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
From Outreach to Impact: Extension’s Role with Military-Connected Communities. With Rachel Brauner and Karrie Calloway
Send us Fan Mail This episode of Practicing Connection explores the incredible bridge-building work happening in Texas with guest Karrie Calloway - military…
- Practicing Connection
From Networking to Meaningful Connections: Learning Together
Send us Fan Mail Professional development isn’t just about the content - it’s about the people. Whether it’s a quick follow-up question, a shared takeaway, or…
- Practicing Connection
Military Kids and Public Schools: Finding Common Ground Together. With Mark Paolicelli and Dulce Carrillo
Send us Fan Mail When a redistricting proposal put military children’s routines at risk, two communities came together, transforming crisis into collaboration…
- Practicing Connection
Turn Learning into Action with "Spark, Shift, Share" Notetaking
Send us Fan Mail Do you ever sit through a workshop, scribble endless notes, and then never look at them again? Discover a notetaking method that helps you…
- 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? Today, we reveal a simple, powerful…
- Practicing Connection
The Mid-Year Check-In: Reflect, Recalibrate, Recommit
Send us Fan Mail Are you moving through the year on autopilot, or making the most of your intentions? Take a purposeful pause with us with this guided mid-year…
- Practicing Connection
Easy Priority Setting with the Wheel of Life
Send us Fan Mail Coming out of summer vacation? The Wheel of Life helps you find your focus and structure again, and sort through the to-do list! In this…
- Practicing Connection
Partnering on Early Education for Military Kids
Send us Fan Mail The collaboration you'll hear about in this episode not only filled a critical gap for military families, but also strengthened the bonds…
- Practicing Connection
Improve Your Feedback with Gratitude and Vulnerability
Send us Fan Mail Feedback, when it's done well, can energize, motivate and strengthen our relationships - whether at work, at home, or in our communities. But…
- Practicing Connection
The Power of Care: Building Trust That Lasts
Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful way to build trust was also the simplest: showing genuine care for others’ concerns and interests? This week, we’ll…
- Practicing Connection
Clarify Your Capabilities: Building Trust Through Competence
Send us Fan Mail Did you know that trust isn’t just about what you can do, but also about how honest you are about your limits? This week, we’ll share a simple…
- Practicing Connection
Reliability in Action: Why Clear Requests Matter
Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt let down by someone who didn’t follow through - or realized you misunderstood what was asked of you? This episode reveals…
- Practicing Connection
Practicing Sincerity - Say What You Mean
Send us Fan Mail Ever left a conversation wishing you’d said what you really meant? This week, we’ll show you a simple practice to help you notice - and close…
- Practicing Connection
Trust as a Practice: Lessons from the Experts, with Charles Feltman and Ila Edgar
Send us Fan Mail What if trust wasn’t just a feeling, but a set of skills you could build, repair, and strengthen - on purpose? In this special episode of…
- Practicing Connection
Plan With Purpose: The POP Framework for Effective Meetings
Send us Fan Mail What if every meeting you planned had a clear purpose, a focused outcome, and left everyone energized instead of drained? Today, we’ll show…
- Practicing Connection
Planning for Possibilities: A Perspective-Shifting Practice
Send us Fan Mail What if you could quiet the ‘what-ifs’ and help your team face tough decisions with clarity and confidence? Today, we’re sharing a simple…
- Practicing Connection
Navigate Transitions with Both/And Thinking
Send us Fan Mail Are you feeling stuck in an either/or mindset during challenging transitions? Discover how both/and thinking can help you lead with…
- Practicing Connection
Build Team Cohesion with "Hippopotamus Days"
Send us Fan Mail What if a single phrase could transform your team’s understanding and support for each other on tough days? Discover how “Hippopotamus Days”…
- Practicing Connection
Temperature Checks for Change: Staying Grounded Through Uncertainty
Send us Fan Mail When change is the only constant, how do you keep yourself - and your team - grounded and connected? In this episode, we explore simple…
- Practicing Connection
Leading Through Change: How to Stay Aligned and Present
