JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast

About JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast

JOY² – Live With Joy is a leadership and personal growth podcast exploring the hidden power of joy in work, leadership and life. Hosted by brand and culture strategist Greg De Koker, the show features inspiring conversations with founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs and change makers who believe joy belongs at the center of how we live, work and lead. If you want more meaning, energy and joy in your life and leadership, this podcast is for you. Join the conversation. Let’s Live With Joy.

Publisher

Greg De Koker

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Mar 2026

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

31 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   30 - How to Choose Joy and Reframe Perceived Limitations with Marie Armitage

   What if joy isn't something you find when life finally gets easier, but something you can choose even when life is hard? On this episode of the JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast, host Greg De Koker sits down with Marie Armitage, Mindset & Confidence Coach and JOY² Founding Sponsor, for a deeply personal conversation about intentional joy, confidence, perspective and breaking free from the stories that quietly hold us back. Marie shares why choosing joy doesn't mean ignoring grief, uncertainty or life's inevitable challenges. Happiness may rise and fall with our circumstances, but joy can run deeper, shaped by what we focus on, how we interpret our experiences and the choices we make in response. Sometimes creating more joy starts surprisingly small: practicing gratitude, adding a little whimsy to your day or reconnecting with someone you love. Greg and Marie also explore the invisible stories we carry about ourselves. Past experiences, other people's judgments and our own assumptions can become internalized limitations that feel like truth. By questioning those stories, recognizing our strengths and shifting our perspective, we can build confidence and create more ease in how we live, work and lead. In this episode, you'll discover: • The important difference between joy and happiness • How joy and grief can exist at the same time • How internalized limitations quietly shape our choices • Why questioning your own stories can unlock confidence • How leaning into your strengths creates greater ease • Why high achievers put so much pressure on themselves • How boundaries and honest communication strengthen relationships You don't have to wait until everything is figured out to experience more joy. Sometimes it begins with a simple question: What am I focusing on right now, and is there another way to see it? Because changing your perspective doesn't mean denying what's difficult. It means creating enough space to see what else might also be possible. Chapters: 00:00:00 Welcome to JOY² 00:02:10 Meet Marie Armitage 00:06:28 Choosing Joy Intentionally 00:08:21 Whimsy and Meaningful Connections 00:13:14 Grief, Loss and Health Challenges 00:15:05 Finding Joy Through Perspective 00:20:18 Overcoming Internalized Limitations 00:42:26 Reframing Limiting Beliefs 00:45:09 Why High Achievers Struggle 00:51:15 Gratitude and Self-Compassion 00:53:12 Shifting Your Perspective 00:56:17 Final Reflections: Put Joy Into Action Connect with Greg De Koker Website: ⁠www.joy2.ca⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/gregdekoker/ ⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/greg_de_koker/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/greg.koker.5/⁠ Connect with Marie Armitage: Website: https://easejoycoach.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariebarringtonarmitage/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachwithmarie Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marie.armitage Listen and Subscribe to JOY²: Apple Podcast:⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-live-with-joy-podcast/id1886910363 ⁠ Spotify: ⁠creators.spotify.com/pod/show/joy-squared-podcast⁠ YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@JOY2LiveWithJoyPodcast⁠ Stay Connected to JOY²: Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Take Action Ask yourself: • What am I focusing on right now, and how is it shaping my experience? • What limitation have I accepted as truth without questioning it? • Where could I allow a little more ease, playfulness or joy into my life? Action Tip The next time you feel overwhelmed or overly critical of yourself, pause and ask: What perspective am I looking through? Is there another way to see this? Then choose one small action: send the message, set the boundary, reconnect with someone, question an old belief or simply make room for something that brings you joy. You don't have to deny what's difficult or force yourself to be happy. You can acknowledge what's hard and still choose where you place your attention next.

2. 

   8 Oct 2026

   29 - Flourishing Is a Skill: How to Build More Joy Into Your Life with Emiliya Zhivotovskaya

