In this inspiring conversation, author and corporate coach Debra Boblitt shares how she transformed a career in teaching into decades of leadership success in the corporate world before launching her own consulting business. She opens up about the leap from a steady paycheck to zero income, the moment a mentor called her out for “not being herself,” and the humbling leadership lesson that came from asking her own team what she should stop, start, and continue doing.

Key Highlights:

• How Debra went from unhappy teacher to top-100 State Farm agent in the nation with no prior insurance experience.

• The pivotal California assignment that forced her to adapt her leadership style to truly connect with her team.

• Why integrity and joy are her north stars in business—and the filter she uses to decide who she will (and won’t) work with.

Quote:

“You have to adjust your leadership style based on the needs of your team—without losing who you are.” – Debra Boblitt

About the Guest:
Debra Boblitt is the author of Bold Mission: Courageously Pursue Your Calling, a sought-after speaker, and a mentor to leaders nationwide. She helps individuals and organizations align passion, skills, and values to create lasting success.

Tony P. Henderson is a man without equal. I have never met someone so easygoing, confident in himself, and yet unabashadley introverted balancing the need for human connection with his love of being alone. He is one of the few people that I hit it off with immediately when we met. Sometimes in life when you focus on your goals you meet someone with similar goals and together you become more powerful. With Tony P. I can tell you he is proof that (as Dr. Wayne Dyer says) if we say yes to our dreams the right people will be in the right place at the right time. I am always motivated by his work ethic, his self-confidence, and his sense of humor.

In this segment of the conversational journey, we talk about a work-life balance that is very much an important part of how we create. Then we roll through topics like how the company hates misery, why Tony P. loves doing panels, and hidden freak outs. Also, the storied path winds through being comfortable in your own skin, working outside our comfort zones, and the very important lesson of FOMO kills and rest is needed. It is a conversation I could have been in for hours without missing a beat. I loved this experience!

And speaking of loving the experience season one has now come to an end. This is the finale of the first season and I have loved every step of the journey. I have already begun work on season 2 and have mini-episodes of "Behind the stories" and "Telling the Stories" planned to keep me moving forward. I really hope this has touched your life in some fashion and that you have enjoyed being on this first leg of the journey. More is coming and thank you so much for being a part of Finding the Stories.

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Ary By: Emily Swan

What can I say about Brian D Bradley that can show my love for him? This man never fails to impress me. You can look up his IMDB for his impressive writing, directing, acting, and producing credits fo sho. But that’s not why I want to talk to him. If you were to meet Brian in real life you would be struck by his warmth, humor, and humility. I met him through his awesome wife (and top-notch human being) Audrey Kearns at Dragon Con and that story gets told in this episode.

We run through the gamut of growing up in big family’s, fishing, views on the institution of marriage, and how he views human beings. What I learned from Brian is how we all learn from our families, we truly create from what we know, and I get some insight on how to parent my middle kids better. We get into how as human beings we are never just one thing. How we have to find a balance between working the grind and chasing the dream. So much beautiful happened here in this conversation and I can’t wait to talk with him again.

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Ary By: Emily Swan

Tyra makes everything better! She is such an embodiment of "it's ok" I have difficulty putting it into words. She never hesitates (if you ask) to point out how you can do what you do better, and her belief in you makes you know you can change the world. As we journey through this story Tyra and I talk about the importance of finding your tribe, the importance of being authentic, and how we should follow our hearts and not our heads. And that's something I have worked on through the years - erasing the false teaching that thought and what seems right on paper is better than what my instincts tell me is better. Tyra is a part of that journey.

Through this storytelling, you will hear some stories of abuse and bad situations. The importance is what we learned from them and never being a victim. You also need to know that some people do the best they can from where they are in life. Once we realize that about ourselves (becoming self-aware) we can then realize that about the people in our lives. Words mean things if we let them and focusing on what you love will change you, the power of your words, and your path forever. If you don't feel that coming off of Tyra then listen again and again.

