Some people move through life by following a plan. Others move forward by paying attention to what holds their interest.

Today's guest, David Litt, spent more than three decades in the U.S. Foreign Service, working and living around the world. Along the way, he built a life shaped by language, learning, and a deep interest in how people and cultures function.

After retiring from government service, David didn't step away from engagement. Instead, he found new ways to teach, mentor, and share what he's learned, proving that purpose doesn't end when a career does.

In this episode, we covered:

What first drew David toward languages and life abroad

How curiosity shaped his path into the Foreign Service

The realities of representing the U.S. in unfamiliar places

One early experience that changed how he viewed diplomacy

Why teaching became a natural next chapter after retirement

David's advice for staying intellectually engaged later in life

Doug Fleener woke up on an airplane with no idea how he got there. That was the moment his life began to change.

Today, Doug shares the story of hitting bottom and rebuilding his life one decision at a time. He reflects on addiction, recovery, and the importance of learning how to pause before reacting.

Today, Doug is an author and speaker whose work centers on a simple but powerful question: What if? We talk about how that question creates space for perspective and action, especially during major life transitions.

We discuss:

The moment Doug realized his life needed to change

Why hitting bottom didn't immediately lead to transformation

How asking one simple question interrupts old patterns

The role of identity and routine during life after career

Why action matters more than insight alone

Resources

Get a free book excerpt at StartWithWhatIf.com

Visit DougFleener.com

As we move into the later chapters of life, many of us begin to think differently about health. Not just how long we'll live, but how well we'll live. What if the symptoms we accept as "normal aging" are actually signals pointing to something deeper?

In this episode, I'm joined by Reed Davis, a double board-certified holistic health practitioner and founder of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition. Reed helps people understand what's really happening inside their bodies by looking beyond standard lab work and surface-level symptoms.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why standard blood work often misses early warning signs

The difference between treating symptoms and addressing root causes

How stress, diet, and lifestyle quietly shape long-term health

What aging well really requires beyond diet and exercise

Why having purpose may be one of the most overlooked health factors

Learn more and access Reed's free workshop at: fdntraining.com/kay

Visit Reed's website

Follow Reed on Instagram

Watch on Youtube

Follow on LinkedIn

Why is it often easier to know what we don't want than to ask for what we do?

In this episode, I'm joined by Paul Quinn, author of The Big Ask: Unlock the Possibilities in Your Work Life and Dreams with Courageous Requests. Paul began his career as an actor before moving into corporate training and writing, where he became fascinated by the moments that spark real change.

Today, we explore how identity, fear, and unspoken rules shape the choices we make. Paul also shares stories that show how a single, well-timed question can open doors we didn't know were there.

You'll hear about:

How asking the right questions can help you reconnect with what you actually want

Why redefining identity after work can feel so disorienting

The trap of focusing on what we don't want (instead of naming what we do)

How fear and perfectionism can limit what you're willing to try

A simple question that can shift how we imagine what comes next

Mentioned

Visit Paul's Website

The Big Ask: Unlock the Possibilities in Your Work Life and Dreams with Courageous Requests

Follow Paul on Facebook

Many men feel caught between the identity they built at work and the person they hope to become. Today's guest helps us explore that space.

Doug O'Brien has spent his career studying how our stories shape the way we live and the way we move through change. Before entering this work, Doug lived an entirely different life as a classical pianist, a Carnegie Hall performer, and a punk rock musician in New York City.

Over time, he shifted into teaching and storytelling in a way that opened a new path for him. In this conversation, Doug shares how the stories we hold can keep us stuck and how new ones can help us move into the next chapter.

We talk about:

• How Doug transitioned from a life in music to helping people change

• The moment that shifted how he viewed what is possible

• Why career identity becomes so difficult for many men to release

• The simple question that reveals who we are beneath our titles

• How storytelling helps reshape belief and create room for what comes next

Resources:

https://www.essentialcoachingskills.com https://dougobrienhypnosis.com

Modern medicine can treat almost anything. Yet it often misses the root of what makes us sick.

Dr. Ravi Kumar is a neurosurgeon who trained at the Mayo Clinic and spent years in operating rooms before realizing he needed to step away. He sold everything and moved his family to India, where he worked in mission hospitals under the most basic conditions.

