Bountifull Podcast

In this episode of the Bountifull Podcast, I’m joined by Carylynn Larson, an organizational psychologist, executive coach, and mental health advocate, for a deeply important conversation about mental health in the workplace, stigma, leadership, and what it really means to create environments where people can thrive.
Carylynn shares her own personal journey with an eating disorder and reflects on how that experience shaped both her life and her work. We talk about the reality that mental health is not binary — it exists on a spectrum from thriving to despair — and how many people are quietly struggling while trying to appear “fine.” We also explore why work can so often become a place where people feel pressure to perform rather than a place that supports people, not just performance.
A big part of this conversation centres on the idea of healing communities — not in a fluffy or abstract sense, but in the practical, everyday ways we can show up for each other with care, listening, vulnerability, and courage. We also unpack burnout, emotional detachment, shame, and the kinds of environments that can either support us or slowly wear us down. We also explore how to navigate difficult conversations with candour and care, particularly when there are power dynamics at play, and how to raise concerns without being dismissed or labelled as “difficult.”

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
Why mental health is not binary — and how most of us move between thriving, coping, and quietly struggling
What burnout and emotional detachment can really look like at work — especially in people who appear “fine” on the surface
How workplace culture shapes wellbeing — and why some environments support us while others slowly wear us down
Why stigma and shame keep so many people silent — even when help is available
What “healing community” actually means — and why care and accountability need to go hand in hand
How to notice when someone might be struggling — and what genuine support can look like in practice
How to have difficult conversations with candour and care — without avoiding the hard stuff
What to consider when there are power imbalances at work — and how to raise concerns thoughtfully
Why listening, vulnerability, and small moments of care matter more than we think
How the way we show up affects the people around us — for better or worse

Chapters
00:00 – Why mental health at work matters more than we think
02:14 – Carylynn’s background in organizational psychology and leadership
07:39 – Her personal mental health journey and lived experience with an eating disorder
14:42 – The current state of mental health in the workplace
16:12 – Why mental health exists on a spectrum, not as a binary
20:23 – What workplace care actually looks like in practice
27:30 – How to raise concerns without being labelled “difficult”
31:07 – Dynamic leadership and supporting people differently at different times
33:42 – Stigma, shame, and why people often don’t ask for help
44:11 – What Carylynn means by “healing communities”
53:09 – Small ways leaders can create more human workplaces
56:08 – How to be a bridge for someone who might be struggling
57:59 – A powerful story about noticing, support, and what can change when people care
1:06:17 – Quickfire questions
1:08:51 – Final reflections on the impact we have on each other

Guest Bio
Carylynn Larson is an organizational psychologist, executive coach, speaker, and mental health advocate focused on leadership, workplace culture, and wellbeing. She is also the founder of Rock Recovery, a nonprofit supporting people recovering from eating disorders and body image struggles. Her work is shaped by both professional expertise and lived experience.
www.carylynn-kemp-larson.info/

About Bountifull Podcast
Bountifull is a personal growth and wellbeing podcast exploring joyful, meaningful living through conversations on psychology, resilience, science, and practical wisdom.
www.bountifullworld.com/

This week on the Bountifull Podcast, I sit down with Carl Honoré, the bestselling author who helped bring the Slow Movement into the mainstream, for a conversation that feels deeply timely. We explore why so many of us are rushing through our lives, where our obsession with speed actually comes from, and what it’s quietly costing us in the process. From memory and creativity to relationships, health, joy, and even intimacy, this episode is a powerful reminder that many of the best things in life simply cannot be rushed.

What I love about Carl’s work is that “slow” is not about opting out of ambition, throwing your phone in a river, or moving to the countryside to grow organic carrots. It’s not about doing everything slowly. It’s about learning how to do things at the right pace, or what musicians call tempo giusto — the correct tempo for each moment. Knowing when to lean in, when to rest, when to be fully present, and how to stop treating every part of life like something to optimise, measure, or race through.

