Choose Courage Inc.

If you’ve ever felt the slow erosion of staying in a job that looks “good on paper” but feels heavy in your body, this episode is for you. Vivianne shares the real cost of remaining in environments that require self-neglect as a condition of employment and challenges the one-sided way we’ve been taught to think about risk. This isn’t just about leaving a company. It’s about choosing yourself befor...

In this episode of Choose Courage, Inc. , Vivianne shares a training from inside her coaching community that helped members feel more confident, less avoidant, and more connected to the possibility of their first sale. Rather than teaching funnels or hype-driven tactics, she offers a grounded framework for booking your first 10 discovery calls through integrity, proximity, and thoughtful outreach....

Welcome to Choose Courage Inc. where we skip the boring intros and jump straight into reimagining business and workplace experiences with we-ain’t-afraid-to-go-there conversations. In this episode, Vivianne Castillo, Founder and CEO of Choose Courage Inc. and moonpaws, and Ash Coleman Hynie, Founder and CEO of CountrPT, talk about the uncomfortable, the unspoken, and the unapologetic realities of...

Welcome to Real Talk , a short segment on the Choose Courage Inc. Podcast dedicated to answering honest questions from people who are building businesses (or seriously considering it) while they’re still in the mess of entrepreneurship. This conversation was originally recorded for our Wednesday Real Talk series, but it felt too timely to hold, so we’re sharing it early. In this episode, Vivianne...

Welcome to Real Talk, a short segment on the Choose Courage Inc. Podcast dedicated to answering honest questions from people who are building businesses (or seriously considering it) while they’re still in the mess of entrepreneurship. Sometimes the questions come directly from our community. Other times, they’re the exact questions we’re asking ourselves in real time. Either way, the goal isn’t t...

Welcome to Season 3 of Choose Courage Inc.! This season is about movement over motivation. It’s for people who are done enduring, done over-explaining their burnout, and ready to design what comes next with intention, honesty, and support. Episodes this season will alternate between solo reflections and grounded conversations with people who have receipts, not highlight reels. You’ll also hear sho...

This episode is a clear-eyed reset for anyone questioning the promises of corporate stability or the romanticized version of entrepreneurship. Vivianne lays out six practical rules to help you reclaim agency, reduce hidden risk, and build real options without reckless leaps. If you feel stuck between burnout and fear, this conversation offers a grounded framework for seeing your situation clearly...

In this replay, Vivianne connects with her cousin Nikki the Jeanius for an unfiltered look at creativity, entrepreneurship, cultural influence, and what it really takes to build something meaningful without losing yourself in the process. Nikki, founder of All Things Ankara and co-creator of the new Afro-futuristic restaurant VIBE, shares the unexpected moments, risks, and leaps of faith that shap...

This conversation between Vivianne and Ava Dorsey, founder of Ava’s Pet Palace, offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it means to build a business from childhood passion into a purpose-driven, values-centered brand. Ava shares the realities of growing a company that began in her kitchen at age eight and now ships nationwide, the anxiety and courage required to show up publicly, and the deep...

This rerun episode offers an unfiltered look at the invisible emotional, ethical, and practical challenges entrepreneurs face but rarely talk about. Through real stories of walking away from misaligned clients, navigating burnout, trusting intuition, and redefining success, Vivianne and Dan illuminate what it actually takes to build a business that protects your integrity, honors your values, and...

If you’ve ever wondered whether entrepreneurship could feel like freedom instead of fatigue, this conversation is for you. In this episode of Choose Courage Inc., Vivianne sits down with Michael Davis, a former corporate designer who walked away from a 17-year career to start Tinycup Coffee, a coffee company born from burnout, healing, and rest. Together, they explore how entrepreneurship can beco...

If you’ve ever questioned whether burnout is simply the cost of success, this conversation between Vivianne and Nyam is for you. Together, they unpack how burnout becomes a wake-up call, how sabbaticals can be a radical act of reclamation, and how entrepreneurship can transform from survival mode into a vessel for healing. This episode challenges the myth that rest must be earned and reveals how s...

If you’ve ever wondered whether entrepreneurship can be more than a grind (a healing, human, and liberating practice) this conversation will move you deeply. In this episode, Vivianne sits down with Anna Krachey, a founder who is exploring how we can reimagine travel, business, and creativity as acts of restoration rather than depletion. Anna shares how her company grew from a deeply personal expe...

