This episode relates to Kaylin’s Master’s thesis/Capstone work, which centers on “Playing the Self: How Narrative RPGs Foster Identification and Transformation for Highly Sensitive People.” By applying the updated HSP-R Scale, we discuss the eudaimonic benefits of narrative Role Playing Games (RPGs) for HSPs. Storytelling, the element of choice, parasocial relationships, identification, transportation, and other topics are fair game! Of course, we will mix in some theories and models, but the heart of this episode is Kaylin’s love of video games, especially “Skyrim” and “The Witcher 3.” The two games mean so much to her and so many others. This work aims to continue reducing stigmas for sensitivity and video games by showing HSPs how they can reconcile the parts of themselves. Video games have been integral to Kaylin’s life, from conversation starters to mental health interventions. Narrative RPGs (and other narrative forms) have such intrinsic value for HSPs – and everyone! 

Happy 10 Years, Hourglass Media! 🎉 Having a company is not for the faint of heart. Kaylin reflects on what Hourglass Media has meant to her for the past decade, from failures to successes and everything in between. Her musings include the company’s beginnings in her childhood bedroom to the present-day blank slate. So many moments, relationships, projects, and writings have culminated in 10 years of highlight reels. On the opposite end, Kaylin also talks about the “shadow” side of owning a business, from depressive episodes, letdowns, client red flags, and more. Although Hourglass Media looks different than her vision in 2015, at the end of the day, it is a business Kaylin is proud to call her most authentic professional love.

You’ve likely heard that everyone has a shadow self, and you may have even heard about the dark triad of personality and temperament. In this episode, Kaylin reveals the “dark triad” of high sensitivity: perfectionism, workaholism, and overwhelm. This work stems from a grad school paper and her own experiences. The three aspects tend to correlate to an obsession with time and energy – at least in her everyday landscape. We discuss the shadow side of being an HSP, from melancholia and being a control freak to impostor syndrome and obsessive, rigid tendencies. Some of us tend to keep a full plate, too.  

In this week’s episode, Kaylin talks about things that no longer resonate with her, from the true crime genre and many facets of social media and large crowds to many aspects of life in between. Your 20s and 30s are truly formative as we continue to uncover more of who we are so we can lead a more authentic life. We move and change across the lifespan, and it can be jarring to not like something as much anymore or to develop a deeper sensitivity to something — especially as an HSP! 

If you’re an HSP, have you ever felt like something is wrong with you? Or that you have to overly explain your temperament trait? In this week’s episode, Kaylin revisits what it means to be an HSP with the sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) gene. She tackles three common misconceptions that HSPs can face in everyday life and across the lifespan. Some can be frustrating. Some can be liberating. More than 20% of individuals across the world are HSPs, so raising awareness is the first step!

The start of another new year often prompts reflection. Sometimes, new years bring changes we knew we needed but were afraid to pursue. In this episode, Kaylin talks about how her reflections over the past year led to a more profound awakening and understanding of how to remain true to her authentic, actual self. It also led to a 2025 Word of the Year, “Homecoming.” This episode delves into some of the reflective paths she took while at several crossroads, from learning that it’s OK when your career path shifts and choosing not to chronically people please to walking away from hustle culture and taking accountability for your feelings and actions. Most importantly, she discusses how these revelations can lead you toward the reconciliation of your selves, acceptance, and self-love. Sometimes, you just need to make a change. Stay tuned for episodes every other Friday – starting now. It’s great to be back! 

This week's artwork was used with permission from Kaylin's son. ❤️

Welcome back to Wholeheartedly! Although it has been a while since our last episode, Kaylin turned on the mic for an episode she didn’t expect to record. At the end of July, she lost her 8 ½-year-old cat, Ilia Garnet. It’s never easy to lose a beloved pet, and as a Highly Sensitive Person/empath, it can be exceedingly difficult and heart-wrenching to experience every emotion during something like this. Kaylin talks about Ilia’s story, pet grief, grief theories, ways to cope, and more. Grief is not linear, and it affects us all.

This episode is dedicated to Ilia Garnet Staten, the best soulmate cat a girl could ever ask for. Thank you, Ilia, for spending your precious life with us and being such a good kitten. I’ll love you forever, Beanie Baby. ❤️

Dealing with toxicity can be an uphill battle for Highly Sensitive People or anyone who identifies as an empath. In this week’s episode, Kaylin defines toxicity in both individuals and situations, which can allow “toxic empathy” to work overtime. She also gives an example of a toxic work environment from the very beginning of her career and tips that help her navigate toxicity. Although this subject can be viewed as negative in many regards, you can always learn more about yourself and how you respond to the chaos surrounding you.

