Jeff Hoffman fundamentally shifted how the world connects by helping build multi-billion dollar platforms like Priceline.com, UBID.com, and Booking.com[cite: 1]. But after reaching the peak of global business, he realized a profound truth: success isn't the destination, it is the platform you earn to go do God's work.

Welcome to the 1-Year Anniversary special of Eagle Freedom Presents. In this milestone episode, we sit down with the Emmy and Grammy award-winning producer, best-selling author, and tech billionaire, Jeff Hoffman.

From funding his college tuition with a secret basement software company to inventing the self-service airport kiosk after missing a flight, Jeff shares his blueprint for turning ideas into empires. However, the true power of this conversation lies in his definition of freedom. Jeff opens up about faith, fatherhood, and the stark realities of knowing when to say "enough."

Inside This Episode:

• The Ultimate Formula: Jeff’s childhood blueprint to "dream big, work hard, create value".
• Refusing the "Box": How hiring a single travel agent legally bypassed the airline industry's massive data block to launch his kiosk empire.
• The Tragic "Boat Story": A powerful warning about knowing when your boat is "big enough" and the danger of chasing wealth at the ultimate cost of your family.
• The Fatherhood Reality Check: The life-changing conversation where Jeff’s daughter proved that being emotionally present matters more than just clocking out at 5:00 PM.
• Protecting Your Values: Why Jeff walked away from millions of dollars because the potential partners didn't share his faith—and how those same partners later went to prison.
• Self-Determination: Why true entrepreneurship isn't about tech apps—it's about building the future you want to live in.

Connect with Jeff Hoffman:

• Website: JeffHoffman.com
• Instagram: @speakerjeffhoffman
• LinkedIn: Search "Jeff Hoffman Priceline"

Support the Broadcast:

If you found value in today's 1-Year Anniversary episode, please consider supporting Eagle Freedom Presents through our Ko-Fi page. Your contributions directly support the production and help keep this platform growing. ☕ Support the Show: https://ko-fi.com/eaglefreedom

Remember to Rise, Inspire, Overcome.

• #RIOmovement #EagleFreedomPresents #JeffHoffman #Entrepreneurship #BusinessLeadership #FaithAndBusiness

As a child, Brandon Carter moved 28 times by the time he was 18 years old, navigating a chaotic early life with parents who struggled heavily with alcohol. As a young man coaching wrestling, he faced an unimaginable nightmare when his six-year-old brother, Danny, disappeared, resulting in a tragic loss.

Driven by a fierce determination not to repeat his parents' mistakes, Brandon built a highly successful 24-year career at UPS. However, suppressing his grief and unhealed trauma eventually led to a severe battle with daily drinking. His battle with alcoholism cost him his corporate career, forcing him into a humbling season of rebuilding his life from scratch with an $11 an hour job at Home Depot.

Today, completely sober since 2017, Brandon has rebuilt his life from the ground up. As the founder and leadership coach of Backbone Solutions LLC, he helps business owners move from chaos to clarity, teaching them how to build structure over stress. In this episode, we also dive deep into the power of the Million Man Campaign (MMC) Brotherhood and how it is changing men's lives.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Navigating intense childhood instability and surviving the tragic loss of a sibling.
• How an "overcorrection" into a 24-year corporate career masked deep emotional pain.
• The humbling reality of losing a six-figure job to alcoholism and starting over at Home Depot.
• The "B.A.C.K.B.O.N.E." core values that guide Brandon's business coaching.
• The 6 pillars of the MMC Brotherhood: Fitness, Faith, Friendship, Family, Finances, and Fight.

🔗 Connect with Brandon Carter:

• Website: https://backbonesolutions-llc.com/
• Social Media: Follow Brandon Carter on LinkedIn and Facebook
• Learn more about the MMC Brotherhood

☕ Support the #RIOmovement: Eagle Freedom Presents and the R.I.O. movement are growing incredibly fast, and we continue to grow! You can be a part of that growth process by simply buying me a cup of coffee. Click the link below to help expand the movement: 👉 https://ko-fi.com/eaglefreedom

Remember that you, too, can rise, inspire, and overcome! God bless.

Listen & Subscribe:

If you found value in this episode, please leave us a rating and a review!

How do you find a path forward when the heavy weight of the "what-ifs" and "if-onlies" threatens to build a permanent prison around you?

