Gratitude Through Hard Times

"Work-life balance isn't a thing... it's about work-life harmony." In a world obsessed with digital efficiency and quick fixes, the real currency of a meaningful life remains independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, host Chris Schembra sits down with Ayla Nova, founder of Yoga Nidra & Beyond and creator of The Peace in Rest Program. From navigating life-altering health crises and traumatic brain injuries to guiding listeners worldwide toward restorative sleep and mental clarity, Ayla breaks down the science, psychology, and spiritual practice of non-sleep deep rest (NSDR). She shares key lessons on managing internal tension, unlearning limiting beliefs, and using intentional stillness to unlock human intuition and creative genius.

 

10 Memorable Quotes:

"Surrender to something bigger than yourself, lean into discipline to do positive work for our world, and you'll have the power to make the world a better place tomorrow." — Chris Schembra

"Discipline is a ring on the door... when you show up for yourself in that way, then the opportunities start knocking." — Ayla Nova

"We get so busy in the doing that we forget that the answer is being." — Ayla Nova

"Yoga Nidra is true surrender, but it's also a practice for integrating your reality so that you can bring it out into the world when you're complete." — Ayla Nova

"The present moment is flawless." — Ayla Nova

"When you're being honest with yourself, where do you feel the tension in your body? And what would be the opposite of that experience?" — Ayla Nova

"If AI helps you stand and run fast, and meditation helps you sit with your thoughts, Yoga Nidra is done laying down on the floor." — Chris Schembra

"A leader's act of self-care means to be regulated from a capacity standpoint yourself so that then you can pour that capacity positively into others." — Chris Schembra

"Learning is not differentiated... the hard thing that requires discipline is the unlearning part that comes from surrender." — Chris Schembra

"Gratitude doesn't change your circumstances; it changes your capacity to carry them." — Chris Schembra

10 Key Takeaways:

The Healing Power of Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR): How Ayla used Yoga Nidra to heal and rebuild her life through severe health crises, loss of mobility, and a traumatic brain injury.

Navigating the Tension of Opposites: Learning to hold space for contrasting internal states—such as uncertainty and trust—to discover a grounded middle path.

Unlocking Intuition over Artificial Logic: Accessing Vijnanamaya Kosha (the inner wisdom body) through intentional rest to make creative decisions from intuition rather than forced analytical logic.

Shifting from Reactive to Responsive Leadership: Regulating the nervous system to cultivate essential leadership traits: discernment, patience, clarity, and acceptance.

Broadening the Cognitive Periphery: Stepping back from narrow, task-oriented focus to view broader data points, connect disparate ideas, and make wiser long-term strategic choices.

The Metaphor of the Ground and Surrender: Using Savasana (corpse pose) to quiet the ego, let go of performative busyness, and reconnect with fundamental human truth.

Reallocating Time with "Einstein Time": Overcoming the illusion of calendar scarcity by being fully present in current moments, effectively creating expansive time elsewhere.

Integrative Mental Health Practices: Moving beyond passive escapism and digital input to engage in conscious rest that processes stored emotional tension.

The Power of "Unlearning": Recognizing that modern growth requires unlearning old mental models through stillness before relearning new frameworks.

Daily Discipline as Self-Trust: Embracing consistency and structured self-care routines to build deep internal trust and model integrity for others.

About our Guest: Ayla Nova is a trauma-informed Yoga Nidra guide, teacher trainer, and the founder of Yoga Nidra & Beyond, a global platform for Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) that reaches listeners each week through her podcast, YouTube channel, and the Nova Nidra Community. Her work centers on the conviction that awareness is the key to remapping the mind and that deep rest is the doorway to nervous-system regulation, emotional healing, and radical self-acceptance. Through her signature Peace in Rest Program and 2026 Teacher Training, she certifies the next generation of Yoga Nidra guides.

Ayla began her yoga journey in 2011 and earned her 200-hour yoga teacher certification in 2015 at Shri Kali Ashram in Goa, India, followed by trainings in Ashtanga and Kaula Tantra. In 2018, when diagnosed with a rare form of biphenotypic leukemia, she turned inward, making Yoga Nidra her therapy. She trained with the School of Sankalpa and in Integrative Restoration (iRest) with certified yoga therapist Barbara Eastham, and she is a lifetime Vedic Meditation practitioner. Today, Ayla lives and teaches in Calgary, Alberta, where her sessions are known for their trauma-sensitive framing, seasonal and archetypal themes, and sanctuary-like voice, guided by her refrain: rest well, be well.

