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Abstract Essay

Daniel Lucas

Abstract Essay is a podcast that explores the deeper layers of thought, creativity, and the human experience. Blending the reflective tone of personal essays with the conversational energy of an intimate dialogue, each episode takes listeners on a journey through ideas that challenge, inspire, and illuminate. From philosophy and art to culture and identity, the podcast invites guests who are thinkers, storytellers, and visionaries to share their insights in a free-flowing, thought-provoking format. Abstract Essay is not about quick takes—it's about meaningful exploration, where each conversation unfolds with intention, curiosity, and heart.

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43 episodes
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English

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September 8 · 26 min
Drew McHolm on Faith, Music, Leadership, Ministry, and Writing Stories That Change Hearts Through His Debut Book Minister of Justice
Drew Mcholm Doing work that changes hearts. Drew McHolm's Scottish brogue gives him away immediately. Yes, he is from Scotland, and yes, he is the pastor at The Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. But there is so much more... Drew was born in Glasgow. His mom, an avid reader and creative, adopted him. His adoptive father was a hard-working man who lived out his deep faith every day. He taught Drew the value of hard work, of finishing what you start, and how to push through the inevitable difficulties we all face in this life. Early on, Drew became the youth minister and worship leader at his church. His love for music and his desire to keep getting better at it continues to this very day. Through the years, Drew has been an entrepreneur, a business leader and a working musician and singer. And now, he is an author. His first book, Minister of Justice will publish summer of 2026. In every endeavor throughout his remarkable (and never boring) life, he has had a single goal in mind. "I have always strived to make sure that the work I do will somehow change the hearts of people." He is married to Jesse and they pastor the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa.
September 7 · 26 min
Peter George Reveals How Leaders Can Speak With Calm, Confidence, and Credibility
Peter George Public speaking coach helping leaders be calm, confident & credible every time they speak. Author of the 6x award-winning Captivating Public Speaker. 120K+ trained, 50+ countries. Are you looking for a guest who will share useful information in an engaging and compelling way? Great! I'd love to show your audience how they can be more effective speakers. I'm a public speaking coach, speaker, and award-winning author whose mantra is, "It's all about the audience!" I help executives, professionals, and speakers be calm, confident, and credible every time they speak in public — increasing their impact, influence, and income. Over the past two decades, I've trained more than 120,000 professionals across 50+ countries, including teams at CVS Health, Anheuser-Busch, and Mohegan Sun. My most-requested topics are: • Why Smart People Give Boring Talks (And How to Fix It) • Stop Informing. Start Transforming: The Shift Every Speaker Needs to Make • Unlocking the Top 5 Strategies to Engage Your Audience Here's what your listeners will learn: How to consistently wow their audiences • Easy-to-implement elements that make any talk more engaging and compelling • How to use public speaking to be more valuable to their companies, careers, and themselves • How to transform their nervous energy into positive energy • How to be as powerful a speaker as they are an expert in their field • How adversity can be your strength A little about me: • Public speaking coach (22+ years) • Professional speaker (38+ years) • Author of the 6-time award-winning book, The Captivating Public Speaker • Creator of the AMP'D Framework™ • Host of Public Speaking with Peter George, ranked in the top 3% of podcasts worldwide • TEDx coach • Contributor to the PodMatch Host Mastery Guide and Guest Mastery Guide
September 6 · 27 min
Natalie Luke: The Trust Tax—Why Burnout Is a Responsibility Design Problem
Natalie Luke Burnout isn't a wellness problem. It's a responsibility design problem — and I can prove it. The year my house burned down, my organization asked me to publish 15 peer-reviewed papers. Most professors produce one or two in a year. I had a destroyed home, a family to hold together, and a publication pipeline that couldn't stop moving. There was no playbook for what I was being asked to carry. And there was certainly no one in the room formally acknowledging how much of it had quietly become mine. That year didn't break me — but it forced me to solve something I hadn't seen clearly before. If I was going to survive at this level, I couldn't just work harder or manage my time better. I had to completely rethink how I led — what was actually mine to own, what I was absorbing out of habit or reward, and what the structure around me kept funneling in my direction whether I agreed to it or not. What I discovered is what your audience is living right now. The most capable people in any organization become the default holders of everything unclaimed. Not because they're weak. Because they're trusted. Because they step in. Because the alternative is watching things fall — and they care too much to let that happen. That dynamic has a cost. I call it the Trust Tax. And it compounds invisibly until suddenly it doesn't. Your audience doesn't need another framework for doing more. They need someone who has lived at the intersection of impossibly high stakes and structural chaos — and came out the other side with a research-backed answer to the question nobody is asking out loud: Is this just what it takes to be this good at this level — or is something actually wrong with the system? The answer is yes. Something is wrong with the system. And it can be fixed. That's what I bring to your show.
