The Alignment Show

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into this conversation with Matthew Check, but I knew it would be interesting. What I didn’t expect was just how layered it would be. Matthew is a musician-turned-author whose memoir, What Would Philip Roth Do? , weaves together love, identity, creativity, and a fair amount of humor. But what stayed with me after our conversation wasn’t just the story itsel...

Some conversations stay with you long after the recording ends. This was one of them. In this episode of The Alignment Show , I talk with Mia Godfrey—life coach, speaker, and author of Buried, Not Broken: A Memoir of Survival, Sisterhood, and Starting Over . Mia grew up in Romania during the communist regime, immigrated to the United States, and later walked through the devastating loss of her sis...

Editor’s note: We’re grateful for all our listeners. We’ve been offering some added “perks” for paid subscribers, and we have realized that most if not all of those subscribers pay because they want to support our work, not because they get exclusive access to content. So we are experimenting with making all of our content here available to all subscribers. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and if...

We’ve all had that moment. You walk away from a conversation thinking, How did that blow up so fast? Or worse, That’s not what I meant at all. In this episode of The Alignment Show , I sit down with Dr. Patricia Timerman Barbosa da Silva (known simply as Dr. T) to talk about what really happens between intention and perception. We recorded this conversation some months ago, and while a few referen...

I’ve learned over the years that the most meaningful conversations often start with shared experience rather than shared credentials. This one did. In this episode of The Alignment Show , I sit down with Steve Friedman , an author, speaker, and longtime corporate leader who spent decades navigating professional life as an introvert before reinventing his work around writing, speaking, and supporti...

This is the first episode of The Alignment Show for 2026, and it’s a solo one. I wanted to start the year by speaking honestly about why consistency broke down over the past year, what that cost, and what it’s taken to begin rebuilding. This isn’t an episode about productivity hacks or polished plans. It’s about grief, caregiving, creative identity, and what it means to keep choosing alignment whe...

Rachael Herron returns to The Alignment Show, and as always, she brings a mix of honesty, wisdom, and grounded joy to the conversation. We talk about her new novel The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland and how writing it pulled her deeper into a long-running personal theme—letting go of control. We explore what happens when a story arrives before the plan does, why “mission” matters more than “goa...

What does it take to stand out in a noisy world without becoming a caricature of yourself? In this conversation, marketing expert and bestselling author David Newman, CSP , joins me to talk about the real work behind visibility, credibility, and building a business rooted in who you actually are. We dig into why personal brands now matter more than company brands, how to double down on your human...

What happens when we stop trying to master technology and start learning with it? In this episode of The Alignment Show , I sit down with Joshua Hale — a self-taught “holistic tech wizard” who helps creators and entrepreneurs build businesses that serve life instead of consuming it. Joshua’s journey runs from the intensity of restaurant kitchens to the freedom of leading his own AI-driven strategy...

Listen here or watch video on YouTube: In this episode of The Alignment Show , I sit down with returning guest Jeff West, one of our “stars in alignment,” to talk about his newest book, The Hidden Heist , co-authored with Bill Cates. Jeff has built a reputation for crafting business parables, stories that don’t just explain principles but draw you in through characters and plot. The Hidden Heist m...

Ever had one of those moments where a “five-minute fix” with technology turns into two hours of hair-pulling? In this solo episode of The Alignment Show , I share a recent run-in with Photoshop that pushed me right to the edge of giving it all up—computers, creative work, even publishing. But behind the exasperation was something deeper: * What do you do when the tools you depend on start draining...

Jennifer Pierce spent decades climbing the corporate ladder—investment banking, HR, and commodities trading—before realizing she wasn’t living true to her values. Burnout and loss pushed her to recalibrate her life and eventually find her calling as a leadership coach. In this conversation, Jennifer shares her honest reflections on imposter syndrome, the difference between therapy and coaching, an...

Editor’s Note: We are setting up a new publishing workflow, which means we may have a few glitches in the next few episodes. Thanks for bearing with us, and email donn@donnking.com with any problems or issues you have. What happens when a global supply chain strategist, author, and TEDx speaker turns his focus from corporate success to soul-deep purpose? In this inspiring conversation, Andy Bhatta...