In a hyper-connected world filled with constant noise, notifications, and performance, we often travel just to capture the photo rather than live the moment. But what happens when true luxury isn't about being seen—it's about the privilege of disappearing?

In this profound episode, Chris Schembra sits down with Nicolas Peluffo, CEO of Awasi Lodges. With over two decades of experience across hospitality, real estate, and finance, Nicolas explores how Awasi’s carbon-neutral, Relais & Châteaux lodges in South America—from Patagonia and the Atacama Desert to Iguazú and Santa Catarina—provide the setting for guests to disconnect, surrender control, and reconnect with intrinsic human awe. 

Together, they discuss why time and space are the ultimate modern luxuries, how unscripted nature lowers cortisol and restores genius-level creativity, why hiring for attitude over aptitude is the secret to true hospitality, and how surrendering to the present moment unlocks our deepest clarity.

 

10 Memorable Quotes

"You come to experience something unique, right? To be in awe. And that's the reason that makes you get there." — Nicolas Peluffo

"A normal hospitality company says, 'We're your home away from home.' The way we approach it is: this is your best friend's home." — Nicolas Peluffo

"We're hit by way too many distractions—noise, people, email, text... that makes it increasingly difficult for anyone to be human." — Nicolas Peluffo

"We all need that connection with nature. We all need that disconnection from the noise and the things that are unimportant." — Nicolas Peluffo

"We're not built to be in a seat, on a sofa, definitely not in a shopping mall." — Nicolas Peluffo

"When looking for attitude versus aptitude, attitude always prevails. It's very difficult to teach someone to smile, but it's pretty easy to teach someone to use Excel." — Nicolas Peluffo

"Smile, not because you were told to smile. Smile because this is what you were meant to do." — Nicolas Peluffo

"Hospitality is unlike any other customer experience. I don't think any other business has the same level of vulnerability and surrender both ways." — Nicolas Peluffo

"Surrendering for me is letting go of all those constraints that the world told us—that we need to be better, faster, cheaper." — Nicolas Peluffo

"Forcing things into existence is not the best way of going about things... Flow happens when you surrender." — Nicolas Peluffo

 

10 Key Takeaways

The Privilege of Disappearing: In an overstimulated society, true well-being comes from reaching places where you can become unreachable and step away from constant noise.

Hyper-Customized Hospitality: Exceptional experiences are built around individual human pacing ("your pace, your space") with dedicated guides and private vehicles rather than rigid group itineraries.

Space for Cognitive Genius: Slowing down in nature allows the brain to process internal insights, creating the mental space needed for breakthrough creativity and innovation.

The Neurobiology of Awe: Immersing oneself in vast natural landscapes reduces cortisol, lowers inflammation, and shifts focus away from big egos toward prosocial connection.

Unstaged and Unscripted Moments: Authentic human experiences cannot be transactional or manufactured; they flourish in unscripted interactions with nature and local cultures.

Hiring for Heart and Energy: True hospitality cannot be scripted; organizations must hire people with an innate inclination to serve, prioritize attitude over skills, and cultivate genuine presence.

The Power of the Smile: Emotional energy is transmitted instantly—even through a phone call—making authentic warmth and positive energy essential for meaningful human connection.

The Vulnerability of Hospitality: Creating transformative experiences requires mutual trust and vulnerability between host and guest as people share meals, stories, and life moments.

Surrender Before Power: Letting go of the need to control every outcome opens up flow, presence, and deeper alignment both in leadership and in personal life.

Living Intrinsically vs. Extrinsically: Shifting from external validation (like social media approval) to intrinsic presence transforms a brief transaction into a lifelong memory.

