Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

Most of us make plans like we’re exempt from the clock, then we’re shocked when stress, fear, and identity-driven leadership show up in our decisions. We sit down with Reverend Dr. Seth David Clark, a leadership scholar, executive coach, and hospice chaplain whose work spans boardrooms, bedside moments, and years of ministry on the US Mexico border. He brings a rare mix of compassion and realism to the question leaders avoid: what changes when you truly remember you will die?

We unpack why every public narrative is still only a narrative, and how leaders can hold a complex reality without hardening their hearts or ignoring legitimate concerns. Seth shares what he learned serving separated families, advocating for humane connection, and trying to reopen Friendship Park so families could meet in a legal, dignified way. That frontline experience leads to a guiding leadership practice he returns to again and again: asking what love requires right now, not as a warm feeling but as fidelity, responsibility, and ethical action.

Then we go deeper into mortality awareness and leadership development: the “immortality projects” we build through titles and achievement, the courage it takes to loosen a white-knuckle grip, and the need to create successors so organizations don’t collapse when one charismatic leader exits. We also talk about the nervous system side of values based leadership, why our bodies lag behind our beliefs, and what end-of-life regrets can teach us about overwork, forgiveness, reconciliation, and legacy.

If you care about ethical decision making, resilient leadership, and living your values before life forces the lesson, listen through to the end and share this with someone who’s carrying too much. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what you’re ready to release so you can lead with more love and less fear.

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Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

If your calendar is packed but your life feels stuck, we’re naming the thing most men won’t say out loud: busyness can be a hiding place. We sit down as a panel of husbands, fathers, and builders and draw a hard line between real business and “looking productive.” The difference shows up in revenue, yes, but it also shows up in your marriage, your mental health, your faith, and the legacy your kids learn from watching you.

We trade stories from the trenches of entrepreneurship: starting late because fear kept moving the goalposts, getting forced into business when jobs weren’t an option, chasing the American Dream and realizing it still felt empty, and learning the expensive way that grinding all day doesn’t automatically create impact. We also talk about the brain science behind it, how planning and constant motion can trigger dopamine and mimic the feeling of progress while your business model stays the same.

Then we get practical. We talk purpose and identity as the filter that cuts the noise, why time is the one currency you never get back, and how to raise your standard without apologizing for it. We dig into the power of saying no, including a simple framework used by top performers: if it doesn’t move this year’s goals forward, it’s a no.

If you’ve been confusing hustle with growth, come pull up a chair. Subscribe, share this with a brother who’s drowning in “busy,” and leave a review with the one thing you need to say no to this week.

Our team will choose random (but timely) episodes from our previous three seasons (which are our most popular ever!) to share with our listeners during the slower parts of a long podcast season. We think you will enjoy them! Thanks for listening!

Coffee aficionados and Health Conscious listeners, our show has some new sponsors and they’re offering you the best discounts their stores have. Links are below. Start saving now!

Quantum Squares: Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu

Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

What if the clearest sign of growth isn’t how well you optimize your morning routine, but how you show up for someone else? We take social responsibility out of the abstract and into everyday life, pushing past the comfort of posts and into the grit of presence, service, and ethical action. No grandstanding—just practical ways to widen your circle of care and make your influence count.

We lay out why real transformation is incomplete until it serves others, drawing from the Golden Rule and time-tested traditions about repairing the world. You’ll hear how self-care and service can coexist—heal so you can help—while avoiding the trap of private growth that never leaves the journal. We talk through what happens when crises strike close to home, why “it won’t happen to me” is a myth, and how small, steady acts often outlast loud, performative gestures. From mentoring at work to checking on neighbors after hardship, from lending your voice to showing up with your hands, the path to wholeness runs through contribution.

We also face a hard truth: many are disillusioned by communities that preach maturity but avoid responsibility. The antidote isn’t cynicism; it’s alignment—belief matched with action that protects dignity and delivers care. If you’ve wondered where to start, we offer a simple exercise: pick one sphere—family, community, or workplace—and make one intentional act that isn’t part of your job. Write it down. Observe the outcome. Repeat. Brick by brick, your influence compounds and your world gets stronger.

Subscribe for more grounded guidance on purpose, growth, and service. If this conversation moved you, share it with a friend, leave a review, and tell us the one act you’re committing to this week. Your influence matters—use it.

Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu

Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

Stephen McConnell joins me for a grounded conversation about why personal growth stalls even when we know exactly what to do, and how to close the knowing vs doing gap without relying on hype or willpower.

