This episode is part of Vic and Ryan's Go Coach Yourself! Summer Shorts Series: shorter episodes with off the cuff conversations, where they share a personal story, unpack it and then share their learnings.

In this Summer Short episode Ryan shares how his progression from bird watching to bird noticing sparked a ripple effect involving $624 of peanuts, a board game and more meaningful moments.

Spend the next 13 minutes with them to get a summer dose of Go Coach Yourself!

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, hosts Vic and Ryan discuss the concept of the emotional bank account, coined by Stephen Covey in 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People' and further explored by John and Julie Gottman.

The metaphor illustrates how trust in relationships is built through positive interactions (deposits) and can be diminished by negative ones (withdrawals). They emphasize the importance of everyday small acts of kindness and caution against behaviors that erode trust. The episode offers practical advice on maintaining healthy emotional bank accounts and the significance of sincere apologies in mending broken trust.

Trust: A Conversation about Connection Episode

The Loneliness Epidemic: Who Americans Spend Time With

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

Leaving a toxic job is hard. But leaving a great job? That’s a whole different kind of hard.

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, Vic and Ryan unpack the uncomfortable truth that sometimes, even good jobs aren’t right jobs. They share their own experiences of walking away from solid roles at Nike—not because of burnout, but because of quiet misalignment.

From the subtle signals your body sends, to the deeper questions about values, purpose, and authorship, this conversation dives into what it means to honor your evolving needs—especially when no one else sees the problem.

They also share powerful coaching questions, research-backed insights, and three practical tools to help you decide if it’s time to stay, shift, or move on.

In this episode:

• Why misalignment is harder to spot than burnout
• The six signs it might be time to leave (without a crisis)
• A reframe of loyalty and identity at work
• Why “fine” is dangerous
• Practical coaching questions to find clarity

References:

• Harvard Business Review: Six Signs It’s Time to Leave Your Job
• BetterUp: Meaning and Purpose at Work
• Psychology Today: Become the Author of Yourself

This links to the following episodes:

• Go Coach Yourself! - What if Quitting Isn’t Failure?
• Go Coach Yourself! - From Autopilot to Agency, Dorothy Chang on Living with Intention
• Go Coach Yourself! - What If You Had More Agency Than You Thought?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

How much agency do you have - and how are you using it?

In this episode of 'Go Coach Yourself,' certified coaches Ryan and Vic explore the concept of reclaiming your agency to create the life you desire.

They delve into the definitions of autonomy and agency, discuss the psychological theories that emphasize the importance of choice, and share personal stories and examples. They offer actionable tips like reframing your thoughts and practicing small acts of defiance. Listen in as they encourage you to recognize your choices and reclaim control in your lives.

Ask yourself - Where do I want to reclaim my agency this week?

References:

Deci and Ryan - Self-Determination Theory

Martin Seiligmen - Learned Helplessness

Harvard Business Review - The Power of Small Wins

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

This Episode Is About Quitting. Stay With Us.

We've all heard it: "Keep calm and carry on." But what if pushing through isn’t always the brave choice?

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, Ryan and Vic explore the cultural obsession with grit—and why staying isn’t always strength. They unpack the psychology of sunk cost fallacy, the fear of regret, and the identity crisis that quitting can spark. Then, they share personal stories of walking away from big dreams and how those decisions led to the lives they actually wanted.

You’ll hear about:

• Why we romanticize perseverance—and why that can hurt us
• The difference between quitting and choosing again
• Real-life examples of bold pivots that paid off
• Coaching tools to help you decide when it’s time to let go

Reflection prompts + journal questions included.

—

References:

• Psychology Today: Recognizing the sunk cost fallacy may help you cut your losses
• HBR: How Susceptible Are You to the Sunk Cost Fallacy?

This links to the following episodes:

• Go Coach Yourself: Why is "What Do You Want?" Such a Tough Question?

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

In this episode of 'Go Coach Yourself,' hosts Vic and Ryan discuss the power of believing that No is a complete sentence. Through personal stories and anecdotes, they delve into the reasons why we find it hard to say no without guilt or justification. The episode includes a discussion on the societal inclination to people-please, and gives practical tips on prioritizing yourself. At the end it concludes with a challenge to practice saying 'no' for seven days to foster self-care and intentional living.

Podcast Episodes Mentioned

Values

Why is 'What do you want?' so Hard to Answer?

Let's Talk About Our Boundaries

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, we do something a little different—and a lot more personal.

We each brought surprise questions the other hadn’t seen. No prep. No polish. Just curiosity. What unfolded? A conversation that deepened our connection, revealed things we hadn’t shared before, and reminded us how powerful it is to ask better questions.

Along the way, we explore:

• How a cinnamon chocolate chip cake led to a revelation about assumptions in long-term relationships
• The surprising science behind why we stop asking deep questions to those we know best
• A power outage, a peaceful plaza, and the small moment Ryan won’t forget
• The early influence of Motown, and why Whitney Houston still gets Vic dancing
• What it means to let go of a belief about success—and what opens up when we do
• Two podcast recs you’ll want to add to your queue (spoiler: they're both excellent)

We also share three practical tips for using questions to deepen your relationships—and a downloadable list of conversation starters to help you get going.

This one’s equal parts thoughtful and joyful. We hope it inspires you to pause, ask, and truly listen.

🔁 Try This: Ask one person in your life a question you’ve never asked them before. Start small. Be present. And just listen.

Tools:

• Our Question Collection – Curiosity-driven prompts to use with people in your life

References:

• Unprocessed by Lia Avellino – The raw and real podcast Vic loves
• Good Hang with Amy Poehler – Ryan’s latest podcast obsession
• It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask: Question-Asking Increases Liking | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
• When familiarity not novelty motivates information-seeking behaviour | Scientific Reports

This links to the following episodes:

• Go Coach Yourself! Mastering the Art of Asking Questions - Meaningful Conversations Series – For a deeper dive into the mechanics of powerful questions

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk

Is it possible that life doesn’t come with instructions... but with a studio?

In this episode of Go Coach Yourself!, Ryan and Vic explore how creative practices like watercolor, printmaking, mosaics, and ceramics hold powerful metaphors for self-discovery, meaningful connection, and living intentionally.

Whether you consider yourself “artistic” or not, this episode invites you to think differently about how you approach identity, values, and growth. Because every time you show up to create, you’re also showing up to life.

🧠 Topics we explore:

• What watercolor teaches us about patience and the discomfort of becoming
• How Japanese printmaking reflects values, alignment, and daily choices
• Why mosaics help us integrate sharp edges and discarded parts of our story
• What ceramics reveal about surrender, presence, and letting go
• The science behind creativity, neuroplasticity, and emotional health

This isn’t just about creativity. It’s about becoming.

Tools

• Creative Questions for Reflection

References:

• Drexel University: At Any Skill Level, Making Art Reduces Stress Hormones
• James Kaufman’s Four C Model of Creativity

Hosts:

Ryan Reichert-Estes, StackRise Coaching | LinkedIn | Insta: @stackrisecoaching

Vic Smith, WhistleSmith.co | LinkedIn | Insta: @vic_bk