In this powerful episode of Eagle Freedom Presents, host Deston Rogers sits down with keynote speaker and former attorney Stephanie Renner. For 25 years, Stephanie advised leaders through complex, high-stakes decisions. But nothing could prepare her for the personal trials she would face in navigating the simultaneous heartbreak of her mother's battle with Alzheimer's and the tragic loss of her 18-year-old son, Jordan, to suicide.

Bonded by the shared, profound pain of losing a child, Deston and Stephanie have an incredibly raw and inspiring conversation about grief, guilt, and discovering purpose in the aftermath of tragedy.

Stephanie shares how she walked away from her legal career to create the Regret to Resilience Method™, a 7-pillar framework designed to help individuals and organizations release the guilt they were never meant to carry.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Backpack Full of Bricks: How to identify and unpack the heavy "what-ifs" we subconsciously carry.
• Moving Forward vs. Moving On: Why resilience isn't about leaving your past behind or returning to who you were before the loss.
• The Illusion of Control: How to stop acting as the "prosecutor, judge, and jury" in your own life and recognize that love is not measured by outcomes.
• Gilly's Friends: The beautiful way Stephanie is honoring Jordan's empathetic spirit by interrupting despair and saving lives through her nonprofit.
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Whether you are navigating a difficult season of loss, a major life transition, or just feeling stuck in regret, this episode will give you the tools to step out of your own prison and start living again.

Connect with Stephanie Renner:

• Website: stephanierennerspeaks.com
• Free Regret to Resilience Guide: stephanierennerspeaks.com/podcast
• Support Gilly's Friends: gillysfriends.com

Support Eagle Freedom Presents: If this story brought a flicker of light to your darkness, please consider helping us keep the lights on. Every tip in our Ko-fi jar goes directly toward basic production costs so we can continue bringing you these vital stories of resilience. ☕ Support the show here: https://ko-fi.com/eaglefreedom

Join the Community: Connect with us on social media using the hashtag #RIOmovement. Let us know how you are actively dropping those heavy bricks and finding your path forward!

Remember, you too can Rise, Inspire, and Overcome. God bless!

How do you navigate growing up on what you call the "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and transform that pain into a seven-figure success story?

In this episode of Eagle Freedom Presents, we sit down with Alan Lazaros, CEO, Founder, and Co-Host of Next Level University. Alan understands firsthand how life’s heaviest blows can either break us or build us. After losing his father at just two years old, navigating profound family abandonment at fourteen, and surviving a near-fatal head-on collision at twenty-six, Alan was forced to question his entire trajectory.

Today, he leads a global team and a Top 100 podcast dedicated to helping individuals reach their full potential in health, wealth, and love.

In this powerful conversation, we cover:

• The critical difference between having self-belief (knowing you can build the castle) and self-worth (believing you deserve to live in it).
• The four internal archetypes—the Victim, the Villain, the Hero, and the Guide—and how to stop being a martyr so you can become a true guide for others.
• The "Triad of Transformation," and why genuine change requires humility, courage, and vulnerability.
• Why fulfillment isn't a finish line, but a continuous byproduct of "striving, never arriving".
• 
  

Special Note: Be sure to check out our previous episode featuring Amy Lenius, who started as Alan's client and now works directly on his leadership team, to hear firsthand what it is like to work with him.

Support the Show ☕

If this episode impacts you, you can support the RIO movement by buying me a cup of coffee through my Ko-fi tip jar! Your support keeps these conversations going, elevates the production, and helps others find the courage to step into their next chapter.

👉 Ko-Fi

What area of your life are you ready to level up in? Let us know in the comments, and until next time, remember that you too can rise, inspire, and overcome

Have you ever stopped to wonder what a surgeon goes through after delivering the worst possible news to a family?

On this episode of Eagle Freedom Presents, we sit down with Dr. Daniel Eiferman, an academic physician and surgeon who understands firsthand the immense pressure of the operating room. Driven toward a medical career at just 11 years old in pursuit of unshakeable job security following his parents' difficult divorce, Daniel built a highly successful life in healthcare. However, a devastating surgical complication in 2016 changed everything. That traumatic experience sparked a deep journey of soul-searching, ultimately inspiring him to write a book on how to bounce back when things go horribly wrong.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Unconventional Path: How a chaotic childhood and a desire for stability shaped Daniel's definition of success.

• The Aftermath of a Mistake: Finding meaning in suffering and recovering from a career-altering complication.