Steven shares his path from a loving but financially scarce upbringing, to decades in the corporate world, to building a service-driven mission as the founder of the Growth Myndset Initiative. We dig into how identity shapes behavior, including his candid story of overcoming a long-term drinking life through experimentation, self-awareness, and a decision to live in alignment with health, spirituality, and emotional honesty. If you’ve ever wondered why New Year’s resolutions fade fast, this will hit home.

We also unpack neurolinguistic programming coaching in plain language, especially the word “programming” and why it scares people. Stephen explains how repetition wires patterns in the brain, why ego blocks growth, and how leaders can rebuild identity through small proof points instead of empty affirmations. From his seven laws of personal mastery to the burnout warning signs leaders miss, the through-line is intentional living, clearer values, and less distraction.

If you’re into mindset coaching, emotional intelligence, leadership development, entrepreneurship, or burnout recovery, you’ll take something practical from this one. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s stuck in “knowing,” and leave a review. What’s the one habit or distraction loop you’re ready to rewire this week?

Our team will choose random (but timely) episodes from our previous three seasons (which are our most popular ever!) to share with our listeners during the slower parts of a long podcast season. We think you will enjoy them! Thanks for listening!

Coffee aficionados and Health Conscious listeners, our show has some new sponsors and they’re offering you the best discounts their stores have. Links are below. Start saving now!

Quantum Squares: Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu

Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

If your morning scroll leaves you anxious and drained, you’re not imagining it—your feed is shaping your mood. Gerald Jones joins us to share how he and Kevin Clark transformed that daily dread into Blessn, a free social platform designed for uplifting content, real community, and values-first monetization. Their story starts with a rare 20-year friendship—born backstage at the Academy Awards—and winds through a one-day, shoestring PSA that beat corporate giants to win an Emmy. That same bias for action fuels Blessn’s simple promise: fewer shock clips and divisive takes, more creators who make you feel better when you close the app.

We dig into why doomscrolling exploded post-pandemic, how algorithms hook attention with outrage, and what it takes to build a kinder alternative without a traditional tech background. Gerald gets candid about getting burned by early developers, how they rebuilt with a trustworthy team, and the practical steps any founder can take to protect budget, timeline, and sanity. He also maps out Blessn’s unique monetization: creators can earn from day one by sending personalized “blessings”—short messages of encouragement or humor for birthdays, exams, games, and life moments—without chasing a million followers or bending their values.

You’ll meet the people redefining the feed on Blessn—NBA players, skateboarders, gospel singers, poets, students, and faith leaders—and hear why a safer space matters for parents, job-seekers, and anyone tired of content that might haunt them later. Can positivity actually scale? Gerald argues yes, and that when audiences prove “good sells,” media and advertisers will follow. Until then, Blessn offers a cleanse: a place to scroll, smile, and log off lighter.

Subscribe for more one-on-one conversations, share this episode with a friend who needs a better feed, and leave a review to tell us what uplifts you most.

Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu

Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

This is the final installment of this incredible series! You don't want to miss this one. 

Most men don’t realize where their idea of “being a man” actually came from until someone asks the uncomfortable question. We trace it back to TV dads, movie heroes, and the quiet rules we picked up from Rocky, Uncle Phil, John Wayne, and the action era, then we compare that blueprint to real life as fathers, husbands, sons, and friends. If you’ve ever felt proud of your work ethic but unsure how to talk about what’s happening inside, this conversation will hit.

We pivot into a hard challenge: where have we settled when we should be breaking through? You’ll hear honest stories about choosing a safe paycheck while feeling empty, the “all gas, no brakes” drive of entrepreneurship, and the pressure that puts on a marriage. This is men’s mental health without the buzzwords, just real indicators you can spot and act on.

We also wrestle with the strong silent type and modern expectations between men and women, including the reality that we’re wired differently neurologically and emotionally. The goal isn’t to win a gender debate, it’s to build steadiness, responsibility, and better communication without turning life into a performance. 

If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a solid men’s conversation, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of your “manhood script” came from TV, and what are you rewriting now?

Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu

Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

Ever notice how the loudest reputations can hide the quietest cracks? We’re pulling back the curtain on what really sustains influence: private integrity. Not the highlight reel, not the applause, but the small, unseen choices that either reinforce your values or slowly erode them. If you’ve felt the drag between who you say you are and how you actually live, this conversation gives you a clear path to close that gap.

We walk through the difference between character and reputation and show why chasing recognition is an unstable foundation for any leader, parent, creator, or community builder. Drawing on historical examples and everyday life, we unpack how private disciplines compound into public trust—and how inconsistency eventually shows up no matter how strong your platform seems. You’ll learn a simple, three-step integrity check: list three unseen habits, measure them against your core values, and make one practical adjustment this week. No grand gestures, just small, repeatable actions that rebuild self-trust and credibility.

