Permission to be Powerful Podcast

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, Gunshot to the head. That’s how they found him. November 26, 2024. San Francisco. Bathroom floor. Blood pooled beneath him. Glock on the tile. Door locked from the inside. The initial report called it suicide. Neat. Clean. Quick. But nothing about Suchir Balaji’s death was clean. He was 26. Brilliant. Soft-spoken. And he was about to testify in the most high-...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Have you seen some of the talented writers who’ve joined the Permission to be Powerful movement? Check out the Community Posts tab for fresh perspectives and powerful stories. We have a new story coming out today at 11 am EST. EDITOR’S NOTE #2: Last night’s dance video was SO HOT. If you missed it, check it out here . Okay, now let’s get into it… The Best Weight You’ll Ever Lose: Wh...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, The Chauffeur must die. Because The Chauffeur was never meant to live. The Birth of The Chauffeur In families where violence passes for normal, silence becomes survival. You learn quickly that being seen is dangerous. That asking for what you need invites punishment. That your job is not to feel—but to anticipate the feelings of others. So you become the Chau...

Editor’s Note: I got together with some author friends and decided to give away our books for free. That’s right. You can get my new memoir, Hell & Paradise , and over 25 other nonfiction titles for free. Check it out here . 💥 Best for a Gut-Punching Power Read Hell and Paradise by Anton Volney A fierce, high-voltage wake-up call about truth, survival, and what happens when you finally give yours...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, Gaslighting isn’t just someone telling you, “That never happened.” It’s far more insidious than that. It’s someone telling you: 👉 “You don’t actually feel that way.” 👉 “That’s not what you meant.” 👉 “You’re just being sensitive.” 👉 “You’re lying to yourself.” It’s not just erasing events—it’s erasing you. It’s the slow, relentless process of making you do...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Did you see my first dance video drop? Wow filled with sexy dance moves. It’s quite the spectacle. Check it out here . Now, let’s get into it… Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, What if everything you’ve ever called “normal”… was actually abuse? What happens when the people who were supposed to love you… trained you to betray yourself? What if you really have been a fish out of...

EDITOR’S NOTE: I’ve attached the following audio to set the mood for this piece. If you feel confused. Messy. Chaotic… Perfect. Enjoy. Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, Let me explain something. There’s a certain kind of person—bless their heart—who thinks they’re helping you. But what they’re really doing… is screaming like a goat. Loud. Random. Disorienting. Not even angry , necessarily. Ju...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, With all of the crazy s**t happening in the news every day… It’s easy to get overwhelmed. To panic… To shut down… Just take a look at recent news headlines: ❌ A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside Trump International in Las Vegas, killing the driver and injuring seven. The truck was rented. Motive unclear. Everything spiraled. ❌ A helicopter crash into the Hu...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader , We’re on the healing path in the Zen Center. My sensei started meditation after he went sober 30 years ago. Two friends struggle with depression like me. They also both have ADHD. Sometimes, your mind is in shambles. For those people… Keeping it “together” is a full-time job. So we meditate. Some problems are too heavy to solve with more thinking. Sometimes...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader … What if life isn’t rare? What if it’s common — and the loneliness we’ve all felt is just a temporary illusion, waiting to be shattered by new light? The exoplanet K2-18b might be where that light first breaks through. NASA’s James Webb Telescope just gave us our clearest hint yet that a planet beyond our solar system may host life-linked molecules. Specifica...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, Some people swear they want peace. But their actions? Tell a different story. They’re always balls deep in some b******t. If it’s not a nasty breakup… It’s a public argument. If it’s not gossip … It’s some new drama they swear they didn’t ask for. If it’s not one toxic situation… There’s another one waiting in line. Their relationships are always unstable. He...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, Over the past three years… Ever since my divorce… I’ve lived the adventure of a lifetime. I was a man, possessed. You couldn’t stop me. I danced like there was no tomorrow— Because for me, that wasn’t just a clever line. It was a fact. I bathed in a river of beautiful women. So many connections. So many moments of electric, unforgettable magic. I thought my w...

