In today’s episode, Jess shares the story of what really unfolded during her year-long sabbatical, the endings, the letting go, the quiet reorientations that only come when you get quiet and listen to what life is trying to communicate.
Together Emily and Jess revisit the inner and outer journey that began with leaving Ecuador, closing long-running programs, and pausing social media - and unfolded into a deep season of trust, simplicity, and rediscovery. Jess opens up about shifting her relationship to work, identity, family, and freedom, the dance between devotion and detachment, and the surprising gifts that arrived when she finally surrendered to the whispers of life.
This isn’t a highlight reel. it’s a real-time reflection on what it means to listen, to release what’s complete, and to find your rhythm again when there’s no map.
If you’ve ever felt yourself in the in-between — closing a chapter, craving space, or wondering what comes next, this conversation is a mirror, a permission slip, and a gentle reminder: you can trust the subtle clues of life.
In this intimate first full episode of Nothing to Fear, Emily shares the story of giving birth to her second son, Ecko, and just five days later, witnessing him transcend. It’s a story that holds both the rawness of loss and the deep trust of the unseen, energetic world.
Joined by her best friend and co-host Jess, they revisit the sacred hours and days surrounding Ecko’s birth and passing: the deep trust in life that guided every moment, the presence of family and friendship, the mystery of what it means to meet death without fear, and the tender, practical work of integrating loss into life.
Welcome to Nothing to Fear — the podcast with friends Jess Scheer and Emily Sullivan. After a decade of voice-noting through every season of life and living very different life paths — one traveling and dating, one landing in a home and raising a family, both building and being behind the scenes of intentional businesses — we’re talking about the realness of meeting fear head-on, not letting it steer your choices or control your mind, and stepping boldly into your soul’s unique path. Through intimate stories, pivotal transformations, and the quiet magic of listening to life, we reveal what can happen when you trust life’s curriculum instead of trying to control it. In our debut episode, meet us, feel the friendship, and discover a reality where you have nothing to fear.