After a short break after my 100th episode, the podcast is back with a returning guest. Corey Vaughn is here for his 4th episode. In 2024, we spoke both in the Spring and in the Fall as he shared his 1000 day plan to see how far he could take his water ski goals if he chose to really go for it. The plan culminated with the World Waterski Championship held in late August of 2025 in Italy.

Corey has been both brutally honest and deeply courageous in sharing his journey to uncover his full potential. As he said more than once, he wanted to find that edge. If you are someone who has wondered for yourself: what if?, this conversation is for you.

We do get to the “results” of his 1000 day plan in this conversation, and his season ended with an unexpected twist. We get into how he is handling that twist, and what happens next for him, which is really inspiring. And there is even more gold in this conversation as we explored the behind-the-scenes thoughts, feelings and beliefs that Corey navigated as he balanced multiples pressures: the declaration he made to go for it, his training, both mental and physical, his family obligations, his business running a vibrant ski school and even what it is to turn a passion into both a quest and a business.

Here’s what Corey has to say about himself: Sometimes I still pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I have been living my life’s dream since 2009, and it just keeps unfolding in surprising, fulfilling and exciting ways. From my daily activities at the Bum Pass Water Ski Club to my interactions with people all over the world, while coaching or skiing on the pro tour, I aim to stay rooted in the mission that animates my entire career: to spread, foster and promote the three things I hold dear - Peace, Love & Waterskiing.

I hope you enjoy this conversation with Corey Vaughn.

I have just released the 100th episode of the Creative Spirits Unleashed Podcast. For most of the 99 episodes of this podcast, I have been your host. In this episode, the tables are turned. This time, it’s me answering some thought provoking, and in at least one case, tear-inducing questions asked by Stevie Delahunt.

Here’s how this episode came to be. I began working on a 100 episode retrospective about a month ago. This alone is a daunting task, because that’s a LOT of episodes, and my guests have inspired a lot of wisdom. Encapsulating so much inspiring advice in one single episode might be a bridge too far.

Just as I was realizing a retrospective will take more than one episode, I got this message from Stevie: “I saw that you are at the 99th podcast, and I was curious who the 100th podcast was going to be…someone should be interviewing you on your podcast. If you don’t have anyone, I will do it! You should be the 100th guest on your podcast, just so you know.”

Without blinking an eye, I jumped on this offer. Stevie was kind enough to send me some questions, and I may be borrowing many of these for future podcast guests.

One of the things we talked about in this episode is a glaring insight I’ve gleaned in my look back over the last 100 episodes over five years. What I thought this podcast would be about has taken a slightly different turn. Where I set out to explore issues in balance work and life, I found that instead, the prevailing theme is balance under pressure. It’s a subtle difference in words that is night and day in practice.

That means in a few episodes, I will be changing the language at the introduction to reflect today’s reality.

In the meantime, enjoy this episode where Stevie interviews me.

My guest for this episode is Carolyn Swinton, who is an Executive Coach and consultant, and who also happens to be one of my former clients. We worked together years ago when she was the Chief Nursing Officer of a large hospital organization. We’ve stayed in touch over the years, and more than once, after we had a meaningful conversation, I hung up thinking “We should have recorded that for a podcast.” Well, we finally did it!

This conversation touched on a number of themes – everything from making the distinction between knowledge and wisdom to learning to take nothing personally to finding hope when everything seems out of kilter. Carolyn has a way of empowering people to live a purpose driven life, and that was one of the core themes of this conversation. She emphasizes the value of learning to be present, something that is much easier said than done, and yet it becomes very possible when talks about it.

Here’s more about Carolyn:

Carolyn Swinton is an Executive Coach and consultant drawing on her 30+ years’ experience as a C- suite executive. Guidance is often needed to unleash the power and potential that lies within us all. Carolyn’s purpose is to guide and support individuals and organizations in their journeys to achieve their full potential and live their best lives. She utilizes the proven practices of traditional and directed coaching, powerful questions, reflective practices, and deep empathy to support a deepening self-awareness, effective communication, and the cultivation of meaningful relationships to help clients awaken to their truth.

Carolyn has coached middle and senior leaders in the healthcare and business sectors and is the right fit for clients ready to deepen their self-awareness and master the tools they need to effectively communicate, resolve conflict, and achieve operational and cultural transformation. Most recently, she served as a Chief Nurse Executive for the largest healthcare system in South Carolina. In addition to her executive coaching, she also serves as Affiliate Faculty at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing, and Affiliate Clinical Associate Professor at the Clemson University School of Nursing.

Carolyn has coached leaders utilizing the Leadership Circle 360 and Leadership Maturity Assessment Profiles as guides to support leaders in developing an understanding of themselves and others. Coaching in alignment with the principles of vertical development, Carolyn supports leaders in transforming their way of thinking, speaking and being to achieve sustainable change.

Carolyn is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Fellow of the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Fellowship Program, and an ANCC Board-Certified Nurse Executive. She is a certified Newfield Network Coach for Personal and Professional Mastery, International Coaching Federation Associate Certified Coach, Certified in Leadership Circle 360 and Manager Edition, My World View Practitioner for Adult Development, and is an Everything DiSC Certified Practitioner. Carolyn has a doctorate degree in Nurse Executive Leadership from the University of South Carolina College of Nursing.

Carolyn serves on the boards of several state and local nonprofit organizations whose mission is to support the underserved and disadvantaged to gain social and financial stability. She is the author of “Chasing Hope- A Nurse’s Reflections on Healing and Hope,” “Reflections of Nursing” and co-editor of “The Untold Stories of Nursing.” For fun Carolyn likes to read, play the guitar, and travel.

I know you are going to love this episode with Carolyn Swinton.