Shows / JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose
Joy Unfiltered is the podcast where joy gets real, grounded, and useful. Hosted by Rachel Bents, keynote speaker and author of Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life and Joy Is the Strategy, this show is built on one simple belief: joy isn’t something that happens to you. It’s something you choose, on purpose, even when life is hard. Each week, you’ll hear honest conversations, solo reflections, and guest episodes about how to choose joy in your wellbeing, your relationships, your leadership…
Episodes
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 15: What Does It Really Mean to Be Present? | Joy Words: Presence
What does it really mean to be present? In this Joy Words episode, Rachel Bents explores the surprising origin of the word “presence” and shows you how giving…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 14: How Do You Reset a Bad Day in 3 Minutes? | Joy Rewire: The Three-Minute Joy Reset Walk
How do you reset a bad day fast? This Joy Rewire gives you a three-minute walk, built on science, that calms stress, lifts your energy, and trains your brain…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 13: How Can a Daily Walk Make You Happier? | Joy Lab: Walk It Out
Can a daily walk make you happier? In this Joy Lab episode, Rachel Bents shares how a simple Joy Walk turns your everyday route into a science-backed habit for…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 12: How Do You Stay Positive When Life Falls Apart? | Finding Joy with Sass Schaeffer
How do you stay positive when life falls apart, not once but twice? Sass Schaeffer is a former boxing champion, a former healthcare executive, and the founder…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 11: What Does Outdoorsy Mean? Outdoorsy vs. Outsidey, Word Origins, and Finding Joy in Nature | Joy Words
What does outdoorsy really mean, and what if you love nature but also love your hot shower? In this episode of Joy Words, Rachel Bents digs into the word…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 10: What Is an Awe Walk? A 15-Minute Walk to Reduce Stress and Boost Joy | Joy Rewire
What is an awe walk, and how can a simple 15-minute walk reduce stress and boost joy? In this Joy Rewire, Rachel Bents guides you through an awe walk, a…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Bonus Episode: Can a Table Hold Joy and Grief? Custom Live Edge Dining Tables, Handmade Woodworking, and Finding Joy in Your Work with Ryan Kuehn of RK Design
Can a dining table hold both joy and grief? Minnesota woodworker Ryan Kuehn of RK Design builds custom live edge dining tables and handmade furniture that…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 9: How Much Time in Nature Do You Need? The Science of Nature, Stress Relief, and Joy
How much time in nature do you actually need to feel better? Science says 120 minutes a week. In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, author and speaker Rachel…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 8: Finding Joy in Your Wardrobe with Jenny Zook
Your body isn’t the problem. Your clothes are. Former middle school teacher turned TEDx speaker Jenny Zook joins Rachel to talk about changing your…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 7: Joy Words: Withness
This week’s Joy Word is one Rachel made up, and it’s the heartbeat of her book Be With. Withness is presence as a way of being: fully, wholeheartedly with a…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 6: Joy Rewire: The Vagus Reset
Stress climbing? This Joy Rewire gives you a simple, guided practice to tell your brain you’re safe, using your favorite new nerve: the vagus nerve. In this…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 5: The Quiet Engine: Your Breath Is the Way Back Home
You take about 20,000 breaths a day and barely notice one. In this episode, Rachel dives into the science of breath and shows you how to use it, on purpose, to…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 4: Joy Is the Sky, Happiness Is the Weather, with Sheryl Raphael Whitaker
Rachel sits down with her joy bestie Sheryl Raphael Whitaker, leadership transformation expert and author of It Starts with Joy. After 35+ years in corporate…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 3: Joy Words: Authenticity & Author
Welcome to Joy Words, a brand new Thursday segment where Rachel nerds out on the words that shape how we live. First up: two words that look like twins but…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 2: Joy Rewire: The 90-Second Dopamine Dance
Stuck, stressed, or deep in the afternoon slump? In this Joy Rewire, Rachel guides you through a 90-second dance break designed to shift your brain chemistry…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2, Episode 1: Unchoreographed: Dance Like Nobody Asked You To
When was the last time you danced, just because? Season 2 kicks off with Body and Presence, ten weeks through Rachel's book Be With, and we're starting by…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeSeason 2 Trailer: Welcome to Season 2, Body & Presence
Season 2 is here! For the next 10 weeks, Rachel walks through chapters 1 to 10 of her new book, Be With: 39 Habits for a Joy-Filled Life, with one goal: coming…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeEpisode 8, 2026 Fall Mini Season: The Joy Rewire: The Joy Stack
The final Joy Rewire of the mini-season turns Monday's science into a practice you can start today. Rachel walks you through the Joy Stack, a three-layer habit…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeEpisode 7, 2026 Fall Mini Season: Joy Is a Habit - The Science of Wiring Joy In
