Episodes

Andy Johnson on Unlocking Your Full Potential 1,557 Andy Johnson has spent a lifetime helping people perform when it matters most. A Master Certified Coach (MCC), leadership consultant, educator, and speaker, Andy brings more than 25 years of experience guiding individuals, leaders, and organizations toward higher performance, stronger leadership, and sustainable success. As the Founder and Director of Total Focus, he has worked across industries and continents, helping people unlock potential that often exceeds what they believed possible. What makes Andy's perspective unique is the breadth of his experience. From competing as a professional rugby player to serving as a Training Officer with the London Fire Brigade, he understands firsthand what leadership, resilience, and performance look like under pressure. Those lessons became the foundation for a coaching career dedicated to helping others thrive in demanding environments. Over the past two decades, Andy has coached…

Jennifer Ballow on Why Stories Shape a Child’s Mind | 1,556 Jennifer Ballow believes some of life's most important conversations begin with a story. A licensed master level social worker, children's author, and advocate, Jennifer has dedicated her career to supporting children, families, individuals with disabilities, and older adults through compassion, connection, and meaningful engagement. Drawing from her professional background and personal experience as a mother of twin daughters, she understands the powerful role that stories play in helping children make sense of the world around them. Through her books, she creates opportunities for families to connect, spark imagination, and encourage conversations that foster confidence, creativity, and emotional growth. Jennifer's work is rooted in a simple but profound belief: when children feel seen, heard, and understood, they develop the foundation to thrive. By combining her expertise in social work with her passion for st…

Lonna Gibson on Turning Vision Into Lasting Impact | 1,555 Lonna Gibson knows what it means to carry a mission forward when everything is on the line. At just 26 years old, she became the first employee of Challenge Air, a groundbreaking nonprofit founded by a Vietnam veteran determined to show children with disabilities that their limitations did not define them. When the organization's founder passed away only months later, Lonna was faced with a decision that would shape the rest of her career: step away or step up. She stepped up. Over the following years, she transformed Challenge Air from a small regional effort into a nationally recognized organization operating in 38 states, building partnerships with major brands including Southwest Airlines, Boeing, Xerox, and Pillsbury. Along the way, she learned firsthand how to lead through uncertainty, scale a vision, build sustainable systems, and honor a mission larger than herself. Today, as the founder of Seven & Assoc…

Mitesh Jani on Why Self Image Shapes Your Success | 1,554 Mitesh Jani is fascinated by a question that shapes every human life: why do some people step into their potential while others spend years doubting their own worth? A dentist, author, and lifelong student of human behavior, Mitesh has spent years exploring the connection between self image, achievement, and personal transformation. Long before he wrote books or built a professional career, he was the kid collecting motivational quotes, searching for the ideas that explain why people think, act, and grow the way they do. That curiosity eventually became The Process: Six Mechanics of Achievement, a book that distills more than a decade of observation, reflection, and lived experience into a practical framework for personal growth. While his professional life has been spent in dentistry and business, Mitesh believes the greatest challenges people face are rarely technical. They are internal. The beliefs they hold abou…

Tanya Taibl on Better Communication in Dementia Care | 1,553 Tanya Taibl believes dementia care begins with seeing the person, not just the diagnosis. With a background in special education, Tanya brings a unique and deeply compassionate perspective to supporting individuals experiencing cognitive decline and the families who care for them. Rather than focusing solely on what has been lost, she focuses on what remains possible through adaptation, communication, and understanding. Her work centers on helping care partners and loved ones navigate the complexities of dementia with greater confidence, empathy, and practical strategies. By exploring how communication styles, environmental design, and relationship dynamics influence quality of life, Tanya helps create experiences that preserve dignity, connection, and meaning. What sets her approach apart is a simple but powerful shift in perspective: instead of asking what a person can no longer do, she asks how we can better s…

Dr Kenneth Markowitz on Rebuilding Life After Addiction | 1,552 Dr. Kenneth Markowitz understands addiction from both sides of the conversation, as a physician who treated patients for nearly two decades and as someone who faced his own battle with addiction. A former pediatrician and now an addiction recovery coach, Kenneth brings a rare combination of medical expertise, clinical experience, and lived recovery to the people he serves. After pornography addiction unexpectedly derailed a successful medical career, he was forced to confront the very challenges he had spent years helping others navigate. That experience became the catalyst for a new calling. Today, Kenneth helps individuals struggling with both chemical and behavioral addictions move beyond shame, isolation, and self destructive patterns toward lasting recovery and personal freedom. Drawing from his background in medicine, psychology, and his own recovery journey, he offers a deeply personalized approach that…

