Beyond the Draft

What does it take to compete at an elite level for decades, travel the world chasing the toughest competition, and continue getting better when most athletes have already stepped away?

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma sits down with Michael Kelly, a world champion grappler, longtime wrestler, coach, and one of the most accomplished No-Gi competitors in USA Wrestling history.

Michael holds the most No-Gi World medals in USA Wrestling history, is a 6-time Masters Gi and No-Gi World Champion, a Russian Uni-Fight No-Gi World Champion, and holds three Midlands wrestling tournament records. He has competed across the globe, including in Russia, Japan, Turkey, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Greece, Poland, Serbia, and Azerbaijan.

But Michael’s story goes far beyond his own victories.

As a coach, he has helped develop athletes who went on to compete at the highest levels of wrestling, the UFC, WWE, and the U.S. military. His career offers a rare look at what happens when competition, discipline, coaching, and an obsession with improvement become a way of life.

In this conversation, Michael takes us inside the mindset and training behind his longevity, his journey into No-Gi grappling, competing internationally, unforgettable battles, and the lessons he has learned from decades on the mat.

In this episode, we explore:

- How Michael Kelly’s legendary wrestling and grappling journey began

- What it takes to compete at a high level well into your 50s

- The mindset behind decades of elite competition

- His journey into No-Gi grappling and becoming a world champion

- Competing in Russia and the unforgettable Uni-Fight World Championships

- Training for international competition and dealing with jet lag

- The toughest opponents and most memorable victories

- How Michael developed athletes who went on to the UFC, WWE, world wrestling, and military special forces

- What separates talented athletes from truly exceptional competitors

- The lessons decades of wrestling have taught Michael about discipline, resilience, and consistency

This is a conversation about wrestling, but it is also about longevity, relentless improvement, mentorship, and refusing to let age decide what is still possible.

Listen to Michael Kelly’s full conversation on Beyond the Draft.

He had the title, the paycheck, and the prestige. He was also burned out, numb, and using alcohol and achievement to fill a void he couldn't name.

Then a corporate layoff cracked everything open.

In this episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma sits down with Ben Stein, founder of Purpose Up, career strategy coach, and author of *Purpose Up: Break Free and Find Work That Matters*. Ben is a former VP of Product and award-winning advertising executive who solo backpacked the world, including Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp. He talks about what happens when the life you built on paper stops feeling like yours.

In this episode, we talk about:

- Why success can become the perfect hiding place

- How a layoff became a doorway instead of a breaking point

- What the mountains taught Ben about freedom that corporate life never did

- The biggest mindset trap keeping talented professionals stuck in jobs they've outgrown

- What Ben would say to anyone who's successful on paper and wondering, "Is this it?"

Ben Stein is the founder and head coach at Purpose Up, where he helps mid to senior-level professionals break through plateaus, land their ideal next role, and build more fulfilling careers through his Rapid Career Accelerator. He is also the author of "Purpose Up: Break Free and Find Work That Matters, and the children's book, Little Benny Piggy in Courage for the Win. He lives in Miami with his wife and two kids.

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Big change doesn’t always begin with a big decision. Sometimes, it begins with one small step.

Dr. Christiane Schroeter, known as “The Small Steps Doctor,” joins Beyond the Draft to explore the behavioral science behind confidence, leadership, and lasting change. A TEDx speaker, Fulbright Scholar, professor, bestselling author, and behavioral economist, Christiane has spent more than 20 years teaching and advising thousands of students and professionals.

Her Petite Practice® framework challenges the idea that transformation requires overwhelming goals, intense pressure, or perfect motivation. Instead, small, consistent actions can create momentum that compounds over time.

