Air-Check Your Life
Welcome to Air-Check You Life, formerly Learn from People who Lived it.
𝗔𝗶𝗿-𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲™ is a leadership and communication podcast grounded in real-life experience. Hosted by keynote speaker and communication strategist Mathew Blades, the show explores mental health, resilience, spiritual growth, and the leadership lessons that show up when life gets hard. Each episode features honest conversations with people who’ve lived it, turning stories into practical tools to use immediately. With decades in award-winning broadcasting and work alongside organizations like Kia, Durango Detention Center, ACMA, Panera Bread, and Willmeng Construction, Mathew brings clarity to complex conversations. If you care about stronger communication, emotional intelligence, and meaningful growth, jump in!
Find more at MathewBlades.com
Welcome to Air-Check You Life, formerly Learn from People who Lived it.
𝗔𝗶𝗿-𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲™ is a leadership and communication podcast grounded in real-life experience. Hosted by keynote speaker and communication strategist Mathew Blades, the show explores mental health, resilience, spiritual growth, and the leadership lessons that show up when life gets hard. Each episode features honest conversations with people who’ve lived it, turning stories into practical tools to use immediately. With decades in award-winning broadcasting and work alongside organizations like Kia, Durango Detention Center, ACMA, Panera Bread, and Willmeng Construction, Mathew brings clarity to complex conversations. If you care about stronger communication, emotional intelligence, and meaningful growth, jump in!
Find more at MathewBlades.com
Episodes

Jul 15, 2024
Jul 15, 2024
55 min
How to Fix Your Relationship with Food and Live the Life You Crave with Lia Pinelli
In this episode, you'll hear:
How mothers' relationships with their bodies impact their daughters
The dangers of letting yourself down and how to rebuild self-trust
Practical tips and tools to begin to Live the Life You Crave
The science of intermittent fasting and how to do it successfully
How to navigate a household that is not on your nutrition journey along with you
Lia Pinelli is the owner of The Life You Crave and the leader of The Fempire, “a community of powerhouse women who are invested in feeling good in their own skin, building baller businesses, and creating the lives they crave unapologetically.” She came from an Italian-American household full of great food, and as a kid, she was teased for her weight. It wasn't until she turned 9 when her mother suggested they go on a diet together, that she began to see her different body as “bad”. This kickstarted three decades of yo-yo dieting that ended when she found a coach who helped her rethink her relationship with food and herself. Now she is paying it forward as a coach to other women who are ready to start living the life they crave.
In this episode, Mathew, Dr. Dave, and Lia discuss the line between good-natured teasing and inappropriate bullying, the difference between being self-conscious and health-conscious, and how being health-conscious can turn into orthorexia. Lia tells us how she fell into self-sabotaging behaviors around food and how she rebuilt trust in herself by changing her mindset from plans to promises, learning how urges impacted her, and moving through the feelings rather than running away from them.
“Any real growth requires discomfort.”
Follow the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h)
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM)
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE)
Resources:
Dr. David Leicken, MD
LiaPinelli.com
Connect with Mathew Blades:
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Jul 8, 2024
Jul 8, 2024
41 min
In this episode, you'll hear:
Practical Ways Breathwork Impacts Your Daily Life
What Chris and Mathew experienced during their breathwork session
The Science Behind Breathwork
Lukis Mac is the founder of Owaken Breathwork, a groundbreaking modality that empowers individuals to heal and transform through the power of breathwork. Lukas had a turbulent childhood growing up in New Zealand that led him on a journey to try and understand himself and heal from his past. He found what he was looking for through breathwork, and now he is bringing the practice to others as a shamanic breathwork expert. He works with many high-profile celebrities and athletes, but his sessions are also widely available to everyone on his website, in his app, and through the events he facilitates across the world.
In this episode, Mathew, Chris, and Lukis discuss mental blocks people face when exploring breathwork and how to overcome them, how Owaken is unique, and who can benefit from the practice. Lukis outlines ways we can identify negative patterns and break those patterns for ourselves today, how different breathing techniques impact us, and how learning self-regulation can change our lives.
“You are your own healer.”
Follow the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h)
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM)
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE)
Resources:
LukisMac.co
ChrisPowell.com
INeededThatPodcast.com
Connect with Mathew Blades:
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Jun 17, 2024
Jun 17, 2024
1hr 3 min
Practical Tips to Navigate Grief with Julieanne Williams
In this episode, you'll hear:
How Julieanne told her children what happened to their dad
Key takeaways from her books: H.O.P.E.
