Shows
Find Your Spark239: Celebrating 9 Years at SPARKThe original four founding team members of The SPARK Initiative are back together to celebrate Jena’s 9-year workiversary! In this special episode of the Find Your SPARK podcast, Brooke, Ashley, and Nicole ask Jena a mix of fun, personal, and work-related questions, highlighting her incredible growth and contributions over the past nine years. Tune in for laughs, stories, and a true celebration of dedication and impact!Plus: Don’t miss next week’s episode, where we’re launching a whole new structure for the Find Your SPARK podcast—new hosts, fresh stories, and even more...
2025-09-3022 min
Find Your Spark233: A Curious Sneeze?!In this episode, Jena explores the power of curiosity and how it often shows up in the most unexpected ways. What begins with a simple moment—her son sneezing—turns into a playful and reflective dive into the question, “What if I don’t say bless you?” Through this lighthearted story, Jena invites listeners to notice how even small moments can spark deeper awareness. Sit back and enjoy an episode that’s equal parts fun and thought-provoking, all inspired by a sneeze and a little bit of curiosity.
2025-07-2210 min
Find Your Spark226: What We Focus On GrowsIn this episode, Jena and Nicole open up about what the SPARK Team has been up to lately. Since the year began, the team has joined Michael Neill’s training program, “How to be Really Happy and Love Your Life”. Over the course of these trainings, the team has gained incredible insights, but this episode focuses on one in particular – the insight that what we focus on grows. Listen as Jena describes her personal journey through knee replacement surgery, how her focus got the best of her and then ultimately, how it all worked out.
2025-05-2719 min
Find Your Spark218: Navigating Separate RealitiesIn this episode, Jena shares some personal insights and experiences that have allowed her to navigate relationships, conflicts and life with greater ease. Understanding separate realities gives us greater understanding and empathy towards others in that it opens our eyes to everyone's individual experiences. Listen as Jena shares stories about hamburgers and soap - two stories that otherwise may have been minuscule moments but rather opened Jena's eyes to greater understanding and compromise.
2025-03-2513 min
Find Your Spark213: The Best is Yet to Come in 2025In this episode, the entire SPARK team sits down together to reflect on 2024 and uncover what they are hopeful for in 2025.The rarity in which the team gets to be together in person is not lost on us during this episode as the laughs exchanged and genuine happiness in experiencing togetherness blossoms through the reflective conversation had. 2024 brought many highs and many lows while truly proving to all of us at SPARK that the universe has a plan that’s greater than our own. We’re optimistic for 2025 to bring with it exactly what we need...
2025-01-2835 min
Find Your Spark212: Every Experience is an OpportunityIn this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Jena reflects on her less-than-ideal start to 2025. Through her reflection, she shares a story about her son who recently tried out for the track team and despite making the team, had a lot of insecure thinking about his first meet. As the episode unfolds, Jena gives some advice to her son that she later discovers she can apply to her own mindset.At the conclusion of the episode, Jena poses the question, “Have you ever missed out on an opportunity or an experience because you let your thinking ge...
2025-01-2117 min
Find Your Spark203: How our Creativity can ShineIn this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Jena shares a simple yet transformative insight about creativity that has led her to uncover her creative potential. Creativity is often an attribute that many people feel they lack; however, what if creativity is so much simpler than some artistic ability?Listen as Jena explains how everyone has the potential to be creative. Then revel in the understanding that nourishing your creative thoughts is what allows them to come to life.
2024-09-2410 min
Find Your Spark195: Possibilities are InfiniteIn this episode of the Find your SPARK podcast, hosts Ashley and Jena dive deep into one of SPARK’s core beliefs: "Possibilities are Infinite." Together, they explore the powerful impact of embracing limitless potential in both their professional and personal lives.Ashley and Jena share candid stories of times when their own thinking hindered their creativity, as well as moments when being open to new possibilities led to incredible outcomes. Their insightful discussion reveals the transformative power of shifting perspectives and breaking free from self-imposed limitations.Additionally, Ashley an...
2024-07-2317 min
Find Your Spark193: The Power of Free Thought - Unlocking Freedom of MindThis week on the #FindYourSPARK Podcast, inspired by a Jim Carey video and Independence Day, Ashley, Jena, and Stephanie reflect upon the concept of freedom. Recognizing their privilege in enjoying many social and physical freedoms, this conversation focuses on perhaps the most valuable freedom a person can have – freedom of mind. Freedom of mind is recognizing the fundamental truth that no one can make you think or feel anything, and you do not have to engage with unhelpful thoughts that enter your mind. In an analogy perhaps taken too far, they talk about how freedom of mind is like sh...
