Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling

Sisters Not By Blood: Leaving Medicine, Finding Faith & Building Purpose in Austin

Host Ron Aladeniyi met April and Noelle on Austin's Hill of Life and knew instantly - this was a sisterhood worth recording.

April, 25, moved from Houston to Austin leaving behind a career in medicine. After seeing greed and restrictive care up close, she walked away to pursue a more purpose-driven path in sales, community, and eventually motherhood. Her word for this season? Surrender.

Noelle, 24, grew up moving constantly, which taught her how to start over. A Baylor Kinesiology grad, she found her calling in recreational therapy. Now working as a server while pursuing her master's online, she dreams of building a center for at-risk youth that combines movement, counseling, and faith.

In this raw, unfiltered conversation from Austin, we talk about:

• Why your 20s in Austin can feel so isolating - and how to find real community

• Leaving a "secure" career to follow purpose

• Faith that comes back AFTER hardship

• Social media, performative culture, and craving depth over surface-level friendships

• The courage it takes to support family through mental health crises

This is for anyone who moved to Austin searching for more - more connection, more faith, more purpose.

Find our guest at:

Instagram: @noellezwart

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok: @ronaladeniyi

Instagram: @ronaladeniyi/ @courageovercomfortpodcast

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

Host Ron Aladeniyi welcomes filmmaker Ven Scott to Courage Over Comfort after a chance run-in at the gym led to reconnecting.

Ven grew up in a family of performers, chased music touring in bands, and eventually found his way back to filmmaking as a director and producer. In this conversation he opens up about his first feature Blood Hollow and his earlier short work with writer Tracee Beebe.

He doesn't sugarcoat it — making a feature on a shoestring budget was both rewarding and harrowing. We get into what it really takes to lead a set when the money is tight, the responsibility is heavy, and everything is on you: communication under stress, learning to trust your crew, and why support is everything.

Ven also reflects on stepping back from directing to focus more on producing, and we go deep on the inner work: self-deprecating humor, therapy and mental health, navigating possible untreated ADHD, learning to accept being wrong, spirituality and the practice of "letting go," and what it means to live a life of purpose and impact.

This is for any creative who's felt the pull between comfort and courage.

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok: @ronaladeniyi

Instagram: @ronaladeniyi/ @courageovercomfortpodcast

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

What if you were diagnosed with a rare brain cancer at just 6 months old?

At 6 months old, Ana-Kate Partridge was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumor called medulloblastoma. At age 2, it came back.

Doctors didn't think she would survive. Today at 22, she's known as the "Miracle Child."

In this powerful episode of Courage Over Comfort, host Ron Aladeniyi sits down with Ana-Kate and her mom Shawn for an honest conversation about survival, faith, and finding purpose after the unthinkable.

Ana-Kate shares the story behind her signature "Miracle Child" hat inspired by Brandon Lake, what it was like to become the first child in Texas to receive proton radiation at MD Anderson, and what life really looks like after survival - from annual scans and monitoring a secondary benign tumor, to navigating school, friendships, and Make-A-Wish.

Her mom Shawn opens up about the shock of diagnosis, watching the tumor affect Ana-Kate's balance, uprooting life for treatment in Houston, and how their church and community carried them through.

This isn't just a cancer survival story. It's a story about what happens after the miracle.

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok: @wethefame

Instagram: @wethefame/@houseofkerij

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

What does it take to choose Courage Over Comfort at 15?

Tate Pratt is an aspiring artist, actor, voice actor, and future mangaka who’s already won Best Actor twice at TCAF. In his first-ever podcast appearance, he joins host Ron Aladeniyi to talk about their meeting at Gateway Church camp, learning to be himself, using fashion and humor to let go, and why he admires voice actor Alex Lee.

We get into mentorship, performing scared at state, and trusting God over perfection. Here is his story.

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok: @wethefame

Instagram: @wethefame/@houseofkerij

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

Host Ron Aladeniyi and guest Grant Sisson kick off the podcast with an inspiring tale of how their gym encounter sparked a meaningful conversation about Grant's family-themed tattoo and his passion for genealogy, setting the tone for a uplifting discussion. Grant opens up about embracing a fresh start in San Diego after landing his dream job, driven by a desire to boost his mental and physical well-being, nurture friendships, and thrive despite new challenges. With a military upbringing that taught him adaptability and resilience, Grant shares candid insights about his family dynamics, overcoming past pressures, and forging his own path. Now, he's pouring his energy into a promising project that aims to spread happiness and fulfillment, as he embarks on a journey to discover his purpose.

