From Fear To Fire

This week’s theme: Accessibility & Inclusion In this episode of From Fear to Fire, host Heather Hansen O’Neill speaks with disability advocate, educator, and author Jenna Udenberg about lived experience, leadership, and the true meaning of Accessibility and Inclusion. Jenna shares her journey as a lifelong wheelchair user and founder of the nonprofit Above and Beyond With U, emphasizing that accessibility is not about checking boxes or meeting minimum ADA requirements. Instead, it requires involving disabled people from the very beginning so spaces, systems, and decisions reflect real human needs rather than assumptions. Jenna also reframes disability as a neutral part of the human experience, explaining that barriers are most often created by environments and attitudes, not bodies. She encourages organizations and leaders to move beyond good intentions and take intentional action rooted in Accessibility and Inclusion across workplaces, education, and community spaces. Her message is clear: when people feel welcomed, safe, and valued, everyone benefits, and that awareness is what helps individuals and organizations truly move from fear to fire. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we explore how true accessibility and inclusion are achieved by centering disabled voices, challenging assumptions, and intentionally designing spaces, systems, and cultures where everyone can belong and thrive. Jenna Udenberg Jenna Udenberg is a lifelong resident from the Northshore of Minnesota and is a former music educator of 19 years. She has used a manual wheelchair since the age of 8 due to Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Jenna is a 2017 Blandin Foundation Community Leader, a 2020 Bush Fellow, and a 2025 Shannon Leadership Institute Fellow. Writing for the Lake County Press in her column, Local View from 4 foot 2, inspires vulnerability and the sharing of lived experiences from the seated perspective. Within My Spokes: A Tapestry of Pain, Growth & Freedom is Jenna’s published memoir which you can find on the A&BWU website, on Amazon or wherever you find your books. In her free time, you can find Jenna outdoors on paved trails or fishing with friends, playing board and card games, as well as coaching the Robo Dweebs, a LEGO robotics team. Jenna is the founder of the non-profit, Above & Beyond With U, which works to increase accessibility and inclusion in Minnesota and beyond. Connect with Jenna: Website: Above and Beyond With U LinkedIn: Above & Beyond With U Facebook: Above & Beyond With U Instagram: aboveandbeyondwithu Quote of the Day: “Life is not just the passing of time. Life is the collection of experiences and their intensity.” ~Jim Rohn   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here! The post Accessibility & Inclusion with Jenna Udenberg appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: Self-Worth This episode of From Fear to Fire features Amy Lenius, Director of Group Coaching at Next Level University, who empowers people—especially women—to redefine success through clarity, emotional resilience, and deep self-worth. Amy shares her powerful journey from chronic illness to holistic healing, revealing how understanding the mind-body connection and honoring women’s cyclical nature can transform the way we approach goals, habits, and personal growth. Listeners will learn Amy’s three core pillars—self-belief, self-worth, and consistency—and how these shape our capacity to grow, set boundaries, embrace discomfort, and achieve meaningful success. Through her relatable story and practical guidance, Amy shows how self-awareness and small daily actions help us build sustainable confidence and step into our most authentic, empowered selves. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about how women can build self-belief, strengthen self-worth, and achieve aligned success through holistic awareness and consistent, sustainable habits. Amy Lenius I’m a speaker, coach, and the Director of Group Coaching at Next Level University. I help people (mostly women) redefine success in a way that feels deeply aligned through clarity, self-belief, emotional resilience, self-worth and sustainable daily habits. Connect with Amy: Website: Next Level University Facebook: Amy Lenius Instagram: amylenius Quote of the Day: “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” ~Arianna Huffington   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here! The post Self-Worth with Amy Lenius appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: The Spirit of Vulnerability In this episode of From Fear to Fire, Heather Hansen O’Neill interviews musician, writer, and educator Matthew Check, whose creative journey weaves together bluegrass music, writing, and self-discovery. His memoir, What Would Philip Roth Do?, embodies a Spirit of Vulnerability, blending humor, honesty, and raw emotion as he reflects on sobriety, relationships, and personal growth. Check shares how writing demanded discipline and courage while music offered a space for expression and connection. He speaks openly about using humor to navigate pain, facing fears in love and creativity, and transforming past struggles into authentic art. Through his story, Check highlights that the path to purpose often begins with vulnerability, the willingness to reveal our truth, learn from failure, and keep showing up with heart. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about embracing creativity, recovery, and authenticity through a Spirit of Vulnerability that transforms personal challenges into purpose and art. Matthew Check Matthew Check is originally from Newtown, Pennsylvania. After nearly two decades in New York City, he now resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. Matt’s musical journey is marked by a fusion of genres and themes. He coined the term “jewgrass” to describe his innovative blend of bluegrass and Jewish liturgical music, as heard on The Bluegrass Kabbalat Shabbat Experience. His versatility is further showcased through his work with the Emmy-nominated band Gangstagrass and his collaboration with Grammy-winning artist Joanie Leeds on the 2019 album Sterling. In his solo work, Matthew draws inspiration from the introspective folk and pop-rock sounds of the 1970s. His 2022 album Without a Throne explores deeply personal narratives, including his journey toward sobriety, most poignantly in the track “Old Wooden Floor.” Recorded live in Nashville, the album captures the raw and authentic essence of his songwriting. Matthew’s debut memoir, What Would Philip Roth Do? (Parentheses Press, 2025), continues this spirit of vulnerability and self-examination. The irreverent coming-of-age story follows his misadventures as a young Jewish educator and banjo player in mid-2000s New York City—teaching Hebrew in a messianic community, navigating relationships, and searching for identity and meaning in a city of contradictions. Matt’s commitment to authenticity and emotional depth runs through both his writing and music, earning him recognition in Billboard, PopMatters, and Americana UK. #matthewcheck Connect with Matthew: Website: Matthew Check Music LinkedIn: Matthew Check Facebook: Matthew Check Instagram: @matthewcheck Quote of the Day: “The true beauty of music is that it connects people” ~ Roy Ayers   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here! The post The Spirit of Vulnerability with Matthew Check appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: The Power of Retreats In this episode of From Fear to Fire, Heather shares how the power of retreat helps leaders step away from daily pressures to find clarity and renewal. Retreats create space for reflection, self-awareness, and vision while giving leaders the chance to reignite passion and model wellbeing for others. Even a short retreat can unlock breakthroughs and set a stronger direction forward. She also explains how the power of retreat strengthens teams by building trust, collaboration, and cultural alignment. Unlike regular meetings, retreats immerse groups in experiences that inspire connection, purpose, and lasting change. Leaders and teams return with renewed energy, clear priorities, and a deeper sense of humanity. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about the power of retreat and how stepping away from daily demands creates clarity, connection, and transformation for both leaders and teams. Heather Hansen O’Neill Heather is the host of the From Fear to Fire podcast as well as a best-selling author, igniter of inner flame, and an international keynote speaker and change strategist. Her specialty is in helping individuals and organizations consciously transform their behaviors for peak performance. Connect with Heather: Website: Heather Hansen O’Neill Social media accounts: LinkedIn: heatherhansenoneill Facebook: heather.h.oneill.9 Instagram: heather.hansen.oneill YouTube: @fromfeartofire Reach out to Heather at: Heather@HeatherHansenONeill.com. Find her new TEDx HERE Want to dive deeper? Check out Finding Humanity book, explore The Humanity of Sales show on YouTube, and watch the powerful DisruptHR talk. Quote of the Day: “Within you there is a stillness and sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.” ~Hermann Hesse   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales is out now. Check it out here! The post The Power of Retreats with Heather appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: Next Level Up In this episode of From Fear to Fire, Heather Hansen O’Neill welcomes Alan Lazaros, founder and CEO of Next Level University, a global top 100 podcast. Alan shares his journey from early family loss and corporate success to a car accident that pushed him into personal development. He explains how fulfillment, not fleeting happiness, should be the goal. For Alan, reaching the next level up comes from growth, contribution, and living authentically with courage, humility, and daily discipline. Alan also highlights the power of habit tracking, focusing on what you can control, and prioritizing long-term trajectory over current position. He warns against quick wins and social media illusions, reminding listeners that real success is built on fundamentals and consistency. The path to the next level up comes from keeping promises to yourself, surrounding yourself with the right people, and taking small steps each day. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about using personal growth, self-belief, and consistent habits to reach the next level up in fulfillment, success, and life. Alan Lazaros At age 2, my birth father passed away in a car accident. At age 26, after getting into a nearly fatal car accident myself, I questioned everything… I was already very successful from the outside looking in, but filled with pain, regret, and abandonment challenges, I searched for answers and finally found what I was really missing all this time, Personal Development. Today I’m grateful to lead a global team of 18 individuals as the Founder and CEO of Next Level University, a Global Top 100 Podcast focused on helping others reach their own unique potential in Health, Wealth, and Love. With well over 2,100 episodes and more than one million listens in 180+ countries, I’ve been doing this deeply meaningful work for more than a decade, and after accumulating more than 10,000 hours of Coaching, Training, and Podcasting with all walks of life, I believe in a heart-driven but no BS approach to achieving both external success AND internal fulfillment. Thank you again for this opportunity. I believe we’re all far more capable than we realize when given the right guidance, and I’m honored to help you and your listeners reach their own unique Next Level of Success! Connect with Alan: Website: Next Level University LinkedIn: Alan Lazaros Facebook: Alan Lazaros Instagram: @alazaros88 Quote of the Day: “When in doubt, just take the next small step” ~Paulo Coelho   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales book is out now. Check it out here! The post Next Level Up with Alan Lazaros appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.

This week’s theme: Healing Art The episode centers around the transformative power of healing art, specifically through the medium of fused glass. Guest Nancy Dillingham Marks shares how her journey into the world of glass art began as a bonding activity with her mother and unexpectedly evolved into a life-changing passion. Despite early self-doubt and a lack of traditional artistic background, Nancy discovered that working with glass unlocked a creative side she had long denied. Through her business, the Glass Arts Collective, she turned this personal discovery into a communal space where others could experience the same kind of healing and personal growth through creativity. The concept of healing art takes on deeper meaning as Nancy describes how her studio became a sanctuary, especially during the challenges of COVID-19. She explains how hands-on creativity with vibrant, light-filled glass allows people to disconnect from stress and reconnect with themselves. Her community-driven space fosters connection, joy, and emotional release, helping individuals, from healthcare workers to everyday visitors, find peace and inspiration. Nancy’s story illustrates how art, especially when approached with openness and heart, can serve as a profound tool for healing, resilience, and transformation. From Fear to Fire: Secrets to Overcome Fear, Embrace Your Gifts and Achieve Success This is the place where real people share real challenges. Where you can find a common bond and uncommon wisdom through their stories. Use tips from the breakthroughs of others to jump-start your success. Speaker, author, adventurer, and host Heather Hansen O’Neill takes you on the journey from fear to fire. Today, we talk about how healing art, particularly through fused glass, empowers individuals to relieve stress, rediscover creativity, and build community in a supportive, hands-on environment. Nancy Dillingham Marks Nancy Dillingham Marks is the creative force behind Glass Arts Collective. She champions the power of hands-on creativity to heal, connect, and inspire—and helps others rediscover joy through glass art. Connect with Nancy: Website: Glass Arts Collective LinkedIn: Nancy Dillingham Marks Facebook: Glass Arts Collective Quote of the Day: “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” ~Henry David Thoreau “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, art is knowing which ones to keep.” ~Scott Adams   Finding Humanity: The Evolution of Sales book is out now. Check it out here! The post Healing Art with Nancy Dillingham Marks appeared first on Heather Hansen Oneill.