This Is It! by Thriving Yinzers

Epizody

• S2E7 YINZ Still Becoming? Why Your Story Isn't Finished (Growth Mindset Episode) 05.07.2026 30min

  ABOUT THIS EPISODE We’re revisiting growth mindset and the real question underneath it: do you still believe you’re becoming, or have you quietly stopped expecting more for yourself? Sherry and Jodi talk through the difference between “I can’t” and “I can’t yet,” Michael Jordan walking away from basketball at the peak of his career, and how Fred Rogers turned a lonely, bullied childhood into a 33-year mission. This one ties together everything we’ve built this season: self-awareness, ag...
• S2E6 Stop Trying to Fix Yourself: Self-Trust Over Self-Improvement w/Dr. Leslie B Newman 21.06.2026 50min

  Ever feel like you’ve been “doing the work” for years and somehow still end up back in the same place, asking yourself what’s wrong with you? We’re pulling the plug on that idea with Dr. Leslie B. Newman, psychologist, author, and positive psychology expert, because growth isn’t a straight line and you’re not a project to be completed. We talk about what it looks like when progress comes in loops, not checklists, and why self-trust is often the real goal hiding underneath self-improvement. We...
• S2E5 Don't be a Jagoff and Don’t Let One Run Your Life 07.06.2026 33min

  Emotional Regulation: Working With Your Emotions, Not Against Them Somebody blows up, shuts down, or flips the story so fast you end up apologizing and wondering what just happened. We start there, but we don’t stay there, because the real leverage point is what we do with our own emotions first. We talk about emotional regulation as a learnable skill, why emotions are signals not threats, and how a small pause can keep a hard moment from becoming collateral damage. Anger gets a special spot...
• S2E4 Let's Talk About Fishburgh and the Kid Who Left Different 24.05.2026 38min

  A kid catches a fish and suddenly stands a little taller. That moment is why we wanted Phil Papa on the show. Phil is the founder of Fishburgh Outdoors, a Pittsburgh youth fishing program built to help families get outside, get off screens, and feel that rare mix of calm and lit up that happens near the water. What starts as a bluegill at a city pond becomes something bigger: confidence, patience, and a new story about who you can be. We get into the practical side of urban fishing for...
• S2E3 Taking the Wheel: Agency in Hard Times 'N at 10.05.2026 38min

  We talk about agency as the small, real choices we can still make when life is unfair, overwhelming, or full of grief. We connect self-awareness to action, name the nervous system “freeze” response, and share practical ways to find one next step without shaming yourself. • defining agency as influence inside what you cannot change • why awareness without action turns into shutdown • Jodi’s story of leaving an unhealthy marriage over time • what personal responsibil...
• S2E2 Ya Can't Change What Ya Can't See - Self-Awareness 26.04.2026 28min

  You can’t fix what you refuse to notice and most of us are moving too fast to see ourselves clearly. Season two starts with a small, powerful skill that changes how we handle stress, conflict, and burnout: self-awareness. We’re not here to spiral with the headlines or pretend everything is fine. We’re here to get grounded, put our own oxygen masks on first, and take the next right step with more clarity. We talk about what life chaos does to real people: freezing, snapping, people pleasing, ...
• S2E1 Here We Go — Season 2 12.04.2026 12min

  Three words can change how you survive the hardest seasons of your life: This is it. Sherry opens season two by sharing the message her dad wrote to their family while facing glioblastoma, and how those words kept her steady through compounding grief, sudden medical events, and the long, brutal reality of loving someone through addiction and serious mental health challenges. We don’t sanitize any of it, because real resilience starts with telling the truth. Jodi brings her own story of ...
• "This Is It! Surviving and Thriving: Season One Concludes 03.02.2026 19min

  We close season one by tracing how small order, honest support, and micro habits help us move from survival toward steadier ground without chasing perfection. The theme is simple and stubborn: accept where you are, build tiny anchors, and keep paying it forward. • defining thriving as mindset, not destination • order over chaos through tiny tools and routines • taking a beat to exit survival mode • shifting from all-or-nothing to micro habits • acknowledging real survival needs and inequity •...
• S1E7: A Sister's Tribute- Humanity in Broken Hearts and Broken Systems 27.12.2025 8min

  The hardest stories to tell are the ones that matter most. We open our hearts to share a sister’s life, loss, and grief—while confronting the painful truth that love alone can’t solve a complex crisis. What starts as a personal remembrance becomes a wider discussion on addiction, trauma, mental illness, and the limits families run into when care systems fall short. We talk about her early path into substance use, the many attempts at treatment, and the community that showed up to honor her wh...
• Empowered Relief: Finding Hope in Chronic Pain (Guest: Dr. Leah Flaherty) 15.11.2025 32min

  A life narrowed by chronic pain can make even simple pleasures feel like a threat. We sit down with Dr. Leah Flaherty, a pain psychologist at Allegheny Health Network and certified Empowered Relief instructor, to explore a FREE and practical, two-hour path that helps you change how your brain responds to pain—without pretending it will vanish. Grounded in pain neuroscience education and cognitive behavioral therapy, Empowered Relief gives clear, usable tools that calm the nervous system and i...
• S1E6: Life’s a Mess N’at? Redding Up Chaos with Simple Routines That Work 21.10.2025 23min

