Most of us grip tightly to life’s problems, convinced we need to force solutions. But what if the very act of holding on is what keeps us stuck?

Jett Yang — entrepreneur, innovator, and deep thinker shares how surrendering control opens space for intuition, creativity, and new possibilities. From leading cutting-edge sustainability projects to navigating life’s challenges, Jett shows why forcing outcomes often backfires, and how trusting life’s flow reveals the path we couldn’t see before.

If you’ve ever exhausted yourself chasing fixes, hacks, or rigid solutions, this conversation invites you to relax your grip — and discover the quiet clarity that comes when you let life lead.

• Why “solutions” often create more problems
• Einstein’s reminder: you can’t solve a problem from the same level of consciousness that created it
• The power of shifting metaphors — from mechanical systems to ecological flow
• Why intuition is a sacred gift, and rationality should serve it (not rule it)
• How surrender creates space for insights and unexpected breakthroughs
• Seeing obstacles differently: from problems to possibilities
• Practical ways to practice letting go without becoming passive

Where in your life are you forcing an outcome? What might shift if you surrendered and trusted the flow instead?

“Rushing into action, you fail. Trying to grasp things, you lose them. Forcing a project to completion, you ruin what was almost ripe.” — Daode Qing

www.podlad.com

We live in a world obsessed with shortcuts — business hacks, fitness hacks, AI hacks, life hacks. But here’s the truth: no one truly successful ever got there by hacking their way through.

In this episode, Al and Bilos explore the timeless lesson of the 20 Mile March — the discipline of showing up consistently, day after day, regardless of conditions. Drawing from their own journeys (rucking, hiking, running, and even scientific breakthroughs like sustainable roadbuilding), they show why patience, persistence, and spiritual health beat quick fixes every time.

The conversation takes us from the Scottish Highlands to the South Pole, from Nvidia’s rise to the wisdom of Sydney Banks, weaving together a single truth: shortcuts sell to the ego, but discipline feeds the soul.

• Why hacks are an illusion (and a profitable one at that)
• The story of Amundsen vs. Scott — and why steady progress wins
• What the 20 Mile March teaches us about patience and confidence
• The difference between intellect (seeking shortcuts) and wisdom (staying the course)
• How struggle builds spiritual health as well as physical strength
• Why true transformation feels slow, boring, and obvious — until hindsight makes it profound

What’s your 20 Mile March? And what would change if you simply committed to it — without searching for a hack?

www.podlad.com

Dr. Dicken Bettinger — one of the most respected teachers of the 3 Principles — shares how the work of Sydney Banks transformed his understanding of psychology, human resilience, and the power of thought.

From his decades as a counseling psychologist to 23 years of personal mentorship with Sydney Banks, Dicken reveals how the 3 Principles — Mind, Consciousness, and Thought — are a universal framework for understanding all human experience. Along the way, we explore why “outside-in” thinking keeps us stuck, how the power of thought shapes every feeling we have, and why quieting the mind can uncover the unshakable well-being that’s already within us.

If you’ve ever searched for the next self-improvement technique, this episode offers a radical shift: you may already be whole — and the doorway to seeing it is closer than you think.

• How Sydney Banks’ teachings reshaped modern psychology
• Why the 3 Principles point to an “inside-out” understanding of life
• Sydney Banks and the power of thought — why it’s the root of all feeling
• The surprising link between well-being and the present moment
• Stories from prisons, war zones, and boardrooms — and what they reveal about human resilience
• How immersion, not analysis, opens the door to insight
• Why dropping judgment changes relationships instantly

What if your feelings were never caused by the outside world — but by the thoughts you hold in the moment? How would that change your life?

“The only problem is when we hold on to thought — because underneath it, our well-being is already whole.”

Watch more from Dr. Dicken Bettinger: @DickenBettinger

Explore Sydney Banks’ original talks: @sydneybanks3

http://www.podlad.com

Our Podcast producer Bren Russell (http://podlad.com) shares the deeply personal story of walking away from what most would call the safest job in Ireland — one week after becoming a father — all because of a gut feeling he couldn’t ignore.

What followed wasn’t chaos. It was living!

From trusted state employee to thriving entrepreneur, Bren now earns 2x more, lives better, and wakes up excited for the week ahead. But this isn’t a story about chasing money — it’s about redefining success on your own terms, taking small bold steps, and trusting that inner whisper when logic screams “stay put.”

If you’ve ever said, “I’d leave my job if I won the lottery” — this is the episode that gently calls your bluff… and invites you to imagine a life you don’t need to escape from.

🔥 Topics We Explore:

• The power of following intuition, even when it makes no sense on paper

• Why dreading Monday might be your body asking you to make a change

• How to “fire bullets before the cannonball” and build momentum safely

• The real meaning of hard work — and why it still matters

• Why you’re allowed to change your mind (as many times as it takes)

• A practical, low-risk experiment to start living on your terms

💭 Reflective Prompt:

What would you do if you won the lottery — and what’s one tiny step you could take toward that today, without waiting?

