The Uncommon Minds Experience

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like they've become smaller because of criticism, rejection, or failure—and wondered if they could find their way back to themselves.

Daniel Curtis knows this terrain intimately. He was told early on that music "wasn't for him" . But he refused to let that define him. Today, his compositions have been heard at the Royal Albert Hall and the London Palladium, his work has featured Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Judi Dench, and Whoopi Goldberg, and he has taken a piano deep underground into a Welsh coal mine to honour the lives of miners who never returned—a first-of-its-kind performance featured on BBC Breakfast and across national news .

His journey is rooted in a simple but profound question: Who were you before the world told you who to be?

In this episode, we explore:

🧠 Identity, Labels, and Becoming Yourself Again – Daniel explores how identity is shaped over time and why labels have such a powerful effect on people's confidence . He shares how his adult ADD diagnosis helped him make sense of his past .

🎵 From Rejection to Royal Albert Hall – He shares the story of being told music "wasn't for him" and the long journey that led to performing at some of the world's most prestigious venues .

🌍 Creativity as a Force for Healing and Connection – Daniel discusses his work producing large-scale charity campaigns for veterans, children with life-limiting illnesses, and anti-bullying initiatives . These projects launched in Times Square and Piccadilly Circus, reaching global audiences of millions .

🕯️ The Coal Mine Concert – He shares the extraordinary story of taking a piano deep underground into a Welsh coal mine—a performance that honoured the lives of miners who never returned and was featured on BBC Breakfast and across national news .

👨‍👦 Fatherhood, Neurodiversity, and Emotional Resilience – Daniel reflects on what fatherhood has taught him about empathy, difference, and the importance of supporting neurodivergent children .

What Listeners Gain:

· Permission to question the labels that have been placed on you

· The reminder that creativity is often one of the first things we hide when we feel judged

· A powerful example of resilience after rejection and failure

· Insight into how faith and calling can be found through life's difficult seasons

· The courage to reclaim your voice and become yourself again

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with Daniel Curtis

🌐 Website: danielcurtishq.com

🎙️ Podcast: The Growth Time Machine with Daniel Curtis (Host)

📱 Instagram: danielcurtishq

🎵 Music: Royal Albert Hall, London Palladium, West End Live

📺 TV: BBC One Show with Tony Bennett, BBC Radio 2, BBC Breakfast

This conversation is for music lovers who understand that the best songs aren't just entertainment—they're messages from the soul.

Sheree Brown began her career in the early 1980s as a rhythm and blues and pop recording artist on Capitol Records, releasing two critically acclaimed albums: Straight Ahead (1981) and The Music (1982) . Both albums have become classics among the discerning rare groove fraternity, with the latter featuring a harmonica solo from Stevie Wonder on the song "On My Way Home" . Toby Walker of SoulWalking described her work as "the bedrock which today's music was laid out, planned and constructed upon" .

She has achieved gold and platinum record status for songs she has written or co-written for various artists, including Kirk Franklin's #1 gospel hit "Looking for You" . She has co-written, recorded and published close to 100 songs, including songs for the acclaimed movie Hollywood Shuffle .

Her relationship with the UK's Expansion Records has been highly successful, culminating in the Messages trilogy of albums, completing her acclaimed anthology series celebrating resilience and the triumph over adversity . The latest release, Messages from the Soul: The Power of Music, is a vibrant fusion of Rare Grooves, Soul, R&B, Gospel, Funk, and Jazz .

In this episode, we explore:

🎵 The Capitol Years – Sheree shares her journey from signing with Capitol Records in the early 80s to recording the albums that would become rare groove classics.

🖊️ Writing with Icons – She discusses her creative partnerships with Grammy-nominated Patrice Rushen , Zhane, Kirk Franklin, and how she co-wrote hits like "Groove Thang" and "Looking for You" .

🎭 Multimedia Storytelling – Sheree explains why standard music albums weren't enough and why she created full multimedia experiences blending music, stories of resilient women, and visual art from renowned artists like Charles Bibbs and her sister Celeste Brown .

🌍 Messages from the Soul – She introduces her trilogy of albums celebrating resilience and the triumph over adversity, and why her music resonates so deeply with UK and European audiences .