In this final long-form episode of the mini-season, Rachel answers the question she hears more than any other: "How do I make joy stick?" The answer is habit…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeMini-Season 1.5, Episode 9: The Gap Where Leadership Happens, with Sandy Gerber
Rachel sits down with Sandy Gerber, communication coach, emotional intelligence trainer, and best-selling author of Emotional Magnetism, winner of 24…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeMini-Season 1.5, Episode 8: The Rewire, In Real Time
The practice piece to go with Episode 7's deep dive into the dopamine prediction accuracy framework. In under 15 minutes, Rachel walks through the Joy Macros…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeMini-Season 1.5, Episode 7: Why Your Brain Rewards Being Right, Not Happy
Rachel goes deeper into the science behind "Why Joy," picking back up on the dopamine prediction accuracy framework from earlier in the mini-season. This…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeMini-Season 1.5, Episode 6: Drop the Anchor, with TJ Baird
This episode is brought to you by RK Designs MN. Episode Summary Rachel sits down with TJ Baird, a retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major with over 32 years…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeEpisode 5, 2026 Fall Mini Season: The Savoring Pause
This week's Joy Rewire builds directly on Monday's episode about pleasure vs. joy. Rachel breaks down the neuroscience of negativity bias and teaches a simple…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeEpisode 4, 2026 Fall Mini Season: Why Joy (The Science)
In this deep dive, Rachel unpacks the actual science behind everything Joy Unfiltered is built on. Why pleasure and joy run on completely different chemical…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeMini-Season 1.5, Episode 3: Finding Your Values on the Calendar, with Jill Cain
Rachel sits down with Jill Cain, founder of Arch Empathy, a strategic consulting practice that helps unconventional businesses, artists, and creative teams…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeEpisode 2 - 2026 Fall Mini Season: The Joy Rewire - Why Your Brain Rewards Being Right, Not Being Happy
The Joy Rewire: Why Your Brain Rewards Being Right, Not Being HappyDescription: In this week's Joy Rewire, Rachel breaks down a piece of neuroscience that…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeJoy Is. (Mini-Season 1.5, Episode 1)
In the first long-form solo episode of the mini-season, Rachel unpacks the foundational idea behind everything on this podcast: joy is not happiness, and it's…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeWelcome to Mini-Season 1.5: Why We're Doing This Before Season 2
Before Joy Unfiltered relaunches with a full ten-week Season 2 on October 5, Rachel is easing back in with a mini-season - four weeks of solo deep-dives…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeGuardrails, Guidelines, and Joe's Joyful Journey with Joe Wyrwas
This week Rachel sits down with Joe Wyrwas - leadership coach, tech executive, and licensed skydiver - for a conversation that moves from free-falling at 120…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeThe Bear Isn't in the Room: Imposter Syndrome, Inner Critics & Transformation with Kurt Bush
Kurt Bush is a certified Internal Family Systems practitioner, trauma-informed coach, and co-founder of Brimstone Coaching Group. With a background spanning…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposePlant Seeds for Trees You'll Never Sit Under: Leadership, Legacy & Your Story with Andrew Brummer
Andrew Brummer is the COO of Industry Technologies, founder of My Story Told, and co-founder of Veridae. Known by many as "the business polygraph," he has a…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeYou Are Not Powerless: Joyful Advocacy with Cynthia Changyit Levin
Cynthia Changyit Levin is the author of From Changing Diapers to Changing the World and Advocacy Made Easy: How to Turn Civic Frustration into Powerful Action…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeWhat Is Joyful Leadership? A Conversation with Dr. Katie McIntyre
In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Katie McIntyre, founder and CEO of the Joyful Leadership Academy, speaker, author, coach, and leadership researcher…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeWhat Is Joyful Leadership? A Conversation with Dr. Katie McIntyre
In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Katie McIntyre, founder and CEO of the Joyful Leadership Academy, speaker, author, coach, and leadership researcher…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeUnique Brilliance: New Paradigm Leadership and Living Your Freaking Amazing Life with Regina Huber
Regina Huber has lived and led across five continents — from Germany and Spain to Brazil, Argentina, the U.S., and most recently across Africa. Her path…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeThe Aloha Reboot: Adaptive Resilience, Surrender, and Healing Twice with Savio P. Clemente
Savio P. Clemente helps leadership teams rebuild after disruption - when the crisis is over but performance hasn't fully recovered. After 2,000+ interviews…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeLegacy Over Ledgers: Why Your Bank Statement Reveals Your Values with Albert Butler
Albert Butler spent 25 years living hustle culture — until a 2 a.m. moment of joyless success finally broke him. Burned out, overweight, and disconnected from…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeJoy Is a Practice, Not a Personality
We've been sold a myth: that joy is something you're either born with or you're not. The "fun one." The "naturally happy one." The one with the sparklier…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeYour Body Already Knows: Nervous System Healing, Pleasure, and the Path Back to Yourself with Melanie Bonk
