The Fort Builders Podcast

Wayne McDaniel | A Life of Giving Back

What happens when someone gives you hope at the moment you need it most?

And how might that single act of generosity change not only your life, but the lives of people you've never met?

In this episode of The Fort Builders, I sit down with Wayne McDaniel, an entrepreneur, former financial planner, and founder of Experiencing Wellness in Lawrence, Kansas.

After spending some time together over coffee, I knew Wayne had a story worth sharing.

Wayne grew up in the St. Louis area, studied biology at Oral Roberts University, and moved to Lawrence to pursue architecture at KU. His career eventually took an unexpected turn into financial planning, where he discovered an opportunity to combine his love of design, problem-solving, and helping people.

At 31, Wayne purchased a financial planning business. Less than a year later, the stock market crashed in 1987.

Almost overnight, he lost approximately 45% of his business revenue. With significant debt and a young family depending on him, Wayne found himself in one of the darkest periods of his life.

Then his parents made an unexpected offer that changed everything.

Their generosity didn't solve all his problems. But it gave him something he had lost: Hope.

Wayne rebuilt his business over time, and the experience profoundly influenced how he viewed generosity, success, and the responsibility to help others.

Years later, that philosophy took him to rural India, where his firm partnered with a nonprofit to support communities through education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Wayne shares what those experiences taught him about the impact of giving people Hope.

Following retirement, an unexpected heart attack led him to explore health and wellness more deeply. Today, he's bringing those interests together through Experiencing Wellness, a new venture focused on making wellness services more accessible in his community.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Growing up in St. Louis and finding an unexpected career path.
• The courage to buy a business at 31.
• The 1987 stock market crash and the personal toll of financial hardship.
• How an unexpected act of generosity helped Wayne rediscover hope.
• Rebuilding a business and learning from adversity.
• The influence of family, mentors, and generosity.
• Giving back through community development efforts in rural India.
• The heart attack that changed Wayne's perspective on health.
• Starting something new after retirement.
• Why making a difference matters more than simply achieving success.

A final thought

One of the things I appreciate most about Wayne's story is how experiences from different chapters of his life continue to connect.

A difficult moment taught him the value of hope. The generosity of others inspired him to become more generous himself. And decades later, those lessons are still influencing what he's building.

Sometimes the greatest impact we make comes from passing along something someone once gave us.

Thank you for joining us in The Fort.

And Thank You for Your Time.

About the guest

Wayne McDaniel is a Lawrence-based entrepreneur and former financial planner. After building and leading a financial planning firm, he retired and pursued a longstanding interest in health and wellness. He is now developing Experiencing Wellness, a membership-based wellness center in Lawrence.

Learn more: Experiencing Wellness website

#wellness #hope #givingback #story #journey #generosity #thefortbuilders #risk #entrepreneurship

A collaboration between The Fort Builders and Be-Sent Life

What happens when we stop trying to convince someone we're right and simply become curious about why they see the world differently?

In the second episode of The Curiosity Project, Lance Johnson of The Fort Builders and Stephanie Bessent of Be-Sent Life continue a conversation that began with a seemingly simple question: Dogs or Cats?

But this time, the conversation takes us somewhere neither of us necessarily expected.

We explore why certain opinions and comments can make us defensive, how our childhood experiences shape what we believe, and why trust and feeling safe can make such a difference in our ability to connect with others.

Along the way, Stephanie reflects on growing up surrounded by dogs in Alaska, while Lance shares how he's come to appreciate the independence and distinct personalities of cats. And as we listen to each other's stories, something interesting happens: we both begin reconsidering our original perspectives.

The conversation eventually turns to something much deeper—our relationships with the animals we've loved and the grief we've experienced when we've had to say goodbye.

Lance remembers Jayhawk, his golden retriever who accompanied him through some challenging years. Stephanie shares the story of Buddy, a dog who was an important source of companionship during a difficult period of her life.

And suddenly, it doesn't really matter whether we're dog people or cat people.

We recognize something we share: love, attachment, loss, regret, and the importance of being there for one another.

That's what The Curiosity Project is about.