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok: @wethefame

Instagram: @wethefame/@houseofkerij

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

Joining host, Ron Aladeniyi on the show are John Southerland and his 8-year-old son Ender from Leander, Texas, who are on a mission to transform young lives through their nonprofit Back to School Extravaganza, which empowers underprivileged K-12 students and their families with a special Walmart shopping experience that fosters dignity and excitement, and discover how their journey, sparked by John's calling and profound sense of purpose, has grown from serving 12 students the first year to 2,500 served and counting.

As John states:

They are “Changing the world through serving children.”

Join them on Saturday, August 1st at the Walmart in Temple, Texas and Sunday, August 2nd at the Walmart in Cedar Park, Texas on Whitestone Boulevard.

Contact the “Back To School Extravaganza” at:

Website: www.b2sganza.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (512) 940-7572

Instagram: @back_to_school_extravaganza

Follow on Facebook:

Back To School Extravaganza

- Central Texas

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok: @ronaladeniyi

Instagram: @wethefame/@houseofkerij

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

From “Prison, Texas” to Purpose: Alvin Stewart on Faith, Growth, and Second Chances | Courage Over Comfort

Host Ron Aladeniyi interviews Alvin Stewart, an Austin native who says he’s now “from Prison, Texas” after being incarcerated from 2000/2002 until 2023. Alvin shares that he was convicted of manslaughter and aggravated robbery, receiving a 65-year sentence. He explains how prison shaped his spiritual development, urging people to connect with God or a higher power as they are, not “after” getting their life together, and describes learning awareness and discipline through programs like Steps to Knowledge, along with influences such as the Urantia Book and years with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Alvin recounts discovering a talent for entertaining and speaking through prison events, fueling his goal of being on Saturday Night Live, and describes his family background, his sister’s support, and his purpose to impact others by helping them find meaning beyond fear and material life.

Find him at:

Instagram: alyapal_23

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok: @wethefame

Instagram: @wethefame/@houseofkerij

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

Join Jerome and I as we explore his formative years in Germany and his subsequent relocation to Detroit, tracing his transformative journey from aspiring professional football player to ultra-marathon runner, and from corporate life at Meta to launching his coaching, ‘Bet On Yourself,’ which is propelling him toward his future and purpose.

Find him at:

Instagram: @baglife40

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromebennett40/

Website: https://www.betonyourself4real.com

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok: @wethefame

Instagram: @wethefame/@houseofkerij

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

Join Ryan, Nate, and I as we explore their dynamic friendship, blossoming streaming career, and the profound impact their recent move to Austin, Texas has had on their surroundings. As young adults in their twenties, they're exemplifying the power of embracing uncertainty and pursuing their passions with courage and conviction, inspiring others to do the same. Their future is full of promise.

Find them at:

Ryan ‘s Instagram: @ryanheinz_

TikTok: @ryanheinz_

Kick: http://kick.com/ryanheinz

X: https://x.com/ryanheinz_

Nate’s Instagram: @nate.winss

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok:@wethefame

Instagram: @wethefame/@houseofkerij

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧

Embark on a transformative journey with Zach and I as he shares his enlightening story of self-discovery, wanderlust, creativity, and writing his first book, inspiring others through his brand LIVE A GREAT STORY, where every step forward is a testament to forging an innovative path that motivates the world and transcends boundaries. He is truly living a great story.

Find him at:

Personal Instagram: @commonvandal

Brand’s Instagram: @liveagreatstory

Website: liveagreatstory.com

Find your host at:

Facebook: Ronald Aladeniyi

TikTok:@wethefame

Instagram: @wethefame/@houseofkerij

Snapchat: @wethefame

The podcast, Courage Over Comfort: Everyone Has A Story Worth Telling is produced by Ever Calderon at Dawa Studios in Austin, TX.

🎧 Listen now on all podcast platforms and YouTube 🎧