What makes high achievers anxious — even when everything looks “fine” on the outside?
In this episode, Brandon sits down with Alycia Bueche, a licensed counselor specializing in trauma, anxiety, and brain mapping, to break down why stress, fear, and restlessness are so common in driven people.

Alycia explains how early life experiences silently wire the brain, why vulnerability feels unsafe for so many men and women, and how anxiety often becomes a coping mechanism rather than a warning sign. They explore how high performers learn to outrun discomfort through productivity, why presence is so hard in a fast-paced culture, and how unhealed emotional wounds quietly shape communication, relationships, and decision-making.

This conversation digs into brain development, trauma across life stages, fear of failure, and the myth that anxiety is required for success. Alycia also shares how learning to sit with discomfort — instead of numbing or avoiding it — creates more peace, clarity, and long-term performance without dulling ambition.

• Why anxiety is common in high achievers — and when it becomes harmful

• How childhood experiences shape adult stress responses and behavior

• The difference between working from anxiety vs. working from peace

• Why vulnerability feels unsafe and how to rewire that response

• How fear and anxiety steal focus, energy, and mental bandwidth

• Practical ways to build presence without losing drive or discipline

About Alycia Bueche

Alycia Bueche is a licensed counselor who works with individuals and couples on trauma, anxiety, emotional regulation, and brain mapping. Her approach focuses on helping high-functioning people heal underlying wounds so they can operate with clarity, presence, and purpose.

Who this episode is for

High achievers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone who feels constantly “on,” stressed, or restless — and wants to perform better without living in anxiety.

👉 Follow the podcast, leave a rating, and share this episode with someone who’s always pushing forward but rarely at peace.

Keywords: anxiety, high achievers, trauma, brain mapping, counseling, fear of failure, emotional healing, performance mindset, presence, stress management

What drives someone to seek chaos, responsibility, and service — again and again?

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Garrett DuBois, a former Marine, Secret Service agent, and lifelong coach, to unpack the mindset forged through war, leadership, and high-stakes decision-making.

Garrett shares what pulled him toward the Marines after 9/11, why competition and service are wired deep in so many people, and how exposure to real conflict permanently reshapes how you see comfort, effort, and responsibility. From clearing roads in Iraq to leading teams in civilian life, this conversation cuts straight to the core of composure under pressure.They explore complacency, discipline, and why the smallest details matter more than people realize — especially in a world that keeps getting easier and more automated. Garrett also breaks down leadership lessons learned through coaching, combat, and federal service, and why imperfect action beats perfect plans every time.

What you’ll learn:

• What drives people to answer the call to serve — and why some don’t
• How war and global exposure permanently change perspective
• Why complacency is more dangerous in everyday life than in combat
• How to stay composed when everything goes wrong
• Why details matter — even when outcomes seem guaranteed
• The leadership mindset behind imperfect action and momentum

About Garrett DuBoisGarrett DuBois is a former U.S. Marine, Secret Service agent, and wrestling coach. His life has revolved around service, leadership, and building people through discipline, accountability, and shared purpose.

Who this episode is forAnyone who wants to understand leadership under pressure, develop composure in chaos,and live with intention in a world that increasingly avoids discomfort.

👉 Follow the podcast, leave a rating, and share this episode with someone who needs a reminderthat growth comes from responsibility — not comfort.

Keywords: leadership, military mindset, Marines, discipline, service, chaos, composure,personal responsibility, coaching, competition, self-awareness

Most parents don’t stop training because they don’t care — they stop because they care too much.

In this episode, Brandon sits down with Gabe Yanez to break down why so many dads put their health last,why that mindset quietly hurts their family, and how fitness actually makes you a calmer, more patient, more present parent.

This isn’t about six-packs or chasing PRs. It’s about energy, emotional regulation, leadership, and setting the standard your kids will carry for the rest of their lives. Gabe shares his journeyfrom CrossFit competition to endurance training, how chronic pain forced him to rethink “hard training,” and why minimum standards beat perfection every time.They also dive into modern challenges dads face — overstimulation, phones, AI, loss of identity after competition,and how kids mirror everything you do, not what you say. If you’re a parent trying to balance ambition, fitness, and family without burning out, this conversation will hit hard.

What you’ll learn:

• Why prioritizing your health actually makes you a better parent
• How fitness improves patience, emotional control, and presence
• The danger of tying your identity to competition or performance
• Why “minimum standards” keep dads consistent long-term
• How kids mirror phone habits, stress, and discipline
• Why enjoying your training matters more than optimal programming

About Gabe YanezGabe is a father, endurance athlete, and coach focused on helping dads reclaim their healthwithout sacrificing their family. His message centers on sustainable fitness, strong leadership at home, and building families that thrive long-term.

Who this episode is forDads, parents, and driven individuals who want to stay fit, present, and capable — without letting fitness become another source of stress.👉 Follow the podcast, leave a rating, and share this with a parent who needs to hear it.