September 5 · 40 min
Pam Landry: Caregiver Resilience, Self-Care and Rediscovering Your Inner Compass
Pam Landry Caregivers and others who care for family members while managing a career WHY BOOK ME While I'm a nice person, it's my peaceful presence that creates a safe space for an audience to allow their inner wisdom to begin to shine through as they listen. For some change-seekers, I represent an example of how post-intense life experiences, such as caregiving, can look. It's not about what I do for a living now, but how I successfully navigated the chaos with a resiliency that boosted, rather than weakened, my mental health state. Listening to your chat with me, could spark the realization within your audience that change is not only possible but that it's within them to decide to make whatever change they desire most. Holding space for others is the strongest of my super powers. I unintentionally honed it throughout my life to serve the various chapters in my journey from the corporate world to prayer chaplain, and, ultimately, to becoming a health/inner connection coach with certifications in multiple disciplines to better support my clients. ABOUT I have a passion for people who care for others in whatever capacity, including caring for self. I am a space-holding haven for change seekers who have misplaced their inner compass while caring for others. I use focused inquiries to inspire and support self-discovery, bringing compassion, empathy, and experience to each meeting. I offer a collaborative effort, creating self-awareness and maintainable changes. I believe that each person knows what to do to resolve difficulties, but situations keep them stuck and unable to access their inner wisdom by themselves.
September 3 · 37 min
Peter S. Bergeron: The Trapped Operator | 12 Fatal Issues Facing Small Businesses
Peter S. Bergeron Author of The Trapped Operator and Creator of the 12 Fatal Issues for Small Business Framework. My name is Peter Bergeron. I am the author of The Trapped Operator™ and creator of the 12 Fatal Issues Framework™ — a structural diagnostic system built from fifty years inside small businesses, including nearly two decades running my family's business before closing its doors on January 13, 2020. That fifty years did not start in a classroom. It started on the showroom floor of my dad's business in 1977, when I was four years old. By six I was matching incoming inventory against packing lists. By fourteen I was good enough at the work that my mom, who ran the administrative side, had to fire me for the kind of trouble fourteen-year-olds cause when they know too much and answer to nobody. I spent the next two decades working inside other small businesses — a gas station, a financial services firm, a job shop, a beer distributor — moving through bookkeeping, controller, and operations roles, learning the same structural patterns repeating across different industries, different owners, different decades. When I finally had enough experience and an MBA to back it up, my dad called and said, in the way he said most things, "I think you might finally be smart enough to come work for me." I said yes without hesitation. Closing that business in January 2020 left me with more questions than answers. That drove me back to pursue my doctorate, and what I quickly discovered was that what happened to us was the norm, not the exception. What started as a personal search for what I did wrong evolved into something larger — how do we stop other families from repeating the same fate. Three years of research led to an answer: what small business owners experience every day is not bad luck or personal failure. It is a predictable, structural condition that no existing framework had been built to explain or address. The Small Business Durability Model and the 12 Fatal Issues Framework™ were built to fill that gap. What a podcast audience gains from a conversation with me is not theory for theory's sake. It is fifty years of pattern recognition from inside the businesses most frameworks were never built to describe — translated into language that does not require a business degree to follow, but never talks down to the people living it. The Trapped Operator™ released July 1, 2026. Information about the book, the framework, a preview, reader reviews, where to buy it, and how to claim your bonus gift are all at thetrappedoperator.com. I am a doctoral candidate in business administration at Johnson & Wales University, with a dissertation focused on family business succession and generational transfer, and an adjunct instructor of Entrepreneurial Mindset at Florida Gulf Coast University.
