Pebbles of Light

Ep 35: When Success Changes Shape: Pivots, Purpose, & the Work Within || Ryan T. Reichert

Send a textIn this episode of Pebbles of Light, Anne Maxson sits down with Ryan T. Reichert — Army veteran, executive coach, author, recovery advocate, and father — for a deeply reflective conversation about redefining success.Ryan shares:How military leadership shaped — and inflated — his understanding of achievementWhy divorce and recovery became unexpected turning pointsThe shift from chasing titles to cultivating presenceHis “Three Daily Wins” framework for intentional growthWhy humility is strength, not weaknessThe importance of mentors, sponsors, and heading into life’s stormsIf you’ve ever measured your worth by performance, position, or paycheck — this episode offers a different lens.This episode's pebble is to take five minutes this week and redefine success for yourself. Write down what truly matters, not what impresses but what endures.Connect with Ryan Website: https://ourprotectordevelopment.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/armyrt1978/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan.t.reichertLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanreichert78/Support the showAffiliate Disclaimer - As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn advertising or referral fees from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Pebbles of Light! Follow Pebbles of Light Website – ⁠https://annemaxson.com/pebblesoflight⁠ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@pebblesoflightpodcast Facebook – ⁠https://www.facebook.com/pebblesoflight⁠ Instagram – ⁠https://instagram.com/PebblesOfLight⁠ Guest Applications - https://www.joinpodmatch.com/pebblesoflight Support Pebbles of Light Become a Light Shiner - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2593690/support Patreon – ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/PebblesofLightPodcast BetterHelp (affiliate – 10% off first month) – ...

Ep 34: Small Miracles, Quiet Alignment, & the Courage to Pause || Robin H. Clare

Send a textIn this episode of Pebbles of Light, Anne Maxson sits down with author Robin H. Clare for a reflective conversation about harmony, grace, and finding meaning in the smallest moments of daily life.Robin shares insights from her personal journey through recovery, spiritual alignment, and leadership, including the powerful framework: *pain is inevitable, suffering is optional, surrender is required, and grace must be allowed*. Together, Anne and Robin explore how intentional pauses, self-compassion, and everyday acts of kindness can help us feel grounded and connected—even in a noisy, demanding world.This episode invites listeners to slow down, reflect, and notice the quiet ways light shows up in ordinary days.Topics Covered:Finding harmony between inner truth and outer lifeGrace as a daily practiceThe power of pause and intentional responseRecovery, healing, and self-compassionSeeing ourselves and others with deeper worthRESOURCES Affiliate Disclaimer - As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn advertising or referral fees from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Pebbles of Light!“The Big Leap” by Gay Hendrix - https://amzn.to/4avEqwE Dieter F. Uchtdorf quote - “During the winter, days can feel heavy and gray. As a regular part of their work before flights, pilots do outside checks of their aircraft. During cold and rainy days, this is not their favorite part of the job. But one of my favorite experiences as a pilot on a day like that came after taking off and climbing through dark clouds when, suddenly, the aircraft climbed into the clear, brilliant, and beautiful sunlight—leaving behind dark clouds, rain, and slush. That instant contrast taught me that when we focus our eyes on heaven, we can emerge into light—even during the seemingly darkest of days. However thick the clouds, the sun is always there, waiting to shine on us as we rise toward heaven. If you feel weighed down and troubled, please don’t lose heart. Keep moving forward and upward with faith, prayer, and trust in the Lord. His light is always there to leSupport the showAffiliate Disclaimer - As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn advertising or referral fees from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Pebbles of Light! Follow Pebbles of Light Website – ⁠https://annemaxson.com/pebblesoflight⁠ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@pebblesoflightpodcast Facebook – ⁠https://www.facebook.com/pebblesoflight⁠ Instagram – ⁠https://instagram.com/PebblesOfLight⁠ Guest Applications - https://www.joinpodmatch.com/pebblesoflight Support Pebbles of Light Become a Light Shiner - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2593690/support Patreon – ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/PebblesofLightPodcast BetterHelp (affiliate – 10% off first month) – ...

Ep 33: Better Is Better: How Trials Shape Purpose-Driven Leadership || Holly Porter

Send a textIn this episode of *Pebbles of Light*, Anne Maxson sits down with founder and purpose-driven leader Holly Porter to explore how life-altering trials can become invitations to deeper purpose.After surviving a 70-day hospitalization with COVID—including a near-death experience—Holly was forced into stillness. What followed was a profound reorientation of her life, leadership, and business philosophy. Together, Anne and Holly reflect on listening to the body, navigating long COVID, building soul-aligned businesses, and learning to trust intuition when the path forward isn’t clear.This conversation is an invitation to pause, reflect, and ask where purpose might be quietly forming in your own life.Key Topics Covered:* Near-death experiences and spiritual transformation* Long COVID, chronic illness, and listening to the body* Purpose-driven entrepreneurship and leadership* Intuition, discernment, and decision-making* Burnout, alignment, and redefining prosperity* Loving others where they are and leading with compassionThis Episode’s Pebble: Better is better. Ask yourself—what’s one small way you can listen more closely today?RESOURCES Affiliate Disclaimer - As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn advertising or referral fees from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Pebbles of Light!Holly’s Book, “Near Death Shift” - https://amzn.to/3Z5XcFE Holly’s Linktree – https://linktr.ee/hollyporter Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://amzn.to/4qKWOIN “One Percent Better” General Conference Talk by Michael A. Dunn - https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/10/54dunn?lang=eng Support the showAffiliate Disclaimer - As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn advertising or referral fees from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Pebbles of Light! Follow Pebbles of Light Website – ⁠https://annemaxson.com/pebblesoflight⁠ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@pebblesoflightpodcast Facebook – ⁠https://www.facebook.com/pebblesoflight⁠ Instagram – ⁠https://instagram.com/PebblesOfLight⁠ Guest Applications - https://www.joinpodmatch.com/pebblesoflight Support Pebbles of Light Become a Light Shiner - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2593690/support Patreon – ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/PebblesofLightPodcast BetterHelp (affiliate – 10% off first month) – ...