Editor’s Note: Find out how you can get my new memoir Hell & Paradise as well as over 20 other new nonfiction titles for free at the end of this post. Now, let’s get into it… The World's First Whale Rosetta Stone Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, In the waters off Dominica, a miracle is unfolding—quietly, rhythmically, click by click. For centuries, we believed ourselves to be the only specie...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, You’re telling yourself a lie right now. One so convincing… So deeply embedded in your mind… You don’t even question it. This lie is the reason you’re stuck. 👉 It’s why you procrastinate.👉 It’s why you settle for less.👉 It’s why you keep watching others succeed while you stay exactly where you are. So what’s the lie? “I have to be ready first.” Not yet. No...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, You can have all your paperwork in order—and still feel like you’re one tweet away from exile. That’s what no one tells you about being an immigrant in America: Even when you’re safe on paper, you’re never safe in your body. Even when you're legal , you never feel legit . You flinch at headlines. You hold your breath at airports. You memorize your rights like...

Editor’s Note: If you missed my last group book promo, you can still grab my memoir Hell & Paradise for free, as well as a few other interesting titles. Check it out here . Okay, now let’s get into it… How Did I Do It? Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, How did I get Richard Branson to sing my praises over a recorded Zoom call? Smiling. Congratulating me. As if I’m somebody. I’m not b*********...

EDITOR’S NOTE: I’ve got a MASSIVE surprise coming. This will be a game-changer. In that vein, I decided to publish something fun and on brand. Enjoy. 💔 Forbidden Love 🧠 Obsession 💋 Seduction 🕶️ Swagger 🔪 Savagery 💪🏽 Machismo 😔 Vulnerability 🥀 Real Love 🫶 Tenderness 🪞 Honesty ❤️‍🔥 Passion 🔥 Desire 🌒 Longing 😈 Toxic 😞 Heartbreak 🩸 Suffering Need I say more? Without further ado, here...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, I’m one of those people I keep talking about. Crazy … Or at least… I used to be. You had to be crazy to stay in toxic relationships for as long as me. Let me clue you in on something: Some people are emotionally dependent on others. 👉 They NEED to be rescued. 👉 They EXPECT it. 👉 DEMAND it. And they’ve been this way for a long time. The whole time. And gues...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, Confession: I’ve been working on Permission to Be Powerful nonstop for four months. Okay. I lied. It’s been nine. I wrote the book before I ever launched the blog. I work until midnight seven days a week. I gave up running for a while. I’ve gained 20 pounds. I am also currently managing some chronic pain from sitting nonstop. There are several reasons for thi...

Editor’s Note: I got together with some author friends and decided to give away our books for free. That’s right. You can get my new memoir, Hell & Paradise , and over 20 other nonfiction titles for free. Check it out here . 💥 Best for a Gut-Punching Power Read Hell and Paradise by Anton Volney A fierce, high-voltage wake-up call about truth, survival, and what happens when you finally give yours...

Editor’s Note: A Thank You to the Brave, Brilliant Voices on Substack… From the bottom of my heart, to every writer who lit something in me this week—thank you.❤️❤️❤️ I’ve been walking through a strange and beautiful landscape lately—somewhere between inspiration and introspection—and your words have helped me find the trail. Whether it was a raw confession, a poetic truth, a historical deep dive,...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, You think reality is stable? Predictable? Think again. 👉 Atoms teleport. 👉 Light can be frozen. 👉 Time bends. 👉 And your body glows in the dark. The following facts aren’t sci-fi. They’re peer-reviewed, observed, replicated. Read them one by one. Each is a knockout punch to what you thought was possible. THE FACTS: ✅ Two particles can remain mysteriously...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, Art isn’t for everyone. And neither are YOU. Some people walk past the Mona Lisa and scoff. Others would spend millions to own it. The painting doesn’t change— only the eye that sees it does. And that’s the game. If you’ve been walking through life feeling unseen, undervalued, or underpriced, the issue isn’t just them. It’s you. The Difference Between a $100...

By Anton Volney Permission to Be Powerful | April 2025 ⚠️ EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a speculative narrative woven from real-world events, public data, and patterns of corruption that repeat across industries and decades. Not everything in this story can be verified. But here’s what can : The pattern is real. The silence is systemic. And the people trying to warn us keep vanishing. Read with curiosity...

Dear Permission to be Powerful Reader, You reek of ambition. But I’ve had your kind before. Hundreds of times. No—thousands. You think your music is new. Your slang clever. But I was there when your great-grandfather whispered the same ideas under candlelight… Thinking he was the first to question his place in the world. You think your ideas are yours. Your insecurities are yours. Your trauma is y...