Buckle Up Podcast Universe with Brandon Rush & Mama Rush

Send us Fan Mail

The Courage to Start Over: Meghan’s Incredible Journey from Teacher to Top Airman

What does it take to walk away from a familiar career and have the courage to start an entirely new chapter?

On this episode of Buckle Up Podcast Universe with Brandon Rush and Mama Rush, we sit down with Meghan, an educator, competitive bodybuilder, and United States Air Force Airman who proves that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

After more than a decade teaching Spanish, Meghan made the courageous decision to join the Air National Guard, where she went on to earn the prestigious distinction of Top Graduate out of 804 Airmen during Basic Military Training.

Now pursuing her second master’s degree in Intelligence Studies with a concentration in Cybersecurity, Meghan continues to push boundaries and prepare for her future in military intelligence.

Her story is about more than military service. It’s about believing in yourself, stepping outside your comfort zone, embracing uncertainty, and having the courage to chase a new dream.

Because sometimes the greatest chapter of your life begins when you find the courage to start over.

 Buckle Up, because this is one journey you won’t want to miss!

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

From Venezuela to Building a Dream: Paola Materán’s Story of Resilience, Strength & Reinvention

Buckle Up Podcast Universe with Brandon Rush & Mama Rush

What does it take to overcome life’s greatest obstacles, rebuild yourself, and turn adversity into opportunity?

On this inspiring episode of the Buckle Up Podcast Universe, Brandon Rush and Mama Rush welcome Venezuelan-born entrepreneur and founder of AVA Reform, Paola Materán, for a powerful conversation about resilience, perseverance, personal growth, and the courage to keep moving forward when life doesn’t go according to plan.

Paola opens up about her Venezuelan roots, where she came from, the challenges she’s faced along the way, and the determination it took to become the woman she is today.

Her journey is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and a reminder that our circumstances do not have to define our future.

Through life’s difficult moments, Paola discovered the importance of believing in herself, embracing change, and finding strength through adversity. That personal transformation ultimately helped inspire AVA Reform, her Miami-based wellness company dedicated to making Pilates more accessible and empowering others to prioritize their physical and emotional well-being.

But this conversation goes far beyond entrepreneurship.

It’s about finding your purpose, refusing to surrender to life’s setbacks, honoring where you came from, and understanding that sometimes our greatest struggles become the foundation for our greatest achievements.

Paola’s story reminds us that resilience isn’t about never falling down. It’s about finding the courage to get back up, no matter how many times life knocks you down.

Join Brandon Rush and Mama Rush for an uplifting, heartfelt, and meaningful conversation about chasing your dreams, overcoming obstacles, and recognizing that your story is still being written.

Because where you start in life doesn’t determine where you can finish.

🎙️ Buckle Up Podcast Universe — Real Stories. Real People. Real Inspiration.

🌎 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Connect with Paola:

Instagram: @paolamateran

AVA Reform: @avareform

Website: www.avareform.com

#BuckleUpPodcast #BrandonRush #MamaRush #PaolaMateran #Resilience #Venezuela #Entrepreneurship #WomenInBusiness #OvercomingAdversity #NeverGiveUp #PersonalGrowth #AVAReform #InspirationalStories

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

🎙️ THE BRANDON RUSH 10-MINUTE SHOW

Episode: RUSH AGAINST THE CURRENT 🌊

Isaiah 6:8: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”

Sixteen years ago, I went to Los Angeles to test myself. To see what I was capable of. To find out just how far my faith, determination, and willingness to fight for my dreams could take me.

But here’s something I’ve learned along the way: I never made that journey alone.

Every lesson I learned growing up in Virginia and South Carolina, every obstacle I overcame in Los Angeles, and every experience I’ve had in New York helped shape the man I am today.

I want to thank my parents for raising me to stand on my principles, my family for believing in me, my military brothers and sisters who have come to my aid, and the countless friends who have stood beside me through some of life’s toughest battles.

It takes a village. And I am living proof of that.

My faith has carried me through moments when I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. I’ve been tested, knocked down, challenged, and pushed against the current more times than I can count.

But I kept fighting.

Not because I had something to prove to anyone else, but because I owed it to myself and to every person who ever believed in that kid from Virginia who dared to dream.

