Notes for An Awesome Life with John Spence

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Failure sits at the center of every meaningful life change, yet most of us meet it with fear, shame, and avoidance. In this conversation with John Spence, we explore how to turn losses into leverage by focusing on what we can control and what we can learn.

 John grounds the talk in his own rock‑bottom college experience and the arc that followed: disciplined learning, better habits, and a deliberate mindset that trades rumination for reflection. The result is a practical framework for handling setbacks while gaining ground.

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

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In this week’s episode of Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence, John and Josh break down what effective goal setting really looks like. John shares how to use SMART goals without overcomplicating them, how checklists create reliable progress, why imposter syndrome shows up even for high performers, and how a simple “two letter” exercise can radically increase your motivation.

If you want practical tools to start the new year with clarity, purpose, and a plan you can stick to, this episode is for you.

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

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What if the most powerful change you could make is only a breath wide? We dig into the “gap” between stimulus and response, the tiny pause where you can trade impulse for intention, and show how gratitude and presence turn that pause into a lifelong advantage.

John Spence shares how he went from breaking things in anger to asking himself one question: what would the ideal version of me do right now? We talk about the idea of the second arrow and other simple stoic principles that help you stop adding extra suffering to tough moments. 

Gratitude runs through all of this. Whether you write it down in the morning or just notice small good things around you, appreciation trains your mind to see what is working. That calm foundation makes it easier to pause, breathe, and respond with more grace when life gets loud. If you practice a simple personal mantra while you are calm, it will be ready when you need it and can turn triggers into chances to act with poise and self respect.

If this connects with you, tap follow, share with a friend who could use a little calm, and leave a review with the mantra you plan to use this week. Your next steady choice might spark someone else’s.

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence, Josh and John dive into one of the foundations of a truly “awesome” life: self awareness. John explains why emotional intelligence, especially self awareness and self regulation, is the starting point for better relationships  and better mental health. John shares practical habits like daily reflection, values-based self-assessment, and rating different areas of your life on a 1–10 scale to stay aligned with the future you want to create. If you’re ready to build a more intentional, emotionally intelligent, values driven life, this conversation is a powerful place to start.

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

Send us Fan Mail

John and Josh explore how our areas of daily focus shape our future and how small, deliberate choices can compound into a massive change of course towards a life of success and joy. John shares personal stories, practical tools, and a two-list homework exercise to align your time, relationships, and self-talk with your values.

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

Send us Fan Mail

Episode 5 - Envisioning Your Ideal Life 

What does your ideal life actually look like and how do you get there? John and Josh unpack a practical visioning process, talk about why “hope is not a strategy,” and then talk about maintaining boundaries, how to say no without guilt, all in the service of much needed self-care.

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

Send us Fan Mail

What is your mission, your reason for bounding out of the bed in the morning? John and Josh look at the importance of setting a direction for your life that aligns with you values and abilities.  We explore purpose as a living, practical force, something you can define, test, and build into your day.

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

Send us Fan Mail

John and Josh explore why clear personal values make hard decisions simple and how to align daily behavior with what matters. John shares the pitfalls of borrowed values, how safety and fear and recognizing what you can control play a roll in getting started, and an exercise to define, score, and live your core beliefs.

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

Send us Fan Mail

What if “success” isn’t rich, famous, powerful but values lived daily and relationships that last? In this episode, John and Josh talk about defining a successful life, résumé vs. eulogy virtues, the importance of relationships and a deceptively simple definition of success: when your values and your actions match. 

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).

Send us Fan Mail

About this episode: John Spence is one of the world’s top thought leaders but he almost wasn’t.

Before the accolades, before lecturing at MIT and Stanford, before helping people and businesses around the world…he failed out of college with a 1.6 GPA, was cut off from his family, and found himself sitting on a Gainesville curb realizing that no one else was coming to save him.

That was the moment he decided to change everything.

He took responsibility, rebuilt from the ground up, and started studying what it really means to have an AWESOME life.

That journey became the foundation of his life’s work: helping businesses succeed. Along the way, he has also been helping people build lives of purpose, gratitude, and joy.

Now, we’re bringing that conversation to you.

"Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence" is a podcast about living intentionally, facing yourself honestly, and making small, steady choices that lead to a life you love.

Homework (try these this week)

1. Write two letters: If I don’t change… and If I do the work… Read both every morning.
2. Start a journal: What did I do today that helped me build an AWESOME life?

• Email us: [email protected]
• Learn more about John: JohnSpence.com
• Familiar Wilsons Media: FamiliarWilsonsMedia.com

About John Spence: John is a globally recognized business thought leader, former owner/CEO of five companies, and advisor/coach to organizations from startups to the Fortune 10. He’s lectured at more than 90 universities and was named by the American Management Association as one of “America’s Top 50 Leaders to Watch.”

About the show: Notes for an Awesome Life with John Spence focuses on personal growth, happiness, clarity, and the everyday habits that compound into an AWESOME life.

Credits: Hosts John Spence and Josh Wilson • Produced by Josh Wilson for Familiar Wilsons Media • Special thanks: Amanda Wilson (writing and production), and Domingo Jimenez (writing and marketing).