Creative Spirits Unleashed is about becoming more of who you really are by changing your relationship with mistakes, pressure and criticism and adding more balance to your life.
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April 3, 2026Episode 1022 hr 3 min
#102 Bernie Harberts and Julia Carpenter: Wild Horses, Rough Seas, and Lessons That Stick
My guests for this episode of the podcast are Bernie Harberts and Julia Carpenter. You might recognize both of those names, as they have both been on the podcast individually. What made this episode special was that we did this conversation while they were on Bernie’s 24 foot sailboat “Grit” as it was anchored off Shackelford Banks, a barrier island off the coast of North Carolina. Picture a skinny, long stretch of sand, marsh and small trees about 8 to 9 miles long, standing between the Atlantic Ocean and the mainland. Bernie and Julia have been out there for about 2 weeks, sharing both sailing and horse adventures. And believe me, they have had some adventures! In this podcast, we talked about what to do when the kayaks, the only way to reach the island, took a deep dive. They shared the story of a harrowing night of gale force winds, wondering if the anchors would hold. You won’t believe the story of the help they received when their anchor fouled as they were making their way out to the Atlantic side of the island. Sometimes, help isn’t really help.
January 16, 2026Episode 1012 hr 13 min
#101 Corey Vaughn: His 1000 Day Quest to Find His Edge
After a short break after my 100th episode, the podcast is back with a returning guest. Corey Vaughn is here for his 4th episode. In 2024, we spoke both in the Spring and in the Fall as he shared his 1000 day plan to see how far he could take his water ski goals if he chose to really go for it. The plan culminated with the World Waterski Championship held in late August of 2025 in Italy. Corey has been both brutally honest and deeply courageous in sharing his journey to uncover his full potential. As he said more than once, he wanted to find that edge. If you are someone who has wondered for yourself: what if?, this conversation is for you. We do get to the “results” of his 1000 day plan in this conversation, and his season ended with an unexpected twist. We get into how he is handling that twist, and what happens next for him, which is really inspiring. And there is even more gold in this conversation as we explored the behind-the-scenes thoughts, feelings and beliefs that Corey navigated as he balanced multiples pressures: the declaration he made to go for it, his training, both mental and physical, his family obligations, his business running a vibrant ski school and even what it is to turn a passion into both a quest and a business. Here’s what Corey has to say about himself: Sometimes I still pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I have been living my life’s dream since 2009, and it just keeps unfolding in surprising, fulfilling and exciting ways. From my daily activities at the Bum Pass Water Ski Club to my interactions with people all over the world, while coaching or skiing on the pro tour, I aim to stay rooted in the mission that animates my entire career: to spread, foster and promote the three things I hold dear - Peace, Love & Waterskiing. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Corey Vaughn.
October 10, 2025Episode 1001 hr 52 min
#100 Celebrating the 100th Episode of The Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast
I have just released the 100th episode of the Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast. For most of the 99 episodes of this podcast, I have been your host. In this episode, the tables are turned. This time, it’s me answering some thought provoking, and in at least one case, tear-inducing questions asked by Stevie Delahunt. Here’s how this episode came to be. I began working on a 100 episode retrospective about a month ago. This alone is a daunting task, because that’s a LOT of episodes, and my guests have inspired a lot of wisdom. Encapsulating so much inspiring advice in one single episode might be a bridge too far. Just as I was realizing a retrospective will take more than one episode, I got this message from Stevie: “I saw that you are at the 99th podcast, and I was curious who the 100th podcast was going to be…someone should be interviewing you on your podcast. If you don’t have anyone, I will do it! You should be the 100th guest on your podcast, just so you know.” Without blinking an eye, I jumped on this offer. Stevie was kind enough to send me some questions, and I may be borrowing many of these for future podcast guests. One of the things we talked about in this episode is a glaring insight I’ve gleaned in my look back over the last 100 episodes over five years. What I thought this podcast would be about has taken a slightly different turn. Where I set out to explore issues in balance work and life, I found that instead, the prevailing theme is balance under pressure. It’s a subtle difference in words that is night and day in practice. That means in a few episodes, I will be changing the language at the introduction to reflect today’s reality. In the meantime, enjoy this episode where Stevie interviews me.