🎤 Life at 70 – She speaks about embracing her "Auntie-ism," her recent transformation into House Music with the Steve Barry Cohen mix of "POWER," and why age is just a number .

❤️ Music with a Mission – Sheree shares her philanthropic work on the board for Children & Families, Inc. and Fonkoze in Haiti, and how her passion for healing and social responsibility fuels her music .

What Listeners Gain:

· A deep dive into the career of a rare groove legend

· Insights into the creative process behind timeless soul music

· The story of a remarkable reinvention at 70

· An understanding of how music can be a vehicle for healing and social change

· The reminder that it's never too late to create your best work

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with Sheree Brown

🌐 Website: shereebrownmusic.com

🎙️ Label: Expansion Records (UK)

📖 Books: Zhakanaka The Word, Messages From The Heart

🎵 Latest Album: Messages From The Soul: The Power of Music (Expansion Records, 2025)

📱 Social: Facebook

This conversation is for business owners and executives who are tired of chasing visibility without seeing revenue—and ready to turn podcast guesting into a growth engine.

Josh Elledge knows this terrain intimately. He's a Fractional Chief Revenue Officer with 15+ years of experience building revenue through the podcast ecosystem . He has launched more than 300 podcasts for clients, hosted over 3,000 episodes across his shows, and made 3,000+ traditional media appearances. His clients have collectively generated more than $40 million using relationship-driven podcast guesting strategies . He is the founder of PodVerified, a credentialing and placement platform raising the standard for ethical podcast guesting, and hosts The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, one of the most active interview podcasts in the business space.

His core belief: podcasting is the highest-ROI environment on the planet for building relationships with high-level leaders while serving high-level audiences . He teaches entrepreneurs and executives to treat podcast guesting as a revenue strategy, not a visibility play .

In this episode, we explore:

📈 Why Podcast Guesting Is a Revenue Strategy, Not a PR Play – Josh explains the difference between chasing visibility and building relationships that convert . He reveals what the gap costs most business owners .

🤝 The Warm List Concept – He shares why most business owners are sitting on their fastest revenue opportunity and don't even know it . He explains how podcast guesting is how you work your warm list .

🎯 What the Best Guests Do Differently – With over 3,000 episodes hosted, Josh shares the specific behaviors that make some guests unforgettable and others forgettable .

🛡️ The Integrity Problem in Podcast Guesting – Josh explains why he founded PodVerified and what the industry's integrity crisis actually looks like from his perspective .

💡 How to Filter for the Right Shows – He shares the filter most people are missing when they decide which podcasts to pursue .

What Listeners Gain:

· A new understanding of podcast guesting as a revenue driver, not a vanity metric

· Practical strategies for turning appearances into relationships and revenue

· The warm list concept—and why it's your fastest path to growth

· A framework for identifying which shows are actually worth pursuing

· The reminder that the guests who win are the ones who show up prepared, serve generously, and deploy with intention

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with Josh Elledge

🌐 Website: upmyinfluence.com

🔗 PodVerified: app.podverified.com (Free PodVerified Score)

🎙️ Podcast: The Thoughtful Entrepreneur (Host)

📱 Social: Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn

📧 Media Inquiries: [email protected]

🆓 Free Resource: PodVerified Score at PodVerified.com

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like their demons were taking over—and wondered if they could learn to live with them instead of fighting them.

Joe Gonzalez—known as "Scuba Joe"—is a disabled Navy Seabee who knocked on heaven's door three times and was turned away every single time . After surviving three near-death experiences, he came home and named his demons .

His framework is not about destroying your demons. It is about staying their landlord . Through a combination of Ayahuasca ceremony, Vipassana meditation practice, and brutal self-honesty, he discovered a way to manage the rage, depression, anxiety, addiction, and revenge that once threatened to consume him .

In this episode, we explore:

💀 Three Near-Death Experiences – Joe shares how he survived three encounters with death—and what each one taught him about the fragility and value of life.