Melanie Bonk is a wife of 27+ years, mama of four, and the founder of Bonk Better. Blending neuroscience, nervous system regulation, embodied communication…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeLead from the Bottom of the Pyramid: Joy, Trust & the Leader's Hour with Dr. Andy Neillie
What does a rescued dog teach you about leadership? More than you'd expect. In this episode, I'm sitting down with Dr. Andy Neillie — business coach…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeYour Story Is the Strategy
There are two versions of a lot of us. The one the world sees - capable, driven, always showing up. And the one that comes home at night, trying to hold it all…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeThe Joy Blocker Nobody Talks About with Alena Candova
What if the nervous system regulation tools you've been using are just band-aids? In this episode, Rachel sits down with Dr. Alena Candova — chiropractor…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeThe Joy Blocker Nobody Talks About with Alena Candova
Guest: Alena Candova — Chiropractor, Neurocoach, and Author of Grace Over Grit Episode Description What if the reason you can't sustain joy isn't a mindset…
JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on PurposeRegulate, Rewire, and Be Seen: Nervous System Work for Women Entrepreneurs with Melissa Hoffman
What if the next version of you does not require more hustle? What if she requires more safety? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel sits down with…
- JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose
Playing at a Level 10: Awareness, Leadership, and the Power of Enough with Steve Barton
Send us Fan Mail What if the next level of leadership is not about pushing harder, doing more, or proving yourself again and again? What if it is about…
- JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose
Brainwash Yourself for Joy: The Power of Your First 30 Minutes
Send us Fan Mail What if the first few minutes after waking could change the way you experience your entire day? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel…
- JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose
Your Nervous System Is Choosing the Familiar, Not the Joyful with Anni Eza
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel sits down with Anni Eza, mental health expert, master healer, shadow priestess, teacher, and…
- JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose
Finding Your Cultural Catalyst: Leading Change from the Inside Out with Jaclyn Orent
Send us Fan Mail What does it actually mean to be the change — not just talk about it? In this episode, Rachel sits down with Jaclyn Orent, cultural catalyst…
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Joy Is the Strategy: A New Model for Joy-Led Leadership
Send us Fan Mail What if the goal was never to simply endure more? After starting with one of the hardest endurance races in the world, Rachel learned a truth…
- JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose
Relaxed Productivity: Angela Jamieson on Doing More of What Actually Matters
Send us Fan Mail What if productivity wasn’t about doing more… but about missing less of your life? In this insightful and refreshingly honest conversation…
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Joy Is the Strategy: The Science of Fun, Variety, and Feeling Alive
Send us Fan Mail What if joy isn’t something you wait for… but something you build? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel breaks down the science and…
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You’re Not Lost - You’re Becoming: Luna Westish on Identity, Curiosity, and Creative Courage
Send us Fan Mail What if the life you’re building isn’t about perfection… but about curiosity? In this deeply honest and expansive conversation, Rachel sits…
- JOY Unfiltered: Choose Joy on Purpose
Stress Is Rewiring You… So Is Joy
Send us Fan Mail What actually happens in your brain under stress… and how does joy help you recover? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel goes deep into…
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Your Nervous System Is Running the Show with Tiffany Toombs
Send us Fan Mail What if the thing holding you back… isn’t your strategy, your discipline, or your motivation? What if it’s your nervous system? In this…
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From Frazzled to Focused: Reclaim Your Time (for Real) with Alyssa Wolf
Send us Fan Mail Feeling overwhelmed, overbooked, and like there’s never enough time in the day? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel sits down with time…
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Collaboration Over Competition: The Science of Connection
Send us Fan Mail What if the fastest way forward… wasn’t doing more alone—but connecting more deeply with others? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel…
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Feeling Off? Your Nervous System Knows Why
Send us Fan Mail You’re tired… but it’s more than tired. You’re overwhelmed. You’re procrastinating simple things. You don’t feel like yourself anymore. In…
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Why You Want It… But Still Don’t Do It
Send us Fan Mail You want it. You know how to do it. So why aren’t you doing it? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel sits down with performance coach…
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The Science of Micro Joy (And Why You Need It Daily)
Send us Fan Mail What if joy isn’t something you wait for… but something you practice? In this episode of Joy Unfiltered, Rachel breaks down the science and…