🌟 Capes & Conversations – The Official Podcast of Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center

Where we unlock the hero within!

Hosted by Adam Kotowski and Megan Rose McMullen, MS, this podcast is a space for parents and kids to explore mental health, personal growth, and the power of storytelling. Each episode dives into lessons on emotional resilience, confidence, and how to become the hero of your own story—featuring characters from your favorite movies, shows, and games. No matter what challenge you're facing, Capes & Conversations is here to remind you: you are not alone.

🛡️ Episode 11.02 – Kid’s Version: Don’t Expect You from Others

🕒 Episode Length: 14 minutes 37 seconds

🎙️ Bio:

Have you ever been frustrated that someone didn’t understand you? Or felt like your parents expected you to be perfect? In this episode, Adam and Megan explore what happens when we expect others to think, act, or feel the same way we do—and why that can cause a lot of unnecessary stress.

Using examples from Encanto, Sherlock Holmes, Star Wars, and more, this episode reminds us that perfection isn’t real—but perspective is. Learning how to accept yourself (even when others don’t fully “get” you) is one of the greatest superpowers you can build.

🔎 Episode Breakdown:

🎯 Core Themes:

• Perfection isn’t the goal—progress is.
• Expecting people to act or think like us causes disappointment.
• You don’t need to earn acceptance—being yourself is enough.
• Confidence in who you are helps reduce bullying and pressure.
• You have the power to write your own story, your own way.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Like Maribel in Encanto, many kids feel unseen when expectations are too high—but that doesn’t mean you aren’t valuable.
• People who expect a lot from you usually care—but you don’t need to be perfect to be loved.
• Everyone has their own strengths, timelines, and ways of learning. Be patient with yourself.
• The people who succeed are usually the ones who keep showing up—even when things aren’t easy.
• When you stop expecting others to “get it,” you gain freedom and peace.

🛠️ Tools & Frameworks:

• “D = A – M” → Discouragement = Adversity – Meaning
  If you’re feeling discouraged, try finding the meaning in what you're learning.
• Growth Mindset Reminder – Skills can be learned. You don’t need to be good right away.
• The “Shoot for the Moon” Mindset – Aim high and you'll still land somewhere amazing.
• Rebel with a Cause – Being different isn’t wrong. It’s powerful when it's tied to purpose.

📞 Resources:

• Got a superhero, situation, or question you want us to talk about?
  You can send it to us anonymously through the GEWC website and we might feature it in a future episode!
• Need support working through emotions, friendships, or family stuff? Ask your parent or guardian to schedule a session with us at Grundy Eunoia—we’re here for you.

🌀 Reflection Prompt:

🎁 Message to Kids:

You don’t need to be like anyone else to matter. Your story, your heart, and your unique superpowers are more than enough. When you show up as your true self, you make space for others to do the same—and that’s what real confidence looks like.

🔗 Support Our Mission:

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center ensures every child has access to mental health services, mentorship, and guidance—regardless of financial status. Want to help another kid find their confidence? Sponsorship and donation links are in the show notes, on our website, and through our social media pages.

🔗 Listen now & subscribe:

🎧 Spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts
🌍 Our Website
📺 YouTube

🌟 Capes & Conversations – The Official Podcast of Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center

Where we unlock the hero within!

Hosted by Adam Kotowski and Megan Rose McMullen, MS, this podcast is a space for parents and kids to explore mental health, personal growth, and the power of storytelling. Each episode delves into topics like resilience, emotional well-being, and the lessons we can learn from our favorite heroes in movies, books, and games. Whether you're a parent looking for insight or a listener discovering the strength within, Capes & Conversations is here to guide you on your journey.

🛡️ Episode 10.02 – Kid’s Version: Choice is Better Than No Choice

🕒 Episode Length: 16 minutes 19 seconds

🎙️ Bio:

Ever felt like you didn’t have a say in something? Like your choices were already made for you? In this episode, Adam and Megan talk about what it really means to have power—even when the situation feels out of your control.

Using stories from The Hunger Games, personal experiences with sports, and even hero characters like The Witcher, we explore the power of choosing your attitude, even when you can’t control everything else. Heroes aren’t just the ones who win battles—they’re the ones who choose who they become, no matter what.

When life feels tough, frustrating, or unfair… remember this: you always have a choice.

