Make Life Less Difficult
by Lisa Tilstra
Latest episode
Brenda Harrington: What Really Matters Most?
Brenda Harrington: What Really Matters Most?
About this podcast
"What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?" - mary anne evansThis quote summarizes my life purpose. Life isn't easy. It's complex, filled with the unexpected, and sometimes really hard. While life is full of challenges, I believe there are myriad things we can do to help make life less difficult for each other.On this podcast we'll share stories, struggles, and successes that help us know we're not alone. And knowing we're not alone is one way to make life less difficult.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 298 episodes
- Brenda Harrington: What Really Matters Most? · 52 min · Episode 298Send us a message! My guest today is Brenda Harrington. Brenda is a transformative leadership strategist, executive coach, and author who bridges professional excellence with…
- Christina Swartz & Stephen Kotev: Journeying Back to the Soul · 1 h 11 min · Episode 297Send us a message! My guests today are Christina Swartz and Stephen Kotev. Christina is a an independent consultant and coach. For over 14 years she has been helping leaders and…
- Will LeBlanc: I Used To Be Somebody · 1 h 42 min · Episode 296Send us a message! My guest today is Will LeBlanc. Will is the author of the book, I Used to Be Somebody. In mid-September, my husband and I were celebrating our 15th wedding…
- Vincent Van Den Broeck: Making the Impossible Achievable · 58 min · Episode 295Send us a message! My guest today is Vincent Van den Broeck. Vincent is the founder of UNTIL IT’S DONE (UID) — a brand and movement built to help people and companies make the…
- Dr. Tova Rubin: Letting Go of Certainty · 1 h 16 min · Episode 294Send us a message! My guest today is Dr. Tova Rubin. Tova is a licensed clinical psychologist, and she brings a unique awareness and ability to listen between the lines to her…
- Jessica Zucal: Embracing the Dark Passages · 1 h 11 min · Episode 293Send us a message! My guest today is Jessica Zucal. Jess is a returning guest and I'm so honored to share this conversation with you. Jess is an organizational change and culture…
- Donna Moreno: Get off the Ladder and onto the Jungle Gym of Life and Work! · 1 h 12 min · Episode 292Send us a message! My guest today is Donna Moreno. Donna spent 34 years at Verizon, where she was trained as a company spokesperson, representing them everywhere from industry…
- Nick Reittinger: Failure, Cookies, Faith, and Recovery · 1 h 8 min · Episode 291Send us a message! Today's guest is Nick Reittinger (write - ting - jer). And Russ Watts is hosting today. Nick is a seismic consultant in Kyle TX. If it shakes, rattles or…
- Graham Shelby: Telling Stories for Connection and Impact · 1 h 10 min · Episode 290Send us a message! My guest today is Graham Shelby. Graham is a storyteller in just about every sense of the word — a writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times and on…
- Nicole Anderson: Audacia Leadership and The Long Wake Podcast · 57 min · Episode 289Send us a message! My guest today is Nicole Anderson. Nicole is a leadership development consultant and coach. Nicole is a returning guest to the podcast and this is an inspiring…
- 5 Years of Make Life Less Difficult! · 53 min · Episode 288Send us a message! It's been 5 years since the release of the first episode of Make Life Less Difficult! Today, Russ Watts joins me to reflect on the journey of this podcast…
- Suneet Bhatt: Making Sense of Purpose · 1 h 9 min · Episode 287Send us a message! My guest today is Suneet Bhatt. Suneet helps people and organizations get unstuck, find purpose, and build momentum. Suneet teaches at Rutgers University…
- Srikanth Seshadri: What to Make of a Life · 1 h 21 min · Episode 286Send us a message! My guest today is Srikanth Seshadri. Sri is a returning guest, previously on episode 169 in 2022. Today, Sri and I discuss the book, What to Make of a Life, by…
- Deonna Marie: From the Crack House to the Opera House · 1 h 18 min · Episode 285Send us a message! My guest today is Deonna Marie Cattledge. Deonna Marie is an EMMY Award-Winning Vocalist, Storyteller, Keynote Speaker, Actress, & Intuitive Vocal Coach from…
- Ashley T. Brundage: Empowering Differences · 1 h 7 min · Episode 284Send us a message! My guest today is Ashley T Brundage Ashley is the Founder and President of Empowering Differences, a consultancy that helps people and organizations turn…
