Ten episodes in, I'm taking a moment to pause and look at what Bold Journeys has already taught me —about grit, faith, resilience, and the power of simply beginning.

Reflecting on the nine conversations with people who've pushed through fear, illness, doubt, and the unknown, I'm humbled and awed by their stories - and their courage to share them.

I also want to take this moment to thank you for being part of this bold journey with me. I'd love to hear what you like about the show or what new stories you'd like to hear.

Thanks!

Rob

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Chapters

00:00 - Celebrating 10 Episodes: The Milestone and Reflection

00:31 - The Heart of Bold Journeys: Sharing Stories of Courage, Faith, and Adventure

01:00 - Overcoming Challenges in Podcasting and Personal Growth

01:28 - The Intertwined Threads of Grit, Faith, and Adventure

02:27 - Daily Faith Practice & Its Role in My Journey

03:26 - Exploring Diverse Faiths and Cultural Stories

03:39 - Expanding Into New Adventures: Sailing, Climbing, Cycling & More

04:09 - Announcing Upcoming Live Podcast Studio & Interviews

04:37 - Your Voice Matters: Share Feedback and Stories You Want to Hear

05:21 - How You Can Support: Sharing Is Caring!

What makes one person collapse under adversity while another rises? In this conversation, business leader turned sailor and Sailing Life Warriors founder Dave Mortell opens up about a life shaped by childhood abuse, near‑death medical crises, and the loss of his first boat and two dogs in a fire — and how faith, grit, and a long‑held dream to sail the world carried him forward.

Dave's journey from trauma to the South Pacific is raw, honest, and deeply human. If you're navigating your own storms, his story will show you the life that can be carved out of pain through a warrior mindset and faith.

What Dave Learned the Hard Way

• Trauma can bury you or build you. His "warrior" mindset isn't bravado — it's the discipline of getting back up when life hits hard.
• Healing takes time and truth. He didn't fully face his childhood abuse until maturity and mentors gave him the tools to do it.
• Faith is a lifeline, not a slogan. Dave learned to talk to Jesus like a friend and trust that God wasn't finished with him — even when cancer and medical crises said otherwise.
• Marriage requires presence. He regrets not supporting his wife well through miscarriages and learned that faith should never replace empathy.
• Big dreams demand resilience. Losing a boat and two dogs could have ended the journey. Instead, it clarified what mattered: family, preparation, and a community built on shared values.

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Chapters

00:00 Two Choices Mindset

02:56 Sea Life Warrior Origin

06:45 Childhood Trauma Story

08:45 Faith After Abuse

10:44 Air Force Turning Point

16:15 Miscarriages and Marriage Strain

23:32 Aneurysm Scare and Recovery

27:15 Stage Four Melanoma Fight

34:29 Sailing Dream Origins

37:48 Quitting Career for Family Time

38:55 Choosing the First Catamaran

40:18 Cardiologist Shock and Stents

43:07 Boat Fire and Losing the Dogs

56:50 Faith and the Adventure Mindset

01:00:40 Rapid Fire Sea Stories

01:05:32 God and a Personal Relationship

01:11:43 Advice for Aspiring Cruisers

Transformational leadership isn't something you inherit. It's built through mindset, resilience, and the willingness to do the inner work. This episode of Bold Journeys goes deep into that process with Raj Gupta, Global Head of Partnerships at TCS — a leader shaped not by titles, but by discipline, humility, and purpose.

Raj's story begins in a middle‑class home in India, where he watched his father work without ever checking the clock. A major setback early in life forced him to retake his engineering exams, eventually ranking seventh in his state. That moment became a defining lesson in resilience and honest self‑assessment — a theme that runs through his entire career.

Across his journey from electronics to software, from India to the U.S., and from contributor to global leader, Raj shares the mindset shifts that shaped his growth. He talks openly about being passed over for opportunities and the discipline of building for the next role while honoring the current one.

We explore the habits that keep a leader adaptable and close with the anchors that keep him grounded: health, family, faith, and the belief that leadership is measured not by the followers you gather, but by the leaders you develop.

Key Takeaways

• Mindset drives growth. Your attitude, work ethic, and willingness to do the inner work shape your trajectory more than any opportunity or title.
• Setbacks are feedback. Honest self‑assessment, clarity of purpose, and the courage to restart turn failure into fuel.
• Curiosity is a leadership advantage. In a world shaped by AI and rapid change, adaptability matters more than tenure. Keep unlearning and relearning.
• Humility sustains leadership. Pause before reacting, admit mistakes, listen deeply, and build leaders — not followers.

