Becoming With Precious: The Journey of Personal Growth And Reinvention

What happens to your spirit when you fly across the world to save your paralyzed wife, only to return home and receive your own fatal cancer diagnosis four months later?

Dean Weitenhagen thought he had already faced the ultimate test when his wife, Patsy, suffered a catastrophic stroke that left her paralyzed. Refusing to accept the local neurologist's grim prognosis, Dean made the audacious decision to take her all the way to China. Through rigorous alternative treatments, she miraculously regained her mobility. Yet, just as they celebrated her healing, Dean was blindsided by his own brutal reality: a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia. This thrust him into an agonizing, multi-year battle for survival, culminating in a stranger's stem cell donation that finally saved his life.

Lying in a hospital bed for months stripped away decades of corporate conditioning and performance-driven living. Dean underwent a profound pivot, realizing that true healing requires more than just physical recovery; it demands a radical emotional rewiring. In this conversation, he breaks down the raw grit required to find undeniable good within the most devastating tragedies, from a crushing divorce to terminal illness. He shares the exact mental framework he used to stop living for the expectations of others and start embracing an existence rooted in audacious, selfless love and unfiltered gratitude.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• Sometimes, fighting for your survival or the survival of someone you love requires stepping entirely outside the traditional medical system to find unorthodox solutions.

• Every devastating event carries the seed of an equally powerful positive outcome if you are willing to rigorously search for it.

• When faced with a crisis, sitting in absolute silence and forcing yourself to write out the unexpected good things born from that pain effectively rewires your brain for genuine resilience.

• Radical purpose: True freedom is found when you stop performing for external success and strip your life down to the raw fundamentals of loving without conditions.

Connect with Dean WeitenhagenWebsite: deanweitenhagen.com

Chapters

00:00 The Journey of Love and Survival

01:27 Facing Life-Altering Challenges

05:58 Reflections on Life and Purpose

09:35 The Role of Faith in Understanding Life

12:18 Gratitude and Its Transformative Power

16:32 Finding Purpose Through Adversity

What happens when the emotional survival tactics that kept you alive in childhood drive you straight into the destructive grip of addiction as an adult?

Justin L Shaw grew up in a household completely devoid of the concept of love, leaving him emotionally bankrupt and desperately seeking escape. That escape initially came through comedy, but quickly spiraled into severe substance abuse. After spending his twenties bouncing between park benches, jails, and halfway houses, he tried finding salvation in dogmatic religion, only to be crippled by the fear and guilt it placed on his terminally ill mother. His shadow was firmly in the driver's seat, steering his life off a cliff time and time again.

The turning point arrived when Justin abandoned traditional systems and embraced holistic shamanic healing, triggering a profound physical and spiritual awakening he calls a bliss attack. This overwhelming wave of unconditional love shattered his limiting beliefs and inspired him to write a bold spiritual guide, Sourcery 101. Today, Justin operates as a mind gardener, teaching others how to pull the weeds of their past, unplug from a chaotic world, and take the audacious leap from being a victim of their trauma to becoming the conscious creator of their reality.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• Your shadow side will constantly drive your life off a cliff if you let it take the wheel, but hating it only fuels its destructive power.

• True meditation requires a call to inaction, forcing a divergent focus that allows the universe to actually speak to you.

• Shifting your internal narrative from asking why life is happening to you, to aggressively deciding you will figure it out, is the ultimate catalyst for change.

• Spiritual bankruptcy is the root cause of every modern addiction, whether it is relying on hard substances or mindlessly scrolling on your phone.

If this episode resonates with you; like, subscribe and share with someone. You can also leave a review and comment on the show.

Connect with Justin L Shaw on https://www.awakenthesourcerer.com/

Want to be a guest on Becoming With Precious?

Send a guest pitch to Precious on PodMatch

What happens to your body and your psyche when you spend decades performing a version of success that secretly feels like effort, only to have a tragedy crack the shell wide open?

Jazzmyn Lauff once lived what she calls a "shiny apple" life—a high-achieving corporate career, material stability, and a long-term relationship. But inside, the apple was hollow, marked by extreme fatigue and a persistent sense of imposter syndrome. It took the devastating loss of her teenage son to finally rupture the identity she had so carefully constructed. Through the lens of profound grief and a series of unexplainable, transformative experiences following her son's organ donation, Jazzmyn began to see that consciousness isn't just in the brain; it is everywhere.

