Willow Weston is an author, speaker, and founder of Collide, a ministry impacting women nationwide through honest conversations around pain, faith, and healing. Drawing from decades of mentoring and her own deeply personal story, Willow invites us to stop running from our wounds and begin facing them with courage and hope. Today, Willow shares how a childhood marked by trauma led to an unexpected calling, why avoiding pain keeps us stuck in cycles we don't understand, and how healing begins when...
Apr 23, 2026•47 min•Season 17Ep. 871
Recently, 130,000 graduates of Saint Louis University received a magazine in the mail. Inside was a story about one of their own making a difference in the world. The feature wasn't about a speaker, a business owner or a corporate executive. It was about a graduate who chose a different path: serving when no one is watching, modeling love in a world longing for it, and showing up fully and faithfully for others. The story was about my wife, Beth. Let me explain.
Apr 20, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 872
Claude M. Steele is a legendary social psychologist whose groundbreaking research on stereotype threat, self-image, and self-affirmation has reshaped how we understand identity. His latest work explores "churn," the mental and physical stress that can arise in everyday interactions across differences, and the tension shaping so much of modern life. Today, Claude shares what it was like growing up outside Chicago in a racially diverse and complex environment, the values instilled by his parents, ...
Apr 16, 2026•1 hr 1 min•Season 17Ep. 872
Recently, Mom and I shared coffee with a man who helped shape our lives decades ago. He wasn't a celebrity. He didn't make headlines. He was a caregiver at Mercy Hospital's burn unit, and we came to know him as Nurse Roy. Let me explain.
Apr 13, 2026•6 min•Season 17Ep. 871
Piera Gelardi is a creative entrepreneur passionate about helping others reclaim creativity and possibility through the power of play. As the co-founder of Refinery29 and author of The Playful Way , Piera helps individuals and organizations rediscover something many of us have lost along the way: the courage to play. Today, Piera shares how growing up in a small town in Maine shaped her sense of wonder, how building a global brand led to unexpected self-doubt and burnout, and how reclaiming play...
Apr 09, 2026•55 min•Season 17Ep. 868
On any given day in Marietta, Georgia, men line up for a haircut from Travis Sanders. But what draws them in and liberates them to wait isn't simply getting their hair styled. It's connection, encouragement and a powerful reminder that hardship does not get the final word. Let me explain.
Apr 06, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 865
Demond Martin is an investor, philanthropist, and CEO of WellWithAll, a health and wellness company committed to closing gaps in care by reinvesting profits into underserved communities. As a leader shaped by experiences ranging from the White House to Wall Street, Demond uses his platform to champion a powerful idea: that the relationships we build ultimately shape the lives we live. Today, Demond shares how a childhood marked by instability and hardship became the foundation for a life of purp...
Apr 02, 2026•49 min•Season 17Ep. 865
What would you do if you knew today was your last? At nine years old, that wasn't a hypothetical question for me. It was my reality. After being burned on 100% of my body in a gasoline explosion, I was given less than a 1% chance to survive the first night. Although I survived that night, and the following five months in the hospital, the prospect of death never faded. It felt closest, though, on the nights before surgery. Because burned skin doesn't grow back, doctors had to take skin from one ...
Mar 30, 2026•6 min•Season 17Ep. 867
Erik Weihenmayer is an adventurer, bestselling author, and motivational speaker… but he's perhaps best known as the first blind person to summit Mount Everest. After losing his vision as a teenager, Erik refused to let blindness define his limits. Instead, he became a world-class climber, kayaker, and co-founder of No Barriers—a global movement helping people turn adversity into possibility. Today, Erik shares how losing his sight reshaped his identity, how climbing became both his passion and h...
Mar 26, 2026•1 hr 3 min•Season 17Ep. 863
In a world overflowing with pessimism, cynicism, and negativity, what might happen if we chose something different? What might change if we instead stepped into life with hope, optimism, faith? I get to see what that looks like almost every day through the life of my daughter, Grace. She lives with a powerful posture toward every aspect of life: Yes. Let me explain.