- Phil Chu: Building Relational & Social Fitness · 1 h 26 min · Episode 283Send us a message! My guest today is Phil Chu. I had the privilege of meeting Phil through our mutual friend, Ravi Ram -- thank you Ravi! Phil is the founder and head coach of…
- Jordan Friedman: The Stress Coach · 50 min · Episode 282Send us a message! My guest today is Jordan Friedman. Jordan is known as The Stress Coach. He offers a ‘chill factory’ of virtual and in-person stress management and anxiety…
- Stuart Voaden: Shadow, Burnout, and the Art of Reinvention · 1 h 11 min · Episode 281Send us a message! Today's guest is Stuart Voeden. Russ Watts is hosting this inspiring conversation with Stuart. Thank you, Russ! In their conversation today, Stuart and Russ…
- Kathryn Broullire: Finding the Way Forward after Loss · 1 h 8 min · Episode 280Send us a message! My guest today is Kathryn Broullire. Kathryn and I connected through the Georgetown Leadership Coaching mentorship program and from our first interaction, it…
- Russ Watts & Lisa Hope Tilstra: Soul Space, Story, and Pilgrimage · 1 h 12 min · Episode 279Send us a message! Today my conversation is with Russ Watts. Russ co-hosts and guest-hosts here on the podcast, so his is a familiar voice to many of you. Russ and I have been…
- Derrek Cooper: Embracing the Fulfillment (and Terror) of Big Transitions! · 1 h 9 min · Episode 278Send us a message! My guest today is Derrek Cooper. Derrek is an executive coach and had a masters in applied positive psychology. If his name is familiar, you may have heard his…
- Niki Mathias: Helping the World Better Understand Orchids (HSPs) · 1 h 4 min · Episode 277Send us a message! My guest today is Niki Mathias. Niki is an author who is helping the world better understand what it means to be a highly sensitive person. Her upcoming book…
- Lisa Lewis Daniels: Journeying Through the Messy Middle · 57 min · Episode 276Send us a message! My guest today is Lisa Lewis Daniels. Lisa is a returning guest and you can hear my first conversation with her on episode 265. Lisa is the founder and CEO of…
- Kenny Leahman: Re-finding Purpose with Bold Vulnerability · 1 h 0 min · Episode 275Send us a message! My guest today is Kenny Leahman. Kenny is retired from the Central Intelligence Agency after a 24-year career. He now is a coach, educator, and consultant who…
- Dr. Tony Cerella: You Don't Have to Know Where You're Going. Try Wandering! · 58 min · Episode 274Send us a message! My guest today is Tony Cerella. Tony is a returning guest and if you haven't listened to our previous conversations, please check them out. They are a series…
- Derrek Cooper: You at Your Best! · 57 min · Episode 273Send us a message! Today's guest is Derrek Cooper. Russ Watts is hosting this conversation! Derrek brings a rare blend of lived experience, leadership insight, and academic rigor…
- Jason Frohnmayer: Permission to Fail! · 1 h 7 min · Episode 272Send us a message! My guest today is Jason Frohnmayer. Jason is a retired U.S. Diplomat, having served his country in a variety of capacities at overseas posts and in Washington…
- Tom Bohinc: Lead as the Person You Are (The Prometheus Project) · 56 min · Episode 271Send us a message! Our guest today is Tom Bohnic. Russ brings this beautiful conversation to us in today's episode. Tom spent most of his professional career leading business…
- 50 Days of Climbing: Lisa's 50th Birthday Adventure · 1 h 5 min · Episode 270Send us a message! In today's episode, my good friend, Titus Mott, asks me about my recent 50 days of rock climbing adventure for my 50th birthday. It's amusingly intimidating to…
- Stephanie Peña: Sing! Dance! (Even if you are terrible at it!) Because You Can!! · 1 h 14 min · Episode 269Send us a message! My guest today is Stephanie Peña. Stephanie is an accomplished vocalist, actress and voice-over artist. Previously cast on an NBC sitcom, a member of the…
- Jennie Snyder, Ed.D.: Companions, Discernment, and Threshold Moments · 1 h 1 min · Episode 268Send us a message! My guest today is Jennie Snyder. Jennie is an executive leadership coach. She works with leaders during defining moments in their lives and…
- Donna Gandt: Transitions, Learning from Cancer, and Redefining Success · 59 min · Episode 267Send us a message! My guest today is Donna Gandt. Donna is the founder and lead coach at PSYCHĒ6, bringing over 30 years’ experience in leading people, projects, and change…