2024-07-0918 min
Find Your Spark188: Athlete Identity and Beyond!This week on the Find Your Spark podcast, Jena, Mari and Nicole reflect on the past Mental Health Awareness month by highlighting the SPARK inside all athletes. Together, they share some of the benefits and struggles competing in sports may have on wellbeing as well as some of the stigma surrounding athletes. Jena, Mari and Nicole all share their unique experiences around this topic while shining light on the importance of looking beyond the label of being an athlete.
2024-06-0421 min
Find Your Spark114: The Power of Thought – Facing your FearsIn this episode of the Find Your SPARK podcast, Nicole Wilson and Jena Travise discuss their recent experiences in seeing how powerful thought can be. The power of our thinking can really take over and limit us from doing something and we can innocently get trapped in it, but when we understand how thought works, we can actually do the thing we are afraid of! Jena shares her experience with a recent surgery and how powerful her thinking was about that procedure. Nicole expresses her fear of needles but when understanding that fear is just coming from thought, she...
2021-10-1414 minFind Your Spark92:Insights form the Inside: Working with Youth in Detention CentersIn this episode of the Find Your SPARK Podcast, Nicole Wilson and Jena Travise talk with 3 of our SPARKING Change Interns about their experience shadowing at the Juvenile Detention Center. Brandon, Macy and Sadie share what they enjoyed the most and why they think it's important for the group of teen boys to understand how their mind works.
2021-04-2226 minFind Your Spark82:Seeing Habits in a Different WayIn this episode of the Find your SPARK Podcast, Ashley Hunt and Jena Travise talk about their habits and how they see them in a different way. Listen as Ashley shares what she has learned about habits from Dr. Amy Johnson and how it has helped her to see that habits are just your brains best way of trying to help you out. When you understand how something works, it just makes it easier to navigate. Recognizing your habits and seeing your habitual thinking behind them is helpful in breaking those unwanted ones so don't beat yourself up for h...
2021-01-2800 minFind Your Spark59: The Relief of Recognizing Resentment
In this episode, Nicole Wilson and Jena Travise talk about personal resentment and how this understanding of the mind has helped them let go of past experiences that weighed them down and live life a lot lighter.
2020-07-1018 minFind Your Spark57: Insights & Connecting from Around the World
In this episode, Nicole Wilson and Jena Travise talk about insights they have had and things they have seen this past week after attending a recent Conference called "Life 2.0". They share how beautiful it was to see people gather from across the world via Zoom, all connecting, sharing and learning more about themselves and each other, especially during this current time in the world.
Listen as they share, Insights and Connecting from Around the World.
2020-06-1231 minFind Your Spark55: Adapting to a New Type of Normal
In this episode, Nicole Wilson and Jena Travise talk about their perspective on returning back to the old/new “normal” way of life, as things are starting to fall back into place from COVID-19. Listen as they reflect on how we, as human beings, adapt to change without trying. Our SPARK will always be there no matter what circumstances we face in the world.
2020-05-2900 minFind Your Spark33: School's Out for Summer! Reflection & Research Findings with Jena TraviseNow that SPARK classes have wrapped up & school is out, Jena and Ashley share how their classes ended! They also share their most recent research findings!Listen as they share real stories of impact from the kids this past year and what they have seen to be most helpful when working with youth.
2019-06-0700 minFind Your Spark22: Taking the Weight out of Weight LossIn this episode, Ashley is joined by Jena Travise and Nicole Wilson. Together they share what they have seen about the dreaded W word... weight loss! They share stories and talk about why an understanding of the mind helps them through their gains and losses.
2019-02-1500 minFind Your Spark15: What Our Student Taught Us in 2018 with Nicole Wilson and Jena TraviseIn this episode, Nicole and Jena, The SPARK Initiative's mentors, shared what their students taught them this past year. They speak about their experience, being nervous and apprehensive at the beginning of the program, and then seeing how it all worked out in the end once they got out of their own way.
2018-12-2100 minFind Your Spark10: A Lesson in Trusting Yourself with Jena TraviseIn this episode, we talk to Jena Travise, one of our SPARK mentors, about her experience in the classroom last week. She shares how the classes taught her more about herself, and helped her to truly see first hand what happens when you trust in yourself, and let your SPARK lead the way.
2018-10-2500 minFind Your Spark07: What Has Seeing your SPARK Done for you with Jena TraviseIn this episode, Jena Travise, The SPARK Initiative's Research Coordinator and Youth Mentor, joins us! She shares how finding her SPARK has transformed her relationships with others and how she has seen her confidence uncovered in an amazing way!
2018-10-0400 min