Control or Be Controlled

What happens when you leave everything familiar behind and walk hundreds of miles into the unknown? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Kathleen Israel, author of Wisdom on the Camino , to explore her extraordinary journey walking the Camino de Santiago alone across northern Spain. After spending 17 years caring for her disabled husband, Kathleen eventually foun...

What happens when you keep saying yes before you have everything figured out? In this episode, we’re joined by Chuck Mobley , an Amazon bestselling author, entrepreneur, pilot, missionary, storyteller, and adventurer whose life is a remarkable combination of faith, risk, failure, humor, and unexpected opportunities. Chuck grew up as a poor kid in a tiny Texas town of just 250 people. Then, with on...

What if our relationship with money is shaped by wounds we never learned how to name? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Connie Davis, a payments and fintech veteran who walked away from a 25 year corporate career to study the human stories behind financial distress, trauma, abuse, violence, and human trafficking. Connie challenges the idea that commerce is sim...

What if you’ve spent so much time being there for everyone else that you quietly forgot how to be there for yourself? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Theresa Gale, executive coach, certified Enneagram trainer, and author of The Inner Work of Love and Action , for a powerful conversation about self-forgetting, identity, presence, and finding your way back to...

What if the biggest thing stopping you from being creative isn’t a lack of talent, but fear? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Rick Sorenson, a fine artist, teacher, author, and creativity advocate who has spent decades exploring what creativity really means and why so many people lose touch with it. Rick discovered something unexpected while teaching adults t...

LinkedIn has more than a billion users, yet many entrepreneurs still struggle to turn their profiles and connections into actual business opportunities. Today, we’re joined by Daniel Alfon , author of Build a LinkedIn Profile for Business Success and one of the platform’s early users, having joined LinkedIn way back in February 2004 . Daniel helps entrepreneurs, business leaders, and podcast hosts...

What if the strongest form of leadership isn’t about being first, but about learning how to Lead Last ? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Olaolu Ogunyemi , U.S. Marine Officer, award-winning author, leadership mentor, father, and founder of Parent-Child-Connect, for a powerful conversation about leadership, fatherhood, purpose, discipline, and raising the next...

What does it really take to stay grounded when life feels like a constant battle? In this episode, Darlington sits down with David Savage , a podcaster, poet, author, and retired global energy executive who has spent decades learning how to navigate pressure, uncertainty, adversity, and the challenges of everyday life. David brings a unique combination of 31 years in global energy sales, decades o...

What if the biggest thing holding you back isn’t your strategy—but your behavior? Today, Darlington sits down with Debbie Longo , Executive Behavioral Coach and founder of Life In Bloom NY, Inc. , who has spent more than 24 years helping executives, business owners, and leaders understand the behaviors that shape communication, leadership, workplace culture, relationships, and business performance...

In this episode of CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED , Darlington sits down with Jeremy Sherman, PhD —science researcher, author, writer, and pioneer of what he humorously calls “psychoproctology.” Jeremy has spent decades exploring one of humanity’s biggest questions: How did life, meaning, motivation, and the human sense of self emerge from something as seemingly aimless as chemistry? As a longtime resea...

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Kyle Harkema , author of Strategic Clarity and creator of the Strategic Orientation Index™ (SOI) , a research-based framework designed to help leaders uncover the hidden behaviors that determine whether strategy succeeds or fails. Drawing from his doctoral research, executive experience, and years of consulting with organizations, Kyle explores one of the bigge...

What if much of what we’ve been taught about ADHD is simply wrong? Today, Judy Richardson-Mahre , a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, ADHD Coach, Parent Coach, and Speaker, joins us for an honest conversation about ADHD, neurodiversity, parenting, relationships, and the stigma surrounding different kinds of brains. With more than 14 years of experience helping neurodiverse individuals and fa...

What does it really take to move from surviving domestic violence to reclaiming your voice, safety, and life? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Alice Miles , survivor speaker, domestic violence advocate, educator, and social work professional, for an honest and important conversation about trauma, abuse, mental health, and the power of understanding what happe...

What if one of NASA’s most intriguing UFO photographs was never supposed to be seen again? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Ed Wilson , historian, researcher, and author of The Simpkinson NASA Archive UFO and Hidden Under Our Nose , for a deep dive into one of the most controversial photographic investigations surrounding NASA’s Gemini XI mission. The story b...

What do you do when the world tells you that your future is limited but you refuse to give up hope? In this episode, we’re joined by David Ebel , author, award-winning photographer, international speaker, disaster responder, and a man whose life story is a powerful testimony of faith, resilience, and hope. David’s journey began under extraordinary circumstances. After being born with serious birth...

What happens when technology meets one of the biggest challenges humanity faces—our health? Today, Darlington sits down with Richard Kedziora , co-founder, COO/CTO, and Digital Health Solution Architect at Estenda Solutions. With more than 25 years of experience in software development, product design, management, and healthcare technology, Richard has spent his career building digital solutions d...

What if you could take back control of your retirement money instead of leaving every decision in the hands of Wall Street? In this episode, Darlington sits down with Ross Powell , asset protection architect and founder of Survival 401k , to challenge conventional thinking about retirement, investing, taxes, and financial control. Ross shares how entrepreneurs and 1099 professionals can use self-d...

What if divorce isn’t the end of your story, but the beginning of a completely different chapter? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Trena Briscoe, transformative leader, author, strategic coach, and founder of Silverline Coaching and Silverline Publishing, to explore what happens when the life you planned suddenly changes. After more than 20 years of marriage,...

Today on CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED , we’re joined by Bronx-born, Brooklyn-based conscious rapper Rich Vysion (Richard Seeram) for a powerful conversation about mental health, self-worth, identity, resilience, and reclaiming control of your life. Rich shares his personal journey through mental health struggles during the pandemic, the questions he faced around purpose and self-worth, and how writing...

Happiness, health, and success are not separate goals—they are connected to how we live, think, and take care of ourselves. In this episode, Darlington sits down with Victor Dedaj , Certified Naturopathic Practitioner, Wholistic Health Coach, transformational trainer, motivational speaker, and author, to explore what it really means to build a healthier, more successful, and fulfilling life. Victo...

What happens when 18 years of law enforcement experience meets a deep love for the people and communities of the Catskill Mountains? In this episode, we’re joined by R.L. Carpentier , author of Our Lady of the Overlook , the first novel in his small-town mystery and crime procedural trilogy. Drawing from his years in law enforcement, R.L. brings a unique understanding of human behavior, crime, and...

What happens when searching for where you came from becomes the inspiration for telling a story that spans generations? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Mark Jamilkowski, highly rated historical fiction author, healthcare entrepreneur, husband, and father, to explore the powerful connection between history, identity, family, resilience, and storytelling. Mark...

What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn’t your strategy, but your subconscious mind? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Dr. Joseph Drolshagen, a rapid growth specialist, business coach, author, and mindset expert with more than 28 years of corporate experience, including leadership as a VP of Sales. Dr. Joseph explains how subconscious conditio...

In this episode, we’re joined by Richard E. Foltys , an experiential marketing entrepreneur and founder of DMA Events, a company responsible for producing more than 1,500 events and brand activations around the world. Richard has worked with major brands including Red Bull, Porsche, McDonald’s, RBC, L’Oréal, Walt Disney, Hasbro, Manulife, Fidelity, EY, and many others, giving him a unique behind-t...

What if the reason we feel exhausted, distracted, and disconnected isn’t because we need to do more—but because we’ve forgotten how to slow down? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Tony Tenaglier , aerospace Quality Manager, PhD researcher in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, author, and podcast host, for a thought-provokin...