Keywords

fatherhood, parenting, fitness for dads, CrossFit, endurance training, mental health, discipline, habits, family leadership, strong fathers

Emma sits down with podcast host Brandon Luckett for a raw, no-fluff interview about what people get wrong about him: Brandon wasn’t “gifted”… he was consistent, hardheaded, and willing to grind.

Brandon opens up about the long road it took to become a 5x CrossFit Games qualifier, why he still battled imposter syndrome even after proving he belonged, and the hidden cost of success: happiness, presence, friendships, and memories. He also breaks down the daily tug-of-war between discipline vs. comfort, the fear underneath high performance (anxiety of failure), and why real growth is supposed to feel uncomfortable (including his experience with therapy).

You’ll also hear Brandon’s philosophy on life and leadership:
Progress comes from control. Peace comes from surrender. Control what you can, surrender what you can’t, and “do the next right thing” when things get messy.

In this episode:

• CrossFit mindset + building confidence when you don’t feel “talented”

• Discipline, rest, and the pressure to never let off the gas

• Fear of failure, over-delivering, and carrying anxiety

• Healing, scars, boundaries, and learning from past mistakes

• The “Keep Chasing” mentality + the next challenge after you “win”

• The question Brandon wishes everyone asked more: “How can I?”

If this hit home, follow the show, drop a rating, and send it to someone who’s stuck in their head right now.
(This episode is personal experience—not medical or financial advice.)

CrossFit broadcaster Niki Brazier explains the mindset shift most people miss: time perspective. In the gym, a minute can feel endless—or vanish—and learning to work with that pressure translates to parenting, work, and competition. Niki traces her path from TV news to CrossFit media (sending her reel to a new site called YouTube and getting the Regionals call) and laughs about day-one Fran with no pull-ups—proof we all start somewhere. She argues elite athletes are “90% the same” as the rest of us—same fears, same anxieties—and why lifestyle, not just genetics, drives outcomes. You’ll also hear how great questions unlock real vulnerability on camera and at home.

What you’ll learn

• A practical time-perspective tool to stay composed under the clock.

• Why top athletes are 90% just like you—and how to use that to train smarter.

• Genetics vs. lifestyle: “Genetics loads the gun; lifestyle pulls the trigger.”

• How better questions make people open up (and how to use that at home/work).

• Niki’s origin story: from local news to CrossFit media—and day-one Fran.

  
  

About Niki Brazier
Broadcast journalist turned CrossFit media mainstay; started in local TV news, sent an early YouTube reel, and joined the CrossFit Regionals coverage team.

Who this episode is for
Athletes, coaches, and busy parents who need calm execution when the clock (and life) get loud.

Follow The Keep Chasing Podcast on Spotify, drop a 5-star rating, and share it with one person who needs this.

Keywords: Niki Brazier, CrossFit media, time perspective, competition mindset, vulnerability, genetics vs lifestyle, Fran, reporting, parenting, performance under pressure

You don’t avoid pain. You just choose when you pay for it.

In this short but brutal segment from Episode 13, Josh Bridges lays out a truth most people spend their whole lives dodging: discomfort is non-negotiable. You either take it on voluntarily, early, and with intent or life shows up later with interest and no mercy.

Josh breaks down why choosing hard work, discipline, and sacrifice now is always cheaper than the forced suffering that comes from avoidance, complacency, or waiting until circumstances corner you. The pain you delay doesn’t disappear. It grows. It compounds. And when it finally hits, it’s rarely on your terms.

This clip is for anyone standing at a fork in the road pretending the “easy” path won’t cost them later. It will.

Most people see a priest at Mass. Fr. Michael Alello sees a city: 3,500 families, a K–8 school with 1,400 kids, 200 staff, and a never-ending stream of moments that demand instant gear-shifts—carpool smiles at 7:30, crisis counseling at 8, a funeral at 10. In this unfiltered conversation, he lays out a real leadership framework: saying “yes” to your vocation daily, making unpopular decisions for the greater good, and staying approachable without pretending to be perfect. He breaks down how he fills his cup—silent retreats, Monday solitude, training for marathons and an Ironman—and why physical discipline and spiritual practice are the same muscle. You’ll also hear the pivot after a thyroid-cancer scare two months before the Marine Corps Marathon and the courage it took to learn to swim with a high-school team at 6 a.m. If you lead people (or want to), this episode is a masterclass in service under pressure.

What you’ll learn

• A repeatable system to lead and care without burning out

• How to switch emotional gears fast—and still show up present

• Decision rules for making unpopular calls the right way

• Practical “fill your cup” habits (silence, exercise, boundaries)

• Why physical training strengthens spiritual resilience

• How to face diagnosis/fear with action, not avoidance

  
  

About Fr. Michael Alello
Pastor of St. Aloysius (Baton Rouge); diocesan priest (18+ years); chaplain, endurance athlete (marathons & Ironman); community leader across parish and school.

