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JOY Unfiltered: Joy is the strategy
Joy Unfiltered is the podcast where joy gets real, grounded, and useful.
Hosted by Rachel Bents, author of Joy Is the Strategy, this show explores joy not as a reward you earn, but as a practical strategy for living, leading, and feeling better in real life.
Each week, you’ll hear honest conversations, solo reflections, and guest episodes that unpack how joy impacts leadership, wellbeing, resilience, mindset, and connection without bypassing hard things or pretending life is perfect.
This podcast is also the heartbeat of two growing movements:
📘 Joy Is the Strategy (the book)
A deeper exploration of how joy works, why it matters, and how choosing it can change your life and leadership.
✨ The Joy Project
A global, joy-first community built on connection, conversation, and collective momentum.
If you’re tired of hustle culture, burned out on forced positivity, or curious what changes when joy becomes the way forward, you’re in the right place.
Joy isn’t the reward.
It’s the strategy.
JOY Unfiltered: Joy is the strategy
Joy Is the Strategy (Not the Reward)
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What if joy isn’t something you earn after everything is fixed, but the strategy that helps you live, lead, and feel better now?
In this first solo episode of Joy Unfiltered, I’m setting the foundation for everything this podcast stands for. Not forced positivity. Not bypassing hard things. And definitely not joy as a personality trait reserved for a lucky few.
This episode is about choosing joy as a practical, grounded, repeatable strategy, especially in seasons that feel heavy, uncertain, or exhausting.
I share how joy became the throughline in my work, my wellness, and my leadership, why it works when motivation runs out, and how small, intentional choices can change how you move through your day, your body, and your life.
This conversation also connects directly to two things I’ve poured my heart into:
📘 My upcoming book, Joy Is the Strategy
A deeper dive into why joy works, how it’s built, and how choosing it can change the way you live and lead.
👉 Pre-sales are open now.
✨ The Joy Project
A growing community for people who want joy that’s real, human, and shared. This is where connection, conversation, and collective joy live.
👉 Join The Joy Project.
If you’re tired of chasing happiness, burned out on hustle culture, or quietly wondering if there’s a better way to feel good without waiting for life to cooperate, you’re in the right place.
Joy isn’t the reward.
It’s the strategy.
Connect with Rachel
