Show notes
What happens when an engineer’s brain meets the messy, beautiful chaos of human relationships? In this episode, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles sit down with Dominic Petty to talk about trauma-informed coaching, emotional intelligence, self-acceptance, and why sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is absolutely nothing.
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Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads is a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health), 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), 2026 Podcast Tonight Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast), and 2026 NYC Podcast Award Audience Choice Winner (Best Hosts), with over 4.5 million downloads and listened to in over 160 countries.
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Mental Health Quote
“Your baseline is peace and calm. Anything else is just where life has taken you.” — Inspired by Dominic Petty
Episode Description
Dominic Petty didn’t start out planning to become a coach. With an engineering degree from Stanford, an MBA from Wharton, and a career built around solving complex problems, he spent years using logic, structure, and strategy to make sense of the world. But life had other plans, boo.
In this thoughtful and unexpectedly funny conversation, Dominic joins G-Rex and Dirty Skittles to talk about how his path shifted from engineering and consulting into trauma-informed mindset, intimacy, and relationship coaching. He shares how learning emotional intelligence changed the way he led people, listened to people, and eventually helped people untangle the relationship patterns keeping them stuck.
Dominic breaks down why so many high achievers are running on insecurity, why self-acceptance is often the missing piece in relationships, and how silence can sometimes be the wisest damn answer in the room. He also explains how emotions are data, not identity — and why returning to a baseline of peace takes awareness, practice, and a willingness to stop making parts of yourself wrong.
This episode is for anyone who has ever felt broken, too much, not enough, or trapped in the same unhealthy cycles. Dominic reminds us that healing is not about forcing someone else to change. It is about waking up to yourself, learning what your emotions are trying to teach you, and choosing a relationship with yourself that does not run on shame.
Keywords: Dominic Petty, relationship trauma, self-acceptance, inner peace, emotional intelligence, trauma-informed coaching, relationship healing, mindset coaching, intimacy coaching, anxiety, emotional awareness, healthy relationships, shadow work, self-compassion, mental health podcast
Meet Our Guest — Dominic Petty
Dominic Petty is a trauma-informed Mindset, Intimacy, and Relationship Coach known as the Inner Peace Advisor. Through his Relationship Enlightenment Method, Dominic helps clients heal emotional wounds, break unhealthy relationship cycles, and move from feeling unworthy or stuck into deeper self-acceptance and connection.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His work blends relationship coaching, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Theta Healing, Erotic Blueprints, Enneagram, Shadow Work, and lived experience.
Website: https://explorewithdominic.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerpeaceadvisor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicpetty
Email: [email protected]
Key Takeaways
Self-acceptance is often the missing bridge between high achievement and real emotional peace.
Emotions are information, not identity — you can feel them without becoming them.
Healing relationship trauma starts with noticing your patterns instead of blaming the other person for all of them.
Sometimes silence is not avoidance; sometimes it is wisdom wearing sweatpants.
High achievers often use insecurity as fuel, but that kind of fuel burns dirty and eventually wears people down.
Inner peace is not passive. It takes active presence, emotional awareness, and consistency.
Actionable Items
Before reacting in a tense conversation, ask yourself: “Will what I’m about to say improve on silence?”
When a strong emotion shows up, name it, feel it, and ask what story is sitting underneath it.
Practice five minutes of quiet presence each day. No pressure to be perfect — just show up consistently.
Important Chapters
00:00:37 – Welcome to the episode
G-Rex and Dirty Skittles welcome listeners back and introduce Dominic Petty, setting the stage for a conversation about mindset, relationships, and emotional healing.
00:01:08 – Dominic’s geographic independence and coaching path
Dominic shares how he built a work-and-travel lifestyle and how an unexpected conversation with a friend nudged him toward coaching.
00:03:27 – From engineering to emotional intelligence
Dominic talks about his engineering and consulting background, and how managing people taught him that leadership requires genuine curiosity and connection.
00:05:52 – Relationship coaching and seeing unhealthy patterns
Dominic explains how he has always noticed relationship dynamics and why he now uses a deeper framework to help clients understand what is really going on.
00:08:30 – The power of silence in relationships
Dominic shares the advice that he should wear a shirt saying “I don’t know anything” when talking to his partner — and why silence can be your friend.
00:11:38 – Why people are the most fascinating puzzle
He describes coaching as joining clients inside a maze they built, then helping them find their own way out without forcing them.
00:14:29 – Relationships as containers for awakening
Dominic reframes relationships as places where people learn what they need to release, heal, and integrate within themselves.
00:21:58 – Insecurity, high achievement, and self-acceptance
Dominic explains how many high performers run on insecurity and why that fuel can create anxiety, depression, frustration, and strained relationships.
00:28:55 – Moving from the head to the heart
The conversation shifts into emotional awareness, presence, and how emotions can be treated as valuable data instead of personal failure.
00:31:15 – Returning to peace and calm
Dominic breaks down the idea that peace is our baseline and that emotional regulation is about learning how to return to it.
00:34:17 – Meditation, consistency, and meeting people where they are
He shares why meditation can help, why consistency matters more than intensity, and how coaching has to fit the person in front of him.
00:37:11 – Advice to his younger self
Dominic gives a funny and honest answer about fitness, confidence, and the power of “pretty privilege.”
00:38:45 – The hardest lesson: shut up
Dominic shares that one of his biggest life lessons was learning he does not have to say everything he sees or knows.
00:41:11 – Anxiety’s theme song and favorite words
Dominic answers G-Rex’s signature questions, including his made-up anxiety theme song and his love for the words “boo” and “love.”
00:43:56 – Where to find Dominic
Dominic shares how listeners can connect with him through email and Instagram.
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