Licensed professional counselor Kelly Wright sits down to talk about what it means to carry other people’s pain without losing your own joy. From early days drowning in secondhand trauma to a pivotal moment at a Dan Allender conference, Kelly explains how she learned to set boundaries, do her own work, and stay grounded while walking with others through emotional and spiritual “death and resurrection.”

We talk Enneagram (she is an 8, I am probably a 9), why she loves it as a self-awareness tool, and how motivations shape the way we show up for people. Kelly shares why being near water is her “still waters” reset, how she has learned to actually prioritize replenishment, and the simple daily choices that keep her from sacrificing joy on the altar of productivity.

Kelly also tells the story of her quadriplegic brother-in-law Bentley, how his life and presence shaped their family, and what it looked like to walk through his sudden death with honesty, tears, laughter, and games around the table. Along the way we get into raising adult kids who still like each other, practicing real respect at home, and how to build a tribe where grief and joy can sit at the same table.

Matt sits down with Adam Canote for a spontaneous, joy-chasing hang that starts with a brand-new jingle and wanders into music, family, and everyday delight. Adam shares what growing up second of ten in a traveling bluegrass family taught him, why sibling voices blend the way they do, and how harmony and counterpoint make songs (and relationships) work. They swap Green Day and Pizza Hut nostalgia, debate zipper merges, confess app-ordering coffee hacks, and talk about noticing the journey rather than sprinting to the destination. It is loose, funny, and surprisingly practical! en-JOY!

If you make things, lead teams, or just want more delight in your week, this episode gives you mindset shifts and practical habits.

Matt sits down with Damon Fontinel to chase where joy actually comes from in real life, not theory. They unpack storycraft and why a shared “big idea” matters, how collaboration turns subjective taste into objective outcomes, and why some non-linear tales land (hello, Lost and Dunkirk). Damon talks foundations first (faith, family, church), then the micro bursts that keep life fun, like WNBA league-pass nights, fixing his own brakes, and tinkering with guitar. They hit creative process, how to spot when a plan isn’t working, and the value of asking better questions so people become more interesting.

Matt sits down with storyteller and Civil War–reenactor Drew Alexander to trace a surprisingly hopeful arc, from small-town ’90s roots and church community, through drifting in college, to getting sober and finding his way back to faith, purpose, and family. Drew talks about trading bar nights for books, how group counseling and a real community (“The Underground”) reshaped his days, and what it takes to safeguard joy with habits, boundaries, and better hobbies. There’s dad-life (two daughters, endless questions), why history still grabs him, and a running joke about building a stage persona for reenactments… or starting a jam band instead. If you’re rebuilding a life you actually like, this one’s for you.

Follow and share if this helped you name—and protect—what brings you joy.

Today Matt sits down with Madi to trace five “flash” moments that shaped her life and joy: a lively blended family, an all-in high-school theater journey, recovering from a traumatic brain injury by relearning memory through movement, walking through the college columns against the odds, and the simple, perfect giggle of her son, Cal.

We talk about how theater became both craft and refuge, the serendipity of a blind-date love story with her now-husband Tanner, and why seeing life as a narrative (not just episodes) helps her find meaning in the mundane. Madi shares how faith frames her past and future, trusting the Author even when a chapter is hard, so she can live the present with gratitude and delight.

If you need a gentle reminder that resilience, community, and a hopeful story can coexist, this one’s for you.

Note: brief discussion of a past car accident and TBI recovery.

How do you hold on to delight when your days hurt and your kids are grown?
Matt sits down with Francie Green to talk about the quiet contentment of watching her daughters, Taylor and Brooke, step into adult life, the “pull up a chair” moments she doesn’t want to miss, and the honest work of choosing joy while managing chronic pain.

You’ll hear:

• Why adult kids still need you, just in different ways
• How small signals of care (a group text, a shared laugh, fresh flowers) can re-inflate a deflated day
• The faith and mindset shifts that keep fear from winning the night before a big day or trip
• Marriage on the long voyage: keeping the home fires burning while her husband travels to officiate SEC football

A gentle reminder from Francie: look for the light, especially on the dark days. It’s there.

If this conversation encouraged you, follow the show and share it with a friend who could use a little delight today.

On the first episode of A Fiercer Delight, Matt Gordon sits down with his friend and coworker Zach Nelson, whose story travels from a “good childhood” into addiction, treatment, and hard-won recovery. Zach shares the moment that changed everything, the unexpected joys tucked inside dark seasons, and how his life now is filled with faith, family, small acts of service and yes, pickleball and Andy’s frozen custard.

It’s a conversation about hope, resilience, and the everyday practices that turn happiness into lasting joy.