Summer Session 7--So...What’s Next for Billy and Brian? with Life Coach Jill Dahler

In this week's episode, Billy and Brian chat with returning guest and certified professional co-active life coach, Jill Dahler, to discuss:

--what a coaching session with Jill looks like
–Billy’s BIG move!
–Brian’s success with Gen X Jukebox and his own BIG move!
--leveling up the production value of the podcast, leading with passion, and taking risks to try something new
--making a positive contribution to the world with their goals
--what's on deck for The Mindful Midlife Crisis.

Stay tuned until the end for an exciting announcement!

Like what you heard from Jill Dahler?  Contact her at:

Website: www.jilldahler.com  or www.jmdwellness.com
Twitter: @jilldahler  or @jmdwellness1
Instagram: @jill.dahler or @jmdwellness

Check out these previous episodes:
--Episode 29–Discover Your Inner Awesome by Being Unapologetically You w/ Jill Dahler
--Episode 58–How to Make Being Selfish Work for You by Val Jones

Thank you for listening to the Mindful Midlife Crisis!
We hope you enjoy this week’s episode!
If this episode resonates with you, please share it with your friends and family.

All of our episodes are available at www.mindfulmidlifecrisis.com

Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter as well!  We send out weekly meditations!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Topics you want us to cover?
Email:  mindfulmidlifecrisis@gmail.com
Instagram:  @mindful_midlife_crisis
Twitter:  @mindfulmidlife
"Like" and "Follow" us on Facebook: The Mindful Midlife Crisis Podcast

Please leave us a 5-Star Review!  Doing so helps other people looking for a podcast like ours find it!

We hope you enjoy this week’s episode!  If this episode resonates with you, please share it with your friends and family.  If you’re really feeling gracious, you can make a donation to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MMCpodcast.   Your donations will be used to cover all of our production costs.

Transcript

Billy: Welcome to The Mindful Midlife Crisis. I’m your host, Billy. As always, I am joined by my good friend, Brian on the Bass. Brian, how you doing over there, man?

Brian: I'm appreciative today, Billy.

Billy: Oh, appreciative. Why are you so appreciative?

Brian: I'm appreciative today, just generally thankful. I'll tell you in a bit. You know what? I'll tell you what. I've got an announcement I'll tell you at the end of the show.

Billy: Oh, you are the master of teases. I'll tell you what. You were such a tease.

Brian: What can I say? That's tease, tease, never aim to please. That's it. That's what I'll say.

Billy: Oh, I'll tell you what, man. It's nice to see you. You've been here and there. You've been hit and miss these Summer Sessions, but it's good to see you. I hope you're doing well.

Brian: I have as many hours in cars, have you had in planes. So, that's — yeah, we've both been around the country and earth, I guess, huh?

Billy: Yeah. Have you seen a million faces and rocked them all this summer?

Brian: I rocked a good percentage of them. I'm not going to claim all of them, but I have a very good percentage I rocked, yes.

Billy: That is awesome. That's fantastic. Our Summer Sessions have also rocked a million faces almost. We're almost to a million downloads. We're in about 25,000 download, so closer and closer to a million. But we keep going international. We have listeners in 31 countries. The last five episodes, all of our summer sessions, have been downloaded in 35 countries. Tuning in, as I reflect on my travels to the Pacific Northwest, Puerto Vallarta, Crosby, Minnesota, Denver, Colorado, Jeju Island, Busan, and Seoul. Thank you to listeners in Skiatook, Oklahoma. I hope I pronounced that correctly, Skiatook — that's a fun one — and Namyangju, Korea. I don't know why I picked two really difficult city names to start off here, but I felt like challenging myself. 

We have people in Elton, Louisiana. Thank you for listening Brampton, Ontario — our Canadian listenership continues to grow — and Alexandria, Egypt, all the way over to Africa as well. I just love when we go international. Let us know where you're listening to this episode by sending us a message at mindfulmidlifecrisis@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @mindful_midlife_crisis. You can also go to www.mindfulmidlifecrisis.com and click on the contact page, and hit us up there. We're on Twitter @mindfulmidlife. We're on Facebook at the Mindful Midlife Crisis Podcast. You can find all of this information in the show notes and on our website. If you do go to our website, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter under Contact. We send out a different mindfulness meditation each Sunday along with information about upcoming events, hosted by our amazing guests who are always seeking out opportunities to help people reflect, learn, and grow. There's some other goodies in there as well. 