🔎 Episode Breakdown:

🎯 Core Themes:

• Even when you can’t control the situation, you can control your response.
• Your attitude is your superpower.
• Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset—everything can be learned.
• Choosing perspective makes you feel stronger, not stuck.
• Rules and expectations can exist—but how you show up in them is up to you.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Heroes like Katniss Everdeen and The Witcher show us that power isn’t about winning—it’s about choosing who you want to be.
• Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
• You don’t always hear the full message—so take time to really listen before reacting.
• It’s okay to feel upset when things don’t go your way, but your response is your responsibility.
• Growth comes from learning skills you didn’t have before—not just being naturally good at something.

🛠️ Tools & Frameworks:

• D = A – M → Discouragement = Adversity – Meaning
  When life is hard, look for the meaning—then you’ll feel more hopeful.
• Perspective Shift Practice – If something feels frustrating, ask: “What am I learning from this?”
• Skill, Not Talent – Everything is learnable with time and effort.
• Henry Ford Reminder – “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.”

📞 Resources:

• Got a hero you love? A school or family challenge you want to talk about?
  Send us an anonymous question through our website and we may feature it in a future episode!
• Want help learning how to manage your emotions or make good choices? Ask your parent to schedule a session with us—we’re here for you.

🌀 Reflection Prompt:

🎁 Message to Kids:

You won’t always get to decide what happens—but you can always choose how to handle it. Your choices shape your future, and your attitude shapes your strength. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to stay curious, open, and willing to try again.

🔗 Support Our Mission:

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center ensures every child has access to mental health services, mentoring, and guidance—regardless of financial status. Want to sponsor a child’s journey? Donation links are in the show notes, website, and on our social media pages.

🔗 Listen now & subscribe:

🎧 Spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts
🌍 Our Website
📺 YouTube

🌟 Capes & Conversations – The Official Podcast of Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center

Where we unlock the hero within!

Hosted by Adam Kotowski and Megan Rose McMullen, MS, this podcast is a space for parents and kids to explore mental health, personal growth, and the power of storytelling. Each episode delves into topics like resilience, emotional well-being, and the lessons we can learn from our favorite heroes in movies, books, and games. Whether you're a parent looking for insight or a listener discovering the strength within, Capes & Conversations is here to guide you on your journey.

🛡️ Episode 09.02 – Kid’s Version: No Such Thing as Failure

🕒 Episode Length: 17 minutes 58 seconds

🎙️ Bio:

In this playful and powerful episode, Adam and Megan talk directly to kids and teens about something really important: the idea that failure isn’t real—it’s just feedback. Using examples from Moana, Michael Jordan, and even their own lives, they show how trying something and not getting it right the first time doesn’t mean you’re not good at it—it means you’re learning.

Whether it's being cut from a team, missing a goal, or getting tough feedback, this episode is all about bouncing back, finding your "why," and saying the most important word of all: again.

You’re not failing—you’re growing.

🔎 Episode Breakdown:

🎯 Core Themes:

• There’s no such thing as failure—only feedback.
• Growth happens when we keep trying, even when it’s hard.
• Everyone, even heroes, messes up sometimes.
• You get better by doing things again—not by being perfect.
• Pain and disappointment can be powerful teachers.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Falling down isn’t failure. It’s part of getting stronger.
• Comparing yourself to others can steal your joy—focus on your own journey.
• Feedback can feel hard, but it’s how we grow.
• It's okay to feel frustrated—just don't quit!
• Everyone has moments of doubt, but your dreams are worth fighting for.

🛠️ Tools & Frameworks:

• The Power of “Again” – Keep going, keep trying, and keep growing.
• Feedback, not Failure – Mistakes are lessons in disguise.
• Growth Mindset – Skills can be developed with time and effort.
• Invisible Backpack – Everyone carries experiences that shape how they react—be kind to yourself.
• Reclaiming Your “Why” – When you remember why you started, you’ll remember why it’s worth it.

📞 Resources:

• If you’re feeling stuck, sad, or unsure, talk to a parent, teacher, coach, or trusted adult.
• Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center is always here to help. You can stop by, call, or send in an anonymous question for the podcast.
• Donation and support links can be found on our website and social media.

🌀 Reflection Prompt:

🎁 Message to Kids:

Everyone messes up sometimes—even superheroes! But when you get back up and try again, that’s when the real growth happens. You are learning, growing, and becoming stronger every time you say “I’ll try again.” That’s what makes you powerful.

🔗 Support Our Mission:

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center ensures every child has access to mental health services, mentoring, and guidance—regardless of financial status. Want to sponsor a child’s journey? Donation links are in the show notes, website, and on our social media pages.

