The Aggressive Life with Brian Tome

You might think life as an NFL legend would be a cakewalk… but that’s not been Jim Kelly’s experience. The Buffalo Bills great has overcome more than his fair share of pain—from four straight Super Bowl losses, to a grim cancer diagnosis, to the death of his son from a rare neurological disorder. Like any great QB after a hard hit, each time Jim has gotten back up, dusted himself off, and kept goi...

According to the foremost expert on the topic, spiritual revivals and awakenings happen about every 50 years in American history. We’re long past the overdue mark.  For whatever time he has left, Brian is focused on learning about, and doing everything he can, to be part of an awakening, a movement of God that makes history. Dr. Michael McClymond has written the definitive guide to every revival a...

Ian Morgan Cron is an Enneagram expert, the host of the insanely popular Typology podcast, and a best-selling author… who also just happens to be an Episcopal priest, a songwriter, and a psychotherapist. In this aggressive conversation, Ian breaks down the history of the Enneagram, shares healthy (and unhealthy) ways to use it, and explains why it’s critical to live beyond your personality type. 

If you never look into the shadows, you’ll never know what’s lurking there. Friend of the Aggressive Life, Jon Tyson, is equipping men to take that step, believing it is the key to pushing their lives forward. As well as being a NYC pastor and leading voice on issues related to men, Jon’s new book, “ Fighting Shadows: Overcoming 7 Lies That Keep Men From Becoming Fully Alive ,” releases today. It...

Kelly Stumpe saw a gaping hole in the auto industry and she aggressively ran right through it. Also known as The Car Mom, she posts honest and insightful reviews of cars, vans, and SUVs that focus on things consumers care most about—the storage space, the cup-holders, and can you really get three carseats in the back row? She has built a thriving online community that focuses on empowering consume...

Art professor, Howard Storm, will never forget his trip to Paris. While traveling with students, he began to feel sick. A trip to the hospital revealed a tear in his duodenum, quickly filling his body cavity with poisonous fluids. Howard’s prognosis was dire, and while waiting for a surgeon to arrive, he died. What he experienced next—a trip toward Hell and a miraculous rescue—would change the cou...

Todd Pierce is a legit horse whisperer. He routinely gets into the round pen with a wild horse, one he’s never laid eyes on before, and will be riding it in less than an hour. His secret? Kindness and authority. He never hurts horses, punishes them, or takes a heavy hand. Instead, he shows them that he can be trusted, that he is good, and that he can offer the horse more than it currently has. Tod...

Dr. Brad Wilcox’s angle is simple—marriage is a good thing for couples, children, communities, and the world. As the Director of the National Marriage Project, he leads a group of committed sociologists studying national marriage trends in America. What he’s seeing is alarming. Marriage rates are on a decline, age at first marriage is on the rise, and many people are writing off the institution as...

What if the key to a meaningful life wasn’t in landing the dream job, finding a perfect spouse, or achieving all your personal goals? Journalist and author, Rhaina Cohen, believes the secret lies in the very thing most of us put on the back-burner as adults—friendships. In this aggressive conversation, Rhaina discusses the importance of friendships in ancient cultures, what kids can teach us about...

If you look close enough, you’ll find aggressiveness even among nature. Case in point: beavers. USDA Beaver Trapper, Pete Rogers, has spent his life wrangling the hardest working mammal on earth. The lessons he’s learned go well beyond just his 9-5. Pete is a popular podcastor, author, and outdoorsman. In this aggressive discussion, he shares lessons he’s gleaned from a life spent outdoors. 

Who says nice guys finish last? Jimmy Darts is proving otherwise, and just might be the brightest corner of the Internet. After building a following from trick shot videos and pranks, Jimmy shut his YouTube channel down. After a life-changing experience with Jesus, he restarted with a different perspective: blessing people in need. Jimmy creates original videos giving money to people who need it m...

Hearing the story of the crucifixion, and walking through it with a biologist, are two different things. Dr. Cahleen Shrier, a professor at Azusa Pacific University and an expert on the neurobiology of stress and anxiety, walks Brian, step-by-step, through the events of Good Friday. From Jesus’ arrest in the garden, until his death on the cross, she explains what was likely happening inside his bo...