Welcome back for Season 3! It has been a while since Kaylin has been behind the mic (9 months, to be exact). It’s a long time coming! In this season's debut episode, she talks about what she learned on her hiatus, including dismantling hustle culture, where to prioritize time and energy, the comforts of nostalgia, and more. Don’t miss the first solo episode of this new season after a very Hollywood-esque hiatus. Join us for more conversations about finding your authentic self, managing being an emotional sponge, and reawakening parts of yourself.

To borrow a lyric from Jewel in the early 2000s, this solo episode is all about intuition. One of the most powerful human experiences is having a gut feeling. Kaylin shares how intuition can shape authenticity, help to reach pivotal decisions, allow you to expand your comfort zone, her own therapy journey and aha moments, examples of gut feelings, how to harness the power of gut feelings, and more. IYKYK. Listen now: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wholeheartedly

For someone with an always-on personality with doses of perfectionism and workaholism, it can be challenging to step away from the hustle and bustle to just… rest. After all, there’s always a deadline, a bill to pay, a project to complete, a chore to do… In this week’s solo episode, Kaylin divulges her kryptonite (well, one of them): not allowing herself to truly rest and relax. It’s a fear-based notion that many of us struggle with. The episode sheds light on how an imbalanced life can lead to burnout, overstimulation, physical ailments, and more. Kaylin doesn’t have it all figured out, but the first step is always awareness. 💫 Implementation and consistency are hard but well worth it to establish boundaries with yourself, push the reset button, and contribute to your overall happiness.

Change is the only constant in life. In this week’s episode, Kaylin gets behind the mic to discuss change. Accepting change can be challenging, especially for those of us who aren’t naturally spontaneous, become overstimulated easily, and allow fear to seep into our daily lives. Kaylin talks about some changes she’s experienced, how she has reacted to them, and some steps you can take to accept change in your own life. (It’s a nonlinear, lifelong process.) We hope you enjoy this episode, initially created on the Notes app on a cruise ship and fine-tuned in the Hourglass headquarters.

It’s the first interview episode after our hiatus! Today, Kaylin is excited to sit down with Alissa Boyer, Mentor for Highly Sensitive People and everything Soulful & Sensitive. We talk about getting in touch with our creative side, what it truly means to be a Highly Sensitive Person, sensation seeking, parenting as an HSP, pacing ourselves as overachievers, being assertive with your own needs, self-regulation, taking action, self-compassion, and where HSPs can naturally thrive. You don’t want to miss this episode if you’re an HSP or want to learn more about what it means to be highly sensitive.

It’s been a while! Kaylin dusts off her mic to give a life update, how she is reconnecting with herself and others, and some conscious coping mechanisms she has started to implement. She also talks about how getting back to basics is just what she has needed for reconnection. It has been a long five months without Wholeheartedly. Let’s dig in to the first episode in a season that will be full of solo and interview episodes! Welcome to Season 2!

Welcome back! In this long-overdue episode, Kaylin discusses how feeling overwhelmed manifests in all of the roles she attempts to manage on a daily basis. She touches on how shame and guilt play off of overwhelm, work-life integration, overstimulation, and more in this freshly-minted episode. Listen at anchor.fm/wholeheartedly.

In this week’s solo episode, Kaylin talks about when her perfectionistic (and thus, anxious) tendencies started, which was when she was three years old. She also talks about adjectives that she would describe that little girl version of herself while also talking about perfectionism in general. It can manifest in so many different ways, and using tools, such as Perfectionism in Perspective, can really help you iron out all of the details and overarching themes of your own perfectionistic tendencies and unrelenting high standards. Learn more at anchor.fm/wholeheartedly.

This episode is the bookend episode to EP12, where Kaylin spoke with Crosby Noricks about PR Couture’s acquisition, as well as a whole host of topics. This week, Kaylin gets Jeneration Founder and President Jen Berson’s take on the acquisition and what led to Jeneration’s pursuit of this new endeavor. They also talk about listening to our intuition, being in the present moment (no matter what is going on), work-life integration, creating high-performance habits, parenting, overachieving, loving what you do and crafting a business that works for you, shifting the paradigm of what a PR career looks like, building a community/programs based on needs, and MUCH more. Listen at anchor.fm/wholeheartedly.

In this lucky #13 episode, Kaylin talks about Internal Family Systems, most notably her inner child. She talks about her own Internal Family System, learning to not identify yourself with only your roles, and defining yourself through values, principles, and aspirations. She also shares a life update that relates to her career and Hourglass Media – the bow on top of previous episodes of Wholeheartedly. Listen now at anchor.fm/wholeheartedly.

In this week’s solo episode, Kaylin reveals what it’s like to be a Highly Sensitive Person who is also sensation-seeking. It can seem like an oxymoron to be an HSP and to seek sensations at the same time, BUT it’s 100% possible and relatable. We get into the reasons for seeking sensations, as well as some characteristics, examples, and more. anchor.fm/wholeheartedly