Behind The Story Show

Send us Fan Mail Gerard Barnes is back on Behind the Story — and this time, the conversation goes deep into the world of AI music. Gerard is the creator of A-Idol, a TikTok-based AI music battle competition where producers from around the world go head-to-head using nothing but their imagination and a machine. Think American Idol — but the artists are the producers, the instrument is AI, and the c...

Send us Fan Mail Why do so many successful people still feel stuck, burned out, or disconnected? In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani Gonzalez sits down with Daune Thompson , speaker, coach, and creator of the Soul CEO and Lighthouse Mastery approach, for a conversation about success, burnout, subconscious patterns, alignment, and self-understanding. Daune shares why she believes burnout i...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Brian Arnold’s story is a powerful reminder that where you start does not have to define where you finish. In this episode of Behind the Story , host Jelani Gonzalez sits down with Dr. Brian Arnold to explore his journey from struggling to read as a child and being placed in special education classes, to becoming an educator, entrepreneur, leadership consultant, podcast host,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani Gonzalez sits down with Dale Novella Anderson Lee , a singer, songwriter, music producer, educator, and leader in teaching artistry. Dale shares how music became a source of healing in her own life and how that calling eventually led her into classrooms, workshops, and community spaces where young people learn to trust their voices. Thr...

Send us Fan Mail What if the future of leadership is not about having more information, but accessing a deeper form of intelligence within? In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani sits down with Anthony Nayagan , a modern mystic, executive mentor, author, Tamil Siddhar, and Rajarishi, whose work bridges Eastern wisdom traditions and Christian mysticism. Anthony shares his perspective on sourc...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani Gonzalez sits down with Dr. Andrea “Andi” Simon, a corporate anthropologist, culture change expert, author, and speaker who helps people and organizations learn to see, feel, and think differently. Andi explains why change is so difficult, why leaders often misunderstand culture, and how people protect identity, status, and certainty wh...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when your life keeps falling apart — and you decide to rise anyway? In this episode of Behind the Story , I sit down with Sandy Knight, author of Phoenix Rising Guided Journal for Your Renewal and founder of Spirit Knight, for a conversation about healing, transformation, intuition, and what it really means to rebuild yourself from the inside out. Sandy shares the dee...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani Gonzalez sits down with Michelle Williams , founder of Scarlet Thread Consulting and host of Profit is a Choice , for a powerful conversation about what creative entrepreneurs often miss when building a business. Michelle works with interior designers, architects, builders, stagers, upholsterers, drapery workrooms, and other creative bu...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you get fired at 63 and realize the math says you could be broke by 65? In this episode of Behind the Story, Jelani sits down with David Nassief to talk about the financial wake-up call that changed his life. After a 40-year career, David found himself facing job loss, fear, and the painful truth that making money is not the same as building wealth. Six years lat...

Send us Fan Mail What if the future is more predictable than most people think? On this episode of Behind the Story , I sit down with world-renowned futurist Daniel Burrus to talk about how leaders, professionals, and everyday people can stop reacting to change and start anticipating it. We get into Daniel’s powerful framework of Hard Trends vs. Soft Trends , why certainty matters more than ever i...

Send us Fan Mail Former FBI intelligence analyst Adam Dickinson joins Behind the Story for a conversation about the hidden cost of always being the reliable one. After more than 15 years analyzing high-stakes information, Adam made a major shift into entrepreneurship and now helps high-performing professionals navigate career transitions with more clarity, self-trust, and alignment. In this episod...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a career federal public servant spends decades working across administrations—and then lives through the Trump era from the inside? In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani sits down with Deric A. Gilliard , author of The Longest Four Years of My Life , for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on leadership, courage, and the price of telling the truth inside b...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani sits down with bestselling and award-winning author Aaron Ryan for a deeply personal conversation about the life behind the books. Aaron opens up about the childhood spark that made him a storyteller, the emotional therapy of writing, how fatherhood reshaped both his life and his work, and why hope remains the through-line in the worlds...