I hope the people who raised me, taught me, mentored me, served beside my friends, and helped me along the way can look at the man I’ve become and say, “That’s the young man we always knew he could be.”

This episode isn’t about naming names or pointing fingers. It’s about faith, character, gratitude, perseverance, and remembering where you came from.

You may have to swim against the current, but you never have to forget who taught you how to swim.

And when the Lord asks, “Whom shall I send?”

My answer will always be:

“Here am I. Send me.”

Buckle Up. We’re just getting started. 🙏🏽❤️

#BrandonRush #RushAgainstTheCurrent #Isaiah68 #FaithOverFear #BuckleUpPodcast #Perseverance #Gratitude #NeverGiveUp

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

CURRENT × BUCKLE UP PODCAST UNIVERSE WITH BRANDON RUSH & MAMA RUSH

The Buckle Up Podcast Universe with Brandon Rush & Mama Rush is excited to share Current, a financial platform built to help everyday people get more out of their paycheck, savings, and financial future.

Current offers a simple, modern banking experience with tools designed to help you save more, build credit, access your money faster, and better manage your everyday finances.

With Current, eligible members can take advantage of:

• Earn up to 4.00% APY on savings
• Get paid up to 2 days faster with qualifying direct deposit
• Paycheck Advance of up to $750 for those who qualify
• Credit building with no annual fee, no interest, and no credit check
• Current materials state eligible users may see credit-score improvements of up to 81 points within six months; individual results can vary
• Fee-free overdraft of up to $200 for qualifying members
• No minimum balance
• Free in-network ATMs
• Cash back and rewards for everyday spending
• Free credit-score monitoring
• A simple mobile banking experience with support available through the app

You can DM me for information on how to sign up and get started with Current.

The goal is simple: give people access to financial tools that can help them save, build credit, get their paycheck sooner, and create a stronger financial future.

Banking for a brighter you.

For more information:

🎙️ Buckle Up Podcast Universe with Brandon Rush & Mama Rush

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and other major platforms.

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

@buckleuppodcast @chime 🚨 CHIME PROMOTION — EARN $150 | 🚨with my QR Code | FREE ACCOUNT | DM Me for my QR PROMO CODE.

Partnering with, one of my current clients is Chime, and we’re currently helping hardworking employees take advantage of a special promotion.

For anyone who isn’t familiar with Chime, We’re the Number 1 Neo-Bank in the U.S.  company offering accounts with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements, No Overdraft Fees up to $200

Right now, eligible employees receive a $150 bonus when they open a free account and meet the promotion requirements. Get paid through direct deposit. In New York it is ADP or Workday 

Some of the benefits include:

💰 $150 promotional bonus for eligible participants
💵 Get paid up to 2 days early with qualifying direct deposit
📈 Credit Builder not a Credit Card
💰 High-yield savings Account with a 3.5% APY, subject to eligibility and current terms

💳 No minimum balance
🔄 No transfer fees on eligible transfers
🏦 Eligible overdraft coverage up to $200 without overdraft fees

If you receive your paycheck through direct deposit and use a payroll service such as ADP or Workday, or you’re paid weekly or biweekly, reach out to me and I can check whether you qualify for the promotion.

It’s quick and easy to set up. If you’re interested, DM me and I’ll walk you through it. 

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

Our guest today has built businesses that, on the surface, may appear to have very little in common—from landscaping and direct sales to Wall Street, real estate, snow removal, and marketing.

But when you look more closely, one powerful thread connects every chapter: Claudio Iodice has trained himself to recognize a need, create a solution, and build an opportunity around the value that solution provides.

That creative instinct extends well beyond business. Whether he is studying the energy of the New York Stock Exchange, spending more than 35 hours creating a river-rock table, or transforming part of his home into a tropical grotto, Claudio brings imagination, patience, and purpose to what he builds.

He calls this ‘Opportunity Engineering.’

Claudio, welcome to the Buckle Up Podcast Universe. We are looking forward to going beyond the résumé today and discovering how an Opportunity Engineer sees possibilities that other people may overlook.

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

On this episode of the Buckle Up Podcast Universe, Brandon Rush and Mama Rush sit down with Eric Lee Gabrielson, a San Diego-born and raised husband, father, entrepreneur, and barber with more than 15 years behind the chair.