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Chapters

00:00 Quick Tips from Raj

03:10 Raj's Global Role at TCS

04:33 Growing Up in India

07:54 Early Leadership Instincts

09:20 Moving to the United States

15:20 Purpose Over Money

18:01 Fear of Failure Reframed

22:08 Unlearning Over Experience

23:40 Learning from New Grads

25:56 Curiosity in the AI Era

28:24 Culture And Skip Level Leadership

30:35 Leading Gen Z with Humility

32:12 The Parable of the Dirty Window

36:36 Rapid Fire Leadership Rules

40:58 Health Family Work Balance

43:58 Legacy And Admitting Mistakes

Some people chase adventure. Others build a life around it. Offshore captain Hank Schmitt has done both. In this conversation, Hank traces the long arc of his sailing life, from Long Island summers and high school racing, to oil rig shifts, boat work, deliveries, and eventually founding Offshore Passage Opportunities (OPO).

Hank walks through the defining moments that shaped his leadership at sea — dismastings, jury rigged steering, a mid winter rescue, and the quiet discipline required to keep a crew steady when the ocean has other plans.

We talk about navigation before GPS, the mindset of a solo Atlantic crossing, and why self‑reliance still matters in a world where Starlink can make the ocean feel smaller than it is. And we explore OPO's decade of work in Dominica — rebuilding after hurricanes, expanding moorings, and strengthening a local sailing community.

Hank shares how OPO began in the pre‑internet days, after watching aspiring crew fly to the Canaries to "walk the docks" hoping for a ride. He built a better way to connect captains, delivery skippers, and sailors who want real sea miles — a system that's helped hundreds of sailors gain confidence, competence, and offshore experience.

Here are five of my takeaways from Hank's approach to staying calm under pressure and how we can apply them in our lives:

1. Lead without leaking panic

At sea, a skipper's energy sets the tone. On land, it's the same. People read your face before they hear your words. When you stay steady, you give others permission to stay steady too. Calm leadership isn't about pretending everything is fine — it's about refusing to amplify fear.

2. Deal with what's in front of you

Good seamanship is solving the problem that exists, not the one you're afraid might happen next. Life works the same way. Most situations get worse when we dramatize them. They get better when we take the next clear step, then the next, without spiraling.

3. Slow down before you act

On a boat, taking the wrong action can make a small issue a big one. In life, rushing decisions often does the same. The discipline is the pause — taking a breath to choose intention over impulse.

4. Repetition builds self‑reliance

Confidence offshore comes from miles, mistakes, calms and storms. Confidence in life comes from the same ingredients. You don't become resilient by reading about resilience. You become resilient by living through things, learning from them, and showing up again.

5. Expect systems to fail — and stay adaptable

Boats break. Plans break. Technology fails. People disappoint. Calm comes from expecting that reality and preparing for it, not from hoping everything goes smoothly. When you know your backups — your skills, your values, your ability to improvise — you stop fearing the unknown.

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Chapters

00:00 Staying Calm at Sea: Pressure, Leadership, and Problem-Solving

01:55 Podcast Intro: Meet Hank Schmidt & Offshore Passage Opportunities (OPO)

05:10 300,000 Miles of Experience: Dismastings, Jury Rigs, and Self-Sufficiency

10:40 Where the Calm Comes From: Early Independence and Life Choices

11:37 Building OPO Before the Internet: Boat Shows, Side Hustles, and Survival

14:19 Falling in Love with Sailing: Long Island Childhood to High School Racing

17:12 First Big Passages: Florida Dockwalking to Offshore Oil Rigs

23:59 Solo Crossing on a Shoestring: Minimal Gear, Old-School Navigation

24:52 Speed vs. Soul Offshore: Tech, Starlink, and the Changing Ocean Experience

28:43 OPO's Core Concept: Matching Crew, Building Skills, and Win-Win Deliveries

32:02 Rob's Path Through OPO: From Dominica to the SWAN Program

34:12 Why Dominica Became a Focus & Building a Mooring Field

39:01 Dominica's "Back in Time" Cruising & Why It's So Special

46:48 Modern Forecasting, Weather Windows, and Fast Swan Passages

48:25 Why Offshore Sailing Hits Different: Quiet, Connection, and Community

51:58 Rapid Fire + Real Skills: Gear, Autopilot Myths, and Steering Lessons

58:17 Scariest Moment & Dream Sailor to Meet (America's Cup Story)

01:01:50 Rallies, Self-Reliance, and Getting Younger People into Sailing

01:06:18 Legacy, Scaling Back, and How to Take Your First Step into Sailing

In this Bold Journeys conversation, host Rob Spee sits down with Carlos Hidalgo for a raw, unfiltered story of infidelity, redemption, and God's relentless grace. Carlos opens up about growing up in church, learning to "perform" Christianity, and living a double life—successful on the outside but driven by anger, selfishness, and the need to control everything around him.

