June 2024 – The Heart of the Matter
10 posts published by Victoria, WritingfromtheheartwithBrian, and Wynne Leon during June 2024| The Heart of the Matter
10 posts published by Victoria, WritingfromtheheartwithBrian, and Wynne Leon during June 2024| The Heart of the Matter
In this fantastic episode of the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, Vicki Atkinson and I are talking with author, Bob Conlon. Bob has written a fantastic book, Celtic Knot featuring the story…| The Heart of the Matter
10 posts published by WritingfromtheheartwithBrian, Victoria, and Wynne Leon during April 2025| The Heart of the Matter
I wrote a piece recently on my personal blog about a beloved rocking chair that my dad restored. He’s been gone for many years, but the sweet little rocker is a cherished memento of something…| The Heart of the Matter
Expressive writing…kudos to James Pennebaker! 😊| The Heart of the Matter
2 posts published by Wynne Leon during August 2025| The Heart of the Matter
We love it when people make connections for us. As we see so often in the WordPress community, talented and generous people introduce us to other talented and generous people. Like Pete Springer who introduced us to Melanie McGauran and Beth Kennedy. Or Dr. Stein who introduced us to Lois Roelofs. Most recently Mark Wukas, … More Episode 121: Creativity & the Writer’s Journey with Michael Frutig| The Heart of the Matter
Do you remember Baskin Robbins and their 31 flavors? It seems we have 31 flavors of positivity these days. There is optimism, hopefulness, toxic positivity, resilience, happiness, joyfulness, IR…| The Heart of the Matter
10 posts published by Wynne Leon, Victoria, WritingfromtheheartwithBrian, and jackcanfora during April 2024| The Heart of the Matter
In this inspiring episode, Vicki Atkinson and I are talking with author, Linda Broenniman. Linda has written a great family story, The Politzer Saga. She tells us about the offhand comment that rev…| The Heart of the Matter
10 posts published by Victoria, Wynne Leon, and WritingfromtheheartwithBrian during March 2025| The Heart of the Matter
In this inspiring episode of the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, Vicki Atkinson and I are talking with author and blogger from the Aspiring Blog, Ritish Sharma. Ritish and his co-author, D…| The Heart of the Matter
There is so much about magic that is similar to writing – the timing, the paring down to create suspense, the need to dig deep in order to create a meaningful effect. Not that I make any clai…| The Heart of the Matter
Posts about Podcast written by Wynne Leon and Victoria| The Heart of the Matter
10 posts published by Victoria, Wynne Leon, and WritingfromtheheartwithBrian during February 2024| The Heart of the Matter
10 posts published by Wynne Leon, Libby Saylor, WritingfromtheheartwithBrian, Victoria, and Deb during September 2023| The Heart of the Matter
Every time I edit and produce one of our podcast episodes, I fall in love with the episode so that each one becomes my favorite. Clearly, I’m not impartial. But even so, THIS is a great episode because Vicki Atkinson and I were blown away by filmmaker, philanthropist and author, Peter Samuelson. Watch the small … More Episode 116: “Finding Happy” with Filmmaker and Philanthropist Peter Samuelson| The Heart of the Matter
A lot of my life these days is about urgency. With my kids at age 9 and age 5, they report almost everything as a high priority. Fears that a slug will get stepped on and the pain of getting a splinter in the thumb both register equally high on the urgent meter. I’ve learned … More Episode 115: “The Way of the Wave” with Daniel A. Miller| The Heart of the Matter
We’ve switched our podcast release schedule to bi-weekly on Fridays so we have time to thoughtfully read and prepare good questions for our amazing guests. When we aren’t releasing new full episodes, we have time to make shorts of those aforementioned amazing guests who have joined us on the podcast. I know you’ll love these … More Love, Dreams and Keith Richards| The Heart of the Matter
If you know you know. Also expressed like this: IYKYK in text parlance. And if you live in Chicago? You KNEW the Magikist sign. But we never imagined reading a thriller of a mystery with big pouty lips as the centerpiece. In the Chicago area, the Magikist Lips (in the form of huge signs on the Edens Expressway, Dan … More Episode 114: “The Kiss of Night” with Mark Wukas| The Heart of the Matter
Several years ago, I had to stay late at work. I was finishing up a project. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my boss’ boss, a managing director of the firm, pacing the floor. He was on…| The Heart of the Matter
Have you noticed? Wynne asks the BEST questions of our guests. When we met with award-winning author, Carl Vonderau, she asked: “We love your quip that your children wonder how you know so mu…| The Heart of the Matter
Did you catch Daniel Abrahams’ latest – “Writing is Rewriting”? Oof! It’s the space I’m in right now and when I stumbled across his blog post recently, I felt li…| The Heart of the Matter
I don’t know if I can get away with this or not but let me try. Talking with our latest guest inspired me. Here goes: Andrew Mayne is A-Mayne-zing! Still with me? I sure hope so. Wynne and I …| The Heart of the Matter
This past weekend, my kids gave me the go-ahead to get rid of the playhouse that was tucked into a corner of our backyard. In the past year, we were mostly using it as storage for the pink yard fla…| The Heart of the Matter
