Twenty Something with Olivia Burnett

What happens after we die? And what can near death experiences teach us about the way we live now?In this episode of Twenty Something, Olivia sits down with Martin Tanner to discuss the stories, patterns, and life-changing lessons he has heard from interviewing more than 700 people about their near death experiences.Martin is the host of the Religion Today podcast and radio show on KSL, co-founder of Utah’s International Association for Near-Death Studies, and a longtime researcher of near death experiences.Together, Olivia and Martin explore the common threads Martin has heard across stories from people of different ages, backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. From experiences with loved ones who have passed on, to life reviews, to encounters with divine love, these stories raise questions about purpose, healing, faith, and what may come next.Martin shares some of the most powerful near death experiences he has heard firsthand, including stories of people who came back with a deeper sense of urgency, a greater desire to love others, and a clearer understanding that their life still had meaning.Whether you fully believe in near death experiences, feel skeptical, or are simply curious, this conversation is an invitation to ask deeper questions about life, death, heaven, and why each life matters more than we may realize.In this episode, you’ll hear stories about:Howard Storm, a former professor whose terrifying near death experience led to a complete life transformationDavid Herod, a Marine in Vietnam who came back with a message about learning to love othersGeorge Ritchie, whose near death experience with Jesus gave him a new sense of urgency about lifeDon Wood, a man with cystic fibrosis who wrestled with the unfairness of life and what his suffering meantCrystal Locke, a little girl who drowned at age seven and later shared what she said she experienced in heavenBlind individuals who say they were able to see during their near death experiencesJeff Olson, who lost his wife and son in a car accidentDr. Ron Kennedy, who described being welcomed by loved ones after a violent attackTed Whiting, who saw a large gathering of family members and loved ones waiting for him on the other sideThis episode is for anyone who has ever wondered where their loved ones go, what happens after this life, or whether their life has a specific purpose.Connect with Liv: Instagram: @twentysomething_podcast TikTok: @twentysomething_podcast YouTube: @TwentySomething-OliviaBurnettConnect with Martin: Religion Today podcast and radio show on KSL

Do you ever leave the doctor’s office and think, “Wait, what did they just say?”Or sit in your car afterward realizing you forgot to ask the one question you actually needed answered?In this episode of Twenty Something, Liv sits down with Lauren Dudley for a conversation about what it looks like to take ownership of your health, your work, and your relationships, especially in your 20s when you’re suddenly expected to figure so much of it out on your own.Lauren is currently living what so many of us talk about but few actually do: betting on herself before she has it all figured out. She is helping build Shepard, a health care app designed to make doctor’s appointments less overwhelming by helping patients prepare better questions, understand what their doctor is saying, and feel more confident managing their own health.Together, Liv and Lauren talk about the frustration of not knowing what’s going on in your body, how overwhelming it can feel to navigate symptoms or diagnoses, and why so many of us leave appointments wishing we had been more prepared.But this conversation goes beyond health. Lauren also shares what it was like to leave her job, build a business with her partner, navigate entrepreneurship in her early 20s, and create a relationship built on trust, communication, and shared vision.In this episode, you’ll learn:• How to feel more prepared before a doctor’s appointment • What to do when medical language feels confusing • Why advocating for your health matters, even when it feels intimidating • What it looks like to build a business in your 20s • How to bet on yourself without having it all figured out • Why abundance matters in dating, work, and life • How to put yourself in the way of luckThis episode is for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed by their health, embarrassed to ask a question, unsure what a doctor meant, or ready to stop living reactively and start taking ownership of their life.Connect with OliviaInstagram: @twentysomething_podcast TikTok: @twentysomething_podcast YouTube: @TwentySomething-OliviaBurnettConnect with Lauren: Instagram: @laurendudleyConnect with Shepard Health: Instagram: @shepardhealth

