Grow Yourself: Personal Development School of Growth

What if the clutter around you isn’t just about being disorganized?

In this episode of Grow Yourself, Kevin McNulty talks with Don Suttajit, author of Tidy Less, Live More and founder of the Live Freely Project, about the surprising connection between clutter, identity, and the life we’re trying to create.

Don discovered that many of the things filling his space represented different versions of himself—old interests, abandoned ambitions, past identities, and ideas about who he thought he was supposed to become. His space had become filled with “echoes of past identities” and aspirations that no longer reflected the life he was actually living.

This conversation goes far beyond cleaning closets and organizing garages. Kevin and Don explore:

• Why clutter keeps coming back
• The connection between physical clutter and mental clutter
• How our possessions can represent past versions of ourselves
• Why knowing who you are makes it easier to decide what belongs in your life
• The difference between simply organizing a space and designing it around the life you want to live
• Why the ultimate goal isn’t a perfectly organized home—it’s living more intentionally

At the center of Don’s approach are two deceptively simple questions:

• Who are you?
• What do you really want?

Because sometimes what’s happening around us may be telling us something about what’s happening within us.

Connect with Don Suttajit:

CONNECT WITH DON SUTTAJIT

🌐livefreely.co

📸 Instagram: @livefreelyproject

▶️ YouTube: @Live Freely Project

📘 Book: Tidy Less, Live More | https://a.co/d/0covezKd

CONNECT with Kevin:

🔗 linktr.ee/kevinmcnulty

🌐 Humadyn.com

Dr. Colby Jubenville on why you can't build version two of yourself until you build version one. MTSU professor, TEDx speaker, and author breaks down his talent development framework, why distraction is the real enemy, and how adversity becomes your greatest competitive advantage.

Kevin sits down with Dr. Colby Jubenville, professor at Middle Tennessee State University and director of the Center for Student Coaching and Success, for a conversation about timing, mentorship, and the work of building a life on purpose.

Colby introduces his talent development framework and the idea that before you can build version two of yourself, you have to build version one. He walks through the realization, result, activity model he uses with students, his five levels of people (reactors, strugglers, floaters, someday people, and doers), and why he believes distraction is something the brain is wired to protect itself with, not a personal failing.

The conversation moves through Colby's own story: a childhood vision condition doctors said would limit him, a defining moment negotiating his first real contract with entrepreneur Brian Shulman, and a college oral exam he nearly failed that unlocked the creativity he'd been sitting on for years. He and Kevin also dig into curiosity, personal branding, manifestation, and Colby's four rules of talent development, including his advice on turning adversity into a competitive advantage.

It's a conversation between two people who've spent years thinking about the same questions from different angles: identity, growth, and what it actually takes to become who you're capable of being.

Key Takeaways

• You have to build version one of yourself before you can build version two.
• Distraction is the brain protecting itself, not a character flaw.
• Realization, result, activity turns insight into action.
• Reactors, strugglers, floaters, and someday people stall.
• Doers take small daily steps.
• Self-reliance builds survival. Interdependence builds meaningful relationships.
• Personal branding is brand image plus brand identity.
• Adversity, used intentionally, becomes a competitive advantage.
• Curiosity about yourself, not passion, is where growth starts.

GUEST BIO:

Dr. Colby Jubenville is a professor at Middle Tennessee State University and director of the Center for Student Coaching and Success. A two time TEDx speaker, author, and coach, he has spent his career helping students, professionals, and organizations understand their unique value and build it into meaningful careers and lives through his talent development framework. He is co-author of Me: How to Sell Who You Are, What You Do, and Why You Matter to the World and Zebras and Cheetahs Look Different: Stay Agile to Survive the Business Jungle.

