Find Your Spark

Hosted by The SPARK Initiative

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Episodes

287

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

“FIND YOUR SPARK” is a podcast that uncovers real-life stories about discovering and embracing your SPARK—even in the middle of a busy, messy life. Hosted weekly by Brooke Wheeldon-Reece, President & CEO of The SPARK Initiative, and Chad Hudson, this show brings a fresh and authentic perspective on life, growth, and impact. Each episode features heartfelt conversations as Brooke and Chad explore topics like family, mental health, personal development, running a nonprofit, and the transformative work of The SPARK Initiative. With a mix of honesty, humor, and deep insight, they create a space for meaningful dialogue—capturing the raw, unfiltered experience of being human while navigating life’s challenges and striving to make the world a better place.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 13, 202643 min

287: From Stigma to Superpower - An ADHD Awareness Month Conversation

For ADHD Awareness Month, SPARK CEO Brooke Wheeldon-Reece is joined by special guest Rob Cook for an honest conversation about living with ADHD. They both spent years hiding it, held back by stigma and the quiet belief that something was wrong with them. Brooke and Rob talk about what that hiding cost them, and about the turning point that came recently, when they stopped defining themselves by the "disorder" label and started embracing their ADHD as a superpower. They also talk about the young people in their lives who are facing the same struggles, and how adults can help those kids feel seen, supported and proud of how their minds work. If you've ever felt "too much" or "not enough," this episode is for you. You can learn more about Rob Cook at imrobcook.com or meet him live at The SPARK Initiative's 2nd Annual National Wellbeing & Resilience Summit on February 16th.

October 6, 20269 min

286: Bullying Prevention Month

October is Bullying Prevention Month, and in this episode, Chad sits down to talk about what bullying really looks like today. Bullying is wrong, but recognizing it isn't always simple. It doesn't just happen on the playground anymore. It shows up in group chats, comment sections, and social media platforms where kids and teens spend so much of their time. Chad breaks down the different forms bullying can take, from the obvious to the subtle, and why recognizing these patterns early matters so much. He also talks about the choices we all have in these moments. You don't have to participate in what the group is doing. You can choose to make someone feel like they belong, or you can tell an adult. Every choice shapes the environment around you. Chad leaves listeners with a question worth sitting with: what kind of environment are you willing to create for the people around you? Tune in to learn how to spot the signs, start the conversation, and support the young people in your life.

September 29, 20266 min

285: Protecting Your Yes

On this episode of Find Your SPARK, Chad explores the power of saying no for your mental health. Saying yes to everything is often just habit, not a real choice. A meeting, a favor, a commitment agreed to before we've even thought it through. Most of the time we don't decide, we default. That default has a cost. Chad digs into why we tend to say yes on autopilot, what it's actually costing us, and how saying no, thoughtfully and without guilt, can be one of the most protective things we do for our wellbeing. This isn't about shutting people out. It's about noticing where your yes goes unchecked and reclaiming the choice, because every no you mean protects a yes that matters more.

September 22, 202640 min

284: Architects of Peace - A Conversation for International Day of Peace

In honor of the International Day of Peace, Stephanie Fox sits down with longtime friend and colleague Mara Gleason Olson for a conversation about what peace actually requires, starting from the inside out. Mara is the co-founder of One Solution, where Stephanie served as Middle East Director, and together their teams worked with young people in Gaza and, through Rebels for Peace, on Chicago's South Side, showing that inner peace isn't a luxury for the comfortable, but a survival skill for anyone living amid violence and uncertainty. They share stories from the ground in Gaza, talk about teens choosing de-escalation over self-defense in life-or-death moments, and explore this year's theme, "Everyday Architects of Peace," the idea that lasting change doesn't start at a negotiating table, but in the quiet, internal shift that happens when one person decides to build from a place of peace instead of fear. It's an honest, hopeful conversation about grief, resilience, and why the world may be closer to a tipping point than it feels.

