With Love and Aloha - A Life Coaching Podcast

Episode 14: The Science of Sleep & Tips to Sleep Better

In this episode, I dive into the fascinating science of sleep. Sleep is such a core foundation of our health and well-being, and has a big effect on our state of mind. Sleep isn’t just downtime, it’s an active process where your brain and body repair, reset, and prepare you for the day ahead.
 
In this episode, we explore:
Why we sleep - from evolutionary theories to how it fuels memory, learning, and emotional balance.
 
What happens in the brain & body while you sleep - including restoring tissues, REM cycles, the glymphatic system (your brain’s built-in cleaning crew), and how memories are consolidated overnight.
 
The consequences of missing sleep - from slower reaction times and foggy thinking to long-term health risks and mood disorders.
 
Tips to sleep better - tips for aligning with your circadian rhythm, managing light exposure, and building healthy bedtime routines.
 
I also share my personal journey with improving sleep and my realizations of the importance of sleep. As well as fascinating sleep studies and experiments like Randy Gardner’s 11 day sleepless marathon.
 
Whether you’re looking to optimize your sleep or just are curious to learn more about it, this episode will leave you with science-backed insights and actionable tools to help you get the rest you need.

Episode 13: Jeremy Udugampola - AWS, FBI, and Microsoft Internships & Early Career Advice

Today I’m joined by a special guest, Jeremy Udugampola :)
 
Jeremy was a mentee of mine at Amazon Web Services (AWS), and it’s been inspiring to watch him grow and land internships at incredible places like the FBI and Microsoft.
 
In this episode, Jeremy shares his early career journey and offers advice for students on finding opportunities, building a network, and exploring different paths. We also talk about his education at the University of Maryland in Information Science, and his experiences working at AMC, Best Buy, AWS, the FBI, and Microsoft.
 
This is a great episode for anyone curious about what it’s like to work at these companies. Or for those looking for guidance on how to kick off their own career journey.
 
Your career is such a big part of life, so take the time to explore, try new things, and find a path that feels right for you :)
 
If you’d like to connect with Jeremy, his LinkedIn is at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-u/ 
 
If you are enjoying this podcast, please feel free to follow, like & share :) I would appreciate too if you rated and reviewed the show as well.
 
If you’re interested in being a future guest on the show or would like to propose a topic, please feel free to reach out on my website:
https://aloha-lifecoach.com/life-coaching-podcast

Episode 12 - What is "Wellness"? & Wellness Summit Reflection

Happy Sunday :) In this episode, I reflect on my new learnings of wellness and how I now look at what “wellness” is   At the Wellness Summit this past week, I learned how it encompasses now only the different parts of our health (physical, emotional, spiritual, social), but also how we connect with others and environments around us.
 
For my own and newly evolved definition, Wellness is about the intentional actions, mindsets, and choices to make each part of your life are “well” or just simply feeling “good”. 
 
I use a comparison of the Sims game, in which you have health / status bars for different needs. It’s a fun way to translate how you can think about your own life - what are the needs in your life and which health bars are green and which ones are red?
 
I hope you enjoy this episode :) and if you’re enjoying the show, please feel free to follow, rate and review on Apple or Spotify podcasts

Episode 11: How Stress Affects the Body & Stress Management Techniques

This episode was inspired by a wellness course I recently took through the Maui Community College on how stress affects the body. Learning the science behind it was fascinating, and it really deepened my understanding of why stress management tools matter and how they help.
Stress is something we all experience, but many of us don’t realize how deeply it impacts our bodies: tension, fatigue, disrupted sleep, headaches, even long-term health concerns. Left unchecked, stress can quietly take a toll on both our physical and emotional wellbeing.
In this episode, I explore how stress shows up in the body and share simple, practical tools to help you regulate your nervous system, create calm, and build resilience in daily life. If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, this is your reminder that your body is always speaking to you and and can remind you its time to recenter. 

Episode 10: Tim Griffith Jr. - Maui Arborist & Banyan Tree Caretaker

Today’s guest is Maui arborist, Tim Griffith Jr. Tim and I met during the recovery efforts after the Maui fires in 2023, and I admire what he has done to help take care of our island not only in those efforts, but in his daily work as an arborist. 
 
Born and raised on Oahu, Tim is a seasoned arborist with 27 years experience in Seattle and on Maui. He is currently the Maui County arborist, and he has been a major part of the recovery efforts for the banyan tree in Lahaina.
 
In this episode, we talk about Tim’s journey of becoming an arborist, what it’s like to be an arborist on Maui, and the efforts around helping the banyan tree heal.
 