This conversation is full of thoughtful, practical, and often unexpectedly funny reflections on modern life: the history of clocks, the “virus of hurry”, why busyness can become a form of avoidance, and how slowing down might actually help us live more fully, love more deeply, and remember our lives better. If you've been feeling overstretched, overbooked, or like life has become a bit of a blur, or you're already rethinking how you move through life, this is a conversation worth your time.

Highlights
Why so many of us confuse busyness with living well
Carl’s wake-up call and the moment he realised he was rushing through life
Where our obsession with speed, time, and productivity actually comes from
Why slowness is not laziness, giving up, or opting out of ambition
The idea of tempo giusto and finding the right pace for each part of life
How speed affects memory, creativity, pleasure, relationships, and health
Why busyness can become a way of avoiding the deeper questions of life
Practical ways to slow down, including walking, journaling, boundaries, and saying no
What modern work gets wrong about pace, productivity, and performance
Why some of the most meaningful parts of life simply cannot be rushed

Chapters 
00:00 Why slowness is actually pleasurable
02:35 How did we get so busy?
05:57 The bedtime story that changed Carl’s life
08:02 What life looked like before slowing down
09:37 Why speed makes life feel blurry
11:38 How Carl became the face of slow living
13:57 What it means to live a bountiful life
14:48 What Carl would tell his 25-year-old self
16:14 Slow living is not what you think
18:11 The invention of time and the rise of hurry
24:27 How to change your relationship with time
29:17 Walking as a tool for clarity
31:30 Why you need a not-to-do list
33:28 How to slow down without giving up ambition
36:53 Can you have both success and balance?
37:58 Carl’s real-life slow living experiments
40:48 The hidden cost of always being “on”
44:45 Is slow living only for privileged people?
47:21 Slowing down in love, sex, and relationships
52:32 Why the best parts of life can’t be measured
53:13 Are we forgetting how to connect?
55:25 Why young people are drawn to slow living
59:32 What Italy gets right about life

Guest Bio 
Carl Honoré is a bestselling author, broadcaster, and two-time TED speaker, widely regarded as the voice of the Slow Movement. His first book, In Praise of Slow, has been published in 36 languages, and the Financial Times described it as “to the Slow Movement what Das Kapital is to communism.” He has since written five more books, including The Slow Fix, Bolder, and Under Pressure. His online keynotes have racked up more than 10 million views.
www.carlhonore.info

Bountifull Podcast 
Bountifull is a podcast about living a joyful and meaningful life. Through thoughtful conversations with interesting people, we explore practical wisdom for living well.
www.bountifullworld.com

This week on the Bountifull Podcast, I sit down with astrologer Steve Judd for a conversation that goes far beyond horoscopes, stereotypes, or who should date a Libra.
Steve has spent more than four decades reading charts and helping people understand themselves through the lens of astrology. In this episode, we explore what astrology actually is, what it isn’t, and why so many people are drawn to it when they’re trying to make sense of themselves, their patterns, and the seasons of life they’re moving through.
We unpack the foundations of a birth chart — planets, signs, houses, and aspects — and Steve explains them in a way that is surprisingly grounded and easy to follow. Rather than framing astrology as fate or fixed outcomes, he sees it as a tool for reflection, timing, and self-awareness. Not something that tells you what will happen, but something that can help you understand what might be unfolding, and how to work with it.
One of the most fascinating parts of the conversation is our deep dive into astrocartography — a branch of astrology that maps your chart onto the globe to explore which places may support different parts of your life, from home and relationships to purpose and work. It opens up a really interesting question: not just who am I, but where might I thrive?
Whether you’re deeply into astrology or just astrology-curious, this episode is really about something bigger: understanding yourself more honestly, trusting your own timing, and getting a little more perspective on the strange and beautiful experience of being human. And, as Steve reminds us, not taking it all too seriously.

