Austin grew up in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, attending a small high school where opportunities could be limited. Then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived during his high school years. Remote learning, isolation, uncertainty, fear for his frontline-worker parents, and spending most of his time at home left Austin feeling increasingly complacent and unsure about what came next.

A seemingly ordinary moment with his father changed his perspective.

While watching ESPN together, Austin's father told him he could imagine his son working in television. Austin didn't immediately believe him. At the time, he considered himself shy and struggled to imagine speaking comfortably into a microphone, much less appearing on camera.

But Austin tried.

He started looking for opportunities wherever he could find them. His first announcing experience came introducing his high school's marching band during football halftime. That small opportunity connected him with his first mentor in broadcasting and eventually led to announcing more school sports.

Austin also began creating his own practice. He muted television broadcasts and attempted play-by-play himself. He practiced wrestling commentary. He cut mock promos. He recorded his voice and listened back, even when hearing himself made him cringe.

That discomfort became part of the education.

Jim and Austin discuss the importance of repetition, getting outside the comfort zone, learning through failure, and being willing to ask, “How can I improve this?”

Austin also reflects on the people who helped him move forward, including his family and Pittsburgh broadcasting mentor Alby Oxenreiter. A relationship that began with Austin listening closely to an experienced broadcaster eventually developed into a moment where Austin was asked to take the lead himself.

Underlying the entire conversation is something central to Fishing Without Bait: we don't have to wait until we feel completely ready before taking action.

Sometimes the first step is simply trying.

Subscribe to Fishing Without Bait on your favorite podcast player and follow the conversation as Austin Cairns continues sharing how he got here from there.

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Continue your own mindfulness practice with “Learn to Fish Without Bait: A 365-Day Mindfulness Journal and Adult Coloring Book”:
https://www.lulu.com/shop/james-ellermeyer-lpc-ma-ncc-lpc/learn-to-fish-without-bait/paperback/product-6n9rd8.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Missy and Jim Ellermeyer begin by examining the complicated realities surrounding abortion and the question of what happens after a child is born. Their conversation moves beyond political slogans to consider infertility, adoption, foster care, support systems, special-needs care, financial responsibility, and the difficult decisions families may face.

Missy shares personal experiences that have shaped her perspective, including going through infertility treatments and seeing family members navigate teenage pregnancy and lifelong care needs. The discussion asks whether society is doing enough to educate young people about consequences, critical thinking, emotional decision-making, and personal responsibility.

The conversation then expands into voter education and representative government. Drawing from her work as a Republican committee woman and her experiences at polling locations, Missy discusses the importance of understanding what elected offices actually control rather than voting entirely through party labels or a single issue.

Jim and Missy also consider how political representatives can become disconnected from their constituents, how social media encourages echo chambers, and why people often listen only long enough to prepare their response.

Despite the disagreements and difficult subjects, the episode returns to a simple principle: people should be treated with courtesy and respect. Meaningful progress begins when we stop reducing one another to political labels and begin listening to learn.

This is Part 2 of our conversation with Missy Sorg. The discussion continues in the next episode.

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Support the podcast and receive ad-free episodes through Patreon:
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Pick up Learn to Fish Without Bait: A 365-Day Mindfulness Journal and Adult Coloring Book:
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Do a kindness for yourself. Do a kindness for another. Forgive yourself and forgive another.

In this episode, Emily shares the intense and emotional journey following her daughter McKenna’s sudden medical crisis. What began as a normal day quickly turned into a life-threatening situation involving emergency surgery, strokes, and unimaginable uncertainty. Emily walks us through the overwhelming decisions, the devastating prognosis she was given, and the moments that tested her strength like never before.

Despite facing the possibility of losing her child, Emily found herself holding onto even the smallest signs of hope — a breath over a ventilator, a slight movement, a reason to keep going. She reflects on the emotional toll, the fear of the unknown, and how she navigated anxiety, trauma, and the temptation of relapse during the darkest moments.

This episode is a powerful testament to resilience, faith, and the importance of support systems when life changes in an instant.

This is Part 2 of our conversation with Emily.