Choose Courage Inc.

This is the season three finale of Choose Courage Inc., and it's a live panel recording from The Walkout. Vivianne sits down with Rachael Dietkus, Behzod Sirjani, and Vincent Brathwaite to move through the questions people were too afraid to ask out loud: about fear and risk, about readiness, about money, about identity, and about the weight of where we come from. This is a conversation that ends...

In this replay from The Walkout, Vivianne sits with the question underneath so much corporate exhaustion: is the problem you, or the system you're trying to survive? She names the real tension at the center of staying stuck, the difference between what you genuinely can't change and what you've simply stopped believing you can. This is a reframe of what security, hope, and walking out actually mea...

If you’ve left corporate but still feel stuck thinking like an employee, this replay is for you. Vivianne breaks down the hidden habits corporate trains into us and how those same patterns quietly sabotage entrepreneurship, creativity, pricing, boundaries, and growth. Because leaving your job is one thing. Detoxing from the mindset is another. In This Episode: The difference between leaving corpor...

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s actually like to hire support while building a business, this episode is for you. Vivianne sits down with her longtime assistant, Annie, for an honest conversation about delegation, systems, boundaries, and the mistakes founders make when they hire too early. This is a real behind-the-scenes look at what healthy support inside a business can actually look like. In...

If you’ve been using AI but feel like everything it produces sounds generic, flat, or not quite you , this episode is for you. Vivianne sits down with AI expert Ovetta Sampson to break down why AI outputs feel “off,” what it’s actually costing your creativity, and how to take back control so your work reflects your voice and values. Ovetta Sampson is a 15-year veteran of designing intelligent expe...

If you think leaving corporate is the hard part … this episode will challenge that. Vivianne sits down with Rachael Dietkus LCSW to unpack what actually happens after you leave: the patterns, grief, and identity shifts no one prepares you for. This is a conversation about what it really takes to heal, rebuild, and trust yourself again. In this episode: The invisible patterns you carry out of corpo...

If you’ve been telling yourself you just need a little more time, a little more savings, or one more “right moment” before you leave … this episode is for you. Vivianne breaks down the real cost of staying in misaligned work and why the riskiest decision might not be leaving, but waiting. This is a reality check on what your spreadsheet isn’t tracking. In This Episode: The truth behind the “two tr...

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or unsure what to focus on next, this episode is for you. Vivianne shares what happened when she removed the noise, got quiet, and finally created space to hear herself again. What came up wasn’t just clarity, it was grief, honesty, and a different way of building. This is a reset. In This Episode: •What happened when Vivianne deleted social media an...

If you’re building something (or even thinking about starting) this episode is for you. Vivianne sits down with her attorney and longtime business partner, Patrice Perkins, to break down the legal side of entrepreneurship in a way that actually feels practical, not overwhelming. From protecting your brand to navigating AI and ownership, this conversation will help you take your work more seriously...

If you’ve ever sat at your desk doing work that feels circular, performative, or pointless, this episode is for you. Inspired by the book Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber , Vivianne explores why so many people feel disconnected from their work and why that feeling might not be a personal failure at all. Sometimes the problem isn’t your motivation. Sometimes the problem is the system. In This Episode...

If you’ve been telling yourself “someday” about the life you actually want, this episode is for you. Vivianne challenges one of the most dangerous stories we tell ourselves: that there will be more time later. Because for many people, someday becomes a coping mechanism that keeps them tolerating work and routines that no longer fit. This episode is a wake-up call to stop postponing your life. In T...

Welcome to Choose Courage Inc. — where we skip the boring intros and jump straight into reimagining business and workplace experiences with we-ain’t-afraid-to-go-there conversations. And for this episode we’re going to skip the sugarcoating and get real about the messy, uncertain, and liberating journey of rethinking work and creativity. Vivianne Castillo sits down with Lauren Celenza, software de...

Welcome to Choose Courage Inc. where we skip the boring intros and jump straight into reimagining business and workplace experiences with we-ain’t-afraid-to-go-there conversations. In this episode, Vivianne Castillo, Founder and CEO of HmntyCntrd and moonpaws, and Ash Coleman Hynie, Founder and CEO of CountrPT, talk about the uncomfortable, the unspoken, and the unapologetic realities of money, po...