September 19, 20251 hr 40 min
#99 Carolyn Swinton: Chasing Hope
My guest for this episode is Carolyn Swinton, who is an Executive Coach and consultant, and who also happens to be one of my former clients. We worked together years ago when she was the Chief Nursing Officer of a large hospital organization. We’ve stayed in touch over the years, and more than once, after we had a meaningful conversation, I hung up thinking “We should have recorded that for a podcast.” Well, we finally did it! This conversation touched on a number of themes – everything from making the distinction between knowledge and wisdom to learning to take nothing personally to finding hope when everything seems out of kilter. Carolyn has a way of empowering people to live a purpose driven life, and that was one of the core themes of this conversation. She emphasizes the value of learning to be present, something that is much easier said than done, and yet it becomes very possible when talks about it. Here’s more about Carolyn: Carolyn Swinton is an Executive Coach and consultant drawing on her 30+ years’ experience as a C- suite executive. Guidance is often needed to unleash the power and potential that lies within us all. Carolyn’s purpose is to guide and support individuals and organizations in their journeys to achieve their full potential and live their best lives. She utilizes the proven practices of traditional and directed coaching, powerful questions, reflective practices, and deep empathy to support a deepening self-awareness, effective communication, and the cultivation of meaningful relationships to help clients awaken to their truth. Carolyn has coached middle and senior leaders in the healthcare and business sectors and is the right fit for clients ready to deepen their self-awareness and master the tools they need to effectively communicate, resolve conflict, and achieve operational and cultural transformation. Most recently, she served as a Chief Nurse Executive for the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. In addition to her executive coaching, she also serves as Affiliate Faculty at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing, and Affiliate Clinical Associate Professor at the Clemson University School of Nursing. Carolyn has coached leaders utilizing the Leadership Circle 360 and Leadership Maturity Assessment Profiles as guides to support leaders in developing an understanding of themselves and others. Coaching in alignment with the principles of vertical development, Carolyn supports leaders in transforming their way of thinking, speaking and being to achieve sustainable change. Carolyn is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Fellow of the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Fellowship Program, and an ANCC Board-Certified Nurse Executive. She is a certified Newfield Network Coach for Personal and Professional Mastery, International Coaching Federation Associate Certified Coach, Certified in Leadership Circle 360 and Manager Edition, My World View Practitioner for Adult Development, and is an Everything DiSC Certified Practitioner. Carolyn has a doctorate degree in Nurse Executive Leadership from the University of South Carolina College of Nursing.Carolyn serves on the boards of several state and local nonprofit organizations whose mission is to support the underserved and disadvantaged to gain social and financial stability. She is the author of “Chasing Hope- A Nurse’s Reflections on Healing and Hope,” “Reflections of Nursing” and co-editor of “The Untold Stories of Nursing.” For fun Carolyn likes to read, play the guitar, and travel. I know you are going to love this episode with Carolyn Swinton.
September 5, 2025Episode 981 hr 35 min
#98 Tik Maynard: Starting in the Middle
My guest for this episode of the podcast is Tik Maynard. If you follow Road to the Horse, known as the world championship of colt starting, you know him as the winner of the last two years. Besides that distinction, he is a 3 day event rider, clinician, and horse trainer. Yet,Tik shared a very simple bio about himself: Author of two books. Father of two kids. Also: three-day event rider, husband, juggler, dad-joke teller, Road To The Horse competitor. There is a LOT more to Tik than this bio indicates, and I’ll leave it to you to look him up on the internet to find all the things he’s accomplished. However,talking about this simple bio was a great kickoff to a very deep and intentional conversation. This conversation ranged from the very practical – how did you prepare for Road to the Horse to the philosophical – how do we balance our training with horses in ways that are acceptable? Confidence was a theme that ran throughout. We talked a lot about his latest book, Starting in the Middle:How Horses, Those Who Study Them, and 265 Minutes with One Colt Helped Me Find Myself at Midlife. This is a horse book that’s really more about learning, navigating doubt and cultivating a spark. It’s by far my most highlighted book in the last few years.