Connect with Colby

Website: drjubenville.com

Center for Student Coaching and Success: mtsu.edu/CBHS-success

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 615-498-6802

Connect with Kevin

https://linktr.ee/kevinmcnulty

She was the voice of Sally Brown in the classic Peanuts television specials. Behind the apparent glamour, however, was a childhood marked by addiction, abuse, instability, and trauma. She eventually faced addiction herself before beginning a recovery journey that has now lasted more than 40 years.In this raw, candid, and deeply hopeful conversation, Hilary explains what it means to stop leading with your wound—and why taking ownership of your life is not the same as accepting blame for what happened to you.After 40 years, she managed the first sober living house for women in the United States, and built a career helping others stop leading with their wounds. In this conversation, Hilary and Kevin talk about the difference between using your story for help versus using it for hope, why owning your past is the only way to change it, and how forgiveness works as a process rather than a moment.We explore:- How trauma can create people-pleasers, loners, and controllers- Why victimhood can quietly become part of our identity- The difference between acknowledging your wounds and allowing them to drive- Why forgiveness does not always require reconciliation- How Hilary developed empathy for the mother who traumatized her- The unexpected moment that changed how she viewed her childhood- How faith, service, and responsibility helped her move from pain to purpose- What Sally Brown may have revealed about Hilary all along- Her mantra...Thank You God, Thank You God, Thank You God.Hilary does not minimize what happened to her. She shows us how to stop allowing yesterday’s wounds to determine today’s life.Viewer advisory: This conversation contains candid discussion of addiction, childhood abuse, sexual trauma, and explicit language.00:00 Pain, love, and our relationship with suffering02:30 Meet Hilary Momberger Powers03:25 Who was little Hilary?06:55 How childhood trauma changes us09:00 Living from the outside in11:20 People-pleasers, loners, and controllers13:20 Taking ownership without accepting blame19:20 From child actor to addiction and survival25:00 Why victimhood becomes an identity28:25 The brother who helped save Hilary32:20 Finding joy on the other side of pain35:05 Can we learn to love our parents again?37:20 What it means to lead with your wound39:55 Forgiveness does not require confrontation42:20 Hilary’s difficult forgiveness exercise44:25 Seeing her own retaliation47:15 Understanding the mother who hurt her49:35 “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood”52:30 Healing from the inside out54:15 Changing the story when your parents are gone57:50 The surprising connection to Sally Brown59:20 Using your past—or repeating it63:25 One practice you can begin immediately64:50 Connect with Hilary66:00 Final thoughtsCONNECT WITH HILARYWebsite: hilarymombergerpowers.comLinkedIn: @hilary-momberger-powers-078a604Instagram: @hilarymombergerpowers/Learn more about Hilary’s coaching, speaking, books, and the No Longer Leading With Your Wound method through her website.CONNECT WITH KEVINhttps://linktr.ee/kevinmcnultyBook: The Gap Between Two Worlds#growyourself #personalgrowth #traumarecovery #healing #recoveryjourney #forgiveness #faith #HilaryMombergerPowers

He coached Michael Chang and Wes Welker, co-founded the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, and built one of the most decorated careers in sports science.

Then a hospital bed, a broken relationship with his father, and a mountain in Africa taught him what none of the trophies could. This is Dr. Jack Groppel's story of achievement addiction, faith, and fatherhood.

Dr. Jack Groppel has operated at the highest levels of human performance for four decades. Co-founder of the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, Hall of Fame tennis coach, author of The Corporate Athlete, and coach to legends like Michael Chang and Wes Welker, his professional resume reads like a highlight reel.

But in this conversation, Jack takes us underneath the resume. He talks about growing up under a demanding father, using achievement as a way to prove his worth, and building a career on that pattern for decades before it caught up with him.

He shares the hospitalization that forced him to confront who he actually was, the faith journey that followed, adopting his son from China at nearly 60 years old, and the moment on Mount Kilimanjaro when the two of them stood at the summit together.

This is a conversation about ambition, identity, fatherhood, and the difference between a life that looks successful and a life that feels well lived.

Key Takeaways

1. Achievement can become an addiction when it's used to prove worth rather than pursue purpose

2. Facing truth about yourself is its own form of conflict and often the harder one

3. Writing a personal mission statement gives you a filter for every decision that follows

4. Journaling by hand has research behind it for actually rewiring the brain around old stories

5. The question "what matters most right now" is a daily calibration tool, not a one-time exercise

6. Breaking a generational pattern requires naming it out loud before you can choose differently

Guest Bio

Dr. Jack Groppel is an internationally recognized authority in human performance and well-being. He is co-founder of the Johnson & Johnson Human Performance Institute, a former professor, and a trusted advisor to organizations ranging from Fortune 50 companies to global policy groups.

He is a Hall of Fame tennis coach and sports scientist, a fellow of both the American College of Sports Medicine and the American College of Nutrition, and has presented his work at the United Nations and before Congress.

He is the author of the landmark book The Corporate Athlete and the new memoir Mountains Within, an account of achievement, loss, fatherhood, and faith. He has coached Hall of Fame players including Michael Chang and Stan Smith, and worked with NFL veteran Wes Welker.

Connect with Jack

Website: jackgroppel.net

LinkedIn: @JackGroppel

Book: Mountains Within (available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover, audiobook narrated by Jack himself)

Connect with Kevin

https://linktr.ee/kevinmcnulty

Book: The Gap Between Two Worlds

#growyourself #JackGroppel #MountainsWithin #humanperformance #CorporateAthlete #personalgrowth #fatherhood #faith #resilience #leadership #tenniscoach #TheGapBetweenTwoWorlds

Most people spend years chasing success... only to discover it doesn't satisfy the deeper questions of life.