In this episode, we explore:

- Why small steps can create lasting change

- The connection between confidence and effective leadership

- Why capable leaders sometimes hold themselves back

- Building a career in a second language

- Creating momentum without burnout or overload

- What teaching 10,000+ students and professionals has revealed about leadership

- How clarity can be more powerful than pressure

- Turning small actions into meaningful transformation

Take the free Petite Practice Power Quiz: https://doctorchristiane.com/quiz

What if some of the Bible’s most familiar stories have been understood differently for centuries?

In this thought-provoking conversation, Dror Ben Ami, author of The Vineyard and The Final Jubilee, takes us into the world of Hebrew language, biblical metaphors, symbolism, and ancient interpretation. Drawing from his studies in Comparative Literature and the work of scholar and mystic Maurice Nicoll, Dror challenges traditional interpretations and invites listeners to look beyond the surface of familiar biblical stories.

From the question of whether Jesus was a carpenter or a plowman to the story of Moses and the rock, Dror explores how language can change the way ancient texts are understood.

In this episode, we explore:

- Why Hebrew may be essential to understanding the Bible’s deeper meanings

- The “carpenter vs. plowman” interpretation of Jesus

- Moses, Aaron, and the story of the rock

- Who the Samaritans were

- Paul of Tarsus and his connection to the Pharisees

- How the New Testament can provide insight into the language of the Old Testament

- The role of metaphor and symbolism in biblical storytelling

- Why familiar interpretations may deserve another look

Explore Dror’s work and writings: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HA3f56zqb/

Read The Vineyard: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HH1GXZB1

What does it mean to experience God’s presence in everyday life?

Award-winning Christian author Marcia McFarland joins Beyond the Draft to share the personal experiences and spiritual encounters that inspired her book, Perfect Glory: 21 Spiritual Insights for the 21st Century.

Marcia opens up about extraordinary encounters with the Divine, including a profound “mountaintop” experience that shaped her understanding of faith, purpose, and God’s guidance. Her message is centered on moving beyond religious routine and discovering a more personal, meaningful relationship with Jesus.

This conversation explores what it means to understand purpose, follow passion, receive divine guidance, and live with greater faith in the modern world.

In this episode, we explore:

- Understanding God’s purpose for your life

- The connection between purpose, passion, and planning

- What “God’s perfect glory” means in everyday life

- Marcia’s extraordinary spiritual encounters

- Moving beyond religious dogma

- The meaning of a “Godwink”

- How faith can shape everyday decisions

- Lessons from Perfect Glory

Learn more about Marcia and her book: authormarciamcfarland.com

Available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats.

What if you didn’t have to lose everything before deciding that something needs to change?

Heather Simco, transformation coach, entrepreneur, and founder of Sober Boss Babe, joins Beyond the Draft for an honest conversation about success, burnout, sobriety, coping patterns, and the journey back to yourself.

With more than 20 years in entrepreneurship and over a decade of sobriety, Heather understands the reality of building success on the outside while quietly struggling on the inside. Her work helps high-achieving women recognize the patterns that keep them trapped in burnout and reconnect with their health, relationships, businesses, and freedom.

In this episode, we explore:

- Why success doesn’t always fix unhealthy coping patterns

- Emotional sobriety and what it looks like in everyday life

- Recognizing coping patterns before reaching a breaking point

- The relationship between people-pleasing, identity, and burnout

- Why boundaries are essential to sustainable success

- Rebuilding after losing what you worked hard to create

- How overworking and perfectionism can become forms of escape

- Creating a healthy body and a healthy business

- Why women don’t have to “hit rock bottom” before making a change

Connect with Heather and explore her work: https://linktr.ee/heathersimco

As technology moves faster, what happens to the human connection at the center of everything?

James Hodgson, founder of Humanise Live and host of Humanism Now, joins Beyond the Draft to explore the intersection of humanism, technology, community, business, and the future of work.

A former tech-company CEO and advocate for ethical technology and human flourishing, James believes curiosity, compassion, and connection have an important role to play in how we build communities and navigate an increasingly digital world.

This conversation looks beyond the technology itself and asks a bigger question: How do we make sure progress remains human?