- Béa Albina: Diving Deeper into Ending Emotional Outsourcing · 57 min · Episode 266Send us a message! My guest today is Béa Victoria Albina. Béa is a returning guest and I'm so excited to share this second conversation with you where we dive deeper into her…
- Lisa Lewis Daniels: The Messy Middle & Lion Heart Society · 1 h 7 min · Episode 265Send us a message! My guest today is Lisa Lewis Daniels. Lisa brings a unique blend of professional experience, academic achievement, and transformational coaching expertise to…
- Jessica Vogt: Coming Home to Yourself · 1 h 10 min · Episode 264Send us a message! My guest today is Jessica Vogt. Jess is a holistic leadership development coach who supports people with a foot in many worlds -- culturally, professionally…
- Kelly Kienzle: Journey into Your Next with the Alchemy Workbook · 52 min · Episode 263Send us a message! My guest today is Kelly Kienzle. Kelly is a returning guest and today we are talking about her book, Alchemy Workbook: Journey into Your Next. Alchemy Workbook…
- Wise Women: Humanity's Untold Origins with Christopher Henze & Dominique Debroux · 59 min · Episode 262Send us a message! My guests today are Christopher Henze and Dominique Debroux, the Director and Producer team for the film, Wise Women: Humanity's Untold Origins. I'm thrilled…
- Conrad Colman: Solo, We are Nothing · 60 min · Episode 261Send us a message! Our conversation today is hosted by Russ Watts. Russ, thanks so much for bringing this conversation to Make Life Less Difficult. Russ is talking with Conrad…
- Guryan Tighe: Unmasking Fear - How Fears are our Gateways to Freedom · 47 min · Episode 260Send us a message! My guest today is Guryan Tighe. Guryan is an experienced leadership coach, workshop facilitator, and communications strategist whose clients describe her as a…
- Mona Khan: Seeding the Soil of Connection · 1 h 13 min · Episode 259Send us a message! My guest today is Mona Khan. Mona is a culture alchemist and joy cultivator who helps teams co-create with clarity, navigate conflict with care, and show up…
- Jennifer Berryhill: Brain Health and Wellness for MidLife Women (and Happy 2026!) · 1 h 17 min · Episode 258Send us a message! Hello and welcome to the first officially released episode of 2026! I’ve got a great conversation with Jennifer Berryhill to share with you today that I think…
- Craig Stanton: Transitions and The Book of Forgotten Words · 1 h 12 min · Episode 257Send us a message! This is the last episode of 2025 so I wanted to share a few reflections before jumping into the main conversation. 2025 has been a year with lots of change…
- Teresa Austrian: Exploring Holiday Traditions · 1 h 13 min · Episode 256Send us a message! My guest today is Teresa Austrian. And we are joined by Russ Watts as co-host! This is a fun conversation to share right at Christmas time. We talk about…
- Jon Rosemberg: A Guide to Thriving - Surviving is Instinct, Thriving is a Choice · 1 h 3 min · Episode 255Send us a message! My guest today is Jon Rosemberg. Jon is the author of the book, A Guide to Thriving: The Science Behind Breaking Old Patterns, Reclaiming Your Agency, and…
- Adi Ma Ura: The Story of Becoming an Unbreakable Woman · 55 min · Episode 254Send us a message! My guest today is Adi Ma Ura. Adi Ma is an Integration and Retreat Facilitator. Adi Ma (born Maura Barclay) has lived many lives in her 50+ years. After a…
- Béa Albina: End Emotional Outsourcing · 59 min · Episode 253Send us a message! My guest today is Béa Victoria Albina. This conversation is truly delightful, and Béa has me laughing and learning the entire time! In a few minutes, Béa will…
- Laing Rikkers: Cultivating a Life of Beauty, Meaning, and Joy · 50 min · Episode 252Send us a message! My guest today is Laing Rikkers. Laing is an author, entrepreneur, and grief coach. Having gone through the unexpected loss of her sister in 2019, Laing has…
- Kristy Gordon: Helping Widows Find Hope and Empowerment · 1 h 11 min · Episode 251Send us a message! My guest today is Kristy Gordon. Kristy helps widows and single moms reclaim strength, purpose, and new beginnings through financial empowerment. Originally…
- Ziad Hamdan: Perfectly Imperfect! · 58 min · Episode 250Send us a message! My guest today is Ziad Hamdan. Ziad, also known as The Luck Coach, is a creator & a connector. He uses his multidimensional skills to create & manage…
- Graham Segroves: Companions in the Present Moment · 1 h 1 min · Episode 249Send us a message! My guest today is Graham Segroves. Graham is a leadership learning strategist and ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) with deep expertise in leadership…