 

About Our Guest

Nicolas Peluffo is the Chief Executive Officer of Awasi Lodges, a collection of carbon-neutral luxury lodges and Relais & Châteaux member set in South America’s most remote corners—including the Atacama Desert, Torres del Paine, Iguazú, and Santa Catarina. Bringing over 23 years of experience across hospitality, real estate, finance, and technology, Nicolas previously served as Founder and CEO of TRVLR and spent nearly seven years at Awasi's Santa Catarina property (formerly Ponta dos Ganchos) rising to General Manager. He served as President and Co-Founder of the Brazilian Luxury Travel Association (BLTA) and sat on the Board of Directors of Relais & Châteaux as Delegate for South America. A graduate of Harvard Business School's OPM program with certifications from Cornell University, Nicolas resides in Santa Barbara, California, leading Awasi’s conviction that time and space are the greatest of privileges. Learn more at awasiexperience.com.

We often think of groundbreaking innovation in terms of technology, spreadsheets, and complex engineering. But what happens when humanity's most ambitious moonshots—literally reaching for the stars and returning to the moon—depend entirely on the subtle, daily interactions of human connection and moral courage?

In this powerful episode, Chris Schembra sits down with Janet Grondin, CEO of Stellar Solutions and former U.S. Air Force Colonel. 

Janet shares her journey from a small town in Iowa to directing teams of top engineers and advisors on humanity’s most critical space and defense missions, including NASA's Artemis program. Together, they explore the tragedy that shaped her childhood, how to lead with moral courage through delayed gratification, why true leadership means helping every employee find their "dream job," and why human vision—not AI—will always be the ultimate driver of high-ground innovation.

 

10 Memorable Quotes

"You won't survive in our business if you don't work hard and have a solid ethical foundation." — Janet Grondin

"When you do see someone who could use a hand, reach out and take action. Don't walk by that problem." — Janet Grondin

"For you to operate maritime, terrestrial forces, really hold your nation secure, you do need the high ground of space." — Janet Grondin

"Processes don't build systems. Paper doesn't build systems... People build systems. People have visions." — Janet Grondin

"Very subtle, small human interactions can have outsized impact on the mission." — Janet Grondin

"If leadership is lonely, you’re doing it wrong." — Janet Grondin

"Mission success is paramount. People are paramount." — Janet Grondin

"The connection is through the question, and then you have to be ready for the answer because it's not always the answer you want." — Janet Grondin

"AI is not going to put those together and go, 'Hey, we should build a spaceship... to create diamonds and silicon.' Humans do that." — Janet Grondin

"The work is done by people. And without people, I don't care what you're building, you're not gonna build much without people." — Janet Grondin

 

10 Key Takeaways

The Ethical Foundation: High-stakes leadership requires an unshakeable ethical foundation and a commitment to leaving every environment better than you found it.

Taking Action over Bystander Mindset: Real leadership means taking immediate action when you spot someone in need or identify a flaw in a critical system.

The High Ground Advantage: Long-term security, communication, and economic innovation depend on securing and developing the "high ground" of low Earth orbit and lunar bases.

Humans Build Systems, Not Spreadsheets: Technology and processes are just tools; the human connection between designers, builders, and leaders is the true "secret sauce" of complex mission success.

Psychological Safety in Engineering: High-performing cultures require enough trust and moral courage for team members to raise flags when something isn't right without fear of dismissal.

The "Dream Job" Culture: Regularly asking employees "Are you in your dream job?" builds deep alignment and ensures the company evolves in the direction of its people.

Combating Productivity Paradoxes: Instead of letting efficiency gains get swallowed by routine administrative busywork, leaders must intentionally protect space for collaboration and connection.

Intentional Community Building: Distributed and remote teams require intentional, high-touch connection points, from monthly one-on-ones to biannual retreats and collaborative strategy sessions.

Human Vision vs. AI Execution: While AI excels at data sifting and routine tasks, original genius, cross-domain breakthroughs, and visionary courage remain uniquely human.

Redefining Impact and Boundaries: True growth comes from recognizing you are a small, vital part of something much bigger than yourself—and expanding your sights beyond terrestrial boundaries.

