What would you do if the doctor told you your newborn son would be blind for the rest of his life? Or as a mom, finding out that your son was a heroin addict? Kristin Smedley & Mary Fran Bontempo had to answer the big questions in life when their children forced them to change direction, and shift all hopes and dreams. "This is a parent's worst nightmare, and I was living it." If you are a parent, this is a heartwarming episode on resilience, parenting, and learning to shine despite every se...
Mar 18, 2022•53 min•Season 4Ep. 81
What if there were 4 teachers in life that had a profound effect on your life's journey? Dan Millman, the Peaceful Warrior himself, sits down with Brad and shares the journey that led him from international champion to becoming a Peaceful Warrior, and 18 books later to his latest work, Peaceful Heart, Warrior Spirit. "Life itself is a series of moments. We each have neurotic moments and stable moments, intelligent moments, and I've had some dumb moments which I relate to in the book...just ask m...
Mar 04, 2022•56 min•Season 4Ep. 80
Only knowing gang culture since childhood, Frank Sebastian Saputo found himself with a choice: stay in a lifecycle of violence and prison—and be dead by 30...or turn his life around 180º to become something else. Someone his daughters could look up to. When his brother was murdered Frank sought revenge on the woman who killed him, but his brother's voice stopped him "Don't let her get you too. It was my contract brother. It's not your contract...your contract is to share, be and choose love. So ...
Feb 28, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 79
Have you ever had that Caddyshack Moment in life? Remember? In the movie Caddyshack where the priest has the best golf game of his life, then struck by lightning on the 18th hole? Well, Steve Gamlin had the opposite happen. Life knocked him down, and he went to the driving range. Afterwards, he found the laughter to face life again. And in that moment, became a Motivational Speaker and Life Coach. Brad and Steve chat candidly about those moments that knock us to the ground, how to get back up, s...
Feb 23, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 78
What would you do if you discovered your state governor was caught hoarding life-saving medicine while at the same time banning it, creating a black market where he could potentially make millions? What if your State Assemblyman was arrested FOUR-TIMES with no prosecution? Or your school board created more mandates for your children? Talk about Speaking Truth to Power, Mindy Robinson has stepped up and started challenging these criminals. One who never backs down from a good argument, Political ...
Feb 11, 2022•53 min•Season 4Ep. 77
Do you believe in love at first sight? John and Mary Guillermin sure believe so. John Guillermin is best known as the director of The Towering Inferno (1974), starring Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Fred Astaire, along with King Kong (1976), with Jeff Bridges, Jessica Lange and Charles Grodin, and a host of American, British and French Films. But there is more to this story than just Hollywood Royalty. Mary and John had an epic love story, filled with passion, mutual admiration and manic depres...
Feb 01, 2022•48 min•Season 4Ep. 76
What if you had three months to prove that a cordless phone was possible in 1973? What would you do? One of the driving forces behind the creation of the cell phone was an FCC hearing…a hearing that was three months away. How important is a hard deadline like that when it comes to innovation? During the era of Trimline phones attached to the kitchen wall, avocado colored refrigerators and Saturday morning cartoons, Martin "Marty" Cooper did the only thing he could do: call a press conference and...
Jan 23, 2022•47 min•Season 4Ep. 75
What if you could stop aging dead in its tracks? Get rid of gray hair and aching joints? Reverse disease? Naturopathic doctor Randi Shannon joins us on Awakened Nation to discuss what you should eat and what you should NOT. Many of the things we've been told are healthy actually destroy the longevity switch in our bodies. This is part 1 of a 2 part interview (that will include Randi's mentor Dr. Joel Wallach), explains 5,000 year old medicine, along with the secrets to reversing the aging proces...
Jan 19, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 4Ep. 74
Michael Howell returns for Season 4 to talk about his new book The United Deep State of America: A Shadow Government's Republic. If you are confused during this time of The 'Rona, political power grabs and a new global agenda, sit back with pen and paper, THIS is the episode for you...From Rudolf Steiner's statements from 100 years ago, to George Soros, David Rockefeller, Bill Gates, George Bush Sr. and Klaus Schwab, Michael pieces together their plans for the NWO, and exposes us to the playbook...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 73
Do you have back pain that makes no sense? Are you an athlete that wants to make greater gains? Dr. Amy Novotny sits down with Brad Szollose and shares her journey as an athlete and living with chronic pain. Just because you are older doesn't mean you should be living with pain. Amy also shares her greatest passion; photography. Her first time meeting an Emperor Penguin in the Antarctic is breathtaking... "and at that moment I could have died in a happy state, and I would have been fine..." Hone...