• Connection Over Perfection: Why setting honest expectations and offering genuine support is more valuable to patients than acting like an all-knowing savior.

• Carrying the Weight: The parallels between the operating room and law enforcement, and why it is impossible to simply "leave work at work" when lives are on the line.

Resources:

Dr, Daniel Eiferman's website IntegritySurgery.org

Get a copy of Dr. Eiferman's book "Cut Open A Surgeon's Stories of Loss, Resilience and Growth"

If today's conversation brought a little bit of light into a dark room, please share this episode with someone who might need to hear it. You can help support the show and keep these meaningful conversations going by dropping a contribution into our Ko-fi tip jar. The link is right down in the episode show notes.

Remember that you too can rise, inspire, and overcome. God bless.

Ready to take your freedom journey to the next level?

Connect with us beyond the podcast. Follow us on social media to get the latest updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube all at @eaglefreedompresents.

Want to reach out directly? Send us an email at [email protected].

And for exclusive resources, episode show notes, and to join our community, head over to our website.

Remember our mantra: Rise, Inspire & Overcome, and become a part of the #RIOmovement!

We can't wait to hear from you and continue this journey together!

What happens when the very profession you are dedicating your life to dismisses your deepest pain?

Welcome back to Eagle Freedom Presents. Today, we are joined by Anne Alex, a doctor, author, and model dialing in all the way from Germany to share a remarkable story of resilience. While in medical school, Anne began experiencing severe back pain that her own doctors wrote off as standard student stress. She pushed for answers and eventually uncovered a life-threatening spinal bone tumor that required three grueling back surgeries in a single year—including a highly traumatic awake biopsy procedure.

Faced with a prognosis that she would be dependent on antidepressants and muscle relaxers for the rest of her life, Anne refused to accept that as her final chapter. She shattered her own victim mentality, looked outside the traditional medical box to holistic healing, and completely reclaimed her health. By rewiring her mindset, she conquered a lifelong battle with body image issues and stepped into her childhood dream of becoming a model.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Navigating childhood bullying and overcoming an eating disorder.
• The psychological toll of having your severe physical pain dismissed by medical professionals.
• How to break out of a victim mentality and stop wallowing in self-pity.
• The science of neuroplasticity and how to rewire your brain to overcome negative thoughts.
• Practical tools from Anne's book, New Path, to help you shift your reality today.

Anne is the living embodiment of the #RIOmovement, proving that your physical diagnosis does not dictate your limits.

Support the Show: If Anne’s story sparked a light in a dark room for you today, please share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. To help us continue sharing stories of incredible resilience, consider dropping a tip in our jar at ko-fi.com/eaglefreedom.

Connect with Anne:

• Website & Book (New Path): anne-m-alex.com

Keep pushing forward, and always remember: Rise, Inspire, and Overcome.

How do you find the unimaginable strength to survive when the odds are entirely against you?

On this episode of Eagle Freedom Presents, we sit down with Merry Korn to discuss her incredible journey from career devastation to massive entrepreneurial success.

Merry’s resilience is deeply rooted in her family history; she is the child of two Holocaust survivors. Her mother displayed extraordinary bravery by jumping from a moving train headed for a death camp at just 13 years old, eventually immigrating to America as a single mother with only $120 to her name. Decades later, Merry tapped into that exact same generational grit.

Fired at 46 years old and facing the terrifying reality of raising two teenage daughters alone, Merry refused to let fear dictate her future. Inspired by her mother's survival and the message of the movie Schindler’s List, she launched a for-profit social enterprise.

In this episode, we explore:

• Merry's harrowing family history and how her mother survived the Holocaust. Her mother miraculously escaped a death march by hiding in a barn and was ultimately spared by a farmer after his wife intervened.

• The profound career disruption Merry faced when she was fired and the divine intuition that led her to passionately pursue medical associations.

• How Merry took a massive leap of faith to build an organization that successfully employed over 1,300 people across 30 states.

• The company's core mission to actively prioritize hiring individuals with the greatest barriers to work. These individuals included disabled veterans, military spouses, and people living in deeply impoverished areas.

• The three core pillars highlighted in Merry's new book, Fired to Inspired. These actionable pillars focus on overcoming fear, finding your specific life purpose, and utilizing the power of informational interviews.

Merry's story is a profound testament to the absolute power of resilience and the lasting impact of providing meaningful work to those who need it most.

