Beyond the Type: An Enneagram-Inspired Podcast about Being Human.

About Beyond the Type: An Enneagram-Inspired Podcast about Being Human.

Beyond the Type is an Enneagram-inspired podcast about the beautiful mess of being human, inspired by the notion that you don't need to be fixed, you need to be found. Hosted by Sandy Swanson, Certifed Life and Leadership Coach, this show explores how personality, communication, and self-awareness shape our relationships - with ourselves and with each other - for better or for worse. Who among us hasn't felt lost, confused, or unsure of who we are authentically and what we want out of life...? Whether you’re Enneagram-curious or deep into your growth journey, this podcast is your space for meaningful conversations, some frank truth-telling, and maybe a few laughs along the way. Together, we’ll unpack the patterns that hold us back, explore what makes us tick, and learn how to live with more compassion, clarity, and connection. Download my free Communication Guide here: https://www.swansoncoaching.com/communication

Publisher

Sandy Swanson, PCC, NBC-HWC, A-CFHC, Holistic Life and Leadership Coach

Category

education · health & fitness · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

20 Jun 2025

Latest episode

31 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

48 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Oct 2026

   What Are You Really Afraid Of? The Enneagram’s Nine Core Fears, Your Worst Nightmares, and the Messages We Need to Hear

   Whether it’s fear of failure, being unloved or unworthy, rejection, losing control, being in pain, or being left behind, most of us have a box somewhere with those fears and worries neatly packed away so we don’t have to deal with them. Well, in Part 3 of this 3-part Halloween series, Sandy is dealing with them. Join her as she heads down into a spooky basement to open a box labeled “Your Worst Fears and Nightmares. DO NOT OPEN!” Inside are nine nightmare scenarios that reach the fears beneath our everyday worries, and each one points to a belief we carry about ourselves and the world around us. But the box holds a surprise, too: a message that offers another way to understand each fear. In this episode, Sandy shares: Nine “nightmares” that reveal some of our deepest fears How the Enneagram’s core fears can show up in ordinary moments The messages we may have needed to hear as children, and how they can help counter old beliefs about ourselves Why fear can serve a purpose, and what happens when it starts to feel like a nightmare How therapy or coaching can help when fear and anxiety feel too heavy to work through alone You don’t have to face your worst fears all at once; sometimes the first step is just opening the box. So grab a flashlight, and come down to the basement with Sandy (and don't worry, she'll tape the box back up at the end of the episode!). ___ Part 1 of the Halloween Series - The Costumes We Wear: What Your Enneagram Type Reveals About You https://www.swansoncoaching.com/podcasts/beyond-the-type-an-enneagram-inspired-podcast-about-being-human/episodes/2149266723 (https://www.swansoncoaching.com/podcasts/beyond-the-type-an-enneagram-inspired-podcast-about-being-human/episodes/2149266723) Part 2 of the Halloween Series - When a Role Doesn’t Fit: Masks and the Pressure to Fit In https://www.swansoncoaching.com/podcasts/beyond-the-type-an-enneagram-inspired-podcast-about-being-human/episodes/2149276051 (https://www.swansoncoaching.com/podcasts/beyond-the-type-an-enneagram-inspired-podcast-about-being-human/episodes/2149276051) Learn more about working with Sandy: https://www.swansoncoaching.com/ (https://www.swansoncoaching.com/) ___ Enneagram, core fears, basic fears, what are you really afraid of, fear of being left behind, Enneagram lost messages, fear and anxiety, worst-case scenario thinking, why we imagine the worst, overcoming fear, childhood core beliefs, limiting beliefs and fear, messages we need to hear as children, emotional patterns, fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of losing control, fear of being unwanted, fear of being ordinary, fear of being incompetent, fear of uncertainty, fear of emotional pain, understanding the nine Enneagram types, Enneagram self-awareness, personal growth and development, how to understand your fears, working through anxiety, why we fear making mistakes, Halloween fears and nightmares, Sandy Swanson, Beyond the Type

2. 