Play Ball! We’ve got baseball on our minds, thanks to Wynne’s adorable five-year-old son, Mr. D. In this – his inaugural podcast – Mr. D delights us with stories from his fi…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I were delighted to sit down with artist and author Danny Gregory. Danny spent thirty years in the advertising industry before dedicating himself to encouraging others to be creative and …| The Heart of the Matter
On Saturday, March 22, Melissa Kirsch, writing for the New York Times wrote: Being new at something isn’t always pleasant, but beyond the discomfort, rewards await. Kirsch’s story was about h…| The Heart of the Matter
We’ve been having fun making some YouTube shorts from our fabulous podcast guests. So, we’re republishing some of our best clips. In this first short clip, retired teacher, blogger, and…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I are still pinching ourselves. Amazed and thrilled that one of our favorite authors, Barbara Nickless, made time to sit down with us to discuss her latest book, “The Drowning Game”. In t…| The Heart of the Matter
On episode 108 of the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast that will be released this coming Friday, March 21, Vicki and I talk with Wall Street Journal and Amazon charts best-selling author, Ba…| The Heart of the Matter
What a treat it was to visit with adventurer and author, Darlene Foster! Wynne and had the most delightful chat with the prolific Darlene – the author of ten wonderful young adult books featu…| The Heart of the Matter
No one man can, for any considerable time, wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which is the true one. – Nathaniel Hawthorne When I…| The Heart of the Matter
It should come as no surprise to you that “Miss O” – Wynne’s delightful nine-year old daughter is a tour-de-force in her own right. An artistic heart beats within. Miss O lo…| The Heart of the Matter
When author, artist, illustrator, designer, storyteller extraordinaire Dave Williams launched his “Joy is…” project on January 20, I knew good things were in store for all of us. And wowza – I was …| The Heart of the Matter
I love a good Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, don’t you? There are many gems to choose from but when I stumbled across these words recently they gave me pause when I needed it. It’s been nearly tw…| The Heart of the Matter
We’ve been having fun making YouTube clips from our fabulous podcast guests. So, we’re republishing some of our best clips. Vicki and I get so much inspiration from our guests – t…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I were honored recently to sit down with acclaimed author, Christina Hwang Dudley, to discuss her latest book, “Pride & Preston Lin”, a gorgeous adaptation of the beloved …| The Heart of the Matter
Two years ago, I had to travel from Philadelphia to Atlanta. As I waited to get through airport security, two Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents stood in front of me. They had just…| The Heart of the Matter
More than 20 years ago, I signed up for an expedition to climb Mt. Elbrus in Russia. At 18,510 feet, it stands as the tallest peak in Europe. I convinced a couple of friends to join me and we were …| The Heart of the Matter
Commemorating our 100th (plus!) podcast, Wynne and I sat down with our partner and writer extraordinaire, Brian Hannon to do a little reflecting. Given Brian’s background as a reporter, a com…| The Heart of the Matter
I like pocket-sized wisdom. The sort I can carry around and invoke, as needed. And lately, I’ve needed all that I can summon, both to soothe myself and support others. I especially like these words…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I love talking to writers of all sorts and honestly, every time we do so, we learn so much. I guess that’s our ambition – to share nuggets of inspiration and motivation from t…| The Heart of the Matter
I keep threatening to get rid of Facebook, Instagram, and various other social media apps on my smartphone. I open them up and think I’m just going to check on a few posts. When I look up aga…| The Heart of the Matter
On Saturday Night Live, the celebrity hosts receive a special, commemorative “5 Timers Club” jacket. Resplendent in rich navy velvet – smoking jacket style. Lush. Luxurious. By my…| The Heart of the Matter
Once upon a time, some dozen years ago, an email landed in my inbox at work. Congratulations, it read. If you are reading this, you’re one of the lucky employees selected to give a presen…| The Heart of the Matter
“Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.”-George Orwell, 1984, Chapter 2, Page 252 A former student – one who’s struggling right now – brought this quote (above) to my att…| The Heart of the Matter
Holy Cow, Sports Fans! This is Episode 100. How did THAT happen? Across two years, Wynne and I have interviewed dozens of guests and have giggled more than I ever thought possible. Listening, learn…| The Heart of the Matter
From across the office, I saw my manager get up to leave. I sped up to try to catch him. I could tell that the changes he had made to his diet and his exercise program at the start of the year were…| The Heart of the Matter
Our dear friend, author, blogger, mentor to many and former educator, Pete Springer recently wrote a beautiful essay about one of the most influential people in his life, Nancy Wheeler. In this epi…| The Heart of the Matter