🧠 The Roommate Framework – He introduces the powerful metaphor at the heart of his book Love That Doesn't Sharpen Spoils. Rather than fighting his demons, he learned to see them as "really bad roommates" trying to own his space. He discovered that they had forgotten one critical fact: he is the landlord .

🔄 Ayahuasca and Vipassana – Joe explains how sitting with Ayahuasca combined with a daily Vipassana meditation practice transformed his relationship with his inner demons . He shares how he met his ego face-to-face and learned to use its double-edged sword rather than being cut by it.

🎯 Turning a Mid-Life Crisis into a Mid-Life Awakening – He shares how he transformed his personal chaos into a mission of purpose: founding Mother Ocean Fund, an NGO dedicated to marine conservation and helping other veterans heal through adaptive dive therapy .

What Listeners Gain:

· A powerful framework for managing inner conflict without trying to destroy what you're fighting

· The understanding that demons don't have to be defeated—they can be managed

· A new perspective on PTSD recovery that doesn't rely on complete abstinence or avoidance

· The reminder that even the darkest experiences can be alchemized into purpose

· Permission to find your own path to healing, even if it looks different from what others have done

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with Joe Gonzalez

🌐 Website: motheroceanfund.org

📖 Book: Love That Doesn't Sharpen Spoils: A Warrior's Framework For Staying In Control When Rage, Pain, Trauma Or Addiction Want It More (Available at motheroceanfund.org/ltdsp-landing-page/)

🌊 Mother Ocean Fund: motheroceanfund.org

📱 Facebook: Joe Gonzalez

📺 YouTube: Joe Gonzalez

📸 Instagram: @scubajoe

This conversation is for leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-performers who are tired of burnout culture and ready to build success that actually lasts.

Marla Ballard knows this journey well. Raised on a farm in Kentucky, she studied Equine Science at the University of Kentucky and stepped into leadership immediately after college, managing operations for a thoroughbred racehorse farm before completing her degree. That early exposure to high-stakes environments laid the foundation for her lifelong work at the intersection of leadership, performance, and human resilience.

Today, she is the CEO of YU2SHINE, a company recognized by Forbes in 2024 as a pioneer in Quantum Personal Development . She also serves as Director of Unconquerable mE®, a veteran-focused leadership initiative dedicated to purpose-driven leadership, post-service identity, and inner freedom for those who have carried responsibility under pressure and their families . She is an international best-selling author with over 30 years of business experience.

In this episode, we explore:

💡 Quantum Personal Development – Marla explains what quantum personal development is and how it differs from traditional self-help approaches. She shares how this approach helps individuals access clarity, resilience, and sustainable success without the burnout.

🔄 From Horse Farm to CEO – She shares her journey from managing a thoroughbred racehorse farm to leading a global personal development company. She discusses the lessons she learned about leadership, stewardship, and results.

🛡️ The Unconquerable mE Initiative – Marla explains the veteran-centric initiative she directs, focusing on supporting military veterans, first responders, and purpose-driven leaders navigating identity shifts, leadership fatigue, or the next chapter of meaningful contribution .

🧠 Identity and Reinvention – She speaks to the importance of understanding who you are at the core, especially after major life transitions. She shares how true leadership is about helping others find their own purpose and resilience.

🌍 The 51% Principle and Giving Back – She introduces her guiding philosophy: that your vision doesn't have to be fully realized for you to start inspiring others. She also shares how YU2SHINE supports a philanthropic vision to fund education and nourishment programs for children in underserved communities worldwide.

What Listeners Gain:

· A new understanding of quantum personal development

· Practical tools for building sustainable success without burnout

· Insight into veteran leadership and post-service identity

· The reminder that purpose-driven leadership starts from within

· A framework for navigating major life transitions with clarity

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with Marla Ballard

🌐 Website: yu2shine.com

🔗 LinkedIn: Marla Ballard

📱 Instagram: marlaballard

📘 Facebook: Marla Ballard

📧 Email: [email protected]

🆓 Free Resource: mygiftoffer.com (e-book of the 50 most limiting beliefs)

🎙️ Podcast: Various appearances

This conversation is for anyone who loves a good story—and believes it's never too late to find your voice again.