How Lenna Rodriguez Supports Veterans After Service | 1,551 Lenna Rodriguez has spent her life serving in places where leadership, resilience, and courage are not optional. A retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3, Lenna served for more than 20 years in some of the military's most demanding roles, spanning intelligence, criminal investigations, civil affairs, and special operations support. From deployments in Africa and Afghanistan to leading complex investigations as a Supervisory Special Agent with the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, her career was built on protecting others and solving problems under pressure. But for Lenna, service did not end when she took off the uniform. Today, she is a passionate advocate for veterans, military families, and those facing the invisible challenges that often follow military service. Through her work supporting America's Warrior Partnership and the "Know a Vet, Tell a Vet" initiative, she helps strengthen a…

Gary Parker on Stories That Shape Who We Are | 1,550 Gary Parker has spent a lifetime telling stories that refuse to let readers look away. A bestselling novelist, screenwriter, and storyteller, Gary is the author of more than 20 traditionally published novels, including a work selected as a Doubleday Crossings Book Club Main Selection. His stories explore the complexity of human nature, the choices that define us, and the unexpected turns that shape our lives. Beyond the page, Gary has written multiple screenplays, with one sold and others optioned for production, bringing his storytelling talents into the world of film. His ability to craft compelling narratives across different mediums has made him a sought after guest for podcasts, television, radio, and speaking engagements. Holding a Ph.D. from Baylor University, Gary combines intellectual depth with a storyteller's instinct for what captures the human heart. Whether writing fiction, discussing the creative process, …

Sara Hathaway on Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times | 1,549 Sara F. Hathaway explores one of society's most uncomfortable questions: what happens when everything we depend on suddenly disappears? An author, self-defense instructor, podcaster, and preparedness advocate, Sara has built a devoted following through The Changing Earth Series, a gripping fictional universe that examines the fragility of modern civilization and the resilience required to survive its collapse. But beneath the action, suspense, and survival scenarios lies a deeper message. Confidence is not something you find in a crisis. It is something you build long before one arrives. Drawing from her expertise in self-defense and personal preparedness, Sara teaches people how to develop the mindset, skills, and adaptability needed to face uncertainty with strength rather than fear. Whether through her novels, The Changing Earth Podcast, or The Changing Earth Audio Drama, she challenges audiences to think differe…

How Clive Moore Uses AI to Scale Smarter | 1,548 Clive Moore believes the AI revolution has very little to do with AI. After 25 years building and scaling creative agencies, Clive discovered that the biggest obstacle to productivity is not technology. It is workflow. While most businesses chase the latest AI tools, he focuses on the systems, processes, and operational design that determine whether those tools create value or become expensive distractions. Today, Clive helps agencies and service businesses transform AI from a novelty into infrastructure. His work centers on redesigning how teams operate, integrating AI into real workflows, and creating systems that dramatically increase output without increasing complexity. Having built multiple AI platforms and spent decades optimizing how organizations deliver work, he brings a practical perspective often missing from the AI conversation. His focus is not on replacing people. It is on helping people work smarter, faster, …

How Sylvaine Francine Helps People Truly Heal | 1,547 Sylvaine Francine has spent a lifetime helping people heal what cannot always be seen. Born and raised in France before moving to the United States to study chiropractic medicine, Sylvaine has dedicated more than four decades to exploring the many dimensions of healing. Her journey has taken her through a wide range of therapeutic modalities, all driven by a deep curiosity about human resilience and the remarkable capacity for transformation. Throughout her career, she has been drawn to working with women recovering from trauma, loss, and life's most difficult experiences. Time and again, those she has helped have referred others seeking the same compassionate guidance, creating a community built on trust, healing, and hope. What sets Sylvaine apart is not just her extensive experience, but the way she approaches her work. She sees healing as more than symptom relief. It is about helping people reconnect with themselves…

Eryn Kubinski on Training Your Mind for Real Change | 1,546 Eryn Kubinski believes lasting transformation begins long before a person changes their habits. It begins when they change their relationship with their own mind. A Mental Fitness Coach, speaker, and former physical therapist, Eryn helps women break free from the patterns that keep them stuck in cycles of inconsistency, self sabotage, and frustration. Her work focuses on training the mind to perform under stress, so healthy choices become natural instead of a daily battle of willpower. Drawing from her background in healthcare, behavior change, endurance athletics, and entrepreneurship, Eryn understands that most people do not struggle because they lack knowledge. They struggle because old mental patterns continue to override their best intentions. Through her coaching, she helps women build the internal strength needed to lose weight, reduce dependence on alcohol, create sustainable habits, and develop a deeper s…

