When Parenthood Doesn’t Follow the Script

Surrogacy is often discussed in fragments—medical steps, legal processes, emotional questions—but rarely in its full human complexity. In this conversation on Unconventional Life, Jules Schroeder sits down with Tia Calderon of Joy of Life Surrogacy to unpack what it actually means to build a family through surrogacy: the logistics, yes, but more importantly, the emotional landscape that both intended parents and surrogates must navigate.

What emerges is a deeper truth: surrogacy is not a transaction or shortcut. It is a highly relational, deeply human journey shaped by trust, patience, and a willingness to surrender control.

“How Am I Making My Baby?” — The Real Starting Point

For intended parents, the process doesn’t begin with matching a surrogate. It begins with uncertainty.

Tia breaks down how early-stage fertility decisions quickly become overwhelming:

• Do we use our own embryos?

• Do we need an egg or sperm donor?

• What IVF clinic do we trust?

• What testing is required before anything even begins?

At Joy of Life, the role of an agency is not just matchmaking. It is navigation.

The first real question becomes simple but profound: How am I making my baby?

And from there, the journey unfolds step by step—never fast, never linear, and never as predictable as people expect.

Grit, Not Speed: What Surrogacy Actually Demands

One of the strongest themes in the conversation is time.

Surrogacy is often imagined as a near-instant solution once a decision is made. Tia corrects that assumption directly.

The reality includes:

• Medical screening and psychological evaluation

• Legal contracts and protections

• Matching with the right intended parents or surrogate

• IVF preparation and embryo transfer cycles

• Emotional waiting periods with no guarantees

For surrogates especially, Tia emphasizes that patience is non-negotiable.

“You’re not going to get matched and immediately get pregnant.”

The process requires emotional steadiness, realistic expectations, and what she calls grit—the ability to stay committed through uncertainty.

From Preschool Classrooms to Surrogacy Deliveries

Tia’s path into this work wasn’t linear either.

Before joining Joy of Life Surrogacy, she spent 18 years as a preschool teacher. Her entry point into surrogacy began with something deeply personal: she considered becoming a surrogate for her sister-in-law.

That plan shifted, but the calling didn’t.

With three healthy pregnancies behind her, she chose to become a surrogate for a couple from France. That experience became a turning point.

What stayed with her wasn’t just the pregnancy—it was the moment of separation and reunion:

Watching intended parents hold their baby for the first time.

“It was insane. Beautiful.”

That moment reframed everything for her and eventually pulled her fully into the surrogacy world.

The Origin of Joy of Life: A System Built on Presence

Joy of Life Surrogacy itself was born from a moment of emotional rupture.

Founder Joy worked inside fertility clinics, supporting families through IVF processes. But one experience changed her trajectory forever.

A surrogate had just delivered via C-section. The intended parents left the hospital with their baby. The surrogate remained behind—alone, recovering, emotionally unanchored.

No support. No presence. No one to walk her through the aftermath of one of the most intense experiences of her life.

That image stayed with Joy.

And it became the foundation for the agency’s philosophy:

• Be present at appointments

• Support both surrogate and intended parents

• Never leave anyone alone in the most vulnerable moments

• Offer 24/7 support through the entire journey

Joy of Life wasn’t built to coordinate surrogacy. It was built to humanize it.

The Question Everyone Asks: “Do Surrogates Get Attached?”

Tia identifies this as the most common concern from prospective surrogates.

Her answer is grounded, not theoretical.

Yes—attachment happens. But it is not the same kind of attachment as motherhood.

The distinction lies in intention and identity.

Surrogates know from the beginning that:

• The baby is not theirs

• They are caregivers, not parents

• Their role is temporary but meaningful

Tia compares it to her years as a preschool teacher. She loved the children deeply. She cared for them. But the attachment never blurred into ownership.

The same principle applies here—love without possession.

And for her, witnessing intended parents finally hold their child reframes the entire experience as something profoundly fulfilling rather than emotionally conflicting.

