One on One with Mista Yu

What if clarity isn’t a grand reveal but the courage to take your next right step? We sit down with leadership coach and author David Prosper—“The Clarity Guy”—to trace how a mother’s final words, immigrant perseverance, and a deepened faith shaped a mission to help people break the default loop and live by design. David’s story moves from Fort Lauderdale projects to global stages, but the thread...

When the machines were loud and the room was cold, Holly Porter made a decision she didn’t technically get to make—she chose to come back with purpose. That return set off a chain reaction: a bestselling book with a spine of practical wisdom, a nonprofit reimagined around women leading with purpose, and the bold blueprint for an International Retreat Association the industry didn’t know it was wai...

The grind finally meets its match! We sit down with Dr. Melanie Gray—registered nurse, educator, and workplace wellness strategist—to pull apart the myth that exhaustion equals excellence and to rebuild a healthier vision of leadership from the inside out. If you’ve been praised for being “always on,” this conversation will feel like permission to choose a different path. We trace how early condit...

A single moment can split a life in two: a father on TV wraps an arm around his son, and an adult breaks down, finally seeing the hole where love should have been. That’s the doorway we walk through as we explore childhood trauma, the “father wound,” and the honest, practical work of healing. Our guest shares a raw story of leaving home at thirteen to escape violence, only to stumble into more har...

What if accountability felt like freedom instead of pressure? That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with accountability coach and author Robert J. Hunt, whose blunt mantra—“Nobody cares until you do”—turns excuses into action. Robert shares how a hard reset in 2019—selling his home to eliminate $90,000 of debt—unlocked lasting peace and a practical system for building the life he and his wife a...

What if the toughest thing about being a dad isn’t discipline or providing, but slowing down long enough to be truly present? That question sits at the heart of our conversation with Oscar Peña, host of The Daughtered Podcast, a “girl dad” whose military career, COVID lockdowns, and three daughters pushed him to rethink masculinity, leadership at home, and the real meaning of strength. We talk abo...

What if the thread that ties your life together isn’t a job title, but a commitment to grow—on purpose, for others? That’s the question that guides our conversation with Adam Woolard, whose journey runs from small‑town sports and piano recitals to finance, national modeling campaigns, and a mission-driven role coaching men’s health. We start with the early pivots: a hip surgery that ended college...

A single, honest question changed everything: where will I be in five years if I keep going? Stanley Bronstein faced the answer—dead—and chose a different path. What followed wasn’t a miracle diet or a surgery. It was standards: cut alcohol, drop the soda, eat real food, and walk every day. He turned a lifetime of grief‑driven eating into a 220‑pound loss and built a system that stuck for 17 years...

What if comfort is the quiet force pulling young men off course? We sit down with coach and podcaster DJ Logory to unpack how convenience culture, low-friction choices, and screen-first social lives collide with the real demands of work, school, and relationships. DJ’s path—from a graphic injury to fitness, from a derailed internship to life-changing mentorship—shapes a practical system for turnin...

Support the show Are you a guest with a message of hope and faith, overcome tragedy and addiction, creativity, invention, or you just have questions about society and culture? The “They Can Me Mista Yu” brand of podcasts is looking for guests! Book your interview today: https://www.joinpodmatch.com/theycallmemistayu Give the shows a listen: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/they-call-me-mista-...

Our team thought it was a great idea to start rewinding previous (but timely) episodes of our show during the times that Mista Yu is away from the microphone. All of these beautiful Blasts from the Past were previously broadcast, but we are sharing them with you at a time when you might need them most. Hope you enjoy the review! ************************ SEND US A TEXT. Drop Mista Yu a text at: (90...

A childhood spent sweeping mats and teaching adults at age ten forged a voice that wouldn’t wait its turn. Then came the hard lefts: a high school spiral, a grandmother who parked at a recruiter’s office and wouldn’t budge, a Navy path that led to serving chaplains with the Marines, and a blast in Iraq that changed everything. JR Spear came home with scars, a renewed faith, and a determination to...

Two lives meet over faith, food, and hard truths, as Neena Perez traces her path from trauma and survival to healing, coaching, and service. We unpack accountability, reframing, forgiveness, and building a purpose-filled life that lifts others. • growing up with abuse, poverty, teen pregnancy, homelessness • shifting from victimhood to accountability and faith • feeling to heal, naming reality, bu...

