It’s a brand new year, and I’m branching out with more interviews—so for the first guest of 2026, I brought in somebody who’s going to stretch your thinking in real time.

In this episode of Concepts and Conversations, I sit down with Dr. Ron Stotts, a Doctor of Psychology and a Doctor of Chiropractic—a true “doctor doctor.” But what stood out most wasn’t the titles. It was the way he breaks down how people get stuck in patterns they don’t even realize are running their lives.

We talk about consciousness—not as a trendy word, but as a practical skill: becoming more aware of what you’re thinking, feeling, and reacting from… and how that awareness shapes everything from your success to your relationships.

Then the conversation goes deep.

Dr. Ron introduces a concept that stopped me in my tracks: “B-minus love.” He explains how many couples settle into relationship dynamics that are functional, but not fully connected—where love is capped because both people are operating from unhealed parts of themselves. That leads us into the rescuer/victim/persecutor cycle, and I share personal examples of how that dynamic showed up in my own past, including a moment that made it clear: sometimes it’s not that you were “too much”… it’s that you were trying to earn love from someone who only offered it conditionally.

We also talk about:

• Why many “relationship problems” are really inner programming problems

• How unhealed anger shows up as overreactions (level 5 situation, level 9 response)

• Why people look for external solutions—until life forces an inner one

• How faith and spirituality can either empower growth or become a way to avoid the real work

• The truth about confidence: it’s not performance—it’s presence

• Where someone should start if they truly want to transform their life

Dr. Ron’s message is simple, but it’s not light:
If you want a better relationship, you don’t just need better strategies—you need a more conscious inner architect.

This episode will challenge you, but it will also give you language for things you’ve felt but couldn’t explain. And if you’re engaged, dating seriously, rebuilding after heartbreak, or trying to lead yourself better in 2026—this one is for you.

To learn more about Dr. Ron Stotts and access his resources, visit ronstotts.com.

• “You don’t need a better strategy. You need a more conscious inner architect.”

• “You’ll never have more than a B-minus level of love if you don’t heal the inner child.”

• “Whatever you don’t heal as an adult, you pass along to your children.”

• “A regulated nervous system is a competitive advantage—and a human one.”

• “Anger is fine… it’s the emotional backlog that makes it unsafe.”