Send us Fan Mail What really keeps business owners stuck in sales? In this episode of Behind the Story , Dr. Donna Bellinger breaks down the habits, mindset gaps, and leadership mistakes that quietly block revenue growth. She shares why business owners often become their own bottleneck, how self-sabotage shows up in sales, and why consistently communicating your competence matters more than trying...

Send us Fan Mail Why do so many women grow up learning to be liked, agreeable, and accommodating — but not fully themselves? In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani sits down with Michelle Minnikin — author, speaker, coach, and organisational psychologist — to unpack the hidden conditioning that teaches women to over-function, people-please, apologize constantly, and shrink their voice in the...

Send us Fan Mail In this special edition of Behind the Story, Jelani sits down with attorney Courtney Groff and retired FBI agent Eric Robinson for a timely roundtable on the Epstein files, the DOJ response, FBI procedure, congressional pressure, and the growing crisis of public trust. The conversation breaks down how investigations actually move between the FBI and DOJ, why records are sometimes...

Send us Fan Mail Jade Simmons joins Behind the Story for a powerful conversation on purpose, reinvention, faith, leadership, mental health, and politics. Jade shares how a battle with stage fright unexpectedly transformed her career from classical concert pianist into transformational speaker, and why she now defines purpose as what happens in others when you do what you do. We also discuss youth...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind The Story , Jelani sits down with attorney Mark Astor for a candid conversation about addiction, severe mental illness, and why the system often reacts too late to save families. Drawing from his experience as a former prosecutor and his current work helping families navigate crisis, Mark explains what he saw inside the justice system, why untreated behav...

Send us Fan Mail What if chronic pain isn’t the end of the story? In this episode of Behind The Story , I sit down with Daniel “Dan” Esposito , creator of the Undo Method , to unpack his decade-long battle with chronic pain, multiple diagnoses, and feeling like he couldn’t fully show up for his family — and how he rebuilt his health from the ground up. Dan shares the turning points that changed ev...

Send us Fan Mail What does FBI work actually look like beyond the movies and headlines? In this episode of Behind the Story, Jelani sits down with former FBI agent, SWAT operator, tactical instructor, and investigator Eric Robinson for a candid conversation about what really happens behind federal investigations. Eric breaks down how undercover work actually functions, how people end up on the FBI...

Send us Fan Mail What does the fentanyl crisis actually look like from inside law enforcement? In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani sits down with Brian Townsend, a retired supervisory special agent who spent nearly 30 years in law enforcement, including 23 years with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Brian explains why illicit fentanyl has become the most dangerous drug law enforcement...

Send us Fan Mail What if the real problem isn’t “bad communication”… but a missing connection ? In this episode of Behind The Story , Jelani sits down with Angel Tucker —personality strategist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker—to break down the DISC personality model and her proprietary GLOW Connection method for building trust faster. You’ll learn how to spot personality styles in real tim...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind The Story, Jelani sits down with Antoine “Martian Man” Free — a creator whose presence is impossible to ignore. Known for his unique persona, sharp mindset, and magnetic energy, Antoine has built a brand that challenges the norms of identity, confidence, and creative expression. But behind the Martian persona is a deeper story. Antoine opens up about the...

Send us Fan Mail What if you don’t need to be the loudest in the room to be the most respected? In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani sits down with Melitta Campbell —TEDx speaker, award-winning business coach, and host of The Art of Value Whispering —to break down how high performers (especially introverts and women leaders) can communicate their value with clarity and confidence without s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Behind the Story , Jelani Gonzalez sits down with Tim Ward, a fitness coach, author, and founder of the Fitness Quadrant, a unique framework that helps people build sustainable health habits. Tim shares his journey from a childhood marked by physical abuse to becoming a sought-after expert in fitness, nutritional sciences, and longevity. His approach goes beyond...