September 3 · 31 min
Mary Rothwell: Grow, Heal, and Thrive Through the Wisdom of Nature
Mary Rothwell Licensed Therapist Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner Essential Nature Mentor . Mary Rothwell is a licensed therapist, podcast host, speaker, and author who helps women honor their Essential Nature and live in alignment with their true purpose to find fulfillment and strength from within. Drawing on her background as a Master Gardener and Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner, Mary blends the wisdom of nature with more than 35 years of experience in the mental health field. Her work helps women see their innate resilience, reconnect with what truly matters, and cultivate lives that feel both grounded and vibrant. Whether she’s speaking in a quiet workshop circle or on a large conference stage, Mary inspires audiences through her humor, authenticity, and real-life stories that remind us we’re all capable of growth—just like the landscapes that nurture us. Her first book, Nature Knows: Grow and Thrive through the Wisdom of Plants, was an Amazon #1 New Release in May, 2026.
September 2 · 30 min
Jenny Leigh Hodgins: Overcoming Burnout, Breaking Creative Blocks and Unlocking Sustainable Creative Flow
Jenny Leigh Hodgins Creative Empowerment Coach, Author, Music Educator, Vocalist/Pianist, Composer, Poet. I’m Jenny Leigh Hodgins, a Creative Empowerment Coach, author, music educator, vocalist/pianist, composer, and poet with over 30 years of experience guiding individuals in creative growth, performance, and authentic self-expression. I help creatives, busy professionals, overwhelmed caregivers, and creatively curious adults restore energy, overcome creative blocks, rebuild trust in their creativity, and cultivate sustainable creative flow. My approach blends burnout recovery strategies, creative empowerment practices, and insights from my longtime Buddhist practice, all centered on my mission of Empowering Creative Flow and Inspired Living. As a solo caregiver navigating complex family dynamics and estrangement, and as a former HOA board president and community leader who transformed neglected systems, I bring firsthand experience in resilience, leadership, and personal growth. I also provide practical tools, digital products, and coaching resources for listeners, including my Creative Empowerment Coaching Program, Burnout RESET Guide, Creative Empowerment Sampler, Piano Strategies Bundle, Poetry Sampler, and my books — all designed to support creative growth, energy restoration, and inspired living. You can learn more at YourCreativeChord.com and listen to my podcast, Your Creative Chord.
September 1 · 24 min
Liz Watt: Overcoming Burnout and Achieving Holistic Success Without Losing Yourself
Liz Watt Helping leaders and individuals achieve holistic success—personally and professionally. I share a real-life, grounded approach to holistic wellness and success. I’ve walked through burnout, health challenges, leadership pressure, and the constant pull to do more while trying not to lose yourself in the process. Through that journey, I’ve learned that true success doesn’t come from pushing harder, but from learning how to support your mind, body, and purpose in sustainable ways. As an author, speaker, and co-founder of Be Healthy Utah, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with thousands of individuals, families, and professionals who are navigating similar struggles. On podcasts, I share honest stories, simple tools, and practical insights that help people reconnect with their body, quiet the noise of overwhelm, and move forward with clarity and confidence. My goal is for listeners to feel understood, encouraged, and reminded that they already have what they need to thrive.