Elisa Neven Pugh on Turning Limitations Into Strength | 1,545 Elisa Neven-Pugh is challenging the assumptions people make before a single word is spoken. Living with a disability has given Elisa a perspective that many people never have to develop. She knows what it feels like to be underestimated, overlooked, or defined by what others see on the surface. Rather than allowing those experiences to limit her, she transformed them into a mission. Today, Elisa is a motivational speaker, advocate, and author whose work centers on personal responsibility, spiritual accountability, and recognizing the strength that exists even in life's most difficult circumstances. Through her speaking and advocacy, she helps people move beyond victimhood, reconnect with their own resilience, and recognize the support, opportunities, and possibilities that may already be surrounding them. What makes Elisa's message powerful is its authenticity. She does not teach from theory. She teaches from li…

How Marc Hopkins Pushes Beyond Limits | 1,544 Marc Hopkins believes the finish line is never the real destination. An endurance athlete, coach, and speaker, Marc has spent years testing the limits of human performance, completing the grueling Bigfoot 200, eight Ironman distance triathlons, and more than 200 endurance events ranging from marathons to ultramarathons. But his work is not really about racing. It is about what happens when excuses run out and the only thing left is the conversation you have with yourself. Drawing from a background in philosophy, business leadership, and endurance sport, Marc helps individuals and organizations explore resilience, accountability, and personal growth through a deeper lens. His coaching has guided hundreds of people through challenges that extend far beyond athletic goals, helping them confront fear, self doubt, and the beliefs that quietly limit what they think is possible. Through his framework, The Six Steps to Completing Yo…

Chip Scholz on Redefining Success and Purpose | 1,543 Chip Scholz writes and speaks about the transitions that quietly shape a life. An executive coach, author, and storyteller, Chip has spent nearly three decades helping leaders navigate growth, uncertainty, reinvention, and change. Along the way, he discovered that the biggest leadership challenges are rarely about strategy. They are about identity. After a career spanning sales, management, and public affairs, a late career layoff became an unexpected turning point. What could have been a setback became an invitation to rebuild, leading Chip to relocate his family, launch his own coaching practice, and redefine success on his own terms. Today, his work explores a deeper question: What happens when the roles, titles, and accomplishments we've relied on no longer define who we are? Through his books Small Decisions, Big Shifts, Every Dog Has Its Day, and Handoffs, Chip examines the lifelong journey from self leadership…

Christopher McKeithen on Avoiding Costly Cyber Breaches | 1,542 Christopher McKeithen learned in combat that the most dangerous threats are often the ones you never see coming. After serving in the U.S. Army, including a combat deployment to Iraq, he carried a simple lesson into the cybersecurity world: the difference between a manageable problem and a catastrophic failure often comes down to identifying vulnerabilities before an adversary does. That philosophy became the foundation of Aegis Cyber Defense. As founder and CEO, Christopher built Aegis to help organizations uncover the security exposures hiding in plain sight. His platform provides security and IT leaders with a clear understanding of their attack surface, prioritizing real world threats based on active exploitation data rather than overwhelming teams with endless alerts and noise. Built as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Aegis Cyber Defense specializes in helping lean security teams and r…

Dr. Kerri Husman on Healing Beyond Traditional Psychiatry | 1,541 Dr. Kerri Husman works at the intersection of psychiatry, healing, and human transformation. An integrative psychiatrist, trauma-informed coach, and educator, Dr. Husman helps people navigate some of life's most complex challenges, including trauma, spiritual crises, chronic symptoms, treatment-resistant conditions, and the search for deeper meaning and healing. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, she draws from a diverse range of disciplines including psychiatry, energy psychology, hypnosis, functional medicine principles, neuroplasticity, psychedelics, and spiritual healing practices. Her work is rooted in the belief that true healing honors the whole person, mind, body, emotions, and spirit. Beyond her clinical practice, Dr. Husman serves as guest faculty for the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and hosts The Way of the Shaman Podcast®, where she explores the wisdom, experiences, and teach…

How Vincent Hazenboom Helps Men Heal Addiction | 1.540 Vincent Hazenboom helps men break free from porn addiction through honesty, awareness, and real emotional healing, not shame, fear, or surface level fixes. Having walked through the struggle himself, Vincent understands that lasting change does not come from willpower alone. It comes from learning the patterns beneath the behavior, rebuilding self trust, and creating the emotional safety needed to face what is actually driving the cycle. His work focuses on helping men step out of secrecy and self judgment so they can respond differently when urges, stress, or disconnection arise. Through open conversations and practical guidance, he encourages men to take responsibility without losing their sense of worth in the process. Vincent’s message is direct and grounded. Recovery is not about becoming perfect. It is about becoming honest enough to change. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Enjoying the show? Support the conversation! …