Actually, today's guest has a little something something going on, coming up, and you can get information about that if you sign up for the newsletter. There's another tease. Brian and I are just tickling teases all episode here.

Brian: This is an action-packed episode, I guess, you could call it. It's really culminating into some fun stuff happening in here.

Billy: Hey, man. You were just at the Chrome Horse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Correct?

Brian: I was, yes, which is a really, really great joint. I mean, it's a great venue. The outdoor venue probably holds — I don't know. It's big. It's a big joint. I mean, the indoors is big. There's lots of motorcycles, and it used to be an old bank. So, there's a bank vault in it. It's just cool all around. Then you walk outside, and there's a covered area with a stage. It's all like a semi-truck theme. So, the entire back of the semi is the stage. It's really great. I mean, their layout is cool. The people are nice down there. We had a great time.

Billy: That's awesome. That's awesome. Did the people of Cedar Rapids, Iowa in Chrome Horse dig Gen X Jukebox?

Brian: We are arranging future dates, yes. So, I think they did.

Billy: Fantastic. Hey, if you like the 90s like Brian and I love the 90s and you want to listen to some Alan Jackson, C+C Music Factory, Backstreet Boys, Gin Blossoms, Nirvana, then you definitely are going to want to check out Brian's band, Gen X Jukebox — high energy show that will remind you why the 90s produced the greatest music of all time. We are not here to discuss or debate that statement. It is fact. It has been proven.

Brian: It's true.

Billy: Somewhere on Wikipedia, I'm sure there is research that supports that that is a fact. Give them a follow on Facebook and Instagram as well, and go get funky with Brian on the Bass. You'll never know. You might see me there and I might be cutting up the rug, or I might be catching COVID like the last show.

Brian: Which is funny, Billy, because I gave you a hug at the very end of the night.

Billy: Right. I don't know if I got it from you or from all the other sweaty people. But last week, I assumed that I didn't have COVID. It turns out I do.

Brian: Leanne was standing next to you. Then next to her was her friend Lena, who's our neighbor. She also got COVID, and you got COVID. Lena and I did not get COVID. We were standing directly with you guys for two hours.

Billy: Oh my gosh. Yeah, I could not believe it. I was just like, "No, I just survived 10 months of travel. I come back to the States. I'm here for two weeks, and I already catch COVID. I cannot shake this stupid cough."

Brian: I think your turn around on this, Billy, that's probably the best thing that could have happened. Think about if you would have got it in another country or you had plans to travel or — I think you got it just at the right time, man.

Billy: Yeah, that's a good point.

Brian: You're here amongst friends and family. That's a lot to be said for that. You know what I mean?

Billy: Yeah, I have definitely a lot of support around here. So, thank you to everybody who has been supporting me as I try and get through this illness. My voice is a little raspy yet. I sound like Tom Waits at this point. So, it's a bit of a struggle. Thank you to everybody for your support. If you guys want to show us support for the show, and if you like this episode, and you want to hear more from us, be sure to follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcast. If you're listening on Apple podcasts, be sure to click on the little plus sign in the upper right-hand corner. If you're a Spotify user, click follow under our cover art, and you'll never miss an episode. If you really like this episode, go to the show notes and click on 'leave us a review' and leave us a five-star review. 

Even if you're not a regular listener, and you've only listened to an episode here and there, tell us what you liked about your favorite episode. It can be as simple as, "I really enjoyed Episode 16 where Billy and Brian discussed the Love Languages book by Dr. Gary Chapman. Who knows? Maybe that conversation about that book encouraged you to read it, and now your relationship with your significant other is all the better for it. You're welcome. Let us know. Leave us a five-star review. Because when you do, not only does it help others find the show, but it also fills our hearts with happiness and joy. Words of affirmation is our love language, so be sure to spread that love. And of course, the best way to show your support is to share your favorite episodes with your friends and family who may find what the two of us and our guests have to say. Maybe they think what we have to say is valuable, or informative, or entertaining — which all words I would use to describe today's guest.