The Emotional Layer No One Talks About

On the other side of the equation, intended parents carry their own emotional weight.

Often, they arrive at surrogacy after:

• Years of infertility struggles

• Failed IVF cycles

• Emotional exhaustion and grief

• Financial strain and uncertainty

Tia doesn’t minimize this. She names it directly.

There is grief not only for what hasn’t happened—but for the life they thought they would have.

This is where mental health support becomes essential.

Joy of Life partners with specialists and builds support systems designed to hold both sides of the journey—because emotional resilience is not optional in this process.

It is foundational.

Science, Faith, and the Space Between

A recurring tension in modern fertility conversations is the relationship between science and spirituality.

Tia approaches it without conflict.

Science creates possibility: IVF, embryo creation, and medical intervention now make parenthood accessible in ways that were not possible before.

But she also acknowledges a limit:

Even with all the technology, outcomes are not guaranteed.

There is still something unpredictable, something beyond control.

For many families, this is where faith enters—not as opposition to science, but as its counterpart.

Not everything can be engineered. Some things must still be surrendered.

What Most People Don’t Understand About Surrogacy

When asked what people consistently underestimate, Tia is direct.

First: timing.

Nothing happens quickly. Every stage takes longer than expected.

Second: emotional unpredictability.

Both surrogates and intended parents must learn to adapt as circumstances shift.

Third: the importance of choosing the right support system.

Surrogacy is not something to navigate alone. The agency, medical team, and emotional support structure matter as much as the medical process itself.

And finally: alignment.

Matching is not just logistical. It is deeply relational.

Values, expectations, communication styles, and emotional boundaries all matter.

Tia compares it to choosing a life partner in terms of importance.

Rapid Fire Reflections

Tia closes with a few personal glimpses that reveal the simplicity behind her grounded presence:

• She has given birth eight times, including surrogacies and her own children

• Her daily success habit is making her bed

• She has traveled to Germany and considers it a favorite memory

• To her, an unconventional life means confidence—especially showing up fully even when self-doubt is present

Final Takeaway

Surrogacy, as described in this conversation, is not defined by medical procedures or legal frameworks. It is defined by relationships.

Between strangers who become connected through trust. Between uncertainty and hope. Between loss and possibility.

What Joy of Life Surrogacy represents is not just a pathway to parenthood—it is a reminder that even the most complex journeys still rely on something deeply simple:

People showing up for each other.

And in that sense, parenthood—no matter how it begins—is always built the same way.

Connect with Joy of Life:

• Website: https://joyoflife.com/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoyofLife2017

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyoflifesurrogacy/?hl=en

• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joyoflifesurrogacy

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@joyoflifesurrogacy9451

For years, Dani Conway heard the same response from doctors.

Her lab work looked normal.

The problem was, she didn’t feel normal.

Despite being young and active, she struggled with symptoms that left her feeling disconnected from her own body. Fatigue, health challenges, and unanswered questions became part of her daily reality. Like many women, she found herself caught in a healthcare system that could identify disease but often struggled to explain why someone felt unwell.

Instead of accepting that answer, Conway began asking different questions.

That decision would ultimately change the course of her life.

Today, she is a leading Functional Nutritionist helping women uncover the root causes behind hormone imbalances, digestive dysfunction, stubborn weight gain, and chronic fatigue. Through her programs, The Weight Loss Accelerator and The Wellness Collective, she has spent nearly two decades helping women reclaim their health by addressing what conventional approaches often overlook.

The Search for Answers Became a Calling

Many successful businesses begin with personal pain.

For Conway, her professional expertise was born from necessity.

Unable to find lasting solutions through traditional avenues, she immersed herself in the world of functional nutrition, advanced testing, metabolic health, and personalized wellness. What started as a quest to heal herself evolved into a mission to help others navigate similar challenges.

The deeper she studied, the more she realized that symptoms rarely exist in isolation.

