Control or Be Controlled

What if successful investing had less to do with predicting the future—and more to do with following a system? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled, Darlington sits down with Deb Shaw, founder of TiltFolio, a rules-based investment system designed to replace predictions, opinions, and emotional decision-making with data-driven signals. Deb created TiltFolio after trying to solve a simple bu...

What if the questions you have about Jesus aren't a sign that you've lost your faith—but an invitation to examine it more honestly? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled, Darlington sits down with Constance Hastings, author, teacher, ordained clergy, and mental health counselor whose unconventional journey has led her to explore one of history's most controversial and influential figures fro...

What happens when an engineer trained to solve some of the most complex problems in the world faces a health problem he can’t solve with conventional answers? In this episode of CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED, Darlington sits down with Greg Lee, founder of the Lyme Research & Healing Center in Frederick, Maryland, and creator of the GoodbyeLyme™ System. Greg’s journey is anything but conventional. Befor...

What if the story you’ve been telling yourself about your past is actually the thing keeping you from creating your future? In this episode of CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED, Darlington sits down with Merit Kahn, playwright, producer, stand-up comedian, author, Emotional Intelligence expert, Certified Speaking Professional, and the creator and performer of Optimistic Personality Disorder™. Merit has bui...

What if your financial struggles have less to do with what you know about money—and more to do with what you believe about yourself? In this episode of CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED, Darlington sits down with George M. Blount, financial therapist, finance professor, and founder of nBalance Financial, to explore the powerful connection between money, identity, confidence, and self-worth. George explains...

What does it really mean to be awake—and can we experience spiritual freedom, joy, and peace in the middle of everyday life? In this episode, Swami Nityananda , spiritual teacher and leader of the Awake Yoga Meditation community, joins us for a thought-provoking conversation about awakening, nondual awareness, meditation, love, and the possibility of living beyond fear and limitation. Consecrated...

Burnout isn’t always a time-management problem—it can be a nervous system problem. In this episode of CONTROL OR BE CONTROLLED, Darlington sits down with Dr. Melanie Gray, PhD, RN, a trauma-informed leadership expert, burnout prevention strategist, educator, and wellness coach with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership and higher education. Dr. Gray explains how chronic stress,...

Motherhood can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life but it can also leave new mothers feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and unsure of where to turn. In this episode of Control or Be Controlled, Darlington sits down with Mariela Desantiago, host of the parenting podcast New Mom Talk and founder of the Carlsbad Mom Crew, a community created to help mothers connect, share experiences, and fi...

What happens when the very strength that helped you survive becomes the thing keeping you from truly living? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Lisa Lacy , writer, trauma educator, storyteller, and author of the upcoming memoir Notes From a Certified Madwoman . Lisa brings an unusually honest perspective to addiction, psychosis, trauma, recovery, identity, and...

What does it take to remain calm when life feels overwhelming and your own mind won’t stop? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with David Godshall , a former Navy SEAL, Beirut veteran, and longtime practitioner of mental training who has spent more than 20,000 hours studying and training the mind under the guidance of a Tibetan Buddhist master. David’s journey began...

What if getting older didn’t have to mean getting weaker, slower, or more dependent? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Dr. Michael Guadagnino III , a chiropractic physician, lifelong health advocate, martial artist, and author of the bestselling book Fitness Over 50, 60, 70 & Beyond . With more than 30 years of clinical experience and a background in biology a...

What if you could get powerful media coverage without paying thousands of dollars to a traditional PR agency? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Kate Engler , a PR strategist with more than 30 years of experience who has been dubbed the “PR Anti-Christ” by senior journalists for challenging the traditional PR model. Rather than keeping media secrets behind an a...

What if the way we understand consciousness, spirituality, and reality is only the beginning? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Doug Red Hail Pineda , founder of The Church of Psychedelics , for a thought-provoking conversation about psychedelics, spirituality, personal transformation, and the untapped potential of the human mind. Doug explores some of humanit...

What if the key to increasing your profits isn’t working your people harder, but treating them better? Today’s guest, Todd A. Krause , spent two decades in institutional finance, where he helped build a $2 billion fund administration firm from scratch and launch a $14 billion Bank of America business unit. Then, just days before the COVID-19 shutdown, he made a very different move—he bought a stru...

What if retirement isn’t the end of your working life—but the beginning of your most exciting chapter? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Karen Grosz , author, speaker, coach, and creator of Nexters, to challenge the way we think about retirement. After spending 25 years coaching high-powered doctors and lawyers and running a successful national team-building c...

What does it really take to turn an idea in your head into a book that people actually want to read? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Jennifer Bright , a publishing expert with more than three decades of experience across virtually every aspect of the publishing industry. As the founder of Bright Communications , Jennifer and her team publish more than 40 boo...

What if the habits you’ve struggled with for years aren’t really a willpower problem? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Jonathan “JLo” Logan , transformational coach, hypnotherapist, behavioral change expert, and creator of the Stop Smoking Forever™ system. Jonathan spent years studying psychology, hypnotherapy, NLP, self-regulation, coaching, and human behavi...

What if your podcast could become more than a platform for your voice—and actually become a profitable media business? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Bev Hampson , Founder and CEO of Category3 Media and a Media Growth Strategist who helps health experts, authors, and purpose-driven entrepreneurs turn influence into sustainable revenue. With more than a deca...

What if some of the traits that helped you become successful were actually built as survival mechanisms? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with John P. Boyle , an engineer, entrepreneur, executive advisor, and author whose journey from an Appalachian upbringing to Harvard Business School and executive leadership eventually led him to confront something success coul...

What if you didn’t have to wait until 59½ to access the retirement savings you’ve spent decades building? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Rob Townend , a CPA and founder of Early Retirement Access, to explore one of the lesser-known strategies that can potentially allow people to access certain 401(k), IRA, and other qualified retirement funds before age 59½...

Why do people visit a website, explore a product, and then leave without buying? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Ammarah Ahmed , founder of Precision Consulting, a boutique CRO and UX consultancy built around understanding how people actually behave online. Ammarah spent a decade working inside major growth platforms including Delivery Hero, Foodpanda, Talab...

What if the way businesses get discovered online is changing faster than most entrepreneurs realize? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Alistair Knight , an SEO strategist, entrepreneur, and property investor with more than eight years of experience helping businesses grow through organic search. Alistair has worked with global brands across multiple industries...

Why do intelligent, successful people sometimes keep choosing relationships that leave them questioning themselves? In this episode of Control or Be Controlled , Darlington sits down with Jena Jake , a therapist-trained Compatibility Strategist and creator of the Love Smarter framework, to explore the hidden patterns that influence who we are attracted to, who we trust, and ultimately, who we choo...

Dom Morley: Can Creativity Be Learned? In this episode, Darlington sits down with Dom Morley , a Grammy-winning producer and mix engineer who has spent 30 years working at the highest levels of the music industry, including engineering Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black , which earned the Grammy for Record of the Year. Having worked with artists ranging from Adele and Sting to Mark Ronson, Jeff Beck, S...

In this episode, Darlington sits down with Anna Quigley , transformational speaker, catalyst, and founder of The Call Forward , known as the “Intuitive Yoda” for her ability to turn deep insight into practical wisdom. With more than four decades of experience spanning psychology, intuitive living, mind-body practices, metaphysics, science, and spirituality, Anna helps people navigate major life tr...