If you’ve ever walked into a party and immediately wanted to leave, overthought a first date, sat through an awkward work lunch, found yourself having the same surface-level conversations with people you’ve just met, or wondered why building meaningful relationships feels harder than it should—this episode is for you.Today, I’m joined by coach, mentor, and speaker Brayden Black for a conversation about connection, confidence, and the mindset shifts that can completely change how you show up in your relationships and your life. He shares three actionable frameworks that can immediately change the way you interact with other people.We dive into the common things people do that actually hurt connection, why making people feel seen matters so much more than trying to impress them, and the simple questions that can instantly create deeper conversations.Most importantly, we talk about why so many of us expect the worst in dating, friendships, careers, and life—and how that mindset may be holding us back more than we realize. Brayden shares his “gold medal mindset,” how to stop operating from a victim mentality, and why your response to life matters more than the circumstances you’re facing.In this episode, you’ll learn:The conversation mistake that quietly kills connectionThe questions that instantly create deeper conversationsWhy trying to impress people often pushes connection awayHow to make people feel genuinely seen and rememberedHow to navigate dating, friendships, and professional relationships with more confidenceWhy expecting the worst may be sabotaging your futureThe “gold medal mindset” that can change how you approach opportunitiesHow to stop operating from a victim mindset and take ownership of your lifeIf connection feels hard right now—or life feels like it’s happening to you—I think this episode will really help.Connect with Brayden: Instagram: @_brayden.blackConnect with Liv: Instagram: @twentysomething_podcast TikTok: @twentysomething_podcast YouTube: @TwentySomething-OliviaBurnett

There’s a version of your life you want.But if you’re honest, you probably don’t fully let yourself go there.Because hoping for it feels risky. If you really want it, and it doesn’t happen, that disappointment hits harder.So instead, you stay somewhere in the middle. You work hard, you show up, but you don’t fully expect things to work out.In this episode, I sit down with Blake Barney to talk about a phrase he lives by:“Hope for the highest.”And not in a cliché way—but in a way that actually changes how you think, act, and build your life.In this episode you'll learn:Why we default to expecting the worst (especially in our 20s)How your expectations quietly shape your actions and opportunitiesThe difference between measuring your life by outcomes vs. effortHow habits like vision boards, affirmations, and environment actually rewire your thinkingThe idea of co-creating your life with God, instead of waiting for clarity or confidence firstAnd how to keep going when nothing seems to be working (even when you feel behind)Blake also shares his experience working toward a goal for years with no visible progress—and what it taught him about consistency, identity, and trusting the process.This conversation is for anyone who feels stuck between wanting more and being scared to fully believe it’s possible.Because maybe the shift isn’t doing more.It’s learning how to hope for the highest—and live like it’s possible.Connect with Liv: Instagram: @twentysomething_podcast TikTok: @twentysomething_podcast YouTube: @TwentySomething-OliviaBurnettConnect with Blake:Instagram @blakebarney

In your 20s, it can feel like you’re doing everything right… and still somehow falling behind.You’re working, trying to build a life you actually want, navigating relationships, figuring out your faith, and instead of clarity, you’re left with more questions. About God. About timing. About who you’re supposed to become.And if you’re honest, sometimes it feels like everyone else got the memo except you.In this episode, I sit down with Hank Smith - BYU professor and co-host of the Follow Him podcast - to talk about what’s actually going on underneath that feeling.Because what if the reason you feel disconnected from God isn’t because you’re doing something wrong? What if it’s because no one ever taught you what that relationship is supposed to feel like?We talk about spiritual disconnection, overthinking, feeling behind in life, and how to build a relationship with God that actually feels real; not forced, not performative, but personal.This episode is for anyone who:feels like their life doesn’t look how they thought it wouldis tired of feeling behindstruggles to feel close to Godor just wants something that feels honest and groundingYou’re not behind. You’re not forgotten. And you’re not doing this wrong.In this episode, we talk about:Why feeling “behind” might not mean what you think it doesWhat to do when you feel disconnected from GodThe gap between expectations vs. reality in your 20sHow to actually build a relationship with GodWhy your life still has purpose, even if it doesn’t look how you plannedIf this episode resonates with you, send it to someone who’s been feeling the same way.Connect with Liv: Instagram: @twentysomething_podcast TikTok: @twentysomething_podcast YouTube: @TwentySomething-OliviaBurnettConnect with Hank: Instagram: @hankrsmith Podcast: Follow Him