He shares how casual pornography use while traveling escalated into a two‑year affair, the moment his wife uncovered the truth in 2015, and the devastation that followed: a broken marriage, fractured trust with his kids, and the collapse of the life he built. Carlos explains how restoration only began when he finally surrendered—letting God dismantle his manipulation, pride, and illusion of control.

The grace, forgiveness, and rebuilding of the family prepared them for what came next - a hemorrhagic stroke that hit Carlos suddenly while he was alone in a church weight room. He recounts losing vision, the emergency life flight to Albany Medical, and the sobering risks of brain bleeds. Through it all, he describes a surprising peace, the strength of community, and how suffering reshaped his priorities toward urgency, gratitude, and deeper relationships.

Carlos shares the spiritual anchors that carried him—prayer, Job 23:10, and the hymn "And Can It Be" (the hymn you hear in the background of the opening clip) —and offers this hope to anyone walking through darkness: God can redeem what feels impossible, and joy can coexist with hardship.

Key Takeaways

• Rock bottom revealed the real fight: When his affair was exposed, Carlos faced a defining moment—keep fighting for control or finally surrender to God.
• "Getting life back" wasn't love: A counselor confronted him with the truth: his push to restore life on his terms was manipulation, not transformation.
• Redemption required surrender: Healing came only when Carlos stopped trying to be sovereign and yielded fully to God's authority.
• Small compromises lead to collapse: Pornography wasn't harmless—it was the first step in a long chain of choices that eroded his integrity.
• Suffering reframed everything: After a hemorrhagic stroke, Carlos embraced a "win‑win" outlook—life with family or life with Jesus—and committed to urgency, gratitude, and intentional relationships.

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Stay with us, subscribe, and share this episode with anyone who seeks the courage to transform pain into redemption. Together, let's foster a world where divine love and faith conquer the toughest trials.

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Chapters

00:00 Rock Bottom: 'Are We Still Doing This?'

02:11 Bold Journeys Intro: A Story of Betrayal, Grace & Redemption

04:32 Carlos Returns: From BMC Days to This Conversation

05:02 The Hemorrhagic Stroke: Symptoms, Fear, and the Hospital Dash

08:09 Finding Meaning in Suffering: Valleys, Not Mountaintops

09:36 Growing Up in Church, But Not Knowing God

11:53 Rebellion in Disguise: 'Independent' and a Workplace Chameleon

15:19 The Slow Drift: Porn, Escalation, and the Affair That Blew Up Everything

19:13 Surrender and the Long Road Back: Pikes Peak Prayers & Family Restoration

21:18 Aftermath: Anger, Emptiness, and Becoming a Trophy of Grace

23:05 From Intensity to Surrender: Chasing Success vs. True Fulfillment

24:41 The Stroke Reality: Pain Meds, Chest Pains, and a Second Scare

27:35 Knowing About God vs. Knowing Him: Joy, Control, and Community

30:15 Reframing the Future: Mission, Speaking, and Living With Urgency

33:19 Rapid-Fire Faith: Win-Win Perspective, Verses, Prayer, and Worship

38:37 After the Stroke: Relationships, Gratitude, and the 'Why' Question

41:19 Advice for Dark Seasons: 'God Has You Right Where He Wants You'

43:36 Closing Reflections: Owning the Story and Giving God the Credit

What if you could rewire stress from the inside out?

In this episode of Bold Journeys, host Rob Spee explores how surrender, resilience, and a science‑backed practice called Physical Intelligence can transform the way you move through adversity.

After losing his wife to a sudden brain aneurysm, resilience coach and speaker Rob Swymer found himself rebuilding his life from the ground up. What helped him rise wasn't willpower alone — it was learning how to surrender to adversity and work with his body's chemistry instead of fighting against it.