Today's guest is returning guest, Jill Dahler. You might remember her from Episode 29. Jill is a certified professional co-active coach and a registered yoga teacher who helps others cultivate individual excellence. Jill has been in leadership positions since her teenage McDonald's managerial days. But after years of dissatisfaction in corporate America, Jill pivoted her path and life to seek out joy, impact fulfillment, freedom, and love. Now, as a certified coach, Jill uses the energy and experiences of the world around her as a living laboratory to experiment and play with what it means to help others live a more fulfilled life. She is here today to help us answer the question: what's next for The Mindful Midlife Crisis Podcast? Welcome to the show, Jill Dahler.

Jill: Yes, applause all around. That was quite epic. Thanks for that entertaining and vivacious introduction. Thanks, Billy.

Billy: You're absolutely welcome. You deserve every word of it because you are just an amazing human being. I'm so happy to have you here today. I thought, who better than to help us process what direction Brian and I should go with this podcast now that we've been doing this for 18 months. We've been doing this for 18 months now. We have over 70 episodes, if you include the Summer Sessions and all that kind of stuff. I'm back now from traveling overseas. I'm not going back to my job in education. So, I'm figuring that out. Brian is crushing the music scene and is the busiest man in rock and roll, and still presidenting at his company. So, we're figuring out how to best serve our listeners. Thank goodness, we have you here, Jill.

Jill: Well, thank you. I'm excited to be here, and I'm excited to be back.

Billy: Yeah, we love having you back. So, we thought that this might be kind of interesting. You are a life coach, and you lead people through what you call discovery calls. So, I thought maybe you could walk us through sort of a discovery call of sorts. That way we can figure out which direction we're taking this. I know you've got some things going on, Brian's got some things going on. I feel like the theme of this episode is moving on up. Because that's what we're all doing here is we're moving on up, moving to that paradise in the sky, whatever the words are to that song. So, first of all, can you explain again what you do during a discovery call?

Jill: Yeah. So, a lot of what we do in that call is just really understand where you're at and where you want to get to. So, we do work on your past, your present, your future, and just really take a look at finding ways to help you move into action and what that might look like. A lot of times it becomes the framework for our coaching conversation in the future.

Billy: I can tell you that. I think in hindsight, I wish I would have budgeted having either a life coach or working with a therapist while I was traveling. Because I did have so many thoughts, and it was a big transition. I'm doing all of that now. I wish that I would have been doing it more in the moment, that reflection piece. So, I'm glad that we're doing this now because I do have a lot of thoughts to unpack. So, let's do this. Why don't you lead us through what a session would look like?

Jill: Yeah. Like you said, you've had a lot of things that you've been doing. You've had a lot of transitions. You have some ideas of what you want to do for the future. So, let's talk about that. What's your vision for your life over the next year?

Billy: Yeah, I think first and foremost, I want to be able to work from anywhere in the world. So, I recently sold my condo. I accepted an offer. I'll close on September 15th, which is a month away here. That mean that's wild because I love that condo, and I love the location of it. It's so amazing, and I really didn't ever think that I was going to leave. But my experiences in Seoul are calling me back. So, my intention is to head back to the Far East for the fall, and then settle in Seoul for the long-term, as soon as I can figure out what to do over there and how I can get a visa. or even if I'm just bouncing around from Korea to Japan, to Singapore, to Thailand in order to continue renewing my visa. So, I'm using that money from the condo sale to fund a little bit more travel, but I'm doing that with a little bit more intention and a little bit more purpose. Because I had this awakening when I was in Seoul. I talked about that last week when I was talking to Iggy. 

I still have a deep passion for helping people navigate the complexities and possibilities of life's second half. I want to do that by helping people develop awareness of thoughts and behaviors through self-reflection in order to cultivate a more fulfilled life. I started dropping little hints of that in the newsletter recently by using a worksheet that helps people outline their day a little bit better. I'm trying to create a mindfulness course that I can offer. A lot of the stuff I just want to offer for free as I'm getting back into the swing of, I guess, being a teacher. Because it's been a while. It's been seven years since I've been in a classroom. Because when you're a dean, that's a different role. You're not teaching so much. You're doing a lot of consulting, I guess, you could say. But I would like to get back to the teaching aspect of it. So, that's the direction that I go. Brian, we've just talked about this before. As busy as you are in your job, you're feeling pretty good about being there, right?