The importance of community
How can you help someone who is grieving?
What life after a loss can look like
Julieanne Williams was born in a small farm town with a heart defect that required surgery at the age of 5. It complicated her childhood but also developed a resilience in her that she would need later on. She went on to earn her bachelor's degree in applied developmental psychology from Cal Poly SLO and a Master of Public Health from Fresno State. She has also written several books, including Griefquake, Head Above Water, and Unleash Her.
At age 38, Julianne's husband took his life after battling bipolar disorder. This left her in a dire financial situation, navigating a turbulent custody battle with her in-laws, and learning how to be a single parent to young children grieving the loss of their father. Her mission is to use what she has learned to help others who are experiencing loss and trauma from the death, illness, or emotional severing of a spouse, child, or parent, as well as other life-altering grief-triggering events.
In this episode, Mathew and Julieanne discuss the realities of having a loved one with bipolar disorder and losing a spouse to suicide, what she learned about grief along the way, and what she may have done differently looking back. Mathew talks about the recent loss of his mother and best friend, and Dr. Dave gives us some good information about what people going through grief need to recognize about themselves. Julieanne emphasizes the role of community, tells us how she worked hard to stay connected, and outlines how connection helps facilitate healing. She also notes the importance of normalizing the fact that grief hurts, it’s unique, and it doesn't go away, but it does get better.
“There is life after loss.”
Follow the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h)
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM)
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE)
Resources:
JulianneWilliams.com
Julianne on Instagram
Dr. David Leicken, MD
Connect with Mathew Blades:
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson

Jun 10, 2024
Jun 10, 2024
49 min
Are You in the Middle of a Hard Transition? Learn How to Embrace Change with Cortney McDermott
In this episode, you'll hear:
How to find peace in the space around pain
Tools to manage the discomfort around the unknown
Ways to free yourself from limiting beliefs and thoughts.
Cortney McDermott is a returning guest on the show and one of our favorite people to learn from. She has lived in Italy for more than half of her life. She tells us she went there to escape and is now facing the unknown and everything she left behind as she prepares to return to the US. In this conversation, we explore her fears, what she is letting go of, and how she’s working through her grief by letting herself feel it fully, sharing her thoughts and feelings with people she trusts, and opening herself up to what they have to say.
Change is inevitable. Sometimes we choose it, sometimes it blindsides us, and sometimes we see it coming but can’t outrun it anymore. No matter how it comes to us, we have to embrace it and let it go. However, it’s rarely easy and often involves grief. Recently, Mathew lost his mother and best friends of 35 years within 2 months of each other. In this episode, he talks about the headspace he is in, how he views this challenge from the universe, and the peace he has found through breathwork, transcendental meditation, and embracing the space around pain head-on rather than relying on self-medication.
Eventually, we will all find ourselves sitting in the middle of some transitional period. In those times, it can often seem difficult or even impossible to feel okay with not knowing what will happen next. You are not alone in this, and there are some tools you can use to help make it to the other side. The first step is to realize that the sense of control you think you have lost was a delusion and an illusion from the start. Anything can happen at any time, so instead of letting fear overcome us, think, “What if it all goes right?”.
“We’re going to have to change form one way or another, so it’s whether we do that consciously or unconsciously.”
Follow the podcast:
Listen on Apple Podcasts (link: https://apple.co/3s1YH7h)
Listen on iHeart (link: https://ihr.fm/3MEY7FM)
Listen on Spotify (Link: https://spoti.fi/3yMmQCE)
Get LFPWLI Merch here!
Resources:
CortneyMcDermott.com
LukisMac.co
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Part 1: Why You Don’t Have What You Want with Cortney McDermott
Part 2: Creating More Time in Your Day with Cortney McDermott
Part 3: Let Go and Laugh with Cortney McDermott
Everything is Fine, but You Are Still Unhappy: Change Your Mindset with Cortney McDermott
Connect with Mathew Blades:
Twitter - twitter.com/MathewBlades
Instagram - instagram.com/MathewBladesmedia/
Facebook - facebook.com/mathewbladesmedia/
Website - learnfrompeoplewholivedit.com/
Additional Credits:
LFPWLI is managed by Sam Robertson