Laura Van Wormer knows this intimately. She published 14 novels with major publishers, including the bestselling Riverside Drive in 1988 and the Sally Harrington mystery series . She even wrote TV tie-in books for Dallas and Knots Landing . Then, in 2015, everything changed. A drunk driver going the wrong way on the Merritt Parkway hit her head-on . She woke up a month later in Yale New Haven Hospital with a crushed collar bone, 16 broken ribs, a torn diaphragm, a severed foot requiring four surgeries—and what she calls her "ventilator" voice from being on one for too long .

Ten years later, at her 50th high school reunion, she was sad because no one could hear her "new" voice . Her husband suggested she try writing a story she could read as a podcast, with a microphone, so her classmates could hear her . Within five minutes, she was writing.

That decision gave birth to The Class of '74, a serialized fictional podcast set in a 1971 Connecticut high school . The story begins on September 8, 1971, as listeners accompany 15-year-old Cynthia Schuyler through the halls of Brighton High—before cell phones, computers, video, or even answering machines existed .

In this episode, we explore:

📖 From Bestselling Novelist to Podcast Creator – Laura shares how a devastating accident and years of cognitive recovery led her to a new creative medium.

🎙️ The Class of '74: Why Podcast Stories Soothe Loneliness – She explains why serialized audio fiction is connecting with listeners and how it became part of her healing journey .

🕰️ Life Before Cell Phones and Social Media – Laura paints a vivid portrait of 1970s America: the Vietnam War, Nixon's price controls, the women's movement, and teenage life before technology dominated everything .

🖊️ How She Found Her Voice Again – She shares the remarkable story of how podcasting helped her recover her ability to write and tell stories after her traumatic brain injury .

What Listeners Gain:

· Inspiration that it's never too late to reinvent your creative life

· A nostalgic journey back to a simpler time in American history

· The reminder that storytelling can be a powerful tool for healing

· Insight into the creative process of serialized audio fiction

· A new appreciation for the power of podcasting as a medium for narrative

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with Laura Van Wormer

🌐 Website: classof74podcast.com

🎙️ Podcast: The Class of '74 (Available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and all major platforms)

🔗 Patreon: The Class of '74 (Exclusive content and community)

📘 Facebook: Laura Van Wormer

📺 YouTube: Laura Van Wormer

🔗 LinkedIn: Laura Van Wormer

This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered who they really are, why they're here, and how to connect with something greater than themselves.

Dr. MonaLisa Coburn knows this terrain intimately. After two near-death experiences opened what she describes as a direct channel to One Consciousness, she now teaches, channels, and writes to help others remember who they truly are . She describes One Consciousness as a loving intelligence present in everything, within every atom and being, like a quantum field that is ready to serve us .

She is a spiritual medium, Amazon bestselling author, and former special educator of more than twenty years . Her books include the Amazon‑bestselling Downloads From One Consciousness and the newly released The Joy of One Consciousness , a collection of 108 "recipes" designed to help people understand who they are at the soul level, how to navigate their spiritual journey, and how to connect with higher guidance in clear, grounded ways.

Her recurring invitation: peace on the planet begins with peace within you, cultivated through intuition, daily self-care, and honoring your soul .

In this episode, we explore:

✨ What One Consciousness Actually Is – MonaLisa explains One Consciousness as a loving intelligence present in everything, the field within every atom and being . She describes it as a quantum field that is ready to serve us.

🕊️ Two Near-Death Experiences – She shares how two near-death experiences opened a direct channel to One Consciousness and changed the course of her life .

📖 The New Book: The Joy of One Consciousness – MonaLisa introduces her collection of 108 "recipes" for the soul – practical tools people can use immediately to connect with higher guidance and understand their spiritual journey .

🧠 What the Soul Actually Is – She explains the soul as eternal and vast, with the human self as one small crystalline point of a much larger whole that remains connected to "all that there is" .

💫 The Moment After Awakening – MonaLisa shares what people misunderstand about the stage of awakening and how to integrate spiritual experiences into everyday life.

💞 Learning to Love Yourself – She teaches that most of us came here primarily to learn to love ourselves, and that self-worth is inherent, not something we have to earn .