Ep 32: The Art of Connection: Understanding Emotional Safety in Relationships || Diane McDowell

Send a textEpisode Summary:In this episode of *Pebbles of Light*, Anne Maxson is joined by therapist and coach Diane McDowell to explore how emotional safety shapes our ability to connect, love, and communicate—especially within our families and closest relationships. Diane shares why “trying harder” and better communication often fall short, how nervous system hijack shows up as reactivity or people-pleasing, and what it means to move from emotional performance to emotional presence.Together, Anne and Diane reflect on parenting, faith, self-worth, and resilience—particularly for women who carry the emotional weight of others. This conversation invites listeners to slow down, listen to the body, and reclaim the truth that we are always lovable, valuable, and worthy.In this episode, we explore:* Why emotional safety—not effort—is the foundation of connection* What nervous system hijack looks like in everyday life* How people-pleasing erodes our relationship with ourselves* Why thinking alone doesn’t heal emotional patterns* How to speak your truth without trying to control outcomes* The power of grounding, breath, and self-trust* Honoring the “Pebbles of Light” that guide us forwardGuest Resources:Diane McDowell’s website: https://www.powerfulquestionscoaching.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emotionalsafetycoFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/emotionalsafetycoYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@PowerfulQuestionsCoaching LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-mcdowell/ RESOURCES Affiliate Disclaimer - As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn advertising or referral fees from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Pebbles of Light!Support the showAffiliate Disclaimer - As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn advertising or referral fees from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Pebbles of Light! Follow Pebbles of Light Website – ⁠https://annemaxson.com/pebblesoflight⁠ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@pebblesoflightpodcast Facebook – ⁠https://www.facebook.com/pebblesoflight⁠ Instagram – ⁠https://instagram.com/PebblesOfLight⁠ Guest Applications - https://www.joinpodmatch.com/pebblesoflight Support Pebbles of Light Become a Light Shiner - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2593690/support Patreon – ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/PebblesofLightPodcast BetterHelp (affiliate – 10% off first month) – ...

Ep 31: Exploring the Intersection of Creativity and Technology || Oliver MacDonald

Send a textCuriosity, creativity, and failure are not detours—they’re teachers.In this episode of Pebbles of Light, Anne Maxson sits down with engineer, artist, educator, and startup founder Oliver MacDonald to explore how curiosity across disciplines—art, engineering, language, and culture—shapes meaningful lives and resilient careers.Oliver shares how growing up immersed in multiple cultures and languages, studying in the International Baccalaureate program, and pursuing both art and engineering taught him to embrace failure as part of learning. From rock climbing and kinetic sculptures to rejected research papers and startup life, Oliver reframes failure not as an endpoint, but as fuel for growth.This conversation invites listeners to rethink specialization, embrace experimentation, and recognize how creativity—especially art—helps us stay connected to our humanity even in uncertain or demanding seasons of life.Choose one interest you’ve been curious about and commit to exploring it for just one month—without worrying about mastery or outcomes. Pay attention to what draws you back.Topics CoveredWhy curiosity matters more than early specializationThe role of failure in engineering, art, and lifeHow International Baccalaureate education encourages integrationRock climbing as a metaphor for growthArt as proof of humanityLearning through rejection and iterationLanguage, culture, and how we thinkBuilding startups through collaborationThe power of relationships as “Pebbles of Light”GuestOliver MacDonald — Engineer, artist, educator, PhD student, and co-founder of Qtex AIFollow & Connect with OliverInstagram – ⁠https://www.instagram.com/anomalous_designs/?hl=en⁠ LinkedIn – ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivermacd/⁠ Want to be a guest on Pebbles of Light? Send Anne Maxson a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.pSupport the showAffiliate Disclaimer - As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, we may earn advertising or referral fees from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Pebbles of Light! Follow Pebbles of Light Website – ⁠https://annemaxson.com/pebblesoflight⁠ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@pebblesoflightpodcast Facebook – ⁠https://www.facebook.com/pebblesoflight⁠ Instagram – ⁠https://instagram.com/PebblesOfLight⁠ Guest Applications - https://www.joinpodmatch.com/pebblesoflight Support Pebbles of Light Become a Light Shiner - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2593690/support Patreon – ⁠https://www.patreon.com/cw/PebblesofLightPodcast BetterHelp (affiliate – 10% off first month) – ...