This episode of Choose Courage Inc. is a deeply honest and healing conversation between Vivianne and Melanie Penney, founder of TOPISMA and creative entrepreneur and stylist whose story embodies courage, reinvention, and self-expression. Together, they explore what happens when life unravels (from layoffs, divorce, and identity loss) and how choosing to bet on yourself can become an act of healing...

This is a conversation for anyone who’s ever lost faith in a system, an industry, or even themselves and is learning how to rebuild it through creativity and courage. Vivianne and Kevin Bethune unpack what it means to hold onto hope when it feels impossible, how creativity can become a form of healing, and the deeper spiritual parallels between faith, innovation, and design. If you’ve ever felt di...

In this episode we talk through a powerful framework that redefines what entrepreneurship can be: not as a race to exhaustion, but as a practice of liberation, healing, and regeneration . Through vivid storytelling and real client examples, we unveil the Courage Over Comfort Spectrum , a model that helps founders see where their business truly lives: Are you building something that nourishes you,...

In this episode, Vivianne shares the two mindset shifts that have completely changed how she approaches life and business: “Keep the main thing the main thing” and “A frog a day keeps the stress away.” If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, stuck in reaction mode, or overwhelmed by all the noise, then this episode is your reset. Through powerful storytelling, Stoic wisdom, and real-life examples f...

+++Download the free workbook for this episode here +++ TLDR: This episode is for anyone who looks successful on paper but feels lost in their own life and for those ready to stop chasing the dream job and start building a brave life instead. In this vulnerable and hyper-practical episode Vivianne Castillo — Founder and CEO of ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠HmntyCntrd⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠moonpaws⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ — cracks open the gloss...

In this episode, Vivianne calls out the hidden baggage that many entrepreneurs unknowingly carry from corporate America and why it’s sabotaging your business. It’s not about bad ideas, lack of hustle, or needing yet another funnel course. It’s about unlearning the toxic habits you picked up in corporate and replacing them with practices that actually help you grow. Through stories, practical tools...

Welcome to Season 2 of Choose Courage Inc! And we're wasting no time and are jumping right into it with the realization that we’ve been sold a lie: that purpose is something you find: a mystical treasure hunt revealed through journaling, passion quizzes, or waiting for lightning bolt clarity. In this episode, Vivianne calls BS on the “purpose industry” and introduces a practical, action-driven alt...

Welcome to Choose Courage Inc. — where we skip the boring intros and jump straight into reimagining business and workplace experiences with we-ain’t-afraid-to-go-there conversations. We're taking a brief break from our In Between series to revisit an episode we did earlier this year on an incredibly important topic: why "playing it safe" is the riskiest move. In this episode, Vivianne Castillo, Fo...

In Between Mini-Series, Episode #3 In our third episode of our In Between mini-series, ⁠Vivianne Castillo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Vincent Brathwaite⁠⁠⁠ , CEO & Co-Founder of ⁠⁠⁠gidens⁠⁠⁠ , return for a conversation that cuts through the noise of startup culture, hustle worship, and performative success. Together, they explore what it means to build a life , not just a business. From the pressure to prov...

In light of everything happening in the world, we thought it'd be helpful to revisit one of our more popular episodes where we skip the sugarcoating and get real about the messy, uncertain, and liberating journey of rethinking work and creativity. Vivianne Castillo, Founder and CEO of ⁠ ⁠HmntyCntrd⁠⁠ and ⁠ ⁠moonpaws⁠ , sits down with Lauren Celenza, software designer, writer, and interview journal...

In Between Mini-Series, Episode #2 This one’s tender. It’s honest. It’s personal. In the second episode of our In Between mini-series, Vivianne Castillo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Vincent Brathwaite⁠⁠ , CEO & Co-Founder of ⁠⁠gidens⁠⁠ , for a conversation that lives in the quiet ache so many high-achievers carry but rarely name: the fear of abandonment. Together, they unpack the invisible threads between chil...

In Between Mini-Series, Episode #1 Welcome to the first conversation in our special In Between mini-series — where we explore the quiet, messy, and often invisible moments that shape entrepreneurs far more than their highlight reels ever could. In this episode, our host Vivianne Castillo⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Vincent Brathwaite , CEO & Co-Founder of gidens , tackle a question that often trips up so many of...