Warning: This episode may not be your cup of tea if you’d rather not hear about nudity (or Oprah… or Jill Biden). Why? Because it starts with a wild and wacky story ripped straight from my morning. It might make you laugh, raise your eyebrows, and—hopefully—not judge me too harshly for failing to walk my own talk and say, “Could you please put your clothes on?”

Let’s face it: if our deeply ingrained patterns didn’t sometimes win out, there’d be no need for courage.

As I share in this episode, to be human is to be flawed, fallible, and to fail. But growth comes not from getting it right all the time—it comes from not missing the learning when we don’t.

In reflecting on my own recent lapse of courage, I’m reminded that some of our greatest treasures come from the times we trip up and fall short of showing up as the person we most want to be.

Read my blog on this experience at www.margiewarrell.com and drop a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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In this episode, I sit down with Alex Pease, a former Navy SEAL whose extraordinary story—both heart-wrenching and deeply inspiring —threads through The Courage Gap. Alex’s journey reveals the truest measure of courage: the willingness to embrace vulnerability and give ourselves grace.

We dive into the universal need to belong, the power of authentic leadership, and why forgiving our failures is essential—not just for healing the past, but for unlocking our future.

If you’ve ever resisted lowering your guard, struggled to make peace with your past, or wished for the courage you admire in others, this conversation is for you. Alex’s insights will challenge, inspire, and remind you that true strength—and the most meaningful connections—come from facing our fears and the parts of ourselves we might otherwise want to hide.

Compelling listening for anyone ready to step into a braver, more authentic life, this is one of my most inspiring conversations.

• Order The Courage Gap

In this episode, I unpack a key principle from The Courage Gap—one I learned early in life: “Growth and comfort can’t ride the same horse.” Because while staying in our comfort zones might feel safe, over time, it can slowly cause us to shrink on the vine of our own lives.

I share a few personal stories of my own dance with discomfort, including the time I risked looking like a borderline stalker as I refused to let my fear of feeling awkward keep me from taking the very actions that would open new doors and enable me to travel far… literally! 

We’ll explore why the “tyranny of a comfortable life” can keep us stuck, what Maslow observed about our deep need for growth, and how neuroscience shows that even the smallest brave actions can rewire our brains and strengthen our ‘courage muscles’ over time.

If there’s something you’ve been putting off or playing small around, I hope this episode gives you the nudge (or loving kick) you need to step into your ‘courage gap’ and make peace with discomfort! 

• Order The Courage Gap

In this episode, I speak to General Stanley McChrystal to explore the intersection of courage and character—two mutually reinforcing virtues being put to the test in today’s world. Building on his powerful Foreword for The Courage Gap and themes from his upcoming book On Character, we discuss how to find the courage to do the right thing, particularly when uncertainty is high and there’s a lot at stake. Together, we explore why anchoring to core principles is essential for staying true to ourselves and shaping a better world.

• Order The Courage Gap
• Write a review on GoodReads
• Stan’s new book On Character

Sweaty hands. Butterflies in the belly. A total sense of paralysis. Let’s face it—fear is deeply physical.

In this episode, I explore another key concept from The Courage Gap: how to reset your fear at the physiological level. Fear isn’t just in your mind—it embeds in your body. Understanding this unlocks a powerful pathway to cultivating courage and harnessing the full power of your physical presence.  

I share a personal experience from 2020 when COVID-19 tilted my world totally off its axis, triggering my fear and leaving me awash with anxiety. While very humbling, it reinforced the importance of learning how to reset our ‘defensive self’ at the ground level and respond more effectively when stressors pile up.  

Learn how to turn the psychology of fear into the physiology of courage, so you can bring your bravest self, to your biggest challenges and boldest goals.  

Get ready to breathe in courage, breathe out fear and play your bravest game.

• Order The Courage Gap
• Write a review on Amazon
• Write a review on GoodReads

All behavior is belief-driven. Finding the courage to take actions that would strengthen our relationships and improve our future requires examining the narrative we’re living in—including the stories we tell ourselves. These stories can fuel doubt, shrink confidence, and keep us stuck in place. This episode shares why the price tag of our self-protective stories is never worth the payoff and how you can rescript your narrative to connect to the courage lying dormant within you. If you ever feel defensive, insecure, frustrated with your situation, or more anxious than you’d like to be, take a listen!

• Order The Courage Gap

• Write a review on Amazon

• Write a review on GoodReads

• Download the Workbook 

Ever found yourself going down a rabbit hole of ‘What ifs?’

What if I mess this up? What if it all goes to hell in a handbasket? What if I just don’t have what it takes? What if ….?

You’re not alone.

Your brain isn’t wired to focus on the positives. It’s wired to focus on the negatives - on what you don’t have or don’t want to happen. Yet dwelling on deficits siphons your confidence, feeds your worries, shuts down your ability to find solutions, narrows your vision, and keeps you stuck in ruts - of thought or action - that you are wholly capable of climbing out of!  

So in the latest episode of my new podcast series on closing your ‘courage gap,’ we dive into the power of focus—and how resetting your attention on what you want, rather than what you fear, can transform your life. 

As I’ve written in The Courage Gap, until you are clear about what you really want, your fear of what you don’t want will direct your life. 

Take a listen!

SHOW LINKS:

• Order The Courage Gap (US)

• Order The Courage Gap (Aust)

• Join Margie’s LIVE event and Book Launch Team 

• Live Brave Podcast interview with Bonnie Ware 

• Marathon Blog Post

• Engage Margie to speak at your event

As we step into a new year, many set resolutions — but let’s face it, the vast majority will fall by the wayside before February. 

This episode kicks off the new year with a new series to celebrate my new book The Courage Gap! Tune in as I guide you to set a bold vision for your year ahead and embrace discomfort as the key to closing the gap between where you are now and where you’d like to by year end. 

If you’re not okay to settle, then you need to step forward amid the unknowns. Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

LINKS:

• Order The Courage Gap on Amazon

• Special Live Event Registration

• The Courage Gap

• Margie’s Marathon Blog

This episode was recorded during my brother Frank's visit—a journey of over 10,000 miles from Australia. What makes this journey truly remarkable is that Frank, living with paraplegia, approaches travel with a 'can do' mindset that sets him apart. In a world often focused on limitations, Frank's determination to embrace new adventures despite his life-altering injury embodies the 'live brave' message of this podcast. Frank’s resilience and refusal to let his condition define him serve as a powerful testament to the human spirit. I hope his story will inspire you to be captain of your life, not captive to your circumstances. 

Please support my fundraising for spinal injury research with Christopher Reeve Foundation as I prepare for my first marathon! 

Link here: https://give.reeve.org/fundraiser/5440297

Not only does nobody enjoy failure, but we also often fail to learn from it, resulting in failing twice! Building on my previous podcast episode with Amy Edmondson (Episode 116), Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, we dive into her latest book, Right Kind of Wrong, and unpack the science of failing well.

This approach helps us avoid the tripwires that often crush courage, limit learning, and expose entire enterprises to greater risks. Learning how to risk more intelligent failure will not only propel you forward more quickly but also spare you the additional setback of neglecting to learn from the invaluable feedback that failure holds.

If you've been holding back from trying something due to the fear of failure, Amy's insights into befriending failure will help you summon the courage needed to take the risk.

Read Amy's book Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well

More about Amy at amycedmondson.com