August 8, 2025Episode 972 hr 2 min
#97 Stevie Delahunt: Balancing Fear and Confidence in Endurance Sports
My guest for this episode is Stevie Delahunt, returning for the 3rd time. We spoke about this time last year, after she finished the endurance race known as Tevis a 100 mile endurance ride on the Western States Trail in California. This ride is legendary, with only 39% of the entrants completing the full race this year. Stevie was one of those riders, along with 2 other riders competing on her horses. She had a total of 5 horses in the race, and the other 2 horses made it to mile 94. This is just an incredible feat, especially considering that her focus was more on process than on getting the buckle. This year, she not only finished Tevis, she followed that the next weekend by finishing a half Ironman triathlon. We spent a fair bit of time in this podcast talking about what it takes to finish two such grueling races. We went pretty deep in this episode, including speaking about Stevie’s theory that all truths are paradoxes, how to manage your doubts and outs, the value of having process versus outcome goals and so much more. I’ve been out to Oregon to ride with Stevie 4 times, and each time I go, gain more strength in my mental tools, have fun and learn a lot. Stevie walks her talk. Here’s what Stevie says about herself: Stevie Delahunt graduated Michigan State University with two degrees and an intent to pursue law school at Georgetown University where she had been accepted. She switched gears and went to the French Pastry School of Chicago to learn how to do wedding cakes and set up shop in the Windy City. While in Chicago she learned of the world’s toughest horse race, the Mongol Derby, and she again let life guide her into constant change. On the other side of successfully completing the Mongol Derby she took a job with a startup company in Rhode Island and learned coding and marketing for the online business. The endeavor in the world of start-ups gave her strong leadership skills and an education in business models she applied to starting her second and current business of horse related retreats. Stevie’s current business encompasses several facets of the horse world including beginner riding instruction, advanced Bootcamp style retreats for riders wishing to participate in difficult horse riding survival races around the world, horse shoeing, and endurance racing with horses which includes doing the worlds toughest one day one hundred mile horse race; the Tevis Cup. Stevie believes that adversity is a necessary part of life and being prepared for adversity as well as creating it for oneself is essential and is a tool she uses in teaching both horses and humans, both young and old. I hope you enjoy this episode with Stevie Delahunt.
July 25, 2025Episode 961 hr 14 min
#96 Kyle Pertuis: Unlocking Leadership Potential and Cultural Growth
My guest on this episode of the podcast is Kyle Pertuis of Mindfit Coaching. Kyle and I have known each other for at least 25 years, first meeting in Lake Lure when he was in the hospitality business. Now he is a coach, and I was intrigued to hear what he’s been up to in the last decade or so, and what drove him to make such a huge career shift. In this episode, we are catching up with each other after many years of not seeing each other, and along the way, Kyle offers many coaching insights that apply to many different domains. For example, he has some really useful distinctions on what makes a good team. Here’s a summary of his biography: Kyle Pertuis is the Founder and Head Coach at MindFit Coaching, Inc. in New Braunfels, TX. He is a seasoned Professional Executive Coach and Leadership Development Consultant with a 25-year track record in designing and facilitating programs to optimize strong organizational culture, business growth, leadership development, personal effectiveness, and employee engagement. Kyle’s coaching and consulting expertise have supported numerous Fortune 500 companies as well entrepreneurial start-ups. Ultimately, his coaching style is rooted in his passion to support people with a values-based approach to creating positive and lasting change in their business and personal lives. As Founder of MindFit Coaching, Inc, he works primarily with leaders and their teams enabling them to maximize their highest potential and performance levels. For well over a decade Kyle has taught, trained, and certified over 1000 professional, executive, leadership, and life coaches. Kyle says Simply Stated--Coaching is not a BUSINESS—it is a MINDSET and an enhanced level of communication to inspire, motivate and empower others to act! This episode was a real treat for me to catch up with a longtime friend and colleague. I hope you enjoy this episode with Kyle Pertuis.
