The Take A Step Podcast

What does it take to build a business without losing sight of what matters most? In this episode, Josh sits down with entrepreneur Esteban Alarcon to discuss faith, entrepreneurship, discipline, and the pursuit of purpose. Together, they explore why action creates clarity, how fear keeps us stuck, and what it looks like to trust God while building something meaningful. From overcoming setbacks to...

What happens when the thing you’ve built your identity around is suddenly taken away? In this powerful episode of the Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston sits down with former head football coach Chris Hirschfield to discuss his journey through success, failure, addiction, recovery, and redemption. After years of chasing achievement, Chris found himself battling an identity crisis that led to the l...

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski continue the 8-Step Journey by exploring Step 6: Find the Support. They discuss how the people around you influence your mindset, shape your expectations, and ultimately determine your ceiling. From entrepreneurship and marriage to faith and personal growth, Josh and John share why intentional relationships are essentia...

What happens when a child raised in an abusive household, left homeless at 21, sleeping in bushes on a college campus, refuses to give up? Shane Wahner story is one of the most extraordinary you'll hear. In this episode, Shane opens up about surviving a brutal childhood, building a thriving business from nothing, losing it all, and finding his way back — through faith, fatherhood, and an unwaverin...

In this episode of the Take a Step Podcast, Josh Johnston sits down with Jeff Levitan — entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of Vantage — for a wide-ranging conversation on what it truly takes to build a meaningful life. Jeff shares his journey from running a college painting franchise at 19 to mentoring thousands of entrepreneurs. Together, they dig into ownership culture, emotional intelligence, th...

Lou Samara has lived many lives — Italian kid from Jersey, SWAT officer, corporate manager, entrepreneur, author. But behind the résumé was a story he hadn't told anyone, one buried so deep his own mind hid it for decades. In this raw and powerful episode, Lou opens up about the sequence of loss that cracked him open: his father's sudden death, a stillborn child on 9/11, and a career collapse — al...

What does it really look like to be a driven professional and a present, intentional father? In this episode, Josh and John get real about the messy, rewarding journey of fatherhood — from the nine-month head start moms have on connection, to why your marriage has to come before your kids. They break down practical strategies like the weekly husband-wife meeting, building family core values, and t...

Dale Alexander joins the podcast for a powerful conversation on money, purpose, discipline, and the long road to meaningful success. From building a business over decades to impacting thousands of students through his book The Talk (About Money) , Dale shares why growth matters more than quick results, how generosity changes your perspective on life, and why action creates clarity. If you’ve ever...

Josh and John are back fresh off another week of Tribe Calls, this time diving into Step 5 of the 8-Step Journey — Face the Scrutiny. In this episode, they get real about one of the most universal battles young men face: the comparison trap. From social media scrolling to the pressure of chasing the American dream, they unpack why comparison is rooted in ego and how defining your own version of su...

This episode breaks down the real secret behind building lasting habits: consistency in the smallest actions. After speaking to a local high school leadership program, Josh shares practical lessons on discipline, identity, and why most people fail because they wait for perfection before taking action. From fitness to finances to leadership, this conversation will challenge you to stop overcomplica...

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh Johnston pulls back the curtain on the brand—how it started, how it’s grown, and where it’s going. From losing his identity after baseball to chasing comfort in corporate America, Josh shares the real story behind building Take A Step from a simple Instagram page into a leadership platform. He breaks down the mission, business model, and the philoso...

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh reveals the preface for his first book that he is currently writing. It shares the story of losing his lifelong dream of playing professional baseball overnight and the identity crisis that followed. From chasing external validation to falling into comfort and complacency, he breaks down how many growth-minded professionals get stuck going through t...

Josh and John debrief on this month's Tribe coaching topic: Choose the Struggle. But there's a twist — the real challenge isn't starting hard things, it's staying the course once they stop feeling hard. They dig into why we drift when things get monotonous, how to know when to push harder versus pivot, and why suffering might be exactly where God wants you. Raw, practical, and backed by real stori...

