War-torn Vietnam.

A refugee child.

Penniless.

Barely spoke English.

That was the starting line for Jackie Wu.

She didn’t give a polished version. She gave the real one.

The night her father was taken away.

Their home and property confiscated in less than 24 hours.

A childhood shaped by the belief that everything coulddisappear at any moment.

 And then… America.

No English.

Penniless.

People yelling at her on the phone during her first customerservice job.

The constant fear of becoming homeless if she failed.

What struck me wasn’t just that she survived.

It was that she did all of the following THROUGH the fear.

Jackie went on to:

• Become a Top 1% sales professional nationwide

• Advancing in Human Resources at Stanford University and NVIDIA

• Build a global business during the pandemic

• Close six-figure deals in a single conversation

But this episode isn’t about sales tactics.

It’s about how fear can either cage you or quietly train you to rise.

Jackie explains why fear never fully left her…

and why she’s grateful it didn’t.

If you’ve ever:

• Felt like the odds were stacked against you

• Struggled with rejection or self-doubt

• Wondered how confident people actually got that way

You will find answers in this episode.

I didn’t expect this episode to go where it did.

On paper, Sam Penny looks fearless. TEDx speaker. Business exits. Ice miles.

But halfway through our conversation, he said something that made me think.

Cold water. Dark morning. No one had ever done this before.

Swimming the English Channel IN WINTER!

A few hours in he decided he needed to stop and go back to shore. Not because he was weak. But because he listened to his team and his body(hypothermia).

He talked about the weight of that decision. Going back to his room. And feeling that decision.

The crazy cool thing is that support poured in.

From strangers. From people who had never met him. From people who understood that trying matters more than finishing and that failure doesn't exist when you learn a lesson from it.

This isn’t a story about conquering fear.

It is about naming it. Living with it. And realizing that failure doesn’t isolate or demote you the way your mind tells you it will.

Sam shared what it’s really like to:

• Feel imposter syndrome before a TEDx talk

• Train for things that genuinely risk your life

• Step away before the finish line and still stand proud

• Learn that people don’t judge effort. They actually rally around it

At the end of the episode, I asked him the question I ask every guest.

What’s the opposite of fear? His answer came without hesitation.

Start.

If you’ve been holding back because you’re afraid of failing, being judged, or not finishing strong…This episode might shift something for you.

You don’t usually hear this part of leadership.

 The part where fear shows up in your body…before your brain ever catches up.

 The part where success doesn’t make it go away.

Where titles don’t quiet the inner critic.

Where confidence on the outside can still mean paddling fastunderneath.

 On this episode, I sat down with the remarkable Julie Menden. She is an executive coach, keynote speaker, Forbes Coaches Council member, and founder of a boutique leadership development firm working with executives and high-performing leaders across industries.

 Pretty incredible person to be speaking with on the topic ofFEAR! 

 What we talked about wasn’t a surface-level leadershipconversation.

 Julie shared what it looks like to

• navigate fear at every stage of success

• understand how the inner critic is formed (and why it sticks)

• build presence from the inside out, not through performance

• take the next step even when fear is loud

• and show up on stage shortly after cancer treatment wheneverything in her wanted to cancel

 There’s a moment where she talks about getting stitches removed from her face, getting on a plane anyway, and speaking to a room full of healthcare executives while repeating one quiet phrase to herself:

“Be brave.”

This episode is for leaders who are doing the work

and still feel fear.

For people who want real tools, not generic.

For anyone building courage one step at a time.

If fear has been whispering lately

this conversation might be exactly what you need.

Most high performers do not need more discipline. They need a better recovery plan. (And no, a once a year vacation does not count.)

On the episode, I sat down with Eric Recker, a dentist and “chaos reduction” coach for medical practice owners. Eric has lived the thing so many leaders hide.

He ran an 18 person dental practice into the ground, burnout, panic attacks, the whole spiral, then rebuilt it into a calmer, profitable practice that runs smoothly. Now he helps other medical entrepreneurs create calm, not by adding more systems, but by reducing the chaos at the source.

Eric teaches “the dam analogy.”