A woman struggling with weight gain may also be dealing with hormone disruption. Hormone disruption may be connected to digestive dysfunction. Digestive issues may be influenced by chronic stress and poor detoxification pathways.

Everything is connected.

That philosophy became the foundation of her work.

Beyond Weight Loss: The Real Goal Is Vitality

Weight loss is often the reason women first seek help.

Conway doesn’t dismiss that.

Instead, she reframes it.

Many women arrive wanting to fit into old jeans or feel more confident in their bodies. Yet as they progress through the healing process, something shifts. The conversation becomes less about the number on the scale and more about energy, confidence, strength, longevity, and quality of life.

For Conway, sustainable weight loss is rarely the primary objective.

It is often the natural outcome of a body functioning as it was designed to.

This distinction has become increasingly important in a wellness industry dominated by quick fixes, restrictive diets, and temporary solutions.

The Gut-Hormone Connection Most People Miss

One of the most powerful insights Conway shares is that hormones are rarely the whole story.

When women experience symptoms associated with hormone imbalance, the instinct is often to focus exclusively on hormones themselves. Yet Conway encourages a broader perspective.

The digestive system, detoxification pathways, nervous system, and metabolic health all influence hormonal balance.

Bloating, constipation, digestive discomfort, and poor elimination may seem unrelated to hormone health, but they often play a significant role in how hormones are processed and cleared from the body.

Addressing these foundational systems can create ripple effects throughout overall health.

It’s a reminder that true wellness isn’t about treating isolated symptoms. It’s about understanding the interconnected systems that drive them.

Test, Don’t Guess

In an era driven by wellness trends, Conway’s approach stands apart.

Rather than recommending the latest popular protocol, she advocates for personalization.

Whether discussing keto, carnivore, intermittent fasting, supplements, or exercise strategies, her message remains consistent: what works for one person may not work for another.

The solution isn’t following trends.

The solution is gathering data.

Through advanced testing and individualized assessments, Conway helps clients understand what’s happening beneath the surface. Instead of relying on assumptions, they can make informed decisions based on their unique biology.

It’s a philosophy that reflects the broader evolution of healthcare itself—moving away from generalized recommendations and toward precision wellness.

Healing Requires More Than Nutrition

While nutrition serves as the cornerstone of Conway’s work, she believes true healing extends beyond food.

Stress, nervous system regulation, recovery, and daily habits all influence health outcomes.

Simple practices like breathwork, lymphatic support, sauna use, and restorative routines often become powerful tools in helping the body move from survival mode into healing mode.

For women balancing careers, families, businesses, and endless responsibilities, this lesson can be transformative.

Health isn’t created solely through discipline.

It’s also created through recovery.

Defining Success on Her Own Terms

The title of the podcast is Unconventional Life, and Conway’s journey embodies that spirit.

Rather than accepting conventional answers, she created her own path.

Rather than treating symptoms, she pursued root causes.

Rather than building a business around trends, she built one around lasting transformation.

Today, she helps women rewrite the narrative around aging and wellness. Her work challenges the belief that fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and declining vitality are inevitable parts of getting older.

Instead, she offers a different possibility:

That women can feel stronger, healthier, and more vibrant in midlife than they did decades earlier.

And for many of her clients, that’s exactly what happens.

The Giveaway

Dani is giving one lucky winner a complimentary month inside The Wellness Collective, her private membership community for women seeking better energy, hormone balance, metabolism, and overall wellness.

Inside, you’ll gain access to weekly live trainings, expert guidance, Q&A sessions, and an incredible community of women committed to taking ownership of their health.

If you’ve ever wished you could have a trusted nutrition and hormone expert just a message away, this is your chance.

Connect Dani:

• The Wellness Collective: https://nutritionthenaturalway.com/

• Midlife Metabolism Guide: https://go.nutritionthenaturalway.com/hhh

• Instagram: @daniconwayofficial

• The Weight Loss Accelerator: Drop the Weight, Shred the Fat

In a world where children are growing up surrounded by constant stimulation, social pressure, and rising levels of anxiety, Mariana Gordon and Sondra Bakinde believe one thing is missing from the conversation: emotional literacy.

