The Positive Persistence Podcast with Ian Bowen

Elaine Belson joins Ian Bowen for a powerful conversation about breaking free from overthinking, silencing the inner critic, and learning to trust yourself. A licensed psychotherapist with more than 30 years of experience, Army veteran, and creator of the Self-Authority framework, Elaine explains why overthinking isn't the real problem—it's often a coping mechanism for deeper emotional discomfort....

Ezra Vancil joins Ian Bowen for a deeply honest conversation about addiction, identity, purpose, and the long road to personal restoration. A Texas singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and speaker, Ezra shares how the collapse of his music career, struggles with alcoholism, mental health challenges, and multiple suicide attempts eventually led him to rebuild his life from the ground up. Rather than ch...

Sandra Lee joins Ian Bowen for a fascinating conversation about the connection between belief, healing, purpose, and personal transformation. As a transformational coach, NLP Master Practitioner, intuitive sound healer, and human design expert, Sandra shares how people often become trapped by limitations they accept as permanent—and how changing their beliefs can unlock entirely new possibilities....

In this powerful solo episode, Ian Bowen explores one of the most overlooked barriers to personal growth: the limiting beliefs we don't even realize we're carrying. Using a childhood experience involving a disappointing math grade and a conversation with his father, Ian reveals how a single moment can create a story that shapes our decisions, confidence, and behavior for decades. For years, Ian be...

In this deeply personal solo episode, Ian Bowen shares one of the most defining chapters of his life and the lessons it taught him about resilience, identity, and starting over. After spinal cord surgery left him paralyzed from the chest down, Ian faced not only a devastating physical challenge but also a professional and emotional one. Once a manager leading a team and supporting his family, he s...

In this powerful solo episode, Ian Bowen breaks down one of the most misunderstood concepts in personal development: confidence. Rather than viewing confidence as something you're born with or something that magically appears, Ian argues that true confidence is built through evidence—evidence created by taking action, overcoming challenges, and proving to yourself that you're capable of handling d...

Scott Lackey joins Ian Bowen for a deeply honest conversation about resilience, identity, and what happens when life completely breaks the version of yourself you thought you were supposed to become. From serving in the US Army to building — and losing — a multimillion-dollar company, Scott shares the painful lessons that transformed his understanding of success, discipline, and fulfillment. He op...

What if 15 years of rejection was actually preparing you for your biggest breakthrough? Ian Bowen sits down with Jacqueline Lucca, an author, artist, writing coach, and host of the Magic in the Ordinary podcast. Jacqueline opens up about the soul-crushing moment of receiving her sixth form rejection letter after 15 years of pouring her heart into a single manuscript, and how she learned to celebra...

What happens when you’re standing on a Hawaiian beach during a dream vacation, surrounded by everyone you love, and you feel absolutely nothing? Ian Bowen sits down with Ly Smith, an award-winning motivational speaker and self-leadership strategist. Ly recounts the terrifying sunset moment she realized she had lost herself completely in the roles of wife, mother, and caregiver. She reveals how she...

What does it actually take to never think about quitting, even when everything sucks? Ian Bowen sits down with Andrew Sridhar, a Navy SEAL veteran, former Amazon product manager, and executive coach to founders and CEOs. Andrew brings a rare lens to resilience: one forged in BUD/S training, tested on Wall Street, and refined through years of working with high-performance teams in tech. His take on...

What if the work you thought you were doing for your career was actually preparing you to save your marriage? Ian Bowen sits down with Drew Norton, founder of The Everyday Sales Leader and co-founder of The Abundant Man Project. Drew opens up about the terrifying night his six-month-old son stopped breathing, and how the personal development work he had quietly been doing for six months prior turn...

When did you stop dreaming without limits? In this solo episode, Ian Bowen gets personal about the superpower most adults quietly abandoned somewhere between childhood and real life: imagination. Drawing from the four weeks he spent paralyzed from the chest down in a hospital, Ian shares how vivid, emotion-charged visualization became the engine behind a 13-year comeback he refused to quit on. Thi...