There’s a quote attributed to Robin Williams that I appreciate. I’m not sure if it’s a line from a movie or if it’s a quote from a stand-up routine, but it’s an example – I think – of the nea…| The Heart of the Matter
Happy New Year, Friends! We’re taking a little liberty. Is it still okay to cheer in the New Year when we’re 10 days into 2025? We hope so! As we get rolling with podcasts in January, w…| The Heart of the Matter
The time has come…to say goodbye from the Heart of the Matter team as we draw the curtain on 2024. What a year it’s been! Most of all… Thank you for your readership and friendship! Since its …| The Heart of the Matter
I grew up with a mom who held being fair as a cornerstone of her parenting philosophy. The one time that I found out all my presents ahead of time was because my mom had a system. She would keep a …| The Heart of the Matter
Spending time with acclaimed author Vickie Rubin is good for the soul. Wynne and I had the pleasure recently of sitting down with Vickie to learn about her book, “Raising Jess – a Story of Hope” an…| The Heart of the Matter
Photo by Pexels. Courage inspires courage. My daughter picked up crocheting two years ago. Every time I see her, she seems to be working on some new project. She made a scarf for me last Christmas …| The Heart of the Matter
I was grumpy. I was up late working on a work project. And I was exhausted. Of course, the next morning I had an especially busy one. I would be in back-to-back meetings until late in the afternoon…| The Heart of the Matter
I love Thanksgiving. What can be better than a day glowing with gratitude? Okay, I know that sitting around a table with family and friends sometimes sparks some stress and a whole lot of work. So …| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I can’t think of much that we enjoy more than a returning guest. We’ve been privileged to podcast once again with the delightful – and insightful – Melanie McGauran. Melanie’s an accompli…| The Heart of the Matter
Have you heard of Geena Dunne? Perhaps not. You might know her by her pseudonym, G.D. Anderson and this quote, made famous ten years ago but never more relevant for me than it is today: “Feminism i…| The Heart of the Matter
We’ve been having fun making YouTube clips from our fabulous podcast guests. So, we’re republishing some of our best clips. Last weekend when my kids and I went away for three nights, I…| The Heart of the Matter
Photo by Pexels. When Bo Schembechler coached at the University of Michigan in the 70s and 80s, he used to warn his players to never go out past midnight, claiming that nothing good ever happened a…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I had the privilege of spending time with accomplished and acclaimed author, Lauren Scott recently and our chat with her was delightful in every way. If you’re a writer, blogger, au…| The Heart of the Matter
What a treat (no tricks!) Wynne and I spent some time with the talented writer, Brian Hannon this week and talked about the 2024 NaNoWriMo – National Novel Writing Month – which begins officially t…| The Heart of the Matter
Photo by Pexels. My wife and I have been busy with our jobs and when we have been together our free time has been sparse. When we saw that we had a free weekend recently we knew just how to spend i…| The Heart of the Matter
In this episode of the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, I’m with my co-host, Dr. Vicki Atkinson, and writer and author, Brian Hannon. Brian is one of our colleagues on the Heart of the Matt…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne’s done it again. Wynne has a knack for instilling confidence about all things technical. I think it’s her plain-spoken advice…tailored just for me (or so it seems) as she reminds me to stick …| The Heart of the Matter
I was at the skate park with my kids and nine-year-old Miss O saw a sticker about Mary Oliver and asked about it. I answered that Mary Oliver was a poet and that her most oft quoted line is “Tell m…| The Heart of the Matter
What’s better than tea time? Tea time with Wynne, of course! Join us for our podcast as we mull the power of tea and the inspiration to slow down and savor. Wynne shares a beautiful piece written b…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I had a great chat this week, one that we’ve been noodling on for a while. As writers who have other careers in engineering, business, entrepreneurship, technology, counseling and higher …| The Heart of the Matter
When our daughter was born in the early 90s, I tried to write about her birth. She was our first child and I wanted to put down on paper the joy and happiness my wife and I were feeling. I wanted t…| The Heart of the Matter
What IS it about September that prompts the need to nest? Last year, Wynne and I chatted about this topic in our podcast “September Savor”, discussing the rhythm of September: back to school, seaso…| The Heart of the Matter
When I was a young kid, I read a book about a guy who walked across the United States, connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. It was hard for me to wrap my brain around the idea, it seemed …| The Heart of the Matter
It’s such a pleasure to spend time with Dave Williams, artist, author, and one of our favorite creative friends. Wynne and I love talking with Dave because he offers cool insights into the creative…| The Heart of the Matter
No, this isn’t Wynne’s precious pup, Cooper. But it could be. I couldn’t resist! Last week a former client gave me a beautiful gift. To most anyone’s eyes it probably looks like a…| The Heart of the Matter
