The Ambitious One

What if the biggest obstacle standing between you and success is the way you think?

In this episode of The Ambitious One, we sit down with Steve Barton, executive coach, author, and creator of The Game of Ten®—an awareness-based coaching framework designed to help people overcome fear, self-doubt, guilt, and shame.

With over 47 years of business experience, Steve helped grow his family’s retail floral business from $200,000 to $2 million in annual revenue. Through his journey, he discovered that financial success doesn’t automatically bring peace of mind, confidence, or fulfilling relationships.

Steve now helps entrepreneurs, executives, and high achievers develop greater self-awareness, improve their decision-making, and achieve meaningful success without sacrificing their personal lives.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How fear and self-doubt can hold us back from reaching our potential.
• The Game of Ten® and the importance of awareness.
• Why successful people can still struggle with confidence and fulfillment.
• How emotional intelligence can improve leadership and decision-making.
• The role of intuition and intentionality in personal growth.
• How to pursue ambition without sacrificing your peace of mind.
• Practical advice for young people navigating uncertainty and building their future.

Steve reminds us that success isn’t just about what we accomplish externally. It’s also about how we think, how we lead, how we treat others, and how we feel about the life we’re building.

If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, felt behind in life, or wondered how to achieve more while feeling more fulfilled, this conversation is for you.

CONNECT WITH STEVE BARTON

🌐 Website: https://www.stevebartoncoaching.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coach-steve-barton/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevebartoncoaching/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveBartonCoaching

Want to learn more about The Game of Ten®?

Visit Steve’s website to explore his coaching approach and schedule a discovery call.

ABOUT THE AMBITIOUS ONE

The Ambitious One is a podcast about life after school and the journey of finding your path, chasing your dreams, and building a meaningful life.

Through real stories and honest conversations with people from different backgrounds, we explore career, business, personal growth, ambition, failure, success, and the lessons that shape who we become.

🎙️ Hosted by Noel.

Real stories. Real conversations. Real ambition. Because finishing school is only the beginning.

What if there isn’t one perfect formula for success, happiness, or personal growth? What if the key to living better starts with experimenting with your own life?

On this episode of The Ambitious One, I’m joined by Arnold Beekes, an innovator, trainer, coach, and founder of Brain Athletes, whose work combines psychology, leadership, brain fitness, and personal development.

After spending decades working in technology and organizational leadership before moving into psychology and personal leadership, Arnold became passionate about helping people understand their brains, challenge limiting beliefs, and discover new ways of thinking, learning, and living.

His philosophy is simple but powerful: Your life is the laboratory, your brain is the instrument, and your behavior is the experiment.

In this conversation, we explore what brain fitness really means, why people often follow other people’s definitions of success, and how experimenting with our habits, thoughts, and behaviors can help us understand ourselves better.

Arnold also explains the difference between brain fitness and becoming a Brain Athlete, why protecting our attention matters, and how developing greater awareness can help us respond more intentionally to life’s challenges.

Whether you’re a student, recent graduate, young professional, entrepreneur, or someone searching for a better way to approach life, this episode will challenge you to question what you’ve been taught and discover what genuinely works for you.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• Arnold’s journey from technology and leadership to brain fitness and personal development.
• What brain fitness is and why training your mind matters.
• The difference between Brain Fitness and becoming a Brain Athlete.
• Why there’s no single formula for success or happiness.
• How to experiment with your habits, behaviors, and beliefs.
• The impact of technology and digital distractions on our attention.
• How to improve focus, self-awareness, and decision-making.
• The difference between self-improvement and self-mastery.
• How young people can pursue ambition while discovering their own definition of success.

CONNECT WITH ARNOLD BEEKES

Website: Brain Athletes⁠

Email: [email protected]⁠

LinkedIn: Arnold Beekes on LinkedIn⁠

YouTube: Arnold Beekes on YouTube⁠

Instagram: Arnold Beekes on Instagram⁠

Visit Brain Athletes to learn more about Arnold’s work in brain fitness, personal mastery, and helping people develop new ways of learning, living, and working.

You can also contact Arnold directly by email to learn more about his coaching and training.

