What if your story isn’t something to fix—but something to listen to?

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, we explore transformational story-work as a living, embodied practice for healing, leadership, and reconnection. My guest, Michael Kass, invites us beyond surface-level narrative and into the deeper currents of meaning, identity, and the Sacred that move beneath our stories.

Michael Kass is the founder of Story & Spirit and a convening designer, facilitator, consultant, and embodied leadership coach who has spent over 25 years helping individuals and organizations navigate profound transitions. His work spans touring an award-winning solo storytelling show across the United States, guiding teams through moments of rupture and growth, offering breathwork rituals to groups around the world, and coaching founders and multinational CEOs through deep inner and outer shifts.

In this conversation, we unpack:

• What transformational story-work actually is—and how it differs from traditional storytelling
• How story lives in the body, the nervous system, and the relational field
• The role of ritual, breathwork, and embodiment in personal and collective healing
• Why reclaiming story is essential for humane leadership and meaningful work

Michael is an ICF-Certified Executive Coach, Certified Breathwork Facilitator, author of Story Maps: Wayfinding Tools for the Modern Seeker, and serves on the Board of Directors for Wild Gift. However the work shows up, his devotion remains the same: restoring connection—to self, to one another, and to what is sacred.

You’ll also learn why he has a well-known weakness for chocolate and puppies (though, admittedly, not at the same time).

Connect with Michael Kass:
Website: https://www.storyandspirit.org

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5PEqbjjjA6gkwnMvQiz2bq?si=74c2aaf18f6a4ecb

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkass1

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

Rewiring Fear Into Flow is a conversation about what happens when we stop trying to outrun fear—and instead learn how to work with it.

In this episode, we connect with Laurie Clemans, a Certified Life & Leadership Coach (ICF), Certified Meditation Instructor, Professional Clinical Herbalist (RH), healer, channeler, and former corporate branding executive, to explore how fear lives in the body, the nervous system, and our decision-making—and how it can be rewired into clarity, momentum, and flow.

Laurie shares how decades in high-level corporate marketing eventually led her to a deeper calling: guiding humans back to the innate wisdom of their own hearts. Together, they unpack practical tools and spiritual perspectives for moving beyond stress, anxiety, self-doubt, and mental overload—without bypassing or forcing positivity. This is about cultivating agency, creating habits that actually stick, and choosing goals that are worth playing for.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between knowing what you want and feeling frozen about how to move forward, this episode offers a grounded, compassionate roadmap. Laurie reminds us that every situation is workable—and that fear doesn’t have to be the thing in the driver’s seat.

Learn more about Laurie and her work at:
👉 https://www.soulessent.com

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.

What if unresolved health issues weren’t random—but part of a deeper energetic pattern you were born with?

In this episode of Rooted & Wild, I’m joined by Leslie McGuirk, an internationally acclaimed astrologer, author, and illustrator whose work is helping restore astrology to its original role as a diagnostic and healing tool.

With nearly four decades of experience, Leslie has guided thousands of clients—including creatives, thought leaders, and medical professionals—through what she calls astrological imprinting: a system that reveals the energetic blueprint each person is born with, like a personal owner’s manual. Rather than predicting the future, this approach illuminates patterns in the body, mind, and emotional landscape that can point directly to unresolved or chronic health issues.

In our conversation, we explore how astrology can offer insight into physical symptoms, emotional patterns, and long-standing health challenges—especially when conventional approaches fall short. Leslie shares how she translates complex birth charts into clear, practical insights, and why her work is increasingly valued in medical and psychological circles as a complementary lens for deeper healing.

We also discuss her book The Power of Mercury (HarperCollins), where she explores how communication style, mental wiring, and nervous system patterns are shaped by Mercury’s placement at birth—and how misunderstanding these patterns can lead to stress, burnout, and imbalance in the body.

Leslie’s work bridges ancient wisdom with modern science, blending visual storytelling, intuition, and pattern recognition. As the founder of the Astrology Wisdom Academy and the creator of The Quest for Inspiration—a corporate creativity program taught at five-star spas and global companies—she brings a refreshingly grounded, accessible approach to astrology.

From her TEDx Hollywood talk The Importance of Being Wrong to her frequent appearances on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory, Leslie’s mission remains the same: to awaken the intelligence of the heart through the language of astrology—and to remind each of us of the brilliance we were born with.

🔗 Learn more about Leslie McGuirk and her work:
https://www.lesliemcguirk.com

This episode invites you to rethink astrology not as belief, but as information—and to consider what your body may already be trying to tell you.

Rooted & Wild provides general information for educational and informational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of David Allen Tracy. The content shared on this podcast is not intended to replace individualized medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice, nor should it be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified healthcare professionals regarding any medical or mental health concerns.