Consequence of Habit

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In this solo episode of Consequence of Habit, JT reflects on his recent experience going through the Rites of Passage retreat in Alabama — an experience COH has helped send others through, but one he felt called to understand firsthand.

What he found was more impactful than he expected.

JT talks about the discomfort and clarity that can come from silence, time in nature, and stepping away from the constant stimulation of everyday life. He reflects on how easy it is to keep searching for the next habit, tool, routine, or performance hack, while missing one of the simplest and hardest practices available to us: sitting still long enough to examine our lives.

He also shares what it meant to witness veterans going through the retreat, the gratitude he feels for the people and organizations who make this work possible, and why the experience reaffirmed the mission behind Consequence of Habit.

This episode is about presence, purpose, mortality, gratitude, and the importance of choosing how we spend the limited time we have.

Learn more about Kevin Stark and The Arete Path Rites of Passage Retreat visit https://www.aretepath.com/rites-of-passage

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Josh Janish knows firsthand how one habit can quietly take over your life — and how changing it can create a ripple effect you never expected.

In this episode, JT sits down with Josh, a COH ambassador, veteran, carpenter, father, and endurance runner known as The Running Carpenter. Josh shares how alcohol became deeply woven into his daily life, the moment that forced him to confront where it was taking him, and why running became such an important part of what came next. 

They talk about sobriety, fatherhood, mental health, identity, endurance, service, and the surprising ways changing one habit can begin to change everything around it. Josh also shares how running has evolved from a personal outlet into a way to raise money and support organizations he believes in — including Consequence of Habit.

Connect with Josh on Instagram: @therunningcarpenter
Learn about The Wander Project at www.wanderproject.org
Follow along with The Wander Project on Instagram @wanderproject18 

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What happens when the tools designed to make life easier begin shaping how we think, learn, parent, and spend our time?

In this episode of Consequence of Habit, JT sits down with technologist and The Home Screen creator Emily Tavoulareas to examine how social media and artificial intelligence are changing our habits and sense of agency. Emily draws on two decades in technology to explain how digital products are deliberately designed to keep us engaged and why parents need more than simple rules or screen-time limits.

They discuss helping children understand persuasive design, the value of friction in learning and growth, and why using AI to avoid the difficult parts of writing may also undermine thinking itself. This conversation offers a grounded look at how families and individuals can make more intentional choices, reclaim their attention, and build healthier relationships with technology.

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If you’ve ever opened your phone “for a second” and lost 45 minutes, this episode is for you. JT sits down with Riley Colford, a University of Delaware public policy student days away from graduating, to hear about a capstone project that hits straight at the intersection of habits, addiction, and agency.

Riley walks through what they found researching addictive social media design (think casino mechanics: infinite scroll, no stopping cues), what happened when they all did a one-week detox, and why it revealed something deeper than “bad discipline.” They also dig into the messy reality of policy: what the government can and can’t do, the First Amendment limits, and why advocacy and awareness may be the most realistic next step. This is a rare conversation that’s both personal and systems-level, and it’ll make you look at your screen time differently.

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Scott Winter has spent decades helping people and organizations collaborate under pressure, and his approach is rooted in one thing: daily habits

Today, I'm sitting down with Scott Winter, CEO of Collaborative Commons and creator of Brain Friendly Dynamics. We're talking about human performance, collaboration, and the daily habits that keep you steady when life gets chaotic. Scott shares his path from a rough start as a kid to becoming a facilitator and leader who helps teams think better, work better, and solve hard problems together. 

After the Camp Fire, Scott learned what it means to build “mental hygiene” into your day, and why rituals matter more than motivation. Scott also introduces Praxis, a learning platform designed to help people move beyond inspiration and actually practice skills until they stick.

If you’re trying to build better habits or lead people through change, this one will land. 

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What does it actually look like to stay consistent for years?

In this episode, Taylor Spike breaks down preparing for a 100 miler, how his training has evolved, and the patience it takes to keep showing up over time. Not just when it feels good, but when it doesn’t.

We also get into the gap between how others see you and how you see yourself, balancing a full-time job with everything outside of it, and navigating different versions of your identity in different environments.

It’s a straightforward conversation about discipline, perspective, and doing the work without overcomplicating it.

Watch on YouTube or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

Connect with Taylor Spike on Instagram

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Army Ranger, ultrarunner, and trailblazer Janina Simmons’s story is a powerful reminder that identity is built through daily choices. In this episode of Consequence of Habit, JT sits down with Janina to hear about her start as an unmotivated teenager with no clear direction, becoming the first Black female graduate of Army Ranger School, and most recently, battling cancer.

They talk about discipline, stoicism, self-respect, and what it really means to keep going when life hands you something you never asked for. Janina opens up about her stage four neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis, how it changed her relationship with time, and why purpose-driven habits matter even more when the future feels uncertain.

This conversation is about grit, faith, radical ownership, and learning to stop waiting to “feel ready.” If you’ve ever needed a reminder that small habits can completely reshape a life, this one is for you.

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Five days into deployment as a Marine infantry officer, a live-fire training accident severed Captain Patrick Nugent’s sciatic nerve and paralyzed his right leg. What most people called “the worst thing that could ever happen” became the turning point for everything that came next.

Patrick is a Marine veteran, Invictus Games athlete, Harvard Kennedy School and Wharton grad, Boston Consulting Group consultant, and future Paralympic hopeful. And in this episode of Consequence of Habit, he joins JT to talk about grit, habits, and cognitive reappraisal: the ability to literally rewrite the story you tell yourself about adversity.

Patrick walks through the injury, the brutal recovery at Walter Reed, and the decision to treat his situation not as an ending, but as an opening. They dig into keystone habits, goal-tracking, stoic philosophy, and why believing “this might be the best thing that ever happened to me” changed his life. If you’re facing something that feels defining or impossible, this conversation will give you a new lens, and a roadmap. 

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The show is Produced and Edited by Palm Tree Pod Co.

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Alongside his success in business and family, Patrick Brady is heading back into the ring. As he prepares for his bare-knuckle fight on February 7, the professional fighter and business owner joined me on Consequence of Habit for a raw conversation about ego, identity, injury, and what happens when life starts pulling you in different directions at once.

Patrick shares how he made it from MMA to bare knuckle fighting, building a successful renovation business, navigating major injuries like a hip replacement, and trying to be present as a father while still chasing the rush of stepping into the ring.

Pat and JT dig into the internal tug-of-war between who you’ve always been and who you’re becoming, the illusion of entitlement, and the reality that everything you have can be taken at any moment. This is an honest look at balance, humility, and the habits it takes to keep growing when the spotlight fades and real life kicks in.

Connect with Patrick:

• Instagram: @hevweightbrady
• View Patrick's BKFC's Fighter Profile
• View Patrick's ESPN Fighter Profile

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In this episode of Consequence of Habit, JT sits down with Marine Corps veteran, entrepreneur, and boxing champion Mike Steadman for a wide‑ranging conversation about discipline, identity, and intentional habits. Michael’s journey spans the Naval Academy, Marine Corps infantry deployments, founding a free boxing gym for youth in Newark, and ultimately stepping fully into entrepreneurship.

Together, they explore what happens when structure disappears after the military, and how habits, accountability, and human performance become the foundation for resilience. Mike shares lessons from quitting alcohol for health, running the NYC Marathon, designing his life around deep work and fitness, and helping veterans and founders build sustainable businesses through category design. This episode is about agency: taking ownership of your time, your attention, and the habits that shape who you become.

Learn more about Mike’s work here at ironmikesteadman.com and ironboundboxing.org.