Not Simple is created by people who care deeply about the way we as humans oversimplify the complex problems of the world. Will we solve those problems in this podcast? Probably not! But we encourage you to join us as we embrace their complexity and try to think differently.
Not Simple: Claudette Rowley, Designing Spaces That Support Your Nervous System
Claudette Rowley is a wellness-first interior designer who helps people create spaces that not only look beautiful but also support their well-being. Drawing from her background in social work, coaching, and cultural transformation, Claudette practices neuro-aesthetic design - an approach grounded in the science of how color, light, texture, and flow impact our nervous systems.
Rebecca and Claudette explore why design matters beyond aesthetics. Claudette explains common design mistakes and introduces her WIRED method (Wellness, Intention, Rhythm, Energy, Delight) for creating spaces that truly serve you. They discuss how cool and warm colors create completely different spaces, the power of biophilic (nature-based) design, and why the question isn't "what's trending?" but "how do I want to feel in this space?"
Claudette reminds us: "You deserve to be in a space that you really love and not to settle if you feel stuck - it makes a difference in your life."
Learn more: https://www.claudetterowleydesign.com/
Take the free Color Code quiz: https://www.claudetterowleydesign.com/color-quiz
3 Nov 2025
Not Simple: Dan Minnich, Making Adventure Accessible for Everyone
Dan Minnich is the co-founder and Executive Director of Waypoint Adventure, an organization creating outdoor adventure programs for people with disabilities in the greater Boston area and western North Carolina. Waypoint's mission is to challenge people with disabilities to discover their purpose, talents, and strengths through the transforming power of adventure. For Dan, accessibility often comes down to something simple: extending an invitation.
Rebecca and Dan explore what adventure education is and why making it accessible matters. Dan challenges common assumptions about barriers, how adventure activities become powerful teaching moments for perseverance and problem-solving, and how everyone can find success on the same adventure in different ways.
Learn more: waypointadventure.org (http://waypointadventure.org/)
Additional resource: moveunitedsport.org (http://moveunitedsport.org/)
9 Oct 2025
Not Simple: The Transformational Power of Personal Storytelling with Lisa Tilstra
Lisa Tilstra: The Transformational Power of Personal Storytelling
Lisa Tilstra is a coach, podcaster, and storytelling enthusiast who describes herself as a "creative disrupter." After years of telling stories without recognizing their value, Lisa now understands storytelling's power for transformation, healing, and connection. Through her podcast "Make Life Less Difficult" and storytelling workshops, Lisa helps others navigate complexity through personal narrative.
Rebecca and Lisa explore how to tell better stories that invite genuine connection. Lisa challenges listeners to notice how often their stories focus on others rather than themselves, encouraging us to "pull back the metaphorical curtain" and share more personal narratives. They discussed effective story endings, how single moments can be complete stories, and the art of deep listening. Lisa reminds us that "the more specific a story, the more universal."
Mentioned in the podcast:
Adele Fedorak - Story Intelligence and Listening
Lisa’s storytelling workshops
“Make Life Less Difficult" a podcast by Lisa Tilstra
Inside a recent episode
Monica Hopkins, Criminal Justice & Urbanization
Published 8 Jul 2021 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And it's just a good practice because I think that if we want public safety, so that's what we have by default said the criminal justice system is, right? Like, oh, criminal justice, that's public safety. I actually don't think that that's what it is. I think public safety is we keep us safe. Right? So the first step is knowing our neighbors. The second step is talking to our neighbors about this. Like, we have problems in our neighborhood and police can't be the only response. Like, how do we craft responses as a community? Like, what do we value? You know, sometimes there are neighborhood problems that can be solved and no one in the neighborhood knew that other neighbors cared about it, right? […]
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