Human School

"They said, 'We need you to stop.' And I said, 'I need me to stop, too.'" 

Grammy-winning country artist Ashley McBryde joins Miles for a deeply moving, unfiltered conversation as she reflects on her roots in the Ozarks, the complexities of generational trauma, and what it truly means to be seen.  

Ashley opens up about her long relationship with alcohol, the terrifying night that led her to treatment, and how getting sober allowed her to finally hear her own voice and recognize the person in the mirror. This is a powerful discussion on unlearning old programming, re-parenting your younger self, and why true art doesn't require a dark place. 

If you’re ready to begin a new chapter, Onsite offers transformational experiences to help you live the life you deserve. Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04zdx0K0 

Episode Chapters: 
00:00 – Introducing Ashley McBryde
05:00 – Growing Up in the Ozarks & Early Musical Roots
17:00 – Nervous System Responses, Childhood Trauma, and Inner Child Work
44:00 – Generational Trauma, Religion, and Re-framing Family Dynamics
56:00 – The Reality of "High-Functioning" Addiction & Stepping Into Recovery
1:18:00 – Finding Pure Joy in Sobriety and Making Art Without Suffering
 
Stay Connected to Human School 
Human School Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04zdtB60 
Miles Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04zdw7Z0 
Subscribe on Substack: https://hubs.la/Q04zdt6t0 
Onsite: https://hubs.la/Q04zdx0K0

What happens when the mental health expert becomes the one navigating a family crisis?

In this deep and deeply personal conversation, therapist and author Matthias Barker sits down with Miles at the Transform Trauma Conference –– Europe’s largest mental health and wellness conference in Oxford, England –– to open up about his own journey through family estrangement, grief, and reconciliation.  

Together, they break down the real-world stuff we all deal with: why healing must come before forgiveness, the difference between setting a healthy boundary and running away, the traps of modern pop psychology, and what it actually takes to find "peace with what's possible."

Whether you're a mental health professional or just trying to navigate your own family system, this conversation offers real tools for real life.

Learn more about Transform Trauma and other Master’s Events: https://mastersevents.com/ 

Are you unfurling your own stories around family, trauma, and mental health? Onsite offers transformational experiences to help you live the life you deserve. Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q04xQ6_l0 
 
Episode Chapters: 
00:00 - Welcome to Human School... LIVE!
01:45 - Meet Matthias Barker: From drama kid to building a platform
05:00 - The Family Crisis: Addiction, divorce, and estrangement
07:00 - Learning from Grief Expert David Kessler
11:00 - The Intersection of Trauma and Grief in Family Conflict
15:30 - Peace with What’s Possible: Rethinking reconciliation
26:30 - The Research on Contempt and Emotional Abuse
31:30 - Boundaries vs. Avoidance: When to engage and when to step back
39:30 - The Danger of Pop Psychology and Weaponized Therapy Speak
49:30 - The Trap of Rumination vs. True Psychological Healing
55:30 - The Hardest and Most Meaningful Parts of Being a Helper

Stay connected to Human School 
Substack: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ71f0 
Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ6Y40 
Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ71f0 
Onsite: https://hubs.la/Q04xQ6_l0

What if the secret to improving your own life, health, and happiness had nothing to do with self-care and everything to do with giving back?

In this episode of Human School, host Miles sits down with long-time music industry veteran and philanthropist Rondal Richardson to flip the script on how we think about generosity. Because you don't need millions of dollars or a massive platform to make a real impact.

Today, Rondal shares remarkable behind-the-scenes stories from his 40-year journey in the music business—working alongside legends like The Judds, Garth Brooks, and Naomi Judd—and how an "almost Oprah moment" changed the trajectory of his life.  

You’ll also discover practical ways to get involved in charity, how to know which organizations and causes to align with, and why the best way to heal your own life is often to show up for someone else. 

If you're in middle Tennessee, join the Music Community Foundation for a Give Like Dolly event this weekend: https://www.giving9to5.com/

Stay Connected
Follow Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04xQ4Zt0
Follow Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ50V0
Subscribe to Our Substack: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ55q0

Looking to dive deeper into your own story? Onsite offers the opportunity to come back to yourself. Learn more here: https://hubs.ly/Q04xQ53Z0

In this episode:
00:00 – Introduction to Rondal Richardson and entertainment philanthropy 
00:54 – Meet Rondal Richardson, founder and executive director of the Music Community Foundation 
00:03:00 – The story of meeting Miles through Naomi Judd 
00:15:30 – The Oprah Winfrey connection
00:23:40 – Rondal’s origin story: starting on the road at age 17 
00:32:15 – Touring with Garth Brooks and country music history 
00:40:50 – Making the pivot from the music industry to philanthropy 
00:46:00 – The psychological and physical benefits of service 
01:03:40 – Vetting charities: Charity Navigator, 990s, and finding your cause 
01:17:40 – The impact: Raising $350M+ and the work of the Music Community Foundation 
01:30:30 – Purpose through pain, community support, and looking forward

We spend an enormous amount of energy trying to learn how to be healthier, less stressed adults – but what if the answer isn't learning something new, but remembering what we knew before we got so complicated? 