Brian: Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, I do enjoy what I do. I really enjoy doing music. So, that's where what I spend my time doing, and with my family, of course. Family is number one.

Billy: It sounds like your job — as busy as you are at your job, you are able to balance with your primary job being a president of your company with the band, with your family. It's just that this summer has been wild.

Brian: It's long days. It's really long days. I mean, I'm going from 6 till 11 pretty much consistently. I don't have time to sit down and watch TV. I don't have time. Now lots of stuff, Billy, I haven't caught up with what's happening inside the band right now. We are considering management. We think we found a crew now, so we got — the show is coming together quite nicely. We've just upgraded our lights system. There's more lighting coming. We'll have an LED video walls shortly. So, there's a lot of work to be done behind all that, too. So, every day our setup is getting improved basically. For the last two weeks, I've had to do so much shifting of gear and reconfiguration and stuff like that, that I feel like I've been perpetually cleaning my garage for two weeks. I just emptied a trailer and everything goes in there. Then I emptied all back into the trailer and it's clean for a few hours, and then it gets filled all up again right after the show. I have to do it all over again, or I upgrade something. It's just like long days.

Billy: Well, yeah. You're upgrading your production value. We've upgraded our production value with the show by getting Podcast Engineers. I feel like podcast has been my baby, and the band is your baby. It's exciting. These are really exciting times for both of us right now, because we're working on these projects.

Jill: Yeah, so this is awesome. I think from what I hear in both of yours — since we're transitioning to a group coach call — you're both really in action with what fulfills you in intentionally designing the life that you love and leading with passion. I acknowledge both of you for taking the risks and having the courage to do all of these things. For Billy, for you, in the midst of ending your career, moving across the country, trying something new and really being in the experience of that. And for you, Brian, as busy you are as you are with, like you said, running your day job, having a family, three kids, travel, to be able to expand into creating this dream with your band, those are epic, huge moves that are no small feat. So, I acknowledge the both of you.

Billy: Thank you.

Brian: Thank you.

Jill: When you think of making a positive contribution to the world, what do you want to offer in all of this?

Billy: So, I believe my intensity to experience my own success motivates me to want others to feel that same gratification. It reminds me of one of the nicest compliments I've ever received. It's from my friend Mike Callewaert. He said, "What I like about you is, when you're excited about something, you want everyone else to be just as excited about it as well." Right now, I am filled with so much positive energy coming off of that trip from Korea, especially the people who've filled me with so much positive energy and soul, that I just want to continue writing that. Because I've struggled managing my emotions and my expectations for so long, and I've allowed those to get in the way of sharing that energy with others that I'm feeling right now. I'm continuing to do that kind of work as I navigate, like we say, all the complexities of possibilities. The more breakthroughs I make, the more I want to share that with others. So, I feel like that's what my positive contribution to the world is going to be.

Jill: Yeah, and that's excellent. I think your excitement is infectious, right? You can hear that in your voice, just that buzzing that you have. For me, when I hear it, I imagine you're like a lightning bug, right? In the evening, just like everyone wants to catch it. Everyone wants to be a part of it, bottle it up, and how can they make it their own? So, yeah, I think you ride that energy.

Billy: I imagine that that's what it's like for you playing music, right, Brian?

Brian: Yeah, and it's also just about fun. I have a lot of fun playing music. Some of the most fun times I've had in my life have been playing music. Music has affected my life in such a profound way that I feel a duty to share it with everybody. Look how fun music can be, that kind of thing. Because it really has — it's a lot of fun. I've met a lot of great people. I've had the best times of my life around music, and it's fun. So, I think it's my duty to help share it and share that fun, I guess. That's why I do it.

Billy: Well, I remember when we talked to Kolin Purcell and Anna Shclegel. One of Kolin's 10 words was that he called himself a 'stoke master.' I feel like that's what you are when you are on stage because it's so much fun watching you on stage. You surround yourself with musicians who carry that same energy. So, when I go see Brian on the Bass, I am stoked. That's why I make it a point to go see Brian's bands because it's an awesome time.

Brian: It is pretty fun. I mean, we do. The primary thing in this band is, let's have fun, guys. Let's make sure it's a fun show.

