The Ontological Experience

An Ontological Conversation about Care and Commitment with Bob Dunham

I invited Bob Dunham into this conversation because I wanted a fresh way to approach a familiar leadership breakdown: too many priorities, too much change, and not enough capacity management. I expected to stay with that topic. Bob took us somewhere more foundational.
We explore what the ontological experience actually is, and how ontological coaching creates new awareness that expands choice. We talk about care as a driver of human action, and why naming what you care about changes how you lead. We also unpack the leader as an observer, including what we see, what we do not see, and how blind spots show up in workplace dynamics through repeated breakdowns in trust, execution, and collaboration.
Bob shares the distinction that changed his professional life: action is rooted in commitment. From there, we move into coaching conversations about coordination, how requests and promises shape execution, and why agreement is often mistaken for real commitment. Bob also tells the story of leading organizational change at Motorola, where a shift in conversations and commitments helped teams deliver unprecedented results without relying on authority.
We close with a grounded view of leadership development as embodied learning. Bob speaks about somatics, centering, and what it takes to act from commitment when fear shows up. If you are leading in complexity and you want a deeper foundation than tools and techniques, this episode offers a different way to see what is happening, and what becomes possible from there.Bob Dunham https://journeyintowisdom.com/
Welcome to The Ontological Experience with Mark Robertson A space for connected, authentic conversations rooted in the ontological framework and tools. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to this work, I'm glad you're here.
Want help growing your podcast with organic marketing and strategy that actually works?
Check out Juliana Barbati at https://www.julianabarbati.com/ 
She's a podcast growth strategist and SEO expert who truly understands the space. Let her know I sent you!
 
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:
🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc
🔹 Website: https://www.theontologicalexperience.com
📧 Email: mark@theontologicalexperience.com

Health Transformation through A Revolutionary Patient-Centered Healthcare Model with Dr. Matt McEvoy of Paradigm Health

There will be a moment that changes everything and it probably isn’t going to be loud and dramatic as you expect it to be. Whether it’s a number, a health scan, a pause in the conversation where you realize, “Something’s off and I’ve got to deal with it”, and from that moment forward, things completely shift.
That moment came for me after a cardiac CT scan. The score didn’t line up with how I felt or all the work I’d put into getting healthy. It shook me physically, but it also threw something off in my way of being and that pushed me into a different kind of search for a treatment that actually felt like care. That search led me to Paradigm Health and to Dr. Matt McEvoy and what happened next changed more than my health, it changed how I relate to my health. 
In this episode, Dr. Matt and I talked about what it means to be truly seen and heard in the context of healthcare. We look at patient-centered care, the deeper intention behind preventive health, and the bigger vision behind Medicine 3.0. We also talked about how medical innovation can only go so far without presence, humility, and relationship. 
We also discussed how resistance shows up, and how deeply held beliefs can keep us stuck, even when we’re doing our best. I share how I came to reconsider my stance on cholesterol management, not because I was talked into it, but because I was met with evidence, respect, and a kind of listening that made room for change.
Dr. Matt’s presence invites trust in a way that opens the door for a meaningful lifestyle change, and a different kind of health transformation, one that’s grounded in relationship, emotional clarity, and action.
If you’ve ever been told you’re fine but still feel something’s not right, if you’ve been looking for care that honors your story, supports your emotional wellness, and leaves space for your own wisdom, this conversation might be what helps you take the next step.
Ready for care that truly sees you?Connect with Paradigm Health to begin a personalized path toward lasting wellness.
📩 Reach out: cait@paradigmhealth.org🌐 Explore Your Care Options
Welcome to The Ontological Experience with Mark Robertson A space for connected, authentic conversations rooted in the ontological framework and tools. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to this work, I'm glad you're here.
 
Want help growing your podcast with organic marketing and strategy that actually works?
Check out Juliana Barbati at https://www.julianabarbati.com/ 
She's a podcast growth strategist and SEO expert who truly understands the space. Let her know I sent you!
 
