Live Brave with Dr Margie Warrell

For a long time, leadership was measured by how well we could perform under pressure, stay composed, and keep pushing through. But in a world that feels more chaotic, divided, and emotionally depleted than ever, I believe that model is breaking down. In this episode, I sit down with Amy Elizabeth Fox, CEO and co-founder of Mobius Executive Leadership and co-author with Nicholas Janni, of Leading i...

Do you ever feel like you're off track, falling behind, or failing at this wild mystery tour we call life? The difficulties. The detours. The closed doors. The doubts and dreams that didn't survive contact with reality. The idealized "got it all together" version of yourself you thought you'd be by now… but clearly aren't. Let's face it: we're living in a time loa...

"I feel too encouraged," — said no one. Ever. Yet countless people are burdened with self-doubt. Which is why a few well-timed words of encouragement can make a profound difference. Encouragement isn't soft. It's a superpower - and research backs it up. In this episode, I explore why encouragement is like verbal sunshine and why giving it generously doesn't just lift the person receiving it, it tr...

We are not living through a period of change in higher education. We are living through a change of era — and while educational leaders see it coming, centuries of tradition run deep, anchoring them in place at the very moment bold action has never mattered more. As generative AI rewrites the rules of the workforce at breathtaking speed, a degree alone is no longer enough. The question facing ever...

We live in a world that constantly invites comparison. Every time we pick up our devices, our newsfeeds flood us with curated images, updates, and highlights from everyone else’s lives. It’s designed to capture our attention—but all too often, it leaves us feeling “less than,” stoking insecurity and fueling endless comparisons. Comparison is human. Decades of research show it’s part of how we navi...

What kind of world would we be living in if those in power weren’t leading from unhealed wounds? Raj Sisodia, co-author of Healing Leaders Now , joins me on the Live Brave Podcast to explore the profound connection between personal healing and leadership impact. Whether we realize it or not, what we have not healed within ourselves shapes the way we lead, influence, decide, and connect.  Unresolve...

Disappointment hurts.  It arrives when what we hoped for collides with what actually happened—when people fall short, plans unravel, or a future we were counting on quietly disappears. And yet, disappointment isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s evidence of care.  In this episode, I  explore the anatomy of disappointment—why it cuts so deeply, especially when it involves people we trusted or outcomes we...

Our identity - as people and leaders - isn’t forged in one defining moment. It’s built over time, through small choices that test our values long before the stakes feel high. In this conversation with JoAnne S. Bass, the first Asian American and first female to serve as Chief Master Sergeant of the United States Air Force where she was responsible for nearly 800,000 serviceman, we discuss how prac...

Like it or not, change is coming. The question is: will you participate in it consciously, or spend your energy resisting what's already in motion? Whether change arrives as a disruption you didn't choose or as a quiet whisper you can't ignore, both ask the same thing of you—let go of what's familiar. And that can shake your sense of who you are. Who are you without the roles, rout...

"There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in." A line from Leonard Cohen's 1992 song Anthem that feels especially true when purpose starts to feel unclear. So many people hit a point where the clarity they once had around their purpose begins to crack. What felt certain starts to crumble, and it's easy to think you've somehow lost your way or that some...

What happens when trust in leaders and institutions breaks down? In this episode, I'm joined by journalist and speaker Mariana Atencio, who grew up in Venezuela and witnessed firsthand what happens when trust slowly erodes across government, media, and social systems. That lived experience reshaped her understanding of courage, purpose, and self-trust. Her story isn't just about politics. It's abo...

Leadership today is more complex, faster-paced, and more uncertain than ever before, and I see how that's leaving many capable leaders stuck between playing to win and playing not to lose. In this episode of the Live Brave Podcast, I'm joined by Alan Guarino, who I worked alongside for many years, and together we reflect on what modern leadership truly demands when clarity is elusive and the stake...

So often we tell ourselves that growth will come once we feel more confident, more prepared, or more certain. But what I've learned, through my own life and through conversations like this one, is that growth usually begins much earlier than that. I sit down with Lisa Nichols to explore what happens when we stop waiting and start saying yes. Yes to what's already within us. Yes to the next step, e...