August 31 · 33 min
Alan Gillanders: Quantum Spirituality and the Sacred Hum of I AM
Alan Gillanders Author, Speaker, Teacher of Quantum Spirituality. In the silence, the only sound that exists is “The Sacred Hum of I AM. Alan Gillanders has always had an inquiring mind, asking, "What is truth?", a timeless question at the core of existence. With decades of study in metaphysics, quantum theory, consciousness, and ancient spiritual teachings and traditions, Alan weaves together the mystical and the scientific, offering a voice that is both intuitive and analytical. Having witnessed and experienced miraculous events, his work resonates with those seeking meaning beyond dogma and reality beyond illusion. Alan believes the inward journey is a sacred space where thoughts take form, and the soul is remembered; where we realize our true nature: not separate, but expressions of the infinite. His writing encourages readers to reconnect with the divine essence that permeates the entire cosmos. This book represents Alan’s first major literary project, stemming from years of journaling, meditation, and profound inner exploration. A passionate artist, he mainly works in oil painting and has experience in metal sculpture. He owned and managed an art gallery in Subiaco, Western Australia, for more than ten years, and has led several other creative and business ventures. Alan resides with his wife in Quinns Rocks, a coastal suburb of Perth. Together, they have four children and a lifelong dedication to creative and spiritual growth.
August 30 · 22 min
Bryan Kramer: Why Being Human Is Your Best Competitive Advantage
Bryan Kramer Being Human is Your Best Competitive Advantage Called the “Zen Master to Digital Marketers” by Forbes, Bryan Kramer is a renowned business strategist, global keynote speaker, executive trainer and coach, two-time bestselling author and Forbes contributor. He is CEO of H2H Companies, an executive coaching company, and co-owner of PureMatter, a Silicon Valley marketing agency founded in 2001, which earned a spot as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Called the “Zen Master to Digital Marketers” by Forbes, Bryan Kramer is a renowned business strategist, global keynote speaker, executive trainer and coach, two-time bestselling author and Forbes contributor. He is CEO of H2H Companies, an executive coaching company, and co-owner of PureMatter, a Silicon Valley marketing agency founded in 2001, which earned a spot as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies” by the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
August 29 · 19 min
Podcasting and the Law: Gordon Firemark on Copyright, Contracts and Protecting Your Show
Gordon Firemark The Podcast Lawyer™ Gordon Firemark has practiced media, entertainment and business law in solo practice since 1992. In podcasting circles, he is known as The Podcast Lawyer™, and is producer and host of the Entertainment Law Update podcast (since 2009), and author of the Podcast, Blog & New Media Producer’’s Legal Survival Guide. His undergraduate degree in radio, television and film and experience in live theatre production informs his thinking about all things legal. In addition to a busy law practice, He teaches Entertainment Law at Columbia College Hollywood, Intellectual Property and Media Law at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and Contract law at Pepperdine Law School.
August 28 · 25 min
Michelle Masters: The Coaches’ Coach on Money Magic, Neuroscience & Lasting Personal Transformation
Michelle Masters he Coaches' Coach A Personal Development Trainer and Coach since 1995, Michelle Masters’ work is an innovative alchemy of Neuro-Science based change techniques, Family Constellation work, and quantum healing modalities, combined with profound understandings of what creates transformation and lasting change for people. Her popular Money Magic workshop, and the book that followed, have helped people all over the world to transform their lives and money. She has been nicknamed The Coaches’ Coach because so many of the top coaches and trainers have worked with her.
August 22 · 25 min
Miriam Groom: How Behavioural Psychology Can Transform Your Career and Prevent Burnout
Miriam Groom Miriam Groom, Behavioural Profiler & Career Therapist Miriam Groom is the Founder and CEO of Mindful Career, a psychologist-led career strategy firm helping individuals align their careers with who they are, psychologically and professionally. With a Master’s in Psychology and over 20 years of experience in recruitment and human capital, including leadership roles at KPMG, Miriam combines behavioural science with real-world market insight to help people make clear, confident career decisions. After experiencing burnout in what appeared to be the “perfect” career, she developed a methodology that goes beyond surface-level advice, focusing on alignment between personality, strengths, and the nervous system. She has helped over 10,000 individuals transform their careers, and her work has been featured in Forbes, NBC, CTV News, and Harvard Business Review.