As co-founders of Mindful Mantis and authors of The Meditating Mantis, the two homeschooling mothers are on a mission to help children develop the tools many adults spend decades learning—self-awareness, resilience, mindfulness, and emotional regulation.

What began as a desire to better support their own families has evolved into a movement dedicated to helping children navigate life with greater confidence, clarity, and inner peace.

From Personal Healing to Collective Impact

Neither Mariana nor Sondra set out to build a wellness company.

Their journey began through personal experiences that revealed a deeper need. For Mariana, years spent working alongside children, therapists, and educators exposed a recurring challenge: many children were struggling emotionally, yet few were being taught practical tools to understand and process their feelings.

At the same time, Mariana found herself navigating her own season of stress, burnout, and loss. After experiencing infertility challenges and a miscarriage, she began exploring alternative healing practices including breathwork, sound healing, acupuncture, energy work, and mindfulness.

What she discovered transformed her life.

Rather than treating wellbeing as something separate from everyday life, she began seeing emotional, physical, and spiritual health as deeply interconnected. That realization would eventually become a cornerstone of Mindful Mantis.

For both founders, the question became simple:

What if children learned these skills before life taught them the hard way?

Why Emotional Literacy Matters More Than Ever

While traditional education excels at teaching academic subjects, Mariana and Sondra believe one of the most important life skills is often overlooked.

Children are rarely taught how to identify emotions, regulate stress, navigate anxiety, or process difficult experiences.

Instead, many people enter adulthood carrying emotional patterns they never learned how to manage.

Through Mindful Mantis, they aim to change that narrative.

Their work focuses on helping children develop emotional awareness, resilience, gratitude, self-belief, and healthy coping strategies through practical, age-appropriate tools.

Rather than suppressing emotions, children learn how to understand them.

Rather than avoiding challenges, they learn how to move through them.

The goal is not perfection. It is empowerment.

Storytelling as a Gateway to Transformation

One of the most unique aspects of Mindful Mantis is its use of storytelling.

Recognizing that children often learn best through stories, the founders created The Meditating Mantis to introduce mindfulness concepts in a way that feels engaging, relatable, and fun.

Through memorable characters and meaningful adventures, children are introduced to concepts such as gratitude, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and inner confidence.

The approach allows children to absorb powerful lessons naturally, without feeling like they are being taught.

It’s a simple idea with profound implications.

Stories shape beliefs. Beliefs shape lives.

By helping children see themselves as capable, resilient, and worthy, Mariana and Sondra hope to influence how an entire generation approaches life’s challenges.

Raising Conscious Children in a Complex World

The conversation also explores the realities facing modern families.

Today’s children are growing up in a world filled with distractions, comparison, information overload, and constant digital stimulation. Anxiety and overwhelm have become increasingly common experiences for both parents and children alike.

Rather than approaching these challenges through fear, the Mindful Mantis philosophy centers on practical solutions.

Breathwork. Gratitude. Mindfulness. Reflection.

Simple tools that help children reconnect with themselves amid the noise.

The founders emphasize that resilience is not something children are born with. It is something that can be cultivated through consistent practice and intentional support.

Building a Movement Beyond Books

What started as a single story has expanded into a broader mission.

Today, Mindful Mantis offers books, workbooks, educational resources, mindfulness practices, and family-centered tools designed to support emotional wellbeing. Their vision continues to grow through curriculum development, multimedia projects, and expanded educational offerings that bring mindfulness into homes, schools, and communities.

At its heart, however, the mission remains unchanged.

Help children understand themselves.

Help families connect more deeply.

Help future generations thrive.

Choosing Alignment Over Convention

When asked what living an unconventional life means, Mariana and Sondra offered a perspective that captures the essence of their journey.

It means being willing to question systems, trust your intuition, and choose alignment over approval.