Rob shares how adversity shaped his mission, how surrender became a turning point, and how Physical Intelligence can help you regulate stress, shift your emotional state, and reconnect with purpose. You'll even learn a simple PI exercise you can try today.

If you're navigating stress, grief, or a major life transition, this conversation offers grounded, practical tools for finding strength, clarity, and hope.

What You'll Learn

• How surrender can create clarity in hard seasons
• A simple Physical Intelligence practice to help regulate stress
• How your body's natural chemicals can support emotional stability
• The role of gratitude in blocking fear and anger
• How Rob transformed profound loss into a mission to help others

If this episode resonates, hit Like, Subscribe, and drop a comment. Your support helps Bold Journeys reach more people who need these conversations.

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Chapters

00:00 A Tragic Night in Atlanta

00:31 Understanding Resilience

01:12 Introduction to Bold Journeys

01:14 Meet Rob Swymer

01:33 Rob's Life-Altering Event

01:46 The Concept of Physical Intelligence

02:17 Rob's Journey of Transformation

04:10 The Power of Surrender

09:09 Rob's Childhood and Early Challenges

11:42 Struggles with Alcohol and Sobriety

16:00 Finding Purpose and Spirituality

23:24 Embracing Adversity and Gratitude

29:37 Parenting and Resilience

30:28 Mental Health Pandemic

30:44 Mission to Teach Self-Activation

32:50 Physical Intelligence Explained

33:58 Four Quadrants of Physical Intelligence

37:49 Manifesting Goals and Purpose

42:59 Living with Gratitude

47:58 Rapid Fire Round

What does resilient leadership look like when the stakes are life‑and‑death? In this episode of Bold Journeys, Rob Spee sits down with MK Palmore — Marine, retired FBI executive, cybersecurity leader, and now founder of his own enterprise risk consulting firm — to explore how true leadership is forged through failure, discipline, and hard‑won experience.

From childhood to the Marine Corps to a 22‑year FBI career, MK shares the defining moments that shaped his philosophy on courage, integrity, and leading under pressure. This conversation cuts through clichés and gets to the heart of what makes a leader resilient in the real world.

What You'll Learn

• How early conversations shaped MK's leadership mindset
• Why failure is essential for growth — and how to recover from it
• Lessons from the Marine Corps and FBI that apply to everyday leadership
• How MK transitioned from public service to entrepreneurship
• The role of values, discipline, and courage in resilient leadership

Why This Episode Matters

If you're navigating a demanding season — in leadership, career, or personal life — MK's story offers a roadmap for staying grounded, acting with integrity, and rising stronger from every setback.

About MK Palmore

MK is a former Marine officer and retired FBI executive with decades of experience in crisis leadership, cybersecurity, and enterprise risk. Today he advises organizations on resilience, risk, and strategic leadership.

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction

02:24 Childhood and Early Influences

08:59 Dreams of the Naval Academy

13:00 Joining the Marines

15:38 Transition to the FBI

18:55 Challenges and Failures

23:41 Grit and Resilience

28:32 Are Leaders Born or Made?

29:31 The Impact of Parental Influence

30:23 Rapid Fire Round: Business and Leadership

32:33 Morning Routines and Core Values

38:56 Transitioning from Public to Private Sector

40:15 Writing a Leadership Book for Youngsters

45:50 Challenges and Running as an Outlet

52:30 Final Words of Advice

Mitch Lewandowski's story is a raw, unfiltered journey through illness, loss, faith, and triumph. It's the kind of adversity that reshapes a life. From a near‑fatal battle with COVID‑19 to a MRSA infection that almost cost him his leg — and then walking with his wife through stage‑four cancer — Mitch's path is a powerful testament to resilience and strength forged in the hardest seasons.

In this episode of the Bold Journeys Podcast, Mitch shares how early hardship shaped his grit, how faith carried him through the unthinkable, and why "doing hard things" became the foundation for rebuilding a healthy, whole, and purposeful life.

What You'll Discover

· The medical crises that nearly took Mitch's life - twice

• How early adversity shaped his grit and character
• The turning points that sparked his transformation
• The role of faith, surrender, and determination in rebuilding
• Practical ways to find purpose and courage in your own storm

If you're navigating loss, uncertainty, or a season you didn't choose, Mitch's story will remind you that hope is never out of reach — and that a meaningful life can be rebuilt from the hardest places.