🧪 How You Can Experiment:

Next time you feel stuck, don’t aim to fix everything. Just start smaller. Reach out to someone doing what you’d love to do. Ask a question. Book a call. Say it out loud. Small moves compound — and might just change everything.

Referenced:

School of Greatness Podcast

Why Investing Is the BIGGEST Life Hack & Everyone Should Start Today!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kjP7_BfGk0&t=261s

Book a FREE call with Bren for a chat about podcasting, freelancing or following your passion:

https://tidycal.com/podlad/20min-intro

00:00 - Monday fear is optional, I'm proof

01:12 - Introduction to Bren Russell from http://podlad.com

02:30 - Leaving the 'safest job in Ireland' on a gut feeling (and with a 1 week old baby)

07:45 - Understanding intuition, inner wisdom or gut feelings

10:39 - Why do so many get stuck in a job they hate?

13:57 - What would you do if you won the lottery? (and what the answer reveals)

16:25 - How to make the brave choice when your mind finds excuses

24:20 - Nothing comes easy but knowing that will make things happen

30:28 - Why you should embrace changing your mind!

37:15 - There's no silver bullet, the only option is action

39:40 - How patterns of the stock market mirror patterns of personal growth

43:33 - Following life's unwritten rules is guaranteed to make you unhappy

48:27 - Advice for kids: If you do your best, that's enough

51:00 - Advice for people who feel stuck in a job

53:45 - Real life example: How Bilos's daughter took action and saw results she never expected

1:00:023 - I LOVE Mondays: Bren's bumper sticker for life

1:04:20 - Contact Bren if you want help podcasting or freelancing

1:09:29 - Final Thought: Speak your desire out loud!

Learn more about Bren and the professional podcast production services he offers:

http://www.podlad.com

What if everything you’ve been taught about happiness was a lie designed to keep you small, scared, and spending?

In this episode, inventor, humanitarian, and radical truth-teller BE Alink challenges us to stop buying into the myths that have shaped our lives — myths that tell us who we should be, what we should buy, and what success looks like. Through a life-altering experience in Afghanistan and years of global service, BE discovered a simple but powerful truth: you can see more with your eyes closed.

This is a conversation about the courage to question everything — including your own identity. It's about closing your eyes to the noise so you can tune into the voice that never stopped speaking: your own.

If you’ve ever felt like there must be more than the hustle, the roles, and the endless pursuit of happiness — this episode will shake the dust off your soul and show you where to begin.

• Why we've been conditioned to be unhappy (and why it’s profitable)
• The radical power of closing your eyes to access inner wisdom
• What BE learned about true happiness from a blind woman in Afghanistan
• How to stop feeding systems that are quietly killing your joy
• Why language can trap us — and freedom lives beyond identity labels
• The unexpected role of creativity in personal and societal healing
• Why choosing kindness is the most rebellious act in a consumerist world

What if you could unplug from the noise and rewrite your own story — one rooted in kindness, congruence, and love? What might change?

Next time you’re brushing your teeth, close your eyes. Then open them and look in the mirror. Ask yourself one question:

“Do I like who I am?”

If the answer’s no — good. That’s your place to start. Awareness is a practice, not a moment. Begin again.

“Happiness is a choice. And once you truly choose it, you become the ultimate rebel.” – BE Alink

Explore BE’s work, her book Inventing BE, the Alinker, and more:

https://www.bealink.world

https://www.thealinker.com

Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com

If the future is fluid, why are we still so bad at choosing for ourselves?

Jillian Reilly joins us to unpack one of the most overlooked skills of modern life: the ability to choose. From everyday indecision (like answering "whatever you want for dinner”) to life-altering passivity, Jillian reveals how many of us have lost touch with our inner compass—and how to find it again.

You’ll discover why today’s chaotic world actually demands more self-direction, not less — and how building your “choice muscle” in small, low-risk ways can open you up to a braver, more aligned life.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in “default mode” or unsure of how to convey what you really want, this conversation offers a practical, soul-led path forward.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why modern adults are overwhelmed by freedom—but still afraid to choose
• How passive language like “whatever you want” reveals a deeper disconnect
• The role of experiments in strengthening your intuition and decision-making
• How to separate desire from conditioning—and why it’s essential for the future
• The true cost of outsourcing your choices (and how to stop)

🔁 Suggested Experiment:

Challenge yourself to build your choice muscle.

Next time someone asks, “What do you want?” — don’t say “Whatever you want.”

Pause.

Check in with yourself.

Answer.

No back-and-forth. No pleasing.

This simple practice gets you used to listening to your own desires — and over time, it rewires your nervous system to feel safe choosing for you.

🔗 Learn more:

Jillian’s book — The Ten Permissions: https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Permissions-Redefining-Adulting-Century/dp/1963827295

Jillian’s work: http://www.jillianreilly.com

🎧 Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com

What if you didn’t need a purpose or a why for anything you do? 

Al and Bilos explore the radical idea that meaning, logic, and strategy may actually get in the way of living a brilliant life.