We're not trying to debate, convince, or necessarily reach agreement. We're exploring how our stories and experiences shape the way we see the world—and what happens when we take the time to really listen.

Maybe we change our minds. Maybe we don't.

Maybe we simply leave knowing each other, and ourselves, a little better.

Thank you for being curious with us.

The Curiosity Project
Lance Johnson — The Fort Builders
Stephanie Bessent — Be-Sent Life

The Curiosity Project #1 - Dogs or Cats?
What Our Preferences Reveal About Us

A Collaboration between The Fort Builders and Be-Sent Life

What if a simple question like “Dogs or Cats?” could reveal something about who we are, where we've been, and how our experiences shape the way we see the world?

Welcome to the first episode of The Curiosity Project, a collaboration between Lance Johnson of The Fort Builders and Stephanie Bessent of Be-Sent Life.

The idea behind the project is simple: The conversation isn't really about the subject. It's about why the subject affects us the way it does.

For our first conversation, we start with something ordinary: dogs or cats?

Lance shares childhood memories of family dogs, a few close calls, and how his family eventually became a cat household. Stephanie takes us back to growing up in Alaska surrounded by dozens of Alaskan Malamutes, the responsibilities that came with caring for animals, and the companionship she's found in dogs throughout her life.

Along the way, we find ourselves talking about trust, attachment, responsibility, childhood memories, and how we sometimes recreate familiar experiences later in life.

But this isn't really about deciding whether dogs or cats are better.

It's about noticing what happens when we listen to someone who sees things differently. Can we become curious about their experiences instead of defending our preferences? Can we notice our own reactions? Can we learn something about ourselves along the way?

We're not trying to debate, convince each other, or even reach agreement.

Maybe we discover something. Maybe we leave understanding each other a little better. Maybe nothing gets resolved.

And maybe that's enough.

Join us for our first conversation, and Thank You for being curious with us.

The Curiosity Project
Lance Johnson — The Fort Builders Podcast
Stephanie Bessent — Be-Sent Life

What if understanding who you've become means having the courage to revisit the experiences that shaped you?

And what if understanding your past could help you rediscover parts of yourself you didn't even realize you'd lost?

In this episode of The Fort Builders, I sit down with Evan "Shakes" Holt, a retired Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot, former commercial real estate professional, and author of A Boy Named Pooh, a deeply personal memoir about childhood trauma, military service, and his journey toward healing.

I've known Evan for years through the real estate world. Or at least I thought I knew him.

When I learned he'd written a book, we got together for coffee. What followed was a conversation I wasn't expecting. His story, his willingness to share it, and the work he's done to understand himself resonated with me in ways that connect directly to why I started this podcast.

Evan grew up in a home marked by abuse and generational trauma. As a young boy, he learned to survive by disconnecting from painful experiences and emotions. Years later, he would serve 21 years in the Marine Corps, including two combat tours in Iraq flying Cobra attack helicopters.

From the outside, his life looked successful. But beneath that success were experiences and emotions he had never fully confronted.

Eventually, those unresolved struggles began affecting his health, relationships, and sense of who he was.

Evan shares how reaching a breaking point led him to examine his past, seek help, and explore approaches to healing—including therapy, reflection, and his personal experiences with psychedelic substances.

One of the most moving parts of our conversation is Evan's account of reconnecting with the little boy he calls "Pooh"—a part of himself he believes he left behind many years ago.

We also explore self-compassion, breaking generational cycles, and why understanding our stories can change how we see ourselves and others.

Near the end, Evan shares a familiar childhood story: We're Going on a Bear Hunt.

You can't go over it. You can't go under it. You can't go around it.

You have to go through it.

For Evan, that became more than a childhood saying. It became a way of understanding his journey.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Childhood abuse and the lasting influence of generational trauma.
• The unexpected path that led Evan to a 21-year Marine Corps career.
• Combat, military service, and what happens when the mission ends.
• The difference between appearing successful and feeling fulfilled.
• The moment Evan realized he needed to change.
• His journey through trauma, therapy, self-reflection, and psychedelic experiences.
• The story behind A Boy Named Pooh and reconnecting with his younger self.
• How understanding our past can help us better understand ourselves.
• Gratitude, self-compassion, and the courage to keep growing.

