The Self-Leadership Lab

What if the biggest obstacle to personal growth isn't a lack of discipline—but a lack of awareness? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, I sit down with leadership coach and co-author of Live Fully. Lead Authentically, Kurt Bush, to explore how our everyday encounters reveal the patterns that quietly shape our lives. Kurt introduces a powerful framework for recognizing the moments that trig...

In a world obsessed with networking, what if we've been building relationships all wrong? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, I sit down with executive coach and business strategist Jaclyn Strominger to explore the concept of Relationship Capital; the idea that meaningful relationships are one of the greatest assets we can build, both personally and professionally. Jaclyn shares why tradit...

What happens when you faithfully follow God's calling and life still falls apart? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, I sit down with author, coach, musician, and former pastor Dustin Kleinschmidt to discuss burnout, depression, expectations, faith, and finding God in the wilderness seasons of life. Dustin shares his remarkable journey from a difficult childhood to ministry leadership, chu...

What if the key to a better relationship isn't changing your partner but becoming more aware of yourself? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, I sit down with therapist, coach, and men's development expert Michael Ostrolenk to discuss self-awareness, emotional regulation, relationships, resilience, and personal growth. We explore why so many people react instead of responding, how unconscio...

What happens when the habits that made you successful become the very things holding you back? In this episode, Susan Collins joins me to discuss what she calls the Success Trap ...the point where high performers begin to plateau because they continue relying on the same approaches that created their earlier success. We explore leadership growth, identity, networking, self-awareness, and why curio...

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." - Ecclesiastes 3:1 Why do we spend so much of our lives waiting for the next thing? In June, people are already talking about summer. In August, stores are preparing for fall. Before Thanksgiving arrives, Christmas decorations appear everywhere. We rush the calendar. But we also rush our lives. The young professio...

What is keeping men from stepping into the lives they were created to live? In this powerful conversation, Bobby Shelton sits down with former prosecutor, law enforcement leader, speaker, and host of the Warrior Servant Leader Podcast, Pat Welsh, to explore one of the most important challenges facing men today: the battle between faith, fear, and ego. Drawing from decades of leadership experience,...

What can a toad trapped in a swimming pool teach us about leadership, burnout, and asking for help? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Dr. Bobby Shelton shares a simple but powerful story from a visit to his parents' home in Alabama. After discovering a toad struggling in a swimming pool, he learned something surprising: The problem wasn't that the toad couldn't swim. The problem was that...

Are you burned out or heading there without realizing it? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Dr. Bobby Shelton sits down with psychiatrist, engineer, and author Dr. Adel Elsayed to explore a powerful framework for understanding stress, mental health, and burnout. Drawing from his unique background in systems engineering and psychiatry, Dr. Elsayed explains his groundbreaking Mental Health...

We all have an idea of the person we want to become. A better spouse. A better parent. A better leader. A better friend. But what if our actions are telling a different story? In this solo episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby shares a simple interaction with his wife that forced him to confront a difficult question: Do my actions actually support the person I say I want to become? Through a p...

What happens when you achieve everything you thought you wanted… and still feel stuck? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby sits down with former professional tennis player, attorney, entrepreneur, and coach Dr. Angela Kerek for a powerful conversation about identity, reinvention, discipline, and learning to believe in yourself again. Angela shares her incredible journey from escaping...

What if you're using AI completely wrong? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby sits down with entrepreneur, technology expert, and AI innovator Ken Cox for a conversation that completely changed the way he thinks about artificial intelligence. Most people use AI like an upgraded search engine. Ken argues that's a mistake. Instead, he explains how AI can become a coach, a business part...

Most people say they want a better life… but few are willing to confront the person standing in the way. In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, I sit down with entrepreneur, podcast host, and author Anne Karber for a powerful conversation about radical ownership, savage self-awareness, emotional energy, and the hidden habits keeping people stuck. We dive into: • Why most people unknowingly gi...

What does it mean to truly live a good life? In this reflective solo episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby explores a powerful quote from Seneca: “Show me that the good life doesn’t consist in its length, but in its use…” After hearing about the passing of racing legend Kyle Busch, Bobby found himself wrestling with a deeper question: Are we actually living our lives… or are we just existing?...

Why do so many men feel stuck even when they’re doing everything “right”? In this powerful episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby sits down with transformation coach Jon Symes to unpack one of the most overlooked drivers of human behavior: The stories we unconsciously tell ourselves. From childhood conditioning... to career identity... to the pressure of being “the good guy” ... Jon reveals how...

Do you spend more time thinking about what you want to do… than doing it? You’re not alone. In this solo episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby tackles one of the biggest silent struggles facing high performers, leaders, creators, and ambitious people: Overthinking. Why do so many smart people know exactly what they want… but still fail to act? Why do we talk about writing the book, losing the...

What if the problem isn’t that you need more discipline... what if you’ve simply been pushing through pain your nervous system never learned how to process? In this powerful episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby Shelton sits down with Dr. Alena Čandová, author of Grace Over Grit, to unpack why so many high achievers stay stuck in cycles of: • Anxiety • Overworking • People-pleasing • Burnout •...

When did you start tolerating things from yourself… that you never would have accepted before? In this solo episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby explores one of the most dangerous forces in personal growth: Comfort. Not because comfort itself is bad, but because comfort can quietly erode your standards, weaken your discipline, and pull you away from the person you know you’re capable of becom...

Most high performers don’t need more motivation. They need the ability to stay calm when life gets hard. In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby sits down with mental fitness trainer Pennie Wilson to unpack why so many leaders, parents, teachers, and high-capacity adults struggle with stress, emotional reactivity, and burnout; even when they look successful on the outside. Pennie shares...

What if discipline isn’t about punishment… What if it’s about self-respect? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby shares one of the biggest mindset shifts in his own journey from depression, drift, and disconnection to rebuilding trust, standards, and self-respect. If you’ve ever struggled with consistency, motivation, or following through on the person you know you’re capable of becom...

Why do so many capable people struggle with public speaking, confidence, and imposter syndrome? In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby sits down with leadership communication coach Salvatore Manzi to unpack the psychology behind fear, confidence, and showing up powerfully when it matters most. Salvatore shares practical tools leaders can use immediately to overcome self-doubt, calm anxi...

Most people think they need more motivation. They don’t. They need more self-trust. In this first Tuesday solo episode of the new era of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby breaks down one of the hidden reasons so many capable people feel stuck, frustrated, or disconnected from the person they know they could become: They no longer trust themselves. When your words stop matching your actions, confidenc...

What if the life you’re chasing is the very thing draining you? In this powerful episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby sits down with bestselling author, speaker, and women’s empowerment coach Mairin Moore Cane to discuss burnout, healing, boundaries, identity, and why presence matters more than endless productivity. After years of building businesses and hustling nonstop, Mairin’s body shut d...

Being great at your job might be the very thing holding you back from becoming a true leader. In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, Bobby sits down with Ed Tyson, author of From Expert to Executive, to unpack the leadership crisis hiding in plain sight. Most high performers rise because of their ability to execute. But leadership requires something completely different… The ability to build...

Most people think winning is about talent, luck, or timing. But what if winning is something you build? Daily, intentionally, and from the inside out. In this episode of The Self-Leadership Lab, I sit down with author and coach Brad Dalton to break down what it really means to develop the DNA of a Winner and why success has nothing to do with scoreboards and everything to do with identity. We dive...