Guest Links & Resources:

• Visit Merry's website to pre-order her book and download three free workbooks: firedtoinspire.com.

• Connect directly with Merry on LinkedIn: Merry Korn.

• To fully grasp the deep inspiration behind Merry's 1,300-employee enterprise, we highly encourage listeners to watch the movie Schindler's List.

Support the RIO movement—Rise, Inspire, and Overcome—by buying us a cup of coffee through our Ko-Fi link. Remember, you too can rise, inspire, and overcome. God bless.

Ready to take your freedom journey to the next level?

Connect with us beyond the podcast. Follow us on social media to get the latest updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube all at @eaglefreedompresents.

Want to reach out directly? Send us an email at [email protected].

And for exclusive resources, episode show notes, and to join our community, head over to our website.

Remember our mantra: Rise, Inspire & Overcome, and become a part of the #RIOmovement!

We can't wait to hear from you and continue this journey together!

[Content Warning]

Please be advised that this episode contains raw discussions regarding childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, and suicide. While our ultimate focus is on resilience and healing, the material is heavy. Please listen with care and prioritize your well-being.

Episode Overview:

Have you ever felt like you are living two completely different lives—one smiling for the outside world, and another silently trying to survive a battle on the inside?

Welcome back to Eagle Freedom Presents. Today, we are joined by Anu Verma, a Trauma Specialist, Embodiment Coach, author, and the founder of Victim 2 Victor. Anu brings over two decades of professional experience to her work, but it is her profound lived experience that anchors this powerful conversation.

Anu’s trauma began at the age of three, and she was manipulated into keeping the abuse a secret out of fear for her parents' safety. This intense early suppression laid a foundation for a life of attracting controllers and manipulators, eventually trapping her in a highly toxic and abusive relationship. However, Anu refused to let the darkness write her final chapter. Following a pivotal courtroom victory against her abuser, she experienced her first true taste of power and control, sparking a decade-long journey into personal development and healing.

Today, she does not glamorize the recovery process. Instead, Anu shares the messy reality of healing to help others break free from people-pleasing, rebuild their self-worth, and find true, authentic fulfillment.

In this episode, we explore:

• The long-term impact of childhood trauma and the heavy weight of forced silence.
• How unhealed emotional pain gets physically stored in the body and contributes to chronic illness.
• The critical turning point that empowered Anu to reclaim her life and start her healing journey.
• Why trauma often turns people into chronic people-pleasers out of a fear of abandonment.
• The importance of shedding societal pressures about status to discover true fulfillment from within.
• 
  

Connect with Anu Verma:

• Website: victim2victor.net
• Book: https://victim2victor.net/victim-2-victor-trauma-therapy-book/
• 
  

Mental Health & Crisis Resources:

If this conversation brought up heavy emotions, please know you do not have to navigate them alone.

• US Listeners: Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 800-799-7233 for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
• UK Listeners: Call 116 123 for Samaritans (24/7 Support), or 0808 2000 247 for the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.
• 
  

Join the #RIOmovement 🦅

Healing is a messy journey, but you don't have to walk it alone. We are building a community dedicated to turning pain into purpose and helping each other Rise, Inspire, and Overcome. If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe to the podcast on your favorite audio platform and share this episode with someone who might need to hear it.

Support the #RIOmovement:

Did you know you can buy me a cup of coffee and by doing so you're supporting our #RIOmovement? It's easy to do! Just click on this Ko-fi link. You will directly fuel the continued production of Eagle Freedom Presents.

Connect with us beyond the podcast. Follow us on social media to get the latest updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube all at @eaglefreedompresents.

Want to reach out directly? Send us an email at [email protected].

And for exclusive resources, episode show notes, and to join our community, head over to our website.

Remember our mantra: Rise, Inspire & Overcome, and become a part of the #RIOmovement!

We can't wait to hear from you and continue this journey together!

Today, we are putting the core mission of Eagle Freedom Presents—Rise, Inspire, and Overcome—into action. We sit down with Bryan Blackmon, a viral TikTok influencer, founder of the Crab Crew, and architect of the C.R.A.B. Framework, who has survived rock bottom and is now over 900 days sober.

Bryan’s story is a raw and honest look at addiction and resilience. Despite growing up in Texas in a loving, musically inclined family, an internal struggle with feeling uncomfortable in his own skin began early. After hearing his father call his dream of playing music a "pipe dream," Bryan set out to prove him wrong, ultimately adopting a "sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll" lifestyle.

