Libsyn Directory

101. From Purpose to Possibility: Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez on Living Intentionally Through Life's Transitions

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

Release Date: 06/05/2025

120. Building Something That Holds: Loryn and Edo Nalic on Partnership, Perseverance, and Belonging from Balkan Treat Box

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s The Point?, I sit down with Loryn Nalic and Edo Nalic, partners in life and work and the force behind Balkan Treat Box, Telva, and the Ridge Room in St. Louis. Their story isn’t just about building award-winning restaurants. It’s about displacement, resilience, trust, and what happens when two people commit to solving problems together instead of letting adversity define them. Edo shares what it was like growing up in Bosnia during war, fleeing to Germany, living with uncertainty, and eventually coming to the United States alone. Loryn reflects on a very...

119. From Survival to Self-Respect: Jason Van Ruler on Healing Old Patterns

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Jason Van Ruler for an honest conversation about healing, responsibility, and the quiet work of becoming someone you can respect. Jason shares parts of his story that began in instability—growing up in a chaotic environment, learning early how to survive, and internalizing beliefs about worth that followed him into adulthood. Like many of us, he found himself repeating familiar patterns, even when they no longer served him. We talk about the turning point that came when Jason realized that awareness alone wasn’t enough. Wanting change...

118. The Secure Leader: How Attachment Shapes Trust, Leadership, and Purpose with Dr. Jaime Goff

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, host Bill Ellis sits down with Dr. Jaime Goff, founder of The Empathic Leader, LLC and author of The Secure Leader, for a powerful conversation on how our earliest emotional experiences quietly shape the way we lead. Drawing from her background in psychology, higher education leadership, and executive coaching, Dr. Goff explains how attachment patterns formed in childhood influence trust, control, communication, and emotional regulation in adulthood—especially in leadership roles. She shares personal stories from her own journey, including growing up...

117. From Experiments to Empowering Creatives: Kacper Staniul on Purpose, Curiosity, and Building What Matters

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I talk with Kacper Staniul, founder and CEO of MyArchitectAI, about how purpose often reveals itself not through a single calling—but through curiosity, experimentation, and the discipline to keep building. Kacper’s journey began far from startups and artificial intelligence. As a university student in Poland studying materials science, he admits he had little sense of direction. What changed everything was exposure to the internet and the realization that learning wasn’t limited to formal education. That discovery sparked curiosity, and curiosity...

116. The Fight Within Us: Gavin Lance Topp on Purpose, Sobriety, and Becoming a Man

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I sit down with Gavin Lance Topp, a former professional boxer whose life has been shaped as much by the battles outside the ring as the ones inside it. Gavin’s story is a powerful exploration of purpose, identity, and the fight within us all. Growing up in Australia and moving often as a child, Gavin found structure and validation in boxing. What began as an outlet for rage and energy became a disciplined pursuit that carried him from amateur fights to becoming the Australian Junior Middleweight Champion and eventually earning a world ranking. But as...

115. From Struggle to Sustainability: How Purpose Takes Shape with Vanessa Thompson

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point?, I’m joined by Vanessa Thompson, whose story is a clear reminder that purpose doesn’t usually arrive fully formed. More often, it takes shape slowly—through struggle, uncertainty, and hard-earned clarity. Vanessa shares her journey through seasons of instability and questioning, moments where the path forward wasn’t obvious, and how those experiences ultimately reshaped how she thinks about work, success, and sustainability. We talk about how easy it is to chase outcomes without pausing to ask whether the life we’re building is actually...

114. Painting the World Our Children Will Inherit: Purpose, Art, and Community with Cbabi Bayoc

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with artist Cbabi Bayoc, a painter, muralist, illustrator, and author whose work is rooted in one powerful idea: painting the world he wants his children—and all of our children—to thrive in. Cbabi shares how his art has always been about people. Faces. Emotion. Community. From his early days studying at Grambling State University to drawing caricatures at Six Flags, he learned to observe humanity closely, to listen, and to let people teach him through their reactions. What could have been discouraging moments became lessons in humility,...