We also talk about our cats & the cats on Maui, as we are both cat lovers. :)
 
Key time stamps:
Tim’s journey to becoming an arborist: 12:30
Arborist work on island and efforts to help banyan tree after fire: 20:13
The tree’s fast recovery and how it is today: 37:35
Tree as a symbol of resilience: 43:46
 
If you are enjoying these shows, please feel free to follow, share, rate, and review the “With Love and Aloha Podcast” 🎧🩵✨ and give @love_and_aloha_life a follow on IG :)

Episode 9: Honoring & Remembering Lahaina

Tomorrow marks two years since the Maui fires on August 8th, 2023, and this weekend we will gather for paddle outs and memorials to honor and remember those we lost.
 
In this episode, I talk about the town of Lahaina, its history and what it was like before the fires, my personal experiences with volunteering for the recovery efforts, the beautiful unity I witnessed of the community coming together to help Maui, and I finish out with discussing collective grief and how to navigate grief.
 
This episode is my way of offering love, remembrance, and respect to Lahaina, to everyone impacted, everyone that was involved in the recovery efforts.
 
Mahalo for listening, and if you are enjoying my podcast please feel free to follow, review, and share :)
 
Socials & contact:
Life coaching IG: love_and_aloha_life
Maui photography IG: alee_maui_photography
If you’re interested in life or career coaching, please reach out on my website at www.aloha-lifecoach.com

Episode 8: Maya Klein - Pharmacist, Home Organizer, & Wellness Professional

Today is a special episode because it’s my first one with a guest!
 
Today’s guest is Maya Klein, and she is a pharmacist, home organizer, and wellness professional. She founded her own company, “Organized and Inspired”, through which she emphasizes mindfulness and mental well-being as a driver and critical component to home organization.
 
She has had the opportunity to be a founding member of the Home Edit’s Organizing Society, through which she has a network of fellow home organizers and learns from Clea and Joanna. She also is an accomplished dancer, which is a big passion of hers, having danced for the Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue team.
 
I’ve known Maya for 17 years, beginning as college roommates at the University of Texas at Dallas (Go Comets!), and we’ve been a part of some each other’s biggest life steps.
 
Join us as we talk about our friendship & adventures, her journey into pharmacy, her inspiration for her business, how creativity and curiosity has led to new opportunities, and different topics around wellness & mindfulness. 
 
More about Maya’s business and services is available on her website at: https://www.organizedandinspired.com/
Organized & Inspired IG: @organized_inspired
Maya’s personal IG: @maya.a.klein
Maya also mentions a book “Mind Magic” by James R. Doty as a good read on mindfulness 📚
 
If you are enjoying these shows, please feel free to follow, share, and rate the “With Love and Aloha Podcast” 🎧🩵✨ and give @love_and_aloha_life a follow on IG :)

Episode 7: The Benefits of Creativity & How it Helps Create a Life Unique to You

In this episode, I talk about creativity and how applying it in our day-to-day can improve our quality of life and overall mental well-being.
 
I share studies on and reflect what motivates us to be creative and express ourselves, even back in the simpler days of humanity, like the cavemen drawing on the walls and creating instruments.
 
From boosting your mood and confidence to helping you feel more aligned and fulfilled, I explore different benefits of living creatively. You'll also hear practical ways to spark creativity and how it can help you discover what makes your life uniquely yours, so you can shape a life that feels true to you.
 
Also, as this topic was partially inspired by my Comic Con weekend, I share a bit about my fun trip to San Diego :)

Episode 6: Becoming Your Authentic Self & Living a Life True to You

In this episode, I talk about what it means to be your authentic self, and how it looks and feels to live a life aligned with what truly matters to you. I also share how to find like-minded people and communities who share your goals and passions.
 
For me, my authenticity shows up through Maui, my creative work (photography, podcasting, art, writing), supporting others through volunteering and coaching, and even events like comic con, where I feel free to just have fun.
 
Since this week is Comic Con, I also share stories of how I got into that world (organically from other volunteering efforts) and why it continues to inspire me.
 
Have a listen - I hope this episode encourages you to lean into more of what makes you feel “you” and in your element :)

Episode 5: Ice Cream Day & Giving Yourself Things to Look Forward to

Happy Aloha Friday! This upcoming Sunday is National Ice Cream Day - and it got me thinking about fun holidays, and finding little things that matter to you to celebrate.
In this episode, we explore how to give yourself something to look forward to, whether that be big or small. I talk about silly and fun days to celebrate, like Ice Cream Day, Shark Week, and even the Birthday of Moo Deng, the adorable hippo in Thailand.
We also talk about how simply planning for something can bring you happiness, as the anticipation can bring you good feelings up to actually the time of doing the activity. 
I hope this episode inspires you to schedule something fun for yourself, and maybe even just to go get ice cream this weekend :)