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In this powerhouse episode of Back to Pop, we sit down with Sean Kanan — the actor, author, and entrepreneur best known as Mike Barnes from The Karate Kid Part III and Cobra Kai, as well as his legendary roles on General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Sean opens up about his evolution from martial arts villain to motivational author with his bestselling “Way of the COBRA” philosophy, and how he’s channeling that same energy into his bold new brand, Bad Boy Hot Sauce.

We explore:

• The behind-the-scenes story of joining The Karate Kid universe
• His return to the franchise with a more grounded approach for Mike Barnes in the series Cobra Kai! 
• How soap operas sharpened his acting chops
• The real-life meaning behind “COBRA” (Character, Optimization, Balance, Respect, Abundance)
• His powerful TED Talk on unbecoming
• His mission is to build a purpose-driven brand inspired by legends like Paul Newman

Whether you’re a diehard Karate Kid fan, a soap opera aficionado, a seeker of self-mastery, or love a good hot sauce story — this one’s for you.

Sean Kanan 📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sean.kanan?igsh=MWxtaWJpZGJjZ25icA==

Sean’s Ted Talk https://youtu.be/TNVUi-UWjc8

Sean’s Hot Sauce https://badboyeats.com/ 

Sean’s Books https://wayofthecobra.com/

Hit play, rate the show, and subscribe for more deep dives into pop culture legends.

📱 Instagram: @backtopopmedia
🌐 Website: https://www.backtopopmedia.com

Audio by: Gabe Fletcher

Sound Design, Composition & Engineering

Editor, Back to Pop Podcast

gabefletcher.net

#SeanKanan #KarateKid #CobraKai #WayOfTheCobra #BackToPop #PopCultureIcons #HotSauce #BadBoyEats #SoapOperaStar #ActorEntrepreneur #Unbecoming #TEDTalk #MikeBarnes #CobraKaiSeason6 #PodcastInterview

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