September 15, 202632 min

283: Moving Through The Lows With Grace - Suicide Awareness & Prevention Month

In this episode of Find Your SPARK, Brooke & Nicole sit down for a conversation in honor of the loved ones they've each lost to suicide. Recorded in their memory, this episode shares the message Nicole and Brooke bring to the people SPARK serves every day: understanding the nature of thought can change how we move through our lowest moments. Sometimes we think of a low mood as a trap with no way out. But if our minds can shift from a good mood to a low one, that same capacity for change works in reverse. When we recognize the feeling we're in for what it is, simply a passing state of mind rather than the truth of our circumstances, we open the door to a new experience. That understanding does not erase pain, but it does offer something people may not feel they have in a low moment: options. Giving ourselves grace starts feeling like a choice we are free to make. This conversation is for anyone who has struggled, anyone who has lost someone, and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how the mind works when things feel hardest. Our hope is that it offers a measure of comfort, and a reminder that things can look different in any moment. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text, 24/7.

September 8, 202615 min

282: World Suicide Prevention Day

This week, in recognition of World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10th) and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Chad joins us for an honest, unfiltered conversation about mental health and stigma. Together we explore how stigma keeps people from asking for help, what it really means to check in on someone, and how each of us can help uncover a sense of hope and wellbeing in the people around us. This episode is a reminder that these conversations save lives, and that starting them takes courage, not certainty. If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone, and help is available: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 You matter. Your story matters. And this conversation is for you.

September 1, 202623 min

281: Let's Talk Burnout

Burnout awareness is having a moment, with schools and organizations across the country finally giving it the attention it deserves. In this episode, Chad sits down with Makayla Wheeldon to unpack what burnout really means, where it comes from, and why it shows up in so many forms, mentally, physically, and emotionally. The conversation turns to the helping professions closest to SPARK's work, especially education. Chad and Makayla talk about the fast-paced world we live in, the expectations placed on us, and how clearly that pressure shows up for educators and social workers. These are roles where people take their work home with them, and the toll adds up. Burnout is real, it deserves recognition, and sometimes the most important thing we can do is slow down.

August 25, 202625 min

280: The Value of Mentorship

In this episode, hosts Brooke and Chad sit down to talk about what mentorship really means to them and why it matters so much, both in life and in their work with SPARK. They dig into the different forms a mentor can take: a teacher, a boss, an older sibling, or someone who never fits neatly into any of those categories at all. Sometimes the most influential mentors show up in the most unlikely places. Brooke and Chad share who their own biggest mentors have been and how those relationships shaped the people they are today. They talk about how mentors move in and out of our lives at different stages, showing up exactly when we need guidance and stepping back once we've found our footing. A good mentor doesn't hand you the answers. Instead, they point you in the right direction and help you realize the confidence and strength that was already inside you. The conversation also turns local, with Brooke and Chad reflecting on SPARK Mentoring Programs and what it looks like to be a mentor in this community every day. At the heart of it all is presence: showing up, staying connected, and letting someone know they're not navigating things alone. Tune in for an honest, heartfelt conversation about the people who guide us, and how each of us has the power to do the same for someone else.

August 18, 202643 min

279: Celebrating the Leo Season!

This week, we're doing something a little different and a lot more personal. Brooke and Nicole are celebrating their August birthdays in true Leo fashion. In this episode, the two co-hosts reflect on what it means to be born in the sign of the lion: natural leaders, fiercely loyal, endlessly passionate about the people they serve and an almost stubborn refusal to give up on those they believe in. But no birthday is complete without a little reflection. This conversation goes somewhere real - Brooke and Nicole open up about how much they've each grown professionally and personally since starting at SPARK in their younger years. They each share something they would share with their younger selves - the advice they needed before they had the words for it, and the kind of love that comes from living it. Whether you're a fellow Leo, a late-summer birthday twin, or just someone who loves watching people grow into who they were always meant to be - this one's for you.

August 11, 202622 min

278: National Non-Profit Day

In honor of National Non-Profit Day on August 17, Chad sits down with special guest Nicole Wilson, SPARK's Special Initiatives Manager, for a conversation about the heart behind nonprofit work. Nicole has been with SPARK for a decade, spending those years leading community initiatives and gaining a firsthand understanding of what it takes to serve others well. Together, Chad and Nicole dig into why nonprofit work deserves recognition, from the everyday dedication behind the scenes to the lasting impact felt by the communities SPARK serves. It's a heartfelt look at what keeps people committed to this work year after year, and why days like this one matter. Whether you're part of the nonprofit world yourself or simply curious about what drives it, this episode offers a genuine, insider perspective worth hearing. Want to be part of the impact? Support The SPARK Initiative today: https://www.thesparkinitiative.com/ways-to-give