Amy Gonzalez is not teaching women how to be fearless. She is reminding them how to be brave. As the creator of Brave On™, Amy has built a movement centered on emotional honesty, resilience, self expression, and the courage to show up fully as yourself. Her work goes beyond traditional motivation, creating transformative experiences that help women reconnect with their strength, their voice, and their humanity. What makes Amy's approach unique is her ability to blend healing with humor. Through storytelling, movement, authentic conversation, and community, she creates spaces where women feel seen, understood, and empowered to embrace every part of who they are. Her message is not about perfection or having it all figured out. It is about choosing courage in the midst of uncertainty, honoring your truth, and continuing to move forward even when life feels messy. Through Brave On™, Amy is helping women lead themselves differently, personally and professionally, by embracing …

[SPOTLIGHT FEATURE] Kenny Stoddart on The Mind Behind Elite Leadership | 1,538 Kenny Stoddart specializes in the psychology of high-consequence leadership. As the founder of IronMind Advisors, he works with leaders whose decisions carry weight, affecting organizations, teams, and outcomes far beyond themselves. While most professionals focus on external performance, Kenny focuses on the internal systems that drive it. The quality of thought, emotional control, attention, and judgment under pressure. His IronMind Mentality framework helps leaders eliminate mental interference, navigate complexity with clarity, and execute decisively when stakes are highest. Because leadership is not tested when conditions are easy. It is revealed when uncertainty, pressure, and responsibility converge at the same moment. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Enjoying the show? Support the conversation! 👉 Today’s guest: www.ironmindadvisors.com 🎬 Need standout video, podcast, or branding conte…

Maria Denison on Creativity Persistence and Success | 1,537 Maria Denison spent nearly a decade bringing a story to life that refused to let go of her imagination. What began as a passion project in 2014 evolved into The Reflex Series, an ambitious five-book saga that blends mystery, suspense, romance, and the supernatural into a genre-defying reading experience. Through years of revisions, setbacks, and persistence, Maria remained committed to the world she had created, ultimately completing the series and releasing The Reflex Consolidated Version in 2025. Her stories are driven by more than plot twists and intrigue. They explore human connection, resilience, secrets, and the unseen forces that shape our lives, all wrapped inside a fast paced narrative that keeps readers guessing. Having lived across New England, the Midwest, and now the West Coast, Maria brings a broad perspective and rich life experience to her writing. While continuing to expand The Reflex Series, she …

Amy McKiernan on Reclaiming Your Story From Survivor to Empowered | 1,536 Amy McKiernan is helping survivors discover that their story does not end with what happened to them. It begins with what they choose to do next. As the author of More Than A Survivor, Amy speaks to one of the most difficult realities a person can face: recovering from sexual assault and reclaiming a sense of identity, safety, and hope. Her work provides a pathway forward, helping survivors move beyond merely enduring the past and toward building lives defined by confidence, purpose, and authentic peace. But Amy's mission extends beyond individual healing. Through her work with schools, universities, and organizations, she helps create conversations and cultures that prioritize dignity, respect, prevention, and accountability. Her message is both personal and practical, empowering people to become part of the solution. Professionally, Amy serves as a Director of Employee Relations, where she helps fo…

Nancy Deyo on Finding Strength Through Pain | 1,535 Nancy Deyo spent years leading companies, solving complex problems, and operating at the highest levels of business. Then one injury changed everything. After a spinal injury on Mount Kilimanjaro, the former Silicon Valley CEO found herself facing a battle no amount of intelligence, determination, or professional success could solve. Chronic pain dismantled the life she had built, forcing her to confront not only physical suffering, but the loss of identity that comes when the person you've always been can no longer function the same way. For fifteen years, Nancy navigated chronic illness, opioid dependence, failed treatments, and the uncertainty that so many pain sufferers know all too well. She searched everywhere for answers, from leading medical experts to unconventional healing modalities, only to discover that the greatest transformation would come not from finding a cure, but from redefining what it meant to live. …

Victoria Cerminaro on From Burnout to True Wellness | 1,534 Victoria Cerminaro is redefining what healing looks like in a world obsessed with quick fixes. A Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist, educator, and writer, Victoria helps people move beyond the exhausting cycle of chasing perfect health and reconnect with a more sustainable, compassionate approach to well being. Her work was born from personal experience. After years of navigating her own health challenges, burnout, and the frustration of doing everything "right" while still feeling unwell, she discovered that true healing is rarely about doing more. It is about understanding yourself better. Drawing from more than 15 years in the natural wellness space, Victoria combines evidence based nutrition with nervous system support, self awareness, and a refreshing belief that our struggles do not make us broken. They often reveal our greatest strengths. Through her teaching and writing, she encourages people to stop…