August 19 · 27 min
Matt Thomas: From Software Engineering Executive to Acclaimed Poet and Author
Matt Thomas Matt Thomas Poetry Matt Thomas is a smallholder farmer, engineer, and poet. His poetry has appeared in Triggerfish Critical Review, Ponder Review, Hampden-Sydney Review, Hiram Review, Dunes Review, Avalon Literary Review, Galway Review, Milk House Review, Cleaver Magazine, Elm Leaves Review, River Heron Review, The Thieving Magpie, Common House Magazine, The Broken Plate, Hawk & Whippoorwill, Spellbinder Magazine, Pinhole Poetry, Slab Magazine, Kestrel, Susurrus Magazine, Temz Review, and elsewhere. Cicada, Dog & Song , a book length collection, was published by Serving House Books in 2026. Foxy Love: All American Poems , a chapbook collection, was published by Kelsay Books in 2026. Disappearing by the Math , a book length collection, was published by Silver Bow in 2024. He and his family live in Virginia where they practice land conservation and stewardship in the historic Shenandoah Valley.
August 15 · 23 min
Master the Art of Managing Violence: Christopher Thompson on Self-Defense, Survival & Dragonfly Academy
Christopher Thompson Instructor Thompson of Dragonfly academy of integrated defensive arts and My self defense studio.. Salutatuons! I'm instructor Thompson, a firearms instructor, range safety officer, certified firearms specialists ( allows me to testify in court on firearms and ammunition) and a martial arts instructor. I have twenty seven years in as a teacher, and a practitioner of 31 in Ed Parkers Kenpo. To keep it brief in 2014 a student of mine was brutally, murdered with a knife. He wasn't just a student. He was a family friend and ever since and for more than a decade, I have been studying, creating and building solutions that were not generally known and much of which wasn't even publicly available. As a student first I started cross training in everything I could possibly find. Looking for a solution to how to stop a knife attack. At the time I thought I knew, I was wrong! I promised his parents who were friends of mine that I would always keep his name alive in the bravery of his actions trying to stop someone who just and took the life of his best friend in front of him. I went to Kali, Muay Thai and firerarms. I've spent every day since studying in practicing on how to survive a stabbing event. I run a couple of companies and with my business partner. Those words, " a stabbing event" belong to my colleague Michael. His own experiences were similar to mine, and what he says is, knife defense doesn't exist. There's simply surviving a stabbing event! We created Dragonfly academy of integrated defensive arts. Specializing in managing violence, and specifically on a mission to help serve marginalized communities like LGBTQ+, indigenous and native population, and groups that face targeted acts of violence. We built this to help save lives, because self defenses is for everyone! But not everyone has equal access, our mission is to help those who really need it survive! Our mission is for those groups but our work is for everyone. We want to help as many people as we can and ensure they understand what survival looks like across the spectrum. Because violence and self defense training are not one thing, they're both many things!
August 11 · 29 min
Todd Sarner: The Calm and Connected Parent Attachment-Based Parenting for Raising Resilient Children in the Age of Screens, Stress, and AI
Todd Sarner Todd Sarner is a licensed psychotherapist, parent coach, and founder of Transformative Parenting. Since 2004, he has helped thousands of parents create calmer homes, stronger relationships, and more cooperation with their children without relying on punishments, scripts, or constant power struggles. Todd’s work is grounded in attachment science, developmental psychology, and neuroscience. He is a former faculty member of the Neufeld Institute and was mentored within Dr. Gordon Neufeld’s developmental, attachment-based framework. His approach helps parents look beneath behavior to understand what is actually driving their child’s struggles, while also helping parents build the emotional steadiness and leadership needed to create real change. He specializes in helping thoughtful, high-achieving parents who often feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or stuck between harsh discipline and overly permissive parenting. Through his Transformative Parenting Process, Todd teaches families how to strengthen attachment, improve regulation, create a healthier home environment, and respond to behavior in ways that are both effective and relationship-based. Todd is also the author of The Calm & Connected Parent, which offers an attachment-first blueprint for raising resilient children in a world shaped by screens, stress, and AI.