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:
🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc
🔹 Website: https://www.theontologicalexperience.com
📧 Email: mark@theontologicalexperience.com
 

Gender Norms and How It Shapes the Way Women Show Up and Hold Space

There are times when we move through life in ways we don’t choose. We apologize for taking up space, step aside when we don’t need to, or stay quiet even when we have something to say. These moments may seem small, but these patterns often start early and reflect what we've absorbed about who should lead, who should yield, and how we’re expected to show up.
In this episode, I’m joined by three thoughtful and accomplished women, Nicole Provonchee, Janet Walls, and Dr. Leslie Binford, for an honest conversation about how our ways of being are shaped over time. Together, we take a closer look at the gender discourse many women grow up inside of, and how cultural conditioning, gender norms, and early experiences shape behaviors like over-apologizing and giving up power.
We explore what it means to feel safe (or unsafe) in different spaces, and how that affects whether someone can stay grounded and present. We talk about holding space, setting personal boundaries, and the role of psychological safety in everyday interactions. We also look at how power dynamics show up in families, workplaces, and relationships.
This conversation is part of a larger ontological exploration. Ontological coaching invites us to consider how our language, emotions, and body awareness work together to shape how we see ourselves and how we show up in the world. It offers a way to notice what’s often automatic, and begin to relate to it with more clarity and care.
I’m grateful for this conversation and the presence these women brought to it. I hope it invites you into a reflection of your own.
 
Welcome to The Ontological Experience with Mark Robertson A space for connected, authentic conversations rooted in the ontological framework and tools. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to this work, I'm glad you're here.
 
Connect with the guests: (waiting for full contact details from Mark)Janet WallsPresident and Founder of Delta Blvd
janet@deltablvd.com615.973.717
 
Nicole Provonchee
Chief Coaching Officer, Founder
BRIGHT BLUE CONSULTING
nicole@consultbrightblue.com615.423.8061www.ConsultBrightBlue.com

 
Dr. Leslie Binford  DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Assistant Professor
E-mail:binfordl@apsu.edu
Phone: 931-221-7739
Want help growing your podcast with organic marketing and strategy that actually works?
Check out Juliana Barbati at https://www.julianabarbati.com/ 
She's a podcast growth strategist and SEO expert who truly understands the space. Let her know I sent you!
 
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going:
🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc
🔹 Website: https://www.theontologicalexperience.com
📧 Email: mark@theontologicalexperience.com

Exploring Emotions: Controlling Emotions isn’t Possible, Regulating Is

There are seasons when the pace of life picks up and it almost feels like we’re being swallowed by our world.
You check the boxes, meet the deadlines, keep moving, and yet something still feels unsettled. It’s not always easy to name, but there’s a quiet gap between doing and being. 
Often, that “gap” lives in how we relate to what we feel, what we’re emotionally experiencing, and how we’ve been shaped to respond.
In this episode, I sit down with Dan Newby, a longtime colleague and fellow practitioner, to explore the territory of emotional regulation, not as a fix, but as a way of working with ourselves more compassionately. We talk about the relationship between what we feel and how we act, how our body awareness and nervous system regulation shape our experience, and how small shifts in understanding can change the way we move through the world.
Dan shares a clear framework grounded in the ever present world of Emotions that many of us didn’t learn growing up. These tools matter in everyday life, but they also have real impact in leadership. They help build psychological safety, support self-leadership, and expand our capacity for sustainable leadership development and personal growth..
This is the heart of ontological coaching, working with the full self: language, emotion, and body. As we gain distinctions in the realm of Emotions, we begin to see ourselves and the world in new ways, and new choices we didn’t see before begin to show up. That’s where tangible personal growth begins.
If you're navigating a season of inner transformation, feeling stressed and overwhelmed, feeling stretched in relationships, or simply ready for a grounded mindset shift, I hope this conversation meets you right where you are.
 
Welcome to The Ontological Experience with Mark Robertson A space for connected, authentic conversations rooted in the ontological framework and tools. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to this work, I'm glad you're here.
 
Want help growing your podcast with organic marketing and strategy that actually works?
Check out Juliana Barbati at https://www.julianabarbati.com/ 
She's a podcast growth strategist and SEO expert who truly understands the space. Let her know I sent you!
 
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going: 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc 🔹 Website: https://theontologicalexperience.com/ 📧 Email: mark@theontologicalexperience.com

Where Ontological Coaching Began: A Coaching Philosophy Explained by Its Founder (Part 2)