Thank you for joining us in The Fort. And thank you for your time.

About the guest
Evan "Shakes" Holt — A Boy Named Pooh

Evan is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer and Cobra attack helicopter pilot who served 21 years on active duty, including two combat tours in Iraq. Following his military career, he worked in commercial real estate. His memoir, A Boy Named Pooh, explores childhood and combat-related trauma and his journey toward healing.

What happens when the person everyone thinks you are is very different from the person you know yourself to be?

Ezra Vancil is a singer, songwriter, poet, and artist living in East Texas.

As a teenager, he signed a major music deal in Los Angeles. He went on to win numerous awards and build a successful creative career.

From the outside, it looked like he had everything going for him.

But inside, Ezra was struggling.

In this episode of The Fort Builders, Ezra shares a remarkably personal story about talent, expectations, addiction, family, recovery, and learning to live differently.

His book, Mornings and Midnights, became a starting point for our conversation. Through his poetry, music, and artwork, we explore the different versions of ourselves we become throughout life.

Ezra describes six men: the golden child, the rising star, the hypocrite, the drowning man, the freed man, and the reliable man.

It's that sixth man he's working to become today.

We talk about what it means to rebuild relationships after causing harm, why genuine change has to be demonstrated rather than simply promised, and how Ezra came to understand freedom as the ability to be himself.

But there's another side to this conversation I really enjoyed.

We talk about childhood imagination, building forts, getting lost in creativity, walking in the woods, and learning to do things simply because we enjoy doing them—not because they need to produce something.

Ezra also shares an extraordinary story about a song he wrote after getting sober, and how that song unexpectedly helped bring him and his wife back together.

What I appreciated most about our time together was Ezra's willingness to share not only what he's learned, but what he's still working on.

Because becoming who we are doesn't end at a certain age.

We're still building.

In this episode:

• Growing up as a gifted young artist and musician
• The pressure that comes with being called talented
• The six different men Ezra describes in his life
• Addiction, recovery, and rebuilding family relationships
• What it means to become someone others can depend on
• Finding freedom in simply being yourself
• Rediscovering childhood imagination and creativity
• Learning to be present instead of constantly pursuing the next accomplishment
• Why unfinished projects can still have meaning
• The song that helped change the course of Ezra's marriage
• Finding gratitude and contentment in everyday life

If you want to know more about Ezra, his new book "Mornings & Midnights", his music, etc., please visit his website:
Ezra Vancil Website

Thank You for Your Time...

The Fort Builders — How We Become Who We Are.

What does it mean to have someone in your corner — and what happens when you become that person for someone else?

Shannon Oury is the Executive Director and CEO of the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority, a role she’s held for roughly 16 years.

Before that, she was the agency’s attorney and served on its board. But her path there was anything but predetermined.

Shannon grew up in Oklahoma in a family whose story had been dramatically changed by the generations before her.

Her grandmother — “Big Mom” — was orphaned at four years old during the 1918 flu epidemic and grew up in difficult circumstances. Years later, with little more than four cows to the family’s name, she mortgaged those cows to start a café. She eventually went back to school, became a teacher, and after retiring, started Meals on Wheels in her community.

That example carried forward.

Shannon remembers growing up knowing two things: her family delighted in who she was, and they believed she was capable of building something for herself. Her mother’s message wasn’t simply, “You can be anything you want to be.” It was: “You can be anything you want to be if you work hard enough to do it.”

After college, Shannon moved to Colorado, went to law school, and began building a successful legal career. But experiences early in that career caused her to reconsider what she wanted her life to look like. With two young children, she shifted her focus away from climbing the corporate ladder and toward family, meaningful work, and eventually Lawrence, Kansas.

That journey ultimately led her away from a law-firm partnership and into public service.

Today, much of Shannon’s work revolves around something her own family experienced firsthand: creating opportunity.

We talk about poverty, housing, education, the growing difficulty of achieving the American dream, and why stable housing can provide the foundation someone needs to begin moving forward.

Shannon also shares how the Housing Authority goes beyond simply providing a place to live — helping people pursue education and job training, obtain certifications, gain skills, and, when possible, eventually move out of assisted housing and into the broader market.