Starting with his first beer at age 13, his life spiraled into heavy drug use, overdoses, and prison. But prison was just a timeout. It wasn't until he moved to California at age 42, pursuing an audio and video production degree, that he truly hit rock bottom—sleeping in an 8-man tent in Venice and later living in his car.

Everything changed when he met Elaine, an 85-year-old woman in Huntington Beach who gave him a place to stay. Experiencing a moment of profound clarity while looking in the mirror and hearing the words, "you are worth it," Bryan locked himself in his room for 30 days to endure severe withdrawals and reclaim his life. His journey led to viral TikTok fame, daily beach livestreams, and the birth of the Crab Crew—a global community dedicated to breaking the toxic cycle of pulling each other down.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The Origin of the Spiral: How early feelings of internal discomfort and a father's discouraging words sparked decades of addiction.
• The Venice Streets to Huntington Beach: The reality of homelessness in California and the chance encounter with Elaine that provided a safe haven.
• 30 Days in the Dark: What it took to endure brutal physical withdrawals alone and come clean to a supportive landlord.
• The Birth of the Crab Crew: How a dancing crab gift on TikTok sparked a deep dive into the "Crab Mentality" and inspired a worldwide movement.
• The C.R.A.B. Framework Breakdown:
• C - Clean: Clearing the mind, body, and spirit.
• R - Resilient: Developing the strength to withstand life’s hardest hits.
• A - Adaptable: Learning to adjust to new situations.
• B - Belief: The foundational bedrock of believing you are worth more.
• True Freedom: Why internal peace and daily gratitude are the ultimate tools for overcoming life's darkest storms.

Need Help Right Now? You Are Worth It.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or a mental health crisis, you do not have to do this alone. Free, confidential help is available 24/7.

• SAMHSA National Helpline: Call 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988

Connect with Bryan Blackmon:

• Website: CrabCrewLife.com
• Discord: Crabcrew Discord

Join the RIO Movement We are building a movement founded on the mantra of Rise, Inspire and Overcome. We are only able to grow this movement with your support. Please be sure to like, share, subscribe and comment on our podcasts.

If you want to support the show, there are a few ways you can help us grow:

• Support us on Ko-Fi: Drop a one-time tip in our tip jar at ko-fi.com/eaglefreedom

Remember: you too can Rise, Inspire and Overcome. God Bless.

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to go from a good life to a great one? In this episode of Eagle Freedom Presents, we are joined by Amy Lenius, a personal development and success coach, powerful speaker, and the director of group coaching at Next Level University.

Amy shares her incredible journey of battling endometriosis for over a decade. After years of following the traditional medical system's advice, she made the empowering choice to stop her routine interventions and take control of her own health. She explains why true wellness requires a holistic approach, which means detoxifying both your internal body and your external environment by removing endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

Beyond physical health, Amy discusses her professional transition from being a massage therapist to becoming an "intrapreneur." Instead of building a solo business from scratch, she aligned herself with the founders of Next Level University to make a larger impact while honoring her personal core value of freedom. Amy breaks down the vital difference between self-belief and self-worth, reminding us that lasting success is ultimately built on "unsexy fundamentals compounded over time."

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why leaving a "good" situation to pursue a "great" one goes against our biological wiring for the path of least resistance.

• The crucial difference between self-belief (your capability to figure things out) and self-worth (your internal feeling of deserving success).

• How to step out of your comfort zone and into the growth zone without plunging straight into the anxiety zone.

• Why rebuilding your life and identity requires a hard but necessary deconstruction phase.

• The immense value of sustainable action and why "zero to ten" goal-setting often leads to failure.

• What it means to be an "intrapreneur" versus an entrepreneur, and why building your own company from scratch isn't meant for everyone.

• Amy’s personal definition of freedom: having the abundant choice to say yes to what you want and no to what you don't.

Ready to take your freedom journey to the next level?

Connect with us beyond the podcast. Follow us on social media to get the latest updates, behind-the-scenes content, and more. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube all at @eaglefreedompresents.

Want to reach out directly? Send us an email at [email protected].

And for exclusive resources, episode show notes, and to join our community, head over to our website.

Remember our mantra: Rise, Inspire & Overcome, and become a part of the #RIOmovement!

We can't wait to hear from you and continue this journey together!