Mar 23, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 861
Masami Sato is the Founder and CEO of B1G1 (Buy1Give1), a global giving movement that has helped thousands of businesses turn everyday transactions into acts of generosity. A two-time TEDx speaker and best-selling author, Masami has helped inspire more than 394 million acts of kindness worldwide. Today, Masami shares how a lonely childhood led her to travel the world with little money and even fewer words, how witnessing both poverty and generosity reshaped her understanding of happiness, and ho...
Mar 19, 2026•53 min•Season 17Ep. 864
Ten years ago this week, ON FIRE was released. When the book first went out into the world, I wasn't expecting bestseller lists, translations into a dozen languages, or a feature film. My hope was far simpler: to honor the people who saved my life. In sharing their stories, my hope was simple: to remind readers that they, too, could be part of someone else's miracle. Because what made these heroes remarkable wasn't supernatural power. It was their decision to use their lives to elevate someone e...
Mar 16, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 863
Chris Seilkop is a four-time Paralympian and longtime member of the U.S. men's sitting volleyball team. After losing his leg in a lawnmower accident at just seven years old, Chris refused to let tragedy define him. Instead, fueled by resilience, family support, and a love of sports, he built a life defined by perseverance. Along the way, he competed on the world stage, served others through his work with the YMCA and mentored individuals navigating life after amputation. Today, Chris shares how ...
Mar 12, 2026•50 min•Season 17Ep. 862
Years ago, I spoke with 40 business owners. The goal of the event was to bring together some of the highest achievers, connect them with one another, and expand their businesses and their lives. Wondering what success even meant to them, I kicked off the session by asking what they would do professionally if they could achieve anything and knew they could not fail. After a moment of reflection, a brave gentleman stood and proudly announced, "I'd make it big. I mean, like really, really big!" He ...
Mar 09, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 861
Today, we're joined by Lauren Abraham, a leader helping guide the national Student to Student Program of the Newark Institute, as well as two student participants of the program: Yehudah Greenberg and Ayden Nelson. Through this program, Yehudah and Ayden are boldly stepping into conversations that many adults shy away from and sharing stories, traditions, and lived experiences in an effort to replace stereotypes with understanding. Together, they are proving that real change begins face to face....
Mar 05, 2026•1 hr 12 min•Season 17Ep. 860
Nearing the end of a hectic week of speaking, I could feel it coming. What began as a raspy voice at the start of one talk turned into a whisper by the end. As a sinus infection intensified, my throat swelled, swallowing hurt and my body ached, but the hardest part wasn't the pain. It was the silence brought on by laryngitis. For a man who makes his living with words, losing my voice felt like losing a part of myself. After a week of quiet, though, as my voice slowly returned, I realized somethi...
Mar 02, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 859
Mary DeMuth is a bestselling author, international speaker, host of the Pray Every Day podcast, and has devoted her life to helping people heal from difficult stories. And yet, before guiding others toward hope, Mary was a little girl growing up in chaos, navigating abuse, neglect, addiction, and the loss of her father. Today, Mary shares how to move from victim to survivor to healer, why lament is not weakness but faith refusing to let go, and what forgiveness really looks like in real life. Sh...
Feb 26, 2026•50 min•Season 17Ep. 858
Early in life, I learned an important truth that would guide the rest of my life: growth rarely happens in comfort. It happens in supply closets when scarred knees are stretched, at dinner tables when you're forced to relearn how to pick up a fork, and on screen porches when you're reminded that the can of gasoline isn't chasing you anymore. Growth doesn't begin when the path is clear and the circumstances are perfect. It begins when we step forward anyway into situations where we feel uncertain...
Feb 23, 2026•6 min•Season 17Ep. 857
Candace Lightner is the founder of MADD: Mothers Against Drunk Driving and We Save Lives, nationally and internationally recognized organizations reshaping America's response to drunk driving. After her 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a repeat drunk driver in 1980, Candace transformed unimaginable grief into a grassroots movement that has saved more than 600,000 lives and led to the passage of over 700 state and federal laws, including raising the drinking age to 21. Today, Candace sha...
Feb 19, 2026•57 min•Season 17Ep. 856
"John, everything is going to work out fine." With these words my sweet dad was trying to encourage me and cheer me up. It wasn't working, though. Let me explain.