Jill: I love it. That sounds awesome. So, as the stoke master, who's had the greatest impact on your life, and why?

Billy: So, when I look back on this past year, there have been a handful of people who have really supported me. For example, my sister Debbie has been huge. Because I spent time with her for a month, and she let me stay out at her place in Redmond. That really, really helped me out because I wasn't sure where I was going to be. It helped me out financially because I didn't have to pay for a place to stay. They were just very gracious to let me stay with them. I'm indebted to them. I've been really surprised with how much my dad has been supportive through this all, as well. Because he likes to know where his next paycheck is coming from. He's a lot like Brian, where he's a successful salesperson so he always knew that he was going to make the sale. He's kind of been like, "Listen, you've got a stable job. You've got a pension. Don't ever lose that job." But I'm going in this new direction, and it's been really great to have him on my side and support me in doing this. I think a part of him is looking back on his life and thinking, it would have been cool to do something like that. So, go for it. 

I think he knows that I'm going to be able to pull it off in some capacity. My friends, Jamie, Gretchen, Marian, they've all been amazing. Jill, you and I have been talking quite a bit the last couple of months. Obviously, I don't do this without Brian, because it's been great to connect with him. I think more than anything, I think Brian's excitement around the band has kept me excited about continuing on with the podcast, because I see how much he's doing. It just spurs me on to want to continue this passion because we're both doing those things. Kristen Brown has been huge, especially this summer, because she's letting me work at her namaSync studio. Michelle Pan, obviously, because she is always my go-to when I need someone to boost my mood. What's cool with Michelle is she's working with you now, Jill, and she's working with Kari Schwear. That feels good to know that you're connecting people like this. I had lunch the other day with Dr. Yvette Erasmus. She's been a cheerleader for me this entire time. All the people that I'm still in contact with back in Seoul, they're inspiring. 

Since I've been back, I've had all sorts of people who have supported this vision that I have now to help people develop awareness of thoughts and behaviors through self-reflection in order to cultivate a more fulfilled life. For me, even more importantly, they've supported this wild idea of selling my home and moving abroad. I keep reading about how this isn't a great time to be quitting your job, or taking that elaborate trip, or selling your home. I'm doing all three of these like a fucking idiot. My only choice is to make this work. If I don't, I'm unaware of the privilege that I have right now that I'll probably land softly somewhere and regroup. But I also don't want to fall back on that at all. I want this to work. I want this to be successful.

Jill: Yeah, and I think you've done an amazing job. I feel like you've done this for a long time. We've known each other for over 20 years. You've always done an amazing job of cultivating people. The people that stay in your life are there to be your cheerleaders and to support you as you take these big risks. Even if something doesn't go according to your plan, you still have this group of people that are going to continue to lift you through that, which is awesome.

Billy: Brian, I'm always curious. When you are putting a band together, what is it that you're looking for outside of just musically talented people?

Brian: Well, there's a lot of considerations — their referral, musical history, who they know most of the time. Because most of the time, we're just not taking people off the street. It's somebody knows somebody. You ask a buddy, "Hey, who's the best female lead singer right now? Who's good out there?" Because, obviously, you want somebody that can do the job and be cool, because you got to hang out with people a lot. You got to spend a lot of time in fans, in hotel rooms, in wherever. So, you got to like the people you're with. So, they got to be talented and cool.

Jill: That's awesome. Finding the simplicity in bringing in people that have the same values as you do to be able to enjoy that experience, have a good time, and the people that know people. So, you've put yourself in that networking experience.

Billy: We always say on the show that your network equals your net worth. So, it's so important to surround yourself with important people. I remember Brian saying in one episode that if you hang around five millionaires, you'll be the sixth millionaire, right? So, making sure that you surround yourself with people who are going to support the positive that you're putting out there, the good that you're putting out there. If you're surrounding yourself with people who make you feel like shit or encouraging you to do shitty things or things that aren't moving you towards happy, healthy, loving relationships or a life like that, then the hard part is removing that person from your life and growing. So, that's something that not necessarily that I've had to cut out, but I've had to surround myself with more like-minded people. This podcast, the last 18 months, has allowed me to do that. I feel extremely grateful for that network of people that continues to grow, and grow, and grow each season.