Send us Fan Mail Are you leading your team the way you truly want to? Or just reacting to the pressures of the moment? Discover how a simple reflection can…
- Practicing Connection
Adventure-Ready: Strengthening Military Families Through Teen Camps
Send us Fan Mail Looking for a way to empower military families while fostering resilience and connection? Join us as we explore the transformative Military…
- Practicing Connection
A Compass for Building Compassion Resilience
Send us Fan Mail Today's practice is such a simple reflection, but is also really powerful and eye-opening when you notice those areas where you are feeling…
- Practicing Connection
Policy, Practice, and Compassion in Mental Health, with Dr. Keita Franklin
Send us Fan Mail How can policymakers and frontline providers collaborate to transform mental health care for service members and veterans? Dr. Keita Franklin…
- Practicing Connection
Say Yes to Yourself: Build Compassion Resilience with Healthy Boundaries
Send us Fan Mail Struggling to balance caring for others with caring for yourself? In this episode of Practicing Connection, we explore how setting…
- Practicing Connection
Building Your Compassion Resilience
Send us Fan Mail Do you sometimes feel drained by the emotional demands of your work? In this episode of Practicing Connection, we explore compassion…
- Practicing Connection
More than a Meal: Building Community and Resilience, with Chef Mary Long
Send us Fan Mail Do you ever wonder how a kitchen can become a hub for resilience and connection? In this episode of Practicing Connection, Jessica is joined…
- Practicing Connection
Achieve Your Goals With WOOP
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…
- Practicing Connection
How to be Present for Others in their Grief
Send us Fan Mail This episode was the second in a series of three practicasts from 2024 centered around "holding space," a concept we learned from Heather…
- Practicing Connection
Leveraging Forgiveness as a Strength
Send us Fan Mail **Leveraging Forgiveness as a Strength** Forgiveness is a powerful character strength and skill that can appear deceptively difficult to…
- Practicing Connection
Reframing Mistakes as Learning Opportunities
Send us Fan Mail **Reframing Mistakes for Growth** In this episode of *Practicing Connection*, Coral Owen provides co-host Jessica Beckendorf and listeners…
- Practicing Connection
Move on From Mistakes with the 10-10-10 Rule
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, hosts Coral and Jessica explore the 10-10-10 Rule, a simple yet powerful technique for gaining perspective on mistakes and…
- Practicing Connection
Boost Your Productivity with Co-working
Send us Fan Mail Boost your productivity and stay connected with others through the power of co-working! In this episode of Practicing Connection, learn how…
- Practicing Connection
The 1-Minute Agreement
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Practicing Connection, we explore the "one-minute agreement," a simple yet powerful practice for building consistency and…
- Practicing Connection
Habit Stacking
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Practicing Connection, Coral talks about Habit Stacking, a practice that can help you adopt new habits by pairing them with…
- Practicing Connection
Easy Priority Setting with the Wheel of Life
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Practicing Connection, Jessica introduces the Wheel of Life as a simple tool to help set priorities and find balance by…
- Practicing Connection
New Year, New Co-host
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf introduces Coral Owen as the new co-host of Practicing Connection. They reflect on their journey working…
- Practicing Connection
Strategies for Navigating Challenging Conversations
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Practicing Connection, Bob and Jessica discuss the importance of navigating challenging conversations. Jessica introduces a…
- Practicing Connection
Letting Go to Make Room for Growth
Send us Fan Mail In this practicast, inspired by Heather Plett’s book The Art of Holding Space, Bob Bertsch shares a practice for letting go of something to…
- Practicing Connection
The Power of Connection, Reflection, and Evolution with Bob Bertsch
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch reflect on Bob’s time as co-host and his transition to a new role as national project…
- Practicing Connection
Reflections on Connection, Collaboration, and Finding Inspiration