What Listeners Gain:

· A new understanding of One Consciousness and how it relates to their daily life

· Practical tools (recipes) for nurturing the soul and connecting with higher guidance

· Permission to see their spiritual journey with more clarity and less confusion

· The reminder that peace on the planet begins with peace within

· A framework for understanding where they are on their spiritual path and how to move to the next level

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with Dr. MonaLisa Coburn

🌐 Website: soulnavigators.com

📖 Books: The Joy of One Consciousness (New release), Downloads From One Consciousness: A Personal Journey to Enlightenment (Amazon Bestseller)

🎙️ Podcast: The Soul Navigators™ Podcast

📱 Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered why sincere believers who genuinely love God often remain trapped in the same struggles they desperately want to overcome.

John V. Ruggiero knows this question intimately. Like many Christians, he spent years wondering why sincere believers who love God often remain trapped in the same struggles . The more he studied Scripture, the more he noticed that the Apostle Paul described sin in ways that most Christians rarely discuss. Paul said sin dwells, deceives, desires, enslaves, wages war, and operates within a person . He even spoke of "sin dwelling in my members."

What are these "members" Paul was talking about, and how can sin dwell within them?

That question became the foundation of his book, Re-Forming: Transformation Through Reconstruction . Through careful biblical study, he developed a framework for understanding spiritual formation that helps explain why transformation often seems real for a season and then fades. His message is not about trying harder—it is about understanding how transformation actually works .

In this episode, we explore:

📖 Why Sincere Believers Struggle – John explains why so many Christians remain trapped in recurring cycles of sin despite their love for God and desire for change. He explores what Paul meant when he spoke of "sin dwelling in my members" in Romans 7 .

🔄 Why Transformation Fades – He explains why spiritual transformation often seems real for a season, only to fade over time. He explores the difference between behavior modification and true heart transformation .

🧬 How Spiritual Patterns Are Formed – John explains how spiritual patterns, habits, and strongholds are formed within the soul through repeated focus, agreement, experiences, habits, and desires. He introduces the nine progressions that govern formation, explaining how these inner formations become places where either sin or Christ can express life .

💪 Why Willpower Alone Fails – He explores why willpower alone is often unable to produce lasting freedom from sin, and why trying harder doesn't work .

🛤️ The Journey from Romans 7 to Romans 8 – John explains the pathway from Romans 7 struggle to Romans 8 freedom, from behavior modification to heart transformation, and from recurring defeat to lasting spiritual growth .

What Listeners Gain:

· A new understanding of why recurring struggles become deeply rooted

· Practical insight into how Christ can be formed within us in a way that produces genuine and lasting change

· The hope that Romans 7 is not the end of the story

· A pathway from behavior modification to heart transformation

· The reminder that transformation is possible—not through trying harder, but through understanding how transformation actually works

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with John V. Ruggiero

🌐 Website: www.re-formingministries.com

📖 Book: Re-Forming: Transformation Through Reconstruction (Trilogy Christian Publishing, May 2026)

📚 Formats: Paperback (368 pages), Audiobook (9 hrs 19 mins)

🐦 Twitter/X: @JohnVRuggiero

📖 Available at: Amazon, Eden.co.uk, and major book retailers

This conversation is for anyone who looks successful on paper—but feels stuck, exhausted, or quietly disconnected from their own life.

Carla Coates knows this terrain intimately. She spent decades in leadership roles where, on paper, everything looked successful, but internally she was stuck . She was respected, accomplished, and dependable, yet operating on autopilot and quietly exhausted . What she eventually had to admit—something many high performers rarely say out loud—was that she had become a results-driven leader who consistently deprioritized the needs of her team, along with boundaries, reflection, and her own well-being.

That realization transformed both her leadership philosophy and the work she does today . Now, as the founder and CEO of Coates Consulting Group, she guides professionals, leaders, and women in midlife through leadership growth, career transitions, burnout prevention, and next-chapter decisions with clarity, confidence, and intentional leadership . With over 17 years of experience leading in both the private and public sectors, she brings a Master Storyteller designation and a philosophy grounded in real-world leadership: "if you take care of the people, the people will take care of the mission" .