Your personal brand is shaped by the stories you tell and the truths you hide. And when those stories come from fear, self-protection, or old narratives, they quietly limit your confidence, visibility, and leadership presence. In this conversation with personal branding expert Goldie Chan, I explore what happens when you stop shrinking your story and begin showing up with more honesty, courage, an...

How often do you put off the very thing you most need to do because it will feel awkward? You hold back from asking, saying, or doing what matters, not because it's wrong, but because it feels uncomfortable. In this episode, I explore why awkwardness is not a sign you're failing. It is often evidence that you're choosing your values over comfort. Confidence does not come before action. It follows...

Fear shapes our lives in ways we often don't recognize. It colors our decisions, narrows our vision, and quietly convinces us to play smaller than we're meant to. Yet fear can also become the catalyst that strengthens our character and deepens our courage — if we're willing to meet it with honesty and self-leadership. In this conversation, bestselling author and CEO Mick Hunt shares how early adve...

Small daily actions shape our lives far more than big resolutions. Every courageous change I've ever made began with one simple choice — a choice to show up a little braver than I felt like being at the moment.  In a world that constantly pushes us to "Go Big," I've learned that our greatest growth doesn't come from big, lofty actions but from the small, intentional acts we repeat every day. In th...

Fear often shapes our choices long before we notice it, nudging us toward safety instead of growth. In this new Courage Works series on the Live Brave Podcast, I unpack how hidden threat biases and self-protective scripts quietly limit our confidence, decision-making, and potential. I explore how fear becomes ambient in an uncertain world, and why it so often trades our potential for false securit...

What if the real cost of playing it safe isn't what you miss today—it's who you never become tomorrow? Your brain treats your future self like a stranger—and that's why you keep choosing comfort over courage. In this episode, I explore the neuroscience behind this disconnect and why it leads us to make decisions our future selves will regret. You'll discover why prioritizing what feels safer today...

We've all had those moments of hesitation—"Do I speak up or stay quiet? Do I make the change or stick with the familiar?" Too often, fear of feeling awkward, exposed, or foolish keeps us playing it safe. Yet the awkward moments we try hardest to avoid aren't obstacles—they're the very gateways to the growth, opportunities, connection and confidence we desire the most.  In this episode, I share why...

Warning: This episode may not be your cup of tea if you'd rather not hear about nudity (or Oprah… or Jill Biden). Why? Because it starts with a wild and wacky story ripped straight from my morning. It might make you laugh, raise your eyebrows, and—hopefully—not judge me too harshly for failing to walk my own talk and say, "Could you please put your clothes on?" Let's face it: if our deeply ingrain...

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Pease, a former Navy SEAL whose extraordinary story—both heart-wrenching and deeply inspiring —threads through The Courage Gap. Alex's journey reveals the truest measure of courage: the willingness to embrace vulnerability and give ourselves grace. We dive into the universal need to belong, the power of authentic leadership, and why forgiving our failures is e...

In this episode, I unpack a key principle from The Courage Gap —one I learned early in life: "Growth and comfort can't ride the same horse." Because while staying in our comfort zones might feel safe, over time, it can slowly cause us to shrink on the vine of our own lives. I share a few personal stories of my own dance with discomfort, including the time I risked looking like a borderline stalker...

In this episode, I speak to General Stanley McChrystal to explore the intersection of courage and character—two mutually reinforcing virtues being put to the test in today's world. Building on his powerful Foreword for The Courage Gap and themes from his upcoming book On Character , we discuss how to find the courage to do the right thing, particularly when uncertainty is high and there's a lot at...

Sweaty hands. Butterflies in the belly. A total sense of paralysis. Let's face it—fear is deeply physical. In this episode, I explore another key concept from The Courage Gap: how to reset your fear at the physiological level. Fear isn't just in your mind—it embeds in your body. Understanding this unlocks a powerful pathway to cultivating courage and harnessing the full power of your physical pres...