Jan 04, 2022•51 min•Season 4Ep. 72
What do you do when you realize the only path to success is marketing? And what happens when you become so successful, your competitors beg you and pay you to do their marketing? You launch a media agency that's what you do. Rob Anspach of Anspach Media sits down with Brad to discuss Rob's superpower; sarcasm, his Rob Versus__________ series of books and his reason for being a Stargate SG1 fan. This is a fun episode. About Rob Anspach: Rob Anspach is a highly sarcastic marketer, podcaster and se...
Apr 27, 2021•55 min•Season 4Ep. 71
Magnetic On Camera is MORE than just looking good. It's about exposing your soul and being vulnerable. "I think most people do get to a point because of society and family dynamics, and ancestral stuff, and our own energetic DNA things we bring in...culture...and we feel unclear and angry at the world...and we feel like "is this it?" We feel lost and kinda tricked, we feel angry. We feel there is something wrong with us." Every human being starts out life doing what they were told to do, followi...
Mar 15, 2021•55 min•Season 4Ep. 70
How do you get people to SEE what you are SAYING? In this touching episode of Awakened Nation, author and adjunct professor Todd Cherches shares with us his journey of learning to communicate visually when no one on your team speaks English. Brad and Todd are longtime friends and fellow New Yorkers, and share stories of The NY Yankees and NY Mets, bad bosses, good fathers, the power of a singular vision, working in television, and how emojis seem to be the modern communication equivalent of the ...
Mar 10, 2021•42 min•Season 4Ep. 69
"I wanted to ask Jay Leno for a picture together...before I could slide in and ask what I really want, the meat question, Jay moves over in the audience and says "you ma'am" ...and she asked for what I wanted; a picture with Jay. Jay sees my face, clearly disappointed... 'That's what you really wanted wasn't it?' So I get up and he says "but, she asked." Out a hard lesson of a missed opportunity, Linda Swindling vowed from that moment on to ask for what you really want up front. If you are a wom...
Mar 10, 2021•40 min•Season 4Ep. 68
“He pulled out 2 guns wrapped in oily rags and he puts one of them in my hand…I remember looking down and noticing the oddest details. The handle was wrapped in duct tape and the serial number was filed off the bottom…and that's when I disappeared.” Hear Manny Wolfe’s amazing story of being born into a cult , escaping to a life of crime, living on the streets...to finally overcoming adversity and rising above to become a well sought after business advisor, speaker coach, best-selling author and ...
Jan 26, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 67
"People show up at networking events wanting to sell, and nobody wants to buy." Dr. Ivan Misner is the godfather of networking and he is here to tell you that you are doing it wrong. Learn how to use the principles of visibility, credibility, and profitability to learn how to make your network work for you. This is the one episode you should be listening to if you want to expand your business or your non-profit. About Dr. Ivan Misner: Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chief Visionary Officer ...
Sep 01, 2020•41 min•Season 3Ep. 66
"It's not about us. It's about helping others to achieve the best they can." Soft skills are the new hard skills, according to Ryan Estis, and are the things that differentiate your company from the rest of the pack. Listen in for a solid hour of how to take your organization and yourself to the next level. About Ryan Estis: Ryan Estis has more than 20 years of experience as a top-performing sales professional and leader. As the former chief strategy officer for the McCann Worldgroup advertising...
Aug 25, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 65
"It's a symbiotic relationship that becomes a parasitic relationship." Science fiction shows us the beauty of artificial intelligence, but Cyrus A. Parsa believes that we need to be focusing on the pitfalls of relying on it. From pandemics to global conspiracies, this episode takes a look at all the different ways AI effects us. About Cyrus A. Parsa: Cyrus A. Parsa is the Founder and CEO of The AI Organization, where he is also Director of Creative Analysis & Defensive Innovations. He has re...
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 64
"I was always aware that I was the youngest and female (comedienne), and I was always on edge about that." What does it take to break into comedy? And what more do you have to do when you're Latina? Gina Brillon tells her story to Brad Szollose, about the ups and downs of working the comedy scene and what happens when you become a mother of boys. Two great friends get to chat about working together before fame and family took priority. About Gina Brillon: Gina Brillon was born and raised in the ...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 63
"That's what we've got. We manifested that for ourselves as a species." Do you really know what is going on? From False Light to our Reptillian DNA, Sacha Stone takes you on a quest through what he perceives as the realities and false dichotomies of this age. This episode of Awakened Nation will make you think and make you wonder. About Sacha Stone: Former rock musician and artist Sacha Stone grew up in Rhodesia-Zimbabwe throughout the war for independence. He established Humanitad in 1999. Afte...