113. Grit, Grace, and Becoming: How Tracy Spears Found Strength Through Truth, Belonging & Leadership

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

When you sit down with someone who has lived a big life, you can feel it instantly. That’s exactly what happened in today’s conversation with Tracy Spears—author, speaker, leadership coach, and co-founder of the Exceptional Leaders Lab. Her story is one of grit earned the hard way, grace discovered over time, and the lifelong work of becoming who we actually are. Tracy’s journey begins in a trailer park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where early messages about work ethic, worthiness, and performing for belonging shaped her worldview. She openly shares how one sentence from her father in third...

112. Healing Our Relationship With Nature: Purpose, Restoration, and Hope with Tim Christophersen

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with Tim Christophersen, one of the world’s leading voices in nature restoration and conservation, to explore what really drives us as humans and how we find meaning in our relationship with the natural world. Tim’s journey is a powerful human story of growth, purpose, and responsibility — and it’s bigger than politics, bigger than hot-button climate debates, and deeper than soundbites. Tim shares how his love of nature began as a young boy walking through forests in Germany with his grandfather, quietly building the foundation for a...

111. Finding Meaning Through Resilience and Kindness with Noemi Beres

What's The Point? - Discover Your Purpose

In this episode of What’s the Point, I sit down with Noemi Beres, a woman whose life story is a powerful reflection of resilience, kindness, and purpose. From growing up in Hungary in a modest but deeply loving family, to becoming an entrepreneur, connector, and creative force, Noemi shares what keeps her going and how she discovered what truly matters. Noemi opens up about her childhood, shaped by hardworking parents and the strong values of Eastern Europe. She shares how her family’s history — stories of survival, perseverance, and hope — gave her the foundation to keep going, even...

More Episodes

Trauma. We all see it and experience it at some point...to some degree. What is it? What can we do about it? How do we move through trauma? How do we find and embrace healing?

In this episode of What’s the Point?, host Bill Ellis sits down with Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez, a Professional Coach and Consultant, Trauma-Informed Certified Coach, and Founder of GKF Coaching and Consulting/Families Blossoming LLC.

Gigi has a deeply personal connection to trauma and shares her compelling personal story of navigating significant life’s rollercoasters, and how these lived experiences, coupled with her professional expertise across continents within the health sector, led her to a deeper understanding of and passion for purpose, resilience, healing and finding joy along the way. Gigi offers insight into her own journey, including experiencing loss, medical trauma, and raising a child with special needs.

With warmth and wisdom, she walks listeners through the importance of defining your own narrative when faced with trauma and the importance of always making room for healing and hope. Whether you're navigating a traumatic event, know someone who is, or are simply seeking clarity, Gigi’s story and practical strategies offer encouragement, empowerment, and inspiration.

Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways:

Transition as Transformation: Gigi believes transitions aren’t just events but opportunities to transform into who you’re becoming.
Reclaiming Identity: After years of shaping her life around others, Gigi chose to ask: “What do I want?” That question changed everything.
Language Matters: Words like “should” and “must” carry heavy energy. Reframing your language can shift your mindset.
Redefining Success: It’s okay to pause and reassess what success looks like to you—especially if your definition no longer fits.
Parenting with Purpose: Raising a neurodivergent child deepened Gigi’s empathy, patience, and commitment to coaching with compassion.
Permission to Heal: You don’t need anyone’s approval to start your healing journey. Sometimes, the person you need permission from is yourself.

Connect with Bill:

Links for This Episode:

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gigikhonyongwafernandez
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gigi.khonyongwafernandez
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/yourjoyfinder/

Quick Episode Summary:

0:00 Welcome and introduction to Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez
2:15 Gigi’s global background: From the U.S. to London to Zambia and back
5:45 Starting over after a divorce and why it led her to coaching
9:30 Reclaiming identity after years of people-pleasing and shifting roles
14:10 Redefining success: What it means when your old goals no longer fit
17:50 On raising a neurodivergent son and how it reshaped her perspective
23:30 Coaching as a calling: Helping others find clarity during their transitions
27:45 The power of language in shaping mindset and confidence
34:10 Advice for those feeling stuck: Start by asking "What do I want?"
39:00 Final reflections: The point is to live intentionally and authenticall

Final Thoughts: Gigi Khonyongwa-Fernandez’s story is a powerful reminder that life’s most uncertain moments can become the most transformational. Through her lived experience and coaching insights, she invites us to lean into discomfort, reframe our narrative, and confidently embrace our next chapter.

TOPICS