But underneath all of it is a much bigger conversation about the people who build us.

Shannon says whatever success she has achieved came from “standing on other people’s shoulders.”

And perhaps one of the most important ideas in this conversation is also one of the simplest:

Every kid deserves a champion in their corner.

Not everyone gets a Big Mom.

But maybe each of us has an opportunity to become one for somebody else.

This is a conversation about family, work, housing, education, community, purpose — and carrying forward what others once gave us.

In this episode:

• The influence of Shannon’s grandmother, “Big Mom”
• Growing up with adventure, imagination, and high expectations
• Why education became a generational value in her family
• Leaving Colorado and reconsidering the corporate ladder
• Choosing meaningful work and public service
• The realities of poverty and affordable housing
• Why stable housing can change much more than where someone sleeps
• Helping families build skills and move toward economic independence
• Whether the American dream is becoming harder to achieve
• Why education and learning still matter
• The importance of having a champion in your corner
• Finding purpose by paying attention to what keeps pulling you back

The Fort Builders - How We Become Who We Are

How We Become Who We Are: The Story Behind The Fort Builders.

Every guest who has joined me in The Fort has answered questions about the people, moments, decisions, failures, victories, and relationships that helped shape who they are.

Eventually, it was only fair that someone turned those same questions back on me.

In this special two-part conversation, my friend and life coach, Stephanie Bessent, takes over the host's chair and interviews me about the experiences that built my own life.

We talk about growing up in western Kansas, spending countless hours on construction sites with my dad, building forts with my brothers, creating businesses before I was old enough to drive, and discovering a love for engineering, entrepreneurship, and creating things that didn't exist before.

But we also spend time talking about a much more difficult chapter.

The collapse of the engineering company I helped build during the Great Recession...losing my confidence...walking through years of uncertainty...and how relationships, gratitude, curiosity, and a willingness to begin again slowly rebuilt my life.

This conversation explains why The Fort Builders exists.

It isn't simply a podcast about successful people.

It's about understanding how ordinary people become who they are.

Because every one of us is built by people.

By moments.

By failures.

By victories.

By decisions.

By grace.

And by the people who stayed when life got hard.

In this episode and Episode TFB - 019:

• Growing up around construction sites in western Kansas
• Building forts, imagination, and creativity as a kid
• Early entrepreneurial adventures
• Why engineering became the path
• Starting and growing an engineering firm
• Serving on the Lawrence City Commission
• Losing a business during the Great Recession
• Depression, identity, and rebuilding confidence
• The people who carried me through difficult years
• Why gratitude and curiosity became guiding principles
• The vision behind The Fort Builders
• Why everyone's story matters

A special Thanks to Stephanie Bessent (Be-Sent Life Restoration) for asking the great questions, and Joe Comparato with Daybreak Recording Company for the studio space and technical assistance.

If you want to support The Fort Builders Podcast, please Like/Subscribe and follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and find full episodes on YouTube, Spotify and Apple podcats. Thank You!

How We Become Who We Are: The Story Behind The Fort Builders.

Every guest who has joined me in The Fort has answered questions about the people, moments, decisions, failures, victories, and relationships that helped shape who they are.

Eventually, it was only fair that someone turned those same questions back on me.

In this special two-part conversation, my friend and life coach, Stephanie Bessent, takes over the host's chair and interviews me about the experiences that built my own life.

We talk about growing up in western Kansas, spending countless hours on construction sites with my dad, building forts with my brothers, creating businesses before I was old enough to drive, and discovering a love for engineering, entrepreneurship, and creating things that didn't exist before.

But we also spend time talking about a much more difficult chapter.

The collapse of the engineering company I helped build during the Great Recession...losing my confidence...walking through years of uncertainty...and how relationships, gratitude, curiosity, and a willingness to begin again slowly rebuilt my life.

This conversation explains why The Fort Builders exists.

It isn't simply a podcast about successful people.

It's about understanding how ordinary people become who they are.

Because every one of us is built by people.

By moments.

By failures.

By victories.

By decisions.

By grace.