Jill: Yeah, you guys have been on a great ride. So, at this moment in time, how would you describe the general state of energy, well-being, and just things that are important for you, for yourself care?

Billy: Notwithstanding the past two weeks here where I've had to get over COVID and this nagging cough, and my throat drying up every 10 seconds. I was on a great streak with my morning mobility routine. I recommitted myself to that. I had abandoned that years ago, and I don't really know why. Just all of a sudden, I stopped doing it. But that morning mobility routine really sets the tone for the day for me. So, I'm glad that I'm back into that practice. I also started doing my evening mobility routine. It's different. I've struggled to make that stick in the past. But before COVID, I was rolling with that each and every single night. I would go home early so just so I could do my mobility routine in the evening, because that had become a priority. If I was hanging out with friends, I would leave early because I wanted to make that a priority. I really worked to stop over analyzing my workouts that I was doing before I got COVID. 

I've broken them up into just two upper body workouts and two lower body workouts a week, and just do them Saturday, Sunday back-to-back, and then Tuesday, Thursday. That has helped me out. Because I haven't really worked out. I haven't had a gym. I've over thought how to work out while traveling. I just could have made it easy with bands. But am I getting a full workout? I was like, dude, you don't need a full workout when you're traveling. Just get some exercise, and keep up your muscle mass in some way, shape or form, which I have not done. So, it's important for me to get back into that. My energy level right now is super high because I'm driven to create this new life, not just for me. But I'm confident enough in what I'm creating with this new program that we're going to talk about, that I think this has the potential to change the lives of people who decide to work with me. I'm sure everyone says that when they're first starting out. Quite honestly, I know that I might not be for everyone. It brings me back to what Rich Bracken said, "I'm not everybody's cup of tea, but I'm definitely somebody's shot of bourbon." I just love that saying.

Those people out there who enjoy this podcast, you're going to get the same energy from me when we work together. I can tell you that my energy, since coming back from Korea, has been completely shifted. That's why I wanted to set up the Summer Sessions in this way. Because those who listened to Season 5, like when I go back and listen to Season 5, I get frustrated and I get annoyed with how stuck I was in my thinking. I can only imagine how listeners might have felt if you were over over that. Maybe there are people out there who are like, "Oh, I feel the same way." I just always felt sad for Brian because I can only imagine Brian was like, "Dude, you're not drowning. You just need to stand up in the puddle, dummy." The water is only knee deep. Just stand up. You're not drowning. I feel like it's very similar to what we discussed in Episode 3, which is called The Only Way Out is Through. 

It's poetic that Michelle Pan has that tattooed on her arm. It reminds me what Christine Chang said when we talked to her, because she highlighted that these changes don't happen overnight. They take time. If I'm being honest, I'm still going through it. I'm much further along than where I was in January of 2022. I've been reflecting and learning and growing and navigating my way up this mountain. I don't have all the answers yet, but I do feel confident enough to use my life experiences to lead others up the mountain as well. Because the views along the way and the views at the top are all worth the struggle. I mean, going up the Baegundae and seeing Seoul from the highest peak in Seoul, and going up Hallasan — which is the highest peak in Korea— those were challenging hikes. But when you got up there, the view from the top was amazing. Even though I didn't — I maybe was too driven to get to the top, and I didn't enjoy the process as much as I could have. It still was an amazing experience. 

There were definitely times when — when I went hiking on Baegundae the first time, I got lost. I didn't even make it to the top. But I went there a second time with my friend Vance. We'd get confused or veered off the path from time to time, but we always found our way back to the path. That's what I imagined the next few months and years are going to be like for me. I don't know that I would have made it to the top without someone like Vance to help me navigate it. I want to be that person for others. I want to help other people navigate that mountain, so we can get to the top and overlook what we've accomplished and take in the view, and really be proud of what we've accomplished.

Jill: That mountain is a beautiful analogy of the process that you've been through in the last 18 months. Even as you humanize yourself by showing the stuckness, showing the process, showing the work along the way, coaching myself as a life coach, that's where I am. I'm Vance. I'm that guy to guide you through to get to that top, to get to where it is that you want to get to. It's not about me pulling you along the way and showing you how to get there. It's like, "No, no, let's do this together." We're here to help each other out. We're here to co-create this life that you're looking for. For you, you've done a lot of this work. You've been on this amazing journey. It's going to be super exciting to see what happens through all the risks that you're taking but yet you have the courage to continue forward, which is fantastic.

