What does it really mean to be the best parent you can be? For me, it’s not about perfection — it’s about presence, flexibility, and listening. In this minisode, I’m recording from our dream horse trailer after a beautiful weekend of horse camping, before heading off on a family vacation. Because showing up for my kids means giving them my full attention when it matters most — and carving out time beforehand to speak from the heart.

This episode is for the parents, the seekers, the ones who are walking (or riding) the path of doing things differently. I reflect on what it means to parent with intention, how horses continue to teach us about rhythm and rest, and why we all need to build in space for recovery — even in the middle of the adventure.

Inside this minisode:

• Why I pre-recorded this episode with my kids in mind
• Listening to our children (and their need for rest)
• A glimpse into our upcoming trip to Briar Fest — horse-lover heaven
• Greek mythology, horse evolution, and the wisdom they carry
• A sweet moment with a handwritten note for my daughters
• How parenting, like riding, is all about presence and the long ride

Whether you’re traveling this summer, building a life on your own terms, or simply trying to be present with your kids, I hope this conversation brings you some light, laughter, and a little room to breathe.

Come find more reflections, updates, and stories at
www.theadventureparadox.com

Thanks for listening, and may you enjoy the ride.

Support the show

Connect with me in the following ways:
www.theadventureparadox.com
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catcaldwellmyers@gmail.com

Some conversations remind you why you do the work, and this is one of them. Wendy Snyder is a parenting educator, family life coach, and founder of Fresh Start Family. She’s also a mom of two teens and someone I’ve long admired for her honesty, grace, and commitment to helping families break generational cycles with compassion. Wendy teaches parents how to go from stressed and reactive to peaceful and empowered using a firm and kind, connection-based model. Her work is rooted in powerful parenting, not permissive, not authoritarian, but grounded in dignity, respect, and real tools for real life.

In this conversation, we go deep into what it means to raise strong-willed kids (and why it’s a gift), how to respond instead of react (even in the car), and why humility, not perfection, is the parenting superpower we all need. Whether you're navigating toddler meltdowns, teen pushback, or just trying to stay calm at the gas station after a long day, there is something here for you.

Topics We Covered:

• What positive or powerful parenting really means
• Why strong-willed kids are future leaders
• How to stop using shame, bribes, or threats and what to do instead
• Supporting your child by healing your own inner child
• What to do when you're triggered and exhausted
• How to “pull over” emotionally and physically in tough moments

Key Takeaways:

• Strong-willed children invite us into growth; they’re not problems to fix
• Slowing down gives you space to respond with wisdom, not reactivity
• You don’t need to force apologies; you need to teach peaceful resolution
• Modeling calm and compassion teaches more than any rulebook ever will
• You’re not a bad parent; you’re just healing in real time, alongside your kids

Links & Resources:

• Website: https://freshstartfamilyonline.com/
• Podcast: The Fresh Start Family Show
• Instagram: @freshstartwendy / https://www.instagram.com/freshstartwendy/
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@wendysnyder-freshstartfamily
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freshstartfamily
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-snyder-freshstartonline
• Free Quick Start Learning Bundle: freshstartfamilyonline.com/power
• Firm and Kind Parenting Blueprint: “Fresh Start Family + Firm and Kind Blueprint”
• Read Wendy’s viral articles: “I Left Bruises” and “The Night I Threw a Book at My Kid”

If you needed this conversation, share it. With your partner, your best friend, your sister, or someone in the grocery store line. Let’s keep lifting each other up as we raise the next generation, one moment of grace at a time.

Support the show

Connect with me in the following ways:
www.theadventureparadox.com
Facebook
Instagram
catcaldwellmyers@gmail.com

Sometimes, it’s not the biggest accomplishments that change us the most, but the quiet moments in the barn, the breath of a horse on your hand, the deep knowing that we’re here to serve and be served by the animals who walk this life with us.

In this episode, I’m so excited to welcome back MJ Evans, also known as Margi. MJ is a bestselling author, lifelong horsewoman, and someone I deeply admire for her wisdom, grace, and heart-led stories. Her love for horses runs deep and so does her passion for sharing their healing power through her writing.

We talk about her 24th book, Coal, Dust and Dreams, part of her “Horses in History” series. This one takes us underground into the coal mines of 1930s South Wales and introduces us to the brave horses and humans who lived and worked in unthinkable conditions. It’s a powerful story about courage, healing, and the quiet strength that comes from caring for another living being.

MJ also shares about her work with PATH Int’l, her own journey from horse-crazy girl to award-winning author, and how her dreams have shifted and grown over time. She just completed her 25th book, which is incredible.

Inside this episode:

• What it means to become the person you’re meant to be through your love of horses
• The history behind Coal, Dust and Dreams and the story of the pit ponies
• The healing power of animals and MJ’s years working with therapeutic riding programs
• How caregiving gives us purpose and perspective
• Why staying teachable is part of every great rider and writer’s path

This is a conversation filled with heart, history, and so much love for the horse-human bond. Whether you’ve had horses in your life or just feel called to be near them, I think this episode will move you.

Resources and links:

• MJ’s website: www.dancinghorsepress.com
• Coal, Dust and Dreams on Amazon: Click here
• Learn more about PATH Int’l

Support the show

Connect with me in the following ways:
www.theadventureparadox.com
Facebook
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catcaldwellmyers@gmail.com

It’s summertime in the Tetons, and with it comes the beauty, the chaos, and the paradoxes of this season of horses, children, wildflowers, and yes, laundry.

In this solo minisode, I’m bringing you behind the scenes of our summer rhythm here at The Adventure Paradox. From the joy of wildflowers to the unexpected grit of “Barrel Club” with my daughters, I’m reflecting on what it really means to show up, for ourselves, our families, and the work we feel called to do.

