Shows / Practicing Connection
Practicing Connection
Improve your resilience and readiness in a rapidly changing world.
Jessica Beckendorf and Erin Carlson Rivera host this exploration of personal and collective practices that empower us to work together to help each other, our families, and our communities improve our resilience and readiness.
Episodes
Practicing Connection"But How Long Does This Actually Take?" (Listener Q&A)
Send us Fan Mail Today we’re answering listener questions about personal growth, listening, and building trust with collaborators. You can send us your…
Practicing ConnectionWhy Momentum is Often Hard to See
Send us Fan Mail Long-term projects can feel like nothing's moving - until you know where to look. This episode is about training your eye to spot the small…
Practicing ConnectionGet on the Balcony and Find Your Leverage
Send us Fan Mail It's easy to talk about 'the system' like it's something happening to us. But what if you're already standing inside it - and holding one of…
Practicing ConnectionInviting on Purpose: Empowering Others to Participate
Send us Fan Mail Whether you're planning a single meeting or inviting people into a long-term community change effort, the invitation is where it succeeds or…
Practicing ConnectionCollective Action & Working Together At Scale: Lessons from Early Matters
Send us Fan Mail What does collective impact work actually look like? In this interview episode, we hear from a statewide “backbone” organization and a local…
Practicing ConnectionJumpstart New Connections Using a Cheat Sheet
Send us Fan Mail How do you get to the important conversations faster? Sometimes getting to know a new collaborator can take more time that you have to spare…
Practicing ConnectionReframing with Strengths: A practice for when people do annoying things
Send us Fan Mail What if the person frustrating you isn't missing a strength - just misusing one? In this episode of Practicing Connection, Jessica and Erin…
Practicing ConnectionPositive Rants: How to Reframe Negativity So You Can Move Forward
Send us Fan Mail What do you do after you listen to understand someone else? It can be a real challenge to figure out how to collaborate with someone who only…
Practicing ConnectionThe Military-Civilian Divide: Why Transition is More Than Culture Shock. With Dr. Seth Hayden
Send us Fan Mail Many professionals want to help military families. Few understand the invisible barriers they're navigating. When service members and military…
Practicing ConnectionStronger Together: A Change Framework for Community Action. With Tom Mosgaller
Send us Fan Mail In this conversation with Tom Mosgaller, we unpack a flexible Change Framework designed for communities of any size or location. Tom explains…
Practicing ConnectionPressure Relief: What Cooperatives Can (and Can't) Do for Child Care. With Kristin Forde Hurckes
Send us Fan Mail When child care is hard to find and harder to afford, some communities aren't waiting for a fix. Kristin Forde Hurckes of the University of…
Practicing ConnectionThe Connective Tissue: A Look at Statewide Collaboration to Support Military Families. With Jennifer Holliday
Send us Fan Mail Many military families don't live near a large installation. Jennifer Holliday, Alabama's first Military Family Liaison shares what it takes…
Practicing ConnectionWhen Community Works: Care, Connection, and Collective Resilience. With Julika von Stackleberg, Ph.D.
Send us Fan Mail Belonging isn’t just a warm feeling - it’s something people build together over time. In this episode, we’re talking about how communities…
- Practicing Connection
Asking Powerful Questions
Send us Fan Mail Community engagement, co-creation and collaboration depend on meaningful conversations. Asking the right question is the most effective way of…
Practicing ConnectionFinding Your Purpose as a Group, Four Questions That Can Help
Send us Fan Mail Getting to a shared purpose as a group often requires digging a little deeper than usual. In this replay episode from 2024, Jessica and Bob…
Practicing ConnectionHow Does a Small North Carolina City Become a National Example of Collaboration Between Military and Community?
Send us Fan Mail How does a small North Carolina city become a national example of collaboration between military and community? Mayor Will Lewis says it…
Practicing ConnectionApplying Systems Thinking to Local Issues
Send us Fan Mail What is the value of using a systems lens in community work? In today’s archive episode, we are hearing from Bob and Jessica about solving…
Practicing ConnectionLeveraging the Community Assets to Support Military Families
Send us Fan Mail We talk a lot on this podcast about the importance of collaborating with others in your community. But if you are finding yourself overwhelmed…
Practicing ConnectionPutting your Icebreakers to Work
Send us Fan Mail Do icebreakers always make things awkward? Have you ever had to do an icebreaker that made you cringe? What if your icebreakers actually…
Practicing ConnectionNavigating Tricky Partnership Problems (Listener Q&A)
Send us Fan Mail How do you build community connections that actually work? Have you ever gotten stuck as you try to build community partnerships? In this…
Practicing ConnectionDo you see yourself as a generous collaborator?
