What if the way you frame a problem is the whole problem in and of itself?

In the final Off the Hinges episode of 2025, I’m joined by my dear friend Maida Zheng. From her time as a two-year-old Bosnian war refugee to U.S. Marine Corps officer, to wife, mother, and entrepreneur, Maida’s story is a powerful reminder that curiosity and gratitude shape not only how we survive, but how we lead.

This conversation on problem framing is grounded in emotional intelligence, culture, family, and the courage to listen deeply to perspectives different from our own.

As we step into a new year, may we carry better questions, deeper frames, and softer hearts.

From Maida and me, Happy New Year to all of you across the Foundational Coaching and Opus Blaze families.

In this final episode of The Power of Framing for 2025, we sit with the virtue of Problem Framing.

As the year closes, I invite you to consider this: opening your hands and heart to another frame does not cost you truth; it may be what gives you the wisdom to move beyond making a point and into finally making a real difference.

This episode closes with a trailer for my upcoming Off the Hinges conversation with Maida Zheng, where problem framing is explored through the lived experience of a Bosnian war refugee, Marine officer, wife, mother, and leader.

Merry Christmas to all of you across the Foundational Coaching family. Thank you for the gift of doing life together.

In this final episode of Back 2 GoOD for 2025, Fred and I sit with the virtue of Selflessness. As the year comes to a close and Christmas draws near, we hope this conversation invites you to slow down, take inventory, and consider what you are carrying forward for those who come after you.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you across the FC family.

“The act of selflessness requires on to forsake oneself for the benefit of others. It denotes the idea of helping others without the desire for compensation. Its components are rooted in humility, generosity, and compassion... it’s a discipline.”

In our last episode before Christmas, I sit down with my brother, Matt Bride, to talk about Selflessness.

This is a conversation about choosing people over pride, obedience over applause, and faithfulness in the spaces that matter most.

Matt, thank you for the gift of your friendship and for sharing this special episode during the holiday season. I love you, my brother.

And Merry Christmas to each of you across the Foundational Coaching family.

Whose needs drive what you gift the world through your head, hands, and heart?

As we explore selflessness, I don’t want to minimize my identity or my place in this world. I want to model this virtue by offering a single question and a photo in place of a story, because this picture is worth more than all of my words and the ones I fail to find. It is the heart of my response to today’s question. And how you honestly answer this question is everything.

What excuses are attacking your purpose?

In this week’s episode of Back 2 GoOD, Fred and I sit with the virtue that objectively exposes us the most. Discipline is not punishment and it is not performance. It is the daily posture of a man or woman who chooses what is right long before the fruit of that choice can be seen.

Drawing from our own journeys, we talk about purpose, excuses, spiritual discipline, and why the small, unseen decisions reveal the truest version of who we are.

⚠️ Content Note: This episode includes brief mentions of drug use and of a suicide attempt. Listener discretion advised for those under 17.

"I have to sacrifice for what I love so that what I love doesn't become the sacrifice."

Happy Thanksgiving. In honor of my brother and this week's guest, Ron, I'm sharing a day early. The fact that this man is still alive is one thing I am thankful for each day. His story is one of honesty, restoration, and discipline.

What are you thankful for? Drop it in the comments and let Ron and me know.

Whoever you are, and wherever you are, you're always welcomed here and your life is always worth it. I'm so thankful that you're here. Enjoy this release one day early.

And to Ron, I love you, my brother. Thank you for the honor of sharing this special Thanksgiving episode together for our families.

Discipline. What excuses are attacking your purpose?

This week begins on a frozen mountainside in a blizzard and ends in the quiet struggle of choosing the right thing when nothing in me felt like it.

Through these two moments, we explore where discipline truly takes root and shapes who we become.

To whom, and for what, are you accountable?
Accountability is not a hammer. It is the compass that keeps your head, hands, and heart aligned when no one is watching.

In this week’s episode of Back 2 GoOD, Fred and I explore why accountability is not a taskmaster, but a relationship. We talk about who we answer to, the purpose behind the gifts and trials we steward, and how aligning our purpose with our practice cultivates meaningful relationships and a life marked by integrity, clarity, and growth.

This week, I’m sitting down with one of my dearest brothers and longtime friend, retired USMC 1stSgt C.J. Santimaw, for a conversation about a virtue that shapes every corner of life: accountability. We talk honestly about what it takes to hold yourself to a standard when no one’s watching, how to offer accountability without shame, and how the people we love most often become the ones who refine us the deepest.

C.J. brings stories from his home, his students, and the leaders he’s walked alongside, and together we dig into the kind of accountability that grows character, strengthens relationships, and invites real change.