That philosophy has guided them through homeschooling, entrepreneurship, personal healing, and the creation of Mindful Mantis.

In doing so, they are helping families discover something increasingly rare in today’s fast-paced world: the power of slowing down, tuning in, and nurturing what matters most.

Giveaway

Win a Copy of The Meditating Mantis

Ready to introduce mindfulness, emotional resilience, and self-awareness to the young readers in your life?

We’re giving away a copy of The Meditating Mantis, the inspiring children’s book created by Mariana Gordon and Sondra Bakinde. Through engaging storytelling and meaningful life lessons, this book helps children develop confidence, emotional intelligence, gratitude, and inner calm.

Enter now for your chance to bring these powerful tools into your family’s journey.

Connect with Mariana & Sondra:

• Website: www.themindfulmantis.com
• Instagram: @themindfulmantisinc

There’s a moment many high performers quietly face—the one where everything looks successful on paper, but internally, something doesn’t quite land.

For Reed Nyffeler, that moment didn’t come from failure. It came from progress.

He had built, moved forward, and checked the boxes. But somewhere along the way, he realized something most people avoid confronting:

“I had to ask myself—am I building a life that actually reflects who I am?”

That question didn’t just shift his mindset. It rewired the trajectory of his life.

The Question That Changed Everything

At 30, Reed made a decision that most people delay indefinitely—he stopped focusing on what he was doing and got radically clear on why he existed in the first place.

Instead of chasing the next opportunity, he defined a personal purpose:

“Through intuitive interaction, propel leaders over their self-imposed barriers to live out their unique purpose.”

It wasn’t just a sentence. It became a filter.

Every decision—from business ventures to relationships—ran through that lens.

And suddenly, clarity replaced noise.

 

The Lie of Identity Through Achievement

One of the most powerful threads in Reed’s story is his rejection of a belief most people operate under:

That your identity is tied to what you do.

He challenges that directly:

“We attach our identity to things that are constantly changing—jobs, income, relationships. Then when those things shift, we feel lost.”

It’s not the transition that breaks people. It’s the lack of a stable identity underneath it.

Reed’s approach is simple, but uncomfortable:

Strip everything away.

No title. No income. No external validation.

Then ask: Who are you, really?

Because if that answer isn’t clear, nothing else will feel stable.

 

From Reaction to Intention

Before defining his purpose, Reed describes living in a way that will feel familiar to many:

Reactive. Opportunistic. Driven—but not anchored.

Afterward, everything shifted.

Instead of asking:

• What’s the next opportunity?

• What should I say yes to?

He started asking:

• Does this align with my purpose?

• Does this help me serve at a higher level?

That shift turned his life from reactive to intentional.

And that’s where momentum started to compound.

 

The Discipline Most People Avoid

Reed doesn’t sugarcoat what it takes to live this way.

In fact, one of his most direct callouts challenges a widely accepted mindset:

“We let our feelings dictate our future. But function should lead—and feelings follow.”

It’s not a popular take. But it’s a necessary one.

Because building anything meaningful—business, relationships, impact—requires consistency long before it feels good.

• You won’t always feel motivated

• You won’t always feel clear

• You won’t always feel ready

But showing up anyway is what creates results.

“If you wait until you feel like it, you’ll never build anything significant.”

 

The Shift That Creates Instant Clarity

One of the simplest—and most profound—exercises Reed shares is this:

“If you stopped thinking about yourself for a week… who would you think about first?”

That question cuts through the noise immediately.

Because purpose isn’t found in isolation. It’s found in service.

Reed explains:

“The fastest way to get out of your own confusion is to focus on someone else.”

That shift:

• Reduces overthinking

• Creates direction

• Builds fulfillment

And most importantly—it gets you out of your own way.

 

The Trade Most People Regret

There’s a moment in the conversation where Reed calls out a pattern that hits hard:

“A lot of people are selling their identity for income.”

It’s subtle. And it’s everywhere.