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast, Josh sits down with Michael Caldwell — serial entrepreneur, software company owner, and Mayor of Woodstock, Georgia — for a wide-ranging conversation about building something worth being proud of. They cover what makes Woodstock one of the most vibrant cities in the Southeast, why your network is your most valuable asset, how to actually integrate into a...

What does it look like to live intentionally? In this episode, Josh sits down with Neil French — Army veteran, reserves Sergeant First Class, and founder of Proven Health — for a wide-ranging conversation on masculine accountability, military life, PTSD, and building a health coaching business from scratch. Neil breaks down the four pillars of true health, why most people fail despite knowing what...

The Take A Step Podcast features real, unfiltered conversations with growth-minded professionals who are committed to living and leading with purpose. In this episode, Josh Johnston sits down with Brandon Williams to explore the journey from fighter pilot to leadership coach, breaking down how high-stakes decision-making, accountability, and intentional reflection drive performance. From “hacking...

Summary In this episode, Josh Johnston interviews Justin Smith to explore leadership development, personal growth, and faith-driven success. They share practical insights from hiking the Appalachian Trail to leading teams, emphasizing the importance of taking action, pattern recognition, and aligning with biblical principles. Key Topics Leadership development journey Lessons from hiking the Appala...

Summary In this episode, Josh and John share profound insights from their recent ultra marathon experience, exploring themes of resilience, faith, and personal growth. They discuss how challenges can be opportunities for spiritual and mental transformation, emphasizing the importance of surrender, purpose, and structured action in overcoming life's obstacles. Key topics The mental and spiritual le...

Summary In this conversation, Josh Johnston explores the concept of humble leadership, emphasizing the importance of serving others rather than seeking power or recognition. He draws on the example of Jesus as a model of leadership through service and humility. The discussion highlights the significance of building trust and influence by prioritizing the needs of others and fostering genuine conne...

What does it actually look like to go from “going through the motions” to living every day on purpose? In this episode, Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski kick off the first two steps of an eight-step journey designed to help growth-minded professionals build a life of clarity, discipline, and faith-driven action. Step one: Define the Success. If you don’t know what you’re aiming at, you’ll end up...

In this episode of The Take A Step Podcast , Josh Johnston sits down with Logan Lewis , host of the long-running show Your Morning Drive and CEO of Hammerhead Creations , to talk about the kind of success that actually feels fulfilling. Logan shares how a simple introduction to podcasts sparked an eight-year journey—from early, unpolished episodes recorded with a Best Buy mic to a community-driven...

Complacency rarely feels dangerous in the moment. It feels comfortable. Manageable. Normal. But over time, it slowly steals your strength, your leadership, and your purpose. In this edition of The Weekly Mile, Josh unpacks the toxic complacency that has quietly shaped our culture, our businesses, our marriages, and our faith. From drifting through workouts and reacting to your spouse’s mood, to li...

What if the thing holding you back isn’t lack of knowledge—but fear of taking action? In this episode, Josh sits down with Everett Smulders (Coach Smulders) for a conversation that hits on more than running. Everett shares the moment that shaped his mindset forever: collapsing just meters before a state championship finish line, then crawling across in second place—and how that failure became fuel...

In this edition of The Weekly Mile , Josh challenges one of the most common assumptions in modern success culture: that money is the path to freedom. So many men are grinding today with the hope that someday—once they hit the number, land the role, or close the deal—they’ll finally get their time back. But what if that mindset is costing us the very life we’re trying to build? Drawing from Scriptu...

What happens when purpose keeps calling—and you keep putting it off? In this episode of the Take A Step Podcast , Josh Johnston and John Szarszewski sit down with entrepreneur, husband, and father Chase Frost for a raw, honest conversation about calling, courage, and the cost of waiting. Chase shares hard-earned wisdom from fatherhood, business failures, and seasons of deep loss, unpacking why cla...