Send us Fan Mail Do you see yourself as a generous collaborator? Have you ever been generous with a collaborator, only to leave disappointed? This week's…
Practicing ConnectionWhy Community Engagement Efforts Fall Flat
Send us Fan Mail Most of us don’t ignore input - we just ask for it too late. And by then, the decisions are already made. What if the biggest issue with…
Practicing ConnectionEmpathy in Action: Going Beyond Surface-Level Interactions
Send us Fan Mail Empathy mapping is a simple tool for helping you imagine someone else and their experience. In this From the Archive episode, Bob and Jessica…
Practicing ConnectionSchool Liaisons and Extension: A Network of Support for Military Youth
Send us Fan Mail When military kids move, their whole world shifts—schools, friends, routines, and support systems. In this episode of Practicing Connection…
Practicing ConnectionWho's Missing From Your Network?
Send us Fan Mail Most of us don’t mean to work in silos - but our calendars and inboxes quietly build them for us. In this episode, Jessica and Erin guide you…
Practicing ConnectionHow to Handle Workplace Expectations, and Other Listener Q&A
Send us Fan Mail This month’s listener Q&A gives us three juicy areas to cover: struggling with frequent task switching, dealing with burnout and unachievable…
Practicing ConnectionWhat the Room is Telling You: How to Read the Room
Send us Fan Mail You've walked into a meeting and felt it immediately - something's off. The energy is flat, or there's a tension nobody's naming. What do you…
Practicing ConnectionBurnout, and Resilience, in Service Providers
Send us Fan Mail What if the key to resilience is practicing together? This episode fom the Practicing Connection archives features a conversation about…
Practicing ConnectionPrevent Burnout with "Unfocusing"
Send us Fan Mail What if the key to getting more done is doing less focusing? In this episode, Erin introduces the concept of unfocusing - not slacking off…
Practicing ConnectionHow to Get the Most out of Practicing Connection Podcast (Listener Q&A)
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever asked, “So what do I do with this?” after listening to a Practicing Connection episode? Put the pieces together with us on our…
Practicing ConnectionWhy Unspoken Expectations Erode Trust (and How to Fix It)
Send us Fan Mail You're frustrated with someone you’re collaborating with, but you can't quite explain why. Chances are, the problem isn't their performance -…
Practicing ConnectionEncouragement That Works: How to Give a Real Pep Talk
Send us Fan Mail A good pep talk isn’t just about saying “you got this.” When done right, it can reignite purpose, build trust, and help others find strength…
Practicing ConnectionHow to Grow Your Courage for Collaboration
Send us Fan Mail Collaboration takes more than skills and schedules—it takes the courage to step outside your comfort zone with other people. Bravery isn’t…
Practicing ConnectionHumble on Purpose: A Practice for Better Decisions
Send us Fan Mail What if the strongest person in the room is the one willing to say, “I don’t know yet - what am I missing?” In this episode, we practice…
Practicing ConnectionEveryday Practices for Organizational Resilience
Send us Fan Mail Resilience at work isn’t only about how much each of us can handle. It’s also about how our systems anticipate challenges, respond to them…
Practicing ConnectionCollaboration in Action: Serving Military Families through Strengthening Communities
Send us Fan Mail How does a small North Carolina city become a national example of collaboration between military and community? Mayor Will Lewis says it…
Practicing ConnectionTurning Conflict Into Collaboration
Send us Fan Mail It’s easy to collaborate when everyone agrees. The real test of teamwork is what happens when we don’t. In this episode of Practicing…
Practicing ConnectionHow We Work Together: A Simple Practice for Better Collaboration
Send us Fan Mail Are you really collaborating - or just coordinating? This episode offers a short reflection to help you notice where you are on the spectrum…
Practicing ConnectionReframing Feedback: A Practice for Receiving Criticism Well
Send us Fan Mail Negative feedback can feel like a punch in the gut - but what if you could shift your mindset to see it as useful data instead of personal…
Practicing ConnectionFrom One Season to the Next: A New Chapter for Practicing Connection
Send us Fan Mail Change is part of every journey - even the ones we love most. In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf welcomes new co-host Erin Carlson Rivera…
- Practicing Connection
Meaningful Growth: How to Make the Most Out of Every Learning Opportunity
Send us Fan Mail Are you tired of leaving conferences or trainings feeling overloaded - like you missed what mattered most? This was one of our most popular…
- Practicing Connection
Do You Ever Struggle to Stick to Your Goals?