Feb 16, 2026•6 min•Season 17Ep. 855
Rudy Ruettiger is the legendary underdog behind the iconic film RUDY, the walk-on who made one unforgettable play for the University of Notre Dame and became the first player in school history to be carried off the field. One of 14 children raised in a modest home, Rudy overcame dyslexia, rejection, and doubt to become an award-winning speaker, author, producer, and founder of the Rudy Foundation. Today, Rudy shares how discipline and scarcity forged deep gratitude, how the loss of a close frien...
Feb 12, 2026•44 min•Season 17Ep. 854
Recently I shared a story online about a flight delayed because of the arrogance of one person. Thousands of people liked the post. Hundreds more commented. And the vast majority agreed that the man in first class was profoundly arrogant. Here's what I learned after that post went live: It turns out, I was the arrogant one. Let me explain.
Feb 09, 2026•6 min•Season 17Ep. 853
Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning, James Beard Award-winning chef, television host, author, and global food advocate. Recognized from the wildly popular show Bizarre Foods, Andrew explores culture through cuisine. And yet before the success, Andrew's life was marked by addiction, homelessness, and hard-won second chances that eventually led him towards his purpose. Today, Andrew shares how curiosity saved his life, why asking for help became his turning point, and how food became the lens throug...
Feb 05, 2026•58 min•Season 17Ep. 852
Some stories don't gently ask for your attention. They demand it. Rhonda Bear's story is one of them. Like so many lives lived on fire for good, her story doesn't begin with comfort or clarity. It begins in brokenness. In a childhood marked by chaos, addiction, and uncertainty. By the age of twelve, Rhonda was already searching for something—anything—that might make her feel whole. That search led her down a long and painful road. And yet, what happened next is where her story becomes extraordin...
Feb 02, 2026•6 min•Season 17Ep. 851
Robert Paylor is a former collegiate rugby standout whose life changed in an instant during a national championship match. A spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the neck down, and doctors told him he would never walk again. He has since defied the odds: walking again, building a family, graduating from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and becoming a sought-after speaker and author featured in Sports Illustrated and People. Today, Robert shares what it means to lose everything you th...
Jan 29, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Season 17Ep. 850
As a kid, meeting someone new often sent my heart racing. You see, I worried they'd judge me by the scars on my face, the burns on my arms, or the fingers that were no longer there. My mom- always able to read her kids' thoughts and then directly coach them up- observed my pained hesitation when meeting new people. One day she knelt down, looked me in the eye, and shared life-changing wisdom. Let me explain.
Jan 26, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 849
Harold Dennis Jr. is a survivor of the Carrollton Bus Crash, one of the deadliest drunk-driving tragedies in U.S. history. He was just 14 years old when everything changed. What followed was a long road through loss, injury, and grief, and a remarkable journey of resilience. Harold went on to become a college athlete, a nationally recognized example of courage in sports, a medical professional, a husband, a father, and living proof that devastation does not get the final word. Today, Harold Denn...
Jan 22, 2026•1 hr•Season 17Ep. 848
Two years ago, Beth and I anxiously dropped off our oldest son, Jack, for his first year of college. The school Jack chose- Indiana University- is renowned for its strong business schools, a gorgeous campus, and a long heritage of winning basketball. What it was not known for, however, was its football program. So, it's fair to say our astonishment is real that the most losing program in college football history is chasing its first-ever national championship just 18 months later. And as unlikel...
Jan 19, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 847
Father Joe Detweiler is a Catholic priest, pastor, and living testament to what is possible when hope refuses to let go. As a teenager, Father Joe survived a catastrophic car accident that left doctors unsure he would ever wake up, speak, or recognize the people he loved. Against every medical expectation, he not only recovered, but went on to fulfill his calling to the priesthood, carrying with him a depth of compassion shaped by suffering, faith, and grace. Today, Father Joe shares what it is ...
Jan 15, 2026•52 min•Season 17Ep. 846
A friend said this about a show he'd spent dozens of hours watching, and what struck me wasn't his patience, but his willingness to endure something that never truly moved him. Most of us do the same, filling our nights with noise simply to avoid the quiet. And yet, what we repeatedly allow into our lives shapes the way we see the world. This week, watch SOUL ON FIRE, now streaming on Netflix.
Jan 12, 2026•5 min•Season 17Ep. 845