Outflow is everything that drains you, even good things.

Work. Habits. Volunteering. Vacation planning.

All outflow. Reserves are the lake behind the dam.

When the lake is low, you can look “successful” and still be one hard week away from snapping. So the real goal is balance. An appropriate amount of outflow, matched with self care that fills the dam back up.

If you work 40, 50, 60 hours a week, this episode is for you.

This week on the One Fear Per Year podcast, I sat down with someone who understands the weight of “doing it all”… because she lived it.

 Carol Williams isn’t just a productivity coach.

She’s a certified coach, speaker, and thelongtime Dream Director at the Beacon of Light Center --> thewoman executives and business owners call when their life feels scattered and they’re burning out quietly behind the scenes.  

She has spent 16 years helping entrepreneurslevel up without losing themselves, speaking at statewide HRorganizations, summits, and podcasts, and building her signature “Success Cake”method that brings the fun back into productivity.  

But what I didn’t expect was how deeply she would speak to the fears we never say out loud.

The ones that push us to overwork.

The ones that whisper “you won’t be enough unless you keep going.”

The ones that make us ignore our own non-negotiables until we crack.

She shared the moment everything changed for her, leaving a toxic marriage, sitting with the terror of “How will I make it alone?” and asking for help for the first time in her life.

(Not because she wasn’t strong… but because staying the same was finally more painful than stepping into the unknown.)

We talked burnout.

We talked feminine and masculine energy.

We talked about why so many of us are afraid to slow down… even when it’s the only way to heal.

And at the end, I asked her the opposite of fear.

One word.

Her answer?

Love.

Because we’re either living from fear, or living from love.

And every day, we choose.

What’s one fear that’s been pushing you to go faster… when what youreally need is to pause?

Full episode in the comments below! 

#onefearperyear

I met Vlad a few years ago at an event in Detroit.

I had no idea who he was. He had no idea who I was.

But he watched me walk on stage, freeze, fall to my knees,and then speaking straight from my heart - no script, just me.

Instead of judging me, he saw something else.

Something human.

Something real.

Vlad is the Founder and CEO of Company Folders and has spent more than 20 years building one of the most respected print companies in the country. His team has created press kits for Sony Pictures, served brands likeNestle, Hallmark, Bed Bath and Beyond, and delivered some of the most unique die-cuts and presentation designs in the industry. He truly loves what he does and his passion shines through!

But what I was most impressed with wasn’t his success.

It was his honesty about fear.

In this episode, Vlad shares:

• What it was like growing up in the former Soviet Union where fear was part of daily life.  

• How buying an entire commercial building for his companyterrified him even after every expert told him it was the right move.

• Why starting a business kept him awake at night, cycling through every what-if imaginable.

• How his next big leap is hosting an executive program inSingapore… and why he’s scared and certain at the same time.  

• The simple shift in language that can turn anxiety intoexcitement.

I love when he pointed out:

“The only people who will judge you are the ones who haven’t done anything themselves.”  

This conversation is about choosing courage when fear shows up.

It’s about telling the truth to yourself in words that lift youinstead of limit you.

It’s about remembering that love and fear cannot exist in the same breath.

If you’ve ever stood at the edge of something new…

If you’ve ever questioned whether you’re ready…

If you’ve ever felt fear and moved anyway…

This episode is for you.

What’s the thing you’re scared to walk toward right now?

And what might happen if you choose love instead?

#OneFearPerYear

I just sat down with an amazing woman who explained scientifically what happens when we feel fear and how to navigate that pattern of behavior.

Her name is Dr. Mohita Shrivastava.

Neuroscientist. Neuropsychologist.

Founder of The Cognitome Program.PhD from AIIMS New Delhi. Research trained at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Published author. International editorial board member.15+ years studying the brain, cognition, and how our thoughts shape our reality.

Yeah, she is incredible!!!

And what she shared on the my podcast was truly eye opening.

When she talks about fear, she doesn’t talk about it like an emotion. She talks about it like a circuit. A pattern. A process that can be rewired.

