes to feel truly held. We talk about: - The difference between friends, acquaintances, and “dirty dish” people - What it means to "take the stairs" to friendship instead of the elevator - Why some of us go deep with strangers but struggle to maintain connections - The quiet power of being known by your community, even if it’s accidental Then Abby is joined by co-host Alfi Oloo for a debrief exploring the biggest takeaways, lingering tensions, and personal reflections on building support that lasts 💬 Join the conversation: This season we’re recording live with our community. Want to be part of a future episode? [Join The Sensemakers Club](http://www.thesensemakersclub.com/) and pull up a chair.

In this series for our podcast “Making Sense of Ourselves” we will be focused on new voices, featuring interviews with discussion leaders from this amazing community we are building here. In this episode Sarah Rice & Mari-Megan Moore talk about their experience starting one of our 20+ monthly discussion groups, Consultant Support (now Independent Senemakers), why the opportunity to lead at the club made sense in this season, why this topic, and the primary lessons learned from monthly discussions with our members. “Independent Sensemakers” is one of 20+ monthly peer-led discussion groups at the club, so if this group sounds like something you might want in on — chances are there maybe be a few more that might make you curious. ⁠⁠www.thesensemakersclub.com [http://www.thesensemakersclub.com]

In this series for our podcast “Making Sense of Ourselves” we will be focused on new voices, featuring interviews with discussion leaders from this amazing community we are building here. In this episode Joe Elmendorf & Suzan Quick talk about their experience starting one of our 20+ monthly discussion groups, Making Sense of Mindfulness & Modeling, why the opportunity to lead at the club made sense in this season, why this topic, and the primary lessons learned from monthly discussions with our members. “Making Sense of Mindfulness & Modeling” is one of 20+ monthly peer-led discussion groups at the club, so if this group sounds like something you might want in on — chances are there maybe be a few more that might make you curious. ⁠www.thesensemakersclub.com [http://www.thesensemakersclub.com]

In this special two part episode Abby and Alfi dig into their own frameworks, and reflect on revisiting them two years after production on their course started. In this second part, Abby walks us through three of the six growth paths in the program: