The Relentless Pursuit Podcast

Hard feelings are those emotions that grip onto us when we feel like we've been wronged, when somebody owes us something, or when someone didn't show up for us in the way we expect. But how long do we hold onto those feelings, and what might it COST us to carry them with us through life? This week we explore where our hard feelings come from and what to do with them when we have them. Jordan confesses hard feelings he's experienced toward businesses, family, and work, while Rosanna acknowledges that "forgive and forget" is far too simple of a formula for legitimately dealing with these complex emotions.  

Debt used to be considered "high risk," but now it is literally your ticket into the middle class. Education loans, mortgages, car loans, and consumer credit give us the appearance of wealth and prosperity, when in reality many of us are a combination of IOUs and bad spending habits. Stack on top of that the inflation, interest, and growing wealth divide in the country, and it's beginning to look like the true American Dream is further away than ever before. Jordan and Rosanna offer big picture acknowledgements of the true struggles that are out there, as well as tongue-in-cheek laughter at our middle class habits, justifications, and concerns. 

The older we get, we believe the more we ought to have life figured out. But getting older means we have changing responsibilities, changing desires, and changing circumstances that open up new opportunities - new plot twists in the stories of our lives. When we have questions, needs, pressures, and restlessness, we just might surprise ourselves and the people around us with what comes in our next chapter. In this conversation we explore all the elements that should inspire us - or restrain us - from making that next big move in our lives. Rosanna confesses a growing desire for something new with her career and business; Jordan explores the balance between needing reliable consistency for others' sake and finding safe ways to branch out into the person he's still evolving into.

What does it mean to be a "good man" in the 21st century? What are women looking for, and what are men becoming? Today we talk about the expectations, pressures, fears, and stereotypes placed upon men by society and by themselves. Jordan shares his inner conflicts about what it feels like to be a husband and father, and Rosanna offers her definitions and interpretations of what women really need their men to be. 

Today we discuss the concerning headline about women "quietly quitting" their marriages. Not divorcing, not fighting...but quieting giving in to the perceived fact that their marriage will never meet their expectations. Rosanna explores the changing needs of women in modern marriages, and Jordan lists the types of husband he tries to avoid becoming. The final takeaway is that no marriage is perfect - or easy - but each spouse must ask two questions: 

"What do I need to say clearly?"

"What has been said clearly to me that I need to act on?"

Welcome to the launch of Season 20 on the Relentless Pursuit Podcast! This week's episode follows what could arguably be described as one of the busiest and most stressful periods of our lives. Rosanna navigated a challenging work schedule and Jordan worked behind the scenes to support her along with managing kids, dinner, laundry, and anything else he could to take things off her plate. The household balance was renegotiated to find that sweet spot where the Catapanos could keep thriving, despite the stress, responsibilities, and sacrifice. Rosanna focuses on the unique degree of stress she encountered and all the work behind the scenes it takes to keep building her business, while Jordan discusses the "lonely" feeling of being the parent who manages what the household needs day-to-day. We end by celebrating the season and finding healthy ways to come back together and recalibrate ourselves for the fall. 

Frankly, the relentless pursuit of the good things in life can be tiring, frustrating, and - sometimes - cause a touch of despair. We wrestle with our feelings this in this season-ending conversation, trying tom ake sense of it all and giving ourselves the pep talk we need to carry on. 

Dale Carnegie - author of How to Win Friends and Influence People - taught us that the sound of a person's name is, to that person, the most important and most beautiful sound they will ever hear. Our names are our identities, and when we recognize a person through their name, we honor a major piece of who they truly are. 

We often hold ourselves back from doing that thing we want - or even need - because of the imagined harm or judgment it might induce. But maybe being a little selfish can help us develop a stronger sense of self, get us those things we need, and make life easier for others along the way. 

This week we take a survey of modern culture and current events - everything from AI actresses to protein foam - and decide whether we want to applaud them...or cringe at them.