Follow The Keep Chasing Podcast on Spotify, drop a 5-star rating, and share it with one person who needs this.

Keywords: leadership under pressure, priesthood, parish management, emotional agility, burnout prevention, silence & retreat, endurance sport, Ironman, thyroid cancer scare, spiritual discipline, St. Aloysius, Baton Rouge, Fr. Michael Alello

In this candid episode, Brandon Luckett flips the usual athlete script. CrossFit was never #1—he’s a medical physicist by trade, a husband and new dad first, and an athlete next. Brandon lays out the real juggling act: 4:30 a.m. starts, full workdays, training blocks, and building The EMOM Company—without pretending there aren’t tradeoffs. He shares the moment after the 2018 CrossFit Games when he failed his board exam, why he stepped away (twice), and how therapy and fatherhood reframed identity so he could compete—and later retire—on purpose. The core thesis: the only thing keeping you from your dream is you. If you’re balancing ambition with real life, this is the operating manual.

What you’ll learn

• A simple priority stack to win in family, career, and sport—without burning out.

• How to turn public setbacks (Games → failed boards) into better decision rules.

• Identity work 101: stepping off the floor without losing your edge (therapy, language, standards).

• How to launch a mission-driven podcast that goes deeper than reps and scores.

• The Keep Chasing framework: patience, action, and reps when success is slow.

  
  

About Brandon LuckettMedical physicist, CrossFit Games athlete, and founder of The EMOM Company; husband to Kristen and dad to Grayson.

Follow The Keep Chasing Podcast on Spotify, drop a 5-star rating, and share it with one person who needs this.

Keywords: Brandon Luckett, medical physicist, CrossFit Games, identity, priorities, fatherhood, therapy, failed boards, time management, EMOM Company, mission-driven podcast, keep chasing

At 23, after weeks lost to crack and pills, Roy Viger hit a wall on a narrow Louisiana bridge—choking down Valium, broke, evicted, and finally ready to ask for help. That moment became Day One. Twenty-one years later, he’s sober, leading inpatient and outpatient recovery centers, and mentoring others with the same rules that saved his life: change your circle, get radically vulnerable, and build your days around counterbalance, not some fake idea of “balance.” Roy opens up about identity collapse (from star athlete to addict), the July 4 crash, why jealousy is poison, and how ambition can be harnessed—without letting dopamine take over. If you (or someone you love) are stuck in the spiral, this episode gives you a clear, executable path out.

What you’ll learn

• How to move from denial → action (the exact moment he asked for help)

• The circle audit: upgrading friends/family without burning every bridge

• Vulnerability as a tool: the script that opens real conversations fast

• Counterbalance > balance: seasons of hard push vs. intentional recovery

• Turning addictive tendencies into productive drive (and guardrails that keep it healthy)

  
  

About Roy VigerRecovery entrepreneur and operator (inpatient + outpatient centers in Louisiana); CrossFit gym owner; 21 years sober and outspoken advocate for honest, vulnerable recovery.

Who this episode is forAnyone battling addiction (or loving someone who is) and builders who want a disciplined, real-world framework for lasting change.

Follow The Keep Chasing Podcast on Spotify, drop a 5-star rating, and share it with one person who needs this.

Keywords: addiction recovery, sobriety, asking for help, circle of influence, vulnerability, counterbalance, jealousy, identity, inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, Louisiana, CrossFit community, Roy Viger

What does it really take to chase greatness while raising a family and working a full-time job? In this raw and unfiltered conversation, professional HYROX athlete Dylan Scott opens up about the brutal sacrifices behind his rise to the top of the sport. From training as an outlet for addictive tendencies, to the toll it took on his marriage, to the moment his wife pushed him to take the ultimate risk—quitting his job to go all in—Dylan shares the highs, lows, and hard truths that come with living an obsessed life.

This isn’t just about winning races. It’s about honesty, priorities, and the daily choice between being “busy” and truly training. If you’ve ever wondered what separates those who dabble from those who dominate, Dylan’s story will hit home.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• The fine line between training as a passion vs. a coping mechanism

• How Dylan balanced family, career, and elite competition (and what broke in the process)

• Why obsession requires ruthless honesty about what you’re willing to sacrifice

• Mental tools for handling doubt, nerves, and failure on the world stage

• What sets the very best HYROX athletes apart—physically and mentally

• Lessons Dylan hopes to pass on to his son through his journey

  
  

About Dylan Scott: Dylan Scott is a professional HYROX athlete and coach who has competed in every World Championship since 2021, with podium finishes and a reputation for mental toughness and consistency.

Who this episode is for: Anyone chasing excellence while balancing life’s responsibilities—athletes, parents, entrepreneurs, or anyone learning the cost of high performance.

If this episode hits home, follow the show, rate it, and share it with someone who needs to hear the truth about sacrifice and chasing dreams.

Keywords: Dylan Scott, HYROX, endurance training, obsession, sacrifice, family, mental toughness, world-class athlete, Brandon Luckett