In this raw and deeply human conversation, Jazzmyn details her audacious choice to give away her belongings and walk away from a successful career to answer her heart's call. She explores the spiritual cost of choosing safety over evolution, explaining how internal pressure builds into physical disease when we repeatedly ignore our own truth. Now living as a sovereign author of her own life, Jazzmyn shares how she helps others move from survival consciousness to a state of joyful, playful experimentation.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• Ignoring your inner calling creates an internal pressure that can eventually manifest as physical illness or traumatic "wake-up calls."

• Authentic identity is discovered by unlayering the performance and determining what nourishes your energy versus what drains it.

• Ego-driven goals are fixed on destinations and outside approval, while the soul’s call is marked by a deep, calm sense of knowing that transcends fear.

What if the health struggles you are facing right now aren't just an ending, but the exact catalyst you need to discover your true strength?

Anthony Guastella’s journey began in the depths of a six-year struggle with Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain. Trapped in a body that felt like it was failing him, Anthony realized he faced a choice: remain a victim to his circumstances or become a victor by taking radical ownership of his well-being. In this episode, Anthony breaks down the "elemental" approach to health that goes far beyond simple diet and exercise, focusing instead on the foundational importance of air, water, light, and grounding.

Anthony explains how "hormetic stressors"—short, intentional bursts of discomfort like heat, cold, and movement—can actually train your nervous system to become more resilient against the stressors of daily life. He also shares a powerful perspective on the connection between the mind and body, illustrating how our internal narrative acts as either a medicine or a poison. For anyone feeling paralyzed by the overwhelming volume of health advice online, Anthony provides a clear roadmap to stripping away the complexity and building a foundation based on personalized, actionable truth.

In this episode of Becoming with Precious, you will discover:

• Everything is your responsibility: While you may not have caused your illness, you are the only one who can decide what happens next.

• The mind is the foundation: Your thoughts and beliefs (psycho-neuro-immunology) literally impact your biology; you must believe in the possibility of healing to see it manifest.

• Embrace hormetic stress: Strategic, short-term discomfort—like cold exposure or exercise—builds long-term biological and emotional resilience.

• Master the fundamentals: Health does not have to be complex; focus on real, local food and optimizing basic inputs like air and water quality.

• Freedom through health: Physical vitality provides the autonomy and energy required to be bolder in your career, relationships, and service to others.

Connect with Anthony GuastellaWebsite: https://anthonyguastella.com/

X: https://x.com/anthonyg_120

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Personal Growth and Wellbeing

01:21 Anthony's Journey Through Health Challenges

03:18 Becoming a Health Coach: From Suffering to Service

05:59 Understanding Hormetic Stress and Resilience

08:18 The Importance of Foundational Elements in Health

12:02 The Mind-Body Connection in Healing

15:51 Navigating Health Information Overload

17:47 Health as a Path to Freedom

20:40 The Ongoing Journey of Becoming

What if you chose to face the darkest season of your life not in mourning black, but in a signature shade of red—the color of fire, passion, and the Holy Spirit?

Rachel Kerr Schneider’s life shifted irreversibly when she became a widow at 49, navigating her husband John’s brutal, terminal battle with ALS while raising two young sons. In this deeply moving episode, Rachel shares the reality of being a caregiver for a disease that slowly steals everything, from mobility to the ability to speak. She recounts how she chose to honor her husband’s legacy at his funeral not with somber tradition, but with a vibrant celebration of life, using that moment to plant seeds of resilience for her children.

The journey did not end with her husband's passing; Rachel soon faced a harrowing second wave of adversity through her son’s multi-year struggle with addiction. She offers an unflinching look at the limits of parental control and the necessity of finding one's own footing when you cannot save the people you love most. Rachel explains her philosophy of putting the I back in spirit—a call to recognize the supernatural superpower residing within each of us—and how to blend honesty with humor to rebuild a life from the ashes.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• Grief and joy are not mutually exclusive; it is possible to hold both without letting one cancel out the other.

• As a caregiver, you are the leader of the expedition; if you do not prioritize your own physical and emotional health, the entire mission is at risk.

• True strength involves accepting the limits of what you can control and learning that you cannot save everyone you love from their own battles.

• • Spiritual grounding does not require grand gestures; it is often found in short, daily rituals that fortify the soul against the chaos of life.

