Tag: Community
The Power of Showing Up for Others with Emilie Highley (Ep. 21)

The Power of Showing Up for Others with Emilie Highley (Ep. 21)

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Many of us hope we’ll know what to do when someone we love needs us most. 

Yet caregiving, friendship, and supporting others through illness often arrive without a roadmap, asking us to respond with patience, compassion, and grace.

In this episode, Kevin Swanson sits down with Emilie Highley, Realtor at Compass, Los Gatos, to explore a life shaped by caring for others through some of their most difficult seasons. Emilie shares stories from her marriage, years spent supporting close friends through dementia and cancer, and caring for her husband during his long battle with heart disease and multiple sclerosis.

Emilie also reflects on resilience, kindness, trust, and why simply showing up for people can leave a lasting impact long after circumstances change.

Key takeaways:

  • Building lifelong relationships by putting people ahead of transactions and staying connected through every stage of life
  • Supporting friends through dementia with patience, compassion, and a willingness to meet them where they are
  • Serving as an advocate and trusted decision maker for those without nearby family or caregivers
  • Caring for a spouse through serious illness while finding strength, resilience, and perspective along the way
  • Choosing patience, understanding, and kindness as everyday practices that strengthen families and communities
  • And more!

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Connect with Emilie Highley:

About our guest:

Emilie Highley is a Realtor at Compass, Los Gatos, and a community leader with more than two decades of experience helping families through major life transitions. Before entering real estate, she spent 33 years in the technology industry. Throughout her career, she has been known for building lasting relationships with clients, many of whom have become lifelong friends. Beyond her professional work, Emilie has dedicated herself to serving others as a caregiver, successor trustee, volunteer, and advocate for friends and loved ones facing illness, dementia, and aging. Her perspective is shaped by decades of compassion, resilience, and a deep commitment to helping people through some of life’s most meaningful and challenging moments.

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Finding Meaning, Community, and Fulfillment with Dr. David Bruner (Ep. 18)

Finding Meaning, Community, and Fulfillment with Dr. David Bruner (Ep. 18)

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Many people spend years chasing achievement, only to discover they’re still searching for something deeper.

What creates a meaningful life? How do community, purpose, spirituality, and everyday choices shape the way we experience fulfillment?

In this episode, Kevin Swanson welcomes Dr. David Bruner, Life Coach and Former Spiritual Leader at the Center for Spiritual Living in San Jose, for a thoughtful conversation about finding meaning beyond achievement. 

They explore how community can be more valuable than chasing the perfect relationship, why living in the present matters, how personal values influence daily decisions, and what it really means to live a satisfying life while balancing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Key Takeaways:

  • Finding genuine community can have a greater impact on well-being than pursuing the perfect relationship alone
  • Viewing spirituality as a shared presence invites a broader perspective on connection and personal growth
  • Defining fulfillment by daily satisfaction instead of external achievement changes how life is experienced
  • Living according to personal values often explains why certain choices naturally create more energy and purpose
  • Consistent daily practices across physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual life help build lasting fulfillment
  • And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

Connect with Dr. David Bruner:

About our guest:

David Bruner is the former senior minister of the Center for Spiritual Living in San José, California. His irreverent humor and approachable, everyday style make him beloved by many. His passions include Spirit, people, animals, Harry Potter, and quirky favorites like People magazine, Taco Doritos, and colored Sharpies. 

Once a supermarket checker in Southern California, David discovered early the joy of bringing happiness to others, even while wearing a polyester apron and clip-on tie. This led him to pursue ministry, where his humor and unorthodox approach to spirituality have made him a favorite. From tales of DMV forgiveness to trapeze class adventures, David always brings a unique perspective. 

His current focus includes mastering Spanish verb conjugation and delivering top-notch coaching to his private clients. He lives in a beautiful flyover state with his spouse, Mauricio Lopez, his greatest role model.

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