And by the people who stayed when life got hard.

In this episode and Episode TFB - 020:

• Growing up around construction sites in western Kansas
• Building forts, imagination, and creativity as a kid
• Early entrepreneurial adventures
• Why engineering became the path
• Starting and growing an engineering firm
• Serving on the Lawrence City Commission
• Losing a business during the Great Recession
• Depression, identity, and rebuilding confidence
• The people who carried me through difficult years
• Why gratitude and curiosity became guiding principles
• The vision behind The Fort Builders
• Why everyone's story matters

A special Thanks to Stephanie Bessent (Be-Sent Life Restoration) for asking the great questions, and Joe Comparato with Daybreak Recording Company for the studio space and technical assistance.

If you want to support The Fort Builders Podcast, please Like/Subscribe and follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and find full episodes on YouTube, Spotify and Apple podcats. Thank You!

One thing Jason said kept resurfacing in different ways:

He likes making things that other people experience.

Whether it's a brewery...

a downtown...

an economic development project...

or simply a place where strangers become regulars...

he's driven by creating something that didn't exist before.

What does it take to build something people want to come back to?

For Jason Lieb, it isn't just about brewing great beer. It's about creating a place where people gather, celebrate, reconnect, and build community.

Jason is one of the founders of Transport Brewery in Shawnee, Kansas, but his story started long before the brewery. From dreaming of becoming an astronaut, to starting an IT company, running for public office, and now helping shape economic development for the City of Olathe, Jason's path has been anything but linear.

In this conversation we talk about why creating something tangible matters, the risks of starting a business, how Transport Brewery nearly had several different homes before finding the right one, and why hearing a stranger compliment your work is one of the greatest rewards of entrepreneurship.

Jason also shares what he's learned from business ownership—including failures, unexpected challenges, opening during COVID, and why he believes trying something, even if it doesn't ultimately succeed, is almost always worth it.

We also dive into leadership, downtown revitalization, public service, running for office, and why meaningful progress never "just happens." It takes people willing to step forward, invest their time, and play the long game.

If you've ever dreamed of starting something, wondered whether the risk is worth it, or simply appreciate hearing how ordinary people build extraordinary lives, I think you'll enjoy this conversation.

In this episode we discuss:

• How Transport Brewery got its name
• Why experience matters as much as the beer
• Turning a hobby into a business
• Opening a brewery in an emerging downtown
• Why progress doesn't happen by accident
• Entrepreneurship versus security
• Lessons from selling an IT company
• Economic development and building stronger communities
• Why Jason ran for public office
• The value of trying—even when you might fail
• Building something that serves others

Transport Brewery

This week is a little different.

Instead of sitting down with a guest, I wanted to hit pause and spend a little time reflecting.

Over the past several months, I've had the privilege of sitting across from artists, entrepreneurs, coaches, nonprofit leaders, public servants, athletes, adventurers, and people whose life stories have challenged, inspired, and changed me. I originally thought I was simply collecting great stories.

Looking back, I think I was collecting something else.

I was collecting clues.

Clues about one question that has become the heartbeat of The Fort Builders:

How do we become who we are?

As I reflected on conversations with guests like Jeremy Newman, Mary Shannon, Stephen T. Johnson, Coach Bryant Wright, Ezra, Mike Akers, Dave McClung, Stephanie Bessent, Sherrie Ortiz, Brad Finkeldei, Kirsten Flory, Andrew Kneisler, Chad Dick, Brandon Meek, and many others, I realized something.

No one arrived where they are by accident.

Each of us is shaped by people, moments, decisions, setbacks, risks, failures, beliefs, and opportunities. Some of those things we choose. Some choose us.

In this episode, I share some of my own reflections—from watching communities come together during the World Cup, to a meaningful fishing trip with my dad and brothers in Canada, to looking back on the forts we built as kids and realizing they represented something much bigger than pieces of scrap wood.

Maybe we weren't just building forts.

Maybe those forts were building us.

This isn't a recap of past episodes.

It's an invitation to look at your own life.

Who and what has shaped you?

What moments changed your direction?

What are you still building?

Because the story isn't over.

None of us are finished.

We're all still under construction.