It was a great conversation and as is a theme with this series, there are always so many more stories to be told. I loved hanging out with Tyra and I am sure you will also.

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Ary By: Emily Swan

There once was a man from Coverville who was widely known as the nicest guy in podcasting. But seriously Brian is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. We have walked through casinos in Vegas with random strangers recognizing him. He always gives a moment of his time to everyone who asks and I find that admirable. As I get to know him better I find out he was originally a wedding DJ, then we take a walk down memory lane reminiscing about the old tech we used to play with. Before we get done he tells me stories of friendly rivalries and we discussed how one can stay grounded as we grow in the public eye.

I had such a great conversation really diving into only taking on the jobs that empower your passion projects. On that note, we talk about taking on projects that were not right for us vs the ones that we were made for. Karma is a thing and what you put out you get back. Brian seems to always want to encourage people, recognize there value, and in general make the world a better place. I am still working on this every day taking one step at a time away from anger and more into loving what is and what can be. Bringin the work/project/life balance more into focus has brought my path to greatness into focus as well. We leave the conversation giving the advice that the best skill to learn is recognizing when the time is right to fill in the blanks. 

It was a great conversation and as is a theme with this series, there are always so many more stories to be told. I always love hanging out with Brian and I am sure you will also.

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Ary By: Emily Swan

I have a lot of love for Phil Keating. There is so much to discover and the conversations are some of the best I have ever had. In this convo, we get warmed up with our love of and history with music. Through the journey, we talk about growing up, religion, and parenting amongst other things. What I discovered is that we both believe that in order to get along in this life we need to have an open mind, we both believe in personal responsibility, and as always I was left wanting so much more. 

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Ary By: Emily Swan

On this step of the journey, I talk with Jay Agbaje. Sometimes the universe just puts people in your path and you don't know why. Jay is one of those people. I met him at Atlanta Comic-Con and it was your standard creator connection. Only by giving it time have I seen more of why Jay is on my radar.

Jay was born and raised in Nigeria and immigrated to America many years ago. The stories highlight his innate ability to talk his way into where he needs to be, his love of creating, and how we all are learning new things all of the time. Our conversation wanders all over the map from parenting to being a creator. Some of my takeaways from this adventure is that we don't always realize that we are creating something larger, following our instincts will put us where we need to be, the hustle can be detrimental sometimes, and once you find your focus you will be happy. 

Every conversation is as unique as the people in it. We are always co-creating when we interact it others. It was a great experience and as is a theme with this series, there are always so many more stories to be told. I loved hanging out with Nuru the Nerd Guru and I am sure you will also!

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Ary By: Emily Swan

Gary V. early on gave the advice "What would you talk about at three in the morning no matter what? That's your passion." That may not be the direct quote but it stuck with me. My greatest passion is connecting with people through their experiences - finding their stories. That is where we find the greatness of humanity and really start to see how we are similar. I chose to reach out to a man who I find fascinating and wanted to know more about.

Bill Fairchild is arguably a successful media creator. I said arguably because as in most good creators he sees so much more that could be done. In this story, you will hear Bill's heart for creating come through. But more than that you will discover his heart for helping people. Bill shares his fears, mistakes, and the lessons he learned from both. Together we tackle different perspectives on planning, motivation, vision, and somehow I even compare Bill to Nickleback.

It was a great conversation and as is a theme with this series, there are always so many more stories to be told. I loved hanging out with Bill and I am sure you will also.

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@RunJumpStomp

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Charles is launching a new podcast called Finding the Stories. Check out this trailer and listen as episode one drops Labor day Monday. Subscribe at anchor.fm/findingthestories

I love sitting down and hearing about what makes you tick, discovering what makes you happy. What is so awesome and special about who you are that makes us different and yet unifies us at the same time. This is my journey talking to some of my favorite people to find out what makes them excited, what they love, what they do, but more importantly who they are. I am always searching for the stories that are rarely told so this is a show about adventure, experiences, growth, and what we can all learn from these stories.

A full promo is coming soon!