Saying yes to things that don’t align Sacrificing time that actually matters Building something that looks good—but feels off

Reed chose a different route.

He built his life around four priorities:

1. Faith

2. Family

3. Work

4. Fun

And here’s the part most people don’t expect—he schedules them in that exact order.

“I plan my family time first. Vacations, time with my wife, everything. Then I build my work around that.”

This isn’t just philosophy. It’s structure.

And it forces alignment.

 

Building Businesses That Actually Make Sense

Reed’s ventures—Signal, Filtergo, Framebrand—aren’t random ideas or trend-chasing plays.

They’re extensions of his purpose.

Instead of asking, Will this make money? He asks:

• Does this help develop leaders?

• Does this align with who I am?

That clarity eliminates:

• Decision fatigue

• Misalignment

• Short-term thinking

And replaces it with focused, sustainable growth.

 

Faith as a Foundation, Not a Label

Reed also speaks openly about faith—but not in a performative or rigid way.

For him, it’s foundational.

“If life isn’t about you, then it has to be about something greater.”

That belief creates:

• Direction when things are unclear

• Stability when things shift

• A framework for decision-making

He encourages people not to inherit beliefs—but to explore them:

“Go figure it out for yourself. Ask—if I lived this out, would my life actually be better?”

 

The Real Work: Removing Self-Imposed Barriers

At the core of everything Reed does is one focus:

Helping people get out of their own way.

Because in his experience, the biggest obstacles aren’t external.

They’re internal:

• Fear

• Doubt

• Misalignment

• Lack of clarity

“Most people don’t need more opportunity. They need to remove the barriers they’ve put on themselves.”

That’s the work.

And it’s what unlocks everything else.

Redefining Transitions

Where most people see disruption, Reed sees opportunity.

A new season isn’t a loss of identity—it’s a new application of it.

“Your purpose doesn’t change. The environment does.”

That one shift reframes everything:

• Career changes become expansions

• Life transitions become opportunities

• Uncertainty becomes direction

 

Giveaway: Step Into Your Purpose

If there’s one thing Reed makes clear, it’s this:

Clarity isn’t something you stumble into. It’s something you define.

To help you do exactly that, we’re giving away a copy of his book: Lead Exponentially

The Bottom Line

Reed Nyffeler didn’t just build successful businesses.

He built a life that makes sense.

And in a world full of noise, distraction, and constant movement, that might be the most valuable thing of all.

Because when your identity is clear, your direction follows.

And when your direction is clear—everything changes.

Connect with Reed:

• Website: https://reednyffeler.com/

• Team Signal: https://www.teamsignal.com/

• Book: Lead Exponentially

• Podcast: @Reedflections

From the outside, Yoshua Greenfield was living the dream.

New York City. Creative momentum. A growing audience. A successful YouTube cooking show. Brand deals. Visibility. The kind of life many spend years chasing.

But internally, something wasn’t adding up.

Despite the traction, Yoshua found himself increasingly disconnected—from his work, from others, and from himself. The success he had worked toward began to feel more like performance than purpose.

“At a certain point, I realized I was building something that didn’t actually feel like me anymore.”

What followed wasn’t a pivot. It was a full reset.

 

 

The Hidden Trade-Off of the Attention Economy

As Yoshua’s platform grew, so did the pressure to maintain it.

What once felt like creative expression slowly became shaped by algorithms, expectations, and external validation. The more attention he received, the more he felt pulled away from authenticity.

This is the paradox of the modern creator economy: visibility often comes at the cost of truth.

Instead of deepening connection, success can dilute it—turning creators into curated versions of themselves.

For Yoshua, the realization was clear: he didn’t want to optimize for attention. He wanted to live in alignment.

So he made a decision most wouldn’t.

He walked away.

 

 

Burning the House Down

Yoshua describes this chapter of his life with a powerful metaphor: “burning the house down.”

Not out of destruction—but out of honesty.

He let go of the identity he had built. The business. The environment. The expectations. Even the version of himself that others recognized.

