Narrative Podcast

From a young age, Star was plagued by a deep-seated belief that no matter how hard she tried, she would never get what she wanted in life. This stemmed from heartbreaking experiences with her father, who would make promises to her but then fail to follow through. When Star was 10, she asked her father for a bike, but after months of waiting, the bike he finally gave her was much too large. Other r...

From an early age, Mike Hatch learned to believe he was unworthy of having his needs met. Growing up in a tumultuous Christian household, he witnessed his parents' marriage fall apart, culminating in a pivotal moment when he and his brother had to call 911 during one of their fights. This experience led teenage Mike to conclude he was entirely on his own. This belief shaped his relationships into...

When Clint Hatton was 12, his world crumbled as his father's affair tore apart their seemingly normal Southern California family. His mother's subsequent suicide attempts and a failed family relocation to Montana left young Clint with a deep-seated belief: he was completely alone in life. This false narrative drove him into drugs and alcohol by his early teens. By 21, he was caught in a nine-year...

In this episode, Tim and Steve reflect on the past few months of Narrative and discuss the influences that weigh on us in a false narrative. We know instinctively that everyone wants to own and be the author of their own story, but not too many people feel like they have that control with the different factors that are going on in our world.    Connect with Tim & Steve: narrative.live Follow u...

Garry VonMyhr, a Michigan-based serial entrepreneur and father of four, never saw himself as having an alcohol problem. Like many, he viewed drinking as a normal part of social life and business networking. But as the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on, Garry found himself questioning this ingrained habit.   "I started feeling sluggish and less present with my kids," Garry reflects. "I realized I wasn't...

Raised in a conservative Christian homeschool environment, Greg's journey led him from the cornfields of Missouri to the bustling streets of New York City and the rigorous world of the Coast Guard. Greg's foundation is built on his Christian faith, but his experiences taught him to question and refine his beliefs without abandoning his core values. Greg advises to "enter every conversation with th...

Born with nerve damage on the right side of his body, Jake Fedida faced a world that wasn't designed for him. As a child, he hid behind his mother's leg, ashamed of his differences. But a chance encounter with his hero, Derek Jeter, changed everything.   On August 6, 2003, ten-year-old Jake met the Yankees legend. To his surprise, Jeter thought Jake's unique way of playing baseball was "awesome."...

"If the creator of the universe knows everything you're ever going to do and everything you ever might do. If you're so bad, why would he make you? Obviously, it's a rhetorical question, because, he wouldn't." - Mike Stapleton Mike had a pretty rough childhood, dealing with sexual abuse and later his parents' separation, which left him feeling a constant sense of shame and insecurity. He didn't fe...

"There's something about real community. If you have real community and real friends and allies and people that understand and want to understand your story and what your life's about, that's huge." - Steve Gohl Life is not perfect for anyone. It may seem as though someone you know has it all but I promise you they too have faced hard times. What do you do in hard times? Do you journal? Do you hav...

"You won't profit unless you implement. And if you take the word profit out and you want to put in the word success, you won't have success unless you implement." - Vance Morris "You're going to college" said Vance Morri's parents and he didn't question it. That's what you were "supposed to do right?"  Go to college, get a job, and eventually retire. Vance had success at Disney and then a retireme...

"It's not something that I can change from my past, and I wouldn't change my past. My past has gotten me to where I'm at today." - Jen Pointer Growing up, Jen Pointer's identity was shaped by a false narrative that she had to conform to societal expectations and define herself through external achievements. She felt the pressure to follow a traditional path of success, leading her to believe that...

"Be the encourager for everybody. That you want for yourself." - Vinnie Fisher Vinnie Fisher has a captivating journey from a childhood marked by poverty and dysfunction to becoming a successful entrepreneur and mentor. Vinnie shared how he initially believed the false narrative that "I need to escape my family"due to his circumstances, define his future, but his determination to excel in academic...