🔗 Listen now & subscribe:

🎧 Spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts
🌍 Our Website
📺 YouTube

🌟 Capes & Conversations – The Official Podcast of Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center

Where we unlock the hero within!

Hosted by Adam Kotowski and Megan Rose McMullen, MS, this podcast is a space for parents and kids to explore mental health, personal growth, and the power of storytelling. Each episode delves into topics like resilience, emotional well-being, and the lessons we can learn from our favorite heroes in movies, books, and games. Whether you're a parent looking for insight or a listener discovering the strength within, Capes & Conversations is here to guide you on your journey.

🛡️ Episode 09.01 – Parent’s Version: No Such Thing as Failure

🕒 Episode Length: 27 minutes 22 seconds

🎙️ Bio:

In this inspiring episode, Adam and Megan explore the mindset shift that redefines failure as feedback. What if every “mistake” was actually a stepping stone to success? What if the only real failure was giving up?

Through candid stories, personal reflection, and supportive insights, this episode empowers parents to rethink how they model resilience for their kids. Instead of fearing failure, we can embrace it, learn from it, and grow—because every setback holds wisdom, and every moment of doubt can be transformed into clarity and courage.

Whether you’re working through a personal regret or guiding your child through a tough season, this episode reminds you that the journey matters far more than the perfection of the outcome.

🔎 Episode Breakdown:

🎯 Core Themes:

• There is no such thing as failure—only feedback.
• Redefining success as peace of mind through self-satisfaction.
• Comparison culture and how it distorts self-worth.
• The power of growth mindset in children and adults.
• Turning pain into wisdom and pressure into purpose.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• You are enough. When you give your best effort, you’ve succeeded.
• Every successful person has fallen—but they got up and tried again.
• Feedback isn’t failure. It’s direction.
• Comparison is the thief of joy—focus on your own path.
• Pain is a messenger. Sit with it long enough to find the wisdom within it.

🛠️ Tools & Frameworks:

• Peace of Mind = True Success – Based on John Wooden’s definition.
• “Milking a chicken” – Don’t waste time on regrets or “shoulds.”
• Sit with the Pain – Wisdom often waits within discomfort.
• Growth Mindset – Intelligence, talent, and emotional strength can be developed.
• Don’t “when” your life away – Happiness isn’t waiting on some future achievement.

📞 Resources:

• Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center is available to support you with licensed professionals and compassionate care.
• Reach out to your support system or contact us anonymously with topic suggestions or questions.
• Donation links and support services are available on our website and social media pages.

🌀 Reflection Prompt:

🎁 Message to Parents:

You don’t have to shield your kids from failure. In fact, letting them experience challenges—while offering them a safe place to reflect—helps them develop resilience. Instead of rushing to fix things, sit with them in the discomfort, and show them how to transform setbacks into stepping stones.

🔗 Support Our Mission:

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center ensures every child has access to mental health services, mentoring, and guidance—regardless of financial status. Want to sponsor a child’s journey? Donation links are in the show notes, website, and on our social media pages.

🔗 Listen now & subscribe:

🎧 Spotify
🍏 Apple Podcasts
🌍 Our Website
📺 YouTube

🌟 Capes & Conversations is the official podcast of Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center, where we unlock the hero within!

Hosted by Adam Kotowski and Megan Rose McMullen, MS, this podcast is a space for parents and kids to explore mental health, personal growth, and the power of storytelling. Each episode delves into topics like resilience, emotional well-being, and the lessons we can learn from our favorite heroes in movies, books, and games. Whether you're a parent looking for insight or a listener discovering the strength within, Capes & Conversations is here to guide you on your journey.

🛡️ Episode 08.01 - Parent’s Version: This World Needs You

🕒 Episode Length: 28 minutes 21 seconds

Bio:
In this heartfelt and unfiltered conversation, we pause our usual programming to honor a local tragedy and open the door to an honest discussion about suicide awareness and prevention. Mental Health Awareness Month holds a deeper weight this year, and in this episode, we want to remind you—you matter.

Together, Adam and Megan explore how moments of despair can feel insurmountable and yet still be transformed. Through storytelling, reflection, and tools for navigating emotional storms, this episode emphasizes the power of presence, the need for perspective, and the essential truth: the world is better with you in it.

Whether you're a parent, a teen, or someone just trying to get through the day, this message is for you. You are not alone, and your story is not over.

