This week felt loud, not on the outside, but inside.

When your emotions take over, that’s EXACTLY when self-leadership matters most.

In today’s episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, we break down what it really looks like to lead yourself when life gets overwhelming, noisy, or emotionally heavy. If you’ve been dealing with stress, insecurity, or internal chaos… this episode is for you.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

✔ How to notice your inner world before it derails you

✔ Why purpose doesn’t always feel good and why that’s normal

✔ How to stay focused on what you CAN control

✔ How to silence insecurity and see yourself the way God sees you

✔ Why leadership is a path you walk, not a standard you achieve

✔ One emotional truth that can shift your confidence today

This is real self-leadership: honest, practical, faith-centered, and human.

SUPPORT THE SHOW

If this episode encouraged you, share it with someone who’s going through a hard or chaotic week. You never know what one small message can do.

FOLLOW ME

Instagram: @theselfleadershiplab

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-bobby-shelton-dsl-pmp-acc-124502b

Podcast: The Self-Leadership Lab (Available on Apple or Spotify)

Website: www.battlecatcoaching.com

Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FT68RCB1

In this pilot episode, Bobby Shelton officially launches The Self-Leadership Lab, the evolution of the Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard podcast.

This rebrand isn’t a goodbye ; it’s an expansion. Bobby explains why the name is changing, what stays the same, and how this shift opens the door for deeper conversations about purpose, presence, discipline, and the real work of becoming who you're meant to be.

In This Episode, Bobby Shares:

Why Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard is becoming The Self-Leadership Lab

How algorithms, clarity, and mission guided the decision

Why self-leadership is the foundation of all leadership

The danger of creating obstacles for yourself (and how to stop)

Why excuses hold us back more than circumstances

Bobby’s personal story of sitting in a chair until he could finally like himself again

What it means to “find the work that matters” in your life

How to begin loving yourself again; today, not “someday”

About the Self-Leadership Lab

This show is about the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual components of self-leadership. You’ll hear personal stories, expert interviews, tools, and encouragement to help you look in the mirror and build a life you’re proud of.

If you’re tired of excuses, tired of waiting, and ready to show up fully — this is your space.

Connect with Bobby

Book: Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard — available now on Amazon

Message Bobby: [email protected]

If you’re ready to remove obstacles, reclaim your purpose, and find the work that matters… welcome to Season 2.

Let’s get to work.

Bobby talks with comedian and podcaster Dustin Anderson, covering everything from weight-vest walkers to hamster cemeteries to navigating emotional heaviness in the aftermath of public tragedy.

Dustin opens up about how humor helps people heal, why he started a podcast, how “Dustin’s Book Club” was born, and why connection through story matters so deeply.

They also discuss online comments, creative vulnerability, and why most people quit before their podcast ever gets good.

Topics include:

Humor as healing

The Charlie Kirk tragedy & emotional processing

Comedy built on everyday life

Starting and maintaining a podcast

Online comments & criticism

Storytelling as a tool for meaning

Inspiration, creativity, and personal growth

What happens when a man walks 3,007 miles across America with no music, no phone, and no escape from his own thoughts?

In this powerful episode, Tim Perreira joins Bobby Shelton (Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard) to talk about depression, presence, suicidal thoughts, and the internal battle every man is fighting.

Tim’s 6-month journey across the U.S. wasn’t about adventure; it was about survival.

What he discovered about the mind, emotions, and masculinity is something every man needs to hear.

If you’re a man who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected, this episode will hit home.

What You’ll Learn

How silence reveals the truth about your mind

What depression actually tries to tell you

Why men avoid their emotions

How to break negative loops and inner criticism

How presence, breathwork & stillness can save your life

The moment on the walk that nearly broke him

The 34,000-Step Challenge and how to try it yourself

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

01:20 – Why Tim decided to walk across America

05:45 – Depression, apathy & suicidal thoughts

10:30 – The power of walking alone with no music

14:55 – What pain teaches us about the mind

18:40 – Negative thought loops & breaking them

24:30 – Why men struggle to feel emotions

28:55 – How to observe emotions without drowning in them

34:10 – Rewiring your mind through presence

41:50 – The 34,000-Step Challenge

49:00 – How to build internal alignment

55:40 – Bobby’s reflections on depression & identity

59:10 – What this journey means for men today

Author and coach Bobby Shelton sits down with Ken Davenport, entrepreneur, writer, and author of The Stoic Edge, to explore how ancient Stoic wisdom can guide modern leaders toward purpose, discipline, and peace of mind.

Ken shares lessons from The Stoic Edge, The Stoic Transitions, and his upcoming book The Virtue Ethos, revealing how timeless principles from Marcus Aurelius and Seneca can help us regain control in an age of noise and distraction.

Together, Bobby and Ken discuss the Stoic virtues of wisdom, courage, discipline, and justice and how these foundations can help you slow down, act with intention, and live a life that truly matters.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, restless, or unsure of your direction, this conversation will help you reclaim focus, lead yourself well, and find strength in simplicity.

