The Back Seat
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode, I share a reflection on my year, and some important questions for you to consider as you roll into 2026. The cover photo is from a time in my life when I finally got into the driver’s seat of my own car.
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The Psychology of Employee Engagement & Motivation
Ace of Pentacles
Traditional employee engagement surveys don't work, but there's another way for us to think about employee engagement -- through the lens of motivation. This episode is for leaders, HR, workplace experience designers, AND individuals who might be considering a career change! 🗓️ Need support designing an employee engagement strategy that's rooted in the science of human behavior? Book a Workplace Consult:
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Designing Your Next Chapter
Ace of Pentacles
Great product design starts with deeply understanding the user and building for their experience. Ultimately, the products people keep coming back to are the ones that consistently exceed expectations. And isn’t that exactly what we’re doing when we design a life we’re genuinely excited to live? In this episode, I talk about a specific tool that can help you design your life and work experience more intentionally. For more help with designing your life / career or workplace experience, visit: ; set up a meet & greet and we can design a coaching package that...
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Activating Self-Schemas
Ace of Pentacles
Our environments are constantly activating our self-schemas. In this very short bonus episode, I talk about what that means, how I’ve used this psychological concept intentionally, and how you can use it too, especially as the holidays approach. Need research-backed strategies and support to step into the next version of you? Let's chat: avra.as.me
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The Middle Passage: A Threshold to Second Adulthood
Ace of Pentacles
Midlife is when many people have a profound psychological awakening that James Hollis calls the Middle Passage. Around age 40- 50, we move from first adulthood, defined by external roles, achievements, and societal templates into second adulthood, where the soul demands authentic self-expression. I think that because we don’t have rituals or support for this transition, it often shows up as restlessness. In this episode I look at the middle passage through the lens of the stages of grief, reframing midlife struggles as a necessary grieving process and an invitation to shed false...
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The Desk with the Best View: A Story about Power, Privilege, and Perspective
Ace of Pentacles
If your life feels like it’s in a strange moment, maybe even an absurd one, take a listen to this episode. And if you need some help figuring out how to work with that moment — reach out. Because that’s what I do. I help people turn moments just like these into keys that unlock another chapter of their lives and other version of themselves.
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McMuffins, Muslims, and Finding Meaning in the Madness
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode I share a little bit of my journey of self-discovery and the importance of finding meaning in life's experiences. Through personal anecdotes, a story of my time at Tesla and a pivotal encounter with a colleague, I explore themes of confronting hatred and expression of feelings we are channeling - that don't originate from our own lived experiences, but from the experiences of a collective. Every experience prepares us for our purpose. But that becomes hard to see if we can't approach our past with a sense of wonder and curiosity rather than judgement and anger.
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Ep. 26 | Clifton Strengths and Career Wellbeing with Dr. Leighann Rechtin
Ace of Pentacles
In this episode, we meet Dr. Leighann Rechtin, a coach and expert on CliftonStrengths. CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) is an assessment developed by Don Clifton that helps people identify their natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving — called “talents.” The tool categorizes these talents into 34 themes that all roll up to four domains: Relationship Building, Strategic Thinking, Executing, and Influencing. Leighann and Sara were in the same coaching certification cohort and are both certified strengths coaches through Gallup. In this episode, they discuss the value...
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Ep. 25 | Overcoming Self-sabotage & Imposter Syndrome with Dr. Albert Bramante
Ace of Pentacles
With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of entertainment and education, Dr. Bramante helps performers, educators, and creatives unlock their potential by combining psychology, performance strategy, and AI. He guides actors beyond just booking roles— to building sustainable, purpose-driven careers across Broadway, film, and TV. A seasoned college professor, Dr. Bramante has taught psychology courses at Union County College and BMCC (CUNY), creating impactful, real-world learning experiences. As a certified hypnosis and NLP practitioner, he helps clients overcome internal...
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Ep. 24 | Awakening Your Imagination with Asher Lyons of Medicine Theater
Ace of Pentacles
Asher Lyons is the founder and visionary of Medicine Theater, an expressive arts organization with the mission to support people young and old in finding liberation, joy and healing through the art of spontaneous play and mythic story creation. Asher has been facilitating this type of work for over 23 years, and has found that the essence of freedom is discovered through connecting to our creative spirit and the natural world. Asher has also spent the past 2 decades learning from storytellers from a wide range of cultures and traditions throughout the Americas which has deeply informed...
info_outlineHi! I'm Sara. In this episode, you'll hear about my background, what personal and professional influences led me to becoming a coach and starting this podcast. Justin and I talk about the way I've designed and discovered my way from a career in education to working at companies like Tesla, Amazon Square, and Instacart.
Tune in to learn about who this podcast is for, and how it might be able to help someone design and discover your way to a fulfilling career.
Plus: I reveal why this career strategy and wellness podcast is named after a tarot card!
About Justin:
As an educator, coach, and creator of the Living Once Twice podcast, Justin's mission is to help individuals from all backgrounds unlock their power to design a life they are passionate about living. With 13+ years of experience in Higher Education Justin enjoys serving, mentoring, and developing students and staff. A Western New York native, Justin earned his B.A in Communications & Masters of Public Administration from SUNY Brockport.
Learn more about Justin's work:
Podcast: Living Once Twice
IG: @justinoliver716
Episode filmed and produced by: Bryan Dahl | IG: @dahl.memoirs