I LOVE when she said: “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”

(And a trained brain becomes a brave brain.)

We dug into everything: How people mix up the brain and the mind and stay stuck because of it.

Why the amygdala hijacks your logic.

The moment your prefrontal cortex goes offline.

How to use neuroplasticity to retrain your thoughts at any age.

Why naming the fear gives you control.

How breathing resets your nervous system.

And the fear ladder… the tiny steps that slowly teach your brain safety instead of danger.

Whew, this episode is jam packed full of goodness!

It made me realize something huge: Fear is not the enemy.

Being unaware of its mechanics is.

And the way she explains it… it just clicks. (Even the science feels simple when she breaks it down.)

So if you’ve ever felt hijacked by fear or trapped in your thoughts or anxious about things that haven’t even happened yet… this episode is for you.

It’s insightful. It’s grounding. And it gives you tools you can use today.

What’s one fear you’re ready to face with a different kind of brain this time?

#OneFearPerYear

This week I sat down with someone who has spent over 20 years helping people break fear at the deepest level:

Dr. Albert Bramante.

Talent Agent. Psychology Professor. Hypnosis & NLP Expert. Author of Rise Above the Script.

And a coach who has helped actors land roles on major networks, mentored thousands of students, and taught people how to rewire fear at the subconscious level.

(Yes, he’s the real deal.)

What blew me away wasn’t just his resume…It was how simply he explained something most of us wrestle with every day: Why fear gets programmed into us.

Why it sticks.

And how to finally undo it

.In this episode, we dive into so much:

• How one moment of fear can shape your entire life

• What hypnosis actually is (and why it isn’t mind control)

• How to neutralize emotional triggers without reliving trauma

• Why visualization works for Olympians, actors, and yes… you

• The difference between fear and excitement (this reframe is everything)

• How AI can help you access clarity, confidence, and courage

• What stops people from stepping into the spotlight

• And Albert’s own fear | becoming a first-time author and showing his face on camera

There’s this moment — and you’ll hear it — where he says:

“Fear and excitement feel the same in the body. The only difference is the meaning you give it.”

If you’ve been carrying old stories…If your fear feels automatic…If you want to understand what’s happening inside your mind so you can finally move forward…This conversation is your turning point.

When I first talked to Michael Bryant, I thought I was interviewing a coach.

Turns out, I was sitting across from someone pushing boundaries (and helping others do the same).

At 74 years old, Michael crossed the Ironman finish line

HIS SEVENTH TIME

at 16 hours, 59 minutes, and 15 seconds.

(One minute before the cut-off.)

But here’s what struck me most:

For him, it wasn’t about the medal. It was about the mindset.

“A quest is different from a goal,” hetold me

“A quest gets obsessive. You becomepossessed by it.”

Michael calls himself a Professional Unstucker, an executive coach who helps leaders stretch past fear, excuses,and “practicality.”

Because as he says, those words

***realistic, feasible, doable*** 

are the “death words” of growth.

He’s proof that courage compounds with age.

That no risk = no growth.

That being “outrageous” might just be the healthiest decisionyou’ll ever make.

If you’ve been waiting for permission to start your nextchapter consider this as permission!

When I sat down with Dan MacQueen, I was reminded of what true resilience looks like.

 At 28, Dan was living the dream. Working in tech, traveling Europe, laughing with friends, full of life.

Until one day, taking the tube home on a London subway…

everything went black.

 He woke up unable to walk, talk, or even smile.

The doctors said this was his new reality.

But Dan had other plans.

Step by step, word by word, he rebuilt himself.

Through pain. Through frustration. Through fear.

And somewhere between the hospital bed and the stage, he discovered something powerful:

“It’s not what happens to you that defines you... it’s how yourespond.”

Today, Dan is an international keynote speaker on resilience, change, and mindset, helping organizations and leadersreframe adversity into opportunity.

He’s funny. He’s real. And his story will make you rethink what’struly possible.

Sometimes you have to lose everything to learn how to see again.

So here’s my question for you:

What’s one fear you’ve been avoiding that might actually be your path to growth?

#onefearperyear #chasecourage