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The Joyful Rebellion

I’m a podcaster, entrepreneur, and joyful rebel sharing real talk on what it takes to thrive. The Joyful Rebellion is my weekly(ish) newsletter full of stories, insights, and little sparks of defiance for leaders and changemakers who are ready to work differently and live better.

A woman in a t-shirt and jean capris stands in the desert under a bright blue sky. The text overlay reads "Decide what's worth doing." The Joyful Rebellion | September 8, 2025, from @thedawnlab.
Featured Post

The Joyful Rebellion: Deciding What's Worth Doing

Welcome to The Joyful Rebellion! Because setting boundaries, resting well, and building healthier systems is radical. 🧪What's New In the Lab 🛑 Protecting More Than Jobs: Boundaries in Times of Layoffs and Quiet Promotions This week, I’m writing from New Mexico, where I’m celebrating my birthday, reconnecting with family and friends, and leading a legal epidemiology workshop for public health practitioners. Being here, surrounded by the wide-open beauty of the Ojito Wilderness, I’m reminded...

The words 5-Minute Rebellion followed by the words Micro-Movement, over an illustration of a woman sitting in a chair and doing a twist stretch. From @thedawnlab

Hey Reader, Have you ever been in a yoga class or doing a meditation and you get the prompt to relax your jaw? It's in those moments that I realize just how much tension I'm holding there. This week I’ve been noticing the ways that I tense up—shoulders raised, jaw tight, back hunched over my laptop. Maybe you’re feeling it too? So here’s your spark of rebellion to start the week feeling a little looser and a lot more human. 5-Minute Micro-Movement Challenge 🔥 This Week's Rebellion:Set a...

A clock face with the words Rest, Joy, Self, and Peace around it. Text beneath the image reads The Joyful Rebellion | August 25, 2025, @thedawnlab

Welcome to The Joyful Rebellion! Because setting boundaries, resting well, and building healthier systems is radical. 🧪What's New In the Lab The past couple of weeks brought me an uninvited pause: COVID. As much as I don’t recommend it, the downtime was a reminder of the power of rest and the importance of giving yourself permission to step back when your body demands it. Now that I’m on the mend, I’m looking ahead. I’ve been in the thick of planning for upcoming podcast guests (so many good...

5-Minute Rebellion: Gratitude Pause with an image of a hand writing in a journal

Hey Reader, I’ve been thinking a lot about how we close out our days, and how a small shift at the end of the day can change the tone of the next one. So, here’s your quick spark of rebellion to carry into this week: The Gratitude Pause Me at Bear Lodge, Wyoming 🔥 This Week's Rebellion:Before bed or at the end of your workday, take 5 minutes to pause. Write down 3 things that felt good today. Big or small. That’s it. Tomorrow? Start fresh. Why It’s RebelliousPausing to notice what’s...

Text: better work from the inside out, placed over concentric circles. The Joyful Rebellion, August 10, 2025.

Welcome to The Joyful Rebellion! Because setting boundaries, resting well, and building healthier systems is radical. 🧪What's New In the Lab I'm gearing up for a busy end to summer! In the next few weeks, I'll be focused on legal epidemiology, or the study of law as a factor in the cause, distribution, and prevention of disease and injury in a population. I'll be: Co-leading a training on storytelling and sustainability in policy change Leading two interactive legal epidemiology workshops...

5-Minute Rebellion: Rest Your Eyes, over an image of closed eyes.

Hey [First Name], I don't know about you, but sometimes I don't need a nap, I just need rest. And that can be as simple as sitting still and closing my eyes for a few minutes. So, here’s your quick spark of rebellion to carry into this week: 5-Minute Rest Your Eyes Challenge 5-minute rebellion or accidental catnap? You decide. 🔥 This Week's Rebellion:Set a 5-minute timer. Find a place to sit still or lie down. Close your eyes. Do nothing else. That's it. That's the task. When the timer’s up?...

Welcome to The Joyful Rebellion! Because setting boundaries, resting well, and building healthier systems is radical. 🧪What's New In the Lab This week, I'm headed to New York to join a gathering on the Future of Health Equity Narrative & Messaging. I'm also working on a storytelling & data training for a legal epidemiology project and spending a few moments here and there reading my latest book club pick: Your Brain on Art by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross. I also recently conducted a training...

5-Minute Rebellion. Your quick act of joyful defiance, every Monday. @thedawnlab. On a cream background with bubbles and stars.

Hey Reader, Welcome to your first bite-sized dose of rebellion! I’ve been thinking a lot about small ways to add joy to our day and why silliness matters more than we admit. So, here’s your quick spark of rebellion to carry into this week: 5-Minute Silly Timer Challenge Me at Ripley's Believe It or Not 🔥 This Week's Rebellion:Set a 5-minute timer. Do something silly. Dance in your kitchen. Doodle on a sticky note. Make ridiculous faces in the mirror. Sing nonsense lyrics to your dog. When the...

Welcome to The Joyful Rebellion! Because setting boundaries, resting well, and building healthier systems is radical. 🧪What's New In the Lab After a busy few months of workshops and travel, I’ve been grounding myself in quieter work: writing, reflecting, and building new resources for workplaces that want to do wellbeing differently. I’m also deep in prep mode for new Work Is Third podcast episodes—and working on a few exciting collaborations I’ll share soon. One recent highlight was...