In this episode, I sit down with Shay Martin for an honest and deeply human conversation about what it looks like to keep living after loss. At just 25 years old, Shay’s husband, Tanner, was diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer. What followed was years of navigating treatments, uncertainty, and learning how to hold onto hope while facing a reality neither of them expected so young. Along the way, Shay and Tanner shared their journey online, building a community of hundreds of thousands of people who followed their story, drawn to their honesty, their love, and the way they chose to keep living fully, even in the hardest circumstances. In 2025, Shay became a mother to their daughter, AmyLou. Just weeks later, Tanner passed away, leaving Shay to navigate grief, motherhood, and a completely reimagined life all at once. In this conversation, Shay opens up about what grief actually feels like beyond the moment of loss, how it changes over time, how joy and sadness can coexist, and what it means to carry love forward instead of feeling like you have to move on. We talk about what helps (and what doesn’t) when someone is grieving, how to support people in hard seasons, and how to keep becoming when life looks nothing like what you planned. Whether you’re navigating loss, heartbreak, or simply a season that didn’t turn out the way you hoped, this episode will meet you there. Connect with Liv: Instagram: @twentysomething_podcast TikTok: @twentysomething_podcast YouTube: @TwentySomething-OliviaBurnett Connect with Shay: Instagram: @tannerandshay Podcast: Grief Witnessed

If you’ve been feeling stuck, uncertain, emotionally overwhelmed, or like life isn’t unfolding the way you thought it would by now, this conversation is for you.In this episode, Liv sits down with author and Of Stone and Clay podcast host Taylor Church to talk about what it actually means to navigate the “in-between” seasons of life, the moments when old versions of you no longer fit, but the next chapter hasn’t fully arrived yet. Together, they explore how to understand your emotions instead of fearing them, why so many of us feel behind in our 20s, and how learning to be present can completely change the way you experience your life.This isn’t a conversation about fixing yourself or having everything figured out. It’s about learning how to live fully inside your life right now, even when you’re waiting for clarity, love, direction, or change.Because when you’re in a season of uncertainty, the last thing you need is pressure to reinvent your entire life. What you actually need are healthier ways to understand your feelings, trust your timing, and stop postponing happiness for some future version of yourself.By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with a new perspective on emotions, relationships, and what it means to truly be present — along with practical ways to become more self-aware and grounded in your everyday life.You’ll learn: -Why sadness and uncertainty aren’t problems to fix -How to stop waiting for your life to start -The difference between dating and finding real love -How journaling helps you understand your emotions and beliefs -Why being present changes how you experience joy, relationships, and growthIf you’ve ever felt like everyone else is moving forward while you’re still waiting for your next chapter, this episode will remind you that you’re not behind — you’re human.There’s nothing wrong with being in the middle of becoming.And sometimes, learning how to live fully right now is the very thing that moves your life forward.Connect with Liv:Instagram @twentysomething_podcastTiktok: @twentysomething_podcastYouTube: @TwentySomething-OliviaBurnett

What does it actually look like to bet on yourself?In this episode, I’m sitting down with entrepreneur Andrew Marino — founder of Royal Guard Co, sales leader, investor, and someone who has intentionally built a life that doesn’t follow a straight line. From working in corporate tech and closing millions in revenue, to launching his own all-natural personal care brand, to moving across cities, to even appearing on Hulu’s Are You My First, Andrew has consistently chosen growth over comfort.But this conversation isn’t about résumé highlights. It’s about the pivots.We talk about evolving in your 20s and 30s, outgrowing old versions of yourself, the hidden costs of ambition, dating while you’re still becoming, and how to know when it’s time to change direction. Andrew shares what it means to build a life on your own terms — and why the unconventional path often teaches you the most about who you really are.If you’ve ever felt behind, stuck, or unsure whether you’re allowed to change your mind… this episode is your permission.You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to bet on yourself.

In your 20s, happiness can feel fleeting, like something you’re constantly chasing but never quite holding onto. We get caught in a trap that it will come once we have the right job, relationship, routine, or sense of stability… but what if that’s not how happiness works at all?In this episode, I sit down with Abigail Ferrell, author of Happier Us, to unpack what truly creates lasting happiness and how to build it intentionally. We talk about the biggest misconceptions people have about happiness, why so many of us feel stuck or numb, and what science and faith surprisingly agree on when it comes to joy.Abigail shares practical, step-by-step tools for rewiring your brain for joy, including how your thoughts, words, and daily habits shape your emotional life more than you realize. We explore affirmations, gratitude, the role of community, and how to choose happiness without ignoring hard emotions or real struggles.This conversation is thoughtful, honest, and deeply grounding — especially if you’re in a season where life looks fine on the outside, but something feels off on the inside.If you’ve ever wondered why happiness feels harder than it should… this episode is for you.