Growing up as one of three children in a military family, Eric’s childhood took him from San Diego all the way to Yokosuka, Japan, where his father was stationed. While living in Japan, Eric began studying karate, and after returning to the United States, he transitioned into Tae Kwon Do—eventually earning his black belt. That discipline carried over into sports, where Eric became a three-year varsity basketball player in high school.

But Eric would ultimately discover another gift.

After attending Associated Barber College, he realized that barbering wasn’t simply something he was good at—it was something he truly believed he was meant to do. Once he received his barber license, Eric wasted no time pursuing his dream. Just seven months later, he and his wife, Reixa, a talented stylist originally from Fairfield, California, opened their first shop together.

Today, Eric and Reixa are the team behind He Fades She Colors Barbershop & Salon and have spent the last nine years building their business in Downtown San Diego.

Eric joins us to talk about discovering his purpose, becoming an entrepreneur, building a business alongside his wife, fatherhood, discipline, and what more than 15 years in the barbering industry has taught him about people, perseverance, and believing in your gift.

This is a conversation about recognizing what you were put here to do—and having the courage to build a life around it.

Buckle Up.

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

On this episode of Buckle Up Podcast Universe, we sit down with Arri of Cookie Crumz to talk about his life, his journey, and the passion behind a cookie shop that is bringing happiness to people around the world.

Arri shares how his Greek upbringing and family helped shape the person he is today. He grew up around his family’s deli, where hard work, food, family, and serving others were part of everyday life. He later built a career in healthcare, but eventually realized that his true passion was calling him in another direction.

That passion led him to take a chance on himself and create Cookie Crumz.

Arri talks about his love for cooking, creating something that makes people happy, building a business from the ground up, and what it takes to leave a secure career behind in order to pursue something you genuinely believe in.

Most importantly, this episode is for every dreamer out there who has ever wondered, “What if I actually went for it?”

Arri’s story is a reminder that your first career does not have to be your final destination. Sometimes the dream that keeps calling you is the one worth chasing.

Buckle up. This episode is about passion, purpose, family, food, entrepreneurship, and having the courage to follow your dream.

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

This was one of the most powerful, honest, and heartfelt conversations we’ve had on the Buckle Up Podcast Universe with Brandon Rush & Mama Rush.

Bella came on and held nothing back. She opened up about her life, the obstacles she’s had to overcome, and how experiences from childhood can stay with you long into adulthood.

As a child of divorce, Bella speaks candidly about what it feels like to be the child caught in the middle when parents are going through conflict. She takes us inside the perspective of a child navigating divorce, the legal system, and the emotional toll that can come with it.

We also talked about guardian ad litems — what they are, the role they can play in family court, and why the voice and well-being of the child should never get lost in the process.

Bella opens up about struggles involving her health, her relationship with food and exercise, getting sober at just 21 years old, and the deep emotional work it has taken to understand how the things we experience growing up can continue affecting us years later.

What makes this conversation so important is Bella’s willingness to speak from lived experience. She gives parents a chance to hear what divorce and conflict can feel like through the mind of the child experiencing it.

This is an episode we believe every parent should hear — especially parents going through divorce, custody battles, or conflict involving their children. And for anyone who grew up in the middle of those circumstances, Bella’s story may remind you just how deeply those experiences can shape who we become.

We cannot thank Bella enough for being so open, vulnerable, and honest with us.

🎙️ Buckle Up Podcast Universe with Brandon Rush & Mama Rush

Sometimes the most important thing we can do for a child is stop fighting long enough to truly listen to what they’re experiencing.

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”

Send us Fan Mail

We had an incredible conversation with Neb Chupin, whose journey is a reminder that the road to your purpose is rarely a straight line.

From growing up in Croatia, to competing on the rowing team, serving in the military, and eventually chasing a lifelong dream of coming to the United States, Neb’s story is built on discipline, resilience, and the willingness to keep betting on himself.

We talked about his career in film, the projects that helped shape him, Storm Rider, his evolution as both a producer and actor, and what it took to turn a dream that once felt far away into a life he is now actually living.

This conversation is about more than movies. It’s about following the pull toward something bigger, taking the risks that come with starting over, and refusing to let where you started determine where you can go.

 Buckle Up Podcast Universe with Brandon Rush & Mama Rush

Support the show

“We didn’t know it all— we learned with love, led with kindness, and earned our way to the top.”