Billy: Well, thank you for that. I always appreciate some validation in the decisions that I'm making. So, let's do this. We're going to take a quick break. Then when we come back, we're going to talk about how you can work with Jill, what Jill has coming up, and what's on deck for The Mindful Midlife Crisis, me, and Brian. Thank you for listening to The Mindful Midlife Crisis Podcast.

(break)

Billy: Welcome back to The Mindful Midlife Crisis. We are sitting here with life coach, Jill Dahler, as she helps Brian and I process through what's next for The Mindful Midlife Crisis Podcast. We really enjoyed this coaching reflection right here. Jill, how do people get in contact with you if they want to go through a coaching session like this?

Jill: Absolutely. There's a couple of different ways. On Instagram, at jill.dahler. I also have a website, jilldahler.com. Both of those, you will be able to find me on both of those sites.

Billy: Excellent. So, you've got some exciting things coming up, too. You're going through a transition as well. So, can you talk about that?

Jill: Yeah, absolutely. So, after three years, I've decided to close the JMD Wellness Yoga Studio, and transition into more life coaching. I did a little bit of life coaching along the way. but I haven't dedicated my time to that as I was trying to grow a studio. Growing a studio, through the pandemic, has been very difficult. So, I am taking another leap of faith. Billy sent me a text and said, "Hey, I got an idea. Do you want to work with me on a program?" I believe my response was, "Fuck, yeah." So, here we are. Billy and I are creating a six-month program that we're really excited to share with you. I also will be co-hosting a women's retreat with Val Jones, who was on your podcast, I think last season.

Billy: Yeah, Episode 58, the selfish woman.

Jill: Yeah. So, I'm really excited for that. She's going to be leading it. As a life coach, I'm going to be leading it and incorporating what students are learning in yoga practice. So, I'm really excited to see how that turns out. So, doing those handful of things and also just taking a moment to rest and reflect on my last three years of being a studio owner, and what has all happened in my life during that time.

Billy: What's the call for you right now to gravitate towards life coaching? I mean, obviously, you've had challenges with the studio just because of COVID and that sort of thing. What's pulling you towards life coaching?

Jill: It's still have been the thing that has, I would say, annoying on me on the inside that I don't feel like I've completed it, like it's not fulfilled. It's the thing that I know I can be extremely successful at. I've taken on a life coach myself, and I just love being in that experience. I want to be able to share more of that, and I want to help others intentionally design their life in a way that it feels fulfilling to them. You might start cutting out through the work that you and I've started doing.

Billy: I'm really excited for the work that you and I have been doing here the last couple of months, because I feel like we're a good match. Because I bring in that data mind and bringing in that structure, and you bring in the woo woo and you bring in a little bit more of a free flow. I think we just complement each other in a very nice way. I think we can bring in all sorts of different people to work with. Because some might resonate more with me, and some might resonate more with you. We get along really well. It's funny, because you and I talked about how I probably have more of a feminine male energy, and you have a more masculine female energy. 

I feel like we cover a lot of different personality types with what we're going to bring to this program. I'm very, very excited. We meet on a regular basis. We're going to roll this out in January of 2023. We're going to do a little promo call in December. So, be sure to look for that because we're going to be giving more and more information. Feel free to email me at mindfulmidlifecrisis@gmail.com. You can also go to Jill's website, and contact her and get information there, again, at www.jilldahler.com. Of course, we'll link that in the show notes. Follow her on Instagram. Because we're very excited. We are ready to help you live a more fulfilled life through mindfulness, through self-reflection, through understanding your cultural biography. We're going to have analysis that we can —

Brian: Yo, listen. You guys are both great listeners. That is one thing I'm excited about. Because I know you both, and that'll be wonderful. I'm excited for you guys.

Billy: Yeah, I'm excited, too. So, it's going to be a lot of fun. You're going to get us on the cheap on the first round here. So, make sure you take advantage of it. Because once this shit blows up, oh, my goodness, dollar, dollar, dollar.

Brian: You're not getting the value any more then? Yep, not getting the value anymore. Now's the time to buy for value.