  Life is messy — between burnout, stress, clutter, and emotional overload, most of us are just trying to hold it together. But you don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode. In this episode of This Is It! by Thriving Yinzers, we’re redding up the chaos — starting with what’s actually in our control: our daily habits, routines, and physical environment. We break down why chaos overwhelms your brain, how it hijacks executive function, and why it keeps you stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn....
• #GRAUSTRONG: Rising Through Heartache, Hope, and Love 20.09.2025 41min

  When life tests us with unimaginable challenges, we discover capacities for strength and resilience we never knew we had. Megan Grau's story embodies this truth in ways that will leave you speechless, inspired, and perhaps forever changed. On a single day in May 2020, while the world grappled with pandemic uncertainty, Megan's world shattered: her husband Mike was diagnosed with stage four bladder cancer, her brother was hospitalized with kidney failure, and her mother entered hospice care. ...
• Save this Episode! FREE Resources for Those Impacted by Cancer 02.09.2025 31min

  A cancer diagnosis changes everything. While medical treatment targets the disease, what about the person—their fears, their appearance, their family, their spirit? Laurin Scanlon from AHN's Integrative Oncology Division reveals the extraordinary support system maybe you never knew existed. The program, fully launched in 2023 after years of development, focuses on four pillars: health and fitness, diet and nutrition, image and appearance, and mind and body. What makes these services extra sp...
• Empowerment Through Everyday Victories: #4Wins4Yinz 19.08.2025 3min

  When life piles up fast—schedules, stress, emotions, unfolded laundry—it's easy to overlook how you're still showing up. That's why we created our #4Wins4Yinz framework, a simple tool to help you see progress when everything feels overwhelming. This episode guides you through four essential dimensions of well-being: spiritual (what gave you peace or purpose?), physical (how did you care for your body?), mental (what helped your mind feel clearer?), and connection (who did you meaningfully int...
• Revelations in Self-Mastery and Holistic Wellness with Matt Plutko 29.07.2025 26min

  When was the last time you felt truly aligned—mind, body, and spirit working in harmony? For too many of us, that sense of wholeness feels increasingly elusive in a world that treats our physical and mental health as entirely separate domains. Matt Plutko, co-founder and Director of Wellness at Revelations Counseling and Wellness, joins us to share a perspective on healing that bridges this artificial divide. "Studies show exercise has the same effect on the brain as Prozac," Matt explains, ...
• S1E5 The Moment Yinz Start Thinking Growth is Possible, You're Already on Your Way! 19.07.2025 22min

  That little word "yet" might be the most powerful tool in your mental toolkit. When you catch yourself saying "I can't do this," adding "yet" transforms limitation into possibility—opening the door to growth where you once saw only roadblocks. In this reflective conversation, we explore the science and practical application of developing a growth mindset based on Dr. Carol Dweck's groundbreaking research. Rather than viewing abilities as fixed traits written in permanent marker ("I'll never b...
• The Last Across the Finish Line: Dr. Tony Kovatch on Legacy, Healing & What Really Matters 08.07.2025 42min

  Dr. Tony Kovatch, known as "Slow Tony" after being the last to cross the finish line at the 2025 Pittsburgh Marathon, shares insights from his 40+ years as a pediatrician and his philosophy on living a meaningful life shaped by personal struggles and professional triumphs. • Early exposure to his mother's battle with Huntington's disease influenced his decision to become a doctor • Viktor Frankl's logotherapy provided a framework for finding meaning in suffering throughout his life • T...
• S1E4 Ya Can't Avoid Every Pothole, But Yinz Can Take the Wheel 24.06.2025 24min

  Living with intention means taking the wheel of your life instead of letting it happen to you. We explore practical strategies for making deliberate choices that align with your values and create the life you actually want. Moving from autopilot living to intentional decision-makingWhy setting boundaries might make others uncomfortable—and why that's okayHow meditation and mindfulness can shift your nervous system from fight-or-flight to rest-and-recoverUnderstanding your "why" as a fou...
• Reclaiming Your Spirit: A Journey Through Burnout 07.06.2025 37min

  Valerie Pedigo’s journey through burnout began with a shocking moment—finding herself crawling up her stairs, physically unable to walk, yet still answering work calls from the floor. This powerful visual captures what burnout truly means: not just having too much to do, but having nothing left of yourself to give. As a certified life coach, human design reader, and co-founder of Renewed Spirit Adventures, Valerie transforms her hard-won wisdom into a framework that helps women reclaim ...
• #4WINS4YINZ 27.05.2025 6min

  When life gets heavy, sometimes the best we can do is make a hard day "nicer" rather than "good." That's the powerful distinction at the heart of our new segment and hashtag: #4WINS4YINZ Drawing from behavioral science and psychology, we're introducing a simple framework to help you notice your daily progress across four dimensions: spiritual (what gave you peace or purpose)physical (how you cared for your body)mental (what helped your mind)connection (who you meaningfully engaged with...