Those experiences changed the way he views medicine, aging, and what it really means to heal. In this episode, Dr. Kumar shares what he's learned about the lifestyle choices that support our long-term health.

• How Ravi's experience in India reshaped his understanding of care and gratitude

• Why stress can affect our health long before we notice

• What we should know about our metabolic health

• How nutrition plays a major role in longevity and energy

• Why movement matters more than prescriptions

Resources:

Dr. Kumar DiscoveryThe Dr. Kumar Discovery Podcast

Social Media:

Connect on FacebookConnect on InstagramConnect on TikTokDr. Kumar on YouTubeConnect on LinkedIn

What happens when life forces us to confront the unexplainable?

Today's guest, Dr. Gregg Korbon, is a retired anesthesiologist whose life took an extraordinary turn after the loss of his nine-year-old son, Brian.

A lifelong man of science, Gregg was suddenly faced with experiences that defied logic and ultimately changed the course of his life. In this deeply moving conversation, Gregg shares how tragedy cracked his heart open to a world beyond reason.

Together, we explore what it means to find meaning after unimaginable loss—and how love, grief, and trust can guide us through life's transitions.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How a rational physician came to believe in experiences beyond science
• Brian's final days and the messages he left behind
• How grief opened Gregg's heart to unconditional love
• The ways dreams and symbols can help us heal and reconnect
• Why vulnerability can be a path to transformation
• What Gregg has learned about purpose, faith and trust in retirement

Resources

http://www.beyondreason.info

Beyond Reason on Amazon

For nearly 30 years, Peter Haskell's voice was a familiar one across New York. As a reporter for WCBS Newsradio 880, he covered some of the region's most defining moments.

When a rare vocal disorder forced Peter to step away from the microphone, it brought an unexpected crossroads. What followed was a shift toward gratitude, purpose, and a renewed belief in the power of stories and kindness.

Today, Peter continues his lifelong calling to tell meaningful stories through his work with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and as an adjunct professor of journalism at Fordham University.

In this episode, we covered:

How Peter built a lifelong career in broadcast journalism

What covering 9/11 taught him about humanity and resilience

The experience of living with spasmodic dysphonia

How he found direction and meaning beyond his career in radio

The lessons he's carried into teaching and storytelling today

Why kindness is the foundation of his personal philosophy

Resources:

You can learn more at dysphonia.org.

At 68 years old, Rand Timmerman looked in the mirror and thought his life was over. A decorated Vietnam War veteran and successful attorney, he had been undone by alcoholism and the toll of PTSD. Yet what seemed like the end became the beginning of a new path.

Now more than a decade sober, Rand shares how recovery gave him the strength to take on an extraordinary challenge with his brother: hiking the Appalachian Trail in their seventies. Along the way, they faced storms, solitude, and moments of reckoning that reshaped how Rand understands resilience, purpose, and second chances.

In this episode, we covered:

How Rand faced down alcoholism after decades of success in his career

The hidden weight of PTSD and how it shaped his story

What it was like to hike more than 1,400 miles of the Appalachian Trail in his seventies

The role of grit, faith, and humor in getting through difficult seasons

How recovery and service to others gave Rand a renewed sense of purpose

Resources:

Visit: Rand Timmerman's website

Email Rand: [email protected]

What happens when life as you know it is suddenly pulled out from under you?

For Ray Martin, the unraveling of his marriage, the death of his father, and the collapse of his career all came within months of each other. Left with nothing familiar to hold onto, Ray made a choice to let go of clinging to the life he had built.

What began as a six-month sabbatical turned into a 14-year journey across Asia. Along the way, Ray discovered mindfulness and a new definition of success that wasn't tied to titles, possessions, or status. His experiences became the foundation of his book Life Without a Tie.

In this conversation, Ray shares the lessons he learned from starting over and the six rules of happiness that guide him today.

We'll cover:

How Ray turned personal loss into a catalyst for growth

The most common regret people share at the end of life

What he discovered during a silent 10-day meditation retreat

The framework Ray calls his six rules of happiness

How to approach life transitions with greater clarity and purpose

Resources:Life Without a TieLife Without a Tie on AmazonConnect with Ray on LinkedIn