The Courageous Podcast with Ryan Berman

Avery Johnson is a former NBA player and championship coach, best known for leading the San Antonio Spurs to an NBA Championship in 1999. Now the CEO of Avery Capital, a financial advisory firm, he uses his extensive experience in sports and business to help clients achieve financial success.  In this episode, Avery shares with Ryan insights on leadership, perseverance, and the mindset that fueled his success. He reflects on his time with NBA legends like Tim Duncan and David Robinson, discussing what he learned from their discipline and work ethic. Avery also reveals how the principles that guided him on the court—preparation, competitive spirit, and resolving conflict—apply to leadership and entrepreneurship. He opens up about his transition into private equity and how sports metaphors continue to shape his approach to business, showing that the game never stops.

Amy Woodall is the founder of Conscious Habit and host of the Conscious Habit Podcast, a powerful movement dedicated to helping individuals and organizations unlock their full potential through consciousness and self-awareness.   With nearly two decades of experience as a human behavior expert, Amy has transformed companies by integrating mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and leadership into corporate culture. A sought-after keynote speaker and co-founder of the High Vibe Tribe retreats, Amy has worked with CEOs and executive teams for over a decade to improve sales, leadership, and personal growth. In this episode, Amy shares how consciousness—when cultivated as a habit—becomes the root of all transformation, both personally and professionally. With insights into how to break free from ego-driven decisions and lead with authenticity, Amy offers practical tools to help people overcome fear, tap into their true potential, and build healthier, more effective teams.

Dave Hersh is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and advisor with over three decades of experience building lean, mission-driven businesses. As the founding CEO of Jive, he grew the company from a small open-source project to its IPO. After stints in private equity and venture capital (at a16z), he now serves as a general partner at Metamorph Partners, which does "operator-led buyouts" of companies needing a second act. In this episode, Dave shares insights from his book, Reignition, a playbook for startups to get unstuck. He opens up about his own journey of getting unstuck after facing personal and professional crises and why the future of competitive advantage will focus on humans, not technology. Dave and Ryan discuss the challenges of balancing personal fulfillment with business success and how leaders can make decisions that align with their core values and intuition.

Angela Jackson was living a life most people only dream of. As a high-profile executive at Nokia, she traveled the globe, navigating her career from the heart of New York City. Life was unfolding according to plan—until a life-changing car accident she never saw coming altered everything. During her recovery, Angela recognized a deeper calling, sparking a shift in her vision for her future. Today, Dr. Angela Jackson is the founder of Future Forward Strategies and a lecturer at Harvard University, advising Fortune 500 companies and policymakers on the rapidly changing landscape of tomorrow’s workplace. In this episode, Angela revisits the “negative blessing” of her accident. She also shares her shift which has her sitting at the intersection of leadership, purpose, business, and the future of work.

You can learn more about Dr. Angela Jackson's new book, The Win-Win Workplace here. 

With a career spanning over 20 years at top companies like Square, Microsoft, Amazon, and Etsy, Dave Brown has mastered the art of leading creative teams and building impactful brands. After a successful run as the founder of his own agency and record label, he made the choice to step into a 9-to-5 role, embracing the stability and fresh challenges it brought. In this episode, Dave reflects on the pros and cons of this shift, his dedication to connecting deeply with customers, and Square's recent billboard purchase above Mr. Beef (the restaurant where they film The Bear). Dave also shares insights on the spaces and routines that spark his creativity and his passion for mentoring others in their careers. Filled with humor, practical advice, and unique perspectives, Dave’s conversation with Ryan offers listeners a compelling look at the trade-offs between corporate life and hustle life along with the rewards of staying curious.

Verne Harnish, Founder of the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and CEO of Scaling Up, joins Ryan to share insights from his four decades of helping companies grow. The author behind bestsellers like Mastering the Rockefeller Habits and Scaling Up, Verne has been a pivotal force in executive education, guiding leaders around the world. In his conversation with Ryan, Verne reveals how one key innovation can propel a company forward, while continuous improvements keep the momentum going. He shares the importance of having a trusted council to help guide decisions and scale a business effectively, alluding to Jeff Bezos' two pizza rule. Verne also explores the power of saying no to customers' demands in order to stay true to the company vision and stand out in the market.  Finally, he reflects on a question posed by Tony Robbins that helped him cut through barriers to success.

Jarrod Dillon is the President of Business Operations for Orlando City Soccer Club (MLS), Orlando Pride (NWSL), Inter&Co Stadium, Orlando City Academy, and Orlando City Youth Soccer Network. With a career spanning over 24 years in sports and business, he’s dedicated to creating best-in-class experiences for fans and fostering a winning culture for Orlando soccer on and off the field. In his conversation with Ryan, Jarrod shares his approach to building teams where individual success supports the greater good, and how he turned a last-place soccer team into a championship contender in just two and a half years. He talks about the formation of the "Director Alliance," the key group that connects senior leadership with the rest of the team, and the importance of giving everyone in his organization a voice. Jarrod also touches on the courage it takes to take a break in the relentless world of sports and how getting out of your comfort zone to widen your skillset is essential for anyone looking to work in the industry.

Seth Godin is a 1 of 1. With 21 bestsellers, five TED talks, and numerous entrepreneurial ventures, Seth has dedicated his life to helping people understand themselves and the complex world around them, often through the lens of creativity and leadership. In this episode with Ryan, Seth shares insights on everything from mastering Pictionary to improving organizational systems—even drawing lessons from airplane food. They explore ideas from Seth's new book This Is Strategy, discussing the link between courage and creativity. Seth explains that creativity isn’t about grand gestures, but about solving everyday problems generously, and how small, low-risk steps outside your comfort zone can lead to tremendous personal growth.

Have you ever seen a cow flying through the air? Yes, you read that right. On the latest episode of The Courageous Podcast, Ryan Berman sits down with renowned storm chaser and extreme meteorologist, Reed Timmer. Best known for his fearless pursuits inside the armored storm vehicle, "The Dominator," Reed and his team push the limits of science and courage as they drive straight into the heart of some of the most dangerous storms on Earth. We dive into the thrilling and terrifying realities of what it takes to chase tornadoes and hurricanes, as Reed recounts his awe-inspiring experiences both on the ground and in the skies. But storm chasing is just part of the story—Reed's dedication to extreme meteorology and his mission to advance weather prediction make this episode a must-listen for thrill-seekers and science enthusiasts alike.

Sophie Ozoux and Kwame Taylor-Hayford, co-founders of Kin Agency, are renowned for their ability to blend creativity with purpose, driving impactful change for some of the world’s most recognized brands. With over 20 years of experience in the advertising industry, Sophie has worked with clients like Absolut, Apple, and Facebook, while Kwame has shaped global campaigns for brands such as P&G, Uniqlo and Chobani. Together, they created Kin to help brands navigate the delicate balance between culture, innovation, and social impact. In their conversation with Ryan, they discuss how brands can move beyond viewing "purpose" as a passing trend and instead embrace it as a growth driver. They reflect on the courage it takes for marketers to implement meaningful change and explore the idea that fear is often the biggest obstacle to progress. Through Kin, Sophie and Kwame are dedicated to fostering long-term, transformative work, helping companies like Delta Airlines and Mailchimp lead with integrity in today’s ever-evolving world.