There’s a kind of tension that lives quietly inside many of us, especially those of us who’ve worked hard, achieved goals, and done “the work,” only to find ourselves still feeling off-track. Like we’ve changed everything around us, yet something inside still isn’t aligned. That’s where ontological coaching comes in, a practice that invites us to look beyond doing and into being, helping us see how language, emotion, and body all shape the way we live and lead.
In this episode, we continue the conversation I had with Julio Olalla to explore the deeper roots of how we experience life and change. Together, we unpack the historical context of coaching and how it evolved from performance training into a profound path of human transformation. Julio shares the beginnings of coaching history, offering insight into how the language of coaching first emerged and how it continues to shape our modern understanding of growth and change.
We move through reflections on conscious leadership, existential questions, and the different levels of consciousness that influence how we see and respond to the world. Julio’s stories and wisdom reveal how inner awareness and spiritual development become essential as we grow, not as techniques, but as genuine ways of being.
If you’ve felt the call to slow down, to re-examine your patterns, or to step into deeper personal growth, this episode offers a grounded and compassionate path forward. It’s an invitation to expand who you are as an observer, and to live more fully into your own presence and possibility.
 
Welcome to The Ontological Experience with Mark Robertson A space for connected, authentic conversations rooted in the ontological framework and tools. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to this work, I'm glad you're here.
Want help growing your podcast with organic marketing and strategy that actually works?
Check out Juliana Barbati at https://www.julianabarbati.com/ 
She's a podcast growth strategist and SEO expert who truly understands the space. Let her know I sent you!
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going: 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc 🔹 Website: https://theontologicalexperience.com/ 📧 Email: mark@theontologicalexperience.com

Transformative Personal Development and Leadership Development through Ontological Coaching

Growth can look like progress on the outside: new habits, clear goals, a full calendar. But that’s not possible if there’s something’s still out of sync on the inside, which is where we focus in Ontological Coaching..
In this episode, we explore personal development through the lens of ontological coaching, a grounded and holistic approach to learning that starts with who we are before what we do. The ontological framework invites us to look closely at the language we use, the emotions we inhabit and the body we move through the world with. These three areas: language, emotion, and body, shape how we see ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Whether you're looking for leadership development, feeling stuck or wrestling with a challenge and don’t know what to do, want to communicate better, or simply wanting to create more connected relationships, the ontological framework and tools can help. Because real, sustainable change begins with a shift in how we observe or see the world. When we become more aware of the observer we are, we open space for lasting behavior change, deeper emotional awareness, and a more authentic presence in life.
This episode is an invitation into that coaching journey, not just tips and coaching techniques, but a full-bodied transformation process. I’ll share reflections, stories, and the coaching tools I use in my own work. Each coaching session is a step toward habit change, which begins with a powerful mindset shift first.
Thanks for being here. Let’s begin.
 
Welcome to The Ontological Experience with Mark Robertson A space for connected, authentic conversations rooted in the ontological framework and tools. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to this work, I'm glad you're here.
Want help growing your podcast with organic marketing and strategy that actually works?
Check out Juliana Barbati at https://www.julianabarbati.com/ 
She's a podcast growth strategist and SEO expert who truly understands the space. Let her know I sent you!
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going: 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc 🔹 Website: https://theontologicalexperience.com/ 📧 Email: mark@theontologicalexperience.com

Where Ontological Coaching Began: A Coaching Philosophy Explained by Its Founder (Part 1)

Welcome to The Ontological Experience. I’m so glad you’re here.
This podcast is a space for deep, meaningful conversations about who we are, how we show up, and what it means to live and lead authentically, from wholeness. If you’ve ever found yourself craving more connection, more emotional awareness, or a different way to relate to your work, your relationships, or yourself, you’re in the right place.
In this episode, I’m joined by Julio Olalla, a teacher, mentor, and one of the most influential voices in the field of ontological coaching. Julio’s work has shaped how thousands of individuals, a majority of whom are coaches, engage with learning, transformation, and the human experience itself.
Together, we explore the roots of this coaching philosophy, and why the ontological framework continues to be a powerful path for coaching, growth and living a full life. We also reflect on the shifts in organizational culture, the pursuit of real workplace satisfaction, and the deeper longing many of us feel in today’s fast-paced world.
Julio speaks with the kind of clarity and care that invites reflection. Whether you're new to transformational coaching, wrestling with the tension between being vs doing, or simply seeking more soulful connection, this conversation is an invitation to slow down and consider who you’re becoming.
Let’s begin.Welcome to The Ontological Experience with Mark Robertson A space for connected, authentic conversations rooted in the ontological framework and tools. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to this work, I'm glad you're here. Let’s Keep the Conversation Going: 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc 🔹 Website: https://theontologicalexperience.com/ 📧 Email: mark@theontologicalexperience.comWant help growing your podcast with organic marketing and strategy that actually works?Check out Juliana Barbati at https://www.julianabarbati.com/ She's a podcast growth strategist and SEO expert who knows her stuff. Let her know I sent you!