  
  

  Connect With Rachel Kerr Schneider

  Website: https://www.spiritedprosperity.com/

  LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelkschneider

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelkerrschneider

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.k.schneider.1

  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/spiritedprosperity

  
  

  Chapters

  00:00 Facing Loss with Color: A Celebration of Life

  08:39 Navigating Grief and Caregiving

  17:21 The Journey of Addiction and Recovery

  21:26 Finding Hope in the Midst of Struggles

  
  

  
  

What if the very expertise that got you to the top of your career is the same thing currently holding you back from being an effective leader?

Yosi Kossowsky brings over 30 years of executive experience—including time as a CTO—to a conversation about the messy intersection of brain science and human connection. He argues that many leaders suffer from a form of professional delusion: they equate intellectual knowledge with actual behavior change. According to Yosi, simply knowing how to be a better communicator is not the same as practicing it. He emphasizes that leadership evolution is akin to physical training; it requires consistent, daily repetition to rewire old, sabotaging patterns.

Throughout the episode, Yosi peels back the layers of leadership burnout and the false expectation that senior roles require knowing every answer. He explores how cortisol and adrenaline hijack decision-making during times of change and provides practical, observation-based feedback techniques to bypass the triggers that ruin team communication. Ultimately, Yosi challenges leaders to shed the armor of certainty, arguing that vulnerability and the courage to say "I don't know" are the most effective tools for fostering true collaboration.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• Intellectual awareness is not behavior change; leadership skills must be practiced with the same intensity as physical fitness.

• Decision-making during high-pressure situations is often compromised by an overactive nervous system; slowing down is often the only way to move faster.

• Feedback should be based on personal observation rather than judgment; removing "mind-reading" from the conversation prevents defensiveness.

• Effective communication requires checking for shared understanding rather than assuming your message was received exactly as intended.

• The most successful leaders are those who have the courage to admit they do not have all the answers, creating space for their teams to contribute.

Connect With Yosi KossowskyWebsite: https://www.k-torconsulting.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ykossowsky/

Chapters

00:00 Navigating the Messy Middle of Leadership

02:39 The Importance of Mindset Shifts

04:52 Cultural Sensitivity in Leadership

07:34 Emotional Intelligence in Decision-Making

10:19 The Power of Observation-Based Feedback

13:03 Balancing Growth and Personal Well-Being

15:24 Embracing Vulnerability as a Leader

17:57 Fostering Open Dialogue in Teams

What if the only thing keeping you stuck in a cycle of self sabotage and imposter syndrome is a subconscious story you have the power to rewrite today?Dr. Heidi Heron spent years in traditional psychology before realizing that understanding the root of a problem was not always enough to actually change it. Frustrated by the slow progress of conventional methods, he made the audacious pivot to Neuro Linguistic Programming, a system designed to actively rewire the subconscious mind. In this episode, he exposes the hidden mental patterns that keep us locked in self sabotage and explains why our brains would rather stay stuck in the miserable certainty of the familiar than risk the discomfort of real change.

If you have ever felt crippled by imposter syndrome or trapped by a narrative that you are not enough, this conversation provides a gritty, actionable blueprint for taking back control. Dr. Heidi breaks down what it actually means to live at cause rather than being a passive victim of circumstance, proving that confidence is not a genetic trait, but a highly trainable skill. It is time to stop letting fear dictate your identity and start doing the hard, uncomfortable work of reprogramming your reality.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• We subconsciously resist change because our brains prefer the safety of known misery over the terrifying uncertainty of growth.

• Imposter syndrome and self sabotage are not character flaws; they are deeply ingrained mental habits that can be rewritten with intentional techniques.

• Living at cause means taking radical responsibility for your life and refusing to be a passive victim of your circumstances.

• Confidence is not something you are born with; it is a tactical skill you can build through the deliberate reprogramming of your internal dialogue.

If this episode resonates with you; like, subscribe and share with someone. You can also leave a review and comment on the show.

Connect with Dr. Heidi Heron on http://www.heidiheron.com/

What would you do if the life laid out for you required compromising your entire identity, and the only way out was secretly funding your own escape across the world?

Sunaina Mehta learned early on what it meant to be an outsider. Uprooted from the American Midwest to New Delhi at age twelve, she was thrust into a culture and educational system that deemed her incapable. Instead of surrendering to the stigma, she fought her way to the top of her class. Her most audacious move came at twenty four when she flatly refused a forced arranged marriage, secretly saved her own dowry money by designing wedding cards, and fled back to America with just one thousand dollars to rebuild her life entirely on her own terms.

