High Five Salon is one of the most successful and innovative salons in the midwest. The secret to their success isn’t excellence—it’s taking the time to see, know, and encourage every single person who comes through their door. Behind it all is Sam Hills, the owner and founder. He’s an aggressive man literally changing the world one haircut at a time. Just like if you spent time in his chair, you'll leave this podcast feeling encouraged, and with insights into the power of generosity, green ligh...
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Kevan Chandler was born with a rare neuromuscular disease, making him dependent upon others for all of his physical needs—movement, food, even going to the bathroom. No one could blame him for living life from a place of self-pity, anger, or disappointment, but that's not Kevan. Through sacrifice and vulnerability, he’s built a band of friends who are more like brothers. When Kevan had the idea to travel to Europe, his band of brothers responded—six friends covered three countries, taking turns ...
Dec 05, 2023•52 min
Earlier this month, Brian got the chance to appear as a guest on The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast with new friend, author, and changemaker Ginny Yurich. The quick-hitting conversation covered everything from the Five Marks of a Man, to the power of play to change your life, to the birth of MAN CAMP and everything in-between. It’s an aggressive and fun hour that puts Brian on the hot-seat. If you missed Ginny’s appearance on The Aggressive Life , where she discussed the power of being outside to ch...
Nov 28, 2023•59 min
Science is beginning to show what the Bible already teaches: gratitude can change your emotional, spiritual, and even physical health. This Thanksgiving, Brian is picking up the phone and making the aggressive move: calling friends and family, to tell them exactly how much they mean to him. Listen in, and then take the aggressive gratitude challenge for yourself. This Thanksgiving, let the people you love know it, and see just how much gratitude changes things.
Nov 21, 2023•36 min
Dr. Stuart Brown has quantified what every young child already knows—play makes life more enjoyable. While most adults tend to age out of play, Dr. Brown believes it’s the key to lives that are fulfilling, fun, and flourishing, no matter the age. Play re-creates us physically, leads to breakthroughs mentally, and builds healthy relationships. From his early research, in the aftermath of a shocking school shooting, to studying felony inmates and animals in the wild, Dr. Brown is the world’s forem...
Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Randall Wallace spent years writing the screenplays he thought Hollywood wanted, only to see them go nowhere. With his back against the wall, he decided to take one final attempt, focusing on the story he wanted to tell. That script, Braveheart, found its way into the hands of Mel Gibson—and the rest is history. From there, Randall went on to write and direct The Man in the Iron Mask, We Were Soldiers, Pearl Harbor, and Disney’s Secretariat. In this conversation, Randall explains how a chance en...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 18 min
The most listened-to guest in the history of The Aggressive Life, John Burke, returns to share new insights and research from his lifetime of studying near-death experiences. This time, he’s focusing on what near-death experiences can teach us about God—what He is like, what He values, and what He expects of us. After interviewing thousands of NDErs, John discovered incredible similarities in their stories, despite these people coming from all walks of life, backgrounds, and countries around the...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Over the weekend, 2,700 men from all over the United States, and multiple international countries, descended on 400 acres near the Ohio River for MAN CAMP 2023. They laughed around campfires, drank some 80 kegs of beer, and pushed themselves past their spiritual, emotional, and physical comfort zones. And they came out different. These are some of their stories. Inside a decommissioned outhouse, speaking into an old military field telephone, man after man spoke of heartache, learning to seek God...
Oct 24, 2023•31 min
Today, nearly 3,000 guys are wrapping up a weekend off-the-grid. They camped. They worked. They laughed. They shared their lives. And they sang at the top of their lungs. While we don’t think of men singing, this is something warriors have done for all of history—huddled together, singing songs, before going into battle. As the men of MAN CAMP 2023 head back to their normal lives, they’re going with these songs in their hearts and in their minds. There is nothing like worship with 3,000 of your ...
Oct 22, 2023•28 min
In just three days, men from all over the country (and world) will begin trickling onto 400 acres in the small town of Neville, Ohio. It’s our 14th, and biggest, MAN CAMP. Nearly 3,000 men will spend the weekend off the grid getting built into spiritually, developing friendships, and having fun. It's one of the defining weekends of the year, but how did we get here? Alongside his friends, 512 (Judd Watkins) and Windex (Craig Dockery), Brian relives the history of MAN CAMP, and why it matters mor...