You’ll hear about our very real rodeo moments (yes, actual falls and all), and the lessons they’ve sparked about presence, commitment, and starting again. Whether or not you’re a horse person, this episode invites you to ask: What is your rodeo this summer? Are you entering the arena of your own life?

I also share:

• Updates from the Speak Truth to Live Summit
• Why "busy" is a four-letter word this season
• The power of beginner's mind
• What wildflowers, animals, and your own rhythms can teach you about summer
• And how we’re expanding capacity one horse, one child, and one truth at a time

Mentioned in this episode:

• Speak Truth to Live Summit: https://www.theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth
• The Authentic Creative Podcast: Summer Solstice Panel

Subscribe and stay tuned, we’ll be back with a new guest before the month is up!

Support the show

Connect with me in the following ways:
www.theadventureparadox.com
Facebook
Instagram
catcaldwellmyers@gmail.com

I recorded this episode on a summer walk—with the wind in my hair, the dogs off-leash, and my heart cracked wide open.

In this final roundup from the Speak Truth to Live Summit, I’m bringing you seven more powerful conversations that have shaped me in ways I didn’t expect. These guests showed up with courage, creativity, deep healing, and big truth—and I’m so honored to share a taste of each of them with you here.

Whether you're walking into summer with a full agenda or no plan at all, my hope is that their stories remind you: you’re not alone, your voice matters, and there is space for your truth right here, right now.

This is the last week to sign up for the summit for FREE. Full access (and all the gifts) is waiting for you at:

👉 theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

And if you’re ready for the full experience—including all 21 interviews, lifetime access, and a live call with me—you can upgrade to VIP for just $27. You’re worth it.

Episode Chapters – Final 7 Speakers:

00:15:21 – M. Teresa Lawrence

00:21:31 – Karissa Aiken

00:25:57 – Stephanie (DJ Moon)

00:33:20 – Amie Torkelson

00:38:10 – Risa Bakowski

00:43:40 – Anita Cardian Ggi

00:47:33 – Siri Baruch Thornton

Resources & Links:

Join us in person (or virtually!) for the Butterfly March – June 28 in Jackson Hole:
ButterflyMarch.com
Use code CAT25 for a free butterfly costume if you’re one of the first 25 to register!

Get FREE access to the full summit (until June 15): theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

Want lifetime access to all 21 interviews + gifts + live call with me?
Upgrade to VIP: theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

Watch the hilarious “Summer Mom” reel mentioned in the episode: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CNkZWuHVj/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Support the show

Connect with me in the following ways:
www.theadventureparadox.com
Facebook
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catcaldwellmyers@gmail.com

This summit has changed me deeply, and these stories will do the same for you. Today I’m bringing you the second batch of powerhouse voices from our Speak Truth to Live Summit—seven more heart-bursting, truth-sharing, trail-blazing humans who cracked me wide open in the best way. This is your invitation to breathe in their medicine, their stories, their hard-won wisdom.

Each one of these guests spoke a truth I didn’t know I needed. They’ve lived big lives. Faced big questions. And now? They’re showing up—unfiltered, generous, and fully lit from within.

Ready for more? Full summit access (free or VIP) is at theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth.

If something sparks inside you, text me—I’d love to hear what moves you.

Meet our 2nd batch speakers:

• 00:10:20 – Michelle Kuei
• 00:14:42 – Jackie Woodside
• 00:22:16 – Matt DeGeronimo
• 00:28:31 – Montoya Williams
• 00:33:07 – Iena SpiritWalker
• 00:38:07 – Colin Gray
• 00:41:45 – Kate Kenny

Your Next Steps

• Free access to the full summit: theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth
• VIP Upgrade ($27): All 21 interviews + bonuses + a live call with me
• Share the love: Send this episode to a soul who needs it
• Challenge: Take 2 hours this week to reflect, breathe, and listen to your next chapter calling

Support the show

Connect with me in the following ways:
www.theadventureparadox.com
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catcaldwellmyers@gmail.com

You know that feeling when you're doing something for the very first time? Maybe it’s hosting your first summit or picking up the mic for your first podcast interview, or even saddling up for your actual first rodeo. There’s something sacred about beginner’s mind—the humbling, exhilarating truth that we’re always growing, always learning.

In this episode, I’m bringing you behind the scenes of our Speak Truth to Live Summit with a sneak peek at the first seven of 21 incredible guests who said “yes” to showing up, sharing their truth, and helping you find yours.

This summit is about more than speaking truth to power—it’s about speaking truth to live. Because until you speak what’s real and alive for you, you can’t fully see the gap between where you are and where you’re being called to go. And that first step? It starts with your voice.

Come join us for the ride:
http://theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

Meet Our First 7 Speakers:

• [00:05:00] Ken D. Foster
• [00:08:15] Joshua Sprague
• [00:11:30] Donna McGowan
• [00:17:18] Danielle Paige
• [00:21:19] Natalie Burns
• [00:24:26] Leah Remillet
• [00:30:53] Christopher Van Buren

Take Away:

• Embrace beginner’s mind—it’s where all growth starts.
• Start where it’s fun. Your truth deserves expression.
• Alignment quiets the mind and fuels action.
• Your story, voice, and gifts are needed now.
• You don’t have to earn rest. Claim it.
• Speaking your truth is how you start to fully live.

Ready to Speak YOUR Truth and Live It Out Loud?

Hop into the summit—it's totally free to listen along, and the VIP option is just $27 for lifetime access + gifts and a bonus June challenge: http://theadventureparadox.com/speaktruth

Support the show

Connect with me in the following ways:
www.theadventureparadox.com
Facebook
Instagram
catcaldwellmyers@gmail.com