The other day Miss O, my nine-year-old daughter, wanted to compose an essay called BME: The Best Mom Ever. She was having an appreciative moment after all the work that went in to throwing her a bi…| The Heart of the Matter
Michelle Oram inspires me to tidy up, but not in the condemning, “hustle up and get ‘er done” kind of way. Michelle’s approach, told in her fabulous blog series, “Clutter Tales” is sensible, do-abl…| The Heart of the Matter
When I was a kid, I was scared of the dark. I worried especially about the ghosts underneath my bed and things that went bump in the night. I was pretty clueless about what these mythical creatures…| The Heart of the Matter
We’ve been having fun making YouTube clips from our fabulous podcast guests. So, we’re republishing some of our most watched videos. Here’s a hilarious snippet from publisher, aut…| The Heart of the Matter
I am not a camper. Never have been and I think I can blame my stint in 4-H and Girl Scouts. I loved ‘sleep away’ camp so long as the accommodations came in the form of cabins instead of tents (even…| The Heart of the Matter
I love being a member of the Chicago Writers Association. Blog posts from author B.A.Durham from “Chicago Writes” pop into my inbox providing inspiration. Last month I shared some thoughts about on…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I were thrilled this week to sit down with one of our favorite guests, the talented Pete Springer. Without a doubt, Pete’s earned the title of “storyteller supreme” as he regales us with …| The Heart of the Matter
I lifted the axe high in the air and took a swing at the log. I swung again and again. With each new chunk of wood that went flying, I could feel the anger seep out of my pores. I would be a colleg…| The Heart of the Matter
Recently someone asked me if I could imagine a non-linear way to grow. What I understood that to mean was instead of inching along a path, it was taking some leaps to a bolder path. I’ve foun…| The Heart of the Matter
In this episode, Vicki Atkinson and I are back with one of our favorite guests, writer and retired psychologist, Dr. Gerald Stein. In this fascinating episode, we talk about the factors that keep u…| The Heart of the Matter
Wynne and I get excited when it’s time to visit with one of our favorite recurring guests, Dr. Gerald Stein. In one of his recent posts, Becoming Close Friends: A Practical Guide, Dr. Stein i…| The Heart of the Matter
What’s more enchanting than listening to a talented youngster as she shares not only her beautiful voice – pure and poignant – while also teaching the adults a thing or two about what matters most?…| The Heart of the Matter
And Now…for Some Lighter News… I’m no ornithologist. I took a guess at how to spell that five-syllable word and came up lucky. With all the ‘assists’ these days, I assume my supreme spell checker, …| The Heart of the Matter
Sometimes a little perspective is all we need to see the gifts…right before our eyes. Either a reframing of an experience we’ve lamented over, or the goodness that arrives when we see people sparkl…| The Heart of the Matter
When I was a young kid and well into my teenager years, I loved to curl up on the sofa in our living room and read the Sunday comics. I cared little initially about the rest of the paper — the dark…| The Heart of the Matter
I have a friend who makes me believe in possibilities. I hadn’t thought of her in that way – ever – but after a three-hour catch up recently, I realized her friendship, our relationship (across 43 …| The Heart of the Matter
One of my favorite personality assessments provides insight about planning preferences. The need for organization and predictability vs. a love of keeping life loose, open-ended and spontaneou…| The Heart of the Matter
By the end of my birthday this past weekend, I was exhausted. I know I’m not alone in this. When I hand the reins over to others, let’s call them the less experienced members of the household…| The Heart of the Matter
I love swapping stories with Wynne on the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast. It’s a connection-making opportunity that continues to delight me, each and every week. This week? Wynne and…| The Heart of the Matter
My brain is funny. To me, anyhow. Do you ever wake up with a thought that seems so off-the-wall that you can’t help but smile? A remnant from a dream? A phrase, a word, an image that lodges in your…| The Heart of the Matter
“I have often had a retrospective vision where everything in my past life seems to fall with significance into logical sequence.”― Ansel Adams I wrote about a dear family member, almost a year…| The Heart of the Matter
Kids love to play dress-up. Educators tell us that imaginative play boosts problem-solving skills, creative thinking, and helps manage emotions. Kids create situations and scenes and then act …| The Heart of the Matter
In this episode, Vicki Atkinson and I are talking with author, podcaster, publisher, and former radio producer, Rick Kaempfer. Rick has recently published The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Mos…| The Heart of the Matter
In his recent Heart of the Matter podcast, Dr. Gerald Stein referenced the practice of Tikkun Olam, the name drawn from the Kabbalah to describe making a difference and healing the world. Part of a…| The Heart of the Matter
When we arrived at my favorite beach on Whidbey Island this past Friday afternoon, I just felt myself exhale. All the unidentified stuff that I’d been holding close seem to come out: The co-worker …| The Heart of the Matter