   24 Oct 2026

   When a Role Doesn’t Fit: Masks and the Pressure to Fit In

   Most of us wear masks and play different roles in life, sometimes to fit in, make others comfortable, or meet expectations about who we should be. But how do you know when you’re adapting to a situation and when you’re trying to be someone you’re not?? In Part 2 of this 3-part Halloween series, Sandy looks at the masks we wear, the roles we play, and how the Enneagram can help us understand some of the patterns behind the way we adapt to others. She talks about shapeshifting, including how it can show up for Enneagram Types 2 and 3, and why we sometimes lose touch with who we are underneath the image we present to the world. Sandy also gets into what happens when you’re miscast in a role that doesn’t fit your strengths or who you are. Along the way, you’ll meet Clark Kent (and the questions about his glasses that keep Sandy up at night), a very miscast Jason Momoa in Little Shop of Horrors (spoiler alert: the plant files a restraining order), and two real-life coaching stories about the difference between growing into a new role and forcing yourself into something that was never a good fit. In this episode: • Why we wear masks, the pressure to fit in, and how our behavior can change depending on who we’re with • What the Enneagram can teach us about adapting to other people, particularly through the patterns of Types 2 and 3 • How to recognize when a role doesn’t fit, even when you’re working hard to make it work • Why feeling uncomfortable in a new role isn’t always a bad sign • How to tell the difference between personal growth and trying to live up to someone else’s expectations The goal isn’t to stay in roles that feel comfortable or avoid every situation that challenges us. It’s to know ourselves well enough to recognize when we’re growing into something meaningful and when we’re exhausting ourselves trying to be someone we’re not. This is Part 2 of a three-part Halloween series. Next week, Sandy heads down into the basement to open some boxes you may have been avoiding for years. Bring a flashlight! ___ Part 1 of the Halloween Series - The Costumes We Wear: What Your Enneagram Type Reveals About You https://www.swansoncoaching.com/podcasts/beyond-the-type-an-enneagram-inspired-podcast-about-being-human/episodes/2149266723 (https://www.swansoncoaching.com/podcasts/beyond-the-type-an-enneagram-inspired-podcast-about-being-human/episodes/2149266723) Learn more about working with Sandy: https://www.swansoncoaching.com/ (https://www.swansoncoaching.com/) ___ masks we wear, roles we play, when a role doesn’t fit, miscast, trying to be someone you’re not, pressure to fit in, fitting in at work, Enneagram, Enneagram Type 2, Enneagram Type 3, shapeshifting, people-pleasing, self-awareness, personal growth, identity, workplace roles, career fit, expectations, coaching, finding yourself, Halloween, Sandy Swanson, Beyond the Type

3. 

   17 Oct 2026

   The Costumes We Wear: What your Enneagram type reveals about you

   If you had a closet full of costumes, which one would you reach for first? Not a witch’s hat or a vampire cape, but the familiar roles we slip into without a second thought: the one who gets things done, the one everyone counts on, the one who smooths over an awkward moment before anyone else notices. In this first episode of a three-part Halloween series, Sandy opens the closet door and walks through a wardrobe of very recognizable (and very stereotypical) costumes, from the leather jacket to the pressed shirt, the floral dress and pearls to the pocket protector. She also shares her own childhood costume as “the silly one,” complete with a mime and a Marcel Marceau quote. Along the way, Sandy offers a look at the Enneagram’s nine motivations and why the costume that feels most natural isn’t always the one that feels most comfortable. In this episode: A tour of nine costumes The difference between a costume that feels comfortable and one that feels natural Why you can wear a role for years and forget it has a zipper What motivates us to wear these costumes A simple way to sort your closet: keep it, tailor it, or move it to the back Your costumes aren’t fake, and you don’t have to throw any of them out. The more clearly you can see which one you’re wearing, the more choice you have about when to put it on. ___ Connect with me at SwansonCoaching.com (https://www.swansoncoaching.com/) ___ Enneagram, Enneagram types, Enneagram podcast, Enneagram motivations, Halloween, personal development, life coach podcast, roles we play, family roles, childhood roles, people-pleasing, perfectionism, self-awareness, emotional awareness, patterns and habits, personality patterns, motivation, authenticity, choice, belonging, self-trust, holistic coaching, leadership coach, ICF certified coach, NBC-HWC health and wellness coach, Beyond the Type, Sandy Swanson, SwansonCoaching

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.