We also talk about the weight and gift of being observed. Someone is learning from your life right now, often without your knowledge. That reality reframes leadership from a title to a presence and nudges us toward social responsibility. As we tee up a deeper dive next time—moving beyond the self to contribute meaningfully—we challenge the idea that posts and protests alone create change. Lasting impact starts with consistent alignment in the places no one sees.

If you’re ready to trade image management for inner alignment and to build influence that endures, this one’s for you. Listen, share it with someone who needs a nudge toward wholeness, and leave a review to tell us the one private habit you’ll realign this week.

Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu

Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

The moment Bill Derrick says the only sure thing about multiple myeloma is that it eventually comes back, the conversation stops being theoretical. Bill is the president of Derrick Companies and the author of “Restored by the Storm,” and he joins us to tell the full arc: chasing financial independence, stepping into a family construction business, then getting hit by two life-altering storms that forced a total reset on what “control” really means. 

We dig into family business leadership the way it actually plays out, including the tension between earning your own identity and honoring the legacy you inherited. Bill shares why he believes the best preparation is leaving home first: work somewhere else for three to five years, learn how to be an employee, and bring back real operating experience. He also explains how integrity becomes a business survival tool when you are negotiating with lenders and trying to keep a company alive through the Great Recession, collapsing real estate, and land values that fall off a cliff. 

Then the story turns personal. After years of grinding through the downturn, Bill is diagnosed with multiple myeloma and ultimately goes through chemo and a stem cell transplant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. What comes out the other side is a simple framework for resilience and mental toughness: focus on what you can control, especially your attitude and your effort, and let the rest shape you into someone stronger. 

If you care about entrepreneurship, family business succession, crisis management, resilience, faith under pressure, and leadership that holds up when life turns, this conversation will stay with you. Subscribe, share this with someone walking through a storm, and leave a review with the takeaway you needed most.

Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu

Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

You can do everything “right” and still feel like something is quietly slipping away. That tension is where our conversation with coach, speaker, and author John Salzwedel gets real, fast. We talk about how a life can look stable and successful on the outside while feeling out of alignment on the inside, and why the first step back isn’t a dramatic reinvention, it’s learning to listen again. John shares what changed from his younger years of being “always right,” and why rebuilding trust takes time, consistency, and the kind of integrity you can’t fake.

We also dig into career change and identity, especially what happens when people only know you as “the insurance guy” or the person with a pitch. John breaks down how to redefine yourself without performing, how to spot the gradual warning signs that the “right thing” isn’t right anymore, and what alignment actually means when your daily actions don’t match your deepest beliefs, gifts, and passions.

Then we challenge a favorite phrase that deserves to retire: work life balance. John explains why work is part of life, why balance is seasonal, and how prioritizing what matters keeps you from burning the dinner while you chase distractions. We close with a grounded take on faith, coaching, and “showing the gospel” through presence, care, and a steady joy that runs deeper than mood.

If this hits home, subscribe, share this with a friend who feels stuck, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What’s one sign you’re out of alignment right now?

Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu

Have a question or thought for Mista Yu? Text or leave a voicemail for the show and he’ll answer it personally on the Inspiration Station or They Call Me Mista Yu. With your Permission, We'll even play your message live on the air!

Men are told to be strong, stay quiet, and handle it. Then we wonder why so many of us feel alone while carrying work pressure, family responsibility, and private battles we never name out loud. We go straight at that tension with one question that keeps exposing the truth: what changes if men ask for help when they actually need it?

We wrestle with the real tradeoff between grit and growth. Some of the best problem solving comes from pressure, but pride can also trap us in isolation. 

One of the deepest threads is trust. We respond to the question of how to reach young men who struggle to trust other men because of father issues. The answer is not a quick speech. It is men who live trustworthy lives out loud, make themselves available, show up consistently, and when needed point people toward faith and professional support. We close with a story about a stranger short on bus money that turns into a reminder that giving help and asking for help both take courage.

****SPECIAL MONETIZATION EVENT**** Podcasters that want to be monetized, you need to take advantage of this opportunity: This is a live podcast monetization workshop on March 28 (10:00 to 12:30), plus extra time afterward, focused on real revenue strategy. Reach out to @rorypaquette or @[email protected] for more info.

If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a man you care about, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation. What is the one thing that keeps you from asking for help?

Support the show

Support Mista Yu and The Mission:

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycallmemistayu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator

Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theycallmemistayu