Send us Fan Mail Do you ever struggle to stick to your goals? Discover the WOOP method, a powerful tool that uses obstacles as stepping stones to success. In…
- Practicing Connection
2026 Reset: Creating Space, Choosing Direction
Send us Fan Mail Before you set new goals for 2026, take a pause. This episode guides you through a gentle two‑part reset - honoring what you’re completing and…
- Practicing Connection
Beyond Sleep: Four Kinds of Rest We All Need
Send us Fan Mail If you’re exhausted but time off hasn’t really helped, the problem might not be how much you rest, but what kind of rest you’re getting. This…
- Practicing Connection
Flamingos and Focus Days: One Simple Practice for a More Intentional Year
Send us Fan Mail Before rushing into big resolutions, what if you paused to ask: "What needs to stop, what deserves to stay, and what small experiment could…
- Practicing Connection
Leading Through Uncertainty: Navigating Ambiguity as an Adaptive Practice
Send us Fan Mail Leading in uncertainty is not about having all the answers; it’s about how you show up when you don’t. In this episode, explore two simple…
- Practicing Connection
Letting Go to Move Forward: Creating Space for Your Next Self
Send us Fan Mail Feeling between versions of yourself - no longer who you were, not yet who you’re becoming? In this episode, learn two simple practices to…
- Practicing Connection
7 Small Practices for Better Conversations
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Practicing Connection, Coral and Jessica explore empathetic listening: what it is, why it matters, and how a few simple…
- Practicing Connection
3 Simple Ways to Find Gratitude in Tough Moments
Send us Fan Mail Ever find yourself juggling tough projects or caring for others while your own energy dips? In this episode, discover three practical…
- Practicing Connection
Fuel your Day with Savoring: The “Catching Joy” Practice
Send us Fan Mail If you feel like your emotional 'gas tank' is running empty, this episode is for you. We're diving into savoring - an intentional…
- Practicing Connection
Reconnecting with Wonder to Spark Creativity
Send us Fan Mail When the complexity of your work leads to burnout and tunnel vision, where do you find the energy to create solutions? Today, we're exploring…
- Practicing Connection
Ending the Day Strong: A 5-minute Daily Reset
Send us Fan Mail Feeling stretched thin? Try this simple 5-minute daily practice to get yourself untangled and take small steps to move out of overwhelm, help…
- Practicing Connection
Planting Seeds: 3 Minute Connections That Transform Your Relationships
Send us Fan Mail What if three minutes a day could transform your relationships- and your whole sense of connection? Discover how tiny, intentional gestures…
- Practicing Connection
Cultivating an Engaged Attitude
Send us Fan Mail How do teams build real momentum and commitment together? Discover how small shifts - like rotating leadership and showing authentic presence…
- Practicing Connection
Shifting from “Should” to “Get To” for Renewed Energy at Work
Send us Fan Mail What powers you at work: pressure or purpose? This episode gives you one simple language hack to turn daily obligations into energizing…
- Practicing Connection
Take Charge: Small Shifts to Grow Your Autonomy
Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever wanted more ownership in your work or home life, this episode is for you. We’ll walk through a quick autonomy audit - a simple…
- Practicing Connection
Motivation Mapping: Leading with Purpose
Send us Fan Mail When was the last time work truly energized you? Today, discover how to pinpoint what’s fueling you and learn practical ways to reconnect with…
- Practicing Connection
Scaling Your Skills: Feedback & Mentorship That Works
Send us Fan Mail Feedback and mentorship aren’t just buzzwords - they’re the shortcuts to better skills, stronger confidence, and real momentum. Discover a…
- Practicing Connection
Don’t Keep It to Yourself! Creating a Culture of Shared Learning
Send us Fan Mail What if the fastest way to master any skill was to teach it to someone else? This episode reveals how sharing your learning not only helps…
- Practicing Connection
5 Strategies for Integrating New Skills into Daily Practice
Send us Fan Mail Are you ready to move from “learning” into doing ? Today we're sharing 5 strategies that can help you integrate new skills into your daily…