In this episode, we explore:

🔍 The Invisible "Stuck" That Comes with Success – Carla describes how high performers can appear to have everything together while feeling disconnected inside. She explains the common scenario of continuing to operate in ways that once worked but no longer serve who you are now.

🔄 Why Success Doesn't Equal Fulfillment – She reveals the hard truth she discovered: professional success alone does not create fulfillment, healthy leadership, or sustainable impact . She shares how she moved from being a results-driven leader to an intentional, people-centered one.

🛑 Recognizing Burnout Before It Takes Over – Carla shares leadership habits that quietly undermine long-term success and how to recognize burnout before it affects teams, relationships, and well-being .

🧭 What Accomplished Women Struggle With – She addresses the specific challenges many women face in midlife: navigating burnout, career transitions, and the question of "what comes next" .

🙏 The Role of Faith and Intentionality – Carla discusses how faith and personal responsibility play a role in leadership and decision-making, and how intentional leadership begins with leading yourself .

What Listeners Gain:

· A new understanding of why high performers often feel stuck

· Practical strategies for moving from reactive to intentional leadership

· Permission to prioritize boundaries, reflection, and well-being

· Language to describe what they're feeling and clarity on next steps

· The reminder that leadership starts with leading yourself

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with Carla Coates

🌐 Website: coatesconsultinggroup.com

📖 Book: Let's Get Down to Business: 3 Steps to Leadership Success

📱 Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Substack

🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/carla-coates-8916bab1

🆓 Free Resource: Reflection and connection form at links.coatesconsultinggroup.info/widget/form/qfWvqUffF9wv5Q2BRuNJ

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like the underdog—and wondered how to win anyway.

John Verrico knows this terrain intimately. As an undersized youth and the victim of bullies, he found hope in classic monster movies and "B" flicks where the little guy always won . He learned that you didn't need to be the biggest or most senior to be a leader. You just needed to be innovative, collaborate with others, and refuse to play by the bully's rules .

Today, he's a retired Navy Master Chief, former president of the National Association of Government Communicators, and founder of Share Your Fire LLC . He's worked as a journalist, stand-up comic, janitor, theater performer, electronics technician, small-business consultant, public affairs specialist, and even a disco dance instructor . With more than 40 years of experience as a communication professional, he now helps leaders keep their motivational torches lit through his TORCH framework .

In this episode, we explore:

🕯️ The TORCH Framework – Trust, Opportunity, Respect, Communication, and Humanity—the five elements we need to stay motivated and inspire others . John explains how these tools create environments where people feel valued, included, and inspired.

👹 Lessons from Monster Movies – John shares how classic monster movies taught him that underdogs can win through innovation, collaboration, and humility. He explains how these lessons shaped his approach to leadership and resilience .

⚓ From Navy Master Chief to Leadership Coach – He shares his 40+ year journey from military service to founding Share Your Fire LLC . He explains what he learned about leadership from a young Naval Academy officer who asked a petty officer to teach him—a moment that changed his entire career .

🎤 The Power of Humor and Storytelling – John discusses why he blends humor with leadership training and how his background as a stand-up comic informs his approach. He shares how to handle a hostile crowd and deliver unpopular messages with grace .

🔥 Keeping Your Fire Lit – He explains why gratitude is "the ability to find positivity and a gift of light amidst darkness" . He offers practical advice for maintaining motivation even when everything seems to be trying to douse it .

What Listeners Gain:

· A practical framework (TORCH) for staying motivated and inspiring others

· The reminder that leadership isn't about titles—it's about how you serve

· Permission to embrace your inner underdog and win anyway

· Practical strategies for resilience, communication, and balance

· The importance of sharing your light with others to reignite your own

This isn't motivation. It's methodology.

Connect with John Verrico

🌐 Website: johnverrico.com

🔗 LinkedIn: John Verrico

🐦 Twitter/X: @jverrico

📱 Instagram: @johnverrico

📘 Facebook: John Verrico

🎙️ Podcast: Share Your Fire, Cracking the Rich Code

📧 Email: [email protected]

📞 Phone: 240-257-NERD