If you’ve been telling yourself you’re “too deep in” to change, this episode is for you. Vivianne and Vincent unpack the fear hidden inside responsibility, the psychology of sunk costs, and why staying put is often just practiced survival, not alignment. This is a conversation about identity, agency, and what becomes possible when you stop confusing familiarity with safety. In This Episode, We Exp...

If you’ve been feeling stuck in a career that looks stable on paper but quietly feels misaligned, this episode is for you. Vivianne and her guest Vincent unpack the subtle narratives that keep designers frozen, stories that sound responsible, wise, even grateful… but are often just fear in disguise. In this honest conversation, Vivianne and Vincent explore the hidden beliefs that keep so many desi...

If you’ve ever felt the slow erosion of staying in a job that looks “good on paper” but feels heavy in your body, this episode is for you. Vivianne shares the real cost of remaining in environments that require self-neglect as a condition of employment and challenges the one-sided way we’ve been taught to think about risk. This isn’t just about leaving a company. It’s about choosing yourself befor...

In this episode of Choose Courage, Inc. , Vivianne shares a training from inside her coaching community that helped members feel more confident, less avoidant, and more connected to the possibility of their first sale. Rather than teaching funnels or hype-driven tactics, she offers a grounded framework for booking your first 10 discovery calls through integrity, proximity, and thoughtful outreach....

Welcome to Choose Courage Inc. where we skip the boring intros and jump straight into reimagining business and workplace experiences with we-ain’t-afraid-to-go-there conversations. In this episode, Vivianne Castillo, Founder and CEO of Choose Courage Inc. and moonpaws, and Ash Coleman Hynie, Founder and CEO of CountrPT, talk about the uncomfortable, the unspoken, and the unapologetic realities of...

Welcome to Real Talk , a short segment on the Choose Courage Inc. Podcast dedicated to answering honest questions from people who are building businesses (or seriously considering it) while they’re still in the mess of entrepreneurship. This conversation was originally recorded for our Wednesday Real Talk series, but it felt too timely to hold, so we’re sharing it early. In this episode, Vivianne...

Welcome to Real Talk, a short segment on the Choose Courage Inc. Podcast dedicated to answering honest questions from people who are building businesses (or seriously considering it) while they’re still in the mess of entrepreneurship. Sometimes the questions come directly from our community. Other times, they’re the exact questions we’re asking ourselves in real time. Either way, the goal isn’t t...

Welcome to Season 3 of Choose Courage Inc.! This season is about movement over motivation. It’s for people who are done enduring, done over-explaining their burnout, and ready to design what comes next with intention, honesty, and support. Episodes this season will alternate between solo reflections and grounded conversations with people who have receipts, not highlight reels. You’ll also hear sho...

This episode is a clear-eyed reset for anyone questioning the promises of corporate stability or the romanticized version of entrepreneurship. Vivianne lays out six practical rules to help you reclaim agency, reduce hidden risk, and build real options without reckless leaps. If you feel stuck between burnout and fear, this conversation offers a grounded framework for seeing your situation clearly...

In this replay, Vivianne connects with her cousin Nikki the Jeanius for an unfiltered look at creativity, entrepreneurship, cultural influence, and what it really takes to build something meaningful without losing yourself in the process. Nikki, founder of All Things Ankara and co-creator of the new Afro-futuristic restaurant VIBE, shares the unexpected moments, risks, and leaps of faith that shap...

This conversation between Vivianne and Ava Dorsey, founder of Ava’s Pet Palace, offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it means to build a business from childhood passion into a purpose-driven, values-centered brand. Ava shares the realities of growing a company that began in her kitchen at age eight and now ships nationwide, the anxiety and courage required to show up publicly, and the deep...

This rerun episode offers an unfiltered look at the invisible emotional, ethical, and practical challenges entrepreneurs face but rarely talk about. Through real stories of walking away from misaligned clients, navigating burnout, trusting intuition, and redefining success, Vivianne and Dan illuminate what it actually takes to build a business that protects your integrity, honors your values, and...