🔎 Episode Breakdown:

🎯 Core Themes:

• Suicide awareness, prevention, and compassionate conversation
• The importance of personal perspective versus external perception
• How the past does not define your future—only your present actions do
• Every person has gifts the world needs—and only they can give them

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• “You matter.” Your unique lens on life, your experiences, your voice—are irreplaceable.
• Pain and adversity lose their power when we give them meaning.
• Rock bottom isn’t the end—it can be the beginning of your foundation.
• Letting out emotions is a strength, not a weakness. "Better out than in."
• Reaching out is brave. Help is available. Connection is possible.

🛠️ Tools & Frameworks:

• D = A - M → Despair equals Adversity minus Meaning
• Be in the present moment to stop recreating a predictable future based on a familiar past.
• Use trusted relationships and safe spaces to process emotions and find guidance.
• A visual metaphor of “laundry sorting” to symbolically reclaim your identity and story.

📞 Resources:

• Call or text 988 for 24/7 support in moments of crisis.
• Reach out to Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center or any trusted adult, educator, or mental health professional in your area.
• Anonymous question submission is available for future podcast topics.

🌀 Reflection Prompt:

🎁 Message to Parents:
This episode may be difficult, but it’s also necessary. Use it as an opportunity to open a real conversation with your child. Normalize emotion. Model asking for help. And above all, remind them that their presence is a gift.

🔗 Support Our Mission:
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center ensures every child has access to mental health services, mentoring, and guidance—regardless of financial status. Want to sponsor a child’s journey? Donation links are in the show notes, website, and on our social media pages.

🔗 Listen now & subscribe:
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NVFJCbzPdiq5P6ZSMqYFW
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../capes.../id1798464566
🌍 Our Website: https://grundyeunoiawellnesscenter.com/community/
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrundyEunoiaWellnessCenter

🌟 Capes & Conversations is the official podcast of Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center, where we unlock the hero within!

Hosted by Adam Kotowski and Megan Rose McMullen, MS, this podcast is a space for parents and kids to explore mental health, personal growth, and the power of storytelling. Each episode delves into topics like resilience, emotional well-being, and the lessons we can learn from our favorite heroes in movies, books, and games. Whether you're a parent looking for insight or a listener discovering the strength within, Capes & Conversations is here to guide you on your journey.

🛡️ Little Hinges Swing Big Doors – Kid’s Version

🕒 Episode Length: 19 minutes 28 seconds

What do ships, superheroes, and your own life have in common? You’re stronger than you think—and the little things you do every day build big power.

In this episode of Capes & Conversations, we break down what it really means to stay afloat, even when life feels heavy. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by bullies, pressure, or school, this conversation reminds you that YOU are in charge of your journey—and the ship only sinks if you let the water in.

💥 In this episode, we talk about:
✨ How to deal with bullies or people who try to bring you down.
✨ Why comparison steals your joy—and what to do instead.
✨ How small actions like brushing your teeth or practicing art every day can create HUGE changes.
✨ Lessons from Luisa in Encanto, Mulan, Harry Potter, and Spider-Man.
✨ The power of consistency, resilience, and never giving up—especially when it’s hard.

💡 Key Takeaway:
You don’t have to do everything at once—just take the next right step. Be consistent. Stay true to yourself. And remember: even if someone says something unkind, you don’t have to accept it. That gift only becomes yours if you open it.

🌱 Hero Reflection Questions:
🤔 What’s one small thing you can do today to feel proud of yourself?
🤔 Is there something you’ve wanted to try but felt scared or unsure about?
🤔 How can you show up for yourself even when things are tough?
🤔 Who’s a character you admire that kept going when things were hard?

💌 Have a favorite hero or idea you want to hear about? Tell us! You can submit a question or topic through our website—anonymously if you want.

🔗 Support Our Mission:
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Grundy Eunoia Wellness Center ensures every child has access to mental health services, mentoring, and guidance—regardless of financial status. Want to sponsor a child’s journey? Donation links are in the show notes, website, and on our social media pages.

🔗 Listen now & subscribe:
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NVFJCbzPdiq5P6ZSMqYFW
🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../capes.../id1798464566
🌍 Our Website: https://grundyeunoiawellnesscenter.com/community/
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrundyEunoiaWellnessCenter

#KidsMentalHealth #CapesAndConversations #HeroWithin #EmotionalResilience #YouCanDoHardThings