Finding AWE in the In-Between: Rebuilding Yourself in Times of Change

About the Episode

In this episode of Life & In Between, Diana and Patrick sit down with Nancy Nolley, Founder of Your Brilliant Path, LLC, to explore how AWE, personal foundations, and practical life skills can help us navigate the toughest chapters of our lives.

Nancy brings more than 35 years of experience in recruitment, employee development, and personal growth, shaped through her work with organizations like Mary Kay Inc., Frito-Lay, KPMG, Kaiser Permanente, UCSF, and a powerful portfolio of nonprofit leadership roles. Her holistic approach blends career readiness with personal resilience, helping individuals not just prepare for a job but prepare for life.

Together, we walk through the heart of Nancy’s two signature programs:

The Job Readiness Program — guiding clients through the mechanics and the mindset of finding meaningful work.

The Personal Foundation Program — helping individuals rebuild confidence, reconnect with their inner compass, and navigate life’s complexities with clarity and courage.

Through moving stories, grounded wisdom, and practical tools, Nancy shares how AWE — that quiet sense of wonder — becomes a lifeline during moments of uncertainty. She reminds us that setbacks often become the soil where our next chapter grows. As Maya Angelou wrote, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”

This conversation is a lighthouse for anyone facing transition, searching for direction, or trying to rediscover their worth after life knocks them down. Nancy’s guidance is compassionate, empowering, and rooted in decades of walking alongside people in their most vulnerable moments.

How to Eat Within Reason This Holiday Season

The holidays roll in… and so do the extra plates, extra treats, and (sometimes) extra pounds. In this episode of Life & In Between, Diana and Patrick sit down with Bhuvana to talk about how to eat within reason during the holiday season without feeling like you’re on punishment or stuck in diet jail.

Together, we talk about:

• How to enjoy the foods you love and still be mindful of weight gain

• Little shifts that help you feel satisfied, not stuffed
• Ways to balance “comfort food” with nourishment
• How to reset gently if you went a little overboard
• Why kindness toward yourself matters more than perfection

This is a real, judgment-free conversation about food, culture, comfort, and health, made for people who want to feel good in their bodies and enjoy the season. 💜

Listen in if you’re ready for a softer, saner way to move through the holidays... one plate at a time.👉

If this episode resonates with you:

• Like the video
• Subscribe to Life & In Between
• Share it with someone who needs a reminder that you can care for your body without punishing yourself

#LifeAndInBetweenPodcast #HolidayEating #HealthyHolidays #MindfulEating #RealTalk

About Our Guest: Raul ‘Neto’ Longoria is a candidate for the Texas State Board of Education, District 5. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and he has dedicated his career to Austin ISD as a bilingual special education teacher and parent support specialist.

Raul is also a social justice warrior, public servant, and from Eagle Pass, Texas, he brings a powerful perspective on what happens when policy meets people and how communities can fight to preserve opportunity, belonging, and hope for their children.

About the Episode

The Austin community is navigating a tough moment, school closures that affect not just students and teachers, but entire neighborhoods and the sense of belonging that schools create. In this episode, we’ll explore the human side of these decisions: what they mean for the children, the families, and the educators who call these schools home. It’s not just about loss, it’s about what loss gives back: courage, clarity, and the permission to live fully again.

Versión en Español:

Sobre nuestro invitado: Raúl ‘Neto’ Longoria es candidato a la Junta Estatal de Educación de Texas, Distrito 5. Actualmente cursa una maestría en la Escuela de Asuntos Públicos LBJ y ha dedicado su carrera al Distrito Escolar Independiente de Austin (Austin ISD) como maestro bilingüe de educación especial y especialista en apoyo a padres.

Raúl también es un activista por la justicia social, servidor público y, originario de Eagle Pass, Texas, aporta una perspectiva valiosa sobre lo que sucede cuando las políticas se encuentran con las personas y cómo las comunidades pueden luchar para preservar las oportunidades, el sentido de pertenencia y la esperanza para sus hijos.

Sobre el episodio: La comunidad de Austin atraviesa un momento difícil: el cierre de escuelas afecta no solo a estudiantes y maestros, sino a vecindarios enteros y al sentido de pertenencia que las escuelas crean. En este episodio, exploraremos el lado humano de estas decisiones: lo que significan para los niños, las familias y los educadores que consideran estas escuelas su hogar. No se trata solo de la pérdida, sino de lo que la pérdida nos devuelve: valentía, claridad y la posibilidad de vivir plenamente de nuevo.

About the Episode

“The War Story” is a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the courage to rebuild after job loss. We’ll explore how to move through uncertainty, position yourself for new opportunities, and rediscover your purpose when life takes an unexpected turn.

Valerie Braxton-Williams, MBA, PMP is Business Strategy Engineer. She is a collaborative problem solver that enjoys serving as a liaison between the Company and the Customer. She is process focused and has supported start-up operations, go to-market campaigns, product rebranding initiatives, and regulatory compliance programs.

Valerie engages cross-functional teams to achieve prioritized enterprise goals. She believes that decision making should make technical sense, exhibit positive business viability, andhave broad and diverse mass-market appeal.

This episode explores how loss becomes the unexpected catalyst for transformation. Through Vivian’s story of losing her husband and discovering strength through vulnerability, we’ll dive into how humans process grief, rebuild trust with themselves (and others), and learn to speak about what hurts instead of hiding it.

It’s not just about loss, it’s about what loss gives back: courage, clarity, and the permission to live fully again.

Vivian Cobb is an award-winning speaker, author, and conversation advocate who helps people find the courage to talk about what truly matters, especially when it’s uncomfortable. After the sudden loss of her husband and the financial crisis that followed, Vivian transformed her pain into purpose, helping others avoid the unspoken costs of silence around money and emotion. A TEDx speaker, storyteller,and upcoming author of Unspoken Costs: How to Have Relationship-Saving Money Conversations, she inspires audiences worldwide to move from grief to growth through the power of honesty and human connection.

To contact Vivian for about the book are my contact form on my website, Havethoseconversations.com, or my email, vivian@viviancobbspeaking.com.

This week, Diana and Patrick drop the guardrails and go full transparency about where life has them right now.

Patrick shares updates on the Austin school closures. A story layered with emotion, policy, and purpose. Diana opens up about her ongoing job search, the interviews that have reignited her hope, and how the podcast itself became her “proof of progress” through the uncertainty.

Together, they unpack what it really means to keep moving forward , even when the path detours, the plans shift, or the future feels blurry. It’s a conversation about momentum, faith, and the creative fire that refuses to go out.

School Closures in Austin: Patrick Perez Unpacks the Real Impact.

In this powerful episode of Life & In Between Podcast, co-host Patrick Perez steps into the spotlight to unpack one of Austin’s most pressing and painful realities — the wave of school closures reshaping communities, families, and futures across the city.

Patrick brings both passion and perspective, offering a heartfelt take on what happens when the classroom lights go out but the lessons keep coming.

“The Art of Showing Up: Creating Space for Humanity in Divided Times”

In this episode, Diana and Patrick welcome Jes Mendoza — writer, producer, and host of The Art of Showing Up, a podcast that unpacks what it really means to be present. Jes blends honest storytelling, reflection, and conversation to create a listening experience that feels like sitting down with a friend who reminds you that you already belong here.

Together, we’ll dive into how showing up takes on new meaning in today’s climate of frustration, fear, and division and how we can hold space for our feelings while still leaving room for empathy and humanity.