In this thought-provoking conversation, Kevin McNulty sits down with entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and author Larry Kesslin to explore a different path—one built on joy, purpose, service, and authentic human connection.

Larry shares the experiences that transformed his life—from leaving corporate America, to life-changing trips to Africa, to discovering what he calls The Joy Molecule.

Together they discuss:

- Why success often leaves people feeling empty

- The difference between happiness and joy

- Identity, purpose, and meaning

- Human connection in an AI-driven world

- Why serving others changes us more than them

- How our thoughts shape our lives

- What it means to truly "wake up"

Whether you're successful but still searching... or simply wondering what matters most, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on the idea of living with joy and living well.

Connect with Larry

Website: https://5-dots.com

LinkedIn: @larrykesslin

Email: [email protected]

Book: The Joy Molecule - https://a.co/d/0fGWebWu

Connect with Kevin

https://linktr.ee/kevinmcnulty

Watch on YT: https://youtu.be/YXID0iCYJjQ

The job search isn't broken because you're not trying hard enough. It's broken because nobody told you the rules changed. Eric Woodard spent 25 years inside the White House, State Department, and Smithsonian. Here's what he knows about trust, AI, and getting hired in 2026.Kevin sits down with Dr. Eric Woodard, ICF Master Certified Coach and founder of Win at Work, who spent over 25 years inside the White House, U.S. State Department, and the Smithsonian. Eric has coached job seekers in over 70 countries.Kevin and Eric dig into why the hiring system feels broken, how AI is already screening candidates before a human ever sees a resume, and why staying human is the real competitive edge in 2026. Eric breaks down the difference between professional and formal, why trust beats skill in every hiring decision, and how making an interview about the employer instead of yourself changes everything.If you're job hunting, recently laid off, or mentoring someone starting their career, this conversation gives you a new way to think about the whole process.Key Takeaways

• The hiring system isn't fair or logical. Since it's not, you don't have to play by rules that don't exist
• Trust, not skill, is the real reason anyone gets hired
• Hiding details (age, gaps, language) destroys trust faster than revealing them does
• AI is useful for fixing mechanics (grammar, tense) but soulless for anything relational
• Being human is the competitive edge in an increasingly automated hiring process
• Make the interview about them, not you. Curiosity beats credentials
• Early career is the time to run experiments and build real experience, not chase passion

Dr. Eric Woodard is an ICF Master Certified Coach and founder of Win at Work. He spent over 25 years inside the White House, U.S. State Department, and the Smithsonian, working directly for Hillary Clinton and later serving as Director of Fellowships and Internships at the Smithsonian. He has coached professionals and job seekers in over 70 countries and is the author of Your Last Day of School and The Ultimate Guide to Internships.Connect with EricWebsite: winatwork.ioConnect with Kevinhttps://linktr.ee/kevinmcnulty#CareerGrowth #JobSearch #AI #SoftSkills #ProfessionalDevelopment

Most personal development focuses on habits, discipline, and mindset.

But what if the real obstacle isn't what you do… it's how you see yourself?

In this conversation, award-winning photographer Gregory James Thelian explains why lasting transformation begins with self-perception. Drawing from over a decade of helping clients through a unique three-day portrait experience, Gregory shares how identity, neuroscience, and even art can reshape the way we think, feel, and live.

Topics include:

• Why self-help often falls short
• The neuroscience of identity change
• Self-perception and confidence
• Trauma, healing, and personal growth
• Why people need proof—not just encouragement

Key Takeaways

• Identity drives behavior.
• Self-perception shapes confidence.
• Encouragement alone rarely creates lasting change.
• Physical reminders reinforce new beliefs.
• Art can become a catalyst for healing.
• Growth happens when we stop believing outdated stories about ourselves.

He Flew a Real Jetpack, Broke His Neck, and Rebuilt His Life | Dan Schlund the Rocket Man.

Dan Schlund spent a decade flying a real rocket belt across six continents, becoming one of only eleven people in history to do it professionally. He also survived a training crash that burned 185 square inches of skin off his leg, and a Guinness World Record attempt that broke his neck and ended his career. Kevin talks with Dan about fear, identity, faith, and why his motto is "don't let your last experience be a bad one."

Kevin's childhood hero wasn't Superman. It was Rocketman, the real one, the guy who flew across stadiums on live jet propulsion. Decades later, Kevin found himself performing at the same Super Bowl halftime show as the original Rocketman, and now sits down with Dan Schlund, one of only eleven people ever to professionally fly a rocket belt.