ABOUT THE AMBITIOUS ONE

The Ambitious One explores life after school, ambition, personal growth, careers, business, and the realities of building a meaningful life through honest conversations with people who have valuable experiences and lessons to share.

Real stories. Real conversations. Real ambition.

Because finishing school is only the beginning.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who needs a fresh perspective and follow The Ambitious One for more conversations about ambition, personal growth, success, and the journey of figuring life out.

What happens when life takes an unexpected turn and the most difficult experiences become the inspiration for something extraordinary?

In this episode of The Ambitious One, we sit down with Dr. Steve McGough — innovator, researcher, co-founder of Women and Couples Wellness, and inventor of the hi® massage system. With a background in biochemistry, neuroscience research, and clinical sexology, Steve has spent years exploring the connections between the nervous system, recovery, intimacy, and human well-being.

Steve shares the deeply personal story behind his invention, including the heartbreaking loss of his son, Luke, and the challenges his wife, Wendy, faced during her recovery. What began as an effort to help his wife eventually led to an invention backed by six US and international patents.

We also discuss the difficult decision to walk away from a successful business, the relationship between stress and recovery, the role of the nervous system in our everyday lives, and how couples can protect their connection while navigating grief, demanding careers, and the pressures of building a business together.

In this episode, we explore:

• How personal tragedy inspired an innovative idea.
• The courage it takes to choose purpose over comfort.
• The connection between stress, the nervous system, and recovery.
• Where Eastern wellness practices and Western neuroscience intersect.
• Why intimacy and communication matter in long-term relationships.
• How Steve and Wendy have navigated marriage while building businesses together.
• Lessons on resilience, innovation, and turning setbacks into opportunities.

Steve’s story is a reminder that ambition isn’t just about financial success or professional achievements. Sometimes, it’s about finding meaning in difficult experiences, solving problems that matter, and having the courage to follow an idea when the path ahead is uncertain.

CONNECT WITH DR. STEVE MCGOUGH

🌐 Website: https://www.himassager.com
🎥 Personal story and background: https://www.himassager.com/steve
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevemcgough/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/himassager/
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@himassager
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/himassager/
🐦 X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/himassager

About The Ambitious One

The Ambitious One is a podcast about life after school and the journey of finding your path, chasing your dreams, and building a meaningful life. Through real stories and honest conversations with people from different backgrounds, we explore ambition, business, career, personal growth, setbacks, and the lessons that shape who we become.

🎙️ Hosted by Noel.

Real stories. Real conversations. Real ambition. Because finishing school is only the beginning.

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your circumstances, but the identity you’ve built around your past?

On this episode of The Ambitious One, I’m joined by Leo Dulay, a transformational coach, hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, and author of You Are Not Your Past.

After spending 22 years at AT&T, Leo was laid off in 2019. What initially felt like losing his career eventually became a turning point that forced him to question his identity, challenge old beliefs, and rethink the direction of his life.

That personal journey inspired him to develop tools to help others understand their emotional patterns, let go of outdated identities, and create a future that isn’t controlled by their past.

In this conversation, we explore how past experiences can influence our identity, why people often repeat the same emotional patterns, and why understanding a problem doesn’t always make it easy to change. Leo also shares his perspective on subconscious patterns, self-awareness, personal transformation, and the process of becoming a new version of yourself.

Whether you’re struggling with self-doubt, procrastination, anxiety, fear of failure, or feeling stuck in life, this episode will encourage you to question the stories you’ve been telling yourself and consider what might be possible when you stop allowing your past to define your future.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How losing a long-term career led Leo to question his identity.
• Why people become attached to identities shaped by their past.
• How subconscious patterns can influence everyday behavior.
• The difference between understanding a problem and changing a pattern.
• Letting go of limiting beliefs and outdated versions of yourself.
• The Release Exercise and the inspiration behind You Are Not Your Past.
• How to handle setbacks without allowing them to define your future.
• Practical steps toward personal growth and reinvention.

CONNECT WITH LEO DULAY

Website: Leo Dulay Coaching⁠

Visit Leo’s website to:

• Get his book, You Are Not Your Past.
• Explore his transformational coaching options.
• Learn about his companion app for ongoing personal development.
• Discover tools designed to help you work on emotional patterns and limiting beliefs.

If this conversation resonated with you and you’re ready to take the next step in your personal growth journey, visit Leo’s website to explore his resources and coaching services.

ABOUT THE AMBITIOUS ONE

The Ambitious One explores life after school, ambition, personal growth, careers, business, and the realities of building a meaningful life through honest conversations with people who have valuable experiences and lessons to share.

Real stories. Real conversations. Real ambition.

Because finishing school is only the beginning.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with someone who needs to hear this message and follow The Ambitious One for more conversations about personal growth, success, and the journey of figuring life out.

What makes some teams succeed while others struggle, even when they have talented people, good leadership, and the resources they need?

On this episode of The Ambitious One, I’m joined by David Lengyel, founder of Venture Up, who has spent more than 40 years helping organizations understand leadership, communication, teamwork, and workplace culture.

Through his work with thousands of teams and more than 500,000 participants, David has gained valuable insights into what builds trust, strengthens communication, improves employee engagement, and separates high-performing teams from average ones.

In this conversation, we explore the importance of effective leadership, why communication breaks down, how trust influences teamwork, and what leaders can do to create a healthier and more productive workplace.

We also discuss how teams can handle conflict, overcome resistance to change, and prepare for the future as artificial intelligence continues to transform the workplace.

Whether you’re a student preparing for your career, a young professional, an entrepreneur, a manager, or someone who wants to become a better leader, this episode offers practical insights you can apply to your own journey.

CONNECT WITH DAVID LENGYEL & VENTURE UP

🌐 Website: https://www.ventureup.com

Visit Venture Up for leadership insights, teamwork resources, and information about team-building programs, leadership development workshops, and corporate training.

If you’re looking to improve communication, build trust, strengthen workplace culture, or develop a high-performing team, explore the resources available on the website.

ABOUT THE AMBITIOUS ONE

The Ambitious One explores life after school, ambition, personal growth, career development, business, and the realities of building a meaningful life through honest conversations with people who have valuable experiences and lessons to share.

🎙️ Real stories. Real conversations. Real ambition.

Because finishing school is only the beginning.

What does it really take to build a podcast, stay consistent, and create a voice that people want to listen to?

On this episode of The Ambitious One, I’m joined by Victor Jones, podcast host, storyteller, entrepreneur, and the man behind Liquor Talk Podcast.

Victor has spent years building his platform and having hundreds of conversations with creators, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and everyday people. We talk about what happens behind the microphone—from starting a podcast and staying consistent to dealing with setbacks, building an audience, creating authentic content, and turning a passion into something bigger.

Victor also shares lessons from his journey, the importance of staying true to yourself as a creator, and what he would tell someone who wants to start a podcast but is waiting for the “perfect time.”

If you’re interested in podcasting, content creation, entrepreneurship, personal growth, or simply figuring out how to build something of your own, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Victor Jones

🌐 Website: liquortalkpodcast.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: @liquortalkpodcast
▶️ YouTube: Liquor Talk Podcast
🎵 TikTok: @liquortalkpodcast
🐦 X: @liquortalkpod

Check out Liquor Talk Podcast, listen to some of Victor’s episodes, and visit his website to book a time to collaborate.

Real stories. Real conversations. Real ambition.

Because finishing school is only the beginning.

What really happens after school?

Welcome to the very first episode of The Ambitious One — a podcast created to explore the real-life journeys people take after leaving the classroom.

In this episode, I introduce the vision behind the show and what listeners and guests can expect. We’ll have honest conversations about life after school, career choices, business, success, failure, challenges, personal growth, and the journey of figuring out what comes next.

Because life doesn’t come with a step-by-step guide after graduation. Everyone takes a different path, faces different challenges, and defines success in their own way.

The Ambitious One is a space for those stories.

To every listener and future guest, welcome to the journey. This is more than just a podcast—it’s a conversation about ambition, life, and becoming the person you want to be.

Welcome to The Ambitious One.