Uncomfy: Sticking with Moments That Challenge Us

What do you do when the voice in your head tells you that you don’t belong? And how can you tell the difference between a real warning and fear holding you back?

Joshua Green joins host Julie Rose to talk about why our inner critic often gets loudest when we’re stretching beyond our comfort zones and how past criticism can shape the way we see ourselves. They also explore people pleasing, fear of failure, authenticity, building a support network, and the value of naming our fears instead of letting them make decisions for us.

Subscribe to Uncomfy for more honest conversations about the uncomfortable moments that can really teach us something.

ABOUT GUEST
Joshua Green is a keynote speaker, entertainer, and entrepreneur who helps people overcome imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and negative self-talk (https://joshuaowengreen.com).

CHAPTERS
(0:00) Own Your Uniqueness
(0:10) Welcome to Uncomfy
(0:47) Meet Joshua Green
(1:14) The Juggling Audition Panic
(4:21) Imposter Voice in the Room
(5:37) The Results
(6:38) Three Takeaways on Authenticity
(9:12) Using Self Doubt as a Barometer
(11:03) Free Diving and Real Risk
(12:46) Voice the Fear, Build Support
(15:19) Start Small
(16:34) Wrap Up and Credits
(17:35) New Show - Dispatches from the Divide

#ImposterSyndrome #SelfDoubt #NegativeSelfTalk #Confidence #Anxiety #PersonalGrowth #PeoplePleasing #SelfWorth #MentalHealth #UncomfyPodcast

As the country reflects on 25 years since 9/11, we’re revisiting this conversation about the lasting trauma first responders can carry long after an emergency is over.

Chris Fields spent 31 years with the Oklahoma City Fire Department. In 1995, he responded to the Oklahoma City bombing and became part of one of the tragedy’s most iconic images, carrying three-month-old Baylee Almon from the wreckage. Years later, after cumulative trauma and PTSD began to take a toll, Fields had to confront what it meant to ask for help.

Chris joins host Julie Rose to talk about the pressure first responders feel to stay strong, the cost of burying painful experiences, and how vulnerability and treatment helped him begin to heal.

Resources mentioned:
Trauma Behind the Badge - https://www.traumabehindthebadge.us/
Survive First - https://www.survivefirst.us/
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US) - Call or text 988

Original airdate: July 9, 2025

CHAPTERS
(0:00) Introduction
(0:47) Meet Chris Fields: A Firefighter's Journey
(4:59) The 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing
(6:34) The Iconic Photo
(8:52) The Long Road to Healing
(12:19) Helping Others Through Trauma
(17:16) Oklahoma First Responders Wellness Division
(19:06) Resources and Final Thoughts

What happens when the thing you’ve spent years hiding is suddenly impossible to hide?

Aneela Idnani spent decades concealing trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling disorder). She joins host Julie Rose to talk about shame, self-compassion, and the unexpected moment that helped her see her struggle differently.

ABOUT GUEST
Aneela Idnani is the co-founder of HabitAware, maker of the Keen bracelet—a wearable designed to help people notice and interrupt body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs)—and author of the memoir “Aneela, Where Are Your Eyebrows?”

More about HabitAware and the Keen bracelet – https://habitaware.com/
Check out the book – https://a.co/d/06VfcVFj

CHAPTERS
(0:00) Intro
(1:09) Aneela’s Secret Revealed
(3:47) Hiding and Shame
(5:01) How Pulling Started
(7:35) Life Choices and Anxiety
(8:58) Finding the Diagnosis
(11:11) Therapy and Turning Point
(12:50) A Helpful Invention
(15:42) Community and Self Compassion
(17:01) Wrap Up

Months after the 9/11 attacks, New Yorkers were deeply divided over what should become of Ground Zero.

Carolyn Lukensmeyer brought nearly 5,000 of them into one room to find a way forward. She joins host Julie Rose to share what happened when people with grief, money, and competing visions at stake tried to truly listen to each other.

ABOUT GUEST
Carolyn Lukensmeyer is the founder of AmericaSpeaks. Her work is featured in the new documentary “9/11: Reclaiming Ground Zero,” streaming now.

Amazon Prime - https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0H967BL44
Apple - https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/911-reclaiming-ground-zero/umc.cmc.4qgdl58od8p41hs5kl42er4g2

Be sure to also check out “The Untold Story of How America Remembers 9/11,” a special two-part series over on the Top of Mind podcast feed. - https://lnkfi.re/TopofMind

CHAPTERS
(0:00) Introduction
(0:49) Meet Carolyn Lukensmeyer
(3:32) Stakes and Stakeholders
(5:43) Listening to the City
(7:45) Officials Start Over
(9:34) How the Setup Worked
(13:11) What Changed at Ground Zero
(15:52) Future of Democracy Tools
(18:05) Conclusion

What happens when pushing through is no longer enough?

Scott Martin survived a life-threatening illness that cost him both hands and parts of his feet, then fought to return to the soccer field. But the emotional recovery took much longer. He joins host Julie Rose to talk about disability, identity, and what it means to stop pretending you’re fine.

ABOUT GUEST
Scott Martin is an award-winning soccer coach and author of “Play From Your Heart: A Journey Through Loss, Resilience, and the Beautiful Game” (https://a.co/d/07XYwtuZ).

CHAPTERS
(0:00) Introduction
(0:42) Meet Scott Martin
(1:05) The Horrifying Encounter
(1:55) Sudden Illness Strikes
(2:55) Waking Up to Amputation
(4:49) Rehab Like an Athlete
(6:56) Learning Prosthetic Control
(8:40) Faking It and Fear
(9:50) Confidence Cracks
(11:24) Rock Bottom
(12:27) Rebuilding from Scratch
(14:37) Return to Coaching and Belonging
(16:13) Owning Identity and Purpose
(18:03) Conclusion