Episodes 45
Avg. Duration 46m
Activity Dormant
Apple Rating 5.0 (22)
Since Jan 2024
Latest Episode Dec 2025

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Hosting
feeds.captivate.fm

About This Podcast

The great writer Walker Percy gifted the world with an inspiring and thought provoking line with his words: "Consciously cultivate the ordinary." So many of us today find ourselves living in a foggy and disorienting world where we are held captive to hectic schedules, polarizing news narratives, and our addiction to technology. We find ourselves continuously battling things like isolation, anxiety, fear, boredom, and apathy. What if instead of being held captive we could find ourselves captivated? Like children again, living with wonder and awe at the world around us and seeing God's presence more clearly in it. In the ordinary. This podcast seeks to help us all cultivate our ordinary better through inspiring stories, thought provoking quotes, laughter, and lively talks with normal people transforming things in the world around them. We invite you to join us on a fun journey of discovery and curiosity into the ordinary as we look for God's goodness and love through the lenses of joy, wonder, beauty, and hope. About the hosts: Travis and Jessie are passionate advocates for supporting foster care and work for the national org, America's Kids Belong. Travis is also an author and Jessie is an artist. They're both Enneagram/marriage coaches, soul care facilitators, and retreat owners at a property called Shiny Eyes Retreats. Travis has another podcast called "That's So Rad!" and Jess has a podcast called "Transforming Us." Check em out!

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Recent Episodes

S2E45 Year in Review: Random Gas Station Stories to Crazy Karaoke Experiences to Lessons in Faith and Life

Dec 31, 2025 45m

In this episode of Cultivate the Ordinary, hosts Travis and Jess reflect on the past year, sharing personal anecdotes, funny stories, and lessons learned. They each share a quote for the year that…

S2E44 Everyone Has a Book in Them: A Fun Conversation on Writing and Self Publishing

Jul 08, 2025 55m

In this episode of Cultivate the Ordinary, hosts Travis and Jess get back together after a bit of a break from this podcast. They discuss their recent creative projects, including two new podcasts…

S2E43 Shaped by the Places We Live and Our Need to Be Rooted

Apr 11, 2025 26m

In this episode of Cultivate the Ordinary Podcast, host Travis explores the themes of rootedness, geography, and personal history as he reflects on his time growing up on a farm in North Dakota. He…

S2E42 Being Astonished and Telling About It

Mar 27, 2025 27m

In this episode of Cultivate the Ordinary, Jessie and Travis explore some exciting things going on in their lives and how they're finding inspiration in these things. They talk some about the…

S2E41 Why Beauty Should Matter More in Your Daily Life

Mar 04, 2025 45m

In this episode of Cultivate the Ordinary Podcast, hosts Travis and Jessie explore the theme of beauty through personal experiences, reflections on a recent cruise, and the evolution of their…

S2E40 The Power of Gratitude and How It Can Change Our Lives

Feb 19, 2025 24m

In this episode of Cultivate the Ordinary, host Travis discusses the transformative power of gratitude, especially in the face of personal struggles. He shares his family's recent challenges,…

S2E39 Living Fully Alive and Being Formed by New Habits

Jan 28, 2025 29m

In this episode of Cultivate the Ordinary, hosts Travis and Jessie discuss their excitement for the new year, reflecting on personal goals and experiences. They explore the concept of bucket lists,…

S1E38 Season 1 Finale: Seeing the World Through Imaginative and Grateful Eyes with Asher Vangsnes

Sep 10, 2024 23m

In this season finale episode, Travis is joined by his son Asher to talk about curiosity and creativity. Asher sees the world so imaginatively and is full of curiosity. He's also brings the gift of…

S1E37 The Keys to Unlocking a Stronger Friendship in Your Marriage

Sep 04, 2024 48m

In this episode, Travis and Jess talk about cultivating friendship as a centerpiece to healthy marriages. Travis shares about the importance of humor as a tool that connects, heals, and helps us in…

S1E36 Experiencing Grace and Goodness in the Awful Agony of Dementia

Aug 27, 2024 31m

In this episode, Travis shares about his journey caregiving for his dad when he had late stage dementia. Alzheimers and dementia are brutal diseases that are rapidly rising globally. So many people…

S1E35 Reflections on Overcoming Adversity and Uncertainty with Jay Vangsnes

Aug 20, 2024 41m

In this episode, Travis and Jess are joined by their oldest son Jay to reflect on life before Jay heads off to college. They talk about fun memories and Jay's unique personality and place in the…

S1E34 Harnessing Our Grief and Cherishing the Lives of Those We’ve Lost

Aug 13, 2024 32m

In this episode, Travis talks about facing grief head on and holding space for grieving the loss of loved ones in different ways and with all our senses. He shares about how the loss of his dad over…

S1E33 Slaying Shame, Smashing Stigmas, and Mending Mental Health with Dana Adams

Aug 06, 2024 56m

In this episode, Travis and Jess are joined by Dana Adams ( LPC-A) to talk mental health, wellness, and soul care. Dana is a licensed, professional counselor associate and has a passion for mentoring…

S1E32 Finding Ordinary Inspiration For Writing Fiction with Leah Busboom

Jul 30, 2024 49m

In this episode, Travis is joined by Leah Busboom to talk about her writing journey, creativity, and insights around creating and making things, much of which involves courage and just trying. Leah…

S1E31 Laughter, Love, and Life Lessons From Five Year Old Dakota Vangsnes

Jul 23, 2024 21m

You are in for a treat on this one and a bit of a wild wide with our 5 year old guest. Travis and Jess are joined by their youngest kid "Dak" for a conversation around things like: wonder, Ninja…

S1E30 Integrating Faith, Healing, and Waking Up to Belovedness with Julie Dotson

Jul 16, 2024 1h 12m

In this episode, Jess is joined by her mom Julie Dotson to talk about her story and journey of navigating suffering and abuse as a child. Despite this, Julie embarked courageously to find healing and…

S1E29 Learning About Bugs and Seeing God's Grandeur in Nature with Jim Dotson

Jul 09, 2024 42m

In this episode, Travis is joined by his father-in-law Jim Dotson to talk about his love of bugs and seeing God in nature. Jim has a deep love of nature and still at age 71 studies it with childlike…

S1E28 Understanding Chronic Pain and the Mind-Body Connection

Jul 05, 2024 47m

In this episode, Jess, a trauma-informed resilience coach and a living testament to overcoming mind-body syndrome and chronic pain patterns shares her experiences in the world of chronic pain and its…

S1E27 An Unlikely Story of Healing From Chronic Pain with Danny Smith

Jul 02, 2024 1h

In this episode, Danny Smith joins Travis and Jess to talk about a really common experience so many of us face--chronic pain. Danny shares his personal experiences and story around suffering from…

S1E26 Finding the Right Balance Between Serving and Self Care with Jared and Sarah McCrory

Jun 25, 2024 1h 5m

In this episode, Travis and Jess are joined by Sarah and Jared McCrory to talk about everything from soul care to seeking the easy yoke of Jesus to discovering new purpose and taking courageous risks…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Cultivate the Ordinary have?

Cultivate the Ordinary has published 45 episodes since January 2024, covering topics in Christianity, Education.

Is Cultivate the Ordinary still active?

Cultivate the Ordinary is currently dormant with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 46m.

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