What if the body you built was always about something deeper than how you look? Ian Bowen sits down with Jason Nelson, founder of Body Image Fitness, who grew up as a 125-pound country kid in Trinidad and Tobago, getting pinned in arm wrestling. One curious moment with a barbell sparked a new identity and a career spent helping others do the same. Jason covers navigating racism in the US fitness i...

What if the way you love your partner is secretly shaped by wounds from childhood you never fully dealt with? In this honest and deeply moving episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Monica Tanner, relationship coach, author of Secrets of Happily Ever After, and someone who came from a long line of divorce yet built the thriving marriage she always wanted. Monica unpacks why so many of us walk into rela...

Have you ever been told "this is as good as it gets" and felt deep down that couldn't be the end of your story? In this inspiring and deeply practical episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Dr. Tiffany Bozovich, a chiropractor who defied medical predictions after being told she would never run again following multiple knee surgeries as a teenager. Ten years later, she not only ran her first mile but co...

Have you ever hit a wall emotionally with anxiety, grief, stress, or pure overwhelm and thought, "Why can't I just get it together?" In this profound and deeply practical episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Carolyn Moore, a licensed therapist with nearly two decades of experience guiding people through life's most challenging emotional terrain. As the founder of Point to Point Counseling, Carolyn sp...

In this episode, you’ll discover: 1. What the rare disease journey really means, why 1 in 10 people has a genetic condition, and why the current healthcare system wasn't built to handle it. 2. The story of Josh's son Shiloh, from a sudden 105-degree fever at 18 months to years of unexplained recurring illness and a healthcare system that had no answers. 3. The emotional stages Josh went through: h...

What if the thing you’ve been hiding from could actually become your greatest strength? In this powerful episode, Ian Bowen sits down with resilience and empowerment coach John Kippen to explore how a life-altering brain tumor diagnosis transformed his life in unexpected ways. After undergoing brain surgery in 2002, John woke up to discover that he had permanent facial paralysis. What followed was...

Are you tired of constantly starting over with your health and fitness goals? In this deeply personal and informative episode, Ian Bowen sits down with his wife Dana Huwig, owner of Team Bone Wellness, for an honest conversation about the lifelong journey of reclaiming your body and yourself. Dana opens up about her own struggles, from growing up in the toxic "skinny culture" of the 90s and 2000s...

Have you forgotten the victories that built your resilience? In this powerful solo cast episode, Ian Bowen shares a transformative insight he discovered from another podcast: our past is full of victories we have forgotten. Ian explores why remembering these forgotten wins is essential for building genuine resilience and overcoming life's current challenges. He challenges listeners to tap into the...

Is your marriage in crisis or have you drifted into parallel lives with your spouse? In this transformative and deeply practical episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Dr. Lee Baucom, a marriage therapist and relationship expert with decades of experience helping couples navigate crisis and restore connection. Dr. Lee specializes in a hope-infused, action-oriented approach that goes beyond surface-leve...

What does it mean to choose love in the face of adversity… not once, but twice? In this deeply moving episode, Ian Bowen sits down with Megan Dahl, a mother of three boys, two of whom have Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CDLS). Megan shares her journey of raising children with special needs—one biological, one adopted—and how she’s turned life’s toughest challenges into opportunities for growth, advoc...

What happens when the habits you build quietly become the thing that saves your life? In this raw and deeply impactful episode of the Positive Persistence Podcast, Ian Bowen sits down with Christoph Merrill, founder of HabitFreak, to explore the real power of habits under pressure. From outward success and fast-growing businesses to internal battles with bipolar disorder, Christoph shares the mome...

What do you do when life leaves you with no options… except to move forward? In this powerful episode of the Positive Persistence Podcast, Ian Bowen sits down with entrepreneur, speaker, and transplant survivor Ty Gipson. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just eight years old, Ty’s life has been shaped by adversity from the very beginning.  From pioneering early insulin pump technology to survivin...

What does it take to run 75 marathons across 46 states—and keep going after two herniated discs? In this inspiring episode, Ian Bowen sits down with avid runner Mike Stiles, who is on a mission to complete a marathon in all 50 states. With nearly three decades of running under his belt, Mike shares his journey from doubting he could finish his first marathon to becoming a seasoned endurance athlet...