What You’ll Learn:

What Stoicism really is ; and how it applies today

How to control your reactions and stop overthinking

Why purpose isn’t something you find, but something you bring

How consistency beats intensity (and patience builds peace)

The connection between virtue, authenticity, and meaning

Key Quotes:

“You can’t control what happens to you—but you can control your reaction to it.” – Ken Davenport

“Purpose isn’t something you find in your 9-to-5; it’s something you bring to it.” – Bobby Shelton

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

The Stoic Edge - Ken Davenport

The Stoic Transitions - Ken Davenport

The Virtue Ethos - Ken Davenport, coming soon

Atomic Habits - James Clear

Meditations - Marcus Aurelius

Easy Hard vs Hard Hard - Bobby Shelton

Connect with the Guests:

Ken Davenport: www.kendavenport.net | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kgdavenport/

Bobby Shelton: www.easyhardvshardhard.com | www.battlecatcoaching.com

| Substack: https://bobbyshelton.substack.com/ | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bobby-shelton-dsl-pmp-acc-124502b

Stoicism, Ken Davenport, Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard, Bobby Shelton, self-leadership, purpose, personal growth, modern Stoicism, Atomic Habits, mindfulness, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, discipline, courage, wisdom, virtue, Battlecat Coaching, leadership, motivation, authenticity

What are you going to do with this information?

We spend our lives collecting knowledge by reading books, listening to podcasts, and talking with mentors. If these efforts never turn into action, it only fills our heads, not our lives. In this episode, In this episode, Bobby challenges you to stop hoarding insights and start applying them.

You’ll hear how emotions and overthinking can sabotage your progress, and why real change happens only when you do something with what you’ve learned. From corporate leaders to creative risk-takers, Bobby shares stories of those who took their information and built something meaningful.

It’s time to move from knowing to doing. Start where you are, grow where you’re planted, and keep chasing your Hard Hard; the work that truly matters.

You’ve done the thinking. You’ve made the plans. But none of it matters until you take the first step.

In this episode, Bobby explores what separates the Easy Hard from the Hard Hard: action. You’ll learn how to move from intention to momentum, why starting small matters, and how consistency and accountability fuel transformation.

“In twenty years, you’ll be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did.” — Mark Twain

Start where you are. Take one action today. Then repeat.

Welcome back to the Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard Podcast, a show dedicated to helping you find and do the work that actually matters.

In this solo episode, Bobby Shelton explores Chapter 6 of his book , Self-monitoring, and why this simple but powerful habit separates those who drift into Easy Hard from those who stay on the road to their Hard Hard.

Fresh from attending at the CEO Summit at Liberty University, Bobby shares lessons on leadership, awareness, and the importance of gentle course correction. Drawing from his own 180-pound weight-loss journey and coaching experience, he reveals how self-monitoring helps you stay aligned without falling into the trap of over-measurement or self-criticism.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why self-monitoring is about awareness, not anxiety.

• The key difference between evaluation and monitoring.

• How to spot patterns before they become problems.

• Why early metrics can discourage progress.

• The power of small, daily “micro check-ins.”

• How being gentle with yourself builds momentum.

Favorite Quotes:

“Self-monitoring is your compass — you’re just checking the map to make sure you’re still heading in the right direction.”

“All change is self-driven. Only you can make the change.”

“Be gentle with yourself. The harder you are on yourself, the harder it is to recover.”

Referenced in This Episode:

• Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard — by Bobby Shelton

• Atomic Habits — by James Clear

Episode Highlights:

• Why metrics can sometimes lie to you early in the journey.

• How awareness creates consistency, and consistency builds trust.

• The difference between gentle self-awareness and micromanaging yourself.

• When to bring in accountability partners ; and when not to.

• How simple self-monitoring transforms reflection into forward momentum.

Key Reminder:

Don’t over-engineer your growth. Just check in, adjust course, and keep moving. You’re not looking for perfection ; you’re building presence and progress.

Join the Movement:

If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s chasing their Hard Hard. Every listener who learns to self-lead contributes to a world that’s more focused, fulfilled, and free from distraction.

#self-leadership #self-monitoring #easyhardvshardhard

The Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard podcast celebrates Episode 20 with author and publisher Ben Gioia, creator of Influence With a Heart®. Together they explore how to write your book with purpose. Ben shares how coaches and leaders can finish a meaningful book in just weeks, overcome fear, use dictation to find their voice, and market it before it’s even published. If you’ve ever said “someday I’ll write a book,” this episode will help you start today.

Connect with Ben:

www.influenecewithaheart.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengioia/

Connect with Bobby:

www.easyhardvshardhard.com

www.linkedin.com/in/dr-bobby-shelton-dsl-pmp-acc-124502b

Buy a copy of Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard at https://a.co/d/cDKpKcM

After a recording mishap, Bobby takes the mic solo to share what he learned from his backyard trees and how their rhythm of growth and rest can help us avoid burnout.

He unpacks the concept of masting, the natural cycle where trees go all-in for one season, then pause to recover.

The message?

Even purpose-driven people need to recharge.

Also in this episode:

Updates on the Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard book launch

Why rest isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom

A moving story about compassion from an unexpected stranger

If you’re feeling drained, this episode will remind you that rest is part of the work.

Listen. Reflect. Restore.

#SelfLeadership #EasyHard #HardHard #Mindfulness #PurposeDrivenLife #MeaningfulWork #Resilience #LeadershipPodcast

Bobby’s book, Easy Hard vs. Hard Hard, is now available on Amazon Kindle, with the print version coming soon.

This book consolidates the ideas explored on the podcast—helping readers recognize the difference between the “Easy Hard” (the comfortable grind that leads nowhere) and the “Hard Hard” (the meaningful work that fulfills).

Get your copy: https://a.co/d/4EbWLrz

If your interested in the program offered by Ben Gioia, please find him on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengioia/ or visit his website: https://www.influencewithaheart.com