They challenge the obsession with finding your “why” and offer an alternative: trust what moves you — even if it makes no sense. Because some of the most aligned actions come from the quietest nudges, not loud declarations.

You’ll hear how the pressure to justify or explain can block your deepest instincts, and why letting go of the need to know might be the most spiritually powerful move you can make.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why having no “why” can lead to more powerful and aligned action
2. How logic and purpose can subtly trap us in inaction or ego
3. The difference between acting from intuition versus acting from identity
4. Why trying to make sense of your desire can dilute its power
5. How to create momentum without needing clarity first

TRY THIS:

• Let yourself take one action this week with no clear reason — just because it feels right
• Notice how often you explain your decisions — and experiment with letting them be unexplained
• When faced with uncertainty, ask: What if I didn’t need to know — and just did it anyway?
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Produced in partnership with http://www.podlad.com

What’s your why? What’s your purpose?...

Are these relevant questions or just an opportunity for more fluff?

According to Lorna Davis, you don’t need a why for anything you do. Lorna is former Global CEO of Danone, Kraft, and Mondelez, and she has scaled billion-dollar companies despite having a why or a purpose, she just follows what “feels right”. In this soul-stirring without buying into the cliches of purpose, strategy and “why”.

She reveals how surrendering the need for logic, having the answer, or even a “why” has allowed her to live with more freedom, impact, and presence and made her a leader that people want to work for.

The truth is, most of our reasoning is made up — and trying to live a “planned” life is just another form of control.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why your “why” might be causing more stress than clarity
2. How to let go of made-up reasoning and live from truth instead
3. Why trying to “make meaning” often blocks the moment
4. How giving up control helped Lorna lead with more presence and purpose
5. The real difference between striving for impact… and allowing it

“If I'm really honest with myself about why I do stuff, I don't have good reasons. They just seem like a good idea.” - Lorna Davis

TRY THIS:

– Notice when you’re creating a reason or story to justify an action. Could you let it be enough that it simply feels true right now?

– Choose one area of your life where you’re over-planning or over-rationalizing. What would it feel like to not know and take the next step anyway?

– Sit quietly and bring gentle curiosity to a decision you’ve been trying to “figure out.” What if it didn’t need to make sense?

This episode isn’t about abandoning ambition — it’s about freeing yourself from the mental scaffolding that blocks real meaning and connection. Lorna’s wisdom is a homecoming to the life beneath the performance.

Learn more about Lorna at: www.lornadavis.net

Produced in partnership with www.podlad.com

What if the best thing you could do as a parent… was stop trying so hard to protect your kids?

Marina Galán invites us to rethink how we parent — not by giving more advice, but by letting go of the urge to control. When we constantly step in to prevent mistakes, we unintentionally teach our children to ignore their own inner guidance. Over time, they become disconnected from their intuition — and who they truly are.

Marina shares how children thrive when they’re allowed to feel, fall, and find their way. The safest space we can offer is not a bubble-wrapped life, but our grounded presence — the kind that trusts in their innate wisdom.

1. Why protecting your kids too much can rob them of their intuition
2. How fear-based parenting creates disconnection and doubt
3. The surprising power of allowing mistakes — and how it builds resilience
4. What it means to model trust instead of control
5. How to reconnect your children (and yourself) with their true nature

“If we interfere, then they don't learn. And they lose trust in themselves.” — Marina Galán

• Instead of saying “Don’t do that,” try asking: “What does your gut tell you?”
• Let your child navigate a small challenge without fixing it — watch what unfolds.
• Reflect on how your own conditioning shaped the way you “protect” those you love.

• Website: http://www.marinagalan.com

Produced in partnership with: http://www.podlad.com

What if peace, love, and happiness weren’t things to pursue — but qualities you’ve simply forgotten?

In this soul-awakening episode, we’re joined by Garret Kramer, author of True Self, Stillpower, and The Path of No Resistance. Together, we go beyond mindset, beyond performance, and even beyond self-help — into the core of what’s keeping us from peace: the false belief that we are separate, broken, or not enough.

Garret shares a direct, liberating truth: the only thing between you and freedom is the thought that something is missing. Insecurity, he says, is not a flaw to fix — but a sign you’re caught in illusion. This conversation isn’t about adding new practices or beliefs. It’s about subtracting everything that’s not you.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

1. Why insecurity is actually a signal of your true nature, not a problem to fix
2. How the mind creates suffering by mistaking itself for truth
3. Why chasing growth often reinforces the illusion of lack
4. The difference between conditioned behavior and spontaneous wisdom
5. What happens when you stop identifying with thoughts — and simply rest in being

“You are not a limited and lacking object. You are infinite, eternal consciousness.” – Garret Kramer

• ✍️ Self-Inquiry Prompt: What if nothing was missing from me right now?
• 🧘‍♂️ Reflection: Where do I still believe I need to earn peace?
• 💬 Practice: Notice when you’re “trying to grow.” Ask: who is trying, and what are they lacking?

• Website & Books: http://www.garretkramer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garretkramer

Produced in partnership with: http://www.podlad.com