This episode feels like those special, long, honest girl chats — the kind that usually happen late at night on the couch, in the car after dinner, or through voice notes that slowly turn into therapy sessions. Together, we talk about dating and relationships, confidence as a single person, what actually builds a strong marriage and partnership, femininity, friendship breakups, career pressure, motherhood, the “ick,” worst date stories, and the honest opinions we don’t always say out loud.We dive into the questions so many of us are quietly carrying: How do you stay hopeful in dating when it feels exhausting? What really builds confidence? How do you grow with your partner instead of apart? What makes a marriage last? How do friendships shift as you get older? And how do you navigate becoming softer, stronger, and more self-aware at the same time?This isn’t advice from experts — it’s real, unfiltered conversation between friends who are still figuring it out. From women who inspire me. Honest, funny, thoughtful, and comforting, this episode is a reminder that you’re not behind, you’re not strange for wondering these things, and you’re not alone in the season you’re in. These are the conversations we don’t have enough with our friends — but probably should.Connect with Corinne and Kass on Instagram@corinnecwall@kass_lewis21

Maybe part of you still wants your ex back. Maybe you’re trying to move on, but you can’t imagine your life without them. Maybe you’re barely sleeping, barely eating, struggling to show up at work, or wondering how you’re supposed to function when the person you loved is suddenly gone. In this episode, I sit down with Cole Zesiger to talk about what you actually do when your heart is broken — not surface-level advice or quick fixes, but the real, uncomfortable work of healing while you’re still in it. We talk about why heartbreak takes over your thoughts, why missing someone can feel all-consuming, and how to begin moving forward and investing in yourself and your future, even when you don’t feel ready. Whether your goal is to save a relationship or finally let go, this conversation offers a clear, honest guide to healing a broken heart, rebuilding your life beyond the relationship, and finding real comfort, clarity, and hope. If you’re hurting and don’t know what comes next — if you’re wondering how to keep going when everything in you wants to hold on — this is where you begin. Connect with Cole: YouTube: @colezesiger Instagram: @coachcolezesiger TikTok: @colezesiger Preorder Ex’s and No’s: coachcolezesiger.com/exsandnos

Everyone loves the beginning. Everyone celebrates the ending. Almost no one talks about the middle.The middle is where things feel unclear, delayed, unfinished — where prayers feel unanswered, timelines don’t make sense, and you’re doing your best to trust God without knowing how your story actually turns out.In this episode, I sit down with Wes Wright to talk honestly about what it’s like to live in the in-between. We talk about faith when clarity hasn’t come yet, trusting God when life doesn’t look the way you hoped it would, and learning how to stay steady when you’re still waiting on the thing you want most.This conversation is for anyone who feels stuck, behind, or frustrated by the timing of their life — and needs permission to admit that the middle is hard… without believing it’s pointless.If you’re in the middle of your story right now, this one’s for you.

If you’ve ever prayed your guts out and felt like heaven just… didn’t answer? Yeah. Same. This episode with Brad Wilcox is for anyone who’s felt frustrated, ignored, confused, or honestly just tired of trying so hard and feeling like nothing is shifting. We talk about: Those nights you pray and it feels like your words hit the ceiling wanting good, righteous things… and wondering why they’re not happening Feeling behind in your 20s and comparing your timeline to everyone else’s The weird mix of anger + guilt you feel when God seems far away Trying to trust a God you can’t always feel Building real confidence and self-worth when life feels stuck Why quiet seasons don’t mean abandoned seasons It’s honest. It’s messy. It’s that “guys, I don’t get what God is doing with my life right now” conversation we all have in our heads but never say out loud. And Brad brings the kind of perspective that makes you feel seen, grounded, and reminded that: silence isn’t absence, waiting isn’t punishment, and God is doing more in your life than you think. If you’re in a season that feels slow, quiet, or unfair… this one’s for you. Let it sit with you. Let it breathe. Let it remind you you’re not alone.