Control or Be Controlled

What happens when you get tired of surface-level conversations and decide to create the space where grown adults can finally have the talks that actually matter? Victor Jones—podcast host, storyteller, entrepreneur, and the man behind the Liquor Talk Podcast—joins us for a conversation about authenticity, consistency, and what it really takes to build a platform that gives other people a voice. Vi...

What happens when a Pentecostal minister's son walks away from the faith, spends two decades inside Russian organized crime and the adult entertainment industry, and then returns—not just to faith, but to become one of the most respected Christian psychologists treating the very addictions he once profited from? Dr. David Hoskins—clinical psychologist (PsyD), founder of Sanctuary Clinics and Honey...

What if the key to college admissions isn't about becoming who a school wants—but about revealing who you already are? Grigory Agrest—college admissions advisor, founder of Pinnacle Academic Solutions, and author of The Four Pillars of College Admissions—joins us for a candid conversation about what's really broken in the admissions process and how families can fix it. Grigory Agrest has spent 25...

What if the key to a life of fulfillment isn't about how much you accumulate—but about how intentionally you live and give? Larry W. O'Nan—author, stewardship strategist, and founder of Larry O'Nan Consulting—joins us for a conversation about intentional living, biblical stewardship, and how to find purpose, peace, and abundance in a chaotic world. Larry W. O'Nan is a 1966 graduate of the Universi...

What happens when the successful, self-employed businesswoman who has it all together crashes hard—and discovers that the path back isn't about doing more, but about healing from the inside out? Dr. Mary Sanders—medical intuitive, chiropractor, energy medicine practitioner, and host of the internationally acclaimed Energy Medicine podcast—joins us for a conversation about burnout, chakras, and wha...

What if you could instantly decode why some people are a pain in the neck while others are a song in your heart—and what if that understanding could transform every relationship in your life? Sheila Glazov—best-selling author, award-winning personality expert, internationally known speaker, and creator of the What Color Is Your Brain?® methodology—joins us for a fun, fascinating, and immediately p...

What happens when a parent's needs suddenly outpace what the family can manage on their own—and you're left making life-altering decisions with no roadmap and not enough time to figure it out? Kim Brant-Lucich and Alexander Nury—co-authors of Survival Guide to Caring for Aging Parents—join us for a conversation that is equal parts practical, emotional, and surprisingly funny, because sometimes lau...

What if the future of work isn't about building a bigger company—but about becoming a more powerful individual? Daniel "Danny" Carpio—organizational architect, systems builder, entrepreneur, and author of the upcoming book The Unfirm: The New Unit of Scale Is You—joins us for a forward-thinking conversation about AI, self-scale, and why small teams are increasingly outperforming much larger compet...

What if the wisdom you've been searching for has been growing quietly in the natural world all along? Mary Rothwell—licensed therapist, Master Gardener, Certified Forest Therapy Practitioner, podcast host, and author of Nature Knows: Grow and Thrive through the Wisdom of Plants—joins us for a grounded, vibrant conversation about honoring your Essential Nature and living in alignment with your true...

What happens when the person caring for everyone else is forgotten—and what does it take to ensure caregivers are seen, supported, and equipped? Geoff Grant—caregiver advocate, consultant, speaker, and founder of Geoff Grant Consulting—joins us for a deeply human conversation about the emotional, physical, and systemic realities of caregiving. Geoff Grant has been deeply engaged in the caregiving...

What happens when a near-fatal event changes your life in an instant—and you emerge not just as a survivor, but as a force for systemic change? Pam Warren—widely known as "The Lady in the Mask" following the Paddington rail crash, international inspirational speaker, author, and national rail safety campaigner—joins us for a profoundly human conversation about trauma, recovery, identity, and the u...

What if the hair loss you've been told is just genetics or hormones is actually reversible—and the solution has been overlooked by conventional medicine all along? Saril Vasquez—triple certified functional practitioner, CEO of Belle Organix LLC, and creator of the Bellechanics program—joins us for a powerful conversation about uncovering the true root causes of hair loss and reversing it naturally...