About Our Guest

Janet Grondin is the Chief Executive Officer of Stellar Solutions, Inc., a woman-owned aerospace engineering services firm and Malcolm Baldrige Award winner serving intelligence, defense, civil, commercial, and international customers. Janet’s career spans three decades across the U.S. Air Force—where she retired as a Colonel—Fortune 500 defense contractor Northrop Grumman, and now Stellar Solutions. Winner of the 2022 Women in Aerospace Leadership Award, she serves as Chair of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Space Division. Janet holds a B.S. magna cum laude in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and master’s degrees from AFIT, the Air War College, and the Air Command and Staff College. She resides in Reston, Virginia with her husband Pat. Learn more at stellarsolutions.com.

"Work-life balance isn't a thing... it's about work-life harmony." In a world obsessed with digital efficiency and quick fixes, the real currency of a meaningful life remains independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Paul Mersino, President and CEO of Butzel, breaks down why true leadership requires excellence, mentorship, and continuous improvement. From starting as a young student guided by a transformative professor to steering a historic law firm as it approaches its 175th anniversary, Paul shares key lessons on leading with heart, embracing work-life harmony, and surrounding yourself with a team that pushes you to aggregate daily marginal gains.

 

10 Memorable Quotes:

"If you could do everything just 1% better... and you aggregate up all of those little marginal gains, think of how much further you're going to be ahead."

"You are who you are when nobody is watching. And that's integrity."

"Iron sharpens iron, and steel sharpens steel."

"If people turned off cable news and social media and looked next door at their neighbors, they'd realize the world is actually a pretty good place."

"Work-life balance isn't a thing... it's about work-life harmony."

"Moving fast isn't necessarily a threat or too big of a risk—you either get it right fast or find out sooner so you can adjust."

"History's innovation is just history repeating itself looking different."

"You can be a zealous advocate and a zealous competitor and still do it professionally like a gentleman or a lady."

"Inspecting excellence is about focusing less on what's going wrong and elevating more of what's going right."

"Gratitude doesn't change your circumstances; it changes your capacity to carry them."

10 Key Takeaways:

The Life-Changing Power of Mentorship: How a dedicated professor founding a mock trial team sparked a passion that launched a multi-decade career in law.

Inspecting Excellence and Marginal Gains: Focusing on daily 1% improvements across all operations to create compounding, unstoppable progress over time.

The "PR Problem" of Human Kindness: Recognizing that real-world kindness hasn't declined—our perception of it has been distorted by negative media cycles.

Embracing Work-Life Harmony: Moving past the rigid trade-offs of "work-life balance" to build a synergistic lifestyle where professional passion and personal fulfillment energize each other.

Radical Candor and Psychological Safety: Cultivating a team culture so tight and trusting that colleagues can give direct, honest feedback without destroying relationships.

Combatting AI Isolation with Connection: Addressing employee anxiety around AI by intentionally using saved time for deeper mentorship, cross-functional collaboration, and human presence.

Respectful Dissonance and Tactical Empathy: Setting ego aside in high-stakes negotiations and trial advocacy to find common ground and convert adversaries into friends.

Honoring Legacy Through Shared History: Building firm culture by constantly communicating history, values, and traditions across generations and remote offices.

The 3 Pillars of Trustworthy Communication: Over-communicating openly, speaking candidly, and actively soliciting feedback to continuously grow.

Leading with Integrity: Embracing the mindset that true professional success is defined by how you act when no one is watching.

 

About our Guest: Paul M. Mersino is the President and CEO of Butzel, one of the oldest and most respected law firms in the United States, currently celebrating its 170th anniversary and approaching its 175th. Appointed to the CEO role in March 2023, he sits on the firm's Board of Directors and previously served as Chair of Butzel's Litigation Practice Department, overseeing the firm's commercial litigation attorneys and strategic growth.

A commercial litigator by trade with nearly two decades of experience, Paul handles complex commercial litigation and "bet-the-company" matters spanning contract disputes, trade secrets, automotive supplier disputes, construction, and First Amendment litigation. He is admitted to practice before every level of Michigan state court, multiple U.S. District and Circuit Courts, and the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition to advising and sitting on the boards of several startup companies to help them navigate early-stage legal needs, Paul serves as a Trustee of the Butzel Charitable Trust and sits on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Regional Chamber.