Billy: That's right. Get in while the getting's good, people. So, that's Jill and I's big announcement. Brian, you also have a big announcement.

Brian: Yes, I'm going to be stepping away from the show for a while here to work on this other show, basically. Billy, you've done such a great job with this thing. It's time for you to fly, brother. It's time for you to fly solo.

Billy: I am so grateful for the last 18 months. You have no idea.

Brian: Me, too, buddy. I got a lot of fun.

Billy: Yeah, I have, too. We've met a lot of great people. We've had a lot of fun conversations. All the feedback is, the dynamic between Billy and Brian is so contagious. I'd fill that gap a little bit to fill that hole that you're going to leave here as you depart. So, I did that solo episode for the first time, and it felt so weird to not be talking to somebody during that. This podcast would not have happened without you. This podcast is definitely my baby, so I am eternally in debt to you. I want you to know how much I love you and how much I appreciate you and how grateful I am for everything that you have brought to the show. So, thank you my friend.

Brian: Thank you, Billy. I mean, it's been an honor, man. I mean, honestly, it has just been a lot of fun hanging out with you again. I love you, too. I want nothing but to see you succeed. I'll come back. I'll be around. I'll still be helping you, just not on the broadcast of the podcast. How's that? I'll have to start listening now regularly because I want to know what's going on. So, you're going to gain a listener, probably. Because I don't listen to the show now. Because I hear it once. I don't have time to hear things twice. I'm sorry. I will start listening though, especially if you're going to be releasing stuff with Jill. I'm excited to see what that looks like. I bet some of that stuff's going to spill on to the podcast. So, I'm excited for you guys, man. Thank you. It's been fun, dude.

Billy: Yeah, it's our birthday month. We're recording during our birthday weeks. Your birthday was last week. My birthday is this week. We have our birthday meat sweats luncheon with our good friends, Mitch Fallgatter from Summer Session 3 where we talked about Crosby. Oh, yeah. Great, great, dude. Jill has seen Mitch rocked with dead walleye in the past as well and knows that he's just a good person. So, we're going to get together that way. This has been a nice excuse for you and I to catch up on a regular basis. I will miss that. So, we're going to have to make sure that we budget time into doing that because —

Brian: Of course.

Brian: We've shared so much of our lives with each other for the last 18 months, that it's going to be too weird to not see you on a regular basis.

Brian: We'll still see each other. Well, you're going to be over in Korea, but we'll have to make time for some calls. You're absolutely right. I insist. Well, here, I will — I'm going to say this. I'll be on once per season. If you keep doing this, I will come back for at least one show.

Billy: We'll have you come back on for the season recap, and then we'll actually test whether or not you've been listening to the show.

Brian: Brilliant. Perfect. Then I can offer what I usually offer just all at the same time. That's very efficient, Billy. I think we just became more efficient.

Billy: Oh, I love it. See, Jill, there you are. You're helping us be more efficient.

Brian: That's amazing.

Jill: Magic. Pure magic.

Billy: Absolutely beautiful. All right. Well —

Brian: Hey, I want to leave everybody with one thought though. I want to leave your audience with one, my parting thought here, if you will. If you are not out having fun with your life, what the fuck are you waiting for? Get out there and have some fun. That is really what it's all about.

Billy: I think that's our mic drop moment right there. Thank you so much, Brian. I love you, my friend. I can't wait to see you rock the State Fair this summer.

Brian: Oh my gosh, dude. Those shows are going to be pandemonium. The way audiences have been reacting to us — dude, we went down to Iowa. It was fucking 96 degrees outside with 90% humidity. It was miserable. I mean, if you sat there, you just fucking sweated, right? They hung with us all night. All night. They were out there dancing. Dude, this is going to work pretty well.

Billy: I'm excited for you. I'm excited to shake a leg. I will bring Jill out to see you as well some time. We will get funky on the dance floor with Brian on the Bass. I can't wait to see you in person and give you a hug. Jill, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate you guiding us through the next few months of our lives, the next few years of our lives as we reflect, learn, and grow.

Jill: Thank you for inviting me to this beautiful bromance. I appreciate it.

Billy: So, for Jill, for Brian, this is Billy. Thank you for listening to The Mindful Midlife Crisis. May you feel happy, healthy, and loved. Take care, friends.