Take A Step

What does it look like to live intentionally? In this episode, Josh sits down with Neil French — Army veteran, reserves Sergeant First Class, and founder of Proven Health — for a wide-ranging conversation on masculine accountability, military life, PTSD, and building a health coaching business from scratch. Neil breaks down the four pillars of true health, why most people fail despite knowing what to do, and how taking the smallest possible step is often the most powerful one you can take.

Follow Neil on Instagram: @neilfrenchfitness

letstakeastep.com

The Take A Step Podcast features real, unfiltered conversations with growth-minded professionals who are committed to living and leading with purpose.

In this episode, Josh Johnston sits down with Brandon Williams to explore the journey from fighter pilot to leadership coach, breaking down how high-stakes decision-making, accountability, and intentional reflection drive performance. From “hacking the clock” under pressure to building a debrief culture that fuels growth, this conversation challenges listeners to stop waiting for clarity and start creating it through action. If you’re ready to think differently, lead better, and take ownership of your next step—this episode is for you.

Follow Brandon Williams:

LinkedIn: @Brandon Williams
Instagram: @leadershipspeaker_pilot

Summary
In this episode, Josh Johnston interviews Justin Smith to explore leadership development, personal growth, and faith-driven success. They share practical insights from hiking the Appalachian Trail to leading teams, emphasizing the importance of taking action, pattern recognition, and aligning with biblical principles.

Key Topics

• Leadership development journey
• Lessons from hiking the Appalachian Trail
• The importance of taking small steps
• Recognizing patterns for better decision-making
• Integrating faith and leadership in the workplace
  

Keywords

Leadership, Personal Development, Faith, Appalachian Trail, Action Steps, Pattern Recognition, Communication, Leadership Traits, Faith in Business

Summary

In this episode, Josh and John share profound insights from their recent ultra marathon experience, exploring themes of resilience, faith, and personal growth. They discuss how challenges can be opportunities for spiritual and mental transformation, emphasizing the importance of surrender, purpose, and structured action in overcoming life's obstacles.

Key topics

• The mental and spiritual lessons learned from ultra marathon running
• The process of taking, blessing, breaking, and giving back in personal growth
• The role of faith and submission in overcoming adversity
• The importance of structure and clarity in pursuing goals
• The parallels between biblical stories and personal challenges

Take A Step Apparel: https://www.mmpapparel.com/pages/take-a-step

The STEP Check Assessment:

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Summary

In this conversation, Josh Johnston explores the concept of humble leadership, emphasizing the importance of serving others rather than seeking power or recognition. He draws on the example of Jesus as a model of leadership through service and humility. The discussion highlights the significance of building trust and influence by prioritizing the needs of others and fostering genuine connections. Josh encourages listeners to reflect on their own leadership styles and consider practical ways to embody humility in their daily lives.

Takeaways

• If you needed guidance, who would you ask?
• True leaders listen to understand, not just to respond.
• Leadership is about serving others, not seeking power.
• Humility is strength under control.
• People remember how you made them feel, not what you said.
• Ask yourself, how can I serve today?
• Ego and power may build empires, but humility builds a kingdom.
• Trust is the foundation of effective leadership.
• You don't need a title to lead; serve first.
• Long after applause fades, your legacy is in the people you loved.
  
  Take A Step Apparel: https://www.mmpapparel.com/pages/take-a-step

What does it actually look like to go from “going through the motions” to living every day on purpose?

In this episode, Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski kick off the first two steps of an eight-step journey designed to help growth-minded professionals build a life of clarity, discipline, and faith-driven action.

Step one: Define the Success.
If you don’t know what you’re aiming at, you’ll end up chasing someone else’s version of success. Josh and John unpack why the process matters more than the destination, how to align your ambition with your faith, and why good things become dangerous when they turn into ultimate things.

Step two: Set the Standard.
The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. From fitness to family to finances, they explore how raising your personal standard in one area creates ripple effects across your entire life.

This conversation is packed with real stories, biblical wisdom, practical leadership principles, and a challenge to examine how you’re actually showing up.

If you’re ready to stop drifting and start living with intention, this is where the journey begins.

Let’s take a step.

Check out the Take A Step apparel: https://www.mmpapparel.com/pages/take-a-step

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston sits down with Logan Lewis, host of the long-running show Your Morning Drive and CEO of Hammerhead Creations, to talk about the kind of success that actually feels fulfilling.

Logan shares how a simple introduction to podcasts sparked an eight-year journey—from early, unpolished episodes recorded with a Best Buy mic to a community-driven show built around meaningful conversations with local business owners and everyday people. Together, Josh and Logan unpack the trap of comparison—how it shows up in business, relationships, faith, and even fitness—and why chasing someone else’s “finished product” keeps so many men stuck in analysis paralysis.

They also dive into what it looks like to redefine success as loving your daily process, not just chasing a destination. Logan gets real about the challenge of balance, the pressure to say yes to everything as an entrepreneur, and the tension between ambition and presence at home. The conversation closes with Logan’s “mile a day” commitment—what inspired it, what it’s teaching him, and how small consistent steps can create real change.

No matter where you are in your journey, every mile begins with a step.

Check out Your morning drive: @yourmorningdrive

Complacency rarely feels dangerous in the moment. It feels comfortable. Manageable. Normal. But over time, it slowly steals your strength, your leadership, and your purpose.

In this edition of The Weekly Mile, Josh unpacks the toxic complacency that has quietly shaped our culture, our businesses, our marriages, and our faith. From drifting through workouts and reacting to your spouse’s mood, to living spiritually checked out Monday through Saturday, this conversation exposes how comfort has become the default setting for too many young professionals.

The truth is adversity is not optional. You will face it. The only question is whether you choose it now or get forced into it later.

If you are tired of reacting to life and ready to build momentum with intentional action, this episode will challenge you to stop waiting, stop making excuses, and just take a step.

What if the thing holding you back isn’t lack of knowledge—but fear of taking action?

In this episode, Josh sits down with Everett Smulders (Coach Smulders) for a conversation that hits on more than running. Everett shares the moment that shaped his mindset forever: collapsing just meters before a state championship finish line, then crawling across in second place—and how that failure became fuel.

From there, they unpack what it looks like to build discipline when motivation fades, why most men get stuck in analysis paralysis, and how clarity is found through action, not perfect planning. Everett also breaks down the real process behind building a personal brand (including the unsexy reps and messy takes nobody sees), plus how he thinks about creating a tribe of competitive, purpose-driven adults who want to train hard and live well.

If you’ve been half-committing, waiting to feel “ready,” or playing it safe—this episode will challenge you to take the next step.

Check out Everett on instagram @coachsmulders

In this edition of The Weekly Mile, Josh challenges one of the most common assumptions in modern success culture: that money is the path to freedom.

So many men are grinding today with the hope that someday—once they hit the number, land the role, or close the deal—they’ll finally get their time back. But what if that mindset is costing us the very life we’re trying to build?

Drawing from Scripture, personal reflection, and hard-earned experience, Josh reframes wealth not as what’s in your bank account, but what’s on your calendar. He explores the subtle trap of sacrificing family, faith, relationships, and presence on the altar of “someday,” and why so much of the life we dream about is already available—if we’re willing to be intentional.

This episode is a wake-up call for growth-minded men who want to honor God, lead well, and live fully now, not just later. You’ll walk away with practical questions to help you reclaim your time and align your daily life with what you truly value.