Dan flew across six continents for a decade. Along the way, a training accident left him with severe burns and three skin graft surgeries. Years later, a Guinness World Record attempt ended in a crash that broke his neck and closed the door on his career. He lost his identity, struggled with painkiller dependency, and went through a divorce, all while trying to figure out who he was without the persona that had defined him.

This conversation moves through Dan's stunt career, his years as a paramedic, the physics and danger of rocket belt flight, and how he eventually rebuilt his life and his business from the ground up. He and Kevin talk about faith, managing fear with logic, and the central message of Dan's book, The Last Rocket Man: it's okay to pivot in your 40s and 50s, and you might not just survive it, you might thrive.

Key Takeaways

Dan is one of only eleven people to ever professionally fly a rocket belt, a technology that dates back to 1961

A training crash burned 185 square inches of skin off his leg and required three skin graft surgeries. He chose to fly again rather than live with the regret of quitting

His personal motto, "don't let your last experience be a bad one," came from his stunt background and shaped every comeback in his life

A Guinness World Record attempt ended his professional rocket belt career when a fuel malfunction caused a crash that broke his neck

He lost his identity, struggled with painkiller dependency, and divorced during the fallout, then rebuilt through his paramedic and medic-staffing business

His three-part framework before taking any risk: Am I trained? Is the equipment safe? Do I have a proper crew?

His book, The Last Rocket Man, centers on one idea: it's okay to pivot in your 40s and 50s, and that pivot can lead to thriving, not just surviving

Final advice: don't live your life with regrets, and remember that trying something and deciding it isn't for you is a decision, not a regret.

Guest Bio

Dan Schlund is one of only eleven people in history to professionally fly a rocket belt, performing across six continents over a decade-long career. Before that, he worked as a Hollywood stuntman, playing characters including Batman and Indiana Jones, and spent years as an EMT and paramedic in Los Angeles and Dallas.

After a Guinness World Record attempt ended his rocket belt career with a broken neck, Dan rebuilt his life, launching a medic-staffing business for film and television productions. He is the author of The Last Rocket Man and the subject of an upcoming documentary. Dan lives by the motto "don't let your last experience be a bad one."

Connect with Dan

Website: rocketman.tv

Book: The Last Rocket Man, available on Amazon and anywhere books are sold

Documentary: coming later this year or early next year

Connect with Kevin

https://linktr.ee/kevinmcnulty

#growyourself #DanSchlund #rocketman #reinvention #resilience #personaldevelopment #TheLastRocketMan #stuntperformer #paramedic #podcast #Faith #secondact #IdentityAfterLoss #doitafraid

For decades we were told there was one path:

• Go to school.
• Get a good job.
• Work hard.
• Stay loyal.
• Climb the ladder.

But today's workplace doesn't operate by those rules anymore.

In this most excellent conversation, career strategist Sam Alvita explains why so many capable people feel stuck...and how we can navigate today's changing world with more clarity, confidence, and purpose.

One of my favorite takeaways: Don't wait for opportunities. Create them.

If you've ever wondered whether there's a better way to think about your career, this episode is for you. Thanks Sam for being such a terrific and thoughtful guest.

Success doesn't always look the way we think it does.

From the outside, Jasper Calcara looked like he had it all—a thriving career, professional success, and the respect of those around him. But beneath that success were hidden cracks: pressure, anxiety, self-doubt, and emotional wounds that no one else could see.

As a structural engineer, Jasper knew that buildings don't suddenly collapse. First come the cracks. And if those cracks aren't identified and repaired, collapse isn't a possibility—it's only a matter of time.

After spending nearly 30 years building businesses and leading teams, the tragic loss of his business partner and the end of his marriage forced him to confront the very cracks he'd ignored for years.

In this powerful conversation, Jasper shares how he rebuilt his life from the inside out—and why the strongest foundation you'll ever build isn't beneath a building, but beneath your own life.

Whether you're leading a business, navigating a major life transition, or simply feeling the weight of trying to hold everything together, this episode offers practical wisdom for building a life that's not only successful—but resilient, authentic, and built to last.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why success can hide unresolved emotional struggles
• The "internal cracks" that quietly undermine high performers
• How personal collapse can become the beginning of lasting growth
• The engineering principles that apply directly to building a stronger life
• Jasper's practical framework: Be Good. Do Good. Evolve.

If this conversation encouraged you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who may need the reminder that true strength begins beneath the surface.

#PersonalGrowth #Leadership #SuccessMindset #Resilience
#GrowYourselfPodcast