What happens when your neurodivergent child turns 18 and the systems of support that carried them through school suddenly disappear? Carol Waldman—parent advocate, parent mentor, and founder of The Waldman Way—joins us for a powerful conversation about supporting neurodivergent young adults through one of life's most challenging transitions: from high school to college, and into meaningful employm...

What if the key to personal liberation and professional leadership isn't in what you say—but in how authentically you say it? Anne Topenot—TEDx speaker, European improvised speaking champion, and creator of the Flow Method—joins us for a profound conversation about communication as a force of nature, vulnerability as a leadership superpower, and freedom beyond childhood trauma. Anne Topenot grew u...

What if your children are learning more about money from your habits and fears than from anything you actually tell them? Greg Junge—entrepreneur, author, Internationally Certified Results Coach, real estate investor, co-owner of Your Clean Books, and founder of Money Mindset Academy—joins us for a practical conversation about raising financially confident children and breaking the cycle of money...

What happens when life hits you with a double blow on the same day—your dream job slipping away and your sister's cancer diagnosis—and you spend the next 15 years learning what not to do, and what to do, from the depths of hell? Troy Haslinger—TedTalk speaker, medical sales professional, ultra-marathon runner, charity founder, and author of Beautifully Dysfunctional—joins us for a raw, unfiltered,...

What happens when you spend your childhood hiding, burying, and carrying alone the very parts of yourself that make you who you are? Wayne Hesler-Mondore—author, podcast host of Looking In... Growing Up Gay, Impoverished, and Forgotten, and creative entrepreneur—joins us for a raw and deeply personal conversation about survival, identity, and the long road to being seen. Wayne Hesler-Mondore grew...

What happens when you leave an emotionally abusive marriage, ride a tandem bicycle 3,102 miles across the United States, and discover you're capable of anything you set your mind to? Teri M Brown—author of four novels, an inspirational cycling memoir, a children's book, and host of multiple podcasts—joins us for a candid conversation about healing, resilience, and the power of reinvention. Born in...

What if the numbers you avoid looking at are the very things that could set you and your family free? Albert Butler, CPA, MBA—Resident Partner-in-Charge of a national accounting firm, author of LIFE: Truth, Love, Loss, Success & Failure, and creator of the Legacy Alignment System—joins us for a conversation about financial discipline, resilience, faith, and building a legacy that endures beyond on...

What if the exhaustion you feel as a leader isn't a personal failing—but the predictable result of adapting to systems that weren't built with you in mind? Ron Sosa—neuroinclusive leadership coach, international speaker, author of Rewriting the Rules: A Leadership Model for a Neuroinclusive, Human-Centered Workplace, and Executive Director of the Uncharted Veterinary Conference—joins us for a powe...

What if the part of you that you thought you lost isn’t actually gone? For many women, singing was once a huge part of their lives—choir, school musicals, college performances, or simply singing for the joy of it. Then life got busy. Careers, children, relationships, and responsibilities took over, and somewhere along the way, the singing stopped. Twenty or thirty years later, they want it back—bu...

What if the cash your business needs isn’t missing—it’s simply sitting in your customers’ accounts? In this episode of CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED , Bill Ferrier , founder of Ready Set Collect and a veteran of nearly 40 years in the credit and collections industry, joins us to reveal how companies can take greater control of their cash flow by getting their own money paid on time. For many businesses...

What happens when life, circumstances, or other people make you question your own voice? In this powerful conversation, Kneet , Thai Sikh–Punjabi independent recording artist, songwriter, storyteller, advocate, and founder of Protect Children NY, joins CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED to explore the power of reclaiming your identity, finding your voice, and turning difficult experiences into purposeful ex...

What happens when anxiety becomes the voice making decisions for you? In this powerful conversation, Elke Scholz, MA, RP, REACE , registered psychotherapist, expressive art consultant and educator, and internationally certified EMDR therapist, joins CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED to explore how we can respond to anxiety without allowing it to dictate the direction of our lives. With more than 35 years o...

How do you know when someone is truly right for you—and when you’re simply afraid to let them go? In this episode of CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED , Darlington sits down with Debbie Engle , three-time award-winning author of I Am the Real Runaway Bride , to explore failed relationships, broken engagements, loneliness, faith, and the courage to choose wisdom over fear. Debbie was engaged three times—and...