August 7 · 31 min
Kasey Jackson: Inventing the Hunkerin Stool, Transforming Athlete Recovery and Building Strength in Body, Mind and Soul
Kasey Jackson The BattleAxe, Son Of God, Husband, Father, Warrior: Body, Mind & Soul, Entrepreneur, Inventor, Martial Artist, BJJ Blackbelt, Builder, Autodidact, Bushido, Kaizen, & Ikigai. I'm Kasey F. Jackson, a husband, father and the inventor of the Hunkerin Stool. I have been an athlete my whole life, football, MMA, Ju-Jitsu and strongman competitor. After years of destroying my body, I was led to invent the Hunkerin Stool so I had a better way to rest in a deep squat. Alongside my wife, with our three children, we are now building this business and rapidly growing around the world. I am now physically pursuing a way to reverse the damage I have done to my body by listening to my body and changing how I train and move.
August 3 · 25 min
Abstrac Essay, now in its sixth season, welcomes Sarah Turner, founder and CEO of CeraThrive, as our featured guest. This compelling conversation explores wellness technology, entrepreneurship, innovation, personal growth, and Sarah’s journey in buil
Sarah Turner Brain Red Light Expert Sarah is the founder and CEO of CeraThrive, with a science background and a focused interest in how light influences biology, particularly circadian rhythms, mitochondrial function, and brain health. Her perspective is shaped not only by research, but by hands-on experience, including involvement in clinical trials in neurodegeneration, where she saw first-hand the impact that targeted light therapies can have. What makes her valuable to podcast audiences is her ability to connect that science with real-world application. Rather than presenting health as a set of complex protocols, she explores how modern environments, especially disrupted light exposure, are quietly affecting energy, sleep, and long-term resilience. She also speaks to the idea of agency in wellness and ageing, drawing on both personal experience and ongoing research, and challenging the assumption that decline is inevitable.
August 1 · 27 min
Abstract Essay in its sixth season, features Ingeborg Mooiweer is an executive coach with 35 years of experience as my guest.
Ingeborg Mooiweer Successful in business. But Love hurts? Ingeborg Mooiweer is an executive coach with 35 years of experience helping high-achieving executives break the patterns that make them brilliant at work and struggling at home. She helps executives who have built everything they wanted, except a love life that works. I grew up with a narcissistic mother. I didn't have language for it then, I just knew that love felt conditional, that being enough meant being safe, and that I learned to read rooms before I learned to trust people. That pattern followed me into my career. And into my marriage. I became exceptional at work. I built a practice, helped organisations, and earned the trust of C-suite executives across the world. Professionally, everything looked right. But in the span of two and a half years, I lost seven people who mattered most to me. Grief upon grief, with no room to breathe. Those losses cracked something open and confirmed what I had been seeing for 35 years in my work: the patterns we develop in childhood to survive become the patterns that silently erode our closest relationships as adults. I call them survival codes. For most high-achieving executives, one of three codes is running the show right now and they have no idea.
July 31 · 26 min
Abstract Essay, now in its sixth season, welcomes Thomas Addison—an accomplished AI strategist and serial entrepreneur as my special guest.
Thomas Addison Not Just Talk! I have been there. Business Consulting Services for Growth Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), and Duke MBA Thomas Addison is an exit planning advisor, AI strategist, and serial business owner who has been on every side of the transaction table. He lost $1.55M on a business re-entry that looked right on paper — then used what he learned to acquire a garage door company, make money and sell it, execute a 2x exit on a sandwich franchise, and build a federal contracting company with a GSA Schedule and SDVOSB designation. The loss wasn't the end. It was the education that made everything else possible.Today Thomas holds the CEPA certification from the Exit Planning Institute, a Duke MBA, and a CISSP, and owns a commercial PCB repair company that runs without him — because he built it that way deliberately. He works with business owners $2M+ in enterprise value to close the operational and technology gaps suppressing their valuation before a sale, using AI tools he has built and deployed in live businesses. He speaks on exit readiness, the real cost of owner dependency, and how AI is changing what buyers actually pay for.

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