It’s the very first episode of Respect Circles: The Podcast, and we’re so excited to be starting this journey with you. Today you’ll learn what this podcast is really about, a little bit about us, and why we felt compelled to start a podcast at this time. Behind it all, we want this to be a place where we can come together and talk about things in an authentic, and sometimes messy, way, in a safe place, and to learn to listen for understanding and to gain new perspectives.

We invite and welcome your input! Send us your thoughts on what you like about the podcast, what you want to see more of, and who we should invite into the conversation as guests on upcoming episodes. You can always reach us by email, respectcircles@gmail.com, on social media at https://www.facebook.com/respectcircles and https://www.instagram.com/respectcircles/ or by viewing our website at www.respectcircles.com. Thanks so much for listening! We’d love to have you subscribe to the podcast and leave us a rating and review. See you next week!

In this episode you’ll hear:

• What “Respect Circles” are all about, and how Stephanie got the idea to begin hosting them [2:05]
  
  
• The inspiration behind AJ getting involved with Respect Circles, plus why he says the timing for it was ideal [3:38]
  
  
• One of the big things Stephanie loves most about the Respect Circle calls [6:34]
  
  
• What AJ has learned on this journey, and the biggest fears he has today that he is still working on overcoming [6:57]
  
  
• The opportunity that each and every one of us has right now, and the possibilities that exist for this podcast [8:38]
  
  
• When it clicked for AJ that Respect Circles was making a real difference for people [9:20]
  
  
• What happens when we aren’t willing or able to speak up for what we believe in [11:02]
  
  
• What is meant by the phrase “the power in the pause”, and why this is part of the process in Respect Circles [14:27]
  
  
• The ways in which Respect Circles is helping people listen from their hearts and focus on the choice to be happy [15:42]
  
  
• A bit more on us, our backgrounds and what motivates each of us [17:16]
  
  
• What you can expect as a listener of this podcast, and a special challenge we have for you [21:18]