What do you want right now?

Right now...as in not next week, not after you reach the next milestone, not once you have figured everything out...but in this very moment?

We live in a culture that continually pulls our attention toward what comes next, to the point where it is almost impossible to be in the moment. Practicing presence sounds like another ideal we are supposed to achieve.

What if it is much simpler than that?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David explore presence as conscious engagement in the now—not escaping responsibility, ignoring the future, or finding perfect peace, but becoming aware of what is happening within and around us before racing ahead.

Together, they discuss:

• Why future-casting can quietly feed anxiety, stress, and dissatisfaction
• How achievement can keep us from experiencing what we worked so hard to create
• Why a pause can interrupt old patterns and help us respond rather than react
• How stillness allows us to hear ourselves more clearly
• Why we do not always have to figure everything out
• Simple ways to practice presence—even for five seconds

Through stories involving a Route 66 bicycle ride, skydiving, motorcycles, major life decisions, and an ordinary walk without headphones, Kate and David explore what becomes possible when we stop trying to get somewhere else and begin appreciating what is already here.

You do not have to become perfectly present.

You only have to notice when you have left the moment—and give yourself permission to return.

There's a book none of us remembers reading, yet somehow we all seem to know the rules.

You should go to college. You should get married. You should have kids. You should stay busy. You should follow the process. You should play the game.

But who wrote the damn book?

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David call BS on some of the societal norms, beliefs, and systems we've learned to accept without questioning them—from healthcare and hiring practices to career paths, credit scores, productivity, and the expectations we place on one another.

Along the way, David shares a deeply personal reflection about a conversation with his son and what can happen when we unknowingly turn our own beliefs into someone else's story.

Because maybe the real permission slip isn't about rejecting every rule.

Maybe it's simply giving ourselves—and each other—the space to choose our own path.

As David puts it: "It isn't about being right. It's about being who I am, which is right enough."

What are you putting off because it feels too uncomfortable, uncertain, or far away?

We often tell ourselves we are waiting for the right time, a clearer plan, or enough courage to finally begin. But sometimes the familiar weight of avoidance simply feels safer than taking a step into the unknown.

In this episode of Permission Slip-Ups, Kate and David talk with entrepreneur and serial founder Jermaine Ee about intentional living, meaningful work, and what happens when we stop delaying the conversations and experiences that matter most.

Jermaine shares how his understanding of success and legacy has changed over time. In his twenties, he wanted to be admired for what he built. Today, after years of introspection and the unexpected loss of his mother, his definition of a meaningful life has become much simpler: he wants the people he loves to remember that when he was with them, he was fully present.

He also shares the moving story of taking his mother to Salzburg to experience the world of The Sound of Music—a dream she had never considered possible. Neither of them knew it would become her final trip.

Together, they explore:

• Why avoidance is often an understandable response to uncertainty, not a character flaw
• How emotionally uncomfortable or abstract decisions keep us stuck
• Why we wait for permission, courage, or the "right time"
• What our calendars and spending habits reveal about what energizes us
• How meaningful work connects purpose with what genuinely matters to us
• Why the first step does not need to solve everything—it only needs to begin
• How presence, relationships, and impact can become a more meaningful definition of legacy

This is a conversation about personal growth, purpose, loss, authenticity, and the courage to stop waiting for life to become urgent.

What is one meaningful thing you keep telling yourself you will do someday?

Contact us:

Jermaine Ee

Kate Turner

David Cooke