TheUnboundPodcast

Nibi Ghosh played Division I tennis at Notre Dame and couldn't remember a life without the game. She started at five. A year and a half after her last match, she's choosing who to be next, and she's doing it in public for the first time. In this conversation, Nibi and Lori trace the whole arc of a competitive life: the freshman clinch against Miami with her teammates holding their breath, the gran...

Twelve people have walked on the moon. Six have rowed solo across the Pacific from North America to Australia. Tez Steinberg is one of those six. He spent 197 days alone at sea across two crossings, survived a cyclone and two weeks of thunder and lightning, and still says the hardest storms he faced were mental. In this episode, Tez traces the whole arc: a college depression and the question that...

At 15, a drunk driver nearly killed Lisa Markland. She woke from a coma and started over. She has been starting over ever since. Air Force veteran. Retired clinical social worker. National medalist in tae kwon do. Point guard on a men's wheelchair basketball team. World and national powerlifting records. Top-ranked female Paralympic air rifle athlete in the country, who trained with Team USA ahead...

No guest this week. Just Lori, a mic, and a pattern she keeps seeing in the people she interviews. Athletes, founders, and performers arrive at the same doorway. They see the story they built to survive, and then they choose what comes next. Some leave and build a new life. Some stay and bring new purpose to the ground they already hold, the way Cassidy turned her elite drive toward changing how t...

Cassidy Lichtman played volleyball for the U.S. national team, then walked away with no plan. What came next reframes what "transition" even means. She didn't leave her world. She climbed to a higher place inside it: player, then league builder, now board chair of USA Volleyball. In this conversation, Cassidy makes the case for a life built on mission instead of a fixed destination. She talks abou...

Episode description (long, for site + Apple/Spotify) Kai Moon was the number one scorer in Division I women's basketball. ESPN's Pardon the Interruption said her name. Then she walked away from the game at the height of it, when nobody expected her to. This conversation is about what happens after the recognition stops. Kai grew up in Bolingbrook, graduated into 2020 with no senior season, talked...

Most athletes fear losing their identity once the game is over — Jacquelyn Ortegon reveals how she transitioned from volleyball to neuroscience and mental health work, turning her biggest challenge into her greatest growth. After her promising volleyball career was cut short by the pandemic, Jacquelyn faced the raw question: Who am I without this? She shares how she navigated the emotional rollerc...

Kevin Cone got cut four times in one season and never lost himself. The Georgia Tech engineer turned five-year NFL receiver walked on to a Division I team, planned his own exit from the game, and now helps young athletes cross the same bridge. A conversation about identity, preparation, and the transition nobody warns you about. Kevin Cone spent five years in the NFL and one in the CFL on the edge...

Most high performers don’t realize that their greatest growth comes from the moments they dare to start over. Tamika Brunetti, a former NCAA Division III basketball player turned top LinkedIn strategist, reveals how her transition from student-athlete to corporate leader—and ultimately to fearless entrepreneur—was fueled by resilience, self-trust, and a big dose of self-reinvention. In this episod...

Content note: This conversation discusses suicide and the loss of a family member. Listen when you're in the right place for it. College football player. Bobsledder for Team USA. High school English teacher. State lawmaker. Mickey Dollens has lived four lives, and the hinge between them wasn't talent. It was what he did with grief. A month after his last college game, Mickey lost his younger broth...

You're hardwired for survival. What you don't know is when that switch flips on, and what it takes to switch it off. In this solo episode, Lori Darley opens the paradox at the center of her work with athletes and leaders in transition: the drive to win at any cost builds everything you have, and then has nowhere to stand the moment you lose. She walks through three truths. You are not your thought...

Most high performers don’t realize that their greatest growth comes from the moments they dare to start over. Tamika Brunetti, a former NCAA Division III basketball player turned top LinkedIn strategist, reveals how her transition from student-athlete to corporate leader—and ultimately to fearless entrepreneur—was fueled by resilience, self-trust, and a big dose of self-reinvention. In this episod...

Most action sports athletes are taught to leave their passion behind when they retire— but what if you could thrive in two "worlds" at once? Barrett Christy Cummins, a snowboarding legend with 30 years at the top, shares her powerful journey of holding dual callings: competing at the highest level and shaping the future of financial education. Her story is a masterclass in living fully, boldly, an...

Most high performers never pause to celebrate their breakthroughs — but what if recognizing these pivotal moments is the key to the next level? Delaney Taylor’s story of blowing it all up at 19 to redefine herself shows how unshackling from past identities can unlock newfound freedom and clarity. In this raw, honest conversation, Delaney shares how her daring leap from college volleyball to forgin...

In this inspiring episode, Olivia Bergler shares her remarkable journey from a small town in Poland to the U.S., her achievements in professional and collegiate tennis, and her vision for a future driven by passion, purpose, and connection. Olivia highlights the importance of resilience, community, and staying true to your values in navigating life's transitions.

Most high performers, including ex-NBA star Stefan Johnson, grapple with who they are beyond their roles—and what happens when their spotlight fades. In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Stefan and Lori peel back the layers on identity, legacy, and the transition from fame and success to a deeper, more authentic self. Discover how Stefan’s journey through poverty, professional sports, and profoun...

Most high performers never pause to celebrate their breakthroughs — but what if recognizing these pivotal moments is the key to the next level? Delaney Taylor’s story of blowing it all up at 19 to redefine herself shows how unshackling from past identities can unlock newfound freedom and clarity. In this raw, honest conversation, Delaney shares how her daring leap from college volleyball to forgin...

Most people are living from the neck up — strategizing, analyzing, and controlling their identities. But the real transformation happens in the body, in embodied leadership that unlocks your true potential. Lori Darley, a former professional dancer turned coach, shares how she uncovered the secret that allows you to break free from outdated roles and step into a fluid, limitless sense of self. At...