"Everybody has a story to tell regardless of what they look like, regardless of where they come from." - Mike Thomas Mike Thomas, a man whose journey from an emotional childhood to a purpose-driven adulthood always placed him in a position to fight for the underdog. Raised in a challenging environment, Mike's older brother, Bub, was born with Aperts Syndrome. He had physical deformities but was no...

"What does God say about me? And what God says about me is that because of Christ and what he did for me, I am good enough." - Warren Mainard Warren had an abundance of confidence that he could do anything. But when Warren's kindergarten teacher identified Warren Mainard as having dyslexia, he was forced to repeat Kindergarten. The message Warren took from that was he was flawed, he'd never be goo...

"My true purpose, my true mission in life, is masculinity, marriage, and mindset." - Matt Clark Matt Clark shares his childhood struggles with imposter syndrome in baseball, shaped by a false narrative that he didn't measure up. Growing up Matt grappled with feelings of inadequacy which is common today due to societal pressures and the impact of social media. Despite putting on a brave front and a...

"It's who I know that gets me in the door, and it's what I know that keeps me there." - Neil Twa Neil Twa shares how a false narrative of a scarcity mindset, around money, shaped his perspective on life from a young age. He saw other's with money so he just had to figure out how he could get some too. Discover how his early experiences of getting out of town set the stage for a journey of self-dis...

Gerry Wilson was an only child. She watched her father work 12 hour days. She saw her parents sacrifice to provide an idyllic childhood.  Somehow she learned that she needed to be a good girl which meant being perfect and she didn't want to let her parents down!  Gerry grew up and got married. Eveything seemed in place until her fairy-tale marriage took an unexpected detour, she found herself at a...

I knew Kathy Izard's episode was worthy of revisiting.  We discussed the powerful theme of "My Work Is My Identity." Kathy's early years were dominated by a high-achieving, picture-perfect family facade in Texas, where ambitions were high, and family struggles were kept behind closed doors. Discover how these early experiences forged a false narrative that conflated personal value with professiona...

I sat down with Gery Deer, diving into the early narratives that shaped him from a young age. Growing up surrounded by specific societal and familial expectations, Gery discusses how these early influences scripted his life in ways he didn’t initially see. Ever wonder how much of your life is shaped by what you're told you should do versus what you want to do? Gery hits a major crossroads during h...

JC Chanowsky's early years were filled with traditional Sunday dinners at his Italian Grandparent's house until upheaval struck, leaving him feeling unanchored and prone to bullying. How did a young JC navigate the chaos of constant moves and a family split? Tune in to discover the adversity that influenced his formative years. As his personal life spiraled, JC found mentors in unexpected places....

"If I do everything right, life will turn out well", this is the mentality that turned Josh into a bit of a people pleaser. Being a people pleaser is how he ended up in an unhealthy marriage. And in business, because Josh could figure things out, he noticed the expectations of him at work entailed more than just his job description. And guess what? Life didn't turn out well. Josh grew up in Northe...

Have you ever witnessed a child rebelling against their parent? Like, the more the parent says "This is the right way", the more the child continues to try to do it their way? That's kind of how Geoff Wollerman was growing up. He got the message early that you get married and find a job and that is how to find success in life. He rejected this ideology. In high school, he started down a rebellious...

When Tammy thinks back to her upbringing all she can do is offer empathy for her father. Her biological father made some very bad choices. But did that make him a bad man a bad person? Tammy knows how his parents were and understand how they shaped who he was. You have got to hear about her upbringing and things she can remember from a very early age like 2 years old.  Tammy's mother was careful t...

Growing up somehow Susun Finn understood that she needed to be the smartest person in the room but because she was a female, it was important not to outshine the boys. Susan got pretty smart and worked as a food scientist at a Dairy Farm. Susan ended up leaving that job to take care of her 4 children and the others who had adopted their family. Unfortunately, one day her mother was in a terrible a...

Why narratives? Because every story matters. You know, so many people ask, "Is this a Christian podcast?" This is not the focus but what we know about personal development is that it usually includes an aspect of Spiritual, Mental, Physical, and Social growth. Some stories have a strong message from one of those areas, religion may just be easier to notice.  We are so grateful to everyone who has...