Living Boldly With Purpose

In this powerful episode of Living Boldly with Purpose, we sit down with coach, podcaster, and “Dark Horse Entrepreneur” Tracy Brinkman for a raw, funny, and deeply honest conversation about identity, reinvention, and what it really takes to live on purpose.

Tracy walks us through his journey as a military brat living across the U.S. and Germany, his wild years in Southern California, and the two-year meth-fueled detour that nearly ...

Purpose doesn’t arrive with a trumpet blast; it grows every time we choose alignment over autopilot. 

We sit down with Nikki to trace a real-world journey from chasing an acting dream in LA to a 15-year stretch in the classroom to finally building a practice that helps people quiet the mind, shift unhelpful patterns, and take bold action that actually fits. 

Along the way, we get honest about regret, resilience, and the moment when “...

Two mics, three big themes, and a lot of heart: connection, capability, and community. 

We sit down with Doug and Carrie, the couple behind People Fuss, to trace how a life built on curiosity and service can cut through the noise. The story starts with dial‑up days and a dyslexic kid finding dignity through spellcheck, then jumps to present day where Doug runs 3D data services—think LIDAR, drones, and high‑resolution scanners—inside...

What if understanding is the booby prize—and the real win is something you can do on demand, under pressure, without thinking? 

That’s the bold claim Chris brings, backed by a career that runs from rugby pitches to Special Forces ranges to Fortune 100 boardrooms. We dive into how embodied competence gets built through discomfort, coaching, and reps, and why most adults stall because they protect comfort instead of pursuing growth.

What if the life you’re working so hard to build isn’t actually yours? 

Chris joins us to chart a raw, compelling path from “good on paper” to good in the soul—walking away from a safe finance career, building a thriving gym by listening first, then burning out while scaling a meal company for all the wrong reasons. The collapse became a catalyst: meditation, nature, deep emotional work, and a deliberate shedding of labels that had ...

How far would you go to rewrite the script of your life? We sit down with Queen, a retired middle school teacher who ditched the grind, moved to Mexico’s Lake Chapala, and found a spiritual awakening that reshaped everything—from health and creativity to purpose and community.

Queen takes us inside the practical and the profound. She shares the research that made moving abroad possible, why the expat community mattered, an...

What if creativity isn’t a talent for the lucky few, but the courage to be wholly yourself—and let purpose snap into focus?

That’s the pulse of this episode with Fredrik, The Creativity Explorer, as we journey from Right-brain/Left-brain myths to a fuller view of human potential where curiosity is simply care in motion and authenticity—not convention—becomes the measure of creative power.

We dig into “inner theme” (the message only y...

What if real power isn’t about control, but about the courage to serve and the clarity to say yes to your purpose. 

That’s the heartbeat of this conversation as we trace a journey from traditional religion and conventional psychology to a fuller view of the human being—one that honors spirit, agency, and the inner work that actually sets us free.

We talk about stepping into purpose now, not “after the money,” and why trusti...

What if purpose asks you to leave comfort behind? 
We sit down with Alyca, soldier, mother, scholar—to explore how a five-stoplight childhood in Louisiana grew into leading hundreds of soldiers, cycling fifty-eight miles along the Han River after 14-hour shifts, and pursuing a PhD in information systems and decision sciences. 
Her story is raw and resolute: navigating domestic violence and the shame that followed, becoming ...

Stop waiting for perfect gear. We dig into why momentum beats polish and how podcasting becomes a powerful engine for personal growth, communication skills, and credibility. Junaid Ahmed—storyteller, designer, and the force behind Home Studio Mastery—walks us through his seven-stage approach to building a professional home studio, starting from a smartphone and scaling to pro cameras, lighting, and backgrounds that actually serve t...

What if the machines people use to find you—Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Siri—became a fair lens instead of a funhouse mirror? That’s the challenge we tackle with Jason Barnard: taking back control of your digital narrative without resorting to hype, hacks, or heavy tech.

We swap dial‑up memories and language mishaps for hard‑won lessons on modern brand stewardship. Jason unpacks how he went from failing French to thinking...

What if the thing you’ve been trying to “fix” is actually an intelligence that protected you when you needed it most? That reframe changes everything. We sit down with Michael Stone to explore why trauma isn’t the event it’s what happens inside us and how integration, not problem‑solving, turns pain into presence and expands the space we have to hold life.

Michael shares a life marked by early loss and unimaginable violenc...

What if the journey to mastery isn't about talent, but persistence? When 88% of podcasters quit before their tenth episode, there's a profound lesson hiding in plain sight about what it takes to excel at anything meaningful in life.

In this soul-stirring conversation, JM shares his remarkable journey from Montana athlete to successful entrepreneur and coach. After blowing out his knee three times, he faced a crit...

What happens when a punk rock musician from CBGBs discovers the power of reprogramming the mind? Doug O'Brien's remarkable journey from the 1980s New York music scene to becoming a master trainer for Tony Robbins reveals powerful insights about identity transformation and purposeful living.

Doug takes us behind the curtain of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), explaining how our brains function like computers wit...

What does it take to conduct over 6,000 interviews? Adam Torres reveals his extraordinary journey from finance professional to media mogul, sharing the vulnerable truth that he began as "the world's worst podcaster." So terrified of judgment, he didn't even use his real name when starting out.

Torres takes us behind the curtain of his transformation, explaining how he systematically studied the broadcas...

Scott Schilling's remarkable journey unfolds in this captivating conversation about purpose, authenticity, and service. From his early days playing Big Ten football at the University of Iowa while simultaneously becoming a licensed life insurance agent at just 18, Scott reveals how strategic career choices set him apart in a competitive job market.

With disarming candor, Scott shares the pivotal moments that shaped hi...

Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, raised by a grandmother with only a sixth-grade education, Anouk lacked corporate role models but possessed something more valuable—a willingness to ask questions and learn from others. When she spotted a successful family in her hometown, she simply decided to follow their son's educational path. This pragmatic approach to navigating unfamiliar territory became a pattern that served her we...

Join The Podcasting Challenge at www.ThePodcastingChallenge.com 
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What if the very pain you're trying to escape is actually guiding you toward your purpose? In this deeply moving conversation, Jill Butler opens her heart and shares her remarkable journey from corporate finance professional to purpose-driven educator hel...

Join The Podcasting Challenge at www.ThePodcastingChallenge.com 
Explore personal growth at www.becomingtheperson.com 
Book a session at www.BookWithBrian.us

What if the key to living boldly with purpose isn't about impact or influence, but simply being useful? Dr. Todd Schneider brings this refreshing perspective to a conversation that weaves together clinical psychology, entrepreneurship, and practical wisdo...