June 27, 2025Episode 951 hr 37 min
#95: Hannah Betts: Facing Fear; Lessons from a Stuntwoman
My guest for this episode is Hannah Betts, Hollywood Stuntwoman, Professional Skydiver and more. If you watched the Superbowl this year, you saw Hannah land in a cruise ship swimming pool after jumping out of a helicopter. She shares some of the behind-the-scenes magic from that commercial, as well as some of the scarier stunts she’s done for other shows and movies. She’s had a number of scary things happen in her career – and the way she embraces things not going right is inspiring. In our conversation, we deeply explored the topic of fear from angles rarely talked about. Hannah has been to the other side of fear, and she’s bringing back the wisdom she’s earned to help the rest of us in our own journeys see fear as a companion, not an enemy. Here’s what Hannah has to say about herself: Hannah Betts has worn many bold titles—Outdoor Adventure Sports Instructor, Police Officer, Professional Skydiver, and now, Hollywood Stuntwoman. Beyond the risk and achievement lies a deeper journey—one of confronting fear and vulnerability head-on, rising above comparison, and letting go of the expectations to live a 'conventional life'. Despite what it may look like from the outside, fear walks with her every day. She just doesn’t let it lead. Hannah’s mission is to empower others to do the same - to lean into fear rather than run from it. Through the power of her story, she helps others break free from what holds them back, unfreeze the parts of life that feel out of reach, and boldly step into their unique potential.
June 13, 2025Episode 941 hr 48 min
#94 Julia Carpenter: The Two Step Way
My guest for this episode of the podcast is Julia Carpenter. This episode started unlike any other I’ve done. Julia read a passage from a non-published book she calls the Prologue to the Unwritten Memoir. The passage was a launching point for touching on many, many themes. Perhaps the most important was the theme of finding our true nature and purpose in this world. Julia also happens to be the wife of my last podcast guest, Bernie Harberts, and in this conversation, we touched on some of the same stories as Bernie’s podcast, but from the angle of the one staying at home. Here’s a little more about Julia: Julia Carpenter is the founder of The Two Step Way, twostepway.com. The Two Step Way helps horse owners and caregivers learn how to be with their horses and how to really see them to promote connection, trust and health. Julia is interested in helping animals, particularly horses, heal from trauma and has studied intently with that goal in mind. She grew up on a horse farm in Vermont and has been a licensed riding instructor and trainer working with racehorses, hunter jumpers, polo ponies and field hunters. Julia has had a lifelong friendship and association, researching, training and caring for animals. She loves volunteering to help out animal rescues with her knowledge. She has a private practice helping people and their equines learn and benefit from her Two Step Way. Julia has degrees in wildlife management and environmental policy from Boston University and Tufts and has worked in the wildlife and environmental fields. She is a painter, and her animal paintings have been shown in galleries and shops in the Boston area and western NC. She is the author of one little cookbook called Pet Food: 16 Dessert Recipes to Make You Smile. Julia lives on a small farm in the mountains of western North Carolina with her husband Bernie Harberts, the Long Rider, filmmaker, and author, in addition to two rescue border collies, three mules, a rescue pony and her halflinger. She enjoys riding in the mountains around her farm and on longer rides with Bernie. She blogs about her life with the animals, equine rambling and the Two Step Way at ConsideringAnimals.com. She also blogs about working with horses at her twostepway.com website.
May 30, 2025Episode 931 hr 57 min
#93: Traveling with Bernie Harberts
My guest for this episode is Bernie Harberts. We covered so much ground in this podcast, much like Bernie has done for much of his life. When I say covering ground, that’s for real. Bernie has taken several cross country trips with his mules over the years, covering over 10,000 miles and 1,000 nights. In our conversation, he offers his hard-earned wisdom on approaching life on the road, life with horses and mules, and living a full and meaningful life in general. One of the themes that has helped him take to the road is giving up perfection and learning to live with vulnerability. We explored this and many of the themes that have informed his journeys. Here’s what Bernie has to say about himself: Author and Long Rider Bernie Harberts is the subject of the Emmy award-winning PBS North Carolina program “The Mule Rider” and the author of “Two Mules to Triumph”, about his 7-month mule voyage from North Carolina to Idaho. Even though he has traveled both ways across the United States and Newfoundland by mule, he still can’t keep his mule Cracker from occasionally bolting. Bernie lives in a small cabin in western North Carolina with his wife Julia, two border collies, three mules, two ponies and eight thousand wild-caught honey bees. When he’s not writing or rambling, he enjoys bee lining, planting ginseng and 23-minute naps. More about Bernie’s books, films and journeys at RiverEarth.com.
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