If this conversation resonates, subscribe for more stories of grit, adventure, and faith — and share it with someone who needs strength today.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 A Miraculous Survival Story

01:37 Mitch's Humble Beginnings

02:58 The Impact of a Bicycle

04:54 Realizing Socioeconomic Differences

06:32 Chasing Success and Its Consequences

08:30 A Life-Altering Realization

10:43 Facing Life-Changing Events

12:20 Surviving COVID Against All Odds

18:41 Battling MRSA and Personal Loss

22:37 Embracing the Journey of Life and Death

27:05 Drawing Strength from Adversity

29:28 Understanding Pain vs. Suffering

32:00 Cycling as a Metaphor for Life

36:58 The Importance of Faith and Devotion

38:01 Rapid Fire Questions

46:12 Empathy and Leadership

48:57 Advice for Personal Storms

Join us for a powerful episode of Bold Journeys as we explore the real‑world mountaineering experiences of Louise McEvoy, a high-altitude mountaineer who has summited 6 of the Seven Summits ⛰️ including Mt. Everest. Louise breaks down what it takes to tackle the world's tallest mountains and how the grit she developed on the slopes fuels her success in work, leadership, and life.

By day, Louise is a high‑impact channel executive who helped shape Trend Micro's award‑winning partner ecosystem and now leads global channel sales at Keyfactor. By night (and often at 20,000+ feet), she's pushing her limits on some of the harshest terrain on earth.

In this conversation, Louise shares:

- What climbing Everest and Denali taught her about resilience

- How mountaineers manage fear, fatigue, and mental overload

- The training required for high‑altitude expeditions

- How to handle disappointment, setbacks, and unexpected danger

- Why pursuing passion outside of work builds stronger leaders

- The story behind She Summits Fourteeners, her initiative empowering women through mountaineering

This episode isn't just about climbing mountains — it's about building the mental toughness to face life's biggest challenges and emerging stronger on the other side. 💪

What's the "mountain" you're climbing right now, and what's one step you're taking toward the summit?

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction and Everest Experience

01:27 Lou's Climbing Pedigree

04:35 Challenges on Denali

07:22 Lou's Childhood and Early Influences

08:49 The Journey to Everest

17:19 Training and Mental Toughness

27:41 Surviving a Knee Injury in the Wilderness

30:00 Glorious Moments in Mountaineering

33:05 Challenges and Decisions on the Summit

35:44 Overcoming Fear in Rock Climbing

38:38 Rapid Fire Questions with Lou

48:21 The SHE Summit: Empowering Women Climbers

52:09 Life Lessons from the Climb

What if you could develop a systematic way to build grit and resilience, a mental model that would help you handle life's hardest moments without falling apart? 🌟 Join us in this profound episode as we explore Jay McBain's journey of systems thinking—a way of living that's both practical and transformative.

Jay McBain is one of the most respected voices in the tech channel world, known for helping companies understand where partnerships and ecosystems are heading. He's widely recognized for helping businesses navigate the fast‑changing world of partner strategy and go‑to‑market models.

Growing up in Canada, Jay's childhood was filled with pivotal moments that shaped his logical and resilient mindset. Discover how early lessons in financial planning, sports, and technology prepared him to face life's toughest challenges, from the heartbreak of divorce to the failure of a tech startup.

This conversation is essential for anyone seeking courage, clarity, faith, or reinvention. You'll come away with practical strategies for:

1️⃣ Compartmentalizing life's challenges to avoid overwhelm.

2️⃣ Using statistical and logical thinking to overcome emotional hurdles.

3️⃣ Embracing gratitude and acknowledging privilege in personal success.

4️⃣ Finding adventure in travel and life's unexpected turns.

Jay's wisdom offers a fresh perspective, empowering you to approach your storm with a heart full of determination and a mind ready for calculated action. Tune in for an inspiring conversation that will elevate your sense of possibility and prepare you to face your own storm with a resilient heart.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to System Thinking

01:31 Jay's Early Life and Family Background

02:17 Childhood Memories and Early Influences

04:00 Pivotal Moments and Early Career

06:59 Financial Lessons and First Motorcycle

12:57 Building a Future and Facing Adversity

22:31 System Thinking and Resilience

26:04 Prostate Health and Genetic Testing

27:29 Family History and Genealogy

29:41 Christmas and Family Traditions

31:13 Adventurous Travels and Rollerblading Tour

35:21 Skydiving Proposal and Rapid-Fire Questions

41:49 Reflections on Life's Challenges and Advice