Oct 17, 2023•49 min
Calev Myers doesn’t just talk about peace between Palestinians and Israelis, he actually puts his back into it. As a civil rights lawyer and activist, Calev works for the good of the region. A Jew who loves his homeland, Calev has also represented and defended Palestinians before ruling bodies like the European Parliament. He is the founder of the Alliance to Reinforce Israel’s Security and Economy (ARISE), working for strong economic collaboration between Israel and Palestine as the region's be...
Oct 12, 2023•34 min
The Aggressive Life’s favorite exorcist is back to answer questions you submitted via Instagram. He covers everything from ghosts, to Halloween, to what he thinks about possession movies, and everything in between. Despite his heavy job—this man does cast out demons as part of his workweek—Father Lampert is a light, joyful, and smiling presence. He is contagious, in the best way possible, and his answers are thorough, helpful, and even surprising. He is a good man aggressively going after God, a...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 1 min
A few weeks back, Brian had the opportunity to switch seats, appearing as a guest on the “Still Standing with Alli Patterson” podcast. Together, they talked about masculinity, why it’s hard to feel compassion for men, and the five things men always do that boys will avoid at all costs. It’s a hard-hitting conversation that will push you to keep taking ground in your own life. This is your last opportunity to pre-order two new books in the Five Marks of a Man library—a fully updated version of th...
Oct 03, 2023•50 min
There’s nothing average about being an Air Force Pararescueman or an Army Special Operations soldier… and Bo White has been both. After a career spent in the military, he took an early exit as he began to see cracks forming in his foundation, especially at home with his wife. While you might take the soldier off the field, you’ll never strip him of his skills and abilities. Bo has committed his life to helping and blessing others—be it leading his family through the pain of a childhood cancer di...
Sep 26, 2023•52 min
Jeff Berding had spent nearly 20 years with the Cincinnati Bengals when he left it all behind… to start a minor league soccer team. After blowing all expectations out of the water, FC Cincinnati was granted a bid to join Major League Soccer. Jeff and team moved at breakneck speed, doing in 18 months what many cities take 3-4 years to complete. After some hard years, FC Cincinnati is on a roll. With the best record in the MLS, they keep selling out games and finding ways to win. Their success sto...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min
This summer was an adventure for the books. Alongside three other couples, Brian and his wife drove 9,000 miles from Spokane, Washington, all the way to Alaska and the Arctic Circle… and back. They camped along the way, spending 31 days off the grid. They saw black bears, went salmon fishing, and took a shot over a dead man’s toe (true story). Back in Cincinnati, Brian regroups with those friends to relive the highlights and tell war stories. Adventure is an aggressive choice that always changes...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 19 min
Earlier this summer, Brian was on the field of Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds, for a post-game interview with three players: outfielders Jake Fraley and TJ Friedl, and starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft. Part of Reds Faith Night, Brian talked with each player about God, baseball, and how faith influences their lives. These aggressive men put it all on the line, game after game, for their team and city. Let’s go Reds!
Sep 05, 2023•18 min
Like most protectors, Rich Miller is humble about it all, but this man has given his life serving and protecting the most vulnerable. He spent decades as a distinguished specialist on the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit, including responding to the 9/11 attacks. It was there, on September 12th, Rich raised an American flag on a makeshift piece of rubble. The photo was snapped by a crime scene photographer and it spread, giving hope to a nation reeling. Rich was part 2,500+ high-risk search warrant...
Aug 29, 2023•36 min
Reid Carpenter might be 80 years old, but he hasn’t slowed down, and he isn’t planning on it anytime soon. A spiritual grandfather and mentor to Brian, Reid has devoted his life to his home city of Pittsburg. From starting multiple nonprofits, to helping launch Young Life, Reid is a living example of the power of hard work, and how its ripple effect can influence generations. This is the 4th episode in an 5-part series called Five Marks Summer , celebrating the repackaged publication of Brian’s ...