Episode Highlights:
What astrology actually is and why it is often misunderstood
The difference between prediction, forecasting, and free will
How to understand planets, signs, houses, and aspects
Why astrology can be a tool for reflection, timing, and self-awareness
What sun, moon, and rising signs actually mean
How Steve thinks about patterns, cycles, and personal development
A simple introduction to astrocartography and locational astrology
How different places in the world may support different parts of your life
The difference between astrocartography and relocation astrology
Why understanding what you want matters before seeking answers
Why humour, perspective, and self-honesty matter so much in life

Chapters
00:00 – Astrology, self-understanding, and perspective03:00 – Steve’s path into astrology08:08 – What astrology is and how it works13:53 – The history and origins of astrology17:20 – Sun, moon, and rising signs explained21:02 – Prediction, forecasting, and free will23:42 – What a birth chart can reveal26:38 – The search for where we belong27:13 – Astrocartography and place34:02 – How location can shape home, work, and relationships40:13 – Steve’s documentary and the future of astrology42:43 – Where to start if you’re curious44:23 – Why astrology doesn’t judge49:13 – Consistency, approval, and joy

Guest Bio
Steve Judd is a British astrologer, teacher, and speaker with more than 45 years of experience in the field. He began studying astrology in the late 1970s and has since completed more than 40,000 chart readings, building a global audience through consultations, courses, events, and his long-running YouTube channel. Known for his direct, practical style, Steve’s work focuses on natal chart interpretation, relationships, timing, and astrocartography. He also holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology from Bath Spa University.
https://www.youtube.com/c/stevejuddastrology
https://www.stevejudd.co/

About the Bountifull Podcast
Bountifull is a personal growth and wellbeing podcast exploring what it means to live a joyful and meaningful life. Through conversations with interesting people from diverse backgrounds, we explore psychology, science, resilience, and practical wisdom for living well.
https://www.bountifullworld.com/

“Find things that you’re passionate about and go and work on those.”
In this episode, Michael Fox shares the story behind Fable and the journey that brought him to the world of mushrooms, food innovation, and purpose-driven business. We talk about entrepreneurship, the lessons he’s learnt across his three startups, failure, changing your mind as you learn, and how life experiences can quietly reshape what you care about and the work you want to do. We also talk about burnout, family, nature, gratitude, and what he values now.

Episode highlights
Michael’s upbringing across small mining towns in Australia and the entrepreneurial instinct that showed up early

The lessons he’s learnt across three startups and how each business shaped the next

Failure, burnout, and what it takes to start again

How his father’s cancer diagnosis changed the way he thought about food, health, and the wider food system

Why changing your mind as you learn can be a strength

The story behind Fable and why mushrooms became the foundation of the business

What makes shiitake mushrooms so interesting from a flavour, nutrition, and processing perspective

The difference between mushrooms and mycelium, and why that matters

Michael’s thoughts on fibre, vitamin D, protein, and the health potential of mushrooms

Raising money again and building with more discipline the second time around

Family life, nature, gratitude, and what matters most to him now

Chapters
00:01:56 Michael introduces Fable and explains the company’s mushroom-based product
00:02:49 Growing up in Australia and early entrepreneurial instincts
00:05:17 What a bountiful life means to Michael
00:05:40 Advice for his 25-year-old self
00:06:10 Why passion for the product matters in business
00:07:01 His three startups and lessons from building consumer businesses
00:08:33 The original idea behind Shoes of Prey and what it taught him
00:13:27 Burnout, stress, and perspective during difficult seasons
00:15:43 How food, health, ethics, and the environment reshaped his thinking
00:18:02 Changing your mind as you learn
00:19:07 Why trying to convert people did not work, and what does
00:24:29 Why mushrooms
00:28:00 Shiitake stems, supply chains, and how Fable thinks about production
00:31:45 Mycelium vs mushrooms
00:36:13 Fibre, protein, calories, and vitamin D
00:40:16 Mushroom foraging tours and the Zac Efron Netflix feature
00:42:43 Fable’s restaurant and meal kit partnerships
00:44:11 Building a business that feels more aligned
00:45:39 Product-market fit, raising less capital, and building differently
00:48:05 Raising money and starting again after failure
00:52:40 Moving from the Sunshine Coast to Brooklyn
00:55:28 Nature, city life, and staying connected to what matters