His leadership has earned him extensive recognition, including DBusiness magazine's Detroit 500, Crain's Detroit Business "Who's Who" and "40 Under 40," Michigan Lawyers Weekly's "Up and Coming Lawyers," a Detroit Business "30s in Their 30s" honoree, and a Michigan Super Lawyer. Paul holds a B.B.A. from Northwood University (2005) and earned his J.D. magna cum laude from Ave Maria School of Law (2008), where he served on Law Review and won a state moot court championship. Beyond his practice, he is deeply committed to community service, youth sports coaching, and his most cherished role as a dedicated husband and father.

"I don't live well in the box because the box is not made for entrepreneurs." In a world obsessed with digital efficiency and quick fixes, the real currency of a meaningful life remains independent thought, presence, and intentional effort.

In this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times, Colleen Joyce, CEO of Lawyer.com, breaks down why community is the new competition and how proactive resilience drives real growth. From starting in a green, part-time role to rising to CEO, Colleen shares key lessons from her mentor Gerry Gorman on leading with heart, leaning into an unstructured life, and surrounding yourself with people who challenge you to build something bigger than yourself.

10 Memorable Quotes:

"I don't live well in the box because the box is not made for entrepreneurs."

"In the world, a lot of luck matters."

"Community is the new competition."

"We suffer more in imagination than in reality."

"You can't connect the dots looking forward, but you can only connect the dots looking backwards."

"I lead with love, and it's kind of weird to say that in a business setting, but I truly care."

"I'd rather have a small piece of a big pie than a big piece of a small pie."

"There's no value in what's been said. There's only value in what's been unsaid."

"Wisdom can't just be taught. It must be earned by getting through hard times."

"Progress over perfection."

 

10 Key Takeaways:

Betting on the Non-Linear Path: How saying "yes" to a part-time opportunity without a traditional corporate roadmap opened the door to building an eight-figure powerhouse.

Inquisitive Empathy and Radical Candor: Balancing deep care for team members with the accountability needed to deliver direct, honest performance feedback.

Competition as Collaboration: Embracing aspirational competitors, learning from industry adversaries, and bringing competing voices together to elevate the entire ecosystem.

The "Give Maxing" Philosophy: Countering isolation and hardship by gathering people, asking thoughtful questions, and actively extending gratitude.

The Trap of Jevons Paradox: Recognizing that time saved by AI tools often gets swallowed by routine busyness unless leaders intentionally reallocate it toward human connection.

Unlocking Untapped Potential: Pushing past comfortable boundaries to help team members tap into their unsaid thoughts and internal genius.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Accepting that leading through rapid industry changes requires living in the present while continuously learning as technology evolves.

Surrendering Control to Foster Growth: Giving up micro-management to allow team members the freedom to make mistakes, learn, and step into leadership roles.

The Power of Intentional Disconnection: Practicing small daily habits—like stepping away from digital devices—to remain fully present for family and community.

Abundance Mindset vs. Scarcity: Rejecting the idea that success is a zero-sum game, choosing instead to build partnerships that lift all participants faster.

About our Guest:

Colleen Joyce is the CEO of Lawyer.com, the #1 U.S. lawyer matching service and online legal directory. Over the past decade, she has helped transform Lawyer.com from a simple concept into an eight-figure legal powerhouse, growing the company's revenue by more than 20% in 2024 alone. She rose to the CEO seat by way of Senior Vice President of Lawyer Services and then President, and today leads the strategy, technology, and partnerships that connect consumers with qualified attorneys across every practice area and jurisdiction in the country.

Colleen is also the Co-Founder of the Lawyer Growth Summit, a national conference that brings attorneys, legal technologists, and industry thought leaders together to share the strategies driving real growth in modern law firms. She is a sought-after keynote speaker, mentor, and podcast host, and her leadership has been featured in Authority Magazine's "Female Disruptors" and "Leading with Heart" series and recognized by Marquis Who's Who. Before her legal-industry career, she served as Director of Marketing and Publicity at PopStar.com (a subsidiary of World Media Group), producing celebrity content for a global audience and covering red carpets, press junkets, and awards shows.

Colleen holds a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences from the University of Illinois, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and describes herself first and foremost as a proud mama. Her guiding mantra: progress over perfection.