A Marine. A cop. A lawyer. A recording artist. A photographer. An author. Steve Gallegos has worn many titles, but the story he tells starts in the ditch—and shows how to climb out with purpose. We go straight into responsibility, resilience, and the power to “yell cut” on a life that’s veered off script. Steve unpacks how our earliest programming trains us to blame, and why agency begins when we...

We talk with Dr. Len Lopez about building health through small, consistent actions across sleep, thought, food, movement, and spirit. We explore digestion, stress, food combining, and simple mindset tools that help people stick with better choices without chasing perfection. • STEPS framework for daily tracking of sleep, think, eat, physical, and spirit • Why how you eat matters as much as what yo...

A three‑day‑old infant left at a Dublin orphanage. A midnight chat room that led back to a mother’s voice on her 79th birthday. A DA who walked away from the courtroom to chase a childhood dream in one of America’s most violent cities. Pat Welsh’s journey is equal parts grit, grace, and the hard edges of service, and we go deep on what it takes to hold your soul together when the job tries to pull...

When the room won’t stop spinning and your plans shatter overnight, where do you put your hope? That’s the question we bring to Lara Silverman—bestselling Christian author, lawyer, jazz singer, and comedic actress—whose life veered from a federal prosecutor dream to a mysterious neurological illness that left her bedridden for years. She speaks candidly about the anger, the silence, and the strang...

A quiet Kansas childhood with a fishing pole and a love of books doesn’t usually share a sentence with corporate success, addiction, and a gun on the bathroom counter. Yet that contrast is exactly where our conversation with David Waldy lives—and where it begins to heal. David invites us into the gap between what people saw and what he carried: a volatile home, a cross-country move that couldn’t f...

What if the door that closes on your career is the one that opens to your calling? That’s the unexpected turn in Dan Parr’s story—radio kid turned corporate leader turned Bible narrator and publisher—who set out to record one book of Scripture and ended up building a clear, modern translation people actually want to read. We dig into the moments that shaped Dan’s path: a complicated pregnancy that...

The headlines say “successful exit.” The heart says “now what?” That tension drives this candid conversation with coach, investor, and IllumiShift founder Matthew Strunk—who went from a one-day college stint and chaotic family business shifts to Inc. 5000 growth, multi-million-dollar sales, and a sobering realization: achievement without alignment feels like a golden prison. We unpack the messy mi...

We trace Jason Lange’s path from a disconnected childhood to leading transformational men’s groups, unpacking the “ManBox,” interoception, and shadow work. The talk shows how language, brotherhood, and responsibility restore energy, deepen love, and create real resilience. • Jason’s upbringing and early disconnection • Coping patterns and the first men’s group • Rewriting the man box and invulnera...

A mirror moment can change a life. When Brittany Russell realized she didn’t love herself and was attracting the wrong patterns, she didn’t chase a quick fix—she built a practice. We sit with Brittany, an energy and embodiment coach and founder of L3 Coaching, to unpack how West Coast roots, corporate code switching, and a sudden layoff forged a calling to serve women of color and any woman ready...

If faith has ever felt thin, like a story you respect but can’t quite live inside, this conversation might be the turning point. Cassian Bellino, host of Biblically Speaking and builder of the Biblically Heard community, shares how a restless hunger for context took her from lukewarm belief to a practice that blends scholarship, honesty, and everyday courage. We travel with her from Cincinnati win...

A pastor, author, and father of eleven shares how grief led him to faith, why he pairs wisdom with trust, and what actually helps marriages thrive. We talk candidly about medical limits, leadership at home, handling trials, and the kind of encouragement that changes a family. • Northern California roots and conversion after brother’s overdose • From teaching and coaching to pastoral ministry • Rea...

A hallway door thumps shut, a six-year-old freezes, and a lifetime relationship with fear begins. That moment—watching his grandfather die and feeling abandoned in the aftermath—didn’t just mark Andrew Poles; it wired him. Today, Andrew coaches founders and CEOs with a rare mix of empathy and edge, and he’s candid about the cost of running on fear. We go deep into the psychology of performance, wh...