Andrea Waltz doesn’t just teach people to embrace rejection—she embodies it. In this episode, we sit down with the co-author of the enduring bestseller Go for No! to explore the bold mindset shifts behind her work, the 25-year legacy of a powerful little parable, and what compelled her and husband Richard Fenton to finally write a sequel. This isn’t just a conversation about sales. It’s about risk...

Next Tuesday, I'm offering two separate opportunities to learn about the power of Substack. If you're seeing this—or reading this—on Substack, there's a good chance you already use it. Not a 100% chance, of course. You can read free material on Substack without ever logging in or subscribing to anyone. But still, a pretty good chance. Even if you're already using it, you might not realize just how...

We live in a time of deep division—politically, culturally, even generationally. But what if the path to healing isn’t another argument or another angry post… but service? In this powerful and hope-filled episode, Chip Webster shares how national service, volunteerism, and small acts of human connection can rebuild trust in our communities—and in each other. Drawing on his leadership background an...

From interviewing Middle Eastern dignitaries and riding the waves of international journalism, to revolutionizing how modern franchises share knowledge, Penny Hopkinson’s journey is nothing short of remarkable. In this wide-ranging conversation, Penny shares how she turned a love of words and systems into a career that reshaped an industry. Whether you're a writer, business leader, or someone expl...

What happens when the wheels come off the wagon, the train jumps the track, and everything melts into a puddle of nope? In this raw, deeply personal solo episode, Donn King pulls back the curtain on life as a caregiver in crisis mode. With honesty, humor, and hard-won wisdom, he offers seven ways to keep going when stopping isn’t an option, and the finish line is nowhere in sight. Whether you're c...

Dan Janal thought he was the picture of health, working out regularly, feeling fine, living fully. So when a routine checkup turned into a life-threatening diagnosis, everything changed… and so did his mindset. In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Dan shares how he went from shocked patient to hopeful guide, using his skills as a writer and speaker to reframe what it means to live wi...

What if grief could become a gateway to transformation, not just sorrow? In this powerful episode, Donn talked with grief educator Suzanne Jabour, who shared her moving journey after the loss of her 22-year-old son, Ben. Suzanne doesn’t offer platitudes; she offers permission . Permission to grieve differently. Permission to support others more meaningfully. And permission to be curious even in th...

What does it take to follow your passion—responsibly? In this episode of The Alignment Show , I sat down with Ahuva Gruen, founder of AG Financial CPA, to explore her inspiring journey from corporate CFO to independent business owner. Ahuva shared how she aligned her career with her lifelong entrepreneurial spirit, even in the face of major life transitions. We discussed the difference between a C...

When the pandemic shook up our routines, many people didn’t just quit their jobs. They realigned their lives. That’s why I called it the Great Realignment rather than the Great Resignation. But now, five years later, is that sense of realignment still alive? In this solo episode, I reflect on the origins of The Alignment Show and explore whether it’s time to pause and ask: Am I still living in ali...

Note: I’m running a little behind posting the show notes and audio podcast for this episode. My grandson wound up needing emergency surgery (he is OK now), and so I just now have time to get it posted. But Kevin is worth waiting for! I’m thrilled to welcome back one of our "Stars in Alignment"—Kevin Tumlinson. Kevin is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, podcaster, and one of the most values-cente...

🎙️ The Alignment Show with Donn King welcomed Todd Payne, founder of Konnectfully , emotional intelligence coach, and former Lutheran pastor with a powerful origin story. 🔥 From being told he had "none of the gifts for ministry" to helping couples rediscover empathy and joy in their relationships, Todd brings a refreshing take on transformation, resilience, and the surprising role of the Enneagra...

Note: For the past few weeks, I’ve been uploading a video version of the podcast to Substack, but I’ve noticed a few things: (a) most listeners aren’t using Substack for video (at least, for this podcast), (b) we already provide links to the live video replays, making this redundant, and (c) splitting my focus between video and audio has likely affected the audio quality. So, I’m shifting back to...