Starting The Ontological Experience: Authentic Conversations to Inspire Lasting Change

Welcome to the very first episode of The Ontological Experience. This new chapter is an invitation into personal growth, authentic presence, and human connection.
In this episode, I just wanted to share what this new format is about, why I felt called to start something different, and what led me to bring the word “ontological” front and center after almost three decades of coaching. 
I’ll talk about the ontological framework — what it is, why it matters, and how it's not just a coaching technique but a way of seeing and shaping your life in real time. We’ll start to look at how ontological coaching works through developing a habit of noticing your language, your emotions, and your body, and why being more aware of those is where real personal growth begins.
You’ll hear why authenticity in leadership feels more important to me these days, and how I’m leaning into that in a more real and unfiltered way. I also touch on the value of deep, meaningful conversations, especially now, and how they help build connected, human relationships that so many of us are missing.
This space is going to be about connection. Real emotional expression, authentic communication, and hopefully, some practical ways of creating change using grounded coaching tools that can meet you wherever you are.
This conversation is the starting point. A place to explore meaning, presence, and learning in a deeper way. I’m glad you’re here.
Let’s walk this path together.Welcome to The Ontological Experience with Mark Robertson A space for connected, authentic conversations rooted in the ontological framework and tools. Whether you're a long-time listener or brand new to this work, I'm glad you're here. Let’s Keep the Conversation Going: 🔹 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc 🔹 Website: https://theontologicalexperience.com/ 📧 Email: mark@theontologicalexperience.comWant help growing your podcast with organic marketing and strategy that actually works?Check out Juliana Barbati at https://www.julianabarbati.com/ She's a podcast growth strategist and SEO expert who knows her stuff. Let her know I sent you!

Letting Go to Go Deeper: Finding Clarity, Spiritual Growth, and Personal Transformation through Ontological Coaching

For over a year, I’ve had meaningful conversations here on Wake Up and Pay Attention. 
Recently, I’ve been feeling a deeper sense of clarity and purpose calling me forward. This episode marks a transition. 
It is the final episode under this name, but it is not the end of our journey. I am evolving the podcast into something even bigger. This next step will let us see and hear each other, and explore these conversations on a deeper level.
In this episode, I share the personal and spiritual growth I’ve experienced over the past year, how it shaped my thinking, and how it helped me reconnect with what matters most. I also walk you through something I have never shared publicly before: my full message pyramid. This includes the who, what, how, and why behind the work I do. Ontological coaching has become the foundation of everything I offer, and after nearly three decades, this framework gave me the clarity I had been looking for. 
You will hear what the ontological framework truly means, how language, emotion, and body shape our way of being, and why spiritual growth has been such a powerful part of my journey. We will also explore how deep connection with ourselves and others is at the heart of a meaningful life.
Whether you have been with me since the beginning or you are tuning in for the first time, I am so glad you are here. This episode is personal, it is honest, and it is just the beginning of something new and powerful.
Let’s wake up and pay attention together.Mark
 
Let’s connect:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc
Email: mark@coachmark.com 
Website: www.coachmark.com 

Returning to Wholeheartedness: Realigning my Career and Personal Commitments

For the past two months, I’ve been in deep self-reflection, questioning all of my career and personal commitments, and whether I’m truly living in alignment with what matters most. I had to ask myself: Where did my wholeheartedness go? Where am I out of alignment with what I care about most at this stage of my life?
In this episode, I open up about what this period of reflection has taught me about living a wholehearted life, and how I gained clarity on what truly matters to me - my health and authentic connection with myself and others. Realizing I was out of alignment, I stepped back to rethink my commitments, particularly my career commitments and what those were producing.
I also explore how feeling unmotivated, a bit flat or even disengaged often stems from saying yes to things that don’t align with who we are and what we care about. That’s why I’m shifting away from being an Executive Coach full time to taking on more Life Coach-like commitments – to focus on deeper, more meaningful, and transformative work. A work rooted in authentic conversations and connected relationships, where all parties are wholehearted and personally fulfilled – the crucible for sustainable change!
If you’ve been feeling disconnected, flat, stuck or even unmotivated, this episode is for you. Let’s talk about what happens when we stop, reflect, and finally start listening to what we truly care about it.
 
Let’s wake up and pay attention together.
Mark
 
Let’s connect:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrobertsonpcc
Email: mark@coachmark.com 
Website: www.coachmark.com