Guest bio
Michael Fox is the co-founder of Fable, a food company creating mushroom-based products designed to help people eat less meat. Before starting Fable, he built earlier consumer businesses including Shoes of Prey and Sneaking Duck. In this conversation, he shares what those experiences taught him about entrepreneurship, customers, product-market fit, and starting again. Michael grew up in Australia, studied at the University of Queensland, and now lives in Brooklyn, where he moved to help grow Fable in the US market.
https://www.fablefood.co/
linkedin.com/in/michaelfox1

About the Bountifull Podcast
The Bountifull Podcast explores what it means to live a bountiful life through conversations on personal growth, happiness, emotional wellbeing, resilience, health, creativity, and meaningful work. Hosted by Sian Simpson, each episode features interesting people from diverse backgrounds sharing real stories, practical insights, and life lessons to help us live with more joy, purpose, and connection.

https://bountifullworld.com/

“Music is one of the most powerful tools we have, and most of us aren’t tapping into what it can actually do.”
Music surrounds us every day—on the radio, in our headphones, in the background of our lives. But what is it actually doing to our brains, our emotions, and our bodies?
In this conversation with neurologic music therapist Emily Polichette, we explore why music has such a powerful impact on how we feel, think, and connect with others. Emily shares insights from neuroscience, mental health, and their own clinical work to explain why music can unlock emotions that words sometimes cannot reach.
Along the way we explore everything from why certain songs stay stuck in our heads, to the role music plays in emotional processing, anxiety, community, and even trauma recovery. Emily introduces the idea of “emotional constipation”—how modern life encourages us to suppress difficult emotions—and how music can help release and move those feelings in healthy ways.
The conversation moves between science and lived experience, touching on topics like neuroplasticity, mindfulness, cultural identity, and why singing or listening together can transform isolation into connection.
You’ll likely never listen to music in quite the same way again.

Episode Highlights
Why music activates so many different areas of the brain at once

How music can access emotions that words sometimes cannot reach

The concept of “emotional constipation” and why modern life suppresses feelings

How playlists can be used intentionally to support mood and mental wellbeing

The role of rhythm, tempo, and sound in regulating the nervous system

Why singing or making music together builds connection and community

Music’s role in trauma recovery and collective healing

The power of silence and listening in emotional processing

How music can become part of your personal toolkit for difficult seasons

Why curiosity, play, and creativity matter more than musical ability

Chapters
00:00 Why music preference is so fascinating
00:32 What it means to live a bountiful life
04:54 Discovering music therapy and the science behind it
07:30 What a music therapy session actually looks like
11:00 Why music activates the whole brain
13:26 How music can rebuild neural pathways after injury
15:15 Using music to support mental health and anxiety
18:45 Music as mindfulness and attention training
21:30 The idea of “emotional constipation”
27:50 Neurologic music therapy and the science of rhythm
34:10 Why the brain is so responsive to music
40:10 Music, identity, and living authentically
44:10 Silence, sound, and emotional awareness
51:00 Music and healing in trauma-affected communities
54:35 Building a personal music toolkit for life

Guest Bio
Emily Polichette is a neurologic music therapist working at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute in Utah. Their work explores how music can support emotional wellbeing, neurological rehabilitation, and human connection.
Emily specialises in neurologic music therapy, an evidence-based approach that uses rhythm, sound, and musical engagement to support cognitive, emotional, and physical health. Their work spans mental health care, trauma recovery, and community research projects exploring the role of music in healing and cultural identity.
Through both clinical practice and research, Emily is deeply interested in how music engages the brain, regulates the nervous system, and creates spaces where people can express emotions that may be difficult to put into words.

About the Bountifull Podcast
Bountifull is a podcast about personal growth, wellbeing, and how to build a more joyful and meaningful life. Through conversations with interesting people from diverse backgrounds, we explore psychology, resilience, science, and practical wisdom for living well.
https://www.bountifullworld.com/