   What if flourishing isn't something that happens when life goes your way, but a skill you can practice and create? On this episode of the JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast, Greg De Koker sits down with Emiliya Zhivotovskaya, CEO & Founder of The Flourishing Center, for an eye-opening exploration of what it really means to live well. And it turns out flourishing isn't the same as being happy. Emiliya challenges the idea that difficult emotions are problems to fix or eliminate. Instead, our emotions are information. They can help us understand what matters, what we need, and how we want to respond. The goal isn't to feel good all the time, but to develop the skills to navigate the full human experience and still live well. And that includes joy. Emiliya describes joy as an "underdeveloped muscle" that can be intentionally strengthened through practices like savoring, play and connection. Rather than waiting for joy to find us, we can create more opportunities to experience it. Greg and Emiliya also take flourishing into the workplace, exploring why psychological safety, belonging and human connection matter far more than superficial perks, and why leaders have an opportunity to create environments where people can genuinely thrive. But perhaps the conversation's most powerful idea is mattering: our fundamental need to know that who we are, what we do and how we show up in the lives of others actually matters. In this episode, we explore: • Why flourishing is fundamentally different from simply feeling happy • How emotions can become information rather than obstacles • Why joy is an "underdeveloped muscle" we can intentionally strengthen • Why psychological safety is foundational to flourishing at work • Simple ways to begin flourishing more today Flourishing doesn't require a perfect life. It asks something far more empowering: What could I do today to flourish a little more, and help someone else flourish too? Because joy isn't simply something we find. It's something we practice, cultivate and share. Chapters: 00:00:00 Welcome to JOY² – Live With Joy 00:02:02 What Does It Really Mean to Flourish? 00:09:00 Building the Skills of Well-Being 00:14:56 Understanding Emotions as Signals 00:28:13 Happiness vs. Joy 00:31:09 Training the Muscle of Joy 00:43:35 Why We Don't Teach the Skills of Flourishing 00:47:06 Mental Health as a Buildable Skill Set 00:54:51 How to Start Flourishing Today 01:00:28 Flourishing as Something We Can Practice 01:02:09 Final Thoughts & Takeaways Connect with Greg De Koker Website: ⁠www.joy2.ca⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/gregdekoker/ ⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/greg_de_koker/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/greg.koker.5/⁠ Connect with Emiliya Zhivotovskaya: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emiliyazhivotovskaya/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emiliyaz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theflourishingcenter Grab a copy of “How We Flourish” here at https://theflourishingcenter.com/howweflourish Listen and Subscribe to JOY²: Apple Podcast:⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-live-with-joy-podcast/id1886910363 ⁠ Spotify: ⁠creators.spotify.com/pod/show/joy-squared-podcast⁠ YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@JOY2LiveWithJoyPodcast⁠ Stay Connected to JOY²: Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Take Action Ask yourself: • Am I confusing feeling good with genuinely living well? • Where could I intentionally create more opportunities for joy? • Who in my life needs to know that they matter? Action Tip Don't try to "be happier" this week. Instead, practice one skill of flourishing. Savor something you'd normally rush past. Play without needing a purpose. Reach out to someone you love. Or tell someone specifically why they matter to you. Don't wait for life to become perfect. Flourishing is something we can learn. Joy is something we can practice. And mattering is something we can give to one another.

3. 

   1 Oct 2026

   28 - Building a Culture Where Everyone Wins with Richard Walkers

   What if creating a great workplace doesn't start with changing your employees, but with asking a much simpler question: Would I want to work here? On this episode of the JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast, host Greg De Koker sits down with Richard Walker, CEO of Quik!, author and host of The Customer Wins podcast, for a refreshingly candid, insightful and seriously fun conversation about leadership, culture, relationships, well-being and joy. Rich shares how his own pursuit of fulfillment shaped the culture at Quik! and why taking care of yourself isn't selfish. It's essential if you want to show up fully for others. He explores leading by example, creating safety around mistakes, giving meaningful feedback and building relationships rooted in trust. The conversation gets deeply personal as Rich shares his experience with burnout after losing 45% of his company's revenue and the lessons that helped him rebuild: taking care of his health, investing in meaningful relationships and creating a bigger vision for what could come next. And somehow, between the leadership lessons, big ideas and plenty of laughter, Greg and Rich keep coming back to one simple truth: people matter. In this episode, we explore: • Why self-care enables leaders to better serve others • Why great leaders model the behavior they expect • How meaningful feedback strengthens people and teams • Why family should come first • The Golden Rule vs. the Platinum Rule • Why shared values matter when building culture • How Rich navigated burnout, setbacks and rebuilding • Why a goal without action is merely a dream Ultimately, great leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about creating an environment where people can thrive, customers can win and joy can grow. When things get difficult, focus on what you can control. Take care of yourself. Invest in your relationships. Create a vision worth moving toward. And then take action. Because joy isn't something we simply find. It's something we create, cultivate and pass on. Chapters: 00:00:00 Welcome to JOY² – Live With Joy 00:01:34 Meet Rich Walker 00:05:55 Taking Care of Yourself Before Others 00:08:25 Building a Culture People Want to Be Part Ofa 00:18:06 Leading With Empathy & Putting Family First 00:21:00 The Golden Rule vs. The Platinum Rule 00:26:31 Building Customer Trust Through Culture 00:31:22 Hiring for Culture & Shared Values 00:33:42 Burnout, Setbacks & Rebuilding 00:36:44 The Three-Legged Stool of Happiness 00:38:24 Creating a Positive Ripple Effect 00:41:54 A Goal Without Action Is Merely a Dream 00:43:10 Final Thoughts & Takeaways Connect with Greg De Koker Website: ⁠www.joy2.ca⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/gregdekoker/ ⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/greg_de_koker/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/greg.koker.5/⁠ Connect with Richard Walker: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quikformsceo/ Website: https://www.quickforms.com/ Learn About The Customer Wins Podcast hosted by Richard himself: https://www.quickforms.com/podcast-blog Listen and Subscribe to JOY²: Apple Podcast:⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joy-live-with-joy-podcast/id1886910363 ⁠ Spotify: ⁠creators.spotify.com/pod/show/joy-squared-podcast⁠ YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/@JOY2LiveWithJoyPodcast⁠ Stay Connected to JOY²: Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Take Action Ask yourself: • Am I modeling the behavior I expect from others? • How do I respond when someone makes a mistake? • Am I taking care of myself well enough to show up for others? • What goal have I left as a dream because I haven't taken action? Action Tip Choose one relationship, goal or area of your life where you want more joy, and take one intentional step this week. Have the conversation. Ask for feedback. Own the mistake. Make time for what matters. Take the first step. Joy isn't something we simply find. It's something we create, cultivate and pass on.

Who has been a guest on JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dana Hilmer
• Wray Carvelas
• Dr Timothy Ludwig
• Dan Trommater
• Pascal Wiscour-Conter

Contact JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

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

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