In this special solo episode of The Human School Podcast, host Miles Adcox hands the microphone to his seven-year-old daughter, Birdie Rose. With zero media training and absolute honesty, Birdie shares her thoughts on art, missing teeth, strawberries and ketchup, and what makes her feel closest to the people she loves.

In this conversation and reflection, Miles unpacks four unexpected lessons on stress, curiosity, presence, and connection that children carry naturally — lessons that adults spend a lifetime trying to find their way back to.

In this episode: 
00:00 - Introducing Birdie Rose: The 7-Year-Old Podcast Guest  
01:20 - Lesson 1: Curiosity Over Certainty (The Power of "I Don't Know")  
04:00 - Lesson 2: Presence Over Productivity (Why Play Doesn't Need a Reason)  
05:50 - Lesson 3: Expression Over Impression (Strawberries in Ketchup and PR Filters)  
07:45 - Lesson 4: Relationship Over Performance (What Kids Actually Want From Us)  
09:40 - Finding Courage: How We Regulate Fear Inside Relationships  
11:45 - Final Encouragement from Birdie (And How to Keep Showing Up) 

If you’re looking for ways to connect back to yourself, Onsite can help. Learn more about our experiences: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj150

Follow Human School: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj450
Follow Miles: https://hubs.la/Q04xch_N0
Subscribe to Substack: https://hubs.la/Q04xcj3y0

Are you living the life you actually want, or are you just trying to please everyone around you? 

In this episode of Human School, Miles sits down with world-renowned author, sociologist, and life coach Dr. Martha Beck for an exceptionally honest and deep conversation on human nature, breaking free from anxiety, and finding your true path. 

Martha shares her personal journey — from her time writing for Oprah’s Magazine and earning degrees from Harvard, to radically transforming her life by committing to a full year of total honesty. Together, Miles and Martha explore the biological roots of anxiety, how societal expectations force us to sell out our true nature at an early age, and how simple creative acts can serve as a direct antidote to mental distress. 

In this episode, you’ll discover: 
The Root of Modern Anxiety: Why our current educational and social systems conflict with human evolution.  
The "Visual Cliff" Study: How children learn to judge their own worth by watching the adults around them.  
The Power of Caving Early: Why learning to apologize quickly and drop ego heals relationships faster than anything else.  
Creativity vs. Anxiety: How engaging the creative parts of your brain actively shuts down panic and stress.  
The "One-Degree Turn": How making tiny, honest shifts in your day-to-day choices can completely realign your life.  
The K.I.S.T. Method: A practical, step-by-step tool using Kind Internal Self-Talk to navigate intense panic attacks and internal conflict.  

Whether you’re feeling burned out, stuck in people-pleasing patterns, or simply searching for more peace in your daily routine, this episode provides a compassionate roadmap back to your whole self. 

Onsite offers a range of experiences to do life-changing work around your story and what your body might be holding onto. Learn more at www.experienceonsite.com  
 
Episode Chapters: 
00:00:00 Welcome Martha Beck 
00:02:46 What Comfort Means Today  
00:04:41 Root Causes of Modern Anxiety  
00:07:08 How Kids Learn Self-Worth  
00:13:21 The "Cave Early" Practice  
00:15:53 Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain  
00:21:05 The Real Curriculum of Life  
00:24:00 Ancestral Wisdom & Magic  
00:28:13 African Hospitality & Ubuntu  
00:34:52 Finite vs. Infinite Games  
00:44:03 Using Art to Fight Anxiety  
00:47:38 Guided Visualization Exercise  
00:54:02 Finding Magic in Technology  
01:00:52 Humanizing High Performers  
01:08:18 Living One Year Without Lies 
 
Connect with Human School: 
YouTube: https://hubs.la/Q04wFHGz0 
Human School on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04wFHPK0 
Miles on Instagram: https://hubs.la/Q04wFJHn0 
Follow Human School on Substack: https://hubs.la/Q04wFJZt0