Aug 04, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 62
"Your default tab is what you are born into... It's kinda like a gravity pull. its always there, always waiting for you. If you do nothing, you will end up right back on it." What's it like to start from a place where no one believes you can do better? And how good does it feel to shatter those expectations? Dawnna St. Louis talks about starting her own company, what it's like to be a black woman in corporate America and what it takes to build a business that will last. About Dawnna: Imagine the...
Jul 27, 2020•1 hr 37 min•Season 3Ep. 61
"Try hiking down a mountain in the middle of the night when it's 20ºF because your tent blew away..." What's it like to be a professional adventurer? Gordon Hunsucker regales Brad Szollose with stories of shipwrecks, intrigues, and life or death situations in this most fascinating episode of Awakened Nation. About Gordon: Gordon Hunsucker is a scuba diver, mountain climber, treasure hunter and photographer...in other words, a professional adventurer. Born on the night of Mischief, Gordon sought ...
Jul 26, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Season 3Ep. 60
"Whoever is in my chair is the most important person in my life, at that moment." The power of makeup is not something to be trifled with, and Lacey Moen is a practitioner that makes her clients look good and feel good every time. This loving and fun interview on Awakened Nation takes a look behind the curtain for a practical look on how to build a business. About Lacey: Lacey Ann Moen is a Polish, Italian, Irish, Viking, Jewish, ginger (thank you 23 and me) who graduated from Lake City High sch...
Jul 21, 2020•58 min•Season 3Ep. 59
"If I don't have a job, then I don't have an identity. " He was at the top of his game, but Shea Hillenbrand left it all behind. Brad Szollose goes deep with him on this episode of Awakened Nation, dealing with family, understanding who you are and what it takes to rise up beyond the story you tell yourself to become the person you want to be. About Shea Hillenbrand: Shea Hillenbrand is a former professional Major League Baseball player who covered third and first base, playing for the Boston Re...
Jul 14, 2020•58 min•Season 3Ep. 58
"I was always, always the only black person in any of my classes, and I knew there was more out there. I longed for it." Karith Foster is a multi-hyphenate star, and she has the stories from a life well-lived. In this fun and engaging conversation with longtime friend Brad Szollose, they touch on interracial marriage, relationships, race relations, the comedy industry and the kindness of the late, great Patrice O'Neal. #BlackoutBestsellerList #BlackPublishingPower #Junteenth About Karith Foster:...
Jul 07, 2020•1 hr 39 min•Season 3Ep. 57
"I'm one of those guys that will go on a blind date and start talking about sex, drugs and politics on a date." This is a fun episode, starting with health, going into politics and Star Trek, martial arts and what happens when Elizabeth and Brad get drunk in Las Vegas. Join the conversation and let us know: What is your favorite Rush song? About Jon Benson: Jon Benson is known as the "Billion Dollar Copywriter," with his words responsible for over a billion dollars worth of product sold. Jon is ...
Jun 30, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 56
"I learned the nature of power early." When people say "Feminist" nowadays it can get a vitriolic reaction. Feminism is an ever-changing force. Debby Williams, from Feminist Utopia, takes Brad Szollose on a tour of modern feminism, how losing gender roles is a good thing, and what's it like to receive death threats for your beliefs. About Debby Williams: Debby Williams is the host of Feminist Utopia with fellow Humanists of Houston board member Benita Malone. Feminist Utopia is a podcast that ex...
Jun 23, 2020•56 min•Season 3Ep. 55
What would YOU DO if you realized you didn't fit into society? Panache Desai shares his experience of taking a break from popular culture in England and serving in an Ashram to rekindle his love for God... "There's something simply cathartic about chopping vegetables or making huge vats of dal or cleaning the toilet... I realized that selfless service was cleaning me. Whatever activity I was engaged in, I was scrubbing myself." NY Times Bestselling author Panache Desai joins us on Awakened Natio...
Jun 16, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 54
"You can't define me. I'm nine." Can you live your dreams? Shannel Venegas created a life for herself that she wants to live, by understanding that your thoughts create your reality. Join us for a conversation that spans generations and cultures as Shannel shares her life from the gang leaders of The Barrio to becoming the top sales exec at FedEx, to becoming an Entrepreneur and an Influencer. About Shannel Venegas: Beautya & Hustle was born as a company when the founder, Shannel Venegas, re...
Jun 09, 2020•57 min•Season 3Ep. 53
"'Content is king, but engagement is queen and she wears the pants in the family.' I was writing this all down and literally, at the time, I didn't even know what they meant." How does a plumber from Texas become a YouTube influencer? Roger Wakefield has built an impressive social media following by being open to new ways while maintaining his humor and knowledge. Enjoy this warm and insightful conversation on Awakened Nation. About Roger Wakefield: YouTube sensation Roger Wakefield, LEED AP, is...
Jun 02, 2020•49 min•Season 3Ep. 52