In this episode, we explore:

- What humanism means in plain English

- The future of work and emerging technology

- AI as a tool and the importance of human dignity

- Building online communities that remain engaged and civil

- Why compassion belongs in business

- Podcasting as a way to build communities and create positive change

- Ethical ways to grow and monetize purpose-driven podcasts

- How small teams can build meaningful platforms

- The relationship between curiosity, connection, and human flourishing

- Creating a more human future in an increasingly technological world

Explore Humanise Live: https://humanise.live

What if the pressure to change is actually making change harder?

Kerisma Vere, holistic wellness coach and author of The Light Switch Myth, challenges the all-or-nothing approach to personal growth and asks us to rethink what healing and sustainable change can actually look like.

Drawing from lived experience, recovery, professional training, and years of supporting others, Kerisma explores trauma-informed approaches to healing, nervous system regulation, self-trust, and quality of life. Her work moves away from shame, rigid rules, and the constant pressure to “fix” ourselves—and toward compassion, awareness, and meaningful progress.

This is a conversation about what happens when growth stops being a battle against yourself and becomes a relationship with yourself.

In this episode, we explore:

- Why “just try harder” doesn’t always work

- The connection between trauma, motivation, and self-trust

- Nervous system regulation and sustainable growth

- Rebuilding self-worth after difficult experiences

- Why quick-fix approaches can fail

- Moving from pressure to a more compassionate path

- How self-compassion can support lasting change

- Finding progress without constantly trying to “fix” yourself

- Creating a healthier relationship with yourself

Explore Kerisma’s work and resources: https://towardswellness.ca/

What if the fastest way to improve your profits isn’t selling more—but pricing what you already sell differently?

Per Sjofors, known as “The Price Whisperer,” joins Beyond the Draft to break down one of the most overlooked drivers of business growth: pricing.

With decades of experience running companies, conducting pricing experiments across more than 40 countries, and working with nearly 1,000 clients, Per has developed a practical approach to helping businesses use pricing to increase revenue, strengthen profitability, and create greater pricing power.

From common pricing mistakes to understanding what customers are actually willing to pay, this conversation challenges the idea that lowering prices is always the best way to win customers.

In this episode, we explore:

- The most common pricing mistakes businesses make

- Why companies struggle to price their products and services correctly

- How businesses can increase prices without losing customers

- The difference between cost-based and value-based pricing

- How customer perception influences willingness to pay

- How much data is really needed to make pricing decisions

- Whether good pricing is an art, a science, or both

- Pricing differences between B2B and B2C businesses

- How better pricing can increase revenue and profitability

- Practical pricing advice entrepreneurs can apply immediately

Explore Per’s pricing resources: https://sjofors.com/pricing-strategy-services

What happens when a military veteran personally experiences a system that isn’t working—and decides to do something about it?

On this episode of Beyond the Draft, Imma sits down with Keith Barton, a 20-year Marine Corps veteran, former military aviator, author, and advocate for family-court reform.

Keith brings a unique perspective shaped by military service, leadership, public policy, veterans’ issues, family law, writing, and his own experience navigating a complex interstate custody dispute. After representing himself in an appeal and winning a published decision from Florida’s First District Court of Appeal, his personal experience became part of a broader effort to rethink how family courts protect children and parents.

The conversation also explores Keith’s ideas for congressional reform, including the American Lean Act, a proposal focused on government efficiency, measurable results, fiscal discipline, and continuous improvement.

In this episode, we explore:

- Lessons from 20 years of Marine Corps service

- Leadership under pressure

- Keith’s personal journey through family court

- Family-court reform and protecting children and parents

- Veterans’ issues and military life

- The American Lean Act and congressional reform

- Government efficiency and public policy

- What happens when systems stop working for the people they serve

- Keith’s journey as an author across multiple genres

Explore Keith’s work:

https://www.bartonfortexas.com