Decades later, after climbing the corporate ladder as a global executive and navigating the fierce complexities of single motherhood, Sunaina proved her grit once again. At age fifty, she walked away from a toxic second marriage and a powerhouse career to launch Design Your Next. In this deeply human conversation, she breaks down why choosing yourself is the ultimate act of graceful rebellion and how women can author their own power instead of waiting for permission.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• Power is never given or inherited; you must have the audacity to author it yourself by stepping into the unknown.

• Choosing your independence and integrity over societal expectations is the most graceful act of rebellion you can commit.

• True creative confidence requires the grit to break cultural molds and define success entirely on your own terms.

• As you rise, it is your absolute responsibility to lift and inspire the women around you.

If this episode resonates with you; like, subscribe and share with someone. You can also leave a review and comment on the show.

Connect with Sunaina Mehta https://designyournext.studio/

How do you find the audacity to build multiple global businesses and raise twins in your seventies after surviving three near-death experiences, seventy-three surgeries, and catastrophic paralysis?Jay Setchell knows the brutal, unvarnished reality of hitting rock bottom better than almost anyone alive. After surviving two near-death accidents in his youth, a devastating swimming accident at age thirty-one left him with a broken neck in four places and complete paralysis from the shoulders down. Enduring seventy-three grueling surgeries, including horrific setbacks like surgical pins snapping and bones tearing through his skin, Jay refused to accept the medical verdict that his life was effectively over. When corporate America forcibly retired him at forty-one due to his physical limitations, he made the audacious choice to reject victimhood and take absolute ownership of his future.

Instead of fading quietly into a medical retirement, Jay leaned into his gritty farm upbringing and Marine Corps discipline to forge an unbelievable comeback. Living by the fierce motto that if it is to be, it is up to me, he went on to build three highly successful companies, eventually partnering with international defense giants to train first responders globally. Now in his mid-seventies and raising eight-year-old adopted twins from a power wheelchair, Jay joins the show to strip away the excuses we make for ourselves. He delivers a profound masterclass on engineering an unshakable mindset, extracting purpose from excruciating pain, and why it is always too soon to quit.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• Reframe your obstacles with a fierce why not mindset. When faced with massive roadblocks, asking why not forces you to reject automatic limitations and attempt the impossible.

• No one else can do your heavy lifting. Whether you are recovering from a shattered pelvis or navigating a massive business failure, you must adopt the radical accountability that your recovery and success are entirely up to you.

• Healing is brutal and non-linear. A successful surgery or business pivot does not guarantee a smooth path forward; true resilience is built by continually picking yourself up after the unexpected setbacks that follow.

• Inner strength is a compounded asset. The harrowing adversity you survive today actively builds the mental callus and emotional blueprint you need to conquer the inevitable struggles of tomorrow.

Connect with Jay Setchell on https://neverquittrying.com/

If this episode resonates with you; like, subscribe and share with someone. You can also leave a review and comment on the show.

Want to be a guest on Becoming With Precious?

Send a guest pitch to Precious on PodMatch

What would it take for you to walk away from a highly successful corporate career to start building bunk beds in your garage for children who sleep on the floor?

Luke Mickelson had achieved everything society tells us to chase in a business career, yet he found himself battling a profound sense of emptiness. Growing up as a farm kid in Idaho, he knew the value of hard work, but climbing the corporate ladder left him completely disconnected from his community and his core purpose. The ultimate pivot came during a 2012 church meeting when he discovered a heartbreaking reality hiding in plain sight: families in his own neighborhood had children sleeping on bare floors and in cars.

Instead of throwing money at the problem or waiting for someone else to fix it, Luke made the gritty decision to take action with his own hands. What started as a single bunk bed building project with a group of local boys evolved into a radical national movement called Sleep in Heavenly Peace. In this episode, Luke breaks down the audacity required to leave a comfortable life behind, the raw realities of child bedlessness, and how returning to the basic act of serving others completely rewired his identity.

In this episode of Becoming With Precious, you will discover:

• Professional success can often mask a deep personal void that only service and community connection can truly fill.

• True disruption does not always happen in a boardroom; sometimes it looks like picking up a hammer and solving a crisis in your own neighborhood.

• It takes radical audacity to walk away from corporate safety and dedicate your life to a problem most people refuse to acknowledge.

• A bed is not just a piece of furniture; it is a foundational pillar for a child's physical, emotional, and psychological development.

If this episode resonates with you; like, subscribe and share with someone. You can also leave a review and comment on the show.

Connect with Luke Mickelson on https://lukemickelson.com/