Ava shares her 72-hour San Francisco adventure blending wine education, city exploration, and short-distance travel in this travel talk episode. The trip served multiple purposes: attending a sommelier deductive tasting workshop, exploring the city with her partner, and embracing the concept of local travel from her California home base.

She makes a compelling case for short-distance travel, reflecting on how moving to California has shifted her perspective from seeking far-flung destinations to appreciating what's closer to home. Perhaps even inspiring your own short-distance travels in 2026.

Ava shares travel tips and recommendations for spending a weekend in San Francisco, California that balances exploration with relaxation. The two-day itinerary features a Saturday stroll through North Beach and a visit to SFMOMA, a life-changing chocolate almond croissant, a Golden Gate Park sit, a memorable first (and maybe last) Waymo ride, and of course - plenty of dining recommendations. And, the trip culminates with an intensive day of wine education, where Ava blind-tasted 20 wines as part of her sommelier certification journey.

Whether you're planning your own short-distance adventure, a visit to San Francisco, or even start your own sommelier journey, this episode offers plenty of ideas to spark your next adventure.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction

04:22 The case for short-distance travel

06:55 Getting to San Francisco

08:09 Where to stay in San Francisco

09:00 Day 1 Itinerary: Exploring North Beach and SFMOMA

17:16 Waymo self-driving car experience

25:26 Day 2 Itinerary: Good Eats and Golden Gate Park

34:10 Sommelier certification journey and wine tasting workshop

43:00 San Francisco travel tips and planning considerations

Episode Resources

The Coffee Movement: https://www.thecoffeemovement.com/

City Lights Bookstore: https://citylights.com/

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art: https://www.sfmoma.org/

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar: https://www.absinthe.com/

Ariscault Bakery: https://arsicault-bakery.com/

The Laundromat SF: https://www.thelaundromatsf.com/

Barcha: https://www.barcha-sf.com/

Court of Master Sommeliers: https://www.mastersommeliers.org/

Connect with Ava Beilke

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avabeilke/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avabeilke

Website: https://theavaverse.com/

Rate, review, and subscribe to MORE with Ava Beilke wherever you listen to podcasts.

Subscribe to watch @themorepod on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themorepod

Follow @themorepod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themorepod/

Follow @themorepod on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themorepod

More at: https://www.themorepod.com/

Ava welcomes the podcast’s resident astrologer KJ Atlas back for a special three-month astrology guide to Fall 2025 in the Northern Hemisphere. Learn about the most influential astrology of Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius seasons from September 22 – December 21, 2025, and how you can best use the energy to manifest original rich-bixch experiences this fall.

The season begins with the Fall Equinox on September 22 although it may feel less than celebratory. The first week of fall is dense with post-eclipse energy so it’s best to give it a week before diving into your spooky season to-dos.

The theme of this time period is unfinished business. If there were things that you really wanted to make happen earlier this year but faced blockages, now is the time to get back to work and manifest. Three key dates in October, November, and December will support your forward momentum.

Ava and KJ discuss all the major astrological transits of Fall 2025 including a Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius and Scorpio, a Moon Wobble in Sagittarius, some big shifts of the outer planets, and of course, a gorgeous set of new moons for manifesting and full moons for releasing. Tune in to learn how to best work with the energy, live in greater alignment, and manifest powerfully this season.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to KJ Atlas

03:05 Eclipse season concludes

05:36 Fall 2025 astro weather at-a-glance

07:58 Fall equinox on September 22

09:57 Key astrological transits this season

10:05 Mercury retrograde November 9

13:24 Upcoming Mars transits

17:10 Lucky dates for forward momentum

20:28 Moon wobble in Sagittarius

23:38 Dark moon phase years 2025-2026

27:23 Outer planet transits – Saturn and Uranus influence

32:34 Justice for the Pluto in Scorpio generation

46:05 New moons for manifesting this fall

46:54 New Moon in Libra October 21

48:47 New Moon in Scorpio November 19

49:47 New Moon in Sagittarius December 19

52:32 Full moons for releasing this fall

52:38 Full Moon in Aries October 6

53:30 Full Moon in Taurus November 5

55:03 Full Moon in Gemini December 4

58:41 Looking ahead to winter solstice

1:05:17 A reminder to make room for fun

Episode Resources

Work with KJ Atlas: https://www.kjatlas.com/

Connect with KJ Atlas

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kj.atlas/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kj.atlas

Website: https://www.kjatlas.com/

Connect with Ava Beilke

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avabeilke/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avabeilke

Website: https://theavaverse.com/

Rate, review, and subscribe to MORE with Ava Beilke wherever you listen to podcasts.

Subscribe to watch @themorepod on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themorepod

Follow @themorepod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themorepod/

Follow @themorepod on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themorepod

More at: https://www.themorepod.com/

Ava is joined by hypnotherapist Leo Max for a conversation about hypnosis, how the practice heals the mind, body, and soul, and leveraging hypnotherapy to help us become more of who we truly are.

Leo Max is a spiritual hypnotherapist based outside of NYC. He offers deep journeys into the subconscious mind for people to heal from the roots up. His work is a blend of roughly 8 styles of therapy rolled into one powerful service. As the founder of Restorative Hypnosis, he serves people who are tired of talk therapy, know there’s more to healing, and are ready for the transformational power of truth.

Ava and Leo dive into the fascinating world of hypnotherapy starting with the basics of how hypnosis works, what hypnotherapy actually is, and what first-timers can expect. Leo speaks to the benefits of working with the subconscious mind in this practice, and breaks down why hypnotherapy goes where talk therapy cannot. Keeping it to just the basics would be boring - so they also touch on some of the more mystical aspects of his practice like parts work and entity removal. Spoiler alert: If you need an entity guy… Leo’s the one to call.

Ava shares her personal experience with one-on-one hypnotherapy and how the sessions have transformed her reality. They wrap up with an exploration of Leo's beautiful perspective that "the more you heal, the more your soul emerges.” Ultimately, deep healing work just reveals more you. Tune in to explore the realm of hypnosis, healing, and truth.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Leo Max

03:22 Defining hypnosis and hypnotherapy

06:20 Leo’s personal journey to becoming a hypnotherapist

14:25 Conscious vs subconscious mind – how hypnotherapy works

20:05 The mind, body, and soul topics hypnosis can heal

22:00 What to expect in a hypnotherapy session

31:55 Victim mentality - who struggles the most in hypnotherapy

35:15 How long the effects “last” compared to other therapies

39:30 How hypnosis helps us become more of who we truly are

52:10 Parts work and entity removals

1:05:20 Self-development journey – what Leo’s loving now

1:12:41 Encouragement to keep experimenting with the healing process

Episode Resources

Connect with Leo Max

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restorativehypnosis/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@restorativehypnosis

Website: https://restorative-hypnosis.com/

Connect with Ava Beilke

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avabeilke/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@avabeilke

Website: https://theavaverse.com/

Rate, review, and subscribe to MORE with Ava Beilke wherever you listen to podcasts.

Subscribe to watch @themorepod on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themorepod

Follow @themorepod on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themorepod/

Follow @themorepod on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themorepod

More at: https://www.themorepod.com/