Monotony isn’t leading you anywhere. In marriage, you need excitement, variety, and fun to be at your best. There’s where Couples Camp comes in. It’s 48-hours of adventure together, and it just might be the most fun you’ve had in a long time. Brian answers listener submitted questions about Couples Camp, then shares a live talk from last year.   Claim your spot for this year’s Couples Camp at coup...

You aren’t supposed to become friends with the people who hate you—but that’s exactly what Daryl Davis did. After a chance encounter with a KKK member in a Maryland bar, Daryl struck up a friendship that changed both of their lives. The KKK member renounced the group, and Daryl got access to do the thing he wanted: become the first African-American to write a book on the KKK based on first-person...

What is your superpower? More importantly, do you know how to use it? Life levels up when you learn to leverage your strengths—you’ll play better offense and you’ll stop spinning your wheels on improving weaknesses that don’t matter. In this training, Brian unpacks the Biblical idea of anointing, how it influences the people around you, and the end goal it always drives to. 

The seats get switched for an unexpected and insightful conversation that finds BT as the guest on his own podcast. Interviewed by his friend and colleague, Kyle Ranson, Brian covers topics like the yin and yang of Jesus, shutting out the old man to keep taking risks, and why the moon landing makes him emotional. It’s an aggressive hour that will keep you guessing and get you moving.

Cincinnati’s own, Graeter’s Ice Cream, just might have the best scoop on the planet. It’s made with fresh ingredients the old-fashioned way—they still make ice cream two gallons at a time and hand pack each pint. While all that is central to Graeter’s success, it's their commitment to hospitality and customer-service that sets them apart from the field. Chief of Retail Operations, Chip Graeter, sh...

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Brian shares clips from some of his favorite episodes on relationships, marriage, and sex. From his wife’s first appearance on the show, to a return visit by a sex therapist to answer listener questions, to a live talk from Couples Camp, there’s something in here for everyone. Put what you hear into practice, and it just might have the power to change your Valenti...

It’s not an exaggeration to say, Rick Warren has sold more books than any other person on the planet… ever. His book, Purpose Driven Life , is the most published, the most translated, and the most sold book in history, aside from the Bible. It sounds like rainbows and runaway success, but his story is anything but. Rick has walked through significant pain and loss that required levels of determina...

BT spends an hour answering a grab bag of listener questions submitted via Instagram. Do you believe in aliens? Is it sinful to go ghost hunting? What is your best advice for raising daughters? How do I talk to my kids about porn? What does the Bible say about cussing? BT brings his perspective on all these questions, and much, much more.  Missed your chance to submit a question? Follow BT on Inst...

While almost everybody is working for the weekend, Jordan Raynor has a different perspective. He believes your 9-5 has eternal significance, even if (or especially if) you labor in a “secular” job. His new book, “The Sacredness of Secular Work,” emphasizes the importance of work ethic, understanding the holistic story of scripture, and redeeming the idea of heaven. A leading voice in the faith at...

Martin Luther King Jr. is on the shortlist of the most influential people in history. But much of what we know about the pastor and civil rights figure is summarized and sanitized. Alongside historian Troy Jackson, and modern racial justice leader Chuck Mingo, get reintroduced to the aggressive life of Dr. King, and let his wins (and losses) push you to fight for a better tomorrow.  Learn more abo...

The aggressive life isn’t necessarily the easy life. Matt Chandler knows this first-hand. Just when it looked like he was on top of the world, things started to crumble. He fought through a debilitating brain cancer diagnosis, made the aggressive choice to shrink his church (on purpose), and grappled with the lessons of suffering. Incredibly, he’s come out the other side more resilient, a better l...

As a new year begins, join Brian live in his garage for a special edition of his Youtube show, Garage Bible Study . Using his Jeep restoration project as an example, Brian unpacks his method for looking back on the past year, and finding vision for the next. No matter if 2023 was a banner year for you, or you’re happy to see it go, you can have a better year in 2024 by learning to take stock.  Fin...

2023 was a landmark year for The Aggressive Life. In this retrospective episode, Brian looks back on some of his favorite interviews of the year—from his initial conversation with Father Vincent Lampert, a trained-in-Rome exorcist, to Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace. Missed the initial conversations, or need a refresh? Find links to the full episodes below.  Standing Up to the Devil with F...