JDS podcast

In this deeply personal episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Jonathan Brandt — wellness advocate, certified health coach, nutrition practitioner, personal trainer, and host of the GoOutLiving Podcast.

Jonathan’s story is one of resilience, transformation, and purpose born through adversity. After both he and his wife were diagnosed with cancer within a short period of time, they committed to a shared philosophy: Go Out Living.

When conventional approaches didn’t fully address the lingering effects of treatment, Jonathan took a different path — educating himself in holistic nutrition, wellness, and fitness to rebuild his health from the inside out.

This conversation explores healing, grief, personal responsibility in health, alternative wellness approaches, and how pain can become purpose when shared with others.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Life after a cancer diagnosis

* Navigating treatment side effects and chronic health challenges

* The gap between conventional medicine and holistic healing

* Weight gain, gut health, and recovery journeys

* Building health education from lived experience

* Turning personal struggle into a mission

* The meaning behind “GoOutLiving”

* Grief, loss, and carrying forward a loved one’s legacy

* Community support in healing

* Why education is a powerful tool for recovery

This is a powerful conversation about survival, transformation, and choosing to live with intention even in the face of life-altering challenges.

In this insightful and empowering episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Jenny C. Cohen — board-certified Integrative Neurosomatic Practitioner, creator of the TRUST™ Method, bestselling author, speaker, and host of the globally ranked Dance to Heal podcast.

Jenny helps high-achieving women stop overriding themselves and reconnect with the wisdom already within them. Through her unique blend of neuroscience, embodiment, psychology, movement, and identity transformation, she teaches women how to build genuine self-trust and make aligned decisions without sacrificing themselves in the process.

Many successful women appear confident and accomplished on the outside while internally feeling disconnected, uncertain, exhausted, or trapped by expectations they’ve spent years adapting to.

In this conversation, Jenny explores why so many women confuse adaptation with identity, how people lose connection with themselves, and what it takes to return to authenticity, congruence, and embodied leadership.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Self-trust and embodied leadership

* Identity beyond performance and achievement

* Why high-achievers override themselves

* Adaptation versus authenticity

* Neuroscience and human behavior

* Emotional intelligence and decision-making

* Movement, healing, and embodiment

* Navigating life transitions with confidence

* Reconnecting with intuition and inner knowing

* Leading without abandoning yourself

This is a powerful conversation about self-awareness, identity, resilience, authenticity, and learning how to trust yourself again.

In this inspiring episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Anouk Brumfield — former Executive Vice President and Senior Partner at IBM, international bestselling author, speaker, mentor, and transformational coach.

After spending more than 30 years leading global teams, billion-dollar portfolios, and large-scale innovation initiatives, Anouk made a bold decision to leave corporate America and step into an entirely new chapter centered around purpose, impact, and personal transformation.

Drawing from her journey from humble beginnings to executive leadership, Anouk shares powerful lessons on resilience, reinvention, leadership, mindset, and the courage it takes to pursue a life aligned with who you truly are.

This conversation explores leadership, personal growth, navigating transitions, self-belief, purpose, success, and what it really means to say “yes” to yourself.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Reinvention after success

* Leadership lessons from IBM

* Navigating major life transitions

* Building confidence and self-trust

* The power of saying yes

* Mindset and personal growth

* Purpose-driven leadership

* Overcoming fear and self-doubt

* Success beyond titles and achievements

* Creating your next chapter intentionally

This is a powerful conversation for entrepreneurs, executives, professionals, and anyone standing at a crossroads wondering what comes next.

🔗 Learn more about Anouk Brumfield:

www.anouk-mc.com

In this insightful episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Dara Erck, founder of SAM+LEO, global health strategist, and passionate advocate for teen mental health.

Drawing from over two decades of experience in global health and her personal journey as a single mother raising two teenage boys, Dara shares practical insights into the challenges today’s teens face—from anxiety and screen fatigue to energy drink culture and post-pandemic mental health struggles.

This conversation explores parenting, adolescent wellness, mental health awareness, community support, and how small intentional changes can create healthier outcomes for teens and families alike.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Teen mental health in the post-COVID world

• Parenting through anxiety and emotional challenges

• Screen fatigue and digital wellness

• Energy drinks and teen health concerns

• Building supportive communities for parents

• Global health lessons that apply at home

• Raising resilient teenagers

• Prevention versus intervention

• Small habits that create lasting change

• Supporting teens without overwhelming them

This is a practical and hopeful conversation for parents, educators, caregivers, and anyone invested in helping the next generation thrive.

In this episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Dr. Dipesh Sitaram, dental surgeon, entrepreneur, and founder of Responsible Real Estate and Acuere Capital.

While many people are taught to rely solely on traditional investing, Dipesh discovered another path. By stepping beyond Wall Street and into private investments, he built a multi-million-dollar portfolio focused on long-term wealth creation, passive income, and financial freedom.