Aug 22, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Our summer series continues with Mark III: Men Are Team Players. From coaching his son’s football team, to playing in the NFL, to now leading a thriving church in Atlanta, Georgia, Leonce Crump Jr. knows a thing or two about the power of a thriving team. He shares tips, tricks, and the secret to resiliency in this candid conversation. This is the third episode in an 5-part series called Five Marks Summer , celebrating the repackaged publication of Brian’s best-selling book, The Five Marks of a M...
Aug 15, 2023•52 min
Otis Williams looked to be on top of the world. He had a successful military career, beat out 10,000 other contestants to win the ToastMasters World Championship of Public Speaking, and had secured a successful teaching position at Cincinnati State University. But underneath, a debilitating gambling addiction was eroding it all away. For the first time on such a wide-reaching platform, Otis takes us back to that dark place, and the bold minority positions he took to reclaim his life. He also sha...
Aug 08, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Join Brian, and his son, Jake, together in his garage for a candid conversation about growing up, the looming shadow of a father, and what it takes for a son to exceed his old man. Over a few beers, Brian and Jake tell adventure stories, get transparent about their separate visions for life, and laugh a lot. This is the first episode in an 5-part series called Five Marks Summer , celebrating the repackaged publication of Brian’s best-selling book, The Five Marks of a Man . Pre-order the newest e...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 27 min
New content alert! In this live talk, recorded around the campfire with some MAN CAMP leaders, Brian introduces a new concept he’s been workshopping: the six primal identities. Written on your spiritual DNA, these identities define who God created you to be—a creator; a son; a warrior; a king; a friend; and a father. As you lean into each one, you’ll find your life going to the next level.
Jul 25, 2023•28 min
Throw out what you believe (or don’t) about God—if He were real, and He were speaking, wouldn’t you want to hear for yourself? Back in February, Brian got to speak to 3,000+ teenagers, gathered from three states, on how to hear from God. It’s not in the noise, or busyness, or distraction of culture, but in silence. This simple and quick, yet incredibly accessible, teaching could be the key for having your own encounter with the Divine.
Jul 18, 2023•16 min
Men are protectors—but that means more than just using our muscles. True protectors operate on five different fronts: physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual and financial. Recorded live in Rock Valley, Iowa, this first-ever deep-dive into what it means for men to protectors finds Brian unpacking the five types, sharing lessons learned from wild elephants, and telling an unbelievable story from the life of arctic adventurer Ernest Shackleton.
Jul 11, 2023•49 min
It’s July, and summer is in full swing. Are you using it wisely? In this teaching, originally given to staff at Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, Brian unpacks the importance of avoiding burnout to become a 4 season leader. Beginning with a look at the later half of King David’s life (from the Bible), and then finishing with a Q&A, we see the power unmitigated burnout has to tank our aggressive lives. If you do anything this summer, take time to recharge.
Jul 04, 2023•41 min
Summer is here… it’s time for the pool, cold beer, and outdoor adventures. And it’s time to switch things up on The Aggressive Life. Brian explains his summer plans, what’s coming down the pike on the podcast, and points to a new Adventure Playlist on Spotify that’s perfect for your next summer road trip. Link to the Spotify Adventure Playlist here
Jun 27, 2023•9 min
You asked. Brian answered. Alongside Dirt, Brian dives headfirst into listener submitted questions—covering everything from his dream podcast guests, the importance of moving between the phases of parenting, and his evolving thoughts of hell. He also explains why he admires Tim Keller, what it means to live in No Man’s Land, and why Alpo is the best campfire meal. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Michele Rigby Assad spent a decade in one of the most dangerous roles on the planet—as an undercover operative for the CIA, specializing in counterterrorism in the Middle East. Her job? Finding sources of information to keep America and the Coalition Provisional Authorities in Iraq ahead of al-Qaeda. But it wasn’t until she left the CIA, and a chance phone call with a big-shot Hollywood producer, that she found her most meaningful mission. She’s an incredibly aggressive woman who will push you t...
Jun 13, 2023•57 min
200 episodes! What was started as an experiment in July 2019 has blossomed into something greater than we could have ever imagined. Along the way, we’ve gotten to meet incredible guests, be inspired by their aggressive choices, and be pushed to make our own. For the 200th episode, Brian offers a recalibration of what the Aggressive Life means (and doesn’t), and points the way toward the future. We finish with listeners sharing stories of their own aggressive lives.
Jun 06, 2023•31 min
