Return To Authenticity

Tune in for this funny, sad, and inspiring episode with Michael "Chief" Peterson.   Life can change in the blink of an eye and did for Chief when his brother was murdered.  He faced depression and hopelessness, and recovered through personal connection, faith, and writing his pain down in poetry.   It has led him to the pinnacle of encouragement and achievement. Chief is the playwright o...

Episode 19 is a story that's hard to get your head around.  After graduating medical school and beginning his medical practice in 1992, Dr Michael Norman took a side job practicing medicine at another clinic during his off hours to supplement his family’s income. He had no idea that clinic was actually a front for the Russian mob!  Dr. Norman captures a story seemingly ripped from the pages o...

Tune in to hear from our guest, Kevin Demmons.  Kevin grew up in Maine, living in a traumatic and often violent household. He stopped living at home with his parents beginning at the age of 8.  He continued to overcome the odds; get knocked down and get back up again.  Kevin refused to be defined and limited by the tough life he was born into.   Years after further stress and trauma from military...

Meet Jamie Gruber.  Jamie was crushing his corporate career in the insurance industry, climbing the corporate ladder for over 20 years, moving his family back and forth across the country in pursuit of the “next rung” on the ladder, and earning a multiple six figure income doing so. Yet despite outward appearances, Jamie was feeling more empty with every step up.  Something was amiss. A long solo...

A great conversation with my guest, Kute Blackson!  Kute is a native of Ghana, West Africa where he was raised, in addition to London, England.  Kute was destined to take over his iconic father’s hugely successful ministry leading tens of thousands of followers in hundreds of churches across West Africa.  Kute, however, felt called to something else.  After winning a chance lottery at a green card...

Father’s Day 2022!   For father's and son's and those with father's and son's, tune in to hear Mike Liguori’s powerful story of loyalty, anger, fear, forgiveness and redemption. Mike grew up in Northern California in a Catholic family as the oldest of 4 boys. His parents divorced when Mike was 7 years old which created both internal and external conflict between Mike and his fa...

This interview with Kimberly Kesting was a blast! Hear Kimberly’s story of growing up in New England and competing as a scholarship athlete on a collegiate rowing team. Post-college life in business in the rat race of NYC and some un-dealt-with demons from her rowing days landed Kimberly in a place of disconnect, disillusion, and despair. Hear how she set about changing her life’s course and findi...

An awesome episode chopping it up with Dennis Morolda, a great leader and role model committed to building young men and providing them the tools to grow and thrive.   Growing up in New Jersey, Dennis faced bullying and trauma that shaped his childhood and early career decisions. He went to college where he pursued a degree in education and and quickly moved from the classroom to the administratio...

After growing up in a small Maryland town as a star athlete, Dr. Danielle McGinnis @drdaniellemcginnis checked all the boxes on her way to a PhD in Physical Therapy and tens of thousands of IG followers, before scraping it and starting over.  Her determination, work ethic and ability to do hard things, while focusing on her belief that a more holistic approach to healing was the way.  Danielle is...

Angelo Sisco is the Alpha Hippie, @iamalphahippie.  Angelo grew up outside of Chicago, where being tough on the street started as a family expectation and became an obsession.  Later in life, Angelo learned about emotions, feelings, and personal growth and how they relate to masculinity.  He now leads men toward being better fathers, husbands and men.  You will love hearing the transformative, hon...

Return to Authenticity, episode 09!  It’s Youth Mental Health Awareness week, so this is a fantastic time to share the conversation I recently had with our guest, David Bidler, co-leader of the non-profit @physiologyfirst As co-leader of @physiologyfirst, David and his partner Lex are dedicated to skills and physiology-based mental health education for youth across the globe.   David is also autho...

Tune in to RTA EP08 where guest JP Bolwahnn shares his RTA story of early trauma and many challenges and poor decisions growing up that landed him in juvenile detention and a wake up call that ultimately turned his life around.  He pivoted toward sports, and then over a decade in the Navy and the SEAL teams. And that’s only the beginning!   He’s now a life and fitness coach, where his mission is t...

Walter Nusbaum is in the studio as our guest on Return to Authenticity, episode 07.   Walter is a renowned national speaker, coach and author in the areas of leadership development, strategic management, communications and organizational culture.  He is the author of “Do You Have What It Takes? The Critical Traits of all Successful People” and “The Sink: Radical Transformation With One Small Chang...

In the studio for Return to Authenticity Episode 06 is our guest, Nick Kuhle.  Nick grappled with a series of health issues in his early twenties and grew frustrated with the advice he received in the medical community.  He knew there had to be a better answer than a lifetime of pharmaceuticals medication and side effects.  Through a focus on sleep, movement, nutrition, mediation and breathing, Ni...

Return to Authenticity podcast episode 05 with our guest Mike Sisk, owner and founder of Low T Center, a national men’s wellness practice focused on treating men with low testosterone.  Mike’s story begins in small town Tennessee and progresses through the corporate job he dreamed of to a life he never could have imagined by pivoting toward his entrepreneurial spirit, being willing to accept risk...

Today's guest is Matt McCartney.  Matt grew up in a house of 5 competitive boys, so chaos was something he learned to thrive in at an early age.  As an adult, he spent 13 years as a police officer with the Toronto PD until he felt the job was consuming him and feeding aspects of his life that were not sustainable.  He had to consider a courageous move into uncharted water and an inspiring new...

Today's guest is Jay Presti.  Jay grew up  on a ranch with "modest" beginnings, in his words.  He made a critical pivot early in life and has been steadfast in remaining true to his authentic self as a rancher, cowboy, hunter and conservationist.  Staying true to that authenticity has lead Jay to be the host and star of the television show “Blue Collar Adventures” on Amazon Prime an...

Today’s guest is Jennifer McMaster.    Jenn has made several major pivots in life, one significant move being from a role in corporate and public health to a role as an entrepreneur and Life Architect.  She uses her skills as a certified Enlifted language coach to assist her clients in uncovering and shaping their reality and accomplishing their dreams through the power of their own words, languag...

Rick Alexander was in the Navy for 12 years, serving in special operations the entire time as a special operations combat medic and BUD/S instructor.  He'd reached the goals he'd set for himself to be among a small group Navy's most elite special operators.   Still, the voice inside him was nudging him that there was more.  He was hearing a call to new adventures outside the Navy -...

This is the introduction to the Return to Authenticity podcast.  Join us weekly to be inspired by others' stories of returning to their authentic selves.  Thanks for listening!  Connect with me below:  Website: https://www.ericsardina.com Follow me on: Instagram: @theericsardina Facebook: Eric Sardina LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsardina/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EricSar...