He left New York City and moved west, eventually landing in Colorado with no clear roadmap—just a knowing that something needed to change.

It was a move away from certainty, toward something far less defined—but far more real.

 

 

Trading Speed for Rhythm

The transition from city life to land-based living wasn’t seamless.

Yoshua didn’t arrive in Colorado with experience in farming, homesteading, or self-sufficiency. In fact, he describes making “every mistake possible.”

What he did bring with him—ambition, urgency, and a desire to “figure it out quickly”—quickly dissolved.

“The land doesn’t respond to force,” he realized. “It teaches you patience.”

Instead of operating on deadlines and deliverables, he began to live in cycles. Seasons. Natural rhythms.

Growth became less about scaling—and more about attunement.

 

 

Food as a Portal to Presence

While Yoshua had built a career around food, his relationship with it transformed entirely.

Food was no longer content. It became practice.

A way to slow down. To create. To connect.

He began fermenting, preserving, sourcing locally, and preparing meals with intention. What once might have been seen as “complex” was actually rooted in simplicity—repeated daily.

In contrast to modern food culture—defined by excess, speed, and aesthetics—Yoshua embraced a more grounded philosophy:

Food is not performance. It’s participation.

 

 

The Myth of Self-Sufficiency

Despite appearances, Yoshua is quick to challenge one of the biggest misconceptions about this lifestyle.

This isn’t about doing everything alone.

“Self-sufficiency is a myth,” he explains. “Community is the goal.”

Rather than isolating himself, Yoshua found deeper connection—through local farmers, shared resources, and collaborative living.

What emerges is a modern version of an ancient system: the village.

Each person contributes something. No one does everything.

 

 

The Second Mountain: A Different Kind of Success

Yoshua’s journey reflects a broader shift many high performers eventually face.

The first mountain is about achievement—money, status, recognition.

The second is about meaning.

What he discovered is something rarely spoken about: by the time you reach the goals you once wanted, you may no longer want them.

Not because they’re wrong—but because you’ve changed.

And in that space, a new question emerges:

What actually matters?

 

 

Why Tangible Skills Matter More Than Ever

In an increasingly digital and AI-driven world, Yoshua points to a growing desire for something real.

People want to feel capable again.

To create with their hands. To understand where their food comes from. To engage with the physical world in a way that feels grounding and human.

These aren’t just hobbies. They’re a form of resilience.

Because while technology continues to evolve, the ability to create, grow, and sustain in the real world remains deeply valuable—and deeply fulfilling.

 

 

Returning to What We Already Know

One of the most powerful moments in Yoshua’s journey came through an unexpected experience: processing his first deer.

With no prior training, he found himself moving through the process instinctively.

“It felt ancient. Like something my body already knew.”

This idea—that much of what we’re seeking isn’t new, but remembered—runs through his entire philosophy.

Modern life hasn’t erased these instincts. It’s just buried them.

 

 

How to Start Without Overhauling Your Life

Yoshua doesn’t position this path as all-or-nothing.

You don’t need land. Or a full lifestyle reset.

You need curiosity.

Start small:

• Learn to ferment
• Visit a local farm
• Cook more meals at home
• Build relationships with producers
• Follow what genuinely interests you

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s participation.

 

 

The Real Work: Living Without the Mask

At its core, Yoshua’s journey isn’t about leaving the city or growing food.

It’s about truth.

Letting go of identities that no longer fit. Choosing alignment over approval. Trusting that what feels right—internally—matters more than what looks right externally.

It’s not always clean. Or comfortable.

But it’s real.

And in a world built on performance, that might be the most radical choice of all.

 

Giveaway

Yoshua is giving away a free copy of “Fermenting with Your Best Friend” — your beginner-friendly guide to fermentation and reconnecting with food.

Connect with Yoshua:

• Website: https://youenjoy.life/

• Buy his book: Fermenting with Your Best Friend

• Instagram: instagram.com/youenjoylife/

• YouTube: You Enjoy Life