In this conversation, Dipesh shares how physicians, professionals, and everyday investors can think differently about money, evaluate opportunities, and build wealth designed to last for generations.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Private investing vs. traditional investing

* Building wealth beyond a paycheck

* Commercial real estate opportunities

* Passive income strategies

* Risk management and asset protection

* Financial freedom for professionals

* Generational wealth creation

* Evaluating investment deals

* Common investing mistakes

* Thinking like an investor

In this insightful episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Tetiana Kobzar, behavioral design expert, product strategist, and creator of the Comportance Framework.

With over 18 years of experience building products across healthcare, wellness, and education, Tetiana has helped startups, hospital innovation teams, and organizations create solutions that people don’t just download—but actually use.

This conversation explores behavioral science, gamification, product design, user engagement, habit formation, human-centered innovation, and why so many products fail to create lasting behavior change.

Tetiana shares practical insights from her Comportance Framework, a 7-step methodology that combines strategic thinking, goal setting, and behavioral science to help teams build products that truly serve people.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Behavioral design and human behavior

• Why people abandon products

• The psychology behind engagement

• Gamification beyond points and badges

• Human-centered innovation

• Building habits through design

• Healthcare and wellness technology

• Product strategy and user experience

• The Comportance Framework

• Creating products people actually want to use

This is a fascinating conversation for founders, product leaders, designers, innovators, and anyone interested in understanding what truly drives human behavior.

In this insightful episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Marie Torossian — CPA, business strategist, speaker, coach, auditor, and founder of The Profit Lab.

Marie has spent years helping business owners understand their numbers, build stronger systems, increase profitability, and create businesses that are valuable, scalable, and sustainable.

As the creator of the VALUEATION-MT® methodology and one of only 30 certified 10X Elite Coaches in the world, Marie combines financial expertise with practical business strategy to help entrepreneurs grow with confidence.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Financial clarity and business growth

* Increasing business value

* Building systems for scalability

* Leadership and accountability

* Business strategy and profitability

* Common financial mistakes entrepreneurs make

* Creating sustainable growth

* Understanding business valuation

* Decision-making through data

* Building a business that lasts

Whether you’re a startup founder, entrepreneur, or business owner looking to scale, this conversation is packed with practical insights to help you grow smarter.

In this episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Bonnie Johnston Butler, certified life coach, speaker, and founder of Bonnie Butler Coaching.

As a mother of ten, former foster parent to 17 children, and coach specializing in emotional regulation and thought management, Bonnie has spent years helping parents, caregivers, and professionals navigate overwhelm with greater clarity, confidence, and resilience.

Rather than simply teaching people to “stay positive,” Bonnie shares practical tools for managing emotions, shifting unhelpful thought patterns, improving relationships, and leading yourself well—even in life’s most challenging moments.

In this episode, we discuss:

* Emotional regulation

* Thought management

* Overcoming overwhelm

* Self-leadership

* Parenting through difficult situations

* Foster and adoptive family dynamics

* Managing expectations

* Building resilience

* Breaking self-sabotage

* Creating calm during chaos

In this episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with Richard Wilmore—award-winning talk show host, podcast producer, media strategist, and founder of Make Your Day Richer LLC.

With over a decade behind the microphone, Richard has hosted and produced thousands of interviews, helping experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders amplify their message through podcasts and digital media.

Together, they explore what makes a great conversation, why storytelling is still one of the most powerful business tools, and how anyone can build meaningful visibility without chasing social media trends.

In this episode, we discuss:

* The art of interviewing

* Building authentic conversations

* Podcast guesting strategies

* Storytelling that connects

* Personal branding

* Visibility for entrepreneurs

* Media confidence

* Creating engaging content

* Building relationships through podcasting

* Being heard, seen, and remembered

Whether you’re a podcast host, entrepreneur, speaker, or someone looking to grow your influence, this conversation is packed with practical insights on using your story to create lasting impact.

In this episode of the JDS Podcast, host Joshua Agbontaen sits down with writer, trauma educator, and author Lisa Lacy for an honest conversation about trauma, addiction, identity, recovery, and the hidden cost of performing strength.

After decades in corporate leadership, healthcare consulting, and education, Lisa’s life was transformed through addiction recovery, psychiatric hospitalization, serious illness, and the decision to stop performing wellness and start telling the truth. Her upcoming memoir, Notes From a Certified Madwoman, explores what happens when survival strategies become identities—and how healing begins when we stop hiding.

Together, Joshua and Lisa discuss why so many high-achieving people silently struggle, how trauma shapes leadership and relationships, and what it means to rebuild your identity after adversity.

In this episode, we discuss:

* High-functioning survival

* Trauma and identity

* Addiction and recovery

* Nervous system regulation

* Identity masking

* Emotional resilience

* Leadership after adversity

* Reinvention and healing

* Performance vs authenticity

* The power of storytelling

This conversation is raw, insightful, and deeply human—offering hope to anyone who’s ever felt successful on the outside while struggling internally.