Experience Over Expectation

In this episode of Experience Over Expectation , Mary McCorvey sits down with memoirist and mental health advocate Marion Hoffman Koenig , author of Don’t Say Crazy to Me . Marion’s story moves through grief, creativity, 1980s New York energy, and the strange, tender places where humor and death sit at the same table. We talk about what it means to be an empath, how empathy can help and how it can...

Frank Selden came to a cemetery ready to end his life and walked away with one question: “What if my actions in this life affect what comes next?” In this episode of Experience Over Expectation , I sit down with Rev. Dr. Frank Selden , a former Army National Guard officer and JAG detachment veteran, and a respected tax and estate attorney who helped thousands of entrepreneurs build with calm, clar...

What if success is not another achievement, it is a frequency you learn to live in In this conversation, I sit down with Robin H. Clare , best selling author, creator of The Harmony Method , and a spiritual recovery guide whose work is grounded in her own forty year journey through obsessive compulsive food disorder and bulimia. Her new book, Harmony, The Frequency of True Success , offers a path...

What if the biggest no of your life became the turning point for everything that followed In this conversation, Gal Ezra, a South African-born entrepreneur, investor, and founder of Guaranteed Prosperity, shares how being stranded in Cape Town at 19 after a visa rejection with no money and no plan forced him to rebuild from the inside out. By 25, Gal had built his first million-dollar business. By...

Achievement isn’t the same as fulfillment. Host Mary McCorvey talks with Kevin Palmieri , founder/host of Next Level University (top-100 podcast, 1M+ listeners across 170 countries). Kevin shares the moment he says “rock bottom has a basement,” why he reached out for help, and how he rebuilt with small promises, habit tracking, identity work, and better relationships. You’ll learn Why purpose star...

In this episode, Mary talks with Adaku Mbagwu —a Nigerian-born, Tulum-based transformational guide and the self-proclaimed “first daughter disruptor.” Through her global community, Healed Hero , Adaku helps high-achieving firstborn daughters release generational pressure, perfectionism, and the invisible labor that keeps them exhausted—and build success that actually feels good. What we cover Elde...

What if the stories you love could unlock the stories you’ve hidden? In this conversation, psychologist and author Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst shares how reading short, evocative narratives—and then pausing to reflect and respond —can surface long-stored experiences, deepen emotional access, and begin healing. We explore boys’ and men’s emotional development, why reassurance can accidentally shut down...

What if leadership isn’t about adding more “apps”… but upgrading your operating system? In this episode of Experience Over Expectation, host Mary McCorvey sits down with executive & leadership coach Luann Horobin (MCC) to unpack vertical development—the shift from piling on skills to changing how you see and respond to the world. We explore: Why fear, certainty, and “I’m right” thinking lock u...

Welcome to Experience Over Expectation with Mary McCorvey—where we let go of the plan and live on our terms. Today’s guest is Gramps Jeffrey (aka Marc Joseph) : father of four, grandfather of six, author of I Don’t Want to Turn 3 , and co-founder of BabyBoomer.org , a powerhouse community featuring hundreds of expert contributors across health, finance, parenting, culture, and more. We dig into: W...

Today’s guest doesn’t just play music—he organizes it into impact. Rick DellaRatta is a world-class jazz pianist, composer, and founder of Jazz for Peace, known for uniting musicians and communities after 9/11 and channeling concerts into real resources for nonprofits. We talk origin stories (a piano on Christmas Eve), improvisation as a path to freedom, the famous United Nations concert, and why...

What if the key to success isn’t more planning—but better strategy and bold execution? In this episode of Experience Over Expectation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Thom Boharsik—Air Force veteran, former Google and Accenture leader, and co-founder of Outlaw Star Collective—to explore what it means to be a strategic renegade in life and business. Thom breaks down: 🔹 Why adaptability—not perfection...

Do you want tighter interviews, sharper jokes, and a real plan for building relationships that actually open doors?  This episode  is for you. Steve Cooper—stand-up comic, host of Cooper Talk and Coop’s Comedy Corner, and the mind behind Cocktails/Coffee with Cooper—joins me to share what most people miss about comedy, conversation, and connection. What you’ll get from  this episode...