Send us Fan Mail This is our annual Reflections episode, where we invite some of our podcast collaborators from the past year to share their reflections with…
- Practicing Connection
Inviting Innovation Through Creative Destruction
Send us Fan Mail Explore how inviting creative destruction can pave the way for innovation. In this practicast, Jessica shares a fun and insightful practice…
- Practicing Connection
The Power of Listening to Cultivate Deep Respect for People
Send us Fan Mail Explore practical ways to cultivate deep respect in your personal and professional interactions. This practicast introduces “1-2-4-All,” a…
- Practicing Connection
The Welcome Wagon: Cultivating a Welcoming Environment
Send us Fan Mail Discover practical ways to create more welcoming and inclusive environments in your personal and professional life. The episode introduces…
- Practicing Connection
Strengthening Military Community Connections with Amy Rodick
Send us Fan Mail Amy Rodick, Director of the Office of Military Family Readiness and Policy for the Department of Defense, joins the podcast to discuss the…
- Practicing Connection
Balancing the Big Picture with the Small
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, hosts Jessica and Bob explore the concept of balancing the "big picture" with "small…
- Practicing Connection
Improve Your Feedback with Gratitude and Vulnerability
Send us Fan Mail Discover the transformative power of feedback. Hosts Bob Bertsch and Jessica Beckendorf explore the nuances of giving and receiving feedback…
- Practicing Connection
Feeding Military Families with Stronghold Food Pantry CEO Monica Bassett
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, co-hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bob Bertsch talk with Monica Bassett, founder and CEO of Stronghold Food Pantry, a resource…
- Practicing Connection
Reduce Your Stress Through Core Values
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, learn how values shape emotions, decisions, and relationships, providing a roadmap for reduced stress, boosted confidence…
- Practicing Connection
Confronting Imposter Syndrome by Sharing Your Work
Send us Fan Mail Sharing your work, even before it is done, is a great practice for dealing with imposter syndrome. It can help you realize no one is perfect…
- Practicing Connection
Do Less of What Drains You
Send us Fan Mail The more you understand about yourself, the better you’ll be able to align your life with the things that are really meaningful to you. In…
- Practicing Connection
Partnering on Early Education for Military Kids
Send us Fan Mail In this episode, co-hosts Bob Bertsch and Jessica Beckendorf talk with Lisa Sapp and James Yracheta about a collaboration between Malmstrom…
- Practicing Connection
Making Small Adjustments
Send us Fan Mail Many of us tend to take a linear approach to program development. We develop a program, implement it fully, then evaluate it to see if it…
- Practicing Connection
Finding Your Purpose as a Group
Send us Fan Mail Getting to a shared purpose as a group often requires digging a little deeper than usual. Jessica Beckendorf talks about the chaordic stepping…
- Practicing Connection
Being Present With Your Strengths
Send us Fan Mail Separately, mindfulness practice and character strengths practice have been shown to improve well-being. Recent research has shown that…
- Practicing Connection
Finding Balance Within Strengths
Send us Fan Mail Much of the conversation around character strengths focuses on their positive aspects, but there are some contexts in which character…
- Practicing Connection
Lean Into Your Strengths
Send us Fan Mail Character strengths are your unique pathways to those positive goals people pursue in life. They can help us amplify positive things in our…
- Practicing Connection
Finding Your Strengths
Send us Fan Mail Finding your character strengths can help improve your life and emotional well-being, as well as meet the challenges and difficulties you are…
- Practicing Connection
Networks for Military Family Support with Amy Rodick
Send us Fan Mail Amy Rodick, Director of the Office of Military Family Readiness and Policy in the Department of Defense, joins the podcast to talk about the…
- Practicing Connection
Holding Space for New Possibilities
Send us Fan Mail This is the third is a series of three practicasts centered around "holding space," a concept we learned from Heather Plett, author of "The…
- Practicing Connection
Holding Space for Grief
Send us Fan Mail Check out the show notes. This is the second in a series of three practicasts centered around "holding space," a concept we learned from…