We talk a lot about “taking control” of our lives. Jeff Sorensen took something deeper:  radical ownership . After a near-death experience, years of addiction, and a cartel prison cell in Mexico, he discovered a quiet power inside the chaos—the breath, the pause, the choice. This isn’t a redemption cliché. Jeff maps the very human path from  reaction  to  response , from “my st...

Welcome back to  Experience Over Expectation . Today’s episode sits right at the intersection I love most: purpose, creativity, and the courage to pivot. I’m joined by  Neeti Keswani —host of  Luxury Unplugged , brand/story coach, and author of the bestselling  Live Your Dreams, Be You . We talk about “inner luxury,” the spirituality of work, and how to tell a brand story that...

I invited  Alan Lazaros  on  Experience Over Expectation  because his story hits the heartbeat of this project: when life veers off script, you can either cling tighter to the plan—or you can build something truer. At 26, Alan survived a car crash that forced a reckoning. He was already “successful” by the world’s measures, but the inner story didn’t match. That tension became...

You are not your job title. That’s where this conversation begins. Today on  Experience Over Expectation , I sit down with  Theresa Hummel-Krallinger (Theresa H.K.) —two-time Emmy winner, author of  Make Waves , President & Chief People Officer at High Five Performance, university professor, and a stand-up comic of 20+ years. She’s helped job seekers since 2003, and she’s seen e...

First impressions are stubborn—research suggests it can take 8–10 new interactions to change them. Executive coach and author Karen Kaufman (K Partners) joins me to unpack personal presence, relationship management, and what golf reveals about leadership: pace, temperament, and trust. We talk brand vs. reputation, updating self-image, women in business golf, and Karen’s book MAGIC: Making a Good I...

What happens when your pain is dismissed and your symptoms ignored? If you're Rebecca Lyons, you turn your story into a solution for millions. In this powerful episode of Experience Over Expectation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Rebecca Lyons, founder and CEO of HerSay, an AI-powered health companion that helps women advocate for their own care. Diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis after years of...

What if the perfect resume isn’t the real key to success? In this inspiring episode of Experience Over Expectation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Lauren Perez—IP consultant, self-made founder, and living proof that belief in yourself can take you further than any title ever could. From having dinner with President Obama to testifying before Congress and becoming VP of a law firm without a law degre...

What if entrepreneurship isn’t just a profession— it’s part of your DNA? In this powerful episode of Experience Over Expectation , Mary McCorvey sits down with Sid Mohasseb, globally respected entrepreneur, author, investor, and founder of Anabasis Academy—often called the Entrepreneur Philosopher . From curing his own genetic disorder at age 7 to moving to America alone at 16, Sid’s life story is...

If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve done everything right—so why do I still feel stuck?” this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Mary McCorvey sits down with Randy Taylor , founder of Taylormade Leadership and the creator of There~Apy —a revolutionary science-based alternative to traditional therapy. Drawing from 35 years of studying human behavior and his own extraordinary life story, R...

In this soul-stirring episode of Experience Over Expectation , host Mary McCorvey is joined by acclaimed classical guitarist Jonathan Taylor , whose career spans decades, continents, and more than 300 recorded tracks —a musical output that rivals The Beatles in volume and surpasses many in-depth. From being raised by two powerful women—his vaudevillian grandmother and beloved mother—to studying un...

In this episode of Experience Over Expectation , host Mary McCorvey sits down with George Leone—former judge, federal prosecutor, and founder of Homecoming 250—to explore what it takes to turn a deeply personal mission into a national movement. George shares the origin story behind Homecoming 250 , a once-in-a-generation celebration honoring the 250th birthdays of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. F...

What happens when your dream home starts to feel like a prison? In this episode of Experience Over Expectation , Mary McCorvey sits down with TEDx speaker and bestselling author Rita Wilkins , also known as The Downsizing Designer . Rita shares her surprising journey from a lavish 5,000 sq. ft. home to an 867 sq. ft. apartment—and how that radical shift created a life filled with meaning, freedom,...